Homily For Thursday Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 13th July, 2023

Readings: Gen. 44:18-21.23-29.45:1-5; Ps. 105; Matt:10:7-15

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

 

GOD CARES AND LOVES US NO MATTER THE SITUATION WE FIND OURSELVES

 

The rebellious nature of humanity have always kept us away from responding to God's invitation to Life of love, holiness, faithfulness and integrity. Hence, humanity have always failed to understand the true ways of God his creator. However, God has not stopped caring and stretching his hands of love to us. In every generation God always send messengers to remind us of his love and plan for humanity. This is exactly what we have in our readings today especially in our first reading where we heard how it was God’s plan to send Joseph to Egypt for the sake of saving his people from feminine.

 

Here, we heard how this plan was fulfilled, when Joseph was reunited with his brothers after they had sold him as slave. In this encounter and reunion, Joseph filled with compassion said, that it was God’s plan and grace that allowed everything to happen as it was, that their evil plots had been turned to good things as God sent him ahead to Egypt to pave the path for Jacob his father and his descendants. For God sent him ahead of the rest of his family to prepare everything, so that when they eventually come in accordance with the will of God, they would be accepted and taken care good care of since they were to stay in Egypt for a long time.  

 

This story shows us that God in his compassion will always turn our ugly situation and attitude into something better in accordance with his will. Because, God’s anger and dissatisfaction with the constant disobedience and rebellious attitude of the people and the upcoming consequences for their sins, will be subdued by God’s mercy. Since God in his compassionate love, wishes to save humanity.

 

This showing us that in God, we have a compassionate and loving Father who always care about us despite our constant disobedience and rebellious attitude towards him. And out of his love for us, He has not stopped sending his messengers to help guide us out of the wrong path we are taking. In fact, out of love, He sent Jesus his only begotten Son to be our Lord and Saviour.

 

Thus, in our Gospel passage we heard how Jesus went about doing good, healing the sick and setting captive free from the shackles of the evil ones and to continue this great mission he invited his disciples and sent them out, commanding them to see themselves as someone who gives freely of the good they have received from God.

 

They should offer to others what they have received from God, knowing that it has cost them nothing. They are to live a life of detachment that is, in this mission, they are to depend totally on God's providence. Unfortunate many of the disciples have to face rejection and persecutions from people, who through their rebellious attitude have refused to believe in God even though he has always been so patient, loving, caring and forgiving to us.

 

Dear friends, the Lord cares and loves us no matter the situation we find ourselves. So, today we are called to repent from our sinful and rebellious attitudes and embrace the compassionate love and care that God is offering us. And as disciples of Christ, we have received a lot from God without payment; we should learn to give without expecting reward. Calling us to acknowledge with gratitude all that we have received from God and give freely to others that which we have received. For this act of charity will purify us from pride and self-righteousness, because we are all recipients of God's love, mercy, forgiveness, favour, protection, healing and deliverance.

 

Therefore, we must offer to others these same gifts which we have received. We are to show love to people, forgive, help the needy and share with one another the gifts God has blessed us with, and if our love and care are rejected, we should offer it as a sign for the judgement day. Remember, your kind gestures today can turn someone's life around now or later and by so doing we extend God’s divine compassion to rebellious humanity.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, you have sacrificed a lot to save us from our rebellious and sinful attitudes, open our hearts once again to repent and embrace your compassionate love and care for us. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a blessed day.