Homily For Wednesday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 23rd February, 2022. The Memorial of St. Polycarp

Homily For Wednesday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 23rd February, 2022. The Memorial of St. Polycarp

Readings: James 4:13-17; Ps.49; Mark: 9:38-40

Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

 COLLABORATING AND ACCOMMODATING EACH OTHER IN THE MISSION OF CHRIST

There is no doubt that the Christian faith can be very demanding and ambiguous for those who do not understand the sacrificial nature of our missionary life. To deal with these challenges, we must learn to discipline ourselves and collaborate with one another. So discipline and collaboration must be central to the Christian mission, since the Christian faith comes across different categories of people which requires that there should be room to accommodate one another in that single language of sacrificial love towards Christ missionary mandate. 

This very discipline and collaborative nature of our faith is what Jesus is addressing in our Gospel passage today when John had said to him,, master, we saw a man who is not one of us casting out devils in your name; and because he was not one of us we tried to stop him.’ But Jesus said, ‘You must not stop him: no one who works a miracle in my name is likely to speak evil of me. Anyone who is not against us is for us.

Here Jesus is speaking to his disciples and to all of us about doing the works for the glory of God, saying that we should not stop people from doing the good works of God even if the people did not belong to the same group with us. This is because, the disciples of Jesus saw some people who were doing works in the name of Jesus, casting out demons and healing in his name, and they tried to stop them from doing so. Why? Because the disciples having received from Jesus the authority and power to perform miracle they wanted to keep these gift and authority exclusive to themselves. But Jesus rebuked such selfish attitude showed by the disciples, because Jesus desires that everyone who wishes to do the work of God should be accommodated regardless of their background and affiliations.

Dear friends, by the virtue of our baptism and confirmation we have received the same Spirit of God, that gives us the authority to do great works for God. Therefore, we too have been entrusted with the missionary mandate of Christ. So, is our responsibility to make good use of the various gifts and opportunities God has given us by ensuring that we discipline ourselves and learn to accommodate other people’s gift and charisms. We must learn how to collaborate and accommodate other people who speak the one true language of Christ which is sacrificial love just like St Polycarp, whose memorial we celebrate today. For he is known for his passion for the missionary activities of the Lord for which he suffered martyrdom. 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit who has always being our guide. Through the intercessions of St. Polycarp, help us to be more accommodating and collaborating with one another as we carryout your missionary mandate of love for each another. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. God bless you.