Change Your Ways, the Kingdom of Heaven is Near

Mt 4:12-17, 23-25                                                                

There are so many lights that we can draw from our reading today.

Just like the Holy family’s flight to Egypt in the foreseen danger for the child Jesus when Herod, the Great, ordered the massacre of infants; another flight from danger was done by Jesus himself, this time, Jesus left Nazareth to withdraw into Galilee after the arrest of John.

Somehow, we can say that mission is also strategic. There is no room for personal pride to fight and to die as heroes; but, most of the time, to live in order to do the will of God among His beloved people; since, after all, this mission is not ours because the mission is from God. Somehow, this ‘living’ of service for others leads us up into self-giving that is so painful— for to be a co-worker in the Kingdom of Heaven, there is a need to emulate the works of Jesus Christ—teaching and curing the sick... a life of giving ourselves to others which is the fruit of our metanoia, our change of hearts and minds. An outward change of paradigm from loving ourselves to a paradigm of relationship that leads us to love others.

The Eastern Orthodox Church has this term to “Christify.” In the Mass, everything we offer is Christified. Christify is to turn into Christ. The water and wine we offered in the Mass is turned into Jesus Christ Himself. And perhaps, in our daily living, just like Paul said, ‘it is not me who live; but the Christ who dwells in me’ is a Christified life. Our own life becomes a life of Jesus Christ for others. 

To see Jesus Christ from the others is another challenge for us. We need to see and love using the eyes and heart of God for us to transcend for us to really love like Jesus Christ himself. The question, “where is Jesus?” is answered by Jesus Himself... “When I was hungry you gave me food, when I was thirsty you gave me drink, when I was a stranger you welcomed me, when I was naked you clothed me, when I was sick you healed me, when I was in prison you visited me.” From this, it is clear that Jesus is present in the poor who is hungry, thirsty, naked, a stranger, sick and those who are imprisoned.   Indeed, Jesus told us that whatever we have done to these least beloved people of God is also done to Jesus himself.

As I realized this New Year, for me to become a Christified person is also to embrace a change of heart and mind. It is not enough for me to give my life to God; for I also need to cooperate to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. I always believe that the grace of God is always sufficient for me to change; but sometimes, I admit, that my rationalizations and pride, somewhat, hindered me to fully love the community that God has given me in this point of my life. With this, let me humbly say sorry to all of you who I have hurt this past 2014. I realized that repentance is incomplete without a real change of attitudes and behaviour in my part and with this I want to thank you for always giving me a chance.

This experience of being forgiven--as always and as untiringly-- has, perhaps, made me to personally encounter the Kingdom of God through all of you as a Kingdom of Love... a Kingdom of Mercy and a kingdom of Compassion.  Amen.