1ST SUNDAY YEAR C

DOCTRINE AND FAITH

(Jer 33, 14-16; 1 Thess. 3, 12-4, 2; Luke 21, 25-28.34-36; Year C)

    The new liturgical year, the year of the Church, the year of the Christian community begins this Sunday. What is the liturgical year and how is it to be distinguished from the civil one?

    The liturgical year is the period during which the Church and every Christian community celebrate all the mysteries of Christ from his Incarnation, birth, passion, death, resurrection, ascension to Pentecost.Besides, it represents and re-proposes the public life of Jesus, his preaching and miracles, as they are transmitted by the Evangelists. Vatican II elucidates: Remembering the mystery of redemption, the Church makes available the richness or wealth of the salvific action and merits of her Lord in such a way as to make them present at all times so that the faithful can come into contact and be filled with the graces of salvation (Sacrosantum Concilium, no. 102). The Liturgical year is not, therefore, a simple remembering, a mere re-invocation of the events of the past, but a rendering/making, present and efficacious now and at all times, the mystery of salvation actual. Therefore, if every liturgical year is well lived, it becomes a year rich in grace and divine benevolence. 

    The liturgical year starts with the Advent period comprising four Sundays and four weeks which precede Christmas. Originally, advent was destined to prepare the Christians for a dignified celebration of the feast of Christmas, but with passage of time, Advent assumed a more ample and complete meaning. According to St. Bernard, there are three Advents. The first Advent was when the Son of Man appeared in our humble human nature, thereby fulfilling the ancient promise and opening the way of eternal salvation. The ultimate Advent will be that of the future, the glorious apparition of Christ, as judge of the universe at the end of the world. Finally, the third Advent, which St. Bernard called intermediary Advent. In the first Advent, the coming of Christ was evident, so will the last be equally manifest, or rather glorious. The intermediary Advent, on the other hand, is hidden, intimate, and interior: it is the coming of Christ in peoples’ heart. He comes in the power of the Spirit, as St. Bernard holds. The intermediary Advent, on the one hand, actualizes the first Advent and on the other hand anticipates the ultimate Advent and assures that through it, Jesus will bring his faithful servants into glory.

    What dispositions are necessary for the soul to live intensely, the Advent in its triple dimension? The readings of today give some indications. The first reading that is interpreted like an oracle of God indicates the relationship between God and the covenant people of Israel. It begins with the announcement that God will deliver his people to safety and ends with the people grounding their salvation in the righteousness of God.  The Christian, who is in a relationship with God that started at Baptism should, in the period of Advent, open up to the graces of God by committing himself whole heartedly to the indication of God’s will (righteousness). In his letter to the Thessalonians, Paul gives some indication of how to live intensely the Advent period. Paul is asking for the Thessalonians’ maturity and spiritual growth. When they grow thus, their capacity of love increases. He enjoins them to practice both communal love (love for one another) and universal love, love for all. Such love breaks out of ethnocentric bounds and resembles the inclusive love of God. This kind of universal love pervades the entire being of the one loving because it flows from the heart, which is believed to be the seat of understanding, will and the place where the hidden motives of life and conduct takes place. From Paul’s letter we still glean another way to profit spiritually in this period of Advent. The Christian is to advance towards the paths of righteous living. This will enable the Christian to be blameless at the coming of the Lord Jesus, be it at the intermediary or the ultimate Advent.

    The gospel reading of today proposes keeping watch and praying for intense living of the period of Advent. One needs to keep watch so as not to leave oneself to be benumbed by the worldly mentality, and unbridled pursuit of money, pleasure and power. However it is not enough to be vigilant, we also need to pray. Prayer will expose our need for help and at the same time help us turn confidently to God who is the only One who can help us live intensely and profitably the Advent period. An intense Advent way of life is both simple and profound. It does not necessarily require unusual behaviour in our part, but it calls us to live the usual unusually well. It affects the everyday events of life; it directs the way we interact with people; it informs the attitude that colour our judgement and motivations. It is as ordinary as the birth of a child, and as extraordinary as the revelation of God. May we ask the good Lord therefore, to bestow his graces on us that we may understand the meaning of his coming into our lives and that we may be enabled  to appreciate fully and profitably the revelation of himself, which he entrusts to us, mere mortal beings. Happy New Liturgical Year! Happy Advent Season and Happy Sunday! 

 +John I. Okoye

34 Sunday; Christ the King: Year B...(Daniel 7, 13-14; Rev 1, 5-8; John, 18, 33-37)

DOCTRINE AND FAITH

(Daniel 7, 13-14; Rev 1, 5-8; John, 18, 33-37; 34 Sunday; Christ the King: Year B)

   

The church invites us in this last Sunday of the liturgical year to celebrate Christ as the king of the universe. The three readings of this Sunday speak about the kingdom of Christ. In the first reading, Daniel in his nocturnal contemplation sees one like the son of man receiving full power and authority from God. The second reading is an acclamation of the book of Revelation that recognizes Christ as king who communicates to us his kingly powers. The third reading is from the passion of Jesus in the Gospel of John in which Jesus with exceptional dignity declares himself to be king, but not a political one.

    In the gospel episode, Jesus was in a humiliating situation before the Roman authority. He was arrested, beaten up, insulted, chained and his enemies hoped to get him condemned to death on the cross. They presented him to Herod as one who aspires for political power, like a secessionist king of the Jews. The Roman procurator, Pilate, wanted to find out from Jesus if he was indeed king of the Jews. When Jesus eventually replied to his question he stated: Mine is not a kingdom of this world; if my kingdom were of this world my men would have fought to prevent my being surrendered to the Jews. But my kingdom is not of this kind. In the gospel passages it is clear that Jesus had no ambition for political power. After the multiplication of bread, the people, enthused by the miracle, wanted to take him and make him their king in order to topple the Roman government in Palestine and eventually establish the new political reign which they would have called the kingdom of God. But Jesus did not succumb to their ambition, for he knew that the kingdom of God is completely a different thing, which does not base on the use of arms and violence. Even in this passion narrative some of his disciples were still thinking that the kingdom of God was a political one, which would have to be established by shear use of arms. For at Gethsemane Peter pulled out his sword and had started the fight but Jesus stopped him. Jesus did not want to be defended by the use of arms. He wanted to do the will of God and thereby establish the kingdom of God, not through the use of arms, but through generosity and surrendering his vey life. The kingdom of God is, completely, different from the political one and earthly one. Reacting to what Jesus declared Pilate drew the conclusion asking: So you are king then? Jesus affirms: It is you who say it. The political power is not the unique power. There is a power that is more valid, which is not obtained by human means. Jesus came to receive this power and give testimony to the truth. He told Pilate: Yes I am king. I was born for this. I came into the world for this; to bear witness to the truth. Obviously, Jesus was referring to the divine truth; he does not speak of scientific truth, but the truth that is more profound, of God and in reality the revelation of love. The truth proclaimed in the New Testament is that God is love (1 John 4, 8.16) and wishes to establish on earth the kingdom of justice and holiness, but first of all the kingdom of love. Whoever is open to love, listens to the testimony of Jesus, accepts it and enters into the kingdom of God. 

    The second reading shows how the church and every single Christian participate in the regal dignity of Christ: … (He, that is Christ) loves us and has liberated us from the powers of sin with his blood. Our regal dignity consists of conquering the force of evil, freeing oneself from the enslavement of sin, having interior freedom of the spirit, and living as the sons and daughters of God. We are able to live out these aspects of the regality of Christ by virtue of the sacrament of Baptism and the grace which Jesus merited on our behalf through his sacrifice on the cross. Through our baptism we become members of the royal priesthood that is capable of entering into communion with God the Father and offering him the worship of praise, prayer and sacrifice. What is more, by virtue of our incorporation in Christ at our Baptism, we participate in the prophetic mission of Christ. By this it meant that we are participating in the task of spreading the tenets of the kingdom in the world, which Christ established in truth. Yes, through the Baptism we Christian are so much privileged. But the big question that should be ruminating in our mind today is: Is Christ really our king, my king? He would be truly so, if he is the centre of our lives, if he has regal power over us, if we allow him to lead us by his words and if the examples of his life become truly the models and principles of our actions. May we, therefore, at the solemnity of Christ the King pray earnestly that our celebration of the solemnity does not remain on the level of pure ceremony but through it we devote ourselves in becoming more and more the property of Christ. + John I. Okoye.

33rd Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year B

DOCTRINE AND FAITH

(Daniel 12, 1-3; Hebrews 10, 11-14.18; Mark 13, 24-32; 33^rd Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year B)

The first and gospel readings are couched in apocalyptic style of writing. Apocalyptic writings transmit their teachings through images. So caution must be exercised, so as not to read them as historical events. They were written mostly in difficult historical periods and times of persecution and oppression. People, then longed and hoped for the end of such difficult times. Then, using mysterious languages that only the addressees could understand the apocalyptic authors announced messages of hope. They often indicate the end of injustice and persecution that would give room to the reign of God. The first reading is from the book of Daniel which was written during the difficult time of the Antiochus Epiphanies who wanted to wipe out all semblances of religion in Israel. He desecrated the temple of Jerusalem and was persecuting and killing all those who opposed his reforms. During this time many Jews abandoned their faith. The reading described this period as time of great distress, unparalleled in history. The author of this book looked ahead and saw salvation in the person of the great Michael who would come to defend the holy people, thereby bringing salvation to all those people whose names were written in the book. This reading goes on to consider the fate of those who had been killed for refusing to betray their faith. It holds that all the just who were sleeping in the dust will awaken to share the joy of the kingdom of God and all those who defend justice and instruct others shall rise as brightly as the heavens. Here we note the first assertion of the resurrection in the Bible. This message of hope for the persecuted Jews in Antiochus Epiphanies’ time, when properly read, speaks to us today, the evil of wickedness, violence, corruption, killings, bombings that thrive among us. We tend to despair in apparent hopelessness especially when we do not envisage its coming to an end. The first reading consoles us by implying that no bit of our sufferings, pains, labour will be lost. It goes on to indicate that faithfulness to our relationship of faith and love with God will hasten up the coming of a new world in which we shall be sharing in the joy of the kingdom of God as the end of this life is not definitive for there is the resurrection. 

    Jesus in the gospel utilizes the apocalyptic style of writing: In those days, after the time of distress the sun will be darkened, the moon will lose its brightness, the stars will come falling from heaven and the powers in the heaven will be shaken. Jesus used these images to describe the final events at the end of time after which He as the Son of man will manifest Himself. He will send his angels throughout the world to gather all his chosen ones together. When will Christ manifest himself? The time is hidden. No one knows. Jesus disciple’s attitude should be that of vigilance for he does not know when Christ would be coming back. The vigilance should be a dedicated one by which we strengthen our relationship with the blessed Trinity and our dedication to works of charity towards our needy neighbour. This discourse should make us live our Christian lives in fullness, as the chosen ones of God, without fear that we shall be separated from His care and love no matter the difficulties we find ourselves. It should help us live our lives, dedicated to charitable works.

    However in order to live a truly fulfilled Christian life in vigilance and charity, we must associate ourselves with the efficacious sacrifice which Jesus Christ offered once and for all for the remission of sins. By virtue of this one offering, Christ has advanced the eternal perfection of all whom he is sanctifying. At our baptism, Christ’s sacrifice gives us the necessary perfection by which we are in relationship with God. Therefore, in our lives we should try to grow in this life of perfection, a growth that is made possible through the worthy reception of the Sacraments especially the Eucharist. United, thus, with Christ we will be able to live calmly and in full confidence in God’s help and salvation in the face of any difficulty. We shall also be equipped to change the difficult situations around us by our involvement in the society. + John I. Okoye.

32nd Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year B

DOCTRINE AND FAITH

(1 Kings 17, 10-16; Hebrews 9, 24-28; Mark 12, 38-44:  32nd Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year B)

  Today’s liturgy brings two widows together, one from the OT and other from the NT. Both of them belonged to the lowest cadre of the society, weak and poor, therefore, seemingly not in position to do much. But as it turned out, these women were the protagonists of two extraordinary gestures that made them to be regarded as models of true believers and authentic practitioners of religion.

    The first reading takes up the meeting of the widow of Zerephat and Prophet Elijah. Being persecuted by King Ahab and running away from his men, Elijah ran the risk of dying of hunger. As he entered the city of Zerephat, in Sidon, he met a widow and her son, whose only hope for survival consisted on a handful of meal (flour) and some little oil. So stressed up by hunger, Elijah begged her to prepare, first for him, a scrap of bread and then something for herself and her son. Elijah went on to proclaim what the Lord had revealed to him about her future sustenance: Jar of meal shall not be spent, jug of oil shall not be emptied, before the day when the Lord send rain on the face of the earth. What the prophet actually demanded from the widow was blind trust in divine Providence and in the word (utterances) of God. Indeed, the widow trusted in God and placed all that she and her son needed to physically survive hunger and live on (her last handful of meal and the last bit of oil in the jar) at the Prophet’s disposition. Her confidence in the Lord yielded much fruit as the meal and the oil were miraculously replenished throughout the period of famine caused by lack of rain.

    In the gospel reading the focus is still on another widow, in a scene where Jesus plays an important but curious role. He was sitting near the offertory box (temple treasury) and was watching how the worshippers were making their offerings. He noticed how the rich were throwing in lots of money (coins of much value) into the box, probably with a lot of ostentation. He also saw a widow who threw into the offertory box coins of little value; one can say an insignificant donation.  Jesus draws the attention of his disciples and indicates: I tell you solemnly, this poor widow has put in more than all who have contributed to the treasury; for they have all put in money they had over, but she from the little she had has put in everything she possessed, all she had to live on.

    What do we learn from these two bible episodes?

The first lesson is that we should never judge people or their actions from what they do or their appearances. By appearance these two widows were people of little worth, incapable of doing anything worthwhile and good for nothing. But in reality, they were wonderful and exceptional people, capable of performing two wonderful gestures. Who knows how many times we have assigned little worth to persons who are rather endowed with uncommon interior gifts and who have much favour in the eyes of God! Let us bear in mind the Bible verse which holds: Man sees the appearances while God perceives the interior (1 Sam 16, 7).

    We also learn from the two widows that to truly believe and be really convinced in our faith means trusting God completely, and abandoning oneself to him and to his Providence. Whoever has this type of faith, is not satisfied with donating to God or to our needy neighbours what is only superfluous, what we do not actually need to survive. There are some who make donations but only after they have made sure that their future well being, pleasure, leisure and comfort have been well provided for and doubly assured. Such offerings do not make any changes in their existence and style of life. Donating from one’s superfluity is not yet an act of love. Neither is it an act of faith. It becomes an act of faith when such offering exposes our life or survival to some difficulties and hardship. The poor widow of today’s gospel offered to God all she had; this is authentic faith. In a similar manner the widow of the first reading offered to the man of God, Elijah all she and her son had to survive on. That was also an act of authentic faith.

    The gospel narrative also brings into focus Jesus’ critique of the practice of religion in his own time. He had strong words against the religious leaders of his people: the Pharisees, Scribes, and Priests of his time. He denounced them on account of their vanities, ambitions, greed and ostentations. Jesus could not tolerate their duplicity, hypocrisy and falsehood which they presented as the authentic way to practice religion. The sharp condemnation of these religious leaders by Jesus should make us reflect on our way of life, so that we should not be content with the practice of religion that is apparently external, superficial which gives us the impression that we are doing well while we are actually far away from authentic faith and true conversion.   Let us therefore, pray in the Eucharistic liturgy of this Sunday for the grace to always offer up ourselves and all we have without reservation and in absolute faith to Almighty God. Happy Sunday!John I. Okoye

Solemnity of All the Saints: Year B, 2015

DOCTRINE AND FAITH

(Rev 7, 2-4.9-14; 1 John 3, 1-3; Matt 5, 1-12: Solemnity of All the Saints: Year B, 2015)

 

   Led by the Church, our mother and teacher of faith, we learnt to honour and render reverence and homage to all the Saints and the Blessed in heaven. These include those who, because of their heroic life, have been canonized, that is, officially declared to be in heaven by the Church and those who are not canonized but because they lived a life of faith and entered into the next life in the state of grace are now in heaven and are enjoying the Beatific Vision of God. This solemnity offers us the opportunity to invoke the intercession of the saints to enable us follow the way of perfection as they did and become friends of God, very close and in communion of life with him. We also invoke the saints so that they could intercede for us to obtain the graces necessary for our salvation. The solemnity also offers us the opportunity to admire these our brothers and sisters who are in heaven and urges us to imitate them. Therefore, the Solemnity of all the Saints will become for each and every one of us, an invitation and a clarion call to sanctity of life which is the vocation of all the baptized, and therefore, a holy duty of all to seek sanctity or holiness of life (Lumen Gentium, no. 40).

    The word holiness appears too high, sublime and quasi unattainable to the normal human person, the normal Christian. This is because the meaning and connotation are not often clear in people’s mind. Most often, holiness is understood as possessing power to work miracles or the capacity of initiating some extraordinary woks (like founding a religious group or institution), or the practice of austere penance and self mortification. These aspects of holiness can be considered as particular holiness in the absolute sense, sanctity that is reserved to only few people according to the providential design of God. In addition to this type of holiness and different from it is the ordinary holiness that is for all and possible to all.

    One may ask what consists the ordinary holiness/sanctity? This consists, first and foremost, in the practice of perfect love of God and neighbour. In practical and concrete terms, it means loving God with all one’s heart and mind above all persons and things. He who really loves God with all his strength will not offend God by sinning but will seek to please him in everything, live in his grace and in his friendship. Loving one’s neighbour as one loves himself/herself would mean wishing our neighbour what we wish ourselves. It means, in addition, to love our neighbour as Christ has loved him. This would mean forgiving him his offences against us, showing him mercy, washing his feet as Christ did his apostles, and being ready, if the need arises; to die for him as Christ did for him. The ordinary holiness consists also in fulfilling the duties of our state in life, living the stages and conditions of our life the way God wants it and as Jesus concretely has taught us to. Each one of us is to attain sanctity of life in the state and in the condition of life which God providentially placed him/her, by fulfilling God’s will in all things and putting into practice the tenets of the gospel of Christ. This may sound arduous and difficult. Certainly, but it is also possible to all through the grace of God. In the first reading we have: It is immense multitude of people, which no one is able to count, of every nation, race, people and language. All these people are before the throne of God and the Lamb. The history of the saints in the church confirms this: people of all ages, of all levels of society, of all states of life, of all professions have effectively reached the summit of perfection of life. Think of it, people of your village, station, parish, yard and even from your family could be among this throng of Saints in heaven whom we honour today.    

    In our discussion of the sanctity of life of the ordinary Christian, we need to do away with two prejudices or fallacies. The first is that there are some people who think that they are excluded from attaining life of perfection because they are not priests or consecrated men and women religious. This is not true! For, just as we have holiness of life for the priests and religious, so do we have holiness of life for the lay faithful. If a priest fulfils the duty of his life, he will attain the sanctity of life as a priest. In the same way, the lay faithful, married or unmarried can reach sanctity of life, if he lives out his state in life according to the will of God. There are so many young people who know how to follow the will of God, the temptation of the world notwithstanding. There are so many holy married people who love themselves in the Lord, training their children in the Christian way and caring with sacrificial love their old ones and needy neighbours. There are so many lay faithful: workers, professionals, government employees, self employed, business people, teachers, market women, etc., who give courageous witness to Christian life and gospel message in their situation and circumstances of life, their homes and places of work. Such witness is sanctity in action, authentic holiness. It can be heroic taking into consideration the sacrifices some of our lay faithful make and the humiliation they undergo in order to witness to the gospel of Christ.

     The second fallacy that impede some people from straining to the life of holiness is the thought that they cannot do penance, great mortification, or cannot dedicate so many hours of prayer as is seen in the life history of some saints. Certainly, doing penance and praying are very important and necessary.  But it is not necessary going about in search of extraordinary penance. Is it not enough penance having to be patient with the baby who is irritated and disturbs everyone in the house or with any elderly person who is demented and causes confusion, here and there? Is it not enough penance to be firm with the youthful son or daughter who makes parents despair on account of their actions?  Is it not enough mortification being patient with one’s husband or wife who has lost his/her nerves and does not do his/her duty? Is it not penance and mortification affronting with serenity and accepting the difficulties and contraries of life, welcoming with the spirit of faith physical pains, mental and moral sufferings, doing ones job with good conscience, and being honest with one’s profession and vocation in life? If one is able to adhere to the aforementioned ordinary penances, there is no need to go about looking for many and extraordinary penance or mortification. The important thing is, as we try to react to the opportunities of penance and mortification that come our way in the ordinary circumstances of life, we do so with the singular motive of loving and pleasing God.

    It is important to add that it is necessary to take time to pray. It is necessary for the growth in holiness to bring out some time to praise God and to dialogue with him, a sort of time out with God. It is also important to always live in the presence and company of God, offering to him in the morning, all our actions of the day and renewing the offering several times during the day. All we do during the day become prayer, if we do them in the state of grace and for the love of God.

    We should, therefore, be convinced that we are all called to the sanctity of life, not to the exceptional and extraordinary type but the common, ordinary type which we can attain in the state and condition of life which God’s providence has placed us. We are to get convinced that sanctity of life is possible to all with the help of God. But we need to make serious effort on our part to always do what pleases God. Let us renew today our will to tend towards perfection, asking all the Saints of heaven to come to our help and intercede for us. I wish you happy Sunday and Happy Solemnity of the Saints! +John I. Okoye