Fr. Emmanuel Megwara, MSP - Homily for the Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary time Year A - October 25, 2020

DATE :25/10/2020 EVENT : 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A) COLOUR: GREEN READINGS : Exo 22:20-26; Responsorial Psalm 17:2-4, 47,51; 1Thessa. 1:5-10; Gospel Accl. John 14:23; Matthew 22:34-40. THEME: LOVE IS THE ULTIMATE INTRODUCTION : Greetings beloved people of God and fellow pilgrims. I welcome you to the 30th Sunday in the Ordinary time of the Church. (An Ordinary time is the season when the Church has no particular celebration). On this Sunday beloved friends, I wish to reflect with us on the theme, " Love is the Ultimate". Whenever you hear the word ' love ' what is the first thing that comes to your mind? For me, whenever we think of love, we should immediately think of God and sacrifice. anything short of these two is secondary. In 1John 4:8, we are told that God is love and love is God, the two are intrinsically linked to each other and co-natural. That explains why it would be a contraction both in term and reality for some one to claim to know God and yet not show love. Thus, the first external fruit of one who truly knows God is the love that he exudes. Beloved, the Pharisee-lawyer in today's Gospel text, out of his zeal for legalistic holiness, enquired from Jesus which among the several 613 laws contained in the Torah is the greatest. Jesus answered him by making reference to Deut. 6:5, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might", and He quickly added the next to it which is found in Lev. 19:18, "you shall love your neighbour as yourself". Beloved, God's love directs all that He does, His love is holy, just, and pure because it seeks only what is good, beneficial, and life-giving, rather than what is destructive, evil, or deadly. That is why he commands us to love, and to give only what is good, lovely, just, and pure and to reject whatever is contrary. in the Greek understanding, there are different grades of love namely. Ludus (playful love), Eros (Romantic love), Mania (Obsessive love), Philauta (Self love), Storge (Familiar love), Pragma (Enduring love), Philia (Family Affection), Agape (Selfless and unconditional love) and the Divine Love of God. The question then is, which kind of love dominates your life? Listen, the kind of love that dominates your heart, is usually the love that you would often give out. Although we may have different shades of love, but the kind of love that Christ wants us to cultivate is the Agape. Agape Love is giving oneself for the good of others. It is wholly other oriented and directed to the welfare and benefit of others. Note that a love which is rooted in pleasing myself is self-centered and possessive, it is a selfish love that is stunted and disordered and often leads to many hurtful and sinful desires, such as premarital sexual activities, jealousy, greed, envy, and lust. Hence, the root of all sin is disordered love and pride which is fundamentally putting myself above God and my neighbor. It is loving and serving the self rather than God and neighbour. Beloved, in all sincerity, I wish to tell us that the easiest way to live a holy life, to shun all forms of vices, anger and bitterness, and to joyfully obey all the laws of God (Divine law), of the Church (Ecclesiastical law), and of the government (Civil law), is to fill our heart with undiluted love. God bless you. OH that today you would listen to his voice harden not your heart (Ps.95:7-8). LET US PRAY: Lord Jesus, your love surpasses all. Flood my heart with your love and increase my faith and hope in your promises. Help me to generously give myself to others as you have so generously given yourself to me....Amen HAPPY SUNDAY TO YOU. @Fada Emmanuel Nnamdi Megwara MSP.⛪