Shikrot Mpwi - Sunday Synopsis
with Fr. Justine J. Dyikuk
Seventh Sunday of the Year, A – February 23, 2020
Readings: Lev. 19:1-2, 17-18; Responsorial Psalm Ps
103:1-2, 3-4, 8, 10, 12-13;
1st Cor. 3:16-23 & Gospel Mt
5:38-48.
Theme: Being Paradoxical Heroes!
Introduction
Friends
in Christ, in our society today, instead of entrenching
the New World Order (NWO) of love inaugurated by Christ, some
Christians have joined ranks with forces of evil in the world to propose a conspiracy
theory of a secularist NWO which defers in intent and content with what Jesus
offers us in the gospel. The current worldly NWO is the emergence of a
totalitarian world government pioneered by a powerful elite which is secretive pushing
a globalist agenda of eventually ruling the world. What is even more worrisome
is that those behind it are a cabal which orchestrates important political and
financial conspiracy policies in the world.
Their
aim is to cause systemic crises at both national and international levels with
a ploy to achieving world domination through a secularist agenda of exaggerated
feminism, celebration of man’s passions, unwarranted support for gay rights, recruitment of others as illuminati, targeted
persecution of Christians and their
values as well as the destruction of man’s body and soul. It is in the midst of
these that Jesus calls us to be paradoxical heroes who would upturn the values of the world by going the
extra mile to establish the NWO of love.
Background and
Summary of the Readings
In
our first reading (Lev. 19:1-2, 17-18), the Lord instructs Moses to relate to the people of
Israel his message of love, anchored on holiness. He notes that this call to
holiness has the appeal of loving kindness which eschews hatred for one’s brother
or sister from the heart. The Lord goes ahead to prescribe fraternal
correction, taking revenge, holding grudge against anyone and loving a
neighbour as one’s self as prerequisite for holiness.
In
the second reading (1st Cor. 3:16-23), St. Paul insists that we
are God’s temple and his Holy Spirit lives amongst us. He also discloses that
God would destroy anyone who destroys his temple (us) because we are sacred. The
text charges the faithful to first of all try their best in preserving the body
while allowing the owner (God) to do the rest.
Jesus
reinforces the message of the first reading in the gospel (Mt. 5:38-48) wherein he upturns the thinking
of society. In an
unparalleled way, he entrenches a New World Order (NWO) which goes against the
normal Eye for an eye, tooth for tooth. He
insists that we should offer no resistance to the one who is evil, turn the
other check to one who strikes us, offer our cloak to anyone who intends to go
to law with us over our tunic, go two miles with a person who invites us for
one, give to those who ask and never turn our backs on those who intend to
borrow.
Pastoral and
Practical Lessons
1.
Do Not Hate: In a society where there is escalation
in the formation of political, economic, cultural and intellectual jihad
through strategic and systemic government policies against Christians, the
first reading urges us to bear no hatred against our brothers and sisters but
openly tell them their offense noting that this way, we will not take a sin
upon ourselves.
2. Exact No Vengeance: In a world where Open
Doors reported in 2019 that Christians are the most persecuted religious
groups in the world who are oppressed in at least 60 countries, our liturgy reminds us that
vengeance is the Lord’s.
3. Bear No Grudge: Our liturgy calls us to emulate
God who lets his sun to shine on both the good and the bad by bearing with the
wicked until the end of time when God would reward good and punish evil.
