IT’S TIME TO GO HOME ANOTHER WAY

Fr. Marcel Emeka Okwara CSsR

Homily of Third Sunday of Lent, Year C

St. Gerard Majella Church

March 3, 2013

Whose fault is it that bad things happen? When something good happens to someone we sometimes find ourselves saying “Thank your stars.” When we say that, we are simply saying that the stars are responsible for the good things that happened to people. But what about when bad things happen? Who is to be blamed when bad things? If good things are assigned to stars, bad things should be assigned to them as well. But there is a problem with this kind of thinking. It’s myopic and too simplistic.  It will be irresponsible to simply attribute human suffering to an unlucky star. William Shakespeare in Julius Caesar posits: The fault, dear Brutus, lies not in the stars but in ourselves that we are underlings. Shakespeare disagrees with the star theory of blame. According to him the fault does not lie in the stars at all. Something else is responsible for our troubles, not the stars. 

But who is to be blamed for the bad things that happen to us? What is responsible for the injustice and social disharmony in our society? What is really responsible for the diseases that devastate human life? Is it our genes? Are we what we are due to heredity? What is responsible for the earthquakes, hurricanes, flood, tsunamis, etc that destroy obliterates human lives? We sometimes blame racism, economic disparities, social disharmony, and mindless killings on the environment. The problems of the nations are blamed on working mothers, underprivileged communities, and poor schools. Other times parents are blamed- either it is their bad genes or bad environment; it is surely their fault. We can go ahead to blame everyone and everything. Blame the government, blame the folks, and blame God.

In today’s gospel taken from Luke 13:1-9, Jesus did not provide a clear answer. In the gospel, he was told of a horrible crime committed by Pilate against some Galileans- he mingled their blood with the blood of sacrifice. Instead of talking about the heinous crime of Pilate, Jesus turned the story into a question: Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were greater sinner than all other Galileans? By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did! What about the eighteen people who were killed when the tower at Siloam fell on them? Do you think they are more guilty than everyone else who lived in Jerusalem? By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did.

Jesus does not want us to blame the victims. It is not their fault. Remember when the man born blind was brought to him, people wanted to know whose fault it is that he was born blind, the Lord said it neither his fault nor that of his parents that he could not see. Jesus does not assign blame; he does not tell us why some people are harmed and killed; he does not tell us why the tower fell on some and not on others. He does not explain why an innocent child is born with cancer; Jesus does not explain why in some nations things waste, whereas in others people waste away. The Lord does not explain to us while innocent people suffer. He does not give answers as to why one person is killed in a car accident, another gets cancer and while others live on with their minds robbed of them by Alzheimer. Jesus does not tell us who to blame, whose fault it is. Instead he gives a parable of a gardener and an unfruitful fig tree. Through the parable the Lord warns us to be more concerned with repentance. The parable is a warning that we should use the time we have got for repentance and faith. We should not spend our time blaming or making excuses, but instead live our life as God’s precious gift. We should not squander our life or our time.

In the parable that Jesus narrated in today’s gospel, the Gardener is Jesus; we are the fig tree; the orchard is the world; the owner of the fig tree and the orchard is God. In the gospel, Jesus the Gardener begs for more time for us so that we can bear fruit. To bear fruit, we need to return to Jesus and remain in him. In the gospel of John 15:5-8, Jesus himself says:

I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

Sisters and brothers, it’s time to go home another way. Lent is a period of going home, but not the same way, not the old way. We must go home another way. It has to be the way of Jesus. If  you have come here a bitter, sad person, but it is time to go home another way. If you have come here a hater, it is time to go home another way. If you are not in talking terms with anybody, it is time to go home another way. If you are struggling with an addiction, dearest one, it is time to go home another way. If your god is your stomach, it's time to go home another way. If you feel unloved, go home another way to someone that deeply loves you. His name is JESUS!

Return to the Lord while there is still time. Return to God today with your heart and mind. Don’t wait for tomorrow!

A Trip to the Mountain of Transfiguration

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Bulletin Message for the Second Sunday of Lent, Year C

St. Gerard Majella Church

Baton Rouge, LA

Sunday, February 24, 2013

The Lenten season is a special season to pray, fast and give alms. It does not mean that it is only during this season that Christians are to give alms, fast and pray. It means that it is a unique season that every Catholic is called upon by the Church to pray more, to fast more and to share more with others our resources of time, talent and treasure. Why do we have to do these during this period? We specially give-alms during this period in order to know Jesus as our Treasure. He is the most precious Gift of inestimable value. He is the greatest Gift of all time. We particularly fast/abstain during this season in order to specially know Jesus as our Food. Remember, he is the Source of our strength and nourishment. We pray more fervently during this season of Lent in order to know Jesus as our Voice. He is the One that speaks for us to the eternal Father. 

Today being the Second Sunday of Lent, God wants us to embark on a journey of repentance, conversion, transformation and renewal. God wants us to step out of the comfort zone of sin. He wants us to step out of our old sinful lifestyle, and accompany his Son Jesus Christ to the high mountain of TRANSFIGURATION where we will experience a glimpse of that new place, the place of glory. Today’s Gospel taken from Luke 9:28b-36 tells us that Jesus took Peter, John, and James and went up the mountain to pray. And while they were praying, Jesus’ face changed in appearance and his clothing became dazzling white. This is the mountain of transfiguration! On this mountain, we will experience the boundless goodness of God. Now, the Psalmist in Psalm 24:3 inquires about the requirements to ascend to this mountain when it asks: “Who shall climb the mountain of the Lord, or stand in his holy place?” In the following verse (i.e. verse 4) the Psalmist also gives the answer: “The one who has clean hands, and a pure heart; who desires not worthless things nor swear so as to deceive his or her neighbor. Such a person will receive blessing from the Lord; a reward from God the Savior.”

Today, Jesus invites us to accompany him to the mountain of transfiguration. If we follow him there, may be we will be able to jettison and abandon envy, pride, gossip, lack of respect for others, passive aggression, destructive criticism, anger, bitterness, hatred, character assassination, unforgiving spirit, unholy discussion, fowl language, bad example to the young etc. On the mountain of transfiguration, Jesus will not only be transfigured, but he will allow the brightness of his face to permeate into our hearts and souls. When we experience the beauty of dwelling in the presence of the Lord, we will speak like Simon Peter: “Master, it is good that we are here; if you wish, we will make three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” As we dwell more in His Presence, we will find joy in listening and obeying the redeeming message of our Master Jesus Christ who saved us and called us to a holy life of friendship with God and friendship with the people of God. If we are able to do this, then, we would have obeyed the Voice of the Father that sounded from heaven saying: “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.” 

Beloved in Christ, our Lenten Mission begins today- this evening by 7 PM. We warmly welcome Father Maurice Nutt, CSsR. Few words that best describe Father Maurice are joyful, energetic, Bible-fed and Spirit-led!  Father Maurice was born and raised in St. Louis, MO.  He professed vows in the Redemptorist congregation on July 24, 1983.  And on June 10, 1989, he was ordained to the Catholic priesthood.

         

Father Nutt is currently a member of the Redemptorist Parish Mission Preaching Team based in Chicago, IL.  Additionally he is a member of the faculty of the Institute for Black Catholic Studies at Xavier University of Louisiana, New Orleans where he teaches Preaching. Father Maurice is a highly educated Catholic priest- He holds two BA, two Masters and a doctorate degree. He has written three books:  Thea Bowman:  In My Own Words, Advent and Christmas Wisdom from St. Alphonsus Liguori, and Lent and Easter Wisdom from St. Alphonsus Liguori. Father Nutt is also a contributor to the African American Catholic Youth Bible, a collaborative project between the National Black Catholic Congress and St. Mary’s Press to be published in 2013. He has also published articles about preaching, evangelization and stewardship.   

This Catholic evangelist life’s purpose is simply to lead souls to Christ the Redeemer!  Please pray that Father Maurice Nutt may continue to be used by God for God’s greater honor and glory! And also pray for the success of our Parish Lenten Mission. 

Welcome to St. Gerard Father Maurice! We are happy to have you!

From Failure to Abundance: Be Hopeful Even in Failure

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily for the Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

St. Gerard Majella Church

Sunday, February 10, 2013

Simon Peter was a fisherman. Fishing was his livelihood. He wasn’t a sport fisherman  who fish simply because he likes it. He fished to earn a living, support his family and also provide a means of livelihood for those who worked for him. Simon Peter, like many blue collar worker, worked so hard to earn a living, provide financial/material security and happiness for himself and his family. And he knew his job quite well. But in today’s Gospel, Peter found himself in the corner of failure. Like every human being, he must have encountered other failures in his life. But the one recorded in today’s Gospel is a big deal!  

Simon and his colleagues had worked hard all night fishing but caught no fish. By morning, they were ready to go home in disappointment but with hope that the next fishing day will be better. Having paddled their boats to the bank of the Lake Gennesaret, they started washing their nets, their boats, themselves to prepare to go home. As they were doing this, Jesus showed up! He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon Peter. But as if that was not enough, he asked the owner, Simon, to push the boat a little bit from the shore. He sat down and started teaching the crowds who came to listen to him. The action of Jesus could have easily infuriated a grumpy person. Think about this: Peter and his men worked all night and caught nothing. And when they were getting ready to go home and look into the eyes of their households and say, “We will not be able to purchase the things we said we will purchase because we did not catch any fish” Jesus took over their boat. But Simon showed no offense or anger at the action of Jesus. He was respectful, kind and obedient to the demand of Jesus. Do not forget, Simon by this time, had not become a disciple of Jesus, so he may not have known who he was. Yet, he donated his boat to Jesus to use. Jesus used his boat to teach and to preach. Jesus used his boat to evangelize. At a time when many of us would have pushed Jesus aside, and asked him to get out of our boats, Peter showed his character and mettle. 

At the end of the evangelical outreach, Jesus rewarded Simon for his patience, kindness, respect, and obedience. He said to him: “Put out your net into the deep water and lower it for a catch.” In response Simon said: “Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets.” That’s a huge statement of faith and trust in the words of Jesus. At the Lake, Simon moved from sight to faith. “We have worked hard all night and caught nothing”- that’s an empirical fact and evidence. His sight has seen it and bore testimony to it. But when Jesus said, “Put out your net into the deep water and lower it for a catch” Simon moved away from that empirical and scientific evidence into the realm of faith: “Master.... at your command I will lower the nets.” In the end what happened? Simon and his colleagues caught a great number of fish that they had to summon others to come help them out. The number of fish they got filled the two boats. That’s what the Lord does! Those who give little because they have little remain little. While those who give generously despite the little they have are abundantly rewarded. 

When Simon saw the great miracle that happened right before him, he immediately knew that Jesus was a Prophet and a Man of God. Falling to his feet, Peter exclaimed: Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.

Beloved in Christ, today we are once again presented with the problem of failure. Failure raises questions about ourselves and about God. If God is so good why did he allow me to fail? Why did he allow such a pain and failure to happen to me? Why did he allow me to work hard all night and caught nothing? Where is the good God? we often ask in times of failure. 

In today’s Gospel, Simon encountered failure, an all night failure. He was getting ready to go home and tell his kids, “Honey, I will not be able to buy you the books or the clothes you requested for because I did not make any catch today.” But in the middle of that failure, he was offered a window of opportunity. He took the chance, gave God what he had- hope and trust and also his boat and time. Suddenly failure was transformed into victory. The victory was so significant that Simon had to confess that he was a sinful man. He was surprised that a sinner like him could receive God’s favors. He thought that God’s blessings are only reserved for the upright. But God is the Father of all. He blesses us in spite of who we are and what we have become. 

How do we respond to failure? Do we see it as a challenge? And do we see every challenge as an opportunity? Do we respond as Simon did? Do we become grumpy, sad, and deeply depressed? Look, we are not responsible for everything that happens in our lives, but we are responsible for our responses. No one else is responsible for our responses- not God, not others, not life, we are. This is the challenge of faith. Faith is not just an adherence to a bunch of creed or sets of doctrines. Faith is how we act in life; it is the area in which God comes to us. Faith is how we act in life and how we let God act in our lives. Remember, somethings depend on you, and somethings depend on God. It is the partnership between us and God that makes the difference. Never believe that you are a failure in life. Face life with belief that “with God anything is possible” then live your daily depending on Him. 

Why Prophetic Teachers Are Not Usually Accepted

Rev. Marcel E. Okwara, CSsR

Homily for the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

St. Gerard Majella Church

February 3, 2013

The Sacred Scripture tells us that during the baptism of Jesus, the Holy Spirit descended upon him like a dove, and the voice of the Father sounded from heaven saying: “This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased.” Now after this event, Jesus returned to his hometown and to his people where he was greatly received with amazement. The Gospel of Luke 4:22 says “All spoke highly of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth.”  But shortly after this great and happy reception, everything changed. The same people who welcomed Jesus happily turned against him. What happened?

The people of Nazareth, the Lord’s own people believed in a God they had made in their own image and likeness. They believed in a God that simply existed for them alone. Their belief was “if God is for us, then he must be against them.” They believed in a God whose blessings were limited to them alone. But Jesus ruined their belief by telling them that such a God does not exist. The true God is the Father of everyone; he is available to all persons who approach him with faith and trust. Jesus ruined their belief by telling them the truth about God, that God has no favorites,  that he relates to all humankind by the same standards. On hearing that, the same people who spoke highly of Jesus turned against him in disappointment and eventually drove him out of town.

But Jesus was not taken my surprise. He expected the people's reaction and disappointment because he understood his ministry was a prophetic one. In biblical term, a prophet is not simply someone who foretells and predicts the future. A prophet is someone who speaks for God. A prophet is God’s own spokesperson. A prophet is a mouthpiece of God. And a prophet’s usual opening phrase is, Thus says the Lord....” A prophet’s chief concern is speaking the undiluted word of God. He does not drink processed water nor does he feed God’s people with a watered down gospel. He proclaims the truth of the gospel as he received it. He is not so much interested in whether the word he proclaims is happily received by the people. Prophets tell the bitter truth and this is what gets them into trouble. Jesus told his people the truth about God and that got him into trouble. He told them the truth of the universality of God’s blessing, favor, and salvation. To illustrate his points Jesus simply reminded them of Old Testament events:

Do not forget that there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when for three years and six months, and there was a severe famine over all the land; yet Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon. Again do not forget that there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian (Luke 4:25-27). These words got Jesus into trouble!

The Nazarenes refused to accept the truth of the universality of God and his blessings because it went against their long-held beliefs which made them feel good about themselves.

Beloved in Christ, there are two kinds of teachers/priests/preachers:  prophetic teachers/priests and populist teachers/priests. The primary concern of prophetic teachers is to please God and to speak the truth of God even when this would cost them their popularity and favorability. But populist teachers seek above all to please the people, to tell them what they would love to hear. A populist teacher tells a sinner “Your sins are not that bad.” But a prophetic teacher tells a sinner, “You need to repent from your sin because sin hurts you and your relationship with God.” Jesus was not a populist teacher. He was a prophetic teacher. Today, regrettably many Christians prefer a populist teacher/priest who will tell them only what is pleasing to their ears, but which may not be the truth of the Gospel. But the preacher who tells them the truth, the truth of their lives is often times hated and ignored. He is not considered a good man. But I am not surprised after all the Bible says in 2 Timothy 4:3 “For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear.”

Today I urge you dearest beloved, ignore the preacher who feeds you with a watered down gospel. It’s not the Gospel of Jesus Christ.