Reflection on Today's Readings, Tuesday, 33rd Week in Ordinary Year II and the Memorial of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, November 17th, 2020
Texts: Rev. 3:1-6.14-22; Ps.15:2-5; Luke 19:1-10
We are called today to bear witness to our faith as we await our Lord. Zacchaeus is a good example; immediately he received the faith, he moved into action to bear witness to the faith. He says, "Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have defrauded any one of anything, I restore it fourfold." What he did shows his understanding of God: a generous God. Zacchaeus encountered a generous God and displayed it in his actions. Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, whose memorial is today, bore witness to God who is love and holy. It is said of her thus: "From that time onwards Elizabeth's holiness began to come to it's full flower. All her life she had been the comfort of the poor: now she became the helper of the starving. Outside one of her castles she built a hospice and gathered in it sick, diseased and crippled men and women. Besides, anyone who came asking for alms received unstinted gifts from her charity" (the memorial's office of the reading).
We are to bear witness to the truths of our faith, that is, what God has revealed to us through Jesus Christ. In today's first reading, Jesus Christ reaffirms the revelation of himself differently to each of the two churches. While addressing the church of Sardis, he says, "The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars." The Number seven depicts perfection. Hence, that he has the seven spirits of God means he has the fullness of God's Spirit. The seven stars means the fullness of the Church (Rev. 1:20) and so, that he has the seven stars means he has the fullness of the Church in his hand. The people of Sardis had no spirit of God in them and that was why they were dead; their life did not bear witness to the fullness of God's Spirit in Jesus Christ. They worshipped God but not in the spirit. Such people are still among us today; they are religious but morally loosed. They attend every religious activity but righteousness and justice are far from them; they sacrifice righteousness, justice and truth on the altar of riches, fame and power. Charity is far from them; they showed charity only if there is something to gain. They have the reputation for being alive but dead, for they have no Spirit of God in them. They have no Spirit of God in them because they have separated themselves from Jesus Christ who has the fullness of the Spirit. Let us be close to Jesus Christ that we may be filled with God's Spirit. Jesus Christ says, "Remember then what you received and heard; keep that, and repent. If you will not wake, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come upon you."
We also have something to learn from the church of Sardis: all of us cannot be bad; some will still be good, no matter the situation. It is said thus: "Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments." Let us stop outright condemnation of any group. Not all politicians are corrupt, not all Christians are unfaithful.
In addressing the church of Laodicea, Jesus Christ says, "The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation." Amen is a word used to affirm the truth; it means 'it is so' or 'it is true'. He is 'the Amen' because he is the truth of God (John 14:6) and its affirmation. He is the faithful and true witness because he did not mind sacrificing his life for the truth. He is the beginning of God's creation because all things, visible and invisible, were made through him, and exist in him (John 1:3; 1Cor. 8:6; Col. 1:16). The church of Laodicea did not bear witness to the truths of faith that he is the truth of God and its affirmation, the faithful and true witness, and the beginning of God's creation. This is because they were neither cold nor hot, neither here nor there. We are like them when we are indifferent or easily compromise the faith, when we only live the faith when things are fine and abandon it when trial comes. We should hold on to our faith in and out of season. We need to bear witness to the truth till dead like Jesus Christ; there should be no time out, even at the expense of our lives.
The truths of our faith are meant to be lived, not just to be recited. We recite them so that we might not forget to live them. The truths of our faith have no meaning if they do not become life. We are reminded once again, today, to bear witness to our faith. When we bear witness to our faith, its splendour comes out and Jesus Christ shines forth in us.
Lord Jesus, we pray you to instill in us the zeal to live the truths of our faith and thereby bearing witness to our faith in you.
Rev. Fr. Andrew Olowomuke
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