The Sermon of 15th September 2013, 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Preached by Rev. Fr. Minta

1. Father asked that we build relationships. No church can survive without building strong ties among each other. We should use and take advantage of the modern social networks to strengthen our relationships. We need to make new friends every Sunday.
2. St. Theresa will become St. Theresa if we build strong ties. Any Church should be like the early church of the Apostles where they knew and cared for each other.
3. The 1st reading tells about the ingratitude of the people of Israel, they saw God in Moses, so when he left & went up the mountain, they thought their god Moses had delayed in coming. They were impatient.
4. The sin of impatience is killing us in Ghana, out of the sin, the people created a calf as a god to worship because Moses their god was gone for just a short while and they did not think he was coming back. Let’s not confuse God’s servant with God. ““Go down at once to your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt, for they have become depraved. They have soon turned aside from the way I pointed out to them, making for themselves a molten calf and worshiping it, sacrificing to it and crying out, ‘This is your God, O Israel, who brought you out of the land of Egypt!’”
5. Here we see Moses play the role of an intercession & God relented and forgave them.
6. Moses must been gifted to have convince God who was angry. Moses used God’s word back to God. “…how you swore to them by Your Own self, saying, ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky; and all this land that I promised, I will give your descendants as their perpetual heritage.’”
7.  In the 2nd reading you hear Paul tell us about his story. ” I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and arrogant, but I have been mercifully treated because I acted out of ignorance in my unbelief. Indeed, the grace of our Lord has been abundant, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.” By God’s mercy he the chief sinner has been forgiven.
8. We hear about 3 parables in today’s Gospel
9. The 1st was about a man who had 100 sheep, lost one, left the 99 in the bush unattended to & went to find the one.
10. 2nd one was a woman who had lost a coin.
11. 3rd the sons – prodigal son and the older son.
12. We see the “crazy” crazy by worldly standards, a God who will leave 99 sheep unattended & go into a dark night & to find one missing one. Then the woman will not wait for day but light a lamp that same night to sweep throughout that night, till she found that single coin. Then the son decided to get himself lost, leave the comfort of his father’s home. Impatient and will not wait for the father to die 1st.
13. Sometimes we think we are better outside our father’s house.
14. Here again we see a using our worldly wisdom a “Crazy God”  a father who acceded to his son request when he ask for his share without question. God gives us our free will. But even He had given his son ½ of His estates, and he gone out to squander it, He will not rest. This Father even after that was always on the lookout for his son. But let’s note that God will not step into our problem till we make the 1^st move, he is close by just watching us to make the 1^st move to return and He will come to us and embrace us.  He stepped out 1st to welcome him. He did not even reprimand him immediately but had a feast with the best of everything.
15. The elder son also returns but does not come to the father, goes to a gossip of a servant to find out what was going on and was upset. But lets also note a just God.  “Now the older son had been out in the field and, on his way back, as he neared the house, he heard the sound of music and dancing. He called one of the servants and asked what this might mean. The servant said to him, ‘Your brother has returned and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.”
16. But here again we see an attribute of God He is a just God, so we should not take His mercy for granted. “He said to him, ‘My son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours”. So those who remain faithful to God all the time, He “everything I have is yours”.
17. Today reading we are hearing of a God of mercy & compassion.
18. We see the self righteousness of the Pharisee who did not see the need for salvation & did not need to come to Christ. Note that for all have sin.
19. Mercy is looking beyond our sin, justice looks at who we are. The mercy of God goes beyond justice.
20. See the Israelites who were addicted to the life they lived in Egypt, so with Moses gone for a few moments, they denounce God’s mercy.
21. Man is forgetful, but God does not forget, He knows our nature. He will come looking for us. It is Christ who went in search of the lost sheep, not the other way round. As a church we should go out for the lost sinners & stop being self righteous.
22. Sometimes we like to remain in our situation, stop being self righteous, thinking that we don’t need salvation. We are always accusing other, but not us & not allow Christ mercy in. We should not take God’s mercy for granted.
23. Christ is searching for us. Let’s respond to the call. Let’s stop comparing ourselves with others. Christ is the standard. It is not about being better than others. Judgment will be an individual affair as we heard last week.
24. Failing to forgive makes us sin. Sin has 2 sides, the offending party & the person offended if he refuses to forgive.
25. No matter your situation don’t think it is the best, it could still be better, trust in God. Don’t be self-content trusting on your strength and connections, trust in God. God has ways of taking care of His people, sin can never be the solution, and the reprieve it brings is transient. That is not the solution. Christ is the answer.
    28. Let’s not take Christ mercy for granted. He is searching lets respond

    LITURGY OF THE WORD
    FIRST READING
    Exodus 32:7–11, 13–14

    The LORD said to Moses,
    “Go down at once to your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt, for they have become depraved. They have soon turned aside from the way I pointed out to them, making for themselves a molten calf and worshiping it, sacrificing to it and crying out, ‘This is your God, O Israel, who brought you out of the land of Egypt!’ I see how stiff-necked this people is,” continued the LORD to Moses. “Let me alone, then, that my wrath may blaze up against them to consume them. Then I will make of you a great nation.”

    But Moses implored the LORD, his God, saying, “Why, O LORD, should your wrath blaze up against your own people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with such great power and with so strong a hand? Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, and how you swore to them by your own self, saying, ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky; and all this land that I promised, I will give your descendants as their perpetual heritage.’” So the LORD relented in the punishment he had threatened to inflict on his people.

    RESPONSORIAL PSALM
    Psalm 51:3–4, 12–13, 17, 19 (Luke 15:18)

    R. I will rise and go to my father.

    Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness; in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense. Thoroughly wash me from my guilt and of my sin cleanse me.

    R. I will rise and go to my father.

    A clean heart create for me, O God, and a steadfast spirit renew within me. Cast me not out from your presence, and your Holy Spirit take not from me.

    R. I will rise and go to my father.

    O LORD, open my lips, and my mouth shall proclaim your praise. My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit; a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.

    R. I will rise and go to my father.

    SECOND READING
    1 Timothy 1:12–17

    Beloved:
    I am grateful to him who has strengthened me, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he considered me trustworthy in appointing me to the ministry. I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and arrogant, but I have been mercifully treated because I acted out of ignorance in my unbelief. Indeed, the grace of our Lord has been abundant, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. This saying is trustworthy and deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Of these I am the foremost. But for that reason I was mercifully treated, so that in me, as the foremost, Christ Jesus might display all his patience as an example for those who would come to believe in him for everlasting life. To the king of ages, incorruptible, invisible, the only God, honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

    ALLELUIA
    2 Corinthians 5:19

    R. Alleluia, alleluia.

    God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

    R. Alleluia, alleluia.

    GOSPEL
    Longer Form Luke 15:1–32

    Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus, but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” So to them he addressed this parable. “What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds it? And when he does find it, he sets it on his shoulders with great joy and, upon his arrival home, he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you, in just the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance.

    “Or what woman having ten coins and losing one would not light a lamp and sweep the house, searching carefully until she finds it? And when she does find it, she calls together her friends and neighbors and says to them, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found the coin that I lost.’ In just the same way, I tell you, there will be rejoicing among the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

    Then he said,
    “A man had two sons, and the younger son said to his father, ‘Father give me the share of your estate that should come to me.’ So the father divided the property between them. After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings and set off to a distant country where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation. When he had freely spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he found himself in dire need. So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens who sent him to his farm to tend the swine. And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed, but nobody gave him any. Coming to his senses he thought, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have more than enough food to eat, but here am I, dying from hunger. I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers.”’ So he got up and went back to his father. While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him. His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son.’ But his father ordered his servants, ‘Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.’ Then the celebration began. Now the older son had been out in the field and, on his way back, as he neared the house, he heard the sound of music and dancing. He called one of the servants and asked what this might mean. The servant said to him, ‘Your brother has returned and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ He became angry, and when he refused to enter the house, his father came out and pleaded with him. He said to his father in reply, ‘Look, all these years I served you and not once did I disobey your orders; yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends. But when your son returns, who swallowed up your property with prostitutes, for him you slaughter the fattened calf.’ He said to him, ‘My son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours. But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’” 1

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