The Sunday of the Enthronement of the Word of God.
Readings: Is. 9:1-4; Ps. 27; 1Cor.1:10-13.17; Matt. 4:12-23
Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.
WHAT IS MY EXPERIENCE WITH JESUS THE LIVING WORD OF GOD
Today, being the third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A, we are called to celebrate the Word of God. On 30th September, 2019, Pope Francis in his Apostolic Letter Aperuit Illis, declared and instituted “A Sunday for the Word of God”, which is to be celebrated every third Sunday in Ordinary Time of the Church’s Liturgical Year. This is of great importance and significance, as it is the light and strength of our faith.
The purpose of this declaration is to remind all Christ faithful that the Word of God, as contained in the scriptures, is vital and integral in the development of our faith in God. The Word of God, in this case, does not just refer to the Scriptures as we know them, but also refers to Christ Himself as our Lord and Saviour, the Divine Word made Incarnate.
Hence, our readings today emphasised making the word of God the light of our lives. In the first reading, Prophet Isaiah talked about the lands of Zebulun and Naphtali, which were conquered by the Assyrians in 732 BC, and dwelt in the darkness of oppression. So he predicted how God would liberate his people who live and walk in the deep darkness of oppression, how they would be set free by the great light of God’s glory.
These words of the Prophet Isaiah were fulfilled in our Gospel passage today, where the chosen people of God who dwell in the lands of Naphtali and Zebulun failed to drive out the Gentiles that are in their midst, they preferred to live with them in the darkness of corruption, sin and shame. These are the people to whom Jesus brought his ministry of the words of light in the midst of the darkness that surrounded them. The presence of Jesus brought them great light.
Here, Matthew is saying that God has chosen Galilee of the Gentiles to be the place where His light will shine. And wherever light and darkness are used in scriptures, it connotes the power of good over evil, order over chaos, security over danger, joy over sorrow, truth over falsehood, life over death and salvation over condemnation. Though, Jesus begins his ministry in Galilee, his mission will be extended to the whole world.
Hence, he called his disciples, who would be instruments to extend his mission to the whole world. Jesus’ invitation to become disciples offers them the opportunity to observe him closely daily. And by doing so, they will learn more from him to become familiar with his ways of doing things. They will unconsciously copy his manner of speaking, his gestures, his dealings with people. They will see how he solves problems and counters opposition. So that gradually, they will become like Jesus in thought, word and deed.
This speaks powerfully about discipleship, which the people of Corinth failed to understand, as we heard in our second reading. Hence they divided the body of Christ into groups of instrumental personnel of Christ, namely: Paul and Apollos. This is due to a lack of good knowledge of the scriptures. Thus, St. Paul, while reminding them that all were baptised into one Christ, said: I appeal to you, brothers, for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ, to make up the differences between you, and instead of disagreeing among yourselves, to be united again in your belief and practice. Therefore, there can only be one loyalty, that is to Christ alone, who is the Word Made Flesh and dwells among us.
Dear friends, the question we need to ask ourselves is: What is my relationship with Jesus, the Living Word of God made flesh, who dwells among us? What is my experience with the Word of God? Have I truly encountered the Lord in His Word? What is my response towards the Word of God we hear every day? How much of this Word dwells in us? How have we experienced and encountered God in His Word? How have I communicated my experience with the Word of God to humanity? How often do I reverence the Lord in His Word? How often have I shied away from speaking about God and His Word in my daily conversations with other people? How often do I obey the instructions of the Lord through his Words
Brethren, the emphasis on the Word of God today is very important to all of us the faithful people of God. For if we are to follow Christ faithfully, we must cultivate the habit of studying the scriptures because the Word of God is our daily sustenance and the source of our strength and faith. We should make the Word of God the guiding principle of our lives. For in the scriptures we find the strength and courage to promote good over evil, order over chaos, security over danger, joy over sorrow, truth over falsehood, life over death and salvation over condemnation.
LET US PRAY: Lord God, as we enthroned your Word in our lives, our families and in your Church today, grant we pray, that through the power of the Holy Spirit, we may come to discover the power and the efficacy of the scriptures in our lives as individuals, families and community of God’s people. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a blessed and lovely Sunday.
No comments:
Post a Comment