Homily (2) First Sunday of Advent Year A: Michael U Udoekpo

Homily (2) First Sunday of Advent Year A:  Michael U Udoekpo

Readings: Isaiah 2:1-5; Ps 122:1-9; Rom 13:11-14; Matt 24:37-44

 Come- Renew your Hope

 
Each year we set out on a journey of reliving the mysteries of Advent (coming) of Christ Jesus, with joy. Today again ushers in Advent, a season of hope and joyful- spiritual expectation of Christ at Christmas and Parousia. Christ is the Light of the world, and a warrior who gives us victory. His presence among us is everlasting. This presence is symbolized by our Advent wreath. This is also a season that each of us is encouraged to recall and reflect on the history of their salvation. The history of all that God has done for us from creation.

  Israel’s prophets, John the Baptist and Mary who waited for Christ with love are our models and witnesses to his expectation preparedness to welcome the Lord. Israel’s prophets were the conscience of the people of their times. They encouraged believers in times of despair to hope; in times of temptation to trust in God alone. They pronounced judgment as well God’s love, peace and salvation for the poor remnant.

In the first reading, from the Prophet Isaiah we hear that God is coming with salvation for the poor displaced by wars and man’s instinct to dominate another. We hear from Isaiah that all nations will stream to the mountain of the Lord and that God will re-establish Jerusalem (Zion) as the center of His worldwide kingdom and reconcile hostile nations to Himself. Moreover, nations shall not raise sword against another, nor shall they train for war anymore (Isa 2:3-4; Mic 4:2ff).

 Prophet Isaiah, whom we shall hear often from this Advent, was addressing a nation that had experienced wars, and threats upon threats of war and annihilation. He was addressing Ahaz, Hezekiah and a nation of Judah whose pilgrimage of faith and hope were shaken. He was addressing a nation that had witnessed concrete threats of Assyrian and Babylonian military arsenal. He was addressing a people who were afraid of losing the promise that God had promised David, that a shoot, shall come from the house of David or that Mary will be the mother of Christ at Christmas ( Isa 7:4). He was addressing a nation left with the choice to worship God or not to worship God; to rely on God or on human military power.  Isaiah did what was prophetically possible to give them hope and signs of optimism that God is always with us. God will never abandon Jerusalem.

 Isaiah’s message of hope is also reflected in today’s Psalm 122, a pilgrimage song “I will rejoice when I heard them say “we will go to the Lord’s House… pray for the peace of Jerusalem, may those who love you prosper.” This song reflects not only the pilgrimage of Israel but what went on in their lives journeys; the sufferings and the fatigue they endured; the dust  the swallowed on the way; the hunger they experienced, the threats of foreign military might watching them, the thirstiness and homelessness they lived through. Yet, we hear this song of hope- “I will go (nahalak) to the Lord’s House. I will wait for the Lord with joyful praise.

 Our Christian life is a pilgrimage from baptism to meeting Christ at the parousia. On this journey, which is usually very long, often there are mistakes, bumps, doubts, temptations, frustrations, hesitations, uncertainties, and some spiritual casualties on the way.  While travelling this road of life many of us may have lost our jobs or our loved ones. Some of us may have experienced what unemployment after years of college is like or some other unpleasant experiences that would make us less hopeful that God is still with us.  Many may still be searching for a good health care.  Some may still be thinking of the unending wars and threat of terrorism, acts of violence, the tsunamis, the typhoon, and the sandies, as well as mountain of student’s loans or lack of access to college education.

 There are also many who feel excluded in today's, socio-economic and political-religious fabrics of the society. These are the poor, the weak, the destitute and the needy that Pope Francis recently addressed in his Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium (the Gospel of Joy). The poor are threatened by the great dangers of today’s world, “pervaded as it is by consumerism,… the desolation and anguish born of complacent yet covetous heart, the feverish pursuit of frivolous pleasures, and a blunted conscience” of some (EG, n.2).

  However, like the contemporaries of Isaiah we still share today in the hope, peace, joy, prosperity and salvation that await us in the future coming of Christ. The Early Christian communities were also a hopeful community. They were always expecting and looking forward to the Second Coming of Christ.

 For Paul in Roman 13:11-14 just as in today’s Gospel of Matthew 24:37-44 waiting for Christ should not be in idleness or wastefulness in works of darkness and sins of rivalry, unhealthy competition, jealousy, drunkenness and lust, but we should all remain clothed with an amore of light, watchful through prayers, mortification, detachment, examination of our consciences, works of charity, peace cultivation, community and nation building. Opposite of these would have distracted us from this watchfulness.

After all if the coming of Christ to us at Christmas and at the Parousia is meaningful, Jesus’ concrete and daily coming to our lives is as also important. Christ comes to us in our children and in our neighbor’s children. Christ comes to us in our husbands and in our neighbor’s husbands. Christ comes to us in our wives and in our neighbor’s wives. Christ comes to us in our priests and pastors.. Christ comes to us in our brothers and sisters, in our neighbors. He comes to us in the Scriptures and in the Eucharist of which we avail ourselves of at this Year’s Advent. He comes to us in our friends, in the poor, in the sick, in the needy, in the less fanciful.  He comes to us in those that are less friendly to us. He comes to us in every event of our lives and in the Sacraments. Can we wait with hope, can we offer hope to others and recognize Christ advent and his presence in our midst?

 And may the advent of Christ find us at peace, reliving our hope, vigilant in prayer, rejoicing in His abiding presence (Zeph 3:17) and welcoming Him in the Light of His truth and love. Amen.

 

 

 

Homily 34th Sunday of Year C(Christ the King): Michael U Udoekpo

Homily 34^th Sunday of Year C(Christ the King): Michael U Udoekpo

Readings: 2 Sam 5:1-3; Ps 122:1-5; Col 1:12-20 and Luke 23:35-43

 Christ our Universal King

 Today we celebrate the universal kingship of Christ, the Son of David. It is a celebration of true leadership for the poor, the rich, the needy, those in prison, and those out of prison. We celebrate unity, humility, care, love, hard work, endurance, compassion, the good shepherd motifs, universalism, forgiveness, a sense of common good, prudence, truthfulness, selflessness, faith, hope, patience and trust in God’s plan that genuine leadership bears.

The first reading ( 2 Sam 5:1-3) of today reminds us of the unique kinship of David, his family and human problems, his struggle with Saul, but also the everlasting covenant God had established with his house. The young handsome David succeeded Saul as the king of Israel, since Saul had disobeyed God, and had broken the ban (1 Sam 15). David rose and consolidated power in central place of Jerusalem, with a sense of universalism, unity, togetherness and divine promise. We are told, “In those days, all the tribes of Israel came to David in Hebron and said, ‘here we are, your bone and your flesh…. And when all the elders of Israel came to David in Hebron, King David made an agreement with them there before the Lord, and they anointed him king of all Israel.”

David was never a king of some elders, some few tribes or some parts of Israel, but the King of all Israel, the king of everyone, a theme that is resolutely developed in 1 &2 Chronicles. This separate David from several other divisive and idolatrous kings of Israel, we have come to learn from the passages of the Scriptures.

 David did so well and stood out among others that generations of prophets (Amos, Hosea, and Isaiah etc) would yearn for another David. Late historical books and midrashim like the Book of Ruth would present the worthy Ruth as the great, great grand mother of Jesus(Matt 1:5), the “Son of David.”

In his ministry down to his passion on the Cross, this Son of David, Christ, ruled and ministered with patient, compassion, prudence, love and kindness. He led by examples. Ironically, both Pilate and those who prosecuted Jesus proclaimed him the king of the Jews and of the Gentiles by their ironical interrogations and the inscription they placed on Jesus cross in several languages “This is the King of the Jews.” Even the criminal on the cross was moved to recognize the universal kingship of cross, when he said, “Jesus remember me in your kingdom” (Luke 23:35-43//John 18:33-37).

Paul in the Second reading re-emphasized this kingdom of redemption and forgiveness of sins when he says " God has delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved son… for in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell, and through him reconcile all things to him, making peace by the blood of his cross, through him, whether those on earth or those in heaven" ( Col 1:12-20).

For those of us on earth, living in nations, families and institutions of ironies, the challenges grow every day. They are enormous. The challenges for our elected, ecclesiastical and biological leaders(at all levels) to lead selflessly, with peace, patience, humility, transparency, care, love, hard work, endurance, compassion, sense of universalism and shared common good, harmony, exercise of  administrative prudence, truthfulness, selflessness, faith, hope, patience, availability to our subjects, and trust in God’s plan that we saw in David and in Christ Jesus.

 

 

 

Homily 33rd Sunday of Year C: Michael U. Udoekpo

Homily 33^rd Sunday of Year C: Michael U. Udoekpo

Readings: Mal 3:19-20a; Ps 98: 5-9; 2 Thess 3:7-12 and Luke 21:5-19

Perseverance In Justice

The readings of today, offer us hope and perseverance. Prayer, orderliness, simple life style, trusts in God and practice of justice and righteousness are sources of security, a prosperous future, and joy in the face of persecution and hopelessness.

The returnee from exile- the Israelite community optimistically sought for these sources of security in the New Jerusalem they had return to rebuild. But what they saw was still a deeply divided community. They saw a community plagued with rift, social injustice and disorderliness. Power politics, despair and hopeless had also taken root. Many of the post-exilic prophets Haggai, Zechariah, Trito-Isaiah (56–66) and Malachi have all addressed these.

Some of these prophets were even critical of the Temple and the priests since there was absence of proper worship that takes cognizance of people’s daily living.  There were also lingering problems that Ezra- Nehemiah had face. The problem of who should be included in the New Jerusalem: foreigners, everyone or a selected few or what the new community should look like? Tithes and offerings were abused while justice and righteousness were no where to be found in this newly reconstructed Jerusalem Temple.

Malachi in particular preaches hope and perseverance to disillusioned members of this divided community especially those who trust in the Lord. He says, “For those who fear my name, there will arise the sun of justice with its healing rays” (Mal 3:20).

For the followers of Christ who face similar challenges at every time and place, and culture, their security  should never have to be placed any longer in physical Temple but in Christ Jesus who is the New Temple, because as was the case in history a time came when the physical Temple was no longer there (Luke 21:5-6).

Christ's message in today’s Gospel  remains  important because since he would be gone. His disciples and many of us would face persecutions, hardships, trials, divisions, confusions,  uncertainties, temptations and contradictions, as it was in the community of Prophet Malachi. But just as Malachi, God's messenger assured Israel of the help of the sun of justice, the Lukan Jesus assures his followers of God’s assistance with the spirit of perseverance in moments  of such trials and persecutions.

Each of us in our ways at different times may have had our own moments of these trials, fears, temptation, despair, frustration, tragedy, loss of our loved ones, hurricane tsunami, sandy, typhoon, violent cause by war,  terrorism and inordinate use of guns. Many have also experienced poverty, hunger, illnesses, racism,  ignorance, lack of proper education and functional or stable government, discrimination, joblessness and hopelessness.

In such moments what do we do? To whom do we go; to the physical temple which is never permanent or to Christ the permanent Temple? Paul gives us a soothing suggestion in the Second Reading. He presents himself as a model to imitate (2 Thess3:7-12). Hard work, simplicity of life, prayer, pursuit of justice and righteous acts, hope, trust in God will enable each of us handle hardship and difficult situations with a discerning spirit of perseverance, knowing that, Christ, the sun of righteousness is constantly watching and shinning over us.

Homily 32nd Sunday of Year C: Michael Ufok Udoekpo

Homily 32^nd Sunday of Year C: Michael Ufok Udoekpo

 Readings: 2 Mac 7:1-2,9-14; Ps 17:1.5-6,8,15; 2 Thess 2:16–3:5 and Luke 27:27-38

 Jesus is the Life and the Resurrection

For several weeks now our Sunday Gospel readings have been taken from Luke’s Gospel, particularly from the settings of Jesus’ teaching journeys to Jerusalem to die for us. He has arrived at that Jerusalem. But it is important that Our Lord continues to remind us that the death he has journeyed to die in Jerusalem was never going to end up in the tomb. He will be victoriously raised from the dead, an important message of hope for us.

Imagine what life would have been like for believers without hope and trust in God! Or without our core believe in the resurrection. When the faith of the Jewish people, the Children of God of the 2^nd Maccabees era, around 180 BC were threatened by Hellenism and other foreign secular culture it was important that they be reminded that   their God, the God that spoke to Moses face to face, the God of their Father, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Exod 3:14-15) was not only alive, but was still with them. Even when they were being persecuted, tortured and killed because of their faithfulness and obedience to the Law (Torah) all hope was lost. Many believed and they needed to be encouraged and reminded that the faithful ones will be raised to life again- on the resurrection!

This is the center- piece and the fountainhead of today’s first reading, which is the  moving story of a mother, a family woman and her seven sons who not only remained defiance to an earthly and faithless king, but gave up their lives for the sake of their beliefs, convictions, and faith in God and hope in the resurrection.

Can this faith and hope speak to us?  Faith and hope!  They not only spoke to Paul during his trials and missionary journeys, but Paul spoke faith and hope to his persecuted, worried and despaired Thessalonians community.  This is true in the Second reading when he wrote, “may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting encouragement and good hope through his grace, encourage your hearts and strengthen them in every good deed and word… the Lord is faithful he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one” (2 Thess 2:16–3:5).

Evil ones, evil things, teachings, and temptations can come to us, the followers of Christ in different ways in different contexts, nations an cultures. Christ himself was confronted a few times with some, soon after his baptism, and through out his ministry, and even on his way to Jerusalem. Imagine the question put to Christ by the Sadducees in the Gospel reading of today (Luke 20:27-38). First of all they did not believe in the resurrection yet had the audacity to dishonestly ask Jesus if Mosaic levirate marriage will be practiced in heaven, in the resurrection! But the point of Jesus’  brilliantly and divinely amazing soothing response to the Sadducees' mischievousness is what we celebrate today- Our God is a living God. He is not a God of the dead!

Be it in our family faith crises we want to learn from the family woman and her children in 2 Book of Maccabees today. We don’t want to abandon our faith in the face of persecutions, hatreds and wars. Imagine those Christians in those aniti-Christian environments today. We don’t want to abandon our long standing faith in our everlasting God of the Covenant, in the face of modern politics, family crises, invented secularism, new scientific discoveries, printing press or new TV adverts or because of recently published books and acted movies, propounded ideologies, illnesses, economic and financial difficulties! Even these inventions should be used in the light faith.

The faith and hope of today’s bible lesson can speak to us where ever we are and live. In the midst of pluralism of challenges, temptations and difficulties today, it is that faith and hope in Christ who is our life and the resurrection that we are called to embrace.

Homily 31st Sunday of Year C: Michael U Udoekpo

Homily 31^st Sunday of Year C: Michael U Udoekpo

Readings: Wisdom 11:22–12:2; Ps 145:1-2,8-11,13-14; 2 Thes 1:11–2:2 and Luke 19:1-10

God’s Mercy Draws Us to him

God does not judge any of us as we deserve. Rather, he loves us. He shows us compassion, kindness, mercy and forgiveness. With this he expects us to abandon evil doings and return to Him.

This merciful and loving- nurtured God is consistent from creation. God lovingly created man and woman out of nothing, as narrated in the Book of Genesis. Even when man fell as we saw in the activities of Cain and Abel, the story of the Tower of Babel, the flood of Noah, God initiated again the call Abraham and established a unilateral covenant relationship with humanity (Gen 12ff). This covenant of love, peace and rest follow God’s people in the deserts, in exiles and throughout the entire history of salvation. The first reading of today (Wisdom 11:22–12:2), written about 50 years before the time of Christ, affirms this loving, and forgiving nature of God.

The point of this wisdom reading is that whenever we experience difficulties, and sufferings, even some spiritual dryness, as some of the Israelite did at some point and time in their lives, we should remember that nothing happens without the knowledge of God. God is constantly watching over us. And nothing remains or dies unless God wills it (Wis 11:25). Even when we make mistakes, God rebukes us little by little. God’s goals are that sinners may abandon bad ways and return to Him (Wis 12:1-2). His intention is not to demolish us, in spite of our brokenness.

None of us is perfect, God often uses weak instruments: Abraham, Jacob some of the Judges, Rahab the prostitute, Moses, and the Prophets. Even Paul who was once a persecutor of the faith was converted to a promoter of the faith and all that God has done for us in the name Christ, to whom we are constantly called to glorify ( 2 Thes 1:11–2:2). For God so much loved us that he sent Christ to us, so that everyone believes in him might have eternal life (John 3:16).

The doors of this eternal life are 24 hours opened to everyone and every race:  white and black, man and woman, young and old, rich and poor of all nations. Conversion is not too late. This is true in the case of Jesus' encounter with Zaccheaeus in today’s Gospel (Luke 19:1-10). The context of this encounter of course is still that of a traveling Jesus to die for us in Jerusalem, began as far back as Luke 9:51.

Jesus has come to pass through Jericho. It is an important city. It is a town far below sea level, close to the Jordan River. It’s a city known for commerce and trade. King Herod once had a palace here.  Mark Anthony once gave Jericho to Cleopatra as a present.  With the power God,Joshua and his trumpeters had brought down its walls. 

It was quite a historic city that Jesus has come to pass- by. Crowds have noticed not only the physical but the divine presence of Christ. They are eager to see him. In this crowd was a short wealthy man, and a tax collector, known as Zacchaeus. He put his wealth aside and climbed a tree in order to catch a glimpse of the Messiah. Rather, the Messiah caught a glimpse of his total person and invited him to come down for a new life in Christ. Despite grumblings from the crowd they proceeded to Zaccheaes’ house. Perhaps they had a meal there, conversations about everything, and prayers. But within this context Luke tells us Zacchaeus was converted, and salvation came to his entire household, since the son man came to seek and save what was lost( Luke 19:1-10).

Sometimes we feel lost in our sins, poverty, joblessness, anger, racism, inordinate use of power politics, abuse of wealth and our sexuality. But the good news is that wherever you are and whatever you are doing God is looking out for you. It is never too late to come back to Jesus! You might be sleeping, saying the rosary or climbing the tree like Zacchaeus- God’s love and his saving mercy is waiting for us.  Please, come down from the Tree and be saved.