Homily For Saturday Before Epiphany, 7th January, 2023

Readings : 1 John 5:14-21; Ps 149; John 2:1-11

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

 

LEARN TO DO WHATEVER  THE LORD TELLS YOU

 

As the year unfolds our Liturgy today calls our attention to something very important especially as regards our plans and purposes this year. Little wonder our Gospel passage today presents to us the story of an event that portrays what ought to be our relationship with Jesus and his mother Mary in every events of our daily lives this year.

 

Here, we see how the wedding couple invited Jesus and his disciples in the most important day of their lives. And when an embarrassing moment came up during the course of the celebration, Mary in her usual way of helping people asked Jesus to save the couple from social embarrassment and even when her request was not granted by her son, she had strong faith that he will not refuse her request. So she said to the servants: “ Do whatever he tells you”.

 

By this request Mary who represents the Church reveals to us the key to achieving our goals and plans this year. That is to say that, the secret key that opens the treasure of success in our daily activities this year is to do whatever the Lord Jesus tells us. But what did Jesus say we should do? He told the servants: Fill, Draw and Serve.

 

Here, Jesus is telling us to fill our life with the water of salvation which he offers us every day through his Words and Eucharist and when we have filled our lives with the fountain of his presence, then we should draw from the joy it offers and serve the humanity who are really in need and thirsty for the word of God especially at this moment in our world when humanity really hope and seek for God’s intervention in our societies and our country Nigeria in the up coming elections

 

Dear friends, we must learn to do whatever the Lord tells us this year. For we really need to fill our lives with the words of Jesus, which we hear everyday. We need to learn from our mother Mary who never ceases to pounder God’s words in her heart. We need to learn how to serve others from the abundant we have received from God. We need to draw from the fountain of grace and gifts that God has given to us in order to build up our families, societies, country and continent.

 

We need to learn how to sacrifice for the good of others. We need to learn how to intercede for others who are passing through difficult moments. But this is possible only when we have filled our empty soul with love, peace, joy and happiness that comes from know that Jesus cares so much about us personally and collectively.

 

So we must learn to ask and pray for one another for St. John in our first reading today said if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, the situation of human life in our world today is really frightening, as we listen to your words today, may we find strength to do your will always, may you protect us from the evil manipulations and agenda of the wicked in our societies and our country Nigeria. This we ask through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a fruitful day.