Homily- Friday of the 23rd Week of Ord. Time
Yr. B, Fr. Udoekpo Michael
v 1 Cor 9:16-19, 22b-27
v Ps 84:3,4,5-6,12
v Luke 6:39-42
Your Word, O Lord, is Truth (alētheia), Sanctify
us in the Truth (John 17:17)
The alleluia verse of today’s liturgy, “your word, O
Lord, is truth (alētheia), sanctify (hagiazō) us in your truth” (John
17:17) is very insightful. It is taken from Jesus' final priestly prayer for
himself and for his disciples. And it is not disconnected from Jesus’ ironic lectures to
Pilate “What is the Truth/Quid est Veritas?; in the very next Chapter, John
18:37, leading to his passion. It reminds us of the importance
of the word of God, of which today’s readings form a part. It’s also a pointer
to our call to holiness and our responsibility in living, preaching and sharing
the word of God, which the Second Vatican Councils and successive Popes cherish
very much ( cf. DV, 1, 12,24-25; VD,31,24 EG,7).
God’s Word, including those heard from I Corinthian and
Luke 6, today, are not empty sound; but something “alive and active”; its cuts
sharper than “any two-edge sword” “ “able to judge the intentions of the Heart”(Heb
4:12). It is “like fire” and “like a
harmer that breaks a rock in pieces’ (Jer 23:29). The word of God is the Christ
who is “the way, and the truth and the life” (John 14:6).
This was Paul’s mission.
To preach the truth, Christ, to the divided, boastful and spiritually
immature Corinthians, where he was having hard time with. In doing this, Paul
defends his apostolic obligation of preaching the gospel, the truth, imposed on
him in the first reading I Cor 9:16-19, 22b-27). He went as far as saying what we usually hear
from most Israel’s OT prophets “woe to me if I do not preach” the Gospel. In
preaching freely the Gospel, without charging fees, Paul dedicates himself to
the truth. He becomes a slave to the Gospel, and of course, remains “all things
to all people.”
As careful athletes
in the stadium who runs diligently to win, Paul dedicates himself to the Gospel
(Rom 1:16-17), not depending solely on the “Corinthian’s liberty” and “human
freedom,” of boasting, and rashly judging others. Paul would not do this, because
like “biblical prophets” he wants to courageously preach the truth, the gospel of
Christ, so as to win as his prize, eternal life, and would not want to be
disqualified.
Similar warning was given by Christ to his disciples,
earlier, during his sermon on the plain in Luke 6, challenging as well, the Pharisees
and the scribes, on issues of Sabbath- charity, fasting, over judging others,
and of loving ones enemies and doing others what they would love done to them.
In other words,
the truth of the Gospel which Christ would love his disciples to preach with
sanctity and holiness, is that there is nothing wrong with being merciful,
kind, forgiving, compassionate, charitable to the poor, and healing the sick on
the Sabbath. Christ’s disciples must judge
with righteousness, for a “blind cannot lead the blind.” Those, who preach the
gospel must have been sanctified, made holy in it, first, so as to be able to
prudently and in the eyes of faith, and Christ crucified, evaluate others.
This is very true, in the hyperbolic expression “remove
the wooden beam from your eye first, then you will see clearly to remove the
splinter in your brother’s eye,” (Luke 6:39-42). In other words, as Paul,
later, put, “they must be all things to all people,”; the poor, the needy,
sinners, the homeless, the sick, the aged, male and female, young and old, irrespective
of their culture, tribe, color and language!
We pray that each of us may be consecrated, sanctified,
purified and made holy in Christ, who is the way, the truth and the life(John
14:6). May I close again, as we prayer together “your word, O Lord, is truth, consecrate
us in the truth,” (John 17:17).
Reflection Questions
1.
How do we fulfill our obligations in faith and in Christ, the truth, way
and life?
2.
Do we judge others prudently and with mercy?
3.
Are we ourselves sanctified in Christ’s Word and Truths?
4.
How do we help others to come to Christ, the way, truth and life?
