11^TH SUNDAY, YEAR A: REFLECTION BY FR JULIAN EKEH

THEME: THE LABOURERS ARE FEW

(Matthew 9:36-10:8)

We are invited by Jesus today to see the world from the divine perspective, to visualise reality the way God views it, to feel what God feels about His creatures, especially the human person.

 

HOW GOD LOOKS AND WHAT HE SEES IN US

God looks at us with love. God looks at us with compassion. He feels what we are passing through at each point in time. He looks to see what He saw in the garden of Eden: "And it was very good." He wants to see a beautiful world, He wants to see a peaceful people, he wants to see a happy human family, he wants to see a well-ordered society, He wants to see an organised system of leadership, He wants to see politicians driven by love, poised to serve, passionate to make the society a better place in obedience to the divine law.

But unfortunately, he does not see what gives Him joy. He feels heartbroken. He sees man's inhumanity to man. He sees misappropriation of values. He sees humanity in their numbers harassed and helpless, scattered like sheep without a shepherd. He cannot do for us what we should do for ourselves.  He will not do for us what He has given us the power to do by ourselves. He doesn't want us to appear irresponsible in the things He has committed under our care as our responsibilities. So he invites us again and again.

 

BE THE LABOURER

In a world filled with a lot to do, Jesus saw just a few labourers. He saw a few politicians ready to stand on justice, truth, and equity. He saw a few honest leaders driven by the tears of the people, inspired by the desire to bring positive change into the world. He saw a few incorrupt leaders. He saw even that the good ones were not given the opportunity to labour for the good of the people.  He sees those who are there for selfish reasons and, ungodly, wicked ambitions.

He invites us to pray the Lord of the harvest to send more labourers into his harvest. Yes, they need to take their rightful place.  The God-ordained leaders should take up their roles. If not, our society will not be good. We shouldn't keep calm until this happens.  Let's get rid of the corruption that is almost succeeding in making evil a norm in our world today. The true labourers are men with moral probity. We need them not only in politics but also in our religious and cultural institutions, economics, medical, academic, and indeed all spheres of life.

Let the pastors of souls be real labourers in the vineyard of the Lord and not men who are compromiseable by money or other factors.  Let them be men who call a spade by its name. Let them be men who feel what the people are feeling. Let them be men and women ready to wipe away tears and not to cause them. Let us all be more compassionate like Christ to be able to see how harassed and helpless our people are, how they are harassed by poverty, ignorance, immorality, indiscipline, etc. Let us offer to them what God has deposited in our hands for their nourishment and not harass them all the more. We are all called for this.

 

HE CALLED HIS DISCIPLES

Jesus called from the ordinary people of the time those He used to change the world. They were only twelve in number. Their names were mentioned. Jesus calls you and I today in a very special way. We are the disciples of Jesus today. He calls us by name to bring about the desired change our world needs.

We are many in the world. But you have to start seeing yourself as that one special person the Lord can use to change society, starting from where you are. Are you a father? be the father working hard to give fatherhood its rightful image. Are you a mother? Be that mother that will give motherhood its true definition.  Be an epitome of what a mother should be.

Parents, parents’ figures, elders, influencers, social media content creators, please try to see the world the way God sees it. Help our world that is wandering helter-skelter like a sheep without a shepherd to get it right. Let us not be in the majority selling out evil packages of different sorts to trend and make money. Let us stop leading the world astray all the more. Let us stop corrupting innocent minds. Let us labour to build a decent world after the mind and plan of God.

In all we do, let us not forget about the kingdom we are called to be part of. As we labour to fashion this world after that ideal kingdom of justice, love, and peace. Let us look forward to being admitted into heaven when our work here is done. Let's stop lazing about. Let's all take up the mandate of Christ today to: heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse leppers, and cast out demons. Let's use all that the Lord has blessed us with to give our world our best and nothing but the best.

May God bless His word in our hearts.

 

LET US PRAY

We affirm with You, Oh Lord, that there are few labourers. We pray for more. Make us good labourers in the world. Help us by Your grace to be compassionate, to heal the world of corruptions and cast away all forms of evil, especially those trying to destroy the family, religion, and politics.  Strengthen us as we work for the coming of Your kingdom through Christ our Lord. Amen

Happy Sunday to you

(11th Sunday, Ordinary Time Yr. A)

Rev Fr Julian O Ekeh

 11^th Sunday, Year A: Homily by Fr Isaac Chima

Theme: Commissioned to Heal the Broken World

Readings: Ex 19:2–6a; Rom 5:6–11; Mt 9:36—10:8

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church reminds us that God has called each of us by name and has entrusted us with the mission of healing our broken world with the Good News of Christ. Through our baptism, God chose us to be a kingdom of priests so that, through us, the world may come to know Him, be saved from evil, and be healed of every infirmity.

Today’s Gospel reading presents the real condition of the world at the time Jesus encountered it, and it reveals why He chose and commissioned us for this mission. It says: “When Jesus saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” These words also describe the situation of our world today. We live in a world devastated by social, economic, and political crises—problems that have produced broken families, joblessness, hunger, sickness, mass migration, and countless other painful realities. These difficulties make it hard for many to trust again in God’s providence and love. Because of the weight of these problems, many people feel helpless, weak, and abandoned by both God and man. The different shapes of our struggles are written boldly on our faces and on the faces of our friends.

Yet, dear friends, the Gospel reminds us that the loving and compassionate heart of Jesus still beats for suffering humanity. God still thinks of each of us in our various trials. This passage shows us one of the steps Jesus took to lift humanity out of the dungeon of sin and suffering. To save the lost sheep of Israel—those harassed, helpless, and without a shepherd—Jesus chose twelve men, called them by name, and sent them out to heal every disease and infirmity, to cast out demons, to raise the dead, and to proclaim that the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Their mission was to begin with their own people. He also invited them to pray continually that good shepherds would never be lacking in God’s vineyard.

In the second reading, St Paul reminds us that Jesus met us while we were still sinners and helpless. He picked us up, washed us clean with His blood, and reconciled us with the Father. Therefore, like the apostles in the Gospel, on the day of our baptism—when Jesus cleansed us from sin with the baptismal waters of rebirth—He chose us, called us by name, and sent us into the world: to our families, our friends, our colleagues, and our communities, to be sources of help for all who suffer from physical or spiritual burdens, and to announce to them the Good News of God’s kingdom.

Dear friends, Jesus has commissioned us to be bearers of good news to those whose lives have been marked by painful experiences, beginning with our own families and friends. He has chosen us to console those battered by social and economic hardship—by hunger, poverty, and unstable relationships. He has commissioned us to restore peace to families and friends living in conflict, to bring healing to hearts wounded by years of violence, and to rekindle love in those who believe love no longer exists. He has sent us to restore hope to those who have lost hope in life and in God, those who think the only solution is to give up entirely. Jesus has commissioned us to be instruments of healing for broken hearts. He sends us to announce His love to friends who have abandoned their faith, to tell them that God still loves them and cares for them. The Lord of the harvest invites us to help make the world a better place and to lift people out of suffering.

In the first reading, God made a similar choice of the people of Israel. He chose them to be His own people and to represent Him among the pagan nations surrounding them. To those nations, Israel was to be a bearer of God’s light. They were to live holy lives and become a kingdom of priests. In the same way, God has chosen us from among our brothers, sisters, and friends—many of whom no longer believe in the Good News—to be bearers of light, hope, and goodness in society. We can accomplish this mission only if we live according to God’s will.

Let us pray in today’s Mass for the grace to live up to this mission entrusted to us by God.

Rev. Fr. Isaac Chinemerem Chima

 Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi), Year A: Homily by Fr Isaac Chima

The Eucharist: Food for the Eternal Journey

Readings: Deut. 8:2–3, 14b–16a; 1 Cor. 10:16–17; Jn. 6:51–58

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, each year, the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ invites us to contemplate the concrete and tender love of God for humanity. Through Christ and with Christ, God not only came down to dwell among us; He continues to nourish us with His very life in the Eucharist so that we do not grow weary on our journey towards our eternal home in heaven. The Eucharist is the food that gives spiritual strength and eternal life to all who partake of it. It is the source and summit of our Christian life—the very centre of our life as Christians.

As we know, food and nutrients are essential for all living things—plants, animals, and human beings. Without nourishment, life cannot be sustained. In today’s first reading, Moses reminds the people of Israel how God sustained them with manna in the desert when they were on the brink of death from hunger. They were fleeing Egypt, the land of slavery, and journeying towards the Promised Land.

For travelers to survive, food and drink are indispensable; they nourish the body and restore lost energy. Israel’s journey from Egypt to the Promised Land led them through the desert—a harsh terrain where the scorching sun made survival difficult. To cross such a place, extra strength was needed, and this strength came from food and drink. When the Israelites ran out of provisions, they cried out to Moses and to God. God intervened by feeding them with manna, a heavenly food that strengthened them for the journey. Moses urged them not to forget how God saved them from hunger and death.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus—like Moses—addressed the new people of Israel, who are on another kind of journey. They are not travelling to a physical land of promise, but to the heavenly home. Jesus teaches that just as those on a physical journey need material food to sustain them, those on a spiritual journey need spiritual food that gives unfailing strength and leads them to their eternal destination. This food, as Jesus revealed, is His Body and Blood, offered to us in the Eucharist.

Just as the desert is filled with thorns, wild animals, and scorching heat—realities that make survival difficult—so too is the world filled with temptations, trials, and tribulations for those journeying towards heaven. As desert travelers need material food to endure the realities of the desert, Christians need the spiritual nourishment of Christ’s Body and Blood to withstand the forces of evil on their journey towards eternity. The Eucharist is the food Jesus gives us to strengthen us against everything that seeks to deny us our heavenly inheritance.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus revealed the profound power of the Eucharist. He teaches that it unites the lives of those who receive it with His own life, making them one with Him and with God. Whoever eats this bread will live forever, for he carries within him the seed of eternal life. Jesus contrasts this heavenly bread with the manna of old. He said, “This is the bread that came down from heaven; it is not like the bread your ancestors ate and died. Whoever eats this bread will live forever.” Therefore, anyone who desires to reach the heavenly home must never take the Eucharist lightly. We must approach it with worthy hearts and remove from our lives anything that prevents us from receiving it worthily.

In the second reading, St Paul reminds us that the Eucharist unites us not only with God but also with one another. Because we eat from one bread and drink from one cup, the Eucharist forms us into a communion—a people bound together in Christ. It is a meal that enables us to commune with God and with our neighbours. Thus, anyone who receives the Eucharist but refuses to live in communion with others fails to reflect the Christ whom he receives. To partake of this sacred meal, which strengthens us for the eternal journey, we must reject division, hatred, and selfishness. Instead, we must cultivate openness to God, love for our neighbours, and a deep commitment to unity.

Peace be with you, and happy Solemnity of Corpus Christi.

Rev. Fr. Isaac Chinemerem Chima

 

 SOLEMNITY OF THE BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST (CORPUS CHRISTI): REFLECTION BY FR JULIAN EKEH

THEME: I AM... COME!

(John 6:51-58)

Today, we celebrate a great solemnity. We celebrate the source and summit of the Christian Life (C.C.C 1324, Lumen Gentium no. 11) We celebrate the mystery of transubstantiation of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ. We celebrate in thanksgiving to Jesus for the institution of the Holy Eucharist. We celebrate the joy and satisfaction, the miracles and empowerment we draw from the Eucharistic table.

We recall the purpose behind the institution of this great solemnity by Pope Urban IV which included the honour of Jesus Christ, plea for forgiveness, protecting Jesus and preventing those who deny His Real Presence from doing so.

This feast proclaims the Real Presence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. It focuses on the Holy Eucharist as the Body and Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ.

 

MESSAGE FROM THE GOSPEL

In the Gospel of today, we saw Jesus teaching about the Holy Eucharist. He did not only teach His disciples but the crowds of the Jews.

He begins with "I am." He says: "I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever..." This should have initiated a flashback to Divinity. This is meant to make them reflect on the wondrous doings of God in the wilderness and how He fed them with bread from heaven. But because the Jews were in the flesh, they were unable to understand the teachings.

Jesus continued: " Unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of man and drink his Blood, you have no life in you" He went ahead to differentiate between the food that He is and that which their fathers ate and died.

Today's celebration is, therefore, an invitation to:

COME AND EAT

Happy are those called to the supper of the lamb. Do you still receive the Holy communion? Do you still do that in the state of grace? Do you feel the hand of Jesus waking you up as he woke Elijah to come and eat to be strengthened for the journey ahead.

 

COME AND DRINK

Life is in the blood. Giving us His blood, opening His side for us like the Pelican is suggestive of the fact that Jesus does not want us to die of thirst of eternal life. When one lacks blood, he dies. Let us go to eat and drink of the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

COME AND SHARE

As we share in the life of God, partake of the heavenly banquet, we are encouraged to be sharers of love. The Eucharist is a unifying force. Let us see each other as one with whom we have something to share.

 

COME AND BE FORGIVEN

The Eucharist draws us to pray for the forgiveness of our sins and those of the whole world. It helps us to prepare ourselves and remain in the state of Grace. It removes venial sins from our hearts and gives us grace to avoid mortal sins. Let us not take the grace of God for granted.

 

COME AND ADORE

"Venite adoremus" is an important invitation we receive. The Real Presence of Jesus Christ in all the tabernacles of the world, indicated by the light that burns endlessly, there calls for profound adoration.

How serious is your devotion to the celebration of the Holy Mass?

How many times have you visited Jesus in the Holy Eucharist on your own?

Do you still genuflect deeply when you enter the Church with the Eucharistic Lord in the tabernacle?

Do you still maintain the great silence accorded to the Blessed Sacrament?

 

COME AND BE TRANSFORMED

The Eucharist comes into Being by Transubstantiation. Transubstantiation implies transformation. In receiving the Eucharist, we are transformed into what we consume. Are you open to the benediction and transformation that flows from the Body and Blood of Christ?

 

COME AND LIVE FOREVER

Do not starve to death. Do not perish eternally in hell. Without Jesus, you're lifeless. Without Jesus, there will be no life in you. Obtain the grace of enjoying eternal bliss from here.

Jesus insists that He lives for us, and since He lives, we too shall live.

May God bless His word in our hearts.

 

LET US PRAY

We pray in this celebration that the Body and Blood, Soul, and Divinity of our Lord Jesus epitomized in the Eucharist may be our strength and our joy, our refuge, and our salvation.

We pray that we may not be distracted by the poisonous food of the world but heed the Divine word and ever enjoy here and hereafter at the Holy altar set before us through Christ our Lord. Amen

Happy Sunday, Happy Corpus Christi Celebration (Year A)

Rev Fr Julian O Ekeh

 Most Holy Trinity Sunday, Year A: Homily by Fr Isaac Chima

Theme: The Blessed Trinity: The Loving God Who Lives With Us

Readings: Ex 34:4b–6, 8–9; 2 Cor 13:11–13; Jn 3:16–18

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we celebrate the solemnity of one of the greatest mysteries of our Christian faith: the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity. This celebration reminds us that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are one. It teaches us that there are three distinct Persons in one God, sharing the same Divine Nature. They are co‑equal and co‑eternal. Each Person of the Trinity is fully God, yet there is only one God. They are one in substance, distinct in Persons and functions, yet perfectly united in purpose.

Although the word Trinity does not appear in the Bible, the teachings of Jesus clearly point to the reality of the existence of the Blessed Trinity—especially when He commanded: “Go into the world and baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” (Mt 28:19). St Paul also reveals this unity in today’s second reading when he prays: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”

The doctrine of the Blessed Trinity is a truth that no amount of philosophical or scientific research can fully explain or disprove. It is a mystery—one that goes beyond the full grasp of the human mind. Indeed, the very nature of God is beyond our full comprehension. This is why God says through the prophet Isaiah (55:8–9): “My thoughts are not your thoughts, and my ways are not your ways… as the heavens are high above the earth, so are my ways above your ways and my thoughts above your thoughts.”

Thus, the Trinity is a mystery best appreciated with the eyes of faith. As a dogma, it is “an article of faith revealed by God, which the Magisterium of the Church presents as necessary to be believed.” Therefore, St Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 1:18 becomes essential for us today: “May the Lord enlighten the eyes of your minds so that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance among His holy people.”

Today’s readings reveal beautiful truths about the nature of our Trinitarian God. The first reading presents one of Moses’ encounters with God on Mount Sinai. There, God revealed His name and His nature: “I, the Lord, am a God who is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.” We may not fully grasp the impact of these words unless we remember the kind of gods worshipped by the nations surrounding Israel—gods who were unapproachable, terrifying, vindictive, unpredictable, and harsh. In contrast, the God of Israel revealed Himself as loving, merciful, faithful, and approachable. It filled the people with great joy knowing that their God was not like the gods of other nations. He is a God who loves His creatures, a God who can be spoken to, a God who is a Father. This is our God. We are blessed to have a God who loves us.

The Gospel deepens this revelation. It tells us that God’s love for us is so profound that He united His life with ours by sending His Beloved Son—not to condemn us, but to save us, so that we may share in His eternal life. Our God is both transcendent and immanent. He is the God who dwells in the highest heavens and yet chooses to live among us. He is Emmanuel—God with us. He is not distant from the struggles of His children; He enters into our human condition to redeem it.

To continue experiencing the presence of this loving God in our families and communities, St Paul gives us practical instructions in the second reading: “Brethren, rejoice. Mend your ways, heed my appeal, agree with one another, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you.” Dear friends, the only thing that can deprive us of God’s beautiful presence is living in a way that contradicts His nature. The nature of our God is love, compassion, peace, graciousness, and faithfulness. St Paul challenges us to live according to these divine qualities so that “the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit” may truly remain with us (2 Cor 13:13).

Happy Feast Day. Peace be with you.

Fr Isaac Chinemerem Chima

 Trinity Sunday, Year A: Reflection by Fr Julian Ekeh

Theme: The Trinitarian Outreach: An invitation to reach out in love

Gospel Reading (John 3:16-18)

Today is the great solemnity of the Holy Trinity. We celebrate the nature of God; we celebrate the revealed mystery of God. We celebrate the undivided unity of the three Divine persons. We celebrate that God is three and One. We celebrate the love of God.

We celebrate that the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are one, not three gods. We celebrate that God is one God but coeternal and consubstantial Persons. We celebrate that the persons of the Trinity are distinct yet bonded. The Son is begotten of the Father by an eternal generation and the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son by an eternal procession.

We celebrate the Trinity today as a great weapon used by the Church to destroy heresies and misleading teachings about the Godhead. We celebrate that Jesus and the Holy Spirit are not just elevated creatures as Aerius and his companions opined but God. We are thankful for the demolition of the erroneous teaching that God the Father created the Son and The Son created the Holy Spirit. We rejoice that Jesus and the Holy Spirit were not denied of their Divinity.

As we celebrate the Holy Trinity Sunday today, it is good to note that the term Trinity never appeared in the Bible but the reality of the Trinity as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit working in unity is seen from the beginning of the scriptures through its end. Theophilus of Antioch (around180C.E) was the first to use it in Greek while Tertullian used it as 'Trinitas' in Latin around 200 C.E.

 

MESSAGE FROM THE HOLY TRINITY

Working as a community

The Trinity is described as a community of love. The understanding that exists among the Holy Trinity should encourage us us to love more, to carry others along, to keep that which separates and go more for those things that unites. It was this Spirit that inspired the invitation in Genesis: " Let us make man in our own image".

There should be a healthy communication in our families and in our society. Do you carry your wife along? Are you open to your husband? Are you known to your children? Is the East aware of what North is doing? Is the Government open to the persons they lead? Do we live as equals while respecting people's roles? Let us share in the life of others and allow them to share our own lives.

 

Learn to reach out

The Trinity lives by reaching out. The Gospel of today says that God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son. When Jesus was about to depart from the earth in His love He emptied himself and poured on the disciples the Holy Spirit.

We are not celebrating egoism, selfishness or nkemdirim but love shared, love given, love expressed indeed!

 

Be Humble

The Trinity celebration is a celebration of the greatness of God and yet the difference between God and creatures notwithstanding, He comes to relate, wants to recreate Himself, invites for a participation in His image and likeness. Cares about man and takes his nature, dwells in man through the Holy Spirit. Let us humble ourselves and foster peace and harmony.

 

Reflect the Trinity holistically

Consciousness of the fact that we cannot do without the Trinity matters. Just as we came into being by the trinitarian call: 'Let us create'', in the Church we too are brought into the Church to share in the trinitarian life through Baptism by the invocation of the Trinity. Let's know the place of the Trinity in our lives, sign ourselves with it always and manifest the Trinity to others always.

The Church in her wisdom begins and ends her celebration of the Holy Mass in the name of the Trinity. She makes her prayers to the Father through Jesus Christ in the unity of the Holy Spirit. She is empowered to move into the world on mission in obedience to God. This is a replication of the Trinitarian mission. God the Son is a missionary of the Father, (sent by the Father) God the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. Let us therefore reach out to people around us spreading the love of the Trinity, doing only what will glorify God.

 

Benediction

The Trinity is the outstanding sign of blessing in the Church. Let us receive the blessedness of the Blessed Trinity and bless others with it. Let us never cease to call upon the Holy Trinity always. Let these Divine Persons possess us. May our creatureliness remain in accord with the will of our loving creator, be redeemed by the mercies of our passionate saviour and be inflamed by the sweet unction of the Holy Spirit.

 

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

Happy Holy Trinity Sunday (Yr A)

Rev Fr Julian O Ekeh

 Pentecost Sunday, Year A: Homily by Fr Isaac Chima

Pentecost: Using the Gifts of the Holy Spirit Aright 

Readings: Acts 2:1–11; 1 Cor 12:3b–7, 12–13; Jn 20:19–23

Dearest brothers and sisters, Pentecost is the birthday of the Church. It is the day the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples in the form of tongues of fire and inaugurated the Church, empowering them to begin the ministry Jesus had given them.

The word “Pentecost” means “fiftieth day,” and it was on the fiftieth day after the Resurrection that Jesus sent the Holy Spirit upon His disciples.

The feast of Pentecost is very important in the life of the Church because of the profound impact of the Holy Spirit on the early Church, on the Church today, and on each one of us. The Holy Spirit has touched every one of us and has blessed us with many gifts. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that there are seven gifts which the Holy Spirit poured into our lives on the day we received the Sacrament of Confirmation. On this day when we commemorate the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles, it is fitting to reflect on these gifts, why they were given to us, and what is expected of those who have received them.

The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are: Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety, and Fear of the Lord. Why were these gifts given to us?

Wisdom helps us value rightly the things we believe through faith and to order our relationship with created things. It opens our eyes to God’s plan, helping us recognize what supports or harms it.

Understanding enlightens us to grasp and accept the truths revealed by God. Through this gift, the Holy Spirit allows us to penetrate the depths of God and perceive divine realities.

Counsel helps us judge rightly how to act, almost by intuition. It is the light that enables us to discern what is true and good.

Fortitude gives us the strength to follow the guidance of Counsel. It makes us courageous in facing the daily challenges of Christian life and is the virtue that sustained the martyrs in choosing death rather than denying the faith.

Knowledge helps us see the circumstances of our lives as God sees them. Through this gift, the Holy Spirit reveals God’s thoughts about us so that we may live accordingly.

Piety inspires in us a loving devotion to God, moving us to worship and serve Him out of love rather than obligation.

Fear of the Lord fills us with reverence for God and a desire not to offend Him in anything we do.

Possessing these gifts is a beautiful blessing for every Christian. However, it is not enough merely to possess them; what matters is how we use them and the fruits they produce in our lives and in our service to others. In his Letter to the Galatians (5:22), St Paul teaches that the gifts of the Holy Spirit must bear the following fruits: charity, love, joy, patience, peace, kindness, goodness, generosity, meekness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, and chastity. The true proof that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are being used well is when our lives reflect these fruits.

The failure to allow the gifts of the Holy Spirit to bear fruit was the issue at the heart of today’s second reading. While St Paul was in Ephesus, he received reports of divisions in the Church of Corinth. One of the major causes of these divisions was the misuse of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Instead of using their gifts to build unity and foster growth, some members used them to create rivalry and tension. They argued over who had the greater gift and who had the lesser. In today’s reading, St Paul addresses this division and reminds the Corinthians—and us—that our gifts come from the same Spirit and must therefore serve unity.

In the Gospel, Jesus teaches us that the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives should bear the fruits of forgiveness and peace.

Dear friends in Christ, the feast of Pentecost challenges us to examine ourselves and ask the following: What are we doing with the gifts the Holy Spirit has given us? Are we using them well, or are we using them to look down on others? Are we using them to build up our families, our Christian communities, and our society and to help our friends? Or are we using them in ways that create confusion and division?

On this day of Pentecost, let us ask the Holy Spirit to rekindle in us the gifts we have received and to help us use them to produce fruits that will bless humanity. Let us join our voices with the psalmist in praying: “Lord, send forth your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth—renew our lives and renew our hearts.” Amen.

Peace be with you. 

Happy Feast of Pentecost. 

Rev. Fr Isaac Chinemerem Chima