Fr. Augustine Inwang, MSP - Homily for the Twenty-Third Sunday of Ordinary Time Year B - September 5, 2021

 Readings: Is. 35:4-7; Jas. 2:1-5; Mk. 7:31-37 

The Lord is Doing Something New, Can You See it?

1.     In the first reading Isaiah addressed the children of Israel during their captivity in Babylon: “Be strong, fear not! Here is your God he comes to save you.” For they felt abandoned by God. They knew that they brought this disaster upon themselves by turning their backs against God. They were not faithful to their covenant with God. Therefore, Isaiah assured them that God will revisit them and bring them out of captivity, for God can never be absent from his people. God’s salvation is expressed in terms of healing the blind and the deaf, the lame and the mute. “Then will the eyes of the blind be opened, the ears of the deaf be cleared; then will the lame leap like a stag, then the tongue of the dumb will sing. Streams will burst forth in the desert, and rivers in the steppe.”

2.     The gospel took up the theme of the presence of God in a broken world. He opened the ears of the man who had a speech impediment. “He took him off by himself away from the crowd.” Christ was compassionate and sensitive to the plight of the man. He did not want him to be embarrassed by his defect. Christ did not just restore his physical deafness; he restored his spiritual deafness as well. According to Eugene H. Maly in ‘The Word Alive’ “The physical defects are the result of sin, of alienation from God. The restoration of wholeness, then means not only the physical cure; it also symbolizes the destruction of evil, the renewed presence of the saving God.”

3.     By opening the eyes of the blind and the ears of the deaf, Christ has opened not just his eyes but his mind and heart as well. The deaf can hear, not only human words, but also the Word of God. The lame can walk, but also, he can follow in the way of the Lord. A wholeness of the body without a wholeness of the spirit is broken wholeness. “The evil that the Lord overcomes is not just the evil of broken limbs, but also of broken hearts. Hence Jesus forgave the paralytic’s sins as he cured his sickness.” (Mk. 2:2-12). This is the new thing that God is doing in our world. “Behold I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” (Is. 43:19).

4.     Our baptism is a call to proclaim the goodness of the Lord. Though Christ told those who witnessed the opening of the deaf man’s ears to tell no one, they did not obey him. Why? The answer lies in the word “proclaim.” We are told, “But the more he ordered them not to, the more they proclaimed it.” Christ did not want the people to misunderstand the reason for healing the sick and restoring defects. He did not work wonders for applause, neither was he a political leader. They, on the contrary, especially the deaf and dumb man, were announcing the good news (proclaim). Their ears were opened to hear God’s word and their tongues were loosened to proclaim it. Something more had happened than just a physical healing. God’s presence was to be felt in and around them.

5.     Therefore, to fully participate in the life of Jesus and experience his goodness, we must open our ears and eyes to the plight of our brothers and sisters in the world. The plight of the deaf and dumb is our plight too, their incapacities is ours as well. If they are disabled it will affect us in one way or the other. Many of us are deaf and dumb – not physically, but spiritually. Do we open our ears to hear the stories of wounds, sin, division, racism and hurts around us and in our world? What have we done about it? Do we dismiss the inequalities and injustices and poverty that is crying for attention around us? We must know that what affect one person affects all of us. We cannot isolate ourselves from the problems around us. It may not happen to us today, but if we close our eyes and pretend that it does not concern us, we may be in for a rude awakening. When it is our turn there may be no one to help us.  Do we spend some time in prayer or are we too lazy to even try? Do we hear Christ calling us to pay attention to the needs of the people around us? How blind are we to their needs? St. James tells us to show no partiality as we adhere to the faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ. We must not prefer the rich to the poor. Both should be treated equally.

6.     Let us go to Jesus with our deafness, and he will take us aside, touch us and remove our deafness, and loosen our tongue to proclaim his praises. We can spend quality time in prayer during the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament on Sundays from 9:00 am before our 10:00 am Mass. He will also open our eyes to the needs of people around us and his mercy will direct us to help them. Since the healing of the deaf and dumb demonstrates the compassion of Christ, may it also touch our hearts and help us to be compassionate. We pray that we may be more attentive to the word of God that was planted in our tongue, and on our ears on the day of baptism so that we too may hear the word of God and proclaim it in praise of God for blessings received. We have listened to the gospel reading and heard the word of God at this Mass, may our spirit be lifted so that we too can proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ. May our eyes be opened to see the needs of our brothers and sisters around us and our ears be opened to hear his word and put it into practice now and always. Amen.

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP

 

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP - Homily for the Twenty-Third Sunday of Ordinary Time Year B - September 5, 2021

Homily of Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B, 2021

Isaiah 35:4-7; Psalm 146: 6-10; James 2:1-5; Mark 7:31-37

At the time of the prophecy of Isaiah in the first reading, worship of false gods and evil practices by kings and the people were rampant. Many of the worshippers of the true God were becoming fainthearted and beginning to wonder whether God had abandoned and forgotten them. The reading was a section of Isaiah’s messianic prophecies, assuring the people that God had neither abandoned nor forgotten them. Isaiah prophesied to the people, “Thus says the Lord: Say to those whose hearts are frightened: be strong, fear not! Here is your God, … he comes to save you. Then will the eyes of the blind be opened; the ear of the deaf be cleared; then will the lame leap like a stag, then the tongue of the mute will sing.” Jesus and his mission were the fulfilment of Isaiah’s prophecy. As we see in the Gospel, the healing of the deaf man who had a speech impediment was as Isaiah prophesied.

May God come to save the people in many countries and places where the leadership is blind, deaf, dumb, and lame, thereby inflicting sufferings on the people. May God come with vindication and with recompense for his people.

May God come to save those who are going through various kinds of afflictions. As in the Gospel, may there be exceeding astonishment at God’s saving grace. As prophesied by Isaiah, let streams burst in the desert, and rivers in the steppe. Let the burning sands become pools, and the thirsty ground become springs of water. May God’s children leap like a stag in joyful dance and may there be loud testimonies of, “He has done all things well,” by those liberated and those healed.

St. James in the second reading brings to our attention the diseases that have caused blindness, lameness, deafness, and dumbness on many people and on our society. The diseases are, showing partiality, making distinctions and becoming judges with evil designs, as written by St. James. All forms of racism, ethnicism, discrimination, segregation, gang-ups, cliques are evil designs.

St. James writes, “For if a man with gold rings on his fingers and in fine clothes comes into your assembly, and a poor person in shabby clothes also comes in, and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say, ‘Sit here, please,’ while you say to the poor one, ‘Stand there,’ or ‘Sit at my feet’” (James 2:2-3). Does this not challenge the preferential option for the wealthy, the high, the mighty, and the powerful, while the poor and the humble are disrespected and disregarded which takes place in our society? Are our governments and their apparatuses not guilty of this? Are some religious leaders and church administrators not guilty of this? Are many people, homes, communities, institutions, and establishments not guilty of this? 

St. James challenges the evil designs of nepotism and class distinction in our political, business, social, and religious circles. St. James challenges the evil designs of giving awards, honors, titles, positions, allocations, admissions, placements, appointments, and opportunities that are not according to merit and fairness but according to privilege and favoritism. 

It is spiritual blindness when we do not see the sufferings of the needy. It is spiritual deafness when we do not hear the cry of the needy. It is spiritual lameness when we refuse to step forward or step out to help the needy. It is spiritual dumbness when we are silent to the truth and silent in the face of evil.

We read in today’s gospel, “And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment and begged him to lay his hand on him. He took him off by himself away from the crowd. He put his finger into the man’s ears and, spitting, touched his tongue; then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him, ‘Ephphatha!’ (that is, ‘Be opened!’). And immediately the man’s ears were opened, his speech impediment was removed, and he spoke plainly” (Mark 7:32-35). Let us approach Jesus with faith that he may, also, take us away from the crowd and give us a similar personal attention. Let us present to Jesus our life, our family, our business, our plans, our worries and so on that he may touch us, heal us, and restore us.

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, pronounce ephphatha on us and break open everything the Evil One and his agents have closed up, covered up or sealed up. For it is written in Revelation 3:7-8, when you open, nobody can shut, and when you shut, nobody can open. Thank you Jesus; you have opened our door before us which nobody can close. You have made a way for us where there is none. Amen. Alleluia.

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP

 

Fr. Augustine Inwang, MSP - Homily for the Twenty-Second Sunday of Ordinary Time Year B - August 29, 2021

 Readings: Deut. 4:1-2,6-8; Jas. 1:17-18,21-22,7; Mk. 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 

Do We Observe Rituals or Worship God?

1.     Some years ago, I lit purple instead of rose candle on the third Sunday of Advent. A parishioner was so upset that it affected her participation at Mass; she could not wait to confront me after Mass. I explained to her that it did not matter to God the color of candle we light at Mass so long as our hearts are in the right place. This angered her even more and her reply to me was, “well, if you do not know which candle to light, you should not have been ordained a priest.” That was shocking to me to say the least. What has the color of the candle got to do with the worship of God? Lighting a candle is a mere ritual and nothing more.  So, do we worship God with our hearts or are we simply observing the rituals? Must we always do things as ‘it was in the beginning’ and not question why we do them? Are we paying lip service to God or are we doing things that will deepen our relationship with God?

2.     The gospel tells us of the Pharisees and scribes who came all the way from Jerusalem to Galilee just to observe Jesus and make sure that he did everything according to their laws. They observed rightly “That some of his disciples ate their meals with unclean, that is unwashed hands. For the Pharisees and, in fact, all Jews, do not eat without carefully washing their hands, keeping the traditions of the elders.” To them Jesus said, “Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, teaching as doctrines human precepts. You disregard God’s commandments but cling to human tradition.”

3.     Jesus would later ask his disciples “Do you not realize that everything that goes into a person from outside cannot defile, since it enters not the heart but the stomach and passes out into the latrine? But what comes out of a person, that is what defiles. From within people, from their hearts, come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly. All these evils come from within and they defile.” This explains why some Christians focus on the rituals rather than the worship of God. It is easy to think of things and how they are done than on people and how to help them. It is easy to think of how to do things right in Church than how to be at right with God and one another. Little wonder why the Psalmist asked, “Lord, who may abide in your tent? Who may dwell on your holy mountain?” In answer, the Psalmist enumerated the qualities needed in a person who may be admitted into the presence of the Lord: “Whoever walks without blame, doing what is right, speaking truth from the heart; Who does not slander a neighbor, does no harm to another, never defames a friend; Who disdains the wicked, but honors those who fear the Lord; Who keeps an oath despite the cost, lends no money at interest, accepts no bribe against the innocent. Whoever acts like this shall never be shaken.” These are the people Christ talks about on the sermon on the mount. They are the poor in spirit, the peace makers, the meek, the merciful, the clean of heart. They seek to please God and their neighbors and so they worship God in spirit and in truth. They will inherit the kingdom of God.   

4.     In the second reading, St. James reminds us that “All good giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights.” Therefore, we should strive to live in accordance with God’s law. Therefore, we should be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding ourselves. Because “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this to care for orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” Isaiah also stressed this point thus: “This, rather, is the fasting that I wish: releasing those bound unjustly, untying the thongs of the yoke; setting free the oppressed, breaking every yoke; sharing your bread with the hungry, sheltering the oppressed and the homeless; Clothing the naked when you see them and not turning your back on your own.” (Is. 58:6-7). The summary of this, is, faith without good works is dead.

5.     In the first reading Moses reminded the children of Israel that God’s law was a gift that would give evidence of wisdom and intelligence “to the nations, who will hear of these statutes and say, ‘This great nation is truly a wise and intelligent people.’ For what great nation is there that has gods so close to it as the Lord, our God is to us whenever we call upon him”. God is close to us when we keep his law of love. When we truly worship God in spirit and in truth, we can’t but come to the aid of those in need, and God’s love is perfected in us. Hearing the word of the Lord is good indeed but putting it into practice is even better. Going to Church, praying the rosary, fasting and abstinence, meditation and spending a long time in church are all good and wonderful and worthy on their own but they should be accompanied with good works: helping the poor, forgiving injuries, being compassionate, showing mercy and helping in ministries in Church whenever we can. This is the worship that pleases God. This will help to purify our hearts against the things that defile us. We will see and come to understand that rituals are good so long as they help us to worship God. May we learn to love God in spirit and in truth so that we may truly love others from our hearts because we love God that much. Amen.

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP.

 

 

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP - Homily for the Twenty-Second Sunday of Ordinary Time Year B - August 29, 2021

Homily of Twenty Second Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B, 2021

Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-8; Psalm 15:2-5; James 1:17-18, 21-22, 27; Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

When a child is about to leave home to settle in a different place, every wise parent or guardian takes time to instruct the child on how to embrace his or her new environment and life. Moses did the same. The first reading is his instruction to the Israelites on how to observe God’s commandments when they arrive in the Promised Land. Moses said to them, “Now, Israel, hear the statutes and decrees which I am teaching you to observe, that you may live, and may enter in and take possession of the land which the Lord, the God of your fathers, is giving you” (Deuteronomy 4:1). This invitation is no longer for the Israelites of the Old Testament but for us, here and now. We are invited to hear and observe the word of God in order that we may live and take possession of all that God has given us. Not hearing and doing what the word says causes spiritual death, and all kinds of losses.

The invitation continues in the second reading: “Humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you and is able to save your souls. Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves” (James 1:21-22). Regularly, the word is planted in us. The reward of welcoming the word planted in us is salvation. Welcoming the word means hearing the word, and doing the word; that is acting on the word. The readings are saying to us: hear the word, listen to it, welcome it, observe it; so that it saves our lives here on earth, and saves our souls for eternal life.

Jesus explains the reward of listening and acting on the word, “Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock” (Matthew 7:24-25). In last Sunday’s gospel, Jesus says, “The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life” (John 6:63). St. Paul reminds us, “The Gospel did not come to you in word alone, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit” (1 Thessalonians 1:5). He continues, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly” (Colossians 3:16). Joshua spoke to the people of Israel about the power of the word of God, “Do not let this book of the law depart from your lips. Recite it by day and by night, that you may carefully observe all that is written in it; then you will attain your goal; then you will succeed” (Joshua 1:8).

Apart from the Ten Commandments, there were 613 Jewish commandments known as Mitzvot. The Jewish custodians of the law emphasized obedience to the Mitzvot more than obedience to the Ten Commandments.  In the Mitzvot are some of the rules that Mark states in today’s gospel, “For the Pharisees and, in fact, all Jews, do not eat without carefully washing their hands, keeping the tradition of the elders. And on coming from the marketplace they do not eat without purifying themselves. And there are many other things that they have traditionally observed, the purification of cups and jugs and kettles and beds” (Mark 7:3-4). Prophet Isaiah and Jesus call the doctrines human precepts.

Unfortunately, the living word of God is neglected while human precepts are accepted and promoted in politics, economy, education, social, health, and religious circles. The result of this is defilement of hearts. Unfortunately, individuals, families, groups, communities, institutions, churches, nations are continually abandoning the living word of God, and continually preferring human precepts. The result of this is defilement of hearts. More unfortunately, religion, according to St. James in the second reading, which is supposed to be “pure and undefiled before God” is also defiled by human beings’ acceptance and teaching human precepts as doctrines.  The result of all these defilements of hearts are evil behaviors Jesus mentions in today’s gospel, unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, and folly” (Mark 7:23).

What we need at point of regression is individual and collective realization that “the flesh is of no avail” (John 6:63), that “the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the sight of God” (1 Corinthians 3:19), and that we need to return to the word of God and act on the word.

We conclude with Psalm 19:8-12, “The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The decree of the Lord is trustworthy, giving wisdom to the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart. The command of the Lord is clear, enlightening the eye. … The statutes of the Lord are true, all of them just… By them your servant is warned; obeying them brings much reward.” Amen.

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP