HOMILY OF FRIDAY IN THE 24TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR A
1 Timothy 6:2-12, Luke 8:1-3
THEME: OUR SERVICE TO GOD AS A PAYBACK
When we have experienced the goodness of God, our service in the ministry of Christ will surely be our own way of appreciating his wonders in our lives. And not as a means of establishing an empire for ourselves.
Spreading the gospel for monetary gain would equate to using tactics to extract money from unsuspecting churchgoers or the devout community. Christianity today is suffering from the hands of self-acclaimed prophets who develop various teachings to sustain their chosen niche. And this has breaded a lot of rancour in the church.
Paul warns in the first reading,
“Anyone who teaches anything different, and does not keep to the sound teaching, which is that of our Lord Jesus Christ, the doctrine, which is in accordance with true religion, is simply ignorant and must be full of self-conceit – with a craze for questioning everything and arguing about words. All that can come of this is jealousy, contention, abuse, and wicked mistrust of one another; and unending disputes by people who are neither rational nor informed and imagine that religion is a way of making a profit.”
Jesus and his disciples were accompanied by a group of women who provided for them out of their own resources. These were women whose lives had been profoundly touched and influenced by Jesus. Among them was Mary surnamed the Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, Joanna the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, Susanna, and several others.
We should all think of what we bring into the ministry of Christ and not just concentrating on what we gain. If we know that God has blessed us with the gift of life, our whole lifelong desire should be a pay back.
May our daily lives be lived in appreciation for God’s wonders. Amen.
Leave a comment