Year A
Ephesians 4:32-5:8
Psalm 1:1-2.3.4 and 6 (R. see Eph 5:1)
Luke 13:10-17
WALK IN LOVE
In the Second Apology, Justin Martyr comparing the greatest philosopher Socrates to Jesus Christ, talked about the fact that Jesus was and is the Word who is in every man, and who foretold the things that were to come to pass both through the prophets and in His own person when He was made of like passions, and taught the things he is talking about in the Apology.
Justin Martyr : The Second Apology
Chapter X.—Christ compared with Socrates.
"Our doctrines, then, appear to be greater than all human teaching; because Christ, who appeared for our sakes, became the whole rational being, both body, and reason, and soul. For whatever either lawgivers or philosophers uttered well, they elaborated by finding and contemplating some part of the Word. But since they did not know the whole of the Word, which is Christ, they often contradicted themselves. And those who by human birth were more ancient than Christ, when they attempted to consider and prove things by reason, were brought before the tribunals as impious persons and busybodies. And Socrates, who was more zealous in this direction than all of them, was accused of the very same crimes as ourselves. For they said that he was introducing new divinities, and did not consider those to be gods whom the state recognised. But he cast out from the state both Homer and the rest of the poets, and taught men to reject the wicked demons and those who did the things which the poets related; and he exhorted them to become acquainted with the God who was to them unknown, by means of the investigation of reason, saying, 'That it is neither easy to find the Father and Maker of all, nor, having found Him, is it safe to declare Him to all.' But these things our Christ did through His own power. For no one trusted in Socrates so as to die for this doctrine, but in Christ, who was partially known even by Socrates (for He was and is the Word who is in every man, and who foretold the things that were to come to pass both through the prophets and in His own person when He was made of like passions, and taught these things), not only philosophers and scholars believed, but also artisans and people entirely uneducated, despising both glory, and fear, and death; since He is a power of the ineffable Father, not the mere instrument of human reason."
So accordingly, Jesus Christ as the Word of God has always been with humans from the beginning and is with us always (cf.Matthew 28:20). With this, today we reflect on the fact that we are capable of Love.
Since God the Son is God, and God is Love, it means Jesus Christ is also Love. Clearly as the Word of God the light that he gives to the world is Love.
John 1:9-10
"The Word was the real light that gives light to everyone; he was coming into the world. He was in the world that had come into being through him, and the world did not recognise him."
The problem is that we fail to recognize the situations where Love is needed in order to show Love, and we end up living a life of strict boundaries leading to the building of walls between individuals. This is the bondage we put ourselves in.
St.Paul in the first reading entreat us to walk in love as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. The fragrant offering reminds me of my reflection on the 28TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, Titled Feast of Fat things. But let us concentrate on the fact that this implies that Love is a sacrifice and to love God mean to surrender yourself to God and avoid immorality and all impurities and live according to the will of God.
Jesus in the gospel makes us aware that most of the times we fail to recognize the situations in which we must love or show love to others. This situations he points at today was a woman who was bent over and could not fully straighten herself.
Alot of people are bent over and cannot be straighten without the help of others. Jesus healed the woman who was bent over. In our world, those who are bent over are clawing infants and the old men and women with walking sticks. The weakest people can be truly liberated when we enter their situation and show the Love. Let us walk in Love.
By Sylvester Amakye-Quayson
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