23^RD SUNDAY, YEAR B: HOMILY BY FR. JUSTIN ADIELE

THEME: “LOOK AROUND, DO SOMETHING WELL”

INTRODUCTION

Today, we see God as one who goes around, looks around, and graciously looks upon all his creation, seeking for where or whom to recreate; where or whom to heal/restore; seeking for whom to encourage and whom to save or redeem by his love and power. We are also called upon today to also look around us and locate the things, the people and the situations that are not going/doing well, and compassionately strive to make them well and better to the praise and glory of God. You can always do something well around you!

 

THE FIRST READING (IS. 35: 4 – 7)

In the first reading, the Lord told Isaiah to locate the fearful of heart, the blind, the deaf, the dumb, and the dry lands, and give them assurance that the Lord will remember them, heal them, and reverse their situation/condition for good. Interestingly, before the saving grace of God appears, someone has to stand in like Isaiah to bring the words of encouragement and hope to those who are not physically or spiritually well. Like Isaiah, you and I can somehow be a source of encouragement, hope or consolation to the blind, the deaf, the dumb, the sick and the oppressed!

 

THE SECOND READING (JAMES 2: 1 – 5)

In the second reading, St. James called us to look around our assembly, we shall see those dressed in gold, and we shall also see those wrapped in poverty. But we must pay attention more to the poor even though we are called to be impartial to both the rich and the poor. As we ordinarily choose to deal well and honorably to the rich, so also we should seek to treat the poor well and honorably. We can do something well around us by avoiding any partiality. Impartiality is key to getting some situations right in our country.

 

THE GOSPEL READING (MK. 7: 31 – 37)

In the gospel reading, Jesus moved round Tyre and Sidon and through the region of the Decapolis doing things well; healing the sick, the deaf and dumb and so on. He was touching and changing lives for better, striking joyful testimonies wherever he goes. Some of us on the contrary, strike terror, sickness, hardship, fear and bad wherever they go. Can’t we emulate Jesus today to do something good wherever we go; to change unjust/unhealthy situations for better, and be the cause for joy and wellness of a bad situation or someone in need!

 

CONCLUSION

If we look all around us, we shall always see the sick, the dying, the sorrowful, the hungry, the unwholesome and ugly situations that needed to be done well. Pick out one person in need or one ugly situation to be made well. We must rise above every spirit of selfishness, partiality, segregation and indifference that hinders us from helping to do things well around us. We must yield to the promptings of love and mercy which makes us to see the good we can do for our brothers and sisters and do them. God desires mercy/love and not sacrifice. Driven by love and mercy, we can all do something and all things well for our children, for our country, for our parents, and for our future.

Happy Sunday!

Fr. Justin

 23^rd Sunday, Year B: Homily by Fr Isaac Chima

Theme: God’s approach towards the poor vs ours

Reading: Is 35:4-7; Jam 2:1-5; Mk 7:31-37

Dear friends in Christ, on this twenty-third Sunday, the church invites us to evaluate or re-evaluate our attitudes towards the poor, the less privileged, the oppressed, the weak, the sick, and all those we consider inferior to us intellectually, economically, religiously, etc. The Church wants us to compare our attitudes towards them to God’s approach towards them, to know if we are treating them the way God wants them to be treated or not.

How does God want the poor, the less privileged, the weak and the sick among us to be treated? The first reading of today tells us God’s plan for the oppressed and all those facing challenges in their lives, as well as how we should treat them. God said to them: “Courage, do not be afraid, your God is coming; He will come and save you.” He said He will open the eyes of the blind among them, unblock the ears of the deaf, make the dumb speak, and make water available for those suffering the desert heat. It is a message of hope from a loving Father to His children who are suffering the harsh realities of the wicked world, as well as a message of restoration to those who need help. God’s plan for these people is to help them out of their ugly situations. We should also bring hope to those who are less privileged in the society.

To demonstrate that God’s plan for these our poor and sick brothers and sisters did not end at the level of prophecy but was made concrete, the gospel of today gives us one of the many accounts of what Jesus did for those who suffered the harsh realities of nature and this world. In this gospel, a man who was deaf and dumb was brought to Jesus to be healed. The man suffered from both cultural and physical issues.

His physical problems were that he was deaf and dumb, problems that often make it difficult for those who suffer from them to participate in the social life of the society. The deaf and dumb are often overlooked when people are making decisions in the society. The man was also from a gentile region. As a gentile, he was culturally and religiously prohibited from going close to Jesus, a Jew.

However, when the man was brought to Jesus, Jesus did not turn away; He did not consider the man’s ethnic or religious background. He only saw a child of God in need of God’s blessing; thus, he healed him. Jesus is also asking us to do same when we encounter the needy, the poor, the sick and the less privileged. We should not look at their cultural, religious, economic or family background. We should not look at their nationality, colour, or qualifications. Rather, we should look at them as God’s children in need of help.  

Let us look deeper into how Jesus healed the deaf and dumb man. Most times, Jesus performed miracles from a distance, by just telling the person in need that his faith has healed him. But in this healing, Jesus did something unique. He took the man aside and touched him. He even went further by touching the man’s tongue. Jesus established a contact with him. Hence, Jesus showed us what should be our proper attitude and action towards the needy. We should not only help them, we should also go closer to them, touch them, embrace them, feel their pains, and lift them from their misery. We should neither abandon nor discriminate against them.

However, our approach or attitude towards the poor and the needy has not always been consistent with God’s. In today’s second reading, St James described what we have often permitted to be our attitude towards those whom nature and society didn’t favour. St James said we often despise and discriminate against them in favour of the rich. He frowned at all forms of prejudices and discriminations in our families, churches, and society. Thus, to favour some people and disregard others based on race, economic, social, or religious background is a terrible sin against God and man.

Dear friends, the message of St James is still relevant to all of us today, because people still suffer terrible injustice in our families, workplaces, churches, communities, states and everywhere in the world because of who they are, where they come from and the colour of their skin. Many poor and good people are often not valued because of their economic, social, political, religious and cultural status. Indeed, it is sad that favouritism, discrimination, tribalism and racism still afflict our world. But this should not be the case with us as Christians. As Christians, we should shun these social ills as well as pride and selfishness which are their primary causes. This way, we will be able to imitate our God in His treatment of the poor, the needy and the sick.

Peace be with you.

Fr Isaac C. Chima

 23^RD SUNDAY, YEAR B: REFLECTION BY FR. JULIAN EKEH

THEME: WHY ARE YOU CLOSED UP?

(Mark 7:31-37)

The mission of Christ on earth has been to open. Right from the Old Testament, God started opening man to better life. At creation, God used the light to open a world closed by darkness and void. With the breath of life, He opened the nostrils of man closed by lifelessness. With His word, love, and instructions, He wished to open the eyes of Adam and Eve. The Serpent observed this project of opening and used it to approach Eve with the claims of opening of the eyes. Unfortunately, the devil closed their eyes and hearts, which made the gates of the Eden garden to be closed with Adam and Eve outside. The angel that was open to them, at their service, turned to guard the Eden gates from them.

At the appointed time, God opened the womb of the woman after the heart of Eve was closed by the evil one. God gave the Son of God to humanity and creation. Jesus started going about observing the disaster the enemy caused, especially on man and confronting them. Man presented to Him the extent of mess the human person has been put into.

 

THE MESS BEFORE THE MESSENGER

The man brought to Jesus, a representative of the situation of the generality of the human population, had an impediment. He can neither speak nor hear.

What a calamitous situation! This is a serious problem in the spiritual realm.

This is a hopeless situation the enemy wanted us to remain in. This is the state of the unbaptized helpless child that is brought forth to be given the mark of Christ. He can't help himself, yet Christ feels for him. The original and the actual sins keep him dumb. Guilt makes him not to speak up anymore. He doesn't feel free to call God his Abba Father. He feels there is no access to God anymore. He dies in silence. He hides like Adam. His ears are covered from hearing the word of God. He is made to believe that God can never speak love to Him again.

Jesus takes the man. He puts His fingers in his ears, He spat and touched his tongue; and looking up to heaven, He sighed, and declared: "Ephphatha". What a powerful word! Here is the word the world needed to hear. Here is the message of the great messenger from heaven, Jesus Christ. Looking up to heaven, He called down the mercy of God. He connected the heavens to behold what man, so adorned, had been turned into. How man has been rendered useless by wickedness, greed, avarice and all evils, how man has closed his ears to what God has to say and the place it has dumped him, how man has become speechless in the face of evil, how he has compromised the heavenly standards, how he has been silenced by the forbidden trees of this life. Jesus sighed. He was grieved. The pain was very deep.

 

At His command, therefore, the man's ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. Alleluia!

 

OPEN UP

The Lord's command today: Be opened! Is a state He wants us to remain in. It could mean- Be free, bloom, blossom, manifest, shine, showcase, stop hiding, receive, celebrate, etc.

Africa, be open to growth, development, and real civilization. Nigeria, be open to unity, peace, and progress. Be open to dialogue and have listening ears to the problems of the people. Presidents and governors are open and transparent. Stop deceiving the people. Stop paying deaf ears to their plights.

The Church, be open and tell the truth in season and out of season. Don't keep quiet while the world sinks into immorality, depravity, and corruption. Let in the fresh air of the Spirit of God. Let there be true Aggiornamento! Let us all stop suffocating holiness and righteousness. Let our moral ears and tongues not be closed by money, offers, and goodies.

Individuals at all levels should open up themselves to receive the touch of God, that touch that brings life and inspiration.  When we open up to God, the satanic powers will leave us alone. When we open our hearts for God, He will bring us happiness and joy. When we are open to His holy will, the miracles we expect will come to manifestation in our lives and in our families.

May God bless His word in our hearts.

 

LET US PRAY

Dear Lord, we thank You for Your word today calling us to open ourselves to You. Like the men who brought the deaf and dumb man to You today, we bring our sick world, our troubled families, and our individual problems to You. Take our worries, sighs, and sickness by Your holy hands. Give us reasons to thank You with the words of the astonished people who witnessed Your wonders: "He has done all things well." Do all things well in our lives. Do well all that the enemy has destroyed in us through Christ our Lord. Amen

Happy Sunday (23rd Sunday, Ordinary Time, Yr B)

Rev Fr Julian O Ekeh