“Be Watchful! Be Alert!”

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily for the First Sunday of Advent, Year B

St. Alphonsus Catholic Church, Brooklyn Center, MN

Sunday, November 29, 2020

As we begin the holy season of Advent, one of the temptations we should strive to avoid is the tendency to reduce Advent to a cozy and sentimental season. In reality, Advent is preparation for revolution. It is a revolution proclaimed by Isaiah, announced by John the Baptist, which reached its momentum in Christ Jesus. About 500 years after the Israelites returned from exile, there appeared in Judean desert a strange figure who dressed in animal skins, and ate locust and honey— John the Baptist. When people who came to listen to him asked him, “Who are you? (Jn. 1:22) he replied in the words of prophet Isaiah, “I am the voice of one crying out in the desert, make straight the way of the Lord” (Jn. 1:23). Many centuries before him, Isaiah had said that a voice of one is calling in the wilderness and asking people to make straight in the desert a highway for our God (Is. 40:3). Now, John the Baptist is saying that he is that voice. Shortly after that, John said, “…there is one among you whom you do not recognize…” He called him “the Lamb of God.” The “one among you” is a young Galilean rabbi whose message in today’s Gospel is very simple and unambiguous: “Be watchful! Be alert! Be alert to the signs of the passing of all things. Be alert to the fact that all human acquisitions, achievements, accomplishments, successes, pleasure, the joys and goods of this world will one day be taken away from us. Be alert to the futility of what St. Thomas Aquinas called the four false substitutes for God, which are wealth, pleasure, power and honor. Be consciously aware that all these vanities, all culture, all of nature, and even the cosmos (universe) itself will come to a crashing end. Be watchful and alert to the fact that earthly life does not go on and on and on. Everything as we know it will definitely come to a halt. Life will end. The world will end. 

You know, when it comes to the end of all things, even scientists, especially physicists agree the entire universe will run out of fuel and energy to continue to exist. They tell us that one day, our earth will be enveloped by the sun. The sun will collapse and become a dark hole drawing matter and light into itself. They agree that the universe will fade out in a great freeze or burn out like a great fry. 

Now, with all these cataclysmic, disastrous and catastrophic tale, you might be tempted to despair, and to say, “Then what the heck?” “What’s the point?” “Why bother?” You might even be tempted to fall into the existentialist philosophy of Albert Camus and his colleagues who say that “life is absurd.” That there is no meaning in life, and we can’t make a meaning out of it. Rather than submit to the meaninglessness of life, we can look elsewhere, we can look to the steadfast love of God, which brought the entire universe into existence from nothing, which sustains it even now, and which will one day draw us to a life and joy that is beyond this world and that knows no bound. We can turn to the One whose love is eternal, whose patience does not run out or fade, whose mercy is boundless, and whose power to save is mighty and persistent. 

This is why Advent is a preparation for a revolution. A revolution that urges us to be alert in the spirit. To wake up from our spiritual slumber. To change and repent for the Kingdom of God is close at hand.”Yes, a kingdom is at hand and a new King has emerged. Change and live under his lordship. This is the permanent and revolutionary message of Advent.  

Reflection on Luke 21:12-19

Reflection on Luke 21:12-19

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Wednesday, November 25, 2020

In today’s Gospel, Jesus warns us to expect persecution until the end of time: They will seize and persecute you, they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons, and they will have you led before kings and governors. But how long will this persecution last? It will continue until Jesus returns in glory.  

When you look at the lives of the saints, it was not a serene life; it was not a life devoid of worry, threat, discomfort, irritations, betrayal, disappointments and persecutions. But somehow we have been made to believe that believing in God and in Jesus will guarantee us lots of roses with no thorns, lots of good things and everything going well as we want it. But there is nothing in the Sacred Scripture and tradition that supports such an idea. 

The saints had difficulties. The saints were persecuted. The saints were lynched. The saints were called awful names. The saints were misunderstood. The saints did not have a very rosy lives. But in all their difficulties and struggles, they were able to find courage to keep moving forward. They did not allow the trials of this present time knock them off their target. They understood that the sufferings of this present life is nothing compared to the glory that await them in the Kingdom. Like the saints, do not be discouraged by what you face today. Jesus said in today’s Gospel that By your perseverance you will secure your lives. Heaven is our target. To spend eternity with God is our target. Everlasting life in glory is our target. Do not let any irritation, frustration, disappointment, trial, difficulty, etc distract you or derail your march to heaven. 

God bless you!

Advent: A Preparation For Revolution

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily for the First Sunday of Advent

St. Alphonsus Catholic Church, Brooklyn Center, MN

Sunday, November 29, 2020

Today is the First Sunday of Advent and the beginning of a new liturgical year in the Church. The first reading taken from the book of Isaiah is the prophet’s prayer for restoration on behalf of his people, Israel. In 587 BC, the Babylonians invaded Israel, destroyed its capital city Jerusalem, brought down the Temple, and carried the brightest and the best Israelites into exile. The experience was like 9/11 multiplied by a thousand times for ancient Israel. After the remnant exiled returned to Israel 75 years later, Prophet Isaiah saw their return as a great victory for the King of Israel, Yahweh, for he, Yahweh, has proven himself stronger than the king of Babylon. But their joyful return to the land of their ancestors was short-lived, because upon their return, they found their Temple in ruins and their lands desolated and destroyed. Although they considered the destruction of Jerusalem as a political defeat, what profoundly agonized them the most was the demolition and pulling down of the Temple. For the Jews, the Temple was much more than a shrine to Yahweh, it was Yahweh’s home on earth with his people. With Yahweh’s dwelling place on earth destroyed, the Jews began to face their biggest theological dilemma ever— how could Yahweh the Lord, the Creator of the universe be defeated? With heart laden with sorrow and yet full of confidence in Yahweh, Isaiah calls out to God with questions: “Why do you let us wander, O Lord, from your ways, and harden our hearts so that we fear you not?” After that, he pleaded with God to return to his people. 

Advent is the period of preparation for the coming and returning of the Lord to his people. One of the temptations we should strive to avoid is the tendency to reduce Advent to a cozy and sentimental season. In reality, Advent is a preparation for revolution. It is a revolution proclaimed by Isaiah, announced by John the Baptist, which reached its momentum in Christ Jesus. How did it happen? About 500 years after the Israelites returned from exile, there appeared in Judean desert a strange figure who dressed in animal skins, and ate locust and honey— John the Baptist. When people who came to listen to him asked him, “Who are you? (Jn. 1:22) John replied in the words of prophet Isaiah, “I am the voice of one crying out in the desert, make straight the way of the Lord” (Jn. 1:23). Five centuries ago, Isaiah had said that a voice of one is calling in the wilderness and asking people to make straight in the desert a highway for our God (Is. 40:3). Now, John the Baptist is saying that he is that voice. Later John said, “I must decrease and he must increase.” Who was he pointing at? He was pointing at a young Galilean rabbi whose message was very simple and unambiguous: “The Kingdom of God is at hand.” With those declaration, Jesus is saying that in him, and in his own person, Yahweh is emerging definitively and victoriously as King. He has now come to rule the world and to supplant the kings of the world. To demonstrate that this is actually the reign of God, Jesus engaged in open table fellowship, invited the outsiders, the insiders, the healthy, the sick, the acceptable, the unacceptable. He also forgave sins. To the paralyzed man Jesus said, “My son, your sins are forgiven.” With those words he called from exile those who have been estranged by sin. In his own person and through his teaching about love, compassion, peace, non-violence, he exemplifies what it looks like for Yahweh to be King.

This is why Advent is a preparation for a revolution. Many of us, consciously and unconsciously fall and submit our allegiance to the kings of this world, and this submission has brought about hatred, violence, oppression, domination etc. But Mark and other gospels say that the true way is the way of the King of Israel, the way of Jesus, the Son of God, the crucified and risen Jesus. So, be alert in the spirit. Wake up from your spiritual slumber. Change and repent. Jesus’ opening declaration is “Repent for the Kingdom of God is close at hand.”Yes, a kingdom is at hand and a new King has emerged. Change and live under his lordship. This is the permanent and revolutionary message of Advent.  

Reflection on Luke 21:1-4: Jesus and Bad Mathematics?

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Monday, November 23, 2020

Jesus said, “I tell you truly, this poor widow put in more than all the rest; for those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood.”

Those who counted the treasury money will sharply disagree with Jesus. How can someone who put in two cents in the collection box be said to have given more than those who put in $1000, $2000, and $5000? By human calculation and judgement, it is simply a bad mathematics. But as God himself says, “...My thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways” (Isaiah 55:8). After the wealthy had given a fraction of what they had to the temple, they still remained wealthy. The amount of money they donated for the upkeep of the temple didn’t dent their wealth. Remember the chief tax collector named Zacchaeus who promised to give half of his wealth to the poor after he encountered Jesus? While we commend him for his virtue of restitution, the truth is that he remained wealthy even after he gave half of his possession to the poor. If Jeff Bezos, Warren Buffet, Bill Gates etc decide to give half their wealth to the poor, they will still be rich and super-wealthy. Half of their possessions to the poor will not affect they way they live. They will still be among the wealthiest people in the world. 

Jesus praised the poor widow and considered her offering as having more value than those who donated more money. Why? The rich gave from their excess abundance that never affected them in any way, but from her deficiency, insufficiency and abject lack, the widow gave everything she had. She offered her whole livelihood. The word “livelihood” means “life” and by extension the means of sustaining it. The widow could have kept one coin to herself, but she put in all the means that she had to live on. She put in her entire livelihood, while the rest gave their leftovers. 

Now, it will be a mistake to reduce this gospel only to mere giving and donation of money to the church. It will be a mistake and and a sin too to use this money to exploit the people. Although the story is about giving money to the church, but it is much more than that. Jesus said the poor widow gave “her whole livelihood.” Like I said before, livelihood literally means “life” and the means of sustaining life. That’s what the poor widow offered in the temple. She gave her entire life and the means of sustaining her life to God. She placed it all into the loving hands of God. She believed and trusted that God will provide— Jehovah- Jireh (the Lord provides). Everyday you wake up, practice the act of trusting and commending into God’s hands your very life and the means by which you sustain it. 

God bless you! 

Looking For Jesus? Go Outside!

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily on the Solemnity of Christ the King of the Universe

St. Alphonsus Catholic Church, Brooklyn Center, MN

Sunday, November 22, 2020

If you move around and ask Christians from different denominations the question “Where is Jesus?” some will tell you that Jesus is in their hearts. Others, especially Catholics will say that Jesus is in the Eucharist. Some others will say that Jesus is in the Bible. Yet, others will say he is in heaven. Yes, Jesus is present in the Eucharist, and supremely too. Yes, Jesus can be encountered when you read the Bible. Yes, Jesus lives in the hearts of those who love him. Yes, Jesus is in heaven too. But where else is the Lord? Where else can he be found and encountered? Today’s Gospel (Matt. 25:31-46) provides the answer: …I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me. Although Jesus is supremely present in the Eucharist and can be encountered in the Eucharist, he is also living on the streets. Although Jesus can be encountered when we read the Sacred Scripture, he is also in soup kitchen lines waiting to be attended to. Although Jesus is in our midst because we gathered in his name, he is also waiting at Salvation Army, St. Vincent de Paul and Catholic Charities offices to get a winter coat. Although Jesus is in our hearts and the hearts of all those who love him, but he is also in hospitals, nursing homes, retirement homes and prisons. 

Sisters and brothers, Jesus says, Amen I say to you, whatever you did for one of the least brothers (and sisters) of mine, you did for me. It means that wherever people are in need, Jesus is there. Wherever people suffer, Jesus is there. Wherever people are hungry and thirsty, Jesus is there. Wherever people are homeless, Jesus is there. Wherever people lack the basic necessities of life, Jesus is there. He is there comforting them; he is there suffering along with them. But He is there waiting for us to attend and care for him. He is present in the Eucharist, in the Bible, and in our midst, but he is physically present in the haves-not. Sometimes we hear people refer to the poor and destitute as “God forsaken people,” because of their poverty. But today’s Gospel tells us that they are wrong. Where is Jesus? Jesus is with the “God forsaken people.” Where is Jesus? He is with those who live on the margins of the society. Jesus is with the working poor. The working poor is the man who washes cars for others but does not own one. She is the clerk who files cancelled checks at a bank but has nothing in her bank account. He is the man who repaints the houses of others, but cannot afford to repaint his. The working poor is the man who lays new carpets for others, and after that begs the owner of the house to give him the old carpet so that he can use it at home. Where is Jesus? Jesus is with those who live in crumbling houses that are contributing to their children’s asthma. 

The Lord is calling us to pay attention to where else he can be found, encountered and attended to. Although he is present in the Eucharist, in our midst, but he is also present and can be found in the heartaches and pains that surround us. He is also present and can be encountered in those who ask us for help and attention. To those who found him there and attended to him, he would say at the end of their earthly lives, Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. Our Lord is the only King who does not sit on thrones, in kingdoms and empires of this world and wait for people to come and kiss his ring. He goes rather to the slums, to the streets, and to the crumbling places of the world. He is out there in the world waiting for human contact. For care. For love. For compassion. For help.  

Bulletin Message on the Solemnity of Christ the King of the Universe

Sunday, November 22, 2020

St. Alphonsus Catholic Church, Brooklyn Center, MN

Beloved in Christ, today we celebrate the Solemnity of our Lord Jesus Christ, the King of the universe. When Pope Pius XI established this special feast in 1925 to honor Christ Jesus as the true King of the universe, he deeply lamented over a world that has been ravaged by World War 1 and which has also began to bow down before the false lords of consumerism, blind nationalism, secularism, and new forms of injustice. The old power structures in Europe and the Middle East including the colonial system that permitted European nations to grab lands in Africa, Southeast Asia, and South America were fading into memory, and a new and uncertain world was rising to take their place. In his Encyclical Letter, Quas Primas, Pope Pius XI acknowledges that those fading empires and colonies did not define who or whose the Christians were. He teaches that the kingdom to which Christians belong is spiritual and therefore should be concerned with spiritual matters. As citizens of God’s Kingdom, Christians should detach from riches and earthly things and imbibe a spirit of gentleness. They must hunger and thirst for justice, deny themselves, take up their cross and follow Christ. Pope Pius envisages “a dominion by a King of Peace who came to reconcile all things, who came not to be served but to serve.”

Jesus is King, but not like any human king who lords it over his subjects. He is a Shepherd-King who as the first reading tells us “will look after and tend my sheep.” He will rescue his scattered sheep, pasture them, give them rest. He will find the lost and bring them back home; he will heal the injured and shepherd them aright. As we celebrate the kingship of Christ, let’s not forget the broader outlook of what we are also celebrating today— our citizenship in the Kingdom of God. Although we are born as Americans, Africans, Europeans, South-Americans, Asians, etc, but through baptism we have been claimed by Christ and our true home is in Christ’s Kingdom, a Kingdom that goes beyond the limits of race, nationality, ethnicity, language and even time itself. We are citizens of God’s Kingdom who care and support each other especially those who hunger for food, for justice, for peace, for a place at the table. We are citizens of God’s Kingdom who remember those who like Christ on the cross, are thirsty for water, for friendship, and to be heard. We are citizens of God’s Kingdom who welcome Christ who also abide in the stranger, the undocumented and the poorest of the poor. We are citizens of God’s Kingdom who clothed the physically and spiritually naked ones among us and those whose human dignity are constantly being stripped from them. We are citizens of the Kingdom who visit and care for the sick and the imprisoned ones among us. We accomplish all these because Christ the King, according to Pope Pius XI reigns in our minds, in our wills, in our hearts, in our bodies and in our members. 

Be Blessed Indeed!

Fr. Marcel Okwara, CSsR

Reflection on Luke 19:41-44

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Thursday, November 19, 2020

“As Jesus drew near Jerusalem, he saw the city and wept over it…” Why did Jesus weep? The doctrine of election says that salvation and damnation of individuals is based ultimately upon the arbitrary choice of the Lord. It says that some people are chosen for reprobation and damnation, while others are elected for repentance and salvation. But if that were so, why was Jesus weeping? Why would Jesus cry when he already knew that the ones he was crying for were already predestined for destruction for no fault of theirs?

Jesus wept over the tragedy of a lost opportunity. The Israelites had gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover feast, but right in their midst was the Passover Lamb himself. Right in their midst was the one who led them through highlands, lowlands, desert and oceans to the Promised Land. They were visited by their Savior, but they did not know it. Instead of receiving him, they were plotting to kill him. 

It was due to their unbelief and obstinacy that Jesus wept. Jesus wept because he does not desire for the destruction of any. What is good and acceptable to God is that all be saved and come to the knowledge of truth (1 Tim. 2:3). God desires the salvation of all, however, the choices of every person play a role in redemption or damnation. God wants to save us all but he cannot save us without our cooperation. 

Build The Kingdom Of God With All You Have!

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily for the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

St. Alphonsus Catholic Church, Brooklyn Center, MN

Sunday, November 15, 2020 

Today’s Gospel (Matt. 25:14-30) which is called “The Parable of the Talents” is another eschatological discourse from Jesus. Eschatology is a major field of theology that deals with last things like death, judgment, and the final destiny of the soul. Simply put, it is the theology or science of last things. According to Matthew, Jesus told this story two days before his passion. The master in the parable represents Jesus who “goes on a journey” when he dies and returns “after a long time” at the Parousia. But before he leaves, he entrusts his possessions to his servants. To the first, he gave five talents, to the second two talents, and then one talent to the last. After the master leaves, the servants who receive five and two talents planned how to use their portions for the glory of the their master. They went to work, took initiatives and risks as well. In the end, they doubled their talents and got the commendation of their master, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.” But third servant, rather than use the spiritual endowment given to him by the master, buried it. As a result, he was called “wicked, lazy, useless servant;” and the talent given to him was also taken away from him. In a biblical sense, a talent represents more than the modern definition of an inborn trait. In this sense, it is the totality of the spiritual and material goods that God gives to Jesus’ disciples.

Sisters and brothers, every human being is endowed with certain spiritual and material goods. Everything we have comes from God and belongs to God. So, we are tasked with putting them into good use to benefit the kingdom. We are called to be productive citizens and disciples. Laziness can cost one the kingdom. Loafers are useless for God’s purpose because they bear no fruit. A time is coming when the master will return to settle accounts with each of us. If you notice, Jesus talks longer about the last servant who was given one talent. Why? Because he wants his disciples to avoid complacency and laziness. The work of the kingdom is the responsibility of all. The second reading (1 Thess. 5:1-6) says that all of us are children of the light and children of the day. Light is one of the enduring symbols for God in the sacred scripture. Jesus himself says, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (Jn 8:12). He also says, “You are the light of the world,” (Mtt. 5:14). We are the city on a hill that cannot be hidden. As children of light, we are to build a kingdom of light, life and love. We are to use God’s endowments to build a kingdom of peace, forgiveness and reconciliation. Our nation today needs people of faith to rise up and be counted. For racial and political healing to happen in this great nation, men and women of faith must desire it, preach about it and be involved in making it happen. A few weeks ago, we had a listening session for people to speak about their experiences with racism. We had all races in the parish covered. Unfortunately, it was poorly attended. May be folks were too busy to attend or concerned of coronavirus infection. But if we stayed away from events like that simply because the topic itself makes us uncomfortable and upset, we are like the servant who was given a talent but rather than use it, buried it. 

Letter to Philemon and the Kingdom of God

Letter to Philemon and the Kingdom of God

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Thursday, November 12, 2020

The Letter of St. Paul to Philemon is one of the shortest books of the New Testament, where St. Paul sums up Jesus’ entire message of forgiveness and reconciliation. It is one of the letters written by Paul while he was still in jail in Rome (the others are Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians). It was personally written by Paul to Philemon on behalf of Onesimus. Paul and Philemon had known each other for many years. In fact, Paul was instrumental in bringing Philemon to believe that Jesus was the promised Christ.  Consequently, Philemon established a church in his house in Colossae. The main reason why Paul wrote to his friend, Philemon was to convince him to forgive one of his slaves and accept him back into the house, but this time, “no longer as a slave but more than a slave, a brother.” For one reason or another, Onesimus ran hundreds of miles away from his master who lived in Colossae to Rome. He probably ran that far so that Philemon would find it difficult to locate him. On getting to Rome, God changed his life and destiny when one day he encountered Paul. After some time, he got converted to Christianity and became one of Paul’s student ministers, just like Timothy and Titus had done. It is crystal clear that Paul had a special fondness for Onesimus that he calls him, “my son, Onesimus.” Paul is strongly urging his friend, Philemon, to receive Onesimus who has become a fellow worker in Christ with Paul back as a brother in Christ. The moment a master recognizes a slave as a brother in Christ, the label of ‘slave’ becomes meaningless. Jesus’ gift of grace gives them both an opportunity to fellowship on an equal playing field in the body of Christ. Paul is asking Philemon to extend the same forgiveness he received when Christ entered his heart. 

It is important to recognize that Paul did not write this letter for selfish reasons. He fully acknowledges Onesimus’ sin, but more importantly, Paul knows that all must be made right between master and servant, both transactionally and spiritually. But why must Paul send Onesimus back to Philemon and why did Onesimus agree to go back to a place that will bring back sad memories? May be Paul sensed that his time on earth was short and he could no longer protect Onesimus. But the most potent reason is that Paul recognizes that, as long as Onesimus and Philemon remained unreconciled, the reign of God would not really and fully come for either of them. And for Onesimus to agree to return to Philemon meant that Paul must have persuaded him a great deal and Onesimus must have trusted Paul’s words a lot. Today’s Psalm tells us that “The Lord secures justice for the oppressed,” and in Onesimus, this promised was realized. The forgiveness and reconciliation initiated by Paul between his friend, Philemon, and his adopted son, Onesimus, shines a spotlight of the kingdom of God among them. As Jesus said in today’s Gospel, the Kingdom of God is not something that can be observed— observed somewhere, not something that is here and there, rather, something that is among us and in us. Where forgiveness and reconciliation are genuinely pursued and found, there the Kingdom of God is dawned.  

Reflection on Psalm 23

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Wednesday, November 11, 2020

Today, we read one of the most awesome, reassuring and hopeful Psalms in the Bible— Psalm 23. It is a familiar psalm that presents God, not as a cop, or a tyrant or a domineering figure, rather as a good Shepherd. Let’s examine the psalm line by line:

The Lord is my Shepherd— That is Relationship

I shall not want— That is supply

In verdant (green) pastures he gives me repose (he makes me lie down)— That’s rest!

Besides restful waters he leads me— That’s Refreshment 

He refreshes (or restores) my soul— That’s healing 

He guides me in right paths—That’s guidance!

For his name’s sake— That’s purpose!

Even though I walk in the dark valley— That’s testing!

I fear no evil— That’s protection

For you are at my side— That’s God’s faithfulness!

With your rod and your staff that give me courage—That’s discipline!

You prepared the table before me in the presence of my foes- That’s hope and assurance!

You anoint my head with oil— That’s consecration!

My cup overflows— That’s abundance!

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life— That’s blessing!

And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord— That’s security!

Forever— That’s eternity! 

We always pay more attention on God’s role in this psalm, and according to this psalm God does heck of a lot for us. So, let’s reflect a little bit on what we should do and ought to do. Since our God is the Good Shepherd who ensures that we have sufficient spiritual and material goods, who gives us rest, refreshment, healing, protection, abundance of life, who consecrates us, and even in times of trial and difficulties provides us mercy and goodness, how should we respond to all these gifts and favors? Do we take these things for granted? Do we take for granted favors like waking up in the morning, being able to have good food on the table, being able to drive to and fro safely? Like one former leper in today’s Gospel (Lk. 17:11-19), do we give thanks to whom thanksgiving is due? When our heart’s desires have been granted, are we in a haste to celebrate with family and friends and forget the Giver— the Lord? After you get what you wanted and prayed for, remember not to forget the good God who provided you all you wanted. Give him thanks. Praise him. Thanksgiving is not an added extra. It is an essential part of the life of a Christian. 

If You Want To Be Happy, Be A Saint!

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Convent of Immaculate Heart of Mary, Minneapolis, MN

Solemnity of All Saints

Sunday, November 1, 2020

Beloved in Christ, All Saints Day gives us the opportunity to reflect on this wonderful solemnity and what it means to be a saint. One of the advantages of All Saints Day is that it emphasizes the universality of the call to sanctity. When we celebrate individual saints like St. Francis of Assisi, St. Thomas Aquinas etc, their lives might seem quite difficult to us. You might say, “I will never be like that.” But All Saints Day highlights not only the canonized saints but also all the people we have forgotten in history whom God has remembered as saints. On this day, we celebrate the church triumphant. Now, to become a saint is the ordinary goal of the Christian life. Being a saint is not egregiously exceptional, it is the ordinary goal of Christian life. Everything in the Church— preaching, teaching, liturgy, sacraments, etc is meant to make us saints, meant to make us holy. You know, there is only one sadness in life— and that is, not to be a saint. We can be sad for not achieving success, not getting the money we wanted, not pursuing degrees, did not get the wife or husband we wanted. Those are real sadnesses. However, the only real sadness is not to be the person God wanted us to be. If you let that become the governing principle of your life, everything will change. 

So, what does it precisely mean to be a saint? A saint is someone who is holy. So, what does it mean to be holy? To be holy is to follow the will of God. But what is the will of God? The will of God is to love. That’s all God is. God loves. God is love. To love is to will the good of the other and to do something about it. To be a saint is to habitually will the good of the other and to habitually do something about it. A saint is someone who is consciously aware of the abiding presence of God, who is truly alive and who loves. To be a saint is to make one’s life an oasis of love. If you wake up every morning with the mindset that you are going to will the good of the other, then you are a saint in the making.  Yes, you will do other things but you do them with the mentality of willing the good of the other. One of the best concrete places to look to become a saint is the famous Beatitude. At the beginning of the sermon on the mount, Jesus lays out these beatitudes (Beatitudo in Latin, which means happiness). Do you want to be happy, be a saint: “Blessed are the merciful for they shall be shown mercy… Mercy in Hebrew is hesed, which is sometimes called tender mercy (Agape in the NT). Do you want to be happy and be a saint? Be someone whose whole life is hesed. Wake up every morning and say that your entire life will be about expressing hesed. That is the key to happiness. To put it differently, Jesus again says, “Blessed are the clean of heart for they shall see God.” To be a saint, to be holy, and to be blessed is to desire one thing—hesed, tender mercy, love, which God is. A saint is someone whose life is about one thing- which is hesed, tender mercy. Everything else we do in life— work, relationships, practical life, entertainment etc. should be guided by one thing hesed. What makes us unsaintly, unholy and therefore unhappy is to be divided in heart. When a part of you wants to go one way, and another wants to go the opposite direction, and you have numerous things that govern your life, you will be so distracted and unhappy. Another way to say this again is also found in the lips of Jesus: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.” Righteousness is being set right, doing the right thing, and being the kind of person you are meant to be. What do you hunger and thirst for? What are we hungry and thirst for? We hunger and thirst for all kinds of stuff—for success, power, pleasure, the admiration of others etc. We wake up in the morning thirsting for all these and many more. But if you want to be happy, holy and saintly, thirst for one thing only— righteousness, which is, doing the will of God. When you wake up in the morning, ask yourself the question: what do I want today? Behind and above the things you want to accomplish in the office, in your home, in your workshop, what do you really want? Deep down what do you really want? If you want to be happy, be holy, be saintly, and hunger for righteousness. Once again, the Lord said: “Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called children of God.” When you hunger and thirst for righteousness, when you are clean of heart, when your whole life is about hesed, tender mercy, you will produce peace around you. Definitely! Peacemakers are those who follow this path— the saints. These are the positive attitudes; and behind these positive attitudes, there is also negative attitudes we have to overcome. And they are contained in the beatitudes as well. 

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.” The Gospel of Luke simply says, “Blessed are the poor…” So, how do we read this? You are a saint, you are truly happy if you are not preoccupied by wealth. The principle distraction from the path of holiness is wealth. We think wealth will make us happy. If I get enough of money, cars, houses etc I will be happy. No, you won’t. As a matter of fact, you are truly blessed if you are not attached to material wealth of the world. Hear this too: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted” This one sounds odd. How can those who are sad be blessed, some people may ask. How do we read it. It means that you are truly blessed, happy and saintly if you are not attached to and addicted to pleasure. Now, pleasure is good, but if you make pleasure the one thing you seek in life, (and there are a lot of people who walk on this road of constantly seeking pleasure), you are not walking on the path of holiness because doing the will of God will not alway bring you pleasure in a worldly sense. It is not easy to do the will of God. Going further, Jesus teaches, “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land.” Another substitute for God is power. Some people are not happy because they don’t power and are not in position of power. They think if they are one of the powerful people around they will be happy. But the truth is that they won’t. But blessed are you, how lucky are you if you are not addicted to power. One thing you want is hesed, righteousness, tender mercy and doing the will of God. If that means you have to give up power, let it be so. Blessed are you if you are meek and not powerful. Finally, “Blessed are you if they hate you, persecute you and utter all kinds of words against you because of me…” You are happy, blessed, saintly if you are not addicted to worldly honor. There are a lot of people who walk on that path. Their entire life is about seeking vain glory, wanting people to like them, honor them, be given award etc. But you are lucky and blessed if you are not attached to these because most of the times doing the will of God means you are not going to be loved or liked by many. So, the only thing we should seek in life is hesed, love, tender mercy, righteousness, and being a vehicle of God’s grace to the world. Get rid of all those attachments and distractions that are preventing you from walking that path. Be single-hearted, clean of heart, hunger and thirst for righteousness, and walk on the path that God wants you and everyone else to walk.  If you make this the central focus in life, you will be a saint. And when the saints go marching in, you will be in the number.