Homily
[2] 5th Sunday of Easter Year C: Fr. Michael Ufok Udoekpo
·
Acts 14:21-27;
·
Ps 145:8-13;
·
Rev 21:1-5a
·
John 13:31-33a, 34-35
Christ,
the New Door of faith, hope, mercy and love
When
we build new homes or houses we open new doors through which we walk into our
rooms. Coming into the church/chapel on this 5th Sunday of Easter we
walked or came in through those doors. Our Christian journeys (especially in
this Year of Mercy), as priests, religious, lay men and women requires that we
walk through the new doors of Christ with faith, new zeal, hope, mercy and love, emphasized in
today’s Bible Lessons.
In
the older dispensation the chosen people had different ways of relating with
God expressed not only in the 10 commandments but also in in their holiness
code. But in Christ, the New Moses, this
has been summarized in the new commandments of love and service exemplified throughout
his mission of healing signs, forgiveness, provision of food for thousands of
hungry people, reaching to people of all walks of life (the Samaritan woman),
prisoners, sinners, raising the death like Lazarus, and in washing the feet of
his disciples (John 13).
Even
to the sufferings, the dying and the oppressed of today’s 2nd
reading (Rev 21:1-5a), he assures them the same love. He assures then new heavens and hopes. Christ will “wipe
every tear from their eyes and there shall be no more death, or mourning, wailing
of pain, for the old order has passed away.”
Paul
and Barnabas realized this- that Christ is the new order and door of faith, hope, love,
and mercy, throughout their missionary journeys. No wonder in in today’s 1st
reading (Acts 14:21-27) Barnabas and Paul allow God to use them to open new
doors of faith to the Gentiles.
It
is true that we live in a challenging time of materialism, terrorism, acts of
revenge and war mongering. Yet the readings of today impress on us to seek new
ways of reconciliation, cherishing forgiveness, mercy, hope, service, love of
ones’ neighbors, especially the poor and voiceless, through the examples of Christ. Like Paul and Barnabas we are
also called or challenged today to seek new ways of inviting our brothers and
sisters to embrace or persevere in their received faith in Christ. Together we are to walk through
that door of renewed faith, new commandment love, hope and mercy, especially in this Year of Mercy.
