2^ND SUNDAY OF EASTER, YR C (DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY): REFLECTION BY FR. JULIAN EKEH 

THEME: THE RECONCILING MERCY OFCHRIST

(John 20:19-31)

Today, the second Sunday of Easter is the Sunday of Divine Mercy. Today, being the eight day after the resurrection of the Lord, we call to mind the great mercy of God even in our unbelief and sinfulness. We have a God who gives us chances, first, second, and more chances. Do we utilize these opportunities?

The Gospel of today shows us manifestations of the mercy of God on the universal Church, in the life of the disciples, of the apostles and even in the life of Thomas the doubter. Jesus comes for you again and again to meet you in your weakness. He comes with peace and the Holy Spirit. He comes with reconciliation.

 

RECONCILES WITH THE RECONCILERS

The disciples had lost their friendship with Christ on account of their betrayal at different levels, disappointments, ingratitude, denials, abandonments, etc. They were filled with guilt, sorrows, shame, fears, troubles, regrets, and feeling that they had failed. They lost their peace of mind. Jesus came in as they shut themselves because of fear of the Jews.

 

Jesus stood

Jesus stood and watched Peter, watched all the apostles, and remembered their involvements in breaking His heart. He watched and saw them feel very sorry. He saw what was lacking in them; peace. They never expected it, but Jesus surprised them with it in His merciful love. He said: Peace be with you. This means: "I have made peace with you on the cross", " I have forgiven you", "We are friends once again", " Let's forget about the past", "Let's move on" 'Udo ka mma' (peace is better). Jesus gave them yet another chance to experience His mercy and compassion.

 

JESUS MAKES THE APOSTLES RECONCILERS

Jesus did not only get reconciled with His apostles He went forward to make them reconcilers. He entrusted the message of reconciliation into their hands. He gives them His Spirit, the Spirit to bind and lose, the power to forgive sins, and even to retain them. He restored the 'Godbreathedness' lost in Adam once more. He breathed upon them and filled them. Thus, the community of the apostles present got both the forgiveness of Christ and the power to forgive.

 

MERCY FOR THE INDIVIDUAL- THOMAS

For some reason, Thomas was absent when Jesus visited the community of the apostles. For that, he doubted and wouldn't believe that Jesus is risen, that He who had these wounds, pains, scars, who died such a shameful death could just come back to easily forgive and restore his betrayers.  He challenged God, and Jesus came just for him. He gave him another chance of seeing Him. He gave him another chance of being forgiven, He gave him another special opportunity of touching Him. And the mercy and love of Christ amazed Him that He concluded that no man can do these. His eyes opened to see the God in Christ, and He proclaimed: My Lord and my God!

 

JESUS COMES TO YOU WITH MERCY

You see, Jesus comes to us with mercy, true love, and compassion. He knows we can't do without it. He knows how weak we are. He knows that we can err. He knows we are human, that we are made from humus, that we are fallible. But He doesn't want us to perish in the dust of sin, of shame, of immorality, of corruption. He raises us in the sacrament of reconciliation, nourishes in communion, and wants us to confess our sins and receive His mercy whenever we fall. He wants to hear us call for mercy. He hears our cry for mercy and heals us when we ask for forgiveness.

 

LET'S BE MERCIFUL

The Lord Jesus wants us to be filled with His mercy and show mercy to others. He wants to live in love. He wants us to forgive one another. Jesus wants us to have mercy on people around us. Jesus wants us to feel with the poor and the needy; those in need of our spiritual gifts, our moral support, our forgiveness, our peace, and our reconciliation.

Let us be merciful like our heavenly Father.

 

LET US PRAY

We ask for your mercy Oh Lord. We can't do without it. Plunge us into the ocean of Your Mercy. Forgive us our sins, help us to take the chances You offer us in the sacrament of reconciliation seriously. Pardon us, Lord, give us Your peace and fill us with Your Spirit, restore to us the joy of our salvation through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Happy Easter/ Divine Mercy Sunday)

Rev Fr Julian O Ekeh 

 2nd Sunday of Easter, Yr C (DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY): Homily by Fr. Isaac Chima

Theme: The Characteristics of a Community whose Christ is Risen.

Readings: Acts 5:12-16; Rev 1:9-11a,12-13,17-19; Jn 20:19-31

Dear friends, the Church invites us to embrace the qualities of a community that reflects the resurrection of Christ. She encourages us to evolve into a community that embodies forgiveness, love, and care for one another.

Before Christ's death and resurrection, His disciples were much like anyone else, grappling with their own desires and competing for status among themselves. However, the resurrection brought about a profound change in them, transforming them into a model community that inspired admiration from others. Today's first reading reveals how the disciples began to live in harmony in Solomon’s Portico, marked by peace, love, mutual support, and selflessness. They performed many miracles and attracted more people to their fold. The first reading stated, “Many signs and wonders were done among the people by the hands of the apostles. They were all together in Solomon’s Portico… the people held them in high honour. And more than ever, believers were added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.” We can say that the disciples allowed the power of Christ’s resurrection and the peace offered in today's gospel to transform their lives.

Dear brothers and sisters, as we rejoice in the resurrection of Christ and embrace the peace He has bestowed upon us in today’s gospel, we must reflect on our Christian communities, families, and personal lives. It is evident that we often do not embody the virtues that characterized the early Christian community and the disciples. What could be hindering us? Why do we still witness hatred, injustice, and a lack of compassion for those in need within our communities? Why do our families and relationships still fail to reflect the light of Christ's resurrection? Why do we struggle to cultivate peace, love, and forgiveness in our relationships even when our Christ has risen? Why is our life not drawing others closer to Christ? Why do we continue to live as if Christ has not resurrected?

Today, the Church celebrates the Divine Mercy. As we reflect on God's mercy, the Church tells that the reason why our communities, families, and personal lives often lack the qualities of a community whose Christ has risen is largely because of our inability to follow God's example of mercy, forgiveness and justice. Without forgiveness and mercy, we cannot achieve lasting peace and love. A community devoid of these virtues cannot genuinely be considered Christian.

Our God is a God of mercy, who loved us even in our sinfulness and forgave us unconditionally. He corrects with love, without condemning those who err. However, it seems that many still find it challenging to embrace God's way of dealing with wrongdoers, which is rooted in mercy; instead, they often resort to revenge for the wrongs committed against them, reminiscent of the attitude expressed in Genesis 4:23-24, which said, “I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for injuring me. If Cain is avenged seven times, then Lamech seventy-seven times.”

Christ has blessed u with peace in today’s gospel, but to truly embody the peace of Christ within our communities, families, and relationships, we must love and forgive as God does. Jesus illustrated God's mercy through his teachings, particularly in the parable of the prodigal son, where God is depicted as a Father who eagerly welcomes back his wayward son, offering forgiveness and restoration. This challenges us to reach out to those who have wronged us, to forgive them, and to mend our relationships rather than taking revenge or waiting for them to come begging for our forgiveness. Additionally, in the parable of the unforgiving servant, Jesus emphasizes that God's desire is for us to forgive unconditionally. God forgives without giving conditions.

Dear friends, true peace cannot flourish without forgiveness; it cannot flourish where there is no mercy. Our community will struggle to be harmonious and loving if we do not extend forgiveness to one another. Let's lead by example, showing the world how to love and forgive, starting with our families and Christian communities. Together, we can transform our Christian communities, families, and relationships into havens of love, compassion, and mutual support. By embodying the teachings of the risen Christ, we can create environments that radiate peace, love, and mutual assistance, and be able to draw others to Christ just as the early Christians did.

Happy Sunday of Divine Mercy

Fr. Isaac Chinemerem Chima

 EASTER SUNDAY: REFLECTION BY FR. JULIAN EKEH

THEME: REJOICE IN THE RESURRECTION POWER ALLELUIA

(John 20: 1-9)

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Indeed, all praise and honour, adoration, and thanksgiving be unto the Lord for the marvellous thing He has done for us. Today is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it, Alleluia. Amen.

The Alleluia that went on a leave is back again. The Church bids Christians all over the world and indeed all heavenly powers to rejoice because Christ the Lord is risen. Yes! He is the reason for our joy. His strong right hand has shattered the enemy. The Lord is His name.

 

WHY ARE WE REJOICING?

THE LOVE OF GOD IS BEYOND THE WILL AND POWER OF EVIL

The joy the Lord releases for us today is not optional. It is a compulsory one. It has always been the will of God down through the ages that we live in joy, gladness, happiness, peace, freedom, and good relationships with Him and our fellow human beings. That's why He made man and placed him in the Paradise called Eden.

But this desire of God is not a welcomed idea for the devil, the enemy of our peace. He was not happy at the beautiful rapport that existed between God and Man. He was not comfortable with the position man occupied and the attention, care, and love God lavished on man. Imagine the routine visits of God to Adam and Eve, think of the loud laughter of the fortunate duo in conversation with God, and think of the state of sinlessness and innocence man enjoyed. Consider the angelic ministrations man savoured. Reflect on the state of man not labouring to eat. All these did not go down well with the evil one, and he visited Eve with a smile and wisdom that was deceptive. And evil was introduced into the human family. Man lost his place. The privilege and free access to God were denied him. The devil followed man on even into the family of Israel and Joseph, who was to be the joy of the family was sold. That was not enough. He followed him down to Egypt with temptations and imprisonment, but God started making plans of salvation. The wicked one came again through the Pharaoh that knew not Joseph. God led His people out and resettled them. But they were still under the grip of the devil. Hence, the need to save man totally from the devil.

Only the Son of God will pay the price. And the greatest price of the life of God was used. When the enemy saw this Son as Man, he fought Him tirelessly, and He died. That was the holy sacrifice. But He rose on the third day. Amen. For this, we are most joyful. For this, we must rejoice. We have regained the friendship of God we lost in Adam. We have the angels once again at our beck and call. We are no longer slaves. We are no longer captives.  The grave has been thrown open, and darkness has been destroyed. O yes, the darkness of betrayal, of condemnation, of bearing the Cross, etc. All these have given way. The paschal lamb has given light to the world. May we, therefore, let this light of joy, peace, goodness, and reconciliation shine on.

 

OUR FEARS ARE GONE

In Gethsemane, Christ feared and prayed. He feared losing to weakness and wickedness, to flesh and to the world even though His spirit was willing. On the cross, Christ prayed: Eloi, Eloi...with the feeling and fear of being abandoned.

In the Gospel today, the women feared that Jesus may have been taken away. In another version, they feared who would roll away the stone for them. But God has the final answer to our fears. In our fears, we must trust. God will never disappoint us. He is faithful to His word. He foretold that Christ would rise on the third day. And today He's alive. He is risen.

You too shall rise. Have you been crushed? have you been brought low? are you suffering persecutions? Are you about to give up in fear? The Lord raise His Son, He will raise you. Let that be your joy as you move on.

 

THEY'RE IN THE PAST

Rejoice Child of God today because of Jesus for all He suffered are now in the past. He will never die again. He lives forever. Alleluia.

Most of the things you pass through now will someday be in the past.  Your struggles will be in the past when you work with the power of the resurrection. It is a power that gives hope and courage to forge ahead.

Jesus had this power and moved on. Today, we may ask: Where is the betrayal of Judas? Where is Peter's denial? Where are the soldiers' insults? Where is Pilate's unfair judgement? Where are all these and many more? They are in the past now.

What are your present challenges? With God, they will be in the past. Don't fail to ride on believing that God will make them pass away in due time. On your own third day, look back and thank God. Look back and thank God for all you've been through.

Christ conquered death. You will conquer also.

 

MEDITATE

What is possibly going to make you not fully feel the resurrection power in your life?

Who has taken away your Lord? Does it touch you that you're not in good standing with God even after His death and resurrection?

Can you be like Peter and begin to run for the course of Christ even after your many denials?

Start today to live happy and make things of God your source of joy.

May the joy of the Lord be your strength as you journey with the resurrected Christ. May no one steal your joy and peace. May the power of the resurrection empower you in all you do.

May God bless His word in our hearts.

 

LET US PRAY

Thank You, Lord, for giving us the grace to celebrate this great day of joy after contemplating your Passion. May we continue to savour the joy of your resurrection and rise from darkness, from sin from fears and from pains and sorrows into the glory your resurrection power promises us now and forever. Amen

 

HAPPY EASTER TO YOU (YR C)

Rev Fr Julian O Ekeh

 Easter Sunday: Homily by Fr. Isaac Chima

Theme: They believed they had defeated Him, but God disappointed them.

Readings: Acts: 10:34a.37-43; Col 3:1-4 or 1 Cor 5:6b-8; Jn 20:1-9

Dear friends, we have reached the day that defined our faith—the day that birthed the gospel we share. If Christ had not risen from the dead, our faith would have been meaningless. In truth, we wouldn’t be gathered here under this banner; Christianity would not have existed. The resurrection of Christ is the cornerstone of our faith; it marks the beginning of our belief. For the early Christians, the resurrection story was always the starting point of their messages; it served as their foundation, granting them authority and strength.

Dear friends, we are fortunate to experience this incredible power of God over darkness and death. We are blessed to be connected to the resurrection power of Christ, the force that triumphed over the evil that sought to dominate the world, the power that rolled away the stone sealing the tomb, the power that vanquished the devil’s reign, and the power that fulfilled God’s plan to redeem humanity from the failures of our first parents.

Today, light has triumphed over darkness, life has overcome death, grace has defeated sin, freedom has emerged victorious over bondage, and justice has reclaimed its rightful place. Jesus has fought the battle for us. Our hearts should rejoice in this victory. Once again, we can smile, laugh, and dance, for God ensured that death would not have the final word in our salvation story. We can hold our heads high, for we are children of victory. Jesus has granted us triumph. Let us proudly display this banner of victory in all that we do and say.

At the heart of Christ's resurrection victory lies this profound lesson: 'It was precisely when His adversaries believed they had defeated Him that God, in His infinite power, elevated Him to glory.'

Dear friends, Jesus entered our world with the purpose of liberating us from the grip of the devil and guiding us back to God the Father. Yet, the devil sought to thwart this mission, aiming to keep us in bondage forever. To execute his plan, the devil incited those in power to crucify Jesus. With His humiliating death on the cross, His burial, the massive stone sealing the tomb, and the heavily armed guards, the enemy believed he had triumphed over the Prince of Life, effectively ending His mission.

However, it was in that very moment of the enemy's celebration that God, in His infinite might, turned the tables by raising Jesus from the dead. At the time they thought they had won, they inadvertently advanced the fulfilment of His mission on earth. His mission was to die for us and return to the Father.

What can we learn from this? It reminds us to hold onto hope, even when life's challenges seem overwhelming. It assures us that there will always be a joyful turn in the sorrowful narratives of those who trust in God. It teaches us that failure does not signify the end for believers. It reassures us that God can thwart the malicious plans of our adversaries. It encourages me not to surrender when faced with life's trials. The power of Christ's resurrection instils in me the confidence of ultimate victory. Remember, it was at the moment they thought they had defeated Jesus that God surprised them by raising Him from the dead.

Our challenge lies in awakening our faith and looking beyond the sources of our grief. In today’s gospel reading, Mary Magdalene was so fixated on the tomb that she failed to recognize the risen Christ standing before her. She was consumed by her sorrow, pleading with God to return her Lord and comforter, yearning for Jesus to come back to life. Yet, when the answer to her prayers stood right in front of her, she couldn’t recognize him, because her heart was heavy with sorrows.

Dear friends, it’s natural to weep when faced with difficulties or disappointments. However, it becomes a problem when we allow our grief to overshadow our ability to look up to God. Often, when we are fixated on our pain and the closed doors in our lives (like the empty tomb for Mary), we miss the new opportunities that God has opened for us—opportunities that are often far better. Through the resurrection of Christ, God provides a new path for those who maintain their faith in Him during challenging times. May the power of Christ’s resurrection help us to see the solutions that God has already placed before us in our struggles. Amen.

Happy Easter.

Fr. Isaac Chinemerem Chima

 EASTER VIGIL: Homily by Fr Isaac Chima

Theme: Christ’s Resurrection: A Promise of Our Final Triumph.

Beloved friends, we have reached that remarkable night when the light triumphed over darkness, the night when the Most High prevented death from celebrating any victory over us. Yet, several questions linger in my thoughts, yearning for answers.

I invite you, dear friends, to ponder these questions and perhaps find responses within your hearts. Have you ever envisioned what our world might have looked like if Christ had not risen from the dead? Have you considered the values that would have dominated our lives if Christ had not resurrected from the dead? It is important to recognize that God the Father spent many years preparing humanity for the arrival of His only Son.

From the moment of humanity's fall in Adam and Eve, God made the choice to restore us to our former glory. To fulfil this purpose, He chose the people of Israel, sending priests and prophets to guide them in obedience and to prepare them for His Son's coming. The readings we reflect on tonight beautifully illustrate this narrative. The entire world awaited the arrival of this Son of God. Sadly, when He finally appeared, the world failed to recognize Him. The devil had blinded the hearts of the Jews to His presence. This same devil, who led to Adam's downfall, sought to lead humanity into another defeat. Instigated by the devil, the Jews captured the Son of God, subjected Him to an unjust trial, and crucified Him. They condemned the very one who came to liberate them from the devil's grasp. What a tragic moment in history, marking the end of the long-anticipated Messiah! In the devil's scheme, the death of Jesus was meant to signify humanity's second defeat, following the first in Adam.

Dear friends, if Christ had not risen from the dead, the plan to free us from the grip of evil would have suffered a significant setback. Without His resurrection, the narratives surrounding Him would merely be trivial anecdotes, easily forgotten amidst the vast tapestry of history. If Jesus had not triumphed over death, the forces of evil would have reigned supreme, and injustice would have become the norm. In such a scenario, darkness would have overshadowed light, and malevolence would have prevailed over goodness.

However, dear friends, death did not claim the final victory in the story of Jesus. God ensured that the narrative of His beloved Son did not conclude with His crucifixion; instead, it unfolded into a new chapter that said, "He defeated death and rose again."

Therefore, beloved ones, we stand victorious through Christ's triumph. With His victory as our foundation, we can face the cross with confidence, knowing that in our personal journeys—amidst struggles, hardships, trials, and tribulations—death and despair will not have the final say. The resurrection of Christ assures us of our own victory over life's challenges.

Today, the Church encourages us to lift our voices, focusing on the cross of Christ, and to confidently declare that our personal struggles will eventually come to an end. Our experiences of childlessness will also come to pass. Joblessness will also be overcome. Hatred will also fade away. Sicknesses will also be healed. Hunger will also be satisfied. The resurrection of Christ serves as our assurance. Easter represents a season of miracles for Christians, because St Paul assured us that if we suffer and die with Him, we shall live and reign with Him in glory.

Happy Easter

Fr Isaac Chima

 Palm Sunday, Year C: Homily by Fr. Isaac Chima

Theme: A call to be messengers of peace, hope and victory in Christ

Readings: Is 50:4-7; 2 Phil 2:6-11; Lk 22:14-23:56

Dearest brothers and sisters, Palm Sunday is a special Sunday in the liturgical year. It is a Sunday that opens the door to a great week – the Holy Week – for us. It ushers us into a week that is rich with the reminiscence of the events that saved us from sin, the events that restored us to God’s friendship, and the events that restored us to life.

Today, we carry branches of Palms or olives and follow Jesus into our churches, the New Jerusalem, the same way the people of Jerusalem cut branches of trees and spread them on the way as Jesus triumphantly entered Jerusalem. These branches of olive or palm that have been blessed have become sacramentals. They will be burnt on Ash Wednesday next year, and ashes from them will be used to usher us into another period of Lent.

Branches of olive or palm have wonderful significances in our world. They signify peace, victory and hope. These significances have their root in the culture of the Mediterranean basin, especially from the culture/customs of ancient Egypt and ancient Greece, where olive branches represented peace or victory, particularly regarding supplication to both the gods and persons in power.

Therefore, dearest friends, today, we have the symbol of peace in our hands – the branches of palm or olive. These days, our world needs peace more than any other thing because she has been battered by problems and wars from all her quarters. We have seen the situation between Russia and Ukraine and Israel and Palestine. Acts of terrorism and banditry are engulfing many countries of Africa. Many other parts of the world have also been engulfed by unreported crises and unrest. It is also known to everyone that peace is the greatest gift we, as Christians, can give to our families and friends. With these branches of olive/palm, let us become messengers of peace to our world, our families, and friends. Indeed, it will be a contradiction if the bearer of olive/palm branches is not a promoter of peace in his/her neighbourhood.

The olive/palm branch also signifies victory. Today, we have recalled Christ’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem, where he became victorious over the forces of darkness and death. We have also read the Passion of Christ, which showed us Christ’s journey to victory. We are witnesses to this victorious power of Christ over evil and death. Hence, as we carry these branches of palm/olive, a sign of victory, let us remind the world that our Saviour is a victorious king; let us be witnesses to the victorious power of Christ over sin and death in our society. Friends, we are children of victory. In fact, if anybody asks you why you have the branches of olive/palm in your hands today, tell that person that our victorious King is passing by today, and he has victoriously entered our neighbourhood to fight our battles of life and to give us victory. Hence, it will be a contradiction if children of victory are afraid to proclaim Christ to their friends.

The olive/palm branch also signifies hope. This is evident in the book of Genesis when the dove that was sent out by Noah returned with an olive branch, a sign of the hope of a new beginning. The difficulties we have seen in our world have made many people lose hope in life and in God. Many people are searching for where to anchor their hope.

Dear friends, today, we have the sign of the hope of a new beginning in our hands, which is the branches of olive/palm. Let us go out and spread this message of hope. Let us tell the world that in Jesus, there is the hope of a new beginning. The resurrection of Christ is a guarantee of a new beginning; it is an ensemble of hope. Let us be torchbearers of hope wherever we enter, starting from today.

Friends, we have the vocation to spread the message of peace, hope and Christ’s victory in our world. As we do this, it is good to remember that Christ wants us to be true witnesses. Jesus needs those who will stay with Him both in good times and in bad times, those who will stay with Him when it is joyful and when it is sorrowful. Our witness to Christ should not be like that of the crowd who shouted Hosanna at the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem but did not come out to defend Him when He was unjustly tried and condemned to death. Many of them denied him and chose Barabbas in his place, as we read in the Passion narrative of today. Many of them shouted ‘Crucify him, crucify him’ with the same intensity with which they shouted ‘Hosanna, Son of David’.

Dear friends, many concrete situations of our lives demand us to witness to the truths of the Gospel. We have all noticed that our world has been penetrated by many doctrines, ideologies and lifestyles that are contrary to the truth of the Gospel. These evil lifestyles and ideologies are promoted and advertised as fashionable models by many governments of the world and, especially, by our so-called celebrities and our culture industries. It is unfortunate that some of them go to the extent of forcing their ungodly views on others. Dear friends, we would be acting like the crowd in the Passion Narrative if we continue to keep quiet and watch our world being battered by these people. We deny Christ and our faith whenever we keep quiet in the presence of such teachings and lifestyles. We deny Christ any time we decide to play the card of indifference in the face of evil. We choose Barabbas any time we swim against the truth of the gospel. May we not remain indifferent and unconcerned in the face of the anti-life ideologies that have entered our societies. May we stop being politically correct in the face of evil. Let us speak out for Christ.

Finally, today ushers us into Holy Week. The wish of Christ and his Church is that all of us who will participate in the programmes of this Holy Week should be holy too. Hence, let us set sin aside and focus on the Paschal Mysteries. Jesus invites us to open ourselves to be washed clean by His Precious Blood through the sacrament of reconciliation. Let us carry our cross and march with Christ to Calvary so that we will rise with him in glory.

Fr. Isaac Chinemerem Chima

 PALM SUNDAY, YEAR C: REFLECTION BY FR. JULIAN EKEH

THEME: THE AMAZING SHARP SHIFTS OF THE PASSION NARRATIVE

(Luke 22:14-23:56)

Today is Palm Sunday, a name it derived from the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. An entry that was greeted with waving of palm fronds, an entry that took place in history. An entry that spelt unspeakable suffering for our Lord Jesus. Hence, the turnaround or better put the sharp shift, which is one among the many shifts within the passion narrative. Hence, today is also called the Passion Sunday, giving the fact that narrating the passion of Christ occupies a better place in the Liturgy of today. In a very special way today marks the beginning of the Holy Week. Today is the last Sunday before Easter. We are called to make Jesus' experiences ours.

Let us reflect upon the shifts evidence in the Gospel of today. Viz:

THE SHIFT FROM JUBILATING CROWD TO PERSECUTING MOB 

We can also call this the shift from 'Hosanna' to 'crucify him'. The crowd was the same. How they changed from the hosanna they were singing to crucify him is what no one can totally explain. How did the few evil men who were insignificant succeed in winning the entire crowd over to their side? Evil has a strong power that if time is not taken one realizes himself when he is already in its ocean. We are invited to be careful with the crowd and be conscious of a turnaround that might possibly come from them. In your journey with the Lord, follow as a convinced individual and never be moved by any influence.

THE SHIFT OF PETER: FROM 'I WILL FOLLOW' TO 'I DO NOT KNOW HIM'

Peter assured Jesus of his loyalty. He reassured him of his determination to follow him to the end. Jesus knew how strong the wind was going to be upon him and prophesied to him what would become of him in no distant time. Peter failed woefully when the time came. What was the reason behind this? Did he quickly forget his pledge to Jesus? What a quick shift! What a disappointment! What a betrayal! Even before a young girl, Peter denied Jesus. Let us pray and be on guard against broken vows and breaking of our promises and decisions to follow Jesus Christ to the end. We've started Lent with the Lord, let us follow him in holiness this Holy Week so as to rise with Him at Easter.

 JUDAS' SHIFT FROM KISS OF LOVE TO KISS OF BETRAYAL

Jesus was so disappointed at the self-donation of Judas to the devil that he called him by name and asked:

Judas, are you betraying the Son   of Man with a kiss? Be careful when the Holy Kiss translates to a betrayal kiss. Beware of the shift of the trusted and know when he has gone over to the rebels.

SHIFT FROM JESUS TO BARABAS

This one is a very surprising shift. When time came for making a choice between Jesus and Barabas, who to release, the Jews unanimously cried out: 'we want Barabas not Jesus'. What a heart-troubling choice! Do we blame the Jews? Are we better than them? How many good people have we denied leadership positions? How many good people are languishing in our prisons unjustly? May God save us from shifts to evil.

PILATE AND HEROD: SHIFT FROM WORST OF ENEMIES TO BEST OF FRIENDS

Pilate and Herod used Jesus to settle their differences. Jesus became a common enemy. Most of the time, the mighty settle their matters with common good people whose existence pose threat to their evil deeds. The righteous are always victims in the hands of the unrighteous. But evil can never undo the good for long. We can also make out something positive from this by being means of reconciliation to warring parties.

THE POSITIVE SHIFTS

There's something good we can draw from the shifts. They were not all negative. The godly people know how to make out something good from situations that look unfortunate. Let's learn from the following figures.

PETER: FROM DENIAL TO REPENTANCE

When the cock crew Peter turned his gaze and beheld the sorrowful Jesus and he wept bitterly. You may have denied Jesus as many times as possible. Turn, weep for your sins. He will forgive you.

THE CENTURION'S SHIFT

The centurion declared: This was a great and good man. May God open your eyes to acknowledge his goodness and greatness. May your shortsightedness be healed. Many among the crowd also repented.

THE GREATEST SHIFT

Christ made the greatest and most unimaginable shift on the cross. A shift from the ordinary to the extraordinary. This shift was made on the cross, shortly before breathing His last, when everyone expected him to rain curses on his unjust condemners. He prayed instead: Father forgive them.

May we accept the forgiveness of Christ and also forgive others.

May the passion of Christ strengthen you to make positive shifts that will shape you up spiritually.

May we always keep in mind all that Jesus endured in love for us and endeavour not to break His Heart that has loved us so tenderly.

I wish you a passionate Passion Sunday and a fulfilled Holy Week.

Rev Fr Julian O Ekeh

 5^th Sunday of Lent, Year C: Homily by Fr. Isaac Chima

Theme: God does not give up on us

Readings: Is 43, 16-21; Phil 3, 8-14; Jn 8, 1-11

The message of this Sunday is simply clear. This message says that we have a God who does not give up on us; a God who reaches out to us to free us from our sinful past; a God who comes to free us from the condemnation and death we have merited by our sins and from the condemnation the world has passed on us because of our sins. This message also charges us not to condemn other people when God is still calling them tenderly to conversion. These messages are evident in the readings of today.

To understand the beautiful promises of renewal and new things from God to the people of Israel in the first reading, it will be good to make a brief recap of the historical background that led to them. The history of the people of Israel that led to the exile in Babylon was punctuated by obstinacy to the commandments of God. It was the stubbornness and sins of Israelites that led them to exile in Babylon. After the fall of Northern Israel under the Persians, the prophets of God warned the people of Southern Israel that Jerusalem will also fall if they continue to live in their sins. But the people of Israel did not heed their warnings.

Consequently, the Babylonians marched on Jerusalem, defeated her, killed her king and many of her people, and took many others into slavery. With that act of defeat and slavery, Southern Israel was already written off from the face of the earth, a replication of what happened to Northern Israel. However, when the people of Israel saw the death sentence that was hanging on their necks in the land of exile, they called on God for mercy and liberation, and God, who did not give up on them or write them off despite their sins, heard them.

The first reading of today was part of the promises of restoration from God to the people of Israel. He promised to do new things in their lives and urged them to forget their past evil lives, to move away from the memories of their past sinful lives and then look into the future with hope. God made them to understand that His novelty was not confined to the great deeds of old, but that He has already started doing new great things in their lives. Dear friends, this is how God relates to sinners who open themselves to Him. God did not give up on Israel despite their past sinful stories because He does not rejoice in the death of sinners. God always gives sinners opportunities to come back to Him. He calls sinners tenderly to conversion. This message is also addressed to all of us.

The gospel of today presents us a practical example of how God treats a sinner. It demonstrated to us how Jesus helps sinners and wrongdoers to write another history of their lives, how Jesus helps us to right the wrongs of our past lives, how God tenderly calls sinners to sincere conversion, and how God frees sinners from condemnation and death in the hands of other human beings, giving them another chance.

The adulterous woman in the gospel of today, like the people of Israel in exile, was an example of someone whose faults and sins brought disaster and death sentence upon her. Her case was not one of accusation because she was caught in the very act of adultery. The requirement of the law (Lev 20:10; Deut. 22:13-24) for such a crime was death. So, she had already been condemned by the law and the people – she had been written off completely. What was staring her in the face, as was the case of the people of Israel in exile, was death. However, dear friends, there was someone who did not write her off, someone who did not give up on her. That person was Jesus, and He freed her from death. He gave her another chance. Jesus also challenges us not to condemn sinners but to treat them with love, helping them to come out of their sins instead of writing them off.

With this story, the Church wants you to know that Jesus has not condemned you in your sins; He has not given up on you, nor has He written you off. He knows that you still have something positive to offer to the world. He wants to restore you to goodness and glory; He has another chance for you; He has not condemned you, so don’t give up on yourself; don’t condemn yourself. In fact, all of us have attracted death by our sins, but Christ has lifted the death sentence from us through His death on the cross.

Dear friends, let us now embrace reconciliation with God, with ourselves and with our neighbours through the sacrament of reconciliation this Lent, especially by doing what St. Paul urges us to do in the second reading of today. Having been freed from death by Christ and having been given another chance by Christ, the Church invites us to emulate St. Paul by putting Christ at the centre of our lives and then counting all worldly things and pleasures as a loss. Let us make sure that Christ’s sacrifice on the cross on our behalf was never in vain. Let us distance ourselves from anything that will lead us back to our old life of sin.

Let us end this homily with this beautify song:

‘What can wash away my sins, nothing but the Blood of Jesus.

What can make me whole again, nothing but the Blood of Jesus.

O precious is the flow that makes me white as snow,

No other fount I know, nothing but the Blood of Jesus.’

 

Peace be with you.

Rev. Fr. Isaac Chinemerem Chima

 5^th SUNDAY OF LENT, YEAR C: REFLECTION BY FR. JULIAN EKEH

THEME: CONDEMNED TO DIE BUT REDEEMED TO LIVE

(John 8:1-11)

Today is the 5th Sunday of Lent. We are drawing closer to the end of the Lenten season. How well have you prepared? How close or far are you to or from God? Are you really appreciating the 40 days with the Lord to be a changed person?

The message today is both for those who are making good effort to be on the path of righteousness and to those who have made mistakes and fallen away.

We are presented today with the theme of condemnation and redemption. At one point or the other, we fall. The scripture was right when it attested that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. If you're making an effort to be holy, do not condemn those who are not yet holy. Lead them by the hand with love to Jesus Christ even as we shall soon enter the holy week. And not with malice like those we read about in the Gospel today who brought the adulterous woman to Jesus for condemnation. Jesus reveals to us the secrets of receiving redemption from God. Let us learn from Christ Our redeemer.

 

FOCUS ON GOD AND LISTEN TO HIM

From Jesus, we learnt the important virtue of staying connected with God. This we saw with the way Jesus went to the mountain. There He got direction and insight on how to overcome the world. When we are connected with God, therefore, we are made one with Him in Holiness. We are united with Him and are charged by His presence. We get inspiration from Him on how best to overcome the world and the temptations in it. When Adam and Eve enjoyed this constant revisiting of God's presence, they were guided by the will of God and never sinned. But when they stayed away and started running from God, their story changed. They were driven out and became in dare need of redemption.

Have you been charged? are you already in the state of grace? Are you basking in the joy of salvation in Christ? Are you getting used to mortification, fasting and abstinence, alms giving, etc?  Ride on! The Lord is your strength. Keep doing it! Keep practising till God perfects you in Christ. Keep looking up to Christ as Peter did when Jesus beckoned him to come. May God keep you going.

On coming down, Jesus entered the Temple and began to teach the people.

The Temple represents the various activities we are going to be reenacting this period. Let us follow each and every one of them. They are highly going to be efficacious for our redemption and sanctification.

Let's heed the voice of the Lord, teaching us the ways of God and interpreting the word to us. May we sit at His feet, relishing the spiritual fruits of repentance, true joy, peace, silence, meditation, and love of the sacred.

 

YOU ARE NOT CONDEMNED!

There are three forces that attempt to condemn the children of God.

These forces include:

The devil:

The word of God calls Him the accuser of our brethren (Rev 12:10), but it quickly added that he has been thrown down. He accused Joshua the high priest before God. God rebuked him (Zechariah 3:1). He accused Job in order to get hold of him and make him fall away from God (Job 1:6-12). Thanks be to God, Job was vindicated.

The accusers playing the role of the devil's advocate want you down, condemned, and destroyed. But the Lord that saved the adulterous woman today is ever near to save you.

 

Others

'Mmadu ka a na aria'. Men are not perfect. But most of the time, they expect perfection more than God. The Pharisees and scribes that brought the woman caught in adultery demonstrated the policing role of men when it has to do with fault finding, destructive criticism, and malicious treatments.

We should not lead people to be condemned. We should not pray God for the elimination of our fellow human beings. We should not seek to disgrace people because of their mistakes.

Are you a victim of blown crime? The adulterous woman might have regretted her actions while still on the way to Jesus. Is there a sinful past of yours people still hold against you?

Listen Child of God, the Lord is telling you today that you are a new creature. Old things have passed away. You're not condemned. Their accusations are not more than the love of God. They are not better than you. You can be the best. You're not as bad as they have defined you. Just go and sin no more, and you will be good with God.

 

The Self

The self is a very strong force that condemns children of God. The conscience continues to torment us without stopping. The sins of our youthful days continue to come again and again to our minds. When they come back to us, some take to alcohol to drive it away. Others get fixated to that sin. Some others are frustrated, depressed and demotivated.

This is a period of healing. You don't need to keep repeating the confession of that particular sin of your past over and over again. The Lord has forgiven you. When it comes to your mind again, simply tell yourself: "The Lord has healed me." "The Lord has set me free."

The Lord has redeemed me with His precious blood. And if the Son of man sets me free, I believe I am free indeed.

Hear what Jesus told the adulterous woman when others left: Has no one condemned you? "She said; no one, Lord." She has already started calling Jesus Lord. Yes! Why not? She was condemned to die, but she has been redeemed to live. That power that can deliver her from those bloodthirsty men must be a great one.

Hear the reply of Jesus to her as well: Neither do I condemn you; go, and do not sin again."

 

WHAT A GOOD NEWS!

Beloved in Christ, if God can not condemn you, who else can? You're not condemned to be a slave to that sin. You're not condemned to remain in that sinful relationship. You're not condemned to be held by the vain things that charm you most. You're not condemned by the evil words and gossip of the world.

You have been set free. In this freedom, don't stop worshipping God in spirit and truth. In this freedom, don't go back to your old life of immorality, irresponsibility, lack of spiritual awareness, just name them.

May God bless His word in your heart.

 

LET US PRAY

Thank you, Jesus my Redeemer and Saviour. If men were God, I would have been condemned. But glory to Your name that in You I have a hope of second chance and indeed You have given me many chances. Set me free from the grip of the forces that accuse me daily before Your Divine Majesty and by the virtue of the activities of this Holy season, grant that I may enjoy the privilege and honour of being called Your child through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Happy Sunday (5th Sunday of Lent, Yr C)

Rev Fr Julian O Ekeh