Homilies

The God of All Peoples, Through the Universal Image of God Isaiah 45:1, 4–6; 1 Thessalonians 1:1–5b; Matthew 22:15–21 It is always good to know when to change one’s game plan or strategy, especially when it fails to yield the desired results. Having used so many parables to speak to the chief priests and the Pharisees to no avail, Jesus now changes tactics and engages the Pharisees in a more direct conversation. How does Jesus go about this straight talk? A little background information about Jesus’ adversaries is in order today. In their plot to eliminate Jesus, a new alliance is formed, and a newRead More →

“Moral Yes” to God, Our Uniform to Heaven Isaiah 25:6–10a; Philippians 4:12–14, 19–20; Matthew 22:1–14 On reading today’s Gospel, my mind remains glued to one question: How could one individual get into God’s wedding banquet without a wedding garment? Does it mean that God’s security is porous and can be breached? Yet, this fellow is eventually discovered and thrown into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. What is happening here? The wedding garment is the key to understanding today’s Gospel: God invites everyone to salvation, but his invitation calls for a genuine response—a “Moral Yes” to God. Jesus addressesRead More →

 Not the Destruction of Sinners, but Hope for Their Conversion Isaiah 5:1–7; Philippians 4:6–9; Matthew 21:33–43 Let us situate today’s parable in its proper context. The beginning of Matthew 21 helps us to do this. The chapter begins with Jesus’ journey into Jerusalem (Jesus’ Triumphant Entry on a Donkey). This means that today’s Gospel forms part of Jesus’ teaching to his disciples—and, ultimately, to all humanity—about the journey of faith and what Jerusalem represents in that journey. To understand the parable, therefore, we need to pay attention to where Jesus is going (Jerusalem), who accompanies him (hus disciples), whom he addresses (religious leaders and thoseRead More →

Second Chance Sunday: The Power of Grace! Ezekiel 18:25–28; Philippians 2:1–11; Matthew 21:28–32 “Justice” is a tricky concept in at least three respects. First, when pushed to its logical conclusion without regard for mercy, justice can appear to preclude compassion and forgiveness. Second, justice is so closely associated with the law that we sometimes forget the Lawgiver himself. Finally, when justice is misconstrued, its application fails to account for human weakness, imperfection, and our fallen nature. Today, God reminds us that every sinner who recognizes his or her weaknesses and imperfections has an opportunity for a second chance. This is what “Second Chance Sunday” isRead More →

The Gospel of Grace: It’s Never Too Late for Salvation Isaiah 55:6–9; Philippians 1:20c–24, 27a; Matthew 20:1–16a Today, the prophecy of Isaiah points us toward the messianic age in which God’s gifts are freely offered: no payment and no credit card necessary! For all those who doubt their salvation because they consider themselves sinners, and for those who still wonder how God can save a sinful world, today we have an answer: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are my ways above your waysRead More →

Relationship Sunday: God at the Heart of Our Relationships Sirach 27:30–28:7; Romans 14:7–9; Matthew 18:21–35 “You do good, you do for yourself; you do bad, you do for yourself!” This saying summarizes beautifully the message of our readings this Sunday. It comes from the story of a man whom children nicknamed Mr. Do-Good. That was not his real name. He was a beggar, and whenever someone gave him something, instead of saying “thank you,” he would simply say: “You do good, you do for yourself; you do bad, you do for yourself.” At first, his words may sound strange. Yet they contain profound wisdom: theRead More →

By All Means, Keep Moving: Faith Is the Indispensable Element of the Journey Jeremiah 20:7–9; Romans 12:1–2; Matthew 16:21–27 One sure thing we know about Jeremiah is that he was a complainant. In fact, anyone who complains is sometimes called a “Jeremiah.” But we can ask ourselves: Is it bad or wrong to complain? When our life’s dreams do not fall into place, what do we do? When we have done the right thing, should we be rewarded with evil and punishment? Is it too much to ask that the person who has done wrong should be the one punished? Of course, we have aRead More →

THE KEY IS FAITH Isaiah 22:19–23; Romans 11:33–36; Matthew 16:13–20 The “eleventh commandment” seems to be the order of the day everywhere, not only in the West. No one is considered a thief, racist, adulterer, murderer, assassin, or rogue unless that person is caught and successfully prosecuted. That is the so-called eleventh commandment: “Thou shall not be caught.” God did not include this eleventh commandment in his Decalogue, but human beings have invented it and incorporated it into their practical understanding of morality and law. This Sunday, the Lord invites us to eliminate this false eleventh commandment and enthrone FAITH in God in its place.Read More →

Reclaiming your Christian Identity as a Child of God through Insult Isaiah 56:1, 6-7; Romans 11:13-15, 29-32; Matthew 15:21-28 Those who are slightly above forty years of age, and surely those who are in their fifties and sixties, they’ll recall the glorious days of Nigeria. A Nigeria that was economically buoyant, morally colossal and academically gargantuan. It was a time when Americans and Canadians scramble for Nigerian visa, when the English treated Nigerians like equals, at least, on a diplomatic level – Nigerians and Englishmen and Englishwomen needed no visas to visit their respective countries. That was the time Nigerians travelled with ease to EuropeRead More →