Fr Martin Eke, MSP - Homily for 4th Sunday of Lent year C, March 31, 2019

Homily of Fourth Sunday of Lent Year C
As God planned it, the Israelites arrived in the land of Canaan (the promised land) about the same time of the year (the month of Nisan) they left Egypt. The month of Nisan is the first month of the Hebrew calendar. On arrival, the Israelites celebrated the Passover, a seven-day celebration. During the celebration, the Israelites ate the produce of the land of Canaan. With the produce of the land for their food, the manna ceased.
Before the celebration of the feast of the Passover, God commanded Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise Israel… None of those born in the wilderness during the journey after the departure from Egypt were circumcised… When the circumcision of the entire nation was complete, they remained in camp where they were, until they recovered. Then the Lord said to Joshua: Today, I have removed the reproach of Egypt from you” (Joshua 5:1-9).
The circumcision is a sign of reconciliation with God. It made the entire nation new to celebrate the Passover and to settle in the promised land. The Israelites went through physical circumcision before the Passover and before they settled into the promised land. In the same way, we are required to go through spiritual circumcision, that is the Sacrament of Reconciliation, as we journey through the Lenten Season and as we prepare to celebrate Easter. If physical circumcision was capable of removing the “reproach of Egypt” and sanctify the nation of Israel; even more so the Sacrament of Reconciliation is capable of obtaining forgiveness and removing the reproach of our sins. The power of the Sacrament of Reconciliation is as stated by St. Paul in the second reading: It makes us new creation in Christ, old things pass away, and new things come. St. Paul continues, “All this is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and given us the ministry of reconciliation…” The ministry of reconciliation is God’s creation, not the Church!
We have a lot to learn from the four individuals in the Gospel reading.
Servant: It appears to me that the servant lacked control of his tongue. Perhaps, he should have only said to the older brother, “Your brother has returned and we are celebrating.” Rather than, “Your brother has returned and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf…” Proverbs 10:19 says, “Where words are many sin is not wanting.”
Older brother: He seems to be an example of people who work very hard but are full of resentment, anger and grudges. “He became very angry and refused to enter the house…” He said, “Look, all these years I have served you and not once did I disobey your orders; yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast with my friends. But when your son returns who swallowed up your property with prostitutes, for him you slaughter the fattened calf.” It is better to do little happily than to do much with a lot of anger.
Father: His unconditional forgiveness of his prodigal son challenges us. He restored his son to his princely position unconditionally. He put on him the finest robe, which means restoring the son’s royalty. He put a ring on his finger, which means renewing the father-son covenant broken by the son. He put sandals on his feet, which means restoring the son’s confidence. The father teaches us what unconditional forgiveness is about.
Prodigal son: His ability to come to his senses and rise above shame and guilt challenges us too. Let us not remain where we have fallen, or remain in the guilt of the past and wound of the past. Let us get up and go to the father for forgiveness, restoration and healing. Let us come to our senses.
The readings of today’s Mass teach us that there is no sin that is beyond God’s pardon, but we have to get up and go to God for spiritual circumcision (first reading), reconciliation (second reading), forgiveness, restoration and healing (Gospel).
Fr. Martin Eke, MSP

Fr Martin Eke, MSP - Homily for 3rd Sunday of Lent year C, March 24, 2019

Homily of Third Sunday of Lent Year C
The first reading tells about the call of Moses. Moses had fled from Egypt to Midian. There, he was tending the flock of his father in-law. While in the region of Mount Horeb he was called by God: “An angel of the Lord appeared to Moses in fire flaming out of a bush. As he looked on, he was surprised to see that the bush, though on fire, was not consumed. So Moses decided, ‘I must go over and look at this remarkable sight, and see why the bush is not burned.’ When the Lord saw him coming over to look at it more closely, God called out to him from the bush, ‘Moses! Moses!’ He answered, ‘I am here.’ God said, ‘Come no nearer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground. …’ God, I AM, then, gave Moses the mission to go and get the Israelites out of Egypt.
We need not wait for God to call us in a dramatic way. The Eucharistic celebration is our own “flaming fire out of a bush.” Coming to church is like Moses going over to see the flaming fire. Raising our voice in prayer is like approaching the flaming fire. Approaching the altar to receive the Holy Eucharist is like approaching the flaming fire. ‘I AM’ speaks to us through his word we have read. He invites each one of us to “remove the sandals from [our] feet.” This means to remove the ‘sandals’ of sin.
Psalm 15: “Lord, who may abide in your tent? Who may dwell on your holy mountain? Whoever walks without blame, doing what is right, speaking truth from the heart; who does not slander with his tongue, does no harm to a friend, never defames a neighbor; who disdains the wicked, but honors those who fear the Lord; who keeps an oath despite the cost, lends no money at interest, accepts no bribe against the innocent. Whoever acts like this shall never be shaken.
Psalm 24:3-5: “Who may go up the mountain of the Lord? Who can stand in his holy place? The clean of hand and pure of heart, who has not given his soul to useless things, what is vain. He will receive blessings from the Lord, and justice from his saving God.”
Isaiah 33:14-15: “Who of us can live with consuming fire? Who of us can live with everlasting flames? Whoever walks righteously and speaks honestly, who spurns what is gained by oppression, who waves off contact with a bribe, who stops his ears so as not to hear of bloodshed, who closes his eyes so as not to look on evil.”

God sent Moses to bring the Israelites out of Egypt. God said, “I have witnessed the affliction of my people in Egypt and I have heard their cry of complain … I know well what they are suffering.” God may be sending us to a mission to free someone whom God has witnessed the person’s cry and suffering. Our excuses and reluctance are the ‘sandals’ on our feet. When God minister’s such call in our hearts, let us not, like Moses, become afraid and hide our face from God. Let us, rather, pray for the grace to carry out God’s command. St. Bernardine of Siena writes, “This is a general rule that applies to a rational creature. Whenever divine grace selects someone to serve a particular grace, or some especially favored position, all the gifts for his state are given to that person, and enrich him abundantly.” Simply put, when God give us a mission, he gives us the grace. May such grace not pass us by due to the ‘sandals’ on our feet.
The Gospel reminds us that although we are sinners and unworthy, yet God gives us opportunities to return to him, opportunities to become what he wants us to be, opportunities for greater heights, opportunities for progress, opportunities to break new grounds, opportunities to bear fruits; we must not continue to waste such opportunities. Such opportunities do not continue forever. St. Peter writes, “God’s patience is our opportunity to be saved” (2 Peter 3:15). An English proverb says, “Make hay while the sun shines.” A Nigerian Igbo adage says, “Gather in your black goats while it is still day. You may not be able to see the dark goats in the darkness of the night.”
Jesus speaks of the possibility of the door of opportunities closing; “After the master of the house has arisen and locked the door, then will you stand outside knocking and saying, ‘Lord, open the door for us.’ He will say to you in reply, ‘I do not know where you are from’” (Luke 13:25). God of mercy is also God of justice. God of mercy is also God of justice. "Sir, leave it for this year also, and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it; it may bear fruit in the future. If not you can cut it down."
Fr. Martin Eke, MSP

Peter Ireorji, MSP - Homily Thursday, March 21, 2019

Why did the rich man go to hell? We are not told that he acquired his wealth by foul means. The reason we have difficulty pinpointing why the rich man went to hell may have a lot to do with how we think of sin. We often think that we sin only through thoughts, words, and deeds. We forget that a fourth and very important way we can sin is through our omissions. Yet we forget this last criterion, the sin of omission. The rich man of Lk 16:19-31, saw Lazarus hungry, thirsty, a stranger, naked and sick–but he chose not to see him. He was spiritually blind and thus, he did not see. In not seeing, he did not act and in not acting, he omitted the compassion and sharing he should have given Lazarus. So the rich man is condemned for his sin of omission. Today the Lord challenges us to enter the world of the other and let the other to enter our world. That, in a sense, is what Jesus himself did. He entered our world and invites us to enter his world. We can do the same for each other. When we cross the threshold into the world of the other, into the world of those who are very different from us in all kinds of ways, we may discover that we not only have something to give the other but a great deal to receive as well. Shalom!

Peter Ireorji, MSP - Homily Wednesday, March 20, 2019

Jesus asks James and John, “Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink?” Matt 20:22. If they were prepared to share his cup, to throw in their lot with him, to follow where he leads, even though it may mean the cross. In the garden of Gethsemane Jesus prayed, “Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me.” Yet, he went on to drink that cup to the full on the cross. At the last supper, he drank of the cup, and then gave the cup to his disciples, who also drank from it. Yet, a little later, they deserted him and fled. In spite of what they promised, James and John would not follow when the going got hard. We too are invited to drink from the Lord’s cup, the cup of the Eucharist. In doing so, we are expressing our willingness to go where he leads and walk in his way. Jesus teaches that way of self-giving service of others, as against lording it over them. We pray that in talking the Lord’s cup today, we would be faithful to what that action signifies—walking in the footsteps of the Son of Man who came not to be served but to serve. Shalom!

Peter Ireorji, MSP - Homily Monday, March 18, 2019

Mercy, forgiveness and love are in short supply today. Most relationships between people are built on what one can gain from the other and how the relationship will help one. It is rare to see (even in relationships between members of one family) selflessness and generosity. Yet, this is what Jesus calls the disciple to and expects that the disciple will live such a generous life. One way we can develop mercy and give it to our neighbor is to be able to know ourselves, face and accept our own sins and mistakes (self awareness). Being able to accept the shameful state of our lives, the truth behind us which God sees-all on our own, with no comparisons and no useless judgments- will only enable us to share God’s love and mercy with all men. This way, we begin to think and see like God as we look at one another. Shalom!

Fr Peter Ireorji MSP - Homily for 2nd Sunday of Lent year C, March 17, 2019

In Luke 9:28:36, Peter, James and John saw his glory as God; his face was brighter than the sun and his clothes dazzling white. And the voice of the heavenly Father was heard: “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.” This experience filled them with such an overwhelming and indescribable joy and all that Peter could say was: “Master, let us erect three booths here.” They had a glimpse and taste of heaven and they wished to remain there forever. There are times in our lives when things do not go the way we plan, when all that we plan goes awry, when the road seems steep and the going is difficult, when every step that we take is laboured and arduous, when we cannot see or understand and, when we feel like giving up and giving in. It is at times like these that we, like Peter, wish we had stayed on the mountain. It is at times like these when we, like Abram, might like some tangible proof, some sign. Yet, the Transfiguration of Jesus, and the attitude of Abram, teach that God continues to walk ahead of us and, though we may not be able to see him as clearly as we would like, God is there. This is why Paul calls the Christian community at Philippi to join him in imitating Christ. This means that they must be able, like Christ, to look beyond and not be weighed down by the trials and tribulations of the world. It means that they must continue to have faith and trust at all times since trials and tribulations are always temporary and passing. What is permanent is God’s unconditional love, manifested in his Son, Jesus Christ. Our confidence is not in our ability to overcome the challenges that come our way, but in God’s grace that we constantly receive in, and through, Jesus Christ. Shalom!

Fr Martin Eke, MSP - Homily for 2nd Sunday of Lent year C, March 17, 2019

Homily of Second Sunday of Lent Year C
In some ancient cultures, including the Aramean culture where Abram belonged, when two parties or individuals made a covenant, they cut an animal into half, arrange the halves on two sides, and the parties or the individuals who made the covenant pass through between the animal parts. This ritual sealed the covenant. Passing through between the animal parts arranged on two sides was a way of swearing, “May what happened to the animal happen to me if I go against the covenant.” This ritual seems, partly, to be what is described in the first reading. “Abram brought him [God] all these, split them in two, placed each half opposite the other…When the sun had set and it was dark, there appeared a smoking fire pot and flaming torch, which passed between those pieces. It was on that occasion that the Lord made a covenant with Abram…” The smoking fire pot and flaming torch which passed between the animal parts can be said to represent God passing through between the animal parts. We can also assume that Abram might have passed through between the animal parts before the trance fell upon him.
The first reading is not a study of ancient Aramean’s way of making a covenant. It is a reminder of our various covenants with God, especially our baptismal covenant. We make the following baptismal promises: to renounce sin, evil and Satan; and to believe in God, in Jesus, and in the Holy Spirit. Because we have all fallen short of our baptismal promises, we are, therefore, called to repentance, especially, during the holy season of Lent. We are invited to draw close to Jesus. As the second reading says, “He will change our lowly body to conform with his glorified body…” The same invitation is given to us in the Gospel. We are invited to transfigure as Jesus was transfigured, and to dazzle as Jesus dazzled.
To change, transfigure and dazzle means to reject Satan, to reject sin, and to reject lures and occasions of sin. It means to renew one’s spiritual life.
To transfigure means to change in order to reveal hidden beauty of the soul and body. The beauty of one’s soul and body can be hidden by concerns and anxieties of life. There are people who used to be warm and happy, who dazzled in their assignments and responsibilities. But now, they perform very poorly. Such people are invited to put their faith in God as Abram did. God will transfigure them and they will dazzle again.
There are times the beauty of our soul and body are hidden not by any fault of ours but by difficulties of life. At such times, it is faith in God that transfigures us in the face of the difficulties.
In our time, it is no longer to sacrifice “a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old she-goat, and a three-year-old ram, a turtle dove, and a young pigeon,” it is to draw close to Jesus who died for us. He sealed the covenant between human being and God by his blood shed on the Cross. That is why God says, as we read in the Gospel, “This is my chosen Son; listen to him.”  Our transformation and transfiguration are assured if we listen to Jesus and follow him.
Jesus confirms the transformative power of his words:
Matthew 7:24-25, “Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.”
John 6:63, “It is the spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.”
John 14:6, “I am the way and the truth and the life.”
John 15:7, “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you.”
Fr. Martin Eke, MSP

Peter Ireorji, MSP - Homily Saturday, March 16, 2019

Our vocation as Christians, is to become perfect, in God’s image. Just as God loves us, each of us is called to respond “with all your heart and with all your soul. Being perfect means being loving to an extraordinary degree, loving our enemy, praying for those who persecute us, who make life difficult for us. Being perfect consists in loving in the way that God loves, which is with a love that doesn’t discriminate on the basis of how people relate to us. This is the pinnacle of Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount. The fact that Jesus calls on us to love as God loves shows that he does not consider this call unrealistic. We may not be able to love in this divine way on our own, but we can do so with God’s help. Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Shalom!

Peter Ireorji, MSP - Homily Friday, March 15, 2019

Jesus calls his disciples to a virtue deeper than the virtue of the scribes and Pharisees. A major commandment was “You shall not kill.” The call of Jesus goes deeper than that; it goes below the actual act of killing to the underlying attitudes and emotions which lead people to kill or injure each other. If we come to worship God and there are feelings of anger, revenge or hatred in our hearts, then our worship remains incomplete. It is only an external worship and not true worship. God does not need our adoration, but if want to adore him it must also come from within. We need to look below the surface of what people do, to cure the underlying passions. We need a renewal of the heart and mind, a true “repentance” Today as we endeavor to abide in the Lord and adhere to His word, let us always ask God that we are removed from any conflicting and hurtful relationships and that we may not be any man’s enemy, but instead remain a true friend of all, yet always faithful to a covenant relationship with God. Shalom!

Fr Patrick Etuk, MSP - Homily Friday, March 15, 2019

"Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign LORD. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?" Ezekiel 18:23.

🗣It is ungodly to wish evil to the wicked even when they persist in wrong doing. God delights in their conversion and restoration and we are called to do likewise. Spend time today to pray for people who are far away from God. This surely gladens the heart of our maker 🙇‍♀Jesus meek and humble of heart, make my heart like yours. Amen

Fr Patrick Etuk, MSP - Homily Thursday, March 14, 2019

"For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Mt.7:8

🗣Nothing should ever impede us from praying. Do you lack faith? How will you have faith if you don't pray often? In talking to God and listening to him often our faith grows stronger. Are you living in grave sin? How will you overcome if don't cry out to God for mercy and help often? Pray constantly. Be not discouraged no matter what you are facing. He will supply all your needs according to his riches in glory. Amen. Shalom.

Peter Ireorji, MSP - Homily Thursday, March 14, 2019

Today Jesus once more presents to us the requirements for discipleship. He said: “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” Lk 9:23. Lent is traditionally a time for self-denial. We ask ourselves what it is we need to let go, to give up, in order to follow the Lord more closely. We all have something we need to let go off; it might be some excessive attachment that is holding us back, or some habit that is not serving us well. Self renunciation is more difficult today than in the past because we live in a culture which encourages us to indulge ourselves. We can easily think of self-renunciation as something negative. Yet, the giving up, the letting go, is always with a view to life, to living life to the full. A true disciple of Christ decides to do the will of God whatever the cost may be. When we do this for the Lord, we deny our old sinful drives and motivations but instead desire and choose to do God’s will for our lives. We effectively take up the cross at hand.  By doing such an act, we lose our old self and we begin to become the new person that God will enable us to be. Shalom!

Fr Peter Ireorji, MSP - Homily Wednesday, March 13, 2019

You have to sympathize with Jonah. He has had some rough times before Jonah 3:1-10. First, God gave him an impossible mission: to convince the people of the world’s most sinful city to change their ways or risk having their city destroyed. He hopped on a boat heading in the opposite direction, hoping to escape God’s call. When a storm came up and raised such waves that the ship seemed doomed to sink, the sailors figured he was a jinx and tossed him overboard. He was swallowed by a gigantic fish, which finally spit him up on a beach. He decided maybe he would try it God’s way. He made his way to the wicked city of Nineveh where, with much trepidation, he preached God’s message: “Change your ways or my God will destroy your city.” He was certain that these folks were not about to listen to one of their enemies. But, as we heard in the first reading, they did indeed repent and God spared them. And was Jonah delighted? Not a bit! He went into a magnificent pout because God had made a fool of him by forgiving those wicked folks. A prophet’s life is a hard one! Our wickedness probably doesn’t rank with that of the Ninevites, but we are painfully aware of how short we fall of perfection. This season is our opportunity to pause and take stock, to heed the prophets God has sent to dwell among us. He calls us to seek him with true repentance, humility, and the honesty to see our sins for what they really are – a rejection of his love and will for our lives. God will transform us if we listen to his word and allow his Holy Spirit to work in our lives. Shalom!

Fr Patrick Etuk, MSP - Homily Wednesday, March 13, 2019

"When God saw by their actions how they turned from their evil way, he repented of the evil he had threatened to do to them; he did not carry it out." (Jonah 3: 10).

🗣Every sincere effort to repent and turn from evil will not go unnoticed and unrewarded by God. His anger lasts for a moment but his favor all through life. No matter what our past have been, when we make sincere efforts to repent God remembers our sins no more. This is the good news of our faith. Shalom .

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

Fr Patrick Etuk, MSP - Homily Tuesday, March 12, 2019

Your Father knows what you need before you ask him." (Matthew 6: 8).

In the prayer that Jesus thought us  we have one of the most comforting and reassuring scriptures.  It tells us that the God we pray to is not a task master but a loving father, our daddy. He is ever willing to hear us. He is more than able to do what our hearts truly yearns for.
 He has the means to satisfy every desire of our heart. Prayer makes us willing and able to do his will. He answers us not because of who we are but because of who He  is,  a compassionate God.

This should make us eager and confident to come into his presence. The psamist says. "But I through the greatness of your love have access to your house... " Ps. 5:7

🙇‍♀Jesus, I trust in you. Amen.

Fr Peter Ireorji, MSP - Homily Tuesday, March 12, 2019

The address of God as “Father” brings out the intimacy of the relationship that disciples and God share. The opening petitions indicate that prayer does not begin with one’s needs, but with the glory and honour due to God. God’s name is and will be honoured by all men and women, since God as revealed by Jesus is primarily a God of mercy, forgiveness and unconditional love. The kingdom of God has come in Jesus and is also in the future when God will be all and in all. This is a situation in which God will show himself to be king as he has done in the life, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus. As Jesus constantly did God’s will, so it will continue to be done both in heaven and on earth. It is only when God’s will is done rather than one’s own that there can be true and lasting peace and harmony. Despite petitioning God for something as stupendous as the kingdom, the disciple also acknowledges dependence on God for something as regular and ordinary as bread. God’s forgiveness is unconditional and without any merit our part however, in order to receive this forgiveness which God gives graciously and gratuitously, we must have to remove from our heart any unforgiveness, resentment or anger that might be present there. The prayer ends with a final petition that God, who always leads the people, will not bring them into a time of testing, when the pressure might be so great as to overcome faith itself, but that he will save them from the ultimate power of evil. While we must acknowledge our dependence on God for everything that we need and regard him always as the primary cause, our attitude to others must be one of acceptance and forgiveness. Shalom!

Fr Peter Ireorji, MSP - Homily Monday, March 11, 2019

We serve the Lord when we serve a needy person. Jesus made this clear when He said that any kindness shown to the hungry, the thirsty, the homeless, the sick, the destitute, and the imprisoned will be judged as having been done directly to Him Matt 25:40,45. He identifies so closely with the oppressed that serving them in His name is the same as serving Him. Whenever we extend help in the name of Jesus through acts of caring, Jesus Himself is there even though we cannot see Him. At the final judgment, people will ask, ‘when did we ever see you in need of our help?’ God’s presence was not always obvious to Jesus’ contemporaries, and his presence is not always obvious to us either. It comes to us not in signs and wonders but in weakness, in the needs of others, whoever they are. And someday when we stand before Him, He will recall our deeds of love performed in His name and say, “Well done!” Let’s keep on serving Him by serving others. God’s service is more than mere preaching but by deeds. We serve Christ when we serve others in need. Shalom!

Fr Martin Eke, MSP - Homily for 1st Sunday of Lent year C, March 10, 2019

Homily of First Sunday of Lent Year C
Moses did not reach the Promised Land. However, he prescribed for the Israelites laws and directives they were to keep in the Promised Land that would guide their relationship with God and with one another. The first reading was a pronouncement to be made during the feast of harvest thanksgiving. The pronouncement summaries Israel’s history and journey with God from their ancestors to their settling in the Promised Land. The offering of the first fruits from one’s farm and the pronouncement were an expression of gratitude to God for his blessings. The reading encourages us to be grateful to God for his love and mercy, and to express our gratitude practically by offering to the Church of God from the blessings we have received.
On offering to the Church Sirach 35:6-13 says, “Do not appear before the Lord empty-handed, for all that you offer is in fulfillment of the precepts. The offering of the just enriches the altar: a sweet odor before the Most High. The sacrifice of the just is accepted, never to be forgotten. With a generous spirit pay homage to the Lord, and do not spare your freewill gifts. With each contribution show a cheerful countenance, and pay your tithes in a spirit of joy. Give to the Most High as he has given to you, generously, according to your means. For he is a God who always repays and will give back to you sevenfold.” 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 Church uses the offering to serve humanity, carry out the work of evangelization, and build up God’s kingdom here on earth.
For us in St. Francis of Assisi Parish, the reading is very meaningful. When 2017 Hurricane Harvey and its flood caused catastrophic damage to our church and hall buildings, we had nowhere to celebrate Mass and perform other spiritual exercises. We became ‘wandering worshipers.’ We gathered outdoors on the church ground to celebrate the Mass. Later, we got a donation of a tent, which sheltered us from sun and rain. We could no longer stay outdoors to celebrate Mass when winter arrived. We moved and squeezed ourselves into the parish garage (which we renamed ‘Providence House’). The garage had no insulation which made the winter cold and the summer heat almost unbearable. Yet, we stood our ground! We continued to celebrate Mass in it until the parish hall was reconstructed a year later. Our first Mass in the reconstructed church building was last weekend, about eighteen months after the experience of Hurricane Harvey. We have every reason to thank God for his grace and mercy, and for leading and guiding us through the rough, tempting and trial times. We all have our individual and family journeys, experiences and testimonies of God’s saving grace for which we need to be grateful and thankful to him.
The devil does not want us to have good relationship with our good and gracious God. He comes with all kinds of temptations to draws us away from God. The Gospel story of the temptation of Jesus by the devil shows us some subtle ways the devil uses to tempt us in order to draw us away from God. The first temptation shows us that the devil tempts and tries to separate us from God through our needs. The temptation is usually for us to go for what we need through improper means, that is to turn stone to bread. The second temptation shows us that the devil tempts and tries to separate us from God by making us worship and derive authority and glory from the things of this world rather than derive authority and glory from God. The third temptation shows how the devil desires to disconnect us from God by making us lose the virtue of self-content and trust in God but engage in harmful and dangerous ambitious activities for a better life (throw oneself down from pinnacle of the temple).
If the devil tempted Jesus who is God, he will tempt us more who are mere human beings. 1 John 5:19 warns, “We know that we are children of God, [but] the whole world is under the control of the evil one.” 1 Peter 5:8-9 also warns, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith…” St. Augustine encourages us where he writes, “Our pilgrim life here on earth cannot be without temptation, for it is through temptation that we make progress, and it is only by being tempted that we come to know ourselves.” The following words from the second reading are very encouraging too, “No one who believes in [Jesus] will be put to shame… For every one who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.” Let the name of Jesus, the name that is above every name, be in our hearts and on our lips. It is by the power of his name that we triumph over every temptation as he himself did. I wish you a spirit-filled Lenten Season.
Fr. Martin Eke, MSP

Fr Patrick Etuk, MSP - Homily Saturday, March 9, 2019

"Jesus saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the customs post.
He said to him, "Follow me."
And leaving everything behind, he got up and followed him."
Lk 5:27ff

🗣Mathew was a public sinner, hated by many and often treated as an outcast, a sold out. Yet the ill treatment he received from people hardened his heart the more. However, just one tender loving gaze from Jesus made a huge difference in his life. It is only true love that can melt hardened hearts. It is the warmth of God's  Love that can set our hearts on fire  for his good purpose, regardless of what our past have been. Jesus loves you unconditionally as he loved Mathew the public sinner. When we open our hearts to his love, he set us on fire for his kingdom transforming us radically from the inside. Drink of that love this morning. Feel his loving gaze on you. It is the medicine you desperately need for your soul.

🙇‍♀Jesus I trust in you. I am delivered, I am set free. Your goodness follows me. Your love accompanies and accomplishes great things in me. I can love because I am loved unconditionally. Amen.

Fr Patrick Etuk, MSP - Homily Friday, March 8, 2019

This, rather, is the fasting that I wish:
releasing those bound unjustly,
untying the thongs of the yoke;
Setting free the oppressed,
breaking every yoke;
Sharing your bread with the hungry,
sheltering the oppressed and the homeless;
Clothing the naked when you see them,
and not turning your back on your own. Is. 58:6ff

🗣Our fast must go beyond merely  starving our bodies of food and drink. It must aim at renouncing evil conduct in our dealings with one another. It is purifying our hearts of earthbound passions and desires that often gets in the way of doing God's will.  It is not living for ourselves anymore but for Christ. As Paul said, 'It is no longer I that live, but Christ that lives in me.'  It is not gratifying our sensual desires anymore but being eager to do the will of the Father, making it our daily food.  The goal of my fast should be to have in me the mind of Christ. To be meek and humble, eager to forgive and reconcile because I have renounced malice and vengefulness.  To be fair in my dealings with everyone because I have renounced greed and arogance. To come to the aid of those in need and never be indifferent to the plight of the lowly and afflicted, because I am no longer full of my self.

🙇‍♀Father, I can't do this on my own.  The spirit is willing but the flesh is often weak. I have a flesh that has a mind and will of its own. But nothing is impossible for you Lord. Make me willing and able to fast in a way that pleases you. Not my will but your will Father.  Amen.

Fr Peter Ireorji, MSP - Homily Friday, March 8, 2019

Many people felt angry when Isaiah accused them of being rebels against God Isa 58:1-9. They saw themselves as devout, zealous in religious practice. But the prophet pointed out that even while they fasted for religious purposes, they had not qualms about oppressing their workers. In which case, the religion they practiced was not really to please God, but to please themselves. Their ritual observance has become merely a traditional activity, something they are doing for themselves. Even on the days when they fast, they end up arguing and fighting, self-righteous and disunited. Today, we too can fall into this syndrome, putting questions of ritual on the back burner. Many seem to limit the ideal of “walking-with-God” to something that is fulfilled in a one-day-a-week commitment, by attending church. Some will do even this only if the Mass or service be held at a time that caters entirely to their personal preferences. We become so wrapped up in our own concerns, that there is hardly time for conversing with God our Maker. But helped by the words of prophet Isaiah, perhaps we can see more clearly the penance that God offers us as a special blessing, in the blessed season of Lent. It’s designed not as a time to indulge oneself, but as a time to think of others. The fast that God prescribes for us is to find the time to clothe the naked, to right injustices, to feed the hungry, and to make provision for those who have no home. It is to love my neighbour as truly as my own self. Shalom!

Fr Peter Ireorji, MSP - Homily Thursday, March 7, 2019

Jesus says that if we want to be his followers we have to be ready to renounce ourselves. Lent is traditionally a time for self-denial. We ask ourselves what it is we need to let go, to give up, in order to follow the Lord more closely. We all have something we need to let go off; it might be some excessive attachment that is holding us back, or some habit that is not serving us well. Self renunciation is more difficult today than in the past because we live in a culture which encourages us to indulge ourselves. We can easily think of self-renunciation as something negative. Yet, the giving up, the letting go, is always with a view to life, to living life to the full. The book of Deuteronomy puts it very positively, “Choose life, that you and your descendants may live”Duet 30:19, and Jesus says in the in Matt 9:24, that whoever loses his life for his sake will save it. We pray this Lent that the Lord would give us the grace to keep on choosing life. Shalom!

Fr Peter Ireorji, MSP - Homily Ash Wednesday, March 6, 2019

As we receive the ashes on our foreheads, we take stock of the purpose of Lent: it is an exercise in cleansing and holy desire. It lasts forty days in imitation of the time Jesus spent in the desert before starting his public ministry. What is the purpose of Lent? It is to prepare us for a more effective involvement in our vocation as Christians. Our desires are far too small if we look for fulfilment only in what this world offers by way of transient satisfactions, but God wants us to have so much more; his very Self. During Lent we seek to tune in to higher desires our longing for God. In Matt 6:1-18, Jesus shows the way: prayer, fasting and almsgiving, the classic Lenten practices. Our eternity will be an eternal relationship with the living God in the Communion of Saints. That relationship begins in this life through prayer. While we should certainly enjoy food and the conviviality that often accompanies a good meal, we should also find a place for fasting, in order to sharpen our appetite for God. All of us resonate in some way to the ideal of almsgiving, could we perhaps do more to serve the needy, not so that people will consider us generous, but to imitate God’s generosity to us? God means to fill each of us with what is good; so cast out what is bad, and now is a favourable time to do so. Wishing you a spirit filled Lenten season. Shalom!

Fr Peter Ireorji, MSP - Homily Tuesday, March 5, 2019

Peter asked the candid question, “What about us? We have left everything and followed you.” Mk 10:28. He and his colleagues had given up much to be followers of Jesus. They may have wondered if it was really worth it all. We too have responded to God’s call, maybe not in such a radical way as the apostles who left their livelihood and family for a very uncertain future. Perhaps we might be tempted to ask like Peter; “Is it worthwhile trying to live by the values of the gospel day in and day out.” The answer is “Yes, in the long run it is worth the effort.” Jesus promises that when we give of ourselves for his sake, we will receive much more than we give up. In particular, we will gain a new experience of family, far beyond the confines of our blood family. We will find ourselves co-travellers with others who are trying to take the same path as ourselves; we will experience the richness of the church, as the communion of saints. That community embraces not only those of us still on our pilgrim way, but all who have passed beyond this life, including the saints, that great cloud of witnesses. Shalom!

Fr Peter Ireorji, MSP - Homily Monday, March 4, 2019

Have you noticed that when you’ve made great progress on your spiritual journey, Jesus smiles at you and says, “Ahhh, this is good, very good! The Father and I are very pleased with you.” But then he adds: “There’s something else I want you to do.” He knocks you off your chair of cozy self-contentment and invites you to more purification. I get so tired of that! That’s what happened to the rich young man who gleefully ran up to Jesus in Mk 10:17-27. He’d been dutifully obeying all of God’s commandments. With such commendable holiness credentials, he thought he had earned an open door to heaven. But Jesus knew that in the man’s heart he was self-satisfied while doing only the minimum and living a mediocre faith. So Jesus invited him to see the commandments differently. Notice that he did not condemn the man. Neither does Jesus condemn us when we need purification. He knows that we truly desire to be holy. With tremendous love, he brings to our attention the shortcomings of our obedience and teaches us the greatest commandment: the Law of Love. But we frown as that young man did.  Our flesh nature does not enjoy giving up its self-satisfied limitations that we impose on God’s commandments. This is why Jesus emphasizes: “For you, it IS impossible, but not for God!” Trusting God to do in me what I cannot do for myself has proven to be an excellent strategy. What sin are you unwilling to quit? What change have you been avoiding? Tell Jesus that you don’t want to stop justifying your sin, but give him permission to re-create you according to his loving kindness. Shalom!

Fr Peter Ireorji, MSP - Homily from 8th Sunday in Ordinary Time year C, March 3, 2019

Addressing his disciples through a proverb and parables, Jesus explicates what it means to be a true disciple Lk 6:39-45. The proverb about the blind leading the blind is a challenge to the disciples to be better qualified than those they seek to serve. This qualification has nothing to with degrees or diplomas, but everything to do with trying to be like Jesus. In so doing they will not look for faults in others, but will focus on the positives in them and at the same time constantly strive to become aware of their own shortcomings. This awareness of one’s own weakness will make one humble and also more accepting of others. Then truly will there be a synchrony between what one is and what one does, the being and action, the saying and doing. The former will inevitably be exposed by the latter. Discipleship, therefore, requires not just good deeds. It requires integrity and a purity of heart such as one sees in Jesus himself. The example of Jesus whose whole being was good must be our constant motivation. If we follow the example of Jesus, then people will say of us his disciples, see how they go about doing good. Shalom!

Fr Martin Eke, MSP - Homily from 8th Sunday in Ordinary Time year C, March 3, 2019

Homily of Eight Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C
This is the last Sunday before Lent. The first and second readings have words of encouragement for us. The first reading says, “As the test of what the potter molds is in the furnace, so in tribulation is the test of the just.” Meaning, those who hold onto God, blessings come after tribulations. Jesus says, “Blessed is the one who does not lose faith in me” (Luke 7:21). In the second reading St Paul says, “Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, be firm, steadfast, always fully devoted to the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
In the Gospel Jesus tells us, “Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove that splinter in your eye, when you do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye?’” By this statement, Jesus invites us to pay more attention to our own faults than to the faults of others. This statement of Jesus means that the greater problem lies within the person than outside the person. We should rather become our own accuser (Proverb 18:17), rather than accuser of our brothers and sisters (Revelation 12:10). When we point one accusing finger to another person, the other fingers point at us and accuse us.
When we are blind to our faults, weaknesses and sins, we are quick to notice other people’s faults, weaknesses and sins. The more we know our faults, weaknesses and sins, the less we see other people’s faults, weaknesses and sins. That is why the ancient Greeks believed that self-knowledge is the best knowledge. Thus, the maxim, “Know thyself.”
It is sinful for us to ignore our own faults while emphasizing the faults of other people. This sin is only a manifestation of some internal deficiencies. Self-knowledge heals such deficiencies. Self-knowledge helps us not to jump into condemning rashly and judging prematurely, but to have the understanding that "there but for the grace of God, go I."
Jesus concludes the Gospel of today with the words, “A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good, but an evil person out of store of evil produces evil; from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks.” The first reading says, “One’s speech disclose the bent of one’s mind.” From these statements we can conclude that the state of our heart determines the state of our relationship with God and with human beings. Whatever is in the heart either sanctifies or defiles the body. Whatever occupies the depth of a person’s heart is what the person projects outside of himself or herself. It is what we have that we give. When a person’s heart is hardened, the person’s conscience dies, and the person’s spiritual eye goes completely blind. Then, the person lives an unspiritual life, and does things as if there is no God (Psalm 14:1).
Therefore, let us fill our hearts with whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, and whatever admirable, excellent and praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8). We are invited today to remove our attention from the exterior so that we can make the inward journey of self-examination and acquire self-knowledge. We are invited to pray for a renewed heart and a heart of flesh to replace our heart of stone (Ezekiel 36:26) as we go into the Lenten Season. Lucien Diess’ hymn, Grant to us O Lord a Heart Renewed comes to mind:
Grant to us, O Lord, a heart renewed;
Recreate in us your own Spirit, Lord!
Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord our God,
When I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel.
Deep within their being I will implant my law;
I will write it in their hearts.
I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
And for all their faults I will grant forgiveness;
Nevermore will I remember their sins.
Fr. Martin Eke, MSP

Fr Peter Ireorji, MSP - Homily Saturday, March 2, 2019

When people bring children to Jesus, the disciples try to stop them from doing so showing once again that they have not been able to understand what Jesus and the kingdom are all about. The kingdom is for everyone and is inclusive not exclusive. Jesus is emphatic in his response to their action that the kingdom does indeed belong to children and that anyone who does not become like a child can never hope to enter it. The point is not so much that one will be excluded but that one will exclude oneself. The kingdom is a gift and must be received as a gift. No human power can create or force it. The kingdom of God will come when we behave like little children. A childlike attitude means not only that one will be humble and spontaneous as children are, but also that one will acknowledge like a child has to do, his/her dependence. Many of us like to be independent and for some asking a favour of someone else is extremely difficult because they do not want to acknowledge their dependence on that person and so be indebted. We must realise that we are all interconnected and while we are dependent on each other in some way or other, we are primarily dependent on God. Shalom!