Fr. Martin Eke, MSP - Homily for the Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time Year C - February 13, 2022

Homily of Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C, 2022

Jeremiah 17:5-8; Psalm 1:1-4, 6; 1 Corinthians 15:12, 16-20; Luke 6:17, 20-26

It is a fact that every choice has its effect. Good choice brings good effect and bad choice brings bad effect. In the first reading, Jeremiah prophesied to the people of Judah what would happen to them if they continued in their sin of adulatory and trusting in human allies. He, also, prophesied the blessings they would receive from God if they trusted in God:

“Cursed is the one who trust in human beings, who seeks his strength in flesh, whose heart turns away from the Lord. He is like a barren bush in the desert that enjoys no change of season, but stands in a lava waste, a salt and empty earth” (Jeremiah 17:5-6).

“Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose hope is the Lord. He is like a tree planted beside the waters, that stretches out its roots to the stream. It fears not the heat when it comes; its leaves stay green; in the year of drought it shows no distress, but still bears fruit” (Jeremiah 17:7-8).

The people of Judah did not listen to Jeremiah. They continued their sin of adulatory. Their king, Zedekiah, and his officials allied with Egypt; thereby seeking strength in flesh and turning away from God. The result was that King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquered Judah, destroyed Jerusalem, and carried Judeans into exile. Good choice begets good result. Bad choice begets bad result.

There is no doubt that many things are beyond our choice or control; but someone says that largely, we are our choices. When things are beyond our choice or control still provide opportunities for our choice. As people of faith, in all circumstances and in every choice, let us, prayerfully, be guided by the word of God and the promptings of the Holy Spirit. There are, also, times we need to seek the counsel of the wise to guide us in the process of discerning the good choice to make, or the bad choice not to make (Tobit 4:18, Proverbs 19:20).

Today, we are invited to reflect over our life to see the effects of the choices we have made or we are making. If the effects bring glory to God and love and peace to oneself and other human beings, that is the sure sign that the choices are good. We are encouraged to make such choices. But if the effects do not glorify God, and do not bring peace and love to oneself and other human beings, that is the sure sign that the choices are bad. We are encouraged to desist from such choices.

Today’s gospel are Jesus’ words of blessings, consolation, and encouragement to the poor (those who are humble), to the hungry (those who desire and pursue righteousness); to the weeping (those who are deprived of justice); and to the hated, insulted, excluded, and denounced on account of the Son of Man (those who are persecuted for standing for truth, and those persecuted for their faith in Jesus). “Blessed are you.” “You will be satisfied.” “You will laugh.”

On the other hand, Jesus denounces those who enrich themselves and live wasteful life on stolen money and property; the hypocrites, and oppressors of the poor, the oppressors of the weak, and the oppressors of just. Jesus pronounces curses on them: “Woe to you.” “You will be hungry.” “You will grieve and weep.” Prophet Isaiah says, “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” (Isaiah 3:10-11).

The second reading was St. Paul’s caution to some Corinthians who did not believe in the resurrected Christ. In the same manner, nowadays, God’s word is mocked, rationalized, rejected, dismissed, not believed, and God’s messengers and believers of the word are persecuted.  Nowadays, in the face of corrupt and violent world, it is difficult to convince many people to remain righteous. For us believers, the readings and reflection encourage us to keep making choices which bring glory to God and well-being of humanity, and continue to persevere in our faith and in good work. “Let us not grow tired of doing good, for in due time we shall reap our harvest, if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9). Amen.

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP - Homily for the Third Sunday of Ordinary Time Year C - January 23, 2022

Homily of Third Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C, 2022

Nehemiah 8:2-6, 8-10; Psalm 19:8-10, 15; 1 Corinthians 12:12-30; Luke 1:1-4, 4:14-21

When the Jews returned from the Babylonian captivity, they were faced with the reconstruction and the restoration of their temple and city which were destroyed by their captors. Nehemiah was their governor and Ezra was their priest. While the structural reconstruction and restoration were going on, Ezra led the people to a spiritual restoration. Spiritual restoration was necessary because the Jews were exposed to the worship of other gods in Babylon which produced a generation that did not properly follow the Covenant between God and their ancestors. A major part of the renewal of the Covenant was the reading of the Book of the Law to the people. The assembly was made up of young and old. Ezra read the word of God to the assembly from morning to midday. When the people heard of the story of God’s relationship with their ancestors, and how they, themselves, had violated the Covenant and disconnected themselves from God, they wept in sorrow and repentance.

In the same way, we, also, need to look back at our journey with God. An honest reflection will help us to see God’s faithfulness, and our unfaithfulness, and our disconnection from him. At the beginning of a new year, a resolve to renew our Covenant with God, reconnect and have a closer relationship with him should be of primary importance.

Ezra read out the word of God from daybreak till midday “and all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.” How much time do we spend in reading the word of God, and how attentive are we to the word? Many people do not mind the time, the energy, and resources they spend on worldly activities while they are very apathetic to spiritual matters. Quality spiritual time means quality relationship with God! Jesus says, “For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you” (Luke 6:38).  Nehemiah encouraged the people, “for rejoicing in the Lord must be your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). We can, also, interpret Nehemiah’s words to mean, “Quality time with the Lord must be your strength.”

While the first reading invites us to renew our Covenant with God and reconnect with him, St. Paul in the second reading invites us to examine our relationship with our fellow human beings, see how far we are disconnected from one another, and reconnect with those we are disconnected from. We cannot reconnect with God while we are disconnected from one another. “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ but hates his brother, he is a liar; for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. This is the commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother” (1 John 4:20-21).

St. Paul writes in the second reading, “God placed the parts, each one of them, in the body as he intended. If they were all one part, where would the body be? But as it is, there are many parts, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I do not need you,’ nor again the head to the feet, ‘I do not need you.’ … 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 12:24-26). Dalai Lama (the Buddhist spiritual leader) says, “We must recognize that the suffering of one person or one nation is the suffering of humanity.” Someone says, “When everybody is somebody, then no one is nobody.” Everyone matters. Everyone is important.

In the gospel, Jesus declares his mission by reading from the scroll of prophet Isaiah. The gospel invites us to continue Jesus’ mission to bring good tidings to the poor, proclaim liberty to captives, bring recovery to the blind, and set the oppressed free. Among us and around us are the poor who need assistance, people going through various types of afflictions who need support, and cases of injustice which need to be addressed. As we begin a new year, it would be good to include in our resolutions how to participate in Jesus’ mission. Since charity begins at home, let us see the realization of Jesus’ mission, first, in our immediate environment and, then, continue to the larger society.

In the first reading, Ezra read the word of God to the assembly. In the gospel, Jesus read the word of God to the assembly. Today, as we read the word of God or hear it read to us, let us not harden our hearts. May God grant us the grace of spiritual restoration. May we be able to create relationships whereby everybody matters and everybody is important. May we become disciples of Jesus who continue his mission wherever we are. Amen.

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP

Fr. Augustine Inwang, MSP - Homily for the Second Sunday of Advent Year C - December 5, 2021

Readings: Baruch 5:1-9; Phil 1:4-6, 8-11; Lk. 3:1-6

Preparing for Christ the Baptist’s Way

 1.    Last week, we read from Jeremiah, who prophesied during the Babylonian exile. He encouraged the Jews to be hopeful because God “Will raise up for David a just shoot.” Today his secretary, Baruch, continued with that vision of hope and restoration for the Babylonian exiles. He promised them: “Jerusalem, take off your mourning and misery; put on the splendor of glory from God forever: wrapped in the cloak of justice from God, bear on your head the miter that displays the glory of the eternal name.” Baruch saw that God would visit his people and bring them home again with glory. “Led away on foot by their enemies they left you: but God will bring them back to you borne aloft in glory as on royal thrones.” They must go through the desert where John the Baptist waits with the warning of repentance.

2.    The children of Israel had to pass through the desert to learn the way of the Messiah. John was not the first person to make the inward journey through the desert. Many prophets before him and after found God by way of the desert. Moses discovered God in the desert. The Israelites were taught obedience and submission in the desert, where they wandered for 40 days and 40 nights. David fled his son Absalom into the desert and sought God’s protection. After the conversion of St. Paul, he went into the desert to seek clarification for his newfound faith and discovered his mission. Mohammed encountered Allah in the desert. Many monks and hermits spent a life of penitence and prayer in the desert. John the Baptist lived, prayed, and preached there as well. There he urged people to repent and prepare the way for the Messiah. Jesus Christ, St. Luke reports, was led by the Spirit into the desert, where he encountered God in preparation for his mission. These men saw in the desert a place of refuge from the distraction and noise of everyday life. They did not run away from the world but went into the desert to better prepare to face the world.

3.    The desert is a dry and unforgiving place; it exposes everyone there to the elements in their raw form. According to William Bausch: “You are as close to the edge of life and death as you could possibly be. No excess, no luxury, no illusions in the desert, just a total, vast, harsh emptiness. You live in total dependence, from hand to mouth, from day today. There are no distractions, no television sets, no microwaves, no cars, no nothing. Everything becomes intensely focused on the bare facts of existence, of yourself, and of God. There is just you – your utter, complete self and the vast emptiness of the desert. And the challenge the desert offers is this: what will you find there? Will you find God? If not there, then nowhere else.” It is fitting that John calls us to prepare for the coming of the Messiah by way of the desert. Here we will be humbled by the desert experience and find the Messiah. Then we would say with the Psalmist, “The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.” To say this, however, we must be ready to do a few things right.

4.    We must listen to the voice crying in the wilderness telling us to “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low. The winding roads shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.” We have many mountains in life to either climb or bring low. Coronavirus and its mutable variables are daring us daily. A few months ago, it was the Delta variant, and now it is the Omicron variant. Can we ever get rid of this mountain? The only way to bring it down is through vaccination, booster shot, or whatever directives CDC gives us. This mountain has stopped many people from going to Mass; it must come down.  We must bring down the mountain of laziness in prayer or doing other religious activities. Let us also work on our mountain of pride and arrogance. We must fill in the valley of cluttering by learning to do with less and giving away the superfluous. There is nothing to distract us in the desert, so we should do more with less and grow rich spiritually. Let go of too much and give them away, and you will find joy with the Messiah. There are also the winding roads in our life that we must make straight. Dishonesty, lies, corruption, gossip, hateful and malicious speeches, names calling in high places, and uncharitable behaviors are some of the crooked paths we must make straight. To make straight the winding road for the Messiah, we need proper tools. Prayer and wonderful sacramental life, springled with ample water of charitable acts, coated with the bitumen of forgiveness, mercy, and compassion, are the machinery needed. These would help us create a reconstructed road for the Messiah to pass into our hearts. Hence, John the Baptist calls us to repent. He urged us to have a change of heart, adopt a new way of doing things and see things differently. And so, I join St. Paul in the second reading to pray “That the one who began a good work in you will continue to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus.”

5.    I pray with St. Paul “That your love may increase ever more and more in knowledge and every kind of perception, to discern what is of value, so that you may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.” Amen.

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP

 

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP - Homily for the Second Sunday of Advent Year C - December 5, 2021

Homily of Second Sunday of Advent Year C, 2021

Baruch 5:1-9; Psalm 126:1-6; Philippians 1:4-6, 8-11; Luke 3:1-6

We light the Candle of Peace on the second Sunday of Advent. We pray that the preparation and the celebration of this year’s Christmas bring peace to our hearts, homes, communities, country and the world. So much violence is going on in our country and in many parts of the world, causing unimaginable suffering on people. Since, we Christians, believe in the power of prayer, we continue to pray for peace in our country and in all the troubled parts of the world. On our individual level, let us try to be instruments of peace wherever we find ourselves. “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God” (Matthew 5:9).

The first reading is Prophet Baruch’s prophecy of hope and encouragement to the Jewish people who were in exile in Babylon. Not only that God would return them to their land, God was going to restore the city of Jerusalem and make it new. Baruch prophesied that God would remember his people; robe of mourning and misery would be taken off from them and be replaced with cloak of justice. God was going to command lofty mountain be made low and age-old depths and gorges be filled to ground level to make the return of the people of Israel easy. On the way through which they would return to their land, God would create forest and fragrant kind trees to provide shade for them. Baruch prophesied that God would lead Israel in joy by the light of his glory, and his justice would accompany them.

We pray that this prophecy be fulfilled in the life of many who are in misery and wearing mourning robe. May the mourning robe be replaced with cloak of justice. May God make a way where there is no way. May God protect and provide, and in his mercy shine the light of his glory on his children and restore their joy. Amen.

Our reflection on the importance of the spiritual preparation for Christmas which we began last Sunday continues today. While the first reading is our prayer of deliverance from affliction, the second reading and the gospel are God’s invitation to us to repentance. The gospel invites us, “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill shall be made low. The winding roads shall be made straight, and rough ways made smooth” (3:4-5). The way and paths of the Lord are the way and paths through which God comes and dwells in our hearts and lives. The mountains, hills, winding roads and rough ways are our weaknesses, excuses, resistances, and sins that restrict God’s entrance and dwelling.

St. Paul writes in the second reading, “I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work in you will continue to complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6). These are words of encouragement from St. Paul to the Philippian Church community. Not only that the Philippian Christians were persecuted, the Christians themselves were disunited. St. Paul wrote to encourage them to persevere in the good work God began in them.

The day of Jesus Christ is the day Jesus Christ will take us to our eternal home. But while still in this life, God has begun good work in each of us. God does not continue the good work all alone without our generous participation. St. Augustine of Hippo says, “He who created us without our help will not save us without our consent.” In the same understanding, Algernon Sidney says, “God helps those who help themselves.” We pray that we may cooperate with God’s graces so that the trials and challenges of life do not hinder the good work God began in us from continuing.

Some people bring to an abrupt end the good work God began in them. In Revelation 2:4-5, we read, “I hold this against you: you have lost the love you had at first. Realize how far you have fallen. Repent, and do the works you did at first.”

Some people, due to lack of knowledge, perception, and discernment miss opportunities of good work God gave them. St. Paul in the second reading prays for each of us that our “love may increase ever more and more in knowledge and every kind of perception, to discern what is of value…” (Philippians 1:9-11).

Let us pray:

Gracious God, in my life are weaknesses, sins, temptations, trials, and challenges. They are the valleys that need to be filled, mountains and hills that need to be made low, winding roads that need to be made straight, and rough ways that to be made smooth. Through the graces of this sacred season of your favor, grant me knowledge, perception, and discernment not to fail at my moments of valleys, mountains, hills, winding roads, and rough ways; so that you and I will continue the good work you began in me; until the day of Jesus Christ. Amen. 

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP - Homily for the First Sunday of Advent Year C - November 28, 2021

 Homily of First Sunday of Advent Year C, 2021

 Jeremiah 33:14-16; Psalm 25:4-5, 8-10, 14; 1 Thessalonians 3:12-4:2; Luke 21:25-28, 34-36

 Many churches are decorated with the Advent wreath from this first Sunday of Advent. The Advent wreath is a Christian custom which is said to have originated among German Lutherans in the 16th century. Later, German Catholics adopted the custom, and from Germany the custom spread to North America and other parts of the world.

 The meaning of Advent wreath: Circle symbolizes God’s infinite love. Green wreath symbolizes hope of eternal life brought by Jesus Christ. Four candles represent the four weeks of Advent. Candle light symbolizes the light of God coming into the world through the birth of Jesus Christ. 1st candle, purple in color, symbolizes hope. 2nd candle, purple in color, symbolizes peace. 3rd candle, pink in color, symbolizes joy. 4th candle, purple in color, symbolizes love. Purple color symbolizes the penitential spirit of Advent season. Some Advent wreaths have a 5th candle, white in color, in the middle of the wreath called Christ candle which symbolizes the birth of Christ.

 This Sunday marks the beginning of the Advent Season and a new liturgical year. We are, now, in Cycle C.  Advent is a season observed in the Catholic Church as a time of special soul searching and spiritual reawakening to mark the birth of Jesus Christ. Advent comes from the Latin word adventus, which means ‘coming.’ Advent season is a journey of preparing and welcoming the Word Made Flesh to renew his dwelling in each person and in the world.  

 Ordinarily, almost everybody, Christians and non-Christians alike, prepare for the celebration of Christmas. Business establishments started their preparation for Christmas business deals months ago. There is, usually, so much external preparation. For us Catholics, spiritual preparation is more important. When you are expecting a visitor, you will get your house in order, you will get food and drink ready, and you will also be clean and well dressed. If the house is in order, and food and drink are well prepared and arranged, but the host appears unkempt and shabby, the visitor will be embarrassed and may not stay for the meal. That is why spiritual preparation is necessary, so that there will be an inn for Jesus in our life this Christmas. Spiritual preparation makes every Christmas become the first Christmas.

 The theme of the first week of Advent is hope. Our ultimate hope and desire is that through our spiritual preparations during Advent we will experience the blessings of the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. He is the fulfillment of Jeremiah’s prophecy in the first reading, “I will raise up for David a just shoot; he shall do what is right and just in the land” (Jeremiah 33:15). This Christmas, let us become a receptive land where the Lord’s righteousness and justice will bloom.

While we are waiting in hope for a new experience of the birth of Christ, the first week of Advent requires us to become instruments of hope to others. St. Paul prays for us in the second reading, “May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all… so as to strengthen your hearts, to be blameless in holiness before God and Father…” (1 Thessalonians 3:12). As Jesus is the hope of humanity, we, his followers, are to be signs of hope to our neighbors. It is by so doing that the season of Advent properly begins. The prayer of St. Francis says, “Where there is despair, let me sow hope.” This is our prayer and action point this week.

The words of Jesus in today’s gospel was his prophecy about the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans which took place in 70 AD. However, Jesus’ words capture the tribulations in the life of many of us, and around the world. The Covid 19 Pandemic, wars, insecurity, killings, poverty, migration, refugee crises, unrests, persecution, and so on put all of us in fright and in dismay, and many people are dying. But Jesus warns us not to allow our hearts to be overtaken by worldly life and anxieties. Rather, we should be vigilant at all times and pray for the strength to escape. He encourages us to stand erect and raise our heads because our redemption is at hand.  

Some spiritual steps to a good Advent season:

·       Participate in parish Advent season spiritual exercises such as retreat, prayer, Penitential Service, and so on.

·       Make Advent season spiritual resolutions to be closer to God.

·       Go to Confession.

·       Attend additional Masses along with Sunday Mass.

·       Make peace with those difficult relationships.

·       Do works of charity.

·       Be devoted to the Word of God and to private prayer.

 

We wish one another a fruitful and Spirit-filled Advent season.

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP