23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B. By Tobe Eze

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B.

FIRST READING
Isaiah 35:4—7a

SECOND READING
James 2:1—5

GOSPEL
Mark 7:31—37

THEME: BE A SOURCE OF JOY NOT SORROW.

There was this lady around her 37-39 years old still unmarried. She was going to chapel and every other prayer gathering. She was in many spiritual organizations. All these she was going did not change her behaviour. Any place she enters, people will know that she has entered not for her good deeds but bad. She has been doing that from her early years till that time.

Another lady in the same range of years. Anywhere she enters, people will know that she is around because she must make everyone there to be happy. She offers selfless services everywhere. She was only in few spiritual organizations. The two got married latter and they extended their different behaviours to their homes. The first continued causing confusion and the latter continued spreading peace and happiness. You, what do you cause? Joy or sorrow? It is not about Christianity, but about what do you do as a Christian. Continue Reading....................

The first reading said, say to the people, and rejoice for the Lord is here to work many miracles in your midst. Be strong, fear not! Here is your God, he comes with vindication; with divine recompense he comes to save you. Then will the eyes of the blind be opened, the ears of the deaf be cleared; then will the lame leap like a stag, then the tongue of the mute will sing. Streams will burst forth in the desert, and rivers in the steppe. The burning sands will become pools, and the thirsty ground, springs of water. This is the good news that the prophet brought to the people and we are expected to continue to do that to people. Many of us are doing the opposite and that is what the second reading has come to correct.

In the second reading, it is talking about treating people equally. It is in this place that we bring too much sorrow on people. Trying to show them where his/her class belong. I went with a priest to a filling station one day. We were carrying Toyota Corolla, we were on queue. The boy selling petrol did not know that the man I was with is a priest. When he saw Lexus 400, he told Fada. Bia this man bupu ihea n' uzo ka ndi bu motor gbaa fuel. Fada turned and looked at me and asked me, is this one not motor? When I was trying to answer him, someone shouted at the side Fada kedu ka imere? That time he said sorry, I didn’t know you are a priest. Fada told him to respect anyone no matter the person’s position in life. Everyone has an equal respect allotted to the person. It is this mockery and others that James is talking about not literally treating the poor and the rich equally. All fingers are not equal.

Jesus as a way of fulfilling the mission started in the first reading cured the man that was deaf and dumb in the gospel. He cured many others their different diseases and that brought joy and happiness to them and many said he has made all things well or good.

Many emotional, psychological, spiritual, moral and so on deaf and dumb are around us, what do we do to them? Do we increase their sorrows or do we cure them of them. You will see someone who is very hungry trying to get what he/she will eat, because you have money, you boycott it and make the person to go empty handed. You will see someone trying to convince people on a point, because you are a good orator, you outshine the person and make the person to go without achieving anything. And many other places we try to show the difference between the rich and the poor. We must learn how to be agents of peace, joy and not sorrow and tranquillity. THANKS AND HAPPY SUNDAY.