Homily 18th SUNDAY OF YEAR C: Michael U. Udoekpo

Homily 18^th SUNDAY OF YEAR C: Michael U. Udoekpo

 Readings: Eccl 1:2;2:21-23; Ps 90:3-6,12-13; Col 3:1-5,9-11; Luke 12:13-21

Using our Wealth Wisely and Responsibly

Last Sunday Jesus taught us how to pray. Today he teaches us how to use what we have wisely; not allowing material things to run or rule our life. This could be very challenging in a time and century that materialism seems to have eaten deep into the fabric of our society. I am very sure; today in order to win an election or be elected into public office in most countries you need tons of money. You need a lot of money to go to college. Some marriages, and who we love or relate with are also determined by material assets. Even social status at social gatherings are getting to be measured by what we wear or the type of car or jet we travel on, or expensive homes we live in.

These may not be evil in themselves, but how we use them. Setting our priorities right.  We want to use our wealth and gifts wisely for the greater glory of God. This is the message that comes through in today’s scriptural readings beginning with the gospel parable of the “rich fool,” (Luke 12:13-21).

 Here Jesus is busy teaching us about the Kingdom and someone made his way from the crowd and reached out to Jesus with a request; “Tell my brother to share the inheritance with me.” On the surface there seems to be no direct antecedent to this problem. Looking at it closely there is no surprise.   In the beginning of his ministry in Luke 4 Jesus made it clear that he came for the sick, the poor and the oppressed. In  chapter 6 he preached a sermon that, "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours in the kingdom of God....," similar to that of the mountain in Matthew 5. Others are the stories of the the Prodical Son in chapter 15, the Rich Man and Lazarus in Luke 16, the Tax Collector in chapter 18, and of Zacchaeus in chapter 19. Clearly the Lukan Jesus  has a great concern for the poor! They were top on his list.

  Or in addition, could it be that the questioner presumed or indirectly acknowledged the divine knowledge of Jesus. He is omniscience. He knows everything, everyone, every family. Jesus knows there are two or three brothers or sisters out there fighting over property, money or material things.

His response to the questioner is divine, wise and holy. He says to the person, “Friend who appointed me a judge or an arbitrator” over you. Jesus called the person “friend.” He warned the crowd against creed. Jesus came to reconcile us to friendship with God and to each other.Greed and selfishness should not be the priorities of his followers.

 Jesus wisely expanded on his response by using this parable of the rich fool, who stored up plenty food and material stuff in his store with the hope that a time will come when his soul would be idle, doing nothing, except making merriment with his accumulated goods. The treasurer here is not wise, but a foolish and greedy because, she or he wouldn’t even live to enjoyed the things ignorantly and selfishly treasured.

The message of Jesus, is meant to remind us that material possessions do not give full meaning to life. God is the one that give life meaning. What matters most is not material or earthly treasures but spiritual and heavenly treasure. St. Paul calls these spiritual treasures, “things that are above.”  He says, “Brothers and sisters, “if you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Think what is above, not what is on earth” (Col 3:1-5, 9-11).

And put differently, the preacher in the Book of Ecclesiastes says “all things are vanity.” Labor without God is vanity. Money, cars, houses, clothing, property, material treasures without God are all in vain.

This is in line with the visions of our recent Popes, (Benedict XVI and Francis) which I always admire. Pope Francis stresses the need to reach out to the poor everywhere, the needy, the downtrodden, those in prisons, and in the slums, the homeless, and of course, modesty in our life style. We saw this in his recent ministry in Brazil, during the 28th World Youth Day.  Benedict on the other hand, from the beginning of his Petrine Ministry challenged what he called “dictatorship of relativism.” Close to these two visions is “dictatorship of materialism;” allowing material things  and greed to run and detect how we live our life.

We must not allow our shoes to wear us. But we ought to wear our shoes. We must not allow our dresses and shirts to wear us. But we wear our dresses and shirts. Our cars don’t drive us, but we drive our cars, we use our cell phones, we use our money, we drink those drinks, those drinks must not drink us. We eat those foods, those foods don’t eat us! In other words, our material things must be used wisely and responsibly for the common good; for the good of the community, and for the greater glory of God. We must set our priorities right, our choices!

 The "we" include  even the G-8, richer nations and individuals to ponder as to the best way to treasure the goods of the world economy. Is it better to open up the global economic market to every nation, and encourage global participation, or to keep, monopolize the treasure tightly and closely for fewer nations? In the so called Third-World” countries where the percentage of poverty is rising, is it better for rich individuals in those countries to keep their wealth and (billions) in their countries for their well-being, or to treasure them selfishly or greedily in foreign banks, like the rich person in today's gospel?

The other day I stopped-by our food pantry, the out reach. I admired the wonderful work they do. I discovered how generous you are in sharing your food, clothing, books, house items, and things you don’t really need with our less privileged brothers and sisters. God will continue to bless you. By doing this, you are wiser than the foolish person in today’s gospel.

Our prayer is that the Lord may continue to bless every nation and everyone, and we may use wisely and generously every gifts that God has blessed us with.

Homily 17th Sunday Year C: Michael U Udoekpo

Homily 17^th Sunday Year C: Michael U Udoekpo

Readings: Gen 18:20-32; Ps 138:1-3, 6-8; Col 2:12-14 and Luke 11:1-13

Prayer Is the Key to Christian Life,

 Prayer is the Key, Prayer is the Key, Prayer is the Master-Key; Jesus started with Prayer and ended with Prayer. Prayer is the Master- Key (Song).

This song not only puts in context what we celebrate today, but it simplifies the Scripture Readings we have just read. Today’s readings invite us to reflect on the importance and dimension of Christian Prayer. Just as we need keys to enter our homes, offices, cars, prayer leads us to God. Prayer puts us in touch with God. We communicate with God through prayer. We express our trust in Him. We encounter God through prayer. We speak with Him. We worship Him. We praise Him. We thank Him.  We petition Him. Through prayer we pour our hearts to God. We ask for what we need. Prayer is the Key to our relationship with God.

Beginning from his Baptism there is hardly any ministry that Jesus undertook without prayers. He would always appeal to God His Father, ABBA, whom he trusts. Soon after his baptism Jesus prayed in Luke 4, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me….” He prayed to change the Cana-Water into wine in John 2. In the multiplication of the bread and fish, and druing his entire healing ministry, he prayed. He prayed at the Last Supper and during his trials and agony. And even on the cross, Christ prayed Psalm 22, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?," (“My God, My God, why have you abandoned me,” cf. Matt 27:45-46). And even few seconds before his death he prayed, “Into your hands Lord, I commend my Spirit.”

I have heard some people asked why it took the disciple of Jesus so long before they would ask their master in today's gospel to teach them how to pray! I personally think they needed to observe a little more. Having observed, they found out what manner of man Jesus is (was): kind, humble, loving, generous to everyone, forgiving, trusting and very prayerful.  It is time for them to learn, to imitate Christ, “Lord teach us how to pray,” they appealed to Jesus, in today’s Gospel.

Jesus gives them an example of how to pray, or a model prayer, the “Our Father…”, “the Lord’s Prayer” which we often pray at least at every Mass we celebrate. It is brief, straight to the point and requires persistency and expectancy. I know there are many theories on prayer out there. But the six letters in the name CHRIST serves as a good pastoral mnemonic for the dimension of a Christian prayer. This is personal- but this might be useful to you too in your prayer life.

 The Letter “C” in the name of Christ reminds you that our prayer ought to be concrete, concise, brief and personal; the type Jesus prayed. It doesn't  need to be too long. Think of short payers like, "my Lord and my God, "Jesus Mary and Joseph," or "Lord have mercy on me I am a sinner."  Jesus teaches us that in our prayer we have to call God our Father. With this we acknowledge our dependence on Him. We cherish that Father- Son, or Father- Daughter relationship. This is very important.  God is our Father. Fathers and of course, parents provide for their loving children.  In the letter “H” in the name Christ, we discover that God is not only our Father, but he is Holy- “Hallowed be thy name.” A holy person is one we can relate to and faithfully trust. We trust in our Holy God, who is ever patient with us. God is so holy that, he does not wish us any harm, but always ready to provide all our needs without strings. When we pray, we can also see in the Letter “R” in the name of Christ, a God who is the Ruler and the Sovereign of all creation. He forgives and remits all our sins. And the more reason Jesus teaches us to say, “Thy Kingdom Come…” In our prayers we pray for the reign of God, his will, even through our civil leaders. 

The Letter “I” in the name of Christ reminds us of the incidence in today’s first reading (Gen 18:23-32), Abraham interceding for the citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah. This is what Our Blessed Mother Mary did for those who ran out of wine during wedding at Cana, in John 2. She said, "Son they have no wine." Our prayer must not be selfishly done. We should always remember to pray and intercede insistently for one another. Of course, Christ highlights this element of insistence or persistence in that parable of a friend knocking at his friends’ door late at night, for bread. In our prayers, God is that door of forgiveness, that door of blessings, that door of faith, hope and love that we must continuously knock. In the last two letters, “S” and “T” in the name of Christ, we see Christ as our Savior- in the Letter “S” whose face we must persistently seek. And the Letter “T” reminds us of temptations and evils which we pray the Lord to grant us the grace to overcome when we say, “And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from all evil.”

Of course, the grace to overcome evil and to be freed from sins, goes back to the time of our baptism which St. Paul also acknowledges in today’s Second Reading. Paul says, “Brothers and sisters: you were buried with in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. And even when you were dead in transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, he brought you to life long with him, having forgiving us all our transgression…” (Col 2:12-14).

As followers of Christ may we pick up our key of prayer, learn from Christ how to trust God, and how to always pray patiently, lovingly, humbly, reverently and persistently for ourselves, for our neighbors(young and old, sick and healthy, rich and poor) and for the needs of our nations!

Homily 16th Sunday of Year C: Michael U Udoekpo

Homily 16^th Sunday of Year C: Michael U Udoekpo

Readings: Gen 18:1-10a; Ps15:2-3, 3-5; Col 1:24-28 and Luke 10:38-42

Washing the Feet of Our Neighbors

Today we celebrate the 16^th Sunday of Ordinary Season. And with today's beautiful Bible Readings we are being reminded that God puts each of us in the world to love him, serve him, know him, obey him and trust in his abiding presence.  And when I say all of us, I mean men, women and children. And we do this best on how we run around, share our time and talents or even wash our neighbors’ feet, which is a continuation of the lessons of last Sunday- the importance of reaching out to our neighbors, no matter where the person comes from, or what he/she looks like ( Luke 10:25-37).

In the Gospel reading of today (Luke 10:38-42) Mary and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus displayed and shared their gifts with Jesus who was travelling to Jerusalem. Martha welcomed Jesus (hepodechomai). I am sure If Martha had spoken English she would politely have said to Jesus, Welcome My Lord Jesus, or Benvenuniti!, in Italian. Or Wilkommen Sie!, were Martha to be German, or still Bienvenido, Bienvenue in Spanish and French-respectively. Or in my native Efik/Annang language- Jesus, Obong mi Emidi! In your different languages we could hear Martha warmly say to Jesus – My Lord you are welcome!( Luke 10:38). Martha received the travelling Jesus to their home. She ran around the house serving Jesus, perhaps with food and drinks!

Mary on the other hand who may have also helped received Jesus sat at his feet (parakatheszomai/podos), listening to him (akouō). Sometimes we take listening for granted. We should not take this for granted. Listening to one another, being present for one another, taking interest in what our friends, spouse, children, colleagues, our loved ones and neighbors had to say, especially in this age of texting and smart phones, is courtesy, its respect, its charity. It is another way of welcoming that person, and washing the feet of that neighbor.

The same message is heard in the first reading, the Book of Genesis (18:1-10a), where Abraham welcomes God, and the Angels. He washes their feet. Imagine this to be a hot summer dusty day, about 93 decrees, Abraham saw three traveling men in front of his tent.  Like Martha and Mary, he ran (wayya rûṣ) to welcome them and prostrated with respect before them (wayyisttahû). He provided them with the water of hospitality to wash their feet (rāhas raglāyim), something Christ would do to his disciples in John 13:1-15, a lessons of love and humility in service to one another, which we reenact on every Holy Thursday. (I am sure you would recalled that last Holy Thursday, Pope Francis also symbolically included two women among those he washed their feet). However, Abraham fed the three traveling guests. After the meal one of them asked for Sarah and promised the barren Sarah a son that would come to be Isaac, a source of laughter and joy to the family of Abraham.

We know the times are hard and difficulty. Remember God works in a mysterious way. He reveals himself in different forms (Col1:24-28). We might be welcoming angels and God’s blessings upon our family as well, by the way we “wash our neighbor’s feet,” and by the way we welcome one another, receive one another, talk to one another, listen to one another, be patient with one another, give one another a second chance, provide for one another, pray for one another, reach-out for another, watch one another’s back, and share our gifts, time and talents with one another.

Homily 15th Sunday Year C: Michael U. Udoekpo

Homily 15^th Sunday Year C: Michael U. Udoekpo

 Readings: Deut 30:10-14; Ps 69:14,17,30-34,36-37;or Ps 19:8-11; Col 1:15-20 and Luke 10:25-37.

God’s Limitless Love is Near Us (GLLNU)

On July 5^th, 2013 the Holy Father, Pope Francis released a new Encyclical Letter, Lumen Fidei- the Light of Faith. Part of this 4 chapter Letter touches on today’s Bible lessons: that, Faith in God is expressed through Love.

 In paragraph (n. 4), of Lumen Fidei, Pope Francis talks about faith as a light to be discovered. He says, “Faith is born of an encounter with the living God who calls us and reveals his love, a love which precedes us and upon which we can lean for security and for building our lives. Transformed by this love, we gain fresh vision, new eyes to see” what God has done for us and what he will continue to do for us.

Imagine yourself being Abraham, our father in faith, or Moses who led Israel through that long journey in the wilderness. One of his challenges was to constantly let Israel know that God is not only near them, but he constantly loves them from creation and carries them through the ups and downs of life. All that God requires of Israel is faith, trusting in God, acknowledging his omnipotence, omniscience, keeping his precepts, including the 10 commandments, and reciprocating God’s love by reaching out to their neighbors charitably.

For Moses (Deut 30:10-14), what God has done for Israel/us or who God is not so difficult to perceive. It is not too mysterious, or above us, or as if someone had to ascend to heaven and bring it down to us. It is not far from us to see. Think of the oxygen we breath, the mountain we climb, the oceans we fish from and ride our boats and ships, the beaches we enjoy during the summer, the moon, the sky, the stars, the gardens, trees, the nature- the gift of life, family and properties; the technology God has bless our this century with, the gift of one another, the roof over our heads, our jobs, the security we have, in spite of threats of war and terrorism etc.

 This is what Saint Paul means in the Second reading when he says, “all things were created through him and for him, visible and invisible” (Col 1:15-20). Note the language, “all things” not “few things” or “some things.” God’s love is universal. It is not selective. It is not for the few, some, men, some women, some children, but for all men, all women and all children. How do we respond to God’s limitless love? This is a multimillion dollar question. Apart from Jesus' answer to the lawyer in today's Gospel, 1 John 4:19  also presents excellent and  straightforward answer on how we are to respond to God's love.

In 1 John 4:19 we read, “We love because God first loved us.”  In other words, we are all called to love limitlessly since God has first limitlessly loved us.

Our Lord Jesus Christ puts this well in his parabolic response to the lawyer who went tempting him with the question, “what must I do to inherit the Kingdom of Christ? What must I do to inherit eternal life? (Luke 10:25-37). Both Jesus and the lawyer were all Jewish. They were familiar with  the Book of the Deuteronomy which emphasis love of God and love of one’s neighbor (6:5). They were familiar with what Moses reminded Israel of in the first reading of today. But the difference between Jesus understanding of the law and the attorney is on the interpretation of who is one’s neighbor or to what limits is God’s love. Is God’s love, charity, fundamental human rights measured by distance or geography, parish, diocese, county, local government, state, and nation, continent, weather condition or race?

The answer is a big “No”. For Christ what makes us neighbors is our generous response to people we meet on the way no matter their hair style, accent, color or race and gender. The Samaritan who responded to the need of this robbery victim was supposed to be a Samaritan of the North, who has had a long standing disagreement with the Jews in the South.

I am sure you would also recall Jesus' disciples' expression of shock when they saw their Master chat and exchange a cup of cold water with the Samaritan Woman in John chapter 4. These were Disciples of Christ!

Any of us can fall a victim of selective love, omission or negligence, or failure to share our blessings with our neighbors, the poor, the aged and the needy. Some ministers can refuse to bring communion to the dying or visit the sick or show compassion and mercy to the afflicted. While others can simply remain insensitive to the needs of their flock. This is true in the parable of the Good Samaritan. Those who walked pass the victim were those the society would have morally looked onto: the Priests and the Levites. They were called to be shepherd, custodians of mercy and compassion (Jer 23; Ezek 34 and John 10).

I am sure you may have heard this story before. It has been told in different forms and styles of a high ranking clergy, on a journey. Quite high ranking and had a driver. He came across an accident scene on the way. Kind enough he pulled by and then noticed that the victims critically needed prayers and some last blessings. He looked around, reacted in a loud voice, "Is there no priest around here to give these dying victims at least some final blessings and anointing." Meanwhile, he completely and insensitively forgot that  himself was a priest!

As Pope Francis affirms, in Lumen Fidei, the Love of God precedes us. It is limitless. It is universal. With faith we want to lean on it for peace and security. It beams from faith. May this love gives us new vision, new light and fresh eyes of looking at things and our fellow humans, so that we may go out there and be merciful and compassionate without limit, to anyone, and to everyone we meet on our ways- homes, schools, and churches, private and public places? How we love is an expression of the depth of our Faith.

Homily 14th Sunday of Year C: Michael U. Udoekpo

Homily 14^th Sunday of Year C: Michael U. Udoekpo

 Readings: Isa 66:10-14c; Ps 66:1-3, 4-7, 16, 20; Gal 6:14-18 and Luke 10:1-12, 17-20(originally at St. Frances Cabrini Church, Coram, NY).

Traveling with God’s Promise of Peace and Prosperity

It is so good to be backed home! This past month, soon after my school work, beginning from May 28^th through June 18^th, 2013 I led a pilgrimage to Four European countries. We were about 19 pilgrims in number: 4 from Australia, and the rest from different parts of the United States. We went to Fatima in Lisbon/Portugal. Besides visiting and retracing the origins of the 1916/17 apparition narrative of our Lady to Lucia, Jacinta and Francisco, we went to the birth place St. Anthony of Padua, and celebrated Mass there.  In fact, at Fatima, we join at the international rosary, Stations of the Cross. We also visited the Fatima museum and the Cathedral of the Angel of Peace. We had mass there also.

From Fatima we traveled about 5 hours by bus to Salamanca in Spain. There we toured the ancient University of Salamanca and celebrated Mass at their cathedral. From there we drove to Avila, toured the ancient city wall and celebrated another Mass at the Carmelite Monastery, the community where the body of St. Theresa of Avila and most of her manuscripts are kept.

We also journeyed to Loyola where we visited the ancient cathedral and celebrated Mass at the very chapel where St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) was converted.

We drove from there with prayers, rosary and hymns to Lourdes in France. In Lourdes we spent three nights of prayers, Masses, rosary, station of the cross, drinking and fetching water from the miraculous spring from the Grotto where Our Lady of Immaculate Conception appeared to Sister Bernadette of Sibourough. From there we flew to Paris. Toured the city; visited the Cathedral of Notre Dame, drove to Lisieux and learned more about St. Theresa of the Little Flower. From Paris we flew to Rome, had audience with Pope Francis, and toured the cisten chapel, the 4 major basilicas in Rome, Church of St. Susana, and the Catacombs where we all celebrated Masses.

Why I am sharing this story with you is that it was such a joyful, peaceful journey; Prayers and songs on every step of  the way. Every member of the group felt blessed. In fact one of us broke down with tears of joy and said, ‘God who am I that you have so much blessed and prospered me.”

There were also those who requested the group to pray for them and for the well-being of their children, and successes in their businesses, projects and other endeavors. It was then done on me more and more that some people can embark on a pilgrimage in thanksgiving to God for what he has done for them; while others used the opportunity to ask God to bless and prosper them. Either way, this becomes truer that what we have or lack and need comes from God, including peace(shalom), security and prosperity, that the children of Israel had longed for. We need peace, we need security, and we need success and prosperity. We pray for them daily.

 When the Israelites left Babylon and Persia, and travelled back home to rebuilt their torn Jerusalem they were met with challenges of a deeply divided community between the rich and the poor, injustices, rivalry, power politics, despair, and hopelessness; Something that might still be lingering in our society today.

That first reading (Isaiah 66:10-14c) is the message of hope and God’s generosity:  “ Rejoice Jerusalem,…I will spread prosperity over her like a river, and the wealth of the nation like an overflowing torrent…As a mother comfort her child, so will comfort you.”

In traveling or missioning to this same Jerusalem Christ deployed not only the Twelve(Luke 9), but the Seventy Two in today’s Gospel (Luke 10:1-12,17-22). He instructed them what was important for the journey was not a bag of money, sack, shoes, nor power, but rather peace, shalom, God’s mercy, humility and his ultimate love, manifested on the Cross, that St. Paul is proud of in the Second Reading, Galatian 6:14-18 " May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ through which the world has been crucified to me..." For the 72 what was necessary was invoking the name of Jesus, what he has done for us, what he will continue to do for us.

In those moment we feel lost, hopeless, helpless, or dried up on our Christian pilgrimage let us count ourselves among the 72, the remnant Israel, and pilgrims who rely on God’s promises of peace and prosperity that “ he will spread prosperity over Jerusalem like a river, and the wealth of the nation like an overflowing torrent.” Finally, if God has blessed us with peace and prosperity, we want to go out there like the 72 and be the bearers of that peace and the conduit of God's prosperity to our neighbors.