The Challenge from our Predecessors

 Reflection on Today's Readings, 29th Monday of 28th Week in Ordinary Time, Year 1, October 11th, 2021
Texts: Rom. 1:1-7; Ps. 98:1.2-4; Luke 11:29-32
Our generation has a lot of questions to answer. In spite of all the advantages we have over the generation before us, we are not better but worse. Jesus says to us thus: "This generation is an evil generation; ... The queen of the South will arise at the judgement with the men of this generation and condemn them; for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. The men of Nineveh will arise at the judgement with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here." We have at our disposal almost all we need and yet we are not making progress. It seems the more opportunities we have the more we become worse. In those days when transportation was not easy, St. Paul and other apostles moved from one place to another to spread the gospel. At the time when sending letters was not easy, St. Paul sent letters to churches. The letters he wrote then are now part of Scripture. Now that we have great improvement in transportation and in communication and information, what do we do? Are we able to convert more people like St. Paul. At judgment day, will St. Paul and other disciples not stand to condemn us?
Our problem is obsession with signs; people are seeking miracle. Men of God too want to perform miracle. Some have gone to obtain occultic power because they want to perform miracle.
St. Paul, in today's first reading, reminds us of the content of our gospel: Jesus Christ is both the Son of God and man; He is our God and brother. As man He is our brother and as the Son of God He is our God. This means our God is close to us in Jesus Christ. In Jesus Christ we have our God as our brother. St. Paul also reminds us that we are all called to obedience of faith.  He says, "we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, including yourselves who are called to belong to Jesus Christ".  We are called through the gospel to surrender and obey the commands of our faith. We also have the responsibility like St. Paul to call people to obedience of faith. Let us use every opportunity we have to spread the gospel everywhere.

Almighty God, help your people to recognise the opportunities we have in you and give us the grace use them. Amen.

Fr. Andrew Olowomuke