October 22, 2023; World Mission Sunday/ 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

 

World Mission Sunday: October 22, 2023

1.     Today is World Mission Sunday. Mission Sunday was instituted by Pope Pius X1 in 1926. The Pope invited the Church to participate in the work of the mission to bring Christ to the ends of the earth. According to Pope Francis, “Celebrating this month will help us first to rediscover the missionary dimension of our faith in Jesus Christ, a faith graciously bestowed on us in Baptism. Our filial relationship with God is not something simply private, but always in relation to the Church.” The theme for this year’s celebration, as set by Pope Francis, is “Hearts on fire, feet on the move,” based on the story of the disciples who encounter Jesus on their way to Emmaus (cf. Lk 24:13-35). He invites all of us to “set out once more, illumined by our encounter with the risen Lord and prompted by his Spirit. Let us set out again with burning hearts, with our eyes open and our feet in motion. Let us set out to make other hearts burn with the word of God, to open the eyes of others to Jesus in the Eucharist, and to invite everyone to walk together on the path of peace and salvation that God, in Christ, has bestowed upon all humanity.” In a world where so much divides us, World Mission Sunday rejoices in our unity as missionaries through our Baptism, as it offers each one of us an opportunity to support the life-giving presence of the Church among the poor and marginalized in more than 1,111 mission dioceses.

2.     The first worldwide Mission Sunday collection was taken in October 1927. Since then, the Mission Sunday collection is always taken on the next to the last Sunday in October. That day is celebrated in all the local Churches as the feast of Catholicity and universal Solidarity, so Christians the world over will recognize their common responsibility concerning the evangelization of the world.

3.     I am a member of the Missionary Society of St. Paul of Nigeria. My Society was founded by the late Dominic Cardinal Ekandem in consultation with the Episcopal Conference of Nigeria in 1977 for missions (46 years ago). This was in answer to the call of the Second Vatican Council and Pope Paul V1 in Uganda in 1969 to Africans to participate in the mission mandate of the Universal Church. Jesus Christ calls on us to “Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to all creatures.” (Mk. 16:15). Since the Nigerian Church was a beneficiary of the faith brought by European missionaries, it is only fitting that we, too, should share in this mandate, to bring the Gospel of Christ to the Americas, Europe and indeed to the ends of the world. Today, Missionaries of St. Paul have answered the call to bring the Gospel of Christ to God’s people in America, Canada, Sweden, Ireland, Italy, Germany, England, Grenada, Bahamas, South Africa, South Sudan, Botswana, Central African Republic, Chad, Malawi, Cameroon, the Gambia, Kenya, Liberia and Nigeria.

4.     On November 30, 1919, Pope Benedict XV, in his Apostolic Letter Maximum Illud, stressed the need for all Catholics to be interested in missionary work. Pope Francis said this of the Apostolic letter of his predecessor 104 years ago, “Its farsighted and prophetic vision of the apostolate has made me realize once again the importance of renewing the Church’s missionary commitment and giving fresh evangelical impulse to her work of preaching and bringing to the world the salvation of Jesus Christ, who died and rose again.”

5.     We must all see ourselves as missionaries. We only exist as a Church because we are a missionary Church, sent on a mission by God in Jesus, who commands us to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:19-20). Some of us must necessarily go on mission as missionaries, but others must also go on mission by giving to support the mission. In his apostolic letter, Maximum Illud, Pope Benedict XV said, “There are three general ways in which a Catholic can assist the missionary effort, and missionaries themselves constantly remind us of them. This is within everyone’s capacity.”

·        Pray that God may grant the missions His merciful aid. “This kind of prayer cannot fail, especially in this cause, for no cause is dearer or more pleasing to God than this one. While the Israelites fought their battle with Amalek, Moses took his stand on a great hill and, lifting his hands, implored God’s aid for his people. The teachers of the Gospel are manfully at work in the Lord’s vineyard, and it is the duty of all the faithful to follow the example of Moses and grant them the support of their prayers.”

·        Fostering vocations. Everyone must pray for an increase of vocation in the Church. Jesus reminds us: “The harvest is large, but there are few workers to gather it in. Pray to the owner of the harvest that he will send out workers to gather in his harvest” (Matt. 9:37-38).

·        Economic Help. Every Catholic must give to support the mission.

I want to express my gratitude to all who have supported the work of the mission. May God bless and reward you abundantly.

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP

29^th Sunday in Ordinary Time; Year (A) October 22, 2023

Readings: Isaiah 45:1, 4-6; 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5; Matthew 22:15-21 

Everything belongs to God.

1.     Today is World Mission Sunday. The Holy Father, Pope Francis, calls on us all to participate in the Church’s mission. Please read my reflection on the mission in the bulletin under ‘From the Pastor’s desk.’ In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells the Pharisees to give to God what belongs to God and to Caesar what belongs to Caesar. Christ was reacting to the trap set for him concerning the payment of taxes. Jesus had been confronting the religious leaders of his day, indicting them with his parables. In the parable of the two sons (Matthew 21:28-32), he portrayed the Jewish leaders as unsatisfactory sons who did not do his father’s will. In the parable of the wicked servants (Matthew 21:33-46), Jesus demonstrated that they were the corrupt servants who ill-treated those sent to receive the produce of the vineyard and even killed the son of the vineyard owner, intending to take over the vineyard for themselves. In the parable of the wedding feast of the king’s son (Matthew 22:1-14), Christ showed them as the condemned guests, one of whom did not even wear a wedding garment. In today’s gospel, the Jewish leaders are on the offensive with their counterattack on Jesus. They are going for a kill, aiming at Jesus’ jocular. They confronted Jesus publicly with a question regarding the payment of taxes. Their aim was to discredit Jesus with his own words. Palestine was an occupied country, and the Jews were subject to the Roman Empire; the question was: “Is it lawful to pay tribute to Rome or not.” There were three regular taxes the Roman government exacted on the Jews. The ground tax – a tenth of the grain and one-fifth of the oil and wine; income tax – one percent of a man’s income; then a poll tax – paid by every male from the age of 14-65, and female from the age of 12-65. It was equivalent to one denarius. It was the poll tax that prompted the confrontation.

2.     If Christ had answered that it was unlawful to pay tax, they would have reported him to the Roman authority for sedition, and Christ would have been arrested immediately. If his answer, on the other hand, was that it was lawful to pay tax, he would have been discredited in the eyes of the people. The Jews resented paying taxes for religious reasons. To them, God was the only king; therefore, to pay tax to an earthly king was to admit the validity of his kingship and thereby insult God as their ultimate king. Therefore, any tax paid to a foreign king was necessarily wrong. Whichever way Christ would have answered the question would put him in the wrong. Christ outsmarts them by asking for the coin used to pay tax. And then told them to give the coin to the owner – Caesar, since his head was on it.

3.     Jesus lays down an important principle for every Christian with this simple but intelligent answer. We belong both to the country in which we live and to God. We are citizens of the world and citizens of heaven; we owe our allegiance to both. Our government must protect and provide us with social amenities like good roads, a healthcare system, social infrastructures, sewage, and water systems, means of public transportation, public schools, and all other services. Hence, we have an obligation to our governments. St. Peter tells us, “Give honor to all, love the community, fear God, honor the king.” (1 Peter 2:17), and Paul tells Christians, “Let every person be subordinate to the higher authorities, for there is no authority except God, and those that exist have been established by God. Pay to all their dues, taxes to whom taxes are due, toll to whom toll is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due.” (Rom. 13:1, 7). By paying taxes and being law-abiding, we assist the government in caring for our needs. William Barclay reflects, “Because the Christian is a man of honor, he must be a responsible citizen; failure in good citizenship is also a failure in Christian duty. Untold trouble can descend upon a country or an industry when Christians refuse to take their part in the administration and leave it to selfish, self-seeking, partisan, and unchristian men. The Christian has a duty to Caesar in return for the privileges which the rule of Caesar brings to him.” 

4.     We also belong to God, not just us but all creation. “The earth is the Lord’s and all it holds, the world and those who live there.” (Ps. 24:1). Even Caesar belongs to God. In the first reading, God directed a pagan king to be an instrument of deliverance to his chosen people. He called Cyrus ‘his anointed’, a title given only to someone in Israel. God was the one who directed the operations of Cyrus. He arms him, “though you know me not.” Because “I am the Lord, and there is no other, there is no God besides me.” Whatever happens, at any time, at any place, happens under God’s control. The answer that Christ gave reaffirmed the supremacy of God over humanity. We must give God our loyalty, adoration, obedience, and all. When we are convinced that it is God’s will that something should be done, we must do it, or if we are convinced that something is against the will of God, we must resist it and take no part in it. Where the boundaries between the two duties lie, Jesus does not say. That is for our own conscience to test. But a real Christian – and this is the permanent truth which Jesus here lays down – is at one and the same time a good citizen of his country and a good citizen of the kingdom of heaven. He will fail in his duty neither to God nor to man. May God help us to be true to our dual citizenship. Amen.

 

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP

 

 

 

 

 

October 15, 2023; 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

Readings: Isaiah 25:6-10; Philippians 4:12-14, 19-20; Matthew 22:1-14

We all Must Partake in the Lord’s Banquet

1.    The Eucharist is the greatest thanksgiving we can ever render to God. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, nos.1359 and 1360, reminds us that: “The Eucharist, the sacrament of our salvation accomplished by Christ on the cross, is also a sacrifice of praise in thanksgiving for the work of creation. In the Eucharistic sacrifice, the whole of creation loved by God is presented to the Father through Christ’s death and Resurrection. Through Christ, the Church can offer the sacrifice of praise in thanksgiving for all that God had made good, beautiful, and just in creation and in humanity.” It explains further, “The Eucharist is a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the Father, a blessing by which the Church expresses her gratitude to God for all his benefits, for all that he has accomplished through creation, redemption, and sanctification. Eucharist means “thanksgiving.” At Mass, we gather around the Eucharistic table as a family to thank God for the gift of life, for good health, our families, our friends, our nation, and everything God has done for us. This is the banquet Isaiah invites us to partake in today’s first reading. “On this mountain, the Lord of hosts will provide for all peoples a feast of rich food and choice wines, juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines.”  Christ commands, “Do this in memory of me.”  Ours is a celebration of joy and happiness; it is thanksgiving in praise of God for answered prayers, healing, strength, blessings, and life.

2.    The gospel recounts the parable of the wedding banquet of the king’s son. A wedding is a time of joy and celebration in anticipation of a new family. In ancient times, kings announced the approximate time for a wedding banquet weeks in advance. The exact day of the feast was given later. To say ‘yes’ to the advance invitation and ‘no’ at a later date was an insult to the king. 

3.    Jesus directed the parable to the Jews of his time. Ages before, they had accepted God’s invitation to be his chosen people, his special guests at the banquet of the kingdom of God. But when Jesus came to announce the banquet – “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matt. 4:17) – they rejected his invitation and put Christ to death. But this attitude did not stop the joy of the celebration. John tells us: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. He came to what was his own, but his own people did not accept him. But to those who did accept him, he gave power to become children of God.” (Jn. 1:5,11-12).

4.    Like those who did not accept the invitation to the wedding feast, we have often responded in like manner to God’s invitation. Those invited had better things to do than attend the wedding feast; we often have good reasons, too. Remember, those who did not participate in the feast did not go out to drink. No, some went to the farm, and others had other businesses to attend to. Many times, we, too, have other things to do. We sometimes go to football games rather than attend Mass. We may be too tired to respond to church activities. We don’t always take the practice of our faith seriously. We do not always pray with our families. Do we pray the rosary as a family? When did we go to confession last? Do we read the bible, or do we even own one? Would we say that our spiritual life is better today than last year? Do we prepare for Mass as we should, going through the readings beforehand and being ready to receive the Eucharist joyfully? Do we always speak the truth? Do we take part in gossiping about our neighbors and everything going on around us? 

5.    Dear friends, saying ‘Yes’ to God’s invitation is not a one-time commitment. It is an ongoing process. It requires constant recommitment and updating. It is easy to get distracted by daily life and to forget about eternal life. It is easy to fill ourselves with the junk food of this life and forget the banquet of eternal life. When we say ‘yes’ to God, like commitment in marriage, we find joy, happiness, and peace. It is like having a family get-together where a lot of food, beer, and wine are served. God himself prepares this meal for us every day but many of us choose to be on a diet. Today’s readings attest that a meal expresses many human attitudes and emotions. It can be a powerful testimonial to a friendship that many would doubt does not exist, as when Jesus accepted the invitation to dine with a despised tax collector. (MK. 2:13-17). When the Father forgave his son in Lk 15:11-32, he gave a banquet and killed a fatted calf for the celebration. Abraham prepared a meal for the strangers who stopped by his house on their way to Sodom and Gomorrah. (Gen. 18:1-8). We travel miles and miles to join our families for Thanksgiving and Christmas meals. At these meals, there is always a lot to eat and drink. These gatherings speak the mind of God for his children. He wants his children to be happy and be glad. The meals talk to us about the banquet we will share eternally with God in heaven with his son, angels, and saints. But there is a caveat to the joyful participation in this banquet.

6.    Those invited must wear their garment; it doesn’t matter when the invitation comes to you. By coming to the wedding feast without a wedding garment, one refuses to prepare and openly insults the host. The kingdom of God is a gift to which the Spirit awakens us. It grows within our hearts as we live by gospel values. The wedding garment is woven with strands of humility, gratitude, willingness to change, readiness to forgive and be forgiven, to love and be loved. Openness to the generosity of God is the ticket to entering the kingdom. 

7.    According to William Barclay, this parable has nothing to do with the clothes we wear to Church; it has everything to do with the Spirit in which we go to God’s house. It is profoundly true that churchgoing must never be a fashion parade. But there are garments of the mind, heart, and soul – the garment of expectation, the garment of humble repentance, the garment of faith, the garment of reverence - and these are the garments without which we ought not approach God. Too often, we go to God’s house with no preparation at all; if every man and woman in our congregations came to Church prepared to worship, after a bit of prayer, a little thought, and a little self-examination, talking less to others in the Church and talking more to God, then worship would be worship indeed – the worship in which and through which things happen in men’s souls and the life of the Church and the affairs of the world. Is there anything in our lives that distracts us from fully accepting the Lord’s awesome invitation to share in the life of our generous God? Let us celebrate our faith, the Eucharist, and life in this community. May we always approach our Lord in the Eucharist with joy and thanksgiving in our hearts! Amen.

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP

October 08, 2023; 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

Readings: Isaiah 5:1-7; Philippians 4:6-9; Matthew 21:33-43

“What More Was There to Do for My Vineyard?” 

1.    In today’s first reading, we read, “My friend had a vineyard on a fertile hillside; he spaded it, cleared it of stone, and planted the choicest vines; he built a watchtower within it. And hewed out a wine press. Then he looked for the crop of grapes, but what it yielded was wild grapes.” Isaiah’s question is the same one some parents have asked often. They have spent so much money on their children’s education with the expectation that they will do well in school and become successful, but they turned out to be the opposite. What more was there to do for those children? We have often invested in businesses expecting a better outcome, only to be disappointed with the result. And so we ask, what else was there to do that we did not do? Two Friends embarked on a project that they hoped would benefit them in the future, only to be outwitted and cheated out of it by one of them. The other partner is left with the question: What more was there to do that I did not do? A young woman started dating a young man; they had been together for months. They are now planning for their wedding. The young woman has invested so much in the relationship; she is now ready to settle down to begin a family and to live forever after with the love of her life. One day, she returned from work to see a note from her finance informing her that he was in love with someone else. In her anguish, she cried out, what more was there to do that I did not do? Many times, we have felt this way with members of our families. To some of them, we have given everything, short of our blood, but they go a different way when we expect them to turn one way. We cried out with Isaiah; what more was there to do that we did not do?

2.    Today’s Gospel asks the same question as Isaiah. The parable is about the landowner who planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a wine press, and built a tower. Then, he leased it to tenants and went on a journey. He expected a bountiful harvest on his return. But those he sent to receive the produce when the vintage time drew near were ill-treated. Some were beaten, others killed. Even his son was thrown out of the vineyard and killed. Who were these heartless, ruthless, and corrupt tenants? Today’s Psalm tells us: “The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel.” 

3.    The parable of Jesus is described as “an earthly story with a heavenly meaning.” His stories or parables are always directed to people of his time to point the light on the need to change their ways and give their lives to God. There are two types of parables: window parables and mirror parables. Mark Link, SJ describes a window parable as a simple story that teaches about God or His kingdom. It is a ‘verbal window’ to get insight into God or His kingdom. It often begins with “The kingdom of God is like.” Mirror parables are stories that act as “verbal mirrors.” They give us an insight into ourselves. In telling the mirror parables, Jesus made it easy for his listeners to see themselves in one of the characters in the parable. The parable in today’s Gospel is a typical mirror parable in that Jesus directed it primarily to the chief priests and the Pharisees, that is, the religious leaders of Israel.

4.    The vineyard owner, in the parable, is God. According to the first reading and the Psalm, “The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel, and the tenants are the leaders of Israel. The first group of slaves are the early prophets; the second group are the later prophets; the owner’s son, who was killed, is Jesus. The new tenant, to whom the owner leases the vineyard, are the apostles of Jesus. They are the new leaders of God’s people. Those who listened to Jesus knew that he was talking about them. They saw themselves in the parable and did not like it, but did they change their ways? No, they did not. This parable was not only directed to the scribes and the Pharisees, but to us as well. God has given us everything to change and be converted, but we are stuck in our ways. At Baptism, we promised to follow God’s ways, but no sooner than we made the promises, we forgot about them and continued in our ways. 

5.    According to Mark Link, this parable summarizes the complete biblical story of salvation, even to the point of making clear-cut references to the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. The first leasing of the vineyard refers to the Old Covenant. The second leasing of the vineyard refers to the New Covenant. This parable affirms that Jesus is the Son of God. The last person sent to the tenants is not another slave. He is the vineyard owner’s son. Third, the parable affirms that Jesus’ apostles are the new leaders of God’s people. And finally, the parable teaches us about God’s patience with us and our accountability to God. It teaches us about trust and free will. God does not look over our shoulders. He allows us to be free to respond to his love. God seems to believe we will always do what is right and just. He gives us a long rope of repentance to change our minds. The vineyard owner made three efforts to get the tenant farmers to change their ways. When he saw more patience was futile, he passed judgment on the tenants. He held them accountable for their actions. It is the same way with God and us. God is infinitely patient. But the time will come when God’s patience runs out. He will pass judgment on to us and our ways. We will be held accountable for our actions.

6.    So, dear friends, let us not take God’s patience for granted. The day will come for us to give an account of our lives and God’s gift to us. They say there are six days for the thief and only one for the house owner. Whatever we do, be it in government, office, church, or home with our children, may we take no one for granted. Like the vineyard was well equipped, what we receive from God is a privilege, not a right. God does not only give us a task to do; he also gives us the means to do it. We are custodians of God’s gift. We must be responsible for God’s many blessings. If our children refuse to grow up, we must show them tough love and teach them responsibility lessons.  

7.    Let us pray that we may shun sin in all its ramifications since sin is a rebellion against God. May we not be engaged in a deliberate policy of rebellion and disobedience towards God. May we treat everyone with love and respect so that God may not ask: What else could I have done for them that I did not do?

Rev. Augustine Inwang, MSP

October 01, 2023; 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

Readings: Ezekiel 18:25-28; Philippians 2:1-11; Matthew 21:28-32

Let us Learn to Change our Minds!

1.    Today’s Gospel teaches us to repent and follow God’s ways. The first son changed his mind and obeyed his father’s will, but the second did not. There is often a vast difference between a man’s profession and his actions. Talk is quite different than walking. It is not the one who talked the best who made the loudest profession. God’s Word is fulfilled in our doing of it, not talking about it. The first son repented and obeyed the father’s command. Repentance always precedes the doing of the will of God. If the bold and stubborn rebel in the first son could change his mind and obey the father, do not give up on anyone. Repentance is all about changing one’s mind and doing what is right. 

2.    The second son quickly said ‘yes’ but did not follow through. Most of the time, we too are like that; they say talk is cheap; we sometimes promise heaven and earth but do not have the willpower to see it through. Yet what we do is more important than what we say we will do. Our Word can never be a substitute for performance. The most significant problem with Christianity is the lapsed lives of so many Christians. At Baptism, they all said, ‘yes,’ they then forgot what they promised. Hearing the Word of God is vital because faith comes through hearing (Romans 10:17). We should not merely listen to the Word. The hearing must be accompanied by action. Hearing God’s Word without doing what he commands leads to self-deception. Therefore, the second reading urges us to pursue righteousness. Listen again to St. Paul: “If there is any encouragement in Christ, any solace in love, any participation in the Spirit, any compassion and mercy, complete my joy by agreeing, with the same love, united in heart, thinking one thing. Do nothing out of selfishness or vainglory; rather humbly regard others as more important than yourselves, each looking out not for those own interests, but also those of others.”

3.    Let us heed this warning from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not do mighty deeds in your name? Then I will declare to them solemnly, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.” (Mt. 7:21-23). May this never be said of us! Amen.

                     Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP

September 24, 2023; 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

 

Readings: Isaiah 55:6-9; Philippians 1:20-24, 27; Matthew 20:1-6

‘When God Doesn’t Make Sense’.

1.    The first reading today sets the tone for the Gospel and the lesson therein. Isaiah says, “Seek the Lord while he may he be found; call him while he is near. Let the scoundrel forsake his way and the wicked his thoughts; let him turn to the Lord for mercy; to our God, who is generous in forgiving.” When we look at the ways of God and how He treats his children, it seems that His ways do not make sense to us most of the time. Take today’s Gospel, for example; Jesus tells us a parable of the landowner who, after inviting workers to work in his vineyard at different hours, paid the same amount regardless of when they started and ended. And to make matters worse, the latecomers were paid first. Those who started work early were angry. It seemed so unfair. Does this make sense? In the Bible we note that many times, God doesn’t make sense to us. But he warns us: “My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways…As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are my ways above your ways and my thoughts above your thoughts.” 

 

2.    In the parable, those who worked since morning should be paid more, or at least, they should be given additional tips to compensate for the number of hours they worked. Their anger and jealousy would seem justifiable. After all, the latecomers were the sinners who listened to the preaching of Jesus and repented. The early workers were the Pharisees. They were angry because the sinners repented, entered God’s kingdom late, and were getting the same reward as themselves – eternal life. It just doesn’t make sense.

 

3.    The whole teaching of Christ doesn’t seem to make sense either. Consider the teaching on the celebration at the return of one sinner who repented over the ninety-nine who do not need repentance (cf. Lk. 17:7). Or the celebration over the lost coin, the lost sheep, and the lost son (cf. Lk 15). Is God more concerned about sinners than the righteous? The senselessness of God is more apparent when one reads the teaching of Christ in Mt. 5:38-47. “Offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other one to him as well. If anyone wants to go to the law with you over your tunic, hand him your cloak as well. Should anyone press you into service for one mile, go with him for two miles. Give to the one who asks of you, and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow. Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” Who does that? Does this make sense? Again, in Mt. 18:21-35, the parable of the unforgiving servant, Peter asked Jesus, “Lord if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times? Jesus answered I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.” So why do God’s actions seem so senseless based on how we human beings act? Why is God’s way so different from ours? Why should God go out in search of his children who wandered away from him?

 

4.    God’s standard of mercy and forgiveness might make us uncomfortable. In our hearts, we may cling to the retributive justice of ‘an eye for an eye.’ For this kind of justice, Mahatma Gandhi reminded us that an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth would make the whole world blind and toothless. Something about God’s gracious and unmerited compassion seems a bit unfair to us. Thus, it appears that God doesn’t make sense. This is why we find it hard to be practicing Christians. We want to be like God. “The serpent said to the woman: “You certainly will not die! No, God knows well that the moment you eat of it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like gods who know what is good and what is bad” (Gen.3:4-5). Since God’s ways do not make sense to us, we feel that perhaps God wants to keep us in the dark, preventing us from being wise and masters of our destiny. This was the thought process before the fall. “The woman saw that the tree was good for food, pleasing to the eyes, and desirable for gaining wisdom. So, she took some of its fruit and ate it, and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.” (Gen. 3:6). 

 

5.    When we do not accept God’s ways, we make our own God in our image and likeness. (cf. Exodus 32:1). “When the people became aware of Moses’ delay in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said to him, “Come, make us a god who will be our leader.” When God’s ways do not make sense, and his teaching seems too difficult, we look for an easy way out and begin to do things our way. We may stop listening to the Church and its teachings, stop reading the Bible, and begin to look for what works for us. Church becomes routine and boring or obsolete, and prayer a waste of time. We pursue a life of comfort and run away from the cross of any kind. And yet St. Paul reminds us that “The foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.” (1 Cor. 1:25).

 

6.    The Gospel of today teaches us about the need to repent and follow God’s ways. There is often a vast difference between a man’s profession of faith and his actions. If God’s ways do not make sense to us, imagine what our children think of our ways of doing things. Please do not give up on your defiant and rebellious sons and daughters; be hopeful; maybe, one day, they will repent and return to obey you. Perhaps they, too, think that you are not making sense. 

 

7.    The landowner’s answer should help us ponder God’s ways over our own. “On receiving it, they grumbled against the landowner, saying, ‘These last ones worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who bore the day’s burden and the heat.” He said to one of them in reply, “My friend, I am not cheating you. Did you not agree with me about the daily wage? Take what is yours and go. What if I wish to give this last one the same as you? Or am I not free to do as I wish with my money? Are you envious because I am generous?’ This parable teaches us that it doesn’t matter when we receive the faith; the reward is the same: eternal life. This is God’s gift unmerited. It is grace. God’s gift is not negotiated. We may have served in ministry for 30 and 40 years or just one year, the blessing is the same. So let us pray that God may give us the spirit of final perseverance to remain faithful in the Church and the service of God and his people till the end. Amen. 

 

                     Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP

September 17, 2023; 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

Readings: Sirach 27:30-28:7; Romans 14:7-9; Matthew 18:21-35 

Forgiveness is a Christian Imperative! 

1.    Last Sunday, we reflected briefly on why we should forgive those who wrong us. We saw that when we forgive, we do ourselves a favor. Today’s readings warn against hoarding our hurts. The first reading states, “Wrath and anger are hateful things, yet the sinner hugs them tight. The vengeful will suffer the Lord’s vengeance, for he remembers their sins in detail.” It urges us to “Forgive your neighbor’s injustice; then when you pray, your own sins will be forgiven.”  

2.    Christ demonstrated, throughout his teachings, that forgiveness is an absolute to attaining well-being and healing. One of the best teachings of Christ on forgiveness is the parable of the prodigal son in Luke’s Gospel 15: 11-32. The main character in the story is the father. Lk 15:20 says, “His father caught sight of him and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.” The father who was wronged was the one who ran to his son, not withholding affection from him. He treated him as if he had never left. Forgiveness is about making room for the weakness of others. We must find a reason to forgive others as Christ did, praying for his executioners: “Father, forgive them for do not know what they are doing.” Christ was able to do this because he always saw the good in people. He saw an opportunity to lift those who sinned and worked for their salvation. He pursued good in people despite the situation he found them.

3.    When the apostles asked Jesus to teach them how to pray, he taught them the ‘Our Father.’ At the end of the prayer, he added, “Unless you forgive, your heavenly father will not forgive you your trespasses.” A Christian believer must learn to forgive others in return for God’s forgiveness. Christ made this point clear in the parable of the unforgiving servant (the gospel.) He concluded the parable with this punch line: “So will my heavenly Father do to you unless each of you forgives his brother from his heart.” Forgiving others is a necessary part of receiving forgiveness ourselves. Christ would always forgive the sins of the sick before healing them. Why? It is because sickness was tied to the sinfulness of the sick person. man, the story of the man born blind in John 9:2, “His disciples asked him, Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Forgiveness was, therefore, necessary for healing.

4.    Forgiveness is closely linked with our prayers being answered. The absence of the same indicates that prayers will neither be heard nor answered. The gospel of Mark tells us to point blank: “When you stand to pray, forgive anyone against whom you have a grievance, so that your heavenly Father may in turn forgive you your transgressions.” (Mark 11:25-26). Without forgiveness and peaceful co-existence among brothers and sisters in the faith community, the offerings and sacrifices made to God are entirely worthless. Matthew’s gospel reads, “If you bring your gift to the altar and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” (Mt. 5:24-25). Forgiveness is a response to God’s forgiveness. Because we are forgiven, we must learn, encourage, live, practice, and teach forgiveness. The first reading asks, “Could anyone nourish anger against another and expect healing from the Lord? Could anyone refuse mercy to another like himself? Can he seek pardon for his own sins? If one who is but flesh cherishes wrath, who will forgive his sins?”

5.    Even though forgiveness is complicated and difficult, we must ask God for help. Forgiveness will be impossible on our own, but with God, all things are possible. We are entirely healed when we can forgive. We must live a life of forgiveness because our time together is too short. Let me conclude with this short story that I am sure most of you have heard before. “A young lady sat in a bus. A loud, grumpy old lady came and sat by her at the next stop. She squeezed into the seat and bumped her with her numerous bags. The person sitting on the other side of the young lady got upset and asked her why she did not speak up and say something. The young lady responded with a smile: “It is not necessary to be rude or argue over something so insignificant; the journey together is so short. I get off at the next stop.”

6.    If each one of us realized that our time here is so short that to darken it with quarrels, futile arguments, not forgiving others, discontentment, and a fault-finding attitude would be a waste of time and energy. Did someone break your heart? Be calm; the journey is too short. Did someone betray, bully, cheat, humiliate, and make life unbearable for you? Don’t worry; be calm, pray, forgive, and move on; the journey is too short. Whatever trouble someone or nature throws at you, remember, and tell yourself the journey is too short. No one knows the duration of the journey but God alone. So, let us cherish friends and family. Let us be respectful, kind, and forgiving to each other. Let us be filled with gratitude and gladness. If I have hurt you, please forgive me. If you have hurt me, you already have my forgiveness. After all, our journey together is so short. May God bless our journey together. Amen.

                     Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP

September 10, 2023; 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

Readings: Ezekiel 33:7-9; Romans 13:8-10; Matthew 18:15-20

 

Correct One Another in Love

1.    Today the Church stresses the importance of brotherly love and correction. We are prone to build a wall of separation rather than a bridge of love. Once upon a time, there were two brothers. Their father had a large farm, and when he became too old to work, he called his sons and said, “I am too old to work anymore. I will divide my farm in half and give each of you one half. I know you will always work together and be good friends.” When the brothers started farming on their adjoining farms, they were best friends and shared everything. Then, one day, there was an argument between the two brothers, and they stopped speaking to one another. For many years, not a word was spoken between them.

 

2.    One day, one of the brothers was at his house when a carpenter came to his door and said, “I would like to do some work. Do you have any work that I can do?” The brother thought momentarily and then replied, “I would like you to build a fence on my property. Build it near the stream that separates my farm from my brother’s. I don’t want to see my brother anymore, and I would like you to build a high fence there, please. I’m going into town, and I’ll be back this evening.”

 

3.    When he returned that evening, he was shocked that the carpenter had not followed his instructions. Instead of building a high fence, he built a bridge over the stream. The man walked down to look at the bridge, and as he did, his brother walked towards him from the other side. His brother said, “After all the terrible things I’ve done to you over the years, I cannot believe you would build a bridge and welcome me back.” He reached out to his brother and gave him a high hug. The brother then returned to his farmhouse to talk to the carpenter. “Can you stay?” he asked. “I have more work for you to do.” The carpenter answered, “I’m sorry, but can’t stay. I have to go, for I have many other bridges to build.”

 

4.    Now and then, we are confronted with conflicts in our families, places of work, church, and community. Our strength is not falling but getting up each time we fall. When faced with conflicts, we often build a fence between ourselves and see others as enemies. We would stop talking to our presumed enemies, avoid them, and close in on ourselves. We should not run away from people who hurt us, but we should do what we can to achieve peace and correct each other in love. Christ wants us to love rather than hate. Instead of a wall, he wants us to build a bridge of love between us.

 

5.    Jesus does not give up on anyone. He wants us to explore every means possible for reconciliation. Christ did not give up on Peter but prayed for his conversion. Neither did he give up on Judas, as this story demonstrates. The saved were partying in heaven. Missing was Jesus. Peter found Him at Heaven’s gate and asked: “Master, why are you standing outside?” He replied, “Peter, I’m waiting for Judas.” If Christ won’t give up on Judas, should we give up on people? We should extend our kindness even to those who hurt us. When we forgive people, we do not do them a favor but set ourselves free to love. Hence, St. Paul tells us in the second reading: “Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.” According to Archbishop Fulton Sheen, “While it is possible to win the argument, your anger may lose the war.”

 

6.    Let us pray at this Mass, dear friends, that instead of building fences of hatred, we may build bridges of love, forgiveness, and reconciliation. May the Holy Spirit guide and direct us so that we may learn to correct each other in love. Let us take these words of Christ to heart and learn to live by them: “Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove that splinter from your eye,’ while the wooden beam is in your eye? You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother’s eye.” (Matt. 7:3-5). God bless you!

 

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP