Homily for Wednesday of the 34th week in the Ordinary time year II

Homily for Wednesday of the 34th week in the ordinary time, year II

Revelation 15:1-4; Luke 21:12-19

In the first reading we have the song of Moses and the Lamb. The song of Moses commemorated the greatest deliverance in the history of God's people. Moses sang the song when the people of Israel had come triumphantly through the perils of the crossing of the Red Sea. Just as Moses had led the Israelites through the Red Sea into the promised land, so Jesus Christ, the lamb come out leads us through death to life. There is a new Passover, a new covenant. The victorious Christians  have followed the Lamb across the Red Sea of tribulation into the promised land, heaven. 

In the song of Moses and the lamb, there is not a single word in it about the victory and achievement of those who followed the lamb. Everything is attributed to God. "Great and amazing are your deeds, Lord God, the Almighty. Just and true are your ways, king of the Nations (Rev. 15:3). The song is a hymn to the omnipotence and justice of God of salvation history. All his interventions are perfect, most especially the redemption accomplished by the Lamb. Following this, the song says: "All nations will come and worship before you O God (Rev. 15:4). The marvelous deeds of the Lord God invoke total worship of his majesty.

In the Gospel today, Jesus told his disciples: "They will arrest and persecute you; they will hand you over to the synagogues and prisons and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name... You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, by relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. you will be hated by all because of my name" (Lk 21:12-17).

Dearest brothers and sisters in Christ, the first Christian communities were objects of ridicule and calumnies, they suffered persecution immensely, and were blamed for every great disaster that took place: famine and plague, flood, earthquake, fire outbreaks etc. They were punished for these odds by being fed to the Lions and other heart breaking deaths. Thus, so many great martyrs were recorded through out the early centuries of the church.

Fulfilled in this sense are the words of Tertullian: "The blood of the martyrs is the seed of new Christians".

These horrific sufferings by Christians had always depicted every epoch in the history of the church. 

Beloved friends in Christ, this is how the Lord treated his disciples, how he loved them, entrusting difficult enterprises to them, and not promising the things of this world, indeed predicting hardship and persecution instead.  

Jesus never hesitated to tell the people what they might expect if they follow him in all honesty. He invariably presents to them the task and cost of discipleship: Do you accept it? 

It is good to note that this is certainly not the way the world approaches victory. The world offers us rather roses, comfort, ease, worldly ambitions and fulfilments all the way.  Jesus instead offer us hardship and death. Still, in all these, Jesus proved to be right. No wonder Jesus told Pilate in Jn 18:36 "My Kingship is not from this world". All this is verified in his martyrdom, cross and resurrection. 

Friends in Christ, captivated by the truth offered to us by Jesus Christ, let us follow with utmost conviction the ways laid down for us by Jesus, knowing fully well there can be no crown without the cross. Thus, at the end we may confidently sing the song of Moses and the lamb: the song of victory and deliverance

May God bless his words in our hearts both now and forever more. Amen

Have a dutiful day

Fr Remi osj