Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity 27/05/2008

May your Baptism in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit be fully verified in your life of love to your needy neighbours as true sons and daughters of God. Happy Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity! +John I. Okoye

DOCTRINE AND FAITH

(Deut, 4,32-34.39-40; Rom, 8,14-17; Matthew 28,16-20; Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity)

            We begin our reflection on the mystery of the Blessed Trinity,  the solemnity which we celebrate today, by bringing to mind the words of Jesus in today’s gospel reading: All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Christ did not only receive immortal life through his victory over death but also the dominion/lordship of the universe. He has power over everything. He received this power from God the Father. This power is unlimited and embraces all things and is exercised both in heaven and on earth. All things that appear in heaven and on earth depend on Jesus and are under his control. Life and salvation of the people are in his hands. It is only when people recognise him as their Lord, that they will be able to reach their salvation. Having, therefore, the full possession of universal power, Jesus gives directives for universal mission: Go, therefore, make disciples of all the nations. As the Lord of all the people, he sent disciples to all men. No people, persons or generation of peoples are excluded from this commission. Jesus’ appeal should reach every one; all should be able to know him. In his activity, Jesus did not use force to get people to follow him; he simply disseminated his message and called disciples to follow him freely. The disciples should now continue his work in the same way; without using force but through their word and their exemplary lives, with the power of the Holy Spirit and strengthened by the continuous presence and the powerful assistance of Jesus. It is true that they do not see him visibly, but he never abandoned them and continues to be by their side: And know that I am with you always; yes to the end of time.

            Being a disciple means living one’s life according to Jesus’ example. The disciple should be able to win people to this type of life which consists in communion of life with Jesus and in following him. We cannot be disciples of Jesus, and therefore Christians, if we  remain far from him. We are disciples of Jesus only when we live in close communion with him. We cannot belong to Jesus, if we welcome only part of his messages, doing so according to our tastes and moods; we belong to him if we allow him to indicate the way to communion with him. We become complete disciples through baptism: Baptise them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Baptism is not just an exterior rite as the words of baptism are not exterior formula. In baptism what is symbolised in the rite and which are expressed through words is realised: we become immersed, we are completely inserted in the realm of power, protection and life of the Blessed Trinity.

            The essential nucleus of Jesus’ message is seen in his message about God. Jesus reveals God as Father, Son and the Holy Ghost. Jesus lives among his disciples the life of the Son of God with the full knowledge of love of the Father, with an unlimited confidence/trust in the Father and unconditional obedience to him. God recognises him as his Son (John 3,17; 17,5) and the disciples could confess him as the Son of God (John 14,33; 16,16). Jesus accomplishes his work with the power of the Holy Spirit (John 3,16; 12,18). Through him, the Father is recognised as the Father, who is equal to him. The Father and Son are  linked to themselves with an extraordinary mutual understanding of love and knowledge.

            The Old Testament recognises God as the creator of heaven and earth and all that are in them. In this perspective, all around God are all his creatures and all of them are essentially and infinitely different from him. There is none among his creatures with whom God can enter into communion. But with Jesus, his Son, this is possible and both of them are united by the Holy Spirit in divine love of mutual knowledge, understanding and in a communion of fullness of life and equality. We are baptised in the name of this God who is in himself communion. Baptism places us under his protection and under the power of this God. Through baptism, God has inserted us among his own beloved ones, we belong to him. Through baptism, we are lifted unto the family of God, we become sons and daughters of God. God who lives in himself the intimate and familiar communion of the Father and Son, welcomes us in this communion.

            With the instruction: Teach them to observe all that I have commanded you, Jesus notes that following him and living in communion with the Trinitarian God, will not be realised anyhow. We cannot wish to be linked to God and live in communion with him and at the same time despise his will and serve other gods in various ways. Jesus indicated to his disciples that doing the will of the Father is a necessary condition for communion with the Blessed Trinity. The disciples of Jesus have the responsibility to instruct, in this regard, all those who come to know Jesus through them and who through baptism will be welcomed into God’s family.

            The risen Jesus reveals himself to his disciples as the Lord of heaven and earth. He does not command with force but wishes to win for himself, through the apostles, all people. Jesus appeared to his eleven apostles as one who received from God the Father full power over heaven and earth. He gave them the duty of universal mission: all people of all generations are destined to become disciples of Jesus, accept the revelation of God  from him and order their way of life according to his teachings. Central to the work of Jesus is the revelation of God the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, the revelation, that is of God who in himself is communion and love. The disciples participation in this divine life commences through baptism, is brought into maturity during life and will be perfected in the eternal life. May our participation in the communal life of the Holy Trinity therefore, help us to show active love to one another especially to our needy brothers and sisters. Happy celebration of the Solemnity of the Holy Trinity! +John Okoye

(PIXTURES  BY CHUKWUBIKE )

Pentecost Sunday; Year B

May the Holy Spirit bestow on you his numerous gifts and may the fruits of the same Spirit be abundant in your life. Happy Solemnity of Pentecost. +John I. Okoye

           DOCTRINE AND FAITH

(Acts 2,1-11; Galatians 5,16-25; John 15, 26-27; 16, 12-15”: Pentecost Sunday; Year B)

          The Pentecost represents the triumphal conclusion of the paschal mystery. The Paschal Mystery; the event comprising the suffering, death, resurrection and ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ into heaven is capped with Jesus sending the Holy Spirit on the Apostles as he had promised. Jesus died to give us the Holy Spirit that puts us in direct contact with the life of the Blessed Trinity. The feast of Pentecost has diverse aspects which are expressed through the readings of today. The first reading from the Acts of the Apostles narrates the episode of the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles. The second reading indicates the importance of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Christian. The gospel reading dwells on the role of the Holy Spirit in Christian witness and in the deepening of the Christian faith.

          The external manifestations that accompanied the outpouring of the Spirit were all phenomena associated with a theophany, an experience of God. For example, thunder accompanied God’s revelation at Sinai (cf. Exod 19,16); God spoke to Job from the whirlwind (Job 38,1) and to Moses from the burning bush (Exod 3,2). The text of the first reading reports that these phenomena were audible and visible while the actual outpouring of the Spirit was not. However, as those in the room were filled with the Spirit, they began to speak in other languages, a feat that could only have some supernatural origin.The same Greek word (glossa) is used for the tongues of fire that appeared above each one and for the foreign tongues that were subsequently spoken. There is a question whether the reference here is to communicative speech (foreign tongues) or ecstatic speech called “glossolalia.” Since the people who came to see what had happened did understand the bold proclamations of these Spirit-filled preachers, the meaning here seems to be communicative rather than ecstatic speech (w. 6-11).The crowd that gathered because of the loud noise was confused, astonished, and amazed. They knew that those speaking were Galileans. Yet the hearers were able to understand the message in their own dialect. It was clearly a manifestation of the universal presence and power of the Spirit. Some commentators believe that it demonstrated the reversal of the fragmentation of peoples that occurred when languages were confused after the people attempted to construct the tower of Babel (cf. Gen 11,1-9). The Outpouring of the Spirit and the preaching of the gospel to all nations are seen by some as the reuniting of the human race and the gathering of all into God’s reign.

          In the gospel, Jesus announces the coming of the Holy Spirit emphasising two ideas. The first is that the disciples will bear witness to him: And you too will be witnesses. It is the Holy Spirit that will bestow, on the disciples, the extraordinary power to bear witness to Christ. According to the narrative of the first reading, this feat was realised immediately on the day of Pentecost. Peter, who during the passion of Jesus did not have the courage to bear witness to Christ and denied him three times, immediately after the reception of the Spirit took up courage to speak to the Jews about the passion and resurrection of Jesus and the gift of the Holy Spirit. Thanks to the gift of the Holy Spirit by whose power and inspiration the faith of the Church is diffused in all the parts of the world and the courage of Christians to submit to martyrdom in order to bear witness to Christ. Jesus also declared that the Spirit of truth will guide the Christian in the acquisition of the truth: But when the Spirit of truth comes he will lead you to the complete truth… During his public life Jesus spoke and acted, worked miracles but the disciples were not able to understand. All seemed strange and superficial to them and did not penetrate into them. But with the coming of the Holy Spirit they came to know the whole truth. This is to say, that the Holy Spirit revealed to them, in the interiority of their being, the meaning of all the works Jesus did and the full implication of the Paschal mystery. The work of the Holy Spirit was to make clearer who Jesus was and what he taught. The Spirit speaks not about himself but will tell you of what he has learnt… since all he will tell you will be taken from what is mine. The work of the Holy Spirit is not a new revelation that has no rapport with the incarnation of the Son of God. The Spirit will excite interior and essential action for the Christian faith, hope and charity. The Holy Spirit is an interior power that brings light, and makes everything lively relating everything to the ministry of Jesus. 

          In the second reading Paul indicates that our Christian life should be guided by the Holy Spirit. If the Galatians, Paul’s immediate audience, and we  are to be guided by the Holy Spirit we  have to decide either following the desires of the flesh or those of the spiritFlesh(sarx), which means body, includes everything that pertains to physical existence or life in this world. It also refers to the weakness of physical existence. The law seeks to control the behaviour that results from this weakness. When the law is unsuccessful in its attempt to control, the works of the flesh produce sexual depravity (immorality, impurity, lust), religious infidelity (idolatry, sorcery), social discord (hatreds, rivalry, jealousy, fury, selfishness, dissensions, factions, envy), and disorderly behaviour (drunkenness, orgies). Those who follow this way forfeit their right to inherit the kingdom of God.Spirit(pneuma) means wind, breath, spirit, and thus it connotes the principle of life. It also refers to the noble aspects of human life. It is used to speak of the spirit of living things (specifically humans) as well as the Spirit of God. When Paul contrasts the spirit and the flesh, he seems to be referring to the spiritual dimension of the individual, which is an intrinsic aspect of the person (w. 16-17). When he contrasts the Spirit and the law, he seems to be speaking of the Spirit of God (v. 18). Paul not only contrasts the way of the flesh and that of the spirit, he also describes the conflict that exists between them. They appear to be opposing inclinations within human beings, not forces external to them. Because they are within us we constantly experience the conflict of their opposition, and we frequently suffer the consequences of this conflict. We may not act in ways that we intend (v. 17; cf. Rom 7,15-20). Paul recognises that choosing the way of the spirit over the way of the flesh is a lifelong process.The reading ends with a play on meanings. Just as Jesus’ flesh (physical body) was crucified, so those who belong to Christ crucify their flesh (human weaknesses). Doing this, they have chosen the way of the spirit over the way of the flesh. Paul exhorts the Galatians and us to follow this Spirit. This is because the Spirit creates harmony, peace and joy. The principal fruit of the Spirit is love which gives rise to joy and peace. Love is also manifested through patience, benevolence, goodness, fidelity and meekness. Our ideal is to live according to the Spirit. When we are to take a decision we should allow ourselves to be led by the Holy Spirit. We need prayer for this. For we receive the Holy Spirit through prayer. The light/illumination of the Holy Spirit comes to us through prayer and the love he pours on us comes even in prayer. In fact, if we live in the Spirit (it is to be borne in mind that from the moment of our Baptism we have the Spirit in us, we are his temple) we should walk/act according to the Spirit. We should therefore, leave ourselves to be guided by the Spirit and then we will be sure to have a good life, a life that will give us full joy that will be to the advantage of even the people with whom we live or come in contact. Come Holy Spirit and fill our hearts and enkindle in them the fire of your love! Amen! Happy Solemnity of Pentecost! +John I. Okoye

7th Sunday, May 13, 2018 Year B

May your relationship with Christ, through the Eucharistic celebration of this Sunday be strengthened  to enable you be a veritable witness to the Resurrection of Christ. Happy Sunday! + John I. Okoye

DOCTRINE AND FAITH

(Acts. 1,15-17. 20-26; 1 John. 4,11-16; John 17,11-19: 7th Sunday, May 13, 2018 Year B)

In  today's gospel reading, we are invited to listen to the Priestly Prayers of Jesus whose death is imminent, as he voiced his deepest hopes for his loved ones. His beloved ones are those people God the Father has given to him from the world and through whose word/preaching others will believe in him. They are those people whom Jesus will be sending into the world and for whom he will be consecrating or immolating himself. In this moving and emotion-charged prayer, Jesus resorts to the most endearing and trust-inspiring title of the Father: holy Father. God’s holiness is the quality of his absolute transcendence/separateness and, therefore, of his absolute otherness, sovereign dignity, authority and power; it connotes God’s divine quality. 
One of the important themes of this powerful prayer is Jesus plea for Unity: to be one as we (Father and Son) are one. He prays that the disciples may experience that unity he shared with his Father. Christ wants them to be one as they are one, because the oneness of Christ with the Father consists in his loving obedience and surrender to God’s plan of salvation in spite of the hardships that is involved; this oneness is grounded in Christ’s remaining in the Father’s love because of his compliance with his saving commandment (John 15:9f). This is how Christ wants the oneness of his disciples: it is not just a matter of coexistence, of keeping together without splitting. The Christian communion always includes a communion with the Father and the Son (1 John 1,3; John 17,20-23; 14,20), this is why in order for the disciples to be one, the Father has to keep them in his name, in himself. The persecution of the disciples in their ministry (John 17,15; 15,18ff.; 16,20ff.) constitutes a real threat to the disciples’ remaining in God’s name, in vital union with the Vine and the Vinedresser (John 15,Iff).

Jesus’ other plea in this Priestly Prayer is his asking his Father to consecrate them (literally make holy) in truth. Holiness in the Bible is not primarily a moral category but a way of speaking about living in the presence of God. It is more similar to a zone or marked-off area, than a personal disposition. Disciples are to operate in this zone imbued with the presence of God, which is also marked as in truth. The Greek term for truth, (aletheia), means unconcealment or revelation, removal of a veil, and in John it refers, principally, to the unveiling or revelation of God in the life and teaching of Jesus (John 1,14, 17; 14,6, I am the truth). Jesus prays that the disciples will live in a zone of God’s presence (holiness) as they faithfully witness to the truth or reality of God’s revelation of himself (his life in Christ). 

Another important theme in this prayer is the request for the protection of his disciples in a hostile world. Jesus’ own life is a paradigm for the lives of believers. He comes from above, from his presence with God, to an alien world that does not accept him, and then returns to the Father. The believer/disciple, in John, is born from above (John 1,12-13; 3,3), lives in a hostile and alien world (15,18-19; 16,33; 17,14,16, 18); and, as Jesus returns to the Father, the destiny of his followers is to be with him (John 12,26; 14,2-3, 13). The ambiguity (the quality of being open to more than one interpretation) of the world echoes throughout John’s Gospel. The world was made through him (the Word) but it did not recognise him (John 1,10-11). Jesus takes away the sins of the world, and God so loved the world that he gave his only Son; he is the living Bread that will be the life of the world (6:51). Yet, the world often symbolises the power of evil organised against Jesus and his followers (especially John 3,19; 15,18-19). In this perspective (a particular attitude towards or way of regarding something; a point of view), the world can be described as a mob of mankind mobilised in defiance of God’s love and power. It is in this sense that neither Christ nor his disciples are of the world. Yet, just as Christ worked in (among) and for this kind of world, so also he wants his disciples to be in (among) the world that is hostile to God and his interests: it is by being in the world that the disciples can render service to the world itself, Christ and God; after all, this is the world God loved so much and to which he gave his Son (John 3,16). The disciples must be, work and suffer, in the world. That is why Jesus offered this prayer before he leaves so that his disciples can learn what his wishes are: his prayer is restricted to a protection of God against the Evil one (see 1 John 5,18), according to the petition of the Our Father: deliver us from evil, or the Evil one.

A clear message from the gospel reading is that Jesus is sending his disciples on a mission just as he was sent: As you have Sent me I send them. John’s Gospel emphasises the fact that Jesus is sent by the Father. Jesus continues his mission by sending his disciples while he was about to finish his mission. The disciples who have learnt something from him are told to continue the mission. They were sent into the world Just as Jesus was sent into the world (John. 3,18). After his resurrection, Jesus will give his disciples a more specific mission (John. 20,21).

From the first reading we see how the nascent Church understood her mission of witnessing to the resurrection of Christ. The early Church chose Matthias to replace Judas, because he was a “witness to the resurrection” (Acts 1,21). But what makes you and me witnesses to Jesus’ resurrection? The resurrection of Jesus represents victory over death, not only for himself but also for us. Hence, we witness to his resurrection, if we are truly joyful people, secure in the hope that we too will rise with Jesus. The resurrection is God’s vindication of Jesus, the assurance that whatever Jesus preached and stood for was God’s will for the human race. Hence, we witness to his resurrection if we make Christ’s life and teachings our norm of behaviour. The resurrection is the confirmation of the value of human life, because in our resurrection, that which is human now will be glorified. Hence, we witness to his resurrection if we respect and honour other human beings, in fact all creation. The resurrection represents a new kind of existence, new life with God and spiritual dimension to our human life. Hence, we witness to his resurrection if we have a spiritual attitude to our life on earth, without succumbing to materialism.

Such a Christian witness is of paramount importance in our world today. Like the infant Church as portrayed in the first reading, the Church has always been in need of one more such witness. Christ’s prayer at the Last Supper was an earnest plea, made to his disciples, to bear witness to him. Father, consecrate them by means of truth. As you have sent me, so I have sent them into the world (Jn 17,17-18) was his prayer. Yes, we are consecrated, set apart, made to be within the sphere of God’s presence and commissioned at our baptism and confirmation to bear witness to him and his word. It is for this reason that we are instructed every Sunday by God and strengthened by the Eucharist. The world into which we are sent to bear witness may honestly, frighten us with all its problems. Poverty, oppression, injustice, violence, abortion and all sorts of social vices may abound. Yet we are not to run away but, confront these problems and eliminate them. Our task is to influence the world and renew it by means of good News. We are not believers in Christ’s resurrection just only for our own sanctification; but believers for the transformation of the world as well, because of the love we have for the world.
We love the world because God loves us. And how does God love us? Deus Caritas est (God is Love) and it is God’s nature to love and save. How often have we hurt him with our unfaithfulness and how far have we run away from his embrace! But still, he pursues us with his love. If God has loved us so, we must have the same love for one another (1 Jn 4:11). The world may turn a deaf ear to our Good News; it may resist our every attempt to transform it; it may even strike back at us like a scorpion or venomous snake though we try to redeem it. But these reasons should not make us give up on the world if we truly love the world as God has loved us.

However, we can become veritable and successful witnesses to the resurrection of Christ in the hostile world if we, with Jesus, raise our eyes to heaven and pray to the Holy Father, if we like the apostles allow God to indicate the way forward in our discernments and our choices, if we remain in the zone of God’s presence and get immersed in the truth and reality of his self revelation, if we therefore maintain our relationship with Christ as he nurtured his relationship/unity with the Father by keeping to his commandments and if we respond with singular mind and undivided heart to God who is love and who loves us because his nature is to love. May we therefore, truly, in today’s Eucharistic celebration plea for the above favours. Happy Sunday! +John I. Okoye

pictures  by charles

6th Sunday of Easter; May 6, 2018 Year B

May the divine Love whose source is God the Father and which you received through Jesus Christ at Baptism equip you to be a good instrument for the spreading of the same divine Love in the world among people. Happy Sunday! +John I. Okoye

DOCTRINE AND FAITH

(Acts 10,25-27.34-35.44-48; 1 John 4,7-10; John 15, 9-17: 6th Sunday of Easter; May 6, 2018 Year B)

   In today’s liturgy, in the readings especially, the Church as mother, continues to offer us the post Easter period catechesis (the mystagogical catechesis). One of the major themes of today’s readings is love. In the second reading, from the First Letter of John, there are about nine occurrences of the English word “love” and in the Gospel reading, from the Gospel of John, we have also nine occurrences of the same word. In our linguistic usage today, the word “love” has become a cliché (a phrase or opinion that is overused and betrays a lack of original thought). It has been so over-used and abused that it has lost its depth of meaning. The Evangelist, John in teaching about love was careful with his choice of words. To denote love, he used neither erōs, the passion that seeks some form of possession of the person or object loved, nor philia, which denotes the love of kin or those very closely related. The word used instead was agapē, a word that in itself is very similar to philia but which in John’s Gospel has special theological meaning.Agapē is usually the word used when we predicate the love of God. Agapē, is not merely an expression of the best that the human spirit has to offer. It is neither exemplary piety nor altruistic (showing a disinterested and selfless concern for the well-being of others; unselfish) concern for others. Actually, there is nothing human about it. It is divine in its origin, and only those who have been begotten by God can have a share in it. God initiates this love, and it is best exemplified in Christ’s own selfless offering of himself for others. When Christians are called to live in this self-giving love, more than an imitation of Christ is being required of them. Rather it is because they have been begotten by God and somehow share in the very nature of God that they can be exhorted to live out this divine love as God does and as Christ did. By virtue of our Baptism, we become adopted sons and daughters of God, the beloved (agapētoi) of God. We encounter agapē again in the starting statement of the second reading: God is love! That God is love is a fundamental theological reality. Love is of God; Love has its origin in God. Love is divine in its origin; God is the true source of this love. This love comes from God the Father and passes through the heart of Jesus and comes to us as Jesus so informs today: As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Jesus himself never pretended to be the source of this love. He was aware of receiving this love from the Father, and of being only a mediator of this love, that is, one who transmits it. Jesus transmitted this love in a very active manner. In the gospel periscope of today, He asserts: There is no love greater than this than to lay down one’s life for the friends. This is what Jesus actually did; motivated by the desire to fulfill the will of his heavenly Father by going through the passion to save not only his disciples but all men. We like Jesus, will not only welcome this divine love but will also have to remain in it as he instructs: Remain in my love. The Greek word ménō rendered here as “remain” and sometimes as “abide”, literally means to stay in a place. It suggests permanence that is associated with God. The union that is offered is not intended to be a passing occasion; it is to be a lasting state of being. It will be accomplished through obedience. In this, Jesus is both the model and the mediator. As he was obedient to the commandments of God, so the disciples must be obedient to his commandments. In fact, it is through their obedience to him that they will be obedient to God. To remain in the love of Jesus and invariably in the love that has God as its source has obvious gains. One of which is that the disciples will abide in the joy of Jesus as well. This is the type of joy that is not diminished by sacrifice, even the sacrifice of laying down one’s life for another. Another advantage of abiding in the love of God is that the disciples become the beneficiaries of the love of Christ as his friends. They are not slaves who obey blindly. Chosen by Jesus, they have heard and accepted God’s will as revealed by him. They have responded freely, like friends would respond. Thus he calls them friends, and because of his love for them he is willing to lay down his life for them. They, in turn, must similarly love one another and, presumably, be willing to lay down their lives for one another.

Indeed the disciples will have to follow the injunction of Christ as he ends the gospel reading: Love one another. The disciple of Jesus then, and we the modern disciples, will have to pass on this good news of love. This agapē, the active love reaching out from God to Jesus, Jesus to his disciples, the disciples to one another must be passed on. It must not stop here with us. This active love must move out beyond the confines of the group of the chosen ones into the broader world. Those who have been chosen for love have also been elected to mission. They must go forth, and their love and obedience must bear fruit in the lives of others.
    It must be admitted that one who is the beneficiary of God’ love, abides in Him and one of the beloved (agapētoi) of God, and certainly a friend of Jesus cannot but be a transformed person or disciple. This must have been the case with Peter in the first reading when at the house of Cornelius, admitted that God has no preference, and that God’s project of love was universal - a project that was realised through the paschal mystery of the death and resurrection of Jesus. Jesus, today, challenges us to follow his example in loving one another as he has loved us. Thus, the challenge he posits is not to love our neighbour as we love ourselves. Rather we are to love our neighbour as he himself had done, that is to say, that we are to sacrifice our lives as Jesus did. To be able to take up this challenge, we need to have the heart of Jesus. We will have the sentiments of the heart of Jesus when we allow the Eucharistic Jesus whom we receive often to transform us to his image. It is the transformation that accrues to us through worthy reception of the Eucharist that will enable us, like Jesus, to become mediators of God’s universal and divine love which the liturgy of today’sSunday handles. Happy Sunday! + John I. Okoye

graphics  by chukwubike oc