Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (May 31): reflection

 Theme: Invite mother Mary, she will bring Jesus to you

Today, the Church celebrates the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary to her cousin, Elizabeth. At the annunciation, angel Gabriel informed Mary that her cousin, Elizabeth, whom the people called barren had received the favour of God and was pregnant. Mary travelled to visit her and spend some time with her.

According to the narrative of Mary’s Visitation to Elizabeth as read in today’s gospel, as soon as the pregnant Mary entered the house of Zechariah and greeted her pregnant cousin, Elizabeth, the child in the womb of Elizabeth was electrified; he recognized the presence of the Son of God and leaped for Joy. Mary brought Jesus to the house of Zechariah and Elizabeth.

Indeed, Mary brings Jesus to whoever opens his door and welcomes her into his home; she brings Jesus to us anytime she visits us. The aura of Jesus pervades every space she visits.

Do you need Jesus today? Do you need want to feel the presence of Jesus in your life and in your family just as the baby in the womb of Elizabeth felt? Then, invite Mary into your life and home; she will bring Jesus to you. The May devotion that ends today is not the end of devotion to Mary. Let us continue to invite her into our homes and hearts every day through the Rosary.

Let us honour this woman who gave Jesus to humanity and keeps bringing Him into hearts and homes that open their doors to her. We must revere her as the mother of Christ.

May Mother Mary visit you and your home today. Amen

Fr Isaac Chima

 

Thursday of 8th Week in Ordinary Time, Yr. II: reflection

Theme: Come to Jesus and be made whole.

Readings: 1Pet 2:2-5,9-12; Mk 10:40-52

In today’s first reading, St Peter invites us to come to Jesus the living stone, who was rejected by men but chosen and precious in God’s eye, in order to be made whole spiritually and physically. Then, in today’s gospel, we saw blind Bartimaeus, who bravely went to Jesus to be made whole.

The account of Bartimaeus’ healing tells us what happens to people who have boldly decided to approach Jesus and what they ought to do. Did you notice that the crowd yelled at the Bartimaeus to stop bothering them with his shouts when he raised his voice to call on Jesus? If Bartimaeus was not convinced in what he wanted, he would have succumbed to the people’s intimidation. But the more the people yelled at him to shut up, the louder he shouted, calling on Jesus to help him.

Never expect a smooth ride whenever you make a brave choice to go to Jesus and drink from the well of salvation. The devil, who profited from your life in the dark, will fight back, as will the world you want to leave behind. The friends who were content with the way you were will put up barriers in your path. But then, like Bartimaeus, you will be heard by Jesus if you stay steadfast, and when Jesus hears you, even those who opposed your movement toward Jesus might turn around and offer you encouragement. In the case of Bartimaeus, when Jesus heard him, those who yelled at him to shut up him turned around and encouraged him.

Finally, as you march towards Jesus to be made whole, you must throw away the things that defined your old life as Bartimaeus did. When Bartimaeus was moving towards Jesus, he threw away his cloak because he knew he wasn’t returning to his old state, he understood that meeting Jesus will restore him and that there wouldn’t be any need for the things of old; no one encounters Jesus and remains the same. In the first reading, Peter advised that we should abstain from the passions of the flesh that wage war against our souls. As you decide to go to Jesus today to encounter him anew and be made whole, you must let go of the things of old.

May your Thursday be blessed. Amen

Fr Isaac Chima.

 

Wednesday of 8^th week in Ordinary Time, Yr. II: reflection

Theme: The request of James and John and the rest of us Christians

Reading: Mk 10:32-45

In today’s gospel, Jesus told his apostles that he was going to Jerusalem to suffer and to die at the hands of the chief priests and scribes, and to be raised on the third day. While the other apostles were perhaps sober about what would become of their master, James and John were preoccupied with material gains from the messianic intervention in human history and, consequently, they failed to understand the exact role Jesus was going to Jerusalem for. Hence, they began asking for positions at his right and left, believing He was going to seize the seat of power in Jerusalem.

What James and John did is not dissimilar to what many Christians of today consider to be the normal. It has been observed that nowadays, wherever and whenever anyone is popularly hailed as a man of God, what 90%  or more of those who rush to his church events want has nothing to do with hearing the word of God, repentance from sins, and salvation of their souls, but rather material upliftment, business success, and physical healing. Many Christians of our time have become accustomed to attaching material gains or welfare to everything about Jesus, just as James and John did in today's gospel.

Material success, bodily healing, and other miracles related to material welfare have become the only yardsticks used to measure God’s messages and true messengers of God by many Christians of our time. People appear to be less concerned with salvation of their souls or the spiritual impact of Christian events/messages on their souls. Often, many people have renounced their faith in Jesus because they didn’t receive the material help they prayed for.

Dear friends, the mission of Jesus is to liberate us from the dominion of darkness and to save our souls and, as often as it pleases God, He also uplifts the material nature of the persons who harbor these souls. So, any attempt to assess the mission of Jesus and his messengers in terms of material gains is a-Christian (anti-Christian). We should, therefore, purify our motives for going to Jesus and for attending Christian gatherings.

May God open our minds to look beyond material gains in our relationship with Jesus. Amen.

Fr Isaac C. Chima

 

 

Tuesday of 8^th Week in Ordinary Time, Yr. II: reflection

Theme: Set your hope upon the grace that is coming to you in Christ Jesus. (1Pet 1:13)

Readings: 1Pet 1:10-16; Mk 10:28-31

The hardships caused by incompetent governments and their bad policies, which have become the only constant factor in our nations, especially in Nigeria, have pushed some people to long for a return to the life of darkness, where the devil and his agents are promising them easy wealth and elevated social status. However, wealth acquired by dancing to the music of the world of darkness can only make one occupy the first position (a position of honour) in this world while his position in the next world will be the last. It was for this reason that Jesus, in today’s gospel, said the first will be the last and the last, first.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, in today's first reading, St. Peter advised us not to conform ourselves to the passions of our former lives, that is, the life of darkness from which Christ freed us, regardless of the degree of adversity and hardship we experience here on Earth. Rather, we ought to set our hope fully upon the grace that is coming to us at the revelation of Christ.

To jettison the passions of evil lifestyle or the lure of evil in order to focus solely on God's grace and providence may necessitate the abandonment of homes, lands, brothers, sisters, and friends. But, then, Jesus assures us in today’s gospel that all who have given up all of these for His sake will receive them a hundredfold in eternal life.

Let us, therefore, put our trust in God’s grace, refusing any attraction of the underworld, because those who benefitted from them will be last at the end, despite of the first positions they occupied here on earth.  

Fr Isaac Chima

 

Monday of 8^th Week in Ordinary Time Yr. II: reflection

Theme: With God’s grace, nothing is impossible

1Pet 1:3-9; Mk 10:17-27

In today’s gospel reading, our Lord Jesus assured his disciples that what is impossible for humans is never impossible for God; with God, all things are possible. This assurance came because of his disciples’ bewilderment at his teaching on how difficult it is for the rich to inherit the kingdom of God.

Indeed, the resurrection of Jesus Christ has given us a solid assurance that nothing is impossible for us if the hand/grace of God is upon us. This was revealed to us in today's first reading by St. Peter, who declared that Christ's resurrection had given us a new birth and made us eligible for an inheritance that is impervious to all circumstances, imperishable, undefiled, unfading, and safely kept for us.

In today's gospel, the young man who approached Jesus thought about the great task that faith required of him, but all he saw was impossibility, and he was forced to give up because he did not have faith in God's grace. 

Dear friends in Christ, the situation of our world may challenge our goals, projects, resolutions and faith requirements with many obstacles and trials, but St Peter assures us today that these trials, which are unavoidable, are only a test of our solidness in God. Whoever wraps himself with God’s grace and stands tall in moments of trials will discover that with God, all impossibilities are made possible, and all battles are won. With God, all mountains of problems will be moved, all hurdles of trials will be jumped, and all clouds of difficulties will be cleared.

Never give up, for God’s grace will make the impossibilities you see today possible. Amen.

Fr Isaac C. Chima

 

MOST HOLY TRINITY SUNDAY, YR B: HOMILY BY FR JUSTIN ADIELE

THEME: LIVING IN THE ONENESS, UNITY AND LOVE OF THE TRINITY

INTRODUCTION:

Today, we celebrate the greatest mystery of our Catholic faith, the mystery of the Trinity. It is a truth and doctrine based on divine revelation rather than on science, human reasoning or sophistry. St. Thomas Aquinas began his teaching on the Trinity by asserting that; “God is Father, God is Son, and God is Holy Spirit”, and these are not three but one God. It is this same unity in diversity that unites us in faith, and in humanity. Living out in principle this one, loving and undivided unity revealed in the Trinity will perfect humanity; will perfect our world just as God is perfect in Trinity.

 

GOD WANTS US TO BE ONE/LIVE AS ONE

As we celebrate the Blessed Trinity today, we are challenged to reflect amongst us the Oneness of the Trinity. It is an effort in futility (unrealizable) to determine which of the Trinity is more powerful, more glorious, more majestic, or more eternal. They are just one in glory, equal in majesty and co-eternal. In the same vein, we should strive to eliminate amongst us every power tussle; every racial/tribal domination/supremacy; and every claim/pride of primacy/importance over others. The more we emphasize on our differences, the more we end in futility. The more we see, feel and work as one, the more powerful we become as God. Jesus had to pray; Father, may they be one, as you and I are one, seeing no discriminatory difference between us and our brothers and sisters.

 

GOD WANTS US TO BE UNITED

As we celebrate the Holy Trinity today, we recall their distinct persons and their undivided unity, no one person claims to work without the others. Jesus revealed that he only gave what he received from the Father, and the Holy Spirit also gives what he took from the Son (cf. Jn. 16: 14,15). We all are also distinct by names and personality, yet we can still live and work harmoniously together, taking, giving and receiving from each other. We can actually live and share without any greed, strife, envy, enmity, division, war or rancor. We must be united in the service of God and humanity. We must learn to accept and receive one another, unbiased and in good faith.

 

GOD WANTS US TO LOVE, BECAUSE ONLY LOVE UNITES

Peter Kreeft once said; “If God is not a Trinity, God is not love. For love requires three things: a lover, a beloved, and a relationship between them.” The Bible says God is love; the Trinity is the perfect expression of that ‘love essence’ of God. In a similar way, we must essentially be loving / love one another.  We must remain in the Trinitarian cycle of love; either you are the lover, or the beloved or in the relationship/business of love. Scripture crowns it all; “…God is love. Whoever lives in love, lives in God and God in him… We have received from him this commandment; whoever loves God must also love his brother.” (cf. 1 Jn. 4: 16 & 21)

 

CONCLUSION:

Robert A. Heinlein said something that could be interpreted in both ways; he said; “Anyone who can worship a trinity and insist that his religion is a monotheism can believe anything.” This could be interpreted positively to imply that the person is a man of faith. The Trinity One God is a real basis/expression of strong faith. If you can believe it, you can believe in all that the Scripture revealed, you can believe in love, you can believe in unity, you can believe in yourself, you can believe in others, you can believe in the impossibility, you can believe in the sacraments, you can believe and share in the power and essence of the Trinitarian God.

 

Happy Sunday!

Fr. Justin

 

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

Theme: Living a life inspired by the Trinitarian relationship

Readings: Deut. 4:32-34,39-40; Rom 8:14-17; Mt 28:16-20 

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 Holy Trinity. It is a celebration that 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 God, yet there is still only one God; they are one in substance, yet distinct in Persons and functions, but in their functions, there is unity of purpose.

The teaching of the Blessed Trinity is one that no amount of philosophical and scientific research can fully explain or even deny. It is indeed a mystery; it is beyond the full grasp of the human mind. In reality, the nature of our God is beyond the full grasp of the human mind. That was why God, in the prophet Isaiah (55:8-9), said that: “my thoughts are not your thoughts, and my ways are not your ways. For as the heavens are high above the earth so are my ways above your ways and my thoughts above your thoughts.”

The word ‘Trinity’ cannot be found in the Bible, but many teachings of Jesus pointed to the reality of the existence of the Blessed Trinity. One of those teachings is found in today’s gospel reading where Jesus instructed us saying: “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).

Though today’s second reading didn’t offer any systematic teaching on the Holy Trinity, in it, St Paul presented the three divine persons in their concrete forms and actions. He said: “Led by the Spirit, we are sons of God…And we are heirs with Christ.” It is the same spirit that proceeds from both the Father and the Son that helps us to call God ‘Abba Father’. Elsewhere, in 2 Cor. 13:13 precisely, St Paul showed us the unity of the Blessed Trinity when he said: “the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”

In the first reading, Moses reminds us of the beautiful and mysterious nature of the works of God. Dear friends, it takes a loving and mysterious God to accomplish such a wonderful and mysterious salvation task. Hence, Moses encourages us to strengthen our faith in God by simply obeying his commandments.

Which of the commandments does the life of the Holy Trinity inspire us to obey? The life and function of the Holy Trinity inspire to live a life of love and unity. Out of love for the Son and for the world, God the Father sent the Son to redeem the world. Out of obedience to the Father and love for both the Father and the world, Jesus Christ the Son accepted death on the Cross for the salvation of mankind. Then, out of love for us, the Father and the Son sent the Holy Spirit upon us to be our Counsellor, advocate and comforter. In all these actions, we see the Trinity lovingly working in unity for the achievement of the same goal, which is the salvation of mankind.

Dear friends, we who have been created in the image and likeness of God who is three but one, are urged to pay particular attention to the commandment of love and unity. We should embrace love and unity in everything we do and everywhere we find ourselves. If someone who is created in the image and likeness of the Triune God cannot live a life adorned by love and unity in his relationship with fellow human beings, then, there is a problem; such a person cannot fully claim to possess the image of God. Let us, therefore, make unity and love top priorities in our relationships starting from this week.

Let us pray that we will model our lives according to the relationship that exists between the Persons of the Blessed Trinity.

Happy Feast Day. Peace be with you.

Fr Isaac Chinemerem Chima

 

HOLY TRINITY SUNDAY, YR B: REFLECTION BY FR. JULIAN EKEH

LIVING OUT THE TRINITY IN THE WORLD

(Matthew 28:16-20)

In the face of the mysterious happenings in our world today, the Church celebrates the mystery of the Holy Trinity.

This is the doctrine that states that God is One God, but Three coeternal and consubstantial persons: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Thus the Gospel of today presents us with the Great Commission, where Christ sent His disciples in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit to participate in the Trinitarian mission and baptise people into this family.

The Father, as we know, is known for the principal role He played at creation in union with the Trinitarian Family. The Son is the Saviour, sent by the Father to redeem the creation of God when Sin, corruption, and the devil threatened to destroy it. The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son to confirm the work of the Son, sanctifying and renewing the face of the earth doing wonders among the people of God and proving that God is not just transcendental but immanent even after the ascension.

Today, we celebrate the love of God. We celebrate the unity of God. We celebrate peace and harmony. We celebrate divine mentorship. Yes, we celebrate what God designs for us, for our world, for the Church, and for our society.

We hereby open ourselves to learn from the TRINITY, calling to mind once again what the Holy Trinity reminds us in our daily living as Christians and how we can be missionaries of the Trinity wherever we find ourselves in the world.

LEARNING FROM THE TRINITARIAN SCHOOL

From the Most Holy Trinity; God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we've got a lot to learn.

CREATIVITY AND PROGRESSIVENESS

The Father is the maker of all things, visible and invisible. All He created are good. The success of His creation is team spirit: 'Let us' He carried the Son and the Holy Spirit along. His spirit hovered. His Spirit was breathed in man. His Spirit was with His people by day and night as they journeyed. His spirit inspired the prophets.

Let us carry each other along and put in our best wherever we find ourselves to be useful and bring out something from the chaotic situations serving as raw materials for us to apply our creative initiatives. Is it impossible to create an ordered, peaceful, good, and loving world? No. It is not. If only we could come together with pure intention and dedication. Let's put our talents together. Let's pull our resources for the common good. Doing this is living the Trinitarian creativity. Let us respect each other's functions and roles. Let us not frustrate the positive enhancement of our society and missions by laziness. Let's be positively creative.

 

REDEMPTION AND SALVATION

Jesus, the Saviour in the family of the Trinity reminds us of: Whom shall I send? Asked by the Father answered by the Son and made possible by the Holy Spirit.

The work of redemption calls for passion, determination, and readiness to say yes to what ought to be done. It calls for being sensitive, having feelings, and being touched. In our case, we need to know when things have fallen apart. Moses on the mountain was able to learn when the people began to derail, and He intervened. We need to in our little way to restore and salvage the peace that has become a thing of the past in our world, the love that has gone on exile from our families, the truth that has departed from our lips, the dignity for the human person and human life that has gone away from our people etc.

We can reposition our society where God wants it to be, we can bring back lost values, glories, and positive cultures that are gradually suffering extinction.

 

RENEWAL AND SANCTIFICATION

The Holy Spirit in the Trinitarian Family is the fruit of the love that exists between the Father and the Son. His expression is seen in making the dream of the Father and the Son to come true in the world. The dream that we should be one, holy, pure, and make the face of the earth radiate with the love of God.

In the light of the Spirit of God, let us renew our joy, our zeal, and our desire for spiritual things. We need to renew our prayer life. We must renew and rekindle the life of our consciences.

We have to put away the old-fashioned ways of doing things. The old way of politicking, the corrupt practices we indulge in, the various vices that are being enthroned among us must be refined and allowed to pass through the purifying furnace of the Spirit of God in order to make them become what the godhead wills.

 

OTHER LESSONS

The TRINITY is indeed a school that offers us a lot. We learn trust. The Trinity believes in each other and trusts each other so much.

We see accountability; the Son gave feedback to the Father and the Holy Spirit when His work on earth was done.

We learn consultation; they consult one another. We must learn this and not make ourselves 'eze onye agwalam' (self-willed, sole administrators, dictators).

We learn supportive Spirit. No one knows it all. We need each other. Let's be there for one another in good times and bad. The Father and the Holy Spirit were there with Christ during His passion.

Unity in diversity: We may be many, but we can be one. We can drop our differences and come together to achieve a common goal. There may be separation of powers and roles, but with love for a positive end, there comes a beautiful masterpiece.

In the family,  let the father, mother, and children be united in the purpose of forming a lovely society, a loving church journeying to the lovely kingdom where the Trinity lives and reigns.

May the Most Holy Trinity be blessed both now and forever.

LET US PRAY

We thank You, God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, for being the sign of our Blessing. Continue to bless us and remain glorified in Your undivided nature. Grant that we may become worthy abiders in the Trinitarian Love as we pray: Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be world without end. Amen.

Happy Trinity Sunday (Yr B).

Rev Fr Julian O Ekeh.

 

Thursday of 7^th week in ordinary time, Yr. II: reflection

Theme: A message to employers.

Readings: 5:1-6; Mk 9:41-50

Many employers of our time, both in the public and private sectors, have advanced from the capitalist mentality of paying meagre salaries to workers on whose labour industries and businesses ride to greatness, to non-payment of workers' wages. They are no longer satisfied with paying peanuts to workers; what appears to give them joy presently is seeing their workers go unpaid.

Every day comes with news of workers complaining about non-payment of salaries and other benefits for months. If these workers dare to protest or strike, as we have seen, they are threatened with contract termination or other harsher measures, such as forfeiture of salaries for the months they are on strike. Workers in some Nigerian states, who have been owed many months of salaries, for example, are forced to sign off more than half of what they are owed in order to be paid, while others are subjected to endless verification processes by each new government.

In today's first reading, St James tells you, rich men/women, government officials, industry owners, and labour hirers, who subject your workers to untold sufferings, unnecessary salary reduction and denial of rights/wages to weep and howl for the miseries that await you. He says all the treasures you acquired with the money belonging to your poor workers will rot before your eyes and their rot will serve as evidence against you. He says the wages you stole from your workers will continue to cry against you from wherever you have hidden them, just as Abel’s blood cried against Cain when he was murdered. He says you will not know true peace and happiness, because if justice is not observed, true happiness in society will never be achieved.

In addition to the alarm raised by St James, in today’s gospel, Jesus warns everyone to detach themselves from whatever will deprive them of eternal bliss. If it is your riches, your beauty, your friends, your job or any other thing that will deprive you of eternal life, Jesus wants you to know that it will be better for you to live your life without it and gain eternal life at the end, than to enjoy it to the full and miss out on heaven because of it.

May God’s grace be abundant in your life as you carry out the activities of this Thursday. Amen

Fr Isaac Chima

 

WEDNESDAY OF 7^TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME, YR II: reflection

Theme: The uncertainty of tomorrow versus the certainty of God

Reading: James 4:13-17

By the last months of 2019, many people had a long list of things they wanted to accomplish in 2020 and were very confident that they will vigorously pursue them as soon as they stepped into January 2020. However, the Covid pandemic that spread throughout the world in 2020 and the lockdown that followed for months negatively affected the wonderful plans people had for themselves. The world is yet to fully recover from it.

Before last weekend, the president of Iran had many plans, one of which was his threat to deal with Israel, and he was serious about it, with his plans apparently well-thought out. Little did he know that death was waiting for him in the air last Sunday.

Cases like the ones above were what St James considered and deemed it wise to call our attention in today’s first reading to be careful about speaking with absolute certainty about our tomorrows. Indeed, we are human beings with limitations, and one of the most significant of these limitations is our inability to predict what will happen next second with certainty.

According to St. James, we should not be arrogant or boastful about our tomorrow's plans as if they depend solely on us for their realization; rather, we should entrust all of our tomorrow's plans and projects to the One who sees and knows with absolute certainty about the beginning and end of everything, which is God. He wants us to know that our plans will only work if God wills it. Thus, we should always remember to include 'if God wills' when making future plans. Nobody knows what will happen tomorrow, so, commit all plans to God.

This is also a good call to those who talk down on others, those who threaten to deal with others and those who ill-treat others to remember that nobody knows what tomorrow holds. The hunter of today may become the hunted tomorrow, and the oppressed of today may become the savior of tomorrow.

May God grant you the grace to achieve your goals this Wednesday

Fr Isaac Chima

 

Tuesday of 7^th Week in Ordinary Time (Yr. 1): reflection

Theme: How to arrive at greatness the godly way

Reading: James 4:1-10; Mk 9:30-37

Our world has continued to witness tremendous transformation and growth in many fields far from what was handed over to us by the people of old. Regrettably, our approach towards what we want is yet to be rapidly transformed for the better.

To get what they wanted, the people of old fought and killed themselves in barbaric manner. The people of our time, who have acknowledged how wrong the people of old were in this regard, are yet to prove themselves better than the people of old. Our world has rather perfected how to barbarically wipe out human beings within seconds and with a snap of the finger in order to get what they want, because our new weaponry is designed for mass destruction. Our world has continued to be a theatre of conflicts and war.

But where do these conflicts come from? St James told us in today’s first reading that they come from our personal desires and cravings, which we often allow to turn into envy when they are not met; from envy, they develop into plans to eliminate others through conflicts, wars and killings in other to reach our goals/desires by all means, believing that the end will justify the means.

What should we do to stop this dangerous tendency in us? What can we do to subdue this ugly spirit that rages in us when our desires are not met? St James suggests that we should be humble. Humility helps us to accept our present state while working positively to improve on it. That was why when Jesus noticed the traces of envy, jealousy and craving for greatness among his disciples in today’s gospel, he charged them to choose the path of achieving their greatness through humility and humble services to others, rather than by battling, maiming and killing those who stand in their way.

Do you wish to be great? Don’t choose the path of arriving at greatness by killing and destroying people who stand in your way, because the end does not justify the means. Rather, Jesus invites you to humbly acknowledge your present state and positively work towards improving it through humble services to humanity.

May God give value to the humble works of your hands this Tuesday. Amen

Fr Isaac Chima  

 

 

Monday after Pentecost: Memorial of Mary, Mother of the Church

O Mary, Mother of the Church, Pray for us

Readings: Acts 1:12-14; Jn. 19:25-34

On November 21, 1964, at the conclusion of the third session of the Second Vatican Council, the Blessed Virgin Mary was declared the "Mother of the Church, that is, of all the Christian people, both the faithful and the clergy, who call her the most loving Mother".

Therefore, the Holy See, on the occasion of the Holy Year of Reconciliation in 1975, proposed a votive mass in honour of the Blessed Mary, Mother of the Church, and subsequently included it in the Roman Missal. The Holy See also gave the faculty to add the invocation of this title in the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 1980.

Carefully considering how the promotion of this devotion can favour the growth of the maternal sense of the Church, as well as of genuine Marian piety, in 2018, Pope Francis directed that the memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, be celebrated on Monday after Pentecost, which is today.

Indeed, the Blessed Virgin Mary is the Mother of the Church, the Mother of Christians. In the gospel reading of today from Jn. 19:25-34, while Jesus was hanging on the cross, He handed His mother over to John and the Apostles - the men he gathered and instructed to carry on his mission to the entire world - to be their Mother.   

Then, the first reading of today from Acts 1:12-14 showed us Mary playing the role of a Mother to the early Church that gathered in the upper room and waiting prayerfully for the descent of the Holy Spirit promised by her son, Our Lord Jesus Christ.  

It is, however, strange and unfortunate that the people who are ever ready to address the wives of their ‘men of God’ or their female pastors/prophetesses as “Mummy” of their Christian communities are the same people who become enraged when the Mother of Jesus, their Lord and Saviour, is referred to as the Mother of those who follow His ways on Earth. It is even more unfortunate that those who believe that the respect they owe their pastors should be extended to their wives are offended when Catholics honour the woman who gave birth to Jesus, the woman who was greatly favoured by God, the woman whose praise the angel Gabriel sang.

Whatever one's feelings about the Blessed Virgin Mary are, the fact that she is Jesus' mother remains unchanged. And if she is Jesus' mother, she is also our mother and deserves the highest level of respect from us, because any disrespect to the mother of Jesus is disrespect to Jesus.

As we continue our May devotion, let us continue to call on the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of the Church, to intercede for us, for our families and for the Church. Amen

Fr. Isaac C. Chima

 

 

 

 

Holy Spirit Sunday - Pentecost, Year B: Homily by Fr Isaac Chima

Theme: Come, O Holy Spirit and renew the face of the earth

Readings: Acts 2:1-11; Gal 5:16-25; Jn. 15:26-27,16:12-15

Dearest brothers and sisters, today the mother church celebrates her birthday, the solemnity of the Pentecost, the day the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples with tongues of fire, and they spoke many languages. It was on the Pentecost that the mission of the Church to all tongues, all peoples and all nations was inaugurated.

Actually, the Pentecost means the fiftieth day, and it was on the fiftieth day after the resurrection that Jesus sent the Holy Spirit upon the disciples. According to the Old Testament tradition, the feast of the Pentecost was already an important feast in the life and history of the Jews. On that day, the Israelites celebrated two events in their lives. First, on the Pentecost, the Jews commemorated the giving of the Ten Commandments to Moses by God on Mount Sinai, which happened fifty days after the Passover. They called it the feast of weeks (in Hebrew language, ‘chang ha shevout’). Second, on the day of the Pentecost, the Jews also celebrated their agricultural feast, the offering of the first loaves from their farm to God. They called it the festival of Harvest (in Hebrew language, ‘Yom ha-bikkurim’). These two great Jewish feasts, which the Jews celebrated on the Pentecost, drew a good number of Jews from all over the world to Jerusalem to identify with their religion and their country. It was on account of this that many people from all over the world were present the day the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples as we read in the first reading. So, Christ chose the best day to send the Holy Spirit upon his disciples and to inaugurate his Church, the day when the whole world would be gathered in Jerusalem, so that the message of the resurrection will reach the whole world.

The feast of the Pentecost is very important in the life of the Church because of the impact of the Holy Spirit in the life of the early Church, in the life of the present Church and in the life of all of us. It was the Holy Spirit that changed the apostles from men who were afraid into men who were filled with strength and courage to preach the Good News to all humanity. Recall that before the day of Pentecost, the disciples were afraid of going out to preach the Good News, but when the Holy Spirit came upon them, they dashed out of the House and started proclaiming the message of the resurrection without fear. The presence of the Holy Spirit made the difference, and has continued to make a difference. Let us, therefore, pray for the presence of the Holy Spirit in our own Churches and Homes, to free us from fear and to empower us with the courage to be good testimonies of Christ wherever we live and wherever we go.

The coming of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles also signified that the hand of God has once more taken control of humanity. In the book of Genesis chapter eleven, as we read in the first reading of the vigil mass of this feast, which told us the story of the tower of Babel, God used the power of different languages to confuse and disperse humanity all over the world when humanity wanted to build a tower of equality with Him. But on the feast of Pentecost, God used the same instrument of many languages to unite humanity again. The first reading of today told us that the disciples spoke many languages, but people of other languages understood them in their own tongues. What a great unity through language. Dear friends, what that unity of language tells us is that the Pentecost is a feast of unity and new life. It is the celebration of the outpouring of new life into the church and into the world because the hand of God has touched humanity once again. It is a feast that challenges us who have received the gifts of the Holy Spirit to live the life of unity and newness. If the hand of God has touched you through the Holy Spirit, your life should bear the fruits of unity and newness.    

Dear brothers and sisters, we should also remember that on the feast of the Pentecost, the Holy Spirit broke the wall of division and misunderstanding among human beings by creating a common understanding between many different languages. On that day, those who spoke Italian understood Arabic, and those who spoke Russia understood Aramaic, those who spoke English understood French; there was no misunderstanding. We can say that the Holy Spirit, the author of unity, spoke our language on the day of the Pentecost, and created unity among men. Hence, the same Holy spirit wants us to speak His own language too. This is the challenge for all of us. But then, what is the language of the Holy Spirit. The language of the Holy Spirit is clearly written in the second reading of today. It says the fruits of the Holy Spirit are love, joy, patients, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. These fruits are the languages of the Spirit. The church wants us to start speaking this language. Speaking this language means living our lives according to these wonderful fruits of the Holy Spirit. If you are living your life according to these fruits of the Holy Spirit, you are already speaking the language of the Holy Spirit

It is however sad that many people in our world have chosen to constantly speak the language of the devil instead of the language of the Holy spirit. The second reading also told us what the language of the devil is. It says: ‘now the works of the flesh are immorality, impurity, licentiousness, dissension, party spirit, envy, drunkenness, carousing and the like, those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. These evil things listed above are the languages of the devil. Those who live their lives according to them are speaking the language of the devil.

Let us pray in today’s Mass that the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit which have been poured on us and on the church, the gifts of wisdom, knowledge, counsel, fortitude, understanding, piety, and fear of the Lord will help us to speak the language of the Holy Spirit everyday of our life. Amen

Happy Feast Day

Fr Isaac Chima

 

SOLEMNITY OF PENTECOST, YEAR B: HOMILY BY FR. JUSTIN ADIELE

THEME: “THE SPIRIT THAT RENEWS THE FACE OF GOODNESS IN US”

INTRODUCTION:

The word “Pentecost” is from a Greek derivation; “Pentekostos” or “Pente-koste”, meaning “fiftieth day”. It is a Jewish holiday festival of Weeks which falls seven weeks after the Jewish Passover Feast. This “Weeks Festival” (“Shavuot” in Hebrew) stems from Leviticus 23:16, which called the people to count seven weeks or fifty days from the end of Passover, and present an offering of new grains to the Lord. This ‘Shavuot’ or Weeks Festival was the second great feast in the Hebrews’ annual cycle of holy days. Many, who have benefited from the year’s harvest, gather to thank the Lord of the harvest with grain offerings. It was on this day that the Holy Spirit descended on Mary and the Apostles; exactly fifty days after Easter. In the same context of bringing new grain offerings to the Lord, the Lord offered and poured out His own fruits/gifts of the Holy Spirit to the world.

 

THE FIRST READING (ACTS. 2: 1 – 11)

In the first reading, we read about the out pouring of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles and the effects. They began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance, imparting in the lives of the many races and tribes of people gathered for the Weeks Festival. The Holy Spirit renewed the face of their communication, and they spoke in the language everyone could understand. Their communication with the power of the Holy Spirit attracted many towards them. Today, we need the Holy Spirit to also renew the communication amongst us, amongst brothers and amongst nations who are still at war with each other. May the Holy eliminate every bridge in communication and help us to understand rather than misunderstand one another and live peacefully with one another!

 

THE SECOND READING (GAL. 5: 6 – 25)

In the second reading, we read about the fruits of the Holy Spirit which God offers to the world to renew our walks from walking in the darkness of the flesh, to walking by the Holy Spirit. We need and invoke the Holy Spirit upon us today, to change from walking in immorality, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, hatred, selfishness, dissension, party spirit, envy and drunkenness; to walking in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, and appeasing one another. The Holy Spirits renews us to appease and not to provoke one another.

 

THE GOSPEL READING (JN. 15: 26 – 27; 16: 12 – 15)

In the gospel reading, Jesus pre-empted the Apostles, that when the Holy Spirit comes, He will renew them in the truth and in their witnessing for Christ. And today, at the festival of weeks, they received the Holy Spirit and courageously sprang into witnessing, away from every fear, and idle, silent or cold faith.

 

CONCLUSION

The Holy Spirit comes to renew the face/warmth of God in us; the face/warmth of goodness. The Holy Spirit renews us in good communication with one another; renews us in walking in love and righteousness with one another; and renews us in fervent witnessing for Christ to the glory of God and our own glory. May the same Spirit pour forth upon us the gifts and unction for every good work, in relation to the world around us and in relation to God, without ever growing cold in faith and in love!

Happy Feast of Pentecost!

Fr. Justin

 PENTECOST SUNDAY, YEAR B: REFLECTION BY FR JULIAN EKEH

THEME: RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT

(John 20:19-23)

Today is a great solemnity, the Pentecost Sunday. The Church celebrates the decent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles. It is the continuation of the glorious mysteries and, in fact, a very significant one indeed. We celebrate the third glorious mystery today.

Today, the Church calls to mind an event that coincided with the agricultural feast of the Jews and redefined it. We celebrate the fact that a mighty wind blew, to blow away fear and blow in courage and power from above. The Church celebrates the great miracle of recreation. The Church thanks God for the unction with which she began to function. The Church marks her birthday today.

The Church celebrates a reawakening and a return to consciousness and mission effected by the Ruah Adonai. The Church celebrates God-breathedness, the breath that vivifies and revitalizes. The Church calls to mind a transcendental replication of what happened in Eden when God breathed into the motionless man and made him live. The Church witnesses the prophecy of Ezekiel about the spirit that blew on the lifeless bones and gave them life. We celebrate answered prayers that our being locked up in the upper room was not in vain. That the voice of prayer is never silent.

We celebrate in Thanksgiving the fulfilment of the promise made by Jesus, that He will not leave us orphans.

We celebrate our adoption as children of God, for by the Spirit we have received, we can comfortably call God Abba Father.

We celebrate our liberation and the freedom of the children of God, just like a tied fowl or a caged bird celebrates when freed. We rejoice that we have been privileged to be given the gift we cannot merit so much to receive.

We celebrate the New Pentecost.

 

WHAT IS PENTECOST?

It is derived from the Greek 'pentekoste', which means literally '50th'. It is an agricultural feast, a wheat harvest festival (cf Exodus 34:22). It is a Jewish feast with which they marked the end of their Passover celebration. It is also used to celebrate the Shavuot, which is the feast of weeks in Hebrew. It is the celebration of the seven weeks after Passover.

With time, this Jewish festival became an occasion for commemorating the giving of the Torah by God to Moses on Mount Sinai.

It is good to underscore that this celebration gathered a good number of people from far and wide into Jerusalem. It was a homecoming for the Jews in diaspora, a pilgrimage for foreigners, an economic adventure for business tycoons, and tourism as well for great and small alike.

 

WHAT'S SPECIAL?

What we celebrate is not the Jewish Pentecost. We are not celebrating the Shavuot. Not the giving of the Torah to Moses, not the homecoming nor the pilgrimages. Oh no!

We are celebrating that on this ordinary day of Jewish celebration, something extraordinary happened. It is no longer the giving of the Torah to Moses but the giving of the Holy Spirit to the apostles. It is not a thanksgiving for a journey made by Moses but a thanksgiving for an ascent made by Jesus, the Son of God, which necessitated the advent of the Holy Spirit. It is not the old law that held people bound but the new law of love that set people free. We celebrate that on this day, the Holy Spirit took the centre stage. Attention was focused on the apostles, passivity was translated to activity, the captives were liberated, and the fearful became fearless. A mysterious proclamation resounded, and the whole tongues of the world were unified by the Spirit of understanding.

In a special way, today's celebration will bring an end to the Easter season.

 

WHY WE NEED THE HOLY SPIRIT

Proclamation

What Jesus taught His disciples was meant to be communicated. But with timidity that communication cannot occur. So, with the tongues of fire on their heads, they were set on fire to proclaim the Love of God in such a manner that people even accused them of being drunk. Be open to that fire of the Spirit and communicate Divine wisdom by your words and actions. May it not be quenched.

 

Baptism

Being confirmed and commissioned by the Holy Spirit, they received the authority of regeneration, of bringing people into the body of Christ. Those who received the communication of the word had their rebirth and new life in Christ. 3000 were baptized on the Pentecost day. How are you operating with the baptismal grace you received? It is a day to rekindle the light of our baptism and carry the same light to everywhere we may find ourselves.

 

Effective functioning in the world

To function effectively in the world, we need the Holy Spirit. The word of God says, take away the Spirit they return to clay (psalm 146:4).

We will do nothing without the Spirit of God. We will be lifeless without it. We will be empty without it. Our prayers will be a waste of time without the Spirit, and our hope will be useless without the Holy Spirit.

 We need the Holy Spirit to live holy life. That's why Jesus says: "Receive the Holy Spirit." The Church needs it to give and receive forgiveness. He is the forgiving Spirit. We need it to live in us and work with us, He is the wisdom of God. We need it to replace our unholy desires and steer up holy deeds. "Receive the Holy Spirit " means receive answers to your prayers, it means receive fulfilment of my promises to you, it means you're not alone, it means God will confuse your enemies, they will look at your success and will not understand what's going on, it means that the righteous will gather around you for Thanksgiving, it means receive reason for living, it means receive power to forge ahead. It means receive power from above. It means that the powers from below can never stop you from soaring high.

May you receive this Spirit, may the operations of the Holy Spirit destroy the activities of the evil cabals who are holding the progress of this country and of our world.

May God bless His word in our hearts.

 

LET US PRAY

 Holy Spirit of God, Spirit of the Risen Christ, fall afresh in us. Fill us with power from above. Fill us with courage and wisdom to face and overcome the world. Fill the hearts of the faithful and enkindle in us the fire of your love. Raise up for us leaders with fear of God and holy dreams. Burn to ashes the power of sin and the agents of darkness.  Give us the grace to succeed in all our endeavours. May we enjoy Your abiding presence and work with it for our salvation and those of the whole world through Christ our Lord. Amen

Happy Pentecost Sunday

Rev Fr Julian O Ekeh

 

Friday of 7^th Week of Easter: reflection

Theme: Let us recommit ourselves to Jesus.

Reading: Jn. 21:15-19

Dear friends in Christ, when we fail Jesus, He doesn’t give up on us, He doesn’t abandon us. Rather, He, continually approaches us with clear opportunities to come back to Him and reclaim our rightful positions. We are, however, the ones who often, out of shame and feeling of guilt, distance ourselves from Him after every fall.

After denying Jesus three times, Peter was not cast out by Jesus. Instead, Jesus came back to Peter in today’s gospel reading and gave him opportunity to renew his commitment to Him and once again assume his pastoral service of leading His flock.  

Jesus’ demand for agape love (sacrificial, selfless, unconditional love) from Peter in His first and second questions to him demonstrated the kind of recommitment He wanted from Peter and, in extension, from all of us in our services to Him after our falls. After every fall, Jesus opens a path for us to come back to Him with renewed strength, and with a resolution to recommit ourselves totally to Him above all else.

Peter’s persistent response with philia love (brotherly love) to Jesus’ demand for agape love showed our human weakness in accepting and entering the kind of relationship that God demands from us. However, Jesus’ last question which changed from the demand for agape love to that of philia love once again showed God’s readiness to accept the little honest efforts that come from us.

Have you deviated from the path that Jesus has set before you? Have you succumbed to human weaknesses in your service to Jesus and humanity? Don't give up, don't despair, don't become comfortable in your failures, because Jesus is still interested in you; He has not given up on you. Rather, He has opened the door for you to return and recommit yourself to Him, reclaiming your lost glory. Mind you, He will appreciate even the smallest of your efforts.

May God give value to your little efforts this Friday. Amen  

Fr. Isaac C. Chima

 

 

Thursday of 7^th Week of Easter: reflection

Theme: Come, O Holy Spirit, our defender

Reading: Acts 22:30;23:6-11

On one of the occasions where Jesus informed His disciples that they will be arrested, beaten and taken to court or synagogues on account of His name, He immediately assured them that they should never worry about what to say or how to defend themselves at such moments, because the Holy Spirit will teach them what to say (Mk 13:9-11; Lk 12:11).

The narrative of the first reading of today showed us Jesus’ faithfulness to His word, for He cannot fail.

St. Paul was arrested, beaten and brought before a tribunal to be tried and imprisoned. When he was asked to defend himself, only a word that came out his mouth sent his accusers into a great confusion, divided them into opposing camps and turned them against themselves. That night, Jesus appeared to him and congratulated him for bearing witness for Him in Jerusalem. He also urged him to do the same in Rome

Dear friends, the Holy Spirit, our defender is with us. Therefore, let us not be afraid of what the enemy will do to us when we bear witness to Jesus with our words or actions. If God wants to set us free from any case brought against us, He will do so because He has complete control over all situations.

May the Holy Spirt speak for you in all encounters and activities this Thursday. Amen

Fr Isaac Chima

 

Wednesday of 7^th Week of Easter: reflection

Theme: Let us keep the fire of faith alive in all we do

Acts 20:28-38; Jn 17:11b-19

The two readings of today's Mass come with two touching farewell messages/wills and prayers. The first reading was taken from Jesus' final prayers for his disciples before His passion, in which He commended them to God, asking God to keep them united, and protect them from the evil one for they are not of the world. Following the footsteps of Jesus, when St Paul was departing Ephesus after his missionary work there, he assembled the elders, commended them to God and gave them his parting will, charging them to take good care of the Church and to stand against wolves that would come to attack God's flock. In these two scenes, we see honest efforts to keep the faith alive and to ensure that it continues to thrive in coming generations.

From these two readings, we can extract some points that will assist us to keep alive the light of faith in our world and to pass it successfully to future generations.

First, Jesus prayed that we may be one in His name. Friends, to convince the world with the message we preach, we must eschew all backbiting, divisions, unhealthy competitions and campaign of calumny against fellow Christians.

Second, Jesus said ‘we are not of the world’. Friends, it is true that we live and operate in a world tainted by sin, with temptations lurking around every turn. However, if we must keep our faith alive, influence the world by it and successfully pass it on to future generations, we must be true to our Christian identity in all circumstances, swimming against the current of sin everywhere we find ourselves.

Third, St Paul urged the elders to guard against wolves that may attack the Christian community with perverse teachings. Friends, we have the Christian duty to stand against any ideology that goes against our Christian moral values, whether it is coming from within the church or from the state. The devil, as we know him, can use anyone to achieve his plans.

May God’s grace light up your way as you carry out the activities of this Wednesday. Amen.

Fr Isaac C. Chima

 

May 14 – Feast of St Matthias: reflection

Theme: This I command you, to love one another as I have loved you.

Reading: Jn 15:9-17

The theme of love occupied a special place in the discussion of our Lord Jesus Christ with His apostles in today’s gospel. He told them two times that whoever loves him will keep his commandment, and also two times that his commandment to them is that they should love one another, and this love must be as He loved them. It should be the love that moves one to lay down everything, including his life, for the beloved; the love that compels one to always consider the best interest of his beloved in all his actions and decisions.

Today, the Church is celebrating the feast of St Matthias, who replaced Judas among the twelve apostles. If Judas had loved as Jesus preached, he wouldn’t have sold Jesus and wouldn’t have lost his position in heaven. If Judas had considered the best interest of the one he sold, he would have conquered his selfish desire for money. Recall that when Judas was promised 30 silver coins, he lost his mind, allowed his selfish desires to overcome him, and sold a friend to whom he owed the duty of love.

Our world is dotted with many cases of people who betrayed the ones they owe a duty to love just because of material interests and gains. Selling out has become a common practice in our world. But then, we must understand that failing to love as Jesus commanded is sufficient to deny us a position in the community of the apostles and saints in heaven, as it happened to Judas. If we fail to love as Jesus commanded, our position will be taken by another person. Let us resist every temptation to betray our call to love as Jesus loved us.

May God’s blessings be abundant in your life this Tuesday. Amen.

Fr Isaac C. Chima