Homily for ordinary time

AUDIENCES: ST. JOHN THE EVANGELIST PARISH, LANGATA.
WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ONE ANOTHER
INTRODUCTION
Tumisifu Yesu Kristu? Today is the twenty third Sunday of the year A. The theme for my homily is, WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ONE ANOTHER there is a popular saying that, “each one for himself and God for us all” is this correct for us Christians? No, because all the three readings of today tell us to be responsible for one another. There is an Akan proverb which says that, “Wo yonko da ne wo da” meaning when your friend is at peace you are also at peace.
MATERIAL
The first reading of today from Ezekiel 33: 7-9 tells us to be responsible for our brothers and sisters. The prophet, enlighted by God, is the first one to realize how badly things are going and how soon a change of life is necessary. It is his duty to intervene and to speak out frankly as well as to make the people understand that they have moved away from God thereby ruining their lives. If he doesn’t do it, he will be held responsible for the ruin of his brothers and sisters. If he warns the wicked, but they do not heed his warning, then the prophet is not guilty. What can we learn from this passage? Each one of us is a prophet, and therefore has the responsibility to correct our brothers and sisters. If we don’t do that, God will hold us responsible.
The second reading from Romans 13:8-10, complement this theme, because it presents to us love for each other as the fundamental rule that must guide all our actions. St Paul spells out the general principle to help us solve our doubts. When we do not know how to behave, when we are in doubts as to what to be done, we are to refer to the commandment from which all the laws proceed, that is, there is love of neighbor as one ourselves. If one strives to do what is good for his brothers and sisters, we are certainly keeping all the commandments. Let me tell you a story. On one Sunday, the parishners of a St Anthony’s parish in Axim decided to go to the hospital to visit one of their members who was sick. They carried some food items with them, when they reached at the gate of the hospital; there was an old poor woman, who was very hungry. She asked them to give her some of the food to eat. But the leader of the group said, “We don’t know you, so how can we give the food that we are going to give to our member to you”. So they went to the hospital, and they were told by the nurses that their member has been discharged. They decided to come back and give the food to this poor old woman, but when they reached there, she was already dead of hunger. My dear people of God, is it right for us Christians to love only those we know? Should I love you because we are all kikuyus? Should I hate you because you are a Luo? Or from any ethnic divide?
Today’s gospel from Matthew 18:15-20 gives us some practical advice on how to live in a community as believers. Living together in a community has its joys and also its problems. There are bound to be moments when people get on each other’s nerves and hurt each other whether willingly or unwillingly. Jesus has some profound and practical advice to give to us those who have problems with each other. Contrary to what most of us would think, Jesus suggests, that the one who feels offended should be the first to go and ask for reconciliation. We prefer the one who has wronged us to come to us and apologize. This attitude gives us the feeling of being important and a chance to belittle the other one. But Jesus is consistently inviting us to try to overcome evil with good. Taking the initiative in reconciliation preserves the dignity of the offender, who remains a beloved child of God with the right to be respected.
Jesus called sinners but not saints. There is no perfect community. Disagreements are bound to happen. The question is how do we go about problems and tensions arising in our own community? Do we follow the steps suggested by Jesus in order to respect the dignity of the person? Do we write off quickly to people who have hurt us supposing, that they will never change? These are all questions that we could ask ourselves whenever we feel offended in our personal relationships, in our family or in our community. To love the person who wronged us, to make the first step towards reconciliation, to respect everybody’s dignity and avoid humiliation, these are powerful tools to bring people back and build community.
CONCLUSION
Let us pray in this Eucharistic celebration that, the good Lord will help us to be responsible for one another, without any discrimination, most especially during this time of crisis in our country. Lord makes us instruments of your healing love and peace. Give us wisdom and courage to bring your healing love and saving truth to those in need of healing and restoration. Tumusifu Yesu Kristu?