Homily For Fifth Sunday of Easter, Year A, 7th May, 2023

Readings: Acts.6:1-7; Ps.33; 1 Pet. 2:4-9;  John 14:1-12

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia.

 

WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT IS YOUR TRUE IDENTITY?

 

Identity is one of the important things in human existence, the human identity is made up of the physical composition of the body and soul in relation to the environment and scientists tell us that humanity is one among the many living things on earth. Thus individual human identity is rooted in the identifications of what each associates his/herself with.

 

More so, all identity is ultimately in relationship with something else. For instance, if a person identifies his/herself with a group of people or thing, such a person becomes part of that group or thing and that becomes the person's identity. So the questions we need to ask ourselves today are what is my identity? Who am I identifying myself with? What is my true and ultimate identity?

 

These are fundamental questions because they points out to the fundamental reality of who we are and what we have identified ourselves  with. A lot of people do not know who they are or what they have identified themselves with. A lot of people today are sufferings and struggling because they do not know who they are and the identity they bear. Some have misplaced their identity with some thing else, some are putting on an identity that doesn’t belong to them.

 

Today the fifth Sunday of Easter, the Church through our readings presents to us our true and ultimate identity as we have it in our second reading which says: you are a living stone, a chosen race, a royal Priesthood, a Holy nation, God’s own people. And in our Gospel passage, Jesus tell us that he is the Way, the Truth and the Life. While in our first reading, we heard how seven good men were chosen as ministers to serve the people and this becomes their personal identity.

 

Today, all of us who are called Christians bear the identity of Christ who is the way, the Truth and the Life and are called to turn our focus on him as our Lord and Saviour and put our faith and trust fully in him. No doubt that our Lord Jesus has shown us his true identity. He has shown us the ultimate proof of his love for us through his suffering, crucifixion, death and resurrection and this identity is what we are to present to the whole world in words and deeds.

 

Therefore as a living stone, a chosen race, a royal Priesthood, a Holy nation, God’s own people, we are called to really examine our conscience to know if we have actually embrace this identity as regards to our vocation as Christians. How have we personally identified ourselves with the identity of Jesus as  the way, the Truth and the Life? For in him we find our true identity.

 

 

But, are we still like the disciples who before the resurrection do not know neither their identity nor the true identity of Jesus, as they were not able to fully comprehend at first all that they have heard and witnessed from Jesus? They did not yet fully comprehend the identity of Jesus as God incarnate in the flesh. That was why Philip asked Jesus to show them the Father and they will be satisfied. But after the resurrection and ascension of Jesus, the disciples through the power of the Holy Spirit embrace their true identity and they proclaimed the good news to all.

 

Though very few, they began the Church and many more came to believe and identified with them through their courageous preaching and testimony of their faith in Jesus. They gave up their lives and became martyrs of the Church. They  died defending the faith and identity they have found in Jesus and his Church. They left us with the true identity of the Christian faith.

 

Dear friends, our identity is one of the most important thing to the society. We are often quick to identify ourselves with people or disassociate ourselves with people because of the value we hold as our identity. But the surprising thing is that most people do not know their true identity. Many people spend their entire live without knowing who they really are.

 

So friends I ask you, Who are you? What is your identity? What is the source of your identity? Whose identity are you putting on now? Why are you putting on someone else identity? Why have you misplaced your identity. What is your  purpose on this earth? To discover these, we must ensure that we cooperate with God's plan for us and identify ourselves in him. For he made us to know that we are living stone, a chosen race, a royal Priesthood, a Holy nation, God’s own people.

 

The fact remains that every human person has a special role to play in the Master plan of God and this gives us our true identity. But the questions are, how are we playing this role? Are we playing according to the master plan or against it? Are we confuse about who we are and our role in this master plan of God? Have we deviated from our true identity.

 

Today, there are division, manipulation and multiplication of Churches because people have lost the true identity of the Christian faith as a result of sin, selfishness and pride of people who wish to use the name of Jesus to achieve their selfish desires. Therefore, it’s time for us to embrace and defend our true and ultimate identity which we have found in Jesus and his Church. For by the virtue of our baptism we share in that great Identity of the Church as a living stone, a chosen race, a royal Priesthood, a Holy nation, God’s own people. That’s who we are, that’s who we are called to be, when we follow Jesus who is the Way, the Truth and the Life.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, in you we have our true and ultimate identity, grant we pray that your Church will continue to uphold the true and ultimate identity of your Son Jesus who is the way, the Truth and the Life. So that, through our baptism we may courageously defend our faith and our identity as a living stone, a chosen race, a royal Priesthood, a Holy nation, God’s own people. Amen. Do have a grace-filled Sunday.