In The Shoes Of The Wise

Fr. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara CSsR

Homily on the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord

January 2, 2011

Let’s keep in mind that the season of Christmas is not yet over. The commercial Christmas is almost over, but the real season of Christmas is still here with us. For Christians, especially Catholics, real Christmas does not end. Sometimes we hear people say “Everyday is not Christmas,” meaning, “everyday is not celebration;” “free gifts and fun do not occur everyday.” But to be sincere with you, everyday should be Christmas. For friends of God, everyday is Christmas; but not Christmas in the sense of partying, exchange of gifts, commercialization that happens before and after Christmas etc, but in the sense of allowing the Word of God take flesh in their hearts. For us, Christmas ought to be an every day experience in the sense of allowing Jesus Christ to be born again in our hearts, in our lives, in our relationships, in our interaction with people, in our relationship with the world. Christmas is everyday for those who receive the Word of God in their hearts and allow the Word to guide their steps, to shape their lives and to form their characters. Remember the words of the Scripture, “Your Word is a lamp unto my feet; and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105).

Dearest beloved, today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Epiphany of our Lord Jesus Christ. Few days ago, we rejoiced and celebrated the incarnation; few days ago we celebrated the birth of our Redeemer in Bethlehem. On that very day, the angel of the Lord led us to the manger. Today, we celebrate his Epiphany, his manifestation to the nations. The Epiphany of the Lord is the manifestation of the Son of God to the nations of the world. Today we celebrate the Son of God who came from the bosom of the Father to the bosom of a Woman, put on humanity that we might put on divinity. Today, we celebrate Jesus, who became the Son of Man that we might become sons and daughters of God. Today, the Son of God manifests himself as the Son of Man. Today, God shows himself a human being. Today, the King of kings and the Lord of lord shows himself a subject. Today the giver of all things manifests himself as a needy. Today the owner of all riches shows himself a poor child.

Today’s gospel taken from Matthew 2:1-12 tells us that the Magi from the East came to Jerusalem looking for Jesus the new born King. The gospel said they arrived in Jerusalem with a question, “Where is the newborn King of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.” Jerusalem was a beautiful city. It was a great city of trade and commerce. But when the Magi arrived, they were not interested in beholding the beauty of Jerusalem; they were not interested in trading their treasures for money; all they cared to know was where the child was. They were desperately not looking for silver and gold; they were looking for the owner of silver and gold. They were not looking for the important people in the city- the Lords, the scholars, the lawyers, doctors, the priests, the Levites or even the prophets, they were looking for the Lord of Lords; they were looking for the King of kings; they were looking for whom scholars called the Logos; they were looking for the one lawyers debated about; they were looking for the one all the true prophets spoke about. They were urgently looking for the Savior and their salvation. You know, a discovery of the Savior leads to salvation.

When Herod heard that a new King has been born, he was greatly worried. But when the Magi heard that a King has been born, they were greatly excited and wanted to see him. While they were looking for the King to pay him homage; Herod was looking for him to destroy him. While Herod was worried, the Magi were excited. What the Magi came to do was in accord with today’s responsorial psalm, “Lord, all nations shall fall prostrate before you.” The gospel says “on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage.” Then they opened their treasures, and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. They offered the Lord the gift of gold. Gold was a symbol of his kingship and power; the newborn child is going to be a king. They offered him frankincense. Frankincense is a particular kind of incense used in religious ceremonies and worship to give honor to what was considered holy. Frankincense was a symbol of his priesthood. The newborn child is going to be a priest. Finally, they offered him myrrh. Myrrh is an ointment which was used to heal wounds, and to also embalm the bodies of the dead. Myrrh symbolized Christ’s death on the cross. The newborn child is going to die on the cross in order to bring about the healing of God’s people. Myrrh was used to heal; it was given to Jesus showing that Jesus is the healer of the world. Remember John 10:10!

Dearest beloved! There is something about this Bible passage that is easily overlooked or not even considered at all. We always preach about the homage of the Magi and the gifts and the significance of the gifts they offered to the Lord. But we hardly talk about the sequence of what was given. The first thing the Magi gave to the Lord was the offering of their lives. Prostration is a concrete sign of surrender and adoration. Prostration is a symbolic act of total self giving. It is an honest gesture of total abandonment. When they saw the newborn King, the first thing they offered him was not their material treasures. They offered him first what he most desired and cherished- the offering of their lives. St. Paul in Romans 12:1 says “Therefore I urge you brethren, by the mercies of God to offer your bodies (your lives) as a living and holy sacrifice acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.” The best gift we can offer to God especially in the beginning of this New Year is the gift of our lives. The Magi offered themselves first before offering their treasures. And in the real sense of it, God does not need gold; he doesn’t need silver; he does not need any material things. Material things cannot praise the Lord; material things cannot worship our God; gold or frankincense or myrrh cannot adore the King of kings. God does not need material things; but he needs us.

Does it surprise you to hear that God needs us? I am sure you must have heard it before that God does not need anything, that he does not need us. I have heard it too. Well, God needs something, and that is you and I. God is love. God loves us. God also needs us. He needs us to show us his love; he needs us to manifest his love; he needs us to demonstrate his goodness; he needs us to also love him in return. Since God is love, he must always love something and somebody. God needs us to express his love; but we need God to survive. There is a link between God’s love and God’s need. So, God has a need. His need is you; his need is me. His need is every one of us. God’s only need is you and I. So the assertion that God does not need anything is not entirely true. We need God; God needs us. But God does not need us to be God. He only needs us to shower his love, mercy and goodness.

On seeing the Lord, the Magi paid him homage. As we experience the King of kings and the Lord of lords, let’s remember to pay him homage. When your prayers are answered, remember to do him homage. Begin your day doing him homage. Pass through the day doing him homage. End your day doing him homage. Doing nothing does not do him homage; gossip and lies do not do him homage; unfaithfulness and deceit do not do him homage; religious hypocrisy and double-standard life do not do him homage; back-biting, envy, jealous and assassination one’s character do not do him homage; religious indifference and radical moral behavior do not do him homage; narcissism, egotism, pride, and self-aggrandizement do not do him any homage; selfishness, greed and uncontrollable quest for material things do not do him any homage. Leave your house in the morning paying him homage; return home paying him homage; retire to sleep paying him homage. Pay him homage in your relationship; pay him homage in your working place; pay him homage while driving; pay him homage in your discussions and phone conversations; pay him homage in your dealings with others; pay him homage in your eating habit; pay him homage in your drinking habit; pay him homage even in love-making. Love making between a married man and his wife gives glory to God. Healthy sexual relationship can lead to an encounter with God.

Today’s gospel ended this way: “And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way.” Dearest beloved, it is now time to return home another way. Do not go back to Herod. Part of the reasons why we call the Magi “wise men” is because they had the wisdom to search for their Savior, and when they had found him “returned to their own country by another way.” They had wisdom! Scripture tells us that wisdom is a defense. She was present with God when God created the world. People went to Jerusalem for economic reasons and pleasure. But these men came to Jerusalem seeking for their King. On leaving Jerusalem, they went home another way. They refused to return to Herod the hater of the Savior. But in our own journey, we have returned to Herod many times. Herod is the devil; Herod is the world; Herod is the self. Herod could be our mind- our thought. Herod could be our heart- our feeling. Herod could be our eyes- the things we behold. Herod could be the name of a person, place or thing. Herod could be our friend; it could be the place you go to; it could be food or drink or other material things. You may have promised God not go back to Herod, but sooner or later finds yourself going back to him. The wise men on encountering the Lord went home another way. Today, let’s decide to go home another way. Do not return to Herod. Herod is not happy that your Savior is born. Herod is not happy that you have found your Savior. Herod is not happy that you are saved. Herod is not happy that you are happy. Herod wants to destroy all that. Do not go back to him. If you have left him; leave him in the past. If you have encountered him before, do not go back to him. Forward march! Forward ever! Backward never!

“Are you the one to come, or should we look for another?”

“Are you the one to come, or should we look for another?”

Fr. Divine Emeka Okwara

Homily for the 3^rd Sunday of Advent, 2010

Holy Names Church

Memphis, Tennessee

A woman was once looking for the perfect birthday card for her husband. Then she came across a pleasant card that reads on the outside “Sweetheart, you are the answer to my prayers.” Then she opened the card, and on the inside is written, “You are not exactly what I prayed for, but it seems you are the answer.”

I want to assume that something like this may have run through the mind of John the Baptist as he sat lonely and alone with God in the prison. John, like every Jew had hoped and prayed for the coming of the Messiah. He like every Jewish person had longed for a military deliverer who would vanquish and conquer the enemies, establish a great kingdom, and usher in an era of peace and prosperity. The prophets of the Old Testament had prophesied the advent of the Messiah who would bring glad tiding. The First Reading taken from the prophecy of Isaiah 35:1-6a, 10 begins as follows, “The desert and parched land will exult; the steppe will rejoice and bloom. They will bloom with abundant flowers, and rejoice with joyful song.” Why would a desert and parched land exult? Why would the stepped rejoice and bloom? Because the Messiah, the anointed one is coming. The Messiah is coming to establish a new era of hope for the oppressed, repressed, and depressed people. The First Reading from Isaiah also says “Say to those who are fearful hearted, be strong, do not afraid! Behold, your God will come with vindication, with divine recompense, he comes to save you.” And when he comes, “the eyes of the blind will open, the ears of the deaf will be cleaned; then the lame will leap for joy, and the tongue of the mute will sing.” With time, John believed that the prayers have been answered. And the answer to the prayers is his cousin, Jesus of Nazareth.

As you already know, John the Baptist was the forerunner of Jesus Christ. He was the last prophet of the Old Testament that actually saw Jesus. He was an Old Testament prophet who had one foot in the old era and one foot in the new era. John had a ministry until his arrest. His ministry was that of preparing people for the coming of Jesus, the anointed one. Even though he lived in the wilderness near Jordan, still great crowds came to listen to him preach. John’s message was powerful, persuasive, direct, and life-changing. He did not live a fancy life; he did not eat fancy and expensive food; he did not wear fancy clothes; he did not live in a fancy house; he did not associate with fancy people. John was not a celebrity or a wealthy man; yet, all sorts of people rich people, poor people, beggars, lepers, sinners, Pharisees etc go out to the desert to listen to him. John was not a celebrity or the sexiest man on the planet, but his message was primarily directed to fancy people, to celebrities who let fancy material things define them instead of defining themselves in relation to their relationship with God. John had seen Jesus when he came to Jordan; he had seen him from a distance and at a close range. Remember Jesus was baptized by John. But after their encounter, Jesus and John went their separate ways. John continued with his public ministry.

John is now in prison. He has enough time to reflect and to think over what he has said and done, and what he has heard Jesus is doing. John is in prison over his refusal to sanction the intended marriage of King Herod Antipas to Herodias, the wife of his own brother. In prison, John remembered the high hope he had about the coming of the Messiah. He had hoped for a revolutionary Messiah instead he got a Messiah who ate and dinned with sinners. Although there were pleasant stories of miracles and healings, but there was no call for arms and revolution. John may have thought of Jesus as the answer to their prayers, but not exactly what they prayed for. To avoid making a hasty and wrong conclusion about Jesus, John sent his disciples to Jesus with a question, “Are you the one to come, or shall we look for another?”

But instead of answering John’s question brought by his disciple, Jesus simply said, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news proclaimed to them.” The Lord simply said to John’s disciples, Look, go and tell John that the prophecy of the prophets especially the one we read today in Isaiah is being fulfilled: “Say to those who are fearful hearted, be strong, and fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance; with the recompense of God, He will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap like a hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing for joy. For waters shall break forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert” (Isaiah 35:4-6). Jesus did not say yes or no, but he pointed out what has been happening. The Lord did not try to “talk the talk” but he did “walk the walk.” He let his actions speak for themselves.

When the disciples of John left, Jesus turned to his listeners and asked “What did you go out to the desert to see? A reed swayed by wind? Absolutely Not! “Then what did you go out to see? Someone dressed in fine clothing” No! “Those who wear fine clothing are in royal palaces. Then why did you go out? To see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.

Are you the one who is to come, or shall look for another? Jesus’ answer was a way of saying to the people not to be trapped in their concept of the Messiah who will come to wage a violent war against the Romans. The Lord was simply saying that his Messiah is not a warlike messiah but a Messiah who will bring about real deliverance. Defeating the Romans and sending them packing does not end humans’ misery and hopelessness. Being ruled by their own people is not going to bring liberation and freedom. True and real liberation and freedom comes from the Lord. It comes from being a part of the Kingdom which the Son of God has come to establish. Freedom from slavery is not deliverance; freedom from oppression is not really freedom; freedom from paying taxes is not really the real freedom. Freedom comes from Jesus. One can be in physical chains and still be free. Freedom is eternal life. That is why Jesus says in John 8:36, “When the Son of Man sets you free, you are free indeed.” And eternal life says Jesus “Is knowing the only true God, and knowing Jesus Christ whom he has sent” (John 17:3).

Are you the one who is to come or shall we look for another? Jesus comes that the blind may regain their sight. The Lord comes so that those who are blind to see the truth, those who are blind to love; those who are blind to see others especially the needy, those who are blind to see God might regain their sight. Jesus comes that the lame may walk; the Lord comes so that those who are paralyzed by fear, hopelessness, doom and negativity will walk again in hope. Jesus comes so that lepers might be cleansed; the Lord comes so that those afflicted by the leprosy of sin might be cleansed and washed. Jesus comes so that the deaf will hear; the Lord comes that those who are deaf to hear to the message of life, deaf to hear the truth (truth hurts so much), those who are deaf to hear the cry of mercy, the cry of peace, the cry of justice, the cry of equity, the cry to respond to human suffering, the cry of those who are jobless, the cry of those who are homeless, the cry of those who are naked and hungry, the cry of those crying for help may hear and act. Jesus comes that the dead may be raised; the Lord comes to raise those who are asleep in faith, hope, and love. Jesus comes to raise those especially his followers who have been overtaken by secularism, by the loss of the sense of sins, and by lack of passion for the kingdom. Jesus comes to raise those who have fallen into the sleep of the soul, those who are not burning with desire to do good. He has come to fire them up! Jesus has come to preach the good news; the Lord has come to preach the good news to all those who are materially poor and spiritually poor. And that good news is “God is love.” That good news is “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, whoever believes in him will not die, but have eternal life.” That good news is “the kingdom is close at hand.”

Dearest beloved, the question directed to Jesus by John’s disciples “Are you the one to come, or shall we look for another” can be directed to each of us too. Jesus has fulfilled the Messianic prophecies. He has left the remaining task to us. Remember the handless cross in our school, remember the inscription beside it. For the sake of our visitors, there is a big cross over there in our school. On the cross is the crucified Jesus with his two hands chopped off. But beside the handless cross is the inscription “WE ARE HIS HANDS.” We are the hands of Jesus today. We are the voice of Jesus today. We are the body of Jesus today. We are the love, mercy and generosity of Jesus today. But are you? Are you the one to come or shall we look for another?

A couple prayed for the visitation of Jesus. They prayed to see Jesus visit them. After five years of ceaseless prayers and fasting without seeing Jesus, they decided to visit their priest. Disappointedly they said to their priest, “Father, for five years we have prayed and asked the Lord to visit us, but he has refused to show up. Why is the Lord refusing to visit us?” The priest answered “In your neighborhood, there is a very poor couple with children. Suggest to them that you will celebrate the Christmas with them in their house. Prepare a good meal, and buy some Christmas gift for them. I tell you, that family has never had a good meal at Christmas. After you had done that, the Lord will surely visit you.”

The couple did as their priest told them. But after Christmas, they came back to their priest and said “Father, we did what you suggested, but we haven’t seen the Lord yet.” The priest said, “I know very well that Jesus visited the house of your poor neighbor on Christmas day. But of course you couldn’t see him.” Then the priest brought out a mirror and held it before his face and said, “Look, this was the face of Jesus on that Christmas day.”

Sisters, are you the one to come or should we look for another? Brothers, are you the one to come or should we look for another? Can you be Jesus to your neighbor or would you want them to keep looking for him? A good Christian is a Bible. A good Christian is Jesus to others. Are you the one? Are you?

Wake up! Keep your eyes open!

Father Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara CSsR, the Servant of God

Homily for the First Sunday of Advent, 2010

Holy Names of Jesus & Mary Catholic Church

Memphis, Tennessee, USA

Dearest beloved, today is the first Sunday of Advent. Advent is the beginning of the Church’s liturgical Calendar. As you already know, the Catholic Church has her own unique calendar, and through this liturgical calendar, the Church presents the unchanging history of our salvation beginning from creation to the Second coming of Jesus, together with the entire life of our Redeemer Jesus Christ. Through this liturgical calendar, the Church teaches and forms her children in the things of God; her children learn about faith, hope and love. We learn about God’s will for us and how to do God’s will. Each Sunday or Feast presents us a special lesson for our daily living.

The season of Advent precisely emphasizes the Parousia, that is, the Second Coming of Jesus. It reminds us that our days on earth are numbered. Advent tells us that just as the sun rises, it also sets. The Church during this season reminds us, in case we have forgotten that the Redeemer of humanity will some day come back. The Church reminds us that someday we meet him. It is either we meet him here on earth during lifetime or we meet him in heaven after our earthly life. But unfortunately, not every one will meet the Lord in heaven. Some will not. Do you know why? Because they did not keep their eyes open. They did not wake up from their slumber; they did not stay wake. Advent reminds us that human life does not go on unceasingly. Advent therefore offers us a new beginning. The First Sunday of Advent is the Church’s New Year Day. So, I say to you all, “Happy New Year.” And do not forget that Advent begins the Christmas cycle.

The word “Advent” means “arrival” or “coming.” It indicates the arrival or the coming of the Lord. It teaches that Jesus Christ, our Brother in our humanity, and our God in his divinity is coming. Baby! Jesus is about to come. The Lord comes to us in different ways: First, the whole Gospel of Luke chapter 2 tells us that at a specific time in history in Bethlehem, more than 2000 years ago, the infant Jesus was born. The first entrance of Jesus into our world is what we celebrate at Christmas. At Christmas, we celebrate the migration of the King of kings from heaven to earth. On Christmas, we rejoice for the Good Neighbor, Jesus Christ for moving into our neighborhood. From being a Landlord, a house owner, he became a tenant with us in our neighborhood because of us. With him living with us we are covered. We are no longer afraid of the Hoodlum- the Devil who terrorizes our streets.

Secondly, the gospel of Matthew 24: 29-31 also speaks of the Lord’s arrival at the end of time to judge the living and the dead. His Second Coming is going to be a time of reward and recompense. Friends, never forget that our Rewarder is coming. In Revelation 3:20, Jesus says “behold, I stand at the door and knock, if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and dine with the person, and the person with me.” Thirdly, Jesus comes to us in the Eucharist and in the Word of God proclaimed and preached. In John 6:25-59, the Lord tells us he is more than the manna the people of Israel ate in the desert, that he is the Bread of life. And in Matthew 26: 26-29, the Lord commands “Take and eat…Do this in remembrance of me.” Finally, Jesus comes to us in the needy persons, in the poor, the most vulnerable, the suffering and the oppressed. The face of the poor, the needy and vulnerable is the face of Jesus Christ. Once I saw a band of lepers along a major road in Nigeria begging for alms, and I said to myself “There, over there is Jesus.” Remember in Matthew 25:40, Jesus says “Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers and sisters, you did unto me.”

Baby, advent is a period of great expectation. It is a wonderful expectation of the coming of our Savior and our salvation. Mind you, if there is no Savior, there will be no Salvation. The Savior brings salvation; the salvation is for those who keep their eyes open. Salvation is for those who stay awake. This salvation is for those who are ready to receive it. Sacred Scripture says that “The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.” Baby, this salvation is free, but not cheap!

We may be asking ourselves now, “What shall we do to be saved?” “What shall we do then to be part of this salvation and to belong to the redeemed people?” My best friend Jesus Christ provides the answer in today’s Gospel reading when he said “Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.” In the area of coming when people are not expecting his arrival, the Lord compares himself to a thief. When a thief breaks into a home, he steals money and other material goods. But Jesus does not come to steal your money or your material goods; he wants to “steal” your soul. He wants to have you. Like the thief, he will gate-crash into the house of your soul; and if your eyes are open, and you are readily awake, he will take you along. When a “smart” thief breaks into a home, and finds the owner deeply asleep and snoring, he would not bother to wake her up. He may carry her laptops, phones, TV, iPad, iPod; credit cards etc. if there is money in the drawer, he will take it and secretly leave before you wake up to dial 911 or recognize him. It is almost the same thing with Jesus. When he comes and finds you deeply asleep, asleep in faith, moral and virtues, unlike the thief, he will not take any of your material goods, because he does not need them; but like the thief, he may not bother to wake you up. He will simply walk out in disappointment.

Dearest beloved, Jesus says in today’s Gospel that we do not know the day our Lord will come. We don’t know when the appointed time will come. This appointed time may be when we die individually. Hebrews 9:27 says, “It is appointed unto humans to die once, and then be judged.” The appointed time may be when Jesus comes again. The entire chapter 24 of Matthew’s gospel tells of the Lord’s second coming and how it’s going to look like.

Sons, daughters and children of God, let’s keep our eyes open watching and waiting in prayer and in upright living. Stay awake! Wake up from the sleep of the soul. The sleep of the soul is the neglect of God and God’s matters. It is the neglect of spiritual duties like coming to Church on Sunday and letting the church come to you everyday. Some people come to Church always, but always leave worship unchanged. Letting the church come to you means “being a church person every time and in everywhere.” The sleep of the soul is the neglect of one’s state of life; it is the neglect of virtues.

Some Christians are asleep, even though they are walking around. And in their deep slumber, they are overtaken by the deeds of darkness, and driven back to Sodom. In their deep sleep, their dreams are all about Egypt instead of dreaming about the Promised Land. Sleeping Christians believe in past glory. In their slumber, they fail to remember that our salvation is nearer then when we first believed. Today, the Lord urges us to wake up, to keep our eyes open because we do not know when he will come. Arise and shine in this crooked and pervert world.

In the book of Revelation 3: 1, the Church in Sardis was described by the Lord as follows, “I know your deeds, you have a reputation of being alive but you are dead.” Baby, divine view is different from human view. This is why 1 Samuel 16:7 says “The Lord does not look at the things human beings look at.” Human beings look at outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.

The church in Sardis was deceived by their reputation; she was deceived by human applause. When weighed on human scales, they were found perfect. They were justified by men. When they sing, pray, clap hands, and dance in their church, onlookers nod their heads in great admiration and say “Yes, their church is alive and moving forward.” In their church, they prayed like Elijah; in their church, they danced like David; in their church, they preached like St. Paul; in their church, miracles were performed like Elisha; in their church, they sang like the angels; in their church, they prophesied like Ezekiel; in their church, they preach social justice like Amos; in their church they claim to be like Jesus. Because of these, people believed they were alive. But when weighed spiritually, they were simply empty. Jesus scanned their hearts and found that what they had was outward show of piety.

Dearest beloved, Jesus tells us today to keep our eyes open, and be watching in prayer and in good deeds. He wants us to come down from our bed of sleep. The Lord wants us to hearken to the words of Prophet Isaiah 2: 3 “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the temple of the God of Jacob so that he may teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths…” St. Paul in 1 Thessalonica 5:6-8 says “So then, let us not be like others who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled…putting on faith and love as breastplate, and hope of salvation as helmet.” But if we do nothing about our spiritual life and our life generally, we may be found wanting when the Lord comes. Revelation 3:3 warns us as follows, “But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.”

Do you know what? Only those whose eyes are open, who stay awake, will sing with the Psalmist in Psalm 122: 1, “I rejoice when I heard them say, “let us go to the house of God.”

Perseverance for the sake of the kingdom

Perseverance for the sake of the kingdom

Father Divine Emeka Okwara CSsR

Homily for the 33^rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C, 2010

Holy Names Church

Memphis, Tennessee

Today Jesus speaks to us about wisdom and witness. He was coming to the end of his earthly ministry. The setting of this gospel is the Temple in Jerusalem. The gospel of Luke tells us that Jesus was standing in one of the courtyards watching people as they come and go. Then he overheard some people marveling at the beauty of the Temple. They were not talking to God; they were rather talking to themselves about the costly stones and votive offering in the Temple. They were not praising God; they were praising the Temple. They were not glorifying God; they were glorifying the Temple. They did not marvel at God’s beauty and majesty, but that of the Temple. Jesus released the bombshell- all earthly things including the Temple are vanity unless they lead us to God. He then prophesied the destruction of the Temple: “All that you see here, the days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down.”

Jesus’ listeners must have been baffled at what he said. The Temple was huge; and a magnificent sight to behold. Remember, it took the Jewish people many years to complete it. But Jesus was right. In 70 AD, the Romans destroyed the Temple, and leveled the city of Jerusalem.

In today’s gospel, Jesus also speaks of other calamities like wars, famine and earthquakes: “Nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues from place to place; and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky.” To those who believe in him, Jesus says “they will seize and persecute you, they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons, and they will have you led before kings and governors because of my name.” Again, these prophecies of Jesus came to pass like his prophesy of the destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem. So many early Christians were persecuted, tortured, and killed by some Roman emperors. Emperor Nero, for instance, destroyed the lives of so many Christians. He was so ruthless to Christians that the Christian writer, Tertullian accused him of the being the first to persecute the Christians. When it rained in Rome, Nero accused the Christians for praying to their God to send the rain, and he would order for their killing. Peter and Paul, like many other disciples of Jesus were killed. Remember, Stephen too. He was regarded as the first Christian martyr. But in all these tribulations, the early Christians did not give up their faith. They believed in the promise of Jesus to be with them till the end of time. The early Christians believed they were not alone. In fact, in today’s gospel, Jesus promised “Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand, for I myself shall give you wisdom in speaking that your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute.” In that expression, the Lord assured of his ever constant presence.

Dearest in Christ, I don’t want to dwell on the end time. I don’t want to dwell so much on the signs of the end time. Everything that Jesus said in today’s gospel has come to past, and some of them are still happening today. We still witness wars; nation still rise up against nation; hunger and famine have devastated life; earthquake still happen; this year alone, it has occurred in Haiti, Chile, China, and Indonesia. Awesome sights like hurricane, volcanic eruption, and human bodies littering the streets of wars are still being seen. In some Islamic and communist countries, Christians are still prime targets for persecution and death. So everything the Lord said in today’s gospel has either occurred or still occurring.

But in the face of all these calamities, Jesus tells us “Do not be terrified” (Luke 21:9). Do not be afraid because Jesus is always with us. We should not give in to life’s troubles. We should not surrender to life’s misfortune. Jesus says “By your perseverance you will secure your lives.” By your perseverance, you will inherit the Kingdom. Quitters do not win; quitters cannot run the race; quitters do not get to the finish line; quitters are never praised both by God and by humans. Quitters give up before morning. The Bible says “there may be mourning in the night, but joy comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5). Those who do not persevere do not see the morning when joy is enjoyed. Those who do not persevere all through the night till morning do not see the joy of a new day.

Jesus has not promised us a crossless life. He never promised us a rosy life without thorns. He is actually telling us that opting to follow him is opting for persecution, arrest, betrayal, imprisonment, backstabbing, and public ridicule. But the Lord has made a promise “By your perseverance you will secure your lives” meaning, “if you persevere till the very end, you will be saved.” If you continue to be faithful to me even when it is very difficult to do, you will be saved. If you continue to be my arm in the world, even when it is not encouraging to do so, you will be saved. If you continue to be my voice in the world, speaking truth, peace and justice, even when you are not being appreciated, you will be saved. If you continue to be my hand reaching out to my people, even when those you are reaching out your hand to try to cut off your hand, you will be saved.

Brethren, we have heard it today from our Lord. No one likes misfortune. I do not like it either. I want my life to be free of any problem and trouble. Incidentally, such a path is not the path that leads to life. If there is no cross, there will be no crown. For those of us who have golden jewelries, think of the painful process a piece of gold will have to go through before it is finally purified. That’s the life of a Christian. All the troubles we experience in our lifetime are our passing through purification. Like gold, we must be heated before we become the shinning piece of God’s ornaments. If you persevere, you will be saved. But if you quit, you may be lost.

Sisters and brothers, the wind will blow; sickness may come; insecurity and threat to life may heighten; advancement in age may weaken out movement; our good actions may not be appreciated; what you ask for in prayer may not exactly be given to you; life may be really hard; the once joyful marriage may end up being a nightmare; your children may not appreciate all you are doing for them; you may be invisible to others; things you never expected to happen to you may happen to you; you may be on the brink of loosing your house; the night may be long; the journey may be far; the mountain of life may be high, but Jesus tells us “Do not be afraid.” When Jesus says “Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand, for I myself shall give you wisdom in speaking…” he was simply saying “I will be with you all the time.” I will be with you all the time to grant you wisdom. I will be with you all the time to lighten the loud. I will be with you all the time to ease your pains. I will be with you all the time to comfort you. Do not give up. May your desire for the kingdom never let you give up. By your perseverance, your life will be saved.

May God bless you today, bless you tomorrow, and bless you always.

Pride compares us with others; humility compares us with God

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara CSsR

Homily for the 30^th Sunday in Ordinary Year C, 2010

Holy Names Church

Memphis, Tennessee, USA

A story is told of a king who once visited a prison and talked with each of the inmates. There were endless tales of innocence, misunderstood of motives, and of exploitation. Every prisoner claimed innocent of the actions that brought them to jail: “I am innocent, I didn’t do it” every one of them said. Finally, the king stopped by the cell of a convict who remained silent. The king said to him, “Well, I suppose you are an innocent victim too?” “No sir, I am not, I am guilty and deserve my punishment,” replied the man. Now turning to the prison warder the king said, “Release this rogue immediately before he corrupts all these fine innocent people here.”

Dearest beloved, today’s gospel is one that every believer is called to pay close attention to. It is the story of two believers, a Pharisee and a tax collector. It is important to emphasize that both men were believers in the same God; both belonged to the same religion, and both worshipped in the same temple. Both men were active believers who took part in temple worship and said their daily prayers. At the end of worship, one of them went home at peace with God but the other did not.

As we already know, the Pharisees were disciplined and devout men of religion. They were serious-minded believers who committed themselves to a life of regular prayer and observance of God’s law. In fact, they went beyond the requirements of the law. They fasted twice a week- Mondays and Thursdays, even though the law only required people to fast once a year, on the Day of Atonement. The Pharisees paid tithes of all their income duly, not just of the required parts. So when the Pharisee in today’s gospel said, “O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity- greedy, dishonest, adulterous or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income (Luke 18: 11-12), he was not kidding or lying. There are few Christians today who can measure up to the visible moral standards of the man.

Tax collectors, on the other hand, were generally regarded as people of low moral standard. They worked for the pagan Romans, mixed up with them and constantly handled their unclean money, because of that they were said to be in a state of ritual uncleanliness. As far as the religion of that day was concerned, tax collectors were public sinners on the highway to hell. They were categorized and classified on the same list with the prostitutes. But the tax collector in today’s gospel knew that the voice of the people is not always the voice of God. He believed he would be saved not on the merit of any religious achievements but on the unlimited mercy of God.

Both the Pharisee and the tax collector believed in God. But believing in God is not enough, after all, the Islamic extremists who destroy human life and human wealth also believe in God. The epistle of James 2:19 has this to say, “You believe that there is one God; you do well, but the devils also believe that and tremble.” What really matters is what people believe about God and how their faith in God affects their view of themselves and of others. The Pharisees believed in a discriminating God who loves only good people and hates bad people. People behave like the God they believe in. So the Pharisees quickly learn to love only good people like themselves and look down with contempt on bad people and sinners like the tax collectors.

Jesus told this parable against the Pharisees because they “trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt.” The Pharisee did not really go to the temple to pray to God, he prayed with himself. True prayer is always offered to God and to God alone. The Pharisee was only giving himself a testimonial before God. The tax collector, on the other hand, trusted not in himself or in anything he had done but only in God’s mercy. Standing far off, he would not even look up to heaven, but beat his chest and prayed, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” This is the man who went home at peace with God and not the self-righteous Pharisee.

Today’s gospel teaches us the following; firstly, it teaches us that no proud man can pray. The gate of heaven is very low that none can enter it except on the knees. The gate of heaven is small and narrow that the puff-up, proud and arrogant man who raises his shoulders high or spreads his hands wide in arrogance cannot enter it. Secondly, it teaches us that no one who despises a fellow human being can be at peace with God; the person cannot pray. In prayer we do not lift ourselves above others. True prayer reveals to us that we are all in this together, that we all are sinners in desperate need of God’s mercy. Thirdly, true prayer comes from setting our lives beside the life of God. No doubt all that the Pharisee said was true. He did fast; he did give tithes; he was not as other men are, he was not like the tax collector. But the question is not, “Am I as good as my fellow humans?” The question is, “Am I as good as God?” “Am I more than others or more of Jesus?” The whiteness of a whitewashed house will obviously be diminished and soiled when surrounded by the virgin whiteness of fallen snow.

It all depends on what we compare ourselves with. Pride compares us with others and tells us that we are better than them. But when the virtue of humility compares us with God, it tells us the truth- “We ain’t better.” When we set our lives beside the life of Jesus and beside the holiness of God, all that we can honestly say is, “Be merciful to me O God a sinner.”

Pray in season and out of season

Father Marcel-Divine Emeka Okwara CSsR

Homily for the 29^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

St. Alfonsus “Rock” Catholic Church

St. Louis, Missouri, USA

Mrs. Lucy was a good Catholic woman who believed in the power and effectiveness of prayer. She trusted God so much that every day, she would go to God in prayer. Then one day, her beloved husband became sick and was dying. Mrs. Lucy prayed day and night for God’s divine intervention and healing of her husband. Every morning, she would attend morning Mass; during Mass, she would pray for her husband. After Mass, she stayed behind and prayed to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. In the evening, Mrs. Lucy would come again to pray for her husband before Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. But despite all her prayers, fasting and supplications, her husband’s sickness did not go away. Throughout the period of her husband’s sickness, Mrs. Lucy had lost so much weight because of fasting and mortification. Everybody in the Church knew of her situation. Eventually, her husband died. When the news of her husband’s death broke out, people wondered what Mrs. Lucy would do now. The general opinion was that God did not answer her prayers which were accompanied by several fasting and mortification.

At the funeral Mass, people were amazed to see Mrs. Lucy looking so calm and beaming with smiles. During the oration, she said “First, I want to thank you all for coming here today to be part of my thanksgiving to God. I thank God from the bottom of my heart for hearing my prayers. For days, weeks and months, I had prayed for my husband’s healing. I prayed for temporary healing, but God decided to grant my husband a permanent healing. So I thank the good God for being so good to my husband, me and my family.” Later, she said “My friends, prayer actually works.”

Friends in Jesus Christ, today’s gospel taken from Luke 18:1-8 is about prayer. It is about persistence in prayer. This persistence in prayer is not essentially about praying until something happens (PUSH), that is, praying until the things you asked for in prayer are given to you, it is rather remaining in prayer, praying in season and out of season whether your intentions are granted or not. Prayer is not only a solemn request; it is also an expression of thanks to God. Prayer is dependence on God; it is deepening one’s relationship with the almighty. Prayer maintains our relationship with God. It enables us remain in God. In John 15:5, Jesus says, “Whoever remains in me, and I in him, will bear much fruit.” Our remaining in Jesus can only be made possible, strengthened, and deepened through a relationship of prayer.

Prayer is humility; humility is “less of me, more of God.” According to Father Richard Thiele CSsR (My Novitiate Director 1998-1999), “Prayer is touching God our heavenly Father.” Praying in season and out of season is touching God in season and out of season. It means touching God always. Through the constant act of touching God, we derive the powerful and electrifying current of grace. Grace enables us to carry on loving God and neighbor even against all odds.

In today’s gospel, Jesus told his disciples a parable about the necessity of praying always and not loosing heart. The parable is about a certain judge, one of those robber judges who constantly refused to grant a poor widow a just decision. The poor widow had no resources to hire a lawyer to adjudicate her case. But she had one weapon, and that is persistence. The judge, afraid of being worn out by the poor widow, decided to act.

This parable is like the parable of the Friend at Midnight (Luke 11:5-8). The parable does not liken God to an unjust judge; it rather contrasts God to such a person. Jesus was simply saying, “If in the end, an unjust judge can be wearied into giving the widow justice, how much more will your just God, who is loving and caring, give to his children what they need?” God will surely give us what we need, not what we want. And who defines and determines what our needs are? God!

Now, the image of God portrayed in today’s gospel by Jesus is that of a Father who answers every prayer. Yes, God answers every prayer. But God’s answer to our prayers may not necessarily be exactly what we asked for. When we pray, God gives only three answers: one, either yes; two, or not yet; three, or I have something better in mind for you.

We should not expect to get whatever we pray for. Sometimes, a loving and caring father has to refuse the request of his child because he knows that what the child asks for world in the end hurt rather than help. That is how God is like. We don’t even know what would happen in the next hour, week, or month, or year. But God knows. He knows yesterday, today, and tomorrow. He knows the past, the present and the future. Only God knows what is good for us in the long run. That is why Jesus urged us not to be discouraged in prayer, especially when what we asked for is not given to us. That is why the Lord wondered if our faith would remain till he comes considering the fact that not everything we asked for would be given to us.

As I already said, prayer enables us to remain in constant relationship with our Lord. Prayer is touching God in order to remain in a deep relationship with him. Therefore, we pray in order to remain in the Father, through the Son and with the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. Prayer is a longing for “more of God.” Today, Jesus wants us to pray always in order to keep our faith alive. When we pray, it is not in order to inform God about our misfortunes because God already knows those things. Prayer is not about getting the Lord to change his plans. It is incorrect to say or to think that God only helps those who pray, while refusing those who don’t. When we pray, we open ourselves up to seeing the world through God’s eyes, from God’s perspective. When we pray, we open ourselves more to the Fountain of life, and we open our eyes to see through his light; as the Psalmist says, “For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light” (Psalm 36:9). Prayer is also a weapon against the forces of darkness. It is a weapon of removal. Through prayer all the obstacles hindering us from receiving what God has already given to us are removed.

Throughout Jesus’ earthly ministry, he prayed regularly; he also taught his disciples how to pray. Prayer is not only about asking and asking. It is about knowledge and encounter and friendship. It is in prayer that we know Jesus personally. It is in prayer that we encounter him in a special way. It is in prayer that our friendship with him is deepened. Prayer strengthens us. The one-to-one talking and listening to Jesus enhances our relationship with him. It moves us into intimacy with him.

Prayer is not about turning God into a coke machine (once you slot in your money into the machine, your drink drops out, and if you don’t put in your money, no coke for you). Prayer is about remaining in a relationship with God. If you keep praying, you will keep your faith, and then when the Son of Man returns, he would not find you in despair but in burning love for him. And even when we make request in our prayer, we should do so bearing in mind that God would only give us what is best for us. And guess what? We will never be weary in prayer and our faith will never wobble if, after we had made our request to God, we can add the beautiful prayer of Jesus, “Thy will be done.”

When Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me. Nevertheless, let your will be done, not mine.” That prayer was persistent and also trusting. But that prayer did not save Jesus from the cross, but it did lead to resurrection. If we can pray with Jesus’ faith, we will never lose heart. If God’s will is done, then it is victory for us because God’s will is the best for us. With that we can say that our prayer is surely answered.

Keep on praying in the Spirit. Pray in season and out of season.

Don’t ever forget to say always “Thank You Lord”

Father Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara CSsR

Homily for the 28^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

Holy Names Church

Memphis, Tennessee

Madam Lora, even in her nineties was still taking a taxi to Mass every Sunday morning. She resorted to taking taxi because she was no longer able to drive to church unassisted. Very often she was lucky to get the same taxi driver that had driven her to church many times. One Sunday morning, the driver taxi who had driven her to church at many other Sundays said to her, “Why do you bother yourself going to church every Sunday at your age? Madam Lora replied, “Just to give thanks,” “Just to say “Thank you Lord.” Touching the driver at the back, she said again “I think you should join me to give thanks and praise to God almighty.”

Madam Lora had a good grasp of what we do when we come to Mass. When we come to Mass, we have come essentially to say “Thank You Lord.” In fact, that’s what the word “Eucharist” means. The meaning of the Mass is summed up in the dialogue of the Preface when we say “It is right to give Him (the Lord) thanks and praise.”

Today’s gospel begins with “When Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem…” The Lord was obviously on the border between Galilee and Samaria and was then met by a group of ten lepers. I want us to remember that Jews had no dealings with the Samaritan people. But in this group of lepers, there was at least one Samaritan with others who were Jews. Here is an example of a great law of life. A common misfortune had broken down the racial and national barriers, and had brought them together. Humans can discriminate against each other, but not life’s misfortunes. Diseases, poverty, and loneliness do not discriminate. These lepers had a common problem- leprosy. The tragedy of life had helped them forget they were Jews and Samaritans; it has rather made them aware that they were all humans in need of help.

As for us, we don’t have leprosy. We are not lepers. But we have a common problem, which is our susceptibility or proneness to sin. We are all prone to sin. Sinfulness is our common problem. This common problem ought to break down all racial and national barriers, and make us aware that we are all humans in need of God’s help. Our common origin and problem should draw us together in one love for each other and in one love for God. Unfortunately, in some time of need, some of us flee from God. Our need for each other and our common need of God ought to draw us together

These ten people with leprosy were under a sentence of death; there was no cure for their diseases; they were isolated from their families, friends and from the human society. In fact, they were considered worthless, and no one dared to come near them. No one would touch them, or handle anything they had touched. The rules laid down in Old Testament is clear about this: “The leprous person shall wear torn clothes, and let the hair of his head hang loose, he must cover the lower part of his face, and cry out, “Unclean! Unclean!” You must also live outside the camp, away from others” ((Leviticus 13: 45-46)

Mindful of this rule, the lepers called Jesus from a distance, “Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!” These lepers were dead men walking. They were dead physically and socially, but not spiritually. When they saw Jesus, they saw God; they saw the Master. When they saw Jesus, they saw the Man to heal them and restore them to their community. That’s why they called and shouted “Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!” Now the name Jesus in Greek is Iesous; and in Hebrew, it is Yeshua which means “God is (my) help” or “The Lord is salvation.” Their greatest desire was healing and restoration, to return back home to a normal life. That’s all that they were asking for, just a chance to be like other people.

Sickness like leprosy was regarded as a punishment from God during the time of Jesus. So the sickness of these ten lepers was a sign that they were “guilty” of great sin. They were therefore shunned and avoided. When people looked at them, they saw sinful men. But when Jesus saw them, he saw something else; he saw their pain, not only physical pain but also the pain of being isolated and separated from their families, friends, neighbor and their familiar environment. Jesus saw the pain of being shunned and avoided by everybody. He saw their loneliness. Everyone else saw them as living corpses, but Jesus saw them as God’s living children. The Lord saw their need and healed them, “Go show yourself to the priests.”

On their way home, they were cleansed and healed. Nine of them went on their ways, only one returned to give thanks to Jesus, “One of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice; he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him.”

You know what? We often praise the disobedient ex-leper who came back to thank Jesus and criticize the nine for not coming back to thank Jesus, but they only obeyed the command of Jesus who said to them “Go show yourselves to the priests.” One reasonable reason why we often criticized them is that they were all readily ready, all too ready to accept what the priests would offer them: their old lives. That’s why they were sent to the priests. The priests would certify the cure, and then they could return home and have their old lives back.

Confronted by misfortune, we usually yearn to have our old lives back. When we are confronted by tragic events, by sudden reversal of fortune, by the death of a beloved one, by the loss of jobs or homes, by sickness or advancing years, we want our life back. This one Samaritan, healed from leprosy perceived that with Jesus, something more, something better, something new is being offered to him, which is more important and far greater than simply having his old life back. The healed man realized that his old life is not sufficient for the life of discipleship. That’s why we praise him for coming back. He came back to thank Jesus and to also accept him as his Lord and Savior. The gospel says on coming to Jesus, “…he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him.” The prostration is a symbolic act of surrender to Jesus.

This gospel story shows clearly humans’ ingratitude. The lepers desperately called Jesus for help; he cured them; a large number of them never came back to give thanks. So often, once a person has got what she wants, she never comes back. Some of us are ungrateful to our parents; we easily forget the time we depended entirely on them, a week’s neglect would have killed us. Of all the living creatures, human beings require the longest time to become self-sufficient. For years, we were totally dependent on our parents literally for everything. Yet, the day comes when we regard our aged parents as talkative, nuisance, and burdens and we are ready to dump and abandon them in senior citizens’ homes even when we can afford to cater for them in our own homes. We are reluctant to repay our parents for taking care of us.

We are ungrateful to our fellow humans too. There were times when we thought we will never forget the good done to us by others. But only few end up satisfying the debt of gratitude they owe. When teachers teach well, when your doctor takes care of you excellently, when a friend is of a great help to you, what do you say? Thank you? Or I appreciate this?

What about our God? In times we need, we desperately pray with intensity asking for God’s help. And as time passes, we also pass God by and we forget God. God has given us so much; He gave us his Son Jesus Christ, and often we never give to him even a word of thanks. The best thanks we can give to God is to deserve his goodness and mercy a little better. As the Psalmist says, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.” The best thanks we can give to God is the gift of our lives. God wants us to offer our lives to him as a sign of our thanksgiving for all he has done for us.

Thanksgiving is not an added extra. It is absolutely central to the life of a Christian. Like Madam Lora said, it is saying “Thank you, thank you, thank you and thank you Lord.” Showing that gratitude sincerely and always helps us persevere in our relationship with God. If we are thankful, and God is essentially part of our lives, it becomes difficult to walk away from him.