Fr. Martin Eke, MSP - October 27, 2019. Homily for the 30th Sunday in Ordinary time year C

Homily of Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C

A major part of last Sunday’s reflection was on prayer. Again this Sunday, the Church presents us with readings to help us to continue our reflection on prayer. This shows how important prayer is to our journey of faith. We hear it often said, “A prayer-less Christian is a powerless Christian.”

The first reading encourages us to cry to the Lord when we are oppressed by life’s events because “the prayer of the lowly pierces the clouds.” Our Psalm today says, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.”

In the second reading, St. Paul says of himself, “For I am already being poured out like a libation… I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith. From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me…” We may not be able to, boldly, make these claims as St. Paul did. We pray to God to give us the grace to bring out our very best in our various callings; compete well, not lose faith, and finish our race. St. Paul also mentions in the reading the desertion he suffered, but was sustained and strengthened by the Lord. St. Paul’s experience reminds us that we might at some point, also, suffer desertion. We might at some point be brokenhearted and crushed in the spirit. When these happen, let us rely on the Lord who never deserts us. The Lord sustains and strengthens us.

Jesus gives us the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector in the Gospel to help us examine how we pray and the motives of our prayers. The parable helps us to understand why some prayers “pierce the clouds,” and why some prayers do not. The parable: “Two people went up to the temple area to pray; one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector. The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself, ‘O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity — greedy, dishonest, adulterous — or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income.’ But the tax collector stood off at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and prayed, ‘O God, be merciful to me a sinner.’ I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former…”

This parable reminds us of some passages in the Scripture: James 4:3, “You ask and do not receive because you ask with wrong motives…” This is very evident with the prayer of the Pharisee. He prayed to himself, glorified himself, and spoke uncharitably about others. He was arrogant and despised everyone else. But the tax collector prayed to God, and was humble and contrite of heart. Psalm 51:17, “A humble and contrite heart you will not spurn, O Lord.” Proverbs 14:21, “He who despises his neighbor sins…” James 4:6, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” 1 Peter 5:6, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.”

Some examples of when we pray with wrong motives:

We pray with wrong motives when we pray pretentiously and for show.

We pray with wrong motives when we pray with sin in our hearts.

We pray with wrong motives when we put God to test by our prayers.

We pray with wrong motives when we see prayer as magic.

We pray with wrong motives when we pray “not God’s will but our will.”

We pray with wrong motives when we have selfish and avaricious intentions.

There are, also, some spiritual indispositions that negatively affect our prayers:

We are indisposed to prayer when we lack faith.

We are indisposed to prayer when we surrender to any manner of discouragement.

We are indisposed to prayer when our prayers are not sustained with good works.

We are indisposed to prayer when we are plagued with uncontrolled distractions.

We are indisposed to prayer when we lack spiritual connectedness with the Divine.

We are indisposed to prayer when we give in to mind and body weakness.

We are, again, indisposed to prayer when we pray with sin in our hearts.

St. Augustine summarizes all the above as “praying in a fleshy, unspiritual manner.”

Jesus teaches us by his own prayer life that it is important to be in constant communication with God in prayer; of which without, we will be within the destructive arms of the Evil One. Jesus says that it is only by prayer that we can cast the Evil One out (Mark 9:29). Every saint we know and every saint we can think of was a person of prayer. Let us, therefore, always, try to dispose ourselves to prayer and let us, also, always, try to pray with good motives.

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP

Fr. Augustine Inwang, MSP - October 20, 2019. Homily for World Mission Sunday

Some Give to the Mission by Going

Some Go to the mission by Giving

Today is celebrated the world over as the World Mission Sunday. This day was instituted by Pope Pius Xl in 1926, for the whole Church to participate in the work of the Church, to bring Christ to the ends of the earth. Pope Francis set the month of October as Missionary Month with the title: Baptized and Sent: The Church of Christ on Mission in the world. He said, inter alia, “Celebrating this month will help us first to rediscover the missionary dimension of our faith in Jesus Christ, a faith graciously bestowed on us in baptism. Our filial relationship with God is not something simply private, but always in relation to the Church.” The first worldwide Mission Sunday collection was taken in October 1927. Since then, the Mission Sunday collection is always taken on the next to the last Sunday during the month of October. That day is celebrated in all the local Churches as the feast of Catholicity and universal Solidarity, so Christian the world over, will recognize their common responsibility, with regard to the evangelization of the world.

I am a member of the Missionary Society of St. Paul of Nigeria. My Society was founded by the late Dominic Cardinal Ekandem, in consultation with the Episcopal Conference of Nigeria, in 1977, for missions (42 years ago). This was in answer to the call of the Second Vatican Council and Pope Paul Vl in Uganda in 1969, to Africans to participate in the mission mandate of the universal Church. Jesus Christ calls on us to “Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to all creatures.” (Mk. 16:15). Since the Nigerian Church were beneficiaries of the faith brought to our lands by European missionaries, it is only fitting that we too, should share in this mandate, to bring the Gospel of Christ to the Americas, Europeans and indeed to the ends of the world.  Today, the Missionaries of St. Paul have also answered the call, to bring the Gospel of Christ to God’s people in America, Canada, Sweden, Ireland, Italy, Germany, England, France, Grenada, Bahamas, South Africa, South Sudan, Botswana, Central African Republic, Chad, Malawi, Cameroon, the Gambia, Kenya, Libera and Nigeria.

This year we commemorate the centenary of the Apostolic Letter Maximum Illud of Pope Benedict XV published on November 30, 1919. This, indeed is a must read for all missionaries and Catholics. The holy father stressed the need for all Catholics to take interest in missionary work. Pope Francis said this of the Apostolic letter of his predecessor 100 years ago, “Its farsighted and prophetic vision of the apostolate has made me realize once again the importance of renewing the Church’s missionary commitment and giving fresh evangelical impulse to her work of preaching and bringing to the world the salvation of Jesus Christ, who died and rose again.”

We must all see ourselves as missionaries. In fact, we only exist as Church because we are a missionary Church, sent on mission by God in Jesus, who commands us to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:19-20). Some of us must necessarily go on mission as missionaries, but then others must also go on mission by giving to support the mission. Pope Benedict XV, in his Apostolic letter, Maximum Illud, said, “There are three general ways in which a Catholic can assist the missionary effort, and missionaries themselves constantly remind us of them. This is within everyone’s capacity.”

·      Prayer that God may grant the missions His merciful aid. “This kind of prayer cannot fail, especially in this cause. For no cause is dearer or more pleasing to God than this one. While the Israelites fought their battle with Amalek, Moses took his stand on a great hill and, lifting up his hands, implored God’s aid for his people. The teachers of the Gospel are manfully at work in the Lord’s vineyard, and it is the duty of all the faithful to follow the example of Moses and grant them the support of their prayers.”

·      Fostering vocations. Everyone must pray for an increase of vocation in the Church. Jesus reminds us: “The harvest is large, but there are few workers to gather it in. Pray to the owner of the harvest that he will send out workers to gather in his harvest” (Matt. 9:37-38).

·      Economic Help. Every Catholic must give to support mission.

I want to express my gratitude to all who have supported work of the mission. May God bless and reward you abundantly.

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP

Fr. Augustine Inwang, MSP - October 20, 2019. Homily for the 29th Sunday in Ordinary time year C

Readings: Exodus 17:8-13; 2 Timothy 3:13-14 4:2; Lk 18:1-18

Prayers Are Always Answered

The readings of today call on us to pray always without giving up. Since prayer puts us in the eternal presence of God, we are never to give up; and never to give in to discouragement. When the Israelites fought their battle with Amalek, Moses took his stand on a great hill and, lifting up his hands, implored God’s aid for his people (First reading). Moses had the support of his friends to assist him when his hands were tired. Sometimes, we need the support of one another in our prayers. The encouragement we give to others, and letting them know that we pray for them, may create an enabling environment for them to cultivate a healthy prayer life. In the Gospel, Jesus demonstrated with the story of the unjust judge the need to persist in prayer until our father hears us. The widow was not discouraged from going to the unjust judge until her demands were met. God our father, is not an unjust judge, but a merciful father. He knows the needs of his children and will always provide for their needs, in His time, and in the manner best suited for them.

I believe that all our prayers are always answered. ‘No’ is also an answer to a prayer. Jesus asked us to be persistent in prayer. He did not give us any guarantee that our prayers will be answered in the way we want, and at the time we want it.  He asked for humility and faith but gave no assurance for an instant answer. He promised a reward at the end of a persistent prayer, not swift positive favors. He asked for commitment, not empty promises. The faith and commitment requested of us come from bearing trials and persecutions on account of the Word; while remaining hopeful and joyful, knowing that God’s plans for us will come to pass in His time. It may be delayed but will never be denied.

Prayer without movement towards its realization is a waste of God’s time, and a depletion of our energy. God will not do for us what we can and should do for ourselves. If you pray for God’s favors, begin to move towards the direction of your prayer. A student who did not prepare for a test should not expect a successful outcome, just because he prayed for it. He should rather study hard first, and then pray to remember what he studied on the day of the test. Then God will crown his effort with success.

Apart from being persistent in prayer, we should have faith. St. James tells us “But if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and he will be given it. But he should ask in faith, not doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed about by wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord, since he is a man of two minds, unstable in all his ways” (James 1: 5-8). Faith and trust in God are necessary ingredients for prayer.

Know what to ask for in prayer. The Holy Spirit is always our guide. Again St. James asks: “Where do the wars and where do the conflicts among you come from? Is it not from your passions that make war within your members? You covet but do not possess. You kill and envy but you cannot obtain; you fight and wage war. You do not possess because you do not ask. You ask but do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.” (4:1-4). “If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the holy Spirit to those who ask him?” (Luke 11:13:). “But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” (Lk. 18:8). Will we still be faithful if our prayers are not answered?

In 1Kings 3:5, God said to Solomon, “Ask something of me and I will give it to you.” Solomon’s answer was simple and straight to the point, “Give your servant, therefore, an understanding heart to judge your people and to distinguish right from wrong.” (verse 9). The Lord was pleased with Solomon’s request, he gave him wisdom and other things he did not ask for. Be specific in your request, do not ask for too many intentions at one particular time of prayer. After all, God knows all your needs. Therefore, seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness and He will provide for all your other needs. (Matt. 6:33). 

It is important to always have a forgiving heart. Forgiveness is a condition for a fruitful prayer. Jesus said, “When you stand to pray, forgive anyone against whom you have a grievance, so that your heavenly Father may in turn forgive you your transgressions? (Mk. 11:25-26).  Isaiah said: “Lo, the hand of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. Rather, it is your crimes that separate you from your God. It is your sins that make him hide his face so that he will not hear you” (59:1-2).

Our prayers are sometimes answered progressively. When Jesus cured the blind man at Bethsaida, the blind man did not see right-a-way but gradually. “Putting spittle on his eyes he laid his hands on him and asked, ‘Do you see anything?’ he replied, ‘I see people looking like trees and walking’” (Mk. 8:23-26). It was only on laying his hands on his eyes a second time that the blind man saw clearly. We must be patient and wait on the Lord. That is why Jesus reminded us in the ‘Our Father’, to pray for the will of God to be done not ours. A wise saying has it that “Prayer is not a device for getting our wills done through heaven, but a desire that God’s will may be done on earth through us.” Pray and wait for God’s time, not yours. Our prayers are always answered if we know how to ask and what to ask for. Our God is not unjust, He is not unconcerned with our problems, He is not as far away from us as we sometimes think. Rather, we are the ones who, sometimes, turn away from Him and feel He delays in giving immediate answer to our prayer. And whether we receive a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’ answer, knowing that all prayers are answered, remember to always return to the Lord with thanks. If not, he will ask: “Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?”

I want to conclude this reflection with “The Blessings of Unanswered Prayers” by an unknown confederate soldier:

·      I asked for strength that I might achieve; I was made weak that I might learn humbly to obey.

·      I asked for health that I might do greater things; I was given infirmity that I might do better things.

·      I asked for riches that I might be happy; I was given poverty that I might be wise.

·      I asked for power that I might have the praise of men; I was given weakness that I might feel the need of God.

·      I asked for all things that I might enjoy life; I was given life that I might enjoy all things.

·      I got nothing that I had asked for; but everything that I had hoped for.

·      Almost despite myself my unspoken prayers were answered; I am, among all men most richly blessed.

Questions to ponder:

1.    Do you feel that your prayers are always answered?

2.    Do you have a healthy prayer life?

3.    Do you set aside a time for prayer each day?

4.    Or are you too busy to pray?

 “Prayer does not change God, but it changes him who prays”

-       Soren Kierkegaad