ASCENSION OF THE LORD, YEAR C, 2025 BY FR. MARTIN EKE, MSP

Acts 1:1-11; Psalm 47:2-3, 6-9; Ephesians 1:17-23; Luke 24:46-53

Why do we say “Ascension of the Lord,” but “Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary”? Jesus, as God the Son, by his own power, went into Heaven. In the Creed, we say, “He ascended into Heaven.” On the other hand, Mary was taken up into Heaven, not by her own power, but by God’s power. The word “assume” originates from the Latin word “assumere,” which means “to take up.” That is why we say, “assume responsibility,” meaning, “to take up responsibility.” The Catholic Church does not in any way mean “presume” or “suppose,” which is another meaning of the word “assume.” Hence, the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is neither a presumption or a supposition but a mystical truth!

The idea that Jesus was a political messiah remained in the minds his disciples after his resurrection. It appears that his resurrection heightened their expectation. Having returned from the dead, they imagined that he had all the power to overthrow the Romans. “When they had gathered together, they asked him, ‘Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom of Israel?’” I guess that Jesus’ reply was confusing to them: “It is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has established by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” The disciples might have wondered, “We are talking about the restoration of the kingdom of Israel, and he is talking about the Father and the Holy Spirit. What’s the connection?” Their wondering could have been the reason when Jesus disappeared into the cloud, they stood confused and gazed intently at the sky until the angels came to minister to them. 

What does the Ascension of the Lord mean to us?

First, Jesus ascended into heaven and is at the right hand of God interceding for us. “Christ who died, and better still, rose and is seated at the right hand of God, interceding for us” (Romans 8:34). “Therefore, he is always able to save those who approach God through him, since he lives forever to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25). “We have an intercessor with the Father, Jesus Christ, the Just One” (1 John 2:1). Jesus says, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).

Second, Jesus says, “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you may be where I am” (John 14:3). The angels said to the disciples, “This Jesus has been taken up into heaven will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven.” The Preface 1 of today’s Eucharistic celebration says, “Mediator between God and man, judge of the world and Lord of hosts, he ascended, not to distance himself from our lowly state but that we, his members, might be confident of following where he, our Head and Founder, has gone before.” We are, therefore, to be ready for his return and ready to follow him.

Third, Jesus is no longer physically in the world. As his followers, we are to continue his good deeds by witnessing him to the world. He says, “You shall be my witnesses.” Let us witness Jesus in such a way that at our last moment, he will say to us, “Well done, good and faithful servant! … Come and share your master’s happiness” (Matthew 25:23). Jesus is no longer physically in the world; but he remains in the world through us, his disciples, his ambassadors, his witnesses, his Church. We are his mouth, his hand, his feet, and his heart. We are the Body of Christ.

St. Teresa of Avila writes, “Christ has no body now but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which he looks with compassion on this world. Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good. Yours are the hands through which he blesses all the world. Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, yours are the eyes, you are his body. Christ has no body now on earth but yours.”

Four, when Jesus ascended into heaven, the disciples stood confused and gazed at the sky until two angels ministered to them and directed them what to do. As we celebrate the Ascension of the Lord, we pray for all who are confused and experiencing empty gazing due to some helpless or hopeless situation in their lives. With faith and hope, let us shift our empty gazing to fixing our on God, on Jesus, and on the Holy Spirit. Let us gaze on the blessed assurances of the Word of God. As we do so, may God send his angels to minister to us and direct us. I invite us to pray with Psalm 121:1-2, “I raise my eyes toward the mountains. From whence shall come my help? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.” Hebrews 12:1-2 encourages us to “persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith.”

SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER YEAR C, 2025 BY FR. MARTIN EKE, MSP

Acts 15:1-2, 22-29; Psalm 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8; Revelation:10-14, 22-23; John 14:23-29

The central belief of the doctrine of the Most Holy Trinity is that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are equal. How then does Jesus say in today’s gospel, “… the Father is greater than I”? A simple explanation is that Jesus is fully divine and fully human. In his human nature, God the Father is greater. In his divine nature as God the Son, he is equal to God the Father.

From its very beginning to the present, the Catholic Church convokes and holds various types of councils, synods, assemblies, and meetings to discuss important matters that affect the wellbeing of the Church and humanity, and make necessary decisions for going forward. The Council of Jerusalem, in the first reading, is the first of such Church’s gatherings. The reading tells us why the Council was convoked and held and its outcome.

The Christian communities of Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia were made up of Jewish and Gentile converts. The communities were in peace until some over-zealous preachers from Judea came over and contradicted Paul and Barnabas by instructing, “Unless you are circumcised according to the Mosaic practice, you cannot be saved.” The dissension caused by this made the apostles and elders to meet in Jerusalem. After the meeting, the Council sent the following mandate to the Christian communities, “It is the decision of the Holy Spirit and us not to place on you any burden beyond these necessities, namely, to abstain from meat sacrificed to idols, from blood, from meat of strangled animals, and from unlawful marriages.” The Council was not interested in mosaic genital circumcision, but spiritual circumcision of the heart and mind. The spiritual circumcision addressed by the Council can be summarized in the following words: refrain from idolatry and from sexual immorality. These were the major problems plaguing the Christian communities at that time. Idolatry and sexual immorality are sins against the First Commandment, the Sixth Commandment, and the Ninth Commandment.

This message is very relevant to us today because as St. Paul writes in Romans 1:25, many people nowadays “exchange the truth about God for a lie, and worship and serve created things rather than the Creator.” Idolatry is the worship of something or someone other than God as if the thing or the person were God. A question that can help us in self-examination is, “How much attention do we pay to ourselves, or someone else, or worldly things, and how much attention do we pay to spiritual life and relationship with God? If we pay more attention to ourselves, or to someone, or to worldly things than to God, we are, therefore, committing the sin of idolatry.

The high rate of sexual immorality in our world is a great concern. We know all kinds of sexual sins beleaguering our society and causing great harm to our society’s sexual sacredness, sanity, and morality. Sadly, one can say that Satan is on the rampage and our world at the mercy and spell of forces against sexual sacredness, sanity, and morality. Let us not be among those under the spell of sexual evil forces. Parents and guardians have greater responsibility nowadays to guide their children in the right direction since young people are under siege from peer pressure, media, and ideologies that promote highly disgusting sexual recklessness.

The people who came from Judea with their contradicting instructions caused dissension, upset, and disturbed the peace of the Christian communities. There may be “people from Judea” in your life at the moment, causing dissension, upsetting, and disturbing your peace. Jesus blesses us in today’s gospel, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.” The peace Jesus gives is the inner peace which keeps us calm and strong in the face of “people from Judea’s” contradictions and disturbances. We pray with St. Francesca Xavier Cabrini, “Lord, fortify me with the grace of your Holy Spirit and give your peace to my soul that I may be free from all needless anxiety and worry.” On the other hand, let us not be “people from Judea” in other people’s lives. Rather, let us strive to be channels of God’s peace by our words and actions.

To conclude, we pray with the last line of the second reading (Revelation 21:23) that the glory of God gives us light and the Lamb be our lamp. Let us invoke the light of the glory of God and the light of the Lamb to shine upon our lives to transform us, direct us, and heal us. May the light of the glory of God and the light of the Lamb shine around us to shield us and dispel all forces of contradiction and darkness. May the light of the glory of God and the light of the Lamb shine on our world that many people may come to repentance and be delivered from the plagues of the sins of idolatry and sexual immorality. Amen. 

FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER YEAR C, 2025 BY FR. MARTIN EKE, MSP

 Acts 14:21-27; Psalm 145:8-13; Revelation 21:1-5; John 13:31-35

Today’s readings draw our attention to the foundational virtues that help us to live a good Christian life. The virtues are faith, hope, and love.

First reading: Paul and Barnabas “strengthened the spirits of the disciples and exhorted them to persevere in the faith, saying, ‘It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.’ They appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, commended them to the Lord in whom they had put their faith.”

Second reading: “I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, … ‘He will dwell with them and they will be his people and God himself will always be with them as their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain, for the old order has passed away.’ The One who sat on the throne said, ‘Behold, I will make all things new.’”

Gospel: “I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Faith, hope, and love are called theological or supernatural virtues because they are “gifts infused (directly given) by God into the souls of the faithful to make them capable of acting as his children and of meriting eternal life” (CCC 1813). The term “theological virtues” comes from theo, Greek word for god, and virtus, Latin word meaning goodness or moral excellence.  Faith, hope, and love are the foundation of a relationship with God. Without faith, hope, and love, we are incapable of relating with God and living out the other virtues.

The measure with which we open ourselves to receive faith, hope, and love from God is the measure with which we practice our Christianity. See how signal powered devices and gadgets work. Good signal reception brings about efficiency.  Poor signal reception brings about poor performance. Bad reception brings about ineffective performance. When there is zero reception, there is no network connection. Our relationship with God and Christian witnessing follow the same rule.

In the first reading, Paul and Barnabas strengthened the Christians who were persecuted. Our faith in God is tested by difficulties and hardships. Paul and Barnabas encourage us to persevere in the faith in whatever trying situation we find ourselves. Hebrews 10:38 says, “My just one shall live by faith and if he draws back, I take no pleasure in him.” Let us strive on and not draw back.

The second reading is an invitation to hope and to look forward to the blessings God has in stock for his faithful ones. For those who hope in God and remain steadfast in their times of tribulations, God promises to wipe every tear from their eyes, and make all things new. May God fulfill his words and promises among us who hope in him. St. Paul encourages us in Romans 5:2-5, “… hope does not disappoint …” Isaiah assures us, “They that hope in the Lord will renew their strength, they will soar on eagles’ wings. They will run and not grow weary, walk and not grow faint” (Isaiah 40:31).

In today’s gospel, Jesus gives us a new commandment, “As I have loved you, so you should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” The concept of love of neighbor existed before Jesus’ teaching. Love of neighbor before Jesus’ new commandment of love can be referred to as quid pro quo (something for something) love or transactional love, that is love in return for love. In Luke 6:32-33, Jesus asks, “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same.”

The new commandment of love is Christ-like love, which is self-sacrificial and selfless. Expressions of love that are bereft of self-sacrifice and selflessness are insufficient. Jesus expands the meaning of “neighbor” and redefines the word to include anyone in need. Jesus makes this expansion and redefinition very clear with the Parable of the Good Samaritan as his answer to a lawyer’s question, “Who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29-37). Wherever a love relationship is determined by “what is in it for me,” that love relationship is not genuine and is bound to fail. Jesus challenges us, therefore, to progress to the new commandment of love.

As mentioned earlier, without faith, hope, and love, we are incapable of relating with God and witnessing Jesus. Faith knocks on heaven’s door, hope open heaven’s door, and love receives heaven’s favors! None of the three virtues exists independent of the other. We pray for the grace to open up to God to melt us, mold us, and fill us with faith, hope, and love, and “Behold, [he] will make all things new” (a new relationship with him and a new life in Christ). Amen.

FOURTH SUNDAY OF EASTER, YEAR C, 2025 BY FR. MARTIN EKE, MSP

Acts 13:14, 43-52; Psalm 100:1-2, 3,5; Revelation 7:9, 14-17; John 14:23

Today is Good Shepherd Sunday. The first reading narrates the experience of two great shepherds in the early Church, Paul and Barnabas. At that time, their work of evangelization was very successful. “Many Jews and worshippers who were converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas… When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and with violent abuse contradicted what Paul said.” The Jews, further, “incited the women of prominence who were worshippers and the leading men of the city, stirred up a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their territory.”

Even now, some shepherds have the same experience of rejection and expulsion. Let such shepherds be strengthened by the experience of Paul and Barnabas, and also follow the footsteps of Paul and Barnabas when it becomes necessary. “So they shook the dust from their feet in protest against them, and went to Iconium. The disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.” This is important because, sometimes, some shepherds, unwisely, think that shaking off dust from their feet and going somewhere else is a sign of weakness and a sign of accepting defeat. Jesus says, “When they persecute you in one place, flee to another. Truly I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel till the Son of Man comes” (Matthew 10:23). Let shepherds be filled with joy and the Holy Spirit and be guided by the word of God.

It is helpful to pay a little more attention to this line in the first reading, “When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and with violent abuse contradicted what Paul said.” Jealousy is an unhappy feeling of wanting to have what someone else has. It is a feeling of resentment against a rival or against a person enjoying success or advantage. Jealousy is a dangerous spiritual disease. It drains up joy and peace and leaves whomever it possesses bitter and downcast. It causes spiritual blindness to whom it possesses and prevents the person from seeing God’s beauty in other people. It poisons the mind and body and weaponizes whom it possesses to inflict harm on its target. It is Satan’s dangerous weapon of destruction. Let us flee from this spiritual disease.

Jesus, the Good Shepherd, says in today’s gospel, “My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand.” Jesus speaks to us every day through the Scripture. In addition, he speaks to us through communion with God in spiritual activities, through our fellow human beings, and through events of life.

There are other voices, too. The Evil One and the world speak to us. These voices try to lead us astray or distract us. Hearing and listening to the Good Shepherd’s voice has become increasingly difficult for men and women of our generation amid the misleading or distracting voices. We are invited to be attentive, listen, discern, and follow the Good Shepherd so that no one can take us out of his hand, whether we are alive or dead. We pray for the grace to do so.

As we celebrate Good Shepherd Sunday, we also pray for good and attentive listening between the priests and the faithful. Pope Francis’ appeal to priests and the faithful: To priests he says, “This is what I am asking you, be shepherds with the smell of sheep, so that people can sense the priest is not just concerned with his own congregation, but is also a fisher of men.” “A good priest anoints his people with the oil of gladness, by preaching the Gospel with unction, that is with the soothing, comforting words of God.” “If people leave Mass looking as if they have heard good news, then the priest has clearly done his job well.” To the faithful Pope Francis says, “Be close to your priests with affection and with your prayers, that they may always be shepherds according to God’s heart.”

Priests are not the only shepherds. Everyone is a shepherd wherever the person has a responsibility. Let us pray to our Good Shepherd to grant us the grace to be good shepherds at our various shepherding responsibilities no matter how big or how small; at home, at church, at work and business places, and in the society. While we easily see how other people are not shepherding well, we need to reflect and ask ourselves, how are we shepherding our own responsibilities?

The second reading assures us what our Good Shepherd does for us, “The one who sits on the throne will shelter them. They will not hunger or thirst anymore, nor will the sun or any heat strike them. For the Lamb who is in the center of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to springs of life-giving water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes” (Revelation 7:15-17). May it be so for you and for me. Amen.

THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER YEAR C, 2025 BY FR. MARTIN EKE, MSP

Acts 5:27-32, 40-41; Psalm 30:2, 4-6, 11-13; Revelation 5:11-14; John 21:1-19

We see a new Peter in the first reading. Peter who was so afraid that he denied being a disciple of Jesus when accosted by the maid of Annas, the high priest, and by the slave of Caiaphas the high priest (John 18:17 and 26). Transformed by the power of Christ’s resurrection, he stood, boldly, before the Sanhedrin and declared, “We must obey God rather than men.” The reading continues, “The Sanhedrin ordered the apostles to stop speaking in the name of Jesus and dismissed them. So they left the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been found worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name.” The Sanhedrin is a court or an assembly of Jewish elders. They were infuriated that the disciples of the man they crucified had continued to preach about him, working miracles in his name and making more disciples. For that reason, they began to persecute the apostles and the Christians.

Unfortunately, all kinds of persecutions are going on in many countries and places. There are religious persecutions, political persecutions, racial persecutions, and so on. Persecutors force their victims to obey ‘men’ rather than God. It is so sad the helplessness of victims in many countries and places.

On March 13, 2025, The Catholic News Agency writes, “The report published March 12, 2025 by the information service Agenzia Fides shows that of the 145 Catholic priests kidnapped in Nigeria between 2015 and 2025, 11 have been killed and the whereabouts of four others remain unknown.” These numbers are blood-chilling, but they appear undercounted.

Christianity, in particular, is under attack in many parts of the world. Let us pray for strength and courage for the victims and for the conversion of persecutors.

There are times when situations challenge us to stand by the truth or defend our beliefs, doctrines, and practices as Christians and as Catholics. At such times, Peter and the other apostles encourage us to obey God rather than ‘men.’ Let us not display the fear and cowardice of ‘old Peter.’

Jesus did not count it against his disciples who deserted him during his passion. After his resurrection, he appeared and revealed himself to them wherever they were. Today’s gospel is one of his appearances and revelations to them.

John recognized him and said, “It is the Lord.” O Lord, may we recognize your presence among us in God’s word and Sacraments, in our brothers and sisters, in our church community, in our neighborhood, in our work and business places, in strangers, and in your mighty deeds among us, that we may testify like John, “It is the Lord.” O Lord, even if we desert you by our sins and weaknesses, find us and appear to us as you did for your disciples.

Today’s gospel shows us how Peter, believing that his discipleship with Jesus was over, decided to return to his fishing profession. Some of the disciples went with him. Since returning to fishing was not what they were supposed to do, they caught nothing that night. Jesus appeared and instructed them, “Cast the net over the right side of the boat and you will find something.” This means that they had cast their net over the wrong side by returning to their fishing profession. When they did as Jesus instructed, they caught so many fish. Jesus’ intervention and the huge number of fish the apostles caught was a foreshadow of the huge Christian population later. O Lord, appear to us and show us the right side to cast our net.

Although Scripture interpreters teach us that Peter’s interaction with Jesus in the last part of today’s gospel means Peter untying the ropes he tied himself for denying Jesus three times. As a priest, I pray that I am able to untie myself the many ropes I have tied myself, so that I may be free to know Jesus more, love him more, and follow him more. By doing so, I can, properly, feed his lambs, tend his sheep, and feed his sheep. I pray to be able to stretch out my hands to follow Jesus and to be led by him. Please pray with me and for me. We are all invited to untie our ropes and be free to stretch out our hands to follow Jesus and to be led by him.

Finally, the living creatures and the elders in the vision of John in the second reading symbolize angelic beings. They and “every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, everything in the universe” unceasingly worship and with loud voice sing praises “To the one who sits on the throne and to the lamb…”  In union with them, let us worship and sing praises to God and to the Lamb, not only with our lips but also with lives of witnessing God and the Lamb wherever we are.