HOMILY FOR THURSDAY, 18TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME B
MEMORIAL OF ST. DOMINIC
{Jer 31:31-34;Mat 16:13-23}
HOMILY FOR THURSDAY, 18TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME B
MEMORIAL OF ST. DOMINIC
St. Dominic (born c. 1170, Caleruega, Castile [Spain]—died August 6, 1221, Bologna, Romagna [Italy]; canonized July 3, 1234; feast day August 8) was the founder of the Order of Friars Preachers (Dominicans), a mendicant religious order with a universal mission of preaching, a centralized organization and government. I use this medium to tend my congratulations to our Baba, Emeritus Bishop of Ilorin Most Rev. Dr. Ayo-Maria Atoyebi, a Priest of the Order of Friars Preachers (Dominicans)
Today’s Gospel passage is the first of the three times when Jesus foretold His passion, death and Resurrection. The passage consists of two sections, the Messianic confession of Peter and Jesus’ prophecy of a swiftly approaching passion and death.
Jesus as the Christ, our Lord and Savior: Today’s Gospel explains the basis of our Faith as the acceptance of Jesus as the Christ, our Lord and Savior. It also tells us that Christ Jesus became our Savior by His suffering, death and Resurrection. This famous profession of Faith by Peter took place at Caesarea Philippi, at present called Banias, twenty-five miles northeast of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus realized that if the apostles did not know Jesus’ real identity, then the whole of his entire Messianic ministry, suffering and death would be useless. Hence, the Teacher decided to ask a question in two parts. 1) “What is the public opinion about Me?” 2) “What is your personal opinion?” Their answer to the first question was: “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” Peter volunteered to answer the second question saying: “You are the Christ (Messiah), the Son of the living God.“ Jesus confirmed Peter’s insight as a special revelation from God. “No mere man has revealed this to you, but my Heavenly Father.”
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, Let us experience Jesus as our Lord and Savior and surrender our life to Him. We experience Jesus as personal Savior by listening to Him through the daily, meditative reading of the Bible, by talking to Him through daily, personal and family prayers, frequenting Holy Mass, offering Jesus our lives on the altar, being reconciled with Him every night, asking His pardon and forgiveness for our sins, receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation whenever we are in mortal sin, and by receiving his strengthening power of grace through the sacraments, especially the Holy Eucharist. The next step is the surrender of our lives to Jesus by rendering humble and loving service to others with the strong conviction that Jesus is present in every person.
PAX VOBIS
Catholic Diocese of Ilorin, Kwara State,
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