Homily For Friday of The Third Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 26th January, 2024 The Memorial of SS. Timothy and Titus. (Today is My Birthday, Do Pray for Me)

Readings: 2Tim 1:1-8; Ps. 96; Mark 4:26-34

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

 

FAN INTO FLAME YOUR SEED OF FAITH AND YOUR LIFE  WILL BECOME A TREE OF HOPE FOR HUMANITY

 

In the scriptures, using a simple story to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson has always been one of the characteristics of Jesus when addressing the people regarding very important things. By couching his teaching in parables, Jesus made certain points much clearer to his audience. This is evident in our Gospel passage today where he told us the parable of the mustard seed, using it to describe the nature of God’s kingdom which he came to establish in the hearts of humanity.

 

Here, Jesus compares the Kingdom of God to a mustard seed growing from the Word of God spoken to the hearts of his few disciples which will grow and spread to the hearts of all humanity. This analogy focuses on the size of the seed that grows to become a mighty tree that gives shelter and salvation to all.

 

More so, Jesus is not just speaking of the size of the mustard seed, but also the faith of the people as that of a mustard seed. Telling us that just as the mustard seed responds to the word of God and grows into a mighty tree, so will the faith of the people grow into great vessels through hearing and doing the Word of God and so build up the kingdom of God.

 

Nevertheless, these two analogies of the mustard seed symbolize the humble beginnings of the Christian faith which is well watered by the Holy Spirit to grow and give life and hospitality to all the people of the world. Hence, in building the kingdom of God, we are reminded that we need to fan into flame the gifts God has given us.

 

Little wonder we heard St. Paul in the first reading saying to Timothy: fan into a flame the gift that God gave you when I laid my hands on you. God’s gift was not a spirit of timidity, but the Spirit of power, love, and self-control. So you are never to be ashamed of witnessing to the Lord.

 

Dear friends, we need to fan into flame the gifts God has given us. We need to let our knowledge of God’s kingdom grow like that of a mustard seed. For when we fan into flame our seed of faith, then our lives will become the tree of hope not only for our families but for humanity. No doubt that in the world today we have different kinds of seeds. But the question remains, what kind of seeds are we fanning and watering in our lives today?

 

Are we fanning valuable mustard seeds of faith, love, holiness, hospitality, obedience, chastity and charity that will lead us to God’s kingdom? Or are we fanning and watering weeds that are distracting us from attaining heaven? We must stop watering such weeds, rather let us feed ourselves with valuable mustard seeds of virtues and values.

 

For when we feed and water such values, we will grow stronger like the mustard tree where people may find solace and so build up God’s kingdom, just like SS. Timothy and Titus whose memorial we celebrate today. They were servants who truly understood what it meant to belong to the family of Jesus and have the right disposition towards his Word. For they were both close collaborators of St. Paul who entrusted to them the care of God’s faithful, of which they were known to be among the first Bishops of the Church. They were great servants of God with great commitment and dedication to doing the will of the Lord. They both suffered martyrdom for their faith.

 

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, as you sow the seeds of your word in our hearts, through the intercessions of SS. Timothy and Titus give us the grace to grow it into the mustard tree of faith, holiness and hospitality and by so doing build up your heavenly kingdom, we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a fruitful day.