(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
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