August 02, 2020. Homily for the 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A.

Readings: Is. 55:1-3; Romans 8:35, 37-39; Matthew 14:13-21

 

Give Them Some Food Yourselves.

 

1.    The readings of today can be explained from many angles. We can see it as the foretaste of the heavenly banquet, demonstrated by the first reading from the book of Isaiah. The banquet is used here as an image to describe God’s care for humanity. This banquet is given freely, and humanity is invited to partake of it. This is salvation offered by God as a free gift. “Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.” It is an offer of the food that God alone gives, “Eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.” God’s nourishing work calls for attentiveness and receptivity. Though this gift is free, it demands discipline. “Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me.” Paying attention to God’s instruction is what will truly satisfy our hearts. “Listen, so that you may live.”

 

2.    The gospel on the other hand presents us with the feeding of the five thousand men, women and children, not counted. The multiplication of the loaves itself can be interpreted in many ways. We may see the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves as a sacrament. In that case those present only received the smallest morsel of food, say just a bite, and yet with that they were strengthened for their journey home.  For them, this wouldn’t be just a mere meal to feed their physical appetite, but a spiritual food of Christ. This miracle then is re-enacted daily during the Eucharistic celebration of the Mass. This would be the food that Jesus talks about when he said: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.” (Jn. 6:51). This living bread, the viaticum, is the food for the journey. It will enable us to walk with firmer feet and greater strength on the way that leads us to God.

 

3.    Apart from these interpretations, I want to consider another dimension, if you don’t mind. At the beginning of this story, we heard that the death of John the Baptist was reported to Jesus. On hearing this news, he withdrew to a deserted place to be alone. As a human being, Jesus needed rest. He would never recklessly run into trouble therefore, he withdrew, lest the blood-thirsty Herod may seek for his head as well. Of course, he knew that his own death on the cross was imminent, hence he needed peace and quiet to commune with God. He was seeking rest for his body and strength for his soul in the lonely place.  It was in this context that hospitality embraced compassion and one of the greatest miracles of love, kindness, healing and mercy was acted out on the theatre on the shore of the lake of Galilee. We are told, “When he had disembarked, he saw a great crowd, and he was moved with compassion for them to the depths of his being and healed their sick.” He did not see the people as a nuisance and too demanding of his time. He, instead, was moved with compassion for the people. How often do we complain that we are doing too much for our family, for our church or in our places of work? How often do we resent our children or spouses for being too demanding of our time? Jesus tells us today, that we can achieve much more with compassion that with whining and complaining about everyone and everything. May we always demonstrate to everyone that God cares for them and that we are only instruments used by God to achieve his purpose in their lives.

 

4.     I want to look at the disciples’ reaction to the compassion of Jesus. It is like they were disappointed that the people had robbed them of the wonderful opportunity to spend quiet time with their master. So, having healed them, they felt it was time they left. They told Jesus: “The place is deserted, and the hour of the evening meal has already passed. Send the crowds away in order that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food.” The disciples seem to have forgotten that they too were instruments of God’s care for the people. Did they come between the love of God and the people? Were they perhaps trying to separate the people from the love of God, when they asked Jesus to dismiss the crowd? Did they think that Christ did not know what to do? So, Christ reminded them that there was no need for the crowd to go away. He told them rather, “Give them some food yourselves.”  

 

5.    Jesus knew what to do, but he clearly wanted the disciples to be part of his compassionate mission to the crowd. The disciple is helpless without the master, and the master needs the disciple for his mission. We cannot say that there is nothing we can do to help the suffering masses of our world. If we call on the Lord, he will show us the way. Jesus will use what we have, to bring about a change and transformation in people’s lives. The disciples told Jesus that they only had five loaves and two fish and Jesus knew he had enough to feed the people. There was contribution, there was participation, there was cooperation and there was partnership between the disciples and Jesus. With that, a miracle was possible. Christ does not request the impossible from us; he wants us to come to him with what we have, however ill-equipped, he wants us to give to him what we have, no matter how little, and he will use it greatly for his service. Little is always much in his hands. Never say, I have nothing to give, trust that God will use what you give, if you give with your whole heart.

 

6.    There is another way to consider this parable. Was it really possible that the crowd did not bring food from home as they embarked on the journey to meet Christ? That was most unlikely. Could it be that some indeed had food, but were selfish to share with others? This was possible. It is likely that those who brought food, would have to share with those who did not have, hence they pretended that they had nothing. It could be that when Jesus shared the five loaves and two fishes brought to him with a blessing, invitation and a smile, it prompted others to do the same, and before long, everyone was sharing, until all had enough and more to go around. That will be a true miracle, indeed! This, therefore, was a miracle of changing of selfish people into generous people at the touch of Christ. It was the miracle of the birth of love in grudging hearts. It was the miracle of change men and women with something of Christ in them to banish their selfishness. They were able to give freely because they realized that all they had was a gift from God. Since nothing would separate them from the love of God, they trusted God and gave freely as Jesus gave them of his time, his rest and his love. When we love others as God loves us, love goes around, but when keep what we have to ourselves, we become truly impoverished. May God teach us to give of ourselves to others without counting the cost. Let us pray with St. Francis. O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood, as to understand; to be loved, as to love; for it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.  

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP.

July 26, 2020 Homily for the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A.

Readings: 1 Kings 3:5,7-12; Romans 8:28-30; Matthew 13:44-52

Where I fall is where I find Gold

1.    A number of years ago, a geologist named Dr. John T. Williamson was doing some work in the country of Tanzania. One day, he found himself driving in a deserted area, slipping and sliding along a rain-soaked road. Suddenly his four-wheel drive vehicle sank up to its axles in the mud and got stuck. Pulling out his shovel, Dr. Williamson began the unpleasant task of digging out of a mud hole. He had been at it for a while when his shovel uncovered something strange. It was pink-like stone of some sort. Being a geologist and naturally curious about rock formations, he picked it up and wiped away the mud. The more mud he recovered, the more excited he became, and could hardly believe what he saw. When the stone was finally clean, Dr. Williamson was beside himself with joy. He had discovered a diamond. Now, any diamond at all would be a surprise in that situation; but Dr. Williamson found what became known as the famous pink diamond of Tanzania. That stone today sits in the royal scepter of Great Britain, and Dr. Williamson is famous around the world for his find – as accidental as it may have been.

2.    This story illustrates the point Jesus raised in today’s Gospel. He likened the kingdom of heaven to a treasure buried in a field or a pearl of great price, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. These parables were perfectly natural and easily understood by the people in Palestine in the days of Jesus, and even by many people in the rural areas of the world. In those days there were banks, but not banks for ordinary people. Ordinary people would rather use the ground as the safest place to keep their most cherished belongings. Recall the parable of the talent in Matthew 25:25. The man who received one talent buried it in the ground and later brought it out to the master when asked for it. It was a common practice for people to hide their valuables in the ground, before they took to flight during war, in the hope that the day would come when they could return and regain them. It was, therefore, easy for someone to stumble on a buried treasure in the field or find a pearl of great price buried in the field. A merchant would hide the pearl and sold all he had to buy it.

3.    We live in a world full of wants, needs, desires and undue expectations. We are never satisfied with what we have, and so, we are in search of something better. We want a better house, a better car, a comfortable life and the best for our children. Nothing seems to quench our desire for more. No matter what we own, it is never enough, so, we pray for more – the more the merrier, seems to be our slogan. If we do not get what we need on our own, we take it to the Lord in prayer and ask for divine intervention. In the first reading we see that Solomon also appealed to the Lord for help.  Solomon has just succeeded his father, David, as king of Israel. To begin his reign, Solomon prayed for an understanding heart, so that he could reign well. Of all that Solomon could have asked for, he chose to pray for wisdom. With the wisdom that comes from God, he will lead the people according to God’s heart. God was pleased with his request, “Because you have asked for this – not for a long life for yourself, nor for riches, nor for the life of your enemies, but for understanding so that you may know what is right – I do as you requested. In addition, I give you what you have not asked for, such riches and glory that among kings there is not your like.” (1 Kings 3:11-13).

4.    What do we pray for? It is important to pray for the right intention at the right time. Sometimes we pray for too many intentions at the same time.  We seem to forget that God is our father who knows our every need. He will provide for us whether we ask for it or not. Jesus even tells us what to ask for in prayer. “If you then, 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?” (Lk. 11:13). He tells us how to pray: “In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” (Matt. 6:7-8). After all, “All things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” (Rom. 8:28). St. Paul reminds us that “The Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes with inexpressible groanings.” Our prayer should be well thought out and our intentions, few. We should also think of what to do if our prayers are answered. Can we handle all the things we ask for? Solomon did not ask for himself but for others and for the glory of God. The gift of wisdom bestowed on him was to help him continue with the task of governance, to be an effective and good leader. He was enabled to rule wisely and to establish a kingdom of love, justice and peace. What do we do with our gifts and blessings? Do we use them for the glory of God and for the good of our brothers and sisters?

5.    What we need in life is simple; to be happy, to be at peace with God and others, to do right, to love justice and to walk humbly before God. We should seek the revelation of the truth, the knowledge of what is good and abhor evil in all its ramifications. We must work earnestly towards our life with God in his kingdom, where we hope, one day, to behold his beatific vision. This is the hidden treasure. This is our pearl of great price. Until we find these treasures our hearts will continue to be empty and our needs will never be satisfied. How do we find these treasures? We were given the tools on the day of Baptism. We were clothed with white garment, given lighted candle as our guide and the word of God as our shield. We must be Christians in word and deed. It is by going about our normal business that we find the treasure; it is when we trip and fall while doing our work that we find the gold of eternal life. The treasure is found by sheer luck. The one who finds it sells all that he has to purchase the field where it is buried. Symbolically, this implies that becoming a member of the kingdom of heaven is a sheer gift of the Lord. He decides who will receive the treasure. The treasure is not given for an individual’s benefit. The recipient has to share it with others so that the kingdom can grow. It is the same with the pearl of great price. The one who finds it goes and sells all he has to purchase it. The kingdom of God is not a mere substitute for something else, it is the finest possession that gives life and it is worth spending and selling all that one has to purchase it. It is the real possession that will give us eternal life, joy and peace.

6.    Finally, these parables describe different ways in which people find the kingdom. By chance, by diligent search and by careful discernment. No matter which way one finds it, what is important and necessary is the wisdom to recognize the surpassing worth of the kingdom and be part of it. Let us pray that we may find the one treasure that will assure our eternal happiness. May the Eucharist we celebrate, our daily prayer, our sacrifices and our witnessing to the gospel, direct us to find the hidden treasure in our world. May we know how to use of the things of this world so as to find our way to our eternal Father in heaven. Amen   

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP

July 19, 2020. Homily for the 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A.

Readings: Wisdom 12:13,16-19; Romans 8:26-27; Matthew 13:24-30

The Bastard Wheat

1.    There is a parable told about Good and Evil. One day, Good and Evil met upon the shore of the sea. They said to each other, “Let us disrobe and bathe in the sea.” After they bathed in the sea for some time, Evil came to the shore and clothed itself with the garment of Good and walked away. Later Good too came out of the shore and found that its clothes had been taken away by Evil. Feeling ashamed to go naked, Good garmented itself with the clothes of Evil. To this day, both Good and Evil walk around in their disguise clothes. Only some who know the face of Good and Evil are able to identify their true nature in spite of the garments.

2.    In today’s readings we are confronted with the problem of evil in the world. We are not in doubt of its presence. We see it every day. We read about it, not just in history books, but witness it in our streets, at home, in church, in our neighborhood and in the nations of the world. How do we explain the manifestation of evil all around us? A young man went into the grocery store and spat into bottles of ice-tea and laughed about it. A young woman spits on food items in another grocery store, licked butter, scoops ice-cream into her mouth; and others commit many other atrocities that abound in social media. What about the man who put fire on a dog’s tail and delights in the pains inflicted on it. Or those who tale tales of lies about their neighbors; or shooting and killing human beings just for the fun of it. Or taking the lives of unborn children in the womb; setting a house on fire and watching with glee as the occupants suffocate and die; or intentionally manipulating figures to look good after mismanagement and misappropriation of funds. We sometimes feel like Bob Marley and the Wailers, who in 1973 sang, “Stop that train, I’m leaving.” No wonder, the rich want to get out of the world and move to Mars. It makes us question the effectiveness of the Gospel and the labors of missionaries and religious leaders, the world over. Has Christianity failed? G.K. Chesterton would say, no, Christianity hasn’t failed, it just has never been tried. For if enough people lived the Gospel message in its fullness, the difference would be clear for all to see.

3.    The parable of the weed and the wheat in today’s Gospel reminds us of the need for saints and sinners to coexist in the world. After all, both saints and sinners were created by God, out of love. The weed or darnel was so indistinguishable from wheat at the early stage of its growth that it was called bastard wheat. One may uproot the wheat in an attempt to uproot the weed, hence, the farmer must wait patiently till harvest time. The wheat and the weed must be allowed to grow together till the end. According to the first reading from the book of Wisdom, “You (God) taught your people, by these deeds, that those who are just must be kind; and you gave your children good ground for hope that you would permit repentance for their sins.” No matter how bad the world may be, there is still hope for those who have faith. And so, St. Paul, in the second reading, enjoins us to ask the spirit for assistance in prayers. We are weak, on our own we can do nothing good. Hence, “The Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the spirit himself intercedes with inexpressible groanings. And the one who searches hearts knows, what is the intention of the Spirit, because he intercedes for the holy ones according to God’s will.”

4.    Today’s readings teach us that there is hostile power in the world competing with the power to do good. The power of evil always seeks to destroy the good in us. We must know that evil can disguise and fool us like the (darnel) weed and the wheat. They looked exactly alike in its shape and size. There was only a slight color variation. But when eaten the darnel was poisonous. This can make us mistake evil for good. Therefore, St. Paul said, “For I do not do the good I want, but I do the evil I do not want.” (Rom. 7:19). But trusting in the mercy of God, Paul overcame his weaknesses. Therefore, we must be on our guard, so that evil may not overpower us. We are also reminded that it is not always easy to distinguish those who wish us good from those who seek to destroy us. It’s not written on our faces the intentions of our hearts.

5.    This is why we should be on our guard. When the servants, in the parable asked the Master, ‘Did you not sow good seed in your field?’ Where have the weeds come from?” He answered, ‘An enemy had done this.’” Who is your enemy, who is ready to plant bad seed in your farm? They are those who laugh with and eat with you, and who you confide in, but they will tell your business to the whole world. They will block your promotion and make up stories about you. They are your trusted friends who tell you how much they care for you. But they are just waiting for you to fall asleep, so that they will plant weed among your wheat. Their intention is to destroy you. They will come to you in sheep clothing but inside are ravenous wolves. Why do they hate you? Because they are jealous of your achievements, your children and everything you are and own. They come to you as friends, just to have easy access to your life and thereby know just where to hit and destroy you. They are in Church, in your office and in your neighborhood. Beware of them! Someone may appear to be good but in fact is a devil-incarnate; and those you think are evil may indeed be good.

6.    This parable also teaches us that judgement belongs to God and yet he is slow to anger but rich in mercy. According to the first reading, “But though you are master of might, you judge with clemency, and with much lenience you govern us; for power, whenever you will, attends you.” At the end, evil will be overcome. For there is a seed of destruction in every demon. It has a day of reckoning and will sooner than later destroy itself. On the day of judgment, a day of harvest, it will be gathered and burnt. It doesn’t matter how long evil will triumph in the world, one day it will meet its end, and the children of light will shine like the stars of heaven. So, this parable warns us against judging people. Therefore, it is wrong to be quick in judging and condemning people without knowing the fact about them. We should not judge someone by one single act or stage in life. People must be given the benefits of the doubt. Judgment cannot come until the end of our lives. At the end the judgement of God will come on all sinners. Hence, swift and jungle justice are not the solution for a composite being like man. Man can have a change of mind and heart at any time. All judgments must be left in God’s domain, for if you O Lord should mark our guilt, Lord who can stand. Let us pray at this Mass that the Holy Spirit may aid us as we pursue a life of holiness and justice and recognize the hidden enemies of our lives.  Amen.

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP.

July 12, 2020: Homily for the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A.

Readings: Isaiah 55:10-11; Romans 8:18-23; Matthew 13:1-23

The Word of God is Alive and Effective

1.    Today Jesus tells us a parable of a sower who went out to sow his seed and the four types of soil that received the seed. The sower is God, who created us out of love and planted the seed of faith in our hearts. “It was not you chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will endure.” (Jn. 15:16). God’s gift is bestowed on us gratuitously. It is a free gift – a blessing and grace completely unmerited. If we cooperate with God’s gift of faith, we will be changed and transformed. The soil stands for the different hearts that receive God’s word. Each person must accept or reject God’s offer of grace.

2.    There are many reasons why we do not respond to God’s gift of grace. In the first reading, Isaiah the prophet, pleads with the captives in Babylon. He assured them that God would bring them out of bondage, after years in captivity, to their homeland in God’s own time. Many of them doubted. They gave in to despondency and despair and turned their backs to God. So, Isaiah compared the word of God to the rain and the snow that have the power to keep the world green and alive. God is true to his promises, which will come true in its time. “Write down the vision clearly upon the tablets, so that one can read it readily. For the vision still has its time, presses on to fulfillment, and will not disappoint; if it delays, wait for it, it will surely come, it will not be late.” (Habakkuk 2:2-4). God’s word came true indeed. After roughly 50 years in exile, the children of Israel were liberated by the Persians, who destroyed the Babylonian empire, and allowed them to return home. Like Isaiah compared the word of God to rain and snow, Jesus compares God’s word today to the seed planted by the sower.

3.     The way we react to the word of God is, sometimes, determined by our socio-cultural environments. At times, we allow situations, to affect the way we respond to God’s grace? According to St Paul, in the second reading, “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us.” Being aware of human suffering, Paul tells us to imagine the human and created world as being involved in one giant act of giving birth, “We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains.” Then he added, “We ourselves…grown inwardly while we wait for… the redemption of our bodies.” Paul believed redemption would take place in the kingdom of God on a day when all people would see themselves as adopted children of God.  The word of God will help us to achieve this goal. For “Faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.” (Rom. 10:17). Therefore, we must be disposed and willing to put his word into practice. Hence the story of the sower.

4.    The parable presents us with four responses to the generosity of the sower. Note that in only one case was the word rejected outright. In the other three cases it was received with joy. The problem is not in receiving the word, but in treasuring and putting it into practice. Thus, there are different ways of accepting God’s word, and the fruit which it produces depends on the heart of him who accepts it. The fate of any spoken word depends on the hearer. (a) The seed on the path are those who lack the moral disposition necessary for true conversion? They hear the word without understanding. They ask no questions and have no time to study what they do not understand. As soon as they received the word they cast it by the wayside. They allow pride and prejudice to shut the word from their hearts. They are unteachable and blind to the fact that they do not know. They harden their hearts and close their eyes to the truth and turn their back to the word. As birds feast on seed, so does the devil feast on their weak faith and snatch the word from their fickle hearts. (b) The second seed falls on rocky ground that has little soil. Here one may profess faith in the Lord, but such spirituality is shallow and superficial. These persons are emotional and are swept off their feet as soon as they hear the word. They fail to think things out and think them through. They are at the mercy of every new and crazy idea. Their lives are littered with things they began and never finished. When this attitude is applied to the word of God, one is faced with a disaster. They mistake emotional attraction for a deep faith. No one lives on emotion. We have minds and it is a moral obligation to have an intelligent faith. Christianity has it demands, and these demands must be faced before it be accepted. The Christian offer is not only a privilege, it is also a responsibility. A sudden enthusiasm can always so quickly become a dying fire.

5.    (c) The third seed fails to grow because thorns choke it to death. Here is someone who cannot let go and let God rule his life. In his order of priorities, God does not rank very high. Prestige, power, possession, and pride take precedence. This person has so many interests in life that skewed his priorities completely. He is too busy to pray, too preoccupied with material things, with family life, work, business and other social activities in the community. Reading the bible or finding time for spiritual things becomes a distraction. And going to Mass is an interruption or at best a disturbance of his Sunday schedule. He may be so involved in committees and good works of charitable services that leaves him no time for himself or for God. He is so involved in the work of the Lord that he forgets the Lord of the work. We must be careful not to block God out of our busy lives. (d) The fourth seed sprouts and produces a rich harvest. The word of God penetrates into a person’s entire being and permeates his whole existence. The yield is bountiful in love and compassion, in honesty and simple lifestyle, and concern for the dejected and the downtrodden. This person has an open mind; he is willing to learn and prepared to listen. He is never too proud or too busy to listen and to learn. He understands the importance of taking advice and counsel of wise friends and knows the value of a good spiritual reading. He translates what he hears into action and produces the good fruit of the good seed. Four seeds, one sower. The real hearers are those who listen, who understand and who obey. They yield a harvest through their perseverance.

6.    Today’s readings call us to action. They remind us that God’s word will bear fruit abundantly regardless of how it is received. His word has power and can help us live better lives. “Indeed, the word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrows, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart. No creature is concealed from him, but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must render an account.” (Heb. 4:12-13). Let us pray that we may “be doers of the word and not hears only.” Amen.

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP

July 5, 2020: Homily for the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time, (Year A)

Readings: Zechariah 9:9-10; Romans 8:9,11-13; Matthew 12:25-30

We Are Not Alone!

1.    We live in a world that has all kinds of laws, rules and regulations. There are rules at home, rules in church and everywhere. The State, cities all have their rules. We are more afraid of the penalty for breaking the law than keeping the law itself. Who has ever kept to the speed-limit regulations? But since we afraid of being penalized for over-speeding, we keep to the speed-limit, especially when the cops are around. The Bible too is filled with the do’s and don’ts. Since Moses gave the 10 commandments in Exodus, the children of Israel have so many variations that it becomes a burden to keep up with them. They were more afraid of breaking the law than offending God.

2.    Little wonder then, when Christ was asked, which was the greatest commandment, he said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matt. 22:36). Jesus reduced the commandments to love of God and love of neighbor. He made it easy for his disciples to live and breathe. In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us to learn from him so that we may have rest for our souls. He speaks of the mutual knowledge of wisdom between Him and God and invites the weary to come to him for refreshment.  

3.    Jesus urges us to learn humility from him. This is reechoed in today’s first reading. “See, your king shall come to you; a just Savior is he, meek, and riding on an ass, on a colt, the foal of an ass.” The vision of Zechariah the prophet, was such that God would raise up a ruler in the Davidic line, anointing him to carry out a universal mission of peace and reconciliation. He saw that this mighty king would be poor and committed to peace (humble and riding on a donkey) rather than to war (riding on a horse). And yet this king of peace was rejected and doubted, even by those close to him. John the Baptist wondered whether Jesus was truly the one “Who is to come” whom he proclaimed. (Matt. 11:1-15). Both Jesus and John the Baptist were equally rejected. “For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they said, ‘He is possessed by a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking and they said, ‘Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’” (Matt. 11:18-19). The cities of Capernaum, Chorazin and Bethsaida refused to repent after hearing his message (Matt. 11:20-24).

4.    In spite of his rejection, Jesus is full of praises to God, because the proud and the haughty, the Rabbis and the wise rejected him, but the poor, the humble, the meek and the gentle, even children embraced and clung to his words. Christ rejoiced over the revelation that his apostles chose to follow him. Lord to whom shall we go, you have the message of everlasting life. Christ clearly rejected intellectual pride that made it difficult for his simple teaching of love and mercy to be accepted. If we must follow Christ in his simplicity, then we must follow our hearts not our heads. William Barclay was right when he observed: “It is not cleverness which shuts out; it is pride. It is not stupidity which admits; it is humility. A man may be as wise as Solomon, but if he has not the simplicity, the trust, the innocence of the childlike heart, he shuts himself out.” The simple, the humble, the poor and children are closer to the heart of God; they will inherit the earth. Our prayer, therefore, should bring us closer to the presence of God. The more we pray the humbler we should become. When we learn humility and compassion from Jesus, we should practice it in the way we treat people around us.

5.    Christ invites us to “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” Is the burden you bear too heavy for you? Then it is not from God. Christ knows that we bear the burden of daily life, and, at times it may seem insurmountable. We are poor. We are weary, indeed. We are weighed down by Covid-19 pandemic, by political and economic uncertainties, we are not sure of our health care system amidst suits and counter lawsuits of our present-day government. We are uncertain of the educational future of our children and for some of us, our jobs are hanging on a balance. Our burdens are different. It may be physical handicap that makes life difficult for us. It could be sickness in the family and the burden of taking care of elderly parents. It may be the difficulty of scoring high grades in school or peer pressure at work. Our weariness may be the responsibility of leading or directing others as parents, teachers or supervisors. Some may have the burden of being sick, widowed or divorced. There are burdens some carry in looking after others. No matter what kind of weariness we may feel or what kind of burden we bear, Jesus says, “Come to me all you who labor and are over-burdened and I will give you rest.” (Matt. 11:28).

6.    Christ knows that it is not easy for us. The fact that the poor and the lowly are God’s blessed ones, does not mean they are free from the weariness and burdens of human life. It fact, they often suffer more than the rich and the powerful. But all of us, rich or poor, strong or weak, have our share of weariness and burdens. We all feel fatigue from hard work. We feel boredom which comes from vague dissatisfaction with life and we, at one point or the other, have moments of depression. Christ invites us all, regardless of our situation. He doesn’t expect us to carry the burden of life alone. Do not be afraid, he tells us. His grace is sufficient for us. He is right here with us. Like the yoke that is carried by two animals, Christ will carry our burdens with us. He assures us, I am with you always till the end of time. “Can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her womb? Even should she forget, I will never forget you. See, upon the palms of my hands I have written your name.” (Is. 49:15-16). He tells us “In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world.” (Jn. 16:33).  

7.    I want to conclude with this beautiful poem:

One night I dreamed a dream.

As I was walking along the beach with my Lord.

Across the dark sky flashed scenes from my life.

For each scene, I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand,

One belonging to me and one to my Lord.

After the last scene of my life flashed before me,

I looked back at the footprints in the sand.

I noticed that at many times along the path of my life,

especially at the very lowest and saddest times,

there was only one set of footprints.

This really troubled me, so I asked the Lord about it.

"Lord, you said once I decided to follow you,

You'd walk with me all the way.

But I noticed that during the saddest and most troublesome times of my life,

there was only one set of footprints.

I don't understand why, when I needed You the most, You would leave me."

He whispered, "My precious child, I love you and will never leave you

Never, ever, during your trials and testings.

When you saw only one set of footprints,

It was then that I carried you."

May God bless and continue to carry us through our troubling times of our life the rest he promised us. Amen.

                  Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP