Homily For Friday the Second Week of Advent Year B, 15th December, 2023.

Readings Isaiah 48:17-19; Ps 1:1-6; Matt. 11:16-19

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

 

LEARN TO TAKE THE WORD OF GOD SERIOUSLY

 

Reflecting on the disposition of humanity today towards God, I can not but ask myself questions about our faith in God who we often claim to love and belong to. This is because, despite all the articles of faith and evidence in both scriptures and historical tradition, we still do not have a good grasp of who God really is in our lives. This very disposition is always the case with every generation and this is what Jesus is addressing in our Gospel passage today when he said: to what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to one another, 'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not mourn.' For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon'; the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!

 

Here Jesus made us know that the problem with this generation is that we have failed to listen neither to the message of John the Baptist nor that of Jesus. No doubt that John’s uncommon lifestyle made people accuse him of having a demon, while Jesus’ habit of eating and drinking with sinners affected his reputation among the Jews. But Jesus made us know that his generation finds reason to take offence at both John and himself.

 

So, Jesus compares those who are rejecting his message to children in the marketplace who cannot decide whether they want to play a wedding song or a funeral song but can’t get the people to dance when the tune is piped.  For they played their pipes, and expect others to dance; they beat their breasts in lamentation, and expect others to weep. They complain if others do not comply with their demands. To such a company Jesus refers to as evil generation in which he and John the Baptist found themselves. Just as in our generation today, some people have refused to repent when challenged by the teachings of John the Baptist and some people also refused to join the celebrations of Jesus and do not take his message seriously.

 

Dear friends, why have we failed to take the Word of God seriously? Why have we failed to embrace the article of faith made available for us by the Lord in our scriptures? Why do we take for granted the signs and messages the Lord is giving us this Advent season and always?  Today in our first reading we heard the Lord saying through prophet Isaiah: “I, the Lord, your God, teach you what is good for you, I lead you in the way that you must go. If only you had been alert to my commandments, your happiness would have been like a river, your integrity like the waves of the sea”. So let us not be like market people who pay no attention to the message the Lord has for us.

 

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, enkindle in us once again the fire of your love, so that we may embrace your message and become your great servants dedicating our lives and service to loving you and our neighbours. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.  Do have a lovely day.