After Receiving The Sacraments, Let's Live Flew From Darkness 

Rev. Marcel E. Okwara, CSsR

Homily for the Second Sunday of Advent, Year A

St. Gerard Majella Church, Baton Rouge, LA

Sunday, December 8, 2013

In this week’s Gospel, we are introduced to Jesus’ cousin, John the Baptist, who preached in the wilderness of Judea. He appeared unexpectedly as the voice of God. He appeared at a time when the Jews were saying that for four hundred years, there had been no prophet, that the voice of the prophets do not sound anymore. Throughout these long centuries, they had thought that the voice of prophecy, which was the voice of God had remained silent and do not speak anymore. But as this thinking was becoming common among the people, John the Baptist emerged. He emerged with a message: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 

John was a fearless preacher who repudiated and denounced evil deeds wherever he saw them. When Herod entered into illicit and unlawful marriage with his brother’s wife, Herodias, John rebuked him and pointed out to him that the Jewish Law did not permit such behavior. When he saw that the Sadducees and Pharisees, the religious leaders, the churchmen of their day, were stuck in the letters of the law and paid no attention to the spirit of the law, John the Baptist challenged them and berated their hypocrisy. When he saw that the ordinary folks of his time were living lives that were not consistent with the professed faith, John rebuked them. Wherever he saw anything bad, anything evil- in the state, in the Temple, in the street, in the marketplace, John fearlessly rebuked it. His emergence became a light that lit up the dark places. His voice became the voice of virtue, the voice of goodness, the voice of uprightness, the voice of holiness, and the voice of God. His voice became the voice of faith, morals and reason. As he preached, he urged the people: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.” John the Baptist was not a prophet of doom. His message was not only about denunciation, repudiation and rebuke of evil. He did not only denounce the wrong that people were doing, he also challenged them to become what they ought to be and to what they could be. As he was pointing out the path that leads to destruction, he was equally showing the path to life and salvation. 

Today’s Gospel (Matthew 3:1-12) says: “John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert of Judea...” His prophetic ministry and message started in the desert, yet, people, including the Pharisees and Sadducees were going to him to be baptized by him. Everyone was running to him, thinking that he was the Messiah. But in his humility, John did not assume who he was not. He did not claim to be the Christ. He told the people: “I am baptizing you with water, for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I. I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” John pointed beyond himself. He was not simply a voice of rebuke but also a signpost to God. He did not wish to become the center of attraction. He wanted to prepare people to encounter Jesus, the one he described as “mightier than I.” 

To those who had been baptized, baptized unto repentance, John urged: “Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance. And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones.” John warns that it will avail to nothing to say that Abraham is our father when one’s deeds are not consistent with the faith that Abraham professed and lived out. It will amount to nothing to say that we are Christians if we are not following in the footsteps of Christ. A Christian is a professional lover. A Christian is a lover of God and God’s people. A Christian is another Christ in the world. It will amount to nothing, after receiving the sacraments- baptism, confirmation, Holy Eucharist etc, we still live in darkness. Claiming Abraham as our father in faith is not going to be enough unless our faith in God is deeply rooted as that of Abraham. Saying verbally that Jesus is Lord will avail to nothing if we don’t live like his servants. Appealing only to God’s mercy is not going to be enough if we don’t make effort to enjoy his mercy. God’s mercy is to be enjoyed and not be abused. Claiming to be children of the kingdom will mean nothing if we don’t walk and live like redeemed and delivered children of the kingdom. John prophesied that the nearness of God’s kingdom requires appropriate action- to repent, to be converted, to have a change of heart. Claiming to be born again will mean nothing if we only live to oppose. To be born again doesn’t have to be all about opposition. Yes, a born again Christian must be born to oppose and be against anything that is not Christ-centered. But a born again Christian must be born again for something good. John the Baptist was not just against something, he was for something. He did not only condemn and rebuke, he also pointed to the light. The emphasis should not just be on avoidance of sins and evil, but on doing something good, being lovely and lovable, being hospitable, being kind, being compassionate, being merciful, being generous, being inclusive, being tolerant, being gentle, being humble, being truthful, being sacrificial, being understandable, being less difficult, being holy and above all, being Christ. 

Don’t Just Exist! Be Alive!

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily for the First Sunday of Advent, Year A

St. Gerard Majella Church

Sunday, December 1, 2013

“Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.”

There is a difference between existence and living. To exist is to be. But to live is to be awake, to be up and doing, to be alive and active. In spiritual context, to live is to be alive in the Spirit. Stones exist. Rocks exist. Mountains exist. Seas exist. The pews you are sitting on exist. The church building exist. But all these do not have life in them. They are not alive. They are inanimate things. As for us, we are not created just to exist like rocks. We are created to live. The season of Advent calls us to be alive, awake and up and doing in the Spirit. This season calls us to pay attention to the engines of our lives. The engine largely makes a car function. If you drive your car to a mechanic and asks that the engine be brought down, if you attempt to drive out once the engine goes down, that car is not going to start. It is not going to run because the engine, the “source of power and life” of that car is no more. Beloved one, God is the engine of our lives. Any life that shuts him out, any life that shuns and ignores God cannot be up and running. If God does not matter to any life, that life too will not matter.

Today, we begin the season of Advent.  Advent is the beginning of the Church’s liturgical Calendar. The season of Advent precisely emphasizes the Parousia, that is, the Second Coming of Jesus. The word “Advent” means “arrival” or “coming.” It indicates the arrival or the coming of the Lord. It teaches that Jesus Christ, our Brother in our humanity, and our God in his divinity is coming. The Lord comes to us in different ways: Firstly, the whole Gospel of Luke chapter 2 tells us that at a specific time in history in Bethlehem, more than 2000 years ago, the infant Jesus was born. The first entrance of Jesus into our world is what we celebrate at Christmas. At Christmas, we celebrate the migration of the King of kings from heaven to earth. From being a Landlord, he became a tenant with us in our neighborhood because of us. With him living with us we are protected. We are no longer afraid of the Hoodlum- the Devil who terrorizes our streets. Secondly, the gospel of Matthew 24: 29-31 speaks of the Lord’s arrival at the end of time to judge the living and the dead. His Second Coming is going to be a time of reward and recompense. Thirdly, Jesus comes to us in the Eucharist and in the Word of God proclaimed and preached. Finally, Jesus comes to us in the needy persons, in the poor, the most vulnerable, the suffering and the oppressed. The face of the poor, the needy and vulnerable is the face of Jesus Christ. In Matthew 25:40, Jesus says: “Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers and sisters, you did unto me.”

In today’s Gospel taken from Matthew 24:37-44, Jesus urges us: “Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.” He compares his Second Coming to the visit of a thief. Thieves do not usually send a notice to the homeowner beforehand of their impending visit. After they had made their arrangements, they simply invade their target and cart-away whatever is valuable to them. But if the owner of the house is aware of their visit, he surely would prepare to match them strength for strength. He would not sit idly by and watch them invade his house and take away his treasures. In the same manner, the Lord’s Second Coming will happen at an hour we do not expect. But unlike the thief, Jesus is not coming to steal our material treasures, he’s coming to take us to the Better Place. Like the thief, he will come unannounced and if we are awake and prepared, he will take us along. When a “smart” thief breaks into a home, and finds the owner deeply asleep, he’s likely not going to bother to wake the homeowner up. He is going to quietly take whatever he can find and leave before he wakes up and dial 911 or recognize him. It is almost the same way with Jesus. When he comes and finds us deeply asleep, asleep in faith, hope and charity, unlike the thief, he’s not going to take any of our material goods, because he does not need them; but like the thief, he may not bother to wake us up. He may simply walk away in disappointment.

Today’s Gospel urges us to stay awake, to pay attention, to be present to the ways in which God is coming into our life and the ways we come to God. The Lord reminds us that our actions or inactions have eternal consequences. He encourages us to wake up from the sleep of the soul. The sleep of the soul is the neglect of God and God’s matters. The sleep of the soul is the neglect of one’s state of life; it is the neglect of virtues. It is the neglect of spiritual duties like coming to Church on Sunday and letting the church come to us everyday. Some people come to Church always, but always leave worship unchanged. Letting the church come to us means “being a church person every time and in everywhere.” 

As we begin the season of Advent, there are three important things that today’s Gospel calls our attention to:

1. Staying awake in order to be ready. Jesus wants his followers to daily pay attention to the presence of God in our lives. God invites us daily to a relationship of love and intimacy with him. This invitation can come through people, through the events of life and through our experiences- good or bad. Staying awake enables us to be spiritually prepared and alive to respond to this wonderful and amazing relationship with God, the One who alone is good.
2. Today’s Gospel reminds us once again that Jesus, our Best Friend will come back some day. In the creed (I believe in one God...), we always recite, “he will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead.” 
3. As for the time and the hour when the Lord will come back, we do not know. And this part is the biggest challenge of our faith. But we do not have to live our lives in fear, fear of the unknown hour and time. As long as we live our lives according to Jesus’ law of love, we have nothing to be afraid of. As long as we are staying awake and being ready, whenever the Lord appears, we will be ready to reign with him. Daily preparation is what it is going to take to respond to God’s constant invitation. As it is said, proper preparation prevents poor performance. Proper and daily preparation will forestall eternal regret. 

His Powerlessness Reveals a New Kind of Power

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily for the Solemnity of Christ the King

St. Gerard Majella Church

Sunday, November 24, 2013

The Jews refused to see Jesus as their Messiah and King, and they did not find it funny when his Apostles preached that he was. For the Jews, their King would be a glorious military and political leader, a war hero like King David who would conquer and overcome all their enemies, restore the kingship to Israel and initiate a reign of peace and prosperity. The Jews knew their Scriptures and Deuteronomy 21:23 said, “God’s curse is on anyone who hangs on a tree.” So, to consider Jesus, a convicted criminal, crucified and hung on a cross, as their Messiah and King is rather inconceivable. When Pilate put a sign above Jesus’ head that reads: “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews” (John 19:19) the chief priests of the Jews protested over the inscription: “Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that this man claimed to be the king of the Jews.” To say or to suggest that Jesus, a condemned man, hung on the cross (tree) is the King of the Jews is not only profoundly offensive but also unpardonably blasphemous, and the authorities were ready to pronounce anathema to whoever that acknowledged that. 

Jesus wasn’t crucified between two thieves by accident. He was deliberately crucified between two known criminals so as to humiliate and disgrace him in front of the crowd. It was deliberately staged to crucify him between two notorious criminals so as to portray and rank him with the robbers, tarnish his image, destroy his good reputation among the people, and make him a footnote in the history book and ultimately to persuade and discourage anyone from seeing him as the Messiah and the King of the Jews and the world. The Jewish authorities hated him so much that they were ready to do anything to wipe out his name, his accomplishments, and his teachings from people’s mind. They did not want any history book to consider Jesus as the King of Jews. They did not want any memory to remember the good things he had done and taught. They did not want anyone to remember that he had healed and touched the lives of the blind, the lame, the sick, deaf, the poor, the widows etc. They did not want anyone to remember the lepers he cleansed, the dead he raised, the sorrowful he comforted. They did not want anyone to remember the most beautiful message of all that he preached: “God is love; God loves you.” All that the Jewish authorities wanted anyone to remember about Jesus was that he was a common criminal. The very idea of arresting him, torturing him, humiliating him, hanging him on a tree, and between two publicly known thieves were all to show and to demonstrate that Jesus was fake, a criminal, a deceiver, a historic failure and a wimp. The authorities refused to acknowledge that Jesus was King and they made concerted effort to prevent everyone from seeing him as such. 

While Jesus was hanging on the cross, the rulers mocked and sneered at him saying: “He saved others, let him save himself if he is the chosen one, the Christ of God.”  The soldiers too joined in the festival of mocking him: “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself.” These folks were literally insulting Jesus, challenging him, telling him to show his power. They were literally calling him a fool: “He saved others” but refused to save himself. The Lord’s strength, resilience and power were all tested here. But he remained calm. 

As they mocked him, “one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus saying, ‘Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us.’” But the other thief  noticed what others did not notice, saw what his fellow thief did not see, and acknowledged what everyone else denied and refused to acknowledge. He noticed that Jesus was innocent: “...but this man has done nothing criminal.” He saw that he was truly the Messiah and King: “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”  It was through his request that he acknowledged the Kingship of Jesus. In humility he reached out to Jesus and Jesus reached out to him in love and promised him: “Amen, I saw to you, today, you will be with me in Paradise.” In this, Jesus proclaims himself Ruler and King of a kingdom built on compassion and love.

This story tells us that it is never too late to turn to Jesus. There are some things that are too late for us to do now. Some accomplishments may be too late for us now to achieve. It’s too late for me now to be a football star or world class soccer player. It may be too late for some of us to have another child. It may be too late for some of us to go back to school. It may be too late for some of us now to attempt to climb Mount Everest or any other mountain out there. But when it comes to turning to Jesus Christ, we can never say that it is too late. So long as someone’s heart beats, the invitation to turn to the Lord still stands. As we always say, “When there is life, there is hope.”

This story also challenges us not to be cowed especially if we are the lone voice of righteousness and uprightness. As more and more people turn away from God, we must strive to remain the lone voice of God in our community. As more and more people deny the Kingship of Jesus, we must be the lone voice shouting in words and in deeds that Jesus Christ is the Lord and King. As more and more Christians become cold and lukewarm in the practice of their faith, our faith must shine out and dispel the darkness around us. As more and more Catholics chose and pick what aspect of our faith they want to believe and practice, we must be the lone voice of truth. To be faithful disciples of Jesus Christ is to be servants of truth- truth that liberates and renews, truth that gives and sustains life and hope, truth that transcends rationalizations, half-truths and delusions, truth that serves as a looking glass for seeing the world in the intended design of God. Jesus, our Lord is the King of forgiveness, mercy and compassion. To be his disciples, we must become servants of all he taught and did. 

Have a blessed week and remain happy!

Quitters Cannot Win the Heavenly Race

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

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

St. Gerard Majella Church

Sunday, November 17, 2013

The setting of this gospel is the Temple in Jerusalem. Jesus was standing in one of the courtyards watching people as they come and go. Then he overheard some people marveling at the beauty of the Temple. They were not talking to God; they were talking to themselves about the costly stones and votive offering in the Temple. They were not praising God; they were praising the Temple. They were not glorifying God; they were glorifying the Temple. They did not marvel at God’s beauty and majesty, but that of the Temple. Jesus released the bombshell- all earthly things including the Temple are vanity unless they lead us to God. He then prophesied the destruction of the Temple: “All that you see here, the days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down.” Jesus’ listeners  were baffled at what he said. But he was right. In 70 AD, the Romans destroyed the Temple, and leveled the city of Jerusalem.

Speaking further, Jesus said: “Nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues from place to place; and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky.” To those who believe in him, he said “they will seize and persecute you, they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons, and they will have you led before kings and governors because of my name.” Again, these prophecies came to pass like his prophesy of the destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem. So many early Christians were persecuted, tortured, and killed by some Roman emperors. Emperor Nero, for instance, destroyed the lives of so many Christians. He was so ruthless to Christians that the Christian writer, Tertullian accused him of the being the first to persecute the Christians. Peter and Paul, like many other disciples of Jesus were killed. But in all these tribulations, the early Christians did not give up their faith. They believed in the promise of Jesus to be with them until the end of time. The early Christians believed they were not alone. 

Everything that Jesus said in today’s gospel (Luke 21:5-19) has come to pass, and some of them are still happening today. We still witness wars; nation still rise up against nation; hunger and famine still devastate life; earthquakes, hurricane, typhoon etc. still happen. But in the face of these calamities, Jesus tells us “Do not be terrified” (Luke 21:9). We should not give in to life’s troubles. We should not surrender to life’s misfortune. Jesus says “By your perseverance you will secure your lives.” By your perseverance, you will inherit the Kingdom. Quitters do not win; quitters cannot run the race; quitters do not get to the finish line; quitters are never praised both by God and by humans. Quitters give up before morning. The Bible says “there may be mourning in the night, but joy comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5). Those who do not persevere do not see the morning when joy is enjoyed. Those who do not persevere all through the night till morning do not see the joy of a new day.

Jesus has not promised us a crossless life. He never promised us a rosy life without thorns. He is actually telling us that opting to follow him is opting for persecution, arrest, betrayal, imprisonment, backstabbing, and public ridicule. But the Lord has made a promise: “By your perseverance you will secure your lives” meaning, “if you remain steadfast and faithful till the very end, even when it is very difficult to do so, you will be saved. If you continue to be my arm in the world, even when it is not encouraging to do so, you will be saved. If you continue to be my voice in the world, speaking truth, peace and justice, even when you are not being appreciated, you will be saved. If you continue to be my hand reaching out to my people, even when those you are reaching out to try to hurt you, you will be saved. No one likes misfortune. I do not like it either. I want my life to be free of any problem and trouble. Incidentally, such a path is not the path that leads to life. If there is no cross, there will be no crown. For those of us who have golden jewelries, think of the painful process a piece of gold will have to go through before it is finally purified. That’s the life of a Christian. All the troubles we experience in our lifetime are our passing through purification. Like gold, we must be heated before we become the shinning piece of God’s ornaments. If you persevere, you will be saved. But if you quit, you may be lost.

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

The Resurrected Life is Nothing We Have Ever Experienced

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily for the 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

St. Gerard Majella Church

Sunday, November 10, 2013

The Sadducees were an extreme conservative sect among the Jews. They belonged to the upper social and economic echelons of Judaean society. They fulfilled various political, social, and religious roles, including maintaining the Temple. The Sadducees believed that only the first five books of the Bible were the inspired word of God. They did not believe in spirits, angels and the resurrection. In spite of the general belief among the Jews that the dead would rise on the last day, as shown by the first reading taken from 2 Maccabees 7:1-2; 9-14: “It is my choice to die at the hands of men with the hope God gives of being raised up by him...” the Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection.  As recorded in today’s Gospel (Luke 20:27-38), some of them came up to Jesus and asked him a question they believed would prove that there’s no resurrection: “Teacher, Moses wrote for us, ‘If someone’s brother dies leaving a wife but no child, his brother must take the wife and raise up descendants for his brother.” Continuing with their question, they narrated a story of seven brothers, who, at some point of their earthly lives got married to one woman but one after another, each of them died without having any child with the woman. Finally the woman also died. “At the resurrection,” (which you people believed) “whose wife will that woman be?” 

The Sadducees asked this question, not because they were interested in understanding the theology of the resurrection; rather, they just wanted to make a mockery of the belief in the resurrection. They wanted Jesus to make a fool of himself. They wanted to see Jesus struggle to answer their question and to have a good laugh. They did not ask to know, they asked to ridicule the most fundamental teaching of our faith. Everything that Jesus taught and did was hinged on resurrection. In John 11:25, Jesus says of himself, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even if they die, they will live.” If resurrection is not true, then it means that Jesus is not true. If resurrection is a lie, then it means that Jesus is a lie. If resurrection is fake, then it means that Jesus is fake. If there was no resurrection, then it means that Jesus lied to us. If there was no resurrection, then it means that Jesus went into extinction after his death. This is what the Sadducees wanted to show, to prove and to demonstrate. 

But then Jesus showed them that he is indeed the Lord of life, that he is indeed the resurrection and the life; that he is indeed the Son of God who has come down from heaven. Jesus taught them that his teaching on resurrection is not just an article of faith that he has not witnessed. As the Son of God, as Immanuel, God who is with us, he has an unquestionable knowledge of the resurrection. He has seen those who believed in God raised up. Jesus told the Sadducees that their notion of marriage and resurrection  was wrong, that they completely misunderstood marriage and resurrection: “The children of this age marry and remarry; but those who are deemed worthy to attain to the coming age and to the resurrection of the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. They can no longer die for they are like angels...” Resurrection will be nothing like the life we live here on earth. At the resurrection, life is better. There will be no pain, no suffering, no boredom, no need for the things we now need to survive. We will die no more. There will be no need to enter into any marriage to keep and preserve our species from dying out. In heaven, we will be like angels. The best way to describe it is those moments of our lives when we experience the intense love of another or the great love of God. The experience of the resurrection will be infinitely more profound than anything we have experienced here on earth. 

Death frightens a lot of people. Death brings human life to an end. But today’s gospel reminds us of the hope of the resurrection. It tells us that the dead will rise to die no more. It reminds us that God is not only the God of the living, but also the God who continues to create. Through Jesus Christ, God is creating a new world; he is inviting us to a new life, the life of love and friendship. This new life does not happen automatically; it is a gradual process; it is a step by step movement following Jesus who says, “I am the way.” Like the song, It’s A Long Road to Freedom says: 

It’s a long road to freedom

A winding steep and high

 But when you walk in love

With the wind on your wing

And cover the earth

With the songs you sing

The miles fly by.

Fr. Marcel's Bulletin Message for the 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

Today’s Gospel taken from Luke 19: 1-10 tells us a beautiful story of a tax-collector named Zacchaeus and his encounter with the Lord. Jesus was on a journey which must take him through Jericho. Jericho was a wealthy and important city. It had a great palm forest and gardens of roses that were known far and wide then. Products from the city were taken to world-wide trade and fame. It was a great city of commerce; so these made Jericho one of the greatest taxation centers in Palestine. Tax-collectors usually over tax the people and this made them rich. Zacchaeus was one of those tax-collectors. But he wasn’t an ordinary tax-collector; he was a tax-collector who had reached the top of his profession. He was at the peak of his career. He had made lots of money and had become rich and wealthy. But despite his wealth, he was the most hated in the district. He was wealthy and deeply unhappy at the same time. He and many other tax-collectors were working for the Roman government- the Jews most hated enemy. As if that was not enough, they would over-tax the people, submit the actual amount demanded by the Roman government and then share the rest. And people knew what they were doing. The system of checks and balance was not in place then. In the district and in the neighborhood, Zacchaeus and his households were hated, avoid, abused and cursed by people. He was the saddest man! But then, Zacchaeus heard about Jesus. He heard that Jesus does not discriminate against anyone. He heard that Jesus welcomes sinners, tax-collectors and even prostitutes. And he heard that Jesus was passing by and decided to cease the moment. Rejected and unloved by all, Zacchaeus decided to reach out to the love of God.

On getting to the street, he was not able to see Jesus because he was a short man; and the crowd of haters made it impossible for him to see Jesus. But he refused to be hindered by those hindrances. He refused to let the hostile attitude of the people to prevent him from achieving his mission. There was something much more important than the pains and sufferings of the present age. So, he ran ahead and climbed a Sycamore tree so that he could see Jesus when he passes by. Things were not easy for him but the little man was determined to make it. He made concerted effort to see Jesus. He wanted to demonstrate to Jesus and to the community that he was a changed man. When Jesus came to the spot, he looked up and said to him: “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down; for I must stay at your house today.” Jesus was seemingly saying him: “Zacchaeus, I have seen your effort, your desperation to be saved. Just come down! What you are looking for from the top of that tree will be your guest tonight. What you longed for will not be given to you in bits; you will have it in abundance.”

Scripture tells us that “In his riches man lacks wisdom” but not Zacchaeus. He was able to set aside his wealth and riches and sought after the REAL THING. Imagine a wealthy man climb a road-side tree just to see a carpenter’s son. But then, the carpenter’s son, Jesus, had something which all our education, money, good position, political connection, fancy looks, comfortable lifestyle cannot offer. He is Life and the Giver of the Real Life. 

The Christian Faith disturbs us! It demands something from us. To make heaven, one must make an effort. Zacchaeus made an effort to see the Lord and his effort was handsomely rewarded. If we make an effort to look for the Lord, we will find him. We will see him in our lives, hearts and souls. Let Jesus in and let salvation in. Never think you are finished! You are not! In the house Zacchaeus Jesus declares “The Son of Man has come to seek and save the lost.” Jesus came for the weak, and not the strong. He came for the sick, not the healthy. He came to call sinners, and not the righteous! 

Fr. Marcel’s Sermon for the Mass of Resurrection of Mrs. Olivia Edwards

Saturday, November 2, 2013 at St. Gerard Majella Church, Baton Rouge, LA

Ecclesiastes 3:1-4 tells us that: “For everything under the heavens there is a season. A time to be born and a time to die; A time to plant and a time to reap; A time to tear down and a time to build; A time to weep and a time to laugh; A time to mourn and a time to dance....”

God the Creator has fixed all things under the sky and one of the things fixed by God is death. Several words and phrases have been used to define, describe and explain the reality of death. For unbelievers, death is the final full-stop, the destruction and the extinction of human life. Death, according to them brings life to a dangerous and pathetic end. But for us Christians and believers, death is rather a transition unto glory. It is a divine appointment which brings all human suffering and misery to a glorious end. Death is a form of healing, a permanent healing for that matter. In Philippians 1:21, St. Paul says: “For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” St. Paul sees death, not as a loss for him, rather a gain because it will finally unite him with the One whom he loved so deeply- Jesus Christ. 

On the very day that Mama Olivia Edwards passed, I had the opportunity to hear what I will call “A theology of death from a child.” I was standing in front of the house with some of the folks who had come to be with the Edwards family. Sitting on Mama Olivia’s car was the little angel Alivia. The whole time I was outside, my eyes were on her and Leah to make sure that they don’t attempt to enter the busy road. Then Alivia started saying: “Everybody is crying because Mimi has passed; everybody is crying because Mimi has passed. Why?” Then I moved closer to her and asked, “Baby, do you understand what is happening here? Do you know why everyone is crying?” She said, “hmmmmmmmmmm.... it’s because Mimi has flown out of her body and has gone to heaven.” I said, “Exactly!” Then she asked, “But will she come back and get up?” I said, “no baby.” Then she gave me a long pause. 

William Shakespeare once said that “The whole world is a stage and everybody is merely actors. They have their entrances and exits. Act well your part and there lies the honor.” Brothers and sisters, we’ve gathered here today to honor a wonderful woman, a daughter of Jesus, a child of God, an amazing mother, an amiable friend, a devoted and dedicated Catholic and an active member of this Church who has acted well her part.  She was not only a good mother to her children, she was equally a wonderful mother to all the youth and children in this church and to me as well. Because of her, St. Gerard Majella has a thriving Youth & Children ministry. Because of her, the number of young people in this church is on the increase. How I wished this gathering was to celebrate her 70th or 80th birthday. How I wished this was a thanksgiving Mass to celebrate her recovery from the sickness that killed her. How I wished we are celebrating this Mass of resurrection for her because she died at a very ripe of age of 90. 

During the course of her battle with leukemia, we all prayed. I prayed for her several times asking God to grant to her healing. Of course, what we prayed for was a temporary healing. But God decided otherwise to grant her a permanent healing. She will no longer suffer the ravages of leukemia. Leukemia may think it won the battle, but  oh no, our beloved Mama Olivia won in the end. For there is no doubt in my mind that she is already resting in the bosom of the Lord. She was a woman of faith. Her faith in God was not a hidden one- it was there for all to see. She was deeply loved by so many people. She has a wonderful family that loved and cared for her and has the best collection of friends. There was no time I visited her either at the hospital or at home that she was alone. She was always with people, not just one person. Her children taught me what it means to love and care for a parent, especially when any of them is sick. Her friends taught me the true meaning of friendship. That a friend in need is truly a friend in deed. Her sisters taught me the true meaning of brotherhood and sisterhood. No one gave up on her. Everyone was there for her. And the very day she died, she died in the company of her family and friends. If I were to write anything on her tombstone, I will probably write, “She was profoundly loved by family and friends.” It is very obvious that the manner she was loved was also the manner she loved. She was a very simple, humble, do-not-notice-me kind of person. Even though she lived a ‘do-not-notice-me’ kind of life, her love for others was very visible. If there is one person that genuinely loved me and told it wherever she went, it was Mama Olivia. And I’m gonna really miss her! She was deeply helpful and useful in my ministry here in St. Gerard.

Beloved, let’s find comfort in the words of the first reading taken from Wisdom 3: 1 which says, “The souls of the just are in the hands of God, and the torment of death shall not touch them.” Let’s find some consolation from the second reading taken from Romans 8:35-37 that says, “Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Not even trouble or hardship or persecution or hunger or death can do that.” Death has separated us physically from Mama Olivia Edwards but it has not separated her from us spiritually and has not separated her from God. If there is one thing that death did, it was to reunite her with Jesus whom she loved so much. As we weep, mourn, grieve, and lament her painful transition, let’s not forget the words of Jesus in the Gospel we read today taken from John 14:1-3: “Do not let your hearts be troubled, believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house, there are so many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I am going to prepare a place for you. And when I have done that, i will come back and take you, so that where I am, you also may be.” 

You are free to weep, but believe that Mama Olivia has gone to inherit her place in heaven. You are free to cry, but do so believing in God and in Jesus Christ who Mama Olivia served faithfully. Death is always a loss. It’s a painful experience for the bereaved because it is a loss of human life, but as you grieve remember that she has not gone into extinction. Jesus says that after he has prepared a place for us, he would come to take us. Mama Olivia’s mansion is ready to be occupied. Jesus has completed hers and she has gone to reside there. To all those who loved her, if you want to reunite with her again, then love Jesus as she loved him. Serve Jesus as she served him. Be  amiable as she was. Be humble as she was. Be simple as she was. Be prayerful as she was. Be gentle as she was. Be true as she was. Be active in your church as she was. 

Humility tells us we are not better

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily for the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

St. Gerard Majella Church

Sunday, October 27, 2013

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

Dearest beloved, today’s gospel is the story of two believers- a Pharisee and a tax collector who went to the temple to pray. Both men took part in the temple worship and said their prayers. At the end of worship, one of them- the tax collector went home at peace with God, but the pharisee did not. The Pharisees were disciplined and devout men of religion. They were serious-minded believers who committed themselves to a life of regular prayer and observance of God’s law. In fact, they went beyond the requirements of the law. They fasted twice a week even though the law only required people to fast once a year, on the Day of Atonement. The Pharisees paid tithes of all their income duly, not just of the required parts. So when the Pharisee in today’s gospel said, “O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity- greedy, dishonest, adulterous or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income” (Luke 18: 11-12), he was not lying. Tax collections, on the other hand, was included in the list of occupation regarded as “occupation of robbers,” which no father encouraged his son to practice. Tax collectors were especially singled out because the opportunity to cheat others was always there. Again, they collected taxes for the Romans- the Jews hated oppressors. As far as the religion of that time was concerned, tax collectors were public sinners on the highway to hell. But the tax collector in today’s gospel knew that the voice of the people is not always the voice of God. He believed he would be saved not on the merit of any religious achievements but on the unlimited mercy of God.

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

The Pharisee did not really go to the temple to pray to God, he prayed to himself. True prayer is always offered to God and to God alone. He was only giving himself a thumb-up before God. The tax collector, on the other hand, trusted not in himself or in anything he had done but only in God’s mercy. Standing far off, he would not even look up to heaven, but beat his chest and prayed, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” He was the man who went home at peace with God and not the self-righteous Pharisee.

Today’s gospel teaches us that no proud person can pray. Secondly, it teaches us that no one who despises a fellow human being can be at peace with God. In prayer we do not lift ourselves above others. True prayer reveals to us that we are all in this together, that we all are sinners in desperate need of God’s mercy. Thirdly, true prayer comes from setting our lives beside the life of Jesus. No doubt, all that the Pharisee said was true. He did fast; he did give tithes; he was not like the tax collector. But in his pride, he compared himself depends with a fellow man. That what pride does! It compares us with others and tells us that we are better than them. But when the virtue of humility compares us with God, it tells us the truth- “We aren’t better.” When we set our lives beside the life of Jesus and beside the holiness of God, all that we can honestly say is, “Be merciful to me O God a sinner.” 

Humility is a truth teller. In it one knows the truth of himself or herself. Humility does not deceive; it does not flatter; it does not tell us who we are not. It opens our eyes, hearts and minds of who we really are. Despite the praises and commendations we get from people, who only see the outside of us or what we allow them to know of us, humility sets all aside and tells us the bitter of ourselves. Humility does not only see the outside of us, it also sees the inside. And we embrace humility and its true assessment of us, all we can we do is fall at the feet of the Lord and say, “Be merciful to me O God for I am a sinner.” What tells us that we are better and holier than others is pride. But humility tells us we are not holier and not better. We all like a sheep have gone astray. All have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God. You, me, all of us have sinned! We need God’s mercy! 

Pray with the Faith of Jesus

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

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

St. Gerard Majella Church

Sunday, October 20, 2013

Lucy was a good Catholic lady who loved God so much. One day, her husband became sick and was dying. Lucy prayed day and night to God to heal her husband. Every morning, she would attend morning Mass; during Mass, she would pray for her husband. After Mass, she stayed behind and prayed to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. In the evening, Lucy would come again to pray for her husband before Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. But despite all her fasting and prayers, her husband’s sickness did not go away. Eventually, her husband died. When the news of her husband’s death broke out, people wondered what Lucy would do now since God did not grant her request. At the funeral Mass, people were amazed to see Lucy looking so calm. During the oration, she said: “First, I want to thank you all for coming here today to be part of my thanksgiving to God. I thank God from the bottom of my heart for hearing my prayers. For days, weeks and months, I had prayed for my husband’s healing. I prayed for temporary healing, but God decided to grant my husband a permanent healing. So I thank the good God for being so good to my husband, to me and my family.” Later, she said “My friends, prayer actually works.”

Sisters and brothers in the Lord, today’s gospel taken from Luke 18:1-8 is about prayer. It is about persistence in prayer. This persistence in prayer is not necessarily about Praying Until Something Happens (PUSH); it’s rather about remaining in prayer, praying in season and out of season whether one’s requests are granted or not. Prayer is not just a solemn request alone; there are also prayers of adoration, love, thanksgiving and contrition. Prayer maintains our relationship with God. It enables us remain in God. In John 15:5, Jesus says, “Whoever remains in me, and I in him, will bear much fruit.” Remaining in Jesus is made possible, strengthened, and deepened through a relationship of prayer.

Prayer is humility. Humility is more of God, and less of me. It’s a longing for “more of God.” “Prayer,” according to Father Richard Thiele CSsR (My Novice Master 1998-1999), “is touching God our heavenly Father.” Praying in season and out of season is touching God in season and out of season. Through the constant act of touching God, we derive the powerful and electrifying current of grace. Grace enables us to carry on loving God and neighbor even against all odds.

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

This parable does not liken God to an unjust judge; it rather contrasts God to such a person: “If in the end, an unjust judge can be wearied into giving the widow justice, how much more will your just God, who is loving and caring, give to his children what they need?” God will surely give us what we need, not what we want.

Now, the image of God portrayed in today’s gospel by Jesus is that of a Father who answers every prayer. Yes, God answers every prayer. But God’s answer to our prayers may not necessarily be exactly what we asked for. When we pray, God gives only three answers: one, either yes; two, or not yet; three, or I have something better in mind for you. We should not expect to get whatever we pray for. Sometimes, a loving and caring father will refuse the request of his child because he knows that what the child asks for would in the end hurt rather than help. That is how God is like. God knows yesterday, today, and tomorrow. He knows the past, the present and the future. Only God knows what is good for us in the long run. That is why Jesus urged us not to be discouraged in prayer, especially when we don’t receive what we asked for. That is why the Lord wondered if our faith would remain till he comes considering the fact that not everything we asked for would be given to us.

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

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

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

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

Thanksgiving Is Not An Added Extra

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

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

St. Gerard Majella Church

Sunday, October 13, 2013

In the time of Jesus, lepers were seen as persons under a sentence of death because there was no cure for their diseases. They were often regarded as unclean and impure to be part of the human society. As such, they were ostracized from their families, friends and from the human society. No one dared to come near them; and no one would touch them or handle anything they had touched. The rule laid down in the Old Testament is that: “The leprous person shall wear torn clothes, and let the hair of his head hang loose, he must cover the lower part of his face and cry out, ‘Unclean, Unclean.’ He must also live outside the camp away from others” (Leviticus 13:45-46). Lepers were not allowed to come to synagogue or Temple to worship. They were forbidden to work, so they begged. Lepers were the most lonely persons, the most rejected, dejected and discriminated people. This was the condition and situation that the ten lepers in today’s gospel found themselves. 

But then Jesus came around! He was traveling through Samaria and Galilee. As soon as he entered a village, ten lepers ran after him, but still maintaining the legal distance they must keep between themselves and those who do not have leprosy, they raised their voices and shouted: “Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!” Folks, these lepers were dead men walking. They had been written off by everybody. They were dead physically and socially, but not spiritually. When they saw Jesus, they saw hope. When they saw Jesus, they saw the end of their affliction. When they saw Jesus, they saw a man who can turn their lives around and heal them. When they saw Jesus, they saw a man who can bring restoration of those years of locusts. They saw a man who can restore them back to the human society. They saw a man who can give them their dignity back. Because of leprosy, which is not fault of theirs, they have lost so much. But in Jesus, they saw restoration of all they have lost. In Jesus, they saw God and saw a new beginning. Their greatest desire was healing and restoration, to return back home to a normal life. That’s all that they were asking for, another chance to just be like other people. 

During the time of Jesus, sickness like leprosy was regarded as a punishment from God. That these ten persons had leprosy meant they were guilty of great sin. They were shunned and avoided by all. When “healthy” people looked at them, they saw sinful people. But when Jesus saw them, he saw something else. He saw their pain, not only physical pain but also the psychological pain of being isolated from their families, friends, neighbor and familiar environment. The Lord saw their pain of being shunned and avoided by everyone, he saw their loneliness, their anguish, their homelessness, their joblessness. He saw human beings’ inhumanity and injustice against their fellow human beings. He saw that those who needed more help from the human society weren’t getting it. Everyone saw the ten lepers as living corpses, but Jesus saw them as God’s living children and he decided to do something about it: “Go show yourself to the priests.”

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

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

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

Jesus was surprised that it was only one man, a Samaritan that returned to give thanks. Our society is becoming more and more like this scene, when fewer and fewer people come to the Eucharist, which means “Thanksgiving” every week to give God thanks. Our prayer has been reduced to asking and asking without giving thanks to God for the blessings we have already received. In times of need, we desperately pray with intensity asking for God’s help. But as time passes, we also pass God by and we forget God. God has given us so much; he gave us his Son Jesus Christ, and often we never even give him a word of thanks. But Psalm 103:2 says: “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and never forget all his benefits.” Psalm 107:1 also says, “Give thanks to the Lord for his good, for his love endures forever.” Thanksgiving is not an added extra. It’s absolutely central to the life of a Christian. Showing gratitude sincerely and always helps us persevere in our relationship with God. If we are thankful to God and God is essentially part of lives, it becomes difficult to walk away from him. Thank the Lord in good times and in bad times. Thank him in season and out of season. Praise the Lord in the morning, noon and night. Praise and thanksgiving should be what we do as Christians. 

Faith For Miracles Is Not Faith In God

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily for the Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

St. Gerard Majella Church

Sunday, October 6, 2013

There is a story of a man who fell off a mountain cliff. Half-way down the cliff, he managed to grab a tree branch. As he was there dangling on the branch, not being able to pull himself up and knowing full well that letting go of the branch would definitely mean falling down to his death, he suddenly got an idea of what to do. He looked up to the sky and shouted, “Is there anyone up there?” A voice replied, “Yes, I am here. I am the Lord. What do you want me to do for you?” The man replied, “Please save me.” The voice asked him, “Do you believe in me?” The man shouted back immediately, “Yes, Lord, I believe in you. I really believe. Please help me.” The Lord now said to him, “It’s all right my son! If you really believe in me, then you have nothing to  fear or worry about. I will save you. But you have to let go of the branch.” The man screamed, “What?” God replied, “Let go of the branch.” The man thought about it for a moment and then shouted back, “Please, is there anyone else up there?”

Beloved in Christ, this is only a fabricated story, but it explains many of the believers attitude and approach to faith and God. Is the man in the story a believer? Of course. he is. He believes that God exists. He believes in the power of prayer. He believes that God is able to help and save him from his unpleasant situation. And Oh yes, he even prayed to God. But if he truly believes in God as he claims he does, why did he not take God on his word? Why did he refuse to let go of the branch? Is God not powerful enough to save him? 

Many of us would smile or laugh at this story because we can recognize ourselves in the man. We believe in God, we pray to God, we believe that God has power to save, but when the going gets tough, when the chips are down and things we planned did not work out as we expected them, we turn and look elsewhere for help. We believe in God, but we are people of little faith. The Apostles of Jesus like us were also people of little faith. They struggled in their faith. They had certain deep doubts about Jesus and his message. When they saw the soldiers approaching in the garden of Gethsemane, all of them abandoned Jesus and fled. Even Simon Peter who promised, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will” (Matthew 26:33) did not only abandon him but also denied him thrice. The Apostles believed in Jesus, but still had some unresolved issues in their faith in him. But they wanted to grow in their faith. They wanted to be people of great faith. They were not comfortable with having “a half-baked faith.” They were not comfortable being half-baked believers. They wanted to believe completely everything that Jesus taught and did. So, in today’s gospel taken from Luke 17:5-10, they came to Jesus with a request: “Lord, increase our faith.” The Apostles knew that their faith was not adequate and sufficient enough and they took steps to grow and improve it. 

Responding to the request of his Apostles to increase their faith, Jesus told them the parable of a servant who returned from working on the master’s farm, and instead of yearning for rest, went straight to the kitchen to prepare dinner for his master, served him and waited on him. It was after his master’s needs were fully satisfied that the servant then attended to his. You may ask how this parable answer the Apostles request for more faith. In this parable, Jesus is simply saying that if we have great and mature faith in him, we will always put God’s will first in our lives. If our faith in God has matured, we will never complain and grumble that we have been working for God all day long, now we are tired and it is God’s turn to attend to our needs. If we have a grown up faith, we will continue to work for God, serving him with all we have and are without counting the cost. 

Now, faith for deliverance from hardship is not faith in God. Faith for healing is not faith in God. Faith for protection is not faith in God. Faith in good life and good health is not faith in God. Faith in prosperity is not faith in God. Faith in breakthrough is not faith in God. Faith in ease and comfort is not faith in God. Faith in victory over adversity is not faith in God. Faith in trampling over serpents and scorpions is not faith in God. Faith in conquering witches, demons, voodoos, magic, etc is not faith in God. Faith in becoming an overcomer is not faith in God. Faith in defeating our enemies is not faith in God. Faith in crushing the head of Satan is not faith in God. Faith in God can make all those possible. But believing in all those is not faith in God. Faith in God means whether I am delivered now or not, I will continue to believe that God loves and cares for me. Faith in God means whether I am healed now or not, whether I am victorious now or not, whether I experience breakthrough and prosperity now or not, whether I overcome my enemies- human and spiritual enemies now or not, whether I enjoy life of ease and comfort now or not, I will not walk away from God. I will not curse my God. I will still believe that he loves me and cares for me.  This type of faith is called the Shadrachan Faith. This kind of faith is called the Meshachan Faith. This sort of faith is called the Abednegoan faith. Remember the three young men in the Book of Daniel 3:8-30- Shedrach, Meshach, and Abednego. King Nebuchadnezzar had made a gold statue and decreed that everyone in his kingdom must worship it as their god. He also decreed that anyone who does not bow down and worship the statue will be thrown into a blazing furnace. When worship time came, Shedrach, Meshach and Abednego refused to worship a false god. In total faith to the living God and absolute defiant to King Nebuchadnezzar, the three young men said to him: “Your Majesty, we will not try to defend ourselves. If God whom we serve is able to save us from the blazing furnace and from your power, then he will. But even if he doesn’t, Your Majesty may be sure that we will not worship  your god, and will not bow down to the gold statue that you have made.”

Brothers and sisters, that is what faith in God means and entails. The mistake of the man caught in the mountain cliff is the mistake of many of us. He has faith in his own deliverance, but not in God’s infinite power and love to save him. God’s love for us is unconditional and his unconditional love demands our unconditional love and service to him. The Christian Faith has been reduced by many modern Christians to mean our ability to obtain healing, deliverance, breakthrough, prosperity and miracles from God. But in today’s Gospel, Jesus teaches us that mature faith consists not in how much God attends to our immediate needs, but in how willing we are to serve him unconditionally, without counting the cost. Faith in God does not consist in how much we are able to obtain material things from God, but how much devotion we have for God and God’s matters. If our faith is not yet matured, let’s join the Apostles to ask Jesus, “Lord, increase our faith.”

Homily for the Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

When God Puts You In A Position Of Lifting Up A Broken Spirit, Just Do It

Fr. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily for the Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

St. Gerard Majella Church

Sunday, September 29, 2013

Today’s parable has two characters in it: a rich man and a poor man. The rich man was not named but the poor man has a name- Lazarus. The name “Lazarus” is derived from the Hebrew name “Eleazar” which means “God is my help.” Like so many rich people, the rich man in today’s gospel (Luke 16:19-31) lived, ate and dressed luxuriously. He was extremely comfortable and exceedingly elegant. He dressed in expensive purple garments and fine linen. He dined sumptuously every day, i.e. he feasted expensively and luxuriously every day. 

In a region where many folks considered themselves fortunate if only they ate a small piece of meat once in a week, and where they labored and toiled for six days of the week, this rich man indulged himself in a lavished, flamboyant and extravagant living. Meanwhile, not far from him was a poor man, Lazarus who sat and waited for the crumbs that fell from his table. Lazarus was a beggar and it seems he was also homeless because the gospel says “...lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus...” His body was covered with sores. He was so helpless and so weak that he could not even ward off the street dogs that hovered around him and licked his sores. 

Our Faith teaches us that life does not end here. After this earthly life, there is another life that awaits each of us. Earthly life is temporary, but afterlife is everlasting. Therefore, we should spend our earthly life securing a better and happier future in heaven. So, after an earthly life of untold suffering, Lazarus died. He was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died after an earthly life of extreme luxury, but he went to a place of torment- hell. Now, the rich man did not go to the place of torment simply because he was rich. Then what was his sin? After all he did not order Lazarus to be thrown out of his house and sight; he did not stop Lazarus from picking the scraps of food that fell from his dinning table; he did not scold or hit Lazarus. He was not deliberately cruel to him. He did not hold his nose to avoid smelling the poor man’s sores. He did not call the police to report that an intruder was around him. He did not look at Lazarus with scorn and contempt. What then was the sin of the rich man? His sin was that he never noticed Lazarus. The poor man was invisible to him. As far as he was concerned, Lazarus was part of the landscape. As far as he was concerned, it was perfectly alright for Lazarus to live a life of deep pain and hunger while he wallow in extravagant feasting. What took the rich man to the place of torment is not what he did but what he did not do. His sin was that he could look at a man ravaged by disease, a child of God, a human being like himself, saw his dire need for help but felt no sense of grief and pity in his heart. He saw a man covered with sores, a helplessly homeless beggar, a desperately hungry man, a man being plundered by deep pain, and did nothing about it. He does not lack the resources to help and to change the life of Lazarus, but he turned a blind eye. He was punished for refusing to notice the presence of a needy man. 

From the place of torment, he looked up and saw Lazarus and pleaded for a drop of water from him. But he was quickly reminded that he was reaping what he sowed while on earth. And when he asked that Lazarus be sent to his brothers to warn them to change their lifestyles to avoid ending where he ended, Abraham told him that there are priests and prophets on earth already doing what he wanted Lazarus to go and do. 

Some of us will look at today’s gospel as a condemnation of riches and an elevation of poverty. Jesus never condemned the wealthy for being wealthy. I want to say here that this kind of poverty is evil and sinful. This type of poverty is an offense against charity and compassion. Abject poverty of this kind should be fought and be defeated. It gives no glory to God; it gives no commendation to humanity. No human being should be allowed to experience it. It debases the dignity of the human person, and makes mockery the very idea of humanity and community. Jesus is not anti-riches or rich people. Riches are God’s blessings too. The rich man did not end up in hell simply because he was rich; and Lazarus was not carried to the bosom of Abraham simply because he was poor. The rich man went to hell because he was deeply selfish and self-centered. He lacked the virtue of love, charity and compassion. Lazarus on the other hand, went to heaven because like his name suggests, he totally leaned on God as his help. In his poverty, he was not jealous of the rich man. In his poverty, he did not turn away from God. In his poverty, he was not upset with God or with anyone. Despite his poverty, he still had faith in God. He loved God and sought help from him. In the end, he got the relief and salvation he sought for.

 If you are able to help someone, if you are able to put a smile on someone’s face, if you are able to make an impact in someone’s life, an impact rooted in love and compassion, try and do it. In the end, you will realize that you have stored so much treasure for yourself in heaven. The Lord has not called us to do nothing. Each of us has been called to do something- something good. Each of us has been called to be active Christians. Dormant and inactive Christians produce nothing. Dormant and inactive Christianity is worthless. Doing nothing is not a virtue. Do not be a Christian who does nothing. Every day of our lives, God puts us in a position of doing something worthwhile, of wiping away tears from the eyes of someone, of lending a helping hand, of speaking to a lonely person, of visiting the sick and the shut-in, of changing a life, of making a difference in the life someone, of making others see Jesus in us. When that opportunity comes, don’t act like the rich man in today’s gospel. Do something! Christianity is a religion of action- compassionate action. It is a way of life for those who love Jesus!

What life are we planning to secure?  

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily for the Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

St. Gerard Majella Church

Baton Rouge, Louisiana 

Sunday, September 22, 2013

Prophet Amos was the third among the twelve Old Testament prophets. He was a shepherd and a Sycamore trees tender. He spent the greater part of his life in the rural area. Before he came to the city of Samaria, he had never been exposed to a luxurious standard of living and comfort and that of great wealth. So, when he came in contact with the city luxurious life, he quickly realized that something was wrong with God’s people. The prophecy of Amos happened during the period of great wealth and prosperity in Israel. But despite the bumper harvest and buoyant economic situation of Israel, it was indeed a rotten and sick nation. Social oppression based on class inequalities was at its peak. The poor were victimized by the rich. Religion was in serious decay and ruin, and this was the root cause of these social crimes. The worship of God was no longer practiced in the pure form and was in danger of deteriorating into paganism. The oppression of the poor was against the commandment of God of Israel. So, Prophet Amos condemned these social injustices as the antithesis of the covenant spirit. Israel’s covenant with God allowed no class distinction; the brotherhood and the sisterhood of Israelites was the norm. 

In today’s first reading taking from Amos 8:4-7, he warned those “who trample upon the needy and destroy the poor of the land” that the Lord has sworn “Never will I forget a thing they have done.” Amos was shocked to see that materialism had become the order of the day in Israel. Wealth was considered the greatest thing in life, and only people with money were seen to be important. The rights of the poor were not defended in the courts, and many judges and officials took bribes. Any poor farmer who borrows money and could not pay on time looses his farmland and most times is forced to cultivate it for the new owner. During harvest time, the rich lender reaps the best from the land leaving the remnant for the poor borrower. This attitude opened the way for land-grabbing. Injustice and many other social crimes were high in Israel. Even the smallest bribe- a pair of shoes is enough to secure a verdict against a poor man. Now because the nation was very prosperous, there was optimism everywhere in the minds of the people. Only few people like Prophet Amos could see that behind the prosperity that the nation is morally and spiritually sick. Amos wanted more justice in the land. The presence of injustice in the land is a prove that they were not living as God’s people.

The world has changed considerably since then, but in many ways, human nature has remained the same. Despite all the scientific and technological development and advancement, humanity has remain virtually the same. Greed still rules! The poor are still oppressed! The rich still get richer! There is still a great injustice in the world. But those who perpetrate and perpetuate injustice should consider the warning of Prophet Amos: That God will not forget their wickedness. If they escape human punishment, they will surely not escape divine recompense. 

In today’s gospel taken from Luke 16:1-13, Jesus speaks of the need to be clever in planning for a secure future for ourselves, and it is not just for the few years we spend on earth that we have to plan for, but also for our time in eternity. When the servant in today’s gospel realized that in few days or weeks, he would be out of work, he used earthly astuteness to plan for his future. He was accused by his master for financial misappropriation and was given few days to prepare a full report of his stewardship. He knew he would be sacked. So, he decided to reach out to his master’s customers and had them reduce the amount of money and goods they were owing his master. His master did praise him for his cleverness. Now, Jesus wasn’t promoting dishonesty and stealing here. Whether the steward was stealing from his rich master or not isn’t the main point in this gospel. Whether reducing the various debt that various people owned his master was honest or dishonest is not the main point of this parable either. The chief point of his gospel is that the steward was clever and wasted no time in planning for a secure future for himself. Have we started planning for life after life? What life are we planning to secure? What future are we planning to secure? Is it this earthly life alone? As we plan to secure our future earthly life, Jesus reminds us today not to forget to plan for the most important life- eternal life, the most important future, life after death.  

Material things have their place in making our lives on earth more comfortable but over-reliance on them can make us feel so secure in this life that we forget about what is most important- eternal life. That was the point Amos noted in the first reading. The economic prosperity and boom that the Israelites were enjoying 750 years Before Christ led them to forget about God who had blessed them so abundantly. When they lost touch with God, this led to the moral decline of the nation and its eventual collapse. Silver and gold belongs to God (Haggai 2: 8); all good things come from the Lord. Wealth is not despised by God. Jesus is not anti-wealth or anti-comfort. Abundant riches are God’s blessings too. But we should never forget that our life in this world is only but temporary; but eternity is forever. Therefore, we should use all our riches and all the blessings God has given us to draw close to him. We should possess our possessions and not let our possessions possess us. When our possessions possess us, they become our gods. 

The Good News of the Lord for the Lost and for the saved

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara CSsR

Homily for the Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

St. Gerard Majella Church

Sunday, September 15, 2015

Dearest in Jesus, today’s gospel can rightly be called “the good news of hope for the lost sheep and for the saved.” It is the good news for the lost because the lost still have a chance of being saved. It is the good news for the lost because the Father through Jesus is still going after them, searching for them in order to bring them into the fold of the saved. It is the good news for the lost because Jesus will do anything to save them. It is also the good news for the saved because if they ever strayed, the one who loves them will go in search of them to bring them back to the fold.

 The three parables in today’s gospel arose out of definite situations. For the Pharisees and Scribes, Jesus had committed a great offense to associate himself with men and women who by their orthodox label were sinners. They created a big wall between them and such people. There was no relationship, no interaction, no inter-marriage between the children of the Pharisees and the sinners. The Pharisees had no iota of respect for the Sinners. A Pharisee was forbidden to be the guest of any such man or to have him as his guest. He was forbidden to have any business dealings with him. The Pharisees made deliberate effort to avoid every contact with the people who did not observe the petty details of the law. So they were shocked to to see Jesus surrounded by people who were not only ranked outsiders, but sinners. They were shocked because while they taught that “There will be joy in heaven over one sinner that is destroyed before God” Jesus taught the opposite: “There will be great joy in heaven over one sinner who repents.” While they did not look forward to the redemption of sinners, Jesus the merciful Savior was teaching about God first as a Shepherd who goes in search of the lost sheep; then as a woman who bends low even under the bed searching for a lost coin. And when the sinner comes back to his or her senses and returns home, the Father is presented by Jesus as one who does not recount or remember or turn back the returning sinner. Unlike us, the Father does not say “You wayward daughter (son), why are you here? What are you doing here? Who asked you to come here? If you know where you are coming from, you better return there.” Instead, the Father runs to meet us while we are still halfway home. The Father does not wait for us to begin to list the litany of our sins; he already knows that we are deeply sorry and repentant for our transgressions. He welcomes us with an open arm, and crowns it all with a big party. God is pleased when a lost sinner is found just as a shepherd is when a strayed sheep is brought home. As a saint once said, “God, too, knows the joy of finding things that have gone lost.”

The three images of the lost sheep, lost coin and lost son teach us important truths, both about God and about ourselves. Jesus told the parables to help us understand God’s searching undying love for everyone, especially for the lost. The first parable of the lost sheep reminds us that God cares about individuals. Like the shepherd in today’s gospel, God does not give up on one person just because it is the minority. Every single person is important to God. God so desires while keeping the obedient majority safe, to go after the lost minority. In God the majority does not come between God and God’s frantic and tireless search for the missing or strayed minority. God does not say “Well, it is only the minority, I still got the majority.” God does not say, “It is only one sheep, I still have ninety-nine left.” He continues to search for that one lost sheep in order to bring it home. This is why Jesus says in the gospel of Luke 19: 10 “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save those who are lost.” Again in the gospel of John 10:11, the Lord describes himself as the good shepherd: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” Jesus goes in search of even one single sheep because “God wants all humans to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1Timothy 2:4). God wants to save every one because in Ezekiel 33:11, the God of Israel declares “I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather they turn from their evil ways and live. And when the missing sheep is found, it is not punished by the shepherd. Rather, the shepherd joyfully lifts the sheep high on his shoulders, raising the one who was lost to a new dignity. The lost sheep’s diminished dignity is restored by the shepherd.

In the second parable, God is like the woman searching out a missing coin. Like the woman, God does not say “I still got some money in the bank.” God continues to search for the lost one even in the dark places of the world. The parable of the lost coin tells us the extent God can go searching for us. It tells us of God’s urgent longing that no one should be lost. The woman in the parable stops at nothing; God does not stop until God finds the lost.

The last parable in today’s gospel is usually called “the parable of prodigal son.” It is about an arrogant son who rejects all the comfort and the security his father provides in order to do things his own way. It was after he had squandered the portion of his inheritance that he remembers how different things had been, how different they would have been if he had remained at home. Having lost everything and almost loosing himself, he decided to go home. The action of his father describes the action of God to us when we return home from the loneliness of sin and sinfulness. In the parable, the father was looking forward to the homeward journey of his son. The father’s passionate merciful embrace and his restoration of his child to his rightful place reveal something about our God. God’s love for us knows no limit.

In these parables, Jesus reveals God’s passionate longing that those who are lost, those who have sinned, those who are in the church but far away from God, those who praise God from the lips only, those who despise and look down on others, those who profess God with their mouth but in their actions deny him return home. But where is home? Home is the place of God. Home is where God is and where godly things are done. Home is the place where love and charity are found. Home is the place where forgiveness is given to offenders. Home is where none of God’s children is excluded. Home is where all God’s children are equal. Home is where there is no immorality of any kind. Home is where the good news for the poor is proclaimed. Home is where even sinners are welcomed. That is home!

Dearest beloved, Jesus is the good shepherd who searches for us far more intensely than a shepherd seeks a lost sheep; he looks for us more than a woman searches for a lost coin. Jesus looks forward to our homeward journey more than the father of the prodigal son. Our heavenly Father will not rest until we all are back close to God’s heart where we belong, and when we return, there is great celebration and rejoicing in heaven.

Now allowing ourselves to be found by God is not a one-off event. It is not a one-time event, it’s lifelong process. It is something we should do from time to time. We can make a fundamental decision to follow Jesus Christ, this we did especially at our baptism and confirmation. But then, none of us is beyond the need for repentance. We must constantly allow ourselves to be found by God. We must constantly pray that others who are far away from God are found by God. We must give those who are far away a chance to be found by God. This is why I called today’s gospel “the good news of the Lord for the lost.”

For us Catholics, the sacrament of reconciliation is a beautiful means of making these parables come to life in our personal discipleship. Each time we go to confession, God like the shepherd in the first parable, lifts us up again and places us on the shoulders of the Good Shepherd. Whenever we humbly and sincerely confess our sins, like the woman who “lights a lamp and sweep the house” in order to find the missing coin, the light of Christ begins to shine on us; the house of our heart is once again swept clean. And when we receive absolution from the priest, like the father of the prodigal son who ran to embrace his homebound son, our good God embraces us anew as his precious daughter or son. Since there is rejoicing in heaven when a sinner repents and returns home, why not give the angels something to celebrate about?