Saturday, August 29, 2020

Fr. Augustine Inwang, MSP - Homily for the Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary time Year A - August 30, 2020

 

 

Readings: Jer. 20:7-9; Romans 12:1-2; Matthew 16:21-27

 

Gripped by the Power of Love

 

1.    In today’s first reading, Jeremiah used the language of a betrayed lover to describe his relationship with God. God seduced, enticed, and manipulated him with promises of fidelity and commitment into a relationship. The Lord said to Jeremiah: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you.” (Jer.1:5). And when Jeremiah protested, “Ah, Lord God! I know not how to speak; I am too young.” God told him, “Say not, “I am too young.” To whomever I send you, you shall go; whatever I command you, you shall speak. Have no fear before them, because I am with you to deliver you” (Jer. 1:7-8) The Lord then touched his mouth, saying, “See, I place my words in your mouth! This day I set you over nations and over kingdoms, to root up and to tear down, to destroy and to demolish, to build and to plant.” (Jer. 1:9-10). Jeremiah was further assured: But do you gird your loins; stand up and tell them all that I command you. Be not crushed on their account, as though I would leave you crushed before them; for it is I this day who have made you a fortified city, a pillar of iron, a wall of brass, against the whole land: Against Judah’s kings and princes, against its priests and people. They will fight against you, but not prevail over you for I am with you to deliver you, says the Lord.” (Jer. 1:17-19).

 

2.    But why was Jeremiah so mad? It was because “Violence and outrage is my message.” Because of that, God’s Word has brought him “Derision and reproach all the day.”  Jeremiah thought that the promises that God made to him at the time of his call would mean that everyone would love him and be receptive to his prophetic messages. But this was not to be the case. Those he preached to hated him instead, they ridiculed him, suspended him in pit of mud, threw him into jail and threatened to kill him. And so, in the first reading, Jeremiah cries out to God, complaining, “You duped me, O Lord, and I let myself be duped; you were too strong for me, and you triumphed.” (Jer. 20:7). Jeremiah’s plight is that of every prophet who preaches the word of God. No wonder why some of today’s preachers preach what people want to hear and not God’s word.

 

3.    Jeremiah’s burden came from his mission. He was to point out rottenness, corruption in high places, in sacred sanctuaries, among people who were supposed to be shining examples of virtue and champions of justice. He called on the priests to reform their lives and confronted kings and rulers to render justice to the poor. When he prophesied violence and destruction, he was mocked and ridiculed by the powerful and the priests. And so, he resolved not to speak of God’s Words anymore. But he immediately confesses his complete impotence to remain silent. Instead he cried out that the word of God was like fire burning in his heart, imprisoned by his bones, “I grow weary holding it in, I cannot endure it.” God would not let him be. Jeremiah is gripped by the power of unrelenting love, and so must keep on preaching.

 

4.    Jeremiah had to deal with the burden of his mission, just as Jesus Christ had his as well, dealing with his disciples who did not quite know what his mission was all about. Last week he confronted his apostles with the question: “Who do you say I am?” Peter had A+ with his answer that Christ was the anointed one of God. Christ gave him exulted position and called him the Rock on which he would build his church. Peter was given the keys of the kingdom, to bind and to lose. You can say Peter had his five minutes of fame. But in today’s reading Peter is called Satan. “Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”  One wonders how deep Peter’s knowledge of Christ really was. In saying that Christ was the anointed one, Peter’s understanding was that as the anointed one Christ would rescue God’s people from the hands of the Romans; he would establish a kingdom in which there would be on more poor or sick or blind or lame. In that kingdom, as we recall in the sermon on the mount (Matthew 5 - 7), there will be peace, love and justice. Sinners would be converted, and the world would be filled with the knowledge of the Lord.

 

5.    The Anointed One was expected to be a high priest or a judge, he was to be a warrior or a great prophet like Elijah. He was to be so great, prosperous and powerful that suffering and pains would have no place in his life. The Apostles on the other hand saw themselves as sharing in the greatness of their master. They were all destined to have a high and influential position in that kingdom. How could Christ be talking about suffering, the cross or even dying! Peter had to prevent Christ from talking like that. But Christ saw in Peter’s reaction another form of temptation that was trying to derail him from his mission. He called him Satan, tempter, a barrier an adversary and a stumbling block. Just like Jeremiah, no one wants to suffer, no one wants the cross, no one wants pains of any kind. We want an easy way out; and so, we cut corners, peddle with the truth, and compromise our principles and follow the crowd. No, Lord, this must not happen to you. So, Jesus rebuked Peter and reminded him that he does not give instructions to Jesus but should learn from the master.

      

6.    Jesus lived a sacrificial life. His love went above and beyond his call of duty, because his aim was always to bring us to a life of union with God. And so, Christ constantly calls us to take up our cross and follow him daily. He said that we must deny ourselves for his sake. This means saying ‘yes’ to God and ‘no’ to self and self-inclinations. He calls on us to dethrone ourselves and enthrone God in all spheres of our lives. We must seek to please God in all that we do. Secondly, Christ invites us to take up our crosses as he did his and live a life of sacrificial service. We must abandon our personal ambition to serve Christ and those entrusted to our care. By so doing we learn true happiness which lies in following Jesus, obeying his command and walking in his footsteps. We do this through prayer, through our sacramental life and living a life of service. Let us pray at this Mass that we may offer ourselves, like St. Paul reminds us in the second reading, “As a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God.” Amen.

 

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP.

 

Friday, August 28, 2020

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP - Homily for the Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary time Year A - August 30, 2020

 

Homily of Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time of Year A, 2020

 

Jeremiah 20:7-9; Psalm 63:2-9; Roman's 12:1-2; Matthew 16:21-27

 

We begin our reflection with a story. A young man was at the end of his road, seeing no way out, he dropped to his knees in prayer.

“Lord, I can’t go on,” he said. “I have too heavy a cross to bear.” The Lord replied, “My son, if you can’t bear its weight, just place your cross inside this room. Then, open that other door and pick out any cross you wish.” The man was filled with relief and did as he was told.  Before he opened the other door, an angel of the Lord moved the cross he had dropped to the other room. Upon entering the room, he saw many crosses; some so large.  Then, he spotted a tiny cross leaning against a far wall. “I’d like that one, Lord,” he whispered. The Lord replied, “My son, that is the cross you just brought in.”

 

St. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 10:13, “No trial has come to you but what is human. God is faithful and will not let you be tried beyond your strength; but with the trial he will also provide a way out, so that you may be able to bear it.”

 

Our crosses are our afflictions, difficulties, trials, temptations, responsibilities, and keeping God’s commandments. In the first reading, Prophet Jeremiah’s crosses were his responsibility to prophesy to his people, the rejection, humiliation, and persecution he suffered in the hands of his people. In his frustration he wanted to stop prophesying. He said, “I say to myself, I will not mention him, I will speak in his name no more.” However, Jeremiah continued to prophesy to his people amid the rejection, humiliation, and persecution. Jeremiah leaves us a good example to follow.

 

In the Gospel, Jesus spoke about his cross, “[He] must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised.” Peter put pressure on Jesus to refuse his cross. “God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you.” Peter became an obstacle to God’s plan for Jesus. Jesus rebuked Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me.” Jesus teaches us not to refuse or abandon our crosses. He says, “Take up your cross, and follow me.” The encounter between Jesus and Peter reveals to us the pressure we go through which at times make us refuse our crosses or make us abandon our crosses.  The pressures, sometimes, come from those very close to us.  We need to be watchful.

St. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 1:18, “The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” This is to say that God manifests his power in our crosses. Just as the event of the crucifixion of Jesus on the Cross concluded with the resurrection of Jesus from the grave; we believe that carrying our crosses and following Jesus bring us resurrection and glory.

 

The second reading, further, reveals to us the transformative power of the cross. If we truly take up our crosses and follow Jesus, we will no longer conform to this age, we will be spiritually renewed, and we will be able to do the will of God. We will be able to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God.

 

Here is another story.  God, according to his divine plan, gave a man a tall cross to carry and told him, “While on your journey, pray for anything, and I will give you.”  He set off on his journey. After a few miles he cried to God, “Lord, it is too heavy, please cut it down a little.” God threw a saw to him to cut the cross to the size he wanted. He was delighted and so continued his journey. After a few more miles, he cried to God again, “Lord, please cut it down a little more, I will be able to carry it better.” God threw a saw to him to cut the cross a little more according to his wish. He was glad. After a few more miles, he got to a gully. The easiest way he would have crossed over the gully would have been to place the cross across the gully and use the cross as a bridge. Unfortunately, the cross was, now, too short. Remember that God made him a promise, “While on your journey, pray for anything, and I will give you.” He did not pray for anything useful. Rather, his desire to have an easy journey ruined his journey. James 4:3 says, “You ask but do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.”

 

Let us take our crosses and follow Jesus. Through carrying our crosses, we will experience God’s power. Through carrying our crosses, we will experience resurrection and glory. Through carrying our crosses, we are pleasing to God. Through our crosses, God’s plan comes to fulfilment for us.  Amen.

 

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP

Fr. Michael Osatofoh Eninlejie, MSP - Homily for Friday Week 21 Ordinary time - August 28, 2020

 

FRIDAY 28TH AUGUST 2020

MEMORIAL OF ST. AUGUSTINE

1 Corinthians 1:17-25, Matthew 25:1-13

 

BE READY ALWAYS

 

Yesterday we celebrated the memorial of St. Monica. We learnt how she was very fervent in prayer for the Conversion of her son Augustine.

Today we celebrate her son Augustine who got converted to the faith. Augustine had gone to different places in search of the truth, he joined various groups such as the Manicheans and Neoplatonism but was not satisfied. He just decided to go into the cathedral in Milan Italy and he listened to the preaching of St Ambrose who was the bishop of Milan. His preaching made a deep impression on him and he knew that it was the truth. He lived a very holy life as a priest and bishop of Hippo and he wrote many works which are still very much in use in the church today.

The words of st Paul in the first reading of today is very apt. The word of God may sound illogical, but it is the word of God and it is the truth which penetrates the depth of man. It penetrated the hardened heart of Augustine. It is more than the wisdom of the Greeks and any miracle we can think of. Let us listen and repent today as we hear the word of God. May almighty God open our minds and heart to his word. Amen. God help us.

Fr Michael Osatofoh Eninlejie MSP.