11 MAR 2024
MONDAY, FOURTH WEEK OF LENT
Isaiah 65:17-21
Psalm 30
John 4:43-54
The hope for the city of Jerusalem in today’s first reading seems even more appropriate for many cities of today, following all the odds and difficulties that they have been passing through: ‘No more will the sound of weeping or the sound of cries be heard in her; no more will be found the infant living a few days only, or the old man not living to the end of his days.... they shall build and inhabit, they shall plant and harvest’. Here, the prophet is expressing God’s promise, hope and desire for all the cities of the world including our nation Nigeria. But the situation at hand has given many people the reason not to believe in any bright future. It is very unfortunate that life in the various countries of this world can be very hard and different, with the innocent being slaughtered at random everyday, churches being invaded and worshippers slaughtered, daily kidnapping, bad governance and the likes. The list seems endless. But in all these, we still have to be faithful to God.
Recently, I drove into a fuel station to do fuel top-up for my car since the gauge was running almost empty. (no blame me ooo, say I do fuel top-up ooo. These days, you hardly hear car owners tell pump attendants: 'fill the tank.' 😃😃😃. There, at the station, I met a lamenting old taxi man who had not only given up on our country Nigeria, but trying to convince others around to do the same. There I was, like Isaiah, the prophet of hope in today's first Reading, trying to give him and others hope of a better tomorrow, a better Nigeria. All the taximan could reply was this question: "Oga when? When Nigeria go better?" Even the pump attendant, passengers, and others around joined him to ask me; "Oga when?" as if they had an emergency meeting with the sole agenda to attack me with the question. In my mind, I asked myself "Fr. CharlesLwanga, who send you? Why you no just mind your business, buy your small fuel and go your way?" But I stood firm and all I could find myself answering them was; "Just be prayerful and faithful, it will happen soon, nothing weh God no fit do?"
"Oga When?" they chorused. I just couldn't wait to leave that fuel station. 😆😃😆😃. This probably would have been the mindset of the people of Israel as they came back from captivity and exile. All they saw was the remains of the ruins, their once beautiful city destroyed, including their great temple which they had been so proud of. Maybe some of them had laughed at the prophecy of Isaiah asking "Man of God when?" We can feel so helpless in the face of bad governance, hard and biting economy, we can feel helpless before the destructive urge that can drive those in positions of power. Some even kill to attain those positions, some kill others to maintain those positions of power. Yet, we all have to be faithful to God's word and be hopeful, knowing that we have the capacity to change our mourning into dancing, in the consoling words of today’s responsorial psalm. We may not be able to do so much, but we can do something good in our own small corners to change the narrative. We can start by changing ourselves. God wants to work through each one of us to help create new heavens and a new earth, in the words of the first reading.
In today’s gospel reading, Jesus brought new life to a court official’s son who was at the point of death, bringing hope where there was despair, and joy where there was sadness. The Lord wants to work in this same life-giving way through each one of us today. All He needs from us is the same kind of faith and trusting relationship with him that the court official showed in today’s gospel reading. When Jesus said to him, ‘Go home, your son will live’, the court official believed and trusted Jesus’ word, before seeing any evidence of his son’s recovery. Our own trusting faith in the Lord’s life-giving word and presence will allow him to continue working through us to bring something of the kingdom of God to earth. Jesus addresses the royal official as a representative of the Galileans who will not believe unless they see signs and wonders. Jesus was not impressed by a faith that was based on signs and wonders. Instead he looked for a faith that was based on his word, a faith that took him at his word and responded to that word. This was the faith that the royal official went on to display. The gospel reading says, ‘the man believed what Jesus had said and started on his way’. Because he believed the word that Jesus spoke, his request to Jesus was not only heard, but also granted, his son was cured at the very moment of Jesus' spoken word. From the gospel reading, we see that while our faith is not and should not be based on signs and wonders, yet if we entrust ourselves to the Lord’s word and live our lives according to his word, then we will see these signs and wonders as results. The Lord’s word will work powerfully in and through our lives.
There are two signs at Cana in John’s gospel. This morning’s gospel reading is the second and less well known of the two, the first being Jesus’ changing of water into wine at the wedding feast. In the first Cana scene, the mother of Jesus showed great trust in Jesus’ word and what he could do, this is why she told the servants; ‘Do whatever he tells you’. In this second Cana scene, the royal official also showed great trust in Jesus’ word when Jesus said to him, ‘Go home, your son will live’. The man believed what Jesus had said and started on his way home. He did what Jesus told him, he went home, trusting Jesus’ promise that his son would live. The royal official believed and trusted Jesus’ word. If we take the Lord at his word, if we surrender to the Lord’s word of call and promise, we too, like the royal official, will come to see signs and wonders. Having taken the Lord at his word, we will see the Lord at work in a life-giving way, in our own lives and in the lives of others.
In the words of the first reading, this morning, the Lord will create new heavens and new earth through us. Those who entrust themselves to the word of God will experience the Lord’s creative and life-giving power at work within them. We pray that we should believe in God's promises and prophecies in our lives and, like the royal official, we will faithfully go on our way in response to the Lord’s unfailing word. Amen.
-PadreCharlesLwanga.
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