WE ARE IN THE MONTH OF OCTOBER, THE MONTH OF THE HOLY ROSARY. PLEASE, PRAY THE HOLY ROSARY AND ASK THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY TO PRESENT YOUR INTENTIONS TO HER SON FOR REDRESS.
COLLECT: “ALMIGHTY EVER-LIVING GOD, INCREASE OUR FAITH, HOPE AND CHARITY, AND MAKE US LOVE WHAT YOU COMMAND, SO THAT WE MAY MERIT WHAT YOU PROMISED. THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOUR SON, WHO LIVES AND REIGNS WITH YOU, FOR EVER AND EVER. AMEN”.
Ex 22:20-26; Ps 17:2-4,47,51; 1Thess 1:5c-10; Mt 22:34-40.
“LORD, HELP ME TO LIVE MY FAITH BETTER”.
We are reminded this Sunday to know that following the Lord requires more than DEVOTION.
This Sunday’s readings summarise all that religion is about: ‘Vigorous faith resulting in Love of God and love of neighbour’. In replying to the question the Pharisee asked Jesus, the Lord points out that the whole law can be condensed into two commandments: the first and more important consists in unconditional love of God; the second is a consequence and result of the first, because, when we love fellow human beings, we love God, for we are made in the image and likeness of God. Indeed, a person who genuinely loves God should also love his fellow human beings, because we should realise that fellow human beings are our brothers and sisters, children of the same Father, redeemed by the same blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. Also, according to St. John the Apostle, we have this commandment from him, “that he who loves God should love his brother also” (1 Jn 4:21).
St. Paul carried the Christian faith to Europe, and now, upon hearing from Timothy (while in prison) that the Thessalonica Church was vigorous in the faith, Paul wrote this letter (First Thessalonians, part of which we reflect on today) to encourage them to keep it up. Among many things that Paul told them, he said: “The people of those parts are reporting what kind of reception we had from you and how you turned to God from idols, to serve him who is the living and true God and to await from heaven the Son he raised from the dead – Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come” (1Thess 1:9-10). Paul, in a way, is encouraging all of us to respond to the Good News as the Thessalonians did: Turn to God, serve God, and look forward to the return of his Son, Christ, from heaven. We should serve fervently and always be prepared for Christ's return because we do not know when he will come.
According to St. James, faith that does not result in or yield good deeds is dead; “Faith: if good deeds do not go with it, it is quite dead” (James 2:17). Therefore, our faith in God should lead us to love God and our fellow human beings. This is a summary of the Ten Commandments given to Moses, and the other Old Testament Moral Laws. Later, the Pharisees classified over 600 laws, and they would often try to distinguish the more important from the less important. This is the reason in today’s Gospel, one of the Pharisees, an “expert in religious law”, asked Jesus to identify the most important law. Jesus quoted from Deuteronomy 6:6 and Leviticus 19:18. Truly, by fulfilling these two commandments of “Love of God” and “Love of neighbour”, one keeps all the other commandments. Indeed, if we truly love God and our neighbour, we will naturally keep the Commandments. Rather than worrying about all we should “not” do (“You shall not…..) in the Commandments of God, we should concentrate on all we “can” do to show our love for God and others.
This Sunday’s first reading from the Book of Exodus gives us some concrete ways in which our faith can produce good deeds. We should not treat foreigners unfairly. God warns the Israelites not to treat foreigners unfairly because they themselves were foreigners in Egypt. A foreigner, coming into a new environment, can feel alone and out of place, and thus needs to be cared for. We need to be sensitive to their struggles and express God’s love by our kindness and generosity to them.
We are urged to carry out our social responsibilities toward the poor. No doubt, God insists that the poor and powerless be well treated and given the chance to restore their fortunes. There is a need for us to reflect on God’s love for the poor by giving and helping those less fortunate than we are. Therefore, we do not have to exploit widows and orphans in our society, for if we do that and they cry out to God, God will certainly hear their cry, and of course, he will act.
Another aspect of ‘Love of God’ is to see every person as created in the image and likeness of God our Creator*. Therefore, every person ought to be treated as a person, a human being and a subject, but not as an object to be exploited and used for our personal gains. It must be noted that whatever unjust or unfair treatment we give to any person, it is God we do that to; “In truth I tell you, in so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers (sisters) on mine, you did it to me” (Mt 25:40) and “In truth I tell you, in so far as you neglected to do this to one of the least of these, you neglected to do it to me” (Mt 25:45). “Love of neighbour as oneself” does not only entail caring for the person’s personal needs, but it also involves developing the person, developing the society and environment where the person lives*.
Therefore, love of God and neighbour as oneself is practically expressed in what we can do to bring development to people in deprived and neglected areas. ‘Love of neighbour as oneself’ urges us to do to others what we want them to do to/for us. We should be careful what we do to others. ‘The measure one gives will be the one or more one receives. *In a sense, the readings for this 30th Sunday reminded all of us that following the Lord requires more than DEVOTION. We are urged to translate our DEVOTION into practical action*. Stay blessed.
WE MEDITATE TODAY, SUNDAY, ON THE GLORIOUS MYSTERIES: ‘THE RESURRECTION, THE ASCENSION, THE DESCENT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE ASSUMPTION, AND THE CORONATION ’. (WE PRAY FAITH, HOPE, LOVE OF GOD, GRACE OF A HAPPY DEATH AND TRUST IN MARY’S INTERCESSION) “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 the hour of our death, Amen”.
PRAYER: “MAY YOUR SACRAMENTS, O LORD, WE PRAY, PERFECT IN US WHAT LIES WITHIN THEM, THAT WHAT WE NOW CELEBRATE IN SIGNS WE MAY ONE DAY POSSESS IN TRUTH. THROUGH CHRIST OUR LORD. AMEN”.
Rev. Fr. Aloysius Kpiebaya, Catholic Diocese of Wa, UW/R, Ghana. (00233) 0207867239/0545462863. Email: aloybaya20@yahoo.com.
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