Offering It Up To the Lord Who Irrevocably Loves Us!

Homily Second Sunday of Lent Year B: Fr. Michael Ufok Udoekpo

·         Gen 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18;

·          Ps 116:10, 15,16-19;

·          Rom 8:31b-34

·         Mark 9:2-10

Offering It Up To the Lord Who Irrevocably Loves Us!

Lent is one of those intense liturgical times of grace for retrospection, reflection and renewed solidarity with Christ who irrevocably loves us (Rom 8:31-39).  It is a kind of a great retreat. A time of prayer, penance and close listening to what God says to us through the scriptures and the Church. It is a time when we are called in Christ’s Spirit which indwells in us, to offer ourselves[our  personal feelings, our freedom, what we love, our ears and hands, our bodies,  our families, jobs, our opinions, our illnesses, sufferings, pains of the loss of a loved one, fears, joys, faith, hope, and treasures] to the Lord and our neighbors as Abraham did with his son Isaac, foreshowing God’s gifts of his Son, Jesus Christ who is always on our side!  

 That God is always on our side is true in the first reading, Genesis 22. Here, Abraham, with the spirit of God in him, offers back his only son Isaac to God. In spite the antecedent challenges, of trials, Sarah’s barrenness, Abraham- Lots’ rifts, hardship and temptations,  the righteous man, Abraham( a saddiq), trusted in the Lord, who justifies him, who loves him, who blesses him irrevocably as he had promised in Genesis 15 and 17.

Paul must have been aware of the story of Abraham. Familiar with this text, and in carrying out his missionary journeys throughout the eastern Mediterranean , in spite of trials and difficulties; and in readiness to travel to the west, with God’s healing love, hope, a sense of unity, clarity to the gospel (euangelion) rhetorically stresses in his letter the mystery of God’s teaching gifts and offering of himself to us through Christ.

  With his gifted rhetoric and diatribes, Paul says, “Brothers and sisters, if God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but handed him over for us all, how will he not also give us everything else along with him?”(Rom 8:31b-34).

Christ’s healing, loving and forgiving mystery up to the Cross is God’s offering and ultimate sacrifice for us, that Lenten scripture invites us to imitate and to reflect upon.

 God will always be on our side., today's Gospel also stresses. He was on  the sides of his Son’s disciples prior to the event of the cross of the paschal week that is the Tabor experience.  At this event, of Christ’s transfiguration and prediction to his disciples, Peter, James and John (Mark 9:2-10).  With the dazzling cloth and glorious face of Jesus, the disciples would want three tent to be built Israel’s great prophets, Elijah, Moses and Jesus. Like in the case of Abraham’s readiness to sacrifice Isaac, Peter’s proposal is met with a voice from heaven, “this is my beloved son listen to him” (Mk 9:7b, Matt 17:5).

 How often do we not tend to listen or forget that God is on our side in the midst of our daily struggles and challenges?  Paul is right. God is for us. Nothing should prevents us from emptying ourselves for one another, sharing our talents and blessings with our neighbors. Nothing should prevent us from being on the side of the poor, promoting social justice, much needed in our world today. Nothing should prevent us from taking our family and other responsibilities religiously.  Nothing should prevent us from being inclusive in approach to life.  Nothing should take the hope of the resurrection away from us. And nothing should prevent us from daily celebrating the irrevocably love of God who justifies us!

 

Reflection Questions;

1.      In what way do you personally relate to the faith of Abraham and the Zeal of Paul?

2.      Do you see your talents and blessings as God’s irrevocably Love and Grace?

3.      And how do you share your blessings, the goodnews of Christ, the resurrection news, the hope and the gospel with others, particularly members of your faith communities?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Covenant Renewal And God's Saving Grace!

Homily First Sunday of Lent Year B: Fr. Michael Ufok Udoekpo

·        Gen 9:8-15;

·         Ps 25:4-9;

·        1 Pet 3:18-22;

·         Mark 1:12-15

Covenant Renewal And God's Saving Grace!

On Ash Wednesday we all received the ashes, and were introduced into a new liturgical season of Lent, a Church’s offering.   Lent [as noted by Pope Francis in his 2018 message for lent, drawn from Matthew’s Gospel 24:12] is a time to be aware that “because of increase of iniquity[lawlessness, he anomia], love of many will grow cold”.  It is a time to watch out for false prophecies of our time, and resist cold heatedness with prayer, fasting, repentance, and almsgiving, spiritual and covenant renewals. It is  a time to intensify our reliance on God's saving grace, listen more and more, break and share God's words and his blessings, generously with others. 

 Today’s Lenten Gospel, reminds us, among many other things, of those 40 days Christ spent in the desert, fasting and praying.  In it Jesus teaches us obedience to God and the value of endurance, management of trials and temptations that we may temporally face in this life on earth (Mark 1:12-15).  As the angels ministered to Christ in the desert, they will minister to us in our own moments of “desert experiences.”
Christ’s events in Lenten scriptures provide us moments for reflection, reconciliation not only with ourselves, but with our “seen neighbors” who leads us to our “unseen God.” It provides us an opportunity to recharge our spiritual batteries of charity, clear consciences, and works of mercies. During Lent, we recall our baptismal promises, and renew our covenant with God. It is also a moment of hope in the light and candle of Easter as stressed by Pope Francis.

Good enough, the first and the second readings also point to God’s covenant with Noah, the flood incidence, Noah’s saving Ark, and his saving promise through the sign of the rainbow. It points to God’s abiding presence with his people, with us through his Son, Jesus (Gen 9:8-15; 1 Peter 3:18-22)).

In other words, Noah’s saving event foreshadows, of course, Christ’s saving mission for those who keep the covenant.  It is this mission that the psalmist sings today, that {God’s ways] “your ways O Lord, are love and truth to those who keep your covenant,” (Psalm 25:4-10), not matter the trials, the abnormalities the anomias of our times. 

 As we journey through this lent, and no matter the long and dry deserts, and the trials of our times: false prophecies,  lawlessness[he anomia] and cold heartedness, as stressed by Pope Francis, economic and material poverty, orchestrated by some who manipulate the markets for personal and inordinate gains, violent, wars and terrorist acts, may we not lose sight of the Grace of God of the covenant of love, promises and fulfillment, mercy, forgiveness, charity and of the joy that awaits us at Easter!

Reflection Questions:

1.     Do you see Lent as a moment of grace, almsgiving, prayer, penance, renewal of your covenant relationship with God?

2.     What are your challenges and desert experiences needing Christ-like resistance of today’s Gospel?

3.     In what way do we assist our neighbors  overcome modern false prophecies, cold heartedness and journey to renew their covenant with Christ?

 

 

Christ, Our compassionate Healer!(6th Sunday)

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

·         Lev 13:1-2, 44-46;
·          Ps 32:1-2, 5, 11;
·         1 Cor 10:31–11:1;
·         Mk 1:40-45

Christ, Our compassionate Healer!

Last Sunday Jesus healed Simon Peter’s mother- in- law of her fever. In the bible readings of today, Saint Paul invites us to selflessly imitate him in Christ, who is the healer of our leprosies. He brings wholeness into our lives.

Leprosies, Ebolas, scary diseases! Christ’s healing ministry of leprosy in today’s gospel (Mark 1:40-45) must have been shocking to everyone. This disease cured by Christ has a long history. First of all leprosy was not an easy illness to handle in ancient days, just like Ebola we heard of, a while ago, in our days, times and culture.  Evidence of leprosy and how it was handled is recorded in today’s first readings (Lev 13:1-2, 44-46). Victims were treated differently, isolated and closely monitored by the priests. Some of their neighbors thought they would never be cured (Matt 8:1-4 and Luke 5:12-16).  Some thought it was a punishment from God as a result of sin. It was an image of sin, an uncleanness that the society must distance themselves from. In the Book of Numbers, we may recall, when Miriam sinned by speaking against Moses, God’s servants, she was afflicted with leprosy.  But I am sure, today, we have different images of what is sinful in our society!

 However, as the disease progresses on the human skin, their limbs, hands, fingers, toes, noses, mouth could be disfigured with flies paging on the sores. For fear of contaminating others, they were driven away from the neighborhood and restricted from using common roads, stores and facilities. They must let others in the society know that they were lepers by not covering their hairs. They must also wear torn pants and clothing’s. If there is any reason for them to step outside their isolated camps they have to alert others by shouting “unclean, unclean, and unclean.” This disease had the power of separating members of the family from each other, since contact with them would make others unclean! It is terrible to be isolated from our community.

Here, we might want to think of what isolate us from our family member, friends, and community, and even from the love of God. What separates us from the love of God ( Roms 8:35)?

If for whatever reason a leper thought he was cured, he or she must go through a very prolonged ritual of cleansing procedure, as stipulated by the Levitical Laws (Lev 13–14). These elaborate rituals included animal sacrifices, as well bringing oneself to be bureaucratically certified as cleansed and cured, by the Levitical priest.

In today’s Gospel, Christ is a different type of priest. He is a different kind of a healer. He is very compassionate, in an extraordinarily healing session. There is a leper in the city and outside their isolated camp! He kneels before Jesus and said, “If you wish you can make me clean”! Probably, he knew, the hope of his hopeless condition was only going to be realized in Jesus, his healing grace and mercies!
 He mercifully said, to the leper, “I do will, be made clean.”  “Go show yourself to the priest, but tell no one.” But he went and told everyone.  Although Christ, was not up for a publicity stunt, fame propaganda, as some people may choose, this is understandable. The experience of gratitude of been healed of been liberated overwhelmed healed. How do you feel when you are liberated from any burden or difficulty? I mean the experience and the joy of freedom, from debt, student loans and - could also be from the discrimination, and isolation; freedom from the terrible stigma of leprosy and freedom from sins in the case of this particular leper.

The highpoint of this lesson is not only the compassion of Christ; his teaching lessons of being merciful, that Pope Francis cherishes,  but the need for us to acknowledge our “leprosies,” our “sins” and our “Ebolas,” so to say, which could come in different forms today.

Again, Saint Paul notes some of them in the 2^nd reading (1 Cor 10:31–11:1), to include being offensive to others (Jews and Gentiles). Selfishness against others, of different faith, race and culture is a form of leprosy. For Paul refusal to avoid giving offense, promoting idolatries, divisions, and rivalries that went on in the Corinthian community of Paul are forms of leprosy as well.

Pauline disapproval of "offenses" against the Jews, Greek and the Church, can come to us today in form of what we say, about the church and others, the war, and terrorism, the racism and discrimination, we wage against people of other faith, culture and religion. It could also come in form of our refusal to imitate the virtues of Paul, his selflessness, endurance, his promotion of common good, and doing everything for the greater glory of God!

 In other, words we are “lepers” in one way or the other; morally, socially and spiritually. All these can be cured in Christ, who brings us wholeness. Acknowledgment of this, can provide us an opportunity to approach Christ as the leper did. We can do this in our neighbors that we forgive. We can do this through the sacraments, especially of reconciliation we celebrate, and through acts of kindness, compassion and charity we do.  All that Christ wishes to say to us today is that, he pretty much wishes to heal and forgive us, individually as a group and as a society!

Reflection Questions:

1.      What are your “leprosies” In the light of today’s Scriptures?

2.      How do you assist the sick, the oppressed and the weak members of your faith communities/societies?

3.      How often do we give mercy and compassion a chance in our relationship with our neighbors, subject, leaders, authorities, the less privileged, with those we thought might have offended us?

Suffering in Communion with Christ!(5th Sunday year B)

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

·         Job 7:1-4, 6-7;

·         Ps 147:1-6;

·         1 Cor 9:16-19, 22-23;

·          Mark 1:29-39

Suffering in Communion with Christ!

In his Book, When Bad things Happen to Good People, Harold S .Kushner explains why he took to this theme. It was because of his personal family tragedy. His son, Aaron became sick of what is called “progeria,” that is rapid aging. It was a sad news difficult for Harold and his family to handle.  Perhaps like the family of those healed in today’s gospel. Yet, he knew he was trying his best to live the gospel, the good news, in obedient to the Lord. But if the news of the Lord is always good, how can the Lord allow his son become sick, inflicting immeasurable pains and anguish to the family? Harold’s question could be related to the biblical Job, Habakkuk, Paul and to the mystery of the Gospel of Christ’s Gospel, the cross, the sufferings, and healings, God’s justice, addressed in today’s bible readings. Or, as Joseph Cardinal Bernadin would write in The Gift of Peace, “Suffering in Communion with the Lord.”

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

Job’s suffering- experiences in his relationship with God could be liken to that of Paul. In his ministry, after his conversion, he experienced suffering, torture and imprisonment. He was once shipped wrecked and beaten many times for the sake of the Gospel.  These sufferings did not change Paul. He kept the faith.  He felt the compulsion to preach the Gospel of Christ. In the 2^nd reading he strongly says, “Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel” (I Cor 9:16).

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

For Paul the Gospel is God’s salvific activity for his people, his power and healing mercies. The Divine Jesus was human too. Again, as Cardinal Bernadin said in The Gift of Peace, Christ, “felt pains as we do. And in many ways he experienced pain and suffering more deeply than we will ever know. Yet in the face of all, he transformed human suffering into something greater: an ability to walk with the afflicted and to empty himself so that his loving father could work more fully through him.”

In the Gospel reading of today (Mark 1:29-39), the Marken, Christ like God his father walks with the afflicted and those fevered. He empties himself for the sick. He heals Simon Peter’s mother –in-law who was sick with fever:

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

What are your own “fevers”? Certainly this can come in form of the restlessness of the biblical Job. It can come in forms of bodily or spiritual illnesses, some that we bring to our doctors.  It is true that we have these human doctors. We keep those appointments. But do we believe in the Gospel of Paul, in the healing power of Christ who is able to cure us of our illness, or work miracles, the type seen in today's Gospel.

 Truly, our today’s “fevers” can also come in form of disunity and lack of love, and envious of other’s spiritual gifts, that the Gospel Paul opposes in I Cor 12–14. Our fevers can come in form lack of universal spirit, being victims of war, bias and prejudices,  acts of terrorism, religious extremists , HIV and Ebola epidemics, unjust socio-political structures that breeds poverty, violent, and lack of acceptance of others. Our fevers and weaknesses can come in all forms of immorality and idolatries of the 21^st century, against the values of the Good News of Christ championed by Paul.

Whatever our shortcomings, fevers and sufferings might be, these days, in living and preaching the Gospel of Christ, we are invited to open up for our understanding of suffering in communion with Christ, not merely for its inevitability, but also for its Good News, its mystery, and redemptive values.

Reflection Questions

1.      How do you relate to today’s scripture?

2.       Do you see yourself in Job, or those healed in today’s Gospel?

3.      How do you assist the suffering members of your faith community?

4.      What are your fevers?