HOMILY OF SATURDAY 12TH WEEK OF ORDINARY TIME – YEAR B
HOMILY THEME: PRAY FOR SPIRITUAL INSIGHT
BY: Fr. Karabari Paul
Acts 12:1-11; Psalm 33(34):2-9; 2 Tim 4:6-8, 17-18; Matt 16:13-19
‘I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith’ ( 2Timothy 4:7).
Peter and Paul are two powerful characters that have continued to inspire us. One beautiful thing about them is the fact that we can use their lives as lens through which we can see our weaknesses and strengths. They both failed but were never defined by their failures. In fact, Saul (Paul) worked so hard to destroy anyone who took the name of Jesus on their lips. But he ended up being the greatest defender of the same faith. He received a spiritual insight. And he saw the best in the Way he worked tirelessly to annihilate. God was more interested in their love that would outweigh their weaknesses.
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The people who knew Simon knew he was impulsive and tended to put his foot in his mouth. But Jesus saw something else in him; that is why He renamed him Peter, implying he was a stone suitable for a foundation. Can you imagine the look on the other disciples’ faces when Jesus said, ‘You are Peter…upon this rock I will build my church, and…the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it’ (Matthew 16:18)? But Peter did become a pillar, a respected leader the church and the Vicar of Christ. And all because of Christ’s ability and willingness to look beyond the surface and see what was on the inside. God isn’t man.
Being made in God’s likeness gives a person amazing potential, but sometimes it takes ‘a man of understanding’ to recognise it and draw it out. Too many of us see only what is on the surface. So we are quick to peg someone as arrogant, or quick-tempered, or weak, etc. But when you have spiritual insight, you see beyond all that, to the hopes and fears behind the person’s behaviour.
We don’t need more self-appointed critics, we need: 1) Parents who pray for their children, look beyond their flaws, and draw out their uniqueness. 2) Spouses who search for the hidden treasure in their mates. 3) Business leaders who treat their workers with respect, and match their responsibilities with their talents. 4) Believers who forgive immature, stumbling fellow Christians and work to develop them. 5) Soul winners who see lost people through the eyes of Jesus and recognise what His transforming power can do.
Jesus is more interest in your personal relationship and a group relationship. You strive to grow to a level where you can say: “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me”. So pray for spiritual insight. GOD IS STILL ON THE THRONE. May God have mercy on us, heal our country Nigeria, bless and protect us all through Christ, our Lord Amen. Good morning
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