A LIVING ROCK

      At opportune time Jesus tested his disciples with a crucial question: ‘who do the people say that I am and who do you say that I am?’ (Mt 16:13). Jesus was widely recognized in Israel as a mighty man of God, even being compared with the greatest of the prophets, John the Baptist, and Jeremiah, peter, always quick to respond, exclaimed that Jesus was the Christ, the son of the living God.
The gift of faith
What enable peter to recognize that Jesus was more than a man of flesh and blood? Through the gift of faith, peter recognized that Jesus was the ‘Anointed One’ – called the messiah in Hebrew and the Christ in Greek – and the only begotten Son except through the gift of revelation which God gives to those who seek him. Jesus then conferred on peter authority to govern the church that Jesus would build, a church that no powers could overcome. Jesus played on peter’s name which is the same word for ‘rock’ in both Arabic and Greek.
Spiritual rock and living stones
To call someone a ‘rock’ is one of the greatest of compliments. The ancient rabbis had a saying that when God saw Abraham, he exclaimed: ‘I have discovered a rock to found the world upon. ‘Abraham put his trust in God and made God’s word the foundation of his life and the bedrock of his faith. Through Abraham, God established a nation for himself. Through faith, peter grasped who Jesus truly was. He was the first apostle to proclaim the Jesus was truly the Anointed One and the only begotten son of God.
Church as a spiritual house
The New Testament describes the church, the people of God, as a spiritual house and temple of the Holy Spirit with each member joined as living stones (1Pet 2:5). That means that each member of the church is a living stone. This is because faith in Jesus Christ makes us into rocks – spiritual stones. The lord Jesus tests each of us personally with the same question: who do you say that I am? Let us end this quote from Epiphanius the Latin, 5th century AD church father; did the lord not know what people called him? But questioning he brought forth the conviction of the apostle peter and left for us in the future a strong affirmation of faith. For the lord questioned not only peter but all the apostles when he asked, ‘who do people say that I am? Yet one on behalf of all answered the king, who is in due time to judge the whole world. He is God, both God and man. How miserable does this make those who are false teachers and strangers now, and to be judged in eternity. If Christ is the Son of God. By all means he is also God. If he is not God, he is not the Son of God. But since he himself is the Son, and as the Son takes up all things from the father, let us hold this same one inseparably in our heart because there is no one who escapes his hand.’ May God strengthen your faith in him and grant you all the blessings you need to drew you closer
Shalom!

THE FIRST AND LAST

The house of Israel is the vine of God - who planted and watered it, preparing the Israelites to bear fruits of righteousness (Isaiah 5:7; 2-5). Israel failed to yield good fruits and the lord allowed his vineyard, Israel’s kingdom, to be overrun by conquerors (psalm 80:9-20). But God promise that one day he would replant his vineyard and its shoots would blossom to the end of the earth (Amos 9:15; Hosea 14:5-10).
This is the biblical backdrop to Jesus’ parable of salvation history in today’s Gospel. The landowner is God. The vineyard is the kingdom. The workers hired at down are the Israelite’s, to whom he first offered his covenant. Those hired later in the day are the gentiles, the non-Israelites, who, until the coming of Christ, were strangers to the covenants of promise (Ephesians 2:11-13). In the lord’s great generosity, the same wages, the same blessings promised to the first called, the Israelites, will be paid to those called last, the rest of the nations.
This provokes grumbling; doesn’t the complaint of those first laborers sound like that of the older brother in Jesus’ parable (Luke 15:29-30)? God’s ways, however, are far from our ways.
Like the gentiles, many will be allowed to enter the kingdom late- after having spent most of their days idling in sin. But even these call upon him near, as we sing in psalm. We should rejoice that God has compassion on all whom he has created. This should console us, too, especially if we have loved ones who remain far from the vineyard.
Our task is to continue laboring in his vineyard. As Paul says; let us conduct ourselves worthily, struggling to bring all men and women to the praise of his name amen.
REV FR. CYRIL UDOM, OCD

THE MEANING OF ‘LAST SHALL BE FIRST’ (MT 20:1-16)

If you read the passage with the intervention of the Holy Ghost, then you would see things others couldn’t see, and understand what others couldn’t understand. Especially the meaning of ‘last shall be first’.
 Three set of workers were used by Christ. The first set of workers who had started working since morning they were hired, by the vine owner. This first set represents those who have been in right with God almighty, right from the beginning (the Israelites). They have not hesitated, or ignore the call to work in God’s vine yard.
The second set are those, though were not in right with God right from the start, but were later called. And they too, obeyed.
The last set, were those who had gone round wasting their time, they did not hear or accept the truth or acknowledged Christ Jesus to be their God, and source of  everything that is good. Doing all such of immoral things, and soon realized that, they have been wasting their time (the gentiles). He said to then why are you there wasting your time, anything that is outside God is really a waste of time. But God is always waiting to welcome anyone who wants to surrender to him. And he gave them also the right to be called sons and children of God.
The vine yard, is the service of God. We are all called to honour.
The copper coin is the wage or gift of God to those who work in his vine yard which is eternal life’. Whether big or small, insofar we are right with God, on that last day it is eternal life. This ideal really sounds unfair to the first set, forgetting that there is nothing better than eternal life of God. Only the best God gives. It was a bargain that a day’s job is a copper coin. We are told that God is not happy seeing sinners perishing, he would rather like to see them repent and be saved (EZ 18:23). He is compassionate, we too should be. We should be happy to see sinners repent. The principle is this: if a righteous man stops doing good, and starts doing evil. God said in his word that none of his good will be remembered (EZ 18:24). Also if a sinner stops doing evil and does what is right he will saved (EZ 18:21). Note, the ending is better than the beginning. This since very unfair to the first workers, (the Israelites) and the complained bitterly that isn’t right (EZ 18:25-32). One thing we should all know as true follower of Christ is that as the scripture says: the way of God is not the way of man (). As far as the heaven from the earth, is God’s thought from man’s.
Most Christians would rather be jealous, and envy than to rejoice and celebrate when a lost ship (sinners) is found by the owner (creator). Some always criticized and condemn, doing the work of God, Christ Jesus is and he alone should be the judge. Christ say to such people; be there criticizing while the so called prostitutes and thieves are making their way to heaven.
We are all on the same move but different routes, so let’s help one another to get there. You have nothing to lose only something to gain. God bless you as you always do what is right Amen!
STEPHEN OMERE

THE CROSS: OUR SALVATION AND LIFE

Many are people are repelled by the cross. This is because such people see the cross as a means of punishment, rejection suffering, the fruitfulness and the riches that the cross reveals. Blinded by their wrong conception of the cross, they see only the pain and the weight of the cross but not the salvation, the means and hope of salvation. The cross is Christ’s glory. As we celebrate the exaltation of the cross, we are raised up with the crucified one, who promised: ‘and I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself’ (John 12:32). Jesus fulfills this promise by drawing us to the cross, where he is the priest, prophet and king. With Jesus on the cross, ‘we are more the conqueror’s (Rom 8:37); we are ‘triumphant and victorious’ (Ps 118:15); we leave behind sin and death. It more precious than anything on earth, in fact it is indeed a treasure, for in it and through it and for it, all the riches of our salvation are restored to us.’
The church, our redemption, our forgiveness of sin, the destruction of the power of hell (Satan) are but some of the fruit and effect of the cross of Christ. That is to say that participating in the sacraments and in programs and activity of the church is to participate in the power of the cross of Christ: The sources of life of the church. That is why we can confidently say: ‘no cross: no crown, no salvation, no redemption, no love, no peace, no prosperity, no hope, ‘therefore, we are not ashamed of the cross, or rather. We , who know the power of the cross and believe in it, have reason to celebrate it, exalt it, embrace it, wear or carry it on our body, and sign or bless ourselves with the sign of the cross.
God told Moses to ‘make a fiery serpent’ so that those bitten out of their stubbornness of heart and disobedience and ‘looks at it’ (Num 21:8) would be saved. Looking at the cross or beholding the wood of cross on which hung the savior or the world (as we do on Good Friday) is to contemplate on the beauty and vicarious nature of the cross. He offers us his body, which is the fruit of the cross, to eat, as our spiritual food. He also offers us his blood, to drink as our spiritual drink. Jesus clearly linked Moses’ act of deliverance in the wilderness which only resulted in temporary relief for the people, Jesus ‘ atoning death on the cross brought decisive victory over sin, Satan, and death. Jesus victory in the cross cancels the debt of our sin, and releases us from guilt and condemnation. In the church, we use the cross in different ways, it is used as a form of prayer and for blessing people and objects. As a form of devotion, people devoutly kiss it. Making the sign of the cross is an utmost sign of our faith in the cross of Christ. Kissing the cross is a holy act that has worked innumerable miracles in the lives of those who practice it. Many sick people have received their healing and comfort from the lord. People bless themselves by making the ‘sign of the cross’ at times with holy water. At mass, the ‘small sign of the cross’ is made in which a small cross is traced with the thumb on the forehead, the lips, and the breast of the individual while whispering the words: may Christ be in my mind, on my lips, and in my heart’
May God help us to understand the meaning of the cross.
Shalom