All are invited to the Lord’s Banquet!

Homily for the 20^th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A 2014

Isa 56:1, 6-7 • Rom 11:13-15, 29-32 • Matthew 15:21-28

Introduction

A story is told of Protestant man who was the only non-Catholic in a certain town.  When he died, of course he could not be buried in a Catholic cemetery; that is how things were done in those days.  Out of consideration, however, the Catholic pastor allowed him to be buried right outside the fence of the Catholic cemetery.

A few years later, the daughter of this man returned home and of course she went to put some flowers to her dad’s grave, whose location outside the fence she remembered very well.  To her great dismay, she could not find the grave.

Very angry, she stormed into the rectory office and gave the pastor a her piece of mind.  “Not only did you refuse to bury my father in the cemetery,” she told him, “but even in death you dishonour him by destroying his grave?”  She went on and on, for quite a while, about all that is wrong with the Catholic Church.

Finally when she was done, the priest told her: “We did not move the grave of your father; we moved the fence of the cemetery, to include your father’s grave.”

Scripture and Theology

The question of inclusion and exclusion has always been a thorny one for Christians and even before that of our Jewish ancestors. 

Today’s first reading from Isaiah wrestles with this problem.  This passage is set after the exile of the Jewish people, when the inter-mingling of the Jews and the foreigners was increasing.  And so the Jews were asking themselves: does God really accept the sacrifices and prayers of these foreigners?

Isaiah answers these questions, first by laying down the minimum conditions which foreigners who wish to serve in the temple must fulfil. 

·        They must observe the Sabbath

·        They must obey the commandments of the Covenant that applied to them.

If they kept these conditions, they would be proving that they have faith in God.  And having faith in God is the basic criterion for inclusion among the people God calls his own, whether one is Jewish or not.  And that is why at the end of the reading God says: “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.”

In the gospel Jesus deals with the same problem.  Here is Jesus, a Jewish Rabbi, who is trying to reform his society so that they could be more faithful to God.  Should he give this message and work his miracles among non Jews as well?  For the woman in the gospel was a Canaanite, one of the many pagan neighbours of the Jews.  Should he help her and cure her daughter?

The dialogue in the gospel story, at first sight, might suggest that Jesus does not want to share the Good News with non-Jews.  “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel,” he says.  But clearly from reading the whole of the gospels and even from this passage itself, we know that the issue is more complicated.  For Jesus say these things to give the woman a chance to argue her case.  And indeed the woman is up to the challenge.

The Canaanite woman makes the perfect argument for sharing God’s blessings with the non-Jewish people as well.  She tells Jesus that the left-overs are good enough for the dogs, meaning that Jesus must have something left over in his work even for the non-Jews.  But most important of all, she fulfils the essential condition that Isaiah had indicated earlier: the foreigners must be people of faith.  This recognizes Jesus as Lord and sees in him the power of God.  That is why Jesus says to her: “O woman, great is your faith.  Let it be done for you as you wish.”  And the woman’s daughter was healed from that hour.

Christian Life

We today also wrestle with this question of whether those outside the Church can receive God’s blessings.  People often ask questions like:

·        Can non-Catholics receive communion and other sacraments?

·        Should the Catholic Church be involved in ecumenical and inter-religious dialogue and activities with other Christians and even non-Christians?

·        Will the Jews, Muslims and those we call heathens go to heaven?

Now if I tried to reflect on all these issues in my homily, we would be here until the cows come home.  Perhaps our Parish’s Adult Religious Education Program can arrange to cover this subject in a series of classes.

What I want us to reflect on today is the attitude in our hearts and minds, perhaps even in our prayers and conversations regarding this issue.  Among us Catholics we have generally three answers to this question of inclusion in God’s favour?

The Catholics of the so-called liberal persuasion think that it doesn’t matter whether you are Catholic or not.  We are all the same; no matter what we do, God loves us.  Don’t worry, be happy, anything goes.  This group forgets the basic conditions that Isaiah set for both the Jews and Gentiles: faithfulness to the Lord’s commandments.  God’s favour is not a free-for-all.  The invitation to his banquet is given to all; but it is up to us to respond to that invitation by doing the needful.  Unfortunately, some wilfully reject the invitation.

At the other end of the spectrum, Catholics of the so-called conservative persuasion, think that everybody outside the fold is going straight to hell.  They argue that dialogue with Protestants is not only futile, but is dangerous since it corrupts the Church with those Protestant ideas.  This thinking spares its heavy ammunition for the Muslims.  How often we hear on Talk Radio, Television and conversations, Catholics and other Christians vilifying all Muslims, because of the atrocities of some of Muslims!  Yes, there are Muslims who use their religion to do bad things, especially with what is going on the Middle East today.  But have some Christians not used the Bible to justify racial segregation and murder?  For me, this is bad logic and bad reasoning.  We cannot leap from the sins of a few to the conclusion that all are guilty and all are to be excluded from God’s favour.

The third and Catholic attitude towards outsiders, is that which we have heard in today’s readings and that which is found consistently in the Church’s teaching.  It is a both . . . and attitude, not the easy “Yes or No” approach.  For the Letter to Timothy tells us that God wishes all to be saved.  And that is why he extends his invitation to everybody, first to the Jews and now to us the Gentiles.  He sent Jesus his Son, to show us the way, the sure way that leads to salvation.  Let us make no mistake about it: the sure way to salvation is Jesus Christ and his Church.  John Chapter 3: 16 is very clear about that: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.”  We must thank the Lord that we have been fortunate enough to choose the way of Jesus.

As to what happens to those who are not fortunate to be inside the house like us?  We do not know.  That is not for us to answer; that is for God to answer.  And listening to God’s word, and knowing that the Lord is generous and merciful, we can have the hope that in ways known only to him, he will let in others too.  This hope is not unfounded, for as today’s readings tell us, the bottom line, the minimum condition is faith in God, a faith that can sometimes be even in those outside the fold.  We would also do well to remember Jesus’ answer to his disciples: “whoever is not against us is for us.”

Conclusion

This hope in the goodness and the salvation of those outside the fold, should not lessen our faithfulness to the Lord or minimize our missionary zeal to bring others to the Lord.  For the way of Christ and the Church is the sure, certain and ordinary way; other ways are based only on hope and are therefore unpredictable, uncertain and extraordinary.

At the same time, we should not exclude the possibility that the Lord can bring people to himself through these other ways.  What the Lord has to offer us, eternal life with him, is big enough to be shared among all. Remember the parable about the workers in the vineyard who came in to work at different times but received the same reward?  Well in the same way, we who have come to know the Lord earlier, who have been with him the longest and perhaps been the most faithful, should not be jealous because the Lord is generous.

I will leave you with Psalm 15, which begins with these questions: “LORD, who shall be admitted to your tent? Who may dwell on your holy mountain?”  You will find that the answers to this question do not exclude anyone; it is people who exclude themselves from God’s invitation by not doing his will.  If God does not exclude people, why should you and I do so?

The Almighty has done great things for Mary and her Children!

Homily for Assumption Year A 2014

1 Rv 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab; Ps 45:10, 11, 12, 16; 1 Cor 15:20-27; Lk 1:39-56

Introduction

I have had the privilege of being around several elderly priests, who have many interesting stories to share from their long experience of life.  What is interesting, however, is that when they tell stories about their parents, it is usually the mother about whom they talk often.  Seventy and eighty years later they say: “Mom did this for me, Mom taught me this, Mom was like this and so on.”

There is something special in the relationship between a child and its mother, especially between a boy and his mother, quite different from the relationship with his father. For most sons, there is nothing they cannot do for their mother.

That same relationship exists between Jesus and his mother Mary.  And surely, there is nothing Jesus could not do for his Mother.

Scripture and Theology

Mary acknowledges this, when as we heard in the gospel she cries out: “The Almighty has done great things for me.”  This line just as the great song it comes from which we call the Magnificat, is Mary’s response to Elizabeth saing to her: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.”  But Mary attributes this compliment, these blessings, not to her own work, but to the Almighty, who has done great things for her.

The Church agrees with both Elizabeth and Mary, that the Almighty has done great things for Mary.  And so we Catholics celebrate various Marian feasts to mark the great things that the Lord did for his mother Mary.  Three of these great things stand out in a special way, and are celebrated with Holy Days of Obligation, just as important as Sundays, when we are required to come to Mass.

1.    On December 8^th, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, we celebrate Mary being conceived without original sin.  We thank God for making her pure from sin from the very beginning of her life, throughout her life and at the end of her life.

2.    On January 1^st, the Solemnity of Mary Mother of God, we celebrate another great thing the Almighty did for Mary.  We thank god for making her the Mother of the second person of the Trinity, God the Son.

3.    And today, August 15^th, the Solemnity of the Assumption, we celebrate yet another great thing that the Lord did for Mary.  We thank God for taking her up to heaven, body and soul where she is glorified with her Son.

Now if you noticed in the gospel, when Mary sings the Magnificat and glorifies the Lord for his goodness to her, the focus is not just on her.  Yes, Mary is grateful and honoured that the Lord “has looked with favor on his lowly servant; [and] from this day all generations will call me blessed.”  But Mary is also grateful for the things the Lord has done for his people Israel.

·        He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation.

·        He has shown the strength of his arm, and has scattered the proud in their conceit.

·        He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly.

·        He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty.

·        He has come to the help of his servant Israel for he has remembered his promise of mercy.

And Mary is grateful that the Lord has given her the privilege of playing a part in all these things, by being the mother of the Son, Jesus, who will bring about all these things: mercy, redemption, lifting up the lowly.  And so if Mary is grateful for the many things God has done for her, she is even more grateful for the many things the Lord has done for his people, especially bringing them his mercy and saving them from death.

As Paul told the Corinthians in today’s second reading, Christ’s death has conquered death forever.  And in the words of John, God has promised all who believe in him, that as a result, we shall be with him and the angels for all eternity, being like him and seeing him as he is.  Mary, not only plays a great part in bringing about these things, in the Magnificat, she is grateful to God for bringing them about.

Christian Life

My friends, today’s feast, should help us on our Christian journey in two main ways:

First, let us be reassured that the third great thing the Almighty did for Mary, taking her into heaven body and soul, that great thing he has promised to do for us as well.  What Jesus did for his mother Mary, he also does for us his brothers and sisters.  The Lord said: “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day.”  The Assumption should remind us of this good and great thing the Almighty has done for us too, by redeeming us from our sins and now opening the doors of heaven, not just to our souls, but also to our bodies.  We are headed heavenward; let heaven be the address we enter into the GPS of our lives; and then we shall be guided, turn by turn, sometimes recalculating or rerouting when we have made the wrong turn by sin, sometimes taking detours when we need to avoid the traffic jams of temptation, but always directing us to our goal of being assumed like Mary into heaven.

The second message for us to take from today’s feast is one of gratitude, like Mary. Can we look back and appreciate the great things the Lord has done for us personally, like our family, friends, job etc, and the great things the Lord has done for us as the Body of Christ?  Let the Magnificat song, be the model for our personal prayer.  Before asking God for favours, let us first thank him for the ones he has already given us, like Mary does in the Magnificat!

·        Perhaps at the end of the day before we go to bed, we can take a moment to recount the small graces and blessings which the Almighty has done for us; that lovely visit with friends, the good news from the doctor, the harmony in the family.

·        Perhaps every few months and especially at the end of the year, we remember the many blessings the Lord has given us.

·        But most importantly, like Mary we thank the Lord for the really great and important things has done for all of us, like salvation, mercy, the keys to heaven.  Although these are not immediate things, they are all that really matters in the final analysis.

Conclusion

My friends, Mary is both our intercessor and mother.  What mother does not want to share her blessings with the children!  Let us look forward to the day when we too can share the Assumption with her. In the meantime, let us ask her to remember us as we continue our journey on earth and to intercede for us with her Son that we may remain faithful to our call as faithful disciples, knowing God’s will at all times.

And then when each of us shows up at the Almighty’s door, he will recognize us saying, “you look like one of Mary’s children; come on in!  Come, join the company of your Blessed mother and be with her, for all eternity.”

Corpus Christi and the Mission Churches

Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi)

Given at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark – 21/22 June 2014

Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 14-16 Psalm 147:12-15, 19-20 1 Corinthians 10:16-17 John 6:51-58

Introduction

Good morning/ afternoon.  My names are Fr. Deogratias Ekisa.  I am grateful to Rector and the Priests of the Cathedral, for allowing me to speak to you.

A few years ago when I was making an appeal at a parish like this one, I was concerned that because of my foreign accent, the people did not understand my message.  So I asked the Pastor: “Did your people understand my message?”  The Pastor, a nice man, said: “No, I don’t think they understood half of what you said; but they still gave you the money anyway.” I have been practicing to speak more clearly and I hope that today besides being generous, you will also understand what I have to say.

I would like to speak first about today’s feast of Corpus Christi and then secondly about mission work in Uganda.

Scripture and Theology

Today’s Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, traditionally called Corpus Christi, is a special reminder of this most wonderful gift that the Lord Jesus left for his Church on the night before he died.  The Lord wanted to leave us a concrete means of remaining with us, so that every generation of Christians would partake of the fruits of his saving work.  He took bread, gave thanks and gave the bread to his disciples saying: “Take and eat, this is my body.”  And then he took the cup filled with wine, and said: “Take and drink, this is my blood of the new covenant.”  And then he commanded them: “Do this in memory of me.”

For 2000 years the Church has continued to fulfill the command of Our Lord and Saviour, continuing to share the benefits of his saving work for all people.

·        Every Sunday, Catholics gather together to celebrate the Mass, in which, through the hands of the priest, they take bread and wine at the Offertory, they give thanks in the Eucharist Prayer and they share in communion, what is now the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ.  And we do this, to tap into the source of salvation, for as St. Paul told us: “The cup of blessing that we bless, is a participation in the blood of Christ and the bread that we break, is a participation in the body of Christ.”

·        The Body and Blood of Jesus are so vital for our salvation, that we take them to the sick and elderly who are not able to come to Mass.  And especially those who are about to die, the Body and Blood of Jesus are given as Viaticum, food for the final part of the journey to heaven.  For as the Lord told us: “whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day.”

·        Besides the Mass and communion outside Mass, we also continue to acknowledge the source of our salvation, when we adore the Blessed Sacrament.  We do this by adoring the Body of Christ reposed in the Tabernacle or exposed in the monstrance.  Eucharistic processions and congresses put the spotlight on the central place of the Body and Blood of Christ, the saving sacrifice of Christ that they make present for us today.

Mission Application

The Body and Blood of Christ are just as central for the mission church, as it is for the universal Church.  But the mission Church celebrates this gift in ways that respond to our unique needs and with particular problems unique to our situation.

Despite the best efforts of the Church in Uganda, only a small percentage of parishioners attend Mass every Sunday.  About 85% of Ugandans are Christian and about 45% are Catholics.  And so the typical parish in Uganda has about 10,000 parishioners and about 20 mission churches.  Before taking up my current assignment, I was pastor of what would be considered a small parish.  My parish has 4,000 parishioners and 12 mission churches.  Although sometimes I think of myself as superman, I could not celebrate 12 Masses in twelve distant villages on one weekend.  I usually celebrated two or three Masses every weekend and at that rate, the people of the mission Churches have Mass about once every two months.

And yet for them, this occasional visit by the priest is a great treasure.  This is the time when they celebrate the Sacrifice of the Mass and receive the Body and Blood of Christ.  This is also the occasion for me to celebrate the other sacraments, confession before Mass, anointing after Mass and the sacraments celebrated during Mass.  On one occasion I celebrated, in one Mass, a wedding, baptized about 60 children and gave first Holy Communion to about 100 children.  As you can imagine, the Mass was quite long, three hours in fact.  The length was caused not only by the many ceremonies, but also because the homily was rather long; after all, I have to speak about all these sacraments and say the things I need to say for the next two months.  But do not worry about today’s homily; Father advised me that if I spoke less, you would be more generous.

Celebrating communion services is the next best thing for those village communities that are far from the main Church.  The catechist, who not only teaches catechism, but is also like the unofficial pastor of his or her village, usually travels to the main church, to bring back communion to his village for the Sunday communion and scripture service.  He also brings communion to the sick in his village, when the priest cannot come to them.

Unfortunately, the devotion to the Blessed Sacrament in adoration can only take place at the main Churches, which have a tabernacle and exposition only in those few parishes that might have a monstrance.

Mission Appeal

I come to you today, to appeal for your help, so that we can carry out the mission of the Church.  Your donation in today’s second collection will help us ensure that more people can receive the Body and Blood of Christ, as well as have their other needs met.  Let me give you a few examples of what we do with your help.

1.    Your donation of $100 enables us to buy a bicycle for a catechist to travel back and forth from his village and main parish church.  Your donation of $2,000 enables us to buy a small motorbike for priest to minister to all his parishioners, even those in far flung off villages of his parish.

2.    Your donation of $50 to $100 a month enables us to pay for our young men who are studying for the priesthood.  When these young men are eventually ordained, we currently have about 50 of them, they will reduce the ratio of parishioners to priest, which is currently about 10,000 to one, to a much more manageable number – so that parishioners have closer and more regular access to Mass and the sacraments.

3.    Many of our village churches could soon become full-fledged parishes, if we have more priests, but also if we can put up a church-building.  Our pleasant tropical weather allows us to build a small village church for as little as $10,000.

There are many more things we do, such as providing clean drinking water, running schools and clinics, in short, providing also for the material needs of our people, like the Lord provided manna for the people of Israel in the desert.  For when our people pray the Lord’s Prayer and ask: “Give us this Day, our daily bread,” they are asking not just for the Body and Blood of Christ, they are also asking that the Lord meet their basic needs of food, medicine, education and shelter.  You can see how we attempt to meet these all these needs in the photographs displayed in the narthex or speak to me after Mass.

Conclusion

But the photographs alone and even my words are not enough to show you how much of a difference, your generous donations make in the lives of the people in Uganda.  And that is why I am extending an invitation to you to come and visit us in Uganda.  I promise we shall not put you to work, unless you want to.

·        But you will have the opportunity to pray with parishioners in a small village church, whose roof has been put on with your help.

·        You will see school children running up and about in the sisters’ school, happy to have an education and promise of a bright future, thanks to you.

·        You will see the mothers who have brought their sick children to our parish clinic, relieved that their children are getting some medical care, at a clinic built and supported with your help.

I would like to end by asking you for the most important thing, your prayers.  Please pray for the safety and success of the work of the missionaries throughout the world and in Uganda in particular.  This work belongs to God and that is why we must ask God to help us.  I also promise you the grateful prayers of the Ugandan people, whose lives are made a little better, thanks to your help.  Thank you again for your warm hospitality and welcome.  May God continue to bless you.

Christ continues to be among us, in Word and Sacrament

Homily for Ascension Year A 2014

Acts 1:1-11 • Eph 1:17-23 • Matthew 28:16-20

Introduction

Imagine a very successful businessman or woman, a CEO of a big company, or the founder of a family business built from scratch; now he or she are in their senior years and are about to retire.  Perhaps they have been grooming the successor for some years now, teaching them the ropes and trying them out on a few challenging tasks to see if they are up to it.  Now he or she hands the reins to the successor and says: “carry on now – take the company to greater heights.”

My friends, let me suggest that the Ascension of Jesus, which we celebrate today can be compared to the retirement of this CEO.  Jesus is the retiring CEO, the apostles are his successors, and the business is the Church.

Scripture and Theology

After he returns to the Father in heaven, Jesus will no longer walk the earth in the flesh.  After the Ascension, Jesus is present in the world through the Church.  He has done his part; he has laid the foundation for the Kingdom of God; now it is the turn of his close disciples to continue the work.

That is why he told the apostles: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you (Matthew 28:19-20).”  This verse, known as the Great Commission is Jesus’ way of saying: “I am no longer here in person; you have to finish the job I have started, and do it in my name, make me proud.”

What does this great commission really say?  The commission of making disciples of all nations seems to have two main tasks: “Baptising them” and “teaching them.”  That is why Church has these two main instruments for fulfilling the job given to us by Jesus: Sacraments and the Word.

·        Through the sacraments, especially the sacrament of Baptism, in which people are baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, we are reborn and made children of the Father.  And if we persist in faith and charity, living up to our baptismal promises, we can hope to be counted among those whom Jesus invites into the Kingdom of the Father. If baptism is the sacrament that opens the door for us to discipleship, the other sacraments either strengthen our discipleship like Confirmation, the Eucharist, Matrimony, Holy Orders, or they repair it when our discipleship is weakened by sin and illness, like the sacraments of Confession and Anointing of the Sick.  And so in celebrating the Sacraments today, we are simply fulfilling the instruction of our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ.

·        The second task is teaching.  Jesus commands that the apostles make disciples of all nations by teaching them to observe all those things that he has taught them.  And indeed Jesus has taught a lot of things, and if I listed them all we would be here until the cows come home.  Suffice to say that we can find all that Jesus taught, not just in the Bible, but in the Catechism, where the successors of the Apostles, the Pope and Bishops, have organized his message according to themes and applied it to today’s situation.  And so whether the Church is teaching in homilies or catechism classes, or whether it is the Pope or the bishops teaching, they are continuing the command of the Master, making disciples for him.

But Jesus is not just throwing the apostles into the water and telling them to swim or sink.  Actually he has given them the tools for the task at hand in two ways.

·        First, for three years as they have lived with Jesus, he has exposed them to the great events of our salvation. They have heard him teach them, they have seen his miracles and example of prayer and compassion, they have seen his suffering, death and resurrection.  And now tells them to preach all these things to nations. Like the retiring CEO who has been grooming his successor for several years, Jesus has indeed groomed the apostles.

·        The second thing Jesus gives them is the promise that he will continue to be with them; we heard him say: “I am with you always, until the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20).” Of course he is present all the time and everywhere, since he is the Risen Lord, who is no longer bound by space and time.  But he is also present in the Holy Spirit, who is the other advocate.  We can think of Jesus as that retired CEO whose involvement in the business is behind the scenes; perhaps he is a member of the board or even he is just a phone call away, when advice and wisdom is needed.  Jesus too is only a prayer away, as he continues to guide the Church.

Christian Life

The Apostles did indeed carry out the great commission given them by Jesus.  They made disciples, not only in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, but indeed to the ends of the earth.  They in turn passed on this baton of faith to their successors who continued his work until today, until the Good News reached even here in Atlanta, Georgia.

My friends this two-pronged approach of Word and Sacrament, continues to be the Catholic way of bringing people to Jesus even today.  Other Christian churches, believe in just the Word and perhaps baptism; but we Catholics believe in both Word and Sacrament, as the means of building up the Body of Christ.  Of course the way in which the Word is often clear, because we learn some new thing to believe or we pick up some advice on how to live a good moral life.  What about sacraments; how do they contribute to building the Kingdom of God?

Sacraments are essentially acted words; sacraments put in action, what the Word of God teaches.  In the Old Testament, the sacraments of the Jewish people were the sacrifices of animals and foodstuffs they offered to God.  The sacraments of Jesus have replaced those sacrifices.  They make present for us in a real way, what words only suggest.

·        Think about baptism.  Of course most of us were infants at baptism, but I am sure you have witnessed the baptism of others.  While we can teach all we want about becoming children of God, until we undergo the ritual of our bodies being washed with water, which represents our souls being washed, it is all abstract and theoretical. 

·        Think about your confirmation, when the bishop laid his hand on you and anointed you and said: “Be sealed with the Holy Spirit;” at that moment, you were branded forever as a child of God and given the task of being his apostle and messenger.

·        Think about when you go to confession, and you name your sins and tell God you are sorry and then the priest pronounces those words: “I absolve you from your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” making God’s mercy really concrete for you.

Conclusion

My friends, on this Ascension Day, let us go home, not feeling like orphans, like Jesus has abandoned us.  Let us not feel like the apostles who, as we heard, remained there standing and looking at the sky for Jesus who had ascended.

Rather let us be assured that he has left us the Sacraments and the Word, as tools for continuing his work and his presence among us.  And as we celebrate the sacraments and hear his Word, let us also remember that perhaps the best way to live out the Sacraments and to proclaim his Word is by our witness and actions.  As St. Francis is reported to have told his followers: “Teach the Gospel always, and when necessary use words.”  And so, as we continue the work of Jesus, let our mantra as Catholics be threefold: Worship, Word and Witness.

Another Advocate: Executor of the Last Will and Testament of Jesus

Homily for 6^th Sunday of Easter Year A 2014

Acts 8:5-8, 14-17 • 1 Pet 3:15-18 • John 14:15-21

Introduction

Any person who has reached the age of maturity and is of sound mind is encouraged to make a last will or testament.  This document gives instructions regarding what is to be done with your property after you die.  People will usually leave the property to their spouse, children, relatives and friends.  Others even leave some money to churches or schools.  And being from the missions, let me make a pitch for the missions here; consider the missions in your will.

Although wills primarily deal with the distribution of material property, sometimes people make spiritual wills and testaments.  In these wills, they usually indicate the values that have guided their life and how they wish to be remembered.

Scripture and Theology

Since Jesus did not have any material possessions to leave behind for his followers, his last will and testament is of the spiritual kind.  His will is contained in chapters 13 to 17 of the gospel of John, which we have been reading at Mass for some time now.  In this long speech of Jesus at the Last Supper, he basically is saying farewell to his followers. And this farewell message is really also the last will and testament of Jesus.

As he tells his followers that he is leaving them, he consoles them with the message that he is leaving behind something of himself, that will make his absence easier to bear.  He does not leave them orphans; the two great signs of his continuing presence that Jesus leaves behind for his disciples are acted out in a dramatic way at the Last Supper: the Eucharist and Service of Neighbour.

·        We read that at the Last Supper, Jesus took bread, gave thanks, broke it and gave it to his disciples saying: “Do this in memory of me.”  And he did the same with the cup of wine.  And for 2000 years Catholics have done as Jesus commanded in his last will and testament; we have made him present under the form of bread and wine, for every generation.  Even more important, we have partaken of his body and blood, so as to experience the redemption which his sacrificed body and blood represent.

·        But that is not the only dramatic thing that Jesus did at the Last Supper; we also read that he rose from the meal, took off his outer clothes and began to wash the feet of his disciples.  Even when Peter protested, Jesus insisted that everybody had to have his feet washed.  And Jesus concluded this act with virtually the same command he had given for the Eucharist: “I have given you a model to follow,” he said, “so that as I have done for you, you should also do.”

And so in this long speech at the Last Supper, a portion of which we read in today’s gospel, states that: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”  What better way for disciples to show love for their departed master than to observe all the things he has taught them!

·        You parents can appreciate this sentiment of Jesus; aren’t you happy when you see your children living the values you taught them, so that people can say: the apple has not fallen far from the tree.

·        My daytime job is as a teacher in the Seminary; it often gives me great joy, when I see some of the priests I have taught, doing the things I taught them.  I am sure the teachers among us can relate with this experience.

Moreover, for Jesus, he is not just seeking the satisfaction of seeing the fruits of his work; in this case, following the master’s commands has great rewards.  He says that those who love him by observing his commandments, “will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him.”  What a great gift to leave behind for his disciples, a bequest much dearer than any material property.

But Jesus does more than leave behind an inheritance in his last will and testament.  Like our own wills need an executor, usually a trusted friend or a lawyer to ensure that the wishes of the deceased person are carried out accordingly, Jesus also leaves behind an executor of his will and testament. 

Jesus tells his disciples that “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always.”  Jesus has someone who is going to ensure that the contents of his will are carried out; this executor is the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus calls the “Paraclete.”  Several words are used to translate “Paraclete.”

·        The word used in the translation we heard in our gospel is “Advocate.”  Of course the Holy Spirit is an advocate, a lawyer, who speaks up for a client in a court of law, or a witness who speaks up for another person.  Jesus leaves us the Holy Spirit to defend Christians, especially when we face persecution or just temptations.

·        But the word “Paraclete” can also be correctly translated as “healer.”  This is the person, such as a physician or medicine-man, who is called in to give medical attention to a sick person.  No wonder then that when we receive the Sacraments, the medicine of Christians, we receive them in the Holy Spirit, through the work of the Holy Spirit.

·        Other words that translate “Paraclete” and try to describe the work of the Holy Spirit are:

o   Helper – such as one who gives assistance in time of need;

o   Counsellor – such as one who gives advice in time of crisis;

o   Comforter – such as one called in to give strength and courage, like a coach giving a pep talk to his team before a game or a general to his troops before battle.

And so, if the spiritual testament of Jesus is going to be effectively executed, he tells us that we shall have the help of the Paraclete, the advocate, the Holy Spirit.

But did you notice that Jesus said he was sending “another Paraclete, another Advocate”?  So, who was the first advocate, the original Paraclete?  It is Jesus himself; he is the original advocate, healer, helper, counsellor and comforter.  Now that he is returning to the Father, he does not leave his disciples as orphans.  He leaves someone to care for them.

In many African cultures, there is a custom of having an heir, especially for the father and sometimes for the mother as well.  The heir, usually the eldest son or a young brother of the dad, takes over all the responsibilities of the deceased father.  In fact in my culture we would address such heir as “dad” or “father” from them onwards, for he is practically another “Father,” another “dad.”  Similarly, the Holy Spirit is also another advocate, continuing to do, what Jesus did for us.

Christian Life and Conclusion

Although this gospel passage comes from the Last Supper farewell of Jesus to his disciples, the Church gives it to us for our reflection during this week before we celebrate the Ascension.  For although at his Ascension, Jesus left the world in a physical or material way, he continues to stay with us in the same ways he promised to the disciples.

And so when we compare ourselves to the disciples who actually heard Jesus speak with their own ears, saw him with their own eyes, perhaps even touched him with their own hands, let us realize that we are not at a disadvantage.  Jesus ensured that we would continue to have as much access to him, as they did.  May we always be aware of Jesus’ continuing presence among us, in the Eucharist which we celebrate every week, in observing the commandments especially in service to each other and in the Holy Spirit, the other advocate always standing in our corner.

Notre Dame Seminary Graduation

Check out my piece on the Notre Dame Seminary Graduation.

The Birth of New Priests

Christian Service

Homily for 5^th Sunday of Easter Year A 2014

Acts 6:1-7 • 1 Pet 2:4-9 • John 14:1-12

Introduction

In the First Letter to the Corinthians Chapter 12, Paul teaches about the unity of the Body of Christ.  To make his point, he uses the image of the human body, whose various limbs and parts all contribute to the welfare of the body.  The foot, the hand, the ear and the eye all have a role to play.  There are many parts, but one body.  And no one part can claim to be the whole body or even the only important part.  All contribute, in their own unique way to the whole body.

Scripture and Theology

This is also the lesson that we learn from today’s first reading.  It is a lesson about the various ministries in the Church.

As the Christian community expanded beyond Jerusalem, it attracted not just Hebrew-speaking people, but also Greek-speaking people.  Naturally it became increasingly hard to organize such a large number of people, especially because they spoke different languages and were from different cultures.  It seems that the new-comers, the Greek-speaking people were not being treated as well.  Their widows were not being looked after as well as the others.

This situation occurs even in our parishes today.  Unlike a century ago when the Irish, Italians, Germans and French had a church on one block, today our parishes have a great diversity.  But the difficulty, like that faced by the apostles, is, “how do you meet the needs of all these diverse people: the Caucasians, Africans, Hispanic and Asians?

As we heard in the reading the apostles turned to a tried and tested method.  They delegated those duties to others.  Is that not what God told Moses to do?  In the Book of Numbers Chapter 11, when the people are grumbling about the lack of meat - they are tired of eating the manna – we hear Moses crying out to the Lord, saying: “I cannot carry all this people by myself, for they are too heavy for me.”  Then the LORD said to Moses:

Assemble for me seventy of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be elders and authorities among the people, and bring them to the tent of meeting. When they are in place beside you, I will come down and speak with you there. I will also take some of the spirit that is on you and will confer it on them, that they may share the burden of the people with you. You will then not have to bear it by yourself (Num. 11:16-17).

And indeed the Lord did as he promised and anointed these 70 helpers of Moses and peace was restored in the camp.

And so, the Apostles also anoint these seven men chosen by the community with the Holy Spirit, so that they can lift some of the burden from them.  The apostles do two things that have remained constant throughout the history of the Church, in ordaining its ministers.  They lay hands on the men and pray for them.  And then from then on, these seven men go out and take care of the widows.  Actually they do even more than that; Stephen and Philip go out to preach the Good News and baptizing, all because of the Spirit that has been passed to them by the laying on of hands.  In the Catholic tradition these seven men are known as the first deacons of the Church.  Although the passage never refers to them as deacons, the kind of work they do is service, the ministry of deacons. 

Christian Life

Deacons are the third group in that trio of ordained ministers in the Church: bishops, priests and bishops.  In harmony these three ministries serve the Church in different ways and build it up.  The bishop is the shepherd of a diocese which consists of several parishes.  He is assisted by priests who act as the bishop’s advisers and take his place in the parishes.  The deacons, without taking over the work of the bishop or the priest, assist both of them especially in the ministry of service: service at the altar and service of the Christian community especially in administration and charity.

In this week’s Clarion Herald there are several stories about deacons.  There is particularly one about three young men who are going to be ordained deacons on Saturday at St. Louis Cathedral.  Now these are called transitional deacons, because a year from now, they will be ordained priests.  For them, the diaconate is stepping stone to another ministry, the priesthood.  Perhaps the reason for passing through this stage is that before they take on the responsibility of being pastors of souls as priests, they should learn what true service means.

But in the same Clarion Herald is a story about another kind of deacon; the permanent deacon.  There is one deacon who has been a deacon for 40 years.  Our own Deacon Dean has been a deacon for 15 years.  Those who are older perhaps do not remember having deacons before the 60s.  The reason the Church restored this important ministry is because diaconal service from the very beginning has been an essential aspect of the Church’s ministry.

Like the seven men we read about in the first reading today’s deacons serve the needy in the ministry of charity.  Like the deacons Stephen and Philip, today’s deacons also preach the Word of God.  Deacons assist the priest and bishop at Mass, they visit the sick and conduct communion services.  Deacons help in the administration of parishes and even the Diocese.  They do all these things, like the first deacons to build up the Body of Christ, and they do this usually as married men, living their lives out there in the world, but serving God with the grace of ordination.

Let me suggest two things to take from this reading for our personal lives.

The first message concerns permanent deacons.  Have you personally thought about serving God and the Church as a deacon like those seven men we just read about?  Or do you know someone who has the qualities of a deacon, but perhaps needs a little nudge?

The second message concerns our own life of service.  Yes, we have permanent deacons, priests and bishops – these are professional servants if you like.  But they do not let us off the hook.  Did you hear what St. Peter wrote in today’s second reading?  He said to you:

You are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may announce the praises” of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

Yes we are all a kind of priest and deacon because of our baptism.  Especially as live our lives in the family, at work and in the public square, we have to serve others and God.  Our diaconal service is out there, as we live our every day lives.  Of course we also serve at Church, especially at the liturgy.  In fact, all the ministries at Mass, readers, servers, ushers, musicians were at one time carried out by deacons.  As we carry them out today, let us remember that we are carrying out a diaconal duty; we are servants of the Lord.

Conclusion

And so, my brothers and sisters, service is the hallmark of what it means to be Christian.  In fact in the Early Church one of the reasons that Christianity caught on was because Christians served everybody, not just their members, but others as well.  Other religions, especially the Roman religions did not do this.

We continue this honourable tradition of service, not just in our bishops, priests and permanent deacons; not just in our ministry at Mass or the Parish Council or teaching religion, but especially in our every day lives – doing for everybody what those seven men did for the widows of their time and Christians throughout history have done for the world.  Let the ministry of our deacons set the standards by which our own service is carried out.