June 28, 2020. Homily for the 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time, (Year A)

Readings: 2 Kings 4:8-12, 14-16; Romans 6:3-4, 8-11; Matthew 10:37-42

One Good Turn Deserves Another.

1.    Last Sunday we listened to Jesus as he gave his apostles instructions before they were sent out to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. He made it clear to them that their journey would be anything but rosy. They were to expect the worse but hope for the best. He told them not to be afraid of those who could only kill the body but had no power to cast the soul into hell. God was in control of their lives and knew even the number of hair on their heads. It reminds me of the parting words of one of my teachers to our graduating class from high school, “May your ways be rough.” Today, as Jesus concludes his missionary address, he warned them, “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” These are hard words! Christ stressed, in no small way, the difficulty of discipleship. Our call to follow Jesus means a clean break from family ties, blood relationship and encumbrances with worldly things. It means dying to ourselves so as to live for Christ and others. Our mission responsibility, according to Jesus, should always be our number one priority. Hence our burden should be the cross of our Lord, while depending completely on the generosity of the people we are sent to.

2.    As I read through these instructions, I think of my work in Banjul Diocese of the Gambia. It was tough, to say the least. I had to learn a new language, struggled with food and the culture that was different from mine. But what I went through was nothing compared to what the Kiltegan Fathers (SPS), who brought Christianity to my region in Nigeria, had to endure. I often wondered how they survived when they came out in the late 1800s and early 1900s. They had no roads, pipe-borne water, electricity, hospitals, schools, churches and no accommodation. They fought to stay alive against malaria, influenza, cholera, and the weather; many of them died only after a few weeks of arrival. They struggled with the language, the people, elements and the environments. Gradually, however, they were able to build rectories, churches, schools, hospitals and undertook to teach children, not just religion, but also provided them with the best education they could at that time. They died to themselves so as to give us a new life. Thanks to them, many of us are priests today, following in their footsteps, and giving to others what we received ourselves. They proved that the best kind of life is the one lived for others. It is in sacrificing for others that we have a meaningful life of peace and tranquility. 

3.    The closing verses of Christ’s mission-sending speech in today’s Gospel, made it very clear that missionary work cannot be undertaken by everyone in the same way. But we are called to be missionaries, regardless. There are two components to missionary work. Some people go to the mission through their financial, spiritual and moral support, while others give to the mission by going themselves. These are missionaries who responded to the call, to leave their homes and families, in order to bring the Gospel message to people in foreign lands. Without the sending and the receiving church, mission work would be impossible task to accomplish. A disciple is the one sent, therefore, churches must be open to receive and support those sent. For in receiving the ones sent by Jesus, the church receives Jesus and even the Father who sent him. Christ reminds us: “whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.” Anyone who shows hospitality to those engaged in missionary activities of the church will surely be rewarded. Again, these are the words of Jesus: “Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of a righteous person.”

4.    Everyone, whether engaged in mission work or not, has a role to play in the Church’s mission; therefore, we must take direct interest in responding to the divine mandate of Christ, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations.” (Matt. 28:19). The story of Elisha’s meeting with the wealthy, though childless, woman of Shunem, in the first reading, illustrated how God has always rewarded generosity to those engaged in divine mission. She and her husband were promised a child because of their generosity to Elisha, the man of God. ‘One good turn deserves another’, indeed! We can change the world through our generosity. We may not know what acts of kindness will change the life of people we meet daily, God knows. Our sporadic acts of kindness are all we need to bring transformation to the people we encounter.

5.     The story of Baron De Rothschild, one of the richest men of his time, demonstrates the ripple effect of generosity to strangers. Legend has it that Baron once posed before and artist as a beggar. While the artist, AryScheffer, was painting him, the financier sat before him in rags and tatters holding a tin cup. A friend of the artist entered, and the Baron was so well disguised that he was not recognized. Thinking he was really a beggar, the visitor dropped a coin into the cup. 10 years later, the man who gave the coin to Rothschild received a letter containing a bank order for 10,000 francs ($10,539.95) and the following message: “You one day gave a coin to Baron de Rothschild in the studio of AryScheffer. He has invested it and today sends you the capital which you entrusted him, together with the compounded interest. A good action always brings good fortune. Signed, Baron de Rothschild.” (Kindle Your Spirit by Fr. John Pichappilly). Our Lord promised us a reward for our acts of kindness to those who answered the call to be missionaries, his disciples, his eyes and ears in the world. “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put in your lap.” (Lk. 6:38). Human generosity will always be rewarded with the divine superabundance. Please take these words seriously and open your hearts to God’s children who need your help. Whatever you give, be it water, food, words of prayer, words of encouragement, a listening ear, a ride to the doctor or assistance to missionaries, anywhere in the world, is a good deed done to God. Your reward may not come today but it will certainly come one day soon. Though you may undergo suffering and deprivation in the process, let it be your participation in the cross of Christ.

6.    Together, let us pray with St. Francis: “It is in pardoning that we are pardoned. It is in giving that we do receive, and it’s in dying that we’re born to life. May God give us the grace to give all we have in the service of his name and for the salvation of our brothers and sisters. Amen.

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP.

June 21, 2020; Homily for the 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time of the Year (A)

Readings: Jeremiah 20:10-13; Romans 5:12-15; Matthew 10:26-33

Do Not Be Afraid.

1.    The early American Indians had a unique practice of training young braves. On the night of a boy’s thirteenth birthday, after learning hunting, scouting and fishing skills, he was put to one final test. He was placed in a dense forest to spend the entire night alone. Until then, he had never been away from the security of the family and tribe. But on this night, he was blindfolded and taken several miles away. When he took off the blindfold, he was in the middle of thick woods, and he was terrified. Every time a twig snapped, he visualized a wild animal ready to pounce on him. After what seemed like an eternity, dawn broke and the first rays of sunlight entered the interior of the forest. Looking around, he saw flowers, trees, and the outline of a path. Then, to his astonishment, he beheld the figure of a man standing just a few feet away, armed with bow and arrow. It was his father. He had been there all night long. I use this story from the Book, “Kindle Your Spirit” by Fr. John Pichappilly to demonstrate the role of fathers in our lives. Today we think of our fathers, as we celebrate Fathers’ day. Our fathers have been there for us, protecting and supporting us in all our endeavors. We thank and appreciate them. We pray for those who have passed on to the Lord, that they may receive their reward from God. For our sick fathers, we pray for their healing and for those in jail, we pray for their freedom and release. Happy Fathers’ day!

2.    In the Gospel reading of today from Matthew 10, Jesus addressed his apostles and told them not to be afraid. The chapter begins with these words: “Then he summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirit to drive them out and to cure every diseases and illness.” Jesus commissioned and sent them out as missionaries to “the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” This reminds me of my commissioning on June 22, 1991. I completed my pastoral year in Maiduguri diocese in Northern Nigeria, having been ordained on June 23^rd the previous year. We were called to the podium after Mass, and the late Cardinal Ekandem, like Jesus, got up and addressed us as we were being sent on Mission to the different parts of the world. I was assigned to work in the Gambia. Missionary work can be intimidating indeed. It causes one to be afraid, especially of the unknown. Jesus warned his apostles that they would face persecution, rejection, and even betrayal from family members. He stressed that they will be treated in the same way as he, the master was treated. For “A disciple is not above the teacher” (10:24). He exhorts them however, not to be afraid but to put their trust in God, who takes care of even the sparrows, and knows the number of the hair on our heads. He asked them, “Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge. Even the hairs of your head are counted. So, do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” He urged them to only be afraid of God. Earthly elements and human beings may kill us, but they have no power over our souls. Therefore, we should only be afraid of being separated from God. Christians should be afraid of being unfaithful to God through sin. Hence, we should approach God with awe, respect and reverence. Because “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.” (1 John 4:18).

3.    Though we are not to be afraid, we know that being a Christian does not mean we will not encounter difficulties. Christ did not make such assumptions. He said rather: “Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves; so, be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves. But beware of people, for they will hand you over to courts and scourge you in their synagogues, and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake as a witness before them and the pagans.” (Matt.10:16-18). The first reading presents us with Jeremiah who experienced a lot of hardships in his preaching ministry. He was rejected, persecuted and made a laughingstock by those he loved and cared for. Jeremiah warned God’s people that they could avoid destruction that was on its way if they lived according to God’s laws. But they did not care much about Jeremiah’s warning, instead they plotted to kill him. He was intimidated and persecuted so badly that Jeremiah did not want to preach any more. In the verse before our reading today, he said, “I say to myself, I will not mention him, I will speak in his name no more. But then it becomes like fire burning in my heart, imprisoned in my bones; I grow weary holding it in, I cannot endure it.” (Jer. 20:9). Yet Jeremiah was vindicated and rejoiced: “Sing to the Lord, praise the Lord! For he has delivered the life of the needy from the hands of evildoers.” God will always take care of his own.

4.    Preachers encounter difficulties because people do not want to be told what to do. “And this is the verdict, that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his works might not be exposed. But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.” (John 3:19-21). This is why we gossip, because we are cowards. Bad things are, most of the time, done in the covers of darkness. Heinous crimes are committed in the dark. Those who abuse their wives or children, gamblers or drunkards, drug barons, addicts or prostitutes, embezzlers and cheaters, would not want people to know their secret lives. They prefer deeds of darkness to the light. If people should talk about their way of life, they become enemies, that must be destroyed, like Jeremiah in today’s reading.

5.    Therefore St. Paul tells us in the second reading, “If by the transgression of the one the many died, how much more did the grace of God and the gracious gift of the one man, Jesus Christ overflow for the many.” Jesus has redeemed us with his precious blood and has given us the power to conquer our fears, even the fear of death. He says, “Behold, I have given you the power to tread upon serpents and scorpions and upon the full force of the enemy and nothing will harm you.” (Lk. 10:19). Therefore, we should not be afraid. Let us pray that the holy Spirit may shine its light on our hearts and expose the darkness therein to Christ who loves us with an everlasting love. Amen.

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP

June 14, 2020; Homily for Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ.

Readings: Deut. 8:2-3,14-16; 1 Cor. 10:16-17; John 6:51-58

Mass is God

1.    Today is the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ – the Corpus Christi. In the Eucharist, Christ is offered and received and in him the church continually lives and grows. The Eucharist is the source and summit of Christian life. By means of the Eucharist the unity of God’s people is signified and brought about, and the building up of the body of Christ is perfected. We hold the blessed Eucharist in highest honor by taking active part in the celebration of the most august sacrifice of the Mass.

2.    The Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ is so important and essential to us Christians that we must do whatever it takes to attend Mass and receive Holy Communion regularly and frequently. There is a story told of a merchant, who traveled, miles and miles, every Sunday to attend Mass in a parish when there weren’t many parishes. One day the pastor asked him where he resided. “Florida”, he answered. Then the pastor asked how he was able to attend Mass in Baltimore every Sunday, with limited means of transportation, as it was then. The man stopped short and looked at the priest with amazement. He told him, “Father, if there is only one Mass in the whole world, a man must endeavor to attend that Mass even if it means crawling on his knees, because Mass is God.” In today’s gospel reading Christ stressed, “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day.” (Jn. 6:54). By eating the Body of Christ and drinking his Blood, we become the living Christ. We are enabled to discover our closeness and blessedness; and we acknowledge our brokenness and our strengths. We, like Christ, begin to put the needs of others above our own fears. Thus we, like Christ, become food for the world. We are Christians because of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ but Catholics because of the Eucharist. Food is an absolute necessity for the growth of our bodies. And the Eucharist is an absolute necessity for our spiritual life.

3.    This brings to mind the story of Cardinal Newman. He was devoted to the Eucharist. Newman was a reputed scholar and had been a holy Protestant pastor. He studied Catholic doctrine carefully and struggled for many years before becoming a Catholic. A few days before his conversion, one of his friends tried to dissuade him from the step he was about to take, “Think over what you are doing! If you become a Catholic, you’ll lose a handsome income of 4,000 pounds a year.” Newman’s reply was: “And what are 4,000 pounds compared to a communion?” (New Horizon). Pope Francis reminds us that “The Eucharist is the spiritual lifeblood of the Christian because in receiving it we consume the glorified body of the Risen Lord, whose life then transforms us, elevates us and empowers us to become like him. The Eucharist grants us a share in the Divine and Human Savior of the world, whose gift of himself imparts eternal life to those who love him. That is why Jesus says, “If any one eats of this bread (my flesh), he will live forever.” (Jn. 6:15). 

4.    One of the core teachings of the Church on the Eucharist is that “Our Lord is truly, really and substantially present in the Holy Eucharist. Hence, we believe in the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, not just a symbol of his Body and Blood but, his real Body and Blood through the process of transubstantiation during consecration. Christ told his disciples, “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven.” (Jn. 6:57-58). Many of his disciples stopped following him because of this teaching, but Christ did not beg them to stay. Instead he asked his apostles: “Do you also want to leave?” (Jn. 6:67). According to Pope St. John Paul ll, this teaching “Is at the heart of the Church, the secret of her vigor; she must keep watch with jealous care over this mystery and affirm it in its fullness.” Taking this teaching seriously means that we must prepare ourselves for the fruitful participation at Mass. It is recommended that we read, beforehand, the readings of the Mass, examine our consciences, confess any mortal sins we are aware of in order to receive our Lord and Savior Jesus timely, worthily and devotedly. After receiving Holy Communion, our Lord is present in us as long as the species remain. This can be as long as 8 to 10 minutes. According to the Sacred Congregation for the sacraments and divine worship, “The faithful are to be recommended not to omit to make a proper thanksgiving after communion. They may do this during the celebration with a period of silence, with a hymn, Psalm, or other song of praise, or also after the celebration if possible by staying behind to pray for a suitable time.” If we truly believe that we receive Jesus Christ, His body, blood and divinity he will change us and make us holy, forgiving, loving, merciful, compassionate, devoted, caring and charitable. We will become what we eat.

5.    It is incumbent on us to protect and safeguard the sanctity of this sacrament. If you see someone take communion and not consume it, please call the attention of the priest. If you invite a non-Catholic friend to worship with you on a Sunday, please do not invite him to holy Communion. If he is interested in the Catholic teaching, let your pastor know so that he may be registered in RCIA, be catechized first before being invited to the table of the Lord.

6.    After Mass, we are dismissed to “Go forth, the Mass is ended, or Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord or Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life”. This means we are sent forth to take the Christ that we have received in the Eucharist to our communities, our cities and our neighborhoods. Like Jesus, we must share him, the Bread of Life with the poor, the homeless, the sick, the saints and sinners alike. We are to make the Bread of Christ, broken and received by us available and fresh for others at all times. The Christ that we receive in the Eucharist is a sign of unity. It calls us to hold each other accountable and show that we are one in Christ, for “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free person, there is not male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Gal. 3:28). Let us offer this Bread to those who need healing for their broken bodies, forgiveness and conversion to sinners, companionship to the lonely, food to the hungry and reconciliation, justice and freedom to prisoners. May we receive strength and nourishment from this food so that we may live forever with our Lord. Amen.

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP

June 07, 2020. Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity.

Readings: Exodus34:4-6,8-9; 2Cor. 13:11-13; John 3:16-18.

We Are at Our Best When We Are in Love

1.    Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. We worship God who manifested himself as Father, Son and Holy Spirit - three Persons in one God: God the Father, Creator of the world, God the Son, Savior of the world and God the Holy Spirit, the Sanctifier of the world. In the Preface of the Trinity, we praise God in these words: “We joyfully proclaim our faith in the mystery of your Godhead. You have revealed your glory as the glory also of your Son and of the Holy Spirit: three Persons equal in majesty, undivided in splendor, yet one Lord, one God, ever to be adored in your everlasting glory.” In the Trinity, we experience unity of purpose and expression of love. Therefore, we worship a God who is in a relationship, and who invites us to enter into a relationship with Him. Hence, we are at our best when we are in relationship with others: God, friends, children, parents, co-workers, colleagues, etc., etc. No man is an island.  

2.    We begin every prayer by calling on God the Father, the Son and the Spirit to dwell in us and to help us live good and saintly lives. We were baptized into the life of Grace through the invocation of the Trinity and on the day of our funeral and burial, our coffin and grave will be blessed by the sign of the Cross and the invocation of the Trinity. The life of every Christian is marked by the Triune God dwelling in and through us. The Trinity is a mystery that presents us with a God of closeness, communion and intimacy. Our God desires community, communication and love within the Persons of the Trinity and with each and every one of us. “This is an initiating God, an outgoing God, a creative, life-giving God who stamps his communal life on us. We are in relationship because God is, we are made in his image and likeness.” (William J. Bausch). There is absolute love, respect and understanding within the Persons of the Trinity.

3.    Since we are at our best when we are in a loving relationship, we are also at our worse when we fall out of love, out of a relationship. The worse pain of our time is loneliness. That is why imprisonment is a terrible form of punishment. When prisoners behave badly, they are put in solitary confinement. Not having someone to talk to and relate with is as an awful experience. Many of our elderly ones often feel lonely when their children and friends do not visit them in nursing homes. Also, those who have gone through divorce know the painful feeling of a failed relationship, however it happened. They often feel alienated. And so, there is always a need for forgiveness and reconciliation so as to move on.

4.     The first reading from the Book of Exodus emphasizes the significance of the Triune God for us. The face of the Father is turned towards His children despite their sins. He renewed the tablets of the Law broken by Moses and showed them his mercy. He revealed His name, “The Lord, the Lord, a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity.” These are the attributes of the Triune God. God is merciful, implying compassion, and tenderness – the heart of the Father moved by unmerited love.  He is gracious - the favor or benevolence of one who has gifts to give and wills to give them. His kindness is the love that marks the covenant bond between Him and His children. And Finally, God’s fidelity connotes rock-likeness, constancy, the inability to be turned from the will to love. This is our God. He knows anger because of sin and permits Moses to express his anger by breaking the tablets of the law brought down from Mount Sinai; but in the end, God wants only merciful and faithful love to be known. This is the true heart of God. And the Gospel tells us how far God can go to reveal His true nature. God so loved the world that he gave his only Son. In giving his Son, God the Father also gave himself, because the Father and the Son are in perfect communion and the Holy Spirit is the expression of the Father and the Son. St Paul shows us, in the second reading, that these attributes are really those of one God, and so of all three Persons. You are to “Mend your ways, encourage one another, agree with one another, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you.” Hence, the love from God the Father, his Son Jesus Christ and the Spirit will bring us together in fellowship and union.

5.    So, how do we relate to the Trinity? We must, first of all, acknowledge the indwelling of the Trinity in our lives. Then we must develop an intimate and personal relationship with the Persons of the Trinity. This means having a personal relationship with the First Person of the Trinity. God is our Father who created us “To know, to love and to serve God in this world, and to be happy with God forever in the next.” The end of our human existence is to be in relationship with a God who made us in His image. He created us and sustains us in being therefore, we must have a personal devotion to God the Father. When we pray the Lord’s prayer, for instance, we address God the Father, directly. The more reason we should pray the Our Father with devotion, while reflecting and paying attention to the words of the prayer.

6.    We should also develop and inculcate an intimate relationship with the second Person of the Trinity. Jesus is the Savior of the world. He redeemed us with his precious blood. ‘The Anima Christi’, ‘Jesus I love You’, O Sacrament most Holy’ and other prayers besides, direct our minds to the Second Person of the Trinity.

7.    It may not be easy to have a personal relationship with the Holy Spirit because we don’t often feel that the Spirit is a person. The Church has many prayers that can help us develop a loving relationship with the Spirit: ‘Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful’, ‘Prayer for the seven gifts of the Spirit, etc., etc., Finally, it is important to know that all prayers are directed to God the Father, through the Son and in the Spirit. Praying to God and God alone is far more important than to which Person of the Trinity we address our prayers. That is why, ‘The Sign of the Cross, the Gloria, and the Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, are traditional prayers that address the Three Persons of the Trinity directly.

8.    Let us pray that we may demonstrate the love of the Trinity in the way we relate in our families, in our society and in our nation. May the Trinity teach leaders of nations to love and protect the citizens they promised to govern in mutual respect. May men and women in uniform respect the dignity of every human person, irrespective of the color of their skins. And let there be tolerance and peace among people and nations of the world. Amen.

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP