I Recommend Prayer!

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily for the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

St. Alphonsus Catholic Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota 

Sunday October 20, 2019

“Prayer is the key, prayer is the key, prayer is the master key. Jesus started with prayer and ended with prayer, prayer is the master key.”

I grew up in Nigeria singing the song above. During family prayers, I joined in singing it. During Mass, fellowship, and other prayer meetings in the church, I sang along with others. It’s a common song in Nigeria that communicates three things: one, the vital importance of prayer; two, the fact that Jesus prayed from the beginning of his earthly ministry till the end; three, that as his disciples we should pray at all times like he did.

Friends, the central theme that runs through the readings today is prayer. The first reading taken from the Book of Exodus highlights the power and efficacy of prayer. After a certain nation, Amalek, declared war against Israel, Moses asked Joshua to take some men from the land and go out and engage Amalek in battle. He promised that he, Moses, will be standing on top of the hill with the staff of God in his hand. When the war began, Moses went with Aaron and Hur to the top of the hill. Now, as long as Moses kept his hands raised up (a symbol of prayer), Israel was winning. But whenever he lets his hands rest, the Amalekites were winning. With the passage of time, Moses became tired of keeping his hands raised. So, Aaron and Hur quickly put a stone in place for him to sit. After that they held and supported his hands, one on the left and the other on the right. With this, Moses’ hands were constantly raised till sunset leading to an overwhelming defeat of Amalek and a resounding victory for the Israel. 

No one goes through life without an encounter with difficult times. It’s either they come to us or we dabble into them. When it happens, depending on what the nature of the problem is, we seek for solutions. The message from the first reading and Gospel is that we include prayer as part of the solutions. So, if you are going through a quarter-life, mid-life or end-of-life crisis, I recommend prayer to you. Did you experience a heart-wrenching breakup from a relationship you invested so much into? I recommend prayer as part of your healing solution. Are you yet to recover from a painful divorce? I recommend prayer.  Did you lately experience failure in a project you worked so hard for? Why not try prayer? Did you suddenly lose a job you expected to be in till retirement? I recommend to prayer to you. Are you going through grief due to loss of a loved one or loss something very important to you? I recommend prayer to you. Are you one of those, like me who struggle with change? I recommend prayer to you. Change is always a hard thing to accept. In 2015, all the priests in this parish that many of you had got used to were transferred at the same time. Then four years later, what happened in 2015 happened again. I can understand if you are angry and frustrated by this constant change. But rather than take your anger on me or the other priests who were newly assigned here, I recommend prayer to you. Believe me, coming here was very difficult for me— not because the people of Minnesota are not wonderful people, but due to the weather. Left to me, I will rather stay in California. Just as you don’t determine the priests that serve you, I don’t determine the people I serve or where I go. If you are feeling frustrated by any kind of change, by the constant change around you, remember my recommendation— prayer. If you go to your doctor, he might recommend a medicine, an anti-depressant. But for me, I recommend prayer. Pray at all times and for different reasons and for different situations. If you are tired of praying, ask others to pray for you. Book Masses. Whenever I look at the Mass intentions, it is mostly for our departed loved ones. As you book Masses for your loved ones, remember to book Masses for your own intentions. If you are tired of praying just as Moses was, ask others to pray for you. Request for Masses for a private intention. The Mass is the highest form of prayer. 

Now, while we pray during difficult times, Jesus also urges us to pray at all times— good and bad times. Today’s Gospel taken from Luke 18:1-8 is about the necessity to pray always without becoming tired. It is also about persistence in prayer. Like the unnamed widow in the Gospel, we should never give up the habit of praying. We should pray in season and out of season whether our requests are granted or not. Prayer of asking and making request is just one type of prayer. There is also prayers of adoration, thanksgiving, love and contrition. Prayer is the key and the master key because it connects us to God. It helps us remain in God. In John 15:5, Jesus says, “Whoever remains in me, and I in him, will bear much fruit.” If you want to remain in the Son of God; if you want to be a good fruit bearing Christian, then pray frequently. Pray at all times because your salvation partly depends on it. 

In today’s Gospel, Jesus asks us to “Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says,” but I also want us to pay attention to what the Lord himself says at the end of this Gospel, “But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” If we give up praying simply because our intentions were not granted exactly as we prayed, he will not find faith on earth. If we stop praying just because we have everything we want in life and don’t see or have a need to pray, he will not find faith on earth. If we give up praying because we don’t have the time, he will not find faith on earth. If we don’t pray because we are tired, he will not find faith on earth. If we leave prayer to feelings and convenience, he will not find faith on earth. If you don’t pray just because you are angry and upset with God, then Jesus will not find faith on earth. If you don’t pray because you are disappointed with the Church leaders or with someone associated with the Church, Jesus will not find faith on earth. If we only pray verbally but not attitudinally, he will not find faith on earth. Our life should be a life of prayer and we should live like people who pray. Whatever your situation may be now, remember prayer. That’s my prescription for you.  

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

Rev. Marcel E. Okwara, CSsR

St. Alphonsus Catholic Church

Brooklyn Center, Minnesota 

Today’s Gospel is about the parable of a rich man and a poor man. The rich man, according to Jesus dressed expensively and dined sumptuously each day. To dine sumptuously means to indulge in a costly, lavishly, and splendid eating. Now, while he enjoyed the fruits of his labor, which happens to be God’s blessings, there was unfortunately an impoverished man who laid at his door, covered with sores, and wished he could eat from the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table.  After an earthly life of untold suffering, the poor man died and was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man, after living in extreme luxury also died. Unfortunately, he ended up in a place of torment; a place we call hell. From where he was suffering, he saw Abraham and Lazarus on the other side having a good time. Immediately, he made two demands. The first was, “Father Abraham, have pity on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue.” When his first request was rejected by Abraham, he made another one, “…I beg you, father, send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they too come to this place of torment.” To the second request, Abraham reminded him that his brothers have Moses and the prophet of whom they should listen to. 

Some of us will look at this Gospel as a condemnation of riches and wealth and a glorification of abject poverty. Jesus’ intention was never to condemn the wealthy or denigrate riches. Moreover, Lazarus’ poverty is evil and sinful. His level of poverty is an offense against charity. Abject poverty of this kind should be tackled and defeated. It gives no glory to God; it gives no praise to anyone. No human being should be allowed to experience such for it debases the dignity of the human person. Jesus is not anti-riches or anti-rich folks. After all, riches can be God’s blessings too. Scripture tells us that silver and gold belongs to God. God is the source of everything that is good. 

That brings me to the question: Why did the rich man end up in the place of torment and Lazarus in a place of comfort? The rich man did not go to hell simply because he was rich. Then what was his sin? After all he never ordered Lazarus be thrown out of his house. He did not call the police to report that an intruder was around him. What then was the sin of the rich man? He was blind to the poor man at his door. He never noticed Lazarus. The poor man was invisible to him. As far as he was concerned, Lazarus was part of the landscape. As far as he was concerned, it was perfectly alright for Lazarus to live in squalor while he wallow in extravagant feasting. What took the rich man to the place of torment is not what he did but what he did not do. His sin was that he could look at a man ravaged by disease, a child of God, a human being like himself, saw his dire need for help but felt no sense of pity. He saw a man covered with sores, a helplessly homeless beggar, a desperately hungry man, a man plundered by deep pain, yet did nothing about it. And it is not as if he lacked the resources to help and change the life of Lazarus. God was sitting right in front of his house, but he turned a blind eye. Because he rejected God in time,  God rejected him in eternity.   

As for Lazarus he went to heaven not because he was a poor man, but because like his name suggests he totally leaned on God for help. The name Lazarus is derived from the Hebrew name “Eleazar” which means, “God is my help.” In his poverty, he was not jealous of the rich man. He did not turn away from God. He was not upset with God or with anyone. Despite his poverty, he still had faith in God. He loved God and sought help from him. In the end, he got the relief and salvation he sought for.

Sisters and brothers, if you are able to help someone, if you are able to put a smile on someone’s face, if you are able to make an impact in someone’s life, an impact rooted in love and compassion, try and do it. In the end, you will realize that you have stored so much treasure for yourself in heaven. The Lord has not called us to do nothing. We are called to do something- something good.  Every day of our lives, God puts us in a position of doing something worthwhile, of wiping away tears from the eyes of someone, of lending a helping hand, of speaking to a lonely person, of visiting the sick and the shut-in, of changing a life, of making a difference in the life someone, of making others see Jesus in us. When that opportunity comes, don’t act like the rich man in today’s gospel. Do something! 

A PRIEST WHO STOLE £50

A couple invited a priest of their parish for dinner in their home. After the priest left, the woman said to her husband; " I think the priest has stolen the £50 that I kept on the table of which I had the intention to give him".

Angrily her husband exclaimed; " if they are not pedophile, they are thieves. There is no need to invite him again. We shall from henceforth be attending Mass in another parish".

Two months later, the woman met the priest in the street and was courageous enough to face him and said: " Good morning Father, you have surely realized that we no longer attend Mass in your parish. This is because we're very angry with you. The day you ate in our house, there was a £50 note on the table. It disappeared while we were eating. You were the only person who visited our house at that time".

The priest said to her, "yes, I took the money. I put it in the Bible to avoid spilling the sauce on it". The woman got so confused and asked the priest to forgive her. Back in her house, she took up the Bible and found the £50 note which had been there for two months.

For two months, she had not opened her Bible to reflect on the word of God,

For two months she had her husband falsely accused the priest,

For two months, the incident had tortured them.

If you are reading this story now, and you are not at peace with yourself, for any reason whatsoever, ask yourself whether it's because you have not opened your Bible for a long time.

Forgive Others not minding how bad their sins against you may be. You may be at fault if the incident is looked at from another perspective. 

In Defense of the Mother of Saint James and John

Feast of St. James

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

St. Mary of the Assumption Church

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Today we celebrate the feast of St. James, one of the Apostles of Jesus, and one of our Ancestors in faith. This James is the brother of John the Evangelist. The two were called by Jesus as they were in a boat with their father, Zebedee, mending their nets (Mark 1:19-20). James was one of the favored three Apostles who was privileged to witness the Transfiguration, the raising to life of the daughter of Jairus, and the agony in the Garden of Gethsemane. 

Today’s Gospel taken from Matthew 20:20-28 tells us that the mother of James and John went to Jesus and asked on behalf of her two sons that they may sit next to him in his Kingdom: “Command that these two sons of mine sit, one at your right and the other at your left, in your Kingdom.” Now, there are preachers who bash the mother of James and John, and accuse her of being too ambitious; that she wanted high places of authority in the kingdom for her sons. Others lambast her for asking for places of honor for her two sons. But I am here to say that there is nothing wrong with the woman’s move and request. There is absolutely nothing wrong to sit next to Jesus at his Kingdom. I actually commend her for wanting her sons to be close to Jesus. Every mother, every father, every parent should visit Jesus and make the same request for their sons, daughters and grand-children. If I were married and have kids, I will want my children to be close to Jesus, to sit next to him at his Kingdom which of course begins here and now and thereafter. By the way, the Bible did not tell us the name of the mother of James and John. So, for the purpose of this sermon permit me to give her the name, Araceli— a Spanish name which means “Altar of heaven.” 

So, for preachers who accuse Araceli for being too ambitious, I ask you, what is wrong with being ambitious for what is good? The greatest life’s ambition should be to sit next to the Lord of life, Jesus Christ. For those who lambast her for wanting places of authority for her sons, I ask you again, “What is wrong in claiming for what belongs to someone?” Didn’t Jesus come in order to raise us to places of authority? Would you prefer your children to sit in places of authority with the ungodly? For those who accuse Araceli for wanting her sons to sit in high places of honor, do you prefer she seeks for places of dishonor for her sons? Even if her intentions were worldly, Jesus is able to purify them and that of her sons. And the fact that we are celebrating the feast of one of her sons— James, means that Jesus did purify those intentions. This woman, this mother should be commended and not demonized. Her request is honorable. Every mother should do what she did. 

Friends, no one gets better by staying far from Jesus. No life is reformed, no bad habit is dropped, no wickedness is turned to love and compassion, no repulsive and obnoxious attitude and behavior goes away by staying 100 miles away from Jesus. No life is changed by detachment from Jesus. It is by being close to Jesus, sitting next to him in his Kingdom that we become more like him. 

Sweet Jesus, please command that my brothers, sisters, mother, father, grand-mother, relatives, friends and I will sit next to you in your Kingdom. Amen.  

Pentecost Sunday Homily

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

St. Mary of the Assumption Church, Whittier, California

June 9, 2019

I don’t know if fear is the opposite of faith because it is possible for a person to have faith while at the same time be fearful. But what I do know is that fear is a strong emotion that is triggered by a perceived threat to one’s life or livelihood. It can be a basic survival mechanism that alerts and warns us to respond to danger with either a fight or flight. So, fear is a crucial part of keeping us safe. However, when someone lives in constant fear from physical dangers in the environment or threats they perceive, the person can be incapacitated. This kind of fear can prevent someone from moving forward in life and even taking the necessary steps needed to protect himself or herself. Fear can prepare us to react to danger, but when it is constant, it can have serious health consequences. Studies have shown that living under constant fear can impact one’s physical, emotional and spiritual health. Among the many consequences of long-term fear are fatigue, clinical depression, and post traumatic stress disorder (PSTD). To someone living in constant fear, the world looks scary, and the person appears to be trapped in darkness and living in darkness. 

Today’s Gospel (John 20: 19-23) says that “On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for FEAR of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, Peace be with you.” Now, it is important to note that this is not the first time the disciples had expressed fear. When they faced storm and saw Jesus walking on the water, they were scared (Matt. 14: 22-29); when Jesus was in the boat with them but asleep, they were scared by the violent storm (Matt8:26). After the crucifixion of Jesus, they were again gripped by fear of the Jews. As a result of the present danger, they gathered in the upper room, the place of fear. Suddenly Jesus showed up in their midst. He knew his disciples were so afraid. So, what did he do? First, he said, “Shalom,” which means peace. He seemed to be saying to them, “Calm down now. I am here. I have got your back.” As soon as his disciples were about to celebrate their newfound relief and peace, Jesus shocked them. He showed his wounds. With that he reminded them of the injustice and evil that ended his own life. By showing his wounds, Jesus seemed to be saying to them, “Before you celebrate and dance at my appearance, do not forget what the wicked world had done to me. Do not forget the impact and consequences of evil. Do not celebrate so much as to forget that there is still evil in the world. Do not forget the catastrophic effects of injustice and wickedness. As you look at my hands, remember my wounds and the wounds of many others around you who are suffering injustice. Do not forget that evil is real!” But before his disciples could relapse into fear and sadness, Jesus quickly transitioned to something that is much more powerful than injustice, wickedness, evil, crime and sin. He returned not with vengeance, not with what was done to him, not with more of the same, not with violence, not with tooth for tat, rather, the injustice done to him was met with shalom, the gift of peace. It was met with absolute mercy, healing and restoration. As if that was not enough, Jesus gave them the greatest of all: “Receive the Holy Spirit,” and also empowered them to forgive and retain sins. 

As we celebrate the descent of the Holy Spirit, the Gift of the Father and the Son, let us remember that the Holy Spirit is not a feeling, rather a person, a divine person, the third person in the Holy Trinity. He is with us to guide us safely to our ultimate destination of heaven. And he accomplishes this as the Comforter, Helper, Teacher, and Advocate. As the Comforter, he alleviates the burdens of life, consoles us when we suffer broken-heart syndrome, and makes us feel we are not alone. His comfort gives warmth and healing and prevents difficult events from getting in our way and journey to God. God is our refuge and destination, therefore, anything that attempts to divert our attention and journey to him is a distraction. The Comforter helps us to get back up and keep moving. Extreme pain and suffering can potentially deafen us from even hearing the voice of the Divine GPS. When that happens, we could miss our way, and enter into the wrong lane or highway of lamentation and depression. Eventually, we could get lost. But when the Comforter comes, he consoles, heals, and also recalculates our way back to God. As the Helper, the Holy Spirit helps us in all aspects of our lives; he helps us to fulfill our vocation in life; he helps us fulfill our destiny; he helps us to get saved. He also helps us in prayer when we do not know how to pray (Romans 8:26-27). He reveals to us the will of God (1 Cor. 2:10-11). He helps in the building up of our faith and to live a victorious Christian life. As the Teacher or Counselor, the Holy Spirit teaches us the truth of God and offers us good counsel that keeps us on the track. He frequently asks us the question, “Will the road you are on get you to my place?” In addition to all those, the Holy Spirit is also our advocate. As we know, an advocate is someone who looks after your interest in a court of law, speaks and answers on our behalf. The Holy Spirit is our Advocate in heaven. He looks after our interests in the heavenly court. He does this not by providing evidence to show our innocence, or to bend the law of God. He knows that every accusation of the law of God against us is true. In the heavenly court, he points at the wounds of Jesus. By pointing at his wounds, he pleads for mercy, clemency and leniency for us. 

Brothers and sisters, everything the Holy Spirit does for us demonstrates among other things that we are not alone. Before his Ascension, Jesus promised not to leave us as orphans. So, none of us is truly alone. Even if you live alone, you are not really alone. The Holy Spirit is very much with you as the Comforter, Helper, Teacher, Counselor, and Advocate if only you will entrust yourself to him. 

Happy Pentecost Sunday!

  

The Catholic Church and the Power to Forgive Sin

Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained” (John 20:23). 

Folks, the Jews know that only God can forgive sin, but with the words above, Jesus transferred the power to do so to his disciples. With this, Jesus made each of his disciples and by virtue of ordination, each Catholic priest Alter Christus, which means, Another Christ. Do you know that if you commit a crime, let’s say a robbery and in the process you were caught and charged to court.  Now even after serving a jail sentence for your crime, you are still guilty before God. And if  you were acquitted  by a Judge, before God you are still guilty. Only God can truly forgive all sins; and in his omni-benevolence, Jesus has made it possible that through the ministry of the Church absolution, pardon and peace can be obtained. Praise the Lord! Serving a jail term for crime committed does not absolve the criminal. Being acquitted by a competent Judge does not bestow pardon and peace from God. Only a priest, Alter Christus, can make such possible. 

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Reflection on John 16:23-24 

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR          

Jesus said to his disciples: Amen, Amen, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you. Until now you have not asked anything in my name, ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete (John 16:23-24)

Sisters and brothers, whenever you read the above gospel passage, how do you interpret it? What does it mean to you? Should we take it literally? Is Jesus really saying that whatever we ask the Father in his name we will receive, no matter what it is and no matter what we asked? This is one of those passages in the Bible that should not be interpreted literally. It requires a deeper reading and deeper interpretation. When I was growing up in Nigeria, I heard a story of a young man who went to his church, and after listening to his pastor, a Pentecostal pastor preach on the Gospel of Matthew 5:29-30: “If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body thrown into Gehenna. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and through it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body go into Gehenna,” decided to apply the passage literally. When he got home, he attempted to chop off his genital because it was leading him to sin. 

Anyone who applies “…whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you,” literally will be disappointed. If you sit down and think about it, you will realize that there are some things you have asked the Father in the Name of Jesus that did not come to pass. There are things I had prayed for days, weeks, months, and years that the Father has not given me. Having said that, does it mean that Jesus lied to us? Not at all! Because “For however many are the promises of God their Yes is in him; therefore, the Amen from us also goes through him to God for glory” (2 Corinthians 1:20). Does it mean that we should stop praying? Not at all! Jesus urges us to pray always and not to lose heart (Luke 18:1). 

What I am about to share with you is how I read, interpret and understand “…whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you.” There are two ways I look at it. Firstly, in the passage, Jesus seems to display the great deal of trust and confidence he has in his disciples to do the right thing and to ask for the needful. It is the same faith he had in the woman caught in the act of adultery that moved him to say to her, “Go, and do not sin anymore.” Although the woman was considered loose and wayward, Jesus saw she has in her what it would take to fix and mend her life and to live better. So, in the passage, “…whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you” the good Lord appears to be demonstrating his abiding trust and confidence in us that we are not going to exploit his name for selfish purposes. Of course, a true and authentic disciple of Jesus will not exploit the name of Jesus for self-enrichment and self-aggrandizement. 

Secondly, in the passage the Lord seems to be saying: “Whatever you ask the Father in my name that is according to his will for you, he will give you.” How did I arrive at this? At the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed thrice to his Father and pleaded with him to remove and end his impending suffering, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me…” but will always add, “yet, not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39-44). In the end, what Jesus asked for was not granted. It was the Father’s will for him that ultimately prevailed. 

In conclusion, not everything you ask the Father in the name of Jesus will be given you. Even when the intention and petition is selfless and good, not every prayer made in the name of Jesus will be presented to you. Eventually, it is the Father’s will and purpose for you and me that will prevail. Bear in mind that the purpose of prayer is not to change the mind of God or to inform him about something he does not know. God is not like President Donald Trump of USA or President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria that we have to persuade to do something for us. God is rather a good and wonderful Father who wants nothing other than the best for us. He wants to give us only what he considers are the best for us. But I must warn you, sometimes what God gives us is not always what we want. The will of God for us is not always a bed of roses. Sometimes his will discomforts us. Learn from Jesus’ own experience. His Father’s will for him did not make him laugh, smile, jump, dance and celebrate. It brought so much pain and anguish on him. But in the end, it is the Father’s will that leads to glory and to the crown. 

If you did not get what you asked for, do not give up. Feel free to lament, complain, cry, grieve, and express your disappointment. Feel free to tell God how you feel. Express your disappointment to him. However, after the season of lamentation, do what Jesus did. Accept your lot and surrender to the Father’s will.