30TH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME, YEAR A:
Exodus 22:20-26; 1 Thessalonians 1:5-10; Matthew 22:34-40
Dearest friends in Christ, today’s Liturgy of the Word invites us all to a deep reflection on the meaning of the command, the love of God and our brothers and sisters. It is a question on the authenticity of our religion and the kind of God we claim to worship. Every human being is, in one way or another, a religious being. The experience of mystery, the search for meaning, and the desire to connect with the divine lead people to embrace a particular religious tradition. Religion can inspire love, hope, sacrifice, justice, and compassion. Yet, one of the greatest problems of religion today is that, while God created humanity in His own image and likeness, some religious adherents have attempted to create God in their own image and likeness. Instead of allowing God to transform their hearts, they fashion a god who approves of their prejudices, hatred, intolerance, and violence.
God commands His people in the First Reading to protect the stranger, the widow, and the orphan. He also warns against exploiting the poor and withholding a poor person’s cloak, which may be their only covering. This passage reveals a God who is attentive to human suffering, especially the suffering of the vulnerable. Our relationship with God cannot be separated from our treatment of those who are powerless, marginalized, and in need. A religion that neglects the suffering of human beings contradicts the very compassion of the God it professes to worship. In the Second Reading, St Paul praises the Thessalonians for receiving the Gospel with joy and becoming examples to other believers. Their faith was not merely an intellectual acceptance of religious teachings; it transformed their lives. Genuine faith produces visible fruits. If our religion does not make us more compassionate, honest, peaceful, and loving, we must honestly ask whether we have allowed the Gospel to change us.
And in the Gospel, Jesus summarizes the entire Law in two commandments: love God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and love your neighbour as yourself. These commandments cannot be separated. We cannot claim to love the invisible God while despising the human being created in His image. Every human life possesses dignity because every person bears the imprint of the Creator. This is where the problem of religion becomes painfully evident. Some of us claim to be fighting for God, defending His honour, or protecting our religious identity, yet we justify the destruction of human life. But is God so powerless that He needs our hatred and violence to defend Him? Does the Creator of heaven and earth require the blood of His creatures to prove His greatness? We must never confuse human ambition, fanaticism, or political interests with the will of God.
God is compassionate, merciful, and forgiving. Yet those who claim to serve Him show little compassion, mercy, or forgiveness toward their fellow human beings. When our understanding of God becomes distorted by hatred and prejudice, we risk working against the very God we claim to love and serve. Religion should lead us closer to God and, consequently, closer to one another. It should heal divisions, defend human dignity, and inspire us to become instruments of peace. Religious devotion is not measured by how loudly we proclaim God’s name, but by how faithfully we reflect His love.
The question for us today is not simply, “What religion do I practice?” but rather, “What kind of person is my religion making me?” If our worship does not produce compassion, if our prayers do not inspire forgiveness, and if our faith permits us to destroy the lives of others, then we must return to the heart of the Gospel. May we never create God in our own image. Instead, may we allow the true God to reshape us in His image, so that our lives become a living testimony to the greatest commandments: to love God wholeheartedly and to love our neighbour as ourselves. Amen
Happy Sunday and God bless you all!
©Friar Emmanuel Idakwo OFM Cap.
