Homily Solemnity of All Saints. F. Michael U. Udoekpo

Homily Solemnity of All Saints. F. Michael U. Udoekpo

Readings: Rev 7:2-4, 9-11; Psalm 24:1bc-2, 3-4ab-6; 1 John 3:1-3 and Matt 5:1-12a

The Search for Joy and Happiness

 Sanctity is within our reach! Joy and happiness also seem to be the goal of most people. But where we look for this happiness and  search for this joy varies from people to people, culture to culture, religion to religion. Even those who are addicted to alcohol or some other bad habits have at the back of their minds that these are the sources of happiness.

The feast we celebrate today, All saints is not just the feast of all Christians, but the feast which reminds us of the source of everlasting happiness, namely sanctity of life and imitation of Christ, which is within the reach of every Christian, who pray and support one another, physically, materially and spiritually.

No doubt there are countless of our forefathers, and mothers, brothers and sisters all over the world who have lived on this planet morally and charitably. They fought for our independence, and defended our  faith traditions. They trusted in God, worked for the common good and today are in heaven. They were not even known or documented by us, or by modern historians, except God.

The first reading from the Book of Revelation paints the picture of these people, the cloths they wear, and the joy they share. From every nation, (continents), race, culture, and language they stood before God’s throne, right in front God, before his face, wearing white and beautiful garments that radiate joy.  Joy in God’s presence that we long for, but comes with price of distress, hard work, sacrifices and love.  This love is well coated in the eight matthean beatitudes, Jesus’ Sermon on the mountain today (Matt 5:1-12).

 In order to join these saints, to see God face to face, each of us must strive to humbly trust God who is  manifested in Christ Jesus and in the teachings of his Church. We must be poor in sprit. We must endeavor to mourn and sympathize with those who mourn or are in distress or experiencing hard times. A good example will be the poor, an those sufferings from recent tragedies like the “Sandy” hurricane in the East coast of the United States or the displaced in war torn areas in the middle east.

 Meekness and kindness to our neighbors are also required. We also want add justice to that list especially in a world that justice continues to be elusive. As Christ who showed mercy to many, including Zaccheus, Bartimaeus, the woman caught in adultery, and the royal official, being merciful to one another brings us closer to God’s face.

Beside being merciful, upright of heart, purity of heart, consistency and objectivity count, as well as peace, righteousness, which cannot be disassociated from justice. Like the saints described in that first reading, who washed their robes in the blood of the lamb, with great distress, keeping the beatitudes, peace, love, justice, mercy, kindness, purity of heart all comes with persecution and all types of oppositions.

Let us keep this at the back of our minds as we constantly search each day for the face of God, joy and eternal happiness with the saints, in our prayers, in our relationship with our neighbors,  and in our good works. Sanctity is within the reach of everyone!

Homily 30th Sunday Year B: Michael U. Udoekpo

Homily 30^th Sunday Year B: Michael U. Udoekpo

 Readings: Jer 31:7-9; Ps 126:1-6; Heb 5:1-6 and Mark: 10:46-52.

Christ our Compassionate High Priest

God’s compassion, love, mercy, and his solidarity with everyone, particularly the poor, the needy, the sick and the weak  manifested in  the ministry of Christ, the new ans superior high priest, stands out in  today’s scriptures.

Jeremiah’s message of consolation, hope and comfort  in the first reading makes sense to any one who has ever experienced any form of tragedy, be it illness, loss of a loved one, home, job, your car or  a nasty earthquake, war or exiled. In the case of Jeremiah and his contemporaries it was combination of everything: arrest, imprisonment, torture, killings, public disgrace, and finally the fall and destruction of Jerusalem by the war lords of Nebuchadnezzer in 598BC.

Jeremiah’s message is clear and simple: take heart, take courage, be consoled, don’t worry, hang in  there with the Lord, Jerusalem shall be rebuilt and I will restore you back to this city, the poor, the sick, the blind, mothers and children!

During Christ’s time it was on his journey to this same Jerusalem for Palm Sunday that he encountered Bartimaeus, son of Timaeus. He was not just sick with blindness; he was poor with no other choice than sitting on the road side to beg for a living. He beat all obstacles, recognized and acknowledged Jesus as the son of the royal David (Mark 10:47). He called Christ, Master and Teacher (vv48-52), with faith.  Bartimaeus in turn received Christ’s, healing mercy and compassion. His faith insistence and perseverance are not only important here, but the compassion of Christ the high priest.

 This compassion among other characteristics of a high priest is stressed further by the Letter to the Hebrews (5:1-6). The high priest is a mediator between God and humans, whose weaknesses he is willing to share. He identifies and deals patiently with the “ignorant and erring.” The sacrifice of atonement he offers is communal, both for himself and others. But in the case of Christ, as sinless as he is , he watches the backs of sinners. He eats and a great deal of solidarity with them. He sees himself as “called,” “named” as Aaron was in his humble service to humanity (cf. Pss 2, 110 and Leviticus 26).

Christ’s solidarity and compassion towards Bartimaeus is a practical example of an ideal  and superior high priest whom we are called to imitate , especially in a world that constantly features the gap between the rich and the poor, the “voicefull” and the “voiceless,” the "strong" and the "weak". It is world plague with, war, violence, economic, spiritual, physical, cultural, social and political tragedies or blindness.

In any of these circumstances of "blindness" we want to ask for God’s compassion.  We want " to see." With his blessings and restorations we want to follow him like Bartimaeus. We also want to  make ourselves approachable by others. We want to go extra miles to assist those weaker than us.  Help with solidarity to restore others! Like Jeremiah we want to be an instrument of hope and comfort to our neighbors.  Most importantly, we want to listen and be compassionate to one another as Christ, the new ans superior high priest would have done with Bartimaeus.

Homily 29th Sunday of Year B: Michael U. Udoekpo

Homily 29^th Sunday of Year B: Michael U. Udoekpo

Readings: Isa 53:10-11; Heb 4:14-16 and Mark 10:35-45

A high priest who sympathizes with our weaknesses

Today we celebrate Jesus the high priest who sympathizes with our weaknesses. Two things stand out here: human weaknesses and the role of Christ our high priest!

There are so many human weaknesses that if we were to list them here we would come up with an encyclopedia. But let me dwell on the particular one hinted in today’s scriptures; namely the tendency for us to always wanting to be served by others rather than serving them. It is very common to always wanting to control or lord it over others!

This is an image of the suffering Servant of YHWH in the first reading. He was punished, tortured, slapped, and mocked. He bore the pains, the injuries, the sufferings in the spirit of service. Isaiah 53:101-11says, I will paraphrase, he gives his live for offering for sin so that his descendant may not only have long life, but so that the will of God  promised our fathers, mothers, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, and Jacob, Leah, Rachel and Joseph may be accomplished. And through the sufferings of the Servant of YHWH many shall be justified and their guilt wiped away. No greater service is this than for one to die for his brothers, sisters and neighbors, which Christ the high priest eventually did on the cross.

James and John the two sons of Zebedee I believe were still evolving with regard to the fuller meaning of “service in the light of Christ.” They came to Jesus asking for position of honor in Jesus' glory. If James seats on the right, John will take the left or vise versa.

Jesus’ response is very instructive. Let me paraphrase. “Those who rule the Gentiles lord it over them. But it shall not be so among Christ’s disciples, among the followers of Christ. Rather who ever wishes to be great among you should take the role of servant- just like the son of man, the suffering servant of God who to serve and not to be served” (Mark 10:35-45).

It makes sense and its further instructive, when the church leaders consider themselves and play the role of a servant.  The Holy Father, the Pope, bears the title the servant of the servants…” after the example of Peter and Christ the high priests, both of them who had their own challenges and share of trials.

Challenges that can easily sweep us away especially when we allowed ourselves to be consumed by selfishness, power mongering or unconscious over zealousness to dominate or lord over our neighbors and the weaker members of the society; Challenges that can sweep us away if we forget to see leadership roles as a call to service, be it in our families, governments, public and ecclesiastical positions.

But whatever our weaknesses are, let us always keep in mind that we have a high priest, Christ ever sympathetic with our weaknesses (Heb 4:14-16). Let us constantly approach him for love, mercy, grace, and timely blessings upon us, since we place all our hope in him (ps 33:22).

Wednesday October 17 2012 Community Mass: Reflection by Fr. Michael U.

Wednesday October 17 2012 Community Mass: Reflection by Fr. Michael U.

Readings: Gal 5: 18-25; Ps 1:1-6, 6 and Luke 11:42-46

“Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified their flesh with its passions and desires”. If we live by the Spirit, let us also follow the Spirit” (Gal 5:25).

My brothers and sisters these are Paul’s words, or antithesis between the works of the spirit and the works of the flesh, remotely addressed to the early Galatians Christian Community, but also proximately addressed to us on a day we come together to celebrate our traditional Wednesday Eucharist, during which our new faculty members will also make their profession of faith. Paul recommends that we walk by spirit (penuema, peneumati peripateite) and not by flesh (sach).

For Paul flesh is of course anything that takes us away from God. It is anything that distances us from God. It is anything that put a barrier between us and Jesus. It is anything that puts us at conflicts with the values of Jesus and of the teachings of His Church. While the spirit, peneuma, is anything that wins us the love Christ.

It is true that after Paul had brought the good news of Christ to Antioch, the home town of St. Ignatius of Antioch whose  memorial we also celebrate today, a group of other false missionaries came behind Paul, in fact, from Jerusalem to Antioch, to confuse this faith community with a counter message that Jewish laws, particularly circumcision were still prerequisites for becoming an authentic Christian.

Paul uses this occasion to do what he knows best how to do- preach, defend the faith and write about Christ even to the point of martyrdom like St. Ignatius. Today’s scriptures are Paul’s clear response not only to these false missionaries but also to the neophyte Galatians Christian Community.

For Paul strict Mosaic laws like circumcision were obsolete, no longer necessary for becoming a true believer and a strong follower of Jesus. He rightly insists that When he proclaimed Christ crucified to them, the Galatians received the Spirit without observing the works of the Law.  Since God had promised Abraham all the nations’ salvation and blessings to all men and women-Galatians church should therefore, watch out since the law, like Abraham’s type of circumcision was no longer necessary for us Christians. It will not necessarily help them overcome the type of the 15 vices, or works of the flesh listed in the scripture reading today. For instance, how would circumcision help us overcome selfishness, envy, lack of charity or drunkenness? In Christ Jesus what matters most is faith through love; Collective as well as personal faith.  Interestingly and very soon, with the new translation of the Nicene Creed, our friends will say "I believe in one God.....

However, as we all know Law may prescribe certain forms of conduct and prohibit others but what matters most is the fruits of the spirit which cannot be legally enforced. Some one once said, “a vine does not produce grapes by Act of Parliament” rather they are the fruits of the vine’s own life, so the conduct which conforms to the standard of the Kingdom is the fruits of that divine nature which God gives as a result of what he has done for us in Christ, who is the true vine!

The fruits of this vine that divine nature is what Paul recommends for us today. They include love, that practical and ethical conduct, that ethical peripatew, or ethical halak- walking  by faith, walking by joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self control and walking to crucify our flesh with love for Christ whom we are called imitate, as Paul and Ignatius of Antioch did!

We are told when Bishop Ignatius of Antioch was being tortured and brought to Rome for persecution, and  to be eaten by the wild beasts at the Coliseum, his love for Christ and his neighbors were not shaken. In one of his letters to the Romans he wrote,

“From Syria even to Rome I fight with wild beasts, by land and sea, by night and by day, being bound amidst ten leopards, even a company of soldiers, who only grow worse when  they  are kindly treated.”

In another instance he wrote,

I am writing to all he Churches and I enjoin all that I am dying willingly for God’s sake, if only you do not prevent it. I beg you do not do me an untimely kindness. Allow me to be eaten by the beasts, which are my way of reaching God.”

Each of us here, including our new faculty members are on a journey to reaching God; a journey of faith. And our particular route here at Sacred Heart School of Theology, a Catholic Major Seminary, I want to believe might be a bit different from that of, say, “Marquette University,” or that of the Milwaukee boy’s high school!

In our learning, formation, research, governing, administering- we want to continue walking by this spirit of =Love, Joy, Peace, No envy, rather Patience, Kindness, Generosity, Faithfulness, Selflessness,Gentleness and Self-control, these are all  fruits of the spirit which are already growing in our Seminary Community, and also a type exemplified by St. Paul himself and St. Ignatius of Antioch- Walking by faith! Walking by the Spirit!

Homily 28th Sunday of Year B: Michael U. Udoekpo

Homily 28^th Sunday of Year B: Michael U. Udoekpo

Reading: Wis 7:7-11; Ps 90:12-17 Heb 4:12-13 and Mark10:17-30

Challenges of Detachment and great reversal of human values

Although we are all travelers, naturally each of us would want to acquire things, especially money, houses, clothing, shoes, cars and other material objects. Sometimes these objects are huge obstacles for us on our ordinary regular daily travels. What we thought initially to be wise turns out to be unwise!

Personally, I know how I felt a few times I have been told at the airport that I have been overweight. I have also witnessed several other passengers who have been pulled by the side and asked to rearrange or cut down their overweight luggage. It slows one down besides the inconveniences that come with it. Excess luggage is unwise!

These material values can also be an obstacle in our relations with God or in our effort to journey to God. This is true in the Gospel narrative of today, Jesus’ encounter with the rich young man which is also recorded in Matthew and Luke. In fact Luke 18:18-30 identifies him not only as a rich young man, but and an official, which means some one with power and other political connections.

These types of people are goal getters. Like in the  particular case of this rich young man, he is used to running, competing, getting what he wants. This time he comes to Jesus, calling Jesus, Good, and asking for what he must do to inherit the kingdom of God. Who knows if he was flattering Jesus!  For him the kingdom of God is for sales!

But there is also a positive aspect of this rich young man. He comes kneeling before Jesus in spite of position, money and power. I hope he was sincere!  However, Jesus, the Word of God knew his intention. He reminds him of the Torah which he claimed to have perfectly kept. He has not killed anybody, he has not committed any adultery, he has not stolen someone’s property, and he has never bore false witness. In fact, from his youth he claimed within the limits of his wisdom that he has never defrauded anybody nor dishonored his parents.

But God, eternal Wisdom sees differently in reversed manner. His weaknesses were wealth, attachment to materials goods, and lack of prudence and responsibility for others, especially the less privileged. The rich young man would soon realized this when Jesus said to him, “go sell all that you have give to the poor and you will have treasure in the kingdom of heaven, then come follow.”

Hearing this, we are told the rich young man walked away the opposite direction, unwisely and sorrowfully. To follow Jesus does not require excess luggage of greediness, selfishness, domineering attitude, lack of contentment, arrogance, power as in the case of this rich young man. But it requires Christ- like measure of detachment, love, charity, alms-giving, humility, and responsible use of goods, promotion of common good, and option for the poor.

Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, Archangels- Reflections2

Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, Archangels; Reflections(Fr. Michael U Udoekpo)

Readings: Dan 7:9-10, 13-14 or Rev 12: 7-12ab; Ps 138: 1-2ab, 2cde-3, 4-5 and John 1:47-51

May the angel of the Lord accompanies us on our journeys

 I know that I am always very happy person. But every feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael brings me such an additional joy and happiness. I think partly is because I was fortunate to be named Michael by my parents. I want to believe that many of us who bear these names Michael, Gabriel or Raphael in our community feel the same, joy and happiness on your feast day!  Personally, we are 4 boys and 2 girls in my family- Maria and Patricia. One of my other 3 brothers is named Gabriel.  Maria has a daughter, my nice named, Angela- Angel. If Am not mistaken we have Angelo here in our seminary community this year.

These are highly significant – theological, spiritual names- Michael (who is like God), Gabriel (God’s strength, the power of God) and Raphael (God’s remedy, God heals). Parents who name these names after their children were not kidding. They knew Angels are God’s messengers to those who trust and put their faith in the Lord. Their existence is always a proof of God loves care for humanity.

They travel with us on every step of the journey of a believer, even when we are unaware!

I am sure you would recall the biblical incident of a pious Jew, Tobit deported to Israel to Nineveh in Assyria after the fall of Samaria in 722 BC. There Tobit is persecuted not because he committed any crime, but because he was holy, he was pious, burying the dead and practicing good virtues.

Blinded by accident, he accepted his condition with patience-endurance. At the same time, far away in another region, Persia, Sarah a young relative of his is afflicted by the demon called Asmodeus who causes the death of her seven husbands, one after another. Tobit and Sarah, one blind, one afflicted with demons prayed that God should better take their lives. Thinking that he will die soon Tobit sends his son Tobias to far away Medes to collect a debt from his kinsman Gabael which he intends to give to his son as his inheritance. Tobias meets the angel Raphael, whom he initially thinks is his cousin Azarias, and Raphael, agrees to accompany him on the journey to Medes. On the way Tobias catches a big fish and Raphael tells him how to use it to cure both Sarah and his father Tobit.

Similar predicaments and dangers could be said of Daniel, another Jewish young man exiled in Babylon, in today’s first reading. But in each of these cases it was the Angel of the Lord who ministered to Tobit, Sarah, and Daniel.   We saw Gabriel too, God’s power in the lives of Mary and Joseph in their trials, in the infancy narratives.  Therefore what we celebrate today, is an   Amazing God! Whom non is like Him. And He is nearer to us in our daily lives, in our studies, in our ministries, in our trials in one another, through his Angels, more than we think!

Homily 27th Sunday of Year B: Fr. Michael U. Udoekpo

Homily 27^th Sunday of Year B: Fr. Michael U. Udoekpo

Readings: Gen 2:18-24; Ps 128:1-6; Heb 2:9-11 and Mark 10:2-16

Our Equality before God: Fidelity, Peace and Love

On this day of my priestly anniversary, I am tempted to recall few major events and dates in my life.

I was born on September 12, baptized on October 8 and named Michael, whose feast of the Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael we just celebrated the other day, on September 29^th.   Providentially, everything around me seems to be falling- in between the months of September and October. I was ordained a priest 17 years ago on this day, October 7, 1995 along side my other three brother- priests, John, Linus and Gabriel. I have so many blessings and gifts from God this past 17 years of sharing in the priesthood of his Son Jesus Christ.

They include the gifts of life, my parishioners, and the wonderful people I have met on the way around the world, my educations, friends, role of my benefactors and benefactresses, my teachers, mentors, students, colleagues and fellow workers, in this beautiful Vinevard of the Lord, the gifts of our Seminary Community, so many gifts!! I cannot name them all.

I am grateful to my siblings and my parents who are now in heaven. I know I am the fruits of their union as you all are the fruits of your parents. I am the fruits of their peace. I am the fruits of their love. I am the fruits of their fidelity. Without them I would not have been here. And this brings us to the theme of the bible lessons of today “the sanctity of marriage, our equality before God, man and woman, who are all called to lives of fidelity, peace and love.”

In the gospel reading of today while Jesus was teaching the Pharisees came to him with a tricky question “Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife.” I call it trickish because they were not sincere. They knew the laws and the implication of their question.

By posing this question, they are trying to force Jesus into a position where he has to offend someone with his answer, or be trapped or alienate someone in the community.

If he opposes divorce and remarriage on legal grounds, Jesus will contradicts the existing Law of Moses, in Deuteronomy 24, familiar to the Pharisees as well, that, “When a man after marrying a woman, is later displeased or unhappy with her because he finds in her something indecent or shameful, he can write out a bill of divorce and hands it to her, thus dismissing her from his house… putting her on the road to remarriage….”

On the other hand if Jesus opposes this law of divorce on moral grounds he exposes himself to the same fate of John the Baptist who was beheaded because he opposes idea of Herodias deserting Philip, her husband to marry Herod Antipas.

But at the same time if Jesus accepts divorce on legal grounds, he subjects himself to the way the Pharisees would interpret the Law of Moses or will be leaning to one of the ancient rabbinic schools: Shammai or the Hillel. In their efforts to explain what was “shameful” or “indecent” to warrant divorce, the rabbinic school, Shammai contended that divorce be granted in case of an immoral behavior like adultery and failure to observe Jewish laws. The other school, Hillel in addition to any moral fault, argued that anything which causes embarrassment to the husband, including a burnt bread or bad dinner legitimizes a divorce.

Can you imagine, bad dinner!  This still happens today! However, most importantly in this text is not this rabbinic argument, but how Jesus handles or response to the pretense, the temptation or tricky question put to him by the Pharisees “is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife.”

Jesus cleverly turns the table of this question on them by asking, “What did Moses command? Note the choice of Jesus' word, “Command” but in their response they said, Moses “permitted.” Truly, in asking for what Moses commanded Jesus was referring to the teaching of the Torah especially the two creation accounts in the book of Genesis, that “God created man and woman in his own image,” of love, freedom, communion, rationality and unity of coexistence (Gen 1:27; 2:18-24). How easy it is for us sometimes to forget the basic commands to treat one another with love, respect and unity in Christ that the Lord expects of us!

This specific Deuteronomic-Mosaic provision, Jesus explains was made for contingency of divorce, but not in itself determines whether that contingency was right or wrong. Its primary function was to provide a degree of protection for the woman who had been repudiated by her more culturally and socially constructed-powerful husband. Thus in Deuteronomy divorce is tolerated, but not authorized. Unity, equality and love of one’s neighbor as God would have loved us, is rather promoted.

For Jesus the root of the confusion and pretense of the Pharisees is nothing else but, the “hardness of their heart,” the weakness and brokenness of humanity, which of course has dotted the history of salvation.

In the beginning God’s intention, God’s plan has always been to bless and sanctify marriage. Two distinct sexes, male and female were created. Thus,  a man is to leave his father and mother and clings to his wife so that 1+1 is not 2 but 1,  since two of them have now become one flesh (Gen 2:18-24). Two of them are beings for God. They are God’s children, equal before God and brothers and sisters in Christ, as stressed by the Second Reading, Letter to the Hebrews (Heb 2:9-11).

Finally, recall those matrimonial ceremonies, Ordinations and Religious Professions!  With those vows taken before the presence of God husbands and wives for instance, have permanently become one in their relationship. They reflect that image of God the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. They are to help, procreate, God willing, and compliment one another in love, equality, fidelity, peace and harmony.

Each of us is the fruit of such fidelity, sanctity and harmony. But when we consider the conditions under which so many modern families, nations, communities live today, men and women, husbands and wives, the divisions, the discrimination, pockets of disrespect and violent to women, and the weak that  might still out there, the remnants of wars, inequalities, the gap between the rich and the poor, the conflicts, the unfaithfulness to our vows of chastity and celibacy, high rate of divorce, abuse of minors and children, each of us is challenged to reexamine our primary call to live in communion of love, fidelity, peace and unity, respect for one another, that mirror the image of God, our creator, manifested in Christ Jesus.