Behold The Shepherd-King!

 (Homily for the Solemnity of Christ the King, Year A)

          Existentially speaking, today we live in hard and distressing times. We are confronted everyday with the discomforting news of terror, power tussle, political protests, kid-napping, injustice and the global nascent plight of migrants etc. Be that as it may, these experiences create fear and distrust in us. As such, every reasonable and God fearing individual is in search of and praying for a world where peace and justice reign. And we can only find that world in our Lord Jesus Christ, the King of the universe. Today we celebrate a King whose standard is love. The feast of Christ the King was introduced by Pope Pius XI in 1925, in order to confront the abuse of power by the nations and the surge of secularism among the nations and most importantly, to proclaim the primacy and supremacy of Christ over the kingdoms of the world. For as St. Paul would have it, “for in him were created all things in heaven and on earth; everything visible and everything invisible, thrones, ruling forces, sovereignties, powers -- all things were created through him and for him” (Col. 1:16).

          The Solemnity of Christ the King concludes the liturgical year and paves way for the Advent Season, which marks the beginning of another liturgical year of the Church. In every liturgical year, the mystery of Christ is always at the centre of our contemplation and reflection. In the course of the liturgical year, the Church, with the Sunday liturgical celebrations, celebrate and relive the history of our salvation, which has as its centre and culminating point the mystery of Christ. Most importantly, today the church presents the figure of Christ in his kingly dignity. Christ is the King of the universe, and the readings went a long way in helping us grasp the true meaning of his Kingship. Christ is a “Shepherd-King”, prophetically announced by prophet Ezekiel in the first reading. The Gospel presents him as the King and Judge of all nations and of each and every one of us. In the second reading instead, Christ’s reign seems to be of limited duration, for he reigns “until he has put all his enemies under hid feet”. The King, whose victory over death (the last enemy to be destroyed) manifests that he reigns. Today therefore, we celebrate a King whose kingdom is totally different from the kingdoms of the world. The Preface of the Mass puts it thus: “a Kingdom of truth and life, kingdom of holiness and grace, a Kingdom of justice, love and peace”. Kings come and go, likewise their kingdoms, but the kingship and the kingdom of Christ is eternal. The only Being who died more than 2000 years ago without RIP attached to his name, for he reigns for ever (cf. Ap. 1:17b-18a). St. Luke says: “his kingdom will have no end” (Lk. 1:33). Thus, the three readings of today delineated properly and in concrete terms too, the three aspects of Christ’s regality:

          The first reading (Ez. 14:11-12.15-17) provides an image of God leading His people with the care of a shepherd. The context is that of the Babylonian exile, when the earthly kings failed in their responsibilities. As such, the King-shepherd foretold by prophet Ezekiel is to replace the evil kings, who abusively exploited the flock. As a result, God henceforth takes over the task of shepherding his people (v.15). In the context of the passage, it is God Himself who vows to take personal responsibility for tending His sheep. The Lord himself goes to search for the lost sheep. St. John takes up this imagery in his Gospel, where he presents Christ as the Good Shepherd (Jn. 10:11.14). Thus, the kingship of Christ is to be understood in terms of a disinterested service, attention and care to the flock and total self-giving even to the extreme of his self-emptying that culminated on the cross. In verse 17 of the fourteenth chapter of the prophecy of Ezekiel, we see a remark denoting judgment, for the Shepherd will distinguish between sheep and goats, thus serving as a bridge between the first reading and the Gospel.

           The passage of today’s Gospel (Mt. 25: 31-46) is often identified as the parable of the sheep and the goat or of the final universal Judgment. The passage presents Christ’s kingship as an act of judgment. Therein, Jesus appears as a supreme Judge of the universe, because the Father has given every power to Him. Frankly speaking, the scene of today’s Gospel can easily instil fear in us, because of Christ’s severity at Judgment. In this stupendous page on the final judgment, St. Mathew presents Jesus as King of the universe, and he was constituted as the supreme judge by God. In that final judgment, the yardstick for measuring our actions will be basically love, love of neighbour, exemplified in the exercise of corporal works of mercy: feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, welcoming strangers, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and visiting the imprisoned. Jesus will judge us based on our treatment of him in our fellow human beings. For the standard of judgement on the last day is hidden in the following words: “Truly I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me” (Mt 25:40). At this point Jesus presents a sublime Christology in anthropological terms, for whatever is done to the least of the brothers is done to Christ. Jesus established a strong affiliation with the least in our midst, to the point of identifying himself with them.

          In identifying himself with the least of his brothers, to reward those that recognized him in the poor, Jesus said “Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry…, I was thirsty…, I was naked…” (Mt. 25:35-36). The list could still continue on and on: I was an unborn baby, and you welcomed me by allowing me to be born. I was an abandoned child, and you made me part of your family. I was an orphan, and you adopted me and raised me as one of your own children. As a matter of fact, this emblematic passage shows us not what will happen on the last day, but it reminds us of what we ought to do as we live. We will be judged on the basis of our love of neighbour, motivated by our love for God. In the words of St. John of the Cross, “In the evening of life, we will be judged on love alone”, not on devotion and religious attendance.

          Thus, the Gospel tells us what we need to do to be part of this Kingdom: feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, care for the sick and visit those in prison. Those who are practicing these things are part of a kingdom that God himself has prepared “from the foundation of the world” (Mt 25:34). Drawing the point further, celebrating the Solemnity of Christ the King implies that we have accepted Christ as the King of our life, and that we are ready to let him reign in our hearts, that we are ready to follow him in the humble service of our brothers, “the little ones”, that we are ready through our actions to expand the kingdom of Christ to all the corners of the earth. The parable teaches us that sin does not only consist in the bad things we do, but also in the good things we should have done, but we did not do, that is the sin of omission.

          In the second reading (1Cor.15:20-26.28) St. Paul reminded the Christians of Corinth of the fact of the resurrection from the dead, pointing succinctly to the death and resurrection of Christ. Through his resurrection Christ destroyed death and restored life. St. Paul affirms Christ’s regality and opines that Jesus Christ is our King, the King of the Universe, because he won victory over death and He is the Lord of life. In his words: “Christ has been raised from the dead as the first fruit of all who have fallen asleep” (v.20). His victory over death has made us participants to his kingly dignity and liberty. Be that as it may, those who belong to Christ will form part of his Kingdom. In this Kingdom all will be subject to Christ the King. St. Paul presents the reign of Christ as the absolute reign, to which every other must give way, “For he is to be king until he has made his enemies his footstool, and the last of the enemies to be destroyed is death” (vv.25-26). However, He has overcome death because he has deprived it of its meaning as the total destruction of man, he transformed it into a new birth leading to eternal life. Above all, as we have earlier opined, Christ’s reign seems to be of limited duration. How? For he reigns “until…” (1Cor. 15:25). But that is not all, the fascinating thing is that it is to be replaced by the Kingdom of God (Father) himself when Christ delivers the kingdom to the Father (cf. 1Cor.15: 24). Jesus says: “The Father and I are one” (Jn. 10:30), so there is going to be the continuation of the same Kingdom. Though, it has to be clarified that the word “until” does not signify termination in toto, but that of his mediatory kingdom on earth (cf. Ps.110:1), for according to O. Cullmann “the kingly rule of Christ and the church completely coincide”.

          The kingship of Christ is completely different from that of the world. He responds categorically to Pilate, “Yes, I am a King” (Jn.18:37), but he already affirmed: “my kingdom is not of this world” (Jn.18:36), that is why his Kingdom is universal, inclusive and eternal. Therefore, his kingdom does not consist in the dominion of peoples, nor in the possession of territories etc. Instead, the kingdom of Christ, as we proclaimed in the preface of the Mass: “is a kingdom of truth, and life, kingdom of holiness and grace, of justice, of love and of peace”, these are the characteristics of God’s kingdom.

           Beloved in Christ, this kingdom comports an existential implication for us, because we do not only celebrate the King of the Universe, but also our membership in this kingdom. For this St. Peter called us “kingly people” (1Pt. 2:9). In the words of St. Paul “It is he who has rescued us from the ruling force of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of the Son that he loves” (Col. 1:13), ours is a gratuitous transfer to this Kingdom, but do we really belong to this Kingdom? Today, the hot button questions we have to ask ourselves are: Is Christ really our or my King?  What or who is ruling in my life? Christ is our King when his words and examples have become norms for our actions (cf. Ps. 128:1; Jn.4:34). Today’s feast should not only end with mere and empty proclamations and gyrations, we have to allow the Truth to lead us. We belong to his kingdom when we live according to his words (cf. Jm. 1:21-23). His is a kingdom of truth and love. Do we bear witness to his truth and to his love? We belong to his kingdom when we live in truth, grace, holiness, Justice, love and peace. Which kingdom do you belong?

          Let us march out to tell the whole world that we have a King, who is also our shepherd. Let us proclaim and acclaim him King, let us confess and profess that He ALONE is our King. We are therefore challenged to allow Him to be the Ultimate King in our lives. It is not untrue that most of us have various kings and kingdoms that are ruling and occupying our lives. We need to stop a while and ask ourselves who is actually ruling in my life? Child of God allow Jesus to reign in your life.  Let us in one chorus put our voices together to that of the Psalmist in declaring the smooth entrance of this King: “Lift high your heads, o ye gates! Lift up, you everlasting doors! Let him enter the King of glory”. Who is the king of glory? The Lord of Host, He is the King of glory” (Ps. 24: 9-10). Lift those things in your life that may block His entrance, lift those things that may obstacle his entrance into your family, lift those ancient ways of living, those ancient gods. Let us open up for him too. Let us open our lives, our families, our societies, our educational system, our political system, our work place, our dreams and aspirations, so that He can enter and take control. For wherever he enters, witnesses a change. Welcome Him today, so that he may recognize you as sheep and not as goat on the day of reckoning. Let Him enter the King of Glory (cf. Ps. 24:10), Our Peculiar King, for no one is like you (cf. Ex. 15:11), God made King, for royal dignity has been yours from birth (cf. Ps. 110:3; Jn. 18:37), King with divine mandate (cf. Dn. 7:14a), King of Kings (cf. Rev. 17:14; 19:16), King of the whole world (cf. Zech. 14:9), King of peace (cf. Is. 9:6), The highest King (cf. Rev. 1:5), Everlasting King (cf. Jer. 10:10; Lk. 1:33). Have a wonderful celebration of Christ the King, not just today but every moment of your life. May Jesus come to reign in our hearts and turn our hearts to His Throne! Amen!!!

(Fr. Vitus M.C. Unegbu, SC)

Blossoming Your Gifts of Grace and of Nature!

 (Homily for the 33^rd Sunday of Ordinary Time, Yr. A)

          Once again we are presented with a parable on time, which revolves around the past, of when we have received God’s gifts; the present, in which one has to utilize the gifts, and the future, in which one will be called to give account of all. And the present time is decisive for our eternal existence. And these themes of time and reckoning connect the three readings, for the first reading alludes to a time when a laborer (the industrious woman) will be given a share of her handiwork (v.31). The second reading dwells on the question of the time of the Parousia, and lastly, the Gospel dwells extensively on time and reckoning, and overlaps into the agenda of God who wants to make us partakers of His joy. The story of our salvation is a story of love, a story of a God that wants our welfare, a story of a God that wants humanity to share in His joy. Though, we have to merit it through his love and mercy. Indeed, beyond the themes of time and reckoning, in the Gospel passage we discover an eternal agenda of God for each and everyone us, and that is the Master’s desire for us to us share in his joy. We may therefore, say that the life of each of us is lived out in the shadow of eternity, in the consciousness  that day by day through our behaviour we are drawing closer to the hereafter, to the enjoyment or loss of God's presence.

          The first reading (Pro. 31:10-13.19-20.30-31) presents a charming picture of a virtuous and gracious woman, who practices love for God and man. This passage presents a particular talent that is both natural and spiritual: the talent of femininity, the talent of being a woman. It contains the well-known eulogy of woman that begins with the words: “Who can find a perfect woman?”. But upon a critical perusal we discover that this eulogy that appears so beautiful has some dints of defection, which certainly does not depend on the Scriptures, rather on the time and culture when it was written. It does appear the whole beautiful attributes of a “perfect woman” are in function to man, for the conclusion is: “Blessed is the man who possesses such a woman”. Leaving that limit aside, I would like to resonate the relevance of this praise of a woman, that went beyond physical beauty but which orchestrated the dexterity and dutifulness of the virtuous woman: “let her works tell her praises at the city gates” (v. 31).

          Drawing the issue further, upon proper reflection, one discovers that it is quite hard to see the connection of this reading with the other readings. Perhaps, the words of verse 31 will be of a great help: “give her a share in what her hands have worked for, and let her works tell her praises at the city gates”, and a similar sentence recurs in the parable of the talents, for as we are told the enterprising servants were given a share in their earnings. However, if we concentrate on this singular point, we risk losing the main thrust of the readings

          In today’s Gospel (Mt. 25:14-30) like that of the previous Sunday, Jesus narrates from life experience. The parable of the talents is one of the parables of the 25^th chapter of the Gospel of Mathew located in the context of the last five great discourses that make up the Gospel. It is the so-called eschatological discourse on the ultimate realities of the coming of the Lord Jesus at the end of time as bridegroom in the parable of the ten virgins (Mt 25: 1-13) and the judgment on history - the picture of the Son of man / king who separates, as the shepherd does, the sheep from the goats (Mt 25: 31-46). The central message of this part of the Gospel is the invitation to be vigilant: history is oriented towards an encounter; the Lord comes as the Spouse and will be the judge of all. It is urgent to respond to the invitation to welcome his kingdom. Already in the present he is welcomed in the choices of life we make and in the relationship we establish with others: “In truth I tell you, in so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me” (Mt 25:40). To prepare for the coming of the Lord, it is necessary to 'keep watch': "Watch therefore, because you know neither the day nor the hour" (Mt 25:12). The parable of the talents is placed in this context. It could be referred to as the parable of the three servants: the story sees three moments. A master entrusts his goods to three of his servants before leaving on a journey. The three behave differently during the master's absence, finally - and it is the largest part - the three realize what they have done when the master returns.

          What are these talents? From the human or anthropological dimension, talent is a personal gift, quality and capacity each one of us has received from God, while from the spiritual dimension, it is the Word of God received and welcomed according to one’s capacity; it is the gift of faith and those of the Holy Spirit. In this sense, the parable of the talents joins that of the Sower. To the different fate of the seed he throws - in some it produces sixty per cent, in others it remains buried under thorns, or eaten by the birds of the sky, corresponds here with the different gain made with the talents. Importantly, we need to take to heart, that the different quality of the talents is not to be understood in terms of mere quality, rather in the sense of diversity. The story evolves, that the owner of an estate went on a long journey and entrusted his talents to three of his servants. On their master’s departure, two of them made good use of the talents, and made some capital gains. Then, on their master’s return they were commended and rewarded. Contrarily, the third servant simply buried the master’s talent and returned it back to him, exactly as it was given to him, but the master rebuked him and handed over the money given prior to him, to the most enterprising servant.

          The Parable of the talents proposed today, underlines the necessity of fructifying the gifts God has given to us, both gifts of nature and those of grace. It is fascinating the similitude of the gift of God to a capital, and as such, the receiver has to give good interest. And at the end, we shall be called to give good account of both the capital (gift) and the interests (the good works and fruits). Thus, conscious of the need for a reckoning, we are invited not to waste the gifts God has lavished upon us; we are also called to guard against the danger of “conserving” our gifts, thereby not making use of them at all, that is the tendency of one who is afraid of trying, who dares not to dare. The Gospel thus, reminds us that if we close ourselves in an egoistic possession of the gifts received, we stand the risk of losing them. The word of God therein, condemns the presumption of auto-sufficiency, of he who thinks that he merited all and the passivity of he who buries the talents he has received. For remember: “what have you got that was not given to you?” (1Cor. 4:7).

          The temptation or the act of hiding our gifts exposes us to everlasting danger, because our Master is exigent. The scripture also reminds us of this (cf. Ex. 20:5; Deut. 4:24). The jealous and just God of the Old Testament presents himself in the New Testament, in the person of Jesus Christ, with the name and the face of a Father, but not as a permissive Father, or as a Father Christmas that is always distributing gifts. Though He is generous and magnanimous, he requires our correspondence to his will. The message of this Sunday no doubt, revolves invariably not on mercy, but on the other parallel attribute of God, on justice. In that bid, today’s message reminds us that there is a day of reckoning, and no person is exempted. St. Paul captured it vividly well when he says: “For at the judgment seat of Christ we are all to be seen for what we are, so that each of us may receive what he has deserved in the body, matched to whatever he has done, good or bad” (2Cor. 5:10). And the judgment will be on how we have used the gift of God? How we lived our life in accordance with God’s word?

          Existentially, in the Gospel we are presented with three servants, let us try to evaluate ourselves, and make some interrogations deep within us, on which servant we resemble, the first two servants who fructified their gifts or the third one that buried his gift? The third servant is a representative of every Christian that does not recognize and fructify the gift of God. The experience of the third servant is the experience of a Christian that abandons the God of the gifts in the quest of “conserving” the gifts. In that bid, the word of God today, invites us to do a thorough examination of conscience, we should individually ask ourselves: if the Lord calls me today to give account of my life, will I be ready and prepared? Am I not like the servant that wasted the gift given to him?

          The summit of this parable must be understood in the dialogue between the master and the third servant: in fact the first two are praised but the third is rejected not because he has done something wrong but precisely because he did nothing and was not creative in ensuring that the gift received could multiply in some way. Above all, he remained closed in a condition of fear and suspicion towards his master. The other servants are told to 'enter into joy'. The master addresses them with the expression: 'good and faithful servant'. Jesus helps us to see that here he is speaking of the relationship not with a human master but with God. It is a truth worthy of note that accepting the entrustment of a gift calls for responsibility. What the third servant did not understand is that authentic wealth is constituted by the relationship with the master (with God). He is blocked by fear, locked up in a preconceived idea that makes him unable to act. He considered the talent not as a gift but feels under the control of a bad master. He does not understand that the talent entrusted to him is a sign of a relationship to which he must respond with the involvement of his whole life and that God's desire is to let him enter into his joy. He did not understand that at the heart of that entrustment lay the call to live an existence in service and creativity. Indeed, waiting for the Lord's return is not a reason for fear but for trust and openness. What we have received must be brought to others, in an attitude of service. In the present time, the disciples are called to live a life of fidelity not according to a religion of fear that leads to immobility and the rejection of any change, but to enter into a relationship of joy that opens existence to novelty and to fruitfulness in love.

          Beyond that, our human and Christian duty is not only to develop our natural and spiritual talents, but also to help others develop theirs. In the modern world there is a profession that is called: "talent-scout", that is, discoverers of talents. They are people who know how to identify hidden talents: a painter, a singer, an actor, a footballer etc., and help them to cultivate their talent and find who sponsors them. They don't do it naturally for free or for the sake of art, but to get a percentage of their earnings once they have established themselves. But as Christians we called equally to help others discover their talents, but for gratis. The Gospel invites all of us to be talent-scouts, discoverers of talents, not for the sake of profit but to help those who do not have the opportunity to succeed on their own.

          It is plausible to note that in the context of this parable, Jesus was condemning the Jewish religious authorities of his time, who were like the third servant, so bent on preserving the tradition at the expense of openness to new things and Jesus’ message. Upon a proper interpretation of the passage, we discover that the master of this parable is equated with Christ, his long journey (departure) with the Ascension, while his delayed return alludes to the Parousia.

          The second reading (1Thes. 5: 1-6) is a presentation of St. Paul’s attempt to reply those who were asking questions about the precise date of the Parousia. Here, Paul cited the parable of the thief in the night (Mk.13:35ss; Lk.12:39ss) to buttress his point. If we live like people “who belong to the light, who belong to the day” (1Th. 5:5), then and only then, can we show proof of those who live in vigilance for the coming of the Master. People of light think beyond themselves, they think for the welfare of others, like the two servants of the Gospel who thought of making gain for their master. On the other hand, people of darkness cannot see beyond themselves, beyond there selfish interests. Be that as it may, as emanating from St. Paul’s admonitions, a Christian ought to live always on tiptoe, with the consciousness that the Parousia can take place any moment. Therefore, it invariably implies that it is not a matter of idle curiosity, but one of readiness and vivid awakening. Imminently, we are called to pass from vain curiosity of “times and seasons” to the existential attitude of vigilance and laboriousness, for in the words of the Apostle: “work out your salvation in fear and trembling” (Phi. 2:12b).

          Above all else, dear brothers and sisters, let us not forget the invitation to vigilance that reoccurs in today’s readings. The Parable and the second reading remind us once again about the necessity of being vigilant and always ready for the coming of the Lord. However, in a more particular way, we are called to reawaken our sense of responsibility and spiritual inventiveness. We are all like administrators of God’s gifts, the gifts, qualities and capacities received are to be used for good works. In all, the promise that should keep us always going is the reward for whoever that fructifies his or her gifts, and that is participation “to the joy of the Master”. Let us make resolutions of trusting in the Lord always, of having a positive and optimistic view about life. We need to acquire the psycho-spiritual attitude of empathy and thinking beyond ourselves. For us Christians, the faith and the sacraments we have received today are talents. The parable therefore propels us to examine our consciences: what use are we making of these talents? Are we like the servants who make them profitable or the one who puts the talent underground? For some their baptism has become a buried talent, and as such denying themselves the joy of the Master. Lord help us to make good use of the gifts you have lavished upon us, and at last to share in your joy! Amen!!!

(Fr. Vitus M. C. Unegbu, SC)

A Vigilant Hope For An Encounter!

 (Homily for the 32^nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Yr. A)

          As we are gradually approaching the end of the liturgical year and drawing closer to the Advent season, the tone and mood of the liturgy perceptibly change. It is therefore, logical that the readings orient our attention towards our eternal goal. They indicate to us some internal dispositions with which we have to encounter the Lord. The liturgical message of this Sunday invites us to adopt the attitude of vigilance in order to be able to obtain eternal happiness with God. The liturgical texts invite us to have an attitude of vigilance in the world in order to be able to happily reach the eternity with God: “Watch, because you do not know the day or the hour” (Gospel). This is the attitude proper to the wise, because he who is vigilant on account of wisdom will be free from care, as such, as a gateway to eternal happiness, “Watch for her early, and you will have no worries” (first reading). Thus we will be able to end our life in peace, and always be with the Lord (second reading). Thus, it is the theme of vigilance that connects the first reading to the second reading and the Gospel. For in St. Paul’s parlance, it is our vigilant hope that will help us to attain the Christological hope of being always with the Lord (v.17b).

          In the first reading (Wis. 6:12-16) we see the eulogy of the divine wisdom, the wisdom that comes from God. The divine wisdom is more precious than all the riches of this world. “For she herself searches everywhere for those who are worthy of her, benevolently appearing to them on their ways, anticipating their every thought” (v.16), for “meditating on her is understanding in its perfect form, and anyone keeping awake for her will soon be free from care” (v.15). Thus, it gives peace and serenity. The divine wisdom helps us to comprehend that life is a gift of and from God, it is not a fruit of chance. It is a journey towards eternity, and as such, it has to be lived with heaven in view, in a vigilant watch and not in indolence.

         The parable of today (Mt. 25:1-23), comes after the other two parables that revolve around the same theme of vigilance and readiness for the coming of the Lord, “Therefore, you too must stand ready because the Son of man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Mt. 24:44). The second parable has to do with a servant who in the absence of their Master have to fulfill their duty, but if they allow themselves to be carried away by enjoyment and it happens that the Master comes back, “His master will come on a day he does not expect and at an hour he does not know” (Mt. 24:50). Similarly, the parable of the ten Virgins who were waiting for the Bridegroom, touches the same theme, but with a different underlining. Here, the Bridegroom delays in coming, but at midnight when no one was expecting him he appears. For this, Jesus concluded the parable with the following enigmatic words “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour” (Mt. 25:13).

          The similitude of this parable is powerful, that the kingdom of heaven is like ten courageous young virgins, armed with only lights, who forfeited their night rest and embarked on the journey of dissipating the darkness of the night with their tiny lights, because they were waiting for the Bridegroom, the love of their life. Honestly, in this parable almost all the protagonists appear problematic, starting from the Bridegroom that arrives very late, who as a result of his lateness, put all the maidens in crisis: the five foolish virgins that did not take enough oil for reserve, and the five wise ones that refused to share with the others, indeed, this parable is full of incongruence. The turning point of the parable is neither the dozing off of all nor the lack of vigilance, but the cry of the going off of light; the foolish then asked the other five “give us some of your oil”, and the response was an explicit no. However, from the passage, the evangelist does not explain what he meant by oil, but one can imagine that oil has to do with light and with fire, something like an ardent desire or passion, perseverance in faith that makes us to shine and glitter as God’s children. “In the same way your light must shine in people’s sight, so that seeing your good works, they may give praise to your Father in heaven” (Mt. 5:16).

          Furthermore, today’s Gospel passage illuminates us about the Christian Hope, from the episode of the parable we grasp that the Christian hope does not make us inactive and inert, rather it calls us to action. The Christian hope truly, like a verb is an action word. In the dynamics of the Christian hope, no room for inactivity, for it is all about vivid waiting and awakening. The Christian life, in the light of faith and hope:

►Is a waiting, however not in the sense of just waiting for time to pass and that’s all. Here, the waiting or the expectation presupposes a desire: of a person or a thing. And in the context of our parable, the ten virgins were waiting for the Bridegroom. The Christian life therefore, comports a waiting, replete with desires for the coming of Christ. For this, the psalmist says: “God, you are my God, I pine for you, my heart thirsts for you, as a land parched, dreary and waterless” (Ps. 63:1). This ought to be the internal disposition of every Christian.

►Is more than a waiting or an expectation, is a call to keep watch. A vigilant wait, which does not mean allowing oneself to be taking by inertia and somnolence, but the consciousness to be always ready, awake and attentive to the coming of the Lord. “Always have your answer ready for people who ask you the reason for the hope that you have” (1Pt. 3:15).

►It comports an attentive and industrious waiting. “The point of our toiling and battling is that we have put our trust/hope in the living God” (1Tm. 4:10). The parable teaches us that it is not sufficient to carry a lamp, there is need to light it, therefore need of having oil. Likewise, it is not sufficient to claim to have faith, rather there is need of living it out. And the lighted lamp is a faith that is active and functional, mainly through love; faith that is translated in love towards God and the neighbor. St. Paul speaks of “faith working through love” (Fides quae per caritatem operatur) (Gal. 5:6).

          In all, the narration of this parable revolves around the following truths that: ●The Lord will certainly come. ●We do not know when, how and where he will come. ●We are called to imitate the readiness and spontaneity of the five wise virgins and to discard the unpreparedness of the five foolish virgins. ●We need to be proactive like the wise Virgins, by always having the necessary things (good deeds). ●We need to know how to wait for his coming, always ready and prepared, for only those that are vigilant will recognize him and be saved!

          In the same vein, St. Paul in the second reading (1Th. 4:13-18) reminds us of the efficacy of our hope thus: “We would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and is risen…” (1Th. 4:13-14). The death and resurrection of Jesus are the bedrock of our Christian faith and hope. In this passage, St. Paul without making use of the banquet image, speaks of life beyond death, as a reality that awaits those who hope in and on the Lord. Indeed, a Christian is a man or a woman of hope, in all ramifications. A Christian is a man or a woman who lives in the dynamics of hopes, sequel to this, G. Marcel made a distinction of two types of hope (Espérance and Espoir), in his parlance: “The only authentic hope is that directed at what does not depend on us”, that is, Espérance, a waiting for the fullness of being, while Espoir is a waiting for the future means of life. The hope we are talking about here is Espérance and that is the Christian hope. The Christian hope is not a simple probability, rather a certainty, because it is founded on the Resurrection of Christ and on the Word of God. “Our hope does not disappoint us, because the love of God has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit which has been given to us” (Rm. 5:5).

          Vigilance is the virtue of those who hope. It is proper to human hopes to be attentive, to look towards the horizon of the future, but it is even more proper to Christian hope. Christian hope is fulfilled both within history and above all beyond history. Within history, it is the hope in the grace and mercy of God, it is the hope in spiritual progress, it is the hope in a continuous and growing conversion until the end of life. But, beyond history, it is the hope in the possession of God, so desired in our earthly life, and finally realized. It is the hope of the communion of saints, which fully satisfies the universal longing for fraternal love, which now includes all times and all spaces. The reward of the vigilant hope, above all, is the banquet with Christ: “those who were ready went in with Him to the Marriage feast” (Mt. 25:10), and the Word says in Rev. 3:20 “Look, I am standing at the door, knocking. If one of you hears me calling and open the door, I will come in to share a meal at that person’s side”. That is intimacy with God, experienced and lived here on earth and it will culminate in the eternal bliss in heaven. The second reward is the participation in the ‘triumph’ of Christ, who will enter into Heavenly Jerusalem as King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. And of course, an indescribable and unimaginable joy here on earth. In all this, we hope to achieve it as we keep vigil. Each of us strives to achieve it individually, but at the same time we strive as a Church, on the way to the goal and the reward of our hope. Lord Jesus help us to seek You with a sincere heart and to be found worthy of You! May we never seek You in vain. May we never run short of oil in our journey of faith. Amen!!!

(Fr. Vitus M. C. Unegbu, SC)

 

Living The Proclaimed values: Talk and do!

(Homily 31^st Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year A)

          The word of God of this Sunday seem to be addressed practically to priests, and to all that have the responsibility of preaching and proclaiming the Gospel in and out of season (2Tm. 4:2). Today’s readings are joined together by the overriding theme of priesthood and ministry. As the first reading (Mal. 1:14b-2:2b.8-10) and the Gospel (Mt. 23:1-12) hinge on denunciations addressed to the priests of Israel and the Scribes and Pharisees respectively, the responsorial psalm (Ps. 131) and the second reading (1Th. 2:7-9.13), present the feminine imagery: mother and nurse, while the psalmist rests in Yahweh like a child on his mother’s bosom, St. Paul presents himself in his pastoral ministry among the Thessalonians as like a nurse taking care of her children. Today, more than ever, we need to rediscover the values of pastoral sensibility and care.

          As we read in the first reading and the Gospel, prophet Malachi and Christ respectively cautioned the Jewish priests and the Scribes and Pharisees of living a double standard life. However, today the Church proposes to us, Christians, followers of Christ and especially ministers of the Gospel, the words of prophet Malachi and that of Christ, so that we can reflect profoundly on them. I think it is not out of place to reflect on the correspondence of our words with our actions, especially as we draw closer to the end of the liturgical year. A pertinent question emerges from the context of the aforementioned readings thus: how have we/I been able to put into action all that we/I preaching to others? Are my reflections fruit of my daily experience and encounter with the person of the Crucified and Risen Christ? Indeed, the liturgy of the Word of this Sunday serves as an invitation to us, for a thorough examination of conscience. The Word of God invites us to talk less and do more.

          In the context of the Gospel Jesus reproached the scribes and Pharisees, he reproofs them on the following:

►Incoherence: what they say and teach to others do not tally with what they do. “They talk but they don’t do” (Mt.23:3b), “they tie up heavy burdens hard to carry and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they will not lift a finger to move them” (Mt. 23:4).

►Hypocrisy and vain glory: they love to be theatral, and love attracting the attention of all. They are hysterical in their preaching and teaching. “Everything they do is done to attract attention” (Mt. 23:5).

►Presumption and Pride: “they love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues, greetings in market places and the salutation Rabbi” (Mt. 23:6-7). They have a sense of superiority and tend to distance themselves from the people.

          In the same vein, prophet Malachi in the first reading denounces some of the behavior of the Jewish priests of his time: “you have turned aside from the way, and have caused many to falter by your instruction” (Mal. 2:8). Of course the words of Malachi are not only addressed only to priests, but to all of us that are baptized, for we all share in the Common priesthood of Christ, and as such all Christian leaders and ministers. We have enough to reflect on, as it is suggestive of the prophecy of Malachi. In our various missions and ministries sometimes we can make others to falter, we can pose to be an obstacle to their spiritual and moral growth, instead of standing as a helper and as one who spurs the people of God on. We can become a stumbling block to souls when:

►we are not living a coherent life, for we are called to be models and to lead exemplary life. But sometimes is possible that our lives are filled with defects that contradict our words of preaching.

►we are sometimes carried away by vain glory, and as such, at times one may be tempted to present himself instead of Christ. We ought to do everything for the glory of God. Contrarily, amongst us there are those that seek applause, consensus and admiration of the people. The psalmist understood this and said: “not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give the glory, for your faithful love and your constancy” (Ps. 115:1).

►we fail to be humble listeners of the Word of God, out of pride, but we have to be humble and attentive listeners of the Word of God and faithful servants of it (Word) too. Let us remember that “out of God’s mercy, we are called to the ministry” (2Cor. 4:1).

          Honestly, on this Sunday to say it with the psalmist, “deep is calling on deep”! As we do our examination of conscience and pray the healing mercy prayer: “Kyrie eleison”, let us ask for God’s mercy for the times we have preached ourselves instead of Jesus Christ, the times we have presented to the people of God a false and imaginary god, far from the True God, the times we have preached anti-gospels to the people of God through our actions, for the moments we have preached a glorious and rich Christ forgetting the Cross. Or as Christians sometimes we have failed to be courageous witnesses of Christ and His Gospel in morally and spiritually perverse world.

          Indeed, we are called today to reflect on how we have been able to close the gap between our words and actions. And the second reading offers us a wonderful model of the priesthood in and through the figure of St. Paul. St. Paul said that he was lovable like a mother towards the Christians of Thessalonica, that he was desirous of not only given them the Gospel, but also his life for them. And from the passage of this second reading emanates few guidelines on how we ought to be:

●It reminds us that like St. Paul we have to be persons who love souls (Christians) profoundly like a mother loves her children. Thus, persons who are disposed to give our life for our brothers and sisters, by and through our selfless service. Loving them like mother also alludes to spiritual fruitfulness, are we capable of generating children for God spiritually?

●We ought to be persons with the unique aim of bringing the Gospel of Christ, the Word of God to the people of God without mystification and mitigation.

●We need to be capable of dedicating more time to the preaching of the Gospel and less time to the pursuit of projects and money, for in the words of St. Paul “for you remember our labor and toil brethren, we worked night and day, that we might not burden any of you, while we preached to you the Gospel of God” (1Th. 2:9). However, we do not intend in any way to denigrate the words of the same apostle that “a laborer deserves his wages” (1Tm. 5:18).

          To you my dear lay brothers and sisters, maybe the readings of today at first sight and if not properly reflected upon, may provoke a certain sense of criticism and the pointing of accusing fingers on the priests and ministers of the Word. It goes without saying that in our world today, there is an increasing tendency towards the accusation and the criticism of priests. Criticism is often used as a tool to discredit others, because often these accusations and criticisms are over-generalized and unfounded. Sometimes it is presented as if there is nothing good in those we criticize, or as if there are no more holy, authentic and “priests-victims” to say it with Bishop Fulton Sheen, still in our world today. Let our desire for criticism not blindfold us before the numerous good works and sacrifices being done by a good number of our priests.

          Today when we talk about the priests and ministers of the Gospel, there is danger of a single story, because is as if all are wicked, materialistic and selfish. But I stand to correct that impression, not merely because am a minister, but because my daily experience has proven it so. There are still holy, selfless and priest models. We cannot forget the effort of those priests, who even with their human limitations are filled with zeal and passion for Christ and his Gospel, and with pastoral readiness and spontaneity towards the people of God. We cannot but remember those of them who continue to sacrifice their life daily in emulation of Jesus the Good Shepherd. The effort of those priests who trek daily and those that travel by sea just for the desire of bringing Christ to the people cannot go unmentioned.

          In all, to you my dear lay brothers and sisters St. Paul said something exceedingly inspiring in the second reading, he thanks God for the Thessalonians because they welcomed the word of God for what it really is, God’s word and not some human thinking. And God’s word is indeed, an efficacious word that changes and transforms those who believe in it. You need to have this fundamental inner disposition towards God’s word, welcoming it as God’s word and not as the word of the priest. I assure you dear friends whoever listens to the Word of God with this type of disposition can never go home the same! Let us pray so that the Word may bring forth fruit in our lives, for His Word is efficient and efficacious.

          My dear brothers and sisters, today more than ever we are called to be close to our priests with fraternal affection, with advice, with prayer and generous collaboration. May God help us not to be believers that are not believable! May God continue to bless His Church with holy priests, holy ministers and with good and authentic Christians!! May God help us all!!!

(Fada Vitus M.C. Unegbu)

          The word of God of this Sunday seem to be addressed practically to priests, and to all that have the responsibility of preaching and proclaiming the Gospel in and out of season (2Tm. 4:2). Today’s readings are joined together by the overriding theme of priesthood and ministry. As the first reading (Mal. 1:14b-2:2b.8-10) and the Gospel (Mt. 23:1-12) hinge on denunciations addressed to the priests of Israel and the Scribes and Pharisees respectively, the responsorial psalm (Ps. 131) and the second reading (1Th. 2:7-9.13), present the feminine imagery: mother and nurse, while the psalmist rests in Yahweh like a child on his mother’s bosom, St. Paul presents himself in his pastoral ministry among the Thessalonians as like a nurse taking care of her children. Today, more than ever, we need to rediscover the values of pastoral sensibility and care.

          As we read in the first reading and the Gospel, prophet Malachi and Christ respectively cautioned the Jewish priests and the Scribes and Pharisees of living a double standard life. However, today the Church proposes to us, Christians, followers of Christ and especially ministers of the Gospel, the words of prophet Malachi and that of Christ, so that we can reflect profoundly on them. I think it is not out of place to reflect on the correspondence of our words with our actions, especially as we draw closer to the end of the liturgical year. A pertinent question emerges from the context of the aforementioned readings thus: how have we/I been able to put into action all that we/I preaching to others? Are my reflections fruit of my daily experience and encounter with the person of the Crucified and Risen Christ? Indeed, the liturgy of the Word of this Sunday serves as an invitation to us, for a thorough examination of conscience. The Word of God invites us to talk less and do more.

          In the context of the Gospel Jesus reproached the scribes and Pharisees, he reproofs them on the following:

►Incoherence: what they say and teach to others do not tally with what they do. “They talk but they don’t do” (Mt.23:3b), “they tie up heavy burdens hard to carry and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they will not lift a finger to move them” (Mt. 23:4).

►Hypocrisy and vain glory: they love to be theatral, and love attracting the attention of all. They are hysterical in their preaching and teaching. “Everything they do is done to attract attention” (Mt. 23:5).

►Presumption and Pride: “they love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues, greetings in market places and the salutation Rabbi” (Mt. 23:6-7). They have a sense of superiority and tend to distance themselves from the people.

          In the same vein, prophet Malachi in the first reading denounces some of the behavior of the Jewish priests of his time: “you have turned aside from the way, and have caused many to falter by your instruction” (Mal. 2:8). Of course the words of Malachi are not only addressed only to priests, but to all of us that are baptized, for we all share in the Common priesthood of Christ, and as such all Christian leaders and ministers. We have enough to reflect on, as it is suggestive of the prophecy of Malachi. In our various missions and ministries sometimes we can make others to falter, we can pose to be an obstacle to their spiritual and moral growth, instead of standing as a helper and as one who spurs the people of God on. We can become a stumbling block to souls when:

►we are not living a coherent life, for we are called to be models and to lead exemplary life. But sometimes is possible that our lives are filled with defects that contradict our words of preaching.

►we are sometimes carried away by vain glory, and as such, at times one may be tempted to present himself instead of Christ. We ought to do everything for the glory of God. Contrarily, amongst us there are those that seek applause, consensus and admiration of the people. The psalmist understood this and said: “not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give the glory, for your faithful love and your constancy” (Ps. 115:1).

►we fail to be humble listeners of the Word of God, out of pride, but we have to be humble and attentive listeners of the Word of God and faithful servants of it (Word) too. Let us remember that “out of God’s mercy, we are called to the ministry” (2Cor. 4:1).

          Honestly, on this Sunday to say it with the psalmist, “deep is calling on deep”! As we do our examination of conscience and pray the healing mercy prayer: “Kyrie eleison”, let us ask for God’s mercy for the times we have preached ourselves instead of Jesus Christ, the times we have presented to the people of God a false and imaginary god, far from the True God, the times we have preached anti-gospels to the people of God through our actions, for the moments we have preached a glorious and rich Christ forgetting the Cross. Or as Christians sometimes we have failed to be courageous witnesses of Christ and His Gospel in morally and spiritually perverse world.

          Indeed, we are called today to reflect on how we have been able to close the gap between our words and actions. And the second reading offers us a wonderful model of the priesthood in and through the figure of St. Paul. St. Paul said that he was lovable like a mother towards the Christians of Thessalonica, that he was desirous of not only given them the Gospel, but also his life for them. And from the passage of this second reading emanates few guidelines on how we ought to be:

●It reminds us that like St. Paul we have to be persons who love souls (Christians) profoundly like a mother loves her children. Thus, persons who are disposed to give our life for our brothers and sisters, by and through our selfless service. Loving them like mother also alludes to spiritual fruitfulness, are we capable of generating children for God spiritually?

●We ought to be persons with the unique aim of bringing the Gospel of Christ, the Word of God to the people of God without mystification and mitigation.

●We need to be capable of dedicating more time to the preaching of the Gospel and less time to the pursuit of projects and money, for in the words of St. Paul “for you remember our labor and toil brethren, we worked night and day, that we might not burden any of you, while we preached to you the Gospel of God” (1Th. 2:9). However, we do not intend in any way to denigrate the words of the same apostle that “a laborer deserves his wages” (1Tm. 5:18).

          To you my dear lay brothers and sisters, maybe the readings of today at first sight and if not properly reflected upon, may provoke a certain sense of criticism and the pointing of accusing fingers on the priests and ministers of the Word. It goes without saying that in our world today, there is an increasing tendency towards the accusation and the criticism of priests. Criticism is often used as a tool to discredit others, because often these accusations and criticisms are over-generalized and unfounded. Sometimes it is presented as if there is nothing good in those we criticize, or as if there are no more holy, authentic and “priests-victims” to say it with Bishop Fulton Sheen, still in our world today. Let our desire for criticism not blindfold us before the numerous good works and sacrifices being done by a good number of our priests.

          Today when we talk about the priests and ministers of the Gospel, there is danger of a single story, because is as if all are wicked, materialistic and selfish. But I stand to correct that impression, not merely because am a minister, but because my daily experience has proven it so. There are still holy, selfless and priest models. We cannot forget the effort of those priests, who even with their human limitations are filled with zeal and passion for Christ and his Gospel, and with pastoral readiness and spontaneity towards the people of God. We cannot but remember those of them who continue to sacrifice their life daily in emulation of Jesus the Good Shepherd. The effort of those priests who trek daily and those that travel by sea just for the desire of bringing Christ to the people cannot go unmentioned.

          In all, to you my dear lay brothers and sisters St. Paul said something exceedingly inspiring in the second reading, he thanks God for the Thessalonians because they welcomed the word of God for what it really is, God’s word and not some human thinking. And God’s word is indeed, an efficacious word that changes and transforms those who believe in it. You need to have this fundamental inner disposition towards God’s word, welcoming it as God’s word and not as the word of the priest. I assure you dear friends whoever listens to the Word of God with this type of disposition can never go home the same! Let us pray so that the Word may bring forth fruit in our lives, for His Word is efficient and efficacious.

          My dear brothers and sisters, today more than ever we are called to be close to our priests with fraternal affection, with advice, with prayer and generous collaboration. May God help us not to be believers that are not believable! May God continue to bless His Church with holy priests, holy ministers and with good and authentic Christians!! May God help us all!!!

(Fada Vitus M.C. Unegbu)