Homily for the Third Sunday of Easter, Year C

Misery And Frustration Meet Divine Favor And Mercy

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily for the Third Sunday of Easter, Year C

Church of St. Bridget of Minneapolis, MN

Sunday, May 4, 2025

In previous homilies this Easter season, I said while preaching that long before the advent of Christianity in Africa, Africans were already religious. From the ancient time to the present day, Africans view much of their lives and activities through the lens of religion. In time past, the idea of atheism or agnosticism was largely alien to Africans. Now, if Africans had been religious long before Christianity made its entrance in the African soil, what then made millions of Africans to convert to Christianity? Among other reasons, it is what I call the “good news-ness” of Christianity. Whenever and wherever the message of Jesus Christ is preached and presented as good news, people convert, people are drawn and gravitated towards it. As I was coming of age, I witnessed this massive religious paradigm shift. People who, for centuries believed they could relate and made contact with the Supreme Being through lesser deities and ancestors and divinities, began to convert and gave their lives to Jesus Christ. People are drawn to Jesus Christ because of his distinctive uniqueness. Unlike Africans gods whose justice was swift, lethal and dangerous, Jesus is patient, kind and merciful. Unlike the African gods who require animal sacrifice to appease and be calmed, the biblical God requires nothing but a contrite heart. Unlike the African gods who in some cases request from their adherents the blood of innocents in order to temper justice with mercy, the biblical God through Jesus Christ offered the once and for all sacrifice with his life. The God of the Bible is described all over the Bible as being “gracious and merciful, slow to anger and rich in mercy” (Psalm 145:8). Our God is indeed the God of second chance. Africans gods, much like the Greek gods, Roman gods and other demonic spirits worshipped by people across the ages, were feared by their adherents. You don’t mess with them. You don’t offend them. You don’t betray them. You don’t deny them. You don’t undermine them and continue to live. To do any of that, you must hide yourself under a superior god. Africans can see that the God of the Bible, even though he is all powerful, he is also all merciful. He does not dominate his people. As Africans get to know about the God of Jesus Christ, they convert to him in droves.

The very idea of the God of the Bible being very slow to anger and being rich in mercy is on full display in our Gospel passage for this weekend. The disciples of Jesus, for three years, have given their whole lives to him. They have seen him crucified on the cross. They have seen him risen from the dead and had appeared to them twice after his Resurrection. So what do they do now? What comes next? What should they do? They have no idea. The only thing they can think of is to return to their old life as if nothing had happened. They have managed to overcome the initial fear of the Jews coming after them. Not knowing what to do next, Peter said, “Well, I am going fishing.” The other  disciples with him said, “We will also come with you.” With that, they went back to their old trade of fishing. Did they catch any fish? John said “that night they caught nothing.” What happened? Maybe they have lost the cutting edge of fishing. By morning, as they were getting ready to go home in disappointment, Divine Favor shows up; Divine Mercy shows up; the Game-changer shows up! When all your efforts and hard work fail you, may Divine Favor, Divine Mercy, the Game-changer locate you, show up for you and turn things around. I pray that Divine Mercy will confront all your misery and turn your sorrow into joy and laughter. Amen. But you must listen to what he tells you to do. To his disciples, Jesus said, “Cast the net over the right side of the boat and you will find something.” You know, Peter and his fellows could have protested and questioned, “Who is this stranger telling us what to do as if we are neophytes to this business?” They could have ignored him, washed themselves and gone home. Instead they obeyed. We all want Divine Favor to locate us and change things for us, but we must be willing to listen and do what God tells us to do. Sometimes you might be told to do something you had done previously that didn’t work out. It might also mean you doing something that is totally new. The disciples may have wondered why they should do what they had done all night and caught nothing. But in the end, they obeyed the voice of that Stranger, which happened to be the Risen Lord. And mark this point—when Jesus was speaking to these seven disciples, they did not initially recognize him. They only recognized him later by what he did. May the people of the world recognize us as Christians by what we do, and not merely by our religious talks. 

In this encounter, in this final appearance of the Risen Lord to his disciples in John’s Gospel, Jesus feeds them. He serves them breakfast. After their breakfast, Jesus asks Peter three times, “Do you love me?” At the Last Supper, Peter had said to Jesus that he loved him more than any of the other Apostles did. Then, the very next day, at the moment of truth, he denied knowing Jesus three times. He ran away from the scene and left only John to stay with Jesus and his Mother Mary to the end. In this post-Resurrection appearance, Jesus uses Peter’s own words to remind him of his rash and self-righteous promise. Twice, Jesus asked Peter whether he had agape (a total self-giving love), and twice Peter replied he only had philia: I love you like a friend. That kind of love is good, but it is only a human love and not the divine and supernatural love that Jesus exemplifies and demands from us. In his final question to Peter, Jesus comes down to Peter’s level of love and asks whether he really has philia. At this time, Peter became upset because he thinks Jesus is doubting his love of friendship. After drawing out from Peter this threefold confession to undo Peter’s threefold denial during Jesus’ trial, Jesus makes a predictive prophecy that Peter will attain the highest degree of love— agape. In other words, Jesus prophesies Peter’s martyrdom. Peter will die in the same way as Jesus. He will die a martyr, out of agape, the highest degree of love. Peter was crucified in Rome, and he asked to be crucified upside down because he said he was not worthy to be crucified with his head up, like the Lord. To each of us Jesus is asking, “Do you love me more than these?” What are these? Your projects, priorities, profession, special interests, families, friends, entertainment, politics, nation, ethnicity etc. Do you love Jesus more than everything? If yes is the answer, the Lord now says, “Show me!” 

Feast of Divine Mercy (Second Sunday of Easter), Year C

The Uniqueness Of The Biblical God

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Feast of Divine Mercy (Second Sunday of Easter), Year C

Church of St. Bridget of Minneapolis, MN

Sunday, April 27, 2025

On Easter Sunday, I said while preaching that Africans are hardly atheists or agnostics. In the words of an African scholar, John Mbiti, “Africans are notoriously religious. Wherever the African is, there is religion. He carries it to the field where he is sowing seeds or harvesting a new crop; he takes it with him to the beer party, or to attend a funeral ceremony; and if he is educated, he takes religion with him to the examination room at school or in the university; if he is a politician, he takes it to the house of parliament.” What does that tell us? It tells us that long before the advent of Christianity in Africa, Africans were already religious people. But what made millions of Africans convert to Christianity? It is the good news-ness of Christianity. Whenever and wherever the good news of our Lord Jesus Christ is preached and presented as good news, people convert and believe in the Lord Jesus. When I was coming of age, I witnessed this religious paradigm shift. People who, from generation to another, believed they could relate and made contact with the Supreme Being through lesser deities and ancestors and divinities, began to convert and gave their lives to Jesus Christ. 

Africans gods, much like the Greek gods, Roman gods and other lesser gods worshipped by people across the ages, were brutal and lethal. Their justice is swift and deadly. People feared them deeply. When they broke into human affairs, something had to give; they destroyed things, killed or harmed people. Why? Because they were in a competitive relationship with this world. For them to assert themselves, something in this world had to vacate. But this is not the modus operandi of the God of the Bible. The moment the good news of our Lord Jesus Christ landed in the soil of Africa, people started converting. Why? Apart from other reasons, Africans could see the uniqueness of the Biblical God. Although he is all powerful, he is also all merciful. In many African Traditional Religions, what is mostly emphasized are the power and control of deities. While concepts like mercy, love and compassion are in some ways present in the understanding of the Supreme Being and in some ancestral spirits, African Traditional Religions are not traditionally seen as religions of grace in the same way as Christianity. The God of the Bible is inherently merciful, so said Pope Francis. But long before Pope Francis wrote those words, St. John said, “God is love” (1 John 4:8 and 16). 

With this mind, let us turn to today’s Gospel, which is the Second Sunday of Easter and famously called the Divine Mercy Sunday (John 20:19-31). Staying in the Upper Room were the disciples of Jesus who at the moment of truth had denied, betrayed and abandoned their Master. Seized by fear of the Jews and I add, shame and remorse for what they did, Jesus came and stood in their midst. When they saw him, their fear was intensified. He may have come back for some kind of revenge. Instead, Jesus speaks the simple word, Shalom! which means “Peace!” After the greeting of peace, he shows the wounds on his hands and side. Why is the showing of his wounds so important? By showing his wounds, Jesus reminds them and everyone not to forget what we did to him. The Author of life came, and we killed him. So, the next time you hear people brag and say, “I am okay!” “You are okay!” do not believe them. The wounds of Jesus are signs of our spiritual dysfunction. After he has shown his wounds, what follows? Not vengeance! If you are watching a movie of a poor man who was betrayed, denied, abandoned by everyone at the moment of truth and was later put to death, and after a few days he rises from dead, would you not expect that he is going to unleash more vengeance on those who betrayed him and put him to death? As for the Risen Lord, what he does after showing his wounds is astonishingly breathtaking. He utters the word of healing and mercy— Shalom! Shalom sums up what God intended for the human race from the very beginning. What sin interrupted in our lives is Shalom. What sin disrupted in the world is Shalom. Shalom is wellbeing at every level— physical, spiritual and emotional. Rather than unleash vengeance on those who denied, betrayed and abandoned him, he offers forgiveness and peace. The terrible disorder of the cross, of the crucifixion of Jesus is addressed not through more disorder, not through more violence, not through more aggression, not through an explosion of divine vengeance but through a radiation of divine love and redeeming mercy.

What does this imply? What does it mean to us? It means there is no sin that God in principle cannot forgive. There is finally nothing that can separate us from the love of God. St. Paul says in his Letter to the Romans that he is certain that neither death nor life, neither angels nor principalities, neither heights nor depths or any other power can separate us from the love of God. How does St. Paul know that? Because we killed God and God returns with forgiving and redeeming love. After speaking Shalom for the second time, Jesus breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained” (John 19:22-23). In other words, after offering mercy to his disciples, Jesus commissions and sends them to communicate the same mercy to the world. This is the foundation of the sacrament of Penance, and it has existed in the Church from that very moment till this day as the privileged vehicle of Divine Mercy. When the English philosopher and theologian, G. K. Chesterton was asked why he converted from the Anglican Church (The Church of England) to the Catholic Church, he answered, “To have my sins forgiven.” Chesterton recognized the sacrament of Penance as the privilege vehicle of Divine Mercy. This sacrament is not a burden but the grace of reconciliation, the restoration of divine friendship, and the forgiveness of our sins. I believe that the greatest damage caused by secularism and secularist ideology is the insistence that each of us is okay without God. Going to confession is not a burden but precisely as a privilege expression of Divine Mercy. On this Feast Day of Divine Mercy, feast in Divine Mercy but don’t just feast in it and entertain it intellectually, I strongly recommend you use the sacrament of Penance. For it is the best way to bask in the Divine Mercy.

May Divine Mercy bring you peace!

Homily for Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord, Year C

Reasons To Believe In The Resurrection of Jesus

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord, Year C

Church of St. Bridget of Minneapolis, MN

Sunday, April 20, 2025

Have you ever wondered why the Early Church believed in the Resurrection of Jesus? Why did they believe that Jesus had been raised? What actually convinced them to believe that our Lord is risen? In this homily, let’s examine the three main reasons the first Christians, who were all Jewish Christians, gave for believing in the Resurrection of the Lord. 

The first is the reality of the empty tomb. All four Gospels (Matthew 27:57-61; Mark 15: 42-47; Luke 23:50-56; John 19:31-42) tell us that after the death of Jesus, he was buried by Joseph Arimathea. But when his disciples went back to the tomb on Sunday morning, they found an empty tomb. So, the first sign of the Resurrection is the empty tomb. It is absolutely necessary for the tomb to be empty. To accept the possibility of his Resurrection, the tomb has to be empty, but it is not a sufficient reason because the tomb could be emptied in other ways. Someone could have stolen the body, even though that was impossible. The tomb was guarded by Roman soldiers who knew that the punishment for sleeping on duty was execution. Roman soldiers don’t fall asleep at the post because falling asleep on duty merited being put to sleep forever. So, an empty tomb is the first sign that the Triumphant Warrior is risen, however, it is not enough. 

The second reason for believing in the Resurrection was the many appearances of the Risen Jesus. In the Bible, we have multiple accounts of the Risen Jesus appearing to his disciples. In  Matthew 28, Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene and the other Mary as they were on their way to inform the disciples of the message of the angel they met at the tomb who announced to them that Jesus is Risen. In the same Matthew 28, Jesus appeared to the eleven disciples on a mountain in Galilee. In Luke 24, Jesus appeared to Cleopas and other unnamed disciples as they were on the road to Emmaus. In the same chapter 24, the disciples discussed among themselves saying, “The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!” In that same chapter of Luke, we hear that the Lord appeared to the eleven disciples in the Upper Room. In John 20, the appearance of Jesus to Mary Magdalene and the eleven disciples is recounted. In John 21, the Risen Jesus appears to the seven disciples. It is at this appearance that Jesus asked Peter three times “Do you love me?” In 1 Corinthians 15, the great St. Paul notes the appearance of the Risen Lord to Cephas (that is Peter), to the Twelve Apostles, to more than five hundred Christians at once and also to James and finally to him. So all these appearances of Jesus gave major motivation to accept and believe that the Crucified Jesus is back. He has been raised from the dead. He is alive again. He has conquered death with his own death. 

The third reason for the believability of the Resurrection is the fulfillment of Scripture. We don’t hear this third reason well enough. When modern day preachers speak about the Resurrection, they say something like “the Apostles believed in the resurrection so fervently that they preached it throughout the Roman Empire and gave their lives for the sake of resurrection.” Their argument is, ‘how could they have died for something they knew was a lie?’ Did the first Christians passionately preach that Jesus is Risen? Yes! Did they take this message around the Roman Empire and even to their death? Yes! But are those sufficient reasons to believe in the Resurrection? I don’t think so. They are subjective reasons, moreover, that is not how the early disciples of Christ spoke about the Resurrection. They never asked anyone to believe in the Resurrection because Peter was so zealous in preaching it. We know that some people can be zealous for something that is actually wrong. A good example are the Islamic terrorists who gave their lives for a terribly wrong cause. They are sincere in their pursuit but they are sincerely wrong. The objective reason for Jesus’ Resurrection is that his Resurrection was a fulfillment of the scriptures. In 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, we hear “Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures; that he was buried; that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures.” Also in Luke 24 and John 20:9, we hear that Jesus died and was raised according to the scriptures. But the big question is, “What scripture is being referred to here?” If you go to the Old Testament, there is no predictive prophecy of Isaiah, of Jeremiah, of Ezekiel, of Daniel, of Amos etc. that says the Messiah will be raised on the third day. Yet, some of the New Testament writers say that Jesus was raised on the third day according to the scriptures. What scripture were they referring to? There is only one scripture in the Old Testament that refers to this, and it is not a predictive prophecy, rather the story of Jonah. 

In the course of his public ministry, Jesus himself connects his Resurrection with the Old Testament. After curing a demoniac who was also blind and mute, people wondered if Jesus could be “the Son of David.” But then, the Pharisees accused him of using a demonic power to cast out demons. Reacting to their false accusation, Jesus simply told them that a good person produces goodness, but an evil person produces evil. In response, some Pharisees said to him, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you” (Matthew 12:38). Responding to them, Jesus said, “An evil and unfaithful generation seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah the prophet. Just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights” (Matthew 12:39-40). What’s the Lord doing here? He is referring to the Book of Jonah in the Old Testament and drawing two similarities. He is saying that just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights, so also the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights. After his Resurrection, what did he do? He says to his Apostles, “Go forth to all the nations and proclaim the good news.” What good news? His Resurrection! Why is his Resurrection such a big deal? It tells us that death does not have the final say. It tells us that death is not the final word. The final word is Easter. And as they preached, all the pagan cities repented. Within two centuries, the entire Roman Empire, who for centuries, had worshipped idols, false gods, demonic spirits, animals, trees, rocks, mountains, rivers repented. One by one, they became Christians, worshipped Jesus Christ and the God of the Jews, the very Jews they despised. When the Pharisees asked Jesus for a sign, he responded, “…No sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah.” What’s the sign of Jonah? It’s not just the miracle of the Resurrection, it is the miracle of the conversion of the pagans. Look around you, people are still converting everyday in Africa, Asia, South America etc. People are still giving their lives to Jesus even where there are terrorism and terrorist attacks. How do you explain that?Is it a coincidence that following the death and Resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth, nations that had long worshipped false gods and demonic spirits converted and began to worship the God of Israel? I don’t think so! It will take a lot of ignorance, a lot of denial, and a lot of dishonesty to believe it is a coincidence. In the final analysis, when you look at the evidence— the biblical and historical evidence, it is deeply impossible not to say that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah and Redeemer of the human race. 

The Good Friday Homily

Where Do You Stand In The Passion Narrative?

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

The Good Friday Homily, Year C

Church of St. Bridget of Minneapolis, MN

Friday, April 18, 2025

Where do you stand when you look at the cross? Which figure in the Passion narrative best embodies your approach and attitude toward God and your neighbor? Which one best describes my approach and attitude toward God and all that pertains to God? Is it Judas Iscariot, who, despite being a disciple and friend of Jesus, chose money over loyalty? He was supposed to have Jesus’ back. But loved money more than he loved his Lord. Is he the one that best represents your attitude towards God and neighbor? Or is it Simon Peter? He was confronted and identified as a disciple of Jesus by individuals of very low social status in the first century— a maid and a slave. It is this same Peter that Jesus made this declaration to, “…You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). At the Last Supper, Jesus spoke in a predictive way to him, “…this very night before the cock crows, you will deny me three times” (Matthew 26:34). What is Peter’s response? He makes a very bold promise: “Even though I should have to die with you, I will not deny you” (Matthew 26:35). Yet, when faced with a simple inquiry, “You are not one of this man’s disciples, are you?” (John 18:17). Peter, lacking strength and courage, cowardly said,  “I am not.” 

Which figure in the Passion narrative best represents our attitude to God and neighbor? Is it the over-zealous temple guards? When the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching, Jesus answered him, “I have spoken publicly to the world. I have always taught in a synagogue or in the temple area where all the Jews gather, and in secret I have said nothing. Why ask me? Ask those who heard me what I said to them. They know what I said.” Basically, the Lord is telling the chief priest that throughout the course of his ministry, he has taught publicly and not in secret, that if the chief priest wants to know about his doctrine, he should ask the Jewish audience who heard him. That’s a very good point to make. But it is not so for one of the temple guards who slapped him. He is not the only guard present. But he is the only one who overzealously beat Jesus and said to him, “Is this the way you answer the high priest?’ But his ignorance is that he does not know that he has struck the Author of life. His profound ignorance is that he does not know that Jesus is the Priest. He is the chief Priest par excellence. He is ignorant of the fact that every sacrifice, ritual, ceremony etc that the so- called high priest has offered in his entire life was actually offered to Jesus. More to it, all the sacrifice performed in that temple is a prefigurement of the once and for all sacrifice of Jesus. They indicate and foreshadow the lasting and eternal sacrifice that Jesus would offer with his own life. 

As Catholic Christians, which figure in the Passion narrative best describes our life? Is it Pontus Pilate? Pilate knew that Jesus was totally innocent. Before the angry mob of Jews, he even testified on Jesus’ behalf when he said, “I find no guilt in him.” From his own investigation, Pilate knew Jesus had done nothing wrong. But in the moment of truth, he caved in to pressure to kill an innocent man. He caved in to public pressure and, in the process, soiled his own hands too. When you are under pressure, what do you do? Do you also bow to ungodly pressure? Do you give up your faith when faced with pressure? Do you sacrifice your relationship with God and others because of pressure? In face of injustice and injury to another, do you stand there, say nothing, and do nothing? The secular culture is constantly mounting enormous pressure on all religious people, especially Christians. Do you want to give in to their pressure just like Pilate? 

Who best describes our attitude to faith and God? Is it the crowd of Jews who chose a criminal and a violent revolutionary, Barabbas over Jesus? A little credit to Pilate, he knew that Jesus was innocent. He testified to that fact publicly. In his effort to release Jesus, he referred to the Jewish custom of releasing one prisoner at Passover and wanted to use that opportunity to release Jesus. But the increasingly agitated crowd shouted, “Not this one but Barabbas.” They were desperately determined to kill the Lord. Think about all the innocent people who were condemned to death or sentenced to life imprisonment simply because we don’t like their skin color, their religion and ethnicity. Think about the times we badmouthed someone not because they wronged us but simply because we don’t like them. 

Which of these figures in the Passion story we just listened to best represents how we live our Christian life in the family, in the society and work environment? Who best describes our approach and attitude to faith, God and our brothers and sisters? Is it the Blessed Mother Mary and the women who walked with Jesus and stood by him till the very end? In the entire Passion event, the Blessed Mother did not utter a word. However, she was physically and empathically present. You can physically be present to someone without the active and empathic listening that is required. In the case of Mary, she was really present and available to her Son. She walked with him from the beginning of his life to the very end. Who best describes you? Is it Joseph of Arimathea? He came to Pilate and sought permission to take down the expired body of Jesus. With the help of Nicodemus, the man who first came to Jesus at night, Joseph of Arimathea buried the spotless body of the Lamb of God. By doing so, he practiced one of the corporal works of mercy, which is to bury the dead. 

Why am I highlighting these figures? Because in these figures we can see some of our actions. We can protest Simon Peter’s betrayal of the Lord. But are we not doing the same thing? We betray Jesus much more than Peter. In St. Alphonsus Ligouri’s famous “Way of the Cross,” we hear in the Seventh Station these words, “My most gentle Jesus, how many times you have pardoned me, and how many times have I fallen again, and begun again to offend you…” So, like Peter we also betray the Lord over and over again in words and actions. But here now is the watchword, the Good News of the Good Friday—whether you see yourself in Judas Iscariot or Simon Peter or the zealous temple guard or the crowd or Pilate or Mary or Joseph of Arimathea, the crucifixion of Jesus is meant to show us the extent God is willing to go to save us. It is meant to communicate to us “the breadth and length and height and depth” (Ephesians 3:18) of God’s love for us. The cross is the most public proof of God’s love for us. The cross is the most profound proof of God’s love for the human race. The cross is the most flamboyant demonstration of God’s love, mercy, friendship and faithfulness. Jesus died for all people who had existed, existing and would exist. The Catholic Church teaches that Christ died for all people, regardless of their religious affiliation, and that God desires the salvation of all. The cross is God’s YES to humanity. When Jesus cried “I thirst!” he was declaring God’s intense desire for the salvation of all people. He was not thirsty for water or some expired wine. Jesus thirsts for me; he thirsts for you; he thirsts for the world, he thirsts for your friends and foes alike. False gods, pagan gods and demonic gods thirst and demand for human blood. They asked their adherents to sometimes sacrifice the blood of innocents just to appease their anger and wrath. But the true God sacrificed his own Blood. He is ready to go to any extent to bring us closer to himself. “If this is not love, tell me what it is.” 

When you look at the cross, do not see failure. Do not see someone whose life is finished. Yes, Jesus did say before he died, “It is finished,” but he is not finished. What is finished is the damage caused by the ancient sin. “It is finished” means the fulfillment of God’s will, and the payment for humanity’s sins were completed. It means the end of all those animal sacrifices that took place in the temple because the ultimate Sacrifice has finally been made. Atonement is completed, perfected and fully accomplished. It is done once and for all. It is finished forever. So, whenever you look at the cross, see your victory, see in it the defeat of the common enemy of humanity. Whenever you look at the cross, see your freedom. Whenever you look at the cross, see your salvation. See the cross as God’s lasting healing and reconciliation with us. This is the reason why today is not called a bad Friday or a dark Friday. Rather it is called “The Good Friday.” Because on this day, something good, something great and something hugely consequential happened.  

May the Cross of Jesus bring us healing in every way. Amen

Homily for Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion, Year C

Confronting Reality: Jesus’ Example in the Face of Suffering and Death

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily for Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion, Year C

Church of St. Bridget of Minneapolis, MN

Sunday, April 13, 2025

How do you think a terminally ill parent would feel if, after informing their children of their impending mortality, they immediately began discussing the distribution of their assets? How do you think a terminally ill man would feel if, after informing his brothers and sisters at a family reunion that his doctors had told him he didn’t have much time, they began to discuss their place in his life and who would inherit the larger share of his wealth right in front of him? How do you think a woman who has been wrongly accused by an angry mob of conspirators and is facing a death sentence would feel if, after her siblings learned of her fate, they started arguing among themselves, in her presence, about her house, cars, stock portfolio, and other investments she had acquired? Without mincing words, none of them would be pleased. In fact, to the highest degree, they would be disappointed. 

Why am I presenting these different but similar scenarios? It is because that is what we see at the beginning of the Passion story according to St. Luke. Jesus and his disciples had gathered together to celebrate the Passover. After taking his place, Jesus began to give his valediction, that is, his farewell speech to his disciples. In the process of doing that, he instituted the great sacrament of the Eucharist. He also foretold his betrayal. What follows? What’s his disciples’ response? They began to argue among themselves “which of them should be regarded as the greatest” (Luke 22:24). Their Master and Lord had just told them that he doesn’t have much time left. He had just announced to them that one of them would betray him. I get it! For a moment they did debate among themselves who the betrayer could be. But they didn’t dwell on it much longer before switching over to mundane thing— who is the greatest among them. 

What do you think is the reason why the early followers of the Lord did not spend much time debating, questioning and considering who among them is about to betray their Lord? St. Luke did not tell us; however, my speculation is that engaging in such an exercise is too probing and too intrusive. Spending time talking about the impending death of someone they had accepted as “the Christ, the Son of the living God,” goes too deeply and beyond what is comfortable. It is easier to talk about fun things than to confront the “wretchedness” of human existence. It is more comfortable to talk about earthly greatness than to dwell on the great question about death and dying. According to the great French scholar and Catholic writer Blaise Pascal, most of us, most of the time, distract ourselves from attending to the great questions about God, life, death, dying, sin, and the meaning of life. To avoid considering those realities, we engage in what he called in his beautiful French “divertissement,” that is distraction or amusement. Pascal said we use activities and social interactions to avoid confronting basic existential questions and the anxieties of existence. He said humans are prone to melancholy and anxiety when faced with the vastness and meaninglessness of the universe, so we seek distractions like social interactions (gossiping, superficial conversations, and other social activities) to avoid introspection. We seek material things (focusing on acquiring wealth, possessions, and status) to distract from the search for meaning. We engage in intellectual pursuits (engaging in abstract thought or intellectual debates) without real commitment to understanding the truth. We pursue self-indulgence (engaging in pleasures and distractions) to numb the pain and suffering of life. 

In many ways, we all engage in “divertissement.” When you bring up issues like death, human suffering, repentance, the fleeting nature of wealth, power, pleasure, honor, and other human pursuits in conversations with friends and family, see how quickly the discussion is changed to something more palatable. Often, someone in the group interjects with the phrase, “Okay, enough of the gloom and doom…” I have been in discussions where important subjects like these were immediately discontinued because people are uncomfortable engaging in them. Instead, we talk about sports, entertainment, the stock market, sweet memories of the past, etc. I believe the disciples of the Lord found his farewell speech too troubling to handle, hence the switch to talking about more mundane things. In a clinical setting today, their overall attitude and response to Jesus would be considered very bad spiritual care. 

What is the cure to the problem of “divertissement” (distraction)? Blaise Pascal’s proposed solution is not to merely eliminate distractions, but rather to acknowledge these realities, acknowledge the emptiness of existence, acknowledge the transient nature of wealth, power, honor and pleasure, and afterwards, to seek solace and meaning through faith and a relationship with God. Avoiding discussions about death and dying will not exempt one from its inevitability. Did Jesus seek distraction and avoid discussing his destiny? Not at all! Over and over again, he spoke of his impending betrayal, suffering, and death. At the Passover meal, his first words, after taking his seat were, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer” (Luke 22:15). He acknowledged his fate and spoke about it. After the institution of the Eucharist, he says, “Behold, the hand of the one who is to betray me is with me on the table; for the Son of Man indeed goes as it has been determined; but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed” (Luke 22:21-22). In his agony in the Garden, he prays, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me; still, not my will but yours be done” (Luke 22:42). As we can see, Jesus does not engage in distractions to avoid difficult subject-matter. He confronts them head-on and, most importantly, trusts in his Father. 

But does this imply we become preoccupied with the reality of death? Does this mean the only topic worth of discussion is the great questions? Not at all! We exist in the world, and in this world, numerous events are unfolding around us. It is acceptable to discuss these distractions. Pascal is not advocating for the complete elimination of “divertissement.” Essentially, he suggests that true happiness and fulfillment cannot be attained in fleeting pleasures and distractions, but rather in confronting the realities of life and finding meaning in something beyond ourselves, such as faith and God. In John’s Gospel, Jesus says, “You have faith in God, have faith also in me” (14:1).

Homily for the Fifth Sunday of Lent, Year C

Human Dysfunction Meets Divine Mercy

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily for the Fifth Sunday of Lent, Year C

Church of St. Bridget of Minneapolis, MN

Sunday, April 6, 2025

In virtually every human society, the problem of scapegoating an individual or group of people is prevalent. When challenges arise in a community or nation, people instinctively project their collective problems to a single person or group. This propensity to look for a scapegoat, someone or a group to blame for societal wrongs, is termed the scapegoat mechanism by French historian Rene Girard. Upon identifying a scapegoat, a sense of social order and unity is temporarily restored. You can see the scapegoat mechanism here in the USA and around the world. You can hear the scapegoat mechanism in discussions among family members, in public venues, and unfortunately, even from religious pulpits. Why do we engage in this scapegoating move? Because it satisfies our sense of justice and also makes us feel united during troubled times. 

Why am I talking about the scapegoat mechanism and scapegoating move? Because it is on full display in today’s Gospel (John 8:1-11). Jesus is in the temple. In him, the glory of Yahweh (Shekhinah), has returned to the temple just the same way he had left. What follows? The scribes and Pharisees bring a woman and say, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery.” What are they doing? They are scapegoating her. They are humiliating her and exposing her to death. By making her stand in public, anything could have happened to her right there. Some religious self-righteous fanatics could have killed her even before Jesus had any chance of saving her. After making the woman stand in the public, they weaponized the law against her: “Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women.” They are using the Law, the great tradition of Israel in a deeply dysfunctional and harmful way. This is Rene Girard’s theory of scapegoat mechanism on full display. Think about this! If they actually caught her in the very act, the question is: where exactly were they when they caught her in the very act? How long had they been waiting and watching in order to catch her in the very act of adultery? And what happened to the man who was committing adultery with the woman? It takes two to do the act, isn’t it? By the way, before you frown your face, this story is all of us. We are so good at finding scapegoats. Just like the scribes and Pharisees, we know the Law of God well enough. We know the precepts of the Church and we are probably observing them. Good! It is vitally important to know God’s Law and the Church’s ordinances. It is also critically important to observe them. But if I am constantly finding scapegoats and saying, “Look at what he has done,” “Look at what she has done,” “She is divorced and shouldn’t be here,” “He is too liberal,” “She is too conservative,” “They are the ones destroying our Church and I have the law to support me” I tell you, I am in a very bad spiritual place. As I said already, knowing the Law and observing them is important. But St. Paul and Gospel writers, as well as Jesus himself are intensely aware of the dangers of the Law. St. Paul knew people often use the Law as a weapon of aggression. How? If I know what is right and wrong, and I am meticulously observing them, I can be tempted to see myself as someone uniquely positioned to point out the flaws of others. And when I point out the flaws of others, I elevate myself above others. I end up using the beautiful Law of God to fan my ugly ego. 

What does the Lord do? John says, “Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger.” This is the only time in the Bible that Jesus is ever described as writing on the ground. How do we interpret his first move? He wants to break up the aggressive mob. A mob is formed when one person tells another, “Did you hear what she did?” And the person tells another and on and on and on. And before you know it, a mob is formed through scapegoating and gossiping. But by writing on the ground, Jesus disempowers the mob. He delays their rage. He makes them wonder and wait. He refuses to cooperate with them. If you see a mob of gossip forming, you can also disempower the mob by not cooperating. But what exactly did Jesus write? John didn’t tell us. But the Church Fathers speculate Jesus was writing the sin of each person holding those stones waiting to put the woman away. He is turning the negative energy they created against them. My late mother used to say, “When you are pointing an accusing finger at someone, remember that three of your fingers are pointing towards you, and your thumb is pointing at the bad things you’ve done.” After writing, Jesus delivers one of the most devastating one-liners in the Bible, “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” He’s basically saying: “I get the law of Moses. I am not here to undermine it. It did say such people should be stoned. But if any among you is sinless, be the first to throw a stone at her.” Upon hearing the challenge, reality sets in. John says, “They went away one by one, beginning with the elders.” In a non-threatening way, in a nonviolent way, Jesus breaks up the angry mob. Thereby showing us a good example of how nonviolence can be the answer to violence. He shows us the divine way of dealing with tensed issues like this. Look at this way: if Jesus had reacted in anger, if he had challenged the mob, threatened to form his own mob, and fought over this obvious cruelty, the woman and some other people would have been killed. 

After dispersing the mob, Jesus turns to the woman and says, “Woman…has no one condemned you? “ She replies, “No one, sir.” Again, Jesus drops another famous one-liner, “Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on do not sin any more.” He does not make excuses for the sinful woman. He does not endorse her immorality. He never said to her, “don’t worry about it, what you did is not a sin.” He is rightly stating the fact: the woman sinned just like everyone else. But after making that point, Jesus invites her to a higher life, the divine life: “Go, and from now do not sin any more.” She is being invited to not live like everyone else and to walk the divine path. In Jesus, God has reentered the temple. What’s the temple meant to be? It is the place where God’s love meets our sin. This is the reason why we should never discourage anyone from coming to church. And this is why we should form the habit of coming to church. Why? Because in the temple, in the House of God, our stupidity, corruption, injustice, etc will meet God’s love. As the great St. Augustine said, “At the end of this story, all that is left is “misera et misericordia” that is, misery and mercy. That’s what the temple was meant to be. It is the place where the misery of our sin meets the mercy of God. This is what our Church should be. This is what St. Bridget should be. Elevating yourself as an upright person is not God’s way. Humiliating a sinner publicly is not God’s way. Scapegoating in any form or shape is not God’s way. Using the Law as a weapon of aggression is not God’s way. God’s way is the way of love, mercy, forgiveness, compassion and nonviolence.