Reflection on Today's Readings, Thursday of 4th Week of Easter, Year B, April 29th, 2021
Texts: Acts 13:13-25; Ps. 89:2-3.21-22.25.27; John 13:16-20
We need to give honour to whom honour is due. Jesus Christ reminds us, today, that the master and he who sent deserve obedience. Servants are required to obey their masters as much as he who is sent needs to obey the person who sent. Servants must recognise that their work is to serve their master; he who is sent must recognise that the will of him who sent must prevail. Servants live to serve their masters and messenger live to relay the will of him who sent. We have to be faithful to the master and he who sent. Only those who are faithful to the master will be happy. Hence, He says, "If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them." Jesus condemn unfaithfulness to the master when He says "I am not speaking of you all; I know whom I have chosen; it is that the Scripture may be fulfilled, ‘He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.'" Jesus Christ is the master we have to be faithful to. As children of God, we are to be faithful and obedient to His will.
Today's first reading tells us about the missionary journey of St. Paul. St. Paul and his companion are moving from town to town, from city to city to preach the Goodnews. St. Paul challenges us to fill the world with the spirit of Christ. We do not need to travel like St. Paul to fill the world with the spirit of Christ. What we need to do is to take Christ with us wherever we go. In our places of work, let us make Christ known; in the market, let us make Him known; in our homes let us make Him known. Some of us think it is only in the Church we have to behave responsibly and be modest. We have to act responsibly and be modest in our places of work, in our homes, in the market, in the street and everywhere. It is when we act responsibly and be modest everywhere that we make Christ known everywhere.
St. Paul, in his exhortation, tells us about the involvement of God in the life of the people of Israel. Since the time that God has chosen them, He has been showing them His love and mercy. This reveals the faithfulness of God; God has always been faithful to His covenant with His people. He saved the people from slavery in Egypt, He put up with them for forty years in the wilderness; He bestowed on them the land of other nations. God is also involved in the life of each of us. He is working out our salvation. We also need to commit ourselves to the cause of our salvation. It is by committing ourselves to the cause of salvation that we make our own the salvation God has already worked for us.
St. Paul, in the exhortation, shows that God has been guiding the people of Israel towards the days of Jesus. This means the journey of God with the people is a purposeful one: the journey of hope. The journey of God with each of us is towards a destination, which is heaven. God is guiding us to heaven. In whatever we do our hearts should be raised to heaven, we should not forget heaven. We should live on this earth to gain heaven; heaven is our goal.
The journey with God is a journey unto salvation: the salvation of souls and bodies. The master in the journey of salvation is Christ. We are to keep to His instructions in the journey if we are to reach our destination, which is the salvation of souls and bodies. We have to follow the light of Christ to be saved.
Lord our God, we thank you for your faithfulness and love, help us to keep your words as we are journeying to heaven. Amen.
Fr. Andrew Olowomuke
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