Homily 4th Sunday of Easter Year B: Fr. Michael U. Udoekpo

Homily 4^th Sunday of Easter Year B: Fr. Michael U. Udoekpo

Reading: Acts 4:8-12; Psalm 118:1-9;21-23,26,28-29; I John 3:1-2 ; John 10:11-18

Love, Power of the Good Shepherd

Today we celebrate the gift, the power of love  which Christ, the Good Shepherd, has lavished upon us, the sheep of his flock. In the Gospel reading, Jesus unequivocally declares;

“I am the Good Shepherd (He didn’t say, I am the false shepherd). A Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep….I know mine and mine know me just as the Father knows me and I know the Father… I lead and they must hear my voice and there will be one flock.. I have power to lay it down and power to take it up again,” (John 10:11-18).

Christ's power lies in his love for us.  It lies in how he cares,  and how he listens to us. Christ knows us by name. He knows our in and out. He knows our weaknesses and strengths. He leads, feeds and loves us voluntarily. It is not forced. It is not faked. It is not for material gain. He was not hired, but Christ is God the Father taking a journey in His Son to love and saves us.

Compare that with a bad hired shepherd, who works for money. He doesn’t care if the sheep is scattered or is devoured by wolfs of false teaching and secularism. Prophet Ezekiel 34, a prophet of  exile  distinguishes Christ from false shepherds. He says to them:

“You shepherd of Israel you have been feeding yourselves! Should not the shepherd feed the sheep. You eat the fat, you cloth yourselves with the wool,...you have not strengthen  the weak, you have not healed the sick, you have not bound up the injured, you have not brought back he strayed, you have not sought the lost, but with force and harshness you have ruled them.”

The difference cannot be too clear. The ultimate power of false shepherds is selfishness, while the ultimate power of Christ the Good Shepherd is selflessness; His voluntariness in, feeding, listening, knowing, caring, healing, loving and saving us. Peter filled with the Holy Spirit confirms and says in the 1^st reading, “There is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved,” (Acts 4:8-12).

The challenge for us today is as  the 2^nd reading puts it to get to know Christ, the Good Shepherd and appreciate how much he cares and loves us; and to get to decipher between a Good Shepherd and strange voices of false shepherds today.  Remember false shepherds can show up in inappropriate TV ads and shows. They can show up in bad literature, strange politics and philosophies. They can even show up in the bad company we keep.

But we have the confidence that the power of Christ, the Good Shepherd endures for ever. His power to lead us, love us, to feed us, provide for us, listen  to us when we pray, know each of us by name, care for us, look after us especially when when we  go astray, heal us when we are sick and  save us with his saving grace.
Love is the power of Christ the Good Shepherd!

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

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

Readings: Acts 3:13-15, 17-19; Ps 4:2, 4, 7-9; 1 Jn 2:1-5a and Luke 24:35-48

May the light of your face shine upon us, as we place all our hope in you (Ps 4:6).

Today’s responsorial Psalm “let the light of your face shine upon us” sets the tone for today’s worship. We come today, 3^rd Sunday of Easter to bear witness, like Peter and his colleagues to the Resurrection of Christ; to ask for our needs. We come so that the metaphorical face and light of the Risen Christ may shine  upon the darkness of our doubts, upon our wounds, upon our illnesses, our sins, upon  our uncertainties, upon the Church upon our families, upon our seminaries, our parishes, dioceses,  religious communities, upon this residence home and of course upon our nations and cultures.

Last Sunday we saw the conversation of Cleopas with his companion as they walk from Jerusalem to Emmaus in Luke’s Gospel (Luke 24:13-35). This conversation indicated the faith struggles of the emergent Christianity and of course fears, sadness and doubts of Christ disciples over the event of the paschal mysteries. Is he gone, the Messiah? What next becomes of our lives? They could not recognize him until the Light of Christ shone upon them at the breaking of the bread.

Today the stories continue. They are worried still. While they were still speaking about the event of Christ- the Lord appeared in their midst with his Peace. Being Jewish he said to them “Shalom” ~wlv   which meant a lot for them. They understood Christ to mean, “how are you’ “calm down” don’t be confused,” "I am here with and for you,” “it will be okey",  "I will look after your well-being," "keep the faith," hope, love and trust in me,” "prosperity, justice, my kindness, love, wholeness, good health, eternal life hereafter, will always be sufficient unto you.”

Christ meant to say, "I am the same Lord, yesterday, today and forever! Haven’t you seen the holes in my hand where the nails pierced? Don’t be “doubting Thomases” any longer. Okey , let me eat some  baked fish with you." Christ says, Shalom!  He opened their minds. He brings his light of faith to them. He even summarized the Scriptures. He said to them have you forgotten our Scriptures, our Tanak- what we learned in the Torah (Gen–Deut), those covenant promises? What about our knowledge of the Prophets- the prophecies of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Amos and the rest of the Twelve, which have also been expressed in the Writings, in the Psalms of laments, praises and thanksgiving.  Remember they had all spoken about my birth, ministry, death, resurrection and the future mission of the Apostles, Christ reminds them!

This is the faith mission of evangelization spearheaded by Peter in today's 1^st reading. He said to the people particularly those who doubted or rejected Christ “ I know  that you  acted out of ignorance, just as your leaders did, but God  has thus brought to fulfillment what he had announced beforehand through the mouth of the prophets, that Christ would suffer” died and be raised from the dead ( Acts 3:13-19).

Honestly, our faith journeys from Baptism can always bee seen as an “Emmaus walk” of Cleopas and his companion. It can be seen as that of Peter and the rest of the eleven waiting to see the nails in Jesus’ hands; waiting to eat baked fish with him, waiting to receive that divine Shalom!

And  like these disciples we want to cease every opportunity in our life's' journeys to recognize and feel the presence of God on our sides; Jesus during meals, Jesus at Mass, Jesus as we read the Bible, Jesus as we pay attention to the sermons, Jesus as we live our civil lives as good citizens, Jesus on our sick beds, Jesus in “bad times” and in “good times”, Jesus in the poor and in the rich; Jesus at home, at church, work places and at schools; Jesus in our children, grand children, Jesus in our priests, in our parents- dads and moms and Jesus in our neighbors.

And may the lights of Christ continue to shine upon us as we place all our hope in Him!

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

Homily Second Sunday of Easter (Divine Mercy Sunday) 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)

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 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 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 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.

Homily Easter Sunday Year ABC: Fr. Michael U. Udoekpo

Homily Easter Sunday Year ABC:  Fr. Michael U. Udoekpo
Readings: Acts 10:34a, 37-43; Ps 118:1-2, 16-17,22-23; Col 3:1-4 or 1 Cor 5:6b-8; Matt 28:1-9; Mark 16:1-8; Luke 24:13-35 and John 20:1-9

Rejoice Tomb was not the final destination of Christ!

My dear friends in Christ, Psalm 118 sets the tone for today’s celebration. This poet invites you and me to ‘Give thanks to the Lord for his steadfast love endures forever” (Ps 118:1). We are invited to shout Alleluia , to rejoice and be glad because Jesus has risen. This Day has been designed by the Lord (Ps 118:24) to wipe our tears; to calm our fears, doubts, sadness, and uncertainties and to place smiles and happiness on our cheeks. What a great joyful  Easter Day!

Easter Day! It is the highest point of our Christian faith.  Easter Day! It is a” Feast of Feasts” a “Solemnity of Solemnities.” It is a day that death has not only been annulled but defeated. It is a day that Jesus by his Resurrection guarantees us eternal life. He guarantees us that the Tomb is never the final destination of our loved ones.  The Resurrection of Christ reassures us that neither suffering nor the tomb will ever be our final destination. Faith in   the resurrection has a transforming effect on every believer from darkness to light, from despair to hope, and sadness to joy.

Of course that mixed events of Palm Sunday and of the Stations of the Cross of that Good Friday, humanly speaking, would have been thought of as a defeat, but divinely speaking the Resurrection is a victory which repairs this seeming defeat. The passion seems to have humiliated, but the Resurrection glorifies. It is a victorious combat divinely directed, since the tomb was never going to be the final destiny of Jesus.
St. Leo the Great in his Sermon (71, 2) once said, “That Jesus hastened to rise as soon as possible because He was in a hurry to console His mother and the disciples.” And the tomb was never going to be the final resting place of the one who is the Resurrection and the Life.

This is the key to interpreting Christ ministry, his whole life and the foundation of our faith. Without the victory of Christ over death our gathering here today, our preaching would be useless and our faith in vain (I Cor 15:14-17). I am sure none of us here would doubt this truth, this core value of our Christian faith- that Christ was raised from the death.

Even if there is anybody here who is not easily persuaded like the doubting Thomas in John 20:24-29 the good news is that, Thomas did not persist forever in his disbelief. Thomas will come back to believe, to say, “My Lord and My God” (John 20:28). If we dispose ourselves, faith can transform us and assist us even to handle some of the difficult doubts we may we face in life.

 Resurrection is a fact, not a fiction. Remember, there are several witnesses and testimonies to this truth beyond the scope of this liturgy.  St. Paul in 1 Corinthian 15:3-8 reliably says,

 “Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried …raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures…appeared to Cephas, then the Twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom are still alive… Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all…he also appeared to me.”

Cephas (Peter himself) in today’s first reading, Acts of the Apostles (10:34, 37-43) presents his personal sermon on Christ’s ministry of healing though rewarded with death on a tree which turns out to be the tree of life.  By eating and drinking with Christ after his Resurrection, we like the earlier Apostles are reassured and commissioned to preach about Christ constant refreshment and nourishment of us, especially at the table of the Eucharist.

Besides, Peter and Paul, the Four Evangelists Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24 and John 20-21 have also testified to the Resurrection of Christ and his appearances. Sometimes walks with them, and in other occasion he eats fish with the disciples.  It is also important to remember that the truth recorded in these Gospels was not written before the Resurrection. They were written after, by people who lived the “DARKNESS” of suffering and passion and had  the opportunity also to witness the ”LIGHT”, the “JOY” the “VICTORY”  and the transforming truth and power of the Resurrection.

 In all the gospel including the text of John 20:1-9 just read,  we share the  story of the witnesses of those women who came to empty tomb of the risen Jesus on the first day of the week. Mary Magdalene filled with loved for Christ went to the tomb very early when it was still dark. She found the stone rolled away. Note how she reacted. She reacted very quickly by running back to informed Peter and the other Disciple Christ, setting the tone for our personal reflection on how we react faithfully to the transforming power of the Resurrection of Christ.

She further said to Peter and others, “they have taken the Lord from the tomb and we don’t know where they have put him.”  She initially thought that the body was stolen, but ironically setting the stage for faith. Notice also the reaction of Peter. “Peter and the other disciple also ran to the tomb. Lots of running!  Quite unlike Peter who was initially running away from the “ugly” trial scene. The transformed Peter is now running to the triumphal scene of the Resurrection. Though the Beloved Disciple is the first to arrive Peter is the first to embrace the burial cloth in the empty tomb.  With this cloth they came to believe that Christ had actually risen to die no more. We have something to learn from each of these disciples.

I think Mary Magdalene could be seen as disciple who not only genuinely loved and search for Jesus, but was attached to Jesus, remember he is the truth, the light, the way, the bread of life and the source of  eternal salvation. Like Mary we are called not only to believe but to bear witnesses to our faith where ever we find ourselves each day. Peter had once stumbled but he made it to sainthood, Saint Peter!

 That you are sick today does not mean that you cannot get well tomorrow. That you have been laid off from a particular job does not mean that all labor doors are closed against you. That you have once in your life doubted the Resurrection or any aspect of our faith or stumble like Peter does not mean you cannot turn things around.

 As we rejoice today may our faith be strengthened  by  the transforming power of Christ's Resurrection and be reassured that suffering, illness, violence, failures and even death is never our destination. Rather, good health, success, peace, reconciliation,  joy of Easter and eternal life in Christ Jesus.

Homily Mass of the Last Super Year ABC: Fr. Michael U. Udoekpo

Homily Mass of the Last Super Year ABC: Fr. Michael U. Udoekpo

 Readings: Exod 12:1-8, 11-14; Ps 116:12-13, 15-16bc, 17-18; 1 Cor 11:23-26 and John 13:1-15

 Christ, Eucharist, Love and Service (CELS)

This morning our beloved Pastor, Father Tom and I took a very smooth ride to the Diocese of Rockville Centre where we together with so many other priests concelebrated the Chrism Mass with the Local Ordinary- the Bishop. (I was the driver and Tom was the passenger). That morning journey was an expression of our faith in Christ, the High Priest, the unity of the Sacred Priesthood and appreciation of Christ’s one redeeming Sacrifice of Love. Oils of Catechumens, the Sick and of the Chrism just received and explained earlier at this Mass were blessed.

Tonight we begin the Sacred Triduum, three solemn days which encompass the Paschal Mystery of Jesus- Christ and draw each and every one of us into his passion, death and resurrection. You and I know the power of memory, remembrance! Remembering is so powerful. It revitalizes, reactivates and keeps past reality alive in us.  Holy Thursday brings to our minds three gifts:  the gifts of the Lord’s Super/the Holy Eucharist, the gift of the Sacred Priesthood and the gift of Christ redeeming love, love that is stronger than death, stronger than the fear of the fleeing disciples, stronger than the untruthfulness of the power mongering Pilate and of the few “Jewish elites”; a love stronger than the betrayal of Judas, the denials of Peter, the mockeries of the Roman soldiers and the human selfishness.  Christ, the High priest loves his own to the end- all of us, our pastor, our priests, deacons, s sisters, mom, dad, our children, friends, grandpa and grandma (Jn 13:1). Where ever you are located here in this Church tonight or standing out there in the narthex, know that Christ loves you!

The Eucharist is a banquet of love and service. It provides us a particular opportunity to remember not only how much God loves and would want to “wash our feet” but His ever living presence in our lives, in our homes and families. I remember growing up in a family of six children surrounded with many nieces and nephews. We ate together and served one another from the same plates and drink from the same cup. In sharing and serving I would feel the deep love, the friendship, the nourishment, the strength and the support of my family. We would laugh, joke and talk with trust about events in life, and some of them very important.

 I want to believe that when Christ gathered his disciple in that upper room for that Last Super, a night before his passion he knew the importance of a shared meal, a meal of love and sacrifice; a meal that nourishes and strengthen us in our weaknesses. He wanted this sacred meal, this new Passover to be remembered. He says “Do this in memory of me” (MK14:22ff; Matt 26:26ff, Lk 22:19ff and John 13:1-15), instituting also the Ministerial Priesthood.

 St. Paul affirms this when he says in the

the Second Reading,

“ I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over, took break, and after he had given thanks, broke it and said, “this is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” With the cup Christ said, “this is cup is the new Covenant in my blood, do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me (1 Cor 11:23-26).”

Jesus will always remain really and substantially present with us in the Holy Eucharist. After this meal tonight Jesus would walk across to that garden of Gethsemane (in the daily chapel) from there he would be arrested, harshly interrogated by Annas, Caiaphas and brought to Pilates’ Praetorium for trial. Jesus as John will testify will be killed  on the cross sacrificially at the same hour the paschal lamb of the Jewish Passover is slaughtered (Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14), making Christ the new Passover Lamb, the cup of the new Covenant of love and Service. On the Cross his bones will not be broken and his priestly inner - seamless tunic will not be torn nor shared among soldiers. In this Jesus is protective of each and every one of us, our marriage and religious vows, family values, Christian unity (“May they be one” Jn 17), our priesthood, friendship and faith. He also knew the journey to that cross would be rough but his priestly dignity would remain intact, a tunic of love – challenging even the modern priesthood, in need of your prayers always.

In Exodus chapter 29:4 at the ordination ceremony of Priests, Aaron’s feet and those of his children were washed at the entrance of the tent as stipulated in the old laws (Lev 8:6), for a different reason, external purification.  But still in the context of this meal Christ gave us a sign of interior purification (John 13:1-15) by washing the feet of his disciples, something deeper than deeper than external ritual.

 By washing the feet of his disciple Jesus shows the depth of his love, a love leading to the cross. He teaches the hesitant Peter and all of us new way of sacrificial Love, a new way of service and friendship. Not a new way of “eye service.” He teaches us a new way of self-transcendence not a new way of self- aggrandizement. He teaches us a new way to serve not a new way to be served; a new way of humble friendship with all including the poor.  By washing his disciples feet Jesus overcome by love the inequality that existed by nature between himself and those whom he had chosen as friends. I always believe that how we treat one another publicly or in private is the true measure of the condition of our interior life, especially of our life of prayer.

As we celebrate this Last Super sharing in the bread and wine of new covenant of love and selfless service, Christ, and ready to adore him at that Altar of Repose in that garden, let us know that Christ sees us, he loves us and recognizes us. Let us know that having been washed clean, we have been given the spiritual capacity and blessed with the divine strength of his examples (John 13:12-15) to love and serve one another as Christ has first loved and served us.

Homily Mass(alternate) of the Last Super Year ABC: Fr. Michael U. Udoekpo

 Readings: Exod 12:1-8, 11-14; Ps 116:12-13, 15-16bc, 17-18; 1 Cor 11:23-26 and John 13:1-15

 Christ, Eucharist, Love and Service (CELS)

On Tuesday evening here in the Archdiocese of  Milwaukee, the Bishops, clergy, religious and the entire faithful gathered around the Archbishop at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist to celebrate the Chrism Mass. That evening liturgy was an expression of our faith in Christ, the High Priest, the unity of the Sacred Priesthood and appreciation of Christ’s one redeeming Sacrifice of Love. Oils of Catechumens, the Sick and of the Chrism were  blessed

Tonight we begin the Sacred Triduum, three solemn days which encompass the Paschal Mystery of Jesus- Christ and draw each and every one of us into his passion, death and resurrection. You and I know the power of memory, remembrance! Remembering is so powerful. It revitalizes, reactivates and keeps past reality alive in us.  Holy Thursday brings to our minds three gifts:  the gifts of the Lord’s Super/the Holy Eucharist, the gift of the Sacred Priesthood and the gift of Christ redeeming love, love that is stronger than death, stronger than the fear of the fleeing disciples, stronger than the untruthfulness of the power mongering Pilate and of the few “Jewish elites”; a love stronger than the betrayal of Judas, the denials of Peter, the mockeries of the Roman soldiers and the human selfishness.  Christ, the High priest loves his own to the end- all of us, our pastor, our priests, deacons, s sisters, mom, dad, our children, friends, grandpa and grandma (Jn 13:1). Where ever you are located here in this Church tonight or standing out there in the narthex, know that Christ loves you!

The Eucharist is a banquet of love and service. It provides us a particular opportunity to remember not only how much God loves and would want to “wash our feet” but His ever living presence in our lives, in our homes and families. I remember growing up in a family of six children surrounded with many nieces and nephews. We ate together and served one another from the same plates and drink from the same cup. In sharing and serving I would feel the deep love, the friendship, the nourishment, the strength and the support of my family. We would laugh, joke and talk with trust about events in life, and some of them very important.

 I want to believe that when Christ gathered his disciple in that upper room for that Last Super, a night before his passion he knew the importance of a shared meal, a meal of love and sacrifice; a meal that nourishes and strengthen us in our weaknesses. He wanted this sacred meal, this new Passover to be remembered. He says “Do this in memory of me” (MK14:22ff; Matt 26:26ff, Lk 22:19ff and John 13:1-15), instituting also the Ministerial Priesthood.

 In the Second Reading Paul of today Paul says,

“ I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over, took break, and after he had given thanks, broke it and said, “this is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” With the cup Christ said, “this is cup is the new Covenant in my blood, do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me (1 Cor 11:23-26).”

Jesus will always remain really and substantially present with us in the Holy Eucharist. After this meal tonight Jesus would walk across to that garden of Gethsemane (in the daily chapel) from there he would be arrested, harshly interrogated by Annas, Caiaphas and brought to Pilates’ Praetorium for trial. Jesus as John will testify will be killed  on the cross sacrificially at the same hour the paschal lamb of the Jewish Passover is slaughtered (Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14), making Christ the new Passover Lamb, the cup of the new Covenant of love and Service. On the Cross his bones will not be broken and his priestly inner - seamless tunic will not be torn nor shared among soldiers. In this Jesus is protective of each and every one of us, our marriage and religious vows, family values, Christian unity (“May they be one” Jn 17), our priesthood, friendship and faith. He also knew the journey to that cross would be rough but his priestly dignity would remain intact, a tunic of love – challenging even the modern priesthood, in need of your prayers always.

In Exodus chapter 29:4 at the ordination ceremony of Priests, Aaron’s feet and those of his children were washed at the entrance of the tent as stipulated in the old laws (Lev 8:6), for a different reason, external purification.  But still in the context of this meal Christ gave us a sign of interior purification (John 13:1-15) by washing the feet of his disciples, something deeper than deeper than external ritual.

 By washing the feet of his disciple Jesus shows the depth of his love, a love leading to the cross. He teaches the hesitant Peter and all of us new way of sacrificial Love, a new way of service and friendship. Not a new way of “eye service.” He teaches us a new way of self-transcendence not a new way of self- aggrandizement. He teaches us a new way to serve not a new way to be served; a new way of humble friendship with all including the poor.  By washing his disciples feet Jesus overcome by love the inequality that existed by nature between himself and those whom he had chosen as friends. I always believe that how we treat one another publicly or in private is the true measure of the condition of our interior life, especially of our life of prayer.

As we celebrate this Last Super sharing in the bread and wine of new covenant of love and selfless service, Christ, and ready to adore him at that Altar of Repose in that garden, let us know that Christ sees us, he loves us and recognizes us. Let us know that having been washed clean, we have been given the spiritual capacity and blessed with the divine strength of his examples (John 13:12-15) to love and serve one another a Christ has first loved us.