Costly Crown or Cheap Crown?

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily for the 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

St. Mary of Assumption Church, Whittier, CA

Sunday, July 2017

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus gives five lengthy speeches, and today’s Gospel passage (10:37-42) is the conclusion of the second of these speeches. This passage consists of two parts or two themes. In the first part or theme, Jesus teaches the apostles the meaning of discipleship before sending them out on their mission. He tells them the challenging demands of following him. He tells them that following him will cost them something significant. You know, the gospel does not contain only a feel good message. There are some folks who only want to hear a feel good message of material abundance, material breakthrough, prosperity, stressless life, unlimited and uninterrupted joy and peace. They want a church that preaches such and that makes them feel happy. Such folks do not want to hear Jesus say, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Matt. 5:4) because they are addicted to good feelings. In their feel good addiction, they want to avoid every inconvenience and pain. They want the crown but not the cross. Such Christians are like students who want good grades without hard work of reading. The Gospel of Jesus promises us peace, joy, good life and grace, but to attain all that, we must be ready to walk the long, narrow, winding steep and high road: “Whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me” (Matt. 10:38). Nothing good in life comes easy, and that includes eternal life.  Jesus calls us not to let anything or anyone, even those who are closest to us— parents, brothers, sisters, other relatives, friends etc. be more important than he is. He does not make this request for his own glorification or benefits. He has all the glory he needs, after all, he is the Son of God. Nothing else can be higher than that. He wants us to love him more than anything or anyone and to give him a central place in our hearts and lives for our own sake and happiness. Experience has shown that no one is really happy and fulfilled until he or she possesses and is possessed by the life that only Jesus can give. We are all addicted to more, but none of the material and pleasurable things we seek more of would satisfy us. The ultimate longing of the human heart is God. No wonder St. Augustine once said, “You have created us for yourself O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.” 

Sisters and brothers, do you want the crown, the costly crown? Then hear me out! The costly crown that only Jesus can give is attained through the cross. If you don’t want the cross, then you cannot have the crown. May be there’s a crown other there for you, but it’s not the costly crown of glory, rather, the cheap crown that perishes  when earthly life is over. If you don’t want to give up anything for the sake of Jesus, even though he gave up everything for us, then you are looking for the cheap crown. If you don’t want to love him more than everything and everyone, you are looking for the cheap crown. If you don’t want to carry your cross and follow him, you are looking for the cheap crown. We give ourselves the cheap crown, and cheap crown preaches forgiveness without requiring repentance. It preaches God’s love and mercy with no mention of his wrath and justice. It drags us to the confessional with no intention of making effort to quit a sin that has become habitual. Because of cheap crown, parents bring their kids to catechism class and then stays home on Sunday. They baptize their kids but never raise them up as Catholics. Because of the cheap crown, we receive communion without being in union with the Lord. Cheap crown is communion without confession and repentance. Cheap crown is the preaching of material prosperity and breakthrough with little or no relationship with Jesus Christ. Cheap crown is wanting everything without giving anything. It is losing nothing for the sake of Jesus but wanting everything from him. The Lord is not giver of this kind of crown. His crown comes at a cost. It will cost us something. For the sake of this crown— costly crown, many saints gave up everything, including their lives. Costly crown must be sought for. We should be ready to sell everything we have to purchase it. This crown is costly because it cost a man his life, it cost Jesus his life. Because of this crown, God sent his only begotten Son. Costly crown is seeking first the Kingdom of God and its righteousness. It leads us to share what we have with others. 

And this brings us to the second part or theme of today’s Gospel. In it, Jesus announces rewards, not rewards given to the disciples themselves, but rewards that will be given to those who welcome them. Those who made extreme sacrifices in order to bring the message of life to us deserve our kindness, generosity and hospitality. They includes the Church’s hierarchy, our priests, religious, and also our parents, grandparents, teachers, spouses, neighbors, friends, and all who have taught us about God and faith in him. Like most of you, I did not get my faith out of a textbook, but from God through my parents, priests, (some of these priests were used by God to get me to where I am today) catechists, faith formators, and teachers. In my early twenties, my faith in God was deepened by many members of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal I met in Lagos, Nigeria. Each of them strengthened my faith. Jesus announces that those who show kindness to those who bring them the good-news are showing kindness to him, and those who show kindness to him, are showing kindness to the One who sent him— the Father. Acts of kindness can be a gift of cold water. A cold water is so refreshing when it is taken on a hot afternoon day. It quenches thirsts. Those who bring you good news, like you, do have some thirsts as well. Sometimes, the thirst is spiritual, but other times, it could be material. Those who receive them, offer them cold water, hospitality and pray for them, Jesus assures, “will surely not lose their reward.” So, if you want the costly crown, accept the costly cross. Travel through the field to the golden land!

God bless you!

Face Everything And Rise!

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily for the Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

St. Mary of Assumption Church, Whittier, CA

Sunday, June 25, 2017

In today’s Gospel, Jesus continues to teach, instruct and strengthen his disciples, to prepare them for the mission he is sending them. Previously, he had told them that he was sending them out as lambs among wolves, that they will face extreme persecution and that even families will be divided on account of his name. He was upfront with them. He did not present the salvific mission as a mission only packed with bed of roses with no thorns, as some Christians believe. Today, it’s not uncommon to hear of all-crown Christian messages with no cross. But from the beginning, the Master, Jesus Christ, did not teach a crossless message. He recognized that believing in his name and striving to live like him will come at a cost. 

In the face of opposition, intimidation, mockery and persecution, Jesus calls his disciples to a stunning courage. He did not want them to be chickenhearted, to easily fold up and fade away when opposed. He knew his message is not going to be accepted by all and sundry. He knew that truth hurts both lies and liars, and when that happens, they will fight back. But rather than succumb to fear, he calls them to stand firm, strong and resolute. Three times in today’s Gospel, Jesus tells them not to be afraid. First, he said, “Fear no one” and even those who will persecute you. They are to expect some persecutions because he too was persecuted. What Jesus endured, they are to endure as well. In the second counsel, he urged them not to be afraid of those who will kill the body but cannot kill the soul. And for the third time he urged them not to be afraid because they worth a lot before his heavenly Father.

Jesus did not want his followers to live anonymously; he did not want them to be anonymous followers. An anonymous Christian is neither here nor there. By anonymous Christian, I do not mean the controversial theology taught by Karl Rahner. Karl Rahner was a German Jesuit priest and theologian who in an attempt to expound the Church’s age-long teaching which says that it was impossible to achieve salvation without Christ declared that people who have never heard the Christian Gospel might be saved through Jesus Christ. He believed that it was impossible to achieve salvation without Christ, but he could not accept the notion that people who have never heard of Jesus Christ would be condemned. Controversially, therefore, he postulated that non-Christians by following their conscience and committing to those values that we Christians attribute to God, can be saved through Jesus Christ. Rahner called such people Anonymous Christians. My concept of anonymous Christian is different from that of Karl Rahner’s. For me, it means a person who is baptized a Christian, who has received other sacraments, and attends Mass often but still lacks the courage to witness for Christ privately and publicly. When the chips are down, they easily deny the Lord. Before others, they deny him. Like Peter, they are quick to say, “I do not know the man.” They are the sleeping and snoring Christians. Anonymous Christians, for me, are those who try to keep their faith secret and private, ashamed to disclose their Christian identity and timid to witness publicly that they are disciples of the Lord. When they are in the company of others who bash and mock their faith, they say nothing. Any Catholic who is not living a Christ-centered and Christ-inspired and motivated life is an anonymous Christian. Even if we are known in our parish, and try to fill your life with religious activities, as long as we are not awake in the Spirit of the Lord, as long as we do not walk the walk, all our talk is a bold statement that says, “We are anonymous Christians.” To such a Christian St. Paul urges, “Awake O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will shine on you” (Ephesians 5:14).

Jesus wants the lives of his disciples to reveal the secret of salvation to others, to speak in the light, and to proclaim his message even from the housetops. He wants them to live boldly and courageously. In 2 Timothy 1:7, St. Paul stresses this point when he said, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love and self-control.” 

Fear is an unpleasant feeling caused by the belief that something good or favorable may not happen and something dangerous and painful is likely to happen. Being fearful is part of being human. I don’t know if there’s anyone who has never experienced fear or who has never been fearful. Some preachers have tried to use the spelling of FEAR to describe it: False Evidence About Reality. The other day, a Facebook friend of mine described it in this way: “FEAR has two meaning: Forget Everything And Run or Face Everything And Rise.” Then she concluded, “The choice is yours!” I have been fearful before, you have been fearful before. Some of us may even be experiencing it right now. Some of the things that cause us to fear are: 

1. Broken marriage/relationship
2. Poverty
3. Failure in life
4. Physical or spiritual death
5. Kids making wrong choices and not succeeding in life
6. Insecurity 
7. Unknown
8. Becoming sick and dying young
9. Immigration officers 
10. Loss of jobs, home, 
11. Misfortune etc.

But is fear always a false evidence about reality? I don’t think so! Some of the things that cause us to be afraid are real. They are not figment of imaginations. But in spite of all these, Jesus counsels us to stop being afraid. Why? Because we worth a lot to him and to the Father. Therefore, rather than forget everything and run, the Lord asks us to face everything with courage and faith in him and rise. 

God bless you!

To Inherit Eternal Life, We Must Become What We Eat!

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily on the Solemnity of Corpus Christi

St. Mary of Assumption Church, Whittier, CA

Sunday, June 18, 2017

Today’s Gospel (John 6:51-58) is a continuation of Jesus’ long discourse that follows the multiplication of the five loaves and two fish. The Jews who participated in that meal really enjoyed it. Why did I say that? Because they returned to Jesus later and like the famous Oliver Twist, asked for more. More bread! More fish! But Jesus used the occasion to turn their attention to what is far more important than food and drink. After all, several years before Jesus was born, Moses had told their ancestors that, “…not by bread alone does one live, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of the Lord” (Deuteronomy 8:3b), a passage that Jesus later referenced to when the devil asked him to turn stones into bread (Matthew 4:4). 

Jesus’ audience was hungry, but their hunger was mostly a spiritual one— a sense of emptiness they attempted to fill up with food and other material things. So, Jesus said to them, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.” Permit me to rephrase those words this way: “I know you are hungry, but your hunger is mostly spiritual. I am the living bread that can quench and satisfy that hunger. If you humble yourself and accept me, you will not be hungry again, in fact, your satisfaction will be eternal. And guess what? The bread I will give you is not like the one I gave you previously. It is my flesh.” Ol boy! When the people heard that, they murmured and quarreled. But Jesus was emphatic and forceful about the necessity of eating his body and drinking his blood. He did not mince words: “Amen, Amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them on the last day.” 

Friends, those words of Jesus can easily be misunderstood if they are interpreted in isolation. When Jesus said, “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day,” is it automatic? Does it mean that we have already gained eternal life simply because we have received his Body and Blood in the past and will receive them again today? I don’t think so! There are other commands from the Lord that we must also obey to inherit eternal life. No one passes an examination simply by getting the first question right and then failing the rest of it.

Today is the Solemnity of The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. Today, we celebrate   in a special way the Lord’s finest gift of himself and his life to us. At every Mass, we commune with the Lord. We hear his Word proclaimed and preached to us. We encounter him. The climax of this encounter and communion happens when we step forward to receive him in the form of bread and wine. But after the Mass is over, we should carry him along, not leave him behind in the church. We should live, talk and act like him. We should become the Body of Christ after receiving the Body of Christ, for so indeed we are. We have to become what we ate in order to rightfully lay claim to eternal life. St. Augustine said it more eloquently, “If you receive him in the right disposition, you become what you receive.” 

But what does it mean to become what we eat? It is to become like Jesus who was human but also humane. It is to become kind, gracious, and gentle like Jesus. To become what we eat is to become selfless, sacrificial, patient and holy just like the One we have received. Jesus loves everyone- saints and sinners. He never despised or discriminated anyone. He was all things to all people. To become what we eat is take seriously what Jesus took seriously. Just as obedience to his Father, our Father, was his food, our source of joy and peace should come from our obedience of the Father through Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit. 

You know, littered in the Gospel of John is the word, “remain.” In 15:4, Jesus said, “Remain in me and I in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me.” To remain is more than a physical presence, it’s personal and abiding relationship. It’s about accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and living according to his will, not personal will or worldly will. If Jesus’ food is to do the will of his heavenly Father, our food should be likewise. In John 6:56, Jesus says, “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.” To remain in Jesus means to be everything about Jesus.

The question then is why is it that so many of us who receive the Eucharist do not experience real transformation? This story may help us understand why. A team of Russians and Americans were on a common mission. Among the items of food was Russian black bread. It was a tasty bread but hard on the teeth. It happened that at their meal, one of the Americans decided to have a bite of the bread, and immediately had a crack on his tooth. He threw the bread overboard and grumbled, “Lousy communist bread.” But the Russian countered, “It’s not lousy communist bread, but rotten capitalist tooth.” If we do not experience the transforming power of the Eucharist, it is probably not on account of a lousy Eucharist but on account of our rotten faith.

God bless you!

Homily on Solemnity of the Holy Trinity

Like God, Shun Individualism And Isolation!

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily on Solemnity of the Holy Trinity

St. Mary Assumption Catholic Church, Whittier, CA

June 11, 2017

Moses was invited by God to come to Mount Sinai. The people of Israel had rejected God and Moses by turning to a lifeless object. Rather than continue to trust and worship the living God that has led them this far, they made a golden calf and began to worship it. When Moses saw them, he was infuriated and out of anger, he threw on the floor, the stone tablets on which God’s covenant with his people were inscribed. When he broke the tablets, he broke and annulled the covenant God made with his people, Israel. So, the story of today’s First Reading (Exodus 34:4b-6, 8-9) is about Moses coming to meet with God with a new set of tablets for the purpose of restoring the broken covenant. 

When God appeared to Moses, God declared his name: LORD, in Hebrew YHWH, frequently written in English as Yahweh (So, Yahweh is the revealed personal name of Israel’s God). Apart from revealing his name, God also revealed his identity: “The LORD, the LORD, a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity.” The two qualities—merciful and gracious are almost synonymous, although merciful has a stronger meaning because it is related to the Hebrew word for “womb,”suggesting a mother’s love for her child. Because the Israelites had sinned, God revealed to Moses that the God he serves is slow to anger, a quality that Moses didn't have. It was his quick temper that triggered him to break the covenant God made with Israel. So, God was assuring Moses that he wasn’t going to destroy his people who had provoked him. The final two qualities that God revealed to Moses: “kindness and fidelity,” were a deeper assurance from God that he will remain faithful and steadfast, even if his people remain wicked and stiff-necked. Moses eventually asked for God’s favor and invited him to join their company— that is, to be with them as he has always been. Of cause, God accepted his prayer and accompanied his people because God is mercy. God is kind. God is patient. God is gracious. God is faithful. 

In today’s Gospel taken from John 3:16-18, Jesus continues to reveal who God is: that God is a lover. He so loved the world that he gave his only Son so that everyone will be saved by believing in the Son that God has sent. In the spirit of the First Reading, which says that “God is slow to anger…” Jesus assured that “God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.”

Sisters and brothers, has anyone realized the tremendous amount of efforts that God made to establish and reestablish relationship with us? Undeniably, God is not a loner. God cherishes and relishes relationship. God longs and yearns for relationship with us. And that should not come as a surprise to anyone. God is being true to his nature. He does not exist alone or in isolation, but in a community of love, fellowship and sharing. God’s existence in a community of persons is the Solemnity we are celebrating today. Although, the word, “Trinity” is not explicitly written in the Bible, but the doctrine itself is littered everywhere in the Bible. The idea of Three Persons was clearly stated by Jesus himself. During his earthly ministry, he spoke so much about his relationship with his Father: “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30); “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father…” (John 14:9b); “Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me…” (John 14:11); “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19); “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father and he will give you another Advocate to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth” (John 14:15-17); “All this I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you” (John 14:25-26). Of most significant is the baptism of the Lord. As Jesus was being baptized by John the Baptist, the Holy Spirit descended upon him in a form of a dove, and the voice of the Father sounded from heaven and said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:13-17). At this baptism, the Trinity was present; the heavenly community of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit was revealed and communicated to us. This is the Trinity in action. In today’s Second Reading taken from 2 Corinthians 13:13, St. Paul prayed, “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.” In those words, one of our ancestors in faith recognized the reality of the Trinity and called for their presence in our lives. 

But what should we learn and emulate from the Trinity?  The importance of this doctrine lies in the fact that we are made in the image of God, therefore, the more we understand God, the more we understand ourselves. Experts in religion tell us that people always try to be like the god they worship. People who worship a warrior god tend to be war-mongering; people who worship a god of pleasure, tend to be pleasure-seeking; people who worship a god of wrath, tend to be vengeful, and people who worship a god of love tend to be loving, lovely and lovable. Like a god, so the worshippers. God is a community of love and the solemnity of the Trinity calls us to emulate the God we serve, to become  a community of love. Our God is a community, and we are called to live in a community and as a community. Every Christian who wants to do the will of God must shun every tendency to isolationism and individualism. Those who sever relationship with their parents, brothers, sisters, and relatives just to be alone are going against the will of God for us. Since God made a great effort to establish a covenant-relationship with us, and then reestablish it when it was broken, we must do the same with God and with our fellow human beings. A deliberate avoidance of relationship with others is not godly. Some of us shy away from relationship because they have been hurt by others in the past. But isn’t that what we do to God on a regular basis? Did I hear someone say, “We are not God, we are human beings?” Sure, we are only humans, and not God, but Jesus has called us to rise above our human frailties: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” Bad experiences have lessons to teach. We must learn the lesson, be wiser, act wisely, and move on. If someone has hurt you before, it does not mean that everyone else would hurt you. As a matter of fact, at some point in our lives, we have hurt someone. We are all wounded, but must become wounded healers. We are created to live in community, to reach out, to share, to love, just like the God we serve. Happy Holy Trinity!

Language that Everyone Understands!

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily for the Solemnity of the Pentecost

St. Mary of Assumption Church, Whittier, California

June 3, 2017

During the earthly ministry of Jesus, he had access to the secret thoughts of people. He had power over the forces of nature—he walked on a sea and calmed a raging storm. He had dominion over demons and evil spirits. He healed so many who were ill, brought abundant of joy to them and to the members of their family. When Satan tempted him with pleasure, power and fame, (things that we crave for) Jesus floored him. His uncommon miraculous actions amazed his disciples that in one occasion they asked, “Who is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” (Mark 4:41). If Jesus accomplished all these in his human form, it there means he can never be limited by the ordinary categories of time and space in his Risen and glorified nature. If he walked on the sea in human form, he can make an entire sea disappear in his Risen nature. If he turned water into wine, multiplied five loaves of bread and two fish to feed a multitude in human form, then he can do much more in Risen form. By his resurrection, Jesus conquered death and took an overwhelming authority and power over the earth and heaven: “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matthew 28:18). As such, not even walls, or prisons, or the most fortified military zone can limit his entrances or exits. So, while the disciples were in a locked up room, fearful of the Jewish authority who had crucified their Master, Jesus joined the gathering by overcoming the limitation of time and space. Standing in their midst, he gave them gifts that they will need to fulfill the mission he has given to them. 

The first gift he gave them is that of peace: “Peace be with you.” His peace is much more than the absence of war or conflict. His peace is a blessing of health, wholeness, perfect harmony, serenity, and everything good. Jesus’ peace is the blessing of perfect assurance that he would be with us until the end of the age. His peace is deeper, more profound, more durable and more powerful than the kind of peace that the United Nations pursue. It’s peace, perfect peace! Peace from inside out, made possible, not by military might or comfort zone, but by the Lord. This peace is achieved and attained not by weapons and arms, but by knowing, loving, serving the Lord, connecting with him daily through prayer and keeping his commands. Even in jail, one can have the peace of Jesus Christ. In times of difficulty, this peace is still possible. His peace can never be vanquished or expelled by lack or poverty, and material surplus or abundance is not what obtains it. It’s Jesus’ gift, freely given to those who maintain an ongoing and steady relationship with him. Along with peace, Jesus gives his disciples the gift of the Holy Spirit. Through the Eucharist and the Holy Spirit, he fulfills his promise, “Behold, I am with you until the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). 

Today, we celebrate the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the early followers of Jesus. Before this event took place, Jesus had followers, but there was no movement that could meaningfully be called the church. So, from a historical perspective, Pentecost is the day that the church was started. It is also true from a spiritual point of view, because the Spirit is the One that brings the church into existence and also inspires it. In summary, Pentecost is the birthday of the church. 

Now, what actually happened to the disciples on the day of Pentecost? The account of this event is recorded in today’s first reading taken from Acts 2:1-11. It says that on the day of Pentecost, the early disciples were all together in one place. All of a sudden, a sound came from heaven, like a strong wind, and filled the house where the disciples had gathered together. Then something like tongues of fire rested on their heads. “They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different languages, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.” The languages spoken by these early Christians were heard and understood by thousands of Jewish pilgrims who had come to Jerusalem to celebrate a Jewish holiday known as the Festival of Weeks (Shavuot in Hebrew). Originally, this feast was a harvest festival (Exodus 23:16); later, it became a day to remember the giving of the law on Mount Sinai. This day became significant for us Christians because, seven weeks after the resurrection of the Lord, the Holy Spirit was given to the early followers of Jesus, empowered them for the mission and also brought them together as a church.

Sisters and brothers, as we celebrate the birth of the Church, let us, just like the early church, speak a language that will be heard and understood by all. This language can be heard and understood by those who speak English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese, Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa, Dutch, French etc. Regardless of what language a person speaks, this language can be heard and understood by all and sundry. Some of you may be wondering already, “What kind of language is that?” Folks, it is the language of love. It can be understood by those who talk and those who don’t. It can be understood by those who hear and those who don’t. It can be understood by those who see, and those who don’t. It can be understood by all God’s people everywhere in the world. In many occasions, we don’t even have to say it. We just have to show it. The language of love is what makes possible, the third gift that Jesus gave to his disciples— power to forgive sins. Throughout his lifetime, Jesus repeatedly offered the gift of forgiveness. Due to his immense love for all God’s children, he empowered his disciples to forgive, not only people of their generation, but generations after. If the Lord is ready to go this length to forgive us, we must be ready to forgive others. Forgiveness is made easier and possible by the language of love.

Happy Pentecost Sunday!