HOMILY FOR THIRTIETH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR A. 25.10.2020.

Two Dimenssion of Love

Readings: Exodus 22:21-27; Psalm 18; 1Thess 1:5-10; and Matthew 22:34-40. 

CAN WE RELATE WITH GOD WITHOUT RELATING WITH OUR NEIGHBOUR? 

 

Today’s liturgy reminds us of the great theological virtue, which is love. All the laws and prophets has love as it’s foundation, which is explicit in the readings. This virtue of love is better expressed from two dimension: our relationship with God and with man (human). What defines our relationship with God is how we relate with our neighbour. Is our relationship with neighbour surrounded with hatred, bitterness, anger, violence and other forms of vices or is it with love, peace and unity?

 

In building human relationship, the first reading presents to us the love for stranger; love for the weak and vulnerable; and love for the poor. God warns us through His servant Moses saying, “You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him… you shall not afflict any widow or orphan… if they cry to me, I will surely hear their cry…” The lesson here is clear, through Moses God calls us to treat others justly and with love. He expresses his dislike on oppression and injustice against the poor, the weak and the defenseless. Anyone who harms these ones is staging a battle against God.

 

It is quite unfortunate that many of us that are being oppressed today are not oppressed by foreigners but by our fellow citizens. We have become strangers in our own land. This is what our government has turned us into. The reading warns everyone involved in all forms of injustice or oppression of strangers, either by act of tribalism, nepotism or by religious ideology to desist from it. These vices brings division and tears the people apart. These vices are practically what has led Nigerians to the #endsars protest to combat bad governance and seek for justice for the poor and oppressed. If Nigerians in some foreign lands are treated with respect, love, justice and equity, much more is expected of us on how we treat ourselves in our motherland. We are not to be treated as ‘nobody,’ nor should our voices not be heard. This has led to the present slogan “Sòrò sókè.” When we cry out for justice, our government and those in authority seems to oppress us the more and making every move to silence the voice of the oppressed. They have taken our garments, which is our only covering and is not enough for them, now they are taking our lives through the armed forces and hoodlums. It’s a matter of time, justice shall prevail as we continue in our cries to God for help.

 

The greatest commandment

We hear in the Gospel, how Christ silenced the Pharisees and Sadducees who are fond of oppressing the poor with the law of Moses, “They are experts of religious law that load people with burdens hard to bear, and would not touch the burden with their fingers” (Lk 11:46). Now they came to Jesus and one of them asked a question to test him, “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law?” In response, Christ used the image of the cross to communicate the greatest commandment of the law, which is love. In what sense? He gave us the vertical dimension of the cross (above to below or vice-versa), which is the lovely relationship that exist between man and God. He said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind.” Put differently, to love God with our whole being.

 

Again, he gave horizontal dimension of the cross, the lovely relationship that exist between man and man. He said, “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” Practically, this appear to be the most challenging of these commandments. It is easier for us to claim we love God. We can be so religious and prayerful as regards our relationship with God, but our relationship with family members and friends is nothing to write home about. What about our relationship with other tribes, ethnic groups and other religion? 1Jn 4:20 tells us: “Anyone who claims to love God and hates his neighbour is a liar; for whoever does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.” Invariably, to have the image of the cross, we need the vertical and the horizontal dimension of the law. This is to say, the love of God is fully expressed in the love of neighbour, it is better expressed in the lives of the oppressed, widows, orphans and the defenseless.

 

However, while Moses summed the 613 commandment to 10, Christ summed the 10 commandments to 2, that is, Love of God and love of neighbour, fully expressed in the sacrifice on cross. Invariably, love demands sacrifice. On these two dimension of love, depends the law and the prophets. These dimensions of love is explicit in the second reading, St. Paul reminding the Thessalonians  of how the love of God liberated them through the power of the good news and how their love for each other made them turned to God by accepting the good news that was preached to them.

 

Dear friends in Christ, it is worthy of note how the Nigerian youth expressed love and unity during the first twelve days of the #endsars protest. A plausible one on how we supported one another, not minding religion, tribe, culture and others things that seems to divides us. Not until the enemies came in violent ways and we retrieved our steps because we are not violent people. It is NOT a lost battle for us, it is a step forward and if we stand in love and unity we shall achieve the Nigeria of our dream. Other possible way forward is to get our Permanents Voter’s Card (PVC) and put our nation in order. Politics is not for some persons, we all are involved either actively or passively. God bless you all!

 

Happy Sunday!

Fr. Ken Dogbo, OSJ