Rev.
Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.
WHAT
IS THE GREATEST PRIORITY OF THE HUMAN PERSON?
Reflecting
on the fragile and contingent nature of the human person, one may agree with me
that there are so many principles we need to embrace in order to ensure
peaceful coexistence with one another and with our environment. These
principles have a way of assuring us peace and success in whatever we do, but
neglecting these principles will bring about grave consequences. Hence, when we
are faced with the realities of life, we want to know the principle that should
be our first priority and the foundation of every other principle. In fact, we always desire to know what is
required of us in this life.
This
is partially the deposition of the Pharisees in our Gospel passage today, who
after they have exhausted all their energy trying to see how they can discredit
the teachings of Jesus who had just silenced the Sadducees, they came together
and one of them asked Jesus question concerning which commandment is the
greatest. In response Jesus reminded them of the 'Shema Israel', the prayer
that they knew and recite from their earliest years from which they learnt that
the most important thing in life is to love God with all their heart, and with
all their soul, and with all their mind; that is, with all their powers and the
noble faculties of the soul, the mind, the understanding, judgment, and will.
Jesus then added that, to love one’s neigbhour is the second priority.
Here,
Jesus gave us the fundamental principle that should guide human existence. He
made it clear that loving God and our neighbours are the greatest priority of
the human person. In other words, loving God with all our heart, with all our understanding
and strength, and to love our neighbour as ourselves are what is required of us
and it is the foundation of all the things we have to do. To portray this,
Jesus set as a standard for all to see, not just by the love he was able to
show to people, but by the depth of love
which he showed by dying and rising for our salvation.
This
principle of love especially that of loving our neighbours is what we have in
our first reading where we were told not to molest the stranger for we all are
strangers in the world. We must not be harsh with the widow, the orphan, the
poor, the less privileged, if we do, they will surely cry out to God, and be
sure he shall hear their cry; his anger will flare and he will surely visit the
oppressors with the same sword of which they used against the poor.
Therefore
we are called to show love to our neighbours especially the poor, the widow and
the orphans. We are called not to embezzle public resources meant for the good
and well-being of the poor. Rather we are called to learn from the early
Christian community who embraced this principle of love in a very practical way
as we have it in our second reading today where we heard St. Paul saying: you
observed the sort of life we lived when we were with you, which was for your
instruction, and you were led to become imitators of us, and of the Lord; and
it was with the joy of the Holy Spirit that you took to the Gospel, despite the
great opposition round you.
Dear
friends, the greatest priority of the human person is the love of God and the
love of neighbours. For love is the centre of all the teachings of Jesus. It is
a gift from God to humanity. It is like the stream water, so innocent and pure.
A true love is not hidden, it radiates from the innermost being of a person who
experience it. If we love God, then, we will see him in others and treat them
justly and honourably. We will not hurt our neighbours but do our utmost best
to live in peace with them. The truth is that, the absence of love is the cause
of all the problems in our world today as most families exist by grace and not
by love. The rate of corruption and greediness in this country is so appalling.
People are never tired of acquiring and embezzling public funds for their own
selfish gain and now they are on the run.
So
there is no doubt, we need a radical transformation. A transformation that will
brings about a new out fit that makes one a new person, with a new life, a new
mind and a new way of doing things. And this is possible only when we
understand the shortness of this life, the emptiness of this passing world and
the danger of greediness, then we will be able to do things the right way. For this country will be transformed only
when the power of love and goodwill supersedes the love of power and then,
justice and faithfulness become the habit of every one of us in our families,
society and country. How I wish we can invest our time and resources in
ensuring love and unity in our dealings with one another. Believe me we will
not only be fulfilling the first and greatest commandments of God, but we will
be building a happy country, a happy society and a happy family.
LET US
PRAY: Heavenly Father, in you we have the fullness of love, grant that we may
truly love you and our neighbours and so conquer the world full of hatred,
self-centeredness, greed and corruption, we ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen. Do have a fruitful Sunday celebration.
.jpeg)
No comments:
Post a Comment