Shik Rot Npwe – Sunday Synopsis with Fr. Justine J. Dyikuk

 Seventh Sunday of Easter & World Communication’s Day: Year C - May 8, 2016.
Readings: Readings Acts 7:55-60; Rev 22:12-14, 16-17, 20 &Gospel John 17:20-26
Theme:  Communicating God's Mercy and Unity!
Dearly beloved in Christ, today is the seventh Sunday of Easter. Incidentally, today is also World Communications Day (WCD). You would recall that the Pontifical Council for Social Communications earlier this year announced the theme for the 2016 WCD as  “Communication and Mercy: A Fruitful Encounter” through the Vatican Radio. It is important to note that the Holy Father's message for WCD is traditionally published in conjunction with the Memorial of St. Francis de Sales, patron of writers (January 24).

Celebrated each year on the Sunday before Pentecost, the WCD was established by Paul VI after the Second Vatican Council  so as  to draw attention to the “the vast and complex phenomenon of the modem means of social communication.” WCD, the only worldwide celebration called for by the Second Vatican Council (“Inter Mirifica”, 1963) is observed in most countries, on the recommendation of the bishops of the world, on the Sunday before Pentecost (May 8, 2016).
Coming in the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, the Holy Year called by Pope Francis to announce the Mercy of God, the theme speaks to the heart of the faithful on ensuring they communicate God’s mercy to the world.
 “The choice of theme this year’s has clearly been determined by the Celebration of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, and the Holy Father undoubtedly desired that World Communications Day would provide the appropriate occasion to reflect on the deep synergy between communication and mercy” the Vatican said.
Further elaborating on the message, the Pope Francis affirmed that: “The Church is commissioned to announce the mercy of God, the beating heart of the Gospel, which in its own way must penetrate the heart and mind of every person.”
He also added that the Church must ensure that “Her language and her gestures must transmit mercy, so as to touch the hearts of all people and inspire them once more to find the road that leads to the Father. It is helpful, in this regard, to remember that our reflection is situated in the context of an awareness that communication is a key element for the promotion of a culture of encounter (Cf. Bull of Indiction of the Jubilee Year, paragraph 12).
The Pope particularly noted that all men and women should ensure that their own communications especially in reaching out to others, must be motivated by a deep expression of welcome, availability and forgiveness.
The Pontiff charged the world to invoke the power of words and gestures to overcome misunderstandings, to heal memories and to build peace and harmony in a world that is polarized and judgmental by so many divisive commentaries on the social networks.
The 2016 WCD comes alive with a call to enlarge the possibilities of good communication through opening avenues of encounter between peoples by dialogue, mutual understanding and reconciliation. Communication in its essence is profoundly a human achievement. As such, “it is never merely the product of the latest or most developed technology, but is realized within the context of a deep interpersonal relationship.”
This coincides with the readings of our liturgy today as they call for unity of purpose for Christians and peoples everywhere. The priestly prayer of Jesus reminds us about the rupture of ecclesial unity which has brought us where we are.                                   From 33 AD till this present times, the proliferation of Churches, communication gap between different churches and mutual suspicion constitute a far cry from Jesus’ prayer for unity.
To better position ourselves for a take-home meal, we must understand the mechanics behind disunity in the Church and among churches:
a). Internal tensions: It is possible that internal tensions occur within the Church. Some Pious Societies view others with suspicion. At times, tensions arise due to the appointment of leaders in the Church which further brings about confusion and internal wrangling.
b). Mutual suspicion: There many cases of mutual suspicion among Christians of various creed. This has further divided Christendom. From England through Northern Ireland to Southern Nigeria, the story is the same. A situation where this church sees the other church as an enemy and vice versa, sectarian violence is sure. More often than not, some pastors shamefully preach hate or target certain churches for verbal assaults.
c). Lack of dialogue: Sadly, ecumenical efforts by the Catholic Church to reach out to Christians from other faiths have often met stiff resistance by members of those faiths. Chances are that even some Catholics see no basis for such efforts in dialoguing with our separated brethren.
d). Liturgical differences: Very church has its mode of worship. Instead of ecumenical gatherings bridging our divides, they often leave us worst than we were because some faithful end up criticising the mode of worship in a particular Church. Christians may never agree on the basis of differences in worship.
e). Theological/doctrinal differences: Differences in theology and doctrine has aslo put asunder the desired unity expected of Christians, the world over. Issues and debates around validity of ordination, ecclesiology, mariology, baptism and praying for the dead are dead-ends as far as the unity of Christians is concerned.
The 7th Sunday of Easter calls experts in the field of communication and indeed all of us to build bridges of human relationships with people of various creeds. Communicating God's mercy on WCD involves establishing a fruitful encounter between Christians and Muslims everywhere.
Our first reading from the Acts of the Apostles recounts the persecution of Saint Stephen. In the face of death, Stephen prayed for his assailants. We are, therefore, called to pray for those who persecute the Church - be they insiders or outsiders. In a world fragmented by tensions in Christendom and persecution of Christians, our mission is to preach, teach and sanctity the world. Mission takes its roots from the Great Commission Christ entrusted to his apostles and to us (Matthew 28:16-20).
We must communicate God's message through mission ad intra and mission ad extra - mission within the church in terms of preaching and catechesis and engaging Pious Societies in various missionary enterprises as well as mission that involves engaging in ecumenism with Christians of other faith and dialogue with Muslims.We ought to persevere in right reason against all that entices to sin and so enjoy the beatific vision Saint John saw in the Apocalypse in the second reading.                                             May the wounds created by both the barriers to  communication in the Church and in our relationship with other churches be healed through communicating God's mercy for a fruitful encounter. Happy WCD!

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