Homilies (Page 3)

THE FORGOTTEN BATTLE: YOUR SOUL IS MORE IMPORTANT 2 Kings 5:14-17; 2 Timothy 2:8-13; Luke 17:11-19 Samaria, the capital of Israel, came into international prominence with the Assyrian invasion and the exile of Israelites to Nineveh in 721 B.C. In those days, when a capital city and its king are captured, the battle is over. So, like most capitals of many nations, to conquer Israel, its capital Samaria had to fall. The difference, however, was that the destruction of Samaria, by the Assyrians, was more than a material destruction, the destruction was aimed at her soul and mind, the transplantation of a new mindset andRead More →

A Call to Fidelity: Be Part of the Solution, Not the Problem! Habakkuk 1:2-3; 2:2-4; 2 Timothy 1:6-8, 13-14; Luke 17:5-10 There was a poor couple whose house was made of thatch and situated by the roadside. They did not have a bathroom and toilet inside the house, but a latrine and a bathroom behind the house. As good Christians, they were very hospitable to all strangers. As a matter of fact, many people had warned them against their hospitality to strangers because of the possible danger of taking in robbers and brigands. One day, a stranger arrived at their door at midnight, seeking shelterRead More →

Bring in Lazarus: Taking Care of the Sin of Omission Amos 6:1a, 4-7; 1 Timothy 6:11-16; Luke 16:19-31 How do the readings of this Sunday talk to me, many may ask? I am neither rich nor poor. Even the rich and the poor of our reading, we are not told what their sins were: neither poverty nor riches is the reason for what happened to them. To make matters more complex, today, many poor people have dogs, and do not see any difficulty sharing a meal with a dog. The question may be asked: Would a rich man share his meal with me, invite me,Read More →

“United we stand, Divided we fall”: We are all God’s children! Amos 8:4-7; 1 Timothy 2: 1-8; Luke 16:1-13 or 16:10-13 The prophet Amos is popularly known as the prophet who promoted social justice, bringing to the fore the oppression and exploitation of the poor. Today’s first reading gives credence to this opinion, and Pope Leo XIV lends support to the crusade for workers’ rights and the rights of poor people. Amos argues that the rich reduced the worth of the poor to mere objects: “We will buy the lowly for silver, and the poor for a pair of sandals”. This state of affairs isRead More →

Prodigality Sunday: Forgive as Forgiven Exodus 32:7-11, 13-14; 1 Timothy 1:12-17; Luke 15:1-32 or Luke 15:1-10 Our television screens are inundated with scenes of violence and strife. Nations are at war against nations: Russia against Ukraine, the two Sudan against each other; intra-national wars in Democratic Republic of Congo, Central Africa, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Syria, Colombia, Ecuador, etc; those nations not at war are preparing for war or aggression, like North Korea and Iran. To this list, one can add American gun-violence and racial tensions, global family disunities and divorces, genocides. We live in a world that needs healing and reconciliation with itself. But what happenedRead More →

The Cross: God’s Language of Wisdom! Wisdom 9:13-18; Philemon 9-10, 12-17; Luke 14:25-33 A Buddhist monk once offered this idea to a young person solicitous of making good progress in spirituality: “start out early, travel light, arrive safely”. In a more expatiated form, a person who desires something has to start out early in search of the desired object. In order for the search to be successful, unnecessary encumbrances have to be avoided; this is the meaning of “traveling light.” Having begun early and traveling light, the wayfarer will arrive safely. The advice given by the Buddhist monk shows that there is no culture andRead More →

“Alms atone for sins” (Ecclesiasticus 3:29): Charitable Deeds Will Earn you Heaven Sirach 3:17-18, 20, 28-29; Hebrews 12:18-19, 22-24a; Luke 14:1, 7-14 Growing up in northern Nigeria, it was a taboo to be a debtor; my parents wouldn’t accept that. We, my siblings and myself, were taught contentment with whatever meager resources we had, especially finances. The implication of this lesson was that no one spent the money he didn’t earn or have. North America taught me a different lesson: here, everybody is a debtor, including self-acclaimed rich people like Donald Trump. In fact, being a debtor is a good thing out here because oneRead More →

You’re God’s Ambassador, behave like one! Isaiah 66:18-21; Hebrews 12:5-7, 11-13; Luke 13:22-30 Our world today reels in sin and wallows in the darkness of unbelief. Thank goodness, it is not because there are so many bad people around, but simply because good people sit back and do nothing or not enough. How often does one hear, “we are all sinners”; “there is no good person left”; the world is in a terrible shape. The good news is that, these are all human judgments, not God’s. On the part of God, this is the message he has for us – “For God so loved theRead More →

There is always salvation for those who wait on the Lord! Jeremiah 38:4-6, 8-10; Hebrews 12:1-4; Luke 12:49-53 In an age of political correctness, the desire to say just what people want to hear and not to offend others, does the truth still have a place in our polity and religious life? What is the role of faith and religion in a secularized and modernized world? These are serious questions to be asked if religion, particularly Christianity, will be relevant to our contemporary world. In the so-called first-world, issues like abortion, euthanasia, same-sex union, gun control, and eugenics are considered no-go-areas, especially for religious interventionRead More →