Our God is the God of good news

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara CSsR

Homily for the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B

St. Gerard Majella Catholic Church

Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA

January 22, 2012

Today’s gospel taken from Mark 1:14-20 tells us that “After John had been arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God: ‘This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of is close at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.’” Jesus came to Galilee to proclaim the good news of God. He went about spreading and preaching the good news to tax collectors and prostitutes, to lepers and the blind, to people who were insignificant like fishermen and to everybody. Our God is a God of good news! And his good news is this: In his Son Jesus Christ, sinners are forgiven, unrighteous people are made holy, blind people were made to see, lame people were able to walk, rejected people like lepers, tax collectors and prostitutes were cleansed, forgiven, restored and accepted. In Jesus, the insignificant people like fishermen were given important roles of proclaiming the good news. In Jesus, everyone is invited and everyone is welcomed to the feast of the Lamb.  

Dearest beloved, we believe in the God of good news. We have a God who is always looking out for us. The good news of God can never be stopped by anything or by anybody. Even the arrest of John did not deter Jesus from spreading the good news. The good news excites and makes us happy. Therefore, nothing is going to deter us from receiving it and from spreading it. This good news is the good news of truth. Before Jesus came, human beings were guessing and groping who God is. But with the coming of Jesus, we have come to know that God is Abba Father and he loves and cares about us. The good news of God is the good news of hope. Because of life’s dualism- happiness and sadness, dark and light, life and death etc. some people believe that human life and all human endeavors are meaningless. But the Lord’s good news brings hope even in face of extreme difficulties. God’s good news is the good news of peace. It is the good news of promise. All non-Christian religions have an idea of a very demanding God. But our God is a God of good news who is more ready to give than we are to ask. The good news of Jesus is the good news of immortality and salvation. To pagans, death is the extinction and the destruction of life. To them, death ends life. But the good news of Jesus tells us that death is the beginning of the real life. Jesus tells us that we are on the way to life rather than death. The good news of Jesus is the good news of life. 

Beloved in Christ, today’s gospel says that as Jesus passed by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew fishing. And he said to them, “Come follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” They abandoned their profession, their fishing materials and probably their friends and family and followed him. As Jesus walked a little further, he also saw James, the Son of Zebedee, and his brother John. These two were fishing with their father. As soon as Jesus called them, they abandoned everything they were doing, left their father and the men who had been hired to help them out in their fishing business and followed him. 

What is that thing that made Andrew, Peter, James and John to leave everything and everybody behind and followed Jesus? What is this thing that makes people abandon everything to follow Jesus? It is called Good News! In Jesus Christ, we have God’s good news for us. In Jesus, we have good news preached so that we might have life and have it more abundantly. In Jesus, we have the good news preached to us so that we might know the Lord and know who we are and where we are going. Sisters and brothers, in Jesus, we have God’s good news. And God’s good news today is: “Repent, and believe in the gospel.” The good news is repent, make a U-turn, follow Jesus. Like Andrew, Peter, James and John, let’s leave everything that will hinder our journey towards God behind and follow Jesus. Jesus is our Good News!

We are looking for God

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara CSsR

Homily for the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B

St. Gerard Majella Catholic Church

Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA

January 15, 2012

Dearest beloved, as we return to Ordinary Time of the year of the Church’s liturgical calendar, the desert preacher, John the Baptist in today’s gospel reading taken John 1:35-42 recognizes Jesus as the Lamb of God. In the ancient time, lambs were generally used for sacrifice. By identifying Jesus as the Lamb of God, John was speaking of the redemptive sacrifice that Jesus would perform with his own Life and Blood to bring us reconciliation and salvation. The gospel says that seeing Jesus walked by, John says to his own disciples, “Behold the Lamb of God.” And as soon as John the Baptist made the declaration, two of his disciples who heard him left him and followed Jesus.

The disciples of John, like us, were looking for the Savior and their salvation. John had already told them that he was not Messiah. So, the moment John showed them the Lamb of God, the One they were looking for, they did not hesitate in following him. When Jesus turned and saw them following him, he asked them, “What are you looking for?” The question of Jesus offered them the opportunity to declare their intention. They want to live with Jesus. That is why they answered the Lord’s question with a question, “Rabbi, where are you staying?” 

Jesus’ question to the disciples of John Baptist, “What are you looking for?” is an important question that is still relevant to all Christians and to all people. Beloved in Christ, what are you looking for? Are you with me in  looking for our Savior and salvation? In a world of infidelities, of lies and deceits, the Psalmist tells us that God is a sure foundation, that God is faithful, that he is our Shepherd, he is the one who sets our feet upon a rock making our step secure. 

What are you looking for? What are we looking for? If you are with me, then we are looking for the only God who is faithful. We are looking for the God who bends low and listens to our cry. We are looking for a God who remembers the forsaken, the lonely, the abandoned, the sick, the elderly and the helpless.  We are looking for the God of patience and justice. We are looking for a God whose steadfast love never ceases. We are looking for God who says, “I have loved you with an everlasting love.” We are looking for the God of mercy and compassion.

Church, what are we looking for? We are looking for God who is so good, who will never leave or forsake us even when we stray from him. We are looking for love, authentic and real love. We are looking for the love that does not hurt. We are looking for God who is love, whose love for us is incomprehensible. We are looking for Jesus our burden-bearer, our healer, our joy, our peace, our blessing, our liberation, our deliverance, our fulfillment, our consolation and comfort. 

As we look for Jesus, Jesus is also looking for us. In fact, he is the one who first initiates this search. And having found us, he says to us today, “Come and see.” Come and see that the Lord is good. Are you hungry and thirsty? Jesus says to you, “Come and see.”

Are you sick? He says to you as well “Come and see”. Are you restless? He says to you, “Come and see.” Are you experiencing any misfortune in your life? “Come and see.” Come, taste and see that the Lord is good. Come and see the Lord your Good Shepherd. He will make you lie down in green pastures. He will lead you beside still waters. He will calm the raging seas in your life with these words: “Peace, be still!” He will refresh your soul. He will guide you all the days of your life.  And even if you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, you will not fear any evil because the Good Shepherd, Jesus is with you. With his rod and staff, he will always comfort you. He will prepare a table before you, even in the presence of your enemies. The Lord will anoint you with oil, and your cup of blessings will over-flow. And all the days of your life, his goodness and mercy will follow you. God’s presence will never depart from you. He will never leave you or forsake you. Whatever your life situation may be, Jesus invites you “Come and see!” 

God Has Found US!

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara CSsR

Homily for the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord

St. Gerard Majella Catholic Church

Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA

January 8, 2012

I want to believe you haven’t forgotten that we are still in the season of Christmas. The commercial Christmas is almost gone. But the real Christmas has not ended. In fact, the real Christmas does not end. It is said that everyday is not Christmas. Yes, everyday is not the commercial Christmas. Yet, the real Christmas is every day for those who allow the word of God to take flesh in their hearts. For real Christians, the real Christmas takes place every day, because, every day, Christ born again in their hearts. So, the real Christmas is every day to those who receive the word of God in their hearts and allow God’s word to guide their steps, to shape their lives and to form their characters. 

Today, we celebrate the Epiphany of the Lord Jesus. On Christmas Day, just a few days ago, we celebrated the birth of Christ Jesus in Bethlehem. On that day, the angel of the Lord and the shepherds led us to the manger. Today, we celebrate his Epiphany, his manifestation to the nations. Epiphany means the manifestation of the Divine Son to the nations of the world. Today, the star that guided the wise men from the East is guiding us too, guiding us to Bethlehem, guiding us to see the presence of God almighty in a little child, a child who has just been born. 

In today’s gospel taken from Matthew 2:1-12, we are told that the wise men from the East, the Magi, the shepherd arrived Jerusalem looking for Jesus, the Savior of the world. Jerusalem was a great city. It was a beautiful city and a great city of commerce. But when these shepherds arrived there, they were not interested in the beauty of Jerusalem. They were not there to sell or to buy any product. They were desperately looking for the Savior and their salvation. A discovery of the Savior leads to salvation. 

Herod was greatly disturbed at the news the wise men gave to him: “An Infant King is born. We saw his star as it rose and have come to do him homage.” The star they saw was the light of Christ. That star, shining on their path and leading them, was a sign, a sign that the One they were looking for had himself found them. They were looking for Christ Jesus, the light of the nations. But it was Christ, the light of the nations that first found them. When they told Herod that they had seen a light, Herod was greatly disturbed and sad. And just as Herod was greatly disturbed upon receiving the news that the light of God had found the wise men, the devil too is disturbed when God finds us, for we will no longer belong to his party. The world is disturbed when God finds us, for we will no longer join the bandwagon of sin. And we too can be disturbed when God finds us, because we will no longer live like slaves of our passions. When God finds, we must stop living in darkness. When God finds us, we must put behind us the deeds of darkness. But the devil does not want us to give them up, and that is why, when God finds us, the devil is disturbed. 

To be found by God is to have to travel by a different way. After Christ manifested himself to the wise men, the Gospel said that they returned to their country by a different way. Today, by manifesting himself to us, God has found us. Therefore, we must travel, from now on, by a different way. But before the wise men returned to their homeland, they paid homage to the new born King and offered their treasures of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 

Sisters and brothers, the wise men offered their best gifts to Jesus. They gave him gold which symbolizes the the kingship of Jesus. Jesus is the King of kings and the King of eternal glory. They gave him frankincense, which represents the priesthood of Christ. Jesus was a priest, and as a priest, he offered the greatest and the highest sacrifice on the cross. He offered himself that we might live. The wise men gave him Myrrh, which represents the death of Christ on the cross. He died to set us free. In this New Year, what gift or gifts are you going to offer to the Lord? What are we going to give the King of kings, our Origin and Guide? In Romans 12:1, St. Paul says, “Therefore I urge you brethren, by the mercies of God to offer your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.” The best gift we can give to God in this New Year is the gift of ourselves. And offering ourselves to him means offering the Three Tees: Time, Talent, and Treasure.

Homily for the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God

New Year Resolution with Mary

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara CSsR

Homily for the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God

St. Gerard Majella Catholic Church

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

January 1, 2012

Today is the first day of January. The name “January” is derived from the Roman god Janus, the god with two faces, one looking to the past and the other looking to the future. This is actually the time to look back at the year that just ended yesterday and to also look forward to the new year which begins today. As we begin the new year, there are important questions that we need to ask ourselves. How did I spend the year 2011? Did I achieve the goals I set at the beginning of it? Did I spend the past year enhancing the purpose of my life? How did I spend my talent, time and treasure? Was I regular at Sunday Masses? Did I deepen my relationship with God and with others last year? How can I grow spiritually? How can I be more involved in my parish Church? You see, a soul-searching questions like these will help us in setting goals and resolutions for the new year. 

As we celebrate the New Year, let’s make our New Year resolution with Mary, the Mother of God. Let’s make resolutions, not wishes. There is a difference between the two. A wish identifies a goal one wants to reach, but a resolution specifies the steps one should take to reach it. A wishful person says this is where I want to be, but a resolved and resolute person says this is is the road I will take, this is what I will do to get there. A wishful person says “I wish to live a life of union with God this year 2012” but a resolved and resolute person says “I will go to Church every Sunday, and I will set aside this time everyday to pray and read the Word of God.” A wishful person says, “I want to live better,” but a resolved person says “I will love everyone, I will forgive my offenders, I will help those in need.” 

Today, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God. The Church teaches us to look upon Mary as a model, that is, as a perfect exemplar, as someone to imitate. Mary is the model of a new life in Christ, the new life we want to live in this New Year. Mary was a woman who valued, cherished and treasured God so much. When the shepherds visited her to adore the Child Jesus in the manger, they also narrated the message they had been told about the Child. On hearing that, “Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.” Again after the boy Jesus was found in the Temple, we are told that “His Mother treasured all these things in her heart” (Luke 2:5). Mary valued the word of God so much. She pondered and reflected on them in her heart. Her holiness is always attributed to the grace of God, but that does not mean that she did not make effort to cooperate with the grace of God. She was attentive to the word of God. She reflected on the word of God. She pondered what God was saying to her as the handmaid of God. 

God spoke to Mary through the angels and through her own life’s experiences. Today, God speaks to us in the same way through the Bible, the teachings and the preachings of the Church and through our personal experiences in life. But we need to make time for God to hear him. Like Mary we need to reflect on the Word of God. Like Mary, we need to listen to God speaking to us through the teaching and the preaching of the Word of God. Romans 10:17 says that “Faith comes from hearing the Good News about Christ.” Let’s resolve to spend some time with the Lord. Let’s stop making excuses as to why we cannot. Why must it be God’s matters that should suffer? I have seen Catholics who go to work from Monday to Friday, but on Sundays, they make excuses why they cannot go to Church. God’s matters are always given up. Ask to choose between going to Church on Sunday morning and staying home to watch a particular sports, they will stay home instead. 

Let’s begin this year with God. Let’s resolve to spend some time to ponder and reflect on the Word of God just like Mary. Remember, God is the greatest treasure we can possess. God is the most precious Jewel of inestimable value. This year, let God comes first, second and third in your life. 

Happy New Year! 

For God so loved the world: Jesus is born

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara CSsR

Homily on the Second Sunday of Advent, Year B

St. Gerard Majella Catholic Church

Louisiana, USA

December 25, 2011

Dearest beloved, today is Christmas! Today we celebrate John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him will not perish, but will have eternal life.” Today we celebrate the joy of the world. Today we celebrate the overtaking of darkness by the Light. Today we celebrate the greatest demonstration of love and the greatest miracle ever to occur in human history. The Creator becomes a creature. Divinity assumes humanity. The Master becomes a servant. 

Today, we celebrate the great love of God for us. God has come to save us. Isaiah 35:4 says, “Say to those who are fearful hearted, ‘be strong and do not be afraid, your God has come to destroy your enemies. He has come to save you.’” Jesus has moved into our neighborhood, not as a sherif to punish us when we err, but as our Savior. He has come to redeem us. He has come to reconcile us with God and to reconcile us with one another. 

Dearest beloved, the message of Christmas is the triumph of life, goodness and love over death, evil, and hate. In a world where some have embraced hatred, violence and terrorism as a way of settling scores, where genocide has been committed by some political leaders, where the income gap between the rich and the poor is like the gap between the East and West, where the cries of the poor and suffering do not always touch hearts any longer, the birth of Jesus Christ reveals how God so loves each of us that he sent his only Son to address all the injustices in the world. We are still living in a time of global financial crisis, high unemployment, social immobility, deep suffering and pain across the world. More and more people now think that social life is so broken that the best we can hope for is survival, just for the time being. But Christmas brings us a much deeper hope. The stable at Bethlehem unveils and reassures us that despite all the fearful things we see and hear, that despite all the tears and bleeding happening across the globe, there is still One who has immeasurable compassion for us especially for all who are jobless, for all who suffer, for all who are sick and shut-in, and for all who are abandoned. The angels’ song of “Peace on earth” brings hope in the face of difficulty. The worst thing to do is to loose hope. Christmas tells us “We cannot walk alone.” Christmas tells us that the best is yet to come. Christmas tells us that our best days are not in the past but ahead of us. 

The Christmas message is hope. The Light has overtaken the darkness. God has become a human person to share our human and earthly pattern. Christmas offers a new hope, a hope that assures us that we are not walking alone; we are not standing alone; we don’t have a God who is so far away. We have a God who lives with us and in us. He is Immanuel- God is with us! God who is with us in all life journeys. In joy and sorrow, he is with us. In sickness and good health, he is with us. In gloom, doom and boom, he is with us. In the time of empty and abundance. he is with us. In tears and laughter, he is with us. At birth and at death, God is with us. From the cradle to the grave, God is with us. At loss or in pain, he is still with us. In riches or in poverty, God is with us. He never leaves us. 

Sisters and brothers, Jesus Christ is born! As we celebrate his birth today, let’s also remember to let him be born again, this time, not in the manger, but in our hearts. 

Merry Christmas to you!

God is with us as he was with the Blessed Mother. But are we with God?

Fr. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara CSsR

Homily for the Fourth Sunday of Advent, Year B

St. Gerard Majella Church

December 18, 2011

Dearest beloved, Christmas is almost here. People are getting busy preparing for it. All shopping malls and supermarkets are crowded now by shoppers trying to make a last minute shopping. The streets are decorated with beautiful Christmas flowers, trees and Christmas lights. Many homes are looking more beautiful now and smelling good as well. Christmas songs are being played on radios stations and TV channels. People are happy. Children are excited. Families are getting together for special meals. The whole environment is somewhat charged. Even atheists know that something is happening. They know that his period is quite different. Everybody is happy and excited. And only Jesus could bring forth such outpouring of joy, happiness and excitement. 

In today’s gospel taken from Luke 1:26-38, we are presented with the dialogue between angel Gabriel and Mary. In the dialogue, the angel announced to Mary that she has found favor with God and the favor is, “Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a Son, and you shall name his Jesus.” But the angel’s first address to Mary was “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.” 

To those whom God has called and chosen, he always promise to be with them. To Isaac in Genesis 28:15, he says, “Be sure that I am with you; I will keep you safe wherever you go...” To Jacob God says “Go back to the land of your forefathers and to your kindred; and I will be with you.” To Joshua God promised, “As long as you live, no one shall be able to stand in your way; I will be with you as I was with Moses; I will not leave you or desert you.” To Gideon, God promised “I will be with you and you...” God made the same promise to Solomon, Moses, David, Jeremiah, Jonah, Daniel etc. God’s promise has always been, “Don’t be afraid! I will be with you.” 

In today’s gospel, God through angel Gabriel reechoed this same promise to the Blessed Mother, “The Lord is with you.” As God is with our Blessed Mother, so he is with us. The joy of Christmas is that God is coming to be with his people. The prophesy of Isaiah says, “...the virgin shall conceive and hear a Son, and shall be named Immanuel, a name which means: God is with us.” And during the earthly ministry of Jesus, he promised us, “I will be with you until the end of time.” 

God is with us in the morning. God is with us in the noon. God is with us in the night. Just as he said to the Blessed Mother today, “The Lord is with you,” he also says to us.  So, what is at stake now is not whether God is with us. What is doubtful now is not whether God is here with us. What is crucial now is not whether God is with us. God is always with us. But are we always with God? On hearing the message of the angel Gabriel, our Blessed Mother said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” That’s total surrender! The Blessed Virgin Mary gave her entire self to God. Today, let’s resolve to do the same if we haven’t done that yet. Surrender yourself totally to the Lord and the Lord will take care of you. He has promised to be with you always. When he makes a promise, he does not fail!

What Is Our Voice Crying For?

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara CSsR

Homily for the Third Sunday of Advent, Year B

St. Gerard Majella Catholic Church

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

December 11, 2011

Today’s gospel introduces John to us as a man sent by God. His mission is to bear testimony, to testify about Jesus, the Light of the world so all might believe in him. The primary task of this man sent by God is to tell the world that among us is the Light, the Messiah, the Liberator. To his credit, John is doing the work assigned to him by God to do. His message, his lifestyle and his baptism of repentance are spreading throughout Jerusalem and its environs. The message of John has caught all the Jewish people by surprise. The Old Testament prophets had foretold of the coming of the Messiah. And this John is acting like him. So, the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him, “Who are you?” “Are you Elijah?” “Are you the prophet?” To all these questions John replies “No?” But the priests and the Levities are not pleased with his answer, so they ask again, “Who are you, so that we can give an answer to those who sent us? What do you have to say for yourself?” John finally reveals who he is: “I am the voice of one crying out in the desert, make straight the way of the Lord.” When a prophet says “Make straight the way of the Lord,” he is saying that the Lord is coming, prepare the road.

John the Baptist is a model of humility. He does not assume who he is not. He does not claim to be the Christ or Elijah or even a prophet. He simply calls himself the voice of one crying out in the wilderness. He insists that he is only a voice, that he is not the Light, the message but the messenger. His humility is amazing. No wonder Jesus says, “Among all those born of women none is greater than John the Baptist.” John says he is not the host at the banquet, that he is only the doorman. But this doorman has a message: “Make straight the way of the Lord.” This means go to the garage of your life, empty out the junks that have taken lots of space and create more room for the King of glory, Jesus Christ. 

John the Baptist is not the light but he points to the light. He is not the Christ, but he points to Christ. He is not the Lamb of God, but he points to him. He is not the one to baptize with water and Holy Spirit, but he points to him. John the Baptist is only a voice. His voice calls us today to stop, think, reflect and see those areas of our lives that needs to be leveled up so that Jesus can ride smoothly into our hearts and lives. John’s voice speaks of repentance, of conversion, of new life, of renewal, of reawakening. His voice calls us to prepare adequately for the coming of Jesus Christ into the world and into our hearts and lives. 

Dearest beloved, John the Baptist is the cousin of Jesus Christ. He is a messenger, a forerunner of Jesus Christ. But he is not the only messenger. We too are messengers of the Lord. We are the Lord’s representatives on earth. We are his voice too. Since we are his voice too, what then is our voice crying out for? 

As Christ’s messengers, our voice should cry out for love wherever there is hatred. Our voice should cry out for peace wherever there is strife and war. As Christ’s messengers, our voice should cry out for healing wherever there is injury. Our strong voice should bring down  the walls of pride and prejudice and in its place sow unity and common good. As forerunners of Jesus Christ, our voice should cry out for light wherever there is darkness. Our voice should cry out for liberation wherever there is unspeakable suffering. Our voice should cry out for patience wherever there is wrongdoing. As the Lord’s representatives, our voice should cry out for justice wherever there is oppression and suppression. Our voice should cry out for fairness and equity wherever there is inequality. Our voice should cry out for blessing and favor wherever is a curse. Our voice should cry out for the dignity of human life wherever attempts are made to violate it. Our voice should cry out for compassion wherever God’s children suffer. Our voice should cry out for salvation wherever people perish and languish. As messengers of Jesus Christ, our voice should cry out JESUS! JESUS!! JESUS!!! 

That Name is a strong and mighty tower!

That name is the shelter for all!

That Name only has the power to save!

That Name brings healing!

That Name brings the demons, evil spirit and the devil to their kneels

That Name is our safety!

That Name is our salvation!

That Name is our peace!

That Name is our joy!

That Name is our security!

That Name is our protection!

That Name is our liberation!

That Name is our deliverance!

That Name is our shield and sure refuge!

That Name is our miracle!

That Name is our blessing!

That Name is our favor!

That Name is our prosperity and growth!

That Name is our breakthrough!

That Name is our life!

That Name is our forgiveness and mercy!

That Name is our everything!

Make Straight the way of the Lord

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara CSsR

Homily on the Second Sunday of Advent, Year B

St. Gerard Majella Catholic Church

Louisiana, USA

December 4, 2011

Today's gospel is taking from the first chapter of the gospel of Mark. The gospel of Mark does not begin with the story of the birth of Jesus. It does not begin with the story of the babe in the manger, rather with the words of prophesy of Isaiah. The prophesy is about the sending forth of a messenger, a forerunner who will prepare the Lord’s way. The messenger is described as a “voice crying out in the desert.” This voice crying out in the wilderness is crying for something vitally important. The voice is addressing an urgent need. It is a voice of urgency. That voice has a message for us, and its message is: “Make straight the way of the Lord.”

“To make straight” is to make amends, to repent, to level the stumps in our hearts that stand against the entrance of God and God’s words. “To make straight the way of the Lord” is a call to repentance. It is a call to take a path different from our present one. A call to repentance implies that we are saved, not by acquiring stuff, but by emptying out those things that crowd out God. “To make straight the way of the Lord” is to open ourselves to God. God wants to be in our lives. But let’s remember that the Lord does not enter where hate and lies abide. The Lord does not enter where lust has made its bed. The Lord does not enter where falsity, stealing, cheating, gossip, anger etc have been enthroned. The Lord does not enter where pride, discrimination and prejudice reign. The Lord does not enter where remorse and guilt over bad behavior are seen as weakness. Making straight the way of the Lord means eliminating anything that contradicts our faith. To make straight is to get rid of all the impediments we have allowed into our hearts that prevent spiritual growth. This is the good news!

Today’s gospel tells us that John the Baptist appeared in the desert preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. As he preached, multitude of people from Judea and Jerusalem were going to him. They acknowledged their sins. They were remorseful. They were repentant. And due to their sincere repentance, they were baptized by John the Baptist. They were ready for the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. 

The problem with some modern Christians is not that they sin. Of cause we all sin! Even the Apostles of Jesus were not entirely free from wrongdoing. Romans 3:23 even says that “All have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God.” The problem with some of today’s Christians is that they sin and call it a mistake. Sin is not a mistake. It is a transgression. There is a difference between a mistake and a sin. A mistake implies an error in judgement, i.e. something done unintentionally, like turning unto a one way street unknowingly, pouring salt into a cup of coffee thinking it was sugar, mistyping a word when using a computer. Any of these could happen because we are distracted. But a sin is more than a mistake. It is a deliberate choice to do something one knows is wrong. It is a transgression. We sin and call it how God made us. We sin and call it our neighbor’s fault. We deliberately sin and blame it on the devil: “The devil made me do it.” Like Adam and Eve, we never take responsibility for our actions. We sin and still claim that sin has not made us sinners. We sin and still claim that we are good people. We sin and give reasons to justify our actions. We sin and never feel remorseful or guilty of wrongdoing. Today, many Catholics  after willfully disobeying the commands of God, boldly approach the altar to receive the Eucharist during Mass without going to confession. We sin and claim that we are not hurting anybody. Some call sin fun. And any message that condemns sin is sometimes condemned and the preacher is seen as outdated, old-school, out-fashion and out of touch with the real life. 

Today, the voice crying out in the wilderness is asking us to make straight the way of the Lord. He is asking us to rebuild old bridges. When he first preached, a huge crowd of people from Judea and Jerusalem acknowledged their sins and  repented from them. Let’s act in like manner. Let’s not give excuses or be stubborn. John’s message invites us to become wilderness people in our time. We don’t have to imitate his diet, his dressing habit, or his place of residence. But we can still become wilderness people like him when we empty everything that cloisters our heart and life. We can become wilderness people like John the Baptist when we let go of all sins and wrongdoing and let God into our life. We can become wilderness people when we clean up our lives in order to create more room and space for the Holy Spirit. We can become wilderness people  when we live a life of simplicity. 

Advent is a season of letting go! Let us let go of anger! Let go of lies! Let go of hatred! Let go of backbiting! Let go of gossip! Let go of holier-than-thou attitude! Let go of fault-finding! Let go of greed! Let go of pride! Let go of over-eating and over-drinking! Let go of immoral desires! Let go of looking down on others! Let go of envy and jealousy! Let go of making excuses! Let go of bitterness! Let go of ingratitude! Let go of the devil’s stuffs! When we let those go, we let God into our lives. Today, John the Baptist calls us to repentance. Today, Jesus calls us to repentance. Today, the Church calls us to repentance. Let’s acknowledge our sins! There will be confessions on December 5-7. Let us go to God and empty our sins! For that will make us wilderness Christians. With that, we will be ready for the coming of the Lord Jesus.


God bless you!

Where is Christ Jesus the King?

Fr. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara CSsR

Solemnity of Christ the King

St. Gerard Majella Church

November 20, 2011

Today is Christ the King Sunday. Today, we celebrate Christ Jesus as our King. Today we celebrate Jesus, the Shepherd of our souls. We celebrate Jesus, the King of our life. Today, we come to the end of this liturgical year. As usual, we look to the future, the ultimate future when Jesus will return in glory for the final judgement. 

So, today I preach to you this message which I have titled “Where is Christ Jesus the King?” Many of our Pentecostal and Evangelical brothers and sisters, in answering that question will tell you that Jesus is in our hearts. Many Catholics and probably Episcopalians and Lutherans etc will say that Jesus is present in the sacrament of Holy Eucharist. Some other Christians will tell you that Jesus is in the Bible. Yet, others will say that he is in heaven. 

Yes, Jesus is present in the Eucharist, and supremely too. Yes, Jesus can be found in the Holy Bible. Yes, Jesus lives in the heart of those who love him dearly and sincerely. Yes, Jesus is present in our midst when we gather in his name. Yes, Jesus is present with us. But where else is the Lord present? Where is Jesus? A Look at today’s gospel taken from Matthew 25:31-46 tells us where else he can be found: “For when I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.” Although Jesus is in the Eucharist, he is also living on the streets. Although Jesus is in the Bible, he is also in soup kitchen lines. Although Jesus is in the midst of those who gathered together in his name, he is also waiting at the Salvation Army to get a coat. Although Jesus is in the hearts of those who sincerely love him, he is also in the hospital and with those sitting at home because they cannot afford to go to the hospital. 

Sisters and brother, Jesus says, “Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of the least brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” This means, wherever people are in need, Jesus is there. Wherever people suffer, Jesus is there. Wherever people are hungry and thirsty, Jesus is there. Wherever people are homeless, Jesus is there. Wherever people are jobless, Jesus is there. Wherever people are helpless, Jesus is there. Wherever people lack the basic necessities of life, Jesus is there. And he is not only there to comfort them, he is also there suffering along with them. Jesus is present in the Eucharist, in the Bible, in our midst. But he is also present concretely with the not-haves. 

Some of us may think that when we leave the Church on Sundays, Jesus is locked in and locked out from the everyday life of everyday people as the church is locked. Sometimes we hear people refer to the poor and destitute as “God forsaken people” because of their poverty. But today’s gospel tells us that they are wrong. Where is Jesus? Jesus is with the God-forsaken people. Where is Jesus? He is with those living on the margins of the society. Jesus is with the working poor. The working poor is the man who washes cars but does not own one. She is the clerk who files cancelled checks at the bank but has nothing in her bank account. He is the man who paints the houses of others but cannot afford to repaint his. The working poor is the man who lays new carpets for others, and after that, begs the owner of the house to give him the old carpets removed from his house so that he can use it at home. Where is Jesus? Jesus is with those whose dreams, hopes and aspirations have been shattered by no fault of theirs. Jesus is with those who live in crumbling houses that are contributing to their children’s asthma. 

Jesus who is supremely present in the Eucharist wants us to know that he is also present with the weak, the most vulnerable, the not-haves, the poor, the abandoned, the shut in, the jobless, those in jail and those living on the streets. The Lord says today that the Eucharist, the Bible, the Church, in our midst are not the only place he can be found. He can also be found in the heartache and the pain that surround us. He can also be found in those people who ask us for their help and attention. 

Today, we are celebrating Jesus Christ our King. But it is absolutely striking that the Lord, the Master and the King did not choose to be found in palaces, in thrones, and in the corridors of power, rather in the slums and most stinking places of the world. On the very day we celebrate the Kingship of Jesus, he did not choose to be found with the wealthy, the powerful, the mighty, the movers and shakers of the society, instead he chose to be found with the weak, the vulnerable, the defenseless and the wretched people of the world. It is strikingly amazing that on the day that we celebrate Jesus as the King of the world, he was not found with the kings, queens, princesses and the princes of the world. He’s rather to be found with the “not-have of the world. 

And in today’s gospel, he says that when the Son of man comes in his glory, he will reward those who recognized him in the slums. When the Son of man sits on his glorious throne, he will reward those who found him and attended to him in the poorest of the poor. He will say to them, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” Jesus is the only King who is not found in the kingdoms and empires of the world. He’s is rather found with the lowest of the low. He is here with us. But he is also out there in the world waiting for human contact. For care. For love. For compassion. For help.  

Making the best use of what God has given to us

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara CSsR

Homily for the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

St. Gerard Majella Catholic Church

Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA

November 13, 2011

Like the gospel of last Sunday- the parable of the ten virgins, Jesus, in today’s gospel taken from Matthew 25:14-30 again uses an earthly story familiar to people to teach an eschatological reality. Last Sunday, it was the parable of the ten virgins, today, it is the parable of the talents. 

A master was about to embark on a journey. Before he left, he called in his three servants and entrusted his wealth on them. To the first servant, he gave five talents (one talent was roughly the equivalent of 15 years wages for the average worker, so he gave the first servant 75 years wages of an average worker). To the second servant he gave two talents (which is 30 years wages for an average worker), and to the third servant, he gave one talent (that is, 15 years wages). The master cannot be accused of being unjust in the distribution of his wealth to his servants because he did so according to each of the servants’ ability. 

Now as soon as he left, the servant entrusted with five talents invested it and made five more. The servant entrusted with two talents also invested his and made two more. But the servant entrusted with one talent did nothing with his, instead he dug a hole and buried his master’s money. After a long time, their master returned from his journey, and the moment of reckoning was at hand. The master was pleased with the first and the second servants because they made the best use of what was given to them and made extra gains. In excitement, the master declared to each of them, “Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master’s joy.” To the last servant who did nothing with what was given to him instead insulted his master in the following words, “I knew you were a demanding person, harvesting where you did not plant and gathering where you did not scatter...” the master condemned him for burying his talent and for not, at least putting his money in the bank which could have yielded some profits. The little he had was taken away from him. He was called a useless servant and was thrown into the darkness where there will be nothing but misery and grief. 

Through this parable, Jesus teaches us that no person is born without any talent. God endows every man and woman some talents. But he gives each man and woman different gifts according to our abilities. In the parable, one servant was given five talents, another one was given two, yet another one was given one talent. To Jesus, what matters is not how much talent a person possesses, but how the person uses it. God does not expect from us abilities which he has not given to us; but he expects us to make best use of whatever talents or abilities he has given to us. Whatever talent we have, whether it is great or little, we should use them at the service of God and humanity. 

From the parable of the talents, our Lord Jesus also tells us that being rewarded for hard work does not mean we should stop working hard. The two servants who did well with the talents entrusted to them by their master were not told to rest on their oars. The master rather told them, “...since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities.” Church, reward from one hard work should spur us to work even harder. We should not rest on past achievements and success. The Lord wants us to continue to work hard, to continue to put into use all the talents that God has given to us. Use those talents in the service of God and in the service of humanity. And when talents are best used in those two dimensions, they become no longer talents, but gifts. Those who would be repudiated are those who refuse to try. Talents are given for use, and not to be hidden or horde. The third servant who was given one talent did not really loose his talent, he simply did nothing with it. If he had tried to make use of the talent given to him, and in the process lost it, it would have been better than doing nothing. God prefers those who sincerely make effort to love and serve him, even if they fall short sometimes, to those who never make any effort to love him. 

In this parable, Jesus says something that is usually misinterpreted: “For to everyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.” Sometimes this text is interpreted as taken from the little of the poor and given more and more to the rich so that they can become richer. That’s not what Jesus is saying. More will only be given to those who use their talents in the service of God and humanity. More will be given to those who turn their talents into gifts. More will be given to those who give back to the society from where they got all they have so that they can in turn give more, not to horde more. Because they are using all they have in the service of God and humanity, more will be given to them. The rich who accumulate and horde without giving back will not receive more of the Lord‘s peace, happiness and ultimately salvation because their greed and selfishness tell of their lack of charity and love. And where love and charity abide, there God is found.   

God has given each of us Talent, Time, and Treasure. Are we making the best use of them? 

Are you ready for the coming of the Bridegroom?

Fr. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara CSsR

Homily for the Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

St. Gerard Majella Catholic Church 

Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA

November 6, 2011

In the Israel of Jesus’ time, weddings were big stuffs. It was a time when friends and relatives, both far and near would gather together to share in the joy of the bride and bridegroom. The whole village would come out to accompany the couple to their new home; and they usually take the longest route so as to receive the best wishes of many people. One of the highlights of any wedding was when the bridegroom came in the night to take his bride from her father’s house and take her to their new house. Since the bridegroom came out at night, the path to the bride’s house was usually lighted by the virgins- the bridesmaids, who would hold their oil lamps for him to see where he was going. 

In the parable that Jesus told today, the bridegroom as usual came out at midnight. Then there was a call, “Behold, the bridegroom! Come out and meet him!” The ten virgins who were deeply asleep, were awakened. They took hold of their lamps, but their lights were going dim already. Five of them who came with enough oil were able to refill and therefore kept their lamps burning. The other five who did not come with enough oil were not able to refill. Seeing that their lamps were going out, they asked the five wise virgins to give them some of their oil. But they were asked to go into the village to buy theirs because the oil they had wasn’t going to be enough for everybody. As soon as the five foolish virgins stepped out, the bridegroom came in and the door was locked. When the five foolish virgins returned, they called out, “Lord, Lord, open the door for us!” But the response from inside was, “Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.” Jesus ended the parable with a caution, “Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”

Today’s parable of the ten virgins- five wise and five foolish is about preparedness. The story is more of allegory than a parable because Jesus used an earthly story familiar to the people to people to explain the eschatological reality. The bridegroom in the story is Jesus Christ. The wedding feast is his Second Coming- the Lord’s triumphant return to earth. It is the time when every person will be rewarded for good or for bad. The ten virgins or the bridesmaid are everyone of us. Some of us will be ready and prepared like the five wise virgins, while some of us will be ill-prepared and not ready, just like the five foolish virgins. 

In today’s gospel, Jesus speaks about staying awake and being readily prepared. He wants us to be ready always; he wants us to stay awake, that is, awake in the Spirit because we don’t know the hour when he, the bridegroom will come. Jesus wants us to understand that part of being his disciple is staying awake; and part of our vocation is getting ready for his Second Coming. Today’s gospel taken from Matthew 25:1-13  makes it clear to us that we have absolutely no idea when the Lord will return. Therefore, we should be ready and prepared all always. 

Like a thief who strikes with no prior notice to the owner of the house, so Jesus will come. But we don’t have to walk around with fear as long as the candle light given to us at our baptism is burning brightly. 

Remember, at our baptism, the priest gave us a lighted candle and said the following words, “Receive the light of Christ.” Then addressing our parents he also said, “This child of yours has been enlightened by Christ. He or she is to walk always as a child of light. May he or she keep the flame of faith alive in his or her heart.” 

Dearest beloved, the candle light given to us at our baptism represents the light of Christ. It stands for the light of faith. When the Lord is revealed, if that light is still burning brightly, we will be admitted into the banquet hall of the Son of God. Keep the light of faith alive in your heart and life. Keep the light of Christ given to us at baptism alive. In Matthew 5:14, Jesus tells us, “You are the light of the world...” St. Paul says 2 Timothy 1:6, “Therefore I remind you, fan into flame the gift of God...” 

To keep the light constantly burning, we have to make sure the oil does not run out. The five foolish virgins, realizing that their lamps were running low, asked the other virgins for some oil. After all, they  were all from the same village and were all involved in the same celebration. But their request was denied. The oil in this story is not a worldly thing that we need to survive like bread, fish or water. The oil in this story is righteousness. The Lord wants us to make sure that the righteousness that comes from believing in him is still with us. Jesus is talking about the purity of heart. In Matthew 5:8, Jesus says, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” We need to possess this righteousness; we need to possess this purity. Righteousness or purity is not something we can borrow. It’s something we have to have, something we have to develop on our own. 

In today’s gospel, Jesus tells us that there are something we cannot borrow. We can borrow material things from our neighbor or friends, but we cannot possibly borrow  relationship with God. No man or woman can borrow a character; he or she must wear  it as a clothe. We can borrow a clothe from a friend, but we must clothe ourselves with the righteousness of God. We can borrow a car from a friend, but we need to ride with Jesus in his boat to heaven. We can borrow water from a neighbor, but we need to possess the Water of life. We can borrow salt from neighbor, but we must be the salt of the earth.  We may borrow a pair of shoe, but we must walk in the footsteps of Jesus to be admitted into the Lord’s banquet. Whatever relationship we enjoy in this world with other people, it is the relationship with Jesus that will guarantee us a pass into the banquet of the Lamb. 

By the virtue of our baptism, we are already enlightened sons and daughters of God. But to keep the candle light given to us at baptism burning up to the time of the coming of Jesus, we need Jesus. We need to keep our relationship and friendship with him. With Jesus in our life, we will not stray. We need Jesus to make it!