HOMILY: 04-04-2020

SATURDAY 4.4.2020

5th Week of Lent 

HOMILY By Rev. Deacon. Samuel Muhanji Nyonje 

Readings: 

Ezekiel 37:21-28

John 11:45-57

Theme: My duty to reconcile God's People

Dear Children of God, good morning. 

People of God, in today's first reading, we are presented to the view of David’s kingdom which was divided after the death of Solomon. The kingdom that God wanted to establish collapsed.  The Northern Kingdom of Israel fell to the Assyrians and later the Southern Kingdom of Judah to the Babylonians.  They were exiled and the temple was in ruins.  The people were already scattered before the kingdom fell because their leaders were corrupt.  But through Ezekiel, the Lord promised that He would make them one nation again. For this to be fulfilled, they would need a new King. This New David that Ezekiel prophesied would be realized by Jesus, who would establish the New Covenant as foretold by Jeremiah.  (Cf Jer 31:33-34).

Unwittingly, the Gospel present Caiaphas inspired by the Holy Spirit to utter the prophetic words confirming the role of Jesus. Indeed, Jesus is the One designated by God to bring unity not just to Israel but to the whole of humanity so divided by sin. This is made possible through his passion that we are soon celebrating. 

Indeed, the death of Jesus is the key to the new reign of God on earth.  By His vicarious and innocent death for us all, He will reunite all of humanity into one people. Dialogue and reason alone cannot resolve division in our world today. 

Secularism and individualism have rendered the world into a fragile fragmented humanity where no one can agree on anything.  We no longer hold common values and what is right and wrong.  That is why we are all dispersed and isolated because of this covid-19, it's because some people wanted to feel superior than others. This is precisely what the devil is seeking, to divide and destroy.  The works of the Evil One is to sow division, through lies, half-truths, fake news as we encounter in our Kenyan media today, fear, selfishness, distrust and competition. 

The Evil One has managed to spread the culture of division by destroying the integrity of the human person, marriage and family, narrow nationalistic trends.  The Evil One has propagated the culture of death through despair, suicide, abortion, euthanasia, killing, terrorism, violence, wars, Corona virus and drug abuse.  Indeed, the world is the most unsafe place today.  Have we ever asked, what causes it? Simply because the world has rejected Christ and the gospel of peace.  They fund creation of Virus and creating super nations/ super man.

The Jewish and Caiaphas  in the Gospel saw Jesus as a threat to their authority and they feared that the gospel that Jesus preached would unsettle the Romans and cause them to intervene.  So in the name of protecting the people, he advocated the elimination of our Lord.  Isn’t this the way the world works today?  In the name of unity, they proclaim religions to be a threat to peace and so only secularism can promote unity, secure peace and progress.  

How can secularism that says that no truth can be found establish unity among all peoples?   On what basis will unity and peace be found?  Like Caiaphas, Jesus was but a pawn to get his agenda accomplished.  Truth and morality are surrendered to expediency. Am much worried by the urgency of locking down places of worship...we have watched most police countrywide brutalising families that pray together at home, we have watched some police beating up innocent young men n women and the aged, others have even logged preachers. This makes me to think different outside the havoc. Will this act spread or save the situation?

My dear friends, I am convinced that The cross of Christ will heal humanity because it shows the foolishness of the world. I believe that the same testimony that the soldier beside the Cross said " truly this is the Son of God", all the nations will say soon. Many people will regret, true religion that honours God in the Trinity will  gain more strength just like it happened to the Disciples after the resurrection of Christ.

I urge you as Christians and beloved children of God. Please during this time that the world has closed the Churches, reach out to your neighbor through text messages, WhatsApp, Skype or you can form a WhatsApp group as a jumuia/ Small Christian Community. In doing this we shall strengthen our unity as sons and daughters of God. Together we shall conguor the forces against us. That they may be ONE ( John 17:21).

Wishing you God's blessings, healthy Weekend, stay safe and pray for me. 

Rev. Deacon. Samuel Muhanji Nyonje 

samnyonje.blogspot.com