God is with us as he was with the Blessed Mother. But are we with God?

Fr. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara CSsR

Homily for the Fourth Sunday of Advent, Year B

St. Gerard Majella Church

December 18, 2011

Dearest beloved, Christmas is almost here. People are getting busy preparing for it. All shopping malls and supermarkets are crowded now by shoppers trying to make a last minute shopping. The streets are decorated with beautiful Christmas flowers, trees and Christmas lights. Many homes are looking more beautiful now and smelling good as well. Christmas songs are being played on radios stations and TV channels. People are happy. Children are excited. Families are getting together for special meals. The whole environment is somewhat charged. Even atheists know that something is happening. They know that his period is quite different. Everybody is happy and excited. And only Jesus could bring forth such outpouring of joy, happiness and excitement. 

In today’s gospel taken from Luke 1:26-38, we are presented with the dialogue between angel Gabriel and Mary. In the dialogue, the angel announced to Mary that she has found favor with God and the favor is, “Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a Son, and you shall name his Jesus.” But the angel’s first address to Mary was “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.” 

To those whom God has called and chosen, he always promise to be with them. To Isaac in Genesis 28:15, he says, “Be sure that I am with you; I will keep you safe wherever you go...” To Jacob God says “Go back to the land of your forefathers and to your kindred; and I will be with you.” To Joshua God promised, “As long as you live, no one shall be able to stand in your way; I will be with you as I was with Moses; I will not leave you or desert you.” To Gideon, God promised “I will be with you and you...” God made the same promise to Solomon, Moses, David, Jeremiah, Jonah, Daniel etc. God’s promise has always been, “Don’t be afraid! I will be with you.” 

In today’s gospel, God through angel Gabriel reechoed this same promise to the Blessed Mother, “The Lord is with you.” As God is with our Blessed Mother, so he is with us. The joy of Christmas is that God is coming to be with his people. The prophesy of Isaiah says, “...the virgin shall conceive and hear a Son, and shall be named Immanuel, a name which means: God is with us.” And during the earthly ministry of Jesus, he promised us, “I will be with you until the end of time.” 

God is with us in the morning. God is with us in the noon. God is with us in the night. Just as he said to the Blessed Mother today, “The Lord is with you,” he also says to us.  So, what is at stake now is not whether God is with us. What is doubtful now is not whether God is here with us. What is crucial now is not whether God is with us. God is always with us. But are we always with God? On hearing the message of the angel Gabriel, our Blessed Mother said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” That’s total surrender! The Blessed Virgin Mary gave her entire self to God. Today, let’s resolve to do the same if we haven’t done that yet. Surrender yourself totally to the Lord and the Lord will take care of you. He has promised to be with you always. When he makes a promise, he does not fail!

What Is Our Voice Crying For?

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara CSsR

Homily for the Third Sunday of Advent, Year B

St. Gerard Majella Catholic Church

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

December 11, 2011

Today’s gospel introduces John to us as a man sent by God. His mission is to bear testimony, to testify about Jesus, the Light of the world so all might believe in him. The primary task of this man sent by God is to tell the world that among us is the Light, the Messiah, the Liberator. To his credit, John is doing the work assigned to him by God to do. His message, his lifestyle and his baptism of repentance are spreading throughout Jerusalem and its environs. The message of John has caught all the Jewish people by surprise. The Old Testament prophets had foretold of the coming of the Messiah. And this John is acting like him. So, the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him, “Who are you?” “Are you Elijah?” “Are you the prophet?” To all these questions John replies “No?” But the priests and the Levities are not pleased with his answer, so they ask again, “Who are you, so that we can give an answer to those who sent us? What do you have to say for yourself?” John finally reveals who he is: “I am the voice of one crying out in the desert, make straight the way of the Lord.” When a prophet says “Make straight the way of the Lord,” he is saying that the Lord is coming, prepare the road.

John the Baptist is a model of humility. He does not assume who he is not. He does not claim to be the Christ or Elijah or even a prophet. He simply calls himself the voice of one crying out in the wilderness. He insists that he is only a voice, that he is not the Light, the message but the messenger. His humility is amazing. No wonder Jesus says, “Among all those born of women none is greater than John the Baptist.” John says he is not the host at the banquet, that he is only the doorman. But this doorman has a message: “Make straight the way of the Lord.” This means go to the garage of your life, empty out the junks that have taken lots of space and create more room for the King of glory, Jesus Christ. 

John the Baptist is not the light but he points to the light. He is not the Christ, but he points to Christ. He is not the Lamb of God, but he points to him. He is not the one to baptize with water and Holy Spirit, but he points to him. John the Baptist is only a voice. His voice calls us today to stop, think, reflect and see those areas of our lives that needs to be leveled up so that Jesus can ride smoothly into our hearts and lives. John’s voice speaks of repentance, of conversion, of new life, of renewal, of reawakening. His voice calls us to prepare adequately for the coming of Jesus Christ into the world and into our hearts and lives. 

Dearest beloved, John the Baptist is the cousin of Jesus Christ. He is a messenger, a forerunner of Jesus Christ. But he is not the only messenger. We too are messengers of the Lord. We are the Lord’s representatives on earth. We are his voice too. Since we are his voice too, what then is our voice crying out for? 

As Christ’s messengers, our voice should cry out for love wherever there is hatred. Our voice should cry out for peace wherever there is strife and war. As Christ’s messengers, our voice should cry out for healing wherever there is injury. Our strong voice should bring down  the walls of pride and prejudice and in its place sow unity and common good. As forerunners of Jesus Christ, our voice should cry out for light wherever there is darkness. Our voice should cry out for liberation wherever there is unspeakable suffering. Our voice should cry out for patience wherever there is wrongdoing. As the Lord’s representatives, our voice should cry out for justice wherever there is oppression and suppression. Our voice should cry out for fairness and equity wherever there is inequality. Our voice should cry out for blessing and favor wherever is a curse. Our voice should cry out for the dignity of human life wherever attempts are made to violate it. Our voice should cry out for compassion wherever God’s children suffer. Our voice should cry out for salvation wherever people perish and languish. As messengers of Jesus Christ, our voice should cry out JESUS! JESUS!! JESUS!!! 

That Name is a strong and mighty tower!

That name is the shelter for all!

That Name only has the power to save!

That Name brings healing!

That Name brings the demons, evil spirit and the devil to their kneels

That Name is our safety!

That Name is our salvation!

That Name is our peace!

That Name is our joy!

That Name is our security!

That Name is our protection!

That Name is our liberation!

That Name is our deliverance!

That Name is our shield and sure refuge!

That Name is our miracle!

That Name is our blessing!

That Name is our favor!

That Name is our prosperity and growth!

That Name is our breakthrough!

That Name is our life!

That Name is our forgiveness and mercy!

That Name is our everything!

Make Straight the way of the Lord

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara CSsR

Homily on the Second Sunday of Advent, Year B

St. Gerard Majella Catholic Church

Louisiana, USA

December 4, 2011

Today's gospel is taking from the first chapter of the gospel of Mark. The gospel of Mark does not begin with the story of the birth of Jesus. It does not begin with the story of the babe in the manger, rather with the words of prophesy of Isaiah. The prophesy is about the sending forth of a messenger, a forerunner who will prepare the Lord’s way. The messenger is described as a “voice crying out in the desert.” This voice crying out in the wilderness is crying for something vitally important. The voice is addressing an urgent need. It is a voice of urgency. That voice has a message for us, and its message is: “Make straight the way of the Lord.”

“To make straight” is to make amends, to repent, to level the stumps in our hearts that stand against the entrance of God and God’s words. “To make straight the way of the Lord” is a call to repentance. It is a call to take a path different from our present one. A call to repentance implies that we are saved, not by acquiring stuff, but by emptying out those things that crowd out God. “To make straight the way of the Lord” is to open ourselves to God. God wants to be in our lives. But let’s remember that the Lord does not enter where hate and lies abide. The Lord does not enter where lust has made its bed. The Lord does not enter where falsity, stealing, cheating, gossip, anger etc have been enthroned. The Lord does not enter where pride, discrimination and prejudice reign. The Lord does not enter where remorse and guilt over bad behavior are seen as weakness. Making straight the way of the Lord means eliminating anything that contradicts our faith. To make straight is to get rid of all the impediments we have allowed into our hearts that prevent spiritual growth. This is the good news!

Today’s gospel tells us that John the Baptist appeared in the desert preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. As he preached, multitude of people from Judea and Jerusalem were going to him. They acknowledged their sins. They were remorseful. They were repentant. And due to their sincere repentance, they were baptized by John the Baptist. They were ready for the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. 

The problem with some modern Christians is not that they sin. Of cause we all sin! Even the Apostles of Jesus were not entirely free from wrongdoing. Romans 3:23 even says that “All have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God.” The problem with some of today’s Christians is that they sin and call it a mistake. Sin is not a mistake. It is a transgression. There is a difference between a mistake and a sin. A mistake implies an error in judgement, i.e. something done unintentionally, like turning unto a one way street unknowingly, pouring salt into a cup of coffee thinking it was sugar, mistyping a word when using a computer. Any of these could happen because we are distracted. But a sin is more than a mistake. It is a deliberate choice to do something one knows is wrong. It is a transgression. We sin and call it how God made us. We sin and call it our neighbor’s fault. We deliberately sin and blame it on the devil: “The devil made me do it.” Like Adam and Eve, we never take responsibility for our actions. We sin and still claim that sin has not made us sinners. We sin and still claim that we are good people. We sin and give reasons to justify our actions. We sin and never feel remorseful or guilty of wrongdoing. Today, many Catholics  after willfully disobeying the commands of God, boldly approach the altar to receive the Eucharist during Mass without going to confession. We sin and claim that we are not hurting anybody. Some call sin fun. And any message that condemns sin is sometimes condemned and the preacher is seen as outdated, old-school, out-fashion and out of touch with the real life. 

Today, the voice crying out in the wilderness is asking us to make straight the way of the Lord. He is asking us to rebuild old bridges. When he first preached, a huge crowd of people from Judea and Jerusalem acknowledged their sins and  repented from them. Let’s act in like manner. Let’s not give excuses or be stubborn. John’s message invites us to become wilderness people in our time. We don’t have to imitate his diet, his dressing habit, or his place of residence. But we can still become wilderness people like him when we empty everything that cloisters our heart and life. We can become wilderness people like John the Baptist when we let go of all sins and wrongdoing and let God into our life. We can become wilderness people when we clean up our lives in order to create more room and space for the Holy Spirit. We can become wilderness people  when we live a life of simplicity. 

Advent is a season of letting go! Let us let go of anger! Let go of lies! Let go of hatred! Let go of backbiting! Let go of gossip! Let go of holier-than-thou attitude! Let go of fault-finding! Let go of greed! Let go of pride! Let go of over-eating and over-drinking! Let go of immoral desires! Let go of looking down on others! Let go of envy and jealousy! Let go of making excuses! Let go of bitterness! Let go of ingratitude! Let go of the devil’s stuffs! When we let those go, we let God into our lives. Today, John the Baptist calls us to repentance. Today, Jesus calls us to repentance. Today, the Church calls us to repentance. Let’s acknowledge our sins! There will be confessions on December 5-7. Let us go to God and empty our sins! For that will make us wilderness Christians. With that, we will be ready for the coming of the Lord Jesus.


God bless you!

Where is Christ Jesus the King?

Fr. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara CSsR

Solemnity of Christ the King

St. Gerard Majella Church

November 20, 2011

Today is Christ the King Sunday. Today, we celebrate Christ Jesus as our King. Today we celebrate Jesus, the Shepherd of our souls. We celebrate Jesus, the King of our life. Today, we come to the end of this liturgical year. As usual, we look to the future, the ultimate future when Jesus will return in glory for the final judgement. 

So, today I preach to you this message which I have titled “Where is Christ Jesus the King?” Many of our Pentecostal and Evangelical brothers and sisters, in answering that question will tell you that Jesus is in our hearts. Many Catholics and probably Episcopalians and Lutherans etc will say that Jesus is present in the sacrament of Holy Eucharist. Some other Christians will tell you that Jesus is in the Bible. Yet, others will say that he is in heaven. 

Yes, Jesus is present in the Eucharist, and supremely too. Yes, Jesus can be found in the Holy Bible. Yes, Jesus lives in the heart of those who love him dearly and sincerely. Yes, Jesus is present in our midst when we gather in his name. Yes, Jesus is present with us. But where else is the Lord present? Where is Jesus? A Look at today’s gospel taken from Matthew 25:31-46 tells us where else he can be found: “For when I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.” Although Jesus is in the Eucharist, he is also living on the streets. Although Jesus is in the Bible, he is also in soup kitchen lines. Although Jesus is in the midst of those who gathered together in his name, he is also waiting at the Salvation Army to get a coat. Although Jesus is in the hearts of those who sincerely love him, he is also in the hospital and with those sitting at home because they cannot afford to go to the hospital. 

Sisters and brother, Jesus says, “Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of the least brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” This means, wherever people are in need, Jesus is there. Wherever people suffer, Jesus is there. Wherever people are hungry and thirsty, Jesus is there. Wherever people are homeless, Jesus is there. Wherever people are jobless, Jesus is there. Wherever people are helpless, Jesus is there. Wherever people lack the basic necessities of life, Jesus is there. And he is not only there to comfort them, he is also there suffering along with them. Jesus is present in the Eucharist, in the Bible, in our midst. But he is also present concretely with the not-haves. 

Some of us may think that when we leave the Church on Sundays, Jesus is locked in and locked out from the everyday life of everyday people as the church is locked. Sometimes we hear people refer to the poor and destitute as “God forsaken people” because of their poverty. But today’s gospel tells us that they are wrong. Where is Jesus? Jesus is with the God-forsaken people. Where is Jesus? He is with those living on the margins of the society. Jesus is with the working poor. The working poor is the man who washes cars but does not own one. She is the clerk who files cancelled checks at the bank but has nothing in her bank account. He is the man who paints the houses of others but cannot afford to repaint his. The working poor is the man who lays new carpets for others, and after that, begs the owner of the house to give him the old carpets removed from his house so that he can use it at home. Where is Jesus? Jesus is with those whose dreams, hopes and aspirations have been shattered by no fault of theirs. Jesus is with those who live in crumbling houses that are contributing to their children’s asthma. 

Jesus who is supremely present in the Eucharist wants us to know that he is also present with the weak, the most vulnerable, the not-haves, the poor, the abandoned, the shut in, the jobless, those in jail and those living on the streets. The Lord says today that the Eucharist, the Bible, the Church, in our midst are not the only place he can be found. He can also be found in the heartache and the pain that surround us. He can also be found in those people who ask us for their help and attention. 

Today, we are celebrating Jesus Christ our King. But it is absolutely striking that the Lord, the Master and the King did not choose to be found in palaces, in thrones, and in the corridors of power, rather in the slums and most stinking places of the world. On the very day we celebrate the Kingship of Jesus, he did not choose to be found with the wealthy, the powerful, the mighty, the movers and shakers of the society, instead he chose to be found with the weak, the vulnerable, the defenseless and the wretched people of the world. It is strikingly amazing that on the day that we celebrate Jesus as the King of the world, he was not found with the kings, queens, princesses and the princes of the world. He’s rather to be found with the “not-have of the world. 

And in today’s gospel, he says that when the Son of man comes in his glory, he will reward those who recognized him in the slums. When the Son of man sits on his glorious throne, he will reward those who found him and attended to him in the poorest of the poor. He will say to them, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” Jesus is the only King who is not found in the kingdoms and empires of the world. He’s is rather found with the lowest of the low. He is here with us. But he is also out there in the world waiting for human contact. For care. For love. For compassion. For help.  

Making the best use of what God has given to us

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara CSsR

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

St. Gerard Majella Catholic Church

Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA

November 13, 2011

Like the gospel of last Sunday- the parable of the ten virgins, Jesus, in today’s gospel taken from Matthew 25:14-30 again uses an earthly story familiar to people to teach an eschatological reality. Last Sunday, it was the parable of the ten virgins, today, it is the parable of the talents. 

A master was about to embark on a journey. Before he left, he called in his three servants and entrusted his wealth on them. To the first servant, he gave five talents (one talent was roughly the equivalent of 15 years wages for the average worker, so he gave the first servant 75 years wages of an average worker). To the second servant he gave two talents (which is 30 years wages for an average worker), and to the third servant, he gave one talent (that is, 15 years wages). The master cannot be accused of being unjust in the distribution of his wealth to his servants because he did so according to each of the servants’ ability. 

Now as soon as he left, the servant entrusted with five talents invested it and made five more. The servant entrusted with two talents also invested his and made two more. But the servant entrusted with one talent did nothing with his, instead he dug a hole and buried his master’s money. After a long time, their master returned from his journey, and the moment of reckoning was at hand. The master was pleased with the first and the second servants because they made the best use of what was given to them and made extra gains. In excitement, the master declared to each of them, “Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master’s joy.” To the last servant who did nothing with what was given to him instead insulted his master in the following words, “I knew you were a demanding person, harvesting where you did not plant and gathering where you did not scatter...” the master condemned him for burying his talent and for not, at least putting his money in the bank which could have yielded some profits. The little he had was taken away from him. He was called a useless servant and was thrown into the darkness where there will be nothing but misery and grief. 

Through this parable, Jesus teaches us that no person is born without any talent. God endows every man and woman some talents. But he gives each man and woman different gifts according to our abilities. In the parable, one servant was given five talents, another one was given two, yet another one was given one talent. To Jesus, what matters is not how much talent a person possesses, but how the person uses it. God does not expect from us abilities which he has not given to us; but he expects us to make best use of whatever talents or abilities he has given to us. Whatever talent we have, whether it is great or little, we should use them at the service of God and humanity. 

From the parable of the talents, our Lord Jesus also tells us that being rewarded for hard work does not mean we should stop working hard. The two servants who did well with the talents entrusted to them by their master were not told to rest on their oars. The master rather told them, “...since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities.” Church, reward from one hard work should spur us to work even harder. We should not rest on past achievements and success. The Lord wants us to continue to work hard, to continue to put into use all the talents that God has given to us. Use those talents in the service of God and in the service of humanity. And when talents are best used in those two dimensions, they become no longer talents, but gifts. Those who would be repudiated are those who refuse to try. Talents are given for use, and not to be hidden or horde. The third servant who was given one talent did not really loose his talent, he simply did nothing with it. If he had tried to make use of the talent given to him, and in the process lost it, it would have been better than doing nothing. God prefers those who sincerely make effort to love and serve him, even if they fall short sometimes, to those who never make any effort to love him. 

In this parable, Jesus says something that is usually misinterpreted: “For to everyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.” Sometimes this text is interpreted as taken from the little of the poor and given more and more to the rich so that they can become richer. That’s not what Jesus is saying. More will only be given to those who use their talents in the service of God and humanity. More will be given to those who turn their talents into gifts. More will be given to those who give back to the society from where they got all they have so that they can in turn give more, not to horde more. Because they are using all they have in the service of God and humanity, more will be given to them. The rich who accumulate and horde without giving back will not receive more of the Lord‘s peace, happiness and ultimately salvation because their greed and selfishness tell of their lack of charity and love. And where love and charity abide, there God is found.   

God has given each of us Talent, Time, and Treasure. Are we making the best use of them? 

Are you ready for the coming of the Bridegroom?

Fr. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara CSsR

Homily for the Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

St. Gerard Majella Catholic Church 

Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA

November 6, 2011

In the Israel of Jesus’ time, weddings were big stuffs. It was a time when friends and relatives, both far and near would gather together to share in the joy of the bride and bridegroom. The whole village would come out to accompany the couple to their new home; and they usually take the longest route so as to receive the best wishes of many people. One of the highlights of any wedding was when the bridegroom came in the night to take his bride from her father’s house and take her to their new house. Since the bridegroom came out at night, the path to the bride’s house was usually lighted by the virgins- the bridesmaids, who would hold their oil lamps for him to see where he was going. 

In the parable that Jesus told today, the bridegroom as usual came out at midnight. Then there was a call, “Behold, the bridegroom! Come out and meet him!” The ten virgins who were deeply asleep, were awakened. They took hold of their lamps, but their lights were going dim already. Five of them who came with enough oil were able to refill and therefore kept their lamps burning. The other five who did not come with enough oil were not able to refill. Seeing that their lamps were going out, they asked the five wise virgins to give them some of their oil. But they were asked to go into the village to buy theirs because the oil they had wasn’t going to be enough for everybody. As soon as the five foolish virgins stepped out, the bridegroom came in and the door was locked. When the five foolish virgins returned, they called out, “Lord, Lord, open the door for us!” But the response from inside was, “Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.” Jesus ended the parable with a caution, “Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”

Today’s parable of the ten virgins- five wise and five foolish is about preparedness. The story is more of allegory than a parable because Jesus used an earthly story familiar to the people to people to explain the eschatological reality. The bridegroom in the story is Jesus Christ. The wedding feast is his Second Coming- the Lord’s triumphant return to earth. It is the time when every person will be rewarded for good or for bad. The ten virgins or the bridesmaid are everyone of us. Some of us will be ready and prepared like the five wise virgins, while some of us will be ill-prepared and not ready, just like the five foolish virgins. 

In today’s gospel, Jesus speaks about staying awake and being readily prepared. He wants us to be ready always; he wants us to stay awake, that is, awake in the Spirit because we don’t know the hour when he, the bridegroom will come. Jesus wants us to understand that part of being his disciple is staying awake; and part of our vocation is getting ready for his Second Coming. Today’s gospel taken from Matthew 25:1-13  makes it clear to us that we have absolutely no idea when the Lord will return. Therefore, we should be ready and prepared all always. 

Like a thief who strikes with no prior notice to the owner of the house, so Jesus will come. But we don’t have to walk around with fear as long as the candle light given to us at our baptism is burning brightly. 

Remember, at our baptism, the priest gave us a lighted candle and said the following words, “Receive the light of Christ.” Then addressing our parents he also said, “This child of yours has been enlightened by Christ. He or she is to walk always as a child of light. May he or she keep the flame of faith alive in his or her heart.” 

Dearest beloved, the candle light given to us at our baptism represents the light of Christ. It stands for the light of faith. When the Lord is revealed, if that light is still burning brightly, we will be admitted into the banquet hall of the Son of God. Keep the light of faith alive in your heart and life. Keep the light of Christ given to us at baptism alive. In Matthew 5:14, Jesus tells us, “You are the light of the world...” St. Paul says 2 Timothy 1:6, “Therefore I remind you, fan into flame the gift of God...” 

To keep the light constantly burning, we have to make sure the oil does not run out. The five foolish virgins, realizing that their lamps were running low, asked the other virgins for some oil. After all, they  were all from the same village and were all involved in the same celebration. But their request was denied. The oil in this story is not a worldly thing that we need to survive like bread, fish or water. The oil in this story is righteousness. The Lord wants us to make sure that the righteousness that comes from believing in him is still with us. Jesus is talking about the purity of heart. In Matthew 5:8, Jesus says, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” We need to possess this righteousness; we need to possess this purity. Righteousness or purity is not something we can borrow. It’s something we have to have, something we have to develop on our own. 

In today’s gospel, Jesus tells us that there are something we cannot borrow. We can borrow material things from our neighbor or friends, but we cannot possibly borrow  relationship with God. No man or woman can borrow a character; he or she must wear  it as a clothe. We can borrow a clothe from a friend, but we must clothe ourselves with the righteousness of God. We can borrow a car from a friend, but we need to ride with Jesus in his boat to heaven. We can borrow water from a neighbor, but we need to possess the Water of life. We can borrow salt from neighbor, but we must be the salt of the earth.  We may borrow a pair of shoe, but we must walk in the footsteps of Jesus to be admitted into the Lord’s banquet. Whatever relationship we enjoy in this world with other people, it is the relationship with Jesus that will guarantee us a pass into the banquet of the Lamb. 

By the virtue of our baptism, we are already enlightened sons and daughters of God. But to keep the candle light given to us at baptism burning up to the time of the coming of Jesus, we need Jesus. We need to keep our relationship and friendship with him. With Jesus in our life, we will not stray. We need Jesus to make it!

Call no one Teacher, Father or Master

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara CSsR

Homily for the Thirty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

St. Gerard Majella Church

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

October 30, 2011

Some people who do not want to be Christians sometimes argue that the hypocrisy of Christians is the reason for their refusal to become  Christians. They argue that the Church is full of hypocrites. Some Catholics who left the Church sometimes call the Church all sorts of bad names, saying that some of her leaders do not practice what they preach. They will waste no time in pointing out priests or religious who abused children or women and accuse them for being responsible for their exit from the Church. For these people, the Church does not practice what she preaches. Their accusations have some truths in it. But then, the sins of some priests and religious do not invalidate the teachings of the Catholic Church. What is wrong is not what the Church is teaching. What is wrong is the failure or refusal of some of the Church’s leaders and the laity to observe the Lord’s law of love. If Albert Einstein were arrested for stealing, would that make his theory wrong? 

In today’s gospel taken from Matthew 23: 1-12, Jesus tells those who would refuse to follow the teachings of the Scribes and Pharisees to reconsider their decision: “The Scribes and the Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses. Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their example. For they preach but they do not practice.” It is actually wrong to compare  the Catholic Church with the Scribes and Pharisees because the Church has had and continues to have countless Church leaders- bishops, priests, deacons, religious etc who lived or live exemplary lives. Moreover, the wrong deed of a Church leader does not invalidate the entire teachings of the Church. 

To his disciples and to the crowds, Jesus says, “...do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their example.” The Lord is simply saying, do not be the hypocrites that these people are. The hypocrisy of another should not prevent us from growing in our relationship with God. The refusal of a Christian to be authentic should not be our reason not to be authentic. The failure of a priest  should not cause our failures as well. Jesus did not ask his first listeners to leave the Synagogues or to abandon the practice of their faith. He did not tell them to use the weakness of the Pharisee and Scribes as a reason to leave their faith. Rather Jesus says, yes, I understand the hypocrisy of these leaders; they do not practice what they preach. But their teachings and preachings are in order. Therefore, practice what they preach, but do not follow their examples. Unfortunately, many Christians of today will stop the practice of their faith just because a member of the Church has fallen. But those who have a strong relationship with Jesus do not leave. They understand that salvation, though a universal call, but in the end  it's a personal thing. They understand that nothing will separate them from the love of the Lord. St. Paul in Romans 8:35 says, “What can separate us from the love of Christ? Is it trouble, or hardship or persecution or hunger or poverty or danger or death?

In today’s gospel, Jesus outlines his reasons for denouncing the Scribes and Pharisees. First, they imposed heavy burdens on others that they were unwilling to carry. These burdens are contained in the 613 rules and laws in the Law of Moses. Apart from these laws, there were also customs and observances that were difficult to obey. Second, the Scribes and Pharisees’ deeds were all for shows; they wanted people to see them as pious and deeply religious. They wanted their reward from the people and not from God, so to say. Thirdly, these religious leaders craved for worldly honors, praise and respect because of their important office. Whatever they do is for human praise and adoration and nothing more. 

Today, Jesus tells us not to be like them, not because they are evil people but because they missed the point. They missed the meaning of religion. “They have a form of religion but denies its powers that would have made them godly.” They missed what is really going on. While they move around looking for someone to teach the way of life, God has already sent the Way and the Life, Jesus Christ. 

And what does Jesus teach us? He teaches us that God is love; that God is our Father. He teaches us not to call anyone Rabbi because he, Jesus, is the good Teacher; he teaches us not to call anyone Father, because his Father is our Father; he teaches us not to call anyone Master, for he is the authentic Master. He teaches us that life does not consists in accumulating wealth but in the service of God and humanity. He teaches us that the only path to greatness is not by seeking greatness but by serving God and others. He teaches us that “anyone can be great because anyone can serve.” He teaches us that those who raise themselves ahead of others will be humbled; and those who humble themselves will be exalted. In Matthew 5:5 he says, “Blessed are the meek, the humble, for they will receive what God has promised.”  

Jesus does not ask us not to call anyone teacher, father, master in a literal sense, but in a strict sense. Of course, those who taught us and those who teach our children are teachers, but they are not Jesus the great teacher; they cannot teach us God like Jesus would. Everyone of us had or has a father, but our fathers are not like God the Father. They are not the source of life. They cannot love us as God does. Of course there are masters all over the world; but they are not the Master of life. Only Jesus is! Jesus is asking us not to equate anyone with him or with his Father. Only God is the true Father. Only Jesus is the true Teacher. Only Jesus is the Master. Only Jesus is the Lord.