May 31, 2020 Solemnity of Pentecost

Readings: Acts 2:1-11; 1Cor. 12:3-7, 12-13; John 20:19-23

The Sins of Whom You Forgive are Forgiven Them!

1.    Today is Pentecost, the birthday of the church. Today the Holy Spirit descended on the Apostles like flames of fire. Being filled with the Holy Spirit they began to talk in other languages, as the Spirit enabled them to speak.” (Acts 2:1-4). According to the Constitution of the Second Vatican Council on the Church, “When the work which the Father had given the Son to do on earth was accomplished, the Holy Spirit was sent on the day of Pentecost that he might forever sanctify the Church. In this way all believers would have access to the Father through Christ in the one Spirit. He is the Spirit of life, a fountain of water springing up to eternal life. Through him the Father gives life to men who are dead from sin, till at last he revives in Christ even their mortal bodies.”  The Holy Spirit filled the apostles with zeal and courage so that they became Christ’s witnesses beyond the frontiers of Jerusalem, “Throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8). That was how Luke, the author of the Acts of the Apostles, reported the coming of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles. John, however, reported the same incident, which apparently took place on the same day of the resurrection thus: “On the evening of that first day of the week when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the holy spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” (Gospel reading). Christ wished his disciples peace before He gave them the Holy Spirit; and then He sent them on the mission of forgiveness. The Holy Spirit is directly associated with the forgiveness of sins.

  

2.    There is story told of a man who was suffering from acute back pain for years. He had undergone all types of treatment – allopathic, ayurvedic, etc. During one of his visits, his doctor prescribed a lot of medicine but told him that he would have the pain all his life and that it was his purgatory. With resignation he purchased the medicine. While on his way back he met a Sister, who had the gift of healing. Sister asked him to forgive everyone and she prayed for about an hour. The patient felt great relief and took all the medicine back to the pharmacy. Till now he has not experienced back pain again. It is true that most of our ailments are due to unfinished business relating to unforgiveness. Therefore, if we are to be witnesses of Christ, we must forgive hurts done to us. The Holy Spirit will assist us with the gift of forgiveness.

3.    We first received the Holy Spirit on the day of our Baptism. This Spirit was confirmed on the day of confirmation. The Penny Catechism defines Confirmation as “A Sacrament by which we receive the Holy Spirit, in order to make us strong and perfect Christians and soldiers of Jesus Christ.” I recall that on the day of my confirmation, the practice was that the bishop will give those confirmed a gentle slap on the check. The explanation was that the slap was a demonstration that the person was ready to suffer for Christ, even to the point of dying a martyr’s death.  If the apostles needed the fire of the Holy Spirit to shake them up and transform them into warriors for the faith, so do we. Christ is present in his apostles through his spirit.

4.    We must demonstrate that we have the Holy Spirit by allowing the Spirit to work in us and through us. When Jesus received the Spirit he exclaimed, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he as anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.” (Lk. 4:18-19). We are called to do no less than Christ. We are faced today with so many cases of injustice, abuse of human rights, violence, police brutality and indiscriminate taking of human lives on our streets. There is total disregard for the rule of law in our society, and yet many of us Christians, born again in the water of rebirth and the Holy Spirit, stand quietly by and watch as our brothers and sisters are being killed on our streets. How did we feel as we watched three police officers pinning George Floyd down with the fourth resting his knee and his weight on George Floyd’s neck as he shouted, “I can’t breathe” until he finally stopped breathing? Oh yes, there were many people watching, feeling helpless, and another police officer standing by to prevent anyone from approaching to help George. What is the Spirit sending us out to do today in a situation like this?  Jesus calls the Holy Spirit another Advocate. What type of advocate is the Spirit calling us to be? It is my opinion that the Spirit is calling us to be advocates of justice, to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves. It may be too late for the likes of Freddie Gray of Baltimore, Eric Garner of New York, George Floyd of Minneapolis, and many others whose lives were taken by man’s inhumanity to man or to put it plaining, police brutality; but we can speak out for the Freddies, Erics and Georges of tomorrow.  It is very easy to judge and condemn the protests, the burning and the looting going on in Minneapolis this week. Much as I do not condone these practices under the disguise of protests, it should also be noted that this may be a way of calling attention of those in authority to look at the root cause of these protests - racism. Yes, The Holy Spirit calls us to forgive hurts done to us, but it is difficult to forgive repeated acts of injustice with no solution in sight. So as people of faith, we ask Christ to send into our hearts the Spirit of tolerance to fight our indifference and build a community of love and peace.

5.    Finally let us ask the Holy Spirit to come with his gifts of “Wisdom and understanding, counsel, strength, knowledge and fear of the Lord.” (Is. 11: 2-3). We pray the Spirit to plant in our hearts his fruit of “Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” (Gal.5:22-23). Come and conquer the indifference in our world, and help us fight the battles of our hearts and the internal battles of the flesh such as: “immorality, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, rivalry, jealousy, outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness, dissensions, factions, occasions of envy, drinking bouts, orgies and the like.” (Gal. 5:19-21). But most of all, we pray that the Holy Spirit may help us to forgive those who hurt us so that we may be holy as God our heavenly Father is holy. Let us pray that we may be filled with the fire of the Spirit and be transformed into a people of faith; courageous preachers, lovers of God and his people. Amen. God bless you!

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP.

May 24, 2020: Homily for the 7th Sunday of Easter - Feast of the Ascension, Year A

Readings: Acts 1:1-11; 1 Ephesians 1:17-23; Gospel Matt. 28:16-20

Go, Therefore, and Make Disciples of All Nations!

1.    Today we celebrate the Ascension of our Lord into heaven. Article 6 of the Creed states: “He Ascended into Heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. Christ’s body was glorified at the moment of his Resurrection, as proved by the new and supernatural properties it subsequently and permanently enjoys. But during the forty days when he eats and drinks familiarly with his disciples and teaches them about the kingdom, his glory remains veiled under the appearance of ordinary humanity. Jesus’ final apparition ends with the irreversible entry of his humanity into divine glory, symbolized by the cloud and by heaven, where he is seated from that time forward at God’s right hand” (CCC 659). After the ascension, the task of preaching the Gospel was passed on to the apostles. Christ promised that he would be with them through his Spirit to accomplish the work of evangelization. The disciples were asked therefore, “Galileans, why are you standing there looking up at the sky?” (Acts. 1:10-11). “Ascension is not a time to commemorate Christ’s departure from us, but rather a time to recall Christ’s presence in our midst. This presence is made manifest in the work of the people of God, the Church.” (The Word Alive by Eugene H. Maly).

2.    The feast of the Ascension is like taking part in a relay, the baton is passed on from one runner to another. Christ passed on the baton to his apostles and his apostles to us. This is no time to stand idle and watch others. We must obey the divine mandate: “Go make disciples of all nations.” (Matt. 28:19-20). How do we do this? For the start, we can make Paul’s instruction to Timothy ours: “I solemnly urge you to preach the message, to insist upon proclaiming it, whether the time is right or not, to convince, reproach and encourage, as you teach with patience.” (2Tim. 4:2). There are many people out there who are unaware of the passion, death and resurrection of Christ. They do not know that God loves them, passionately, intimately, personally and individually. This then, is our mission: to make Christ known and loved, and, be His witnesses to all nations. We must teach and convince the world of Christ’s love and the need to give our lives in return for his love. In doing this, however, we know that we are not alone. Christ promises to be with us till the end of time. He is with us even during the worse circumstances of our lives. He is with us in his Spirit, who is an agent of evangelization. His Spirit will teach us how to be his disciples, in word and in deed. Our lives must speak much more eloquently than our lips do when it comes to witnessing and teaching. People would much rather see a sermon than listen to one.

3.    The Ascension means that Christ leads us from heaven through a shared mission of leadership. He now involves all of his people in the work of the kingdom. In the second reading, St. Paul reminds us that we all have been given gifts for ministries. Some of us are apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, or teachers. We are all equipped for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ. Our gifts must assist us in the task of evangelization. Therefore, we must be the living gospel for people to read. We are called to be good Christians, to have the love of Christ in our hearts and to share same with others. We must be kind, hospitable, compassionate and forgiving. We must learn to show mercy and not be engaged in uncharitable acts. We must refuse to peddle rumors and unkind words about one another. Gossip can ruin without killing, it can tear down homes, break hearts and wreck lives. It only brings confusion and suspicion where distrust is unperceived. Let us spread the message of love instead.

4.    Let me conclude with this admonition from Pope Paul Vl. in “Evangelization in the Modern World” he says this about the sign of true evangelization: “The truly evangelized individual must eventually go out to evangelize others. Such a person cannot keep his faith to himself. The power that Jesus has given to us so that we might indeed lead the victorious life of grace must eventually become vocal. The way of life must lead to a proclamation of the word of life.” Pope Francis on the other hand wants “The Church to go out onto the streets. I want us to resist everything worldly, everything static, everything comfortable, everything to do with clericalism, everything that might make us closed in on ourselves. Our parishes, schools and institutions are all made for going out…if they don’t, they become an NGO, and the Church cannot be an NGO. You are bearers of hope…You are the protagonists of the future, artisans for the future…Make the future with beauty, with goodness and truth…Have courage. Go forward. Make noise.” Though Christ is no more with us physically, he is very much around us spiritually. He said goodbye to his disciples so as to allow them grow into mature witnesses. His Spirit, working in and through his disciples taught them the way of love and discipleship. May this same Spirit dwelling in us show us the way to true discipleship. Amen!

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP

May 17, 2020. Homily for the 6th Sunday of Easter, Year A

Readings: Acts 8:5-8, 14-17; 1 Peter 3:15-18; Gospel John 14:15-21

If You Love Me, Keep My Commandments

1.    In the Gospel reading of today, Christ told his disciples, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth.” (Jn. 14:15). Our love for Christ, therefore, is made manifest in our obedience to His commandment of love. But why does Christ equate our love for him with the keeping of his commandments? To answer this question, we must know what his commandments are. He tells us, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.” (Jn. 13:34-35). The timing of this commandment is very important; it was given shortly before his arrest. Knowing that he would soon be taken away from them, Christ called his disciples to love one another. It is by our love, one for another, that we are identified as followers of Christ. No wonder the disciples were called Christians in Antioch because of their life in Christ. The commandment to love is not new; the children of Israel were told: “Love your neighbor as yourselves.” (Lev.19:18). But to his disciples, Christ said, “love one another as I have loved you.” How did he love them? He tells us “Greater love than this no man has that a man should lay down his life for his friends.” (Jn. 15:13). Christ’s love for us is agape love.

2.    Agape is the highest form of love. It is God’s love for man and man’s love for God. Christ’s love for us is sacrificial, redemptive, merciful and gratuitous. He died for us so that we may live in freedom and peace with God. This love seeks nothing in return. It is an overflowing love of God working in the lives of men. Because of Christ’s love, the early Christians chose to live together sharing what they had in common (Acts 2:42-46). A true Christian is not only interested in his own salvation, he is also deeply concerned about the salvation of others. Merely giving some alms does not constitute the virtue of charity. Effective interest in Church matters and parish activities, intended to strengthen the faith of the members, is the obligation of every Christian. The Apostles and early Christians proved their undying love by accepting hardships and even martyrdom for the faith. This love is patient and kind. It is not jealous, or pompous, it is not inflated or rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury and does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. It never fails. (1 Cor. 13:4-8). This evangelistic love draws people to Christ.  

3.    Because the Apostles were filled with the Spirit of the risen Lord, they were not defined by their particular apostolate, but shared equally in the mission of preaching the Gospel. In the first reading, for instance, we saw that Philip, one of the seven deacons, designated to share food, preached Christ in Samaria. The manifestation of which was the signs and wonders he worked in the city. Many sick people were cured. When Peter and John arrived at Samaria, and saw the glory of the Lord, they prayed for them to receive the Holy Spirit. When we are obedient to the commandment of love, miracles happen, and joy and peace are experienced.

4.    The following are other commandments that Christ instructs us to observe in order to prove our love for Him:

·      He calls us to: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matt. 4:17).

·      He mandates us to “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” (Matt. 28:19-20).

·      He exhorts, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.” (Matt. 16:24).

·      He tells us, “Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me.” (Jn. 14:11).

·      He commands, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” (Matt 5:44-45).

·      These are not mere suggestions, but commands! They seem difficult to practice. But that is where the Holy Spirit comes in. Christ promised to “Ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with your always, the Spirit of truth.” The Holy Spirit will assist us in keeping the commandments of Christ.

5.    The Spirit will teach us to love as Christ loves and to forgive as he has forgiven us. There are broken families in our society which would not have experienced brokenness if family members had lived in love. Many marriages failed because spouses forgot the meaning of love and friendship in their marriages. There are men, women and children in jails, and street corners, who would not be there if those concerned had not failed to keep the commandment of love. Thousands are poor, famished, oppressed, bonded laborers, victims of war and riots, because some persons, refused to love them. Even more shocking, there are many who are suffering and are uneducated; many live without any place for Christ and His teachings in their lives because we have failed to show them love. When there is love, our families, institutions, country and the world will experience it. Because love is the one creative force that can transform the world. It enriches the recipient without impoverishing the giver. Therefore, Mother Theresa said, “Spread love everywhere you go, first of all in your family. Give love to your children, to your husbands and to your next-door neighbors.” Truth be told, if there are problems in our families, it could be that we have forgotten to obey the commandment of love. If our churches are empty, it is because we have failed to show love. And if there are problems in our homes, schools, our places of work; in our communities and in our nation, somehow, it could be that we have ignored, failed or forgotten to put the commandment of love into practice. And so, the time to keep that commandment is now! If today you would listen his voice, harden not your hearts. (Ps. 95).

6.    May God give us the grace to show how much we love him, by keeping his commandment of love; and may the Eucharist we celebrate lead us to discover the Lord of love and the gift of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP

May 10, 2020: Homily for the 5th Sunday of Easter, Year A.

Readings: Acts 6:1-7, 1Peter 2:4-9; Jn. 14:1-12

Do Not Be Afraid

1.    In the Gospel reading of today Jesus told his apostles: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me.” (Jn. 14:1). It is as if Jesus is addressing these words to us today, as we deal with the coronavirus that has ravaged the world and brought all business to a standstill. None of us can honestly say that he or she is not anxious, worried or afraid. Heads of States are afraid, religious leaders, doctors, nurses and everyone is worried. We are worried about our employment. Will we still have our jobs when this is over? We worry about our finances, our mortgages, our children’s education and their future. We are afraid that we may be exposed to those infected by the virus. We are afraid of the effect of the virus on us and our loved ones. We are afraid of death and of dying alone. Some people, especially the elderly ones, are afraid that they may not get a proper burial during this pandemic. We are also inflicted by national and international fear and trouble, of increasing violence and crimes in our cities. We fear loss and failure, criticism and rejection; we are even afraid of things that may never happen. O Lord we are afraid! We are anxious. Yet you told us not to be afraid.

2.    In the Acts of the Apostles, we read that the early Christian community was united in mind and heart. They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles, to the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to prayers. And with great power, they bore witness to the risen Lord. (Acts 2:42-47).  Amidst that perfect community, we heard of fear and anxiety, as the Greek speaking Jews - the Hellenists – complained that their widows were left out during the daily distribution of food. Fear can, sometimes, propel people to greater heights. Peter realized that the apostles needed assistance, “It is not right for us to neglect the word of God to serve at table. Brothers, select from among you seven reputable men, filled with the Spirit and wisdom, whom we shall appoint to this task, whereas we shall devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” (Acts 6:2-5). Thus, the ministry of the diaconate was inaugurated. This ministry of service allowed the apostles to be devoted to praying and preaching the word.

3.    In our worries, fear and anxiety, we must not forget to devote ourselves to prayer and to the reading of the word, as the apostles did. By so doing, Peter said we will “Come to the living stone, rejected by human beings but chosen and precious in the sight of God, and, like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 2:4-6). For “You are ‘a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may announce the praises’ of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” (1 Peter 2:9).

4.    Friends, this is why we should not be afraid. Christ tells us: “Do not worry about your life. Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span’”? (Matt. 6:25-34). And Paul adds “Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:6-6). The secret to a worry-free life is to depend on God. We must cry out to God like Peter and devote our lives to prayer and reflecting on the word of God. We must make use of our support system, like the early Christians. They depended on one another in their fears and anxiety. We have our families, our church and our circle of friends. Let us fall back on them for support when we are afraid. The disciples were together in prayer, in bible reading and in the breaking of bread. We must do the same. Jesus assures us that He is the way, the truth and the life. Even when we do not know where He is going or know the way, He is our way, He is our truth, he is our life. He knows the Father, and he knows how to get us to the Father. We must trust him. We must also see ourselves in the service of love and mercy to one another.

5.    This ministry of service puts mothers’ day celebration in perspective today. We think of and pray for our mothers and surrogate mothers in our lives. They remind us of the service of the deacons in the early church. They also parallel Jesus in the Gospel who is the way, the truth and the life. Our mothers have been all these and more to us. They showed us the way to God by assisting us to receive the sacraments of the church. They taught us to bless ourselves with the sign of the cross and to pray at all times. They taught us that we should always say what we mean and mean what we say – that is the way of the truth. And finally, they shared their lives with us from the womb. They too, like Jesus, taught us not to be afraid. So, we thank our mothers today. We pray for those who have gone home to God in heaven. May they rest in peace. Amen. 

                                    Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP

May 03, 2020. Homily for the 4th Sunday of Easter, Year A. The Good Shepherd Sunday

Readings: Acts 2:14, 36-41; 1Peter 2:20-25; Jn. 10:1-10

The Beloved Wanderer

1.    Today is Vocations Sunday. On this day the Church invites us to pray that young men may hear the voice of the Good Shepherd, and give themselves in service, as ordained ministers to Christ, “Who came not be served but to serve and gave his life as a ransom for many.” (Mk. 10:45). We pray also that religious men and women in consecrated life may continue to say ‘Yes’ to God as they bear witness in the world through their vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. The lay members of the Church are also encouraged to employ their gifts of time, talent and treasure in their service of the Church and humanity.

2.    In the Gospel reading of today, Jesus says of Himself: “Amen, amen, I say to you, I am the gate for the sheep.” (Jn.10:7). Earlier on He said: “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever does not enter a sheepfold through the gate but climbs over elsewhere is a thief and a robber.” (Jn. 10:1).  Jesus is not just the Good Shepherd, He is the gate itself. The sheep must go through Him, He is the one to call them out and lead them to pasture. This reminds me of Yusuf. He had worked for ten years, shepherding his father’s flock with some hired hands. His father felt that he was of age and entrusted him with 75 sheep in his flock. It was now time for Yusuf to be on his own and tend his own flock. Yusuf had firsthand knowledge of how hired shepherds have treated his father’s flock. They had lost many sheep to marauders. Their concern was not the welfare of the sheep but their remuneration. Many times, they killed the sheep for meal and wool and always lied to his father, that they were killed by predator animals. Yusuf promised himself that he would be a different kind of shepherd; he would care for his sheep, even to the point of laying his life for them. One day he led his flock out for pasture, about five miles away from the village. He wanted to be far away from his father’s hired hands. He was out there with his sheep till evening. As he was rounding the sheep up to lead them back to the pen, it started raining. He called and counted the sheep and was sure they were all there. He knew that there was a sick ewe among them, but he was more worried about the one sheep he called “The Beloved Wanderer”, because it had the tendency to wander away from the flock. He was sure he saw it during the head count. And so, he picked up the sick ewe, wrapped it with his mantle and went ahead of his flock as they followed him behind. He was happy with himself as he hummed a tune on his way home.

3.    When Yusuf got to the pen, he directed the sheep in for the night. At the end, he discovered that one sheep was missing. The Beloved Wanderer was not there. He left the 74 sheep there in the pen and went in search of his ‘Beloved Wanderer’. It was late at night, yet down the road he went, not minding his safety, hunger and cold. He called the Beloved Wanderer as he went along. He was afraid for its welfare, cold, its safety and feared that the predators may have killed it. He was desperate but kept on searching. From a distance he heard the groaning of his friend, the Wanderer. How could he miss that groan! The sheep had wandered into a thorn bush and was unable to free itself. The shepherd struggled and finally freed the wandering sheep. He sustained wounds from the thorn bushes and was bleeding from his hands and head. But he was overjoyed that he got the Beloved Wanderer at last. He put it on his shoulder and brought it back home with others. He did not reprimand it, he did not shout at it but treated it just as if he had never wandered away.

4.    My dear friends, the story of Yusuf captures the image and attitude of the good shepherd. The story parallels that of the lost sheep in Luke 15:1-7. Jesus is The Good Shepherd, He is the Gate of the sheepfold. He came to reconcile us to the Father, and, he laid down His life of us. He tells us “A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.” (Jn. 10:10). Jesus watches over his sheep. He hears their cries and comes to their rescue. Speaking through Ezekiel, the Lord said: “I myself will pasture my sheep; I myself will give them rest, says the Lord God. The lost I will seek out, the strayed I will bring back, the injured I will bind up, the sick I will heal.” (34:15-16). Through the mouth of Isaiah, we hear, “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).

5.    David reflected on the leadership of God over his people, so he calls God his shepherd. The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want. God will always provide for his own. There is a story told of an actor who recited the 23^rd Psalm and held his audience spellbound. When he finished, a great burst of applause broke from his guest. As it died away, an old man rose from behind the room and declaimed the same psalm. His voice was not remarkable, his tone was not as faultless as that of the actor, but, when he finished, there was not a dry eye in the room. The actor rose, and his voice quivered as he said, “Ladies and

gentlemen, I reached your eyes and ears; he has reached your hearts. The difference is just this: I know the Psalm, but he knows the Shepherd.”

6.    The question is simply, do we know the Shepherd as well as the Shepherd knows us. Do we listen to Him and allow Him to lead us to green pastures? Many times, in our struggles, we fail to see the shepherd in our midst. In the second reading, we are reminded that we should be patient in suffering, if our suffering is as a result of doing what is right. “For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in his footsteps.” There are many prophets out there whose aim of preaching the gospel is to brainwash people to give them money. They only care for themselves and what they can get from their congregation. They preached prosperity gospel and look for ways to enrich themselves. They extort money in the name of tithes and seed-sowing to maintain their life style, build mansions, buy fleet of exotic cars, airplanes and jets in the name of preaching the gospel, while most of their congregants are impoverished. They are the thieves and robbers referred to in the Gospel. By their fruits you shall know them.

7.    May we open our eyes and see the Good Shepherd who meets us at the points of our needs. When we mourn the loss of our loved ones, He appears to us as a gardener (Jn. 20:15) calls us by name and eased our problems. When we are unsuccessful at our jobs, he stands on the shore of our uncertainties and asks, “Children, have you caught anything to eat?”, and then shows us what to do. (Jn. 21:5-7). When we are hungry, he appears to us as a cook and provides us with food, “Come, have breakfast.” (Jn. 21:9-12). When we are sad and in distress, He appears as a stranger on the road and explains things to us. (Lk. 24:13-28). When we have issues with our faith, He appears to us and helps us to believe again, (Jn. 20:26-29). The Good Shepherd loves people who are flawed. He loved the harlots and tax-collectors, the thieves and those feared by others: the lepers and those possessed by demon. He sends no one away and reminds us, “Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and I will not reject anyone who comes to me.” (Jn. 6:37,39). Even as young adults who disappear from church and lose their faith after Confirmation, He never leaves us. He waits as the merciful father waited for his prodigal son’s return, with no condemnation, anger, judgment or bitterness but mercy, compassion, understanding and love.

8.    So, dear friends, like the sheep of his flock, let us listen to our Good Shepherd and hear Him calls us by name and He leads us to green pasture. Yes, we may wander away from his love, but we are his Beloved Wanderers. He will search of us and bring us back to himself. For “There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over the ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance” (Jn. 15:7).

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP