Homily For Tuesday Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 22nd August, 2023. The Queenship Of The Blessed Virgin Mary

Readings:  Judges 6:11-24; Ps. 85; Matt. 19:23-30

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

 

WHY IS IT DIFFICULT TO DETACH FROM THE MATERIAL THINGS OF THIS PASSING WORLD?

 

Material possessions are gifts from God and he alone gives us the right to them. But what we possess is meant to help us grow in our relationship with God and neighours not to separate us from them, because if we are not careful, too much love for material possession can be an obstacle on our way to God’s Kingdom.

 

Little wonder Jesus in our Gospel passage today says:  “I tell you solemnly, it will be hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Yes, I tell you again, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven”. When the disciples heard this they were astonished. And they said, “Who can be saved, then?” Jesus gazed at them and said “For men this is impossible; for God everything is possible”.

 

Here, Jesus tells his disciples about the need to live a life of detachment. For they saw how the rich young man was so sad when Jesus demanded that he should share his possessions with others in order to acquire treasures in heaven by following him. Thus, there is need for us to be prune from our excess love for material possession, because, for a camel to enter through a narrow gate, it must kneel in order for its load to be taken off. We too must learn how to humble and detach ourselves from excess attachment to material things of this passing world.

 

The fact remains, that, material possessions in themselves are good, for we would not survive for long without them, but excess attachment to it at the expense of eternal life is grade one suicide. No doubt, it is difficult to give out or share our possession, but the ones who give up everything are the ones who receives more in this life as well as in heaven, just like Gideon in our first reading, who when encountered the angel of the Lord said:  I beg you, do not go away until I come back. I will bring you my offering and set it down before you.’

 

Dear friends, why is it difficult for us to detach from the material things of this passing world? For detaching and sharing what we possess with others especially the poor is a sure way to finding life, peace and happiness. And Jesus is telling us that it will be difficult for us to enter his kingdom when we choose to attach ourselves in the riches of this passing world.

 

Though material possessions are gifts from God and he alone gives us the right to have them, but what we possess is not meant to separate us from God, rather, they should help us to grow in our relationship with God and neighours, Just like Mary whose memorial of her Queenship we celebrate today.

 

This memorial event follows the solemnity of Assumption which we celebrated eight days ago. For without the Assumption, there can be no Queenship of Mary. This is so because, we believe that Mary, who was assumed or taken up body and soul into Heavenly glory, is now seated in Heaven at the right hand of her Son Jesus, as the Queen of Heaven. 

 

For by virtue of our Lord Jesus being the King of heaven, it follows that his mother is honoured as the Queen. And this Queenship of our Lady was established by Pope Pius XII in 1954, at the end of the Marian Year. Therefore, let us strive to follow Mary’s examples of faith, dedication, detachment and total commitment to God.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we are living in a world where materialism is the order of the day, help us to learn how to live a life of detachment and prune us always from the sin of pride, we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a blessed day.