Dear Parishioners.

In our first reading of today, the suffering servant of Yahweh is assured of God’s help. The psalm is a prayer in praise of God for saving his people, while St. James in the second reading reminded us that faith without good work is death.

St. Peter in the Gospel, declared Jesus as the “Christ” the anointed one, the Messiah, and Jesus teaches that those who will follow him must take up their cross.

The context of the first reading is during the exile of the Jews in Babylon, about 500 years before the coming of Jesus Christ. Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed and the Jews were taking in captivity from Palestine. The Prophet Isaiah in his song of the suffering servant rekindle the hope of those in exiled. God vindicates the just, the oppressed, and the weak. The “Suffering servant’’ has been seen also as a prophecy referring to the person of Jesus Christ, who was condemned, suffered, crucified to death.

 The resurrection of Christ from dead, is a sign of hope and victory for Christians who suffer because of their faith and believe. It is an assurance of hope in life after death. That the suffering of this life cannot be compared to the joy that awaits us at the end of time. While we await Jesus’s second coming, we should bear with faith and hope our daily challenges. It is in prayer and in love that we can achieve this everlasting joy in Christ Jesus.

 The Church through the letter of St. James reminds us about that which makes us unique as Catholics and people of God. The lack of understanding of the fact that it is not only faith that justifies us people of God, caused the divisions we have now in “Christendom’’. Martin Luther’s failure to well understood this fact that “faith without good work is death” lead to his separation from the Church.

Justification is not equal Salvation; it is through faith in God and love of our neighbors that we can achieve salvation. Thus, Jesu told us about the two greatest commandments, love of God and love of Neighbours. The last judgement will be based on how much we have reached out to those in needs.

Peter’s declaration of the identity of Jesus as the Christ, confirmed our understanding of the role and person of Jesus Christ as the Saviour. A saviour who come to serve and not to be served, a Messiah who through his death and resurrection has come to save us. Jesus assured us through his life, suffering, death and resurrection that the sufferings or pains of this world cannot be compared to the joy that awaits us in heave. So as Christians we should carry our cross with faith hope and love. There is light at the end of the tunnel.

FR. Jerome Otitoyomi DUKIYA. C.S.Sp.