Homily For Saturday Fourth Week of Lent Year B, 16th March, 2024

Readings: Jer. 11:18-20; Ps. 7; John:7:40-53

Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia.

 

WHY HAVE WE FAILED TO LISTEN TO THE VOICE OF THE LORD CALLING US TO REPENTANCE

 

One of our great musicians, Bob Marley said in one of his albums that,

 

 “there is a natural mystic blowing through the air, this could be the first trumpet, might as well be the last. May more will have to suffer many more will have to die don’t ask me why. For things are not the way they use to be I won’t tell no lie, one and all have to face the reality now”.

 

Truly we all have to face the realty before us, both small and great, rich and poor, learned and unlearned, young and old, good and bad, holy and sinful. It’s time for us to seek the truth, it’s time to return to our root, it’s time to turn away from evil and pay attention to the signs of the moment just like prophet Jeremiah delivered warnings from the Lord, of the coming destruction for both Judah and Jerusalem.

For this he faced lots of difficulties and persecutions from those who hated and disliked him, especially those who out of pride were irritated by the construction ant words of doom that the prophet Jeremiah delivered to them as we have it in our first reading today (Jer. 11:18-20). But as the people of the kingdom of Judah continued to live in sin and refused to change their ways until they were doom into captivity.

 

In the same way in the Gospel reading, we heard of the same plotting and rejection of the person and massage of Jesus by the Pharisees and the members of the Sanhedrin. They refused to believe in the massage of Jesus and to accept the fact that Jesus is the Messiah, just because they perceived that what Jesus had done were contrary to their way of life and the way they enforced their piety and faith. Hence, out of pride they wished to persecute and condemn him.

 

Dear friends, why have we failed to listen to the voice of Lord? Why have we rejected his messages and call for repentance? Today we are called to pay attention to the massage and signs that God is offering to humanity about the reality of his coming. Telling us that the world as we see it looking so beautiful is passing away and no one knows how and when it will happen. Therefore, we must not let pride leads us to stubbornness and faithlessness so as not to end up acting like the Pharisees, who in their stubbornness refused to listen to Jesus. For this will likely lead us down the path of sin, and those sins will lead us into damnation unless we repent from them.

 

Thus, during this Holy Season of Lent, as the world is passing through turbulent moment, we are encouraged to be more humble and willing to open ourselves to accept God’s massage of truth, to open our ears, our eyes and deepen our senses to feel and know what God wants us to do with our lives. Let us realize the shortness of our mortal lives and existence, and realize how unworthy and corrupt we have been because of our sins. Let us come back to God our shield, for he alone can deliver and save us from this trouble and predicament of this passing world.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we have often failed to remain faithful to your words, as we listen to you today, may the difficulties of our daily struggles, deepen our faith and make us more humble and submissive to your will, so as to experience once again your love and comforting grace. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a safe and peaceful weekend.