Homily Pentecost Sunday Year C (Mass during the Day): Fr. Michael U. Udoekpo

Homily Pentecost Sunday Year C (Mass during the Day): Fr. Michael U. Udoekpo

Readings: Acts 2:1-11; Psalm 104:1, 24,29-30,31,34; I Cor 12:2-3b-7, or Rom 8:8-17 12-13 and John 20:19-23 or John 14:15-16,23b-26

The Role of our Spiritual Paracletos

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Pentecost, 50 days after the celebration of Easter- the resurrection of Christ. 50 days ordinarily or 50 anniversary of any of our chosen vocation is a lot and quite significant. The Jews celebrated 50 days after the Feast of Passover- thanking God for the gift of harvest as well for His Sinaitic Covenant with Moses which also occurs 50 days after the beginning of the Exodus in Egypt.

Today is significant for us and the Church. It marks the end of the Easter Season and commemorates the day that the Holy Spirit, the Advocate came upon the Apostles and the Church. Recall, at Christ’s baptism the Spirit of the Lord descended upon him, which he acknowledged at the beginning of his ministry.  He said, “The Spirit of the Lord has been given to me. He has anointed me to bring Good news to the poor, and liberty to the captives….” This spirit guided Jesus throughout his ministry, raised him from the dead from the dead, and enabled him ascends to the Father, as we saw last week, on the Solemnity of Ascension.

But prior to this, as witnessed in the Gospel readings of today, particularly John 14, Jesus, says to his disciples, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always.”

Jesus says this in John 14 because he knew as he had finished washing the feet of his disciples in John 13 he was nearing the end of his earthly mission. Moreover, his disciples were getting worried about the depature of Jesus. He knew they needed a Helper, the PARAKLETOS, and the Holy Spirit after he was gone. They will need “a lawyer” and “attorney”, “an advocate” to speak for them, supports them, strengthens them, and champions their cause after he was gone.

The gift of this PARAKLETOS, this lawyer, this spiritual guide and advocate(who watches our backs) is what we celebrate today. It was such an important gift for the early Church. St. Luke tells us in Acts of the Apostles how the persecuted and frightened  or post-ascension church could not really teach the mission of Jesus to the understanding of everyone from different tribes and culture until they had received the Holy Spirit. Without the Holy Spirit the early church was filled with fear, wrangling, uncertainties and confusions.

It was this PARAKLETOS that enables the Apostles to face with love and patience the ridicule, the rejection they had to deal with after the ascension of Jesus. The  same Holyy Spirit t enables them to be understood by people of all nations listed in the first reading. It brings unity among many other gifts such as wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and fear of the Lord. It’s a gift that heals our fears, wranglings, uncertainties and confusions.

During the time of St. Paul, evident in the 2^nd reading, some of these challenges were there: division, discrimination, quarrels, pride, boasting, abuse of individual talents and selfishness. Hence, he invites his church to be one, and acts as different parts of our body would. This is what baptism should enable us, Christians to do. We become one in Christ, no matter our culture, nation and language. Paul, says, Just as the eye cannot say I don’t need the fingers or the nose, my legs or ears are not necessarily, we need one another in Christ.

As baptized Christians, its improper, to say or think that your next door neighbor or the next person on your left or right is not important. Every one is needed. All the gifts we have are important and we need your gifts to live in fullness with Christ.  None of us sitting here is a chance factor before God or is not gifted with one gift or another. We are all gifted. For Paul the sharing of these various spiritual gifts enriches the Church, since they all come from the same Spirit for the common good. In other words these gifts are meant for the common good, for the community.  They may reside in some of us informs of prophecy, teaching, administration, acts of charity, healing, speaking in tongues, apostleship and prophesies.

When we allow ourselves to be lead, watched-over, and  be advised by this PARAKLETOS, especially in a divided world of today, we reap the fruits joy, peace, forgives, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control (Gal 5:22ff).  

 And as we will soon say in the prayer over the offerings at this Mass, the hidden mystery of the sacrifice of Christ and what it means to be a Christian in the 21^st century will be revealed to us, and we will be graciously led into all truth. The truth to love,  the truth to be charitable and help one another, the truth to be humble, the truth to forgive, the truth to believe, the truth persevere, the truth to be peaceful, and the truth to hope and to be joyful.

Homily of the Ascension of the Lord Year C: (Mother’s Day USA) Fr .Michael U. Udoekpo

Homily of the Ascension of the Lord Year C: (Mother’s Day USA) Fr .Michael U. Udoekpo

Readings: Acts 1:1-11; Ps 47:2-3, 6-9; Eph 1:17-23 or Heb 9:24-28; 10:19-23 and Luke 24:46-53

Lifted up to  love and make known the Gospel

 In different parts of the world, including the ecclesiastical Provinces of Boston, Hartford, New York, Newark, Omaha and Philadelphia here in the States, the Solemnity of Ascension was celebrated on Thursday after the Sixth Sunday of Easter. In other places including our Archdiocese (Milwaukee) here, Ascension is celebrated today, the Seventh Sunday of Easter. And it is also a mother’s day in the United States.

First of all today's celebration is a culmination of the events of the Paschal mysteries of Christ (recall his birth-ministry-passion-death-resurrection and Ascension)! Remember, during the Passion Week, it was evident that the death of Christ was never going to be a defeat, but a victory, exaltation, a glorification. He long foretold in John 12:32, “when I am lifted up from the earth I will draw everyone to myself.”

On that Cross, Christ stood tall. He rose above the pettiness of those who had anything to do with His persecution. He drew to himself the Jews, the Gentiles, men and women, including, the Roman soldiers, the Beloved Disciples, Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea, every one was at the foot of the Cross.  With his resurrection and appearances many also including the doubting Thomas came to belief in Christ and finally was able to say, My Lord and My God.”

 The readings of today continue to testify to God’s work in Christ Jesus. In Luke’s gospel account of the Ascension Jesus reminded his disciples of what his mission of suffering- death and resurrection and ascension, was all about. He encouraged them to spread on the good news fearlessly to all part of the world. As he return to his father, the promise of the father, the Holy Spirit will be sent to strengthen them on this mission. Luke tells us that Christ  blessed them before he “was lifted up into heaven” where he took his seat at the right hand of God, presiding at the heavenly sanctuary. The Epistle to the Hebrews also affirms this ( Heb 9:24-28;10:19-23). Luke presents the same testimony in the first reading, Acts of the Apostles (1:1-11), confirmed by Paul in the Second reading, Ephesians 1:17-23.

In all these the love of God is at work. Love in the very Incarnation; love in his ministry, love behind the sacrifice of himself on the cross, rather than the levitical bulls and goats in the earthly sanctuary. In the heavenly sanctuary he continues to minister with love. This love demands a response from us.  It requires a response of love, sincerity of heart, absolute and unwavering trust in God.

Ordinarily, we find this unwavering love and trust most often in a loving mother- son relationship. This, I think is important as we celebrate our mother’s day today. Think of the 9 months or so pregnancy period, the care and love mothers have for their babies after birth and the unquantifiable investment in raising their kids.  This unwavering love of a mother reminds me of a story of a Maltese loving mother who gave birth to conjoin-Siamese baby boys. Any surgery to separate them would result from one baby boy giving up his life for the other. It was a very difficult choice for both parents, especially the mom, who really spoke up, passionately. Her argument was that she loved both children equally, unwaveringly, without partiality.  

This is who God is in the events of the paschal mysteries of Christ. He loves us equally. God never disappoint any one who trust in Him.  He continues to be at work in us. When we are down he is prepared to lift us up. When we are discouraged he is there to offer us courage. He commissions his disciples to be witnesses throughout Judah, Samaria and ends of the earth.” Christ is indirectly commissioning us today. But this mission is never just been measured by distance. It is measured by faith, hope and love.  There is mission to be done in this parish/school and residence home/families. It is measured by hope. It is measured by love. It is measured by the way we imitate Christ, his principles and values, in every circumstances of life.

 We are called to be missionaries even onto ourselves, to our children, to our spouses, friends, families and next door neighbors. With his Ascension we are called to transcend faithlessness and continue to pray for our nations to recognize more and more the place of God in our lives, in our politics and homes.

We live in a challenging time that some children, husbands tend to ignore if not abandon their parents, wives or aged moms in nursing homes, without visitation. Sometimes we forget their roles in our lives, in our families.  I saw on the TV yesterday an “attaching image” of 2-3 year old boy to a loving mom. The boy was stood up on a stool while being breast fed by the mom. And the argument on media was whether breast feeding was good or not, and to what year. Most impressively said breast feeding is still the best at least in the first year of the baby!   I personally was very close to my loving mom . I wonder where I would have been today without mom, who not only breast-fed me, but her overall care, physical/spiritual and unwavering love and upbringing.

Today is the day we want to say thank to all our mothers, in our communities, and homes. Call them. Send them cards. Take them out for dinner. Present them with flowers and learn to imitate their God’s given virtues of care, affection, diligence, and selfless love for all their children without partiality.

Let us also pray that as Christ was lifted up, we may be lifted up in Spirit to be able to love, lift up others , especially the poor, the sick,  the aged, and the needy, the less-privileged, and continue to believe and make known the Good News of Christ, in our words and actions, in our homes, families and  to the whole  world, in every situation in life.

Homily 6th Sunday of Easter Year C: Fr. Michael U. Udoekpo

Homily 6^th Sunday of Easter Year C: Fr. Michael U. Udoekpo

Readings: Acts 15:1-2, 22-29; Rev 21:10-14, 22-23 and John 14:23-29

The presence of Christ through the Holy Spirit

Easter Cycle is winding down as we approach the Ascension and the Pentecost. With this, today’s readings reminds us of the ever presence of Christ in our midst, through the Holy Spirit. This Spirit brings us reconciliation, unity, joy, love of God and peace.

The first reading from the Acts of the Apostles paints a picture of disputes and misunderstanding between Paul’s community and the Jerusalem Community concerning the OT practice of circumcision and practice of mosaic laws. This dispute, we notice was not resolved with weapons and military might, nor with protracted court litigation, but with mutual dialogue between the two parties. This is an excellent example for how Christians, especially in a volatile world of today, should resolve conflicts: with prayer for the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and through mutual respect, dialogue of peace and love.

This love is the way of Christ. And Christ minces no words in today’s gospel when he says to his disciples, whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.” Whoever imitates Christ and follows his teachings have Christ constantly dwelling and living with him or her in Spirit.

The Spirit of Christ radiates joy in place of sadness. It promotes reconciliation instead of revenge.  It brings us peace (shālôm), growth and prosperity, instead of decay, war, violence and terrorism. And when Christ says in the gospel, “ Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you,” as a Jew, he meant to say, he wishes us everything that is good in this life: success in the works of our hand, our well -being, unity, good health, long life, and many other blessings that only God can give.

As Christians, when we receive these blessings, we are obliged to reach out and to share these blessings of joy, reconciliation, respect for all, dialogue of love and peace with the society of our neighbors, lit by the light of the glory of God (Rev 21:10-14, 22-23), and of the Holy Spirit.

Homily 5th Sunday of Easter Year C: Fr. Michael Ufok Udoekpo

Homily 5^th Sunday of Easter Year C: Fr. Michael Ufok Udoekpo

Readings Acts 14:21-27; Ps 145:8-13; Rev 21:1-5a and John 13:31-33a, 34-35

The Porta Fidei (Acts 14:27)

On this fifth Sunday of Easter, we celebrate the Love of Christ. And this love of Christ, in the light of today’s readings, particularly the first reading, is the entrance, the door that leads to faith, porta fidei, that Paul talks about in the first reading, Acts of the Apostles 14:27. Consider yourself coming into this church, into this chapel; you came in through that door. There might be other doors, here and there. Our Christian faith is like our journey into this church, having to pass through those doors. Christ's love, or love for Christ is truly that important door of faith that leads us to Christ, to our destination, which is eternal life. Caritas Christi urget nos- the love of Christ must be that which impels us.

The Gospel of John that we read these Sundays reminds us of the mission of Christ, the teacher of this love. The mission of Christ originate from His Father. He is God’s self revelation. In John 1:14 God became flesh in Christ (carum factum est John 1:14) in order to walk with, to bless us, to teach us how to love, and to draw us to himself.

Christ teaches us by his life style and  through his selfless  mission, the love he loves everyone with, the signs and miracles he works. Think of his changing of water into wine in Cana in Galilee (John 2), his teachings to Nichodemus, that unless one is born again he cannot enter into the kingdom of God (John 3). What about the significance of his encounter with the Samaritan woman (John 4), the cure on the Sabbath at Bethesda (John 5), the multiplication of loaves (John 6), his walking on he Sea (John 6:16ff), his forgiveness to sinners (John 8), his healing of the man born blind (John 9), the raising of Lazarus from the death (John 11) and his consolation ministries to the grieved, like Martha and Mary.

But before leaving to embrace his Glory on the cross(John 18-19:42), Christ, in today’s Gospel bequeaths  his disciple the summary of his mission. He washes the feet of his disciples and gives them a new commandment (“behold I make all things new” Rev 21:5a) “to love one another” (John 13:34). He meant to remind his disciples that as he was leaving, this is the new  way  they should continue to make his values and teachings present to our neighbors at all times. This is how the world and the society will know that we are Christ’s disciples.

There are  many ways to make this known depending on who we are, where we are and what we are doing. In the case of Paul and Barnabas they were not discouraged that Christ was no longer physically there. In spite of the rejection and persecution they encountered in their first missionary journey they persevered with love and endurance. They spread the gospels to several nations and cities including Pisidia, Pamphylia, Attalia, Perga, Lystra, Iconium and Antioch. At Antioch he re-gathered the church and explained to them his experience of his missionary journeys, which he saw as God opening the door of faith to all nations, men, women and children.

Each of us, the entire church must find new ways to re-evangelize and encourage ourselves, our brothers and sister to embrace  or persevere in that faith, with love and endurance. For our students here, the Semester coming to and end, I can imagine the anxiety surrounding our examination and promotions to various levels and orders in the  your formation process. For our parents and friends, there are also moments I believe you feel  a little tired on the journey.  In each of these moments we want to borrow a leaf from Paul and Barnabas, and see the endurance  we endure, the love we love as opportunities to strengthen our faith,  and moments to open the door of faith to our neighbors.

Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI in his Porta Fidei (the door of faith) of this Year of faith recommends the need for us to reach out to the world with the content of the Sacred Scriptures and the teachings of the church expressed in the Catechism and in the documents of the Vatican II.

Pope Francis builds on this- on his  dramatic reaching out to the poor, the needy, the prisoners, the aged the less privilege, which is an expression of the new way of love that Christ handed his disciples in today’s Gospels. Reaching out to the poor, praying for our neighbors ( the Bostonians, the Texians, those in war torn areas, and the sufferings everywhere), visiting the sick, the home bounds, those in hospice and hospitals, reaching out to our neighbors even within the same house, the same complex, the same roof, the same family, the same institution, the same factory, requires selflessness and letting go of ourselves.

Love is  that door of faith that leads us and our neighbors to Christ.

Homily Fourth Sunday of Easter Year C: Fr. Michael U. Udoekpo

Homily Fourth Sunday of Easter Year C: Fr. Michael U. Udoekpo

Acts 13:14, 43-52; Ps 100:1-4, 5; Rev 7:9, 14b-17 and John 10:27-30

Christ, the Good Shepherd, who wipes away our tears

Today we celebrate Christ the true and Good Shepherd, who loves us his flock, and wipes our tears. Tears here remind me stories told about me when I was between the ages of 1 and 6. We are six siblings. I am the baby of the house. I was told by my parents and my elderly ones that I used to cry a lot each time my mum was leaving home for groceries, or to the farm. I acted as if I had lost something or someone. But on her return I would be filled with joy.  Usually, she comes home with gifts, wipes away my tears, and reassures me that she left home home temporarily to get vegetables from the farms or some food items from the grocery store, for the good of the family.

The post- resurrectional Church,  no doubt had their own difficulties- including crises of faith, sense of doubt and lose of their master, and of course all other kinds of persecutions. Some wept that Christ was no longer there, as I would do when mum was temporarily away.

  A typical example is Paul and Barnabas in the Acts of the Apostles chapter 13, today’s first reading. They were persecuted, resisted, rejected, abused and violated because they preached the gospel. But the irony is that they more they were persecuted, and put through all kinds of stress, the more  their tears were wiped. The more the word of God was spread throughout the entire region, down to the Gentiles.  This gives them great joy and they were filled with the Holy Spirit

With faith and courage it does not take too long to realize that God is always with us. He cares and loves as a loving mother or father, who seemingly leaves, but he/ she is always there for the weeping child. He is that Lamb in the Book of Revelation, who wipes away the tears from the eyes of those who persevere to the end. He dresses them up with white garments and wipe away their tears.

He is that Good Shepherd in today’s gospel long foreshadowed in Jeremiah, 23, Ezekiel 34 and in Psalm 23. He listens to them. He knows his flock. He heals them when they are sick. He gives them eternal life. And he makes sure no one takes them away from him or from His Father, since he and God the Father are one.

Like Paul and Barnabas, if we approach our personal challenges with faith and courage they are just stepping stones to joy and eternal happiness. They are stepping stones  to those moments when our tears shall be wiped out.

 If you really look around and compare our challenges with those of everyone else in other parts of the world, it could have been worse. There are so many ways God has blessed us or wiped away our tears!-, the democracy we have, the food, water, electricity, the freedom to worship God. There are some without them. And he wants us to be present for one another, to reach out in whatever way we can to our neighbors, in prayer (think of those who lost their lives in Boston terrorism  and the wounded etc), telephone calls, charity, kindness, visit with the sick, to wipe away the tears of our neighbors- just as a loving mother would wipe away the tears of her children.

Homily 3rd Sunday of Easter Year C: Fr. Michael U. Udoekpo

Homily 3^rd Sunday of Easter Year C: Fr. Michael U. Udoekpo

 Readings; Acts 5:27-32, 40b-41; Ps 30:2,4,5-6,11-13; Rev 5:11-14 and John 21:1-19

Witnessing the Resurrected Christ,

The Responsorial Psalm of today, “I will praise you Lord, for you have rescued me,” sets the tone for what we celebrate today, the resurrection of Christ, the source of our hope and joy. Like Peter and his fellow disciples, the readings of today invites us  to constantly bear witness to Christ, his resurrection, in good times and in bad times, during summer an during winter.

The resurrection of Christ is factual and truthful. It is not a fiction!  We have seen this proven in today’s Gospel. Jesus appears the third time to his disciples. Now it was in the midst of their fishing business.

 Initially it was like a dream. They did not recognize him, not until they shared a meal. Sharing a meal with one another, especially with the poor is another way of expressing love and witnessing to Christ. It also can close the gap of doubt, suspicion and denial among members of the community.

Peter becomes a different person after sharing meal with Christ again. Unlike the doubting Peter who denied Christ three times, today we have a loving Peter, who professes his love for Christ, three times. Christ, being man and God believes Peter. He sees through Peter. Peter is honest and sincere.  Peter is given a second chance. He was not written off.The Lord entrusts him with the chair of Peter of caring for his flock, teaching them and leading them to a life of true witness to Christ (John 21:15-19).

Peter of course is serious. He shows it in today 1^st reading, Acts of the Apostles.  He says to the enemies of the faith, “We must obey God rather than men. The God of our ancestors raised Jesus, though you had him killed by hanging on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as leader and savior to grant Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins. We are witnesses of these things… (Acts 5:27-32).

Witnesses to these things, the events of the lamb that was slain, if we choose to go by the language of the 2^nd reading (Rev 5:11-14), comes with challenges and great sacrifices. Choosing to obey God, the teachings of the Church, rather than just humans and secular or some faithless thoughts of this century, is a form bearing witness to Christ’s resurrection.

How, where and when we do this are left for us.

Certainly there are millions of ways out there to witness to Christ: sharing meals with our neighbors is one of them,  the Eucharist we actively participate in is one of them. Others could be, reaching out to the poor, praying for, loving and respecting one another, our dads, our moms, brothers and sisters,  our children and grandchildren, husbands and wives, friends and partners, colleagues and peers. Forgiveness, letting go, all acts of charity, courage, fortitude, hope and faith endurance, praise and thankfulness to God, are also forms of bearing witness to Christ, who willingly went to the cross order to rescue us!

Homily- Divine Mercy Sunday (2nd Sunday of Easster ABC) Fr. Michael U. Udoekpo

Homily Second Sunday of Easter (Divine Mercy Sunday) ABC: Fr. Michael U. Udoekpo

Readings: Acts 2:42-47; Ps 118:2-4,13-15,22-24; 1 Pet 1:3-9 (A); Acts 4:32-35; 1 John 5:1-6 (B); Acts 5:12-16; Rev 1:9-11a, 12-13,17-19 (C) and John 20:19-31(ABC)

Christ-Conduits of Divine Mercy!

Today the Church celebrates “Divine Mercy Sunday” commemorating Jesus’ revelations to Saint Faustina on the Divine Mercy. Pope John Paul II granted this Feast to the Universal Church on the occasion of his raising Sr. Faustina, a young Polish woman to Sainthood on April 30, 2000 and was decreed to be celebrated on the 2nd Sunday of Easter. 

It is a teaching Sunday that invites us to embrace Christ’s enthronement on the Cross, his Resurrection and his multiple appearances to his seemingly disillusioned and doubting disciples  as nothing, but acts of love and divine mercy towards us. Christ went to the the cross freely to save us! (Song- "all the way to Calvary... went for us..."). Peter in the Second reading, particularly of Year A recognizes this when he says

“Blessed be the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, who in his great mercy gave us a new birth to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Pet 1:3-9).

Christ’s disciples particularly those who lived through the events of Palm Sunday to Easter needed the power of Christ’s Peace to calm their fears and be strengthened in the supernatural gifts of faith and fortitude through the Holy Spirit., wherever they were hiding for fear of the "Jews."

I am sure we still recall the other day, in Luke Chapter 24: 13-35, at Emmaus, when Jesus walked besides Cleopas and his friend on their return from Jerusalem, clouded in sad conversation they did not recognized Jesus until the Risen Christ spent time breaking bread with them. Besides, walking with his disciples, or breaking bread with them in other appearances, he ate baked fish with them (Lk 24:35-48) and also gave them encouraging instruction by the beach at the Sea of Tiberias (John 21:1-14)

Today again in John 20:19-31 the Risen Lord appears to the restless and frightened disciples with blessings of Peace (Shalom)! He breathed on them and commissions them on a preaching mission with the power to forgive sins, “whose sins you forgive are forgiven them and whose sins you retain are retained” (Jon 20:23).

On a day like this, Divine Mercy Sunday, I would think that Our Lord encourages us to be merciful to one another, in our homes, families and communities, and to continue to appreciate the gift of the sacrament of reconciliation in the Church. And when this celebration in done in a Seminary, a house of formation of future priest for our parishes and dioceses we cannot but continue to pray for our priests and would be priests to see themselves as ministers of Divine Mercy and agents of shalom.  And this is confirm in last year’s ( 2011) documents from the Congregation for the Clergy, The Priest, Minister of Divine Mercy….p. 3 which says, ‘ the priest is a minister, that is to say that he is at the same time both a servant and a prudent dispenser of Divine Mercy…”

The Holy Father, Pope Benedict the XVI in his 2010 Pastoral Letter to the Catholics of Ireland, which is also applicable to every priests (and all of us) urges priests themselves (and us) who have wrong others, “not to be “despair of God’s Mercy,” that “Christ’s redeeming sacrifice has the power to forgive even the gravest of sins, and to bring forth good from even the most terrible evil.”

Divine Mercy is sufficient unto each of us, all the disciples- mom, dad, children, clergy, priests, Seminarians, as it was for all men, and women we hear in Scriptures.

Besides encouraging us to be "masters of divine mercy", Christ invites us like Thomas to touch his wounds (John 20:19-31); wounds that  would heal Thomas’ wounds of disbelief and faithlessness; wounds that replaces lack of peace with Peace of Christ; wounds that replaces the spirit of darkness with God’s Spirit of Light. Christ’s wounds, a catalyst for testimony of the healing truth, courage, unlimited mercy and inexhaustible love of Christ.  Thomas touches wounds of love, unity; wounds that would empower communion, the sharing (konoinia) and the preaching of the early Christian Community.

This we are told in Acts of the Apostle,

“All who believed were together… (as we are today in this church) they devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life (Konoinia), breaking of bread and praying together….” (Acts 2:42-47).

Moreover,

“They were of one heart and mind and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they had everything in common…they bore witness to the Resurrection of Christ…” (Acts 4:32-35).

Like Thomas, Mary Magdalene, Peter, Cleopas, and the Eleven Disciples, we all do have moments of doubt, uncertainties, confusions, disbelief, hopelessness, selfishness and frustrations.  Conscious also of those moments we might have acted uncharitably or mercilessly towards our neighbors, we are invited today to deep our hands into those wounds of Christ!  And be filled with faith and strengthen by Christ, our wounded healer! 

The Eucharist we shall soon move up to celebrates provides us a fitting opportunity to deep our fingers into these wounds of Christ.  As we come up today to receive, May we be strengthen with mercy, love (1 John 5:1-6), hope (1 Pet 1:3-9), faith and unity to say with Thomas “my Lord and My God.” 

And may our families, streets, neighborhood, churches and workplaces continue to be true channels and conduits for the transmission of Divine Mercy and faith in the Risen Christ.

2nd Homily Second Sunday of Easter (Divine Mercy) ABC: Reflections - Fr. Michael U. Udoekpo

Readings: Acts 2:42-47; Ps 118:2-4,13-15,22-24; 1 Pet 1:3-9 (A); Acts 4:32-35; 1 John 5:1-6 (B); Acts 5:12-16; Rev 1:9-11a, 12-13,17-19 (C) and John 20:19-31(ABC)

Deeping our Hands into the Wounds of Christ!

From Easter Sunday to Pentecost the Church celebrates those fifty days that the Risen Jesus goes around by his appearances strengthening the faith of his “seemingly” disillusioned disciples over the events of the victory of the Cross; that supernatural event beyond the powers of Anna, Caiaphas, the Sanhedrin and Pilate other opponents of Jesus. Even it took a while, for friends of Christ, his mother, Mary Magdalene, his disciples, the apostles, especially Thomas, being human like any of us to come to  terms with the mystery of the Resurrection (John 20:24-29). He needed to deep his hands in his wounds!

They needed the power of Christ’s Peace (love, reassurance, well-being, okeyness) to calm their fears and be strengthened in the supernatural gifts of faith and fortitude by the Holy Spirit, wherever they were hiding for fear of persecution. You will recall the other day, in Luke Chapter 24: 13-35, at Emmaus, when Jesus walked besides Cleopas and his friend on their return from Jerusalem, clouded in sad conversation they did not recognized Jesus until the Risen Christ spent time breaking bread with them. Besides, walking with his disciples, or breaking bread with them in other appearances, he ate baked fish with them (Lk 24:35-48) and also gave them encouraging instruction by the beach at the Sea of Tiberias (John 21:1-14)

In today’s Gospel  the Risen Lord invites Thomas to touch his wounds (John 20:19-31); wounds that  would heal Thomas’ wounds of disbelief and faithlessness; wounds that replaces lack of peace with Peace of Christ; wounds that replaces the spirit of darkness with God’s Spirit of Light. Thomas touches wounds of testimony to the healing truth, courage, unlimited mercy and inexhaustible love of Christ.  He touches wounds of love, unity; wounds that would empower communion and the sharing and the preaching of the early Christian Community.

We are told in Acts of the Apostle,

“All who believed were together… (as we are today in this church) they devoted themselves to teaching of the apostles and to the communal life (Konoinia), breaking of bread and praying together….” (Acts 2:42-47).

Moreover, “They were of one heart and mind and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they had everything in common. With great power the Apostles bore witness to the Resurrection of Christ…” (Acts 4:32-35).

You want to see what unity and the power of togetherness can offer, as individual, families, Church, religious/seminary communities and even as a nation

Their witnesses and togetherness were blessed with the spirit of sharing, faith, communing with one another; that same communion that our first communion friends and children will be sharing with us during these Sundays, between now and the Pentecost.

Like Thomas, Mary Magdalene, Peter, Cleopas, and the Eleven Disciples we all do have moments of doubt, uncertainties, confusions, disbelief, hopeless and frustrations.  Conscious of those moments we are invited today to deep our hands into those wounds of Christ!  And be faith- filled, healed and strengthen by Christ our wounded healer! 

The Eucharist we shall soon move up to celebrates provides us a fitting opportunity to deep our fingers into the wounds of Christ.  As we come up today to receive, May we be strengthen with mercy, love (1 John 5:1-6), hope (1 Pet 1:3-9), faith and unity to say with Thomas “my Lord and My God.” 

Also may our society and the Church be blessed with fruitful Evangelization, Spirit of Sharing, Peace, Love (1 John 5:1-6), hope (1 Pet 1:3-9), faith and unity. And may our families, streets, neighborhood, churches and workplaces continue to be channels and conduits for evangelization and transmission of faith in the Risen Christ.