April 21, 2024; 4th Sunday Easter; Year (B)

                                Readings: Acts 4:8-12; 1 John 3:1-2; Jn. 10:11-18 

We Are the Sheep of His Flock

1.     In many world cultures, God is perceived as a woman–mother. Perhaps because mothers care, love, and are dedicated to their children. Mothers are compassionate and forgiving and have the ability to empathize and feel for their children in ways that are difficult to describe. Mothers will be willing to sacrifice their lives for their children. I know a woman who refused to abort her baby to save her life. She died so that her child may live. The mother’s love can be likened to Christ’s love. All the mother’s attributes can fittingly describe the virtues of a good shepherd. Hence, Christ calls Himself a ‘Good Shepherd’. A good shepherd is prepared and willing to lay down his life to save others. Christ assures us of this when he says: “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (Jn. 15:13). Christ laid down his life for us because he loves us. “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.” (Jer. 31:3). 

2.     To understand why Christ is our Good Shepherd, we must realize that God’s love is before and essential for any human value. “Love consists in this: Not that we have loved God but that he has loved us first.” (1 John 4:10). John tells us point blank, “God is love.” (John 4:16). In today’s Gospel, Jesus says of Himself: “I am the good shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (Jn.10:11). The protection of the Shepherd and his willingness to lay down his life for the sheep is seen, not just in women but even in animals. The maternal instinct is to guard, protect, and defend those entrusted to their care. There is a story told of firefighters who were putting out the last hot spots in a forest fire. Such fires can rage with intense heat and spread quickly, overtaking animals. In the course of their work, a firefighter came across a mother bird sitting on the ground, charred black in death. Why hadn’t the bird flown up to safety, the firefighter wondered to himself. Had it been sick or injured? But as he lifted the bird up, he found the reason why. Beneath the dead mother’s body were five baby chicks. The mother bird had sacrificed her life to keep her chicks safe. And that is what the Good Shepherd, Christ, did for humanity on that Good Friday afternoon. He laid down his life for humanity, to save us from damnation, and reconciled us to God the Father. St. Paul reminds us, “Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person, though perhaps for a good person, one might even find courage to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we were sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rom. 5:7-8).  

 

3.     In calling himself a good shepherd, Jesus distinguished himself from other shepherds who were not good. “…Woe to the shepherds of Israel who have been pasturing themselves! Should not shepherds, rather pasture sheep?” You have fed off their milk, worn their wool, and slaughtered the fatlings, but the sheep you have not pastured…. I will claim my sheep from them and stop their shepherding my sheep so that they may no longer pasture themselves…I myself will look after and tend my sheep.” (Ezek. 34:2-16). While we shepherd the flock entrusted to our care, we must be like Jesus. Jesus shows us how to care for the lost sheep in Luke 15:1-7. He hears the cries of His sheep and comes to their rescue. “I myself will pasture my sheep; I myself will give them rest. The lost I will seek out, the strayed I will bring back, the injured I will bind up, the sick I will heal.” (Ezekiel 34:15-16). “Like a shepherd, he feeds his flock; in his arms he gathers the lambs, carrying them in his bosom and leading the ewes with care.” (Is. 40:11).

4.     David praised the Good Shepherd thus, “The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want. In green pastures you let me graze; to safe waters you lead me; you restore my strength. You guide me along the right path for the sake of your name.” (Ps. 23:1-3). Who are our shepherds? They are our parents, police officers, military men and women, teachers, doctors, priests. They are our leaders, spiritual and temporal. They are those placed in positions of authority over us. Their duties are to guard, defend, and protect us. Anyone in a position of authority over us is our Shepherd, and we are the sheep of their flock. How they shepherd us matters. Hence, we demand accountability from them. That is why we hold our police officers accountable and demand that they be responsible in their policing. At the same time, we, as the sheep, must be humble and obedient, listening to the voice of the Good Shepherd and following their lead. The Shepherd must know their sheep, and the sheep must know their Shepherd. Let us embrace our role as sheep with humility and obedience.

5.     We pray at this Mass that we may see the Good Shepherd who meets us in the hour of our needs. Like the sheep of his flock, let us listen to our Good Shepherd and hear Him call us by name and lead us to green pasture, to God our Father. Amen! In the presence of our Good Shepherd, we find comfort and guidance, a sense of security and trust. Let us open our hearts to His voice and feel His loving care. 

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP.

April 14, 2024; 3rd Sunday of Easter; Year (B)

Readings: Acts 3:13-15,17-19; 1 Jn. 2:1-5; Lk. 24:35-48 

You Are My Witnesses!

1.     In today’s first reading, Peter used the occasion of the healing of a crippled beggar at the beautiful gate to address the people on the resurrection of Jesus. He emphasized that the man was cured through the invocation of the name of Jesus, whom they had put to death but who was raised to life. He blamed Christ’s death on them. “You denied the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. The author of life you put to death, but God raised him from the dead; of this we are witnesses.” (Acts 3:14-15). He reminded them, “I know that you acted out of ignorance, just as your leaders did, but God has thus brought to fulfillment what he had announced beforehand through the mouth of all the prophets, that his Messiah would suffer. Repent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be wiped away, and that the Lord may grant you times of refreshment and send you the Messiah already appointed for you, Jesus.” (Acts 3:17-21). Peter linked the resurrection of Christ to repentance and forgiveness of sins and called his listeners to be his witnesses in the world.

2.     As Christians, we must believe that Christ died and rose again from the dead. St. Paul made this point clear: “If there is no resurrection of the dead, then neither has Christ been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then empty too is our preaching; empty too, your faith.” (1 Cor. 15:12-14). We are called to be witnesses to the resurrection of Christ. Christ’s resurrection is the basic foundation of our faith. Faith in the resurrection will transform our lives as it did the Apostles. The Apostles endured pain and suffering because they were changed from cowards to bold preachers. When warned against preaching in the name of the risen Christ, Peter had this to say, “Whether it is right in the sight of God for us to obey you rather than God, you be the judges. It is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:19-20). The resurrection of Christ makes sense when humanity understands the reason for his death, which is repentance and forgiveness of sins: “The God of our ancestors raised Jesus though you had him killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as leader and savior to grant Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins; we are witnesses of these things as is the holy Spirit that God has given to those who obey him.” (Acts 5:29-32). 

3.     If Adam and Eve had obeyed God in the Garden of Eden, there would have been no Good Friday. Therefore, we sing in Exultet, “Our birth would have been no gain had we not been redeemed. O wonder of your humble care for us! O love, O charity beyond all telling, to ransom a slave you gave away your Son! O truly necessary sin of Adam, destroyed completely by the Death of Christ! O happy fault that earned so great, so glorious a Redeemer.” Having celebrated his death, we must be witnesses to his resurrection. For we all have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God.” (Rom. 3:21). Hence, in the second reading John tells us that he is writing “This to you so that you may not commit sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous one. He is expiation for our sins.” (1 John 2: 1-2). If we truly believe that Christ died and rose again, we must live a life of forgiveness and repentance. We must die to ourselves to live for others. A life of forgiveness is necessary for witnessing Christ’s resurrection. Paul tells us that God had reconciled us to Himself through Christ and given us the ministry of reconciliation. “So, we are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ to be reconciled to God. For our sake, he made him to be sin who did not know sin so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.” (2 Cor. 5:118-21). 

4.     In the gospel, we see Jesus Christ as a stranger walking on the road with two of his disillusioned disciples. He felt their pains and frustrations. He spoke to them, opened their minds to scriptures, and explained to them that he needed to have suffered to rise again. He led them to appreciate the Eucharist, the greatest act of thanksgiving. They were energized to return to the community, fully equipped, to proclaim the good news that Christ was alive. Through the resurrection of Christ, miracles can happen in our lives if we believe in him. He can change us. We can begin to forgive hurts, reconcile with our enemies, stop bad habits, and rebuild our lives. Our marriages can be restored, racial discrimination can be sacrificed over the table of brotherhood, and discords can give way to friendship built on trust, love, and forbearance. Because we have experienced God’s forgiveness, we can now be agents of God’s forgiveness and love. When we are confused, we must turn to Jesus. When in doubt, go to Him for comfort. When we are disappointed, Christ will console us. He understands us now more than ever before. Christ will always meet us on the way of our worries, fears, and anxiety and restore our lives, for he has indeed risen. Alleluia!

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang MSP

April 07, 2024 (Divine Mercy Sunday), Second Sunday of Easter; Year (B)

Readings: Acts 4:32-35; 1 Jn. 5:1-6; Jn. 20:19-31 

Be Merciful, for Your Heavenly Father is Merciful

1.     Easter is the celebration of the sacred and the secular, the celestial and the mundane, faith and doubt, the absence and the presence. It is a celebration of hate and love, the merciless and the merciful. It is a celebration of God’s mercy to mankind and man’s continuous abandonment of God’s love. Today, we mark Divine Mercy Sunday, a day that holds the transformative power of grace and forgiveness. On April 30, 2000, during the canonization of Faustina Kowalska, Pope John Paul ll designated today as the Divine Mercy Sunday. Sister Faustina received from Jesus the biggest promises of grace related to the Devotion of Divine Mercy, in particular, that a person who goes to sacramental confession and receives Holy Communion on that day shall obtain the total forgiveness of all sins. On April 22, 2001, Pope John Paul ll, in his Easter message, stated: “Jesus said to St. Faustina one day: “Humanity will never find peace until it turns with trust to Divine Mercy. Divine Mercy! This is the Easter gift that the Church receives from the risen Christ and offers to humanity.”

2.     In the first reading, we see the community of God’s people bound together in mercy and love. They were not perfect! They were broken, yes, but full of hope. They enjoyed a communal life of prayer, breaking the word and the Eucharist, sharing, selling property, caring for one another, and sharing meals. They were not forced to share what they had; it was done freely and in the spirit of the risen Lord. Within the community, some people lied about selling their property, like Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11). In that Christian community, some denied Christ, and others were absent from community gatherings and prayer. We even met two men on their way to Emmaus who left the community last week because they were disappointed with the death of Christ. They had their minds closed to the resurrection of Christ. Yet in the Gospel, Christ met them as a stranger, consoled and opened their minds to the Scriptures, and led them to the Eucharist. He appeared to the disciples together and wished them peace. There was no condemnation, judgment, malice, or anger, only love, forgiveness, and mercy. Because with the Lord, there is mercy and fullness of redemption. (Ps. 130).

3.     In today’s gospel, though Thomas was absent from the community when he first appeared, Christ did not ignore him; he accommodated him with his weaknesses and shortcomings. He invited him to come to touch his wounds and be healed. Doubt no longer; it is I, so do not be afraid. Yes, there was healing and forgiveness; faith was restored, and a profession of faith was elicited: My Lord and my God! This is what mercy means: to have a heart of compassion for those who suffer or a heart willing to suffer for others. “Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in his footsteps.” (1 Peter 2:21). But that is not all. The seven works of mercy demand that we instruct the ignorant, counsel the doubtful – we all have doubts and questions about our faith, like Thomas; that we admonish the sinner, that we bear wrongs patiently, that we forgive offenses willingly and finally, that we comfort the afflicted and pray for the living and dead. Christ also gave the Spirit to His Apostles and entrusted to them the power to forgive sins. “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” (Jn. 20:23). We experience the mercy of God more when we humble ourselves and go to God in the sacrament of reconciliation and penance. There we meet, face to face with the God of mercy and love, a God of forgiveness, who said: “As I live, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked man, but rather in the wicked man’s conversion, that he may live.” (Ezek. 33:11).

4.     With the mercy of God, we know and are convinced that good will always triumph over evil, that life is stronger than death, and that God’s love is more powerful than our sins. In the Paschal mystery we just celebrated, God our Father appeared to us as a tender-hearted Father who does not give up in the face of his children’s ingratitude and is always ready to forgive us. According to St. Paul, “Where sin increased, grace overflow all the more, so that as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through justification for eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Rom. 5:21-22).

5.     Let me conclude with the words of Jesus. “Love your enemies and do good to them. Lend expecting nothing back; then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Stop judging, and you will not be judged. Stop condemning, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will, in return, be measured out to you.” (Lk. 6:35-38). So be compassionate, kind, forgiving, and loving. This is not just a suggestion but a call to action, a reminder of the core values of our faith. This is how we know that we are God’s children if we love one another. May God bless and keep you now and always. Amen.

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP

March 31, 2024; Mass of the Resurrection - Easter Day (Year B)

Readings: Acts 10:34, 37-43; Col.3:1-4; Lk. 24:13-35 

The Stranger that Cares

1.    On the day of the resurrection, Mary went to the tomb and did not see the body. She then ran to Peter and reported: “They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him.” Peter and John ran to the tomb, equally confused. The younger man, John, outran Peter and got to the tomb first but did not go in. Peter got there later, went in, and noticed the empty tomb. John then went in and saw the burial clothes neatly folded and put aside. He saw and believed. That is the resurrection account as recorded by St John’s Gospel. However, I want to reflect on St. Luke’s account this morning with the theme, The Stranger that cares.

2.    Today’s Gospel tells us that when we are in need, are bereaved, or sad, we need a stranger who cares, our community’s support, and the word of God to encourage and strengthen us. It also reprimands us for walking away from the community when we are depressed, sad, disillusioned, disappointed, discouraged, and defeated by unforeseen life circumstances. The community will be there to support and enable us to carry on. The Word of God will always be at hand to assure us that God is real and that He cares, and the Stranger will somehow come around to put things in perspective for us. 

3.    The feeling of Cleopas, one of the disciples on their way to Emmaus, described how they felt at the death of Jesus. Of course, he remembered when “Jesus told his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised” (Mt.16:21). He did not quite make out what Christ meant by that. He was still sad and disappointed at his death. Cleopas and his fellow disappointed travelers on the way to Emmaus expressed their frustration when the Stranger asked what they were discussing as they walked along. “They stopped, looking downcast. One of them, Cleopas, said to him in reply “Are you’re the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know of the things that have taken place there in these days?” The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, how our chief priests and rulers both handed him over to a sentence of death and crucified him. But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel.” (Lk. 24:18-21).

4.    When we are sad, perplexed, and disappointed, we often close our minds to the scriptures, turn away from the church, run away from our community, and feel that we are all alone. Usually, we ask why me, Lord? We fall into self-pity and exhibit a complete lack of trust in the person of Christ and, sometimes, in our hopelessness, take to self-destructive practices to escape from our problems. At times like these, we do not often see the Stranger in front of us asking if he could do anything for us. This is the story of the resurrection. Sadness, death, and depression should not, in any way, have the last say in our lives. Even from the darkness of the tomb, the risen Christ is waiting to turn things around for us. Our community, our family, our friends, and our support system are ready to come to our rescue. The word of God is there to point the way, and of course, the Stranger who cares will speak the words that will make our hearts burn within us as we listen to him, and he will lead us to the Eucharist. We will recognize him again at the breaking of the bread, for he told us, ‘Do this in remembrance of him.’     

5.    The resurrection of Christ reminds us that we are Easter people living in a Good Friday world. Yes, we are still broken, and we are weak. We have anger issues. We are short-tempered, stubborn, jealous, ill-mannered, frustrated. We still experience the worries of this life. But the resurrection of Christ assures us that God loves us and that Christ has conquered our weaknesses and death. Yes, to every Good Friday, there is Easter Sunday. To every failure, there is strength in the risen Lord. Every hurt and wrongdoing we can forgive is proof of the resurrection. When we give in charity, say a kind word, console, or show compassion and mercy, every visit to the sick or kindness showed to the downtrodden attests to the resurrection and our faith in the risen Lord. We may be weak, but the Lord is strong. He is The Stranger who cares. He is Emmanuel, God with us. We are Easter people, so we cannot stop singing alleluia. Paul encourages us: “If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.” (Col. 3:1). Because Christ is alive today, we can see tomorrow. “He will change our lowly body to conform with his glorified body by the power that enables him also to bring all things into subjection to himself.” (Philippians. 3:21). 

6.    The resurrection changed Peter from being a coward to a fearless preacher. It changed Paul from a persecutor to a missionary. He can also change us if we believe in his resurrection. Jesus showed Thomas his wounded hands and side and healed his disbelief. Let us touch his wounds so that our wounds may be healed. Let us open our eyes to the possibilities that the Stranger who cares brings to our lives. May we not take our community for granted or question the importance of our support system provided by our families, friends, church, and so many people who may care for us even more than our blood relatives. The Stranger in our midst may have gone through his own pains, deprivations, or even death, but he is the wounded healer. Through his wounds, we are healed. He is our resurrection and our life, our Lord and our Savior; He is our Messiah; oh yes, He is the Stranger that cares for us. He came so that we may have life and have it abundantly. Let us rejoice that he who was dead and buried has returned to life. Rejoice, therefore, for Christ is indeed risen. Alleluia!

                                    Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP

March 24, 2024; Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord (Year B)

Readings: Is. 50:4-7; Phil. 2:6-11; Mk. 14:1-15:47 

Christ’s Suffering is Our Hope

1.    At this Mass, we celebrate and welcome Christ into Jerusalem to begin his passion, death, and resurrection. We must follow Jesus from the joyful celebration to his cross on Calvary and finally to the resurrection. The palms we carry today demonstrate fully the importance of the suffering of Christ. The letter to Hebrews tells us that Christ, the “Son of God, learned obedience from what he suffered; and when he was made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.” (Heb. 5:9).

2.    Palm Sunday reminds us of the humility of Christ. The second reading expressed it thus: “Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Phil. 2:6-8). The triumph of Jesus through his humility brings salvation to the world. Christ did not shy away from suffering. He knew that there would be no crown for the world without him passing through the pain, suffering, and accepting the shameful death of the cross. St. Paul tells us, “Christ ransomed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written, cursed be everyone who hangs on a tree.”” (Gal. 3:13). May we not be ashamed of the Cross of Christ, for it is in that cross that we find our salvation. Christ reminds us, “Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life.” (Jn. 12:24-25) “And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.” (Jn. 12:32). 

3.    Isaiah, the prophet, explains why Christ was able to obey his Father’s will. He listened to God. “Morning after morning, he opens my ear that I may hear, and I have not rebelled, have not turned back. I gave my cheeks to those who plucked my beard; I did not shield my face from buffets and spitting.” (Is. 50:4-6). Through prayer, Christ heard his Father and followed his direction. His will was to do the will of his Father. According to the letter to the Hebrews: “For this reason, when he came into the world, he said: “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; holocausts and sin offerings you took no delight in. Behold, I come to do your will, O God.” (Heb. 10:5-7).

4.    We, as Christians, must accept suffering if we are to enjoy life with God. We must be humble in our service to God and humanity. The passion of Christ presented us with many personalities in the life of Jesus. It showed the unwavering courage of Christ. His face was set on Jerusalem despite knowing that the chief priests and the scribes were plotting against him. Many acts of kindness followed Jesus during his journey to the cross, but prayer was the key to everything. Even when it seemed that God had forsaken him, he remained confident in God’s presence. Let us take these words to heart today: “What will separate us from the love of Christ? Will anguish, distress, or persecution famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword? No, in all these things, we conquer overwhelmingly through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angel, or principalities, nor present height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom. 8:35-38).

5.     As we embark on the journey with the Lord into his passion, death, and resurrection, let us not allow anything to divert us from the love of Christ. Jesus is more than the collective will of the evil one to distract us from God’s way. The passion of Christ, though filled with suffering, will undoubtedly lead to the glorious resurrection. Let this assurance fill our hearts with hope and strengthen our faith. Amen!

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP

March 17, 2024; 5th Sunday of Lent; (Year B)

Readings: Jer. 31:31-34; Heb. 5:7-9; Jn. 12:20-33

Dying You destroyed our Death.

1.     When I was young, I was curious about things. During the planting season one year, I told my mom that I wanted to plant peanuts. I got my seed, went to the garden, and started farming. I wanted to see the seed grow so bad that I kept digging it up. I did not allow the seed to die to grow. My mom told me to stop digging the seed up but to keep watering it and give it time to grow. The lesson is that if the seed does not die or germinate, it will not grow and bear fruit. That is the message of today’s gospel. “Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life.” That is the paradox of life that speaks to every situation we encounter. Something must be given for something else to happen.

2.     The first reading is about God’s new covenant with the children of Israel. “The days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their fathers the day I took them by the hand to lead them forth from the land of Egypt, for they broke my covenant.” (Jer. 31:31-32). Because that covenant was broken due to sin, God initiated a new way of dealing with his people. According to the letter to the Hebrews, “When he speaks of a “new” covenant, he declares the first one obsolete.” (Heb. 9:13). The new covenant will need no mediator or an intermediary like Moses. I will be based on an individual and personal relationship with God. “I will place my law within them and write it upon their hearts; I will be their God, and they shall be my people. No longer will they need to teach their friends and kinsmen how to know the Lord. All, from least to greatest, shall know me, says the Lord, for I will forgive their evildoing and remember their sin no more.” (Jer. 31:34). The new covenant is marked by God’s forgiveness and man’s obedience to God. The letter to Hebrews states that even the “Son of God learned obedience from what he suffered; and when he was made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.” (Heb. 5:9).  

3.     During Lent, we acknowledge our need for God by dying to ourselves to live a new life of grace. We must be the grain of wheat that must let go of its life to bear bountiful fruit to feed the hungry. Forgiveness is the new law written in our hearts. God’s forgiveness is the new thing God is doing in the world. Hence, Isaiah tells us, “See, I am doing something new! Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it.” (Is. 43:19). This is reechoed in Hebrews, “For I will forgive their evildoing and remember their sins no more.” (Heb.8:12). We die to ourselves each time we forgive hurts done to us even as we bear fruit that will endure.

4.     We are elated when we experience God’s forgiveness through the sacrament of reconciliation and grateful when forgiven by friends. The feeling is liberating and transformative. It is the grain of wheat in us dying to give life to the world. God the Father died in sending his Son into the world. The Son became the grain of wheat when he gave his life on the cross so that we may look at him and live. “And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.” (Jn. 12:32). At baptism, we died to sin, like the grain of wheat, and rose with Jesus to share eternal life of grace with God. In the confessional, we pray with the Psalmist, “A clean heart create for me, O God and a steadfast spirit renew within me.” (Ps.51:12-13). We die to our pride, confess our sins, and receive God’s forgiveness. We become a new creation and inject goodness, kindness, and forgiveness into our world. 

5.     So dear friends, like the Greeks who went to see Jesus in the Gospel, let us seek the company of Jesus during the remaining part of this Lenten season. Let us not be afraid to give our lives to God. This means letting go of the past and embracing the here and now. By dying to ourselves we come to life in Christ. So, what is holding you back? Past hurts, strangulating relationships, broken hearts or relationships, lack of motivation, failed marriage, or Death in the family? Could it be the sickness of parents and loved ones? Are you stuck in the past and find it difficult to let go and let God? We will not experience a new life with Christ if we do not die to ourselves. Yes, it may be hard to move on. But no one said it would be easy. It was not easy for Christ. Look at Him in the garden of Gethsemane. “He was in such agony, and he prayed so fervently that his sweat became like drops of blood falling on the ground.” (Lk. 22:44). Yet He died to himself so that we may have life in him. “For our sake God made him to be sin who did not know sin so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.” (2 Cor. 5:21). 

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP

March 10, 2024; 4th Sunday of Lent (Year B) Year A for Scrutiny

                    Readings: 2 Chr. 36:14-16; Eph. 2:4-10; Jn. 3:14-21 

                                    The unconditional Love of God 

1. Who can lay claims on God’s love? Does anyone deserve God’s love? “If you, Lord, mark our sins, Lord, who can stand? But with you is forgiveness and so you are revered.” (Ps.130:3-4). St. Paul reminds us in the second reading: “God, who is rich in mercy, because of the great love he had for us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, brought us to life with Christ.” (Eph. 2:4-7). Adam and Eve disobeyed and abandoned God’s covenant. As St. Paul writes, “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, in this way death spread to all because all sinned.” (Rom. 5:12). Sin entered the world due to the manipulation of Satan and caused such ripple effects that Brother revolted against Brother and killed him. This is how Jeremiah describes the heart: “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” (Jer. 17:9).   

 

2. The world was in a terrible mess of sin and depravity when God sent his Son. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.” (Jn. 3:16). Many people do not believe that God cares about the world or even loves humanity. I once asked a couple preparing for the sacrament of marriage if they intended to have children. Their answer was in the negative. They reasoned that they would not bring a child into this messed-up world. They felt that God had departed from the world and that there was nothing good in it anymore. It is easy to find fault with the world in its present corruption and decay. If we are to be a little dramatic, we may even say that God does not care. Why not? Our world is such a corrupt, dangerous, and sinful place. We hear in the News every day about war and insurrection in nations of the world. There is hunger, greed, deceit, betrayal, abortion, infidelity, broken families, murder, accident, sickness, death, riots, revolts, and police brutality everywhere. Our world is not different from that of the first reading, where “All the princes of Judah, the priests, and the people added infidelity to infidelity, practicing all the abominations of the nations and polluting the Lord’s temple which he had consecrated in Jerusalem.” (2 Chr. 36: 14). Don’t you feel like shouting, stop the world, and let me out! 

 

3. And yet, those disappointed with the world and her creator are told: “For God so loved the world,” not only that God loves the world, He gave his beloved Son, not to condemn the world but so that the world might be saved through him. I am sure God knows that humanity has abused his gift of free will. God knows that we tend to put ourselves first in everything and are self-centered, egoistic, and manipulative. He knows that we lie, cheat, and hate. We are the reason for the ugly state of our world. God could have destroyed us and formed a new people if he so wished, yet he said, “With age-old love, I have loved you; I have kept my mercy toward you. I will restore you, and you shall be rebuilt.” (Jer. 31:3-4). The author of the book of Wisdom addresses God thus, “For you love all things that are and loathe nothing you have made; for what you hated; you would not have fashioned. And how could a thing remain, unless you willed it; but you spare all things, because they are yours, O Lord, and lover of souls.” (Wisdom 11:24-26).  

  

4. God insists that the world is loveable and should be saved by no other person than his only Son. Instead of destroying the world, His Son would give his life on the cross as a ransom for many so as “to gather into one the dispersed children of God.” (Jn. 11:52). Just like God used the pagan king Cyrus of Persia to set the children Israel free from bondage and enabled them to restore the temple in Jerusalem, He now sends his Son, out of love, to sacrifice his life, out of love, to redeem us from damnation and ensure that we have abundance life of grace with him. “I came so that they might have life and have it abundantly.” (Jn. 10:10). 

  

5. So, dear friends, on this fourth Sunday of Lent, let us resolve to love the world because God loves humanity. Instead of causing darkness, let us bring about light and make that light shine for all to see. Pray that the world may be a better place beginning with you. Stop blaming God for the ills of the world and see your role in creating a messed-up world so that we may be part of the cleaning process. Lent is about acknowledging our need for God and deepening our relationship with God and others. We do this through a committed life of prayer, almsgiving, fasting, and abstinence. Since nothing is impossible for God to do, let us open our minds and hearts to God and celebrate his presence and goodness even amid sin. For “Where sin increased, grace overflowed all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through justification for eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Rom. 5:20-21). Amen.   

 

 

 

 

Fourth Sunday of Lent; Year (A) March 10, 2024 

Readings: 1 Samuel 16:1, 6-7, 10-13; Ephesians 5:8-14; John 9:1-41 

(For 2nd Scrutiny) 

Who Sinned? 

1. To the question: “Who sinned?” Jesus answered, “Neither he nor his parents sinned; it is so that the works of God might be made visible through him.” In the face of severe disasters and social upheaval, our question should not be ‘Who sinned?’ Instead, we should open our eyes to see how the glory of God would be made manifest. Today’s gospel reading points us away from the darkness of sin to Christ, the light of the world, as seen in the cure of the blind man. Christ came to drive away the darkness that envelopes us so we may be bathed in his light. We have been too complacent to the extent that we do not see Christ in our midst. We must, therefore, open our eyes and wake from our spiritual blindness so that Christ may shine forth in our lives. In the second reading, St. Paul reminds us to “Live as children of light, for light produces every kind of goodness and righteousness and truth… awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.” 

 

2. We are all blind in one way or the other. Our blindness may be physical, moral, or spiritual. Physical blindness, like the man born blind, may be our inability to see with our eyes. But that does not mean the blind person is disabled. When we are deprived of one sense, like sight, touch, smell, taste, or hearing, other senses are heightened and enabled to fill in for the lost one. We can be morally blind when we cannot see our defects or when we are in denial of them. Spiritual blindness may be caused by an inability to see Jesus in our lives due to ignorance, hatred, anger, superstition, or cynicism. Today, Jesus cured the blind man of his physical and spiritual blindness. He also healed the blindness of those around him and convicted those who felt they could see. They were blind and refused to recognize Christ in their midst. They were blinded by their hatred of Jesus and projected that hatred to the man now healed of his blindness.   

 

3. God’s healing power is not just curative but transformative. It can elevate us from the depths of obscurity to the heights of greatness, as we see in the story of David in the first reading. Christ’s mission is not just to heal our blindness, whether physical, moral, or spiritual, but to transform us into his disciples. However, this transformation requires our active participation. The journey to faith in Christ involves acknowledging our faults and the desire for healing. Before baptism, we were in darkness, but after baptism, we were cleansed in the water of rebirth and anointed, like David, and elevated to the esteemed position of king. We hope that our Elect will gain the same understanding of Christ. We pray that their perception and knowledge of Jesus will expand, like the man born blind, from perceiving Christ simply as a man (“The man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes.”) to recognize him as a prophet (“He is a prophet.”), and finally acknowledging him as Lord (“I do believe, Lord”).   

                                                                                             

4. Being a disciple of Jesus often requires great sacrifice. The blind man had to overcome numerous social obstacles. He endured insults, abuse, ex-communication, and even abandonment by his parents. Yet, he possessed a simple yet profound faith: he obeyed Jesus. He went to the pool and washed his eyes. His obedience was rewarded with the gift of sight, a testament to his faith. He boldly confronted the authorities: “If he is a sinner, I do not know. One thing I do know is that I was blind, and now I see. I told you already, and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?” “This is so amazing that you do not know where he is from, yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if one is devout and does his will, he listens to him. It is unheard of that anyone ever opened the eyes of a person born blind. If this man were not from God, he would be unable to do anything.” The man, with his newfound faith, became a disciple of Jesus. We are urged to strengthen our faith in Jesus during this fourth Sunday of Lent as we approach Easter so that we, too, may become his disciples in both words and deeds. 

 

5. The question for us today is: “Are we blind, or do we claim that we can see?” Christ warns: “If you were blind, then you would not be guilty; but since you claim that you can see, this means that you are still blind.” If we refuse to acknowledge our shortcomings and open our eyes to see those in need around us, we condemn ourselves to darkness and deprive ourselves of the gift of faith and the light of Christ. Are we blind to our faults? Do we blame others and ask the question: “Who Sinned?” The greatest of our faults is to be conscious of none. The time is now to pick up our bible and read. Confession is still an option for Catholics. Let us learn to be less cynical but trust in the goodness of people. To do this is to recognize that Jesus is always in our midst. He wants to cure our blindness. The problems in our lives are never insurmountable for Jesus. It is not ‘who sinned?’ but so that God’s works might be visible through us. Amen! 

 

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP