TWENTY-FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

 

READINGS AT MASS TODAY

Isaiah 55:6-9

Psalm 145

Phil. 1:20-24, 27

Matt. 20:1-16

Theme: THE LAST LABOURER

Dear friends in Christ, N'wokafu YESU KRISTO...

The landowner went out at the eleventh hour, when it was left with only one hour to the close of day's work, and surprisingly hired new labourers!

Everything about this move of the landowner was strange and unheard of in Jewish tradition. The Jewish day is supposed to close at the twelveth hour, which is 6pm, after which no one is expected to work, plus one has to work for a stipulated amount of hours to deserve a daily wage. Thus, hiring labourers at the eleventh hour was unacceptable.

'Eleventh Hour Labourers' do not deserve to be employed. They came too late and did not do much, and so do not deserve anything, yet the landowner employed them. He did not only employ them, he also paid them the same amount as those deserving of a daily wage.

Beloved, God's generosity towards us, especially those who are undeserving according to the calculations of men, is inexplicable. It goes beyond human principles, defies the human concept of justice, and does not concern itself with what others think. Indeed, His thoughts are far beyond our thoughts, and his ways are not ours.

Thanks be to God that it is He, rather than mortal men, who pays us.

PRAYER

Lord, thank you for the generous ways in which you pay us. Amen.

May God bless you. 

-Rev. Fr. Kenneth Debre

Sunday, September 24, 2023.

Holy Rosary Parish, Hohoe.

TWENTY-FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

READINGS AT MASS TODAY

Sirach 27:30-28:7

Psalm 103

Rom. 14:7-9

Matt. 18:21-35

Theme: FORGIVENESS

Dear friends in Christ, N'wokafu YESU KRISTO...

Forgiveness is a complex concept. To be honest, it is a very difficult thing to talk about and even more difficult to do. There is pressure on us from all sides to forgive the hurt we carry in our hearts. Everyone including Those around us expects us to forgive. There are over 62 passages in the Bible that talk about forgiveness and not even a single one on how to forgive. 

Anyone who has ever been hurt before will understand how difficult and impractical the concept of forgiveness is. In the face of real injury and pain, many of us become weak and too helpless to handle the concept of forgiveness. The question of how we forgive and How many times we endure this unpleasant scenario comes into play.

Peter's question to Jesus in today's Gospel is our question too. Just like every painful experience, we desire to put a limit on forgiving those who consistently hurt us. Jesus, however, debunks the notion of limits to establish forgiveness as an attitude rather than a religious practice. 

We must develop an attitude of forgiveness. The attitude of forgiveness is very crucial for every Christian. The point is that, as long as we live people will continue to offend us. We will, one way or another be hurt by the action of those around us. Until forgiveness becomes a habit, an attitude something we do over and over without even thinking about it and its cost, we cannot be worthy of God's favorable glance.

PRAYER

Lord God, teach me to develop an attitude of forgiveness. May I be able to forgive all the hurt that has rubbed me off my happiness. Amen. 

May God bless you.

-Rev. Fr. Kenneth Debre

Sunday, September 17, 2023.

Holy Rosary Parish, Hohoe.

TWENTY-THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

READINGS AT MASS TODAY

Ezekiel 33:7-9

Psalm 95

Rom. 13:8-10

Matt. 18:15-20

Theme: THE WATCHMAN

Dear friends in Christ, N'wokafu YESU KRISTO...

Stationed on the city wall of the town, the watchmen of ancient Israel were accessible not only to the events of the fields outside the city walls but also to some dark secret within the city walls. He observes the daily lives of the people from his vantage point. He sees their activities in the streets at night and closely observes their work, habits, and lifestyle. 

For this reason, the watchman must take an oath of secrecy not to speak of his observations within the city. He is free to advise or warn persons involved in any immoral actions but not talk about it to anyone apart from those involved. The implication is that speaking about such secrets to outsiders will be damaging. Seeing your brother's sin is therefore a burden and not a privilege.

In the Gospel text for today, Jesus proposed the first step of a reconciliation process to be the one devoid of an outsider. For Jesus, this is the best and the most appropriate step in dealing with issues of understanding. It is only after exhausting this step that the involvement of an outsider, a third person, must be considered.

As spiritual watchmen like Ezekiel, the prophet, we are also tasked with the task of watching out for each other and keeping the issues and failings of our brothers as private as possible. It is wrong to discuss the so-called perceived sins of our brothers with others without first running it by them. We are called to correct each other with brotherly love and not publish sins.

PRAYER

Lord God, make us watchmen who watch and warn in love. Amen. 

May God bless you.

-Rev. Fr. Kenneth Debre 

Sunday, September 10, 2023

Holy Rosary Parish, Hohoe.

TWENTY-SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

 

READINGS AT MASS TODAY

Jer. 20:7-9

Psalm 63

Rom. 12:1-2

Matt. 16:21-27

Theme: SATAN'S TACTICS

Dear friends in Christ, N'wokafu YESU KRISTO...

There is a saying that the devil has no new tricks (tactics) yet he still gets people entangled in his web. On 13 April 1534, Sir Thomas More (a Councillor to Henry VIII, Lord High Chancellor of England, and a Saint), after being badgered and persecuted for years found himself in the ultimate decision-making point where he must declare his loyalty to King Henry VIII or be beheaded. In the course of this great confusion, Thomas' foster daughter, Margaret, asked him why he would not just take the oath and believe something else. Thomas would have none of that and so was beheaded. Then, and even today, the young woman's question may sound the reasonable and easy way out of a difficult situation and this represents quite clearly the world's way of dealing with challenging situations.

In today's Gospel, St. Peter tries to prevent Jesus from the horrible future He had predicted for Himself. Like every good companion, Peter genuinely wished life, not death, for Jesus. Jesus, however, saw His friend's goodwill as an obstacle and a distraction to His fulfillment of the will of God. 

Satan's tactics of urging avoidance of the way of the cross and sacrifices of life at all cost even to the detriment of the principles and values that we hold dearly are typical of the world we live in today. Like the daughter of Thomas More, many are those who think they can make their situations easier by "taking the oath yet believing something else." In other words, it is okay to call yourself a Christian and still be corrupt, unfaithful, deceitful, and indecent just to satisfy the self and the world.

The major threat to our Christianity is the temptation to conform ourselves to the devil's tactics by avoiding the challenges of the Christian life (Cross) and settling for the kind of watered-down Christianity that surrounds us.

Beloved in Christ, there is no better way for a Christian than the way of the Cross. It is the way of faith, commitment and sacrifice. It is the way of faith whereby we stare our challenges in the face and fight on until we gain our glory at last.

We must therefore not conform ourselves to the standards of this age (cf. Second Reading) but continue to sharpen and affirm our faith in Christ and follow the right path no matter the shame and pain it might seem to bring (cf. First Reading). 

PRAYER

Lord Jesus, grant to me the grace to not conform to the standards of this world but to be transformed by the renewal of my mind. May I prefer to embrace the way of the Cross rather than any other way. Amen.

May God bless you.

Rev. Fr. Kenneth Debre 

Sunday, September 3, 2023.

Holy Rosary Parish, Hohoe.