Dominican Hermitage/Oratorium Sancti Peregrin ad Sebastian; Marshal Tito 157; 1480 GEVGELIJA; North Macedonia

Homily for 23.II.2020 Sunday VII in Ordinary Time or Quinquegesima Sunday

 

This is very special season in the liturgical year, even though it is still called in some denominations as ordinary time, yet nothing seems so ordinary.

The Previous weekend the Sunday of Sexagesima, previous of that Seuptagesima, preparing us into Lent season, reflecting in the scripture of old testament historical events in the history of Israel, seventy years of Babylonian captivity, or the 400 years of slavery in Egypt.

This Sunday we reflect of this preparation to do our examination of soul, to repair, to heal, to sort it our relations with our subjects, neighbors, and especially to stand where we are at the moment and to ask God for his guidance and strengthening our souls and bodies to be ready for the banquet of the bridegroom’s wedding.

Let’s strive for the repentant and humble heart for reconciliation and peace and daily accept his bloody and body, to implore our life in faith, that to profess our faith and commitment to our Lord, let our daily moves, actions, in little kindness moments bring joy and love to the unhappy and lonely people that we might know.

Let’s put our broken heart with charity act and offer to those in need. Let’s preach this Gospel of showing love, affection and charity. Take a note, sign as much names of known and unknown that you want to petition to our Lord. Those little savings, buy some bread or give the money to the beggar, find time to become daily two or three hours of hermit. Read Scripture or the holy elders, pray and petition, but outside our words must be good charitable and voluntarily work for the sake of the poor. T=That is our commandment from God. This ultimate catch might be for some of our brothers including me as well, for the new preparation in our quinquagesima season, let’s examine all that separates us from God, so we can offer in our lent repair our relationship, to nourish in His merciful love of acceptance of us as prodigal sons, with or strongholds, to spent more time of reading, meditating, reflecting, silence of waiting of his word, lets learn to listen more as well., reading spiritual books such as St John the Ladder with The Ladder of the Imitations of Christ by St Thomas Kempis. To strive for that intimate moments, spending and reflecting daily more and more, to ask for guidance and restoration of our hearts, so the peace of our Lord find worth place to remain in us. Let’s seek that God’s wisdom daily and His peace because is it said from God through his wisdom speaker of Solomon, who find wisdom finds the happiness. Because Gods wisdom is love and a light of our path in this valley of tears. Now is the hour, let us grasp and take this special offering of worth preparation. Let’s cut and stop all that separate us from spending time for Gods daily spiritual food. We must trust Him as He is always faithful to our unfaithfulness, with him as the first always put himself to save us in our daily struggles. Without Him, we are lost. Now is the time, very near, the day for our hope to be reborn again, with clean heart and renewed strength.

In some events in our life, have caused us to as “God have forgotten me?” But regardless of storms intensity, you remain in the forefront of God’s thoughts, He’s thinking of you, sustaining you, comforting you, giving you strength.

Now is the season to foster a deeper and more constant trust in the reality that God is always present with us. He doesn’t mentally check out whatever challenge you’re facing isn’t the worst thing that could happen to you. The worst that could happen would be for God to forget about you. But He’s hasn’t yet, and he never will.

Let’s encourage one another or someone else to turn to Christ for a fresh start in this preparation season of quinquegesima Sunday. Our all life is about struggle, failings, pushdowns, so when we kneel before Christ, we kneel before one who can relate to our struggles, and hardships. He kneels before God alongside us to revitalize our energy, providing relief from our stress, set us free from sin and enable us to endure life’s storms. Then through his spirit he offers us a fresh start and new beginning.

As the prince of the preachers, the Venerable servant of God Charles Spurgeon I will end with his words:  “Being a Christian is more than just an instantaneous conversion- it is a daily process whereby you grow to be more and more like Christ”

Let us catch this quinquegesima season week ordinary Sunday seventh to offer to God all that separates us of growing of His wisdom and His guidance who is Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen

18.II.2020 Gevgelija/North Macedonia