Religion of Merit Vs Religion of Mercy!

(Homily for the 30^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C)

     Last Sunday in our reflection we considered prayer as the gym of the Christian soul and invariably today’s readings buttress the fact that in this spiritual gym there are two kinds of spiritual athletes: those that puff up and think that they can do everything with their muscle, and those that are simple and have a healthy spiritual self-esteem. In that bid, those who belong to the religion of merit and those who belong to the religion of mercy. Those who belong to the religion of merit are self-justified, they are proud, they have unhealthy high self-esteem and they feel they can obtain spiritual favours out of merit. Those of religion of mercy, instead are humble and simple, capable of entering into themselves (intusleggere) in order to make a healthy and balanced evaluation of themselves, for them another name of God and for God’s Love is Mercy, they trust in the mercy of God and not in their human merits. Those of the religion of merit are self-justified, while those of the religion of mercy are justified by God. The themes of justice and prayer recapitulate well the readings of this Sunday. Prayer is a place where pride is abandoned, hope is lifted and supplications are made. Indeed, “The nearer you go to God, the nearer God will come to you” (Jm. 4:8a). A humble and authentic prayer takes us closer to God and draws God closer to us. In the parable, both the Pharisee and the Publican prayed in the temple, but only the publican was justified by God. In the first reading, Sirach applies the divine justice to prayer and teaches that God, the just judge has no preference of persons, he listens to the prayer of the oppressed. Lastly, in the second reading, St. Paul in humility accepted his ordeal of faith, however, not trusting on his own strength but on divine grace: “From now on there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day”.

     It is against this backdrop that the first reading (Sir. 35, 15-17.20-22) basically tells us that the humble man’s prayer pierces the cloud and will not stop until they reach the throne of God. (vv. 16-18). The passage reminds us that God has no favourites and that he hears the voice of the oppressed (vv.12-13). God is presented here as a just judge, that cannot be compromised like human judges, for this, he listens favourably to the prayers of the oppressed, the poor, the orphan and widows. However, prayer accompanied with good interior dispositions like humility fast-forwards our prayers to God’s thrown. No doubt, “the heartfelt prayer of someone upright works very powerfully” (Jm.5:16). There is efficacy in the prayer of a humble person. Indeed, humility accompanied with perseverance is the basic condition for every prayer. The Lord does not delay in answering the prayers of the weak, the oppressed and the humble. For this the word of God was addressed to Jeremiah thus: “Call to me and I will answer you” (Jer. 33:3). It is against this backdrop, that the Psalmist assures us that “the lowly one called and the Lord heard him” (Ps.34:6). Let us humble ourselves, accept our unworthiness and nothingness before God, so that all our prayers today will pierce the cloud and reach God’s thrown.

     The message of the Gospel passage (Lk. 18: 9-14) centres on the right attitude towards prayer and the theme of justification not by personal merit, but by faith in Jesus Christ (cf. Rm.8:33-37). At the beginning of the gospel Luke tells us that Jesus narrated the parable for “those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else” (v.9), and this is the basic trait of those that belong to the religion of merit. Jesus narrated the story of two people that went up to the temple to pray: a Pharisee and a tax collector. The Pharisee sees himself as a man “separated” from others, he kept all the laws. The Jewish law prescribed fasting once a year (cf. Lev. 16:29), but he fasted twice a week. What a self-flattery! The meaning of this parable is that of the entire Gospel of St. Luke: Jesus is the revelation of God’s mercy. And man is liberated from sin through the gratuitous initiative of God’s mercy. The more we stoop low and become convinced of our misery and moral inconsistency, the more God in his merciful love forgives and raises us up.

     On entering the temple, the Pharisee as we are told “took up his position” maybe he sat down. Probably he did not assume the religious posture or position of a pious Jew. Then, he started his prayer: “O God I thank you because I am not like other men, impure and unjust…”. The Pharisee seemed to offer his prayers to God, but in reality he is self-centred, he repeated the word “I” many times. An authentic Prayer opens one in a relationship with the Other and with the others, but the prayer of the Pharisee opened and closed him up only to himself. This is real spiritual schizophrenia in action, he was disconnected with the Other and the others, he remained closed in his own world, where only him exists. This indeed, is religion of Merit. He reminds God what he has been doing for God, and not remembering what God has done and is doing for him. The Pharisee saw himself as a just man, who is at peace with God: he is presumptuous and proud. In this passage, Jesus condemns religious self-sufficiency. Humility is not weakness of character, rather strength of the will, such that one neither succumbs before the threats of the powerful nor the flattery of the wicked.

     On the other hand, we figure out the tax collector, who out of humility and a healthy sense of guilt “stood off at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and prayed, O God be merciful to me a sinner”. This is an attitude of those who belong to the religion of Mercy. Certainly, he remembered what God has done and is doing for him, he cannot but ask for Mercy. At the end, the situation reverses, for he went home forgiven, absolved, exalted, sanctified, but the Pharisee no! (v.14). Indeed, our sins distance us from God, little wonder he stood off at a distance to pray, a similar thing happened in Luke (5:8) at the episode of the encounter between Peter and Jesus. Even though, it is true that sin distances us from God, but humility and spiritual self-acceptance draw us closer to God. Little wonder, we are told that the tax collector went home justified. While the prayer of the Pharisee closed him up in his world, that of the tax collector opened him up to the Other and the others. Prayer indeed creates and nurtures friendship (with God and with others). The big difference between the prayer of the Pharisee and the tax collector is this, while the first composed his prayer based on what he does for God, the later inwardly prays for what God does and is capable of doing for him. And that is the major difference between the Religion of Merit and the Religion of Mercy. Really the tax collector went home justified not only because he was humble, but also because he opened up to the mysteries of God and to God Himself. He opened up to God’s mercy, which is “God’s weakness” and a manifestation of his omnipotence.

     In the Gospel the maxim of Jesus: “who exalts himself will be humbled, and who humbles himself will be exalted” is reported three good times in three different circumstances (two times in the Gospel of Luke and once in that of Mathew). From those three circumstances we have to deduce the three different aspects of humility and how they complement each other. ●In Luke (14:11) Jesus teaches humility in the sense of not aspiring for the positions of honour, not showing off, but rather to choose the last seat. ●Again, in Luke (18:14) Jesus teaches that humility also entails comporting oneself like the publican: recognizing oneself as a sinner and rely completely on God’s mercy; therefore, not doing like the Pharisee who presumed to just, he exalts himself and despises others, he failed to understand that salvation is a gratuitous gift of the Lord and not a reward as a result of one’s work. ●In Mathew (23:19) Jesus teaches that humility consists in avoiding the ostentation of oneself (self-display), the desire of being admired and revered, the ambition for honorific titles, instead great is the one who serves the brothers: “just as the Son of man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mt. 20:28). Jesus is the divine model and archetype of humility, because in the mystery of his incarnation, passion and death, he offers us a maximum expression of true humility. For this, St. Paul invites us to imitate him, who humbled himself to the point of death (cf. Ph. 2:3-11).

     How many times have we Christians fallen into the same ditch of the Pharisee, the tendency of religious self-sufficiency? Many a times we indulge in the erroneous mentality of thinking that we secure our salvation by our mere actions alone or by our religious practices. This is the tendency of justification by self and not by grace. An authentic Christian feels like “a publican”, a sinner, one saved by the divine mercy and continuously in need of his help. One who does not think that he is better than others, rather one who believes and trusts in the goodness and infinite mercy of God, one who tries to do the will of God, but however, knows that he can do nothing without the grace of God. The publican prayed and cried to God: “Kyrie eleison” and he was accepted by God, because he submitted himself to God’s mercy. Come to think of it, let us reason together with St. Paul: “what made you so important? What have you got that was not given to you? And if it is given to you, why are you boasting as though it were your own”, (1Cor. 4:7). Remember always: “everyone who raises himself up will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be raised up” (Lk. 14:11; 18:14); indeed, “The Lord opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (Jm. 4:6).

     Drawing the issue further, the parable shows us the right attitude to adopt towards prayer; it gives us a useful indication on how to pray well. As emanating from the parable, a Christian prayer should not be like the one of the Pharisee, a sort of self-exultation with the consequent disregard for others; instead, it has to be like the one of the publican, it has to be a true and interior witness of humility. A Christian in the liturgical assembly has to rediscover the authentic esteem of others and a healthy self-concept. As scripture tells us, “All things are open and laid bare to the eyes of the One to whom one day we must give an account of ourselves” (Heb. 4:13). So we cannot deceive God or bemuse Him with our outward religiosity.

     In the second reading (2Tm.4:6-8.16-18) Paul expresses his lowliness before God, who he believes will reward him for his spiritual sojourn. At the moment Paul foresaw what awaits him that is why he says that he is being poured out as a libation (v.6), by this he was intending to say that his life will end up in martyrdom. He anticipated death for himself, because there is no hope of release like in his former imprisonment. St. Paul recounted his ordeal of being left alone, all deserted him, the roman Christians deserted him, however he affirmed: “But the Lord stood by me and gave me power, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed for all the gentiles to hear, and so I was saved from the lion’s mouth” (v.17). Despite his impending trial Paul was full of confidence: “Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness” (v.8). Similarly, St. Paul lived the attitude of the tax collector, he was real before God.

     There is indeed something impressing in the liturgical tests of today, because while talking about the attitude of God towards the one who prays, emphasis is laid on God as a Judge. It does not exclude the fact that God is a Father, but a Father who loves and does justice. He does justice to the one who prays with filial attitude, like the publican, and he justifies him; and equally he does justice to the one who prays with self-justified attitude, like the Pharisee, who goes out from the temple without God’s forgiveness, for he did not recognize his need of it. God is a judge who does not make preferences of persons, for this he listens with particular attention to the prayers of the oppressed. The prayer of the oppressed pierces the clouds till it reaches the abode of God. God grants the prayer of the one who prays according to the divine parameter, and not according to the parameters of the one who prays. For this, the crown that Paul was expecting is not the fruit of his person merit, rather as a sign of God’s justice before him and all those who are his imitators in the service of the Gospel. I cannot but conclude my reflection this Sunday with the traditional prayer that goes thus: Jesus meek and humble of heart, make our hearts like unto yours. Truly, the goal and desire of our sojourn as Christians is to be more like Jesus and less of us.

(Fr. Vitus Chigozie, SC)

Prayer: The Gym of a Christian Soul!

(Homily for the 29^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C)

     In virtually all the religions prayer is a fundamental expression and characteristic of one’s faith. More importantly, in the Christian religion, prayer acquires an extraordinary importance. The Liturgy of the Word today places the theme of prayer at the heart of our reflections. Prayer is that necessary and constant element in our religious experience that nourishes and enlivens our spiritual life and our life in its entirety. Jesus gave us a wonderful example on prayer, for he was seen many times in a constant attitude of prayer especially in important and decisive moments of his life and mission (cf. Lk. 3:21; 6:12-13; 9:18.28-29; 23:24.46), Jesus equally taught his disciples how to pray (cf. Mt. 6:5-8; 7:7; Lk. 11:1-4; Mk. 11:22-24). We really need to emphasize on the importance of prayer and the need for its constancy too, especially in our world today where men and women are caught up in the dangling position of two extremes, at one side we see the presumptuous attitude of believing that they can obtain whatever they want by their capacity and power alone, and at the other side, we see the tendency of those who pray and shout as if God is a manipulative tool in their hands. Today we live in a world where men and women have become more frenetic than ever, they are obsessive and compulsive in their behaviour, busy many a times doing nothing. Thus, in this situation it is difficult to find a minimum space and time for prayer and a colloquium with God. And again, we live in a noisy society where it is not very easy to find the decorum and the suitable and enabling environment needed for prayer.

     In the world of faith, everything is a gift. As gift we do not have right to anything, but we have to ask for it humbly in prayer. For that, Jesus in the Parable today reminds us of the need to pray without ceasing, exemplified by the widow who never gave up in disturbing the Judge until she obtains justice. In the first reading, Moses on his part, accompanied by Aaron and Hur never ceased during the day in raising their hands and heart to Yahweh, until the Israelites overcome the Amalekites. St. Paul in the second reading reminds us of the importance of God’s word in order to perform good works, prayer inclusive. Prayer more than the sword, obtains victory. Even as we celebrate Mission Sunday today, prayer still remains the essential element that engenders God’s urgent call in our heart and enlivens our desire and experiences of Mission. Prayer ought to be the first instrument of the missionary. The Church is missionary in nature, and we the members too are missionaries, though in different categories and degrees, some participate in the mission by going, some by giving while others by praying. And the readings (Zech.8:20-23; Ps.19:2-3.4-5; Rm.10:9-18; Mk.16:15-20) proper to the Mission Sunday revolve around the beauty and the necessity of the missionary exploit, indeed “how beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news” (Rm.10:15) and again “Go into the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation” (Mk.16:15).

     The first reading (Ex.17:8-13) presents the fascinating story of the Amalekites and the people of Israel. On the Israelites mission towards the Promised Land, they were to pass through Amalek, and the Amalekites stood on their way and waged war against them. As war ensued between the Israelites and the Amalekites, Moses ordered Joshua to attack them, while he went to the mountain with Aaron and Hur to pray for God’s help. While Moses was praying with his hands raised up, Joshua will be winning, but as soon as he lowers his arms for weakness, the Amalekites will gain upper hand. Then the nagging question that was coming up in their minds: How can the hand of Moses be constantly kept raised in prayer? Aaron and Hur found a solution, they put a stone under Moses and made him sat on it, while the two of them (left and right) supported his arms, and this effort and gesture assured victory for them. Symbolically, the raising of hands points to God, and it is a cultic gesture of invocation for divine assistance. And the gesture of the raised hands that have to be supported constantly brings to light the values of constancy and perseverance in Prayer. In our many trials, how many times, do we raise our hands towards heaven, to call on God with confidence and trust? Truly, to say it with the psalmist, “Our help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth” (Ps.121:2).

     Today’s Gospel (Lk. 18:1-8) throws more light on the first reading, on the need of persistency and insistency in prayer. In the bid, to answer the people’s plea on injustice and existential problems, Jesus came up with the Parable of the poor widow who could not obtain justice from a wicked judge. This parable, more than anything else is a parable on Prayer, because Jesus’ intention for narrating it as St. Luke tells us is “to the effect that they ought always to pray and not to lose heart” (Lk. 18:1). The prayer that is the subject of today's gospel is the prayer of petition. It is a very important form of prayer, of course, but it is not the most important. Prayer of praise is the highest form of prayer.

     The Judge as presented by St. Luke neither fears God nor respects man, little wonder, at first he was indifferent to the pleas of the poor widow, but upon her insistence and persistence he was compelled to give her justice. Not because he was moved with sympathy or empathy, but because he wants his peace, he does not want to be disturbed by the widow. The judge decided to do justice to the widow, in order that she bothers him no more. The insistence of the widow overcame the resistance of the Judge. It is worthy to note, that this parable in no way presents God as the wicked Judge, rather it portrays the existential context of the Jews at that time. However, Jesus seized the occasion to educate his followers on how and what to pray. As a matter of fact, a beautiful prophetic image of perseverant and persistent prayer is Jesus Christ, whose prayer continued even when his soul was sorrowful unto death.

     Again, sometimes we may experience what the poor widow in today’s gospel experienced, little wonder, St. Luke symbolically did not mention the precise location of the episode, he says: “in a certain town” (v.2). Sometimes it may come in form of injustice meted out to us, suffering and hardship inflicted on us by others. But Jesus, tells us today, in such situations and occasions we should make our voices heard, we should never give up. On the other hand, this parable teaches us that God is not controlled by human needs. He intervenes at the appointed time. Ours is to pray! Nevertheless, Jesus does not hesitate in calling back our attention on the necessity of prayer, and its constancy. Indeed, perseverance in prayer is a sign and a proof of trust and abandonment in God. In fact, in Jesus’ parlance, it is not just necessary to pray, but to pray always. The important thing about praying is perseverance and persistence, little wonder, St. Paul urges the Ephesians: “In all your prayer and entreaty keep praying in the Spirit on every possible occasion. Never get tired of staying awake to pray for all God’s holy people” (Eph. 6:18). A Christian has to cultivate the attitude of prayer, for we learn how to pray by praying, and the more we pray, the more it becomes easy to pray. They more we stoop and kneel before God in prayer, the more he raises us and we stand tall and great before our challenges and challengers.

     Dearly beloved, the prayer we are talking about here, is not the casual vocal prayer, is not that hysterical dramatization we often see today, is not a stage show, rather the Prayer that Jesus is talking about is that, offered with the mind and the heart. Without mincing words, prayer more than its common understanding as an interaction with God, has to be a spiritual attitude before God. It should originate from the heart, St. Luigi Guanella captured it well, when he opined that “prayer is the thing of the Heart”, and it is indeed. Prayer is not a monologue, of someone shouting to a “deaf god”, rather it is a dialogue, (of one speaking and listening to a Friend and a Father) but it entails an attitude of listening, paying attention to what God has to tell me. It is the humble attitude of a mental and internal disposition of oneself to God, and it entails emptying oneself in order to be refilled by Him. Usually, each time I pray well I feel something great in me. Prayer indeed, is the gym of the Christian soul. Prayer also goes with corresponding actions. Little wonder, St. Benedict used “ora et labora” as his motto. My prayer and spiritual life should not be disconnected with my real life or actions. Rather my prayer should push me into action. Else, there is a danger of suffering spiritual schizophrenia.

     We cannot but enter into constant contact with God, our Supreme Being; in fact any contingent being that wants to survive needs this contact with the Necessary Being. We are creatures and as such, we are dependent on God, we need His help in order to continue to exist. Prayer may be described as a concentration on who God is and who we are in relationship to God. Indeed, St. Paul captured this well when in the Acts of the Apostles he affirmed vigorously that “in Him we live, in Him we move, in Him we have our being” (Acts 17:28). In the Gospel of St. John Jesus says: “cut off from me you can do nothing” (Jn. 15:5). Once again, we need to pray as children of God for in the words of Jesus: “nothing is impossible to God” (Lk. 1:37).

     In the second reading (2Tm. 3:14-4:2) St. Paul assured Timothy that “all scripture is inspired by God and useful for refuting error, for guiding people’s lives and teaching them to be upright” (2Tm. 3:16). Be that as it may, the Sacred Scripture nourishes our prayer; it forms us to the spirit of prayer and inspires to say better prayers. On the other hand, even though we have affirmed vigorously that prayer is necessary, it behooves us also to opine that prayer is not all, because it is necessary to incarnate our prayer into action, just as in the motto of St. Benedict: “Ora et labora”. For every Christian by virtue of his baptism and his belonging to the church, is called to participate in the mission of spreading of the message of salvation, in word and in deed. Therefore, every Christian has to appropriate the following words of St. Paul to Timothy: “Before God and before Christ Jesus who is to be judge of the living and the dead, I charge you, in the name of his appearing and his Kingdom: proclaim the message and, welcome or unwelcome, insist on it. Refute falsehood, correct error, give encouragement-but do all with patience and with care to instruct” (2Tm. 4:1-2).

     St. Paul’s invitation of Timothy to dedicate himself to the teaching of the Word is at the heart of the Church’s missionary experience. The above words of exhortation of St. Paul situate us well into the context of today’s Mission Sunday; indeed, we are all called to spread the message of salvation in and out of season, to insist on it with our life, wherever we go and in every context we find ourselves. The message at the heart of this Mission Sunday reminds us that we too are “baptized and sent” to continue the mission of our Lord Jesus Christ in the world.

     Brethren, let us pray earnestly for our missionaries that just like the voice and sound of the apostles and disciples of Jesus that “their sound goes forth through all the earth. Their message to the utmost bounds of the world” (Ps.19:4). It is by means of that, that we may be able to respond positively to the question of Jesus in the Gospel: “when the Son of man comes, will he find faith on earth” (Lk.18:8). Therefore, we pray for us and for the active missionaries, may God give us the grace to rediscover the place of Prayer and the Word of God in our various missions. Jesus is calling us today to go back to the gym where we exercise our souls for Eternal fitness: Prayer. Above all, let us keep our faith and mission alive through prayer. May God bless our true and authentic missionaries, Amen! Happy Mission Sunday Friends!

(Fr. Vitus Chigozie, SC)

The Power of Thank You!

(Homily for the 28^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C)

     At the heart of today’s message is the theme of gratitude or thanksgiving. Gratitude is disarming; it paves way for favours and benevolence. On the other hand, as Shakespeare wrote in his play King Lear, “How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is to have a thankless child”. Truly, nothing is quite so hurtful as to be consistently taken for granted, without ever a word of thanks or praise. In fact, the Gospel passage gives us a glimpse into the heart of Jesus, when he receives or does not receive gratitude. Indeed, one of the most satisfying feelings is to receive a sincere “Thank you” for a service rendered and appreciated. It was because of ‘thank you’ that Naaman went back to Elisha, because of ‘thank you’ the Samaritan leper went back to Jesus, and equally because of gratitude St. Paul remained in chains for fidelity and appreciation of what Jesus has done in his life. Alongside the theme of gratitude is that of the obedience of faith, which helps us to reflect on the readings of this Sunday by considering them together in order to be aware of certain significant facts. The ten lepers in the Gospel passage in obedience trusted the words of Jesus and they embarked on a journey to present themselves to the priests, in order that the later, will certify that they have been made clean. Again, in the first reading Naaman the Syrian after much hesitation obeyed the words of Elisha, by the help of his servant, immersing himself seven times in the River Jordan, and thus he was made clean. It is on account of obedience of faith that St. Paul ended in chains and had to suffer greatly for his faith and trust in God, for the encounter with Jesus on his way to Damascus healed him of spiritual blindness and hatred towards Christians, little wonder, he succumbed to the obedience of faith even to the extent of suffering harshly. Truly, Jesus is the great Physician of both body and soul.

     In the first reading (2Kgs. 5:14-17) we see the figure of a certain Naaman, an “army commander to the King of Aram” (2Kgs. 5:1). Naaman was infected with leprosy on the body and his soul was unclean for he worshipped in the temple of Rimon (2Kgs.5:18) a pagan god. He was told to go and wash at River Jordan seven times in order for him to be cleansed. At first he refused, and later agreed upon the insistence of his servant, he agreed and bathed seven times in the River Jordan and was healed. Afterwards, he went back to thank Elisha with a present, but Elisha refused, because is God that healed him, his healing came forth as a handiwork of God. As Naaman experienced and confirmed his total cleansing and healing, he made his profession of faith thus: “Now I know there is no God anywhere on earth except in Israel” (v.15). Indeed, Naaman experienced double-healing, for he was cured of the physical (leprosy) and spiritual (uncleanliness) ailments.

       Extrapolating from the above scenario, it is important to trust the ministers of God, His authentic ministers and messengers. In the first reading when Naaman the leper learnt from Prophet Elisha that he has to go to the river Jordan to wash himself seven times in order to be healed, he rebelled and protested: “Here was I, thinking he would be sure to come out to me, and stand there, and call on the name of Yahweh his God, and wave his hand over the spot and cure the part that was diseased. Surely, Abana and Parpar, the rivers of Damascus, are better than any water in Israel? Could I not bathe in them and become clean? And he turned round and went off in a rage” (2Kg. 5:11-12). But he would later follow the counsel of the prophet and he will be healed. When the ministers and messengers of God speak in the name of God, they are to be trusted and listened to. In the words of Jesus: “As the Father sent me, so am I sending you” (Jn. 20:21) and again “Anyone who listens to you listens to me, anyone who rejects you rejects me, and those who reject me reject the one who sent me” (Lk. 10:16).

 

     The two episodes of the Word of God this Sunday especially in the first reading and the Gospel, presents a sort of affinity and evident points of convergence between them. In fact, the passage from the 2 kings can be considered as a kind of prelude or prophetic anticipation of the narrative in the Gospel passage by St. Luke. They two episodes present two cases of healing, one by immersion in the River, through the instrumentality of Prophet Elisha, and the other by the words of Jesus, the New Priest of the New Covenant.

     The Gospel periscope (Lk. 17:11-19) narrates the episode and encounter of Jesus and the ten lepers. Situating us into the historical context of that time, leprosy then was a symbol of divine punishment for one’s sin. It was regarded equally as a contagious disease. Little wonder, the person infected with it is ostracized. And to cure it, requires divine intervention or even a miracle that is why a person cured from leprosy has to show himself to the priest, so that according to the custom, the priest will certify truly that he has been made whole, and thus can be welcomed back to the community. For the fact that lepers are isolated from the rest of the people, the ten lepers maintained some distance from Jesus as they made their request, our evangelist says: “They stood some way off” (v.12b). On encountering Jesus, the ten lepers were imploring him to help them from afar, because according to the prescription of the Law: “Anyone with a contagious skin-disease will wear torn clothing and disordered hair, and will cover the upper lip and shout, “Unclean, unclean”. As long as the disease lasts, such a person will be unclean and, being unclean, will live alone and live outside the camp” (Lev. 13:45-46). But Jesus did not run away and treat them that way, when he encountered them. They called Jesus and pleaded him: “Jesus! Master! Take pity on us” (v.13). And when Jesus said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests” (v.14a), as the custom demands. And immediately without ifs and buts, they set out to go to the priest, and instantly the miracle of healing and cleansing took place: “Now as they were going away they were cleansed” (v.14b). Just at the words and invitation of Jesus, they were healed. There is power indeed in the words of Jesus, “he sent forth his word and cured them, and rescued their life from the abyss” (Ps. 107:20).   

      Jesus told the ten lepers to go and present themselves to the priests, but it is important to know that only cured lepers can present themselves to the priests, so that they can certify the healing. For as stipulated: “This is the law to be applied on the day of the purification of someone who has suffered from a contagious skin-disease. Such a person will be taken to the priest, and the priest will go outside the camp. If he finds on examination that the person has recovered from the disease, he will order the following to be brought for purification…” (Lev. 14:2-4). So, one may well presume that Jesus’ invitation to them to go and present themselves to the priests when they have not been healed, sounds like a joke. Instead they trusted in the words of Jesus and on their way they discovered that they have been healed. This is what it means to believe in Jesus and his words: to trust in him completely, to accept his words without hesitation and to put it into practice without looking for excuses, even when he asks us to do something that contradicts the human logic and understanding. It was similar to the episode where Jesus told Peter to throw the net, and Peter said: “Master, we worked hard all night long and caught nothing, but if you say so, I will pay out the nets” (Lk. 5:5). We could imagine the ten lepers say, Master only cured lepers present themselves to the priests, but on your word…

     Behold, the second part of the story is quite interesting, encouraging and discouraging at the same time. For while they were on their way to the priests, “Finding himself cured, one of them turned back praising God at the top of his voice and threw himself prostrate at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. The man was a Samaritan” (vv.15-16). Indeed, Jesus wondered why only one came back to say thank you, and he said to him: “It seems that no one has come back to give praise to God, except this foreigner. And he said to the man, ‘Stand up and go on your way. Your faith has saved you” (vv.18-19), for his healing was not only physical but also spiritual. Little wonder, Jesus alludes to his faith. His healing was indeed, an integral healing. The Samaritan was not only cured, but equally saved. The emphasis on the fact that this man was a Samaritan reveals that God’s salvation is for all, it is no birth right of any people. As a matter of fact, at first, the situation and ailment of the ten lepers led them to Jesus, but it was faith that led the Samaritan back to Jesus to thank him. For he (the Samaritan) recognized in Jesus the Priest, for this, he out of faith went back to him. Instead of going back to the Old Priests for certification, he comes to the New Priest (Jesus) to say thank you and Jesus certified him. Truly, Jesus manifested that he is the New Priest of the New Covenant: “Stand up and go on your way. Your faith has saved you”. Child of God, when you are battered and embittered by the trials and difficulties of this life, to whom do you go? The ten lepers went to Jesus. And one of them still returned to him to thank him, when we receive favour, blessings and healing from God, do we remember to show gratitude? Indeed, the Samaritan teaches us to go to the New Way, and not the old way as did the other nine lepers.

     The episodes of the first reading and the Gospel propel us to make a two-fold consideration: ●First, God in his actions towards men and woman is absolutely free, and as such, cannot be conditioned by anyone, neither can He be confined within any ethnic, religious and political barrier nor can He be manipulated by human presumptions. In the two episodes the two persons that were made whole, one was a pagan and the other a stranger, that is, two individuals outside the Jewish religious circle, those considered to be excluded from God’s Kingdom. And in fact, Jesus made reference to this episode when his kinsmen were indulging him to do miracles for them as he has done in other places, “And in the prophet Elisha’s time there were many suffering from virulent skin-diseases in Israel, but none of these was cured – only Naaman the Syrian” (Lk. 4:27). No one indeed, has the monopoly of God’s benevolence.

●Second, is the obligation of gratitude towards God. We need to learn how to recognize the benefits and blessings of the Lord in our lives, and as such, we cannot but praise and thank Him. Conscious of this, St. Paul admonished: “I urged then, first of all that petitions, prayers, intercessions and thanksgiving should be offered for everyone” (1Tm. 2:1), elsewhere he insistently urged the Christian communities to be “overflowing with thanksgiving” (Col. 2:7). Thus, we need to cultivate the attitude of thanking and praising the Lord for the benefits and favours he continues to bestow on us. How often do we find time and consider it necessary during our moments of prayer to thank the Lord for his benevolence. We need to cultivate more the attitude of gratitude and do less of spiritual begging: ‘Lord give me this, give me that. Do this for me, do that for me’. In the first reading, Naaman recognized God’s intervention in his healing and as a sign of gratitude and thanksgiving he made a commitment to worship only the God of Israel, the True God and no more the false gods. Amongst the ten lepers healed by Jesus in the Gospel only one came back to thank and praise him, and as a result, more than the health of the body, he equally received salvation of his soul. But Jesus must have felt bad: “Were not all ten made clean? The other nine, where are they? (v.17).

     In the second reading (2Tm. 2:8-13) St. Paul was writing to his friend Timothy, he (Paul) was in prison and in chains. He was treated as a miscreant because of his preaching, but he writes: “It is on account of this that I have to put up with suffering, even to being chained like a criminal. But God’s message cannot be chained” (v. 9). On the example of Paul we have to be disposed to suffer for the love of Christ and his Gospel, “So I persevere for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they, too, may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory” (v.10). St. Paul invites us to be ready to suffer all sorts of things, ranging from incomprehension, derision, blasphemy, marginalization and persecution, in as much as we bring someone to salvation in Christ. Let us implore the Lord to give us a generous courage and holy audacity, for as St. Paul assured us: “If we have died with him, then we shall live with him. If we persevere, then we shall reign with him” (vv.11-12). This attitude of Paul toward suffering could equally be seen as a way of showing gratitude to God for rescuing him from darkness, for healing him from his own “leprosy”. With that conviction, St. Paul maintained that God’s message cannot be chained; it has to be proclaimed to Jews and Gentiles as well. He reaffirms the universality of God’s salvation.

     Above all, this attitude of gratitude and incessant prayer of thanksgiving should not remain only at the level of verbal expressions and sentiments, but they have to be incarnated in action, especially in the joyful proclamation of our faith in the risen Christ. Naaman proclaimed his unalloyed loyalty to the God of Israel, the Samaritan leper came to thank Jesus because he recognized in Him the New Priest of the New Covenant and St. Paul as well exhorts us that the best way of praising and thanking God is to accept suffering and persevere for the sake of obtaining the salvation that is in Christ Jesus. Beloved in Christ, let us enrol ourselves into this attitude of gratitude and grateful witnessing, as we make effort to become the “mouthpiece” of the Word and heralds of God’s design of love. Lord Jesus help me never to fail to recognize your loving kindness and blessings. Help me to count and share my blessings with a grateful heart, Amen. Happy Sunday To You All!

(Fr. Vitus Chigozie, SC)

The Audacity Of Faith!

(Homily for the 27^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C)

     The dominant theme of this Sunday’s liturgy of the word is faith, which reoccurred in the three liturgical readings. Faith is indeed a gift, that grows and develops in time, for it ought to grow as we grow, and mature as we mature. Truly, the faith of our childhood cannot sustain us in our adulthood. However our experiences of faith reveal that sometimes we feel God's special presence, but at other times when life seems to be confusing, full of darkness and doubt, it appears that God is silent and seemingly absent. And yet, even in times of spiritual dryness and darkness, confusion and loneliness, God is always present. Behold, it is at such points and moments that the deepest religious experiences can occur, and the light of faith enables us to see reality from a new angle, for when we listen and dig deep we hear His voice. The word of God today offers us once again the possibility of interpreting the daily events of our life in the light of faith, of rediscovering the value and meaning of our faith and of discovering joy and enthusiasm in the expression of our faith. At the end of the first reading, the word of God accentuates that “the just shall live by faith”, St. Paul will later make reference to this phrase (cf. Rm.1:17; Gal.3:11) and the same phrase will equally have great resonance in the Christian doctrine. In the Gospel Jesus underlined the efficacy of faith, even a faith as little as a mustard seed. Lastly, in the second reading, St. Paul urges Timothy to bear witness to his faith in Christ Jesus, and to accept with faith and love the message that he (Paul) has passed on to him.

          The first reading (Hab. 1.2-3; 2:2-4) presents the state of violence and oppression in the time of Prophet Habakkuk. He could perceive violence, iniquity and plundering. Before this dramatic situation the prophet raised his voice of lamentation to God.  Prophet Habakkuk decried of the state of injustice and suffering in which the Israelites found themselves, and upon consideration of this state of things, he decided to make his appeal to God thus: “How long, Yahweh, am I to cry for help while you will not listen; to my cry, ‘Violence!’ in your ear while you will not save?” (Hab. 1:2). This is similar to the interrogation of Isaiah to Yahweh when he was called as a prophet and sent to deliver a message to the people, he asked: “Until when, Lord” (Is. 6:11). Sometimes just like Habakkuk when crisis come we concentrate on the crisis and not on God. Behold, the Lord responded and exhorts the prophet to have trust in Him and not to grow weary. It could appear that God is delaying, maybe is deaf or He does not see, but in truth He does not abandon those who put their trust in Him. God was not and did not remain silent over the pleas of Habakkuk, for He (God) later gave him His words thus: “Write the vision down, inscribe it on tablets to be easily read. For the vision is for its appointed time, it hastens towards its end and it will not lie; although it may take some time, wait for it, for come it certainly will before too long” (Hab. 2:2-3). And the passage ended interestingly with the following words: “The upright will live through faithfulness” (Hab. 2:4b), indeed, no matter what the situation maybe, the just, those who fear and trust in the Lord will live by faith.

     The interrogations of Habakkuk to God are always raised by every Christian in distress in any time and epoch. The happenings in our world today are not too different from that described by Habakkuk, or worst still in our own case, violence, iniquity and plundering have been maximized. Many a times we are tempted to ask just like Habakkuk, ‘Lord, how long will you keep silent?”. The response that God gives us today is not different from the one He gave to Habakkuk: “The just will live by faith”. Indeed, faith is capable of giving life to believers. Pascal Blaise in his famous argument on the existence of God known as ‘Pascal’s Wager’ opined that man can bet on God, that God is a safe bet. He said that the belief (faith) in God is the best bet! The anguish and the doubts that the people of Israel were experiencing at that time are not far-fetched from what we are existentially experiencing today. As at the time of Habakkuk it was difficult for the people to continue to believe in God, likewise today, the happenings and events in our society seem to erode our sense of trust and confidence in God. However, in the face of all this, we cannot but bet on God, that is, to trust firmly in Him.

     The passage of the Gospel (Lk. 17:5-10) presents the episode of the apostles’ request to their Master, to increase their faith. But did Jesus increase their faith? No, because you cannot measure faith in a scale. Rather he admonished them that what matters is having faith, no matter how little. We need to activate always our faith and not to bother on how to increase it. The disciples of Jesus must have seen the enormity of his faith, which renders his words and works efficacious (healing and miracles), thus they asked for the increment of their own faith too. Before the giant faith of Jesus, the disciples could not grapple with the insignificance of their own faith; they must have felt very far from the ideal. And we may well ask: what is faith? It is a supernatural gift from God, in the words of St. Paul: “It is by grace that you have been saved, through faith, not by anything of your own, but by a gift from God” (Eph. 2:8). Jesus invited the apostles and he invites us in the same vein today to activate our faith, and when we activate our faith, it liberates and saves us, just as it did in the case of Barthimeus “Jesus said to him, ‘Go, your faith has saved you’. And at once his sight returned and he followed him along the road” (Mk. 10:52) and a whole lot of others (cf. Lk.7:50; Mk.5:34).

      Prior to the passage of today’s Gospel Jesus asked his disciples to detach themselves from riches and inordinate possession. He equally recommended that we should forgive “seven times a day” (Lk. 17:3-4), that is to forgive always. Certainly it is in the context and in the face of these exigencies of the Gospel that the apostles asked Jesus to increase their faith (v.5). Prior to this, elsewhere, they have implored Him: “Lord, teach us to pray” (Lk. 11:1). In response to their prayerful demand Jesus told them: “If you had faith like a mustard seed you could say to this mulberry tree, “Be uprooted and planted in the sea”, and it would obey you” (v.6). Most probably, the apostles least expected this type of response from Jesus, they asked him to increase their faith, and he reproached them that they do not even have faith as small as the mustard seed, otherwise they could have had power to uproot the mulberry tree and transplant it in the sea, that is to say, they could have had power to do things that are humanly impossible, because it is God himself who works in and through those who believe in him, “for nothing is impossible to God” (Lk. 1:37; cf. Mt. 19:26). What matters is the quality or the authenticity of our faith and not the quantity.

     As a matter of fact, the parable of the farmer and his servant which follows serves to clarify what it means to have faith. Jesus seems to present God in the image of a farmer, who is egocentric and greedy. But instead it signifies that in the Kingdom of God, our service has to be disinterested and gratuitous. The disciple of Christ has to be conscious of not bragging with his work and commitment, because all that he has and can do are given to him by God gratuitously, in the words of St. Paul: “Who made you so important? What have you got that was not given to you? And if it was given to you, why are you boasting as though it were your own?” (1Cor. 4:7). Indeed, to have a similar faith, that is committed to the service of the Lord and in his vineyard without ifs and buts, without vain glory (to seek one’s own glory) and presumption (to feel indispensable and important), we need to rediscover the splendor of a silent service that emanates from a convinced faith, “when you have done all you have been told to do, say, ‘We are useless servants: we have done no more than our duty”’ (v.10). Even though it is not easy, but that is the true faith, and as such, we need to pray ceaselessly asking God to increase our faith. Faith, indeed, continues to perform miracles!

     Our Christian life and sojourn will be meaningless without faith, for “It is impossible to please God without faith, since anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and rewards those who seek him” (Heb. 11:6). In this eleventh chapter of the letter to the Hebrews we encounter an enumeration of some icons of faith, those who excelled in their commitment and faith in God, like Abel: “it was because of his faith that Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain…Though he is dead, he still speaks by faith” (v.4); Noah: “It was through his faith that Noah, when he had been warned by God of something that had never been seen before, took care to build an ark to save his family. His faith was a judgment on the world, and he was able to claim the uprightness that comes from faith” (v.7); Abraham: “It was by faith that Abraham obeyed the call to set out for a country that was the inheritance given to him and his descendants, and that he set out without knowing where he was going” (v.8); Sarah: “It was equally by faith that Sarah, in spite of being past the age, was made able to conceive, because she believed that he who had made the promise was faithful to it” (v.11); Isaac: “It was by faith that this Isaac gave his blessing to Jacob and Esau for the still distant future” (v.20); Jacob: “By faith Jacob, when he was about dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, bowed in reverence, as he leant on his staff” (21); Indeed, the list can continue on and on, but as the sacred author puts it: “What more shall I say? There is not time for me to give account of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, or David, Samuel and the Prophets” (v.32).

     From the message of the second reading (2Tm. 1:6-8.13-14) we could imagine that the situation of persecution in which Timothy and his community lived put their faith and their fidelity to the Gospel to test. As such, St. Paul exhorts Timothy as the Responsible (Bishop of Ephesus) of the community to rekindle his faith and remain firm even in the face of challenges. St. Paul charges Timothy to fan into flames the gifts God has given to him. He thus, reminded Timothy of the gift of his ordination and he urged him not to be ashamed. Timothy most probably was an introvert, timid and less courageous, and St. Paul exhorts him to do two things: ● to rekindle the gift of the Holy Spirit he received during his consecration as a Bishop (v.6), God’s gift is power and divine audacity, “for the Spirit that God has given us does not make us timid; instead, his Spirit fills us with power, love, and self-control” (v.7). ● not to be ashamed of witnessing for our Lord, nor to be ashamed of me (Paul), a prisoner for Christ’s sake. Instead take your part in suffering for the Good News with the power God has given to you (v.8). Indeed, we need to appropriate this exhortation of Paul to Timothy, to ourselves, for we live in a time when it is not very easy to be a Christian and live in a corresponding manner. In the midst of all the anomalies and common trend in our world today that tend to erode the values and power of the Gospel, let us not be “ashamed” of our faith, instead, let us be happy and consoled for suffering for the sake of Christ and his Good News. Let us not forget, that we too received the Holy Spirit when we received the sacrament of Confirmation, what we received was not the “Spirit of timidity, but of power” and audacity.

     Conclusively, from the three readings of this Sunday, we could discover some qualities that a concrete and existential faith has to possess: ● a faith based on humility: this is exemplified in the Gospel passage, “when you have done all you have been told to do, say, ‘We are useless servants: we have done no more than our duty”’ (v.10). What we have to do is to serve God and do His will, always conscious of our nothingness before Him and dependency on Him. ● a faith full of hope: as manifested in the first reading, we should not allow tribulations and sufferings to diminish our hope in the divine intervention. We have to be patiently hopeful and allow God to intervene in His own time. ● a witnessing faith: of which St. Paul urged Timothy in the second reading, faith is a gift and a responsibility that God has given to us, and we have to realize this daily in the different life situations we find ourselves, even in arduous and difficult times. Indeed, we too need a faith that is humble, hopeful and capable of bearing witness, even in situations and places that are abhorrent and hostile to our faith. May we echo our voices together with those of the disciples in imploring the Lord: “increase our faith”. Let us build the foundation of our hope and faith in God so that in difficult and trying moments, we will not despair, for “the solid foundation that God has laid cannot be shaken” (2Tm. 2:19), truly, God’s foundation is sure! Lord increase my faith, help me to trust vehemently in your Word, Amen.

(Fr. Vitus Chigozie, SC)

Riches Without Conscience!

(Homily for the 26^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C)

     Once again, the liturgy of the word this Sunday is traversed by the theme of riches or the possession of earthly wealth, and their devastating deceptive character. As such, it is illusory to put one’s trust and security in them. The seduction of wealth and the avidity of possession are the root and cause of all evil (cf. 1Tm. 6:10). As a matter fact, economic well-being which is not necessarily a sign of divine blessing, can become an occasion or cause of sin, thus, a motive of reproach by God. Indeed, time and eternity are like the two poles that will help us to grasp the density of the liturgical readings. It is evident in the Gospel passage, where the rich man and Lazarus were first situated into the context of this world, and later into that of eternity. Implicitly, in the first reading, we see Prophet Amos’ reproach of the rich who live in dissipation and luxury, forgetting the future judgment of God. In the second reading, St. Paul assured us that in order to live fittingly in time and attain eternity with God; we need a living faith that gives us a double assurance. Life after death is not an anesthetic to kill the pains of injustice and inequality in this present world, rather eternity is real. Riches without conscience lead to Hades!

     The first reading (Am. 6:1a. 4-7) like the passage of the previous Sunday that dealt with the question of social injustice, denounces private luxury at the negligence of the poor and the weak. In his prophecy last Sunday, Prophet Amos condemned the attitude of those rich that exploit the poor. Today he directs his attack on the political leaders who live in palaces. Prophet Amos attacks vehemently and condemns the hope of salvation that the heads of Samaria and the kingdom of Judah are placing in their places of cult, while they spend their lives in orgies and debauchery. With irony and sarcasm Prophet Amos stigmatized their thoughtlessness and the shameless display and flaunting of their riches: “lying on ivory beds and sprawling on their divans, they dine on lambs from the flock, and stall-fattened veal; they bawl to the sound of the lyre and, like David, they invent musical instruments; they drink wine by the bowlful, and lard themselves with the finest oils, but for the ruin of Joseph they care nothing” (vv.4-6).

     They were unconcerned about the plight and destruction of the people. And for this, here is the threat and the punishment that looms over them and that will be the end of their arrogant security and thoughtlessness, “That is why they will be the first to go into exile and their feasts and banquets will come to an end” (v.7). The reading ends with a threat, that their enemies will come and burn down their palaces, for they used their wealth to indulge in laziness, easy life and self-aggrandizement. This denunciation links the first reading with the passage of the Gospel on the rich man and Lazarus. On the other hand, the responsorial psalm (Ps. 146) serves as a bridge between the first reading and the Gospel, for in verses 9-10 the Psalmist says: “Yahweh protects the stranger, he sustains the orphan and the widow. Yahweh loves the upright, but he frustrates the wicked. Yahweh reigns forever”. The psalmist echoes the denunciation of the rich as in the prophecy of Amos and God’s concern for the poor, the weak and the oppressed; as such it opens a window to the passage of the Gospel.

     In the Gospel passage (Lk. 16:19-31) we read the first part of the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, which is a representation of the reversal of fortunes in the next world. The beggar's name gives us a hint as to his inner attitude. He is called Lazarus, or Eliezer, God will help. The beggar is the man who puts his trust in the Lord and longs for him. The rich man is nameless, his riches took away his identity. He is everyone who closes his heart in the face of the human misery that confronts us daily. One of the interesting parts of the parable is the dialogue that issued between the rich man and Abraham at the end. This is the hit track of this parable. The rich man requested that Lazarus be allowed to come and convey a special warning to his five brothers who are still alive (Who are those five brothers?). However, to his request he was told that the word of the scripture is sufficient for them. Those who do not believe in the word of the Scripture will not be convinced by a miracle of a resurrection of the dead either. This indeed, is one of the salient points for narrating this parable.

     To understand this parable very well, it is necessary to discover its focal point or the key actor or personage of the parable. The key actor is neither Lazarus nor the five brothers. If the central personage was Lazarus, the parable would have been an invitation to the poor to bear with patience and hope their situation as Lazarus did, in view of the glorious fortune that awaits them in the hereafter. If the pivot revolves around the five brothers, the parable would have been a kind of a re-proposal of the theme of the eschatological urgency and there will be more emphasis on the danger of living without the hereafter in view. But if the true central personage of the parable is the rich man, then there is no doubt that the parable aims at a specific theme: the equal use of riches. It is not about the fact of being rich, but the way one uses his riches or wealth. He did not use his riches to make friends for himself in heaven. “And so I tell you this: use money, tainted as it is, to win you friends, and thus make sure that when it fails you, they will welcome you into eternal dwellings” (Lk.16:9). Indeed, this parable is not just a proclamation of blessedness on the poor, but it is a comment on “alas for you who are rich”, it is a comment on all the three “woes” pronounced by Jesus on his sermon on the Mountain: “But alas for you who are rich: you are having your consolation now. Alas for you who have plenty to eat now: you shall go hungry. Alas for you who are laughing now: you shall mourn and weep” (Lk. 6:24-25), in connection with the two “woes” pronounced by Amos in the first reading.

     As a matter fact, placing this parable after the sayings on the right use of wealth, which follows the parable of the unjust steward, makes it probably high that St. Luke intends to lay emphasis on the point of the reversal of fortune of the rich and the poor in the next world. With regards to the parable of the anonymous rich man and Lazarus, we can give two different interpretations. The parable can be divided into two parts. In the first part the two protagonists are duly presented, their ordeal during the earthly existence and after death; the rich man was clothed in purple and fine linen and feasted sumptuously every day and at his gate lay the poor beggar, Lazarus, full of sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. But on the other hand, when they both died, there was a reversal of order, their situations turned around. Lazarus was raised close to Abraham in beatitudes, while the rich man was down, in the place of torment.

     This is indeed a symbolic narrative; therefore, let us not draw conclusions more than what is given in the passage, especially about heaven and hell. However, upon consideration, few points are clear: ●The rich man was not condemned simply because of his riches, but because he was egoistic and insensible to the necessities of the poor. Riches and wealth on their own, are not sin, rather they become sinful when the rich are indifferent to the plight of the poor and when there is lack of solidarity, for it brings division among men and makes it possible for some to swim in abundance while others perish in the world of hunger and misery. In the same vein, the poor was not saved just because he was poor, but because he opened up to God and allowed himself to be led by the power of His love. If the poor man allowed himself to be taken by envy or avidity and the craving for riches, he too would not have been saved. But deliverance is at hand for the poor, who for a short while share in Christ's sufferings so as to share in his glory. For, as St Paul tells us, “What we suffer in this life can never be compared to the glory as yet unrevealed, which is awaiting us” (Rom. 8:18).

●The rich man begs Abraham to send Lazarus to him, to dip the end of his finger in water and come and cool his tongue, but Abraham explained to him that it was not possible: “Between us and you a great gulf has been fixed, to prevent those who want to cross from our side to yours or from your side to ours” (v.26). Indeed, one can deduce from these words that at death one faces the situation of reward or punishment. One cannot change after death, it has to be done before, and conversion has to take place during our earthly life. In the words of St Paul: “because the world as we know it is passing away” (1 Cor. 7:31).

●Afterwards, the rich man pleaded Abraham once again to send Lazarus to warn his five brothers so that they will not end up like him. And Abraham responded him saying: “They have Moses and the prophets, let them listen to them” (v.29). And the rich man replied: “Ah no, father Abraham, but if someone comes to them from the dead, they will repent” (v.30). And finally Abraham closes the discussion with the following words: “if they will not listen either to Moses or to the prophets, they will not be convinced even is someone should rise from the dead” (v.31). Behold, the conclusion of the parable is very bitter and strong, but very realistic, who is not disposed to listen to those who speak in the name of God (Moses and prophets and in fact Christ himself), he who does not pay attention and take to heart the teachings of the Scriptures and particularly the Gospel, all the same, will not be disposed to accept the admonitions of one who resurrects from the dead.

     Furthermore, there is also the second way of interpreting this parable, according to this interpretation this parable aims at the Pharisees and the Sadducees. Jesus contests the opinion of the Pharisees that material well-being and riches is a sign of divine benevolence and poverty is a sign of curse. For them whoever that comports himself well according to the prescriptions of the law, has a recompense already in this world (material well-being) and who does not comport himself well will be punished (poverty). By means of this parable, Jesus intends to explain that things are not the way the Pharisees and the Sadducees see them. What matters is life after death, the hereafter that is where the true state of things for a person is revealed, especially for the Sadducees that do not believe in the hereafter and the Pharisees that believe faintly. As demonstrated in the parable, in the hereafter, the rich man who believed that he was blessed by God was in torment, while the poor who supposedly was punished by God, was welcomed in happiness at the bosom of Abraham. Be that as it may, riches are neither a sign of divine approval nor poverty a sign of divine punishment. In God’s parlance, what matters is the state of one’s interiority, the situation of one’s conscience, which no one but God can judge. Even in this present time, this mentality of the Pharisees is wild spread, for according to common opinion a rich person is considered to be fortunate, but this is not the case before God. If a rich man is driven by the consciousness of and attachment to his riches, he runs the risk of losing the true wealth and his last and ultimate end: Eternal Life.

     In the passage of the second reading (1Tm. 6:11-16) we see St. Paul’s invitation to Timothy: “O man of God, avoid all that” (v.11). What are the things he has to avoid? He said in the few lines preceding this passage: “unending dispute by people who are depraved in mind and depraved of truth, and imagine that religion is a way of making a profit. Religion, of course, does bring large profits, but only to those who are content with what they have. We brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it” (vv.5-7). That is the attitude of those who have made religious practice or service a means of income and gain. And he advanced his reproach in verses 9 & 10, against the people who long to be rich, and as such they fall prey to trials, for the love of money is the root of all evil. St. Paul advised Timothy the Bishop of Ephesus to avoid the false teachers and go after justice, piety, faith, charity, patience and gentleness. Every Christian must reflect this list of virtues, bet especially a community leader. St. Paul spoke of the problem that has been giving him sleepless nights, that is, the activity of the false teachers, thus he admonished Timothy and the community to hold firm to the faith they have received until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, he charged him to work out his eternity in time, by means of the virtues enlisted above and by avoiding the vices aforementioned in the previous verses. Faith is like a dwelling in which a Christian lives and has a foretaste of eternity already in time. And for the fact that he has a foretaste of eternity in time, he ought to “aim at righteousness, faith, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness and gentleness” (v.11).

     Above all, at this point, we may ask a pertinent question: what does Jesus intend to teach us through that parable: that the poor will go to heaven and the rich to hell? Far be it! Jesus teaches us that wealth as such is not perverse and evil, it can only be when it is acquired by hook and crook, through a dishonest way or when riches become “thorns and thistles” that suffocate the Word in our lives. On the other hand, poverty is not a good thing or better a value to be celebrated, it is not a title of merit or a condition for happiness, but it can only become all of the above if the heart is disposed to open up to God and to those around, to put one’s trust in God and not on earthly riches. Therefore, the rich is not to be condemned because he is rich, but only when it renders him closed, egoistic and insensible to the needs of others and if it becomes for him the source of safety and pride, as exemplified in the first reading. In all, the parable Jesus teaches us that truly there is “hereafter” and that in the hereafter, there is a two-fold prospective: of reward for the good and punishment for the wicked. Indeed, in-between time and eternity, we need to hold on to the Faith, as St. Paul insisted in the second reading. And again, the essential thing is to believe in the Word of God (Moses and the prophets), the teachings of Jesus (the Gospel). Little wonder, the parable ended with particular attention on the five brothers. We are in a certain sense those five brothers of the rich man; to us God has sent Someone who rose from the dead. Let us not forget that Someone has actually risen from the dead: Jesus Christ, and our faith is founded and solidified on his resurrection. We may well say that the resurrection of Jesus is the rich man’s prayer answered, therefore, today if we hear his words let us not harden our hearts (cf. Ps. 95:7b-8a). Let us not act like those who jeer at Jesus and his message: “The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and jeered at him” (Lk. 16:14). The message at the heart of this parable is the invitation to share the good things God has given to us with the poor and the needy. Do not count your blessings, share your blessings. We need to have a heart that sees in order to do this effectively. Till date, the poor continues to knock at our door, how do we respond to them? Do we respond to them at all or we close our doors at them? Riches and wealth have been given to us in order to serve others and not to dominate them. Share and be enriched the more!

 (Fr. Vitus Chigozie, SC)