Homily For Saturday of the Eight Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 3rd June, 2023. The Memorial of St. Charles Lwanga and Companions

Readings: Sir. 51:12-20, Ps.19; Mark 11:27-33

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

 

CAN THE DIVINE AUTHORITY OF JESUS BE TRACED IN YOU?

 

In our dealings with people, we are often requested to make reference to authorities in order to backup our claim to know or possess anything. And when such authority is not available we may not be taking seriously. Little wonder our Gospel passage today, presents to us the fundamental question concerning the source of Jesus’ authority, namely whether it is divine or human.

 

Here, after Jesus drove away the traders from the courts of the Temple, the chief priests and elders questioned the source of his authority, for they were more concerned to learn whether Jesus had received the proper human authorization by questioning the source of his authority.

 

In response, Jesus draws their attention to John the Baptist and his authority and by so doing he implies that the source of John's authority is the source of his as well. Thus, anyone who correctly identifies the source of John's authority will definitely identify the source of Jesus’ own as well.

 

Therefore the questions we need to ask ourselves are: What is our notion about the authority of Jesus? Do we have any doubt about the authority of Jesus? How much of this authority dwells in you? The crowds identified the source of John and Jesus’ authority as divine, can we personally identified the Divine Authority of Jesus in our lives? Why not ask him to manifest his power and authority once more in your life?

 

Dear friends, we need to open up our hearts to truly embrace the authority of our Lord Jesus. We need to build up our interior lives around his authority, so as to be more close to God and continue to prepare ourselves physically and spiritually for his coming in our hearts and in our souls. For there he awaits our response to his invitation to the life of faith, holiness and love.

 

So let us learn to ask God for his grace and wisdom to be faithful and holy just as we heard in our first reading today. Let us also be encouraged by the lives of St. Charles Lwanga and Companions, the Holy Martyrs of Uganda whose memorial we celebrate today, they hold on to their faith in the midst of brutal persecutions and death. We also are called to remain faithful in our faith, even in the midst of all the difficulties and challenges of life as we experience in our country today.

 

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, in your divine authority we build our confidence and hope. Through the intercession of St. Charles Lwanga, may you continue to direct and guide our ways and bring our plans and purposes to a successful end. This we ask through Christ our Lord. Amen. Wishing you a happy and fruitful weekend.