April, 2015
March 2015
REFLECTIONS
34th Sunday
OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST KING OF THE UNIVERSE.
Ez 34: 11-12, 15-17/ Ps 23: 1-6 / 1 Cor 15: 20-26, 28/ Mt 25: 31- 46
Theme: Jesus Christ the King
Today is the last Sunday in the Liturgical Year, a day we refer to as Christ the King Sunday. On this Sunday, we celebrate a king- our Lord Jesus Christ King of the Universe. We celebrate a king who rules over all creatures, one who is remarkably different from every earthly king. He is a king who did not ascent to his throne by wars or succession; he is a king whose kingdom never passes away; he is king who came to serve all, even his enemies; he is a king who exalts his servants rather than dominating them; he is a king who is personally interested in the well-being of each of his subjects and will come at the end of time to reward them; he is Christ Jesus the Universal King. As we celebrate the Solemnity of Christ the King, we look into the future, to our final end where we will share in the Kingdom of Christ our king.
The feast of Christ the King was instituted by Pope Pius XI in 1925 as the last Sunday in October. In 1960 Pope Saint John XXIII classified it as a feast of the first class. In 1969, Pope Paul VI made three changes to the celebration. First, he moved the feast to its current place – the last Sunday before Advent. Second, he expanded the name to “Our Lord Jesus Christ King of the Universe.” Third, he raised the feast to the status of a Solemnity.
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today’s celebration offers us a lot to reflect on and I will want us to consider three of them.
The first is that we cannot leave out Christ in anything we do. Christ is King over all, he is a universal king. It is a worry when some governments, politicians, and lawmakers advocate the absolute secularization of states. Jesus Christ must take center stage in our politics, policies and businesses. We must acknowledge the kingship of Christ in every sphere of our lives. Especially in our country Ghana we need to rediscover the kingship of Christ over our nation. Why is corruption on the increase? Why the heightened apathy about patriotism? Interestingly, over 70% of the population is Christian. Maybe we have drawn a line demarcating the sphere of acknowledgment of the kingship of Christ and where he is not. When we take seriously the fact that Christ is king over our nation we will remain loyal servants of our nation. Being loyal servants requires that we uphold the values of truth, integrity, and transparency. Certainly individual citizens make up a nation. The measure in which we extend the kingship of Christ to our politics and nation- building will depend on how much Christ we possess and are possessed by him. We cannot give what we do not have. If Christ isn’t the king of our lives, we cannot extend his reign to other areas of our lives. Is Christ the king of your whole life or only a part of your life? Are you convinced you need Christ to be king of your lives? Living out the gospel values of love, peace, tolerance, chastity, and obedience identifies us with Christ the king.
The second point for reflection is how we exercise authority. From our first reading we see how God exercises his authority. He exercises his authority by take up the shepherding role. As a shepherd he will look after and tend his sheep, he will rescue and pasture them (Eze 34: 11-12). At a point when God’s people were suffering because of their bad leaders, God decided to intervene and shepherd his own people. Our exercise of authority must not lead to the suffering of others. We must serve as guides, helpers, protectors of others. Others must become better persons by virtue of our exercise of authority. The discipline of Sociology speaks of the “significant other”. This means a person who has great influence on one's behavior and self-esteem. How we use authority, live our lives- as parents, teachers, religious leaders and government officials has a lot of influence on those who consider us as their significant others. Our use of authority must enrich the lives of others and not impoverish them. The husband who routinely lifts his hand against his wife is abusing his authority, the religious leader who exploits his congregation is abusing authority, and the government official who is corrupt is no different. When we abuse the authority given to us we are influencing others to do same in the near future. Jesus Christ destroyed evil and death in order for us to be better persons. As the second reading puts it, we are made alive by the resurrection of Christ. As king, Christ atones for our sins so that we have become adopted sons and daughters of God. His kingship can only make us better citizens of God’s kingdom. In a similar manner, whatever authority we have it is meant for the service and welfare of others.
A third point for reflection is the judgment at the end of time. Every servant will be accountable to the king. The Gospel highlights the judgment at the end of time. The imagery of the separation of the sheep from the goats is employed here, the sheep on the right and goats on the left. The criteria for the separation are anchored on what each has done or not done. The criteria go beyond just mere recital of creed, action also is required. And so the king is more interested in those who fed him, gave him a drink, welcomed him, clothed him, nursed him or visited him in prison. Indeed Jesus has a preferential option for the poor. Those of us who have decided to follow Jesus the king must also respond to the needs of those with whom the king identifies the most namely, the poor. Those who are attentive to the needs of the poor will inherit the eternal kingdom while those who are not will be condemned to eternal damnation. Every thought about judgment at the end of time reminds us that there is a consequence in everything we do or not do. The things we did which we shouldn't have done and those we did not do which we should have done, both carry eternal consequences. The whole point about judgment is imitation of the king, Jesus. Jesus never left anyone who needed help unaided. He was not subject to the sin of omission. I think this is one of the sins common among many a people. What should you have done to help your brother, sister, neighbor, and country which you did not do; and what did you do which you shouldn’t have done? The king will demand an account of both. The Solemnity of Christ the king should imprint in our minds that the king will come again and, this time as a judge.
As we draw the curtain on Liturgical Year, let us always keep in mind that we only find our freedom in Christ the King. Our freedom lies in our recognition and the subsequent invitation of the king into our lives, politics, and families. I invite you to make the Opening Prayer of this Solemnity your own: “Almighty ever-living God, whose will is to restore all things in your beloved Son, the King of the universe, grant, we pray, that the whole creation, set free from slavery, may render your majesty service and ceaselessly proclaim your praise. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.” Amen.
OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST KING OF THE UNIVERSE.
Ez 34: 11-12, 15-17/ Ps 23: 1-6 / 1 Cor 15: 20-26, 28/ Mt 25: 31- 46
Theme: Jesus Christ the King
Today is the last Sunday in the Liturgical Year, a day we refer to as Christ the King Sunday. On this Sunday, we celebrate a king- our Lord Jesus Christ King of the Universe. We celebrate a king who rules over all creatures, one who is remarkably different from every earthly king. He is a king who did not ascent to his throne by wars or succession; he is a king whose kingdom never passes away; he is king who came to serve all, even his enemies; he is a king who exalts his servants rather than dominating them; he is a king who is personally interested in the well-being of each of his subjects and will come at the end of time to reward them; he is Christ Jesus the Universal King. As we celebrate the Solemnity of Christ the King, we look into the future, to our final end where we will share in the Kingdom of Christ our king.
The feast of Christ the King was instituted by Pope Pius XI in 1925 as the last Sunday in October. In 1960 Pope Saint John XXIII classified it as a feast of the first class. In 1969, Pope Paul VI made three changes to the celebration. First, he moved the feast to its current place – the last Sunday before Advent. Second, he expanded the name to “Our Lord Jesus Christ King of the Universe.” Third, he raised the feast to the status of a Solemnity.
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today’s celebration offers us a lot to reflect on and I will want us to consider three of them.
The first is that we cannot leave out Christ in anything we do. Christ is King over all, he is a universal king. It is a worry when some governments, politicians, and lawmakers advocate the absolute secularization of states. Jesus Christ must take center stage in our politics, policies and businesses. We must acknowledge the kingship of Christ in every sphere of our lives. Especially in our country Ghana we need to rediscover the kingship of Christ over our nation. Why is corruption on the increase? Why the heightened apathy about patriotism? Interestingly, over 70% of the population is Christian. Maybe we have drawn a line demarcating the sphere of acknowledgment of the kingship of Christ and where he is not. When we take seriously the fact that Christ is king over our nation we will remain loyal servants of our nation. Being loyal servants requires that we uphold the values of truth, integrity, and transparency. Certainly individual citizens make up a nation. The measure in which we extend the kingship of Christ to our politics and nation- building will depend on how much Christ we possess and are possessed by him. We cannot give what we do not have. If Christ isn’t the king of our lives, we cannot extend his reign to other areas of our lives. Is Christ the king of your whole life or only a part of your life? Are you convinced you need Christ to be king of your lives? Living out the gospel values of love, peace, tolerance, chastity, and obedience identifies us with Christ the king.
The second point for reflection is how we exercise authority. From our first reading we see how God exercises his authority. He exercises his authority by take up the shepherding role. As a shepherd he will look after and tend his sheep, he will rescue and pasture them (Eze 34: 11-12). At a point when God’s people were suffering because of their bad leaders, God decided to intervene and shepherd his own people. Our exercise of authority must not lead to the suffering of others. We must serve as guides, helpers, protectors of others. Others must become better persons by virtue of our exercise of authority. The discipline of Sociology speaks of the “significant other”. This means a person who has great influence on one's behavior and self-esteem. How we use authority, live our lives- as parents, teachers, religious leaders and government officials has a lot of influence on those who consider us as their significant others. Our use of authority must enrich the lives of others and not impoverish them. The husband who routinely lifts his hand against his wife is abusing his authority, the religious leader who exploits his congregation is abusing authority, and the government official who is corrupt is no different. When we abuse the authority given to us we are influencing others to do same in the near future. Jesus Christ destroyed evil and death in order for us to be better persons. As the second reading puts it, we are made alive by the resurrection of Christ. As king, Christ atones for our sins so that we have become adopted sons and daughters of God. His kingship can only make us better citizens of God’s kingdom. In a similar manner, whatever authority we have it is meant for the service and welfare of others.
A third point for reflection is the judgment at the end of time. Every servant will be accountable to the king. The Gospel highlights the judgment at the end of time. The imagery of the separation of the sheep from the goats is employed here, the sheep on the right and goats on the left. The criteria for the separation are anchored on what each has done or not done. The criteria go beyond just mere recital of creed, action also is required. And so the king is more interested in those who fed him, gave him a drink, welcomed him, clothed him, nursed him or visited him in prison. Indeed Jesus has a preferential option for the poor. Those of us who have decided to follow Jesus the king must also respond to the needs of those with whom the king identifies the most namely, the poor. Those who are attentive to the needs of the poor will inherit the eternal kingdom while those who are not will be condemned to eternal damnation. Every thought about judgment at the end of time reminds us that there is a consequence in everything we do or not do. The things we did which we shouldn't have done and those we did not do which we should have done, both carry eternal consequences. The whole point about judgment is imitation of the king, Jesus. Jesus never left anyone who needed help unaided. He was not subject to the sin of omission. I think this is one of the sins common among many a people. What should you have done to help your brother, sister, neighbor, and country which you did not do; and what did you do which you shouldn’t have done? The king will demand an account of both. The Solemnity of Christ the king should imprint in our minds that the king will come again and, this time as a judge.
As we draw the curtain on Liturgical Year, let us always keep in mind that we only find our freedom in Christ the King. Our freedom lies in our recognition and the subsequent invitation of the king into our lives, politics, and families. I invite you to make the Opening Prayer of this Solemnity your own: “Almighty ever-living God, whose will is to restore all things in your beloved Son, the King of the universe, grant, we pray, that the whole creation, set free from slavery, may render your majesty service and ceaselessly proclaim your praise. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.” Amen.
30th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A – October 26, 2014
Exodus 22:20-26/ Psalm 18/1Thess 1:5-10/ Matthew 22:34-40
Theme: You bear the image of love
Last week, I reminded you that we bear the image of God and so our responsibility is greater; a responsibility which makes us greater than Caesar’s image on the coin. Today, we are invited to reflect on one of the images of God which we bear, namely LOVE. Love is at the heart of God’s creation.
In the Gospel Reading, the Religious Leaders during Jesus’ time were not satisfied with trapping Jesus. Today, it is a Lawyer who becomes an instrument of that trap. He asked Jesus, “Teacher, which Commandment in the Law is the greatest?” He said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind…you shall love your neighbour as yourself” (Matthew 22:36-39). By Jesus’ answer, the Pharisees stand condemned because, they failed to love Him who is God and neighbour to them.
Jesus reminded them that on the Commandment of love hang the Law and the Prophets. Indeed, Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophet.
We are called upon to reflect this image of love as we prepare to meet the King of Kings who comes to judge the living and the dead. This is because, we will be judged according to the law of love.
Indeed, the King we are awaiting shows us that a man can have no greater love than to lay down his life for his friends. Jesus did not only say this, he demonstrated it by dying on the Cross for us while we were still sinners.
The First Reading gives us practical ways by which we can reflect this image of love by loving God and our neighbour as ourselves.
To begin with, Moses exalts the Israelites “Whoever sacrifices to any god other than the Lord alone, shall be devoted to destruction” (Exodus 22:20). Condemnation is there for those who refuse to acknowledge God’s sovereignty; those who refuse to love God with the totality of their being.
Another sin against the commandment of love, Moses admonished them is “You shall not oppress a resident alien for once you were an alien in Egypt” (Exodus 22:21).
Justice and righteousness are the foundations of God’s throne. It is said that the oppressed is the worse oppressor. The converse should have been true. This is because one who has been oppressed must rather be compassionate. How do we treat widows and orphans in our communities, both in the Church and in secular society?
Often, we treat them with contempt forgetting that they hold the key to unlocking our entrance to heaven.
According to the Book of James, “If any think they are religious and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless.
Religion that is pure and undefiled before God is this: care for orphans and widows in their distress” (James 1:26-27). Knowing the plights of orphans and widows, Jesus Himself showed compassion to them.
A case in point was when Jesus raised to life the son of the widow of Nain. Jesus, by this action, restored hope to this poor widow whom hitherto will have been without any inheritance according to their Jewish custom.
A little bit of love shown to such people will restore their hope. This is our duty as Christians who bear the image of God and it is upon this that we will be judged.
Furthermore, Moses warned them against lending money to the poor at usury. Jesus paid the debt that we did not owe. The moment we fail to restore dignity to the poor of our society, we miss heaven (Matthew 25:45ff).
To have poor people among us is a blessing. It is a privilege to support the poor people in our communities. This is because they hold the key to our salvation. In this regard, I duff my cup to the St. Vincent De Paul Society in our various Parishes.
In last week’s Gospel Reading, when Jesus answered them on the issue of payment of tax, the Pharisees were amazed.
However, in today’s Gospel, we realised that such amazement only led them to trap Jesus all the more instead of causing them to repent. Are you amazed or fascinated about Jesus? Is that amazement or fascination bringing about conversion in your life?
By Jesus’ answer “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your and with your entire mind”, Jesus affirms again what it means to give to God what belongs to God. God demands of us a total self- giving.
We are reminded that fulfilling your social responsibility does not mean a denial of God and giving yourself totally to God does not mean a denial of your social responsibility. They complement each other.
Pope Benedict XVI's 2005 Encyclical Letter "Deus Caritas Est" (God is Love) sums up beautifully the message of today's Scripture readings:
"Being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction. (...) In acknowledging the centrality of love, Christian faith has retained the core of Israel's faith, while at the same time giving it new depth and breadth.
The pious Jew prayed daily the words of the Book of Deuteronomy which expressed the heart of his existence: 'Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God is one Lord, and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your might' (6:4-5). Jesus united into a single precept this commandment of love for God and the commandment of love for neighbour found in the Book of Leviticus: 'You shall love your neighbour as yourself' (19:18; cf. Mark 12:29-31). Since God has first loved us (cf. 1 John 4:10), love is now no longer a mere 'command'; it is the response to the gift of love with which God draws near to us."
In conclusion, “…The fruit of faith is LOVE. The fruit of love is SERVICE. The fruit of service is PEACE says Blessed Mother Teresa." The face that we bear is the image of love and that love will bear us witness on the day of judgment.
May Blessed Teresa of Calcutta teach us how to love God and neighbour in unity and harmony.
by Rev. Fr. Aaron Agbeshie Agorsor.
Exodus 22:20-26/ Psalm 18/1Thess 1:5-10/ Matthew 22:34-40
Theme: You bear the image of love
Last week, I reminded you that we bear the image of God and so our responsibility is greater; a responsibility which makes us greater than Caesar’s image on the coin. Today, we are invited to reflect on one of the images of God which we bear, namely LOVE. Love is at the heart of God’s creation.
In the Gospel Reading, the Religious Leaders during Jesus’ time were not satisfied with trapping Jesus. Today, it is a Lawyer who becomes an instrument of that trap. He asked Jesus, “Teacher, which Commandment in the Law is the greatest?” He said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind…you shall love your neighbour as yourself” (Matthew 22:36-39). By Jesus’ answer, the Pharisees stand condemned because, they failed to love Him who is God and neighbour to them.
Jesus reminded them that on the Commandment of love hang the Law and the Prophets. Indeed, Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophet.
We are called upon to reflect this image of love as we prepare to meet the King of Kings who comes to judge the living and the dead. This is because, we will be judged according to the law of love.
Indeed, the King we are awaiting shows us that a man can have no greater love than to lay down his life for his friends. Jesus did not only say this, he demonstrated it by dying on the Cross for us while we were still sinners.
The First Reading gives us practical ways by which we can reflect this image of love by loving God and our neighbour as ourselves.
To begin with, Moses exalts the Israelites “Whoever sacrifices to any god other than the Lord alone, shall be devoted to destruction” (Exodus 22:20). Condemnation is there for those who refuse to acknowledge God’s sovereignty; those who refuse to love God with the totality of their being.
Another sin against the commandment of love, Moses admonished them is “You shall not oppress a resident alien for once you were an alien in Egypt” (Exodus 22:21).
Justice and righteousness are the foundations of God’s throne. It is said that the oppressed is the worse oppressor. The converse should have been true. This is because one who has been oppressed must rather be compassionate. How do we treat widows and orphans in our communities, both in the Church and in secular society?
Often, we treat them with contempt forgetting that they hold the key to unlocking our entrance to heaven.
According to the Book of James, “If any think they are religious and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless.
Religion that is pure and undefiled before God is this: care for orphans and widows in their distress” (James 1:26-27). Knowing the plights of orphans and widows, Jesus Himself showed compassion to them.
A case in point was when Jesus raised to life the son of the widow of Nain. Jesus, by this action, restored hope to this poor widow whom hitherto will have been without any inheritance according to their Jewish custom.
A little bit of love shown to such people will restore their hope. This is our duty as Christians who bear the image of God and it is upon this that we will be judged.
Furthermore, Moses warned them against lending money to the poor at usury. Jesus paid the debt that we did not owe. The moment we fail to restore dignity to the poor of our society, we miss heaven (Matthew 25:45ff).
To have poor people among us is a blessing. It is a privilege to support the poor people in our communities. This is because they hold the key to our salvation. In this regard, I duff my cup to the St. Vincent De Paul Society in our various Parishes.
In last week’s Gospel Reading, when Jesus answered them on the issue of payment of tax, the Pharisees were amazed.
However, in today’s Gospel, we realised that such amazement only led them to trap Jesus all the more instead of causing them to repent. Are you amazed or fascinated about Jesus? Is that amazement or fascination bringing about conversion in your life?
By Jesus’ answer “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your and with your entire mind”, Jesus affirms again what it means to give to God what belongs to God. God demands of us a total self- giving.
We are reminded that fulfilling your social responsibility does not mean a denial of God and giving yourself totally to God does not mean a denial of your social responsibility. They complement each other.
Pope Benedict XVI's 2005 Encyclical Letter "Deus Caritas Est" (God is Love) sums up beautifully the message of today's Scripture readings:
"Being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction. (...) In acknowledging the centrality of love, Christian faith has retained the core of Israel's faith, while at the same time giving it new depth and breadth.
The pious Jew prayed daily the words of the Book of Deuteronomy which expressed the heart of his existence: 'Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God is one Lord, and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your might' (6:4-5). Jesus united into a single precept this commandment of love for God and the commandment of love for neighbour found in the Book of Leviticus: 'You shall love your neighbour as yourself' (19:18; cf. Mark 12:29-31). Since God has first loved us (cf. 1 John 4:10), love is now no longer a mere 'command'; it is the response to the gift of love with which God draws near to us."
In conclusion, “…The fruit of faith is LOVE. The fruit of love is SERVICE. The fruit of service is PEACE says Blessed Mother Teresa." The face that we bear is the image of love and that love will bear us witness on the day of judgment.
May Blessed Teresa of Calcutta teach us how to love God and neighbour in unity and harmony.
by Rev. Fr. Aaron Agbeshie Agorsor.
Reflections
29th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A
Isaiah 45:1, 4-6 / Psalm 96/1Thess 5:1-5/ Matthew 22:15-21
Theme: You bear the imprint of God's image
In five weeks time, mother Church will celebrate the universal Kingship of Jesus Christ popularly called the Feast of Christ the King. This feast brings to an end the Church’s Liturgical Year. The Readings of the last three Sundays reminded us of the Parousia (the second coming of Christ). It urged us to respond to God’s invitation to the heavenly banquet, a rejection of which is a total rejection of God and the beatific vision.
In the First Reading, God proves Himself faithful to the house of Israel to the extent that even when he did not find a worthy leader among His chosen people to rescue them from their enemies, He finds a pagan King, Cyrus to bring them out of exile. The Prophet says, “For the sake of my servant Jacob, and Israel my chosen, I call you by your name, I surname you, though you do not know me…” (Isaiah 45:4-5).
Every leader that God chooses, He anoints. Thus, Cyrus was anointed. Isaiah says, “ Thus says the Lord to His anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have grasped to subdue nations before him and to strip kings of their robes, to open doors before him and the gates shall not be closed” ( Isaiah 45:1). We are presented with a prototype of an anointed servant. This brings to sharp focus the fact that we can only be sent on mission when we are called and anointed.
Indeed, Cyrus did not know God but God used him to accomplish great things. What about us who know God? He will do greater things for us. Do you know God?
In today's Gospel (Matthew 22:15), the Pharisees try once again to entrap Jesus in His speech. They realize that they are being portrayed by Jesus as having refused an invitation to conversion of heart (last Sunday's banquet story 22:1-14). Therefore they begin to plot against Jesus by launching an attack. They begin their questioning by flattering Jesus, attempting to take Him off guard. A Pharisee compliments Jesus for being honest, teaching the way of God authentically, and taking no account of any person's status or opinion.
The rejection of the Israelites meant that God is capable of raising leaders in every age and time. Jesus becomes that perfect revealer of God who wields authority for the common good, namely that He paid the debt that He did not owe. Indeed, Jesus’ authority was a servant authority or leadership. Thus, as we anticipate the Feast of Christ the King, Mother Church presents to us the servant Kingship of Jesus as a model for all authority figures.
The Kingship that Jesus brings is not one to cause confusion and riot but of peace. By Jesus’ answer to the Pharisees and the Herodians that we should give what belong to Caesar to Caesar and what belong to God to God, he called on all Christians to respect constituted authority for the common good. Indeed, respect for constituted authority is a conditio sine qua non for an acceptance of Jesus’ Kingship.
Two images are before us: that of Caesar and that of God. To the first image, Jesus asks a simple question: "Whose picture is on the coin?" And the answer is simple, "Caesar." Therefore, give to Caesar what belongs to him, that is the part of your possession that belongs to him. But Jesus also has a second, penetrating question: Whose image and blessing is on every human being? And the answer is simple, "God's." Therefore, give to God what belongs to him, that is your entire being, whole and undivided.
From whom do we receive the blessings of life and to whom do we owe thanksgiving and allegiance? Is it God? Is service to God and to Caesar compatible? Or are they competing loyalties that carry with them divergent senses of blessing? The Lord commands not only to give to God what is God's (that is, everything), but also to give to Caesar what is Caesar's, that is to say, to live completely the requirements of justice and peace in social relationships, and to work for the common good.
Indeed, at the time that this incident took place, the Jews were under Roman rule and they might have been having problem paying taxes to Caesar. They were, therefore, pre-occupied with overthrowing the Roman regime. Thus, they were anticipating a Messiah who will come and topple the Roman authority. But they found the opposite. They were so pre-occupied with toppling the Roman regime that they were ready to kill even when their weaknesses were laid bare to them by Jesus.
Today, like the Jewish authorities, we have rejected God’s offer of salvation which He has accomplished in Jesus Christ. We will not plot to kill Jesus but we have rejected God because of our apathy to the things of God.
If the image of Caesar was stamped on Roman coins that were to be rendered to him, the human heart bears the imprint of the Creator, the one Lord of our life. He has marked us for his own and sent us on mission to the world. Do our human projects make us better prophets, servants and agents of the Kingdom of Jesus?
Let us never be ashamed of working publicly for Jesus' kingdom, and telling people about Him. He alone guarantees us authentic joy and deep hope, for all the people in our time." His kingdom will have no end.
It is only those who bear the imprint of God who will be rewarded with salvation. Paul, in the Second Reading, used this image to warn believers not to be caught napping. Since we do not know when the Lord will return for His people, we must live in constant attitude of watching and waiting, while we are busy working and witnessing.
Paul emphasises that as believers, we know that the Lord is surely coming while unbelievers are living in constant ignorance of God’s plan. Are you a believer, yet living in constant ignorance of God’s plan? Then you are sure that that day will catch you like a thief.
In conclusion, let us pray this week for the courage and wisdom to give simple and truthful answers when we find ourselves in ambiguous and compromising situations. We are marked and blessed with God's image. Let us never forget to whom we really belong, and why we really do the things we do. We are not called for ourselves, but we are summoned by the Lord and sent to the world, to proclaim His name and His saving works. It is a daunting mission. But it is also a cause for rejoicing.
by Rev. Fr. Aaron Agbeshie Agorsor.
