Sunday Reflections - TWELFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME – YEAR A

 LIGHT FOR THE LIVING

TWELFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME – YEAR A

(Jeremiah 20:10–13; Romans 5:12–15; Matthew 10:26–33)

My beloved in Christ,

In a small farming community in Adamawa State, there lived an elderly widow called Mama Kande. Though she had little in terms of wealth, everyone in the village respected her because of her deep faith in God.

Every morning before sunrise, she would sit outside her mud house with her rosary and Bible, singing hymns in her soft, trembling voice.

One year, severe drought struck the community. The streams dried up, crops withered, and hunger spread across the land.

As the hardship worsened, some villagers began to grumble.

"Where is your God now, Mama Kande?" one man mocked.

Another laughed and said,

"If prayer could bring rain, your compound would have become a river by now!"

Even some of her relatives advised her:

"Old woman, reduce this your church matter. Face reality."

Mama Kande smiled quietly and replied,

"My children, when the harmattan wind blows, does the baobab tree uproot itself and run away?"

The villagers laughed.

One young man teased her:

"Are you not afraid that God has forgotten you?"

She chuckled and answered:

"My son, if God remembers the sparrows flying over our farms, how can He forget an old woman who calls His name every day?"

The whole compound erupted in laughter.

Months later, relief supplies finally reached the village. Those who had mocked Mama Kande were surprised to discover that she had spent most of her share helping widows and hungry children.

One of the villagers asked her,

"After all you suffered, why did you not lose your faith?"

She looked up to the sky and said:

"My faith is not a contract with God to avoid suffering. My faith is my trust that whether in joy or in tears, God will never abandon me."

 

Faith Beyond Circumstances

My beloved, today's readings remind us that authentic faith is not measured by the absence of suffering but by steadfast trust in God despite suffering.

Too often, we think believing in God should guarantee a life free from pain, disappointment, sickness, persecution, or hardship.

But Scripture teaches otherwise.

The prophets suffered.

The apostles suffered.

The saints suffered.

Even Christ Himself suffered.

Faith does not remove the Cross; it gives us the strength to carry it.

 

Jeremiah: Surrounded but Not Defeated

The prophet Jeremiah knew betrayal intimately.

He lamented:

"I hear the whisperings of many: 'Terror on every side! Denounce him! Let us denounce him!'"
(Jeremiah 20:10)

His enemies plotted against him.

His friends abandoned him.

Yet Jeremiah did not abandon God.

Instead, he declared:

"But the Lord is with me, like a mighty champion."
(Jeremiah 20:11)

Jeremiah teaches us that faith is not pretending that suffering does not exist.

Faith is knowing that God remains present even in suffering.

 

The Witness of the Maccabean Family

The history of salvation gives us another powerful example.

In the Second Book of Maccabees, a mother and her seven sons were tortured and killed one after another because they refused to abandon God's law (cf. 2 Maccabees 7:1–42).

Imagine the pain.

Imagine watching your brothers die before your eyes.

Imagine a mother encouraging her children to remain faithful even unto death.

Yet none of them denied God.

Their hope rested not in earthly survival but in eternal life.

They understood that the greatest tragedy is not physical death but separation from God.

Their witness echoes through the centuries:

No suffering, no persecution, and no earthly loss should make us abandon our faith.

 

Do Not Fear Those Who Kill the Body

In today's Gospel, Jesus speaks words that challenge every generation:

"Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna."
(Matthew 10:28)

Our world teaches us to fear many things:

Failure.

Rejection.

Poverty.

Persecution.

Death.

But Christ invites us to see life differently.

Our primary purpose on earth is not merely to avoid pain.

Our primary purpose is to know God, love God, serve God, and remain faithful to Him until the end.

The body is temporary.

The soul is eternal.

The reward awaiting the faithful far surpasses every earthly suffering.

 

You Are Precious to God

Jesus continues:

"Even all the hairs of your head are counted."
(Matthew 10:30)

What a beautiful assurance!

God knows us personally.

God sees our struggles.

God counts our tears.

God never abandons His children.

Saint Paul reminds us:

"The grace of God and the gracious gift of the one man Jesus Christ overflow for the many."
(Romans 5:15)

Through Christ, we have received a grace greater than sin, greater than fear, and greater than death itself.

 

Acknowledge Christ Before Others

Jesus concludes with a solemn promise:

"Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father."
(Matthew 10:32)

Faith is not private sentiment.

Faith must be lived publicly.

Not only when it is convenient.

Not only when society approves.

But especially when it costs us something.

The Christian who remains faithful in adversity gives the most powerful testimony.

 

Light for the Living Today

Back in Adamawa, Mama Kande understood something many people forget.

God is not valuable because He solves every problem immediately.

God is valuable because He remains faithful even when life becomes difficult.

Like Jeremiah.

Like the Maccabean family.

Like the apostles.

Like the saints.

Like Christ Himself.

We are called to trust God without reservation.

Not because suffering will never come.

But because eternal life awaits those who persevere.

 

Sunday Reflection

My beloved,

You are loved and so precious to God that even your hairs have been numbered, such that you cannot come to harm because God is your warrior.

Fear not, because your enemies and persecutors will stumble and fall into eternal shame.

However, be faithful and acknowledge the Lord before men, and you will be acknowledged before His Father.

May God bless you.

Happy Sunday.

Rev. Fr. Chinedu Ibearugbulem, C.S.Sp.