BASED ON CATHOLIC LITURGICAL READINGS
20TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR A
THEME: “THE UNIVERSALITY OF SALVATION”
((Readings: 1st: Isa 56:1.6-7; Ps: 67; 2nd: Rom 11:13-15.29-32; Gos: Mt 15:21-28))
Mahatma Gandhi in his autobiography tells how, during his days in South Africa as a young Indian lawyer he read the Gospels and saw in the teachings of Jesus the answer to the major problem facing the people of India, the caste system. Seriously considering embracing the Christian faith, Mahatma Gandhi went to a white-only church one Sunday morning intending to talk to the minister about the idea. When he entered the church, however, the ushers refused to give him a seat and told him to go and worship with his own black people. Gandhi left the church and never returned. “If Christians have caste differences also,” he said, “I might as well remain a Hindu.”
Today being the 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time, our mother church is reminding us about the universal nature of the kingdom of God. The typical Jews believed that salvation was a privilege that was only packaged for them and that is why God chose Israelites and not any other nation to be his people, a royal priesthood. Perhaps you might also have wondered at any time whether the non-Christians will enter the kingdom of God.
Our Psalm today rejects any form of religious exclusivity with the following words: „Let all the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you. For you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon the earth, so that your saving power may be known among all the nations.” St. Paul in the second reading admits that although the Jews were the chosen people, most of them denied the promised Messiah and consequently, God turned to the Gentiles who received mercy through their faith in Jesus.
What do we need therefore in order to be saved and enter the Kingdom of God?
- FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST
[Jn 3:16] “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believe in him should not perish, but have everlasting life”. Our salvation is not based on our skin color, gender, religion, race, or tribe but entirely on OUR FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST. In the gospel reading, Jesus demonstrates that salvation was meant for the Gentiles as well as for the Jews by healing the daughter of a Gentile woman (a Canaanite woman) as a reward for her strong faith in Jesus. Thus, He shows that God’s mercy and love are available to all who call out to Him in faith. The Canaanites were the ancestral enemies of the Jews and were regarded as pagans and idolaters – ritually unclean but because of her faith her daughter was healed. God sees our heart and not our religious affiliation.
In contrast, “Coming to his hometown, Jesus began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. „Where did this man get this wisdom and the miraculous powers? Is he not the son of the carpenter? Is his mother not called Mary and are his brothers not James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? And they took offence on him. But Jesus said to them; “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town and in his own home “. Therefore, Jesus did not perform many miracles there because of their lack of faith.
- FAITHFULNESS/FIDELITY TO THE COVENANT
Although the Israelites were a chosen race and a royal priesthood, they were to remain faithful to the covenant. Reading the history of salvation especially in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, you will discover that many Israelites although personally chosen by God died in the desert as a punishment due to their infidelity to the covenant. Through baptism, we are new Israelites, the descendants of Abraham, a chosen nation, covenant people, brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ but that is not enough. Our salvation will be fully achieved if only we remain faithful to our baptismal promises and God´s commandments.
- PERSISTENCE
Persistence is the act of praying without giving up. Persistence in prayer is the only clear indication of a firm faith and total dependence on the divine providence. Asking with fervor and perseverance proves that we have the “great faith” we need to receive what Christ wants to grant us in response to our requests. We must realize and remember that we do not always get exactly what we ask for, but rather what God knows we need, what He wants for us and what is really best for us. Jesus first ignores both the persistent cry of the Canaanite woman but only as a test for the depth of her faith. PUSH is the only secret of prayer i.e., P-Pray. U-Until; S-Something. H-Happens.
In a nutshell, we are taught that everyone has a share in the kingdom of God regardless of our religion, tribe, or race. Salvation is universal and therefore the kingdom of God is open to everybody. St. Paul affirms that “God is no respecter of persons.” (Rom 2:11). Religion is only a means that helps to reach our destination. The only three conditions are Faith in God, fidelity to his covenant and patience with God.
Although God set the Hebrew people apart as His chosen race, He included all nations in His plan for salvation and blessed all families of the earth in Abraham (Gen 12:1-3). By declaring through the prophet Isaiah in the first reading; “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples,” God reveals the truth that in His eyes there is no distinction among human beings on the basis of race, caste or color. The long-expected messianic kingdom was intended not only for the Jews but for all nations as well. In other words, we all belong to one another and hence there is no place for discrimination among God’s children.
Prayer: I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one. Amen (Jn 17:21)
Blessed Sunday (Do you want to become a Divine word missionary? Contact our vocation office +255 629269140 or +254 792 299 140)
“May the heart of Jesus live in the hearts of all People. Amen”
SVD JAMBO KENTAN 