Homily For Monday First Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 12th January, 2026

 

Readings: 1Sam. 1:1-8; Ps. 116; Mark 1:14-20

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

HOW ARE YOU RESPONDING TO GOD’S CALL TO FOLLOW HIM? 

Today marks the beginning of the Season of Ordinary Time in this current Liturgical year. Today we are reminded of our call and vocation as Christians, which is well illustrated in our Gospel passage today for it gives us the account of the calling of the first Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, the four fishermen, Peter and his brother Andrew, as well as James and John, the sons of Zebedee, whom he called just right after he began his ministry after his baptism at the Jordan. 

Here we heard how Jesus called them, and they responded by leaving everything behind, their boat, their families and their profession, to follow the Lord. Today we are called like these Apostles to follow Jesus, and following Jesus means leaving behind the life we have now and embracing the new life he is offering to us. When we opt to follow Jesus, our life revolves around him. It’s no longer what we feel like doing, but what his word instructs us to do. It also means leaving behind our sinful ways of life and embracing the holiness of life. We need to surrender all the things that distract us, we need to submit our struggles and worries to God who has called us. And this is what we see in the life of Hannah in our first reading today. 

Dear friends, in this call to follow the Lord, how are we responding? What have we left behind? What have we sacrificed? Today we are called to really examine our conscience to know where we are as regards our vocation as Christians. How have we personally experienced Jesus? When was your spiritual turning point? Do we have a personal conviction about God that is not based on what people told us about him? In case we have not personally experienced him, all we need to do is to sincerely seek God in those common events in our lives, and we will realise how much God is willing to reveal himself to us.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, today we are reminded of our call to follow your Son Jesus. As we respond to this call, may we find inner joy in our souls that will prompt us to spread the Good News of the Gospel with faith and conviction. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Wishing you a fruitful week ahead.