Tuesday, June 16, 2020

Fr. Michael Osatofoh Eninlejie, MSP - Homily for Wednesday Week 11 Ordinary time - June 17, 2020


Wednesday 17th June 2020
11th week in ordinary time
2 Kings 2:1,6-14, Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18
Someone was making a joke recently, that the reason many people squeeze the money they use for offertory in the church, is because Jesus said that when you give, your right hand must not know what your left hand is doing. They therefore do not want others to see how much they are giving to God during offertory.
Many psychologists have opined that there is one form of need or another that every human person always wants to meet. For many, it is the need of exhibition. These people can never do anything in private, whatever they do must be seen and acknowledge, and they must be appreciated for it. Not to acknowledge them means trouble, because they will stop giving. In the same vein, we have many others who do things silently and do not want to be appreciated.
It is in this context that Jesus speaks to us in the gospel reading of today. If you do things so that you will be noticed and appreciated, you will get frustrated and depressed when the appreciate does not come and in the way you want it. On the other hand, if you do things in secret and do not ask for or expect human accolades, God who knows your heart and sees what you have done much more than what human eyes can ever see, will reward you. When God wants to bless his children, he does it in an extraordinary way. Luke  6:38 tells us that a full measure, pressed down and shaken together will be poured on your laps.
There is no need for people to see or hear you praying before God will answer your prayers,  there is no need to tell everyone who cares to listen about what you have done.
No matter the human accolades we get, we can never be satisfied, only God can exhort and honour us. God help us. Amen
Fr Michael Osatofoh Eninlejie MSP

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