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).