WE BILONG TO GOD

A reflection from Is 45: 1,4-6; 1 Thes 1: 1-5; Mt 22: 15-22

These texts invite us to reflect concerning our feeling of belonging to God as members of his People and also about our duties with the development of the Nation of Kenya through the payment of the right taxes.

The first text is an interpretation of faith about the victories of Cyrus, King of Persia, who liberated the Jews from the dominion of Babylon. According to Isaiah, all victories of Cyrus weren’t his merit, but action of God, who chose Cyrus as his instrument in order to make the name of the Lord known to all nations, inviting them to the faith in one and unique God. In fact Cyrus got to conquer all Eastern Kingdoms, including Babylon, allowing that the Jews came back home and live his identity of the People of God with freedom. So, as it happened with Cyrus, God can use any person in order to perform his plans.     

Paul and his companions of evangelisation recognise the gifts of God present in the community of Thessalonica, especially the virtues of faith, love and hope, which identify them as chosen of God and his own. In this sense, their deeds are performed under the action of the grace of God, according to the Gospel that they assumed with enthusiasm. The experience lived for Paul with that community and others are the support to understand better the experience of small Christian Communities nowadays.

The adversaries of Jesus praise him for his virtues, but they don’t have willingness to submit themselves to his wisdom. According to them, Jesus is the truthful man, who teaches the way of God in accordance with the truth. Jesus has his own opinion and for him the person is more important than his/her status. Although they spoke the truth about Jesus in their speech, it lacks conviction in order to accept it as way to their life. Jesus recognises that it is a malicious speech with the finality to entrap him. If Jesus answered yes to their question about the payment of tax he will be considered collaborator of the roman dominion upon Jews. If his answer was “don’t pay”, he would be considered rebel. So, Jesus answered: “Give Cesar what belongs to Cesar and give God what belongs to God”. His answer underscores the supremacy and priority of God above all and everything.

The first place in our life belongs to God. He is the one who has power to everyone, including the rulers. His Law must be prominent because it expresses better the human aspirations. Even if we are subjected to the government and his laws, they cannot occupy in our life the place which belongs to God and the human law cannot make opposition to the Law of God. Only God is worthy to be worshiped and to be served. However, Jesus didn’t deny the necessity of payment of right taxes, because the love to God doesn’t prevent us from collaborating with the development of the country. On the contrary, as Christians, our option is for the life and for everything which cooperate with this finality.

Through this Eucharistic celebration, let us renew our commitment as members of the People of God and his own. Through his inspiration, may we be witnesses of his power and goodness in view of the development of the righteousness and peace in our society. 

Fr. Ndega

SISI NI KWA MUNGU

Kutafakari kutoka Is 45: 1,4-6; 1 Thes 1: 1-5; Mt 22: 15-22

Maandiko haya yanatualika kutafakari kuhusu hisia zetu za miliki ya Mungu kama wana wa watu wake na kutafakari pia kuhusu majukumu yetu na maendeleo ya Taifa la Kenya kupitia malipo ya kodi halali.

Somo la Kwanza ni tafsiri ya imani kuhusu ushindi wa Koreshi, mfalme wa Uajemi, ambaye aliwakomboa Wayahudi kutoka mamlaka ya Babeli. Kulingana na Isaya, ushindi wote wa Koreshi haukuwa uhalali wake, lakini ulikuwa tendo wa Mungu, ambaye alimchagua Koreshi kama mjumbe wake ili kufanya Jina la Bwana kujulikana kwa Mataifa yote, kuwaalika kwa imani katika Mungu mmoja tu. Kwa kweli Koreshi alipata kushinda Falme zote za Mashariki, ikiwa ni pamoja na Babeli, akiruhusu kwamba Wayahudi walirudi nyumbani na wakaishi utambulisho wao wa Watu wa Mungu na uhuru. Basi, kama ilivyotukia na Koreshi, Mungu anaweza kutumia mtu yeyote ili kufanya mipango yake.  

Paulo na wenzake wa uinjilishaji wanatambua Vipawa vya Mungu katika Jumuiya ya Wathesalonike, hasa fadhila za imani, upendo na tumaini, zinazowatambua kama wachaguliwa wa Mungu na mali yake. Katika maana hii, matendo yao yanafanywa chini ya neema ya Mungu, kulingana na Injili waliyoichukua kwa shauku. Uzoefu alioishi Paulo na Jumuiya hiyo na zengine ni kielelezo ili kufahamu bora uzoefu wa Jumuiya siku hizi.

Wapinzani wa Yesu wanamsifu kwa fadhila zake, lakini hawana nia kuwasilisha kwa hekima yake. Kulingana na wao, Yesu ni mtu wa kweli, anayefunza njia ya Mungu kwa mujibu na ukweli. Yesu ana maoni yake mwenyewe na kwa yeye mtu ni muhimu zaidi kuliko hali yake. Ingawa waliongea ukweli kuhusu Yesu, katika mazungumzu yao, inakosa imani ili kuukubali kama njia ya maisha yao. Yesu anatambua kwamba ni mazungumzu mabaya na lengo la kumnasa. Kama Yesu aliwaambia “ndio” kwa swali lao kuhusu malipo ya kodi, angechukuliwa mshirika wa utawala wa Warumi kwa Wayahudi. Ikiwa jibu lake likawa “hapana kwa malipo ya kodi” angechukuliwa mwasi. Basi, Yesu aliwaambia: “Mpeni Kaisari kilicho cha Kaisari na mpeni Mungu kilicho cha Mungu”. Jibu lake linasisitiza ukuu na kipaumbele cha Mungu juu ya wote na kila kitu.

Mahali pa kwanza katika maisha yetu ni kwa Mungu. Yeye ndiye mwenye nguvu kwa kila mtu, ikiwa ni pamoja na watawala. Sheria yake lazima iwe maarufu kwa sababu inaonyesha bora matarajio ya binadamu. Hata kama tunakabiliwa na Serikali na sheria yake, hawawezi kuchukua mahali Katika maisha yetu ambapo ni kwa Mungu na sheria ya binadamu haiwezi kuweka upinzani kwa Sheria ya Mungu. Mungu tu anastahili kuabudiwa na kutumikiwa. Hata hivyo, Yesu hakukataa umuhimu wa malipo ya  kodi halali, kwa sababu upendo kwa Mungu hautuzuii kushirikana na maendeleo ya nchi. Bali, kama Wakristu, kuchagua kwetu ni kwa uhai na kwa kila kitu kinachoshirikana na lengo hile.

Kupitia sherehe ya Eukaristia hii, tutengeneze upya ahadi yetu kama wana wa Mungu na miliki yake. Kupitia msukumo wake, tuwe mashahidi wake wa nguvu na uzuri katika mitazamo ya maendeleo ya haki na amani katika jamii.   

Fr. Ndega

Mapitio: Mwalimu Patrick

SIGN OF THE MERCIFUL LOVE OF GOD

A reflection from Luke 11,29-32

In this passage of the gospel, Jesus shows impatience with the ones who desired for a sign. The demand for a sign was a form of the temptation rejected by Jesus in the desert and, according to the end of the text about the temptations, the tempter would come again in the life of Jesus in some opportune time.  Therefore, that is one of the several moments. The demand for a sign expresses resistance against Jesus’ message. Jesus took advantage of this opportunity in order to teach them concern his mission and identity. He recovers the history of Jonah, messenger of God, to help the people to discover a new way for their lives. The people believed in his message for conversion. Solomon also is mentioned by Jesus as reference to understand the ways of God. However, Jesus overcomes these two ones as the sign of God per excellence.

The history of the humankind has abundance of signs through which God has been conducting the people to the salvation. But his greatest sign is Jesus, centre of this History and the fulfilment of the Scriptures. His presence among us is the sign of the merciful love of God, indicating the new path to the life because he himself is the Life. He announces the truth of God about the human being because He himself is the Truth. He orients our footsteps to God because He himself is the Way.

As followers of Jesus we don’t need evidences in order to believe in him because the sure his constant presence in our lives is enough for us. Requiring more signs besides Jesus, it puts God to the test. The sign of God can become useless to our lives unless we manifest signs of conversion as well as the inhabitants of Nineveh before the message of Jonah. Conversion is sign of maturity of faith. May the Lord grant us this grace.

Fr. Ndega

ISHARA YA UPENDO NA HURUMA YA MUNGU

Kutafakari kutoka Luka 11, 29-32

Katika kifungu hiki cha injili, Yesu anaonyesha kukosekana kwa uvumilivu na wale ambao walitamani kwa ishara. Mahitaji kwa ishara yalikuwa aina ya majaribu yaliyokataliwa na Yesu katika jangwa na, kulingana na andiko la mwisho kuhusu majaribu, mshawishi angekuja tena katika maisha ya Yesu katika wakati muafaka. Basi, hiyo ni moja ya nyakati kadhaa. Mahitaji kwa ishara yanaonyesha upinzani dhidi ya ujumbe wa Yesu, ni kwamba Neno lake. Yesu alitumia nafasi hii ili kuwafundisha kuhusu kazi yake na utambulisho. Yeye anarejesha historia ya Yona, mjumbe wa Mungu, ili kusaidia watu kugundua mtindo mpya kwa maisha yao. Watu waliamini katika ujumbe wake kwa ubadilishaji. Solomoni pia anatajwa na Yesu kama kumbukumbu kuelewa njia za Mungu. Hata hivyo, Yesu anawashinda ndio hao wawili kama ishara ya Mungu kwa ubora.

Historia ya wanadamu ina wingi wa ishara ambazo Mungu amekuwa akiongoza watu kwa wokovu. Lakini ishara yake kubwa ni Yesu, kumbukumbu ya Historia hii na timizo Maandiko. Uwepo wake miongoni mwetu ni ishara ya upendo na huruma ya Mungu, kuonyesha mtindo mpya ya maisha kwa sababu yeye mwenyewe ni Uhai. Anatangaza ukweli wa Mungu kuhusu binadamu kwa sababu Yeye mwenyewe ni Ukweli. Anaelekeza nyayo zetu kwa Mungu kwa sababu Yeye mwenyewe ni Njia.

Kama wafuasi wa Yesu hatuhitaji ushahidi ili kumwamini kwa sababu uhakika wa uwepo wake daima maishani mwetu unatutosha. Kuhitaji ishara zaidi badala ya Yesu, ni kuweka Mungu kwa majaribu. Ishara ya Mungu inaweza kuwa isiofaa kwa maisha yetu kama hatuonyeshi ishara ya ubadilishaji kama wenyeji wa Ninawi mbele ya ujumbe wa Yona. Ubadilishaji ni ishara ya ukomavu wa imani. Bwana atujalie neema hii.

Fr. Ndega

Mapitio: Mwalimu Patrick

WHO IS MY NEIGHBOUR?

A reflection from Lk 10, 25-37

The first part of this gospel reminds us about the text of the rich man, who comes to Jesus with the same question: what must I do to receive eternal life? The answer of Jesus makes reference to the commandments, showing that he values a lot this orientation to the life.  Jesus proposes them because they don’t go against the freedom, but correspond to the deep desire of the human being in his search for personal achievement. According to Jesus, the commandments aren’t a list of rules to memorise, but guidance to live well, loving God and growing in brotherhood through the authentic love to the neighbour. 

The question: who is my neighbour? reveals that something is not very well in the comprehension of the commandment. Maybe the person who made the question to Jesus thought that the memorization of the Low is enough to praise God. This situation can happen also with us because, sometimes, we stay very worried in obeying rules and we forget the essential in the relationship with others. While we ask: who is our neighbour?, the reference is always ourselves and the satisfaction of our needs. But the parable that Jesus speaks about put the reference outside us, inverting the question: How can you be neighbour for others?

Being neighbour is not very easy because we are always busy and acting always with hurry. The busier we are the less capacity we have to see the needs of others. We must change our mentality and welcome the example of Jesus who is the Good Samaritan per excellence. He teaches us that the eternal life is only possible if the love to God is lived concretely in the love to others. For Jesus, the love is authentic and true when it is express through gestures of tenderness and compassion. The general rule to live well in the community life and in the mission is to spend the best of ourselves for the good of others, responding to their needs, going beyond of the established program.

Jesus identifies himself with the ones who are “fallen down beside the way”. Are we able to recognise his presence in the people who we usually meet? How do we respond to the needs of others when we are in hurry? “O Lord, open our eyes to see the need of our brothers and sisters. Inspire us words and actions in the service to them”. Amen.

Fr. Ndega