Fr. Michael Osatofoh Eninlejie, MSP - Homily for Saturday Week 24 Ordinary time - September 19, 2020

 

SATURDAY 24TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR II

1 Corinthians 15:35-37,42-49, Luke 8:4-15

 

DO NOT BE CONCERNED ABOUT YOUR BODY WHEN YOU DIE

 

In as much as many human beings live their lives as if they are not aware that they will die someday, there is every atom of fear in every human person when the thought of death comes to mind.

The fact that no one knows what happens after death is very scary that we begin to ask unnecessary questions like those who do not believe in God.

St Paul in the first reading of today, had a lot of admonition to give to those who were asking of the afterlife. They could only imagine how a human being would die and the body decay and we are told that the same person will rise again and go to heaven. They could not understand how a decayed body will rise. These are some of the confusions we have as human beings. St Paul therefore explains that just as the seed we sow decay to give us good fruits and food, our bodies shall decay to give us a better and glorified body for eternal life.

Let our concern as Christians therefore not be on things that are not important, but how we will live better so as to rise to be with Christ on the last day. God help us. Amen

Fr Michael Osatofoh Eninlejie MSP

Fr. Michael Osatofoh Eninlejie, MSP - Homily for Friday Week 24 Ordinary time - September 18, 2020

 

FRIDAY 24TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR II

1 Corinthians 15:12-20, Luke 8:1-3

 

CHRIST'S RESURRECTION IS THE FOUNDATION OF OUR FAITH

 

The way and manner many Christians live their lives, gives an an impression that they do not truly believe in the resurrection. St Paul had a lot of arguments with many people who do not believe or live as if there is the resurrection of the body. Apart from Christianity, many other religions do not preach that their founder resurrected from the dead. But in christianity, we preach Christ who has been raised from the dead. It is the resurrection of Christ that makes the Christian faith what it is. This is because the resurrection makes Jesus' victory over sin and death complete. By the resurrection, our sins have been taken away. We therefore should not live like those who do everything as if there is no life after here on earth. We are called today to be like the Apostles and disciples of Jesus who followed him everywhere to preach the gospel. They did this because they believed in eternal reward.

As we go out daily, let us live as people who are conscious of the fact that we shall meet God after our life here on earth. God help us. Amen.

Fr Michael Osatofoh Eninlejie MSP

Fr. Michael Osatofoh Eninlejie, MSP - Homily for Thursday Week 24 Ordinary time - September 17, 2020

 

THURSDAY 24TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR II

1 Corinthians 15:1-11, LUKE 7:36-50

 

WE HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN MUCH, LET US DO MORE

 

We easily spite and scorn those we regard as useless and acute sinners. We do not want anything to do with them and we do not want them around us.

I had finished mass some time ago, when a young lady walked up to me and said that she wanted to discuss something with me. When I finished discussing with her, she asked to go for confession, and she did. When she had left, another fellow walked up to me saying 'I wonder wetin that yeye ashawo de tell you sef, see as you serious de listen to am, that girl na bad girl oh'. I was taken aback by the statement. This is how many of us Christians judge and condemn people from afar. Even when they are genuinely sorry for their sins and seek God's forgiveness, some of us still judge them even inside the church.

The compassion Jesus had for the woman in the gospel reading of today is very striking. How could Jesus be talking with a woman who had a bad name in the town to the extent of allowing her to pour tears in his body and wipe them with her hair? This must surely be a scandal to the righteous pharisees.

Jesus on the other hand, was more concerned about the soul of the woman. His encounter with the woman made her to truly repent of her sins that she started weeping for forgiveness.

If only we can give some seemingly terrible people space to encounter God, they would truly repent of their sins.

Many of us Christians, like the pharisees, think that we have already been saved, we show no sorrow for our sins because we feel we are very close to God. The pharisee who invited Jesus for a meal did not take Jesus serious, but a woman who only heard Jesus preach, and that Jesus was on his way to see the pharisee, got her forgiveness  and salvation. Let us live a better life and do better than we are doing now to show our appreciation to God for his graciousness in our lives. God help us. Amen.

Fr Michael Osatofoh Eninlejie MSP