TWELFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR A, 2026 BY FR. MARTIN EKE, MSP

 Jeremiah 20:10-13; Psalm 69:10-17, 33-35; Romans 5:12-15; Matthew 10:26-33

 Jeremiah was one of the prophets God sent to prophesy to the people of Israel to turn from their sinful ways or they would face divine judgment. Jeremiah prophesied that since the people had failed to repent of their evil ways, a foreign power was going to conquer them, take them captives, and destroy the temple and Jerusalem. For such prophecy, Jeremiah was persecuted and was nearly killed. The first reading is a prayer of Jeremiah while he was being persecuted. Jeremiah teaches us to commit our persecutors into God’s hand. He prayed:

 “But the Lord is with me, like a mighty champion: my persecutors will stumble, they will not prevail. In their failure, they will be put to utter shame, to lasting, unforgettable confusion. …  Let me see the vengeance you take on them, for to you, I have entrusted my cause. Sing to the Lord, … For he has rescued the life of the poor from the power of the evildoers! (Jeremiah 20:11-13).

 Jeremiah represents messengers of truth everywhere who are persecuted, or silenced, or eliminated: in families, neighborhoods, groups, workplaces, institutions, organizations, churches, countries, and so on.

 Today’s gospel is Jesus’ encouragement to his apostles to be fearless in proclaiming the Good News. He reminded them that, later on, their witnessing the Good News would attract persecution. He encouraged them not to be discouraged because their sustenance would come from God.

 Violent persecution of Christians is going on in several parts of the world. In those places, Christians are killed, church buildings and properties are burned down or destroyed. Christians’ rights and privileges are denied them or taken away from them. We pray for the Christians who stay strong in those places and dangerous conditions.

 Another type of persecution is anti-Christian policies whereby anti-Christian foundations are being dismantled. Christian principles, values, symbols, education, and identifications are condemned as offensive and removed. The adverse effects of the anti-Christian actions on the society are obvious. It is clearly seen in the rise of all kinds of crimes and crises. Someone says, “Life without Christ is Crises.”

 Jesus tells us in today’s gospel not to be afraid or discouraged. Jesus says, “… Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul … Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father…” By this statement, Jesus promises rewards to those who remain witnesses during persecution.

 Jesus’ encouragement to those persecuted does not dismiss the fact that it is the responsibility of governments to protect the citizens from kidnapping, torture, abuses, destruction, and mindless killings by persecutors. It is heartbreaking to see governments persecuting their own citizens, and governments being collaborators and accomplices with persecutors’ heinous persecutions and crimes as it is the case in Nigeria.

 According to a news report, between 2015 and 2025, at least 212 Catholic priests were kidnapped in Nigeria. 15 were murdered. The real number of cases is certainly higher. These figures do not include the religious men and women, and leaders of other Christian denominations who suffered the same fate. Countless number of churches and church properties were burned down or destroyed. The exact number of hundreds of communities destroyed and displaced people is not known. The persecution is continuing unabated in 2026.

 However, it is easy for us to see persecution out there but fail to see persecution within (amongst ourselves). Do we intentionally and knowingly persecute others by our words and actions?

 Jesus promises us in today’s gospel that all the hairs of our heads are counted and that we are not to be afraid. We earnestly pray for God’s divine intervention in the lives of victims of persecution and violence.

 Let us conclude with Prophet Jeremiah’s prayer in the first reading:

 “The Lord is with me, like a mighty champion: my persecutors will stumble, they will not prevail. In their failure, they will be put to utter shame, to lasting, unforgettable confusion. …  Let me see the vengeance you take on them, for to you, I have entrusted my cause. Sing to the Lord, … For he has rescued the life of the poor from the power of the evildoers!” Amen.

ELEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR A, 2026 BY FR MARTIN EKE, MSP

 Exodus 19:2-6; Psalm 100:1-2, 3, 5; Romans 5:6-11; Matthew 9:36-10:8

 In the first reading, God sent Moses to speak to the Israelites: “If you hearken to my voice and keep to my covenant, you shall be my special possession…” We know that many times, the Israelites chose something else to possess them and did not hearken to God’s voice nor kept his covenant. The consequences of their choices brought them a lot of difficulties. For instance, the first reading of Saturday’s morning Mass says, “They forsook the temple of the Lord, the God of their fathers, and began to serve the sacred poles and idols; and because of this crime of theirs, wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem” (2 Chronicles 24:18).

 

It is our own story too. Whatever possesses us controls us. For instance, one who is possessed by anger, is controlled by it. One who is possessed by envy and jealousy, is controlled by them. One who is possessed by hate, is controlled by it. One who is possessed by pornography, is controlled by it. One who is possessed by power, is controlled by it. One who is possessed by money, is controlled by it. One who is possessed by alcohol, is controlled by it. One who is possessed by laziness, is controlled by it. One who is possessed by immorality, is controlled by it. One who is possessed by grief or depression or despair is controlled by them. One who is possessed by gadgets is controlled by them. One who is possessed by worldly life, is controlled it. One who is possessed by any addiction, is controlled by it. One who is possessed by the evil one, is controlled by the evil one. And so on. Our actions are the result of the spirit, or the vice, or whatever that possesses us. Ungodly possessions cause spiritual blindness and deafness to what God wants us to see and hear. Ungodly possessions corrupt the mind and harden the heart and prevent goodness from prevailing.

 

On the other hand, one who is possessed by goodness and the Spirit of God is controlled by them. The person hears God’s voice and is godly in his or her words and actions. St. Paul speaks of this where he instructs about the one who possesses the Holy Spirit and yields the fruits of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). There are other fruits that are not mentioned by St. Paul that are alluded in today’s gospel.

 

The second reading is very encouraging to us. No one’s case is hopeless. When we are off the rails due of our ungodly and immoral possessions, we come to Jesus who reconciles us to God. Jesus brings back our wheels on the rails. All evils are due to remaining in ungodly and immoral possessions and refusing to receive the message of salvation and reconciliation.

 

In the gospel, Jesus sends us to continue the message of salvation and reconciliation. He gives us authority over spiritual and physical possessions in us and in others; to drive out unclean spirits and to cure every disease and every illness. He says to us, “Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons.” In the mission, Jesus warns us, “Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town. Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” By this statement, Jesus instructs us to be focused on the mission and not deviate or be distracted. Jesus adds, “Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.” Which means, to act with pure, selfless generosity and service, without keeping score or worrying about what one might lose, sacrifice, or receive in return. We pray for God’s grace to enable us to accept this instruction and obey it.

 

 In the first reading, God sent Moses to the Israelites. In the second reading God sent Jesus to the world. In the gospel, Jesus sent his apostles to the lost house of Israel. We are the ‘Moses.’ We are the ‘apostles.’ We are Jesus’ disciples. We are the ‘laborers.’ We pray for the grace to recognize our calling and to embrace it. As God sends us, let us not be like the biblical young man “who went away sad, for he had many possessions” (Matthew 19:22).

 

We pray for an increase in the vocations of the clergy and the religious who are special laborers of the harvest. In the gospel, Jesus tells us one of the reasons to pray, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few.” These special laborers are a “chosen race.” They are “a people set apart.” We pray that they may be possessed and controlled by the Holy Spirit. We pray that they may be a “holy nation.” Amen.

 

Jesus’s heart was moved with pity when he saw the troubled and the abandoned crowd. May his heart be moved with pity for many of us who are even more troubled by our various dire needs and desires. “O Lord, come to our assistance, O Lord, make haste to help us” (Psalm 70:1).

 

CORPUS CHRISTI (THE MOST HOLY BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST), YEAR A, 2026 BY FR. MARTIN EKE, MSP

 Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 14-16; 1 Corinthians 10:16-17; John 6:51-58

 The Last Supper was the first Eucharistic celebration. Jesus took the bread, said the blessing (gave thanks), broke it, and gave it to his apostles and said “This is my body, which will be given for you; do this in memory of me.” And likewise, the cup and said “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which will be shed for you.” Every Eucharistic celebration is a re-enactment of the first celebration. This is the reason priests repeat Jesus’ words in every Mass. St. Paul says in the second reading that our celebration is a participation in the Body and Blood of Christ. Jesus commands us to break the bread and share the cup in memory of his sacrifice for us. This is why the Mass is called Eucharistic Sacrifice. Every Eucharistic celebration is our obedience to this command. This command is Jesus’ last will. Just as we take people’s last will seriously, more so, we take Jesus’ last will very seriously.

 

Jesus did not say, “It is like my body.” Or, “It resembles my body.” Or, “It is in place of my body.” He said, “This is my body.” “This is my blood.” This is why we believe in the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. This is why we adore the Eucharist in the Tabernacle and when it is exposed. Jesus is no longer physically with us; however, he is spiritually present with us in the Eucharist. He says, “I am with you always to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

 

In Latin, the priest ends the celebration by saying, “Ite missa est,” literally meaning, “Go, you are sent forth.” The Eucharistic celebration is commonly called Mass. The word “Mass” is a coinage from “missa” in “Ite missa est.”

 

The word Eucharist is derived from the Greek word “eucharistein,” which means thanksgiving; referring to Jesus’ action at the Last Supper: he took the bread and the cup and gave thanks. Every Eucharistic celebration is a thanksgiving to God for the gift of Jesus Christ, for our salvation, for the eternal life we have received by his death and resurrection, for the continued spiritual presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist, and the Eucharist being our spiritual food, which nourishes and empowers us for our earthly journey.

 

The Eucharistic celebration, which the Church calls Sacred Mysteries, is the highest prayer of the Catholic Church. The Vatican II Document states that the Eucharistic sacrifice is the source and summit of the Christian life (LG 11). In the celebration of the Eucharist are the interaction, activity, communion, and union of earth and heaven of which the high point is during the consecration of bread and wine which become the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. All prayers of the Eucharistic celebration reveal the interaction, activity, communion, and union of earth and heaven. If we really ponder on the prayers and songs and actions and movements during the celebration, we will be overcome with awe and wonder.

 

Preparation of the Gifts: When the priest or the deacon mixes a drop of water into the chalice of wine, he prays quietly, “By the mystery of this water and wine may we come to share in the divinity of Christ who humbled himself to share in our humanity.”

 

From Offertory Prayer of Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary, no. 3: “… grant that through this most holy exchange we may advance towards eternal redemption.”

 

From Eucharistic Prayer, no.1: “In humble prayer we ask you, almighty God: command that these gifts be borne by the hands of your holy Angel to your altar on high in the sight of your divine majesty, so that all of us, who through this participation at the altar receive the most holy Body and Blood of your Son, may be filled with every grace and heavenly blessing.”

 

From Eucharistic Prayer no. 2: “You are indeed Holy, O Lord, the fount of all holiness. Make holy, therefore, these gifts, we pray, by sending down your Spirit upon them like the dewfall, so that they may become for us the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

 

The Eucharist is the most distinctive mark of the Catholic Church and at the center of the Catholic faith. We must guard it with pride, respect, honor, and reverence. Someone advised priests and indeed all of us, “Take each Mass as your first Mass, your last Mass, and your only Mass.” This is to emphasize that every Mass requires our prayerful maximum attention and participation.

 

We are to receive the Eucharist worthily and must not disregard St. Paul’s advice in 1 Corinthians 11:28-29, “Let each one, then, examine himself before eating of the bread and drinking of the cup. Otherwise, he drinks his own condemnation in not recognizing the body.” This is why the Sacrament of Reconciliation helps us to prepare for the Sacrament of the Eucharist.

 

Jesus is the living bread who gives us spiritual nourishment now and grants us eternal life after our journey on earth. Because he lives, we also live (John 14:19). Whether we receive the Word or the Eucharist, we are bearers of Jesus Christ. This is a deep and profound responsibility. This is why St. Augustine cautions us, “Behold what you are, become what you receive.” By this statement, St. Augustine challenges us to align our daily thoughts, actions, and character in the imitation of Christ.

 

The salvation of those who do not believe in The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ is a mystery we cannot fully understand or explain. But for us believers, we pray that through the interaction, communion, and union with the heavenly powers in the Eucharistic celebration (most holy exchange), we my experience its transforming power and testify our own Eucharistic miracles. Amen and amen.

 

MOST HOLY TRINITY SUNDAY, YEAR A, 2026 BY FR. MARTIN EKE, MSP

Exodus 34:4-6, 8-9; Daniel 3:52-55; 2 Corinthians 13:11-13; John 3:16-18

The descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles which we celebrated last Sunday brings the work of the Trinity to its fullness. God the Father is the Creator. God the Son is the Savior. God the Holy Spirit is the Renewer and the Sanctifier.

When Jesus was about to ascend to heaven, he authorized his apostles to baptize in the name of the Trinity. He said to them, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). With these words, Jesus authorizes us, his followers, not only to baptize but to do everything in the name of the Trinity. That is why all our prayers begin and end in the name of the Trinity.

God reveals himself in the first reading, “… merciful and gracious God, slow to anger, and rich in kindness and fidelity.”

In the second reading, St. Paul blesses us with the Trinity, which priests bless us with at the beginning of every Eucharistic celebration, “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.” Notice that St. Paul says, “the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.” meaning, “the companionship of the Holy Spirit.”

Jesus reveals himself in the gospel, “For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.”

The Sign of the Cross is not a casual prayer. By it, we invoke the Trinity: our merciful and gracious God, our savior Jesus Christ, and the companionship of the Holy Spirit. That is why we are encouraged to pray it and sign ourselves reverently with understanding, conviction, and faith because of its deep and profound meaning and power.

The Trinity is one of the most important mysteries in Christianity. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are three persons, but one nature, one God, equal, undivided, and no separation. We are not invited to fully understand this mystery. We are, rather, invited to believe, participate, and share in the way of the Trinity.

What is the way of the Trinity?

First, the way of the Trinity is unity: The Trinity is one nature, undivided, and no separation. We are invited to be instruments of unity wherever we find ourselves. It is often said, “Where there is unity, there is strength, and there is victory.” “United we stand, divided we fall.”

Second, the way of the Trinity is harmony: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit related in harmony from creation to the descent of the Holy Spirit. We are invited to work harmoniously with one another. Disagreements and bitterness hinder progress.

Third, the way of the Trinity is equality: The three persons of the Trinity are equal. None is superior to the other. We are invited to provide equal treatment and equal opportunity for everyone. All forms of inequality are against the way of the Trinity.

Fourth, the way of the Trinity is relational love and inter-sharing: Jesus speaks of this relationship where he says, “Everything that the Father has is mine; for this reason, I told you that he [the Holy Spirit] will take from what is mine and declare it to you.” We can see that the Trinity is bonded in love. Unity, harmony, and equality can only be possible where there is love.

Fifth, the way of the Trinity is holy: As we celebrate this Eucharist, may the rays of the Trinity’s holy light shine on us, dispel forces of sin and darkness, and bring us to conversion. May the rays of the Trinity’s holy light bring us physical and spiritual healing. May the rays of the Trinity’s holy light guide us to the path of truth and righteousness. May the rays of the Trinity’s holy light guard and protect us from all dangers. Amen.

St. Paul tell us that God made the human body to function in a trinitarian way, “God has so constructed the body … so that there may be no division in the body, but that the parts may have the same concern for one another. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if one part is honored, all the parts share its joy” (1 Corinthians 12:25-26). Like parts of the body, we are invited to be relational and inter-sharing. Each person’s gifts, talents, and resources are for the benefit of all. Whatever each person does or does not do affects others and the environment.

It is in the same trinitarian interconnectedness, interrelationship, and inter-sharing that God made the earth, which is why the earth is in the shape of a globe. God blessed every part of the earth with resources to be shared other parts. But human beings’ bad will and greed bring disconnection, exploitation, destruction, suffering, and death.

The crises in almost every part of the world are because of human beings’ bad will and greed and the rejection of the way of the Trinity. Any family, parish, community, association, organization, or country that walks in the way of the Trinity will prosper. The way of the Trinity is the best and only way to go!