Fr. Martin Eke, MSP - Homily for the Eighth Sunday of Ordinary Time Year C - February 27, 2022

Homily of Eight Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C, 2022

Sirach 27:4-7; Psalm 92:2-3, 13-16; 1 Corinthians 15:54-58; Luke 6:39-45.

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.” 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. Jesus says, “Blessed is the one who does not lose faith in me” (Luke 7:21). Those who hold onto God, blessings come after tribulations.

This is the last Sunday before Lent. The readings invite us to proceed into the Lenten season with a contrite heart. The heart is described as the center of vitality of our spiritual and physical body. What is stored in the heart pilots our spiritual and physical behavior. The first reading says, “The fruit of a tree shows the care it has had; so too does one’s speech disclose the bent of one’s mind” (Sirach 27:6). Jesus says in today’s gospel, “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” (Luke 6:45). Therefore, what we feed the heart with and what we store in our heart matters. What we feed our heart with and what we store in our heart reflect not only in what our mouth speaks but also in our behavior. That is why St. Paul instructs us to 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).

Whereby a person who feeds his or her heart with dirty, filthy, violent, fake, false, and ungodly materials, reflects in the person’s behavior. Whatever is stored in the heart either sanctifies or defiles the soul and 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. As quoted earlier, “A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good, but an evil person out of the store of evil produces evil; from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45).

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 look inward ourselves more than the attention we pay on the faults and sins of others. We should rather become our own accusers (Proverb 18:17), rather than accusers of our brothers and sisters (Revelation 12:10).  An African adage says, “When we point one accusing finger at someone, the other fingers point at us and accuse us.” St. Paul cautions us, “Therefore, you are without excuse, every one of you who passes judgment. For by the standard by which you judge another you condemn yourself, since you, the judge, do the very same things” (Romans 2:1). Last Sunday, Jesus instructed us, “Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned” (Luke 6:37).

An ancient Greek saying advises, “Man [woman], know thyself.” Self-knowledge helps us to recognize and acknowledge God’s grace in our life and be able to have more understanding of others, show empathy to them, and be less judgmental to them. A religious man who saw a man being led to the gallows wept in empathy, "There but for the grace of God, go I." Does this religious man’s expression challenge us about how we perceive and judge others?

May the Spirit of God lead us through a fruitful Lenten season. We pray:

“Grant to us, O Lord, a heart renewed; recreate in us your own Spirit, Lord!”

Amen.

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP - Homily for the Seventh Sunday of Ordinary Time Year C - February 20, 2022

Homily of Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C, 2022

 1 Samuel 26:2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-23; Psalm 103:1-4, 8, 10, 12-13; 1 Corinthians 15:45-49; Like 6:27-38

 God sent Saul, the king of Israel, on a mission “to put the sinful Amalekites under a ban of destruction; [to] fight against them until you have exterminated them.” But Saul disobeyed the Lord. He took the king captive and “pounced on the spoil.” When Samuel confronted Saul, he gave his excuse, “from the spoil the army took sheep and oxen, the best of what had been banned, to sacrifice to the Lord” (1 Samuel 15:14-20). This is a good example of, “never accept responsibility” “make excuses,” “find someone to blame.”

Samuel announced to Saul, “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obedience to the Lord’s command? Obedience is better than sacrifice, to listen, better than the fat of rams. For a sin of divination is rebellion, and arrogance, the crime of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, the Lord in turn has rejected you as king” (1 Samuel 15:22-23).

When Saul realized that God had chosen David to succeed him, he was very envious; he made eleven attempts, according the First Book of Samuel, to kill David:

- Saul attempted to kill David with a spear (1 Sam. 18:11); - Saul plotted so that the Philistines kill David (1 Sam. 18:17, 21); - Saul ordered his servants to kill David (1 Sam. 19:1); - Saul attempted to kill David with a spear (1 Sam. 19:10); - Saul sent messengers to kill David (1 Sam. 19:11); - Saul sent messengers to bring David back so he can kill David (1 Sam. 19:15); - Saul sent messengers to kill David (1 Sam. 19:20); - Saul sent messengers again to kill David (1 Sam. 19:21); - Saul went himself in an attempt to kill David (1 Sam. 19:22); - Saul pursued David to kill him (1 Sam. 23:15); - Saul pursued David to kill him (1 Sam. 26:2).

The eleventh attempt is as we read in the first reading, “Saul went down to the desert of Ziph with three thousand men … to search for David.” We can see how desperate Saul was. The reading informs us how David had the opportunity to revenge against Saul but chose to spare Saul’s life. At that time when the law was, “eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot” (Exodus 21:24), David stood out in showing mercy and forgiveness to Saul who made eleven attempts on his life.

David is a perfect example of Jesus’ teaching in today’s gospel: “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well, and from the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic…” (Luke 6:27-29).

This teaching of Jesus is very radical. It is typical of human nature to do good to those who are good to us, and to punish those who treat us badly. David and Jesus teach us today that this must not be so.

This teaching of Jesus is a difficult teaching to accept especially for those who are in pain and grieving due to wickedness of human beings, and where the enemies are unrelenting. Jesus is saying, “Do not revenge.” “Do not retaliate.” “Do not repay anyone evil for evil… for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord”’ (Romans 12:17).  We pray for God’s protection, healing, and intervention.

One can only but lament that the cause of suffering, poverty, violence, war, destruction of life and property, injustice, corruption, and other evils is because the Golden Rule (Luke 6:31), “Do to others as you would have them do to you,” in today’s gospel is neglected. Rather, what happens many times and in many places is that people do to others as they would not have others do to them. Unfortunately, the culture of “might is right” has continued to rule our society and our world. The sad histories of domination, conquest and occupation, slavery, ethnic cleansing, holocaust, massacre, colonization, underdevelopment, apartheid, segregation, discrimination, and so on are expressions of the rejection of the Golden Rule.

Since it is in the nature of human beings to violate the Golden Rule, it is, therefore, important that defenseless citizens must be protected by the leadership and the law. Sadly, in many places, either the leadership is the violator of the law, or the apparatus to protect defenseless citizens does not exist or does not function; thereby, abandoning defenseless citizens in the hands of those who kill and plunder. We pray for the radical transformation of leaderships and the radical transformation of the apparatus of protecting defenseless citizens.

We pray for a life of love, forgiveness, and not seeking revenge (like David); and not to be like King Saul who was possessed by envious and murderous spirits. Amen.

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP - Homily for the Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time Year C - February 13, 2022

Homily of Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C, 2022

Jeremiah 17:5-8; Psalm 1:1-4, 6; 1 Corinthians 15:12, 16-20; Luke 6:17, 20-26

It is a fact that every choice has its effect. Good choice brings good effect and bad choice brings bad effect. In the first reading, Jeremiah prophesied to the people of Judah what would happen to them if they continued in their sin of adulatory and trusting in human allies. He, also, prophesied the blessings they would receive from God if they trusted in God:

“Cursed is the one who trust in human beings, who seeks his strength in flesh, whose heart turns away from the Lord. He is like a barren bush in the desert that enjoys no change of season, but stands in a lava waste, a salt and empty earth” (Jeremiah 17:5-6).

“Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose hope is the Lord. He is like a tree planted beside the waters, that stretches out its roots to the stream. It fears not the heat when it comes; its leaves stay green; in the year of drought it shows no distress, but still bears fruit” (Jeremiah 17:7-8).

The people of Judah did not listen to Jeremiah. They continued their sin of adulatory. Their king, Zedekiah, and his officials allied with Egypt; thereby seeking strength in flesh and turning away from God. The result was that King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquered Judah, destroyed Jerusalem, and carried Judeans into exile. Good choice begets good result. Bad choice begets bad result.

There is no doubt that many things are beyond our choice or control; but someone says that largely, we are our choices. When things are beyond our choice or control still provide opportunities for our choice. As people of faith, in all circumstances and in every choice, let us, prayerfully, be guided by the word of God and the promptings of the Holy Spirit. There are, also, times we need to seek the counsel of the wise to guide us in the process of discerning the good choice to make, or the bad choice not to make (Tobit 4:18, Proverbs 19:20).

Today, we are invited to reflect over our life to see the effects of the choices we have made or we are making. If the effects bring glory to God and love and peace to oneself and other human beings, that is the sure sign that the choices are good. We are encouraged to make such choices. But if the effects do not glorify God, and do not bring peace and love to oneself and other human beings, that is the sure sign that the choices are bad. We are encouraged to desist from such choices.

Today’s gospel are Jesus’ words of blessings, consolation, and encouragement to the poor (those who are humble), to the hungry (those who desire and pursue righteousness); to the weeping (those who are deprived of justice); and to the hated, insulted, excluded, and denounced on account of the Son of Man (those who are persecuted for standing for truth, and those persecuted for their faith in Jesus). “Blessed are you.” “You will be satisfied.” “You will laugh.”

On the other hand, Jesus denounces those who enrich themselves and live wasteful life on stolen money and property; the hypocrites, and oppressors of the poor, the oppressors of the weak, and the oppressors of just. Jesus pronounces curses on them: “Woe to you.” “You will be hungry.” “You will grieve and weep.” Prophet Isaiah says, “Happy the just, for it will go well with them, the fruit of their works they will eat. Woe to the wicked! It will go ill with them, with the work of their hands they will be repaid” (Isaiah 3:10-11).

The second reading was St. Paul’s caution to some Corinthians who did not believe in the resurrected Christ. In the same manner, nowadays, God’s word is mocked, rationalized, rejected, dismissed, not believed, and God’s messengers and believers of the word are persecuted.  Nowadays, in the face of corrupt and violent world, it is difficult to convince many people to remain righteous. For us believers, the readings and reflection encourage us to keep making choices which bring glory to God and well-being of humanity, and continue to persevere in our faith and in good work. “Let us not grow tired of doing good, for in due time we shall reap our harvest, if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9). Amen.

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP