Whose Voice Are You Listening To?

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord

St. Mary of Assumption Church, Whittier, CA

Sunday, August 6, 2017

Today’s Gospel passage (Matthew 17:1-9) was also read on the Second Sunday of Lent, but today, it is presented to us in a different context. Why? Because the actual event contained in this gospel passage— the Transfiguration of the Lord,  is what we are  celebrating today. The story begins with Jesus taking three of his disciples— Peter, James and his brother, John to a high mountain, and right before them, he was transfigured. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling and brilliant as light. But before the disciples realized what was going on, two great figures of the Old Testament, Moses and Elijah appeared to them and began to discuss with Jesus. Moses was the supreme law-giver of Israel; the one who received the Ten Commandments. Elijah was regarded by many as the greatest of the Old Testament prophets. He was seen as the prophet who brought the very voice of God to his people. In Jesus, Moses and Elijah saw the consummation of all that they hoped, longed for and looked forward to. 

What do you think the three disciples were doing as these things were happening? Look at it this way! Their master who took them to the mountain has suddenly changed in appearance and two strange persons who were not originally part of the team have suddenly appeared and overtook their hanging out time with Jesus. What do you think was going on in the minds of the disciples? I guess they were speechless, terrified and dumbfounded. But they didn’t remain in a state of shock and awe for too long before the impetuous Peter jumped right in and ended their speechless bewilderment with these words: “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” St. Luke’s account of the Transfiguration has an interesting additional comment about Peter. After stating Peter’s request to make three tents, the Evangelist added, “He did not know what he was saying.” Well, as Peter was saying something he did not know, Someone said something he knows perfectly, something that is true and indisputable: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” Those are the words of the Father. They are words of testimony and confirmation. The Father knew what he was saying. He was telling Peter, James, John, me, you, all of us that Jesus is his Son, and that if we know what is good for us, then we should and must listen to him. The appearance of Moses and Elijah did confirm that Jesus is the Messiah, but their confirmation wouldn’t have been powerful enough without that of the Father. So, from the cloud, the Father revealed/confirmed loud and clear the true identity of Jesus and that salvation is possible only by listening to him.

In the Old Testament, to hear and obey God’s Word was the identifying mark of a genuine response to God. In the Transfiguration story, the Father is urging all disciples of his Son to listen to his Son’s teaching found in his words, actions, and in the self-giving death he will later accept. What are those teachings? Let’s examine some of them.

Jesus taught he came to save people from all walks of life: “I have come that you may have life, life in abundance” (John 10:10). To be saved therefore, repentance is needed.  According to the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus began his earthly ministry with the message: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (4:17). The call to repent is a call to abandon sin because sin hurts. It takes away our peace and joy. It cuts us off from life and dries up within us the very source of our freedom and dignity. Once we let go of our old sinful ways and surrender to Jesus totally, listening to him becomes a delight and pleasure. With the story of Zacchaeus the rich tax collector, Jesus teaches that God does not despise anyone who repents of his or her sin and returns to God because “The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. Jesus also taught that the way to God is primarily by faith, but faith in God must be demonstrated in doing what is good. In John 14:1 he says, “Have faith in God and have faith also in me.” And in John 14:15, he said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” About what should be our greatest pursuit in life, Jesus said, “Seek you first the kingdom of God and its righteousness, and all other things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33) and “Store up your treasure in heaven where moths and rust do not destroy and where robbers do not break in and steal” (Matthew 6:19). Money is useful but it can potentially turn someone away from God. Jesus told the young rich man in Mark 10 to sell everything he had, give the money to the poor and then follow him, not because charity alone makes one righteous but because Jesus knew that the young man’s god was money. Jesus wanted to set him free from his false god. About how we should live among ourselves, Jesus said, “And now I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. If you have love for one another, then everyone will know that you are my disciples” (John 13:34-35). How did Jesus love us? Take a look at the cross! In this command, Jesus calls us to love selflessly and sacrificially, to love until it hurts, to love without counting the cost, to love even when it is very difficult to do so. Of cause, none of us will be able to do this without him who called us to live this way. As the branches of the true Vine, we can only bear fruits of sacrificial love if we remain in him because “Cut off from me, you can do nothing” (John 15:5b). What about prayer? Jesus said we should pray always and not lose heart (Luke 18:1). What about the poor among us? Jesus said, “Whatever you do to the least of my brothers and sisters, you do unto me” (Matthew 25:40).What about the greatest gift of himself? Jesus said, “Amen, Amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you” (John 6:53). What about forgiveness? Jesus said, “When you stand to pray, forgive anyone against whom you have grievance, so that your heavenly Father may in turn forgive you your transgressions” (Mark 11:25).

Brothers and sisters, it is impossible to be a faithful and fruitful disciple without listening and obeying Jesus. As we listen to him, our human nature is transformed into the likeness of his divine nature. As we listen to him, we become more and more like the One we are listening to. We become more transformed and transfigured, and our lives will definitely radiate and reflect the glory of the Lord. 

I leave you with this question: Whose voice are you listening to?

Keep Your Eyes On the Ball!

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily for the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

St. Mary’s of Assumption Church, Whittier, CA

Sunday, July 30, 2017

Solomon, also named Jedidiah, was the son of King David and Bathsheba. He was not the oldest son of David, but David promised Bathsheba that Solomon would be the next king. While David was still the king, his older Son, Adonijah declared a palace coup and made himself the king. But he was outsmarted and outmaneuvered by Solomon’s mother, Bathsheba and the prophet Nathan, who urged David to declare Solomon king according to his earlier promise. Solomon was thereby anointed a king while his father, David, was still alive. He inherited a considerable empire from his father. Like his father David, Solomon was also devoted to God. God was pleased with him. God accepted his ordination as the king of his chosen people, Israel. In today’s reading (1 King 3), God appeared to him in a dream and said to him, “Ask something of me and I will give it to you.” Wow! That’s an open check offer. But when Solomon opened his mouth to ask, he did not ask for money/wealth, power, death to enemies, and fame. He did not ask God to help him control the whole world and make everyone submissive to him. He did not ask to be spoken well of and be loved by everyone. He did not even ask God for good health, long life and an easy life. He only asked for wisdom: “O Lord, my God, you have made me, your servant, king to succeed my father David; but I am a mere youth, not knowing at all how to act. I serve you in the midst of the people whom you have chosen, a people so vast that it cannot be numbered or counted. Give your servant, therefore, an understanding heart to judge your people and to distinguish right from wrong.” 

Solomon’s request thrilled God. His request delighted God. His request made God dance. Because God was so happy with him, God answered his prayer and then gave him more than he requested: “Because you have asked for this— not for long life for yourself, nor for riches, nor for the life of your enemies, but for understanding so that you may know what is right—I do as you requested.” God blessed King Solomon with matchless wisdom, and the best known story of his wisdom was the case involving two prostitutes. Both women had given birth to male children almost at the same time, but one of them lost her baby. When she realized at midnight that her baby boy was dead, she quickly exchanged her dead son with the other woman’s living son. When the case was brought to King Solomon, he resolved to cut the living child in two—half to one and half to the other. But the rightful mother of the child, deeply moved out of love for her son said, “Please, my lord, give her the living baby. Don’t kill him” (1 King 3:26a). But the other woman said, “Neither I nor you shall have him. Cut him in two” (1 King 3:26b). With this, Solomon was able to know the true mother of the living baby, and ordered that the baby be given to the woman who did not want the child be cut in two. 

Solomon was a young King, but it did not take long before his wisdom spread far and wide. People came from surrounding nations just to hear his wisdom. One of those celebrated visits was that of the Queen of Sheba who came from southern Arabia to listen to his wisdom. Apart from his wisdom, Solomon was also known for being the one that build the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. He is the builder of the First Temple in Jerusalem. After the temple was completed, he erected many other buildings of importance in Jerusalem. By every human standard, King Solomon was a very successful king. He had wisdom like no one. He had massive wealth like no one. He was the wisest and wealthiest king. He was loved, protected and blessed by God immensely. He started well with God. He started with the Spirit of God, but ended in disaster. Solomon is the definition of the Latin adage, “Corruptio optimi pessima,” (the corruption of the best is the worst). At the beginning of his kingship and through his reign as the King of Israel, he was the best. Best man. Best king. Best soul. But he ended his life with this memorable quote: “Vanity of vanities! All things are vanity!” 

But how did a man so blessed, so gifted, so endowed with the best things life has to offer ended in disaster, in failure and in huge disappointment? The answer is very simple! He took his eyes away from the Ball. He took his eyes away from the kingdom of heaven. He took his eyes away from God.  The writer of the book of Hebrew urges us, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is now sitting down at the right hand of the throne of God (12:2). King Solomon had large fields of treasure, fine pearls, net that collected the best of fishes. He had everything he wanted, but didn't use what he had to get himself a seat at the table. He chased the beauties, the pleasures and the kingdoms of this world, found them, but in the process he lost his way. 

Sisters and brothers, the story of Solomon reminds us once again of the fleeting nature of things and of the vain nature of most of the things we pursue in life. Whatever we have and are today are passing away. Everything! Wisdom. Wealth. Fame. Power. Profession. Vocation. Status. Position. Class. Everything is fleeting. But we can use what we have and are to acquire the field and treasure of the kingdom of heaven. We can use our knowledge, wisdom, beauty, treasure etc. to get for ourselves a place in the kingdom of God. Jesus, in today’s Gospel (Matthew 13:44-52) compares the kingdom of heaven like a treasure buried in the field which a person finds and hides again, then departs with joy. After selling everything he has, he buys that field. God’s kingdom should be something that we are willing to sell everything we have in order to purchase. Nothing else should come ahead of it. It should be our greatest pursuit and greatest inheritance. Nothing in life should top it! Not parents, siblings, friends, jobs, spouse, country, profession, children. Absolutely nothing should top our pursuit of heaven. God wants heaven for us even more than we want it. He wants us to be right where he is. Another word for heaven is happiness. If we resist heaven, we resist happiness. 

Don’t be a Solomon! Keep your eyes on the ball. Keep your eyes on Jesus. Solomon took his eyes away from God and ended up in disaster. Peter took his eyes away from Jesus and almost got drowned. Keep yours firmly fixed on him! 

The Four Types of People in the Church

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily for the Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

St. Mary of Assumption Church, Whittier, CA 

July 16, 2017

In the parable of the sower (Matthew 13:1-23), Jesus used a familiar picture to describe different responses to the word of God whenever it is preached. He used the image of a sower to teach how people receive the word of God, how they react to it, and what they do with it. A sower went to his farm to sow seeds. As he spread the seed, some fell on the path and were quickly eaten up by some hungry birds. Some fell on rocky ground, but due to lack of sufficient soil, it sprang up immediately. When the sun arose, it was scorched and killed for its lack of support and foundation. Some seed fell among thorns, and as the thorns grew up, it choked it to death. But the sower’s effort and industry was not entirely a futile one. Some of his seed did fall on rich soil and produced bountiful fruits. You know, it’s not difficult to figure out that the sower is the Bridegroom, Jesus Christ, and his Bride, the Church; the seed is the Word of God, and the soil is each of us, our hearts. It’s about the kind of soil we provide for the seed, God’s word, to either thrive or die. But from the parable of the sower, we can identify four types of people that can be found in the Church.

The seed that fell on the path are people who go to church regularly but the church never goes into them. They go to church with their minds and hearts shut against the life-changing word of God. Pride, prejudice (i.e. preconception) and fear prevent them from hearing the truth. Prejudice causes them to reject anything they don’t want to hear; pride convinces them that they know everything and do not need any further instruction; and fear shuts their ears from hearing anything that condemns the things they love and do. The Gospel of Jesus calls for a change of life and lifestyle. These churchgoers are fearful of the new life expected of a disciple; they don’t want to lose their old lives, which obviously they enjoy. As such, they remain on the pathway and hardly get to the destination of complete union and enjoyment of God. They stay on the side-way and never gain entrance to enjoy the rich soil of the Kingdom of God. Eventually, they are eaten up by spiritual hawks and are denied the opportunity to bear fruit.

The seed that fell on rocky ground are church-folks who hear the word of God, receive it with great joy, but easily fall away when tempted, tested and persecuted. After hearing the gospel of prosperity, breakthrough, and material abundance, they become so excited at what they stand to receive from the Lord, even when they don’t plan to give anything, not even their life to him. But once it appears that God is delaying to answer, they give up. They want the crown but not the cross. They are addicted to good feeling, and their addiction has convinced them that every form of suffering, even redemptive suffering is unacceptable. They want to live the kind of life that Jesus, our Master never lived. To such Christians, every inconvenience, no matter how small, is a reason not to go to Church or be involved in the life of the church. When they pray at all, they do so telling God what they want, what he has not done and never thank him for what he has done for them. These Christians pick and choose the passage of the Bible to accept and believe. Their faith in God is so shallow that any itchy feeling is a reason to walk away from him and go in search of a sharp-sharp miracle working God. 

The seed that fell among thorns are Christians who are anxious and troubled about many things that they forget the most important of all— knowing, loving and serving the Lord.  Such Christians become too busy to go to church, too busy to pray, too busy to read the Bible, too busy to volunteer for anything in the church, too busy join any ministry and sometimes, too busy for their families. They are so engrossed in the things of this world, so absorbed with their businesses that they have no time for God, the church or anyone else, including themselves. The fleeting things of this world crowd their hearts and finally crowd Jesus out.

But glory be to God! There are some seed that fell on rich soil and produced bountiful harvest. These are Christians who accept the word of God with an open mind. They are not too proud to listen and to obey. They don’t assume to know it all. They are attentive to the word of God and accept it even when it condemns what they love to do. They understand that it is not enough to show up in church, that the church must show up in them. In the house of God and in the community, they use their talents, time and treasure in the building up of God’s house and God’s people. They continuously give and never get tired of giving. Like Jesus, the Holy Redeemer, they give without counting the cost, they make sacrifices for others, and lay down their lives for others. Like St. Paul appealed, they are not tired of doing what is good because they believe that at the proper time, they will reap a harvest (Galatians 6:9). Because of their unyielding attachment to Jesus, they constantly bear the fruits of love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. 

Friends, what type of Christian are we in the Church?

Don't Suffer Alone!

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily for the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

St. Mary of Assumption Church, Whittier, CA

Sunday, July 9, 2017

Today’s Gospel (Matthew 11:25-30) begins with Jesus’ prayer of praise to the Father for revealing to little ones what he has hidden and kept away from the so called wise and learned. But who are the wise and learned? From the Bible, we know that these are the scribes, pharisees, religious and political leaders of Jesus’ time who callously rejected the salvation Jesus so clearly lays before them. They are folks who, due to their intellectual pride, deny themselves the gift of God’s grace. They are those who would mock biblical passages like “Blessed are the meek…” “Blessed are the poor…” “Love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you” as utter nonsense. For these egotists, hedonists, the “wise and learned,” the message of Jesus will never make much sense. The “wise and learned” are those who, after hearing the message of Jesus would say, “It was nice talking to you,” or “We will hear you concerning this topic another time” (Acts 17:32b). 

But this Gospel is not about them. It’s not about the proud and arrogant who do not want to receive the good-news of Jesus. It’s not about the know-it-all. It’s rather about the little ones, that is, his own disciples “to whom the Son wishes to reveal himself and the Father,” and those who are burdened. By the calculation of the world, the little ones are losers and unintelligent, but not so by divine calculation. As a mater of fact, Jesus calls them “blessed by the Father” (Matthew 25:34). Little ones are blessed because they know that “The foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength” (1 Corinthians 1:25)  as such, they lean on God totally. Little ones know that God can confound conventional wisdom, and that apart from God, no one knows it all. They know that pleasure is illusory; that the things we own can actually own us; that power not rooted in Christ can breed corruption; and that fame is always an unfaithful spouse. Little ones are those who yield to the Lord’s solemn invitation: 

“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light” (Matthew 11:28-30).

You know, whenever a loved one passes away, we often pray and ask that God will grant them eternal rest. Wherever their names appear, it is usually accompanied by the abbreviation R.I.P. which means “Rest in peace.” Our concept of rest for a departed relative is living and spending eternal life in the presence of God and being wrapped in God’s loving embrace. But in today’s Gospel, Jesus assures those who labor and are burdened that he will give them rest when they come to him, indicating that rest is not only an after earthly life gift. Life on earth does not have to be all about labor, toil, exertion, sweat and burden. Rest can be attained right here. Rest is possible right here. Rest is achievable right here. Do not make your life all about labor, toil, and burden. Jesus promises rest to those who come to him. This rest is a taste of eternal life. It’s a joyful refreshment even in the midst of the storms of life. It’s a secure communion and relationship with God and God’s people. Jesus’ rest is not a delusion or a figment of imagination or a hallucinatory feel-good experience. The rest that the Lord promises is not an opium. It does not make you forget about your problems and life’s troubles. It’s rather an assurance, blessed assurance that God knows about our problems, and that God is going to help us deal with them. It comes from the belief that we are not carrying our burdens alone. It comes from our unyielding faith that God would not allow the problems of life to swallow us up, that in God’s time, God will intervene. God will step in. And guess what? When God steps in, miracles happen. 

Friends, Jesus never promised us a burden free life. What he said is: Take my yoke upon you and learn from me… For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. We are definitely going to carry something that we do not want, something that inconveniences us. But Jesus promises to lighten them and to give us his rest. Like I said before, this rest comes from the knowledge that God knows. God knows what he is doing! God will do something! God will intervene! “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end, he will stand upon the earth” (Job 19:25)  to deliver and save me. Coming to Jesus does not and will not add even a feather-weight burden on anyone. On the contrary, coming to him lightens every human burden. He says that his yoke is easy unlike the heavy burdens placed on people who ignore him. 

Are you burdened by sickness, come to him!

Are you burdened by family problems, come to him!

Are you burdened by addiction and failures, come to him!

Are you burdened by any burden, come to him!

Are you burdened by financial issues, come to him!

Are you burdened by emotional, social and spiritual issues, come to him!

Don't suffer alone!

Costly Crown or Cheap Crown?

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily for the 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

St. Mary of Assumption Church, Whittier, CA

Sunday, July 2017

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus gives five lengthy speeches, and today’s Gospel passage (10:37-42) is the conclusion of the second of these speeches. This passage consists of two parts or two themes. In the first part or theme, Jesus teaches the apostles the meaning of discipleship before sending them out on their mission. He tells them the challenging demands of following him. He tells them that following him will cost them something significant. You know, the gospel does not contain only a feel good message. There are some folks who only want to hear a feel good message of material abundance, material breakthrough, prosperity, stressless life, unlimited and uninterrupted joy and peace. They want a church that preaches such and that makes them feel happy. Such folks do not want to hear Jesus say, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Matt. 5:4) because they are addicted to good feelings. In their feel good addiction, they want to avoid every inconvenience and pain. They want the crown but not the cross. Such Christians are like students who want good grades without hard work of reading. The Gospel of Jesus promises us peace, joy, good life and grace, but to attain all that, we must be ready to walk the long, narrow, winding steep and high road: “Whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me” (Matt. 10:38). Nothing good in life comes easy, and that includes eternal life.  Jesus calls us not to let anything or anyone, even those who are closest to us— parents, brothers, sisters, other relatives, friends etc. be more important than he is. He does not make this request for his own glorification or benefits. He has all the glory he needs, after all, he is the Son of God. Nothing else can be higher than that. He wants us to love him more than anything or anyone and to give him a central place in our hearts and lives for our own sake and happiness. Experience has shown that no one is really happy and fulfilled until he or she possesses and is possessed by the life that only Jesus can give. We are all addicted to more, but none of the material and pleasurable things we seek more of would satisfy us. The ultimate longing of the human heart is God. No wonder St. Augustine once said, “You have created us for yourself O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.” 

Sisters and brothers, do you want the crown, the costly crown? Then hear me out! The costly crown that only Jesus can give is attained through the cross. If you don’t want the cross, then you cannot have the crown. May be there’s a crown other there for you, but it’s not the costly crown of glory, rather, the cheap crown that perishes  when earthly life is over. If you don’t want to give up anything for the sake of Jesus, even though he gave up everything for us, then you are looking for the cheap crown. If you don’t want to love him more than everything and everyone, you are looking for the cheap crown. If you don’t want to carry your cross and follow him, you are looking for the cheap crown. We give ourselves the cheap crown, and cheap crown preaches forgiveness without requiring repentance. It preaches God’s love and mercy with no mention of his wrath and justice. It drags us to the confessional with no intention of making effort to quit a sin that has become habitual. Because of cheap crown, parents bring their kids to catechism class and then stays home on Sunday. They baptize their kids but never raise them up as Catholics. Because of the cheap crown, we receive communion without being in union with the Lord. Cheap crown is communion without confession and repentance. Cheap crown is the preaching of material prosperity and breakthrough with little or no relationship with Jesus Christ. Cheap crown is wanting everything without giving anything. It is losing nothing for the sake of Jesus but wanting everything from him. The Lord is not giver of this kind of crown. His crown comes at a cost. It will cost us something. For the sake of this crown— costly crown, many saints gave up everything, including their lives. Costly crown must be sought for. We should be ready to sell everything we have to purchase it. This crown is costly because it cost a man his life, it cost Jesus his life. Because of this crown, God sent his only begotten Son. Costly crown is seeking first the Kingdom of God and its righteousness. It leads us to share what we have with others. 

And this brings us to the second part or theme of today’s Gospel. In it, Jesus announces rewards, not rewards given to the disciples themselves, but rewards that will be given to those who welcome them. Those who made extreme sacrifices in order to bring the message of life to us deserve our kindness, generosity and hospitality. They includes the Church’s hierarchy, our priests, religious, and also our parents, grandparents, teachers, spouses, neighbors, friends, and all who have taught us about God and faith in him. Like most of you, I did not get my faith out of a textbook, but from God through my parents, priests, (some of these priests were used by God to get me to where I am today) catechists, faith formators, and teachers. In my early twenties, my faith in God was deepened by many members of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal I met in Lagos, Nigeria. Each of them strengthened my faith. Jesus announces that those who show kindness to those who bring them the good-news are showing kindness to him, and those who show kindness to him, are showing kindness to the One who sent him— the Father. Acts of kindness can be a gift of cold water. A cold water is so refreshing when it is taken on a hot afternoon day. It quenches thirsts. Those who bring you good news, like you, do have some thirsts as well. Sometimes, the thirst is spiritual, but other times, it could be material. Those who receive them, offer them cold water, hospitality and pray for them, Jesus assures, “will surely not lose their reward.” So, if you want the costly crown, accept the costly cross. Travel through the field to the golden land!

God bless you!

Face Everything And Rise!

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily for the Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

St. Mary of Assumption Church, Whittier, CA

Sunday, June 25, 2017

In today’s Gospel, Jesus continues to teach, instruct and strengthen his disciples, to prepare them for the mission he is sending them. Previously, he had told them that he was sending them out as lambs among wolves, that they will face extreme persecution and that even families will be divided on account of his name. He was upfront with them. He did not present the salvific mission as a mission only packed with bed of roses with no thorns, as some Christians believe. Today, it’s not uncommon to hear of all-crown Christian messages with no cross. But from the beginning, the Master, Jesus Christ, did not teach a crossless message. He recognized that believing in his name and striving to live like him will come at a cost. 

In the face of opposition, intimidation, mockery and persecution, Jesus calls his disciples to a stunning courage. He did not want them to be chickenhearted, to easily fold up and fade away when opposed. He knew his message is not going to be accepted by all and sundry. He knew that truth hurts both lies and liars, and when that happens, they will fight back. But rather than succumb to fear, he calls them to stand firm, strong and resolute. Three times in today’s Gospel, Jesus tells them not to be afraid. First, he said, “Fear no one” and even those who will persecute you. They are to expect some persecutions because he too was persecuted. What Jesus endured, they are to endure as well. In the second counsel, he urged them not to be afraid of those who will kill the body but cannot kill the soul. And for the third time he urged them not to be afraid because they worth a lot before his heavenly Father.

Jesus did not want his followers to live anonymously; he did not want them to be anonymous followers. An anonymous Christian is neither here nor there. By anonymous Christian, I do not mean the controversial theology taught by Karl Rahner. Karl Rahner was a German Jesuit priest and theologian who in an attempt to expound the Church’s age-long teaching which says that it was impossible to achieve salvation without Christ declared that people who have never heard the Christian Gospel might be saved through Jesus Christ. He believed that it was impossible to achieve salvation without Christ, but he could not accept the notion that people who have never heard of Jesus Christ would be condemned. Controversially, therefore, he postulated that non-Christians by following their conscience and committing to those values that we Christians attribute to God, can be saved through Jesus Christ. Rahner called such people Anonymous Christians. My concept of anonymous Christian is different from that of Karl Rahner’s. For me, it means a person who is baptized a Christian, who has received other sacraments, and attends Mass often but still lacks the courage to witness for Christ privately and publicly. When the chips are down, they easily deny the Lord. Before others, they deny him. Like Peter, they are quick to say, “I do not know the man.” They are the sleeping and snoring Christians. Anonymous Christians, for me, are those who try to keep their faith secret and private, ashamed to disclose their Christian identity and timid to witness publicly that they are disciples of the Lord. When they are in the company of others who bash and mock their faith, they say nothing. Any Catholic who is not living a Christ-centered and Christ-inspired and motivated life is an anonymous Christian. Even if we are known in our parish, and try to fill your life with religious activities, as long as we are not awake in the Spirit of the Lord, as long as we do not walk the walk, all our talk is a bold statement that says, “We are anonymous Christians.” To such a Christian St. Paul urges, “Awake O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will shine on you” (Ephesians 5:14).

Jesus wants the lives of his disciples to reveal the secret of salvation to others, to speak in the light, and to proclaim his message even from the housetops. He wants them to live boldly and courageously. In 2 Timothy 1:7, St. Paul stresses this point when he said, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love and self-control.” 

Fear is an unpleasant feeling caused by the belief that something good or favorable may not happen and something dangerous and painful is likely to happen. Being fearful is part of being human. I don’t know if there’s anyone who has never experienced fear or who has never been fearful. Some preachers have tried to use the spelling of FEAR to describe it: False Evidence About Reality. The other day, a Facebook friend of mine described it in this way: “FEAR has two meaning: Forget Everything And Run or Face Everything And Rise.” Then she concluded, “The choice is yours!” I have been fearful before, you have been fearful before. Some of us may even be experiencing it right now. Some of the things that cause us to fear are: 

1. Broken marriage/relationship
2. Poverty
3. Failure in life
4. Physical or spiritual death
5. Kids making wrong choices and not succeeding in life
6. Insecurity 
7. Unknown
8. Becoming sick and dying young
9. Immigration officers 
10. Loss of jobs, home, 
11. Misfortune etc.

But is fear always a false evidence about reality? I don’t think so! Some of the things that cause us to be afraid are real. They are not figment of imaginations. But in spite of all these, Jesus counsels us to stop being afraid. Why? Because we worth a lot to him and to the Father. Therefore, rather than forget everything and run, the Lord asks us to face everything with courage and faith in him and rise. 

God bless you!

To Inherit Eternal Life, We Must Become What We Eat!

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily on the Solemnity of Corpus Christi

St. Mary of Assumption Church, Whittier, CA

Sunday, June 18, 2017

Today’s Gospel (John 6:51-58) is a continuation of Jesus’ long discourse that follows the multiplication of the five loaves and two fish. The Jews who participated in that meal really enjoyed it. Why did I say that? Because they returned to Jesus later and like the famous Oliver Twist, asked for more. More bread! More fish! But Jesus used the occasion to turn their attention to what is far more important than food and drink. After all, several years before Jesus was born, Moses had told their ancestors that, “…not by bread alone does one live, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of the Lord” (Deuteronomy 8:3b), a passage that Jesus later referenced to when the devil asked him to turn stones into bread (Matthew 4:4). 

Jesus’ audience was hungry, but their hunger was mostly a spiritual one— a sense of emptiness they attempted to fill up with food and other material things. So, Jesus said to them, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.” Permit me to rephrase those words this way: “I know you are hungry, but your hunger is mostly spiritual. I am the living bread that can quench and satisfy that hunger. If you humble yourself and accept me, you will not be hungry again, in fact, your satisfaction will be eternal. And guess what? The bread I will give you is not like the one I gave you previously. It is my flesh.” Ol boy! When the people heard that, they murmured and quarreled. But Jesus was emphatic and forceful about the necessity of eating his body and drinking his blood. He did not mince words: “Amen, Amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them on the last day.” 

Friends, those words of Jesus can easily be misunderstood if they are interpreted in isolation. When Jesus said, “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day,” is it automatic? Does it mean that we have already gained eternal life simply because we have received his Body and Blood in the past and will receive them again today? I don’t think so! There are other commands from the Lord that we must also obey to inherit eternal life. No one passes an examination simply by getting the first question right and then failing the rest of it.

Today is the Solemnity of The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. Today, we celebrate   in a special way the Lord’s finest gift of himself and his life to us. At every Mass, we commune with the Lord. We hear his Word proclaimed and preached to us. We encounter him. The climax of this encounter and communion happens when we step forward to receive him in the form of bread and wine. But after the Mass is over, we should carry him along, not leave him behind in the church. We should live, talk and act like him. We should become the Body of Christ after receiving the Body of Christ, for so indeed we are. We have to become what we ate in order to rightfully lay claim to eternal life. St. Augustine said it more eloquently, “If you receive him in the right disposition, you become what you receive.” 

But what does it mean to become what we eat? It is to become like Jesus who was human but also humane. It is to become kind, gracious, and gentle like Jesus. To become what we eat is to become selfless, sacrificial, patient and holy just like the One we have received. Jesus loves everyone- saints and sinners. He never despised or discriminated anyone. He was all things to all people. To become what we eat is take seriously what Jesus took seriously. Just as obedience to his Father, our Father, was his food, our source of joy and peace should come from our obedience of the Father through Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit. 

You know, littered in the Gospel of John is the word, “remain.” In 15:4, Jesus said, “Remain in me and I in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me.” To remain is more than a physical presence, it’s personal and abiding relationship. It’s about accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and living according to his will, not personal will or worldly will. If Jesus’ food is to do the will of his heavenly Father, our food should be likewise. In John 6:56, Jesus says, “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.” To remain in Jesus means to be everything about Jesus.

The question then is why is it that so many of us who receive the Eucharist do not experience real transformation? This story may help us understand why. A team of Russians and Americans were on a common mission. Among the items of food was Russian black bread. It was a tasty bread but hard on the teeth. It happened that at their meal, one of the Americans decided to have a bite of the bread, and immediately had a crack on his tooth. He threw the bread overboard and grumbled, “Lousy communist bread.” But the Russian countered, “It’s not lousy communist bread, but rotten capitalist tooth.” If we do not experience the transforming power of the Eucharist, it is probably not on account of a lousy Eucharist but on account of our rotten faith.

God bless you!