COME OVER TO MACEDONIA AND HELP US (HOMILY FOR SATURDAY OF THE FIFTH WEEK OF EASTER 20TH MAY 2022

COME OVER TO MACEDONIA AND HELP US (Acts 16:1-10; Jn 15:18-21) 

Beloved in Christ, the first reading from the Acts of the apostles designates the initiation of the 2nd missionary journey of St. Paul and his encounter with Timothy, who became of great assistance to Paul in his missionary journey, such that Paul would refer to him as “my beloved and faithful child in the Lord” (1Cor 4:17), “a loyal child in the faith” (1Tim 1:2), and “my child” (1Tim 1:18). We are told that Timothy though a Greek, Paul got him circumcised because of the numerous Jews who would not accept his words because he was Greek and not because Paul believed in circumcision as a sine qua non for salvation.

Central to the reflection of today is the strong disposition of Paul to the promptings of the Holy Spirit as he journeyed from town to town. Paul prioritized the leadership and companionship of the Holy Spirit in his missionary journey. He acknowledged via his actions that the Holy Spirit is the rightful guide and teacher in the pastoral ministry, so much so that without the Holy Spirit, Paul knew that the mission of evangelization would be fruitless because it would be like a ship in the sea without a compass. We are told that the Holy Spirit forbade them from preaching in Asia and from going into Bithynia but through a vision directed Paul to harken to the voice of an appeal from Macedonia to come to help them (Acts 16:6-9). Paul being continually under the directives of the Holy Spirit promptly responded to the missionary call and headed to Macedonia. 

Brothers and sisters in Christ, the Holy Spirit is still fully alive and active in the church and our times. He continues to bring to our awareness and conscience the various Macedonian calls today, seeking our charity. They are all around us and visible in the poor, the destitute, the homeless, orphans, the sick, the aged, the abandoned and lonely, the marginalized and victimized of our society, the oppressed and imprisoned, the captives and the broken-hearted, the voiceless and racially abused etc. As matured Christians let us not be deaf and dumb, passive and indifferent to the dictates of the Holy Spirit imploring us to bring glad tidings to the hearts and minds of those in dare need of the good news of our Lord Jesus. Remember “whatsoever we do to the least of these brothers and sisters, we do it unto Christ” (Matt 25:40). May every charity we exert in the name of Christ Jesus never go unrewarded. 

In the Gospel reading, Jesus warned his disciples of the peril of preaching the good news of the kingdom of God, the danger of being a Christian, and the risk of living day by day the commandments of God. By implication, Discipleship is not a bed of roses. Discipleship has a cost. Jesus said to his disciples “ the world will hate you because it hated me...the world will persecute you because they persecuted me too because you do not belong to the world” (Jn 15:18-19). Friends in Christ, the Word of God tells us “whoever wants to be my disciple must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me” (Matt 16:24). In a world ladened with secular teachings and philosophy, that disparages the things of God,  we must be courageous in evangelization and stamping the values of the kingdom of God.

We pray this day that through the grace of the Holy Spirit we may never be weary despite all odds in proclaiming the goodness of Christ to the utmost bounds of the world.

Have a glorious day!

Fr Remi osj