Jonah 3:1-5, 10; Psalm 25; 1 Corinthians 7:29-31; Mark 1:14-20
Today is the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B. Pope Francis in his Apostolic Letter, Motu proprio “Aperuit illis”, published on September 30, 2019 establishes that “the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time is to be devoted to the celebration, study and dissemination of the Word of God”.
This inspired initiative is to remind every Christian of the unfathomable riches and power in the Word of God.
Having said that, our reflection today will therefore center on this theme.
Our first reading begins with a reference to the word of the Lord. “The word of the Lord was addressed to Jonah…Jonah set out and went to Nineveh in obedience to the word of the Lord.”
Jonah received and obeyed the word of the Lord, of course not without initial resistance.
From Jonah, let us look at the people of Nineveh. They heard Jonah’s proclamation of the word of God and they responded immediately. Even God was impressed with their response and showed them mercy.
In the second reading, St Paul admonishes the Corinthians not to be too attached to the world or become engrossed in it; the only thing they should be attached to is God’s word.
In the Gospel, Jesus went about proclaiming the word, the Good News from God, calling people to repent and to believe God’s word. The Gospel also narrates the call of the first four disciples, they heard God’s word through Jesus and they responded and followed, responding to the word of Jesus began the process of their transformation.
Dear children of God, this Sunday is a good time to ask ourselves, what is our attitude and response to God’s Word, whether as proclaimed or as contained in the Holy Bible?
Do we love, cherish, study, seek knowledge, share, believe, and live out the truth of God’s word.
It is very important for all of us to have a positive attitude to God’s word, it is part of the armour of God that a Christian needs in the battle of life, it contains the truth we need to know and believe to overcome the temptations, assaults and schemes of the devil, it contains the promises of God for us and the story of our salvation, there is life-changing power in the word of God (Heb 4:12, 2 Tim 3:16-17; Psalm 119:105).
I wish to recommend this 5Ps approach to God’s word. I call it the access code to repeating bountifully the fruits of the inexhaustible riches of God’s word.
A. Prepare well:
Before coming to Mass, read the readings and reflect on them, let the Holy Spirit begin the conversation even before the readings in the church at Mass. Your first hearing of the day’s reading should not be at Mass.
Also Before studying the Bible, let us ask the Holy Spirit who inspired the writer to teach us the meaning of what we are about to read.
B. Pay attention:
Distraction is one of the tactics of the devil. When you listen to God’s message or you want to study God’s word, intentionally ward off all distractions most especially internally. Distraction deprives us of the full blessings and benefits in hearing or studying God’s word.
C. Personalise the message:
When you hear the word of God or you are reading the Bible, the focus should be on you and not some known persons or unknown biblical figures. Your question should be “what is God saying to me now? God speaks to us still through His word. The Bible is not a historical book of the Israelites, it is not a dead or obsolete letter, it is the living word of God for all God’s children especially you.
D. Ponder further:
It is not enough to hear the word of God or read the Bible and just forget about it. Like the Ethiopian Eunuch who was pondering on God’s word on his way after worship in Jerusalem (Act 8:26-40), let us also treasure and ponder what we have read or heard. Our Mother Mary is a good example of someone who treasured and pondered God’s message in her heart (Luke 2:19).
E. Put to practise:
The essence of God’s word is not just for us to be able to quote it or have it in our head but also for us to have it in our heart and order our lives according to what it teaches. We ought to allow the Word of God to be a light to our path and light to your feet, to teach us how to behave and live. It becomes our code of conduct, our constitution, our handbook of morals and manners.
In these ways, the word of God will fulfill His life-changing purpose in our lives through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Peace be with you.
Sermon preached by Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Baraka- Gukena Okami on January 24, 2021