THAT TALL ORDER: LOVE YOUR ENEMIES

HOMILY FOR THE 7^TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR C

Rev. Fr. Ezekoka Peter Onyekachi

Was it not the 19^th century politician and a former US president, Abraham Lincoln who once said: do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends? There was a man who lived near a forest with his son. Beside the forest, they had a farm wherein they grew different crops. One morning, as they were working in their farmland, the father saw the footprint of a bear, and spoke loudly to his son how unsafe their farm was and how the bear would cause them some economic loss. He then bought a gun, and went into the forest in search of the bear, but he could not succeed in hunting him down. The son advised him to just build a fence round the farm and stop wasting his time hunting an animal who is merely trying to survive. He later on agreed with his son and built the fence, but would always release some gunshots every evening to signal to the bear that he was not wanted at all. As these were happening, the son was not content to leave things like that. He wanted to tame the bear. Unknown to his father, every evening, he stole out and deposited some very tempting scraps of food outside the fence. And how happy he was that every morning , he discovered that they had all been taken, most probably he thought, by the bear.

The father was not happy when he discovered what his son was doing, and he cautioned him to stop. ‘You cannot tame him,’ he said. Should you not actually help me to destroy him rather than helping him, he added? But the son retorted: but dad, will I not in a sense help in destroying him by taming him? But the father convinced that the bear cannot be tamed replied: he is but a wild brute. But the son insisted: I know he can be vicious, but it is because he feels unsafe wherever humans are and is convinced that they always want him dead; so he has to defend himself. By acting the way we do, we help in bringing out the worst in him. ‘So I believe,’ the boy concluded, ‘that if we act nicely to him, we will see that he can also be nice to us.’ So, the boy continued to feed the bear to the moment he started showing himself as the depositor of the scraps of food. The bear started liking him, and they became friends. The bear did not eat their crops again, even when the boy wasn’t around to feed him. The father stopped living under the pressure of loss in the farmland, as he realized that his son was right after all; his son had destroyed the bear by taming him. They lived as good neighbours afterwards.

1. And here comes the fulcrum of the readings of today which hinges on that that very tall order: love your enemies. Yes, Jesus expects us to love them even at the point of realizing how vicious they are and never to retaliate even at the point when they are vulnerable in our hands. The First Reading (1 Samuel 26:2. 7-9. 12-13. 22-23) tells the story of how David spared Saul’s life, a man who was ready to kill him at sight. David got the chance to kill him at a point when he was vulnerable, but used that opportunity to prove to him that love and forgiveness conquers all. In the Gospel (Luke 6:27-38), Jesus begins with a very tough sentence to his disciples: love your enemies, do good to those who hate you. And we must admit that love can be conceptually easy, but practically hard, not to think of the love of enemies. Think about how you feel when you try loving someone, as the person relentlessly offers you ‘good’ reasons not to. How do you feel when you truly love and the person in turn hurts you? I tell you what; Jesus says: keep loving. 

2. If we can learn something from the action of that boy who fed the bear, and apply it in our own lives, we shall indeed be marvelled at the tremendous effect it will have in us. It was Mahatma Gandhi who once said: ‘It is easy enough to be friendly to one’s friends. But to befriend the one who regards himself as your enemy is the quintessence of true religion. The other is mere business.’ True religion lies in going beyond the normal. It lies in doing that extra thing that makes us outstanding as believers. In this case, that extra thing is: love your enemies.

3. We need not be like those who hate us. Remember that story of a snake who rolled up itself round a saw in a carpentry shop. It turned and bit the saw, and by biting the saw hurt itself badly in the mouth. The snake thinking that the saw was attacking him decided to roll around the saw with all his strength as if wanting to suffocate him with his whole body. Unfortunately, the snake ended up being killed by the saw. Sometimes, when we react in anger and desire to hurt those who hurt us, we end up hurting and killing ourselves. In life, it is simply better to not allow hurtful feelings and situations to rule us, because the consequences can really be self catastrophic.

4. Sometimes, the love of enemies can be frustrating; really exasperating. However, we need not change our nature and way of life because of how the other reacts to us. The best revenge is to love. And many times, nothing pains the one who hates than receiving love from the one he/she hates. We do not also forget the story of the old man who stretched his hands to save a sinking scorpion. But as he did, the scorpion  kept on stinging him, to the extent that the grand son ridiculed his old grandfather: why do you keep on intending to save it why it is not complying and even hurting you? The old man looked round and found a small spoon, and with it saved the drowning scorpion. He then spoke to his grandson and said: it is in the nature of the scorpion to sting, but not mine. My nature is to love, care and save lives. The nature of the scorpion cannot change mine. Always stay true to your nature. Our nature is modelled after Christ, the heavenly man as said in the Second Reading (1 Cor. 15:45-49). Through Him, we now have a life giving spirited nature. Our nature is to love.

Commenting on these words of Christ, Martin Luther King Jr. has this to say: Now there is a final reason I think that Jesus says, ‘love your enemies.’ It is this: that love has within it a redemptive power. And there is a power there that eventually transforms individuals. Just keep being friendly to that person. Just keep loving them, and they can’t stand it too long. Oh, they react in many ways in the beginning. They react with guilt feelings, and sometimes they’ll hate you a little more at that transition period, but just keep loving them. And by the power of your love they will break down under the load. That’s love, you see. It is redemptive, and this is why Jesus says love. There’s something about love that builds up and is creative. There is something about hate that tears down and is destructive. So, love your enemies. Let us help to destroy the bear by taming him. Let us destroy enmity by love. God bless you. Happy new week.

WHAT AN UPSIDE-DOWN KINGDOM!!!

HOMILY FOR THE 6^TH SUNDAY IN THE ORDINARY TIME, YEAR C.

Rev. Fr. Ezekoka Peter Onyekachi

There was this story of the meeting of Archbishop Fulton Sheen who reported his encounter with Saint Theresa of Calcutta. He was visiting her for the first time in her place of apostolate in Calcutta. After observing the mass of dirt and depraved humanity that gathered in her centre: the lame, the blind, the dumb, and the rejected, the bishop asked her: how do you talk to this people about Christ in this their state? Of course, for the bishop, those people were so deplorable and under great discomfort that their desire would be to satisfy the problems of this life, and not to hear about Christ. And soothingly so, Mother Theresa answered him: I do not talk to them about Christ. I pick them up from the gutters and the streets; give them food and water, give them a home and a sense of belonging, the only thing that society denies them. Then I ask them if they would like to hear about Christ. To this, they have always replied: is Christ like you? And my answer has been: Christ is not like me, but I strive to be like him. “Then, tell us about him,” they all usually say; and from  there our discussion about Christ will start. The best preachers are the doers.

1. The big lesson here is that those materially poor people did not respond to Christ because of their poverty but because they experienced Christ in Mother Theresa. One thing must be spelt out: they did not desire to hear about Christ from Mother Theresa because they were poor, even though their poor status attracted Mother to them. Rather, they did because of Mother’s care and affection to them. And this is why they can be declared blessed. They are lucky enough that their status attracted them to the message of Christ. This is the first step in understanding the Gospel Reading (Luke 6:17.20-26) which is Luke’s own version of the Beatitudes. The similarity about the beatitudes of Luke to Matthew is that they were placed as the welcome speech of Jesus to his twelve apostles whom he had already selected out of the many others in Luke 6:12 -16 (cf. Mat.4:18-22). However, something spectacular about Luke is that his version of the beatitudes are four in number (8 in Matthew); together with the fact that he situated Jesus and the apostles on a level place (on a mount in Matthew). And again, there are these four woes that followed those beatitudes, most probably to act as a juxtaposition. Is it not true that the life of blessedness implies a choice against the life of agony and woes? The choice is ours to make.

2. Thus, there are two groups of people that stand out in the Gospel: the Blessed (Happy) Group and the Alas (the woeful) Group. Paradoxically and surprising indeed, the members of the happy group are those who ought to, in the world’s standard be sad and miserable: the poor, the hungry, the weepy, the hated, the rejected, the abused and the slandered; where as the members of the woeful group are those who ought to, in the world’s standard be fulfilled and happy: the rich, the wealthy, the exultant and the honourable. Is this not a miraculous and revolutionary reversal? It is indeed an upside down kingdom. And come to think of it, how can those who suffer now be the happy people? Does it entail that poverty, injustice, or hunger can be a blessing? And how can those who enjoy and are successful now become the woeful people? Does it entail that riches or wealth can be a curse? Now, let us try to get it. The poor are simply those who have discovered how empty they really are, and have learnt to hunger and hope on God. They have discovered that it takes darkness to see the distant stars. In whatever material/economical state they find themselves, they are able to profess Christ and are ready to let go of earthly acquisition to store up treasures for themselves in heaven. Thus, can we be poor?

3. Back to our lead story, those poor people in Calcutta desired to hear about Christ because they saw a good representative of Christ. Their economically poor state does not imply that they are miserable in their hearts. Similarly, it does not also imply that the economically rich are the happiest in their hearts. As against some popular notions, material poverty and lack are not the major enhancers of religion and spirituality. The true enhancer of true religion is the feeling of lack and poverty in our souls that are restlessly seeking for God. And indeed, if there is anything that can help to give a man the false impression of happiness, it is wealth. And the wealthy keeps on discovering that wealth does not entail happiness. And many times, the more the expansion of wealth, the more the feeling of emptiness widens. Riches and comfort in the end leave us in a spiritual desert. And sadly enough, people tend to believe that this feeling can be filled in with an extra pursuit for wealth, but it always turns out to be false. Now, what is it that can fill in this emptiness? How can we come out of this desert?

4. On a good look at the First Reading (Jer. 17:5-8), one discovers that the two groups of the Gospel is reflected. The Lord declared both a curse and a blessing. For those who put their trust in man, there is curse, but for those who put their trust in God, there is blessing. Does this not then offer us more clue in understanding better the beatitudes and the woes in the Gospel? The blessed and happy people are those who put their trust in God, where as the woeful people are those who put their trust in man. Trust is the spiritual vision that can quench this emptiness. If we fail to trust, we cannot love God. Thus, trusting in God allows the soul to be filled by contentment and happiness, knowing fully well that God has got our backs. We do not desire to be members of the second group, the woeful people who put their trust in man (in riches, in worldly honour, in wealth and in plentifulness). We desire to be among the blessed group who put their trust in God, irrespective of the earthly discomfort that can come with it. I hope we do.

These earthly discomforts can include: giving even in lack, going hungry even in abundance of wine and milk, that other might eat, weeping for the course of right, being hated for our faith, being rejected for our love, being abused for trusting and being calumniated for our belief; all because of Jesus. But what is indeed frightening today is that the disciples of Jesus are so frequently in comfort. May the Lord make us blessed always. Amen. Happy new week. God bless you.

CASTING INTO THE DEEP WATERS

HOMILY FOR THE 5^TH SUNDAY IN THE ORDINARY TIME, YEAR C

Rev. Fr. Ezekoka Peter Onyekachi

There is this awesome similarity that the readings of this Sunday present to us. The First Reading (Isaiah 6:1-8) narrates the episode of how Isaiah was commissioned by God. Paul tells the story of his ministry and status in the Second Reading (1 Cor. 15:1-11), while the Gospel (Luke 5:1-11) tells the story of the call and change of profession of Peter and a few other disciples of Christ. In these three readings are three great personalities, Isaiah, Paul and Peter who passed through moments of inferiority complex in their answer towards the call. Indeed, they were not spontaneous volunteers. Their acceptance of the call was as a result of a somewhat persuasion, because they felt unworthy of it. Isaiah needed a push to accept that he was fit to become a prophet. Paul reminded himself of how he was caught on the way while persecuting the Church and thus should be regarded as the least of the apostles. Peter pleaded with Jesus to depart from Him for he was a sinful man who was not worthy of him. They all started by admitting their unworthiness, sinfulness, and shortcomings, but ended up doing great things by their acceptance of the call of God. They were obedient to “cast into the deep waters”, and for that reason they made a good catch. They abandoned themselves totally to the will of God in their mission. Faith is our response to God's invitation.

1. Relying on God and admitting our unworthiness is the first way to success in our spiritual and daily life. Isaiah, Paul and Peter relied not on their own resources but on God’s help. They each did an amazing job. Beginning with such conviction helped them not to seek their own glories but the glory of the one who called them. Their sense of unworthiness grew out of their sense of God. The discovery of one’s own spiritual poverty opens the soul up to receive what God is offering. Human pride, the feeling of self-sufficiency and self-righteousness are sure ways to become failures. When we recognize our weakness and sinfulness, the power of God becomes our strength and courage, for his grace is ever sufficient for us. When we make ourselves empty, God can fill us in. When we don’t shy away from our weakness, God strengthens us. When we are poor, God enriches us. When we are humble, God exalts us. Encountering Jesus brings us face to face with our unworthiness. And the awareness of our unworthiness challenges us to be humble.

2. In the Gospel, Jesus encountered Peter and the other apostles at the sea of Galilee. They had worked all through the night but caught no fish. As they were disembarking from the boats, Jesus met them and embarked on one of the boats to preach and teach from there. It was Simon Peter’s boat. Jesus was aware of their business and how they had failed all through the night. He was there to give them hope again. These apostles were doing their business and the Lord encountered them there. The Lord encounters us in the seriousness and the weariness of our daily business. Once upon a time, St. Francis of Assisi was working in his garden, some of his young disciples stopped by to engage him in some theological speculation. One of them asked him what he would do with the rest of the day if he were to receive a message that it was his last day to live. Francis immediately answered: first, I would finish this work in my garden.” Having faith does not entail laziness in our jobs. God wants us to work that he may encounter us in the seriousness and the weariness of that job.

3. These men were not successful in their business as fishermen that night until they encountered Jesus. Without Jesus, there was no fish. With Jesus, there was abundance. What does this tell us? If only we can introduce Jesus into our daily businesses and life, then can we experience this grace of abundance that Peter and the rest did experience. Recognizing their frustration, Jesus invited Simon to cast into the deep waters. And those nets that had been washed were again used. Those nets that caught nothing were filled to tearing point. Those nets knew the voice of the master and obeyed. Those fishes recognized the presence of their creator and rushed into those nets that were let down from the boat wherein He, Jesus stayed. They wanted to experience and obey their creator. The fishes were so numerous that the apostles signalled for help. Is it not true that we tend to forget Jesus during the darkness of our careers, during the feeling of emptiness and during crisis moments thinking we can solve the problems by our own efforts and reasoning? Invite Jesus, cast into the deep waters and be ready to share the abundance testimony.

4. We must not forget that one of the reasons they had this experience of abundance was because Peter obeyed Jesus and tried again. Tired as Peter was, he was ready to try again; he made another effort: but at your command, I will lower the nets. Reluctant as Isaiah was, he was ready to become a prophet because he was called by God: here I am, Lord, send me. Stubborn as Paul was, he was ready to allow the Lord use him: for by the grace of God, I am what I am. The disposition to obey and try again is needed. Most people are ready to give up so soon. We must live with the conviction that even when we feel the end of something has come, it does not mean we stop the effort. We may find ourselves working hard and hard, and yet nothing tangible to show for it. At that moment, we need not give up, for even the word ‘END’ can mean Effort Never Dies. Sometimes, it may seem hopeless to continue, but remember what Peter did: I will do so because you have said so. And the miracle happened. If we really need our own miracle, we must take Jesus at his words when he invites us even to attempt the impossible.

5. They left everything, even the numerous fishes they caught and followed Jesus. This is surprising!!! One would have expected them to sell the fishes for more income so as to make the profit they needed having worked all night in frustration, but suddenly succeeded in the morning. The night was over, the night that was the prime time for a good catch. Yet, they never succeeded. Their success came in the morning, a time when they were preparing to go home in frustration. After succeeding, they still left everything. This is because they encountered a higher value. They now needed to move from casting their nets into the deep waters to casting their nets into the deep world. This is the higher value, and they were ready for this. Peter, James and John had sacrificed everything they have got for the sake of Jesus. Their business empire got increased, but that did not distract them. Instead, they shared the resources to others. They brought out the boat to the shore, left everything, most probably for the other fishermen that helped them, and went with the Lord to evangelize. It is left for us to answer the question: how often are we ready to share our resources to others for the sake of our encounter with Jesus?

These are the ways we can cast into the deep waters. May Christ’s presence never depart from our daily jobs and lives. Amen. Happy new week. God bless you.

THE PROPHET’S PLIGHT

HOMILY FOR THE 4^TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR C

Rev. Fr. Ezekoka Peter Onyekachi

A particular family was forced to live in a deep cave because of the hostility and unrest of her town’s people. At first, they found it difficult to live in there because it was dark. But because they found the new place safe enough, they learnt to see in the dark. The only time they left the cave was at night in search of food and other necessities of life. Their day-to-day activity and life were all in the cave. They kept on reminding one another how unsafe, wicked and hostile the outside world was and how the people were all evil. They looked on themselves as the saved ones and even pitied the people who lived outside. They were happy with their new home and vowed never to return to the world of hostility again. Years passed and the first generation had turned very old. However, their oral tradition of tagging the outside world evil and their mode of survival in the dark did not stop. They were so interested in the evil of others that they could not see the limitations of their existence, the smallness of their world and the fact that they were living in fear.

One day, a young man in their midst took the courage to leave the cave at daybreak. He saw how beautiful the daylight was, a world warmed up by sunshine, perfumed by the scent of flowers and filled with birdsong. His people on discovering that he left the cave tagged him as a traitor. Soon, the young man saw how different the world outside the cave was. It is true that ugly things happened, but he believed his tradition exaggerated them. He made friends and started living happily. But soon, he remembered his people in the cave, and feeling sorry for them decided to go bring them out. On arrival and on entering the cave with his torchlight, the old people shouted at him to ‘put out the light at once! You will give us all away.’ He told them the story of how lovely and safe the outside world now was and that he desired to liberate them from their self-made prison. Of course, they did not listen to him. They had not even forgiven him as a traitor who left the cave. They rushed at him, smashed his torchlight and bundled him out of the cave.

1. That young man was a prophet to his people who desired to liberate them from darkness, fear and timidity, but his own people rejected him. Sometimes, we are inclined to think of prophets as fortune-tellers or those who tell what is going to happen in the future. This is not who a prophet is according to the Scripture. A prophet is simply someone who is sent by God to speak on his behalf. Far from being a magician, he/she is someone who is able to speak the exact message from God and truthfully too. Even when people are afraid to say and confront the truth, the prophet is not. Filled with courage, he/she speaks truth to the face. Now, we can imagine why he/she faces rejection a lot. The prophet is not diplomatic with the message of God. He/she destroys our illusions and lays bare our pretences. He/she tells those truths about us that we are afraid to confront. He/she does not caress us with what we want to hear, but with what God wants us to hear. This is what Jesus was to his people when he spoke to them in the synagogue (cf. Gospel: Luke 4:21-30). This is also the mission to which God sends us as prophets to the nations (cf. First Reading: Jer. 1:4-5,17-19).

2. Jesus spoke in his home town, Nazareth in such an amazing way that instead of believing in him and growing in faith, his people trivialized his message by reminding themselves of his family root: surely, this is Joseph’s son? And citing episodes in the Scriptures about Elijah and Elisha, Jesus told them the most painful truth that any Jew would not want to hear: that salvation is also meant for Gentiles. On hearing this, they acted exactly like those elders in the cave according to our lead story. They even wanted to kill him. Jesus faced rejection in his own town. He was rejected and ejected by his own people, because he did not say what they want to hear. How many prophets have we as individuals, families, groups, societies and even as a Church rejected? We fight against any truth that we do not want to face. In the fear of changing our old ways, we force ourselves to despise the truth, reject the message and even eject the messenger. A prophet is not a noise maker at all, but he cannot help but speak. If he does not speak, that role of prophecy becomes superfluous. The prophet is ready to die for his message.

3. But the hard truth about it is that even when we succeed in killing the prophet, the truth does not die, for even after death, the voice of truth would endlessly echo in our minds. Our times need us to become the new prophets. It is now time to reclaim our identity as Christians who are ever ready like the apostles of old to speak the truth to power and even die for it; otherwise we may have to watch our faith heritage as it crumbles before our very eyes. It was almost inconceivable for a Jew to think, not to talk of speaking about the salvation of Gentiles and God’s option for them because of the hardness of the hearts of Jews. But as the prophet Jesus was, he broke that fear in an effort to liberate his people from such erroneous notion and belief. Sadly indeed, and as humans could be in their tenacious grip to selfish and exclusivistic notions, the people tried to kill their prophet. They preferred darkness to light. We are today extensions of Jesus, commissioned as prophets. Yes, before I formed you in the womb, I knew you and consecrated you as prophet to the nations. Thus, brace yourself for action, stand up and speak what I command you. It is the Lord who speaks through Jeremiah to you and I today.  

4. We must be ever ready to face rejections as prophets, because the people we minister to reflect also the people of Jesus and the people of the cave. It is our collective duty as Christians, for we have been commissioned by virtue of our baptism as prophets. We have received the empowerment as prophets and teachers of the message of faith, hope and love. We must therefore not shy away from this. Nothing should be able to make us afraid, for after all, there are three things that last: faith, hope, and love (cf. Second Reading: 1 Cor. 12:31 -13:13), and never are they wealth, security, and the law. Sadly indeed, we have replaced the last three things with these three earthly pursuit. It is our plight to face rejection. That the Lord knows us from the womb signifies that he is most interested in the child in the womb. Speaking truth to power attracts some attacks. However, it is our plight to be killed. Do not stir up a stagnant pond and expect a lot of mud not to rise to the surface. We must encourage one another and work towards building a kingdom of truth here on earth, for without truth and courage, we fail as prophets. Happy new week, and the new month of February. God bless you.

THAT MOST EXCELLENT “THEOPHILUS”

HOMILY FOR THE 3^RD SUNDAY IN THE ORDINARY, YEAR C

Rev. Fr. Ezekoka Peter Onyekachi

Luke begins his account of Jesus in the highest model of writing that was during his time. He introduces his gospel in a way so different from the other three evangelists. By his introduction, he meant to say four things about the gospel of Jesus Christ he intended to write: 1. the Gospel is a historical account, as many have made attempts to tell the story. 2. the Gospel is an eyewitness’ account, as the story was handed over by those who saw Jesus. 3. the Gospel is an inspired account, as the writer was led to write because of the duty he felt he owed Theophilus. 4. the Gospel is a confirmation of the truth, as the purpose for the writing is to establish the certainty of the stories being told. This beginning verses of Luke forms the first part of the Gospel (cf. Luke 1:1-4) of today.

The second part (Luke 4:14-21) concerns the first appearance of Jesus in his home town, during which he had the opportunity to read out his manifesto from the oracle of Isaiah in the synagogue. In this manifesto are four important elements: 1. to bring good news to the poor, 2. to proclaim freedom to captives and the recovery of sight to the blind 3. to set the oppressed free, and 4. to announce the year of the Lord. How blessed were those who sat down in that synagogue listening to Jesus read and then preached that very short but most powerful sermon in history: today, this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing. Similarly, is it not a privilege that we are among those who read and listen to the good news of Jesus today? Indeed, we are the Theophilus of today. But, who is Theophilus?

1. Luke wrote to a man he named Theophilus. We do not know much about him, but his title captures our attention; most excellent. This is the title of honourable people. Thus, Luke wrote to a respected person of rank in the government. And this honourable person was most probably representative of a wider audience which needs upholding in faith. He desired to know the story of Jesus. He desired to read and understand that story which was on the lips of every body. He needed a logical story written after a proper investigation. And this is what Luke gave him. We must be ready always to serve Christ by studying, researching and becoming acquainted with the truth of Christ. Theophilus can be a person, no doubt, but should we not be free to understand this name in another way?

2. Theophilus is a Greek word which can mean “lover/friend of God.” Could it then not be true to say that Luke was writing to someone who had distinguished himself/herself as a lover of God through the way he/she lived his/her life? And can we not also underpin that this lover of God can be you or I today? Those who love God are eager to listen to the news and testimonies about Him. Those who are friends of God are filled with zeal to read the Bible and books that make them know God more. Those who love God are ever ready to share their experiences of God with others. These are the Christians. This is you and I. Thus, if we believe that we are lovers/friends of God, and therefore those to whom Luke writes, then we confirm that we love to listen and learn about God. It all means we are ever ready to be filled with the good news of Christ. As Christians today, a little exercise we need to do ourselves is to think and compare how vast and updated we can be about sports and political news and how vast we are about Jesus, about the Bible and about spiritual writings. This will go a long way to help us get redirected back to our callings as lovers of God; as theo philoi. To love God is to desire endlessly to know him.

3. The first reading (Nehemiah 8:2-4a, 5-6, 8-10) tells the story of another section of the lovers of God who listened attentively as Ezra the priest read the laws of God to them. The people’s response to the word of God was very touching. Not only that they listened well, they also believed and worshipped the Lord. They recognized how they have failed God and wept. And because they believed and worshipped, the joy of the Lord which strengthens and consoles was proclaimed to them by the priests, the elders and the excellent Nehemiah. Listening and reading about God must lead us to faith; otherwise the purpose of hearing the good news becomes unfulfilled in our hearts. As the eye sees, and as the ear hears, the heart ought to believe so that the whole body can be led into proper worship.

4. Note here the title used for Nehemiah as it reflects the title of Theophilus to whom Luke wrote. He was excellent because even as a leader he listened to the laws of the Lord. His presence demonstrated his eagerness for the knowledge and love of God. This is a leader who led his people into penitence, conversion and proper worship, without failing to bring words of consolation to their afflicted hearts. And such a leader is indeed needed today. We need leaders whose manifestos will simply reflect the manifesto of Jesus for the poor, the oppressed and to lead people to rediscover the year of the Lord; which signifies turning the hearts of the people once more to God who came in the person of Jesus. And so, excellence goes to any one who does not only listen and obey the good news of God, but teaches others to do the same, prays for others and encourages others in their faith. As the lovers of God that we are, we require indeed this title of honour: excellent.

5. If one part suffers, all the other parts suffer with it; If one part is honoured, all the other parts share its joy. With these words, St. Paul in the Second Reading (1 Cor. 12:12-30) talks about the unity that we share as lovers of God. Christians today are lovers of God. When a person fails, it affects others in the faith, and when a person does excellent, it affects others too. For instance, when a person serves well in a parish, every member of the parish somehow gets honoured. When a parish does well, the diocese feels honoured. When a particular Church succeeds, the universal Church share in her joy. There is universal joy that comes from particular service. Having discovered how this chain of excellence in service can affect the joy of the universal Church, we may now be free to think how this joy would be felt everywhere around us and how excellent our Church can be if we all render excellent service to one another. Oh! What an excellent Church filled with excellent lovers/friends of God that can make the world an excellent place. We are in need of excellence, oh Theophilus. May we never relent in making our love for God excellent. Happy new week, God bless you.

FILL THE JARS WITH WATER

HOMILY FOR THE SECOND SUNDAY IN THE ORDINARY TIME, YEAR C

Rev. Fr. Ezekoka Peter Onyekachi

There was a wedding feast at Cana in Galilee (cf. the Gospel: John 2:1-11). And at this occasion, Mary the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus, her only son and his disciples were also invited. They all could feel the joy in the air. And one could imagine the different guests exchanging pleasantries and sharing memorable stories as they took sips from their glass wines and raised them up for a fill-up. One could also vision the waiters and waitresses walking around and doing their service. Of course, wines have been intrinsic part of such ceremonies even up till our age. For a Jewish feast, wine was so important that the Jewish rabbis had a saying that without wine, there is no joy. Suddenly, the waiters and waitresses started to withdraw from the people, as many guests who needed wine started to look over their shoulders in search of wine but could not get. The stewards were hiding as their relevance was diminishing. The face of the host became covered with wrinkles of anxiety as he was gazing around with an eye of hopelessness. There was now some sort of confusion, despair, anger, and distraction in the arena.

In the face of all these, there was a special guest, Mary who took the bull by the horn. She knew someone who could salvage the situation, and that was her son. Surely, she had expected her powerful son to do something, but seeing that the son claimed unconcerned about the situation, she stood up and went to him. And we could feel the surprise and the anxiety in the voice of this woman as she spoke to her son concerning the situation: they have no wine. Jesus barely replied her as she ran immediately to tell the stewards to do whatever her son tells them. Here, we see the relevance of the Blessed Mary in our prayers to God. Then came those transformative words of Jesus to the stewards: Fill the jars with water. When this was done and as one of them drew some of the supposed water out, lo! the water had become wine, an excellent wine. The rest of the story would mean the restoration of serenity, peace and joy for everyone who was present at the feast. It is in this sense that we can hear God speak to us as in the First Reading (Isaiah 62:1-5) that He cannot be silent over our plights until our integrity is restored. The Gospel becomes the confirmation of the promise of God to us. The question we are left to ask ourselves is: Are these transformative words of Jesus to those stewards still relevant to us today? Of course, Yes.

1. We are like earthenware jars, and inside these jars are treasures (cf. 2. Cor. 4:7). And sometimes, the wine in us can get finished. These wines are like what makes us useful and important. The value of the jar lies in what it contains. The jar is a container, and this container has to contain the appropriate liquid for the ceremony of life. And this jar is permitted not to be empty, and indeed cannot be empty. However, the jars which we are are sometimes filled up with materials that it should not contain. We fill the jars with materials that cannot lead to a miraculous transformation from water to wine. The content of the container determines the transformation. Whatever the jar contains would determine that into which it can be transformed. The command fill the jar with water was specific as regards the content of the jar. If the stewards filled the jars with sand, do you think there would have been any wine? Therefore, fill yourself with contents that can lead you to your expected miracle. If you desire knowledge, study and pray; if you desire success, be hard working and pray, if you desire holiness, practice virtues and pray. The content is very determinant whenever God wills to act. Therefore, learn to fill the jar with water.

2. Water has numerous significances. That water in the jar helped to save the day. It became salvific. The choice of water as an untainted liquid is relevant. It required only an untainted liquid, a liquid that knows no colour and is available to all to initiate the transformation, just as it requires an untainted liquid to regenerate us in baptism. Remember, that water in the jar always served the purpose of cleansing. The Jews had the tradition of ritual cleansing of the hands even up till the elbow before meals and in-between courses. Seeing the purpose the water served, and desiring the water to go beyond the external, Jesus gave the command to fill them to the brim for a higher purpose. We need just to make some effort and be purposeful in life and watch God doing his wonders in our lives. The reward of hard work is more work, just as the accompanying reward of effort is grace. This water is like the spirit spoken about in the Second Reading (1 Cor. 12:4-11) which has been given to us for a good purpose. It assists us to work hard. It is that initial grace of God in us which is filling, and which is abundant. The jars were filled with water to the brim, the highest point of what they could contain, but beyond this, the water of external cleansing and in this sense, of grace became transformed into the wine of internal filling and of abundance. Therefore, strive to attract the the grace of God to get the jars filled up with water.

3. Jesus changed water into an excellent wine. Wine is the symbol of God’s love and forgiveness. Even in Greek legends, wine is seen as symbol of love. For them, it was Dionysus who having desired what he could give human beings to make them peaceful, decided the gift of wine; that human beings may love and be happy with one another. In the wedding at Cana, we have imagined the consequences of the lack of wine and how it could have affected people’s mood. The excellent wine brought back more joy. But when these jars were still filled with water, there was still some doubts and despair in people that many guests would have held very fisted to their remaining glasses of wine, and not being ready to share with others for the reason of insufficiency. With the abundance of wine, people loosened up. That wine became the wine of hope (as against despair), of faith (as against doubt) and of love (as against selfishness). No person would want this type of wine to run out. Therefore, continue to be a part of this love feast where the wine has replaced the water. If the Old Covenant is symbolized by the water of ablution and ritual cleansing, the New Covenant in Jesus is symbolized by the wine of Eucharistic banquet. And it turned to wine.

4. In the future, Jesus would turn this wine into his own blood that we may have not only hope, faith and love but also life in its fullness. From water to wine, and from wine to blood can signify the mission of Jesus towards the passion, shortly before which he offered us his blood to act in the memory of him. The Eucharist then refreshes in our minds this banquet in Cana in such a way that it is a living memory of the wedding between heaven and earth. The miracle at Cana is then a pointer to the wine of love and the blood of sacrifice which surely led to salvation and the fullness of life. Therefore, the Holy Mass is today for us this banquet of love, sacrifice and thanksgiving. If only we can see Jesus who makes the jars that we are very useful to have water (disposition to do good) filled into us to the brim, transforms the water (virtues) inside us as jars into wines of love, and turns the wines in us into his blood of sacrifice, then we shall never fail to make the fullest meaning out of the Holy Mass that we celebrate and attend daily. It all starts from our disposition to be good for the sake of others; yes, from being useful as jars with water.

5. Lastly and in relation to life, what do you do when you find out that you have no wine? Do you go to Jesus, or do you stay confused and despaired? Think about what happens in life. When people meet each other and fall in love. There is this banquet of joy, full of hopes and dreams with a lot of lovely fantasies. Some times, this love leads to marriage. May be one day into the marriage, a reality bursts in upon them and they are horrified and almost embarrassed at the weakness they discover in one another, and the thought of continuing to share love becomes burdensome. At this point can we not say that the wine has run out? Such questions arise: how did I come to fall in love with such a person? How come I married him/her? In other words, the marriage becomes boring and there is the feeling of anger and anxiety in them. The little thing that is now left is that little water in the jar. Many times and pitiably too, some persons at this point tend to give up; they go for a divorce. This same experience occurs in careers, friendships, academic life and even in vocations as the priesthood and religious life. The feeling of disillusionment can set in. Many depressing questions come to mind when our wines run out.

However, all we need do in dire situations as these is to first of all accept that the first wine has run out, and then make due with the little water remaining and then strive to attract the grace of God to fill us up to the brim. By the way, do you not think that it is necessary that the first wine should run out to give in to the excellent new wine? With that sincere and practical desire to get filled up with grace, we must discover Jesus somewhere telling some stewards to fill the jars to the brim, as he turns them into excellent wine. Remember, the jars at Cana were six in number and that signifies incompleteness and imperfection. We are incomplete and imperfect. We need Jesus to fill us to the brim. With this, we become sweet again, because that wine will be the sweetest. Divorce is not the answer. Disillusionment is not the solution. Prayer, patience, resilience and total abandonment to the will of God are the key virtues that could be helpful. There is no need to despair or give up. We must hold on, for by doing so, we regain in an excellent way the strength of our initial love. Jesus is ever ready to fill the jars with water, and of course to turn the water into the most sweet wine. And I wish you a splendid week ahead. God bless you.

THE WATER OF OUR REBIRTH

HOMILY FOR THE SOLEMNITY OF THE BAPTISM OF OUR LORD

Rev. Fr. Ezekoka Peter Onyekachi

It is the feast of the baptism of our Lord. This marks the end of the season of Christmas and brings to our consciousness the starting point of the ministry of Jesus. This feast reveals an indispensable epiphany (i.e. theophany) in the economy of salvation where God reveals Himself in the three persons that He is: the Father, Son and Holy Spirit were present. Here, among us is God audible, visible and tangible. This baptism (Greek baptisein; immersion) was so important for Jesus and the early Christian community that the three synoptic writers reported it. It continues to be important for the Church today and for all of us.

WAS JOHN’S BAPTISM HELPFUL AT ALL?

1. All of a sudden, a voice was heard in the wilderness calling on people to repent and come back to the Lord. A lot of people had gone to see with their eyes the point John was trying to make. Many went to him with a lot of questions on what to do to make the way of the Lord straight. Very many too had gone to John for baptism since, according to him, baptism was the sign of the repentance. John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance, which according to some biblical scholar has been likened to the ritual cleansing of the Qumran community in Israel. (Qumram community was comprised of pious and ascetic members who being against politics became reclusive and entertained messianic hopes in Israel, and hoped for a new Jerusalem where God would be worshipped in the temple that He Himself would build). It is true that John called for confessions (Mark 1:5) and denunciation of sins (Luke 3:3), as a prerequisite for the cleansing at the baptism of repentance; this is similar to the sequence in the ritual cleansing of the Qumranic form.

2. However, John’s cleansing was spiritual unlike that of the Qumran that was physical. His was never a means to cleanse people of physical impurity, but a spiritual cleansing for the remission of sins. And so, it became known as a baptism of repentance. In the face of all these acts, many started to think that John was the Messiah. From this background can we understand that feeling of expectancy that grew among the people in the Gospel of today (cf. Luke 4:15-16:21-22). The baptism of John was for repentance, but beyond this, it was also one of preparation. It was a baptism that was meant to prepare the way of the Lord. It was a baptism that was meant just as the First Reading (Isaiah 40:1-5;9-11) says, to make a straight path for the Lord, fill in every valley, and level every mountain and hill. When all these are done, the glory of the Lord would then be revealed and all mankind shall see it. John came to prepare this glory of the Lord that was meant to be revealed in Christ. However again, His baptism even though preparatory was not yet a christian baptism. This is why John said: “I baptise you with water, but someone is coming, someone more powerful than I am, and I am not fit to undo the strap of his sandals; he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” In other words, John knew his mission. He was not the Christ, but came as the contractor that made the road good for Christ.

BUT WHY DID JESUS GO TO BE BAPTISED BY JOHN?

1. Here comes the statement of the problem regarding the feast of the baptism of our Lord. It has been clearly said that John’s baptism was for repentance and preparation. Why then did Jesus get baptised even when he did not need repentance (since he was without any original or actual sin) and even though He was the one for which the people were prepared? Was it to please Mary His mother as some in the early Church suggested or just as Jesus said according to Matthew, to fulfil all righteousness (Matthew 3:15)?  Remember, there was already a feeling of expectancy about the Christ. This feeling was because of John, but he knew that it was not he. John had prepared many people to meet the Christ. And people had begun to retrace their steps back to God. The time of the Messiah had finally come. Jesus knew this, that John’s message was a call to action. Yes, he knew quite well that he needed to identify with the people in this search for God. And so, he went in to be baptised; to identify with us in our search for Him. This is so that having identified with us in our search, he can move with us as one of us. Baptism becomes then necessary to live a holy life with Jesus. To be with Jesus then, there is the need for our own baptism. Baptism then is the sign of love and the search for holiness.

2. His hour had come. Christ then had struck at the appropriate time. The events that followed that baptism of Christ confirmed the Father and the Holy Spirit’s approval of this hour. After the baptism, while Jesus was at prayer, the heavens opened and the spirit descended in bodily shape like a dove and a voice was heard: You are my beloved son, my favour rests on you. This was a ground-breaking theophany. God has finally revealed Himself in His three persons. The baptism of Jesus was therefore the confirmation of the role of Christ as the Messiah -his identity. It was an event that confirmed in Jesus that it was now time to start off his ministry - his mission. By immersing himself in the waters of Jordan, Jesus sanctified the waters of creation with which we must be baptised.  And so, the baptism of Jesus becomes a sort of Second Creation during which there was the presence of the Trinity as in the First Creation ‘in the beginning’. Through those waters, we shall be created anew in Christ.

OUR BAPTISM IN THE LORD TODAY

1. The baptism of Jesus foreshadows our own baptism. The baptism of Jesus was a pointer to his life, death and resurrection into glory. His Baptism during which there was an immersion inside the water marked the beginning of his mission which would of course involve dying on the cross and followed by the immersion in the grave. But fortunately, as the immersion in water was followed by an emergence into his mission, so also would the immersion in the grave would be followed by an emergence into glory after the resurrection. We die in Christ so as to rise in his glory. And as John said, He will baptise us with the Holy Spirit and fire. So, it is then by this cleansing water of rebirth that we are made clean today. God made sure that the waters of creation that was rendered impure by the original sin of the first parents would be purified by the original action of His impeccable Son, Jesus.

2. Therefore, the Baptism of Christ not only foreshadows our own baptism, but also assures our baptism in the Holy Spirit. We are renewed in the Spirit. In the Second Reading (Titus 2:11-14; 3:4-7), Paul makes it known that our continuous salvation is assured by the cleansing water of rebirth and by renewing us in the Holy Spirit which Christ has generously poured on us through Jesus Christ our saviour, so that we might be justified by him and become heirs in the hope of eternal life. At our baptism, the Trinity that was present during Christ’s baptism takes its abode in our souls. At our baptism, the voice of the Father heard during Christ’s baptism makes us adopted sons and daughters of God; we become His beloved children. Could this not be the reason for the new names we bear at our baptism? Yes, to show that we have become adopted Children of God At our baptism, the Holy Spirit that came down in the form of a dove on Jesus descends into us to assist us with the struggles associated with our faith. Most necessarily, prayers must accompany our baptism. Remember, after his baptism, Jesus prayed. After our baptism as Christians, we too need to pray unceasingly. Prayer streamlines us and directs us not to fall out of our justification in righteousness; and in this sense, prayer becomes the continuous effort that helps to maintain the sanctity we have acquired during our baptism. Happy Feast Day. God bless you.