Brethren, today we start the new liturgical year, C, the year of Saint Luke, because most Sunday readings in this year are taken from Luke. We thank the Lord who has been with us, blessing us, nourishing us, and helping us to grow spiritually each day of the last liturgical year. May the Lord be praised forever, and may this new year become an ever-flowing source of spiritual nourishment and growth. Every Church's new year starts with Advent, and so today we celebrate the first Sunday of Advent.
Brethren, Christianity, like some other religions, strongly believes in life after death. This belief is very consoling and encouraging. It spurs us on to live good and righteous lives. Everything does not end here at our death. After our earthly life, we shall receive the reward due to us at judgment time. God is pure/holy. Hence, if we want to live eternally with God in the “new Jerusalem," we should believe in the good news and put into practice the commandments of God and the teachings of Christ. St. John tells us in the first reading that we shall all rise on the judgement day and we shall be judged according to our deeds, no any other criterion. Our deeds must be in line with God's commandments and his will. Those who do not believe in life after death/resurrection may live carefree lives. Their adage is “Let us eat today, for tomorrow we die." Such people should remember the four last things: death, judgement, heaven, and hell. After death comes judgement, then either heaven or hell.
Brethren, let us continue with our reflection on the end of the times, when Jesus, the Son of Man will take his judgement seat and judge between the righteous and the wicked. Where will you and I belong? The church provides us readings pointing to the end of time as the liturgical year is coming to an end, not to instil fear in us but to encourage us to be prepared for that day not to find us unprepared. Sunday begins Advent and a new liturgical year! Therefore, as we move closer to the end of this current liturgical year, we continue to turn our eyes to the last and glorious things to come. Specifically, today we are presented with the glorious return of Jesus “coming in a cloud with power and great glory." What’s most interesting and helpful in this particular passage above is the call we are given to enter into His glorious return with our heads raised with much hope and confidence.
Brethren, anyone who wants to follow Christ must be ready to face persecution: from friends, family members, acquaintances, and even fellow parishioners. This is because, to truly follow Christ, especially in a society where vice is quickly becoming the norm, one must be prepared to swim against the current. People are not usually comfortable around one who thinks and acts differently, when such actions prick their conscience. There is a lot of the Christians who want to maintain the truth even when everyone else holds on to lies; who wants to be financially transparent even when others expect him/her to loot and give them a share; who wants to remain pure in word and deed even when so called friends consider these things out of fashion. Though persecuted, the Christian should remember the words of Christ, "Your endurance will win you your life”.
Brethren, Jesus is aware that as he prepares us for the final day, some will come before this day and start deceiving us. “Many will come in my name saying, ‘I am he’; do not follow them... Refuse to join them.” One wonders why there is a staggering number of Christian churches in Africa and the world today; even as we speak, new denominations are created and preachers multiply daily. But, curiously, with this increase in evil in our world today, one would think that more churches should mean greater holiness, but the opposite seems to be the case. The truth is that a “church” has become a business, and people go to great lengths to make their “business” more lucrative, even if it entails using diabolic means or twisting the Christian truths to sound sweeter to their followers. But a bad tree cannot bear good fruit; we shall know them by their fruits. Christ has warned us: not everyone who comes in Jesus’ name is of Jesus.
In the gospel reading of today, Jesus sets the poverty-stricken widow as an example of a generous giver. He sees beyond the physical appearance and beyond human calculations, as he notes the generosity of the poor widow. She gave all that she had to live on. Others gave out of their superabundance. What she did could only be motivated by deep faith, trust, total reliance, and dependence on God. According to Mother Teresa of Kolkata, it is when we empty ourselves that God can fill us with an abundance of his blessings. It shows also that the woman in the gospel story is detached from earthly possessions. The more detached we are from worldly possessions, the lighter we are to climb the mountain of the Lord.
His Kingdom is not of this World But in this World
Brethren, we celebrate the solemnity of Christ the King of the whole universe on this Sunday. This feast marks the last Sunday of the liturgical year and opens the way for the Advent season. Next Sunday is the first Sunday of Advent. This last Sunday also invites us to think of the Last Day, the final judgement day, when Christ will take his seat and judge all people according to how we have lived in this world. We will be judged according to our actions, whether they are fit for the Kingdom or not. On this Sunday, Christ, through the readings, makes it clear that he is the King, but his kingdom is not of this world, but this world was significant for his mission.
Brethren, the Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection of the body, whereas the Pharisees did. Thus, the Sadducees asked Jesus about the resurrection of the body, using an almost unheard-of example to make the resurrection look ridiculous and meaningless to those who believed in it and in the teachings of Jesus. Jesus taught that marriage is not destined to exceed earthly existence. People are transformed when they die. He also taught that resurrection is real after this life and that God is the God of the living and not of the dead. Those who live according to the will of God will be rewarded with eternal life. Since the Sadducees did not believe in all of these, in tricking Jesus, they referred to the Levite law found in Deuteronomy 25:5ff, which states that if a married man dies before having children, the brother of that man must marry his wife and provide descendants for his brother. Thus, the Sadducees presented the scenario where seven brothers die, each one subsequently taking the same wife. The question they posed was, “Now at the resurrection, whose wife will that woman be? For all seven had been married to her.”
Brethren, how do we explain the only action in the Bible where Jesus uses physical force, that is, when Jesus drove out the money changers from the temple, as we see in today's Gospel? Was it out of anger? Many church fathers say it is holy anger. But the gospel clearly states that it is out of zeal and love he has for his Father's to only turn it into the house of prayer where only God is worshipped and not anyone else, a house of prayer. In justification for his audacious action, Jesus quotes from the prophets Isaiah (Isaiah 56:7) and Jeremiah (Jeremiah 7:11). It was the desire to make Holy the temple that made him drive the money changers from the temple.
Jesus' earthly ministry centres and culminates in Jerusalem. Jerusalem in the Gospel of Luke is the centre of Jesus' ministry, even for the Apostles, because their mission started from Jerusalem towards the Gentile nations. The Scripture describes Jerusalem as the holy city, the throne of the Lord (Jeremiah 3:17); the place which God chose for his name to dwell there (1 Kings 11:13; 2 Kings 21:4; 2 Kings 23:27); and the holy mountain upon which God has set his king (Psalm 2:6). Jerusalem derives its name from the word "Salem," which means "peace." In Jerusalem stood the temple, which was a constant reminder to the people of God's presence with them. These are the people who would receive the blessings of God before everyone else. But did they realise this and grab all the opportunities, especially when Jesus came? No! Today in the Gospel, we see Jesus lamenting over Jerusalem for not accepting the visit of God through him.
Jesus is still on the journey to Jerusalem, and on the way, he gives his final teachings and formation to his disciples, what they are to do, how they are to do it, when they are to do it, why they are to do it, and what benefits they are to get. These teachings were to help them in mission until the end. The church uses these teachings to help us evaluate how we are doing our part in God's mission but also to prepare us for the final coming of the Son of Man on the last day, especially in these last days of the church's liturgical year. Today's Gospel, in particular, not only prepares for the last day but also puts us in the proper context for the upcoming Solemnity of Christ the King, the final Sunday of the liturgical year, and the last day before Advent begins.
Brethren, Jesus's encounter with people was mainly to restore them to life and also to friendship with God. He came to save what was lost. Hence, he does not distinguish between class, race, or religion. All are dear to him. As shown by the first reading, He stands at the door and knocks. He “enters and shares a meal” with anyone who opens the door and receives him, offering salvation. The psalmist in Psalm 15 enumerates the qualities of a transformed person. These qualities can be attributed to Zacchaeus after his encounter with Jesus. Personal encounter with Jesus is very important. It brings about the needed transformation and salvation. We should learn from Zacchaeus that if we want to be saved, we must also make an effort. We need to climb the Sycamore tree and seek out Jesus. This Sycamore tree was also climbed by Jesus himself as he hung on the cross to save us; we too need to climb our crosses and seek Jesus in order to be saved.
Brethren, we are approaching the end of the liturgical year. The church provides us with readings related to the end of time, calling us to prepare for the end of time, for we never know when the day when the Son of Man is going to come back and sit on his throne to judge the living and the dead. This call for preparation for the coming of the Son of Man is not to instil fear in us but to encourage us to put on the armour of faith, love, and live according to God's will. With this, we shall be found worthy to enjoy eternity with Christ.
As we continue drawing near to the end of the liturgical year and reflect upon the end of our lives and the final judgment of the world, Mother Church keeps reminding us what our work as Christians really is: not to know the day or the hour (by “knowing,” we might feel some sense of control) but to place our trust in the One who does know, who holds these details in his heart. Neither the angels nor the Son knows the hour, but only the Father. However, the only thing we know, as per today's Gospel, is that all things will pass away, apart from the word of God, namely, that the end is coming. On that day, the day of the final judgment, the only thing that will matter is our fidelity to God. For that reason, we must daily strive to live as if that day were today. We must diligently prepare for that day and live for that glorious moment alone. This is an invitation for us to place all our trust in God and in what he says, no security should be put in any earthly thing.
At the end of today's parable of the unjust judge and the poor widow, Jesus asks this probing question, "If the Son of Man comes back, Will he find any faith on earth? Taken on an individual level, if the Son of Man comes back now, will he find you and me with faith, the kind of faith that doesn't give up or lose hope in God but perseveres to the end of our lives - and to the end of this present age when the Lord Jesus will return in glory as Ruler and Judge of All? Jesus is still preparing us for the last judgement day, a day which will come at a time we don't know and slowly reveals to us what he expects of us when he comes back, that is, if we long for eternal life with him.
Brethren, every year, towards the end of the liturgical year, the Mother Church gives us a chance to reflect on the Readings concerning the end of times when the Son of Man Will come back. The aim is to remind us that we should always be ready because we don't know when the Son of Man will come again. Therefore, as we approach the end of this liturgical year, we start to reflect on Jesus' teachings on the end of times. We cannot take the teachings and the warnings in these readings for granted, we need to prepare. Be alert!
What is the Kingdom of God and what does it entail? St Paul says the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Roman 14:17). John Cassian (360-435 AD) an early Church Father, would teach us that, living in a just, just society where we render justice in all that we do, living in righteousness (holy life), in joy, peace, love and Harmony with one another, is living in the kingdom of God. On the other hand, someone that remains in unrighteousness, conflict and the melancholy that kills the life of the spirit is already a citizen of the devil's kingdom, of hell and of death. These are the signs whether it is God's kingdom or the devil's." (Excerpt from CONFERENCE 1.13.5). Where do you and I fall?
The gospel reading of today teaches us the virtues of faith and gratitude. The faith of the lepers healed them. It shows that Jesus has power over every form of disease and that his words are efficacious. But Jesus teaches us that we are indebted to be grateful when God answers our prayers or gives us his blessings. Ten lepers were healed but only one of them returned to give thanks to Jesus. The only one that returned was a Samaritan. The Samaritans were not treated well by the Jews. We should not look down on any tribe or race. We should be thankful to God and others for the good we receive every moment.
Today's Gospel has three parts with fundamental teachings of Jesus which help us to live well as Christians. The first part is about not causing someone to sin, for one who causes one to sin, will receive a punishment even beyond the one who is tied with a milestone in the neck and thrown into the sea. The second part is about unlimited forgiveness, for a brother sins against you seven times a day and comes seven times asking for forgiveness, you should forgive him. The last part is the necessity of faith to move mountains, for if we had faith big as the mustard seed, we would say to a tree to be uprooted and then be planted in the sea. Let us take time to reflect on each.
In a real sense, nobody causes us to sin. Sin is our own free choice, and we, and we alone, will be held accountable for our own sin. One thing that Jesus is pointing out here is that even though every person must take responsibility for their own actions and their own sins, we must also take responsibility for the ways that we act as tempters of others. We are all sinners. Therefore, by our sin, we will all tempt others to sin. Sometimes we will tempt people to sin by provoking them to anger. At other times we will tempt others to sin by setting a poor example. And on the contrary, we also can “tempt” people to virtue. Or more properly speaking, to inspire and encourage them. We should always take the second option, of inspiring people to holiness not leading people to sin, for anyone who causes a little one to sin, will suffer harder consequences. The little ones of which Jesus speaks should be understood as those who are weak in faith, overly sensitive, particularly vulnerable at that time in their life, and susceptible to outside influence. If we teach another to sin, he or she in turn may teach still another, until a train of sin is set in motion with no foreseeable end.
Jesus then gives us another way of living together, unlimited forgiveness. The theme of forgiveness is the life’s-blood of any Christian community. We cannot live together without upsetting one another, unwittingly, or even deliberately. So, forgiveness is a vital step. It expands and stresses our petition in the Lord’s Prayer, ‘Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive others.’ We all pray our Lord's Prayer but do we mean what we pray or we are condemning ourselves as we ask forgiveness on the condition that we have forgiven others. If we haven't forgiven and then we pray this prayer, then we are just condemning ourselves. We should also try by all means to avoid sin for the spirit of the Lord cannot dwell where sin is. Sinning makes us lose the gift of the Holy Spirit which God gives. Therefore, we should not use the theme of forgiveness, as a scapegoat for sinning.
Lastly, we should also join the disciples in sling Jesus to increase our Faith. Faith is a response to what God has revealed to us. However, it is also a gift from God and on this Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD), comments, "They ask, 'Add faith to us.' They do not ask simply for faith, for perhaps you might imagine them to be without faith. They rather ask Christ for an addition to their faith and to be strengthened in faith. Faith partly depends on us and partly is the gift of the divine grace. The beginning of faith depends on us and our maintaining confidence and faith in God with all our power. The confirmation and strength necessary for this come from the divine grace. For that reason, since all things are possible with God, the Lord says that all things are possible for him who believes (Mark 9:23). The power that comes to us through faith is of God. Knowing this, blessed Paul also says in the first epistle to the Corinthians, 'For to one is given through the Spirit the word of wisdom, to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit, and to another faith in the same Spirit' (1 Corinthians 12:8). You see that he has placed faith also in the catalogue of spiritual graces. The disciples requested that they might receive this from the Savior, contributing also what was of themselves. By the descent upon them of the Holy Spirit, he granted it to them after the fulfilment of the dispensation. Before the resurrection, their faith was so feeble that they were liable even to the charge of being 'little of faith'." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILIES 113-16). We have faith in God but let us continue to ask for the gift of faith every day.
Reflect today on the three fundamental teachings of Jesus in today's Gospel. Pray that these teachings will enter your heart and always practice them. May the Lord increase our Faith
Let us Pray
Lord Jesus, you give us victory over the destructive forces of sin and harmful desires that keep us from doing your will. Give me the strength to always choose what is good and to reject what is wrong. May your love and truth rule my heart so that I may give a good example to others and guide those who need your wise instruction and help. Amen
