Homily for Tuesday Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 26th July, 2022. The Memorial of SS. Joachim and Anne

 Readings: Jer.14:17-22, P 78, Matt 13:36-43

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

ARE YOU AMONG THE GOOD SEEDS OF GOD’S KINGDOM OR THE WEEDS OF THIS PASSING WORLD? 

For the past few days now we have been listening to Jesus telling us about the kingdom of God and the need for us to prepare to embrace it. In most of the occasions Jesus used parables to communicate the important of this message. Having listened to him carefully, his disciples in our Gospel passage today asked him to explain the parable of the wheat and the darnel and he said:

 “The sower of the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world; the good seed is the subjects of the kingdom; the darnel, the subjects of the evil one; the enemy who sowed them, the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; the reapers are the angels. Well then, just as the darnel is gathered up and burnt in the fire, so it will be at the end of time. The Son of Man will send his angels and they will gather out of his kingdom all things that provoke offences and all who do evil, and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth. Then the virtuous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Listen, anyone who has ears!”

What is most important in this message is for us to “Listen carefully”. This is because the world as we know is coming to an end, for the day of reckoning is very close at hand. This could be the first trumpet might as well be the last. For it is obvious from the signs we are seeing around us today. How can we interpret the signs of this times, the signs that tell us that this world is passing away. 

Many are suffering and many more will have to suffer from greediness of others. Many have died and may more will have to die. Many are perishing in sin, many more will have to perish if we refuse to repent from sin and greediness. Little wonder we heard prophet Jeremiah in our first reading saying: “Tears flood my eyes night and day, unceasingly, since a crushing blow falls on the daughter of my people, a most grievous injury. If I go into the countryside, there lie men killed by the sword; if I go into the city, I see people sick with hunger”.

Dear friends, does these signs make us to be afraid of the second coming of the Lord or do we joyfully awaits its coming? Because the explanation of this parable gives us an account of what will happen on the day of reckoning. And today, we are called to really examine our conscience to know where we are with regards to our vocation as Christians. Are we among the good seeds of God’s kingdom or the weeds of this passing world? For what will be our lot if the Lord calls us today? Will we be among the virtuous who will shine like the sun in the kingdom of our Father? Or among those that will be thrown out of his kingdom and sent into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth? 

The answer to this question is available in our consciences and if we listen carefully now we will hear, for things are not the way they used to be, we all have to face the reality now. Everyday is a golden opportunity, today may be the only opportunity for us to change our sinful ways of life and embrace God completely, just like SS. Joachim and Anne the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary, whose memorial we celebrate today. For they were entrusted with the task of nurturing and bringing up Mary as a great instrument for God’s salvation for humanity. They stand as a model of what good parenting should be 

LET US PRAY:  Heavenly Father, as we listen carefully to your word, let the groans of your children come before you. And through the intercessions of SS. Joachim and Anne, help us to embrace your word and be prepared to embrace your kingdom on the day of reckoning, we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. God bless you.