Kutafakari kuhusu Is 49,3.5-6;
1Cor 1, 1-3; Yoh 1, 29-34
We want to reflect about
three testimonies that help us to live well our vocation, such as, first, the
testimony of God about his servant (first reading); second, testimony of St.
Paul as apostle for will of God (second reading); and three, testimony of John
the Baptist about Jesus as Lamb of God (gospel). We’ll focus our participation
in the priesthood of Christ.
About the testimony of
God, this is one of the canticles of the servant of the Lord, which was written
during the Babylon’s exile and we can find it in the second part of the book of
Isaias. It is amazing the way God speaks about his servant. First, there is a
plan. Our God doesn’t act in anyway. He knows his servant because he himself
prepared him since the womb of his mother and presents him with affection
because his life pleases him (God). The person who decided being a priest has
chosen being a servant and his life pleases God because he doesn’t search for
his own interest but for the glory of God. The loving relationship with his
Lord is the reason of his faithfulness in his vocational journey (cf. 1Sm 2, 35).
That is the experience, which bears identity and gives meaning to the mission,
helping the person to live his vocation with joy. The reflection about this
canticle is for me an opportunity to renew my commitment as a poor servant, thanking
God for the gift of the priesthood and for his constant presence in my life.
The Scriptures
witnesses about the faithfulness of God for the sake of his servants as his own
way of acting and as right way of doing his will. He knows about the weaknesses
of his servants and for that remains near and acts together with them so that
they may be faithful. The faithfulness of God invites us to do the same. This
the synthesis of the life of St Paul in second reading. He knows that his
vocation as apostle of Jesus is will of God. St Paul lived his vocation with a
lot of passion and total availability to evangelization. His testimony of life
helps us a lot to understand the deep meaning of our participation in the
priesthood of Christ through the baptism. As baptised people, we are members of
the body of Christ and invited to act for the building of the Church, which is
his body. In each person who is baptised is present the whole Church. Something
that happens with one member is responsibility of all body. We live our
vocation in one community, but for the sake of the whole Church.
Another example very
important is the testimony of John the Baptist. He could recognise Jesus as
“Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world”, because was attentive to
God’s inspiration as it has happened in other moments (in the womb of his
mother, in the desert, in the Jordan’s river and during the passage of Jesus,
according to this current passage of gospel, etc.). Being baptised is to
participate in life of God entering in the movement of the Holy Spirit who
causes a new birth and great joy in our spiritual family, that is, the Church.
According to Pope Francis, “Each child who is born is a gift of joy and hope,
and each child who is baptised is miracle of the faith and it is feast of the
family of God.” The name, which is mentioned during the baptism, receives new
meaning/ new identity. God himself wants that your name should be included in
his second name. You will be included in this list: God of Abraham, God of
Isaac, God of Jacob, God of Anna, God of David,” God of Clementina, God of
Josafá, God of Maria, God of Tamele.
John spook for two
times that he didn’t know Jesus, however through the inspiration of God, he
could recognise his Son. Afterwards, John stated, “I sow and I witness”. Being
a priest is to be witness to what God does in the world and in the life of the
people. The priest is a person who
search to know God more and more to recognise him and to show him to others.
The priest is minister of mercy because he is the first one to be touched by it.
Priesthood is like “Ubuntu”, that means
an experience in which the person feels himself one with others, because to be
a priest is to be a brother among brothers for the sake of their lives. Thanks
be to God for the gift of priesthood.
Fr Ndega
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