Fr. Martin Eke, MSP - Homily for the Fifth Sunday of Easter Year B - May 1, 2021

 Homily of Fifth Sunday of Easter Year B, 2021

 Acts 9:26-31; Psalm 22:26-28, 30-32; 1 John 3:18-24; John 15:1-8

 The first reading tells us St. Paul’s experience after his conversion. He had escaped from Damascus where the Jews wanted to kill him for preaching and “proving that [Jesus] is the Messiah” (Acts 9:20-25). He arrived in Jerusalem and tried to join the disciples, “but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple. Then Barnabas took charge of him and brought him to the apostles, and he reported to them how on the way he had seen the Lord and that he had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus. He moved about freely with them in Jerusalem, and spoke out boldly in the name of the Lord” (Acts 9:27-28).

 First, St. Paul was a notorious persecutor and murderer of Christians. When he converted, he put his past life behind him, and never allowed the guilt and shame of his past life to discourage him from answering the call of evangelization. Sometimes, God wants to do new things in our life, but we refuse to cooperate with God’s grace by letting ourselves be trapped in our ugly past life. St. Paul’s ability to break with his ugly past life challenges us to break the chains of our ugly past life and liberate ourselves from them. The word of God says in Isaiah 43:18-19, “Remember not the events of the past, the things of long ago consider not. See, I am doing something new!” Let us embrace the new things God is doing and move forward.

 Secondly, Barnabas intervened in St. Paul’s situation and became an instrument for St. Paul’s acceptance and establishment. Let us not be like the Jews who wanted to kill St. Paul because he was no longer a member of their murderous gang, or like the disciples who refused to accept him because they were afraid of him. Perhaps, we are the ‘Barnabas’ God wants to use to help someone to have life, or to establish someone, or to make someone progress. Let us not refuse to help or be reluctant to help. St. John urges us in the second reading, “[God’s] commandment is this: we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another just as he commanded us” (1 John 3:23).

 Thirdly, the acceptance of St. Paul by the apostles when Barnabas brought him to them reminds us the acceptance of the prodigal son by his father when he returned (Luke 15); and teaches us to do the same. Writing from his experience, St. Paul says in Colossians 3:13, “Put on compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, to bear with one another and forgive whenever there is any opportunity to do so. As the Lord has forgiven you, forgive one another.” Let no one be a stumbling block to opportunities of forgiveness, reconciliation, peace, and unity.

 St. Paul is a fulfillment of today’s gospel reading. When he was outside Jesus, he was possessed by the spirits of hate, jealousy, fury, persecution, murder, and so on. But when he was grafted to Jesus, the true vine, and was pruned of his vices, he began to bear much fruit. Jesus says in the gospel, “Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing” (John 15:4-5).

 In the same way, when we take ourselves away from Jesus, we unite ourselves with the Evil One, we become possessed by the Evil One’s spirits, and we become instruments of his works. But if we are united with Jesus, we bear fruits of his Spirit; which are “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23). Then, Jesus’ words become fulfilled in us: “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you. By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples” (John 15:7-8). May we remain in him, and become fruitful, and multiply (Genesis 1:28). Amen.

 Fr. Martin Eke, MSP

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP - Homily for the Fourth Sunday of Easter Year B - April 25, 2021

Homily of Fourth Sunday of Easter Year B, 2021

 Acts 4:8-12; Psalm 118:1, 8-9, 21-23, 26, 28, 29; 1 John 3:1-2; John 10:11-18

 We have two important celebrations today: Jesus the Good Shepherd and World Day of Prayer for Vocations.

 World Day of prayer for vocations was introduced by Pope St. Paul VI in 1963 to be a special day of prayer for vocations to priestly, religious and consecrated life. This is in obedience Jesus’ instruction to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.” (Matthew 9:37-38). This instruction is even more urgent now because according to Catholic News Service, March 26, 2021, at the end of 2019, the worldwide Catholic population exceeded 1.34 billion. While the world’s population of Catholics has shown steady growth, the number of both diocesan seminarians and religious orders’ candidates for the priesthood showed a decline worldwide from 115,880 at the end of 2018 to 114,058 in 2019. Therefore, let us continue to pray for an increase in the vocations of ordained, professed, and lay ministries in the Catholic Church; for aspirants to religious and priestly life, for candidates and seminarians, and for formators in religious institutions and seminaries.

 As we celebrate Good Shepherd Sunday, we pray for our spiritual and civil shepherds; and for our parents who are our first shepherds. We, also, pray for all of us because we are all shepherds by the virtue of our responsibilities and assignments.

 In today’s Gospel Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” In the seven verses of today’s gospel reading, Jesus mentions “lay down his life” five times to emphasize the importance of what he has done for us (his crucifixion and death), and what we also must do since we are shepherds in different ways and capacities.

 Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me.” Jesus knows us, and wants us to know him. To know him means to have an intimate relationship with him. To have this intimate relationship, we must hear his voice. He says, “These also I must lead, and they will hear my voice, and there will be one flock, one shepherd.” We cannot know him if we do not hear his voice. Hearing his voice means doing what is heard.

 Jesus says that bad shepherds are the shepherds who, when they see wolves coming, they leave the sheep and run away, and wolves catch and scatter the sheep. They have no concern for the sheep.

God condemns bad shepherds in Ezekiel 34:6-8, “Woe to the shepherds… who have been pasturing themselves! Should not shepherds pasture the flock? You consumed milk, wore wool, and slaughtered fatlings, but the flock you did not pasture. You did not strengthen the weak nor heal the sick nor bind up the injured. You did not bring back the stray or seek the lost but ruled them harshly and brutally. So they were scattered for lack of a shepherd, and became food for all the wild beasts. They were scattered and wandered over all the mountains and high hills; over the entire surface of the earth my sheep were scattered. No one looked after them or searched for them. … … my sheep became plunder, … my sheep became food for wild beasts…”

 Bad shepherds are the cause of turmoil and suffering all over the world. People fleeing their homelands, dying across deserts and waters, trafficked and sold, and suffering inhuman hardships as refugees are due to bad shepherds. We pray for the fulfillment of God’s word in Ezekiel 34:10, “Look! I am coming against these shepherds. I will take my sheep out of their hand and put a stop to their shepherding my flock, so that these shepherds will no longer pasture them. I will deliver my flock from their mouths so it will not become their food.” In Matthew 9:36, at the sight of the crowds, Jesus’ heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. We pray that God’s heart be moved with pity for our troubled world.

We are all shepherds in different ways and in different capacities by our vocations, professions, and jobs; in our homes, our church ministries, our offices, our business places, our engagements, and our responsibilities. We are invited to listen to Jesus, know him, and imitate his self-giving and self-sacrificing manner of shepherding. May we all learn from him, the good shepherd. Amen.

 Fr. Martin Eke, MSP

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP - Homily for the Third Sunday of Easter Year B - April 18, 2021

Homily of Third Sunday of Easter, Year B 2021

 Acts 3:13-15, 17-19; Psalm 4:2, 4, 7-9; 1John 2:1-5; Luke 24:35-48

 After Jesus had been crucified, the apostles and some of the disciples gathered together and locked themselves up for fear of the Jewish leaders. The apostles and the disciples heard the news of his resurrection with utter disbelief. According to today’s gospel reading, Jesus appeared and stood in their midst. “But they were startled and terrified and thought that they were seeing a ghost” (Luke 24:37). He spoke to them, ate before them, and “opened their minds to understand the Scriptures” (Luke 24:45). Jesus said to them, “Thus it is written that the Messiah would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things” (Luke 24:46-48).

 Peter had been terrified from the time Jesus was arrested. We know of his three times denial of Jesus because he was afraid. But after Jesus’ resurrection and the descent of the Holy Spirit, he was transformed from fear to vigor and bravery. He became a fearless witness of the Good News as we see in today’s first reading. He boldly challenged the people concerning their wrong-doing and for their acting out of ignorance. He invited them, “Repent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be wiped away” (Acts 3:17-19).

 St. John echoes the same message of repentance in the second reading, “But if anyone does sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous one. He is expiation for our sins, and not for our sins only but for those of the whole world. The way we may be sure that we know him is to keep his commandments” (1 John 2:1-3).

 We are buried in tombs by our sins and weaknesses; but we rise to new life by our repentance. St. Peter said to the people, “you acted of ignorance.” A lot of times, we are spiritually blind due to ignorance. Let us thank God for saving us from perishing on many occasions when we acted out of ignorance. We pray for spiritual healing through the power of the Eucharistic celebration and the power of the Risen Lord.

 Today’s gospel concludes with the words of Jesus, “You are witnesses to these things.” St. Peter says in the first reading, “of this we are witnesses.” These words are an invitation to us to witness Jesus wherever we find ourselves. We are to let people know Jesus and experience him by our words and actions. Many Catholics are afraid to witness Jesus by word of mouth. St. Paul reminds us that God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but the spirit of power and love and self-control (2 Timothy 1:7).

 We cannot give what we do not have. If we are to preach Jesus by word of mouth and by our lives, we must first experience him ourselves. We pray to experience Jesus in the Scriptures as he opens our minds to understand the Scriptures. Then, we can preach like St. John, “what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we looked upon and touched with our hands concerns the Word of life for the life was made visible; we have seen it and testify to . … What we have seen and heard we proclaim now …” (1 John 1:1-4).

 Jesus blessed his disciples when he appeared to them: “Peace be with you.” “Receive the Holy Spirit.” May we receive peace and Spirit of Jesus and be empowered by his peace and Spirit to witness him vigorously, boldly and fearlessly.

 

In today’s gospel reading, Jesus invites us, “Look at my hands and feet, that it is I myself. Touch me and see…” (Luke 24:39). Thomas touched Jesus and was healed (John 20:28). The woman who suffered hemorrhages touched Jesus and was healed (Luke 8:44). Mark 6:56 reports, “all who touched [even the edge of his cloak] were healed. The psalmist says, “Taste and see that the Lord is good, blessed is the one who takes refuge in him” (Psalm 34:38).

 As we touch Jesus in our Eucharistic celebration and our prayers, may we be transformed by the power of his resurrection; and as St. Paul prays, may he “bless us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens” (Ephesians 1:3). Amen.

 Fr. Martin Eke, MSP

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP - Homily for the Second Sunday of Easter Year B - April 11, 2021

Homily of Second Sunday of Easter Year B, 2021 (Divine Mercy Sunday)

 Acts 4:32-35; Psalm 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24; 1 John 5:1-6; John 20:19-31

 In 2000, St. Pope John Paul II canonized St. Faustina, and made the second Sunday of Easter to be celebrated as Divine Mercy Sunday.  St. Faustina was a Polish nun gifted with mystical visions, messages and revelations from the Risen Jesus. This is a rare instance when a personal revelation is authenticated to the degree that it becomes a Sunday celebration by the Universal Church.

 The feast situates well following Easter Sunday to show that the events of the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus for the redemption of humanity were out of God’s gratuitous mercy. God’s mercy is gratuitous because humanity did nothing to merit it. 

 St. Faustina wrote in her diary, “Proclaim that mercy is the greatest attribute of God. All God’s works are crowned with mercy” (no. 301). God is so merciful and ever forgiving that he does not judge us according to our sin. Psalm 130:3 prays, “If you, Lord, keep account of sins, Lord, who can stand? But with you is forgiveness and so you are revered.” God forgives no matter the depth of one’s sin and guilt. The Parable of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15:11-32 gives us a good idea of the depth of God’s forgiveness. His banner over us is love (Song of Solomon 2:4).

 We proclaim God’s mercy, not only in words but also in deeds. God’s mercy continues in our world through us if we become instruments of his mercy by works of charity. In the first reading, the early Christian community sets a good example for us. “The community of believers was of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they had everything in common. … There was no needy person among them, for those who owned property or houses would sell them, bring the proceeds of the sale, and put them at the feet of the apostles, and they were distributed to each according to need” (Acts 4:32-35). We are invited to imitate the early Christian community.

Jesus says, “Whatever you did for one of these least brothers [and sisters] of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40). Yes, when we feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, shelter the homeless, visit the sick, visit prisoners, bury the dead, and give alms to the poor, we are treating others as if they were Christ in disguise.

Jesus teaches us to be merciful even to enemies. Jesus says, “Love your enemies and do good to them, … [like] the Most-High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as also your Father is merciful” (Luke 6:35-36). St. Paul tells us, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32).

The image of the Divine Mercy of Jesus showing two rays, one reddish (symbolizing blood) and the other whitish (symbolizing water), with the words “Jesus, I trust in you” at the bottom, is one of St. Faustina’s visions. The image takes us back to the passion, crucifixion and death of Jesus.  When the soldier pierced the side of Jesus, “immediately blood and water flowed out” (John 19:34).

Jesus tells us the meaning of his water in John 7:38-39, “Whoever believes in me, as scripture says: ‘Rivers of living water will flow from within him.’ He said this in reference to the Spirit that those who came to believe in him were to receive.” St. John says in the second reading, “This is the one who came through water and blood, Jesus Christ, not by water alone, but by water and blood. The Spirit is the one that testifies, and the Spirit is truth.”

Jesus said during the Last Supper, “This is my blood of the new covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:28). The blood of the new covenant means the physical blood Jesus shed on the cross for the salvation of humanity, and the sacramental blood present in the Eucharist.

 These spiritual realities are impossible to attain without faith. For this reason, St. John says in the second reading, “Whoever is begotten by God conquers the world. And the victory that conquers the world is our faith” (1 John 5:4).

 With faith, let us encounter Jesus and experience God’s mercy. May our faith conquer our world of fear and doubt, and unlock every locked door. May we welcome Jesus and experience his peace. May he renew and empower us with his Holy Spirit. May we experience the same healing as Thomas, and exclaim as he did, “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28). Amen.

 Shall we sing:

O Lord, my God, how excellent is thy name;

O Lord, my God, how excellent is thy name.

O Lord, my God, how wonderful is thy name;

O Lord, my God, how wonderful is thy name.

O Lord, my God, how precious is thy name;

O Lord, my God, how precious is thy name.

O Lord, my God, how powerful is thy name;

O Lord, my God, how powerful is thy name.

 Fr. Martin Eke, MSP

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP - Homily for Easter Sunday Year B - April 4, 2021

Homily of Easter Sunday Year B, 2021

 Acts 10:3, 37-43; Psalm 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23; 1 Corinthians 5:6-8; John 20:1-9

 Easter date is not set as that of Christmas. The Catholic Church has determined the date of Easter since 325 AD. In that year, the Council of Nicaea established that Easter be celebrated on the first Sunday following the full moon after the spring equinox (when night and day are of equal length). This is worked out by ecclesial geographers.

 Easter is the greatest Christian celebration. It is celebrated for 50 days, from Easter Sunday to Pentecost Sunday. The 50 days’ period is called Eastertide. St. Paul tells us that Christianity is what it is because of the event of the resurrection. He writes in 1 Corinthians 15:14, “And if Christ has not been raised, then empty too is our preaching, empty too your faith.”

 At Jesus’ crucifixion and death, his mission appeared to have ended up in a failure. But as we read in the gospel of today, “On the first day of the week, Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark, and saw the stone removed from the tomb” (John 20:1). An angel of the Lord removed the stone that sealed Jesus’ tomb (Matthew 28:2). Jesus was freed from the darkness of the tomb. Jesus’ mission came alive again. From a few followers in Israel, Christianity became a world religion which has influenced every aspect of the world history.

 St. Paul tells us in the second reading how we can participate in the celebration of the Easter feast, “Clear out the old yeast, so that you may become a fresh batch of dough, inasmuch as you are unleavened. For our paschal lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed. Therefore, let us celebrate the feast, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (1 Corinthians 5:7-8).

 No matter how bright a light bulb is, if it is buried in the ground, the light is cut off. Easter means to be delivered from the darkness of the tomb so that the light of Christ in us can shine out. No matter how wonderful a baker is, if the baker bakes with bad yeast, the baker’s product will be bad.  Easter means to bake our lives with new yeast. Then, we rise from the old life of malice and wickedness to new life of sincerity and truth.

 Spring has arrived after the harsh winter. After the dryness and withering of winter, vegetation is now wearing a new look. Trees and grass have resurrected and are alive again. The singing of birds shows how excited they are. We are, therefore, invited to transform from the harsh life of winter to new life of spring. We are to become what St. Augustine called “Easter people.”

 Pope St. John Paul II delivered the following message in Australia in1986: “We do not pretend that life is all beauty. We are aware of darkness and sin, of poverty and pain. But we know Jesus has conquered sin and passed through his own pain to the glory of the Resurrection. And we live in the light of his Paschal Mystery – the mystery of his Death and Resurrection. ‘We are an Easter People and Alleluia is our song!’ We are not looking for a shallow joy but rather a joy that comes from faith, that grows through unselfish love, that respects the ‘fundamental duty of love of neighbor, without which it would be unbecoming to speak of Joy.’ We realize that joy is demanding; it demands unselfishness; it demands a readiness to say with Mary: ‘Be it done unto me according to thy word.’”

 

Indeed, the joy of Easter should not be a “shallow joy.” Jesus’ resurrection followed his passion, cross, crucifixion, and death. Therefore, the resurrection story is a story of hope. We are not to give up in times of passions, crosses, crucifixions, and deaths but to look forward to resurrection and glory that follow. It is often said, “No cross, no crown.” Also, “No pain, no gain.” May our crosses and pains never be in vain. We pray with the words of St. Paul: May the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead give life to our mortal bodies also. Amen.

Happy and Spirit-filled Easter to you all!

 Fr. Martin Eke, MSP

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP - Homily for Good Friday Year B - April 2, 2021

Homily of Good Friday, 2021

 Isaiah 52:13-53:12; Psalm 31:2, 6, 12-13, 15-16; Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9; John 18:1-19:42

 What is good about Good Friday when it was such a gloomy day as the innocent Son of God, Jesus Christ, was tortured and brutally executed by his crucifixion on the Cross? It is called ‘good’ because Jesus’ passion, crucifixion, and death are for our salvation, and therefore, for our good. As we pray, “By dying, he destroyed our death, and by rising he restored our life.”

 Church theologians and spiritual fathers and mothers have discussed extensively some questions concerning Jesus’ passion, crucifixion, and death. “Why did Jesus have to suffer as brutally as he did to accomplish our salvation?” “Could not our salvation be achieved some other way?” My understanding from the discourse of theologians and spiritual fathers and mothers is that Jesus’ passion, crucifixion, and death is God’s plan for humanity’s salvation. This God’s plan is a mystery beyond human being’s full comprehension and clear explanation. The psalmist says, “Our God is in heaven and does whatever he wills” (Psalm 113:3). Jesus, in his human nature did not, even, fully grasp his crucifixion which prompted him to cry out to God while hanging on the Cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). Later in his divine nature he cautioned the two men on their way to Emmaus, “Oh, how foolish you are! How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” (Luke 24:25-26).

 Many times, we condemn those God used to bring about Jesus’ passion, crucifixion, and death. For example, Judas who betrayed him; the soldiers who arrested him, tortured him and crucified him; the disciples who deserted him; the Jews who accused him falsely and insisted that he must die; Pilate who sentenced him to death and so on. How could our salvation have been possible without all these people? Every one of them played a part in God’s salvation plan for us.

One of the lessons Jesus’ passion, crucifixion, death and resurrection teach us is that our difficulties and sufferings may be God’s plan for something good and great to come our way. We are invited to follow the example of Jesus in 1 Peter 2:21-23, “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth. When he was insulted, he returned no insult; when he suffered, he did not threaten; instead, he handed himself over to the one who judges justly.” The result of Jesus’ submission to God is his resurrection. Therefore, let us submit to God during our trials, temptations and sufferings. God will not abandon us. He did not abandon Jesus because, “he handed himself over to the one who judges justly.”

 The entire 40 days of the Lenten Season reached its climax today, the day of Jesus’ crucifixion. Today has been a day of fasting, prayer, and meditation on the agony and suffering of Christ. We prayed the Stations of the Cross earlier. The Passion narrative according to St. John’s Gospel, we have just read, connects us back to the fourteen Stations of the Cross.

We identify with the Passion of Christ as we all carry our various crosses. Many people are feeling as if they are hanging on a cross and crying “My God, my God; why have you abandoned me.” Many people are feeling like being offered vinegar to drink for their thirst.

 As we venerate the crucifix, we pray with Jesus, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit” (Luke 23:46). When the Israelites sinned and were attacked by ferocious snakes; God did not abandon them. He directed Moses to mold a bronze serpent and place it on a pole, so that “anyone who was bitten by a snake could look at the bronze snake and be healed” (Numbers 21:9). Jesus promises us, “When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself” (John12:32). “For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day” (John 6:40). By venerating the crucifix today, we look upon Jesus to heal and deliver us. Amen.

 Fr. Martin Eke, MSP