THE CONSPIRACY OF BETRAYAL

HOMILY FOR THE SOLEMNITY OF THE PASSION SUNDAY, YEAR C

Rev. Fr. Ezekoka Peter Onyekachi

It is Palm Sunday. It is a day in the Church’s calendar when we are reminded of the triumphal entry of Christ into Jerusalem; a place known as the tomb-city of the prophets. It was a very noisy day as many people took to the street to welcome Jesus into Jerusalem. The reception offered to Jesus implies that he was already well known by the people as their messiah (a political one) who would cause their political liberation. We remember King Jehu who was offered such similar honour at his coronation (cf.2 Kings 9:13). They may have wanted to re-enact this history as to crown Jesus the political warlord who would initiate a riot for liberation. However, they totally lost it as Christ was meant to be a spiritual messiah; this they failed to recognize. They spread their cloths on the road, as many cut branches from the trees (John identifies this as palm).

1. It is from the actions of this crowd that PALM SUNDAY is so named.. According to Luke, as they did this, they heralded: Blessings on the king who comes in the name of the Lord. (cf. The Gospel of the commemoration of the Lord into Jerusalem; Luke 19:28-40) This reflects the prophecy of Zechariah in 9:9: rejoice O Jerusalem and be glad for her, behold your king comes to you, lowly and riding on a donkey; on a colt, the foal of a donkey. Today, these palms we hold are signs of our martyrdom in Christ. These are signs of our victory over suffering, pains and sin. We are victors and no longer victims. We represent those saints in Rev. 7:9 who held palm branches in their hands shouting: salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the lamb. 

2. As the people were shouting to the praise of the king, the Pharisees were complaining and conspiring on how to kill him. We are well aware of the conspiracy of silence, but have we thought about the conspiracy of betrayal? When there is a sort of agreement between persons not to discuss some matters or reveal any information concerning it with some egotistic aims in mind, that is conspiracy of silence. But sometimes, this conspiracy of silence could criss-cross with the conspiracy of betrayal. The conspiracy of betrayal is a situation whereby two or more persons come together to plan for a way of pulling another person down for a narcissistic interest. Those Pharisees wanted the disciples of Jesus to keep silence for their selfish interest, while already on their plans with Judas Iscariot to hand Jesus over to them.

3. The conspiracy of betrayal tends not to see the good but to magnify the bad. Jesus’ reply to the Pharisees showed he knew their plans: I tell you, if these keep silence, the stones will cry out. They were uncomfortable with the popularity Jesus was gaining and tried to suffocate his goodness so as to blow those already-planned evil accusations against him. They tried to shut goodness up so as to magnify lies. Here lies the conspiracy which tries to say: good has to be quenched and evil blown. Sometimes, people tend to be quick to blow the bad side of others, while being very miserly about the good side. We may sometimes have this inclination to see evil more than we see goodness, or to talk about people’s weaknesses more than their strengths. Can this not be regarded as the conspiracy of betrayal? Now and again, we may find ourselves repeating the mistakes of the Pharisees who never wanted to hear the good side of Jesus because they wanted to blow evil lies about him.

4. The conspiracy of betrayal demonstrates itself in flattery. Imagine the conspiracy involved in Judas’ betrayal of his master Jesus: Judas, are you betraying the son of man with a kiss? (cf. The Passion according to Luke 22:14-23:56). This was the question Jesus asked Judas. The conspiracy of betrayal comes with flattery. Just as the Pharisees began in the First Part by calling Jesus ‘Master’, so Judas has come with the purported gesture of love. Having made secret plans with the Jews, he tried to cover his cunning intent with a lovely gesture. This is the highest point of betrayal: When betrayal disguises itself as love and affection. By using a kiss as a signal for arrest, Judas perverts a gesture for friendship. Even my friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread has lifted up his heels against me (cf. Ps. 41:9).

5. Okonkwo had two sons in his household –Ikemefuna and Nwoye. Nwoye was the legitimate son of Okonkwo, as Ikemefula who was fatherless and had come from another village. There was a plot by the people of Umuofia to kill Ikemefula. Two days before the execution of the evil plan, Ogbuefi Ezendu, one of the elderly men went to Okonkwo and said to him: “that boy calls you father. Do not bear a hand in his death.” Okonkwo was surprised, and was about to say something when the old man continued: “Yes, Umuofia has decided to kill him. The oracle of Hills and Caves has pronounced it. They will take him outside Umuofia as is the custom, and kill him there. But I want you to have nothing to do with it. He calls you father”. The next day, a group of elders from the nine villages of Umuofia came to Okonkwo’s house early in the morning to dispose Okonkwo about their plan for tomorrow. When they went away, Okonkwo called Ikemefuna and told him that he was to be taken home the next day. Nwoye overheard it and burst into tears. As for Ikemefuna, he was at a loss. His own home had gradually become faint and distant. He still missed his mother and his sister and would be very glad to see them. The next day, the men returned with a pot of wine and all other instruments needed for the execution. Okonkwo got ready quickly, and the party set out with Ikemefuna carrying a pot of wine. A deathly silence descended on Okonkwo’s compound. Even the very little children seemed to know. Throughout that day, Nwoye sat in his mothers hut and tears stood in his eyes. As they approached the outskirt of the village, Ikemefuna heard a whisper close behind him and turned around sharply. The man who had whispered now called out aloud, urging the others to hurry-up. “We still have a long way to go”, he said. Then he and another man went before Ikemefuna and set a faster pace. Thus, the men of Umuofia pursued their way, armed with sheathed machetes, and Ikemefuna, carrying a pot of wine on his head, walked in their midst. Although he had felt uneasy at first, he was not afraid now. Okonkwo walked behind him. He could hardly imagine that Okonkwo was not his real father. One of the men behind him cleared his throat. Ikemefuna looked back, and the man growled at him to go on and not stand looking back. The way he said it sent cold fear down Ikemefuna’s back. His hands trembled vaguely on the black pot he carried. Why had Okonkwo withdrawn to the rear? Ikemefuna felt his legs melting under him. And he was afraid to look back. As the man who had cleared his throat drew up and raised his machete, Okonkwo looked away. He heard the blow. The pot fell and broke in the sand.  He heard Ikemefuna cry, “my father, they have killed me!”, as he ran towards him. Dazed with fear, Okonkwo took out his machete and cut him down. He was afraid of been thought weak (cf. Chinua Achebe, Things Fall apart).

6. Remember, betrayal is destructive, but to be betrayed by a close person destroys faster. Was it not the last dagger by Brutus that brought Caesar down? Even you Brutus? Is it not the last cut of Okonkwo that killed Ikemefuna? That boy calls you father!!! How many times have we daggered others who think us to be the last chance for their survival and protection? How many times have we betrayed others who helped us? How many times have we disappointed those who call us fathers and mothers? How many times have we betrayed the zeal of those who look up to us as their mentors? Yes, there are indeed many ways we betray ourselves. Many have betrayed friends through denials and disappointments. Many have disappointed partners through fake marriage promises. Many have betrayed parents through wayward lifestyles. The words of Psalm 55:12-14 continues to ring in our ears: if it were an enemy who betrayed me, I could bear it...but you, a person of my own rank, a comrade and dear friend, to whom I was bound by intimate friendship in the house of God. May the Lord give us, as the First Reading (Isaiah 50:4-7) says a well-trained tongues and well-opened ears to discern and never to be shamed in our Christian faith. May the palms we hold today as great sacraments of our victory remind us of our fame in Jesus. Amen. God bless us as we step into the Holy Week. 

WHO WILL BE THE FIRST TO THROW THE STONE?

HOMILY FOR THE 5TH SUNDAY OF LENT, YEAR C

Rev. Fr. Ezekoka Peter Onyekachi

The Gospel Reading (John 8:1-11) relates the incident concerning the woman caught in adultery. Here again, there is a notable departure from the Gospel of Luke for year C. The Church is once more making a leap into the Gospel of John to bring out that important lesson we need to take in as the season of Lent gradually wraps up: the need to look more inward and to delete the inclination of the condemnation of others. This is the need to look to our own sins and faults, work on ourselves and in such a spirit can we correct one another sincerely. The setting of this story as related by John is quite interesting. Early in the morning, as Jesus came again to the temple to teach those who had come to listen to him, the scribes and the Pharisees brought this woman caught in adultery for judgment. Here come the initial errors that readers often overlook about this story. Now, notice the first error. The temple was not the place of judgment but the place of teaching and prayer. Yet, these men chose the temple as a place of passing judgment on this woman. Jesus was teaching as they entered with the woman. This was a planned act. The second error is this. That case was meant to be addressed by the assembly of judges, the Sanhedrin. These men knew that Jesus was not one of the judges of the Sanhedrin and he was not even a judge, yet they wanted him to rule over a case. And there is the sense of flattery in the title they gave Jesus: ‘teacher’. Again, is it not ambiguous that this teacher was given the duty of a lord (judge/justice). It all means that there are already many foul plays at the beginning of this very story that even without the writer’s commentary of ‘they said this to test him’ (v. 6), one could easily notice that the whole story was a trap for Jesus.

1. There are three categories these men presented to Jesus: the woman, her sin and the law. ‘This woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now, in the law Moses commanded us to stone such women.’ The first question comes: what of the man? Remember, it takes two to tangle. But they had totally acquitted the other partner (the man) or they may claim as the evil elders of Daniel 13:39 that the man was so swift to run away. We already sense injustice in such a law that is gender discriminative. Her sin was adultery and supposedly the law was that she would be stoned. Jesus at this point faces great dilemma. He has to choose between declaring the woman free (and that would imply a public and total disregard of the law of Moses) or approving of the death of this woman (which would imply a total disregard of his ideals and message as the friends of sinners, and very importantly a possible clash with Rome for approving a capital punishment that they had not sanctioned). He cleverly dodged these two options and was not caught in the web.

2. Jesus was/is the fulfillment of the laws of Moses. His law is love and his gospel is peace. He is a friend to the sinner who runs to him for consolation. He does not despise the sinner. We must be aware that people’s or the law’s condemnation of us does not mean Christ’s condemnation. He loves the sinner who approaches him even in the moment of his/her lawful execution. There is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus (cf. Rom. 8:1). If we strive for righteousness, we go through Jesus. The law cannot acquit us; only the grace and mercy of God can. This is why we must continue to deepen our faith in Jesus. The Second Reading (Phil. 3:8-14) was clear about it that the righteousness we strive is that based on the faith in Christ, and no longer on the law.

3. Without uttering any word, Jesus simply bent down and wrote with his finger. And as they kept on questioning, there came out one of those powerful words of Jesus: let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her. This may have carried a reference to the Law of Moses. Deut 17:7 acknowledges that those who are witnesses to an accused person have responsibility for that person’s death. He bent again and wrote on the ground. Perhaps, the most popular explanation of what Jesus was doing emerged from some translations offered by earlier manuscripts. The Armenian translates that Jesus wrote with his finger to declare their sins. This is most likely to be true. The Greek word used katagraphein implies ‘to write a record against someone’ as opposed to the word graphein (to write). Thus, it may be true that with that method, Jesus brought them face to face with their own sins, reminding them and us that those who live in glass houses need not throw stones.

4. And as we can imagine, they started to wait for the one who would be the first to throw the stone, and when no one could, they left one by one in disgrace. The table was turned around. They came to discover ways to disgrace Jesus but ended up disgracing themselves. When Jesus got up and discovered that they were all gone, he reminded the woman that this is another chance that God had offered her, so she should not sin again. Jesus did something new in her life on that day. This is an individual fulfillment of the collective promise made by God to the people of Israel in the First Reading (Isaiah 43:16-21). The Lord desires our newness and cleanness. So, when we are made clean, we have the duty to strive and maintain the purity. Is this not the kernel of the message? To whom much is given, much is expected. Forgiveness should stir in us more zeal and love for righteousness. It should uproot from us the readiness to throw stones and implant in us the readiness to forgive and help.

5. Who among us would be the first to throw stones on the sinner today? We can indeed be stone-throwers. Consider the sins inherent in the desire to stone this woman. The first was this horrible sin connected with the way these men had treated this woman. They had simply used her. They thought they could use her to entrap Jesus. She would have been just like bait to fishermen. To use people this way is very despicable. This is using people as means to some ends. Their end was to catch and kill Jesus; and thought they could use this woman to achieve their plan. This is bad. And indeed, it is a pity today that some of us repeat this same despicable sin of these men. We use people for our selfish ends, and many times do not even recognize that as being sin at all. We project the goods of others when we know we are actually working towards our selfish interest.

6. The second was the sin connected with the way they treated Christ. They came to Jesus with some flattery (‘teacher’) even when they knew that their sole desire was to kill him. Dostoyevsky once said that there is nothing easier in the whole world than flattery. They thought that flattery would dispose Jesus to answer them. Most probably, Jesus was a threat to their credibility, integrity and honor. So, they wanted to get rid of him. And we too, sometimes act this way. We flatter for ulterior motives when we feel our honor is threatened. Sometimes, we find it hard to tolerate the sinner. Sin tends to stink when committed by another person. But it doesn’t stink when committed by us. We are perfectionist when measuring the faults of others, but become very liberal when confronting and examining ours. It is now time to be ready to give the same compassion, understanding and patience that we expect from people. And if there comes a time when we need to correct ourselves, we must discover the best act for doing so; the act of kindness and compassion.

We must not correct by throwing stones. We must encourage one another in the love of Christ. Do not throw stones. Instead, throw love, throw forgiveness, throw mercy, throw unity, throw understanding, throw humility, etc. Happy new week. God bless you.

HE WAS LOST AND HAS BEEN FOUND

HOMILY FOR THE FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT, YEAR C

Rev. Fr. Ezekoka Peter Onyekachi

The Gospel is the famous parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:1-3. 11-32). A more intense study of the parable leads us to a discovery of the main character of the parable of the prodigal son; and that is the father. Pay closer attention to the way Jesus introduces the story: A man had two sons… The man is the subject of the sentence and therefore the person of interest and the point of departure of the rest of the story. Other characters would be put into place to serve and bring to the limelight the amazing character of the man. More so, another interesting point is to look at why Jesus told this parable. The Pharisees and the scribes were complaining how a man who claimed to be a prophet and presumably holy man would be dining and eating with sinners and tax collectors. So, their complaints led Jesus to tell them three stories/parables that teach God’s acceptance of and mercy on the sinner, one of which is the parable of the prodigal son. It is the story of a man who not only welcomed a very sinful son but also prepared a feast of welcome to mark his return. This man’s reason was that the boy was lost and was found. Sin makes us lost while repentance and forgiveness makes us found. 

So, by that story, Jesus meant to ask them: if you say this of me because I dine with tax collectors, what can you then say of such a man who forgave the sin of a son who squandered his wealth, and lived a reckless life, and yet was he able to feast for him on his return, even after having hurt him so deeply by his former decisions? Does this not entail that Jesus tried to teach the Pharisees and scribes that God accepts us even when we have done the most stupid of all things? God loves us even when we hurt him. God dines with us even when we have helped in squandering his wealth. God prepares a banquet for us even when our decisions go contrary to his will for us. Therefore, the central focus of the parable is on the actions, reactions and the response of the father rather than the waywardness of the sons. These two brothers remind us also of the two-brother story of Esau and Jacob of Genesis 25 in which the younger brother triumphed by crook over the older brother. Jesus has thus reversed that old expectation by making the prodigal son a parody of the successful younger brother whose elder brother was not vanquished but was even invited to the great feast that celebrated the return of the lost younger brother.

Let us now analyze those reactions and responses of the father to the actions and requests of the sons. These remarkable reactions and responses are five in number. 

1. The first reaction of this father was a response to the request of his younger son to give to him his own share of his property; that is, one-third (cf. Deut. 21:17). According to the story, without any interrogation or negotiation, the father simply divided his property. Asking the father who was still alive for his own share was the highest form of dishonor and rejection. Not minding the implication, the father still gave it him even when that request should have impeded his own joy and livelihood. And off his younger son went. He lived in luxury, squandered the wealth he never suffered for, and when he started to suffer (to the extent of serving the animal –pig– the Jews regarded as unclean), he began to realize how wayward he was and decided to go back to the father. The question for us is: must we allow ourselves to be stretched before we begin to realize the need to return to God, to repent and to be converted? 

2. The second reaction of the father was at the moment of the return of his younger son. He saw him from afar and was filled with compassion. He ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. The action of running was a ridiculous one, and indeed an undignified behavior for an elderly man of the oriental world. Yet, this father brought low his dignity and disregarded his own honor to welcome his lost son. The act of running in which he stripped himself of the dignity of elders was meant to clothe his wayward son in dignity. He denied the dignity of elders so as to dignify this unworthy son of his. This prodigal son even knew that he already lost his dignity and regarded himself as unworthy before his father.   This is the extent our heavenly father goes to restore our dignity. I see myself as a son of a kind and merciful God who is ever ready to welcome me in my depraved state. Am sure you may feel the same way.

3. The third response of this father to this prodigal son was amazing. The son condemned himself and pleaded for mercy and restoration even to a lower rank –of course, he knew he had lost his place as a son. And this father without any negotiation or condition (as he did in the first instance) simply commanded that his prodigal son should be robed in majesty. Not only was he clothed majestically, he was meant to put the signet ring and sandals. This is to signify that he must now live as a free man. Meat which was rarely eaten was in abundance to mark this as a very special occasion. This is not just the restoration of a sinner who had gone astray, but also the restoration of the dignity of the sinner that was lost. Thus, when the father said that the son was lost and had been found, it surely included his dignity and position as a bona-fide son. This prodigal son that lost his dignity and position out of his inordinate desires had regained them out of the mercy of his father. He became a free man. No more disgrace, just as there was no more disgrace for the Israelites of the first Reading whom God finally settled in the promise land (cf. Joshua 5:9-12). Their safe arrival signified that the disgrace associated with their slavery in Egypt had been undone. This is why the reading began with the captivating phrase: I have rolled away the disgrace of Egypt from you.  God restores our freedom. And we all too, like this prodigal son or the Israelites having lost our dignity and position out of our waywardness and ephemeral desires can only regain them out of the compassion of God; only if we can make that initial move to return home. 

4. This reaction/response of the father met a slight opposition. The older brother had refused to come into the house for the feast; and so followed the fourth reaction of the father. He came out and began to plead with him to come in. This is another instance of a disregard of his dignity as an elder. The older son did not accept his ‘dead’ brother as alive and as his brother. He must have thought to himself: would this now mean a further sharing of the remaining property in the future that was meant to be my legitimate share? Wouldn’t it be stupid enough on my part to allow this wayward boy partake of my share after having squandered his? He could not understand his father’s reaction to all these. He had to express his misgiving about such abrupt ceremony which he had never even received as a good son: …you have not given me even a young goat to celebrate with my friends. But this son of yours came back… (cf. vv. 29-30). Notice the tone of jealousy and anger in that question. He did not accept the boy as his own brother, but as this son of yours. And this is the point where this older son went rogue. This is the point we too can go rogue in our Christian life: when we begin an unhealthy comparison in the face of God's mercy and grace on others. Sometimes, we are inclined to compete in an unhealthy manner to prove who God really loves the most. The truth is: God has no favourites. His mercy is for all.

5. However, the father who does not abandon his sons went further to give him more explanations. This is the fifth response/reaction of the father. In his explanation was a reassurance of the security of the property that was rightfully his (all that is mine is yours…cf. v. 31b), and a reiteration of the need to be happy for a brother that was lost and found. In the tone of the older son was also the feeling of righteousness. For him, he deserved to be celebrated where as his brother does not, because he had been obedient all those while. As true as this may seem, it is a self-righteous tone, and that was the tone of those Pharisees and scribes that were complaining of Jesus’ merry with sinners. Hence, the challenge of this parable is precipitated by its open ending –we are not told whether the older son obeyed the words of his father or not. 

And here is the challenge: will righteous people enter the banqueting hall to make merry with and for the sinners, and with the God who delights in the company of those sinners? Can we live in openness with and acceptance of that sinner whom God desires to celebrate, or shall we continue to grumble why he/she must be celebrated? Must we not be happy that we all are a chosen race made heirs to the throne? Our unity and love is our strength. We must therefore reconcile and rejoice with one another. As the prodigal son reconciled with his father, and as the father appealed to the older son to reconcile and be happy with the younger brother, so also we must reconcile with God and with one another (cf. The Second Reading: 2 Cor. 5:17-21) and never forgetting to rejoice as the ambassadors of Christ that we are. May the grace of God continue to abide with us as we begin a new week and month. Amen. God bless you.

THE GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY TO REDEEM

HOMILY FOR THE 3RD SUNDAY OF LENT, YEAR C

REV. FR. Ezekoka Peter Onyekachi

The message of this Sunday revolves around the mercy and kindness of God for the oppressed and for the sinner who are constantly called to redemption and repentance. There are two personalities that stand out in the readings (First Reading: Exodus 3:1-8a, 13-15, Gospel: Luke 13:1-9): the person of Moses and the person of the gardener in the parable Jesus told. These men in their different ways, saw, understood and grabbed the golden opportunity of redemption.

1. Moses who was a shepherd tending the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro had the chance of witnessing a delightfully amazing scene of a bush that was burning without the fire consuming the bush. The sight of this was so overwhelming for Moses that he decided to “go over to look at the remarkable sight, and see why the bush was not burned.” He took the risk. And may we not forget that risk is the prize paid for great opportunities. That decision and move to get closer was the moment Moses disposed himself and grabbed the opportunity to become the redeemer of his fellow Israelites. He never knew he was going closer to receive his calling. He simply went to discover what it was that was going on at that mount Horeb. He would later discover that the burning fire was meant to attract him to the divine presence. It was meant to consecrate him for the mission of redemption and speaking truth to the powers of his time. Indeed, with this view, the burning of the bush can thus be linked to the fire of the theophany in Exodus 19:18 which became the event that consecrated the people to the Lord who descended upon Mount Sinai in fire. Hence, there is a close association of the Exodus and Sinai right from the start, and of the consecration of Moses and that of the people.

2. Divine signs and manifestations are symbols of God’s invitation of us. The burning bush was a divine sign which would mean the fire of great purification for the Israelites out from the hands of Pharaoh and the Egyptians. It was also an event which not only drew Moses closer to God, but also drew the Israelites closer to their promised land. When the Lord shows us a remarkable sign like he showed Moses, we need not stop at those signs. We must go beyond those signs; becoming ever ready and disposed to hear the Lord’s voice and act according to his dictates, and to discover what the Lord wants of us. Divine signs are for liberation and mission. Imagine those words of God to Moses after Moses had made the move: I have witnessed the affliction of my people…therefore I have come down to rescue them…and lead them out of that land into a good and spacious land…flowing with milk and honey. Thus, Moses was sent on a rescue mission. His person became the symbol of God’s liberation of the oppressed. This is how the person of the gardener became the symbol of God’s patience for the sinner. God requires human instruments for divine accomplishments. Therefore, we must never hesitate to become instruments of God. Our divine call may not come in the form of the consecration of Moses as in the burning bush. Our vigilance should be based on the discovery of opportunities to help and redeem others.

3. Today, our attendance and presence in the Church can be likened to the movement of Moses towards mount Horeb, the holy location of the burning bush. We go to church, the holy place where we worship just as Moses went closer to the holy mountain. While in the church, the Lord speaks to us with his Word and Sacrament dispensed through the person of the priest, and at the end gives us his mission of liberation to go out into the world to liberate others and lead souls back to God. So, the Holy Mass can be read through the optics of the encounter between God and Moses on Horeb. And we all like the Moses of our age are encouraged to recognize that where we worship remains a Holy place and ought to be treated as such. It has to be a place where the Christian receives the divine mandate to assist in the work of liberation and redemption. 

4. As already said, the person of the gardener in the Gospel portrays the same redemptive spirit and move of Moses. While that of Moses geared towards liberating the oppressed, that of the gardener gears towards patience with the sinner. Jesus had told some people a parable to illustrate the need to repent when we can. In that parable was a fig tree that failed to bear fruit when it should have. Save for the timely intervention of the gardener, the master would have had it cut down. This was an indication by Jesus that many of them should have been dead like those people they regarded unfortunate if not for the intervention of Him, the Christ. It then means that they were living out of grace, the grace of a second chance. And we could hear the gardener say: sir, leave it for one more year, and I will do my best to see it bear fruit; if not, you can then cut it down. That means more work for the gardener. Christ continues to work on us that we may repent, even to the point of sacrificing his life for our sake. Is this then not a pointer to how Christ today intervenes on our behalf and even works to see us repent? God requires repentance from us. He desires us to learn from history and not to repeat the mistakes of the past. This was the admonition of St. Paul in the Second Reading (2 Cor. 10:1-6, 10-12) to strive never to do evil, remaining steadfast in goodness and to allow the experiences of the past teach us.

5. Opportunity dances with those already on the dance floor. The gardener grabbed the opportunity to save the poor fig tree. It was then a great opportunity for the fig tree to repent and bear fruit in the next season. Today, the gardener is the person who pleads on our behalf even without our knowledge. We all need this gardener’s intervention, as we think in appreciation of all those who are like this gardener in our life journey. The first appreciation goes to Christ for always giving us another chance when we sin against God. Our other numerous appreciations must also go to our fellow humans who have saved us from shame and disappointments by helping us to become better individuals. These appreciations must then stir in us the desire to become gardeners for others, interceding for them, saving them and caring to see that they bear fruit. We must also pray for the grace to act like the master who allowed the gardener to go to work. We need that divine spirit that offers another chance to offenders. Giving others another chance is a sign of trust that the other is able to become better with time. When you encounter offenders, just give them one more chance. When your friend betrays you, just give him/her one more chance. When your marriage partner fails, just offer him/her one more chance. Remember, one more chance doesn’t ever get finished. However, do not grow tired of offering one more chance for God never stops giving us more chances to repent and come to him. May we live our lives in the line of this grace, and may God continue to perfect this grace in us. Amen. Goo bless you.

THE MOMENT OF TRANSFIGURATION

Homily for the 2nd Sunday of Lent

Rev. Fr. Ezekoka Peter Onyekachi

The season of Lent comes with a transformative power. Whenever we overcome temptations, we make our figures ready for transfiguration.  The Life of the Christian is not just one filled with temptations; it's also filled with transformation and the glory of transfiguration. This glory is the consequence of our covenant with God. The First Reading (Gen. 15:5-12;17-18) tells of the solemn covenant God made with Abraham which was the foundation of God's relationship with the Israelites. And through the transfigured Christ, we are today the heirs to this covenant. The second reading (Phil. 3:17-4:1) makes it obvious that not all in the early church lived up to the demands of the Christian life. Thus, a continuous transformation was needed. This is achieved by heeding to the words of Paul to remain faithful. The Gospel (Like 9: 28-36) is the famous story of the transfiguration of Jesus on mount Tabor. This is a story which foreshadowed the bodily state of post-resurrected Jesus. It was a moment of great experience for Jesus, for the disciples, and for us today. 

1. It is a moment of divine encounter and revelation

According to Luke, It was after eight days of Jesus' teaching to his disciples based on Peter's confession of Faith that he took the trio to the mount of transfiguration. It was after eight days of the most important question at Ceaserea Philippi (cf. Matt. 16:13-28) when the divinity of Christ was made known to all the apostles. Having discovered the true identity of Christ, and having been with him for eight days, the apostles were now qualified to witness a true experience of the identity they had mentally known. Eight here may signify a period of preparation and waiting on the Lord; a period with which the Lord used to confirm the seriousness of the person who is patiently waiting for revelation. Therefore, the mount of transfiguration is the place where God manifests Himself to the person who has been patiently waiting for Him.  The Lord comes to those who desire Him.W Weshall not also be quick to forget that God the Father spoke to these men. On the mountain of transfiguration, God spoke to the apostles. They recognized and experienced more the divine sonship of Christ from a voice that declared Jesus His beloved, and that exhorts them to listen to Him. On that mountain, our knowledge and love of God is deepened. 

2. It is a moment when figures are transfigured

And Jesus was transfigured before them. Jesus was transfigured because he had a figure. If a Christian has no figure, he/she cannot be transfigured. Transfiguration presupposes a figure. The figure Christ had was that which has the disposition to always do the will of God. Hence, the one whose will is done is ready to transform the one who does His will. Transfiguration simply means a change of figure, but it is not actually the metamorphosis (the word derived from the Greek word used) that is essential to the event. Its essentiality flows from the further content of this metamorphoses – his face changed in appearance. For Matthew, the face shone like the sun (cf. Rev 1:16b; 10:1b), and his clothes became dazzling white. This is the central point of the story, and this links us back to the shining face of Moses after his encounter with the God of the Decalogue (cf. Exod. 34:29.35). We need to have a spiritual figure for us to experience the moment of transfiguration. Hence, the mount of transfiguration is the place where God changes the figure of the one who already hah a disposition to be with Him. On this mountain, God changes the naked to become clothed; changes the prisoners to become freed; changes the ostracized to become popular; changes the ridiculed to become the applauded; changes the sorrowful to become glorious; changes the poor to become the rich; and transforms sinners into saints.

3. It is a moment of prayers

The mount of transfiguration offers us great opportunity to speak directly to God. In the new transfigured state, we become more poised to talk to the master that transfigured us. And Peter made his request that it is good to remain here. This is a wish expressed by Peter having seen the glory of transfiguration. Peter’s address to Jesus as Lord (master) shows a fresh understanding of Jesus which exhibits a deep respect to God. Transfiguration induces great respect for God. When we are transfigured, we pray better. The mount of transfiguration puts in our mouths a better way of praying to our Father in heaven; addressing Him in the manner that is most fit.

4. It is a moment when our selfish worries are forgotten

Peter was no longer interested in himself, but in God and beholding the presence of God. He forgot his worries, his wives, his children, his occupational challenges to the extent that he made a request to remain on the mountain. He said: let us build three tents, one for you, one for Elijah and one for Moses. He gave to himself no tent. He was simply complacent with the divine presence. That was exactly the reaction of the people when Nehemiah exalted them to be happy and to have the joy of the Lord as their strength (cf. Neh. 8:10-16). The people started building tents for they were now sure of divine assurance. On top of that mountain of transfiguration, our worries are gone, and our assurance restored. 
We constantly pray for the grace of transfiguration. Happy New week. And God bless you.

BE WITH ME ALWAYS, LORD

HOMILY FOR THE FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT, YEAR C

Rev. Fr. Ezekoka Peter Onyekachi

It is not without any purpose that the season of Lent begins in its very first Sunday to remind us of the reality of temptations. To be tempted is part and parcel of the challenges we face in our Christian lives. We do not sin when we are tempted; rather we sin when temptations overcome us. One very clear truth is that every sin is preceded by some temptation. Temptation becomes then the enticement and the inclination we experience to go against the divinely revealed and inspired virtues we ought to live. Temptations push us towards vices. The consequence is that they bring us at loggerheads with our right consciences, and so sadden the human soul and spirit that is always inclined to the good. And just as temptations are constant, so also the struggle and the battle to overcome temptation are, to never give the devil who is the chief tempter any opportunity to win. Thanks to God, our human efforts are surely sustained and accompanied by His grace. And this is why we could hear ourselves repeat the words of the psalmist today: be with me Lord when I am in trouble. But since we are constantly in the trouble of being tempted, this prayer clearly would imply: be with me Lord always.

1. If the Lord is not with us, the devil’s pranks could lure us into sin. But if he remains with us, we become impenetrable. He would have been tempting in vain then. The Gospel Reading (Luke 4:1-13) tells the story of the temptation of Jesus. The devil’s job is to accuse and tempt. And so, he went to do his job. But he was unfortunate that he was dealing with a person who was filled with the Holy Spirit; God in human flesh. The very first sentence of the Gospel is explicit on this: filled with the Holy Spirit, he was led by the Spirit… Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit. He went into the desert to fortify himself all the more for the mission ahead. He was aware it was going to be a very tough mission, and so the body had to be disciplined for forty days. This is where the forty days of Lent finds its relevance: discipline and penance. But the devil counted on the weakness of the body and went to Jesus with the persistent view to subscribe to such weakness. The body needs food, and so he strongly suggested to Jesus to eat bread. The body enjoys appreciation and honour, and so he tried to entice Jesus to seek fame. The body needs external care, and so he persuaded Jesus to show that God still cares for his body. We are tempted based on what we desire and want. All we need do is to be awake always to know our desires and be alert when they push us into sin. The divine apparatus for this knowledge is the presence of the Holy Spirit in us. Thus, we pray, be with me Lord when in trouble with the cares of life.

2. Surely, the sincere search for the well-being of the body via nutrition, fame and care is not evil at all. What is evil are aim and the manner of that search. The question rises: is the search for food, fame and care done in an inordinate manner? The devil knew that it was natural for Jesus to have wanted food, divine recognition and divine sustenance, but he wanted him to get it in an abusive way. Generally, the temptations tried to lure Jesus to abuse his own power. But specifically, subscribing to these temptations could have led Jesus to abuse what he has created (the stone), to abuse his own sovereignty (his worthiness of being worshipped), and to abuse the trust he has on God the Father (jumping down the cliff). Many times, we too are tempted in these three ways; concupiscence of the body, the eye and the pride of life. Many times, we desire to prove how powerful we are, how beautiful we are and how privileged we are. Remember, when we do those things just to attract ephemeral attention, and so intimidate people into respecting and worshipping us, we only show people how empty we are of the Holy Spirit. His is the spirit of humility, self-abandonment and contentment. However, when we start failing, may we not forget to remind ourselves of those beautiful words of St. Paul in the Second Reading (Romans 10:8-13): no one who believes in Him will be put to shame. With this, we re-invite the Holy Spirit to fill us in that we may not remain in the shame of sin. We Pray: Be with me Lord, when am in the trouble of seeking self-praise.

3. Turning stone into bread, worshipping the devil or jumping down the cliff came with some enticing reasons: if you are the son of God - all this will be yours if you worship me - he will command his angels to guard you. Very cheap reasons!!! They are cheap because i. if the 40 days were over, Jesus knew he could have to managed to eat anyway. ii. Jesus knew that none of those things the devil claimed to be his actually was indeed his. iii. Jesus knew that there was no good reason to throw himself down when he could have just walked down. These cheap reasons are proofs that the devil did not really know that Jesus was the saviour; he has no knowledge of God’s plan. Similarly, the devil does not really know our inner spirit and purpose, and the plans God has for us. The devil may only claim to know us when we have fallen over and over again into his traps. This is a food for thought. Yes, the reasons are cheap, but for an ambitious mind, they would mean a lot. Is it not true then that our ambitious can becloud our mental and moral rightness? Is it not true that we can sometimes allow cheap arguments to win us over just because of our selfish interests and blinded pursuits. When this happens, our minds experience great mischief and malady. However, the Holy Spirit is able to cure even the worst of all maladies. Ambition is good, but ambitiousness is evil for from it, other evils emerge. And so we pray: Be with me Lord, when am in the trouble of ambitiousness.

Conclusively, the devil wanted Jesus to seek the easy way out, and so too he tempts us today. Being constantly with Jesus assures us of victory. Jesus’ teachings and deeds were all a confirmation of his victory over the tempter: He sat and fed the hungry, struggled with and healed the powerless, walked round the villages teaching and preaching till he ended up in Jerusalem wherein he was crucified. However, he became victorious. This is how victory awaits anyone who prays and practices these important words: Be with me Lord always. If we walk with Jesus during this Lent, victory is ours. Do have a fruitful Lenten season. Happy new week and God bless you.

THAT SPLINTER OF MINE

HOMILY FOR THE 8^TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR C

Rev. Fr. Ezekoka Peter Onyekachi

In the time when monks lived in the Egyptian deserts, a certain monk committed what was considered to be a grievous fault. And the elders in the community assembled to pass judgement on him. They sent for their abbot to join them. And so, the abbot arose and started off. He took with him an old basket which was full of holes, and filling it with sand he carried it behind him. Thus, as he went along, he left a trail of sand in his wake. On reaching the place of judgement, the elders came out to meet him and asked him what he meant by this. He then replied: my sins are running out behind me. Everywhere I go, I leave a trail of faults behind me. Only most of the time, I don’t see them myself. And today, you want me to sit in judgement on my brother. On hearing this, the elders in the community were ashamed. They abandoned the trail and pardoned their brother.

1. In the Gospel (Luke 6:39-45), Jesus in his parable to his disciples asked the very striking question: why do you observe the splinter in your brother’s eye and never notice the plank in your own? What a beautiful question that prepares our inner spirit for the season of Lent that is at our door step already!!! Should the readings of this Sunday not be seen as a way of alerting us of the very important lessons of Lent: self-condemnation and self-examination? We are left to imagine this picture of a man with a plank in his own eye who tries to extract a speck of dust from someone else’s eye. Is it not true that there is some bad in the best of us and also some good in the worst of us? The primary emphasis becomes to focus more on our individual faults so as to come out better; becoming the better version of ourselves as the days roll by. This was the advice of Jesus to his disciples, and so to us today: take the plank out of your own eye first, and then you will see clearly enough to take out the splinter in the other person’s eye. But the question that can follow from this is: can our eyes ever be free from any plank, splinter or speck?

2. This passage does not in any way condemn fraternal correction. What it condemns is hypocrisy. Hypocrisy blinds the mind not to see its own fault, but to be very alert and vigilant at the fault of others. This hypocrisy is heightened when the focus on other people’s life becomes excessive to such an extent that the inclination to easily judge and condemn them prevails. To act as a healer of other people’s fault while being blinded to ours is hypocrisy. The knowledge of the other’s faults may not be in itself wrong. The correction of the other’s fault cannot be in itself unchristian. The notice of the waywardness of our brethren can never be in itself evil. What is evil is the intention that comes before the knowledge of the other’s fault. What is evil are the words and the actions that follow after we have known the other’s fault. What is wrong is the spirit with which we correct them. Such a spirit is inclined to condemn both the wrong action and the person who performed it, as against the good spirit that condemns only the action and not the person. The good spirit does not allow us to ‘throw the baby out with the bathwater’. It does not show itself self-righteous, and does not see the offender as less in dignity.

3. The hypocrite puts up a false appearance of goodness, while the real character is concealed. Hypocrisy is wrong in itself because it is primarily deceptive; and anything that gears towards deception leads people astray. This is why the man of wisdom of the First Reading (Eccl. 27:4-7) warns his readers to apply caution in praising every person. According to the author of that book, we do not need to rush to praise any person until we have tested him/her by his words (and deeds). This is an advice that alerts us against deception. Beware (that means, do not be deceived by) of the yeast of the Pharisees, Jesus always warned his disciples (cf. Mat. 16:16). Now, think about how the deception exhibited by one person can affect a community of faith. And then, think too about the danger we bring to our souls when we are blinded to our faults. Is this not self destructive? Yes, and it causes great harm to the soul. We need to conquer ourselves first so as to help others conquer themselves. Thus, the conquest of the awareness of our own mistakes must then precede efficient attempts to cure others.

4. It is indeed very much easy to be blind to our own faults. And this is why self-examination is very necessary in our Christian life. Recollections and retreats help to make us conscious of our splinter, and never to give up in striving to remove them. We are about to step into a 40-day journey of prayer, fasting and alms-giving. It is now time to grow more conscious of our blind spots. It is now time to shun hypocrisy and face our real selves, working to heal those parts that give us some sense of shame, and working to improve those that give us some sense of worth. It is yet another opportunity the Church offers us to make a redress, healing ourselves and helping to heal others in a sincere and fraternal spirit. We are called upon to be ever ready to go before the mirror that God offers us in his word to help ourselves remove those splinters that block our visions for a clearer vision. We need to see. We need to be a Church that looks inward so as to enjoy a broader vision outwardly. But remember, each of us has got some specks to remove. Do not give up, because God has never given up on us. God bless you. Happy new week.