DOCTRINE AND FAITH.......30th Sunday of Year A.....(Exodus 22, 20-26; ; 1 Thess 1,5-10; Matt 22,34-40: )

(Exodus 22, 20-26; ; 1 Thess 1,5-10; Matt 22,34-40: 30th Sunday of Year A)

Today’s three readings offer us some points on which to reflect on or as individuals or communities that could become strong stimuli for actions that can lead to authentic Christian living and witnessing. 

In the second reading, the apostle Paul presents the Thessalonican Christian community as a model for every Christian community. Taken from the passage of last Sunday, Paul was pleased with the community and congratulates them for the following reasons: 

• (a) They received the word of God with joy that comes from the Holy Spirit, even though they were in the midst of great suffering. 
• (b) They did not only welcome the word of God but also translated it into practical life. The Thessalonians were the imitators of Paul and through him became imitators of Christ. They were really converted to God, and moved away from idols in order to serve the living and true God. 
• (c) Thus, they became models to all the believers of Macedonia and Achaia with the result that they diffused and irradiated everywhere, with the examples of their good lives, the Word of God and faith in Christ Jesus.  Our parish communities, various organisations and groups in the Church should indeed be like the Christian community of the Thessalonians. Thus, they should be a community: 
• (a) that is eager to receive the Word of God which is the substantially an irreplaceable nourishment of the soul; attentive to the word of God and disposed to leave ourselves to be guided and formed by it. 
• (b) that live the word of God, convert constantly to God, and abandoning the idols of today (money, pleasure, power, success. 
• (c)that irradiates the example of Christian life and diffuse the faith in the world. 
• (d) that love one another and helps one another to walk in love. 
  

This Sunday’s gospel holds that the soul of our Christian religion is nothing else other than love; that the essence of our being Christians is love. Jesus told the Doctor of Law, who wanted to find out which was the greatest of the commandments, that love of God and love of neighbour are the greatest. These are two commandments that are inseparable. Love of God, without the love of neighbour is a pure illusion, indeed it is a lie (1 John 4, 20-21). The love of neighbour without the love of God is mere philanthropy, human solidarity. It would be good sentiments in itself but would be bereft of superior motivation if it is not sustained by grace, if it does not defeat the temptations to selfishness, closing in unto oneself and indifference to the needs and problems of our neighbours. The love of God leads infallibly to the love of neighbour. The Christian love of neighbour has its pure source and foundation in the love of God. That is why it can be said that the index of our love of God is the same measure we love our neighbour. To love our neighbour in the christian sense means loving him in the light of God, like his creature, his son/ daughter and our brother/sister. It also means irradiating of God on every human person, especially if he/she is in need. 

If it is true that the love of our neighbour in the christian way is like the irradiation of the love towards God, it is as it were, the thermometer of our love towards God, it is necessary to add that the christian love of the neighbour is not impulsive or pure sentimentalism. This is what John condemned in his epistle: Do not love in words or with your tongue but in deeds and in truth (1 John 4,17). And what are the concreted deeds/actions of Christian love? The first reading indicates some: 

• (a) You must not molest the stranger or oppress him; do not be harsh with the widow or the orphan, etc. (See first reading). Indeed you are not to take any advantage of any person or the indigent situation or circumstances of any person. 
• (b) In some passages of the Old Testament we have the positive indications of the good deeds of love. It is even enough to read the words of Isaiah: This is the fasting I want, the Lord says, share your bread with the needy, welcome into your house the poor who has no home... clothe the naked... break the wicked chains or yokes... free the oppressed. (Isaiah 58,6-7). 
• (c)Jesus says explicitly that we shall be judged on the basis of our love towards the needy neighbour shown in concrete works of charity: I was hungry and you gave me to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me to drink, was a stranger and you received me in your home, nude and you clothed me, sick and you visited me, in prison and you came to see me (Matt 25,35-36).     In our country the situation of the needy abound; those wallowing in abject poverty without the possibility of a single meal a day; the sick everywhere, in our villages and towns without even any hope of getting any medical attention or help from any where, the displaced people on account of the menace of terrorism, etc, etc. In these vast areas of need we Christians, as communities or single believers, must do something to alleviate the suffering of our brothers and sisters. This should be motivated by that love which we have received as gift from God and which should be the first and foremost testimony we show to the world as Christians.So help us God!  Happy Sunday! 

+John I. Okoye

29th Sunday of Year A (Isaiah 45,1.4-6; 1 Thess 1,1-4; Matt 22,15-21: )

The content of the first reading may seem clear but its meaning does not lead to easy understanding.  The prophet Isaiah holds that God needed the services of king Cyrus of Persia in order to realise his design, the liberation of his people, Israel. The elected people were in exile in Babylon (around 1500 B.C) when Cyrus defeated the Babylonians and liberated the people of Israel, thereby manifesting his astuteness in political issues. He did not liberate them out of his magnanimity or humanitarian considerations, but he did this hoping to dominate them the more by sending them back to their fatherland than retaining them in their place of exile. However, the point this passage wants to show is that, though king Cyrus was a pagan king God, nevertheless, used him as an instrument in realising his project of liberating his people from slavery. One concludes thus: 

• (a) God can use every body, not only the believers, but also non believers to realise his plans. He will even use us more if we are docile and disposed to the insinuations of his graces; 
• (b) We should not read history or events of life from the human point of view only. In all events there is always God’s hand works and also divine Providence that guides and governs. 

In the gospel reading we have the famous statement from Jesus: Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s. Jesus made use of this terse sentence that all the Synoptics recorded to respond to those who wanted to trap him with the question: Is it allowed to pay tax to Caesar or not? This looked like a genuine question but in reality was a snare. For if Jesus had answered that it was legitimate to pay tax to Caesar, he would have been reckoned among the friends of the Romans and he would have incurred the anger of the Jews. On the other hand, if he had responded that it was not proper he would have appeared subversive to the ruling foreigners from Rome and would have fallen into the hands of the Roman soldiers. Jesus’ answer was a clever ruse to escape the pitfalls. His answer, give to Caesar what is Caesar’s means: if you accept the services of Caesar then pay the tax. Thus, every Christian should know that he/she has some precise rights and duties towards the state. He should also be aware that he/she has the rights to ask for certain services for his accommodation, work, health, justice etc. He has also the duty to make his/her contribution to the state by his/her honesty, dedication to duty, even contributing money by paying his/her taxes. However, Jesus also added: give to God what is God’s. Besides and above the duties to the state, we have also the duties towards God, the unique Absolute. The state cannot function in an absolute manner. If the state passes a law that is contrary to the law of God, or does something that is unjust, the Christian should courageously like the apostle declare: it is better to obey God, than to obey people (5,29).

In the second reading, the apostle Paul warmly appreciates the Christians of Thessalonica and praises them for their effort in living the faith, charitable work and for the hope they steadily reposed in God. The active exercise of these three theological virtues shows that the Holy Spirit is actively working in their midst. This eulogy of Paul of the Christians of Thessalonica should be addressed to every Christian community, indeed to every Christian that is every one of us. The question is: Do we merit it? Paul writing to the Philippians exhorts them: Shine like stars in the world, hold high the world of life. May we therefore, also shine like stars in the world, irradiating the light of the gospel in the measure we are truly committed to the life of faith, works of charity and constant in faith of Jesus Christ our Lord.    Happy Sunday!

+John I. Okoye

DOCTRINE AND FAITH Isaiah 25, 6-10; Philippians 4, 12-14.19-20: Matt 22, 1-14: 28th Sunday of Year

DOCTRINE AND FAITH

(Isaiah 25, 6-10; Philippians 4, 12-14.19-20: Matt 22, 1-14: 28th Sunday of Year A)

The parable which Jesus narrates in today’s Gospel stresses the promptness with which to actively respond to God’s call for our salvation. Through reading the parable, even casually, one notices the theme; catholicity or universality of the Kingdom of heaven, of God’s reign, which Christ inaugurates and concretely and historically identified with the Church. This theme of universality is anticipated in the first reading, which is taken from the book of prophet Isaiah, the prophet, where it is said the Lord will prepare a banquet for all the people. 

Evangelist, Matthew, sees in this parable of the banquet prepared by a king for his son’s the marriage feast the summary or compendium of the entire history of salvation. God sends out his servants several times, that is, his prophets to assemble people, particularly the Jews, to the banquet of his kingdom (to salvation). The history of salvation reaches its summit with the coming of Christ. The kingdom of heaven (kingdom of God) was present in Christ and became a reality through him. Christ came to invite all to be members of this kingdom. There should, therefore, be no need to hesitate or delay in deciding to be a part of the kingdom. This is first and foremost the lesson of this parable. It is also to be noted that to take part in the banquet is gratuitous. It is God who offers the banquet and invites people to it, free of charge. What he demands from us is just to accept the invitation. Accepting it means also welcoming the consequences and implications that go with it. It was, however, surprising that the invitees (in the parable) turned the offer down, and disappointing too is when one considers the generosity, courtesy and eagerness of the one who invited them. What worsened the situation is that the banquet has been prepared and there was no serious excuse for rejecting the invitation. Actually, the main motive of the rejection was that the invited people preferred their personal affairs, and material interests (farms, businesses, etc) to the work of God. Consequently, the invitation was thrown open to other people, good and bad. The servants were to go to the crossroads of the town to invite anyone they could find to the wedding feast. The theme running through the parable of last Sunday surfaces again in the parable of this Sunday: the people of Israel did not listen to God and God had to turn to anyone who welcomes his Word.  For God it does not matter who the new invitees were or what they were doing or where they come from (Jews or Gentiles). What is most important is that they answer the call of God. The evangelist wishes us once more to understand that the true Israel, the true elect people of God are made up of Jews and Gentiles as Jesus has destroyed all barriers and divisions among the peoples. 

The second part of the parable seems to contrast somehow with the first. The king (God), at first, called all, good and bad to participate in the banquet. But when he found an invitee without the appropriate wedding uniform he sent him away.  What does the evangelist wish to say? The community of the disciples of Jesus and indeed every Christian community and every individual Christian will have to avoid the opinion/idea that being called to be a Christian, or becoming a member of the Church through baptism (entering into the banquet hall) suffices to guarantee ones salvation. One will also have to put on the appropriate weeding uniform. But what is this weeding uniform that is indispensable for the banquet, without which one is thrown out? This is the state of the soul in grace and that is no other than the charity, love for God and the needy neighbour, which the Holy Spirit pours into our souls. The wedding uniform may also refer to those splendid vests which according to the book of Revelation (Rev 19,8) consists of the works of justice of the saints. They can also stand for the works of justice, which Matthew mentions in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt, 20). No one should think of just swaggering into a banquet hall and remain there unchanged. Something very important will have to happen. For Paul, that person will have to clothe himself in Christ, assume the sentiments of Christ and his style of life. This discussion induces each one of us to ask himself/herself if he/she has the requisite wedding uniform, if one has been able to preserve it, or has done something for it to appreciate in value or put it into good works, or presented it fully for God’s work to the benefit of his fellow human being? We need to reflect seriously on the implication of the conclusion of the parable which holds: many are called but few (effectively) will be saved. 

However, even if we are perfectly in order with the requisite wedding uniform (but who really is?), we have not finished our duty, which is the same with those of the servants of the parable who were given the duty to invite people to the wedding feast: Go ... and invite whomever you find to the wedding feast. We are also supposed to go out to invite people to the wedding feast. How? By continuing the work of proclamation of the gospel, and evangelization everywhere and every-time, in our families, our places of work, market places, schools, etc. We do so more effectively with examples of acts of charity and love towards our needy neighbours than with only words of mouth. 

The Eucharistic banquet in which we participate in every Sunday is the sacramental sign of a greater banquet which God has prepared for all the people in the Church, it is the prefiguration of yet another greater and richer banquet, the eternal eschatological one prepared by God. Blessed are we who are invited to this Eucharistic banquet in which we participate everySunday.  May we therefore, ask the almighty God to give us the grace to be able to participate in the banquet of heaven!  Happy Sunday! 

+John I. Okoye