Celebrating a Moment of Restoration

10-28-2018Weekly ReflectionFr. Julius Kundi

Consider how the Israelites would have welcomed the good news of their liberation from exile when it was first announced by the Prophet Jeremiah. Imagine the relief, the joy and total transformation such new development would have brought to them. Can we ever imagine how overjoyed and satisfied Bartimaeus felt when he eventually heard the words: "Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you.” He has struggled desperately to get the attention of Jesus to no avail. At the verge of giving up, suddenly, hope is restored to him. He will see again!

We have read and probably watched movies on how the citizens of the United States of America finally got liberated from the tyrannical administration of the British. Today, July 4, every year is not just an ordinary day; it's a day of liberation, restoration and a day of actualizing the American identity which calls for a national celebration. Indeed, the Lord has been delivering His people in every age and generation, may His name be praised from one generation to the end!

These memories are truly consoling. Yet we still see ourselves being enslaved by and or in so many ways today. To a certain degree, we seem to be helpless, not having any idea on how to break away from the chains that have enslaved us. Today, even with the recorded advancement in the field of science, we still remain blind to so many truths about life. We still have so many millions who have lost their sight or going blind. And we think of the thousands of other sad and difficult situations that we know of today. Many terrible accidents still happen and leave people maimed. We see on how relationships keep getting sore and good friends become enemies. There's an increasing number of young people becoming alcoholics and drug addicts, which kill their dreams in life. We spend billions of dollars waging wars with unknown enemies and for no justifiable reasons and millions perish as a result. These types of situations are the exiles of our own day! We are no longer taken captives physically as a community and deported by armies of the enemies. Rather, we stay right where we are and are destroyed as a people and as a community; all in the name of love for freedom.

While many people are completely blind to the presence of God, most of us have weaknesses in regard to seeing the truth of God in our lives. We do not always see how our actions can hurt others. We do not always consider how violating the moral laws of God might hurt us in our development as human beings. We are not always mindful of crossing boundaries in our behavior which disrespects others by our words or actions. We can be indulgent, selfish and unfair. We could even go through the day never thinking of God, acting as though God did not exist. This is again, another self-inflicted slavery.

As we meditate on today’s readings, each of us needs to look into his or her own heart and ask what we think of God. Do we believe in a God who saves or do we believe in a God who punishes? Our ancestors struggled with this same problem and Jesus, true God of true God and unique Son of God, comes as the final answer: God loves and pardons and comes to save the world from sin and its consequences. The moment of liberation is now!

Yet we must become like Bartimaeus in the Gospel: Jesus, I want to see. It is only when we set out on the journey and begin to ask Jesus to see that we can expect to be given spiritual understanding and insight. We must ask with all the energy of our hearts. We must wait on the Lord. The true meaning of this life is this spiritual journey.

Take courage,” the church says in the words of Jesus, “get up, Jesus is calling you.” Begin your journey now to real and true freedom!

Fr. Julius

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