Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God (Jan. 1): Homily by Fr. Isaac Chima

Theme: The best way to begin a New Year

Readings: Num 6:22-27; Gal 4:4-7; Lk 2:16-21

Dearest brothers and sisters, today is a very important and special day in the life of every one of us. It is the beginning of a new year, a day of a new beginning. More significantly, it is the beginning of a new month. It is indeed a day of new beginnings. It is a day that presents us with a great opportunity to look at the last year and thank God for the graces of entering another year.

 

Last year was started by many people, but not all those who began it crossed over to this New Year. Since the grace of God has helped us to enter a new year, let us thank God for all his love, blessings, protection, mercies, and favors for the last year and for being in another new year.

 

But what is the best way to begin a new year? The Church in her wisdom has shown us the best way to begin this New Year; it is with the blessings of God. Dearest friends, without the blessings of God, we cannot do anything. Having seen how important his blessings were for the Israelites to survive in the desert, God, in the first reading of today, directed Moses to tell Aaron to bless the house of Israel with His name. He said, “Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them: The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift his countenance upon you and give you peace.’ So, they will call my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.” It is the blessings of God that will guide and lead us this New Year. Indeed, we need these blessings.

 

Therefore, friends, from the altar of the Eucharistic sacrifice, through the instrumentality of the priests, God sends his blessings of love, peace, healing, favour, prosperity, grace, safety in travels, protections, and many more blessings into your life and into your families today. These blessings are very important for all of us to survive the storms of the New Year. We need them in order to succeed in our plans for the year. Last year, many storms threatened our lives, especially the storms of economic hardship, but the blessings, graces, and protection of God kept us going.

 

The Church also calls us to rely on the graces and protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary this year. Today is the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. The Church dedicates the first day of the New Year to this woman whose intercession is necessary for our sustenance in difficult moments of life. In Mary, we have a mother who loves us and cares about our needs. She is a mother who stands before her son, interceding for us every day. This is the reason why the Church has dedicated every first of January – the beginning of the New Year – to her. Let us embrace her; let us also commit our plans and projects for the New Year under her protection and guidance. Let us call on her through the rosary every day of this year.

 

Dear friends, every New Year is a call for a new beginning, a new life, and a new vision. The Church invites us today to make new resolutions to abandon old ways of sin and embrace a new life. So, today gives us the opportunity to reflect on how we lived the last year, resolve to change whatever was not good about it, and march ahead into this new year with new life and new resolutions. This resolution to live a good life is very important because of the blessings God is giving us today. If we want to enjoy the beautiful blessings from God this New Year, we have to receive these blessings with new life. In the gospel of Mark 2:22, Christ told us that we cannot put new wine in old wineskins. If we do put our new wines in old wineskins, both the wine and the wineskins will be lost. In the same way, if we carry these new blessings of the New Year in an old life of sin, they will not be effective. So, let us say no to the old life of envy, anger, pride, arrogance, greed, wickedness, immorality, and other vices this year. Let us instead say yes to love, peace, holy life, harmony, tolerance, unity, forgiveness, and many other virtues. This way, the blessings of the New Year will not be lost; they will, rather, bear abundant fruits in us.

 

Happy New Year.

Fr. Isaac Chinemerem Chima

SOLEMNITY OF MARY, MOTHER OF GOD (NEW YEAR): HOMILY BY FR. JULIAN EKEH

THEME: NEW YEAR, NEW VISION: COME AND SEE

(Luke 2:16-21)

Today, we have come to see just like the shepherds what the Lord has in stall for us. We have come to give thanks for last year. We have come to receive a new year. We have come to glorify God for His mercies and loving kindness. We have come to rededicate ourselves to God, who made it possible that we see yet another brand-new year. We have come to behold Mary the Mother of Jesus. She is the one through whom we were lunched into the new year of blessing after the tears of sin we were plunged into by Eve. Let us consider what the shepherds saw in Mary.

They saw a woman who had just given birth. The woman's heart must be filled with thanksgiving. She has finally been delivered of the Baby after a long period of waiting, after so much labour pains, after a lot of uncertainties. She now smiles. This is a nice message of hope for us who persevered after the last year. We shall smile like the mother smiles after delivery.

The shepherds saw Joseph. Joseph is a good helper, Joseph is a godsent. On your journey through this brand-new year, may you never lack reliable friends who will accompany you and be there for you to help you achieve your dreams.

A new babe was seen lying in a manger. There is going to be joy, hope for growth, development, sucking from heavenly favours out of the labour of our hands, we shall receive loving care from God, we shall be carried on eagle's wings. The Lord will not allow us to get lost. We shall be spared and preserved from the grip of Herods.

Lastly, like the shepherds, we shall praise and glorify God for the things He will make us see this new year. And just like Jesus who at the end of the Gospel of today answered the name given to Him by God, may we answer the names given us by God without allowing any problem to define us nor allow any circumstance to change the plan of God for us.

Let us be men of vision. Let us dream big dreams now, and let's not stop at dreaming but work towards the actualization of our vision for this year. It will not be an empty dream this year. If you believe it will be that way for you. Come on, let us go into this year with optimism. It is going to be a year of blessings. People will gather to see the glorious manifestations of God in your life.

Let's journey along in hope, faith, and charity.

May God bless His word in our hearts.

BLESSINGS

May God bless and keep you this year, Amen,

May He make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you, Amen

May He lift His Holy countenance upon you and give you peace, Amen

May the Lord bless this new day, new month, and brand-new year for you and your family in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

God bless your New YEAR. (1st January)

Happy New Year to you, my beloved in the Lord

Rev Fr Julian O Ekeh

 Feast of the Holy Family, Year C: Homily by Fr. Isaac Chima

Theme: Imitating the virtues of the Holy Family

Readings: 1 Sam 1:20-22,24-28; 1 Jn 3:1-2,21-24; Lk 2:41-52

Dear brothers and sisters, today is a great feast that celebrates the beauty of an institution established by God from creation – the Family. The Church presents us the wonderful family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph as a model of every Christian family; she invites us to learn some virtues from them so that we would be to build up our own families in accordance with the will of God. 

The first reading showed us how a mother, who appreciated the fact that children are gifts from God, helped her son to know God and to enter into God’s service for all the rest of his life. The psalm reminds us how lovely God’s house is and how blessed those who make this house theirs would be. If we make our families the dwelling for God, we will be happy and blessed. In the second reading, St. John showcases love as the uniting force for all those who are children of God and, consequently, for every family. There cannot be a family if love is absent. In the gospel, we saw the amount of love the father and mother of Jesus showered on Him by not relenting until they had found Him and ensured that He was safe. We equally saw the obedience of Jesus to his parents. There are some wonderful lessons we can learn from the three persons (Jesus, Mary, and Joseph) of the Holy Family.

Now, let us turn our attention to the person of Joseph to learn some virtues of a husband in the family. Joseph was a man who showed perfect love, devotion, and care for his wife, Mary, even in the most extreme circumstances. Every husband should be a man of devotional love and care to his wife in all circumstances of life.

Joseph did not want to disgrace his wife when he found out that she was pregnant outside their marriage. What does this teach us? It tells us that every husband should seek what is best for his wife. Tolerance is the key.

Joseph was a protector of the Holy Family, especially in times of danger, guiding the Holy Family to Egypt and back to protect them from the Massacre of Herod. Dear friends, every husband should protect his family from all threats to peaceful existence.

With Mary, Joseph searched for Jesus when he was lost in the temple. Loving parents would always search for their children whenever they were not where they wanted them to be. They will not allow their children to be lost to bad friendships in the society.

Let us also look at the person of Mary. Her silence and faith in God are golden. She was a woman of faith, who believed in God and put herself at the service of God and her husband. Any woman who is close to God would love her husband and children unconditionally.

The peaceful home of the holy family was a demonstration that Mary was a woman of peace and few words. Peace should be the second name of every woman in the family. Every woman ought to be a messenger of peace, love, and care to her husband and children. Mary was a caring mother to her family, a housekeeper who was close to her son. Every woman ought to be a homemaker and a close friend to her children to know their needs and problems.

Together, parents have the responsibility to build a home where peace, love, care, and tolerance will be present; a family where children can grow in love and peace. Marriage is an institution of love.

Parents have the duty to train their children not only in school but also in the faith. Dear parents, teach your children faith in God, a good moral life, and good societal values, and they will be wonderful treasures to you. The family is the microcosm church, the first place where the children learn about God and morality. Therefore, parents should unite their families in prayer and the word of God every day. A family that prays together stays together. Do not forget to lead them to church to hear the word of God. The book of Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train your child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

How about the children? Obedience is the duty every child owes to parents. Christ was obedient to his parents: He obeyed and followed them back to Nazareth when they found him in the temple teaching the teachers of the law; He obeyed Mary at the marriage in Cana and, thus, performed his first miracle. Obedience to parents is the requirement of the fourth commandment. It says, “Honour your father and your mother that your days may be long in the land which the Lord your God gives you.” (Exodus 20:12). This is the only commandment that has a promise attached to it. Children should not grieve their parents by the type of friends they make, and they should not abandon their parents in their old age. 

I end this homily with the advice of Saint Paul to families in Ephesians 6:1-4: “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honour your father and mother, which is the first commandment with a promise, that it may be well with you and that you may live long on the earth. Fathers and mothers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”

May your family be blessed.

Fr. Isaac C. Chima

 HOLY FAMILY OF JESUS, MARY AND JOSEPH, YEAR C: REFLECTION BY FR. JULIAN EKEH

THEME: HANDLING THE CHALLENGES FACING OUR FAMILIES TODAY

(Luke 2:41-52)

The family is made of the Father, the Mother, and the children. The Catholic Church today celebrates the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. She wants us to ponder on the importance of the family, the worries and challenges of the family, and the blessings God has lavished upon and wishes to bestow upon our families.

Whether good or bad, our families are important to us. Their goodness keeps our shoulders high, and their shortcomings challenge us to step up. Parents are worried by a lot of things about their children, they are worried by their upkeep, worried about their future, worried about the company they keep, worried about their unnecessary attachment to phone and the social media, worried about their 'prayerlessness', disturbed about their addictions, mad at the type of wears they put on etc.

These worries were there for the Holy Family. But in the midst of them all, they went to Jerusalem for a feast. Let it not be worries alone. Go up to Jerusalem with your family, with your family problems, with your Thanksgiving, with rejoicing. Yes, it is there that the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord. Try and make your family the household of God by going up to get empowerment from God's house.

As they went up, Jesus got lost. As you journey to make your family an ideal one, challenges will certainly come up. Mary and Joseph searched and searched but couldn't find Jesus. He was actually in his Father's House. There He was found on the third day. This is interesting. As a young boy or girl, member of the family, where are you found when you're looked for?

There are a lot of good things your parents look for in you. What do they find? When they look for care, what do you give? When they want love, what do they find? When they want to talk to you, what do they get? Their son chatting away?

It gives joy too to find out that One's parents look after him/her.

When they found Jesus, He went with them and lived under their authority. Never allow your children to wander like sheep without a shepherd.

May God bless all families of the world.

May God bring peace to every family facing any form of crisis.

May God make our families His own abode.

May God give us good health, a long life, and prosperity in our various families.

May our families be true homes.

May God put a final stop to all the unnecessary worries of our families and fill us with happiness, joy, and love.

May Jesus, Mary, and Joseph bring the reign of God in our homes in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Happy Holy Family Sunday, Merry Christmas.

Rev Fr Julian O Ekeh

 CHRISTMAS – SOLEMNITY OF THE BIRTH OF JESUS: HOMILY BY FR. JUSTIN ADIELE

THEME: “WE NOW KNOW HIM, RECEIVE HIM, AND SING HIS SONG”

INTRODUCTION:

After several centuries of the prophecy of Isaiah about the virgin birth of the Emmanuel, the first Christmas was celebrated when many people no longer know how, when, and where the Saviour King would be born. Many have waited and waited until they gave up their waiting. Many had forgotten the prophecy. But today, we replay the prophecy, we waited, and we now know how, when and where the Emmanuel would be born. We now know him, receive him, and sing his song at Christmas.

 

THE FIRST READING (IS. 52: 7 – 10)

We are happy again today to bring the good tidings of comfort and joy occasioned by the birth and reign of our God. We break forth into singing for we have seen the salvation of our God; for our redeemer is here with us. We are part of the ends of the earth that are fortunate to see and experience God’s salvation. From January to December, God’s salvation has preserved us total physical and spiritual annihilation. And we have cause to sing for joy and celebrate.

 

THE SECOND READING (HEB. 1: 1 – 6)

We now know and recognize God in his Son who is the image of the invisible God; who revealed to us the nature and glory of God. We now know and receive Jesus Christ the Son of God as the power that made and upholds the universe, and worship him like the three wise men.

 

THE GOSPEL READING (JN. 1: 1 – 18)

From the gospel reading we now know and receive Jesus as God himself, as our true light, and as our maker and never again join the wagon of those who knew him not and received him not. Today, we lay claim to the grace upon grace allotted to those who knew, received and believed him. Kudos to those having their First Holy Communion today; they are receiving the newborn Christ in a special way in the Eucharist today. And we pray for the grace of spiritual growth and heavenly favours upon them today.

 

CONCLUSION

The Christ we know and receive whose birth we commemorate today, shall save today, enlighten our homes today, restore us today, and fill each and every one of us with a joyful song as we sing- Joy to the World…!

Happy Christmas!

Fr. Justin

 CHRISTMAS: The Nativity of the Lord: Homily by Fr. Isaac Chima

Theme: "It will be Christmas if…"

Readings: 1st Is 52:7–10; 2nd Heb 1:1–6; Gosp. Jn 1:1–18

Dear friends in Christ, I would want today's homily to centre on a theme different from those we heard from the readings of today. During the Christmas music concert (Cantata) that we did at Prantantico, Arezzo, Italy, on December 15, 2023, one of the fourteen songs that we rendered struck a special key in my heart, and I want today’s homily to centre on that particular song. The theme of the song is ‘Sarà Natale se…’ (‘It will be Christmas if…’). I don’t know if all those who sang or heard this particular song were touched by it the way I was touched.

This song began by informing all of us that “we have a special task this Christmas.” What is this special task? It says, “it is to remind the world that it is Christmas.” So, we have the pastoral duty to remind those we encounter from today (our family members, our colleagues at work, and our friends everywhere, including online friends) that today is Christmas and that we are in a Christmas season. This means that we will not be indifferent to those around us; rather, we must tell them about the reason for this season we are celebrating; we must tell them that our savior has visited us anew; we must wish them a happy Christmas; we must talk to someone about Christmas. We have to become announcers of the presence of Christ.

This song then said that “if we put wings on our hearts, we will be angels that bring love.” So, dear friends, we are not just to give people a dry and empty Christmas greeting; rather, our Christmas greetings must carry love; they must impart love in the lives of those who received them. We are to be the harbingers of the good news of love, announcing to the whole world with cheerfulness and love that our Saviour is here, just as the angels that appeared to the shepherds on that very night announced that the savior has been born.

Then, the song went on to say, “it will be Christmas if you love; it will be Christmas if you donate, and if you call someone to come and stay with you. It will be Christmas if you live, if you laugh, and if you extend your hand to someone who suffers more. It will be Christmas if you seek, if you believe, and if you sing every day with friends.”

What are these beautiful lines of this song telling us? They are telling us that our Christmas will be true Christmas only and only when we love others, only when we donate to others, when we laugh with others, when we extend the hands of help to those who suffer among us, when we are cheerful with the people around us, and only when we put smiles on the faces of the people around us. If we don’t do any of these things, we are not celebrating a real Christmas. This is a challenge to us. So, it is possible that some people can do all the merriments associated with Christmas and, yet, they didn’t actually celebrate Christmas. If our Christmas celebration is empty of these beautiful actions mentioned in this song, we didn’t celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus.

Then, finally, the song went on to say that “our Christmas will be real Christmas if it doesn’t last for only an hour or for a day, but Christmas for an entire year.” This is an invitation for us to make each day of our lives a Christmas. It means we don’t have to smile, laugh with people, donate to people, extend our hands to help others, believe in God, and call others to stay with us only on the day of Christmas, but all the days of our lives. This song is inviting us to do good every day of our lives. Let’s, therefore, make every day of our lives a Christmas.

Peace be with you as you make today a true Christmas. Happy Christmas.

Fr. Isaac Chinemerem Chima

 CHRISTMAS: Homily by Fr. Isaac Chima

Theme: His name is Emmanuel – God is with us

Readings: 1st Is 52:7–10; 2nd Heb 1:1–6; Gosp. Jn 1:1–18

My dearest brothers and sisters, Happy Christmas. On that very night of the birth of Christ, the heavens were filled with joy, the earth was filled with the glory of God, the angels sang with joy to the glory of God, the shepherd could not hide their admiration of the marvellous presence of God, the sheep knelt and welcomed Christ with good cheers, and the stars danced and shined like never before. It was indeed a night of grace.

So, we have every reason to rejoice, for the Savior has come to visit us again. His name is Emmanuel: God is with us. God has revealed to us what many prophets, kings, and wise men longed to see but could not.

From the time Adam and Eve sinned against God and fell short of His glory and love, God started searching for a way to come close to man again, let us say to restore man to his glory. Through many ways he revealed himself to the people of old and spoke with them according to the second reading of today. Through many means he prepared them for the coming of his son.

Finally, in our own time, the appointed time, he has revealed himself to us and spoken to us through his Son. The birth of Christ was the fullness of God’s revelation to humanity, the full manifestation of the love and glory of God to men, and the manifestation of the light that dispels the darkness of sin and death.

With the birth of Christ, God has broken the reign of sin; he has dispelled the power of darkness and restored us back to his friendship. We have become his loving children once more.

My dearest people, Christ now lives in our midst. God, in the birth of His Son, took flesh and lived among us. This is the mystery of Incarnation. He is no longer far from our reach. He has come down from heaven to be close to all of us. He is living with you; He is living with me. His name is Emmanuel – God is with us.

If God is close to us now, it means he will feel what we feel and know our problems too. Therefore, let us not be afraid to call him our brother and also invite him into our lives.

However, in the Gospel of today, John told us that He came to his people, and his own didn’t welcome him. Let us ask ourselves some questions. Could it be true that there are some people among us who still find it very difficult to welcome Christ into their private lives? Are there people who still prefer to live according to their own designs and not according to the teaching of Christ? Who are those in our midst that can be classified as ‘his own that refused to welcome him?’ We may not know for sure; it could be any person. But what is clear is that we refuse to welcome Christ when we hate other people, because Christ is the author of love. We reject Christ when we fail to forgive others, because Christ is the God of mercy. We reject Christ when we open ourselves to sin, because Christ is the master of holiness. We reject Christ when we fail to be kind to others, because Christ is the prince of kindness. This Christmas gives all those who have been rejecting Christ a great opportunity to change their lives and welcome Him; He is the light and joy of the world.

The Gospel of today equally told us that to those who accepted him, he gave the power to become the sons and daughters of God. Dearest brothers and sisters, Christ is knocking at the door of your hearts. His name is Emmanuel – God is with us. He wants to be with you. He wants to be with me too. He wants to make you heir to the kingdom of God. Let us, therefore, open our hearts and homes and welcome him.

Happy Christmas to you and your family.  

Fr Isaac Chinemerem Chima

 CHRISTMAS: REFLECTION BY FR. JULIAN EKEH

THEME: TO DWELL WITH US, THE WORD BECAME FLESH

(John 1:1-18)

What a wonder! What a mystery! What an awesome manifestation of love! This is indeed an incomprehensible act. The Divine comes to become human, the Creator coming to become a creature, the Holy coming to embrace the mundane. This is, for sure, a mystery. Are we to venture into this discussion? Is there any way of understanding such an act? Is this actually possible? If no human can condescend this low, why God?

Yes, because with God, nothing is impossible. God did that which is beyond our expectation. It is among the many reasons why Mary asked how these will come about, and the reply she received was that nothing is impossible with God. The message is that there is no extent God cannot go to save you. There is no risk He has not taken, and there is none that He will not take just to set you free.

All these are because He loves you. Yes, I mean you. He took the risk of coming in fragility, in weakness, in coldness, in poverty. He took the risk of being exposed to hostility of the world, the cruelty of mankind, and the temptations to sin. And from all these He set you free, He made us like God while becoming like man.

He is the ancient of days but became a babe for you. He loves you.

He was with God, but He became Immanuel to be with you. He values you

He is God. He is the Second Person of The Holy Trinity, but He dwelt among you. He loves to come where you are to take you to where He is.

Yes He is here with light to drive away every darkness in your life.

He is here with holiness to destroy your sins

He is here as the prince of peace to restore the shattered peace of your life.

May the word of God that has taken FLESH today dwell in our hearts.

 

CHRISTMAS BLESSINGS

May God abide with you and never depart from you.

May you recognize Him and be delivered from the danger of taking His presence for granted. His people didn't recognize Him.

May you recognize Him in the Eucharist, recognize Him in the lowly, recognize Him, and give Him a place wherever you are. May you be among those He will give the power of becoming children of God. May your adoption remain permanent.

May you be joyful indeed, for Great in your midst is the Holy One. May Christ the Immanuel make all things well for you. Rejoice for He loves you at Christmas and always. As you endeavour to take Christ to the masses, to make the masses recognize this great Saviour may the blessings of God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit come down upon you and remain with you and your family both now and forever. Amen

Rejoice, be glad, exult.

Ñuriwanu n'omumu Kristi, Happy Christmas, Joyeaux Noël, Feliz Navidad.

Rev Fr Julian O Ekeh

 4^TH SUNDAY OF ADVENT, YEAR C: HOMILY BY FR. JUSTIN ADIELE

THEME: FROM YOU SHALL COME FORTH THE KING

INTRODUCTION

The great solemnity of the nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ draws near. From Bethlehem shall come forth the king; from the Angel Gabriel shall come forth the holy annunciation; from Mary shall come forth the Emmanuel and the visitation; from Elizabeth shall come forth the joy and blessed salutation of the mother of the Lord. And today as well, we have to question what shall come forth from us this holy season.

 

THE FIRST READING (MICAH 5: 2 – 5)

In the first reading, we read about Bethlehem the little or smallest city of Judah, from where shall come forth the king/ruler of Israel, the ancient of days; the one who shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord and keep them secure. We therefore encourage those who would attempt to do one outreach or the other this season. No matter how little you are like Bethlehem, how little you have, something positive can really come forth from you for the benefit or good of the people around you. You can really make a difference in the life of your villagers or community.

 

THE SECOND READING (HEB. 10: 5 – 10)

In the second reading, we are meant to understand that at the coming of the Lord, part of what should come forth from us is doing the will of the Lord not just offering sacrifices and burnt offerings. In your quest to kill cow for God, do his will first this season; your activities must align with the will of God for you and for your neighbor. And the will of God is that we should be holy and blameless before him this season; that we should be sanctified like Mary and Joseph in a righteous living.

 

THE GOSPEL READING (LK. 1: 39 – 45)

From the gospel periscope, from Mary came forth the visitation that brought blessing and joy to the house of Zechariah and Elizabeth. We shall be visiting many people or homes this season; but let it be for sharing of joy and for good and not for war/trouble. Elizabeth reciprocated by letting gracious words about Mary to come forth from her mouth. Those that would visit you this season to show you love and support/help; do not castigate or criticize them; do not slander their efforts; do not make ill/evil of their kind gestures towards you.

 

CONCLUSION

Dear friends in Christ, like Bethlehem, Angel Gabriel, Mary and Elizabeth, something must come forth from you this holy season. Let it be something related to the love, mercy and kindness of God. Let it be something as helpful and comforting as the three months visitation of Mary to Elizabeth. Let that which shall come forth from you be full the kind words of Elizabeth to Mary her kinswoman. And let what comes forth from you be good news for your brethren like the good news of the angel Gabriel to Mary. And may we all have and experience an exchange of good, positive and joyful output/outcome from every corner of our family and neighbourhood!

Happy Sunday!

Fr. Justin

 4^th Sunday of Advent, Year C: Homily by Fr. Isaac Chima

Theme: God fulfils his promises even through unworthy instruments.

Readings: Mic 5:1-4a; Heb 10:5-10; Lk 1:39-45

Dear friends in Christ, as we draw closer to Christmas, the church, through the readings of today, invites us to focus on the channels through which God fulfilled His promise of the Emmanuel to us. These readings also inform us that God will always fulfil his promise to us if we look upon Him with the eye of faith.

The prophet Isaiah in chapter 55 verse 8 told us that God’s ways are not our ways. Often, the ways of God defy the socially accepted ways of men. We have noticed that the ways of men have always been to accord places of honor to the rich and also to count the rich before counting the poor. Sometimes, we also think that God will also follow that same logic of men in favouring the rich before the poor. But, as it is, the ways of God are different from the ways of men. Many times, God chooses the poor and the weak in the place of the rich and the strong to teach us some values. A vivid illustration of this is in the anointing of David as king of Israel.  

In today’s first reading, the divine choice of the weak and the poor was evident. There were twelve tribes in Israel, each of them had big clans, but God chose the smallest of all the clans to bring forth the eternal king of Israel; God decided to give the whole of Israel a king from the smallest of the clans of Israel, the clan of Bethlehem.

This divine choice of the weak and the poor is also seen in the gospel of today in the choice of Mary as the mother of the Saviour. Of all the queens, princesses, wealthy ladies, and wealthy families in Israel, God decided to choose Mary, a poor lady, a lady without a history and public recognition, a lady without a husband, to be the mother of His only Son.

These two vivid examples of God’s choice tell us that God’s blessings are not for the rich alone; they are not only for the strong; they are not also for the beautiful alone, nor are they only for the publicly recognized entities of our society. They tell us that our God also has a special option for the poor. In His Magnanimity, God also favours the poor, the weak, and the ugly; He is the God of us all. He often chooses the poor, the weak, and the ugly to teach us not to despise these people as we organize our society and family affairs and also to demonstrate to us that His blessings are gratuitous; they do not come because of human merits. Thus, God can choose anyone for the manifestation of His glory. He can choose you; He can also choose me.

Another lesson we can extract from the first reading and the gospel of today is that God’s promise will always be fulfilled, no matter how slim the chances of its fulfilment are. The prophet Micah prophesied in Israel between the years 740 and 787 BC; that was during the reign of king Jotham. Between the prophecy of Micah about the choice of Bethlehem for the birth of Christ and its fulfilment, there was a period of great difficulties, slavery, suffering, and destruction of Israel by her enemies on two occasions, in the year 721 BC and in the year 586 BC. Also, before the birth of John, there was a long time of barrenness in the life of Zechariah and Elizabeth, despite Zechariah’s active priestly service in God’s house. But at the end, the promise of God was fulfilled in these two cases.

Sometimes, difficulties force us to think that God’s promises can never be fulfilled in our lives. Often, the number of years of suffering and pain pushes us to believe that we have been abandoned by God or that God’s words are in vain, but the stories in the first reading and the gospel of today teach us not to lose hope in God and His promises. God’s promises may take days or years to be fulfilled, but the truth is that it must surely be fulfilled. So, no one should allow the difficulties of this life to lead him/her into sin.

The second reading of today from the letter to the Hebrews opened to us the humility of Jesus Christ before the plan of God the Father, Christ’s humble submission to do the will of His Father. It invites us to be ready and obedient to God, as Jesus was, so that God can manifest His love even through our weaknesses.

Another lesson for this Sunday comes from the visitation of Mary to Elizabeth as we read in the gospel of today. In that visit, the child in the womb of Mary encountered the child in the womb of Elizabeth when Mary greeted Elizabeth, and both Elizabeth and the child in her womb were filled with joy. As you all know, Christmas is a time of visits: it is a time that God visits us and also a time that we visit our friends and families. What Mary did in the gospel of today remains a challenge to us as we visit other people this Christmas. Jesus visited Mary, and she carried Him to her sister, Elizabeth. Let us also take Jesus to other people this Christmas through our visits. Let our visits have the capacity of throwing other people into joy. Let us allow the Christ in us to encounter the problems of those we visit this Christmas, so that they will have a reason to smile, a reason to be filled with joy. Let us open ourselves to them just as Mary opened her arms and embraced Elizabeth, so that the joy of Christmas will wipe away their sorrows. Let us share our joys with them as we visit them. 

Peace be with you.

Rev. Fr. Isaac Chinemerem Chima

 4^TH SUNDAY OF ADVENT, YEAR C: REFLECTION BY FR. JULIAN EKEH

THEME: MARY: A CHANNEL OF BLESSING

(Luke 1:39-45)

On this last Sunday of Advent, as we draw close to the birth of Mary's Boy Child, we are presented with the image of the little Bethlehem chosen by God to be where the ruler will come from. In a special way, we have the image of the humble mother of the Saviour, who became an instrument of divine favours and blessings to humanity. Let her be an inspiration for us as we put finishing touches on our preparations to celebrate the Nativity of Christ.

Mary was visited by the angel of God. Mary visits Elizabeth and becomes an angel (Godsent, Chizitere) to her. Mary was favoured by the visit of the Angel. Mary favours Elizabeth by her visit to her. Mary was celebrated by the heavenly beings at Annunciation. Today, Mary goes to celebrate Elizabeth by her Holy Visitation. Mary becomes the tabernacle and the monstrance. In the tabernacle, Christ is reverently preserved for adoration, from the monstrance Christ blesses His people. Mary rejoices that the blessing is not for her alone but a blessing made to be shared. Mary is gladdened by the fact that God did not remember her alone but remembered Elizabeth, too. Mary knew that she had been blessed more and was more advantaged than Elizabeth because age was no longer on her side, and so she did not hesitate to arise and offer help. She took the necessary things she needed to assist her kinswoman and spent enough time with her.

Mary's entrance into that Elizabeth's home brought joy, Elizabeth rejoiced greatly, John rejoiced in the womb, Elizabeth felt greatly honoured, and she was filled with joy and motivated to move on.

 

OUR TAKE-HOME

REACH OUT

This is a season of reaching out. Remember others in need of help. With the little you have put smile on faces. Have a plan for those you are better than.

 

GO WITH JOY

What do you travel home with this period?  How do people feel when they look out and see you coming in? After packing their belongings some people also pack some troubles to share in the village and families. Dearest in Christ, pack joy, happiness, peace, love, and blessings.

 

DON'T BE JEALOUS AND SELFISH

Some who do not have are jealous of those they think have it all. Thank God for them. The same God that blessed Mary also blessed Elizabeth. Your blessing is on the way. Remain good, making good efforts. For those who are already blessed; never think blessing fits only your family. No. Others deserve it, too. Be a point of contact for them. Connect them to success and be glad when they climb the ladder of success.

 

PRAYERS

May God remember each and every one of us and bestow upon us as individuals and community with what we need most spiritually, physically, morally, economically, politically, socially, and so on and forth. May Mary's intersessions touch God to bless us through Christ our Lord. Amen

God bless your Saturday (4th Sunday of Advent, Yr C)

Rev Fr Julian O Ekeh

 3^rd Sunday of Advent, Year C (Gaudete Sunday): Homily by Fr Isaac Chima

Theme: Be joyful; make others joyful too

Reading: Zeph. 3:14-18a; Phil. 4:4-7; Lk. 3:10-18

Dear friends in Christ, the liturgical name of this Sunday, the third Sunday of Advent, is Gaudete Sunday, which means ‘Joyful Sunday.’ The term Gaudete comes from the Latin word “Gaudere,” meaning to rejoice, to be glad. Gaudete is the second person plural present active imperative  of Gaudere. Gaudete Sunday falls between eight to thirteen days before Christmas. This term “Gaudete” is taken from today’s Entrance Antiphon: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I say, rejoice. Indeed, the Lord is near” (Phil 4:4).

As we draw closer to Christmas, the Church invites us to rejoice because God is about to fulfil his promise to us; God is about to manifest His presence in our midst through His Son, Emmanuel, God is with us. However, the joyful mood of this Sunday does not mean we have come to the end of our preparation for Christmas. Instead, it comes as a way of urging us to be more focused and courageous. It is also a way of assuring us that our preparations shall soon be rewarded with the manifestation of Christ. Indeed, dear friends, Advent is a time of joyful expectation and eager preparation for Christmas.

The readings of today succinctly captured this festive mood of joy. They exhort us to be happy and joyful as we wait for the Lord’s coming. The first reading began this way: “Shout for joy, O daughter Zion! Sing joyfully, O Israel! Be glad and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem!” The psalm said: “Cry out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.” The second reading started by saying: “Brothers and sisters, Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice!” And the Gospel said: ^“people were filled with expectation, and all were asking in their hearts whether John might be the Christ.”

However, dear friends, taking a closer look at the present situation of our world, people may ask why we should rejoice. They may say, “what is there to rejoice for?” Some may say, “in the midst of the economic hardships and the wars that have ravaged many countries and made life difficult for many people, what is there to rejoice about?” Indeed, the world appears to be a theatre of new problems every day; each day comes with fresh troubles that no one knows when they will be solved.

The existential background of the first reading of today may have also raised questions and doubts in the mind of those who received the message of the prophet Zephaniah. The prophet Zephaniah prophesied between 640 and 609 BC. That time, Assyria was the dominant power and spread the worship of her gods throughout the Ancient Near East with military might; she was going from country to country, conquering nations and subjecting their people under her rule and religion. Already, Northern Israel had fallen under her power and the King of Assyria had sent a warning to Southern Israel, that is Judah, that her King and her God can’t save them.

It was in the midst of the fear of the Assyrian invasion - just as many of us are living in fear of the many forces of this world - that the prophet Zephaniah asked the people of Israel to rejoice and be glad. His reason was that their God was coming to participate in their history; He was coming to protect them from the forces of the Assyrians. This message is also directed to us today, dear friends, in our different worries and fears. The Church is telling us that our God is not far from us; He is near; He is already in our midst as the Emmanuel to participate in our history, to help us in our struggles.

The second reading of today also comes with another touching episode. When St. Paul wrote to the Philippians to rejoice, he was already in prison, covered with grief, facing maltreatment, and standing close to the date of his execution. In the midst of these sad stories that surrounded him, it was inner joy and the joyful expectation of meeting His Lord Jesus Christ that kept Paul strong. Joy in the Lord was the power that carried Paul through weaknesses, sorrows and difficulties. So, Paul could not but share this joy with his fellow Christians.

Dear friends, Paul teaches us that one of the ways to conquer the sorrows of this world is to focus on meeting Christ, an encounter that will erase the marks of the present suffering and hardship, for what no eye has seen, no ear has heard, is what God has prepared for those who love Him. Thus, if you are in difficulty, ask God to help you look beyond your immediate environment, so that you can discover the joyful presence of Christ. The joyful presence of Christ will help you to keep going where others are giving up.

To all of us who are joyfully waiting for the manifestation of Christ in our lives, John the Baptist has a challenge for us. In the gospel of today, John tells his audience and all of us not to allow our joyful mood to deprive other people of their own joy. In fact, he tells us to carry other people along as we rejoice. He challenges us to make those around us to feel our joyful mood. John called his audience in the gospel of today to be fair and just in their businesses and life affairs, so that other people around them will have a share of the joy of the Lord’s coming. He challenged them and us to put a stop to those actions which deprive others of their joy. To the tax collector, he said, “Stop collecting more than what is prescribed.” To the soldiers, he said, “Do not practice extortion, do not falsely accuse anyone, and be satisfied with your wages.”

It is obvious that the businesses of those John spoke to were depriving other people of their joy. Now, our question is this: is there anything I do which deprives other people of their God-given joy and happiness? Is it not true that to have a joyful Christmas, many business people hike the price of commodities in order to make excess gains for Christmas? Is it not true that during the Christmas season, transport fare jumps high? Is it not true that during Christmas season, robbery cases increase in many parts of our country? These and many more cases deprive many people of their joy. The remaining days of advent give us opportunities to amend our wicked ways.

John also challenges us to be generous to others.  He said, “Whoever has two cloaks should share with the person who has none. And whoever has food should do likewise.” So, let us make other people partakers in our joy by sharing our gifts and food with them this Christmas. Let us seek out those who cannot have a worthy Christmas because of poverty and/or sickness and help them to have a reason to rejoice. 

Peace be with you.

Fr. Isaac Chinemerem Chima

 3^RD SUNDAY OF ADVENT, YEAR C: REFLECTION BY FR. JULIAN EKEH

THEME: THE SECRET OF DIVINE JOY

(Luke 3:10-18)

Today is Gaudete Sunday. A Sunday when the Church bids us rejoice, when we listen to the voice of St. Paul telling us: Rejoice, I repeat Rejoice. 'Gaudete' is from the Latin root 'gaudere' meaning to rejoice. We are invited to be happy, to sing and shout in joy for the Holy One of Israel is in our midst.

This call to be happy may sound foolish, where there seems to be no reason to be happy. But the message is: Be happy in the midst of all circumstances because the Lord is in your midst. If God be for us, who can be against us? He comes as the Emmanuel to be with us, so we have reasons to rejoice. Let us, therefore, inquire today on what we need to do to be happy in the Lord.

 

COLLECTIVE AND INDIVIDUAL SEARCH FOR TRUE JOY

The soul of man is indeed hungry for a higher form of joy. In a world where many have resorted to different despicable things to be happy, in a society where drug abuse seem to serve as a way out of frustration and heartbreaks, in a situation where alcoholism, ritualism, drunkenness, harlotry are seen to be solutions to the instability and unhappiness ravaging the human person, God calls all and sundry to review the secret of true happiness, joy and peace.

In the Gospel of today we saw people who inquired to know the secret of joy in the Lord, how to find happiness in the Lord; they represent the people pictured by Psalm 4 with the following question in their mouth: what can bring us happiness? The above question was asked by many. In the Gospel of today, we see ALL the people asking a particular question: What do we do? This question was triggered by the frightening preaching of John the Baptist. Thanks be to God that the people wanted joy instead of the punishment due for their old lives. They decided to start producing the fruits of goodness. We are challenged to come as a people and address the forces stealing our collective joy, exposing us to massive pain, shame, sadness, and frustration. Let us also go as individuals to know what God wants us to do to really experience the joy He promised here and hereafter.

 

HERE IS THE MESSAGE

The word of God says: "I will hear what the Lord God has to say." The will of the Lord was revealed through John the Baptist, as He prepares the people to receive Christ defined as Joy to the world. He addresses us on the following:

 

BE CONTENTED

The Baptist's reply to them seem to show us why many of us are not happy. We are not happy because we are not satisfied with what God has made us to be; we would have loved to be like the other. We are not comfortable with what God has given us; We want to take that of another to make up. We are not happy with what God is doing in the life of the other; so we attack, frustrate, and destroy them. Joy comes from within. It is interesting that joy and contentment share the same root. To be happy is to be delighted by the lot marked out for you. Hence, the Psalmist declared: the lot marked out for me is my delight.

As an individual, you've got to rejoice for the lot marked out for you, the joy no force can take without your permission. Choose to be happy anyway.

Not minding what the circumstances around you are saying. The people in today's Gospel have been surrounded by threatening situations, but they chose to go for that, which attracts divine joy. You can't do without the joy that comes from the Lord. The joy of the Lord should be your strength. The enemy is never happy when you're happy. Be happy anyway.

 

QUIT EVIL HABITS

Jesus comes to do a new thing in our lives. He is coming as a newborn to renew our lives in His love.  We, too, have to do something for Him as He comes to do new things in us. We hand over to Him our old ways.

Let's like the groups of people in the Gospel today ask: What shall we do?

To those in the evil habit of stinginess, John said: Give, share, practice charity.

To the tax collectors in the evil habit of collecting more than expected, John insists: Stop collecting more than you should. Stop increasing prices in the name of Christmas. Stop causing heartbreaks. Do not steal the joy of others that yours may not be stolen.

To the soldiers and the police John says: Stop robbing and extorting!

Let's stop for God to begin. Let's stop evils in and around us for God to begin good in us. What's your own evil? My dearest in Christ, stop it. It will give you no true joy. Do the things that will lead you to joy everlasting.

DON'T BE WEIGHED DOWN

Family problems may have vowed to make you sad, Child of God, be glad. Hopelessness has forced you to believe that your joy is buried forever. It is not true. Rejoice!  Near success syndrome is convincing you to agree that you can never make it. Rejoice for by His Grace you can do all things.

Yes, rejoice for the coming of the Lord is nearer now.

MY PRAYER FOR YOU

The Lord is coming to give you joy. He is coming to bless You abundantly. He is coming to pleasantly surprise You and Your family. He comes to give you reasons to laugh again. Just be contented with what He has done for you and be rejoicing for what He is coming with. You're born to rejoice. May your joy as a person never be stolen. May your joy as a people never be hijacked. May God come to restore your family joy in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Rejoice in the Lord Alleluia.

Happy Gaudete Sunday

Rev Fr Julian O Ekeh

 3^RD SUNDAY OF ADVENT, YEAR C: HOMILY BY FR. JUSTIN ADIELE

THEME: “WHAT THEN SHALL WE DO?”

INTRODUCTION:

As we march rejoicing to the coming of the Christ at Christmas, we have to get our cards/acts right as many who came to John the Baptist today demanded for a clue. We all got to amend our ways no matter our work or status so that the coming of Christ would not bring us God’s condemnation, but God’s salvation.

 

THE FIRST READING (ZEPH. 3: 14 – 18)

In the first reading, we are called to start rejoicing already for our King is coming; to take away the judgments against us, to cast out our enemies, to take away our fears and weaknesses, to bring us victory and renewal in his love. This certainly calls for rejoicing. However, we must make sure that at the coming of our King, we do not make ourselves the enemies of ourselves, the enemies of our Christian brothers and sisters, or the enemies of God himself by our way of life.

 

THE SECOND READING (PHIL. 4: 4 – 7)

In the second reading again, St. Paul enjoined us to rejoice and quit every anxiety about anything. Many would increase their anxiety over so many things this period; trying to meet up one worldly target or the other and rob themselves of the joy of this season. Many would put themselves to overdrive this period trying to achieve what they were not able to achieve within eleven months in one month. Some would now become sad and forlorn, not because Christmas did not come, but because they were not able to meet their anxieties and vaulting ambitions.

 

THE GOSPEL READING (LK. 3: 10 – 18)

In the gospel reading, the multitudes which comprised of people of various social status (commons, soldiers, tax collectors, etc.) asked John the Baptist what they shall/must do to have a joyful Christmas. John the Baptist told many of them to simply share their goods (charity); collect no more than is due/appointed for them, rob no one by violence or by greed, and be content with your wages. The issue of contentment during the period of Christmas remains a matter of great concern for many. Many want to do more than themselves this period leading to more sorrows than joy.

 

CONCLUSION

What then shall we do to rejoice and attain joy at Christmas? Be contented, be charitable, be forgiving, and be clean in mind and actions. Little wonder all that came to John the Baptist this time accepted baptism or sanctification from their sinful past life. May we also purify ourselves this period, go for confessions, go for the sacraments and rightly await the coming of our Saviour King, Christ the Lord.

Happy Sunday!

Fr. Justin

https://chimaisaac.medium.com/3rd-sunday-of-advent-year-c-homily-by-fr-justin-adiele-df021bb9a183