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!