Homily For Wednesday Sixth Week of Eastertide Year B, 8th May 2024

 

Readings: Acts 17:15.22-18:1; Ps.148;  John 16:12-15

Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia.

 

ARE YOU IGNORANCE OF GOD? LET THE HOLY SPIRIT LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH

 

One of the Spiritual works of Mercy is instructing the ignorant, and this is one of the most difficult tasks to do as a Christian, especially when it comes to dealing with people who are presumed to be learned. This kind of difficulty is what St. Paul has to face with the people of Athens in our first reading today. So Paul finding himself in the most learned city in the world of his time needed to preach the Good News of God to them. But the theme for his message has to be something that will interest his audience.

 

Thus, he started by clearing their ignorance regarding what he knew they were searching for. He said to them: “I have seen for myself how extremely scrupulous you are in all religious matters, because I noticed, as I strolled round admiring your sacred monuments, that you had an altar inscribed: To An Unknown God. Well, the God whom I proclaim is in fact the one whom you already worship without knowing it.”

 

In this passage, St. Paul claims that this unknown God is none other than God the Creator. He gave us evidence of the ignorance of pagan worship and made it clear that the object of true worship is the one Creator God. He showed us the proper relationship between humanity and God as he lets us know that the time of ignorance is now over. Also, Paul speaks of God’s creative act of humanity, from a single person Adam, he made every race of people and in him, we live and move and exist.

 

Therefore, we are God’s offspring, his true image in the world. Thus any image made by human skill and creativity will possibly be anything other than a distortion of the image of the one, true God. And so Paul warns us from involving in any form of idol worship as he calls for total repentance because God will no longer overlook our ignorance. This is evident in our Gospel passage today, when Jesus said: ‘I still have many things to say to you but they would be too much for you now. But when the Spirit of truth comes he will lead you to the complete truth, since he will not be speaking as from himself but will say only what he has learnt; and he will tell you of the things to come.’

 

Dear friends, many idols enslave us in this world and when we are suddenly deprived of them we end up acting irrational and selfish, even to the point of hurting others just so that we may protect and justify ourselves. But the truth is that the time of ignorance is over, for today we have before us the Spirit of truth. We can no longer pretend to be ignorant of God’s instructions. Therefore, let us repent from our sinful ways of life and embrace the Spirit of truth who will clear our ignorance.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we are ignorant of so many things about you and the world we live in, grant that the Holy Spirit of truth, will continue to teach us about you and the faith we have found in our Son Jesus as he unveils the darkness of lies and falsehood in our world. He who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen. God bless you.