Homily Sixth Sunday Ordinary Sunday Year C- Fr. Udoekpo,
Michael Ufok
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Jer 17:5-8
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Ps 1:1-2-4,6
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1 Cor 15:12,16-20
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Luke 6:17,20-26
Blessed Are those Who Hope In the Lord
In the light of today’s scriptures, we celebrate the
blessings that awaits each of us, the poor, the humble, the remnant, those who endure hardship for the sake of the Gospel, the Church's mission, Christ's values, who places his or her hope in the Lord,
especially in moments of challenges and despair which are inevitable in every
time, place and culture. We are also reminded to stay away from those unethical
behaviors that may attract us curses!
Supposing we begins with ourselves, since “charity begins
at home.” What challenges are we facing today in our various nations, cultures,
places and works of life? For some it might be poverty, political instability
and uncertainties, lack of willingness to engage in a meaningful dialogue with
others, inordinate desire for material things, neglect of the poor and the voiceless,
violence, and terrorism. For others, it might be lack of faith, rejection of
Godly- family values, celebrating our towns’ men and women, who return home
with looted public funds and properties, misplacement and misunderstanding of “God’s
Blessings,” and total disregard for mother earth. Whatever, our challenges are,
the question remains how do we handle them? With hope for a brighter day in the
Lord, or with despair?
Today’s readings beginning with Jeremiah’s experiences
offers us some spiritual suggestions and exhortation. As a suffering prophets,
Jeremiah saw the temple of Jerusalem on fire and his people tortured, killed,
oppressed and led to exile. Many were left undecided, to keep the Torah or not,
to follow the Lord or human beings and their desires? For Jeremiah, those who
follow the Lord, come what may are like those planted beside the waters. They
are blessed for they will experience the new exodus!
Similarly, we hear
this messages of hope, curses and blessing and ethics of which way to follow in
today’s Psalm 1, “Blessed are those who follow not the counsel of the wicked.” It is a Psalm of which choice to make and
which way to follow- of the wicked or of the righteous?
Saint Paul of Tarsus after his Damascus conversion/call experiences,
in Acts 9 (as narrated by his companion Luke), had a choice to make. To return
to Jerusalem first or to spread the Good News. He chose the latter, moved from plaza
to plaza, town to town, church to church (Corinthian church in today’s
reading), starting from the eastern Mediterranean of Arabia to western Rome
towards Spain (thought he never got there), preaching hope, in Christ, and what he had received from the
Lord(justice, fairness, unity, hard work, patient endurance, humility, sense of
common good, community life, sharing our talents and gifts etc), to those who
were divided on such matters of faith and morals, including the subject of
resurrection (1 Cor 12, 16-20).
The Good News of hope Paul received from the Lord, and
heard from the Prophet like Jeremiah is reiterated elaborately in today’s
Gospel of Luke 6:17,20-26 ( the sermon on the level ground cf Sermon on the Mountain in Matt 5-7), whom Paul might
have accompanied in evangelization. Still this Good News is that of abundant
blessings that certainly awaits those who hope in the Lord. These are the poor,
the anawim, the dalim, the humble, the level-headed (not the arrogant,
who trust in themselves alone, and in their moneys and material wealth etc) the
remnant, those who insistently and patiently trust and place all their hope in
the Lord in moments of all kinds of trials, including the ones mentioned
earlier, depending on your state of life, cultural and socio-political
locations.
Whatever are challenges are today, let us prayerfully
hope and believe the Lord, in today’s scriptures that “blessed are those who
hope and trust in the Lord.’?
Reflection Questions
1.
In what ways can we relate to today’s Bible Lessons?
2.
What are our challenges and how do we handle them as
believers?
3.
In what way have we assisted members of our faith or
religious communities to handle their challenges with hope in the Lord?
4.
What is God’s Blessings? What are Curses, biblically?
When can we truly say that we have been blessed by God? What is expected of
us so as to belong to that group “blessed by the Lord?
