December 25, 2022; Homily for Christmas Day 2022 (Year A)

Readings: Is. 52:7-10; Heb 1:1-6; John 1:1-18

 

Christ Needs a Clean Heart to Dwell in!

1.    Darry Dixon’s song, ‘Give me a clean heart,’ captures how I should celebrate Christmas. “Give me a clean heart To see You like I should, hey, To walk the path that’s right, To do the things You would, Give me a clean heart, And I will serve nobody but you.” John the Baptist told us to “Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. And all mankind will see God’s salvation.” (Lk. 3:5). “Behold, I stand at the door and knock.”, says the Lord, “If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and dine with him, and he with me.” (Rev. 3:20) Christ needs a well-kept dwelling place for his new home. Christ needs our hearts to dwell in. He will not force his way in. He respects our free will to let him in or not. Letting Christ into our hearts will experience peace, love, joy, and hope. A heart that bears a grudge or a grievance or keeps malice and refuses to forgive or let go of past hurts has too many things to deal with. Christ can never dwell in such a heart. That heart has no peace, no joy. Such a heart is always complaining and finding faults with others because he has no peace in himself/herself.

 

2.    As we celebrate Christmas today, may we do so with clean hearts and receive Christ joyfully. The first reading captures this joy thus: “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings glad tidings, announcing peace, bearing good news, announcing, and saying to Zion, ‘Your God is King!” Christ, the long-awaited Messiah, brings us peace and joy. He brings people together to share what they have with others. And so, we sing with the Psalmist, “All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.” When our hearts are free, we feel light and excited about life and want to share with others. An old Navy veteran was asked to choose $100.00 for himself or $500.00 to give randomly to people in the mall. He chose $500.00 to share with other shoppers. At the end of the exercise, he was given $500.00 for himself and broke down in tears. He said he was wondering where he would get money to take care of himself. Christmas miracle is that God shows up when we least expect him to. He is the God of possibilities; nothing shall be impossible for him. 

 

3.    The theme of our readings at this Mass is joy and exultation. The birth of Christ is the dawn of a new day and is much more than a superficial celebration of joy. The joy of Christmas goes deeper in all its ramifications. It shows God's love for humanity, the love that transcends mere emotions. For Christ is the communication of God to the world. The second reading tells us that God speaks to us through his Son, “Whom he made heir of all things and through whom he created the universe, who is the refulgence of his glory, the very imprint of his being, and who sustains all things by his mighty word.” Therefore, Christ came into the world primarily to “Save his people from their sins.” (Mat. 1:21). He came for the liberation of his people: God anointed Christ to bring glad tidings to the poor, to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind.

 

4.    Christmas means that we must be Christ to others. As Christ was sent to bring solace to the oppressed and the poor, so must we do whatever we can to alleviate the sufferings of others in our midst. Our Christmas songs should not end on Christmas day but should initiate us into a life of service for others. Howard Thurman reminded us that: “When the song of the angels is stilled, when the star in the sky is gone, when the kings and princes are home, when the shepherds are back with their flock, the work of Christmas begins: To find the lost, to heal the broken, to feed the hungry, to release the prisoner, to rebuild the nations, to bring peace among all, to make music in the heart.”

 

5. Let me end this reflection when this Christmas story. On Christmas day, God often celebrates the birth of his Son with all his creatures. He would prepare a big pot of rice and take it to hell to celebrate with the devil and his angels. He would keep the basin of cooked rice in the middle with the devil and his angels seated all around. He would give each of them a long spoon and invite them to enjoy their meal. The long spoon made it challenging to eat as each scoop of rice would fall on the ground. Finally, there was frustration, anger, and resentment, and before long, a quarrel broke out. The devil would not take it any longer; he kicked the basin and spilled the content on the ground. God, the father, got up, thanked them, collected the dirty rice, the basin, and the spoons, and returned to heaven.

 

6. In heaven, God the father called all the saints together and, placing a bowl of rice in the middle, invited them to celebrate his Son’s birthday. He gave each saint a long spoon and asked them to enjoy the meal. Instead of trying to feed themselves, the saints decided to feed one another. By so doing, they all ate and were satisfied. With this story, we understand that there is a Christmas miracle in the world, but the blessing will not fall from the sky. People are required to create it by themselves. On this Christmas, let us go out and join the many whose concern is to create a Christmas miracle in the lives of those who need it. I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year!

 

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP

December 18, 2022; 4th Sunday Advent; Year (A)

Readings: Isaiah 7:10-14; Romans 1:1-7; Mt. 1:18-24

 

God’s Ways are Not Our Ways; his Plans are not Our Plans!

 

1.    Two weeks ago, we met John the Baptist, who appeared from the wilderness and called us to repent, for the kingdom of God was near. He called himself the voice of the one crying in the desert: prepare the way for the Messiah. Today we see Joseph, a man who never spoke a word in the Bible. We only know of his thought, “Such was his intention when behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary, your wife, into your home.”Even his thought was controlled, so it seems, by the angel. In my opinion, these two men, with their peculiar characters and personalities, are the ‘Persons of Christmas.’ They speak to us in different ways about the working of God in the lives of men. Their lives make it clear to us that we may plan what we like for our lives, but God always has his plans for us. God tells us, in no uncertain terms, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways. As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are my ways above your ways and my thoughts above your thoughts.” (Is. 55:8-9). When God enters our world, He turns it upside down and inside out.

 

2.    So, who was Joseph? This man’s personality, humanity, and humility can be rated as high as any biblical character of his time. He played a vital role in salvation history. The Bible tells us that “He was a righteous man.” So-called because he observed the law of God. Yet he was unwilling to expose his wife, whom he thought had broken the law. He was a God-fearing man who would do nothing to jeopardize his relationship with God or his fellow men. He knew that law was made for man and not man for the law. He was compassionate. He empathized with Mary’s situation so he would not openly discredit her. Joseph was a man of honor and did all he could to protect Mary’s good name. According to St. Thomas Aquinas, “A person’s reputation is their most prized possession, and to destroy it is not just unjust but robbery. Even if what we say about other people is true, and they have done terrible things, it is still deeply wrong to destroy their name unless there is some compelling necessity for the common good.” May we not say a word that will destroy the good name of another child of God. “Do to no one what you would not want done to you.” (Matt. 7:12). 

 

3.    Joseph was a man of faith. He took his problem to God and was sure God would find a way for him. And He did! Joseph took his wife home. He was to be the foster father of the son of God and would be the one to name him Jesus. He was indeed a father to Jesus every step of the way. Joseph was a man of prayer. When he was worried about his wife, he took it to the Lord in prayer. He did not report her to people and sought what to do with her. God showed him the way and instructed him on what to do. He never wavered from God’s plan. How do you deal with troubling situations in your life? Who do you talk to first? Let us learn from Joseph, the quiet man of the New Testament. God will meet us in the hour of our need and show us a way out. But remember, when you let God into your life, your plans become God’s plans, and your life becomes God’s life. God will give you responsibilities you never bargained for but be sure He will always be there with you. He will send his angels to assure you that He is Emmanuel, God with us. He will provide you with what you need. He will be with you because you said ‘yes’ to him amidst suffering and disappointments, pains and toil, hardship and hunger, temptation and danger.

 

4.    In today’s first reading, Ahaz refused to say yes to God like Joseph. In about 735 B.C. Ahaz, king of Judah, was pressured by two other kings (Israel and Damascus) to join an alliance against the superpower, Assyria. Isaiah warned Ahaz not to join any coalition but to put his faith in the Lord. “Unless your faith is firm, you shall not be firm.” (v.9). When Ahaz refused a sign that God would be with him, “I will not ask! I will not tempt the Lord!” Isaiah gave him the sign: “The virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel.” Ahaz’s son would be a sign that God was with his people. God was faithful to his word. Ahaz died at 36 after a 16-year reign. His son Hezekiah succeeded him. Hezekiah was a good leader. Matthew saw the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy in Jesus, who was born of a virgin. Isaiah’s prophecy and fulfillment in Matthew’s Gospel point to absolute historical continuity because of the divine word.

 

5.    On this last week of Advent, as we celebrate Christmas in a few days, may Joseph lead us to the presence of the newborn king. Let him show us how to surrender our plans to him and say yes to God in all we do. May we not hold on to our ways like Ahaz but learn to let go so that God may reign in our hearts. Those who have faith and trust in the Lord in total surrender to him can live in the world, knowing that the fulfillment of God’s promises will inevitably come true. They know that what ‘Immanuel’ means is true. He is with us always, even till the end of time.

 

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP

December 11, 2022; 3rd Sunday of Advent; Year (A)

Readings: Isaiah 35:1-6; James 5:7-10; Mt. 11:2-11

Rejoice In the Lord Always, Again I Say Rejoice

1.    Today is Gaudete Sunday, so called because of the entrance antiphon: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I say, rejoice! The Lord is near.” St. Paul urged his Philippian Christians to rejoice in the Lord. Though in jail, Paul would not allow the prison cell to dampen his joy. Despite the call to rejoice, the second reading tells us to be patient until the coming of the Lord. Just as the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, we too must make our hearts firm, because the coming of the Lord is at hand. The theme of hope and patiently waiting for the Lord is stressed by Isaiah in the first reading. He encouraged the captive Jews in Babylon not to give up hope. They were sad because they had lost everything: freedom, property, homeland, and the temple. They had given up hope of ever returning to their homeland. Their future was dark and gloomy. Isaiah, on the other hand, was optimistic about the future. God would bring them home and change their lives. “The desert and the parched land will exult; the steppe will rejoice and bloom. They will see the glory of the Lord, the splendor of our God. Strengthen the feeble hands, make firm the knees that are weak, say to those whose hearts are frightened: Be strong, fear not!” The weak, the sick, the blind, and the lame would be freed of their affliction and restored to wholeness. Yes, “His anger lasts only a moment, his goodness for a lifetime. Tears may flow in the night, but joy comes in the morning.” (Ps. 30:5).

2.    Isaiah’s dream of prosperity and peace is the dream and undying faith of every generation. Our dream is that, out of this brutal and cruel world, the earth will one day be at peace, its defaced beauty restored, its wounds healed, and its sorrows lifted. God will open a road leading his people home, where all men and women will praise Him with one heart and mind. This, indeed, is the message of Christ to John the Baptist in prison, and to the poor and hopeless of this world: “Go and tell John what you hear and see’, “The blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers and cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.” (Matthew 11:5). 

3.    Don’t we sometimes feel like the despondent children of Israel? At times, we seem to have come to the end of our ropes with no light at the end of the tunnel. We have tried everything, and nothing seems to work. Well, John the Baptist must have felt that way too, in today’s Gospel. He preached repentance with fire and brimstone, warning the Jews to act with immediate alacrity: repent of their sins and bear fruit of repentance. He, who, was a fearless preacher, who confronted kings and queens with a call to repentance, ended up in Herod’s prison. He must have felt that if Christ was the Messiah, he would get him out of jail. But that did not happen. So, John sent messengers to Christ: “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” (Matt.11:3). Jesus reminded John that God’s ways were not man’s ways. The kingdom of God may be slow, but it will certainly come. Our destiny may be delayed but never denied. Go and tell John what you have seen and heard.

4.    Dear friends, in whatever situation you may be today, God is right there with you. Even as a country, see how far we have come. Do not forget that there was a time in this country, when people were separated by the color of their skins, and voting rights was the prerogative of a few rather than a right for eligible voters. How can we forget the struggle for emancipation and its subsequent declaration in 1863, or the civil rights movements, and all those who fought for and against it? Think of the many lives that were lost during those struggles. What made the movement possible was people’s undying faith in God and their hope for a better tomorrow. Isaiah reminded the children of Israel in exile that their freedom was within reach. This was the same faith that put freedom within reach for African Americans, living in slavery, in years long past. Their traditional spirituals, according to Pamela Crosby, “All God’s Chillun got shoes” mentions having shoes – something most slaves did not have – plus a robe, a harp, a crown, and wings gave them hope. They knew none of these were available on earth for them at the time but held on to their faith that “there is a balm in Gilead to make the wounded whole. There is a balm in Gilead, to heal the sin-sick soul. Don’t ever feel discouraged, for Jesus is your friend. And if you lack for knowledge, he’ll ne’er refuse to lend.” These struggles and the subsequent triumph of good over evil put this third week of Advent in perspective for us. 

5.    And so, we are encouraged to rejoice but to be patient. The birth of Christ will change the course of our lives. Jesus is the Messiah John the Baptist preached about. There is no reason to doubt or be discouraged because things do not work out as planned. God is still in control! Let us pray and rejoice in the Lord always for He is near. Because we know that “Affliction produces endurance, and endurance, proven character, and proven character, hope, and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the holy Spirit that has been given to us.” (Rom. 5:3-5). May this Christmas truly be the beginning of all that is good in your life. For He who is coming is Emmanuel, God with us. With Him nothing shall be impossible for God to do in our lives.  Amen. 

 

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP

 

 

December 04, 2022; 2nd Sunday Advent; Year (A)

Readings: Isaiah 11:1-10; Romans 15:4-9; Mt. 3:1-12

 

A Leader After God’s Heart

 

1.    John is the prophet we meet on the second Sunday of Advent every year. He came to prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah. John lived in the desert and wore camel hair. His food was locust and wild honey. His appearance was frightening, and his message was direct, demanding immediate action. According to John, everything else can wait but searching for God cannot. To postpone acts of kindness or not be compassionate and merciful are leisure Christians cannot afford. Putting off repentance can spell disaster, and not doing what is right is a delay of justice. Why put off till tomorrow that which should be done today? It is always right to do the right. The time for repentance is now. “If today you would listen to his voice, harden not your hearts.” (Ps.95:8). And Paul reminded us that “It is the hour now for you to wake from sleep.” (Rom.13:11-14). And so Christ tells us “Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.” (Matt.24:42). 

 

2.    As John was preaching in the desert, people went to him to be baptized in the Jordan River as they acknowledged their sins. He called them a ‘brood of vipers’ and urged them to repent from their sins and flee from the coming wrath. He demanded that they produce good fruit as evidence of their repentance and stop deluding themselves that they were Abraham’s children “God can raise children from Abraham from these stones. Even now the axe lies at the root of the trees. Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.” (Matt.3:9-10). 

 

3.    John the Baptist was not the most pleasant prophet to be with. He would remind you of the beggars on the streets. Yet, without John the Baptist and his message, we would not have Christ in our hearts, and Christmas would make no sense. To enjoy a fruitful Christmas, we must be confronted by this ‘crazy prophet’ in the desert with his message that must be heard. It is by taking John’s message seriously that the first reading would make sense to us. Isaiah prophesied a king, who will be the living embodiment of the qualities expected of one worthy to govern. The king will spring like “a shoot from the stump of Jesse.” He is coming from an unexpected ancestry (stump) and possesses the rare qualities of a great king. Wisdom and understanding, are the essential intellectual qualities of a judge. Counsel might represent the practical application of wisdom, the gift of decisiveness in judgment, and the moral energy to carry it out. Knowledge and the Fear of the Lord are the religious characteristics of leadership. He who rules others must himself be ruled by the knowledge of God and must live according to God’s moral demands. A Good leader will not judge by appearances, nor decide by hearsay, but act with justice to the helpless, and decide fairly for the humble. He will strike down the ruthless with his verdicts and slay the unjust with his sentences. Justice shall gird him for action, he shall be belted with trustworthiness. Herein, then, lies the fruit of repentance demanded by John the Baptist. The outcome of right judgment and leadership according to the mind of God that the Messiah will usher in by his birth, will be reconciliation even in the world of nature, and the ancient enmity between man and beasts shall be destroyed.

 

4.    Isaiah and John were prophets who spoke God’s message to His people and called them to repentance and faith. Their messages were difficult, but some paid attention and repented. John the Baptist warned that repentance was not enough, we must bear its fruit. It is not enough to tell people that we are Christians, we must demonstrate it through our way of life. It is by doing simple tasks of love that we bear good fruit. Let me conclude with this exhortation from the letter of St. James: “Therefore, put away all filth and evil excess and humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you and can save your souls. Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror. He sees himself, then goes off and promptly forgets what he looked like.” (James 1:21-25). May God find in our hearts a well-prepared dwelling place for His Son at his birth. Amen! 

 

Please continue reading the Letter to the Romans as your Advent homework. Enjoy! 

 

 

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP

November 27, 2022; 1st Sunday of Advent; Year (A)

 

Readings: Isaiah 2:1-5; Romans 13:11-14; Mt. 24:37-44

 

Advent is a Season of Hope

1.    In a world dominated by fear, sorrow, diseases, viruses, sickness, poverty, wars, and violence, Christians are urged to be hopeful. They must shine the light of joy and happiness, and so restore peace to the broken world. Indeed, they must be light to the world and salt to the earth. (Matt. 5:13). This is what Advent is all about. It is a time of great expectation, whereby Christians wait for the Messiah. He will teach us, by his life that God is greater than our collective sadness and despair. As the Jews waited in hope so we wait!  

 

2.    This was Isaiah’s vision in the first reading. “In days to come, the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest mountain and raised above the hills. All nations shall stream toward it. He shall judge between the nations and impose terms on many people. They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; one nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again.” (Is. 2:1-5). Isaiah predicts that a day shall come when humanity shall live together and walk together in faith, righteousness, and brotherhood. We pray for the realization of this vision with optimism! If we do not desire peace, we will be condemned to the dreadful prospect of wars succeeding wars until the human race destroys itself. Then the words of John F. Kennedy will become a reality, “Mankind must put an end to war before war puts an end to mankind.” It is sad to note that the instrument of war has far outpaced the instrument of peace, and so if mankind doesn’t pursue peace and peaceful cohabitation with her neighbors, the dark powers of destruction unleashed by science, can engulf humanity in planned or accidental self-destruction. Therefore, Isaiah’s vision is urgent. It urges us to create an environment of peace and hope for humanity.

 

3.    St Paul, in the second reading, cautions against waiting till it is too late to live a life of grace. “You know the time; it is the hour now for you to wake from sleep.” When we sleep, we forget that we have work to do and places to go. It is when we let our guard down, that we can be surprised by events or calamities. Paul exhorts us to “Conduct ourselves properly as in the day, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in promiscuity and lust, not in rivalry and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.” The flesh, according to Paul, is our unredeemed self that is always at war with our spiritual self. It is the part of us that is separated from God. It is the rebellious, unruly, proud part of our inner self that is always unwilling to obey the law of love. It doesn’t want to be told what to do. It is stubborn, refuses correction, and wants to be left alone. It wants to be the center of the universe always and sees itself as the standard of measurement for everyone to follow. The flesh hates to be under the authority or to have to yield to anything other than its own desires. The flesh desires something simply because it is forbidden. If Advent must be meaningful and anticipate the birth of Christ, the flesh must be redeemed and submit to the will of God.

 

4.    The Gospel exhorts us to stay awake for we do not know when the Son of Man will come. The vision of Isaiah and the exhortation to be alert make the preparation for the birth of Christ fruitful. During Advent, we do not only wait for the coming of Christ at his birth, but also for his second coming at the end of time. While we wait, we must be engaged in acts of penitence and good deeds. We must purge ourselves of sins by going to confession. Christ must be welcomed into a clean house. Our heart is the temple of the Holy Spirit. It is there that God dwells. We must get rid of malicious thoughts and deeds. Grudges, anger, resentment, and revenge must have no room in our hearts. We must be engaged in acts of kindness and compassion and be committed to a healthy prayer life while being available to assist others in need. 

 

5.    As we pray and wait, I suggest we do so with our bible. Please read the 16 chapters of the Letter to the Romans. Then continue with the 6 chapters of the Letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians. Conclude the last week with the 4 chapters of the Letter of St. Paul to the Philippians. Altogether, that will give us 26 days of journeying with St Paul to the Advent season. May God give us the grace to keep our Advent faithfully. Amen!

 

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP

November 20, 2022;Solemnity of Christ the King.34th Sunday in Ordinary Time; Year (C)

Readings: 2 Samuel 5:1 -3; Colossians 1:12-20; Lk 23:35-43

 

The Leadership Qualities of a Great King

1.    Today is the last Sunday of the year. Next Sunday is the first Sunday of Advent, the beginning of Year (A). At this Mass, we celebrate the solemnity of Christ the King. This feast was instituted by Pope Pius XI in 1925 when depression, secularism, and atheism were on the rise. Most people had turned away from God and were concerned with the world and self. The Pope asserted that the most effective defense against the destructive forces of the age was the recognition of the kingship of Christ.  

 

2.    In the first reading, we read how David, a brilliant and far-sighted military and political leader, became the king of both the Northern and Southern kingdoms of Israel. David was a king after God’s heart (1 Sam. 13:14). God had promised David through Nathan, “Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me; your throne shall stand firm for forever.” (2Samuel 7:16). The Psalmist rejoices over the election of David: “I have chosen David, my servant; with my holy oil I have anointed him.”(Psalm 89:21). Jesus is a descendant of David, and so, He is the promised king whose kingdom will have no end.

 

3.    The second reading seems to draw strength from the first reading. St. Paul made it clear that the whole universe belongs to Christ. The world was created for him. “For in him were created all things in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things were created through him and for him.” (Col. 1:16). The kingship of Christ is unquestionable. “He is the head of the body, the Church, He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he himself might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile all things for him, making peace by the blood of his cross through him, whether those on earth or those in heaven.” (Col. 1:18-20). Since the whole world belongs to Christ as the sovereign Lord, how did Christ rule his world as a king? What was his leadership style, and how can we partake in his kingdom? This is how the Preface of this Mass addresses this concern: “As king, he claims dominion over all creation that he may present to You, his almighty Father, an eternal and universal kingdom: a kingdom of truth and life, a kingdom of holiness and grace, a kingdom of justice, love and peace.”

 

4.    Christ gave us the rule of his kingdom in the sermon on Mount. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” (Matt. 5:1-12). His mission brought a holistic change to humankind. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has 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.” (Luke 4:18). 

 

5.    The kings and presidents of this world are protected by the FBI, SSS, bodyguards, soldiers, guns, tanks, and military might. But Jesus had none of those. He did not need them. Christ surrendered himself with twelve unlettered men, who ran away at the slightest provocation. He is the suffering servant of God. “My chosen one with whom I am pleased, upon whom I have put my spirit; he shall bring forth justice to the nations. Not crying out not shouting, not making his voice heard in the street. A bruised reed he shall not break, and a smoldering wick he shall not quench until he establishes justice on the earth.” (Is. 42:1-4). He rules the world in peace. He is humble, merciful, forgiving, compassionate, and just. His mission is to look for the least, the lost, and the last. He is the shepherd who left the 99 sheep and went to look for the lost one. “The Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost.” (Lk. 19:10). 

 

6.    With Christ as our king, there would be love for everyone. There would be peace in the world. We would be people of prayer, and children would respect their elders. There would be mutual respect for everyone. “They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; one nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again.” (Is. 21:4). We would do away with guns. There will be no police brutality, and corruption will not be mentioned in public. There will be public trust in our social contracts. Corruption and lies in government would be a thing of the past. We would respect our environment and not jeopardize the world by depleting the ozone layers. We would eat healthy meals and be afraid to poison our bodies with opioids or other substances. There would be perfect harmony between human beings and nature, and none would harm the other because the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord. (Is. 11:1-9). 

 

7.    Christ’s wish for us in the new year is to emulate him. He shows how to live; so that we may live in peace. While dying on the cross, He forgave the repentant thief and promised him everlasting life. “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” He prayed for those who killed him on the cross. “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Lk. 23:34). Christ is our king. On the Cross, He gives us everything without counting the cost. May we be open to receiving his gifts of pardon, mercy, and forgiveness. May Christ the universal king welcome us to his kingdom with these reassuring words: “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” Amen.  

 

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP

November 13, 2022;33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time; Year (C)

 

Readings: Malachi 3:19 -20; 2 Thess. 3:7-12; Lk 21:5-19

 

Why Are You Afraid of Dying?

1.    It is reasonable to say that those who are afraid of dying never lived well or to the fullest. This would mean that we have not been able to do all that we planned to do or accomplish all that God intended for us to achieve before our demise. The Bible warns, “But the just man, though he die early, shall be at rest. For the honorable age comes not with the passing of time, nor can it be measured in terms of years. Rather, understanding is the hoary crown for men, and an unsullied life, the attainment of old age.” (Wisdom 4:7-9). It doesn’t matter when we die, but that we lived well and left a legacy for others. Our life must give meaning to others. Hence St. Paul reminds us, “None of us lives for oneself, and no one dies for oneself. If we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord.”(Rom. 14:7-8) The question then is, “Why are we afraid of dying?” What would you do if you were told you would die today? I am sure you would do everything you can to stop yourself from dying. But why would you postpone doing good till the end? Today’s readings address the end time and the four last things: Death, Judgement, Heaven, and Hell. The first reading states: “Lo, the day is coming, blazing like an oven, when all the proud and all evildoers will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire, leaving them neither root nor branch, says the Lord of hosts.” (Malachi 3:19). In the Gospel, Jesus predicted the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem, which took 46 years to complete: “All that you see here – the days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down.” The temple was indeed destroyed seven years after the prediction. 

 

2.    We are often mesmerized by monumental and imposing structures of churches, basilicas, temples, cathedrals, and buildings of worship in this and other countries of the world. I often wonder whether those structures reflect the builders’ intention – raise people’s minds and hearts to God and make them reflect on the divine and heavenly realities. Did the temple Christ lament over raise people’s minds to God? Probably not. “Then Jesus entered the temple area and proceeded to drive out those who were selling things, saying to them, ‘It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves.’” (Lk. 19:45-46). The temple did not represent what it was meant for, a house of prayer, a place to communicate with God and be at home with him and his sons and daughters. They had turned it into exclusive use for their selfish purpose. They had basically driven God out of his house. God’s house had become a market square. There were many cases of abuse in that temple, even as it looked beautiful and well-adorned both in and out. The time had come for them to pay the price for their recklessness. Punishment and destruction await those who do not make use of the opportunity God has given them to do what is right. The day will come, blazing like a furnace, to consume those who are hellbent on doing evil. What about us? Do we always conduct ourselves with decorum in the sacred place designated for the worship of God? We may be proud of our beautiful Church, but does it reflect the glory of God? Do we worship God in spirit and in truth? Do we lack forgiveness, compassion, and mercy within the house of God? Do we welcome all who come to worship God, regardless of status, clout, race, or appearance? Is this why our Church is empty? What have we done wrong? What must we do differently? Should we fold our arms, walk away from our Church, and allow it to be closed? What is Christ saying to us about our Church and its future?

 

3.    Maybe we have erected some structures for ourselves that make it difficult to surrender to God. Academic achievements make us look down on others; our jobs have become our God, so we have no time for God and Church. Our social status could make it a challenge to be open to others. Pride can prevent us from seeing God and others. It may have taken us years to accumulate wealth, build our empire, construct our temple, and attend to our social status. Still, if we do not see Christ in them, Christ will say, “All that you see here – the days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down.” When our temples and achievements become so superimposing that people can no longer see God except in and through them, those structures must be destroyed. Our Christian teaching and faith demand that we recognize the presence of God in one another as well as in the temple where God is worshipped. This is the true religion, worshipping God in spirit and in truth.

 

4.    The readings remind us that our time on earth is short. Christ will come one day soon; therefore, we must be prepared. This knowledge doesn’t mean that Christ is coming today or tomorrow. It could be any day! Therefore, Christ warned, “See that you not be deceived, for many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and ‘The time has come.’  Please do not follow them! Do not be terrified when you hear of wars and insurrections, for such things must happen first, but they will not immediately be the end.” (Lk. 21:8-9). We should, therefore, live our normal lives and be engaged in sporadic acts of kindness. Pray at all times and be committed to your faith. Do not be overanxious about the end; live as if the end is now. Do not be afraid! The day we die is the end of the world for us and the beginning of a new life with God. May God bless us now and always. Amen

 

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP.