HOMILY FOR THE EIGHTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME OF YEAR B

 HOMILY ON THE EIGHTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME OF YEAR B

Exodus 16:2-4. 12-15, Ephesians 4:17. 20-24, John 6:24-35

THEME: LOOK FOR JESUS FOR THE RIGHT REASONS

After the miracle of the loaves which we read about last Sunday, the crowd came to Capernaum looking for Jesus. When they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him “Rabbi”, when did you come here? Jesus answered them “very truly I tell you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves”. Jesus knew they were looking for their fill, nothing more than that. He knew that they had selfish motives.

Today, we heard the story of how the people flocked to Jesus. That’s the good news. They wanted to be with Jesus. That’s good, but what is not so good is why they wanted to be with Jesus. Just as the crowd in today’s gospel followed Jesus primarily for a selfish reason, often people today follow Jesus for selfish reasons. If our faith is based on miracles, it will simply collapse when the miracles are not forthcoming. Those whose faith is so conditional and deficient easily look for an alternative when they are in need. They perch from one religion to another and from one soothsayer to another. Our focus as Christians should be on how to love and serve the Lord with our hearts. Thus there is need to purify your intention instead of practicing a utilitarian faith.

Moreso, Jesus advised his interlocutors to believe in the one that God has sent, unfortunately, they were on different wavelengths; they remained on the level of desire for material nourishment, by demanding sign from Him. Jesus finally reminded them that he is the bread of life. “He who comes to me will never be hungry, he who believes in me will never thirst” 

However, in the first reading, the whole community of the sons of Israel began to complain against Moses and Aaron because of the difficulties and challenges they encountered in the wilderness. They forgot how God helped them to regain their freedom. Like the Israelites, we easily notice the difficulties we encounter and lament, but we ignore the many good things that happen in our life. As long as we are in our material and limited world, which was polluted by the sin of our first parents, we cannot totally avoid disappointments. This message warns us to be careful at our moments of trials, because that is when the devil presents alternatives to seduce us and he uses our weakness to lure us.

Despite the stubbornness of the Israelites, God came to their assistance once again and promised to rain down bread for them from heaven. God still loves you.

Meanwhile, in the second reading, we see an example of the effects of the bread of life on those who receive it. Paul advises the Ephesians not to go on living the aimless kind of life that pagans live. Nourished by the bread of life, their life has to change. We were baptized as followers of Christ and we receive the bread of life every day or at least every Sunday. It has to produce some positive and fruitful changes in our lives because we cannot encounter Christ and remain the same. 

The time Paul was writing, the faith of the young Christian community in Ephesus was not yet profound. Like the Israelites in the desert who missed their food and drink in Egypt, the Ephesians recalled the unrestrained life style they led as pagans and felt that they were freer to do whatever they wanted. They were also tempted to return to their “old self” for this reason, Paul tells them that they must give up their old way of life, set aside their old self, which is corrupted by following illusory desires. He teaches us therefore to live in accordance with what we profess. The ‘old self’ refers to Adam and to those who act like him. The life of the “new man” is enlightened by Christ while the “old man” remains in darkness.

Lastly, let us follow Christ for what he has promised. Follow Him because for who He is. He is the bread of life. And that is what true faith is.

May the Lord bless His words in our hearts through Christ our Lord. Amen

By: Fr. Emmanuel Odoh SMMM

SHARE YOUR RESOURCES FOR MORE BENEFITS

 HOMILY OF THE 17TH SUNDAY IN THE ORDINARY TIME YEAR B 
25TH JULY 2021. 

READINGS: 

R1:  2Kings 4:42-44. 

R2:  Ephesians 4:1-6. 

Gospel:   John 6:1-15 

Theme: Under the Guidance of Jesus Christ, Our Resources are always enough when properly managed.

Today, the seventeenth Sunday of the year B, the readings direct our minds to reflect on the need for us to manage our resources both human and natural for the benefit of everybody. 

In the gospel reading, Jesus cared about the people and thus fed them when they were hungry. In the first reading, Elisha cared and shared his gift with the people. And in second reading, Paul in his letter to the Ephesians implores us to ‘bear with one another charitably, in complete selflessness, gentleness and patience.’ 

Reflecting deeply on the gospel reading, we see five important characters: 

1. Jesus who continuous to show himself as a good shepherd who takes care of his flock the best way ever. As a caring shepherd, Jesus did not drive the crowd that came to him away even when it was very necessary that he and his disciples needed to rest. He continued to teach them because they were ignorant. He took care of both their spiritual and physical needs. After feeding them with the word he fed them with food, thereby, telling us that both are very essential in our life. 

2. The crowd that followed Jesus were interested in him not because they wanted to learn from him or to adore him. Rather, they came to him because, ‘they were impressed by the signs he gave by curing the sick’. The question to all of us  is this; what is our motive of following Jesus? 

Why are we Christians? Why do we come to church? Are we just miracle seekers? 

3. Philip was asked by Jesus ‘where can we buy some bread for these people to eat?’ Philip told Jesus that it was impossible that two hundred denarii would buy enough to give them small piece each. A denarius is a day’s salary for a worker in the time of Jesus. Two hundred denarii is half a year’s salary. Philip with this visible analysis saw only impossibility with what Jesus was demanding. For Philip it cannot work. He forgot the saying that with 

God all things are possible. 

Are we like Philip in the midst of difficult situations in life, seeing only impossibilities without possobility or success? 

4. Andrew came up with a solution. He reported that there was a boy with five barley loaves of bread and two fish, but at this, he doubted saying, ‘what can that do for many? He doubted the possibility of that solution. Do we like Andrew doubt the possibility of God working through the little events of our life? Do we doubt the possibility of God performing wonders with the least opportunities or circumstances of our life? God can bless us through anybody. Let us not take anything or anybody for granted. 

5. The little boy who’s five loaves and two fish were multiplied is a special character worthy of emulation. This boy is indeed extraordinary. His ability to surrender his own food for the crowd is quite unusual. This little boy’s action has an important message to communicate to us today! The willingness of this boy to let go of his food for the good of others is worthy of praise. If we are in the position of this little boy, can we share? Things are always enough when we share but scarce when hoarded. 

There is food for all. The poverty and hunger in the world today is as a result of bad government policies and the greed of some people. We do not need so much in order to survive. We need only the basics. Therefore it is mandatory to feed the hungrier in our society. 

Let us ask Jesus today to teach us how to share so that everyone will get his or her share of God’s given natural and human resources. 

Peace be with you!

Rev. Fr. George Chimaobi Alugbuo, SMMM.

RETREAT AND REST

HOMILY OF THE 16TH SUNDAY IN THE ORDINARY TIME Year B. 18th July, 2021.

Readings:

Jeremiah 23:1-6

Ephesians 2:13-18

Mark 6:30-34

Theme: The Need for spiritual retreat and rest in the life of a Christian.

 

The three readings of today invite us to reflect deeply on the need for spiritual retreat and rest as christians.

In the first reading, the prophet Jeremiah points to the messiah's careful attention to every member of the human race. God's care for each one of us came to it's climax in the person of Jesus Christ. This care is made visible in today's Gospel reading. Jesus invited his disciples to rest a while after the missionary work he sent them. A moment of retreat and rest.

"Retreat" is  a military term used in the battle fields when soldiers having been beaten by their enemies and seeking survival so as to live and fight again, take the best option normally to withdraw to their  base. There they rest, reorganize, reinforce, readjust, get renewed, refreshed and resucitated.  At the base too, reasons for their defeat are addressed and new strategy is put in place.

In our life as christians, the world around us is a battlefield. Inside the battlefield there are lots of dangers both seen and unseen. We can survive this dangerous battlefield by following the instructions of Jesus Christ which is "come away by yourselves to a desert place and rest a while" It is a call for regular spiritual retreat and rest for all christains. We seriously need some moments of spiritual recollection, retreat, rest , visit to the Blessed Sacrament and meditative prayer as Christians.

The reason for this spiritual retreat in the gospel is "that there were so many people coming and going at that time that the apostles had no time to eat". For this reason they went away in the boat to a lonely place by themselves. This is because one can spend too much time in the activities of people and thus gradually loose the vision of God. We cannot be so much preoccupied with the work of God to the point that we forget the God of the work.

However, our spiritual retreat or rest should also not be an excuse not to respond to necessary emergency that may come up during our retreat or resting time. As Jesus and his disciples embarked on their retreat and rest, Jesus saw the vast crowd. In this crowd he saw their hearts yearnings and pains. Naturally they would have been very annoyed because  their private time for retreat and rest have been encroached by the crowd. Instead, Jesus's heart was moved with pity for the people  for " they were like sheep without a shepherd" They were really in dear need of direction and care. Jesus and his disciples forgot their intended retreat and rest and started attending to the people.

Like Jesus and his disciples, let us learn to work and to rest. Let us not be like the snail that goes blind during it's hibernation (resting period) even to the point of denying itself of some essential activities like eating and even excreting. Jesus teaches us that the need of others should come before our own. On many occasions we have to forget our retreat or rest for the good of others who are expecting care and attention from us. We must learn to strike a  balance between our retreat/rest and our working time. Good scale of preference is indeed necessary in the life of every christains especially with regard to time management. We should not forget the fact that the obligation to rest is not something absolute because our spiritual welfare and that of our neighbors should come before bodily wellbeing. 

Therefore, the time spent recovering physical energies should not cause the soul to become sick and paralyzed. We should be also be moved by the plight of the suffering people around us. The duty of every christain is to be sensitive to the suffering of the needy and do our best with our resources to help and to make others comfortable even to the point of discomforting ourselves.

© Rev. Fr. Remigius Onyedikachi Okonkwo SMMM.

HEAL THE WORLD: OUR CHRISTIAN MANDATE

HOMILY FOR THE 15TH SUNDAY IN THE ORDINARY TIME OF THE YEAR B

R1: Amos 7:12-15,

R2:  Eph 1:3-14, 

Gospel: Mk 6:7-13

*Heal the World: Our Christian mandate.*

The present human society is ravaged by many ills. Some are fundamental to human nature and others are nurtured in time. Greed, pride, materialism, profanity and lack of faith, among other vices have eaten deep into the fabrics of humanity, leaving our consciences so punctured that love, humility, piety and faith are hanging on the edge. God created us to know Him, to love Him, to worship Him and to be with Him, both here on earth and hereafter in heaven. We cannot know peace, happiness or fulfillment except we align to this Divine Will. Hence, we need to understand, assimilate and propagate this divine message.

The readings of today remind us of the unmerited gifts and blessings we have received from God and the responsibility to share the same with other, bring healing to the sick human society. St. Paul, in the Second Reading from his epistle to the Ephesians (1:3-14), pointed out the blessings fundamental to us as Christians; a divine plan since the foundation of the world: God elected us, liberated us and adopted us to be His sons in Christ and through Christ. In Christ the mystery of God to unite all things to Himself is revealed and fulfilled. By dying and rising with Christ in baptism, we receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit as guarantee of our promised inheritance until we acquire possession of it (Eph. 1:14). The Spirit we have received is not that of timidity, instead we are charged to go out, make disciples of all nations and heal the world of its infirmities by witnessing to the love of God.  

However, the gospel  reading (cf. Mk 6:7-13)

reminds us not to distract ourselves with inordinate desires, passion and encumbrances of materialism. Instead, we are to rely solely on divine providence. The spiritual poverty of the messenger is an essential condition required by the message itself. Moreover, our resolution in the face of hardship and difficulties simply reflects the level of our faith and trust in God. Our Christian call to mission is not without trials, hence the need to put on the sandals of courage and fortitude for the journey and the staff of resilience-in-prayer to push forward when oppositions make our movement heavy, and to ward-off dangers on the journey, especially internal and external distractions.

Just as Amos and the apostles were called to preach the gospel, we are also called to bear witness to God’s love in different ways; be it in marriage, single life, religious life, priesthood, and in various forms of life we find ourselves. We must believe that God is with us and wants us to share with others, the life of love we have received from Him.  We are to propagate the reign of God; the kingdom of God in our human society and heal our world of segregation, racism, selfishness, pride, faithlessness, prejudices, hatred, wickedness and other vices that have eaten deep into our being. 

Righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit is the Kingdom of God. Let us make effort to be part of it and ensure that others join too. We thank God for making us partake in this divine mystery of cosmic unification of all things to Himself through Christ and pray for the grace to remain faithful to our calling to the end of time. Shalom!

Reflection by:

Fr. Desmond Adazie, SMMM