July 19, 2020. Homily for the 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A.

Readings: Wisdom 12:13,16-19; Romans 8:26-27; Matthew 13:24-30

The Bastard Wheat

1.    There is a parable told about Good and Evil. One day, Good and Evil met upon the shore of the sea. They said to each other, “Let us disrobe and bathe in the sea.” After they bathed in the sea for some time, Evil came to the shore and clothed itself with the garment of Good and walked away. Later Good too came out of the shore and found that its clothes had been taken away by Evil. Feeling ashamed to go naked, Good garmented itself with the clothes of Evil. To this day, both Good and Evil walk around in their disguise clothes. Only some who know the face of Good and Evil are able to identify their true nature in spite of the garments.

2.    In today’s readings we are confronted with the problem of evil in the world. We are not in doubt of its presence. We see it every day. We read about it, not just in history books, but witness it in our streets, at home, in church, in our neighborhood and in the nations of the world. How do we explain the manifestation of evil all around us? A young man went into the grocery store and spat into bottles of ice-tea and laughed about it. A young woman spits on food items in another grocery store, licked butter, scoops ice-cream into her mouth; and others commit many other atrocities that abound in social media. What about the man who put fire on a dog’s tail and delights in the pains inflicted on it. Or those who tale tales of lies about their neighbors; or shooting and killing human beings just for the fun of it. Or taking the lives of unborn children in the womb; setting a house on fire and watching with glee as the occupants suffocate and die; or intentionally manipulating figures to look good after mismanagement and misappropriation of funds. We sometimes feel like Bob Marley and the Wailers, who in 1973 sang, “Stop that train, I’m leaving.” No wonder, the rich want to get out of the world and move to Mars. It makes us question the effectiveness of the Gospel and the labors of missionaries and religious leaders, the world over. Has Christianity failed? G.K. Chesterton would say, no, Christianity hasn’t failed, it just has never been tried. For if enough people lived the Gospel message in its fullness, the difference would be clear for all to see.

3.    The parable of the weed and the wheat in today’s Gospel reminds us of the need for saints and sinners to coexist in the world. After all, both saints and sinners were created by God, out of love. The weed or darnel was so indistinguishable from wheat at the early stage of its growth that it was called bastard wheat. One may uproot the wheat in an attempt to uproot the weed, hence, the farmer must wait patiently till harvest time. The wheat and the weed must be allowed to grow together till the end. According to the first reading from the book of Wisdom, “You (God) taught your people, by these deeds, that those who are just must be kind; and you gave your children good ground for hope that you would permit repentance for their sins.” No matter how bad the world may be, there is still hope for those who have faith. And so, St. Paul, in the second reading, enjoins us to ask the spirit for assistance in prayers. We are weak, on our own we can do nothing good. Hence, “The Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the spirit himself intercedes with inexpressible groanings. And the one who searches hearts knows, what is the intention of the Spirit, because he intercedes for the holy ones according to God’s will.”

4.    Today’s readings teach us that there is hostile power in the world competing with the power to do good. The power of evil always seeks to destroy the good in us. We must know that evil can disguise and fool us like the (darnel) weed and the wheat. They looked exactly alike in its shape and size. There was only a slight color variation. But when eaten the darnel was poisonous. This can make us mistake evil for good. Therefore, St. Paul said, “For I do not do the good I want, but I do the evil I do not want.” (Rom. 7:19). But trusting in the mercy of God, Paul overcame his weaknesses. Therefore, we must be on our guard, so that evil may not overpower us. We are also reminded that it is not always easy to distinguish those who wish us good from those who seek to destroy us. It’s not written on our faces the intentions of our hearts.

5.    This is why we should be on our guard. When the servants, in the parable asked the Master, ‘Did you not sow good seed in your field?’ Where have the weeds come from?” He answered, ‘An enemy had done this.’” Who is your enemy, who is ready to plant bad seed in your farm? They are those who laugh with and eat with you, and who you confide in, but they will tell your business to the whole world. They will block your promotion and make up stories about you. They are your trusted friends who tell you how much they care for you. But they are just waiting for you to fall asleep, so that they will plant weed among your wheat. Their intention is to destroy you. They will come to you in sheep clothing but inside are ravenous wolves. Why do they hate you? Because they are jealous of your achievements, your children and everything you are and own. They come to you as friends, just to have easy access to your life and thereby know just where to hit and destroy you. They are in Church, in your office and in your neighborhood. Beware of them! Someone may appear to be good but in fact is a devil-incarnate; and those you think are evil may indeed be good.

6.    This parable also teaches us that judgement belongs to God and yet he is slow to anger but rich in mercy. According to the first reading, “But though you are master of might, you judge with clemency, and with much lenience you govern us; for power, whenever you will, attends you.” At the end, evil will be overcome. For there is a seed of destruction in every demon. It has a day of reckoning and will sooner than later destroy itself. On the day of judgment, a day of harvest, it will be gathered and burnt. It doesn’t matter how long evil will triumph in the world, one day it will meet its end, and the children of light will shine like the stars of heaven. So, this parable warns us against judging people. Therefore, it is wrong to be quick in judging and condemning people without knowing the fact about them. We should not judge someone by one single act or stage in life. People must be given the benefits of the doubt. Judgment cannot come until the end of our lives. At the end the judgement of God will come on all sinners. Hence, swift and jungle justice are not the solution for a composite being like man. Man can have a change of mind and heart at any time. All judgments must be left in God’s domain, for if you O Lord should mark our guilt, Lord who can stand. Let us pray at this Mass that the Holy Spirit may aid us as we pursue a life of holiness and justice and recognize the hidden enemies of our lives.  Amen.

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP.

July 12, 2020: Homily for the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A.

Readings: Isaiah 55:10-11; Romans 8:18-23; Matthew 13:1-23

The Word of God is Alive and Effective

1.    Today Jesus tells us a parable of a sower who went out to sow his seed and the four types of soil that received the seed. The sower is God, who created us out of love and planted the seed of faith in our hearts. “It was not you chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will endure.” (Jn. 15:16). God’s gift is bestowed on us gratuitously. It is a free gift – a blessing and grace completely unmerited. If we cooperate with God’s gift of faith, we will be changed and transformed. The soil stands for the different hearts that receive God’s word. Each person must accept or reject God’s offer of grace.

2.    There are many reasons why we do not respond to God’s gift of grace. In the first reading, Isaiah the prophet, pleads with the captives in Babylon. He assured them that God would bring them out of bondage, after years in captivity, to their homeland in God’s own time. Many of them doubted. They gave in to despondency and despair and turned their backs to God. So, Isaiah compared the word of God to the rain and the snow that have the power to keep the world green and alive. God is true to his promises, which will come true in its time. “Write down the vision clearly upon the tablets, so that one can read it readily. For the vision still has its time, presses on to fulfillment, and will not disappoint; if it delays, wait for it, it will surely come, it will not be late.” (Habakkuk 2:2-4). God’s word came true indeed. After roughly 50 years in exile, the children of Israel were liberated by the Persians, who destroyed the Babylonian empire, and allowed them to return home. Like Isaiah compared the word of God to rain and snow, Jesus compares God’s word today to the seed planted by the sower.

3.     The way we react to the word of God is, sometimes, determined by our socio-cultural environments. At times, we allow situations, to affect the way we respond to God’s grace? According to St Paul, in the second reading, “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us.” Being aware of human suffering, Paul tells us to imagine the human and created world as being involved in one giant act of giving birth, “We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains.” Then he added, “We ourselves…grown inwardly while we wait for… the redemption of our bodies.” Paul believed redemption would take place in the kingdom of God on a day when all people would see themselves as adopted children of God.  The word of God will help us to achieve this goal. For “Faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.” (Rom. 10:17). Therefore, we must be disposed and willing to put his word into practice. Hence the story of the sower.

4.    The parable presents us with four responses to the generosity of the sower. Note that in only one case was the word rejected outright. In the other three cases it was received with joy. The problem is not in receiving the word, but in treasuring and putting it into practice. Thus, there are different ways of accepting God’s word, and the fruit which it produces depends on the heart of him who accepts it. The fate of any spoken word depends on the hearer. (a) The seed on the path are those who lack the moral disposition necessary for true conversion? They hear the word without understanding. They ask no questions and have no time to study what they do not understand. As soon as they received the word they cast it by the wayside. They allow pride and prejudice to shut the word from their hearts. They are unteachable and blind to the fact that they do not know. They harden their hearts and close their eyes to the truth and turn their back to the word. As birds feast on seed, so does the devil feast on their weak faith and snatch the word from their fickle hearts. (b) The second seed falls on rocky ground that has little soil. Here one may profess faith in the Lord, but such spirituality is shallow and superficial. These persons are emotional and are swept off their feet as soon as they hear the word. They fail to think things out and think them through. They are at the mercy of every new and crazy idea. Their lives are littered with things they began and never finished. When this attitude is applied to the word of God, one is faced with a disaster. They mistake emotional attraction for a deep faith. No one lives on emotion. We have minds and it is a moral obligation to have an intelligent faith. Christianity has it demands, and these demands must be faced before it be accepted. The Christian offer is not only a privilege, it is also a responsibility. A sudden enthusiasm can always so quickly become a dying fire.

5.    (c) The third seed fails to grow because thorns choke it to death. Here is someone who cannot let go and let God rule his life. In his order of priorities, God does not rank very high. Prestige, power, possession, and pride take precedence. This person has so many interests in life that skewed his priorities completely. He is too busy to pray, too preoccupied with material things, with family life, work, business and other social activities in the community. Reading the bible or finding time for spiritual things becomes a distraction. And going to Mass is an interruption or at best a disturbance of his Sunday schedule. He may be so involved in committees and good works of charitable services that leaves him no time for himself or for God. He is so involved in the work of the Lord that he forgets the Lord of the work. We must be careful not to block God out of our busy lives. (d) The fourth seed sprouts and produces a rich harvest. The word of God penetrates into a person’s entire being and permeates his whole existence. The yield is bountiful in love and compassion, in honesty and simple lifestyle, and concern for the dejected and the downtrodden. This person has an open mind; he is willing to learn and prepared to listen. He is never too proud or too busy to listen and to learn. He understands the importance of taking advice and counsel of wise friends and knows the value of a good spiritual reading. He translates what he hears into action and produces the good fruit of the good seed. Four seeds, one sower. The real hearers are those who listen, who understand and who obey. They yield a harvest through their perseverance.

6.    Today’s readings call us to action. They remind us that God’s word will bear fruit abundantly regardless of how it is received. His word has power and can help us live better lives. “Indeed, the word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrows, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart. No creature is concealed from him, but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must render an account.” (Heb. 4:12-13). Let us pray that we may “be doers of the word and not hears only.” Amen.

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP

July 5, 2020: Homily for the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time, (Year A)

Readings: Zechariah 9:9-10; Romans 8:9,11-13; Matthew 12:25-30

We Are Not Alone!

1.    We live in a world that has all kinds of laws, rules and regulations. There are rules at home, rules in church and everywhere. The State, cities all have their rules. We are more afraid of the penalty for breaking the law than keeping the law itself. Who has ever kept to the speed-limit regulations? But since we afraid of being penalized for over-speeding, we keep to the speed-limit, especially when the cops are around. The Bible too is filled with the do’s and don’ts. Since Moses gave the 10 commandments in Exodus, the children of Israel have so many variations that it becomes a burden to keep up with them. They were more afraid of breaking the law than offending God.

2.    Little wonder then, when Christ was asked, which was the greatest commandment, he said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matt. 22:36). Jesus reduced the commandments to love of God and love of neighbor. He made it easy for his disciples to live and breathe. In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us to learn from him so that we may have rest for our souls. He speaks of the mutual knowledge of wisdom between Him and God and invites the weary to come to him for refreshment.  

3.    Jesus urges us to learn humility from him. This is reechoed in today’s first reading. “See, your king shall come to you; a just Savior is he, meek, and riding on an ass, on a colt, the foal of an ass.” The vision of Zechariah the prophet, was such that God would raise up a ruler in the Davidic line, anointing him to carry out a universal mission of peace and reconciliation. He saw that this mighty king would be poor and committed to peace (humble and riding on a donkey) rather than to war (riding on a horse). And yet this king of peace was rejected and doubted, even by those close to him. John the Baptist wondered whether Jesus was truly the one “Who is to come” whom he proclaimed. (Matt. 11:1-15). Both Jesus and John the Baptist were equally rejected. “For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they said, ‘He is possessed by a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking and they said, ‘Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’” (Matt. 11:18-19). The cities of Capernaum, Chorazin and Bethsaida refused to repent after hearing his message (Matt. 11:20-24).

4.    In spite of his rejection, Jesus is full of praises to God, because the proud and the haughty, the Rabbis and the wise rejected him, but the poor, the humble, the meek and the gentle, even children embraced and clung to his words. Christ rejoiced over the revelation that his apostles chose to follow him. Lord to whom shall we go, you have the message of everlasting life. Christ clearly rejected intellectual pride that made it difficult for his simple teaching of love and mercy to be accepted. If we must follow Christ in his simplicity, then we must follow our hearts not our heads. William Barclay was right when he observed: “It is not cleverness which shuts out; it is pride. It is not stupidity which admits; it is humility. A man may be as wise as Solomon, but if he has not the simplicity, the trust, the innocence of the childlike heart, he shuts himself out.” The simple, the humble, the poor and children are closer to the heart of God; they will inherit the earth. Our prayer, therefore, should bring us closer to the presence of God. The more we pray the humbler we should become. When we learn humility and compassion from Jesus, we should practice it in the way we treat people around us.

5.    Christ invites us to “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” Is the burden you bear too heavy for you? Then it is not from God. Christ knows that we bear the burden of daily life, and, at times it may seem insurmountable. We are poor. We are weary, indeed. We are weighed down by Covid-19 pandemic, by political and economic uncertainties, we are not sure of our health care system amidst suits and counter lawsuits of our present-day government. We are uncertain of the educational future of our children and for some of us, our jobs are hanging on a balance. Our burdens are different. It may be physical handicap that makes life difficult for us. It could be sickness in the family and the burden of taking care of elderly parents. It may be the difficulty of scoring high grades in school or peer pressure at work. Our weariness may be the responsibility of leading or directing others as parents, teachers or supervisors. Some may have the burden of being sick, widowed or divorced. There are burdens some carry in looking after others. No matter what kind of weariness we may feel or what kind of burden we bear, Jesus says, “Come to me all you who labor and are over-burdened and I will give you rest.” (Matt. 11:28).

6.    Christ knows that it is not easy for us. The fact that the poor and the lowly are God’s blessed ones, does not mean they are free from the weariness and burdens of human life. It fact, they often suffer more than the rich and the powerful. But all of us, rich or poor, strong or weak, have our share of weariness and burdens. We all feel fatigue from hard work. We feel boredom which comes from vague dissatisfaction with life and we, at one point or the other, have moments of depression. Christ invites us all, regardless of our situation. He doesn’t expect us to carry the burden of life alone. Do not be afraid, he tells us. His grace is sufficient for us. He is right here with us. Like the yoke that is carried by two animals, Christ will carry our burdens with us. He assures us, I am with you always till the end of time. “Can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her womb? Even should she forget, I will never forget you. See, upon the palms of my hands I have written your name.” (Is. 49:15-16). He tells us “In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world.” (Jn. 16:33).  

7.    I want to conclude with this beautiful poem:

One night I dreamed a dream.

As I was walking along the beach with my Lord.

Across the dark sky flashed scenes from my life.

For each scene, I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand,

One belonging to me and one to my Lord.

After the last scene of my life flashed before me,

I looked back at the footprints in the sand.

I noticed that at many times along the path of my life,

especially at the very lowest and saddest times,

there was only one set of footprints.

This really troubled me, so I asked the Lord about it.

"Lord, you said once I decided to follow you,

You'd walk with me all the way.

But I noticed that during the saddest and most troublesome times of my life,

there was only one set of footprints.

I don't understand why, when I needed You the most, You would leave me."

He whispered, "My precious child, I love you and will never leave you

Never, ever, during your trials and testings.

When you saw only one set of footprints,

It was then that I carried you."

May God bless and continue to carry us through our troubling times of our life the rest he promised us. Amen.

                  Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP

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