Monday of 31^st Week, Year II: reflection

Theme: Practical tips for dealing with pride and selfishness.

Reading: Phil 2:1-4

Are you struggling with controlling pride and selfishness? Do people avoid you because they see you as a proud person? Do your friendships collapse because others accuse you of selfishness? In today’s first reading, St. Paul wishes to give you a few practical recommendations that will help you if you can apply them in everything you do.

First, he says, “Don’t do anything from selfish ambition or from a desire to boast.” (vs 3a). When you desist from putting your personal interests first in everything you do and from doing anything just to receive compliments from people, you will give a dirty blow to the spirit of pride and selfishness in you.

Second: “Be humble towards one another and always consider others better than yourself.” (vs 3b). One of the problems that proud people have is that they believe they are superior to others and will do, say, or buy anything that will help them maintain their so-called “position” above others. The same is true for selfish people, who will always believe that the greatness of others will dimmish their own; thus, they would want to keep everything to themselves so that others will not share the same high level with them. However, when one begins to act with humility, which makes one to have a modest view of one’s value or importance and also opens one’s eyes to see the good in others, the spirit of pride and selfishness would be put in chains.

The last step is: “Look out for one another’s interest, not just for your own.” (vs 4). One of the things that proud and selfish people do is to always start from themselves; nothing good should go to others until they have had their fill. St. Paul suggests that to conquer this attitude, one should always work for the welfare of others as much as one’s own; in fact, one should prioritize the good interests of others over his own.

Let us put these steps into practice and free our lives of pride and selfishness.

May you have a blessed week, Amen.

Fr. Isaac Chima

31^st Sunday, Year B: Homily by Fr. Justin Adiele

THEME: “BE RULED BY THE LOVE OF GOD”

INTRODUCTION

In interpreting the Decalogue (Ten Commandments of God), the Old Testament Jewish Rabbis ended up listing 613 precepts of the law. They went further to classify them into 248 commands and 365 prohibitions. These were further classified into light and grave laws. It became a big debate among the Jews to determine which laws are light or grave; which ones have more binding force or less; which ones should rule us. Jesus in the gospel reading of today grappled with the same problem; which is the first or greatest of all the laws? His answer was very simple; love of God and neighbor! Every other law is centered on Love.

THE FIRST READING (DEUT. 6: 2 – 6)

In the first reading, Moses invited Israel and all of us today: “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God is one Lord: and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.” This love is not just professed with the mouth but with our actions which bulges down to fearing the Lord by keeping all his statutes and his commandments as we know them. Be careful to do them; that it may go well with you; Moses explained!

THE SECOND READING (HEB. 7: 23 – 28)

The second reading talked about the priestly role and office of Christ which he has done and continued permanently to do for our sake out of love. He is able at all times to save those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. The love of God and the love of Christ for us has made him to continue to play a permanent role in our sanctification not just by mere words; he is our constant and inter-generational victim, carrier and expiator of our weaknesses and sins. Let us make it easier for Jesus by repenting and reducing the amount and weight of our sins on Him.

THE GOSPEL READING (MK. 12: 28 – 34)

In the gospel reading, when a Scribe asked Jesus the first (greatest) of all the commandments, Jesus cited the first reading of today: “you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.” Jesus also cited the second of all: “you shall love your neighbour as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.” If you can live up to these two commandments, you are not far from the kingdom of God, said Jesus. What then does true love of God and neighbor imply? True love of God/neighbor will prompt you to do tremendous things for God and neighbor. It will prompt you to perform virtuous actions and not wicked actions. It will prompt you to put your own convenience and pleasures behind to please God. True love will prompt you to give preference to whatever will promote God’s honor, name and glory.

 

CONCLUSION:

Love of God entails doing whatever is within our power to secure the honour and glory of God and good of men. Christ himself gave us a clue when he said; “If you love me, keep my commandments.” Hence, to love God is to live life free from sin and to keep his commandments. An artist who was painting Lincoln’s portrait in the White House, asked him about his religion and Lincoln replied: I have no religion, I never joined any Church. But any Church that inscribes over its altar as its sole qualification for membership, the words of the Saviour; “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and thy neighbor as thyself”, that church I will join with all my heart and all my soul. Our religion, our code/law, our goal is Love!

Happy Sunday!

Fr. Justin

 31^st Sunday, Year B: Homily by Fr. Isaac Chima

Theme: Obedience to God by loving Him and our neighbour.

Readings: Deut. 6:2-6; Heb. 7:23-28; Mk 12:28b-34

Dear friends in Christ, one of the challenges Christians face today is total obedience to God in the face of the strong forces that promise to make their lives better if they compromise their faith in God and their moral standard. The hardships in our world are making the proposals of these strong forces highly appealing and difficult to resist for many people. These powerful forces are increasing in number on a daily basis and are getting the support and promotion of many governments in our world. What should Christians do?

When the Israelites were making their way through the desert towards the promised land, they encountered numerous challenges such as hunger, sickness, poverty, and attacks from powerful nations. One of the temptations they faced was to renounce their faith in the living God and embrace the gods of the other nations for solutions to their immediate problems in the desert. Of course, they heard how powerful those gods were in for providing the needs of their own people and in protecting them from harm. On many occasions, many Israelites bowed to those gods and, consequently, received harsh punishments from God.

In today’s first reading, Moses gathered the Israelites and told them that for them to survive and prosper, the God of their fathers was the only option they had; that they must fear Him alone and obey only His statutes and commandments. Such obedience and reverential fear were to be made concrete by their love and worship of Him with all their heart, soul, and might. He reminded them that only obedience, love, and worship of this God would bring them and their children blessings and protections in the land they were about to enter, rather than turning to the gods of the nations around them.

Dear friends, the hardships we face in this world often push us to think that renouncing our faith in Christ and living our lives according to the standards of the world or bowing down to some deities will solve our numerous problems. Those who promote anti-Christian ideas, atheistic doctrines, and idolatrous practices often present them as a solution to the challenges we face in this world. Some even claim that the Christian God cannot help us.

Through this first reading, the Church reminds us today that we are to worship only God Almighty, obey Him alone, and love Him with all of our hearts, no matter the challenges we face. She also reminds us, just as Moses did for his people, that it is only faith and worship of the true God that will guarantee us true peace, protection, and prosperity in everything we do. The things that the other gods promise and give are ephemeral and will only lead people into more problems; other gods cannot give us anything good.

With His answer to the scribe who questioned Him about the greatest of all commandments, Jesus reiterated the position of Moses that obeying, loving, and worshipping God Almighty with everything in us and in everything we do is sacrosanct for us; it is the first and greatest of all commandments and must be observed strictly. However, Jesus went on to tell that scribe and all of us that our worship and love for God Almighty cannot be complete and real if we don’t extend it to our fellow humans. In fact, it is in loving our fellow humans that love and obedience to God are made concrete, for “If anyone says, ‘I love God,‘ but hates his brother, he is a liar; for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen” (I John 4: 20). God created every human being in His own image and likeness, and God manifests Himself in each of us. If we are blind to the manifestation of God in the faces of our fellow humans, especially in the poor, the sick, the persecuted, the abandoned, and the dying, then we do not know who God really is. By loving God and our neighbour also, we not only demonstrate that we know who God really is, we also obey all His commandments.

The amazing response of the scribe after hearing how beautifully Jesus summarized the Ten Commandments gives us some food for thought. He said, “to love your neighbor as yourself is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” This simply tells us that all our duties to God and all our donations to the Church would be in vain in God’s eyes if we fail to do the same for our neighbour. May God open our eyes to see Him in our neighbour. Amen

Peace be with you.

Fr. Isaac C. Chima

 31^st SUNDAY, YEAR B: REFLECTION BY FR JULIAN EKEH

THEME: YOU'RE NOT FAR FROM THE KINGDOM OF GOD IF YOU LOVE

(Mark 12:28-34)

 The scribes and the Pharisees remain the chief opposers to everything taught by Christ. They tried to refute Jesus' viewpoints. They often came with conflicting issues. But today, we see a scribe who is exceptional. He may have taken good time to know more about the commandments of God. He humbled himself, realising the limitations of his intelligence and inquiry. He dares to ask, asking to know, asking to become a better person. He must have believed that knowledge is power. He must have known that Jesus is capable of clearing his doubts. His sincerity opened to him the path to greatness. He   got the first-hand information about the first of all the commandments from Jesus the first and last. Where do you go for true knowledge?

He wanted a summary of all the commandments. Jesus simply told him: Love God, Love Man with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. At this, the scribe immediately subscribed to what Jesus answered. And Jesus assured him of his nearness to the kingdom of God.

Love keeps us close to the kingdom of God. Many of us are very far away from the kingdom of God because we have failed to love both God and man. Some of us claim to love God. They seem to say if I do what pleases God, say my prayers, pay my tithe, go for Sunday and weekday masses, do my devotions, and fast, then my heart is at peace. Others claim that when they show love to their neighbours, pay the orphan's school fees, pay hospital bills for a poor man, construct a road for my people, then goers are wasting time. This is good, but it may just be philanthropical. Jesus emphasises both the love of God and man. The type of love that draws us nearer to God is that type that is flying with two wings, one divine the other human. I remember one spiritual book with a title: Be Human be Holy.

Unfortunately, love is often misunderstood. Love that is not for the sake of God may not be heaven oriented. The many good things we do for selfish gains without bearing God in mind may not merit us heaven. The money you give to a lady in the name of love for lust cannot take you close to heaven. The road you built just to win an election cannot take you to heaven. The donation you made just to be seen and applauded cannot be called love for God and can never take you near heaven's gate. You can merit heaven by the praxis of love when you love God and man for God's own sake.

May God destroy whatever barrier that keeps us far from the kingdom of God. May God draw us nearer to his love and help us to show true love to our brothers and sisters, for God's sake.

May we receive love just as we give love. May God be happy to tell us: You are not far from the kingdom. May we never be far from the joy, peace, and glory of the kingdom of God through Christ our Lord. Amen

Happy/lovely Sunday to you (31st Sunday in Ordinary Time B)

Rev Fr Julian O Ekeh

 COMMEMORATION OF ALL THE FAITHFUL DEPARTED (Nov. 2)

Theme: Remembering our dead: Death is not the end of love

Dearest friends in Christ, yesterday we celebrated the triumph of our brothers and sisters over the troubles and trials of this world. Despite the challenges and hardships they faced in this world, they kept the faith, ran the good race, and received the crown of glory from God. Then, today, the church reminds us of our brothers and sisters who have left us but are yet to reach the heavenly home. They are still held by one problem or the other on their way to heaven. The church reminds us that it is our duty to pray for them, asking the merciful God to cleanse them of all traces of sin and reward them with the beatific vision, where they will be united with the saints.

The day of the commemoration of the faithful departed is a very special day in the church. It is a day that brings before us the reality of a complete church, that is, the awareness of the communion between the church triumphant, the militant church, and the suffering church. The triumphant church is the church in heaven, the church of the saints and angels; the church militant is the church here on earth on its journey to eternity; and the suffering church is the church in purgatory, those who are undergoing the process of purification from the sins they didn’t atone for here on earth. So, this is a day specially dedicated by the militant church to offer prayers to the church triumphant on behalf of the suffering church.

Remembering dead relatives and friends is a natural thing in the world. But for Catholics, the memory of our dead relatives is accompanied with intercessory prayer for them and for all the dead whose faith God alone knows. We are aware that nothing impure will enter heaven (Rev. 21:27) and also that not all sins lead to ‘eternal’ death (1Jn 5:16-17). So, we pray for these dead relatives because we believe that the power and dominion of God extend also to the land of the dead; God is God of the living and the dead; we also believe that God’s mercy is boundless and that He can raise the dry bones and give them life (Ez 37:12). We believe that God will not abandon his faithful among the dead nor allow his beloved to experience decay in the land of the dead (Ps 16:10).   

We remember these our brothers and sisters who are in purgatory because of the bond we share with them as members of the Church of Jesus Christ, because our church is a place where there is communion of the living and the dead. Their condition reminds us to keep striving to live holy lives in order not to be held by anything on the way to heaven when we reach the end of our earthly journey.

The dead were our beloved ones. Today, we remind ourselves that death is never the end of love. Death does not bring an end to true love; death never brought an end to the love we shared with them when they were alive. Death is not the end of Divine love either. The love of God is beyond human comprehension. We commend these our dead brothers and sisters into the eternal love of God, praying God that they may be liberated from the pain of the purging fire (1 Cor 3:15) as soon as possible. We pray God, who knows them better, to be merciful in his judgement, for if God should recall our iniquities, no one can stand, but with God there is mercy, and for this we revere Him (Ps 130:3-4).

Dear friends, today we pray for all the dead that God may not abandon them, since we may not tell, for sure, whether or not they have attained peace in heaven.  After many years of their departure, we may have overgrown the pain of their loss, but the church reminds us not to forget them eternally. Let the month of November be dedicated to offering special prayers for the departed. Our prayers will help them reach the heavenly home.

Help, Lord, the souls which Thou hast made,

The souls to Thee so dear,

In prison for the debt unpaid,

Of sins committed here.

These holy souls, they suffer on

Resigned in heart and will,

Until The high behest is done,

And justice has its fill.

Eternal repose grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them, may they rest in peace. Amen.

Peace be with you.

Fr. Isaac Chima

 Solemnity of All Saints: Homily by Fr Isaac

Theme: Following the footsteps of our brothers and sisters in heaven.

Readings: Rev 7:2-4,9-14; 1Jn 3:1-3; Mt 5:1-12a

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, the feast of all saints is a very important feast in the life and faith of the church. It is a feast that assures us that our hope of inheriting a better home in paradise after this earthly exile is not in vain; it assures us of the reality of heaven. The reason for this great assurance of faith is because this feast tells us that the heavenly home and its beatific vision, which we are looking forward to, have already been reached by some of our brothers and sisters. The feast of All Saints tells us that God has already rewarded some people with that gift for which we are making efforts to live good lives. It tells us that the heavenly race has been completed by some people and that they have been rewarded with a share in the glory of God. Thus, no one can tell us anymore that heaven is not real; no one can discourage us in this heavenly race.  

In the first reading of today, John had a vision of one hundred and forty-four thousand people from the twelve tribes of Israel sitting before the throne of God. Then, he also saw a great number of other people, who are impossible to count, from all over the world enjoying the beatific vision in heaven. He said: “And I heard the number of those who were signed with the seal: a hundred and forty-four thousand signed, from every tribe of the children of Israel. After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, tribes, peoples and tongues. All stood before the throne and before the Lamb, wrapped in white robes, and held palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: Salvation belongs to our God, seated on the throne, and to the Lamb." This was the great vision of the glory of the heavenly home revealed to John.

So, the feast of today tells us that some of the people we knew and many others that we never knew have entered the glorious home of God, sharing in His glory. It tells us that the people in heaven are not aliens nor superhumans; rather, they are those who lived in the same house with us, ate the same food with us, travelled on the same road with us, watched the same television and cinema with us, faced the same good and bad weather conditions with us, wore the same clothes like us, and did many other things in common with us. So, if people who faced the same good and bad condition of the world with us have been able to make it to heaven, we can also make it. Among these our brothers and sisters in heaven are people of different categories of life. Some of them were very rich, while some were very poor; some were very beautiful, while some were very ugly; some died as virgins, while some lived immoral life for many years before they repented; some were very intelligent, while some were weak intellectually; some were hot tempered, while some were calm and gentle; some were old, while some were very young; some suffered persecutions, while some did not. In all, these people did not allow their earthly endowments and deficiencies, their strength, and weaknesses, their advantages and problems to deny them the heavenly home; rather they made honest efforts by making heaven their ultimate goal. They allowed the grace of God to triumph in their lives. This is the challenge the feast of today is giving all Christians. Let us make heaven our ultimate goal despite our challenges and advantages in life.

How, then, are we going to make heaven our ultimate goal? What steps are we to take? The gospel of today came to our assistance. With the beatitudes, it opens to us the steps that led our brothers and sisters we are celebrating today into heaven, the paths they took to heaven. The gospel of today contains the principles that guided the lives and footsteps of these our brothers and sisters we are celebrating today. So, what the saints did that led them to heaven is not rocket science; it is something within our reach. The gospel mentioned some of the principles that guided the lives of the saints while they were on earth and proclaimed them blessed, thereby inviting us to emulate them. They are these: being poor in spirit, being meek, having hunger for righteousness, being merciful, being pure in heart, being a peacemaker, accepting persecutions for the sake of Christ and for the sake of righteousness. Let us use these heavenly principles to re-examine the way we are living our lives today.

Peace be with you. Happy Feast Day

Rev. Fr. Isaac Chinemerem Chima

 Thursday of 30^th Week, Year II: reflection

Theme: Don’t allow threats from principalities and powers to suppress the voice of God in you.

Readings: Eph 6:10-20; Lk 13:31-35

Dear friends in Christ, in today’s gospel reading, some pharisees cautioned Christ to leave their town because Herod meant to harm Him. We do not know whether what those Pharisees did was motivated by true fraternal love to protect their brother from harm or a ploy to silence the evangelical voice that was condemning their evils. However, what is clear is that Jesus gave a firm response that he would not be intimidated by threats from anyone. He sent them back to tell Herod that nothing would stop him from doing the work God the Father sent Him to do.

Dear friends, God sent us into this world with a mission. Through our baptism and confirmation, He commissioned and strengthened us for the mission to preach the Good News with both words and actions, upholding the truth, denouncing evil wherever it is seen, and correcting errors. The devil, whose kingdom is threatened by our mission, has been fighting back. Sometimes he uses direct methods, such as confrontation, accusations, insults, threats, and persecutions. Some other times he uses subtle tactics, such as advice or discouragement from colleagues and friends. All are aimed towards ensuring that we stopped carrying out our mission of depopulating his kingdom.

In today’s gospel, Jesus demonstrated that we should never succumb to both threats and subtle voices that try to discourage us in our mission of saving the world from the hands of the evil one.

In today’s first reading, St. Paul reminded us that the mission given to us by God is not a simple one. It is rather a fight against the principalities, powers, and rulers of this world of darkness. If this battle is spiritual, we need spiritual weapons if we must win. Thus, St Paul urged us to equip ourselves with the whole armour of God, which includes the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the gospel of peace on our feet, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, and prayer of supplication with perseverance. These are the spiritual weapons we need to combat the kingdom of the evil one.

May God grant us His protection as we depopulate the kingdom of the evil one. Amen.

Fr. Isaac Chima