The Year of Jubilee

 

The jubilee year gives us an example of how to create a joyful society.

Reflection on Today’s Readings, Saturday of 17th Week in Ordinary Time, Year I, August 5th, 2023 Texts: Leviticus 25:1.8-17; Psalm 66:2-3,5,7-8 Matthew 14:1-12

Today’s first reading speaks of the year of Jubilee. It was a year of freedom, cancellation of debts, regeneration and restoration. It took place every fifty years. We read, “And you shall hallow the fiftieth year, and claim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants; it shall be a jubilee for you, when each of you shall return to his property and each of you shall return to his family.” The year came with joy and reconciliation. We read, “You shall not wrong one another, but you shall fear your God; for I am the Lord your God.” 

The jubilee year gives us an example of how to create a joyful society. We will have a joyful and peaceful society when everyone gets what belongs to him. Such society must have eliminated greed, lust, envy, etc. Hence, God says, “You shall not covet your neighbour’s house; you shall not covet your neighbour’s wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbour” (Ex. 20:17). God also says, “You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour” (20:15-16). In those words, God asks us to live daily the jubilee year.

Lust, malice, hatred, and the likes make life filthy

The year of jubilee teaches us how to hallow our lives, our days on earth. We hallow our lives by respecting human dignity and rights and upholding the truth. Hollowing our lives also requires that we fear the Lord and avoid doing wrong to one another. We see in today’s gospel reading lives ruled by lust, malice, hatred, ego, manipulation, desires etc. Lust, malice, hatred, and the likes make life filthy. When life is filthy there is no truth, fear of God and respect for sanctity of life of others.  

Prayer  

God our Father, help us to hallow our lives and build a society with fear of You; may we respect human dignity and rights. Amen  

Fr. Andrew Olowomuke