20th May 2020

Wednesday 20th May

ACTS 17:15, 22-18:1; JOHN 16:12-15

Homily: Rev. Dcn. Samuel Muhanji Nyonje 

Shalom people of God. 

What is a true religion? What really identifies Christians from pagans or non- Christians?

The answer to above question is from the first reading. Paul delivers his speech in Athens. Athens is a dominant place of the Greeks. They were a highly educated society and many of the philosophers would gather there to debate on existence and life.  They were keen to discover new ideas and they liked to challenge each other’s thoughts. They were not afraid to talk about the existence of God and the nature of Being.

It's in this that Paul noted the inscription in their places of worship "Unknown God". But why and how could such learned people worship a Being they don't know? Was their wisdom and knowledge from God? Such debate we still encounter in our time, does the contemporary time know the true God? If yes, how are we related to him?

Dear friends, from an ecumenical view, we all worship one God, creator of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible...this we attest in our creed ( nicene creed). Together with our first brothers Jews who first got the message of salvation and us in Jesus Christ, we are all destined to eternal life. We are all children of God, a chosen people called to particular mission and end which is to see God. For us Christians, unlike our dear brethren ( Jews, Muslims, Hindus etc ) we attain salvation through Jesus Christ the resurrected Lord, he's Victor over death.

In order to convince those who don't believe in Christ's resurrection we should remember what the Vatican 🇻🇦 Council declared in Nostra Aerate #2, approaching other religions with prudence and true love, keeping in mind we are people of God. This is what can help us all in our time. 

However, in as much as we come from families who profess different faith or have friends from other faiths, our disposition to the risen Lord will definitely touch many. Greeks depended much on faith, we ought to know that in the work of evangelization today, we cannot rely on reason alone. We must help our listeners to move to the level of faith.  This is why we need to pray for the assistance of the Holy Spirit. 

But who will give witness to this secularized world? In the Gospel, Jesus attest that the Holy Spirit will make him known. Unless we cooperate by the Spirit of God, our evangelization will be null.

Conversion is a process , in this process not all may attest or subscribe to our faith in Christ's resurrection. They might not be convinced about what we believe at this point in time, but we would have sown the seeds of faith, of love and of peace.   People take time to digest and understand and accept the faith.   So ultimately, we must leave it to the grace of God. The true God is attested by the Holy Spirit. Like Paul who brought the known God to the Greeks, the Holy Spirit working in us too aids us to unveil true and known God to the secularized world. 

May God in his mercy help his pilgrim Church. 

( +254708607911)