29th Sunday of Year A, 22nd Oct. 2017

May the relationship between you and God, which God started in you by infusing into you the theological virtues of faith, charity/love and hope continue to grow to the extent that God will use you as instrument for the salvation of the world. Happy Sunday! + John I. Okoye

Doctrine And Faith

(Isaiah 45, 1.4-6; 1 Thess. 1, 1-4; Matt 22, 15-21: 29th Sunday of Year A, 22^nd Oct. 2017)

Today’s reading resembles a royal decree, a formal statement wherein God addresses a king in order to authorise him for some tasks, empower him to function in the capacity of that task, give legitimation to decisions he may make or to a plan of action on which he might embark or instruct him in the art of ruling. This particular royal decree is extraordinary by the fact that in it, it is the God of Israel that addresses a pagan king. The contents of this decree reveal God using as his instrument a non-Israelite in the salvation of the people of Israel. Cyrus was the Persian ruler who permitted the Israelites to return from captivity in Babylon to their homeland and rebuild the temple. Cyrus subdued nations, released captive kings so that they might serve him unfettered, threw open locked doors and barred gates in the spirit of freedom. All these were done for the sake of the Israelites (Jacob-Israel). This Cyrus, the foreigner, was the agent of the release of the Israelites, but their release is for the sake of the enlightenment of foreign nations. It is understandable for God to work through the Israelites. But if the God of a people is seen to work marvels through the instrumentality of another people, it is easy to conclude that there is but one God who works through all. This is precisely what is stated in this reading. There is no other God but the God of Israel. This God is the author of history and directs the events of life to follow his plans. He can use anybody, not only the believers, but also non-believers to realise his plans. He will even use us the more if we are docile, disposed to the insinuations of his graces. What we have to do in life is to  make effort to see things from God’s perspective and align our actions and deeds  accordingly.  

The episode in today’s gospel is common to the three Synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke). Once again Jesus is in a battle of wits with the religious leaders of the people. This time they are the ones who initiate it. While the purpose of the encounter is the entrapment of Jesus, the underlying issue is the possibility of being faithful both to God and to a secular state. The Pharisees did not seem to approve of the Gentile rule over the Jewish people. The Herodians, on the other hand, were Roman royalists. Within the ranks of the people, the Zealots vehemently opposed the occupation, while many others had made their peace with it and sometimes even benefited from it. Roman taxation was an issue that could easily cause people to take sides. It was with this issue that the Pharisees hoped to ensnare Jesus. They first flattered him, then set up the trap by asking him for an interpretation on a point of Roman law: Is it lawful for a Jew to pay taxes to Rome? The tax in question was probably the poll tax paid directly to Rome, evidence of political subjugation. If Jesus answers no, he can be accused of political insubordination of the type that might incite others to follow in violence. If he says yes, he would have appeared to have relinquished Israel’s boast of being a people bound only to God. In his reply, Jesus did not fall into the  snare of the Pharisees, neither did he incur an eventual shame nor put himself into political jeopardy/quagmire. In order to adequately respond to their question, he asked for a coin that could be used to pay the poll tax. The coin itself was abhorrent to the Jewish people, for it contained the image of Caesar along with titles that accorded him both political honour and divine status. Both of these features violated Jewish Law. In deference to Jewish sensitiveness, imageless copper coins were used in ordinary commercial exchange. At Jesus’ demand, the Pharisees produced the coin, and now they acknowledged that it contains the image of Caesar. Jesus directed them to give back or repay what is owed to both Caesar and God. Besides exonerating him from possible political or religious reproach, Jesus’ response suggests that one can indeed be loyal both to a religious tradition and to a secular power. It may be very difficult at times, especially where their claims seem to conflict, but it is possible.

In today’s second reading Paul thanks God for choosing Silvanus and Timothy as his co-apostles especially in founding and nurturing the young church in Thessalonica. The Israelites of the Old Testament prided themselves, with singular privilege, as God’s elect. But in virtue of the death and resurrection of Christ this privilege was extended to all the nations through faith in Jesus Christ.

 Indeed, every nation can now enjoy these privileges formerly reserved for the people of Israel. What and what could be the contents of the privileges? They are no other things than spiritual privileges of ardent faith, works of charity and constancy in hope. Their effort in manifesting these virtues in their lives was a clear indication of their election by God, who infused these theological virtues in them. Outwardly and humanly speaking, the Thessalonians were influenced by Paul’s preaching, but inwardly they were inspired and led by the Holy Spirit. Each one of us was infused with theological virtues of faith, love and hope at our baptism when we became the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit and entered into close relationship with the Blessed Trinity. Paul is thanking God today for the growth and manifestation of these theological virtues which God infused into the Thessalonians through him as an instrument. Will the priests who baptised us and through whom we became the elect of God be thankful to God for our spiritual growth? It is only and only if we remain in good relationship with God through living out the theological virtues can we begin to acquire the optic/perspective of God; when this becomes a reality, we will see things as God sees them and he will make of us instruments of evangelisation and expansion of his mission just as he used the pagan Cyrus of the first reading of today. It is, therefore, abiding in the friendship with God that we will be able to see things in the way Jesus saw it and will be able to maintain our religious traditions and still cooperate with political dispensation, regarding them as part of God’s design for our salvation. Happy Sunday? +John I. Okoye 

( graphics  by chukwubike)

25th Sunday of Year A

May the good Lord grant you the grace to be generous to your needy neighbours. Happy Sunday! + John I. Okoye

DOCTRINE AND FAITH

(Isaiah 55,6-9;Philippians 1,20c-24,27; Matt 20,1-16: 25th  Sunday of Year A)

              In  today’s  gospel reading, we see the teaching of Jesus that is somehow disquieting, shocking and which one may consider to be unjust. But in reality, he wishes to open our hearts to understand that we are not to remain on the level of distributive justice in our dealing with our neighbours but, rather we are to open ourselves to the divine generosity which will change our perspective. The parable is about a landowner who employed different workers at different times in his vineyard and paid them at the end of the day’s work.

Anticipating the lesson of the parable, God in the first reading says: My thoughts are not your thoughts and my ways are not your ways. We have human ways of reasoning that are different from those of God. We are, therefore, invited to accept and make ours the thoughts of God in order to share in his goodness and joy.  We are called and summoned to forsake our evil thoughts and wicked actions that are their product. We abandon this level by heeding the call and summons of prophet Isaiah to forsake wicked ways and evil thoughts and return to the Lord. The word return (shub) means to turn away from evil and turn toward good.  The verb (shub: to turn) implies that all those who have sinned were once in relationship with God but have turned away. The exhortation to turn back is not a suggestion. The verb forms indicate they are imperatives. And when we turn to the Lord, he will receive us back, for the Lord has compassion; he pardons with large heart, he is full of generous and desires to communicate this generosity to us.

            The parable of the gospel is about a landowner who hires labours to work for him in his vineyard. He hires some very early in the morning, agreeing with them the payment of one denarius for the day’s work. He went also at 9 am and employed another group of workers. He did the same at noon, and at 3pm. At 5 pm, he still met people who were not engaged in any other work. He also sent them to his vineyard, thereby making them to work only one hour.  At the end of the day’s work, he made his manager pay the workers beginning from those hired at 5pm who received one denarius as their day pay. Naturally those who were hired first hoped to get more but also received only one denarius being the amount they agreed upon with the land owner. They murmured and complained and said: the men who came last, have done only one hour, and you have treated them the same as us, though we have done a heavy day’s work in all the heat. But the landowner answered one of them. My friend, I am not being unjust to you; did we not agree on one denarius? Why be envious because I am generous. We need to distinguish between these two things: justice on one part and generosity towards the needy on the other part. The workers hired at the last hour were jobless and could not earn anything but the landowner out of generosity gave them what they needed. In some parts of the world, the government takes charge of all the jobless in their society and gives them monthly allowance for their family upkeep. When will our government begin to think this way? We surely have people of means who are directors of industries; one may ask if they do anything for the jobless of our society. When will this teaching of Jesus penetrate and become operative among us,so that we do not stop at distributive justice but go beyond it to provide generously to our needy neighbours?

            The reckoning at the end of the workday calls to mind the judgement that will come at the end of time. Actually our eschatological traditions(eschatology: the part of theology concerned with death, judgement, and the final destiny of the soul and of humankind) says that there will be two judgements, a personal judgement immediately after our death when we are confronted with the specifics of our individual lives and the final judgement at the end of time when all things will be laid bare. We may not have first hand information about either the individual or the final judgement. But, the readings from Isaiah and the gospel reading insist that God’s justice does not conform to human standard of justice. This does not imply that it is capricious. Rather, it is incomprehensible, and it is so because its foundation is mercy. This suggests that God takes into consideration the circumstances and the weakness of human beings and does not demand strict and exact retribution. The first reading exhorts sinners to repent and amend their ways, and in the gospel those invited into the kingdom are expected to act appropriately within that kingdom. We all find consolation in this view of divine judgement because we all want to be recipients of divine mercy. However, our hearts are not always generous enough to rejoice in the mercy extended to others. It is always as if we feel we have been cheated in some way, as if God is required to apportion mercy according to merit and we are the ones who determine standards for this apportionment. Those of us who persist in our demands for such strict retribution face, not only frustration with God, but bitterness of heart toward those we think have received more than they deserve. As disciples of Jesus, we are called to announce the good news of the gospel. It seems inconsistent of us to proclaim the mercy of God and then be filled with resentment whenever others experience it. The same divine mercy can work in us to abolish our pettiness and indignations and replace it with generosity of heart. Furthermore, it can transform us so completely that we too can extend mercy towards others rather than exact retribution from them. Judgement belongs to God, and God exercises it mercifully. We are, therefore, called to conduct ourselves with the same kind of generosity, love and mercy. Paul is an example of this kind of generous giving. Happy Sunday! 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.

30th Sunday of the Year B, 2015

DOCTRINE AND FAITH

(Jer. 31, 79; Hebrew 5, 1-6; Mark 46-52: 30th Sunday of the Year B, 2015)

            Bartimaeus was blind and a poor beggar. He was however fortunate. He was fortunate one day as Jesus was passing along the road where he was. He attracted Jesus’ attention who cured him of his blindness.  He had good qualities; his first quality was his belief that Jesus was the Messiah. He was shouting to Jesus: Jesus Son of David... After Jesus cured him of his blindness, he emphasized on Bartimaeus’ faith: Your faith has saved you. The second quality of this blind person was his insistence in crying out to Jesus to have mercy on him. He did not succumb to the people who tried to prevent him from making his request. His third quality was that he became a disciple of Jesus after his cure. We note that the cure of this blind man was Jesus’ last miraculous cure before he underwent his passion in Jerusalem. By this cure, he was able to confirm the faith of the blind man who was imploring for help and by the same cure he was able to demonstrate, even at the end of his public ministry, his divine, benevolent disposition and mercy towards the suffering human person.

            What is the key to the interpretation of the cure of Bartimaeus’ blindness? One finds a verse in the gospel of John as a ready key for an in-depth appraisal. This is where Jesus says: I am the light of the world, who follows me shall have the light of life. In other words, Jesus has the divine power to give back physical sight to a blind person in such a way that the blind person sees light again. But this does not exhaust the meaning that Jesus is the light of the world. He came into the world to be light to the minds and souls of men. He is light to the mind by indicating the way to be followed, teaching the truth to be followed in order to gain eternal life. He is light of the world by imparting, through the gift of faith, supernatural light by which one can participate in the intimate life of God and be acquainted with God’s plan for man.

            Jesus also affirms that whoever follows him will not walk in darkness (John 8, 12). Humanity needs Christ and without him humanity would be wallowing in darkness. Without Christ, man’s life would have no sense. Without incarnating in human flesh in this world, what would have been the goal of man? His destiny? Why does he live and what is the scope of his life? What is to be done with this life?  We, who are privileged to be adorned with the fruits of the incarnation and redemption wrought by Jesus need to shout out at the top of our voice, imitating the blind man of Jericho. We should be exclaiming: Lord that I may see! That I may see more clearly! I have eyes that tend towards darkness. Give me your light! Increase my faith in you and in your word. May I meet with you and experience you and know you very intimately. Let my faith in you not remain only in words but let it move me to follow you and become your generous disciple.

            To have, the light of Christ illumine us is necessary for and beneficial to me, you and also our brothers and sisters whom we meet on the way, in our homes, towns, villages, parishes, stations and places of work. There are so many of them who have lost the meaning of this life. They are lost as they do not have a reliable reference point they can turn to for illumination; they have no guide and are led astray by false doctrines. We, who have the gift of faith, are illumined by Christ, the light of the world, and share in his truth, have the duty and the great responsibility to be light for our brothers and sisters. Christ has already entrusted this work to us: You are the light of the world...Let your light shine before people and they will see your good works and will glorify your celestial Father. If we are unable to do this we are like lamps that are lighted and put in an opaque clay pot that do not illumine the surrounding. May we, therefore, in the Eucharistic assembly of this Sunday, request the Almighty God for the grace to be illumined by Christ, the light of the world, and the grace to share this illumination, as a generous disciple of Christ, with our brothers and sisters who are in serious need of it. +John I. Okoye

11th Sunday, Year B....DOCTRINE AND FAITH

DOCTRINE AND FAITH
(Ezekiel 17, 22-24; 2 Cor 5, 6-10; Mark  4,26-34: 11th Sunday, Year B)

 
Paul, in the second reading of today, teaches us that the Christian life is like a journey or pilgrimage towards our heavenly home; for as long as we live in this world we are in exile away from the Lord. The journey back to the Lord is to be done in faith. It is illumined and sustained by the light and force of faith, and the sole expectation is to have the vision of God. The Christian, following the example of Paul, desires to make his home with God, to be with Christ (Philippians 1,23) and he is always full of confidence to arrive at his goal. The confidence and hope are, however, based on the goodness, faithfulness and promise of God as well as on the power of his grace. It is not, however, based on our capability and certainly not on our merits. 

    In the gospel reading of today, Jesus narrates two parables to illustrate what the kingdom of God is like. We come into contact with the Kingdom of God through the graces of our Baptism; we are reborn in water and Spirit in order to enter the kingdom of God (John 3,3). God started reigning in us from the day of our baptism, the day we became his property. Grace (the kingdom of God in us) is like a seed; it strives by power, naturally intrinsic to it, to grow and develop itself in a person, transforming the whole life of the Christian to the point that the Christian can affirm with Paul: I no longer live but Christ lives in me (Gal 2,20).
    From the point of view of human consideration devoid of the spiritual illumination that comes from faith, grace (divine life, the reign of God in us) does not worth much; it is reality one can do without. But in fact, grace is a great realty that cannot be overlooked, especially when we reflect on the divinization of the soul, though, the infused virtues, the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the indwelling of the Most Blessed Trinity. 

    Even though the divine seed of grace has, in itself, wonderful capacity to transform the soul and life of the Christian, our cooperation as Christians is required for the growth, development and production of the fruits of divine grace in us. It is necessary that we take up the duty to always do what pleases God. The thought of Paul that one day we should give account of our stewardship should also propel us to do what pleases God. Appearing before God’s judgment could be salutary; we are not to neglect it or consider it irrelevant. But the motive of love should be the propelling force to do what pleases God or be intent on what would please Him. This is because we are certain that God loves us and we would want to reciprocate. He who loves does not desire anything else than to be absolutely pleasing to the one loved, and desires nothing but to be of the same mind and thought with his beloved. When we love, some sacrifices are not only possible, but, they become sources of joy. May we in the Eucharistic celebration of today beg that the seed of faith, of grace planted in us at our Baptism may mature and bear fruits of salvation for ourselves and for other people! Happy Sunday! +John I. Okoye