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

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP - July 9, 2020. Homily for the Fifteenth Sunday in the ordinary time year A

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

Isaiah 55:10-11; Psalm 65:10-14; Romans 8:18-23; Matthew 13:1-9 

The first reading can be given two interpretations. First, it is Prophet Isaiah’s admonition to the people of Israel to accept the word of God because it is life giving and must surely come to fulfilment. He used two familiar weather elements, rain and snow, to describe the effects of the word of God. It makes human beings fertile and fruitful. Without God’s word human beings become wasteland.

Second, it is one of Isaiah’s prophecy about Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh. He came forth from God, and only returned to God after doing God’s will and achieving the end for which God sent him, which is the salvation of the world. He is “the rain and snow” from heaven to “water the earth, making it fertile and fruitful.” 

In the second reading, St. Paul describes creation’s suffering, pain, and futility until the Word made flesh, Jesus Christ, came and set creation free, and brought creation to share in the glorious freedom of the children of God. By adopting and redeeming us, we are, therefore, supposed to bear the first-fruits of the Spirit which St. Paul lists in Galatians 5:22-23 as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. 

In the Gospel, Jesus gave us the Parable of the Sower and, also, its meaning: “The seed sown on the path is the one who hears the word of the kingdom without understanding it, and the evil one comes and steals away what was sown in his heart. The seed sown on rocky ground is the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy. But he has no root and lasts only for a time. When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, he immediately falls away. The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word, but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word and it bears no fruit. But the seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold” (Matthew 13:19-23).

The word of God is the seed, and we are either the path, or the rocky ground, or among thorns, or the rich soil where the word is sown. We pray not to be not to be the path, or the rocky ground, or among thorns. We pray to be the rich soil so that we can bear the type of fruits mentioned above. St. James encourages us, “Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his own face in a mirror. He sees himself, then goes off and promptly forgets what he looked like. But the one who peers into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres, and is not a hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, such a one shall be blessed in what he does” (James 1:22-25).

Unfortunately, men and women depend on human-made rules and regulations over and above the word of God. Jesus criticized the Pharisees, the Sadducees and the Scribes for behaving that way. Jesus said to them, “You nullify the word of God in favor of your tradition that you have handed on. And you do many such things” (Mark 7:13). He also said to them, “You are misled because you do not know the scriptures or the power of God” (Matthew 22:29).

 All human-made laws, rules and regulations are limited and at some point become obsolete. But the word of God is unlimited and everlasting. Jesus says, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away” (Matthew 24:35).

Unfortunately, men and women do not realize that the Bible has solution to every human problem. Unfortunately, too, some believers abandon their Bibles. St. Jerome tells us that ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ. We are encouraged, again, today to read the word of God, listen to it, pay attention to it, reflect on it, refer to it, consult it, pray with it, stand by it, be guided by it, believe in it, proclaim it, and act on it. By so doing, we become the rich soil that bears fruit in thirties, sixties and hundreds.

Some texts, further, reveal to us the power in the word of God:

·        “Constantly read this law and meditate on it day and night that you may truly do what it says. So shall your plans be fulfilled and you shall succeed in everything” (Joshua 1: 8).

·       “Isn’t my word like fire, like hammer that shatters a rock?” (Jeremiah 23: 29).

·       Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119: 105).

·       “Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock” (Matthew 7:25).

·       “Finally use the Helmet of salvation and the Sword of the Spirit, that is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17).

·       “For the word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword. It pierces the division of the soul and the spirit, of joints and marrow, and judges the intentions and thoughts of the heart” (Hebrews 4: 12).

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP - July 3, 2020. Homily for the Fourteenth Sunday in the ordinary time year A

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

Zechariah 9:9-10; Psalm 145:1-14; Romans 8:9, 11-13; Matthew 11:25-30

The first reading is Prophet Zechariah’s prophecy about the coming of Jesus Christ. As we see in the reading, Zechariah prophesied Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem, “See, your king shall come to you; a just savior is he, meek, and riding on an ass, a foal of an ass.” In this prophecy, Zechariah pointed out that Jesus is a king and just savior. Zechariah went further to explain Jesus’ ministry. He would banish the chariots, the horse and warrior’s bow; proclaim peace; and his dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth. Zechariah was prophesying the spiritual battle Jesus would fight, and the spread of Christianity to every part of the world.

Jesus came to a people who were burdened and under several yokes. They were under the burden and yoke of the Roman colonial masters and corrupt officials. The ordinary people were under the yoke and burden of rules and regulations of the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the Lawyers, the Scribes, and the Chief Priests. The Samaritans (Gentiles) were under the burden and yoke of rejection from the Jews. Additionally, many people were also under the burden and yoke of sicknesses and demonic possessions. Very importantly, the whole world, at that time, was under the burden and yoke of sin, and in need of salvation. For all these Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”

Even now, our world is weighed down by severe burdens and yokes of all kinds. If our political and economic rulers and leaders act as we read in the first reading: banish “chariot” and “horses;” that is, stop wars and violence, and “proclaim peace to the nations,” we will live in a better world. If our political and economic rulers and leaders follow the footsteps of Jesus, by becoming meek and humble, and works towards removing various burdens and yokes (hardships) of the people, we will live in a better world. Therefore, we must not fail to pray for our rulers and leaders, that they reason wisely and act justly.

Not only that we are weighed down by all kinds of political, economic and social burdens and yokes, we are, also, weighed down by all kinds of afflictions. While we are working hard physically, and struggling to cope with the situations around us, we need spiritual sustenance. For this reason, Jesus beckons us as he did to the people of his time, “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” St. Augustine of Hippo prays, “You [God] have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless, until they can find rest in you.”

St. Paul tells us in the second reading how important our mortal bodies need the Spirit of Christ. St. Paul declares, “Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, the one who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also…” Jesus says in John 6:63, “It is the Spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail.” If we remain only in the flesh, we will end up badly.  Therefore, we all need spiritual sustenance. 

Scripture scholars explain that when Jesus says, “take my yoke,” he means “let’s trade yokes – let me take your burden from you.” This reminds me of the African pre-currency trading system called Trade by Barter, whereby people swapped the goods and materials they needed from one another. Jesus invites us to spiritual trade by barter. Let us bring to him our burdens and yokes, and swap refreshment and Spirit from him. Darrell Evans’ song “I’m Trading my Sorrow” also comes to mind:

I'm trading my sorrows I'm trading my shame

I'm laying them down for the joy of the Lord.

I'm trading my sickness I'm trading my pain

I'm laying them down for the joy of the Lord.

We say

Yes Lord yes Lord yes yes Lord

Yes Lord yes Lord yes yes Lord

Yes Lord yes Lord yes yes Lord.

Amen.

I am pressed but not crushed

Persecuted not abandoned

Struck down but not destroyed.

I am blessed beyond the curse

For His promise will endure

That His joy's gonna be my strength.

Though the sorrow may last for the night

His joy comes with the morning.

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP