Fr. Augustine Inwang, MSP - Homily Pentecost Sunday Year C - June 5, 2022

Readings: Acts 2:1-11; Rom. 8:8-17; Jn. 14:15-16, 23-26

 

Not The Church of Pentecost

 

1.      On the solemnity of Pentecost, we celebrate the Church's birthday. Today the Holy Spirit came down on the Apostles like flames of fire. “When the day of Pentecost came, all the believers were gathered together in one place. Suddenly there was a noise from the sky which sounded like a strong wind blowing, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then they saw what looked like tongues of fire which spread out and touched each person there. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to talk in other languages, as the Spirit enabled them to speak.”(Acts 2:1-4). Pentecost completes the saving work of Christ and enables the Apostles to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth. The Holy Spirit set them on fire to preach without fear of intimidation and transformed them into martyrs of the faith. Peter’s pedagogy on the day of Pentecost was so electrifying that those who heard him “Were deeply troubled and said, "what shall we do?” (Acts 2:37). Many “Believed his message and were baptized, and about three thousand people were added to their group that day.” (Acts 2:41).

 

2.      The apostles needed the Holy Spirit to shake them up and transform them into warriors for the faith. Christ is present in his apostles through his Spirit. But Our Church does not resemble the Church of the day of Pentecost. Why is the Church on fire, and we are not consumed? Maybe we have too much money and no fire of the Spirit to effect changes in our people. Could it be that we spend our time chasing after material things and fewer minutes talking about spiritual things? This, for sure, will take away the power of the Spirit from the Church. To the lame beggar, Peter said: “I have no money at all, but I give you what I have: in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, I order you to get up and walk!” (Acts 3:6).

 

3.      We need the fire of the Holy Spirit for tolerance. We need constructive fire to build the community of God's people. The Holy Spirit has no time for pettiness, apathy, and jealousy. It drives out bigotry and hatred. It doesn't burn to destroy, nor is it fire for mistrust and misunderstanding. No, its fire of love will recreate the face of the earth. “Come Holy Spirit and fill the hearts of the faithful and renew the face of the earth.” Come and conquer the indifference in the world, fight the battles of our hearts, the internal conflicts of the flesh such as: “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).

 

4.      Send us the fire of the Spirit to plant in our hearts the fruit of the Spirit such as: “Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” (Gal.5:22-23). May the Holy Spirit give us its gifts of “Wisdom and understanding, counsel, strength, knowledge, and fear of the Lord.” (Is. 11: 2-3). This is the fire we need, and until we have it, the Church will be ineffective; the oxygen will be withdrawn from her lukewarm fire, and it will be blown away. Instead of heat, we feel coldness; in place of warmth, we feel weak, empty, miserable, sad, unhappy, lifeless, and dead. We do not want a sad and lifeless church, a church where everyone is withdrawn. That is why churches are empty. 

 

5.      People no longer go to Church because it offers nothing. Such Churches preach a gospel devoid of good news, where the sermon is without content and so poorly delivered, that people are put to sleep. This type of preaching does not set fire to people’s stomachs for action. The fire of love is not in our hearts because the joy of the Gospel is not on our faces. Churchgoers are no more burning with zeal, and fire, the type that was blazing on the day of Pentecost. When the apostles received the Holy Spirit, they preached the Word, living the life of the Spirit and bearing the fruit of love. People saw how they lived and the hope they preached; they followed the Lord and were converted to the faith because they saw the joy of the Gospel in their lives and hope in their eyes. They were filled with joy at all times. They heard the apostles as they spoke in tongues and realized that they were telling the language of love in praise of God. That is what we need in our Church today, without which our Church cannot and will not be on fire.

 

6.      Let us pray that we may be filled with the fire of the Spirit and be transformed into people of faith, courageous preachers, lovers of God, and lovers of God's people. Oh, Holy Spirit, come and fill our hearts, teach us to love and serve in humility and love. Help us to make a difference in the world. Amen!

 

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP

 

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP - Homily for Pentecost Sunday Year C - June 5, 2022

Homily of Pentecost Sunday of Year C, 2022

Acts 2:1-11; Psalm 104:1, 29-34; 1 Corinthians 12:3-7, 12-13; John 20:19-23

The Church was conceived when Jesus said to Peter, “You are the rock, upon you I will build my Church” (Matthew 16:18). But the Church was born on Pentecost Sunday with the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles.

Among the Jews in the Old Testament, the feast of Pentecost was when Jewish pilgrims gathered in Jerusalem from various parts of the world: Europe, Asia, and Africa to celebrate the festival of thanksgiving for the first fruits of their harvest (Numbers 28:26).  Before his ascension, Jesus instructed the apostles to go and wait in Jerusalem until the coming of the Holy Spirit. The apostles returned to Jerusalem, and locked themselves up in the upper room (Acts 1:13).  While the crowds were celebrating the feast of Pentecost, the apostles remained locked up in the upper room and stayed in prayer. It took the power of the Holy Spirit to liberate the apostles from the fear of the Jews and bring them out of their hiding.

We read in the first reading, “Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem. At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd, but they were confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language. They were astounded, and in amazement they asked, ‘Are not all these people who are speaking Galileans?’” One of the miracles of the descent of the Holy Spirit was that the apostles spoke in different languages, in such a way that people from various parts of the world could understand them in their own language. We recall that in Genesis, God used language to disperse the builders of the Tower of Babel (Genesis: 11:1-9). During the descent of the Holy Spirit on the feast of Pentecost, God used language to unite all peoples (Acts 2:11). One of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is that the Church is able to preach the message of Christ in different languages in all parts of the world.

The celebration of Pentecost Sunday is our prayer for individual Pentecost experience. We pray for the renewal or revival of the gifts of the Holy Spirit in us. Isaiah 11:2-3 names the following gifts: wisdom, understanding, counsel, power, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. These gifts can be called foundation gifts on which numerous other gifts of the Holy Spirit are rooted into.

St. Paul names some other gifts which have been referred to as extraordinary or charismatic gifts: faith, healing, mighty deeds (miracles), prophecy, discernment of spirits, varieties of tongues (variety of languages), interpretation of tongues (interpretation of languages), apostleship (discipleship), teaching, assistance, and administration (1 Corinthians 12:9-10, 28). These extraordinary or charismatic gifts are nourished by the foundation gifts named above.

The sign that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are effective and active are the lasting fruits they bear. St. Paul in Galatians 5:22-23 mentions some of the fruits as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

For many of us, it is true that the gifts of the Holy Spirit bestowed on us are either inactive or minimally active. For this reason, St. Paul urges us, “I invite you to fan into flame the gift of God you received through the laying on of my hands” (2 Timothy 1:6).

However, there are spiritual conditions that enable revival of the gifts and for us to experience personal or interior Pentecost. The first condition is as St. Paul urges us, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light” (Ephesians 5:14). The second condition is as St. Paul, also, invites us, “Let us then throw off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light” (Romans 13:12).

Through the grace of Pentecost, may we be able to “arise from the dead.” May we be able “to throw off the works of darkness.” May we be liberated from hiding and freed from “the fear of the Jews.” May the fire of the Holy Spirit descend on us that we may fan into flame the gifts God has given to us; and may the gifts bear lasting fruits. Amen.

Shall we rise and sing:

Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on me. Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on me.

Melt me, mold me, fill me, and use me. Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on me.

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP - Homily for Seventh Sunday of Easter Year C - May 29, 2022

Homily of Seventh Sunday of Easter Year C, 2022

Acts 7:55-60; Psalm 97:1-2, 6-7, 9; Revelation 22:22-14, 16-17, 20; John 17:20-26

The trial and the death of Jesus and the trial and death of Stephen have some resemblance. Jesus was falsely accused: “The chief priests and the whole Council tried to find some evidence against Jesus so that they might put him to death, but they were unable to find any. Even though many came up to speak falsely against him, their evidence did not agree. At last some stood up, and gave false witnesses… even so, their evidence did not agree” (Mark 14:55-59). Stephen was falsely accused: “Some men came forward… As they were unable to face the truth, they bribed some men to say, ‘We heard him speak against Moses and against God.’ So they stirred up the people, the elders and the teachers of the Law; they seized him… and brought him before the Council. Then they produced false witnesses [against him]” (Acts 6:8-15). The soldiers led Jesus outside the city, a place called Golgotha, which means the Skull, where he was crucified (Mark 15:20-22). Stephen was thrown out of the city, and stoned to death. Jesus prayed on the Cross, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). Stephen prayed while being stoned, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” Jesus prayed as he died, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit” (Luke 23:46). Stephen prayed as he died, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”

Jesus and Stephen put before us the cost and rough path of discipleship. Whether false accusation, false witnessing, torture, cast out, and death, we are to pray for our detractors and forgive them. We are to commend ourselves into God’s hand. Like Stephen, we are to look up intently to heaven and see the glory of God and Jesus at the right hand of God. That is where our spiritual strength comes from. In Acts 7:54-55, while Stephen’s killers were enraged and gnashed their teeth at him, Stephen was full of the Holy Spirit and fixed his eyes on heaven!

John chapter 17 is one of the greatest chapters in the New Testament because Jesus helps us to understand that Christians and non-Christians should live in unity and peace. Jesus prays, “Holy Father, I pray not only for them (Christians), but also those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may be one.” Jesus also says, “I have other sheep which are not of this fold. These I have to lead as well, and they listen to my voice. Then there will be one flock, since there is one shepherd” (John 10:16). “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). Therefore, whoever speaks truth and lives truth believes in Jesus. That is why the Catholic Church relates peacefully and cordially with members of all religions that speak truth and live truth, because the truth they speak and live is Jesus. For this reason, Christians are to preach unity and oneness, and witness Jesus to everyone in all nations.

Unfortunately, there is so much religious persecution in many parts of the world. We pray that the Spirit of Jesus touches the hearts of perpetrators of religious persecution to seek unity and oneness which Jesus prayed and preached. We pray for unity and oneness in the Christian fold where there are so much bitter divisions, disagreements, unhealthy criticisms, castigations, and rejections among churches and sects. We pray for unity and oneness instead of division, disunity, false accusation and false witnessing, throwing of stones, and crucifying of one another in our homes, work places, communities, groups, parishes, countries and the world.

In the second reading, Jesus declares, “Behold, I am coming soon. I bring with me the recompense I will give to each according to his deeds. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” … “I, Jesus, sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the root and offspring of David, the bright morning star. … Let the one who thirsts come forward, and the one who wants it receive the gift of life-giving water” (Revelation 22:12-17). We pray to Jesus to fulfill his word; for there is so much turmoil and violence in our lives and in our society. The situation in Nigeria and many other parts of the world are helpless. We are, indeed, thirsting.

We conclude with an Advent hymn, “Come Lord Jesus, the light is dying.”

Christ come quickly, there’s danger at the door,

Poverty a plenty, hearts gone wild with war,

There is hunger in the city and famine on the plain.

Come Lord Jesus, the light is dying,

The night keeps crying, come Lord Jesus.

What demands a hearing in far many lands,

The sick go untended, death deals a heavy hand,

The dreams of men are empty, their cup of sorrow full.

Come Lord Jesus, the light is dying,

The night keeps crying, come Lord Jesus.

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP