Fr. Martin Eke, MSP - Homily for the Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary time Year A - September 27, 2020

 

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

 

Ezekiel 18:25-28; Psalm 25:4-9; Philippians 2:1-11; Matthew 21:28-32

 

In the Gospel, the first son who replied to his father, “I will not,” afterwards changed his mind and did his father’s will. But the second son who said “Yes, sir” to the father did not do his father’s will. Jesus used the parable to address the chief priests and the elders who refused to accept him as the savior sent by God, although they were God’s Chosen People. The second son represents them. While the first son represents the tax collectors and prostitutes who believed in Jesus and repented. The Gospel helps us to understand the first reading.  The Jewish leaders were the virtuous person who turned away from virtue to commit iniquity, and the tax collectors and prostitutes were the wicked who turned away from wickedness.

 

The readings do not stop at telling us what happened in the Old Testament and during the time of Jesus. The readings are an invitation to us to examine the way and manner we live out our religious and civic callings and responsibilities. We make all kinds of promises, oaths, vows, covenants, and agreements when we accept our various callings and responsibilities. Sometimes, we are true to them. Many times we fall short of them.

 

St. Paul, in the second reading, instructs us that to be true to our callings and responsibilities, we are to have in us the same attitude that is in Jesus Christ: he did nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory. Rather, he emptied and humbled himself, and was obedient to God to the point of death on a cross.

 

We can name, from the readings, four vices that make us fall short of our callings and responsibilities, and cause us to commit iniquity. The vices are pride, vainglory, selfishness and disobedience.  These vices have also brought the down-fall of many people. Therefore, in order to preserve our life, we are to keep away from the vices. Because of Christ’s humility, obedience and selflessness, “God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name…” Therefore, if we embrace these virtues, God will also raise us to greater heights.

 

We read in the first reading, “When someone virtuous turns away from virtue to commit iniquity and dies, it is because of the iniquity he committed that he must die.” There are many instances of people who started very well, then veered off to bad ways, then ended badly. There are, also, instances of people who changed from their evil ways, and God raised them to greater heights.  

 

The first son replied, ‘“I will not,’ but afterwards changed his mind and went.” This son teaches us to reflect over our decisions and actions, know when we are in error and accept necessary corrections. Humility, obedience, and selflessness enable us to do this. But pride, vainglory, selfishness and disobedience keep us unrepentant and blind to truth.

 

The second son replied, ‘“Yes, Sir,’ but did not go.” Broken promises, oaths, vows, covenants, and agreements have left us with a broken world, broken countries, a wounded Church, broken institutions, broken communities, broken homes, broken marriages, broken relationships, broken friendships, broken confidence, and broken hearts. Many people are in much distress and pain caused by broken promises, oaths, vows, covenants, and agreements. We pray for mending and healing of our brokenness.

 

Jesus teaches us in Matthew 5:37, “Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’ Anything more is from the evil one.” And in John 8:32, he says, “You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” May we be people of integrity whose yes means yes, and no means no. May we be true to our callings and responsibilities.  May truth set us and our world free. Amen.

 

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP

Fr. Michael Osatofoh Eninlejie, MSP - Homily for the Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary time Year A - September 20, 2020

 

25TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR A

Isaiah 55:6-9,

Psalm 144:2-3,8-9,17-18

Philippians 1:20-24,27

Matthew 20:1-16

 

GOD IS NOT A HUMAN BEING

 

Sometimes when things do not go the way we want or the way we think they should,  we forget the fact that God is not a human being like us. We often want to teach God how to do his work. We talk about what we would have done if we were God.

As God tells us in the first reading of today through the prophet Isaiah, his ways are not our ways and his thoughts are not our thoughts. God does not think and act like us human beings. We may spend the whole of our lives trying to understand God, but we will never be able to fully understand the nature of God. St Augustine after his numerous writings, especially his masterpiece on the nature of God and the 5 ways of knowing God, had before his death, asked that his writings be burnt because they were not adequate to describe who God is.

St Paul in the second reading was thinking in a way that many of us Christians will see to be abnormal. How will someone prefer death to life? Filled with the Spirit of God, he was thinking in the spirit when he said that there is nothing in this world to be fighting for. He would prefer to die and be with God than to be alive in this world.

In the gospel reading, Jesus presents to us a parable that shows how human beings think and act. We are always concerned about our gain or profits and we have a high sense of entitlement. God does not think that way. The labourers who came early were more interested in what they would gain, thus they calculated what was due to them before they started. Those who came late seem not to bother about what they would get, they just started working, feeling guilty that they started late. This is how many of us will start early but will not do as much as those who come in later in life.

Reading the gospel reading literarily, one would easily say that the landowner was unjust to pay those who come early the same amount as those who came in the evening and worked for just one hour. The concern here is not just about justice but also mercy and compassion. This is why many of us will pay a small amount for the mango an old woman is selling by the roadside to consumerate with the price due to it in the market instead of giving her what yo survive; meanwhile do not negotiate price in the supermarket. We always think of our gain and loss. No trader will trade like the landowner in the gospel reading.

The parable brings out very well the saying that it is not how far but how well. It is not about how long you have been a Christian, but how well you have practiced the first. Sone people even complained when the thief on the cross with Jesus gained heaven. Some of us may be surprised on the last day when we see some people making heaven before us. You may have been a Christian since you were born or you converted recently, what is important is how well you have practiced the faith. May almighty God help us to be steadfast in our faith. Amen.

Fr Michael Osatofoh Eninlejie MSP

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP - Homily for the Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary time Year A - September 20, 2020

 

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

Isaiah 55:6-9; Psalm 145:2-3, 8-9, 17-18; Philippians 1:20-24, 27; Matthew 20:1-16

 

In the first reading, Prophet Isaiah tells us that God’s thoughts are not our thoughts or his ways our ways. As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are God’s ways above our ways, and his thoughts above our thoughts. St. Paul says, “For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the eyes of God” (1 Corinthians 3:19).

 

Jesus’ parables are said to be earthly stories with heavenly meanings. The parable in today’s Gospel is, definitely, full of heavenly meanings, and goes against the wisdom of this world. In the parable, those who worked all day in the vineyard received the same wage as those who worked for a few hours and those who worked for only one hour. Judging from human wisdom and standards, the landowner acted unfairly by paying all the workers the same amount.

 

However, Jesus did not tell this parable to teach employers how to pay workers. Jesus used the parable to teach us some lessons about the way of the Kingdom of God. Jesus was addressing the political and religious leaders and rulers of his time: the lawyers, the scribes, the Pharisees, the Sadducees and the priests who prided themselves as custodians of the Law, and therefore claimed to have authority to decide who was fit to enter into the Kingdom of God. For them, the Gentiles were God’s forsaken pagans and were damned, and had no share in the Kingdom of God. Jesus used this parable to correct this wrong notion. Jesus used the parable to teach that although the Gentiles received the message of salvation later than the Jews, the Gentiles would have equal share in the Kingdom of God. With this parable, Jesus taught the lawyers, the scribes, the Pharisees, Sadducees and the priests that he came to call sinners to repentance, and those who believed in him would merit the kingdom of God.

 

How does this teaching apply to us? In the second reading, St. Paul call this teaching “the Gospel of Christ.” He tells us to conduct ourselves in a way worthy of the Gospel of Christ.  The Gospel of Christ is different from the way of the world.

 

The way of the world is the privileged subdue the less privileged.

The way of the world is the strong subdue the weak.

The way of the world is the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer.

The way of the world is the winner takes it all.

The way of the world is greed and avarice.

The way of the world is exclusion and class.

The way of the world is superiority and dominance.

The way of the world is inequality.

 

We see these ways of the world, outrightly, in political, economic, social, and religious systems within and around us. Sometimes, too, what are presented as assistance or development are only devious means of dominance, controlling, exclusion, subduing, and taking advantage over and against the underprivileged and victims.

 

The way worthy of the Gospel of Christ is not to lord it over anyone (Matthew 20:26).

The way worthy of the Gospel of Christ is to guard against all kinds of greed (Luke 12:15).

The way worthy of the Gospel of Christ is, “Let the greatest among you be as the youngest, and the leader as the servant” (Luke 22:26).

The way worthy of the Gospel of Christ is, “Whoever had much did not have more, and whoever had little did not have less” (2 Corinthians 8:15).

The way worthy of the Gospel of Christ is, “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male or female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28).

The way worthy of the Gospel of Christ is not to be conceited, provoking and envying each other (Galatians 5:26).

The way worthy of the Gospel of Christ is, “Be willing and generous to share” (1 Timothy 6:18).

The way worthy of the Gospel of Christ is, “Let your life be free from love of money, but be content with what you have” (Hebrews 13:5).

 

We are invited, today, to reject the ways of the world and embrace the way worthy of the Gospel of Christ. Then, our thoughts and ways will be guided by the thoughts and ways of God.

 

Lastly, Jesus says, “The last will be the first, and the first will be the last.” This reminds me of a boxing tournament where the boxer who had only 50 points, knocked out his opponent who had 150 points, within the last twenty seconds of the fight. There are many instances like this. The unemployed men who stood at the market place did not walk away in disappointment. Some remained up till 5:00 PM! Their perseverance, patience, waiting, and hoping did not disappoint them. Therefore, be patient. Persevere. Keep hoping. Keep fighting. Keep trying. Keep praying. Do not give up. Do not walk away in disappointment. You may become a winner within the last twenty seconds. The Landowner will, surely, come and grant your heart’s desire at an unexpected hour. All we need to do is to wait for the Lord! (Isaiah 40:31).

 

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP