Saving the Words

 Reflection on Today's Readings, Tuesday, 32nd Week in Ordinary Time Year II, and the Memorial of St. Leo the Great, November 10th, 2020

Texts: Titus 2:1-8.11-14; Ps. 37: 3-4.18.23.27.29; Luke 17:7-10

We are to save the words of God. If we do not save them, their truth will be obscured. If we do not save them, we leave them open for attacks and causing them to fall into disrepute. We save the words by keeping them, that is, by living them. When our lives reflect the words, then we save them from falling into disrepute.

St. Paul, in today's first reading, urged Titus to instruct the faithful to live in accord with the words so that the words might not be discredited. By what St. Paul urged Titus to teach, we come to know what our lives should be if we truly keep the words. St. Paul says, "Bid the older men be temperate, serious, sensible, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. Bid the older women likewise to be reverent in behaviour, not to be slanders or slaves to drink; they are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be sensible, chaste, domestic, kind, and submissive to their husbands, that the word of God may not be discredited. Likewise urge the younger men to control themselves."

St. Paul also urged Titus to live exemplary life. He says, "Show yourself in all respect a model of good deeds, and in your teaching show integrity, gravity, and sound speech that cannot be censured, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say of us."

God has saved us that we might save the Word. He saved us from sin and delivered us from the kingdom of darkness that we might be the light revealing the truth of his words. When we keep the words, our lives will reveal the truth that God's words save, regenerate and bestow the life of God on humanity.

We are to save the message we preach, for it is our identity, that is what we are. We do not thank dog for barking neither do we reward goat for bleating; it is in their nature to do so. It takes them nothing to do so. Whatever good deed we do, it is by God's grace we do it, not by our power. Hence, in today's gospel reading, Jesus Christ says, "So you also, when you have done all that is commanded you, say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.' It is in our nature to save the words. Saving the words is what makes our identity. The more we are committed to saving the words, the more we grow in maturity proportioned to the manhood of Christ.

St. Leo the Great, whose Memorial is today, is one of the three popes who have the title, 'the Great' attached to their names. He developed the doctrine of the universal solicitude of the Pope over the Church and he showed it in his papacy. He combatted heresies such as Manicheism, Arianism, Pelagianism, Monophysitism etc. He is remembered for condemning monophysitism, the belief that Jesus Christ has only one nature. St. Leo taught that Jesus Christ has two natures: divine and human natures. He taught the faith and saved it from falling into disrepute.

Lord our God, we are sorry for the number of times we have put the words in disrepute, help us with your grace to always keep your words. Amen.

Rev. Fr. Andrew Olowomuke