GOD AND THE NEEDY ONES

Reflection from Ezekiel 14: 11-12.15-17; 1Cor 15: 20-26.28; Mt 25: 31-46

        These texts speak that God is a King-shepherd who protects and identifies himself with those who are needy. The merciful love for others is the condition to enter his kingdom. In this sense, let us welcome the message of this liturgy with gratefulness and openness, reflecting about the mystery of the kingdom of God and its performance through the mission of Christ.

      The prophet Ezekiel denounces the irresponsibility of the leaders of the people of Israel which caused the exile, a period of sorrow and suffering for the people. But in this message, the prophet announces also that God is sensible and very attentive to his people. He will assume personally the situation of his people as a true shepherd, leading them to new reality. This prophecy performs its achievement in Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd. According to Saint Paul, Jesus overcomes all powers on earth, through his death and resurrection, saving the humanity and establishing the Kingdom of God his Father. All human beings are invited to belong to this kingdom. The union with Christ is expression of this participation and it lead to eternal life. So, belonging to Christ is to belong to the Kingdom of God, guarantee of eternal life.

         This text of the gospel is known as “The final judgement” and many of us think that Jesus is a “judge” who judges the human actions, rewarding ones and punishing others. But we learnt through his own wards that “God did not send his Son into the world to be its judge, but to be its saviour” (Jo 3, 17). So, his mission is not to judge but to save. The judgement is established by the own actions of the people. According to this text, Jesus is a king-shepherd. This king has the intention to gather all around himself with special care for those who are needy. He identifies himself with them and establishes them as referential to save others. He motivates other people to do good deeds to them and gives reward to those who embrace this cause. So, the loving care we have to the needy ones is condition to enter the kingdom.

      The evangelists show that Jesus rejected the title of king in the glorious moments and accepted it in the moments of defeat. His resistance to this title was because the political mentality of the people about this issue. But he himself uses the title of king in this text to help us to understand the right meaning of his kingdom and his mission as king. His kingdom is not from this world and cannot be seen (it is there or it is here). Jesus never defined the kingdom of God, but said that it is already present in our midst and we can feel its event. In its earthly achievement, the reality of the kingdom of God is not very far from human reality. It is lived through the good values of ours cultures and, in the same time, overcome them.

       The nucleus of Jesus’ message is the announcement of the kingdom of God, because Jesus does not announce himself but the kingdom. AlphaIn Jesus the kingdom becomes a concrete reality. The inaugural discourse about this meaningful event is done to the people rejected by society: the poor. In their faces Jesus taught us to recognise his own face. The kingdom belongs to them and they belong to the Kingdom. In his good actions to this people, he evidences that a new time has already started, changing many things in the world, such as: the sick are healed, the dumb are speaking, the blind are seeing, the poor are evangelized and sinners have found God's forgiveness. The merciful love of Jesus for them is the beginning of this new time. It should reach its achievement in the definitive kingdom when the love for God and for neighbour will be lived to its fullest.

        We are invited to recognize in the gestures liberators of Christ the salvific action of God and to follow his faithfully footsteps, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom. For us, the search of this kingdom should be a priority, because in it we find the sense of our life and mission. Jesus entrusted to us His kingdom and we trust our lives to him. It is a mutual trust. Follow Jesus is to accept the kingdom; resistance against Jesus is opposition to the performance of the Kingdom. When we are available to the plans of Jesus, He uses us as his tools to continue announcing the gratuity of his kingdom, inviting other people to join forces with him in a discipleship ever more generous and authentic. Although he can do it alone, he wanted us because he knows that we need him very much; for that he says, "Without me you can do nothing" (John15: 5).

Fr. Ndega

MUNGU NA HAO AMBAO NI MASIKINI

Tafakari kutoka Ezekieli 14: 11-12.15-17; 1Kor 15: 20-26.28; Mt 25: 31-46

      Maandiko haya inaongea kwamba Mungu ni Mfalme-mchungaji ambaye anawahifadhi na anajitambulisha na hao ambao ni masikini. Upendo na huruma kwa wengine ni kigezo ili kuingia ufalme wake. Kwa maana hii, tukaribishe ujumbe wa Liturujia hii kwa shukrani na uwazi, kutafakari kuhusu fumbu la Ufalme wa Mungu na utendaji wake kupitia kazi ya Kristu.

    Nabii Ezekieli anashutumu kutowajibika ya viongozi wa Watu wa Israeli ambayo ilisababisha uhamisho, kipindi cha huzuni na mateso kwa watu. Lakini katika ujumbe huu, nabii anatangaza pia kwamba Mungu ni busara na makini sana kwa watu wake. Anachukua ubinafsi hali ya watu wake kama mchungaji wa kweli, kuongoza wao kwa hali halisi mpya. Unabii huu hufanya mafanikio yake katika Yesu Kristu, Mchungaji Mwema. Kulingana na Mtakatifu Paulo, Yesu anashinda nguvu zote duniani, kupitia kifo chake na ufufuo wake, kuokoa ubinadamu na kuanzisha Ufalme wa Mungu Baba yake. Wanadamu wote wanaoalikwa ni kwa ufalme huu. Muungano na Kristu ni usemi wa ushiriki huu na unaongoza kwa uzima wa milele. Hivyo, kuwa miliki ya Kristu ni kuwa wa Ufalme wa Mungu, dhamana ya uzima wa milele. 

     Andiko hili ya Injili linajulikana kama “Hukumu ya mwisho” na wengi wetu hufikiri kwamba Yesu ni “hakimu” anayehukumu vitendo vya binadamu, kuwatuza wengi na kuwaadhibu wengine. Lakini tulijifunza kupitia maneno yake yenyewe kwamba “Mungu hakumtuma Mwana ulimwenguni ili kuwa hakimu wake, lakini kwa kuwa mkombozi wake” (Yohane 3, 17). Hivyo, lengo lake si kuhukumu bali kuokoa. Hukumu huanzishwa kwa vitendo vya watu. Kulingana na andiko hili, Yesu ni Mfalme-mchungaji. Mfalme huyo ana nia ya kukusanya watu wote karibu na yeye mwenyewe na huduma maalum kwa watu hao masikini. Anajitambulisha nao na anawaanzisha kama rejea kuokoa wengine. Anawahamasisha watu wengine kufanya matendo mema kwao na anawapa zawadi kwa hao ambao hukumbatia sababu hiyo. Hivyo, huduma ya upendo tunayo kwa masikini ni kigezo kuingia Ufalme. 

       

     Wainjilisti wanaonyesha kwamba Yesu alikataa cheo cha mfalme katika wakati wa utukufu, na akakubali katika wakati wa ushinde. Upinzani wake kwa cheo hiki ulikuwa kwa sababu mawazo ya kisiasa ya watu kuhusu suala hili. Lakini yeye mwenyewe anatumia cheo cha mfalme katika andiko hili ili kutusaidia kuelewa maana haki ya Ufalme na lengo lake kama Mfalme. Ufalme wake si kutoka ulimwengu huu na hauwezi kuonekana (ni huko au ni hapa). Yesu anaufafanua kamwe Ufalme wa Mungu, lakini alisema kwamba huo ni tayari sasa kati yetu na tunaweza kuhisi tukio lake. Katika mafanikio yake ya kidunia, hali halisi ya Ufalme wa Mungu si mbali sana toka hali halisi ya binadamu. inaishiwa kupitia thamani nzuri za tamaduni zetu na unazishinda.

    Kiini ya ujumbe wa Yesu ni tangazo la Ufalme wa Mungu, kwa sababu hatangazi mwenyewe lakini anatangaza Ufalme. Katika Yesu, Ufalme unakuwa ukweli halisi. Mjadala wa uzinduzi kuhusu tukio hili maalum unafanyika kwa wakataliwa na jamii, hao ambao ni maskini. Katika nyuso zao, Yesu alitufundisha kutambua uso wake wenyewe. Ufalme ni wao na wao ni wamiliki wa Ufalme. Katika matendo yake mema na watu hao, Yesu anaushahidi kwamba wakati mpya umekwishaanza, kubadilisha hali nyingi katika dunia, kama vile: wagonjwa wanapona, bubu wanaongea, vipofu wanaona, maskini wanahubiriwa Habari njema na watu wenye dhambi wamepata msamaha wa Mungu . Upendo na huruma wa Yesu kwao ni mwanzo wa wakati huo mpya. Ni lazima kufikia mafanikio yake katika Ufalme ufafanuzi wakati upendo kwa Mungu na kwa jirani wataishiwa kwa ukamilifu wake.

     Tunaalikwa kutambua katika ishara za ukombozi za Kristu hatua ya wokovu wa Mungu na kufuata nyayo zake kwa uaminifu, kutangaza habari njema ya Ufalme. Kwetu, kutafuta Ufalme huo ni lazima kipaumbele, kwa sababu katika kutafuta hii tunakuta maana ya maisha na kazi zetu. Yesu ametukabidhi Ufalme wake na tumekabidhi maisha yetu kwake. Ni kukabidhiana. Kumfuata Yesu ni kukubali ufalme; upinzani dhidi ya Yesu ni upinzani kwa utendaji wa Ufalme. Wakati sisi hupatikana kwa mipango ya Yesu, yeye hututumia kama wapatanishi wake ili kuendelea kutangaza kiinua mgongo cha Ufalme wake, kuwakaribisha watu wengine kujiunga na nguvu pamoja naye katika uanafunzi wakarimu na halisi milele. Ingawa yeye huweza kufanya kila kitu peke yake, alitaka yetu kwa sababu anajua kwamba tunamhitaji sana, kwa hivyo anasema, "Bila mimi hamwezi kufanya chochote" (Yohane 15: 5).

Fr. Ndega

Mapitio: Rose Mong'are

WE ARE TEMPLE OF GOD AND HIS SPIRIT LIVES IN US

A reflection from Ez 47,1-2.8-9.12; 1Cor 3,9c-11.16-17; John 2, 13-22

Today is Feast of the Church. So, it is feast for all of us who were called to belong to this holy and living temple of God. It is invitation to reflect about the sense of unity of the Church and her finality in the world. For that the readings of this Sunday speak about the meaning of the Temple in the life of the People of God. 

In the vision of the prophet Ezekiel, the Temple is a place whereby living water flows abundantly, bearing life where it passes. This living water is the grace of God which reaches everyone, bringing life and salvation. The proposal here is the new life where there was only death and new spirit in order to replace the ancient mentalities and structures. This process of renewal comprises all creation submitted to human action. This image used by Ezekiel is invitation to reflect about the gifts of salvation entrusted to the Church in order to make more ease the access of the human being to the salvation offered through Jesus Christ.

In the gospel, Jesus expresses his devotion to the house of God and his indignation concern the attitude of disrespect to the Temple. The people had changed the place of prayer into a place of business. Jesus took advantage of this situation in order to teach them about his identity of Temple of God per excellence. In him the human being can perform true meeting with God. His explanation makes to reflect better about the finality of the Temple and the right behaviour in relating to it. It is invitation also to all to be temples, worshiping the Father in Spirit and truth. The ones who become disciples of Christ, they form with him the new Temple where God lives.

The Church exists for the salvation of the humanity. This is her finality. She announces Jesus Christ, salvation of God for all. The message of the Church is invitation to the conversion to God, that is, to live deep relationship with Him, the source of life. Living far from him it means death. The Church is living temple of the Lord which bears life where she is present. Each building of the Church calls our attention not only for its beauty, but above all, because it is a place of prayer and fraternal charity which announces God present in the world. There is nonsense to focus a lot of attention on the walls of the temple and forgetting the life of the people which express the vitality of the true Church, Body of Christ. The Church would be very weak if her worry was only with the temple of stones without paying attention to the temple source of life and light for all. 

Through the baptism we were called to a new birth. This spiritual rebirth has come to us through the Church. This rebirth leads us to everlasting life because it transforms us in living temples of God. In order worlds, God in his great love and kindness has made us into a dwelling-place for himself. Our identity is to be church, community of faith and love, through the communion and participation. As living stones we are invited to contribute to the up-building of the church through our testimony of life. The care about the external beauty of the body is good, but it cannot prevent us to take special care of the living temple of God within us. That is the statement of Saint Paul in his letter to the Corinthians: “you are temple of God and his Spirit lives in you”. In fact as Christian community we are motivated by the Spirit of God in order to bear good fruits, being sign of the love of God and instrument of his salvation. The faith lived in community make us witnesses of the truth and the freedom so that the humanity can live with enthusiasm the expectation of a new reality. 

 Fr. Ndega

SISI NI HEKALU LA MUNGU NA ROHO WAKE ANAKAA NDANI YETU

Kutafakari kutoka Ez 47,1-2.8-9.12; 1Cor 3,9c-11.16-17; John 2, 13-22

Leo ni Sikukuu ya Kanisa. Hivyo, ni sikukuu kwa sisi sote ambao tuliitwa kuwa wa Hekalu hilo takatifu na hai la Mungu. Ni mwaliko kutafakari kuhusu maana ya umoja wa Kanisa na lengo lake katika dunia. Kwa hivyo Maandiko ya Jumapili hii ni kuhusu maana ya Hekalu katika maisha ya Watu wa Mungu.

Katika maono ya nabii Ezekiel, Hekalu ni mahali ambapo maji hai yanabubujika kwa wingi, yakizaa maisha ambapo hayo hupita. Maji hayo hai ni neema ya Mungu inayofikia kila mtu, ikileta maisha na wokovu. Pendekezo hapa ni maisha mapya ambapo kulikuwa kifo tu na roho mpya ili kubadilisha fikira na miundo ya kale. Utaratibu upya huu unajumuisha viumbe vyote vilivyowasilishwa kwa hatua ya binadamu. Picha hii iliyotumiwa na Ezekiel ni mwaliko kutafakari kuhusu zawadi za wokovu zilizokabidhiwa Kanisa ili kufanya rahisi zaidi upatikanaji wa binadamu kwa wokovu uliotolewa kwa njia ya Yesu Kristu.

Katika injili, Yesu anaonyesha huduma yake kwa nyumba ya Mungu na hasira yake kuhusu tabia ya kutoheshimu Hekalu. Watu walikuwa wamebadilisha mahali pa sala kuwa sehemu ya biashara. Yesu alitumia hali halisi hii ili kuwafundisha kuhusu utambulisho wake wa Hekalu la Mungu kwa ubora. Katika Yesu Kristu mwanadamu anaweza kufanya mkutano wa kweli na Mungu. Elezo lake linafanya kutafakari bora kuhusu lengo la Hekalu na tabia sahihi kwa uhusiano na hilo. Ni mwaliko pia kwa wote kuwa mahekalu, kuabudu Baba kwa Roho na ukweli. Hao wanaokuwa wanafunzi wa Kristu hutengeneza naye Hekalu mpya ambapo Mungu huishi.

Kanisa lipo kwa wokovu wa binadamu. Hili ni lengo lake. Linamtangaza Yesu Kristu, wokovu wa Mungu kwa wote. Ujumbe wa Kanisa ni mwaliko kwa kubadilika kwa Mungu, ni kwamba, kuishi uhusiano wa ndani na Yeye, chanzo cha uhai. Kuishi mbali naye kuna maana ya kifo. Kanisa ni Hekalu hai la Bwana ambalo huzaa maisha ambapo yeye yupo. Kila jengo la Kanisa linavutia makini yetu hapana tu kwa uzuri wake, lakini juu ya yote, kwa sababu ni mahali pa sala na upendo wa kindugu panapomtangaza wepo wa Mungu duniani. Kuna upuzi kuelekeza sana makini juu ya kuta za hekalu na kusahau maisha ya watu ambayo yanaonyesha nguvu za uhai wa Kanisa la kweli ambalo ni Mwili wa Kristu. Kanisa lingekuwa dhaifu sana kama wasiwasi wake ulikuwa tu na hekalu la mawe bila makini kwa hekalu ambalo ni chanzo cha maisha na mwanga kwa wote.

Kwa njia ya ubatizo tuliitwa kwa kuzaliwa upya. Kuzaliwa upya kiroho huko kumekuja kwetu kupitia Kanisa. Kuzaliwa upya huko kunatuongoza kwa uzima wa milele kwa sababu hutubadilisha kwa hekalu hai la Mungu. Katika maneno mengine, Mungu kwa upendo mkuu na wema wake ametufanya katika makao yake pekee. Utambulisho wetu ni kuwa kanisa ambalo ni jamii ya imani na upendo, kwa njia ya ushirika na ushirikiano. Kama mawe hai tunaalikwa kuchangia kwa kuendeleza kujenga kanisa kupitia ushuhuda wetu wa maisha. utunzi kuhusu uzuri wa nje wa mwili ni nzuri, lakini hauwezi kutuzuia kuchukua huduma maalum ya hekalu hai la Mungu ndani yetu. Hiyo ni kauli ya Mtakatifu Paulo katika waraka wake kwa Wakorintho: “Ninyi ni hekalu la Mungu na Roho wake anakaa ndani yenu”. Kwa kweli kama jumuiya ya Kikristu tunamotisha na Roho wa Mungu ili kuzaa matunda mazuri, kuwa ishara ya upendo wa Mungu na chombo cha wokovu wake. Imani iliyoishi katika jamii kutufanya mashahidi wa ukweli na uhuru ili watu wanaweza kuishi na shauku matumaini ya hali halisi mpya.

Fr. Ndega 
Mapitio: Mwalimu Patrick