fr. Christophe N. Chiza sx
REFLECTION ON THE READINGS OF THE THIRD SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME YEAR A.
GOSPEL MATTHEW 4: 12-23
SUNDAY OF THE WORD OF GOD AND WEEK OF PRAYER FOR THE CHRISTIAN UNITY.
Dear brothers and sisters, few years ago, the third Sunday of Ordinary time has been instituted by Pope Francis as the Sunday of the Word of God. Indeed, the Word of God remains our spiritual food and our consolation on this troubled world full of anxiety and pain. The Word of God brings to the World a new vision and a new hope. Saint Jerome said: “If there is anything in this life that sustains a wise person and helps to maintain serenity amid the tribulations and adversities of the world, it is first and foremost I believe the meditation on and knowledge of the Scriptures. “ Let us meditate on the Word of God of this Sunday and let us pray in a special way for the unity of Christians.
The readings of this third Sunday of ordinary time make us understand that our earthly life is short and so we must hasten to do what is in accordance with the Kingdom of God. It is important to emphasize that the central theme of Jesus’s preaching is the proclamation of the Kingdom of God, a Kingdom of light, love and unity.
“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light”
Jesus comes to fulfil the prophetic vision and message of the prophet Isaiah. Jesus is the manifestation of the Kingdom of God. Through Jesus, the God of light, the God of love, the God of unity comes to dissipate the storm of darkness, of hatred, of racism and division which is trying to destroy the fragile boat of our journey toward the Kingdom of God.
The proclamation of the Kingdom of God seems to be the centrality of Jesus’s message and teaching. As matter of fact, in the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus invites his disciples to pray for the coming of the Kingdom of God: May your Kingdom come. The reign of God has both present and future dimensions. The first coming of Jesus in this world inaugurates the Reign of God and the presence of God in a concrete and realistic way. The second coming of Jesus will be the manifestation of the Reign of God in its fullness. The Reign of God manifested and proclaimed by Jesus seems to be far from the reality of our daily life. Therefore, in the second reading, Saint Paul exhorts the Christians of Corinth to live in unity and to avoid any kind of division among them. “I urge you brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree in what you say, and that there be no divisions among you…” We are living in a world dominated by conflicts and divisions. There is an urgent need of praying for the fullness of unity of humankind and in a special way for the unity of all Christians. And let us keep in mind that we are celebrating the week of prayer for the Christian unity. We cannot proclaim the Reign of God if we are divided and scattered. Unity is a smooth road toward the Kingdom of Heaven.
“Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Repent. How? To repent is to change the itinerary of our life and to follow Jesus the light of our salvation so that we may become fisher of men like Simon, Peter and Andrew.
To repent is to throw away our net of divisions. To repent, it is to fish our brothers and sisters by using the net of love, the net mutual acceptance and understanding. To repent is to make human relationship to become the seashore of our salvation where we encounter the God of love and of unity. To repent is to repair the net of human relationship broken down by the lack of love, by tribalism, racism and divisions.
God’s mercy awaits those who are ready to tear down the wall of division and of exclusion. The Kingdom of God is at hand, says the Lord. Let us make the effort to repent before it gets too late. May the Word of God of this third Sunday of ordinary time enlighten our mind, heart and life in our journey toward our repentance and reconciliation. We are all brothers and sisters.
Fr CHRISTOPHE N. CHIZA, sx
REFLECTION ON THE READINGS OF THE THIRD SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME YEAR A.
GOSPEL MATTHEW 4: 12-23
SUNDAY OF THE WORD OF GOD AND WEEK OF PRAYER FOR THE CHRISTIAN UNITY.
Dear brothers and sisters, few years ago, the third Sunday of Ordinary time has been instituted by Pope Francis as the Sunday of the Word of God. Indeed, the Word of God remains our spiritual food and our consolation on this troubled world full of anxiety and pain. The Word of God brings to the World a new vision and a new hope. Saint Jerome said: “If there is anything in this life that sustains a wise person and helps to maintain serenity amid the tribulations and adversities of the world, it is first and foremost I believe the meditation on and knowledge of the Scriptures. “ Let us meditate on the Word of God of this Sunday and let us pray in a special way for the unity of Christians.
The readings of this third Sunday of ordinary time make us understand that our earthly life is short and so we must hasten to do what is in accordance with the Kingdom of God. It is important to emphasize that the central theme of Jesus’s preaching is the proclamation of the Kingdom of God, a Kingdom of light, love and unity.
“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light”
Jesus comes to fulfil the prophetic vision and message of the prophet Isaiah. Jesus is the manifestation of the Kingdom of God. Through Jesus, the God of light, the God of love, the God of unity comes to dissipate the storm of darkness, of hatred, of racism and division which is trying to destroy the fragile boat of our journey toward the Kingdom of God.
The proclamation of the Kingdom of God seems to be the centrality of Jesus’s message and teaching. As matter of fact, in the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus invites his disciples to pray for the coming of the Kingdom of God: May your Kingdom come. The reign of God has both present and future dimensions. The first coming of Jesus in this world inaugurates the Reign of God and the presence of God in a concrete and realistic way. The second coming of Jesus will be the manifestation of the Reign of God in its fullness. The Reign of God manifested and proclaimed by Jesus seems to be far from the reality of our daily life. Therefore, in the second reading, Saint Paul exhorts the Christians of Corinth to live in unity and to avoid any kind of division among them. “I urge you brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree in what you say, and that there be no divisions among you…” We are living in a world dominated by conflicts and divisions. There is an urgent need of praying for the fullness of unity of humankind and in a special way for the unity of all Christians. And let us keep in mind that we are celebrating the week of prayer for the Christian unity. We cannot proclaim the Reign of God if we are divided and scattered. Unity is a smooth road toward the Kingdom of Heaven.
“Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Repent. How? To repent is to change the itinerary of our life and to follow Jesus the light of our salvation so that we may become fisher of men like Simon, Peter and Andrew.
To repent is to throw away our net of divisions. To repent, it is to fish our brothers and sisters by using the net of love, the net mutual acceptance and understanding. To repent is to make human relationship to become the seashore of our salvation where we encounter the God of love and of unity. To repent is to repair the net of human relationship broken down by the lack of love, by tribalism, racism and divisions.
God’s mercy awaits those who are ready to tear down the wall of division and of exclusion. The Kingdom of God is at hand, says the Lord. Let us make the effort to repent before it gets too late. May the Word of God of this third Sunday of ordinary time enlighten our mind, heart and life in our journey toward our repentance and reconciliation. We are all brothers and sisters.
Fr CHRISTOPHE N. CHIZA, sx