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

Theme: Overcoming the challenges of our prophetic mission

Readings: Ez. 2:2-5; 2Cor 12:7-10; Mk 6: 1-6

Dear friends in Christ, on the day of our baptism, we were anointed with Chrism, made priests and prophets, and commissioned to preach the good news with words and actions, to bear witness to Christ, to correct errors in the world, admonish wrongdoers, fight evil in the world and contribute to the building of God’s kingdom on earth.

On this fourteenth Sunday, the Church reminds us that this mission that God has given us can bring us great discomfort arising from insults, resistance, and discouragement from the world; it is a mission full of challenges. Hence, she teaches us how overcome these challenges when they arise.

In the first reading, we saw prophet Ezekiel who was commissioned the same way we were. God was sending him to the Israelites to preach the good news to them and to correct them in their errors. But God warned him about the attitude of the people he was about to encounter. He told him that they were hardhearted, rebellious, imprudent and stubborn. However, God instructed him not to be discouraged by the negative reactions he will receive from the people who will hear his voice.

Dear friends in Christ, the people of our time have also become rebellious and stubborn to the good news of Christ. Many people no longer want to hear the name of God, they want to try the name of the devil instead. In today’s society, many people do not want to hear faith-based or religion-inspired corrections, moral lessons, teachings and admonitions again. Most times, when you tell some people that their ways of life and ideologies contradict the commandments of God and the teachings of Christ, they either laugh at you or warn you to keep your faith private. Many people in our world do not want to be corrected in their wrongs again, they see every correction as judgement and condemnation, and would rather prefer to be left alone to live their lives the way they like. These negative attitudes have caused many people to prefer to remain silent when things are going wrong around them; many people no longer care to correct others for fear of negative reactions.

But then, dear friends, the Church reminds us that God has sent us to our people, just as he sent Ezekiel to Israel, to be the voice that cries out against injustice, oppression, immorality, corruption, ungodliness and all manner of wrongdoings in our families, in the lives of our friends and children, in our communities, and places of work. Whether the people adhere to our message or not, one day, they will realize that someone spoke to them. Therefore, we should not be afraid or discouraged in our mission to correct wrongdoings.  

In today’s gospel reading, we witnessed another type of obstacle that messengers of the good news face. Instead of accepting the good news of Jesus, which was full of wisdom and truth, his countrymen chose to focus on his family background and the validity of his authority.

Dear friends, most times, some people do not listen to our admonitions because they feel they are richer than us, highly placed in the society than us, superior in academics than us, or more exposed in the world than us, even when they know that our admonitions are full of wisdom and truth. When Jesus was confronted by indifference and resistance from his people, he was not discouraged; instead, he continued to preach and heal the people. We should also to the same.

The second reading showed us that apart from external obstacles or challenges, all of us who preach the good news also face internal crisis or problems; we battle every day to overcome anything in us that goes against the good news we preach. We also battle against many natural, economic and health problems. St Paul said his own problem was like a torn in his flesh, which harassed him and kept him from boosting. So, it possible that our personal problems serve to checkmate us, to help us realize that the mission we carry is God’s, and not ours.

In the midst of Paul’s problems and challenges, God provided him with abundant grace and assured him that His grace is sufficient for him. So, St Paul is teaching us that the grace of God will always be sufficient for those who carry out the prophetic mission given to them. Hence, we should not be discouraged by weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions and calamities that come to us when we are proclaiming the good news and when we admonish others.

Peace be with you.

Fr Isaac Chima

  

 14^th SUNDAY, YEAR B: REFLECTION BY FR JULIAN EKEH

THEME: SURPRISE YOUR WORLD; OVERCOME THE 'SEE FINISH' SYNDROME

(Mark 6:1-6)

'See finish' trends as a slogan or slang that depicts a condition whereby everything about an individual is known. One who has been 'seen finish' has nothing to pride about. He's got nothing more to offer. He has given out all in him or her. He has so exposed himself that his respect has gone forever. He has been sized and kept aside. He is relegated to the background. His own is finished. He can't make it again. He has reached his zenith. He has reached his diminishing returns. The Igbo people say: "Añugbuo ngwo akpo ya okpokoro" (The tapped palm tree is nothing but an empty wood). The 'seen finish' has no sweetness again. Another Igbo proverb says: "Ahushie ọgọ ahụọrọ ya ji" (Familiarity breeds contempt). Onye iberibe amaghi na nwanne ya bu ọbia (You may take what you have for granted without knowing its worth), Onye na amaghi mmadu na akpo ya onye a (You may be with someone without really knowing what is in him).

 

JESUS: NEVER FINISHED TILL GOD SAID IT IS FINISHED

We saw the above illustrations manifest in the Gospel of today. Jesus was 'seen finish'. He was sized. No one believed he could have anything to offer. His society has looked down on Him because of His background. For that, they kept Him on the ground, never to rise again. He was thrown away. He was buried. But He converted this situation to their amazement. Jesus converted His buried state to a planted state. He was buried to decay, but He germinated without delay. He was thrown away to waste away, but He bloomed anyway.  What was His secret? He knew He was unstoppable.

He started his mission. He began to teach. He gathered a good number of followers who marvelled at His wisdom. Hence the question: Where did this man get all these? 

 

NEVER MIND WHAT THE PEOPLE SEE

The people, your environment, your world, your society, your community, and your family may have seen you as a failure. Surprise them, child of God. God sees you as a positive package.  Manifest in spite of them. They think they have seen it all. They have not seen anything. The beautiful you are yet to be born. You've got many beautiful things to do in the world. You should help midwife these potentials. You have a mission. Move with a sense of purpose and a visionary spirit. The better 'you' coming out will shock those who mock and inspire those who admire. Don't give up swimming against the discouraging currents. Don't give up because of the corrupt system of the country. Don't be weighed down by bad government.

Don't be lazy. Don't wallow in self-pity. Don't cry, but try harder.

 

DO YOUR HOME WORK WELL

Jesus allowed the lookers to look on. The more they looked, the less they saw. He took His time working on Himself. That was why His coming out became a shock to the crowd. Entertaining and listening to the crowd distracts and weakens you. It psychologically makes you believe the wrong painting they give you. Shape yourself by the word of God. Allow God to paint you according to His will. 

Work on your studies, work on your project, work on your apprenticeship, work on your family, work on your marriage, and work on your vocation. You can indeed surprise those who think you are a never-do-well.

Has your boss 'seen you finish'? Surprise him with the new you. Has your wife/husband seen you finish?' Let him/her see the new you that is better than the seen. Have you been called the son of a carpenter? Produce furniture materials that will surprise the world.  Is your family name known for evil? Change the narrative.

You're a narrative changer. You're created by a God who changed narratives. He turned darkness into light. He made a day out from night. He made something from nothing. He made wine from water. He made life from death.

He makes you from what the world sees to be useless. God will surprise those who try to suppress you. You're not a finished product. Even if you have made mistakes in the past, take the right step. Even if your ancestors have failed in the past, change that story for good. You are the only one who can finish yourself. You cannot be finished when God has not said so. Whatever your enemies have seen is just a track, cooperate with God so that the best version of you will manifest to their amazement.

Beloved in Christ, take these wise words home today: 'E lelia nwa Ite, O gbonyuo oku.' (The stone which the builders rejected will surely become the cornerstone)

God may have allowed people to look down on you for long. It is for a reason; they will look up to you. Be the shining star in wisdom, in holiness, in truth, in homemaking, in all good deeds. May no condition make you feel finished when the Lord is actively working in and for you.

May God bless His word in our hearts.

 

LET US PRAY

Lord Jesus, we thank You for Your word today. Many of your children are facing societal and family letdown. Let them not be discouraged. Teach us all to learn from You to live above the world's definition about us by holding strong on what you have destined for us. Bless Your word in our hearts now and forever. Amen

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

Rev Fr Julian O Ekeh

 Friday of 13^th Week in Ordinary Time, Year II: reflection

Theme: "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners" (Mt 9:13)

Reading Mt 9:9-13

Dear friends in Christ, seeing us live in sin is a thing that pleases the devil our enemy. He often employs a variety of tactics to accomplish this. One of them is to always present us with the hardliner’s perception regarding the sin we committed, a situation that often makes us become defensive or despondent in our wrongdoings. Another one is manipulating us against ourselves by making us to believe that we are too dirty to be admitted in God’s presence again, or making us to feel that we do not need to go to confession since we will still fall into the same sin again and again after confession, or by convincing us to withdraw from the Church and her activities so that we will not hear God's word that will remind us of the grave consequences of the life we have chosen to live.

But then, it is not the will of our God that we should live in sin. Therefore, He searches for us any moment we stray away from the sheepfold to bring us back. In today’s gospel, Jesus went to the tax collectors’ office – the very office that turned Matthew into a sinner - to bring him back to God’s sheepfold. When Matthew heard Christ’s call, he responded with an immediate ‘yes’ and followed Him.

What Jesus said to the Pharisees, whose stance often made those in Matthew’s position defensive or despondent in their wrongdoings, should be helpful to us who suffer from the consequences of a wounded nature. He told them and us that He did not come for the righteous, but for us sinners, because the righteous are already in their destined place, whereas we are not. This is a message of hope for us; Jesus came into the world for you and me, not to condemn us but to pull us out of that place or that life that reinforces our wounded nature. What should we do?

The call of Matthew teaches us that all we need to do is to answer ‘yes’ to Jesus’ calls that come to us every minute, make ourselves available to Him, and His healing touch will change whatever ugly story we have.

May the grace of God fill your life as you embark on the activities of this Friday. Amen

Fr Isaac Chima

 Thursday of 13^th Week in Ordinary Time, Yr. II: reflection

THEME: YOU TOO CAN STAND UP AGAIN AND WALK

Reading: Mt 9:1-8

Dear friends in Christ, in today’s gospel reading, a paralyzed man was brought to Jesus for healing, and He healed him. When one is paralyzed, he will suffer the loss of movement or sensation in a part or all parts of the body; the members of his body cease to function properly. For example, his hands and legs can no longer move properly or may not move at all. Such was the case with the man Jesus healed. That was why the man couldn’t come to Jesus on his own, but had to be brought by others.

Did you observe that instead of going straight to heal his physical paralysis for which he was brought, Jesus decided to first address an aspect of his life that was hidden from the eyes of other people, his spiritual life? He first said to him, “your sins are forgiven,” then, He added later, “rise, take your bed and go home.”

The action of Jesus suggested that the man was not only physically paralyzed, he was also spiritual paralyzed by sin. Perhaps, it was his spiritual paralysis that kept him in that condition of physical paralysis. Thus, to give him total freedom from physical paralysis, his spiritual paralysis needed to be dealt with, and that was what Jesus did first.   

Dear friends, sin paralyzes us spiritually, making the spiritual part of our lives to malfunction. When our spiritual nature malfunctions, our physical nature struggles to deal with problems of nature; it is overwhelmed by natural exigencies and cannot rise and fight back. To win the battle of the physical nature, we must heal our spiritual nature, liberating it from whatever paralysis (sin) that has disrupted its normal function. If we do this, we too can stand up again and walk away from our numerous physical paralyses.

May the healing hands of Jesus free you from whatever is holding you down. Amen.

Fr Isaac Chima.

July 3: Feast of St Thomas, Apostle

Theme: Faith culminating in self-surrender and service

Readings: Eph 2:19-22; Jn 20:24-29

Dear friends in Christ, today, the Church celebrates the feast of St Thomas, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus. When the disciples of Jesus dispersed on account of persecution in Jerusalem, Thomas travelled to India and preached the gospel of Jesus fearlessly among the Hindus beginning from 52 A.D., establishing seven Christian communities (known later as “St. Thomas Christians”). In A.D 72, he suffered martyrdom, using his blood to bear witness to the faith he proclaimed by words of his mouth.

Whenever the name of Thomas the apostle is mentioned, the first thing that comes to the mind is his doubt when he heard that Jesus visited the other disciples at the upper room after His resurrection. However, looking beyond Thomas' doubt, we will see someone who never wanted to base his knowledge of the risen Lord solely on the testimony of others, but rather wanted to enrich his faith through a personal encounter with Him, as well as a man whose faith culminated in his self-surrender to Jesus and heroic service to the Gospel.

When Thomas finally encountered the risen Jesus personally, he exclaimed, “My Lord and my God,” thereby enlightening the other disciples about the divinity of Jesus: He is not only Master/Lord or Son of the living God, but God Himself. Hence, Thomas gifted the early Church with what would become the true identity of Jesus.

Dear friends, St Thomas challenges us to desire to know and encounter Jesus personally, to allow such encounter with Him to transform our beliefs and our lives, and to use such encounters to transform the lives of the people around us, bearing witness to Jesus with everything we have.

St Thomas, pray for us

Fr Isaac Chima

 Tuesday of 13^th Week in Ordinary Time, Yr. II: reflection

Theme: Ingratitude towards God exposes us to terrible loss.

Reading: Amos 3:1-8; 4:11-12

In today's first reading, the prophet Amos called out the people of Israel for failing to recognize and appreciate God for everything He has given them. Among the Israelites of Amos' time, there was a growing tendency to regard the visible signs of God's blessings (which included the gift of life, good health, a bountiful harvest of the fruits of the earth, relative peace in the city, protection from attacks, and many more) as ordinary natural givens that had nothing to do with divine providence.

In today's reading, Amos corrected his people by asking a series of questions that all imply a negative answer, reminding them that there is a cause for every effect on earth, that God is the true and original cause of the blessings that had become ordinary in their eyes, and that even nature serves God's purpose.

When we get used to good things, we tend to take them for granted. This also applies to God's blessings in our life. One of the consequences of taking God's blessings for granted is failure to express gratitude to Him for them. Amos reminds us that God is the ultimate cause of all our blessings, that He is the reason for our smiles, and that ungratefulness to Him exposes us to grave loss.

Dear friends, some people say that ingratitude is more grievous than the sin of revenge, because revenge returns evil for evil, while ingratitude returns evil for good. However, gratitude draws the mind closer to the source from which the blessings come and opens the way for more. Let us, therefore, recognize that behind the good things we consider as the common things of the day and blessings of nature, there is a cause that makes them possible, and that the cause is God, our provider. Let us be grateful to Him and to those He uses as channels to bring his blessings to us.

May your heart be grateful to God always.

Fr Isaac Chima.  

 

 Monday of 13^th Week in Ordinary Time, Year B: reflection

Theme: God will not spare those who oppress the poor and the needy

Reading: Amos 2:6-10,13-16

In today's reading, it appears that the prophet of social justice, Amos, is directly addressing the people of our time, confronting some of the social evils plaguing our dear nation, Nigeria. In this reading, Amos lashed out at the rich people of his time who got richer at the expense of the poor people of their society, who stole from the poor and even sold the poor to remain rich.

What the wicked rich people of the time of Amos did could be said to be a child’s play when compared to what has, unfortunately, become the hobby of our politicians. It has become the hobby of the leaders of our nation to approve projects that only benefit themselves and their colleagues, to deprive workers of their just wages, and to inflict untold hardship on the people.

We live in a country where a president, who is quickly removing subsidies, thereby causing unimaginable inflation in the price of goods and services, and subjecting people to untold hardship and hunger, is unwilling to adjust the minimum wage of workers to reflect the economic reality he created. A country whose leaders, who want workers to believe there is no money to pay them just wages, are on daily basis embarking on millions of dollar projects that have nothing to add to the welfare of the people. Projects like the renovation of the vice president’s office with billions of Naira, purchasing of new and expensive SUVs for all the members of the National Assembly and for the office of the first lady, new jets for the President and his vice, billion-dollar coastal highway, and many more.

Amos warned that those who oppress the poor will face the retributive justice of God. That time, their strength will fail them, and their riches will save them no more.

Happy New Month, dear friends.

May God direct and lead you this new month, and my His blessings be abundant in your life this month.  Amen

Fr Isaac Chima