34th Sunday, Solemnity of Christ the King, Year C, 2019

May the graces of today’s Eucharistic celebration enable us conduct our lives as worthy subjects of Christ’s kingdom that we may be welcomed by him into paradise at the end of time. Happy Sunday

DOCTRINE AND FAITH

(2 Samuel 5,1-3; Colossians 1,12-20; Luke 23,35-43: 34th Sunday, Solemnity of Christ the King, Year C, 2019)

 The account recorded in the first reading, 2 Samuel 5,1-3, for this Sunday depicts the anointing of David as king of the northern tribes of Israel (cf. 2 Sam 2:1-4). It takes place in Hebron, a city with a long history as a sacred shrine. It is only appropriate that the new king should be anointed in this hallowed shrine. The people acknowledge the intimate bond they share with this new king. They are his bone and his flesh, his very kin. For their part they recognise him as a worthy leader. Although, it was the people who anointed David as their king, they believed it was really God who had chosen him. In fact, the passage states that God informed David of his fate, describing it in terms of two metaphors frequently associated with kings in the ancient Near Eastern world. Because they were responsible for the well-being of the people, kings were often characterised as shepherds. The second image is that of a commander or captain (nagid), one who leads by going before people. Both images represent the king as a leader for the people, not one who is far from them, expecting only to be served by them. The elders who anointed David king were the ones with whom, in the name of the people they represented, he entered into covenant. This anointing was not only a significant tribal act, but carried personal repercussions as well, for by this act the leaders were relinquishing some of their own authorities and powers and bestowing them on one individual.

The second reading, Colossians 1,12-20, is made up of a hymn of thanksgiving and an exaltation of Christ’s greatness. In the opening hymn, the Colossians are invited to thank God for three blessings: a share in the inheritance of the saints, deliverance from darkness, and transference into the kingdom of God's Son. Paul then focuses on the excellence of Christ, whose kingdom it is and through whom believers can gain access to it. The Christology expounded by Paul here extols the divine character and activity of Christ rather than his human nature and the physical life he lived on earth. In it, Paul uses several striking terms to characterise Christ: image of God, firstborn, the beginning, head of the Church. Each one adds a significant dimension to our understanding of Christ. As image or manifestation of the invisible God, the fullness of God dwells within Christ. In this capacity Christ is the agent of reconciliation. This reconciliation has a universal scope. It includes all created things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible things. The means of this reconciliation that Christ brings is the blood of the cross. Thus the sacrificial death of the human Jesus becomes the means through which the cosmic Christ reconciles all of creation with God.

In the scene of the crucifixion in Luke 23,35-43, Jesus is ridiculed for being who he really is. It is only at the end of the narrative, when speaking to the one person in the scene who does not jeer him but who professes faith in his innocence, which Jesus speaks with the royal authority that is his. Jesus is reviled by the rulers of the Jewish people, the Roman soldiers, and one of the criminals being executed at his side. These people who jeer him take the claims of Jesus in order to turn those claims against him, He has claimed to be the chosen one, the Christ of God, the King of the Jews-all messianic titles. The inscription above the cross could also be construed as ridicule on Pilate’s part. It plays a cryptic role. It was a Roman custom to display the crime of the condemned person so the passersby could both jeer the criminal and be sobered by the punishment inflicted. The inscription on the cross of Jesus reads King of the Jews. While this is, certainly, the reason he was crucified, it is also a statement of fact. He was indeed King of the Jews, even though his manner of ruling did not conform to the standard of the day. True to the paradox of the gospel, what was intended as derision, actually, became a proclamation of faith. There is already evidence of this faith in one of the criminals. He first recognised the innocence of Jesus and then his kingly character. It may not have been difficult to believe that Jesus was no threat to Roman rule. Many people, probably, believed in his innocence in this matter. However, this dying man professed a degree of eschatological hope. He seems to have believed that, somehow, Jesus would reign as king even after his death. What he asked was to be remembered by Jesus when he came into his own power. The only claim he has to make this request is the fact that he did not ridicule Jesus and he accepted his own imminent death as a just payment for his crimes. On Jesus’ part, this appears to be enough, for he promises the man immediate entrance into paradise. Jesus here assures the dying criminal that he will be granted entrance into His kingdom. Even from the cross Jesus rules with authority. Actually, it is, precisely, from the cross that Jesus rules with authority, because it is through the cross that he too entered into his kingdom.

Reflecting on the readings for this last Sunday would reveal that they were chosen to demonstrate the meaning of the feast we are celebrating today, the feast of Christ the King. This feast celebrates Christ’s power and authority by creating a collage of images that capture one or more characteristics of Christ's kingship. Each image, in some way, significantly reinterprets the concept of king, investing it with new meaning. Gathered together they create a kind of litany that extols Christ’s kingship. Shepherd and commander call to mind the care and protection Christ lavishes on those who place themselves under his care, who recognise his voice and follow him wherever he goes. According to this metaphor, the kingly rule of Christ is characterised by tenderness, not by the exercise of power. King of Israel is, in the reading from 2 Samuel, a sign of universal rule. David was of the tribe of Judah and had been called to rule over the southern tribes. Now he is asked to extend his rule over people who were not his own. So it is with the reign of Christ. It extends to all, even to those who are not his original people. Image of the invisible God acclaims the divine origin of Christ and, by extension, of the rule he exercises over all. The dominion of Christ include everything over which God reigns. Firstborn of all creation places Christ over the entire created world. The image of the caring shepherd reinterprets what could here be misunderstood as unfeeling dominion. Just as Christ tenderly cares for his sheep, in like manner he attentively tends the garden of the world over which he rules. Source of all created things acknowledges both the sovereignty of Christ and his importance as the model after which all things were fashioned. In other words, creation mirrors the image of Christ the King. This is also another reason to cherish it. Head of the body, the Church, underscores the intimacy and interrelationship that exist between Christ and all those who are joined to him through faith and baptism. This image challenges any idea of a distant and disinterested ruler. Just as a body needs a head, so a head needs a body. Firstborn of the dead not only acclaims Christ's resurrection, it also guarantees the resurrection of those who will follow him into death. Christ is the kind of kings who shares all of his privileges with others. Crucified King is clearly the image that reinterprets all other images. It strips from the notion of king all honour and glory that flow merely from pride of office rather than from the exercise of dedicated leadership. For the sake of sheep Jesus, willingly, endured humiliation and death. Nailed to the cross, outstretched arms embraced women and men from every corner of the world. In his own body the created world was beaten down, only to rise again in glory. As head of the Church he became a victim so that those who constitute his body could be spared many of the horrors he willingly endured. Finally, having conquered death by dying himself, he entrusts to all people the power over death he has won for them. He first exercised this authority as he hung dying on the cross, which forevermore will be seen as his glorious throne. In the last words of the gospel, words with which the entire Liturgical Year is brought to completion, he opens the gates of his kingdom to a repentant sinner: Today you will be with me in Paradise. These are the words we all long to hear, words that are empty when coming from one who has no authority but charged with power when spoken by the one who is King over us all. May we obtain graces in today’s Eucharistic celebration that will enable us conduct our lives as worthy members/subjects of the kingdom of Christ so as to be welcomed by him, on the last day, into Paradise. + John I. Okoye

(graphics  by charles)

33rd Sunday Year C, 2019

May we, through this Eucharistic celebration, obtain the graces that will enable us transform our lives so as to be worthy of God's salvation at the end time. Happy Sunday!

DOCTRINE AND FAITH

(Malachi 3,19-20a;  2 Thessalonians 3,7-12; Luke 21,5-19: 33^rd Sunday Year C, 2019)

The first reading setting, Malachi 3,19-20a, is the Day of the LORD, the time of fulfilment of all God's promises and the realisation of the destiny of the world. It is the time when justice will be realised, the scales of righteousness will be balanced, the good will be rewarded and the evil punished. Initially, Israel believed that this day would be for her a time of vindication and rejoicing. However, the prophets set them straight on this matter, insisting that Israel herself would have to face God’s righteous anger. This is the scene depicted in the first reading of this Sunday. Israel would also have to pay for her sinfulness; there would have to be just recompense. On the other hand, the Day of the LORD, will rise majestically for the upright, like the sun in the eastern sky that shines forth in righteousness. The healing of this experience of God is the total reversal of the flaming destruction in store for the wicked.

The instruction Paul gives to the Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians 3,7-12, is meant to ensure both harmony within the community and a positive reputation, recognisable to those who do not belong to the community. Paul gave his own conduct as an example for them to follow. This should not be seen as an act of arrogance or self-serving pride. Rather, he is trading on the conviction that the values of Christian commitment are not taught only by word of mouth. They are also manifested through the witness of the lives of those who believe. Paul is saying that he has been faithful to the message he has been teaching and that the Thessalonians can learn from what he does as well as from what he says. There are implications to this for their lives as well. Just as he can serve as an example to them, they should be able to serve as examples to others. This is a very important way for the gospel to be taught to the world. It is also a measure of the authenticity of the word of the preacher. There are three lessons that Paul seeks to teach. First, he has not acted in a disorderly fashion as his behaviour has been above reproach. Second, he has not presumed upon the hospitality of others. This is an important point, because it was common for travellers to rely on the hospitality of those through whose villages and cities they passed. Paul's third lesson is found in his manner of living among the Thessalonians. He reminds his hearers that he worked long and hard so he would not be a financial burden to them. This suggests that besides the time and energy expended in preaching the gospel, he had other employment that enabled him to cover his own expenses while in their midst. He further reminds them that he, really, had a right to their support during the time he was ministering to them. However, he had waived this right for the sake of the reputation of the gospel itself. He did not want to give anyone the impression that ministers of the gospel are burden to the community. This leads him to condemn those, within the community, who have acted as busybodies rather than being actually busy. Paul counsels harsh treatment of such people. If they are unwilling to discipline themselves, then it is the responsibility of the community to discipline them. The community is told to withhold food from them. The community should no longer allow them to live off its generosity, because that generosity is then misplaced. Paul insists that if people want to eat, they must work like everyone else. Paul has offered himself as an example of this.

In the gospel reading, Luke 21,5-19, the admiration for the Temple expressed by some bystanders prompted Jesus to predict the destruction of that magnificent edifice. This Temple was, certainly, something in which the Jewish people could take great pride. This reading does not address the destruction of the Temple itself but, rather, the events that will precede it, signs that should alert the people to the impending doom. We must remember that a sign, whatever it is, points to a deeper reality, a reality that may not always be easily recognised or understood. For this reason it is often necessary to have an interpreter of the signs. Before Jesus identifies the signs, he warns his listeners against those who might appear claiming they have come in Jesus' name to interpret the meaning of the events that are transpiring. They might even proclaim, I am [ego eimi] he! Or The time (kairos) has come! {Kairos is an Ancient Greek word meaning the right, critical, or opportune moment.[1] The ancient Greeks had two words for time: chronos and kairos. The former refers to chronological or sequential time, while the latter signifies a proper or opportune time for action. While chronos is quantitative, kairos has a qualitative, permanent nature}. Jesus exhorts those around him not to follow these people. The signs themselves are demonstrations of upheaval. They include political unrest and violence as well as disturbances in the natural world, all experience people of the time believed would precede the end of the age. Once again Jesus warns his hearers. The end is not yet here. Something even more personal will transpire first. These long-expected signs portend the persecution Jesus’ followers will have to endure at the hands of the government, their friends, acquaintances, and even the members of their own families. The point is not that they will suffer-under such calamity all people will suffer. The point is that they will suffer because of the name of Jesus. In fact, the persecution (even death) they will be called upon to endure will itself be a witness to that name. It will be a testimony that fidelity to one's commitment to Jesus is a greater good than life itself. Faithful to the end, even if they are put to death they will be saved. While Jesus may be talking about the events that will precede the actual destruction of the glorious Temple and the beloved city within which it stood there are elements in his discourses that suggest eschatological dimensions of his teaching. We have to bear in mind that signs are often understood as pointing beyond this world to the next. We must also remember that Jesus is describing these horrors at a time when the Temple stood in all its glory. Only he knew what would transpire in the future, and he was preparing his followers for that future.

This Sunday we focus on the complex eschatological meaning of end-time. It has already dawned through the death and resurrection of Jesus, but it has not yet unfolded completely. There is an already-but-not-yet dimension of the end ­time. We believe we are living in the end-time, but are we at the beginning of it? In the middle? Or at its end? Some millenarians (millenarianism is the doctrine of or belief in a future (and typically imminent) thousand-year age of blessedness, beginning with or culminating in the Second Coming of Christ. It is central to the teaching of groups such as Adventists, Mormons, and Jehovah's Witnesses) insist we are at the end, and the manner of life they preach reflects this belief. All we have are only hints about the character of the Day of the LORD, the role God will play at this time, and our manner of living as we await the unfolding of the end-time. The Day of the LORD was believed to be the time when God would come in majesty and power to set all things right. The good would then be rewarded and the evil would be punished. In order to set things right, the distorted order of sin and unrighteousness that held sway would have to be overturned. This explains the disruption and turmoil that is always described as preceding the day of final fulfilment. Malachi describes it as a blazing fire that will consume whatever opposes the will of God. Jesus describes this disruption in greater detail. As he envisions it, both human society and the world of nature will, first, have to endure the upheaval so that they can then be transformed in the age to come. We must remember that these descriptions are metaphoric or symbolic in nature. As with all metaphors or symbols, we miss something of their profound meaning if we merely understand them literally. Belief in the Day of the LORD is a way of testifying to our faith in the righteousness of God. Although, the narrative readings for today concentrate on the disruptions that will accompany the coming of God, they also contain hints of the salvation that will finally arrive. Malachi speaks of the sun of justice that comes with healing rays; Luke promises that the faithful disciples will escape without a hair of their heads being destroyed. Just as the descriptions of the upheavals should not be understood literally, neither should these descriptions. It may be that the faithful followers of Jesus will suffer terrible agonies. The point here is that even in the midst of their pain, they will be protected. Just as the reason for the disruption is the offended righteousness of God, so the ground of their hope of protection is the same righteousness of God. 

The healing rays of justice and the rescue of the lives of the upright are references to salvation. God does not come at the end to condemn but to save. Furthermore, the suffering that precedes the end is intended for purification and refinement, not punishment. Christians are exhorted in this end time to upright living, that is to say, to live in this end-time with patient endurance of difficulties. They are instructed to carry their fair share of the work of the community lest they become a burden to others within the community or to the community as a whole. They must work diligently and conscientiously, awaiting the final coming of Christ without ever knowing precisely when that will be. Since both human society and the natural world will pass through the crucible of refinement, both human society and the natural world will be transformed. As the readings of last Sunday pointed out, Christians can enable this time of transformation to dawn by living transformed lives now. The suffering they will endure as a result of this way of living will act as the purifying fire that precedes fulfilment, if they persevere in this, they will secure their lives. May we, therefore, obtain in the Eucharistic celebration of today the graces that will enable us live transformed lives so as to be worthy of God’s salvation at the end time, Amen! 

+John I. Okoye

(graphics by chukwubike)

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32nd Sunday of the Year C, 2019

May we, in today's Eucharistic celebration, obtain the graces to live out our Baptismal commitments, thereby fulfill the obligations of the covenant relationship with God so as to be united with Him at the end of our lives.  Happy Sunday!

DOCTRINE AND FAITH

(2 Maccabees 7,1-2.9-14; 2 Thessalonians 2,16-3,5; Luke 20,27-38: 32nd Sunday of the Year C, 2019)

            In the first reading, 2 Maccabees 7,1-2.9-14, the deaths of these brothers are described in grisly/gruesome details. The reasons given for their murders leaves no doubt they are martyrs, faithful Israelites who died for their faith. Israel had strict dietary restrictions, which they traced back to the promulgation of the law given to Moses. They were forbidden from eating meat of animals that did not have cloven hoofs nor chew their cud (cf. Lev 11,7). Since pigs did not fit into this category, they were considered unclean animals and were forbidden as food. Fidelity to these laws, along with circumcision and the observance of the Sabbath, became an identifying characteristic of the Jews. Their rejection was considered apostasy. This is the issue treated in today’s reading. The king is demanding renunciation of their allegiance to God. Through one of the brothers who acts as spokesperson, the family refuses. The few words these brothers spoke constitute acts of faith. That was why they were put to death. As gruesome as the details of the martyrdom may be, the real point of this narrative is the faith in resurrection these brothers profess. Early Israel believed that justice would be accomplished in this life, either during the days of those directly involved or in the days of their descendants. The idea of individual reward or punishment became a major issue only after the experience of the Exile (cf. Ezek 18,1-32). Even then the people believed such justice would be served in this lifetime. This reading reflects the shift that took place in Israel's thinking around the time of the Maccabean revolt (ca. 167 B.C.). It was precisely, because of the martyrdom of the righteous that the theodicy (the vindication of divine providence in view of the existence of evil), the justice of God, became an issue. How could a righteous God allow the faithful to suffer injustices? Although, the Hebrew worldview and language did not provide the possibility to develop a concept of an after­life, Hellenism did. The answer to the dilemma was sought in the idea of a life after this life. In this passage we find the beginnings of such faith. The words of the three brothers reflect various aspects or stages in the development of this concept. The first brother asserts that God, who is really the ruler of this world, regardless of what circumstances might suggest, will raise the faithful up to live again. The second is willing to be stripped of his tongue and his hands because he believes that his body will share in the resurrection. The third insists that only the righteous will be raised to life. These declarations reveal only a hint of the resurrection faith we have come to know. Its development will come in the future. However, it does provide an answer to the question of theodicy and is a form of encouragement for those who must face a similar ordeal.

The 2nd reading for this Sunday, 2 Thessalonians 2,16-3,5, is a composite. It includes a wish-prayer of encouragement for the Thessalonians (2,16-17), a request of the Thessalonians for prayer on Paul’s behalf (3,1-2), a prayer for encouragement (vv. 3-4), and a final benediction (v, 5). Paul's prayer for the Thessalonians is twofold. He prays for encouragement and strength. The first is an interior attitude; the second is the power needed for the external manifestation of that inner disposition. Having prayed for them, Paul now asks that they pray for him. However, the content of the prayer he requests is, significantly, different. He is not concerned with his own needs but with the progress of the gospel he preaches. He uses a dynamic image to describe this progress, that of a runner. It is not that the runner brings the gospel. Rather, Paul envisions the gospel itself as moving swiftly throughout the world and bringing glory (honour). In other words, Paul prays that the gospel be heard and respected, should move unimpeded wherever it goes. He appeals to the experience of the Thessalonians themselves. As he compliments them, thus strengthening them in their faith, he suggests that they are an example of the way the word of God can take root in the minds and hearts of people and transform their lives. This kind of compliment can go a long way in encouraging them. The second concern for which Paul would have them pray is his own deliverance from opposition. Here, he is less concerned with the consequences of the persecution in his own life than with how this may set up obstacles for the progress of the gospel. The faithless to whom he alludes are not identified. This is probably a very general reference to those who know about the good news but have closed their minds and hearts, who have even tried to undermine it. Paul does not doubt the goodwill of these Christians, but he knows from personal experience the weaknesses of human nature. For this reason he places his trust in the faithfulness of the Lord. It is Christ who will strengthen the believers; it is Christ who will be their protection against the forces of evil; it is Christ who will keep them on the path of righteousness, which they presently travel. To this end he pronounces a blessing. It is the love of God that will ground them in their faith; and the example of Christ’s endurance will enable them to persevere in their commitment. This is the essence of the prayer for which Paul prays.

            The gospel reading, Luke 20,27-38, depicts Jesus in a theological contest with the Saduccees. They were a religio-political party that claimed to be descendants of Zadok, high priest at the time of David (cf. 2 Sam 8, 17). Although, originally they may have all been priests, such was probably not the case by the time of Jesus. They seem to have been a conservative, aristocratic group who cooperated with the Romans and enjoyed a certain amount of privilege as a result. Theologically, they only accepted what was actually written in the Bible as authentic. They were not like the Pharisees, who also revered the collection of oral traditions that grew out of interpretation of the written tradition. Thus they would not have believed in the resurrection or the existence of angels or demons, concepts treated in this gospel. In their attempt to disprove the possibility of resurrection, they resorted to ridicule, thereby demonstrating what they considered to be the foolishness of such belief. If a man died without leaving an heir, the ancient law made provisions for the continuation of his name and the inheritance of his property. His brother was to take the widow to wife in order that an heir be born for the dead man (cf. Deut 25,5-10). This is the custom referred to by the Saduccees. From this point of view their question points out the folly of the resurrection faith. In response, Jesus first draws a line of distinction between this age and the age to come. The age to come will not be like this age. Now, procreation is way through which life continues from one generation to another. In the next age, the conditions will be radically different and so will be the existence within it. There will be no death; all will be spiritual beings, like the angels. As children of God, they will have a share in the very nature of God. Jesus then employs a traditional Jewish method of argument. He refers to the narrative of Moses' encounter with God at the burning bush (cf. Exod 3,1-6). There, God claims to be the God of the chief male ancestors of the Jewish nation. The text has God say I am, not I was. The implication is that God is still the God of these ancestors. Therefore, the God of the Israelites is a God of the living, not of the dead. This means that, somehow, the ancestors are still alive. The very phrase offers an explanation of how this might be the case. They were all joined to God through the covenant. Jesus' interpretation claims that death does not sever the union the covenant forges. Unless they choose to terminate their covenant relationship, they continue to be united to God, even after death.
The readings of this Sunday invite us to look, briefly, at the question of resurrection and the character of the life we are to live in anticipation of or in fidelity to it. Both the readings from Maccabees and the passage from the gospel speak of resurrection. The first is a testimony of faith, the second demonstrates a measure of scorn that accompanies unbelief. Belief in resurrection is not the same as conviction of the immortality of the soul. The latter is based on the makeup of the human person; the former rests on God’s fidelity. The doctrine of resurrection is grounded in the concept of covenant, which claims that God has established a relationship with human beings. The issue is whether this relationship is severed by death. Is death powerful enough to break the ties that bind us in covenant, or is it God's desire that the covenant endure? The later traditions of the Bible, the place where this issue is addressed, clearly state that God's desire to be united with us is stronger than death. Since God is a God of the living, we believe our continued union with Him must unfold in some kind of life. The Sadducees insisted on understanding the next life as if it were merely a continuation of the present one. This was their error, the error Jesus corrected without reverting to the sarcasm they had employed. He does not say what this future life will be like. He simply states that it will be different. The social systems, the gender relationships, and the method of assuring the continuation of humankind will be radically transformed. If the future that awaits us is that of the resurrection, how are we to live until it dawns? Actually, it has already dawned at Christ’s resurrection. This is the eschatological hope in which we live by the grace given us from God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Our future is already present; therefore, we are called to live lives that have been radically transformed. However, the future has not yet completely dawned, and so we find ourselves living both in this age and in the age to come. Thus we live proleptically; we live future lives, but we live them in the present (in anticipation). As difficult as this may be, we have the eternal encouragement of Christ. We have the promise that the Lord will strengthen us and guard us. We have the instruction of our religious tradition that directs our minds and hearts. When we live lives of the future, we truly enable that future to dawn in the present. May we pray, in today’s Eucharistic celebration, for the graces to live out our baptismal commitments and thereby fulfil the obligations of the covenantal relationship with God which we entered into at our Baptism. +John I. Okoye

(graphics by Charles)

31st Sunday Year C, 2019

May the encounter with Jesus in today's Eucharistic celebration bring us to be more intimate with him, make us to be truly repentant of our sins and help us to make amends for the injury we caused our neighbours in the past.

Happy Sunday!

DOCTRINE AND FAITH

(Wisdom 11,22-12,2;  2 Thessalonians 1,11-2,2; Luke 19,1-10; 31^st Sunday Year C, 2019)

The Creator’s universal love and providence is celebrated in this most unusual first reading, Wisdom, 11, 2,2.  Here, the Creator is depicted as one who, in love and mercy, is personally involved with every dimension of the natural world. The author of this passage highlights the immensity of God. The entire expanse of the cosmos is like nothing when compared to God. The author makes this daring statement; he says that God loves whatever He made. Just as the power of the Creator is matched by His love, so is this love manifested through mercy. The text says that God is merciful, precisely, because God is powerful. This too might sound like a curious statement, for in a world that glorified strength, mercy could appear to be a weak virtue. However, this passage dispels that false perception. Only one with power can move beyond the strict rules of retribution, and if divine power is boundless, then it is possible that divine mercy has no limits. Perhaps an even more daring statement is found in a later verse (12,1). There, the author claims that the imperishable (aphtartos) spirit of God is in all things. What could sound like pantheism (God is identified with creation) might be better understood as panentheism (God is in all things but also transcends them). The implications of such an incarnational concept are noteworthy. First, it provides a clue to the reason God so loves creation. Second, it throws light on the intrinsic value of the natural world, both human and non-human (there is no mention here of angels or other supernatural beings). This passage originated too early for us to entertain the possibility that it contains Trinitarian thinking. However, in the Jewish tradition the dynamic power of God, active in the lives of women and men, was often referred to as the spirit of the Lord (cf. Judges 6,34; 1 Sam 16,13; Isa 61,1; etc.). Only later would this idea develop in a new way. Finally, Pseudo-Solomon is not naive when it comes to human weakness. He knows that people sin, and he also knows there is suffering because of it. This in no way nullifies his claims about the mercy of God. Instead, that mercy explains the way God deals with sinners. They are rebuked more as a corrective than as a punishment, and this is done in order to bring them to greater insight, deeper commitment and trust in God.

In this short reading, 2 Thessalonians 1,11-2,2 Paul addresses two important issues: the fruition of the Christians' calling by God, and the correct teaching about the final coming of Christ. He addresses the Christians with familial titles, indicating both his relationship with them as collectively constituting children of God and members of the Church, and his personal commitment to them. In a very moving manner this minister of the gospel tells his people that he prays for them, and does so constantly. He is not merely intent on their accepting his teaching but also committed to their spiritual well-being. Though he has been the minister of the word, it is God who has called them. It is Paul's prayer that they be worthy of that calling, and he reminds them of this as an incentive for righteous living. However, he does not fail to insist it is God and not their own good works that makes them worthy of their call. Hidden in this assertion is the heart of Paul's teaching. That is, we are obliged to live ethical lives, but it is the prior grace of God and not our subsequent ethical behaviour that saves us. For Paul faith is the acceptance of the call of God and the openness to the message of the gospel. God calls; Paul preaches; and God brings to fulfilment the fruits of the preaching. The goal of Christian maturity is the glorification of the name of Jesus. In Greek, to glorify someone means to enhance that person's reputation. This might sound strange to us today unless we remember that Christian living is not based on performance of good works but on faith in Jesus. It is commitment to him that prompts Christians to live ethical lives. It is also this commitment that overflows into unselfish love of others. It equally gives his followers the courage they need to endure in the face of difficulty, and also motivates their every action. Therefore, whatever they do gives witness to their faith, a faith that claims they have died with him and risen through his power to a new life. In this way Christians do, indeed, glorify the name of Jesus. They in turn are glorified in him, for it is only through his grace that their transformation has been accomplished. It is all divine favour and  It is because of this transformation that they have been called by God. There seem to have been some difficulties in the Thessalonians' understanding of the coming of the Lord, so Paul sets out to correct them. He first assures them that when Christ comes they will all be gathered together with him (cf. 1 Thess 4,14-17). He also taught that in faith and through baptism Christians have died with Christ and risen with him and now live resurrected lives. This means that the day of fulfilment has already dawned. However, he also taught that fulfilment has not been brought to its ultimate completion. Paul teaches an already-but-not-yet eschatology. This is the essence of his teaching, and he insists the Thessalonians should accept nothing more and nothing less. Though the eschatological day of the Lord is imminent, it is not yet present. Believers must continue to live their lives in patient anticipation of his coming, realising they do so in the presence of his already having come.

The story of Zacchaeus,  Luke 19,1-10, demonstrates once again Jesus’ mission to seek and save what is lost. It also reveals the animosity the Jews, of his day, had toward those who were in any way in collusion with the occupying Romans, as were the tax collectors. Not only did Zacchaeus belong to the hated class of tax collectors, he was chief among them. Despite his obvious disrepute, Zacchaeus is described as possessing several very honourable qualities. His interest in seeing Jesus overrode any shame he may have experienced in having to climb the tree. He responded immediately to Jesus’ instruction and extended the fullness of customary hospitality to Jesus. The sincerity of his transformation is seen in the extent of his restitution. The law prescribed the return of the money extorted along with twenty percent of that amount (Lev 6,5). Zacchaeus is extravagant in his compensation, repaying fourfold whatever he might owe, and he does this in addition to giving half his possessions to the poor. Such prodigality is his response to having been called by the Lord and honoured with his presence.The narrative draws bold lines of contrast between Jesus' attitude toward this man and that of the people who witnessed the encounter. Jesus first singled him out from the crowd and then graciously accepted his hospitality. The others, despising Zacchaeus, murmured against Jesus and condemned him for eating, with sinners. Jesus' intent in Zacchaeus' regard can be seen in the words he uses. I must! (v. 5). There is something obligatory here and there is also urgency in the word today (vv. 5,9). Jesus must come to Zacchaeus today so that today salvation will come to his house. The urgency of the moment demanded that religious and social customs be set aside. Zacchaeus may well have been a sinner. His decision for restitution implies that he knew he was. So does Jesus' response to those who criticised him for socialising with a sinner. He never challenged their criticism. Instead he insisted that only those who are lost can be found; only those who are perishing can be saved. Those who revere themselves as righteous seldom understand this and as a result miss opportunities for their own salvation.The perspective of today’s readings is a concentration on the action of God. Today God holds out the splendour of the universe, the celebration of community, and the blessings of salvation to us. The psalm expresses our gratitude in praise and thanksgiving. The splendour of the universe can be seen is the interconnectedness of all the elements of which it consists. Nothing is too small to make a difference; everything is dependent on everything else. Nothing is unimportant or loathsome; everything is worthy of God's care and mercy. Somehow the spirit of the Creator is manifested through each and every aspect of this universe. And we are part of it all. We are dependent upon the forces of life within this awe-inspiring world, and it is dependent upon us to carry life and consciousness and creativity forward into each new generation and further it into new manifestations. It is this world that supplies us with the nourishment we need for creativity. Its sounds, colours, tastes and textures feed our imaginations. Our works of art are re-creations of the artistic work of God. 
As we learn the laws that govern the natural world, we are able to duplicate them in our own industry. Part of the tragedy of ecological devastation is the disintegration of the very elements that feed our creative spirits. In the gospel story there is manifestation of intimacy of hospitality. Offering hospitality is a profound social act. We reveal ourselves when we invite others into our homes. There our tastes and choices are on display. When we offer hospitality, we invite another into our world and lives. We shift our attention from our own cares and concerns to the needs and comfort of the other. By the act of hospitality we transform strangers into intimate friends. Jesus not only accepts the hospitality of Zacchaeus, he boldly invites himself to the man's home. In a sense, he becomes the host, inviting Zacchaeus into his life, into the intimacy of his friendship. By this act he displays the unrestricted nature of his love. He establishes a bond of love with a man of questionable character, and he, thereby, transforms him into a man who repents and radically, reforms his life. Although, the home belongs to Zacchaeus, the real home into which Jesus invites him is the reign of God, and there Jesus is the host. The hospitality Jesus offers dissolves all constraints. Relationships disregard the biased measures of propriety, forging bonds of reconciliation and issuing everyone an invitation to intimacy. The hospitality Jesus offers re-creates the world from one of insider versus outsider to one of universal inclusivity. Sinners become friends; the lost are found; all are restored to their rightful place as children not merely of Abraham but of God. The creativity of the Creator is matched by the compassion of the re-Creator. In the second reading, God’s compassion is manifested in the fact that He promises us a future. In that future all the blessings of salvation will be brought to fulfilment. Like Zacchaeus, we have been called and invited to open ourselves to the Lord who is coming so he can extend the riches of his own hospitality to us. We have a future; our past will not hold us back. We have a future; divisions will be dissolved. We have a future; this is reason to cry out in praise and thanksgiving: I will praise your name forever; let all your works give you thanks. Let us, therefore, in today’s Eucharistic celebration, ask for the graces not only to persevere but also to enhance God’s works in creation, respond positively to Christ’s offer of hospitality and be open to the full and definitive manifestation of God’s salvation in our lives in the future. Happy Sunday! +John I. Okoye

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