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

Theme: God’s Power Revealed in Mercy: A Call to Patience in a World of Imperfect people.

Readings: Wis 12:13, 16–19; Rom 8:26–27; Mt 13:24–43

My dearest friends, I would like to begin this homily with a story — a story that reveals what goes on in the hearts of many Christians. In December 2019, during the Christmas season, I was in a parish in Milan for pastoral duties. One day, during the preparations for Christmas, a lady approached me with a question. Her disposition was that of someone carrying a heavy burden, a burden that was affecting her faith in God.

She said to me: “Father, I believe that God is all-powerful, that His power prevails over the evil forces in the world, and that He loves us, His children. But what I do not understand is why He has failed to completely destroy evil and the wicked. Why are there evil people everywhere? Does it mean that God is no longer the mighty man in battle?”

Dear friends, the answer I gave her is drawn from today’s readings.

I know that this lady is not alone in her thoughts about God. Many people in today’s Mass may be carrying similar questions in their hearts — especially those who have suffered abuse in their lives, marriages, relationships, and families; those who have endured injustice in their workplaces and in society; those who have been repaid with evil for doing good. Many of these people ask: “Why does God permit evil to triumph so often? Why are the wicked allowed to prosper?”

My dearest friends, Jesus answers these questions in today’s parable. He teaches us the true nature of our God.

The first reading paints a beautiful picture of who God is. It tells us that He is the sovereign master of His power — great and omnipotent — yet He does not display His power through anger, punishment, or condemnation. Instead, He shows His power through mercy and patience. God judges with clemency, and with great leniency, He governs us. God is tolerant and merciful. Dear friends, this is the nature of our God; this is why He has not destroyed all our enemies. As the prophet Ezekiel says, God does not desire the death of the wicked, but that they repent and be saved.

The Gospel reading gives us a dramatic illustration of this divine nature. Through the parable of the wheat and the weeds, Jesus explains why evil coexists with good in the world and how we should treat those who do evil around us. The weeds represent those who abuse us, those who treat us unjustly, those who oppose the Church and her teachings, those who stand against truth, love, peace, and goodness. But how do we treat such people? Do we ask God to destroy them? Do we destroy them ourselves? Jesus says the answer is no.

Jesus calls us to be patient with our brothers and sisters, husbands and wives who hurt us, those who oppress us, those who disagree with us — just as God is patient with them and patient with us in our own sins. By God’s grace, and through our prayers and good example, Jesus hopes that they will be converted and saved. He wants us to convert them through our witness. The good examples we show — however small — may one day grow in their hearts like the mustard seed.

Jesus also teaches us not to be discouraged by the presence of enemies in the Church, in our families, or in society. God allows them to live so that they may repent of their evil ways. We must understand, however, that the triumph and prosperity of the wicked are short-lived, whereas the reward of the Christian who suffers because of their wickedness is everlasting.

Dearest friends, Jesus also speaks about the fate of those who refuse to change. In the parable, He says there will be a time of gathering the wheat, followed by a separation — the wheat from the weeds that refused to become wheat — and then the weeds will be thrown into the fire. This means that those who refuse to make good use of the grace given to them will not escape God’s punishment. Therefore, Jesus warns us not to take God’s patience, tolerance, and mercy for granted.

Finally, the two other parables in today’s Gospel — the mustard seed and the yeast — encourage us not to give up on the seeds of God’s kingdom that we have been planting in the hearts of others through our good actions and examples. Our small acts of goodness may seem insignificant, like the mustard seed, but they will one day grow into something great. Likewise, our good example towards those who treat us badly may appear fruitless, but if we remain patient — like a baker waiting for his dough to rise — we will surely see the results.

Let us pray in today’s Holy Mass for the gift of patience: that we may be patient with ourselves, with God, and with others. Let us also ask God to help us to be loving and merciful, and to understand His true nature.

Peace be with you.

Rev. Fr. Isaac Chima

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

TOPIC: WHILE MEN WERE SLEEPING

(Matthew 13:24-43)

Jesus gives us another parable today, comparing the kingdom of God to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while men were sleeping, his enemies sowed weeds. But the man told the servants to allow the two seeds to grow together.

The enemy takes advantage of the good. Evil likes to draw close to goodness. The angel of darkness tries to appear as the angel of light. He comes to wear the garb of goodness to mix itself with the things we revere and hold sacred in order to look good and acceptable. He begs for attention and strikes when given any opportunity. They target the times they will never be suspected. They come to plant their evil seeds among the good seeds.

The evil one waits for you to sleep. While men sleep, they plan their evil, execute it, announce it, and celebrate it. But sleep is natural, it is important, it is healthy. The body needs it. But being asleep spiritually is dangerous.  It has to do with being unaware of the spiritual oppressions around you.

 

WHY WILL THE ENEMY CHOSE THE MOMENT OF SLEEP?

The enemy prefers the times of sleep so that by the time one wakes up with after-sleep dizziness, he accepts the seed he has sown as normal.

Think of the many abominations that just sprouted out from nowhere and became accepted as norms. Think of the evil leaders that we wake up to see ruling over us mysteriously and wickedly without our consent. Think of the sudden negative changes husbands and wives who once loved each other notice from nowhere in their marriage. Think of the rapid change of behaviour in that your son or daughter who was a definition of goodness before. What happened along the line?

Consider the sharp shift from friendship to enmity.  Think of the mornings we wake to see evil trending and being celebrated in social media as nothing.

The servants who made the observation of the weed growing among the good seeds asked the householder how these were done. The householder replied: An enemy has done this.

Beware of the things the enemy is doing or trying to do in your life. In Igbo "Catechism nke abuo" of Owerri Archdiocese, the question goes: What are the evils the devil can do? (He destroys and leads to sin).

Beware and be aware! Do not fall into that spiritual slumber. Do not allow that evil practice in you become a habit.  Listen to the word of God on the best way to live with the daily growing evils in our world today.

 

THE WAY OUT

Most of us are constantly worried about the uprising of evil in different shapes and forms in our world today. We are troubled about how evil men seem to be prospering. We are frustrated by broad day robbery of truth, denial of justice and corruption. The leadership of the best by the worst gives us serious discomfort. The reign of the wicked over the good men dampens our spirits.

We call for an immediate arrest of the situation as a way out. Like the servants in today's parable, we wish to suggest to God to blow the trumpet and start judgement. For some, it is sign of end times. Others call God names. Some others ask God questions like: God, why are you like this? Why are you allowing evil to grow with the good seeds you have planted? Some lose their faith.  Some say: religion is a scam. Some call Christianity a religion of the weak.

God's ways are not our ways. Our approach to solving problems differ from God's ways of handling them. God does not want to lose the good with the bad. He says, let them grow together until the harvest. He gives the bad enough time to be influenced by the Good. He trusts the good seed and believes it not to disappoint. Thus, spiritual growth is the way out.

'Let them grow together' means that God knows the stuff we are made of. We are too good to be rubbished. We have what it takes to overcome and overthrow the enemy.

'Let them grow together' can suggest growing in different directions.  If the bad seed refuses to grow into goodness, then the good seed should not stop growing. While the bad seed grows in vices, let the good seed continue growing in virtues. Let it grow and suffocate, overshadow and dethrone the evil seed. Let good politicians shine brighter than evil politicians. Let good lawmakers outgrow their evil counterparts.  Let good Christians outnumber bad ones. Let good wives and husbands be more than bad ones. Let evil be silenced by good.

'Grow together' implies: Do not be intimidated by them. 'I have conquered the world.'

It is a call to keep on pushing with the right strategies, pressing the right buttons, avoiding compromises in order to win the battles of life.

Let us therefore be encouraged in our various experiences in the world. The troubles and forces here and there may not be taken away totally. Instead of pulling us down let them challenge us to be the best of our kind. Jesus knew all these when in John 17:15 He prayed: "My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one."

Be patient dearest in Christ.  Judgement must come at the end. At that time, evil will be stripped of its deceptive garments that made it appear good. Only good will be called good. And only those who remained above the corruptions and immoralities of the world, who washed away the influences they got from the evil one, will inherit the kingdom of God.

May God bless His word in our hearts.

LET US PRAY

Thank You, Lord, for the seed of Your word in our hearts today. Help us to be spiritually aware of the growing evil trends in the world. By Your grace, may we continue to grow in virtues and become true agents of positive change wherever we find ourselves through Christ our Lord.  Amen

Happy Sunday to you (16th Sunday, Ordinary Time, Yr A)

Rev Fr Julian O Ekeh

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

Theme: Stumbling Blocks to the Fruitfulness of God’s Word in Our Lives

Readings: Is. 55:10–11; Rom. 8:18–23; Mt. 13:1–23

Dear friends in Christ, on this fifteenth Sunday, the Church opens our eyes to the power of the Word of God and its efficacy in the hearts and lives of men. She invites us to examine our relationship with this powerful Word and challenges us to ask ourselves what the Word of God has accomplished or transformed in our lives since we began hearing it.

In the first reading, the prophet Isaiah speaks about the power of the Word that comes from the mouth of God. He compares this Word to rain and snow that must water the earth whenever they fall. This comparison presents the Word of God as a force that leaves an imprint of goodness wherever it touches, a force that leaves positive marks upon whoever or whatever it encounters. In the book of Genesis, it was the power of God’s Word that transformed a formless void into a beautiful universe and brought living beings into existence. In the Gospel accounts, this same Word raised the dead, gave sight to the blind, strengthened the lame, restored speech to the mute, cleansed lepers, healed countless sicknesses, calmed storms, cast out demons, consoled the afflicted, and restored love where hatred reigned. Truly, the Word of God is alive and active, cutting more incisively than a double‑edged sword (cf. Heb. 4:12).

Dear friends, the Word of God is still active and alive among us today. It continues to perform the wonders it accomplished in the past—restoring our bodies to wholeness, filling our hearts with virtue, recreating our world, and making it beautiful. The Word of God still leaves imprints of goodness, healing, and salvation in human lives.

However, in today’s Gospel, Jesus teaches us that for God’s Word to bear fruit in our lives, certain conditions must be met. We must accept the Word of God and put it into practice. Jesus makes it clear that refusing to accept God’s Word or failing to live according to it obstructs its positive effects in our lives. Sadly, no one can escape the ultimate consequence of rejecting God’s Word, which is eternal condemnation.

Jesus uses the parable of the Sower to illustrate the blessings that come from accepting and living by the Word of God, and the consequences of hardening our hearts against it. One of the most important lessons in this parable is that the same seed was scattered on all terrains. This means that the Word of God is the same, but its effects depend on the disposition of the person who receives it. The different types of soil represent the human heart and the various reactions people have when they hear the Word, as well as the impact it makes in their lives.

Let us consider the first type of soil—the pathway. The seeds that fell along the path were eaten by birds. Jesus uses this image to show how the devil prevents the Word of God from bearing fruit in the lives of those who outrightly reject it. He reveals how the devil operates in the hearts of those who desire a kind of freedom that contradicts God’s will and the teachings of the Church, and in the hearts of those who think the Word of God is irrelevant to the realities of today’s world. For such people, Christian love, peace, forgiveness, repentance, and charity mean nothing. They believe they are following their own designs, yet they are unknowingly following the designs of the devil.

The second type of soil is the rocky ground. The seeds that fell here sprouted quickly but withered under the sun because they had no deep roots. Jesus uses this to depict those who enjoy listening to the Word of God but lack the will to put it into practice. Many people love good homilies; some even shed tears and resolve never to return to their sins. But once they leave the church and are confronted by the agents of the devil—friends, colleagues, or relatives who lure them with sinful suggestions and persuasive arguments—they find themselves returning to their old ways. This group also includes those who remain indecisive when they should reject sin, and those who compromise their faith out of fear of mockery or insult. Jesus tells us that such people obstruct the Word of God from bearing fruit in their lives.

The third type of soil is the thorny ground. The seeds that fell here grew but were choked by thorns because they could not withstand competition. The human heart contains two opposing forces: the force toward good and the force toward evil. Every challenge in life presents us with the option to choose one or the other. Jesus uses this category to depict those who choose sinful options when faced with challenges—those who succumb to bribery, respond with violence when provoked, or use evil means to achieve good ends. He also refers to those who allow their jobs and busy schedules to destroy their relationship with God. In such hearts, the seed planted by the devil is watered and nourished more than the seed of God. Jesus reminds us that people who behave this way will not experience the positive effects of God’s Word.

Finally, we have the seed that fell on good soil. It germinated, was nourished, and produced abundant fruit. Jesus uses this last group to show how productive the Word of God can be in the lives of those who receive it with open hearts and put it into practice. It yields fruits of healing, renewal, salvation, love, peace of mind, favour, and restoration.

Today, the Church invites us to examine our hearts and identify the things choking the Word of God we have been hearing. We are called to discover and remove whatever is preventing God’s Word from bearing fruit in us, what is obstructing our lives from being transformed by it. Jesus wants us to recognize how we may have contributed to the barrenness of God’s powerful Word in our lives.

Dear friends, the Church wants us to examine ourselves and understand whether the Word of God that we hear every Sunday is producing positive changes in us or not. We have listened to many homilies about peace, love, forgiveness, humility, charity, and unity. The Church wants us to ask ourselves whether we have put these teachings into practice or not. We should not be among those who think that the Word of God does not speak to the realities of our time, because God’s Word is still relevant and meaningful for our lives.

Peace be with you. Have a blessed Sunday.

Rev. Fr. Isaac Chinemerem Chima

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

THEME: WHAT IS CHOKING THE WORD OF GOD IN YOU?

(Matthew 13:1-23)

Today, the word of God is compared to a seed. Jesus is the Sower. The ministers of the word are also Sowers with Christ.

The attention is on the condition of the seed after it has been sown, yes the condition of the word of God, the place of Jesus in your soul when you receive Him. Jesus indeed is the word incarnate.

Back to the seed. Jesus in the Gospel presents that some fell on the path and got eaten up by birds, others fell on rocky ground, got scorched and withered. Others fell on thorns and were choked. What choked them? Let us see.

 

THE CHOKING ELEMENTS

We've got to consider the various choking elements in the Gospel. They are the forces that can not cohabit with the word of God. They are those things that resist the word of God. Those factors that wouldn't allow the word to live in you.

They may be persecutions, sickness, and uncertainties, the thorns may be bad friends, they are thorns of silence and indifference. They are thorns of jealousy and greed. They may be thorns of family misunderstanding.

These thorns are there to grieve and strangle the word of God in you.

They are the thorns of social media bringing you to faithlessness by destructive doubts and unhealthy criticism, leading to trivialization of spiritual matters.

These choking thorns are the thorns of Eve's demonic visitor. He comes after you must have received the word. He comes when you must have made a decision to make a positive change. He comes to ask: Did God say..?

Yes, when you are about to make out something good from the word He comes to ask you: Did the word of say you should be faithful to your husband? Did the word of God say you should be faithful to your wife?

Did the word of God say you should not take such big money in the name of being a good politician?

Did the word of God say you shouldn't use what you have to get what you need?

Did the word of God mean that you should die for the truth? Are you Jesus Christ? Do you want to die poor?

It is not called stealing. It is no crime, it is an online business.

The choker can be one of the following:

 

PERSONS

To make out something positive from the word of God you hear, you have to avoid certain persons in your life. Their presence around you will never allow you to be as fruitful as you should be.

He or she waits for you at home to annoy you. He or she may be your real source of temptation. He readily avails himself on a platter to you whenever you decide to take a step forward.

She may be your wife refusing you from being charitable to your neighbours. He may be your husband complaining about your religious activities and devotional prayers.

They may be friends encouraging you to: be a drug addict, extortioner, lazy, stubborn, dress seductively, and be wild. They tell you to shine your eyes.

 

THINGS

When one gets attached to possession, wealth, fame, popularity, gifts, and the like, they may choke the word of God in him, making it unfruitful.

 

CONDITIONS

One's attitude to his environment and situation can either be an enablement for the word to thrive or not. Such situations like hunger in the land, unemployment, corruption, marital problems, vocation crisis, disappointments, frustrations, nonpayment of salaries, etc.

Never allow any situation, cares, and worries of this life to kill the seed of life in you, the seed of success, the seed of eternity.

May God bless His word in our hearts.

 

LET US PRAY

May nothing choke the word of God in you. As you hear this word today, may God bless you and make you a good soil that will bear abundant fruits. Remain blessed in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

Happy Sunday (15th Sunday, Ordinary Time, Yr A)

Rev Fr Julian O Ekeh

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

Theme: Learn from me (Mt 11:29): Making Christ Our Role Model

Readings: Zec 9:9–10; Rom 8:9.11–13; Mt 11:25–30

Dear friends in Christ, every social space in our world is full of people who implicitly or explicitly offer themselves as models to be followed. These individuals represent different lifestyles, many of which contradict the moral values of society and the teachings of the Church. Today, Jesus invites us to make him our role model and to learn from his own way of life. Let us reflect on what the readings of this Sunday teach us in this regard.

The message of the first reading lies in the reason the prophet Zechariah asked Israel to rejoice. The section we read today was likely written when Israel was under Greek rule during the reign of Alexander the Great, who conquered the known world at a very young age. Zechariah had before his eyes the arrogant lifestyle of this powerful king, who oppressed Israel, as well as the lifestyles of other rulers of the Ancient Near East. Suddenly, God opened his eyes to a future king who would rule Israel and the world—a king whose qualities and lifestyle would sharply contrast those of the rulers of Zechariah’s time.

According to Zechariah’s vision, this future king would be gentle and humble. He would speak of peace instead of war; he would not be proud but humble; he would ride on a donkey instead of a horse; he would love instead of hate; he would give justice instead of injustice; he would be merciful instead of vengeful. These beautiful qualities of the king God promised made Zechariah exclaim with joy, inviting his people to rejoice and be glad.

Zechariah’s prophecy of a gentle and humble king was fulfilled in Jesus Christ. In today’s Gospel, Jesus, our King, describes himself as humble and gentle—qualities that the kings of the Ancient Near East would have considered signs of weakness. As a humble and gentle king, Jesus rode on a donkey instead of a horse (Mt 21:7). He proclaimed peace instead of war (Mt 5), restraint instead of retaliation (Mt 5:38–39), and love of enemies instead of killing them (Mt 5:44).

To all of us who have seen Christ’s qualities and his style of kingship, he extends an invitation in today’s Gospel, saying, “learn from me”. He wants us to imitate him, to copy his way of life, to make him our role model. Jesus wants us to choose his lifestyle rather than the lifestyles of the arrogant rulers of our world or the celebrities who promote moral values contrary to the Gospel.

What does it mean to learn from Christ? What does making Christ our role model entail? Learning from Christ demands that we do not stubbornly cling to the things worldly wisdom has taught us. Instead, we must be childlike so that our lives become malleable to the direction of the Spirit of God. St Paul reiterates this in the second reading.

Learning from Christ means that before taking any action, we ask ourselves what Christ would have done in the same circumstance. If the way I want to act is not the way Christ would have acted, then I should refrain from such action. Learning from Christ means telling myself that if the way I want to speak to my wife, husband, children, friends, or colleagues is not the way Christ would have spoken to them, then I should not speak that way. Learning from Christ means telling myself that if what I want to say contradicts what Christ has taught, I should keep quiet. It means telling myself that if the way I want to treat another person is not the way Christ would have treated them, then I should refrain from treating them that way.

This approach should be reflected in everything we do: the way we walk and work, the way we help people, the way we dress, and the way we love. Christ is telling us that in matters of faith and morals, we must make him our model.

The challenge before us today is to search our hearts and sincerely tell ourselves the truth about the people we have made the models of our lives—the people we allow to influence our choices, the footsteps we are following, and the teachings upon which we have built our lives. It is shameful for a Christian to choose as a role model someone whose life contradicts the teachings of Christ and the moral values promoted by the Church. It is equally contradictory for a Christian to build his life upon teachings that run against the demands of Christ. Who, then, is that celebrity, politician, or businessman you have made your role model? Who is that person informing your choices and decisions? Does his or her lifestyle radiate the spirit of Christ or the spirit of the evil one?

In the second reading, St Paul reminds us who we are as Christians. He tells us that we are no longer in the flesh but in the Spirit. If indeed the Spirit of God dwells in us, it would be wrong—indeed self‑destructive—to make those who live according to the flesh our role models. St Paul invites us to shun learning how to live, choose, and act from those who follow the desires of the flesh, because living according to the flesh leads to death. All role models who entice us with worldly desires or lure us into carnal living are certainly leading us down the path of death.

Let us pray in today’s Mass for the grace to choose Christ—and those who live according to his teachings—as our models in everything.

Peace be with you.

Rev. Fr. Isaac Chinemerem Chima

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

Theme: Come to me...Learn from me

(Matthew11:25-30)

Jesus in today's Gospel reading sends out invitation and a scholarship. He starts by thanking God for those to whom these benefits are directed; the little ones.

In a world where a lot of enticing things are inviting us, Jesus sends His own special invitation. In a world where a lot of forces are trying to lure people out of their vocations, professions, marriages and destinies Jesus calls us to come to Him.

To be able to go to Jesus, there are things we must drop, there are things we must take up and there are virtues we must acquire. Let us know some of them

 

Openness and Childlikeness

Jesus thanks God for revealing to mere children. Jesus wants us to come with our empty jars to feel them with divine illumination. He invites us to come with readiness to receive, to learn. He wants us to come with the proper disposition. The child asks a lot of questions.  He wants us to ask Him all the questions of our life, to really inquire from Him before embarking on any thing, to seek His face, to do it as He does. May everything that has closed the doors and windows of divine knowledge from us give way, that we may be docile.

 

Drop all your wisdom

If you need it from God, then you must drop yours. Forget about your wisdom, glory not in your understanding. Surrender all at the foot of Jesus. Jesus was so happy that these revelations were hidden from the wise. Go through the things you call wisdom, check out all those who take themselves to be knowledgeable. Every knowledge without Christ doesn't go down well.

Can you call to mind your days of innocence? I mean before so-called eye openers called you naive and exposed you to the 'evil wisdom', 'the Eve knowledge' that is making you lose your friendship and peace with God? Jesus calls upon you to drop such wisdom of the world and come to Him for wisdom from on high, to get the wisdom that is gift of the Holy Spirit. If you didn't learn it from Christ, drop it!

 

Learn and take Home

Jesus' calling assures a giving. He says: Come to me...and I will give you. He bequeaths. He allows you enter into Him. He gives and opens himself to expose all the virtues He wants us to learn.

 

Learn to rest

Jesus wants us to learn and understand what rest truly means. Our hearts, says St Augustine are restless till they rest in God. Learn to find rest only in doing the will of God. Learn to rest only after giving in your best and not resting when you have works undone. Learn to understand rest as fulfilment. Learn to feel at rest only when you have saved the life entrusted to you as a medical doctor, to teach the students in your care, to lead the people to a true place of rest.

 

Rest from burdens

Jesus draws us to Himself to learn how to rest from burdens.

There are different types of burden: Self-imposed burdens- They are the burdens we gave ourselves through our careless behaviors, sins of commission and omission. A good example is when a man decides not to take care of his home and raise his children in the fear of God and they turn out to be a headache to him.

There are burdens imposed by others. Jesus invites those who are in this situation to come to Him equally. They are suffering because of what they do not know. Here we see those who are under oppressions of all kinds; bad government, bad husbands, bad wives, bad children etc. Nothing is impossible with God. Going to Jesus, you will learn the best ways out of all these. Jesus will give you rest. Wipe your tears, ebezina, bebiri, hara. Feel the consoling hand of Jesus, learn to lean on His shoulders. Hear Him say to you: It is well, ihe i na amaghi agaghi ama gi, Am with you.

The world and the society has got some burdens. The economy, the injustices, the bad government, the wars, the killings, the indifferent attitude to things that matter. Jesus says: I have conquered the world.

 

Learn gentility and lowlines

Part of the course Jesus offers is gentleness and lowliness. Let us learn to be like Jesus our master, treat people we meet with kindness and love. Let us learn not to inflict harm on others, let us work with Jesus in taking away burdens from the shoulders of people, wipe tears from faces and mend hearts rather than break them. Let's humble ourselves that after our labours here on earth, after our daily goings to Jesus Christ we may forever find rest when we hear the final calling: Come you blessed of my father and inherit the kingdom. May God bless his word in our hearts through Christ our Lord. Amen

Happy Sunday (14th Week, Ordinary Time, Yr A)

Rev Fr Julian O Ekeh

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

Theme: Generosity and Hospitality: Keys to Blessings

Readings: 2 Kgs 4:8–11, 14–16a; Rom 6:3–4, 8–11; Mt 10:37–42

Dear friends in Christ, on this Thirteenth Sunday of the Year, the Church reminds us that through acts of kindness, generosity, and hospitality, we can attract God’s blessings upon our lives and families. She teaches us that abundant blessings are reserved for concrete acts of charity shown to those in need.

The first reading tells us that the woman of Shunem and her husband were childless. They may have prayed unceasingly for the gift of a child; they may have offered countless sacrifices in the temple; they may have fasted for many years, begging for God’s mercy. Yet it seemed as though God was saying to them: “I have heard your prayers, but there is still one thing left to do.” That “one more thing” was sensitivity to the needs of others—expressed through kindness, generosity, and hospitality.

When the woman saw Elisha, she recognized a man in need and made herself available to help. She invited him to eat and later prepared a room for him so he could rest whenever he passed by. Let us say she saw an opportunity to help and did not turn away; she did not allow that moment of grace to slip through her hands. In response to her kindness, Elisha promised her a child, and God fulfilled that promise. She never imagined that her small acts of charity toward a stranger would become the turning point of her life.

What does this story teach us?

It teaches us never to turn away from those in need. The needy are everywhere—on our streets, in our neighbourhoods, even in our homes. Every day brings us face to face with them, and each time we turn away from helping them, we lose an opportunity for God’s blessing. The woman of Shunem would have remained childless had she ignored that opportunity to help. Another lesson is that those who receive kindness should also respond with kindness, just as Elisha did.

Dear friends, acts of kindness can unlock the blessings for which we have prayed and fasted for many years. A small act of charity can transform your life. Prayer for blessings, healing, success, and breakthrough is good, but today’s reading teaches us to accompany our prayers with generosity, for such acts amplify our chances of receiving what we seek. It may be the little money you give to pay the school fees of an orphan in your village; the small help you offer a neighbour or a beggar who disturbs you; the provisions you buy for an elderly person; the ride you offer someone to the hospital after a long day; or a word of encouragement to someone depressed. Whatever form it takes, do not turn away.

The Old Testament is full of examples where generosity unlocked blessings:

• In Genesis 18:1–15, Abraham and Sarah’s hospitality brought them the blessing of a child.
• In Genesis 19, kindness to strangers saved Lot and his family.
• In Joshua 2:1–21, Rahab’s kindness saved her household.
• In 1 Kings 17:7–16, generosity toward Elijah saved the widow of Zarephath and her son.
• In Tobit 11, acts of kindness brought healing to Tobit and protection to Tobias.

To be truly kind, we must pay attention to certain attitudes within us.

First, we must overcome insensitivity and indifference. Many times, we look away from those in need, telling ourselves that their suffering is not our responsibility. Sometimes we even see the needy as a disturbance. But indifference deprives us of the right disposition to receive God’s blessings. Let us learn from the woman of Shunem and from Elisha to be sensitive to the needs of others.

Second, we must overcome selfishness. Self-centeredness makes us focus only on our own needs and blinds us to the needs of others. When we are selfish, opportunities to help appear as threats to our interests. Yet today’s reading teaches that helping others is never a threat—it is a pathway to our heart’s desires.

Third, we must not allow our difficult experiences to make us hostile to those who seek our help. Economic hardship and social crises can make people angry, depressed, and easily irritated. But the first reading teaches us not to let our struggles turn us against the needy. The woman of Shunem, though childless and possibly distressed, did not allow her pain to harden her heart. This is a lesson for anyone going through difficult times: do not let your challenges destroy your generous spirit.

Fourth, we must overcome fear and suspicion. Many people say, “Times are bad; no one can be trusted.” But the people of the Old Testament also lived in dangerous times—yet they still welcomed strangers. Every generation has its challenges. Therefore, let us not be afraid to help the needy; let us rather see the image of God in them. Hebrews 13:2 reminds us that by welcoming strangers, some have entertained angels without knowing it.

In the Gospel, Jesus teaches that whoever receives the “little ones” receives Him, and whoever receives Him receives the Father who sent Him. Therefore, rejecting those in need is rejecting Jesus and the Father. But to all who show kindness to the needy, to priests, and to missionaries, Jesus promises a reward.

To you who care for those who preach the Gospel and for the poor, you will never go unrewarded.

Peace be with you. Have a blessed Sunday.

Fr. Isaac Chinemerem Chima