First Reading: Is 35:4-7a; Psalm: 146. R. v. 1b; Second Reading: Jas 2:1-5; Gospel: Mk 7:31-37

BUILDING AN UNDIVIDED FAMILY OF GOD

BY FR VALENTINE NNAMDI EGBUONU, MSP

A few months ago, I stumbled on a video on social media where a very prominent personality attended a Church service taking his seat in an inconspicuous position away from the front pew. Since he is a governor of a state in his country, his presence couldn’t have gone unnoticed among the worshipping assembly. But notwithstanding, his humility and comportment was admirable. But what happened next was deplorable. To his objection, the presbyters of the Church were seen persuading him to come over to the front pew. And to the dismay of everyone, one of the presbyters went overboard kneeling and begging to make him yield in the midst of the worshipping assembly. The video was truncated as the end of the whole drama was unknown. But it was a condemnable scene to say the least.

If similar incident never happened in his days, St James couldn’t have written this chapter of the scripture that condemns undue advantage, part of which was read in our second reading of today. Obviously, they were a group of people playing the partiality card among the Christian community and treating some persons as first-class citizens over the others on the basis of financial advantage and luxurious lifestyle. Others however, who are economically disadvantaged and lacking in style were given short shrift by the gathered assembly. As this could create division and injury to the body of Christ, St James condemned this sinful action and berated the community of believers to shun every single act of partiality.  

What St James was emphasising is that the Church is the family of God where no social distinctions should hold sway. Just as Christ mingled and treated alike both the rich and the poor; so should slaves and masters, rich and poor, able and disabled should mingle and be treated equally as one, deserving honour and due regard.

The healing of the deaf-mute in our gospel reading and the manner in which Jesus carried it out speaks aloud. Jesus is accustomed to healing by giving a command. But in the case of the deaf-mute, Jesus performs a gesture that communicates what he is about to do since the deaf-mute cannot hear him or make any audible reply. By putting his fingers into his ears and spitting on his tongue, Jesus identifies with the deaf-mute and communicates with an intelligible language to keep him abreast in the healing process. For it will be insensitive for the deaf-mute to tag along and feel lost in his journey to wholeness. God identifies with us and shows no partiality; and so should we. In line with the admonition of St James, Jesus also challenges us today to give equal attention to the physically challenged as much as we give to the abled.

Every Christian believer should cultivate the consciousness that the Church as God’s family is distinct from societal space. The status we earned, the offices we occupy, the personalities we represent, and the fame we’ve acquired should not follow us into the Church. We need to drop them outside and form one equal and undivided communion with the family of God united by one faith in Christ. Do not use your wealth or position to gain undue influence, dictating what happens or shouldn’t in Church due to certain advantages over others. Rather, be humble and unassuming. Priests and other ministers must be wary of excessive eulogy and superfluous recognition of the rich much to the dismay of the poor. They must be fair in their judgments, not taking sides with the rich to curry favour with them. They must also be wary of avarice and the endless desire for Church projects by learning contentment.

Elections and appointments into councils and in different sodalities and pious groups should be by competence and merit and not by affiliation or economic status. We should also not be sectional in relating with each other in the one family of God. Priests and ministers must be exemplary, readily available to attend to the spiritual needs of all without favour or partiality.

There are also some other things we overlook that inadvertently suggests discrimination and partiality in our Churches. Like, do we have a ramp by the Church building that gives wheelchair users the sense that they are welcomed and part of the family of God? Do we have sign language interpreters in our Churches if we happen to have those who are hard of hearing in the midst of us? Do we think of them when we choose catechism instructors in our Churches? Do we include the visually challenged or wheelchair users among those who bring gifts in procession to the altar during offertory? Do we create a special ministry in our parishes to accommodate children with special needs? More often than not, we pay less attention to this special group of God’s family that Christ himself never overlooked. Today’s message should be a wake-up call.    

The mercy of Jesus towards the deaf-mute and the condemnation of partiality among the community of believers by St James challenge us today to be all encompassing in our love and treatment of one another. The rich must not enjoy undue advantage over the poor. And the abled must not monopolise every Church activity to the neglect of the physically challenged. Equality and love should keep us in one communion. For in doing this, we carry on the mission of Christ who came for the salvation of all.

PRAYER FOR THE DAY

Lord Jesus, we acknowledge the many times we yielded to the whim of partiality, and we ask your forgiveness. Give us the grace and courage to build an undivided family of God in our Churches where there will be no distinctions or favouritism, so that your kingdom may reign on earth. Amen.