CLERGY AND RELIGIOUS REFLECTIONS FOR THE 12TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR A
First Reading: Jeremiah 20:10-13
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 69:7-9;13 and 16; 32-34 (R. 13c)
Second Reading: Romans 5:12-15
Alleluia: John 15:26b;27a
Gospel: Matthew 10:26-33
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| Fr. Chinaka Justin Mbaeri, OSJ |
REFLECTION/HOMILY
Overcoming Fear & Embracing Courage In The Face Of Opposition & Persecution
In a world often fraught with uncertainty and adversity, coupled with the presence of evildoers around us, fear often looms like a formidable giant, threatening to paralyze our dreams and shatter our spirits; at times, this can cast a long and daunting shadow over our lives. Sadly, this may hold us captive, inhibiting our growth, and preventing us from embracing the boundless possibilities that lie before us. However, in the depths of our trepidation, there exists an unwavering invitation from our Saviour to relinquish fear and cultivate courage, faith, and trust in God. It is this yearning that beckons us to examine the profound words of Jesus and the resolute example of Jeremiah—a call to eliminate fear from our lives and embrace a courageous trust in God. Put differently, today’s readings beckon us to embrace courage, trust, and unwavering faith in the face of adversity. They remind us that even in the darkest of times, we are never alone, for the divine presence walks beside us, illuminating our path and strengthening our spirits.
Taking the First Reading (from Jeremiah 20:10-13) as our point of departure, we witness the prophet’s anguish and persecution, yet amidst his struggles, he finds solace in the Lord’s unwavering support. Jeremiah expresses his frustration and anguish over the rejection and persecution he faced due to his prophetic calling. He vividly describes how he became a laughingstock and object of mockery, as his message of impending judgment and exile was met with resistance and disbelief. Despite the overwhelming opposition – how his adversaries sought to silence his voice, and the personal toll it took on him, Jeremiah’s faith in God remained steadfast. Jeremiah recognizes that God’s truth cannot be suppressed, and he must continue to proclaim it, regardless of the consequences. What strikes me about this passage is Jeremiah’s unwavering commitment to God’s calling, even in the face of immense opposition and personal suffering. He is honest about his struggles, pouring out his anguish before the Lord, yet he ultimately finds strength and solace in God’s presence. Jeremiah acknowledges the indomitable power of God. In the depths of his despair, he turns to the Almighty, who becomes his refuge and source of strength.
In a nexus, the Responsorial Psalm, taken from Psalms 68(69):8-10,14,17,33-35, echoes the sentiment of Jeremiah’s experience. It portrays a plea to God for salvation and deliverance from the depths of suffering. In our own lives, we may encounter moments of loneliness, pain, and uncertainty, but we can take solace in the truth that the Lord hears our cries and will extend His mercy and love to us. In our vulnerability, we find strength as we surrender to the divine providence that uplifts us and carries us through.
The theme of embracing courage, trust, and unwavering faith in God even in the face of adversity and fear continues to resound in the Second Reading (Romans 5:12-15). In this passage, St. Paul unveils the redemptive power of Christ’s sacrifice. Romans 5:12 explains that sin entered the world through one man, Adam, which resulted in death and fear. Fear is a consequence of sin’s presence in our lives. By acknowledging this truth, we understand that fear is not part of God’s original design for humanity. God’s desire is for us to live in freedom from fear and experience His abundant life. While sin brought fear and death into the world, verse 15 highlights the incredible power of God’s grace through Jesus Christ. It states that God’s grace and the gift that came through Christ overflowed to many. This grace is a game-changer in our battle against fear. It is through Jesus’ sacrificial death and resurrection that we can find forgiveness, freedom from sin, and the strength to overcome fear. In other words, Romans 5:15 encourages us to embrace God’s support in overcoming fear. It reminds us that if the trespass of one man (Adam) resulted in death for many, how much more did God’s grace overflow to the many through Jesus Christ. This verse assures us that God’s support is abundant and far greater than any fear we may face. When we place our trust in Him, His grace empowers us to conquer fear and live victoriously.
Similarly, we hear the invitation from our Saviour in the Gospel Reading (Matthew 10:26-33) three times: “Do not be afraid…” This passage imparts a profound message of trust and courage. To understand this passage better, it is pertinent to first unravel its sociological context. During Jesus’ time, the Jewish community lived under the Roman empire, with varying levels of religious freedom and persecution. Jews faced social and religious pressures, including hostility from some factions within their own community and potential persecution from Roman authorities. This sociological context influenced the message Jesus conveyed to His disciples. Thus, in verse 26, Jesus urges His disciples not to be afraid (φοβηθῆτε – phobēthēte) of those who oppose them. He emphasizes that nothing concealed will remain hidden, and what is whispered will be proclaimed openly. This instruction encourages the disciples to be courageous in their mission, not succumbing to fear (φόβος – phobos) and being willing to openly share the teachings they have received from Jesus. In this vein, Jesus reassures His disciples of God’s care and protection. He uses the imagery of sparrows being sold for a penny, emphasizing their seemingly insignificant value. However, He highlights that not one sparrow falls to the ground without the Father’s knowledge and care. This reassurance underscores God’s watchful eye and concern for even the smallest details of His creation. Jesus then emphasizes the immeasurable value of the disciples themselves, reminding them that they are worth more than many sparrows.
Today’s readings remind us of the challenges, difficulties, and even the persecutions we may encounter when following God’s call. Like Jeremiah, we may face opposition, ridicule, and even isolation for standing up for what is right and proclaiming God’s truth. We might even find ourselves in a setting quite hostile to our Christian faith and core values; however, we are encouraged to remain steadfast with unwavering faith, trusting that God is with us in the midst of our struggles. Therefore, in our darkest moments, God’s presence and faithfulness are our source of strength. We can take solace in the knowledge that God will sustain us, empower us, and ultimately bring about justice and redemption. May we find inspiration in Jeremiah’s example and allow God’s fire to burn within us, propelling us forward to fulfill our purpose and faithfully proclaim God’s truth, regardless of the challenges we may face.
Again, dear friends in Christ, as we reflect on these readings, let us draw strength from the examples set before us. Let us be like Jeremiah, unwavering in our convictions and finding refuge in God’s presence. Let us be like the psalmist, seeking solace in the knowledge that God hears our cries and will lift us from the depths of despair. Let us embrace the immeasurable grace bestowed upon us through Christ’s sacrifice as stated by St. Paul, and let us toot out all fear (φόβος – phobos) and find courage in the promise that God knows, cares for, and values each one of us intimately, as Christ encourages us in the gospel. As we embark upon a new week, may we carry these powerful messages in our hearts. Let us face whatever challenges that lie ahead with unwavering faith and trust, knowing that we are never alone. The journey may not always be easy, but we can rest assured that the God who created us, redeemed us, and sanctifies us daily will empower us to overcome every obstacle – therefore, do not be afraid!
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| Reginald Ukwu, SDV |
REFLECTION
Conquer Your Fear
“Do not be afraid…” but “be afraid of the one who can destroy both the soul and the body,” and that is God Himself.
Jesus says: “Do not be afraid,” three times. Here He gives us an assurance that if we are rejected or being hurt or afraid of what will happen to us or ready to take responsibility or ready to tell the truth, He will acknowledge us before His Father in heaven.
Most time, we are always afraid of what we don't know but have we tried asking ourselves questions like, “who is fear?"; "where is his or her house?". Therefore, we become afraid of many things.
Fear to take responsibility and act on it: We want to be blessed by God and yet, we are afraid of the demands that the blessing will demand from all of us. We are not ready to work for God, but we want God to bless us always.
Fear to tell the truth: we became afraid to say the truth because of what they might do to us, they will point fingers at us. That is why there are so many things happened which till now, are unresolved because we are afraid to tell the truth, and many of us became sycophants.
Fear of anticipation of what might happen: Here, we begin to make some statements about what will happen if we do this or that, like: "What if I do this or do that, what will happen to me?”; "what is I fail in doing this". We became afraid to take actions for good.
Dearest brothers and sisters in Christ, like Our Jesus assured us in the gospel, let us be courageous and be strong in faith, fear no one, have a solid foundation and be prayerful, for God is always with us, he will never abandon his own people. Amen.
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| Revd. Thomas Gerard Zira |
HOMILY
In our first reading, we find the prophet Jeremiah pouring out his heart and soul to God, expressing his deep anguish, yet ultimately finding hope and strength in the midst of his struggles. Jeremiah was called by God to be a prophet, to deliver messages of warning and judgment to the people of Israel. However, his prophetic words were not well-received by the majority. He faced opposition, ridicule, and persecution.
Jeremiah's message was unpopular, and he often found himself in great distress such that he felt as to give up. In verse 10, we hear the cries of woes of Jeremiah, the loneliness and betrayal he experienced; even those who were once close to him turned against him. He felt surrounded by fear and uncertainty. But in the midst of his anguish, Jeremiah's faith in God remains unshaken. He acknowledges that God is with him as a "mighty warrior" in verse 11. Despite the opposition, Jeremiah knows that he is not alone in his struggles. He finds solace and strength in the presence of God, who will fight for him.
Jeremiah's faith led him to a point of total surrender in verse 12. Despite the hardships he faced, Jeremiah recognized that God knows him intimately. He trusts that God sees his heart, his motives, and his dedication to fulfilling the divine calling upon his life and surrenders his thoughts and emotions to God, allowing Him to examine and refine him.
In the second reading, St.Paul offers profound insights into the concept of sin and the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. Here, Paul is referring to the fall of humanity in the Garden of Eden, when Adam and Eve disobeyed God and sin entered the world. Through their disobedience, sin became a part of the human condition, and the consequence of sin is death. It is a sad reality that all of us, as descendants of Adam and Eve, have inherited this fallen nature and are subject to sin and death.
However, Paul doesn't leave us in a state of hopelessness and despair. He continues by highlighting the incredible grace and mercy of God, that despite our fallen state, God did not abandon us, instead, He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, as a gift of grace to redeem us from the power of sin and death. Paul further explains that the sin of Adam brought condemnation to all of humanity, but the gift of Jesus Christ brings justification and forgiveness for our many trespasses. Through His sacrificial death on the cross, Jesus paid the price for our sins and opened the way for us to be reconciled with God. The reign of sin and death therefore brought about by Adam is surpassed by the reign of grace and righteousness through Jesus Christ. Through faith in Him, we are not only forgiven, but we are also given the gift of righteousness and the promise of eternal life.
In the Gospel reading, Jesus addresses his disciples and offers them words of encouragement and guidance as they embark on their mission to spread the Good News. However, these words are not limited to the disciples alone; they hold a profound message for each one of us today. Jesus begins by reminding us that as His followers, we should not be afraid of the challenges and opposition we may encounter in our lives, the truth will always prevail, and God's light will shine upon everything that is hidden or kept in darkness. Our task is to live in the light of truth, with sincerity and integrity, trusting that God will guide and protect us.
Jesus further emphasizes the importance of boldly proclaiming the message of the Kingdom of God. As Christians, we are called to be witnesses to the truth, to share the love and grace of God with others. We should not hide our faith, but rather, openly and courageously live out our Christian calling in all aspects of our lives. Our words and actions should reflect the values and teachings of Jesus, even if it means facing opposition or ridicule.
In the final verses, Jesus assures his disciples of God's loving care and providence, He highlight the profound love and concern that God has for each one of us. If God cares for the birds of the air and knows every detail about them, how much more will He provide for our needs and protect us in times of trouble? We are precious in God's sight, and we can trust that He will be with us every step of the way.
Dear friends, being afraid in the midst of uncertainties, in situations of danger and life-threatening conditions is a normal reaction of the person thus, part and parcel of the human person and a natural thing; more so is the fact that our fears tend to increase in the midst of persecution, however, Jesus today begins be asking his disciples and us not to be afraid. Many would be wondering why Jesus would say such a thing; many would ponder in their hearts whether Jesus would come to their aid when these persecutions come. Why does he ask us not to be afraid? There are primarily three (3) reasons for this; the first is, everything evil hidden or covered would be brought to light-this implies that God will not permit evil to win. The second reason not to fear is the limited power of our opponents-they can kill the body but they have no power of the soul but God alone. The third reason not to fear is God’s compassionate love-God cares even about tiny sparrows, how much more will he then care for us created in His image and likeness?
Brethren, a fact we all cannot deny is that true Christianity is like a magnet which attracts persecution; it suffices to say then that wherever Christianity is, there is also found persecution; it is not a recent phenomenon. Christians right from the time of Jesus have been persecuted firstly by the Jewish authorities and then by the Romans for not accepting the emperor as God. The Church has had her own part of persecution (Emperor Decius, Valentianus, Diocletian, Nero, etc). Christians in China, Iraq, the Middle-East are having their share of persecution. Gone are the days when we used to say persecution is going to come, it is here already; Christianity in Nigeria is having her own share of the persecution too. According to a research carried out by the Open Doors in 2022, a Christian in Nigeria is killed in every 2 hours; nearly 13 Christian a day and 372 Christians a month. On July 9th 2016, a preacher named Eunice Olawale was killed brutally in Abuja for using a megaphone to preach; on February 19th 2018, a young girl Leah alongside 109 girls were abducted by bandits in Dapchi- 5 were killed, 104 were released but Leah was not on account of her faith. On January 22nd 2020, a CAN chairman in Michika LGA Rev Lawan Andimi was beheaded gruesomely because of his Christian faith; (NB: Admission, job, appointments, etc).
More closer to many households today are the many silent persecutions going on; for example, a family bring in their nephew, nice, cousin, relation or even apprentice from the village in order to help train him, upon realization that he/she is Catholic whereas they are not, the innocent child begins to face maltreatment, or instead of the initial plan to enroll the child in a school, he is being turned into a houseboy; he wakes up early morning, cleans the house, washes the car, cooks for their children, prepares them for school or even takes them to school and comes back to continue with house chores. Catholics are also not exonerated from this; they do it to children in their care who are not Catholics. What difference does this evil and persecution make from those committed by boko-haram?
More terrifying is the Jeremiah kind of persecution; the kind of persecution where people of your own kind, kindred, people you profess the same faith with, people you share a common identity with, people whose blood flow in your in veins persecute you. Isn’t it true that today in families, siblings sideline their other siblings in the distribution of family resources either as inheritance or income? How about in-laws who after the death of their brother throw out the wife and their brother’s children out of the house and cart away with everything their brother ever possessed? Isn’t it true today that family members neglect and do not take care of their sick family members because they feel they have more important things to do with their time and resources? Or is it the manipulation going on in homes of Christians against each other in order to possess power, finances and other perishable goods which has led to the killing of each? Are these no also persecutions of the severe degrees? One questions that always comes up is why did the early Christians risk their lives for someone who was branded as a criminal? The answer definitely is because they had a deep experience of the risen Christ, and this experience gave them courage to lay their lives for the risen Christ.
Dear friends, in the second reading, a pattern of how God carries his work of reverting evil is clearly manifested, He uses what was used to bring about error in order to correct such errors by bringing about succor. In Genesis 3:6, it was through food that sin came upon the world when Adam and Eve ate of the tree God had asked them not too, and in John 6:51, food is again given as the condition for eternal life, Jesus says, “I am the living bread which has come down from heaven; anyone who eats this bread will live forever, and the bread I shall give is my flesh for the life to the world;” notice again, through one man (Adam) sin came to the world and through another man (Jesus) salvation is brought to the world as our second reading presents; notice again, angel Lucifer (whom we call the devil) rebelled against God, but God did not fight him himself, He rather used another angel (Michael) to put him down; in Numbers 23, when the Israelites in the wilderness rebelled against God by disobedience, God punished them by sending fiery serpents (snakes) to bite them and they died, when they repented and cried for help, God brought healing upon them by using the snake hung on a tree through Moses to bring healing to them; so, since it was through Adam a man that condemnation came, God is insisting that it will be through another man-Jesus that salvation would come. It has then become pertinent for us to focus on the man Jesus for our salvation is even nearer than before.
For the many times we have persecuted others, for the many times we have maltreated others, for the many times we lost focus on Jesus and for the many times we lost hope in the Lord, may God grant us pardon and the grace to adjust. In our moments of persecution, may each one of us receive this personal experience of Christ and the courage of the martyrs to be able to place our trust in God like the prophet Jeremiah. May God bless us and bless His words in our hearts through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Thank you Padres for the soul lifting reflections and homilies
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