SATURDAY OCTOBER 21, 2023
SATURDAY OF THE TWENTY EIGHTH WEEK OF THE ORDINARY TIME A
Romans 4:13.16-18
Luke 12:8-12
STANDING WITH JESUS AND BEARING FRUITFUL WITNESS
The invitation extended to us as Christian is to stand with Jesus in all circumstances and be his witnesses at all times. Jesus in the gospel of today makes this same request and reiterates the rewards and the benefits of standing with him and bearing faithful witness before the world.
To acknowledge Jesus before men is a direct way of telling us Christians that he expects that we carry the message of salvation to the ends of the earth. This is the duty laid upon our shoulders to make Christ known, loved and accepted. We proclaim him in our everyday actions and activities. It should be our lives’ yearning and longing to proclaim Christ to the world.
But the condition of the world in which we proclaim this may not be receptive to our message. Jesus even recognizes that the world may be hostile, unreceptive to our message and sometimes our message may be the source of our sufferings and downfall. That means, it may bring us persecution, raise angry voice and actions, and even incite people to become inimical and hostile to us. Think of the consequences of proclaiming Jesus in a densely populated Muslim areas of the Northern Nigeria or even the south western Nigeria. It may spark off many hostile reactions.
Nowadays, people and unfortunately even supposed Christians themselves are becoming enemies of themselves. They contradict one another for the sake of making disciples. They are critical of each other, attack each other’s doctrines and practices for selfish reasons.
It therefore behoves on Christians to listen to what Jesus himself says and advocates for his followers. That they be led by the Holy Spirit. That they listen to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. That they must understand the language of the Holy Spirit and be led by the Holy Spirit to speak the mind of God not our own minds. So Jesus tells us, “do not be anxious about how or what you are to answer or what you are to say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”
Being led by the Holy Spirit is the key to a fruitful way of standing and bearing witness to Christ. And to achieve this, we must be in prayer, in solitude, in meditation and in total trust in God.
Saint Paul teaches us the value of hoping in God as he instructs us on the model of Abraham who put his faith in God and received the rewards of heaven. We must be patient, enduring, with total devotional trust that God will act at his own time. This is what Abraham did to get Isaac and even to preserve Isaac and gain the title of the father of faith.
Our duty of proclaiming Jesus is quite urgent, imperative and necessary for our salvation. We must not falter in doing this each day, in all circumstances of our lives by prayerfully undertaking our daily tasks in faith and trust of our God, in acting through charity and forbearance, in humility and steadfastness, and in total devotion and trust in God.
Heavenly Father, we live to proclaim the wonders of your love, Lord, your supremacy, your saving graces and mercy over us. Help us that in proclaiming your wonderful name and works, we may always listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and defend your name according to your inspiration. May we never falter in standing behind you. Bless us today with peace of mind, happiness and joy of heart through Christ our Lord.
Fr Norbert Uchuno
