December 25, 2022; Christmas Day Homily (Year A)

Readings: Is. 52:7-10; Heb 1:1-6; John 1:1-18

 

Christ Needs a Clean Heart to Dwell in!

1.    Darry Dixon’s song, ‘Give me a clean heart,’ captures how I should celebrate Christmas. “Give me a clean heart To see You like I should, hey, To walk the path that’s right, To do the things You would, Give me a clean heart, And I will serve nobody but you.” John the Baptist told us to “Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. And all mankind will see God’s salvation.” (Lk. 3:5). “Behold, I stand at the door and knock.”, says the Lord, “If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and dine with him, and he with me.” (Rev. 3:20) Christ needs a well-kept dwelling place for his new home. Christ needs our hearts to dwell in. He will not force his way in. He respects our free will to let him in or not. By letting Christ into our hearts, we will begin to experience peace, love, joy, and hope. A heart that bears a grudge or a grievance or keeps malice and refuses to forgive or let go of past hurts has too many things to deal with. Christ can never dwell in such a heart. That heart has no peace, no joy. Such a heart is always complaining and finding faults with others because he has no peace in himself/herself.

 

2.    As we celebrate Christmas today, may we do so with clean hearts and receive Christ joyfully. The first reading captures this joy thus: “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings glad tidings, announcing peace, bearing good news, announcing, and saying to Zion, ‘Your God is King!” Christ, the long-awaited Messiah, brings us peace and joy. He brings people together to share what they have with others. And so, we sing with the Psalmist, “All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.” When our hearts are free, we feel light and excited about life and want to share with others. An old Navy veteran was asked to choose $100.00 for himself or $500.00 to give randomly to people in the mall. He chose $500.00 to share with other shoppers. At the end of the exercise, he was given $500.00 for himself and broke down in tears. He said he was wondering where he would get money to take care of himself. Christmas miracle is that God shows up when we least expect him to. He is the God of possibilities; nothing shall be impossible for him. 

 

3.    The theme of our readings at this Mass is joy and exultation. The birth of Christ is the dawn of a new day and is much more than a superficial celebration of joy. The joy of Christmas goes deeper in all its ramifications. It shows God's love for humanity, the love that transcends mere emotions. For Christ is the communication of God to the world. The second reading tells us that God speaks to us through his Son, “Whom he made heir of all things and through whom he created the universe, who is the refulgence of his glory, the very imprint of his being, and who sustains all things by his mighty word.” Therefore, Christ came into the world primarily to “Save his people from their sins.” (Mat. 1:21). He came for the liberation of his people: God anointed Christ to bring glad tidings to the poor, to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind.

 

4.    Christmas means that we must be Christ to others. As Christ was sent to bring solace to the oppressed and the poor, so must we do whatever we can to alleviate the sufferings of others in our midst. Our Christmas songs should not end on Christmas day but should initiate us into a life of service for others. Howard Thurman reminded us that: “When the song of the angels is stilled, when the star in the sky is gone, when the kings and princes are home, when the shepherds are back with their flock, the work of Christmas begins: To find the lost, to heal the broken, to feed the hungry, to release the prisoner, to rebuild the nations, to bring peace among all, to make music in the heart.”

 

5. Let me end this reflection when this Christmas story. On Christmas day, God often celebrates the birth of his Son with all his creatures. He would prepare a big pot of rice and take it to hell to celebrate with the devil and his angels. He would keep the basin of cooked rice in the middle with the devil and his angels seated all around. He would give each of them a long spoon and invite them to enjoy their meal. The long spoon made it challenging to eat as each scoop of rice would fall on the ground. Finally, there was frustration, anger, and resentment, and before long, a quarrel broke out. The devil would not take it any longer; he kicked the basin and spilled the content on the ground. God, the father, got up, thanked them, collected the dirty rice, the basin, and the spoons, and returned to heaven.

 

6. In heaven, God the father called all the saints together and, placing a bowl of rice in the middle, invited them to celebrate his Son’s birthday. He gave each saint a long spoon and asked them to enjoy the meal. Instead of trying to feed themselves, the saints decided to feed one another. By so doing, they all ate and were satisfied. With this story, we understand that there is a Christmas miracle in the world, but the blessing will not fall from the sky. People are required to create it by themselves. On this Christmas, let us go out and join the many whose concern is to create a Christmas miracle in the lives of those who need it. I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year!

 

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP

December 18, 2022; 4th Sunday of Advent (Year A)

Readings: Isaiah 7:10-14; Romans 1:1-7; Mt. 1:18-24

 

God’s Ways are Not Our Ways; his Plans are not Our Plans!

 

1.    Two weeks ago, we met John the Baptist, who appeared from the wilderness and called us to repent, for the kingdom of God was near. He called himself the voice of the one crying in the desert: prepare the way for the Messiah. Today we see Joseph, a man who never spoke a word in the Bible. We only know of his thought, “Such was his intention when behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary, your wife, into your home.”Even his thought was controlled, so it seems, by the angel. In my opinion, these two men, with their peculiar characters and personalities, are the ‘Persons of Christmas.’ They speak to us in different ways about the working of God in men's lives. Their lives make it clear to us that we may plan what we like for our lives, but God always has his plans for us. God tells us, in no uncertain terms, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways. As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are my ways above your ways and my thoughts above your thoughts.” (Is. 55:8-9). When God enters our world, He turns it upside down and inside out.

 

2.    So, who was Joseph? This man’s personality, humanity, and humility can be rated as high as any biblical character of his time. He played a vital role in salvation history. The Bible tells us that “He was a righteous man.” So-called because he observed the law of God. Yet he was unwilling to expose his wife, whom he thought had broken the law. He was a God-fearing man who would do nothing to jeopardize his relationship with God or his fellow men. He knew that law was made for man and not man for the law. He was compassionate. He empathized with Mary’s situation so he would not openly discredit her. Joseph was a man of honor and did all he could to protect Mary’s good name. According to St. Thomas Aquinas, “A person’s reputation is their most prized possession, and to destroy it is not just unjust but robbery. Even if what we say about other people is true, and they have done terrible things, it is still deeply wrong to destroy their name unless there is some compelling necessity for the common good.” May we not say a word that will destroy the good name of another child of God. “Do to no one what you would not want done to you.” (Matt. 7:12). 

 

3.    Joseph was a man of faith. He took his problem to God and was sure God would find a way for him. And He did! Joseph took his wife home. He was to be the foster father of the son of God and would be the one to name him Jesus. He was indeed a father to Jesus every step of the way. Joseph was a man of prayer. When he was worried about his wife, he took it to the Lord in prayer. He did not report her to people and sought what to do with her. God showed him the way and instructed him on what to do. He never wavered from God’s plan. How do you deal with troubling situations in your life? Who do you talk to first? Let us learn from Joseph, the quiet man of the New Testament. God will meet us in the hour of our need and show us a way out. But remember, when you let God into your life, your plans become God’s plans, and your life becomes God’s life. God will give you responsibilities you never bargained for but be sure He will always be there with you. He will send his angels to assure you that He is Emmanuel, God with us. He will provide you with what you need. He will be with you because you said ‘yes’ to him amidst suffering and disappointments, pains and toil, hardship and hunger, temptation and danger.

 

4.    In today’s first reading, Ahaz refused to say yes to God like Joseph. In about 735 B.C. Ahaz, king of Judah, was pressured by two other kings (Israel and Damascus) to join an alliance against the superpower, Assyria. Isaiah warned Ahaz not to join any coalition but to put his faith in the Lord. “Unless your faith is firm, you shall not be firm.” (v.9). When Ahaz refused a sign that God would be with him, “I will not ask! I will not tempt the Lord!” Isaiah gave him the sign: “The virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel.” Ahaz’s son would be a sign that God was with his people. God was faithful to his word. Ahaz died at 36 after a 16-year reign. His son Hezekiah succeeded him. Hezekiah was a good leader. Matthew saw the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy in Jesus, who was born of a virgin. Isaiah’s prophecy and fulfillment in Matthew’s Gospel point to absolute historical continuity because of the divine word.

 

5.    On this last week of Advent, as we celebrate Christmas in a few days, may Joseph lead us to the presence of the newborn king. Let him show us how to surrender our plans to him and say yes to God in all we do. May we not hold on to our ways like Ahaz but learn to let go so that God may reign in our hearts. Those who have faith and trust in the Lord in total surrender to him can live in the world, knowing that the fulfillment of God’s promises will inevitably come true. They know that what ‘Immanuel’ means is true. He is with us always, even till the end of time.

 

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP

December 11, 2022, 3rd Sunday of Advent (Year A)

Readings: Isaiah 35:1-6; James 5:7-10; Mt. 11:2-11

Rejoice In the Lord Always, Again I Say Rejoice

1.    Today is Gaudete Sunday, so called because of the entrance antiphon: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I say, rejoice! The Lord is near.” St. Paul urged his Philippian Christians to rejoice in the Lord. Though in jail, Paul would not allow the prison cell to dampen his joy. Despite the call to rejoice, the second reading tells us to be patient until the coming of the Lord. Just as the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, we too must make our hearts firm, because the coming of the Lord is at hand. The theme of hope and patiently waiting for the Lord is stressed by Isaiah in the first reading. He encouraged the captive Jews in Babylon not to give up hope. They were sad because they had lost everything: freedom, property, homeland, and the temple. They had given up hope of ever returning to their homeland. Their future was dark and gloomy. Isaiah, on the other hand, was optimistic about the future. God would bring them home and change their lives. “The desert and the parched land will exult; the steppe will rejoice and bloom. They will see the glory of the Lord, the splendor of our God. Strengthen the feeble hands, make firm the knees that are weak, say to those whose hearts are frightened: Be strong, fear not!” The weak, the sick, the blind, and the lame would be freed of their affliction and restored to wholeness. Yes, “His anger lasts only a moment, his goodness for a lifetime. Tears may flow in the night, but joy comes in the morning.” (Ps. 30:5).

2.    Isaiah’s dream of prosperity and peace is the dream and undying faith of every generation. Our dream is that, out of this brutal and cruel world, the earth will one day be at peace, its defaced beauty restored, its wounds healed, and its sorrows lifted. God will open a road leading his people home, where all men and women will praise Him with one heart and mind. This, indeed, is the message of Christ to John the Baptist in prison, and to the poor and hopeless of this world: “Go and tell John what you hear and see’, “The blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers and cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.” (Matthew 11:5). 

3.    Don’t we sometimes feel like the despondent children of Israel? At times, we seem to have come to the end of our ropes with no light at the end of the tunnel. We have tried everything, and nothing seems to work. Well, John the Baptist must have felt that way too, in today’s Gospel. He preached repentance with fire and brimstone, warning the Jews to act with immediate alacrity: repent of their sins and bear fruit of repentance. He, who, was a fearless preacher, who confronted kings and queens with a call to repentance, ended up in Herod’s prison. He must have felt that if Christ was the Messiah, he would get him out of jail. But that did not happen. So, John sent messengers to Christ: “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” (Matt.11:3). Jesus reminded John that God’s ways were not man’s ways. The kingdom of God may be slow, but it will certainly come. Our destiny may be delayed but never denied. Go and tell John what you have seen and heard.

4.    Dear friends, in whatever situation you may be today, God is right there with you. Even as a country, see how far we have come. Do not forget that there was a time in this country, when people were separated by the color of their skins, and voting rights was the prerogative of a few rather than a right for eligible voters. How can we forget the struggle for emancipation and its subsequent declaration in 1863, or the civil rights movements, and all those who fought for and against it? Think of the many lives that were lost during those struggles. What made the movement possible was people’s undying faith in God and their hope for a better tomorrow. Isaiah reminded the children of Israel in exile that their freedom was within reach. This was the same faith that put freedom within reach for African Americans, living in slavery, in years long past. Their traditional spirituals, according to Pamela Crosby, “All God’s Chillun got shoes” mentions having shoes – something most slaves did not have – plus a robe, a harp, a crown, and wings gave them hope. They knew none of these were available on earth for them at the time but held on to their faith that “there is a balm in Gilead to make the wounded whole. There is a balm in Gilead, to heal the sin-sick soul. Don’t ever feel discouraged, for Jesus is your friend. And if you lack for knowledge, he’ll ne’er refuse to lend.” These struggles and the subsequent triumph of good over evil put this third week of Advent in perspective for us. 

5.    And so, we are encouraged to rejoice but to be patient. The birth of Christ will change the course of our lives. Jesus is the Messiah John the Baptist preached about. There is no reason to doubt or be discouraged because things do not work out as planned. God is still in control! Let us pray and rejoice in the Lord always for He is near. Because we know that “Affliction produces endurance, and endurance, proven character, and proven character, hope, and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the holy Spirit that has been given to us.” (Rom. 5:3-5). May this Christmas truly be the beginning of all that is good in your life. For He who is coming is Emmanuel, God with us. With Him nothing shall be impossible for God to do in our lives.  Amen. 

 

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP

 

 

December 04, 2022; 2nd Sunday of Advent (Year A)

Readings: Isaiah 11:1-10; Romans 15:4-9; Mt. 3:1-12

 

A Leader After God’s Heart 

1.    John is the prophet we meet on the second Sunday of Advent every year. He came to prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah. John lived in the desert and wore camel hair. His food was locust and wild honey. His appearance was frightening, and his message was direct, demanding immediate action. According to John, everything else can wait but searching for God cannot. To postpone acts of kindness or not be compassionate and merciful are leisure Christians cannot afford. Putting off repentance can spell disaster, and not doing what is right is a delay of justice. Why put off till tomorrow that which should be done today? It is always right to do the right. The time for repentance is now. “If today you would listen to his voice, harden not your hearts.” (Ps.95:8). And Paul reminded us that “It is the hour now for you to wake from sleep.” (Rom.13:11-14). And so Christ tells us “Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.” (Matt.24:42). 

 

2.    As John was preaching in the desert, people went to him to be baptized in the Jordan River as they acknowledged their sins. He called them a ‘brood of vipers’ and urged them to repent from their sins and flee from the coming wrath. He demanded that they produce good fruit as evidence of their repentance and stop deluding themselves that they were Abraham’s children “God can raise children from Abraham from these stones. Even now the axe lies at the root of the trees. Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.” (Matt.3:9-10). 

 

3.    John the Baptist was not the most pleasant prophet to be with. He would remind you of the beggars on the streets. Yet, without John the Baptist and his message, we would not have Christ in our hearts, and Christmas would make no sense. To enjoy a fruitful Christmas, we must be confronted by this ‘crazy prophet’ in the desert with his message that must be heard. It is by taking John’s message seriously that the first reading would make sense to us. Isaiah prophesied a king, who will be the living embodiment of the qualities expected of one worthy to govern. The king will spring like “a shoot from the stump of Jesse.” He is coming from an unexpected ancestry (stump) and possesses the rare qualities of a great king. Wisdom and understanding, are the essential intellectual qualities of a judge. Counsel might represent the practical application of wisdom, the gift of decisiveness in judgment, and the moral energy to carry it out. Knowledge and the Fear of the Lord are the religious characteristics of leadership. He who rules others must himself be ruled by the knowledge of God and must live according to God’s moral demands. A Good leader will not judge by appearances, nor decide by hearsay, but act with justice to the helpless, and decide fairly for the humble. He will strike down the ruthless with his verdicts and slay the unjust with his sentences. Justice shall gird him for action, he shall be belted with trustworthiness. Herein, then, lies the fruit of repentance demanded by John the Baptist. The outcome of right judgment and leadership according to the mind of God that the Messiah will usher in by his birth, will be reconciliation even in the world of nature, and the ancient enmity between man and beasts shall be destroyed.

 

4.    Isaiah and John were prophets who spoke God’s message to His people and called them to repentance and faith. Their messages were difficult, but some paid attention and repented. John the Baptist warned that repentance was not enough, we must bear its fruit. It is not enough to tell people that we are Christians, we must demonstrate it through our way of life. It is by doing simple tasks of love that we bear good fruit. Let me conclude with this exhortation from the letter of St. James: “Therefore, put away all filth and evil excess and humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you and can save your souls. Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror. He sees himself, then goes off and promptly forgets what he looked like.” (James 1:21-25). May God find in our hearts a well-prepared dwelling place for His Son at his birth. Amen! 

 

Please continue reading the Letter to the Romans as your Advent homework. Enjoy! 

 

 

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP