26th Sunday: Year B

May you be enriched with the wisdom not only to discern the works of God performed at any given time by anybody but also to use your riches for the good of others and to the greater glory of God. Happy Sunday! +John I. Okoye

DOCTRINE AND FAITH                                              
(Numbers 11,25-29; James 5,1-6; Mark 9, 38-43.45.47-48; 26th Sunday: Year B)

    The readings of this Sunday liturgy present various topics. The first part of the gospel is a report of the intolerance of the apostle John. Like Joshua in the first reading, he challenges someone who is not a member of the close-knit group of disciples but who presumes to perform the marvels they have been commissioned to perform. In this account someone who is not among them is casting out demons in the name of Jesus. This man would have to possess some degree of faith in Jesus or he would never be using his name. Furthermore, the reading suggests that the exorcisms he has performed have been successful. This is precisely the response Jesus gives. Unlike Moses, he does not question the motivation of his close companion. He merely authenticates the right of the other man to cast out demons. Jesus points out that this man is not an enemy, nor are the exorcisms he is performing in any way undermining his own ministry. On the contrary, they may be contributing to it. What is important is that the work of the reign of God be done; not who does it. It is clear that this first part of the gospel resembles the first reading. They both teach that God can fulfil himself in many and unexpected ways. Our duty as Christians is to discern the Spirit of God at work within and outside the Church. In the first reading two people, Eldad and Medad, were not among the group of people who received a part of the Spirit formally endowed on Moses. They, however, were given to prophesying in the same manner as those who shared in the gift of prophecy of Moses. These two biblical incidents also wish to impart to us these other important lessons. First, we should condemn and avoid all types of fanaticism, be it religious, political, ideological or social. A fanatic is the one who does not stop at not accepting any person who does not belong to his or her group but goes on to attack and injure the person. He shuts his eyes to whatever good others do and condemns it. He holds his opinion and ideas to be right always. Fanatics within the Church think that they are the only recipients of the Holy Spirit. Another lesson that we are supposed to take home from the first reading and the first part of the gospel is that the Spirit of God blows freely and manifests his gifts within and outside the Church. We need to be open to this fact so as to appreciate the workings of the Spirit especially when He manifests himself “outside our group”. We should be able, especially if we are imbued with the real Holy Spirit, to rejoice in the good works of love He does even among and through non believers.
    One other lesson we can take home from the gospel of today is Jesus’ justification of works of mercy performed in his name. Not only are they commendable, but they will also be highly rewarded regardless of how insignificant they may appear. Giving a cup of water may not sound like a momentous deed, but its implications are far-reaching. In a world where water is scarce it can become the difference between life and death. In this passage, the act of giving water is the symbol for any kind of good deed.
    Jesus next warns against scandalous acts. To whomever the expression little ones is referred, the stern warning is the same. Those who cause Christians to sin will be severely punished. Jesus is probably addressing the disciples when he instructs them to take even drastic means, if necessary, as a precaution against falling into sin. As important as hands, feet and eyes may be for engaging in all aspects of life, one can dispense with them, if they jeopardise the possibility of enjoying life in the reign of God. The alternative to this privileged enjoyment is exile in Gehenna, a valley just outside the city of Jerusalem where the early Canaanites offered human sacrifice. The Israelites turned this sacrilegious site into a garbage heap where refuse was constantly being burnt. The stench that arose from this site was a constant reminder of corruption. Gehenna became the symbol of the unquenchable punishing fires of the afterlife.
    Saint James, in the second reading, takes on the topic of wealth. The depiction of the plight of the wealthy does not include an admonition to change their ways so that their misfortune will be reversed. The lesson to be learned from this sorry situation is the precariousness of wealth. It is not lasting. There is impermanence to everything. Clothing will be moth-eaten and precious metals will corrode. It is, therefore, foolish to put ones trust in those things that do not endure, and the rich have done just that. The wealthy have foolishly and ravenously hoarded the treasures of the earth. Preoccupied with their own comfort, they have ignored the needs of others. Clothes are moth-eaten when they are not worn. This suggests that the wealthy have not only amassed more than they need, but they have failed to share their abundance with those who suffer want. The same is true about their gold and silver. Although these metals do not really rust as the reading suggests, the description emphasizes the lack of generosity on the part of the wealthy. They have been busy accruing money rather than sharing it with the poor, and this selfish attitude will be a testimony against them. The reference is probably to the final judgment, when both their foolishness in storing up treasures and their greed in not sharing the wealth will condemn them.
    The second part of the reading reveals that the rich have gained their wealth at the expense of those under their employ. They have exploited their workers, holding back their wages. Such victimization is particularly loathsome in Israel, since the very event that shaped them into a people was their deliverance from indentured slavery in Egypt. The parallel between the early Israelites and the workers in this account is undeniable. Both groups worked for ruthless overlords; both groups cried out to God; both groups were heard. James depicts the unscrupulous people foolishly enjoying their wealth and comfort, oblivious that they are really being fattened for the day of slaughter, the impending day of judgment. They do not know it, but their self-indulgence works to their own ruin. Once again their wickedness and their foolishness intersect. James does not really denounce wealth as such. What he condemns is the injustice and inhumanity that so frequently accompany it. In his teaching, James merely promises that those who have benefited from their exploitation of the vulnerable will reap the fruits of their sin. This warning stems from a belief in God’s justice. Just as we believe that God will not allow the righteous to go unrewarded, so we are confident that neither will the wicked escape punishment. May we pray in today’s Eucharistic celebration for the gift of the Holy Spirit that will enable us discern the works of God any where being performed by any body and also the wisdom of God to use the God given wealth unselfishly to the benefit of our needy neighbours. Happy Sunday! +John I. Okoye

25th Sunday: Year B

May the Almighty God and Father grant you the grace to take after Jesus Christ, the righteous one, by following him in his passion and imitating his humility. Happy Sunday! +john I. Okoye

DOCTRINE AND FAITH

(Wisdom 2,12.17-20; James 3,16-4,3;

Mark 9, 30-37; 25^th Sunday: Year B)

          The readings of this Sunday offer us some points to reflect on. In the first of the two episodes of the gospel reading, Jesus, identifying himself as the mysterious Son of Man who comes on the clouds to announce the end of one age and the beginning of another, tells his closest associates that he will be handed over and killed but that he will rise from the dead after three days. That the disciples did not understand is not surprising. What is surprising is their reluctance to question him about it. Were they afraid to know what it all meant? Afraid to hear some of the terrifying details? Afraid of the implications that his suffering may have for their own lives? Jesus merely announces his fate. He neither describes nor explains it. This prediction happened while they were travelling through Galilee. However, this was not the only exchange that took place on the way to Capernaum. The second episode of the gospel reports that, although, the disciples could not comprehend what Jesus said about his death and resurrection, they were able to engage in a heated discussion about status within the community. Jesus had just admitted his ultimate vulnerability, and they were quarrelling about rank. This shows that they were not only insensitive to his plight but they were also competitive among themselves. Without reprimanding them, Jesus seized the opportunity to teach an important lesson: following his own example, those who would be first must be willing to be last. In the world of Jesus’ time, neither servants nor children had any legal rights or social status. They were like women, dependent on the good will of the male head of the household. In this instruction Jesus turns the social ranking system upside down. He maintains that those who hold the highest positions within the community must be willing to take the lowest place. They must be the servants of all. He then offers himself as an example of one who empties himself for the sake of others. He does this by identifying with the subordinate status of a child. He then traces the connections he has just drawn back to God: whoever receives those who hold the lowest social positions receives Jesus, and those who receive Jesus receive the one who sent him. The disciples and we have much to learn.

          The readings of today also invite us to consider some of the features of righteousness and the fate of those who are considered righteous. Who is just according to the book of Wisdom? It is he who believes in God and seeks to do the will of God, what is right in his eyes, and not what could turn into his advantage. He is meek and not arrogant, suffers adversity with fortitude and reposes his faith in God. In the new Testament, especially in the Letter of James, the just is one who is versed in the wisdom that comes from above. This sort of wisdom is pure, totally committed to the things of God; it is peaceable, drawing the members of the community together in unity; it is fruitful, producing good works in abundance and seeks the right order of things. The righteous person also conceives life not selfishly but as a donation of oneself and putting oneself at the service of neighbour in love. In the New Testament, Jesus is the righteous one par excellence. He did no wrong, not even at his trial even at great provocation; he did all things well, as the gospel attests. Today, nevertheless, he predicts his passion in the gospel reading: he will be killed by the wicked because his conducts are reproaches to them and his teaching unmasks their hypocrisy and exposes their evil plans.

          How is righteousness perceived today? This is a question that holds little interest for many people. They would be more concerned with knowing who are the successful or the famous. In a world rife with jealousy and selfish ambition, righteousness is not a quality that is highly prized. We want people to be honest, at least in their dealings with us, but we are more apt to applaud those who are clever. We commend people who know how to make a good deal, get ahead, and strike it rich. We extol the beautiful, the strong, the self-assured, those who have made names for themselves and those who entertain us. We encourage people to be ambitious and to think of themselves first. Seldom is one’s popularity based on righteousness. On the other hand, righteousness is one of the pillars upon which the reign of God is established. Those who would enter that reign must be gentle and merciful, faithful and sincere. They must be lovers of peace. The righteous must be willing to take the last place and be the servant of all. As Jesus is the righteous par excellence we must look to him for an authentic portrait of righteousness.

          What is the fate of the righteous? Because righteousness itself is not highly valued in our society, those who are righteous are not often held in high regard. They may even be considered obnoxious. In fact, they are often ridiculed and even persecuted. When they are considered a reproach to the standards of society, they may even be put to death. Such treatment is difficult to bear when it comes from an outsider, but it is particularly bitter when the one who is striking out at the righteous person is someone close at hand, a colleague, a neighbour or a member of the family. There are times when we might be inclined to envy and resentment. We do not want to feel that we are morally inferior to others, and so we (like the wicked of the first reading) relish the opportunity of putting their virtue to the test. We may say that we want to draw forth their strengths, but we may really hope that their weaknesses will be revealed and they will prove to be no better than we are. Sometimes the righteous have nowhere else to turn but to Jesus, whose life they are following and into whose death they have been plunged. Let us, therefore, in today’s Eucharistic celebration beg almighty God for the grace to take after Jesus Christ, the righteous par excellence, by following him in his passion and imitating his humility, though the greatest yet stooped down to serve the lowest. Happy Sunday! +John I. Okoye

(graphics  by chukwubike)

23rd Sunday: Year B

May the compassionate Jesus heal you of every deafness and dumbness so that you will listen well to the word of God, allow it take root in your life and then proclaim it in truth and love to your neighbours.

Happy Sunday! +John I Okoye

DOCTRINE AND FAITH

(Isaiah 35, 4-7a; James 2,1-5; Mark 7, 31-37; 23rd Sunday: Year B)

 The liturgy of today presents in the gospel the episode of the cure of the deaf and dumb person. This cure is anticipated in the first reading from the book of Isaiah that announces prodigies which God will accomplish. In this oracle of salvation, the prophet, Isaiah, speaking to the Jews in exile depicts two ways in which the renewal promised by God is manifested: those who suffer physical maladies will be healed of their infirmities, and the barren wilderness will be filled with the promise of new life. The prophet is the messenger of this good news and is told to announce it to those who have been broken by the hardships of life, those who are weak and filled with fear. The promised salvation will not be limited to human beings. All creation will be renewed. This renewal is characterised by images of life-giving water (Streams and rivers, pools and springs). It is amazing what a little water can effect in dry and barren land. It can work miracles. Just as God’s saving power can restore infirm bodies to full strength, so this same power can transform deserts into oases. The oracle announces that both people and nature will enjoy abundant life. Just as deprivation and infirmity were considered signs of evil in the world, so this restoration was perceived as a sign of the transformation that only God can effect. It was a testimony to God’s presence in the world and to God’s victory over evil. Once again God had reestablished the original order of creation, and all life began again to flourish.

          What Isaiah announced in his oracle of salvation is  realised in the ministry of Jesus, who out of great  and infinite mercy, dedicated his time to curing the sick and the afflicted. In the gospel pericope of today, a deaf and dumb person was presented to him to cure. Such people were unable to communicate and, therefore, were excluded from the social life of the people. It was a terrible life for people who were deaf and dumb, especially, in those days when hearing and speaking aids were not yet invented. A deaf and dumb person can neither hear  nor respond. It has to be noted that the root of his or her difficulty lies in his or her deafness: he/she is dumb because he/she is deaf. We all  have the organs of speech (mouths, tongues and vocal chords)  but if there were deafness, they would not be trained/activated and, therefore, we would not be able to use them in speaking.
          In the gospel story, Jesus cured the deaf and dumb person brought to him for healing. He could have done it by pronouncing miraculous words from a distance. But rather, having taken the deaf and dumb man apart, he put his finger in his ears and touched his tongue with spittle. He then looked up to heaven to indicate that this cure is taking place in union with his Father in heaven. He then pronounced the word ephaphatha which means be opened. At once the ears of the deaf and dumb person opened and the ligaments of his tongue were, at the same time, loosened and he spoke clearly. Jesus ordered them not to speak about the miracle. He did this with the hope that people would not misunderstand him and take him as a political messiah as they misunderstood the miracle of loaves after which they wanted to make him their king. The cure of this deaf and dumb is so symbolic that the church incorporated it in her rite for baptism. After administering the water of baptism, the minister touches the ears and mouth of the baptised. This indicates that baptism is a cure of deafness to the word of God. Baptism gives one the capacity to hear the word of God and cherish it and thus enter into communication and communion with God. Baptism is also a cure of dumbness as it gives the baptised the capacity to talk to God, speak about God, pray to him and praise him. Baptism also endows one with the capacity to bear witness to ones faith.

          The second reading from the letter of James challenges our faith and charity. James is reminding us that our faith in God who made all men in his image and likeness and has no favourites should help us not to make distinctions about the rich and poor as the people tend always to honour the rich and disregard the poor. He is of the opinion that we should not allow such favouritism to enter neither our Christian communities nor our worshiping communities. Our faith, rather, should lead us to accord the same measure of love to both the rich and the poor. He even reminds us that we should take note that God himself has option for the poor: God chooses them to be rich in faith and to be the heirs to the kingdom which he promised to those who love him.

          The readings for this Sunday offer us a vision of eschatological fulfillments, a time when eyes will be opened and ears unstopped and hearts will leap for joy. They tell us very clearly that these marvels are brought about through the power of God and that, left to our own devices, we sometimes make distinctions that divide. From the times of our religious ancestors God promised to save us, to open eyes that are blind and ears that are deaf, to enable us to leap with the joy of being saved, to release us from the cruel bondage of hate and oppression and suffering. God made these promises, and he is faithful because these promises have been fulfilled by Jesus. He opens our eyes to the reality of God’s presence in our midst in the goodness of people and in the tenderness of life, even in its vulnerability. He opens our ears to hear the word of God spoken to us by others, revealed to us through the created world. Touched by Jesus in this way, our hearts leap with joy; our world and our lives are charged with the presence of God. Therefore, may the word ephaphatha from the Risen Jesus who presides at this Sunday Eucharistic assembly heal my deafness and dumbness so that I will listen well to the word of God, allow it take root  in my life and then proclaim it in truth and love to my neighbours. Happy Sunday! + John I. Okoye

graphics  by charles

Sunday 22: Year B

May the good Lord in this Eucharistic celebration grant you the grace to internalize his word that it may take root in you and positively influence your actions. Happy Sunday! +John I. Okoye

DOCTRINE AND FAITH

(Deut 4,1-2,6-8; James 1,17-18,21-22,27; Mark 7,1-8,14-15,21-23: Sunday 22: Year B)

The overarching theme of the readings for this Sunday is words spoken in truth. We will consider three aspects of this theme: The words of the covenant, the truth in religious practices, and the word that has taken root in us.

Words of the Covenant

On one level, the laws are the words of the covenant. They are part of the contract that was drawn between God and the people. They stipulate the obligations of this agreement. They are words of truth because they are God’s reliable revelation. They are words of truth because they genuinely reflect righteous living. The biblical covenant laws are truly humane. Although they are explicit in their demands, they do not place impossible burdens on us. Obedience to the words of the covenant leads to life and blessings, while disobedience results in the opposite.

On a deeper level, the laws themselves do not constitute the covenant. They merely arise from the relationship that binds God to us and us to God. They are directives that point the way to righteous behaviour, guides that help us live out our covenant commitment. Chronologically, many of the laws may have been in force before the covenant had been made (for example, Thou shalt not kill). However, they were probably not considered revelatory until the pact was made. The prophets remind us that fidelity to the law is more than rigid conformity. It must flow from within us, from the core of our hearts.

The Truth of Religious Practices

Usually we are born into a group that possesses some kind of religious customs, and as members of the group, we learn them. They always carry some profound religious meaning, but we may not know what it is, or we may not care what it is, or it may have lost its meaning for us—and yet we perform these customs. How many people know why we stand or sit or kneel during liturgy? How many people care? How many people have a church wedding because it is a religious event? Or how many have one because that’s the way we have always done it? This does not mean that the people are not good. It means that the practices do not always flow from a deep religious conviction or from a profound experience of God. Once we realize our need for God, these practices, regardless of how elaborate or how uncomplicated they may be, become genuine expressions of our praise, gratitude, need or repentance.

The Word That Has Taken Root

The Gospel recounts an incident of conflict between Jesus and some of his opponents. The issue that prompted the confrontation is ritual cleansing. Some of Jesus’ disciples were eating their food without washing their hands. Jesus’ rebuttal is swift and incisive. Using a passage from the Prophet Isaiah, he calls these people hypocrites because they were faithful to outward observance of religious practices but makes no linkage to man’s heart, the root and source of man’s being. Uncleanness or impurity are not determined by anything external. What one eats merely passes through the body. Defilement on the other hand, originates from the innermost recesses of the heart. In the same way, good actions spring up from the heart. For in Hebrew anthropology, the heart is the seat of our actions. It is where we reject or accepts worshipping God. When the word of God takes its abode in our heart, everything becomes a religious practice, a concrete sign expressing our total conversion and our worship of God in truth and spirit. This word of God can come to us through the teachings of our faith, the examples of good people around us, and the wonder and mystery of creation. However, it comes, but when it does take hold of us our inner eye is opened, our heart is softened, and we turn instinctively to God like a flower that turns to the sun. When we are brought to birth in this way, covenant law becomes sacred and gives direction, religious practices are cherished and they stand for man’s genuine love for God, and we are thereby filled with the power that saves. May we, therefore, in this Eucharistic celebration, ask the good Lord for the grace to internalize his word that it may take root in us and positively influence our actions. Happy Sunday! +John I. Okoye.