Seeking the Glorification of God's Name

 

Reflection on Today's Readings, Monday of 2nd Week of Easter, April  12th, 2021
Texts: ACTS 4:23-31; Ps. 2:1-3. 4-6.7-9;  John 3 :1-8
Today's first reading teaches us how to respond to life-challenges. The early Christians responded to the challenges confronting them by praying to God. They did not pray God to take the challenge away but that may they be emboldened to bear witness to Christ. They pray thus: "And now, Lord, look upon their threats, and grant to your servants to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your Holy servant Jesus.” This reminds us that problem may not go but God gives us strength to put up with them. There are some challenges that God has allowed to confront us for His own purpose. Such challenges do not go away, no matter how much we pray for their end. Such challenges strengthen faith and purify soul.
Another point that they prayed for is the glorification of the name of Christ. They prayed God to stretch out His hand to heal, and signs and wonders to be performed through the name of Jesus. When we pray, we should always put in mind the glorification of the name of God. Most of the time we make our problem the centre of our prayer; the glorification of the name of Jesus should rather be the focus of our prayer. If the problem will glorify God by remaining in my life, so be it. One thing is sure: God hears prayer. Another thing is that God will never allow what will not glorify His name to happen to us. If it is the glory of God that we seek, we will not be discouraged when a problem remains in our lives, in spite of praying for its end.
The gospel reading continues the theme in the first reading by telling us the kind of people who seek the glorification of the name of Jesus in their lives; they are those who have been born anew, those who are born of  God. What marks us out as being born anew or born of God is the seeking of the glorification of God's name in our lives.
Jesus Christ teaches that the new birth is by faith; we are born anew by faith in Jesus Christ. The birth is the function of faith. Faith is the assurance of that which we do not see and the belief that what we see is the manifestation of what we do not see (Heb. 11:1-3). Hence, Jesus Christ says, "The wind blows where it wills, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with  every one who is born  of the   Spirit.” How we are born anew remains a mystery to us, but it manifests in our new ways of life, the ways of life of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ lived to glorify the name of God in His life. He says, "Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that your Son may glorify you" (John 17:1). Our being born anew manifests in seeking the glorification of the name of Jesus Christ in our lives.
The gospel reading also reminds us that God will not believe His own without means of consolation. Nicodemus is a consolation to our Lord Jesus Christ; his coming to Him show that everyone cannot be evil or be blind the presence of God in His life. For us, it is a sign that everyone cannot be blind to the presence of God in the world: in spite of all the evil in this world, God is still present. For us in our nation, it is a consolation that there are still some of our politicians who still seek to do the will of God. However, politicians like Nicodemus are very difficult to fish out because they do not show their true self in the day but in the night.

Lord our God, grant that we may always seek the glorification of Your name in our lives and may we always enjoy Your favour in our lives. Amen.

Fr. Andrew Olowomuke