From Wanderland to Gloryland!

Rev. Marcel Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily on the Solemnity of All Saints

St. Mary of Assumption Church, Whittier, California

Sunday, November 1, 2015

On this Solemnity of All Saints, the Church presents us a passage of Matthew’s Gospel (Matthew 5:1-12) commonly referred to as “the Beatitudes” or the “Sermon on the Mount.” In a nutshell, the Beatitudes are the summary of Jesus’ instruction regarding the type of behavior that is expected of those who accept and belong to the Kingdom of God. In each of them, Jesus states that those whose conduct conforms to God’s will are truly blessed. He places more emphasis on the interior motivation of one’s conducts. The materially poor folks are not blessed simply because they are poor. Lack of material things alone does not guarantee upright behavior unless it leads a person to completely depend upon God. Lacking in food, drink and other necessities of life does not necessarily make someone virtuous and holy, unless such lack, hunger and thirst can trigger an inner hunger and thirst for God and his righteousness and then lead to right actions. Even the rich are expected to be poor in spirit (humility) and to depend upon God and not in material riches. Again, avoiding what is bad and evil may or may not represent righteous behavior unless the pure heart is totally focused on Jesus and his teaching. In the same manner, suffering insult and persecution in itself does not necessarily translate to doing God’s will, unless such ugly experience is as a result of one’s followership of Jesus and his teaching. Those whose words, deeds, interior or inner motivations are formed by the teaching of Christ Jesus are both righteous and blessed in deed. 

Today, we celebrate our sisters and brothers whose words, deeds and interior motivations were formed by the Gospel teaching of the Lord. Today, we celebrate those who, during their earthly lives were really poor in spirit, hungered and thirsted for righteousness, shown mercy, were peacemakers, had clean hearts, were insulted and persecuted because of their abiding faith in God. Today, we celebrate the Saints! 

Who are the saints? They were human beings who, like us, had weaknesses. They were sinners who repented. They were former sinners, former prodigal sons and daughters, and former enemies of God who later became ardent lovers of God. The Saints are the over-comers, the triumphant children of God, the church triumphant, winners who used to be losers. They lived in the flesh. They had emotions. They experienced joys and sorrows, strength and weakness, sickness and good health, good times and bad times, frustrations and encouragements. Like you and me, they also struggled. They fell and rose. There were occasions when they complained and grumbled; there were also occasions when they were thankful and grateful. They had dull moments and moments of excitements in their lives. They experienced both rainy and dry seasons. They were imperfect people who were aware of their imperfections, so, worked hard to overcome them. When they fell, they did not remain fallen. When they rose from their fallen state, they learned from it, asked for mercy and strength to keep moving in the right direction. They were not in denial or ignorant of who they were. They worked out their salvation with fear and trembling. In the midst of fear, adversity, sickness and lack, they continued to lean on God, trust him, pray to him and commune with him. 

Sisters and brothers, Saints are those who rose above the negative emotions and passions. They rose above destructive anger. They rose above their weaknesses. They forgave their offenders. They conquered through praise and prayer. When they felt abandoned by God, they abandoned themselves into his hands, surrendered more profoundly to him, prayed like never before, fasted even the more. The feeling abandonment did not make them to abandon God. Through thick and thin, they stuck to God. They did not walk away from their faith. 

The Saints were not fans of Jesus. They were his disciples. If you are a fan of a football team, you don’t have to believe in what the players believe in. You don’t have to walk in their footsteps. You don’t have to die for your team. You don’t have to show up everyday to watch them play. When they fail to win, you get mad at them. In certain circumstances, some fans have abandoned their team and switched over to another team. The Saints were not fans, they were disciples. Disciples walk in the footsteps of the Master. They sit beside the Master. They speak the language of the Master—love and mercy. They live the life of the Master. They die for the Master.

The Saints had a cause— God’s cause. They had an agenda— God’s agenda. They love sacrificially and selflessly. They fought the good fight of faith. Their entire life was spent loving God and neighbor. They ran the heavenly race without looking back or thinking about the sensual and material things they had left behind. Like Lot and his wife, they understood they were also asked to leave the city of “Sodom and Gomorrah.”  As they fled the city of vanity and sin, they were tempted with the thought of what they had left behind, but unlike the wife of Lot, they refused to look back. They kept their gaze forward. Having put their hands on the plough, they never looked backwards, despite serious temptations to do so. They lived in the world, but never of the world. And because of the heroic lives they lived, we celebrate them today. 

Today’s Solemnity reminds us that we too can rise above all trials, all temptations, all weaknesses and win. This great feast reminds us of the destiny and target of all believers. Our target is heaven. Our goal is to make heaven. We are created to know God, love him, serve him, and then be united with him in heaven. Like I always said, heaven is the reward of righteousness. The Saints were people who walked from wanderland to Gloryland. Although we are still wandering around on earth— like a sheep we are all wandering around, but by faith in God and looking up to Jesus and striving to please him daily, we too, can walk from wanderland to Gloryland. 

“Lord, I Also Want to See”

Rev. Marcel Emeka Okwara, CSsR

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

St. Mary of Assumption Church, Whittier, CA

Sunday, October 25, 2015

The human person, traditionally speaking, is endowed with five senses: sense of sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch. It is generally considered a deformity when any of these senses is unable to perform its job. In the time of Jesus, any misfortune like the loss of the sense of sight, hearing etc. was considered a punishment from God. The sufferer was seen as a sinful and unrighteous person that God was punishing. Such a person was only seen, not heard. 

Today’s Gospel (Mark 10:46-52) is about a man named Bartimaeus, whose sense of sight was dysfunctional. Plainly speaking, he was blind. Like other persons who suffered misfortunes, he was seen as a cursed man. Everyday, “he sat by the roadside begging.” His life was virtually lived by the roadside, and it was by the roadside that he got his blessing. On one particular day, he got really lucky. As Jesus, together with his disciples and a sizable crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus heard the tramp of their feet. Although his sense of sight was not functioning, but that of hearing was performing to its maximum. The strong movement of people prompted him to ask what was happening. He was told that Jesus of Nazareth was passing. Immediately, he caused uproar. He started shouting, “Jesus, son of David, have pity on me.” But naysayers, pessimists, haters, cynicists, and enemies of progress shouted at him to be quiet. Oh! Bartimaeus has heard enough of their negative comments. He has heard enough from them that he was doomed to die, that there was no hope for him, that he was cursed and forgotten by God. He has heard enough of their pessimism, gossip and condemnation. He has heard enough of their discouraging words. He was sick and tired of them, and sick and tired of sitting in one spot begging. When they shouted him down, he recognized their voices: it was the voices of those who slammed the door against him; the voices of those who never welcomed him into their sanctuary, who never invited him to any feast, and who will never sat on the same table with him. For too long, he has been isolated and ignored. For too long, he has only been seen but never been heard. This time, he refused to let them shushed him. He refused to let the opportunity to pass him by: “Son of David, have pity on me,” he called out the more. By this time, Jesus heard him. Jesus noticed him and sent for him. You know, a cry of genuine faith will always rise above the clamor of the multitude. The courage of faith will definitely overcome the rules to be polite and to be silent. A persistent cry for help will obviously rise above the shout to be quiet. Silence is golden, but not when there is a life to save. When Bartimaeus was told that Jesus was calling him, his response was significant: He threw aside his cloak, sprang us, and came to Jesus. He did not waste time. He did not dither in any way. He wanted healing and he wanted it now. 

“What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him. Bartimaeus may have been stunned by the question of Jesus. What else could a blind man be asking for? one may ask. But it’s possible he wanted money. May be he wanted a house, or food or clothing. His needs would naturally be many. But the blind man wanted freedom from that which has kept him down, which has kept him in one spot for a long time. Do you feel you have been in one spot for too long? Do you feel that you have been kept down for too long? For Bartimaeus, blindness has kept him down and kept him in one spot. So he asked: “Master, I want to see.” He wanted to see clearly. He wanted to notice every color— red, yellow, green, orange, green etc. He wanted to really see every smile on every face, every frown and every tear too. He wanted to see very child, every friend, every neighbor. He wanted to see the good and the beautiful. He wanted to see the beautiful world that God created. He wanted to see the glory of God in his life and in the lives of others. Most importantly, he wanted to see Jesus. 

Jesus said to him, “Go your way, your faith has saved you.” With those words, his sight was restored and a new life was dawned on him. The restoration of his sight restored hope, joy, deeper faith and gratitude. Even though he was told to go on his way, he saw Jesus as the way. He saw the way of Jesus as the only way that mattered. Instead of going his own way, he followed Jesus on the way; the way that leads to life. 

Folks, like Bartimaeus, I also want to see. I don’t know about you, but like him, I am also asking, “Lord, I want to see.” I am not physically blind. I can see you. I can see different colors. I can see my way around. I can see the events of life. But I don’t always see Jesus in every events of my life. That I am praying, “Lord, I want to see” does not mean I am medically blind. I am, in some ways, spiritually blind. I want to see others as my brothers and sisters. I want to see others as friends, not enemies. I want to see the smile of others so as to smile with them. I want to see their laughter, so as to laugh with them. I want to see the tears in every face, so as to show compassion. Compassion is not just a feeling of sorry or sorrow. It’s rather a feeling of deep sympathy for another who is stricken by misfortune accompanied by a strong desire alleviate the suffering. I want to see the hungry, so as to share my food. I want to see the naked, so as to share my clothing. I want to see the thirsty, so as to offer them a refreshing drink. I want to see the sick and injured, so as to bring them healing. I want to see the lost, so as to guide them home to God. I want to see those thirsting for God, those who hunger for Jesus, those whose dignity has been stripped from them, so as to lead them to Jesus. I want to see God in everything that happens to me. I want to see myself truly as I am. I want to see the way of the cross as the way to the crown. Bartimaeus was physically blind, but through his blindness, he was still able to see the power of God working through Jesus. He was not blind to the truth. He was not blind to faith. He was not blind to prayer. He was not blind to persistence. I want to see what he saw even in his blindness. I can see clearly the material things of this world, I also want to see clearly the spiritual things of God. Through the lens of faith, I want to see the glory and power of God working through me, through you, through the Church, through the Sacraments and through the events of life. I want to see Jesus and follow him on the way just like Bartimaeus did. 

The Lord’s Prayer Re-Written

Our Father, who also lives with us, within us, and  among us

 May  the words of our mouths, the meditation of our hearts, our praise, 

adoration, worship, and thanksgiving to you flow from our hearts

 May our hearts, homes, families and assembly become your kingdom 

and dwelling places for you

 Help us to constantly derive joy in doing that which pleases you

May your will be our delight

 May everyday we live be spent in glorifying you in words and deeds

 Grant us the means of livelihood and bless the work of our hands 

Be patient with us as we struggle to overcome our weaknesses

Never be tired of forgiving us

None of us is perfect

 Our imperfection causes us to offend you, offend and hurt each other

 Help us to be patient with each other as you are with us 

to pardon each other just as you pardon us 

to tolerate each other and to help each other experience your healing

 Make us victorious over all trials and temptations and set our feet strongly firm 

over the head of our common enemy- the devil, the source of all evil. Amen.

—Composed by Rev. Marcel Emeka Okwara, CSsR

St. Mary’s Assumption of Church, Whittier, CA

On the One Year Remembrance of the glorious transition of my mother, Georgina U. Okwara

Thursday, October 15, 2015

I Hope Jesus Is Part Of Your Future Plan!

Rev. Marcel Emeka Okwara, CSsR

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

St. Mary of Assumption, Whittier, CA

Sunday, October 18, 2015

As we live our day-to-day life, we occasionally think about the future. Through the power of imagination, we can envisage and visualize what it may look like. Serious thought about the future oftentimes prompts many to start making plans for it. Even though we live in the now, in the present, we do so with the thought about the future. Planning for the future requires making some conscious decisions now, not later, about how we would like the future to look like. For instance, a young person can start making future plan about the city to live after graduation from college, job, marriage, renting or buying a house etc. Parents with kids can start saving money for their kids college; they can plan to buy a house (if they have not bought any) or buy a new car if the one being used at the moment is always developing faults. Parents whose kids have all left home to pursue their individual dreams may plan on going on a long vacation, (like cruise), retirement, and place of retirement etc. In my former parish in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, I have lots of elderly folks whose regular conversation was about the retirement home they would like to move in when they are no longer able to do things for themselves. Some of them have even planned for their funerals which includes the officiating priest, clothes that they would like to wear, the type of casket, the funeral home to handle their funeral and the cemetery they would like to be buried.

Today’s Gospel taken from Mark 10:35-45 is about two brothers, James and John, who after making their future plan, came to Jesus and presented the top priority in their plan. But before they did that, they sought assurance from Jesus that he would grant them whatever they asked for: “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” I believe they had other things on the list of their future plan, but top on the list was to sit on both sides of Jesus in his glory: “Grant that in your glory we may sit one at your right and the other at your left.” You know, some preachers have argued that James and John had ulterior motive, that they were too ambitious, that all they were looking for was honor and recognition. We may rightly argue that the two brothers may not have understood Jesus and what he was about. But the truth is that they wanted to be with him in his glory. What’s wrong with that?

But where did the two brothers get the idea of Jesus’ glory? Why did they ask, not just to be part of it, but to be the ones to sit on Jesus’ two sides? Remember the story of the Transfiguration! James and John were two of the three disciples that Jesus took to the mountaintop where he was transfigured, where two great figures of the Old Testament, Moses and Elijah appeared. The transfiguration experience was so glorious, so amazing, so majestic that Peter declared “Rabbi, it is good that we are here. If you don’t mind, permit me to make three tents—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah” (Mark 9:5). The place was so serene, so peaceful and so beautiful that Peter wanted to make it a home. He did not want to come down from the mountain. He wanted to stay there longer. James and John also witnessed the transfiguration of Jesus on a high mountain. They also experienced the magnificent and solemn event. They, like Peter also loved what they experienced. The mountaintop experience has given them a taste of the glory and a taste for the glory. Some people bash the two brothers’ future plan by arguing that they associated glory with authority. But let’s look at it this way. Let’s assume that this argument is true. It therefore means that what they sought for—authority, is the authority associated with Jesus. It means that James and John wanted the type of authority that can only be derived from and exercised from one’s association with Jesus. They didn’t go to the Scribes and the Pharisees for their authority and glory. They came to Jesus! The glimpse of glory they saw and experienced at the mountaintop was their future plan. Their future plan was not about retiring in a fancy and expensive house located in an expensive part of a town. Their future plan was not about globe-trotting; it was not about the kind of casket to be buried with or the cemetery to be buried in. It was simply to be on the both sides of their Master, whom they loved so much. They wanted to sit next to him when he comes into his glory. Sitting next to Jesus was at the top of their wish list. Their eyes were already fixed on the road to glory. They should be commended, not condemned!

Now, when the other ten disciples heard of this, they became furious, most likely because they thought that James and John had beaten and outsmarted them. They were concerned that these two brothers may have gotten an edge over them. But I refuse to justify their anger. Nothing stopped them from making their request as well. No one should begrudge me for asking the Lord to bless my ministry. No one should begrudge you for asking the Lord to prosper you. No one should be upset with us for desiring and praying to be part of the Great Banquet in heaven. There’s enough blessing to go round. As soon as the ten started fussing and complaining, Jesus used the occasion to teach them the real meaning of leadership, which consists not in lording it over others, rather in serving them: “You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them….but it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all.” He used the misunderstanding to remind them of the Gospel meaning of life. That life is not about lording it over others, dominating them, telling them what to do, bossing them around. God’s agenda is about serving the least, the vulnerable, and those at the margins of the society. The Gospel meaning of life is not about amassing power, authority, prestige and getting the high places of honor and privilege. If your agenda is any of that, just know it is not that of God. 

Beloved in Christ Jesus, have you made your future plan? What’s in it? What guided you in making it? What agenda tops your future plan? Is Jesus part of the plan? Where did you place God’s agenda in your life? Whatever plans we have made for the future, let’s pray for the grace to align them with God’s plan. When we do that, God will not only smile but will laugh in delight. I hope Jesus is part of your future plan. No, let me rephrase it, I hope Jesus is at the center of your future plan. I hope your future plan is Jesus. I hope you plan to retire with the Lord.

 Wisdom Trumps Intelligence!

Rev. Marcel Emeka Okwara, CSsR

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

St. Mary of Assumption Church, Whittier, CA

Sunday, October 11, 2015

I like talking about the distinction between wisdom and intelligence. I believe that there  are so many intelligent and smart people around who have distinguished themselves in various fields of life by the sheer application of their intelligence. Intelligent people are not in short supply. Unfortunately, not every intelligent person is also wise. Catholic theology teaches us that wisdom is one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. While intelligence is “the ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills,” wisdom is “the capacity to love spiritual things more than material things.” The Holy Spirit gives us wisdom to enable us to figure out right from wrong in the world. Wisdom is the gift that inspires, motivates and drives someone to constantly choose God, God’s matters over earthly and fleshy things. It’s a gift that enables us to stand up and stay on the Lord’s side. Whenever there is a choice to make, those with wisdom would always choose to stand with God and everything that pertains to him. Their choices in life would always be in consonance with their faith in the living God. When the choice is between earthly wealth and following Jesus in simplicity, they would choose the later.

Wisdom trumps over intelligence, riches, health, comfort, beauty etc that is why the writer of today’s first reading declared, “I prayed and prudence was given to me; I pleaded, and the spirit of wisdom came to me. I preferred her (wisdom) to scepter and throne, and deemed riches nothing in comparison with her, nor did I liken any priceless gem to her…” (Wisdom 7:7-9). Even the Psalmist acknowledged the great importance of wisdom by praying, “Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain wisdom of heart” (Psalm 90:12). Spending some time in prayer and asking the Holy Spirit for the wonderful gift of wisdom is surely going to be a time well spent. We live in a decision making world. At every given time, there are options before us. We are constantly tempted through these options. Temptation is always a suggestion to choose between God and mammon, between heavenly things and earthly things, between following Jesus and following self, the world, or the devil. In the midst of all these confusions, we need wisdom to choose right, to choose the good, to choose the true and living God, to choose to follow Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith and life. 

Today’s Gospel (Mark 10:17-30) is about an unnamed rich man who was obviously intelligent. I assume he was intelligent because I am yet to see an unintelligent person who is rich. He wanted to be saved. He wanted to be wise. He came to the Wise Man of Nazareth. He came to the Source of Wisdom. He came to the personification of wisdom. He started very well by coming to Jesus and asking, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Some people are lucky to inherit immense wealth from their parents, brothers, sisters or friends by mere chance, without actually doing anything to merit their inheritance. But this rich man was willing to pay a price in order to inherit eternal life. He did not want to inherit it by mere chance, by doing nothing. He wanted to do something that can justify his inheritance of it. So, Jesus turned his attention to the commandments, “You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; you shall not defraud; honor your father and your mother.” When Jesus was done with the litany of don’ts, the man smiled and said, “Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth.” Then Jesus extended invitation of friendship to him, “You are lacking in one thing. Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” At this point, the man had a choice to make between clinging to his wealth or detaching from it for the sake of following Jesus. In the end, he chose to cling to his possessions. He did not have the wisdom to choose Jesus, the Lord of life over his earthly possessions. For him, wealth trumps the call of Jesus. 

You know, by all standard, the rich man was a good man. He was indeed an upright man. How many rich people (or even poor people) can stand before the omniscient Jesus and declare that they have not killed before, not committed adultery or fornication before, never stolen before, never bore false witness against anyone, never defrauded anyone before, have always obeyed their parents? How many of us have kept all of those from our youth? When the rich man said he had kept all those commandments from his youth, he meant, he had never broken any of them from the time he reached the age of reasoning and accountability to the time he met Jesus. He made his money without killing or defrauding anyone. He was a good Jew. So, when Jesus looked at him and saw that he was telling the truth, he loved him and immediately invited him to follow him. Unfortunately, his lack of wisdom made it impossible for him. Jesus’ response to his refusal to follow him, “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God” should not be taken literally. It does not mean that earthly riches are a curse. The Lord was not saying that there will be no rich person who would be saved. It does not mean that material riches have automatically ruled wealthy folks out of the Kingdom. The Bible tells us that “The Lord makes some poor and others rich; he brings some down and lifts others up” (1 Samuel 2:7). And the book of Haggai 2:8 tells us that “Silver and gold belong to God.” There are rich folks who are investing their money in things like poverty alleviation, research to cure diseases, education, charitable organizations etc. But the truth is that excessive pursuit of wealth, the pursuit to remain wealthy can easily distract someone from God. The stuff that rich folks carry can actually weigh them down. Too many luggage can easily prevent someone from moving ahead towards God. Money can become the new god. It can easily become one’s chief source of happiness. This can equally happen to you and I. Never assume that this Gospel does not concern you because you are not rich. Just the same way a rich person can be distracted by earthly riches, so can you and me. Whatever that distracts us from God is our riches. Whatever we rank higher than having an active and ongoing relationship with God is our riches. Any of these: job, family, business, relationship, sports, entertainment, fame, sinful habits etc can distract us from following the Lord, and therefore become our riches. My late Mother, Mrs. Georgina Okwara used to say to her children, “Don’t give me that which you think is greater and more important than God, I don’t want it.” We are reminded once again today that wisdom trumps all our earthly desires and wishes. We need to pray for wisdom so as to make right choices that will always glorify God’s name and put us on the Lord’s corner. The choices we make determines on whose side we are on. 

When A Family Dies, God Is Homeless

Rev. Marcel Emeka Okwara, CSsR

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

St. Mary’ s of Assumption Church, Whittier, CA

Sunday, October 4, 2015

We don’t have to be erudite theologians to figure out that today’s readings are about marriage and family. The opening words of the first reading: “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a suitable partner for him” (Gen. 2:18) is about marriage. It’s about the institution of the holy sacrament we call marriage or matrimony. The first man, Adam, was lonely and most certainly not pleased with his situation, but didn’t know how to resolve it. So, God stepped in and did something about his condition. You know, there are so many times in our lives when God too stepped in and resolved issues for us even before we asked him for help. There are uncountable times that the Good God stepped in and prevented something harmful from happening to us. There are so many times that Jesus stepped in and took care of business for us. When God saw how miserable and lonely Adam was, he did not wait for him to ask, he stepped in and did something about it. Strictly speaking, Adam was not alone in the Garden of Eden. There were several animals on the ground and in air that God had created. They lived with him. In fact, he was the one that gave each its name. But none provided a suitable company and companion for him. He was still lonely and sad. So, God put him to sleep, and while he was asleep, God took one of his ribs and built “something” beautiful, elegant and magnificent. God polished this amazing design really well and put in her something that would definitely make Adam cheerful, glow and happy. In her, God put the best and the finest qualities and then brought her to Adam. As soon as Adam saw God’s newest and latest design, he, for the first time, smiled and said, “(Yes) at last, this one is the bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh; this one shall be called ‘woman’” (Gen. 2:23). If you have been wondering why women are the ones that bring out the best in men, this is your answer. If you have been wondering why behind every successful, happy and fulfilled man, there is a woman, you’ve your answer. The right woman brings out the best in the right man. That is “…why a man (would usually) leave his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them (would) become one flesh” (Gen. 2:24). The woman is a man’s other-half, better-half, soulmate and a suitable partner. 

Today’s Gospel (Mark 10:2-16) is divided in two parts. The first part (10:1-12) is about the prohibition of divorce by Jesus: “God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, no human being must separate.” In those words, Jesus also highlights the origin of marriage—God. He tells us that marriage is not only a human phenomenon, it’s also a divine event. He insists that God is interested in marriage. God is involved in marriage. God is the creator of marriage. Marriage was not invented by humans but by God.  As such, no human being can rightly assume God’s authority to destroy a union that God has joined together. Although there are some situations when the Church, the Bride of Jesus Christ, would on his behalf dissolve and annul some marriages, but those are marriages that shouldn’t have taken place in the first place. The second part of the Gospel (10:13-16) is about the fruits of marriage— children. Like some of us who sometimes try to prevent or deny some (unborn) children the opportunity to live and experience God’s love and to come to know Jesus, the overzealous disciples also tried to prevent some kids from coming to experience Jesus, the true Life. But Jesus rebuked them: “Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these” (Mark 10:14). Another way of saying this is: “Allow the children to be born. Do not abort them. Do not stop them. Give them the opportunity to live. Give them the opportunity to know, love and serve me. Give them the chance to live and experience me.” Jesus also said that anyone who wants to be saved must accept the kingdom of God like a child. What does that mean? The little ones are generally innocent, simple, and very trusting. They do not keep malice. They are generally submissive. Most importantly, they are very welcoming. We are therefore called to accept the kingdom of God with open arms just like a child who is receiving an unexpected gift.

The family is an important institution that should be promoted by all. Check this out! God came to us through a family. God entered our world, dwelt among us through a family. The family is a school where the mother, father and children are the students. They are majoring in the field of Living Together as One. As such, they take courses like theology of love, theology of understanding, theology of forgiveness, theology of prayer, theology of service, theology of tolerance, theology of family, theology of explanation, listening and communication, theology of raising children, theology of obedience and respect, theology of give and take.  In this school, no one is less important and no one is more important. Everyone is important. In this school, there is no perfect person. At the World Gathering of Families in Philadelphia, Pope Francis said, “There is no perfect family. We have no perfect parents, we are not perfect, do not get married to a perfect person, neither do we have perfect children.” This imperfection, occasionally, causes us to disappoint one another. When that happens, complaints and hurts follow. The family can get back up only when the medicine of forgiveness is taken or applied. Forgiveness must be asked and must be given. Any family that wants to stay together must use the medicine of forgiveness. Forgiveness is the ointment of healing. It cleanses the mind and heart and brings healing to both the injurer and the injured. According to Pope Francis, “Without forgiveness, the family becomes a theater of conflict and a bastion of grievances. Without forgiveness, the family becomes sick.” And if the medicine of forgiveness is not taken, the family will die. 

Beloved in Christ, if there is one place in the world that God is certainly present, it is in the family. Yes, God is present everywhere. He can be encountered anywhere. But he is extremely present in the family. Whenever a new family is formed through the sacrament of matrimony, God takes his supreme and rightful place. And when a family dies, God cries. God is chased away. God is made homeless. To all the families here, I want you to know this, God is present with you. What you are into was ordained by him from the beginning of creation. Do not let the inconveniences of marriage render God homeless. When a man leaves his father and mother and clings unto his wife, God clings unto them. When the holy union brings a child and both parents accept the child, God is glorified and is even made more present. On the face of the newly born, God’s face can be seen. Again I urge you, do not let the pressure of work, the disagreement and misunderstanding, the stress of keeping your family to want to end your marriage. In the midst of all the struggles, God is present with you. Like the Holy Family, build your family on God. Make Jesus the cornerstone, the foundation and the center of your family. A dysfunctional family renders God homeless. An unhealthy family renders God homeless. A father who is never at home and available to his family, who spends more time at the drinking bar with friends renders God homeless. A mother who is never present in the life of her children renders God homeless. God is homeless when spouses don’t forgive each other. God is homeless when spouses see divorce as an easy way out of their marriage. God is homeless when children are not loved, catered for, trained and raised in the way of God. God is homeless when a once lively and happy family becomes cold. God is homeless when a husband prefers another woman other than his wife. God is homeless when a wife prefers another man other than her husband. God is homeless when love between a man and his wife dies. God lives in the family. God wants to live in the family. The family is the domestic church. When any family crumbles and dies, God becomes homeless. In his homelessness, God also cries.