FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER YEAR B, 2024 BY FR MARTIN EKE, MSP

 Acts 9:26-31; Psalm 22:26-28, 30-32; 1 John 3:18-24; John 15:1-8

The first reading tells us about St. Paul’s experience after his conversion. He had escaped from Damascus where the Jews wanted to kill him for preaching and “proving that [Jesus] is the Messiah” (Acts 9:20-25). He arrived in Jerusalem and tried to join the disciples, “but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple.” Then, Barnabas brought St. Paul to the apostles and told them the story of St. Paul’s conversion. The apostles accepted him, which enabled him to move “about freely with them in Jerusalem, and spoke out boldly in the name of the Lord” (Acts 9:27-28).

First, St. Paul was a notorious persecutor and murderer of Christians. When he converted, he was able to put his past life behind him and never allowed the guilt and shame of his past life to discourage him from answering the call of discipleship. Sometimes, God wants to do new things in our life, but we refuse to cooperate with God’s grace by letting ourselves become trapped in our ugly past life. St. Paul’s ability to break with his ugly past life challenges us to break the chains and yokes of our ugly past life and liberate ourselves from them. The word of God says in Isaiah 43:18-19, “Remember not the events of the past, the things of long ago consider not. See, I am doing something new!” Let us embrace the new things God is doing and move forward. 

Secondly, Barnabas intervened in St. Paul’s situation and became an instrument for St. Paul’s acceptance by the apostles. Let us not be like the Jews who wanted to kill St. Paul because he was no longer a member of their murderous gang, or like the disciples who refused to accept him because they were afraid of him. Perhaps we are the ‘Barnabas’ God wants to use to help someone. Let us not be reluctant to help or refuse to help. St. John urges us in the second reading, “[God’s] commandment is this: we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another just as he commanded us” (1 John 3:23).

St. Paul says in Colossians 3:13, “Put on compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, to bear with one another and forgive whenever there is any opportunity to do so. As the Lord has forgiven you, forgive one another.” Let no one be a stumbling block to opportunities of forgiveness, reconciliation, peace, and unity. The apostles teach us to give one another the opportunity and the benefit of the doubt to prove their new life. God is patient with us. He forgives us and gives us opportunities to live new life. We must do the same to one another.

God is not “unbelieving” in us as we are, sometimes, unbelieving in one another. Think of what would have happened to the prodigal son if the father was unbelieving in him? Think of what would have happened to the woman caught in adultery if Jesus was unbelieving in her? Think of what would have happened to Zacchaeus if Jesus was unbelieving in him? And many others. Let us not dismiss gestures of contrition. They are opportunities for reconciliation and restoration.

There is a tragic story of a girl who got pregnant at school. Her parents, being good practicing Catholics who held positions of honor and responsibilities in their community, parish, and the diocese, rejected the girl and refused her return to the family. Mediatory efforts by all and sundry failed to change their minds. For them, their daughter must continue her life with whoever impregnated her. Unfortunately, the teenage boy who impregnated her had disappeared. Unable to manage the rejection and the abandonment, the girl committed suicide. Now, who was responsible for the tragic death of the girl and her baby? Such a tragic story and others like it are caused by rejection and refusal of reconciliation and restoration.

 

Thirdly, St. Paul is a fulfillment of today’s gospel reading. When he was outside Jesus, he was possessed by the spirits of hate, jealousy, fury, persecution, murder, and so on. But when he was grafted to Jesus, the true vine, and was pruned of his vices, he began to bear much fruit. Jesus says in the gospel, “Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing” (John 15:4-5).

In the same way, like St. Paul, when we are grafted to Jesus, we receive ‘spiritual antitoxin’ and ‘spiritual antivirus’ against infections and corruptions of the world and the Evil One. Then, we are flushed off and pruned of our sins and we can bear fruits of “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23).  Jesus says, “By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples” (John 15:7-8).

May it be so for you and for me, through Christ our Risen Lord. Amen.

FOURTH SUNDAY OF EASTER YEAR B, 2024 BY FR. MARTIN EKE, MSP

 Acts 4:8-12; Psalm 118:1, 8-9, 21-23, 26, 28, 29; 1 John 3:1-2; John 10:11-18

We have two important celebrations today: Jesus the Good Shepherd and World Day of Prayer for Vocations.

World Day of Prayer for Vocations was introduced by Pope St. Paul VI in 1963 to be a special day of prayer for vocations to priestly, religious, and consecrated life. At the sight of the crowds, Jesus’ heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. He instructed his disciples, “The harvest is abundant, but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.” (Matthew 9:37-38). This instruction is for us to continue to pray for an increase in the vocations of ordained, professed, and lay ministries in the Catholic Church. We pray for more aspirants and more candidates to the ministries.

As we celebrate Good Shepherd Sunday, we pray for our spiritual and civil shepherds, and all those who make policies and decisions that affect us. We pray for our parents, who are our first shepherds and our teachers, who are our second shepherds. We pray for those who have, at several times, guided us in one way or another. We pray for our priests, who are with us from Baptism to burial. May our priests continue to “be shepherds with the smell of the sheep” (Pope Francis, 2021). We, also, pray for all of us because we are all shepherds by the virtue of our responsibilities and assignments.

In today’s gospel, Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” In the seven verses of today’s gospel reading, Jesus mentions “lay down his life” five times to emphasize the importance of what he did for us, and what we also must do as shepherds in different ways and capacities.

Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me.” Jesus knows us and wants us to know him. He says, “My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). To know him means to have an intimate relationship with him. To have an intimate relationship with him, we must hear his voice. To hear his voice means to do what is heard. There are many other distracting voices that want us to hear them: my own voice, voices from the world, and the voice of the Evil One.

A story is told about a poor lady whose two cows were stolen by a rich man who owned fifty cows. Now, the rich man had fifty-two cows, and the poor lady had none. The lady reported the matter to the village chief. The village chief said to the woman, “There are many cows in the rich man’s ranch, how would you identify yours?” The lady answered, “I know my own cows and my cows know me. I would call them by their names, and they would follow me.” The village chief and the lady went to the rich man’s ranch where the fifty-two cows were. The lady called the first cow by name. It came to her. She called the second one by name. It came to her.

This story reminds us of Isaiah 1:3, “An ox knows its owner, and an ass, its master’s manger; but Israel does not know, my people has not understood.”

“When he calls me, I will answer, I’ll be somewhere list’ning for my name….” (Song by Eduardo J. Lango)

Jesus says in today’s gospel that bad shepherds who have no concern for the sheep leave the sheep and run away when they see wolves coming and wolves catch and scatter the sheep. God condemns bad shepherds in Ezekiel 34:6-8, “Woe to the shepherds… who have been pasturing themselves! … You consumed milk, wore wool, and slaughtered fatlings, but the flock you did not pasture. You did not strengthen the weak nor heal the sick nor bind up the injured. You did not bring back the stray or seek the lost but ruled them harshly and brutally. So they were scattered for lack of a shepherd, and became food for all the wild beasts. They were scattered and wandered over all the mountains and high hills; over the entire surface of the earth my sheep were scattered.”

People fleeing from their homelands, dying across deserts and waters, trafficked and sold, and suffering inhuman hardships as refugees are due to bad shepherds. We pray for the repentance of bad shepherds.

We are all shepherds in different ways and in different capacities by our vocations, professions, and jobs; in our homes, our church ministries, our offices, our business places, our engagements, and our responsibilities. We are invited to listen to the Good Shepherd, know him, and imitate his self-giving and self-sacrificing manner of shepherding. “In your relationship with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5).

THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER YEAR B, 2024

 Acts 3:13-15, 17-19; Psalm 4:2, 4, 7-9; 1 John 2:1-5; Luke 24:35-48 

Easter Octave begins on Easter Sunday and ends with Divine Mercy Sunday. (The word ‘Octave’ comes from Greek ‘okto’ and Latin ‘octo’ which means eight). Easter Octave means that Easter Sunday is celebrated for eight days. We are, now, in Eastertide until Pentecost Sunday, which means that our focus remains on the events of the resurrection, and we pray to become energized by the power of the resurrection. We are encouraged to go with the tide of Easter, not against it.

After Jesus had been crucified, the apostles and some of the disciples gathered together and locked themselves up in a room for fear of the Jewish leaders. The apostles and the disciples heard the news of his resurrection with utter disbelief. According to today’s gospel, when Jesus appeared and stood in their midst, “they were startled and terrified and thought that they were seeing a ghost” (Luke 24:37). He spoke to them, ate before them, and “opened their minds to understand the Scriptures” (Luke 24:45). He said to them, “Thus it is written that the Messiah would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things” (Luke 24:46-48).

Fearful Peter, after Jesus’ resurrection and the descent of the Holy Spirit, was transformed from fear to vigor and bravery. He became a fearless witness of the Good News, as we see in today’s first reading. He boldly challenged the people concerning their wrong-doings and for their acting out of ignorance. He invited them, “Repent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be wiped away” (Acts 3:17-19).

St. John echoes the same message of repentance in the second reading, “But if anyone does sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous one. He is expiation for our sins, and not for our sins only, but for those of the whole world. The way we may be sure that we know him is to keep his commandments” (1 John 2:1-3).

We are buried in tombs by our sins and weaknesses; but we rise to new life by our repentance. St. Peter said to the people, “you acted out of ignorance.” A lot of times, we are spiritually blinded by ignorance. Let us thank God for saving us from perishing the many occasions we acted out of ignorance. Is there something we are doing or have been doing out of ignorance? We pray for enlightenment through the power of this Eucharistic celebration and the power of the Risen Lord.

For some reasons, many of us may be frightened and scared as Peter, the apostles, and the disciples were. Like the apostles and the disciples, some of us see ghosts all around us. Jesus asks us the same question he asked his apostles and his disciples, “Why are you troubled?” Jesus says, “Peace be with you!” May we experience the power of Christ’s resurrection and be healed from our fears. St. Paul prays for us that the peace of God that surpasses all understanding guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7).

Today’s gospel concludes with the words, “You are witnesses to these things.” St. Peter recalls while addressing the people, “of this we are witnesses.” These words are an invitation for us to witness Jesus wherever we find ourselves. We are to let people know Jesus and experience him by our words and actions. Unfortunately, many Catholics are afraid and timid to witness Jesus by words and actions. Some Catholics are unable to witness Jesus due to ignorance. Of course, more disappointing are Catholics, whose lifestyle is a betrayal of the faith.

We cannot witness what we do not have. If we are to preach Jesus, either by words or deeds, we must first experience him ourselves. In today’s gospel, Jesus spoke to the apostles and “opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.” May he, also, open our minds so that we can understand and witness “what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we looked upon and touched with our hands…” (1 John 1:1-4).

In today’s gospel, Jesus invites us, “Look at my hands and feet, that it is I myself. Touch me and see…” (Luke 24:39). Last week, we read about Thomas, who touched Jesus and was healed of his doubt (John 20:28). The woman who suffered hemorrhages touched Jesus and was healed (Luke 8:44). Mark 6:56 reports, “all who touched even the edge of his cloak were healed.” Let us, also, touch and see the goodness of the Lord.

Let us touch him with our desire of him. Let us touch him with our faith. Let us touch him with our prayers. As we touch him and by the power of his resurrection, may we receive spiritual and physical transformation from our sins and weaknesses. May we be transformed from ignorance to enlightenment and from fear to courage. Grant us, O Lord, the spiritual energy to go with the tide of Easter, not against it. Amen.

DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY: SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER, YEAR B, 2024 BY FR. MARTIN EKE, MSP

 Acts 4:32-35; Psalm 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24; 1 John 5:1-6; John 20:19-31

In the year 2000, Pope St. John Paul II canonized St. Faustina, and changed the second Sunday of Easter, which was celebrated as Low Sunday to be celebrated as Divine Mercy Sunday. Low Sunday means Easter celebrated in a lower degree.  

St. Faustina was a Polish nun gifted with mystical visions, messages, and revelations from the Risen Jesus. This is a rare instance when a private revelation is recognized and raised to the level that it becomes a Sunday celebration by the Universal Church. The feast situates well following Easter Sunday to show that the events of the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus for the redemption of humanity were out of God’s gratuitous mercy. God’s mercy is gratuitous because humanity did nothing to merit it. 

St. Faustina wrote in her diary, “Proclaim that mercy is the greatest attribute of God. All God’s works are crowned with mercy” (No. 301). God is so merciful and ever forgiving that he does not judge us according to our sins (Psalm 130:3). The Parable of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15:11-32 gives us a good idea of the depth of God’s mercy and forgiveness. “God is love” (1 John 4:8); and his banner over us is love (Song of Solomon 2:4). Jesus is the highest expression of God’s love for us. St. John writes, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life” (John 3:16).

We proclaim God’s mercy, not only in words but also in deeds. God’s mercy continues in our world through us if we become instruments of his mercy. In the first reading, the early Christian community sets a good example for us. “The community of believers was of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they had everything in common. … There was no needy person among them, for those who owned property or houses would sell them, bring the proceeds of the sale, and put them at the feet of the apostles, and they were distributed to each according to need” (Acts 4:32-35). We are invited to imitate the early Christian community.

Jesus says, “Whatever you did for one of these least brothers [and sisters] of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40). Yes, when we feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, shelter the homeless, visit the sick, visit prisoners, bury the dead, and give alms to the poor, we do them for Jesus.

Jesus teaches us to be merciful even to enemies. He says, “Love your enemies and do good to them, … [like] the Most-High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as also your Father is merciful” (Luke 6:35-36).

One of St. Faustina’s visions is the image of the Divine Mercy of Jesus showing two rays, one reddish (symbolizing blood) and the other whitish (symbolizing water), with the words “Jesus, I trust in you” at the bottom. The image takes us back to the passion, crucifixion, and death of Jesus.  When the soldier pierced the side of Jesus, “immediately blood and water flowed out” (John 19:34).

St. John says in the second reading, “This is the one who came through water and blood, Jesus Christ, not by water alone, but by water and blood” (1 John 5:6). Jesus says during the Last Supper, “This is my blood of the new covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:28). St. Paul writes, “In him we have redemption through his blood” (Ephesians 1:7). About water, St. Paul writes, “Christ loved the church and handed himself over for her to sanctify her, cleansing her by the bath of water with the word” (Ephesians 5:25-26).

Thomas was privileged to put his finger in the pierced side of Jesus and was healed of his doubt. We are more privileged than Thomas because we go beyond touching him to consuming him. May Jesus whom we consume bear lasting fruits in us, especially the fruit of mercy. St. Gregory of Nazianzen writes, “Not even night should interrupt you in your duty of mercy. Do not say: ‘Come back and I will give you something tomorrow.’ … The Lord of all asks for mercy, not sacrifice, and mercy is greater than myriads of fattened lambs.” St. James writes, “Mercy triumphs over judgment” (James 2:13). In the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant, the master asked the servant, “Should you not have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?” (Matthew 18:33).

“For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world. Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.”