DATE : 6/2/2021, Saturday of the Fourth Week of Ordinary Time (B)
EVENT : St. Paul Miki and his Companions, Martyrs (Memorial)
COLOUR: Red
READINGS : Heb. 13:15-17.20-21; Resp. Psalm 22:1-6; Mark 6:30-34.
THEME: THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IS A CONTINUOUS SACRIFICE
Greetings beloved people of God. I welcome you to "My Catholic Homily Digest". On this Sixth day of February, which the Church celebrates the memorial of Paul Miki and his twenty five companions, who were martyred in Nagasaki of Japan, I wish to reflect with you on the theme: " The Christian Life Is A Continuous Sacrifice". Beloved, during a chat with one of my spiritual daugthers, she said to me, "but father, for person to dey holy no easy oo. See as temptations just full every corner." Then I said to her, the Christian life is that of a continuous struggle to sacrifice that which your body and heart crave. Thus, as long as we remain with flesh and blood on this earth, the call to Christian sacrifice is never over. And in another occasion, a friend told me, 'if not for the sake of Christ, that calls us to forgive and never to revenge, these fanatic and war mongering Muslims would have felt the blunt of our arms'. Beloved, I believe you also have something that you would have delved into if not for the sake of Christian sacrifice. However, while we are busy struggling to make little little daily sacrifices, some Christians like Paul Miki and his companions, whom we celebrate today offered the ultimate sacrifice of their lives to Christ.
Thus, the first reading of today from Heb. 13:15-17.20-21, talks about the kind of sacrifices pleasing to God. However, this book Hebrew, whose author is still largely uncertain, was written to a certain Jewish Christian community, whose Faith in Christ was begining to wane. From both internal and external evidences, sources suggest that it was written between the A.D 62 as the terminus a quo and A.D 70 as the terminus as quem . For easy understanding, Biblical scholars have grouped the entire letter into four parts. Thus, the part which we read from this morning is the from the fourth part called, ' Jesus, Our Sanctification: Heb. 11:1-13:25. However, this morning's pericope, Heb.13:15-17.20-21, falls within the immediate context of Heb. 13:1-25, which is exegetically known seen as, ' An Exhortation to Sacrificial Love'. Beloved, the Greek word used for sacrifice in our text today is ' Thysia '. This means a sacrifice that is Christ centred. A sacrifice not done for any other reason but for the sake of Christ. Hence, it attracts divine grace and benevolence.
So Beloved in Christ, do not relent in your daily struggle for thysia , for holiness, for goodness, for uprightness and for the Christian faith. Do not get tired of witnessing for Christ. I beg you, do not grow weary of doing good. Do not feel that you have done enough good for people. Do not feel that you have given enough to God, the Church and his ministers. Do not say, I want to take a break from doing good, from helping people. For in today's Gospel, even though Jesus and his disciples wanted to rest, the sight of the pitiable people of God in need of your help, move you to continue your sacrifices for the sake of Christ. May God keep helping us all
Oh that today you would listen to his voice harden not your hearts (Ps.95:7-8)
LET US PRAY : Lord Jesus, fill my heart with your love so that I may sacrifice for the sake of love..
The Lord be with you....... and with your Spirit.
May Almighty God bless you in the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit......Amen
HAPPY WEEKEND BELOVED FRIENDS
@ Fada Emmanuel Nnamdi Megwara, MSP. ⛪
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