THE EUCHARIST: SYMBOL OF HIS CONTINUOUS INCARNATION

(Homily for Corpus Christi Sunday, Year B)

     Today the Holy Mother Church celebrates the most sublime Mystery: the Solemnity of the Corpus Christi, the Solemnity that recalls the Mystery of the real presence of Christ in Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. The aim of  this solemnity is three-fold: first, it serves an invitation for us to be always conscious of the greatness of this Gift; second, to make our faith always alife and convinced in It; third, to reawaken in us the sensibility always to render gratitude to Jesus who instituted It, “the very night he was to be betrayed”, as a sign of His extreme love for us. The Eucharist is the perpetuation of both his Love and his Presence. It is the Sacrament of Christ’s extreme love for humanity. It is a sign of his continuous Incarnation in human history. In the words of Giovanni Vannucci, “man is the only creature that has God in his blood”, we have in us a divine chromosome, for Jesus dwells in us! This Sacrament reminds us of the Jewish religious tradition of Berakah, which has to do with blessing, thanksgiving and praise to God for the wonders he has wrought.

     Going through history lane, we remember that in the Old Jewish tradition, when the family gathers for the Passover Meal, it was prescribed that the last born of the house, asks a question to the Father of the family, thus: What does this ritual mean? This was the question that someone (maybe John that was the youngest apostle) directed to Jesus, the evening they were at table for the Last Super. In response to the question Jesus might have explained to them how the whole celebration from the night of the Exodus, to the killing of the lamb and the Passover Meal, were not but a figure and a prophecy of Him; the Lamb of God (cf. Gen. 22:7; Jn. 1:29), that has to be slaughtered in order to take away the sins of the world, and to be food and drink for his friends. Indeed, “Christ loved us and handed himself over to us as an offering and a sweet-smelling sacrifice to God” (Eph. 5:2).

     Similarly, the same question can situate us well into the context of our present gathering, therefore, let us ask ourselves: What is the meaning of this ritual? Not because we do not know what we are about to do or the essence of our celebration, but for the Lord to explain it to us again, through his word and through the church,  always for a more profound understanding. To that question the readings of today have much in stock for us.

     In the first reading (Ex 24:3-8), prior to this wonderful gift, the people of Israel celebrated their covenant with God by means of the blood of sacrificed animals. This reading tells us how God one day at the foot of mount Sinai made a covenant with Israel. He promised to protect and defend them if they keep his commandments. Moses asked the people if they want to accept, and they all in one accord agreed. There Moses raised an altar representing God and the twelve tribes of Israel. Moses pours the blood of animal on the altar for sacrifice. This pouring of blood symbolizes that from that moment onward God and the people of Israel are one person (because of the blood). For this covenant to be effective, God demanded faithfulness from the people.

     The two readings from the New Testament throw more light to the awareness of the centrality of this passage to the understanding of the Christian redemption and its representation in the Eucharist. First, in Mark 14:24: “This is my blood of the Covenant”. Here, the covenant blood of Christ is contrasted with the blood that Moses sprinkled against the alter and over the people. Second, in Hebrew 9:15-21, with particular reference to verse 20, which cited Exodus 24:8, in a glaring manner. The basic question emanating from this passage goes thus: why was it necessary in the Scripture for a covenant to be ratified in and with blood? This boils down to the idea that the death of the victim has the finality of making the covenant irrevocable. More so, the sacrifice is an eloquent expression of the offerer’s total commitment to carry out the terms of the covenant. The passage from the book of Exodus is suggestive of a possible understanding and interpretation of the Eucharist from the view point of an atonement. In the Old Testament, before the covenant is completed, the people have to become participants. For instance, in the Sinai covenant, Moses sprinkled the people with half of the blood, after he must have applied the other half on the alter (which represents Yahweh). Be that as it may, in this parlance, the Eucharist becomes an integral part of the once and for all sacrifice of Calvary.

     The second reading (Heb 9:11-15), reminds us of the yearly celebration of the feast of Expiation by the people of Israel, to wipe their sins away. The High Priest enters the Holy of Holies where God was believed to be present and there he poured the blood of the covenant. The author of the letter to the Hebrews makes a comparison between what the High Priest of old did and the sacrifice of Christ. And he says that the new is greater than the old. Why? Because the old was offered with the blood of animals, while in the new Christ offers his own blood. Christ shed his blood once and for all (and commanded us to continue to do it in memory of Him). In todays readings we hear repeatedly of blood that purifies, and that is the blood of Christ. Jesus is the High Priest of the New Testament. He is not in opposition with the Jewish worship, rather he came for its fulfilment. The high priest of the Old covenant was entering into the Holy of Holies once a year and he sprinkled blood to offer atonement for sins. But Jesus entered the Holy of Holies offering his blood, and the sacrifice of and with his blood is effective at all times. Jesus is both Priest and Victim.    

     The Gospel (Mk 14:12-16.22-26), can be divided into two parts: preparation for the last supper and the institution of the Eucharist. It is in this passage that Mark identified the Last Super with the Passover meal. Mark in his account desires to affirm that the Eucharist is the Christian Passover meal. Little wonder, Jesus is depicted as the eschatological Prophet (Mk. 14:12-16), owing to his foreknowledge of the direction to which the disciples were to meet the man with the water jar. Therein, we need to pay attention to the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, which actually captures what we traditionally refer to as the institution of the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist: He took a loaf of bread and after blessing it gave it to them and said: take; this is my body. Here we pay attention to the fact that what he was having was a loaf of bread but after the blessing it became his body. After the blessing he no longer called what he had loaf of bread but My Body. The same thing is applicable to the cup of wine after giving thanks he said take, This is my Blood. At the end of this special meal he told them to do what he had done in memory or remembrance of him, as in (cf. 1Cor. 11:24.25).

     Extrapolating from the passage, we can identify three important elements in relation to this sublime mystery, namely: ●The substantial change of the bread to the body of our Lord Jesus Christ and the wine to his blood. This is what we refer to as transubstantiation, as opposed to transfiguration. ●The element of thanksgiving, which in Greek is “Eucharistia”. ●The phenomenon of remembrance or memorial. This serves as a reminder to the people of God not to forget the good deeds of the Lord.

     Drawing the issue further, the three readings of today propel us to consider the Holy Eucharist above all, from variegated points of view:

►The Eucharist as a Sacrifice: The Eucharist is above all, the sacrifice that renders the self-immolation of Christ actual and perenially present. It is the sacrifice of the New covenant ratified with the blood of Christ. ●As we read in the first reading, God through Moses made the chosen people to know of his laws and commands. And the people on their part, resolved to observe them, repeating it with an oath: “All the words Yahweh has spoken we will carry out” (Ex. 24:3). ●The letter to the Hebrews declares in a definitive manner the conclusion of the time of the Old law, which was to serve as a preparation for the coming of Christ and for salvation through faith in Him. The numerous sacrifices with animals gives way to the unique and perfect sacrifice of Christ, a sacrifice of infinite value. The blood of animals was replaced with the blood of the unique and immaculate victim: Jesus Christ. By means of the replacement with the blood of Christ, we are no longer talking about a provisory covenant, that has to do with the Israelites alone, but a definitive covenant. It is not just a ritual of external purification, rather the “purification of our conscience from the works of death to serve the living God” (Heb. 9:12-14). ●For this Jesus insitituted the Eucharist, according to Mark (14:22-23), with the pronouncement of the following words: “When he had said the blessing he broke it and gave it to them. Take it, he said, this is my body. Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he handed it to them, and all drank from it”. On the other hand, Luke in his gospel (22:20) and St. Paul in 1Corinthians (11:25) speak explicitly of the “New Covenant”. The Eucharist, therefore, is the representation in a sacramental way under the signs of bread and wine, of the unique and perfect sacrifice of Christ, to the glory of the Father, for the expiation of sins.

►The Eucharist as a Banquet: The Eucharist is not only the sacrifice of Christ, but at the same time, it is a supper, a feast, to which everyone is invited. Jesus instituted it in the context of the Last Supper, with typical elements of a banquet: bread and wine, and he said clearly and distinctly: “Take, this is my body” (v.22). “Then he took the chalice and gave thanks and handed it to them and they all drank from it” (v.23). Indeed, the Eucharistic celebration is inseparably a sacrifice and a banquet.

►The Eucharist as a mystery which calls for commitment: The Eucharist is not a mere rite or a simple cultual act, that is repeated in a formal way. Above all, it is a mystery that requires a conscious and active participation. It is a mystery that demands fully the commitment of a believer. The Eucharist as a sacrifice requires those who participate in it the effort to make themselve a living sacrifice acceptable to God, to unite their daily sufferings to that of Christ. And as a banquet, it is a feast around which we gather as children of God, the Eucharist as such, invites us to live in communion, fraternity and love.

    Again to our earlier question: What does this ritual mean? Our Lord responds to us, first of all, with the words of St. Paul: “whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are proclaiming the Lord’s death until he comes” (1Cor. 11:26). And at the moment of the Institution of the Eucharist Jesus said to his apostles: “Do this in memory of me”. But memorial of what? Of the death of the Lord, certainly, but not only of this, Jesus said: “In memory of me”, the Eucharist, therefore, remembers (brings to heart) Him, all his mystery; His prefiguration in the Old Testament and his actuation in the New Testament. In this sense, the Eucharist is a Remembrance/Memorial of the Lord and the Salvation he wrought, that culminates in his Death and Resurrection.

     Above all else, however, the people of God have their memorial, but it is a living memorial. Here stands the great difference, a living memorial, not the ashes of someone. The biblical remembrance is essentially different from the human, that makes one to relive the reality only intentionally in the memory. The biblical remembrance (zikkaron) rather makes one to relive the reality really; it is a remembrance and a presence at the same time!. The Death and Salvation of Christ, in the Eucharist, are not relived only in our memory, but they are relived really; there is a real presence on the alter (Along history lane some have doubted this, we recall the Eucharistic miracle of Lanciano in the year 700). It is the presence of the Risen Lord who says: “Touch me, it is really I” (Lk. 24:39). We remember him, his death, that is, we become witnesses to his death. We have gathered round the alter like Maria and John around the Cross, but there is also the sad possiblity that we are here like the soldiers, like the enemies and like the passer-bys were round the Cross (little wonder, today, there are many abuses of this Sacrament). May the Ever Present Emmanuel, the Eucharistic Jesus continue to nourish us physically and spiritually! May He make our presence before his Presence a transforming encounter. May we become more of Him and less of us. Amen!!!

Verbum caro factum est

Verbum panis factum est

Verbum caro factum est

Verbum panis factum est.

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

O TRINITY OF LOVE! O FOUNT OF LIFE!!

(Homily for the Holy Trinity Sunday Year B)

     After we have celebrated in Advent and Christmas the merciful love of the Father who sent his Son to, in and for the world; in lent and Easter we celebrated the infinite goodness of the Son, who gave his life for us, and also after celebrating the feast of the Pentecoste, the coming of the Holy Spirit, sent by the Father and the Son, in order to bring to fulfilment the wonderful works of our salvation, in today’s liturgy we celebrate the three divine Persons together (Father, Son, Holy Spirit). Indeed, the reality of the three divine persons is not a fairy tale, rather a certainty of what has been revealed to us. Even though it has been revealed, it still remains a mystery. The revelation of our God who in essence is one, and manifests Himself in three Persons is beyond human logic and calculations. The Holy Trinity is the mystery that distinquinshes our religion from others (the jews adored only one God: Jahvè, the pagans adore many divinities, without unity), but in ours there is unity in distintion. The Holy Trinity is not just the perception in three aspects (Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier) that we sometimes have of God, more than that, the Trinity does not only refer to human viewing, but to God himself, to His ways of being God. The Holy Bible actually made us to understand that the Father is God (Phil.1:2), the Son is God (Titus 2:13) and that the Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:3-4).

     In the bid, I would like to introduce the Holy Trinity in this reflection in two broad terms: immanent Trinity and transcendent Trinity. Immanent is how God has revealed himself to us as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And many a times when we talk about the Holy Trinity, we tend to do so, limiting ourselves to the immanent Trinity, as revealed to us. But more than that the Holy Trinity is also to be considered from the point of view of how God is in himself, God in his essence is One but manifests himself in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and that is transcendent Trinity. The doctrine of the Holy Trinity is a mystery beyond and above us (transcendent) and at the same time it is a mystery that has been revealed to us and it is our way of knowing that God is present in Human history (immanent). Be that as it may, it behooves us to underscore that this doctrine does not explain God because as St. Augustine opined "si comprehendis non est Deus". In another writing of his St. Augustine exclaimed "if you see love, you have seen the Trinity". Whether considered from the dimension of transcendency or immanency, the central word that dovetails into God’s essence and manifestation is LOVE. The Trinity is therefore a sign of a harmonious unity existent in God, which should equally be existent among God's children. The central message of today's doctrine is that of Love (Father-Lover, Son-Loved and Holy Spirit-Love).

     The word Trinity (tri-unity) was coined by Tertullian about the third century in the bid to establish the distinct persons in one God.  The Scriptures in no small way, buttress the reality of the Trinity with some biblical quotations: In Genesis 18: 1-2: God appeared to Abraham at the sacred tree of Mamre. As Abraham was sitting at the entrance during the hottest part of the day, he looked up and saw three men. God came to Abraham in the Trinitarian form. In Isaiah 6:8: “Whom shall I send and who will go for US?” Here we can discover God the Father making a representational request on behalf of the Son and the Holy Spirit. Likewise in Matthew 28:19: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”  Jesus Christ, the Son undoubtedly is God: John 1:1: “In the beginning was the WORD, the WORD was with God and the WORD was God. The Holy Spirit is equally God: Genesis 1:2: “The Spirit of God was brought over the waters” This was before God began active creation. The Holy Spirit has been with the Godhead from eternity. Hence the Holy Spirit is God. In John 14:26: “The Counsellor whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything”. 

     Similarly, no matter how hard we try, we remain limited in the endeavor to understand this mystery in toto, what is important for us is not even to understand Him, rather to recognize how he manifests Himself, what are the signs of his presence and action, for God is experienced as going out of himself, in revelation and and redemption actions. And it is on this no doubt that the three readings of today try to give us some indications:

     The first reading (Deut 4:32-34.39-40) speaks of God “in heaven above and on earth beneath”. Thus, of his trascendence (heaven above) and immanence (on earth beneath). It equally speaks of God, going forth out of himself in his acts of revelation and redemption. However, at that time, it seems to have been a general belief that if God appeared to men, it was for the purpose of destroying them; and indeed most of the extraordinary manifestations of God were in the way of jugdement, but in this passage it was quite different. For God did appear in a sovereign and extraordinary manner, but it was for the delivereance of the people. They heard his voice speaking with them in a distinct manner. They saw the fire, the symbol of his presence. In this appearance no person was destroyed rather he came to save. God saved his people through seven means: temptations, signs, wonders, war, mighty hand, outreched arm, great terrors. The writer further opined that this “he showed you, so that you might know that Yahweh is the only TRUE God and that there is no other” (4:35). This affirmation was repeated twice in this passage “Yahweh is the true God, in heaven above as on earth beneath, he and no other” (4:39). And the pericope ends with an existential invitation “keep his laws and commandments…so that you may prosper and live”.

     In the second reading (Rm 8:14-17), St. Paul affirms that none can claim to be the child of God who are not led or guided by the Spirit. And the Spirit in question is not a spirit of bondage, but the Spirit of adoption, we are made members of God’s family by adoption, and the Holy Spirit is the agent that brought us into God’s family. Owing to the nature of this adoption we can cry “Abba Father”. To reveal the strongness of this divine family ties St. Paul says that “the Spirit joins with our Spirit in bearing witness that we are children of God” (v.16). If children, then we are also heirs of God, and heirs with Christ, and I would add in the Spirit. God the Father has made us His children in Christ through the Holy Spirit. Therefore, our sonship bears a Trinitarian mark, and as such the christian existence is called to be a trinitarian existence. Above all, in this passage as in Galatians (4:6-7), St. Paul maintains that the divine sonship is an eschatological gift and not a natural gift of human existence.

     In today’s gospel (Mt 28:16-20) Jesus manifested himself to the apostles in the fullness of his divine powers, as he declares “all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…and behold I am with you always, to close of the age”. With and in these words, Jesus condenses the Mission he is entrusting to the apostles and to the Church. It is a mission that begins and to be exercised in the sign and in the power of the Trinity: “in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”. It is a mission that has as it’s ultimate end the encounter of man with the Blessed Trinity. The emphasis here lies on the baptismal command, the most glaring example of the New Testament triadic formula, which later formed the basis for the doctrine of the Trinity.

     Be that as it may, we have a number of virtues to learn and imbibe: Unity in diversity, a call, therefore, to recognize all as brothers, despite our differences, and to live in love and communion as children of the same Father.  The revelation of God as Trinity is a revelation of love. We can as well reconsider the Holy Trinity in three dimensinos: the Trinity of faith (of the past, that revealed himself), the Trinity of Love (of the present, that lives and works in us), there is also the Trinity of Hope (of the future, we are on our journey towards the return to the Father). It is of a Hope that is certain (cf. Rm 5:5). The Trinity is ocean of Peace and communion; the Father always works with the Son and the Holy Spirit “let us” (cf Gen 1 & 2).

     The mystery of the Holy Trnity is a reality hidden in the heart of God. The mystery of the Holy Trinity is neither the work or the fruit of theological thoughts nor of mysticism. The Trinity is not a fruit of human invention, is not an idea, rather it is a reality, the most sublime reality; that the Father revealed through the Son. The mystery of Trinity was immensely revealed to us through the action and manifestations of God in human history. God revealed himself as Father by sending the Son. And Jesus Christ revealed himself to us in his perfect obedience to the Father, through his death and redentive resurrection. And the Holy Spirit revealed himself to us as the “cement” of the love of the Father and the Son, as a gift of communion to man, so that they will live in the trinitarian image.

     What should be the attitude of man before this mystery? First, there is need for the attitude of adoration and submission to the Father that so much loves us, to our Brother Jesus who gave his life for us, and to the Holy Spirit who accompanies and sustains us in the course of our earthly existence. More important to reflecting, thinking and pondering on the mystery is to worship and render all adoration to the Triune God. Second, is the attitude of thanksgiving, thanking God for the fact that He is a mystery and continues to be a mystery even after the revelation. But not a mysterious and complicated mystery, for we are constatntly involved in the life of the Blessed Trinity. Being a mystery, as such it cannot be manipulated or instrumentalized by man. Third, is the attitude of humble acceptance of the mystery, avoiding a rationalistic postion and an irrationalistic position, that seeks to exclude it (because it does not comprehend it) or that seeks to succumb to its weight (because it is perceived to be cumbersome), respectively.

     In the mystery of the Holy Trinity, there is love amongst the three Divine Persons (ad intra), but in the same vein the trinitarian love is manifested externally (ad extra), love towards humanity, towards us. This trinitarian love extended to us should be a prerogative for the extension of that same love to our fellow human beings. The Trinity is therefore a sign of a harmonious unity existent in God, which should equally be existent among God's children. The central message of today's doctrine is that of Love. The Holy Trinity is a mystery of interpersonal communion of love. It is a sign of communion and of love. As those called to live a trinitarian life, is our life a sign of communion and of love, a reflex of the trinitarian life? Above all else, however, drawing the issue further, we see that the Holy Trinity is a mystery of Mission: the Father sends the Son, and both send the Holy Spirit, and in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, the Church is sent by Christ to “go and make disciples of all nations”. You too, you are sent to be heralds of love, unity and communion.

Oratio: Oh our Trinitarian God, enable us to recognize you in us and in our world, so that we may be capable of living the trinitarian existence of communion, love and a harmonious unity. Amen!

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

Come O Holy Spirit, Come!

 (Homily for the Pentecost Sunday Year B)

          Today as we are celebrating the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the word of God gives account of this Event, in four different ways, to demonstrate that the Holy Spirit, the breath of God, cannot be locked up in human schemes. In the Gospel, the Holy Spirit comes as a consoling presence, a counsellor, Spirit of truth and a witness to Christ. In the Acts of the Apostles, He comes as energy, courage, life force. He opens a new horizon. In the Pauline account, He comes with different fruits as opposed to the works of the flesh. And the fourth account is in the verse of today’s Psalm “Send forth your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth” (Ps.104:30). All the earth, nothing and nobody is excluded. Indeed, what we are celebrating today is the fulfilment of the promise of the Risen Christ. Several times in his farewell speech, Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit to the apostles: “I will not leave you orphans… I will send you the Paraclete, the Spirit of truth… and you will receive the Holy Spirit” (Jn. 14). And 50 days after the Resurrection, Jesus maintains his promise, as St. Luke recounts in the Acts of the Apostles. St. John instead, in his Gospel collocates the coming of the Holy Spirit in the evening of the same day of Resurrection, as such, he intends to make us understand that the Holy Spirit is the most important Gift of the Risen Christ, the most precious fruit of his gesture of love and obedience to the Father.

          The word Pentecost is from a Greek word which means fiftieth. The Pentecost was an old Jewish traditional feast that was celebrated 50 days after the Passover. It commemorated the arrival of the people of Israel at Mount Sinai, and the giving of the law to Moses on Mount Sinai (cf. Ex. 34, 28). And for us today, it refers to the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles and others who were present at the Upper room. A gaze into the Old Testament reveals the power and activity of God’s Spirit at work. For instance, God allowed His Spirit to rest on the seventy elders who were appointed to assist Moses (Num. 11:16-17; 25). After his anointing as King, Saul received the Spirit of God and prophesied (1 Sam. 10:10); and when he lost his connection with God the Spirit of God left him (1 Sam. 16:14). Therefore, obedience to God attracts the presence of the Holy Spirit in our life, for it can be seen that when Saul disobeyed God, the Spirit of God that was upon him departed from him (cf. 1Sam. 15:26; 16:14). The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is a mark of God’s presence in us. David was a man filled with God’s Spirit and when he sinned he begged God not to take the Holy Spirit away from him (Psalm 51:11).

         Be that as it may, the yearly celebration of the Pentecost brings to us the consciousness of the omnipresence of the Holy Spirit and as such, we are invited to discover the essence of His presence in our life and in the Church. The Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Holy Trinity. Even in the Credo we repeat “I believe in the Holy Spirit”. He is the Gift of God and the Giver of God’s gift to us. And as we celebrate this descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles many centuries ago, let us dispose our hearts and our whole being in order to receive this outpouring.`

          In the first reading (Acts 2:1-11), St. Luke tells us that the Holy Spirit came down on the apostles. This account of the Pentecost permits us to discover another great thing that the Holy Spirit represents for the Church, the life force that nourishes her in her Mission. There are some vital elements to ponder upon in the passage, first, “they were all together”, this entails that the Holy Spirit comes where there is unity. Second, “A sound came from heaven like a mighty wind, this lays credence that it is truly Ruah Adonai, for the Holy Spirit manifests Himself so many times through the wind. In the book of Genesis (1:2) we are told that at the first moment of creation “The Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters”. Third, “It rested on each one of them and they were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages”. This is suggestive that the Holy Spirit came on them individually, likewise his gifts are individually given but for the common purpose, other languages here symbolizes a language of love that all understand. Little wonder, St. Paul tells us: “If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal” (1Cor 13, 1-2). Fourth, “at this sound the multitude came together”, this gesture of gathering together is the beginning of the Church’s mission to evangelize, because they are gathered in order to be sent. Fifth, “we hear them telling in our tongues the mighty works of God”, indeed, the Holy Spirit urges us to proclaim the wonderful works God has wrought for us, and as such, it was the major content of the preaching of the apostles that very day. On the other hand, in the book of Genesis (11, 1-9), we see a direct opposite of what happened today in the Acts of the Apostles, the tower of Babel, where people because of pride, presumption and distance from God, were divided and were thrown into confusion and incomprehension, language became a source of confusion instead of unity and understanding. That indicates simply the absence of the Holy Spirit.

          In the second reading (Gal.5:16-25), St. Paul gives us an eloquent and concrete indications on how to be witnesses of Christ through the Holy Spirit. St. Paul affirms that deep within us, there is a struggle between “the flesh” and “the spirit”. In his words, “the Spirit has desires contrary to the flesh, and the flesh has desires contrary to the Spirit” (v.17). The consequences is that many a times, we do not do the good we desire, as Paul experienced: “the good thing I want to do, I never do; the evil thing which I do not want- that is what I do” (Rm. 7:19). St. Paul enlists the works of the flesh and afterwards the fruits of the Spirit. The works of the flesh are: “immorality, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, dissension, party spirit, envy, drunkenness, carousing”. The fruits of the Spirit includes: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control”. In Paul’s parlance, with and through our baptism we belong to Christ, and as such, “All who to Christ Jesus have crucified self with all its passions and its desires” (Gal. 5:24), thus, we have become temple of the Holy Spirit. St. Paul further admonished that our Christian life has to be a “walk”, a movement according to the exigencies of the Spirit. In that bid, our life in the Spirit abhors passivity, for we are called to allow “our behaviour be guided by the Spirit” (Gal. 5:25), and indeed, “all who are guided by the Spirit of God are sons of God” (Rm. 8:14).

         The Gospel passage of St. John (Jn. 15:26-27;16:12-15) we read today helps us to understand the importance and need of the presence and the action of the Holy Spirit in the world, in the church and in the life of every single Christian. St. John therein, presents the Holy Spirit as the “witness” of Christ before the world, for “when the Paraclete comes whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who issues from the Father, he will be my witness. And you too will be witnesses, because you have been with me from the beginning” (Jn. 15:26-27). In all, we ought to bear in mind that today, the Holy Spirit desires to continue to speak to the world through our collective (as a church) and individual witnesses, just like in the beginning, through the preaching and testimony of the apostles and disciples. St. John puts it succinctly thus: “And you too will be witnesses, because you have been with me from the beginning” (Jn. 15:27), even though that referred to the disciples, the same word re-echoes for us today.

        Jesus promised his followers formally that he will send them the Holy Spirit, and as such, he fulfilled his promise (first reading) on the Pentecost day. The Holy Spirit is promised and sent by Jesus so that He can accomplish two broad missions amongst the disciples and in the Church; and that is revealed in the two mission-titles given by Jesus: “Spirit of truth” and “Paraclete/Counsellor”. First, He will bring the disciples to the knowledge of the revealed truth and he will give them consolation and comfort. The apparent emptiness created by the absence of Jesus will be filled by the presence of the Holy Spirit, Second, Jesus says, “I shall ask the Father, and he will give you another Paraclete to be with you for ever” (Jn. 14:16). Such that, after being consoled and confirmed by the Holy Spirit, the disciples can give courageous witness of their faith in Christ before the world.

        During his earthly ministry, we could say that Jesus entrusted the mission of a complete teaching of the truth to the Spirit. For this, he assured his followers: “However, when the Spirit of truth comes he will lead you to the complete truth” (Jn. 16:13). Jesus promises fervently that through the action of the Holy Spirit they will be led to the comprehension of the entire truth (on his person, on his doctrine and on the salvific project of the Father). The Spirit will not add anything to the truth proclaimed by Jesus, for in Jesus’ words: “all he reveals to you will be taken from what is mine” (Jn. 16:14). Therefore, the truth remains the same but it will be better understood with great profundity and richness by the disciples.

           Dear beloved in Christ, the Pentecost experience still continues, like the first Christian community today we are gathered, but unlike the first Christian community we are not waiting for the absent Spirit to come, rather we have to reawaken ourselves to the Spirit who is already present and working in, for and through us since we received Him during our Baptism. We only need to wake up to His presence. We need the Holy Spirit in all that we do, even Jesus at the beginning of his mission declared: ‘The Spirit of God is upon me” (Lk. 4:18; cf. Is. 61:1). We need Him in our weaknesses and He prays in us, for this St. Paul said that “the spirit comes to help in our weakness, for when we do not know how to pray properly, he intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words” (Rm. 8:26). It is the same Spirit that bears witness to our divine identity, as God’s children, “The Spirit himself joins our spirit to bear witness that we are children of God” (Rm. 8:16), he confirms our filial identity. And above all, St. Paul captured the essence of the Pentecost experience when he affirms and confirms that “our Hope does not disappoint us, for God has poured out His Love into our hearts by means of the Holy Spirit, who is God’s gift to us” (Rm. 5:5). May God continue to pour His gifts upon us through the Holy Spirit, the highest Gift of God. Come o Holy Spirit and fill our hearts with Love and with a hope that does not disappoint! Be renewed as we receive the outpouring! And as we welcome Him today may the same Spirit liberate us from all that do not allow us to be free sons and daughters of God! May He chase away the powers of darkness in our hearts and in our world with his Eternal light!

Come O Holy Spirit!

Come Father of the poor!

Come Our Great Intercessor!

Come the Liberator of mankind!

Come Gift of God Most High!

Come Love of the Father and the Son!

Come on everyone of Us!

Come so that we may become courageuos witnesses of the Risen Christ!!!

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

Loved, Called and Sent to be One!

(Homily for 7^th Sunday of Easter Year B)

     Upon proper perusal and reflection on the readings of this Sunday, one discovers that they help us to look back to what has happened before us: the event of Christ, and as well, help us to look at and forward to what is and what is to come: the on-going mission of the Church. A slight pause, therefore reveals that the central pillar of this Sunday’s message is the call of the disciples to be united in the Mission. Indeed, this Sunday in-between Ascension and Pentecost is a special one, for it looks backward and forward into the Event of Christ and its implication for the disciples (the Church). Little wonder, the ascended Christ sends his apostles to go and bear witness of his redemptive event to the world. It was for this purpose that Mathias was chosen to complete the symbolic number 12 and to bear witness to the Christ event (first reading). And the offshoot of this witnessing is the confession of Jesus as the Son of God to the world and its implementation in the life of the Chuch orchestrated by the phrase “love one another” (second reading). And lastly, in the Gospel, Jesus offers his priestly prayer to cement that love, to foster our unity, thus indicating an important factor: unity in mission!

    The first reading (Acts 1: 15-17.20a. 20c-26) is basically the narrative of the choice of Mathias, which in the Acts of the Apostles occupied the twelve days interval between the Ascension and the Pentecoste day. It is therefore, well situated into the context of this Sunday, in-between Ascension and the day of Pentecost. In the narrative, the number of the Twelve has to be made after the betrayal and defection of Judas. And the prerequisite was the choice of someone who was among those that received the resurrection appearances, possibly one of the five hundred (cf. 1Cor. 15:6).

      Be that as it may, the number 12 is symbolic, for the earthly Jesus appointed the Twelve as a sign of the eschatological community, a representation of the new Israel. In that bid, the choice of the twelfth man was geared towards the preservation of this eschatogical significance. Not only that, more importantly, in Luke’s parlance the Twelve serve as a bridge between the earthly Jesus and the ongoing mission and life of the Church. The basic requirement for the replacement, is that the person has to be a witness to the manifestations of God’s love {witness to the earthly life of Jesus and witness of his resurrection}. Matthias took the position and made up the deficiency of a missing part. We can see that the position was important but the person of Judas was not indispensable.

     The second reading (1John 4:11-16) is the continuation of the second reading of the previous week, and as it is typical of John, it repeated practically the themes of the preceding passage with slight difference. As such, the themes of God’s love, the recipocity of love among the faithful and the mutual indwelling of God in the faithful and the faithful in God resurfaced. Upon proper voyage into the Johannine corpus, one notices that when John makes his repetitions, usually he accompanies it with a new point, and in the context of our reading today, the new point revolves around the fact that this mutual indwelling is manifested glaringly in the confession of Jesus as the Son of God.

     St. John therefore, exemplifies the element that gives life to unity and that enlivens it.  The element in question is love. The apostle John advised that as God so loved us we should love one another. Here, Christ becomes the Reason and Model of our love. Our love should be an offshoot from God’s love. Love is like the cement that binds the people of God together, and as such, unity cannot be achieved without love. The unity that Christ asked for in His Sacerdotal prayer is a unity wrought out of love. We may therefore categorically say: “no love, no unity”. Above all else however, love is a sign of divine presence, because according to St. John “by this we know that we abide in him and him in us” (v.13). By what? By Love! (cf. vv.11-12). Once again, we meet this wonderful definition of love. Love in Jesus’ parlance is an action word.

     The Gospel pericope from St. John (Jn. 17:11b-19) presents the High Priestly Prayer of Jesus, or as some exegetes have termed it: “the Prayer of Consecration”. In this passage, Jesus consecrated himself in that the disciples may equally be consecrated for their mission, in order to be preserved in unity and truth even in the midst of persecutions. Once again, this passage is situated well into the context of our liturgical season, for the departure (Ascension) of Jesus paved way for the inauguration of the mission of the Apostles. In the same vein therefore, the prayer looks forward to the event of Pentecost, but also beyond it, to the mission of the Church.

     Jesus considered his earthly mission to have been concluded, and he already situates himself outside the world, that he was about to leave. Conscious of his would-be absence he prayed for the disciples that are going to be left alone in an adverse and hostile world, in the midst of persecution and hatred. The belonging of the disciples to Jesus by adhension to his Word separates them from the world, as such, attracts hatred and persecution for them (v.14). He addresses his prayer to the Father “Holy Father, keep those you have given me true to your name, so that they may be one like us” (Jn. 17:11b). His invocation was addressed to the Father. He addressed the Father with the appellatives “Holy”, the transcendent God, and also “Father” as such not a distanct God, He is in an intimate union with the Son. Jesus invokes the Father in a tender manner, in order to keep the disciples in their struggle against evil. He asked the Father to keep or to guard them in his name, with the power that springs from his omnipotency. He prays the Father to preserve the disciples in fidelity to his revelation. By the effects of the Father’s guardiance, the disciples can experience that same profound union that united the Father and the Son. He says he kept all, except the Son of perdition, that is Judas (who lost his place among the twelve, and was replaced with Mathias). Jesus says “so that they will have fullness of joy” (13-16). Jesus invokes the assistance of the Father so that their joy will be full. This joy indeed is an eschatological gift (cf. 15:11; 16:24), a total joy that is identified with the communion with the Father and the Son in a reciprocal indwelling.

      In the 17^th chapter of the gospel of John, Jesus is seen praying for different purposes, at the first part of the chapter Jesus prays for Himself (17:1-5), and in the second part prays for his disciples (17:6-26). In the passage of today’s gospel, our Lord Jesus Christ was seen praying to God the Father in a very exceptional way. This is traditionally known as the priestly prayer of our Lord Jesus Christ. The highlight of his prayer was the need for his disciples (which includes all of us) to be one as he is one with the Father. “Why was that supplication very important to our Lord Jesus Christ? Why was he wishing that they all be one?” Our Lord Jesus Christ thus prayed for Oneness so that his disciples can share in the unity existent between Him and the Father. For any apparent unity and oneness that are not founded on God, sooner or later colapses (cf. Gen. 11:1-7). No doubt, one of the easiest ways towards destruction and failure in life is through disunity. This can be seen in families, communities and nations. It is often said: “together we stand but divided we fall.” Jesus prayed for oneness in the “Name” of the Father, because in the Old Testament the name of God indicates his being, supremacy and manifestation, and this manifestation is that of love. The name of God is Love. Little wonder, Jesus asks the protection of the Father so that they will remain united in his name (in his love), in a reciprocal love. Jesus further prayed for their consecration in the Truth, and the sanctification of Jesus for his people culminates in his death, a death that is beaming with love. That is the truth they are to be consecrated in, which has to become the lung of their Mission.

     Jesus in his sacerdotal prayer intercedes for his disciples. He prays that his work may continue through the disciples, in a unity of charity, a participation in the unity of the Father and the Son (vv.20-23). It is a holy, apostolic and uinversal unity, which is to be consumated in eternal love. The spirit of this longest prayer of Jesus, resembles the one in his short prayer forms found in (cf. Jn. 11:41; 12:27; Mt.11:25; Lk. 22:42).

     In all, this Sunday is the last before the Pentecost, little wonder, the messages emanating from the readings are preparatory. Evidently, our Lord Jesus Christ prepares the ground for his disciples before the coming of the Holy Spirit. Extrapolating from this passage, he was actually communicating to them and to us, that before the Holy Spirit comes we should be united as one. We should be bound together in love. If we peep into the upper room before the coming of the Holy Spirit we could see that all the believers were together in ONE place and in ONE accord (Act 2:1). Similarly, as Jesus offered his prayer to the Father for love and unity among his disciples and among us today, we pray that the efficacy of His Priestly prayer may be felt the more in our world, nations and families torn apart by the presages of war, division, dissension and hatred. May the power of His Priestly prayer dissipate the darkness that discord and disunity have implanted in our hearts. May we all be united in His love! Amen!!!

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

The Ascension Event!

(Homily for the Solemnity of Ascension Year B)

         The Ascension of Jesus to Heaven that we are celebrating today, concludes his earthly life, and yet opens a way for another type of presence. However, narrating this great event the Evangelists seem to do so with discretion. Mark as we can see in today’s gospel passage did not talk about it in a detailed manner, he says: “And so the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven; there at the right hand of God he took his place” (Mk. 16:19). In his own account Mathew says: “the eleven went to Galilea on the mountain that Jesus indicated to them”. Analogously, Luke in his gospel (Lk. 24:46-53) and in the Acts of the Apostles (first reading) expressed: “He was assumed into heaven, he was elevated on high, before their eyes and a cloud covered him before their gaze” (Acts 1:9). This entails that the visible presence of Jesus on earth has paved way for his presence in another modality. At the celebration of the Ascension of our Lord Jesus into heaven, it is very easy to allow oneself to be carried away by the imagination and fantasy of thinking that it has to do with some sort of levitation or a physical phenomenon. Instead, here we are before a mystery, a truth of faith that we are called to believe, and not a phenomenon to be explained with the human sciences.

          The Gospel of Mark (Mk. 16:15-20) almost made a leap, thus instead of the Ascension, paid much attention to the mission of the Apostles. Before going to the Father he orders them: “Go to the whole world and preach the gospel to all creatures”. Therefore, believing in the Good News and accepting baptism in the name of Jesus will be indispensable for salvation. Indeed, here begins the mission of the Church, her universal mission by the will of Christ because the Good News is to the “whole world” and to “all creatures”, and the proclamation of the “Good News” will be accompanied and confirmed with “signs” and prodigies, which will be revelative of the presence of Christ (they will cast out demons, they will speak new languages).

           St. Mark concludes his narration with an interesting annotation: “while they (the apostles) going out, preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word by the signs that accompanied it” (Mk. 16:20). They apostles conformed themselves to the trust accorded to them by Jesus. For they carried out their mission with courage and ardor. And Jesus on the other hand, never was found wanting in manifesting his presence, thus rendering their words of preaching efficacious and certain of this divine assistance, the Church has to continue to perpetrate in time, the mission of the apostles, to ensure that the Good News resounds in every time and in every angle of the earth.

         In all, towards the end of today’s Gospel passage, St. Mark in brief reports the event of the Ascension thus: “And so the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven; there at the right hand of God he took his place” (Mk. 16:19). And upon reflection on the event of Christ’s Ascension into heaven, we deem it fit to make three considerations talking about the event in connection to us, thus:

1)      It confirms our faith in Jesus Christ. Christ is truly risen. He is alive. He is with us. In his words: “I will not leave you orphans” (Jn. 14:18), “I am with you always; yes, to the end of time” (Mt. 28:20).

2)      It revives our hope, for one day we shall be where the Risen Lord has preceded us to be at the Father’s right hand, “Anyone who proves victorious I will allow to share my throne, just as I have myself overcome and have taken my seat with my Father on his throne” (Rev. 3:21).

3)      It stimulates our Christian sense of duty and responsibility: “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to the whole creation” (Mk. 16:15), “you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8b), “why are you Galileans standing here looking up to heaven” (Acts 1:11a).

      The Ascension into heaven is a full participation of Jesus to the life of God, as the God-man. Indeed, the Ascension Event does not inaugurate a period of distance or complete absence of Jesus from his people, rather, it inaugurates a new type of presence. For He says: “I will not leave you orphans, I will return to you” (Jn. 14:18). In fact, he has promised “It is for your own good that I am going, because unless I go, the Paraclete will not come to you” (Jn.16:7). And not by chance that Mathew ended his gospel with the great and reassuring promise of Jesus: “Look, I am with you, till the end of time” (Mt. 28:20).

          The new presence that Jesus begins with the Ascension Event entails an invisible but real presence, which he actualizes through the coming of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the Ascension Event stimulates us equally to believe that Christ is really present in his Church, for the Holy Spirit continues to work in the Church and in every single Christian.

          From this moment begins the “time of the Church”, of her mission in the world, as orchestrated in the first reading: “Men of Galilea, why do you stand and look up to heaven?” (Acts 1:11a) This was the question that “the two men in white” asked the apostles, who were gazing at Jesus as he ascends. As if to call their attention on the need of not wasting time on nostalgic regrets. It is not a time to observe Him like a bystander, rather it is time for and of action, time of realization of the Kingdom of God that Jesus has inaugurated on earth, and as such, time of witnessing!

          In all, the first reading and the gospel bring clearly to light the main message of today that the ascension does not mean that Jesus has gone from us, even though he is no longer visibly present, but he is still with us. Above all, the experience of the Ascension is a confirmation of the promise of Jesus “I will go and prepare a place for you” (Jn. 14:2-3). It is the assurance of the coming of the Holy Spirit “If I do not go away, the advocate will not come to you” (Jn.16:7). The Newtonian law of Gravity seems to have relevance within the framework of the Ascension event “whatever goes up must surely come down”. Applied to the Ascension we believe that he will come down as he ascended as Luke told us (cf. Acts 1:11b). It was an end and a beginning at the same time for the disciples. May the Event of His Ascension into Heaven reawaken our faith, our hope and our Christian sense of duty! Amen!!!

Happy Ascension to You All!!!

 (Fr. Vitus M.C. Unegbu, SC)