God’s Hands Feeds Us and Nothing Should Separate Us from the Love of God; Homily for Eighteenth Sunday of Year A

Homily for Eighteenth Sunday of Year A- Fr. Udoekpo, M.

God’s Hands Feeds Us and Nothing Should Separate Us from the Love of God

v  Isa 55:1-3

v  Ps 145:8-9, 15-18

v  Rom 8:35, 37-39

v  Matt 14:13-21

 In the past two days, Friday and Saturday, we celebrated the memorials of St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus, the Jesuit, and St. Alphonsus Liguori, the founder of the Redemptoris. We reflected as well on the readings of the day, from Jeremiah and Matthew 14. Both readings pointed not only to the sufferings and persecution of Jeremiah, but to the beheading of John the Baptist, because he discouraged Herod and Herodias from cheating on Philip, their brother and husband.

 In the midst of these sufferings and persecutions the readings of today, from Isaiah 55, Romans 8 and Matthew, 14, tend to quickly turn things around and reassures us of God’s love. He feeds us. God provides for us. Therefore, nothing should ever, ever, separate us from the love of God (Rom 8:35, 37-39).

 In Isaiah of Babylon, the first reading( Isa 55:1-3), God appears, figuratively, mysteriously to Isaiah, the Suffering Servant, and to those suffering in exile; to those who have lost their land, and to those who have lost loved ones, and some livelihoods and encourages them saying: “All you who are thirsty, come to the water! You who have no money, come, receive grain and eat; come, without paying and without cost, drink wine and milk”. Then, God went on to say, “I will renew you with the everlasting covenant, the benefits assured to David,” in 2 Samuel Chapter7, in spite of David’s ups and downs!

 No matter the brokenness, the sufferings, the tragedy, the persecution, the deprivations, the loss God’s faithful people experienced, in the past, in history, in the exodus account, God watches over them. He provides for them. He keeps his everlasting covenant of love with them (the berith, ‘olam). So also with us today. Don’t think because of this virus, or the loss of your loved ones, or livelihood, or our struggle to manage the mask, that God has abandoned us? No. He has not, provided we remain obedient, and loyal to him.

 The same message is heard from the lips of the psalmist, that “the hands of Lord feeds, us he answers all our needs (Ps 145:16). And St. Paul who also knew what sufferings and persecutions looked like, reminded the Church in Rome, of course, each of us today, in Romans 8, 35, 37-39 that nothing should ever separate us from the love of God. He does it so rhetorically, saying

  “What will separate us from the love of Christ? Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, of famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword? No, in all these things we conquer over-whelming through him who loved us. For I am convinced(Paul says) that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, no present things, nor future things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Jesus also in the Gospel did not shy away in reminding, his early disciples, and us that no matter what, that God provides on, our needs and protects us! Don’t forget, the feeding of the multitude in today’s gospel, happened soon after the horrific incidence of the persecution and killing of John the Baptist in Matthew 14:1-12. Though Christ and his disciples had withdrew to a lonely place in the boat because of the suffering meted on John the Baptist, vv. 13-21, Jesus, God’s Son, quickly, like his Father who fed Isaiah’s generation (Isa 55:1-3), reassures his followers that the Lord has never, and will never abandon them, through this miraculous feeding with a multiplied five loaves and two fish, with a twelve wicker basket left over!

 All of us can relate to today’s bible lesson. We are witnessing our own challenges in different forms, today, including this ongoing covid-19’ threat. Though many may have lost their jobs, lives and livelihood, a lot of stress have come to us, in different forms, in areas of education, marketing, worship gatherings, and distancing in relationship, the God of Israel of Isaiah 55; the God of Paul in Romans 8, the God of today’s Matthews Gospel that fed the multitude, with 12 baskets full of fragments left, will never abandon. Therefore, nothing should ever separate us from the love of God (Rom 8). Or, as the Psalmist had put it, let us be reassured that “the hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs” (Ps 145:16).

 Reflection Questions:

1. What could separate you from the love of God?

2. What prevents you from realizing that God is the provider of life’s essentials?

3. What do you make of the Suffering Servant of God in Isaiah 55 and Jesus feeding the multitude in Mtt 14:13-21 soon after the shocking beheading John the Baptist in vv. 1-12?

 

Blessed Are Those Who Are Persecuted For Righteousness....(Matt 5:10); Homily – Saturday 17th Week of Ordi. Time Yr . B. Memorial of St. Alphonsus Liguori, Bishop,

Homily – Saturday 17^th Week of Ordi. Time Yr . B. Memorial of St. Alphonsus Liguori, Bishop, Fr. Udoekpo

v  Jer 26:11-16, 24

v  Ps 69:15-16, 30-31, 33-34

v  Matt 14:1-12

Blessed Are Those Who Are Persecuted For Righteousness....(Matt 5:10)

Yesterday we celebrated the memorial of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus. We reflected on his life and contributions in serving others for the greater glory of God, though not without challenges and difficulties- in line with experiences of ancient prophets.

Today, we celebrate another significant saint, who also dedicated his life for the service of the Lord, through the poor, the sick and the needy, as well as wrote and taught in the area of moral theology. His name is St. Alphonsus Liquori. Born in Naples, Italy (1696-1787), and started out as brilliant lawyer and later studied for the priesthood.  He is the founder of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Redemptorist).

We have benefited from St. Alphonsus and this religious group in so many ways.  One great example is the Acadamia Alfonsiana, founded in 1949, in Rome (Institute for Moral Theology). Many of our Bishops, priests, church leaders, religious and others have received training there, and their services for the greater glory of God, have been extended to all corners of the earth, but not without difficulties and challenges!

In the midst of these challenges that show up in different forms in different contexts, I am sure they never stopped drawing strength from Jeremiah of the today’s first reading and John the Baptist of the Gospel, Matthew 14:1-12.

Jeremiah was often threatened, taunted, persecuted, accused falsely, but he never gave up from preaching the truth and repentance and worship of God alone!

John the Baptist’s head was brought in platter and given to small girl, who took it to her selfish mother, simply because, John advised the selfish Herod and Herodias that it was not lawful, that it was immoral for them to cheat on Philip, Herod’s brother, and Herodias husband! Herod who also took an unnecessary oath to pleasing the Herodias’s daughter who entertained them at the King’s birthday acted very selfishly by persecuting John the Baptist for the sake of his righteousness.

 Isn’t it striking to see how St. Alphonsus Liquori, Jeremiah and John the Baptist share a common inclination for sound moral standard and righteousness? For Alphonsus, its evidence in his moral writings and in the very Institute for Moral Theology in Rome. For Jeremiah, he had earlier insisted like the Deuteronomisitic historians on the worship of God alone, obedience and repentance from all kinds of immorality and injustices. And clearly for John the Baptist, it was immoral for Herod and Herodias to cheat on Philip. They all suffered, but would always remained blessed, for “blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness.. Matt 5:10)

Jeremiah, John the Baptist and Saint Alphonsus Liquori, invite us today never to think of giving-up serving the Lord through our neighbors, because of any kind of modern day persecution, mockery, rejection, threats, and difficulties, which we know can come to any of us in different forms. They  challenge us to cherish the 10 commandments as well as the moral teachings of the Church.

Reflection Questions

1.      As a believer in what ways have you experience persecution, difficulties and challenges and how have handled them?

2.      What have you learned from the lives of Jeremiah, John the Baptist and St. Alphonsus Liguori?

3.      In what way have we assisted the poor, the week and the needy members of our communities today?

 

Services for the Greater Glory of God; Homily- Friday of the 17th Week of Ord. Time Year B/ Memorial St. Ignatius of Loyola

Homily- Friday of the 17^th Week of Ord. Time Year B/ Memorial St. Ignatius of Loyola, Fr. Udoekpo

v  Jeremiah 26:1-9

v  Ps 69:5,8-10,14

v  Matt 13:54-58

v   

Services for the Greater Glory of God

 

On this memorial day of St. Ignatius of Loyola, and in the light of today’s readings, we celebrate the call to services for the greater glory of God.

Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) dedicated a greater part of his life in the service of the Church for the greater glory of God and in total obedience to the Pope. He began life in Loyola, Spain where he was born (1491-1556). He fought in the military where he sustained an injury. While receiving healing treatment from the injury he read a book, on the lives of the saints that led him to conversion. Which reminds us of St. Paul in Acts of the Apostles chapter 9, and even other Israel’s prophets like Jeremiah of today’s first reading. All acted in the name God, for the greater glory of God!

With this book Ignatius not only devoted his life Christ, he studied for the priesthood in Barcelona, Salamanca, Alcala and Paris. We are grateful to him.

 One thing that I will not forget as well is my leading a pilgrimage to Salamanca, Loyola and Paris in 2014. In Salamanca we visited the Cathedral and the ancient University as well as walked around the Castle.  In Loyola, before driving up to France, we celebrated Mass in the chapel where Ignatius, stayed and encountered Christ and received his calling in a unique way!

The seed sown by Ignatius calling has grown in many ways all over the world- in the gifts of Pope Francis, a Jesuit pope, schools, colleges, and universities own and run by the Society of Jesus where many of us and our children have been educated. Some of us also have benefited from the popular and very effective Ignatian Spiritual Exercises, to name but a few!  A Jesuit, Fr. Frank Gingac taught me Intermediate and Advanced Biblical Greek at the Catholic University of America, Washington D.C.

Ignatius, founder of the Jesuits,  like Jeremiah dedicated his life to the service of the Lord and the people, in spite of the usual challenges and difficulties, such as doubt, rejections, pains, sufferings,  that every time and age has. That Ignatius was initially wounded in the war did not stop him from availing himself to Christ’s calling. That Jeremiah, was rejected, punished, scolded, persecuted by his people did not deter him from his mission.

 So also was Christ himself as we heard in today’s Gospel Matthew 13:54-58. In the synagogue of his native place, where he preached, his people doubted him. They took him for granted because he was not only young, but because they knew his parents and relatives.

How often do we not take others for granted, belittle them, or distrust them because of unnecessary biases and prejudices?  No wonder Christ reminded them, that “a prophet is not without honor except in his native place.”

Jeremiah, Christ and Ignatius challenge us today to re-examine often we do use our talents, and gifts for the service of humanity and for the greater glory of God, be it in schools, universities, colleges, parishes, diocese, field works, offices,  homes, and families, or wherever we find ourselves, placed by God and life’s journeys!

Reflection Questions

1.      How many of us have appreciatively benefited from the Jesuits, ministries, education, administration, leadership, preaching or spiritual exercises?

2.      What prevents us from serving others for the greater glory of God?

3.      In what other ways can re relate to today’s bible readings and of the lives of Christ, Jeremiah and Ignatius of Loyola?

We Are Clay In God’s Hands- Our Potter!; Homily- Thursday of the 17th Week of Ord. Year B.

Homily- Thursday of the 17^th Week of Ord. Year B. Fr. Udoekpo, M.

v  Jer 18:1-6

v  Ps 146:1b-2,3-4,5-6ab

v  Matt 13:47-53

We Are Clay In God’s Hands- Our Potter!

In today’s first reading, Jeremiah, whom we have been reading and learning from these past few days, continues to surrender himself to the Lord, to play God’s mouthpiece, a mediator, a prophet and intercedes for his people Israel. In a very dramatic fashion today, the Lord commissioned Jeremiah to proceed to the potter’s house for a first-hand experience of what the potter does with the clay.

Growing up in a rural African setting, I have personally experienced first-hand what potters does with clay. She or he molds and remolds or refashion the clay to whatever, shape or size of a jug, pot, plate etc—so also is Israel, God’s people in God’s hands. Like a clay in the potter’s hand, so are we, each of us, in God’s hands (Jer 18:1-6).

The house of Israel, even those who experienced exile (the gôlāh), must not despair, but hope, trust, remain faithful, obey the Lord, and surrender themselves into God’s hands. That is why in Jeremiah 29, as you read on, you would notice Jeremiah would encourage those of them in diaspora to go out and plant, buy land, marry, practice marketing and  carry on with their daily businesses with hope, In fact, their prayer, and our prayer today(afflicted with this corona-virus), should be like that of the psalmist heard in Psalm 146 today,’ Blessed is he or she, whose hope in the Lord, who made heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them,” (Ps 146).

The Psalmist or say, Jeremiah was for his people what Christ of today’s Gospel of Matthew, though God and human, was for his people and disciples: a prophet and a teacher. As Jeremiah and the Psalmist reminded their people the sovereignty of God, who made heaven and earth, who uses us as his instruments, Jesus reminded his disciples of the God of the Old and the New, male and female, Jews and Gentiles. The Kingdom of heaven, he says, is like a net thrown into the sea to collect all kinds of fish- but with time separates the good from the bad, the righteous from the wicked.

We, the world, humans and all kinds of creatures are like a clay in God’s hands, the divine potter! The Lord welcomes us, even sinners, he gives them time to repent, to return to him. In whatever circumstances we find ourselves, we are invited to hope, to return to the Lord, to remain positive and to surrender ourselves into God’s hands, who is truly metaphorically but truly and divinely our potter, and our maker.

We do this surrendering by worshipping him. We do this by treating others well, as we would ourselves, want to be treated. We do this by welcoming others, the old and the young. We do this by placing all our trust in the Lord. In the face of this virus and other threats we face today, we do this, by entrusting our nations, families, loved ones, leaders, and scientists into God’s hands, for wisdom and guidance!

Reflection Questions

1.      Have you ever gone to see a potter mold a clay into a jug or pot, or use our cultural elements to communicate Christian faith to others, contextually?

2.      In challenging times do you remember that we are like a clay in potter’s hands

3.      Are we welcoming to everyone in our families, old and new, Jews and Gentiles in our religious and civil communities?

Our Faith is in Christ, the Son of the Living God!; Homily- Wed of the 17th Week of Ord Year B/Memorial of Saint Martha-

Homily- Wed of the 17^th Week of Ord Year B/Memorial of Saint Martha- Fr. Udoekpo, M.

v  Jer 15:10,16-21

v  Ps 59:2-3,4,10-11,17,18

v  John 11:19-27 Or Luke 10:38-42

Our Faith is in Christ, the Son of the Living God!

“I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world.” These are Martha’s, confession of faith in Christ, whose (Martha) memorial we celebrate today. As a sister to Mary and Lazarus whom Jesus raised from the dead, Martha was a welcoming person and a very hard working woman, who cherishes her gifts of service and talents and uses it for the benefit of the community.

In Luke 10:38-42, the alternate Gospel for today, we learned  she generously welcomed Christ to their home. While she was busy, running around, perhaps cooking or preparing things to make Christ, the guest comfortable, her complaint about her sister, Mary, a contemplative, whom she noticed was welcoming the Lord differently, in her own way, as explained to her by Christ.

 The Martha of Luke 10 is that same Martha of John 11, who confesses that “she had come to believe that Christ is the Son of the living God.’  This makes us believe that Martha, took Christ’s words in Luke 10:38-42 to heart, that Mary, her sister had a gift and had chosen her better part, which leads to faith as well.

In our faith communities, in the church we are gifted differently. The foundation of our gifts and services to all, must be our faith in Christ, in his resurrection, in the Son of the Living, God, the type of faith expressed by Martha and other members of her family.

This also reminds us of the Prophet Jeremiah, a man of great sympathy and empathy for his people, an intercessor, a mediator who has been calling Israel to repentance these days( Jer 13:1-11), as well as appeal to God not to forget his love and covenant with us, with Israel, his people, Abraham’s seeds and descendants( Jer 14:17-22). Or, though, Jeremiah complaint about his sufferings, rejections, pains, cursing the day he was born etc (Jer 15:10, 16-21), he never lost sight of faith in God at the end of the day.

 In his days, Jeremiah wasn’t the only prophets. There were others like, Habakkuk, Nahum, Zephaniah and the rest of the 12(Hosea, Amos, Joel, Jonah, Obadiah, Micah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi) and Ezekiel.  Or before him, prophet like Isaiah of Jerusalem. Each of them came from different places, with different talents and gifts. Common to them, like Martha and Mary, at the end of the day was faith in God and the well-being of their community members.

As many as we are in the church in our various communities (even here today at this worship) with different talents and gifts, let us continue to appreciate one another.  Also as challenging as our individual and communal struggles these days may be—in terms of the covid-19 and it ripples effects on our health, society and economy, let us imitate Martha whose feast, faith and virtues we celebrate today. Let us not lose sight of Christ the living God, who constantly watches over us.

Reflection Questions

1.      We are gifted differently. How do we use our gifts for the good of the community?

2.      Are you Martha, Mary, or Jeremiah?

3.      What prevents us from empathizing with members of our faith communities, in their pains and struggles?

The Lord Remembers, and Keeps His Covenant with Us, forever,; Homily- Tuesday of the 17th Week in Ordinary Time, Yr. B.

Homily- Tuesday of the 17^th Week in Ordinary Time, Yr. B. Fr. Udoekpo, M.

v  Jer 14:17-22

v  Ps 79:8,9,11,13

v  Matt 13:36-43

The Lord Remembers, and Keeps His Covenant with Us, forever,

Jeremiah, having called Israel in yesterday’s reading(Jer 13:1-11) to repentance and not to be like a rotten sash/loincloth, prays to God today not to abandoned or cast Judah off completely. He is a prophet, an intercessor and a mediator. Full of emotions and feelings for his people, Jeremiah, who suffered so much, who actually saw the temple of Jerusalem on fire in 586/7BC rhetorically prays to God:

” Is Zion loathsome to you? Why have you struck us a blow that cannot be healed?.. We wait for peace, to no avail, for a time of healing, but terror comes instead. We recognized, O Lord, our wickedness, the guilt of our fathers; that we have sinned against you.”

 Full of sympathy, empathy and hope for his people, he continues to appeal to God, saying, “for your name’s sake spurn us not, disgrace not the throne of your glory, remember your covenant with us, and break it not.” Which covenant? His covenant with Abraham (Gen 15, 17, 22), Moses (Exod 19-24) and David (2 Samuel 7) and their descendants.

God promised Abraham that his seed, his descendant will be as the plentiful as the star and the sand of the seashore. The Sinaitic Covenant, though conditional later looks back at that of Moses, and of course, forward to Davidic covenant, that Israel, the seed David will be bless forever, especially those ones that obey, listened to him and trust in the Lord.

Of course, these seeds of Abraham and David are those which have been sown by the New Moses, the Son of Man in today’s parable in the Gospel of Matthew 13:36-43. They are expected to do well, to grow and to listen to the word of God. The weeds that may tend to disturb the seed, the righteous, will be collected and thrown into the burning fire at the end of time.

Noticeably, the future languages and sentences of hope for the good seeds are obvious and point to the fact that the Lord will never abandon us nor break his covenant against the remnant, and faithful Israel.

Of course, every age has its own challenges. That of Israel might have been the loss of the temple and experiences of exile as a result of disobedience and idolatries of their time. Ours today may also come in different forms of materialism, modern subjectivism, secularism, terrorism, indifference to common good and social justice,  and threats of this ongoing- virus, to name, but a few.

In the midst of all these, the Lord will never abandon us. He will, as Jeremiah 14 has said, remember his covenant with us forever.

Reflection Questions

1.      How do we play our parts as believers, knowing and hoping that the Lord will remember his covenant forever?

2.      Do we see ourselves as the seed planted by the Lord to grow, keep, hear and teach his word, or the weeds that distract others from hearing and keeping God’s word?

3.      How often do we try to keep our promises with the Lord, or , like Jeremiah, intercede  with sympathy and empathy for our communities?

 

Remembering the God Who Gave Us Birth! (Deut 34:18a); Homily – Monday of the 17th Week of Ordinary Time Year B, Fr. Udoekpo, M

Homily – Monday of the 17^th Week of Ordinary Time Year B, Fr. Udoekpo, M

v  Jer 13:1-11

v  Ps Deut 32:18-19,20,21

v  Matt 13:31-35

 Remembering  the God Who Gave Us Birth! (Deut 34:18a)

The responsorial Psalm of today is from Deuteronomy 32: 18a “you have forgotten God who gave you birth.” This Deuteronomist’s theme can also be flipped around as an exhortation “do not forget the God who gave you birth,” or “remember the Lord who gave you birth.”

It fits into the overall literary genre of the Deuteronomic historians (exhortation, preaching, homiletic, reflective speeches etc) or of their lager themes ,such as obedience, hope, nearness to the Lord, one people, one land, one God, patience, endurance, love, repentance, humility, and faithfulness, otherwise they will experience exile and loose the temple!

Similar themes are heard in one form or the other in the first reading Jeremiah 13:1-11 and in the Gospel of Matthew 13:31-35 in an anticipatory manner.

In Jeremiah, it is demonstrated symbolically in the Judean loincloth/waistcloth/sash (̍ēzôr), which the Lord allows to rot, because of their pride and forgetfulness of all that the Lord had done for them in past. Just as the waist-cloth became rotten and good for nothing, those who disobeyed as heard throughout Deuteronomistic Hisotory (Deut -2Kings 25) would be perish, unless they repent! Also just as the loincloth or the waistcloth clings to our bodies, the Lord expects us to cling to him, to be close and near to him; to love him, to obey him and to worship him in how we treat others as well.

Similarly, in the Gospel parable, this Deuteronomic theme, which Jeremiah shares, is anticipated in form of a mustard seed which later grows into a very large plant accommodating other creatures like birds. We are planted from the beginning like a mustard seed, to obey the Lord, to love him, to walk in his ways- of love, tender care, selflessness, kindness, mercy, forgiveness, sense of common accommodating everyone and other God’s creatures.

Today’s scripture passages, especially the Deuteronmic themes, challenge us to not forget the goodness of the Lord, all the values we had acquired from they of our baptism, in spite of this ongoing corona-virus and other modern challenges that we  may face today.

Reflection Questions

1.      How often do we remember all that the Lord has done for us in our lives or our biological parents who gave us birth?

2.      What prevents us from growing in faith and love and hope like the parabolic mustard seed of today’s Gospel?

3.      How often do encourage members of our faith community to zakar, to remember, the goodness of the Lord and to be near to him like a loincloth?

 

Treasures and Pearls of God’s Love ;Homily-Seventeenth Sunday of Oridinary Time, Year A

Homily-Seventeenth Sunday of Year A

 Treasures and Pearls of God’s Love (C) - Fr. Udoekpo, M

v  1 Kgs 3:5, 7-12

v  Ps 119:57, 72, 76-77, 127-130

v  Rom 8:28-30

v  Matt 13:44-52

Today we celebrate what really matters in life, things that are worthy of our treasure, our Christian pearls, namely; God, his kingdom values and his commands!  We have been taught these values and commands, throughout history. This would include tender care for one another, divine mercy, neighborliness, forgiveness, good and prudent leadership, kindness, truth, compassion, love, selfless services to one another, sacrificial love, putting others first, searching for the common good. Others are, the corporeal and spiritual works of mercy, cardinal and theological virtues[prudence, justice, fortitude, temperance] [faith, hope and charity], cherishing the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit[wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, fear of the Lord; joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control and chastity]), that we received during baptism and confirmation.

  These are some of things that Solomon asked for in today’s first readings (1 Kings 3:5, 7-12). In that reading, God appeared to the young and inexperienced, son of David, King Solomon in a dream at Gibeon. Divinely encouraged, Solomon, unlike, modern greedy leaders and politicians, impressively asked the Lord for neither riches, long life, fame, nor power to dominate those he disagreed with, but for what matters in life, in his own position as a young king, namely, for the spirit of understanding and for discernment of God’s ways to govern in the fear of the Lord. It’s simply the gifts of the Holy Spirit including administrative prudence!

 For him this was the anticipated pearl and the treasures spoken of in the Gospel parable today. In these parables, Jesus says that those who truly love God will pursue the values of his kingdom of heaven, which he compares to a treasure and a pearl discovered unexpectedly. He also compares the kingdom of God to a net that hauls in fish “of every kind,” good and bad (Matt 13:44-52).

 This may give us a pause to rethink what we thought or considered important in our Christian lives. These parables and the request of Solomon challenge us to review our priorities as Christians and believers? If our priorities are  some of the mentioned gifts of the Holy Spirit, ( Wisdom, understanding,, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, fear of the Lord etc), which Solomon prudently asked for, when we received them, are we ready to share these  God given treasures and gifts with others?

 This is the question that is raised by the flipped -side of the first two parables (the parables of the discovered treasure and pearl). That is to say, it doesn’t matter how long it takes us to succeed, to discover the treasure of God’s love and forgiveness. God’s time frame is not our time frame. When we succeed, when we discover God’s love and values in our lives, God wants us, as his disciples, to share with joy and humility our experience and the gifts we received in him. He wants us to carry along those who are yet to succeed or discover this treasure and wisdom in him.

 The gifts and faith and wisdom, we receive from God as Christians (during baptism and conformation etc) must be at the service of our families, ecclesial communities, and civil communities. We must share the stories of our faith with our children and grandchildren. We must tell them where we came from in faith, tell them about our journey thus far and how God has blessed us. We must wisely tell them how things were done before now—the movies that were watched, the seniors and the aged that were cared for, and even the parents and the teachers that were respected. We want to share with our fellow workers, colleagues, and friends the values and honesty that were taught and promoted—the Christ that you have discovered. These treasures are not meant for our selfish custody.

 Truly, our times are filled with modern and new challenges of selfishness, ethnocentrism, materialism, subjectivism, climate change, and disrespect to human life, especially the unborn; as well as inordinate anthropocentric behaviors of humans on other God’s creatures, searching for peace and cure for covdi-19.

Others challenges today, are abuse of power in some political capitals, as well as the neglect of faith and failure to recognize God’s role and divine treasures in our lives.

   Like Solomon, let us pray for God’s wisdom today in our daily choices, judgments, evaluations, and discernment. Let us also pray for the grace to understand the treasure of God’s love, goodness to us, and the values of his kingdom.

Reflection Questions:

1. As Christians what do we consider true divine values, pearls, treasures?

2. What are our priorities, and where do we look for them?

3. When we discover God’s values, what prevents you from sharing God’s love, and these values with neighbors?

 

The Son of Man Came not to be Served, but to Serve; Homily- Saturday of the 16th Week in Ordinary Time/Feast of St. James, Apostles (Martyr)

Homily- Saturday of the 16^th Week in Ordinary Time/Feast of St. James, Apostles (Martyr)- Fr. Udoekpo, M

v  2 Cor 4:7-15

v  Ps 126: 1bc-2ab,2cd-3,4-5,6

v  Matt 20:20-28

The Son of Man Came not to be Served, but to Serve

On this feast of St. James, and in light of the scripture passages today, the themes of suffering, services and sacrifices are worth contemplating.

Starting with the Matthew’s Gospel just heard (Matt 20:20-28), Jesus the son of man humbly came to serve and not to be served.  This is true throughout his mission, passion, death and resurrection. In his mission, he cured diseases, forgave sinners, raised the dead and taught the ignorance and the greedy. Some were the parents and sons of Zebedee as heard in the Gospel. Zebedee came to lobby Christ for positions for his children, James and John. Thank, God, Christ taught and educated them of his true, humble, dedicated, selfless mission of service to the cross” the Son of Man (ben ‘enōsh, hious toũ anthrōpos).

Each of us is called to be of service to God and to one another in our various callings and locations. This was equally true in Paul and apostles of the Gentile heard in today’s second reading. Educated in Jerusalem in Jewish laws, a prosecutor of the Christian faith who later sacrificially became its promoter, travelling from the eastern Mediterranean, Middle East, and Rome, almost heading to Spain… etc preaching the Gospel of service, sufferings, and sacrifices. He was like Christ, rejected, persecuted and beaten a many times. He endured, he hoped, he persevered, always carrying about in his body the dying of Christ.

Like the psalmist would put, it Paul, like Christ, knew that “those who sow in tears, like the ancient dispersed Israel, would rejoice when they reap, and when the exiles and the sufferings were over,’ (Ps 126). What a fortune reversed for believers and for those who endure, who persevere!

Similarly, were the ministries of James whose feast we commemorate today—James in particular we are told, witnessed Christ transfiguration and agony in the Garden of Gethsemane. He eventually suffered martyrdom in the year 42 Ad, by Agrippa I. As Paul would put it, his death did not in any way constrain or prevent the spread of the gospel. In spite, of the persecution of Christ, Paul, James and the other apostles, the Christian faith was never abandoned.

This message of course challenges us today (including our selfishness, subjectivism, greed, indifference and extreme anthropocentrism), faced with our own different contextual forms of persecution, sufferings and tears! This covid-19 could be one of them. Loss of our livelihood and loved ones could be one of them. Effects of corruption in our nation capitals could be one of them. Climate change, exploitation of nature and in ordinate anthropocentric behavior of humans against neighbor God’s creatures, land, air and water pollution with detrimental repercussions could be some of the challenges we face today.

None of these should ever lead us to abandon our faith, nor loose sight of the fact that the Lord is watching over us, known by God to be social, sacrificial, selfless, responsible and religious beings made for one another, as constantly conveyed in the African concept of ubuntu (I am because you are. We are called to imitate, Christ in the service to one another in our various communities.

Reflection Questions

1.      In what ways have we rendered selfless services to our neighbors in the past?

2.      In what ways have we suffered humiliation or being persecuted for the sake of our Christian faith?

3.      In what ways have we mirrored Christ, Paul, and James, the Apostle, whose feast we celebrate today?

 

 

A Shepherd After God’s Own Heart; Homily- Friday of the 16th Week of Ord. Time Yr. B

Homily- Friday of the 16^th Week of Ord. Time Yr. B Fr. Udoekpo, Michael

v Jer 3:14-17

v Ps 31:10,11-12abcd,13

v Matt 13:18-23

A Shepherd After God’s Own Heart

We have images and metaphors of a shepherd and a Good Shepherd all over biblical texts, which are truly sympathetic to ancient and modern agricultural cultures. Uppermost in my mind are Jer 23, Ezekiel 34, Psalm 23, John 10:10-11, and, of course the readings of today( if you can read these texts yourself and see).

Addressing his contemporaries,  the leaders, as well as their subjects, especially those who rebelled against Lord and his ways of obedience, compassion, care, tender mercy, leadership by example, and hope in the saving grace of God, Jeremiah, God’s mouth piece, reassures the exiled that he will “appoint  them a shepherd,(leaders of all categories, civil, ecclesiastical, community, familial, institutional, traditional,  academic, parents etc) that will reflect God’s heart- which carries, diligence, care, mercy, forgiveness, kindness, truth, compassion, love, selflessness, sacrifice for others, others first, common good, ubuntu, patience, corporeal and spiritual works of mercy cardinal and theological virtues[prudence, justice, fortitude, temperance] [faith, hope and charity] as well gift and fruits of the Holy Spirit[wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, fear of the Lord; joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control and chastity]).

As pointed out in the Matthean Parable of the seed sown on the rich soil, in particular, Jesus is the supreme and Eternal Shepherd whom we all are called to imitate. He plants us as seed on the good soil (Matt 13:18-23), as we have been hearing, reading and preaching since last Sunday.  He expects us to do well, grow well with all those virtues and gifts listed above in our leadership roles and interaction with one another in our various towns, and villages, nations, continents, dioceses , parishes, stations, outreach communities, institutions, offices, places of work and residence.

Importantly, what we are and do as believers must be done or seen through the prism of Jesus whom we are called to imitate as our Good Shepherd. He wants us to be shepherd after His Own Heart. This is the same assurances he gave to the despaired exile.

In moments of challenges, especially, the one we are facing today, let us trust him in his words that he will see us through. He will give us good leaders. He will enlighten our doctors, nurses, and scientists to the discovery of cure, vaccines and the best ways to manage this covid-19 and other challenges we may encounter in life. Truly, the Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock (Jer 31:10). He will appoint us a shepherd, after his own heart (Jer 3:14-17).

Reflection Questions

1.     Does your leadership and follower-ship roles reflect the Heart of Jesus, and some of the qualities, gifts and virtues, I have mentioned above?

2.     Do you pray for your leaders everywhere?

3.     In parenting do we reference Christ’s and his teachings as our measuring sticks?

 

 

Broken Cistern? The Lord is the Source of Living Waters!; Homily-Thursday of the 16th Week In Ord. Time Yr.B,

Homily-Thursday of the 16^th Week In Ord. Time Yr.B, Fr. Udoekpo, M

v  Jer 2:1-3,7-8,12-13

v  Ps 36:6-7ab,8-9,10-11

v  Matt 13:10-17

Broken Cistern? The Lord is the Source of Living Waters!

In ancient times and even today we cannot overestimate the importance of water, spring, stream, river etc.  Humanity, Adam have always need water for living and for livelihood. It is a source of life for many of God’s creatures and nature- fish and animals in the oceans, crop and farm irrigation, animals drinks those wadi- waters, humans cook and drink; pharmaceutical industries would need water to develop medicines and the most needed vaccines against this ongoing corona-virus, today—you name it. Water is a symbol of life. In biblical literature especially today’s reading from Jeremiah 2, God is the source of water, the source and giver of life!

That is why each of us in Psalm 1 are called not only to be righteous, but to be like trees planted by the bank of the River (v.3). In Amos 5 Justice is expected to “roll down like waters, and righteousness like and overflowing stream (v.24). In the prophet Ezekiel’s newly rebuilt temple water shall flow from there nourishing crops, trees, animals, creatures and humans on the different parts of the planet (Ezekiel 47). Of course, in ancient Egypt, in Egyptology, the Nile River was seen as a god, the source of everything!

 However, a late pre-exilic prophets, Jeremiah of Anathoth, using similar and familiar water symbol- of life, had to remind Israel(Judah and Samaria/north) of the goodness of the lord, the source of life and livelihood that span the time of creation through the exodus to the land God had promised Israel(Judah/ the north).

 Such reminder, and calling- out, is important because Israel has sinned, and drifted away from the goodness of the Lord. They have begun to show signs of disloyalty and ingratitude to the Lord. They are not receptive to God’s word. They display lack of retentive memories. For this, Jeremiah says, “[Israel} they have forsaken me, the source of living waters; they have dug themselves broken cisterns, broken cisterns, the hold no water.”

How often do we not act like “broken cisterns” or prefer “broken cisterns” by being ungrateful to God or to our parents, teachers, mentors, church community, and to those who have raised, advised, or assisted us in one way or the other. We human always have very short sights and memories--- lie the ungrateful Israel of Jeremiah’s time. They were too quick to forget the miracle of the red sea. They were too quick to forget the 10 plagues. They were too quick not to remember the water and manna provided by God through Moses, you name them!

Again, doing this, behaving this way, Jeremiah bluntly describes it as digging “a broken cistern” for oneself that will not, or does not hold water. In today’s Christ-Matthew’s parable digging a broken cistern is not wise. It is like looking, but not seeing, hearing, but not listening. It is like closing one’s eyes, and memories of the past goodness of the Lord, due to the weaknesses of empty pride, arrogance and lack of receptive heart of gratitude.

The mysteries of God’s wonders and goodness in our lives, that manifest in different forms requires, faith, trust, hope, humility and a receptive hearts to understand, to remember that with the Lord is the source and fountain of life, not in a broken,  non-receptive cistern of empty pride, disloyalty and ingratitude.

Reflection Questions

1.      How grateful are we to God and to our parents, mentors and those who have counselled, assisted us in this life, in one way or the other?

2.      In Laudato si’ Pope Francis calls for respect to planet, nature, including water, seas, oceans, sea etc, how often do we listen and not pollute or cause injury to nature-water, God’s creature?

3.      Could we think of any time we have dug a “broken cistern” for ourselves in this life by being ungrateful to God and to one another?

4.      In what ways have we assisted our neighbor to be a grateful faith community member?