November 13, 2022; 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time; Year (C) November 13, 2022

Readings: Malachi 3:19 -20; 2 Thess. 3:7-12; Lk 21:5-19

 

Why Are You Afraid of Dying?

1.    It is reasonable to say that those who are afraid of dying never lived well or to the fullest. This would mean that we have not been able to do all that we planned to do or accomplish all that God intended for us to achieve before our demise. The Bible warns, “But the just man, though he die early, shall be at rest. For the honorable age comes not with the passing of time, nor can it be measured in terms of years. Rather, understanding is the hoary crown for men, and an unsullied life, the attainment of old age.” (Wisdom 4:7-9). It doesn’t matter when we die, but that we lived well and left a legacy for others. Our life must give meaning to others. Hence St. Paul reminds us, “None of us lives for oneself, and no one dies for oneself. If we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord.”(Rom. 14:7-8) The question then is, “Why are we afraid of dying?” What would you do if you were told you would die today? I am sure you would do everything you can to stop yourself from dying. But why would you postpone doing good till the end? Today’s readings address the end time and the four last things: Death, Judgement, Heaven, and Hell. The first reading states: “Lo, the day is coming, blazing like an oven, when all the proud and all evildoers will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire, leaving them neither root nor branch, says the Lord of hosts.” (Malachi 3:19). In the Gospel, Jesus predicted the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem, which took 46 years to complete: “All that you see here – the days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down.” The temple was indeed destroyed seven years after the prediction. 

 

2.    We are often mesmerized by monumental and imposing structures of churches, basilicas, temples, cathedrals, and buildings of worship in this and other countries of the world. I often wonder whether those structures reflect the builders’ intention – raise people’s minds and hearts to God and make them reflect on the divine and heavenly realities. Did the temple Christ lament over raise people’s minds to God? Probably not. “Then Jesus entered the temple area and proceeded to drive out those who were selling things, saying to them, ‘It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves.’” (Lk. 19:45-46). The temple did not represent what it was meant for, a house of prayer, a place to communicate with God and be at home with him and his sons and daughters. They had turned it into exclusive use for their selfish purpose. They had basically driven God out of his house. God’s house had become a market square. There were many cases of abuse in that temple, even as it looked beautiful and well-adorned both in and out. The time had come for them to pay the price for their recklessness. Punishment and destruction await those who do not make use of the opportunity God has given them to do what is right. The day will come, blazing like a furnace, to consume those who are hellbent on doing evil. What about us? Do we always conduct ourselves with decorum in the sacred place designated for the worship of God? We may be proud of our beautiful Church, but does it reflect the glory of God? Do we worship God in spirit and in truth? Do we lack forgiveness, compassion, and mercy within the house of God? Do we welcome all who come to worship God, regardless of status, clout, race, or appearance? Is this why our Church is empty? What have we done wrong? What must we do differently? Should we fold our arms, walk away from our Church, and allow it to be closed? What is Christ saying to us about our Church and its future?

 

3.    Maybe we have erected some structures for ourselves that make it difficult to surrender to God. Academic achievements make us look down on others; our jobs have become our God, so we have no time for God and Church. Our social status could make it a challenge to be open to others. Pride can prevent us from seeing God and others. It may have taken us years to accumulate wealth, build our empire, construct our temple, and attend to our social status. Still, if we do not see Christ in them, Christ will say, “All that you see here – the days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down.” When our temples and achievements become so superimposing that people can no longer see God except in and through them, those structures must be destroyed. Our Christian teaching and faith demand that we recognize the presence of God in one another as well as in the temple where God is worshipped. This is the true religion, worshipping God in spirit and in truth.

 

4.    The readings remind us that our time on earth is short. Christ will come one day soon; therefore, we must be prepared. This knowledge doesn’t mean that Christ is coming today or tomorrow. It could be any day! Therefore, Christ warned, “See that you not be deceived, for many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and ‘The time has come.’  Please do not follow them! Do not be terrified when you hear of wars and insurrections, for such things must happen first, but they will not immediately be the end.” (Lk. 21:8-9). We should, therefore, live our normal lives and be engaged in sporadic acts of kindness. Pray at all times and be committed to your faith. Do not be overanxious about the end; live as if the end is now. Do not be afraid! The day we die is the end of the world for us and the beginning of a new life with God. May God bless us now and always. Amen

 

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP.

November 06, 2022; 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)

Readings: 2 Maccabees 7:1-2, 7, 9-14; 2 Thes.2:16 – 3:5; Lk 20:27-38

 

 

Death Is a Change of Life

1.    In the Preface for Christian death, we pray: “Lord, for your faithful people, life is changed, not ended. When the body of our earthly dwelling lies in death, we gain an everlasting dwelling place in heaven.” Death is a change of life. It is the pathway that brings us to our final destination with God. Our faith is founded on the resurrection of Christ. His resurrection guarantees that those who died in Christ will be raised on the last day. St. Paul tells us: “If there is no resurrection of the dead, Christ himself cannot have been raised, and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is useless, and your believing it is useless. If our hope in Christ has been for this life only, we are the most unfortunate people.” (1 Cor.15:14-19). Many Christians suffered martyrdom in this world because they hoped to live forever with God. Christians see their death as a transition to a life of grace with their creator. 

 

2.    People believed in the resurrection from the dead long before Christ. The hope of the resurrection is portrayed in the first reading from the Book of Maccabees. During the reign of the Greek king Antiochus IV, a law was promulgated that made it a crime, punishable by death, for the Jews to practice their religion. Circumcision was forbidden, and copies of the law were burned. They were prevented from following their dietary laws and were not allowed to celebrate their feasts. They were mandated to worship and offer sacrifices to the Greek gods and goddesses. This brought great distress and persecution to the Jews. Many derailed and offered sacrifices to the pagan gods; they stopped circumcising their sons and ate pork, which was forbidden by law. Those who disobeyed the king and held on to their faith were put to death.  

 

3.    The book of Maccabees documents those terrible times and the struggle the Jews went through to remain faithful to God in the face of egregious persecution and distress. In the first reading, we heard of the torture of a heroic woman and her seven sons. They held on to God and refused to obey the king. Their hope was in the resurrection of the righteous. Listen to what they said to their persecutors: “We are prepared to die rather than break the laws of our ancestors.” (2 Macc.7:2). “You may discharge us from this present life, but the king of the world will raise us up since it is for his laws that we die to live again forever.” “It was heaven that gave me these limbs; for the sake of his laws, I disdain them; I hope to receive them from him again.” The mother encouraged her dying sons to be courageous in the face of death in these words; “Prove yourself of your brothers, and make death welcome, so that in the day of mercy I may receive you back in your brothers’ company.” The woman and her sons preferred death to a life of shame. St. Paul reminded us, “And if the spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, then he who raised Jesus from the dead will give life to your own mortal bodies through his Spirit living in you.” (Rom. 8:11). 

 

4.    In the Gospel, the Sadducees questioned Jesus on the resurrection. This was a group of a rich religious set, like the Pharisees. But unlike the Pharisees, they did not believe in the resurrection from the dead, angels, or spirits. They confronted Jesus with a levirate law argument that states that if a man dies childless, his brother must marry the widow and raise children for the brother (Deut. 25:5). With this law, they demonstrated how ridiculous the concept of the resurrection was. Since seven brothers married a woman and died childless and the woman also died, at the resurrection, who will her husband be? Jesus explained to them that the life of the resurrection would not be the same as life on earth. We will be like angels. There will be no need for procreation. Jesus reminded them of what God said to Moses at the burning bush, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God Jacob.” (Exodus 3:1-6). God is God of the living and not the dead. Though Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were dead, they are alive with God.

 

5.    Christ stressed, in His answer to the Sadducees, that marriage and procreation are only for this life and not in the life of heaven. Whether married or single, our devotion to God and our service to one another matter. St. Paul prays in today’s second reading, “May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting encouragement and good hope through his grace, encourage your hearts and strengthen them in every good deed and word.” We are men and women of the resurrection: our homeland is heaven, where God our Father dwells. Since heaven is our final home, and we can only get there after our life on earth, let us do what St. Paul says. “If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Think of what is above, not what is on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ your life appears, then you too will appear with him in glory.” (Col. 3:1-4). May our departed brothers and sisters find peace with God in heaven.

 

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP

October 30, 2022; 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)

Readings: Wisdom 11:22 – 12:2; 2 Thes.1:11 – 2:2; Lk 19:1-10

 

God Loves Us and Forgives Us Even When We Sin

 

1.    God loves us. He created us out of love. The book of wisdom reminds us of this fact: “But you have mercy on all because you can do all things, and you overlook people’s sins that they may repent. For you love all things that are and loathe nothing that you have made; for what you hated, you would not have fashioned.” Nothing created by God is loathsome before him. When we sin, God rebukes, “Offenders little by little, warn them and remind them of the sins they are committing, that they may abandon their wickedness and believe in you, O Lord!”

 

2.    In Luke 18:9-14, we read of two men who went to the temple to pray. We reflected on the Pharisee as he prayed to himself. He had no need of God. On the other hand, the tax collector found mercy and was justified. His humility showed his need for God. Today we are presented with another tax collector – Zacchaeus. He was a Jew, a son of Abraham, and a member of God’s chosen people. Despite his status, his profession as a tax collector brought him indignity and notoriety. It reduced him to a public sinner and the enemy of the people. He was wealthy but without recognition and respect. He was despised and ridiculed. His being small in stature was more than a physical appearance. He was nobody. He had a lot of money but no salvation.

 

3.    Zacchaeus would have heard about Jesus and how he cared for the poor, the rejected, the nobodies, the despised, the tax collectors, prostitutes, and sinners. On hearing that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem, passing through Jericho, Zacchaeus was anxious to meet Him. But then there was his height and the crowd. Zacchaeus was a short man. The crowd could represent so many things. It could be the barriers that could prevent him from pursuing his goal. It could be fear of the people. Or fear of rejection and his height. Oh, the fault-finding crowd, the finger-pointing crowd, the unforgiving crowd, the self-righteous crowd. People in the crowd wanted to take revenge on him and felt he had betrayed their race by working for the Romans. Others felt that Zacchaeus’s riches deprived them of their wealth. This was an intimidating crowd indeed! But Zacchaeus was determined to see Jesus. So, he climbed a tree, away from the crowd, to catch a glimpse of Jesus.

 

4.    By climbing the tree, Zacchaeus changed the battleground. He sought a greater power from above and appealed for God’s mercy. Take your fight into the spiritual realm by praying, and God will take over your battles and fight for you. Don’t fight the enemy in his comfort zone; change the battleground and let God take charge. You’ll be assured of clean victory. Zacchaeus took his fight up the sycamore tree. He changed the battlefield, and the Lord Jesus found him up there and made him an offer he could not refuse. “Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house. Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a descendant of Abraham.” (Lk. 19:5-9). 

 

5.    One can only imagine the joy of this sinner who found favor with the Lord. Zacchaeus may have been one of the reasons Christ passed through Jericho on his way to Jerusalem. He had unfinished business there, to seek and find he who was lost. Christ is always searching for the sick, the sinner, and the lonely; to restore them to their appropriate state in life and give them the grace they desperately need. He knows our weaknesses, He understands our faults, He sees our hearts, and he knows those who seek Him with a sincere heart. He thirsts for our love and calls us to a new life. Today Salvation has come to this house. There is joy in Heaven over a sinner who repents than the ninety-nine who do not need repentance. (Lk. 15:7). 

 

6.    Despite the grumbling of the crowd that Christ dared to enter the house of a sinner, Zacchaeus renounces his possessions: “Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone, I shall repay it four times over.” Regardless of what the crowd thought of him, he made restitution and promised to pay back those who felt cheated or defrauded. He needed Christ more than wealth, so he would give it away to have Christ. By his action, Zacchaeus reechoed the words of St. Paul, “I consider everything as a loss because of the supreme good of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” (Philippians 3:8). He showed his gratitude to Christ by accepting to live like Christ. 

 

7.    Christ calls on us to repent of our sins and embrace His life of grace. We may be confronted by the crowd, but Zacchaeus has shown us the way. Take your fight away from the crowd, change the battleground and allow Christ to find you. Accept His invitation, welcome Him to your house, and let Him eat with you. “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me.” (Rev. 3:20). “And this is the will of the one who sent me, that I should not lose anything of what he gave me” (Jn. 6:39).

 

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP

October 23, 2022; 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)

Readings: Sirach 35:12-14, 16-18; 2 Timothy 4:6-8,16-18; Lk 18:9-14

 

He Who Looks Up to God Looks Down on No One

1.      “Pride goes before the fall” is a saying that means if one is too arrogant or self-important, something will happen to make one look foolish. This captures the attitude of the Pharisee, one of the two men who went to pray in the temple in today’s Gospel. Pharisees were members of a party that believed in the resurrection. They followed legal traditions ascribed not to the Bible but to “the traditions of the fathers.” They were laypeople who tried to keep God’s law as perfectly and scrupulously as possible. They went above and beyond the law in the performance of their spiritual practice. Hence, they looked down upon anyone who failed to live up to their standards.

 

2.      The prayer in the Gospel is typical of a pharisaic prayer. “O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity – greedy, dishonest, adulterous – even like this tax collector.” (Lk. 18:11). Rabbi Simeon ben Jocai once said, “If there are only two righteous men in the world, my son and I are these two; if there is only one, I am he!” So being puritanical and scrupulous, the Pharisee may have done all that he said he did. He may not have cheated anyone and was not adulterous. He fasted, prayed many times a day, paid tithes on all he had, and more, but he said the prayers of himself and to himself, not God. He was not humble but conceited. He was like a peacock who flashed his beautiful colored tail feathers for everyone to see how handsome he was. He was ostentatious, boastful, proud, and selfish. He called attention to himself! His was not prayer, but a list of accomplishments, expecting God to praise him. He gave his advertisement for his glorious achievements and expected to be congratulated and rewarded. He demonstrated that he had no need for God. In fact, he felt God needed him more than he needed God to show the world what true holiness looks like. True prayer should be directed to God and God alone. God does not require a record of our good works. He knows them all. Instead, He needs us to have a contrite heart that is forgiving, caring, loving, compassionate, and merciful. Not condescending, boastful, arrogant, and spiteful. Such a heart is loathsome to God. That is why the Pharisee was not justified before God.  

  

3.      The proud place themselves at a distance from others, and seen through that distance, others perhaps appear little to them, even contemptible, as the tax collector appeared to the Pharisee. “I thank God that I am not like…this tax collector.” How morally contemptuous his words are! Moral contempt is far greater indignity and insult than any crime. We can feel good about our gifts, but genuine self-esteem is ruined by arrogant self-righteousness that judges others. “The prayer of the humble pierces the cloud and does not rest till it reaches its goal.” (Sir. 35:17).  

 

4.      This brings us to the tax collector and his prayer. Tax collectors, though Jews, were public employees of the Romans. They collected taxes and sent them to Rome, but they had to pay themselves by collecting more than stipulated. They made quite a decent living for themselves but also gained a bad reputation. They were despised, hated, and considered public sinners. The tax collector knew who he was and was aware that God knew him too. Since he had no friends, he depended on God for everything, so with a heavy heart, he went in to pray. The poor man could not raise his eyes to God, unworthy as he was. He knew that he who looked up to God would receive mercy and forgiveness. He cannot afford to look down on or judge anyone. He beat his breast and prayed for mercy. He saw himself as ‘the sinner.’ It was that heartbroken, self-despising prayer that won him acceptance before God. He was at peace with God because of his humility. For no proud man can pray to God.

 

5.      Today’s liturgy warns us against comparing ourselves to human beings. Anyone who compares himself to God recognizes his sins, weakness, shortcomings, and limitations. He knows that he needs God’s mercy, so he is humble. We should always compare ourselves to God. Our yearning should always be how to please God, not human beings. All we are and have, are pure grace and free gifts from God. Therefore, we must look down on no one, but with the strength, we have been given by God, we should work hard to lift people up. Our unredeemed self tends to be selfish and self-centered. But our redeemed self is Christ-centered and people-centered. The people we consider contemptible are equally loved by God. The beggar in the street, the homeless, the poor, and immigrants deserve our love and respect.  If we place our life side by side with Christ, we discover that we are not as holy as we think. Hence, we must see ourselves as God sees us, sinners, who need forgiveness and mercy. We will then see ourselves as the tax collector at prayer, and we will soon join him to say: “Lord be merciful to me, the sinner.” Our redemption begins in knowing that we are not better than anyone. We are who we are simply by the grace of God. May God be merciful to us, sinners. Amen!

 

 

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP

October 16, 2022, 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time, (Year C)

Readings: Exodus 17:8-13; 2 Timothy 3:13-14 4:2; Lk 18:1-18

 

Pray And Don’t Give Up

1.    In today’s first reading, we see the children of Israel at war with Amalek. Moses took his stand on a great hill and, lifting up his hands, implored God’s aid for his people. Moses had the support of friends to assist him when his hands were tired. We need the help of one another in our prayers. The encouragement we give to others, letting them know that we pray for them, may help them to cultivate a healthy prayer life. In the Gospel, Jesus demonstrated with the story of the unjust judge the need to persist in prayer until the Father hears us. The widow was not discouraged from going to the unjust judge until her demands were met. God, our Father, is not an unjust judge. He is a merciful Father who knows the needs of his children and will always provide for them in His time and in the manner best suited for them.

 

2.    Our prayers are efficacious and are always answered. Even ‘No’ is an answer to a prayer. Jesus asked us to be persistent in prayer. He did not guarantee that our prayers would be answered in the way and at the time we wanted. He asked for humility and faith but gave no assurance for an instant answer. He promised a reward at the end of persistent prayer, not swift positive favors. He asked for commitment, not empty promises. The faith and commitment requested of us come from bearing trials and persecutions while remaining hopeful and joyful. God’s plans for us will come to pass in His time. It may be delayed but never be denied.

 

3.    Prayer without movement toward its realization is a waste of time. It is a depletion of helpful energy. God will not do for us what we can and should do for ourselves. If you pray for God’s favor, create favorable conditions around you. A student who did not prepare for a test should not expect a successful outcome just because he prayed for it. He should study and pray to remember what he learned on the test day. Then God will crown his effort with success.

 

4.    Have faith. St. James says, “But if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and he will be given it. But he should ask in faith, not doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed about by the wind. That person must not suppose he will receive anything from the Lord since he is a man of two minds, unstable in all his ways.” (James 1: 5-8). Faith and trust in God are necessary ingredients for prayer.

 

5.    Know what to ask for in prayer. Ask for the gift of the Holy Spirit. St. James asks: “Where do the wars and where do the conflicts among you come from? You do not possess because you do not ask. You ask but do not receive because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.” (4:1-4). “If you, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the holy Spirit to those who ask him?” (Luke 11:13:). “But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” (Lk. 18:8). 

 

6.    Ask for wisdom. God said to Solomon, “Ask something of me, and I will give it to you.” Solomon answered, “Give your servant an understanding heart to judge your people and to distinguish right from wrong.” (Verse 9). The Lord was pleased with Solomon’s request; he gave him wisdom and other things he did not ask for. Be specific in your request, do not ask for too many things at one prayer time. After all, God knows all your needs. Therefore, seek God’s kingdom and righteousness first, and He will provide for all your other needs. (Matt. 6:33).  

 

7.    Have a forgiving heart. Forgiveness is a condition for a fruitful prayer. Jesus said, “When you stand to pray, forgive anyone against whom you have a grievance so that your heavenly Father may, in turn, forgive you your transgressions?” (Mk. 11:25-26). Isaiah said: “Lo, the hand of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. Rather, it is your crimes that separate you from your God. It is your sins that make him hide his face so that he will not hear you” (59:1-2). 

 

8.    Be patient. Prayers are sometimes answered progressively. When Jesus cured the blind man at Bethsaida, he did not see right away but gradually. “‘Do you see anything?’ he replied, ‘I see people looking like trees and walking’” (Mk. 8:23-26). It was by laying his hands on his eyes a second time that the blind man saw clearly. Be patient and wait on the Lord. Hence, Jesus tells us to pray in ‘Our Father’ for the will of God to be done, not ours. A wise saying has it thus, “Prayer is not a device for getting our wills done through heaven, but a desire that God’s will may be done on earth through us.” Pray and wait for God’s time, not yours. Our prayers are always answered if we know how and what to ask. God is not unjust, He is not unconcerned with our problems, and He is not as far away from us as we may think. Instead, we are the ones who, sometimes, turn away from God and feel He delays in giving an immediate answer to our prayer. Whether we receive a ‘Yes’ or a ‘No’ answer, know that all prayers are answered. Remember to return to the Lord with thanks. Be blessed! 

 

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP

October 09, 2022; 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)

Readings: 2 Kings 5:14-17; 2 Timothy 2:8-13; Lk 17:11-19

 

How Do You See the World? With Gratitude or With Disappointment?

 

1.    The Eucharist is the greatest act of thanksgiving we can ever render to God. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “The Eucharist, the sacrament of our salvation accomplished by Christ on the cross, is also a sacrifice of praise in thanksgiving for the work of creation. In the Eucharistic sacrifice, the whole of creation loved by God is presented to the Father through the death and the Resurrection of Christ. Through Christ, the Church can offer the sacrifice of praise in thanksgiving for all that God had made good, beautiful, and just in creation and in humanity.” It explains further, “The Eucharist is a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the Father, a blessing by which the Church expresses her gratitude to God for all his benefits, for all that he has accomplished through creation, redemption, and sanctification. Eucharist means, first of all, “thanksgiving.” At Mass, we gather around the Eucharistic table as a family of God’s people to give thanks to God for the gift of life, for good health, for our families, for friends, for our nation, and for everything God has done for us.” (CCC nos.1359 and 1360)  

 

2.    Isn’t it surprising that our church is not full to capacity, with standing rooms only, with grateful people singing God’s praises for the blessings received? The empty pews raise questions in our minds. Could Christ be asking us the same question he asked the Samaritan leper cured of his leprosy in today’s gospel reading? “Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?” Being grateful to God for the blessings received should come to us naturally. And so should it be, with favors received from brothers, sisters, and friends. Unfortunately, we live in a world where selfishness, self-centeredness, and greed have created a false sense of entitlement, making us feel that what we have is ours by right. Therefore, it is more challenging to appreciate the contributions others have made toward our successes in life. Criss Jami got it right when he observed, “Man is not, by nature, deserving of all he wants. When we think that we are automatically entitled to something, that is when we start walking all over others to get it.”  

 

3.    This brings us to today’s readings. Two men, a foreigner and an outsider are presented to us to teach us the importance of gratitude. Outsiders, whether Samaritans or lepers are the special focus of the ministry of Jesus. This is because they were open to seeing God at work in a way ordinary believers are not. After his healing, Naaman recognized the special status of Israel’s saving Lord and declared, “Now I know that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel.” The sincere gratitude of Naaman towards the God of Israel and his prophet Elisha brought him a gift far more precious than the healing of his leprosy. He received faith in God and was determined to serve God faithfully. “If you will not accept (the gift he brought), please let me, your servant, have two mule-loads of earth, for I will no longer offer holocaust or sacrifice to any other god except to the Lord.” (Gospel reading). Obedience to the prophet healed him, and his faith in God brought him healing of his sins. Humility obtained for him the cure of his skin disease. Gratitude to God gave him a far greater grace: faith in the true God. Jesus was pleased to see one of those lepers, the Samaritan, coming back to him, praising God for the favor received. He wondered why the other nine had not done the same. He expected them back, not because he wanted to receive their gratitude to enable Him to complete His work of love, of which their healing was only the first step: to bring them to faith.

 

4.    How do you receive the world? With gratitude or with disappointment? We may be disappointed with the world and everyone because things do not go our way. We may feel that the world is so messed up that we have no reason to thank God for anything. Be that as it may, we should always receive the world with gratitude in our hearts regardless of where we find ourselves in life. We must also teach our children to appreciate and show gratitude for the blessings and favors received. Children don’t learn politeness from a Geography lesson. They learn it from their parents. Saying ‘Thank you costs us nothing but gives us everything.

 

5.    Today’s readings remind us to thank God for his love and mercy towards us. We must teach our children not to take anything and anybody for granted. Everything we have is a gift freely given by God. God uses people to help us in our endeavors. If we have been ungrateful in the past, we can always change. So King Lear may not say of us, “How sharper than a serpent’s tooth it is to have a thankless child.” We can never pay off the debt of gratitude we owe to many men and women who have assisted us on the way to becoming the men and women we are today. How easily we forget that a friend, a teacher, a doctor, a surgeon, or a colleague has done something for us which is impossible to repay. But the tragedy is that we often do not even try to repay it. “Blow, blow, thou winter wind, thou are not so unkind as man’s ingratitude.” (William Shakespeare: ‘As you like it).

 

6.    The questions for today: who am I? Am I always grateful to God for his blessings? Or will Christ say of me, “Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine?” Have I taught my children to say ‘Thank you for blessings received? Or have they got a false sense of entitlement from my behavior and inability to be thankful? Maybe we could set aside some minutes this week to have each family member thank God for some special things that happened during the day. This should not only be done during Thanksgiving Day once a year. We have reasons to be grateful daily. Count your blessings, one by one, and you will be surprised by what God has done for you. Giving thanks to God for all His blessings should be the most distinctive mark of a Christian. May the spirit of ingratitude not harden our hearts and chill our relationship with God and others. Let us pray with the poet George Herbert: “O God, you have given us so much. Give us one thing more – a grateful heart.” Amen. 

 

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP