John 3:16: The Numbers of Hope and Grace

Fr. Marcel’s Bulletin Message for the Fourth Sunday of Lent, Year B
Holy Names Catholic Church

Memphis, Tennessee

Dearest beloved, today being the 4th Sunday of Lent, we are reminded once again of the greatest merciful act shown by God: “For God so loved the world that he gave his One and Only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” John 3:16 is a twenty six-word parade of hope. John 3:16 “is the alphabet of grace, a table of contents to the Christian hope” and the consolation of all. “For God so love the loved…” is the foundation of our faith. It is because God loved us that he gave his only Son and it is because he gave his only Son that we are saved. John 3: 16 is the summary of our faith; it is the reason we are in Church today. John 3: 16 is the starting point and the ending point of our life.

There are so many beautiful verses in the Scripture, but John 3: 16 is the reason why we have those verses. John 3: 16 is the entire gospel in a nutshell. It sums up God’s nature, God’s plan and God’s intention. God is love; God is offering us redemption; God wants us to be redeemed. While we were still sinners and unlovable God reached out to us. He did not love us because we are amazingly marvelous. His love for us is a decision; it is not condition based.

To those who are weary, tired and worn out, remember John 3:16. When you feel left out, remember John 3:16. When human beings disqualify you, remember John 3: 16. To those who are walking through the valley of shadow of death, think John 3:16. It is the numbers of hope! When your husband or wife leaves you and you feel unloved and abandoned, think John 3:16. Those times you hide in the secret corner of your room and cry because of one misfortune or the other, remember John 3:16. To those who are experiencing dryness, night and darkness, remember John 3:16. To those who are contemplating suicide, remember John 3:16. To those who are friendless, lonely and alone, remember John 3:16. Are you going through a painful divorce? Think John 3:16. To those wallowing in iniquity, remember John 3:16. Are you burdened by guilt? Think John 3:16. Whatever your life situation may be presently, just think John 3:16. God so loved you that he wants to save you.

The God of Jesus Christ will never despise or reject you. Even if you are only good for junkyard, he will continue to love you. Why? Because Jesus says “For God so loved the world (you)…” Because he so loved you, he will not let you go. He has handcuffed himself to you in love. And he alone owns the only key. This God has no needs, so you cannot wear him out; this God is ageless, so you cannot lose him; this God is sinless, so you cannot corrupt him. If this God can make a billion galaxies, he can make good out of you. You cannot win his love by being winsome, or loose it by being a loser or a failure. But you can resist his love. Remember John 3: 16 for it is the sum and summary of the entire gospel. God loves you brother; God loves you sister. This love is unconditional. You don’t deserve it, but God still gives it to you. Accept this love today!
Think John 3:16! Remember John 3:16!

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THIS LOVE OF GOD AMAZES ME

THIS LOVE OF GOD AMAZES ME
Fr. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara CSsR
Homily on the 4th Sunday of Lent
Holy Names Catholic Church
Memphis, Tennessee, USA
March 22, 2009

From the book of Psalm 8: 4 we read “What is man that you O Lord should be mindful of him?” Job in the book of Job 7:17 declares “What is man that you magnify him, and that you are concerned about him?” In Psalm 144: 3, the Psalmist wonders again, “O Lord what is man that you take knowledge of him or the son of man that you think of him?” In today’s gospel reading taken from the John 3:14-21, our Lord says in 3: 16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.”

From generation to generation, people of all nationalities and of all races have posed this position “Why does God love human beings?” Why does he think of us? Why is he so interested in human beings who are far less interested in him? What is this love all about? Considering the vastness of the universe, why does God chain himself to us? Did God chain himself to us because we are lovable and remarkable? No! God wasn’t attracted to us and didn’t choose us because we were remarkable and lovable and important.

Brethren, three reasons can be given as to why God loves us incredibly:
God loves us because we are his creation. In Isaiah 49: 15-16 God queried “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Even if she forgets, I will not forget you.” God loves you because you are his creation. He has engraved you on the palm of his hands. Because you are his creation, he will not let you go. He has handcuffed himself to you in love. And he owns the only key. You need not win his love; you already have it. And since you can’t win it, you can’t loose it.
God loves you because he wants you to know him. Human beings are incomplete without God. Life without God is grounded; life without God is boring; life without Christ is crisis. For us to be able to know him and enter into a relationship with him God sent his Son. Sacred Scripture says that while we were still powerless, Christ died for us the ungodly. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5: 11).
Dearest beloved, God loves us because we need him. The Psalmist in Psalm 42:1 says “As a deer yearns for running stream, so my soul is yearning for you my God.” God loves us because we need him to save us; we need him to rescue us from the crushing burden of the devil. God loves us because he knows we need him to survive.

Brethren, we have all worn out the word “love”. We have used it for different things, and sometimes even misused it. A man wakes up in the morning and says to his wife, “I love you sweetheart”, and the next time he is using that same word while expressing his feelings for another thing: Oh I love this peanut butter! But the emotion or feeling for a wife or a husband, a brother or a sister is different from a feeling for peanut butter. Overuse of the word love seems to have neutralized its meaning.

The bible uses different terms for love. But in this homily, I want to talk about two terms of love: Hasaq and Agapao. Hasaq is love attached to something or someone. It is a secured love. God chains himself to us as if he needs us to exist. But God does not need us to exist, we need him to exist. God loves us not because we are amazingly spotless or righteously perfect. He loves us out of sheer love; he loves us because he chooses to. This is the type of love that won’t let go its object of love.

God’s love is not conditional. It is unconditional love. But for us, our love is condition based. “O I love my car because it serves me well. It is a good car.” “I love that knife because it is sharp”. “I love New Orleans because their food is great.” “I love my dad because he gives me everything I want.” “I love President Barack Obama because he is smart and honest.” “I love Beyonce because she is pretty.” “I love my son because he is obedient and respectful.” But God does not love us because we are marvelous. He chose to love us despite who we are.

Calvin was a teenager when his doctor told him he was going blind. He hurried to complete his studies before he could go blind. After his first degree, he was still able to see. He pursued his post-graduate studies and was able to finish, but his night was approaching. As soon as he finished his Master’s degree program, he went blind. His fiancée Maureen returned his engagement ring saying to him, “There is no way I can marry a man who is blind. Sorry, I cannot see the path of binding myself to you in marriage. We belonged to two different worlds now. I have to move on.” Calvin was broken-hearted. He was so hurt that he refused to marry again. Maureen’s love for Calvin typifies our love for people. But God loves us whether we are junkyard wrecks or showroom models.

In the Scripture, we read of Hosea who remained tied to his unfaithful wife Gomer. Despite the infidelity of Gomer, who was jumping from one bed to another with different men, Hosea continued to love her (This perfectly explains God’s love for us). Hosea’s love for Gomer is the type described in John 3:16. Hasaq is replaced with the Greek term Agape. According to Max Lucado, Agape is less affection, more a decision, less a feeling, more an action. Jesus did not love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. He emptied himself to us and for us!

Brethren, our goodness cannot win God’s love. Our sinfulness cannot lose it either. But we can resist it! God loves us with an unexplainable love. You cannot win it by being winsome; and cannot lose it by being a loser. But we may be blind to resist it. No matter what you have done and said God still loves you. When the most despicable things are done, some people tend to think that they have lost the friendship of God. You cannot lose the love of God. Why? Because God so loved the world. And since God has no needs, we cannot tire him. Since he is ageless, we cannot lose him. Since he has no sin, you cannot corrupt him.

To those who feel left out, abandoned and rejected, remember John 3:16. To those who are lonely and alone, remember John 3:16. To those forgotten in different corners of the world, remember “For God so loved the love.” To those who think that no one loves them, remember John 3:16. To the demoted and demeaned, remember John 3:16 “For God so loved the world.” When you are kicked out as Pluto was bumped out by a Committee of scientists for what they called “not meeting the solar system standard” remember John 3:16. When you are voted out because of worldly standards, remember “For God’s so loved the world.” If you feel excluded, just think of John 3:16. If past life is hunting you, remember John 3: 16. If you are carrying the guilt of the past, thinking that God is mad at you, remember John 3: 16. If you have lost everything including friends, remember John 3:16. This love of God is amazing. He does not love you because of what you have done, and he is not going to un-love you because of what you are doing. He so loved you! To those who are greatly discouraged by what they experience and by what they see, remember John 3:16. It is the numbers of hope. It is the numbers of assurance and confidence. For God so loved you that he did not even spare the life of his only Son. If you are gripped by fear and uncertainty, remember John 3:16. Remember that FEAR is False Evidence About Reality. Instead of facing fear, why not face God? Face God because Jesus said he so loved you. Brethren this love of God for us amazes me, but it is real; it is true!
This love explains why he sent Jesus!
This love explains why Jesus came!
This love explains why Jesus endured so much humiliation and a shameful death!
This love explains why God claims you when others demote you!
This love amazes me, but it is true and real!

When Jesus visits his temple, will he find it habitable?

When Jesus visits his temple, will he find it habitable?
Fr. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara CSsR

Homily for the 3rd Sunday of Lent, Year B

Holy Names Catholic Church

Memphis, Tennessee, USA

March 15, 2009

Dearest beloved, today being the 3rd Sunday of Lent, the Church presents us with what seems to be Jesus’ first show of anger. Today’s Gospel taken from the Gospel of Saint John, seems to be the first recorded outburst of the Lord. Today, he confronted wrongdoing in a very significant way. Jesus had just performed his first miracle at Cana in Galilee; he needed to go up to the Temple in Jerusalem to pray and to preach the Good News that he had come to bring to the earth. On getting to the Temple, he was amazed to find that the House of God, the House of Prayer was no longer being used for worship and prayer. He did not find people in prayer; he did not find Levites and Priests carrying out their ministry; he did not find the choir rehearsing songs for worship; he did not find various ministries holding their meetings or fellowships; he did not see any religious activity in the Temple. What did he see? He saw merchants, traffickers, money-changers, buyers and sellers, people who seem interested in only one thing: amassing money. Jesus was and is not against the rich; he was and is not against the businessmen; he was and is not against making money. He was upset that the house of God was turned into a market-place. He was upset that the people he met there were not ready for any religious activity. On entering the Temple, the Lord saw that the Temple has been turned into a market place. Sellers were selling their goods, and buyers were also buying. Animals like oxen, sheep, and pigeons were being sold. The money changers were also wrapped up in their own business of changing money. When Jesus saw all these, he was so disappointed. When he looked at what was going on in the house of God, he saw cheating and deception; he saw lies being cooked and served to the unsuspecting people; he also saw land-grabbers plotting to uproot and unsettle the widows. The Lord saw that evil and wickedness have entered the Holy of Holies. He saw that the religious leaders were drinking, toasting wines and getting drunk. He could not believe that the same Temple that took forty six years to build is now being abused and misused. The purpose and the sacredness of the temple were being undermined. If God’s house would be treated that way, what does it say about the people? Jesus was amazed at their irreligiousness and their lack of the sense of the sacred and mystery.
He came to the House of God expecting to see people in prayer, expecting to see people ever-ready for the coming of the Lord. The Psalmist in Psalm 84: 10 says “A day in the house of God is better than thousands elsewhere.” The beginning of the same Psalm says “How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty.” For the people that Jesus met in the Temple, every day is business; every day is all about making money, thinking less of God and God matters.

Brethren, the temple of God is not only the Church building where we gather together to worship the Lord. We are the Temple of God. In 2 Corinthians 3: 16-17, St. Paul wrote “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and God’s Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him (or her); for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple.” 1 Corinthians 6: 19 also says that we are the temple of the Holy Spirit. We are the temple of God. The temple of God is not only the Common house of prayers, as a matter of fact, church buildings can be pulled down and destroyed. We can worship anywhere; we can worship in the outside, in the field, in soccer play ground, we can worship in a university auditorium. We are the temple of God. And that is why St. Paul urges us to keep our bodies free from sexual immoralities. In 1 Corinthians 6: 13b he says “The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.” We are the temple of God! But the question now is: should Jesus Christ visit the temple- you, me and us, what would he find? Would he find us watching in prayer, ready to meet him? If Jesus visits his temple (which is you and me), what would he find? Will the Lord find us ready? Will he find us in the same situation he found those in today’s gospel reading? Will he find us buying and selling, merchandizing, getting busy with only the things of this world; will he find us heavily occupied with our careers and professions and less interested in God matters? When Jesus finds us, will we be ready? When he calls us, where will we answer from? What will be the state of your life? What will be the state of my life? Will the Lord find his temple habitable, clean and decent? Or will he find his temple dirty, smelling of alcohol and hard drugs, unkempt, inhabitable, and disgusting? You are that temple, I am that temple.
May our Blessed Mother, Virgin Mary, who was so pure help us to keep our bodies, the temple of God pure and holy for God.