Allow The Lord To Feed You

Homily for the Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara CSsR

St. Gerard Majella Church

Sunday, July 21, 2013

Rev. Buck Neely was a missionary working in an interior African village. In a few years he had baptized many people and built a church, a school and a health centre. Due to his restless work schedule he took ill and had to be flown back to his native country in Europe for treatment. After few months he returned to Africa. To his surprise and utter disappointment he discovered that the whole village had abandoned his church and turned to a local evangelical preacher. Even the church he built now had an evangelical signboard in front of it. “What went wrong?” he asked himself. “How did my flourishing mission collapse overnight?” “What did I do wrong?” he asked his former church members. One day a woman decided to unleash the truth. She said to him, “Reverend Neely, you are a good man; you did a lot for us. You gave our children clothes and built up our village, and we really appreciate your charity. But there was one thing you failed to do. You did not bring us to know Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior. You did not lead us to an encounter with the Good Shepherd” (Not a true life story).

Dearest in Christ Jesus, doing the work of the Lord is great. But knowing the Lord of the work is even greater and comes first. Feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, giving shelter to the homeless, attending to the needs of the poor is really good, but a relationship with Jesus who identifies with the poor comes first. Social work for the sake of God is good, but an encounter with the Lord of work comes first.

Today’s gospel taken from Luke 10: 38-42 is about the story of two sisters. Both sisters loved the Lord; the Lord himself loved the two sisters. According to the Scripture, Martha and Mary lived with their brother Lazarus in the village of Bethany. It was their brother Lazarus that Jesus raised from the dead. In the gospel of John the close relationship between Jesus and this family is well emphasized. While telling the story of the raising of Lazarus, John says that Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus, saying, “Lord, the one whom you love is ill” (John 11: 3). Jesus had a special place in his heart for Lazarus. John also says that, “Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus” (John 11: 5). Looking closely at the Gospels, we find that Jesus and his disciples usually stayed in the home of Martha, Mary and Lazarus when they came to Jerusalem. So their home offered Jesus a place of relaxation, a place to hangout.

In today’s gospel, Jesus again was a visitor to this family. As I said before, both sisters loved Jesus and each in her own way wanted to demonstrate her love for Jesus. Martha, the eldest in the house wanted to fix some food for Jesus. She was busy with the work of the Lord, and there is nothing wrong with that. But her sister Mary, like a first time lover, wanted to spend every second, minute and hour with Jesus. For Mary, sitting at the foot of Jesus, listening to him and keeping him company was her own way of demonstrating her love for Jesus. For Martha, service comes first; for Mary relationship comes first. Like the missionary Reverend in our story, Martha must have been surprised to hear the Lord say that it is relationship with him that comes first, for without it, our service is meaningless.

Many preachers usually present Martha in a bad light. But Martha and Mary are two sisters who intensely loved Jesus. Both sisters were interested in the Lord, and both wanted to please him. The difference in the two is the manner in which they go about trying to please the Lord. For Martha, service or working for the Lord comes first; for Mary, being with the Lord of work, and establishing relationship with him takes precedent

Today’s human society has many people like Martha. They volunteer at school and hospital, sit on the board of non-profit agencies, they are active in fraternal orders and community organizations. At the place of work, they work so hard to make a difference in life. They care about their children and the children of others. But in making effort to provide for their family, they get distracted by many tasks. Just as Martha’s many tasks distracted her from her relationship with Jesus, the many Marthas of today are also distracted by the various tasks they undertake. This distraction affects their availability to their family. And in their thinking, they are doing all these to provide for their family and demonstrate how much they love their family. But experience has shown that it is only a matter of time before things get out of hand. As you run around in the kitchen of the world just to feed your family, just as Martha did in her own kitchen in Bethany in order to feed the hungry Jesus, you need to realize that your everyday and every time business in the kitchen of the world can affect your relationship with your family. Sometimes, what your family needs is your being around with them in the kitchen table discussing or in the sitting room watching TV and chatting freely. Martha’s food was not enough to win the Lord’s praise; the comfort you provide for your family may not be enough to win their respect and love. Jesus needed both Martha and Mary to chat with; your family needs you to stay around them. It is not surprising that it was Mary, the one who made herself present and available that got the highest praise and commendation from Jesus, “Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.”

The crux or punchline of this story of Jesus, Mary and Martha is all about the balance of our time. The book of Ecclesiastes 3 tells us that there is a time for everything under the sun. Now, this is my own Ecclesiastes:

There is a time to be at work, and a time to be with your family.

There is a time to chat with co-workers and boss, and a time to chat with your children and spouses.

There is a time to read the newspaper on your own, and a time to watch TV with your family.

There is a time to be on the phone, and a time to engage your family in meaningful conversation.

There is a time of devotion to earthly matters, and a time for heavenly matters.

There is a time to spend with friends, and a time to spend with God with your family.

There is a time for party, and a time for profound reflection on the meaning, significance and purpose of life.

There is a time to quarrel with your spouse and children, and a time to make up and bridge the gap.

There is a time to say “Why me Lord?” and a time to say “Thank you Lord!”

There is a time to marry, and a time to think about “Why did I get married?”

There is a time to eat and drink, and a time to think about why I eat and drink.

There is a time to talk and laugh, and a time to just relax and be.

There is a time to complain about your family, and a time to appreciate your family.

Today’s gospel is not an invitation to choose between Mary and Martha. A disciple of Jesus Christ needs to be both Martha and Mary. But this gospel challenges us to set our priorities right, to see that fellowship and relationship with Jesus, being with Jesus and hearing his Word, especially at Mass, precede the work we do for the Lord. This gospel challenges us to strive to remember that there is a time for everything. When Jesus visited Mary and Martha, he wanted just their attention; he wanted just a relaxational conversation with them. Martha did not get that. Mary did! Remember, there is a time to feed the Lord (in our own case in the poor and in the human society), but there is a time to allow the Lord to feed us. As we saw in the gospel today, feeding the Lord (in our own case, in the poor and in the human society) ranks below the feeding of us by the Lord. It is good to feed the Lord; Jesus did not condemn Martha for choosing to feed him. He only raised concern because by choosing to feed him, Mary got distracted from choosing what is most supreme in her life. He acknowledged Mary who chose to be fed by him: “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.”

You need to allow the Lord to feed you!

Homily For The Fifteenth Sunday In Ordinary Time, Year C

The Question is no longer “Who’s my neighbor?” But “What Kind of Neighbor Am I?”

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily for the Fifteenth  Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

St. Gerard Majella Church

Sunday, July 14, 2013

Today’s gospel taken from Luke 10: 25-37 is about the dialogue between Jesus and a certain lawyer. The intention of this lawyer is not really to gain the knowledge, understanding and the wisdom needed to inherit eternal life, but to test Jesus: “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” But Jesus directs the question back to him and reminds him that he is an authority on God’s law: “(Tell me) what is written in the law? How do you read it? The lawyer answered by quoting the “Great Commandments:” You shall love the Lord, your God with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.

Jesus acknowledges his knowledge of the Law, but immediately points out that the knowledge of the law is not enough. Knowledge of God’s law must lead to a God-centered life: “You have answered correctly; do this and you will live.” But the lawyer seeking to justify himself and also to test Jesus even further asks “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus is not ready to waste his time giving a dictionary definition of the word “neighbor.” So, he decides to tell him a parable that will drive home the points he is making:

A man fell victim to robbers as he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho. They stripped and beat him and went off leaving him half-dead. A priest happened to be going down that road, but when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side. Likewise a Levite came to the place, and when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side. But a Samaritan traveler who came upon him was moved with compassion at the sight. He approached the victim, poured oil and wine over his wounds and bandaged them. Then he lifted him up on his own animal, took him to an inn, and cared for him.

Then Jesus asks the learned man: “Which of these three, in your opinion was neighbor to the robber’s victim?” “The one who treated him with mercy.” he replied. Then Jesus drops the injunction: “Go and do likewise.” 

The scholar of the Law wants to define neighbor in reference to others. But Jesus defines neighbor in reference to him. He is also defining neighbor in reference to us. As far as Jesus is concerned, neighbor is not the object of the sentence, but the subject. Therefore, the question is no longer: “Who is my neighbor?” rather, “What kind of neighbor am I?” Now mark this: Our neighbor is not only the man on the side of the road; it is not only the woman sitting on the margins of the society. Our neighbor is not only the person who lives close to where we live. Our neighbor also includes the voice of the conscience that speaks from within us. If we can possibly avoid the neighbor outside, the neighbor that we see with our physical eyes, we may not be able to run away from the neighbor within us- the voice of the conscience. For us to compassionately and selflessly pay attention to the neighbor outside, we must first pay attention to the neighbor within- that is, the voice of conscience. It is this neighbor (the voice of the conscience) that ultimately urges us to treat each other with  respect and to love one another as Jesus loved us. While most of the needy neighbors we encounter daily are saying to us: “Please help me,” the neighbor within us speaks daily to us: “Please help him/her.” But the fundamental exhortation of the neighbor within us is this: “Do good, and avoid evil.” If we listen to the voice of the neighbor within us and do its bidding, we would most often than not, listen to the voice of the neighbor outside us that seeks our attention.    

Today’s Gospel has the following message for us:

i.  Be willing to help someone even when he or she was responsible for his/her plight.

ii. The needy are our neighbor.

iii. The help we render must be practical and not just merely feeling sorry. Saying “You are in my thoughts and prayers” is not enough. Feeling sorry is not enough. I am sure the priest and the Levite felt sorry for the wounded man. They may have said a prayer in their hearts as they walked away, but then, they did nothing. For compassion to be real, it must be demonstrated in deeds.

iv. Since our neighbor includes the voice of conscience speaking within us: “Do good and avoid evil,” we must strive to pay attention and listen to it, and carry out its bidding.

Beloved in Christ, as I said earlier on, the question today is no longer “Who is my neighbor?” rather “What kind of neighbor am I?” What Jesus said to the lawyer at the end of their dialogue: “Go, and do likewise” he also says to us today. Doing likewise will determine the kind of neighbor we are. 

FOURTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR C

You Are Also Called To Spread The Word

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily for the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

St. Gerard Majella Church

Sunday, July 7, 2013

The Twelve Apostles of Jesus were always with Jesus, accompanying him wherever he went except for few occasions Jesus was with only the Three Specials- Peter, James and John. The Apostles were with him as he went from village to village, from region to region preaching, teaching, healing, and liberating those held hostage by the spirits of demons. They were on the boat when Jesus calmed the raging sea (Mark 4:34-44),  and thereafter exclaimed: “Who is this man that even the wind and sea obey him?” They were there when he cured the Ten Lepers exiled and ex-communicated from their communities, families and friends (Luke 17:11-19). They were there when Jesus received the gratitude of one of them who came back to show appreciation. The Apostles were there when Jesus spoke the words “Talitha koum!” which means “little girl, I say to you, get up.” They were there and saw the joy, the excitement and the gratitude on the glowing face of Jairus as he witnessed the “second life” of his daughter (Mark 5:35-43). They were there when the blind Bartimaeus had his sight restored by Jesus (Luke 18: 35-43). They also witnessed the raising of the dead Lazarus to life (John 11:1-43). They saw Jesus multiplied five loafs of bread and two fish to feed the multitudes who came to listen to his words of wisdom. These events surely changed the lives of the Twelve. They surely never remained the same again after witnessing these great events. They heard Jesus preach the most beautiful message “For God so loved the world…” (John 3:16). And at some point in his ministry, Jesus called the Twelve and sent them out two by two and also gave them authority to cast out evil spirits (Mark 6:7). Mark 6:12 tells us that in total obedience to Jesus, the Twelve went out and preached to people to repent; they also drove out many demons, anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.  

In today’s gospel taking from Luke 10:1-12, 17-20, Jesus sends out 72 others who also had witnessed and experienced God’s redeeming love. Like the Twelve, they also had heard the life-changing message of Jesus and had been convinced that he is the Savior of humanity. The Twelve Apostles primarily represent the pope and the bishops who are the leaders of the Church today (the priests, deacons, and all the religious men and women only assist the Church’s leaders in carrying out the mission of the Church, which is essentially speaking the mission of the Jesus Christ. Now, it is not wrong to say that the 72 represent you, the lay faithful. This means that the spreading of the Good News, the witnessing of the Gospel is not an exclusive duty for the ordained and the professed alone. All God’s people are called to “spread abroad a living witness to him, especially by a life of faith and love and by offering to God a sacrifice of praise, the fruit of lips praising his name” (Lumen Gentium, 12). By the virtue of our baptism, all Christians not just the ordained and the professed alone but also you the lay faithful of God are the “People of God” and each person in his or her own way is called to join in the spreading of the message: “The Kingdom of God is at hand.”

While sending out the 72, Jesus gave the following injunctions: “Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals…” which means travel light and don’t be bogged down by material things. It is easy to get ensnared and enslaved by the things of this life. Simplicity of life will attract the attention and admiration of both the poor and the rich. Simplicity will enable them to primarily be concerned about the mission.  Traveling light meant that the 72 would trust in the providence of God for their daily needs. The Lord was simply telling them to be like that the “lilies of the field” and “birds of the air” that rely entirely on the goodness of God to survive. The disciples were to rely on the God-given hospitality of those they visit.

Do you understand what the Lord is teaching us today? He’s demonstrating that there ‘s a close link between talking the talk of faith and walking the walk of faith. The obedience of faith matters as much as the expression of faith. The Lord was saying to them “I am not sending you out only to tell people about faith in God, I am also sending you out to demonstrate to them what would happen to them when they really believe and trust in God.” By telling the 72 missionaries not to worry about food and clothing but to trust in God – Jesus was telling them not to tell people about faith alone but to let their listeners see in their lives what it means to trust God even in simple things like food and clothes.

Jesus also tells them “greet no one along the way.” This is not an instruction to ignore, rebuff and snub people. It is not an instruction to discourtesy. It’s rather an instruction on the seriousness of the mission. In carrying out the mission of God, we must not turn aside or linger on the lesser things while the great things call him. These instructions speak volume of the urgency of the task. We must express our Christian faith; we must let others know about our faith in Jesus Christ. But in doing that, we must guard against denying or betraying our faith in Jesus by the type of life we live. Christianity is not just a religion, it is a way of life. It is a culture.

The 72 returned with joy because they did what Jesus ask them to do. Joy is one treasure that those who join in the mission of Jesus will never lack. Rejoicing with his disciples, Jesus cautioned them against being proud and arrogant. He urged them to rejoice not because of what they have accomplished but because their names are written in heaven. The greatest glory of a Christian is not what he/she has done but what God has done for him/her and through him/her. 

As we go about doing the very task and assignment given to us by the Lord, which is preaching that “the Kingdom of the God is close at hand,” let us remember that the most effective way of doing that is by embracing the rare virtues of humility and simplicity. Preachers of the Christian message who enrich themselves inordinately and emphasize so much on material prosperity are clearly “carrying too many bags, too many sacks, and lots of sandals.” And instead of preaching that the “Kingdom of God is close at hand” they are busy seeking out rich people pouring praises on them when the gospel says “Greet no one along the way.” Let us therefore go after the Lord’s business. The call to spread the Christian message is not just the sole duty of priests, you are also involved. Let your witness of the gospel make Jesus say “I observed Satan fall like lightening from the sky.”