Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time C Reflections by Fr. Michael U. Udoekpo

Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time C: Homily by Fr. Michael Ufok Udoekpo

Readings: Isa 6: 1-2a, 3-8; Ps 138:1-8; 1 Cor 15:1-11 and Luke 5:1-11

 God’s Grace for all agents  of Evangelizations

Listening to today’s Bible readings I want to believe that one of the major lessons we must take home with is that, God's Grace is sufficient to all  of us, agents of the Gospel, no matter how weak we might  hunanly think that we are. Prophet Isaiah, St. Paul and Peter thought the same.  They thought they were unwworthy prach the Gospel, but each time God proved them wrong. Please, Don't count  yourself out from the Kingdom of God.

Last Sunday remember, when the Prophet Jeremiah, a contemporary of Zephaniah was called (Jer 1:4-5) In the face of the threat of the destruction of Jerusalem he gave excuses. His excuses were that he too young to be a prophet. He said his village, Anothoth, located three miles from Jerusalem was not popular not huge enough. He also said he was short of skills of public speaking and preaching. But he was empowered and given reassurances God’s grace. His mouth was touched by God (Jer 1:5-9).

Similarly in the first reading of today Isaiah is called to be God’s agent, the mouth piece of God.. This happened more than two thousand years ago, the time of King Uzziah (740 BCE),to reassure  Judean kings and his fellow citizens  God’s abiding presence with them in spite the threat of destruction facing them from Assyrian and Babylonian military might.

Like Jeremiah last Sunday, Isaiah thought today he was weak like his fellow citizens.  He called himself unclean, and a man of unclean lips (Isa 1:5-7), not worthy to be the spokesperson for God who is holy and perfect. But the grace of God was sufficient for Isaiah. God touched and cleansed his lips. His wickedness is removed and his sins purged away. Isaiah can now proclaimed, “Here I am Lord send me” (Isa 1:6-8).

It is always interesting to see how God can use weak instruments to do great things.  About 66 books, the longest in of the prophetic books attributed to the ministry of Isaiah a man who thought he was too weak and too unclean to preach. He courageously preached God’s judgment (Isa 1–39). He brought comfort (Isa 40–55) and the message of hope for salvation and restoration to his people (Isa 56–66) in times of pains, frustration, threats, homelessness, “Temple-less” and humiliation of exile that confronted his compatriots.

Apart from the Psalms (79 times), the message of the prophet Isaiah (a man initially with unclean lips) is quoted about 66 times in the NT- from Matthew to 1 Peter, which means it dominates the 4 Gospels and the Letters of St. Paul, especially the Romans. His message bears witness to Christ's birth and events. Recall his advent prophecies (e.g. Is 7:14), the Suffering Servants and the Lam of God(Isa 42-55) and Christ quotation of Isaiah 61:1 in Luke 4 18: “the spirit of the Lord is upon because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor….”

By this I mean to demonstrate how God can use weak instruments to do great things. Paul who witnesses Christ’s resurrection in today’s second reading (1 Cor 15:1-11), we know, was not the best of the human beings in the beginning. On January 25^th, the Feast of his conversion we read in Acts of the Apostle (Acts 9:1-22; 22:3-16) that Paul though initially a murderer, a tyrant and a persecutor of the Christians later with the grace of God became  a beacon of hope, and an outstanding advocated and bearer of the Good News of Christ (euvagge,lion). See my reflection of Year B.

 In the 2^nd reading he acknowledges his weaknesses and his reliance upon the Grace of God. He says, “For I am the least of all the apostles not fit to be call an apostle, because, I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me has not been ineffective” (I Cor 15:9-11). In almost 1/3 of the 27 books of the NT Paul, initially weak bear witness to the love of Christ (1 Cor  13), reconciliation and inclusiveness of all peoples (Gal 4). He also championed the course of unity in the Church, the Body of Christ (1 Cor 12–14). Paul knew he can only do all things through Christ the source of his strength (Philp 4:13).

Like Isaiah whose unclean lips were cleansed by God, or Paul whose conversion came as a result of God’s grace, Peter in today’s Gospel(Luke 5:1-11)  is threatened by the divine presence of God.  He said, “Depart from me Lord, for I am a sinful man.”Peter the professional fisherman toiled all night without catching a single fish, until Christ said to him, “Peter put out your net into the deep and lower your nets for a catch.”  What a miracle working God!!  Christ now empowered Peter, “Not to be afraid.” In metaphor Christ commission Peter in spite of his weaknesses not to catch fish any longer to be a disciple that catches or brings Christ message to people and people to Christ.

Like Isaiah, Paul and Peter, Christ wants each of us to stop seeing ourselves as sinners or unclean but to become his friends, his companions and agents of the Good News of Christ in our daily lives. By the grace of God you and I can move mountains in the works of evangelizations.

 Peace be with you!

Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time B Reflections by Udoekpo, Michael Ufok

Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time Year B: Homily by Fr. Michael Ufok Udoekpo

Readings: Job 7:1-4, 6-7; Ps 147:1-6; 1 Cor 9:16-19, 22-23; Mark 1:29-39

  Called, like Paul to Preach the Gospel of Christ ( euvagge,lion)

A few weeks ago on January the 25^th we celebrated the Conversion of St. Paul. Born in Tarsus and Converted on his way to Damascus to persecute the Christians(Acts 9:1-22; 22:3-16). He turned around by  the special grace God as a beacon hope. He became the bearer of the Gospel of Christ to the Gentiles and to people of all walks of life. Almost 1/3 of the 27 books of the New Testament is attributed to St. Paul’s preaching and Evangelization. In Colleges and Universities St. Paul and the content of his Gospel is usually taught as a course. Not long ago a full year was dedicated to the conversion and life of witness that Paul brought to bear on the Gospel of Christ.

He preached love, unity, (I Cor 13) reconciliation, and universalism (Gal 4), hope. Having once been tortured, thrown into prison, ship wrecked,  he knew the meaning of sufferings in the Light of mystery of Christ’s events, God’s manifestation-the mystery of God’s ways that Job in today’s first reading, and had also wrestled with.

Job, a pious and righteous man kept the rules like any of us. Obeyed God, was prosperous but also suffered terrible set back and misfortunes in life. He lost his property, his children. He has afflicted and tormented by all kinds of diseases. He felt restless and as if he had been assigned months misery (Job 7:1-4, 6-7). He would have loved to have rational answers to the cause of his set back and sufferings. But they were not forth coming, yet Job deepened his trust and love for God through his experiences of suffering.

Job’s suffering experiences in his relationship with God could be liken to that of Paul who  in spite of the challenges and difficulties felt the compulsion (avna,gkh) of preaching the Gospel of Christ. Paul’s says, “Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel” (I Cor 9:16). Though he had the freedom to whatever he like with his talents but he made himself a slave to all so as to win over as many people as possible for Christ.

For Paul the Gospel (euvagge,lion) is “the good news of Jesus Christ.”  It is the entire activity of evangelization to the Gentiles, to the uncircumcised (Gal 2:7). It must have its origin in God manifested in Christ, the son of God (Rom 1:9). It is the faith in Christ (Rom 4–6; Gal 1:23) and the living of the word of God (2 Cor 2:17), the beatitude (Matt 5:1-2). It is the Golden Rule (Matt 7:12). It is a Christian way of life. It is accepting God’s mysterious ways of dealing with us  in the crucified Christ (1 Cor 2:1-2) and the hope in the resurrection ( 1 Cor 15; 1 Thess 4:12-17) and fostering of unity (1 Cor 12–14). It is the story of the Risen Lord, not our own stories (2 Cor 4:4).

For Paul the Gospel is God’s salvific activity for his people, his power and healing mercies.

For example in today’s gospel we see the healing power of Jesus over Simon Peter’s mother –in-law who was sick with fever.

“On leaving the synagogue Jesus entered the house of Simon and Andrew, James and John. Simon’s mother-in-law lay sick with a fever… he approached grasped her and helped her up. Then the fever left her and she waited on them.”

What are  your own “fevers”?

Certainly this can come in bodily illness. Do we believe in the Gospel of Paul- in the healing power of Christ who is able to cure us of our illness even through our human doctors and nurses when we are responding to our medical and doctor’s appointment?

Our “fevers” can also come in form of disunity and lack of love, and envious of other’s spiritual gifts, that the Gospel Paul opposes in I Cor 12–14). Our fevers can come in form lack of universal spirit, acceptance of others which is a complete opposite of the Gospel of Paul in Romans and in the Letter to the Galatians. Our fevers and weaknesses can come in all forms of immorality and idolatries of the 21^st century, against the values of the Good News of Christ championed by Paul.

 Whatever our shortcomings and fevers might be in living and preaching the gospel of Christ- re-evangelization- that Paul preached let us continue to open up ourselves to be nourished by the grace of the gospel as we go up to celebrate and receive the Holy Eucharist.

Peace be with you!

Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time Year A- Reflections

Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time Year A: Homily by Fr. Michael Ufok Udoekpo

Readings: Isa 58: 7-10; Ps 112:4—9; 1 Cor 2:1-5 and Matt 5:13-16

Shining like the Light and Tasting Like the Salt

 The Metaphors of Light and Salt in today’s Bible lessons remind us of our calling to imitate Christ  by being fair, charitable and just in dealing with one another.  Light in our faith tradition always represent God, goodness prosperity and good fortunes (Zeph 3:14-20). It is a symbol of Jesus  which he  teaches us in the 27 books of the NT which fulfils the Old Covenant,and  as taught by  the Church (cf Vat II Lument Gentium). In John chapter 8:12 Jesus says, “I am the light of the world; anyone who follows me will not be walking in dark but will have the light of life.” Darkness is the opposite of this life of light in Christ (cf Udoekpo, Zephaniah, 134-135). It symbolizes disorder and all kinds of misfortunes.  Salt not only make our food tasty, it prevent corruption- “resist evil- bacteria” (Gen 1:1-5), a symbol of the power of God. We are call today to reevaluate our imitation of our lives in the light of Christ by showing good examples, treating one another well and living the faith.

  The readings remind us of our Corporal and Spiritual works of Mercy.  Remember, particularly those Corporal works of mercy  and social responsibilities such as, feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked, harboring the harbor-less, visiting with the sick, the imprisoned, burying and praying for those gone before us marked with the sign of faith.

This is particularly close to the first reading of today, when Isaiah says: “share your bread with the hungry, shelter the oppressed and the homeless; clothe the naked when you see them, and do not turn your back on your own... Then your light shall break forth like the dawn” (Isa 58:7-8).

Here the Prophet Isaiah is addressing a situation in a community of those who had come back from exile and are beginning a new life, hoping and watching to experience the full fulfillment of what God promise them. But in the first place remember it was injustice, dishonoring God, idolatry, sin and disobedience to God that had first brought Israel to exile. It was a nightmare for them.

But the remnant, the survivors who would wake up on the other side of this nightmare and have the opportunity to see themselves as “come babies/children” in the Lord with a spirit of renewal and light of healing are reminded that God is always committed to his covenant of love, blessings and justice. And God expects them- that is us to participate in these maintenance of love and justice, in being that light the breaks through the cloud of evil and darkness.

The people of Isaiah’s time understood that to be righteous, to keep justice was not unconnected with keeping the Sabbath-(worshipping God (Isa 56), showing solidarity and comforting those who mourn for whatever reason: sickness, death, misfortunes (Isaiah 57). This comes with God’s continuous blessings symbolize by light. They were also encouraged to fast from sins and evils that represent darkness, to repent, pray and show a sense of thankful belonging to the same community that survived the humiliation of exile (Isa 58).

We are talking about human beings. Many of them drifted away from the goal of true fasting with prayer to abuse of religion and self- righteousness (Isa 58:1-6). The particular message of Isaiah is that fasting, and love of God must be coated with true spirit of change and renewal, especially turning away from exploitation, disorder of darkness and quarrelling that St. Paul would also confront in the Church in Corinth (I Cor 1–2). It is not enough to go about fasting or living the external rituals, but must adapt a life style where darkness of selfishness and greed is given up to life style of light of charity and temperance in Christ Jesus.

Isaiah’s message is clearly similar to that of Christ in today’s Gospel, a continuation of the Sermon on the Mountain (Matt 13-16) we started reading last week. After describing the righteousness and the distinctive marks of the disciples Christ tells them that they are the light of the world and the salt of the earth.

Somebody once said, to me “Michael I hope Jesus was not teaching Chemistry.”? Not at all! But the question is all about, how as Disciples of Christ do we maintain the taste of Christ, his values and the distinctiveness of his flavor of love and charity. We want to prevent corruption of the faith and truth and live the spiritual works of mercy- instructing even the ignorant, counseling those who are in doubt of the word of God, forgiving those who hurt us and bearing wrong patiently not with violent.

By this we do not want to parade our good deeds but to channel attention to God and give glory to Jesus. In the midst of the familiar challenges of our time we want to keep showing good examples in our homes, families, schools and at work. The life of a Christian man, woman and child is that by which our neighbors recognize Christ in us. And we want to ask ourselves quietly (don’t say it aloud) in the private  prayer of our hearts whether my brother, sister, husband or wife, friend, school and workmates or our companion are mostly likely to move or jump up to give glory to God when the observe our spoken and unspoken conducts. Can they discern in us the shining Light of Christ or taste in us the valuable Flavor of our Lord Jesus.?

Peace be with you

Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time C Rejecting the Prophet and the Resiliance of Love

Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time Year C- Reflections by Fr. Michael Udoekpo

Readings: Jer 1:4-5, 17-19; Ps 71:1-6, 15, 17: 1 Cor 12:31–13:13 and Luke 4:21-30.

Rejections of the Prophets and the Resiliance of Love

Prophets are called and sent to be the mouth piece of God, God’s messengers.  They preached with divine-spiritual authority about the love of God not themselves. They are the conscience of the people. They preached and live the truth with conviction of divine blessings and protection. They are always sent to challenge certain things and even the status quo that does not seems to be in the right direction or does not reflects God’s love that Paul talks about in today’s Second reading (1 Cor 12:31–13:13). Love is kind, not jealous and not pompous, not inflated, not rude, not selfish, and not quick-tempered, does not brood over injury, and does not rejoice over wrong doings except truth. Love hopes all things, believes all things and endures all things. True Love is consistent. Many of them suffered terribly in the course of preaching God’s love, His covenant with us. Some were thrown into prisons. Others including, Jeremiah, Paul and Christ were killed or rejected. But what is important is that in every situation, age and time God would always send us a prophet, a leader, a preacher. He knows how best to communicate with us His enduring Love and to assist us in our difficulties and needs.

When Jeremiah was appointed prophets to the nations in today’s first reading (Jer 1:4-5, 17-19) Jerusalem was under attack and threats of exile by Nebucchandnezzar and his military empire. He must  have cross path courageously with Zephaniah who also supported the spiritual reforms and renewal of King Josiah, challenging idolatries and promoting faith in God alone. He saw people denying the power of God and the impact of His divine presence. Jeremiah saw Jerusalem destroyed. He saw his compatriot killed, deported. Many lost their homes, freedom and land. Human rights were out of question.  He saw human beings inhumanity to other human beings. He witnessed human beings rejecting God their creator and rejecting fellow human beings created like them in the image of God. He saw people not being patient with one another. Jealousy, rudeness, envy were being displayed. He saw people replaced love with hatred, peace with violence, community values with individualism, selfishness and monopoly of behaviors. There was a lot to be done to restore faith and hope to the remnants. It would take someone well trained in diplomacy with a special grace of God or one endowed with advance political experience to preach boldly against such violence.

Ordinarily one would understand why Jeremiah made excuses to God. He knew he was not wealthy. He was from a small village called Anathoth, about three miles from Jerusalem. He was quite young. He lacked training in public speaking. And though no one would take him seriously, God does. But God reassured him that he would be given what to say the blessings of success in his God ordained mission (Jer 1:5-9). His mouth was empowered when touched by God (Jer 1:9).

In the face of opposition and rejections both from the invaders and their Judean collaborators Jeremiah is given the responsibility of standing and preaching the truth that God had commanded him even to the remnant of the attack. God said to him: Be not crushed on their account for it is I this day who have made you a fortified city, a pillar of Iron, a wall of brass…they will fight against you, but will not prevail” (Jer 1:17-19).

Although we are separated from Jeremiah by more than 2 thousand years the problem Jeremiah faced are not peculiar to the world of antiquity. Ours as we all know is a changing society. What Jeremiah saw do reoccur today in different forms: tension between world powers- US, Russia China, monopoly of world economy, and wars in different parts of the world, violence, divisions among religious groups and acts of terrorisms. Remnants of anti-semitism, slavery, aparthaid and caste -system practices in different parts of the world.  Materialism, the urge to dominate others and attempt to minimize and reject the saving significance of Christ and the Cross of love and family values are increasingly becoming the order of the day.

Like in the case of Jeremiah, the prophetic Messiah, Christ was faced with opposition and rejection from the synagogue officials and from his own people. His mission like Jeremiah was to uplift the poor, the oppressed, the sick, the rejected, stand up for the truth (Isa 61:1ff; Lk 4: 14-30) and share his love with humanity. Yet many, of them would ask “can something good come from Nazareth? Is he not the Son of Joseph? (Luke 4:21-30).

 Be it in the ministry-community of Jeremiah, that of Christ, Paul or in our present day families and communities if there is love there will certainly be less rejections, quarrels, discriminations and exclusivism. If there is love we would be more patient with one another. If there is love we would be less envious of one another’s spiritual gifts. If there is love our actions towards my neighbors will be full politeness and kindness and we won’t rejoice or celebrate when our neighbors make a little mistake or over-react or over-read the intensions of our neighbors. We would hurry to throw him or her out of our prayer lists. We don’t want to be like the synagogue officials who had wanted to throw Jesus Christ out from the top of the hill. We don’t want to reject Christ by rejecting our neighbors (Mtt 25). Don’t we sing “What so ever you do to the least of my brethren--- so you do onto me?

Like prophets through our water of baptism, may we continue to be resilient in accepting one another, in preaching the truth and living the love the God had first lavished us with.

Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time Year B- Reflections

Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time Year B- Reflections by Fr. Michael Ufok Udoekpo

Readings: Deut 18:15-20; Ps 95:1-2, 6-7, 7-9; 1 Cor 7:32-35 and Mark 1:21-28

Call to be Prophets

I have a huge book sitting there in my Library, titled Great Speeches of our times, by Hywel Williams. It contains the speeches of Politicians and Human Right Activists betweem 1945 -2008. It includes  speeches of Eamon de Valera (May 16, 1945), Eleanor Roosevelt (December 9, 1948), J. F. Kennedy (July 15, 1960, January 20, 1961), and Charles de Gaulle (Feb 15, 1963), Martin Luther King, Jr (August 28, 1963), Nelson Mandela (April 20, 1964), Julius Nyerere (April 10, 1967), Ronald Reagan (June 6, 1984), Jesse Jackson (July 16, 1984), Margaret Thatcher (Sept 20, 1988), Mikhail Gorbachev (May 10, 1994), Fidel Castro (Jan 1, 1999), Tony Blair (Oct 2, 2001) and that of Barack Obama (March 18, 2008).

 The speeches of the prophets, theologians and spiritual authors of our times like Pope John XXIII, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, John Paul the II and Pope Benedict the XVI are not included. Great speeches of Israel’s prophets are neither also not added prominently nor that of Moses.

The first reading of today Deut 18:15-20 is part of the part of the great speeches of Moses the Law giver to God’s people before his death, before Israel crosses into the Promise Land. It is a message of encouragement and attentive obedience (Deut 4–11) to God. It is a message of covenant renewal, an invitation to exclusive worship of God (12–26). It is a message that emphasis love, humanitarian concern and seeks to make Israel a just a balance society of responsible, courageous and visionary leadership and prophets.

This Speech of Moses, “I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their kin, and will put up my words into his mouth, he shall tell them all that I command them” highlights the etiology for the establishment of the institution of the prophecy. It reminds us of the need for authentic prophets and the call to be attentive to the voices of authentic prophets in our society rather than of the false prophets.

Prophets are called and sent to be the mouth piece of God, God’s messengers.  They preach with divine-spiritual authority about God not themselves. They are the conscience of the people. They preached and live the truth with conviction of divine blessings and protection. They may also challenge certain things and even the status quo that does not seems to be in the right direction. We saw this in Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel as well as in the 12 Minor Prophets from Hosea, Amos, and Joel to Malachi. Some preached, suffered and died for the truth they were convinced of.

The ministry of Jesus – his love, his compassion, his forgiveness of sins, his teaching with authority, the sermons on the mountains (Matt 1:1-12a) and on the plain land (Luke 6:20-23), his care for the poor and healing of the sick, feeding of the poor and the hungry, providing drinks and wine (Jn 2) even his road to the Cross are all seen as the ministry of the New Moses, the prophet of the New Covenant. Today in the synagogue in the “City of Nahum” Capernaum, teaching with authority, healing and casting out devils and the unclean spirit, free of charge and without advertisement (Mk 1:21-28), revealing the power of God  over that of the devil.

When we read further Marks Gospel 3:14, we see where Jesus appointed the Twelve Apostles and gave them the power to do likewise, casting out the devils. Exorcism, prophetic preaching is an exercise of the spiritual authority entrusted to the Church by Jesus the new Moses, which enables us to freely fully dedicate ourselves to the service of the Lord or as Paul will put it today’ anxious about the things of the Lord that we may be holy,” (I Cor 7:32-35).

Remember at Baptism when we were  anointed with the oil  of the sacred chrism, which the Bishop blesses on Holy Thursday, we  and our  children were vested into the three fold offices of Jesus, that of a priest, that of a prophet and that of a king. The following prayer is said: “God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ has freed you from sin, given you a new birth by water and the Holy Spirit, and welcomed you into hi holy people. He now anoints you with the chrism of salvation. As Christ was anointed Priest, Prophet, and King, so may you live always as member of his body, sharing everlasting life.”

By implications we are call to be prophets in our own ways and capacities in our homes and families in our world of today. We know it is not all that we see and hear in the media today are true about Christ, the church and the values that makes us God’s children. Many are false. This is what Moses wanted to avoid. This is what Christ came to rewrite and this is what Paul warned the Church in Corinth against. We want to be a new Moses of our time, home and neighborhood. We want to be another Christ by the way we treat one another, speak the truth and embrace with courage our faith in the face of the challenges of our times.

Let us pray at this Mass that we may be nourished by the prophetic spirit of truth, love and justice after the image of Christ Jesus.

Peace be with you!

Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time Year A

Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time- Homily By Rev. Dr. Michael Ufok Udoekpo

Readings Year A: Zeph 2:3; 3:12-13; Ps 146:6-10, R/ (Matt 5:3); 1 Cor 1:26-31 and Matt 5:1-12a.

Blessed/Happy are the Poor in Spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of God (Matt 5:3)

The response to today’s Psalm, “Blessed/ happy are the Poor in Spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of God” taken from Matthew chapter 5:3 reminds us of the Jewish and prophetic origin  of our Christian sanctity ( Exod 22:25-27; Deut 15:7-11; Isa 61:1-3; Pss 24,  37; 107). It summarizes the teachings of the Prophet Zephaniah (2:3:12-13), Christ (Matt 5:1-12a and Luke 6:20-23) and that of St. Paul ,an Apostle of the Gentiles (1 Cor 1:26-31).  You and I know that Sometimes our obedience to God, doing the right thing, may result in temporary oppression, suffering and material disadvantage. For example, think of those who fight for freedom of worship, speech and self rule round the world. We can give examples along this line.  Prophet Zephaniah, Christ and Paul, encourage us to reflect on the rewards of everlasting blessings, comfort, happiness, peace, and joy that awaits us when we are poor in spirit, seek peace, trust God, when we obey God, when we are humble, strive to do His will and live in the spirit of total abandonment to His providence and divine mercy.

When Zephaniah preached in the late pre-exilic period, during the reign of King Josiah in the ancient Judah (640-609) there were lots of problems contrary to the spirit of the “beatitudes, heard today's Gospel. The Egyptians, Assyrians and the Babylonians were not at peace. They were fighting for power, land and material wealth. Some Judeans including priests and princes were neither free of corruption nor arrogance and worship of false gods (Zeph 1:1-8; 3:1-13) introduced by evil kings like Manasseh and Ammon.  While encouraging trust in God, he also repudiated violence, pride (Zeph 2:10) and all forms of injustices (Zeph 3:1-11). On judgment day, he saw a hope of salvation for the poor in spirit or the humble of the land #rah ywn[, the anawim.

These are those, who would “seek the Lord,” those “who observe the Lord’s precepts,” those who “seek justice, humility and are not deceitful in their behavior.”

Although the time Christ, and of the Jewish Christian community of Matthew’s beatitude (Matt 5:1-12a)  were  separated from that of Zephaniah by many  decades , it was still a community that understood  what sufferings meant. The understood, the meaning of land deprivation . Denials of basic needs and freedom to govern themselves, they knew the meanings. They knew the negatives impacts of pride, abuse human rights, lack of social justice and freedom to worship their true God. When Christ got up on that mountain and pronounced- Makoroi- Blessed/Happy are poor in Spirirt, those who mourn for different reasons, the merciful, those who seek righteousness, peace makers, and the morally clean of hearts, they may have seen in Christ the New Moses (Exod 19ff). Like Jesus they were familiar with Hebrew scriptures and Psalms that stress  poverty in spirit and comfort to mourners (Isa 61:1-3), meekness of heart ( Ps 37:11), thirsting for righteousness (Psalms, 1;  107:5-9), peace (Isa) and purity of heart (Ps 24:3-4). Like ourselves, they also knew from Proverbs 14:21, and Hosea 6:6 that since God is Holy and Mercy, God requires mercy and holiness of life from each and every one of us.

Paul’s Corinthian Community was not filled with angels and saints. But with people from different background of talents and gifts, the weak and the strong. They were rivals among them. They were envious and back-biting each other. Divisions and pride had also eaten deep into the spiritual being of this Christian community (1 Cor 12—14). Sometimes these elements can also slip into our modern communities.

It makes a lot of sense when Paul says: “Consider your calling, brothers and sisters. Not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful not many were noble of birth. Rather God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise, and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong. He chose the poor, the lowly to remind us that the focus our faith, ministry, service should be Christ through our neighbors” (I Cor 1:26-31). Think of what our lives would been without  Christianity and our faith tradtions.

Think of what our lives would have been without the Sacrament Penance and others, the Church and the Scriptures, examples of the Saints particularly that of our Mother Mary. For our children think of where we were or where we would have been without mummy who carried us for 9 months, respected and protected us even in their wombs, or after birth if we were to grow without the supports of our good parents  and their good examples in faith and morals.

Many of us have also had good mentors, catechists, teachers, advisors, priests, spiritual directors, God parents, friends, brothers and sisters. How did they impact your lives? Or where would you have been without their help and good examples?

The call for us to live the “beatitude”- poverty of the spirit, peace, hunger for justice, mercy, pure of heart, and bearing suffering for the sake of the Gospel, trusting God unconditionally, becomes more and more urgent in our world today, characterized by conflict and rivalry with erosion of family values. A world, crippled by selfishness, individualism, pursuit of wealth and secularism. Aggressive pursuit of personal wealth and satisfaction has left many less interested in promotion of the common good. In terms of communication individual neighbors have become anonymous while electronic objects are starting to talk to us.

We know God is the supreme Peace Maker, Love, Righteous and Mercy. We are invited as God’s sons and daughters in our own little ways and capacities, to participate in living these characteristics of a true disciple of Christ in our homes, families church communities and in the general public. We are invited to promote peace and justice, by being meek and gentle in our words, actions and thought, pursuing righteousness and ready to forgive and be merciful to others after the examples Christ, the true source of our happiness.

 Peace be with you.

Third Sunday of Ordinary Time Year C- Reflections

Third Sunday of Ordinary Time Year C- Homily by Dr. Michael Ufok Udoekpo

Readings: Neh 8:2-4a, 5-6, 8-10; 1 Cor 12:12-30 and Luke 1:1-4; 4:14-21

Your Words Lord, are Spirit and Life (Jn 6:63c)

The responsorial Psalm of today ‘“your Words Lord, are Spirit and Life” taken from John 6:63, summarizes the role of the Holy Scriptures in our lives. Scriptures that Nehemiah, Christ (Luke 1:1-4; 4:14-21) and Paul (1 Cor 12:12-30) were passionate for in their missions of faith, unity and spiritual renewal.

Nehemiah was not a prophet, nor priests per se, but a lay man. He was called to serve God at a time when the people of Israel our ancestors in faith were resurfacing from the horrible years in exile. They were subjected by the Babylonians followed by the Persian domination. They lived as second or third class citizens without their Davidic king, sense of national security and full spiritual fulfillment and ideals. There were exiles, but there were no lands, temple and rigorous prophetic messages as before.  Now that many were back in Judah, it was important for them to be renewed spiritually and otherwise, and to be reassured of the unchanging mercy God. Nehemiah, a lover of Scripture, is a visible reminder of this unchanging God’s mercy.

Today’s first reading is Nehemiah’s study in the centre of Jerusalem. We are told Ezra the priest brought the Law Book before a mixed assembly of men, women, and children, young and old, who were hungry for the Word of God which is life and Spirit. Together with Ezra Nehemiah encourage the people to respond to the Holy Scripture (Neh 8:8-10).

Those who attended this Bible Study from different parts of Jerusalem were united and very enthusiastic for a common purpose: to be attentive to the word of God (Neh 8:3), to be responsive to the word of God (Neh 8:5), to be submissive (Neh 8: 6) and to allow the word God to be part of their lives (cf. Raymond Brown, The Message of Nehemiah, pp. 128-136).

Similarly, from time to time we gather from different parts of (Holbrook) and beyond, from different homes, young and old, men and women, boys and girls to listen to the word of God. This is not to say that we do not have our individual dislikes, but listening to the Word of God must be one of our priorities during our worship. Nothing must stand between us and the Word of God.

You and I know that in spite of the elaborate preaching and teaching of the Church (Vatican II,) on inter religious/cultural dialogue and ecumenism Christians themselves are still been divided in a variety of issues. These include, Tradition and the Scriptures, ministry, ordination, baptism, the last supper, divine healing, visions and speaking in tongues, ecumenical involvement, patterns of worship, text and translation, the concept of the church, the work of the Holy Spirit, charismatic gifts, eschatology , issues of end times or the Second Coming of Christ.

Our society today is also crippled by selfishness and individualism. The sense of community living has disappeared from the lists of our values. Aggressive pursuit for personal satisfaction has left many of our communities little interest in communal projects. This is the age where computers are starting to talk to us while our neighbors are becoming more distant and anonymous.  Some of our sick ones, the disadvantaged, the elderly are left staring hopeless at the doors and windows of nursing homes and hospices with no relative or Church member on sight to visit with them.

This was also one of the weaknesses of the early Church community of Corinth that St. Paul ministered onto in today’s second reading (1 Cor 12:12-4, 27). This church was known for all kinds of religious manifestations, they sang, they saw visions, they prophesied, they preached, they would danced, but all these were used for selfish purposes. They were envious of each other, with little agreement and would often engage in unhealthy politics and unhealthy competitions and lack of support for one another in times of need.

Paul uses the rhetoric of the popular and familiar image of the “body” to illustrate the importance of moral unity among members of the Church, the Body of Christ (Soma Christou), in listening and doing God’s Words. The gifts of each and every single of us need to be used for the common good. Just as every single other part of the body needs the other to function well we need each other as members of the body of Christ reveled to us in the passages of the Holy Scripture.

Like Nehemiah, Christ begins his public ministry in today’s Gospel (Luke 1:1-4; 4:14-21) by appealing to the Holy Scriptures Isaiah 61:1ff,

 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to bring liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.”

 However, differences and approaches we might take in understanding these passages, the role of the Church, the Body of Christ is to liberate those who derive joy in discrimination and division, by revealing the opportunities of freedom for common purpose and to realize how dependent we are on one another, men and women, children and adults, husbands and wives, brothers and sisters, colleagues and fellow professionals.

Like the community that Nehemiah and Ezra shared the Scriptures with, let us pray at this Mass that though we may have our individual differences, may our common desire to read, study, listen, and obey the Word of God, which is Spirit and Life, inspire us, enrich our witness to Christ, and draw us closer to one another- as members of the Body of Christ.

Peace be with you.

Third Sunday of Ordinary Time Year B Reflections

Third Sunday of Ordinary Time Year B- Reflections by Fr. Michael Ufok Udoekpo

Readings: Jonah 3:1-5, 10; Ps 25:4-9; 1 Cor 7:29-31 and Mark 1:14-20

Our God of Deliverance

The responsorial Psalm of today, “Teach me your ways, O Lord” Psalm 25:4a highlights our need for God. It is a prayer for confidence and trust in God’s forgiveness, deliverance and guidance.  It is an expression of our need for God.  And an invitation to repent and rely more and more on God’s love with mercy, His ways of peace, His road of repentance (Jonah 3:1-5), His path of detachment (Mark 1:14-20), themes that runs through the Scripture readings of the today.

The Psalmist says, “Your ways, O Lord, make known to me; teach me your paths, guide me in your truth and teach me for you are God my Savior.”

Our faith tradition, God’s ways, God’s path= Derek ($rd) is usually and simply understood as Torah (hrwt), God’s laws, His precepts, His will, God’s instruction, His teachings, His Words = dabar (rbd). In Acts of the Apostle 22:4 Paul talks about his earlier persecution of those who followed the Way (o`do.j) of Christ and his life style.

God is Holy. His ways are holy and pure. When the Psalmist prays, “Teach me your ways.”  It presupposes that God’s children have derailed, they have made a mistake, they have fallen path, they have sinned, and they have turned away from God. God is the only one who can bring us back to His ways of holiness and sanctity.

Remember the incidence of the golden calf, the incidence of idolatry in Deuteronomy chapter 9:12, 16 when God instructed Moses to go down to the sinful Israelite.   God said to Moses, “Go down from here now quickly for your people whom you have brought out from Egypt have become depraved, they have already turned aside from the Way (Derek/hodos) who the Lord had pointed out to them and have made for themselves a molten idol.

In Jeremiah 5: 4 talking about corruption we read, “I will go to the great ones and speak with them; for they know the way of the Lord, their duty to their God.”

In Proverbs 3:17 God the personified Wisdom has God’s ways” God’s ways are pleasant ways, and God’s path are peace.”

So God sent Jonah in today’s first reading (Jon 3:1-5, 10) to the Ninevites to teach them His Ways, to call them to repentance from their evil ways of corruption (Jn 1). We are familiar with the initial struggle of Jonah and his resistance not to embark on this mission of spreading God’s message of mercy. Initially, he ran on the opposite way leading to Tarshish and was swallowed up by a Whale (Jon 1-2). However, when he finally obeyed and followed God’s path, preached to the Assyrian-Ninevites we are told “they proclaimed a fast and all of them, great and small, put on sackcloth.” In other words, they repented and turned from their evil ways to God’s Ways. Both Jonah and the repentant Ninevites were saved. This suggests that both preachers and those preached to, need to follow God’s Ways, not their own ways.

Similarly, Jesus in today’s Gospel, followed the Will of the Father, preached repentance and the need for people to believe in the Gospel, the Word of God and His Ways. The fisherman, Simon and Andrew, James and John left their fishing industries, their fishing paths. Detaching themselves from materialism, from their nets, from the comfort of their homes, and relatives, from the lucrative fishing income and from selfish love of self in this passing world (1 Cor 7:29-31), to follow the path of Christ, a path of simplicity, generosity and love. Materialistic approach to life is veritable ground for secularism and relativism (my ego, my desires only). People who deny God’s existence and refuse to be taught God’s ways, those who dismiss God’s Laws have little regard for objective moral standards. Ethical principles and love of God become secondary to their situational needs. This is not what we want.

I want to believe that we are ready today go deep into ourselves introspectively, to allow God to teach us His Ways (Ps 25:4a) and His Spirit to renew us. We want to follow his Ways, his Life Style of Charity, Compassion, non violence, truth and holiness; even when we discomfort ourselves to assist others, to help someone in need and to help others to experience God’s Love and His Divine Presence.

Dear God,

Teach me your Gospel Ways

Teach me your path of loving you and my neighbors

Teach me your path of trusting you more and more

Teach me your path of compassion and generosity

Teach me your path of obedient service

Teach me your path of truth and holiness

Teach me your path of patient and forgiveness

Teach me your path, detachment and simplicity of life

Through Christ Our Lord, Amen.

Third Sunday of Ordinary Time Year A- Reflections

Third Sunday of Ordinary Time Year A- Homily by Fr. Michael Ufok Udoekpo

Readings: Isa 8:23–9:3; Ps 27:1, 4, 13-14; 1 Cor 1:10-13, 17; Matt 4:12-23

Darkness of Judgment and Light of Salvation

“The Lord is my Light and my Salvation…”  This Psalm 27, often beautifully repeated here, in music, during our liturgy, just like Psalm 23, is a prayer of confidence in God. It is a prayer of trust in divine assistance. It is a prayer that challenges our fears, threats, inner darkness and lack of confidence in God, the author of Life, and the champion of our deliverance.

When we pray, “The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear?” The Lord is my life’s refuge of whom shall I be afraid?” we are re-acknowledging or re-inviting ourselves to trust God, the source of life, joy and happiness. In our faith contexts Light=rwa , metaphorically represents those positive things in our  lives and in the coners of our homes,  schools, offices and families. These certainly would include the joy and the perfection of happiness, salvation and restoration of fortunes- job opportunities, good health of mind and body. As believers, baptized Christians light represent the values of Christ, truth, faith, hope, love and unity courage and fortitude, which we embrace during our baptism. Even for those who have never being to the Church, they literary also know the usefulness of light. The lights in their homes, in their study rooms, in their cars, in the air planes, in the ship and in the mining industries.

 On the other hand, darkness,=$vx reminds us as Christians those negative things in  life: judgments, falsehood, lies, failures, fear that we are not safe or that our lives are in danger, violent,  lack of confidence in God, terrors of death.  It also reminds of those things that ruins our relationship with God- disobedience, lack of faith, disunity among ourselves, and lack of charity in words and actions.

So when Prophet Isaiah in today’s first reading said, “the people who walk in darkness have seen a great light,” =$vxb ~yklhh ~[h ( Isa 9:1) Isaiah, among other things, is making a clear demarcation between the faithful and the unfaithful of his time. Those who who responded with obedient to God’s word, that  Immanuel prophecy (Isa 7–8), not to fear,  not to rely on foreign alliance, and those who did not. Isaiah was drawing the line between the truth and the falsehood, between hope and despair, between the darkness of exiles, of the degradation of the land Zebulun and Naphtali by enemies and the future Light of liberations brought by Christ’s  residence and ministry in region of Zebulun (Matt 4: 12-23).

We are told in the Gospel, “When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdraw to Galilee. He left Nazareth to reside in Capernaum by the region of Zebulun and Napthali once put to darkness and devastated by the enemies. Jesus brought to fulfillment what had earlier preached on.

In fact what at stake, the choice between darkness and light, faith and faithlessness during the time of Isaiah is current today. Last Sunday I referred to the work, Benedict XVI Light of the World (2010) and some of the challenges of our times. Christ called Peter, James and John to be the light of the world. As Disciples of Christ you and I are invited to the same mission. James and John and Peter were fishermen. They were not perfect. Remember along the line Peter would even have to deny Christ. James and John would lobby for “cabinet positions” (Matt 20:21). They had their own weaknesses and dark sides. They may have also had their fears in following Christ- turning from fishing fish to fishing men and women, bringing Christ’s love and values to their regions, even at the risk of their economic security.

What are your own fears and uncertainties? What are those weaknesses? We can always work, obey God, and walk with Him to overcome the darkness of brokenness and faithlessness. I am sure there are also so many ways you and I have fought to defeat darkness. There are many ways we have brought smiles, hope and light of divine presence to the dark corners of the poor and needy neighbors of ours. The darkness of the Corinthian Community were immorality, quarrel, lack of respect for one another, back-biting, sycophancy, rivalries, lack of charity, lack of coherence and agreement in what they say, selfishness and divisions.

Thus Paul says,   “I urge you brothers and sisters in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that all of you agree in what you say…for it has been reported to me about you,… that there are rivalries among you—some said, “I belong to Paul,” others “I belong to Apollos”, while others say “I belong to Paul,” is Christ divided” (1 Cor 1:10-13, 17).

The Lord is our Light. Scripture wants us to reexamine ourselves today (2 Cor 13:5) to see whether we are walking in the light, defeating darkness, showing good examples, helping our neighbors and colleagues, practicing Christian hope and optimism even in difficult times, in moments of tragedies, ill heath, death, keeping our faith and trusting in God, our Light and refuge, the source of our life and salvation.

Sing:

The Lord is my Light, the Lord is my Light, the Lord is my Light and my salvation! (Ps 27:1).  Peace be with you!

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Second Sunday of Ordinary Time Year C

Second Sunday of Ordinary Time C- Homily by Fr. Michael Udoekpo

Readings: Isa 62: 1-5; Ps 96:1-2, 2-3; 7-10; 1 Cor 12:4-11 and John 2:1-11

The Joy of Christ over Us, the Redeemed

Today we celebrate the Glory of the Lord which is not unconnected from the events of the past few Sundays: the Birth of Christ, His epiphany and His Baptism. In Cana in Galilee God manifested his glory in changing water in to wine (Jn 2:1-11), which had been long foretold by the prophets (Amos 9: 13-14). It is a changing from an old world into a new world of joy and happiness for the people of Zion, Jerusalem, the people God, ourselves. A change from scarcity of food and wine to its abundance. A change from all the misfortunes in this life (Zeph 1:14:1-18) to a new world of good fortunes ( Zeph 3:9-20). It is a change from hopelessness to hope. The author of this change who like a bridegroom, is God, who delights and rejoices in His people, the bride, the renewed, the rewarded, and the restored (see Re-thinking the Day of YHWH, Udoekpo, pp. 151-195).

 The Context of the first reading of today (Isa 62:1-5) this hope of restoration is worth reflecting upon. It is a time that our ancestors in faith, the people of Judah were returning from exile. It is a time of high hopes, expectations and difficulties as well. Tension existed between the returnees and those, including the foreigner’s occupiers during their absence. Though they were home, their freedom was limited by Persian Imperialism. Although God’s promised was beginning to unfold, they were still looking forward to a complete fulfillment.

The prophecy of Isaiah today is to reassure them how much God has loved them as the husband would love his dear wife: He says, “For Zion’s sake I will not be silent, for Jerusalem’s sake I will not be quite, until her vindication shines forth like the dawn and her victory like a burning torch.” The redeemed people shall be called a new name, foreshadowing the new wine in today’s Gospel. They are destined also for God’s glory “You shall be a glorious crown in the hand of the Lord (v 2), and as a young man marries a virgin the Lord will marry us and rejoices over us (v 5).

This prophecy shows not only significance each and every one us is before God, but also how much God cherishes and loves. It is not a casual love, a hit and run love, but a love that a good husband has for his loving wife.

The birth of Christ as we saw during Christmas, and his messianic ministry fulfilled all that had been foretold by Israel prophets “I will bring about the restoration of my people Israel, they shall rebuild and inhabits their ruin cities, plant vineyard and drink their wine (Amos 9:14). Christ in Cana in Galilee at the beginning of his public ministry and with the intercession of his Mother turned water into wine.

He gave the wedding ceremony that had lack that lack or had ran out of sweet wine a new name of  wedding party with a good wine. Our lives too could be dry as the dryness of the exile and ruin as the ruin cities of Jerusalem. It is only Jesus that can rebuild our ruinness and brokennesss. Our lives too could be tasteless of flat like the water at the wedding ceremony. It is only God that can bring juice and sweetness into our lives.

 What are the flatness and dryness in your life? What are your sorrows? What are those old things and habits in our lives you might consider changing or dropping.  It varies from individual to individual, depending on who we are? Even for the community of Corinth to whom St. Paul ministered unto, their flatness and sorrows were lack of understanding, immorality, fornications, adulteries, division and boasting about their individual gifts and talents (1 Cor 12–14). They didn’t realize that all the gifts that God has blessed us with though are for different services comes from the same God, and are meant for the same goal: the glory of God, the common good, for the building up of the community- the Church. And among all the gifts, Love, which is God is the greatest gift. The love that God had first lavished upon us is that same love that is being expected to share with our neighbors, with our children, friends, brothers and sisters, and with anybody with meet along the way.

Whatever, our dryness, weakness, ruin and brokenness might be let us pray at this worship, asking the Lord to renew our brokenness with his love, change our misfortunes to fortunes and nourish us  with the  new wine of  love, patient and hope, through the prayers of our Mother Mary.

 Peace be with you.