Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B – January 21, 2024.
Readings: Jonah 3:1-5,10; Ps 24:4-6,7-9; 1 Cor. 7:13-29-31; Gospel – Mark 1:14-20.
Theme: The Cost of Discipleship!
Sunday Synopsis
The first reading recounts the sweet conversion narrative of the people of Nineveh. The second reading points to a similar sense of alacrity with a call for all to embrace holiness because “time is growing short.” The gospel reflects the theme of repentance and a call to believe the Good News. By stating that the disciples left their nets and their father to follow Jesus, the reading points to the cost of discipleship which has two implications – The need to urgently embrace holiness and like the apostles in the gospel, count the cost while discipling others for the kingdom – mindful that times are passing.
Introduction
Beloved in Christ, our liturgy presents the principle of causality. Philosophy tells us that for every cause, there is an effect – This is a fact of life. Only a nihilist, who disbelieves everything, is slow in accepting this truism. Our readings present us with the cost of following Jesus. It specifically calls us to understand that it is only when we access the demands of true discipleship and resolve to follow Jesus on the royal road of the cross, that we can be said to be disciples of Christ.
Background Summary the Readings
The first reading (Jonah 3:1-5,10) recounts the sweet conversion narrative of the people of Nineveh. It tells how the people of Nineveh accepted word of God through the Prophet Jonah. The reading denotes their docility, humility, mortification, and renunciation of sin after the prophet preached to them warning that they had a period of forty days to repent or be doomed.
The second reading (1 Cor. 7:13-29-31) points to a similar sense of alacrity with a call for all to embrace holiness because “time is growing short.” It exhorts those who have wives to live as if they had none; those who mourn to live as if they had nothing to mourn; those enjoying life to live as if there’s nothing to laugh about; those buying to live as if they own nothing and those who live in the world should not be engrossed in it. The text closes with the warning that “the world is passing away.”
The gospel (Mark 1:14-20) reflects the theme of repentance and a call to believe the Good News. It stresses the point that “the time has come.” Beyond the high premium placed on time in terms of accepting the Good News of the kingdom, our liturgy recounts the call of Simon and his brother, Andrew as well as the two sons of Zebedee, James, and John. By stating that the disciples left their nets and their father to follow Jesus, the reading points to the cost of discipleship.
Pastoral Lessons
1. Embrace repentance/holiness: In a world that is engrossed in material comfort and sensuality, our liturgy calls us to embrace repentance and holiness bearing in mind that the demands of the kingdom are not to be taken for granted.
2. Use spiritual weapons: By being docile, humble and pursuing mortification, the people of Nineveh teach us to use the spiritual weapons of the faith in our spiritual warfare even to listen to our pastors of souls who are God’s represents.
3. Be pacesetter in faith and morals: The reminder that “the world is passing away” is a challenge to the Church to hold its head high amidst a tempting world which seeks to drag it into the mundane as well as the scandal of embracing frivolities instead of being a pacesetter in faith and morals.
4. Turning your back on the world: The call of the apostles who left their vocation and their father first, challenges priests and religious to always put God first and second, reminds the laity about the ultimate call to holiness which entails turning our back on the world to follow Christ.
5. Count the cost: Our liturgy teaches us that we must access the implication of being disciples of Christ and be willing to let go of everything to follow Christ mindful of the scripture which says: “No one who puts the plough on the ground and looks back is worthy of the kingdom” (Luke 9:62).
Summary Lines
1. The first reading recounts the sweet conversion narrative of the people of Nineveh.
2. The second reading points to a similar sense of alacrity with a call for all to embrace holiness because “time is growing short.”
3. The text closes with the warning that “the world is passing away.”
4. The gospel reflects the theme of repentance and a call to believe the Good News.
5. By stating that the disciples left their nets and their father to follow Jesus, the reading points to the cost of discipleship.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the cost of discipleship has two implications – The need to urgently embrace holiness and like the apostles in the gospel, count the cost while discipling others for the kingdom – mindful that times are passing. While the change in times and seasons unleash before us the attractiveness of the latest electronics, the Church insists that we must not take our spiritual lives for granted. Therefore, we must learn to relive our baptismal commitments by being the salt of the earth and the light of the world (Cf. Matthew 5:13-16). May God help us to witness to the gospel values in-season and out-of-season. Amen. Have a great day!
NB: Kindly remember in your prayers, the soul of Bishop John Moore, SMA of Bauchi Diocese on his 14th death anniversary. We remember you with fond memories as a true father, friend, mentor, philanthropist, linguist, and finest Irish missionary. Through you, God gave us the gift of the priesthood – we’ll never forget that. In his eulogy on my WhatsApp status, Mr. Jibrin Boniface wrote: “He was indeed a missionary par excellence. Recall sweet memories of him in the mission in Kwande in the early 70s.” May his gentle soul rest in peace!
