Reflection on Today's Readings, the Memorial of blessed Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi, Thursday of 2nd Week in Ordinary Time, Year 11, January 20th, 2022
Texts: Philippians 2:1-11; Psalm Isaiah 12:2-6; Matthew 13:44-46
Today is the Memorial of blessed Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi, a saint who hailed from Nigeria. The readings for the memorial are chosen for our reflection on his life. With first reading, we could liken him to a man who has the mind of Jesus Christ. St. Paul, in the reading, sheds light on the mind of Christ. The mind of Christ is that of perfect submission of will to God in all circumstances. By taking the form of man He had humbled Himself and sacrificed a lot. Having taken human form, He also humbled Himself further by surrendering to death. St. Paul puts it thus: "Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross." Before His existence as man, He submitted to His Father's will, so also in His existence as man. To live as man He had to relinquish that glorious state in which man cannot behold Him, He had to relinquish His omnipresence and His almighty power. He had to hide His glory in human form and set aside the greatness of His power. One who needs no help had to beg for help. Taking human form was to debase Himself. Finding Himself in a such debased condition, He still chose God's will to die for us. He was not just to die but to be accused, rejected, and condemned to a shameful and excruciating death on the Cross.
When St. Paul says we should have the mind of Jesus Christ, he encourages us to choose doing the will of God no matter the condition we find ourselves. Am I rich? I should always submit to God's will. Am I poor? It does not matter; I should surrender to God's will. In good health or poor health, I'm to surrender to God's will. The life we live as Christians does not reflect the mind of Jesus Christ. We are not often pleased with our condition. Thieves claim they steal because of poverty. Bandits claim they kidnap because of poverty. We claim we collect bribe because of poor salary, we claim we siphon public fund because of poor salary, etc. We are all guilty in one way or the other; I use my condition as an excuse for not doing the will of God and also you too. This is all because we all refuse to empty ourselves, we want exalted state. We do not take the advise of St. Paul: "Do nothing from selfishness or conceit, but in humility count others better than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others." Jesus Christ is different from us because He did not reject a lowly state, He was able to do the will of God; He was able to take His condition as an opportunity to do the will of God. In our own case we act as if the only option our condition offers us is to abandon the will of God. This is not true; there is no condition that does not present the opportunity to do the will of God. In whatever condition, doing the will of God should be our priority.
Jesus Christ did not remain in the lowly state forever; His submission to the will of God exalted Him. Hence, St. Paul continues: "Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Just like Jesus Christ, what will exalt us is our submission to the will of God. It is submission to the will of God that will exalt us and turn around our condition. This also reminds us that banditry, terrorism, kidnapping, robbery, cyber crimes, etc are not the ways to go to exalt our nation. It is submission to the will of God that we exalt our nation. The wise says, "Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people" (Prov. 14:34).
Jesus Christ, in today's gospel reading, reminds that the kingdom of heaven is something of value, hidden from people. It is made known to those whose way lead to it. Those whose way lead to it are those who have the mind of Christ. Jesus explains this in a parable thus: "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” Blessed Cyprian Michael Tansi had the mind of Jesus Christ and he found heaven. When he found it, he bought it with his whole life.
Jesus Christ also teaches us that, though the kingdom of heaven is hidden, it searches for us as merchant searches for pearls. Just as the kingdom of heaven is of great value so also we are of great value. I am of great value to God, so also you are of great value to Him. The deliberate search of the merchant reveals to us that the kingdom of heaven is made for us. Jesus says, "Then the king will say to those at his right hand, 'Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world ...'" (Mtt. 25:34). The kingdom of heaven is made for us; God and all the saints search for us as the merchant searches for pearls. This is clear in the parable: "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.” We are bought with the blood of Jesus Christ. St. Paul says, "You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of human masters. In whatever condition you were called, brothers and sisters, there remain with God" (1Cor. 7:23-24).
God our Father, help us to submit Your will and not to use our condition as excuse for not doing Your will; help us to do Your will, no matter the condition. Amen.
Fr. Andrew Olowomuke
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