Shikrot Mpwi – Sunday Synopsis
Fr. Justine John Dyikuk
Dear friends in Christ,
On the Fifteenth Sunday of the Year, C (July 13, 2025), I bring you greetings and God’s blessings!
Theme: Stir the Paradoxical Hero in You
Introduction
Friends in Christ, today the Church invites us to reflect on the love of neighbour as a reflection of the love of God. From Moses’ call of obedience to God through Paul’s declaration that Christ reconciles everything to himself through his death on the cross, we land at the port of being urged to go and act like the Good Samaritan – the super paradoxical hero. In 2018, an 84-year-old Muslim cleric, Imam Abubakar, rescued about 300 Christians in Nghar village in Barkin Ladi LGA of Plateau State by hiding them in his Mosque when armed men arrived in the community on motorbikes and razed down houses, killing scores of people. This revolutionary story provides a basis for reflecting on the Good Samaritan.
Review of the Readings
The first reading (Deuteronomy 30:10-14) tells how Moses charged the people to obey God by keeping his ordinances. He assured that the law of the Lord is neither in heaven nor beyond the sea that the people cannot reach. On the contrary, he emphatically stated: “The Word is very to you, it is in your mouth and your heart for your observance.”
In the second reading (Colossians 1:15-20), St. Paul declares to the Colossians that Christ is the image of the unseen God. He maintains that he (God) created all things, visible and invisible, noting that he reconciles everything to himself through his death on the cross.
The Gospel (Luke 10:25-37) reading narrates the response of Jesus to the lawyer who wanted to disconcert him by asking the question: “And who is my nieghbour?” It tells the story of the Good Samaritan who acted in a godly manner after a Priest and a Levite scandalously ignored a man in need.
Takeaway Lessons
- The first reading urges us to accept the Word of God, allow it to be watered in our hearts, develop a good conscience, and act nicely towards others.
- Based on the love of Christ, whom St. Paul describes as the head of the Church in the second reading, the gospel challenges us to practice good neighbourliness daily.
- Metaphorically, our lifetime is the road between Jerusalem and Jericho, which is often perilous and calls for caution, prayer, and discernment.
- The gospel reminds us to watch out for brigands in our spiritual journey because they are always on the prowl to bring us down.
- The uncommon kindness of the Good Samaritan points to Jesus the Chief Story-teller, who is compassion personified and charges us to do the same – it also charges us to match spirituality with religiosity – getting dirty for others, sparing time for them, and bearing the extra cost or burden.
Conclusion
Both Imam Abubakar and the Good Samaritan inspire faith. We are urged to break down the barriers of ethnic, religious, cultural, political, and social prejudice that divide our world. We are charged to go the extra mile to save others. I urge you to undertake one revolutionary action today. It can change the world. Be the change you want to see. May Jesus, the super paradoxical hero who laid down his life to save us, transform your lives. May he stir up the paradoxical hero in you. Amen. Have a Blessed Week!
May our universal heroes inspire us to overcome the qualms of this life towards enjoying the beatific vision with the saints in light. Have a blessed week!
Yours in Christ!
