Homily For Thursday Before Epiphany, 4th January, 2024

Readings : 1 John 3:7-10 , Ps 98, John 1:35-42

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

 

WHAT IS YOUR PERSONAL EXPERIENCE OF JESUS THE LAMB OF GOD?

 

Every day is an opportunity to encounter God through different events that occur in our lives. Sometimes we have memorable and remarkable events in our lives, but often we have insignificant ones. I don’t know if you have ever had an experience that made you realize the emptiness of the things of this passing world, a kind of experience that turns pride into humility, sinfulness into righteousness. Weaknesses into strength.

 

This is the kind of experience the two disciples of John had when he showed them Jesus the Lamb of God. They followed him and remained with him. They encountered Jesus and their lives never remained the same again. This very encounter brought about their true vocation and destiny from John’s disciples to disciples of Christ.

 

We heard that one of these two who became followers of Jesus after hearing what John had said was Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter. Early next morning, Andrew met his brother Simon and brought him to Jesus, who looked hard at him and said, ‘You are Simon son of John; you are to be called Cephas’ meaning Rock

 

Dear friends, like these two disciples of John the Baptist, we are called to reflect on our personal experience with God. How have we experienced God, when was your spiritual turning point, have you experienced God personally? Can we share confidently our personal convictions about God with others? In case we don’t even know if we have any personal experience of God, all we need to do is to sincerely seek God in those common events in our lives and we will realize how much God is willing to reveal himself to us.

 

The problem why often it seems as if we are far away from God is because we are so attached to things of this world such as: greed, guilty passion, evil desires, fornication, impurity, which is the same thing as worshipping a false god. It is because of these kinds behaviour that makes us stay far away from God and it gets worst when one is surrounded by people who are doing the same thing.

 

Little wonder St John in our first reading today said: my children, do not let anyone lead you astray: to live a holy life is to be holy just as he is holy; to lead a sinful life is to belong to the devil, since the devil was a sinner from the beginning.

 

Therefore this new year, we must give up all our ugly attitudes of getting unnecessarily angry, being bad-tempered, spitefulness, the use of abusive language and dirty talk and telling of lies. Thus, we must put off our old behaviour and put on a new self which looks up towards encountering Jesus the Lamb of God.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God,  you often wish that we should know you. As we go about our daily activities, may we experience You in a unique way and through this experience discover our true vocation in life. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Peace be with you.