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. 

How To Love Difficult People and People Who Have Hurt You

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara

On Holy Thursday, at the Last Supper, Jesus gave his first disciples and those of us who would later believe in his teaching a new commandment: “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another.” He also added, “This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” But why did Jesus call his command to love a new commandment? Does the commandment to love not appear in the Old Testament? Do other world religions not command their adherents to love?  Surely, the command to love others can be found in the Old Testament and in other religions, but the difference is this, none of those calls to love others is based on anyone. Buddha never asked his adherents to love others as he has loved. Muhammad never instructed anyone to love as he has loved. Confucius did not tell his followers to love as he has loved. Laozi the founder of Taoism never asked anyone to love as he has loved. Only Jesus did! In Jesus and through Jesus, love became concrete and real. Jesus defines and demonstrates the true meaning of love, sets a new standard and also raises the bar of love. For him, love is no longer based on how much you love yourself. The old commandment was to love your neighbor as you love yourself; however, the new one, set by Jesus, demonstrated by Jesus, exemplified by Jesus, led by example by Jesus is to love as he Jesus has loved us. If you are asking the question, “How did Jesus love us?” take a look at the cross. Buddha, Muhammad, Confucius, Laozi etc. none of them died for the redemption of the world. Only Jesus did! That is why his command to love others is a new commandment. It is no longer a general call or an empty call that sounds nice and romantic. It is no longer based on how much you love yourself or how much you love Jesus. It is rather based on how much Jesus loves us. True love is sacrificial. Jesus invites us to love until it hurts. 

Jesus also wants his disciples to be known, recognized and identified as his disciples not simply because they go to Church often, (even though it is good to go to church) or have the appearance of being religious. The world should know you as a disciple of Christ Jesus not because you have a rosary or scapular or cross around your neck, but because you are a person of true love. Do not get me wrong! Nothing is wrong with wearing those sacramentals. I actually encourage Catholic Christians to have the crucifix, pictures of Jesus, Mary, and other holy persons on display at the walls of their homes. When they are blessed by a priest, they can ward off evil spirits. But our discipleship should go beyond all that. Be known as Jesus’ friend not because you carry a bible around but because you carry love around. Be known for love! Love should be the identity of all Christians. So, if you want others to identify you, know your faith, just love as Jesus loved. 

Now, when you hear the word “love,” what comes to your mind? Most of us think of our spouses, children, family, siblings, friends, good neighbors, and some of their colleagues at work that they have a good relationship with. We think of people who are easy to love, because they love us back. In the Gospel of Luke 6:32 Jesus says “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them.” In the same Gospel, Jesus challenges his followers: “Love your enemies and do good to them” (Luke 6:35). It is not enough to love the people that are easy to love; we are also called to love those who are difficult to love, that is the unlovables. But how? How do we love those that we deeply resent? How do I love someone that has hurt me—whose lies cost me my job, my relationship, my marriage, my business? How do I love someone who raped me, put me in a family way, and inflicted me with STD? How do I love someone who has been so mean to me and who wants me dead? When I see him or her do I just pretend that all is well? Do I fake my love for them? 

Honestly, it is very difficult to love people who have done any of these or other harms to you. But I want to encourage you to try. Take a page out of Jesus’ book. Learn from him. Do not go through the rest of your life in anger, bitterness and resentment. Living that way is like living in darkness. God does not want that for you, and you should not want it for yourself either. Be patient with me as I share with you the five ways to love someone who is difficult to love.

Prayer: Whenever you pray, pray for the ones you dislike and resent. If you are struggling to love someone, strive to pray for them daily. Tell God how you feel about the person, but also ask God to bless them, touch them, heal them, and be with them. I tell you, it is almost impossible to continue to hate someone you are constantly asking God to bless, protect and prosper. Praying for the hated ones can soften the hatred. 

Be Honest With Yourself: The saying that no one is perfect includes you and those who hurt you. That no one is perfect means that from time to time we are going to step on each others toes, say things that will hurt the other, and behave in a manner that will be reprehensible to others. Tell yourself the truth that just as someone has offended you due to the person’s imperfection, so also you have offended someone else due to your own imperfection. Think about how you would want to be treated and then treat others the same way.

Forgive Often: It is hard to forgive the people who hurt us, but if we don’t forgive them, we will become bitter, angry and resentful. Mark this! You won’t be able to love someone you are bittier and angry with and resentful of. The first step is to forgive and then gradually move yourself to the place where you can begin to feel comfortable to love them again. 

Strive to know people’s story: When it comes to judging people and blaming others, we are all doctorate degree holders. We are quick to judge people and quick to blame them instead of taking some time to understand their stories, background, experience etc. and how those may be impacting them at present. A lot of people have issues, deep issues. So, be patient with people. The reason why that person is upset with you whenever you mention Church or God may be that he or she is disappointed with God or Church for something that happened to them in the past. If you know their story, you may be more patient. If you understand their story,  you may be moved with compassion for them. Compassion for the other is the beginning of love.  

Not Everyone will be your best friend: During his earthly ministry, Jesus healed a lot of people and was followed by a great multitude, but when he wants to relax, rest, eat, pray, reflect, and debrief, he will settle with the 12 Apostles. So, loving someone does not mean that the person must be your best friend. You can love even difficult people by being kind, pleasant and respectful. 

Jesus wants the world to recognize us as his disciples by loving as he did. And loving as Jesus did includes difficult people and people who have hurt you. Check this out! At the peak of his pain, Jesus forgave his executioners. By loving difficult people and those who caused you pain, you fulfill the Lord’s commandment and become more like him. 

Mother’s Day Sermon

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara

St. Mary of Assumption Church, Whittier, CA

Sunday, May 12, 2019

Since October 15, 2014 when I lost my mother, Mother’s Day has always been a sensitive time for me. I believe it is the same emotion for many of you here who have lost your moms as well. Like you, I miss my mother so much. As a priest, it is harder for me because I do not have a family of my own. All my siblings are married. I know they miss our mother, but their spouses and kids have softened the effect of the impact. When the news of my mother’s transition was broken to me, one of the grief questions I asked myself severally was how I would be able to live, cope and deal with her loss as a man without my own family. It has gotten easier to deal with the loss as the years pass but it is still hard sometimes. God has since my mother’s departure blessed me with wonderful people. A few months after I came to St. Mary, a caucasian couple drove all the way from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to Whittier, California, just to be with me. I don’t know if you still remember them. May be not. The thing is that since they did not have a child together, they adopted me as their son. Ever since then, they have treated me like their own biological son. The saying that God provides is obviously true. Please, keep them in your prayers. Since last year, both of them have experienced a major health issue. But thanks be to God, they are still alive and thriving. Their names are David and Mary. 

As we celebrate yet another Mother’s Day, I want to talk about the seven different ways we can honor our mothers. I believe there are more ways to honor them, but due to time constraint, I am going to concentrate only on seven:  

Unconditionally Love Your Mother: No matter how your mother carries or carried out her maternal responsibilities, your own responsibility is to love and care for her. Nothing she has done or said to you will ever wipe out the fact that she is still your mother. Sometimes mothers have their hands full, which causes them to react harshly to you. Put those experiences behind you. The Book of Leviticus 19:3 says, “Each of you should honor your mother and father…” Love your mother because God has placed her in your life. 

Forgive Your Mother’s Shortcoming: Mothers are human beings too. They are not perfect. Like everyone of us, they are not always going to get it right. So, if you think your mother was hard on you, didn’t say kind words to you, didn’t love you the way you expected her to, may be after your father left her or died, she remarried and moved on with her newfound love, and placed you under the care of her sister, as we celebrate Mother’s Day, I urge you to forgive her— whether living or dead. 

Be Proud Of Your Mother: No matter what your mother looks like, be proud of her. Even if she can’t speak good English, be proud of her. Ability to speak good English is not always an evidence of knowledge and wisdom. If your mother is not technologically savvy, be proud of her. If she did not receive enough formal education, be proud of her. She may not have a college degree, but I tell you, she does have a doctorate degree in life experiences. She has a doctorate degree in being strong. She has a doctorate degree in many things. When you were little, your mother was able to look at you and discern correctly the meaning of every tear you shed. Each time you cried, she was able to know what you wanted and what was wrong with you. Be proud of her! 

Be Attentive To Your Mother’s Need: From infancy, a child is used to taking from his or her mother. So, it can be easy to forget that mothers too have needs. From time to time, consider what your mother might appreciate. As she grows older, she may need assistance for her physical or emotional well-being. You know, for some mothers, all they desire is for their children to express gratitude by way of being attentive to them. Do not abandon your mother. Even after you are married, stay in touch with her. Never allow anything or anybody to disconnect you from your mother. Mother’s life matters!

Live Well And Upright: The greatest gift you can give to a godly mother is to live well and upright. Since we are all Christians, be conscious of God’s presence in your life. Be conscious of your relationship with God. Your relationship with God will be marked and defined by how you live your daily life, what you say and do, how you treat others, how much God matters to you. The bottomline is this: Give your life to Christ Jesus. Even a mother who didn’t live well or who was not a Christian will definitely want her children to live uprightly and will no doubt take pride in a child whose life radiates love, kindness, sacrifice, and charity.

Daily Pray For Your Mother: As a Catholic Christian, prayer should be important to you. So, when you pray, talk to the Lord about your mother. Pray for her privately and in her presence. Surely, praying for her in her presence will always remind her that she is important and loved. 

Do Not Forsake Your Mother’s Teaching: The Book of Proverb says, “Listen, my child, to your father’s instruction, and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.” Many of you have heard me talk about my mother’s wisdom and teachings. They inspire me. Strengthen me. Encourage me. And help me keep moving forward. Those wonderful lessons you learned from your mother can help you through life. We are used to hearing the question, “What would Jesus do?” But there are times when the question, “What would mom do?” will be proper as well.  

To all the mothers here, I commit you into the loving hands of God. I thank each of you for participating in the miracle of birth. May God bless each of you. If you are experiencing sickness, any kind of sickness, I pray for your healing. If you are suffering from broken heart syndrome, I release the anointing power of the Holy Spirit, our Comforter to comfort you. Whatever it is in your life that you struggling with right now— loss of spouse, child, friend, etc. may you experience the power of the Resurrection in Jesus name. Amen