The Lesson of Matthew 8:5-11

Two Sundays ago, a friend of mine told me that while their church community (A Catholic parish) in Lagos was having their Christ the King procession, some members of The Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Revival Movement saw them and then followed them from a distance, dishing out prayers of casting and binding, and also invoking the famous prayer in Nigeria, “Holy Ghost Fire” on them as well. For those “Lord’s Chosen” members, those Catholics are either pagans or possessed and therefore needed some cast and bind prayers. After laughing about it, I said to my friend, “Forgive them because they don’t know what they were doing. Christianity, the very religious faith that brought freedom and deliverance to many across the world, that set many people free from bondage, that spread education and encouraged many to be educated, has been used to enslave so many people in Nigeria. Forgive them because ignorance, which many of them are suffering from, is a very serious disease.” 

The Gospel of Matthew 8:5-11 is the story of a man, a centurion, a foreigner, a pagan, someone considered impure by many at that time, who approached Jesus and pleaded on behalf of his sick servant, “Sir, my servant is lying at home paralyzed and in great pain.” Turning to him, Jesus said, “I will come myself and cure him.” But demonstrating an uncommon humility and a rock solid faith that Jesus had not seen, he said to Jesus, “Sir, I am not worthy to have you under my roof; (that’s a rare humility) just say the word and my servant will be cured” (that’s an amazing faith). Expressing his pleasant surprise, Jesus declared, “I tell you solemnly, not even in Israel have I found faith as great as this.” With that, Jesus proclaimed healing over the centurion’s servant, “Go home, and let it be done for you, as your faith demands.” 

In many Christian communities today, this centurion will be discriminated and will not be welcomed. If he shows up in the assembly, some Christians today will look at him with disgust. They will unleash “Holy Ghost fire” prayer on him. They will shout, “Back to sender” prayer on him. The man’s faith will not  be immediately recognized. Many will see him as not being the right kind of person to be around them. Some will say, “The devil has come to church.” And rather than welcome him, they will start snapping their fingers, shaking their heads, and stamping their feet as they cast and bind a child of God that has come to seek for help. Some Christians think that only a Christian who is wearing the “born again” tag has authentic faith, is worthy of their attention and worthy of salvation. They see those outside their faith-community as unbelievers. But Jesus was very impressed with this “pagan” centurion. He admired his faith.

As we begin the season of Advent, Jesus asks us to open up our hearts afresh, to receive and cherish the faith of others— even if they are not part of our worshipping community. Value the faith of others, whatever shape it takes, even if that faith is being manifested by those outside our Christian assembly. Keep this in mind: what unites us into a saved community is faith. What brings us together into one saved community is not race, or tribe, or language, or human contacts, but faith—faith in Jesus Christ. Ephesians 4:5 says, “There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” Therefore, stop judging the faith of others! Stop ridiculing the expression of faith of others. Leave judgment to God. He alone knows! He alone is the ultimate Decider and Judge!

--By Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Advent: Season To Wake Up 

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily for the First Sunday of Advent, Year A

St. Mary of Assumption Church, Whittier, CA

Sunday, November 27, 2016

“Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.”

There is a difference between existence and living. To exist is to be. But to live is to be awake, to be up and doing, to be alive and active. In spiritual context, to live is to be alive in the Spirit. Stones exist. Rocks exist. Mountains exist. Seas exist. The pews you are sitting on exist. The church building exist. But all these do not have life in them. They are not alive. They are inanimate things. As for us, we are not created just to exist like rocks. We are created to live. The season of Advent calls us to be alive, awake and up and doing in the Spirit. This season calls us to pay attention to the engines of our lives. The engine largely makes a car function. If you drive your car to a mechanic and asks that the engine be brought down, if you attempt to drive out once the engine goes down, that car is not going to start. It is not going to run because the engine, the “source of power and life” of that car is no more. Beloved one, God is the engine of our lives. Any life that shuts him out, any life that shuns and ignores God cannot be up and running. If God does not matter to any life, that life too will not matter.

Today, we begin the season of Advent.  Advent is the beginning of the Church’s liturgical Calendar. The season of Advent precisely emphasizes the Parousia, that is, the Second Coming of Jesus. The word “Advent” means “arrival” or “coming.” It indicates the arrival or the coming of the Lord. It teaches that Jesus Christ, our Brother in our humanity, and our God in his divinity is coming. The Lord comes to us in different ways: Firstly, the whole Gospel of Luke chapter 2 tells us that at a specific time in history in Bethlehem, more than 2000 years ago, the infant Jesus was born. The first entrance of Jesus into our world is what we celebrate at Christmas. At Christmas, we celebrate the migration of the King of kings from heaven to earth. From being a Landlord, he became a tenant with us in our neighborhood because of us. With him living with us we are protected. We are no longer afraid of the Hoodlum- the Devil who terrorizes our streets. Secondly, the gospel of Matthew 24: 29-31 speaks of the Lord’s arrival at the end of time to judge the living and the dead. His Second Coming is going to be a time of reward and recompense. Thirdly, Jesus comes to us in the Eucharist and in the Word of God proclaimed and preached. Finally, Jesus comes to us in the needy persons, in the poor, the most vulnerable, the suffering and the oppressed. The face of the poor, the needy and vulnerable is the face of Jesus Christ. In Matthew 25:40, Jesus says: “Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers and sisters, you did unto me.”

In today’s Gospel taken from Matthew 24:37-44, Jesus urges us: “Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.” He compares his Second Coming to the visit of a thief. Thieves do not usually send a notice to a homeowner beforehand of their impending visit. After they had made their arrangements, they simply invade their target and cart-away whatever is valuable to them. But if the owner of the house is aware of their visit, he surely would prepare to match them strength for strength. He would not sit idly by and watch them invade his house and take away his treasures. In the same manner, the Lord’s Second Coming will happen at an hour we do not expect. But unlike the thief, Jesus is not coming to steal our material treasures, he’s coming to take us to the Better Place. Like the thief, he will come unannounced and if we are awake and prepared, he will take us along. When a “smart” thief breaks into a home, and finds the owner deeply asleep, he’s likely not going to bother to wake the homeowner up. He is going to quietly take whatever he can find and leave before he wakes up and dial 911 or recognize him. It is almost the same way with Jesus. When he comes and finds us deeply asleep, asleep in faith, hope and charity, unlike the thief, he’s not going to take any of our material goods, because he does not need them; but like the thief, he may not bother to wake us up. He may simply walk away in disappointment.

Today’s Gospel urges us to stay awake, to pay attention, to be present to the ways in which God is coming into our life and the ways we come to God. The Lord reminds us that our actions or inactions have eternal consequences. He encourages us to wake up from the sleep of the soul. The sleep of the soul is the neglect of God and God’s matters. The sleep of the soul is the neglect of one’s state of life; it is the neglect of virtues. It is the neglect of spiritual duties like coming to Church on Sunday and letting the church come to us everyday. Some people come to Church always, but always leave worship unchanged. Letting the church come to us means “being a church person every time and in everywhere.” 

As we begin the season of Advent, there are three important things that today’s Gospel calls our attention to:

Staying awake in order to be ready. Jesus wants his followers to daily pay attention to the presence of God in our lives. God invites us daily to a relationship of love and intimacy with him. This invitation can come through people, through the events of life and through our experiences- good or bad. Staying awake enables us to be spiritually prepared and alive to respond to this wonderful and amazing relationship with God, the One who alone is good.

Today’s Gospel reminds us once again that Jesus, our Best Friend will come back some day. In the creed (I believe in one God...), we always recite, “he will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead.” 

As for the time and the hour when the Lord will come back, we do not know. And this part is the biggest challenge of our faith. But we do not have to live our lives in fear, fear of the unknown hour and time. As long as we live our lives according to Jesus’ law of love, we have nothing to be afraid of. As long as we are staying awake and being ready, whenever the Lord appears, we will be ready to reign with him. Daily preparation is what it is going to take to respond to God’s constant invitation. As it is said, proper preparation prevents poor performance. Proper and daily preparation will forestall eternal regret. 

Homily for the Solemnity of Christ the King

Christ the King Reveals a New Kind of Power

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily for the Solemnity of Christ the King

St. Mary of Assumption Church, Whittier, CA

Sunday, November 20, 2016

The Jews did not see Jesus as their Messiah or King. Their idea of a king is not a suffering servant but a triumphant military and political leader, a war hero like King David who will conquer and overcome all their enemies, restore the kingship to Israel and initiate a reign of peace and prosperity. The Jews knew the words of Deuteronomy 21:23 said, “God’s curse is on anyone who hangs on a tree.” So, to consider Jesus who was crucified 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 offensive but also blasphemous, and the authorities were ready to pronounce anathema to whoever that acknowledged that. 

Jesus wasn’t crucified between two thieves by accident. His crucifixion between two known criminals was a deliberate plot to humiliate him in front of the people that believed that he is the messiah. It was an attempt to link him with robbers, create doubts in the minds of people about him, tarnish his image, destroy his good reputation, make him a footnote in the history book and ultimately persuade and discourage people 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 many.  They did not want anyone to remember the lepers he cleansed, the dead he raised, the sorrowful he comforted, the sinners he forgave, the hopeless he gave hope. They did not want anyone to remember the most beautiful message of all that he preached: “God is love; God loves you.” The main thing the Jewish authorities wanted everyone to remember about Jesus is that he was crucified among criminals—raising doubts that he may not be whom he said he is. The very idea of arresting him, torturing him, humiliating him, hanging him on a tree, and between two publicly known thieves were done to demonstrate that Jesus was fake, a deceiver, and a historic failure. 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 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. Jesus’ strength, resilience and power were all tested here. But he remained calm. Through self-restrain and self-control he revealed a new kind of power. As they mocked him, “one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus saying, ‘Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us.’” The other thief saw what others 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.”  Through his request, he acknowledged the Kingship of Jesus. He reached out to Jesus in humility 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 gospel tells us that it is never too late to turn to Jesus. Some things 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.”

The gospel 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 choose 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.

God bless you!

Amazing Life We Never Had Before!

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily for the 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

St. Mary of Assumption Church, Whittier, CA

Sunday, November 6, 2016

The Sadducees were an extreme conservative sect among the Jews. They belonged to the upper social and economic echelons of Judaean society. They occupied various political, social, and religious roles, including maintaining the Temple. They believed that only the first five books of the Bible were the inspired word of God. 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.  They also did not believe in spirits and angels. Armed with disbelief in the resurrection, some of them came 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 believe) “whose wife will that woman be?” (Luke 20:27-38)

Folks, the Sadducees posed that question, not because they were interested in understanding the theology of the resurrection; all they wanted to do was 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 rest 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 is no resurrection, it means that Jesus lied to us. If there is 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. They wanted to dismantle the cornerstone of the Christian Faith. 

But guess what? They chose the wrong target because 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  resurrection. He had seen those who believed in God resurrect to life after earthly death. He 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 is 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. Heaven is like 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. 

Yes, death frightens a lot of people because it brings human life to an end. Instead of being frightened by death, Jesus wants us to think of the hope of resurrection. He tells us that the dead will rise to die no more. He teaches us that God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. He’s the God of the living because our faithful brothers and sisters who have passed away are not dead. If they were dead, how come Moses called God, “the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?” Our loved ones who served the Lord sincerely on this earth but have now passed away are not dead. They are alive in Christ Jesus. To some of us, they are dead, but to Jesus, they are alive and flourishing; they are champion bubblers!  To some of us, they are dead, but to Jesus, they only transition into glory. Their departure is not their death or their end. It’s actually the beginning of the real life. Our life on earth is often interrupted by wars, economic crisis, politics, natural disasters, sickness, and suffering etc. But in heaven, our joy and peace will never be interrupted again. We will live a life of abundance. We will live to die no more. We will live no longer as Democrats, Republicans, Progressives, or Conservative, but as children of God. We will live no longer as Catholics, Baptists, Pentecostals, Evangelicals but like angels. Whatever we are doing in this world, let’s make sure we secure a spot for ourselves in heaven. It’s a beautiful, amazing and awesome life we never had before. 

PURGATORY MAKES SENSE. AND HERE IS WHY!

The Church's teaching on Purgatory highlights the boundless and limitless love and mercy of God. It demonstrates God’s tireless effort to redeem his children. It reveals the extent God can go to save and rescue those purchased by the precious Blood of his Son, Jesus Christ. For those who do not believe it, here’s my take on it. When the bible says that “Nothing impure will enter the Kingdom of God” (Rev. 21:27), it means no single impurity will enter it. God expects purity from his children. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” Jesus teaches. This suggests that God expects 100% from each of us. But what happens to those who have 60%, 70%, 80%, 90% and even 99%? Is God going to throw them into eternal hell of suffering and punishment? What will happen to that faithful mother who loved God and the people of God? She served God and the people of God. She loved her children and husband. She was faithful almost till the end. But due to human weakness, she fell into sin like every one of us. But before she could seek for forgiveness and reconcile with our loving God, tragedy struck and she died. When she gets to heaven, is God really going to cast her into hell because of that sin she is yet to seek for forgiveness? Well, the Mother Church says no. We serve a God of second chance. That woman will be given a second chance of going through purification. In purgatory, the souls of the faithful, who are not completely ready, not completely pure will undergo a process of purification. Why? Because nothing impure will enter into it. If our human parents, who are not perfect, who are not as loving and compassionate like God will admit an imperfect son or daughter, why should we expect less from God? God’s love is infinite. Those who embraced his love and cooperated with it while on earth, but somehow fell short, will not be rejected everlastingly by God’s surpassing love and mercy. Do not forget, the name of God is Mercy. The Mercy they sought on earth, will not abandon them. 

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

On the Commemoration of All Souls

Wednesday, November 2, 2016