COLLECT: “O GOD, WHO HAVE MADE ALL THOSE REBORN IN CHRIST A CHOSEN RACE AND A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD, GRANT US, WE PRAY, THE GRACE TO WILL AND TO DO WHAT YOU COMMAND, THAT THE PEOPLE CALLED TO ETERNAL LIFE MAY BE ONE IN THE FAITH OF THEIR HEARTS AND THE HOMAGE OF THEIR DEEDS. THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOUR SON, WHO LIVES AND REIGNS WITH YOU IN THE UNITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, GOD, FOR EVER AND EVER. AMEN”.
Ez 37:21-28; Ps Jer 31:10-13 and Jn 11:45-56.
There is a Dagaare adage that: “Bon kanga bile mang kpi ka ziere noma” (Lit. The offspring of something must die for the soup to be palatable). One of the moral lessons is that certain sacrifices must be made to bring about reconciliation and peaceful coexistence.
Sin has some of its damaging effects of separating us from God, reducing us to the status of slaves before God, resulting in suffering, pain, and sickness (both physical and psychological). Sin has a disuniting effect on us with God and fellow human beings. When we sin, we are cut off from the blessings and protection of the Lord. We thus become vulnerable and helpless in the hands of Satan. For us to regain our original state of “sonship” or “daughtership” of God, we need the Lord to do that for us. He has already died on the Cross so that we might not perish in the hands of the evil one. His death on the Cross was to gather together in unity the scattered children of God, due to sin. His death would make them into one nation, and the wall of enmity and hatred that separated nations would be destroyed or demolished, thereby making the two or more nations, now one nation. Jesus continues to do that for sinful humanity. The picture of the scattered nations (separated people due to sin) becoming one nation has been brought out clearly in both scriptures today.
The Church symbolises the one united nation that Jesus established for us on earth. This has also fulfilled Ezekiel’s words that: “I will ….put my sanctuary among them (my people) forever. My dwelling shall be with them”…. “Never again shall they be two nations, and never again shall they be divided into two kingdoms”. May Christians rediscover their True Church. Amen.
Of course, “Ninsaale soglaa ba kye maalo” (Lit. “It is not easy to bless the ‘black man’”), says another Dagaare adage. Jesus was all out to save and bless his own people. Yet, his own people became his enemies and they plotted to kill him. They were envious and jealous and as a result, they could not think or reason beyond that to see the good things and good intentions Jesus had for them. Evil that they were, they only saw evil before them, mistakenly saw only evil in Jesus and they schemed against him as they said: “What are we going to do? This man is performing many signs. If we leave him alone, all will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our land and our nation…..So from that day on, they planned to kill him”. Hmmmmmmmmmm. Does this still happen in our contemporary world, especially in our homes/families, work places/offices, Churches, politics, etc.? Does this go on among Christians/believers?
Jesus had much to endure in this regard. May the Lord grant sufficient and enough energy to those who go through unjust sufferings, pains, discriminations and persecutions in our present world out of envy and jealousy, like Jesus and Jeremiah had to undergo. Let us pray today for the conversion of people whose “food” and “drink” are envy and jealousy. May the Lord help them to convert before Easter, and receive God’s salvation and blessings. Stay blessed by the Lord. Happy Saturday.
WE MEDITATE TODAY, SATURDAY, ON THE JOYFUL MYSTERIES: ‘THE ANNUNCIATION, THE VISITATION, THE BIRTH OF JESUS, THE PRESENTATION IN THE TEMPLE AND THE FINDING OF THE CHILD JESUS IN THE TEMPLE’. (LET US PRAY FOR HUMILITY, LOVE OF NEIGHBOUR, POVERTY IN SPIRIT, OBEDIENCE AND JOY IN FINDING JESUS) “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you, blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb Jesus: Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us, sinners, now and at the hour of our death, Amen”.
PRAYER: “WE ENTREAT YOUR MAJESTY MOST HUMBLY, O LORD, THAT, AS YOU FEED US WITH THE NOURISHMENT WHICH COMES FROM THE MOST HOLY BODY AND BLOOD OF YOUR SON, SO YOU MAY MAKE US SHARERS OF HIS DIVINE NATURE. WHO LIVES AND REIGNS FOR EVER AND EVER. AMEN”.
Rev. Fr. Aloysius Kpiebaya, Catholic Diocese of Wa, UW/R, Ghana. (00233) 0207867239/0545462863. Email: aloybaya20@yahoo.com
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