HOMILY OF THE 5TH THURSDAY IN THE ORDINARY TIME — YEAR A
HOMILY THEME: THE UNWAVERING FAITH
BY: Fr Francis Onwunali
In the readings of today, we embrace the togetherness of faith and relationship with God as fulfilment of our purpose in life.
The first reading (Gen 2: 18-25) is all about relationships in creation. God instructed Adam to name the rest of creation, implying a relationship. When Eve was brought to Adam, they lived in openness with each other. “Now both of them were naked, the man and his wife, but they felt no shame in front of each other.” In faith, God is calling us into a relationship with Him. What is it that is holding you back from embracing this divine honour?
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The gospel passage (Mark 7: 24-30) describes the only occasion in which Jesus ministered outside of Jewish territory – Tyre and Sidon. A Gentile woman puts Jesus on the spot by pleading with Him to show mercy to her daughter, who was tormented with an evil spirit. At first, Jesus seemed to pay no attention to her, and this made His disciples feel embarrassed. Jesus very likely did this not to put the woman off but rather to test her sincerity and to awaken her faith. Faithfulness breeds blessings!
Dear friends, God has favoured us in many ways, and oftentimes, in mercy, God overlooks our shortfalls. But how often do we take God’s leniency and mercy for weakness and, for granted, then go about doing our own things our own way?
I pray as we journey in life today, we will remain faithful to our Christian calling and not yield to the pressures of the world around us. Let us imitate the humble and fervent faith of the gentile woman and respond to the Lord Jesus, acknowledging God’s power in our lives and our desire to receive all the blessings God has in store for us. With the Psalmist, we declare: The Lord is faithful in all His words and loving in all His deeds (Ps. 144: 13). Have a faithfulness-full day!
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