Sermon of 8th September 2013, Nativity of Mary Mother of God & 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time – Birthday of Bubune

My take on Rev. Fr. Precious Nutsugah

1. Fr Precious begun with his story of his seminary life at St. Mary. A friend Joshua went swimming & was caught in a swirl. A fisherman was asked to help him but he could not help him after trying as Joshua in desperation was pulling the experienced fisherman with him. The fisherman came out panting and all he said in ewe was that it was better for a brother dying than losing once own live. Sounded funny at the time, but there was a message in there for us. It was better to struggle for one’s salvation than try to hold on to family and even one’s own life.
2. But Christ is telling us in today’s reading that  “If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple”. On the day of judgment it will not be based on what our families. It will be based on us.
3. We need to strive for our salvation 1st & as an individual.
4. Christ told us to enter through the narrow gate. If the gate is that narrow these other things we worry and care about will hinder us from entering through the narrow gate.
5. But this does not sound well in this world. With our wordly wisdom it sound foolish. It is the reason that we are admonished in the 1st reading that “And scarce do we guess the things on earth, and what is within our grasp we find with difficulty; but when things are in heaven, who can search them out? “
6. Christ is telling us that nothing should hinder us from the Kingdom of God
7. In the Jewish tradition, slaves are supposed to serve for 7 years thereafter be released to go free. In the 2nd reading we are told about slavery. So is God condoning slavery. In the olden days there was self imposed slavery because of one’s condition. The other case is from war. If you are a slave you do not have any right.
8. Onesimus was a slave of Philemon who had run away, who met Paul & he repented. So was he supposed to avoid his punishment? But Paul wrote to Philemon to forgive him and accept him back as a brother. So we also need the forgiveness of God to get salvation. We also need to love & forgive our neighbor to gain salvation. We also need to give our lives and will to Christ to be saved, that is the only way through grace we will be saved.
9. So Onesimus is asked to go back to his master to do right and tell Philemon to also accept him and forgive him. So both of them can demonstrate the love that Christ had had for us, even as we have offended Christ He still forgives us.
10. So we too should forgive others and sell our wills to Christ, rather than sell our will to sin. If we do sell ourselves to worldly things, sin will rule our lives & we will miss the narrow gate.
11. We need to struggle 1st for our salvation before we can get others to Christ. We cannot give what we don’t have. We should not spend all our time doing work for God and not spend time with Him for our personal redemption and salvation. We need to have that intimacy with Him. This is a message to me and to all of us.
12. We cannot put our lives, our family & procession ahead of our salvation.
13. Christ wants us to be wise through the wisdom of God to sell our will to Christ.
14. Christ admonishes us to plan, “Which of you wishing to construct a tower does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if there is enough for its completion?” & “Or what king marching into battle would not first sit down and decide whether with ten thousand troops he can successfully oppose another king advancing upon him with twenty thousand troops? But if not, while he is still far away, he will send a delegation to ask for peace terms“. So even as Christians we should calculate that our zeal we have for Christ will it carry us to our salvation. Are we like the virgins who had extra oil in their lamps to be ready when Christ comes.
15. Can our faith carry us through calamities of life that will befalls us. It is the reason why we should seek the face of Christ to get us the grace we need to get to heaven.
16. We need to submit our will to Christ as His slave so that He will control us completely & grant us salvation. Will we be able to follow the command Christ gave to the rich man to sell all his property to follow Him.
17. What will we gain by leading others to Christ & lose our souls. We like St. Paul should strive to gain Christ so we can help other through the narrow gate.
18. We need to renounce everything to gain Christ. In everything we do we should ask, will that bring me salvation? If not we stop it.
19.  If our property, parents, family hinder us from salvation, if so let them go.
20. Let’s tender ourselves to Christ as slaves to be saved, rather than be slave masters who will be ruined in hell.
21.  May Christ give us that Wisdom from heaven to understand these things. AmenFIRST READING
    Wisdom 9:13–18b

    Who can know God’s counsel, or who can conceive what the LORD intends? For the deliberations of mortals are timid, and unsure are our plans. For the corruptible body burdens the soul and the earthen shelter weighs down the mind that has many concerns. And scarce do we guess the things on earth, and what is within our grasp we find with difficulty; but when things are in heaven, who can search them out? Or who ever knew your counsel, except you had given wisdom and sent your holy spirit from on high? And thus were the paths of those on earth made straight.

    RESPONSORIAL PSALM
    Psalm 90:3–4, 5–6, 12–13, 14, 17 (1)

    R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.

    You turn man back to dust, saying, “Return, O children of men.” For a thousand years in your sight are as yesterday, now that it is past, or as a watch of the night.

    R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.

    You make an end of them in their sleep; the next morning they are like the changing grass, which at dawn springs up anew, but by evening wilts and fades.

    R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.

    Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain wisdom of heart. Return, O LORD! How long? Have pity on your servants!

    R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.

    Fill us at daybreak with your kindness, that we may shout for joy and gladness all our days. And may the gracious care of the Lord our God be ours; prosper the work of our hands for us! Prosper the work of our hands!

    R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.

    SECOND READING
    Philemon 9–10, 12–17

    I, Paul, an old man, and now also a prisoner for Christ Jesus, urge you on behalf of my child Onesimus, whose father I have become in my imprisonment; I am sending him, that is, my own heart, back to you. I should have liked to retain him for myself, so that he might serve me on your behalf in my imprisonment for the gospel, but I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that the good you do might not be forced but voluntary. Perhaps this is why he was away from you for a while, that you might have him back forever, no longer as a slave but more than a slave, a brother, beloved especially to me, but even more so to you, as a man and in the Lord. So if you regard me as a partner, welcome him as you would me.

    ALLELUIA
    Psalm 119:135

    R. Alleluia, alleluia.

    Let your face shine upon your servant; and teach me your laws.

    R. Alleluia, alleluia.

    GOSPEL
    Luke 14:25–33

    Great crowds were traveling with Jesus, and he turned and addressed them, “If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. Which of you wishing to construct a tower does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if there is enough for its completion? Otherwise, after laying the foundation and finding himself unable to finish the work the onlookers should laugh at him and say, ‘This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish.’ Or what king marching into battle would not first sit down and decide whether with ten thousand troops he can successfully oppose another king advancing upon him with twenty thousand troops? But if not, while he is still far away, he will send a delegation to ask for peace terms. In the same way, anyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.”

This post has already been read 2261 times!