May 05, 2024; 6th Sunday of Easter (Year B)

                                 Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48; 1 Jn. 4:7-10; John 15:9-17 

Love beyond all Frontiers.

1.      In the first reading, we see Peter, a Jew, in the house of Cornelius, a Gentile. Jews had nothing in common with the Gentiles. The Gentiles were not considered fit to be admitted into any place of importance, not to mention the kingdom of heaven. Peter’s presence in the house of Cornelius was, therefore, considered taboo, scandalizing, and very offensive indeed to the Jews. To that point, Peter said, “You know that it is unlawful for a Jewish man to associate with or visit a Gentile, but God has shown me that I should not call any person profane or unclean. And that is why I came without objection when sent for.” (Acts 10:28-29). Peter continued: “In truth, I see that God shows no partiality. Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly is accepted to him.” (Acts 10:34-35). While Peter was preaching “The Holy Spirit fell upon all who were listening to the word. The circumcised believers who had accompanied Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit would have been poured out on the Gentiles also, for they could hear them speaking in tongues and glorifying God.” (Acts. 10: 44-47). Peter then asked, “Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit even as we have?” (Act. 10:47). Cornelius and his household were baptized.

2.      The division, hatred, and barriers in our world are caused by man’s inhumanity to man and our inability to keep the commandment of love. By placing limitations on love, we create hatred among people. The fact that many people think they are better, more intelligent, talented, richer, and better endowed than others, doesn’t make them right. This way of thinking can foster violence and bloodshed among brothers and sisters. The belief that one race is better than or superior to others makes it hard, if not impossible, to love. Hence, St. Paul exhorts us, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free person, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Gal. 3:28). And Christ admonishes: “This is my commandment: love one another as I love.” (Jn. 15:12). While John pleads: “Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God. Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love.” (I Jn. 4:7-8).

3.      God’s love transforms and redeems us. He loves us sacrificially through his Son, who gave up his life for our sake. He reminds us: “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you.” (Jn. 15:13). There is so much misunderstanding and mistrust in our society because we have not kept the commandment of love. Christ demonstrated this to his apostles when he said: “You call me ‘teacher’ and ‘master,’ and rightly so, for indeed I am. If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s feet. I have given you a model to follow so that as I have done for you, you should also do.” (Jn. 13:12-15). The disciple must walk in the master’s footsteps; hence, the Apostles were so convinced of their discipleship and the teaching of their master that they were not afraid to die for others as their master did. No mountain was high enough for them to climb, and no barrier could prevent them from bringing the gospel of Christ to the ends of the world. Hence, Peter went to Cornelius’s house, a Gentile, to preach the gospel of salvation to him and his household. God took the initiative and proved to them that salvation was open to all, regardless of race, origin, and tribe. All are welcome in God’s house.

4.      John tells us that God is love; to love is to communicate with God. This love goes beyond every frontier and binds us together. St Paul urges, “Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.” (Rom. 13:8). At the end of our life on earth, we will be judged on love!

 

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP

April 28, 2024; 5th Sunday of Easter; Year (B)

Readings: Acts 9:26-31; 1 Jn. 3:18-24; Jn. 15:1-8 

A Hard Man is good to find.

1.     In today’s gospel, Jesus said, “I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit because without me you can do nothing.” (Jn. 15:5). Christian life must be rooted in Christ and directed by the relationship shared in and with Him. Therefore, Christians must live in such a way as to say with St. Paul, “I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me.” (Gal. 2:20). To grow and live with and in Christ demands compatibility of character. The risk in organ transplants is the rejection of the foreign body by the donor body, which is called incompatibility. If husband and wife are not compatible, that marriage has no future. Hence, without compatibility of character between Jesus and His disciples, no growth or intimacy is possible. As sinful people, we need the pruning, purification, and cleansing effect of the Holy Spirit to make us compatible with sinless Jesus. We must align our priorities with Christ to function and bear fruit as his disciples.

2. In today’s first reading, Saul, the persecutor who had tried to destroy the Church and dragged men and women to prison, was converted on his way to Damascus. He is now preaching the Christ that he was against. In Jerusalem, Paul’s new religion and his enthusiasm to preach Christ as the Lord face stiff opposition, suspicion, and doubts. This was Paul who gave permission for Stephen to be stoned to death. How can he be trusted? He was snubbed and avoided. “When he arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple.” (Acts. 9:26). How lonely Paul must have felt. Did he make a mistake? Did Christ really speak to him on that road? These thoughts must have gone through his mind. Then, Barnabas, also called Joseph, came to his rescue. He was a Levite, a Cypriot by birth. The Apostles named him Barnabas, meaning ‘Son of Encouragement’. He was “a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and faith.” (Acts 11:23).

3.     Barnabas epitomized early Christians’ lives. He was a branch that sprung from the divine vine - Jesus. For he knew that to bear fruit, he had to align his values, ethics, identity, personality, and priorities with Christ. He took charge of Paul and vouched for him as his spokesperson. One wonders how life would have been for Paul but for Barnabas. We need people like Barnabas to support, encourage, and believe in us. We need people who see potential in us and will not judge us for the one mistake we may have made in the past. Barnabas showed himself an honest Christian in the way he treated Paul. He saw that Paul was made in the image and likeness of God; therefore, he should be redeemed and not condemned. He believed in the best in others. While others saw Paul as a spy, Barnabas saw him as an asset, an instrument to bring the Gospel of Christ to the Gentiles. How wonderful would our world be if we had more people like Barnabas? Those who are not afraid of people are not suspicious and cynical but who see themselves in everyone and try to help others succeed. These Hard Men are good to find.

4.     William Barclay tells us that, “The world is largely divided into those who think the best of others and those who think the worst; and it is one of the curious facts of life that ordinarily we see our reflection in others and make them what we believe them to be. If we insist on regarding a man with suspicion, we will end by making him do suspicious things. If we insist on believing in a man, we will end by compelling him to justify that belief.” We must be like Jesus in treating others, especially those who do not look, think, and talk like us. Barnabas was that man. Like Jesus, he did not allow someone’s past to influence his judgment against him. A person should not be condemned forever just because he once made a mistake. In a baseball game, the rule is three strikes, and you are out. We can apply the same rule to how we treat those who have wronged us, knowing that Christ tells us to make it up to seventy-seven times. (Matt. 18:22). For “If you, O Lord, should make our guilt, Lord, who would survive.” (Ps. 130:3). Never condemn someone because he had committed an offense once. There is still room for change if we allow him to do so.

5.     The early Christian community that produced a man of character like Barnabas “Were of one heart and mine, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they had everything in common.” (Acts. 4:36-37). Their faith was rooted in Christ. Christ is the vine, and every Christian is a branch. We must be one with Christ and must grow in Him. If we do not, we become a withered, rejected branch that is dead and is suitable for nothing. When we are together in Christ, we bear fruit. St. John made this point in the second reading. When we get together and are united in Christ and with one another, we live a life of truth, love, and peace. God relates with us in love, and with love, we must “Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another as God has forgiven you in Christ.” (Eph. 4:32). Let us pray that we may be Barnabas to one another. With people like Barnabas, our world will be a better place. In this place, no one will be suspicious of others, where violence and hatred will give way to forgiveness, tolerance, and love, where we will see the image of God in one another and so treat them as we would Christ, in love. May we treat others as we would want them to treat us! For a hard man, it is good indeed to find. God knows we need those hard men in our lives today more than ever. Amen.

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP

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