Shikrot Mpwi - Sunday Synopsis with Fr. Justine J. Dyikuk

13^th Sunday of the Year, B – July 1, 2018.

Readings: Wisdom 1:13-15,2:23-24; Ps 29:2,4-6,11-13; 

2 Corinthians 8:7,9,13-15; Gospel – Mark 5:21-43.

Theme: Of Faith & the Mandate to Save Life!

Introduction

Beloved in Christ, as a people of unwavering hope, our liturgy for 13^th Sunday of the year challenges us on the need for having total trust in God even as we struggle to save life. Life is God’s supreme gift to humanity which must be nurtured from the cradle to the grave. Sadly, we are living in a rat race which places the mundane over the sacred. As such, our reflection examines the biblical text in search for spiritual lessons which seeks to protect lives and the dignity of the human person. To achieve this, we shall do a summary of the sacred text in the light of pastoral application. 

Summary of the Readings

The first reading from the book of Wisdom (Wisdom 1:13-15,2:23-24) reveals that death was not God’s doing. It also notes that he does not take pleasure in the extinction of the living. It stresses the impeccability of God’s creation adding that God made man in his image and likeness thus imperishable. Most importantly though sadly, it states that it was the devils envy that brought about death into the world. It maintains that those who align themselves with the devil as his agents or partners are well aware of the fact that it was the devil’s envy that brought about death.

In the second reading (2 Corinthians 8:7,9,13-15), St. Paul speaks to the heart of faith and the works of mercy. He revealed to the Corinthian community that Jesus was rich in everything but became poor for the sake of humanity. He charged them on the need for having a balanced spirituality which seeks to help others but does not forget one’s own needs too. The text advocates for mutual support as an essential ingredient of the Christian life.

The gospel reading (Mark 5:21-43) presents us with two powerful miracles of Jesus aimed at the restoration of health and life. In the first miracle, we are told that as Jesus was going to the house of one of the leading synagogue officials by name Jairus, a woman who suffered from haemorrhage for 12 years and has spent all her money on visiting doctors without cure, touched the cloak of Jesus and got cured – for she had told herself, if only I can touch the fringe of his garments, I would be whole again. In that dramatic event, Jesus turns and asks who touched him because he knew that power had gone out from him. 

Despite the disciple’s query about why Jesus should ask that kind of question because of the crowd, Jesus looks round and the woman comes forward, falls on her feet and confesses the whole truth. He then tells her: “My daughter, your faith has restored you to health; go in peace and be free from your complaint.” Meanwhile, some people from Jairus’ house arrived with bad news informing that his daughter had died. Jesus rebukes them and assures: “Do not be afraid; only have faith.” The wailing and commotion of mourners did not deter him as he assured the wailers that the girl was asleep. They laughed at him. But taking his companions and the girl’s parents to the place where she laid, he said: “Little girl, I tell you to get up.” To everyone’s amazement, the 12-year girl got up and began to walk about. He told them to give her something to eat while ordering that they should tell no one about what happened. 

Application/Pastoral Punch-lines

1. At a time when scores of people are killed across the country with the latest casualties of over 200 people in some parts of Barkin  Ladi, Riyom and Jos South Local Government Areas of Plateau State by suspected killer-herdsmen, the message of first reading from the book of Wisdom which indicated that God does not take pleasure in the extinction of the living, calls us to once again wear the garment of humanity and stop the killings across the country – A single human life cannot and must not be compared to a million cows.

2. The reminder that God made man in his own image and likeness calls us to reorder our values concerning the sanctity of life above all else as well as the sacred duty of government to ensure the protection of lives and property as enshrined in the Constitution – Any constituted authority that denigrates the sacredness of life created in the image and likeness of God should not and must be obeyed.

3. The message of the Wisdom Literature comes powerfully against those who align themselves with the devil as partners in progress, merchants of death or agents of the devil. The sacred text maintains that these marauders must not forget that it was the devil’s envy that brought about death. As such, they are not fighting for a noble cause – It suffices to say, those who live by the sword die by the sword () and those who fight on the side of the evil one have doomsday awaiting them.

4. In a society where the culture of death unleashes upon us anti-life activities such as abortion, torture and death in the hands of commercial kidnappers and ritualists as well as scores of deaths no thanks to the activities of gun-wielding herdsmen, we are challenged to remember without life, there is property – The domino argument hold water here. Eliminate people one by one and in no time, you’ll have no human beings on the face of the earth. 

5. The message of St. Paul in the second reading reminds us that Jesus was rich in everything but became poor for the sake of humanity – This calls for a sober reflection about shunning every tendency to place mundane interests over and above faith and life.

6. As a way of becoming disciples of the spirituality of mutual-support, we are challenged on developing a balanced spirituality which seeks to help others – This urgent call reminds us that charity/generosity is an essential ingredient of the Christian life.

7. The two powerful miracles of the healing of the woman with haemorrhage and raising of the daughter of Jairus from the death teaches us that health is wealth and that the restoration of life at all levels is supreme – This also teaches that no amount of sacrifice is too great to save life.

8. Just as the healing of the woman with the issue of blood gave quality assurance to the synagogue official that his daughter would be healed, God provides enough evidences in the daily event of our lives for us to be truly committed to our Christian calling – No other human invention assures as the divine.

9.  Pastors of souls as well as medics and paramedics must ensure that they give their time and expertise to their vocation bearing in mind that their lives might just be that cloak of Jesus which the sick needs to touch to be whole again – The Church needs to reaffirm its apostolate of the sick in order to bring Jesus to those who are physically, physiologically and spiritually sick.

10. In gospel, the attitude of the wailers and mourners contrasts sharply with that of the girl’s parents and Jesus’ disciples. This attitude teaches us that in life, there are wailers who are always ready to either laugh at us or cause commotion in our lives by urging us to concentrate on our weaknesses and woes; conversely, there are those who like the girl’s parents and the disciples of Jesus, are always ready to urge us to victory – It is up to us to either dine with the mourners or be on the winning team with Jesus who is able to resurrect that dream in you as he did in the case of Jairus’ daughter.

11. Above all, like the raise of Lazarus from the dead, the raising of Jairus’ daughter points to the resurrection of the body and the life of the world to come – Our liturgy assures of our eternal home where the limitation of sickness for 13 years or more and even death would be a thing of the past.

Homiletic Points to Remember

1. Our liturgy for 13^th Sunday of the year challenges us on the need for having total trust in God even as we struggle to save life.

2. Life is God’s supreme gift to humanity which must be nurtured from the cradle to the grave.

3. We are living in a rat race which places the mundane over the sacred.  

4. It was the devils envy that brought about death into the world.  

5. [Our liturgy] presents us with two powerful miracles of Jesus aimed at the restoration of health and life. 

Conclusion

One of the essential points to consider in our liturgy today is the fact that faith is an essential ingredient of our Christian life without the mandate to save life would be nothing serious.  It takes a person of faith to nurture life from conception to natural death; it takes a person of faith to resist any vendetta aimed at wiping a whole community in the name of an offensive, preventive or reactionary attack. Christians in Nigeria have duty the moral daughter to nurture and save life. However, the legitimate duty of self-defence is a moral absolute. Have a blessed Sunday!