Fr Peter Ireorji, MSP - Homily Good Friday, April 19, 2019

Jesus was tense, Jesus was anxious; Jesus was worried like any one of us might be. Because he knew what awaits Him, not because he can tell the future but because he has stood up for the truth no matter the consequences. And yet there was that anxiety. And the first thing Jesus did to get rid of the anxiety was, not to take a pill, but to go to pray - to pray to his Father. The prayer of Jesus in Gethsemane provides for us a lesson on prayer, and the first step was the attitude, the disposition. We are told that as soon as Jesus reached Gethsemane after telling his disciples to watch with him, he threw himself on the ground. The throwing himself on the ground conveys an attitude of total surrender to God. He wants God to take control; to take charge and to direct the events of his life. The words that he used were simple, direct, and are to the point. It was a prayer from the heart. “Father take this cup away from me”, and yet because the Father’s will was primary for Jesus, Jesus added “Not my will but Yours be done”. And this is the challenge of prayer. The prayer of Jesus was never unanswered, because the prayer of Jesus was always a prayer that lets the Father do His will. Is our prayer the prayer like that of Jesus or do we stop with give me, give me. Can we link and identify our prayer with the prayer of Jesus? Even though Jesus received no support from his companions because they were asleep, he got up strengthened in his prayer as was evident from the fact that he made no move to stop the fight in the garden, to respond to Judas, he only said “let the Scriptures be fulfilled”. In other words, let God’s will be done, and if it is the Father’s will that he dies, so be it. Are you submissive to the Father’ will? Shalom!

Fr. Peter Ireorji, MSP - Homily Holy Thursday, April 18, 2019

In bending down to wash the feet of the disciples in Jn 13:1-13, Jesus brings together all that he was, all that he is, all that he does. With Jesus there was no dichotomy, there was no separation between his being and his doing. Jesus did who he was. Jesus said what he did. And so, on this Maundy Thursday we are called through this event of the washing of the feet, to ask ourselves some serious questions, and the first of these is “Is there a separation between my being and my doing? So, If Jesus was able to bring together his being and his doing, his word and his action, If Jesus was able to love unconditionally, expecting nothing in return, If Jesus was able to love, forgive, and accept and pardon even those who he knew would reject him, deny him, betray him. I need to ask myself whether I can do that myself? This is what Jesus is calling us to do before we enter, to reflect on his passion. If you can think, reflect, pray and know in your heart that you are capable of such love, then you can enter with the Lord into his passion. May you have a grace filled Tridium celebration. Shalom!

Peter Ireorji, MSP - Homily Friday, April 5, 2019

When we are broken hearted, we may simply feel forgotten and forsaken by God. This feeling can come into our hearts when we are downcast and in the midst of pain and suffering. During those times we hardly realize God’s Hands are working and touching our lonely hearts. This broken hearted kind of feeling can come to an elderly who is ready to go home to the Lord, yet God’s call has not come.  In the meantime, he is patiently waiting in sickness and pain. It can also strike on someone whose troubles just keep multiplying due no fault of his own. And quite often it can strike all of us, when problems linger indefinitely with no possible resolution in sight. When we get the lost, forgotten and forsaken feeling, it’s time to remember what Jesus continue to tell us- that our Heavenly Father never forgets anyone and that not a single flower dies and not a single sparrow ever falls from the sky without God knowing it. God will never forget His people. He will never forsake us. He simply has a different timetable and His plan, quite different from ours. Today we should move with great confidence in our hearts that even if our lives are inundated by problems and trials, we do not have to bear them alone, for God is always by our side. Shalom!

Peter Ireorji, MSP - Homily Thursday, April 4, 2019

Jesus said to the Jews: “If I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is not true. But there is another who testifies on my behalf, and I know that the testimony he gives on my behalf is true.” John spoke the truth about “the one to come” Jn 5:31-33. He reminded his listeners that, “I am not worthy to untie his sandals,” and to “listen to him.” John stands between the people and Jesus, pointing to the one who gives life. According to John we are to believe Jesus’ words. It is not easy to believe in Jesus, because such a belief calls for a radical change in one’s life’s orientation. Belief in Jesus will mean a movement from selfishness to selfless, domination to service and fear to love and not many are inclined to make this change. Most of us are content to live our lives insulated from others and preferring to live as islands rather than as community. However, as the Gospel text makes clear there is no middle ground and if one is not willing to live the kind of life that Jesus invites us to as his disciples, then one is a non-believer. As Christians our task is to be advocate for Jesus like John. With our lives we stand between God and the world we live in and we testify! We point to the one who is merciful. We testify to the one who gives life. We point to Jesus who is God. Living in and for Christ is the best testimony we can ever have. Shalom!