SUNDAY MEDITATION by Msgr. Theo Nwalo

BECAUSE I LOVE YOU (6)
(I Founded My Church)
Jim Reeves, in his lilting and faith-filled song, “Precious Lord”, begged the Lord to take him (Jim) “tired, weak and worn” by the hand, and through the storm, through the night and lead him safely home. This spirit-inspired appeal, this prayer, is properly directed. This is what we ask of the Lord when we pray in the Liturgy of the Hours (DIVINE OFFICE): “Lord, let your light so penetrate our minds, that walking by your commandments, we may always follow you our leader and guide” (Morning Prayer: Friday, wk. 3) The above Prayers are those of people on crucial journey seeking unfailing assistance that will get them in the midst of world's uncertainties and confusion safely to their destination.

Hearing these prayers, Jesus nods in accent declaring: “They are correctly addressed to me because I am the WAY, the TRUTH and the LIFE. It is precisely because of this that I came to earth. I see humanity scattered, confused, at variance with God and with one another, and therefore in need of reconciliation. My salvation plan is among others, to establish a forum where humanity will re-discover its unity. This assembly point of unity is prefigured by Noa's ark which alone saved them from the destructive flood (cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church No. 845).

“Still on the history of salvation in the Old Dispensation, I make special reference to my peoples' liberation from Egypt. I constituted them into the “people of God”. I appointed my servant Moses (one of them) as a visible leader, through whom I led them from slavery to safety into the Promised Land. Moses therefore, as my servant, became their infallible guide, though he was calumniated and suffered untold hardship even from the hands of those he was assiduously leading to salvation.
“I provided my people with all necessary assistance, mostly miraculous, to ensure their safety during the long and perilous journey. These miracles (special interventions) you continue to celebrate among others in the Crossing of Red Sea; Manna and water in the desert; guidance by pillar of cloud in the day, and column fire in the night; special laws whose observance constituted them into a People of God; Sacrifices/Covenants; special presence among them (tabernacle, ark of covenant; loaf of Proposition); sacrifices and other liturgical acts; Priesthood through which I continually sanctified them.

“I set up this programme of salvation for the benefit of all my people. It was never, and still is not, my intention that any one should fail to enter the Promised Land. Particularly, I instructed the people to listen to Moses and to follow his guidance and that of his successors because they had never been that way before. The route was winding, rocky and long, but it certainly was the road to freedom and happiness, (cf. Joshua, 3:2ff).
“My faithful Servant, Moses, recounting my infinite love and care of the People I entrusted to him said of me: “He is the rock, his work is perfect … In the waste land he adopts him (his people), in the howling desert of the wilderness. He protects him (his people), rears him, guards him as the pupil of his eye. Like an eagle watching its nest, hovering over its young, he spreads out its wings to hold him; he supports him on his pinions” (Deut. 32:4-11).

“All I did for my people (the church) in the Old Dispensation, are only a prefigurement of the fullness of salvation I bring to my people (the Church) in the New Dispensation. My blood is the blood of the Lamb of God sacrificed to free you from bondage of sin and damnation. My body and blood consumed in the Eucharist, are the manna my people must eat without which they will perish in the course of the perilous journey of this life.
“Do not forget for a moment that you, my people (my Church) are pilgrims journeying from this world to the ever-happy next life. Because of my infinite love for you, I have appointed a Moses, a new leader (Peter) to be the one after my heart to shepherd you into eternal life. In this regard, his leadership is infallible (fail-safe) because of my divine power backing him despite his human weaknesses. Though contemned and fought against by the evil forces, he will prevail because those who oppose him are really opposing my unconquerable divine power and wisdom.

“Here, I want you to recall two special incidents. I was asleep in my disciples' storm-tossed boat. I got up and calmed the raging waves to assure them that the ship in which I am, cannot be sunk (Lk. 8:22-25). On another occasion, my disciples sailing on their own, found themselves helpless in a stormy sea till I miraculously walked on the water, got into their boat, calmed the storm and restored their hope (cf. Matt. 14:22-33). These are symbols of my Church transporting you to eternally happy destination, through the rough seas of this present life.
“Yes, I established my church as a ship to transport all of you to eternal life. Peter is the captain of this ship. I have equipped him and his successors with fail-safe navigational instruments. All cases of emergency are meticulously provided for. The unfailing guidance of my Church is due to my divine presence which I promised will be with Peter and my Church till the very end of time (Matt.28:20).
In other words, I, the WAY, have built my Church on Peter, the rock. Because of this, my boat (the church), can never head for the rocks. Peter is my visible representative on earth. Follow him as your guide, you will never go astray. If you hear him, you hear me. However, where you refuse to listen to him or refuse to follow him, in reality, it is me that you are rejecting.

“In this 21st century, you have the benefit of hindsight. Are the twenty centuries of my church (that is, from its birth in Jerusalem to date) not enough to convince you of my abiding presence with it? The gates of hell (the devil) have done their utmost through humans, to destroy my church. They have not succeeded, and will never succeed because of my perpetual presence in my church which I founded on Peter, the rock (Matt.16:18-19). My Church with all its implications, is part of my assurance of your salvation. This is indicative of the infinite love I have for you
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“All I have to say is that you climb into my boat, the storm-tossed boat of Peter. Be not afraid. The storms of life will never overturn this boat because I, the master of all creation, am in control. My church (the boat) will bring you safely to your heavenly destination where I have graciously prepared for you a programme of eternal happiness in my presence”.