God’s Mercy; Persistence in Prayer, Homily Seventeenth Sunday Year C,

Seventeenth Sunday of Year C

God’s Mercy; Persistence in Prayer,

Fr. Udoekpo, Michael Ufok

§  Genesis 18:20-32

§  Psalm 138:1-3, 6-7, 7-8

§  Colossians 2:12-14

§  Luke 11:1-13

Today, [and in this Year of Mercy], we celebrate once again God’s Mercy and the need to constantly praise God, worship him, and petition him for our needs, pray for one another: our nations, our churches, families and friends. This need is evidence in today’s Bible Readings.

In the 1st reading (Genesis 18:20-32), we find Abraham, our father in faith, one of Israel’s “earliest prophet” (Gen 20:7), interceding, persistently for the sinful cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.  In response to his intercession God shows that he is not only merciful, forgiving, and kind to the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah but also because of lives of a few tens of innocent, prayerful people in these communities. This is true of us. You never know how far your prayers, those rosaries we say, those masses we attend—how far your holiness of life and goodness may have contributed in the blessings of God upon our sinful lands and families.

As Pope Francis would remind us [when he kicked off in this Year of Mercy], Christ Jesus (in our NT time) is the face of the God of Abraham, the Father of Mercy. Christ went to the Cross on our behalf. This is why Saint Paul says in the 2^nd reading (Col 2:12-14) that even though we were sinners, through Christ’ passion, and intercessions, we, like the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah have been saved!

It is through Christ that we offer our prayers to God the Father. A persistent, short, sweet prayer of praise, worship, lamentation, and thanksgiving for all that God has done for us: the life he provides, the air, mountains, seas, food, clothing, nations and families. Through Christ we should bring our request to God, ask him to always do his will, and grant our petition for what we need and lack in life- forgiveness of sins, and blessings upon our land.

This is exemplified in the today’s Gospel (Luke 11:1-13) the Lord’s Prayer which we recite at every Mass.  We mastered this prayer by heart, when we were preparing for our various sacraments. In this prayer, Christ teaches us how to pray. He reminds us that prayer is a relationship, a communication, a dialogue with God. It requires the intimacy that we find in a child parents relationship. And must be done with the consistency we saw in Abraham, who interceded for the cities Sodom and Gomorrah.  This is the meaning of “seek and you will find, knock and he door will be opened.” Do we value prayer? Do we pray? When and how?  What and whom do we pray for? These are some of the questions we may ask ourselves as we reflect on today’s scriptures.

We may have had our set-backs (like Job, Habakkuk, Sarah, Hannah, Abraham Lincoln etc.…) disappointments, threats, failures, loss of our loved ones in life, we must not give up in prayers. Never Give Up! Prayer is essential for every Christian. Prayer to our merciful God is essential for family members, friends, and elected officials. Prayer for ourselves, the church, the sick, the deceased, sinners, sick nations like Sodom and Gomorrah and for our friends and children.

Reflection Questions

1.     What prevents us from praying as Christ taught us?

2.     How do we relate to today’s readings?

3.     Do we encourage our neighbors to pray?

4.     Are we persistent in our prayers?

Seventeenth Sunday Year C

Prayer Is the Key to Christian Life

Fr. Udoekpo, Michael Ufok

§  Gen 18:20-32;

§  Ps 138:1-3, 6-8;

§  Col 2:12-14

§  Luke 11:1-13

 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 during 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 persistence 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 though 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 lifelong 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!

Reflection Questions

1.     What prevents us from praying as Christ taught us?

2.     How do we relate to today’s readings?

3.     Do we encourage our neighbors to pray?

Listening and Serving the Lord in our Neighbors Fr. Udoekpo, Michael Ufok,Sixteen Sunday Year C

Homily Sixteen Sunday Year C

Listening and Serving the Lord in our Neighbors

Fr. Udoekpo, Michael Ufok

§  Gen 18:1-10a

§  Ps 15:2-3, 3-5

§  Col 1:24-28

§  Luke 10:38-42

 As we worship today, as we listen to the Bible readings of today, the first reading, the second reading, the Psalms and the Gospel of Luke, what stands out for you? Hospitality or sitting at the feet of Jesus? Is there anything we could learn from Abraham, Sarah, or Saint Paul? What would you consider more important: service to your neighbor or spending some time, perhaps hours, with the Lord, before the Blessed Sacraments, daily? Hearing not doing, or doing not hearing? What seems to stand out for me are both? That is, we need the listening Mary and the busy Martha. We need the contemplatives, and the non-contemplatives. We cannot put the word of God into practice, without listening, reflecting on it, or understanding what the Lord wants us to do or where to go. We need both, hospitality and listening to the Lord.  Perhaps, we also need to have some priorities set in our lives, to be better listeners and doers of the word of God.

I am thinking this way, because in the first reading (Gen 18:1-10a) we witness how Abraham and his wife Sarah offer hospitality to three unknown strangers who turn out to be angels. As a result Abraham and Sarah were blessed and were rewarded. They had a son, Isaac, together, in their old age.  Of course, ancient people, Jews and Christian always believed that the best way to serve God was to be hospitable to our neighbors. Remember, last Sunday, we learn about who our neighbor is, in the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). The way we treat one another, might end up been the way we might have responded to God!

In the Second reading, Saint Paul acknowledges himself as God’s steward chosen to preach the gospel and reveal the mystery of Christ to everyone, Jews and Gentiles (Col 1:24-28). He also invites all of us, Christians, to dispose ourselves, receive and share hospitably the mysteries of Christ. There should be no barriers in sharing the love and the mercy of Christ with others.

In the Gospel, Martha welcomes Jesus and runs around preparing dinner for him, while her sister, Mary spent her time sitting, talking, chatting and listening to Jesus. Martha, as any of us would, complains. She thinks Mary who was not helping her was burning her out. The more reason, I ask in the beginning which one is more important. Who is more important, Mary or Martha? It’s challenging. Isn’t it?

Granted that in our various professions, doctors, teachers, professors, parents, priests, chefs, factory workers, military, police officers etc; we are all serving our nations and our neighbors. But we also need at some point to make time to recharge our spiritual energies. This could come in form of daily masses, personal prayer, retreats, saying the rosary, lectio divina- meditative reading of the scriptures or taking part at family prayers. Not always work, work; work!

On the other hand we need the “Martha(s)” in our homes, communities, churches and nations. We need people who can get the job done. Our nations, our parishes needs dynamic parishioners, men and women, boys and girls who are generous, and who belong to various groups, the knights, pastoral councils, the choir , the women and youths organization to get things done. We need both the “listening Marys and the serving Marthas.”

I have mentioned listening here many times.  We live today in a world that is not only noisy with sounds, TV, radio, all forms of music and fireworks, but we are isolated from one another because of cell phones and iPads. Sometimes these things makes is difficult for us to listen to our spouses, our children, and seniors, our parishioners, and our parents.

No matter how active we may be, in our works and services, we need to set our priorities right, find the time, no matter how short, to listen to God and to one another. And this must be the basis of what we charitably do and how we relate and treat one another. As we participate in this Holy Eucharist today, may be nourished with the spirit of hospitality and service, as well as with the zeal to be better listeners and doers of the word of God.

Reflection Questions

1.     How often do we listen to God through one another?

2.     Are we better listeners and doers of the word of God?

3.     What distracts us from following Christ’s values?

God’s Limitless Love is Near Us (GLLNU); Homilies Fifteenth Sunday Year C

Fifteenth Sunday Year C

God’s Limitless Love is Near Us (GLLNU)

Fr. Udoekpo, Michael Ufok

§  Deut 30:10-14;

§  Ps 69:14,17,30-34,36-37;or Ps 19:8-11;

§   Col 1:15-20

§   Luke 10:25-37.

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, he, 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.

Reflection Questions

1.     Do we believe that faith in God is expressed through love?

2.     What are the challenges or darkness that beclouds our faith and love of God and neighbors?

3.     Are we the light of the world and the salt of the earth?

Loving God in our Neighbors!

Fifteenth Sunday Year C

Fr. Udoekpo, Michael Ufok

§  Deut 30:10-14;

§  Ps 69:14, 17, 30-34, 36-37; or Ps 19:8-11;

§  Col 1:15-20

§  Luke 10:25-37.

 In today’s Gospel reading (Luke 10:25-37) there is this great scholar, a scribe, a professor of the law who wants to know what he must do in order to inherit the kingdom of God. What must I do to inherit the kingdom of God? The answer which Jesus led him to- is central to the bible lessons of today namely, that loving God (with all our heart, mind and soul) as well as our neighbors as we would have truly loved ourselves! Moreover, we gain eternal life by loving God whom we encounter not only in the sacraments, in the Holy Eucharist, in the songs we sing this day, in the scriptures, but more importantly in how we visibly treat one another. Somebody sitting by your side. Somebody who needs help. Somebody, that man, that woman, that child we meet on our way- is my neighbor!

Deuteronomy 30:10-14, the first reading, which is generally a humanitarian sermon preached by Moses, on mount Nebo, tells us that this law, the love of God and our neighbor is written in our hearts. It is apriori. It is self-evidence. It is divine. It is written in our hearts.  One does not need a college or a university degree to learn how to love, how to be merciful, how to be respectful, how to be compassionate to our next door neighbor, or somebody we meet in the train, in the school, in the work place, or in our churches.

Besides what is written in our hearts, which Moses, reminded Israel of his time of... Saint Paul, in the second reading (Col 1:15-20) reminds the Colossians, by implication, each of us, that just as Jesus Christ is the “visible image of the invisible God,” so our neighbors (rich and poor, tall and short, white and black, brown and yellow, heavy and slim, young and old, male and female, boy and girl, Jews and Gentiles, N-S, E-W), are the visible image of Christ living in our midst. God speaks to us in our hearts. He speaks to us through Christ and through our neighbors.

This is what we mean when we sing that Matthew 25 "whatsoever you do to the least of my brethren so you do unto me..?" And this is truly what Jesus meant by telling that scribe, that professor of the law- the gospel parable of today, that familiar and popular parable of the Good Samaritan.  In that parable, the Good Samaritan, unlike the other two uncharitable religious leaders (priest and Levi) went to the assistance of the man who was almost beaten to dead, and abandoned with fatal wounds, on the Jerusalem-Jericho road. What a beautiful way of reminding us that we can only truly say we love God by loving our neighbors, by behaving like the Good Samaritan- who responded with mercy and compassion to this robber’s victim.

It is true that no single person can solve all the world’s problems in all the continents: the poverty, the racism, the gun violence, the selfishness, the decline in Christian parenting, and the “you are on your own attitude.” Neither is God asking us to board a plane from (JFK etc)…. now to Jerusalem-Jericho road in Palestine to assist the robber victim. Not Necessarily! Rather, as believers, there is another road from Jerusalem to Jericho that passes right through our homes, parishes, our streets, our home towns, our neighborhoods, dioceses, schools, and work places. In these roads, there may be some spouses, children or parents lying emotionally wounded in our homes, due to one form of abuse, insults, violent or another!  There may be a brother or a sister living nearby, sitting nearby, living next door who has special needs that we can meet. It could be a simple greeting or a smile! It could be a simple looking into their eyes, saying, hello!

Finally, the Good Samaritan challenges us today [especially in this Year of Mercy], to be open-minded to everyone, to be charitable, to be compassionate, to be forgiving, to be down to earth, to be approachable, to be available, to be loving, to be merciful to our neighbors, those in need, the church in need, that town in need, or to people of all walks of life- irrespective of color, height, race, culture and religion!

Reflection Questions

1.     Do we believe that faith in God is expressed through love?

2.     What are the challenges or darkness that beclouds our faith and love of God and neighbors?

3.     Are we the light of the world and the salt of the earth?