Fr. Martin Eke, MSP - Homily for the Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary time Year A - September 27, 2020

 

Homily of Twenty-Six Sunday in Ordinary Time of Year A, 2020

 

Ezekiel 18:25-28; Psalm 25:4-9; Philippians 2:1-11; Matthew 21:28-32

 

In the Gospel, the first son who replied to his father, “I will not,” afterwards changed his mind and did his father’s will. But the second son who said “Yes, sir” to the father did not do his father’s will. Jesus used the parable to address the chief priests and the elders who refused to accept him as the savior sent by God, although they were God’s Chosen People. The second son represents them. While the first son represents the tax collectors and prostitutes who believed in Jesus and repented. The Gospel helps us to understand the first reading.  The Jewish leaders were the virtuous person who turned away from virtue to commit iniquity, and the tax collectors and prostitutes were the wicked who turned away from wickedness.

 

The readings do not stop at telling us what happened in the Old Testament and during the time of Jesus. The readings are an invitation to us to examine the way and manner we live out our religious and civic callings and responsibilities. We make all kinds of promises, oaths, vows, covenants, and agreements when we accept our various callings and responsibilities. Sometimes, we are true to them. Many times we fall short of them.

 

St. Paul, in the second reading, instructs us that to be true to our callings and responsibilities, we are to have in us the same attitude that is in Jesus Christ: he did nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory. Rather, he emptied and humbled himself, and was obedient to God to the point of death on a cross.

 

We can name, from the readings, four vices that make us fall short of our callings and responsibilities, and cause us to commit iniquity. The vices are pride, vainglory, selfishness and disobedience.  These vices have also brought the down-fall of many people. Therefore, in order to preserve our life, we are to keep away from the vices. Because of Christ’s humility, obedience and selflessness, “God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name…” Therefore, if we embrace these virtues, God will also raise us to greater heights.

 

We read in the first reading, “When someone virtuous turns away from virtue to commit iniquity and dies, it is because of the iniquity he committed that he must die.” There are many instances of people who started very well, then veered off to bad ways, then ended badly. There are, also, instances of people who changed from their evil ways, and God raised them to greater heights.  

 

The first son replied, ‘“I will not,’ but afterwards changed his mind and went.” This son teaches us to reflect over our decisions and actions, know when we are in error and accept necessary corrections. Humility, obedience, and selflessness enable us to do this. But pride, vainglory, selfishness and disobedience keep us unrepentant and blind to truth.

 

The second son replied, ‘“Yes, Sir,’ but did not go.” Broken promises, oaths, vows, covenants, and agreements have left us with a broken world, broken countries, a wounded Church, broken institutions, broken communities, broken homes, broken marriages, broken relationships, broken friendships, broken confidence, and broken hearts. Many people are in much distress and pain caused by broken promises, oaths, vows, covenants, and agreements. We pray for mending and healing of our brokenness.

 

Jesus teaches us in Matthew 5:37, “Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’ Anything more is from the evil one.” And in John 8:32, he says, “You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” May we be people of integrity whose yes means yes, and no means no. May we be true to our callings and responsibilities.  May truth set us and our world free. Amen.

 

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP - Homily for the Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary time Year A - September 20, 2020

 

Homily of Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time of Year A, 2020 

Isaiah 55:6-9; Psalm 145:2-3, 8-9, 17-18; Philippians 1:20-24, 27; Matthew 20:1-16

 

In the first reading, Prophet Isaiah tells us that God’s thoughts are not our thoughts or his ways our ways. As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are God’s ways above our ways, and his thoughts above our thoughts. St. Paul says, “For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the eyes of God” (1 Corinthians 3:19).

 

Jesus’ parables are said to be earthly stories with heavenly meanings. The parable in today’s Gospel is, definitely, full of heavenly meanings, and goes against the wisdom of this world. In the parable, those who worked all day in the vineyard received the same wage as those who worked for a few hours and those who worked for only one hour. Judging from human wisdom and standards, the landowner acted unfairly by paying all the workers the same amount.

 

However, Jesus did not tell this parable to teach employers how to pay workers. Jesus used the parable to teach us some lessons about the way of the Kingdom of God. Jesus was addressing the political and religious leaders and rulers of his time: the lawyers, the scribes, the Pharisees, the Sadducees and the priests who prided themselves as custodians of the Law, and therefore claimed to have authority to decide who was fit to enter into the Kingdom of God. For them, the Gentiles were God’s forsaken pagans and were damned, and had no share in the Kingdom of God. Jesus used this parable to correct this wrong notion. Jesus used the parable to teach that although the Gentiles received the message of salvation later than the Jews, the Gentiles would have equal share in the Kingdom of God. With this parable, Jesus taught the lawyers, the scribes, the Pharisees, Sadducees and the priests that he came to call sinners to repentance, and those who believed in him would merit the kingdom of God.

 

How does this teaching apply to us? In the second reading, St. Paul call this teaching “the Gospel of Christ.” He tells us to conduct ourselves in a way worthy of the Gospel of Christ.  The Gospel of Christ is different from the way of the world.

 

The way of the world is the privileged subdue the less privileged.

The way of the world is the strong subdue the weak.

The way of the world is the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer.

The way of the world is the winner takes it all.

The way of the world is greed and avarice.

The way of the world is exclusion and class.

The way of the world is superiority and dominance.

The way of the world is inequality.

 

We see these ways of the world, outrightly, in political, economic, social, and religious systems within and around us. Sometimes, too, what are presented as assistance or development are only devious means of dominance, controlling, exclusion, subduing, and taking advantage over and against the underprivileged and victims.

 

The way worthy of the Gospel of Christ is not to lord it over anyone (Matthew 20:26).

The way worthy of the Gospel of Christ is to guard against all kinds of greed (Luke 12:15).

The way worthy of the Gospel of Christ is, “Let the greatest among you be as the youngest, and the leader as the servant” (Luke 22:26).

The way worthy of the Gospel of Christ is, “Whoever had much did not have more, and whoever had little did not have less” (2 Corinthians 8:15).

The way worthy of the Gospel of Christ is, “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male or female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28).

The way worthy of the Gospel of Christ is not to be conceited, provoking and envying each other (Galatians 5:26).

The way worthy of the Gospel of Christ is, “Be willing and generous to share” (1 Timothy 6:18).

The way worthy of the Gospel of Christ is, “Let your life be free from love of money, but be content with what you have” (Hebrews 13:5).

 

We are invited, today, to reject the ways of the world and embrace the way worthy of the Gospel of Christ. Then, our thoughts and ways will be guided by the thoughts and ways of God.

 

Lastly, Jesus says, “The last will be the first, and the first will be the last.” This reminds me of a boxing tournament where the boxer who had only 50 points, knocked out his opponent who had 150 points, within the last twenty seconds of the fight. There are many instances like this. The unemployed men who stood at the market place did not walk away in disappointment. Some remained up till 5:00 PM! Their perseverance, patience, waiting, and hoping did not disappoint them. Therefore, be patient. Persevere. Keep hoping. Keep fighting. Keep trying. Keep praying. Do not give up. Do not walk away in disappointment. You may become a winner within the last twenty seconds. The Landowner will, surely, come and grant your heart’s desire at an unexpected hour. All we need to do is to wait for the Lord! (Isaiah 40:31).

 

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP

 

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP - Homily for the Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary time Year A - September 13, 2020

 

Homily of Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time of Year A, 2020

 

Sirach 27:30-28:7; Psalm 103:1-4, 9-12; Roman 14:7-9; Matthew 17:21-35

 

Two friends, Mike and Nick, were on a journey through a desert and a hill. As they were walking on the sand of the desert Mike tripped over. As he was falling, he held Nick to regain his balance. Unfortunately, Nick lost his balance also and both of them fell. In order to remember where they fell, Nick marked the spot with his staff. Their journey continued. They got to a hill. Nick was unable to climb. Mike supported Nick and both of them climbed over the hill. In order to remember how they made it over the hill Mike marked the spot where they got over the hill with his staff. On their way back, the mark made by Mike on the hill remained very visible. Both men happily remembered how they made it over the hill. Then, they journeyed across the desert and never saw the mark on the sand and never remembered where and how they fell. We pray that the wind of the Holy Spirit blows on us and erase our offenses against one another, just like the desert wind erased the mark on the sand where Mike and Nick fell. Amen.

 

Christianity is the most radical of all religions because of its teaching on forgiveness. No other religion has so much emphasis on forgiveness as in Christianity. Retaliation and revenge are clearly enshrined in the spirituality of some religions and deep in the way of life of many men and women. The first reading says, “Anger and wrath are hateful things, yet the sinner hugs them tight.” The reading explains how forgiveness is important to our prayer life and our relationship with God: “Forgive your neighbor’s injustice; then when you pray, your own sins will be forgiven. Could anyone nourish anger against another and expect healing from the Lord? Could anyone refuse mercy to another like himself; can he seek pardon for his own sins?” Jesus emphasizes this teaching on forgiveness in Mark 11:25-26, “And when you stand to pray, if you have anything against anyone, forgive, so that your heavenly Father may also forgive your sins.” In the Lord’s Prayer, we pray to God, “Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us” (Matthew 6:12). The first reading admonishes us, “Remember the last days, set enmity aside; remember death and decay, and cease from sin!”

 

The second reading says, “None of us lives for oneself, and no one dies for oneself. For if we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord; so then, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.” If we are the Lord’s, then we will forgive as the Lord teaches and forgive as he forgives. For on the Cross, he prayed, for those who betrayed him, who judged him wrongly, and those who crucified him, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).

 

One of the lessons we can draw from the Gospel parable is that we sin against God every day, and many times mortal sins, but he does not treat us according to our sins. Yet, many times we are very unforgiving to one another, even over minor offenses. At the end of the Lord’s Prayer Jesus cautions us, “If you forgive others their wrongdoings, your Father in heaven will also forgive yours. If you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive you either” (Matthew 6:14-15). St. James further warns us, “For the judgment is merciless to one who has not shown mercy” (James 2:12).

 

Sometimes, we ask, “I have forgiven my neighbor, yet I still remember the offense. Does it mean that I have not forgiven my neighbor?” We must not underestimate the power of memory. Some experiences can remain in our memory for a very long, and sometimes forever. However, prayer, time, and goodwill can heal and erase the hurt, even if we still remember the experience. When this happens, the offense may be remembered, but faintly.

We know that forgiveness and healing have taken place:

 

1.   When the offense is no longer vivid in our mind. We have forgotten the details.

2.   When we no longer make reference to the offense to support any kind of claim or reason for our action or actions.

3.   When we are no longer upset when we remember the offense or the offender.

4.   When we, in no way, wish to retaliate or wish ill luck to the offender as punishment for the offense.

5.   When we treat the offender with acceptance, understanding, and kindness.

6.   When we remember the offense, we are grateful for the lesson or lessons we learned from the experience.

7.   When we remember the offense, we acknowledge that we have, also, offended other people many times. We, also, are in need of forgiveness.

Let us conclude with words of advice from St. Paul (Ephesians 4:32), “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” May the wind of the Holy Spirit blow on us, heal our hurts and erase the marks of unforgiveness printed on our hearts. Amen.

 

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP