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Important Info  Homily For The Day |
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1. Homily: 4th Sun in Ord Time, Yr C Rev Fr J P Tindana
Jer 1.4-5, 17-19/71/1 Cor 12.31-13.13 or 13.4-13/Lk 4.21-30
Our First Reading gives us a glimpse of the message addressed to Jeremiah at his calling. The message was tough, concentrated and avoided beating about the bush. God’s message is always addressed to a particular people at a particular time to address a particular problem.
The days of the prophet Jeremiah were moments of prosperity. The people saw improvement in their livelihood. Unfortunately the wealth of the nation was not equitably distributed. The rich became richer and the poor became poorer. Probably it can be compared to our own day when the rich are fearfully growing richer and many of the ordinary people becoming disgracefully poorer.
One astonishing thing about human beings is that we are creatures of habit. Periods of development and wellbeing make us go to sleep. We forget that the splendid rose flower has thorns as well. We easily become complacent and forget that the unstoppable wheels of life do not move on our terms, but God’s.
The people of ancient Israel in the days of Jeremiah were blinded by their wealth and security. They believed in the sanctity of their temple, the covenant and their heritage as children of God, but it was only intellectually. They loved the rituals but not the Person behind them.
This was the context and to such people that Jeremiah was sent. The Lord declared: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations” (Jer 1.5). Jeremiah might have entertained some thoughts of unworthiness.
The terrifying words of God’s message were: “But you, gird up your loins; stand up and tell them everything that I command you. Do not break down before them, or I will break you before them” (Jer 1.17). Prophets are movers and shakers. They disturb the seeming calm waters in order to bring out the debris below. The prophet will remove all forms of deceiving cosmetics in order to expose the natural beauty of humanity to the saving grace of God.
The presence of the powerful puts fear into people, including the prophet. Whereas many will flee from the powerful, the prophet must bravely stand his grounds. Because he is human, he will feel the impulse of fear run through his spine; but because he is sent by God, he will also feel the nails of divine grace drilling him firmly to face everyone.
Simply put: a prophet of God is a fortified city, a pillar of iron and a wall of bronze. The prophet faces difficult challenges and protestations. He may be hit hard, but never vanquished. Why? Because God is with him to deliver him—it is the Lord who speaks.
Our Gospel Reading from Luke presents us with some statements of Jesus, the Prophet of prophets. He was with His fellow-countrymen in the synagogue. He read from the scroll f the prophet Isaiah which set forth the tone of His ministry. Since it centred on the liberation and redemption of all people, and Jesus also came for that purpose, He said: “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing” (Lk 4.21).
Jesus’ appropriation of the text to Himself shocked His hearers. The words were so gracious and sweet to be true. He won their approval, but somewhere within their hearts they doubted Him. They forgot that a prophet was chosen from among the people and did not drop from the sky.
The people knew Jesus’ parentage. His father, humanly speaking, was the poor carpenter of Nazareth. They said: “Is not this Joseph’s son?” (Lk 4.22) They wondered at the fact of a poor carpenter’s son speaking with so much authority. They believed the source of wisdom to be the four corners of a rabbinical classroom and not the sun-battered roof of a carpenter’s shop.
Our Gracious Lord knew what was going through their mind. He knew them more than they thought they knew Him. He knew their proverbs and their history. He was and is the Master of history. He reminded them of some interesting facts of their history, such as a Sidonian widow at Zarephath receiving divine visitation through Elijah, and the Syrian Naaman receiving healing through Elisha.
Through these historical references, our Gracious Lord showed that the prophet is called to duty wherever salvation was needed. Just as Elijah and Elisha ministered to non-Jews, so our Gracious Lord ministered to both His own people and foreigners.
When Jesus’ hearers heard Him speak about the salvation of the non-Jews, they were enraged. Urged on by evil rage, they sprang to their feet, hustled Him out of the town, took Him up to the brow of the hill, intending to throw Him down the cliff. They did not succeed because the life of the righteous is in the hands of God.
Why do prophets continue with their mission, in spite of the many dangers involved? Love. The love of people and their salvation is the unquenchable fire that burns the prophet to action. Our Second Reading from First Corinthians says: “Love never ends” (1 Cor 13.8).
The challenge for us today and always is to once again rededicate ourselves to our prophetic duties. We are no longer children, therefore, let us not talk, think and argue like children. We are now prophets, and so all childish ways must be put behind us.
If we are ready to assume our prophetic roles, let us hold on firmly to our faith, hope and love. Our faith is in a God who will always be with us; our hope in God’s salvation will never deceive us; and our love of God and humanity is our energy. With this faith, hope and love, we shall always have joy and peace.
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2. Diaconate Ordination Sermon 2. Sermon: My dear brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus, in my own preparations and meditations for this Ordination ceremony, I think our God laid a passage from the Holy Gospel of St. John 12:26 on my heart and I want to share some reflections on it with you and with these six young men whom our Church is offering today for Ordination to the Diaconate.
As you very well heard a short while ago from one of our senior priests, “after enquiry among the people of Christ and upon recommendation of those concerned with their training…they have been found worthy” for ordination to the Holy Office of Deacons.
Our text for today’s reflection is:
“If a man serves me, he must follow me, wherever I am, my servant will be there too. If anyone serves me, my Father will honour him.”
My dearly beloved in Christ, in order to get a deeper understanding of this text, please let us connect it to another very emblematic one of Jesus Christ the Lord, who says
“…anyone who wants to become great among you must be your servant, and anyone who wants to be first among you must be slave to all. For the Son of Man himself did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mk. 10:43-45).
How can anyone accept to be a servant and a slave to others in today’s world? Well, this is what it means to be a follower of Christ Jesus our Lord and Saviour!
2.1: My dear brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus, the first step in the Sacrament of Holy Orders, is the Diaconate. The other two steps are the Priesthood and Episcopacy. In all these three steps that form the one Sacrament of Holy Orders, through the laying on of hands of the bishop and the prayers of consecration, the candidate, a man, is mystically configured to Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, first as Servant of all men and women through the diaconate, then as Teacher and Priest of the Church, then to Christ Jesus the Eternal High Priest, Teacher and Shepherd through the priesthood and episcopacy.
Through the Ordination to the Diaconate, these young men, your sons are going to be “transformed mystically, interiorly and indelibly” to become the physical presence and sign of Christ the Servant of all among you. Indeed, they are going to become the sacrament of Christ the Servant, so to speak.
That is why the words from John’s Gospel are so significant and powerful; “If a man serves me, he must follow me, wherever I am, my servant will be there too”. The deacon is called to serve Christ Jesus himself in the various people he encounters; furthermore, he is to serve them in a Christ-like manner. In other words, those who see him serving must be drawn to see and encounter Jesus Christ in him. And even more still, the deacon is called not only to serve in a Christ-like manner, but indeed like Jesus “who came not to be served, but to lay down his life as a ransom for many”, the deacon too is called to give up his life for the ransom of many, namely for the salvation of his fellow men and women. Is this humanly possible? With God all things are possible (see Lk. 1:38).
2.2: Again let us go back to what Jesus says! “If a man serves me, he must follow me…” What does Jesus Christ mean by “he must follow me…?” In Latin, this is called “sequela Christi”; in English literally to live a life in the footsteps of Christ.
This means that the deacon, and in future as a priest and bishop, if God so wills it, has to live just as Jesus Christ lived among his people. The Holy Scriptures tell us that Jesus was obedient to the will of his Father even to the point of death, death on the cross (see Phil. 2:6-11). And so the deacons will be required to make the promise of obedience to God and Holy Mother Church through their Bishop.
Again we are told that even though Jesus was rich, he made himself poor in order to bring all to his Father (see 2 Cor. 8:9). By his poverty, he made himself approachable to all, rich and poor alike. The deacons will be required to live this same life of simplicity and detachment from material wealth, and to use whatever wealth for the work of serving people and saving souls.
And not only did Jesus Christ live in obedience and poverty, my dear People of God, Jesus Christ we know lived a life of celibate chastity. He did not marry, as he himself teaches in the Gospel of St. Matthew 19:10-12, “for the sake of the kingdom of heaven”. So, the Church requires of our deacons to-be to make freely and willingly a commitment of their lives to celibacy which is inseparable from chastity as Christ Jesus lived, if they are to “follow him” in a Christ-like way of life, as perfectly as possible.
This is why the Latin Church (in the West) requires of her priests that they embrace a truly Christ-like way of living in celibate chastity.
2.3: By embracing willingly these virtues of obedience, poverty and chastity in celibacy, the candidate called to “follow” Christ Jesus, disposes himself to God for the graces necessary to be enabled and empowered to become indeed the very sacrament of Jesus Christ among men. This is required of deacons, of priests and bishops. So please pray for us that we may be faithful to our promises made to God and his Church!
2.4: And now to you my dear candidates for the diaconate! The Holy Scriptures tell us that Jesus “called to himself those he wanted, they came to him and he chose twelve” (Mk. 3:13-16). He did this after a whole long night in prayer and consultation with his Father (see Lk. 6:12ff).
Know therefore that you are being called not because you are perfect, holy or better than others, but only because the Lord Jesus Christ “wants you”. Come to him in humility and in the eagerness to follow him. He will make you his disciples through the ordination ceremony of the laying on of my hands, unworthy as I am, and the prayers of consecration. He wants to send you out to “re-present” him to your brothers and sisters. He is ready to fill you with his own self and his graces to make you indeed his very sacrament of Christ the Servant of all in the midst of your brothers and sisters.
In this ceremony, you will be given the tools or means you need for you to succeed in your promises and commitment. They are the Book of the Gospels, the Holy Eucharist at the altar of Christ and the ministry of pastoral charity among the people of God. Use them and you will not fail. In Christ, with him in you and you in him, you will be victorious. As promised, “If anyone serves me, my Father will honour him.”
2.5: My dear People of God let me now conclude by making reference to today’s readings. The same God who was faithful to David and made him a great king in spite of his unworthiness, is the one promising to be with you as deacons and to bring you one day to his Holy Altar as his priests and even beyond into eternal life. Just hold on to him as King David did, in good times and in bad, even in weakness and sin. May God preserve you from sin!
From the today’s gospel, Jesus enjoins on you never to hide your lamp, your Christ-like life and identity. Put your new life in Christ as Servant on the lamp-stand so that all will see and come to follow Jesus Christ in you.
Finally, remember to follow the footsteps of St. Thomas Aquinas especially in his life of prayer and chastity. He was a great philosopher and theologian, maybe the greatest of all times. He was known to be very prayerful and studious. Be prayerful! Be studious especially of the Holy Scriptures and the teachings of the Church. With these means, you cannot but succeed.
2.6: And to you dear people of God, thanks for giving us your sons to be deacons, especially you the parents and family members. To you their benefactors, thanks for supporting them through prayer, your presence in their lives and your presents to them for their studies and wellbeing. Your work is only now beginning.
To all of you, please pray four times as much as you may be tempted to criticize these deacons to-be and us your priests and religious. We need your prayers more than anything from you. May God continue to call many more young ones in the Holy Priesthood, Consecrated and Religious life in the Catholic Archdiocese of Accra!
2.7: Our theme today has been “If a man serves me, he must follow me, wherever I am, my servant will be there too. If anyone serves me, my Father will honour him.”
It has been corroborated by the teaching of Jesus Christ that “…anyone who wants to become great among you must be your servant, and anyone who wants to be first among you must be slave to all. For the Son of Man himself did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many”,
May Mary the Virgin Mother of Jesus Christ and Mother of all Christians intercede for these deacons to-be and for us all Clergy, Religious and Laity to be truly sacraments of Jesus Christ Servant of all, Eternal High Priest, Teacher and Shepherd!
Hail holy Queen…
Delivered by
Most Rev. Charles G. PALMER-BUCKLE,
Metropolitan Archbishop of Accra.
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