Fr. Augustine Inwang, MSP - Homily for Fourth Sunday of Easter Year B - April 25, 2021

 Readings: Acts 4:8-12; 1 John 3:1-2; Jn. 10:11-18 

We Are the Sheep of His Flock

1.     In many cultures of the world God is perceived as a woman – mother. Perhaps because mothers care, love and are dedicated to their children. Mothers are compassionate, forgiving and have the ability to empathize and feel for their children in ways that are difficult to describe. Mothers will be willing to sacrifice their lives for their children. I know a woman who refused to abort her baby to save her life. She died so that her child may live. The mother’s love can be likened to Christ’s love. All the attributes of the mother can fittingly describe the virtues of a good shepherd. Hence, Christ calls Himself a ‘Good Shepherd’. A good shepherd is prepared and willing to lay down his life to save others. Christ assures us of this when he said: “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (Jn. 15:13). Christ laid down his life for us because he loves us. “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.” (Jer. 31:3).

2.     To understand why Christ is our good shepherd, we must realize that God’s love is prior to and essential for any human value. “Love consists in this: Not that we have loved God but that he has loved us first.” (1 John 4:10). John tells us point blank, “God is love.” (John 4:16). In today’s Gospel, Jesus says of Himself: “I am the good shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (Jn.10:11). The protection of the shepherd and his willingness to lay down his life for the sheep is seen, not just in women but even in animals. The maternal instinct is to guard, protect and defend those entrusted to their care. There is a story told of firefighters who were putting out the last hot spots in a forest fire. Such fires can rage with intense heat and spread quickly overtaking animals in their path. In the course of their work, a firefighter came across a mother bird, sitting on the ground, charred black in death. Why hadn’t the bird flown up to safety, the firefighter wondered to himself. Had it been sick or injured? But as he lifted the bird up, he found the reason why. Beneath the dead mother’s body were five baby chicks. The mother bird had sacrificed her life to keep her chicks safe. And that is what the Good shepherd, Christ, did for humanity on that Good Friday afternoon. He laid down his life for humanity, to save us from damnation and reconciled us to God the father. St Paul reminds us that “Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person, though perhaps for a good person one might even find courage to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we were sinners Christ died for us.” (Rom. 5:7-8).  

3.     In calling himself a good shepherd, Jesus distinguished himself from other shepherds who are not good. “…Woe to the shepherds of Israel who have been pasturing themselves! Should not shepherds, rather pasture sheep?” You have fed off their milk, worn their wool, and slaughtered the fatlings, but the sheep you have not pastured…. I will claim my sheep from them and put a stop to their shepherding my sheep so that they may no longer pasture themselves…I myself will look after and tend my sheep.” (Ezek. 34:2-16). In shepherding the flock entrusted to our care, we must be like Jesus. He shows us how to take care of the lost sheep in Luke 15:1-7. He hears the cries of His sheep and comes to their rescue. “I myself will pasture my sheep; I myself will give them rest. The lost I will seek out, the strayed I will bring back, the injured I will bind up, the sick I will heal.” (Ezekiel 34:15-16). “Like a shepherd he feeds his flock; in his arms he gathers the lambs, carrying them in his bosom and leading the ewes with care.” (Is. 40:11).

4.     With confidence David said, “The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want. In green pastures you let me graze; to safe waters you lead me; you restore my strength. You guide me alone the right path for the sake of your name.” (Ps. 23:1-3). Who are our shepherds?  They are our parents, police officers, military men and women, teachers, doctors, priests. They are our leaders, spiritual and temporal. They are those placed in positions of authority over us. Their duties are to guard, defend and protect us. Anyone in a position of authority over us is our shepherd and we are the sheep of their flock. How they shepherd us matters. Hence, we demand accountability from them. That is why we hold our police officers accountable and demand that they be responsible in their policing. At the same time, we must be the kind of sheep that listens to the voice of the good shepherd and follow their lead. The shepherd must know their sheep and the sheep must know their shepherd.                                             

5.      We pray at this Mass that we may open our eyes to see the Good Shepherd who meets us at the hour of our needs. Like the sheep of his flock, let us listen to our Good Shepherd and hear Him call us by name and lead us to green pasture, to God our Father. Amen!

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP.

 

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP - Homily for the Fourth Sunday of Easter Year B - April 25, 2021

Homily of Fourth Sunday of Easter Year B, 2021

 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. This is in obedience Jesus’ instruction to 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 even more urgent now because according to Catholic News Service, March 26, 2021, at the end of 2019, the worldwide Catholic population exceeded 1.34 billion. While the world’s population of Catholics has shown steady growth, the number of both diocesan seminarians and religious orders’ candidates for the priesthood showed a decline worldwide from 115,880 at the end of 2018 to 114,058 in 2019. Therefore, let us continue to pray for an increase in the vocations of ordained, professed, and lay ministries in the Catholic Church; for aspirants to religious and priestly life, for candidates and seminarians, and for formators in religious institutions and seminaries.

 As we celebrate Good Shepherd Sunday, we pray for our spiritual and civil shepherds; and for our parents who are our first shepherds. 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 has done for us (his crucifixion and death), and what we also must do since we are 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. To know him means to have an intimate relationship with him. To have this intimate relationship, we must hear his voice. He says, “These also I must lead, and they will hear my voice, and there will be one flock, one shepherd.” We cannot know him if we do not hear his voice. Hearing his voice means doing what is heard.

 Jesus says that bad shepherds are the shepherds who, when they see wolves coming, they leave the sheep and run away, and wolves catch and scatter the sheep. They have no concern for the sheep.

God condemns bad shepherds in Ezekiel 34:6-8, “Woe to the shepherds… who have been pasturing themselves! Should not shepherds pasture the flock? 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. No one looked after them or searched for them. … … my sheep became plunder, … my sheep became food for wild beasts…”

 Bad shepherds are the cause of turmoil and suffering all over the world. People fleeing 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 fulfillment of God’s word in Ezekiel 34:10, “Look! I am coming against these shepherds. I will take my sheep out of their hand and put a stop to their shepherding my flock, so that these shepherds will no longer pasture them. I will deliver my flock from their mouths so it will not become their food.” In Matthew 9:36, 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. We pray that God’s heart be moved with pity for our troubled world.

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 Jesus, know him, and imitate his self-giving and self-sacrificing manner of shepherding. May we all learn from him, the good shepherd. Amen.

 Fr. Martin Eke, MSP

Fr. Augustine Inwang, MSP - Homily for Third Sunday of Easter Year B - April 18, 2021

Readings: Acts 3:13-15,17-19; 1 Jn. 2:1-5; Lk. 24:35-48

You Are My Witnesses!

1.     In the first reading of today, Peter used the occasion of the healing of a crippled beggar at the beautiful gate to address the people on the resurrection of Jesus. He told them that the crippled beggar was cured through the invocation of the name of Jesus whom they had put to death but who was raised to life. He blamed Christ’s death on them. “You denied the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. The author of life you put to death, but God raised him from the dead; of this we are witnesses.” (Acts 3:14-15). He reminded them “Now I know, brothers, that you acted out of ignorance, just as your leaders did; but God has thus brought to fulfillment what he had announced beforehand through the mouth of all the prophets, that his Messiah would suffer. Repent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be wiped away, and that the Lord may grant you times of refreshment and send you the Messiah already appointed for you, Jesus.” (Acts 3:17-21). Peter linked the resurrection of Christ to repentance and forgiveness of sins and called us to be his witnesses in the world.

2.     As Christians we must believe that Christ died and rose again from the dead. St. Paul made this point clear when he noted “If there is no resurrection of the dead, then neither has Christ been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then empty too is our preaching; empty too, your faith.” (1 Cor. 15:12-14). We are called to be witnesses to the resurrection of Christ. It is the basic foundation of our faith. It is faith in the resurrection that will transform our lives as it did the Apostles’. The Apostles endured pains and suffering because they were changed from being cowards to being bold preachers. When warned against preaching in the name of the risen Christ, Peter had this to say, “Whether it is right in the sight of God for us to obey you rather than God, you be the judges. It is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:19-20). The resurrection of Christ makes sense when humanity understands the reason for his death which is repentance and forgiveness of sins: “The God of our ancestors raised Jesus though you had him killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as leader and savior to grant Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins; we are witnesses of these things as is the holy Spirit that God has given to those who obey him.” (Acts 5:29-32). Christ died to “gather into one the dispersed children of God.” (Jn.11:52).

3.     If there was no disobedience in the garden of Eden, there would have been no Good Friday. Therefore, we sing in Exultet, “Our birth would have been no gain had we not been redeemed. O wonder of your humble care for us! O love, O charity beyond all telling, to ransom a slave you gave away your Son! O truly necessary sin of Adam, destroyed completely by the Death of Christ! O happy fault that earned so great, so glorious a Redeemer.” Having celebrated his death, we must be witnesses to his resurrection. For we all have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God.” (Rom. 3:21). Hence, in the second reading John calls us his children and tells us that he his writing “this to you so that you may not commit sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous one. He is expiation for our sins.” (1 John 2: 1-2).  If we truly believe that Christ died and rose again, then we must live a life of forgiveness and repentance. We must learn to die to ourselves so as to live for others. A life of forgiveness is a necessary condition to witnessing to the resurrection of Christ. Paul tells us that God had reconciled us to himself through Christ and given us the ministry of reconciliation. “So we are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.” (2 Cor. 5:118-21).

4.     In the gospel we see Jesus Christ as a stranger walking on the road with two of his disillusioned disciples. He felt their pains and frustrations. He spoke to them and opened their minds to scriptures and explained to them that it was necessary for him to have suffered thus so as to rise again. He led them to appreciate the Eucharist, the greatest act of thanksgiving. They were energized to return to the community, fully equipped, to proclaim the good news that Christ was alive. Through the resurrection of Christ, miracles can happen in our lives if we believe in him. He can change us. We can begin to forgive hurts, reconcile with our enemies, stop bad habits and rebuild our lives. Our marriages can be restored, racial discriminations can be sacrificed over the table of brotherhood and discords can give way to friendship build on trust, love and forbearance. Because we have experienced God’s forgiveness, we can now be agents of God’s forgiveness and love. When we are confused, we must turn to Jesus. When in doubt, go to Him for comfort. When we are disappointed, Christ will console us. He understands us now more than ever before. Christ will always meet us on the way of our worries, fears and anxiety and restore our lives. For he has truly risen. Alleluia!

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang MSP

 

Fr. Christian Alimaji, MSP - Homily for the Third Sunday of Easter Year B - April 18, 2021

 Reflections on Witnessing for the Risen Christ – Third Sunday of Easter  

      Our Bible Readings are Acts 3:13-15, 17-19; 1 John 2:1-5a; Luke 24:35-48; and our psalm of praise is Psalm 4. My prayer for us this weekend is: Let the Lord open our minds to understand the Scriptures! The Gospel passage today ended with the message: “You are witnesses of these things.” (Lk. 24:48). In this Season of Easter, we, the Christians, are into a New Era of Evangelization. After the Lord had trained the Apostles and thousands of disciples, died on the Cross, and rose again for our justification, so to speak, he appearances after his resurrection echo a new phase in the establishment of this New Way, we now call the Christian Religion. Prior to the Resurrection of Christ, it was just a notorious sect yet to become a religion.  Notice the change of events ensuing from the Resurrection of our Founder, Jesus of Nazareth.

      God the Father has glorified his servant Jesus and made him Lord and Christ. We are called to convert to him, so that in his name, our sins may be wiped away (cf. Acts 3:19). This is the good news we are waiting for. The raising of Jesus from the dead restores all believers to life, and our defilement is mitigated as it were, so that we become the new people of God called to grace in Jesus Christ. This is the heart of all Easter messages we are to become witnesses to. Yes, the love of God is made perfect in all servants of Christ (cf. 1 John 2:5). Last weekend’s readings depicted the emergence of the community of Christians around the Apostles of Christ. Filled with the Holy Spirit, they began to see life and existence in a new way, which gave rise to them sharing their belongings in common, (cf. Acts 4:32-35). In fact, they began to bank in the Lord through his Church – the Christian Community. The joy of the Church of Christ built on the Apostles at that earliest time of the New Testament is the fact that the prophecies of the Old Testament are fulfilled in the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth (cf. Lk. 24:44), hence he is the Christ – God’s anointed One, whom Peter referred to as “the Holy and Righteous One” in our first reading this Sunday. Like with the disciples going back to Emmaus, Jesus is our companion on this journey of faith through life, even when we are disillusioned or disappointed. This is the reason for all the vibrancy we experience this Easter Season. If anyone should ask ‘Why are the Christians rejoicing?’ That is the answer. We have come to realize that our faith is not misplaced when we follow Jesus Christ. This is because God has made him Lord and Messiah. Period! On rising, He brings peace to our frightened world, through the Holy Spirit, and instituted the forgiveness of our sins (cf. Lk. 24:46-49; John 20:19-23). This is a Christian Sacrament.

 

     Therefore, we are spiritually free and redeemed in Christ. The Lord on appearing to the Apostles and disciples in the Upper Room, and while speaking to them, opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. Let our minds also be opened to fully understand the Scriptures. This should be our prayer also. Let us develop a new taste for reading the Scriptures, the Bible. Now we can give our time, talent, and treasure to the Lord. This means banking in the Lord, placing our savings and fixed deposits with him. What an idea! We give until we have nothing left. Yes, we become witnesses by demonstrating our faith in so many ways, by word and action. For many of us, this season should mark a new beginning in our Christian journey. The Lord has given us a new lease of life. Think about that. How have you experienced the risen Lord in your discipleship? Or in what way can you recount the Lord revealing himself to you? Hold on to that as your new starting point! And, please, you too are called to be a witness. Therefore, begin to tell the story. May the risen Lord give us the courage and the boldness to join his witnesses! Amen! Alleluia!

 

 

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP - Homily for the Third Sunday of Easter Year B - April 18, 2021

Homily of Third Sunday of Easter, Year B 2021

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

 After Jesus had been crucified, the apostles and some of the disciples gathered together and locked themselves up 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 reading, Jesus appeared and stood in their midst. “But 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). Jesus 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).

 Peter had been terrified from the time Jesus was arrested. We know of his three times denial of Jesus because he was afraid. But after Jesus’ resurrection and the descent of the Holy Spirit, he 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-doing 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 of ignorance.” A lot of times, we are spiritually blind due to ignorance. Let us thank God for saving us from perishing on many occasions when we acted out of ignorance. We pray for spiritual healing through the power of the Eucharistic celebration and the power of the Risen Lord.

 Today’s gospel concludes with the words of Jesus, “You are witnesses to these things.” St. Peter says in the first reading, “of this we are witnesses.” These words are an invitation to us to witness Jesus wherever we find ourselves. We are to let people know Jesus and experience him by our words and actions. Many Catholics are afraid to witness Jesus by word of mouth. St. Paul reminds us that God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but the spirit of power and love and self-control (2 Timothy 1:7).

 We cannot give what we do not have. If we are to preach Jesus by word of mouth and by our lives, we must first experience him ourselves. We pray to experience Jesus in the Scriptures as he opens our minds to understand the Scriptures. Then, we can preach like St. John, “what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we looked upon and touched with our hands concerns the Word of life for the life was made visible; we have seen it and testify to . … What we have seen and heard we proclaim now …” (1 John 1:1-4).

 Jesus blessed his disciples when he appeared to them: “Peace be with you.” “Receive the Holy Spirit.” May we receive peace and Spirit of Jesus and be empowered by his peace and Spirit to witness him vigorously, boldly and fearlessly.

 

In today’s gospel reading, Jesus invites us, “Look at my hands and feet, that it is I myself. Touch me and see…” (Luke 24:39). Thomas touched Jesus and was healed (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. The psalmist says, “Taste and see that the Lord is good, blessed is the one who takes refuge in him” (Psalm 34:38).

 As we touch Jesus in our Eucharistic celebration and our prayers, may we be transformed by the power of his resurrection; and as St. Paul prays, may he “bless us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens” (Ephesians 1:3). Amen.

 Fr. Martin Eke, MSP

Fr. Emmanuel Megwara, MSP - Homily for the Second Sunday of Easter - April 11, 2021

DATE : 11/4/2021

 EVENT : Second Sunday of Easter/Divine Mercy Sunday

 COLOUR: White

 READINGS : Acts 4:32-35; Resp. Psalm 117:2-4,15-18,22-24;  1John 5:1-6; John 20:19-31.

 THEME: CALLED TO BE MERCIFUL LIKE THE FATHER

         Greetings beloved people of God. I welcome you to "My Catholic Homily Digest". On this Eleventh day of April, which is also the second Sunday of Easter and Divine Mercy Sunday, I wish to reflect with you on the theme: " Called To Be Merciful Like The Father". Beloved, apart from love, one of the greatest attributes of God is mercy. In fact, the love of God is made tangible in the way He treats us with unreserved mercy. That is why the Psalmist prays, 'if you oh Lord should mark iniquity, Lord, who would survive' (Ps. 130:3). This explains why Fr. Henry Emeka, MSP, once said that, "God is scandalously merciful. If not how do we explain his relentless mercy to us humans, who ceaselessly hurt his infinite love." I believe that it is in the nature of God to love and to show mercy. No wonder the book of Lamentations 3:22-23, tells us that, 'the steadfastness of the Lord never ceases, His mercy is new every moment'. So, it is fitting that following immediately after Easter Sunday, the Church is celebrating and wants us to expound on the mercy of God today. This is because, the entire work of Salvation, the passion and subsequent resurrection of Jesus from the dead, rest on the Mercy of God towards humanity.

    Furthermore, although the Church has always been conscious of God's mercy, the proper celebration of God's Mercy in the Church's liturgy started only  two decades ago. On 30 April, 2000, when St. Pope John Paul II canonized St. Maria Faustina Kowalska, and made the second Sunday of Easter to be celebrated as Divine Mercy Sunday. Now, St. Faustina was a Polish nun gifted with mystical visions, messages and revelations from the Risen Jesus. One of such visions  occurred on 22 Feruary, 1931, when Jesus Christ appeared to her in a vision. According to her, she saw Jesus clothed in white garment with His right hand raised in blessing. His left hand was touching His garment in the area of the Heart, from where two large rays poured forth, one red and the other whitish blue. She gazed intently at the Lord in silence, as her soul was filled with awe and with great joy. Jesus said to her: Paint an image according to the pattern you see, with the signature: Jesus, I trust in You. Jesus also made a promise to her that, the soul that will venerate this image will not perish. He also promised victory over its enemies already here on earth, especially at the hour of death. He also said, I desire that this image be venerated, first in your chapel, and throughout the world (Diary 47). Now, this is a rare instance where a personal revelation is authenticated to the degree that it becomes a Sunday celebration by the Universal Church.

          Being confused about the significance of the image in her vision, St. Faustina asked the Lord about the meaning of the rays in the image. She heard the reply: The two rays stands for Blood and Water. The whitish blue ray stands for the Water which flowed out of my side and which makes souls clean and righteous. The red ray stands for the Blood which also flowed from  my pierced side, and which is the life of souls. These two rays issued forth from the depths of my tender love and mercy when my agonized Heart was pierced by a lance on the Cross Jesus said to her.  Further more, Jesus tells us the meaning of this water in John 7:38-39, “Whoever believes in me, as scripture says: ‘Rivers of living water will flow from within him.’ this is in reference to the Spirit that those who will come to believe in him will receive.” Thus, in the second reading of today, St. John says, “This is the one who came through water and blood, Jesus Christ, not by water alone, but by water and blood. The Spirit is the one that testifies, and the Spirit is truth.” Regarding the blood, Jesus said, “This is my blood of the new covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:28). Thus, by shedding his blood on the cross, Jesus has opened the fountain of God's superabundance mercies. And to continue showing the mercy of God to sinners, Jesus, through and in the Gospel of today, John 20:19-31, empowered and commanded his apostles and by extension the Catholic priests of today, to be the channels by which the people of God will concretely experience the mercy of God.

 The Sacrament of Mercy and  Reconciliation

    Child of God, recall that God (Jesus) is the author of the seven sacraments of the Church; and the last to be instituted was the sacraments of penance by which Jesus intends the work of saving souls and revealing the merciful face of God be continued. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the sacrament of Penance or reconciliation is also called the sacrament of forgiveness, since by the priest's sacramental absolution, God grants the penitent "Mercy and Peace" (CCC. 1424). More so, this sacrament of God's mercy, is instituted to always offer a new possibility of conversation and to regain justification for those who have fallen into grave sin and thus lost the baptismal grace (CCC 1446). So as sinners (Rom..3:23), who are constantly in the need of God's Mercy, let us make use of today's Divine Mercy Sunday, to offer a truly act of contrition to God, to desist from trivialising the Sacrament of Confession, and constantly rush to the fountain of God's Superabundant mercy that we may always bath in His gracious mercy and so gain access to the heavenly home He has prepared for each of us.

      Finally, dearest in Christ, I wish to end this homily with an extract from the homily of St. Pope JohnPaul II, delivered at the canonisation of St. Faustina in 2000. "In the various readings of today, the liturgy seems to indicate the path of mercy which, while re-establishing the relationship of each person with God, also creates new relations of fraternal solidarity among human beings (Cf. the first reading). Christ has taught us that man not only receives and experiences the mercy of God, but is also called to practise mercy towards others: “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” He also showed us the many paths of mercy, which not only forgives sins but reaches out to all human needs." So as beneficiaries of the divine Mercy of God, let us try to be ambassadors and beacons of God's mercy in a world bedeviled with hatred, vengeance, war, conflict, hunger, disease, terrorism, and poverty.

Jesus.......I trust in You

Jesus.......I trust in You

Jesus.......I trust in You

Oh that today you would listen to his voice harden not your hearts (Ps.95:7-8).

 LET US PRAY : God, the Father of mercies through the death and the resurrection of his Son had reconciled the world to himself and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins; through the ministry of the Church, may God continue to give you pardon and peace.

The Lord be with you....... and with your Spirit.

 May Almighty God bless you in the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit ....Amen

 

 HAPPY DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY BELOVED FRIENDS

 @ Fada Emmanuel Nnamdi Megwara, MSP. ⛪

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP - Homily for the Second Sunday of Easter Year B - April 11, 2021

Homily of Second Sunday of Easter Year B, 2021 (Divine Mercy Sunday)

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

 In 2000, St. Pope John Paul II canonized St. Faustina, and made the second Sunday of Easter to be celebrated as Divine Mercy Sunday.  St. Faustina was a Polish nun gifted with mystical visions, messages and revelations from the Risen Jesus. This is a rare instance when a personal revelation is authenticated to the degree 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 sin. Psalm 130:3 prays, “If you, Lord, keep account of sins, Lord, who can stand? But with you is forgiveness and so you are revered.” God forgives no matter the depth of one’s sin and guilt. The Parable of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15:11-32 gives us a good idea of the depth of God’s forgiveness. His banner over us is love (Song of Solomon 2:4).

 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 by works of charity. 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 are treating others as if they were Christ in disguise.

Jesus teaches us to be merciful even to enemies. Jesus 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). St. Paul tells us, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32).

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, is one of St. Faustina’s visions. 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).

Jesus tells us the meaning of his water in John 7:38-39, “Whoever believes in me, as scripture says: ‘Rivers of living water will flow from within him.’ He said this in reference to the Spirit that those who came to believe in him were to receive.” 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. The Spirit is the one that testifies, and the Spirit is truth.”

Jesus said 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). The blood of the new covenant means the physical blood Jesus shed on the cross for the salvation of humanity, and the sacramental blood present in the Eucharist.

 These spiritual realities are impossible to attain without faith. For this reason, St. John says in the second reading, “Whoever is begotten by God conquers the world. And the victory that conquers the world is our faith” (1 John 5:4).

 With faith, let us encounter Jesus and experience God’s mercy. May our faith conquer our world of fear and doubt, and unlock every locked door. May we welcome Jesus and experience his peace. May he renew and empower us with his Holy Spirit. May we experience the same healing as Thomas, and exclaim as he did, “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28). Amen.

 Shall we sing:

O Lord, my God, how excellent is thy name;

O Lord, my God, how excellent is thy name.

O Lord, my God, how wonderful is thy name;

O Lord, my God, how wonderful is thy name.

O Lord, my God, how precious is thy name;

O Lord, my God, how precious is thy name.

O Lord, my God, how powerful is thy name;

O Lord, my God, how powerful is thy name.

 Fr. Martin Eke, MSP