Don’t edge him out!
4th Sunday in Ordinary Time C
Jeremiah 1, 4-5.17-19; 1 Cor 12, 31-13,13; Lk 4,21-30

What happens to Jesus in His home village is what happens to every true prophet. Over-familiarization with the person of Jesus closes and forces His own people into indifference. They know Him too much to expect anything new from Him. Of course, His is a real prophetic message which enrages everyone. He cites examples from foreigners who were ready to give God a place in their lives and thus challenges the Jews in their indifference. In Ps. 95, the psalmist speaks out an invitation: “Oh that today you would listen to His voice; harden not your heart…!“ Don’t edge Him out of your life, for He is bringing you freedom out of your misery! If you only knew what would bring you peace! (Lk 19: 42)

Can I use your boat?
5th Sunday in Ordinary Time C
Isaiah 6,1-2a.3-8; 1 Cor 15,1-11; Lk 5,1-11

The word of God today presents to us three men whom God chose as instruments: Isaiah, Paul and Peter. It is interesting to note that all of them felt unworthy for the task that God was calling them to. At the beginning, there is an acknowledgement of unworthiness and sinfulness. They were not to rely on their human resources but on God’s grace. Peter’s response to Jesus deserves a deeper contemplation: “Go away from me, for I am a sinful man!” Jesus seems not to take this seriously and in fact He is saying: “In your boat, Peter, I am at the right address, for I have come for the sinners!” Jesus is calling each one of us to participate in His work of liberating others from the powers of evil. Do you feel inadequate for this call? Just believe in the grace of God which is going to transform you into Jesus’ authentic collaborator!

Blessed are the Poor
6th Sunday in Ordinary Time C
Jeremiah 17, 5-8; 1 Cor 15, 12.16-20; Lk 6, 17.20-26

How is it possible to be poor and happy at the same time? In our time, many will measure happiness by the quantity of money and the material things they possess. The danger in this attitude is that with time, those who possess end up being possessed by the material things. Worse still is that those who put their trust in riches and leave no place for God in their lives are the poorest. We do well when we try by all means to eradicate poverty but we are better positioned if we strive to avoid the tendency of putting our trust in self, money, possessions, power and popularity. Try to resist the temptation of managing your life without God and when your riches increase and perhaps are able to help the poor, don’t play god in their lives. Being poor means trusting God and being aware of one’s weakness and thus, counting on God’s help.

The true Christian identity is love of all
7th Sunday in Ordinary Time C
1 Sam 26, 7-9.12-13.22-23; 1 Cor 15,45-49; Lk 6,27-38

People always try to imitate the kind of God they worship. The characteristic mark of Christians is compassionate love as an imitation of God. Jesus presents to us the ideal of love by inviting us his followers to love our enemies. This is completely contrary to what all human beings are capable of: revenge and retaliation. To love one’s enemy is a Christian stamp. In order to love this way, we all need God or else we fall into the trap of loving so that we may be loved in return.

This would make our love conditional. God’s love of sinners transforms them into friends. If we want to live our true Christian identity, we can’t rely on our human efforts and strength. We need divine grace and God’s own sentiments and tastes. We can love our enemies when we insist on believing that even “the enemy” still has something good. Put this into practice by not clinging to grudges and resentments but let God increase our love-potential!

By Fr. Anthony Kibira MCCJ

In His mission of proclaiming the Kingdom of God, Jesus attracted many hearers. From them, He chose those that He wanted. Their identity was that of being disciples. The crowds were astonished at what He said and did but they, in a way, remained spectators and not followers. The radical message of Jesus is that He never wanted admirers like for celebrities but disciples (followers). On the journey of discipleship, the numbers kept on decreasing: crowds, then twelve, three and at the end two/one.

This seems to be pointing to the fact that, this journey leads to a personal relationship with Jesus. While all His “friends” deserted Him, only the disciple that Jesus loved stood under the cross. This is the disciple who really understood who Jesus was because His love enabled Him to persevere during the master-lesson which, Jesus delivered at the pulpit of the Cross. As we venerate the Cross of the Saviour, we ought to listen to Him as He speaks His last words:

Father, forgive them (Lk. 23, 34)

Jesus is consequent to His own teaching of loving one’s enemies. At the cross, He does it Himself. He prays for His persecutors because He knew that they did what they did out of ignorance. No bitter word comes from His mouth. Lord, help me not to become bitter amidst suffering!

This day you will be with me in paradise (Lk. 23, 43)

It is never too late. The disciples who wanted the places at His right and left have run away. Two criminals get them. Only the central cross has redemptive power. One criminal recognizes the King in a condemned man. Jesus’ hands are nailed to the Cross but they unlock paradise. Lord, remember me!

Behold your son (John 19, 26)

For Mary, it is a second giving birth in the labours of the Cross to millions who are her children. Lord, thank you for entrusting me/us to a mother!

My God, why have you forsaken me? (Mk. 15, 34)

All is darkness for the crucified Lord. He only has God to cry to. He atones for “those who abandon God, those who doubt God’s presence and those who are indifferent to God“ (Fulton J. Sheen). Lord, help me to always have God as the addressee of my cries and the cries of all the crucified of our time!

I thirst (John 19, 28)

Jesus speaks from the depth of His Heart, His thirst for a drink of love. The creator longs for the creatures’ response. He has given the true definition of love by giving His life for His friends. He now expects a love-response. Lord, draw me to yourself and awaken in me a thirst for you!

It is finished (John 19, 30)

Mission is fulfilled. Jesus has brought His work of restoring the broken relationship between God and humanity to its completion. The fountain has been laid open, but the drinkers must draw the water. Jesus has finished the foundation, but we must build further. Lord, help me do away with sin in my life so that there may be no obstacle for you to accomplish your mission in and through me!

Father, into your hands I commend my spirit (Lk. 23, 46)

Jesus has spent Himself and life with an “infinite prodigality” (Fulton J. Sheen) and has been fed with human indifference and ingratitude. He surrenders Himself into the hands of the Father whose will He has always done. He returns home where He eternally belongs. Lord, help me to surrender myself completely to God’s will!

When the body of the Saviour was laid into the tomb, the hopes and dreams of His friends were also buried. Risen from the dead, He goes to look for them and speaks a word that creates them anew: “Receive the Holy Spirit!” (John 20, 22) Filled with the Holy Spirit, the disciples recognize the Cross as God’s wisdom and center of their proclamation.
Lord, send forth your Spirit and renew the face of the earth!

By Fr. Anthony kibira MCCJ

In Jesus of Nazareth, God chose to be one with humanity so that human beings can share divine nature. In a wounded and wounding world, Christians ought to proclaim clearly that human beings are nobler than they often think they are. Our destination is something beautiful. This is the message of Easter. What we celebrate at Easter is first true about Jesus whom the bonds of death couldn’t hold captive. The Father raised Him from the dead. It is, however, a celebration of humanity’s hope for transformation into the true Self that has its origin and goal in the eternity of God.

At one with humanity’s wounds

The Lenten journey that we have just lived has been an opportunity to recognize our little selves, which in fact must die so that the true Self can shine. All the Lenten observances have not been an effort to increase our bargaining power with God. No, they have instead brought us nearer to God and thus, nearer to our true selves. We have come to realize that as human beings, we are wounded and are capable of inflicting wounds. The forty days that we started with the sprinkling of ashes were ample time to be with the Lord in the desert so that we can with Him learn how to discern the allurements of the devil and resist the tempter’s tricks.
Taking up our crosses through self-denial has equipped us to be faithful disciples who are ready to move up to the moment of the Cross. It is under the Cross that we really “under-stand” the meaning of true love.

It is good to remind ourselves of this love which conquers death so that we can imitate the one who really loved. “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15, 13). It is love that lets Jesus be crucified. The Cross is thus, the Teacher’s pulpit, which He uses to deliver His master-piece: He seems to be saying: “I am one with you in your brokenness. I show you the problem and the solution.” The Cross has exposed humanity’s perennial problem, namely, crucifixion. The wounds Jesus incurred on the Cross were inflicted on to Him by the wounded humanity itself in defense of deadly religious and power systems. As we celebrate the victory of the Lord, we ought to be aware of these systems and the old patterns of crucifixion.

The solution to all sorts of crucifixion is Jesus’ ability and readiness to suffer without making others suffer. From the Cross, He seems to be crying out to all the humans especially those who are addicted to making others suffer: “Let crucifixion end with me!” Have we heard this as we celebrate His victory? The first step in letting our wounds be healed is to sincerely recognize and name them. Exposed to the light of the resurrection, no wound is incurable.

Wounds are healed

The Evangelist; Luke presents an interesting detail in his resurrection account: “I am not a ghost! I have flesh and bones, as you can see”, says the Risen Lord (Lk. 24, 39-41). In John’s gospel, He will say to Thomas: “Put your finger in the wounds!” (John 20, 27) The Risen Lord has the marks that identify Him with the humans. What is interesting to note is that through the transformation that the Lord has gone through, His wounds are healed. Has the Lenten journey made us aware of our wounds? Then Easter should let us participate in the joy of healing, which God bestows.

What we celebrate on Good Friday is a hard truth that humans do wound, but the Risen Lord invites us to enter the experience of a new life where even the greatest of all wounds are healed. Unless we allow the light of the resurrection to penetrate our wounds, we shall continue to wound others even though at times unconsciously. “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Lk. 23, 34) Our readiness to forgive those who hurt us will show our readiness to rise from the grave of our wounds.

God’s ultimate possibility

Nothing is impossible for God. This is demonstrated at Easter where God raises Jesus from death. In this way, He conquers the worst of all human enemies and opens a new and eternal horizon for humanity. Human destination is there where God creates everything anew. The destination of humanity is the participation in the life of the Creator.

Easter is God’s ultimate possibility of giving life. Christians are called to imitate the God they worship by being on the side of life and resist all the agents of death. They may not raise the dead back to life, as some self-proclaimed prophets of our time are claiming, but as Matthew Kelly (2015) puts it: “Christians should be the ultimate people of possibility”. They have the duty of bringing the light of the resurrection into the many situations of impossibility. St. Peters urges us: “Always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who calls you to account for the hope that is in you” (1 Pet 3, 15).

The faith in the God of innumerable possibilities should be the reason for the hope we are to plant in situations of hopelessness. The joy of resurrection won’t end on Easter Sunday but will permeate our ordinary life. Christians are Easter-people wherever they are. It will be Easter where nations are ready to seek peaceful means of resolving their misunderstandings; it will be Easter when weapons can give way to dialogue and walls that separate people give way to bridges that bring them closer.

The journey continues

The Lenten journey, that seems to be coming to an end with the conclusion of the liturgical season, should in fact become our lifestyle. Through fasting, as Christians, we have proved ourselves capable of dying to our pleasures and disordered desires; our self-denial has reawakened in us the sensitivity to the needs of our brothers and sisters; through prayer, we have rediscovered the joy of being rooted in an intimate relationship with God; through the reception of the sacrament of reconciliation, we have let ourselves be washed clean in order to reclaim our true identity as God’s beloved children; we have rediscovered the mercy of God which is greater than our sins and above all, we have come to experience in a special way that love, and not death, has the final word. The Lenten journey has been a wake-up-call not to give our hearts to the earthly things and concerns, which pass away but to look at the resurrection as our participation in the life of God’s true children. Nothing (not even death) can ever separate us from God. Halleluja!

What we celebrate at Easter is first true about Jesus whom the bonds of death couldn’t hold captive…