May the Risen Christ who appears in today’s Sunday Eucharistic assembly strengthen your faith and give you the graces to reach out in true charity to your neighbours. Happy Sunday! + John I. Okoye
DOCTRINE AND FAITH
(Isaiah 56,1.6-7; Romans 11,13-15.29-32; Matt 15, 21-28, 20th Sunday of Year A) The readings of today underline the universality of God’s offer of salvation to mankind. No doubt, God sets his heart on the Israelites as his chosen people, a nation set apart to enjoy his favour. This choice, however, did not in any way eradicate the possibility of other people and nations finding favour in God’s presence. The Prophet Isaiah recognises this universality of God’s offer of salvation in today’s first reading. Making a remarkable departure from the Jewish exclusive mentality that tends to suggest that those outside of the Israelites have no place before God, Isaiah declares Yahweh’s readiness to let foreigners get a share of his benevolence, provided they are faithful to his commands and loyal to the terms of the covenant. They are to share in God’s benevolence as insiders and not as outsiders in virtue of God’s declaration: Foreigners … I will bring to my holy mountain. Thus, foreigners are encouraged to proceed to God’s holy mountain, the site considered the dwelling place of God on earth. The word holy (qadosh) calls to mind all the prescriptions that determine what is worthy of being dedicated to God and what is not. Foreigners, who at other time, would have been prevented from approaching the holy place, will be brought to it. The shrine or temple is considered a house of prayer, and these worthy foreigners will be allowed to rejoice here as members of the praying community. Finally, their sacrifices and burnt offerings will find favour in God’s sight as those of Israel. Their participation in the life of prayer and sacrifice is the crowning act of their acceptance. We note that one of the conditions that the stranger is to fulfill so as to enjoy the above privileges is to observer the Sabbath and not to profane it. Keeping the Sabbath holy is the third commandment of God. It was kept holy in the Old Testament by abstaining from work and resting following the example of God who worked for six days and rested on the seventh day. With the resurrection of Christ on the first day of the week, this third injunction of the Ten Commandment takes on new dimensions. First, the day being kept holy is now the first day of the week, that is Sunday, the day Christ rose from the dead. Secondly, it is to be kept holy by attending Holy Mass and resting from work in order to have more time with God and things that pertain to Him. A keen observer will surely remark that we pay lip service to our Sundayobligations. This is because it is on Sundays that we schedule all types of odd meetings, engage in all types of sports, visits, etc. It is on Sundays that some of us open our shops in order to make more sales and go out for shopping and entertainment. We no longer have time to stay with our families and at least for one day come close to our children. We do not have time for God either; for as soon as we receive Holy Communion, we dash out of the Church premises for the next activities. We do not think of God again. Participation in Sunday Bible class, recitation of the Rosary and benediction of the Blessed Sacrament are becoming what we read in the archives that happened some centuries ago. May we reflect on this point seriously and take resolution on how properly we are to keepSunday holy. By opening our shops on Sundays and going for shopping on Sundays (even when returning from Sunday Mass) we are making ourselves real and modern foreigners in the kingdom of God. We even estrange ourselves the more by not attending Mass on Sundays. When we abstain from Holy Mass, how do we come in contact with the Risen Lord who comes to us at every Mass especially at the SundayMass of God’s worshipping community?
It was the idea of acceptability of all peoples and nations before God that St. Paul took up in today’s second reading. He expressed this paradoxically: God has imprisoned all men in their own disobedience only to show mercy to all mankind. The Romans, as pagans before the coming of Christ, were disobedient to God. But at the disobedience of the Jews to God, by rejecting Christ who was sent to them as Messiah, the Romans obtained mercy from God and participation in the kingdom of God became possible to them. Now God will use the mercy towards the Romans in such a manner that the Jews will in their own turn be favoured by God.. Although, his compatriot disobeyed God by rejecting Christ, Paul is still optimistic and hopeful about their conversion. This is because according to Paul God’s gift and call is irrevocable. What this boils down to is that God’s election of Jews as his own people is not going to be futile. In effect and in the long run both the Jews and the pagans will enjoy God’s mercy and salvation. Salvation for all will be possible.
It was the idea of acceptability of all peoples and nations before God that St. Paul took up in today’s second reading. He expressed this paradoxically: God has imprisoned all men in their own disobedience only to show mercy to all mankind. The Romans, as pagans before the coming of Christ, were disobedient to God. But at the disobedience of the Jews to God, by rejecting Christ who was sent to them as Messiah, the Romans obtained mercy from God and participation in the kingdom of God became possible to them. Now God will use the mercy towards the Romans in such a manner that the Jews will in their own turn be favoured by God.. Although, his compatriot disobeyed God by rejecting Christ, Paul is still optimistic and hopeful about their conversion. This is because according to Paul God’s gift and call is irrevocable. What this boils down to is that God’s election of Jews as his own people is not going to be futile. In effect and in the long run both the Jews and the pagans will enjoy God’s mercy and salvation. Salvation for all will be possible.
In the gospel, Jesus demonstrates that even though his mission, was primarily, targeted at the chosen people of God, everyone, irrespective of race or nationality stands the chance of benefiting from God’s mercy and benevolence. In spite of the fact that the initial responses Jesus gave to the Canaanite woman’s request could be considered derogatory, she stood her ground and persisted with her request, refusing to be discouraged. Jesus praised her faith and granted her heart’s desire. She was not an Israelite but she won God’s favour. What is coming from the gospel episode of today and from the writings of St. Paul is that what gives one ticket to salvation is not belonging to this race or that nation but faith in Christ. The faith that is required and which is possible for everyone is the type exhibited by the Canaanite woman in today’s Gospel reading. It is an example of humble and courageous faith, faith that is replete with confidence and perseverance, faith that does not give up in face of difficulties but rather increases in spite of it. May we treasure this marvelous example of faith and may we try to imitate the Canaanite woman especially in those moments of our lives when it seems that God is far away from us and does not give ear to our invocations to him.
It was no doubt the pain and suffering from the sickness of her daughter that made the Canaanite woman go in search of Jesus. If it were not for her circumstances, she probably would not have gone to seek out Jesus and would not have manifested her faith. The lesson that we can glean from this is that, sometimes, sorrows, sufferings and difficulties of life are often privileged occasions for meeting with Christ and reinforcing our faith in him. God certainly permits sufferings and temptations in our lives in order to make us go closer to him, hold ourselves unto him, abandon ourselves in filial confidence to him and pray with intensity and favour without getting tired. Little by little, light and serenity come to the mind once more and what follows is the energy to move ahead. So let use every painful and difficult occasion we meet in life as spring board to soar up to God. Let such golden opportunities not slip off our fingers.
God’s offer of salvation is indeed universal and accepts no racial segregation or class distinction. More than consideration of status, class and race the fact that the human person is created fundamentally in the image and likeness of God ought to compel us to avoid falling into any form of arbitrary discriminatory judgment that tends to make us place some people outside of God’s mercy. Happy Sunday +John I. Okoye
It was no doubt the pain and suffering from the sickness of her daughter that made the Canaanite woman go in search of Jesus. If it were not for her circumstances, she probably would not have gone to seek out Jesus and would not have manifested her faith. The lesson that we can glean from this is that, sometimes, sorrows, sufferings and difficulties of life are often privileged occasions for meeting with Christ and reinforcing our faith in him. God certainly permits sufferings and temptations in our lives in order to make us go closer to him, hold ourselves unto him, abandon ourselves in filial confidence to him and pray with intensity and favour without getting tired. Little by little, light and serenity come to the mind once more and what follows is the energy to move ahead. So let use every painful and difficult occasion we meet in life as spring board to soar up to God. Let such golden opportunities not slip off our fingers.
God’s offer of salvation is indeed universal and accepts no racial segregation or class distinction. More than consideration of status, class and race the fact that the human person is created fundamentally in the image and likeness of God ought to compel us to avoid falling into any form of arbitrary discriminatory judgment that tends to make us place some people outside of God’s mercy. Happy Sunday +John I. Okoye
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