30^th Sunday, Year A: Homily by Fr Isaac Chima

Theme: Manifesting Love for God by Loving Our Neighbours

Readings: Ex 22:21–27; 1 Thess 1:5c–10; Mt 22:34–40

Dear friends in Christ, on this thirtieth Sunday, the Church invites us to reflect on something very practical. If we were to ask everyone here today whether they love God, surely each person would say “yes.” Nobody would openly claim to hate God. This love for God is often expressed in various ways—through prayer, participation in Church activities, and obedience to the commandments. This love for God is what Jesus calls the greatest commandment in today’s Gospel.

However, Jesus immediately adds a second element to His response to the Pharisees in order to draw our attention to the fact that love of God has a component that makes it complete. That component is love of neighbour as ourselves. Whoever keeps these two commandments fulfils both religious and social duties.

It was clear that when the Pharisees heard Jesus say that the greatest commandment is love of God, they were pleased. With their daily religious practices, they considered themselves perfect lovers of God. Many people in the Church today may feel the same way. But with the addition of love of neighbour, Jesus was teaching that the love of God expressed through prayers, Church service, and obedience to commandments is incomplete if love of neighbour is missing. The love we profess for God cannot be genuine if it does not manifest in the way we treat the people around us. Love for God cannot be real if we hate those around us; it cannot be true if we treat others with contempt; it cannot be honest if we despise our fellow human beings.

This argument of Jesus is echoed in the first letter of St John (4:20): “Anyone who says he loves God but hates his brother is a liar, since nobody who fails to love his brother whom he sees can claim to love God whom he has not seen.” John also says (4:8): “Whoever fails to love does not know God, because God is love.”

The first reading of today reinforces this truth by listing attitudes that can damage our relationship with God. According to this reading, if we oppress strangers in our midst, we wound our love for God; if we afflict widows and orphans, we harm our relationship with God; if we become a burden to those we have helped, we attract the wrath of God; if we are insensitive to the needs of the people around us, we weaken our love for God; and if we fail to stand for justice, truth, peace, and mercy in our dealings with others, then we have injured our relationship with God. In this reading, God vows to punish those who maltreat others.

Therefore, this Sunday calls us to a practical application of everything we do in Church. It calls us to practical Christianity. It invites all of us who profess love for God to examine our hearts honestly and consider how we treat our fellow human beings. Sometimes it appears that many who are very regular at Mass and other Church prayers are the most difficult people in their communities, relationships, and workplaces. Sometimes it seems that some people use prayers and religious activities to hide their true character. Sometimes those who are leaders in the Church, or well known for their religious involvement, are also known for unjust practices in their communities and for having unforgiving hearts. Sometimes those who do not come to Church point to the bad attitudes of Churchgoers as their reason for staying away from the Church.

Dear friends, Christ is telling us today that if our neighbours, friends, and colleagues cannot feel the positive impact of our love, then we deceive ourselves when we claim to love God. Jesus does not want us to maintain only a vertical relationship—that is, a relationship between us and God alone. He wants us to add a horizontal axis to our Christian life. This horizontal axis extends our relationship with God to the people around us. This is the true definition of Christian living and a beautiful representation of the four arms of the Cross of Christ.

Love of neighbour is expressed in many ways: when we help others in their needs, when we forgive them, when we understand them, when we tolerate them, when we advise and correct them, and when we give them our time.

Dear friends, let us remember the words of Jesus: “Whatever you do to the least of my brothers, that you do unto me” (Mt 25:40).

Peace be with you. Have a blessed Sunday.

Fr Isaac Chinemerem Chima

 30^th Sunday, Year A: Reflection by Fr Julian Ekeh

Theme: Let Love Lead

(Matthew 22:34-40)

In a world where leaders have failed the led, where individuals are driven by the wrong drives, where brutality has taken the seat of honour, where religious divisions distract the battle against the enemy of humanity, where ethnic cum racial discrimination is used as a tool by the government to set the people at war against each other, In a politics where the politicians put up 'I don't care attitude' and make  empty speeches in the face of innocent lives being wasted, in a democracy where empathy, sympathy, compassion and affection is replaced with intimidation, threats and denials, In a society where the constitution and the constituted authorities only encourage oppression, suppression and marginalization, What is the commandment that should drive our actions? What is the law that we should follow? Which commandment can go beyond ethnicity, religious fanaticism and racism? Let it lead us.

 

The Pharisees before Jesus

It was when Jesus had silenced the Sadducees that the Pharisees approached Him with their questions to test Him. Having conquered fear and intimidation, having come to the realization of the need not to keep quiet in the face of evil, what is remaining?

The Pharisees in the corridors of power should hear from God. Let them hear the vox populi (Voice of the people) when it blends with the vox Dei (Voice of God). Let them put away their Pharisaic tendencies and embrace transparency. Let the people live true to their calling. One called to lead should lead in love and not lead people to their untimely death. Let the pharisaic act of saying one thing and meaning another stop. Let the evil of holding people down and denying it stop. Let the indifference to the pains and sorrows of the people cease.

Let the coming to God and His people be done with sincerity and not to put Him to the test. Let the desires of the people in accord with the will of God be of paramount importance.

In the confusion about which law to follow in this moment of anarchy and chaos orchestrated by evil men in the high and low places, let us listen to the voice of Christ who has the word of eternal life. May the government and the governed pay attention and hear Jesus tell us the only way out.

 

The Solution: Love God and Love Man

The Pharisees asked Jesus the greatest commandment of the law. They wanted Jesus to do a wrong constitution amendment so that they use it against Him. But Jesus answered wisely. We need the wisdom of God in amending the wicked and demonic constitutions that have been misleading us as individuals and as a people.

To their question Jesus answered: " You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind... You shall love your neighbour as yourself" He added; these are the greatest commandments and on them hangs all the laws and the prophets.

The love of God should create in us fear of God. We are in the mess we are into here because God was kept aside, materialism, and love for many other things made us lose focus. The love of God will remind us of our nothingness and make us humbler. It will inspire us to make reference to Him in all our endeavours. With it we shall be just and put an end to injustice. Our love for God will make us give God His place and His due, give others their due too.

The love or God gives birth to the love of neighbours. In this love, the northerner should nor see the easterner or southerner protesting against evil as an enemy. In this love people from a particular part of the country should not be favoured more than others. People from a particular part should not lord it over others. In love citizens should not be given a bad name to eliminate them. In love peaceful protest should never be seen as an empty noise.

In love resources should be adequately shared. In love the blood of every individual should matter. In love brutality and bullying should be unheard of.

In this love, all the sections of the constitution that do not promote love, unity, progress and true peace should be abolished. In this love violation of rights of the people should be properly addressed.

This love of God and his people should give birth to subsidized good hospitals, drastic reduction of hardship and poverty, good roads, steady electricity, Good Schools, security of life and properties, merited respect for all and from all not by bribery, corruption, abuse and intimidation.

 

Let's Enthrone Love

 

The opposite of love has taken charge for a long time. Thus, to enthrone love, we must dethrone indifference, hate, fear, violence, wickedness, cheap popularity, sycophancy and pride.

To enthrone love we must call ourselves as individuals and groups to order. That will entail accepting our mistakes and correcting them. Have human heart and human feelings; weep for injuries, heal the already inflicted wounds, dialogue and embrace each other. Let's be reconciled.

Welcome love. With her human rights will be respected, the goods made for people will not be stored for personal aggrandizement. With love our own brothers and sisters in the government will not be deceiving us. With love dishonesty and infidelity will flee. Marriages will be enjoyed. With love the little we have we go round. With love the past hurts will be kept behind for us to forge ahead. With love our representatives will be good ambassadors. With love public offices will be for service and sacrifice and not for exploitation. When love returns life will be valued.

Let us preach love and live love. Let Christianity, our Traditional Religions and Islam preach love. Let each and everyone of us practice love of God and our neighbours. With it we shall reject what is not ours and come together to form a strong force against evil.

 

Let us pray

O Lord, you have given us the greatest commandment of love. We confess today that our lack of love has done us great harm. We need your love to drive each and everyone of our actions. Cleanse us from the Pharisaic act of being wolves in sheep clothing. May we love you and our neighbours truly and not falsely. May your love bring about peace, unity and progress through Christ our Lord. Amen

Happy Sunday (30th Sunday Ordinary Time, Yr A)

Rev Fr Julian O Ekeh

 29th Sunday, Year A (Mission Sunday): Homily by Fr. Isaac Chima

Theme: Keeping the Church’s Mission Alive Amidst Obstacles

Readings: Is 45:1.4–6; Ps 95; 1 Thes 1:1–5; Mt 22:15–21

Dear friends in Christ, on this 29th Sunday of the year, the Church invites all her faithful to pause and reflect on the mission entrusted to us by Christ: to consider how far we have gone, how faithfully we have carried out this mission, the challenges we have overcome, and those that still raise their ugly heads. We are also urged to evaluate our personal contributions to the fulfilment of the Church’s mission.

Our Lord Jesus inaugurated the Kingdom of God on earth and entrusted to His disciples — and to all who would follow them — the task of keeping this kingdom alive, spreading it among all peoples, and converting the world according to its values. A quick assessment of the Church’s missionary work shows that the Good News continues to spread to many parts of the world; yet many corners of the earth have still not received it, and sadly, some who once embraced the faith have turned away, returning to paganism, Satanism, and secularism. This sad development should concern every member of God’s kingdom on earth.

In the midst of both the successes and the challenges of evangelization, St Paul reminds us of an indispensable element in the fulfilment of God’s mission. In the second reading, he tells the Christians in Thessalonica, “Our gospel did not come to you in word alone, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit.” Paul and his companions preached the Good News, but they knew that words alone could not produce the fruits God desired. They sustained their preaching with prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to touch the hearts of their listeners. In this way, St Paul highlights the centrality of prayer in the Church’s mission. In his letter to the Ephesians, he repeats this appeal, saying, “Pray also for me, that I may be bold in speaking about the gospel as I should” (Eph 6:19–20).

Dear friends, prayer is essential to the Church’s mission. We must never grow weary in our spiritual duty to pray for the success of evangelization: for the Holy Spirit to soften hearts to receive God’s Word, for strength and protection for missionaries facing hostility, and for God’s continued provision for their needs. In our study of missiology in the seminary, we learned that there are two ways of participating in mission. Some go out physically to preach the Gospel, while others support the mission through prayer and material assistance. Those who pray and donate are also missionaries. On this Mission Sunday, therefore, the Church encourages all who support her mission to remain steadfast. For the mission of the Church to stay alive in the world, both prayer and material support are necessary.

The Gospel reading of today shows us one of the challenges that the Church’s mission faces on earth, especially in our present world: the Good News is constantly confronted by detractors and difficulties. The Gospel is a force that frees humanity from the clutches and deceits of the devil and depopulates the kingdom of darkness. Therefore, wherever the Good News is preached, it poses a real threat to the underworld, and the forces of darkness fight back with any weapon at their disposal.

In today’s Gospel, the Pharisees take counsel on how to entrap Jesus and halt His mission. They present Him with a cleverly calculated dilemma meant to sow confusion and doubt in the minds of His listeners. According to their reasoning, if Jesus affirms that paying tribute to a foreign and idolatrous state is lawful, He risks losing the esteem of those who reject Roman rule. But if He declares the tax illicit, He exposes Himself to accusations of sedition. Yet Jesus, with divine wisdom, conquers their trap.

Thus, the Pharisees in today’s Gospel represent the many obstacles missionaries encounter in their work. These difficulties come in all shapes and forms: temptations, doubts, persecutions, threats to life, material needs, calumny, alienation, loneliness, and more. For a missionary to overcome these obstacles and keep the mission alive, he must be as wise as a serpent and as gentle as a dove; he must be prayerful, discerning, and strong in faith.

The response of Jesus to the Pharisees carries important lessons for Christians engaged in mission. He tells them: “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” This statement has suffered countless misinterpretations. Some use it to justify syncretism in their religious life; others claim it means that religion and politics have no connection. This latter group insists that God has no place in politics and that religious values should not be mentioned in public affairs. Such thinking has led to proposals for a secularistic and positivistic world — a world where God is excluded. History has shown, however, that attempts to build a world without God ultimately turn against humanity.

God cannot be sidelined in the political and social life of the world, nor in the construction of the earthly city, as though He were uninterested in human affairs. One reason is that all power belongs to God; He is the One who grants authority to rulers, even though many misuse it. The first reading today attests to this truth: God raises and strengthens a pagan king, Cyrus, to defeat Babylon and free Israel from slavery.

Another important lesson from Christ’s instruction to “give to Caesar what is Caesar’s” is that Christians have obligations to the state. We are called to obey just laws, to support legitimate political authority through taxes and prayers, and even to participate in politics so as to influence government policies from within with the Christian message. Christians have the mission to be law‑abiding citizens and to infuse public life with the values of Christ.

Finally, when Jesus says, “…and give to God what belongs to God,” He directly reminds all Christians that certain things are due exclusively to God and cannot be given to anyone else. Worship, fidelity to the commandments, and obedience to God’s will are duties owed to Him alone. Neither the state nor any earthly reality can take these away from Christians as they carry out their mission. Missionaries must therefore reject any attempt by temporal powers or material interests to usurp the place of God in their lives and ministries.

Peace be with you.

Fr. Isaac Chinemerem Chima

 29^TH SUNDAY, YEAR A: REFLECTION BY FR JULIAN EKEH

THEME: JESUS IN THE MIDDLE OF POLITICS AND RELIGION

 (Matthew 22:15-21) 

In the Gospel reading of today, the Pharisees went and took counsel on how to entangle Jesus in his talk. Those they sent to Jesus asked Him questions, but they were deceptive questions packaged with flattery.

 

BEWARE OF FLATTEREY

Sugarcoated words should be taken with carefulness. The Pharisees came to Jesus calling Him teacher, calling Him the true one, who fears no man when speaking the mind of God. There are empty flatteries in all works of life intended to ruin, deceive, and destroy. We have to beware of these persons. We have to take the same stand with Jesus and see beyond the words being expressed to feel the heart and intentions of those who express them.

Flattery has done a lot of harm to our politics. It has done us no good in religion. It is indeed pharisaic. The same flatterers who came to Jesus calling him good will also go to Caesar and call him good. They have one thing in the mouth and another in their heart. But if Jesus or Caesar is good and they mean it when they say it, it would have been something positive. But they say what they don't mean.

Flatterers and sycophants are the problems we have in the politics of today. They are the problems we are facing in our religion, too.

They campaign for an unqualified candidate for money, position, and fame. They disqualify the qualified for fear of putting an end to their corrupt practices or because of immediate gratification.

They see the evil of the incumbent government and praise it. They canonize bad leaders. They encourage oppression, and they promote recklessness. They downplay immorality. They excuse away the embezzlement and manipulations of the system. They tell you that you are doing well even when you know how bad you are. Think before you act in their sight.

In religion, these Pharisees, after taking counsels, make you feel that they love the church, they love your ministry, and they love God. They may do that through donations. They may do it by poverty alleviation with ulterior motive. They raise you high to fall from there. Hence, they put the Church and her ministries in tight corners such as scandals of money, sex, or conscience imprisonment. They present the dilemmas.

 

GIVE TO CAESAR, GIVE TO GOD

After their flattery, they opened their package of rehearsed question: Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Even though Jesus realized that this was a malicious question, He used it as an opportunity to teach, correct an impression, and bring about a marriage of politics and religion. He did not say yes or no but replied after looking at the coin with Caesar's inscription: "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s."

 Some have erroneously interpreted this to be living life of double standard, being worldly in the bad sense and also religious, being good in the Church and bad outside (enye ndi ebee, enye ndi ebee).

It is rather being human and being holy. It is living in the city of God even while still in the city of men.

Jesus is saying give it to Caesar if it is his right. Give it to Caesar if he deserves, give it to Caesar if he worked for it, and give it to Ceasar if he is working with it. Give him respect. Respect the laws he make if they are human laws flowing from divine and positive laws. Respect and give it to him if he cares for your health with it, your safety, good roads, and other amenities. Render him the honour if he has merited it by respecting the rule of law and the different rights given to humans by God. Give him the honour if he understands that he is a servant; a minster at the service of the public. Give it to him if he pays salaries and gratuities with it.

 Why won’t you, why won’t I, why won’t we render to the leaders of Africa, Nigeria, and our various states the honour due to them if they are doing well?

May we never forget that Caesar has nothing that God has not given to him. All authority flows from God. God is the supreme in heaven and earth.  In a world that wants to keep God aside, that wants to operate without God, let us make God the all in all, the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end. May He continue to be honoured in all we do.

And may God bless His word in our hearts.

LET US PRAY

Dear Lord and Father, You have shown us the important position You occupy in our lives as political and religious beings. We pray that our politics may not lead us away from You. We pray that our politicking may provide us with the necessary conditions we need to live happily and worship you in Spirit and truth. May we live mature and balanced social, political, religious, and spiritual life, though Christ our Lord. Amen

Happy Sunday (29th Sunday, ordinary time, Yr. A)

Rev Fr Julian O Ekeh

28th Sunday, Year A: Homily by Fr Isaac Chima

Theme: The Eternal Banquet and the Required Garment

Readings: Is 25:6–10; Ps 23:1–6; Phil 4:12–14,19–20; Mt 22:1–14

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, Through the readings of this Sunday, God invites all of us to the great banquet of heaven. He desires that every one of His creatures have free access to the eternal feast He has prepared at the end of time. The invitation is universal, the doors are wide open, and there are no restrictions at the gate. Yet, to sit at the table and partake of the meal, certain conditions must be met. God welcomes all, but He also transforms all.

In the first reading, the prophet Isaiah paints a magnificent picture of the feast prepared by the Lord of hosts on His holy mountain: rich food, well‑aged wines, the destruction of death, the wiping away of tears, and the removal of disgrace. This banquet is not reserved for Israel alone; it is offered to all peoples—to the nations once considered pagan, and therefore, to us as well.

In the Gospel, Jesus uses the parable of the wedding feast to illustrate Isaiah’s prophecy. Through His teaching, death, and resurrection, He opened the door of the banquet hall to all nations. But He also uses this parable to address some pressing realities of our present world.

The first lesson comes from the rejection of the invitation. The first group of invited guests refused the king’s invitation because they were absorbed in worldly pursuits—farms, businesses, and personal interests. Their reaction mirrors the attitude of many people today. For example, on Sundays, when Christians are obliged to participate in the Eucharistic banquet, many of our friends, colleagues, and even family members choose to stay home, go to bars, gyms, or offices. They consider the invitation to the banquet of Christ unnecessary, a waste of their precious time. They have time for everything except God.

Given the beauty of the feast Isaiah describes, one would expect everyone to respond with a joyful "yes". Yet many still reject God’s invitation. And the consequences of rejecting this invitation are serious, including the loss of our place at the eternal banquet.

The second lesson comes from the treatment received by the man without the wedding garment. The parable said the king ordered his servants to throw him out. The king’s treatment of the man may seem harsh. After all, he was brought in unexpectedly. But Jewish tradition helps us to understand that the host of a wedding often provided appropriate garments at the entrance of the wedding hall for those who lacked them. This means that the man had the opportunity to change his clothes but chose not to—whether out of laziness, stubbornness, pride, or bad will. He wanted the feast without the transformation. He wanted the table without the garment.

In the same way, the Church welcomes everyone—good and bad alike. The doors of God’s house are open to all. But to remain at the banquet of eternal life, we must remove the dirty clothes of sin and put on the proper garment of the feast. What is this garment? It is love, peace, forgiveness, generosity, humility, kindness, chastity, and every virtue that reflects Christ. These virtues are our heavenly identity card—the attire required for the eternal banquet.

In recent years, the Church has been discussing how to respond to those who persistently choose lifestyles or practices contrary to the moral and theological teachings of Scripture—including, for example, same‑sex unions and other practices that contradict the Gospel. Opinions are divided. Some argue that the Church should welcome without asking for conversion; others insist that the Church must safeguard the integrity of her communion, remaining faithful to God’s commandments and the teaching received from Christ.

Today’s Gospel offers us clarity. By inviting people from the streets—both good and bad—Jesus shows that the Church must open her doors to everyone. No one is excluded from the invitation. But by casting out the man without the wedding garment, Jesus also teaches that God does not want those who enter His house to remain unchanged. He desires conversion. He desires transformation. The man without the garment was not expelled because he came in dirty—he was expelled because he refused to change.

God invites the good and the bad to come as they are, but He does not want the bad to remain as they are. He calls all of us to change—to remove the garments of sin and put on the attire of grace.

Therefore, those who choose lifestyles that contradict the moral and theological teachings of the Church are indeed invited. The Church welcomes them with love. But they should not expect the Church to change her doctrines to accommodate any lifestyle that contradicts the Gospel. Rather, God expects them—and all of us—to conform our lives to His Word.

Whoever refuses to remove the garment of sin and put on the garment of virtue risks losing his place at the eternal banquet.

So today, the Lord is asking each of us, "What garment are you wearing?” Are you wearing the garment of Christ? Or are you still clinging to the old clothes of sin?

The invitation has been sent. The feast is ready. The King is waiting. Let us remove the old garment. Let us put on Christ. And let us take our place at the eternal banquet where joy never ends.

Peace be with you. Have a blessed Sunday.

Fr, Isaac Chinemerem Chima

28TH SUNDAY, YEAR A: REFLECTION BY FR JULIAN EKEH

THEME: FACE TO FACE WITH THE UNEXPECTED

(Matthew 22:1-14)

The Ben Johnson way was spotted out in the Gospel of today. Jesus compared the kingdom of God to a king who gave a marriage feast for his son. He sent his sons to call those invited for the marriage feast, but they would not come. He advertised all the menu prepared but they turned the invitation down. This is annoying!

Imagine yourself as a mother. After preparing your child's favourite meal for him, he rejects your food but chooses to enjoy junk elsewhere.

Well, the king, after ordering for the destruction of those who dishonoured him, gave an open invitation for as many as who wanted to partake in the feast. And so, the wedding hall was filled with guests.

 

DIVINE OBSERVATION AND EXPECTATION

People who host events make out time to go around and greet their guests, to exchange pleasantries with those who honoured the invitation. God looks around; He looks into the group; He comes to have a personal touch with all those called by His name. He comes to admire you. He comes to appreciate His image in you. He wants to single you out and be proud of you like Job. He wants to announce to the world how special you are. He wants the angels and men to sing the praise of your commitment to His will. It is his will that you be in the state of grace always. He wants to see you shining and glowing in light, living like the child of light that you are. The king looked around, continued to look around, and...

 

THE UNEXPECTED HAPPENED

He saw a man who had no wedding garment. This was a great shock to Him. This was an insult to Him. These are the lowliest of men who should realize the exalted position of the king and their unworthiness to be part of the feast, who should put themselves together in order to appear before the king. The others have theirs. Could it be that the king also made available the wears to them or informed them of the common garment for the occasion? Yes.

Then God wonders what was the issue. Did he sell the garment? Did he exchange it? Did he stain it? Why appearing without the garment? 

 

The king asked him: Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment? And he was speechless. He had the intention to deceive. He wanted to fool the king. He chose the Ben Johnson way. He was punished for it. You will certainly be held accountable for playing God and dribbling the people of God. You will not always succeed in meandering. God is still God. Yes, you will be speechless because you never believed in the day of reckoning.

 

TAKE-HOME QUESTIONS

Why rig yourself into a position that is not yours?

How did you enter that office?

How did you make your way into that man/woman's heart?

How did you obtain that ticket? How did you get that admission? How did you get that promotion? How did you win that contract? How did you get that so-called good job?

 

Painful Truth

You will get out the way you entered. You will be humiliated if you fail to do the needful. You will lose the kingdom of God if you do not enter it by the way of life Jesus expects from you.

You may deceive humans but not God. You can't hide from God; "Ipughi izonari ya Chineke

Mgbe I na ekpuchi mmehie gi, chee na o dighi onye na ahu gi, I pughi izonari ya Chineke."

Because "Chineke mazuru, Dinwenu mazuru, o dighi ihe gbara ya gharii n'ezie, Chineke mazuru."

 

SOLUTION: GET YOUR GARMENT

During our baptism we received the white garment. It is a very symbolic act. We are called to be transparent, pure and holy. We are called to be undefiled. We were clothed with that garment to continue maintaining it and putting it on. But when we fall, we heed the voice of God and clothe ourselves still with it through reconciliation.

Inasmuch as the gate of heaven has been opened for us through the death and resurrection of Christ, which we share in through our baptism, we should endeavour not to misuse the opportunity we have received.

We should guard against the questions that will keep us dumbfounded when we stand face-to-face with our heavenly king.

May God bless His word in our hearts.

 

LET US PRAY

We pray You Lord God to save us from hidden faults and eternal shock of being thrown out from Your sight because of filth and corruption. Grant that we may not take Your invitation to holiness for granted through Christ our Lord. Amen

Happy Sunday (28th Week, Ordinary Time, Yr A)

Rev Fr Julian O. Ekeh

 27^TH SUNDAY, YEAR A: REFLECTION BY FR JULIAN EKEH

THEME: DIVINE EXPECTATIONS VS HUMAN LIMITATIONS

(Matthew 21:33-43)

The Gospel Reading of today presents God as a householder who planted a vineyard and gave it all the necessary requirements to bloom and be fruitful.

We see a God who has given in what He should give to make man useful and productive. Just as every farmer expects to reap sweet produce from his farm, just as every father expects to enjoy the fruit of his labour, just as everyone expects profit from his work, so God comes in anticipation of being made glad by his creatures. What does he find?

The vine keeping demands creativity, time, patience, and effort. God, our creator, put in a lot of spiritual, physical, and passionate energy in the act of creating us. Something went out of him, really. He spent Himself in making man like Himself. He made Him a paradise, a garden, a vineyard, but chose Him as His special vineyard. This is interesting. Little wonder time and again, He never stops visiting to interact with Adam and Eve.

Sadly, when on that day He visited to see how Adam and Eve were doing and found them not bearing fruit but losing fruits having plucked the fruit of disobedience. It was not funny for God.

Just as man in Adam disappointed God and responded, "I am naked," in Cain, he disappointed and said: "Am I my brother's keeper?" Man in the brothers of Joseph betrayed him and sold him to slavery. Yet God formed them as a people in Egypt. From there, He uprooted them and planted them like a vine on his holy mountain. He was their protector and shepherd. In growing wild instead of docile to the vine owner, they severally were exiled. God continued sending them prophets as their vinedresser, but they enjoyed being wild.

In their wildness, they killed the different servants sent to care for them. Yet, God sent His son, saying, "They will obey my son." But him they also killed.

Is God wrong to expect good from us? Is He expecting too much? Oh no! He created us good and wants us to bear good fruits. But man chose evil over the good. He wants us to taste sweet, but a lot of things in us make us sour. He wants us to be life-giving, but we choose to be poisonous. The Lord created us to be lights, but we recreate ourselves to be darkness. He wants us to listen to Him just as He comes to listen to us. But we turn away from Him. In His love and tender mercy, He still picks us up to reinstate us. This is how much He loves us. 

As we wander, Jesus wonders: what have I not done for you? Why have you chosen to bear no fruit? Why are you straying away? Why do you want to remain adamant in your evil ways?

 

BE FRUITFUL

God wants you to be fruitful in your family. Be useful in your place of work. Be a good child of your parents. Be a good keeper of His commands. Take His word to heart. Bear fruits of holiness, peace, and charity.

Remove bitterness. Do you think you can't make it again? The word of God says you can. The Lord will not reject you. Do not withdraw your hands from what He offers you. Surprise those who think you have been lost. Surprise the devil who has made you believe that you can't rise again. Have you been rejected and seen as fruitless? The Lord is saying today that you will be a cornerstone. You will be like that stone that the builder rejected, which has become the cornerstone. May God bless His word in our hearts.

 

LET US PRAY

May the Lord be satisfied with us and satisfy us with His good things through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Happy Sunday (27th Sunday, Ordinary Time, Yr A)

Rev Fr Julian O Ekeh