HOMILY OF SUNDAY OF THE OCTAVE OF EASTER YEAR A
Acts 2:42-47, 1 Peter 1:3-9, John 20:19-31
THEME: CHRISTIAN WITNESSING
The Lord comes to all those who desire him; however, he has a special package for his community of believers. His promise to the church has not changed. I will be with you till the end of the world. After his resurrection, he kept appearing to the disciples as a group.
The witness of one person does not always have great impact, in that our personal experiences are subject and relative. Hence, the Lord tends to meet us as a family of believers. That was why the early believers did not neglect their meetings, because they didn’t want to miss God’s special visits.
We learnt from our first reading today, that, “The whole community remained faithful to the teaching of the apostles, to the brotherhood, to the breaking of bread and to the prayer.”
Attack against the church is a direct attack on God. However, we need to ask ourselves whether we live by the apostles’ teaching by living in love like the early believers or tend towards an atomic individualism. God did a lot through the early believers because they remained faithful in word and in deed to the teaching of the apostles.
We must not give room for those who hate the church so they can have their ways. They often capitalise on our flaws; they use the fruits of our human tendencies as the steppingstone to pull down the wall on which we lean.
In our gatherings, each person is expected to bring something to the table. We all have something to share. beyond food and money, we have many resources to share; these include our time, knowledge, support, encouragement, attention, appreciation, feelings, experiences, and our affections.
moreover, we are called not to neglect the company of our fellow believers. It was Thomas’ absence that fuelled his doubt about Jesus’ resurrection. Due to disappointments with some elements in the church, we might neglect the community of our brethren and experience a decline in our faith. Nonetheless, we can fix our differences together. We can mend our broken walls and show the world that we are the visible signs of God’s presence on earth.
As people who have enjoyed the loving mercy of God, we are called to build our communities through corporal and spiritual works of mercy. Which include:
CORPORAL WORKS OF MERCY
To feed the hungry;
To give drink to the thirsty;
To clothe the naked;
To accommodate the homeless;
To visit the sick;
To free the captive;
To bury the dead.
SPIRITUAL WORK OF MERCY
To instruct the ignorant;
To counsel the doubtful;
To admonish sinners;
To bear wrongs patiently;
To forgive offences willingly;
To comfort the afflicted;
To pray for the living and the dead.
The corporal work of mercy deals with the body while spiritual work of mercy deals with the mind, heart, and the soul. Through these means, we can bear witness to Christ.
We pray that our worship may increase the life of God in us and that our witnessing may draw more people to his kingdom of love. Amen.
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