Homily for Saturday Twenty-Fifth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 25th September, 2021

 Homily for Saturday Twenty-Fifth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 25th September, 2021

Readings: Zech. 2:1-5.10-11; Ps. 31; Luke 9:43-45

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

HOW OFTEN DO YOU THINK  ABOUT THE INEVITABLE  EVENT OF DEATH

As customary in our seminary, every 2nd November some persons are selected to visit the cemetery. On one occasion, I was privileged to be among the people to visit a cemetery at Oke Are in Ibadan. On our way to the cemetery which is located on a hill in the heart of Ibadan, passing through the market and streets all I could see were people struggling, buying and selling, fighting and cursing each other. I saw a lot of beggars, sick and poor people, among this people were the rich, the educated, as well as their leaders both traditional and political. It was indeed an interesting community. 

But getting to the cemetery I saw in a wall names and dates of so many men and women who had passed on from this interesting community. Than I asked myself in my deep reflection, where are all these people whose names are listed in this wall? Where they like us before? Are we going to be like them later? Where will all of us in this beautiful community be in the next hundred years? The answer to these questions are difficult to understand because we don’t think about inevitable event of death

This is not different from what Jesus is reminding his disciples in our Gospel passage today, where after his great miracles, when everyone was full of admiration for all he did, Jesus said to his disciples, ‘For your part, you must have these words constantly in your mind: that the Son of Man is going to be handed over into the power of men.’ But they did not understand him. For the Lord says in  our first reading today: I will be a wall of fire for her all round her, and I will be her glory in the midst of her.”’

Dear friends, today we are reminded about the true reality of life, that we all are going to die one day and the dust of our flesh and bones will return to the earth while our Spirit retire to God knowing that we will account for how we lived this life. We are going to give back to God the gift of life he has given us, because our life is a temporal assignment. So, why not start living this life according to the present reality since we do not know how and when we are going to account for it. Why not accept joyfully who we are now as we work hard to be better tomorrow. Remember, everything is in the hands of God, we brought nothing in this world and we are taking nothing out of it. 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, our life is meaningless without you. Grant that we may realize the shortness of this life and so prepare to give account on how we have lived our lives in this passing world. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Wishing you a fruitful day.