Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish

FR MICHAEL BOAKYE YEBOAH

CATHOLIC ARCHDIOCESE OF KUMASI, GHANA.

COMPROMISE

            When one checks his dictionary for the meaning of compromise, (s)he will probably come across two explanations. The first explains “compromise” as “an agreement or settlement of a dispute that is reached by each side making concessions” while the second explains the term as “the expedient acceptance of standards that are lower than is desirable.” I would like to employ the second explanation to guide us in our reflections today.

            I have chosen this theme because of the story presented for our reflections in the first reading. This is a story that a mother and her seven sons demonstrated that they were not ready to compromise the laws of God and their rich cultural heritage. The event is believed to have taken place during the reign of the Greek emperor Alexander the Great.

            Alexander wanted to build his empire on one culture, that is the Greek culture. He did not give room for choice but rather everything was about enforcement of his Greek ideology. Among the changes he enforced were: Jews were no longer allowed to be circumcised; Jews were forced to worship Greek gods; and to eat food not permitted for Jews.

            Some Jews gave in to the new changes but a mother and her seven children opted for torture and death than to break the laws of God. When they were threatened, one of the brothers speaking for the rest said: “What do you expect to achieve by questioning us? We are ready to die rather than transgress the laws of our ancestors.”

            That family was not ready to compromise the laws of God and the laws of their ancestors. They wanted to be the remnant faithful ones. Their bravery was heartwarming but their faith in the resurrection was simply awesome. One of the brothers told the executioners: “It is my choice to die at the hands of men with the hope God gives of being raised up by him; but for you, there will be no resurrection to life.”

            We live in a world that society and religious people have expediently accepted standards that are lower than is desirable. I was born into a Ghanaian society that was rich in cultural heritage and our elders cherished our moral fabric to the extent that they would not compromise under any condition. I remember so well that many of our elders would prefer poverty or death than to trade our cultural heritage in exchange for foreign grants. Some years ago, when our late President, His Excellency John Mills was threatened that if he did not approve of a certain immoral practices, grants/loans will be denied Ghana. We were told that our beloved late President replied that the Ghanaian will prefer to stay poor than to compromise his/her cultural heritage.

            But a decade after his death, some Ghanaians are pushing for the approval of certain immoral practices in our parliament. I am afraid that because of compromise, the days are coming that we will lose what makes us Ghanaians.

            A similar story can be told of our rich Catholic heritage. At times certain things that some people ask the church hierarchy to consider leave much to be desired. I don’t know whether some people in the church wants us to re-write the Bible and change the laws of God. All these changes are being entertained because the faithful in their ignorance think Church teachings are open to compromise. But I can assure you that some of us will be the last group of faithful ones to compromise our Catholic faith. Under no condition will I compromise the rich cultural heritage I was born and nurtured in. Neither will I ever compromise my Catholic faith. Some human beings at times put up certain behaviours that does not make them fit to be called homo sapiens.

            We should remember that it was a political system that influenced some of the Jews to compromise their faith and cultural heritage. There are some Catholics who can only practice their faith within the four walls of their local church. Some Catholic politicians have sold their souls to politics and promote almost everything that the church forbids. What type of Catholics are these Catholic politicians? But like the seven brothers, we have some Catholic politicians who no matter the political ideology of the party they belong they will never compromise. They are living their lives like St Thomas Moore. If our world can be blessed with great men and women of the faith in the make of the seven brothers and their mother, then a lot should be demanded from preachers of the gospel and teachers of Catholic doctrine.

            At times when I hear or read what some Catholic clerics say, I ask whether they were formed in a Catholic seminary. Remember the seven brothers were not ready to betray the traditions of their ancestors; so also, we have been handed a rich Catholic tradition, we need to preserve and protect it with our lives. May God continue to bless the faithful Catholic priests who continue to enrich our lives with their solid teachings.

            These seven brothers and their mother have really given us a good example.

            May God bless us with the courage to practice our faith. OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP PRAY FOR US.