ULINZI KWA HEKALU

Kutafakari kutoka Kut 20: 1-17; 1Wak 1, 22-25; Yohana 2, 13-25

Kulingana na Maandiko, Mungu ana uhusiano maalum na watu wa Israeli. Anaanzisha agano na watu hao kuwapa miongozo ili watembee salama kuhifadhi maisha yao. Katika hali halisi hii, amri kumi zilizaliwa. Kuishi Amri ilikuwa jambo muhimu zaidi katika safari ya Watu wa Israeli ambao Sheria ni Neno la Mungu na Neno la Mungu ni Sheria. Basi kuna uhusiano wa udani kati ya Sheria na Neno la Mungu. Kupitia Sheria au Amri, Mungu anaonyesha ulinzi wake kwa watu wake na anaongea, kuongoza njia ya ukombozi. Wakati watu wanafuata miongozo hii wanafurahia Baraka za Mungu, lakini wakati wanachagua uasi na uzinzi matokeo ni kifo. Kidogo kidogo muhimu zaidi ya Sheria ilisahauliwa na ilibadilishwa kwa kito rasmi. Ilikuwa lazima kujipatia maana ya kweli ya Sheria, kuanzisha tena uhusiano upya na Mungu kupitia Agano mpya na milele. Iliwezekana kupitia Kristo, aliyezawadishwa na Mtakatifu Paulo kama nguvu na hekima ya Mungu.

Uwepo wa Yesu duniani unatangaza wakati upya katika uhusiano kati ya Mungu na watu wake, kuongezeka kwa watu wote. Yesu anajionyesha kama Hekalu mpya, mahali pa mkutano na Mungu. Alipowatoa wote hekaluni, 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. Maelezo yake yanafanya 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 hualikwa kufanya naye Hekalu mpya ambapo Mungu huishi. Kama hii, utambulisho upya wa Watu wa Mungu unatokea kupitia Kanisa, jumuiya ya wanafunzi wa Yesu. Ujumbe wa Kanisa ni mwaliko kwa kutubu kwa Mungu, kuishi kwa uhusiano wa ndani naye. 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 sio tu kwa uzuri wake, lakini juu ya yote, kwa sababu ni mahali pa sala na upendo wa udugu panapoutangaza uwepo wa Mungu duniani. Haina maana kuwa na wasiwasi sana kuhusu kuta za hekalu na kusahau maisha ya watu ambao inaonyesha 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 uhai 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 jumuiya ya imani na upendo, kupitia kushiriki pamoja na makubaliano. 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 ulinzi 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 tunahamasishwa na Roho wa Mungu ili kuzaa matunda mazuri, kuwa ishara ya upendo wa Mungu na vyombo vya wokovu wake. Imani iliyoishi katika jumuiya kutufanya mashahidi wa ukweli na uhuru ili watu waweze kuishi na shauku matumaini ya hali halisi mpya.

Fr. Ndega

THE ESSENTIAL OF THE LAW IS TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER

Two important biblical personalities help us to understand better the mission of Christ as priest of the new and eternal covenant, such as Melchizedek and Abraham. About Melchizedek, he was king of Salem and priest, king of justice and peace. His origin nobody knows, but all accept his priesthood. With more sure we are invited to accept the priesthood of Christ which has divine origin. The priesthood of Christ is reference for our service, because through our baptism we were attached to him as members of his Body and called to participate in a common priesthood in order to serve the people of God.

Abraham, in his experience of surrender motivates us to be grateful to God. Gesture of surrender is to give back to the Lord which belongs to him. According to this text, the priest Melchizedek meets Abraham and blesses him. So the blessing happens before the offering of Abraham. Like this is the action of the grace of God in our life. It happens even without awareness from our part and before any human gesture. If we offer something to him it doesn’t add anything in God, but expresses our recognising and thanksgiving before so many gifts we have received. The offering is part of our life and our life is present in the offerings which we offer to the Lord. All offering finds its true meaning in the sacrificial offering of Christ, who surrenders himself to God for the salvation of all.

Jesus is the priest who feels compassion before the reality of suffering of the people. He feels also indignation because the indifference and injustice in relating to this reality. He criticises the law which was lived in formal way, preventing to see the needs around. For him the more important is not the law itself, but the spirit that motivates the law and the posture assumed before it. Every law should have as aim to humanize the people. The law is emptied of its true meaning when only serves to oppress, promoting privileges and personal interests. For Jesus, the true law promotes the life and guide the people to do good things for others. In another moment he will states that the essential of the law is to love one another. Whoever follows Jesus does not follow a law or a doctrine but a person. This person taught us to make of every law instrument of fraternity, through which the love to God and the love to neighbour are increasingly evidenced.

Fr Ndega 

MUHIMU ZAIDI YA SHERIA NI KUPENDANA

Utu uili muhimu wa biblia unatusaidia kuelewa vizuri ujumbe wa Kristo kama kuhani wa agano jipya na milele, kama vile Melkizedeki na Ibrahimu. Kuhusu Melkizedeki, alikuwa mfalme na kuhani, mfalme wa haki na amani. Hakuna mtu anaijua asili yake, lakini wote hukubali ukuhani wake. Kwa uhakika zaidi tunaalikwa kukubali ukuhani wa Kristo ambao una asili ya Mungu. Ukuhani wa Kristo ni rejeo kwa huduma yetu, kwa sababu kwa njia ya ubatizo wetu tulifungwa kwake kama sehemu za Mwili wake na tunaitwa kushiriki katika ukuhani wa pamoja ili kuwatumikia Watu wa Mungu.

Ibrahimu, katika uzoefu wake wa kujisalimisha anatumotisha kushukuru Mungu. Tabia ya kujisalimisha ni kurudisha kwa Bwana ambayo ni miliki yake. Kulingana na andiko hili, kuhani mkuu Melkizedeki anakutana na Ibrahimu na anambariki. Hivyo, baraka inatokea kabla ya sadaka ya Ibrahimu. Kama hii ni hatua ya neema ya Mungu katika maisha yetu; hutokea hata bila ufahamu kutoka kwetu na kabla ishara yoyote ya binadamu. Kama tunamtolea kitu hakiongezi chochote kwa Mungu, lakini kinaonyesha kutambua kwetu na shukrani yetu kabla ya zawadi nyingi ambazo tumepokea. Sadaka na kujisalimisha ni sehemu ya maisha yetu na maisha yetu ni kuwepo kwa sadaka ambayo tunatoa kwa Bwana. Sadaka yote hupata maana yake ya kweli katika sadaka ya Kristo, ambaye anajitoa kwa Mungu kwa wokovu wa wote.

Yesu ni Kuhani Mkuu ambaye anahisi huruma kabla ya hali halisi ya mateso ya watu. Yeye anahisi pia hasira kwa sababu ya kutojali na ukosefu wa haki kuhusu hali halisi hiyo. Yeye anapinga sheria ambayo iliishiwa kwa njia rasmi, kuzuia kuona mahitaji karibu. Kwake muhimu zaidi si sheria yenyewe, lakini roho ambayo ilimotisha sheria na tabia iliyochukuliwa kabla yake. Sheria inapoteza maana yake ya kweli wakati inatumika tu kuonea, kukuza maslahi ya binafsi. Kwa Yesu, sheria ya kweli inaikuza maisha na inawaongoza watu kufanya mambo mema kwa wengine. Wakati mwingine yeye anasema kwamba muhimu zaidi ya sheria ni kupendana. Yeyote amfuataye Yesu hafuati sheria au mafundisho, lakini anamfuata Mtu Yesu. Mtu Huyo hutufundisha kutumia kila sheria kama chombo cha udugu, ambacho upendo kwa Mungu na upendo kwa jirani unashuhudiwa kwa nguvu.

Fr. Ndega

Mapitio: Rose Mong’are

FLOOD AND DESERT

Reflection from Gen 9: 8-15; 1Pt 3: 18-22; Mk 1: 12-15

We have started our penitential journey called Lent Season. This period proposes a journey of conversion, preparing us to celebrate the central mysteries of our faith, renewing our commitment with the new life given by Christ with his resurrection. Lent season is a great retreat of forty days for many Christians, reminding us about the period of forty days of Moses on the Mont Sinai to receive the Commandments; the forty years of the journey of purification of the people of Israel in desert and the experience of Jesus in the desert also before his mission. Jesus overcame all temptations because let himself be guided by the Holy Spirit. Everyone who follows his footsteps, opened to a journey of conversion is supported by the strength from above in order to perform the God’s will with success.

The readings of this first Sunday introduce us in the journey of renewal of our baptism, showing us the way proposed by God to renew the life in the world. Through Noah and his family God makes a first covenant with the humanity, renewing all creation. The proposal here is new creation, which happens when the human being change his options, performing new relationship with God and all others living beings. The covenant is sign that God doesn’t want to lose the human beings, proposing always new opportunity of purification and conversion. In the second reading, St. Peter speaks about the effect of the Flood for all creation as symbol of the baptism which purifies, giving human being new life in Christ.

In the first part of the gospel, Jesus is led to the desert by the strength of the Spirit. Like this he was very motivated to live this experience focused in the preparation to the mission entrusted to him by the Father. In the bible, Desert is always a special place to meet God and it was in that place where the people of Israel experienced the constant love and care of God. For Jesus it was a meaningful experience through that he could discern better the plan of God. During this time, he was also tempted by Satan and conquered all temptations by being obedient to his Father. He accepted that situation in order to show how to overcome the trap of the tempter. The temptations to wealth, power and glory faced by Jesus didn’t distract him from the essential, which was to do God’s will.

In the second part of the gospel we have the summary of the beginning of the mission of Jesus with the announcement of the Kingdom of God and the invitation to conversion. The presence of Jesus brings the Kingdom of God, inaugurating a new time, time of the salvation. That is the good news which was expected for all. In order to believe in the good news announced by Jesus, it is necessary conversion. The heart is the centre of the decisions and the conversion take place in the heart; for that true faith in Jesus is possible only if the heart is transformed.

In his experience in the desert, Jesus was guided by the Spirit, helped by the Angels and he was very focused about the plan of God. For that nothing distracted him from the essential. As followers of Jesus, constantly we are tempted to give up because it is the plan of the tempter. But the example of fidelity the Master is invitation to us to let ourselves be guided by the Holy Spirit, being helped by others and having very clear objectives in our life in order to discern well in everything. The temptation more common in our communities is to think that there are people enough to serve or to take advantage of the some duty in order to dominate and humiliate others. May this Lent season help us in our journey of conversion, motivating us to stay focused in the essential - like Jesus in relating to the plan of God - in order to overcome the temptation to follow other ways.

Fr Ndega

GHARIKA NA JANGWA

Kutafakari kutoka Mwanzo 9: 8-15; 1Pt 3: 18-22; Mk 1: 12-15

Tumeanza safari yetu ya toba inayoitwa Kwaresima. Kipindi hiki kinapendekeza safari ya ubadilifu, kutuandaa kuadhimisha mafumbo makuu ya imani yetu, kufanya upya ahadi yetu na maisha mapya kutokana na Kristo na ufufuo wake. Msimu wa Kwaresima ni mafungo makubwa ya muda wa siku arobaini kwa Wakristo wengi, kutukumbusha kuhusu muda wa siku arobaini ya Musa juu ya Mlima Sinai ili kuzipokea Amri na miaka arobaini ya safari ya usafishaji wa watu wa Israeli katika jangwa na uzoefu wa Yesu katika jangwa pia kabla ya kazi yake. Yesu alishinda majaribu yote  kwa sababu akajiruhusu kuongozwa na Roho Mtakatifu. Kila mtu ambaye anazifuata nyayo zake, na aliyefunguliwa kwa safari ya ubadilifu, yeye husaidiwa na nguvu kutoka juu ili kufanya mapenzi ya Mungu kwa mafanikio.

Masomo ya Jumapili hii yanatuingiza katika safari ya upya wa ubatizo wetu, kutuonyesha njia iliyopendekezwa na Mungu ili kufanya maisha mapya duniani. Kupitia Nuhu na familia yake Mungu anafanya agano la kwanza na ubinadamu, kufanya upya uumbaji wote. Pendekezo hapa ni uumbaji upya, ambao hutokea wakati mwanadamu hubadilisha chaguzi zake, kufanya uhusiano mpya na Mungu na viumbe vyingine vyote vilivyo hai. Agano ni ishara kwamba Mungu hataki kupoteza binadamu, kupendekeza daima nafasi mpya ya utakaso na ubadilifu. Katika somo la pili, Mtakatifu Petro anaongea kuhusu athari ya gharika kwa uumbaji wote kama ishara ya ubatizo ambao humtakasa, kumpa binadamu maisha mapya katika Kristo.

Katika sehemu ya kwanza ya injili, Yesu anaongozwa jangwani kwa nguvu ya Roho. Kama hii alihamasishwa sana kuishi uzoefu huu kulenga katika maandalizi ya kazi iliyokabidhiwa na Baba. Katika Biblia, Jangwa ni mahali pazuri daima kukutana na Mungu na palikuwa ni mahali pale ambapo Watu wa Israeli walihisi upendo na ulinzi ya Mungu mara kwa mara. Kwa Yesu uzoefu huo ulikuwa wa maana na Kupitia huo aliweza kutambua bora mpango wa Mungu. Wakati huu pia alijaribiwa na Shetani na aliyashinda majaribu yote kwa kuwa mtiifu kwa Baba yake. Alikubali hali hiyo ili kuonyesha jinsi ya kushinda mtego wa mshawishi. Majaribu ya mali, nguvu na utukufu yaliyokabiliwa na Yesu hayakumvuruga kutoka kufanya mapenzi ya Mungu.

Katika sehemu ya pili ya injili tuna muhtasari wa mwanzo wa kazi ya Yesu na tangazo la Ufalme wa Mungu na mwaliko kwa ubadilifu. Uwepo wa Yesu unaleta Ufalme wa Mungu, kuanzisha wakati mpya, wakati wa wokovu. Hiyo ni habari njema ambayo ilitarajiwa kwa wote. Ili kuamini habari njema iliyotangazwa na Yesu, ubadilifu ni muhimu. Moyo ni kitovu cha maamuzi na ubadilifu unatokea moyoni, kwa hivyo imani ya kweli katika Yesu inawezekana kama moyo unabadilishwa.

Katika uzoefu wake jangwani, Yesu aliongozwa na Roho, akasaidiwa na Malaika na akawa makini sana kuhusu mpango wa Mungu. Kwa hivyo hakuna kilichomvuruga kutoka muhimu zaidi. Kama wafuasi wa Yesu, mara kwa mara sisi hushawishiwa kuacha kwa sababu ni mpango wa mshawishi. Lakini mfano wa uaminifu wa Mwalimu Yesu ni mwaliko kwetu tujiruhusu kuongozwa na Roho Mtakatifu, kusaidiwa na wengine na kuwa na malengo ya wazi sana maishani mwetu ili kutambua vizuri katika kila kitu. Majaribu zaidi ya kawaida katika jumuiya zetu ni kufikiri kwamba kuna watu wa kutosha kutumikia au kutumia baadhi ya majukumo ili kutawala na kuwafedhehesha wengine. Kwaresima hii itusaidie katika safari yetu ya ubadilifu, kutuhamasisha kukaa kwa umakini katika muhimu zaidi - kama Yesu kuhusu mpango wa Mungu - ili kushinda majaribu kufuata njia zingine.

Fr. Ndega

Mapitio: Mwalimu Patrick

THE NEED OF A NEW TEACHING

Reflection from Dt 18: 15-20; 1Cor 7: 32-35; Mk 1: 21-28

These readings are an invitation to all of us to welcome the teaching of the Word of God which has the power of transforming the life of the people, giving them support in order to be messengers of a new time. According to the First Reading, the prophet is a person called from among the people in order to speak to them only what God asks him to speak. The inspiration of God, together with the availability of the prophet, made great difference in the life of the people of Israel, leading them to experience a new life. Saint Paul praises the person who dedicates himself/herself to the service of the Lord and motivates all members of the community to continue serving in total surrender without reservation.

Jesus starts his public mission announcing the Kingdom of God and inviting to the conversion. Like this he called the first disciples, according to our meditated last week. Jesus invites his disciples to stay with him and teaches them through the experience of life. The majority part of the miracles which he performs, he does it in the presence of his disciples. Since the beginning, his disciples have been invited to participate in his mission and to share his feelings in relating to the reality of the people, especially the poor ones. Jesus liked to visit and teach in the synagogues because in that places the people usually gathered together to listen to the Word of God and accept his will. This was also a good opportunity to teach his disciples, helping the people to open the hearts to the appeals of God.

The authority given to Jesus by the Father directly shows the superiority of his teaching before the scribe style. Little by little the people were understanding that this person Jesus, who spoke with love and authenticity, were the messenger of God.  His words are full of life and lead to the conversion. His way of speaking bore in the heart the passion for the Kingdom. As messenger of God, he is the unique with authority to teach the people. The ones who have the task to lead the people, must listen to his voice. Even the evil spirits recognise the identity and authority of Jesus, but don’t share his commitment with the sake of the humanity.  For that, Jesus doesn’t dialogue with them; he simply gives order, imposing silence to them. These evil spirits are symbol of the forces opposed to God's plan, paralyzing the people and preventing them to exercise their capabilities in full way. Before these forces, Jesus imposes authority and acts as Liberator.

The presence of Jesus among the human beings inaugurates a new time: the time of God's salvation. The salvation communicated through the mouth of Jesus is accompanied by the concretes gestures of liberation. According to the action of Jesus, the strength of the Word of God does not come from human interpretation, but from divine inspiration. For that his teaching is considered very new. But it is not enough to recognise the identity of Jesus as Messiah of God, because even the evil spirits do that. It is necessary accept his proposal of conversion, letting his power removing the shackles which prevent us to perform good relationship with God and with others. The resistance against Jesus is opposition to the realization of the kingdom. In this case, we act as adversaries of God, unable to follow faithfully the footsteps of his Son who, when proclaims the good news of the kingdom asks for free and total membership of each person. For us, the search of this kingdom should be a priority, because on it lays the meaning of our life and mission.

The message of this gospel is a proposal of a new discipleship. It is a invitation to us to review our capacity of surrender to the one who has called us and wants we should be his messengers. Identifying himself with those who follow him, Jesus continues opposing himself to any force or mentality that oppresses people’s lives. In other words, through our actions, the liberators gestures of Christ still happen in the lives of many people. From him we received the authority to be authentic people in order to speak the truth. The sure that Jesus accompanies us in our journey motivates us to fight against all evil and sin which prevent us to serve God with generosity and gratuity. May his grace help us to perform this purpose.

Fr. Ndega

UHITAJI WA MAFUNDISHO MAPYA

Kutafakari kutoka Kumbukumbu la Sheria 18: 15-20; 1Wak 7: 32-35; Marko 1: 21-28

Masomo haya ni mwaliko kwa sisi sote kukaribisha mafundisho ya Neno la Mungu ambalo lina uwezo wa kubadili maisha ya watu, kuwapa uwezo ili kuwa wajumbe wa wakati mpya. Kulingana na Somo la Kwanza, nabii ni mtu aliyeitwa kutoka kati ya watu ili kuongea nao tu ambayo Mungu anamwuliza kusema. Msukumu wa Mungu, pamoja na upatikanaji wa nabii, ulifanya utofauti mkubwa katika maisha ya watu wa Israeli, ukiwaongoza kupitia maisha mapya. Mtakatifu Paulo anasifu mtu anayejituma kwa huduma ya Bwana na anawamotisha wengine wote wa jumuiya kuendelea kumtumikia kwa kujisalimisha kabisa bila rizavu.

Yesu anaanza kazi yake kwa umma kutangaza Ufalme wa Mungu na kuwaalika kwa kitubio. Kama hii, aliwaita wanafunzi wa kwanza, kulingana na kutafakari kwetu wiki iliyopita. Yesu anawaalika wanafunzi wake kukaa pamoja naye na anawafundisha kupitia uzoefu wa maisha. Sehemu nyingi ya miujiza ambayo yeye hufanya, yeye anafanya mbele ya wanafunzi wake. Tangu mwanzo, wanafunzi wake wamealikwa kushiriki katika kazi yake na kushiriki hisia zake kuhusu hali halisi ya watu, hasa hao maskini. Yesu hupenda kutembelea na kufundisha katika masinagogi kwa sababu katika mahali hapo kwa kawaida watu husanyika kusikiliza Neno la Mungu na kukubali mapenzi yake. Hali hii ilikuwa pia nafasi nzuri kuwafundisha wanafunzi wake, kuwasaidia watu kufungua mioyo kwa mapitio ya Mungu.

Mamlaka yaliyopewa Yesu na Baba mwenyewe yanaonyesha ubora wa mafundisho yake kabla ya njia ya mwandishi. Kidogo kidogo watu walikuwa wakielewa kwamba mtu huyo Yesu, ambaye alizungumza kwa upendo na ukweli, alikuwa mjumbe wa Mungu. Maneno yake yenye uhai kabisa na yanaongoza kwa kitubio. Njia yake ya kuzungumza ilizaa katika moyo shauku kwa ajili ya Ufalme. Kama mjumbe wa Mungu, yeye ni wa kipekee na mamlaka ya kufundisha watu. Wale ambao wana kazi ya kuongoza watu, lazima kusikiliza sauti yake. Hata pepo wachafu wanatambua utambulisho na mamlaka ya Yesu, lakini hawashiriki ahadi yake kwa ajili ya ubinadamu. Kwa hivyo, Yesu hazungumzi nao; yeye tu anawamuru, kuwanyamazisha. Pepo wachafu hawa ni ishara ya nguvu za upinzani kwa mpango wa Mungu, kudhoofisha watu na kuwazuia kuonyesha uwezo wao kwa njia kamili. Kabla ya nguvu hizi, Yesu anaweka mamlaka na anatenda kama Mkombozi.

Uwepo wa Yesu kati ya binadamu unatawaza wakati mpya, ni kwamba, wakati wa wokovu wa Mungu. Wokovu uliowasilihswa kupitia kinywa cha Yesu kinaongozwa na ishara halisi ya ukombozi. Kulingana na matendo ya Yesu, nguvu ya Neno la Mungu haitoki kwa tafsiri ya binadamu, lakini inatoka kwa msukumu wa Mungu. Kwa hivyo mafundisho yake yanachukuliwa mapya sana. Lakini haitoshi kutambua utambulisho wa Yesu kama Masihi wa Mungu, kwa sababu hata pepo wachafu wanafanya hivyo. Ni muhimu kukubali pendekezo lake la kitubio, kuruhusu uwezo wake kuondoa pingu ambayo inatuzuia kufanya uhusiano mzuri na Mungu na wengine. Upinzani dhidi ya Yesu ni upinzani kwa utambuzi wa Ufalme wa Mungu. Kwa hali hii, tunatenda kama wapinzani wa Mungu, kutoweza kufuata kwa uaminifu nyayo za Mwana wake ambaye, wakati anatangaza habari njema ya Ufalme, anauliza kwa ushiriki wa bure na jumla ya kila mtu. Kwa upande wetu, kutafuta Ufalme huu lazima uwe kipaumbele, kwa sababu juu yake maana ya maisha na kazi zetu huweka.

Ujumbe wa injili hii ni pendekezo la uanafunzi upya. Ni mwaliko kwa sisi kupitia uwezo wetu wa kujisalimisha kwa mtu ambaye ametuita na anataka kwamba tuwe wajumbe wake. Yeye anatambua mwenyewe na wale waliomfuata yeye, Yesu anaendelea kutenda dhidi ya nguvu yoyote au mawazo ambayo yanaonea maisha ya watu. Kwa maneno mengine, kupitia matendo yetu, ishara za ukombozi wa Kristo bado zinatokea katika maisha ya watu wengi. Kutoka kwake tunapokea mamlaka kuwa watu halisi ili kusema ukweli. Hakika kwamba Yesu anaambatana nasi katika safari yetu, inatumotisha kupigana dhidi ya maovu na dhambi zote ambazo zinatuzuia kumtumikia Mungu kwa ukarimu na bure. Neema yake itusaidie kufanya kusudi hili.

Fr. Ndega

Mapitio: Mwalimu Patrick