FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT FROM HIS MOTHER’S WOMB

HOMILY FOR THE SOLEMNITY OF THE BIRTHDAY OF JOHN THE BAPTIST (VIGIL MASS)

Rev. Fr. Ezekoka Peter Onyekachi

The celebration of the birthday of St. John the Baptist is an ancient feast in Christianity and occupies a very important place in the liturgical calendar of the Church. However, anyone very conversant with the liturgical calendar cannot allow this feast to pass by without asking about the reason for the celebration. Of course, some persons could be inclined to neglect this reason and would simply celebrate the feast without asking any question; after all the church has mandated that we celebrate it, and that’s it. And so, this is simply the purpose of this reflection which most probably strives to answer the questions: why must we celebrate the birthday of John the Baptist? And why must it be now? Now, these questions are pertinent because there are issues and causes which prompted it.

The first issue is this. In Christianity, the celebrations and commemorations of saints are usually done on the day of the death, which is a day which marks the saint’s birth into eternal life in heaven. One notable, but quiet recent exception to this rule is the feast of St. Pope John Paul II on October 22, which is the anniversary of his election as Pope. Now, if this is sort of a rule, why is John’s case an exception?

Nevertheless, we must also know that John alone is not the only exception to this rule. The birthdays of our Blessed Mother Mary (September 8) and our Lord Jesus Christ (December 25, Christmas) are also popularly celebrated. Surely, we know the importance of these great figures in the economy of salvation. As Jesus replaced the person of Adam, Mary replaced the person of Eve. Who did John the Baptist replace?

Indeed, the birth of Jesus obviously is a central feast for Christians for it marks the day the world came to see the face of God-made-man. It complements, as it were, March 25, the day of the annunciation which was the moment of conception. The birth of Mary too is treasured by Christians, for it marks the beginning of the definite plan and preparation for the coming of the Christ, just as one who wants to build a house would begin with the foundation. It complements December 8, the day of the Immaculate Conception. These are clearly important to be celebrated. Thus, we understand it when Jesus and Mary are celebrated. Why then must we celebrate John?

We may also wish to widen our quest when we notice the difference in the case of John. We celebrate the conception and birth of Jesus and Mary, and that we have quiet understood, but we do not celebrate the conception of John, even when we celebrate his birth. Why should we not also celebrate it? Why is he also an exception in the three whose feast days includes their birthdays? Of course, one might jokingly answer, which may not be out of place that this is so to show John that he is not in the same level with Jesus and Mary. But that’s by the way. In all and amidst many ways of tackling these issues, we remain sure that the birthday of John is worth celebrating, and it is rich with symbolism. Let us tackle these in three ways.

1. SPIRITUAL POINT OF VIEW

In the Gospel (Luke 1:5-17), there is a sentence from the calming words of the angel to the troubled Zechariah: he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb. This message refers to John. He was a direct beneficiary (alongside his mother) of Mary’s care, as Jesus was right there in Mary. In that initial meeting and greeting between Elizabeth and Mary, Tradition holds that John was filled with the Holy Spirit. Therefore, John was delivered from the mother’s womb without original sin since he had already been cleansed in the womb by the Holy Spirit. Hence, John fits properly into the words in the call of Jeremiah (First Reading; Jeremiah 1:4-10): before you were born, I dedicated you. And so, John becomes another person born of a woman without original sin. He shares this with Jesus and Mary. And so, we celebrate their birth which proved the power of God over sin and death. This birthday celebration then ought to be a great encouragement for all of us who promote life, especially in its earliest beginnings of conception and birth. It empowers us then not to give up in celebrating both our birthdays (biological birth as children of Adam) and our spiritual rebirth days (as adopted sons of God).

2. BIOLOGICAL POINT OF VIEW

It was in the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy that Mary conceived (Luke 1:26). This implies that John was six months older than Jesus. And what does this tell us? The 25^th day of December is the traditional day for the birthday celebration of Christ. Six months before this date is the 25^th day of June. And so, John has great connection to Christmas, the celebration of the mystery of the incarnation. Today’s feast anticipates Christmas. And in this, it gains its importance. This celebration becomes then a pointer to Christmas as John was a pointer to the Christ. We are then called to remain Christians who show Christ to the world.

3. MISSIONARY POINT OF VIEW

John’s mission is messianic. He was the forerunner of Jesus. And as already seen, his mission is to show the World the Christ, after which he retires. He is the one who must decrease so that the Christ would increase (John 3:30). And this period which we celebrate it is very symbolic. Now, between the months of March and September, Earth’s Northern Hemisphere gets more exposure to direct sunlight over the course of a day. The rest of the year, the southern Hemisphere gets more. That is probably why we have seasons. In the Northern Hemisphere, peak sunlight occurs on June 20, 21 or 22 of any given year. That is the summer solstice. By contrast, the southern Hemisphere reaches its peak sunlight on December 21, 22 or 23. Hence, Christmas is a feast of the “Light” for the Southerners (and as such, for all), as John’s baptism is a feast of the forerunner of the “Light” for the Northerners (and as such, for all). What connects them is the light. Christ is the Lumen Gentium (Light of the world).

More interesting is that after the peak sunlight in the Northern Hemisphere, the light begins to decrease with the days that follow –the 24^th or 25^th of June– which coincides with the birthday of John. Little wonder the midsummer as it is called is also called St. John’s day. And so, as the sunshine reduces in intensity, John decreases in importance. This must happen that the Christ will increase and shine forth to the world. This feast therefore is a great reminder to all of the need of humility in service, and warns us against the over-exaggeration of our importance. We must decrease so that others must increase. We must be humble so as not to crumble.

In talking about the sacred of the birthday of John the Baptist, St. Augustine said: the reason for this is, of course, that the Lord willed to announce to men His own coming through the Baptist, lest if he appeared suddenly, they would fail to recognize him. John represented the Old Covenant and the Law. Therefore, he preceded the Redeemer, even as the Law preceded and heralded the new dispensation of grace. Think about how you will feel if you become very important to Jesus as John was. May God continue to help us. Amen. God bless you.

Are you still in doubt about the morality of abortion?

https://youtu.be/rpO0e00f3Aw

Ifeanyi's expose is praiseworthy. He was critical and clear on this issue of abortion; readily comprehensible to anyone. Good one bro.

AND THE MUSTARD SEED SAYS: MY EARLY STATURE WILL NOT DETERMINE MY FINAL STATUE

HOMILY FOR THE 11^TH SUNDAY OF THE ORDINARY TIME

Rev. Fr. Ezekoka Peter Onyekachi

In the Gospel of today, we encounter the parable of the mustard seed (Mark 4:30-32). This parable is in itself classical. It presents serious lessons for life. In that brief parable, there are three major stages in the life of the mustard seed. The first stage is the state of the seed before its planting. The second stage is the stage of planting and of growth. The third stage is the stage of hosting other creatures. Let us look at these stages.

The first stage

The story makes us aware that the mustard is the smallest of all seeds. In comparison with every others seed, it is the least. In hierarchy, it is at the lowest level. This means that if the mustard seed were to be human, it most likely suffers from humiliation because of its size. It will be neglected in great functions and occasions. It is relegated to the background. It is regarded as riffraff. However, the mustard continues to allow itself to be small. It does not complain about its size because it is sure that the small beginning does not guarantee a small ending. And I hear the mustard seed saying: my small stature will never determine my final statue. It is sure that it can be the tiniest today, but may not be the tiniest tomorrow. While other seed are banking on their loftiness in the early beginnings, the mustard is banking on developing itself for a better tomorrow.

Think about how Christianity began from men who were almost regarded as the poorest in the society. Looking at the calibre of men Jesus selected for that mission of establishing the kingdom of God on earth, one may be inclined to ridicule Jesus for starting very porously. Another may expect that he should have selected the scribes and the learned that already had some respect in the society. Surely, this would help the people to take their message seriously. Serious message of course requires serious messengers. However, Jesus did not call these intelligent men. He started with lowly men. And now, lowliness has turned into greatness. The Lord looks upon his servant in her lowliness; henceforth, all generations shall call her blessed (cf. Luke 1:48). Starting low does not entail ending low. It is even better to start low so that when the end comes out big, it will be better appreciated. Your small stature today is not something that should lead you into annoyance and constant self abandonment. It should be something that should spur you to hard work.

The Second stage

Yet when the mustard seed was planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants. What a miraculous metamorphosis. This is a move from the lowest to the highest. All the mustard seed did was to keep growing without being intimidated by other plants. It knew that interestedness in others and most probably jealousy may lead it to confusion and retrogression. Why are you killing yourself over the achievements of others? Why not work on yourself? Why not grow up? Why not concentrate on the resources available to you and become the best out of them? Many a time, we fail to grow because of our inordinate competition. We allow ourselves to miss the mark because we are merely trying to be another person. We are unique and in our uniqueness, we succeed.

The church as the kingdom of God on earth has grown and continues to grow. She develops herself through the experiences she has made in the past so as to be really united at the end of time with the kingdom of God in heaven. She has remained unshaken by the vicissitudes of history. She stands tall and continues to be the conscience of the society. The moment of growth is not an easy one. And that is why every growth must be anchored on an authentic external strength. The spirit of God has never left the Church. For the mustard to grow there must be nutrients, just as the growth of the Church remains thankful to the Holy Spirit. The Church remains the major agent in the history of the global civilization. I once asked myself: if there had been no Church, how would the world be today? The Church that started with fishermen has produced the greatest of intelligent men in history. The seed has become the biggest tree. You can also translate your humble beginning to the biggest ending.

The Third stage

The birds of the air can perch in its shade. The mustard seed, now a tree which has converted its small beginning to a renowned level has now invited other creatures to live on it. It has become a home for all. It has become the solace of the afflicted. It has become the hiding place of creatures against heavy rainfall and scorching sunshine. However, the tree still stands and will keep standing. The mustard tree has really a lot to teach us. When we become great after series of hard work, we must understand that we are blessed to bless others. We are made successful to make others succeed. We are raised to lift others. We must not because of the rough experiences of the early beginnings convert the successful ending to a life of wickedness. Many will come for help, for habitation, for security; yes, and we are bound to accept that reality.

The Church, no doubt has become an organization that gives people peace. Many in the world, Christians and non-Christians alike have found help and safety under its branches. Institutions of mercy and love have emerged from this magnificent tree –the Church. Another interpretation we must note in the parable of the mustard seed is the fact that the kingdom of God can be a mixture of good and evil, in such a way that the evil are permitted to be co-habiting with the good (cf. The parable of the tares). We must not deny that on this mustard tree could be creatures that are merely there for the resourcefulness of the tree in giving them shelter. And since there is free entrance and habitation, it is not ruled out that evil can also claim to be good and so inhabit on this tree. The church is a community of saints and sinners; saints who aspire for more saintliness, and sinners who desire to be out of sin. Do not be discouraged when you experience evil. Some may actually be using the church as a cover up for their evil deeds.

Another point with which we conclude concerns what happens when we turn wealthy, influential and greatly important. We must realize that the greater we become, the more hypocrites we get as friends. This is why great men are always betrayed by those regarded as close friends. Utility friendship grows with success. Those who come when greatness comes your way might actually be coming for the greatness, and not for the person. Despite this reality, do not stop doing good. Do good anyway. The mustard does not stop allowing the birds of the air to live on it for the reason of avoiding hypocrites. Otherwise it may reject also the genuine ones. All we need do is to grow in this consciousness. And so we must end by repeating the conviction of the mustard seed: my early stature will not determine my final statue, as my final statue will reflect the humility of my early stature. God bless you.

WHY DID HE SPEAK IN PARABLES?

HOMILY FOR THE 11^TH SUNDAY OF THE ORDINARY TIME OF THE YEAR B

Rev. Fr. Ezekoka Peter Onyekachi

Parables are illustrations. And actually, in attempting a simple definition of it, one might say that parables are short stories for comparison or for an illustration of a point. It can be a method of teaching, especially in popular places. We know that stories and pictures help to easily get attention, and most persons think only in pictures, because it is certainly easier to remember pictures than principles. But there is a challenge, especially when a parable falls on an ignorant mind, or we may better put it this way, when it is not used well for the right teaching. A particular preacher was preaching to a group of catholic mothers. He said to them: the best time I ever had in my life is when I found myself on the laps of a woman. The women were expectedly surprised and embarrassed. But before they could express these surprises, he added quickly: my mother’s, of course. All the women laughed themselves to scorn in approval and appreciation.

However, another preacher tried to use this same illustration when preaching to another group of high-class society women in a commercial city. He said exactly the same as the first preacher, and the women felt also the same way the previous ones felt. But forgetting how he could end the illustration and trying to reply to the women’s surprises, he added: and I can no longer remember the exact one it was. You can imagine the end product of this. Nothing can be really mind boggling, frustrating and embarrassing when right parables/stories are told to the wrong audience or in a wrong way, or better still, when right illustrations are told people with different agenda.

Jesus is a perfect example of a teacher and preacher who was so renowned in his use of parables. We see two parables (the growth of the seed and the mustard seed) in the Gospel of today (Mark 4:26-34), which ended with the fact that Jesus would not speak to them except in parables. Well, we must recall that Mark 4 is the Gospel parallel of Matthew 13. In these chapters, we find many parables of Jesus and how he used them to illustrate truths about the kingdom of God. Now, going back to our title question and in an attempt to answer the question of why Jesus spoke in parables, we discover three categories of persons.

1. The first category concerns the person of Jesus. It is of course clear that Jesus spoke in parables to illustrate the word. And what is this word? It is the word of the kingdom of God (cf. Matt. 13:19-20). In teaching this word of God, he tried to use the language the people could easily understand. He employed images, places and experiences that were readily available to the people. He was not interested in showcasing his wealth of knowledge by using heavy vocabularies and sophisticated logic. And again, Jesus taught in parables most probably to teach step by step. In the different subjects and courses learnt in our schools, there are schemes of work which help the teachers to teach one topic after another for a clearer and more permeating message to the students. One can imagine how learning would be if things are not taught in schemes; if there is no curriculum. Hence, parables could be seen as avenues used by Jesus in taking one lesson about the kingdom of God after the other for a clearer perception. How often can we see ourselves like Jesus concerning the way we work hard by word and deed to make the message of God more homely, felt and understood by the people we minister to?

2. The second category concerns the ‘other’ people (scribes, Pharisees, and their likes) who are not faithful followers of Jesus. Jesus used parables so that in looking, they do not see, and in listening they do not hear (Matthew 13:13). This is because their minds are corrupt. They do not have the right disposition and intention to accept and act according to the word of God. This sort of people sees themselves as those who know it all. However, I find a little paradox here. Actually, parables are not meant for the lazy and non-thinking person, because it usually requires more thought to see the comparison between the story and the truth. And these other people are the intelligentsias of the society, who should actually understand the parables; and yet they do not. What is then wrong? Their hearts are heavy. Yes, their disposition is the problem. Their intention and purpose for listening to Jesus is the issue. The story itself is understandable to all, but the hidden spiritual truth was not available. Thus, they were blinded to see the truths in the parables of the Rabbi. How often do we see ourselves like these people who are blinded to understand Jesus because of their wrong intents? And how often do we work hard to delete those logs that could cause us to be ignorant of the message of the Master?

3. The third category concerns the disciples of Jesus. These are the ones close to Jesus and were ready to learn from him so as to be like him. But again, I find a little paradox here. Parables are for the wise that can understand and connect the story and the lesson. But the disciples were constantly caught in the web as Jesus spoke that he needed to explain further. Even at a point, Jesus had to ask them: do you not understand this parable? How will you understand any of the parables then? (Mark 4:13; cf. Matt. 16:9). Does it mean that the disciples were block heads? The Igbos of Nigeria would say: onye aturu ilu kowara ya, ego ejiri luo nne ya furu ohia (it is very embarrassing to explain an idiom to any man born of a woman).  This idiom is always used in a context when someone demands for an explanation of an idiomatic expression: If you wish to respect the integrity of your mother and her bride price, strive to be wise in understanding idioms and parables.

The apostles surely needed to know more secrets about the kingdom of heaven, and so they required more time and lessons (cf. Matt.13:11). They needed extra understanding for the mission that lay ahead of them. We probably know that there is more time and energy put into some ventures than some other ventures. For instance, one who studies Medicine and surgery requires more time, seriousness and energy than another who studies English Language. We can then say that Jesus used parables to force the apostles into more thinking and connections so as to acquire more tools for their mission. There ought to be private lessons to give special lessons to them. And they were always ready to get more explanations. How often does God call us closer to teach us and we give excuses? How often do we get more explanations, and yet act ignorant?

We must now attempt a brief explanation of both parables Jesus told us in the Gospel. The parable of the growing seed is an illustration of how the seed of faith grows even without the consciousness of how it grows. The point is that it must grow. Once the seed of faith is sown in us, Jesus promises us that it has to grow despite the knowledge or the effort of the planter. This is an encouragement to us all that God is in charge of his kingdom. So why should we despair when somebody or something we feel planted the faith is us suddenly becomes ‘unreachable’? There is an assurance here synonymous with what we see in the First Reading (Ezekiel 17:22-24) of a God who makes and fulfils his promises. As the Lord speaks, so he does.

The kingdom is of God and controlled by God. Its growth is not of man and may be gradual, but is sure and constant until the day when it is ready to be harvested. It is an encouragement to the persecuted churches/persons and to Christianity as a whole. Little wonder then St. Paul tells the Corinthians in the Second Reading (2 Cor. 5:6-10) that we remain courageous despite anything that militate against our togetherness with God. The kingdom of God is also compared with the smallest of seeds –the mustard. The seed of faith might be so small, but it has the potency to grow into the greatest of things as it serves to provide shelter for the people in need of it. It remains God’s wish that we continue to be part of his kingdom on earth for an easy access to the kingdom of heaven. Happy new week. God bless you.

THE ‘SHIFTI-MANIA’ VIRUS

HOMILY FOR THE 10^TH SUNDAY OF THE ORDINARY TIME, YEAR B

Rev. Fr. Ezekoka Peter Onyekachi

In the science of virology, a virus is an ultra-microscopic infectious agent that replicates itself only within cells of living hosts. They are harmful and dangerous to the host. In computer science, a virus is a software program capable of reproducing itself and usually capable of causing great harm to files or other programs on the same computer. They corrupt other files. In the human society, some agencies can also be regarded as viruses, when they cause harm to the government and corrupt other agencies to the point of revolt and rebellion; hence, causing chaos in the system. Beyond these specifications of viruses, there is an exclusive type of virus which we have called the shifti-mania virus. It is the combination of two words. The first word is the short form of the word ‘shifting’ (the change of position or direction). The second word is ‘mania’ (a mood or an affective disorder in which there is an excessive response, and many times irresistible and irrational). The combination of both words leads us to the compound meaning of this type of virus. The shifti-mania virus is the infectious organism which affects as to disorder characters to be involved constantly and excessively with change/transfer of position (direction, blames, and responsibility) to exonerate oneself or another from confronting the reality of situations. The shifti-mania virus and its antidote are seen in the readings of today.

How did man react after the primordial disobedience to God? The First Reading (Gen. 3:9-15) answers the question. As a prelude to answering this, we must remark that it is mind boggling that Adam and Eve failed to answer appropriately the questions asked them by God. To the first question of where (where are you?), Adam answered as if what was asked was the question of why (I was afraid...because I was naked). To the question of who told you, Adam answered as if what was asked was who gave you. And to the final question of why did you, the woman answered as if what was asked was who gave you. Disobedience actually leads to confusion. Now, concerning the direct reaction of man, the first point is that the man, Adam became afraid of God to such an extent that he hid from the omnipresent God. How come he thought that he could hide from the Eternal Presence who is everywhere? Oh, what a paradox!!!

1. The second point concerns the fear and the inability of the couple to face their sin which led them to shift blames. They ought to have accepted the blame and the responsibility for what they did, but they could not face them. When we act this way, it all means, the shifti-mania virus has affected us. This virus makes us afraid of accepting our mistakes, afraid of taking blames for what we have done, afraid of accepting responsibility for what we did not do right, and afraid of facing the reality of our actions. Just as Adam and Eve, we tend to shift blames and responsibilities when things go wrong to others just to appear clean and unruffled. Adam shifted the blame to the woman and the woman shifted the blame to the serpent; and then came the punishment to the serpent.

The serpent here represents Satan; it is he who seduces men to disobey God. There was a punishment concerning its relationship with other animals (that is, it would suffer exclusion). There was a punishment concerning its mobility (it would crawl). There was a punishment concerning its livelihood (it would eat dirt). And there was a punishment concerning its relationship with humanity (hostility awaits it). This implies that the devil would suffer from exclusion. That is why it continues to run around seeking for someone to devour/lure (1 Pet. 5:8). The devil would crawl; its efficiency was reduced to the barest minimum. This implies that every power and privilege has been withdrawn from him. The devil would eat dirt. This means that nothing holy and pure would be associated with him. He would only have those who are dirty. Humanity would be hostile to him. This implies that mankind would pursue him anywhere they see a trace of him.

2. Considering all these, one can imagine how disheartening it was to Jesus in the Gospel (Mark 3:20-35) seeing that the scribes were ascribing powers to the already-rendered powerless Satan. By saying that Jesus healed with the power of Beelzebul, they shifted praise. God be praised for what He has done, and not Satan be praised for what God has done. This is another case of shifti-mania virus infection. When we see the good God does, we tend to ascribe it to another ungodly force. We do this many times, especially when something good comes out of the one we do not expect, or someone we hate, or someone we feel we are better off than. We do this and its likes often. Yes, quite often. And when this happens, it then means that this virus has infected us.

3. Another thing worrisome in this episode is the problem-solution reversal. This is another shifiti-mania infection. We transfer problems to become solutions, and solutions to become problems. Jesus was the solution to the problem of the degenerated/demon-possessed man, and not the problem of the demon-possessed man. Beelzebul was the problem, and thus a problem cannot solve another problem. In fact, when a problem meets another problem, there is greater problem. How then can Beelzebul be the solution? How can Satan drive out Satan? We now see the futility in the proposition of those ignorant scribes. Many times in life, we reverse problems and solutions. We see in our siblings/family the problem, instead of the solution to our problems. We see in the Church of God the problem instead of the solution to our problem. Sometimes, too, we see in the problems, the solution. We see in diviners and seers the solution, instead of the problems. We see in sin (e.g. gluttony/lust) the solution to depression, when it is actually the problem that requires a solution. When we make what should be the solution of the problem the problem of the solution, we run the risk of an infinite regress in problems and the search for solutions.

This infection leads the human spirit and soul into being obstinate in sin, and the lack of seeing God above everything. And this is where we find the sin against the Holy Spirit. Jesus was clear about it that whosoever sins against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. The sin against the Holy Spirit begins when we see anything above God and we ascribe the power of God to any other created thing. How do we discover when we sin against the Holy Spirit? A) When we see our sins above the mercy of God (cf. Responsorial Psalm: with the Lord, there is mercy and fullness of redemption). B) When we remain in sin (like Adam dodges God) and become obstinate in it, portraying that we need no conversion. C) The moment we attack goodness and replace it with evil because of ulterior motives D) The moment we become reckless in evil, seeing nothing good in everything; therefore, seeing nothing good in God. E) When we become uncontrollable to the extent of losing the sense of sacred F) When we repeatedly fail to accept our sins and blame them on others. G) When we become so fade up with or give up in aspiring towards holiness, sanctity or purity, just as Adam gave up in meeting with us and decided to hide. Thus, at this various points, we tend to block the forgiveness of God from being felt by us; thus, there comes the need to move out from that region to feel God’s mercy again.

The antidote and cure of this mania is provided by Jesus at the end of the Gospel: for whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother. This means that in listening to Jesus and in living according to the word of God, we become a member in the family of Jesus. That membership coats us against this virus that we become safe. St. Paul further widened this membership in the Second Reading (2 Cor. 4:13-5:1). If we are members of the family of Jesus, then we have a building not made with hands. This means that as a member of the family that you are, you have an eternal home in heaven. It is because we have Jesus that we are immune from this virus. May our belongingness to this family be sustained that our strength may never fail in our aspirations to do the will of God which is the food of Jesus (cf. John 4:34), and in turn our food that keeps us healthy against sin. Amen. Happy new week. God bless you.