Saturday, March 2, 2019

Celebrating our Words and Deeds of Love and Mercy;Homily Eighth Sunday of Year C: Fr. Udoekpo Michael Ufok


Homily Eighth Sunday of Year C: Fr. Udoekpo Michael Ufok
·         Sir 27:4-7
·         Ps 92:2-3,13-14, 15-16
·          1 Cor 15:54-58
·         Luke 6:39-45

Celebrating our Words and Deeds of Love and Mercy

On this Eighth Sunday of the Year we come together as a church- family to worship God; to celebrate Christ who challenges us on the proper use of word and language for the building up of our homes, the church and communities.  

We all live in a human world today that is so often characterize by our use of fouls language, gossiping, back-biting our neighbors, passing rash judgment on neighbors, passing thoughtless and damaging judgment, insulting and painful remarks . Sometimes with our language and words, we may bring down our neighbors' reputation, and causing them irreparable damage. Sometimes we do this in the name of politics. And sometimes in the name jokes!

Scripture readings today exhort us to avoid all this. Rather, like Christ, our words and language should be that of love, hope, faith, empowerment, up lighting, complimentary and healing. Our words should be descent, clean, modest, polished, compassionate, charitable, full of love, and good manners. We should say to others what we would want said unto us, publicly or privately!

 In the 1st reading from Ben Sira or Ecclesiasticus found mostly in the Catholic Bible, written in Greek, around 180 BC, but later translated into in Hebrew and other languages, we learn from this man, an experienced observer of life, though originally addressing his contemporaries on practical matters of faith and morals.  Ben Sira speaks to us today.

Ben Sira teaches us that what is inside each and every one of us could be revealed through our language, words, utterances and speeches we make, here and there! He gives us practical and agricultural examples. As the grains, such as rice, beans, corn, or maize and husks are separated in a farmer's sieve, as the quality of metal is determined in the potter’ fire, and as  the size and quality of the fruit shows the care the mother tree had received--- so are our words! Therefore, we should be prudent in judging others or leave all final judgment to God!

Echoes of Ben Sira’s moral teaching are also heard in the Responsorial Psalms (Ps 92), which says “Lord it good to give thanks to the Lord.” What the psalmist means here, like Ben Sira, is that it is better to spend time, praying, singing praises to the Lord, thanking him for all the blessings he has bless us with, instead of spending all our energies quarreling, gossiping and fighting. For Paul, doing this will not bring us the victory that is in the resurrection of Christ for those who persevere in faith. That is why Saint Paul, in the 2nd Reading, says, to the quarreling Corinthian community, “brothers and sisters be firm, steadfast, and always fully devoted to the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”

We hear parallel message in the Sermon on the Plain, today’s Gospel, Luke 6:39-45, which is a continuation of last Week’s Gospel reading. In it Jesus condemns hypocrisy, or any careless, malicious or rash judgment about the feelings, behavior or actions of others. If we do this it is like a blind person leading a blind person. Both of them may not safely get to their destinations. Jesus condemns those with woods in their eyes criticizing a tiny splinter in their neighbor’s eyes. Jesus advises us to remove the wooden beams first in our eyes before we make an attempt to get rid of splinter in our neighbor’s eyes.

 Each of us can draw up many examples in the light of the lessons of today’s scriptures.  I am also sure, there are many stories on this subject of hypocritically judging our  neighbors. These are very practical matters. I remember a story of one saint, called St. Philip Neri who after observing the misbehavior of a sinner and a drunkard soliloquizes “there goes Philip but for the grace of God.”  And St. was also known for the expression, “I am what I am for the grace of God.”

Let us pray at this worship, particularly in this era of Pope Francis, a Pope of mercy, that we compassionate, and merciful in judging our neighbors. And that the Lord, through his agent, the Holy Spirit may always inspire, or give us the right word, attitude and manner to use when talking to our fellow brothers and sisters. That our language may always bring hope, restore life, instill faith, joy and love in our families,  in the church, communities, our institutions, places of work, and society as a whole.

Reflecting Questions
·         How do we relate to today's readings, beginning with Ben Sira, this wise observer of life?
·         Can we think of the number of times we have failed to address our brothers and sisters prudently and in healthy manner?
·         What have we done to redress the damage our bad languages and gossiping may have done to our neighbors.
·         How often do we encourage members of our faith and religious communities to address one another with Christian love and manner?