Fr. Christopher N. CHIZA, sx.
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SUNDAY OF THE WORD OF GOD AND WEEK OF PRAYER FOR THE CHRISTIAN UNITY. |
It is through the Apostolic Letter ‘’Muto Proprio’’Aperuit Illis that Pope Francis has instituted this third Sunday of Ordinary time as the Sunday of the Word of God. “…the force and power in the word of God is so great that it stands as the support and energy of the Church, the strength of faith for her sons, the food of the soul, the pure and everlasting source of spiritual life.” Dei Verbum n⁰21.
Indeed, as Christians the Word of God is our strength, our delight, our spiritual food and our light in our journey toward the Kingdom of God. Let us value the Word of God by reading, meditating and by trying to put it into practice. “The relationship between the Risen Lord, the community of believers and sacred Scripture is essential to our identity as Christians.” Aperuit Illis n⁰1. As Christians we are called to hold fast on the Word of God which reveals our true identity. With this in mind, let us meditate on the readings of this Sunday of the Word of God.
“THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS AT HAND. REPENT, AND BELIEVE IN THE GOSPEL “
Jesus begins his public ministry with the proclamation of the Kingdom of God and the urgent need for repentance and faith. The most important thing for Jesus in his ministry was the Kingdom of God. Jesus speaks frequently of the Kingdom. The proclamation of the Kingdom of God seems to be the priority for Jesus. And what is exactly the Kingdom of God? Pope Paul VI describes the Kingdom as “Absolute good’’ to which everything else must defer (Evangelii Nutiandi, The Evangelization of Peoples, and n⁰8). From the Bible perspective especially the Old Testament, the understanding of Kingdom was linked to territory or a privileged place for the poor.
Jesus never defines the Kingdom of God. However, in the New Testament, the Kingdom of God seems to be identified with Jesus himself (Mk 9:1). The Kingdom of God is not a place or an event, but an open door through which any person may enter by repenting and believing. The Kingdom of God is matter of faith and repentance. Nobody is excluded from the Kingdom of God but nobody can enter into the Kingdom of God without faith and repentance. Wherever, we find harmony, peace, love, goodness and justice, the Kingdom of God is there.
Nowadays the actuality of the Church is dominated by the burning issue concerning the same sex blessing. Without willingness to repentance the blessing of the same sex can become a landing permit of what Saint Paul calls immorality and what I would like to qualify as psychological disorder. Nobody is excluded from the Kingdom of God; however, faith and repentance remain the open door of the Kingdom of God.
“The Kingdome of God is at hand”. Through these words, Jesus invites us to move from the blind obedience of the desires of the flesh to a fellowship based on authentic and sacrificial love. Simon and his brother Andrew, James and his brother John responded positively to this invitation of Jesus. They accepted to leave behind their nets even their parents and followed Jesus. This is an act of faith, obedience and abandonment to God.
We are called also to leave the net of our daily life which prevents us to collaborate to the proclamation of the Kingdom of God. And in especial way let us leave the net of division which jeopardizes the Christian unity. Our God is not a God of division. Peter, Andrew, James and John answer immediately to the call of Jesus. They replied at once without delay. We should not be afraid of leaving our commodity and our daily activities in order to follow Jesus. The four disciples are for us a good example of Christian obedience, faith and abandonment to the will of God. Let us sacrifice our personal aspirations by proclaiming the” Good News” of the Kingdom of God. Let us pray for the coming of the Kingdom of God in its fullness. And may the Christian Unity become a way to bear witness to the proclamation of the Kingdom of God.
Father Christopher N. CHIZA, sx.
|
SUNDAY OF THE WORD OF GOD AND WEEK OF PRAYER FOR THE CHRISTIAN UNITY. |
It is through the Apostolic Letter ‘’Muto Proprio’’Aperuit Illis that Pope Francis has instituted this third Sunday of Ordinary time as the Sunday of the Word of God. “…the force and power in the word of God is so great that it stands as the support and energy of the Church, the strength of faith for her sons, the food of the soul, the pure and everlasting source of spiritual life.” Dei Verbum n⁰21.
Indeed, as Christians the Word of God is our strength, our delight, our spiritual food and our light in our journey toward the Kingdom of God. Let us value the Word of God by reading, meditating and by trying to put it into practice. “The relationship between the Risen Lord, the community of believers and sacred Scripture is essential to our identity as Christians.” Aperuit Illis n⁰1. As Christians we are called to hold fast on the Word of God which reveals our true identity. With this in mind, let us meditate on the readings of this Sunday of the Word of God.
“THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS AT HAND. REPENT, AND BELIEVE IN THE GOSPEL “
Jesus begins his public ministry with the proclamation of the Kingdom of God and the urgent need for repentance and faith. The most important thing for Jesus in his ministry was the Kingdom of God. Jesus speaks frequently of the Kingdom. The proclamation of the Kingdom of God seems to be the priority for Jesus. And what is exactly the Kingdom of God? Pope Paul VI describes the Kingdom as “Absolute good’’ to which everything else must defer (Evangelii Nutiandi, The Evangelization of Peoples, and n⁰8). From the Bible perspective especially the Old Testament, the understanding of Kingdom was linked to territory or a privileged place for the poor.
Jesus never defines the Kingdom of God. However, in the New Testament, the Kingdom of God seems to be identified with Jesus himself (Mk 9:1). The Kingdom of God is not a place or an event, but an open door through which any person may enter by repenting and believing. The Kingdom of God is matter of faith and repentance. Nobody is excluded from the Kingdom of God but nobody can enter into the Kingdom of God without faith and repentance. Wherever, we find harmony, peace, love, goodness and justice, the Kingdom of God is there.
Nowadays the actuality of the Church is dominated by the burning issue concerning the same sex blessing. Without willingness to repentance the blessing of the same sex can become a landing permit of what Saint Paul calls immorality and what I would like to qualify as psychological disorder. Nobody is excluded from the Kingdom of God; however, faith and repentance remain the open door of the Kingdom of God.
“The Kingdome of God is at hand”. Through these words, Jesus invites us to move from the blind obedience of the desires of the flesh to a fellowship based on authentic and sacrificial love. Simon and his brother Andrew, James and his brother John responded positively to this invitation of Jesus. They accepted to leave behind their nets even their parents and followed Jesus. This is an act of faith, obedience and abandonment to God.
We are called also to leave the net of our daily life which prevents us to collaborate to the proclamation of the Kingdom of God. And in especial way let us leave the net of division which jeopardizes the Christian unity. Our God is not a God of division. Peter, Andrew, James and John answer immediately to the call of Jesus. They replied at once without delay. We should not be afraid of leaving our commodity and our daily activities in order to follow Jesus. The four disciples are for us a good example of Christian obedience, faith and abandonment to the will of God. Let us sacrifice our personal aspirations by proclaiming the” Good News” of the Kingdom of God. Let us pray for the coming of the Kingdom of God in its fullness. And may the Christian Unity become a way to bear witness to the proclamation of the Kingdom of God.
Father Christopher N. CHIZA, sx.