NOTHING IS HIDDEN THAT WILL NOT BE REVEALED

Adeladius Makwega – Musoma, Mara, Tanzania

 

The reflection for the 12th Sunday of Year A of the Church, prepared by Fr. Paschal Ighondo, encourages believers not to be afraid. It reminds us that the mission of proclaiming Christ comes with its challenges, but God is always with us, and our value before Him is great.

 

This reflection, broadcast by Vatican Radio, presents three key points: Perseverance, True Witness, and Our Value.

 

Fr. Ighondo says that the first reading from the Prophet Jeremiah teaches us how God’s messengers go through suffering and accusations. Despite this, they must remain faithful, because God is their defender. This is the first point—perseverance.

 

In the Gospel, Jesus tells His disciples: “Do not be afraid. Nothing is hidden that will not be revealed.” Therefore, we must stand firm and bear witness to our faith without fear, even when we face challenges. This is the second point—true witness.

 

God knows us and cares deeply for us. Even the hairs on our heads are counted, which proves that we are highly valued before God. This is the third and final point—our value.

 

If Fr. Ighondo’s words are not enough, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples (Propaganda Fide) of the Catholic Church worldwide, emphasized the following:

 

“We are in the Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A of the Church. In today’s Gospel, Jesus gives His disciples a perspective on the suffering and hardships they may encounter as they follow Him. He tells them: ‘Do not be afraid of anyone. Speak openly, and proclaim from the housetops what I have taught you—the Good News and the truth.’

So why should the disciples of Jesus do this without fear? Because the Father knows them and cares for them. They are worth more than many sparrows, which God feeds and protects. They can also place their hope in Jesus who said: ‘Everyone who acknowledges me before others, I will acknowledge before my Father in heaven.’

This is the spirit of courage and assurance that we too have, dear brothers and sisters, as we follow Jesus today. Our discipleship will be tested and threatened, but God is greater than all trials.”

 

This comes from the Vatican, from the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples of the universal Church.

From these two reflections, Mwanakwetu has composed these three stanzas of poetry:

(1) Perseverance
Jeremiah wept, surrounded by distress,
Accusations came, yet he stood firm,
God, his defender, never abandoned him in danger,
Let us never lose hope, for the Lord is near.

(2) True Witness
Jesus clearly says: “Do not be afraid,”
All secrets are revealed, truth cannot be hidden,
Brother, stand firm and testify without fear,
Let faith be your light, shining in the darkness.

(3) Our Value
God knows us all, even our hairs are counted,
His great love cannot be measured or diminished,
Our worth before Him is not small nor worldly,
We belong to Him forever, safe in His hands.

 

 

Mwanakwetu did not stop at these three stanzas, but on June 21, 2026, encountered this story along the road:

 

“I left the house where I live to go to the shop to buy vegetables I wanted to eat that Sunday, so I began my short journey. Along the way, I met a young man selling clothes, shouting: ‘Chinga Boy here from Mwisenge! Chinga Boy of Mwisenge—come buy clothes!’ People came out and stopped him; some bought clothes, others just looked.

Chinga Boy of Mwisenge, carrying a bundle of clothes on his back like a child, kept walking. When he reached a certain place, he stopped near a group of motorcycle taxi riders. I was behind him.

An older man arrived at the motorcycle stand and chose one rider to take him where he was going. As he was about to get on, an older woman of about the same age approached and said, ‘Please, let’s share the ride so I can reduce the fare.’

 

The man hesitated and said, ‘Mama, you go ahead; I will take another motorcycle.’ He called another rider.

The rider spoke to the woman in Luo language, which I did not understand.

 

The man exclaimed, ‘Really, should I ride a motorcycle while carrying this woman? Or is she carrying me? Do you really wish me well?’ Then he said, ‘Mama, you go; I will add the remaining fare for you.’

The woman became very angry and spoke harshly. In the end, the man did not take the motorcycle; he walked away saying, ‘This situation has already gone wrong.’”

 

Mwanakwetu continued walking with Chinga Boy, who kept calling out:

“Chinga Boy of Mwisenge, come get clean clothes!”

Later he said:

“Riding a motorcycle with a woman who is not your wife is risky; something unexpected could happen. But the woman also showed difficulty—even when offered help, she did not accept it, instead she became angry.”

 

Mwanakwetu continued his journey, bought vegetables, and returned home.

 

So, how does this street incident relate to the Sunday reflection?

Mwanakwetu reflected:

 

“This story connects well with the three key points: perseverance, true witness, and our value.

Regarding perseverance: the woman, when rejected, experienced humiliation and lack of help—similar to the suffering and accusations faced by Jeremiah. Like Jeremiah, we are called not to lose hope.

Regarding true witness: the man expressed openly what was in his heart. Although not very compassionate, he was honest. Jesus teaches us not to fear, but our witness must be filled with love and respect.

 

Regarding our value: the woman became angry because she felt devalued. Yet the Gospel teaches that every person has great worth before God. Even if people judge us, God knows and values us.

 

This event shows how humans can fail to recognize the value of others, but God does not.”

 

In summary, daily life—like this roadside incident—reminds us how the Gospel is lived out in human life.

 

At the time of writing, the weather in Musoma town is 26°C, with a 63% chance of rain and wind blowing at 19 km/h.

Are you there, Mwanakwetu? Remember

:
“Nothing is hidden that will not be revealed.”

Have a good day.

Email: makwadeladius@gmail.com
Phone: 0717 649 257