Jesus Defines Religion 

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara CSsR

Homily for the Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

St. Gerard Majella Church

Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA

October 23, 2011

A story is told of a woman who was rushing to attend an important event. After spending a great deal of her time making up her beauty, she was running late for the event. As result of that, she was over speeding trying to make up the lost time. As she drove desperately, she was also praying for a free road. On approaching each traffic light, she would pray that the traffic light will remain green, and when it is already red, she prayed it turns green before she comes close. As if her prayer was being answered, she was driving past every traffic light before it turned red. As she drove past each traffic light before it turns red, she would shout “Thank you Jesus.” Eventually one traffic light failed her; it turned red before she could drive past it, meaning she must stop. To make matter worst, there was a car before her, so she stopped and was anxiously waiting for the green light. She was so in a haste that as soon as the light turned green, she was ready to zoom off. Unfortunately the man in front of her was carried away and did not know it was time to move. He was apparently texting a message with his phone. The woman started yelling and hooting for him to move. Finally the man zoomed off as the traffic light turns yellow. Before she could move, the traffic light is in red again. She started cursing and cursing loudly and also hooting. This attracted a police officer coming from behind. Immediately she was pulled aside the road and was arrested for car theft. “You are under arrest” said the police officer. By the time she proved ownership of the car, almost half an hour has passed. The police officer convinced she actually owns the car, apologized to her for the delay and embarrassment. But the woman wanted to know why she was arrested in the first place and accused of stealing the car she was driving. The Officer responded, “You see, when I saw you yelling, cursing very loudly and hooting, while at the same time driving a car with a sticker at the back which says, “I love Jesus, he is my best friend” I concluded you stole the car you are driving. I am sorry about that.” The woman got it. Her action does not correspond with the words of the sticker she pasted at the back of her car. 

Christians have always had a problem of how to tell the world who they are. At some periods in history and still in some places in the world, Christians have put on uniforms that sell their identity to the world. Think of the various uniforms used by various societies of consecrated life, which distinguishes consecrated people from other Christians, and which also distinguishes a religious order from others. These religious garment called habits are still being used today. In Nigeria, there is a church called The Deeper Christian Life Ministry. The members of this church are easily identified by the way they dress. There are also times when we use badges, banners, pinups, signs etc to distinguish and show who we are. We are symbolic beings who use symbols to express our faith. Jesus himself wrestled with the question of how to distinguish his followers from non-believers around them. But his prescriptions go deeper than the externals. For Jesus, the essential mark of distinction between Christians and non-Christians is not in the way we dress but in the way we live. What marks us out is not what our banners, badges, pinups, stickers say, but how we  act especially when we are upset. Today, Jesus defines what religion is all about!

In today’s gospel taken from Matthew 22:34-40, Jesus, in answering the question posed to him by a scholar of the law defines religion. In his response to the question, “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” Jesus lays down the complete definition of religion: “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”

Love is the Christian identity. It is the Christian uniform. Love is the Christian habit. If we are not wearing the habit of love, then we are out. If we are not wearing love as a cloth, then we are out. Love is the essence of our religion; it is what defines our religion. Jesus defines the Christian religion as the love of God which is demonstrated in the love of others. Christianity is not only a faith believed, but also a faith lived and demonstrated. 

Every Christian claims to love God. And each Christian has external ways of showing it. But the problem is how this love for God is demonstrated. The same people who claim to love God will easily despise other people. But I am here to tell us that the love of neighbor forms the basis of Christian love. Those who want genuine relationship with God should understand that there is no authentic love for God without authentic love of others. Furthermore, there is no authentic search for relationship with God without a search for authentic relationship with others. Christian love is both horizontal and vertical at the same time. If one does not love others, he or she does not God. Period! As a matter of fact, authentic relationship with other persons points to an authentic relationship with God and demonstrates a genuine Christian spirituality. 

In today’s gospel, our Lord defines religion. And his definition of religion is love- love of God and love of the people of God. Jesus wants us to love God with all the emotion, with all the will, and with all the intellect. God should come first, second, and third in everything we do or plan to do. Everything we plan to do should be weighed on the scale of God. Loving the Lord with all your heart means allowing God to control and direct your emotions; loving God with all your soul means letting your will conform to the will of God; loving the Lord God with all your mind means letting your intellect be directed by God. Jesus wants us to surrender our emotions, our will and our intellect to God. Our emotion should feel God; our decisions should be in consonance with the will of God; our thoughts should think God. Simply put, feel God; will God, and think God!

Then this love of God should translate into the love of others. In John 13: 35, Jesus says to his disciples, “If you love one another, everyone will know that you are my disciples.” Love makes God present among us. love enthrones the reign of God in our human family. It wipes tears from people’s eyes- tears of frustration, hunger, sickness and hopelessness. Love breaks the chain reaction of evil and replaces it with a chain reaction of good. Love weakens evil. Love makes the whole of creation new. Love removes mourning or sadness. Even in suffering, love from others brightens the burdens. 

The Lord wants us to love God with all we’ve got and to love our neighbor as well! According to Pope Benedict XVI, “The love of God and the love of neighbor have become one; in the least of the brethren we find Jesus himself, and in Jesus we find God.” 

The Hour of the Lord

Fr. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara CSsR

Homily on the Feast of St. Gerard Majella

St. Gerard Majella Church

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

October 16, 2011

Dearest beloved, today we celebrate the feast of our patron Saint, Gerard Majella.  Today’s gospel taken from John 12:23-32 begins with an amazing declaration by our Lord Jesus. Without any fear or anxiety, Jesus declares to his disciples, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.” This is Jesus’ moment! This is the Lord’s hour! This is the Lord’s most crucial time! It is the hour that he has been waiting for. It is the hour when the grain of wheat will be made to fall into the ground and allowed to die to bring forth other lives. It is the moment when Jesus would complete the work for which he came on earth. It is the hour when the Cross with Jesus hanging on it would be raised so that all people would be drawn to him. In John 12:32, Jesus says, “And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all people to myself.”

Sisters and brothers, the hour of Jesus is not the hour of eating and drinking. It is not the hour of political victory; it is not the hour of defeating an enemy. The hour of the Lord is not the hour of  winning a jackpot or lotto. It is the hour of offering his life for the ransom of many. The Lord’s conception of glory is different from ours. For us, to glorify someone is to honor someone. It is to give award; to praise an individual and to give the person some special titles. For Jesus, the hour of glory is the moment when he will offer his precious life for the redemption of many. The pinnacle of this hour was when Jesus said, “It’s finished!”

In the hour of the Lord, he warns the lovers of this life: “Those who love their life would loose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” In Matthew 10:39, he also says “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” Jesus cautions those who will horde theirs life instead of spending it for the service of others. He warns those who would do anything even immoral things to preserve their lives that they would loose it. He cautions his followers not to get too comfortable with this earthly life because it passes away. Do not be earth-bound, the Lord seems to be saying. Jesus invites us to reconsider the meaning of human life. The Penny Catechism Book asks the question, “Why did God create us?” It answers, “God created us to know him, to love him, to serve him in this world and to be happy with him for ever in the next.”   

To the Jews, the Son of Man was the undefeated conqueror sent by God. So when the Lord declared, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified” they hissed a sigh of relief thinking that the hour of victory march has come. They thought that the moment of trumpet call has finally arrived. But Jesus has a different meaning for the hour of glory. The hour of glory for the Jews is the hour when the subjected people would overcome their oppressors. But for Jesus, it is the moment of crucifixion. When Jesus mentioned the Son of Man, the Jews thought of the conquest of the armies of God; but the Lord meant the conquest of the Cross. 

The hour of the Lord is the victory that comes through death. The hour of the Lord is the victory that comes through the cross. Jesus does not see death as extinction but as the rebirth of life. He sees death as the best invention of life. This is why he says, “Very truly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” Of course, the death of Jesus Christ is the reason for our new life. His death has given birth to the grace, favor and the power we possess. Yes, the death of the Lord has given us our wonderful Patron Saint, Gerard Majella whom we celebrate today. 

As Jesus speaks about his hour, he also promises those who would serve him“Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor.” Dearest beloved, one of those who served Jesus is Saint Gerard Majella, our patron Saint. One of those who is where the Lord is St. Gerard Majella. St. Gerard Majella served the Lord faithfully as a Redemptorist despite his ill-health. He was very sickly, but did not let the frailties and sickness to prevent him from giving his whole life to Jesus. He did not sit idly by blaming God for his ill-health. Instead, he used his sickness as a stepping stone to everlasting life. 

St. Gerard was not born in a rich home. His parents were not rich. His parents did not have much to offer him, but they did give him the best of all. They gave him God! From his parents, St. Gerard learned the virtues of love, prayer and sacrifice. From his parents, St. Gerard learned that God matters greatly. From his parents, he learned that falling in love with Jesus is the greatest of all romances. His deep love for Jesus Christ drove him to join the Redemptorists. As a Redemptorist brother, he worked with those overlooked by the society. Like Jesus, he was present to those battered by disease, and his presence was a sign of hope for them. Like Jesus, St. Gerard had deep compassion for the poor. Like Jesus, St. Gerard was falsely accused. Like Jesus, he did not panic. In the face of false accusations, he kept his eyes fixed on Lord. During his five years as a lay brother in the Redemptorist Congregation, “he was remarkable for his apostolic zeal, patient in sickness, love for the poor, deep humility in the face of false accusation, heroic obedience, spirit of penance and was constant in prayer.”

Today, we celebrate the glory of St. Gerard Majella given to him by Jesus. We ask for his intercession. We ask God to give us his spirit so that even in difficulty, we will keep our eyes on Jesus and on the prize. Heaven is our destination; heaven is our prize; heaven is our glory and glorification. Where Jesus and St. Gerard Majella are, we wish to be. 

Fr. Marcel’s Bulletin Message for the Twenty-Eight Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

Dearest beloved, in today’s gospel taken from Matthew 22:1-14, Jesus again speaks in parable. He tells of a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. But the invited guests refused to come. Obviously they were neither hungry nor have any need. Some were property owners; some had farms; others had businesses. Some were arrogant; some just ignored the invitation, while some went as far as heaping insults and killing the servants sent by the king as messengers. The king became furious. In anger, he sent his army to wipe out the murderers and burn their city. Then he said to his servants: “The feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy to come. Go out, therefore, into the main roads and invite to the feast whomever you find.” The servants went to the streets and invited everyone, ‘the bad as well as the good.’ The banquet hall was filled up. 

But when the king came in to greet the guests, he saw a man who wasn’t dressed in the white garment which was considered proper for a wedding banquet. When he challenged him on it, the man had nothing to say. So the king told his guards, “Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.”

But what’s wrong with the people who refused the king’s invitation? Why would they exclude themselves from the experience of a wedding feast? The answer is, they don’t have any relationship with the king. In this parable of the wedding feast, our Lord Jesus Christ makes it clear that just being a member of the church with official approval is not enough. When the king came to see his guests, he saw a man who had been admitted by the king’s own servants, but wasn’t dressed up for the wedding feast. The man was physically present, but spiritually absent. He was present but worthily unavailable. 

To be in the Church is to be in a relationship of love with Jesus Christ. In this parable, the King who gave the wedding banquet is the Father. The Son is Jesus. The wedding banquet is that of the Lord found in Revelations 19:7, “Let us rejoice and be glad and give him the glory. For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.” It is the end of the time banquet which will mark the second coming of Jesus. Everyone is invited to this wedding feast. But only those who are prepared and ready, who are still wearing the spotless white garment given to us at our Baptism will be admitted into the Banquet Hall. At Baptism the priest usually place a white garment on the newly baptized say, “...... you have become a new creation, and have clothed yourself in Christ. See in this white garment the outward sign of your Christian dignity. With your family and friends to help you by word and example, bring that dignity unstained into the everlasting life of heaven.” 

Dearest beloved, only those who retain this symbolic white garment given to them at Baptism unstained will be admitted into the banquet of the Lord. Keep the baptismal garment spotless by keeping yourself pure. Keep the garment pure by keeping your heart pure. Remember, in Matthew 5:8, Jesus says, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” If we want to be admitted into the wedding feast of Jesus, then let’s keep our relationship with him undivided by being pure in heart. Let’s not say it is difficult to be faithful. In today’s second reading from Philippians 4: 12-14, St. Paul assures us that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. Yes, we can be faithful! Yes, we can be pure in hearts! Yes, we can keep our love relationship with Lord unstained and undivided! Yes, we can love the Lord above all things! And yes, we will be admitted into the wedding banquet of Jesus our Lord! 

Instead of Worry, Pray

Rev. Marcel Divine Okwara CSsR

Homily for the Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

St. Gerard Majella Catholic Church

Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA

October 2, 2011

Have there been times in your life when things were so overwhelming that you could not sleep at light? Have there been times when you were overwhelmingly occupied with a problem that you were not able to function effectively well? Have there been issues in your life that dominated your thought? You thought about them all morning, all day, and all night, and sometimes you were lost in thought? If you have experienced any of these, then you have known worry and anxiety. 

Now, worry and concern do not mean the same thing. There is a difference between the two. Concerned leads to action. Worried is a dead-end street. Worry leads to no where good. When people are concerned about retirement, saving for their children’s college, buying a new house or a new car, they usually begin to make plans for them. When people are concerned about their health, they usually do something about it like eating more healthy and trying to exercise more regularly. When parents are concerned about their children, they begin to get more involved in their lives, devoting more time to them and exposing them to the way of the Lord. But it is when these concerns begin to consume and dominate us totally that we crawl and slip into worry and anxiety. If the concerns of life are dominating us totally, affecting our relationship with God and others negatively, and affecting our productivity at work, affecting our sleep at night, affecting us physically, emotionally and spiritually, then we have a big problem with worry and anxiety. 

In today’s second reading taken Philippians 4:6-9, St. Paul says, “Brothers and sisters, do not worry about anything, instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.” In John 14:1-2, Jesus says, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me...” In Matthew 6:25, Jesus says, “I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, and what you will wear...” 


Worry or anxiety is the greatest thief of joy, peace, good health and fruit bearing.

Sometimes we scorn people who tell us not to worry. We argue that it is easier said than done. We feel that those telling us not to worry do not understand our problems because if they did they too would be worried. But today, St. Paul tells us not to worry about anything, instead to pray about everything. Worry is worthless because it does not produce any good fruits. And if we don’t produce good fruits, Jesus says in Matthew 21:43, that the Kingdom of God will be taken away from us if we don’t produce fruits and given to those who produce its fruits. 

But why do we worry? Some people worry because they walk by sight and not by faith. 2 Corinthians 5:7 says, “We must walk by faith and not by sight.” Some worry because they don’t really know the God they serve. Others worry because their service of the Lord is halfway. Those who are into an intimate relationship with Jesus have nothing to worry about. In that relationship they have come to understand from Jeremiah 32:17 that nothing is too difficult for the Lord. They have come to understand the promises of the Lord especially the one in Joshua 1:5, “No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life....I will never leave you or forsake you.” They know that Hebrew 13:5 says, “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God said, ‘I will never leave you or forsake you.” (God made this promise 12 times in the Bible; there is one for each month) 

Dearest beloved, worry is worthless. It does not resolve any problem. It adds no moment to our life-span instead it shortens our life. Worry is a gravedigger. It digs the grave of those who worry too much. It is a quick race to the bottom. Worry is wrong because it focuses on the wrong issues. It keeps one’s attention on the wrong things. For instance, a student gets so worried about graduation party that he or she misses the joy that comes from the accomplishment of graduating. Some of us too much about the winter weather that we don’t enjoy the present weather. Some ladies worry so much about looking good that they are so absorbed with themselves and cannot even enjoy the company of those with them. Some of us worry a lot about old age that we don’t get to enjoy now that we are still young and kicking. We worry about death that we don’t get to enjoy the life we now have. 

Worry fuddles our thinking. Trapped in the state of worry, we often look at situations with a magnifying glass, which makes problems bigger than they really are. Worry makes our condition bigger than God himself. Why worry when we have a very big God? Do not worry about tomorrow, for God knows tomorrow. We don’t know what tomorrow holds for us, but we know who holds tomorrow. The one who holds tomorrow is no other person but our dearest good God who loves us with an everlasting love. Because the one who holds tomorrow is good and loves us, we have nothing to fear or be worried about. Since the one who holds tomorrow loves us incredibly, let’s set aside fear and anxiety and embrace hope, hope in God who loves and cares about us. 

Worry clearly shows one thing- a lack of trust in God. It is as a result of doubt. Even after talking to God in prayer, the worrisome person still feels that his or her prayer is not heard. Doubting God’s goodness and ability to save and deliver leads to worry and anxiety. This is why James 1:6-8 says, “But when you pray, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. Such a person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.” Worry is sinful because it demonstrates either God is not able and capable or God does not care. But Matthew 9:8 says that with God all things are possible. And 1 Peter 5:7 says, “Cast all your worries on him because he cares for you.”

Sisters and brothers, worry is a waste of energy. There is nothing productive about it. It is a journey to nowhere good. It hinders us rather than help us. Worry leads to fear and eventually paralyzes us. Worry is like a cancer; it gradually eats us the faith of the believer. It robs us of our happiness, peace and serenity. It affects our health. It causes ulcer, high blood pressure, heart problems, depression, crushing headache, colon distress and sometimes overweight. Worry makes it difficult and sometimes impossible for us to address the issues we should be doing something about. 

St. Paul tells us today to confront worry by prayer. He says pray about everything. There is no situation, circumstance or problem that cannot be brought before our loving Father in heaven. Rather than talk to self, let’s talk to God. Worry is talking to self; but prayer is talking to God. Rather than fret, talk to God. Instead of wasting sleep and rolling from one side of the bed to the other, let’s keep watch in prayer. Rather than waste your tears, pour those tears at the feet of Jesus. Instead of putting hands on the head and walk about anxiously aimlessly, raise those hands to God. Hold the hand of God. Grip that hand of love and care reaching out to you. 

Instead of worry, turn to God. Now turning to God does not eliminate all life’s problems. But by turning to God, worry is replaced by faith; anxiety gives way to peace; doubt is replaced by trust and confidence, and fear gives way to hope. With that we can confidently declare with Job and say, “I know my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth” (Job 19:25).

Obedience to the Lord makes us real Christians

Fr. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara CSsR

Homily for the Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

St. Gerard Majella Church

Baton Rouge, Louisiana 

September 25, 2011

Dearest beloved, in today’s gospel Jesus narrates a story that we cannot possibly ignore. It is a story of a father and his two bad sons in which one is better. It is a story that explains the general attitudes of some Christians towards the will of God. It is a story that points out the hypocritical nature of some Christians.

A father had two sons. He went to the first and said, “Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.” The first son replied, “I will not.” But after a soul searching reflection, he changed his mind and went in obedience to his father. The father went to the second son and gave him the same order. The second son replied with respect, “Yes sir, I will go!” But he never went. Now, it is important to understand that none of the sons in the story was the kind of son that bring full joy for his father. The first son was disrespectful to his father. In the Jewish society, the response he gave to his father wasn’t the kind of response expected from a loyal son. But what he lacked in his response, he accomplished through his obedience. He became the virtuous son when he eventually went to the vineyard. He did what the father wanted. The second son on the other hand applied courtesy in his response to his father, but ended up disrespecting him even further by not going to the vineyard to work. Courtesy without respect and obedience is worthless. The ideal son would be the son who who accepted the father’s request with respect and obediently carried it out. 

This gospel points out the two classes of Christians in the world. First, there are Christians who profess Jesus with their lips, but in their actions deny him. Their profession is much better than their practice. In the gospel of Matthew 15: 8, Jesus says, “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” To such people the Lord says in Matthew 7:21, “Not everyone who calls me Lord, Lord, will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.” These people will promise anything, express outward show of piety and fidelity, but their practice is nothing to desired about. Describing such people St. Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 3:5, “They act religious, but deny its power that could make them godly.” St. urges us, “Stay away from people like that!”  

But there are Christians whose practice is bolder than their profession. Outwardly they are not pious and don’t appear to be religious. They look tough and hardhearted. But they are the ones seen doing acts of kindness. They are generous, honest, prayerful, just and upright. Some of them may not even be regular church goers, but they live more Christian lives than professing Christians. 

In today’s gospel, our Lord Jesus teaches us that making promises is not enough; we must fulfill the promises we make. Making a promise to do something for the Lord and for the Church is not enough. We must fulfill those promises. If we promise to do something, let’s do it. Promises can never take the place of actual performance, and fine words are never a substitute for fine deeds. The second son who promised his father that he would go to the vineyard to work, but never went had all the outward show of religion and outward mark of respect and courtesy. In his answer, he even called his father “Sir,” showing respect to his father. He showed courtesy. But his courtesy was empty since he  never did what he said he would do. True courtesy is obedience. The first son, though originally was disrespectful to his father, but won the respect and love of his father back by eventually going to the vineyard to work. 

Dearest beloved, the Christian way is the way of obedience, obedience to the Father through Jesus Christ. The Christian way is in performance and not in promise. Words are cheap; words can be deceptive. But deeds count more. Our relationship with Jesus is deepened by deeds of charity and love. What gets us divine merit is obedience and not professions. We are Christians because we follow in the footsteps of Christ. We are not Christians simply because we profess Christianity. Profession of faith is good, but it is not enough. Faith professed must be accompanied with charity. Faith professed must be demonstrated and lived out. Good deeds give life to faith. Good deeds demonstrate faith. Bad deeds and disobedience expose faith to ridicule. Christianity is a religion of profession and obedience, but more of obedience. It is a love relationship with Jesus which must give birth to obedience. In John 14:15, Jesus says, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” 

In our Christian journey, we may have made many promises to God. Today, let’s review those promises and see if we have kept them. If we have not kept any of them, we have another chance to fulfill them. 1 Samuel 15:22 tells us that obedience is better than sacrifice. Obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ is what makes us faithful and actual Christians. Nominal Christians only make promises and professions but never lived them out. Faithful and real Christians live out the professions they make and honor the promises they make. 

If we live for Jesus Christ, death would be a gain

Fr. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara CSsR

Homily for the Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

St. Gerard Majella Parish

Baton Rouge, Louisiana 

September 18, 2011

The Gospel contains some amazing paradoxical statements made by Jesus. For instance, in gospel of Matthew 20:16, which is part of today’s gospel reading, Jesus says, “Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last.” In Matthew 23:11, he says, “The greatest among you must be your servant.” And in Luke 17:33, the Lord says again, “Whoever tries to keep his life will loose it, and whoever loses his life will save it. Many years later, St. Paul in Philippians 1:21 issued another paradoxical statement, “For me, to live is Christ Jesus, but to die is gain.”

St. Paul was in prison in Rome awaiting trial when he wrote those words. He had been in jail before, but was miraculously set free by an earthquake. Now while in a Roman prison, he did not see any immediate release. He was facing an uncertain future- he may not come out alive. But despite his trial and persecution, Paul did not despair. He still expressed great joy in the midst of suffering. So, in his letter to the Church in Philippi, he wrote, “For me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” If I get to live, that will be good because it will allow me to continue the work of preaching the Gospel; but if death is my sentence, it is gain for me. St. Paul was very strong in affirming that death wouldn’t be a bad idea since it would signal the end of his sorrow, suffering, tribulation etc and will be the genesis of a beautiful life in God. 

Let us understand one thing here. St. Paul did not go out of his way to wish for death. He did not call upon death to come. He wanted to live so that he could continue to work and preach among his friends. He wanted to live. He understood that life is a gift of God. But he was in prison and potentially could be killed. If given the chance to live, he would take it for the sake of the Gospel; but if otherwise, he counts it as gain altogether. This is exactly what he said, “If I go on living in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me.” As far as St. Paul is concerned, there is no difference between life and death. In his mortal life, he lived it for Jesus alone. And if the enemies of the Gospel put him to death, he says, “It is not a loss but gain.” St. Paul understood that Jesus Christ is the Lord of life and the Prince of resurrection. He understood clearly that life lived for Jesus Christ would guarantee the gain of heaven. 

St. Paul says, “To live is Christ.” This means that our human life should be lived to serve the Lord alone. Life without Christ is crisis. Life without Jesus is emptiness and pain. Human life has no meaning if it is lived without the Lord. For St. Paul, Jesus is the beginning of life. From the moment he encountered Jesus on the way to Damascus, he had begun life all over again. From that very day, he knew that Jesus is the beginning of  life, the continuing of life and the end of life. 

From the beginning of St. Paul’s Damascus experience, he never looked back.  Everything he did or said is for Jesus Christ. The only thing he wanted and cared for is Jesus Christ. In Philippians 3:10, St. Paul declares, “All I want to know is Christ Jesus and to experience the power of his resurrection. I want to suffer with him and also share in his death.” Because his entire life was devoted to the Lord alone, St. Paul could say “To die is gain.” Death for St. Paul, was coming nearer to the presence of Christ. Death for him is entrance into glory. He would want to live in human body so as to continue the preaching of the good news. But  in prison, he realized that he may not come out alive. So, he declared that even if he dies, life would still go on in a much better place. 

In today’s gospel taken from Matthew 20:1-16, Jesus says to us all, “Come and work in my vineyard, and I will give you what is just.” Our God is a just God. If we go into his vineyard and work from morning till dawn, he would pay us a just wage. The work God has called us to do is to live for Jesus Christ. And the just wage he has promised us is the kingdom of heaven. Now those of us who have been working in the vineyard of the Lord from morning time should know that there are others who may join us in the noonday and even at sun set. When they come, let’s welcome them warmly and not give in to resentment and jealousy. Jesus has called every human person to “Go into his vineyard.” Some will come in the morning, others, in the noonday, and yet others, by sunset. Whenever any person responds to God’s invitation, let’s not threat them as outcastes, rather, let’s welcome them happily into the vineyard of the Lord. There is enough work for each of us. 

If we live for Jesus, we will live free of jealousy and envy. If we live for Jesus, our life will be a life of gratitude for what the Lord has given to us. If we live for Jesus, we will not be jealous of others, jealous of what they have. We will live appreciating what we too have. If we live for Jesus, we will not point to what others have which we don’t, instead we will thank God for what we have.  Jealousy or envy is a denial of what we have, a denial of what we have received from God, and a type of ingratitude. Haggai 2:8 says, “Silver and gold belong to God.” And God decides how he apportions all that to each of us. In today’s gospel, the laborers who came in the morning were angry with the Master and jealous of other servants who came later in the day to work just because the vineyard owner, in his magnanimity paid each of them the same amount. 

Heaven is the reward of righteousness and uprightness. It is God’s reward to all- both those who served him throughout their lives and those who encountered God at the point of their death. St. Paul was not among the original 12 Apostles that Jesus chose. He 2did not accept the Christ that walked the streets of Israel; but when he encountered the risen Lord, he was given the same power and favor like Apostles. He even called himself an Apostle. 

Instead of looking at others and what they have, let’s look at what the Lord has given to us and be grateful to him. Instead of envy, let’s be grateful. Jealousy breeds hatred, anger, resentment, bitterness and ultimately bewitches the Holy Spirit in us. St. Paul did not care about earthly riches. While on earth, all that mattered to him was Jesus. And if we live for Jesus, death would be union with God and reunion with our loved ones.

Father Marcel’s Bulletin Message for the 24^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

Though we live totally on mercy and forgiveness of God whom we easily offend often, we find it not so easy to forgive the offenses of our brothers and sisters. But in today’s gospel taken from Matthew 18:21-35, Jesus through the story of the servant whose debt was forgiven but then refused to forgive another servant who owes him, teaches us how disappointed God can be when we refuse to forgive those who offended us. Jesus, throughout the New Testament teaches us that a person must forgive in order to be forgiven. Anyone who refuses to forgive a follow human being cannot hope that God will forgive him or her. In Matthew 5:7 Jesus says, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”  Remember, shortly after Jesus had taught his Apostles his own prayer (The Lord’s Prayer), he went on to explain what the petition: “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us” means in the prayer. According to Jesus, “For if you forgive people their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive people their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” This is further explained in James 2:13, “There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others.”

Dearest beloved, Peter like us wants to know how often he must forgive his brother when he sins against him. The summary of Jesus’ answer is- ALWAYS! The Lord wants us to forgive as many times as we are offended. Let me put it this way: Forgive everyone as often as we are forgiven by God. God forgives us all the time and keeps no record of our sins. Psalm 130:3 says, “If you O Lord should keep a record of our sins, who could stand?” God keeps no record of our sins. He forgives us as often as we ask him for forgiveness. Today, he’s asking us to forgive others as well, not just one time, but all the time. Forgiveness is given and received. Forgive today and be free!

When someone hurts us deeply, we have reasons to refuse to forgive. But then, there is a greater reason to forgive: since we too offend others and most unfortunately God, and are in constant need of mercy and forgiveness, we should give to others what we seek from others and from God- mercy and forgiveness. Bear in mind, to err is human, but to forgive is divine. To err is earthly, but to forgive is heavenly. To err is godless, but to forgive is godly. To err is worldly, but to forgive is blessedness. To err is weakness, but to forgive is courage and strength. To err is to be in the flesh, but to forgive is to be in the Spirit. To err is to be prodigal, but to forgive is to be Christlike.

Friends in Christ, you loose nothing when you forgiven; instead, you gain everything. Your ability to forgive even deep hurts shows the content of your character and your closeness to Jesus our Savior.

As we rejoice for the coming of our dear Bishop Robert Muench in our parish, who has come to install me as your pastor, I want to tell you that it is an honor and a privilege for me to serve you as your pastor.  And we pray that the coming of our Bishop will bring us many blessings. As for our dear Bishop, we heartily and warmly welcome you to St. Gerard Majella Parish. Thank you for coming!

Your Servant-Pastor

Fr. Marcel Okwara CSsR