Fr. Michael Osatofoh Eninlejie, MSP - Homily for Saturday Easter week 7 - May 30, 2020

Saturday 30th May 2020

Seventh week of Easter

Acts 28:16-20,30-31, John 21:20-25

It is barely three months since we have been indoors because of the Covid-19 pandemic, and many of us have been complaining because we cannot go out to do what we would like to do, especially career and earning a living. We all feel deprived of an essential part of our lives. As I reflect on this period, I can only imagine how those in prison survive. This is also the feeling as I go through the first reading of today. I also imagine how paul would have felt to have been deprived the freedom to preach the word of God. After spending sometime in prison during Felix, it was when Herod Agrippa came that he was judged and he made an appeal to Caesar. In the first reading of today we see that it was only after presenting his case to Caesar that he regained his freedom.

One can therefore also imagine what some Christians pass through in their course of living their faith in difficult places.  Paul was only able to go through all these because he was filled with the Holy Spirit. He counted everything as rubbish in so far as he had Jesus (Philippians 3:8). The 50 days of Easter season will be coming to an end tomorrow as we conclude our novena to the Holy Spirit. In the Church's calendar, there is a vigil tomorrow to prepare us for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Sunday. We are therefore encouraged to spend sometime in prayer tonight and ask the Holy Spirit to come and dwell in us. God help us. Amen.

Fr Michael Osatofoh Eninlejie MSP

Fr. Michael Osatofoh Eninlejie, MSP - Homily for Friday Easter week 7 - May 29, 2020

Friday 29th May 2020

Seventh week of Easter

Acts 25:13-21, John 21:15-19

As we gradually come to the end of the Easter season, we look into the future with hope. In the gospel reading of today, we are presented with the person of Peter as the central character among other disciples. We know that when the head is cut off, the other parts of the body are more or less useless.

Peter who is the head of the Apostles seemed to have been tired of waiting for the coming of the Holy Spirit, he therefore decided to return to his fishing business, either for pleasure or for gain. Whatever the reason, we see that the decision did not go down well with Jesus, because when Jesus had called him, he had commissioned him to become a Fisher of men. With his miraculous intervention, Peter had a great catch of fish. Nevertheless, the question of Jesus to Peter; "do you love me?" is very central. Scholars interpret this question in two ways:

1. Seeing the great catch of fish, Jesus may have asked Peter if he loved him more than the fish and the money he would make from selling the fish. This means therefore, that Jesus was reminding Peter that he had called him to leave his lucrative business to preach the gospel. In other words, if you love me more than this fish, business and money, go back and preach my word.

2. Some other scholars believe that Jesus was not referring to the fish, but to the other Apostles. Since Peter was the head of the Apostles, Jesus was therefore asking him if he loved him more than the other Apostles because he was the head. For some others also, the fact that Jesus asked Peter three times and gave him an opportunity to say he loved him three times, was an opportunity in form of a second chance for him to atone for his denial of Jesus three times before his passion and death.

Whatever the reason Jesus asked Peter if he loved him, one thing is very central which is the fact that in each of the response of Peter, Jesus commanded him to love and feed his sheep. We can therefore ask ourselves the question today: do we love God more than our business, money and career? Do we love God more than our colleagues and those around us? If our answer is yes, Jesus calls us today to love and feed one another. Just as Jesus tells Peter today, we can only say that we love Jesus if we love and strengthen the sheep, the people of God.

It is only this love that made Paul to suffer all the persecutions in the course of his missionary works as we also see in the first reading of today. When you love Jesus, pain and suffering are nothing, in so far as his name is made known. May God help us to show that we love him. Amen.

Fr Michael Osatofoh Eninlejie MSP

Fr. Michael Osatofoh Eninlejie, MSP - Homily for Thursday Easter week 7 - May 28, 2020

Thursday 28th May 2020

Seventh week of Easter

Acts 22:30,23:6-11, John 17:20-26

For some days now, we have been reading from the 17th chapter of the gospel of John, which contains the series of prayers of Jesus before his passion, death, resurrection and his ascended to the Father. Some scripture scholars refer to this chapter as the priestly prayer of Jesus. First, Jesus prayed for himself to be able to go through his passion, secondly, he prayed for his Apostles so that their faith would not fail them, and they will be able to overcome the false prophets who will come when he has gone.

In the part of the chapter we read in the gospel reading of today, Jesus looked into the future and prayed for all of us who will not see him physically but will become Christians through the preaching of the Apostle. We are therefore blessed by Jesus even before we were born.

The most obvious part of the prayer for all Christians which is still very much needed in our world today is unity among Christians. Jesus had warned that we should be careful because when he leaves, many people will come and claim to be prophets and pastors, they will cause confusion around the place by contradicting the true teachings of Christ. This is what Paul suffered in the first reading of today, and this continues to happen in our world today. There is almost a church after every 5 houses in some places, with people who claim to be pastors, giving different teachings and condemning the teachings and doctrines of others.

As Christians, we are called to be agents of unity, not confusion among the body of Christ. Sometimes, muslims may even be more friendly with a Christian than a fellow Christian who is a member of a different Christian sect. Love is the answer, and the earlier we are ready to listen to one another and accept simple truths, the better for us to be united under one umbrella of God. There is also need to pray for all Christians, that we may truly be one in mind and heart. God help us. Amen.

Fr Michael Osatofoh Eninlejie MSP