Message from Fr. Jose Koluthara, CMI
| Lord Jesus, |
My Dear Brothers and Sisters,
As we celebrate World Mission Sunday 2008 on October 19th, the liturgical readings invite us to reflect on our mission in this world. It is one of involvement in a world and a culture imbued with the principle of separation of Church and State.
The 1st reading from Isaiah (45:1-6) refers to God’s constant and continuous involvement in human history. Though Cyrus was not Israel’s king, it was his efforts at re-establishing political exiles in their own lands that brought about the freedom and restoration of Israel. In a word, prophet Isaiah regarded Cyrus as messiah i.e. anointed one of God (v.1). Verses 4-6 give us God’s intervention in the life of Cyrus. “I call you by your name,…though you do not know me… I arm you, though you do not know me”. All people in the world are called by God and strengthened by God to fulfill their mission.
Consider these prophetic words spoken by the late Archbishop Oscar Romero:
“Our hope for a new world must not deaden but rather increase our concern (and our efforts) to improve this world, where the new human family is taking shape and which will in some way, be a dim prefiguring of a new age. Although we must distinguish carefully between temporal progress and the growth of the kingdom of Christ, the former, nevertheless, has a lot to do with the latter in so far as it can contribute to improving society… May Jesus, whose body was offered up and whose blood was shed for mankind give us the strength to offer ourselves in suffering and in sorrow, just as Jesus did, not for himself but in order that the world might know true justice and peace.
God’s reign is already present on our earth in mystery. When the Lord comes, it will be brought to perfection. That is the hope that inspires Christians. We know that every effort to better society, especially when injustice and sin are so ingrained, is an effort that God blesses, that God wants, that God demands of us”.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment