Friday, July 30, 2021

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP - Homily for the Eighteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time Year B - August 1, 2021

Homily of Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B, 2021

Exodus 16:2-4, 12-15; Psalm 78:3-4, 23-24, 25, 54; Ephesians 4:17, 20-24; John 6:24-35

While the Israelites were journeying through the desert to the Promised Land, God provided them with food for their soul and food for their body. God gave them his commandments as food for their soul. And as we read in today’s first reading, God gave them manna and quail as food for their body. Since the human body is made of material and spiritual components, God warned the Israelites, “It is not by bread alone that people live, but by all that comes forth from the mouth of the Lord” (Deuteronomy 8:3). The same warning is for us today.

In last Sunday’s gospel reading, Jesus, miraculously, fed five thousand men. The men were so excited that they wanted to carry Jesus off to make him king, but Jesus knowing their frivolous intention withdrew from them (John 6:15). Jesus’ action is a message for those who cheat and kill others in order to acquire power or ascend to positions. In today’s gospel, the crowd did not relent. They searched for Jesus and found him across the sea. That became a teachable moment with which Jesus confront the restive crowd, “Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled. Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him the Father, God, has set his seal” (John 6:26-27). Unfortunately, many people who claim to be Christians do not seek for Jesus as the sign that leads to righteousness and salvation. They look for him to be filled with ‘miraculous loaves.’ This, perhaps, explains why ‘miracle centers’ and ‘prosperity gospel churches’ are in vogue.

Why do the people love the American gymnast, Simone Biles? Is it because she wins gold; or because she is a human being? If people love her because she is a human being, the love is genuine. If people love her because she wins medals, the love is frivolous.

Our earthly life’s journey is like the Israelites’ journey through the desert. God provides us earthly food for our physical sustenance. For our spiritual life and nourishment, God provides us the “Bread of God;” the Word made Flesh, Jesus Christ.

The readings help us to understand that no matter the possessions we accumulate; we will never be satisfied if Jesus is not at the center of our life. Grumbling like the Israelites is a sign that Jesus is absent, and a sign of insatiable desire. But if Jesus is at the center of our life, we are satisfied with what God provides for us. Jesus says, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst” (John 6:35). St. Paul says, “The kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17). St. Paul warns us in the second reading that without Jesus our desires are futile and deceitful.

When we sing the song, “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hand,” we are, indeed, affirming the words of Jesus in today’s gospel, “For on him the Father, God, has set his seal.” This means that in Jesus, God has placed his tag, his emblem, and his authority on us. In Jesus is our identity, approval, and security. Without Jesus, we fall apart. Jesus reminds us in John 15:5, “For without me you can do nothing.”

One would have imagined that considering the world’s scientific and technological advancement, the world would be happy and peaceful. But, since the world is moving farther and farther away from God, there is so much anger and crisis everywhere. Scripture says, “For the Lord has a dispute with the inhabitants of the land: There is no fidelity, no loyalty, no knowledge of God in the land. Swearing, lying, murder, stealing and adultery break out; bloodshed follows bloodshed. Therefore, the land dries up, and everything that dwells in it languishes” (Hosea 4:1-3). God laments through Prophet Jeremiah, “Two evils my people have done: they have forsaken me, the source of living waters; they have dug themselves cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water” (Jeremiah 2:13). Surely, these passages describe the distressed situation in almost everywhere.

In Ephesians 2:14 St. Paul says that nothing else is our peace but Jesus Christ. Blaise Pascal is quoted to have said, “There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of each person which cannot be satisfied by any created thing but only by God the Creator, made known through Jesus Christ.”

Jesus commands us in the gospel, “Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life.” Unfortunately, there are people who acquire wealth, position, and power through sinful means. Such people do not care about the food that endures for eternal life. They do not care about integrity, legitimacy, and legacy. They live by bread alone and work only for food that perishes. For us, it is not so. We pray that by the power and seal of Jesus, our work brings us enduring reward here on earth, and eternal reward in heaven. Amen.

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP

Friday, July 23, 2021

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP - Homily for the Seventeenth Sunday of Ordinary Time Year B - July 25, 2021

Homily of Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B, 2021

 2 Kings 4:42-44; Psalm 145:10-11,15-18; Ephesians 4:1-6; John 6:1-15

 According to Leviticus 2:12-15, the first-fruits were to be offered to the Lord. It was in the observance of this Jewish custom that the man in the first reading brought to Elisha twenty barley loaves of first-fruits and fresh ears of grain. Elisha had one hundred prophet apprentices (sons of the prophet) who were in training to become prophets. Elisha directed his servant, Gehazi, to give the offering to the sons of the prophet to eat. Gehazi, believing that the offering would not be enough objected, “How can I set this before a hundred people?” Elisha repeated his instruction that the loaves be given to the people; and Elisha prophesied, “For thus says the Lord, ‘They shall eat and there shall be some left over.’” The reading concludes that the men ate and there were some left over as prophesied by Elisha.

When Jesus raised the idea of feeding the five thousand people, his disciples objected too. Philip questioned Jesus, “Where can we buy enough bread for them to eat. … Two hundred days’ wages worth of food would not be enough for each of them to have a little.” Andrew wondered, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many.” After Jesus blessed the five loaves and the two fish, the five thousand people ate and the left over filled twelve wicker baskets.

The readings teach us that God multiplies the little we are willing to share with one another. Let no one say, “What I have is insignificant; no need presenting it.” Let us be like the man in the first reading who brought the offering to Elisha. Let us be like the boy in the gospel reading who brought five loaves and two fish. Let us allow God to use us as he used the man and the boy. It means that if we are generous and faithful with the little we have, much comes out of it because God steps in to bless and multiply it.

We can see in the readings that neither Elisha nor Jesus produced what the people ate. It was the little that was available and generously offered that God blessed and multiplied. There is no blessing and no multiplication where people are unwilling to share. What use is a person’s wealth if the person does not allow God to bless other people with his or her wealth? What use is a person’s talent and knowledge if the person does not share them with other people?

When we observe what the second reading calls “unity of the spirit” and “bond of peace,” that is, come together and combine resources and efforts, much is achieved. The achievement that results from unity of the spirit and bond of peace is a form of ‘multiplication of loaves.’ The evidence of such multiplication of loaves are seen in families, communities, parishes, associations, and organizations where there is unity of the spirit and bond of peace. Many institutions and establishments grow to enormous size due to some individuals who come together in unity of the spirit and bond of peace, contribute, and combine their resources. The positive contributions of such institutions and establishments to the economy of their country and wellbeing of many people is a form of ‘multiplication of loaves.’

In the Gospel, Jesus instructed his disciples to, “Gather the fragments left over, so that nothing will be wasted.” By this, Jesus teaches us that it is wrong and sinful to be wasteful. It is unfortunate and sad to see so much wastefulness in our society. In some countries, there is so much accumulation and hoarding of wealth by the political and economic rulers while the citizens are impoverished and hungry. This is wrong and sinful. There are, also, some clergy men and women who accumulate and hoard so much wealth while neglecting the poor. In fact, some of the clergy men and women enrich themselves with extorting from the poor and the feeble minded. This is wrong and sinful. There is so much wastage in some parts of the world while millions in other parts of the world die from impoverishment. This is wrong and sinful. If what is hoarded, wrongly accumulated, and what is wasted are distributed to the needy, poverty will reduce to the barest minimum all over the world, and millions of lives saved.

Also, eating or drinking more than the body requires, wasting food, dumping or trashing usable items, acquiring and hoarding more than necessary, spending and purchasing unnecessarily, extravagance, laziness, and so on are types of wastefulness. They are wrong and sinful. Jesus instructs us, “Gather fragments leftover, so that nothing will be wasted.” O Lord, grant us a generous heart and the spirit of sharing, and deliver us from the demons of greediness and wastefulness. Amen.

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP

Wednesday, July 14, 2021

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP - Homily for the Sixteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time Year B - July 18, 2021

Homily of Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B, 2021

 Jeremiah 23:1-6; Psalm 23:1-6; Ephesians 2:13-18; Mark 6:30-34

 The time Jeremiah prophesied in Israel was a time of religious and moral crises. The political rulers and religious leaders were deep in corruption and injustice. The poor were neglected and oppressed. The true God was no longer worshipped with seriousness. Worship of foreign gods became a common practice. In the first reading, Jeremiah confronted the rulers and leaders for their derailment: “Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the flock of my pasture - oracle of the Lord. Therefore, thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, against the shepherds who shepherd my people: You have scattered my sheep and driven them away. You have not cared for them, but I will take care to punish your evil deeds” (Jeremiah 23:1-2).

 The first reading, accurately, captures the disturbing picture of the situation today in crises ridden countries like Nigeria. The rulers in the crises ridden countries destroy and scatter the people and drive them away. Hundreds of thousands of people are dying of sickness, hunger, poverty, and violence. Thousands of people are fleeing their homelands and many are dying across deserts, in seas, and in prisons. Thousands of people are forced to surrender themselves to the humiliation of being refugees in foreign lands. We continue to pray and wait for God’s promise: “I myself will gather the remnant of my flock from all the lands to which I have banished them and bring them back to their folds; there they shall be fruitful and multiply. I will raise up shepherds for them who will shepherd them so that they need no longer fear or be terrified; none shall be missing - oracle of the Lord” (Jeremiah 23:3-4).

 We pray for religious, economic, and political shepherds who will be a fulfillment of Jeremiah’s prophecy; the days when righteous and just rulers reign and govern wisely, and when the people will dwell in security (Jeremiah 23:6).

 We pray for religious, political, and economic shepherds who will be “Repairers of Broken Walls, and Restorers of Streets and Dwellings” (Isaiah 58:12); the shepherds who have the mind of Christ, who break down the dividing wall of enmity and establish peace; who preach peace to those far off and peace to those who are near (second reading, Ephesians 2:14-18).

Unlike the wicked shepherds during the time of Jeremiah, when Jesus saw the vast crowd, “his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he began to teach them many things.” We pray for religious, political, and economic shepherd who are compassionate in their leadership.

We pray, too, that we become a fulfillment of Jeremiah’s prophecy since, in one way or another, we have leadership roles in our homes, relationships, churches, associations, work places, and responsibilities. Wherever and whatever leadership role we find ourselves, we pray to have the mind of Christ and be “Repairers of Broken Walls, and Restorers of Streets and Dwellings,” and be able break down dividing walls of enmity and establish peace.

Wherever and whatever leadership role we find ourselves, we pray to govern wisely and be compassionate. Without compassion, we cannot govern or judge wisely. That is why Jesus tells us to “Be compassionate just as your Father is compassionate” (Luke 6:36).

We conclude this reflection by praying together the beautiful psalm of today, Psalm 23:

The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack.

In green pastures he makes me lie down;

to still waters he leads me; he restores my soul.

He guides me along right paths for the sake of his name.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil, for you are with me;

your rod and your staff comfort me.

You set a table before me in front of my enemies.

You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

Indeed, goodness and mercy will pursue me all the days of my life;

I will dwell in the house of the Lord for endless days.

Amen.

 Fr. Martin Eke, MSP

Friday, July 2, 2021

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP - Homily for the Fourteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time Year B - July 4, 2021

Homily of Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B, 2021

 Ezekiel 2:2-5; Psalm 123:1-4; 2 Corinthians 12:7-10; Mark 6:1-6

 Ezekiel was one of the prophets whom God called and sent to prophesy to the people of Israel. The Israelites were rebellious to God, and consequently were carried off to exile by the Babylonians. Ezekiel was among the captives. Even while in exile, they remained “hard of face and obstinate of heart.” Yet, God did not abandon them. He never left them without his prophets. In the same way, God has not abandoned our rebellious world without prophets.

 Unfortunately, all over the world, many of God’s prophets are persecuted rather than listened to. There are countless examples of true prophets who are either silenced or killed; and people who close their ears to truth; and only open their ears to what they like to hear. There are many instances where false prophets are celebrated and glorified because they ‘prophesy’ whatever pleases their ‘base,’ their masters, their admirers, their followers, and their listeners. In the gospel reading, Jesus was amazed at the lack of faith of the people of his time. Blatant rejection of truth and messengers of truth and acceptance of and preference to falsehood and lies are, indeed, amazing. We pray that many people may experience conversion in their life.  

 St. Paul’s mystical experience narrated in the second reading encourages all God’s prophets not to be discouraged in the face of oppositions and persecutions. God’s assurance is, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weaknesses.” The reading encourages God’s prophets to be calm and strong in times of weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and constraints.

 In the gospel reading, Jesus was a prophet among his own people, but they rejected him. “They said, ‘Where did this man get all this? What kind of wisdom has been given him? What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands! Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?’ And they took offense at him.”

God did not go to a foreign land to get a prophet for his people in exile. He called Ezekiel from among the Israelite exiles to prophecy to them. Ezekiel’s people did not listen to him. I guess they would have said to him, “Keep quiet, young man. Where did you get all this? We know when you were born; and we know your parents and relatives who are here with us.”

The interchange between Abraham and the rich man comes to mind: “[The rich man] said, ‘Then I beg you, father, send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they too come to this place of torment.’ But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.’ He said, ‘Oh no, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ Then Abraham said, ‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead’” (Luke 16:27-31).

 Some people spend so much time, money, and energy, running up and down and seeking for ‘Men and Women of God,’ fortune tellers, diviners, dream analysts, palm readers, psychics, spiritualists, and so on to ‘prophesy’ to them. Meanwhile, these same people neglect God’s words in the Bible, they neglect Sunday sermons, good advice from parents, relatives, friends, colleagues, teachers, and so on. God sends us to be prophets to one another. Let us speak the truth to one another. And let us listen to one another. Jesus says, “I say to you, whoever receives the one I sent receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me” (John 13:20).

 

You may be the ‘Ezekiel,’ or the ‘Paul,’ or the ‘Jesus’ God has sent to ‘prophesy’ the truth to someone or about a situation. You are encouraged to pray and proceed without further delay. It is not by your power, but by the power of the One who sent you! Let God’s grace be sufficient for you. St. Paul says, “proclaim the word; be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient” (2 Timothy 4:2).

 We conclude with Moses’ prayer in Numbers 11:29, “Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets and the Lord would put his Spirit upon them all.” Amen.

 Fr. Martin Eke, MSP

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP - Homily for Ordinary Time (A) February 19, 2023

  Leviticus 19:1-2, 17-18; Psalm 103:1-4, 8, 10, 12-13; 1 Corinthians 3:16-23; Matthew 5:38-48   First reading: Israelite community wa...