December 03, 2023; 1st Sunday of Advent (Year B)

 

Readings: Isaiah 63:16-17, 19; 64:2-7; 1 Cor. 1:3-9; Mark 13:33-37 

Advent is about Waiting in Hope 

1.     Life is full of periods of waiting. Waiting to be born, grow up, start school, graduate, and work. Waiting to get married and begin a family, and of course, waiting for your first child. There are other waiting periods: waiting to see a doctor, catch a flight, get a cab, or get a vaccine. If things do not go well with us, we wait in hope for better days. There are always some anticipations associated with the waiting period. Say you are waiting for the test results ordered by your doctor: you may be anxious about your prognosis. While we wait, we usually occupy our time by reading a book, going through Facebook feeds, playing games on our phones, or doing a puzzle. Advent is a period of waiting in hope for the birth of Christ while anticipating his second coming. So, what do we do while we engage in the waiting game?

2.     This Sunday, we begin the liturgical season of Advent, which means “arrival” or “coming.” It is a four-week period whereby Christians recall the first coming of Christ in his incarnation at Christmas while anticipating his final coming in glory at the end of time. The purple color used during this season, except for the third Sunday, symbolizes hope, a yearning by God’s people and all creation for the transforming light of Christ. The sense of hope generated by this season portrays a time of darkness and gloom, hence the reason to hope for better days. 

3.     In the first reading, Isaiah the prophet recounts the return of the children of Israel from captivity in Babylon and their feelings of sadness, loss, depression, and desperation. He told them they were responsible for their misery, for they had abandoned the way of the Lord. The task of rebuilding their fallen city was so daunting that the prophet cried out and begged for God’s mercy and forgiveness on the people: “You, Lord, are our father, our redeemer you are named forever. Why do you let us wander, O Lord, from your ways and harden our hearts so that we fear you not? Return for the sake of your servants, the tribes of your heritage. Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down…”  

4.     Since we must wait for the coming of Christ what sort of life should we live? According to St. Peter, “Since everything is to be dissolved in this way, what sort of persons ought you to be, conducting yourselves in holiness and devotion, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved in flames and the elements melted by fire. But according to his promise, we await new heavens and a new earth where righteousness dwells. So then, my friends, while you are waiting, do your best to live without spot or stain so that he will find you at peace.” (2Peter 3:11-15). St. Paul prays in the second reading that, “…you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will keep you firm to the end, irreproachable on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The Gospel urged us: “Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come.” Matthew 25:31-46 tells us to give food to the hungry, water to the thirsty, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, care for the ill, and visit those in prison. We are not asked to do the impossible but to do the simple. We are not demanded to execute extraordinary tasks but to do the ordinary things in life extraordinarily well. In short, we should be doing ‘good’. “Would that you might meet us doing right, that we were mindful of you in our ways!” (Is.64:4). 

5.     So, dear friends, let us be engaged in sporadic acts of virtues, like honesty and trustworthiness, coming to the aid of unjustly treated people and speaking out for the voiceless. Let us deepen our relationship with the Lord during this Advent by praying the rosary with our family and reading one chapter of St. John’s Gospel every day. By the end of Advent, you would have read the whole of St. John’s Gospel, it is only 21 chapters. Share a meal with your family and talk about the things that matter. Your sacramental life should, by no means, be ignored. Attend Mass during the week, go to confession and spend some time with the Lord on Wednesdays during the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. These practices will realign your life with Christ and keep us alert and watchful so that the coming of Christ may not take us by surprise. Then, we will be ready to be admitted into the wedding feast of the lamb. May it be so for us now and always! Amen.

 

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP

November 26, 2023; 34th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

Readings: Ez. 34:11-12, 15-17; 1 Cor. 15:20-26, 28; Matthew 25:31-46 

A Kingdom of Truth and Life, of Justice, Love and Peace!

1.    Today, we celebrate the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. I want to reflect on the theme ‘A Kingdom of Truth and Life, of Justice, Love and Peace.’ Our universal king came to establish a kingdom that would assure a peaceful coexistence for everyone. Unfortunately, the virtues espoused by Christ in his kingdom are very much lacking in the world of alternate realities we live in today. In this world, people are afraid to stand up for the truth for fear of reprisal. We have become more divisive and divided, so much so that love and peace have become realities too challenging to attend; therefore, we must look elsewhere for truth, life, justice, and peace. These virtues can only be found in Christ, who came to save the last, the least, and the lost. Christ made an option for the poor from his first sermon on the mount to his last one about the end of the world. He stressed that we will be judged on how we treat the poor, the sick, the strangers, the imprisoned, the hungry, the tasty, and the naked. When we help them, we help Christ!

2.    In the first reading, Ezekiel reports that God is displeased with the shepherds who mislead his people. God, therefore, promised to pasture his people himself. The people of God are entrusted to religious and temporal leaders to be ruled after the heart of God in righteousness, truth, justice, love, and peace. Once leaders abdicate their responsibilities and become selfish and egotistical, God is displeased with them and promises, “I will pasture my sheep; I will give them rest. The lost I will seek out, the strayed I will bring back, the injured I will bind up, the sick I will heal, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy, shepherding them rightly.” This prophesy is fulfilled in Jesus, whose primary concern was to lead the people aright. The second reading states that Christ will rule until evil is destroyed: “Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to his God and Father when he has destroyed every sovereignty, authority, and power, for he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.”

3.    Jesus is the judge of the nations in the Gospel. His judgment is based on love and how we treat the less privileged in our midst. It reminds us that we have a choice: to choose heaven or hell. It presents us with two kingdoms: the kingdom of God, where there will be happiness and joy beyond our wildest imagination, and the kingdom of Satan, where there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Moreover, there will be sadness, regrets, endless remorse, and long-suffering. Our choice will not be based on what we say but how we live. The choice is ours, and we must choose wisely. 

4.    Listen to how St. Martin of Tours chose Christ in the poor. Martin was a Roman soldier and a Christian. One cold winter day, a beggar stopped him and asked for alms as he was entering a city. Martin had no money, but the beggar was blue and shivering with cold, and Martin gave him what he had. He took off his soldier’s coat, worn and frayed as it was; he cut it in two and gave half of it to the beggar. That night, he had a dream. In it, he saw the heavenly places and all the angels and Jesus in their midst, and Jesus was wearing half of a Roman soldier’s cloak. One of the angels said to him, “Master, why are you wearing that battered old cloak? Who gave it to you?” And Jesus answered softly, “My servant Martin gave it to me.” 

5.    If the many who are poor are not assisted, the few who are wealthy cannot be saved. If the few who are wealthy cannot help the many who are poor, the many who are poor won’t save the few who are rich. “Amen, I say to you, whatever you did to one of the least brothers of mine, you did for me.” Christ is more easily found among the poor than among the rich, who are attached to their wealth and close their hearts to the plight of the poor. So, today’s reading calls on us to open our hearts to the poor Christ who is hungry, to the Christ who is thirsty and homeless, who freezes at street corners while begging for alms. This Christ is not attractive, and neither does he dress elegantly. He, indeed, will not emit the best of scents. But it will be on account of assisting the many shades of Christ that we will be admitted into the kingdom of the Christ who sits on the throne.

6.    Let us take the words of Tobit to heart: “Give to the hungry some of your bread, and to the naked some of your clothing. Whatever you have left over, give away as alms, and do not begrudge the alms you give.” (Tobit 4:16). Always remember: “Whoever shuts his ear to the cry of the poor will call and not be answered” (Prov. 21:13). Be good and let goodness be!

 

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP

November 19, 2023; 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

Readings: Proverbs 31:10-31; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6; Matthew 25:14-30

Good Stewards, Greater Responsibilities!

1.    Before his ascension, Christ gave us the gift of himself (talent), and He expects us to be accountable to Him on his return. What is this talent? Talent is a natural aptitude or skill that we receive from God. It is also a weight and unit of currency, used mainly by the ancient Romans and Greeks. Hence, talent was the Roman denomination of the highest amount possible. Two drachmas were a day’s wage for a laborer, and a talent was worth 6,000 drachmas, or eight years’ pay for a worker. You can imagine the enormous amount of money given to these men to trade with while waiting for the master’s return.

2.    The master did not just give his servants money; he gave them his property: “It will be as when a man who was going on a journey called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them.” The master gave away all his property; he gave them everything. On his return, he had nothing left; therefore, he depended on his servants and what they had done with his property. If the servants were accountable and responsible and invested their money prudently, the master would reap a bountiful harvest on his return.

3.    This parable is about the generosity of God and how extravagant God is with us. God gives us everything freely and generously; he holds nothing back from us but gives each one of us according to our ability. God doesn’t expect us to provide him with what we do not have, but only what we have. God gave us his very self by dying on the cross, and he expects us to reciprocate his love and give ourselves to others. What we have is God’s gift to us, but what we do with it is our gift to God.

4.    Do we continuously invest our gifts, no matter what they may be, for the glory of God? We often behave like the third servant, who buried his master’s money in the ground, refusing to use it to enrich others. St. Paul reminds us, “Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us exercise them: if prophecy, in proportion to the faith; if ministry, in ministering; if one is a teacher, in teaching; if one exhorts, in exhortation; if one contributes, in generosity; if one is over others, with diligence; if one does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.” (Romans 12:6-8). In exercising our gifts, we build up the body of Christ, the Church. 

5.    We are invited to participate in ministries in the church. When we sing, we praise God and minister to his people. When we proclaim the Word as lectors or participate in various other ministries, we are accountable to God for his gifts. Suppose we don’t do anything in church. In that case, we are indirectly burying our gifts and refusing to minister to the people of God. The third servant was punished for refusing to try; he did not lose his talent; he did nothing with it. It is wrong to think my talent or gift is so tiny that I can do nothing about it. There is always something I can do with my talent. My talent must benefit me and others equally. 

6.    Finally, we should not be afraid that when we do our work well, we will be rewarded with more work. If we use our talents according to our ability, we will perfect them and gain more experience in using them. If we have proficiency at a game or art, if we have some gift for doing something, the more we exercise that proficiency and that gift, the more complex the work and the bigger the task we will be able to tackle. Whereas if we fail to use it, we lose it. That is true about playing golf, piano, singing, writing, carving, or thinking out ideas; the lesson of life is that the only way to keep a gift is to use it in the service of God and others. 

7.    By using our gifts to build up the kingdom of God, we will hear those beautiful words from the mouth of our master: “Well done, my good and faithful servant. I will give you great responsibilities since you were faithful in small matters. Come, share your master’s joy.” Be blessed! Amen.

 

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP

November 12, 2023; 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

 

Readings: Wisdom 6:12-16; 1 Thess. 4:13-14; Matthew 25:1-13 

You never live well if you are Afraid of Death!

1.     Nineteen hundred years ago, the volcano Mt. Vesuvius erupted in Italy. When the eruption ended, the city of Pompeii lay buried under 18 feet of volcanic ash. The city remained that way until modern times when archaeologists excavated it. What they found amazed everyone. There were carbonized loaves of bread, fruit still retaining its flavor, and olives still swimming in their oil. But there were even more amazing discoveries. The volcanic ash had frozen people in the exact position they had occupied when the disaster struck. The bodies of the people decayed. As they did, they left behind hollow cavities in the hardened ash.

2.     By pouring liquid plaster into these cavities, archaeologists were able to make casts of the victims. Some of the casts evoke an emotional response. For example, one is that of a young mother hugging her child tightly in her arms. Another is that of a Roman sentry still at his post, standing erect, fully armed. He had remained calm and faithful to his duty to the end. A third is that of a man standing upright with a sword in his hand. His foot is resting on a pile of gold and silver. Scattered about him are five bodies, probably would-be looters he had killed. This story demonstrates the points made in today’s readings. We must be prepared, for we do not know when Our Lord’s call will come. The one question to ask is, how prepared are we? My father, who died on August 20, 2020, was always prepared for his death. As a child, he made us say a prayer for a happy death every night before we went to bed. I was always scared of praying for death before going to bed at night. My father made sure that his grave was dug even as he inspected it. He took pains to explain everything to us in detail on what to do after his demise. 

3.     Today’s Gospel reading reminds us that we should always be prepared like the wise virgins who took their lamps and oil in readiness to meet with the bridegroom. My dad had enough oil in his flask in readiness for his master’s return. So, I ask you, do you have enough oil in your flask to keep you waiting through the long night of the delay for your master? Where do you produce your oil? For my father, prayer was the factory where his oil was produced, manufactured, and distributed. This story says it all: “There was an old man who carried a little can of oil everywhere he went, and if he passed through a door that squeaked, he put a little oil on the hinges. If a gate was hard to open, he oiled the latch. So, he passed through life lubricating all the creaking places, making it easier for those who came after him. People called him eccentric, strange, cranky, odd, and even harsher names. But the old man went steadily on, refilling his can of oil when it became empty and oiling the squeaking places he found. He did not wait until he found a creaky door or a rusty hinge and then went home to get his oil can; he carried it with him at all times. There are many lives that creak and squeak and grate harshly day by day. They need lubricating with the oil of kindness, gentleness, or thoughtfulness. That can of oil is one of the predominant characteristics of a Christian life. Such a can of oil we are to carry around with us at all times.” Prayer was the oil of my father’s life. There, a life of integrity was formed, a relationship was initiated, and his mission was given meaning. Through prayer, his inner life of honesty was fashioned. As a Catechist, he knew he could not share his oil, but he could point people to where they could go to get their own and taught them how to buy their oil. 

4.     As we come to the end of the year, the Church turns our attention to the end of the world and the second coming of Christ. Are we prepared for the end of our life? Do you know how many stones that are left in your jar? Our span is 70 or 80 for those who are strong. Are you strong enough to add more stones to your jar? “He never lives well who is afraid of dying.” Have you lived well to expect to be happy to be with the Lord? We must wait eagerly for the second coming of Christ so that we do not stagnate and begin to indulge in momentary pleasures. St. Paul reminds us, “You know what hour it is, how it is full-time now for you to wake from sleep. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. Let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us conduct ourselves becomingly as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to gratify its desire.” (Rom 13:11-14). 

5.     Let us pray that we may keep our flasks of oil full and ready to help those in need, and, as we care for others, as the widow did to Elijah the prophet (1 Kings 17:7-16), may our jug of oil never run dry. May we never hear the words: “Amen, I say to you, I do not know you!” 

 

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP

November 05, 2023; 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

Readings: Malachi 1:14-2:2, 8-10; 1 Thessalonians 2:7-9, 13; Matthew 23:1-12

How Hypocrites are Religious People?

1.    In his book, Sunday Homilies Year A, Mark Link, S.J. writes about the story written by Flannery O’Connor titled “Parker’s back”. I believe this story captures the difficulty of living with self-righteous people. The story takes place in the Deep South, where O.E. Parker and his wife, Sarah Ruth, live in a rundown shack. Sarah Ruth constantly nags her husband about his lack of religion. She also despises the tattoos that decorate his body.

 

2.    One day, in a stumbling effort to improve his relationship with Sarah Ruth, Parker decides to have a large picture of Jesus tattooed on his back. When he returns home and displays his back to Sarah Ruth, she gives no sign of acknowledgment. “Don’t you know who it is?” says Parker. “It’s him! It’s God!” Sarah Ruth snarled belligerently, “God, don’t look like that! He’s a Spirit, and no one’s ever seen his face.” Parker groans, “Aw, it’s just a picture.” “Idolatry!” screams his Sarah Ruth. Then she grabs a blunt instrument and begins beating Parker savagely across the back. Flannery O’Connor concludes her touching story by saying: “Parker sat there and let her beat him until she nearly knocked him senseless and large welts had formed on the face of the tattooed Christ. Then he staggered up and made for the door.” Later, when Sarah Ruth glanced outside, her eyes hardened evermore. There was Parker leaning against a pecan tree, crying like a baby. His tears were not from the savage beating. They were from the fact that Parker now realized there was nothing he could do to please his self-righteous wife.  

 

3.    The story demonstrates the constant confrontation between Jesus and the self-righteous Pharisees. No wonder Jesus called them hypocrites. Jesus could see through their pretentious lives and called them out constantly. He contrasts their lives with that of Nathanael when he says, “Here is a true Israelite. There is no duplicity in him.” (John 1:47). “Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’ Anything more is from the evil one.” (Matthew 5:37).

 

4.    The Pharisees were organized Jewish leaders devoted to the literal practice of the Jewish law, the ‘Torah.’ They always took the chair of leadership and authority and loved to be addressed as teachers. They portrayed themselves as law-abiding Jews and loved to be seen as holy men. Since they interpreted the law, they felt that it was obvious to others that they were above the law. Those who did not obey the law were considered, obviously, as sinners who should neither be seen nor heard. They took offense at those who associated with sinners. “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.” (Lk. 7:39). Seeing their hearts and knowing the kind of lives they lived, Jesus called them hypocrites. Jesus constantly confronted the Pharisees for their pretentious lives. A hypocrite is someone who pretends to have beliefs or virtues that they don’t actually have. Their actions and moral lives contradict their professed beliefs and teachings.  

 

5.    Jesus warns us against a life of hypocrisy. We must live what we preach and preach what we profess. This refers to parents, teachers, preachers, and secular and religious leaders. Christ recognized the teaching authority of the Pharisees and so asked us to listen to our leaders, spiritual and temporal. If they do not practice what they preach, we are encouraged to take their teaching but abandon their way of life. We must be humble, authentic, honest, and genuine. Many people wear masks that prevent people from knowing who they are. We tell lies to cover up our inadequacies and shortcomings. We pretend to be what we are not. To cap it all, we find fault with others and condemn and judge them for the same weaknesses that we see in ourselves. A little compassion can go a long way to assure others of God’s love for them. If Sarah Ruth had shown compassion, love, mercy, and forgiveness to her husband, Parker, it would have been easy for him to follow Sarah’s God, but she made it impossible for Parker. His little effort to please her was not good enough. Like Christ was never good enough for the Pharisees, Parker was never good enough for his self-righteous wife. 

 

6.    We should be on the watch about the kind of life we live and the kind of example we give others, especially children. Questions: Am I an honest person? Do I practice what I preach? Do I boast and inflate my ego to demonstrate that I am better than who I am? Why am I afraid to tell people who I am? Am I afraid they won’t like me if they know who I am? Let us always remember that God loves us the way we are. If we lie and hide from others, we cannot hide from God. Honesty is still the best policy. Be good, and let goodness be!

Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP