Shikrot Mpwi - Sunday Synopsis
with Fr. Justine J. Dyikuk
Fifteenth Sunday of Year, C – July
14, 2019.
Readings: Deut. 30:10-14;
Responsorial Psalm Ps 69:14 & 17,30-31,33-34,36ab & 37 (R.v.33) or Ps
19:8,9,10,11(R.9ab); Colossians 1:15-20; Gospel Luke 10:25-37.
Theme: A Call to Revolutionary
Action
Introduction
Friends
in Christ, today the Church invites us to reflect on love of neighbour as a
reflection of the love of God. The interesting part of our liturgy is that it
presents us with a gospel for the daring. Perhaps it is important for us to
realize that we are challenged to be paradoxical heroes like the Good
Samaritan. Before we get into the meat of the reflection, I would like us to
take a look at the summary of the readings and the example of a contemporary
leader who exemplified what the readings demand.
In the
first reading (Deuteronomy 30:10-14) we are told that Moses charged the people
to obey God by keeping his ordinances. He assured that the law of the Lord is
neither in heaven nor beyond the sea that the people cannot reach. On the
contrary, he emphatically stated: “The Word is very to you, it is in your mouth
and in your heart for your observance.”
St. Paul
declares to the Colossians, in the second reading (Colossians 1:15-20), that
Christ is the image of the unseen God. He maintains that he created all things,
visible and invisible noting that he existed before creation. He adds that as
one who holds all things in being, his body is the Church and he is its head.
Paul further discloses that Christ is the first born from the dead who
reconciles everything to himself through his death on the cross.
The
Gospel (Luke 10:25-37) reading narrates the response of Jesus to the lawyer who
wanted to disconcert him by asking the question: “And who is my nieghbour?” It
was this question that made Jesus to give the story of the man who was
travelling from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hand of brigands. We are
told that both a Priest and a Levite came and passed by on the other side but
it was a Samaritan traveler who came to his rescue.
He
garnishes the story by telling us how the foreigner was moved with pity,
bandaged his wounds, lifted him on his mount, took him to an inn and looked
after him. He was ready to pay any extra expense the following day. Meanwhile
he gave advance payment of two denarii to the innkeeper. At the end of the
story when Jesus asked he lawyer who proved nieghbour to the man who fell into
the brigand’s hands, the lawyer replied, “the one who took pity on him” and
Jesus said: “Go, and do the same yourself.” This leads us to finding a suitable contemporary
example for the Good Samaritan story.
Sometimes
last year when some armed men on motor bikes attached Nghar village in Barkin
Ladi LGA of Plateau State, they razed down houses and killed scores of persons.
In fact, in a village of about a thousand people, 84 people lost their lives in
the sad incidence. It was in the midst of this tragedy that Imam Abdullahi
Abubakar and his Fulani assistant went the extra mile to rescue 262 in a Mosque.
When the attackers reached the Mosque, the Imam risked his life by kneeling in
the dust to beg on behalf of the Christians and or Berom people he hid. He
preferred to be killed than let the attackers in. After the tension soaked situation,
he was able to convince the assailants and rescued about 300 people. In that
way, the 84 year old Muslim leader rescued Christians whom he claimed, had
always invited him to share the joy of Christmas. He also disclosed that he had
always enjoyed tremendous goodwill from them.
Moved by
the revolutionary action of this man, the United States of America in its
April/May 2019 edition of Crossroads,
a publication of the U.S. Mission in Nigeria celebrated the uncanny act of the
religious leader by publishing his picture on the cover page of their magazine.
That is not all, the U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, W. Stuart Symington had this
to say about the Muslim cleric: “The Imam’s selfless actions reflect his vision
that all of us are brethren. He embodies the motto of the United States, the
idea at the heart of America: Out of Many, One. That idea resonates as strongly
in Nigeria as any place on earth. His life is an inspiration; his story a
perfect illustration of that undeniable truth that we need to take care of all
of us and create paths forward for every person, regardless of what we speak,
where we pray, what gender we are, who we love,
or how we make our living” (p.3).
Practical Lessons
1. Develop Good Conscience: The message of the first reading that the
Word of God is in our mouth and heart charges us to develop good consciences
even as it reminds us about the pivotal role of conscience in helping us to act
nicely and kindly towards others.
2. Practice Good Neighborliness: Since the gospel reminds us that anyone in
need is our neighbour, we are challenged
to practice good neighborliness on a daily basis as that is the only evidence
through which we can love Christ whom St. Paul describes in the second reading
as the head of the Church.
3. Beware of the Road between Jerusalem and
Jericho: Metaphorically, our
lifetime is the road between Jerusalem and Jericho which is often perilous and
calls for caution, prayer and discernment.
4. Watch Out for Brigands: The gospel reminds us to watch out for brigands
in our spiritual journey because they are always on the prowl to bring us down.
5. Be Compassionate: The uncommon kindness of the Good Samaritan
points to Jesus the Chief Story-teller, who is compassion personified and
charges us to do same.
6. Spare Time for Others: In a world where people appear too busy to
help anyone, the message of the gospel demands that we emulate the Good
Samaritan by sparing time to assist others especially when they are helpless.
7. Match Spirituality with Religiosity: The shameful and scandalous attitude of both
the Priest and the Levite calls us to match our spirituality with genuine
religiosity otherwise we would miss God’s graces and eternal life.
8. Get Dirty for Others: Since the Good Samaritan was not
afraid of getting soaked in blood, we are also called to in the words of Pope
Francis, “get dirty” for others for the sake of the kingdom.
9. Be Ready for Extra Burden: In a society where people prefer to stay in
their comfort zones, the story of the Good Samaritan challenges
us to be ready to carry the extra burden of others be they children, parents,
colleagues or people from the other faith.
10. Pay the Extra Expense: Just as the Good Samaritan offered to pay the
extra expense at his return, we are challenged to go the extra mile in charity
to the poorest of the poor and those at the margins of society like the IDPs,
aged, sick, imprisoned, widows and orphans.
1. Moses
charged the people to obey God by keeping his ordinances.
2. As one who
holds all things in being, his body is the Church and he is its head.
3. Both a
Priest and a Levite came and passed by on the other side but it was a Samaritan
traveler who came to his rescue.
4. The
foreigner was moved with pity, bandaged his wounds, lifted him on his mount,
took him to an inn and looked after him.
5. Jesus said:
“Go, and do the same yourself.”
Conclusion
Arguably,
there are many Christians who like Imam Abubakar in our lead story, have saved
the lives of Muslims who were about to be killed. These are the unsung heroes
of our faith. In a country where people are easily labeled and quarantined for
segregation, maltreatment and even murder, we are challenged to break down the walls
of ethnic, religious, cultural, political and social barriers which divide us.
Our liturgy urges us to decorate our streets with paradoxical heroes like Imam
Abubakar who are ready to go the extra mile to save others. Carry out one
revolutionary action today to change the world. Be the change you want to see. May
Jesus the super paradoxical hero who laid down his life to save us change our
lives for good and help us to become Good Samaritans to one another. Amen. Have
a Blessed Week!
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