Fr. Erik Tjeunfin, sx
We are in 26th Sunday in ordinary time and through the sacred readings, the Church invites us to get better understanding on our faith in God. He is a merciful God and wants us to turn him to in order to experience his love and mercy. We recognized that it is very challenging to keep our identity as holy and virtue men and women in our society due to some reasons. When we fall to sin and suffer, we often blame God that he is unfair to us. Instead, we should look at the way we live our lives which sometimes created unfairness and suffering. God always desires and works for our goodness and salvation. The first reading says the virtuous man lost his focus and turned to wickedness and God through Prophet Ezekial calls for repentance. In our daily life, sometimes we lost our direction. Before maybe we were known as a good man and woman, but because of our weakness and failures we suddenly find ourselves in unworthy situation. Yes, life is a journey, sometimes we take wrong path, loosing the map, confusing the direction. However, through Prophet Ezekial, we are invited to repent and re-direct our focus to God.
The same message about repentance is repeated through the gospel of today. Jesus Christ who is the human face of merciful God challenges us to take more seriously our commitment to him. To have faith in him means to submit our whole being (mind, heart and action). God appreciates our repentance or conversion towards our goodness and salvation. It is very interesting to see the first son who said no to the invitation to work, but after that he changes his mind and heart to do the work, because of thinking about the goodness and holiness behind the work (see also the story of prodigal son). This is the power of reflection. It is hard to accept the assignment and work which maybe we think it is not fair for us. But if we sit down and reflect on it, we most probably find goodness in it. Saint Paul in the second reading reminds us to have the same attitudes that is also in Christ such as openness, mercy, compassion, and humbly looking out for the interest of others (family, church, and community).
I remembered a story about a teacher in our parish happened some years ago. He enjoyed teaching in one of the schools very near to Kabala town. One day, the priests told him to be assigned in a school located in a very isolated village. In the beginning, he refused strongly but after sometimes he accepted to be transferred even with heavy heart. Now, he is very happy and enjoys teaching at the school and joyfully taking care of the catholic community where he is now. The community and its stakeholders really appreciated his work as headteacher. He even told us that he is very happy to be in that school and we noticed it also. He is one of the best and humble teachers that we have. Together with him we can say "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" (Rom 8:28).
Fr. Erik Tjeunfin, sx
We are in 26th Sunday in ordinary time and through the sacred readings, the Church invites us to get better understanding on our faith in God. He is a merciful God and wants us to turn him to in order to experience his love and mercy. We recognized that it is very challenging to keep our identity as holy and virtue men and women in our society due to some reasons. When we fall to sin and suffer, we often blame God that he is unfair to us. Instead, we should look at the way we live our lives which sometimes created unfairness and suffering. God always desires and works for our goodness and salvation. The first reading says the virtuous man lost his focus and turned to wickedness and God through Prophet Ezekial calls for repentance. In our daily life, sometimes we lost our direction. Before maybe we were known as a good man and woman, but because of our weakness and failures we suddenly find ourselves in unworthy situation. Yes, life is a journey, sometimes we take wrong path, loosing the map, confusing the direction. However, through Prophet Ezekial, we are invited to repent and re-direct our focus to God.
The same message about repentance is repeated through the gospel of today. Jesus Christ who is the human face of merciful God challenges us to take more seriously our commitment to him. To have faith in him means to submit our whole being (mind, heart and action). God appreciates our repentance or conversion towards our goodness and salvation. It is very interesting to see the first son who said no to the invitation to work, but after that he changes his mind and heart to do the work, because of thinking about the goodness and holiness behind the work (see also the story of prodigal son). This is the power of reflection. It is hard to accept the assignment and work which maybe we think it is not fair for us. But if we sit down and reflect on it, we most probably find goodness in it. Saint Paul in the second reading reminds us to have the same attitudes that is also in Christ such as openness, mercy, compassion, and humbly looking out for the interest of others (family, church, and community).
I remembered a story about a teacher in our parish happened some years ago. He enjoyed teaching in one of the schools very near to Kabala town. One day, the priests told him to be assigned in a school located in a very isolated village. In the beginning, he refused strongly but after sometimes he accepted to be transferred even with heavy heart. Now, he is very happy and enjoys teaching at the school and joyfully taking care of the catholic community where he is now. The community and its stakeholders really appreciated his work as headteacher. He even told us that he is very happy to be in that school and we noticed it also. He is one of the best and humble teachers that we have. Together with him we can say "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" (Rom 8:28).
Fr. Erik Tjeunfin, sx