WE ARE IN THE MONTH OF OCTOBER; MONTH OF THE HOLY ROSARY. PLEASE, PRAY THE HOLY ROSARY AND ASK FOR THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY TO PRESENT YOUR INTENTIONS TO HER SON FOR REDRESS.
COLLECT: “MAY YOUR GRACE, O LORD, WE PRAY, AT ALL TIMES GO BEFORE US AND FOLLOW AFTER AND MAKE US ALWAYS DETERMINED TO CARRY OUT GOOD DEEDS. THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOUR SON, WHO LIVES AND REIGNS WITH YOU, FOR EVER AND EVER. AMEN”.
Gal 5:1-6; Ps 118:41,43-45,47-48 and Lk 11:37-41.
The Dagaaba have a wise saying that; “Ninsaala waa la bang puori kong bang puo” (Lit. “The human being is such that, he is easily known externally but not internally”). If this wise saying is true, that means you cannot judge a person base on his/her external actions/deeds. Worse of all, it will be very wrong to look at how a person observes the laws, customs and traditions to the letter and conclude that the person is godly, religious, righteous or holy. Very often, most of our external actions or our effort to observe and obey laws are a public show. That is why Jesus in the portion of Luke’ Gospel we reflect on, reprimands the Pharisees for emphasizing or stressing only on externals. The whole letter of St. Paul to the Galatians also conveys same message. Once again, today’s scriptures are cautioning us against the wrong conception that one is justified, righteous, religious and holy, and therefore will be saved if one observes the law to the letter. They are also a caution against hypocrisy and pretense.
St. Paul declares that it is “faith working through love” of God that saves us. This was concretely expressed on the Cross on Mount Calvary when Christ gave up his life, and the mixture of blood and water came out from his pierced side, symbolizing the Sacraments. Through the Sacraments (physical signs and channels of God’s graces, instituted by Jesus Christ to save us), and our faith in Christ, we are continually justified, saved and made righteous by the Lord. We are also to take note that in and with Jesus, the law is obsolete, because both the law and the prophets are fulfilled in him. This is the meaning of Moses and Elijah appearing and conversing with Jesus on Mount Tabor at the Transfiguration (Cf. 17:1-13).
Are we better than the people of Paul’s time or the Pharisees during the time of Jesus when it comes to external and public shows that have no corresponding link with our internal/inner dispositions? Can we also say that we are better than the people during the time of Jesus and Paul regarding the insistence of strict observance of the law, customs and traditions, to the letter? We are not. Apart from being unnecessarily legalistic sometimes when it comes to ritual and ceremonial observances to the extent that they become a burden on some people and make the whole world see them as the worst of sinners who can never be saved or justified, some believers, who are too implanted in their traditions, cultural practices, taboos and customs, insist that people must observe them in order to be free and be saved. For instance, in some cultures and traditions where the woman is regarded as a child, a stranger in her marital home, sometimes she is regarded as nothing or a slave, we have instances where some Christian husbands continue to subject their wives to these unchristian cultural practices. Similar things go on when it comes to funeral and burial celebrations, birth and naming ceremonies, etc. etc.
Once again, our “faith working through love” of neighbour, especially the poor, is one sure way of making us justified, saved, righteous and holy. Let us therefore put our faith into practice by giving alms and doing other works of mercy/charity, “and behold, everything will be clean for us” (Lk 11:41). We should not be like the Pharisees who loved to think of themselves as “clean”, but whose stinginess toward God and the poor proved that they were not as clean as they thought. Let us also be sympathetically generous with others, and be merciful toward those we think they are not observing our laws, traditions and customs. May Saint Pope John XXIII intercede for us. Stay blessed and have a fruitful day.
WE MEDITATE TODAY, TUESDAY, ON THE SORROWFUL MYSTERIES: ‘THE AGONY IN THE GARDEN, THE SCOURGING AT THE PILLAR, THE CROWNING WITH THORNS, THE CARRYING OF THE CROSS AND THE CRUCIFIXION’ (WE PRAY FOR SORROW FOR SIN, PURITY, COURAGE, PATIENCE, AND PERSEVERANCE) “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you, blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb Jesus: Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us, sinners, now and the hour of our death, Amen”.
PRAYER: “WE ENTREAT YOUR MAJESTY MOST HUMBLY, O LORD, THAT, AS YOU FEED US WITH THE NOURISHMENT WHICH COMES FROM THE MOST HOLY BODY AND BLOOD OF YOUR SON, SO YOU MAY MAKE US SHARERS OF HIS DIVINE NATURE. WHO LIVES AND REIGNS FOR EVER AND EVER. AMEN”..”
Rev. Fr. Aloysius Kpiebaya, Catholic Diocese of Wa, UW/R, Ghana. (00233) 0207867239/0545462863. Email: aloybaya20@yahoo.com.
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