May 25, 2025; 6th Sunday of Easter (Year C)

Readings: Acts 15:1-2, 22-29; Rv. 21:10-14, 22-23; Jn. 14:23-29

Whoever Loves Me will keep my word!

We often fear the unknown, especially when it comes to health concerns. Visiting the doctor for tests like a mammogram, MRI, sonogram, or CT scan can create anxieties: What will the diagnosis be? Will it negatively impact my life? What about my loved ones? How should I deal with conflicts in my life? Am I financially secure? Have I saved enough for emergencies? Can I keep up with my mortgage, car payments, my children’s education, or utility bills? These questions and worries can strip us of our inner peace and lead to confusion. Christ warns us not to be anxious, saying, “What shall we eat? Or what shall we drink? Seek first the kingdom of God and his justice and all these things will be given to you besides” (Matthew 6:31-34).

Today’s readings remind us that we are not alone in our pursuit of peace. Jesus’ disciples shared similar worries. Jesus understood that they would face confusion and anxiety as he prepared to demonstrate his love for them by accepting death on the cross. He encouraged them not to let their hearts be troubled and urged them to trust in God. After his resurrection, as he was about to return to his Father, he reassured them of his peace and promised them the gift of the Holy Spirit.

The first reading teaches that life was not always easy for the early Christians. As Paul and Barnabas spread the Gospel and the message of salvation to the Gentiles, new challenges emerged. Some members insisted that the Gentiles follow Jewish laws and practices, such as circumcision. This created a rift between the Apostles and the new believers. To address this issue, Paul brought it to the attention of the Apostles, leading to the convening of the first official Council of the Church—the Council of Jerusalem. The Apostles relied on the Holy Spirit's guidance and listened to one another, resulting in unity: “Then the whole meeting quieted down and listened while Barnabas and Paul told of the great signs and wonders that God had done among the Gentiles through them” (Acts 15:12). The decision was made: “For the Holy Spirit, and we have decided…” (verse 28).

How often do we allow our worries, differences, and perspectives to divide us? When we refuse to seek unity within the Church or to concede our stances, do we not tear apart the body of Christ? When we set ourselves as the standard of judgment, neglecting the needs and good of others, we risk sinning against charity and the very God we seek to serve. St. Paul advises, “But if you bite and devour one another, take heed, or you will be consumed by one another” (Galatians 5:15).

Disappointments within the Church, parishes, families, and communities are inevitable. However, a tension-free Church or society is not achievable in this world; rather, it is in the next where we will find a new heaven and a new earth. So, how do we address problems and heal divisions in our lives? The Church has consistently sought to bring people together for dialogue—listening sessions where the Holy Spirit is given room to work, facilitating healing and providing solutions. This approach was exemplified in the first reading about the Council of Jerusalem, where the outcome was a collaborative effort guided by the Holy Spirit. Pope Francis advocated for synodality, bringing people together to listen and find solutions in the light of the Holy Spirit for today’s challenges.

Jesus promised the Apostles the gift of the Holy Spirit, urging them not to be afraid. He provides a counselor, a friend, and an advocate who intercedes on our behalf. Christ cares for us deeply and seeks to relieve our anxiety. “Do not let your hearts be troubled,” he says, “but put your trust in God.” Despite our disappointments, pain, fears, and uncertainties, Christ assures us of his presence: “It is I; do not be afraid” (Matthew 14:27).

Pope Leo XIV reminded us, “Brothers, sisters, I speak to you, especially to those who no longer believe, no longer hope, no longer pray, because they think God has left. To those who are fed up with scandals, misused power, and the silence of a Church that sometimes seems more like a place than a home. I, too, was angry with God. I, too, saw good people die, children suffer, and grandparents cry without medicine. And, yes, there were days when I prayed and only felt an echo. But then I discovered something: God doesn’t shout. God whispers. And sometimes He whispers from the mud, from pain, from a grandmother who feeds you without having anything. I don't come to offer you perfect faith. I come to tell you that faith is a walk with stones, puddles, and unexpected hugs.” The Holy Spirit will always steer the ship to the shore of peace and tranquility. Even when we have sinned, the Holy Spirit will be there to get us back up again. When we don't know how to pray, the Spirit himself pleads for us with unutterable groaning (Rom. 8:26).

The Holy Spirit gives us peace that is not the absence of war but, according to Baruch Spinoza, “a virtue, a state of mind, a disposition of benevolence, confidence, justice.” It is the presence of Christ working in his people. This peace is indicative of an indwelling of the Trinity in the lives of Christians; a life lived in absolute surrender to the will of God.

 

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP

May 18, 2025; 5th Sunday of Easter (Year C)

Readings: Acts 14:21-27; Rv. 21:1-5; Jn. 13:31-33, 34-35 

Love one another as I have loved you!

On the eve of His death, Christ addressed His Apostles, saying, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him” (John 13:31). Christ was glorified because He was obedient to His Father. As stated in Philippians 2:5-11, “Christ Jesus did not regard equality with God but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in human likeness. He humbled Himself and became obedient to death, even death on a cross. Therefore, God exalted Him to the highest place.” Christ wanted His apostles to emulate His self-sacrificial love and share it with the world. “This is how all will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another” (John 13:35).

Christ, the new Moses, gave His disciples a new commandment: “Love one another.” St. Augustine asked, “Isn’t this commandment part of the ancient law of God, which states, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’? If it is, why does the Lord call it new?” Leviticus 19:18 instructs, “love your neighbor as yourself,” but Christ commands, “Love one another as I have loved you.” He showed His love for His disciples by dying on the Cross for them. “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13). St. Augustine emphasizes that “Christ’s love renews us, making us new creations, heirs of the New Testament, and singers of the new song. This is the love that renewed the blessed apostles and is now renewing the nations. From the diverse human race that spans the world, it is creating and gathering together a new people—the body of the newly wedded spouse of the only begotten Son of God.”

This agape love inspired the early Christian community to live together in harmony, sharing everything in common (Acts 2:42-46). It drove missionaries to the ends of the earth to proclaim the good news and led many to die as martyrs for the sake of Christ. The apostles experienced God’s love and could not keep it to themselves; instead, they dedicated themselves to teaching and baptizing others, inviting them to share in God’s abundant life and redemptive love (Matthew 28:19). During their first missionary journey, Paul and Barnabas encouraged the converts: “We must undergo many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.” An authentic Christian is not only concerned about their own salvation but is also deeply invested in the salvation of others. Simply giving alms does not embody the virtue of charity. Every Christian has an obligation to be actively involved in Church matters and parish activities that strengthen the faith of fellow members. The early Christians demonstrated their unwavering love by accepting hardships and martyrdom for their faith. We express our love for others through courteous corrections, words of encouragement to those who suffer, and, above all, by praying for them.

Christ calls us to accept and practice His new commandment of love—to love as He loves and to forgive as He forgives us. We must always prioritize others before ourselves. This explains why a woman at the bedside of her unconscious fiancé will not lose hope but pray day and night for a miracle of healing. To love as Christ commands enables mothers, whose children are killed by drunk drivers, to forgive the offenders. They choose the freedom of forgiveness and love over brokenness and grief. Many broken families would not experience strife if their members lived in love. Thousands of men, women, and children in jails, hospitals, and on street corners would not be there if they were cared for by those who should love them. Many poor, hungry, oppressed, and war-affected individuals find themselves in their situations due to a lack of love. Even more shocking, thousands suffer and remain uneducated because their elected leaders are too selfish and corrupt to invest in their education and well-being. Thousands live without Christ and His teachings because we have failed to practice charity.

Love—the distinguishing mark of Jesus’ kingdom—should spring from our hearts. When we love, a ripple effect spreads to families, institutions, countries, and the world. The Book of Revelation anticipates a new city filled with joy, peace, and love. John’s vision can only be realized if we embrace the new commandment of love. Love is the only creative force that can transform the world; it enriches the recipient without impoverishing the giver. Therefore, Mother Teresa urged us to spread love wherever we go, in our families, sharing love with children, spouses, and neighbors.

If there are problems in our families, it may be due to our failure to obey the commandment of love. If our churches are empty, we may have neglected to show love. If issues arise in our schools, workplaces, communities, or nation, it is because, somewhere, someone has forgotten, ignored, or failed to act on the commandment of love. As a result, we have not experienced the new city, our heavenly Jerusalem, here on earth. If Christians were to love as Christ commands, our churches would be filled with the transformed hearts and lives of those who have chosen to live in love.

 

 

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP

May 11, 2025; 4th Sunday of Easter (Year C)

Readings: Acts 13:14, 43-52; Rev. 7:9, 14-17; Jn. 10:27-30

The Good Shepherd Lays Down His Life for His Sheep

Today is Vocations Sunday. The Church invites us to pray that young men and women may answer the call of the Good Shepherd and give themselves to God in service as ordained ministers of the word and the sacraments and as religious men and women in consecrated life. We encourage lay participation and collaboration with the clergy to build the kingdom of God in love and service. May we listen to the voice of the Good Shepherd, “Who came not to be served but to serve and gave his life as a ransom for many” (Mk. 10:45).

Today, we pay tribute to mothers for their contribution to our lives. We thank them for giving birth to us, nurturing us, providing for us both naturally and spiritually, and contributing to making us who we are today. We are grateful not only to our biological mothers but also to those who played the role of mothers, and women like them; the world would be a tough and fearful place for us without their support and love.

Jesus tells us in the Gospel that he is the Good Shepherd. The shepherd has the heart of a mother. He knows her children by name and only thinks of their good and welfare. “I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I will lay down my life for the sheep” (Jn. 10:14-15). By calling himself a good Shepherd, Jesus contrasts himself with other shepherds who are not good. “Woe to the shepherds of Israel who have been pasturing themselves! Should not shepherds, rather, pasture sheep?” You have fed off their milk, worn their wool, and slaughtered the fatlings, but you have not pastured the sheep. I will claim my sheep from them and stop their shepherding my sheep so that they may no longer pasture themselves. I will look after and tend my sheep.” (Eze. 34:2-10). The leaders of Israel did not look after the children of Israel with the heart of God, the good shepherd. Hence, God snatched the sheep from their care and appointed his dear son to look after his people. As a good shepherd, Jesus loves the sheep of his flock. He prepared a meal for them. He told them, “Come, have breakfast” (Jn. 21:9, 12). He gave them the bread of life, his body, and blood and promised “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day” (Jn. 6:54). He protected them from danger; “He rebuked the wind and the waves, and they subsided and there was a calm” (Lk. 8:24). Christ is always with the sheep of his flock till the end of time.

There is also a contrast between the good shepherd and the present-day prophets, priests, and preachers. Many prophets and preachers of today are like shepherds of Ezekiel’s time. They only care about themselves and what they can get from their sheep. They preach the prosperity gospel and look for ways to enrich themselves. They extort money from their people in the name of tithes. They build mansions for themselves and buy a fleet of cars, airplanes, and jets in the name of preaching the gospel, while most of their congregants are impoverished. To them also, the good shepherd directs his words of admonition. They must abandon their ways and take care of those entrusted to their care after the heart of the good shepherd.

Christ is our shepherd, and we are the sheep of his flock. We must listen to the voice of the good shepherd. Many discordant voices are competing for our attention today. Sometimes, these voices are so strong that they drown the good shepherd’s voice and mislead us. Jesus gave the power of good leadership to the church and her teaching. We should not choose which teaching to adopt and which to abandon because we do not like it. Following the master may not always be easy. It may lead us to wash our robes white with the blood of the lamb, or we may suffer trying to proclaim him to the ends of the world. We know and believe that the good shepherd will be with us always, till the end of time. He laid down his life for us; nothing will ever separate us from his hands.    

Augustine Etemma Inwang MSP

May 04, 2025; 3rd Sunday of Easter (Year C)

Readings: Acts 5:27-32; Rev. 5:11-14; Jn. 21:1-19

Lord, you know We Love You, but we are weak!

1.      I am convinced that Christ was raised from the dead without a doubt. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that “Christ’s resurrection is the fulfillment of the promises, both of the Old Testament and of Jesus Himself during his earthly life. The resurrection of the crucified one shows He was the true ‘I Am,’ the Son of God and God Himself. Christ’s resurrection is closely linked to the Incarnation of God’s Son and is its fulfillment in accordance with God’s eternal plan” (CCC nos. 652, 653).  St. Paul said it better, “If there is no resurrection of the dead, then neither has Christ been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then empty too is our preaching; empty, too, your faith” (1 Cor 15:13-14). On that first Easter Sunday, Peter and his companions experienced the risen Christ as they never expected to, which changed their lives’ trajectory. The spirit of the risen Lord emboldened Peter to stand up to the Sanhedrin and accuse them of being responsible for Christ’s death. “We must obey God rather than men. The God of our ancestors raised Jesus, though you had him killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as leader and Savior to grant Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins. We witness these things, as is the Holy Spirit God gave to those who obey Him.” (First reading). This is the same Peter who, a few days ago, could not stand up to a young girl and admit that he knew Jesus.

 

2.      In my opinion, something fascinating about Peter endeared him to Jesus – Peter’s crass humanity makes his person appealing to us. We can identify easily with him. Peter was impetuous. One minute, he confessed the divinity of Jesus, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Mt. 16:16); the next minute, he tried to prevent Jesus from accepting the will of His father, to which he was reprimanded to “Get behind me, Satan.” However, there was an undeniable friendship between Jesus and Peter; the friendship was so strong that just a look from Jesus told Peter that he had betrayed that friendship and hurt their relationship. According to William J. Bausch in ‘Story Telling the Word,’ “The scene of two men in a silent confrontation in the palace courtyard tells us the real meaning of Christianity. When you come right down to it, it is a living relationship with a living Person. It is always and forever the relationship of redeemed human beings with the person of Jesus Christ in faith, trust, forgiveness, and love – in all the ways that one person is bound to another.”

 

3.      In today’s Gospel, Peter is returning to his trade: fishing. His statement, “I am going fishing,” could mean that he was returning to the trade he thought he was good at, or he was simply bored and needed to distract himself from the thought of betraying his friend and the constant reminder of the look of Jesus. Could it mean Peter doubted catching people for the kingdom as Christ commanded him? If he was not adept at fishing, how would he be at catching people? Unfortunately, Peter, in my opinion, was not very good at catching fish. His first encounter with Jesus was when he was on his duty post, trying to catch fish. To the request of Jesus to “Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch,” his answer was, “Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command, I will lower the nets” (Lk. 5:5). For the second time, Jesus met Peter and his companions again during his fishing expedition and enquired: “Children, have you caught anything yet?” “No.” So he told them, “Cast the net over the right side of the boat, and you will find something.” (Jn. 21:3-6). When they caught so many fish, John exclaimed, “It is the Lord.” How could they, who caught nothing throughout the night, be so lucky just because a stranger had told them to cast the nets on the other side of the boat? John could recall their last encounter with Jesus when they had worked all night long and caught nothing. Christ had told them what to do before they had their boats filled with fish. It had to be the Lord. Christ showed Peter and his companions that they could do nothing apart from him. He demonstrated to Peter that he (Christ) was better at Peter’s job than Peter himself; hence, Peter should learn another trade with the help of the grand master himself. Many times, we think we know it all. We often try to keep God out of our lives. But Christ tells us, “Apart from me, you can do nothing”. God provides us with the strength, energy, and wisdom we need to do all we do and succeed in them.

 

4.      Whenever we run away from God, he comes in search of us. “It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you” (Jn. 15:16). Unworthy as we are God chose us as he chose the prophets of old and the Apostles. When they sinned, he forgave them and waited for them to turn back to him.  He shows us the father’s love in the story of the prodigal son (Lk 15). He demonstrates his forgiveness in the story of the woman caught in the act of committing adultery (Jn. 8). He reached out to Peter at the sea of Tiberias, still caring, cooking a meal for his friends, providing fish for their upkeep, giving them encouragement and hope and offering them forgiveness and love. Yes, “It is the Lord”; he is the only one who appears when all hope is gone, refreshes us when water is dried up, and the rain refuses to fall. The Lord brings healing and strength to our failing bodies and restores us to wholeness when we are sick. “What I am sure about tomorrow is that providence will rise before the dawn” because it is the Lord.

 

5.      Jesus knew his friend Peter more than Peter knew himself. He knew Peter loved him, but he wanted him to say it with his mouth. After all, he had told Peter, “Simon, Simon, behold Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat, but I have prayed that your faith may not fail; and once you have turned back, you must strengthen your brothers” (Lk. 22:31-32). He knew that Satan had put his ugly hands on Peter, and at the moment of weakness, he denied Christ. Christ was back to make it right. Christ asked him three times, ‘Do you love me? “Lord, you know everything; You know that I love you.” Yes, Peter was right; Christ knew everything; he knew that Peter loved him.

 

6.      So, we pray that we may not forget that the Lord stands always at our shores, loving, instructing, watching, and looking out for us. He has a meal prepared for us. When tempted to run away from the Lord, may we not forget our relationship with him. May we have the courage to say, like Peter, Lord, you know everything; you know we love you. Please pray for us as you prayed for Peter, so our faith may not fail. Strengthen us at the moment of our weakness so we may not betray you. Help us to see the look of love in your eyes so that we may weep for our sins and return to you. Amen.   

                                                     Augustine Etemma Inwang MSP