Fr. Martin Eke, MSP - Homily for the Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary time Year A - August 2, 2020

Homily of Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A, 2020

Isaiah 55:1-3; Psalm 145:8-9,15-18; Romans 8:35, 37-39; Matthew 14:13-21

The first reading is God’s message of consolation to the Jewish exiles in Babylon. At that time, the exiles were in despair and desolation. Many of them no longer trusted that God was going to take care of them. Through Prophet Isaiah, God called upon them: “All you who are thirsty, come to the water! You who have no money, come, receive grain and eat; come without paying and without cost, drink wine and milk! Why spend your money for what is not bread; your wages for what does not satisfy? … Come to me heedfully, listen, that you may have life. I will renew with you everlasting covenant, the benefits assured to David.”

This message is very relevant to us during these difficult and trying times. In one way or another, we are all hungry, thirsty, and sick. The pandemic has humbled us to realize that various things we spent our time and energy on, and many things we held as indispensable no longer matter. Many things we are worried and upset about no longer matter. Think of those things that we could not do without in the past. Now, we are surviving without them. Now, life is all that matters; and we are all gasping for it. God, the origin and source of life, invites us, “Come to me heedfully, listen, that you may have life.” The Collect Prayer for last Sunday’s Mass reminds us that without God nothing is holy and nothing has firm foundation.

We have been praying that these difficult and trying times do not weaken our faith or make us lose our faith in God. St. Paul encourages us that anguish, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, or sword should not separate us from the love of Christ. St. Paul says, “No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” No matter what comes our way, “we conquer overwhelmingly” if we are close to God through Jesus Christ.

In the Gospel, Jesus withdrew himself to a deserted place to mourn the death of his cousin, John the Baptist. The vast crowd discovered where he went and followed him. Jesus was moved with pity and cured the sick among them, and miraculously fed the hungry crowd with five loaves and two fish. “They were satisfied and they picked up fragments left over – twelve wicker baskets full.” Jesus multiplies for those who trust him and come to him.

We read in the Gospel, “When it was evening, the disciples approached him and said, ‘This is a deserted place and it is already late; dismiss the crowds so that they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves.’ Jesus said to them, ‘There is no need for them to go away; give them some food yourselves.’” In this miracle, Jesus fulfils the words of Scripture:

·       Psalm 94:14, “For the Lord will not forsake his people, nor abandon his inheritance.”

·       Psalm 103:13, “As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord pities those who fear him.”

·       Matthew 11:28, “Come to me, all of you who work hard and who carry heavy burdens and I will refresh you.”

·       John 6:35, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.” 

·       John 6:37, “All that the Father gives to me come to me, and whoever comes to me, I shall not turn away.”

Hebrews 13:6 says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” His saving grace and miraculous deeds remain abundant in our time. Let us, therefore, accept God’s invitation in our moments of exile; in our moments of desert; in our moments of thirst and hunger; in our moments of sickness; in our moments of heavy burden and in our moments of despair and desolation; he will not let us down. He will give us our life back. Let nothing separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

Fr. Martin Eke. MSP

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP - Homily for the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary time Year A - July 26, 2020

Homily of Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time of Year A, 2020

1 Kings 3:5, 7-12, Psalm 119:57, 72, 76-77, 127-130; Roman 8:28-30; Matthew 13:44-52

Solomon was a young man when he became the king of Israel. In his dream, God said to him, “Ask something of me and I will give it to you.” Solomon replied, “…I am a mere youth, not knowing at all how to act…Give your servant, therefore, an understanding heart to judge your people and to distinguish right from wrong.” God was pleased that Solomon made this request, and said to Solomon, “Because you have asked this – not for long life for yourself, nor for riches, nor for the life of your enemies, but for understanding so that you may know what is right – I do as you requested. I give you a heart so wise and understanding that there has never been anyone like you…”

The wording of Solomon’s prayer in different versions of the Bible bring out the depth and power of the prayer:

·       Give your servant an understanding heart… to distinguish right from wrong (The New American Bible).

·       Give your servant a discerning heart… to distinguish between right and wrong (New International Version).

·       Give your servant an obedient heart… to discern between good and evil (Holman Christian Bible).

·       Give me a heart that listens so that I can …. tell the difference between good and evil (God’s Word Translation).

·       Give thy slave a hearing heart… that I may discern between good and evil (Jubilee Bible).

·       Give me the wisdom …. to know the difference between good and evil (Good News Bible).

As can be seen above, Solomon prayed for an understanding heart, a discerning heart, an obedient heart, a heart that listens, a hearing heart, and for wisdom; to be able to distinguish between right and wrong, able to discern between good and evil, able to know and tell the difference between good and evil. What a rich prayer! Solomon’s prayer challenges our prayers. Most of our prayers are for materials things that satisfy the flesh. Solomon’s prayer reminds us of Jesus’ words, in Matthew 6:33, “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides.”

The Book of Proverbs says, “Get wisdom, get understanding!... Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you; love her, and she will safeguard you. The beginning of wisdom is: get wisdom; whatever else you get, get understanding. Extol her, and she will exalt you; she will bring honors if you embrace her. She will put on your head a graceful diadem; a glorious crown she will bestow on you” (Proverbs 4:5-9). Prophet Isaiah names wisdom as the first of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 11:3).

Jesus uses today’s Gospel to remind us that our entire life is a journey to the kingdom of heaven. It is a journey where there are constant challenges of distinguishing right from wrong, of discerning between good and evil, of knowing the difference between good and evil, and of making wise judgements and good choices. If we depend solely on human wisdom for the journey, we will follow the wrong way, and miss the kingdom. St. Paul says, “For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight” (1 Corinthians 3:19). Human wisdom alone is not enough. With human wisdom alone, we are in danger of mistakes, errors, bad choices, and sin. Science and technology removed from God their origin and source, also, put us in danger of mistakes, errors, bad choices, and sin.

With God’s wisdom, we will discover hidden treasures, pearls of great price, and we will be able to put what is good into the bucket and throw away what is bad. Therefore, we are encouraged to pray for God’s wisdom to guide us at every moment. St. James advises us, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and [the person] will be given” (James 1:5). God’s wisdom is mysterious and hidden (1 Corinthians 2:7), given to those who desire and seek it.

It is equally important to know that we, also, receive God’s wisdom from fellow human beings. Thus, Tobit advised his son Tobiah, “Seek counsel (wisdom) from every wise person, and do not think lightly of any useful advice” (Tobit 4:18). Unfortunately, some people seek counsel from unwise persons, and from evil minded persons.

St. Paul states in the second reading, “Brothers and sisters: We know that all things work for the good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” This statement of faith means that if we love God, subject all things to his wisdom, see ourselves as his handiwork (Ephesians 2:10), trust him, have faith in him as the master planner and great designer (Proverbs 19:21), and see ourselves as called to his purpose, then, all things will work for our good.

Fr Martin Eke, MSP

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP - July 19, 2020. Homily for the Sixteenth Sunday in the ordinary time year A

Homily of Sixteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time Year A, 2020 

Wisdom 12:13, 16-19; Psalm 86:5-6, 9-10, 15-16; Romans 8:26-27; Matthew 13:24-30

The first reading reminds us that God is a God of mercy, and also a God of justice. Let us pick a few lines from the reading for a better understanding of this message.

God is a God of mercy:

·       “There is no God besides you who have care for all …”

·       “… your mastery over all things makes you lenient to all.”

·       “But though you are master of might, you judge with clemency, and with much leniency you govern all …”

God is a God of justice:

·       “For your might is the source of justice …”

·       “You show your might when the perfection of your power is disbelieved;

·       and in those who know you, you rebuke temerity.”

Yes, God cares for all and is lenient to all; at the same time, he shows his might when his power is disbelieved!

The parable of the weeds among the wheat is a touching story of how an enemy sowed weeds in a wheat field. One wonders why the enemy could not use such time to sow good seeds in his own field. Why take so much time, effort and risk to destroy another person’s good work? Those who commit crime spend restless days and sleepless nights in their evil deeds. The world would definitely be a better place if those who carry out evil deeds spent such time and effort in doing good work.

The question we often ask is, “Why does God not intervene promptly and root out evil and evil people?” We may not be able to unravel the mystery behind the presence of evil in the world, and the mystery of what we often call ‘God’s silence.’ 2 Peter 3:9 instructs us, “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” God is a God of mercy.

The parable concludes with the following words, “… then at harvest time I will say to the harvesters, ‘First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning; but gather the wheat into my barn.’” This means that there is always a day of reckoning when good triumphs over evil; when God shows his might. God is a God of justice.

The parable, also, encourages us to stand firm and stay strong in our world infested with weeds. We are not to allow ourselves to be overtaken by weeds. We are to stand our ground, and not spend our whole energy crying and wanting the weeds to be uprooted. Unfortunately, the battle between light and darkness has been existing from the very beginning of the world, and will continue. St. Paul challenges us in Romans 12:21, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Jesus uses the parable to teach us the reality of evil in the world, and to encourage us that evil does not have the last word. The Evil One and his agents will never stop sowing weeds. Therefore, we must always be prepared and not be caught unaware by their weeds. St. Peter, also, encourages us, “Be sober and vigilant. Your opponent the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, steadfast in faith, knowing that your fellow believers throughout the world undergo the same sufferings” (1 Peter 5:8).

Another striking point about the parable is the reaction of the servants and the response of the field owner. The servants wanted to go immediately and pull up the weeds. The servants represent the times our judgements are premature and the times we rush to quick solutions. The field owner, on the other hand, teaches us patience, proper timing, and mature judgement.

Lastly, St. Paul tells us in the second reading that no matter how we try, “… we do not know how to pray as we ought.” It is the Holy Spirit who intercedes for us according to God’s will. Jesus calls the Holy Spirit “the Advocate” (John 14:26, John 16:7). He is our spiritual attorney. He arranges our prayers “with inexpressible groaning.” All we need to do is to pray and leave the rest to the Holy Spirit. This is very consoling and encouraging concerning our prayer life. Let us pray:

HOLY SPIRIT, SANCTIFY MY PRAYER;

HOLY SPIRIT, DIRECT MY PRAYER;

HOLY SPIRIT, INTERCEDE FOR ME.

AMEN.

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP