Do What You Promised To Do!

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

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

St. Gerard Majella Church, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 

September 28, 2014

Dearest beloved, in today’s gospel Jesus narrates a story of a father and his two bad sons. The story explains some of the attitudes of some Christians towards the call and invitation of God, the mission of the church, and the church’s call to all her sons and daughters to get involved actively in the life of the church. It is a story that points out the hypocritical nature of some of us.

A father had two sons. He went to the first and said, “Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.” The first son replied, “I will not.” But after a soul searching reflection, he changed his mind and went in obedience to his father. The father went to the second son and gave him the same order. The second son replied with respect, “Yes sir, I will go!” But he never went. Now, it is important to understand that none of the sons in the story was the kind of son that would bring full joy to a father. The first son was disrespectful to his father. In the Jewish society of Jesus’ time, his reply to his father’s request wasn’t the kind of response expected from a loyal son. But what he lacked in his response, he accomplished through his obedience. He became the virtuous son when he eventually went to the vineyard. He did what the father wanted. The second son on the other hand applied courtesy in his response to his father, but ended up disrespecting him even further by not going to the vineyard to work. Courtesy without obedience is worthless. The ideal son would be the one who accepted the father’s request with respect and obediently carried it out. 

Today’s gospel speaks about the mere talkers and the real doers of the Christian Message. It talks about the verbally loud “professers” of the faith and the quiet and unnoticed doers of the faith. The loud talkers are Christians who profess Jesus with their lips, but in their actions deny him. Their verbal profession of faith is louder and much better than their practice. In the gospel of Matthew 15: 8, Jesus says, “[Such] people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” No wonder he also says, “Not everyone who calls me Lord, Lord, will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter” (Matthew 7:21). Such Christians would promise anything, praise the Lord loudly for all to see, dance out their hearts and clap vigorously during worship. They've outward show of piety and religiosity, but never make any serious effort to practice what they promised. Describing such people St. Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 3:5, “They act religious, but deny its power that could make them godly.” To such people St. Paul urges the authentic believers, “Stay away from people like that!”  

But there are Christians whose practice of the faith is bolder than their verbal profession of it. Outwardly, they may not appear pious and religious. They may look tough. But they are the ones usually seen doing acts of kindness. They are privately generous, honest,  prayerful, just and upright. Some of them may not even be regular church goers, but they live more Christian lives than professing Christians. 

In today’s gospel, Jesus teaches us that making promises is not enough; we must fulfill the promises we make. Making a promise to do something for the Lord and for the Church is not enough. We must fulfill those promises. If we promise to do something, let’s do it. Promises can never take the place of actual performance, and fine words are never a substitute for fine deeds. The second son who promised his father that he would go to the vineyard to work but never went, had all the outward show of religion and outward mark of respect and courtesy. In his answer, he even called his father “Sir,” showing respect to his father. He showed courtesy. But his courtesy was empty since he  never did what he said he would do. True courtesy is accompanied by obedience. The first son, though originally was disrespectful to his father, but won the respect and love of his father back by eventually going to the vineyard to work. 

Sisters and brothers of the Lord, the Christian way is the way of obedience; obedience to the Father through Jesus Christ and his Church. The Christian way is in performance and not in promise alone. Words are cheap. Words can be deceptive. But deeds count more. Our relationship with Jesus is deepened by deeds of charity and love. What gets us divine merit is obedience and not verbal professions. We are Christians because we follow in the footsteps of Christ. We are not Christians simply because we profess Christianity or profess to be born again. A verbal profession of faith is good, but it is not enough. Faith professed must be accompanied by charity. Faith professed must be demonstrated and lived out. Good deeds give life to faith. Good deeds demonstrate faith and give meaning to faith. Bad deeds and disobedience expose faith to ridicule. Christianity is a religion of profession and obedience, but more of obedience. It is a love relationship with Jesus which must give birth to obedience. In John 14:15, Jesus says, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” 

In our Christian journey, we may have made many promises to God. Today, let’s review those promises and see if we have kept them. If we have not kept any of them, we still have another chance to fulfill them. 1 Samuel 15:22 tells us that obedience is better than sacrifice. Obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ is what makes us faithful and actual Christians. Nominal Christians only make promises and professions but never lived them out. Faithful and real Christians live out the professions they make and honor the promises they make. 

The Glorious Cross: Our Victory

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

St. Gerard Majella Church, Baton Rouge, LA

Sunday, September 14, 2014

God is certainly more than what we say he is. Whatever names or adjectives we call him or associate with him, he is much more than that. We often times regard him as good and faithful. We say he is love, merciful and compassionate. Indeed he is! But I often times say that, “If you cannot call him God, just call him Patience.” God is indeed a very patient and tolerant God. Patience is his nature. He’s so patient with our foolery and unconscionable behaviors. Despite our ungrateful behaviors, he continues to be patient and tolerant. But in today’s first reading taken from the book of Numbers 21:4b-9, God appears fed up with the people of Israel. They were ungrateful even after all God had done for them.  He saved them from Pharaoh’s slavery, liberated them from slavery in Egypt, saved them from the rampaging and vicious Egyptian soldiers, and fed them miraculously by sending manna in the desert and causing water to flow from a rock to quench their thirst. Yet, when the Israelites encountered little difficulty, they forgot the wonderful past deeds of the Lord and started to complain against God and Moses: "Why have you brought us up from Egypt to die in this desert, where there is no food or water? We are disgusted with this wretched food!” Really? Does anyone think that the almighty God would bring someone from one harm only to let the person plunge into a deeper harm? Does anyone think that the all-powerful God would bring his beloved one from the excruciating pain of a frying pan only to let the person fall into a blazing fire? Does anyone believe that the all-redeeming Lord would lead someone or a group of people out of harm's way, and halfway into the journey, abandon them? Can the Source of Light, the Light itself lead a people through the darkest night, and halfway into the Promise Land of light turn off the light? 

The Israelites believed so. They were so impatient with Patience, God himself, and his servant Moses that they were ready to harm Moses. God wanted nothing for them but life—to live in freedom, to enjoy his friendship and to be saved. But in their way of thinking, God had brought them out from Egypt to die in the desert. They flared in anger towards God and Moses, and God allowed them to experience the consequences of their outbursts. Any rejection of God, in any form or shape, has punishable and painful consequences. Of course God doesn’t punish anyone, but our very refusal to be loved by him and to walk in his ways is enough punishment, which we have brought upon ourselves. The Psalmist in Psalm 130:3 asks: "If you O Lord should mark our sins, who could stand?" But in our human way of thinking, God does punish. This is evident in the first reading, which says: “In punishment the Lord sent among the people serpents, which bit the people so that many of them died.” But God couldn’t possibly allow his people to be finished up by the wicked serpent. As soon as Moses prayed to him on behalf of his people, God immediately intervened and said to Moses: “Make a seraph and mount it on a pole, and if any who have been bitten look at it, they will live.” This means that the very thing that brought death has become a symbol of life. God can bring out good from even the ugliest situation. When the bronze serpent was lifted up, and sinners looked upon it, they were spared and saved. This Old Testament event prepares us to receive and understand the words of Jesus in today’s Gospel: “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life” (John 3:14-15). In the Old Testament, God used the symbol of death, i.e. the serpent, to save the Israelite people. In the New Testament, God once again, used another symbol of death that is, “the cross, and transform[ed] it into an expression of divine love for all of us.” 

Today, we celebrate the glorious cross of Christ. We honor the instrument of torture on which Jesus Christ, our Savior and our God died. The cross can rightly be called the, “sign of the Son of Man.” From the cross was born the new life of Paul; from the cross was born the conversion of St. Augustine of Hippo; from the cross was born the joyful poverty of St. Francis of Assisi; from the cross was born the radiant goodness of St. Vincent de Paul; from the cross was born the great compassion of St. Alphonsus Liguori; from the cross was born the heroism of Maximilian Kolbe; from the cross was born the amazing charity of Mother Teresa of Calcutta; from the cross was born the courage of John Paul II; from the cross was born the bravery of Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador; from the cross was born the courage and justice of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who challenged America to live out the true meaning of its creed, that all men and women are created equal; from the cross was born the revolution of love. So the cross is not the death of God, but the birth of his love in our world. 

The cross is not a depiction of weakness, rather a symbol of hope and new-life. For through the cross, Jesus conquered death, definitively for all eternity. Through the cross, we too can conquer death, the death that comes from sin. Through the cross, we all are led by the Spirit of God, to the glory of the Resurrection. Through the cross, we receive eternal life and bliss in God. The cross is the profound manifestation of God’s love for all men and women. As we celebrate the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, let us be joyful and thankful to God for his uncommon and unexplainable love for us. Unlike the Israelites, we should desist from complaining for what we are yet to receive, or for what we have been denied. For whatever we are yet to receive, and for whatever we have been denied, let us accept as part of our cross. For in the Gospel of Matthew 16:24, Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves, take up their cross and follow me.” The cross is a symbol and a sign of victory, and not defeat. Without the cross, there is no crown. Our Holy Father, Pope Francis says, “When we walk without the cross, when we build without the cross and when we proclaim Christ without the cross, we are not disciples of the Lord. We are worldly. We may be bishops, priests, cardinals, popes. all of this, but we are not disciples of the Lord.” 

The Cross of Jesus! Be our Defender!

Forgiveness Is Not Optional 

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

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

St. Gerard Majella Church, Baton Rouge, LA

September 7, 2014

Conflicts seem to be deeply rooted in the human condition. Even in families there is conflict. Throughout the Bible there are stories of persistent conflict between Cain and Abel, between Sarah and Hagar, between Esau and Jacob. Even among families that appear outwardly peaceful there can be deep divisions. And in churches, Jesus knows we will wrong each other intentionally and unintentionally.  A closer look at Paul’s letters to early Christians shows that a good number of them are on how to handle the conflicts that come with being a community. Paul would not have told the community to put aside quarreling and jealousy if there wasn't a problem would he? Conflicts are not something that Jesus was silent about. He even gave us a good method of dealing with those who offend us. In today’s gospel, Matthew 18:15-20 Jesus says: “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won over your brother.” That is fraternal correction. The reason for fraternal correction is shown in the second reading taken Romans 13:8-10 “Brothers and sisters, owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another, for one who loves another has fulfilled the law…You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Love does no evil to the neighbor; hence, love is the fulfillment of the law.” To those we love, we correct fraternally. To those we love, we tolerate. To those we love, we are patient with. To those we love, we forgive. When there is love, there is fraternal correction. The commandment to correct a brother or a sister who offended us can only be obeyed when there is love. After all the Peter 4:8 says that “Love covers multitude of sins.”

If anyone offends us, we should avoid talking about the incident with others before we bring it to attention of the offender. Nothing is said until it is said before the person. If you are hurt by what someone had said or did, confront the person in a gentle and respectful manner. Hold on one hand the courage of narrating what had taken place, and on the other hand hold forgiveness. Forgiveness offers us and our offender healing. It sets us free from the bondage of anger and then widens our space.

Now forgiveness does not mean overlooking what someone has done to us. The emotions we feel when someone hurt us are genuine, real, upsetting, and they must be honestly and painfully acknowledged and dealt with. Doing this can provide a way of healing and forgiveness. Harboring feelings of resentment, unforgiveness, anger, hate and rage can prevent the healing process from ever beginning. To forgive is not to say that what others did to us was okay. To genuinely forgive means refusing to allow hurt  stop us from growing and moving forward. If we refuse to move forward instead wallow in hurt and anger, we become paralyzed by the evil that has taken place. Unforgiveness limits our freedom. An unforgiving spirit can harden one’s heart and block it from any flow of love. One is terribly diminished when he or she refuses to forgive. If we are sincere about forgiveness, we must allow God to remove our hard-heartedness and meanness of spirit. Forgiveness does not mean forgetfulness. It is rather a conscious decision that we make in our head, and pray that it slowly descends to my heart. When it comes to forgiveness, we have no option but to forgive. As followers of Christ, we cannot pick and choose who to forgive and who not to forgive. We are called by the Lord to forgive everyone. And to be able to accomplish that, Jesus lays three practical steps for us: If anyone offends you, approach them in the Spirit of the Lord and bring the incident to their attention. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if the meeting fails to produce an honest reconciliation, invite one or two persons to join you in resolving the matter. Still, if reconciliation and healing continue to be elusive, take the matter to the church. Tell your priests about it. Tell some trusted elders of the church about it. In the end, if they refuse to listen to the peace and reconciliation process initiated by the church, if they reject your peace and healing offering, then you can consider them as nominal Christians and treat them as such. Such persons who refuse and reject peace, healing, and reconciliation cannot be said to be truly disciples of Jesus Christ in actuality. But inasmuch as we are to treat them, as “Gentiles and tax-collectors” as suggested by Jesus, we are still expected to love and pray for them. For the one who said: “…then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector” (Matthew 18: 17), also said, “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44).

What makes Jesus the most credible person to teach about forgiveness and reconciliation is that what he asks us to do, he himself had done. There is nothing he asks his followers to do that he himself did not do. He’s a perfect example of one who practiced what he taught and preached. After he was hung upon the cross, his executioners turned him into an object of mockery. They touted him saying, “He saved others, but cannot save himself. He claims to be the king of Israel, let him come down now from the cross and we will believe in him” (Matthew 27:42). When he called and prayed to his Father out of deep pains, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?”, which means, “My God, my God, why did you abandon me?” they jeered at him saying, “He is calling on Elijah.” As if that was not enough, they “took a sponge, soaked it in a cheap wine, put it on the end of a stick, and tried to make him drink it.” Again, they boasted saying, “…let us see if Elijah is coming to save him.” Jesus was pushed and challenged extremely by the arrogant executioners. They tested and tempted him beyond limit to see if he would use his powers in a negative sense. Surely, a man who healed the sick,  who raised the dead, who walked on waters, healed lepers, multiplied few loaves of bread and fish to feed multitude, made the blind see and deaf to hear can obliterate the foolish and arrogant soldiers simply by his spoken word. But at the peak of his physical pain, at the height of his psychological pain, deep and profound pain of total rejection and abandonment by all, Jesus still found the courage to shockingly say, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). Is that not amazing? In the same manner, he calls us to offer forgiveness to those who offend us. When we forgive, we too can have the courage to approach our merciful God and say, “Forgive me Lord for I have sinned.” In the Lord’s Prayer we say, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” We cannot possibly and confidently approach God and ask for mercy, for forgiveness from him when we have not forgiven our offender. It does not make any sense to ask from God what we have refused to give to others, something that we have the capacity to do.  The basis of forgiveness is love. We don’t often forgive easily because we don’t love enough. 

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

Be healed in your mind and in your heart!