CLOTHED IN COMPASSION, KINDNESS, HUMILITY, GENTLENESS AND PATIENCE

THE FEAST OF THE HOLY FAMILY - Colossians 3:12-21

On the Sunday after Christmas, we celebrate the Holy Family, that is Jesus’ family, taking the opportunity to reflect upon the family. The nuclear family is the most basic unit of society and is constituted by a couple (a man and a woman) and their children. The members of this nuclear family are connected to the other members of the enlarged family. Then families are interconnected and relate to each other to nurture life and to protect and enhance the community and then the society at large.

When we speak about Jesus’ family, we speak about himself and his parents. And the Church presents this Holy Family as a role model for our families. We may look at Jesus himself and at his parents. The gospels give very little information about this family and a lot of what we say about them is a fruit of idealisation. However, somethings are made clear in the gospels. Joseph assumed his role as guardian of the family and proved to be a responsible man. He accepted Mary and they went together to Bethlehem for the census. They were expecting Jesus’ birth, and Mary was ready to care for the child taking with her the basic things (“swaddling clothes” - Lk 2:7). Warned of danger, Joseph got up in the middle of the night and took Mary and the child to Egypt. Once returned, after Herod’s death, they settled in Nazareth and led a simple life like most of the other people. As a carpenter, Joseph managed to have enough to keep the family. Then, following Jewish tradition, at the age of twelve, Jesus was considered adult enough to participate in the religious ceremonies and even to stand and read in the synagogue. So he went in pilgrimage to Jerusalem together with the parents and with many other people. He felt so overwhelmed by the splendour of the Temple that he forgot everything else, causing a lot of worries to his parents. In that episode, Jesus appears like a young man who became aware of himself and wants to find his own way. Joseph kept silent, as a servant who does not question the whims of his lord. Mary was the one who had the courage to confront Jesus, asking: Why have you done this to us? “Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress” (Lk 2:48). 

Of all the years that Jesus spent in Nazareth, we have but a summary presented in just a few words: “And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them.” (Lk 2:51).

In the second reading, Paul advises us to put our hearts on a set of essential attitudes to live in the family and in the community. Aware that we are God’s beloved, his “chosen race”, we must “be clothed in sincere compassion, in kindness and humility, gentleness and patience”. Since we are forgiven, we must be able to forgive. And over all these, we must “put on love”; love will lead us to perfection. It is through love, that we show to be true children of God, who is love. We must be thankful, giving praise and glory to God through Jesus Christ and coping everything in His name. These same attitudes must present within the family between the couple (husband and wife) and between parents and children.

Let us pray for our families. May each family keep burning strong the fire of love, moved by the Spirit to be true witnesses of Jesus Christ.

A GREAT LIGHT HAS SHONE ON THOSE WHO LIVE IN DARKNESS

 

May the Child Jesus fill you with blessings and grant you peace.

Yesu Mwana engamufumfumwina amapalo no kumuletela icibote. 

Kabili engamusanikila ne cengelo cakwe, pakuti tulemwimbila amalumbo.

I AM THE SERVANT OF THE LORD

IV SUNDAY OF ADVENT-Luke 1:26-38

The fourth Sunday of Advent invites us to look at Mary of Nazareth, chosen by God to be the mother of the Messiah. Mary was a humble girl from a forgotten town (village!) in Galilee. We know nothing about her family and her upbringing. She was a Jewish girl among many others who led humble lives. Thus, it is not surprising that Mary was bewildered at the angel’s greeting. She asked herself what all that might mean and she could not find the sense of it. The angel called upon Mary to rejoice because she is “highly favoured”. And she is favoured, because “the Lord is with you.” Whatever the problems we may face or the mission we may accept, we may be sure that we are not alone. That’s why, in the liturgy, we repeat so many times that greeting, presenting it as a deep wish of our hearts: “The Lord be with you”. Noticing that “she was deeply disturbed”, the angel reassured her with these simple words: “Do not be afraid”. Throughout the Bible, those words are repeated time and again and, in the New Testament, Jesus will use them whenever his disciples feel disturbed and hopeless. Today, we are the ones who hear these words: “Do not be afraid!”, because “the Lord is with you”. We are not alone. The Lord never abandons us to our fate. He brings peace to our hearts and fills us with hope. We may look forward to the salvation which is coming. 

God chose Mary to be the mother of the Messiah. And Mary accepted God’s will and put herself at the service of the Lord. By her humility and obedience, she became a role model to all of us. “I am the handmaid of the Lord, let what you have said be done to me.” This is the only way to prepare ourselves to welcome Christ in our lives. We are the servants of the Lord, and we are ready to obey his word and to accept his will in our lives.

With thanksgiving and praise, we may sing the psalm:

“I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord;

  through all ages my mouth will proclaim your truth.

Of this I am sure, that your love lasts for ever,

  that your truth is firmly established as the heavens.” (Ps 89)

A VOICE CRYING OUT IN THE WILDERNESS

 

III SUNDAY OF ADVENT - John 1:6-8,19-28

John, called the Baptist, is a central figure of the Advent season. He came with a mission: to prepare the people for the coming of the Messiah. According to the gospel of John, the Baptist came to be a witness to speak for the light. Christ was the light and John the Baptist appeared as a witness called to speak of that light for people to recognise it and have their lives lightened up by it.

Like others before him, in protest against the corruption visible in Jerusalem, John went into the wilderness, living there in very harsh conditions. He survived on very little, having locusts and honey as his food. People recognised him as a man of God and crowds started flocking to him. And many, touched by his words, were baptised as a sign of repentance. Some became his disciples. The religious leaders in Jerusalem became worried about the impact of John’s ministry and decided to send a commission to inquire about his activities and his personality. As soon as they arrived, they asked a straight question to John: Who are you? By the ensuing questions - are you Elijah and are you a prophet? - they tried to put a tag on John, classifying him to be able to deal with him. John gave a straightforward answer, leaving no doubt about his mission. He is not the Messiah, he is not Elijah and he is not a prophet. And he presented himself simply as “a voice that cries in the wilderness”. As a voice, he calls out to people with a warning and with a message. The message is very clear: “Make a straight way for the Lord.” And this is exactly the same message he is addressing to us today. We must prepare the way for the Lord. How can we do that? By recognising our sin, repenting and turning back to the Lord.

John proved to be honest and truthful in his answers. He had no false pretentious and he did not attempt to deceive people in any way. With humility, he accepted his role in the plan of salvation. He was at the service of the Messiah, who was far greater than him. In fact, “I am not fit to undo his sandal-strap.”

CONSOLE MY PEOPLE, CONSOLE THEM

II SUNDAY OF ADVENT - Isaiah 40:1-5,9-11

The season of Advent is always a time of promise and full of hope. We look forward with yearning, because the Lord is coming to establish his Kingdom of peace. The time is coming when the Lord will allow his people to find rest. Even though, he comes with power “his arm subduing all things to him”,

“He is like a shepherd feeding his flock,

gathering lambs in his arms,

holding them against his breast

and leading to their rest the mother ewes.” (Is 40:11).

We are in dear need of this shepherd - the good shepherd - who brings consolation to his people. Throughout history, humanity has gone from crises to crises; time and again, we face danger, destruction and damnation. Most of the times, we bring it upon ourselves because we deviate from the straight path to follow our crooked ways. It is as if we live in so deep darkness that we lose all hope. So many times we behave as if God has abandoned us to ourselves. We lost direction and don’t know anymore where to go. This pandemic has brought to the front our fragility and our mortality. And our pride has been shattered to pieces. That’s why more than ever we need a voice of consolation. The message must be proclaimed with a loud and joyful voice: “Here is your God.” He comes to console his people. He is Emanuel - God with us.

The Lord is coming and we must prepare ourselves to welcome him. The voice of John cries out in the wilderness and calls on all those who long for the Messiah: “Prepare a way for the Lord, make his paths straight.” Let us pull down the hills and mountains of our pride, our glory and our power and fill the ravines of our jealousy, envy and hatred to have a straight path for the Lord.

With the psalm we pray:

“Mercy and faithfulness have met;

  justice and peace have embraced.

Faithfulness shall spring from the earth

  and justice look down from heaven.” (Ps 85)

GOD IS OUR FATHER AND OUR REDEEMER

I SUNDAY OF ADVENT - Isaiah 63:16-17,64:1,3-8

We begin this first Sunday of Advent with Isaiah addressing God as “our Father” and “our Redeemer”. We call him Father because we are the work of his hands. He is like the potter and we are the clay, which he moulds. For us Christians, God is our Father, not only because he created us but also because he adopted us in Jesus Christ. In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul tells us that God called us and has joined us to his beloved Son, Jesus Christ. It is in Jesus, the Son, that we become God’s children. However, we have gone astray and turned our backs on God. Isaiah describes the tragic situation we live in with strong words: “We have all withered like leaves and our sins blew us away like the wind. No one invoked your name or roused himself to catch hold of you.” Faced with disaster, we plead with God to intervene and redeem us. Being our Father, he is our Redeemer, for the sake of his glory, which manifests itself in love and mercy.

As we begin the Advent season, we are called to become aware of the distressful situation we live in. We are unclean people, who need that their sins are washed away. Then, we must recognise God’s love and mercy in an attitude of thanksgiving. Paul tells the Corinthians that he gives thanks to God “for all the graces you have received through Jesus Christ”. (1 Co 1:4). We must do the same. And the graces we have received are so many! Together with thanksgiving, we must pray earnestly that God may“keep you (us) steady and without blame until the last day, the day of our Lord Jesus Christ”.

The Gospel calls on us to be on the alert and to remain vigilant. When the Lord comes, we must be ready to welcome him.

“Let us see, O Lord, your mercy and give us your saving help.” (Ps 84:8)

LORD IS MY SHEPHERD

XXXIV SUNDAY: CHRIST THE KING - Matthew 25:31-46

In this last Sunday of the liturgical year, we celebrate Christ the King. Human language is the only means we may use to speak of divine matters. And there is always the danger of transmitting the wrong meaning. Indeed, while here on earth, Jesus refused the title of king and went into hiding when people tried to make him a king. To Pilate, Jesus made it clear that his kingdom is not of this world. His kingdom subjects are those who are in search of the truth. Jesus refused to be king in the manner of human kings, like Herodes or the Roman emperors. He came to set us free, not to overwhelm us with his power, treating us like slaves.

The second reading, taken from 1 Corinthians, gives the meaning of Jesus' kingship. He will dissipate darkness and destroy all the enemies, which spread hatred and bring death. Christ will bring everything to fulfilment so that the glory of God becomes present in everything. "And when everything is subjected to him, then the Son himself will be subject in his turn to the One who subjected all things to him, so that God may be all in all." (1 Co 15:28).

The gospel, taken from Matthew 25, presents the third parable of that chapter. All three parables - the virgins, the talents and the last judgement - have a common theme: we will be called to account. Not all find the door open to enter the Kingdom of God. There is the possibility of being excluded. The parable of the virgins puts the stress on the preparation needed to welcome the bridegroom, that is the Christ. All must have enough oil - the oil of faith, hope and love - to keep their lamps burning. The parable of the talents puts the stress on our contribution. God takes the initiative and entrusts his gifts to us, which we must put to good use. In the last parable, Jesus presents the rule by which we will be judged. All those who acted as the good Samaritan (Lk 10:25ff) will enter into the kingdom to share in Christ’s glory. The ones who didn’t do so will be excluded. Jesus will not ask if we were Christians or not. That does not matter. The true Christians are those who acted with compassion, mercy and love towards their fellow human beings, even if they did not know Jesus Christ. We will be judged by the commandment of love. Since God is love, then only love matters.

WE SHALL ANSWER FOR OUR LIVES

XXXIII SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Matthew 25:14-30

In chapter 25 of his gospel, Matthew gives us three parables, which deal with the same issue: each one of us will have to answer before God for our lives here on earth. Entrance in heaven is not guaranteed and cannot be taken for granted. We indeed have no right to enter the Kingdom of God, seat at God’s table and share in his master’s happiness. That is only possible, due to God’s love and mercy. We are saved by grace, which has to be accepted in faith. 

In Bemba, there is a proverb that says: Apasamika umutali, umwipi teti afikepo, which means: where the tall one puts something, the short one cannot reach there. Indeed, we cannot be at God’s level. That is only possible because God, in his great love, sent his Son to lift us up. And he did it, taking human flesh and becoming one like us. However, for us to be lifted and reach to heaven, we must believe in Jesus Christ, as the Son of God: “whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life”. (Jn 3:16). 

We must listen to God’s voice and behave according to his commandments. In the second reading of this Sunday’s liturgy, Paul tells us that we must live as children of light (1 Th 5:5). 

In the parable of the ten virgins, five were left out, because they had not prepared themselves. In the parable of the talents, which is read this Sunday, the master entrusted different talents to his servants, according to their ability. Indeed, we are different in so many respects that complete equality may not be possible, despite the present ideology that claims for it. In the parable, the starting point of each servant was different: one received five talents, the other two and third one. The first two, who worked hard and showed commitment, received the same reward: “come and join in your master’s happiness.” We may say that they ended up receiving the same treatment. However, the third one proved to be lazy and did not add anything to what he had received. For that, he was excluded. Instead of being rewarded, he receiveD punishment.

All of us hope to be welcomed in God’s Kingdom and take part in God’s happiness. For that, we must be committed and responsible, working hard with the gifts God has granted us.

LET US BE READY TO WELCOME THE LORD

XXXII SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Both the Gospel and the second reading speak about the time when our lives come to an end. Will it be the end or there will be life beyond this life? Paul expresses clearly his faith in the resurrection. Our resurrection is linked with Jesus’ resurrection: “We believe that Jesus died and rose again”. And the same will happen to those who die in Christ: “God will bring them with him.” They will share in his resurrection and his glory. In his letter to the Philippians, he expressed his strong desire that I “may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.” (Fl 3:10-11). The Lord Jesus Christ “will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body” (Fl 3:21). This hope, which we receive from the resurrection of Jesus, makes it possible for us to face death, our friends or relatives and our own death, with a different attitude from the people who do not believe.

In this Sunday’s gospel, we are told the parable of the ten virgins, who are waiting for the bridegroom to come, so that they accompany him to the wedding feast. However, the bridegroom is delayed and they have to put up with a long wait. Like in other parables, the kingdom of God - that is the entrance into the plenitude of life - is compared to a wedding feast, where the guests seat at the table with the bridegroom and the bride to enjoy the food and share the happiness. The opportunity for the great banquet (Is 25:6) is the wedding feast of the Lamb (Rev 19:9). That will when the Lord Jesus will come and we will go to meet him.

The parable stresses that we must be ready when the bridegroom comes. To enter or not in the wedding feast depends on our readiness. We may be left out if we are not there, ready to welcome the Lord. Let us ask the Spirit of the Lord to help us to be ready, and to have our candles lit.

VICTORY TO OUR GOD

SOLEMNITY OF ALL SAINTS - Revelation 7:2-4,9-14

Falling on the first of November, this Sunday is a special Sunday dedicated to the Solemnity of All Saints. 

All Saints! But who is a saint? We call saints those who have been recognised by the Church and have been put forward as role models. Whenever we celebrate one of those saints, the word reverberates in our hearts: If he/ she could, why can’t I? They were sinners like we are and they faced hardships many times even bigger than those we face. However, they recognised their sin, repented and turned to God, answering his call. 

In the celebration of All Saints, we don’t put forward any names. We may say that we are celebrating the great majority, the huge crowd of people who struggle along the way, putting their trust in Jesus, who walked by their side, leading them to gates of heaven. They were not perfect and blameless, but Jesus made them perfect, taking their sins away. Saints are all those who have been sanctified by the Lord Jesus Christ, who shed his blood on the cross to reconcile us with God. He has covered us with the robe of righteousness and, through his Spirit, he has made us into children of light, the children of God, his siblings.

In the second reading, taken from the first letter of John, we are told that God, in his great love, has accepted us as “children of God”. And indeed, “that is what we are.” The glory of the children of God has not been revealed yet, but the day will come when “we shall be like him because we shall see him as he really is.”

In the feast of All Saints, we join here on earth all those who have been welcomed into God’s kingdom and are seated at God’s table proclaiming the glory of the Lord. In the book of Revelation, we are presented with a huge gathering of all those who have been sanctified by the blood of the Lamb and who join the choirs of angels to sing songs of praise and thanksgiving:

“Victory to our God, 

who sits on the throne, 

and to the Lamb!’ 

And all the angels who were standing in a circle round the throne, surrounding the elders and the four animals, prostrated themselves before the throne, and touched the ground with their foreheads, worshipping God with these words, 

‘Amen. 

Praise and glory 

and wisdom and thanksgiving 

and honour and power 

and strength to our God 

for ever and ever. 

Amen.”

While we are journeying here on earth, waiting to be part of the assembly in heaven, let us join All Saints and with them sing God’s praises.

LOVE GOD AND LOVE THY NEIGHBOUR

XXX SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Matthew 22:34-40

The Pharisees appeared as a kind of movement which aimed at the rigorous keeping of the Law. Little by little, a great number of rules and regulations were established to be like a protecting fence of the basic law - the ten commandments. With so many rules and regulations, the question arose of knowing which one is the greatest commandment of the Law. And they brought this question to Jesus, trying to embarrass and discredit him. However, Jesus went straight to the point, asserting clearly what is essential. The whole of human life, and thus of morality, moves around two pillars which lean one upon the other: the relationship with God and the relationship with the others who cross our way.

“You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment.”

This is the foundation of everything else. God occupies the centre and everything else must be done in reference to him. The meaning and the goal of human life come from Him. Thus, we should not be surprised that we lose sight of the purpose and meaning of human life when we turn our backs to God. Humanity is going through a crisis of meaning because we have rejected God and we behave as if he is no more there. We have tried to substitute ourselves for God, and without Him, there is no hope left.

The first commandment - that’s the love of God - demands that we recognise God’s presence in the others and that we reach them with the love that we received from God.

According to Jesus, “the whole Law, and the Prophets also” move around these two commandments, in such a way keeping these two we keep the whole law. 

The first reading, taken from the book of Exodus, presents the implications of the second commandment. The commandment “You must love your neighbour as yourself” cannot be understood as referring solely to those who live nearby and with whom I interact daily. It demands that we are concerned with the well-being of the stranger, the widow, the orphan and the poor; and we must do whatever we can to bring relief to their plight. 

In the end, we will be judged by this commandment. May the Lord find us faithful.

WHOM SHALL I SEND? HERE AM I. SEND ME.

XXIX SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Matthew 22:15-21

In this Sunday’s first reading, taken from prophet Isaiah, Yahweh, the God of Israel, is presented as the Lord of human history. He is the one who is in charge. Thus, despite so many adversities, he makes sure that, in the end, everything contributes to the goodness of those he loves.

Israel suffered a huge setback at the hands of Babylonia, with most of the population being taken as prisoners of war. They kept the dream of a future restoration alive, but, before the Babylonian might, that dream was no more than a dream. It seemed as if their hope was dashed forever. Then, after less than fifty years, the Babylonian empire crumbled before Cyrus, the king of Persia. The new ruler had completely different policies towards the vanquished nations. He allowed them to keep their culture and their religion, provided they recognised the suzerainty of the Persian king and paid their homage to him. Thus he allowed the people of Judah to go back to their homeland and rebuild the city of Jerusalem and its temple. The prophet Isaiah looked upon Cyrus as the Anointed of the Lord, whom He sent to set his people free. Isaiah considers Cyrus appearance as part of God’s plan in favour of his people, even though Cyrus was a gentile who did not know Yahweh. The interpretation made by Isaiah, in the light of the historical events that shaped the history of his people and the history of salvation, may help us to discover God’s presence and action even among those who do not belong to us and have no idea of God’s providence and love.

On this Sunday, the 18^th of October, we celebrate the World Mission Day. It is a special day for us to pray and reflect about the Good News of God’s love, which we must spread throughout the world. Pope Francis, in his message for this Mission Day, invites us to reflect upon Isaiah’s vocational experience. Hearing God’s question: Whom shall I send? Isaiah answered: Here am I. Send me. God’s question reverberates through the ages and can be heard by us today. God waits for our answer. Are we going to answer like Isaiah, or are we going to ignore God’s invitation?

THE WEDDING FEAST OF THE LORD

XXVIII SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Matthew 22:1-14

Throughout the Holy Scriptures, the human experience is used for us to grasp the profound meaning of the divine realities. Thus, the prophet Isaiah speaks of a big feast, during which God offers on his holy mountain a banquet for all peoples of the earth (Is 25:6-10). God will invite everybody, meaning that he will not exclude anybody. In this banquet, God will present his guest with the best food, “rich and juicy” and with “fine wines”, so that they rejoice and be fully satisfied. A banquet is always a time of certain extravagance, as people celebrate and rejoice. They come together to be united as one family or one community. It is a time of communion, with God himself, who offers the banquet and with all the other guests, who are God’s family. A banquet is always a special occasion to celebrate. We celebrate life and peace, freedom and salvation. Isaiah says it quite clearly, giving the reason for the banquet: 

God “will remove

the mourning veil covering all peoples,

and the shroud enwrapping all nations,

he will destroy Death for ever.

The Lord will wipe away

the tears from every cheek;

he will take away his people’s shame

everywhere on earth”.

Indeed, “We exult and we rejoice

that he has saved us”.

In his parable of the wedding feast, Jesus made use of the idea of a banquet to speak of the Kingdom of God. It is the wedding feast of God’s Son. In the same manner, the book of Revelation speaks of the wedding feast of the Lamb (Rev 19:7), that is of the Messiah, the Son of God.

For this wedding feast, the people of Israel were the first invited, since they were called to be the first fruits of salvation or the initiators of the Kingdom of God. However, as we can find when we read the Scriptures, they left behind a trail of betrayal, which forced God to extend the invitation to everybody who could be found willing to come. Listening to the parable, we may think of this universal invitation as an afterthought, due to Israel’s failures. Isaiah tells us that it is not so. God’s plan of salvation is universal, and he invites all peoples to seat at his table. The Messiah would come through the people of Israel. However, as we see in the parable, many rejected the invitation, since they were busy with issues that concerned only their lives. We are invited as well, and we may accept the invitation or we may reject it, thus excluding ourselves from the Kingdom of God. Once invited, we must dress up properly for the wedding feast. That is, we must repent and convert, accepting Jesus as our Lord and Saviour. To enter God’s Kingdom and have a seat at his table, we must put on Jesus Christ, so that we look like him, and are recognised as God’s children.

Balishuka abaitwa ku mitebeto ya Mfumu. Blessed are those called to the wedding feast of the Lord.

THERE IS NO NEED TO WORRY

XXVII SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Matthew 21:33-43

Throughout Paul’s letters, we can find true gems that summarise in a few words either the Christian beliefs or the Christian attitude. In this Sunday’s second reading, taken from Philippians 4:6-9, Paul presents the attitude with which we should face life. In a world filled with worries, Paul advises: “There is no need to worry”. We must realise that we do not pass through the world alone. God is by our side and we are in his tender hands. Jesus had already told his disciples: “I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?” (Mt 6:25). We must put our trust in the Lord, who will not desert us. It is this reassurance that brings peace to our hearts.

In case we are faced with some serious problem, Paul advises us to present it to the Lord, saying: “pray for it, asking God for it with prayer and thanksgiving”. Our prayer must be accompanied by an attitude of thanksgiving. In all times and places, we must give thanks to God (Ep 5:20) for his care, mercy and love.

Entrusting ourselves to the Lord, we may concentrate our attention on what is important. And Paul reminds us of that:

“fill your minds with 

everything that is true, 

everything that is noble, 

everything that is good and pure, 

everything that we love and honour, 

and everything that can be thought virtuous or worthy of praise.”

By doing that, our behaviour becomes profoundly human, allowing God’s glory and goodness to be reflected in our lives. With such type of behaviour, our hearts become fertile soil, and we will produce fruits that will gladden God’s heart.

In the gospel, the parable of the vineyard presents the drama of the human history and of God’s people, who rebel against God in order to become the owners of the vineyard, that’s of their own lives and of human history. We forget that the vineyard - that is the church, the nation, the world and the universe - does not belong to us and we are accountable for what we do in the vineyard of the Lord. The tenants behaved as the owners of the vineyard and were ready to kill the owner’s son so that they alone would have a claim to the vineyard. In the end, they were criminals, who deserve to be punished.

Do we recognise God as our Lord? Are we ready to give thanks and praise to him?

HAVE THE SAME MIND OF JESUS CHRIST

XXVI SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Matthew 21:28-32

 Since the Reformation, in the western world, the Church has been divided into two lines of thought: a) the Protestant, following Luther’s teaching that we are saved by faith alone; b) the Catholic, in which faith must be tested and proved real by a behaviour according to Jesus’ way.

“To be saved by faith” means that salvation is always a free gift from God, who is full of love and mercy (Ep 2:5,8). We are saved by grace, meaning that we are never able to get it by our effort. However, this does not mean that it is enough to say: “I believe”. Faith leads us to Jesus Christ, so that we follow him, walking on his footsteps. Faith demands obedience and faithfulness and we will be judged by that. By faith, we become one with Jesus Christ, and then we must look like Jesus Christ, learning from him and behaving like him. Saint James tells us that faith without deeds is dead: “So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” (James 2:17). That’s what this Sunday’s gospel tells us. In a little parable, Jesus appeals to something that happens in all households and to which everybody can relate. The father tells his elder son to go and work in the vineyard. His first reaction was a refusal, but then thought it out and decided to go and work. The younger son was quick to accept the father’s command, but he never showed up in the vineyard. His willingness to obey was just expressed in words, empty words. He did not mean what he said. He said “I believe, I am ready to obey” and then e did his own things and walked on his own way. His acquiescence to the father’s request was not translated into action and deeds. The first son reflected upon his attitude and, realising that he was wrong, he changed his attitude and did what the father had told him to do.

In the first reading, the prophet Ezekiel presents the same line of thought. He may start our life by ignoring God’s will and then repent, behaving like a child of God. Those are accepted by God and rewarded in his kingdom. The opposite may happen as well. Since our childhood, we may show a willingness to listen and to obey and then we change our attitudes and deviate from the straight path, refusing to listen and to obey. God will look to their present evil deeds and the gates of heaven will be closed to us.

In the second reading, taken from the letter to the Philippians, Paul tells us what faith implies: to become like Jesus. “In your minds, you must be the same as Christ Jesus” (Phil 2:5).

BE READY TO ANSWER GOD’S CALL

XXV SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Matthew 20:1-16

In his public ministry, when addressing the common people, Jesus made use of parables, that’s is simple stories which call attention to specific points in his teaching. Jesus drew the inspiration for his parables from the daily life of the people, thus making them easy to understand. Most of the times, the conclusion is straightforward; however, other times, the parable may leave us perplexed, because we expected a different outcome. That is the case with the parable in this Sunday’s gospel.

Jesus begins the parable by telling us that it speaks about the Kingdom of God. This is very important to understand the end of the parable. In the story, we are presented with a landowner who had a vineyard. The landowner stands for God and the vineyard represents the people of God. The prophets had already used this imagery while speaking about the care that God had for his people (Is 5:1ff). The vineyard represents the Kingdom of God. It belongs to God, not to us. However, a vineyard must be taken care of, and this care demands the work of many people. And in a vineyard, there are seasons when a lot of workers are needed. It was in such a time that the landowner went to the market looking for workers. The parable presents God looking for people ready to cooperate with him. And the workers are never enough, that’s why he went time and again looking for all people who were available and willing to work in his vineyard. God does not get tired of inviting people to his Kingdom. The parable stresses that many people are loafing around, tired of waiting for someone to invite them. It is as if many people, without fault of their own, live a useless and hopeless life.

People were invited and they answered the invitation, going to the vineyard of the Lord. Certainly, all of them expected to receive their pay at the end of the day. And they were not prepared for the big surprise which was coming. Starting with the last coming, who worked one hour only and ending with the first arrivals, who had a full day work, all of them were paid the same. It sounds unfair, and those who worked the whole day complained about that. The landowner reminded them that he was not being unfair to them since he was paying them a fairly good salary according to the agreement made. To all the others, he was being generous, and he had the right to be so. We must remember that the reward we are talking about is not money or wealth, but the entrance into the kingdom of God. And God is ready to welcome all those who accepted the invitation and were ready to work. The first ones will have no more rights and privileges than the last ones. There is no place for jealousy and envy since all of us will receive more than we deserve.

Indeed, “my thoughts are not your thoughts, my ways not your ways – it is the Lord who speaks.” (Is 55:8).

FROM GOD’S MERCY WE LEARN TO BE MERCIFUL

XXIV SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Matthew 18:21-35

Human history is full of violence. The Holy Scriptures present it immediately at the beginning with Cain killing his brother Abel. Why did brother turn against brother? Cain was full of jealousy and envy. According to his judgement, he was being discriminated, while his brother was being given a lot of privileges. Being the victim gave him the right of punishing the one who victimised him. His victimhood was the construction of his mind and was the fruit of the way he looks upon himself. The evil which was in his heart destroyed his brother and, in the end, it would destroy him as well. Instead of giving thanks for what he had, he was a man full of resentment and resentment is a bad counsellor. 

Over time, the way of Cain became ever wider, with an increase of violence, exploitation and oppression. It is the way of the strong and powerful who dominates the weak and humble. From Cain’s way, peace never comes. However, by God’s grace, there were always people who tried to follow Abel’s way, the way that leads to freedom, justice and peace. Much before Jesus Christ, instructed by God’s wisdom, many people understood that “resentment and anger are foul things”. (Sir 27:30). We must control our anger and stay away from vengeance. The vengeance belongs to the Lord.

As if anticipating Jesus’ words, the book of Sirach tells us:

“Forgive your neighbour the wrong he has done,

and then your sins will be pardoned when you pray.

Does anyone harbour anger against another,

and expect healing from the Lord?

If one has no mercy toward another like himself,

can he then seek pardon for his own sins?” (Sir 28:2-4)

In the gospel, with the parable of the unforgiving servant, Jesus makes it clear that we cannot expect God’s forgiveness if we refuse to forgive the ones who cause injury to us. God is merciful and he demands that we learn mercifulness from him. The world looks at this wisdom as foolishness; however, only reconciliation makes peace possible. Hatred, exploitation and oppression were never the way to peace. 

Nowadays, many people, with the heart full of resentment, consider themselves to be victims, while the others are seen as full of privileges, being, therefore, exploiters and oppressors. Their resentment is easily transformed in hatred and the hatred destroys the harmony in society and ends up consuming the ones possessed by it. Before God, all of us have the privilege of his love, which we should receive with thanksgiving, thus enabling us to pay back with love.

DENOUNCE THE EVIL; DO NOT BE PART OF IT

XXIII SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Romans 13:8-10

When asked by the Pharisees about the first and most important commandment, Jesus answered, quoting from Deuteronomy 6:5:

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbour as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (Mt 22:37-40)

Jesus presented these two commandments, which are interdependent, as the summary of all the commandments. Thus all Christian norms of behaviour derive from these two commandments. Following on the footsteps of Jesus, Paul presents the same doctrine. As for the love of God, in his letter to the Romans, chapter 12:1-2, Paul advises us to offer ourselves as a sacrifice to God: 

“present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

This “spiritual worship” will help us to know the will of God and do “what is good and acceptable and perfect”. Pursuing his line of thought, in this Sunday’s second reading (Ro 13:8-10), Paul tells us that, although avoiding all kinds of debts, we are indebted to everybody and we should pay “the debt of mutual love” without delay. We may ask what does this mutual love imply. Jesus said: “love your neighbour as yourself”. And Paul adds to that: “Love is the one thing that cannot hurt your neighbour; that is why it is the answer to every one of the commandments”.

According to the Gospel, this “mutual love” implies responsibility for the welfare and the salvation of the others. We cannot put ourselves in their place or do for them what they should do, but we must give good guidance and do the brotherly correction. Any of us can go astray and any of us can do wrong to the others. Jesus proposes a way of fraternal correction. In the first step, the one who feels offended approaches the other, making known his complaint. The offender may not pay attention or reject the fraternal correction. Then, there is a second step, asking the help and intervention of a few respectable people. Maybe, the offender will listen and the problem will be solved. If the situation persists, then, in a third step, inform the community. If nothing changes, there is nothing else to do, but to ignore him.

Today’s gospel and the first reading (from Ezekiel) make it clear that we cannot ignore the evil around us. We must denounce it and refuse to be part of it.

THE WAY OF THE CROSS

XXII SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Matthew 16:21-27

In his own life, Jeremiah was a prophecy of Jesus Christ. He wrote about his experience as a prophet. He started by being attracted and seduced by God and then he had to wrestle with Him (Jr 20:7). It comes to mind the passage of Genesis, where we are told that Jacob had to wrestle with God during the whole night (Gn 32:22-32). Jeremiah recognised that in such a struggle, we cannot win, since God is the stronger one and he overpowers us. Jeremiah put himself totally at the service of the Lord. And he had to experience rejection and persecution because of faithfulness to his mission: “The word of the Lord has meant for me insult, derision, all day long.” (Jr 20:8). This is the fate of the prophets and that would be as well the fate of Jesus.

Jesus was well aware of what lies in wait for him. It was easy to see and to realise that his life was in danger. The religious leaders rejected him and started plotting against him. And Jesus was well aware not only of the fate of most of the prophets but also of the prophecies that spoke about the suffering of the Messiah.

Jesus decided to prepare his disciples for what was coming. He did not hide from them that, as they walked towards Jerusalem, he was walking towards his passion and death. However, they could not understand and they would not accept even the possibility of such an outcome. The outspoken Peter was very frank with Jesus: “Heaven preserve you, Lord;’ he said ‘this must not happen to you.” Peter cared for his Master and desired the best for him, so he thought. However, Jesus’ reaction was quick and puzzling: “Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle in my path because the way you think is not God’s way but man’s.” Jesus considered Peter’s words as an attempt to lead him astray and deviate from the Father’s will. That’s why he called him Satan and ordered him to get behind and just follow in his footsteps.

Jesus made it clear to his disciples that we cannot be his disciples if we reject the cross. Salvation is not possible without passing through suffering and death. Jesus’ way is the only way. We may try to avoid the cross at all costs, preaching a gospel that satisfies our desires for wellbeing and happiness, but the realities of life will prove to us our mistake. If we speak of salvation and believe in the resurrection, we must accept with Jesus that the only way is the way of the cross. 

LORD JESUS CHRIST, SON OF THE LIVING GOD

XXI SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Matthew 16:13-20

We have passed just the middle of the Gospel of Matthew. By this time, following Jesus around, the disciples had already seen and heard a lot to have a fairly good idea about him. Indeed, if they were to continue Jesus’ mission, they had known the mission and the one who was sending them.

Jesus did not beat around the bush and went straight to the point. What did people say about him? Then and now, there are many different opinions about Jesus. Some even think that he did not exist, considering everything which is said about him as a myth. Others consider him as an extraordinary human person that left a big impact on human history. He deserves our respect like so many others of our ancestors, but we should not make him a divine being from whom our lives depend.

St. Peter, Parish Church of Tarouca

And then Jesus asked a second question, showing that he was not a populist and that he never cared for the approval of the crowds. If he asked the opinion of the people, it was to challenge the apostles to give their answer: “But you, who do you say I am?” This same question is asked to each one of us and Jesus expects us to answer. This question and the answer to it constitutes the heart (kernel) of the Christian faith.

Simon Peter was quick with his tongue and always ready to give his opinion. Without any delay, he answered: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” He had no doubts: Jesus was the Messiah, the One people were waiting for. However, like the other disciples and all the people of Israel, they had a very wrong idea and false expectations of the Messiah. Anyway, they were still learning and he would discover it the hard way. However, Jesus accepted his profession of faith, made possible by the Father who revealed him the truth. This simple profession of faith: You are the Christ, the Son of the living God, is the foundation of the Church, the rock upon which it is built. There is no Christian Church without this faith and we can find it throughout the New Testament. Jesus is the Son of God, he is the Saviour.

Let us ask the Lord to strengthen our faith.

THE GENTILES CLAIM THEIR PLACE IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD

XX SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Isaiah 56:1,6-7

There is always the danger of reading the present back into the past, judging the past by the present. Many issues which define our time were irrelevant or even inexistent in the past. To understand the attitudes of past generations, we must situate ourselves in their own time and judge them according to the prevalent values of that time. There is a tendency to think of ourselves as the perfect and the holy who know everything and can judge everybody accordingly. Doing that, we incur in the same mistakes that we condemn.

The people of Israel were a small nation trying to survive, squeezed between the big empires, such as Egypt, Assyria, Babylonia, Persia and then the Greeks and the Romans. They were conquered and sent into exile. They could have suffered the fate of so many others, whose names disappeared from the face of the earth, but they survived, affirming their identity, which makes them different from the others. The big contributing factor for that survival was their faith in Yahweh, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. They considered themselves as the chosen of the Lord, the object of his predilection, who set them aside to be his people. With their customs and traditions, they set boundaries to isolate and protect them. Despite this, many of the prophets were able to look beyond their boundaries and to see God’s love for all nations. Isaiah makes it clear that the “foreigners who have attached themselves to the Lord to serve him and to love his name and be his servants” will be welcomed in God’s holy mountain. And God’ “house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples.” According to Isaiah, God’s plan of salvation is universal and it is offered to all peoples and nations on one very simple condition: to serve the Lord and to love his name.

During this liturgical year, we read the gospel of Matthew, in which we find the presence of several foreigners as a sign of the universality of Jesus’ Gospel. Jesus presented his mission as being directed, first of all, to “the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” (Mt 10:6; 15:24) and he advised his disciples to avoid going to the “Gentiles” and they should “enter no town of the Samaritans” (Mt 10:5). It took time for de disciples to preach the Gospel to the gentiles. They had to be forced into it. And even Paul would go always in first place to the synagogues and preach the gospel to the Jews. Faced with rejection, then he turned to the gentiles. We see this kind of attitude in Jesus’ encounter with the Canaanite woman. Matthew stresses the fact that she was a Canaanite, thus belonging to the first enemies of the people of Israel. After reading the passage (Mt 15:21-28), we remain with the impression that Jesus tried to ignore her and was even harsh with her. Some people try to read this passage, guided by the dominating ideology, along racist lines, accusing Jesus of being racist and misogynous. Together with the whole gospel of Matthew, this passage was used in the catechesis and it had nothing to do with race or misogyny. The woman accepted that she did not belong to the people of Israel and had no right to sit at the table. Being an outsider, she was like a little dog. Despite that, she claimed to expect a share in the food from the table. She would not go away without her share. Addressing Jesus as the son of David, she recognised him as the Messiah and, fulfilling the promise made in Isaiah, she comes to have her share in the Kingdom of God. Jesus granted what she asked for and praised her for her great faith (Mt 15:28). A few days before, Jesus reprimanded Peter for his lack of faith (Mt 14:31).

May the Lord strengthen our faith.