Homily for the Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

Reach out and forgive

Fr. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara CSsR

Homily for the Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

St. Gerard Majella Catholic Church

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

September 4, 2011

Today’s first and the second scriptural readings and the gospel are among those passages in the Bible that are so relevant and practical in our lives today as they were thousands of years ago when they were first written. They remind us that as faithful children of the light, it is our duty and responsibility to reach out to those who have hurt us, to those who are not so faithful, and to those who have walked away from our Christian community and bring them back to our fold. And the three readings even recommended practical steps on how to accomplish this.

A story is told of a young lady, Lucy, who strayed from the church as a teenager. After nine years of trying atheism, spiritism, and new age, she found her way back again to the church by the grace of God. Now while narrating the story of her escapades, Lucy said that what hurt her deeply in all her nine years of spiritual exile is that nobody in her church missed her. She said nobody ever called her on the phone to know what is wrong with her or visited to find out why she stopped coming to church. She said, “Of course the indifference and the silence of all the people in my church gave me the impression that the church does not want me.” Of course the church needs everybody including the likes of Lucy. But what are we doing to help the many men and women in Lucy’s situation to find their way back into the church, particularly into our parish? Both the first reading and the gospel invite us to review our indifferent attitude towards the fallen and lax members of our church, and also remind us that it is our duty to reach out to them.

Some people may argue that it is not their business if someone decides not to serve God again. But as members of the church, as the Body of Christ, we are not just a priestly people who offer sacrifice; we are also a prophetic people, meaning that we are God’s spokespersons. Each of us is an oracle of God. Each of us is a mouthpiece of God. Each of us ought to speak on behalf of God. We are all God’s representatives. We are not only expected to be hearers of the Christian message, but also doers. The first reading taken from Ezekiel 33:7-9 says that God has appointed each of us as watchman (a guard) or sentinel for the house of Israel. The watchman or sentinel in this case is someone who announces the salvation of the Lord. Each of us by the virtue of baptism and confirmation has been called to spread the Word of salvation. God has called us to bring God to others, or else, we will be responsible for their lack of knowledge of God. St. Paul understood this clearly and that’s why he said in 1 Corinthians 9:16 “I am doomed if I do not preach the gospel.” And the Israel in today’s reading is not just the Jews, we are the new Israel. So, every baptized and confirmed Catholic is a sentinel of the Lord.    

Today’s message of reaching out is put clearly and practically in today’s gospel. Jesus says, “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won over your brother.” That is fraternal correction. The reason for fraternal correction is manifested in the second reading taken Romans 13:8-10 “Brothers and sisters, owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another, for one who loves another has fulfilled the law…You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Love does no evil to the neighbor; hence, love is the fulfillment of the law.” To those we love, we correct fraternally. To those we love, we tolerate. To those we love, we are patient with. To those we love, we endure. Where there is love, there is fraternal correction. The commandment to correct a brother or a sister who offended us can only be obeyed when there is love. After all the Peter 4:8 says that “Love covers multitude of sins.”

Conflicts seem to be deeply rooted in the human condition. Even in families there is conflict. Throughout the Bible there are stories of persistent conflict between Cain and Abel, between Sarah and Hagar, between Esau and Jacob. Even among families that appear outwardly peaceful there can be deep divisions. And in churches, Jesus knows we will wrong each other intentionally and unintentionally.  A closer look at Paul’s letters to early Christians shows that a good number of them are on how to handle the conflicts that come with being a community. Paul would not have told the community to put aside quarrelling and jealousy if there wasn't a problem would he? Conflicts are not something that Jesus hides. He even gives us a good method for dealing with the wrongs that happen. He says, “Talk one to one.” If that doesn't work bring in some friends to help bring reconciliation. If there is no success bring in the church. If not, then there is a separation.

The Lord says that if your brother or sister sins against you, go and tell him or her. Do not begin to talk about how bad he or she is without first confronting him or her. Nothing is said until it is said before the person. If you are hurt by what someone said or did, go and tell him or her. Be courageous enough. And when going, hold on one hand the courage of saying what is eating you up, and on the other hand hold forgiveness. Forgiveness offers us and our offender healing. It sets us free from the bondage of anger and then widens our space.

Now forgiveness does not mean overlooking what someone has done to us. The emotions we feel when someone hurt us are genuine, real, upsetting, and they must be honestly and painfully acknowledged and dealt with. Doing this can provide a way of healing and forgiveness. Harboring feelings of resentment, unforgiveness, anger, hate and rage can prevent the healing process from ever beginning. To forgive is not to say that what others did to us was okay. To genuinely forgive means refusing to allow hurt to prevent us from growing and moving forward. If I refuse to move forward instead wallow in hurt and anger I become paralyzed by the evil that has taken place. Unforgiveness limits our freedom. An unforgiving spirit can harden one’s heart and block it from any flow of love. One is terribly diminished when he or she refuses to forgive. If I am sincere about forgiveness, I must allow God to remove my hard-heartedness and meanness of spirit. Forgiveness does not mean forgetfulness. It is rather a conscious decision that I make in my head, and pray that it slowly descends to my heart.

Forgiving the person who murdered an innocent child does not mean to push for them to be released from prison. To forgive the violent husband does not necessarily mean choosing to take him back after violence and infidelity. To forgive an adulterous wife who left her husband and children for another man does not mean ignoring the terrible pain the entire family suffered after that. To forgive the priest who has abused children does not mean advocating for his return to active ministry around children.

The commonly used expression “forgive and forget” is not a scriptural and Christian saying. Jesus offers us another way in which we can forgive. Jesus does not want us to simply forget past hurt. He wants us to talk about it with our offenders and then forgive. When we forgive in the name of Jesus Christ and with his grace we can actually help others who have been deeply hurt begin the process of being healed.  The Lord wants us to forgive, because to err is human, but to forgive is divine.

Fr. Marcel’s Bulletin Message for the Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

Today’s first and second scriptural readings and the gospel are among those passages in the Bible that are so relevant and practical in our lives today as they were thousands of years ago when they were first written. They remind us that as faithful children of the light, it is our duty and responsibility to reach out to those who have hurt us, to those who are not so faithful, and to those who have walked away from our Christian community and bring them back to our fold. And the three readings even recommended practical steps on how to accomplish this.

A story is told of a young lady, Lucy, who strayed from the church as a teenager. After nine years of trying atheism, spiritism, and new age, she found her way back again to the church, by the grace of God. Now while narrating the story of her escapades, Lucy said that what hurt her deeply in all her nine years of spiritual exile is that nobody in her church missed her. She said nobody ever called her on the phone to know what is wrong with her or visited to find out why she stopped coming to church. She said, “Of course the indifference and the silence of all the people in my church gave me the impression that the church does not want me.” The church needs everybody including the likes of Lucy. But what are we doing to help the many men and women in Lucy’s situation to find their way back into the church, particularly into our parish?

Jesus says today “If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one” (Matthew 18:15). Simply put, those who are spiritually stronger (the offended party) should take the initiative to reach out to those who are spiritually weak (the offending and erring member). What is at stake is how to bring an erring member back into the fold, to full reconciliation and communion with God and with us. The motivation for this kind of Christian action is to “regain” your brother or sister, to restore the broken relationship, not primarily to denounce or find out who is right or wrong.

In today’s gospel taken from Matthew 18:15-20, our sweet Jesus recommends a procedure in three stages: (1) Approach the defaulting brother or sister person-to-person. (2) Go a second time accompanied by one or two trusted companions. (3) Bring the case before the local church. This may sound like a daunting procedure, but the good news is that in nine cases out of ten, we may never need to go beyond the first stage. An erring member approached in a personal and courteous manner is happy to come back without much argument.

The reason for fraternal correction is manifested in the second reading taken from Romans 13:8-10 Brothers and sisters, owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another, for one who loves another has fulfilled the law…You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Love does no evil to the neighbor; hence, love is the fulfillment of the law. To those we love, we correct fraternally. To those we love, we tolerate. To those we love, we are patient with. To those we love, we reach out in love. Where there is love, there is God and fraternal correction. The commandment to correct a brother or a sister who offended us can only be obeyed where there is love. After all the Peter 4:8 says that Love covers multitude of sins.

Father Marcel Divine’s Bulletin Message for the 22^nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

Dearest beloved, in this Sunday’s Gospel we hear Jesus who says: “Whoever wants to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me. Because whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” What does it mean to “deny"

The train of life on which many are traveling is going toward death. Our natural “I,” being mortal, is destined for destruction. What the Gospel is proposing to us when it urges us to deny ourselves, is to get off this train and board another one that leads to life. The train that leads to life is faith in him who said: “Whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live.” Paul knew what it means to transfer from one train to another and he describes it thus: I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who lives, but Christ lives in me. If we assume the “I” of Christ we become immortal because he is risen from the dead and dies no more. Jesus’ call for us to deny ourselves and thus find life is not a call to abuse ourselves or reject ourselves in a simplistic way. It is about not doing our own will but that of the Lord.

Jesus does not ask us to deny “what we are,” but “what we have become.” We are images of God. So, we are something “very good,” as God himself said, immediately after creating man and woman. What we must deny is not that which God has made, but that which we ourselves have made by misusing our freedom -- the evil tendencies like pride, greed, lust, wrath, gluttony, envy and sloth. St. Paul calls this disfigured image, “the earthly image,” in contrast to the “heavenly image,” which is the resemblance of Christ.

“Denying ourselves,” therefore, is not a work of death, but one of life, of beauty and of joy. It is also a learning of the language of true love. Consider this! Two young people love each other. But they belong to two different nations and speak completely different languages. If their love is to survive and grow, one of them must learn the language of the other. Otherwise, they will not be able to communicate and their love will not last.
This is how it is with us and God. We speak the language of the flesh, he speaks that of the spirit. He speaks the language of love, and we speak the language of selfishness. For us to truly live, we must speak God’s language of love.

Denying yourself is learning the language of God so that we can communicate with him, but it is also learning the language that allows us to communicate with each other. We will not be able to say “yes” to the other, if we are not first of all able to say “no” to ourselves.

We loose nothing good by denying ourselves; instead, we gain everything good. Let’s let go of our selfishness, and let in Jesus. Letting Jesus comes first, Others, second, and then you the third brings JOY. J stands for  Jesus; O stands for Others; Y stands for You.

God bless you!

Your servant-pastor

Fr. Marcel Divine CSsR

The Cross is the cross over

Fr. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara CSsR

Homily for the 22^nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

St. Gerard Majella Church

Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA

August 28, 2011

 A nun was explaining the Stations of the Cross to her class. They got to the fourth Station were Jesus on the road to Calvary meets his mother. The nun explained that even though they could not talk to each other, mother and son spoke to each other with their eyes. Then she asked the pupils “What do you think they said to each other?” One child answered, she said, “This is unfair.” Another one said she said, “Why me?” Finally a sickly little girl raised her thin hand, got up and said: “Sister, I know what the Blessed Mother told Jesus. She said to him, ‘Keep on going, Jesus!’” Why would a mother encourage her only son on the way to crucifixion to keep on going? It’s because the mother understands the Christian principle of “no cross, no crown.”

Last Sunday, Jesus praised and blessed Peter for recognizing and confessing him as the Messiah. Today, the same Peter was seriously rebuked for trying to stop the work and the plan of God from being carried out. Jesus knew his mission clearly. He also knew when the ultimate price would be paid. So, in today’s gospel, he hinted his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly in the hands of the elders, the chief priests, the scribes and then be killed by them. But Peter did not let Jesus finish before he took him aside and began to rebuke him, “God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you.” Even the promise of Jesus that after his death, he would be raised on the third day did not persuade Peter at all. He seems to be telling Jesus, “Shut up Lord, what are you talking about?” Peter, like every concerned disciple who loves the master did not want any harm to happen to Jesus. But Jesus who had praised and blessed Peter turned around to rebuke the devil that was speaking through him, “Get behind me Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”

Who will blame Peter for trying to prevent harm from coming to his Master? Who will blame Peter for attempting to take his Master away from harm’s way? Who will blame Peter for protecting the interest of his Master? Who will blame Peter for not wishing “evil” on his Master? Is this not what a good friend does to a friend? But then, Jesus’ way is the way of the cross. The Lord’s way is the way of redemptive suffering. His way is the way of thorns and cross. Jesus understood perfectly the principle of “no cross, no crown.” Peter in today’s gospel represents many today’s Christians who believe and preach “Just believe in Jesus and everything will go well with you.” Peter is like many Christians today who believe in the theology of no cross, all crowns. But Jesus teaches us today that the way of the cross is not the way of extinction; the way of the cross is not the way of lifelessness. Without the cross, there will be no crown. Without death, there will be no resurrection. In John 12:24, Jesus says, “I tell you most solemnly, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains only a single grain. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.

Dearest beloved, Jesus does not promise us a crossless life. He does not promise us thornless roses. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a coin with two sides: the cross and the crown. If we try to embrace one, the glorious one and reject the other, the denying of oneself and the carrying of the cross, we falsify the gospel. That is what is going on in many new generation churches today. Their preachers tell people to simply believe in Jesus, and all their problems will be gone. They turn Jesus into a coke machine and turn Christianity into a Christo-disco boogie-woogie. They rap in Church and ask people to dance out their hearts, that with Jesus there is no cross. They make people believe that faith in Jesus solves all human problems. And because of this, when someone’s cross does not go away, he or she thinks that God has forgotten him or her. Some even relapse into faithlessness. Their preachers take away the redemptive cross, and give people false promises, false hope and fake crowns.

They argue that Jesus has asked everyone with burdens to come to him and fine rest. But it is the same Jesus who says, “Come to me all you that are weary and heavy burdened, and I will give you rest” that also says, “Take my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble of heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” It is the same Jesus that says, “Come to me all you that are weary and heavy burdened, and I will give you rest” that also says, “For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” It is the same Jesus that also says to us today, “Whoever wishes to come after me, must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.” Jesus asks us to come to him and learn from him. To learn what? To learn from him the way of cross; to learn that without the cross, there will be no crown; to learn that the way of the cross is the way of redemption. Jesus wants us to learn that carrying a cross does not mean that God has abandoned us. The Lord wants us to learn from him the meaning of the cross.  Just like gold is purified by fire, so we are purified by the cross. The cross is not a sign of rejection and abandonment by God. The cross is not a symbol of defeat and failure. The cross is a symbol of love. The cross leads to the crown. The pain of the cross creates the path to the crown.

Some of us may be asking, “Do we come to Jesus to be freed from our burdens, or do we come to him to take on the cross? We come to Jesus not to be freed from all burdens, but to be freed from all meaningless and futile burdens and in its place, take on the cross of Jesus Christ that leads to salvation and glory. Some of us may be saying, “Then there is no need to come to Jesus since coming to him still entails taking on the cross.” Yes, there is an urgent need to come to Jesus. The cross or the burden of Jesus is not meaningless. His cross has a meaning. When we understand the meaningfulness of the cross, it would become easy and light to carry. Yes, there is an urgent need to carry the cross because without it, there would be no crown.  

Sisters and brothers, ignore the false gospel that denigrates the cross. Ignore the false gospel that says, “No cross, and all crowns.” Yes, the cross is painful. Yes, the cross is hurtful. But it is what purifies. It is what leads to the crown. No cross, no crown. Without death, there is no resurrection. Without the pain of labor, there is no child birth. Without the pain of studying all nights and all day, there is no success in life. Without hunger, there is no joy of belly fill. Every good things in life, comes after a painful and long hour of trying and making effort. Ignore the preacher who tells you that if you have faith in Jesus, you will never experience any pain. Ignore the false preacher who teaches that faith in Jesus means freedom from all burdens. Ignore the preacher who tells you that the cross or suffering is as a result of your sins. It is not! The gospel of no suffering is the gospel of no crown; it is the gospel of the devil. Ignore the fancy and very attractive one sided gospel of instant glory, sugar-coated gospel that offers the false promise of no cross, all crown. Ignore the false gospel that says, “Only believe in Jesus and everything will go well for you.” It did not go well with Jesus; he did endure the cross. It did not go well with Mother Mary; a sword of sorrow still pierced her soul. It did not go well with John the Baptist, he had his head beheaded. It did not go well with Peter and Paul, they were martyred. In the face of misery, hardship, bereavement, sickness, failure, let our faith response not be a ‘Why me Lord?” Let our faith response not be a walking away from God. But to recognize that those difficulties are necessary paths we must travel to receive the crown. They are necessary condition for future glory. The world is a place for the cross. Heaven is the place for the crown of glory. Heaven is a reward of righteousness for those who learned from Jesus the meaning of the cross and carried it ungrudgingly. The cross is not a defeat; it is a cross over- a cross over to the Promised Land in heaven.

May Mother Mary, Mother in a million who endured the sword that pierced her soul pray for us. May Jesus who carried the cross and died on the cross help us to carry our crosses with perfect resignation to his will. He carried his cross and died for us, we should also die for him.

Who Do You Say I Am?

Fr. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara CSsR

Homily for the 21^st Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

St. Gerard Majella Parish

Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA

August 21, 2011

There is a practice in today’s society that can help us to understand today’s gospel reading taken Matthew 16:13-20. It is the practice of opinion poll usually conducted everywhere especially in political and commercial field. Jesus, in today’s gospel conducts opinion poll about himself, but not for political reasons but for educational reasons.

Today’s gospel says that Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi, and having settled down asked his disciples, “What do people say that the Son of Man is?” The disciples, one after another replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” But Jesus was not done yet. He was not interested in computing and calculating his popularity or in knowing how high he was regarded by the people. He has a different reason and purpose. So he immediately fired a second question: “But who do you say that I am?”

Jesus’ second question threw his disciples off balance because they were not expecting that. The second question was met with silence as the disciples stand looking at each other. When Jesus asked the first question, all the disciples had something to say. But when the second question was asked, only Simon Peter responded: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” With gladness Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father…”

Now to be able to answer the first question, one needs to look around and to listen to public opinion, to gossips, to what people are saying about Jesus. But to be able to answer the second question, one must look inside, to listen to a completely different voice, a voice that is not of flesh and blood but that of the heavenly Father.

Today, Jesus conducts an opinion poll. But he is not so much interested in public opinions and in what others say about him. He wants to know what his disciples think of him. He wants to know what we say about him. He wants to know if there is anyone of them that knows him and that would continue with his mission after he is physically gone. He does not want his disciples to hide behind public opinions and what the polls say about him. He wants them to speak for ourselves; and he wants us to speak for ourselves.  

It is not enough to know what others have said or written about Jesus. Someone can make A in an examination on what theologians and other authors have written and said about Jesus and still not be a Christian who knows the Lord. Knowing what others have said and written about Jesus is needed for intellectual knowledge of the Lord, but ultimately, Jesus should be a personal discovery. As Catholic Christians, we should not be satisfied knowing about Jesus, we must know him. We must encounter him. It is this encounter with the Lord that changes lives. This kind of encounter transforms. When St. Augustine encountered the Lord, his declaration was Late have I loved you O Ancient Beauty. Late have I loved you. You were with me, but I was outside, and it was there that I searched for you…I have tasted you, now I hunger and thirst more. And Psalm 84:1 says, “How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord God of host.”

Jesus would never ask us, “Can you tell me what others say and write about me?” But he will ask us, “Who do you say that I am?” The saints are people like us who had a profound relationship with Jesus, a relationship of love. They are people who know the Lord through their encounter with him and are not shy of talking about him. Christianity is not only about reciting a creed; it is about knowing a person- Jesus of Nazareth, the Good Shepherd.

Who do you say the Son of Man is? Today’s gospel teaches us that our discovery of Jesus should be a personal discovery. Our knowledge of Jesus should not be at second hand. Someone can know something about Jesus based on what others have said about him; someone can know and teach Christology, Eucharist, Ecclesiology etc. and still haven’t encountered the Lord personally. Our knowledge of Jesus based on an encounter with him determines the way we relate with him. Effective Christian evangelism really begins when we speak to others based on our personal experience of Jesus. Intellectual knowledge of Jesus is important, but experiential knowledge of him is even more important.

Believing in the divinity of Jesus Christ is not enough; we must also bear witness to it. Whoever knows Jesus and does not bear witness to this faith will have a tougher query before God than those who do not have this faith.

Who do you say that the Son of Man is? Those who know about him speak about him detachably; but those who know him, live him out in their lives. They are the ones who have encountered him. Just like the story of the poet and the monk, they don’t only know the Psalm, but also the shepherd. 

God’s Silence can sometimes be a test of faith

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara CSsR

Homily for the 20^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

St. Gerard Majella Parish

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

August 14, 2011

In the later years of his life, after so many years of theological study and teaching, Pope Benedict XVI published a book titled Jesus of Nazareth. In the book the Holy Father asked the question, “What did Jesus bring to the world?” Jesus, he said did not just bring peace to the world. He did not just bring prosperity. Jesus brought God to the world. He told us about God whom he calls “Abba Father.” So, looking upon Jesus is looking upon God in human form. That’s why Jesus says in John 14:9 “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.”

The one, true God, the Lord who revealed himself to Abraham and Moses, who chose Israel as his special people, now, comes to us in Jesus of Nazareth. He first came to the Jewish people. In today’s Gospel, he says to the Canaanite woman, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Yet in this encounter, Jesus enlarged his mission. In this encounter with the Canaanite woman, the Lord demonstrates that his mission is to be extended beyond Israel.

Today’s gospel says that Jesus makes a deliberate withdrawal from the pressures of confrontation in Galilee. He deliberately withdraws from the noisy and ever busy city of Galilee and seeks peace and quiet in the border region of Tyre and Sidon. The Lord’s popularity has spread so wide. Everywhere he goes, the crowds followed him. There was no place in Palestine where he could be sure of privacy. Wherever he goes, the crowds would find him. So, he went to Tyre and Sidon where the Phoenicians lived. At least over there, he would be free from the crowds who were not giving him any breathing space, and also be safe from the hateful hostility of the Scribes and Pharisees. At least no Jew is likely going to follow him to Tyre and Sidon and no Jew is likely going to be there anyway. Tyre and Sidon were Gentile regions.

Now, even in these foreign Gentile lands, Jesus could not escape the common plea and demand of human need. Human suffering does not discriminate. It affects every human person and every human race. In Tyre and Sidon, a woman whose daughter was being tormented by a demon approached him with a cry, “Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is tormented by a demon.” This woman was not a Jew. But she must have heard of the wonderful things that Jesus had done. Desperately, she cried for help on behalf of her daughter. At first, Jesus paid no attention. At first, the Lord was silent. Then, his disciples said to him, “Send her away, for she keeps calling out after us.” Mark the comment of the disciples, “She keeps calling out after us.”

Even the silence of Jesus did not discourage this woman. The silence of the Lord did not get on her nerves. The silence of Jesus did not make her stop calling out after them. She keeps calling Jesus. She refused to turn back. The words of Jesus, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” did not turn her back. She persisted with her cry, “Lord, help me.” Even when Jesus said to her, “It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs” the woman was not upset. Instead she replied Jesus respectfully, “Please, Lord, even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters.”

Sisters and brothers, this Canaanite woman teaches us the virtue of persistence in prayer. Because of her faith in Jesus, because of her persistence, because of her expectant faith and knowledge, her prayer was answered. Looking at her, Jesus says, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” Her faith saved her daughter. Her refusal to give up to the silence of Jesus eventually brought healing to her daughter. Her virtue of persistence in prayer brought her daughter back to life. Her practice of PUSH- ‘Pray Until Something Happens” saved her daughter.

The Canaanite woman stands for all mothers. Like most mothers, she loved her daughter. She made the misery of her daughter her own. She personalized her daughter’s misfortune. You may call this woman a pagan or a heathen. But she has an undying love for her daughter which is a reflection of God’s love for his children. It was love which made her approach a stranger; it was love which made her accept his silence; it was love which made her accept belittlement; it was love and compassion which made her swallow the harsh words she received from Jesus and his disciples. It was love that drove her to Jesus.

If you are asking God to help you solve a problem, but all you are getting is silence, keep praying for the desire of your heart. God’s silence may be a test of your faith. Keep praying. Do not stop. Like the Canaanite woman, continue to follow the Lord; continue to call him and make your request. God’s silence is not necessarily a refusal of God to heed. God silence to our request can be a test of your faith which can lead to increase in faith. Look at the Canaanite woman. She started by following Jesus, then called him Son of David. Son of David was a popular title, a political title. It was a title which saw Jesus as an earthly powerful wonder worker. But that title did not get her the attention of Jesus. Then she called Jesus “Lord.” She also came to him and paid him homage which is a sign of surrender and worship. She also accepted humiliation and then ended with prayer. She had indomitable and unconquerable persistence. In the end, her prayer was answered. Keep on praying! Ephesians 6:18 says Keep on praying. Apply PUSH! Pray until something happens.

Sometimes the silence of God to our prayer may not necessarily be a refusal. It could be a test of your faith. Continue to disturb heavens with your request. God’s silence is not a bad thing, for it can provide us with an opportunity of growing in faith. God’s silence provides the opportunity to learn to pray. God’s silence affords us the opportunity to develop reliance on him. But our persistence in prayer can break God’s silence. 

Fr. Marcel Divine’s Bulletin Message for the 20^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

St. Gerard Majella Parish

Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA

Dearest beloved, today we read a touching and inspiring story of the power and the effectiveness of faith and persistence. It is the story of an unnamed Canaanite woman who refused to give up on Jesus. Today’s gospel taken from Matthew 15: 21-28 says that Jesus had gone to Gentile cities of Tyre and Sidon. This is one of those incidents in the Bible where Jesus had deliberately withdrawn from public notice. The Lord went to Tyre and Sidon to avoid the malignant hostility of the Scribes and Pharisees, and be free from the dangerous popularity of the crowds who were not giving him any breathing space.

But even in foreign Gentile lands, Jesus could not escape the common plea and demand of human need. A woman in distress approaches him and cries out for help: Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is tormented by a demon.” Jesus strangely is silent and does not answer her right away. Looking at her, the disciples of Jesus discovered she is not Jewish, so they asked Jesus to send her away. But instead of giving up, the woman persists in pleading and crying, Lord, (please) help me. Eventually, her persistence and expectant faith got her the attention of Jesus. Responding to her, the Lord said, O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.

If you are asking God to help you solve a problem, but all you are getting is silence, keep praying for the desire of your heart. God’s silence may be a test of your faith. Keep praying. Do not stop. Like the Canaanite woman, continue to follow the Lord; continue to call him and make your request. God’s silence is not necessarily a refusal of God to heed. Keep on praying.  Ephesians 6:18 says Keep on praying. Apply PUSH! PUSH stands for Pray Until Something Happens. God’s silence is not a refusal of God to answer our prayers. God’s silence may be a test of our faith. But persistence in prayer can break God’s silence. May God grant you the good desires of your heart!

May the Mother of Perpetual Help pray for us!

Your Pastor,

Fr. Marcel Divine

St. Lawrence: Deacon and Martyr
Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara CSsR
On the Feast of St. Lawrence
The Redemptorist Chapel in St. Gerard Majella Parish
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA

August 10, 2011

The Church regards St. Lawrence so high that today’s celebration ranks as a feast and not a memorial or optional memorial. Deacon Lawrence was a Roman deacon under Pope St. Sixtus II. Four days after Pope Sixtus was put to death, Lawrence and four other priests suffered martyrdom. Deacon Lawrence’s martyrdom is one of those martyrdom that made a deep and lasting impression on the early Church. After his martyrdom, celebration of his feast spread widely.

As deacon in Rome, Lawrence was in charge of the material goods of the Church, and the distribution of alms to the poor. When he knew he would be arrested like the Pope Sixtus, he went in search of the poor, widows and orphans of Rome and gave them all the money he had on hand, selling even the sacred vessels to increase the sum. When the prefect of Rome heard about his action, he reasoned that the Catholic Church must have considerable treasure. So, he sent for Lawrence and said to him: You Christians say we are cruel to you, but that is not what I have in mind. I am told that your priests offer Mass in gold, that the sacred blood is received in silver cups, that you have golden candlesticks at your evening services. Now, your doctrine says you must render to Caesar what is his. Bring these treasures—the emperor needs them to maintain his forces. God does not cause money to be counted: He brought none of it into the world with him—only words. Give me the money, therefore, and be rich in words."

Lawrence replied him that the Church was indeed rich. “I will show you a valuable part. But give me time to set everything in order and make an inventory.” After three days he gathered a great number of blind, lame, maimed, leprous, orphaned and widowed persons and put them in rows. When the prefect arrived, Lawrence simply said, “These are the treasure of the Church.”

The Prefect of Rome was so upset with Lawrence that he told him that he must die. Lawrence was arrested and burnt alive. 

When in trouble, who do you call?

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara CSsR

Homily for the Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A (My first Mass as Pastor)

St. Gerard’s Catholic Church

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

August 7, 2011

Sisters and brothers, today is somewhat special to me. It is special because it is my first Sunday Mass here in St. Gerard as your servant-pastor. And today’s gospel seems to have been addressed to me in particular. In today’s gospel taken from Matthew 14:22-33, Jesus seems to be saying that being his disciple does not exempt anyone from the storms of life.

Life is good. Life too has its challenges. As we already know, no one goes through life without any storm. The storms of life are part and parcel of human life. Jesus never promised us a storm free life. He himself had his own share of troubles.

Today’s gospel says that after the feeding of the crowd Jesus asked his disciples to start boarding a boat, while he dismissed the crowds. The disciples having boarded a boat, started going home ahead of him. The crowd too started leaving, for it was getting late. As soon as the last person had left, and Jesus finding himself all alone, he decided it is time to pray. He went up to a mountain to pray. Sometimes it is good to pray alone. Now, Jesus does not necessarily need to pray. He is God. He does not need to pray to get anything done. But he still went up to the mountain to pray. To pray for what? Prayer is not always asking and demanding for something. It’s a place we find God. In prayer, we deepen our relationship with God. We hear God speak to us.

Now, as Jesus was praying, his disciples were sailing across the lake. They were going home after a day of hard work and weary. As they sailed, a big storm came down on them, and they started struggling with and against the winds and the waves. As they struggled, little progress was being made to overcome the dangerous storm. As night wore on, Jesus started walking on the sea towards them.

The disciples of Jesus were his closest friends. They were his most trusted friends. They were obedient to Jesus- following him about and learning from him. Still, being close to the Lord of life did not exempt them from the storm which suddenly came down on them. But guess what? In the hour of the disciples’ need, Jesus came to them. He was there to save them from an impending danger. When the wind was contrary and life was a struggle, Jesus was there to rescue. When the need arose, the sweet Jesus was there to help and to save. No wonder Isaiah 35: 4 says, “Say to those who are fearful and broken hearted, be strong, and do not fear or loose your faith, your God will surely come, he will come with might to destroy your enemies. He will come to save you.”

In life, the wind is often contrary. In life, the storm is always painful. In life, we will always experience the storms of life. The storms of life are those times when we are up against the wind of life. Now, those times when life is a desperate struggle with ourselves, with our situations and circumstance, with our temptations, with our sorrows, and with our decisions, we don’t need to struggle alone. In such moments, Jesus will come with his hand stretched out to save, and with his gentle and soothing voice bidding us to take heart and fear not.

Now, as Jesus walked on the sea towards his disciples, his presence worsened the situation for them. First, they were battling with a dangerous storm. As if that was not enough, a “ghost” was walking on the sea towards them. The gospel says, “When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified. ‘It is a ghost’ they said, and they cried out in fear.” I do not blame the disciples for expressing fear and shock. They have never seen anybody walk on any sea; and Jesus did not tell them he would catch up with them by walking on the sea. So, fearful of the sight of a “ghost”, and then the raging storm, the disciples shouted out in fear. At that very moment, Jesus spoke to them and said, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”

When you are gripped by fear of anything, remember the words of Jesus in today’s gospel, “Take courage; do not be afraid.” On hearing those words of the Lord, Peter reacted with a request “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” His request was granted immediately “Come.”

Sisters and brothers, as Peter stepped out of the boat, he was steadily and comfortably walking on the sea. He did not sink in. He did not sink for two reasons: one, he acted on the words of the Lord. Two, he fixed and kept his eyes on Jesus. And with that, he did not sink. Then he got distracted. Instead of keeping his eyes on Jesus, he looked away. He stared on the storm and became frightened. The storm in his eyes became bigger than his Lord. With his eyes and gaze away from Jesus, he started sinking. That’s what fear does to us. FEAR is False Evidence Against Reality. Fear magnifies a problem and makes it bigger than God. Fear distracts us and makes us loose focus. As long as Peter kept his eyes fixed on Jesus, he was walking on the sea. As long as he kept his eyes stared at Jesus, he was walking on the water which was becoming a problem for him and his fellow disciples. He was marching and trampling on his problem by foot. That’s what happens to any believer who keeps his or her eyes on Jesus. Problems will come, but problems will not crush us as long as we keep our eyes fixed on our Redeemer.

As soon as Peter looked away from Jesus, he started sinking. When we turn away from the Lord, we too can begin to sink. When we keep our eyes away from Jesus, life will become a sinking sand. Remember the song, “On Christ the Solid Rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand.” No matter what difficulty we face, no matter the storm that come our way, no matter how dangerous the wind of life may be, as long as we act on the words of the Lord and keep our eyes fixed on him, those problems and storms will pass us by. We will pass through them, but we will never sink. They will never sink us. Looking away from Jesus is looking away from life. For a moment, Peter looked away, and almost drowned. But again, he acted on the word of the Lord which says in Psalm 50:15, “Call upon me in the day of your trouble, and I will delver you and you will honor me.” Peter cried out to the Lord for help “Lord, save me.” And immediately Jesus reached out to him and grabbed him by his hand and saved him. But he did not let Peter go free without any rebuke. Because he doubted, Jesus said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 

The Word of the Lord in Psalm 34:6 says, “In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened; he saved me from all my troubles.” Did Jesus not say in the gospel of Matthew 7:7, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” In his desperation, Peter called out, and he was saved. In his great moment of need, he called out, “Lord save me.” Another word for Lord is Master. So, for Peter to call Jesus Lord, Master means he considered himself a follower, a disciple and a servant. A disciple is the one who learns from the master. For Peter to call Jesus Master means he considered himself a disciple, and Jesus the Master and Lord. It means he had surrendered himself to his lordship. He had accepted Jesus as his personal Lord and Savior. Hence, in dire need and trouble, he called out to him, “Lord, save me.”

In that short prayer and cry for help, Peter declared his unyielding surrender to the lordship of Jesus. In that prayer for help, he also called out the meaning of the name of Jesus. The name Jesus in Hebrew is Yeshua; and in Greek is Iesous which means “God saves” or “God is salvation.” In serious troubled time, Peter called out Jesus and was saved. In our time of trouble, who do we call? Who do we call to essentially save us?

As God’s special people and the family of Jesus the Risen Lord, let us join together to celebrate the installation of:

Father Marcel Okwara CSsR

As the Pastor of St. Gerard Majella Parish

By

Bishop Robert Muench

The Bishop of Baton Rouge Diocese

At

St. Gerard Majella Parish

5354 Plank Road

Baton Rouge

Time

10 AM

Date

September 11, 2011

Refreshment follows after the Mass.

We welcome our dear Bishop Muench to our parish. We ask for God’s continued blessings and the intercession of St. Gerard Majella for Father Marcel and the entire St. Gerard’s family.

NOTE WELL: THERE WILL BE NO 8 AM MASS ON THE SAID DAY.  PARISHIONERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO INVITE THEIR FRIENDS AND FAMILIES- CATHOLICS AND NON-CATHOLICS