Being United with Christ

 Reflection on Today's Readings, Saturday, 23th Week in Ordinary Time Year II, September 12th, 2020

Texts: 1Cor. 10:14-22; Ps. 116:12-13.17-18; Luke 6:43-49

The building block of the world one lives in is thought; we are reflections of our thoughts. Jesus affirms it today when he says, "No good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit. ..... The good man out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil man out of his evil treasure produces evil". We are what we are because of our thoughts. 

Jesus Christ reminds us that lip service without action is the fruit of a deceptive heart. He says, Why do you call me 'Lord,' Lord, and not do what I tell you?" Many a time our ways of life betray what we affirm or acknowledge about God. Acknowledging Jesus Christ as Lord means we owe him our obedience: obedience to his words, obedience to his command and instructions. It will be a lip service and a mockery to acknowledge him as Lord and still defile his commands, instructions ordinances, laws etc. If he is our Lord we will keep his words. Jesus reminds us that those who pay lip service shall not stand in the day of trouble. This is because their life is not built on Christ, the rock. They build their life on shallow ground, that is, on evil, while they show association with Christ through lip service. Life is built on Christ by its ways, that is, the way the life is lived. By the way life is lived it attains union with Christ, the rock. When we hear the words of God and do them, we build our lives on Christ, the rock, and we are united with him. He says, "Every one who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep, and laid the foundation upon rock; when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house, and could not shake it, because it has been well built". It is by living the words that we are well built.

St. Paul, in the first reading, tells us another way in which we are united with Christ: We are united with Christ by our participation in the Holy Eucharist. Our participation is not just in reception of the holy communion but living what it means: charity. The participation is about becoming what it proclaims: Passion, death and resurrection. We are to suffer with him to share his glory, die with Christ to live with him.

Lord our God, fill us with zeal and eagerness to live out your words in our lives. Amen.

Fr. Andrew Olowomuke