NINETEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
“If you sit in the boat of life, you need a solid anchor
One of the mysteries in life is the storms we must battle before reaching the shores of our destinations. Every human being obviously has one or more storms that they must confront. It can be a medical condition, relationship uncertainties, job/career instabilities, financial struggles, family issues, or even personality characters. This generates fear and panic, sorrow and anguish, bitterness and anxieties, anger and hatred, hopelessness and faithlessness, etc. in us in varied ways. It is so because in such unfortunate circumstances you just do not know what to do, who to go to, where to go, or how to handle them. Due to this, many have resorted to suicide, drug abuse, giving up in life, to bad company or in some other cases some individuals have developed psychological conditions, depressions, frustrations, anxieties, etc.
But as Christians we have God the father and His son Jesus Christ to respond to every storm in our lives that scares us. If you sit in the boat of life you need a solid anchor that can hold you in times of any storm. Jesus, our Savior, is that anchor. Our first reading presents how God revealed Himself to Elijah through the tiny whispering sound on the mountain top. This happened because he was sent to rescue the Israelites from idol worshiping and immorality, they had plunged themselves into, under the influence of the pagan queen Jezebel. But to succeed he had to fight and defeat 450 pagan priests of Baal on Mount Carmel. His life was in danger. However, due to his trusting faith and reliance upon God, God appeared in that cosmic sign to help and protect him; thereby vindicating him from his enemies. As Christians we should see ourselves as the “Elijahs” of our time and age who have been chosen and sent to rescue our generation which has grown indifferent to religion and have resorted to material comfort, immorality, worldly vanities, abuse of human liberty and human rights. But like Elijah we need to develop a persevering trust and faith in God and avail ourselves to experience His presence and listen carefully to Him. Apostle Paul in our second reading explodes with a passionate disappointment against the Jews for failing to present Jesus as the Messiah to the world. He exhorts that God made it so, so that people like himself could preach the good news outside Judaism to evangelize the Gentiles. The consequence of this is to make salvation to the whole world and to reconcile the Jews and the Gentiles. If we are Christians today, we must always say “Thank you” to God and to our fathers in the faith who have laid a good foundation for us. Therefore, we must also see it as imperative/obligation to suffer to help others to come to the faith as we walk the talk of our faith. In conclusion, our gospel gives us the episode of Peter’s attempt to walk on the sea to Jesus only to be frightened by the storm leading to his near sinking until Jesus rescued him. Initially, Peter had the faith and the confidence, but the heavy storm scared him to lose his focus. However, His trust and hope in the competence of Jesus as he acclaimed, “Lord, save me,” manifested the Divine authority and power of Jesus over every situation including nature; which is affirmed by the others as they reiterated, “Truly, you are the Son of God.” As Christians we have Jesus to rescue us when the storms of life intimidate and threaten us to lose focus. We must cry unto him for help. He is ready to assist. If you have Christ as your anchor there is no room for fear. Just invite Him into your life, the storms will be calm. Faith, trust and reliance upon Him can do the miracle and your life will never be the same! Stay Healthy… PRAY…Keep the faith…Enjoy the last bit of the Sun and the heat… Let Christ Be Your Anchor… Fr. Emmanuel THE EIGHTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME "You must believe in the truth that whatever God gives or permits is for your salvation." No one ever wants to be in trouble in their lives, but imprudent and unwise decisions, choices, planning and deeds have always landed us into unpleasant and unexpected circumstances beyond our control. It is not fun when you must suffer to pay for the unfortunate consequences of a wrongful choice, decision, etc. in your life. Your whole life is not only shattered but also thrown into disarray. Nevertheless, it is heartwarming and soothing when you have some one who stands with you to fight your course. They comfort you and console you to sustain your hopes and rebuild you again to bring you out of that mess. It tells how deep the love is, the care and concern are, and the readiness to guarantee your joy and happiness. You will forever be grateful and appreciative. I believe you will never dare to lose such a friend in your life! Such was the situation of the Israelites in the first reading. This prophetic oracle consoled them about the ending of their Babylonian captivity, where they would return to their homeland from slavery. So, the message was God’s promise of a better future. This was aimed at giving them hope (about the renewal of God’s covenant) and keeping them from losing their faith. There was an assurance that poverty would not be a barrier to their enjoyment of God’s bounty. As Christians we are exhorted to continue to trust and hope in the Lord regardless of the negative circumstances we might be experiencing in life. He is the great provider and the one who makes the impossible possible. Nothing at all can hinder us from enjoying His gratuitous love and care, not even our sins. Nothing should discourage or make you despair or faithless in God. He will never leave you abandoned or to fight alone. That is why the Psalmist inspires, “Yahweh is good to all, His compassion is over all that He has made.” (Psalm 145:9) In our second reading the Apostle Paul discouraged placing barriers for others against the love of God. The Judeo-Christians had insisted that the Gentile Christians must observe some aspect of the Mosaic law. Rather he urged that God saves us by our faith in His son Christ Jesus and His unearned and undeserved grace. Therefore, nothing can ever come between us and the love God made visible in Christ Jesus our LORD. Any suffering we may encounter is a trial through which we triumph. Finally, Jesus Christ in our gospel reading demonstrates God the Father’s love and care for His people by feeding them. He did so spiritually by his preaching of the word, and physically by the miraculous multiplication of five loaves and two fish. The miracle manifests the Divinity of Jesus, the Divine providence and the Divine compassion. A Messianic sign where Jesus is showcased as the new Moses (Exodus 16) and the new Elisha (2 Kings 42-44). As Christians, we are motivated to place our trust and confidence in Jesus Christ. To always strive to nourish our souls with the precious Word of God and the bread of life (the Holy Eucharist). It is needful to be with Jesus Christ in personal and family prayer and the adoration of the Holy Eucharist. We must be ready to make a spiritual impact in people’s life by sharing the Word of God with them. See yourself as the bridge on which others walk to God and from God to the world. Stay Healthy… PRAY… Keep the Faith… Enjoy the Sun… Give GOD a chance… FR. EMMANUEL THE SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME “A sacrifice to be real must cost, must hurt, and must empty ourselves. The aim of Christianity is to prepare souls for eternal life (salvation). To be saved is to achieve what theologians describe as Beatific Vision. This means having a personal union with God where you are welcome to enter His celestial abode. He reigns and sits on His glorious throne in His Kingdom. His Kingship is without end, and we become His princess and princesses. We will see Him face to face as He truly is; we will enjoy the eternal bliss forever and ever. No sickness, no worries, no disappoints nor everything negative that the world gives. Nonetheless, the Kingdom of Heaven and salvation do not come on a silver platter. In order to gain access to them, one must be ready and willing to sacrifice everything in life to do the will of God. Their prices cannot be quantified, so they are the valuable treasure or pearl of great worth. Hence, it takes great sacrifice, faith and personal relationship with Jesus Christ to be eligible. In our first reading, Solomon touched the heart of God when he asked for an understanding heart to judge his people and to distinguish right from wrong. In effect, he asked for the virtue of prudence and wisdom. He becomes a model and a challenge to us to be cautious and to discern appropriately and prudently our choices, decisions, actions, plannings and dealings. In doing so, we express our readiness and willingness to do the will of God in our lives. It is a great treasure of accepting God to rule in your life. This calls for discipline, shrewdness, carefulness, caution, skill and good judgements in your life. St. Paul, in our second reading, reminds us that we have the right and privilege to enjoy the Kingdom of Heaven and to be saved because we are already predestined, called, justified and glorified. So, what is left is to apply the cardinal virtue of prudence. Application of proper discernment and right judgement in our everyday life is crucial in the fulfillment of the will of God. Let our love for God work everything good for us. Thus, the Psalmist reiterates, “For I love your commands more than gold, however fine.” (Psalm 119:127) Finally, in our gospel reading Jesus uses a parable to express how the Kingdom of Heaven should be treasured more than anything else in our lives. Like the character in the story, we should be ready to sacrifice everything in our lives to acquire the Kingdom of Heaven. Therefore, it should be our priority to go to Heaven and be saved. We should not allow anything else to take that valuable treasure from us. Faith, prudence, obedience to the will of God and having a personal relationship with Jesus are indispensable means. Solomon was just prudent! Be a Solomon and your life will never be the same. Stay Healthy… PRAY… Keep the Faith… Enjoy the sunshine…. Let PRUDENCE lead… Fr. Emmanuel SIXTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME "Have patience with all things, but first with yourself." The presence of evil and its patronage vis a vis the existence of God and the call to obedience to His commandments have baffled the minds of many humankind for ages. Those who believe in the existence of God cannot fathom why God should allow evil and its perpetrators to still live among the good ones. On the other hand, others believe that the prevalence of evil activities and wicked people who continue to have power and control in our world proves that God does not exist. Our readings today seek to address this. They spell out the approach of God in dealing with evil people amongst the good ones. The author of our first reading was addressing a prevailing social and religious situation among the Jewish community in diaspora in the hostile Greek world, Alexandria. Evil activities were in abundance in that society, which became an embarrassment to the Jews who were religiously faithful to God. In the attempt to bolster their faith, this piece talks about the patience and compassionate nature of God who is hopeful for the repentance and conversion of evil doers. God, who is merciful and tolerant, who does not take hasty judgement to discipline and punish, uses love, leniency, clemency and care to lure evil doers and sinners to change and be saved out of charity. No matter what our story is, God still has hope in us. He does not easily give up on us. That is why the Psalmist echoes, "You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in kindness and fidelity." (Psalm 86:15) As Christians, this should be our attitude towards those who have problems complying to the high ethical standards of our faith community, family, relationships and society expected of a Christian. Paul in our second reading motivates us that the spirit of God empowers us in our weaknesses. It is by this same spirit that we can do the will of God. Therefore, it is needful to be patient with ourselves and others around us. Finally, Jesus in the gospel uses a parable to express the Divine wisdom and patience to allow both evil and good to co-exist, as time will expose the difference. He teaches that, through the power of the spirit and time, God can change evil into good. Hence, as Christians we must be patient, merciful and tolerant to those considered to be the “weeds” in our lives. We can do this by our good example, counselling, sharing the Word of God with them and fervent prayers. Remember, your act of loving correction, charity, and selfless service can prompt an evil person to reassess their lives and modify themselves to be good. Stay Healthy… PRAY…Keep the faith…Enjoy the Sunny weather…. Let PATIENCE lead… Fr. Emmanuel THE FIFTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME “Words are powerful. They can create or they can destroy. So, choose your words wisely. Human beings use words to interact and communicate with people around them. Words are powerful. A tool that expresses your intent and desires; good or bad. It portrays your identity and your level of responsibilities. People hold you accountable, respect you and tag you by your utterances and words. Your words can engender people to have faith, hope and trust in you, or the opposite. This is because they can build or they can destroy. So, choose your words wisely. Be sure to taste your words before you spit them out. Every word always has an impact and results, positive or negative. But there is no doubt that good words are always nurtured by the right frame of your mind and the right disposition of your heart. Have the right foundation to grow your words to achieve their rightful goal and purpose. In our first reading, the prophet Isaiah compared the effects of the word of God to raining water and snow. In as much as raining water enhances the growth of field crops, so every word that comes from God has impact and results in our lives. This was a message of consolation to the Jewish slaves in Babylon, assuring them of God’s words of promise to liberate them to return to Jerusalem to live peacefully as freed people. Hence, motivating them to be hopeful in every word that came from God amid the ongoing persecution and servitude. The reason is that His words manifest the Divine plan, will, purpose and destiny in their lives; and nothing can stand His way. His words are always efficient and impactful. As Christians, regardless of any overwhelming circumstances beyond our control, let us take consolation and strength from God’s word. For, God does not lie or deceive us with His promises. Those who hope and trust in His words will have successes and peaceful life. Apostle Paul, in the second reading, reminds us about our obligation to trust God’s word. He exhorts that pains and sufferings are permitted by God in our lives to help our redemption. We are to cultivate patience to wait for eternal reward, as we continue sowing the word of God, diligently suffering for the Lord. Lastly, in our gospel reading, Jesus uses a parable to teach a lesson about the need to prepare our hearts and minds as a rich soil to nurture and grow the word of God like the seeds. It motivates us to willingly accept and positively respond to the word of the Lord. As Christians,it is incumbent on us to enable the word of God make impact in our lives, families and societies. It is needful to shape and correct the “rocky,” the “thorny” and the “weedy” paths of our lives. This includes working on our addiction to evil habits and tendencies, and cleansing our hearts filled with hatred, jealousy, fear, greed and inordinate desires for worldly vanities and interests. Remember you are the product of your words. Allow the word of God to discover who you are. The WORD is God. Stay Healthy…. PRAY… Keep the faith… Enjoy the SUN… Let THE WORD lead… Fr. Emmanuel |
Fr. EmmanuelFr. Emmanuel hails from Ghana and is passionate about the Gospel and bringing the love of Christ to all people. He speaks several languages, enjoys soccer and cooking, and loves St. Francis of Assisi. Archives
April 2021
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