HOMILY FOR THURSDAY OF THE SECOND WEEK OF ADVENT YEAR A,}
BY REV FR EKESHIRI JUDE EMEKA CSSP.
(Isaiah 41:13-20, Psalm 144:1,9-13, Matthew 11:11-15).
Beloved, righteousness is the mark of a true disciple of Christ. The Christian life is a relentless battle for righteousness, through passionate zeal and humility. It is a call to shun sin and embrace purity of life.
In the gospel of today , Jesus spoke to the crowd praising the greatness of John the Baptist, yet He emphasised that, the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than John the Baptist (Matthew 11:11-15). Greatness in this sense is not about achieving one’s goals but obedience to the laws of God, which brings oneself a greater chance of being great.
Jesus also says that, “Since John the Baptist came, up to this present time, the kingdom of heaven has been subjected to violence and the violent are taking it by storm. ” I do not think that Jesus is calling us to be violent when He urges us to take the kingdom of heaven with violence, rather, our zeal for justice and righteousness is enough evidence to bring a violent encounter that merits us the kingdom of heaven.
We need to possess the courage to profess what we believe publicly and practice what we preach without fear for what people would think about us. It is this courage to promote the kingdom of God, with a call to righteousness that gave the prophets Elijah and John the Baptist, the zeal to preach fearlessly without compromising their values for righteousness.
Let us shun laziness for spiritual growth and embrace the radical pursuit for a righteous life. Peace be with you.
