Fr. Martin Eke, MSP - October 13, 2019. Homily for the 28th Sunday in Ordinary time year C

Homily of Twenty-Eight Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C

The readings of today invite us to reflect on the importance of gratitude. When Naaman bathed in the River Jordan as directed by Elisha, “he was cleansed of his leprosy.” He was grateful to God and returned to Elisha with a gift to express his gratitude. Naaman was Syrian. Syria, then, was considered a pagan territory because they were Baal worshippers. Naaman said to Elisha, “Now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel. Please accept a gift from your servant.” Ironically, this happened during the last years of King Ahab and his wife, Jezebel, and their children who led the Israelites to idolatry. While the Chosen People were ungrateful to God by worshipping pagan gods, Naaman the Syrian expressed gratitude to God and proclaimed, “Now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel.”

In the Gospel, Jesus healed ten lepers. Nine were Jews, and one was a Samaritan. Again, the nine Jews who were healed did not return to Jesus to express gratitude. The Samaritan did. The Jews looked down on the Samaritans as pagans and foreigners. Yet, it was the ‘pagan’ (the foreigner) “who returned [to Jesus] to give thanks to God.” The Jews took their healing for granted. Many times, we take our blessings for granted by not showing appreciation.

There is a saying that ingratitude is the worst of vices. This is because every vice is rooted in ingratitude to God. For example, when I don’t forgive those who offend me, I am ungrateful to God who forgives me all the time. We are invited today to live life of gratitude: gratitude to God and gratitude to fellow human beings. We are invited to limit our complaints, fault finding, whining, and nagging, and to increase our gratefulness, appreciation and thanks.

St Paul urges us, “Give thanks always and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus to God the Father” (Ephesians 5:20).  “In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). The Gospel of today emphasizes the importance of gratitude: “And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice; and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. He was a Samaritan. Jesus said in reply, ‘Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?’ Then he said to him, ‘Stand up and go; your faith has saved you.’” The Psalmist says, “Those who offer praise as a sacrifice honor me.” Giving gratitude to God is a recognition that all we have is a gift from God (1 Corinthians 4:7).

Jesus spoke harshly to his people due to their ingratitude. He scolded them, “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. And as for you, Capernaum, ‘Will you be exalted to heaven? You will go down to the netherworld.’”

Ingratitude can be very costly. In the Old Testament, the journey of forty days became forty years for the Israelites due to their ingratitude, and the ungrateful generations did not reach the Promised Land.

We can conclude with the following observations:

Expression of gratitude is a prayer in itself that God may give us more opportunities to thank him.

Expression of gratitude encourages, enlivens and empowers. Lack of gratitude discourages and diminishes.

Expression of gratitude is uplifting and promotes healthy environment. Ingratitude is sickening, and creates anxiety, stress, aches and pains.

Expression of gratitude is delightful. Ingratitude is repulsive.

Expression of gratitude brings more blessings. Ingratitude takes away blessings. The second reading says, “If we deny him, he will deny us.” May this not be our portion. Amen.

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP - October 6, 2019. Homily for the 27th Sunday in Ordinary time year C

Homily of Twenty Seventh-Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C

Prophet Habakkuk prophesied in Judah about 600 years before Jesus Christ. At that time, there were political decadence and abandonment of worship of Yahweh. The first reading was a section of Habakkuk’s lamentation over the state of affairs in Judah. Habakkuk questioned God about his silence over his and the people’s cry and lamentation: “How long, O Lord? I cry for help but you do not listen! I cry out to you, ‘Violence!’ But you do not intervene. Why do you let me see ruin; why must I look at misery? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strive, and clamorous discord.” Habakkuk 1:4 which is not included in the reading says, “This is why the law is numb and justice never comes, for the wicked surround the just; this is why justice comes forth perverted.”

There are people whose condition is as Judah was, and like Habakkuk, in their grief and desolation, they ask God many questions: “Why me?” “Why this?” “Why that?” “Where are you, God?” “Where are your promises.” And many other questions. Some people argue that it is not proper to ask God questions. If that is the case, then the Scripture is full of improper questions to God. My understanding is that questions addressed to God with faith are prayers in themselves. Improper questions to God are questions asked doubtfully and without faith. God always answers questions to him with faith. When we claim that God is silent, we need to examine our faith. God speaks to us through Prophet Isaiah, “No, the hand of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. Rather, it is your crimes that separate you from your God. It is your sins that make him hide his face so that he does not hear you” (Isaiah 59:1-2). We can put verse two this way, “Rather, it is your [lack of faith] that separate you from your God. It is your [faithlessness] that make him hide his face so that he does not hear you.”

Because Habakkuk asked with faith, God responded, “Write down the vision clearly upon the tablets, so that one can read it readily. For the vision still has its time, presses on to fulfilment, and will not disappoint. If it delays, wait for it, it will surely come, it will not be late. … The just one, because of his faith, shall live.” In other words, God’s plans will surely come to fulfilment. God will not disappoint. Even if he delays, let us trust him faithfully. Our faith will save us.

St. Paul in the second reading encourages us not to lose our faith. He says, “Beloved: I remind you to stir into flame the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control… Take as your norm the sound words that you heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Guard this rich trust with the help of the Holy Spirit that dwells in us.” In this passage St. Paul spells out some of the fruits of faith, “power, love, and self-control.”

The Gospel: “The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith.’ The Lord replied, ‘If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea, and it would obey you.’” It is not surprising that the apostles made this request. They had seen Jesus’ miraculous deeds and the authority in his teaching, which they would have compared to their lack of faith. We are like the apostles; we lack faith. This is seen in our lukewarm or lifeless practice of our Christianity. St. Paul calls our attitude ‘spirit of cowardice.’ St. Paul encourages us to stir and fan our faith into flame.

Yes, our faith in God will be tested as that of the selfless (unprofitable), hardworking, and obedient servant Jesus alluded in the Gospel. He remained faithful and went the extra-mile to do all his master’s will. The victory over this world is our faith (1 John 5:4). St. Paul says in Roman 14:23, “For whatever is not from faith is sin.” And Jesus bade some persons farewell with the following words: "Your faith has saved you; go in peace," to the sinful woman (Luke 7:50). "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering," to the woman healed of hemorrhage (Mark 5:34). "Go, your faith has healed you," to blind Bartimaeus (Mark 10:52). Jesus encouraged Jarius, “Do not be afraid, only believe” (Mark 5:36). May Jesus greet us with such words as above. Amen.

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP - September 29, 2019. Homily for the 26th Sunday in Ordinary time year C

Homily of Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C

About 750 B.C., Amos denounced the rich and the leaders in Israel who in their extravagant life of luxury oppressed and neglected the suffering poor: “Those who lie on beds of ivory, and lounge upon their couches; eating lambs taken from the flock, and calves from the stall; who improvise to the music of the harp, composing on musical instruments like David, who drink wine from bowls, and anoint themselves with the best oils, but are not made ill by the collapse of Joseph.”

The neglect of the poor by the rich and the leaders was not different during the time of Jesus, which was why Jesus gave the parable of the rich man and Lazarus: “There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day. And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table. Dogs even used to come and lick his sores.”

The rich man did nothing wrong for being rich. His three sins were, lack of moderation (“dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day”), negligence, and lack of compassion (“lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table”). While the rich man did not express compassion to Lazarus, the rich man’s dogs did. The dogs, ordinarily, would have barked aggressively at Lazarus to ward him off from the rich man’s gate. Instead, the dogs expressed compassion to Lazarus by licking his sores. 

Oppressive leaders and neglect of the poor despite the world’s development in the 21stcentury, may be worse than they were during the time of Amos and the time of Jesus. It’s a fact that some rich countries do not care about the plight of some poor countries. Food is wasted in some rich countries, while people starve and die of hunger in some poor countries. It’s a fact that some rich people do not care about the suffering of poor people. It’s a fact that some corrupt leaders wine and dine excessively and do not care about the sufferings of the majority of the people who are poor. The money that should have been used for the benefit of the poor is stolen and spent on a life of vanity.

In the first reading, the consequence of the sins of the heartless rich and corrupt leaders in Israel was that they were conquered by Babylon and carried into exile in 597 B.C. In the Gospel, the rich man’s sin landed him in a place of torment when he died. These readings bring to mind Isaiah 3:10-11, “Happy the just, for it will go well with them, the fruit of their works they will eat. Woe to the wicked! It will go ill with them, with the work of their hands they will be repaid.”

However, the message from the readings is not that we look forward and delight over the bad things that befall sinners, but we are to pray for the conversion of sinners. St. Paul says in 1 Timothy 2:1-4, “First of all, then, I ask that supplications, prayers, petitions, and thanksgivings be offered for everyone, for kings and for all in authority, that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life in all devotion and dignity. This is good and pleasing to God our savior, who wills everyone to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth.” St. Paul exhorts us in the second reading to “pursue righteousness.” He says, “But you, man of God, avoid all this. Instead, pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness. Compete well for the faith. Lay hold of eternal life, to which you were called when you made the noble confession in the presence of many witnesses.”

We may not be among the negligent and heartless rich people, or among the corrupt political and economic leaders who waste and squander the wealth that would have benefited the poor. But, we are all called to be compassionate and caring; to open our eyes and see the ‘Lazarus’ lying at our door; and to open our hearts to welcome them. By doing so, we fulfil the words of Jesus in Matthew 25:35-36, “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.” Matthew 5:6-7 “Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP

Fr Martin Eke, MSP - Homily for 5th Sunday of Easter- May 19, 2019

Homily of Fifth Sunday of Easter Year C

The readings today draw our attention to the virtues that help us to live a good Christian life. The virtues are faith, hope and love. Let us locate the virtues in the three readings:

First reading: Paul and Barnabas “strengthened the spirits of the disciples and exhorted them to persevere in the faith, saying, ‘It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.’ They appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, commended them to the Lord in whom they had put their faith.”

Second reading: “I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, God’s dwelling is with the human race. He will dwell with them and they will be his people and God himself will always be with them as their God. He will wipe every tears from their eyes, and there will be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain, for the old order has passed away.’ The One who sat on the throne said, ‘Behold, I will make all things new.’” The reading is an invitation to hope and to look forward to the blessings God has in stock for his faithful ones.

Gospel: “I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Faith, hope and love are called Theological Virtues because they are “gifts infused by God into the souls of the faithful to make them capable of acting as his children and of meriting eternal life” (CCC 1813).Without faith, hope and love we are incapable of living out the other virtues: wisdom, courage, justice and self-control. These are called Cardinal Virtues. The measure in which we receive faith, hope and love from God is the measure we practice our Christianity. Good input brings about good productivity. Low input brings about low productivity. Bad input brings about bad productivity. Whereby there is not input at all, there is zero productivity. Our Christian witnessing follows the same rule.

Paul and Barnabas spoke the words we read in the first reading to strengthen the disciples who were persecuted because they were Christians. Our faith in God is tested by difficulties and hardships. Paul and Barnabas speak the same words of encouragement to us: “Persevere in the faith.” The Lord speaks to us in Hebrews 10:38, “My just one shall live by faith and if he draws back I take no pleasure in him.” May we not draw back. Amen.

For those whose hope in God remains unshaken in times of trials and hardships, God promises in the second reading to wipe every tear from their eyes, and make all things new. St. Paul teaches us the power of hope in Romans 5:2-5, “We boast in the hope of the glory of God… We even boast of our affliction, knowing that affliction produces endurance, and endurance, proven character, and proven character, hope, and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit given to us.”

Jesus says in the Gospel, “This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” We can only know that we have received God’s love that is poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit when we show that love to others.  St. Paul writes, “That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you [may be] rooted and grounded in love…” (Ephesians 3:17). And in 1 Corinthians 13:8 & 13, he writes, “Love never fails… So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”

Jesus challenges us with these words, “As I have loved you, so you should love one another.” Jesus’ love is sacrificial, which resulted in his death on the Cross. Jesus’ invitation means that some of us will be called to pay the supreme sacrifice for love of neighbor. This is a reality we need to bear in mind, and pray for the grace to accept the call if God wills it so.  But all of us are called to die to self for the benefit of others since Jesus died on the Cross for the salvation of all.
Fr. Martin Eke, MSP

Fr Martin Eke, MSP - Homily for 4th Sunday of Easter- May 12, 2019

Homily of Fourth Sunday of Easter Year C
Today is Good Shepherd Sunday. The first reading narrates the experience of two great shepherds in the early Church, Paul and Barnabas. At that time, their work of evangelization was very successful. “Many Jews and worshippers who were converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas… When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and with violent abuse contradicted what Paul said.” The Jews, further, “incited the women of prominence who were worshippers and the leading men of the city, stirred up a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their territory.” Even now, some shepherds have the same experience rejection and expulsion. Let such shepherds be strengthened by the experience of Paul and Barnabas, and also follow the footsteps of Paul and Barnabas when it becomes necessary. “So they shook the dust from their feet in protest against them, and went to Iconium. The disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.” This is important because, sometimes, some shepherds, unwisely, think that shaking off dust from their feet and going somewhere else is a sign of weakness and a sign of accepting defeat. Jesus says, “When they persecute you in one place, flee to another. Truly I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel till the Son of Man comes” (Matthew 10:23). Let shepherds be filled with joy and the Holy Spirit and be guided by the word of God.

It is helpful to pay a little more attention to this line in the first reading, “When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and with violent abuse contradicted what Paul said.” Jealousy is an unhappy feeling of wanting to have what someone else has. It is a feeling of resentment against a rival or against a person enjoying success or advantage. Jealousy is a dangerous spiritual disease. It soaks up joy and peace, and leaves whomever it possesses downcast. It blinds whom it possesses from seeing the beautiful work of God. It poisons the mind and body, and weaponizes whom it possesses to inflict harm on its target. It is Satan’s dangerous weapon of destruction and murder. Let us flee from this spiritual disease.

Jesus, the Good Shepherd, says in the Gospel, “My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand.” Jesus speaks to us every day through the Gospels. His words are Spirit and life (John 6:63). If we listen to his voice, and do what his words say, we will remain in his protection and not perish. The Evil One speaks to us too. His voice opposes and contradicts the voice of Jesus. He is jealous of Jesus. His voice aims at taking us out of Jesus’ hand that we may perish. St. James advises us, “Submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you” (James 4:7-8).

As we celebrate Good Shepherd Sunday, let us call to mind Pope Francis’ appeal in 2013 to priests and the faithful. To priests he says,
"This is what I am asking you, be shepherds with the smell of sheep, so that people can sense the priest is not just concerned with his own congregation, but is also a fisher of men."
"A good priest anoints his people with the oil of gladness, by preaching the Gospel with unction, that is with the soothing, comforting words of God."
"If people leave Mass looking as if they have heard good news, then the priest has clearly done his job well."
To the faithful he says,
"Be close to your priests with affection and with your prayers, that they may always be shepherds according to God’s heart."

Prayer for Priests by St. Therese of Lisieux
O Jesus, eternal Priest,
keep your priests within the shelter of Your Sacred Heart,
where none may touch them.
Keep unstained their anointed hands,
which daily touch Your Sacred Body.
Keep unsullied their lips,
daily purpled with your Precious Blood.
Keep pure and unearthly their hearts,
sealed with the sublime mark of the priesthood.
Let Your holy love surround them
and shield them from the world's contagion.
Bless their labors with abundant fruit
and may the souls to whom they minister
be their joy and consolation here and in heaven
their beautiful and everlasting crown. Amen.

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP

Fr Martin Eke, MSP - Homily for 3rd Sunday of Easter- May 5, 2019

Homily of Third Sunday of Easter Year C
We see a new Peter in the first reading. He used to be fearful and impetuous. Transformed by the power of Christ’s resurrection, he stood, boldly, before the Sanhedrin and stated, “We must obey God rather than men.” The reading continues, “The Sanhedrin ordered the apostles to stop speaking in the name of Jesus, and dismissed them. So they left the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been found worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name.”

There are times we face our own ‘Sanhedrin,’ that is trials, anxieties, worries, and difficulties of life. There are times the Evil One tempts us either to discourage us from doing the good things God wants us to do or lure us to commit sin. There are times situations challenge us to defend our beliefs, doctrines and practices as Christians and as Catholics. There are times our prayer life is negatively affected by the weakness of our body. At these times, Peter and the other apostles encourage us to obey God rather than ‘men.’ The Lord enjoins us, “Remain faithful to me until death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelations 2:10).

Jesus did not count it against his disciples who deserted him during his passion. After his resurrection he appeared and revealed himself to them wherever they were. Today’s Gospel is one of the appearances and revelations of Jesus to them. We have hope, therefore, that although we desert him by our sins, he does not give up on us. He continues to appear and reveal himself to us. May we be able to recognize him as John, the disciple Jesus loved, did. John recognized Jesus and said to Peter, “It is the Lord.”

In the Gospel, when Jesus was crucified, died and buried, Peter believing that his discipleship with Jesus was over, decided to return to his fishing profession. Some of the disciples went with him. Since returning to fishing was not what they were supposed to do, they caught nothing throughout the night. Jesus appeared and instructed them, “Cast the net over the right side of the boat and you will find something.” “So they cast it, and were not able to pull it in because of the number of fish.” The experience of Peter and the other apostles in the Gospel of today reminds us that we toil in vain without Jesus. In John 15:5 Jesus says, “Apart from me you can do nothing.” In Matthew 19:26 Jesus says, “[W]ith God all things are possible.”

The last part of today’s Gospel speaks to me in a special way. As a priest, Jesus wants me to know him more, love him more and follow him more. That is the only way I can, properly, “feed [his] lambs,” “tend [his] sheep,” and “feed [his] sheep.” As a priest, I have literally stretched out my hands to be led by Jesus wherever he wants me to go and to direct me to do whatever he wants me to do; even if it is where I would rather not like to go and what I would rather not like to do. Jesus says to me, “Follow me.” I understand from the first reading that the most important quality for this followership is obedience to God rather than to myself, the world and the Evil One. As a priest, it is no longer my will but the will of the One who called me. All I need to do is to trust and obey. I pray with the words of St. Paul that I may be worthy of the call I have received (Ephesians 4:1).

Let us pray:

O Lord, grant that I may see what you want me to see
That I may hear what you want me to hear
That I may speak what you want me to speak
That I may be where you want me to be
That I may do what you want me to do
That I may be who you want me to be
For your will is my peace. Amen.
Fr. Marti Eke, MSP