Fr. Michael Osatofoh Eninlejie, MSP - Homily for Wednesday Week 9 Ordinary time - June 3, 2020

WEDNESDAY 3RD JUNE 2020

MEMORIAL OF ST. CHARLES LWANGA

2 Timothy 1:1-3,6-12, Mark 12:18-27

It is an obvious fact that out of fear of death, many people prefer to keep quiet in the midst of evils. Many people actually die in silence because they are afraid to die physically. This was not the case of St. Charles Lwanga and about 21 others who were martyred by king Mwanga of Uganda between 1885 and 1887. These people had converted to the Christians faith, and were opposed to the evil way of life the king was living. They were all tortured to death, some beheaded and some burnt alive. The youngest of them was Kizito, a 13 year old boy. Nevertheless, their martyrdom did not discourage others from becoming Christians, rather, the glory encouraged many others who were converted to the faith. It is a national holiday in Uganda today.

Learning from this therefore, we should be encouraged to condemn whatever is wrong no matter who is involved. The fear of death may keep us silent, but we will die slowly inside of us. We should think more of the resurrection of our bodies rather than earthly pleasures.

This was also the situation Jesus found himself in the gospel reading of today. He met with the sadducees who do not believe in the resurrection and therefore think more of what they will gain here on earth. He therefore made them to understand that all the material things we struggle to keep here on earth that makes us incapable of confronting the truth, will not be needed after our lives here on earth. I'm very sure St Charles Lwanga and his companions understood this very well. Let us always remember the words of Jesus, that we should not fear those who can only kill our bodies, we should rather fear God who can destroy both our bodies and souls in hell. May we have the courage to stand for the truth and condemn evil when the time comes. God help us. Amen

Fr Michael Osatofoh Eninlejie MSP

Fr. Michael Osatofoh Eninlejie, MSP - Homily for Tuesday Week 9 Ordinary time - June 2, 2020

Tuesday 2nd June 2020

9th week in ordinary time year II

2 Peter 3:11-15,17-18, Mark 12:13-17

The Easter season has ended, and we begin the ordinary season of the calendar year of the Church. Nevertheless, we are to continue to ruminate the teachings of Jesus during the Easter season and rely on the help of the Holy Spirit to go through this period. We should also ask for God's direction and allow ourselves to be influenced by the Holy Spirit this season.

As I reflect on the gospel reading of today, the words of Jesus to the Chief priest  and scribes who came to ask him a question reminds me of an encounter with a police man on the highway. Before the lockdown, I was driving on a highway when I was stopped by a policeman. When he discovered that I am a priest, he said there was no need to ask for my vehicle papers and drivers license as he was asking from others, but he asked for my prayers. After praying for him, he asked if I had anything to give to Caesar. I just laughed over it because I did not want to waste more time with him, but he insisted that I give him something, quoting the words of Jesus that we should give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.

Many Christians have been very angry with the fact that the government had placed a ban on religious gathering during this Covid-19 pandemic. They believe that many governments officials are not Christians or even religious people, thus they have no right to meddle with religious activities. This was exactly the way the Jews felt in the gospel reading of today. Rome was the political power ruling over the Jews, therefore, they were required to pay tax to Caesar. Many of them were not happy because Caesar was not a Jew but a pagan. They therefore, were looking for ways to break the bonds with Rome and stop being indebted to them.

The Chief priest and scribes who came to Jesus today to ask if they should continue to pay taxes to Caesar, may have come with a genuine concern, but there was also an underlining ulterior motive in trying to make Jesus have problems with Caesar if he tells them to stop paying tax to Caesar. Jesus therefore made them to understand that as children of God, we still live in the same society with those who do not have the same religious inclinations with us; we are therefore not to despise them, but try and work with them while praying for them to be converted.

The statement of Jesus therefore which has been misconstrued in various ways, does not give us license to do evil in the name of giving to Caesar what belongs to Caesar. Christians do not fight with the government or make trouble with the civil authorities. Religion and politics are always on the process of dialogue, they both work for the betterment of humanity from the spiritual and temporal perspective respectively.

In your various places of work and encounter with secular policies, never forget that you are a Christian. Do your work with Caesar very well, but never forget that you are a Christian.

This is the concern of Peter in the first reading of today, that in whatever we do, only the thought of doing good which will earn us the new heaven and new earth promised by Jesus should motivate us and not pleasure or material gain. May God give us the grace to continue to be religious in the midst of the various vicissitudes of life. God help us. Amen.

Fr Michael Osatofoh Eninlejie MSP.

Fr. Michael Osatofoh Eninlejie, MSP - Homily for Monday Week 9 Ordinary time - June 1, 2020

MONDAY 1ST JUNE 2020

MONDAY AFTER PENTECOST SUNDAY

MEMORIAL OF MARY MOTHER OF THE CHURCH; also, MEMORIAL OF ST. JUSTIN, MARTYR

Genesis 3:9-15,20, John 19:25-34

Apart from the celebrations that concern the persons of the Blessed Trinity, no other celebration is as numerous as that of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Liturgical calendar of the Church. At the end of the Second Vatican Council in 1964, Pope Paul VI had declared Mary, the mother of the Church. In the jubilee year of 1975, The Vatican also produced a special votive mass under the title, Beata Maria Ecclesiae Matre, which is Blessed Mary, Mother of the Church. It was finally in 2018, that Pope Francis declared that a memorial of Mary Mother of the Church should be celebrated on the day after Pentecost Sunday.

The role of Mary as Mother of the Church is very evident throughout the scriptures. The first reading of today from  the book of Genesis, presents us with the story of how Eve had failed us. Mary came and succeeded where Eve failed and she accepted to be the mother of our saviour and redeemer.

The title of Mary the mother of the church is very apt in the gospel reading. Shorly before he died on the cross, Jesus was surrounded with some people especially women who were crying at the foot of the cross. Jesus therefore called his mother, and handed her to John who represented the Church since he was the only Apostles present there. Jesus therefore told John to take care of his mother and told his mother to take care of his Church.

Mary continued her motherhood of the Church and showed it by following the Apostles to the Upper Room in Jerusalem to pray for the coming of the Holy Spirit. It was this same Holy Spirit  that worked in the life of Justin the Martyr, a pagan philosopher who converted to christianity at the beginning of the second century, and he was able to use his philosophical knowledge to teach the Christian faith until he was killed. Mary also continued to make herself known in the church as we have seen in many apparitions and devotions to her. She had intervened in many world devastating plagues, wars and disasters and has protected the church from many impurities and infirmities. As we enter the ordinary season of the Liturgical calendar of the Church, we commend the church and our lives to the protective arm of our Mother, especially at this trying time of Covid-19 pandemic. We ask for her intercession. May we truly experience her maternal love and protection in our lives.

Mary, Mother of the Church,  Pray for us.

As we enter a new season in the Church and a new month, I pray that God will make you experience something positively new in your life. Amen .

Happy new month

Fr Michael Osatofoh Eninlejie MSP