Fr. Augustine Inwang, MSP - Homily for The Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C - July 31, 2022

Readings: Eccl. 1:2; 2:21-23; Col 3:1-5, 9-11; Lk 12:13-21

In His Riches, Man Lacks Wisdom!

1.    Today’s readings address the rich and those who pursue wealth as their only reason for existence. Vanity of vanities, all things are vanity. Vanity means the quality of being worthless or futile. A vain person is excessively proud of his admiration, appearance, and achievements. The Preacher, in the first reading, wants us to reflect on the futility, uselessness, pointlessness, and fruitlessness of life and the pursuit of wealth. Our labor is fruitless if our only purpose of existence is to amass wealth for ourselves alone. “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?” (Mk. 8:36). No matter how rich we may be and how contented our achievements may make us feel, we will, one day, leave it all to others. 

2.    The second reading, on the other hand, offers us a solution to a life of vanity. It encourages us to set our hearts on the next life where we hope to see God face to face. “If you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Think of what is above; not what is on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ. When Christ your life appears, you will also appear with him in glory.” (Col. 3:1-4). We may be whatever we want and achieve whatever we dream, but we must not lose sight of the reason for our existence. The Penny Catechism reminds us that we were created to know, love, and serve God in this world and be happy with him in the next. Therefore, we must put immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed to death. We must stop lying and be sincere and honest in our dealings with others.

3.    Jesus addresses greed in today’s gospel. Greed has blinded many people and turned them into narcissistic, arrogant, selfish, haughty, conceited, self-important, opinionated, egotistic, and superior individuals. They are admirable only by themselves and their cronies while being despicable and intolerable to others. They only think of themselves. Everything is about them. “I shall tear down my barns and build larger ones. There I shall store all my grain and other goods, and I shall say to myself, “Now as for you, you have so many good things stored up for many years; rest, eat, drink, be merry!” But Christ warns: “Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions.” How much is enough for the rich? Why can’t they read the signs of the time and learn from the wisdom of Job? “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I shall return there.” (Job 1:21). How do we store up riches for ourselves to be rich in what matters to God? Christ tells us how, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal. But store up treasures in heaven where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.” (Mt. 6:19-21). We do this by sharing what we have with those who have not. We are only stewards of our wealth. In sharing what we have with others, we give to God, and our treasures are stored up in heaven. These readings affirm that we brought nothing into this world and will take nothing out of it. “Those who trust in their wealth and boast of the vastness of their riches should know that no man can buy his own ransom or pay the price to God for his life. He cannot buy life without end nor avoid coming to the grave. He knows that wise men and fools must both perish and leave their wealth to others.” (Ps. 49). 

4.    There is a story that captures the essence of today’s readings: Alexander the Great was the emperor of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon. He led many military campaigns and created one of the largest empires, stretching from Greek to India. Alexander did this all while he was about 30 years old. While on his death bed, he thought of the vast empire he had built, every spoil of war he captured, and the might of his military machine. He went into depression, realizing nothing was worth it; even after a highly successful life, he could not avoid death. He wanted to see his mother for the last time before he departed, but he knew he would not be able to do it and would soon pass away. So, he called his loyal Generals and made three last wishes before dying. I have three last wishes, please carry them out, for soon I will depart. My first wish is that my doctors should alone carry my coffin. My second wish is that the path towards my grave shall be strewn with gold, silver, and all the precious possessions in my treasury at the same time my body is being brought to be buried. My third and last wish is that both my hands shall be kept dangling out of my coffin.

5.    The Generals startled and asked Alexander about the strange wishes. Alexander told them; I want my doctors to carry my coffin to let all know that no doctor can cure anybody. They are powerless and cannot save a person from death. The strewn gold, silver, and other precious stones on the way to the graveyard let the people know that though I spent all my life accumulating riches, not even a grain of gold will come with me when I leave this world. When one yearns to be rich, it is a sheer waste of time, energy, and peace of mind. Having my hands dangling out of the coffin, I want people to know that I came empty-handed into this world and, likewise, will go empty-handed from this world.  Alexander taught the world that earthly possessions are not worth it, and one must not crave them. We came empty-handed and will die empty-handed. What else can I say! In his riches, man lacks wisdom; he is like the beasts that are destroyed. “If you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.” 

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP

 

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP - Homily for The Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C - July 31, 2022

Homily of Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C, 2022

Ecclesiastes 1:2, 2:21-23; Psalm 90:3-6, 12-13; Colossians 3:1-5, 9-11; Luke 12:13-21

I was ten years old the first time these words, “Vanity of vanities; all is vanity,” captured my attention. My parish priest repeated the words during one of his homilies. The words sounded beautiful and captivated me but meant absolutely nothing to me. I memorized the words and repeated it to my friends to show off some new English words I learned, although I had no idea what I was saying. Now, I wrestle with the words in order to harness their rich spiritual meaning.

The word vanity can be defined as excessive attention to oneself, one’s possession, one’s appearance, or one’s achievement. Some products that encourage self-attention are prefixed with the word ‘vanity.’ For example, vanity table, vanity mirror, vanity license plates, vanity surgery and so on. Vanity can further be described as self-worship, or excessive seeking of self-satisfaction. Vanity is preferring world-centered life instead of God-centered life.

In the second reading, St. Paul names sins that result from world-centered life: immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, greed, and lying. St. Paul tells us to put to death these parts of us that are earthly.

In today’s gospel, Jesus gives two examples of people of vanity. Their problem was greed. The first man was upset with his brother and wanted his share of the inheritance. If his case was genuine, I imagine that Jesus would have intervened on his behalf. After all, Jesus is the “Lord our Righteousness” (Jeremiah 23: 6). Rather, Jesus saw the greed in his heart and addressed him, and all of us: “Take care and guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions.” By this statement, Jesus warns us that selfish desires should not define us, or determine our existence, or rule us, or lead us to sin.

The second person in the gospel was so greedy that he was unable to share his possession with others. St. Paul condemns this attitude in the following words, “Their end is destruction. Their god is their stomach; their glory is in their shame. Their minds are occupied with earthly things” (Philippians 3:19). These words of St. Paul are very visible in the second person in the gospel.

A boy accompanied his dad to an interment service. When the coffin was lowered into the grave the boy and his dad had the following discussion:

Son: “Uncle X is in the box?”

Dad: “Yes, son.”

Son: “Will he come home soon?”

Dad: “No, son.”

Son: “Does he not need his car? His car can’t get in there.”

While we possess, grab, accumulate, bicker, and fight; let us remember Job’s statement, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart” (Job 1:21). Jesus advises us in today’s gospel to be rich in God rather than storing up treasures for ourselves. The more we are rich in God, the less we store up treasures for ourselves. The deeper one’s spiritual life is, the lesser one is involved in things of vanity. Therefore, we are challenged not to acquire more than we need, and to share our treasures with others. God has given enough blessings to the world. Suffering, poverty, hunger and various afflictions are caused by greedy men and women.

At the hour of reckoning, we will not be judged according to our vain life. We will be judged by how rich we are in God reflected in our selflessness, generosity, and righteousness; and our reward will be great in heaven. 

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP

Fr. Augustine Inwang, MSP - Homily for The Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C - July 24, 2022

Readings: Gen 18:20-32; Col 2:12-14; Lk 11:1-13

 

Pray, Trust, Believe, and Hope. Never Lose Heart

1.    Last Sunday, we reflected on how Abraham treated the visitors who stopped by his house. Abraham showed them hospitality and provided them with food to nourish and strengthen them for their journey. The visitors were on their way to the land of Sodom and Gomorrah. In the 17th verse of the 18th chapter of the book of Genesis, “The Lord reflected: “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do…?” Our first reading takes off from that discussion. God revealed to Abraham where he was going and why; “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great, and their sin so grave, that I must go down and see whether or not their actions fully correspond to the cry against them that come to me. I mean to find out.” (Gen. 18:20-21). When Abraham heard those words, he began pleading for the land and his nephew residing there. Abraham prayed that God should spare the lives of the righteous and not punish them with sinners. In the Gospel, we see Jesus Christ at prayer, prompting his disciples to ask him to teach them how to pray. 

 

2.    I often wonder why Christ’s disciples asked him to teach them how to pray. I believe the disciples knew how to pray. As faithful Jews, they would undoubtedly know the scripture, at least the Old Testament. They must have prayed and sang the psalms, 150 of them. They prayed in the Synagogue on Sabbath. As faithful Jews, they would have taken their religious obligation seriously - why did they need to be taught prayer.   Maybe the disciples were just like the rest of us regarding prayer. Do we even know how to pray? Do we know what prayer is? The Catechism of the Church states that “Prayer is the raising of one’s mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God.” (CCC 2559). When we are in God’s presence, we realign our spirit with that of God and share his sacred space and blessing. We not only pray for ourselves but, like Abraham in the first reading, we also pray for others. Developing a life of prayer is like starting a business. It takes time, patience, perseverance, and devotion. Most businesses fail because they lack the essential ingredient needed to succeed. Jesus lived a life of prayer. He was consistent, devoted, and patient. Christ prayed all the time. Sometimes he spent the whole night in prayer. Hence, the disciples wondered why he was successful, and they were not. They probably thought that God answered his prayers more than theirs. They wanted to pray like Jesus.

 

3.    Jesus did not pray to change God. He prayed to do the will of God and be constantly in God’s presence. His prayer was filled with gratitude to God for his blessings. He was humble, unassuming, and trusting. This was what he needed to teach his disciples when he taught them ‘The Our Father.’ We see this disposition in Abraham in the first reading. He was humble, unassuming, loyal, respectful, and trusting though fearful of God. He knew his limitation even in his perseverance. We must learn to pray as instructed in the Lord’s prayer. Jesus warned, “In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” (Matt. 6:7-8). When we fail to relate to God in prayer as Jesus and Abraham, we find it difficult to pray as we should. We may begin to think that God does not answer our prayers. 

 

4.    We sometimes command God in our prayers to give us what we want. Some people even demand things from God and adopt an arrogant attitude as if they are God’s equal. Listen again to the perspective of Abraham as he addressed God. “See how I am presuming to speak to my Lord, though I am but dust and ashes!” Again. “Let not my Lord grow impatient if I go on. And finally, “Please let not my Lord grow angry if I speak up this last time.” (Gen. 18:27,30,32). He pleaded for God’s intervention in that sinful nation. God answered his prayers, and though there weren’t many righteous people in Sodom and Gomorrah, God spared the life of his nephew, Lot, and his family. Prayer of the righteous is pleasing to God. Jesus wants us to be like Abraham, to pray, not to change God, but to let God change us. We must ask for God’s kingship over us as we humbly ask him for our daily bread. We must persevere, knowing that our Father knows what we need before we ask him. Today Christ taught his disciples to keep their prayer simple and short. Therefore, we must seek the kingdom of God first and strive to do his will. 

 

5.    There are many forms of prayer, depending on our needs. We say a prayer of intercession when praying for others, as Abraham did in today’s first reading. We can also ask others to intercede for us. In the prayer of thanksgiving, we express our gratitude to God for his blessings. We are encouraged to offer thanks to God for the gift of life. Our most significant act of thanksgiving is the celebration of the Mass – the eucharist. Other forms of prayer are adoration, contrition, supplication, meditation, and contemplation. Our prayer is efficacious and is of utmost necessity for overcoming our enemies. Like Christ, the saints were people of prayer. They prayed not only during the day but at night as well. Prayer is a must for everyone. A Christian who does not pray knows nothing of God and his love for humanity. According to John Vianney, “We will watch ourselves and all the motions of our hearts in vain, in vain we will avoid temptation if we do not pray; if we do not have continual recourse to prayer, all our other ways will be of no use at all to us, and we shall be overcome. We can see plainly that in the world, there are many occasions when we cannot run away; for example, a child cannot run away from the society of his parents because of their bad example. But he can pray, and his prayer will sustain him.”  

 

6.    It is also noteworthy that we must forgive others if we want God to forgive us for our trespasses. This is addressed in the Lord’s prayer effectively. Here is Christ's teaching: “And forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us.” We cannot expect God’s forgiveness if we do not forgive others. If we pray as Christ did and taught, we will experience life differently; see people differently, and love as God loves us. We will forgive people from our hearts as we want God to forgive us. In praying ‘Our Father,’ we pray to a loving God who cares for us and seeks what is best for us. No matter what we go through in life, our father knows it all and wants us to tell him about it. But most of all, in praying, may we never forget to ask for the one thing that is dearest to God’s heart, the gift of the Holy Spirit. For “The Spirit too helps us in our weakness, for we do not know how to pray as we ought; but the Spirit himself makes intercession for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in speech. He who searches hearts knows what the Spirit means, for the Spirit intercedes for the saints as God himself wills.” (Rom. 8:26-27). Pray always. Pray perseveringly. Pray insistently, pray, and do not give up. God will turn your mourning into joy and fill you with the blessings of your youth. Amen.

 

                                Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP