Homily – Saturday 17th Week
of Ordi. Time Yr . B. Memorial of St. Alphonsus Liguori, Bishop, Fr. Udoekpo
v Jer
26:11-16, 24
v Ps
69:15-16, 30-31, 33-34
v Matt
14:1-12
Blessed Are Those Who Are Persecuted For Righteousness....(Matt 5:10)
Yesterday we celebrated the memorial of Saint Ignatius of
Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus. We reflected on his life and
contributions in serving others for the greater glory of God, though not
without challenges and difficulties- in line with experiences of ancient
prophets.
Today, we celebrate another significant saint, who also
dedicated his life for the service of the Lord, through the poor, the sick and
the needy, as well as wrote and taught in the area of moral theology. His name
is St. Alphonsus Liquori. Born in Naples, Italy (1696-1787), and started out as brilliant
lawyer and later studied for the priesthood.
He is the founder of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Redemptorist).
We have benefited from St. Alphonsus and this religious
group in so many ways. One great example
is the Acadamia Alfonsiana, founded in 1949, in Rome (Institute for Moral
Theology). Many of our Bishops, priests, church leaders, religious and others
have received training there, and their services for the greater glory of God,
have been extended to all corners of the earth, but not without difficulties
and challenges!
In the midst of these challenges that show up in
different forms in different contexts, I am sure they never stopped drawing strength
from Jeremiah of the today’s first reading and John the Baptist of the Gospel,
Matthew 14:1-12.
Jeremiah was often threatened, taunted, persecuted,
accused falsely, but he never gave up from preaching the truth and repentance
and worship of God alone!
John the Baptist’s head was brought in platter and given to
small girl, who took it to her selfish mother, simply because, John advised the
selfish Herod and Herodias that it was not lawful, that it was immoral for them
to cheat on Philip, Herod’s brother, and Herodias husband! Herod who also took
an unnecessary oath to pleasing the Herodias’s daughter who entertained them at
the King’s birthday acted very selfishly by persecuting John the Baptist for
the sake of his righteousness.
Isn’t it striking
to see how St. Alphonsus Liquori, Jeremiah and John the Baptist share a common
inclination for sound moral standard and righteousness? For Alphonsus, its
evidence in his moral writings and in the very Institute for Moral Theology in
Rome. For Jeremiah, he had earlier insisted like the Deuteronomisitic
historians on the worship of God alone, obedience and repentance from all kinds
of immorality and injustices. And clearly for John the Baptist, it was immoral
for Herod and Herodias to cheat on Philip. They all suffered, but would always
remained blessed, for “blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of
righteousness.. Matt 5:10)
Jeremiah, John the Baptist and Saint Alphonsus Liquori,
invite us today never to think of giving-up serving the Lord through our
neighbors, because of any kind of modern day persecution, mockery, rejection,
threats, and difficulties, which we know can come to any of us in different
forms. They challenge us to cherish the 10 commandments as well as the moral teachings of the Church.
Reflection Questions
1.
As a believer in what
ways have you experience persecution, difficulties and challenges and how have
handled them?
2.
What have you learned
from the lives of Jeremiah, John the Baptist and St. Alphonsus Liguori?
3.
In what way have we
assisted the poor, the week and the needy members of our communities today?
