Fr. Martin Eke, MSP Homilies (2024)

HOMILY OF THE FEAST OF THE HOLYFAMILY OF JESUS, MARY, AND JOSEPH YEAR B, 2020

Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14; Psalm128:1-5; Colossians 3:12-21; Luke 2:22-40

The celebration of today’s feastis of utmost importance to all of us because we all belong to families; and thefamily is the first and the greatest institution God created. Unfortunately, weare passing through a difficult time whereby many families are fractured andhurting in one way or another. Our difficult situation is compounded by anincrease in the number of disordered families. Since families are thefoundations and the constituents of societies, more disordered families meanmore disordered societies. Therefore, the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Josephis a model for all families.

Being a holy family does not meanthat everything was well and smooth for them. It was a lowly family with manyups and downs. Mary conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit. Mary’s pregnancybrought a troubling situation for both Mary and Joseph. They, however, acceptedthe situation when each of them was ministered to by the angel of the Lord.Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to meaccording to your word” (Luke 1:38). As for Joseph, “When [he] awoke, he did asthe angel of the Lord had commanded, and took his wife into his home. He had norelations with her until she bore a son” (Matthew 1:24-25).

Mary gave birth to Jesus ina very difficult circ*mstance. After a long journey on foot from Nazareth toBethlehem for the census, a distance of about 100 miles (161 kilometers), therewas no inn to lodge in. They went to a shed in a farm where Mary gave birth toJesus. It was not recorded that any nurse or midwife was available to help. Wecan only imagine how tough it was for the two of them all alone.

As we read in the Gospel oftoday, at the presentation of Jesus in the temple, Mary was told that a swordwould pierce her heart. Her first experience of a sword piercing her heart waswhen the family fled to Egypt to save Jesus from being murdered by Herod. Asword pierced her heart when Jesus got separated from her and Joseph after thefeast of Passover in Jerusalem. Mary and Joseph found Jesus in the temple aftersearching for him for three days. Finally, a sword pierced Mary’s heart whenshe witnessed Jesus’ crucifixion and death. In all the ups and downs, Mary andJoseph remained together. The Gospel of today concludes, Jesus “grew under themand became strong, filled with wisdom; and God’s favor rested upon him” (Luke2:40).

We have so much to learnfrom the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph that can help us to keep ourfamilies from falling apart. Pope Paul VI describes the Holy Family as a schoolof Nazareth where we learn true science of life and the higher wisdom of divinetruth.

The first reading remindsus that, “God sets a father in honor over his children; a mother’s authorityover her [children].” Unfortunately, many parents have handed over this Godgiven authority to their children. The reverse has become the case; wherebymany children have authority over their parents, and able to control andmanipulate their parents as they wish.

The first readingenumerates various blessings received by children who honor their parents, andwho take care of their parents in their old age. However,Sirach 3:16mentionscurses upon children who disrespect their parents, and whoabandon their parents in their old age: “Those who neglect their father arelike blasphemers;those who provoke their mother are accursed by theirCreator”. On the other hand, the second reading challenges bad and abusiveparents not to maltreat their children, so that they may not become discouraged(Colossians 3:21).

There is no perfect family.Turning on one another and violence to one another make matters worse. For thisreason, the second reading encourages us on how to cope with family imperfectionsto avoid disorderliness, breakdowns, and disintegrations. The reading says,“Put on … heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, andpatience,bearing with one another and forgiving one another. …Andover all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection.And let thepeace of Christ control your hearts, … And be thankful.Let the word ofChrist dwell in you richly, … with gratitude in your hearts to God.Andwhatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the LordJesus…” (Colossians 3:12-17). I would like to add that it is also importantthat family members pray together; because, “A family that prays together staystogether.”

May the Holy Family ofJesus, Mary, and Joseph pray for our families and society to be saved fromdisorderliness, breakdowns and disintegrations. Amen.

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP

Homily of Fourth Sunday of AdventYear B, 2020

2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8-12, 14, 16;Psalm 89:2-5, 27, 29; Romans 16:25-27; Luke 1:26-38

Have you ever concluded what youconsidered an excellent plan, made all necessary arrangements, and when youwere about to execute the plan, you were stopped by an authority, or by anincident? Different people respond or react in different ways. Some people getvery upset and disobedient. In their disobedience they go ahead with theirplan.Some people get very upset; they do not go ahead with theirplan; but they refuse to cooperate with other plans. Some people feel disappointed;but are very willing to proceed with alternative plans.

In the first reading, David had awonderful plan of building a temple for the Lord. Although Prophet Nathan hadgiven David an approval, the Lord did not approve David to build the temple.The Lord’s plan was that the temple would be built by David’s heir. Davidaccepted the Lord’s plan. However, David went ahead to make preparations forbuilding the temple. He procured all the materials needed for the building ofthe temple (1 Chronicles 22).

Mary, in the Gospel, was engagedto Joseph and was already living with Joseph’s family. Before Mary could moveinto Joseph’s house as his wife, the angel brought her the message that she wasto conceive by the power of the Holy Spirit. Though troubled, Mary acceptedGod’s plan and said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done tome according to your word.”

David and Mary teach us how notto insist on our plan and will when all signs and signals show that God hasother plans instead of ours. We may not be privileged as Mary to experience theappearance of an angel to deliver God’s message to us. God speaks to us throughhis Word, through experiences, and through our fellow human beings. God did notsend an angel to David but Prophet Nathan, a human being.It is,therefore, important to read and listen to God’s Word, pray and reflect onGod’s Word, and accept God’s Word. It is important to see God’s presence inexperiences and discern what God is saying through the experiences. It isimportant to listen to good and wise counsels. We pray, as Jesus prayed whilehe was on the cross, “not my will but yours be done” (Luke 22:42). For nothingis impossible for God” (Luke 1:37).

David’s words to prophet Nathanis quite striking, “Here I am living in a house of cedar, but the ark of Goddwells in a tent!” (2 Samuel 7:2). Indeed, many people, many families, manyinstitutions, many places, and so on are living in houses of cedar but havemoved God to dwell in a tent. This is to say that God is given little or noconsideration in their activities and plans. No wonder we have so much chaoswithin and around us.

In the Gospel, Mary accepted theHoly Spirit to come upon her and the power of the Most-High to overshadow her,and she became a dwelling place for God. We are, now, in the last week ofAdvent and a few days to Christmas; we pray that the Holy Spirit comes upon usand the power of the Most-High overshadows us to enable us to become house ofcedar for God. Then, God becomes first in our considerations and plans.

Through the candle of love we littoday, may we love God who loves us first (1 John 4:19). The first Christmashappened because “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so thateveryone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life”(John 3:16). We appreciate and reciprocate God's love for us when we shareGod's love with fellow human beings. By so doing, Christmas is properlycelebrated.

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP

Homily of Third Sunday of AdventYear B, 2020

Isaiah 61:1-2, 10-11; Luke1:46-54; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24; John 1:6-8, 19-28

The third Sunday of Advent iscalledGaudateSunday, meaning Sunday of Joy.Gaudateis a Latinword which means rejoice. Advent season was traditionally a penitential seasonwith lots of austere practices such as fasting and prayer. The third Sundayused to be observed as a day of repose from the austere practices, to rejoiceabout the child Jesus soon to be born. The wordGaudateis the firstword of the Latin translation of the entrance antiphon of today’s Mass, takenfrom Philippians 4:4-5, “Rejoice in the Lord always” (Gaudete in Dominosemper).

The first part of the firstreading was the Isaiah prophecy concerning the mission of the Messiah. Jesusused this prophecy to introduce himself at the very beginning of his ministryin Luke 4:18-19: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,because he hasanointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaimliberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed gofree, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.”This proclamationsummarizes our prayers: That many may receive glad tidings; that many may receiveliberation and healing from afflictions and sicknesses; that the oppressed maygain freedom; and that God’s favor be announced to many. Amen.

John the Baptist was a son of apriest, Zechariah. Probably, the expectation was that John would become a priestlike his father. Instead, he disappeared from home and went into the desert andlived an extreme austere life, “Heclothed in camel’s hair, with a leatherbelt around his waist. He fed on locusts and wild honey” (Mark 1:6).Andfrom the desert he “went throughout the whole region of the Jordan proclaiminga baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins,” and preaching about theone who is coming after him (Luke 3:2-3). The Jews did not understand John’smission. They sent the priests and the Levites to John, the son of their fellowpriest, to demand an explanation for his action. In today’s Gospel, is thedialogue between John and the priests and the Levites. John explained tothem, “I am the voice of one crying out in the desert, make straight the way ofthe Lord.” John announced to them that he was only a messenger of the Messiah.

Can I, like John, claim, boldly,to be a messenger of the Messiah by what I do and what I say? Can I be aninstrument of glad tidings to others? Can I be an instrument of liberation andhealing to others? Can I be an instrument of freedom and God’s favor toothers?

John belonged to a priestlyfamily. But he abandoned his family and a stable style of life and whatever hewould have inherited from his father, Zechariah, to live a life of sacrifice inorder to be a messenger of the Messiah. Can I leave my comfort zone; can Iinconvenience myself for the wellbeing of those in need?

The pink candle we lit today iscalled “Candle of Joy.”Our lighting the candle is our prayer thatGod may replace our sadness with joy. The second part of the first reading is asong of joy. The Psalm is the Blessed Virgin Mary’s song of joy. And Paul urgesus in the second reading, “Brothers and sisters: Rejoice always. Pray withoutceasing. In all circ*mstances give thanks.” This is a type of joy that springsfrom being close to God, and believing in God even in the most difficultcirc*mstance. Prophet Nehemiah says, “The joy of the Lord is your strength”(Nehemiah 8:10). This is the inner joy that helps us to navigate through thestorms of the journeys of life, especially nowadays. We pray that God restoresthe joy of the Lord to many who do not have it and who desire it. Amen.

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP

Homily of Second Sunday of AdventYear B 2020

Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11; Psalm85:9-14; 2 Peter 3:8-14; Mark 1:1-8

The first reading begins with thefollowing words of consolation from Prophet Isaiah, “Comfort, give comfort tomy people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her thather service is at an end, her guilt is expiated…” Isaiah continues: “Here isyour God! He comes with power, the Lord God, who rules by his strong arm; hereis his reward with him, his recompense before him. Like a shepherd he feeds hisflock; in his arm he gathers the lambs, carrying them in his bosom, and leadingthe ewes with care.” These words of consolation were given to the Israelites inexile in Babylon. At that time, many of them had lost hope that they would everreturn to their homeland. Isaiah encouraged them not to lose hope. He assuredthem that their suffering was at an end. Isaiah’s prophesy was fulfilled whenGod used the Persian pagan king, Cyrus, to set the people of Israel free andhave them return to their homeland.

It is our prayer that these wordsof consolation come to fulfillment for many people who hear them today. It isour prayer that their hope may not fail and that they may be released fromtheir present kinds of exiles. The word exile represents various kinds ofdifficulties and afflictions.

The first reading puts us in thespirit of Advent season when we see Jesus as the One who expiates our guilt andgives us comfort. He comes with power. He is the Good Shepherd; he feeds us,his flock. He gathers us, carrying us in his bosom, and leads with care.

The first reading, further, putsus in the spirit of Advent when are able to identify in our life, valleys thatneed to be filled in, mountains and hills that need to be made low, rough andrugged land that need to be made plain. Valleys, mountains, hills, rough andrugged land are our sinful life that we need to repent from and our ugly pastthat we need to put behind us. If we do these, the glory of the Lord shall berevealed in us, as Isaiah prophesied.

The Gospel tells us that when Johnthe Baptist preached the message of repentance, people of the whole Judeancountryside and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem acknowledged their sins andwent to him for baptism. In the same way, we are invited to accept the messageof repentance, acknowledge our sins and draw close to Jesus who baptizes uswith the Holy Spirit. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed in us.

St. Peter reminds us in thesecond reading that the Lord is patient with us, “not wishing that any shouldperish but that all should come to repentance.” God, in his goodness and mercy,does not treat us according to our sins and mistakes (Psalm 103:10). He givesus opportunities to learn our lessons and come to our senses and mend our waysand be saved from preventable dangers. Fortunately, some people givetestimonies of waking up to the opportunities God gave them. Sadly, andunfortunately, some people waste the opportunities God gave them. May we not beamong those who live in regret and agony of memories of missed opportunities.May we, rather, be among those who continually bless God because we did notwaste the opportunities God gave us.

The second purple candle we littoday symbolizes peace. May we make a fruitful Advent journey so that JesusChrist, the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6), gives us peace, not as the worldgives (John 14:27). May he give us the peace that surpasses all understandingwhich guards our hearts and minds (Philippians 4:17) during these difficulttimes. May the peace of Christ empower us to make peace with those we havedifficult relationship with. May the peace of Christ energize us to be channelsof peace wherever we are. Amen.

Fr. Martin Eke, MSP