Homily for the Second Sunday of Lent, Year C

Heaven: Our True Citizenship

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily for the Second Sunday of Lent, Year C

Church of St. Bridget of Minneapolis, MN

Sunday, March 15, 2025

I have been living and working in the United States of America for 18 years. In these years, I have observed five presidential elections— the two elections of Obama, the first election of Trump, the election of Biden, and the reelection of Trump. One thing I have noticed, which is not unique to Americans alone, is that after each presidential election, some people are very happy with the results and some are unhappy. Some are hopeful, while some are pessimistic. Some are confident, while others are fearful and agitated. In some instances, the outcome of an election incites some people to break up with their spouses, friends and relatives. Whatever your thoughts might be on the outcomes of past elections, we as Christians must ask ourselves this all important question: am I primarily a citizen of the United States of America or am I primarily a citizen of heaven? You may say to yourself: well, I am a citizen of both the United States and of heaven. But the question I am asking is: are we primarily citizens of a given country or are we primarily citizens of heaven? Which citizenship is of utmost importance to you? Regardless of your political party, I hope you know that none of the political parties has all the answers to solving all our country’s problems. Even though one party’s economic or social programs may resonate more strongly with you than the other, the fact is that neither party can offer us lasting peace, uninterrupted joy and ironclad eternal security we long for as Christians. 

In today’s second reading (Philippians 3:17—21; 4:1), the great St. Paul, while chastising the Christian in Philippi for making their stomach their God and for being overly preoccupied with earthly things, says to them, “Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we also await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will change our lowly body to conform with his glorified body.” When St. Paul wrote his letter, many in Philippi were Roman citizens. They were protected by the laws and powers of Rome. They looked to Rome as the source of their sense of identity, allegiance and security. They even worshipped the Roman emperor as “lord” and “savior.” But there were others who were Greeks and did not enjoy the security of Roman citizenship. So, like the general population, the Christian community in Philippi consisted of both Roman citizens and Greeks. In his letter, St. Paul reminds all Christians in Philippi, whether they are Roman citizens or Greek citizens of their true citizenship, which is heaven. He tells him who their true Savior is, Jesus Christ the Lord. He also refreshes their memory of the hope of all believers— “He will change our lowly body to conform with his glorified body…”

Sisters and brothers, our true citizenship is in heaven. But as long as we are in this world, we are also citizens of the world. We owe allegiance to a nation. We are called to be good citizens. According to the great St. Augustine, “the City of Man is what we are doomed to live in, and the City of God is what we strive for as humans. The City of Man is corrupt, but the City of God is perfect. However, because we are flawed, and held back by sin, we will never achieve the City of God as a society.” So being citizens of heaven does not mean we ignore our earthly citizenship. It does not relieve us of our legitimate obligations to civil authority. It does not mean we adopt a stoic approach to earthly matters. We should be interested in working for peace, justice, security, and the health of all. As Dr. King says, “Injustice to one is injustice to all.” Christians should never be indifferent to matters that affect others. Love of country is a good thing, but love of country should never be held higher than love of the Lord. The Second Vatican Council stresses the implications of the Christian Faith for this world which are commitment to social justice, concern for the poor, concern for the planet we live in etc. And these are indeed indispensable ingredients of a lively Christian faith. Deeply believing Christians know that social justice, care for the poor and for the planet earth etc. are integral to Christianity. They are not footnotes but subject-matters. However, there is nothing in the Catholic Tradition, including Vatican II that approves or encourages Christians to forget the supernatural preoccupation of Christianity. Time and again, the Bible reminds us that we are sojourners here, that we are passing through this world to a higher one. But it does not mean we should become indifferent to the goods of this world and to what is happening around us. Christians are interested in the world, but as Paul tells us, our true and lasting citizenship is in heaven.

After establishing the fact that the Philippians were also citizens of heaven, St. Paul adds, “and from it (citizenship of heaven) we also await a Savior.” Who is this Savior? Savior was a title given to Caesars. In 48 BC, Julius Caesar was declared to be “the universal savior of mankind.” From that time, it became a common title for the ruling Caesar. But Caesar is not the Savior that St. Paul is writing about. It’s rather Jesus Christ the Lord. In the first century, the title “lord” was also applied to the Roman Caesar. But I tell you, many Christians including St. Paul suffered martyrdom for refusing to call Caesar Lord. The true Lord is not Caesar but the One that Caesar put to death. 

God bless you and give you his peace!