SERMON/HOMILY FOR TUESDAY OF THE FOURTH WEEK OF LENT 12TH MARCH 2024

SERMON/HOMILY FOR TUESDAY OF THE FOURTH WEEK OF LENT 12TH MARCH 2024

Ezekiel 47:1-9, 12; Ps.46; John 5:1-16

Where true happiness and peace resides!

The sickness and consequent healing of the man in today’s gospel, leaves us so much lesson as we journey on as pilgrims in this world. We are told that for many years this man was unsuccessful in utilizing the available but limited means of healing at that time. Still he remained at that location hoping to be lucky someday. If he had other options of getting healed, he would not keep waiting; again, if he was not hopeful, he would not remain there. However, there was something this man did not understand until he encountered Jesus. The many years of unsuccessful attempt to be healed was rather symbolic. It symbolizes something that only Jesus is capable of doing; something called salvation.

The sickness of the man was unlike the sicknesses of others. From Jesus, he learnt that his sickness was occasioned by the sin he committed. Only a grievous sin would have attracted such magnitude of suffering upon him. Even when sin is not grievous, as far as it is a sin (which displeases God), it attracts some level of suffering; because every sin is an act of disobedience. So, this man was sick because he disobeyed God. It makes sense then for his healing to come about through an act of obedience to God. This explains how he was eventually healed.

As soon as he obeyed Jesus’ instruction: “Rise, take up your pallet, and walk”, he was healed. Beloved, like this man we have been searching for our lost happiness and peace in places we never lost them. Lent is a time to realize that the source or cause of sorrow is sin wrought through disobedience; while the source or cause of eternal joy is righteousness wrought through obedience to God.

Thus, the confessional becomes the theater room for us to be operated upon. Stop all the rationalizations and giving of excuses; take some time off and reflect on your life especially since your last confession. Try to be more conscious of those failings you often ignore and consider unnecessary to confess. Think not only of the wrongs you’ve done but also of the good you failed to do. Only Jesus can forgive sins and he has instituted the sacrament of reconciliation for this purpose.

It often baffles me how people can afford to approach the reception of Holy Communion for months without going for confession. It is either we no longer take seriously the necessary condition of being in the state of grace or we have lost consciousness or sense of sin. You should not use a cup to drink water for one month without washing it. Even when it does not look dirty, it surely needs washing. Frequent confession is a habit we must inculcate if we must experience frequent happiness and peace.