SUNDAY JANUARY 21, 2024
THIRD SUNDAY OF THE ORDINARY TIME OF THE YEAR B
SUNDAY OF THE WORD OF GOD
Jonah 3: 1-5.10
1Corinthians 7:29-31
Mark 1:14-20
RESPONDING ADEQUATELY TO GOD’S CALL.
At the beginning of the public ministry of Jesus, there is the need to recall that Jesus gathered together formidable team that will work with him for the mission of saving the world. These are the core members who will also help to recruit more members for the kingdom of God. So beginning with the core members or disciples, Jesus had in mind that these people will eventually help to spread the word of God to the far distant lands.
The nature of Jesus’ call is one that touches on repentance or turning away from our sinful inclination and habits to doing the will of God and attending to the values of the kingdom. Therefore, Jesus calls us to first repent, to abandon our old lives, to turn a new leave, to be renewed in the spirit, to surrender ourselves to him.
The gospel of today gives us the full message of Jesus ‘ preaching. “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the Gospel.”. Two things are expected from his preaching. One is to repent, to abandone our old ways of living and to turn around and be renewed by a new way, a new beginning, a new man or woman. This should be our daily preoccupation and task. Repentance is a continuous journey and struggle with sin.
Second thing is to believe in the gospel. Believing in the gospel is relying on the ways of God, following the truth as revealed and abiding by the word of God. The word of God is the tool that directs, guides, inspires and modifies our lives.
Incidentally, today, we celebrate the Sunday of the Word of God. as declared by the Pope, that every third Sunday of the ordinary time of the year should be celebrated as “Sunday of the Word of God.” We are therefore called today to place the word of God at the centre of our lives. We are urged to believe the Word of God, read it, study it, meditate on it more often, daily and in all circumstances and be imbued with it, so that it will motivate our actions and activities in life.
The place of the word of God cannot be overemphasised because from it that live springs:
Genesis 1:3 And God said, “Let there be light. And light became.”
In the Word of God, joy is given, salvation is earned. There is every need therefore to pay special attention to the word of God.
As pilgrims and people called to the faith, our response to the call for repentance must take into consideration these points.
1. URGENCY OF THE RESPONSE. The call of God demands serious urgency. There is no time to waste, no time to decide, no time to question. In the first reading Jonah was sent to Nineveh to proclaim the word to them. And he went and gave them the word, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” immediately this proclamation was made, the king assembled everyone and proclaimed a fast, prayer and mortification. “And the people of Nineveh believed the Word of God; they proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them. When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented; and he did not destroy them again, because their response was quick, urgent and direct. When God calls us, he demands our urgent response, quick response and joyful response.
The second thing in responding adequately to God’s call is believing in the word of God. Trusting, hoping, entrusting oneself to the word of God is very necessary. We must never fail to know that the word of God is our way, the truth and the life we live. Believe in it, trust it, read it, apply it to our lives and let it help moderate our lives.
The third point in responding to God’s call is allowing life modification. Let the word of God modify our lives, turn it around and make us what we should be. Saint Paul’s letter to the Corinthians admonishes us today in our second reading, to have a change in our lives, a new beginning, a new way of thinking, a new orientation and a new man. He says, “from now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none, and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no goods, and those who, deal with the world, as though they had no dealings with it. For the form of this world is passing away.” Such change in life style means also detachment from the things of the world and abandoning oneself into God’s hands.
It means total debasement of oneself. It means turning away from self and focusing on pleasing God and doing the things of God before any other thing.
God’s call is necessary for our salvation and our adequate response will earn us peace of mind, prosperity, joy of heart and assure us of our eternal rewards.
Heavenly Father, your word has gone out to the ends of the earth. May our hearts receive your word, and may it grow, mature and powerfully moderate all we do and say. May we bear fruits of joy, peace and virtueous life through Christ our Lord
Fr Norbert Uchuno
