God demands our all (HOMILY FOR SATURDAY OF THE 23RD WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME 16TH SEPTEMBER 2023

God demands our All

HOMILY FOR SATURDAY OF THE 23RD WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME 16TH SEPTEMBER 2023

1Tim.1:15-17; Ps.113; Luke 6:43-49

God demands our All

The readings of today instruct us to develop single-mindedness in worshipping God. Conversion does not allow for compromise. To follow Jesus, we necessarily have to disassociate ourselves from whatever is contrary to such followership. You cannot be a Christian and not be a Christian at the same time.

In the gospel reading, Jesus says that a person can only reproduce something of its kind. This means that pretense cannot be sustained in practicing the Christian faith. If our conversion is not holistic such that we do compromise our faith in secret, it will clearly manifest someday. To be a Christian is not defined by where you go to on Sundays (Church) but in your readiness to listen to and abide by Jesus’ Word.

Today, people have come to derive many ways in which they pay allegiance to the devil. Some go to Church but still possess charms in their homes. Some send monies to spiritualists who perform various rituals on their behalf. Different modern ways of consulting other gods have emerged such that the demarcation between an idol worshipper and a Christian is no longer pronounce. Infact, those who publicly acclaim themselves as idol worshippers and live as such can be called honest, unlike those who practice religious idolatry.

Jesus says that we need to be decisive about our spirituality. We cannot have it both ways. Any commitment that is not whole is not acceptable by the Lord. God does not want to live in us as a tenant, not even as the landlord but as the only occupant. Whatever is short of this cannot attract the presence of the Lord. The best alone is good for the Lord.