How prepared are you for the Lord's coming? The efficacy of the cross (HOMILY FOR FRIDAY OF THE 21ST WEEK IN THE ORDINARY TIME 25TH AUGUST 2022
Homily for Friday of the 21st week in the ordinary time Theme: How prepared are you for the Lord's coming? The efficacy of the cross 1Cor 1:17-25; Mathew 25:1-13 In today's liturgy of the word, St. Paul reminds us of the essence of the proclamation of the Gospel. He declared in his first letter to the Corinthians: “Christ did not send me to baptize but to proclaim the Gospel” (1Cor 1:17). Literally, one may think that St. Paul meant that baptism was insignificant, No! St. Paul was simply alluding to the precedence of preaching the Gospel as the starting point of the conversion process. For St. Paul, baptism presupposes faith and faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes from the preaching of the word of God. (Tim 10:17) St. Paul, besides, dedicated a good part of his letter to the Romans to the discourse on Baptism (Romans 6:1-11). Hence, did not diminish the importance of the sacrament of baptism. In his letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul acknowledged the focal...