Sep 28, 2020 | Homily
By Fr. Marcel Uzoigwe, CSSp
(Ezk.18:25-28, Ps.24, Phil.2:1-11 & Matt.21:28-32)
Dear friends in Christ,
We are conversant with such sayings as these: A man’s worth is not measured by what he says but what he does; Talk is cheap; Making promises is not the same as fulfilling them; Action speaks louder than words, and so on. Such sayings point to the fact that for a speech to be meaningful and effective, it needs to be put into practice. We are also conversant with so many sayings about change, especially the famous saying by the Greek philosopher, Heraclitus, that “The only thing that is constant is change.” Whether we talk about change or about actions, one important component that determines the effect of the change or action is its direction. A person’s action can change either from a negative direction to a positive direction or vice versa. Whichever direction a person decides to focus his action determines the person’s destination, goal, or end.
The Christian life is not shielded from this reality. We are either moving forward, growing in our faith and Christian practice or we are moving backward and losing out on the great vocation that cost the life of Jesus on the cross. Similarly, it is becoming common practice to identify with the Church, publicly profess the faith, only to turn away from it. The readings of today warn that God assesses people based on their present actions, and therefore demand change of heart to focus on living the teachings of Jesus in the present. They re-echo the closing words of Jesus on his ‘Sermon on the Mount’ when he said, “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.”(Matthew 7:24).
Prophet Ezekiel warns, in our first reading, that “If a righteous person changes his mind and turns away from righteousness and commits sin, he dies because of his sin. While on the other hand, if a wicked person turns away from the sins he commits and does what is good and right, he will save his life.” In other words, the punishment for sin is the poison of the sin itself. Our selfishness, for instance, begets distressing isolation. And, as a violation of our life-giving relationship with God, sin begets nothing but pain and loss. Thus, it is not God that punishes the sinner; the punishment for sin is self-inflicted. When we have a change of heart and repent, God does not keep a record of our past. That’s why a convicted criminal who made a last moment act of faith got the promise of paradise (cf. Luke 23: 40-43). What matters in life therefore is not how we started but where we are at the present and how we finish. Yet, a person’s final choice is essentially not random. It has a history. During our entire life, we are consciously or unconsciously making choices that shape us or dispose us to be molded into a particular shape that only comes to full expression at the end.
This prophetic warning is invariably based on the possibility of changing one’s values in life. The famous philosopher, Socrates, is credited with the saying that “The unexamined life is not worth living”. This reading invites us to examine which direction our life is going and to determine if there is a need for change in direction. Self-examination is not something to be taken lightly given the scriptural warning in Proverbs 14:12 that “there is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.” Thus, objectivity, but also regularity, are essential elements to fruitful self-reflection. That is one of the reasons that the Church begins most of its liturgical prayers, especially the celebration of the Holy Eucharist with penitential service which gives us the opportunity to examine our lives, ask for forgiveness and resolve to move in the right direction as God desires of us.
Jesus extended this call for a change of heart, for repentance, in the gospel reading with a parable. In this parable, a man had two sons. He came to the first and said, ‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.’ He said in reply, ‘I will not,’ but afterward changed his mind and went. The man came to the other son and gave the same order. He said in reply, ‘Yes, sir,’ but did not go. And Jesus asks, ‘Who among the two sons did his father’s will? Certainly, it is the first one who carried out what the father wants of him, even though he had earlier objected but he later changed his mind and obeyed his father.
The first son exemplifies the action of God’s grace (which is continually extended to us) and human nature (original sin) which makes us lean towards selfishness. Change or having a rethink is the fruit of cooperating with that grace. On the other hand, the son who says “yes” and does nothing represents those who knew God and followed Him to a certain extent before dropping out. In the time of Jesus, these were the those that did not accept him as the Messaiah, as the fulfillment of the la wand the prophets. That was the religious establishment, the chief priests, and the elders of the people. Rather than the deep and personal conversion to which Jesus calls all, their religious behavior and relationship with God was usually self-serving and superficial, reduced to observing rituals and rules. Jesus concludes that the tax collectors and the prostitutes are finding their way into the kingdom before the self-righteous priests and elders.
The point Jesus makes in this parable is quite clear. Good intentions and promises don’t actually count unless they are carried out or kept. A person might say “Yes” to God and later lose his soul by disobedience. On the other hand, a person might say “No” to God, but later save his soul by repentance and act of obedience. Obviously, when the roll is called at the end of the day we shall all be examined on our actual obedience to what the Lord wants of us and not on our mere ‘Yes’ and promises to obey the Lord which never came true. Like the prophet Ezekiel said, “When someone virtuous turns away from virtue to commit iniquity and dies, it is because of the iniquity he committed that he must die.” It is the action that kills. And since every action begins as a thought in the mind, St. Paul earnestly admonishes us in the second reading to be of the same mind, with the same love, united in heart, thinking one thing.
St. Paul’s appeal touches on the very things that cause problems among people and eventually tempt mankind to walk away from God. Hear what he says: “Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves, each looking out not only for his own interests but also for those of others. Have in you the same attitude that is also in Christ Jesus.” Paul understands the essence of conversion from personal experience. He was brought up in the strict religious practice of the Pharisees. So conversion for him was not just a mere emotional feeling but a deep change in everything: value system, commitment, direction, and goal of life. He found the life of Jesus as the only thing worth imitating such that he was bold to write in 1Corinthians 11: 1 “You are to imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.” The commitment of Jesus to his teaching, his humility up to the point of dying on the cross for those that even rejected him, are some of the things that strengthened the effect of Paul’s personal encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9).
Dear friends in Christ, Paul realized that the only way to fully commit to Jesus is by a conversation of the whole person that involves a deep change of mind. He set himself to work to become such a great apostle and recommend such renewal of mind to everyone who wants to do the will of God (cf. Rom. 12: 1-2). The same call for such transformative change in one’s way of life resounds in the three readings we have today. Lets, therefore reconsider our promises and professions of faith in the light of our present life situations and see what necessary changes and renewals we need accomplish the will of God for us. Let us, therefore, pray for the grace to heed this divine invitaion. Peace be with you.
Aug 23, 2020 | Homily
By Fr. Marcel Uzoigwe, CSSp.
(Is.22:19-23, Ps.138:1-8, Rom.11:33-36 & Matt.16:13:20)
Beloved friends in Christ,
The readings of today invite us to review the basic foundation of our stewardship. This is necessary given that stewardship in God’s household is a vocation. God calls and choses us for various functions in the body of Christ. Only when our stewardship is inspired by the knowledge and love of God rather than love of wealth and vain glory can we be true partners with God in fulfilling his desires for his people.
The first reading is a continuation of the prophecy of Isaiah concerning Jerusalem at a time it was facing possible external attack and internal corruption. The portion we read is a prophecy concerning the disgrace and replacement of Shebna, a great officer entrusted with the treasury and the management of the revenue, and the choice of Eliakim to take over the post of honour. Shebna was described as a man of boundless ambition and covetousness, proud and treacherous to the point of having secret correspondence with the enemies of Israel. Eliakim, on the other hand, was the opposite of everything that Shebna represented in his behaviour. He was God-fearing, humble and diligent. Having proved himself a faithful servant of God in other employments, God approved him for the high position of taking charge of his household. Eliakim did not undermine Shebna, nor made an interest against him, nor did he intrude into his office; but God called him to it: and what God calls us to we may expect he will own us in.
God will place the keys of David on the shoulder of Eliakim such that when he opens no man shuts, and when he shuts, no man opens. He will also fasten him as a nail in a sure place, not to be removed or cut down. These statements point to the vast extent and long duration of the authority that God was going to confer on Eliakim. By diligent discharge of his office, he will be a great blessing in his family, and a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. He shall take care not only of the affairs of the king’s household, but of all the public interests in Jerusalem and Judah. In Eliakim we see that the honour men reflect by their piety and usefulness is more to be valued than that which they derive from their titles. Indeed the glory of this world which Shebna sought in his covetousness gives no intrinsic worth or excellency, but hangs like a cloth which will soon be dropped. But that which God bestows is eternal.
Jesus confers similar, but even greater authority, to Peter in the gospel reading. In the account of the events leading to Jesus’ statement, Jesus sought feedback from his disciples regarding who the people say he is. Since there are usually as many opinions as there are persons, the people’s opinion regarding the identity of Jesus varied from being John the Baptist or Elija to one of the ancient prophets that has come back to life. Jesus then threw the question directly to his disciples, “But who do you say that I am?” There is a wide gap between knowing about a person and knowing a person. Knowledge about a person is based on available information, which could be false. A woman once heard a gossip about her husband. While the gossiper was expecting the woman to get elated and react furiously, she calmly turned to her and said, “I know him. You better go home and fix your family and stop spying on my husband.” Eventually, she was right because the gossip turned out to be false. Knowing a person is based on first-hand personal experience of the person. The woman in the story was unwilling to exchange her experience of her husband with rumours flying around about him.
Having been with his disciples for a long time, one would not expect Jesus to throw such a question to them. But there is more to it because it borders on the question of identity, and how we arrive at it. The people guessed the identity of Jesus based on what they saw: the authority of his teaching was similar to that of John the Baptist; the signs he performed likened him to Elija, etc. It was necessary for Jesus to know if his disciples trully understand who they were following and what they were doing by following him. Without such a knowledge, it would be nearly impossible for them to face the challenges that will follow.
Peter, guided by the Holy Spirit, spoke up, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” That was the first public proclamation of the identity of Jesus by his disciples. Such knowledge from on high cannot be mediated by information gathering without personal faith and commitment. We must realize that by this question Jesus is as well asking us individually today, who am I to you? Do you really know me? Why are you following me? It is not enough to have a knowledge of Jesus based on what other people say or write about him without having your own personal experience of who Jesus is to you. By building a personal relationship with Jesus, we grow in discovering who he is on first-hand bases.
In response to Peter’s declaration of faith, Jesus pronounces: “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church.” Of course the true rock, the “cornerstone” is, and remains, Jesus himself. But once he has risen and ascended into heaven, this cornerstone, though present and active, is invisible. It is necessary for a sign to represent him, a sign that makes Christ, who is the “unshakeable foundation,” visible and efficacious in history. This sign is Peter and, after him, his successor, the Pope, as head of the college of apostles.
Thereafter follows Jesus’ assurance that the Church will endure against all assaults of evil. This has been remarkably kept through twenty centuries down to our own day, a testimony to the firmness of a foundation whose strength basically comes from Truth and Love. As long as these divinely originating qualities are in the Church, and any part of it, there is nothing to fear. Peter is then given a special stewardship and responsibility for the community: “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be considered bound in heaven”.
The leadership of Peter and his successors is not one of dictatorship but of example and service. We see in the first reading the contrast between the stewardship style of Shebna who was dethroned and that of Eliakim whom God promoted to replace Shebna. Thus, the Pope is not a dictator. He is limited by the faith of the whole Church. He is thus the focal point of unity of that one faith, the unity in the Spirit. In our fragmented Church of today, with so many conflicting theologies and spiritualities, there has never been a greater need for a focal point of Christian unity as we creatively search for new understandings of what it means to be a disciple of Christ in a constantly changing world.
Though Eliakim and Peter were God-fearing, diligent and committed, the choice of them and the authority conferred on them came directly from God. Like Eliakim and Peter, each one of us has been chosen and entrusted with certain responsibility in the church community, family, work place or in the society. We need to recognize and appreciate the trust God has vested in us in calling us to his service, and allow it to inspire us to seek even deeper knowledge and commitment with him. Such personal experinces of God in our lives would help us to be good steawards in God’s household.
Jul 27, 2020 | Homily
By Fr. Marcel Uzoigwe, CSSp.
(1Kigs.3:5,7-12, Ps.119, Rom.8:28:30 & Matt. 13:44-52)
Dear Friends in Christ,
Wisdom makes a lot of differences in life. Wisdom enable us, not just to have knowledge and right judgement, but also proper understanding and right application of reason in every situation. The ability to understand and allign our reasoning or knowledge to the will of God is all that is needed to discover and possess the treasures of the Kingdom. Consequently, James 1:5 advises that “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.“ The readings of today invite us to reflect on the need for wisdom and its appropriate application in life matters.
The first reading presents King Solomon’s request to God. After Solomon was made a king in succession of his father David, God appeared to him in a dream and urged him to ask for whatever he desires. Being mindful of his enormous responsibility as a king, to judge and rule over the people entrusted to his care, Solomon decided to ask God for a heart of Understanding and Discernment to enable him decipher what is good and what is evil in discharging his leadership duties. God was so pleased that, instead of asking for long life, wealth or the life of his enemies, Solomon requested for understanding and a discerning heart that he gave him a heart so wise and understanding that it can never be equaled by anyone.
There is something about this request of Solomon. He did not ask for something that is solely for his personal benefit. He asked for something that will benefit the people he governs. He treasured good leadership above personal wealth and selfish desires. He, therefore realized that he needed wisdom to achieve it. When the opportunity came, he went straight to ask for it. There are three important points to be noted in the comment preceding his request. First, he recognized that it was God who placed him on the King’s stool, and not out of his own individual qualification. Secondly, he quickly acknowledged that he was a little boy, lacking experience. But the task before him, i.e. leadership, was great. Thirdly, he noted that the people whom he was chosen to govern were God’s chosen people, great and numerous, thereby expressing the need for vigilance and care in discharging his duties.
This humble attitude displayed by Solomon on ascending the throne is an example to all, whether called to take up leadership responsibility or not. Solomom’s request was informed by his lofty sense of duty and responsibility based on his love and regard for God. He got his priorities right. His primary preocupation at this point was to execute his duties with utmost diligence to the satisfaction of all. The love of God that was examplified in the life of his father, David, was still very much in him. We know that when Solomon got old and his value system changed, he married several wives and was led away to worship foreing idols. This points tot he fact that people could sheaply give away what was treasurable to them, just the way Esau gave away his birthright for a pot of porridge (Genesis 25: 29-34).
The gospel presented this theme with the three parables of the kingdom of Heaven as treasure buried in the field, as a fine pearl found by a marchant, and as a net thrown into the sea that collected all kinds of fish. A very important fact in the three parables is the choice made by the actors – the one who found the hidden treasure went and sold everything he owed and bought the field; the marchant who found the fine pearl sold everything he had and bought the pearl; and the fisher took his time to select the good fish out of the bad. They all gave away their time and treasure to acquire the kingdom which is of a higher value. The persons who sold the field with the hidden treasure and the fine pearl may not have known what value they were giving away. They may have made wrong choices out of ignorance.
Our everyday life is filled with the issue of making choices. We choose the cloth to wear, which food to eat, who to call, which friend to make, where to go, what to buy, which television channel or program to watch, how much to spend for what, etc. We also choose how and when to do what, what to believe, who to marry, what job to apply for, and so on. We could choose to live in the service of God and humanity or to be selfish; to live according to the values of the kingdom of God or to live as if God does not exist. Every choice is governed by what value we attach to them, and every choice has its own consequences.
It is not always easy making choices, especially among two apparant good options. Yet we must always strive to make right choices. One way to evaluate the value that governs our choices and set them right is to check the thought of our heart, because every other thing flows from it (cf. Proverbs 4: 23). What we treasure occupies our mind and influences our choices. Consequently, Jesus said to the crowd during his teaching on the mount, “…store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:20-21). If we treasure who we are and the things we have – like the grace of being a Christian, our Christian community, the family we have, etc. and work to uphold them, they will determine the direction of our future choices, and be the source of our happiness.
Paul clearly expresses this thought in the second reading when he says, “We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose” (Rom. 8:28). Hence, if we love God and seek to do his will; if we appreciate his invitation to serve him in the community we belong to, our daily choices would allign with that option. We would find ourselves desiring to grow in faith and service to God and humanity, and God would not hesitate to imbue us with his wisdom and graces.
Finding the treasure of the kingdom and giving everything away to possess it is what Jesus meant when he said, “seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33). The decisions of the person who found “treasure hidden in a field” the merchant who found “one pearl of great value” and those who put the good fish “into baskets but threw out the bad” were all motivated by wisdom and understanding. Without wisdom and understanding, it is difficult to appreciate the kingdom of God as a treasure of supreme value. That is why the world is filled with violence, crime and all sorts of evil because most people are busy seeking the kingdom of the world – material riches, power and fame. Paul’s missionary experience led him to conclude that preaching Christ crucified is a “stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1 Corienthians 1: 23-24). The difference lies on one group relying solely on their own human reasoning and the other being guided by wisdom and understanding. Thus we need the wisdom that comes from above (cf. James 3:17) to guide us in our daily life choices.
The prayerful attitude of of the young King Solomon should guide us to ask for wisdom and understanding to always set our priorities right, give God the first place in our lives and allow His principles and values to determine our daily life decisions and choices. We could then appreciate the supreme value of the kingdom of God and be willing to forgo other distraction that seek to take out heart away from efforts to possess it.
Jun 29, 2020 | Homily
By Fr. Marcel Uzoigwe, CSSp
(2 Kings 4:8-11, 14-16a; Romans 6:3-4, 8-11; Matthew 10:37-42)
Dear friends in Christ,
We often presume that others are the beneficiaries of whatever we are generous with, whereas we are actually the ones who reap from our acts of generosity. It is interesting to know that our acts of generosity serve to supply what we lack, and everyone lacks something in life, either materially or spiritually. The facts that “it is in giving that we receive” (St. Francis) and “it is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts. 20:35) are clearly highlighted in the readings of today. They also portray love as the driving force of generosity.
The first reading presents the wealthy but childless Shunammite couple. What makes this couple exceptional is the ability to feel the sufferings of others, shown in the initiative they took to alleviate the suffering of Elisha. They provided bed and board for Elisha each time he came across. The process was set in motion by the woman, and her husband must be a good and generous man to be open to her suggestion to furnish a little room for Elisha in their house so that he could always have a place to rest during his journey. Their generosity was matched and surpassed by God who granted them a son according to the words of Elisha: “This time next year you will be fondling a baby son” (2 Kings 4:16).
Hospitality is a form of generosity, and it is one of the greatest virtues in the Bible. The ancients believed that each person should be welcomed as though one were welcoming God himself. The virtue of hospitality is encountering the presence of God in others, usually in those whom we least expect. This reminds us of a similar story found in the eighteenth chapter of the book of Genesis, where the old man Abraham and his aged wife Sarah welcomed and entertained three strangers. But they never knew that the travelers were actually God’s messengers. And in a year, Abraham and Sarah had a baby boy whom they named Isaac. Many a time we miss to welcome God who visits us in a way we never expected Him to.
For those who know how to listen, like the Shunammite couple, they hear the voice of God inviting them to take action. Despite the attendant dangers in doing good for others—peoples incomprehension—they trust that God sees their hearts and good intentions. Such people get surprised by God. The Shunammite couple couldn’t buy a child, in spite of their wealth; but they received a gift of a son, through the prayers of the prophet. Note that when God called Elisha, he cooked his farm animals and fed his workers with the meat—his whole wealth and source of livelihood disappeared in a single day (1 Kings 19:19-21). He too was generous with his material possession, but even more in dedicating his life to God’s service with the attendant material poverty and dependency that go with it.
The gospel deals with excessive attachments which restrict our generosity and freedom to do God’s work accordingly; something that St. Ignatius of Loyola would call ‘inordinate affection’. To demonstrate to us that charity or generosity with our gifts to others is not easy, three classes of excuses we usually give for refusing to be generous are presented to us: responsibilities to our parents, children and preservation of our wealth. Against these excuses, Jesus warns that “whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me” (Matthew 10:37-38). By demanding that we prioritize his call to serve above every other human consideration or family ties, Jesus affirms the very principle of love as the driving force for generosity which looks beyond the individual to see God in human persons. Thus, when we are generous to a person, it is actually to God that we are generous. We see this also in the statement of Jesus concerning the last judgement, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” ( Mathew 25:40).
What goes on in our minds when we see people in difficulty or suffering? Do we simply get angry and place the blame on institutions and governments for wrong policies or do we think their situation calls us to take action? Bad policies do lead to people suffering, but it is not just the anger against institutions and governments that matter; rather, our ability to be generous towards them.
Generosity does not require a great deal of wealth, for anyone to feel dispensed from it; a cup of water to a thirsty person suffices as generosity: “And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because he is a disciple – amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward” (Matthew 10:42). Everyone is rich enough to share something, no matter how little, with others. It is sin – especially greed and lack of faith – that prevents us from sharing with others. The solution to this sin, given in the second reading, reminds us that our sinful nature died with Christ in baptism. We must therefore consider ourselves dead to sin and alive with God in Jesus Christ (Romans 6:11). If we are still stingy and unfeeling towards people who suffer, our claim to Christianity is questionable. We must be supportive to anyone who needs what we can offer.
Generosity goes beyond material giving. The very source and origin of generosity is God himself. He made us freely in his own image and likeness and generously gave us the entire creation to manage (Gen. 2:26). After the fall of Adam and Eve that brought us death, God’s generosity gave us salvation. Thus generosity is an expression of the person of God which is love itself (1 John 4:8). In John 3:16 we read, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life”. It is God’s gift of His Son that enables us to be generous like Him. We can then offer our time, attention, services, resources cheerfully without grudging. It also enables us to see something good in everyone, feel their pains and seek to help them in ways we can. The greatest form of generosity is to lead the sinner and those going astray to salvation, and to be part of the salvation ministry which is the very reason Jesus emphasized on generosity given to prophets, apostles, disciples and ‘the little ones’.
Let us realize that whatever we posses in terms of time, talent and treasure as well as spiritual gifts, are freely bestowed on us by God for the purpose of serving our good and that of our neighbour, knowing that whatever good we do to others, we are ultimately doing it to God.
Jun 15, 2020 | Homily
By Fr. Marcel Uzoigwe, CSSp. (Deut. 8:2-3,14-16, Ps.147:12-20, 1Cor. 10:16-17 & Jn.6:51-58)
Dear friends in Christ,
Today the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Corpus Christi (Body and Blood of Christ) which is at the very center of Catholic spirituality. Ever since the institution of the Eucharist in the Upper Room by Jesus with the mandate “Do this in memory of me”, (Luke 22:19, 1Cor.11:24,25), the Church has in obedience gathered regularly in the name of Jesus to do and say what the Lord Jesus did and commanded at that last supper. By this establishment, Jesus really wants us to keep celebrating and living out his life and message as Eucharistic people and also to draw life from his Body and Blood which sustains us in our pilgrimage to eternal life.
The three readings of today deal with the subject of Jesus as the Bread of Life from different perspectives. In the first reading, Moses calls on the Israelites to remain faithful to God who led them through the desert for forty year, feeding them with manna, the bread of heaven. He described this bread as something uncommon and unknown to their fathers; something that God alone bestows on his people out of love, to strengthen them on their difficult journey through the desert. Moses pointed out that the event of feeding the Israelites with the manna coupled with the circumstances of their painful journey obliges them to realize that there is more to life than bread and butter. They are called to live by every word that comes from the mouth of God. In other words, they are called to obedience of faith – living by God’s commandments and standard so as to remain the people of God, pleasing to Him. Their unity as a people derives not only from their common ancestry but also from their faithfulness to God who has claimed them as His own and saddled Moses with the task of leading them out of slavery to the freedom that befits the children of God.
Paul takes up this theme with the early Corinthian Christians who were besieged with various pastoral problems. He cautioned them on the dangers of neither according the Body and Blood of Christ the dignity it commands nor living according to its demands. Sharing the one body required them to be united in love for one another, working for the good of all rather than seeking individual interests in ways that harm the community of believers. Being a Jew did not blind St. Paul from realizing Jesus as the new source of unity among the believers rather than ancestral descent. If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation: The old has gone, the new is here (2 Cor. 5:17). He or she is a member of the new community of the people of God.
Partaking of the body of Christ implies being one with Jesus. The consequence of this event is enumerated in the earlier verses (verses 1-15) of the 1Corinthians 10 out of which today’s reading consists of only versus 16 and 17. St. Paul connects there the dangers of unworthy participation in the Eucharist with the Israelites at the time of Moses who ate the manna in an unworthy manner, and consequently died in the desert. They were, so to say, the rotten part of the body, and therefore unworthy to remain united with the rest. Paul warns us that sin makes us unworthy and has an unpleasant effect when we approach the Eucharist. We need to be prepared because we are dealing with God who is holy and almighty.
The question of true presence of Jesus in the Eucharist is the subject of the Gospel reading. In spite of Jesus’ declaration that the bread and wine are his true body and blood, this discussion has continued until this day. Down through the ages many heretics doubt and deny the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. For some it is impossible to be true while for others, Jesus’ real presence is limited within the time of the Eucharistic celebration but not after the celebration.
The importance of this teaching of Jesus led Pope Urban IV to establish Corpus Christi as a Feast for the universal Church in 1264 and Pope Clement V made it an obligatory feast for the universal Church at the Council of Vienna in 1311. The Church takes this teaching serious because it was Jesus who made this statement “I am the bread of life”. He didn’t stop there, he went on to say that, this bread is my flesh. So the bread you see is God whole and entire, body and blood, soul and divinity. The bread is not a pointer, but Jesus himself who continues to offer himself to us. Again, during the Last Supper, “while they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins”(Matthew 26: 26-28). Searching for the very words of Jesus in the scriptures (ipsissima verba), scholars found that these were the actual words of Jesus himself. He said, “this is my body, this is my blood” and not “this represents my body, this represent my blood”. Corpus Christi Feast was, therefore, established in order to re-assure the Christian Faithful of Christ’s ever abiding real presence in the Eucharist as opposed to the heretical doubt and denial of the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.
In the light of our great celebration today, the big question that confronts us is, to what extent do we really believe in the Eucharistic Jesus and His ever abiding real presence, and how has the celebration of the Eucharist positively transformed us as individuals and united us as a community of faith where the life of Jesus is replicated in our dealings with one another? The early Church gives us an example of living as a community of faith. Acts 4:32 says, “all the believers were one in heart and mind.” And when problems started arising, the apostles chose men full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom to handle the situation and maintain unity among the brethren (Acts 6:1-3).
The feast of the Body and Blood of Jesus (Corpus Christi) reminds us of who we are: the people of God on a journey to our eternal home in heaven. While here on earth, we are united with God, protected and strengthened by the body and blood of Christ we celebrate. It is our responsibility to remain united with Him, helping one another with the realization that we are members of the one body, and the journey could sometimes be more difficult for one or more of our members. In this regard, let us heed to the admonition of St. Paul in Romans 15: 1-3, “we who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up. For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: ‘The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me’”.
May 25, 2020 | Homily
By Fr. Marcel Uzoigwe, CSSp. (Acts: 1, 1-11; Eph. 1, 17-23; Mt 28, 16-20 )
Dear friends in Christ,
Today we celebrate the Ascension of our Lord Jesus into heaven. The first reading details the account of the Ascension while the gospel deals more with the account of the commission of mission to the nations. The second reading places us before God to be filled with the Spirit of wisdom and knowledge without which we cannot bear true witness to Jesus.
The Ascension is an event that opens a very important dimension to the Christian faith. When Jesus rose from the death, he gave us the assurance that all who believe in him will have life beyond the physical death. By the fact of his resurrection Jesus gave a new dimension to his teaching in the house of Mary and Martha before the event of rising Lazarus from the death when he said to Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die” (John 11:25-26). From this very moment in the Gospel narrative of John, Jesus furthered his teaching on the resurrection, using every opportunity to teach his disciples that the Son of Man will suffer and be put to death, but on the third day he will rise again. The resurrection was something more than a physical event in a space-time limit as in the case of Lazarus. What resurrection really meant was not clear to the disciples at this time.
As the disciples continued to wonder about the mystery of the resurrection, Jesus introduced in John 14 the concept of his ascension into heaven saying that he would go to the Father. He wasn’t going to be in heaven alone, but he would go to prepare a place for his disciples and all who will come to believe in him so that they could be together again. This is true to the prayer of Jesus in John 17:20-21 that all those who will come to believe through the words and messages of his disciples may all be one in Him even as He is one with the Father. The ascension is an assurance of life with Jesus in heaven when the battle of life is won by being his true disciple through living according to his commandments and witnessing to him here on earth. It is the glory that God has prepared for us, to be with us forever. That is the aspiration of every believer – to be with God forever in His glory.
In today’s first reading from the acts of the Apostles, which is a somewhat continuation of Luke’s gospel narrative, we see the sequence of events up to the ascension of Jesus into heaven. While still in the presence of his disciples moments before ascending into heaven, Jesus gave them specific instructions not to go away from Jerusalem until they have received the promise of the Father, The Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will empower them to be his witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the Earth. The gospel account of his resurrection we read today describes the same event with greater emphasis on the commissioning of the disciples to go make disciples of all nations, ‘baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit’ knowing that Jesus is with them till the end of the age (Matthew28: 19-20). The commissioning to witness comes from Jesus to all the baptized who in turn are empowered by the Holy Spirit, the gift of the Father.
The second reading leads us through a beautiful prayer and a sincere wish that God gives each and everyone who believes in Him (you and I) the Spirit of wisdom and revelation resulting in knowledge of Him. True knowledge of God offers us the right predisposition to grasp our position in His plan of salvation, but also to understand how richly blessed we are in Christ. It enables us to place the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus in the right perspective so that we can understand the call His Spirit makes on us to be his witnesses in the present time. The author of the letter to the Ephesians touches on the rich position of the Christian who enjoys the backing of Jesus because Jesus wields power over all the principalities and powers. Thus, we Christians need to be bold in the face of present apathy and challenges towards witnessing to Jesus in our secular society.
Christians sometimes feel shy to speak of Jesus in public or around circle of friends, partly because they feel their lives are not completely measuring up to the Christian values. But that should not be a hindrance. While working to live the call to perfection, lets not forget what Paul said in 2 Corinthians 4: 7, “we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” In today’s gospel, some of the disciples doubted Jesus, even in his presence (Matthew 28:17). But their doubt did not stop Jesus from commissioning them because He knows that by witnessing to something, one begins to align his or her thoughts and lifestyle towards it. The failure to witness weakens the commitment to act in line with what one witnesses to, and vice versa. In his speech to declare churches and places of worship as essential places that need to be opened, Donald Trump said something that one rarely hears from politicians, “In America, we need more prayers, not less.” Whatever one may think of this, it is a bold speech to publicly recognize the place of God. In the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic or other global challenges, there has been some tendency to think that humanity is capable of handling the situation outside of God. There is the arrogance to arrogate successes to ourselves as if we could achieve it if God was not on our side. This secular tendency often results in statements that show how far the modern man has failed to recognize the presence of God in his daily activities. When the New York governor was warning against reopening places of worship, he was bold to say, ‘the number is down because we brought the number down. God did not do that’. While unbeliever are bold to air their faithlessness, modern Christians, and even religious leaders, have become naive to speak openly about God. That is unfortunate.
The situation in which Jesus commissioned his disciples to ‘go make disciples of the nations’ was more hostile tot he gospel than that of today. It was the society that crucified their master; a society that perceived ‘the Way’, as the new teaching was called, as something very dangerous, such that it was met with heavy persecution (Acts 8:1). Yet they traveled all through the known world of their time proclaiming the gospel. We too are being commission by Jesus today, on his ascension event, to go make disciples of all the nations using the communication media available to us in the present age. That is why we celebrate the world communication day today.
Communication is not a complex word. It simply means the imparting or exchanging of information by speaking, writing, or using some other medium. Communication is vital to humans as social beings. We engage in it every now and then. Various electronic communication media in use has bridged the geographical distance between people. The present Covid-19 pandemic has shown how the electronic media, has become part of our lives. This Eucharistic celebration is possible thanks to this communication channel that makes it possible for us to be united in worship. The challenge today is to employ these communication media for purposes that promote the kingdom of God on earth. There is so much going on with the social networks, YouTube, blogs, internet channels, and even on the older media as the television and radio. How much of them promote the glory of God and the dignity of the human person? The Church calls on us to evaluate our use of them and find ways to employ them in the spreading of the gospel and promotion of the good purpose for which we are created.
Let us pray that we may be true disciples of Jesus who employ every means available to us to fulfill the mission of witnessing to him in the present life so as to ascend with him to heaven when our time here on earth is over. May God bless you and fill you with his love… Amen.
