On Making The Right Choice!

(Homily for the 17^th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A)

          The three readings of this Sunday seem to lay emphasis on one fundamental point, and that is the need to recognize the primacy of God and his saving plans in our lives. In order to do this, there is need for prayer which enables one to make a right choice, and that is what Solomon teaches us in the first reading, that it is in and through prayer that we can make a right choice and open to receive God’s gift. On the other hand, St. Paul tells us in the second reading about God’s call and choice of us and consequently the choice-response of man. Alongside the theme of the recognition of the primacy of God and his salvific plans are the themes of discernment and choice-making, suggested by the first reading and equally manifest in the decision of the farmer and the merchant in the first two parables. Interestingly, in the third parable it is no longer man that chooses, but God chooses based on the choices of man on earth. However, the human choice-making comports renunciation. Solomon renounced the personal intentions and desires he could have asked God but made a selfless prayer request for wisdom. The farmer and the merchant in the parables renounced all they had in order to gain the hidden treasure and the precious pearl respectively. Permit me to say that, from our existential experiences, there is a pearl for everyone, but the underlining factor is that there is a price for everyone to pay. Thus, in today’s readings Solomon, the farmer and the merchant are telling us that detachment is the price. Therefore, the hit-track of our message is on the need to invite God into our decision-making process.

          The first reading (1Kgs. 3:5.7-12) offers us a wonderful message as orchestrated in the prayer of Solomon, a stupendous prayer. This young man at the prime of his life, called to succeed his Father King David, recognized his human inadequacies before the task that was given to him, and he humbly asked God the wisdom to govern, that docile heart to good inspirations, that “he may know how to act with justice and to discern what is good from what is bad”. It is a humble and disinterested prayer, oriented solely to the welfare of his people. And indeed, his prayer was pleasing to God: “Because you have asked for this…” Solomon’s prayer should be a model of our own prayer too. Our prayers should not be inspired by concern for material things and riches. God was pleased because Solomon did not ask for a long life, for riches, nor for the downfall of his foes, instead he asked for something spiritual: wisdom which would enable him to discern good from evil, and thus, make the right choices in life. An authentic prayer is the act of coming to God with a generous heart and open hands, just as Solomon did. We need to endeavor to avoid clinging to things of this world and thus coming to God even in prayer with clenched fists (position, self-image, wealth), we need to come before him in prayer with our fists open, so that God may fill our open hands.

          In the second reading (Rm. 8:28-30) St. Paul reveals to us the designs of the Father, who has predestined us from eternity to be conformed to the image of his Son; that is, we are called to participate in his divine life, already here on earth, we are children of His by adoption and brothers of Christ: a wonderful design. Through this providential design of the Father one enters into the world view, “mentality” of God, in order to see things as He sees them. One enters into the divine circuit of love that unites the three divine persons, as such all men become brothers (universal fraternity). Again, the apostle said that all things work together for the good of those that love God, those that are called according to his designs, even failures, suffering, delusions, humiliations and bitter experiences of sin, as St. Augustine would add. Here we see the revelation of the design of God, about the redemption of all men, and as such, their adoption as sons and daughters, their predestination to eternal life. The realization of this design was made possible by Christ, who through his sacrifice offered every man the possibility of being truly son and daughter of God. In the divine design of the Father there is an ontologically transformation. Yes! We become adopted sons and daughters of God.

          Once again in today’s Gospel (Mt. 13:44-52) Jesus speaks about the Kingdom in parables. While last Sunday the parables that Jesus presented talked about the Kingdom in itself, in its composition (wheat and weed), in its function (yeast) and in its growth (mustard seed), the parables of today, that of the farmer who finds the hidden treasure in the field, the merchant in search of the pearls and that of the dragnet cast in the sea, instead talk about the attitude of man towards the Kingdom and that of God about the Kingdom. The expression “Kingdom of Heaven” is recurrent in today’s Gospel, as it reflected in the parables of the previous Sundays. The expression “kingdom of heaven” is very familiar to St. Mathew, and it is the equivalent of the “kingdom of God” in the Gospel of St. Mark.  The kingdom of Heaven is a complex reality, mysterious and cannot be easily defined in simplistic terms. Intuitively, when we talk or hear about paradise, we think immediately of where God will be “all in all”, where God will reign in the heart of the blessed, basically in futuristic terms. But that is the Kingdom of heaven in its definitive phase. But the kingdom of heaven can equally be identified with the Person of Christ (Autobasileia) and the Church: “the little flock”, to whom it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom (Lk.12:32). And to grasp in depth the message of Jesus in today’s Gospel we are going to look at the three parables narrated by Jesus one after the other.   

          First, is the parable of the hidden treasure. Jesus compares the Kingdom of God to a treasure hidden in the field, which a farmer finds and joyfully sells all that he has in order to have it. Even though the action of this man is not totally morally irrepressible, but Jesus did not base his comparison on this. The teaching of this parable is condensed in the decision of the farmer to sell all that he had in order to acquire the treasure. The kingdom of heaven is truly, a treasure, a unique treasure. But just as it is suggestive here, it is a hidden treasure, a difficult treasure to find. Similarly, the kingdom of heaven is a hidden treasure also for Christians; hidden, because it is something to be always discovered, and hidden because it is difficult to find. It is not a treasure resplendent with splendor like gold, and it does not guarantee power and prestige to those who possess it, instead it requires sacrifice, renunciation and the need to sell all to have it. No doubt, we will jubilate when we will hear those decisive words of Jesus: “Come, you whom my Father has blessed, take as your heritage the kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world” (Mt. 25:34).

          Second, is the parable of a pearl. Jesus likened the Kingdom of heaven to a pearl of great value, which a merchant in search of precious stones finds, he sells all that he has in order to buy it. When this merchant discovered the precious pearl he decided to sell all the collection of pearls that he had in order to acquire the precious pearl. In both cases, we find ourselves before a choice: the choice of the best thing, even when it requires the sacrifice of all other things. What does Jesus intend to teach us with these two parables? It revolves around the fact that he came on earth to bring the kingdom of heaven, which is that mysterious reality, the truth and the life of God offered to mankind. It is a reality that on this earth it continues to grow in faith, in hope and in charity, in view of the possession of eternal life and happiness.

          The third parable of today according to which the “kingdom of heaven” is similar to a net thrown into the sea, that catches all kinds of fishes, good and bad, the division of which comes not during the moment of fishing, but at the end. This is similar to the parables of the wheat and the weed of last Sunday, of which the separation will come at harvest time, not during their growth. The parable underlines the patience of God, who tolerates both the wicked and the good people, both those who welcome his message of salvation and those who reject him and his message. The parable accentuates that at the end, there will be judgment. God continues to offer us occasions for our salvation, which we cannot undermine.

          The three parables of today, like the three of last Sunday talk about the “Kingdom of Heaven”, and the expression Kingdom of heaven coincides with the concept of the church, but not only, else it becomes too simplistic. The kingdom of heaven on the other hand, is a profound concept, it is the totality of all the values that Christ brought to humanity, with his coming. The kingdom of heaven is therefore, the unique and incomparable treasure, for the fact that it is only in it, that man finds his salvation, realizes his destiny of life and eternal beatitudes. At that dramatic moment when we will pass from this life, the only thing that will remain will be the kingdom of heaven open or closed before us, according to the choice we have made during our life on earth. Thus, anyone who possesses the Kingdom, possesses everything, even if he does not have any other thing; on the other hand, the one who does not possess it has nothing, even if he possesses the whole world. For this Jesus asked: “What, then, will anyone gain by winning the whole world and forfeiting his life? (Mt. 16:26), Jesus is invariably asking what does a man gain in this life, if he does not enter into possession of the kingdom of heaven. To such a treasure, as the kingdom of heaven, it is not only worth it that man renounces everything, but also, as Jesus says to renounce his own life, because “Anyone who finds his life will lose it; anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it” (Mt. 10:39). In fact, Jesus took the discourse on the kingdom to another level when he says: “If your right eye should be your downfall, tear it out and throw it away; for it will do you less harm to lose one part of yourself than to have your whole body thrown into hell” (Mt. 5:29).

          Interestingly, these parables of Jesus we have listened to, we find them relived one day in the real and historical episode of the Gospel, when one day a young man (young rich man) presented himself to Jesus and asked: “Master, what good deed must I do to possess eternal life?” (Mt. 19:16). In response Jesus told him: “go and sell your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me” (Mt. 19:21). Indeed, the words of Jesus in the above quotation tells us something more, it is the fact that the kingdom of God is a reality, but it is also a person: it is Jesus Himself! Following Him, choosing Him for life and re-choosing Him always, being His disciples is a sign of a worthwhile choice. He alone assures us of the treasure in heaven. He is the precious Pearl.

          Above all else, beloved in Christ, let us appropriate the words of the prayer of Solomon in the first reading, asking God to give us “a docile heart” and the wisdom to understand “what is good and what is bad”, what is important and what is not in our life. The figure of Solomon in prayer in the first reading demonstrates to us that prayer is the avenue in which man acquires the capacity of making right and authentic choices. Indeed, the logic of God’s kingdom is losing and gaining, for whoever loses gains. It is only when we lose everything in preference for Christ and the Kingdom of heaven that our life and existence will be grace-filled, remember Abraham who was ready to sacrifice even his only son, in Genesis 22 for the heavenly treasure. Our life will be grace-filled and meaningful too if we are ready to renounce all in preference for Christ. Today we are invited to be Searchers of the real Treasure and Pearl: Jesus Christ, the Auto Basileia (Kingdom personified) and the Kingdom of heaven! May He enable us to find Him in our search and continuous quest for meaning! Amen!!!

(Fr. Vitus Chigozie, SC)

The God Who Waits!

(Homily for the 16^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A)

          There is a traditional belief that the Christian God manifests his power and omnipotence through loving forgiveness and mercy. He does neither show up his power by extirpating the bad and evil people nor by annihilating his enemies. God’s approach towards humanity is that of Mercy and Love. A deeper reflection on the readings of this Sunday brings to our consideration the fact that the predominant motive and the recurrent theme revolve around God’s omnipotence demonstrated in a paradoxical manner, because His omnipotence is an omnipotence of Love and Mercy. In the first reading, the writer maintains that Yahweh’s strength is the basis of his saving justice and his sovereignty over all makes Him lenient to all. He is mild in judgment and governs us with great lenience. The Psalmist equally confirmed it thus: “Lord you are kind and forgiving, rich in faithful love for all who call upon you…God of tenderness and mercy, slow to anger, rich in faithful love” (Ps. 86:5.15). The Gospel narrative is nothing but the revelation of God’s patience and mercy made manifest in Christ. In the words of St. Paul: “the patience of God is meant to bring you to repentance” (Rm. 2:4). Thus, the patience and mercy of God is for us a chance to change and to grow, and this is obtainable by the power of the Holy Spirit (second reading). The Holy Spirit is the source of the power of the kingdom’s growth, expansion and transformation.

          In the first reading (Wis. 12:13.16-19) the Wise man started by admonishing us with the following words: “There is no God other than you”. The sage said this at a time when all men at least believed in divinities, if not in God. But today we battle with so many ideologies that tend to relegate God to the background, for instance, there is the current of secularism that discourages belief in any God. The modern man has modelled a god of his own, and today progress, pleasure and science are man-made gods. On the other hand, our attention is more on the admonition of the sacred author, he admonished us to be just, because God is just, and he loves all, both the good and the bad. He is a merciful and just God, for this the sacred author says: “For your strength is the basis of your saving justice, and your sovereignty over all makes you lenient to all” (v.16) and again, “But you, controlling your strength, are mild in judgment, and govern us with great lenience, for you have only to will, and your power is there” (v.18). We are therefore invited to imitate the gesture of God, who is patient and merciful to all: “By acting thus, you have taught your people that the upright must be kindly to his fellows, and you have given your children the good hope that after sins you will grant repentance” (v.19). Thus, an upright person must love all, both the good and the bad, imitating God, who is patient and merciful. The attitude and patience of the Owner of the field in the parable of the wheat and the weed speaks volumes for us. On the other hand, this passage invites the true sons and daughters of God to be people of hope, because God offers to all, the possibility of repentance after sin, a chance to change and to grow.

          The Gospel of today (Mt. 13:24-43) presents before us three parables with which Jesus intends to illustrate some aspects of the Kingdom of Heaven He has come to inaugurate on earth. The kingdom of Heaven is nothing but the project of salvation that God in his infinite love wants to realize through Christ. The “kingdom” which in its earthly phase, initially is identified with the community of the disciples of Christ, and therefore with the Church; has both an existential and eschatological dimensions. However, in order to understand properly the three parables, it is pertinent to underscore some vital points, thus situating us into the context of the Jews at that time: ►First, the Jews were waiting for the Messiah, the promised Savior, but they had a wrong idea of Him, for they were waiting for Him like a powerful King and a just judge, who will chase away evil and bad people, and welcome the just and the honest. Even the apostles James and John in that episode where and when they did not receive Him in a Samaritan village, asked: “Lord, do you want us to call fire from heaven to consume them?” (Lk. 9:54). John the Baptist too, announced that the Messiah has “His winnowing-fan in his hand; he will clear his threshing-floor and gather his wheat into his barn; but the chaff he will burn in a fire that will never go out” (Mt. 3:12). But under these aspects Jesus disappointed all, because he presented himself as Merciful and Meek, to the extent that John the Baptist sent ambassadors to ask him: “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to expect someone else?” (Mt. 11:3). ►Second, it was widely believed among the Jews that the Kingdom of the future Messiah would be glorious, that it would be imposed with great fanfare, and that it would triumph over all earthly kingdoms founded on injustice and the quest for power. But Jesus chose the ways of humility and mercy. With regards to the first idea according to which the Messiah would have been a powerful figure, Jesus clarifies the idea with the parable of the wheat and the weed, on which we would like to give more importance, because it is the most important in the Gospel passage of today.

          The kingdom of heaven can be compared to a man that planted good seed. The kingdom of heaven can be compared to the mustard seed. The Kingdom of heaven can be compared to the yeast. These initial sentences of the three parables are enough to make us understand that Jesus is speaking about a kingdom of heaven that is here on earth. Only on earth in fact, there is space for weeds and for growth. Nothing of these will be found in the future and eschatological kingdom, but only God who will be all in all. By means of these three parables Jesus traced the situation of the Church on earth. They are three essential parables for the understanding of the nature, the duty and the destiny of the Church. In the parables of the Mustard seed and the Yeast Jesus explains how the Kingdom of God, though small and insignificant, has potentials for growth and the transforming force to change the world.

          First is the parable of the wheat and weed, a man sowed good seed in his field and while everybody was asleep his enemy came and sowed weed among the wheat. In fact, this parable raises the common question we often ask: How come the good and the bad people exist? Or even more precisely, why does God permit that the good and the bad, the wheat and weeds exist together? Why doesn’t God intervene and remove the bad people? Little wonder, the servants in this parable asked the owner of the field, “do you want us to go and remove the weeds?” But the owner of the field responded in the negative. The focal point and distinguishing factor of this parable is the perspective of the owner of the camp and that of the servants. The servants are of the idea to remove the weed immediately. But the Master has a contrary opinion; he prefers to wait till the time of harvest. Here, the teaching of Jesus is glaring, it entails that in the world, good and bad people co-exist, and good and evil will also co-exist. It is not our task to do the separation. For the existential space between the planting and harvesting time is a period of Mercy and forgiveness. Even inside the Church, among his disciples there can be and there is the mixture of wheat and weeds, faithfulness and unfaithfulness, good and bad commingle. The community of perfect people does not exist on this earth. The Church in se is holy, but it is made up of men, sinners, and as such always in need of conversion and of purification.

          The other two parables were very much understood by the disciples unlike the parable of the wheat and weeds, little wonder, they disciples when they were alone with Jesus asked Him to explain the parable of the weeds in the field. In response Jesus explained to them that the Sower is He Himself, the good seed indicates the children of the Kingdom, the bad seed indicates the children of evil, the field is the world and the harvest is the end of the world. However, much later in the history of the Church, theologians identified the field with the Church, where the good and the bad co-exist. Jesus through this parable expresses and reveals the image of God that is a patient God, ever-forgiving and merciful, a God who waits! He does not want the death of the wicked, instead let him repent and live (Ez. 33:11) Why? Because He wants to offer us time for transformation, for He knows that the bad can become good. This present time is an opportune moment to extirpate every form of weed and evil in us and enrich ourselves of virtues and good works. Let us make every effort not to waste this time or let it pass us by, because ‘who has time does not wait for time’.            

          Second is the parable of the mustard seed and it replicates how the kingdom of heaven grows, just as the smallest of seeds grows into the largest plant. Jesus in the parable of the Mustard seed explains how the Kingdom of God, though small, will expand prodigiously and become a shelter for multitudes of people. By that Jesus intends to teach us that the Kingdom of heaven, the community of the disciples (the Church), is small in its initial phase on earth, but it possesses vitality, an incredible capacity of growth and of expansion.

          Third is the parable of the yeast, and it indicates the growth of the Kingdom, but a different growth, not necessarily in extension, but in intensity. The parable indicates the transforming force that the kingdom of heaven possesses in renewing all, making the multitude of men into bread to be presented to God. While the first parable tells us to wait, the parable of the leaven or the yeast tells us what to do as we wait, we are to mix in love with all, avoiding the temptation of separation, division and categorization into good and bad. In the Old Testament, the word “leaven” is a symbol of evil, leaven corrupts. In this sense, we may say that “a little bad can ruin all the good”. Some exegetes have said that this parable is not about bread but about love. As modern-day yeast changes flour into bread dough, so too, love changes our lives, we are therefore invited to spread love until it reaches everyone.

          In the three parables narrated by Jesus to explain the mystery of the kingdom of Heaven, therein we encounter some contrasts: ●In the parable of the weeds in the field, the contrast is between the servants and the owner of the field. The first in their impatient zeal wanted to remove immediately the weed, in order to enable the seed to grow undisturbed. But the owner said no, he prefers that they grow together until the time of harvest when there will be separation. By this, Jesus teaches us that in the big camp or field of the world and in the community of his disciples, the good and the bad co-exist. ●In the parable of the Mustard seed, the contrast is the smallness of the seed and its capacity to grow and to expand. ●In the parable of the Yeast, the contrast is between the hidden presence, unobserved of the yeast and its extraordinary strength for transformation that enlivens the flour.

           In the same vein, the three parables sound like an admonition and as such call our attention to some vital points: ● First, we are not to block the force and the vitality of the Kingdom of God inside us; we have to correspond with the divine grace and try to remove the weeds inside us. ● Second, we have to become more like the yeast, to ferment with goodness and love those around us, we have to be like small seeds of grace that grow and expand. ● Third, we do not have to abuse the presence of God that tolerates our incongruence and our infidelity. ● Fourth, the separation of the good from evil will come, but it will be done by God himself, the just and impartial Judge, let us not become God’s Chief Justice.

          In the second reading (Rm. 8:26-27) St. Paul presented the Holy Spirit in action, in the heart of the faithful. The Spirit is our great Helper in our weakness and our great Intercessor when we do not know how to pray. Not only that, He makes prayers for us in accordance to the will of God. Thus, in connection to the parables of today’s Gospel, we may well affirm that the kingdom of God still maintains its extraordinary force, capacity of expansion and transformation, irrespective of the imminent evil, by the power of the Spirit. Indeed, with particular reference to the parable of the yeast, the yeast per excellence is the power of the Holy Spirit that is at work in the Kingdom. In all, the first parable invites us to a patient waiting, the second admonishes us not to see the waiting time as a moment of stagnation, but of growth and the third invites us to allow the power of the Spirit to increase His love in us. The Holy Spirit is the source of the power of the kingdom’s growth, expansion and transformation, for He comes to the aid of the members of that kingdom.

          Drawing the issue further, these passages from the book of Wisdom and the Gospel invariably invite us to shun the temptation and tendency of dividing and categorizing people into good and bad, for no one can claim to be completely good without any fault, or completely bad or evil. Again, we are invited to avoid the temptation of rigorism, of intolerance and intransigence towards others. We often ask for comprehension and mercy when we go wrong, but many a times we find it difficult to understand and show mercy to others when they go wrong. Furthermore, we need to avoid forming ideas that are too negative of the world and a pessimistic vision of life. And lastly, there is need of avoiding the temptation of abusing God’s clemency and patience, by procrastinating continually the commitment to conversion and the transformation of one’s life. For this, our evangelist admonished us thus: “Anyone who has ears should listen” (Mt. 13:43). And St. Paul puts it in a more dramatic manner thus: “Are you not disregarding his abundant goodness, tolerance and patience, failing to realize that this generosity of God is meant to bring you to repentance?” (Rm. 2:4).

          Against the backdrop of today’s parables and the readings, is the fact that there cannot be a perfect and spotless humanity made up of only the good people. Good and bad will co-exist till the end of the world, like in the parable of the Wheat and the weeds. Even the Kingdom of God on earth (the Church) is a mixture of good and bad people. As a matter of fact, when we look around in our present world, we see that evil and people who tend towards evil abound. It is true that in this world there are many weeds, but also there is the wheat, even though they may not be very much evident. However, the underlining point is that no matter how evil thrive, it cannot prevail over good. Indeed, no evil power can stop the Kingdom of God’s prodigious vitality and extraordinary capacity of transforming consciences in the world. The Good News of today is that the Lord is imploring us to change and he's giving us the time to do so. He has given us a chance to change and to grow. Let us ask the Lord to help us to collaborate with His grace at work in us, so as to continue to make effort to grow and become matured and better Christians and children of His Kingdom. Amen!!!

(Fr. Vitus Chigozie, SC)

There Is Power In His Word!

Homily for the 15^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A)

     The theme of our message and reflection today hinges on the power and efficacy of the Word of God, its intrinsic vitality that can transform and bear good and abiding fruits and the required human disposition to make the Word fructify. As orchestrated especially in the first reading and the Gospel, there is the dimension of the Word, that is not just about listening but also seeing, and we enter into this dimension when we have an obedient listening to the Word and the willingness to allow it produce good fruits, then we pass to the dimension of seeing the efficacy of the Word of God. Here, there is a passage from Logos to Rhema. For this, the sacred author says: “I shall stand at my post, I shall station myself on my watch-tower, watching to see what he say to me” (Hab. 2:1). The Word of God is not only believable, it can be experienced, and that is why the Psalmist says “Taste and see” (Ps. 34:8). It is on the basis of the above that Isaiah in the first reading reminds us that the Word of God does not return to Him empty and Jesus in the Gospel promises a great harvest occasioned by the Word. The second reading instead reminds us that we are like work in progress before God, and that we will bear fruit in the measure we resist tribulations and continue to build our spiritual edifice in the midst of suffering and challenges, as we wait in hope for the manifestation of God’s glory in us.

          In the first reading (Is. 55:10-11) prophet Isaiah compares the Word of God to rain and snow that come down from heaven and before returning as a result of evaporation, they accomplish their functions of irrigating the soil. So is the Word of God that does not go forth in vain, even when it meets the freedom of man which can reject it, all the same it produces its effect, because it becomes a motive of judgment and condemnation for anyone who rejects it. He anticipated the comprehension of the Word of God similar to the Word as presented in Jesus’ parable in the Gospel passage. Certainly, the wonderful seed which is the Word of God is never without efficacy. The language of the prophet is very much eloquent and attainable, not just for us, but in a very special way for the people he was addressing these words directly to, they were people that knew very well what the desert is all about and its aridity or drought, for them rain was like life. In that sense, wherever the Word of God falls, life germinates. Little wonder, Jesus acclaimed: “Sky and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away” (Mk. 13:31).

          The Word of God is powerful and replete with fulfillment. It was on this account that Isaiah declared: “For as the rain and the snow come down from the sky and do not return before having watered the earth, fertilizing it and making it germinate to provide seed for the sower to eat, so it is with the word that goes from my mouth: it will not return to me unfulfilled or before having carried out my good pleasure and having achieved what it was sent to do” (vv.10-11). This passage of our first reading in no small way, affirms the power and efficacy of God’s Word. There is power in God’s word because his word is spirit and life (cf. Jn. 6:63), it brings discernment and gives life, it revives. The author of the letter to the Hebrews testifies that, “The Word of God is something alive and active, it cuts more incisively than any two-edged sword: it can seek out the place where soul is divided from the spirit, or joints from the marrow, it can pass judgment on secret emotions and thoughts” (Heb. 4:12). However, irrespective of the intrinsic vitality of the Word of God as anticipated in this passage of the prophecy of Isaiah, Jesus tells us in the Parable that His Word in many cases can remain in-efficacious and sterile owing to the lack of disposition and willingness of the recipient. Let us therefore, ask ourselves if the Word of God in us is succeeding for what it was sent to do?

          In today’s Gospel (Mt. 13:1-23) we are nourished with St. Mathew’s account of the parable of the Sower. After a careful reading of the Gospel of Mathew, it is noted that the Jesus presented by Mathew is close to human reality, He goes to the house of people and in the synagogue to proclaim the Good News. Also in today's Gospel he explains the reality of the kingdom through the earthly / existential things very common to his listeners. In the previous chapter Jesus taught in the synagogue (Mt. 12:9), but here in the 13^th chapter, he changed his method, from the house, he went to the lakeside, to teach along the sea, so that his message can reach every man in his reality and concrete condition (he speaks of sowing of seeds to a crowd of peasant majority). This betokens the fact that Jesus goes in search of man in his condition. The ascent of Jesus on the boat was not a spontaneous act, but he did it with the aim of looking all his listeners in the face. Just as the sower sows the seeds without distinction or preference of soil, so the Word of God reaches us in our condition, today, here and now, but what makes the difference is the state of the soil, and availability of the heart is decisive.

          This is one of the so called Parables of the Kingdom that Jesus narrated in different times but St. Mathew gathered them in one chapter of his Gospel, in order to give us a more unified and complete account and teachings of Jesus on the mystery of the “Kingdom of Heaven”. The language of the parable is very much enriching. It is colorful, poetic, efficacious, but it is not immediately transparent and comprehensive, it requires explanation. Little wonder, the disciples asked Jesus: Why do you speak in parables? And Jesus responded with the Words of Isaiah, “…for this people’s heart has grown dull, and their ears are heavy of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should perceive with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn for me to heal them” (Mt. 13: 15; cf. Is. 6:10). Our present passage can be divided into three parts:

1)    Jesus who narrates a parable, here begins the parabolic account of St. Mathew (Ch. 13), after the discourse on the mount (Ch. 5-7) and the missionary discourse (Ch. 10)

2)    Jesus explains why he speaks in parables, because he was using images and figurative narratives that are not easily comprehended.

3)    The explanation of the parables.

          Let us begin with the second point, why does Jesus speak in parables? The response of Jesus was synthetically essential; he said that the purpose is so that it would be understood by some. It is to be understood by the simple and pure hearted; and not to be understood by those who have a stiff heart. It is not for the purpose of punishment in any way to his listeners, rather it serves as an admonition to the men of Synagogues, so that they do not close their hearts to the Gospel and as such risk losing forever the opportunity of adhering to the Gospel. This admonition is valid for the men and women of every age and time.

          In this parable Jesus used images and narratives very familiar to the majority of his listeners that are from agrarian area; for them to understand him better. Jesus talks about a sower who goes to sow early in the morning, and as he sows some seeds fell on different types of soils. In the context of the parable, the Sower is Jesus, the seed is the Word of God, and the land or the soil is the heart of man or the world that stands at the receptive end! Jesus observed a farmer, a sower sowing and intuited something of God in it, little wonder, in the parable he talked about “a sower”. The Sower Jesus, is generous as he spreads the seeds with full hands, the seed of his Word, but also for what is sown to bear fruitful, there is need of at least two conditions:  ●That the seed is good or of a good quality (but this is already a given). ●That the soil is also good and irrigated. As such, the seed that is sown, the Word of God is by its very nature good, efficacious and capable of bearing good fruits. But in order to bear good fruits, it requires a good ground that is the disposition of our hearts. It is against this backdrop that Jesus enumerated four different types of soils, comparable to four categories of persons that receive the Word of God and what becomes of it afterwards:

          ●First, Jesus talked about the ground at the edge of the path or along the path, where the seed cannot enter, it does not penetrate, it remains at the surface, and birds come to pick them up to eat. They are hearts that listen to the Word of God, but they do not understand it, they do not welcome it profoundly, then Satan comes to destroy everything. Persons in this category are like scorched and dry ground, in which the Word cannot penetrate, it remains on the surface and it is blown away at the slightest temptation.

          ●Second is the rocky ground that is sterile. Here the seeds spring up because there is small soil, but owing to the fact that the soil is not in-depth, they do not put roots deep in the soil, so when the sun comes they wither away. Likewise, there are hearts that listen to the Word of God, they welcome it with joy but it does not put deep roots, as such, they are not constant and when tribulations or persecutions come their way, they are thrown off balance, they crumble.

           ●Third is the type of ground or soil with thorns, thorny ground. In this type of soil the seeds fell among thorns and germinate, but when the thorns grow up, they choke them. These are symbolic of human hearts that listen to the Word of God, but are carried away by preoccupations and worries for the things of this world and by the deception of riches and wealth, as such; the Word of God is suffocated in their hearts, e.g. the rich young man (cf. Mt. 19:16:30).

          ●Fourth is the good soil. The good soil bears fruit, but according to the disposition and receptivity of the heart. For some 100, some 60 and some 30; that is, according to the capacity and disposition of each one. Here, the good soil stands to indicate those who thirsty for the Word of God, those who are eager to listen and to understand the Word, and ready to allow themselves to be penetrated, illumined, guided and converted by it. In a nutshell, they are the hearts that listen, welcome and put the Word of God into practice.

          At this point we have to ask ourselves a pertinent question: what type of soil am I? Am I like the path, the rocky, the thorny or the good soil? We are in part like the path, the hard soil where the Word of God desires to penetrate, but because of our egoism and presumption, our hearts are closed. We are in part like the rocky soil where the Word of God does not put deep roots, because of our superficiality and inconsistency, when trials and persecutions come we fall by the way side. We are in part the thorny soil, because we are carried away by material things, seduced by the deception of riches, such that the Word does not produce its fruits in us. Indeed also, we are in part good soil, but Jesus wants us to be real good soil. Thanks to God, the fact that we are here in the Church demonstrates that we are making effort to live like Christians. However, we have to allow the Word of God to bear good fruit in us. The spiritual and moral responsibilities that we have to assume daily is the effort to become good soil, fecund and fruitful, making daily effort to eliminate the aspects of the hardy, the rocky and the thorny soils in us. We have to appropriate and make ours the prayer of the Collect of this Sunday: “give all who for the faith they profess are accounted Christians the grace to reject whatever is contrary to the name of Christ, and strive after all that does it honour”. It is therefore, our wish that the Word of God sown in our heart will neither fall on rocky ground, nor be choked by our material greed, rather may the Word sown in us blossom into eternal life.

          In the second reading (Rm. 8:18-23) St. Paul reminds us that the kingdom of God is to be constructed in us and in the world in the midst of suffering. He made a comparison with the labor of childbirth, that takes place through great suffering and pain, but which later procures an infinite joy, so is our Christian life and sojourn. He therefore reminds us that the sufferings of this present moment, even those related to our daily struggles and the commitment to fidelity to God’s Word cannot be compared to the glory that awaits us. These words of St. Paul have to make us courageous and persevering, especially in our present world where it is difficult to welcome the Word of God and make it germinate for it to bear abundant fruits. In all, we have to be courageous and optimistic. In fact, Jesus narrated the parable not to teach us that in many cases there is no fruit, rather to teach us that the seed bears abundant fruit, above every expectation, when it encounters in our heart a suitable and fitting ground.

          Above all, the words of St. James are worth recalling at the end of this reflection, he says: “Humbly welcome the Word which has been planted in you and can save your souls. But you must do what the Word tells you and not just listen to it and deceive yourselves. Anyone who listens to the Word and takes no action is like someone who looks at his own features in a mirror and, once he has seen what he looks like goes off and immediately forgets it” (Jm. 1:21a-24). Thus, he challenges us to allow the Word of God fructify in us, in order not to be forgetful listeners. We cannot but conclude our reflection with the example of Mary, in whom the Word found a disposed heart and a good soil. The heart of Mary indeed, was a good soil, she listened, welcomed, accepted, treasured and pondered them in her heart (cf. Lk.2:19). She became a fertile ground for the Word in all dimensions. Let us emulate her. May the Word of God sown in our hearts everyday germinate, grow and bear good fruits! May Jesus the Sower continue to sow his seeds in our hearts and may He make of us a good soil for his Word. May our hearts be transformed to wombs that accept and carry the seed of God’s Word till it germinates and bears fruit in us. Jesus is inviting us today to become mothers of the Word, to accept it with tenderness and love. As we try to give life to the Word of God sown in us, may the same Word in turn give us life and transform us! Amen!!

(Fr. Vitus Chigozie, SC)

Come to Jesus And Learn!

 (Homily 14^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A)

     The readings of today present to us one of the overwhelming paradoxes of the Christian message: The first reading speaks of the Messianic King who rides humbly towards Jerusalem on a horse, an event that betokens his self-identification with the lowly. And in the Gospel St. Mathew presents Jesus thanking the Father for the things hidden from the wise and the intelligent and revealed to little children. Jesus further, presented himself as a model of humility, for He is simple and humble of heart. In the second reading, St. Paul reasons in line with Christ, as he introduces the theme of the Spirit. The Spirit is the ‘Revelator’ of those hidden things to the lowly, those who live not according to human inclination (flesh) but according to the Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead.

     In the first reading (Zech. 9:9-10) prophet Zechariah presents the paradox of the Messiah, a just and victorious King, but also humble and he mounts the donkey. “Behold, your King comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey” (v.9). Prophet Zechariah invites the people to rejoice and to shout for joy. Why? Because the end of suffering is in sight. The Messiah is about to appear. He will be a just and a victorious king. However, this is not the first time that the coming of the Messiah is announced, but here it connotes a symbolic meaning by what the prophet says after, that the Savior will not come at the head of a powerful army, with chariots and horses, rather he comes humbly. In the second part we are told that on his arrival he will remove every sign of military power, will destroy all the instruments of war and violence, proclaim peace to the nations. Despite that, he will be powerful and his kingdom stretch from sea to sea. Jesus will fulfill this prophecy when he will enter Jerusalem on a donkey (Cf. Jn. 12:14; Mk. 11:7). And Christianity has seen this prophecy realized in the person of Jesus, the Messiah awaited by Israel and by all the people. A victorious King, who reigns on the cross! Truly his kingdom has no end!

     In the first reading and in the Gospel, we see a communance of sentiment, while the prophet announces the advent of the Messiah who is poor and humble, Jesus speaks of himself as gentle and humble and on the side of the poor. Jesus praised the Father for He chose to reveal the great mysteries to little children and not to the intelligent and learned. We see here at work the logic of Jesus, for usually in the world the weak and the unlearned are looked down upon. But in the parlance of Jesus they are the blessed ones, because the Father chose to reveal his glory to them. And when we peruse into the gospels we see similar attitude of praise and recognition for an act of humility: ●Jesus praises the poor widow for putting in two copper coins while the rich were putting a huge amount (Lk. 21:3). ●Jesus praises the tax collector for praying in the temple with a deep repentant heart (Lk.18:14). ●He praises the Canaanite woman for her answer that dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the table (Lk. 15:28).

     In the Gospel passage (Mt. 11:25-30) we find ourselves in an intense period of Jesus’s preaching in Galilee, it was an unsuccessful period in the ministry of Jesus, but suddenly Jesus witnesses a turn-around situation and he gives thanks to the Father, even though the doctors, lawyers, scribes and pharisees distanced themselves from Him, but already his fame has gone everywhere and not only, but he was now surrounded by the poor, the sick, the blind and children. Indeed, people equally came from far and wide to listen to Him and to witness his prodigious works. In this brief passage of the Gospel of Mathew, Jesus offers us the most splendid revelation of himself: he reveals his true and profound identity by addressing God as Father “Abba”. Jesus demonstrates with the title “Abba”, his unique rapport with God the Father. As a matter of fact, no Jew has ever addressed God with such familiarity, and this reveals the self-knowledge of his filiation as a Son. We are indeed, invited to be part of this relationship. Jesus therefore reveals three important things about himself: ●That He is the Son of God, the only Son of the Father ●That between him and the Father there is a perfect and total communion of life: “all have been given to me by my Father” ●That between Him and the Father there is a perfect reciprocal knowledge: “no one knows the Son if not the Father and no one knows the Father if not the Son”, and indeed, owing to his perfect knowledge of the Father, only Jesus can reveal the true face of God. Thus, we have to think of God as Father, and to speak to him as Father. In fact, according St. John in his Gospel, the Jews will draw this conclusion, when they will be looking for reasons to condemn him, “He spoke of God as his own Father and so made himself God’s equal” (Jn. 5:18). On the other hand, it is pertinent to note that our faith is rooted in this strong and unwavering consciousness that Jesus has, of being the Son of God. Every other thing rests on this authentic certainty of his Resurrection, for He “was designated Son of God in power by resurrection from the dead” (Rm.1:4). Indeed, Jesus is not only the Messiah, He is not only the Son of man, above all, He is the Son of God, even before his advent on earth.

     St. Mathew in today’s Gospel presents this wonderful episode of the Son’s praise and gratitude to the Father. Jesus glorified and praised the Father because He has hidden certain realities from the wise, and revealed them instead to the simple. However, even though the revelation of God is for all men, but the wise and the intelligent are those who have closed themselves from it. And one may ask: who are the wise and the intelligent? They are the religious masters of that time (pharisees, Scribes, lawyers), their knowledge of the law made them to be full of themselves and closed to the message of Christ. Rather God revealed the secrets to the poor, the little ones. Here, we have the little children as opposed to the wise. Who are these little children? The little children are those that are simple and humble hearted, not little children by age, but those with the heart and disposition of the little children and those who recognize their dependency on God. If we want to render this passage actual, we have to ask: Today in our present world, who are the wise and the intelligent that did not receive those hidden things? The wise are those who feel they are self-made, the self-sufficient people, those who are attached to positions of power and prestige, those who presume they can judge everyone and everything according to their human categories, those who derive happiness in amassing wealth at the expense of the poor and those who think that they can do without God. On the other hand, the little children, the simple are not just the poor in the sense of material wealth, or those that are unlearned. The little ones are those who recognize and accept the fact of their createdness, those who do not trust or lean on earthly security of power and prestige, rather they entrust themselves and all that concerns them to God. So, where do we belong, the wise or little children? Are we open or closed to understanding those things that Jesus came to reveal?

     In Jesus’ parlance the little children are in reality, those the Father appreciates for their humility and purity of heart. These are the two conditions that make one great in the sight of God: humility and purity of heart. God does not look at our possessions, political and intellectual accruements, our religious status, our certificates and grades; rather he looks at the heart. Prophet Jeremiah understood the divine logic when he said, “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind…” (Jer. 17:10; cf. 2Chro 16:10; 1 Sam. 16:7). The psalmist says that God “knows the secrets of the heart” (Ps. 44:21). For this St. Peter encouraged that “humility must be the garment you all must wear constantly, because God opposes the proud and accords his favour to the humble” (1Pt. 5:5).

     Another pertinent question is this: what are those things that their comprehension is hidden from the wise and intelligent? Jesus proffers an answer, it is the knowledge of the Father, through the revelation of the Son. “No one knows the Son except the Father, just as no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him” (v.27). The biblical value of the word knowledge, is not a mere abstract intellectual cognition, but it entails love, an interpersonal rapport. This type of reciprocal knowledge of the Father and the Son is participated in certain measure by the little children. In Jesus, a new image of God is revealed to the simple hearted: The hallmark of the things revealed is the knowledge of God as Father and of Jesus as Son.

     Furthermore, the second part of the Gospel introduces us to the next theme of the Gospel: the beautiful invitation of Jesus: “Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest” (v.28). Therein Jesus is presented as the mouthpiece of the wisdom of God. Jesus is inviting us to come to Him, those who labour and are overburdened. These are actually the little children, those who recognize there need of God, and run to him.  Those who labour and are overburdened as Jesus alludes are the poor Jews, on whom the yoke of the law has been imposed; they are oppressed and frustrated by many prescriptions and exterior practices, rejected by the wise. Thus, Jesus calls those oppressed from Jewish legalism to give them hope and rest. So in order to welcome the invitation of Jesus: “come to me”, it is necessary that we have to put ourselves in the school of Jesus, the school of humility and meekness. “Come to me”, only Jesus can make this promise without disappointment, only him, who is the Only Son of the Father. He does not fail and cannot fail. If we go to him, if we trust in him, if we abandon ourselves to him, we will find consolation and sustenance in every situation of our life, no matter how difficult. He does not promise to remove obstacles and difficulties on our way, instead He promises to lighten them and to give us rest.

      Again, Jesus presents himself as a model of humility and gentleness, “Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls” (v.29). He went further, “Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (v.30). He is the one that makes our own difficult yoke easy, the one that makes our heavy burden light. This truly is a Good News  inside the Good News. Biblically, the yoke indicates the law. And as we know, the law of Jesus is Love. It is as if Jesus says, take upon you my love, and as we know the love of Jesus is like the oxygen that gives us the breath of life. The yoke of Christ makes life easy. He says that his yoke is easy; it is not because the morality that Jesus demands is less exigent, but because Jesus himself renders the yoke easy and makes the burden light with his love and solidarity. He too is poor and humble of heart, submissive to the will of the Father. Jesus invites us to come to him to experience peace and liberation from our burdens. And it is only the lowly and humbly of heart that hearken to the voice of Jesus and his invitation, because they recognize their need of Him. Do you recognize your need of Him?

     In the second reading (Rm. 8:9.11-13) St. Paul introduces the theme of the indwelling and presence of the Spirit. He makes a clarion call thus: “live not by your natural inclinations, but by the Spirit, since the Spirit of God has made a home in you. Indeed, anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him” (v.9). And in connection with the message in the Gospel about the things hidden from the wise and revealed to little children, we can say that if one does not have the Spirit of God he cannot understand the secrets of God. It is against this backdrop that the apostle asserted thus: “to us, though, God has given revelation through the Spirit, for the Spirit explores everything, even the depths of God” (1 Cor. 2:10). And indeed, the Gospel presents before us the secret and profundity of God, the secret that exists between the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit is part of that secret that is why He can explore its depths. Yes it is through the Spirit that the secret of who the Father and the Son are, are laid bare to us. It is on the basis of this conviction that St. Paul tells us that “the Spirit we have received is not the spirit of the world but God’s own Spirit, so that we may understand the lavish gifts God has given us” (1 Cor. 2:12). More than that, also through the Spirit our own identity are revealed to us: Sons in the Son of the Father. Little wonder, St. Paul invites us in this passage to shun the temptation and tendency of living according to our natural inclination, but to live by the Spirit. In all, we may say that those categorized as little children in the Gospel are those that the Spirit of God has made a home in them, while the wise and the intelligent are those living according to the inclinations of the flesh. The apostle convincingly opined that “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead has made his home in you, then he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will give life to your own mortal bodies through his Spirit living in you” (v.11).  

     Above all else, beloved in Christ, today's message certainly calls for a response. There is need for a strong stance. So, where do we belong, the wise or little children? Do we live according to the flesh or the Spirit? Indeed, it behooves us to affirm that Christ in his message of salvation does not condemn science and wisdom, but the pride and presumption of man. May Jesus give us the enabling grace to become simple and humble-hearted. May He make your yoke easy and lighten your burdens! Today more than ever, we need to hear this reassuring and reinvigorating invitation of Jesus: “Come to me, all you who are over-burdened”. He alone can lighten our heavy burden.  May all your burden be lightened in the name of Jesus, Amen!

(Fr. Vitus Chigozie, SC)

 

 

 

 

Generosity Enriches The Giver and The Receiver!

(Homily 13^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A)

     The point of concentration of today’s readings is on the theme of hospitality or generosity and its dignifying dimension. As manifested in the readings generosity or hospitality can be seen as the most natural outward expression of an inner attitude of love and compassion. In the same vein, we see the logic of hospitality or generosity: give and receive, it is the logic of recompense; both the giver and the receiver are enriched. As a matter of fact, the theme of hospitality connects the Gospel and the first reading. In the first reading, we see the figure of a simple, rich Shunammite woman, who out of her generosity showed hospitality to Prophet Elisha, and to show gratitude Elisha promised her a son since she was barren. The theme of hospitality reoccurs in the Gospel passage, and therein Jesus invites his followers to be hospitable to the messengers of the word. This invitation of Jesus was accompanied with the idea of a recompense, for Jesus promises something to those who welcome a prophet, a minister of God or a missionary of the kingdom. And lastly, the letter to the Romans brings to light the new life (or better new dignity) made possible by and through Baptism, which makes us worthy to be incorporated into the mystery of Christ our Redeemer, where we become brothers and sisters, thus vested with the responsibility of sharing with each other as children of the same Father (God).

      In the first reading (2Kgs 4:8-11.14-16a) we see the figure of a simple, rich Shunammite woman. She was generous and caring. She had a spectacular intuition about prophet Elisha, for one day she said to the husband “Look, I am sure the man who is constantly passing our way must be a holy man of God” (v.9). The woman recognized him to be a man of God, and in the Old Testament, one is recognized as a man of God not on the basis of mystical experience but it is a title that denotes that the person in question is a bearer of God’s word. So Elisha like his predecessor Elijah (cf. 1Kg.17:24) was recognized as a man of God, because he was entrusted with the effective word of God. The woman in her generosity made a request to her husband: “Let us make a small roof chamber with walls, and put there for him bed, a table, a chair and a lamp, so that whenever he comes to us, he can rest there” (v.10).

      And I tell you her generosity dignified her, and changed her situation from a barren to a fruitful woman. It happened that the prophet felt indebted to show gratitude for this kindness, he desired to repay her for her generosity. And one day the Prophet called the servant and asked her: “what is to be done for her?” Then the servant revealed to him that the woman has no child and her husband is old. For a Jewish woman, there is no great suffering than not having a child. No doubt this Shunammite woman must have suffered so much for her sterility. Then the prophet sent for her, and he assured her “This time next year, he said, you will hold a son in your arms” (v.16a). And indeed, God ratified the promise of the prophet and did not allow the woman to wait in vein. Behold, she was recompensed for her generosity and hospitality. Indeed, whoever that has an open heart for generosity and hospitality towards others will in turn find hospitality in the heart of God. God is faithful to words and promises made in His name! The woman of Shunem that welcomed Elisha in her house demonstrated her love and respect for the other, for the ‘other’ different from her, someone from a different culture and background. Similarly, today we can talk about this aspect of respect for the other in terms of solidarity, welcoming immigrants and active participation in social charity.

      The Gospel passage (Mt. 10:37-42) is the last part of Mathew’s account of the missionary charge to the twelve. The passage contains two distinct themes, and we can condense them in the following manner: following Christ even unto the cross and welcoming Christ in the brothers (and sisters). The two themes revolve around “us and Christ”. The passage can further be divided into two parts: the first part dwells on the cost of discipleship. The words of Jesus in the first part of this Gospel passage are addressed to the apostles for their mission and whoever desires to be a radical follower of Jesus. Jesus said to them and to us: “He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worth of me”. Here Jesus reminds of the primordial invitation of detachment from father and mother in the book of Genesis: “This is why a man leaves his father and mother and becomes attached to his wife and they become one flesh” (2:24). This is a divine invitation to abandon father and mother for fecundity, here we equally see the logic of giving and receiving, leaving and finding. The parents are left for another creature, but there life multiplies and grows. In Jesus’ mission pedagogy he invites us to leave father and mother for love of Him, for superior values (cf. Mt. 13:44-45). Secondly, he says “he who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me”, in this second affirmation we see a progression, not only that one has to prefer and maintain the relation with Jesus above all else, but one has to accept sufferings and humiliations for Christ’s sake. It entails loving him above all else, here equally there is the logic of generosity and recompense: “Anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it” (v.39), losing here is all about an active giving of one’s life as a gift, not loss against one’s will. Thus, Jesus sets before us the Paschal law: to lose in order to find, to die in order to rise. This still boils down to the logic of generosity and recompense.

     Then on the third part, Jesus makes three declarative statements on the reward for a generous reception accorded to messengers of the Good News. As a matter of fact, the two affirmations in the first part of the passage are linked one with the other, and they reveal the cost of discipleship. Interestingly, the third part on hospitality and generosity accorded to messengers of the divine word establishes a wonderful bridge with the first reading. It is an invitation for us to receive the messengers of the word with generous hospitality, not on account of their persons, but because they are bearers of the divine word. Jesus attaches great reward to the acts of hospitality. In the first part of the Gospel, Jesus promises eternal life to those who are disposed to lose their life in this world for his sake and in this second part, he promises a great reward to those who practice hospitality and generosity.  As we can see Jesus promises a great recompense to a generous and hospitable heart. He says: “He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives him who sent me. He who receives a prophet because he is a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward, and he who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. And whoever gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple , truly, I say to you, he shall not lose his reward” (Mt. 10:40-42; cf. Lk 10:16).

     As a matter of fact, we would like to lay much emphasis on ‘welcoming’ or on ‘hospitality’, the central message of our reflection. In the first reading the Shunammite woman was recompensed for her hospitality with the promise of a son. And in the Gospel Jesus picks up the theme of hospitality and therein we still see the idea of a recompense, for Jesus promises something to those who welcome a prophet, that is, a minister of God, a missionary of the kingdom. What does Jesus promise? Jesus promises himself: “Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me” (v.40a) and again He promises the Father: “anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me” (v.40b). This reveals that Jesus attached so much importance to the human gesture of hospitality, to the extent of promising Himself and the Father. Jesus in the Gospel went on to give us a concrete example of welcoming someone or showing hospitality to a stranger: giving a cup of cold water (v.42). Drawing the issue further, a cup of cold water in our context today could be translated into a helping hand, a letter, a phone-call, a smile, a word of encouragement etc. In fact, while describing the general judgment in Matthew 25, Jesus speaks of bread, water, clothes, visits to prisons, etc. These things cost little or nothing, but however, many in our world, in our neighbourhood are crying and craving for ‘cups of cold water’. A cup of cold water may stand for any help, gesture or word offered to the other, that revives and reinvigorates the person and restores his or her hope.

     To give a cup of cold water, to welcome the other or to offer a helping hand entails going out from our egoism and prejudices and thus approaching the other with empathy and a patient listening. It involves giving our resources and time to our brothers and sisters, strangers or those in need, and especially to messengers of the divine word as it is suggestive of the passage. In fact, St. Paul in his letter to the Romans says: “Accept one another, then, for the sake of God’s glory, as Christ accepted you” (Rm. 15:7). This should be the model of our hospitality, ‘as Christ’. Therefore, we may ask: how did Christ welcome or accept us? He accepted us even though we are sinners, even though many times we offend him, he welcomed us gratuitously even though many a times we turn our back on Him, we have to do same towards others, especially those we consider different from us, strangers, immigrants, those from different language, culture, race and colour. Jesus ought to be our model of hospitality.

     The second reading (Rm. 6:3-4.8-11) expresses vigorously our new dignity realized through Baptism, through which we are immersed in the mystery of the Risen Christ and participate in the life of God in our mortal body and in the “here and now” of our personal history. St. Paul maintained in his letter that the baptized already in this world are “alive for God, in union with Jesus Christ”. In this passage we notice that while talking about the idea of a Christian dying with Christ, the apostle uses the past tense, and on resurrection he uses the future and conditional tenses. It therefore entails that the new life in Christ is to be constantly renewed, because what happened to us at Baptism remains and cannot be removed. We need to live in accordance with the life we have been welcomed into through Baptism. As such, we cannot but appropriate the principle of “agere seguitur esse”. It serves as a reminder for us to become what we are! We Christians, whether good or bad, have been signed with the mark of God, as was Elisha the prophet. Thus, each one of us can say: I have, through the waters of baptism in Christ Jesus, been made into something special for God.

     In order to help us understand the profound reality of Baptism, St. Paul reminds us of the meaning itself of the baptismal rite, a rite that expresses with much efficacy what the sacrament does in and for us, that is the participation in the mystery of death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In fact, with the immersion in water (as at that time it was by immersion, now we pour water on the head) we participate in the death and burial of Jesus, not just in the metaphorical sense but also in the real sense. For through the immersion we are invited to die to sin (old man gives way for the new man in Christ), while by emerging from the water we take part in the resurrection of Christ, we rise with Him to a new life, and thus we become “new creatures” (2 Cor. 5:17). This passage of the Pauline epistle helps us to understand the exalted reality of baptism, the elevated dignity accorded to us and the sublime destiny in which we have been called. A dignity and destiny that reminds us always that we are a family of God, and if we are a family of God we cannot but share what we have with others, be generous and hospitable to anyone in need and in the words of Jesus ready to offer a cup of cold water.

     In all, the theme of hospitality as orchestrated in the first reading of today and that of generosity glaringly presented by Jesus in the Gospel call our attention back to the challenges of immigration in our world today, this has lately become a hot button issue. We need to cultivate the attitude of what Carl Rogers, an American Psychologist called “unconditional positive regard” for anyone that comes our way, irrespective of his origin, colour and social class. Today more than ever, we need to practice generosity to those who are struggling to make both ends meet. Again, in our world divided by hatred, homophobia, violence, war, tribalism, nepotism (both in political and ecclesial circles), indeed, the example of the woman of Shunem and the invitation of Jesus require an imminent and immediate response. Nowhere is welcome more needed than in our world at this present time. Especially in our country Nigeria where we are swimming in a dangerous sea of tribal hatred and rejection, uncertainty and insecurity; where everything seems to be disintegrating, it is high time this reality facing us be stripped of the intellectual, political and religious verbalizing that it is normally clothed in. Our country Nigeria has reached a turning-point and it easy enough to slide into “only God knows what”. We have to rediscover the one universal language of a life lived out in love, acceptance of the other and hospitality. May the words of Jesus find a fitting place in our hearts and in our dear country! May Mary the model of Christian hospitality, the woman who made a space in her heart for the Word just as she made a space in her womb for his body, the woman who pondered His words in her heart so that gradually her whole life was filled with his presence, intercede for us. Amen!!!

(Fr. Vitus Chigozie, SC)