Grace to you!
 
With regard to giving back, there are at least two philosophies of life. They are “We live when we receive,” and “We live when we give back.” 
 
Following these two philosophies of life are two groups of people: Those who believe they have come to receive and those who believe they have come to give back. The one philosophy of life says, “I am here to be served.” The other says, “I have come to serve.” The one seeks the crown and gets a cross. The other embraces sacrifice, the cross, and receives a crown! 
 
These two classes of people exist in virtually every organization. In meeting and prayer rooms of church ministries, they are present too. They may be subtle. Look carefully, you will notice. 
 
You will notice it in that humble man who is always looking for how to volunteer and does so with a big smile. You will notice it in the other man who rarely volunteers, and seldom gives a cup of coffee to anyone. Yet, he is constantly whining about how nobody helps him or sees things his way.  
 
In our everyday life, we experience these opposing philosophies. One is opposed to the other, because when one is upheld, the other is suppressed. 
 
I find in the mission of the twelve (Mt 10:7-15) the Lord’s insight into choosing to be givers rather than receivers. The key players in the story are Jesus, the twelve apostles and those to whom the apostles were commissioned and sent to evangelize. 
 
The Lord sends. The missionary or evangelizer doesn’t send oneself. It is Jesus who sends. The directives are pretty straightforward. No hangovers. It has to be done with every measure of detachment and generosity. The evangelizer, the missionary, must be disposed to give without charge. First and foremost, he has to be the giver. 
 
How about the evangelizer’s sustenance? Jesus promises the people would provide. “The laborer deserves his wages” (Mt 10:10). 
 
Wait a minute, one may say. How would this work in real life? 
 
I suggest it lies in our realizing that both the evangelizer and the evangelized, the pastor and the parishioners, the minister and the people have to think of themselves as givers, not simply receivers. As Saint Paul, adapting Proverbs 22:9, reminded the Ephesians during his farewell address: “Blessed is the hand that gives than the hand that takes” (Acts 20:35). 
 
The person who receives God’s Word should realize that he or she has a spiritual obligation to give back. Give to your church. Give to the poor. Give back to your community. Give to others. Preachers should also see their role as that of givers and not careerists whose desire is to work for pay. 
 
If the work of evangelization must be set apart from other economic relationships, then it has to be built on the gospel truth, not based on trade-by-barter deals. A spirit of Christian generosity must be the watchword. 
 
Call it complementary? Yes, because if all give, all will complement one another. Subsidiarity? Yes, for regarding ministry, we help one another as God wills; a person’s strength should support another’s weakness; a person’s surplus, provision for the needy.
 
May there be a generous disposition in the ministry. Amen
 
God love you. God bless you.
 
Fr. Maurice Emelu
 
[Thursday Week 14: Hosea 11:1-4, 8c-9; Matthew 10:7-15]
 
 
 

Grace to you!
 
Recently, I ran an idea concerning a big diocesan project by a friend who is an expert in strategic business planning. The project has to do with the furtherance of the mission of evangelization in that local church. I noticed that my friend made little or no contribution on the nature and funding source for the project. Rather, he suggested I take as a priority, the personnel training and succession planning regarding the project’s future, and advise the bishop of that diocese on specifics of personnel planning. 
 
Many ideas die not because people don’t have the financial and infrastructural way withal to execute them. It is because they don’t have the right personnel to lead and manage. Many times, churches struggle due to poor personnel and human resource management. Anyone who is trained in leadership and management understands this basic reality. 
 
When I read the gospel of Matthew 10:1-7, I am fascinated by the brilliant example the Lord Jesus, the leader par excellence, leaves for the Church. The Lord’s mission of bringing about the reign of God has to be continued. He had to train, inspire, mentor, commission and equip those to further the mission after him. He had to set up a structure, in which his authority and spirit will lead so his mission will spread to the whole world (Mt 28:19-20). 
 
For those clamoring for a church without structures, a free-for-all spiritual experience without commissioned leadership or organization, be sure you are asking for the kind of church the Lord commissioned. A free-for-all spiritual experience sounds nice. But is it the church the Lord founded?
 
Before choosing the twelve apostles (Mt 10:1-7), Jesus taught his followers of how rich the harvest is and how scarce are personnel who are willing and zealous to serve. He admonished them to pray to the Lord of the harvest to send more laborers to the harvest (Mt 9:38). 
 
Next, he showed an example by selecting twelve out of his numerous disciples to become chosen leaders to carry on the mission. Rightly called the pillars of the church with the prophets before them, and Christ as the chief cornerstone (Eph 2:20), the apostolic college is evidence of that structure. 
 
By asking the disciples to pray, I believe they were praying for themselves and for many after them to be open to divine invitation to serve for the promotion of God’s reign. That prayer continues. Pray for the same petition. We need more passionate messengers of the Lord. As you pray, open your heart for the possibility to serve the way the Lord desires. 
 
The bible mentions the names of the twelve, so we know these were real people not imagery figures. Those were ordinary men without exceptional training. None of them had elitist portfolios. Yet, the Lord saw in their heart, the desire to serve first before leading. Hence, he chose them. No need to count yourself out of the mission because you suppose you aren’t qualified. What it takes is a passion and a love for the Lord’s cause, and the desire to serve. 
 
Robert Greenleaf, the servant leadershiptheorist, once said that great leaders have the desire to serve first. Hence, when they have the authority, they lead well. Fr. Robert Spitzer of Magis Centersuggests great leaders lead from the heart. They are passionate and homed in on the vision. I would say, they own the vision and live it. 
 
Praying that wherever you find yourself, you keep the mission of the reign of God alive. Amen. 
 
God love you. God bless you. 
 
Fr. Maurice Emelu
 
[Wednesday Week 14 Ordinary Time: Hos 10:1-3, 7-8, 12: Mt 10:1-7]

Grace to you!
 
The stigmatist, Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, popularly known as Padre Pio, was one of the most popular of modern saints. Reports of his holiness, love for God and neighbor, and incredible testimonies of miracles that the Lord worked through him were numerous. Many flocked from different parts of the world to see the monk who, for the most part, was secluded in the little room at Our Lady of Grace Capuchin Friary in San Giovanni Rotondo, Foggia, Italy. Delicate Francesco (Pio’s given name) could barely hold a barrel or display the physical toughness of the military when he was drafted as an Italian military during the second world war. He was discharged from duty after about 182 days due to his precarious health. However, he would turn out to be a valiant spiritual warrior against evil and the demonic world and a channel of healing grace to many. But, when he was alive, he suffered so much from some of his closest religious brothers and neighbors in Italy. The Lord said, “a prophet is without honor in his own town” (Mk 6:4). 
 
From canonized saints to many living witnesses of Christ you see many have noticed around your neighborhood and in churches across the world, hardly is there an easy pass when it comes to their immediate environment. You will observe that they have their fair experiences of how bearing witness to God entails swimming against the current. For that, they win more foes than one would expect, especially from those closer home.  
 
I was wondering why, when Prophet Ezekiel was commissioned to preach, God prewarned that the he would face rejection and that the mission wasn’t going to be easy (see Ezekiel 2:2-5). Yet, the prophet is required to say: “Thus says the Lord” (Ez 2:4). Whether the people listen or not is not the measure for the success of the prophet’s success. The prophet’s responsibility is to say what God says, pleasant or unpleasant. This is striking to me. 
 
In life, one could face various levels of challenging situations. Those challenges, which I prefer to see as opportunities, may be ways of testing our faith or maturation. Some of the opportunities may come from the field itself and the people we meet. We may meet indifferent, unloving and unwelcoming situations that we would be wondering why bother. 
 
A supervisor’s heart was so broken when she received a box of heinous petitions leveled against her by some members of her team. According to her, many of those accusations were blatantly false. Some came from those she thought were her closest allies. They simply didn’t want her, though they pretended they did. Hence, they made things difficult for her.
 
You may have noticed that sometimes your greatest hurdles in doing the right thing come from that child, that sibling, that friend, that colleague for whom you have sacrificed so much. The more witness of love you bear, the more manipulative they become. The day you choose no longer to be manipulated, that day, all the good you have done for them would be as if they never happened. You become the villain. You thought by living a saintly example, you would receive praise. You forget that saints are named only when they die. Various times, saints are regarded as villains by many of their contemporaries. 
Discouragement could come from yourself also. As Saint Paul shares with his own personal life, he carried in his body a humbling reminder. “A thorn in the flesh” he says, “to beat me, to keep me from being elated” (2 Cor 12:7). For Paul, it was a tormenting experience, an experience that could discourage anyone. 
 
What is your own thorn in the flesh? Declining health? Addiction? Hurting memories? Humbling child or sibling? Rejection from peers and colleagues? Broken and unhealed relationships? Betrayal and general frustrations because of things outside of your control? Do these keep you humble and sometimes make you want to quit from being the witness of the love, grace and mercy of God? Are these making you reconsider being that light in your community? 
 
Allowing your personal challenges to dampen the spirit of bearing witness isn’t the answer. God’s word speaks to you at this moment, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor 12:9).  
 
Other elements of the challenge could come from relationships. We read in the Gospel of Mark 6:1-6 how Jesus wasn’t welcome in his own town, among his own people. They knew him—a mere son of a carpenter without elitist background. Underneath is jealousy. 
 
Sometimes, you may feel discouraged from shining the light because of sibling and sibling-like jealousy. If that were to discourage you, you know you have a long way to go. Jealousy is everywhere. Poor or wealthy you aren’t shielded from it. Even if you were to be an Ivy League school graduate or the child of the Queen of England, many will still put you down. Keep an eye on why you are here. Get about your daily work being Christ to others anyway. 
 
Accepted or rejected, praised or denounced, welcomed or shut out, keep the smile of grace coming. Keep shining the light. Keep the spirit of the Lord alive. Be one more instance of grace for your neighborhood. 
 
Personalizing Saint Paul’s encouraging line, “When I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Cor 12:10)
 
Praying for you, for the grace of courage, strengthening and endurance. Amen. 
 
God love you. God bless you.
 
Fr. Maurice Emelu 
 
[14th Sunday Ordinary Time B: Ez 2:2-5; 2 Cor 12:7-10; Mk 6:1-6]
 
 
 

Grace to you!
 
Have you ever been in a situation where you couldn’t help yourself; or rather, where you needed a helping hand? Reflecting about those moments may help to appreciate the relevance of friendship, relationships, support system and intercession. 
 
Seeing documentaries about war veterans, I am always fascinated by the sacrifices veterans make for each other at the battlefront. They put their lives on the line to bring wounded soldiers to safety, often carrying them on their shoulders amidst the whizzing sound of blazing bullets over their heads. No weight of a wounded friend is unbearable in the face of war and deadly bullets.  
 
Consider your spiritual life. Isn’t it the case that sometimes you need somebody to pray for you? Other times, you feel the weight of some other person’s burdens prompting you to become an intercessor. Responding to those promptings is blessing. 
 
Many times in our spiritual life, the faith of the family and community of believers lifts us up. Take for instance, the prayers of your mom who ceaselessly mentions your name during her daily Masses, bible readings, rosaries or other prayers; or the prayers of your friends who shared your prayer-burden when they heard the news that you or your loved one was diagnosed with terminal disease. These prayer-support systems carry you on the wings of faith to Him, who alone can help you. 
 
You may not even believe in the power of those prayers, but your doubts wouldn’t stop God from doing what He is capable of doing. He is able. 
 
You may be encouraged to see how Jesus responds to intercessions for you or for others. Matthew 9:1-8 records the story of the healing of a paralytic by Jesus. In this case, Jesus didn’t simply respond to the paralytic because of his faith. Scripture reports that Jesus was drawn by the faith of the people who brought him. “And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ‘Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven’” (Matthew 9:2). Thereafter, he healed the man as he will heal us too.
 
There may be people around you, in your family, at your workplace, in your community or among your online friends who may need your faith-support to re-ignite their own faith. 
 
It would be wonderful if you and I, as believers, rediscover the power of intercession. Against the name-calling, bad blood in many communities and the spirit of vengeance and hatred due to real or imagined injustice done against us or someone we love, may we become intercessors. 
 
Believers are the salt of the earth and light of the world as they provide for what is lacking. They model the way. They spice the horrible taste of the world with the graciousness of prayer, sacrifices and love. Their intercessions avail much. 
 
How about we take up the petitions of those spiritually paralyzed, those emotionally, psychologically and mentally crippled, those who are deep in sin, even those who are forcibly opposed to our faith, one person at a time, before Jesus. 
 
Don’t you think rediscovering our roles as intercessors can help much? A prayer for a person each day is a holy service. Give it a try. You will be blessed. 
 
God love you. God bless you. 
 
Fr. Maurice Emelu
 
 
[Thursday Week 14 Ordinary Time: Amos 7:10-17; Matthew 9:1-8]
 
 

Grace to you!
 
One of the scariest warnings of the Lord to believers is recorded in Matthew 7:21-23. Jesus said: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21).
 
If anyone has doubts as to the limits of faith-alone claims, this very word of Jesus settles it. Profession in Jesus is another way of saying faith in Jesus. One may profess in Jesus as Lord and Savior, but this, the Lord Jesus says, isn’t enough.
 
In order for us not to make light what Jesus meant, he doubles down by re-emphasizing:
 
“On that day many will say to me, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name? And then will I declare to them, I never knew you; depart from me, you evildoers” (Matthew 7:22-23).
 
This statement has a lot of implications. Faith has to be matched with action. The Letter of James was spot-on when it writes: “So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I by my works will show you my faith” (James 2:17-18).
 
It can’t be stated clearer.
 
Secondly, the Lord’s warning is a clear message to many who have been gifted to do “mighty” works in the name of God. Often, we get carried away by our so-called successes in the ministry. We begin to ignore our personal spiritual life and the call to holiness. We ignore sound spiritual and moral life basking in the euphoria of, “After all, God is doing his work in spite of me.”
 
The scandals that destroy the innocence of many churches and cause bad public image for the Body of Christ, the Church, is often due to the neglect of the commitment to  holiness of life  that should follow the use of our gifts. We become dulled in conscience and ignore the need to practice what we preach.
 
That God blesses his people with healings, miracles, growth of church numbers and finances, massive infrastructure and thousands of followers on social media do not equate the life of holiness. God blesses his people not because of us but in spite of us. May we not be mere conduits; may we benefit too from the graces of our ministry.
 
We have to be vigilant not to get carried away so as to lose sight of our primary vocation to holiness and love, another way of saying, “Doing the will of God.” Be doers of the word and not only hearers, so we don’t deceive ourselves, Scripture says (Jas 1:22).
 
Who does not want his or her house built on a solid foundation? Become that wise person whom the Lord said, “built his house on the rock” (Matthew 7:24).
 
Praying for the grace to practice what we profess. Amen.
 
God love you. God bless you.
 
Fr. Maurice Emelu
 
[Thursday, Week 12 Ordinary Time:  2 Kings 24:8-17; Matthew 7:21-29]
 
 

Grace to you!
 
Chris’ coworker and “friend” was suspended from work. Rumors went around the block regarding what he may have done, resulting in the suspension. Chris decided to pay him a visit. He felt some sort of loyalty to offer him some pieces of advice moving forward.
 
The visit turned out to be one of the most humiliating Chris ever had. He had come with a prejudgment about what his friend had done wrong and how he must change his attitude. He rehearsed all the gossip, the hearsay from rumor mongers who seem to know everything about everyone else.
 
Chris’ friend was eerily quiet while he went on with his prejudgment of the situation. In the end, he asked Chris, “Have you heard my side of the story?”
 
It turned out that he was simply a scapegoat for malicious power players in the organization. He was innocent. Actually, he was the victim, not the villain. Chris realized he had messed up. So moved, he decided never to judge people on hearsay or to pass judgment when he didn’t have all the facts.
 
Reading the gospel of Matthew 7:1-5, we hear these strong words from our Lord: “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get. 3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” 
 
How do we take these in? The biblical scholar of the 4th century, Saint Jerome, suggests it doesn’t mean we desist from all forms of judgement. Rather, it means we avoid getting into judgement of things that do not concern us. Similarly, according to him, it means in cases we have to judge, we must always be guided by the desire first to exonerate than to condemn.
 
It means that for the believer, our first desire is to find reasons to excuse people. We come from the background of charity and love. As St. Paul says, love is kind, patient, bears all things (1 Cor 13:4-7), and seeks ways to excuse people.  
 
How often we jump into things and get tangled with affairs that have no relevance to us and our growth. We seek stories or like to watch the news or news stories that are so judgmental and polarizing. We get stressed. We chew more than we can swallow. Like collectors, we amass a litany of problems in our head and they weigh us down. When, in the first place, we do not need any of those concerns.
 
Here is the thing: When one is virtuous, the person tends to see the good in all things. When the heart is crooked, nothing is straight. For a negative-minded person, all is full of skirmishes, brokenness and evil. The world is completely evil.
 
When people are obsessed about something, they often see that all around them. It becomes a cloud to their judgment. Things are judged from that perspective. Our judgements are perspectival. Only God has the entire picture. Hence, we leave ultimate judgement to God.
 
Lord, give me grace to avoid hasty judgements and conclusions. Amen.
 
God love you. God bless you.
 
Fr. Maurice Emelu
 
[Monday Weekday 12 B: 2 Kgs 17:5-8, 13-15A, 18; Mt 7:1-5]
 

Grace to you!
 
Today we celebrate the birthday of John the Baptist. It’s a thing of joy to be part of the Church that is in communion with the saints in heaven. John is for believers, a model of true evangelization.
 
Notice that today is six months to the celebration of the birthday of the Lord (Christmas). The Church brings the historical events of our salvation in view to us. We are constantly reminded that our faith is also a historical reality. It isn’t only a mystery. We are dealing with historical facts too.
 
John the Baptist had two principal missions: In the spirit of Elijah, “prepare the way for the Lord” (Lk 1:17; Mt 3:1-4; Mk 1:3-4, Jn 1:22-23; see also Is 40:3-4) and point the Lord (Jesus Christ) out to the people when he comes (Jn 1:29). He knew exactly his mission in life. He kept to that mission and would not waver when the temptations to derail were strong and persistent.
 
When numerous people from Jerusalem and in Judea came trooping to him, and many may have thought he was the messiah, he didn’t fail to let them know he was unworthy to untie the straps of the messiah’s shoes. (Mt 3:11). When the Jewish authorities in Jerusalem sent delegates (priests and Levites) to confirm if he were the Christ, he insisted “I am not the messiah,” (Jn 1:19-20). Also, he will ask his loyal disciples (two who were with him when Jesus was walking by) to leave him and follow Jesus, the Lamb of God, to whom he (John) bears witness (Jn 1:35-37). With John, there is no room for rivalry.  
 
In his testimony, he pointed out to the people that he is simply a voice bearing witness to the Christ. Not only did he bear witness through his words and actions, in the end, he gave his life. He was beheaded for bearing witness to the truth (Mt 14:1-12; Mk 6:14-29).
 
In John the Baptist, we see a true archetype of Christian witnessing.  Evangelization is bearing witness to God revealed in Christ (Pope Paul VI, Evangelii Nuntiandi, no. 26). Saint Pope John Paul II also writes that the first form of evangelization is to bear witness about the Christ (Redemptoris Missio, nn. 42-43). We do so through our life, words and actions.
 
John the Baptist thoroughly did so. From him we learn that a true witness has to be certain about what their mission in life is; and why we are here. If one is not certain about who they are and their place in God’s life, it would be difficult to be bold about their testimony.
 
Authenticity is key to boldness. In a more modern language, we call it self-confidence. Another way to describe it is positive self-image. Unless a believer has a positive self-image about their identity as children of God, and what their mission is in this divine service, it would be difficult to be authentic witnesses.
 
How could we grow in this, one may ask? If you haven’t received the first grace of faith, begin by sincerely asking the Lord Jesus Christ to open your heart and your eyes to see. He will. If you’ve already received the first gift of faith, ask for a deeper faith in Christ in whom you have been baptized. Ask for and hold on to the deeper love and grace of the Holy Spirit so you will fall in love with God more and more. Develop a personal relationship with Christ. Regular prayer life oils that relationship.
 
The more we grow in the interior life, that is the life of the Spirit, the more confident we become about who we are. God love-knowledge is the answer to true self-discovery and knowledge. It is an elixir for incredible self-confidence. All possible by God’s grace. God graciously pours for us the favor of his life.
 
Personally, I know this. Over the years, I have seen it in the lives of many who are in love with God. Their confidence level grows as their love deepens.
 
When St. Teresa of Avila says, “Whoever has God lacks nothing; God alone suffices”, she was bearing witness to this height of confidence that nothing takes away. Only God matters. When St. Theresa of the Child Jesus says, “I have found him whom my soul loves”, she was testifying that her Love is Christ, and by finding her love, she seeks for nothing else. Her confidence was settled on a rock. When Robert Cardinal Sarah wrote “God or Nothing,” he may have been writing from this inner confidence of one who has witnessed the glory of which nothing else is as important. When St. Catherine of Sienna says, “Nothing else can satisfy me except God,” echoing St. Augustine’s “our hearts find rest only in God”; she was bearing witness to the reality of true inner joy and confidence of the believer.
 
You do not need a certificate course or degree in theology or evangelization to be a true witness of Christ. You also do not need to go through the rigors of seminary training or be ordained a priest or professed a religious for you to be a bold witness. Rather, you may be surprised that too much head-knowledge without heart in love takes away the passion and the confidence of true witnessing. You simply need to fall in love with Christ. Know who you are in God. If you do, you cannot but testify about the glory you’ve seen.
 
There is a secondary value to this kind of self-awareness. It helps us to overcome envy and jealousy in the community of faith. When we know our place in God’s plan, everything will become like a chamber music ensemble. Everybody will be adding their unique piece to the orchestra. Every string will matter, and every tempo will be important for a beautiful melody and play. No one would ignore what they have in vain pursuit and malicious envy of what others have. We realize who we are and what we bring to the table. We also realize how what we bring is unique and is sufficient for us. By so doing, we praise God for what others bring. After all, it’s all to God and his glory. God’s glory is blessing for all.
 
John the Baptist is a true model of Christian witnessing today. We learn from him as we celebrate his birthday.
 
Praying that God will give us the grace to discover ourselves and our mission in life. Amen.
 
God love you. God bless you.
 
Fr. Maurice Emelu
 
[Nativity of Saint John the Baptist: Is 49:1-6; Acts 13:22-26; Lk 1:57-66, 80]