Zechariah 8:20-23 / Luke 9:51-56
Very often, a simple question does not necessarily mean that there is only one simple answer to it.
And because there can be many answers to a simple question, it may also mean that the question indicates a complexity.
So, a simple question can be like “Why do people come to Church?”
And yet, there can be as many answers as there are people responding to it.
But even before giving a quick answer to that simple question, let us think about the question.
Because that question makes us think of who God is, who we are, what is the purpose and mission of the Church, and who are the people coming to Church.
So to that question “Why do people come to Church?”, one response could be that people need God, so they come to Church to pray and they hope that their prayers will be answered.
That could be a reflection of what is said in the 1st reading when the Lord of hosts says this: In those days, ten men of nations of every language will take a Jew by the sleeve and say, “We want to go with you, since we have learnt that God is with you”.
For those who are in need of God, may we tell them to come to Church and we pray that their prayers will be answered.
But for those who don’t come to Church anymore and who no longer practice their faith, let us pray for them.
Let us not reprimand or threaten them with fire from heaven to burn them up.
Let us pray for them, and may God hear our prayers and bring them back to Church.