Commentary on the Gospel of

Fr. Roland Chidiebere, CMF

Life or death: choose One!

The Christian life is a covenantal bond between the Christian and the Holy Trinity. Right from the moment of baptism one chooses life in God over and above all forms of idolatry. This bond is full of blessings, newness and transformation unto the believer, mediated by the Lord Jesus Christ, who is Life itself. And so, sharing in Life Himself, the Christian beams with new life! It’s a fundamental choice of every Christian and the challenge is ‘the continuous renewal of this covenantal bond.’ How does one go about it?

The first reading encourages us to choose to do good, a choice that enhances our appropriation of the blessings of baptismal bond. St. Paul elaborates that we participate in God’s own Wisdom when we live in God’s love, whose crown of glory goes beyond human comprehension. They killed Jesus Christ because of lack of this wisdom. The implication is that one relapses to the darkness of ignorance when one chooses to perpetrate evil. On the other hand, we are sons and daughters of God’s Wisdom, Jesus Christ, the Light of the world. And so, we are blessed when we follow God’s law, the light of the Lord – meaning, we are blessed when we go about discerning and doing the will of God. It would therefore be ad rem to be guided by the personal question: “what would please my Lord and my God in this instance?” How would I effectively do God’s will in this circumstance?

Resolving to do the will of God in every situation is very challenging, yet, it is our calling by virtue of Baptism. Prompted by today’s Gospel reading we ponder the Lord Jesus who fulfills the Law by doing the Father’s will; who rather than keep malice forgives even those who violently murdered Him; who remains faithful to the Father’s redemptive will even unto death. Lord, strengthen us to always choose your modelling. 

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