Fr. Michael Osatofoh Eninlejie, MSP - Homily for Wednesday Week 24 Ordinary time - September 16, 2020

 

WEDNESDAY 16TH SEPTEMBER 2020

24TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

MEMORIAL OF ST CORNELIUS AND CYPRIAN (Martyrs)

 

LIFE COULD BE VERY SIMPLE IF WE LOVE

 

I watched a comedy skit recently where a man told his wife that he loved her, and the wife answered if it is love that she is going to eat. In the first reading of today, St Paul speaks very passionately about love. Love is something that is not tangible and not explained with words, it flows from the heart even when it is not expressed. A child for example does not need his father or mother to tell him that they love him, their actions communicate their love to him. This is why st Paul tells us today that we may have everything we esteem on earth, but if we do not have love in our hearts, we are useless. We may be the greatest human being on earth according to human standard, we may be rich, but we are nothing without love of others. Some people would have been very great if they could at least learn how to love others and treat them with respect.

St Paul tells us that the 3 theological virtues which are faith, hope and love are very important, nevertheless, faith and hope will end in this world, but love will follow us beyond because if we love God and our neighbours on earth, we will continue to love God and our neighbours in heaven.

St Cornelius and Cyprian showed their love for God and neighbours that they preferred to die rather than dishonour the house of God and the Christian faith. We are not sure when St Cornelius was born, but he was Pope in 251AD until 253AD when he was exiled and later killed by Emoeror Gallus. St Cyprian was from Carthage in modern day Tunisia. He was born in 210AD and was bishop of Carthage until 258AD when he was martyred during the persecution of Emoeror Decius. He had at first hid himself so that he could be spared to take care of the flock, but Decius exiled and later executed him. His many letters helped to understand the early history and beginning of the church. Love is not an easy virtue, not what one practices with mere words, one has to be ready to give even his or her life for it. St Paul describes it with very beautiful words and in a very beautiful way in the first reading. May almighty God help us to love him and our neighbours to the end. God help us. Amen.

Fr Michael Osatofoh Eninlejie MSP

Fr. Michael Osatofoh Eninlejie, MSP - Homily for Tuesday Week 24 Ordinary time - September 15, 2020 - Our Lady of Sorrows

 

TUESDAY 15TH SEPTEMBER 2020

24TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR II

MEMORIAL OF OUR LADY OF SORROWS

Hebrews 5:7-9, John 19:25-27 or Luke 2:33-35

 

THE SORROW OF A MOTHER

 

Many people testify to the fact that mothers undergo a lot of painful and sorrowful moments in their lives on account of their children. Yesterday we celebrated the triumph of Jesus on the cross over sin and death. The victory was not without pain for Jesus and especially his mother Mary. From the day she said YES to God, her life had been that of sorrow from one end to the other. We cannot celebrate the victory of Jesus and our salvation without celebrating the sorrows Mary passed through because of Jesus her son.

The church points our seven principal sorrowful moments in the life of mary: 1. The prophecy of simeon in the temple that a sword will pierce through the soul of Mary because of Jesus,  2. The 300 miles flight to Egypt with the infant Jesus when Herod was after his life, 3. The loss of Jesus in the temple in Jerusalem when he was 12 years old, 4. The encounter between Mary and Jesus on the road to calvary, 5. The crucifixion of Jesus, 6. The taking down of the lifeless body of Jesus from the cross, and 7. The burial of Jesus. How many women can pass through these today with their only child?

Luke 2:19 tells us that despite  all these, mary remained calm and treasured them all in her heart. She never complained, but kept the faith and suffered with her son so that we may be victorious over sin and death.

We pray that almighty God will give us the grace like Mary, to be resilient in our faith in times of sorrow and pain.

May our mother Mary pray for us. God help us. Amen.

Fr Michael Osatofoh Eninlejie MSP

Fr. Michael Osatofoh Eninlejie, MSP - Homily for the Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary time Year A - September 13, 2020

 

HOW CAN YOU PRAY WHEN YOU HAVE NOT FORGIVEN

 

As long as we live in this world with other human beings, we will always get offended. People will continue to get us angry because we always seek our personal gain and interest and we get angry if they are not met. We also have our egos to protect, thus we easily feel hurt by others. At the same time, many of us do not easily feel that we have hurt others. It is imbedeeded  in human nature, we struggle daily to be more careful and avoid wrong acts.

Human beings are very impatient with one another. We easily remember the wrong things others have done to us and we treat them badly.

In the first reading of today, the sage Sirach tells us to forgive the wrongs of others. We should not keep what others have done to us in mind. There is no need to harbour anger and resentment. We cannot be keeping malice and planning evil against those who have wronged us and expect God to continually be merciful to us. We should learn to bear with those who are weak.

The responsorial psalm of today tells us that Godis compassionate and gracious, he is slow to anger and merciful. God continue to forgive us, we too must forgive our neighbours.

If we as Christians always think of the last four things which are Death, judgement,  heaven and hell, we will be conscious of the fact that there is no need to refuse forgiveness. In fact, the one who refuses to forgive suffers more than the offender, especially when the offender has asked for forgiveness. It is true that it is not easy to forgive, especially grievous wrongs done to us such as murder of one's parent. But life in the end will be meaningless if we do not. Only God can help us to forgive.

In the Old Testament, there was no concept of forgiveness. It was 'an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth'. You are expected to do to others the same way they have done to you. In Amos 1:3-12 forgiveness is not more than three times. Peter therefore was very considerate and thought that Jesus would praise him in the gospel reading of today when he asked if he could forgive up to 7 times. Jesus therefore used a parable to teach him that the wrong others have done to us which we have refused to forgive, cannot be compared to what we have done against God. 7 is a perfect number, thus to forgive 70 x 7 times is another way of saying that perfect forgiveness is infinite, not for us to literarily be counting it.

Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:7 those who are merciful will also be shown mercy. James 2:13 tells us also that there will be judgment without mercy for those who have not been merciful.

Let us truly gain our peace and tranquility today, let us work out our salvation by forgiving those who have wronged us, so that we can confidently ask God to forgive us. God help us. Amen.

Fr Michael Osatofoh Eninlejie MSP