Fr. Martin Eke, MSP - Homily for the Fourteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time Year B - July 4, 2021

Homily of Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B, 2021

 Ezekiel 2:2-5; Psalm 123:1-4; 2 Corinthians 12:7-10; Mark 6:1-6

 Ezekiel was one of the prophets whom God called and sent to prophesy to the people of Israel. The Israelites were rebellious to God, and consequently were carried off to exile by the Babylonians. Ezekiel was among the captives. Even while in exile, they remained “hard of face and obstinate of heart.” Yet, God did not abandon them. He never left them without his prophets. In the same way, God has not abandoned our rebellious world without prophets.

 Unfortunately, all over the world, many of God’s prophets are persecuted rather than listened to. There are countless examples of true prophets who are either silenced or killed; and people who close their ears to truth; and only open their ears to what they like to hear. There are many instances where false prophets are celebrated and glorified because they ‘prophesy’ whatever pleases their ‘base,’ their masters, their admirers, their followers, and their listeners. In the gospel reading, Jesus was amazed at the lack of faith of the people of his time. Blatant rejection of truth and messengers of truth and acceptance of and preference to falsehood and lies are, indeed, amazing. We pray that many people may experience conversion in their life.  

 St. Paul’s mystical experience narrated in the second reading encourages all God’s prophets not to be discouraged in the face of oppositions and persecutions. God’s assurance is, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weaknesses.” The reading encourages God’s prophets to be calm and strong in times of weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and constraints.

 In the gospel reading, Jesus was a prophet among his own people, but they rejected him. “They said, ‘Where did this man get all this? What kind of wisdom has been given him? What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands! Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?’ And they took offense at him.”

God did not go to a foreign land to get a prophet for his people in exile. He called Ezekiel from among the Israelite exiles to prophecy to them. Ezekiel’s people did not listen to him. I guess they would have said to him, “Keep quiet, young man. Where did you get all this? We know when you were born; and we know your parents and relatives who are here with us.”

The interchange between Abraham and the rich man comes to mind: “[The rich man] said, ‘Then I beg you, father, send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they too come to this place of torment.’ But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.’ He said, ‘Oh no, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ Then Abraham said, ‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead’” (Luke 16:27-31).

 Some people spend so much time, money, and energy, running up and down and seeking for ‘Men and Women of God,’ fortune tellers, diviners, dream analysts, palm readers, psychics, spiritualists, and so on to ‘prophesy’ to them. Meanwhile, these same people neglect God’s words in the Bible, they neglect Sunday sermons, good advice from parents, relatives, friends, colleagues, teachers, and so on. God sends us to be prophets to one another. Let us speak the truth to one another. And let us listen to one another. Jesus says, “I say to you, whoever receives the one I sent receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me” (John 13:20).

 

You may be the ‘Ezekiel,’ or the ‘Paul,’ or the ‘Jesus’ God has sent to ‘prophesy’ the truth to someone or about a situation. You are encouraged to pray and proceed without further delay. It is not by your power, but by the power of the One who sent you! Let God’s grace be sufficient for you. St. Paul says, “proclaim the word; be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient” (2 Timothy 4:2).

 We conclude with Moses’ prayer in Numbers 11:29, “Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets and the Lord would put his Spirit upon them all.” Amen.

 Fr. Martin Eke, MSP

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP - Homily for the Thirteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time Year B - June 27, 2021

Homily of Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B, 2021

Wisdom, 1:13-15, 23-24; Psalm 30:2, 4-6, 11-13; 2 Corinthians 8:7, 9, 13-15; Mark 5:21-43

 Job 1:21, “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” John 14:3, “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be.” By these two passages and similar ones, we believe that our life and death are in God’s hand.

 But the first reading states, “God did not make death, nor does he rejoice in the destruction of the living. For he fashioned all things that they might have being, and the creatures of the world are wholesome, there is not a destructive drug among them …” (Wisdom 1:13-14). We can infer from this passage that killing and slaughtering of human beings, wars, genocides, holocausts, killing of the unborn, and all kinds of destruction of human life are not God’s making but the work of the devil and his agents. The first reading, further states, “But by the envy of the devil, death entered the world …” (Wisdom 1:24). Unfortunately, many people have embraced the vices that lead to the culture of death from the devil, instead of the virtues that lead to the culture of life from God. We pray for the conversion of the agents of the devil who inflict our world with the culture of death.

 Another kind of death that is caused by the devil is spiritual death, which is why St. Paul writes in Romans 6:23, “The wages of sin is death.” Jesus advises us how to save ourselves from spiritual death. According to the Gospel of Mark, when Jesus began his ministry, his first words are, “Repent, and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15). In John 6:29 Jesus says, “This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent.” If we stop listening to the devil and falling into sin, but believe in Jesus and obeying his commands (the gospel), we will surely be saved from spiritual death.

St. Paul admonishes us in the second reading, “For you know the gracious act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9). Jesus differentiates himself from the devil in John 10:10, “A thief [the devil] comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.”

Jesus, in the Gospel of today, shows that he came that we may have life and have it more abundantly. The woman who was afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years wanted her life back. She spent all that she had and suffered greatly at the hands of many doctors but got no cure. She reached out and touched the clothes of Jesus. Her faith was so great that power came out of Jesus and cured her. “Immediately her flow of blood dried up;” and she got her life back.

Jairus, a synagogue official, also, reached out to Jesus and invited him saying, “My daughter is at the point of death. Please, come lay your hands on her that she may get well and live.” “While he was still speaking, people from the synagogue official’s house arrived and said, ‘Your daughter has died; why trouble the teacher any longer?’ Disregarding the message that was reported, Jesus said to the synagogue official, ‘Do not be afraid; just have faith’” (Mark 5:35-36). Jesus put out those who were weeping, and who ridiculed him, and those who caused commotion, and healed the girl.

No doubt, our world is hemorrhaging from the culture of death. We are all hemorrhaging from killings, insecurity, inhuman treatment, uncertainty, fear, anxiety, hunger, sickness, and various kinds of hardship and crises. We pray for our own healing and the healing of our world. In our prayer and Eucharistic celebration, we reach out and touch Jesus as the woman did. May he respond with his healing power. We are inviting Jesus to our helpless situations, as Jairus did. May he visit us, put out those who ridicule God’s wonderful creation, those who cause commotion, and those who bring hardship and agony on people. May he wipe our tears, heal us and our world. May our world experience sanity. We entrust our life and death only in God’s hand. May our faith in him not be shaken. Amen.

 Fr. Martin Eke, MSP

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP - Homily for the Twelfth Sunday of Ordinary Time Year B - June 20, 2021

Homily of Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B, 2021

 Job 38:1, 8-11; Psalm 107:23-26, 28-31; 2 Corinthians 5:14-17; Mark 4:35-41

 It is a common human behavior, especially for us believers, to ask God questions in our grieving. Often, we hear some people say, “You should not question God.” Questioning God while grieving is a form of prayer in as much as we entrust every moment of the situation into God’s hand. If we question God with faith, he will surely respond to us, no matter how difficult the situation is.

 Many Psalms questioned God. For example, “How long, Lord? Will you utterly forget me? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I carry sorrow in my soul, grief in my heart day after day? How long will my enemy triumph over me?” (Psalm 13:2-3).

 Jesus questioned God while he was hanging on the cross, “And at three o’clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which is translated, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mark 15:35).

 We read in the first reading Job’s lamentation and questions to God. Job cursed the day he was born and questioned, “Why did I not die at birth, come forth from the womb and expire? Why did knees receive me, or breasts nurse me? … Or why was I not buried away like a stillborn child, like babies that have never seen the light?” (Job 3:1-16). Also, in chapter 30:20-21, Job lamented to God, “I cry to you, but you do not answer me; I stand, but you take no notice. You have turned into my tormentor, and with your strong hand you attack me. You raise me up and drive me before the wind; I am tossed about by the tempest.”

 The first reading is God’s response to Job. The reading says that “the Lord addressed Job out of the storm …” That is, God responded to Job in Job’s storm and assured Job that he is the Lord over his storm. God assured Job that he was in control despite his storm.

 The gospel is Jesus’ disciples experience of a storm. “A violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat, so that it was already filling up. Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a cushion. They woke him and said to him, ‘Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?’ He woke up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Quiet! Be still!’ The wind ceased and there was great calm. Then he asked them, ‘Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?’” (Mark 4:37-40).

 Storms in our life distress us, as in the case of Job; or terrify us, as in the case of the disciples of Jesus. Sometimes, we do feel that God is silent as in the case of Job; or that Jesus is ‘asleep’ as in the case of the disciples. The readings teach us that God is neither silent nor asleep. He is in control. The wind and the sea obey him, as the disciples later testified.

 Today’s Psalm also testifies about the sailors “who sailed the sea in ships and traded on the deep waters, saw the works of the Lord and his wonders in the abyss. … Their hearts melted away in their plight. … They cried to the Lord in their distress, from their straits he rescued them. He hushed the storm to a gentle breeze, and the billows of the sea were stilled” (Psalm 107:13-29).

 We are like Job. We are like the disciples. We are like the sailors.  We are distressed in our various storms. We are terrified by the violent waves breaking over our boat. Our hearts melt away. We lament. We ask questions and search for answers. Sometimes, we think that God is punishing us. Sometimes, we think that God has abandoned us; that he is ‘sleeping.’ We do not understand what is happening to us. We ask, “Why me?” “What have I done wrong?” “What is my sin?”

 The first reading tells us that God addressed Job from “out of the storm.” He does the same to us. He addresses us out of our storm; but often we do not listen. Rather, our attention is on the waves of the storm; a clear sign of lack of faith. With strong faith, let us turn our attention to God, and cry to him as the sailors did. He stilled the sea for them. May he do the same for us. With strong faith, let us turn our attention to Jesus as the disciples did. He rebuked the wind and there was great calm. May he do the same for us.

St. Paul encourages us in the second reading (2 Corinthians 5:14-17) that we should not be ruled by distress, or fear, or doubt, but that we be impelled the love of Christ. By that, old life passes away, and we become new creatures. May these words be fulfilled in our life. Amen. 

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP - Homily for the Ninth Sunday of Easter Year B - May 30, 2021- Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

 Homily of the Most Holy Trinity Year B, 2021

 Deuteronomy 4:32-34, 39-40; Psalm 33:4-6, 9, 18-20, 22; Romans 8: 14-17; Matthew 28:16-20

 We celebrated the Solemnity of Pentecost last Sunday. The descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles brings the work of the Most Holy Trinity to its fullness. God the Father is the Creator. God the Son is the Savior. God the Holy Spirit sanctifies and renews.

 As we read in the gospel, when Jesus was about to ascend to heaven, he authorized his apostles to baptize in the name of the Trinity. He said, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). By extension, Jesus commands us to do all things in the name of the Trinity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. That is why, all our prayers begin with the invocation of the Trinity, and end with the blessing of the Trinity. We invoke the Trinity each time we profess the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirt, and sign ourselves with the Sign of the Cross. It is, therefore, important that we profess the holy names and sign ourselves reverently. The sign of the Cross was known in Christian liturgy about 3rd century AD.

 The Trinity is one of the most important mysteries in Christianity. Thus, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are three persons, but one nature, one God, equal, undivided, and inseparable. We are not invited to fully understand the dogma because it is a mystery. We are, rather, invited to participate in the nature of the Trinity.

 What is the nature of the Trinity?

 First, the nature of the Trinity is Unity: The Trinity is one nature, inseparable, and undivided. We are invited to witness unity wherever we find ourselves. Separations and divisions are not from God.

 Second, the nature of the Trinity is harmony: There is perfect harmony in the Trinity. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit relate in harmony from creation to the descent of the Holy Spirit. We are invited to work harmoniously with one another.

 Third, the nature of the Trinity is equality: The three persons of the Trinity are equal. None is superior to the other. Therefore, we are invited to provide equal treatment and equal opportunity for everyone.

 Fourth, the nature of the Trinity is love: Unity, harmony, and equality can only be possible where there is love. The Trinity is bonded by love. We pray that we are bound together by genuine love. As we know, everything is possible with genuine love.

 Fifth, the nature of the Trinity is holy: As we celebrate and worship the Most Holy Trinity, may the rays of their holy light shine on us, dispel forces of sin and darkness, and bring us to conversion. May the rays of their holy light bring us healing. May the rays of their holy light guide us to the path of truth and righteousness. May the rays of their holy light grant us protection. Amen.

 Any family, church, community, organization, institution, or country that is rooted in the nature of the Trinity will experience unity, peace, and progress. The crises we have everywhere is because of human beings’ rejection of the nature of the Trinity. Some people are rooted only in human nature that leads to nowhere. Worse still, some people are rooted in the nature of the Evil One and they go astray. Inequality, injustice, disharmony, hate, disunity, crises, and so on are opposed to the nature of the Trinity.

 

Humanity’s trinitarian interconnectedness is in such a way that what affects one affects all. Whatever happens to one part of the world affects other parts of the world. In his Urbi et Orbi (city and world) address, March 27, 2020, Pope Francis says, “We have realized that we are on the same boat, all of us fragile and disoriented, but at the same time important and needed, …” An English author, John Donne, in 1624 wrote, “No one is an Island, entire of itself; everyone is a piece of the Continent, a part of the main. … No one is self-sufficient; everyone relies on others.”

 The celebration today reminds us the necessity of the unity and oneness. It is often said, “Where there is unity, there is strength, and there is victory;” “United we stand, divided we fall.”

We conclude with St. Paul’s trinitarian blessing in 2 Corinthians 13:14, “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.” Amen.

(Please, share this homily with friends and family. Let us all become instruments of evangelization.)

 Fr. Martin Eke, MSP

Fr. Augustine Inwang, MSP - Homily for Eighth Sunday of Easter Year B - May 23, 2021 - Pentecost Sunday

 Readings: Acts 2:1-11; Gal. 5:16-25; John 20:19-23 

Speaking Our Native (Tongue) Language

1.     As we celebrate the solemnity of Pentecost today, we read these words from the first reading: “When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the spirit enable them to proclaim.” (Acts 2:1-4). Today is the birthday of the church. We often think that the Holy Spirit came into existence on the day of Pentecost. That is far from the truth. God is eternally Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and manifests Himself as such. But on the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit became the dominant reality in the life of the early Church. It was the source of all guidance. The leaders of the Church were men of the Spirit. It was the source of courage and power, the counselor, the comforter and a solace in times of difficulties. We can rightly say that the early Church was a Spirit-filled Church and that was the source of its power.

2.     “There were three great Jewish festivals to which every male Jew living within twenty miles of Jerusalem was legally bound to attend – the Passover, Pentecost and the Feast of Tabernacles. Pentecost means “The Fiftieth,” and another name for Pentecost was “The Feast of Weeks.” It was so called because it fell on the fiftieth day, a week of weeks, after the Passover. At least as many came to the Feast of Pentecost as came to the Passover. That explains the roll of countries mentioned in this chapter; never was there a more international crowd in Jerusalem than at the time of Pentecost.” Pentecost commemorated the giving of the Law to Moses on Mount Sinai. So, it was a holiday for all and the crowds on the streets would be greater than ever. It was on that day the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles. The disciples experienced the power of the Spirit flooding their beings in a way they never had before. “All filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.” (Act 2:4).

3.     In verse 11 we read “Yet we hear them speaking in our own tongues of the mighty acts of God.” With the coming of the Spirit the crowd heard the apostles, for the first time, speaking out openly about the mighty acts of God. They were ready to take the gospel to the ends of the earth and witness to the resurrection of Christ. With the power given them by the Spirit, they were able to preach the word of God in a way that struck straight to their hearts, that they could understand. The power of the Spirit gave these simple disciples a message that could reach every heart. Their chains of fear and intimidation were broken, they were free to move courageously among Jews and Gentiles alike, armed with the power of the word to set the captives free and preach a year of favor to the downtrodden.

4.     The disciples being understood by all who gathered is indicative that the ancient tragedy of Babel (Gen. 11:1-9) is now reversed. The people at Babel had arrogantly tried to “make a name” for themselves by building a tower to heavens – symbolizing the human attempt to see power, wealth, and security without any reference to God. In consequence God confounded the universal human language into many different languages, which made it impossible for them to complete that tower. At Pentecost, the Spirit-given ability of Jesus’s disciples to speak in various languages signifies that God is beginning to overcome human divisions. We too received the spirit at baptism. The Spirit gave us the power to speak words of wisdom and understanding that should be understood by all who hear us. The Spirit empowered us to do great things for God, to break the bonds of sin and division and bring about unity, peace and love. Yes “No one can say ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except by the Holy Spirit.” (1 Cor. 12:3). Paul reminds us that “God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control.” (2 Tim. 1:7). Have our Spirit grown dull and lukewarm? Why has the Spirit not burned the bad habits of our live and sow the seed of love in our hearts?

5.     The Spirit is God’s gift to us. Christ tells us “If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?” (Lk. 11:13). Instead of spreading gossip that hinders us from speaking our native language of love in praise of the mighty works of God, we ask the Spirit to help us be preachers of God’s marvels. Instead of proclaiming falsehood may the Spirit assist us to speak words of truth and honesty. For those who harbor strife, vengeful thoughts and hatred may the Spirit enable them to love God and their neighbors. We can only speak the language of love if we learned it from birth. Our parents must have taught us, not so much by what they say but by what they do. They must speak that language first at home with us through social interactions, relationships and the company they kept. No interpreter is needed, we must see it, feel it, practice it and then speak it.       

1.     Let us ask the Holy Spirit to come to us with his gifts of “Wisdom and understanding, counsel, strength, knowledge and fear of the Lord.” (Is. 11: 2-3). May the Spirit give us his fruit of “Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” (Gal.5:22-23). May the Spirit conquer the indifference in our world and help us fight the internal battles of “immorality, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, rivalry, jealousy, outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness, dissensions, factions, occasions of envy, drinking bouts, orgies and the like.” (Gal. 5:19-21). And so we pray: Come O Holy Spirit and fill the hearts of the faithful, and enkindle in them the fire of your love, send forth your Spirit and they shall be created, and you shall renew the face of the earth. Amen. God bless you! 

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP.