Oct 27, 2024 | Homily
By Fr. Marcel Uzoigwe, CSSp. (Jer 31:7-9; Psalm – Ps 126; Heb 5:1-6; Mk 10:46-52)
Dear friends in Christ,
The Gospel gives us the story of a man called Bartimaeus. He was a blind beggar. But there was something about him that sets him apart. Though blind, he had a powerful perception, knew what he wanted, and was courageous. His name says a lot about him. Bartimaeus comes from Aramaic and means “son of defilement”. Since the Jews believed that blindness and other physical defects were punishments due to sin (see the argument on the man born blind John 9:34), they looked down on him. But that is not all. There is another side to the meaning of his name. In the Greek version, this name means “son of honor”. By giving the name Bartimaeus with its double meaning, the Gospel writer must be saying that there is someone who is supposed to be a man of honor and dignity but is living in a state of dishonor and shame.
The story of Bartimaeus has lots of lessons for us. This was a blind man who had, for a time, accepted his condition and settled for being a beggar, a life of dependency on the goodwill of others. But inwardly, he knew he wanted something more: to see. But there was no possibility in sight since it has never been known that a blind person is healed of his blindness. So, he had to settle for what was available. This is not far from the story of most of us. Just think of the inner longing that we all have. When we were kids, we dreamed big. But as we grew up, we came to accept that our dreams were impossible to achieve. So, we learned to cut down on what we believed we could become. But that was the beginning of self-sabotage as we allowed our environment and people around us to limit our eagerness to try out the vast potentials that exist in us.
The limited visions, beliefs and logical reasoning of people around us began to shape our perspectives. In the case of Bartimaeus , these were the people who shouted at him to keep quiet when he called out to Jesus to help him. They did not believe that Jesus could do something tangible for this blind man. He is blind and should simply remain so. You have people who tell you that given your background, you cannot go beyond a certain level in society. Such persons are ready to point to several examples of people from backgrounds like yours who simply couldn’t make it beyond the point they claim you too cannot exceed. But they forget that even Jesus was seen as a son of a carpenter from a remote village, Galilee from which no prophet is to arise (cf. John 7:52). Besides the fact that his parents were poor, he chose his disciples from among the poor, uneducated fishermen and notorious tax collectors whom the people considered sinful and enemies of the state.
But all these could not stop Bartimaeus. He shouted even more. What does that tell us? Every worthwhile venture encounters obstacles. Unless you are unwilling to move further in life, you should understand that progress in life is about facing challenges and overcoming them. Look at the life of the apostles of Jesus. They faced enormous troubles and difficulties in their bid to proclaim the good news. How could they have archived what they accomplished, given their powerless situation and the challenge they faced? The Roman Empire was so strong and brutal that no one dared to question its rules. Yet, despite all the persecutions, the apostles and early Christians never gave up. They believed in the power of God in them. They knew that with God all things are possible. Paul described this inner belief and confidence in God in his letter to the Romans 8: 31-39. They were faced with death, persecution, suffering, and all what not. Yet, none of them could separate them from the love of Christ because they have come to understand that in all things, we are more than conquerors through Jesus Christ who has granted us his love.
Fear is a factor that everyone who wants to move further in life must address. Fear robs us of all valuables. We are often afraid of various things, most of which are neither necessary nor ever come to pass. We worry about what people think about us when no one actually cares. Yet it robs us of trying new things or living our life to the fullest. But the moment we get over that, we quickly overcome gossip, envy, backbiting, and people-pleasing. We transfer the energy and time all that rob us to improve ourselves and create better living conditions for ourselves and our loved ones. Above all, we create more time to understand ourselves and our relationship with God who cares the most. The people surrounding Bartimaeus did not care about him. Healing his blindness was not their concern. But Jesus cared, and he still cares.
There is one thing about life that we must never forget: failure has no friends. In the society and the time that Bartimaeus lived, his condition as a blind man marked him out as a natural failure and reduced him to a common beggar. He had no respect among his peers. After all, he was dependent on their generosity to survive. Have you seen how materially dependent people live in societies where wealth or abilities define status? If you lose your job and have to depend on social security, you will realize that there are several things you are not allowed to do. But the moment you begin to flourish, get wealthy, or have a lot to offer, those who disregarded you would seek to become your friends. That is life. Notice how the very people who tried to shut the mouth of Bartimaeus were the same persons who began to encourage him the moment Jesus asked them to bring Bartimaeus to him. They began telling him, “Courage, the master is calling you”.
The Bible notes that to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace (Rom. 8:6). The people were spiritually blind not to have seen that it was the same God that created them also created Bartimaeus. They have been blinded by material considerations. And that is not different from life considerations in today’s society. You are nobody if you are dependent or if you have nothing to offer. What you can offer, the value you bring to the table, is what defines you. Yet we cannot take any of these things along when we die. That is why Jesus called those who store up treasure without seeking to be friends with God fools in Luke 12:21. What are your criteria for judging and regarding people?
We might be wondering at what could have kept Bartimaeus going when every other person tried to put him down? I think it is the fact that he knew what he wanted and was focused on it. Focus increases our determination, helping us to concentrate all our energies on the one single thing that matters. You cannot stop a person that is focused on a single goal because his or her level of concentration is very high. It is like having one and only opportunity to do something you have longed for all your life. When the opportunity calls, the person would be willing to give it all, never to allow it pass by. That is what Bartimaeus did.
It is sometimes amazing that when you ask a person what he or she wants in a given situation, the person gets lost in thought. This is an experience that often keeps me wondering if we understand the importance of being focused in life. Let us say you are here in the church today. If I should ask you why you have come or what you want from God the most right now. Can you just say it in one minute? There is a game where a child is taken to a supermarket and is told on the spot to pick anything he or she wants within three minutes. It is something funny to see what some children pick. But those who have longed for a particular thing would quickly go to where those things are placed and pick up one for himself or herself. That is what happened to Bartimaeus. Jesus asked him what he wanted him to do for him. Bartimaeus did not hesitate for a moment. He knew what he wanted. He only wanted to see, full stop.
Seeing comes with responsibilities. The moment he is healed of his blindness, he will cease to beg and have to provide for himself. He would have to adhere to rules and learn to do things like every other person. All the exemptions he enjoyed as a blind person would cease. This sounds funny, but some people are so afraid of responsibilities that they seek to remain dependent in one way or the other. They hide their talents and are too shy to come to the forefront. These people are afraid to leave their comfort zones to explore their talents and try new things. They don’t want to do anything out of the ordinary. Do you know that some of you have extraordinary talents? Great cooks, musicians, singers, writers, advisers, mentors, positive thinkers, and countless spiritual gifts? But fear of the accompanying responsibilities and that of what people would say keep you numb. IS it not time to explore these gifts, both temporal and spiritual?
Today, we are called to break free from all shackles of blindness and fear and embrace the life of grace that God is giving us. We are more than what the world thinks of us. We can do all things by the power of Christ who is our strength. When Bartimaeus was healed, he followed Jesus. So, let us come to Jesus who invites us so that he can open our eyes to see how great the riches his call holds for us. Amen.
Sep 22, 2024 | Homily
By Fr. Marcel Uzoigwe, CSSp. (Wisdom 2: 12, 17-20; Psalm 54: 3-4,6 and 8; James 3: 16- 4:3; Mark 9: 30-37)
Dear friends in Christ,
The more we read about Jesus’ journey towards Jerusalem, the more we understand what he expects of those who want to follow his path. Today’s Gospel reading reveals the trials and death that awaited him in Jerusalem and what he considers true leadership. While Jesus predicts his trials and death in this Gospel, it correlates with the first reading where the just man was made to suffer by those who felt disturbed by his goodness.
The just man in the first reading was put through suffering and death because he was pious, just, and trusted in God. His life was a source of reproach for the evil people. They felt uncomfortable before him just as darkness before the light. They considered him a nuisance – because he tells the truth – and went on to plan his fall so that they could master and deal with him. Their action is based on pure egoism. The godless do not care about anything good and are ready to destroy anyone who stands in their evil ways. They threaten the pious because his actions are an indictment of their behavior. So, they decided to harass the righteous, put him to the test, torture and kill him.
The Gospel tells of Jesus teaching his disciples on the road. He would not allow others to know because what he was teaching them was important to him. He already knows that his way of life will eventually lead to him being ‘delivered into the hands of men’ and that they will kill him. He understands that because he stands up for people not considered important in society, jealousy, anger, and resentment were rising against him from those who felt that his actions were making him more popular and accepted than them. In this way, Jesus resembles the pious man from the first reading who was attacked for his righteousness.
It is however interesting to note that while Jesus speaks about the fulfillment of his life’s mission, about the difficult path through death and resurrection that he still has ahead of him, his disciples were busy arguing among themselves who among them was the greatest. Who comes after Jesus in the hierarchy? That shows that they did not understand Jesus. They were simply occupied with completely different questions, very human questions because always and everywhere people compare themselves with others and see differences and contrasts.
But we must not pretend that this behavior was only a problem among Jesus’ circle of friends at that time. It occupies us all. Whether it is about possessions, power, prestige, success, or setbacks, the question: “Who is the biggest, the most intelligent, the most successful, or the most powerful?” always plays among us. No one wants to take the lower place. Everyone wants to be on top and dictate what others must do. This can destroy relationships in large groups, associations, and organizations. Marriages, friendships, and even the strongest family ties can break up as a result of unhealthy comparisons and competition. This clearly shows that we don’t often understand the scale that Jesus uses to measure true leadership, which is service. If we want to excel above others, we must do so in humble service to people, and not in an arrogant, egoistic manner.
But where does this attitude of seeking just to be above others come from? We find a possible answer in the second reading, which directly addresses the question: “Where do the fights and quarrels come from?” Where jealousy and ambition reign, there we also find unrest and all kinds of inferior practices. Where do these fights and quarrels come from among you? Surely only from your passions. So it is the power struggle that leads the disciples to bicker about who among them is the greatest; who among them may take the place of honor and leadership after Jesus. It does not spring from the urge to serve but to be served. This is against the principle of Jesus who said that the son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).
For Jesus, leadership does not mean exercising power over others or wanting to be the boss. Being a leader means being a servant, daring to be the least. And to make clear what he expects from leaders, he placed a child in their midst. Those who want to follow him must seek to live like children. They live freely, in spontaneous trust. They are small and fragile, but feel safe in the caring love of their parents. If I want to help such a child, I have to stoop down, I have to make myself small to bring myself to the same level as the child. If I want to take a child in my arms, I have to kneel, because if I don’t do that, I force the child to cling to my legs or my hip. Whoever does not stoop down and does not bring himself to the same level as a child, cannot take the child in his or her arms either. And that is exactly what Jesus wants to tell us. Get off your high horse and look at the world with the eyes of those who are down there, who are helpless, without rights, unprotected, and dependent on the help of others. Look at their situation and be of service to them. By siding with those who have no standing, we also oppose everything that belittles them and pushes them to the margins of society.
Jesus added something very important: “Whoever receives a child like this in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives not me but him that sent me? Serving people for the sake of God is serving God. Like committing yourself to someone, caring for a vulnerable human being is encountering something of God. This is actually what the judgment day will look like as described in Matthew 25: 31-46. We cannot achieve all of that without faith and trust in God. Let’s pray that God will always open our eyes to recognize him in those who come our way. Amen.
Aug 26, 2024 | Homily
By Fr. Marcel Uzoigwe (Josh.24:1-2,15-18, Ps.33:2-3,16-23, Eph.5:21-32 & Jn.6:60-69)
Dear Friends in Christ,
We often face difficult options from which we must make a choice. The options are often exclusive, meaning choosing one completely excludes the other. It could be choosing whom to marry among your many good and willing friends, or choosing to lose your good friends whose lifestyles and choices oppose yours. It could also be that of choosing to maintain your principles and lose huge but illegal profits. One thing is certain: the choices we make in life shape our future. Besides, every choice is a result of a mindset formed from previous experiences.
The importance of making the right choices based on fundamental and enduring considerations rather than on passing and shortsighted interests is stressed in today’s readings. Like the audience in the readings, the challenge to declare our stand with God is a daily experience in our effort to live our Christian calling in the present secular society. It is interesting to see how the people of old and the disciples of Jesus handled this choice-related issue and what implications that followed.
The first reading presents Joshua summoning all the tribes of Israel to renew their allegiance to the Lord. As the days of Joshua drew to a close, he devoted his last days to reminding the Israelites of what the Lord did for them. It is time to decide on whether they want to remain faithful to God who has been on their side or turn to the gods of the neighboring nations. Therefore, Joshua convoked the entire assembly at Shechem and categorically put it before them to henceforth choose whom to serve. Whether to serve the Lord -Yahweh or to serve the foreign gods of the Amorites. As for Joshua he has chosen that he and his household will serve only the living, God. Joshua reminded them of all that the Lord had done for them right before their very eyes. He led them out of Egypt, having worked many wonders against Pharaoh, and even drowned his chariots in the sea as he tried to stop their escape. God led them through the desert, fed them with Manna, fought their battles, and drove their enemies away from them. These experiences were sufficient to convince them to remain steadfast to the Lord their God. Yet they kept alternating from belief and unbelief.
A similar situation trails the multiplication of five loaves of bread and two fishes with which Jesus fed five thousand people. That action prompted them to seek to crown Jesus their king and have him give them bread always. But the moment Jesus began teaching them about the bread of life which is his true body, their mood changed and they left him in anger. Jesus turned to the twelve and asked if they too wanted to leave. Rather than leave, they affirmed their faith in Him. Jesus’ reaction to those walking away in anger, leaves no middle ground for his hearers. It was a simple declaration that we can only follow Jesus on his terms and not on our terms.
Experience can be of great help when faced with difficult choices. It was the experience of God’s faithfulness that Joshua recounted that helped the Israelites to choose to serve Him in place of the other gods. Likewise, the twelve disciples of Jesus relied on the messages of eternal life that Jesus had given them to choose to remain with Him. The teaching was challenging and those who felt it was intolerable left Jesus. Peter’s expression shows clearly that their decision to remain with Jesus was not based on their understanding of the teaching, but on faith in Jesus himself. He said, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go, You have the message of eternal life, and we believe, we know You are the Holy One of God.’
The ability to choose is at the center of human freedom. It is the crucial trait on which all responsibilities and rewards are based. The underlying reasons for our choices are important. People have made important choices based on temporary interests. And the consequences are often unfortunate. Some have chosen their friends based on selfish interests, and when things got tough they were left alone. Others have betrayed trust because of what they would gain. It is important to think deeply before making essential choices. As far as God is concerned, He does not force us to follow Him. God respects whatever choices we make, but we have to live with the implications of such choices.
As Christians, we all profess to love God solely and to follow him sincerely. However, many a time when faith-challenging situations confront us, we see ourselves fluctuating and oscillating back and forth. We find it very difficult to remain on the side that gives credence to our faith and love of God. In such situations, we are faced with some faith decision-making: How best would I handle this issue, this way or the other way? Do I go the extra mile to make for peace or do I allow each person to go his own way to the detriment of all? Should I take my revenge this time or should I forgive and let go? Do I involve myself in these dubious business deals or do I leave it for God’s sake? All these faith-challenging situations always confront us with discernment and decision-making. Like the people of old, Joshua and Jesus are challenging all of us today, that in all situations, we have to be more thoughtful and resolute in choosing whom to follow and serve with sincerity of purpose. A very important question we should rather ask ourselves is ‘Who do we serve when no one but God sees us, and how ready are we to speak of our faith among our unbelieving friends?’ These are the things that define the extent of our choice for Jesus.
It is said that true friends are known in times of adversity. Similarly, true believers shine out in moments of trial and persecution. It is in this context that we can understand the extent of the demand of choosing Jesus when every other person is going away; to remain faithful when others are doing whatever they want. Moments of trials are moments of merit. They are moments to stick to our fundamental choices to follow Jesus, irrespective of how difficult his teaching might appear. They are moments to stand up and be counted among His true and faithful disciples. Deserting Jesus is never a good option for a Christian because only God is enduring. Every other thing is only temporal, fading away in a short space of time.
May His grace guide and strengthen us, especially when his teaching seems difficult to put into practice. Amen.
Jun 30, 2024 | Homily
By Fr. Marcel Uzoigwe, C.S.Sp. (Wis.1:13-15,2:23-24, Ps.29:2.4-6.11-13, 2Cor.8:7,9,13-15, Mk.5:21-43)
Dear brothers and sisters,
Going through the Gospel narratives, one notices that Jesus’ salvific ministry centers mostly on his teaching, healing, and deliverance. Through his teaching, Jesus enlightens our minds with the truth which leads to authentic, happy, and eternal life. His healing ministry frees victims of sickness, deformity, and all sorts of physical, mental, and emotional impairments; and his acts of deliverance set free those possessed by the forces of darkness, whether in the form of demonic possession or as a result of wrong choices and deeds, like the man that was laid down from the roof to whom he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven”(Luke 5: 17 -39). One prominent thing that stands out in all these actions of Jesus is the trustful and resilient faith on the part of those who received healing or those who brought them to Jesus.
Today’s Gospel reading taken from Mk.5:21-43 presents us with a very exciting account of two great miracles of Jesus on healing & raising of the dead. We see the elements of faith and resilience shining out in both stories. Imagine the message that Jairus got as he was waiting for Jesus to go with him and lay hands on his sick daughter: “Your daughter is dead, why put the master to any further trouble?” This is a rhetorical question meaning that the answer is contained in the question. Those who asked this question were not expecting any other answer. They were only making a statement that Jairus was wasting his time because his daughter was already dead and there is nothing Jesus could do about it. That statement was brought to a man who was struggling to save his daughter from the cold hands of death. He was fighting to make sure Jesus came before the worst happened. We can see it in the man’s actions. The passage reads, “he fell at Jesus’ feet and pleaded with Him earnestly saying, ‘my little daughter is desperately sick. Do come and lay your hands on her to make her better and save her life’”. This man was a synagogue official, yet he knew that if nothing was done, he would lose his daughter. You can imagine how he felt when people came from home to tell him not to bother Jesus any longer because the worst he feared had happened, his daughter was dead.
You might have experienced situations where someone was so sick that doctors gave up. In some cases, the hospital would not even accept the patient, they would not even try because they have already considered the situation irredeemable. When Jesus overheard the bad news, he told the man not to be afraid, but ‘only have faith’. This reminds us of what Martha told Jesus when he came later to Bethany after his brother Lazarus was dead and buried. She said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died” (John 11.21). Though Martha knew Jesus and what he could do, she had given up on his brother coming back to life. Her faith did not go so far as to be certain that Jesus could bring Lazarus back to life. So, she added “But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask” (John 11: 22). That is a polite way of saying, ‘I trust you to do something, but I am not sure you can’. It might be the reason Jesus had to remind her that He is the resurrection and the Life (see verses 25 – 26).
The first reading tells us that death was not God’s doing, extinction was not in His plan and there was no fatal poison in what God created. What the author of the Book of Wisdom wants us to know is that death, poison and extinction, and all forms of negativity that suck energy out of life are not in God’s design for us. This means that when we see these forces in action, we should stand up against them rather than cowardly submit to them. Jesus gave the parable of the man who sowed good seed in his farm and when he was sleeping, an enemy came and sowed weed (Matthew 13.24-29). Being aware that destruction, futility, and extinction are not of God helps us not to surrender to these seeds of the enemy. Jesus said to Jairus, do not be afraid, only have faith. This is because fear, worry, despair, doubts, and depression are all forces of negativity and are the seeds of death. They start by destroying our faith and trust in the goodness of God. We should never allow them to master us because they are neither of God’s design nor are they helpful to our wellbeing.
When Jesus went into the house of Jairus, rather than accepting that the girl was dead, he said that she was only sleeping. This statement of Jesus shows us how He looks at death and other forms of evil. Accepting a bad situation weakens your courage to overcome it. Just like he said about Lazarus, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am on My way to wake him up” (John 11.11-12). His disciples who did not understand why He would go to Bethany to wake a sleeping man told Him there was no need to waste energy to go and wake someone sleeping. So they said to Jesus, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better”. When they realized that Lazarus was already dead, they had nothing more to say about the situation.
In all these stories, we see the relationship between death, extinction, poison, fear, envy, doubt, and the devil on one side; we equally see the relationship between life, rising, faith, virtue, and Jesus on the other side. Jesus calls us to faith and not to fear. He calls us to rise up from whatever is keeping us down, whatever is breaking us apart, whatever is making people send messengers of bad news to tell us not to trouble the Master anymore; messengers of doom, darkness, and despair who would want us to give up. Against all these messengers of bad news, Jesus says to us, ‘Do not fear, only have faith’. Sometimes, the messengers of doom come from inside us, the inner voices that only whisper fear, discouragement, destruction, and despair. These are the voices that lead to depression, doubt, and denial of our power. It is good to face them with the words of Jesus; ‘do not fear, only have faith’.
These words of Jesus offer us power and authority for our daily struggles against the forces of evil and the fatal poisons of the devil and his agents. We are called to nourish our faith, courage, and character. We are called to destroy fear, negativity, and futility. It is now clear that anytime we are nurturing envy, we are nurturing the seed of the devil, it is equally clear that those who instill fear, confusion, panic, and anxiety into us are not working for God. We have no reason to listen to those who laugh and mock our ugly situations.
Jesus said to the little girl, ‘Talita, kum!’ which means, ‘Little girl, I tell you to get up’ and she did. May we hear His voice calling us to rise from all forms of oppression, despair, depression, bondage, and brokenness. Any seed that is not planted by God are meant to be uprooted, that was why Jesus came into the world: to destroy the work of the devil (1 John 3.8).
May 26, 2024 | Homily
By Fr, Marcel Uzoigwe, CSSp. (Deuteronomy 4:32-34, 39-40; Psalm 33; Romans 8:14-17;Matthew 28:16-20)
Today we celebrate one of the greatest mysteries of our Christian faith, the Holy Trinity. This celebration reminds us that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are equal persons of the one true God. They are never separated, though, each one of them is a distinct divine person. There is unity of essence and relation within the three divine persons.
The concept of the Holy Trinity is not easy to explain in human terms. We know the story of St. Augustine of Hippos who sought to understand the mystery of the Holy Trinity so that he could explain it logically. Preoccupied with this as he walked along the seashore, he saw a little boy who made a hole in the sand and was fetching water from the sea and emptying it on the hole he had made. When he asked the little boy what he was doing, he replied that he was trying to empty the sea into the little hole he made. That was an impossible feat that showed St. Augustine how difficult it was to fully understand the mystery of the Holy Trinity.
You probably already know another story about a young boy who climbs a mountain in India to meet a guru. When he got to the top, he found the guru sleeping and woke him up. The guru asked him, “What can I do for you, young man?” He answered, “I want you to explain God to me.” The guru smiled and said, “A God that can be explained is not a God that you should worship.” And went back to sleep. This is so because once we can define God and fully understand him, then we have reduced him to something we can manage and control. It is not about the truth of these stories that matters, but the fact that, like the little boys, understanding the mystery of the Holy Trinity in its logical form is difficult and unnecessary. What is important is understanding what it holds in stock for us.
The doctrine of the inner relationship of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is a mystery in the sense that we grow every day in our understanding of it, but might never know everything about it. The readings would not get us there. The word Trinity is not found in the Bible. Early Christians arrived at the doctrine when they applied their God-given reason to the revelation which they had received in faith. Jesus spoke about the Father who sent him (the Son) and the Holy Spirit he was going to send. He said that the Father had given him (the Son) all that he has and that he in turn has given to the Holy Spirit all that he has received from the Father. In this, we see the unity of purpose among the three persons of the Trinity.
The importance of this doctrine lies in this: we are made in the image of God which we have seen to be a mystery. Experts in religion tell us that people always try to be like the god they worship. People who worship a warrior god tend to be warmongering, people who worship a god of pleasure tend to be pleasure-seeking, people who worship a god of wrath tend to be vengeful, and people who worship a god of love tend to be loving. Like a god, so the worshippers. Therefore, the more important question for us to ask today is: What does the doctrine of the Holy Trinity tell us about the kind of God we worship and what does this say about the kind of people we should be?
The human person is a mystery. We are made in God’s image and likeness. We bear something of God and something of human nature. We are not just human, but equally God in human expression. Jesus said, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our dwelling with him” (John 14:23). We grow every day in self-knowledge. It is funny that despite the many years we have lived, we still surprise ourselves sometimes. We still don’t fully understand ourselves. That is why we struggle to understand ourselves more and to become the better version of ourselves. If we still struggle with understanding ourselves, how difficult is it then to understand others? This is an invitation to be patient with people, just as God is often patient with us.
By creation we recognize the creative power of God. By redemption, we recognize his infinite love that made Jesus undertake the pains of the cross. And by sending the Holy Spirit, we see that God loves to be with us at all times. These show us that God himself does not exist in solitary individualism but in a community of love and sharing. God is not a loner. He is a community of three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These core characteristics should be seen reflected in us: creativity, love, compassion, assisting those in need, cooperation, and standing up for one another. This means that a Christian in search of Godliness must shun every tendency to individualism. The ideal Christian spirituality is that which encourages unity in diversity.
The mystery of the human person can be better understood in a loving relationship that mirrors the relationship that exists among the Trinitarian God. We are so diverse and gifted differently as individuals. Our gifts and talents become useful in the context of community when we put them at the service of others. God is God because he made humans through whom he reveals himself. Just as God is God only in a Trinitarian relationship, so we can be fully human only in a relationship of love in a community. The self needs to be in a horizontal relationship with others and a vertical relationship with God. In that way, our life becomes Trinitarian like that of God. The I-and-God-and-neighbor principle becomes our model of relationship.
Today, the church reminds us that the three divine persons are not divided in their essence and actions. Instead, they work together. Therefore, what we celebrate today is a model for our unity in diversity. One of the important lessons we can learn from the Holy Trinity is that in spite of our individual personalities and differences, unity is possible and a fundamental option. We need to reassess the place of unity in our communities, relationships, friendships, marriages, and families. It also reminds us that in spite of our different talents, gifts, social, and economic levels, we can live and work together for our salvation and the salvation of the world.
Like the apostles, we as Christians must carry this message: that God, that Jesus, that the Holy Spirit is love, and that He is present among us. He is present as Father in the love we give and receive, and also in those who give time and attention to the needs of their fellow human beings. He is present as Son in our faith; the faith we preserve and express in difficult times, suffering, and adversity. And He is present as Spirit in our faith that is stronger than all doubts, and in our enthusiasm that always renews and opens our faith to God’s endless love.
Sisters and brothers, may that be our experience of the Holy Trinity, the mystery that we will never be able to grasp with our human minds, but which instills in us that God is infinite love, close to us at every moment of our existence in the communion of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen
Apr 28, 2024 | Homily
By Fr. Marcel Uzoigwe, C.S.Sp. ( Acts 9:26-31; Psalm – Ps 22; 1 Jn 3:18-24; Jn 15:1-8)
Dear friends in Christ,
One of the accusations that the Jews brought against Jesus during his trial was that he called God his father, and in that way sought to claim that he was one with God. They could not understand how Jesus, who they could see as a human being, could claim to be God. But Jesus did not stop there. He went on to say that we too are united with God, and are one with God. To make matters worse, he said, “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him” (John 14: 23). Knowing how difficult it was for his audience to understand his deep spiritual teachings however, Jesus used various metaphors to illustrate his teachings, especially about the relationship that exist between him and his disciples. Last week it was “I am the good shepherd and you are the sheep of my flock.” In today’s Gospel, it is “I am the true vine and you are the branches.”
This Gospel reading is taken from the middle of the Last Supper discourse. There, Jesus spoke about his relationship with his disciples. Using the metaphor of the vine and the branches, which refers to the metaphor of God’s relationship with Israel that was constantly used in the Hebrew Scriptures, Jesus showed himself to be deeply united with those that belong to him. In the Old Testament, Israel was constantly referred to as the vineyard, and Yahweh himself was the master who planted the vineyard and tended it. God took the vine out of Egypt and planted it, watered, and pruned it (Psalm 80: 8-11). Therefore, he expected it to bear fruit. The prophets used this metaphor to remind the Israelites of the consequence of turning away from God whenever they did something wrong.
By using this metaphor, Jesus teaches his disciples that his relationship with them will not end after his death; he will remain with them always. This unity between Jesus and his disciples is the basis for their ability to continue to do the work that he began. Similarly, Jesus’ presence with us through the Gift of the Holy Spirit enables us to continue the work of love that he began. Just as the branches receive life from the stock, so do all who unite themselves with Jesus. He becomes their vital force, inspiring, leading and guaranteeing the life of grace in them.
Jesus also teaches his disciples about the importance of the words he has spoken to them. Keeping his word is the guarantee for remaining in him. It is also the assurance of winning God’s favor and receiving from God what we need or ask. For ourselves who did not see Jesus in the flesh, we come to know him through the Scriptures, the living Word of God. Our commitment to be Christ’s disciples is sustained through God’s Word. This commitment is also strengthened by our life of prayer and nourished by the Eucharist. Through the Eucharist, Jesus dwells in us, remains with us, and transforms us so that we might bear fruit in his name.
The image of pruning is a powerful one. Any gardener knows that growth should not be unchecked and unmanaged. There comes a time when pruning is necessary. It can appear to be a destructive act, and at times a gardener is emotionally reluctant to do it to a beloved plant, but it is absolutely necessary to allow fresh growth and ensure the plant’s long-term vitality. It is just like the plants and flowers we have in our gardens. There comes a time when we must trim them. Otherwise, they will not look beautiful. If you don’t prune the grapes, they won’t bear much fruit. But you also need to know what to prune, and how and when to do it. This image refers to our own lives. We must allow our own lives to be pruned so that we might continue to bear the right fruit.
Notice that the gospel tells us that God is the one who does the pruning, not ourselves. This should be an encouragement because if we were to do it ourselves, we might do it wrongly. What is required of us is to turn to God to help us set the priorities right. We can have a lot going on in our lives and at some point, it becomes too much and we start cutting. Unfortunately, we don’t always trim for the right reasons. We might keep what is fun rather than what is good for us. We might hold on to what makes us popular or what is easiest. The other option might be to get rid of everything, which could be an extreme reaction. But when we turn to God to do the trimming, he brings us to his light to see clearly what needs to be removed and what to keep.
We see in the first reading how Jesus pruned Saul who was destructive to the spreading of the Gospel and made him an apostle. The previous section of the Acts of the Apostles describes Saul’s persecution of the first Christians. He was devout in his Jewish faith and therefore was deeply offended that some of his fellow Jews were accepting Jesus as the Messiah. So Saul imprisoned many of them. He was present when Stephen was martyred, and consented to this violence (Acts 7:58 – 8:1). Saul believed that he was rendering service to God by killing those polluting what he considered to be the pure religion. While traveling to Damascus for this purpose, he was confronted with a vision of Jesus and was converted. His name was changed from Saul to Paul, and he was able to bear fruit for the Gospel to such an extent that a larger portion of the letters in the Bible are attributed to him. Without such pruning, his life would have been wasted pursuing what he considered just, yet unacceptable to God.
When Paul tried to join the other disciples, they were all afraid of him, having heard all he did to destroy them. In today’s reading, we see Barnabas reassuring the Christians in Jerusalem that Paul’s conversion was authentic. He narrated Paul’s encounter with the Lord Jesus on the road to Damascus, and how afterward Paul had spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus in Damascus. After the Jerusalem Christian community accepted him, Paul continued to speak out boldly for Christ. When Paul’s life was threatened because of his boldness in the public debate over Jesus Christ as the Messiah against the Hellenists, it was the same Christians he persecuted who had become part of his new family that saved him by bringing him to Caesarea – an important port city northwest of Jerusalem – from where he traveled to Tarsus.
Beloved friends in Christ, Jesus has called each of us to bear fruit. And we can only do that by being part of him who is the true vine. It is dangerous to choose any other way like Paul tried to do before his conversion. As the Scripture wans, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end, it leads to destruction” (Proverbs 14:12). If we are cut off from him, we can’t do anything. Let us, therefore, continue to grow in our union with Jesus and thus continue to bear fruit in his name. Amen.
