Homily For Thursday Twenty-First Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 31st August, 2023

Readings: 1Thess. 3:7-13; Ps.90; Matt.24:42-51

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

 

WHY WE MUST BE READY FOR THE COMING OF THE LORD?

 

As a human person, there are two most important events in our life. One is well known, prepared and is constantly celebrated, that is our birthday. The other, which is the ultimate, is not known and less attention and preparation is being made for it, that is the day of our death.

 

So, Jesus knowing how important this day is, instructed his disciples in our Gospel passage saying: “stay awake, because you do not know the day when the Lord is coming. You may be quite sure of this that if the householder had known at what time of the night the burglar would come, he would have stayed awake and would not have allowed anyone to break through the wall of his house. Therefore, you too must stand ready because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

 

In this passage, we have two commands at the beginning and at the end which are not quite the same. The first command is based on God’s coming at a “day” when we do not know and the second is in an “hour” you do not expect, that is to say, that it will be uncertain, unexpected and surprising. Just like the householder’s ignorance of the time when the thief would come is the reason why he does not watch. He cannot keep awake all night, and every night, to be ready for him; so he has to go to sleep, and then he is robbed.

 

Thus our ignorance of the day and time is the reason for our watchfulness, because we can keep awake all night of our life just like the householder watches to prevent being robbed. So the image of the thief is chosen to illustrate the unexpected approach of the second coming of Christ which will be a great surprise to those who are asleep as they will be robbed of Heaven and also deprived of their earthly treasures.

 

 But the Lord's coming will be a happy day for those who shall be found awake and ready, while it will be very dreadful for those who are not prepared. Thus, St. Paul in our first reading today prayed that we may so confirm our hearts in holiness that we may be blameless in the sight of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus Christ comes with all his saints.

 

Dear friends, you see why we must be ready for the coming of the Lord. For today we are called to be ready, we are called to repentance, we are called to embrace the new life the Lord is offering us. We are called to a life of constant struggle towards perfection in order to embrace the Lord whenever he comes.

 

Therefore, preparation is the key word. Let us not be deceived when the world suggest to us that the day of death is not coming soon, and so forget who we are, and then, the day and time will take us by surprise. Rather, let us be like that wise servant who is prepared at all times for the coming of the master.

 

LET US PRAY, Lord God, You ask us to be ready for your coming, increase in us the desire to be prepared and ready for that inevitable event of death, so that whenever it comes, it will not be a shock to us, we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. It's a lovely day, may God bless your efforts and grant success to the works of your hands.