15TH SUNDAY, YEAR B: HOMILY BY FR. JUSTIN ADIELE
THEME: “CALLED AND SENT TO BRING CHRIST TO THE PEOPLE”
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INTRODUCTION:
At an international gathering of young people in New York, a
young American asked a girl from Burma what is the religion of the religion of
the majority of the Burmese. The young woman told him that it was Buddhism. The
American not wanting to feel special nor offend her, replied her; “oh well,
that doesn’t matter; all religions are the same.” But the Burmese girl
retorted; “if you had lived in my country, you would not have said that. I have
seen what centuries of superstition, fear and indifference to social problems
have done to my people. We need the truth and the upliftment of Christianity.
My country needs Christ.” Every corner of the world; our town, our village, our
homes, our factories, and our schools… needs Christ. Jesus has called and sent
you and I as disciples and committed Christians to bring Christ and the truth
of the gospel to our world. We must not shy away from this nor miss the mark of
our mission. We must not be around and yet God still lacks disciples and
prophets to teach his people.
THE FIRST READING
(AMOS 7: 12 – 15)
The first reading presents us with the worst case scenario
of our world today. The priest Amaziah was present at Bethel yet God still had
the need to look for a prophet. God even had to send a herdsman and a farmer;
Amos to prophesy and minister the truth to his people. Our world is full of
this scenario of plenty of Christianity and yet no Christians; the scenario of
plenty of churches and pastors, yet no true conversion or spiritual direction
going on; the scenario of plenty preachers, but no one is preaching the truth
or the true gospel values of Christ to the people (In Igbo; “mmadu no, mmadu ako”).
THE SECOND READING
(EPH. 1: 3 – 14)
In the second reading, St. reminded the Ephesians and
reminds us today; the God has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual
blessing in the heavenly places; he has chosen us in Him, He has bestowed
grace, forgiveness and redemption on us; and He has made known to us in all
wisdom and insight the mystery of His will and His purpose and plans which he
set forth in Christ. It is our duty then to foster this divine will and purpose
of God in our world, leading the people around us to the gospel truth, to
holiness, to blameless life and to the glory and possession of the heavenly
kingdom.
THE GOSPEL READING
(MK. 6: 7 – 13)
The gospel reading captured the call and first mission Jesus
sent his Apostles. Interestingly, they went with nothing except with the
authority of Jesus Christ. They preached peace and repentance to the people;
they visited and healed the sick and cast out demons. We all share in this
apostolic mission of preaching and bringing peace to our families and
communities; we all share in the mission of bringing people to repent and
believe in the gospel; and we all share in the mission of bringing healing to
our sick world, and delivering and casting out the demon of corruption
everywhere we go.
CONCLUSION:
Beloved brethren, we have been blessed and anointed at
baptism, and we carry in good and varied measures, the authority of Christ as
king, priest and prophet. Let us not compromise our faith and our mission like
Amaziah the priest in the first reading, because of the things and glories of
this world. Let us not keep God busy still searching for real Christians who
would do for Him what you and I could have done for God; that is, bringing
Christ and His gospel message to his people.
Happy Sunday!
Fr. Justin
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