Homily for the Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

Humility: The Antidote To The Addiction Of Honor

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily for the Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

Church of St. Bridget of Minneapolis, MN

Sunday, August 31, 2025

The central message of the Bible is that there is only one true good: God alone. During his public ministry, Jesus highlighted this truth when he said: “You shall worship the Lord your God, and him alone shall you serve” (Luke 4:8). I tell you, this command to worship and serve the one true God is at the heart of the Christian faith. It means that God alone should be the focus of our lives. It also means that anything that distracts us from God becomes an idol or false god. Therefore, making those things the focus of our lives is to commit idolatry and false worship.

Sadly, some people are obsessed with money. To acquire it, they will do almost anything, break any law, and hurt anyone to get it. Why? Because they have made money (wealth) their god and the center of their lives. Others love power. To gain and keep it, they will do almost anything—break any law, hurt anyone—because they have made power their god and obsession. We also have people who love pleasure—the pleasure of the body. To seek it in its many forms, they will do almost anything, break any law, hurt anyone. Why? Because they have made pleasure, one of the false options to the true Good, their god and focus. However, some people care less about money and wealth. They care less about power. Power isn’t their thing. They also care less about pleasure. In fact, they are willing to give up all kinds of pleasure. But what they want, what they crave, is honor. They want to be admired. They want all the attention, everyone looking at them and praising them. They want to be in the spotlight. For many, this is their drug and intoxicating cocktail. For the sake of honor, they are willing to break any law and harm anyone to stay in the spotlight. They have made honor or fame their god. You see these people everywhere. Look at politicians. Of great importance to them and other famous people is the hunger for fame and glory. Like wealth, power, and pleasure, honor is also a false god. But it is not the ultimate good. 

But the truth is that those who crave honor are rarely truly free. Why is that? You might be doing your best and achieving great things, but if the crowd doesn’t like you, you won’t find happiness. On the other hand, you can do the worst things—things that harm yourself and others—and if the crowd likes you, you’re okay. Is the crowd really good at honoring the right people? Sometimes they do, like with Mother Teresa of Calcutta. In her case, the crowd showed good judgment. But most of the time, those who are honored and admired are often the worst kind of people. Truly good, righteous, and loving individuals are often overlooked by the crowd. So, when you rely on the admiration of the crowd, you dismiss genuine goodness. And you put your life in the hands of very questionable people. According to St. Thomas Aquinas, honor itself doesn’t add anything to your life. When you are honored and admired, does it increase your true worth? Does it improve your goodness, truthfulness, righteousness, or integrity? Of course not! It adds nothing. Honor is just a sign—it points to something worth noticing. That’s why the Church honors saints. It points to them and encourages us to admire them because they embody qualities worth emulating. But in itself, honor, admiration, and glory don’t add anything real to you. Imagine this: if you are quietly doing one of the corporal works of mercy, like picking up trash around the church, tidying up the restroom someone else messed up, helping set up or take down tables and chairs at our events, and no one sees or praises you, that gives you more blessings than the cheers of a million people. Honor doesn’t add anything substantial to your real life. There’s greater value in simply saying hello to a visitor than in the applause of an audience. And if the whole world knows about you and admires you, so what?

What’s the antidote to this false god? What do we do if we are addicted to honor, fame, and admiration? Today’s readings tell us what to do. The first reading from the Book of Sirach says, “Conduct your affairs with humility…” The watchword is humility. When St. Augustine was asked to name the three most essential things in spiritual life, he said the first is humility, the second is humility, and the third is humility. To be humble is to be in touch with reality. What’s that reality? That you are not God, but a mere mortal. At a passing glance, humility seems to be a weakness. But in reality, it is a strength. It is a strength to know you are not God, and it is a weakness to pretend to be God. Sirach reminds us that the greater we are, the more humility we need. The wiser we become, the more we need to listen to others. If your temptation is to be great in the eyes of the world, bend the stick back the other way. The more you are honored, the more humble you should become. 

In today’s Gospel (Luke 14:1, 7-14), Jesus urges us not to take the place of honor when we are invited to a wedding or a feast, for if someone greater arrives, the host might ask us to vacate our position for them. When you are invited, you should sit in the lowest place. People who are passionate about honor will undoubtedly strive for the highest positions of honor. In the workplace, they will hijack the highest positions. Why? To be noticed and admired by others. If honor is your problem and temptation, do the opposite. Bend the stick the other way. Move in the opposite direction. Strive instead not to be noticed. I know doing this is not easy, especially if you are addicted to honor. But you must strive to wrestle your soul from this addiction. Without humility, it is impossible to please God.

God bless you!

Homily for the Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

Will Only A Few People Be Saved?

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily for the Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

Church of St. Bridget of Minneapolis, MN

Sunday, August 24, 

The question of “How many people will be saved?” is one of the most debated topics out there. People have strong opinions about it. Some believe that everyone will be saved, insisting that a merciful, loving, and compassionate God would not let any of His children perish. Some Church Fathers, such as Origen, explored the concept known as “apocatastasis” or universal salvation. However, it was officially condemned as heresy by the Synod of Constantinople in 543 AD. The Catholic Church stresses that, while God desires everyone’s salvation, each person has the free will to accept or reject God’s grace and eternal life. Some believe that no one will be saved, meaning humanity is doomed with no hope for anyone. Others say only a small number of people will be saved. When I was coming of age, I heard Jehovah's Witnesses promote this view, teaching that only 144,000 will go to heaven to reign with Christ. As for how they arrived at that number, I have no idea. Still, some teach that most people will be saved. When people argue these points, they often cite saints or scripture to support their views. 

In today’s Gospel (Luke 13:22-30), we learn that Jesus was traveling through towns and villages when someone in the crowd asked Him, “Lord, will only a few people be saved?” What is His response? “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will try to enter but will not be able.” Did Jesus answer the question? No. Why not? Because the question isn’t the right one. The person asking is avoiding the real question. The real question was the one the Philippian jailer asked St. Paul, “What must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30). It was also the question a young rich man asked Jesus, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Mark 10:17). Jesus didn’t answer the question because it concerns people in general, and not directed to oneself. How does knowing the number of people in heaven help? 

Does hell exist? Absolutely yes. I have been there before, and you have been there too. It is the suffering that comes from resisting God’s love. It begins here. The doctrine about hell is based on two core truths: that God is love and that we are free. Love, which means “willing the good of the other,” is what God is at His core. God is not like us. He does not fall in and out of love. He does not go in and out of love. God does not change His mind. He does not love some people and hates others. In Jesus' words, God is like the sun shining on the good, the bad, and the ugly alike. No words, actions, failures, or disappointments of ours can make God stop loving us. But we are free to accept His love and friendship. With our freedom, we can respond to that love or resist it. When we resist, we suffer. We can suffer here on Earth and in the afterlife. Regarding the nature of this suffering, the Church uses several metaphors, one of which is fire. Fire symbolizes the intense pain caused by resisting God’s love. As I mentioned earlier, it begins here. But are there people in that eschatological hell? Are there people in that final place of intense suffering, where God’s love has been rejected from one’s very being forever and always? It is possible, but I can’t say that with certainty. 

If you notice, the Catholic Church canonizes some people to recognize that they are in heaven. But there is no opposite acknowledgment or canonization for those in hell. That means we don’t know for sure if certain persons are in hell. You might ask: What about Hitler, Stalin, Idi Amin, Emperor Nero, etc.? Yes, we know these people lived terrible lives and were awful. But we have no idea what happened in their final moments. We have no understanding of what happened deep within their minds, wills, and consciences before they died. We cannot say definitively that there was no regret or remorse before their death. That is why the Church does not declare that anyone is in hell. That’s also why some prominent Catholic theologians, like St. Pope John Paul II, Hans Urs von Balthasar, and Bishop Robert Barron, have expressed hope that everyone might be saved. We can only hope that all people will be saved. However, hope should not be confused with knowledge, certainty, or expectation. Do I know that everyone is saved? No. That would be heresy—heresy of apocatastasis. Do I expect everyone to be saved? No. Hope is different from expecting. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states, “In hope the Church prays for the salvation of all.” Is it likely that everyone will be saved? Absolutely not! Just look around at the world. Consider the level of mankind’s inhumanity toward one another. Observe the mockery of God in today’s society. Imagine the blatant injustice, corruption, and greed displayed by many. 

Sisters and brothers, God is love. He loves us immensely and forever. However, He grants us free will. With that freedom, we can choose to accept Him or reject Him. We are not His puppets. He does not force anyone to be His friend. We can choose to accept His love or decline it. Like a sunflower that follows the movement of the sun, when we turn toward God’s love, we open up like a sunflower and flourish. We are saved. But if we turn away, we get burned. If you're wondering where your departed loved ones—mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, a classmate, a former president, Princess Diana, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, etc.—are, Jesus’ answer is: Mind your damn business. Don’t worry about all that. Knowing where they are won’t significantly affect your salvation. Instead, strive and focus on your effort. Keep your feet grounded in faith. Don’t play God. Don’t take your faith lightly. Don’t base your salvation on “I hope I'm saved.” Trust your life completely to God’s hands. When Jesus says to those who fail to enter, “I do not know where you are from,” he is saying, “I don’t see my life in your soul.” I tell you, the worst thing to hear after earthly life is, “I do not know where you are from.” Remember, simply being good isn’t enough. We must submit to the Lordship of Jesus. 

Feast of Saint Maximilian Kolbe

Loving Until It Hurts: Lessons From Saint Maximilian Kolbe

We live in a world where greed and selfishness go unchecked. Today, the dominant culture is focused on me, mine, and I. The needs of others are hardly ever considered. When some of us look around, we only see ourselves, not the person standing in front of us, beside us, or behind us. The idea of “I am happy because others are happy” seems to have been replaced with “I want it, and I want it now.” 

Today, we celebrate the feast of St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe, a Catholic priest who sacrificed his life so another could live. Ordained at 24, Fr. Maximilian saw religious apathy and indifference as the deadliest poison of his time. Instead of complaining about it, he faced it directly. He founded the Militia of the Immaculate, whose goal was to combat evil not with evil but with the witness of a good life, prayer, work, and suffering. 

In 1939, the Nazi panzers quickly overran Poland. The Franciscan monastery and Marian sanctuary in Teresin, Poland, were heavily bombed. Kolbe and his Friars were arrested and then released in less than three months, on the feast of the Immaculate Conception. However, in 1941, Fr. Kolbe was arrested again. The Nazis’ goal was to eliminate the leaders and top figures. Fr. Kolbe was taken to Auschwitz after severe beatings and humiliations. 

One day, a prisoner escaped. The commandant announced that 10 men would be killed as a deterrent for others. As the commandant walked along the ranks screaming, “This one,” “That one,” he did it with glee. Then one of those chosen, Francis Gajowniczek, a married man, cried out for his family: “I pity my wife and children!” Moments later, from the ranks of prisoners stepped forward, Conventual Franciscan Father Maximilian Kolbe: “I would like to take that man’s place. He has a wife and children.” The commandant asked him, “Who are you?” Fr. Kolbe replied, “A priest.” No name, no mention of fame. And there was a deafening silence. The commandant was shocked and dumbfounded. His offer was accepted. Francis was kicked out of line, and Fr. Kolbe was ordered to go with the nine. In the “block of death,” they were ordered to strip naked, and their slow starvation began in darkness. But there was no screaming; instead, the prisoners sang. By the eve of the Assumption of the Blessed Mother, only four prisoners were left alive. Fr. Kolbe was one of them. The jailer later came in to finish Kolbe off as he sat in a corner, praying. With his last strength, he lifted his fleshless arm to receive the bite of the hypodermic needle. It was filled with carbonic acid, which eventually killed him. Then his body and that of others were burned. In 1971, Fr. Kolbe was beatified by Pope Paul VI. He was later canonized as a saint by Pope John Paul II in 1982. 

Now, we are probably not going to end up like St. Maximilian Kolbe. God may not be calling us to such a dramatic and extreme sacrifice. But each of us is called to love others, to consider others, and to make sacrifices for others. Love until it hurts. Live in solidarity with your brothers and sisters, especially those facing hardship. Love everyone, even your enemies. Do not be discouraged. Do not be afraid. Surrender to God’s will and purpose. And remember this firm fact: In the end, God wins. And those who walk with God will win, too. Who are the people who put Fr. Maximilian to death? No one remembers them. As for Fr. Kolbe, he is remembered worldwide. 

St. Maximilian Kolbe, pray for us. 

Fr. Marcel

Homily for the Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

The Cost Of Being A Prophet: Jeremiah’s Story

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily for the Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

Church of St. Bridget of Minneapolis, MN

Sunday, August 17, 2025

In a world that has gone off-kilter, those who speak and live by the truth will always face opposition. The more you live honestly and authentically, the more resistance you'll encounter. If the world were perfect and we followed God’s ways perfectly, this wouldn't be the case. In such a world, truth-tellers would be accepted. Sadly, that’s not how things work in our world. One sign of a false religious leader is that he is universally loved. As Jesus said, “Woe to you when all speak well of you, for their ancestors treated the false prophets in this way” (Luke 6:26). If you're a preacher and everyone loves you, that’s a warning. It might mean you're just telling people what they want to hear—something easier to accept and more fitting with their lifestyle. 

With that in mind, we turn to one of Israel's greatest and major prophets, Prophet Jeremiah. Some people want the Prophet of God dead—they want to silence him. The truth of his preaching bothers them deeply. Jeremiah was possibly between 15 and 20 years old when God called him to be a prophet. At first, he resisted the call. He did not want it. He told God that he was too young and did not know how to speak (Jeremiah 1:6). However, God urged him not to be afraid and assured him that He was with him (Jeremiah 1:8). Jeremiah was given an unpopular message to deliver. His mission is to tell Israel that it is going to fall under God’s judgment. That God is going to use the Babylonians to punish Israel for its infidelity, its idolatry, and its mistreatment of the poor. And the saddest news is that they won’t be able to escape from this judgment. To save themselves, they must surrender to the foreign invader and accept defeat. That’s the message God gave to Jeremiah to deliver to Israel. I tell you, this is not only counterintuitive but simply irrational in the body politic. This is Israel, a proud nation—God’s chosen people. They are being threatened and attacked by a foreign enemy nation. And don’t forget that in the past, God delivered them from Egypt. Why can’t He deliver them now from the Babylonians? But Jeremiah, after being summoned privately by King Zedekiah and asked for his opinion, said to him three times: “If you will only surrender to the princes of the King, you shall save your life; this city shall not be destroyed by fire, and you and your household shall live” (Jeremiah 38:17-23).

Upon hearing the message of Jeremiah, the princes approached the King and said, “Jeremiah ought to be put to death; he is demoralizing the soldiers who are left in this city, and all the people, by speaking such things to them; he is not interested in the welfare of our people, but in their ruin.” The man of God is speaking the truth given to him by God. Still, the prevailing opinion, much like what we see today on social media, is one of opposition, rejection, and condemnation of Jeremiah. What’s the King’s response? Let’s not forget that when the King first sought counsel from Prophet Jeremiah, Jeremiah asked him to assure him of his safety: “If I tell you anything, will you not have me put to death? If I counsel you, you will not listen to me!” (Jeremiah 38:15). But now that the princes are demanding for the death of Jeremiah, what’s the King going to do? Of course, he chickened out. He betrayed God’s prophet and said to the princes, “He is in your hands” (Jeremiah 38:5). After that, “they took Jeremiah and threw him into the cistern of Prince Malchiah… letting him down by rope. There was no water in the cistern, only mud, and Jeremiah sank down into the mud” (Jeremiah 38:6). 

This is the fate of Jeremiah, the great prophet of Israel. He is betrayed by his King and his people, not because he deserved it, but because he didn’t. In “an evil and unfaithful generation” (Matthew 12:39), God’s word is offensive. God’s word is rejected. People do not want to hear God’s word. The message of a prophet makes people uncomfortable. Jeremiah was not saying what people want to hear. He was not dancing to their godless tunes. He was not listening to what the political and religious establishment were saying. He was speaking God’s word. As a result, the whole society, from top to bottom, turned against him. He was placed in the lowest possible position, both literally and symbolically. Don’t forget, we are baptized to be priests, prophets, and kings. But if you think that by exercising your ministry as a prophet you are going to be popular and famous, think again. Who is a prophet? It is someone who speaks the word of God to others. Once you start to speak the word of God, expect opposition. Expect rejection, sometimes from family members, friends, colleagues, etc. You might end up in a symbolic mud. You might be cast out from your social, religious, or cultural group. In a godless, spiritually and morally empty society, you will be attacked either verbally or physically. Do not forget this very reality: Bad people will forgive you for being bad, but they won’t forgive you for being good. I tell you, the world is full of cisterns and mud. If you speak the truth, you are likely to be thrown into one. 

Should we now be afraid of speaking the truth? Should we now cease from exercising our ministry as prophets? Not at all! The world is already a dark place. But it would be darker if there were no people of light. Jesus says, “You are the light of the world.” If there is no light in the world, it is going to be so dark that no one else could see. The world would be heading to utter destruction. The world has gone off-kilter. As such, everyone is hurting to some degree. But if there is no one functioning as salt, the injury would be deep. We are all going to be deeply sick and then die of hopelessness, depression, misery, and excruciating pain. Jesus says, “You are the salt of the earth.” Wherever you are, speak about the Church’s teachings on social and political matters. Speak about the Church’s position on the culture of life and culture of death. If you know and understand the Church’s teachings on abortion, euthanasia, capital punishment, and hyper-militarization of society, gun violence in our society, etc., speak about it. Speak about the marginalization of the poor, the sick, and the other. Speak out against the tax code that benefits only some and not all. Speak against the gross inequality in the land. It is not just that the 1% of the population is wealthier than the remaining 99.9%. In case you are not aware, the Church has a stance on all these issues. But if you say, “You know, I am going to preach consistently on all these issues,” what do you think will happen to you? People, from left to right of the political spectrum, will come after you. You will be put, symbolically, in the same muddy cistern Jeremiah found himself. And don’t forget, Jeremiah was speaking to a deeply religious society, not like ours, which is highly secularized. Yet, look at the way he was treated. 

But why does God allow bad things to happen to good people in the first place? Why does God allow his people so much hardship? God does not answer that question before the suffering. But he does provide an answer much later. He did not prevent Jeremiah from being thrown into a cistern, into the mud. But God does show us what he does about it, regarding injustice: he rescues Jeremiah. That’s the point of the story. It comes at the end, not at the beginning. Our faith invites us to view the story of our lives from heaven’s perspective. St. Paul reminds us that “the sufferings of this present time are nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us” (Romans 8:18). So, whenever you find yourself in the mud, don’t look back and wonder in sadness why God allowed you to sink so deep. Instead, focus on God’s rescue. Look at Easter. Expect Easter! God is a Rescuer! 

God bless you!

Reflection on Matthew 18:15-20

Jesus' Practical Steps To Resolving Issues

In today’s Gospel (Matthew 18:15-20), Jesus provides us with concrete pastoral steps to resolve differences, address misunderstandings, and rectify harms and hurt within the Christian community. He says, 

"If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won over your brother. If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, so that every fact may be established on the testimony of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell the Church. If he refuses to listen even to the Church, then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector.”

If you notice, he did not say, “If your brother or sister sins against you, go to social media and announce the hurt to the whole world.” That’s not what he said. But it’s disheartening to see what people post on social media. Today, it has become fashionable for some, even Christians, to share on their social media pages the problems they face in their marriages, families, churches, and workplaces. Instead of confronting these issues directly with their spouses, relatives, and colleagues, they rush to social media to express their concerns. Sometimes, they even record videos of their rants and post them online. Platforms like Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, WhatsApp, and others have become outlets for some people’s outbursts. But this should not be the way for Christians. If you feel offended by the words or actions of someone in your church, family, or community, and you are serious about your Christian faith, Jesus says, “Go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.” Making a public broadcast of the event is not Christ-centered behavior. 

The Lord did not say, “If your brother or sister offends you, offend them back. Pay them back in their own coin. Do to them whatever they did to you. Go after them and hurt them too.” Instead, he said, if your brother sins against you, confront him directly and courageously. Don’t join a gossip and complain club because of it. If he listens to you, you have won him over and made peace with him. If he listens to you, you will be at peace with him and he with you. However, if, for any reason, he refuses to listen to your complaint, look around and invite two or three people who believe in reconciliation and are known for their peacemaking abilities. Avoid inviting people who would make the matter worse. They need to be truth-tellers as well. If he does not listen, involve the Church. Let your pastor know about it. Invite your god-parents, spiritual heroes, and sheroes into the matter. Inform those in the Church who are likely to succeed in bringing healing and peace between you and your relative. If all these steps are taken, and your brother refuses to give peace a chance, Jesus said, “Treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector.”

What does treating him as a Gentile or a tax collector mean? It means love them regardless! After you have followed and exhausted the steps given by the Lord, and your brother or sister refuses to listen and change, Jesus says, “love them still.” I know, some  would tell you, it means, “Have nothing to do with such a person again.” “Cast them out.” “Build a wall between you and them.” “Consider them as pagans.” “Never speak to them again.” “See them as your enemies.” However, if you examine closely, none of those expressions aligns with the teachings of Jesus Christ. To treat your recalcitrant brother or sister as a Gentile or a tax collector means to continue to love them regardless of their spiritual and moral weakness. 

Where did I get such an idea? I got it from the teachings and ministry of the Lord Himself. In his great Sermon on the Mount, we hear, “Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). For what purpose? Why should I continue to love my enemies and even pray for them? In the same Sermon, Jesus gives this answer: “That you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust” (Matthew 5:45). I tell you, the most incredible honor and achievement of life is to be a child of God. According to Saint Aloysius of Gonzaga, “It is better to be a child of God than king of the world.” And throughout his public ministry, Jesus reached out to tax collectors. Don’t forget Matthew was a tax collector before the Lord invited him to become a close follower, an Apostle. Don’t forget Zacchaeus, the wealthy tax collector. To him, too, Jesus reached out and even went to his house. To him, Jesus said, “Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a descendant of Abraham” (Luke 19:9). Don’t forget the Samaritan woman at the well. Jesus also reached out to her. Don’t forget the Roman official, the centurion, who approached Jesus concerning his dying servant. To him, Jesus said, “I will come and cure him” (Matthew 8:7). 

Sisters and brothers, we have practical, achievable steps to resolve our disagreements, quarrels, and misunderstandings. Following these paths will make us holy.  

God bless you,

Fr. Marcel 

Reflection On Matthew 18:12

God Is Crazy In Love

In today’s Gospel, Jesus asks his disciples, “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray?’ (Matthew 18:12) Well, the simple answer is “No.” No shepherd, owner, or hireling would abandon most of his animals in the hills and go after the recalcitrant one. It doesn’t make economic sense to leave the ninety-nine sheep to rescue just one. No one would take such a big risk, putting the ninety-nine in danger just to find the one that ran away. The only one who will do that is God. 

But why would God care deeply about any single soul? Centuries ago, even the Psalmist asked this profound question: “O Lord, our Lord…what is man that you are mindful of him, and a son of man that you care for him? (Psalm 8:5). The answer is simple—it is rooted in God's very nature. God is, entirely and completely, love. As St. Catherine of Siena said, God is “pazzo d’amore” (crazy in love). God loves you personally, as if you were the only one in the world. He is madly in love with you. Now, I know the danger of stating that God is “crazy in love,” and that God loves you individually as if you were the only one in this world. Some of you might be asking yourself, “If God loves me that much, why am I in this situation?” “Why am I suffering?” “Why am I sick?” “Why am I going through a lot and a lot going through me?” Those concerns the issue of human suffering. It is about that ancient question, “Why do the innocent suffer?” I tell you, the great question of our day and in the past is, how do you reconcile the existence of a loving God with the terrible suffering that we see in the world, especially the suffering of the innocent? No Old Testament book wrestles with that problem better than the book of Job.

Job is presented as an entirely righteous man, a good man, an upright man who walks with God. And he enjoys the blessings of his moral excellence. He has a functional family; he is blessed with wealth and has an admirable position in society. But in one terrible swoop, Job loses everything. He loses his family, his loved ones. He loses all of his possessions and his health. In one fell sweep, everything he had and had enjoyed was stripped away. At the beginning of his woe, Job does not curse God. He remains resolute and determined, and faithful. But as his suffering persists and intensifies, he falls, understandably, into depression. As he drowns in his sorrow, three of his friends come to visit him. For seven days of their visit, they sit in silence. When someone is in great pain, words may not be the most suitable remedy. After sitting in silence for seven days, they started to speak. Unfortunately, what they said is something they shouldn’t have said. In summary, what they said to Job is like this: Job, you must have done something bad to bring all this evil upon yourself. I know you look like you’re righteous, but you must have done something wrong because God is punishing you. 

After hearing his friends accuse him of terrible deeds, he dismisses them. In one of the most dramatic moments in the entire Bible, he calls God to answer. In his anguish, Job curses the day he was born: “Perish the day on which I was born, the night when they said, ‘The child is a boy!’ May that day be darkness: may God above not care for it, may light not shine upon it! May darkness and gloom claim it, and clouds settle upon it….” (Job 3:5). Job has had enough and begins to speak up, not to his friends but to God. He speaks for anyone who has endured great suffering, especially those who know they have not done anything terrible to deserve it, yet they suffer anyway. Job questions and challenges God: Why would you allow this? Why would you preside over my misfortune and pain? Did God respond to Job’s many questions? Yes! But not directly. In his speech, God asked Job a series of questions: “Who is this who darkens counsel with words of ignorance? Gird up your loins now, like a man; I will question you, and you tell me the answers! Where were you when I founded the earth? Tell me if you have understanding. Who determined its size? Surely you know? Who stretched out the measuring line for it?” 

What is God doing and saying? God is taking Job on a tour of the cosmos, essentially asking him, “Where were you when I created all these things?… Have you entered into the springs of the sea or walked into the recesses of the depths? Have the gates of death been revealed to you… Have you comprehended the expanse of the earth? Have you entered the storehouse of the snow or seen the storehouses of the hail? Do you give the horses their strength? Do you clothe its neck with a mane? Is it by your wisdom that the hawk soars? Is it at your command that an eagle mounts up and makes its nest on high?” Basically, God is telling Job, “Look, you don’t know. You have no idea.” He is also letting Job know that the Almighty God knows. He is not unaware of what is going on. He is not oblivious to what is happening to us. Growing up, one of the things my mother taught my siblings and me as we wondered and questioned the meaning of the death of my father was, “God knows.” 

So, what should we do now? How should we respond to human suffering? Some people fall into despair. They become frustrated, angry, bitter, resentful, and depressed. Their conclusion is either that God does not exist or that he exists but does not care. In my pastoral work, I’ve realized that this kind of thinking doesn’t help anyone. Falling into hopelessness only adds to the suffering. Becoming hopeless, bitter, and depressed makes the pain worse. But there is a better way: surrender to God’s will and plan. If I sit quietly and think about why I suffer from now until the end of my life, I might not find a satisfying answer. Even if I spend my entire life reading books from different philosophical, religious, spiritual, and theological traditions around the world, I might still not understand why innocent people suffer. But I can do something simple: surrender to God. From the Catholic Church’s perspective, human suffering can have a purpose. I can view my suffering as my share in the suffering of Christ. But when I look around, I see toddlers with brain tumors. Years ago, I went to St. Jude’s Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, to anoint a young girl who had breast cancer. She had it even before she developed breasts. Why did her suffering come so early? Why did her participation in Christ’s suffering come so early in her life? I don’t know. Again, no explanation can fully answer why innocent people suffer. But we can surrender to God and say, “Lord, I don’t understand where you are leading me. I don’t know why I am suffering so much. But I trust you. Do with me whatever you want.” Hopefully, this surrender will be enough to bring us into the Kingdom of God. 

God bless you!

Fr. Marcel

Homily for the Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

Being Ready For The Lord’s Return

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily for the Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

Church of St. Bridget of Minneapolis, MN

Sunday, August 10, 2025

In today’s Gospel (Luke 12:32-48), we see Jesus using several parables to teach about getting ready for his Second Coming: “You must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.” The attempt to predict the Parousia of Christ is not an entirely new phenomenon. Throughout the Christian centuries, some people have tried to foretell the exact day and time when Jesus Christ will return and bring the world and all earthly activities to a close. The first Christians expected the Lord’s arrival during their time. The great St. Paul anticipated the Second Coming of Christ during his lifetime, or at least within the lifetime of those he was writing to in the first century. But about his Second Coming, Jesus says, “Of that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone” (Matthew 24:36).

Since no one knows the day and hour when the Triumphant Warrior, Jesus Christ, will come, since we don’t know when eternity will invade time, and accountability is required of us, we have to be ready at all times. How can we do that? Don’t look too far for the answer. Right now, we can do in our lives what we do in our homes, especially our garages. What exactly is that? Cleaning dirt, putting things in their proper places, removing items we no longer need, and discarding things that no longer work. Right now, we can decide to get rid of attitudes and behaviors like jealousy, malice, hatred, gossip, lies, and every enjoyment of sin that prevents us from participating fully in the divine life. How can we overcome these vices that slow our upward movement to God?

Let’s turn to the spirituality of St. Ignatius of Loyola. As a young man, St. Ignatius wanted to be a courtier. He longed to work in the royal court, performing various duties, such as advising or acting as an intermediary. As such, he was obsessed with looking good, appearing impressive, and being attractive. He also struggled with lust. But when he committed his life to Jesus Christ, he decided to spend nine months in a cell and work on his obsessions. So, for nine months, he allowed his hair, beards, and fingernails to grow. He embraced a simple lifestyle. To overcome his lust, he practiced austere celibacy. Within these months, his appearance changed so much that people who met him wondered who that vagabond was. Ignatius was not fleeing from the world; instead, he took some time off to work on his obsessions and fixations, so that he could live better and more properly in the world. During that period, he learned something profound and lasting. This experience led to the creation of the famous Ignatian Spiritual Exercises.

At the core of what Ignatius learned in the cell is the concept of distacco, detachment, or unattachment. He was attached to many worldly goods: wealth, power, prestige, and cutting a dashing figure. But as soon as he took his relationship with God seriously, he realized that to do God's will, he had to detach from those addictions and obsessions. What came out of it is a principal key to Jesuit spirituality. He called it the “Agere Contra,” which is Latin for “To act against,” or “To do against.” The idea is simple: if you are addicted to any worldly good, the best approach is not to continue to yield to it, but to act against it—go the opposite way. The ancient philosopher, Aristotle, said that if a stick is bent one way, and you want to straighten it, you should bend it back the other way. In doing so, you realign it and bring it back on line. The implication here is that if your spiritual life is out of order, you are overly drawn to worldly goods, then you should run in the opposite direction. 

Ignatius says that if sensual pleasures such as over-eating and over-drinking are too important to you, “agere contra.” Act against it by fasting. Does it mean we hate this world and we hate sensual pleasures? Not at all! The philosopher, Aristotle, said that virtue lies in the golden mean, in the middle. Virtue lies between two vices or two excesses: surplus and deficiency. If you are surrounded by nice material things to the degree that you are preoccupied with them, St. Ignatius says, “agere contra.” Live in radical simplicity. Resist becoming the rich man in St. Luke’s Gospel who had a bumper harvest. Rather than share some of his goods, he said to himself, “As for you, you have so many good things stored up for many years, rest, eat, drink, be merry” (Luke 12:19). If you are too attached to money? And there are many of us in our culture who are in this condition. We never have enough of it, so we strive and strive and strive. We have rich people who want to be richer. We have millionaires who want to be billionaires. Too much is never enough. If money has become your preoccupation, then agere contra. Give a lot of it away. Are you preoccupied with honor, with being noticed by everybody? And there are a lot of us who want to be noticed in our culture. If that is your fixation, agere contra. Strive not to be noticed by anyone but God alone. Go in the opposite direction.  Now, agere contra, going in the other direction is not just for the fun of it, but finally to do God’s will and be ready at all times. The purpose of attachment is not because we are puritans and hate worldly goods. I have said it multiple times that the Catholic Church rejects puritanism in all its forms. We believe in the goodness of the world and everything in it. However, we preach against allowing them to become our God. If any goods of this world are preventing you from doing God’s will, that’s a big problem. That is why St. Ignatius said at the beginning of the Exercises, “Lord, whether I have a long life or short life, I don’t care. Whether I am rich or poor, I don’t care. Whether they love me or hate me, I don’t care, as long as I am doing your will.” The whole purpose of agere contra is finding God’s will. I tell you, doing God’s will will make you holy, happy, peaceful, and ready.

God bless you!