Readings: Hosea 10:1-3. 7-8.12, Ps. 105, Matt 10:1-7
Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.
DO NOT FORGET THAT THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS VERY CLOSE AT HAND
The things of this passing world is so captivating and we are becoming so comfortable as if this world is our home. The truth remains that this world is not our home we are passing by. So, if we are not careful we will be like a foolish traveler who having encountered a pleasant garden forgets to continue towards his destination. The world is a pleasant garden and we are just passing by. This is exactly what Jesus is calling our attention to in our Gospel passage today, when he commanded his twelve disciples to go and proclaim to the people that the kingdom of heaven is close at hand.
Here, Jesus continues with his missionary discourse, he summoned his twelve apostles and send them out with the clear instruction to proclaim the Good News of the kingdom of heaven. He sent them on a mission of teaching and healing to proclaim the message of God’s saving love to those who were in most need of hearing it.
In a similar way, we heard in our first reading how the Lord sent prophet Hosea, just before the end and the destruction of the northern kingdom of Israel, to remind the people of all the sins they had committed, warning them of the impending suffering and destruction for all the sinful things they had done. For time shall come when they will say to the mountains, ‘Cover us!’ and to the hills, ‘Fall on us! But they will find no response. He advised them to sow integrity for themselves and reap a harvest of kindness, they should break up their fallow ground: for it is time to go seeking the Lord, until he comes to rain salvation on us.
So, today Jesus is calling us to change our ugly and sinful ways of life, especially as regards our attitude towards the things of this passing world. He is also commanding us just as he commanded his apostles to tell humanity, especially those we encounter every day, our family members, neighbours, colleagues, friends, in fact everyone around us, we should tell them that the kingdom of heaven is very close at hand.
Thus, it’s time to truly seek God with all our hearts, it’s time to turn away from our sinful way of life, it’s time to say yes to God for tomorrow may be too late. We should not be ashamed or afraid to carry out this mandate, for when God calls us, he supplies us with the means and courage necessary to accomplish the task entrusted to us. For we are never alone, he is always with us.
Dear friends, what are we doing in this passing world with the gift of life that God has given us? For today we are called not to be too comfortable with this thing of this passing world for God’s kingdom is very close at hand? We should never think that we still have all the time to keep ‘enjoying’ the pleasant things of this passing world.
Remember we are all travelers in this world. But how many ears must we have before we can hear the call for repentance, how many deaths will it take till we know that soul of many people has gone from this world. How many words of God will we hear before we know that one day we will be no more in this passing world. The answer dear friends is blowing in the wind. Therefore let us not be like a foolish traveler who having encountered a pleasant garden of this passing world, forgets to continue towards his destination which is God’s heavenly kingdom.
LET US PRAY: Lord God, you called us today to reflect on our heavenly kingdom, give us grace to repent and turn to you for mercy, help us to have the missionary zeal that will enable us to live with integrity, purity and detachment from the thing of this passing world as we spread the Good News of your kingdom to humanity. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Peace be with you.
