Fr. Martin Eke, MSP - October 6, 2019. Homily for the 27th Sunday in Ordinary time year C

Homily of Twenty Seventh-Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C

Prophet Habakkuk prophesied in Judah about 600 years before Jesus Christ. At that time, there were political decadence and abandonment of worship of Yahweh. The first reading was a section of Habakkuk’s lamentation over the state of affairs in Judah. Habakkuk questioned God about his silence over his and the people’s cry and lamentation: “How long, O Lord? I cry for help but you do not listen! I cry out to you, ‘Violence!’ But you do not intervene. Why do you let me see ruin; why must I look at misery? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strive, and clamorous discord.” Habakkuk 1:4 which is not included in the reading says, “This is why the law is numb and justice never comes, for the wicked surround the just; this is why justice comes forth perverted.”

There are people whose condition is as Judah was, and like Habakkuk, in their grief and desolation, they ask God many questions: “Why me?” “Why this?” “Why that?” “Where are you, God?” “Where are your promises.” And many other questions. Some people argue that it is not proper to ask God questions. If that is the case, then the Scripture is full of improper questions to God. My understanding is that questions addressed to God with faith are prayers in themselves. Improper questions to God are questions asked doubtfully and without faith. God always answers questions to him with faith. When we claim that God is silent, we need to examine our faith. God speaks to us through Prophet Isaiah, “No, the hand of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. Rather, it is your crimes that separate you from your God. It is your sins that make him hide his face so that he does not hear you” (Isaiah 59:1-2). We can put verse two this way, “Rather, it is your [lack of faith] that separate you from your God. It is your [faithlessness] that make him hide his face so that he does not hear you.”

Because Habakkuk asked with faith, God responded, “Write down the vision clearly upon the tablets, so that one can read it readily. For the vision still has its time, presses on to fulfilment, and will not disappoint. If it delays, wait for it, it will surely come, it will not be late. … The just one, because of his faith, shall live.” In other words, God’s plans will surely come to fulfilment. God will not disappoint. Even if he delays, let us trust him faithfully. Our faith will save us.

St. Paul in the second reading encourages us not to lose our faith. He says, “Beloved: I remind you to stir into flame the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control… Take as your norm the sound words that you heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Guard this rich trust with the help of the Holy Spirit that dwells in us.” In this passage St. Paul spells out some of the fruits of faith, “power, love, and self-control.”

The Gospel: “The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith.’ The Lord replied, ‘If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea, and it would obey you.’” It is not surprising that the apostles made this request. They had seen Jesus’ miraculous deeds and the authority in his teaching, which they would have compared to their lack of faith. We are like the apostles; we lack faith. This is seen in our lukewarm or lifeless practice of our Christianity. St. Paul calls our attitude ‘spirit of cowardice.’ St. Paul encourages us to stir and fan our faith into flame.

Yes, our faith in God will be tested as that of the selfless (unprofitable), hardworking, and obedient servant Jesus alluded in the Gospel. He remained faithful and went the extra-mile to do all his master’s will. The victory over this world is our faith (1 John 5:4). St. Paul says in Roman 14:23, “For whatever is not from faith is sin.” And Jesus bade some persons farewell with the following words: "Your faith has saved you; go in peace," to the sinful woman (Luke 7:50). "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering," to the woman healed of hemorrhage (Mark 5:34). "Go, your faith has healed you," to blind Bartimaeus (Mark 10:52). Jesus encouraged Jarius, “Do not be afraid, only believe” (Mark 5:36). May Jesus greet us with such words as above. Amen.

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP - September 29, 2019. Homily for the 26th Sunday in Ordinary time year C

Homily of Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C

About 750 B.C., Amos denounced the rich and the leaders in Israel who in their extravagant life of luxury oppressed and neglected the suffering poor: “Those who lie on beds of ivory, and lounge upon their couches; eating lambs taken from the flock, and calves from the stall; who improvise to the music of the harp, composing on musical instruments like David, who drink wine from bowls, and anoint themselves with the best oils, but are not made ill by the collapse of Joseph.”

The neglect of the poor by the rich and the leaders was not different during the time of Jesus, which was why Jesus gave the parable of the rich man and Lazarus: “There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day. And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table. Dogs even used to come and lick his sores.”

The rich man did nothing wrong for being rich. His three sins were, lack of moderation (“dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day”), negligence, and lack of compassion (“lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table”). While the rich man did not express compassion to Lazarus, the rich man’s dogs did. The dogs, ordinarily, would have barked aggressively at Lazarus to ward him off from the rich man’s gate. Instead, the dogs expressed compassion to Lazarus by licking his sores. 

Oppressive leaders and neglect of the poor despite the world’s development in the 21stcentury, may be worse than they were during the time of Amos and the time of Jesus. It’s a fact that some rich countries do not care about the plight of some poor countries. Food is wasted in some rich countries, while people starve and die of hunger in some poor countries. It’s a fact that some rich people do not care about the suffering of poor people. It’s a fact that some corrupt leaders wine and dine excessively and do not care about the sufferings of the majority of the people who are poor. The money that should have been used for the benefit of the poor is stolen and spent on a life of vanity.

In the first reading, the consequence of the sins of the heartless rich and corrupt leaders in Israel was that they were conquered by Babylon and carried into exile in 597 B.C. In the Gospel, the rich man’s sin landed him in a place of torment when he died. These readings bring to mind Isaiah 3:10-11, “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.”

However, the message from the readings is not that we look forward and delight over the bad things that befall sinners, but we are to pray for the conversion of sinners. St. Paul says in 1 Timothy 2:1-4, “First of all, then, I ask that supplications, prayers, petitions, and thanksgivings be offered for everyone, for kings and for all in authority, that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life in all devotion and dignity. This is good and pleasing to God our savior, who wills everyone to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth.” St. Paul exhorts us in the second reading to “pursue righteousness.” He says, “But you, man of God, avoid all this. Instead, pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness. Compete well for the faith. Lay hold of eternal life, to which you were called when you made the noble confession in the presence of many witnesses.”

We may not be among the negligent and heartless rich people, or among the corrupt political and economic leaders who waste and squander the wealth that would have benefited the poor. But, we are all called to be compassionate and caring; to open our eyes and see the ‘Lazarus’ lying at our door; and to open our hearts to welcome them. By doing so, we fulfil the words of Jesus in Matthew 25:35-36, “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.” Matthew 5:6-7 “Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP

Fr. Augustine Inwang, MSP - September 29, 2019. Homily for the 26th Sunday in Ordinary time year C

Readings: Amos 6:1, 4-7; 1 Tim. 6:11-16; Lk 16:19-31.

Our Sins of Omission

Last Sunday, we read from prophet Amos as he lashed out on the rich for exploiting the poor. His message was direct and uncompromising. He told the people of Israel that, because of their social injustice and religious arrogance, the Lord will punish them by means of a total military disaster. Amos who came from the South, and preached in the North, warned that, due to the life style of the people the impending disaster will spare no one, it will affect the rich and the poor alike. In today’s first reading, Amos warned the rich who feasted sumptuously and enjoyed a comfortable life style that they “Shall be the first to go into exile, and their wanton revelry shall be done away with.” The rich did not care about the poor, in fact, they took no notice of them, except to exploit and use them to advance their own selfish interests.

In the Gospel reading, Jesus presents us with the parable of the rich man, Dives and Lazarus. Dives, (pronounced ‘Dive-ees’ the Latin for ‘rich’) was a rich man who dressed in purple (royalty) and fine linen clothes; and feasted on exotic and costly dishes and drank expensive wine. And there was Lazarus, a Latinized form of Eleazar meaning ‘God is my help.’ Lazarus was a homeless, crippled beggar, who was so sick that he could not drive away dogs that came to lick his sores. He survived on the leftovers that fell from the rich man’s table. Though, day in day out, Lazarus would make his way to the rich man’s gate, he did not notice him. The only time the rich man noticed Lazarus was when he saw him in the after-life on the bosom of Abraham. While the rich man was laughing, rejoicing and celebrating on earth, Lazarus was in agony. But in heaven, Lazarus rejoiced while Dives suffered in hell. And Christ warned: “Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours. Blessed are you who are now hungry, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who are now weeping, for you will laugh. But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. But woe to you who are filled now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will grieve and weep.” (Lk. 6:20-25).

But what was the sin of the rich man? What was his crime? And why was he in hell? He did not kick Lazarus out, shouted at him, or prevented him from sitting by his gate. The parable said nothing about the source of his wealth. Being rich was a blessing from God. For Psalm 112:3 tells us: “Wealth and riches shall be in their homes; their prosperity shall endure forever.” And Deuteronomy 8:18 reminds us that “It is the Lord, your God, who gives you the power to acquire wealth, by fulfilling, as he has now done, the covenant which he swore to your fathers.”

The only crime that sent the rich man to hell was that he did not care; he did not notice his fellow man dying in abject poverty. He did nothing to alleviate his pain and suffering or remedy his situation. He saw Lazarus as part of the landscape in front of his gate. He lacked human decency to pursue a life of holiness by taking care of his fellow man in need. He failed to do what Paul urged Timothy to do in the second reading. “But you, man of God…pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness. Compete well for the faith. Lay hold of eternal life…” (1 Tim. 6:11-12). He failed to obey the commandment of love. He did nothing! It was the sin of omission that sent the rich man to hell. We contribute to the sufferings of the poor by doing nothing to help them in their poverty!

We often feel that the poor deserve their state in life. We seem to think that it is because they are lazy that they remain in poverty. M.K.O. Abiola, the late Nigerian millionaire was right when he said, “If I am the richest man, living among the poorest of the poor, I am the poorest of them all.” How easy we forget that the rich should help the poor in this world while the poor will help the rich in the next. “He raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering torment in these flames.’” Hell is real, and we may go there if we refuse to notice the Lazarus in our family, our community, our society and in our world. They are everywhere, but can we see them? They are needy people, hurting people, people who need our attention, who want us to help them with school fees. They are pan-handlers on the street corners, and they sleep under bridges. Can you see the hurt in their eyes? They need you now. Do not wait for the reversal of fortunes to notice them, it may be too late then. Let us remember, as John F. Kennedy would have us do, in his inaugural address of January 20, 1961, “If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich…”

Finally, it seems odd that the rich man’s request, that his brothers be warned was refused. Isn’t it true, that if men possess the truth of God’s word, and, if wherever they look, there is sorrow to be comforted, need to be supplied, pain to be relieved, and they are not moved to do anything, or take action to alleviate their sufferings; then nothing can change them, even if someone should come from the dead? We are in no doubt as to why the rich man went to hell; for God sends no one to hell. He went to hell because of his sin of omission, and we are not immune to that sin. May we choose the path of righteousness and decide to do something today, to alleviate the pains of our suffering brothers and sisters, so that we may not join the rich man in his pity-party held in hell. May God bless us today and always. Amen!