Feb 23, 2020 | Homily
By Fr. Marcel Uzoigwe. Leviticus 19:1-2, 17-18; 1 Corinthians 3:16-23; Matthew 5:38-48
Children always have something of their parents. They are actually part of their parents in many ways, though they can develop differently due to nurture. Nature and nurture play vital role in the development of every individual. By nature we acquire the attributes of a certain generic identity such as the fact of being human and not animals like dogs or chicken. And by nurture we acquire characters and habits that define the kind of human being we become. The readings of today points out our true identity and how we can develop and become true to that identity.
It is amazing that it was written in Psalm 82:6 that we are Gods. The gospel of John 10:34 also talks about it, and today, in our second reading, St. Paul confirms it—“You are Gods, all of you, children of the Most High” (Psalm 82:6). If you think that Jesus is demanding the impossible by commanding us to offer no resistance to those who hurt us, but instead to love our enemies and pray for those that persecute us, you are very much mistaken. You are only looking at it from a purely human perspective without regard to your real identity. From a purely human perspective, it might seem as if being a Christian is the same as being a weakling, victim, timid, coward, etc. But reflecting deeper on it, you could find out that it is about mastery and power which takes a lot of time and character to build. It is very easy to mess things up, very easy to hurt or wound people. Where the difficulty lies is in building up, healing and restoring what is destroyed. Our power as Christians lies in what we can build, heal, develop, construct, restore, improve, reconcile, salvage, nurture, unite, and not what we can destroy or mess up. That is the difference between love and hate. Since God our Father is Love, we His children cannot be children of hate but of love. Thus, the command is based on Jesus’ understanding of who you and I are: we are Gods. As such, we should behave like God, not just like human beings—simple mortals. Our nature and status has been elevated, our citizenship transformed from earthly to heavenly. Philippians 3:20 notes that we are citizens of heaven. But do we realize it?
Fr. Anthony de Mello told a story about a hunter, who went into the forest to hunt. He came upon an eagle’s nest with eggs in it. The hunter picked the eggs and brought them home. He gave the eggs to his wife, who mixed them up with the eggs of an incubating hen. The unsuspecting hen hatched, what she thought were all her eggs, unknowing that she had both chicks and eaglets. One day, the brooding free-range hen was pasturing her chicks around the compound, when one of her chicks that was actually an eaglet, noticing some creatures like itself flying in the sky, said to the hen: “mom, look up, who are these guys flying up there?” The hen said to the supposed chick, “you belong down here, they belong up there, you just follow me!” The poor eaglet lived its life believing it was a hen, even though it was an eagle, for lack of knowledge. What a pity!
Yes, each and everyone of us need to think seriously about this. Reclaim your identity and dignity. You are more that just your body and mind – an earthly creature. If you don’t believe it, listen to our first reading: “Speak to the whole Israelite community and tell them: Be holy, for I, the Lord, your God, am holy” (Leviticus 19:1). God compares you and I to himself, no more no less! Are you still in doubt? Listen to Paul, in our second reading: “Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for the temple of God, which you are, is holy” (I Corinthians 3:16-17). What other proof do you need to know that your identity derives from that of our Father who is called God? Otherwise He would would not require us to be like Him, for that would be demanding the impossible.
You know what? Holiness is what you and I are called to, not just the avoidance of sin. Don’t get me wrong, you need to avoid sin, certainly, but you will find yourself committing sin, if your plan is only to avoid sin. On the contrary, seek “holiness”! What is the difference? “Holiness” is becoming who you are, claiming your identity as a child of God. Thus, for Jesus, we must not only avoid returning evil for evil, but we must seek the good of those who wish us ill. That is the nature of our Father who makes his sun rise on the bad and the good and causes his rain to fall on the just and the unjust. Since our Father loves without boundary, we are expected to do the same. Listen to the gospel say the same thing: “be children of your heavenly Father . . . be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). So, the imitation of God is what holiness means, and that is the meaning of “you are Gods”.
Our homily today may sound idealistic, impossible and fantastic. But it is not. Take the example of a normal human behaviour. When a person is interested in doing something or in archieving a goal, he/she can spend a lot of time and energy on it, without any external coercion or obligation. Think of football fans. They could stay in the cold winter rain to cheer their club during a football match. At such time, they would be so focused on the game that one may wonder if it is really cold outside. When we want to become like God our Father, our minds would be only focused on how to achieve our objective. In like manner, we abandon sin and do not remember to commit sin because all our energy is dedicated to becoming like God. Here is where we experience and feel the power of love. When we love, there is no obligation, we find an inner motivation to crave for what we love.
Dear friends, becoming like God makes us realize that there is only one commandment—Love: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord” (Leviticus 19:18), says our first reading. Through love, then, we realize that our neighbor is our brother/sister and fellow citizen. The thoughts of harming others disappear. The old law, “You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy” disappears because the urge for revenge which is strictly human will no longer have absolute control over us. Then we can wish them well and hope they become better: we pray for them.
Our gospel reading gives us simple rules through which we know our citizenship—heavenly or earthly: “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you . . . For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that?” If you’re still struggling with the forgiveness and love of your enemies, if you cannot pray for your enemies, when your love is partial, then your citizenship of heaven and identity as “god” is still very much in question.
This Sunday provides us with the knowledge that will help us to fly like the eagles that we are, not subdued and cowed down like the chickens we are told that we are—powerless sinners. Our world keeps telling us the bad story of what we do wrong, how it is “human to err,” without the encouragement that all is possible with God. Yet, the power of knowledge is the change it brings, the audacity it inspires and the challenge kindles in people. The choice is ours to make, either to listen to the untruth that celebrates our sins and human weakness or the determination to maximize the divine that is already in us. It is for everyone to make this choice individually. Indeed, “You are gods”. Reclaim your identity as a child of your loving father, and live in the boundless love that is meant for you.
Jan 26, 2020 | Homily
By Fr. Marcel Uzoigwe, CSSp
(Isaiah 8: 23-9:3; 1Corinthians 1:10-13, 17; Matthew 4:12-23)
The readings of today remind us that we are children of the Light. In the light of this theme, I wish to highlight three important points that form the liturgy of this third Sunday in the ordinary time.
The first point is that Pope Francis has declared the third Sunday in Ordinary Time a special day for the Word of God. This is simply to emphasize the importance of focusing on the Word of God as a guide for Christian life. The Psalmist says “Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path” (Psalm 119:105). Part of the Pope’s declaration reads, “Consequently, I hereby declare that the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time is to be devoted to the celebration, study and dissemination of the word of God”. He noted that the word of God brings us close tot he Jewish people and calls for unity and world peace.
The reading of the Scripture used to be a regular event in families. Children were taught to lead in prayers and reflections at home. So it was in my family. We had to read the assigned portion and give reflection. In that way we grew in the appreciation of the Word of God. Today, the center of preoccupation is the smartphone and television. Children and adults spend time navigating channels, apps and social media. There is even little time to communicate among partners and with children. Two people sitting in the same room, each busy with someone far away on the social media and nothing happening among them. If we don’t have time for one another, how can we have time for the word of God? Thus, the Pope wishes to draw our attention back to the very Word that is Life and Light.
The second point is the very fact that we are called to be the Light wherever we are. In the first reading of this Sunday, the prophet Isaiah recalls an historical event recorded in 2Kings 15:27-27, where in the past, the Lord afflicted the land of Zebulun and Naphtali, the Northern Kingdom of Israel around 732 BC owing to the people’s gross disobedience and worship of foreign gods. The Lord allowed their enemies, the Assyrians to destroy everything and carried the inhabitants into exile and the pagan nations then settled in the conquered territories. That was a moment of darkness for them.
In today’s Gospel reading, therefore, St Matthew the evangelist makes a link tot his event, seeing in it the fulfillment of God’s plan to liberate his people through the coming of Jesus. After after his baptism and his forty days in the desert, Jesus began is ministry. Seeing that John the Baptist, his forerunner, was arrested and put into prison, He went and settled in Capernaum, a lakeside town bordering Zebulun and Naphtali. The gospel refers to this action as the fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah: ‘Land of Zebulun! Land of Naphtali! Way of the sea on the far side of Jordan, Galilee of the nations! The people that lived in darkness has seen a great light; on those who dwell in the land and shadow of death a light has dawned.’ Indeed, Jesus’ mission is to bring a total liberation to all who live in the of darkness of error and sin.
Both readings (the first reading and the gospel) of today talk about those who walked in darkness seeing a great light. Darkness brings fear, uncertainty, confusion, failure, doubts, worry, etc. Darkness is related to shadow and valley. Shadow and valley are related to depression, despair, death, chains, bondage, pit, forsaken, gloom, decay, etc. When light comes, these negative forces are driven away. Light brings celebration, joy, energy, life, optimism, certainty, enthusiasm, growth, progress and confidence.
During the baptism of Collin, we gave a lighted candle to the Godparents as a symbol of the light of Jesus that must be guarded for him. Parents and Godparents were told to ensure that he grows up in a positive environment with love and respect for people around him. He has to grow in this light and be a light to his generation. In the same way we are called to be the light of Christ to our generation – people around us. We are invited to bring something positive and liberate to those undergoing difficult situations, friends in the dark moments or situations of their lives. Our presence should offer solutions and show a way out, at least to some extend; and not complicate their situation.
As we grow in faith we develop stronger inner light, the light that is the presence of Christ in us, in such a way that it becomes the source of our inner strength and the compass that directs our thoughts, words and actions.. This light determines almost everything about us; it determines our level of joy and happiness, our ability to survive crises, disappointment, losses, heart breaks, sickness, bad news, anxieties, etc. We all need this inner light, inner power, positive energy, tough optimism.
The third point can be found in the second part of the gospel reading where Jesus calls the disciples. It is the call to collaborative ministry. The very first thing that Jesus did before beginning his ministry was to call those who were to be with him (John 1: 35-40). We often think that we know it all and can do it alone. Jesus did not do the work alone. He got collaborators. And those called left everything to follow him: commitment. Peter and Andrew, James and John were all called and they dropped everything and followed Jesus. They weren’t extra-ordinary class of people but rather, common everyday people, fishermen. Nevertheless, they were prettily extra-ordinary in their attitude and their willingness to leave everything to follow Jesus.
A true follower of Jesus, would always willingly set aside his/her plans and respond to God’s plan for him/her. We might not necessarily leave fishing boats, torn nets and even parents as the apostles did in their days, but we are called to leave behind those part of ourselves which hinder us from answering the call that God makes to us; those things that keep us away from making our gifts and talents available to serve our community. Reflect today, and ask yourself what you have to drop in your life in order to follow the Lord more lovingly and faithfully. Give God the first place in your life and allow his principles to determine your decisions and life choices.
Dec 30, 2019 | Homily
By Fr. Marcel Uzoigwe, CSSp
4th Sunday of Advent (Isaiah 7:10-24; Romans1:1-7; Matthew 1:18-24)
Dear friends in Christ,
We are close to the actual celebration of the birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ. It is a birth like no other, for several reasons. His coming was widely prophesied. Various generations waited for him with eagerness. His birth took place in an extraordinary manner, and those who encounter him are filled with gratitude. Today is the fourth and last Sunday of Advent; a time for preparation for the great feast of Christmas. The readings invite us to develop the right attitude to life situations and to adopt principles guided by true love of God and neighbor in our decision making.
The first reading presents us with King Ahaz. He was the son of Jothan and the father of Hezekiah. Ahaz became king at the youthful age of 20 and was disrespectful of the ordinances of the God of Israel. He got involved with occultic practices to the extent of making his own son walk through the fire of Moloch, copying the abominable pagan practice of the Phoenicians. Troubles soon befell him. His kingdom (Judah) was attacked and annexed by the Edomites and the Philistines. When the king of the great Assyrian Empire of the time terrorized all the nations in the region, forcing them to pay tribute, the Kings of Syria and Israel joined forces to stop him. But Ahaz would not join them. They, therefore, decided to unseat Ahaz and replace him with an Aramean. Finding himself hard-pressed from all sides, Ahaz sent men of noble birth with gold and silver taken from the Temple of God to make a pact with the Assyrian King. Offering the pagan King of Assyria treasures from the Temple of the God of Israel was a great abomination. It was while this situation of unrest threatened Jerusalem that the prophet Isaiah approached the faithless King Ahaz with the proposition mentioned in the first reading.
Situations have ways of impinging on our faith. It is sometimes difficult to hold the fort in the face of imminent danger. That is when faith and reason seem to contradict each other. Ahaz got himself into trouble. But instead of turning to God, he went further away from God by seeking the solution in the wrong place. God was actually saying to him, ‘ask me for a sign that will guarantee you that I am God, the only one that will save this city – and not the Assyrian king.’ Though Ahaz had no faith in God, God was not willing to abandon Ahaz and his people. He is a faithful God. Even if we are faithless, he remains faithful….(2 Timothy 2:13). Isaiah assured the King that God himself will give him a sign: a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call him name Immanuel. Immanuel means “God-with-us”. Paul noted in Romans 8:31 “If God be for us who can be against us?” and speaking about the troubles that afflicted him, Paul declared that we always have victory through Jesus (Romans 8:37). God’s faithfulness to Ahaz manifested in the latter’s own lifetime. He lived to see the kingdoms that threatened Judah laid low while Judah enjoyed prosperity.
Joseph, on the contrary, gives us a glimpse of what it means to be God-fearing. We see him in the Gospel faced with a difficult situation. He was upright and law abiding: a righteous person. Heartbroken to see that his betrothed was pregnant prior to their marriage, and knowing that this would result in the death of Mary should it be known that he was not responsible for her pregnancy, he decided to take the middle course: divorce her secretly, thereby saving her life and protecting her family from shame. In our present society, one would expect some kind of revenge for such a “betrayal”. But such was not Joseph. He is a reminder to us that while observing laws and maintaining personal prestige is important, the salvation and welfare of the other (inspired by true love) is more valuable. As Paul noted in 1 Corinthians 13, love is the only thing that endures. God is love (1 John 4:7).
The dilemma of Joseph became even more complicated when the angel told him in a dream that the pregnancy was a divine action, something unheard of in his days. In those days, dreams were viewed as avenues for divine communication. Joseph believed the message he got from the dream and acted accordingly. There was no crisis between his faith in God and his rationality.
Juxtaposing Joseph and Ahaz highlights some important points for consideration on this last Sunday of Advent. Ahaz, unlike Joseph, was impious and therefore got himself and the people of Judah into so many religious, social, security and economic crises. His egocentric approach to the problems he encountered made him make the wrong decisions which took him farther from God. As we approach the birth of Jesus during these last days of the year, it is important to review the principles that have guided our decisions over the year. Are these principle in conformity with Christian principles? Otherwise, we could be professing one thing while doing another.
Joseph placed the welfare of Mary over and above his ego and other personal considerations. Guided by love, he was able to understand the spirit of the law of Moses and the ultimate desire of God for humanity. Love is the driving force of the incarnation (God taking flesh in Jesus Christ). John 3:16 puts it clearly: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
As we conclude our preparation for welcoming the newborn king, Jesus Christ, let us be reminded that the ultimate desire of God is to be with us forever. Isaiah gave the virgin birth of Immanuel (God-with-us) as an assurance to Ahaz. The angel of God repeated the same to Joseph in the Gospel reading of today. What can be more beautiful than God being with us at all times?
During a visit to a dying old man, the man said to me: “I had everything I needed. I had a good life, good job and enjoyed the company of many friends. When I became sick, my friends gradually ceased to visit. My wife had died earlier, but I have a son in America.” Then he sobbed. I could see great pain in his face. When he lifted his eyes, he said, “But here am I dying lonely. I have not heard from my son for so long.” It then became clear to me that nothing can replace the presence and care of a loved one, especially in times of difficulty.
God never deserts us. His desire to be with us led Him to take flesh and be born of the Virgin Mary. Besides, Jesus’ last words to his disciples on His ascension were, “…And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age (Matthew 28:20).” It is for us, therefore, to welcome Him into our lives and allow Him operative space through a life of love and obedience to His words.
May the birth of Jesus Christ bring many blessings to us all. Amen.
Nov 30, 2019 | Homily
By Fr. Marcel Uzoigwe, CSSp
(Christ the King: 2 Samuel 5:1–3; Colossians 1:12–20; Luke 23:35–43)
Dear friends in Christ,
Today, we celebrate Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. He is king, not just of the Jews as Pilate wrote and placed over his head on the cross, but of the universe. “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him” (Colossians 1:16). We also proclaim it loud and clear that we belong to the kingdom of God, through Christ – “giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:12-14 from the second reading) Jesus Christ has made us princesses and princes, according to our second reading – “We shall reign with him!”
But what kind of King is Jesus? The first reading presents David being anointed king of Israel after the death of Saul whom God rejected to choose him. He had to fight many battles to claim his kingship and to protect it. At some point he had to face the rebellion of his own son, Absalom, who wanted to overthrown his father (David) to become the king of Israel.(2 Samuel 15-18). David was a shepherd who had reverence for God right from his childhood. That made him decide to face Goliath, the Philistine who defiled the name of God of Israel and shamed his armies (1 Samuel 17:26). As a shepherd king, he fought many wars to protect the people entrusted to him. David had unwavering faith in God and the desire to do God’s will in spite of his weaknesses and sins (like the taking of the wife of Uriah the Hittite (2 Samuel 11). He was a great king in the history of Israel such that Jesus is often referred to as the son of David. Psalm 98 said of him, “I have found David my servant; with my sacred oil I have anointed him. My hand will sustain him; surely my arm will strengthen him. (Psalm 89: 20-21).
But Jesus’ kingship goes far beyond that of David. It is not concerned with a section of people and the exercise of raw power to protect his kingship. Jesus serves the people he leads rather than being served by them (Mark. 10:45). For the sake of mankind he set aside his divine nature and took flesh to teach us the way to the Father. He even gave his own life to pay the price of our sins (Phil. 2:6-11). The very people he taught, fed and healed made him undergo the painful crucifixion. While on the cross, as our today’s gospel portrays, his only interest was still on the salvation of mankind. That is love unending, love that goes beyond any human imagination.
Going by the event of today’s gospel, one notices that, sometimes, when the chips are down, one questions the meaning of life; whether it is worth living. That is also the moment to know the true nature of those who call themselves one’s friend. Look at Jesus Christ of today’s gospel, the whole society rejected him: the rulers scoffed at him, the soldiers jeered at him and the crowd watches on as all that unfolds, and even a thief mocks Jesus’ power, “save yourself and us” (Luke 23:35-39). The only consolation Jesus gets, while hanging on the cross, is the consolation of a thief, the so-called “good thief”. When earthly power confronts and surrounds Jesus flexing its muscles – the rulers, the soldiers and thieves; only a thief has the audacity to declare Jesus innocent, saying, “we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong” (Luke 23:41). He is hanging on the cross for the guilt of others instead of his own sins. Such experience of being forsaken in times of trial and hardship by those one has given everything is common in our days.
Curiously, it is in the gospel of today that we see the manifesto under which Jesus, and all who leads in God’s name, functions and lives. Leadership in the community of God is the willing martyrdom of the leader for the good of the community. It is the vulnerability of the leader while protecting the led. God’s leader on earth leads in the hope of a reward hereafter, not for an immediate gratification: it is a thankless earthly job! Indeed, Christ-the-King Sunday is a cleaning and dusting up time, an embrace of a new style of leadership because Christ is our King. By our jubilant celebration, we declare our willingness to become leaders like Christ, especially when surrounded by mockery, scoffing and insults, to bear all silently in the spirit of forgiveness, love and the kingdom of God.
The two thieves crucified on either side of Jesus provide an opportunity for Jesus to teach us the exercise of power. The first thief jeered at Jesus: “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us?” And he never received any answer from Jesus. The second thief challenged his colleague and defends the innocence of Jesus. The “good thief” refuses to be a silent bystander, like the spectator-crowd of the gospel, when evil is being perpetrated; instead of mockery and scoffing, the “good thief” rises above his sin to challenge the status quo, seeing the complacency of the leadership of the day. He concludes, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
Jesus’ answer, “Today, you will be with me in Paradise” shows the salvific power of God to save those willing to be saved. Do not hold back any good deed that is in your power to do. Do not wait for tomorrow or set unnecessary conditions. Otherwise the opportunity would be lost and a soul may not be saved. Consequently, the first step towards becoming princes and princesses, since Christ is our king, is to allow the message of the gospel to transform every aspect of our lives. Only then can Jesus truely be the king of our lives. The second is to participate in his saving mission such that we, in our turn, can count those we have saved from starvation, joblessness, sadness, sin, etc. The testimony of our faith and actions should speak so eloquently that friends and foes alike can say “he/she saved others”. Those touched by the example of our lives should willingly testify to the grace of God in us and acknowledge that we belong to Christ.
We celebrate today because we know that Christ is the Lord of the living and the dead. His kingdom has no end and we are children of that kingdom. The “good thief” shows us that when the world condemns us, God still stands by us, as he stood by his Son on the cross. And even if we die living for Christ, we will be with him in paradise.
Oct 27, 2019 | Homily
By Fr. Marcel Uzoigwe, CSSp.
“He has put down the mighty from their thrones, And exalted the lowly.” ~ Luke 1:52
(Readings: Sir.35:12-14,16-19, Ps.34, 2Tim.4:6-8,16-18 & Lk.18:9-14)
As the liturgical year gradually draws to a close, the readings call our attention to the fact that our life here on earth has an end. Thus, the readings we will be having in the Sundays before Advent center on the need to strengthen our spiritual life, pointing out some important factors that may constitute obstacle to our relationship with God and our neighbor. Last Sunday the Church calls us to reflect on the importance of Prayer and the need to pray continually and not to lose heart. And on this Sunday, still on his discourse on Prayer, Jesus goes further to narrate a parable about some people who are fully convinced of their own righteousness while despising others as less righteous. The parable illustrates the place of humility in our prayer life and relationships. We therefore, pray today, that, God may bestow on us the grace of genuine humility of heart which is necessary to please God.
The Pharisee in this parable sees his own righteousness and he speaks about it in his prayer. He takes full credit for his model of life. In his pride and self-assuming, the Pharisee exonerates himself that he is not like the rest of other sinful men, and more importantly, he is not like the Publican to whom he points his hands with condemnation. His boastful prayer was centered on his good religious practices rather than on God’s goodness, grace, and pardon. Hence, he enumerates his virtues and his religious deeds. In fact, he supposedly demands that God should give him a certificate of good performance, since he is not like the rest of other sinful men.
It is possible that we sometimes erroneously behave like this self-righteous Pharisee. We consider ourselves better than others by comparing our strong points with their weak points, thus deceiving ourselves that we are the best. We might let our imaginations engage in the unfortunate practice to self-exaltation, attributing all kinds of virtues to ourselves. We might want to project the good we do as against the evil done by the other, thinking that by so doing we would be considered better persons than others.
The Publican, on the other hand, in sincere humility, recognizes his sinfulness before God and beats his chest in sorrow, pleading for forgiveness; ‘Mea culpa, Mea culpa’. And, as Jesus says, the Publican goes home reconciled with God while the self-righteous Pharisee left the temple with his ego and the prayer he said to himself. Why? Because, ‘God’s eyes are always drawn to the man of humbled and contrite spirit, who trembles at God’s word, Is.66:2.
The Gospel story is a warning that judging and despising one’s neighbour closes the door to God’s heart. Expressing disdain and contempt for others is more than being mean and proud. It springs from the assumption that one is qualified to sit in the seat of judgment and to publicly shame those who do not conform to one’s standards and religious practices. Certainly God doe not listen to anyone who boasts in his or her goodness as if he or she achieved it without God’s grace, worse still if the person goes on to despise others in condemnation. Do you recognize God’s goodness to you? Do you humbly seek His mercy and do you show mercy to others, especially to those you find difficult to love and to forgive? Are you involved in destructive and demeaning gossips? Remember: God dwells with the humble of heart who recognize their own sinfulness and acknowledges God’s mercy and saving grace (cf. Isaiah 57:15).
Whenever we gather before the Lord in worship and prayer, two groups of people certainly gather; the Pharisee type and the Publican. The Pharisee type are those of us who see the worst in others. They judge and condemn others in their hearts, while presumptuously think that they are better off and God’s No 1. They may not be fully aware that such presumptuous pride not only hardens their hearts all the more towards repentance but also blocks the effectiveness of their prayer before the Lord. The Publican type, on the other hand, are those who are sincerely humble and contrite in heart to see the areas of their sinfulness and limitations and then plead God for forgiveness and mercy. Such people improve everyday in their walk with the Lord because they realize that there is work to be done. Hence, they often grow in their knowledge of God through constant reading of the bible, intense and consistent prayer life, and practice of virtue. When there is a misunderstanding, they do not immediately blame others, but first seek to find out if they have in any way contributed to the problem. They are also quick to forgive because, having experienced forgiveness, they understand the pain of guilt and the joy of forgiveness.
This parable and the first reading present both an opportunity and a warning. Pride leads to self-deception and spiritual blindness. True humility helps us to see ourselves as we really are in God’s eyes. Such realization of our true worth obliges us to seek God’s mercy and forgiveness. Indeed, as the book of Sirach tells us today in the first reading, “he who serves God willingly is heard; his petition reaches the heaven. The prayer of the lowly pierces the clouds. It does not rest till it reaches its goal, nor withdraws till the Most High responds.” Building a community where everyone feels loved demands that we avoid the Pharisee mentality and be of service to one another. Our strengths, gifts and talents are gifts from the Lord meant for service to others.
Let us therefore heed the admonition of St. Paul in Romans 15:1-3, ‘We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up. For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.”
Sep 23, 2019 | Homily
Fr. Marcel Uzoigwe, CSSp. 22-09-2019
The readings of today, especially the first reading and the gospel, deal with the issue of acquisition of wealth and its uses. Prophet Amos is known for his crusade for social justice. He stood against the oppression of the poor by the rich during his days. That oppression marks the relationship between persons, groups and even nations of unequal powers is evident even in our days. Take any century of your choice and analyze social relations in any given society in it or among the nations. You will see clear traces of the weak being subjected to the strong.
Prophet Amos’ struggle against the oppression of the poor in his days foreshadows the opening sermon of Jesus on the mountain called the Beatitudes (Mtt. 5:3-12). Jesus made a counter-cultural statement about the value system of his time: ‘blessed are the poor in Spirit, to them belongs the kingdom of God’. Further in his preaching, Jesus would regularly remind his audience of the uselessness of trusting in wealth. In the parable of the rich fool (Lk. 12: 13-21) Jesus ended by saying “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”
Money and what money can buy seems to top the criteria in determining human success in most societies. Your talents, career, ideas and whatever you have are often judged with regard to their financial values. That is why you see parents making all the efforts to ensure that their children get every opportunity to develop those talents that are financially rewarding in the hope that something clicks someday. Almost every child now is engaged in sport or music, even on Sundays; something that was not the case a few years ago.
Wealth, in itself, is not bad. There is fundamental difference between wealth/money and love of wealth/money. Genuinely acquired wealth is a gift from the Lord, and its proper use for the good of humanity is a sign of blessedness. The love of wealth/money is often evident in the manner of its acquisition and dispensation. With love of wealth/money, people can do anything to acquire wealth and to guard it for themselves alone. 1 Timothy 6:10 “For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows”. Like the prophet Amos emphasized, any acquisition of wealth at the expenses of someone else is an atrocity before God. It is a dehumanization of the image of God in which men and women are created. Think of the various things people do to make money and how that affects the society: human trafficking, crimes, forced labor, illegal trades in weapons and raw materials that lead to wars and impoverishing of developing nations, etc. Ecclesiastes 5:10 “ If you love money, you will never be satisfied; if you long to be rich, you will never get all you want. It is useless”. When Amos berates the people for trampling upon the needy and bringing the poor of the land to an end, he is speaking of a reality that still faces us today.
The gospel presents another dimension on the question of wealth in the parable of the astute steward. He was wasteful of his master’s wealth. Yet all through the time the steward was in the service of his master, it never crossed his mind that the wealth he was handling could be taken away from him at any point, at least not so soon. He made no reservations or savings for such eventuality. When he was eventually asked to prepare a handover note, he went for a quick fix that will earn him a future. That was a last minute effort. There is something about last-minute fixtures. You risk losing more than you gain. In the case of the astute steward, he never minded because the goods he was giving away were actually not his own. All he cared for was to ensure that he didn’t end up on the streets.
The steward is both dishonest and smart. In the parable, the master praised the astuteness of the steward but not his dishonesty. There is something interesting that Jesus uses this parable to teach. Note that the steward could have decided to steal his master’s goods instead of making a deal with his debtors. That he could make such a deal indicates that his master does not know the quantity of goods that he has. He rather chose the second option because he wanted to secure what he considered lasting relationship rather than quick money. And Jesus added, “I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings” (Lk. 16:9).
Everything we have could be considered as the wealth we possess: our talents, time and treasure. They are wonderful to behold and to enjoy, but they will certainly fail some day. However, the use we make of them could be an investment for the future or a wasteful use that has no reward. It is quite encouraging to note that a good number of us devote time and energy to visit the Detention Camp and are involved in various humanitarian works. Others support various community projects, including those of this community. Nevertheless, the gospel challenges each and everyone of us to re-examine our commitment to use worldly wealth to gain eternal friendship with God for ourselves.
In Matthew 25: 31-46 Jesus gives a picture of what the last judgement will look like. Those admitted to the Father’s joy are those to whom the Kind would say, “I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me’ (Mt. 25: 35-36), and “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me”(Mt. 25: 46). We don’t need to wait for a last minute quick fix like the steward in the parable. We can make hay while the sun shines.
While the world occupies itself with wealth creation and craze for riches, it is important to pay attention to the process of wealth acquisition and its use. God who made us in his image prize our being higher that any other material riches. We are beings in transit with an eternal destination. Lets not forget the words of our creator in Genesis 1:26 “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.” We are meant to rule over created things, to care for the earth and not to be dominated and controlled by created things. Ours is to use the wealth in our possession to serve God in creation and thus win for ourselves an eternal friendship with God.
