October 01, 2023, 26 Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

Readings: Ezekiel 18:25-28; Philippians 2:1-11; Matthew 21:28-32

Let us Learn to Change our Minds!

1.    Today’s Gospel teaches us to repent and follow God’s ways. The first son changed his mind and obeyed his father’s will, but the second did not. There is often a vast difference between a man’s profession and his actions. Talk is quite different than walking. It is not the one who talked the best who made the loudest profession. God’s Word is fulfilled in our doing of it, not talking about it. The first son repented and obeyed the father’s command. Repentance always precedes the doing of the will of God. If the bold and stubborn rebel in the first son could change his mind and obey the father, do not give up on anyone. Repentance is all about changing one’s mind and doing what is right.

2.    The second son quickly said ‘yes’ but did not follow through. Most of the time, we too are like that; they say talk is cheap; we sometimes promise heaven and earth but do not have the willpower to see it through. Yet what we do is more important than what we say we will do. Our Word can never be a substitute for performance. The most significant problem with Christianity is the lapsed lives of so many Christians. At Baptism, they all said, ‘yes,’ they then forgot what they promised. Hearing the Word of God is vital because faith comes through hearing (Romans 10:17). We should not merely listen to the Word. The hearing must be accompanied by action. Hearing God’s Word without doing what he commands leads to self-deception. Therefore, the second reading urges us to pursue righteousness. Listen again to St. Paul: “If there is any encouragement in Christ, any solace in love, any participation in the Spirit, any compassion and mercy, complete my joy by agreeing, with the same love, united in heart, thinking one thing. Do nothing out of selfishness or vainglory; rather humbly regard others as more important than yourselves, each looking out not for those own interests, but also those of others.” 

3.    Let us heed this warning from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not do mighty deeds in your name? Then I will declare to them solemnly, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.” (Mt. 7:21-23). May this never be said of us! Amen.

                     Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP

September 24, 2023; 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

Readings: Isaiah 55:6-9; Philippians 1:20-24, 27; Matthew 20:1-6

‘When God Doesn’t Make Sense’.

1.    The first reading today sets the tone for the Gospel and the lesson therein. Isaiah says, “Seek the Lord while he may he be found; call him while he is near. Let the scoundrel forsake his way and the wicked his thoughts; let him turn to the Lord for mercy; to our God, who is generous in forgiving.” When we look at the ways of God and how He treats his children, it seems that His ways do not make sense to us most of the time. Take today’s Gospel, for example; Jesus tells us a parable of the landowner who, after inviting workers to work in his vineyard at different hours, paid the same amount regardless of when they started and ended. And to make matters worse, the latecomers were paid first. Those who started work early were angry. It seemed so unfair. Does this make sense? In the Bible we note that many times, God doesn’t make sense to us. But he warns us: “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.” 

 

2.    In the parable, those who worked since morning should be paid more, or at least, they should be given additional tips to compensate for the number of hours they worked. Their anger and jealousy would seem justifiable. After all, the latecomers were the sinners who listened to the preaching of Jesus and repented. The early workers were the Pharisees. They were angry because the sinners repented, entered God’s kingdom late, and were getting the same reward as themselves – eternal life. It just doesn’t make sense.

 

3.    The whole teaching of Christ doesn’t seem to make sense either. Consider the teaching on the celebration at the return of one sinner who repented over the ninety-nine who do not need repentance (cf. Lk. 17:7). Or the celebration over the lost coin, the lost sheep, and the lost son (cf. Lk 15). Is God more concerned about sinners than the righteous? The senselessness of God is more apparent when one reads the teaching of Christ in Mt. 5:38-47. “Offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other one to him as well. If anyone wants to go to the law with you over your tunic, hand him your cloak as well. Should anyone press you into service for one mile, go with him for two miles. Give to the one who asks of you, and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow. Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” Who does that? Does this make sense? Again, in Mt. 18:21-35, the parable of the unforgiving servant, Peter asked Jesus, “Lord if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times? Jesus answered I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.” So why do God’s actions seem so senseless based on how we human beings act? Why is God’s way so different from ours? Why should God go out in search of his children who wandered away from him?

 

4.    God’s standard of mercy and forgiveness might make us uncomfortable. In our hearts, we may cling to the retributive justice of ‘an eye for an eye.’ For this kind of justice, Mahatma Gandhi reminded us that an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth would make the whole world blind and toothless. Something about God’s gracious and unmerited compassion seems a bit unfair to us. Thus, it appears that God doesn’t make sense. This is why we find it hard to be practicing Christians. We want to be like God. “The serpent said to the woman: “You certainly will not die! No, God knows well that the moment you eat of it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like gods who know what is good and what is bad” (Gen.3:4-5). Since God’s ways do not make sense to us, we feel that perhaps God wants to keep us in the dark, preventing us from being wise and masters of our destiny. This was the thought process before the fall. “The woman saw that the tree was good for food, pleasing to the eyes, and desirable for gaining wisdom. So, she took some of its fruit and ate it, and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.” (Gen. 3:6). 

 

5.    When we do not accept God’s ways, we make our own God in our image and likeness. (cf. Exodus 32:1). “When the people became aware of Moses’ delay in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said to him, “Come, make us a god who will be our leader.” When God’s ways do not make sense, and his teaching seems too difficult, we look for an easy way out and begin to do things our way. We may stop listening to the Church and its teachings, stop reading the Bible, and begin to look for what works for us. Church becomes routine and boring or obsolete, and prayer a waste of time. We pursue a life of comfort and run away from the cross of any kind. And yet St. Paul reminds us that “The foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.” (1 Cor. 1:25).

 

6.    The Gospel of today teaches us about the need to repent and follow God’s ways. There is often a vast difference between a man’s profession of faith and his actions. If God’s ways do not make sense to us, imagine what our children think of our ways of doing things. Please do not give up on your defiant and rebellious sons and daughters; be hopeful; maybe, one day, they will repent and return to obey you. Perhaps they, too, think that you are not making sense. 

 

7.    The landowner’s answer should help us ponder God’s ways over our own. “On receiving it, they grumbled against the landowner, saying, ‘These last ones worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who bore the day’s burden and the heat.” He said to one of them in reply, “My friend, I am not cheating you. Did you not agree with me about the daily wage? Take what is yours and go. What if I wish to give this last one the same as you? Or am I not free to do as I wish with my money? Are you envious because I am generous?’ This parable teaches us that it doesn’t matter when we receive the faith; the reward is the same: eternal life. This is God’s gift unmerited. It is grace. God’s gift is not negotiated. We may have served in ministry for 30 and 40 years or just one year, the blessing is the same. So let us pray that God may give us the spirit of final perseverance to remain faithful in the Church and the service of God and his people till the end. Amen. 

                     Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP

September 17, 2023; 24th Ordinary Time (Year A)

Readings: Sirach 27:30-28:7; Romans 14:7-9; Matthew 18:21-35

Forgiveness is a Christian Imperative! 

1.    Last Sunday, we reflected briefly on why we should forgive those who wrong us. We saw that when we forgive, we do ourselves a favor. Today’s readings warn against hoarding our hurts. The first reading states, “Wrath and anger are hateful things, yet the sinner hugs them tight. The vengeful will suffer the Lord’s vengeance, for he remembers their sins in detail.” It urges us to “Forgive your neighbor’s injustice; then when you pray, your own sins will be forgiven.”  

2.    Christ demonstrated, throughout his teachings, that forgiveness is an absolute to attaining well-being and healing. One of the best teachings of Christ on forgiveness is the parable of the prodigal son in Luke’s Gospel 15: 11-32. The main character in the story is the father. Lk 15:20 says, “His father caught sight of him and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.” The father who was wronged was the one who ran to his son, not withholding affection from him. He treated him as if he had never left. Forgiveness is about making room for the weakness of others. We must find a reason to forgive others as Christ did, praying for his executioners: “Father, forgive them for do not know what they are doing.” Christ was able to do this because he always saw the good in people. He saw an opportunity to lift those who sinned and worked for their salvation. He pursued good in people despite the situation he found them.

3.    When the apostles asked Jesus to teach them how to pray, he taught them the ‘Our Father.’ At the end of the prayer, he added, “Unless you forgive, your heavenly father will not forgive you your trespasses.” A Christian believer must learn to forgive others in return for God’s forgiveness. Christ made this point clear in the parable of the unforgiving servant (the gospel.) He concluded the parable with this punch line: “So will my heavenly Father do to you unless each of you forgives his brother from his heart.” Forgiving others is a necessary part of receiving forgiveness ourselves. Christ would always forgive the sins of the sick before healing them. Why? It is because sickness was tied to the sinfulness of the sick person. man, the story of the man born blind in John 9:2, “His disciples asked him, Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Forgiveness was, therefore, necessary for healing.

4.    Forgiveness is closely linked with our prayers being answered. The absence of the same indicates that prayers will neither be heard nor answered. The gospel of Mark tells us to point blank: “When you stand to pray, forgive anyone against whom you have a grievance, so that your heavenly Father may in turn forgive you your transgressions.” (Mark 11:25-26). Without forgiveness and peaceful co-existence among brothers and sisters in the faith community, the offerings and sacrifices made to God are entirely worthless. Matthew’s gospel reads, “If you bring your gift to the altar and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” (Mt. 5:24-25). Forgiveness is a response to God’s forgiveness. Because we are forgiven, we must learn, encourage, live, practice, and teach forgiveness. The first reading asks, “Could anyone nourish anger against another and expect healing from the Lord? Could anyone refuse mercy to another like himself? Can he seek pardon for his own sins? If one who is but flesh cherishes wrath, who will forgive his sins?”

5.    Even though forgiveness is complicated and difficult, we must ask God for help. Forgiveness will be impossible on our own, but with God, all things are possible. We are entirely healed when we can forgive. We must live a life of forgiveness because our time together is too short. Let me conclude with this short story that I am sure most of you have heard before. “A young lady sat in a bus. A loud, grumpy old lady came and sat by her at the next stop. She squeezed into the seat and bumped her with her numerous bags. The person sitting on the other side of the young lady got upset and asked her why she did not speak up and say something. The young lady responded with a smile: “It is not necessary to be rude or argue over something so insignificant; the journey together is so short. I get off at the next stop.”

6.    If each one of us realized that our time here is so short that to darken it with quarrels, futile arguments, not forgiving others, discontentment, and a fault-finding attitude would be a waste of time and energy. Did someone break your heart? Be calm; the journey is too short. Did someone betray, bully, cheat, humiliate, and make life unbearable for you? Don’t worry; be calm, pray, forgive, and move on; the journey is too short. Whatever trouble someone or nature throws at you, remember, and tell yourself the journey is too short. No one knows the duration of the journey but God alone. So, let us cherish friends and family. Let us be respectful, kind, and forgiving to each other. Let us be filled with gratitude and gladness. If I have hurt you, please forgive me. If you have hurt me, you already have my forgiveness. After all, our journey together is so short. May God bless our journey together. Amen.

                     Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP

September 10, 2023; 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, (Year A)

  

Readings: Ezekiel 33:7-9; Romans 13:8-10; Matthew 18:15-20

Correct One Another in Love

1.    Today the Church stresses the importance of brotherly love and correction. We are prone to build a wall of separation rather than a bridge of love. Once upon a time, there were two brothers. Their father had a large farm, and when he became too old to work, he called his sons and said, “I am too old to work anymore. I will divide my farm in half and give each of you one half. I know you will always work together and be good friends.” When the brothers started farming on their adjoining farms, they were best friends and shared everything. Then, one day, there was an argument between the two brothers, and they stopped speaking to one another. For many years, not a word was spoken between them.

2.    One day, one of the brothers was at his house when a carpenter came to his door and said, “I would like to do some work. Do you have any work that I can do?” The brother thought momentarily and then replied, “I would like you to build a fence on my property. Build it near the stream that separates my farm from my brother’s. I don’t want to see my brother anymore, and I would like you to build a high fence there, please. I’m going into town, and I’ll be back this evening.”

3.    When he returned that evening, he was shocked that the carpenter had not followed his instructions. Instead of building a high fence, he built a bridge over the stream. The man walked down to look at the bridge, and as he did, his brother walked towards him from the other side. His brother said, “After all the terrible things I’ve done to you over the years, I cannot believe you would build a bridge and welcome me back.” He reached out to his brother and gave him a high hug. The brother then returned to his farmhouse to talk to the carpenter. “Can you stay?” he asked. “I have more work for you to do.” The carpenter answered, “I’m sorry, but can’t stay. I have to go, for I have many other bridges to build.”

4.    Now and then, we are confronted with conflicts in our families, places of work, church, and community. Our strength is not falling but getting up each time we fall. When faced with conflicts, we often build a fence between ourselves and see others as enemies. We would stop talking to our presumed enemies, avoid them, and close in on ourselves. We should not run away from people who hurt us, but we should do what we can to achieve peace and correct each other in love. Christ wants us to love rather than hate. Instead of a wall, he wants us to build a bridge of love between us.

5.    Jesus does not give up on anyone. He wants us to explore every means possible for reconciliation. Christ did not give up on Peter but prayed for his conversion. Neither did he give up on Judas, as this story demonstrates. The saved were partying in heaven. Missing was Jesus. Peter found Him at Heaven’s gate and asked: “Master, why are you standing outside?” He replied, “Peter, I’m waiting for Judas.” If Christ won’t give up on Judas, should we give up on people? We should extend our kindness even to those who hurt us. When we forgive people, we do not do them a favor but set ourselves free to love. Hence, St. Paul tells us in the second reading: “Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.” According to Archbishop Fulton Sheen, “While it is possible to win the argument, your anger may lose the war.”

6.    Let us pray at this Mass, dear friends, that instead of building fences of hatred, we may build bridges of love, forgiveness, and reconciliation. May the Holy Spirit guide and direct us so that we may learn to correct each other in love. Let us take these words of Christ to heart and learn to live by them: “Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove that splinter from your eye,’ while the wooden beam is in your eye? You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother’s eye.” (Matt. 7:3-5). God bless you!

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP