Fr Peter Ireorji, MSP - Homily from Friday, Nov. 30, 2018

Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him Matt 4:22. Our careers often demand much of our time and attention. But Jesus has an interesting way of interrupting our business-as-usual agenda. In fact, He invites us to join His business. Notice the sequence of His statement to the fishermen: “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matt. 4:19). We are tempted to think that we should make something of our lives and at the same time follow Jesus. Wrong! He calls us first to follow Him, and then He makes something of our lives. He leads us to prioritize so that we see the needs of people and their eternity as the goal of all our endeavors. And while God may not require you to give up your career, following Him will guarantee that you will never see your career in the same way again. Where you “fish” is not important. But if you follow, you must fish. What are you waiting for? Drop your nets, follow Him, and let Him make something of your life. Drop your nets and follow Jesus. Shalom!

Fr Peter Ireorji, MSP - Homily from Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2018

Affiliating with Jesus and being His disciple implies a lot of things and one of them Jesus stated in Luke 21:12-19, “They will seize and persecute you, they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons, and they will have you led before kings and governors because of my name. It will lead to your giving testimony.” Are you ready for such circumstance in your life? Or are you about to jump ship and give up your faith in our Lord Jesus? Our Lord has assured us that He will always be by our side. It may not be within our own strength to suppress the sensible fear which we inherit from our fallen nature but with Jesus in our hearts He gives us the grace so that fear may not take possession of our will and effectively paralyze our acts. With God’s grace, we can go through any trial or persecution and all human strength can only amount to nothing but mere weakness. Keep the faith amidst any adversary as Jesus will always be there to defend us!  He is our Defender and Counselor and He will set us free in any difficult situation if we speak and act His truth. Shalom!

Fr Peter Ireorji, MSP - Homily from Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2018

In Luke 21:5-11, Jesus says to those who are speaking in admiration of the beauty of the temple, “All that you see here – days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down.” They will all come tumbling down, one way or the other… “Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues from place to place; and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky.” In all these, Jesus exhorts us to remain faithful in our relationship with Him despite the adversities and trials that inhabit our lives. He wants us to be on the alert as people will be great impostors and will claim to be the true christ. Jesus said: “See that you not be deceived, for many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and ‘The time has come.’ Do not follow them!” Be careful about whom you listen to and whom you follow and to whom you pledge your allegiance. Jesus wants us to remain faithful as He is faithful and unchanging…as He said: Amen, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. Jesus may allow our lives to be turbulent and filled by trials but He wants us to remain focused on Him and to follow Him no matter how the strong the stormy winds of life may blow against us. Shalom!

Fr Peter Ireorji, MSP - Homily from Monday, Nov. 26, 2018

True love doesn’t calculate. It spends lavishly. Jesus drove this point home to his disciples while sitting in the temple and observing people offering their tithes Lk 21:1-4. Jesus praised a poor widow who gave the smallest of coins in contrast with the rich who gave greater sums. How can someone in poverty give more than someone who has ample means? Jesus’ answer is very simple: love is more precious than gold or wealth! Jesus taught that real giving must come from the heart. A gift that is given with a grudge or for display loses its value. But a gift given out of love, with a spirit of generosity and sacrifice, is precious. The amount or size of the gift doesn’t matter as much as the cost to the giver. The poor widow could have kept one of her coins, but instead she recklessly gave away all she had! What we have to offer may look very small and not worth much, but if we put all we have at the Lord’s disposal, no matter how insignificant it may seem, then God can do with it and with us what is beyond our reckoning. May you have a fruitful week. Shalom!

Fr Peter Ireorji, MSP - Homily from 34th Sunday in Ordinary Time year B, Nov. 24, 2018 Christ the King

In John 18:33-37, Jesus declares before Pilate' tribunal, that his kingship is not of this world. His kingdom is beyond this world. In other words, Jesus is not a king like the kings of this world, who wield a political power. Jesus did not come to establish a political independent as the people erroneously misconstrued, but to establish a kingdom of Love, Justice and Truth by changing the hearts of human beings who allow him to reign over them. Jesus came to deliver his people and the entire world from the tyranny of sin, condemnation and death, and set us free for an eternal kingdom; a kingdom ruled not by force or fear but by the power of God's righteousness and joy in the Holy Spirit. The Scriptures tell us that there are ultimately two kingdoms in this world which are opposed to each other; the Kingdom of Light and the kingdom of darkness. Each kingdom is ruled by one lord or master;  The Lord Jesus Christ, the light of the world rules the Kingdom of Light while the Anti-Christ -the devil rules the kingdom of darkness by lies and deception. If we serve the Lord Jesus Christ and allow him to reign in our lives, he will open our eyes to the light of his truth and guide us on the course that leads to our eternal kingdom with God the Father in heaven. But if we follow the course which is set by the ruler of darkness through his lies, deception and manipulations, then, we will discover that sin will lead us down a path of eternal destruction. It is only by humble obedience to the will of the Father whom Jesus comes to reveal that we allow his kingdom to reign in us and over us. Like Jesus our Master, our kingdom is not of this world as well. Therefore, to follow Jesus, the King whose Kingdom is not of this world, demands that we should stand apart from those elements of the world that refuse to recognize Jesus' authority. Following Jesus Christ the King of our lives, necessitates that we should separate ourselves from all the popular and erroneous opinions which the world promotes and glorifies. And to hold onto this separation is a call to holiness for every member of this Kingdom of Christ. Shalom!

Fr Peter Ireorji, MSP - Homily from Saturday, Nov. 24, 2018

Today in Lk 20:27-40, we see some Sadducees asking Christ an important question about heaven. Christ teaches us that once we are in heaven, things will be considerably different than they are here on earth. This is a beautiful example how we can converse with Christ. We simply need to ask him questions: questions about our faith, about difficulties we may be having with certain relationships, about career changes, etc. The answers we receive may not be what we were expecting or hoping for, but what is important is that we engage Christ in conversation every day and that we seek to please him in everything we do. This open, warm contact with Our Lord is already a little taste of heaven. The God who created human life, including the institution of marriage, has also provided for life after death for those who have cultivated the capacity to respond to God’s love. The biblical teaching is that life comes from God. There is nothing in or of the human being that is naturally or inherently immortal. If there is life beyond death, it is God’s gift to those who have accepted God’s love and entered into relationship with God in this life.

Fr Peter Ireorji, MSP - Homily from Friday, Nov. 23, 2018

“Jesus entered the temple area and proceeded to drive out those who were selling things, saying to them, “It is written, my house shall be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves” Lk 19:45-48. Jesus was very particular in the way people conducted their affairs while in church. Jesus was so offended and hurt when He saw the merchants do their business inside the temple and convert it into a market place. Because of this, He ejected them and called them thieves. When our churches lose their identity as God’s body because of what we as members do, or have failed to do, then we become like the merchants and the money changers in the temple. We take care only of our own business in utter disregard of the true purpose of God’s church. We fail to live up to our calling as God’s creations who were made to give praise and worship to God, to love Him above all and our neighbor as ourselves. As the body of Christ and members of His Church we can desecrate God’s Body. By sowing confusion, by misleading people from what our Lord really wants for His flock, by simply leading a sinful life- we become thieves within God’s very own Body as we rob God of what is rightfully His and make ourselves gods! Watch out!  We unknowingly might lose what God has given all of us- His Church and the never-ending life of joy and peace that awaits all of us. Shalom!

Fr Peter Ireorji, MSP - Homily from Thursday, Nov. 22, 2018

The city Jerusalem, whose name contains the word peace, does not recognise the King of Peace, Jesus Christ. Jesus’ tears for Jerusalem are because she did not recognise that if she accepted him as Messiah, true peace would indeed reign Lk 19:41-44. The numerous attempts of Jesus to win over the people were met with stiff resistance. They had closed their minds and hearts to anything that he had to say because it did not fit in with what they had already set their minds to believe. There are times in our lives when we 'conveniently' believe what suits us and reject many other truths. In doing so we are like the people of the city of Jerusalem who have closed ourselves to the revelation that God continually makes. We must develop the ability to find God in all things and all things in God. If you have come to Him, rejoice that you are His. If you have not, however, you must realize that time may run out. Don’t remain forever alienated from the Lover of your soul. Trust Him today. Shalom!

Fr Peter Ireorji, MSP - Homily from Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2018

Fruitfulness is the main issue that comes to my heart as I read Luke 19:11-28. Jesus expects all of us to properly use all the gifts that He has poured unto us. our time, intellect, and resources, everything. Fruitfulness means our usefulness while here on earth, how useful we are to the cause and purpose of our Lord. The Lord Jesus has brought us his kingdom of righteousness and peace and he calls us to live as citizens of this kingdom where he rules as Lord and Master. The Lord entrusts us with his gifts and graces and he gives us freedom to use them as we think best. With each gift and talent, the Lord gives sufficient grace and energy for using them in a fitting way. As the parable of the talents shows, God abhors indifference and an attitude that says it’s not worth trying. God honours those who use their talents and gifts for doing well. Those who are faithful with even a little are entrusted with more! But those who neglect or squander what God has entrusted to them will lose what they have. There is an important lesson here for us. No one can stand still for long in the Christian life. We either get more or we lose what we have. We either advance towards God or we slip back. Shalom!

Fr Peter Ireorji, MSP - Homily from Tuesday, Nov. 20, 2018

Vision is one gift from God which I have always treasured.  It has given me the chance to appreciate the beauty of our Lord’s creation. Vision has opened the way for me to see my world, my life, what makes it work and what makes it fail. As we age through the years, it is quite sad to note that ‘though God’s wisdom has somehow been poured into our heart and mind, our physical vision on the other hand has not been perfect. In the same light, because our life has not been exactly the model to follow as sin has periodically taken control of our circumstances, our spiritual vision likewise has become hazy and we could not see through beyond our present world. We close our eyes to the good that there is in others, we also prefer to close our eyes to the injustice that we see around us. We close our eyes to the suffering of people around us and we prefer to close our eyes to the needs of others. Having eyes we might prefer not to see. Today let us call on Jesus the Son of David like the blind begged of Luke 18: 41, to restore our sight that we might see and understand the truth and goodness of our word. You have a fruitful week. Shalom!

Fr Peter Ireorji, MSP - Homily from Monday, Nov. 19, 2018

Vision is one gift from God which I have always treasured.  It has given me the chance to appreciate the beauty of our Lord’s creation. Vision has opened the way for me to see my world, my life, what makes it work and what makes it fail. As we age through the years, it is quite sad to note that ‘though God’s wisdom has somehow been poured into our heart and mind, our physical vision on the other hand has not been perfect. In the same light, because our life has not been exactly the model to follow as sin has periodically taken control of our circumstances, our spiritual vision likewise has become hazy and we could not see through beyond our present world. We close our eyes to the good that there is in others, we also prefer to close our eyes to the injustice that we see around us. We close our eyes to the suffering of people around us and we prefer to close our eyes to the needs of others. Having eyes we might prefer not to see. Today let us call on Jesus the Son of David like the blind begged of Luke 18: 41, to restore our sight that we might see and understand the truth and goodness of our word. You have a fruitful week. Shalom!

Fr Peter Ireorji, MSP - Homily from 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time year B, Nov. 18, 2018

At the end, we shall all be victorious, Mk 13:24-32 tells us that on that day Jesus will be escorted by the multitudes of angelic beings and of glorified saints in a scene of overwhelming power and dazzling splendour. This will be the significant day when the world will see the Son of Man returning to earth, not as the lowly Nazarene but as the Glorious Conqueror. It will be the time when He will dispatch His angels to gather together His elect, the chosen those who have truly acknowledged Him, Lord and Saviour, not only with their words but with their sincere hearts and deeds. Indeed, is what all of us are looking forward to. It will be the day when those found not worthy of the Father’s kingdom, those who opposed Jesus and were His enemies, will be totally destroyed and banished in hell! But this day no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father However, it should not be a cause of worry, but one of which we should joyfully anticipate as we serve Him and His people in the most humble way we can. Making sure: that our personal relationship with God is a true priority, by sharing with others the news that Jesus has shared with us. Jesus died not only for those of us who are here today, but also for those who aren’t. If we don’t tell them the message of Christ, through words and actions, who will? And finally by following Christ’s example in our daily lives. Jesus was honest, courageous, gentle, patient, forgiving, humble, pure, faithful… through this we will be getting our souls ready for the great adventure of heaven. As we await our Lord’s glorious day, let us use today not only to recollect and review our lives but use it as a time to change our ways and draw closer to our Lord that we will become worthy to be among His elect. Peace be with you!

Fr Martin Eke, MSP - Homily from 33nd Sunday in Ordinary Time year B, Nov. 18, 2018

Homily of 33^rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B

We are coming to the end the Church’s Liturgical Year and the Roman Calendar Year. The Church’s Liturgical Year ends with the week of Christ the King or Thirty Fourth Sunday, and the Roman Calendar Year ends with December. The readings for Mass for the next two weeks invite us to reflect about death and to prepare for it. Death is no respecter of persons. The sword of death dangles over each one of us, from the baby in the womb to the oldest person alive. It is a matter of time when it bears down on us, one by one. This is a reality we all must accept. Ecclesiastes 3:2 says, “There is a time for everything, … a time to be born and a time to die.”  The warning, therefore, is, “Be prepared,” because, as Jesus says in the Gospel, “the day or hour, no one knows, … but only the father.” Death can be any moment or any day.

There are people who are so distressed that prefer death to life, and there are some people due to their distress, they want to take their own life. But as believers, we pray to live a purposeful life and see the goodness of the Lord. We pray, also, to experience a happy death.

Jesus says in the Gospel, “And then they will see the Son of Man in the clouds with great power and glory, and then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the end of the earth to the end of the sky.” The first reading says, “Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake; some will live forever, others shall be an everlasting horror and disgrace.” We pray to be among the elect who will be gathered by the angels and who will live forever.

The first reading and the Gospel tell us about the end of the world. Does it mean that there will be such a time the world will come to an end? The world has existed for 4.543 billion years. It is, rather, more helpful if we pay attention to the end of our individual world, which occurs every day, than the end of a world that has lasted for 4.453 billion years.

There are two important ways of preparing for the end of life. They are physical preparation and spiritual preparation.

Physical preparation means to put in place a clear will or testament to prevent any form of misinterpretation and disagreement when one dies. It may be necessary to do this in a legal way to make life easy for the living. This needs to be done while the individual is hale and hearty. This will prevent fights over the deceased property.

Spiritual preparation means to live a life here on earth that will lead us to everlasting life. The first reading tells us that there is judgement after death, “some will live forever, others shall be in an everlasting horror and disgrace.” A sure way to live forever in the presence of God is to live a good Christian life while in the mortal body.  For those who spiritually prepare themselves for death, the Preface 1 of the Mass of the Dead promises, “In him the hope of blessed resurrection has dawned, that those saddened by the certainty of dying might be consoled by the promise of immortality to come. Indeed, for your faithful, Lord, life is changed not ended, and, when this earthly dwelling turns to dust, an eternal dwelling is made ready for them in heaven.”

There are people who do not believe in the existence of heaven and hell or any form of life after physical death. About such people Jesus says, “Hypocrites! You interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don’t interpret the present time?” (Luke 12:56). Every culture has some form of punishment or another for those who commit offense, and good reward for good work. How then does anyone deny any form of punishment or good reward in the afterlife? In addition to the teaching of the Bible about hell, the Catechism of the Catholic Church says, “The chief punishment of hell is the eternal separation from God, in whom alone man can possess the life and happiness for which he was created and for which he longs” (CCC 1035).

For us believers, let us live our lives in joyful hope for the coming of our savior Jesus Christ who promises us in John 14:1-3, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be.” St. Paul, also, encourages us, “What eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and what has not entered the human heart, what God has prepared for those who love him; this God has revealed to us through the Spirit” (1 Corinthians 2:9-10).

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP

Fr Peter Ireorji, MSP - Homily from Saturday, Nov. 17, 2018

And Jesus told them a parable, to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart Lk 18:1. The heart of Christianity is our Lord Jesus Christ while the heart of our relationship with Jesus is our prayer life. To keep one’s relationship with Jesus alive and strong, one needs to have a consistent prayer life. Consistency means being faithful to a prayer life that we fully give to our Lord. Our relationship with our Lord like any interpersonal relationship calls for discipline and to a great extent depends on discipline. Our faithfulness to Jesus in prayer forms a part of our response to His love. This means that we all need to have a fixed amount of time everyday dedicated to prayer and to give exclusively to our Lord. If it is true that our Lord has a very important place in our hearts then we should be able to find time to pray to Him and be with Him. Our fidelity to a regular schedule and amount of prayer time for the Lord is one measure of how much we love our Lord. When we are consistent in our fellowship with God in prayer, loving and serving our brothers and sisters becomes second nature. Do you have a special burden or request? Keep on praying! Trust your loving heavenly Father to answer according to His wisdom and timing. God honors persistent prayer. Shalom!

Fr Peter Ireorji, MSP - Homily from Friday, Nov. 16, 2018

In answer to the disciples’ question, “Where, Lord?”, Jesus answered with an enigmatic proverb, “Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather” Lk 17:37. The point of this proverb here seems to be that just as it is sure that vultures will gather where a corpse is found, as surely will the judgement of the Son of Man fall upon on the wicked. Decisive action does not mean desperate action. It means steady and regular action. If one is at any given moment in time doing what one is supposed to do, it may be regarded as decisive action. A person engaged in such an activity is always ready. When the Son of Man does indeed come, then the choice of those who will be taken and those who will be left will be made. We are free to live as citizens of his kingdom or to choose for the kingdom of darkness that stands in opposition to God and his rule. No one can pass off his/her personal responsibility to someone else – no matter how close the ties may be in this present life. We will each have to give an account to the Judge of All for how we have accepted or rejected him as our lord and savior. The good news is that the Lord Jesus freely offers each one of us the grace, strength, and help we need to turn to him to receive pardon for our sins and healing for our minds and hearts so we can embrace his good will for our lives and find the way to our heavenly Father’s home. Shalom!

Fr Peter Ireorji, MSP - Homily from Thursday, Nov. 15, 2018

Many people are looking for signs that the Second Coming of Christ is going to happen soon. Tired of suffering, we hope that God’s total victory will hurry up and arrive. We want evil-doers to get punished and removed from the world and from our lives and even from our thoughts. We want Satan’s butt to get kicked the hell off of Earth. Today, Jesus is telling us the same thing he told the Pharisees in Luke 17:20-25: God’s reign is already here! The “end times” were initiated in the resurrection of Jesus and began when the Holy Spirit descended upon the earth and came to live in all believers. It’s an era of mercy, forgiveness and love, an era in which we continue the mission of Christ, overcoming evil with our own holiness. We are the Body of Christ on Earth and we do what Jesus did, through the Holy Spirit, to take others to Heaven with us. So why are we waiting for Jesus to show up? We need to live as if his Second Coming is going to happen tomorrow, but instead of standing at the window watching for signs that Jesus is going to soon rescue the world from evil, we are supposed to go out and do the rescuing. Shalom!

Fr Peter Ireorji, MSP - Homily from Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2018

Lepers were not allowed to live within the city limits and had to live outside. They also had to cry out that they were unclean when anyone approached them. Their cry for mercy would ordinarily have been a cry for alms, but in this case, it was much more. When Jesus saw them, he commanded that they go and show themselves to the priests and as they obeyed, they were made clean Lk 17:11-19. It’s interesting to note that the healing here took place after they obeyed Jesus’ command. One of the ten on realising that he was healed began to praise God and his action of falling prostrate at Jesus’ feet is an indication that he recognised God as acting in and through Jesus. Though ten were made clean, only one of them and that too a Samaritan who was despised by the Jews and regarded as an outcast and foreigner returned to thank God. The faith of the man here is shown not before but after his healing. This results in the man receiving not just healing, but salvation. Gratitude does not come naturally to many of us. Brethren, let us keep our spirit of praise and thankfulness alive and vibrant in our hearts. It is through an open heart filled with love and gratitude that will always keep us mindful of all Jesus has done for us, both temporal and spiritual, especially our redemption from slavery to sin and its deadly effects. Shalom!

Fr Peter Ireorji, MSP - Homily from Monday, Nov. 12, 2018

Jesus was challenging his followers in Lk 17:1-6, with the implied question: Do you have true faith? If we have true faith in Jesus, we’re enthralled by who he really is, we’re excited, amazed and fascinated. Because of this, we focus on his every word, so much so that we grow in our understanding of the truth and we become better at living the truth. We becoming more and more unwilling to sin or cause a scandal. And we become less and less likely to accidentally cause a scandal. If we have true faith in Jesus, we notice how readily he forgives everyone, no matter what they’ve done, and that he has compassion for their regret, joy for their desire to change, and patience for any continued stumbling. We also realize that he knows each sinner’s heart far better than we do, and so we quit judging them, we quit holding grudges, and we freely choose to be merciful to them. True faith is only a matter of remaining true to the faith. Jesus isn’t asking us to have enormous faith in him, just real faith. Never underestimate the importance of your faith, even if it seems too small. Trust the truth. Your holiness will grow. Shalom!

Fr Patrick Etuk, MSP - Homily from 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time year B, Nov. 11, 2018

"Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more
than all the other contributors to the treasury.
For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth,
but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had,
her whole livelihood." Mk. 12:38-44.

1. God does not see the way we humans see, what we sometimes value and consider dignifying is repugnant to him. We humans are carried away often by large sums that people donate but God sees the humility, the sacrifices, the sincerity, the faith,  the tears of the donor.  He knows the story behind every gift.
 It is the spirit behind the giving that moves the heart of God not necessarily the amount one gives. 

2. The rich must  give more, not  from their surplus but from their substance, what they have to live on. The golden rule of giving is give until it hurts . Yes. For those who are sowing in tears will surely sing when they reap.

3. There was no one who was so poor that he had nothing to offer. There is no excuse for not giving. We can always give our time, talents and energy to work for the kingdom. If the poor widow who was in dire need of charity could give her last penny, no one is exempt from giving. 

4.  Giving will not impoverish anyone, it rather makes room for us to receive abundantly from God's  store house that never runs dry. Sacrificial giving positions you for uncommon providence, For a full measure pressed down shaken together and rolling over will be poured on the  laps of the one who gives generously and freely (The widow of Zarephath). The generous of heart will never lack.

🙏🙏🙏Give me again the joy of your help. With a Spirit of fervor sustain me O God. Amen.

Fr Peter Ireorji, MSP - Homily from 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time year B, Nov. 11, 2018

The two widows 1Kgs 17:10-16 as well as Mk 12:38-44 are true heroes in the sense of being martyrs. The martyrs gave witness to Christ by courageously offering their lives for the sake of the faith. In a similar way, the widow of Zarephath gave to Elijah her last meal and was ready to die afterwards. The poor widow in the gospel of Mark gave clear witness by contributing “all she had, her whole livelihood” to God. Why were they so generous? It was because of their love for God. As we always say, “You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving.” Jesus showed this when he gave his life on the cross: “There is no greater love than for a man to give up his life for his friends.” The widows had genuine love, and that made their trust God completely, without any fear. They are one of those “poor in spirit” mentioned in the Beatitudes. In their poverty, they turned to God, and offered everything in total surrender and trust in divine providence. It is, therefore, a strong challenge for all of us. Who find it difficult to share to the poor and to contribute to the Church? Perhaps many of us have to be reminded that everything comes from God, and that we are just managers of everything that we have. Or perhaps we are not yet really convinced that God provides and that He can never be outdone in generosity. Are we afraid that God will not do His part of the deal? Then it simply means we do not trust God enough. And definitely, we don’t love Him enough. Let us be consoled that when we give from our lack and from the goodness of our hearts, God will be upon us to embrace us. Shalom!

Fr Martin Eke, MSP - Homily from 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time year B, Nov. 11, 2018

Homily of 32^st Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B

The first reading brings to mind Jesus’ words in Luke 4:25-26, “I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah's time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon.” It is noteworthy that the widow who showed Elijah great generosity and trust was not an Israelite but a Canaanite. Despite the famine, I am sure that there were families in Israel and in Sidon who were not impoverished, and could have taken good care of Elijah. Yet, God chose to send Elijah to the poor widow. This means that God can use anyone. Let no one say, "I am too poor;" or "I am not worthy." 1 Corinthians 1:27 says, "God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong." The generosity of poor widow in the first reading and the generosity of the poor widow in the Gospel are perfect examples of self-giving and faith. Both widows, generously, gave their whole livelihood. Jesus, himself, gave his life for us. Philippians 2:7 says that Jesus “emptied himself in the form of a slave.”

The readings are a challenge to us, firstly to empty ourselves to God in such a way that whatever we have should be used for God’s glory. St. Ignatius of Loyola has this in mind when he composed a prayer for liberty: “Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding and my entire will. All I have and call my own, you have given all to me; to you, Lord, I return it. Everything is yours; do with it what you will. Give me only your love and your grace, that is enough for me.” We may not be able to strip ourselves of our material possessions as St. Francis of Assisi and some saints did. However, we must consider all we have to belong to God and be used for his glory. We are to be more God conscious and less protective of what God has giving us. James 1:17 says, “All good giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no alteration or shadow caused by change.”

Secondly, two major vices that have caused poverty in our world are greed and selfishness. Poverty will be alleviated when our world becomes less greedy and less selfish. Again, we need to realize that everything we have is from God, and giving to us not only for our sake but for the sake of humanity.

Thirdly, as we see in the first reading and in Luke 6:38, “Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.” The widow gave and was given back: “She was able to eat for a year, and he and her son as well; the jar of flour did not go empty, nor the jug of oil run dry, as the Lord had foretold through Elijah.”

It is not only material possessions that we are invited to share with one another, we are also invited to, generously, share with one another our talents, ideas, knowledge, attention, understanding, care, cooperation, assistance, presence and services.

Below are various kind of uncheerful givers:

Expired Item Givers: Expired product givers select what is best for themselves and give out what is not good enough.

Stingy Givers: Stingy givers give miserly and insignificantly.

Grudging Givers: Grudging givers give reluctantly. They complain and regret about what they have given.

Half-Hearted Givers: Half-hearted givers are indifferent and uncaring with their gifts.

Pharisaic Givers: Pharisaic givers only give to be recognized or praised.

Greek Gift Givers: Greek gift givers give with ulterior motives and bad intentions in mind.

Discriminatory Givers: Discriminatory givers are partial with their gifts. They give only to their own.

Leftover Givers: Leftover givers give only when there are leftovers.

Peripheral Givers: Peripheral givers give generously to outsiders while neglecting their own.

Dishonest Givers: Dishonest givers give from what they obtained improperly.

Reactionary Givers: Reactionary givers give only when they feel forced to do so. 

Finally, St. Paul encourages us on the best way to give, “Consider this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each must do as already determined, without sadness or compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:6-7).

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP

Fr Peter Ireorji, MSP - Homily from Saturday, Nov. 10, 2018

What is the enemy of generosity? It’s greed, the excessive desire for personal gain and security. However, we do not need to be afraid for true generosity does not impoverish the giver, but enriches that person a hundredfold! Generosity expands the soul – but greed contracts it. God is generous and superabundant in lavishing his gifts upon us. We can never outmatch God in generosity. He has given us the best of gifts in sending us his only-begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who offered up his life for us on the cross. The Father also offers us the gift of the Holy Spirit who fills us with the fruit of peace, joy, patience, kindness, love, and self-control and many other blessings as well. Everything we have is an outright gift of God. The true treasure which lasts is the treasure stored up for us in heaven. God richly rewards those who give generously from the heart to help those in need. Free us Lord from greed and attachment to material things that we may be generous in using the gifts and resources you give us for your glory and for the good of my neighbour. Shalom!

Fr Peter Ireorji, MSP - Homily from Friday, Nov. 9, 2018

When Jesus entered the Temple of Jerusalem, he was shocked to see it profaned and desecrated by the money changers and merchants selling doves and sacrificial animals. In anger, he drove away these people:“Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace” Jn 2:13-22. This action of Jesus gives us an important lesson: the church building is not an ordinary place; it is the house of God. As a house of worship, it is where people encounter God in a very special way. It is not a playground for children; it is not a place to exchange gossips and spread intrigues; it is not the place to talk to your friends on your cell phones. It should be treated with utmost respect and reverence. In Baptism, we have become the members of the Church; we have become the parts of his Mystical Body. The Church has been traditionally depicted as a big boat sailing at sea. It encounters big storms and hurricanes but it will never sink nor will it run off course because Jesus is its captain. All of us are the passengers of this boat. We should cooperate with Jesus in making this boat safe and sound. We cannot go around endangering the safety of others, and we should not do anything that will destroy or weaken the integrity of the boat. May we remain strong and healthy members of the Body of Christ. And as members of his Church, may we become a blessing as well to the others whom we encounter along the way. Shalom!

Fr Peter Ireorji, MSP - Homily from Thursday, Nov. 8, 2018

Many Christians have succumbed to the false notion that their witness to one individual doesn’t count for much. But that certainly isn’t supported by Luke 15:1-10. Jesus’ parable of the shepherd and the lost sheep has some lessons for us about our responsibility to those who are lost. The shepherd wasn’t satisfied with 99 percent of his sheep safe within the fold. He did not say boastfully, “What a remarkable showing–only one absent!” No, he felt personally responsible for that one missing sheep. Nor did the shepherd assume that it would come back on its own. That sheep was indifferent to its lost condition and needed to be found. So the shepherd took the initiative and went searching for it. And he did not give up until it was found. The shepherd also wanted others to share his joy in finding that one lost sheep. His friends and neighbours who celebrated with him must have felt that to find a lost sheep was one of the most joyous and worthwhile endeavors in the world. We have an obligation to seek out the lost. What a difference it would make if we who know the Lord responded with a resounding “Yes!” to the age-old question, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” Then, like the shepherd in Jesus’ parable, we too would be zealous in seeking the lost sheep. Peace be with you!

Fr Peter Ireorji, MSP - Homily from Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2018

Counting the cost is also important in our commitment to Christ. He made this clear in Luke 14:25-33, when He talked about what it takes to be His disciple–loving Him more than family relationships, our possessions, or even our own life. Giving your life in service to Christ and others can be very rewarding. But let’s remember what Jesus said. Being His disciple has its price, and we must carefully count the cost. If one allows oneself to be restrained by things or persons, one cannot be a disciple in the true sense of the word. Jesus gave His love for us on the cross. We too can give back this love to our Father in heaven by renouncing the glitter of the world which has enamored our hearts and has caused us to be separated from Him. Loving God is committing our lives to Him and continuously removing our masks and pretensions and facing life without regard for its difficulties but only on the prospect of doing His will and being with Him forever. Loving God is carrying our cross by dying to self, with peace joy in our hearts is the only way we can be called disciples of Christ. It is well with you!

Fr Peter Ireorji, MSP - Homily from Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2018

God works according to laws. It is a natural law that if we humble ourselves under God’s mighty hand, surrendering our own will and honor, then He will give us the grace that we need to live a Christian life in truth, as well as exalt us in His time. Jesus, “Who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave,coming in human likeness; and, found human in appearance, he humbled himself,becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross” Phil 2:6-8. To be humble is to have the same mindset as Jesus Christ. He existed in the form of God, but did not consider equality with God a thing to be grasped, or held onto. Instead, He took on the form of a servant, and came in the likeness of men. Jesus is the ultimate example of humility. He did not value His own self-importance or honor, but freely gave it up in every situation so that God’s will could be carried out and God could be glorified through His life. If we are of this same humble mindset, forsaking our own reputation and honor in order to be obedient to God’s word and will, we will be able to make unbelievable progress in our Christian lives! In fact through our humility people will come to know that we are his disciples. Shalom!

Fr Peter Ireorji, MSP - Homily from Monday, Nov. 5, 2018

If we understand that unconditional love means expecting nothing in return from the person that one loves, then we can understand what Jesus is inviting us to in Luke 14:12-14. Jesus said that if we care for the poor, the lame, and the blind, our reward for such kindness will come at the resurrection of the righteous. However, many of us like to keep a record of the right that we have done for others so that they might do the same for us. Our relationships are built on barter rather than love. Generosity demands a measure of self-sacrifice. It doesn’t impoverish, but rather enriches the soul of the giver. True generosity springs from a heart full of mercy and compassion. God loved us first, and our love is a response of gratitude to his great mercy and kindness towards us. We cannot outmatch God in his generosity towards us. As we take care of the poor, helpless and infirm who cannot repay us, God Himself assures us that He will repay us at the resurrection of the just. Shalom!

Fr. Patrick Etuk, MSP - Homily from Monday, Nov. 5, 2018

Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves,  each looking out not for his own interests, but also everyone for those of others."  (Philippians 2: 3 - 4).

Paul in these verses identifies two possible causes of conflict in our communities, families and groups. 1. selfish interest . When people are bent on satisfying their needs at the expense of others. When one feels he/she is more entitled than others to the goods of this world and has little or no consideration for others. This can also be termed greed.  2. Vain glory. When people feel and think they are better and superior to others and their opinions must necessarily be considered others have no worth. This is arrogance . These are often the causes of unhealthy rivalry and needless conflicts in groups. Greed and arrogance are often what fuel wars and tear communities apart. Peace will come when we adopt the very opposite attitude, which is the humble and self-effacing attitude of Christ. 1. Seek to accommodate the interest of others.  Cultivate the attitude Others first .  See others as better than you . This will keep you ever humble,  and is the sure recipe for peaceful coexistence in our communities.

🙇‍♀Jesus meek and humble of heart. Make my heart like yours. Amen.

Fr Martin Eke, MSP - Homily from 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time year B, Nov. 4, 2018

Homily of 31^st Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B

In the first reading, Moses enjoined the people to love God with all their heart, with all their soul and with all their strength. The High Priest, Jesus, in the Gospel repeated Moses’ words, and added, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The scribe acknowledged that to love God and to love one’s neighbor as oneself are “worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” At that time, the people had thought that the more burnt offerings and sacrifices they offered, and the more tithes they paid, the closer they were to God. Love of neighbor was not emphasized. Jesus, in Luke 11:12, condemned the Pharisees, “Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and love of God.”  

Love of God and love of neighbor are like two hinges of a door. One of the hinges is love of God, and the other hinge is love of neighbor. If any of the hinges is absent, the door seizes to function. 1 John 4:19-21 says, “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ but hates his brother, he is a liar; for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. This is the commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.”

At creation, God said, “Let us create man in our image, in the likeness of ourselves…” (Genesis 1:26). We share in God’s divine nature. Therefore, we have done to God what we have done to others because each of us is God’s image. In Matthew 25:40 Jesus teaches, “In truth I tell you, in so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it to me.” In Acts 9:4-5, Jesus asked Saul, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” Saul asked Jesus, “Who are you Lord?” Jesus replied, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” Jesus did not ask Saul why he was persecuting the Christians, but “Why are you persecuting me?”

Love of neighbor is so important in our relationship with God that St. Peter writes, “Above all, let your love for one another be intense, because love covers a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8). In the same understanding 1 John 3:14 says, “We are aware that we have passed over from death to life because we love our brother.”

 Jesus in Luke 10:29-37 gave the parable of the Good Samaritan to the scholar of Law who wanted to know who was his neighbor:

“A man fell victim to robbers as he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho. They stripped and beat him and went off leaving him half-dead. A priest happened to be going down that road, but when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side. Likewise, a Levite came to the place, and when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side. But a Samaritan traveler who came upon him was moved with compassion at the sight. He approached the victim, poured oil and wine over his wounds and bandaged them. Then he lifted him up on his own animal, took him to an inn and cared for him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper with the instruction, ‘Take care of him. If you spend more than what I have given you, I shall repay you on my way back.’ Which of these three, in your opinion, was neighbor to the robbers’ victim? He answered, ‘The one who treated him with mercy.’ Jesus said to him, Go and do likewise.”

This parable can help us understand who our neighbor is. Love of neighbor goes with compassion, selflessness and sacrifice. We see these virtues in Jesus and in the Good Samaritan. There are ‘victim-neighbors’ in our family circles, neighborhoods, communities and around us. If we do not see them, it means that we are passing by on the opposite side like the priest and the Levite.  

Here in St. Francis of Assisi Parish, our neighbors are the homebound, the elderly, the lonely and parishioners with other kinds of special needs. Also, the students of St. Francis of Assisi School and their parents are our neighbors. About 90% of the students are not Catholic. Almost all the students’ parents are low income earners. No child in the school belongs to any family in the parish. Yet, we contribute as much as we can to keep the school running. The school is totally a service to humanity. This is a perfect example of love which comes from compassion, selflessness and sacrifice.

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP

Fr Peter Ireorji, MSP - Homily from 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time year B, Nov. 4, 2018

When Jesus was questioned about the greatest commandment, He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself” Mk. 12:30-31. God is love and everything he does flows from his love for us. Love is not just what we feel or say it is what we do unconditionally for the benefit of another. Jesus says that there is no greater love than one’s decision to die for another (Jn 15:13). This He accomplished for us on the cross. Love then is about giving and doing so unconditionally without expecting any favor in return. To love God with all our heart, soul, and strength is a total engagement such that nothing is left behind. And Loving our neighbour means going beyond ourselves and recognizing the needs of another, doing unto others not just as we would want them to do to us, but as they would like to be treated. Understand in this way, to love therefore, is not a suggestion nor an option; but a commandment.  God loved us first and our love for him is a response to his exceeding grace and kindness towards us. On the last day we shall be judged not on how often we were in the Church, but on how far our love reached out to others. Peace be with you!

Fr Peter Ireorji, MSP - Homily from Saturday, Nov. 3, 2018

For Jesus to save humanity, He needed to be one of us to experience life the way we do. He knew loneliness and felt the pain of rejection. But by being humble and deciding to take the lower form of man by dying on the cross. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. –Luke 14:11. True humility frees us to be our true selves and to avoid despair and pride. A humble person does not have to wear a mask or put on a facade in order to look good to others, especially to those who are not really familiar with that person. Humility leads to true self-knowledge, honesty, realism, strength, and dedication to give ourselves to something greater than ourselves. Humility frees us to love and serve others selflessly, for their sake, rather than our own. Paul the Apostles, gives us the  greatest example and model of humility in the person of Jesus Christ, who emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, …who humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Today let us give Jesus a chance to lift us up by living simple and humble lives, always trying to serve God and His people without consideration of title, rank and authority. Shalom!

Fr Peter Ireorji, MSP - Homily from Friday, Nov. 2, 2018 Solemnity of All Souls

Do you sometimes wonder if you’ll ruin your salvation and never get to heaven? In John 6:37-40, Jesus says: “Everything that the Father gives me will come to me.” He’s referring to you! God the Father has given you to Jesus so that Jesus can lead you to heaven. During your baptism, our Father in heaven said to Jesus: “Here Son, take good care of this one. Make sure he/she is going to make it home to heaven okay.” Jesus replied, “I will not reject anyone who comes to me, because I do your will.” What the Father wants, the Father gets, unless the recipients of his love reject all of his efforts to bring them to heaven. This is equally true for your deceased loved ones. If they had any desire to be with Jesus while they were on earth, they of course – more than ever – wanted to be with him at the moment of death as he stood before them in the fullness of his love. When we meet Jesus face to face, everything becomes clear. We regret the sins that we have not yet purged from our lives, and Jesus lets us choose purgatory as a completely thorough purification process so that we can live eternally in the fullness of God’s love. Let’s keep in mind, though, that the fire of love today and throughout our earth-bound life is more sanctifying than the fire of purgatory. By purifying how well we love now – loving others even when it’s difficult, forgiving others as often as they sin, and giving ourselves generously to the needs of others – we unite ourselves to God’s love. Eternal rest grant them O Lord, and let your perpetual light shine on them. May the Rest In Peace. Amen!

Fr Patrick Etuk, MSP - Homily from Thursday, Nov. 1, 2018 Solemnity of All Saints

"I had a vision of a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people, and tongue."  (Revelation 7: 9).

👉No one is born a saint. Scriptures tells us We were all conceived in iniquity and brought forth in sin.  Ps.51:5

 👉Every saint has a past. They struggled with the same defects,  guilt and vices  common to all mortals and came out victorious, because they persevered and would not give up the fight in spite of how often and how hard they failed. "They went through the great persecution and had washed their robes clean by the blood of the lamb."

 👉Everyone can become a saint. No tribe, tongue, religion, status, people and nation, temperament has monopoly of sainthood.

👉 It is every person's destiny and the worst tragedy in life is not to have become one. Yes. "What would it profit a man if he gained the whole world and lost his soul." The real loss, the real failure in life is to fail to become a Saint. 

👉Saints have no other treasure in this world but God, and They seek him as though none else was.  They are often broken about evil in themselves and in the world.  They suffer along with others  and are never aloof from human pain. They won't take advantage of others for their pleasure and selfish gains. They are never broken by insults, abuses and rejection they suffer for doing the right thing.
They won't relish in the downfall even of their enemies and will never pay back evil for evil. In sincerity of heart They seek for peace and labour to reconcile others yet  abhor false compromises and pretences.  They never give in to mediocrity and won't settle for that illusion of being holier than others, or that  they had nothing more to change in themselves.

👉Saints are not hard to come by.  I don't believe they are rare and endangered species.  They live amongst us, we find them in our families,  neighbourhood, at work place, in the church, in the market, in the parliament, in the field of play, even at parties. They fast and grieve in silence and alone but feast often with others. 

👉Whatever your condition today, don't be discouraged. Know that Every saint had a past. Every sinner can  have a future.

🙇‍♀A pure heart create for me O God, put a steadfast spirit within me. Amen.