17^th Sunday Year B: Homily by Fr Isaac Chima

Theme: God alone can grant increase to our resources; set your doubts aside.

Readings: 2kgs 4:42-44; Eph. 4:1-6; Jn. 6:1-15

Dear friends in Christ, did you notice that the crowd in the gospel reading of today set aside their cares and businesses, and even the demands of their stomach just to be with Jesus and hear His word? Did you also notice that Jesus did not abandon them? He, rather, fed them spiritually and materially. Whenever we leave the cares of this world to be with Jesus, to work for Him and to do His will, Jesus will not abandon us. Rather, He will provide our needs and take care of all we left behind.

Most times, some people stay away from spiritual exercises and from services in the Church with the reason that these activities will clash with the time they should give to their businesses, studies or family engagements. But a closer observation will reveal to us that people who actively perform their duties for the establishment of God’s kingdom on earth despite their tight schedules still do well or even better in their businesses, studies, and family life. The reason is quite simple and it is this: if we leave the cares of this world behind and concentrate on Jesus and on doing His will in all things and at all times, He will take care of our needs in return.

Dear friends, the increase that our hearts yearn for does not come just from our efforts nor from dependence on false gods; it is God who grants increase and it is He alone who gives success to the work of our hands. One may wonder why a man from a city under Baal (Baal Shelishah), the god of fertility/increase, decided to bring the first fruit of his farm to the God of Elisha instead of Baal, as we read in today’s first reading. The simple reason was that Baal had failed them, because there was famine in the land; Baal could not grant them the increase and the surplus they needed. But before the eyes of that young man, the true God multiplied the resources he brought to the prophet and a hundred men were fed from it. The true increase and surplus that our hearts yearn for can only come from God and when we submit to Him, not from our efforts alone and not from some charms prepared for us by demonic agents.

Another important lesson for us today is that God wants to use us and whatever we have, no matter how little they may appear, to perform miracles in the lives of other people. In the first reading, it was the man from Shelishah and the few loaves he donated to Elisha that made the miracle of the multiplication of loaves, with which hundred men were fed, possible. And in the gospel, it was the lad and his five loaves of bread and two fish that made the miracle of the multiplication of bread that fed five thousand men possible.

God wants to feed the poor in our world, to heal the sick, to uplift the downtrodden, to give jobs to the jobless, to make peace in families, to establish justice in our world, etc. He wants to make our world more beautiful, but He wants us to lend Him the raw material with which to performs these wonders in people’s life and in our world. These raw materials could be the material goods in our houses, our intelligence, our voices, our talents, our time, etc. God wants them.

However, most times we do refuse to give our hands and our resources to God because we believe they will not be enough for us and our families when we share them with others. But today’s first reading and the gospel teach us that when we keep our goods for our use alone, we will not experience any increase and there will be no extra to keep. If the lad in today’s gospel and the donor in the first reading had been stingy and selfish with their goods, they would not have experienced an increase and they would not have had extra to keep. The increase and the extra they had were because they gave generously. Today, the church is telling you that your one bread should be food for all if you want to experience an increase in your life and in your income. When compassion and generosity embrace, great miracles happen for a community united by one faith, one spirit, and one baptism.

Another important message the Church leaves for us today is that we must set aside that doubt that always tells us that when we share our goods with others, it will not be enough. In the gospel reading, Philip and Andrew manifested this kind of doubt but Jesus showed them what God can do when doubts are set aside. In the first reading, Elisha’s servant had the same doubt but God surprised him. Dear friends, if set your doubts aside today and march towards God to do His will and to compassionately donate what you have for the welfare of others, God will surprise you with a miracle.

Peace be with you and have a blessed Sunday.

Fr Isaac C. Chima

 

 

 

 17^TH SUNDAY, YEAR B: HOMILY BY FR JUSTIN ADIELE

THEME: “OPERATION FEED THE NATION”

INTRODUCTION:

Today, we read about Jesus miraculous feeding of five thousand men because he could sense their hunger and their plight. Today we are also challenged to do same as there are visible signs of hunger and hardship in the land; unless we can’t sense/feel it like Jesus, or we just chose to look away. Every hand must be on deck; the government, the religious leaders, the disciples of Christ, and even the bread seller in the street and the farmer in the field. We all have a role to play in feeding the nation and cushioning the effects of hunger and hardship in the land. If you cannot feed the nation, you can feed a little group/section of the nation.

 

THE FIRST READING (2 KG. 4: 42 – 44)

In the first reading, an occasion presented itself, and Elisha the prophet used the occasion to do his own part in feeding a group of hundred men who gathered perhaps for spiritual consultation. He used what was offered to God (and by extension, to him); bread of the first fruits, twenty loaves of barley, and fresh ears of grain to feed the men gathered around him. They all ate and had some left over according to the words of the prophet. We praise the man from Baal shalishah who remembered to bring a huge offering to God for his goodness to him. Unfortunately, many tend to forget to offer not even a simple bread and wine used for the Eucharistic offering and sharing, from year to year. We also praise Elisha who decided to share (unfortunately many will never think of that) and he was able to feed the people because he was neither greedy nor selfish, and he was not interested in pilling up more food for his third and fourth generation as some of us do today. How do you share the blessings, the gifts and opportunity you received from God and from others? Do you share with only family and friends or with anyone gathered around you like Elisha did? Or you don’t even like sharing at all?

 

THE SECOND READING (EPH. 4: 1 – 6)

To enable us develop the spirit of sharing our goods and blessings with people around us, St. Paul teaches and reminds us that we are one body and one spirit in one Lord Jesus Christ; in one faith, one baptism and one God and Father of us all. Any neglect of anyone suffering, hungry or in need will amount to break down of our own body, our spirit and our unity, just as our Nigerian leaders are neglecting the hardship and hunger in the land and are at the verge of breaking down the whole system. Igbos will say; “imi bewe, anya ebewe”. We cannot afford to let any part of our body or our system or our nation to continue to suffer.

 

THE GOSPEL READING (JN. 6: 1 – 15)

In the gospel reading, Jesus saw and felt the plight/hunger of the people, and decided that he must do something to help either temporarily or permanently. Jesus jettisoned any excuses of lack of enough food, lack of enough funds, or not my business syndrome seen in many of us today. We always claim that we do not have enough for us let alone sharing with other people. This was the mindset of Philip, Andrew and the other apostles and the mindset of many of us today; and this has made it impossible for us to share with others the little we have.

 

CONCLUSION:

In Nigeria today, there is great hunger and hardship in the land. Our Naira has no value and can barely buy enough food for a family. What then can we do to feed the nation and alleviate the hardship of the peoples? All hands must be on deck, both the leaders and the peoples must first remove every selfishness and greed that blinds us. We must remove every lack of sympathy and concern for others no matter their colour or region. To feed the nation and alleviate the hardships; we must stop the hoarding of palliatives, hoarding of bail-out funds, and the hoarding of peoples’ salaries, pensions and gratuities. We must stop misappropriation of NDDC funds, borrowed loans and state funds trying to accumulate wealth for our 20th generation. We must stop the Herdsmen rampage and vandalism of farm lands that produce food for the nation. We must go against every economic policy that hinders us from producing our own food, our own power/energy, and refining our own oil and mineral resources – Burkina Faso did. We must make policies that will bring down the price of rents, goods and services in the nation. If we are one nation (as St. Paul pointed out) and really want every region to thrive without any agitation or protest, then we must sheet the evil sword of tribalism and unequal/unjust distribution of national goods and opportunities.

 

Happy Sunday!

Fr. Justin

 17^TH SUNDAY, YEAR B: REFLECTION BY FR. JULIAN EKEH

THEME: DIVINE APPROACH TO HUMAN SPIRITUAL AND PHYSICAL 'HOW' QUESTIONS

(John 6:1-15)

"Ihe nile banyere anyi na emetu Chukwu n'obi..." (The Lord cares about everything concerning us).

In the Gospel of today, Jesus looked at those who had accompanied Him on the journey to the hills. This movement with Jesus can be seen from a spiritual perspective. It is a longing for the Lord. It is a spiritual hunger. It is a holy desire to bring in God to fill the vacuum no one else can fill in us. It is a seeking of God. It is a thirst for divine peace, manifestation, and intervention. It is a hunger in expectation of satisfaction, which only God can give.

On the other hand, God sees the human efforts, the human limitations, and then the helplessness of man without divine assistance. He comes towards the man who has made the effort to come to Him. He takes from the little he has and maximizes it. He multiplies and provides for his needs. He made them sit down (on green pastures as the psalmist would say). By so doing, God gives rest to the toiling man, He gives peace to the hopeless man. He became the last hope of these common men. He feeds them with dignity. He gave them food to eat. He did not throw the food for the people to struggle over it. He didn't make jest of their plight. He didn't humiliate them because He was feeding them. No. He fed them with love, care, respect, and honour. Indeed, they were satisfied.

 

TAKE HOME

CONCERN FOR THE SPIRITUAL NEEDS

Jesus invites each one of us to emulate Him in showing concern for our spiritual needs and those of the people around us. Do we really make it a point of duty to lift up our souls to God in prayers, in meditations, and in communion? By so doing, we shall be climbing the hills with the Lord. Do we care to go for confessions and remain in the state of grace always?  Are we devotees of Jesus and the saints or devotees of social stars and idols? Do we look up to Jesus for the great signs He has left us in the sacraments? Do we have strong faith in what God can do for us and therefore move away from whatever stops us from following Jesus and being where He is? 

As a husband, do you make out time to satisfy the spiritual longings of your soul? You should make out time for the word of God and your sacramental life. Do not stop at providing the physical and material needs of your family members. It is not just about paying their school fees and tuitions. It is not only about feeding them with these and that. The soul deserves to be fed with heavenly nourishment. They deserve moral nourishment, and they are entitled to disciplinary attention. They should be looked at with love. We should all make our world a better place by reducing or flushing out of it all those who reverence only the desires of the flesh and have no place for the spiritual.

 

CONCERN FOR TRUE MATERIAL NEEDS

Jesus took over the human limitations. Just as He took flesh to be like us, He takes the little we have to make out something from it. He collected the five loaves and two fish, gave thanks, and distributed it. We should make love go round. The little we have should be used to touch lives positively. It shouldn't be used to torment people. It shouldn't be used for intimidations and molestations. We can feed even one person. We can give pocket money if we can't pay the school fees, and we can share with people what God has blessed us with. 

We are encouraged not to be wasteful, not to be unnecessarily extravagant with resources; food, water, electricity, money, and all that God has blessed us with.

 

LET'S NOT BE WORRIED

The apostles questioned how they would be able to feed the people? Am I Father Christmas? This is a popular question we ask in this part of the world. Never regret acts of charity.

Let us entrust all things in God's hands when we have made our effort. Let's resign like Andrew to the Almighty, who will never fail to do great things in our lives for holy is His name. Let's invoke God to take over our concerns, bless them, and help us love one another. May God bless His word in our hearts.

 

LET US PRAY

O God, our heavenly Provider, thank You today for bringing us to the high mountain where we have gathered to be nourished from the table of your word, your body, and your blood. Bless us with Your Divine assistance, and may Your love be ever with us through Christ Our Lord. Amen

Happy Sunday (17th Sunday, Ordinary Time, Yr. B)

Rev Fr Julian O Ekeh