THURSDAY HOMILY OF 10TH WEEK OF THE ORDINARY TIME – YEAR B
HOMILY THEME: UNLIMITED RIGHTEOUSNESS!
BY: Fr. Benedict AGBO
1 Kg 18: 41 – 46, Matt 5: 20 – 26
“Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the Scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven”. That’s a serious statement – a categorical imperative, so to speak. The Scribes were spiritual minimalists – their righteousness was based and limited on obeying the rigid specifications of the OT law. No more, no less. The Pharisees were spiritual maximalists – their approach to the law was sentimental and fanatical – trying to extrinsically obey the extreme demands of the law without understanding the spirit behind them. That is why a Pharisee may never help a dying man on a Sabbath day lest he breaks the law of the Sabbath. Such people can never buy even a bulletin on Sunday containing even the spiritual lessons and administrative announcements necessary for his/her Sunday worship lest they break the law against buying and selling on Sundays. But Christ wants us to practice unlimited righteousness established on the foundations of love making sure that all our devotions to God including our offerings must flow from love and our entire relationship with our neighbours must flow from agape love.
ALSO RECOMMENDED: THURSDAY HOMILY OF 10TH WEEK OF THE ORDINARY TIME – YEAR B
When our sense of righteousness is unlimited, no amount of provocation from our neighbours would be beyond repair / reconciliation. We would be able to SAY SORRY and to HEAR SORRY which is all that is basically needed for maintaining a peaceful relationship with others. Jesus tells us in today’s gospel that even worship has to be put off in favour of reconciliation. The consequence of all these will be that we become powerful prayer warriors like Prophet Elijah able to penetrate the depths of heavenly favours and providing for the people of God everything needed; rain, food, fire, health and life. When our level of righteousness is unlimited we would do unlimited exploits in the house of God even more than Elijah did. May God bless today!
FOR A SIMILAR HOMILY, CLICK HERE >>>>>