Pip: A vineyard owner who pays everyone the same wage regardless of hours worked — either the worst HR policy in history, or a parable worth sitting with for a Sunday.

Mara: Today we’re in the territory of God’s invitation and unconditional love, drawing on canicecnjoku’s homilies for the Twenty-Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time. Let’s start with what the readings actually argue.

Mara: The central tension across these homilies is fairness versus generosity — specifically, whether God’s justice operates by the same logic we use to measure human reward and effort.

Pip: The English homily sets up the parable’s key interpretive move by anchoring it in Isaiah, and the quote does the heavy lifting: “My thoughts are not your thoughts, and my ways are not your thoughts.”

Mara: That reframe is the whole argument. If God’s ways are categorically different from ours, then the vineyard owner paying late workers the same wage isn’t a labor dispute — it’s a demonstration of unconditional love extended equally to everyone who responded to the invitation.

Pip: And the Spanish homily, covering the same readings, reinforces exactly that point — God’s generosity isn’t governed by strict justice or economics, but by love for all who answer his call, whenever they answer it.

Mara: Paul’s letter to the Philippians adds a second layer. The homily traces Paul’s conflict between longing for Christ and remaining present for his community, and lands on his own resolution: “To live is Christ, and to die is gain.”

Pip: Which is a remarkable thing to say from prison, honestly — but the homily reads it not as resignation, but as a model of motivation. Love for Christ and for others becomes the source of action, not the reward at the end of it.

Mara: Both homilies make the same practical point from that: the instruction Paul gives is to avoid anything in daily life unworthy of the Gospel. The theology lands in behavior, not just feeling.

Pip: So the parable isn’t really about wages. It’s about what counts in God’s vineyard — and the homily is direct: “not years of service, but the diligence of heart as a chosen one.”

Mara: Right. The reward is grace, extended to everyone who responded faithfully. The timing of the call doesn’t change the love behind it.

Pip: Which reframes the grumbling workers less as wronged employees and more as people still thinking in a different economy entirely.

Mara: That’s the invitation the homilies close on — to stop measuring God’s generosity by human scales, and simply respond to it.

Pip: Unconditional love that doesn’t calculate hours — that’s a harder posture to hold than it sounds.

Mara: It is. And that tension between human accounting and divine generosity is exactly the kind of question worth returning to next week.

La invitación, y Amor de Dios para todos

Readings: 1^ra: Is 55:6-9; Sal: 144:2-3.8-9.17; 2^da: Flp. 1:20-24.27; Ev: Mt. 20:1-16

Esta breve reflexión fue escrita por el Padre Canice Chukwuemeka Njoku, C.S.Sp., DMin., un sacerdote católico y miembro de la Congregación del Espíritu Santo (Espirítanos). Es un misionero en Puerto Rico. Es director del Santuario del Espíritu Santo, Dorado, y el Superior Mayor de la Congregación del Espíritu Santo (Espirítanos), Circunscripción de Puerto Rico y República Dominicana. El padre Canice es miembro de la Academia de Homilética (The Academy of Homiletics). Para más detalles y comentarios , se puede contactarlo al: canice_c_njoku@yahoo.com, canicechukwuemeka@gmail.com.

Encuentra otros libros en: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/904854

(Donar @ATH Móvil: Canice Njoku – 7873146309)

(https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8452-8392)

En este vigésimo quinto del tiempo ordinario, reflexionamos sobre los caminos inimaginables y el amor de Dios. Este amor es incalculable. Por lo tanto, la Iglesia nos invita a emular este amor. Todas las lecturas de hoy tienen una cosa en común, el amor de Dios por nosotros.

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En la primera lectura, Isaías nos invita urge: “Busquen al Señor mientras lo pueden encontrar, invóquenlo mientras está cerca; que el malvado abandone su camino…” En esta lectura, vemos a un Dios que expresa su amor por su pueblo. También, vemos a un Dios que, a pesar de nuestra infidelidad, sigue buscándonos. Un Dios, que se preocupa y está listo para acogernos.

En la segunda lectura, Pablo expresa el amor que tiene por Dios y por el Evangelio. Como cristianos, muchas veces, somos jalados en dos direcciones. Todos queremos ir al cielo, pero esta vida aún nos atrae. Pablo tenía los mismos sentimientos mixtos también. Aunque creía que pronto sería liberado de la cárcel, sabía que podía caer víctima de la espada de Nerón.

Esto creó un conflicto en él. Anhelaba estar con Cristo, porque eso sería mucho mejor. Sin embargo, también quería vivir, por su amor a sus hermanos y a sus hijos en la fe. Por lo tanto, la respuesta de Pablo al dilema más profundo de la vida es: “vivir, es Cristo, y morir, es ganancia”. El amor por Cristo, la buena nueva, y para nuestros hermanos deben motivar todas nuestras acciones. Debe ser la fuente de nuestra fuerza.

A través de esto, morir o vivir para Dios, o para nuestros hermanos ya no será una tragedia para nosotros. Más bien, sería un testimonio del Evangelio. Se convertiría en una expresión de nuestro amor por los demás. Pablo resume su reflexión con la siguiente instrucción: “Evita cualquier cosa en tu vida cotidiana que sea indigno del Evangelio de Cristo”.

En el Evangelio, Cristo nos presenta un dilema. ¿Cómo podría el empleador pagar a todo, la misma cantidad? Fue difícil para el anterior (o primero) grupo de trabajadores entender tal como sería para la mayoría de nosotros hoy en día. La clave para entender la acción del empleador en esta parábola está en la primera lectura de hoy. Dios nos recuerda que: “Mis pensamientos no son sus pensamientos, y mis caminos no son sus caminos.”

Lo que vemos en la acción en el Evangelio de hoy, es simplemente la justicia de Dios. Su justicia se rige por su generosidad y amor incondicional para todos. Su acción hacia el último grupo de trabajadores demuestra que no está actuando de acuerdo con la justicia estricta, ni con la economía.

Más bien, está motivado por el amor y la generosidad hacia todo lo que responde a su invitación. Para todos nosotros, él ha extendido la misma invitación inmerecida. A todos, él pagará el mismo salario o recompensa porque su amor es incondicional. Su recompensa no depende de cuándo el llamó a uno, sino de su amor generoso e inimaginable para todos.

Lo que cuenta en el reino de Dios no es años de servicio, sino diligencia de corazón como elegido. Todos los hombres, no importa cuando llegan, son igualmente hermosos para Dios. Por lo tanto, la recompensa de Dios para todos en su reino es simplemente su gracia que se extiende a todos aquellos que respondieron fielmente a su invitación divina.

Finalmente, lo que importa es que el Señor está cerca de todos los que responden a su invitación. No importa cómo y cuándo. Su amor es para todos.

¡La paz sea con ustedes!

¡Maranatha!

God’s Invitation and Love for all

Readings: 1st: Is 55:6-9; Ps: 144:2-3.8-9.17; 2nd: Phil 1:20-24.27; Gos: Mt. 20:1-16

This brief reflection was written by Fr. Njoku Canice Chukwuemeka, C.S.Sp., DMin, a Catholic Priest and a member of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Spiritans). He is a missionary in Puerto Rico. He is Director of Santuario del Espiritu Santo, Dorado, and the Major Superior of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Spiritans), Circumscription of Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Fr. Canice is a member of the Academy of Homiletics. For more details and comments, contact him at: canice_c_njoku@yahoo.com, canicechukwuemeka@gmail.com.

Find other books @: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/893122

(Donate @ATH Mobil: Canice Njoku-7873146309)

(https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8452-8392)

On this 25^th Sunday of ordinary time, we reflect on God’s unimaginable ways and love. This love is incalculable by any human standard. Hence, the Church invites us to emulate this love. All today’s readings have one thing in common: God’s Love for us.

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In the first reading, Isaiah invites us to “Seek the Lord while he is to be found; call to him while he is near, and let the wicked man abandon his way…!” In this reading, we see a God who expresses his love for his people. Despite our infidelity, we also see a God who continues to search for us. A God who cares and is ready to welcome us.

In the second reading, Paul expresses his love for God and the Gospel. As Christians, often, we are pulled in two directions. We all want to go to heaven, yet this life still appeals to us. Paul had the same mixed feelings, too. Although he believed he would soon be released from prison, he knew he could fall victim to Nero’s sword.

This created a conflict in him. He longed to be with Christ, for that would be much better. However, he also wanted to live because of his love for his brothers and children in the faith.  Hence, Paul’s answer to life’s most profound dilemma is, “To live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Love for Christ, the good news, and our brethren must motivate all our actions. It must be the source of our strength.

Through this, dying or living for God or our brethren will no longer be a tragedy. Instead, it would be a witness to the gospel. It would become an expression of our love for others. Paul summarizes his reflection with the following instruction: “Avoid anything in your everyday lives that would be unworthy of the gospel of Christ.”

In the gospel, Christ presents us with a dilemma. How could the employer pay everyone the same amount? It was difficult for the earlier (or first) group of workers to understand, just as it would be for most of us today. The key to understanding the action of the vineyard’s owner in this parable is in today’s first reading. God reminds us, “My thoughts are not your thoughts, and my ways are not your thoughts.”

What we see in the gospel today is simply the justice of God. His justice is governed by his generosity and unconditional love for all. His action towards the last group of workers shows he is not acting according to strict justice or economics.

Instead, he is motivated by love and generosity toward all who respond to his invitation. To all of us, he has extended the same unmerited invitation. He will pay the same wage to everyone because his love is unconditional. His reward depends not on when he calls anyone but on his generous and unimaginable love for all.

What counts in God’s vineyard is not years of service but the diligence of heart as a chosen one. All men are equally precious to God, no matter when they come in. God’s reward for all in His kingdom is this: His grace extended to all who responded faithfully to His divine invitation.

Finally, what matters is that the Lord is close to all who respond to his invitation. It does not matter how and when. His love is for all.

Peace be with you all!

Maranatha!

Pip: Forgiveness — turns out it’s not just a nice idea for greeting cards. It has a double effect, a single-dose medicine, and apparently no upper limit. Fr. Canice Njoku has thoughts.

Mara: That’s exactly where we’re headed. The posts this week center on one of the Gospel’s sharpest demands: what Christian forgiveness actually requires, and what it does to the person who practices it. Let’s start with that question.

Mara: The twenty-fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time puts forgiveness at the center, and the homily doesn’t treat it as a soft virtue. The real question is whether forgiveness is a feeling, a transaction, or something with actual consequences for the person doing the forgiving.

Pip: The English homily sets up the stakes plainly. Drawing on Psalm 102 and Sirach, it frames forgiveness as participation in God’s own nature — and then drops this from the first reading: “Forgive your neighbor the hurt he does to you, and when you pray, your sins will be forgiven.”

Mara: So the upshot is that forgiveness isn’t optional in this framework — it’s the condition under which you yourself receive it. The two movements are locked together.

Pip: And Paul’s line from Romans tightens that further. “The life and death of each of us influence the other.” Forgiveness isn’t a private act; it ripples. The homily calls it a single-dose medicine that cures more than one person at once.

Mara: That double-effect image is one of the more striking moves in the text. It liberates the one forgiven and heals the one who forgives. Which reframes the whole question — you’re not just being generous, you’re treating a wound in yourself.

Pip: Peter’s question to Jesus — how many times must I forgive? — gets the least transactional answer possible. Seventy-seven times, which is the Gospel’s way of saying the counter doesn’t exist.

Mara: And the homily is careful about what forgiveness is not. It explicitly rules out “I forgive you, but I do not want to see you again,” or “I forgive you, but I will not forget.” The definition it offers is sharper: “It means to heal a wound without leaving a scar.”

Pip: That’s a high bar. The wicked servant parable exists precisely to show how badly we miss it — forgiven an enormous debt, he immediately jails the neighbor over pocket change.

Mara: The Spanish homily, the Vigésimo Cuarto Domingo, covers the same ground and adds one emphasis worth noting: the need to forgive oneself. Endless guilt over past mistakes, the text says, hinders both spiritual and material progress.

Pip: Self-forgiveness as a practical necessity, not a therapeutic indulgence. That’s a different framing than you usually hear.

Mara: Both texts close on the same prayer: “Forgive us our offenses, as we forgive those who offend us” — asking God for help to actually live those words, not just recite them.

Pip: The prayer as a commitment you’re making every time you say it. That reframes the closing of every Mass.

Mara: Which is exactly the point — this is a weekly invitation, not a one-time resolution.

Pip: Forgiveness with no upper limit, no scar left behind, and a cost to the one who withholds it. That’s a demanding theology.

Mara: It is. And it keeps returning — next week’s readings will likely push further into what reconciliation looks like in practice. Worth staying with.

El Perdón Libre, Y Sana

Lecturas: 1^ra: Sirac, 27: 30-28:7; Sal: 102; 2^da: Rom 14: 7-9; Ev: Mt 18, 21-35

Esta breve reflexión fue escrita por el Padre Canice Chukwuemeka Njoku, C.S.Sp., DMin., un sacerdote católico y miembro de la Congregación del Espíritu Santo (Espirítanos). Es un misionero en Puerto Rico. Es director del Santuario del Espíritu Santo, Dorado, y el Superior Mayor de la Congregación del Espíritu Santo (Espirítanos), Circunscripción de Puerto Rico y República Dominicana. El padre Canice es miembro de la Academia de Homilética (The Academy of Homiletics). Para más detalles y comentarios , se puede contactarlo al: canice_c_njoku@yahoo.com, canicechukwuemeka@gmail.com.

Encuentra otros libros en: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/904854

(Donar @ATH Móvil: Canice Njoku – 7873146309)

(https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8452-8392)

Hoy es el vigésimo cuarto domingo del tiempo ordinario. La semana pasada, la iglesia nos recordó la importancia de la reconciliación a través del diálogo fraterno y el amor mutuo. Hoy, ella nos invita a reflexionar sobre el perdón. Es un elemento bien importante de la reconciliación, y nuestra creencia cristiana. Es el mensaje central de la primera lectura y el Evangelio de hoy.

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Hay un refrán popular que errar es humano, mientras que perdonar es divino. Es decir, que aquel que peca actúa humanamente. Esto es porque, es parte de nuestros atributos como humanos errar o pecar. Por otro lado, la persona que perdona actúa divinamente. Esto es porque, perdonar es participar en un atributo bien importante y la naturaleza de Dios. Es decir, su divinidad. Es por lo que nuestro Dios es conocido. “Él es compasivo, misericordioso, amoroso y perdona” (Sal 102).

La primera lectura de hoy se centra en el perdón. Primero, nos recuerda que para que nuestra oración sea aceptable o escuchado, debemos perdonar a los demás. En segundo lugar, presupone que todos somos pecadores, y en necesitad de perdón de Dios. Entonces, para que seamos perdonados, primero debemos perdonar a los demás. Por lo tanto, Sirac nos insta: “Perdona la ofensa a tu prójimo, y cuando ores, tus pecados serán perdonados.” Este es una llamada a liberar a los demás, para que también, seriamos liberados y curados.

En la segunda lectura, Pablo nos recuerda algo muy importante. “La vida y la muerte de cada uno de nosotros tiene su influencia en el otro.” También, nuestra capacidad de perdonar tiene una gran influencia en el otro, así como, en nosotros mismos. Es importante notar que el perdón tiene un doble efecto. Es una medicina de dosis única que cura a una o muchas personas al mismo tiempo. Se libera a aquel que es perdonado, y sana al que perdona.

En el Evangelio, Cristo lleva el perdón a un nivel diferente y práctico. Esto se desarrolla en el diálogo entre Pedro y Cristo. Pedro hizo una pregunta teórica: “¿Cuántas veces debo perdonar a mi hermano?” Jesús le respondió de la manera más práctica: “Hasta setenta veces siete.” La respuesta de Cristo, simplemente nos recuerda que el perdón cristiano no tiene límites. Debemos perdonar a todos y para siempre, como la oración de San Francisco de Asís dice: “Que donde haya ofensa, ponga yo perdón.”

Por lo tanto, para demostrar esto, Jesús dice una parábola sobre el Reino del cielo. Reflexionemos sobre cuántas veces hemos actuado como el siervo malvado. Fue perdonado una gran deuda, pero no podía perdonar a su vecino una poca deuda. Fue liberado, pero encarceló a su vecino. El mensaje de esta parábola es que debemos tratar a los demás misericordiosamente. Debemos perdonar, porque Dios nos perdona todos los días. No debemos siempre despreciar a nuestros vecinos. Más bien, debemos considerar sus situaciones como Dios considera nuestra situación siempre.

Jesús nos dice que perdonemos todo, y para siempre. ¿Qué significa perdonar todos y para siempre? En primer lugar, no significa: “Te perdono, pero vamos por caminos separados” o, te perdono, pero no quiero verte más en mi vida ” o, te perdono, pero no olvido”. Significa algo mucho más hondo. Significa restaurar la unidad, creer que es posible caminar juntos hacia una meta común. Significa curar una herida, sin dejar cicatriz.

Es importante añadir que, a veces, uno igualmente necesita perdonarse a sí mismo por las faltas cometidas contra uno mismo. Pena sin fin, o conciencia de culpa debido a los errores en la vida, reduce la calidad de vida de uno. Dificulta u obstaculiza tanto el progreso espiritual como el material. Por lo tanto, debemos perdonarnos a nosotros mismos también, para seguir viviendo en paz con uno mismos.

Finalmente, el que perdona actuar como Cristo. Así pues, mientras oramos hoy en esta celebración eucarística: “Perdónanos nuestras ofensas, como nosotros perdonamos a los que nos ofenden,” pidamos a Dios que nos ayude ser fiel a estas palabras, viviéndolas prácticamente.

¡La paz sea con ustedes!

¡Maranatha!

Forgiveness Liberates, And Heals

Readings: 1st: Sirac, 27: 30-28:7; Ps 102; 2nd: Rom 14, 7-9; Gos: Mt 18, 21-35

This brief reflection was written by Fr. Njoku Canice Chukwuemeka, C.S.Sp., DMin, a Catholic Priest and a member of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Spiritans). He is a missionary in Puerto Rico. He is Director of Santuario del Espiritu Santo, Dorado, and the Major Superior of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Spiritans), Circumscription of Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Fr. Canice is a member of the Academy of Homiletics. For more details and comments, contact him at: canice_c_njoku@yahoo.com, canicechukwuemeka@gmail.com.

Find other books @: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/893122

(Donate @ATH Mobil: Canice Njoku-7873146309)

(https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8452-8392)

Today is the twenty-fourth Sunday of ordinary time. Last week, the church reminded us of the importance of reconciliation through fraternal dialogue and mutual love. Today she invites us to reflect on forgiveness. It is a vital element of reconciliation and our Christian belief. It is the central message of today’s first and gospel readings.

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There is a famous saying that to err is human, while to forgive is divine. That is to say, the one who sins acts humanly. This is because it is part of our human attributes to err or sin. On the other hand, the one who forgives acts divinely. This is because to forgive is to participate in an essential attribute and nature of God. That is His divinity. Our God is known for this. “He is compassionate, merciful, loving and forgiving” (Ps 102).

The first reading of today focuses on forgiveness. First, it reminds us that we must forgive others for our prayers to be answered. Second, it presupposes that we are all sinners needing God’s forgiveness. So, to be forgiven, we must first forgive others. Therefore, Sirac urges us: “Forgive your neighbor the hurt he does to you, and when you pray, your sins will be forgiven.” This is a call to liberate others to liberate and heal ourselves.

In the second reading, Paul reminds us of something fundamental. “The life and death of each of us influence the other.” Also, our ability to forgive has a significant influence on others as well as on ourselves. Hence, it is important to note that forgiveness has a double effect. It is a single-dose medicine that cures one or many persons simultaneously. It liberates the one who is forgiven and heals the one who forgives.

In the gospel, Christ takes forgiveness to a different and practical level. This unfolds in the dialogue between Peter and Christ. Peter asked a theoretical question: “How many times must I forgive my brother?” Jesus answered him most practically: “seventy-seven times.” Christ’s response reminds us that Christian forgiveness does not have limits. We must forgive all, always and forever, as the prayer of Sant Francisco of Assis says: “Wherever there is injury (offense or hurt), forgiveness.”

Hence, to demonstrate this, Jesus tells a proverb about the kingdom of heaven. Let us reflect on how often we have acted like a wicked servants. He was forgiven an outstanding debt but could not forgive his neighbor a little debt. He was set free, but he jailed his neighbor. The message of this parable is that we must treat others mercifully. We must forgive because God forgives us every day. We must not always hold our neighbors in contempt. Instead, we must consider their situations as God considers our situation always.

Jesus tells us to forgive all and forever. What does it mean to forgive all and forever? First, it does not mean: “I forgive you, but we must go our separate ways,” or I forgive you, but I do not want to see you again in my life,” or I forgive you, but I will not forget.” It means something much more profound. It means restoring unity and believing it is possible to walk together toward a common goal. It means to heal a wound without leaving a scar.

It is essential to add that, at times, one must forgive oneself for the faults committed against self. Endless grieving or guilt conscience because of one’s mistakes in life reduces one’s quality of life. It hinders both spiritual and material progress. So, we must forgive ourselves, too, to continue living in peace with ourselves.

Finally, he who forgives acts like Christ. So, as we pray today at this Eucharistic celebration: “Forgive us our offenses, as we forgive those who offend us,” let us ask God to help us to be true to these words by living them practically.

Peace be with you all!

Maranatha!

Pip: What do you get when you take the Twenty-Third Sunday of Ordinary Time, a Spiritan missionary in Puerto Rico, and the perennial human talent for skipping straight to “treat him like a tax collector”? An episode, apparently.

Mara: That’s exactly the territory canicecnjoku covers this week — responsibility toward one another, the mechanics of reconciliation, and why mutual love is the method, not just the sentiment. Let’s start with the Sunday homily reflections.

Pip: The Twenty-Third Sunday of Ordinary Time lands on a question that feels both ancient and Monday-morning urgent: when someone in your community goes wrong, what exactly are you obligated to do about it — and how?

Mara: The English homily sets the stakes directly from Paul’s second reading: “Avoid getting into debt, except the debt of mutual love.” The word “mutual” is doing real work there — this isn’t sentiment, it’s a two-directional obligation.

Pip: So the upshot is that love, in this framing, isn’t passive goodwill. It counsels, corrects, accepts correction, and shares the weight of responsibility. Silence isn’t neutral — it has consequences for the one who stays quiet.

Mara: Ezekiel makes that explicit. God tells the watchman: “I will hold you responsible.” The homily draws that line clearly — indifference to moral or spiritual decay in your community could, as the text puts it, be detrimental in the future.

Pip: Which is a remarkably gentle way of saying that looking the other way is its own kind of choice, with its own kind of cost.

Mara: And then the Gospel gives the practical architecture. Christ offers a three-step principle: dialogue one-on-one first, then seek a mediator, then bring in the wider community. The homily notes that dialogue sits at the center — the capacity to see things from another’s perspective, to empathize.

Pip: The Spanish homily — “Homilia del Vigésimo Tercero Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario” — covers the same scriptural ground for a Spanish-speaking audience, and it sharpens one image worth noting: dialogue, it says, promotes mutual respect, saves energy and time, and ultimately restores relationships. When both sides agree, God seals it.

Mara: Both versions close on the same diagnosis: we skip the steps. We go straight to treating the other person as a tax collector — the nuclear option — before exhausting the quieter, harder work of actually talking.

Pip: Turns out the three-step process isn’t complicated. It’s just inconvenient.

Mara: The homily would probably say that’s exactly why it needs spelling out, Sunday after Sunday.

Pip: Responsibility, dialogue, love as action rather than feeling — that’s the thread running through both texts, and it’s worth sitting with.

Mara: The through-line this week is accountability — to each other, through honest conversation, before anything escalates.

Pip: Dialogue first. Court of law a distant last resort. Same advice next Sunday, probably, because we keep needing it.

Promoviendo Reconciliación a través de Diálogo Y Amor Mutuo

Lecturas: 1^ra: Ez 33, 7-9; Sal: 94, 1-2.6-9; 2^da: Rom 13, 8-10; Ev: Mt 18, 15-20

Esta breve reflexión fue escrita por el Padre Canice Chukwuemeka Njoku, C.S.Sp., DMin., un sacerdote católico y miembro de la Congregación del Espíritu Santo (Espirítanos). Es un misionero en Puerto Rico. Es director del Santuario del Espíritu Santo, Dorado, y el Superior Mayor de la Congregación del Espíritu Santo (Espirítanos), Circunscripción de Puerto Rico y República Dominicana. El padre Canice es miembro de la Academia de Homilética (The Academy of Homiletics). Para más detalles y comentarios , se puede contactarlo al: canice_c_njoku@yahoo.com, canicechukwuemeka@gmail.com.

Encuentra otros libros en: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/904854

(Donar @ATH Móvil: Canice Njoku – 7873146309)

(https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8452-8392)

Hoy, el vigésimo tercer domingo del tiempo ordinario, la Iglesia nos recuerda nuestra responsabilidad hacia a los demás, y a nuestra sociedad. Lo más importante, se nos recuerda que el diálogo y el amor mutuo son el mejor método para promover la reconciliación.

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En la primera lectura, Dios nos recuerda a través del profeta Ezequiel, que tenemos una responsabilidad hacia unos con otros. Esto es especialmente, con respecto a aconsejar y advertir a otros de las consecuencias de sus acciones para salvarlas. Se necesita amor para advertir o aconsejar a alguien. Por lo tanto, debamos hacer esto con amor.

Decir que tenemos una responsabilidad hacia a los demás, es también decir que viene con su propia consecuencia para nosotros. Por lo tanto, el Señor dice: “yo te haré responsable, te pediré a ti cuenta de su vida.” Así que, es nuestro deber hablar, aconsejar, e incluso advertir a nuestros hermanos, amigos y parientes cuando están perdiendo su camino. Ser indiferente a la decadencia (moral, cultural y espiritual) en nuestra familia, sociedad o comunidad podría ser en nuestro propio detrimento en el futuro. Entonces, la responsabilidad recae en nosotros para ser el guardián de nuestro hermano. Esto es lo que Dios quiere decir.

Por desgracia, hoy, mientras que las cosas van mal, algunos de nosotros prefieren guardar en silencio, unirse a la mayoría, o pretender que todo está bien. Debemos hacerse oír. Esto es porque, la indiferencia o el silencio que mostramos hoy nos puede atormentar mañana. Sin embargo, debemos ser conscientes de que Dios dice: “No quiero la muerte del malvado… quiero que se abandone su mala conducta y que viva” (Ez 18, 23). Así que, cualquier acción que debemos tomar, debe ser para corregir, y traer de vuelta el malvado.

En la segunda lectura, Pablo golpea el clavo en la cabeza: “Evitan meterse en deuda, excepto la deuda del amor mutuo.” Debemos tomar nota del adjetivo, “mutuo” con lo que Pablo calificó el amor. La calidad de este amor no es sólo un mero sentimiento egoísta o deseo de satisfacerse. Más bien, es lo que piensa y se preocupa por el bien del otro.

Básicamente, puede ser conocido a través de las acciones que nos incita. Esto simplemente significa, que debe ser un amor relacional que se preocupa, el amor que está listo para dar, y el amor que razona. Es amor mutuo porque, toma y comparte la responsabilidad. Aconseja y acepta buenos consejos. Corrige, y acepta correcciones. Es generoso, y ayuda al otro ver claramente. Es amor en su mejor en 1 Co 13. Es simplemente, responsivo y responsable.

En el Evangelio, Jesús nos da los principios de la reconciliación. Esto significa que los conflictos son inevitables, deben venir. Son inevitables en las relaciones, en las familias y en las comunidades. Sin embargo, la pregunta es ¿cómo resolverlas amistosamente? Es importante notar que en el centro del principio de Jesús está el diálogo. La capacidad para aconsejar y hablar sobre temas, para ver las cosas desde la perspectiva de otros o, la capacidad de empatía con los demás.

Por lo tanto, Cristo nos da un principio tridimensional de la reconciliación. Primero, debemos sentarnos y dialogar uno con el otro, y cara a cara. Entonces, busca la mediación de un buen amigo, y finalmente, busca la mediación de nuestra comunidad o familia. Como cristianos, ¿cómo resolvemos nuestros problemas? ¿Tomar una libra de carne del otro, o ir directamente a la corte? Debemos tomar nota de los tres pasos básicos que Cristo nos da hoy.

Por desgracia, descuidamos todos estos pasos básicos y vamos directamente a: “Tratarlo como a un recaudador de impuestos o un pagano.” Antes de esto, (si es necesario), debemos hacer todos los esfuerzos para reconciliarnos con a los demás a través del diálogo. El diálogo promueve el respeto mutuo por el otro, nos ahorra mucha energía y tiempo. Finalmente, promueve el amor mutuo y restablece las relaciones. Cuando dialogamos y estamos de acuerdo, Dios lo sella con un gran Amén.

¡La paz sea con ustedes!

¡Maranatha!

Promoting Reconciliation Through Dialogue And Mutual Love

Readings: 1st: Ez 33, 7-9; Ps 94, 1-2.6-9; 2nd: Rom 13, 8-10; Gos: Mt 18, 15-20

This brief reflection was written by Fr. Njoku Canice Chukwuemeka, C.S.Sp., DMin, a Catholic Priest and a member of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Spiritans). He is a missionary in Puerto Rico. He is Director of Santuario del Espiritu Santo, Dorado, and the Major Superior of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Spiritans), Circumscription of Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Fr. Canice is a member of the Academy of Homiletics. For more details and comments, contact him at: canice_c_njoku@yahoo.com, canicechukwuemeka@gmail.com.

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Today, the twenty-third Sunday of ordinary time, the holy mother church reminds us of our responsibility towards one another and our society. Most importantly, she reminds us that dialogue and mutual love is the best method to promote reconciliation.

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In the first reading, God reminds us, through Prophet Ezekiel, that we are responsible for one another. This is especially true regarding counseling and warning others of the consequences of their actions in order to save them. It takes love to warn, counsel or advice someone. So, we are to do this with love.

To say that we have a responsibility towards others is also to say that it has a consequence for us too. Therefore, the Lord says: “I will hold you responsible.” We must speak out, counsel, and even warn our brothers and sisters, children, friends, and relatives when they miss their path. Being indifferent to the decay (especially moral, cultural, and spiritual) in our family, society, or community could be detrimental in the future. So, the onus lies on us to be our brother’s keeper. This is what God is saying.

Unfortunately, today while things go wrong, some of us prefer to keep quiet, join the majority, or pretend nothing is wrong. We must make ourselves heard. This is because the indifference or silence we display today might haunt us tomorrow. However, we must be mindful that God says: “I do not delight in the death of a sinner…let him repent and live” (Ezek 18, 23). So, whatever action we take must be to correct, rebuild, and bring back the one on the wrong path.

In the second reading, Paul hits the nail right on the head: “Avoid getting into debt, except the debt of mutual love.” We must take note of the adjective “mutual” with which Paul qualified love. The quality of this love is not just a mere selfish feeling or desire to satisfy oneself. Instead, it is that which thinks and cares about the good and welfare of the other.

It can ultimately be known through the actions it prompts in us. This means it must be a relational love that cares, love that is ready to give, and love that reasons. It is mutual love because it takes and shares responsibility. It counsels, accepts good counsel, corrects, and accepts corrections. It is generous and helps the other see clearly. It is love at its best in 1 Cor 13. It is simple, responsive, and responsible.

In the gospel, Jesus gives us the principles of reconciliation. This means that conflicts are inevitable. They must come and are inevitable in relationships, families, and communities. However, the question is how do we resolve them amicably? It is important to note that dialogue is at the center of Jesus’ principle. Ability to counsel and talk over issues, to see things from the perspective of others, or to empathize with others.

Hence, Christ gives us a three-dimensional principle of reconciliation. First, we must sit down and dialogue one on one and face-to-face. Then, seek the mediation of a good friend, and finally, seek the mediation of our community or family. As Christians, how do we resolve our problems today? Take a pound of flesh from the other, or go straight to the court of law? We must note the three basic steps that Christ gives us today.

Unfortunately, today, we neglect all these basic steps and go straight to: “treat him like a tax collector.” Before this, if necessary, we must make all efforts to reconcile with others through dialogue. Dialogue fosters mutual respect for the other; it saves us a lot of energy, time, and the cost of lawsuits. Finally, it fosters mutual love and restores relationships. When we dialogue and agree, God, seals it with a great amen.

Peace be with you all!

Maranatha!

Pip: There’s a particular kind of calling that shows up uninvited, refuses to take no for an answer, and then has the nerve to be difficult — canicecnjoku has been sitting with that paradox this week.

Mara: This episode follows the Sunday homily reflections for the Twenty-Second Sunday of Ordinary Time, in both English and Spanish — total submission, conformity to Christ, and what it costs to say yes.

Pip: Let’s start with what the readings are actually asking of us.

Mara: The Twenty-Second Sunday of Ordinary Time lands on a single, demanding question: what does it actually mean to surrender yourself completely — not in theory, but in practice, when the mission turns out to be harder than advertised?

Pip: And the first reading doesn’t ease you in gently. Jeremiah is already in the middle of it, complaining — and the homily leans into that complaint directly.

Mara: The English homily quotes Paul’s letter to the Romans as the hinge of the whole reflection: “Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God.”

Pip: That’s the ask on the table. And the homily is clear that a living sacrifice isn’t a metaphor you get to soften — it means, as the text puts it, submitting your faculties and the totality of your being.

Mara: What that means in practice is that conformity to Christ isn’t an attitude adjustment. The reflection spells it out: it means participating in his life and death, with your eyes fixed on his glory — and it means Christ living and working in you through the Holy Spirit, citing Galatians two-twenty.

Pip: Jeremiah’s arc is the proof of concept here. He started with excuses — “I do not know how to speak, I am only a boy” — resisted, got worn down, and then submitted. After which, the word of God burned like fire in him and he could no longer resist preaching it.

Mara: The homily draws a direct line from that transformation to Peter’s stumble in the Gospel. The same Peter who named Christ as Messiah the week before is rebuked as Satan — for being, as the reflection puts it, an obstacle to the mission.

Pip: Which is the homily’s sharpest point: spiritual conviction and full understanding are not the same thing. Peter saw the glory; he hadn’t yet accounted for the suffering that precedes it.

Mara: The Spanish homily covers the same arc — Jeremías, Pablo, Pedro — and adds the reminder from First Corinthians: “If anyone thinks he stands, let him take heed lest he falls.” Vulnerability isn’t a beginner’s problem.

Pip: So the frame the homily builds is this: reluctance is normal, resistance is human, but neither one stops the mission — and the saints the reflection points to are the ones who stopped negotiating.

Mara: Both the English and Spanish reflections land on the same closing note: that Christ offering himself as a living sacrifice is the model, and Peter’s confusion was that he wanted the crown without the cross.

Pip: The question the readings leave open is what that surrender looks like week to week — which is exactly where the next episode will pick up.

—

Mara: The thread running through all of this is that submission isn’t passivity — it’s the condition under which the mission actually moves.

Pip: Jeremiah’s fire, Peter’s stumble, Paul’s living sacrifice — same Sunday, same stakes, next week same question.