A life of Accountability Homily for Monday of the 9th week in ordinary time (ST. BONIFACE) JUNE 2023

HOMILY FOR MONDAY OF THE 9TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME (ST. BONIFACE )

Tobit 1:3;2:1a-8; Ps.112; Mark 12:1-12

A life of Accountability

From the parable Jesus told today, we see that from time immemorial, there were always those who have always lost the sense of responsibility. When irresponsibility is fully blown, those involved will begin to do all within their power to avoid the day of reckoning. A child who takes the academics seriously will not get extraordinarily uncomfortable with the news of examination. In the gospel reading of today, Jesus aimed at telling the Chief Priests and the Scribes and the elders how they have become irresponsible. Their irresponsibility cued from the fact that they were worse than those entrusted to their care. Their laxity was nothing to write home about. They lost the sense of service and acted as though they were masters of themselves. They turned their positions of service into one of absolute authority; truly, no one could question them.

Beloved, we must be very careful when we have this feeling that we are answerable to no one. That is just a step towards self-destruction. As humans, we have the proclivity to loose the sense of virtue but the sense of accountability helps to remain in check. Learn to be accountable to those with whom you live and work; even when they may not expressly ask for it. The fact is, no one gets away with unaccountability.

To be accountable also means to genuinely care for others. We find this demonstrated in the first reading of today. Tobit asked the son Tobias to go fetch the poor who would join them at table. In his plenty, he felt accountable to those who lacked. When Tobias came back with the news of one who was murdered, Tobit left his food to go prepare the body for burial, and later buried the body. He expressed genuine sorrow for the one who had died. This shows that Tobit was accountable for those around him both while they lived and when they died. As he did this, neighbours laughed at him. In truth, they laughed not because Tobit was wrong but in a bid to hide their shame for not being able to do what Tobit did. Beloved, accountability is a noble course; don’t expect cheers from those without nobility.

Today, we celebrate the memorial of St. Boniface. He was notable for maintaining the sanctity with which he was raised all through his life. This is a challenge to some young people who define freedom as doing away with all the morals they learnt from home. See, for every gift God gives to us, we shall give account of it. It could a stable home, early introduction to the faith, opportunities we’ve got in life, the positions of authority we occupy, the corrections we’ve been given, and so on. No matter how powerful you feel, you are not above the law; at least, the Divine law. The more accountable we live our lives, the less afraid we will be for the last day.