Reading 1 Ex 32:7-11, 13-14
The LORD said to Moses,
“Go down at once to your people,
whom you brought out of the land of Egypt,
for they have become depraved.
They have soon turned aside from the way I pointed out to them,
making for themselves a molten calf and worshiping it,
sacrificing to it and crying out,
‘This is your God, O Israel,
who brought you out of the land of Egypt!’
“I see how stiff-necked this people are, ” continued the LORD to Moses.
Let me alone, then,
that my wrath may blaze up against them to consume them.
Then I will make of you a great nation.”
But Moses implored the LORD, his God, saying,
“Why, O LORD, should your wrath blaze up against your own people,
whom you brought out of the land of Egypt
with such great power and with so strong a hand?
Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Israel,
and how you swore to them by your own self, saying,
‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky;
and all this land that I promised,
I will give your descendants as their perpetual heritage.'”
So the LORD relented in the punishment
he had threatened to inflict on his people.
Reading 2 1 Tm 1:12-17
Beloved:
I am grateful to him who has strengthened me, Christ Jesus our Lord,
because he considered me trustworthy
in appointing me to the ministry.
I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and arrogant,
but I have been mercifully treated
because I acted out of ignorance in my unbelief.
Indeed, the grace of our Lord has been abundant,
along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
This saying is trustworthy and deserves full acceptance:
Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.
Of these I am the foremost.
But for that reason I was mercifully treated,
so that in me, as the foremost,
Christ Jesus might display all his patience as an example
for those who would come to believe in him for everlasting life.
To the king of ages, incorruptible, invisible, the only God,
honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus,
but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying,
“This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
So to them he addressed this parable.
“What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them
would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert
and go after the lost one until he finds it?
And when he does find it,
he sets it on his shoulders with great joy
and, upon his arrival home,
he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them,
‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’
I tell you, in just the same way
there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents
than over ninety-nine righteous people
who have no need of repentance.
“Or what woman having ten coins and losing one
would not light a lamp and sweep the house,
searching carefully until she finds it?
And when she does find it,
she calls together her friends and neighbors
and says to them,
‘Rejoice with me because I have found the coin that I lost.’
In just the same way, I tell you,
there will be rejoicing among the angels of God
over one sinner who repents.”
Today is the 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time, year C. We have very powerful readings full of wisdom to guide us on our journey of faith.
THE FIRST READING
The first reading of today narrates how the people of Israel became impatient and could no longer wait for God or Moses, they violated the very foundational commandment forbidding idolatry. They made for themselves the image of Hathor – Egyptian goddess of fertility often pictured as a calf.
God was so displeased and He justly threatened to punish them but to spare Moses, Moses interceded on their behalf and God had mercy on them.
In this text, we may think about our own impatience with God, how we find it difficult to wait on God. In this text also, we are able to learn that God’s anger is not unregulated like some of us, God was angry but then He listened calmly to Moses and was pacified by his intercession (Psalm 30:5).
Among other things, let us focus today on the mercy of God. The people of Israel committed the most abominable sin. God was justified to destroy them because He is almighty but He chose to show them mercy.
Recently I saw the movie/comedy, Bruce Almighty. The protagonist named Bruce received a portion of God’s power and started dealing with those whom he is displeased with. I just imagine what many of us will do if we are given a fraction of the power of God for a few hours in a day.
Our God is almighty but contrary to many of us; His delight is not in punishing sinners but in showing mercy (Micah 7:18).
THE SECOND READING
This is the message in the second reading. St Paul recalled his past life as an enemy of Christ. He recalled how he waged war against Christ by persecuting his Church. Paul was the type of person that one will expect that he will be used as charcoal to fuel the embers of hell.
Just thinking out loud, if I have the power of God and there is a Saul in Bletchley persecuting the Church or a Saul disturbing my family, you don’t want to hear what I might want to do to him…
But God chose not to condemn Paul but to redeem him out of mercy.
THE GOSPEL
In the Gospel, Jesus gave three parables (we took the shorter gospel so we have two). He talked about the shepherd who is ready to leave ninety-nine sheep to look for one that is astray and a woman whose sense of economy is debatable by human standard. She lost a drachma, sought for it everywhere and when she found it, in excitement, she threw a party, which must have cost her more than a drachma. Interesting, isn’t it?
THE MESSAGE FOR US TODAY
- God’s mercy forbids anyone to despair of hope
The theme that runs through the reading of today is the depth of God’s mercy. God forgave the people who apostatized, he forgave Paul, and he sought the lost sheep and forgave the prodigal son.
Our sins are never unforgivable. A human person may say he/she will never forgive us but God is never like that.
We must not allow the accuser to deceive us to despair of hope of mercy. We must not allow the accuser to harass us with the feeling of guilt and then ruin our joy (Hebrews 8:12). Three things God expects of us are contrition, confession and satisfaction and He will wipe away every record of our transgressions.
- Every soul is important to God.
This is what Jesus meant by the parable of a shepherd who left ninety-nine sheep to look for one.
It is so amazing for me to know that I am very important to God the Almighty. He is watching me and watching over me. He doesn’t want us to be lost or ever feel unloved. He will do anything to save me again; this for me is a very big deal.
- We are Ambassadors of mercy.
All of us are beneficiaries of God’s mercy and we have a mandate to show and proclaim the message of God’s mercy to others. We are not sent to judge or condemn people as many times we are tempted to do. God doesn’t condemn anyone neither has He commissioned anyone to do so.
Let us embrace the ministry of spreading the message of mercy and encouraging lost and wearied souls to come back to the Father’s loving arms. We cause great rejoicing in the court of heaven each time we are able to lead a wandering soul back to God from the field of sin (2 Cor 5:17-19).
Sermon preached by Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Okami on September 15, 2019