The Joy of New Life in God

Reflection on Today's Readings, 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time A, 28th June, 2020 Texts: 2Kgs. 4:8-11.14-16a; Ps. 89:2-3.16-19; Rm. 6:3-4.8-11; Mtt. 10:37-42 Christian life is an experience of turnabout, where one stops a way of life and embrace a new one. Putting an end to a way of life is what St. Paul called dying with Christ and the new way of life he called a life lived to God. As christians there should be something new in us, something seems to be odd to the standard of the world. If we have not started to experience newness in us, then we have to start working on ourselves.
The new life has God as its goal; it is a freedom from worldly attractions. It is a life that one lives to stay away from whatever that can remove his gaze from God. Hence, Jesus Christ, in the gospel, says, "He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and he who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake will find it". This new life is all about living for God, not even for oneself or parents or siblings.
The woman of Shunem recognised in prophet Elisha the new life and she called him holy man of God, not just man of God. Having realized this newness in Elisha, she took further step to make accommodation for him. Some people have won favour from God and man because of being upright in their dealings with others. Some people have also fallen out of favour from God and their helpers because of their being crafty. We are to learn from today's readings that whatever we do for God's sake has a reward. Whatever kindness we show to a righteous man, a prophet and a disciple is because of God we have seen in them; our kindness to them is directed to God. In other words, we serve God in them. Such kindness attract favour from God. Jesus, in the gospel, says, "He who receives a prophet because he is a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward, and he who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward".
The gift of a righteous man and a prophet is the presence of God. We encounter God in them and God comes to meet us at the point of our needs through them. The woman of Shunem took care of a prophet and the thorn in her life was removed; a barren woman became a mother.

 Lord our God, help us to preserve the new life you have bestowed upon us at baptism. Amen.

 Fr. Andrew Olowomuke