Homily for Wednesday of the 5th Week in Ordinary Time Cycle II
Theme: Seeing from divine perspective
By: Fr. Francis Onwunali
Homily for Wednesday February 9 2022
The central message of our liturgy today is the benefit of being able to see how God’s plan is to be lived out in our life. Being able to see things from a divine perspective is Wisdom!
The gospel (Mark 7: 14-23) pericope presents further responds from Jesus to the religious leaders of His time who were infatuated with ritual defilement. Jesus instructs that the source of defilement is the human heart, the innermost recess of our thoughts and intentions. Sin does not just happen from external forces. It first springs from the secret desires which only the individual mind and heart can conceive. God warned Cain to guard his heart when he became jealous of his brother, Abel: “Sin is couching at the door; it’s desire is for you, but you must master it” (Gen. 4: 7). How do you guard the selfish desires of your heart?
The first reading (1 Kgs. 10: 1-10) recounts the visit of the Queen of Sheba to Jerusalem to seek the wisdom of Solomon. When she encountered the wisdom of Solomon which surpassed all she ever heard or imagined, she gave thanks to God: “Blessed be the Lord your God who has granted you His favour, setting you on the throne of Isreal!” Wisdom is indeed a gift from God!
Dear friends, the Psalmist links wisdom to righteousness: “The just man’s mouth utters wisdom and his lips speak what is right; the law of his God is in his heart, his steps shall be saved from stumbling” (Ps. 37: 30-31). Jesus, the Word of God is willing and ready to set our hearts free from the burden of guilt and from the destructive force of sin and wrong-doing. The gift of the Holy Spirit which dwells in our heart gives us the grace of purity of heart to choose what is good, just and right.
I pray as we journey in life today, we will seek wisdom by listening to that divine voice in our conscience which “is man’s most secret core and his sanctuary. There he is alone with God whose voice echoes in his depths” (GS 16; CCC 1795). May we be filled with the Holy Spirit, so that, strenghtened in heart and mind, we will freely chose to love and do what is good and reject what is evil. Have a Wisdom-full day!
Fr. Francis Onwunali