THE WORD - A Do-it-yourself Manual for the Reign today!
January 26, 2020: 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time - Sunday of the Word of God
Isaiah 8:23 - 9:3; 1 Corinthians 1: 10-13,17; Matthew 4: 12-23
Isaiah 8:23 - 9:3; 1 Corinthians 1: 10-13,17; Matthew 4: 12-23
Sunday of the Word of God - yet another history is created today, as for the first time, the third Sunday of the Ordinary time is celebrated in the Universal Church as the Sunday of the Word of God. This is an ongoing measure to increase our faith-focus on the Word of God, grow in love for the same and be passionate about announcing it wherever we are and in whichever way we can! Without any doubt, the Word of God is a do-it-yourself guide given to every Christ-ian to go about his or her task - building the Reign of God here and now.
Christians divided among themselves is a terrible scandal to the rest of the world. We have just ended the Unity Octave or the Prayer week for Unity among Christians, yesterday, and today the readings seem to point to an application of the same to our day to day Christian living! It is easier to brush aside the message saying it is impractical, than to take it seriously and examine our situation - personally, and in our immediate context.
The Readings have a practical logic that they follow: they present a problem, they indicate the cause and then propose the challenge! The Problem: Darkness, gloom and hatred in the world. Cause: Divisions among persons, for whatever reason it be! Challenge: Repent and Accept the Reign of God. The readings taken together seem to affirm what we said earlier that the Word is a do-it-yourself manual of the Reign; in fact we have a Do-it-yourself guide towards making the Reign of God present amidst us, the Word today.
Step 1: Perceive the Problem: the darkness, the gloom and the hatred that surrounds today. Killings, wars, provocative political policies, inhuman oppressive practices, social unrest, social discrimination, economic exploitation, communal insinuations, manipulation of the powerless and the suppression of the voiceless - today it looks like the world is a dangerous place to live in and it seems to get worse by the day! Isaiah speaks from such a context in the first reading, as explains Matthew in the Gospel: people who sit in darkness and land overshadowed by death!
The world is such, yes; but how is it around you and me! The first step the readings suggest today is to take note of our situation: look around...it could be your family, or your parish, or your locality - identify the darkness, the shadow of death that hovers, anything that does not allow you and those around you to live your life to the full. You might be blaming someone far above on the ladder, or someone in completely another context, while in your own context and in your own circle, you might be doing the same in your own way, or at least having thoughts or a mentality that comes very close to it - something like fighting for eradication of corruption but you have your friend who is in authority who helps you skip a line and finish your work in a short cut.
The world is such, yes; but how is it around you and me! The first step the readings suggest today is to take note of our situation: look around...it could be your family, or your parish, or your locality - identify the darkness, the shadow of death that hovers, anything that does not allow you and those around you to live your life to the full. You might be blaming someone far above on the ladder, or someone in completely another context, while in your own context and in your own circle, you might be doing the same in your own way, or at least having thoughts or a mentality that comes very close to it - something like fighting for eradication of corruption but you have your friend who is in authority who helps you skip a line and finish your work in a short cut.
Step 2: Identify the Cause: self-centered vision and egocentric outlook on life. Divisions on the basis of various categories - be it economic, social, religious, traditional or whatever - are opposed to the Gospel message. The thriving of the evil, the growth of the unjust systems, the perpetration of unethical social order - where do these come from? Is it not insensitivity and self-centered thinking that leads to these situations?
How sad it is to see a Christian community divided on the basis of caste, or colour, or ethnicity! How painful it is to see a Christian community where there are still people who have absolutely nothing to live on, while there are others who can spend lavishly on unreasonable luxuries! How scandalous to see a Christian community that comes together on the Sunday, celebrates together the sacraments and goes back unaffected by each other! How contradicting to see a Christian family divide within - for the sake of property or money, due to ego clashes or owing to years of hatred! The second reading pleads that we identify the cause of those situations that does not allow us to live our Christian life fully!
How sad it is to see a Christian community divided on the basis of caste, or colour, or ethnicity! How painful it is to see a Christian community where there are still people who have absolutely nothing to live on, while there are others who can spend lavishly on unreasonable luxuries! How scandalous to see a Christian community that comes together on the Sunday, celebrates together the sacraments and goes back unaffected by each other! How contradicting to see a Christian family divide within - for the sake of property or money, due to ego clashes or owing to years of hatred! The second reading pleads that we identify the cause of those situations that does not allow us to live our Christian life fully!
Step 3: Accept the Challenge of the Reign: to repent and be the change! We want the world to change, but we are not ready to be the change. We are scared to be taken advantage of, we do not want to take any risks. We preach peace and pray for prosperity in the world, but what do we do for it in practice? Are we ready to forgive without hesitation, love without calculation, help without expectation, contribute without remuneration?
Are we ready to just leave everything and follow Christ as the disciples did - follow Christ, to preach the Reign, by first of all, ourselves living as the people of the Reign? Are we ready to look beyond all differences and appreciate the oneness of faith that we have in the Reign? Are we ready to look at every one around me as my brother, my sister, someone whom I care for and whom I respect and regard, so that I am ready to relate, love and grow in communion, towards building up the Reign?
If we are ready... then, the people who sit in darkness will see a light; those dwelling in the land overshadowed by death will see a light. Let us repent, be the change, and spread peace, love and life - that will be the Reign of God, here and now!
Are we ready to just leave everything and follow Christ as the disciples did - follow Christ, to preach the Reign, by first of all, ourselves living as the people of the Reign? Are we ready to look beyond all differences and appreciate the oneness of faith that we have in the Reign? Are we ready to look at every one around me as my brother, my sister, someone whom I care for and whom I respect and regard, so that I am ready to relate, love and grow in communion, towards building up the Reign?
If we are ready... then, the people who sit in darkness will see a light; those dwelling in the land overshadowed by death will see a light. Let us repent, be the change, and spread peace, love and life - that will be the Reign of God, here and now!
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