18^th Sunday, Year A: homily by Fr Isaac Chima

Theme: Trusting God’s Providence in Times of Scarcity and Sorrow.

Readings: Is 55:1-3; Rom 8:35,37-39; Mt 14:13-21

Dearest brothers and sisters, we have a God who never abandons us to the forces that seek to destroy us—forces that threaten our spiritual and physical well‑being. The readings of this Sunday are a powerful testimony to God’s benevolence. They remind us that, despite the sorrows and uncertainties around us, we still have a God who cares, who loves, and who continues to provide for His people.

In the second reading, Saint Paul speaks to Christians who were suffering persecution, hardship, and discouragement. Many were already losing hope because of the trials they faced. Paul reminds them—and us—that no situation, no matter how painful, can separate us from the love of God. He asks, “What will separate us from the love of Christ? Anguish, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, or the sword?” And then he declares with conviction that nothing—neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor present nor future things—can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.

Dear friends, I may not know the details of your personal struggles. But I know that many people among us carry heavy burdens: family conflicts, loss of loved ones, hostility in workplaces, abuses, illness, economic hardship, or injustice. Whatever your situation may be, dear friends, Saint Paul assures you today: your suffering cannot separate you from God’s love. God still sees you, still loves you, still cares for you.

The Gospel gives us a vivid demonstration of this loving care. Jesus performed a miracle in the desert—a place without life, without resources, and without ‘hope’. There were only five loaves and two fish, yet this scarcity did not prevent Jesus from feeding the multitude. This miracle simply demonstrates that neither the lack of resources nor the remoteness of the place could stop God’s providence from reaching us. In the same way, dear friends, our difficult circumstances cannot stop God from acting in our life, from reaching us, and from saving us.

The Gospel begins by telling us that Jesus had just heard of the death of His cousin, John the Baptist. He withdrew to a lonely place in sorrow. Yet His grief did not prevent Him from caring for the spiritual and physical needs of others. This is the love Saint Paul spoke about in the second reading—a love stronger than sorrow, stronger than death. Such is the nature of God’s love for us. What then must we do?

The prophet Isaiah tells us how to respond to this love. He invites us to come to God, to listen to Him, and to find life. He says, “Why spend your money for what is not bread, your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and you shall eat well… Pay attention and come to me; listen so that you may have life.” Many of us are so distracted that we no longer listen to God. God speaks to humanity from His words in the Bible. If we truly desire to hear God’s word in the situations we face, we must open the Bible and read it. Every passage of Scripture contains something God has spoken about our lives and our circumstances. Many people are also so busy that they no longer find time for prayer, not even in moments of crisis. Yet prayer is what allows us to enter into communion with God, to open our hearts to Him, and to follow His guidance in every moment of life. Dear friends, Isaiah calls us back, saying, “Why waste your strength elsewhere? Come to God.”

Today the Church invites us to open our hearts and listen attentively to God’s direction. We must be attentive and obedient, just as the disciples were in the Gospel. Human logic says that five loaves and two fish cannot feed five thousand people. But the disciples did not doubt Jesus; they listened and obeyed, and a miracle happened. The lesson is this: nothing is impossible for God, even in your situation. Only listen and obey his voice.

Another important lesson is from Jesus’ prayer over the loaves and fish. Faced with insufficient resources, the typical reaction would be to complain or pray for multiplication. But Jesus did something different: He lifted His eyes to heaven and gives thanks for the little that was available. He did not complain; rather, He trusted, and God worked wonders. We must learn from this. Our prayer should not be limited to complaints. Let us make time to thank God for what we have, even when it seems small and insufficient. Gratitude opens the door to miracles.

May you have a blessed Sunday

Rev. Fr. Isaac Chinemerem Chima

 Ascension of the Lord, Year A: Homily by Fr Isaac Chima

Theme: Ascension of Christ: Our Hope and Our Mission

Readings: Acts 1:1–11; Eph 1:17–23; Mt 28:16–20

Whenever we recite the Creed, we proclaim that Jesus “ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.” This is an article of our faith. But how and when did Christ ascend into heaven? Today’s feast gives us the answer. As the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord, she recounts how and where it happened and offers us profound lessons from this mystery.

Today’s first reading and Gospel present the event of the Ascension. It took place forty days after the Resurrection, which is why this solemnity marks the fortieth day after Easter. According to the Gospel, on the day of the Ascension the disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain Jesus had indicated. There they saw Him; He gave them His final mandate to make disciples of all nations and to baptize them in the name of the Trinity. He promised His abiding presence and assistance, and then ascended into heaven before their eyes. Immediately afterward, two heavenly messengers in white garments appeared and assured the disciples of Jesus’ return in glory.

Christ’s Ascension was the culmination of God’s divine plan for the earthly ministry of Jesus. It shows that, having accomplished His mission, Jesus returned to the Father. The Ascension was the grand finale of all His words and works for our salvation.  It was a culmination, not a conclusion, because although Jesus is now in glory, He continues to remain with us, dwelling within us together with the Father and the Holy Spirit. He Himself assured us: “I am with you always, until the end of time.”

Today’s feast is also a celebration of Christian hope—our hope of entering into glory after our earthly journey. Faith in the Ascension assures us that after our spiritual striving here on earth, we too will behold the glory of God in heaven. This is why St Paul, explaining the meaning of Christ’s exaltation in Ephesians 1:18, prayed: “May God enlighten the eyes of your hearts so that you may know the great hope to which you have been called.”

In the second reading, Paul deepens this message, saying, “May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation… that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance among the saints, and the immeasurable greatness of His power in us who believe.” Our great hope is that one day we too will ascend to heavenly glory. Our task, therefore, is to accomplish our mission just as Jesus accomplished His.

What, then, is our mission? Today’s Gospel makes it clear. Before ascending into heaven, Jesus commanded His disciples—and all of us—to proclaim the Good News of salvation to the whole world by word and deed, and to make disciples of all nations. Dear friends, we are called to evangelize not only by preaching but by witnessing with our lives: through our good actions, through the way we love one another, forgive one another, help one another, speak to one another, and treat one another. By living in peace and harmony in our families and Christian communities, we become authentic witnesses to Christ. These are powerful ways to share in His mission and in the glory that follows.

Today also marks the beginning of the novena to the Holy Spirit. After receiving their final mission from Christ, the disciples returned to the upper room and waited for the Spirit who would strengthen them to fulfill it. As we draw near to Pentecost, let us make time to pray for the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives and in the Church, so that we may be empowered to carry out our mission in the world.

Happy Feast Day

Rev. Fr. Isaac Chinemerem Chima