Why Would Fr. Maximus Be So Unfair To Me?

By Valentine Obienyem

On our way to church, my wife asked if I planned to write anything after the Mass. I replied no, mentioning that I had written enough about the Church in the past week and needed a little break. Psychologically, if people constantly hear from one perspective, it might create unintended biases. However, she encouraged me to keep writing, especially to address those who aim for a knockout blow to the Catholic Church, the reckless fringe determined to see its utter destruction.

During the sermon, Fr. Maximus Okonkwo was in his element. But how could this be perceived as being unfair to me? We shall revisit that later. As he began, I realized that starting well does not always mean ending well, but he managed to do both beautifully.

He introduced the Third Sunday of Ordinary Time as the Sunday of the Word of God, explaining its origin: “The Sunday of the Word of God, observed annually on the third Sunday of Ordinary Time, was established by Pope Francis in 2019 through the Apostolic Letter “Aperuit Illis”. The Pope purposely established that in 2019 during the 1600th anniversary of St. Jerome’s death. Jerome, who died in 420 AD, translated the Bible into Latin known as the Vulgate. The Church thereby wants to emphasize the importance of Scripture and the legacy of St. Jerome and his role in promoting the Word of God. It influenced the King James Version, translated 1,206 years after the Vulgate. I state this for some reasons. This day is devoted to honouring, reflecting on, and emphasizing the significance of Sacred Scripture in the lives of the Church and its faithful. He related this to 2008 when Pope Benedict XIV urged Catholics to renew their devotion to the Scriptures and integrate them more deeply into their lives.

Fr. Maximus skillfully connected this celebration to the readings of the day. He described the first reading, Nehemiah 8:2-10, as a moment when the Israelites, recently returned from exile, experienced a spiritual revival. They had suffered a decline in faith and neglect of God’s Word during their exile. This passage served as a reminder of the consequences of abandoning God’s Word and the blessings of rediscovering it. Fr. Maximus urged us to consistently read, meditate on, and apply Scripture to our lives, to cultivate a deeper relationship with God.

In the Gospel reading, Luke 1:1-21, we see Jesus in a synagogue in Nazareth, reading from the book of Isaiah. Fr. Maximus delved into the historical and religious context, explaining the distinction between temples and synagogues in ancient Israel. The temple only in Jerusalem was reserved for sacrificial worship, pilgrimage and festivals like Passover, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Tabernacles. Synagogues, scattered throughout Israel, were centres for prayer, Torah study, and teaching, but sacrifices were not performed there. To bring the message home, he correlated the Temple to the Cathedral in the diocese and the synagogues to other parishes scattered around the diocese. Fr. Maximus emphasized that Jesus’ act of reading from Scripture is a powerful reminder that engaging with God’s Word is central to our lives as Christians, especially as Catholics.

Fr. Maximus explained that Luke’s Gospel was addressed to Theophilus, a name that could be interpreted in three ways. However, he leaned toward the symbolic interpretation: “Theophilus represents all lovers of God who seek to know the truth about Christ.” He linked this idea to the Sunday of the Word of God, reminding us that we, too, can discover and know God through Scripture.

Fr. Maximus skillfully referenced other parts of Scripture to underscore the significance of the Word of God. He cited 1 Peter 1:24-25: “All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the Word of the Lord abides forever” highlighting the temporary nature of worldly things compared to the eternal reliability of God’s Word. He also referenced John 1:1: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God”, using this verse to affirm the importance of venerating Scripture as the presence of God in another form. He warned us against treating the Bible as ordinary literature. Referencing Hebrews 4:12, he described the Word of God as a “two-edged sword,” living and active, able to discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Fr. Maximus emphasized that Scripture was divinely inspired, as stated in 2 Peter 1:21: “Men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” He also cited 2 Timothy 3:16-17, which declares that all Scripture is profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness. Scripture equips believers to atone their lives with God’s will. He pointed to the sanctuary to illustrate the central place of God’s Word in the Church’s life, explaining the two tables of the sanctuary: the table of the Eucharist and the table of the Word (the pulpit). He also referenced the story of the disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35). He said the apostles, after Jesus had explained the Scriptures to them, said: “Mane nobiscum, Domine” (stay with us, Lord). The joy of the Gospel made them long for Christ not to leave them, and Christ indeed stayed with them to the point of breaking the bread, whereupon they recognized Him. For Fr. Maximus, reading the Bible will make us long for Christ, and He will surely want to stay with us.

Fr. Maximus left us with these key lessons from the Sunday of the Word of God. The Word of God is central to the life of every Christian and must be read, meditated upon, and applied in daily living. Scripture is living, active, and transformative, capable of guiding believers toward righteousness. Engaging with the Bible helps us rediscover our faith, much like the Israelites in Nehemiah’s time. The use of Scripture to tackle heresies and refute errors also came to mind, as I remembered how Fr. Chineye Oluma used the Bible to teach the ignorant Damina about the real presence.

The sermon of today reminded us of so many things. Reading the Bible and spiritual books is good for the Christian life. It was actually Luis de la Palma’s book, “The Life of Christ,” that helped in the spiritual transformation of St. Ignatius of Loyola. In his “Confessions,” St. Augustine of Hippo talked about how his conversion is linked to Romans 13:13-14. Before then, he embraced philosophy after reading Cicero’s “Hortensius.” St. Francis of Assisi had a profound conversion experience after hearing a sermon on Matthew 10:9-10. St. Teresa of Avila experienced conversion after reading the Bible and the works of Church fathers, especially St. Augustine.

Reflecting on the words of God reminds us that the Bible, as it exists today, is largely the work of inspired Catholic theologians. They endured numerous challenges to preserve the purity of the canon, including opposition from figures like Marcion of Sinope. Marcion’s heretical views threatened the integrity of the Christian Scriptures, prompting the Church to define and defend the canon more clearly.

Yet, despite the Church’s efforts to safeguard the Scriptures, some individuals continue to use the very Bible that the Church preserved to criticize and attack it. This paradox highlights the Church’s resilience and dedication to truth, even when faced with such unfairness.

Amidst all this, the question arises: would Fr. Maximus have delivered such a quality sermon had he not been thoroughly prepared? Hopefully, other churches have ensured that their congregations fully understand the significance of the Sunday of the Word of God. When the congregation is well-fed by the Word, their faith is strengthened to withstand many challenges posed by individuals like Damina and even my friend Mr. Ugo who seek to lead others astray.

As we near the end, remember I said I was determined not to write today. However, Fr. Maximus’s compelling sermon changed my perspective, forcing me to write, which I see as Fr. being unfair to me.