HOMILY FOR WEDNESDAY OF THE 4TH WEEK OF EASTER
THEME: THE FINAL NOTICE
BY: Fr. Karabari Paul
HOMILY FOR WEDNESDAY MAY 11 2022
‘Jesus cried out and said, ‘He who believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me.’
Today’s Gospel (John 12:44-50) is about a warning message called Final Notice. It is never wise to ignore final notices! it is especially true if you ignore God’s final notice. We may think that it is wonderful that God won’t bother us anymore. But as Paul warned the Athenians, ‘[God] has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead’ (Acts 17:31). So when God sends a final notice, it’s best to pay attention! The Gospel of today is Jesus’ final notice to the Jews who had not believed in Him. There is nothing here that He has not already said. But these are His last words to unbelieving Israel before He was crucified.
Since this is Jesus’ final notice, we all should pay attention! He gives four reasons why we should believe in Him. In His words: 1).Believe in Me because I am one with the Father, 2).I am the light, 3).My words will judge all that reject them, and 4).I speak the Father’s commandment that is eternal life.
Note that “Jesus cried out” these words (John 12:44). John used that verb of Jesus when He cried out in the temple at the Feast of Dedication (John 7:28, 37). It means to shout in a loud voice. It is more than simply teaching. It is an exhortation or strong appeal to His hearers to pay attention to these truths. He didn’t want them (or us!) to miss the message. The question is how much do we accept this message for our own salvation? In a world of today where the Mass or Church service is reduced to entertainment and every sermon has become a motivational speech, the word of God may lose its convicting power in our lives. Then, we may lose sight of the significance and seriousness of God’s words. GOD IS STILL ON THE THRONE. May God heal our world, bless and protect us all through Christ Our Lord Amen. Please, stay safe. Good morning!
Fr. Karabari Paul