Homily for 70th birthday of Prof. Mark Nwagwu
18 August 2007
Seat of Wisdom Church
University of Ibadan
 | Jesus and women! Mark Nwagwu and women! The imagination can run wild. The truth is more sober, more exciting and more satisfying. The words and example of our Lord, transculturated into 70 years of life in Nigeria and abroad, and projected in the novel Forever chimes, depict a concept of woman, not as booty to be conquered and enjoyed, not as an other-worldly goddess to be worshipped and admired from afar, but someone who can master her world and soar in her career—yes but more—who can capture in her heart the almighty God who came down from heaven, walked this earth and lives on in Christian faithful and in the mystery rites of the Catholic Church.
"It is not right for man to be alone" (Gen 2:18). What a wide diversity of interpretations have been given to this statement. |  |
For the psychologist Freud, man is driven by aseruwa—Ask Niger Delta people to explain that term. I know of a famous Frenchman who stated at his 70th birthday celebration, in front of his wife, that he married her as a remedy for his concupiscence and masturbation! The same obsession with imperious irresistable aseruwa inspired the Da Vinci Code and the film The Last Temptation of Christ to make Mary Magdalene the wife or paramour of Christ. If Christ could not abstain, National Geographic seems to argue, why expect ordinary people to refrain from plunging headlong—with raincoat I de kampe—into any flesh that tickles one's desire?
But if a man sees in woman something more than copulation satisfaction, the relationship changes. She may be Venus Williams, Chief Folake Solanke SAN, Dr. Okonjo Iweala, or Dr. Mrs. Alison Madueke, a powerful goddess you admire, you respect, you may even have reason to fear, but you dare not attempt to cross her security.
Or she may be a professional colleague, someone you work and share ideas with, but any intimacy is ruled out. Such is the personnel relationship in the university and working world we are familiar with.
But U.I., like other campuses, is also a courtship garden where many a happy marriage had its origin. Marriage in Christ of two baptized people makes all their exchange, including sexual exchange, an instrument of God's grace in their lives and the lives of their children. When it is lived with the generosity only God can give, it is a blessing that grows with the years.
There is another side of U.I. courtship. I wish I had solid statistics, but the sample evidence I meet indicates (1) that a majority of girls have a boy-friend, and vice-versa, (2) that these relationships are ordinarily sexual, (3) that a majority of them in the first instance do not result in marriage, or if they do the marriage is not happy or successful. A parish in Benin City schedules a Mass for jilted girls, since they need special ministry, and the church is always packed.
Why does this happen? There is the sixth commandment, there is the fact that her eternal salvation is at stake, there is the fact that she is a temple of the Holy Spirit, but either she never heard, or her mind gets confused and she is swept away by her emotions. It is too bad so many girls have to learn the hard way. They could have picked up from Nollywood films the lessons they learn by sad experience.
If a girl realized that copulation is a sign of consumate total union, she would insist on waiting until marriage and not let anyone take her on credit. If she realized that it is also an invitation for children, she would insist on waiting until there is a marital home to welcome the children.
Men can snap out of a trial relationship with less damage than women. A failed relationship is usually traumatic for the girl. How could she be so stupid to let herself get in such a mess?
Yet the point of today's gospel (Lk 7:36—8:3) is that Christ came especially for girls who have stupidly messed up their lives and are at the bottom of despair. Christ showed them, by offering divine forgiveness and divine respect, how to get on their feet again and build their lives anew.
Some of these women, like Mary Magdalene, do not seem to have subsequently entered marriage, but lived a life of consecrated service.
This was in harmony with Jesus teaching that "there are those who have renounced marriage for the sake of the kingdom of Heaven. Let anyone accept this who can" (Mt 19:12). So John the Baptist, the Apostle John, Paul and many others in the New Testament followed Jesus' example in this, setting the celibate state of life as an option in the Church.
To the married and the unmarried, Jesus said, "If a man looks at a woman lustfully, he has already committed adultery with her in his heart" (Mt 5:28). Jesus observed this, as he could boldly say, "Can any of you convict me of sin?" (Jn 8:46).
Is chastity also possible for us? Last Wednesday we celebrated the feast of the Assumption of the greatest follower of Christ, his Mother Mary. Mary was closest of all to Jesus both physically and spiritually. If John leapt in the womb at the presence of Jesus, Elizabeth leapt for joy at the presence of "the mother of my Lord", saying "Of all women you are the most blessed," a statement repeated by all generations, and repeated even in the Qur'ân: "God has made you immaculate and chosen you over all the women of the world" (3:42).
Her whole life was a dance in step with Jesus. Sinless from her immaculate conception, she danced with Jesus at home and on the road, as he was cheered and as he was jeered, as he hung on the cross and came back from the tomb, and finally as he ascended and sat at the right hand of the Father. It was a dance that breaks every Olympic record for all time. So rightly she is accoladed and crowned as Queen of saints and angels, Queen of heaven and earth.
As for us, who are also called to follow Christ, is her record intimidating? It should not be. After all, she is our Mother, and if she can teach her children to walk, she can teach them to dance and leap and run as well in the stadium of life. She is cheering us on to succeed as she did.
Like Jesus, like Mary, we can master our world and soar in our career. Thank God who has enabled Mark Nwagwu to do so. Even more, we can capture in our hearts the almighty God who came down from heaven and walked this earth. He can live and breath in us, as we thank God he has lived and breathed in Mark Nwagwu these seventy years.