Homily Third Sunday of Year A
The Lord
is My Light, the Word and My Salvation
Fr. Udoekpo, Michael Ufok
v Isaiah 8:23–9:3;
v Ps 27:1, 4, 13-14;
v 1 Cor 10:10-13, 17
v Matthew 4:12-23
In his Apostolic Letter, Motu
Proprio “ Aperuit Illis,” of 30th September 2019, the Feast of Saint
Jerome, Pope Francis establishes this day, the “Third Sunday of Ordinary Time”
as a “ Sunday of the Word of God” and stresses the importance of the homily. By
the way, that Latin expression “Aperuit Illis” is taken from the St. Luke's Gospel, where the Evangelist describes how the Risen Jesus appeared to his
Disciples and how “ He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures "( Luke 24:45). The word of God, including the ones we have just read today Pope Francis
says “unites believes and makes them one people” (n.4). Pope Francis also reminds
all priests and pastors, including those who preach today “are primarily
responsible for explaining sacred scripture and helping everyone to understand
it”, which is why the homily possesses “ a quasi- sacramental character,”(n.5).
Today’s readings, in fact
scriptures as a whole provides us an “opportunity… to grasp the beauty of the God’s
words and to see it applied to their daily lives (n.5).
The metaphors of
darkness and light run through today’s God’s words. And it is very clear in the responsible Psalm, “the Lord is my Light and my salvation” (Ps 27:1a).
This is true. In fact, in biblical theology and spirituality darkness
represents all kinds of misfortunes, woes, divisiveness, terrorism, evil and
all forms of life’s difficulties while light symbolizes, joy, love, unity, life and hope for salvation for all peoples, of all
cultures, Jews and Gentiles!.
Life’s difficulties
throughout history we know can come in different forms. It can come in form of
oppression, marginalization of your group, town, village, or invasion and
violation of your faith, right and freedom as it was during the time of the
Prophet Isaiah (Isa 8:2–9:3). It can also come in form of
divisions as was the as in in the Corinthian community of Paul’s time (1
Cor 10:10-13, 17). Finally, it can come in form of sins, temptation and
illnesses, oppression, as was the case in ancient cities of Capernaum, Zebulun
and Naphtali, heard in today’s Gospel (Matthew 4:12-23). But the
question is what do we do in the face of these challenges? What do we do in the
face darkness?
Resistance and hope. This
is true of Isaiah’s generation. As we
heard in the first reading the people were invaded- their land, property, right
and freedom to worship and express themselves.
They were mocked, insulted marginalized in the regions of Zebulun and
Naphtali, whenever they asked for their rights. An Assyrian Commander- in
Chief, Tiglath-pilesser, (around 733BC) ordered their violation, and the
Zebulunians and Naphtalians were even deported to Assyria. Their lands and
colonized and freedom deprived. Imagine the pains of been deported from your
homeland! Imagine the feeling of being colonized! Imagine the feelings of
foreign military occupation in our property?
In spite of all these, the
hymn we heard in today’s first reading is that of joy and hope of salvation.
For Isaiah it is all about hope and trust in the Lord. Light is on the way, he
says. For Isaiah, those who walked in darkness! Those who momentarily
experience invasion, deprivation and marginalization will one day see the light
of God, be liberated with the birth of Christ who would bring the freedom of
truth, unity, oneness, peace, good health of mind and body. This is the mission
of Christ Jesus preached also by Paul in the Second reading to the divided
community of Corinth.
Again, and most
importantly, Isaiah’ prophecy is fulfilled in today’ Gospel (Matt 4:12-23)
where clear reference is made to the once marginalized Zebulun and Naphtali.
Jesus is here. The Light is here. In the
Gospel Jesus arrives in these cities. He preaches repentance in these cities
and evangelizes the surrounding communities of Galilee. He cures the darkness
of diseases and sins in these regions. He also attracts vocations to the
ministry of preaching and healing from this geographical area. Peter and
Andrew, James and John are among those who abandoned their fishing nets to
follow the Light of Christ and his witness of joy, hope, unity, forgiveness,
peace and charity and of fishing for the salvation of humankind.
In our divisiveness, and
seeming hopelessness we are called to focus on the Light. No doubt there times
of darkness in our lives. By the way what are the elements of darkness in your
life, home, and communities? Would you see contemporary deprivation of your
fundamental human rights, your property, and your freedom even to pray or
worship as darkness?
What about division,
racism, discrimination and misunderstandings in our neighborhood and societies.
Sometimes we feel the weight and the darkness of disappointments, wars, terrorism, distrust, defective-political structures and judiciary systems in
our nations, joblessness, high cost of educations and health care, the
disparity gaps between the rich and the poor, illnesses, the clutches of sins
and bad habits.
In these darkest
moments the good news, the Word of God, is that Christ, who is the Light and
our Salvation and is on the way to
“Zebulun and Naphtali”. He is here with us, in our “Zebuluns and Naphtalis,” in
his Words and Deeds, in our homes and families, communities, schools, and
places of work, nation capitals, in the Eucharist we receive, and in the
Support and Encouragement we continuously give to one another.
Reflection questions
1.
Do you consider the Lord as your Light and Salvation?
2.
What would you consider elements of darkness in your life, home and towns
and cities?
3.
Who are the Isaiah’s of your time? The St. Paul of your time?
4.
Do you consider yourself as agent of light and conduit of unity or source
peace, bearer, sharer and dispenser of the Word of God?
