APPRECIATING THE MIRACLE IN THE ORDINARY

Monday, Third Week of Lent, Year C

2 Kings 5:1-5/Luke 4:24-30

How would you define a miracle? What qualifies as a miracle for you? Something with an element of wonder, the spectacular, the outlandish, the awe-inspiring? Some will say a miracle is an indubitable intervention of the supernatural which cannot be explained otherwise. Miracles are supposed to be exotic and extraordinary, aren’t they? Yes, but if you permit me, I will like to present to you a vista into the understanding of the miraculous which includes the ordinary.

Our God is a God of miracles, no doubt, but He seems not to be too interested in the spectacular. And the difference between these too is clear. Miracles are meant to increase faith; spectacles are geared to satisfy curiosity. God prefers to woo us by “acts of love” rather than by “acts of wow”. If He seduces us by the wonders, we will follow and serve Him interestedly. But if He woos us by love, we will love Him back with the conviction that He loves us.

Take the Incarnation for example; what miracle is greater than God becoming man? But how did God bring it about? By descending from the heavens in splendour and power, with milliards of angels attending to Him? No but through the ordinary way of being born of a woman. When He was to begin His public ministry, Satan tried to tempt Him to do something spectacular like jump from a high mountain or change stones to bread but He refused to yield. Examine the miracles He performed during His life time; He tried to keep them as simple as possible without making too much show of them and warning those who noticed them not to publicise them. All he wanted to show by them was that “God so loves the world”; that was His way of expressing God’s love for us and thereby inviting us into the same love.

In the first Reading of today, Naaman, the Syrian Army General went to Prophet Elisha for healing. He expected the Man of God to do something outlandish, some abracadabra. But he simply asked his servant to tell the warlord to go and have a birth in the Jordan. Naaman was quite disappointed, that was not his idea of a miracle. He would have gone home in anger without receiving his healing if not for a servant who reasoned with him: “Master, if the prophet had told you to do some difficult thing you would have done it. But here he simple says go and wash. Why not obey him?”

And no wonder, the kinsmen of Jesus where offended at Him as we read in today’s Gospel. They saw Him as ordinary, a carpenter, son of Joseph and Mary. Why would He dare insinuate He is something more, that He is the Son of God? So they were going to throw Him down the hill.

Miracles happen, my dear friends. They may not happen the way you want them. They may not be such that feed your curiosity or satisfy your fancies. They may just happen simply, like you take a simple drug and your ulcer is gone, like your drive from Lagos to Otukpo on our bad roads without any road accident, like you just had a safe delivery, like your husband has suddenly become more attentive and stable, and could it be because of the simple prayer you said? Miracles happen, they may not necessarily be spectacular. Oh God, help me to appreciate the “ordinary” miracles You let me experience because you love me!

Take care and God loves you.

THE PRODIGAL FATHER

Saturday, Second Week of Lent, Year C

Micah7:14-15.18-20/Luke 15:1-3.11-32

We read today the popular parable of the prodigal son, or should we say “the prodigal father”. Indeed it is difficult to say which of the two is more prodigal: the son with his inheritance of the father with is love. It is a story that regards all of us in our relationship with God, a story we can all relate to.

This young man was fine in his father’s house. He had all he wanted because his dad was both rich and loving. It seemed that the one other thing he subtly craved for was freedom from his father’s love. One can be so loved to the extent that he desires to be loved no further. That was how the young man asked his father for his share of the inheritance which was an awkward thing to do considering the fact that an inheritance should normally apply to the heir only after the death of the owner.

But this indulgent dad obliges his son. Shortly after that, the guy sold all he had gotten, took the proceeds and went off to a faraway country, far from the father’s house to “enjoy” life. He quickly squandered the whole money in loosed living and began to be in want. Nobody was ready to help me and he was shamed to go back home. How would he face his dad? When the suffering was too much, he decided that he would just go home, apologise to his dad and beg to be employed as a part-time servant. So he set out on his journey home. On coming close, the father noticed him and ran to embrace and kiss him. The man was so overjoyed at having his son back that he didn’t even care to listen to the young man’s rehearsed apology. And he threw a big party.

Hmm, beautiful and well articulated story by Jesus! The Father of the prodigal son is God. The son is you and me. Our heavenly Father is a big man; in our father’s house we’ve got all that we truly need. Close to the father is the best place we can ever be. But it often doesn’t feel that way. At times we actually feel like leaving the house and just go somewhere else where we think we can “enjoy” life better. Then we wander far away from the way only to realise later that it was better being home with the Lord. But we are not sure how to begin the journey. Will God accept me back after all that I have done? How can I face him?

God is a prodigal Father. He is so prodigal with his love. He is merciful, He is compassionate. He desires that we remain in communion with Him, for He knows that that is the best place we can be. You see, dear friend that, having such a loving Father, we really have no reason to misbehave. But He will force no one to remain at home. When we unfortunately stray, He eagerly awaits our return. Our sins may be much and grave but His love can very well contain them. Just come back home.

Have a nice day and God loves you. 

THEIR PLOTS WERE IN HIS PLAN

Friday, Second Week of Lent, Year C

Genesis 37:3-4.12-13.17-28/Matthew 21:33-43.45-46

My dear friends, you know about the story of Joseph in the Bible. That is the subject of our first reading today. He was a gifted chap and his father loved him so much. Unfortunately for him, the love of his father attracted the hatred of his ten brothers. His giftedness made the matter worse. He was anointed with the gift of dreams and God’s hand was on him. But his brothers were envious of him, they were afraid of his dreams and they were intent on putting an end to it. They thought that the best way to kill his dreams was to kill him.

Their wicked plot got vent when on one occasion their father Israel sent Joseph to check on them in the fields. When they saw him, they said to themselves, “Aha, here comes the dreamer, let’s us kill him and throw him into one of these pits... and we shall see what becomes of his dreams”.  Reuben suggested that they throw him rather into the pit without soiling their hand with his blood. They agreed on that and finely executed it. Then they sat down to eat; and looking up they saw Ishmaelite traders coming from Gilead, and Judah suggested it was an opportunity to make some extra money from their doomed little brother. He was brought out and sold for 20 shekels of silver, ten units cheaper than the prize for the betrayal of Jesus. For them, Joseph was gone for good and his dreams were now as good as dead.

But God had their plots in His plan. Think of that awhile! It was a very wicked complot that these sons of Israel had but see how God tailored it into His plan. It happened that they all agreed (without a single one objecting) that they should not kill him themselves; it happened that Ishmaelite traders were passing by at that moment; it happened that the traders wanted to buy a slave; it happened that they were going down to Egypt; it so happened that as they were busy plotting, God was working out something.  What they meant for evil, God turned into good.

You may be passing through a similar situation and all you can see is meaningless suffering. God is nowhere in the picture. People manipulating things here and there; trusted ones betraying you and even the friends you never expected to disappoint you have turned their backs on you. You just had a very painful breakup and it seems the whole world has crashed on you. This business partner you thought was genuine has just duped of some good money. Where go from here? Your dreams have gone blank and your aspirations are fading away like vapour before you. Give me your attention; I want to tell you something: it is not the end of the story. Do not be bitter or discouraged. God is working out something which you can’t see now. He has got their plot in His plan.

Have a nice day and God loves.