PALM SUNDAY, YEAR B: REFLECTION BY FR JULIAN EKEH

THEME: PASSION FOR CHRIST

(Mark 14:1-15:47)

The celebration of today is one that launches us liturgically into the Holy Week. The Holy Week is so called because of the important events in the life of Christ that are re-enacted from this Sunday to Holy Saturday.

In a special way, today is called the Palm Sunday or the Passion Sunday. It is the Sunday that precedes the Easter Sunday. It is called Palm Sunday because of the Blessing and distribution of palm branches representing the Palm branches the crowd waved as Jesus entered Jerusalem. These branches, after the blessings, become Sacramentals and are to be preserved to serve as ash for next Ash Wednesday. On the other hand, today is called the Passion Sunday because of the Passion Narratives that become the Gospel of today. Here, we hear about the story of Christ's condemnation, suffering, and death. We listen to it, not just as a story but to contemplate it as a reality in the life of Christ.

THE DIVISION OF TODAY'S CELEBRATION

Today's celebration is divided into two parts: THE TRIUMPHANT ENTRY OR THE PALM PART, THE HOSANNA PART, and THE PASSION PART, THE THORN CROWN PART or THE 'CRUCIFY HIM' PART.

In the first session, we saw the myriads of people singing and following Christ along, hailing Him as it were with their palms. We saw Jesus on the donkey riding in Majesty as the Messiah that is to come. The people chanted: Hosanna filio David. We do the same procession today, as we look up to Jesus as the only Messiah that comes in the name of the Lord for our salvation.

We are brought to a deeper reflection on the passion of Christ so as to appreciate all He went through to set us free. We are not just to hear it and get entertained but put ourselves in the number of the people who witnessed these great events and ask ourselves where we belong. Are we among the Hosanna people or the Crucify Him people? That's the question.

MESSAGE OF TODAY

The story of the Passion is the longest narration in the gospel we can think of in the Catholic Liturgy. We must stand to hear it all. It is worth it. We must give it our attention. That was the reason why Jesus came into the world. That was why Jesus emptied Himself and took up human nature. Let us go home with the message of this celebration so as to ever live in appreciation to Christ for His Holy Passion for our salvation.

ZEAL FOR CHRIST

In the passion narrative, we saw man in His crude, corrupt nature and God in His zeal to save man, which made Him become silent over all His Son endured for  Man's redemption.

The passion is a story of betrayal, of denial, of disappointment, of humiliation, of abandonment, of false judgment, of eclipse of godliness, of shame, of capital punishment, of man's inhumanity.

Jesus saw all these. He knew it even as the Hosanna chants were going on. In the Gospel today He nearly prayed that it should pass away. But He insisted on allowing not His human will, but the Divine will take place.

His passion for the souls of men urged Him on. His love for our freedom encouraged Him to ride on to die.

Let us confront life with passion for God and the love for God. Let us not allow the changes and chances of this life to weigh us down. Let us not allow our desires, sinful passions, lust, greed, and emotions to steal our attraction for God and the will of God for us. Do we really have the zeal to actualize our mission of knowing God and inheriting His kingdom at last?

BE TRUE

Falsehood reigned in the story of the Passion of Christ. The chief priests and the Pharisees cooked up their accusations against Jesus because they wanted Him dead. Pilate knew the truth and was not courageous enough to stand for it. The crowd knew that Barabbas was an evil man but chose to free Him and crucify Jesus. They used their passions wrongly. They were dishonest with the powers invested on them by God.

Are you a true Christian? Do you shout Hosanna in the noon and crucify Him in the night?  Do you like Peter declare before Church members, where you are known to follow Jesus till death and when you think no one sees you or knows your identity you deny Christ? Be true and tell yourself that truth on this.

Only Passion for Christ can make you stand up for Jesus in season and out of season.

BE HOLY AS YOU ENTER THE HOLY WEEK

With Christ's entry into His passion, the mood of His close pals changed. While the crowd rejected Christ His mother and the women were thrown into mournful prayers, and they were drawn more to Him. The beloved disciples kept following. They remained steadfast. Few bystanders repented. Some confessed their sins. Some declared that Jesus Christ is the Lord. All these took place within the context of the passion. People entered into communion with God.

Let us be among the few who brought consolation to Jesus as He endured His passion. Let us be among those who will prove to Jesus that His suffering and death on the Cross is not in vain. We can only do this by living a holy life by emptying ourselves for God to feel us with His grace by removing from our lives everything that will crucify Jesus the second time.

Let us accept like Christ, whatever cross that will come our way with perfect resignation and total abandonment. Let's look up to God, knowing that He will not allow us to be put to shame. May we move away from the noise in the world and embrace silence and, in the silence of our hearts, hear the voice that speaks of peace, reconciling us to God whose heart we have often wounded by sin. Let us not give up nor lose faith in the face of the many trials that come our way. Let's not be overwhelmed by the difficult times. They will all pass away. There's no crown without a cross. We shall overcome by the grace of God. God can never abandon us. Let's appreciate all the celebrations of this holy week and come out triumphantly victorious.

May God bless His word in our hearts.

LET US PRAY

We thank and worship You, Lord, for keeping us alive to celebrate this year's passion. As You continue to bless us, oh Lord, give us the grace to appreciate the great price Your Son paid to set us free. Give us the zeal to continue living according to Your holy will for us. May the passion of Christ strengthen us now and forever. Amen

Happy Passion Sunday (Yr B)

Rev FR Julian O Ekeh

 PALM SUNDAY, YEAR B; HOMILY BY FR. JUSTIN ADIELE

THEME: "DYING FOR THE LOVE OF MEN"

INTRODUCTION

During the liturgy of matrimony, during the exchange of marital vows, the couples vow “for better for worse…, till death do us part”. Christ the head and husband of the Church demonstrated his love for his bride the Church today; for better for worst. He was determined to give his life for his bride; not even in the face of death would he back down from his saving mission for his bride. Even death could not do us part nor separate us from His love; for he rose again.

 

THE FIRST READING (IS. 50: 4 – 7)

The first reading pointed to Jesus as the suffering servant of God who voluntarily gave into the suffering, spittle and shame of the Cross. He never took the option of running away from the burden of love of God his Father and the burden of love of the people. Initially, Jesus had tried walking privately, disappearing from danger, and slipping away from the Jewish authorities because his hour has not yet come. But today, he publicly embraced the hour of his passion for love of men.

 

THE SECOND READING (PHIL 2: 6 – 11)

The second reading presented a more radical testimony of Christ’s sacrificial love. For the love of men, Jesus emptied himself, humbled himself, and was born in the form/likeness of mortal men. He was not ashamed to share in our lowly human state/nature, in order to bring us to share in his divine/glorious nature. Driven by love for us and obedience to the father, he became obedient unto death, even death on a Cross. For doing this, he was exalted above all else; teaching us to also live and die in love and obedience to the Father and be also exalted in glory.

 

THE GOSPEL READING (MK. 14: 1 – 15: 47)

The passion narrative revealed to us in mystery and in reality, the burden Jesus bore for love of us and the price He paid for our salvation. Jesus our loving savior, after laboring to do/make all things well for us in the physical world; enters the spiritual domain by paying the ultimate price with his life, to also make all things well for us in the spirit world. After lavishing his love/compassion for us; healing us, teaching us, delivering us, feeding us, shepherding us, and comforting us; he still had to die for us. What else has he not done for us, and what else/more can he not do for us! In return for his love for us, let us never deny him, betray him, abuse him, or profane his name and his love by the type of life we live.

 

CONCLUSION

As we mark the Triumphant Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem today to die for us, let us vow for better for worst, to love and serve God more sincerely and genuinely. Let us cease to be indifferent to his love, his gospel and his righteous laws. Let us emulate Jesus by emptying ourselves (giving up our pride, position, comfort, and talents) for the love and good of others. Let us reciprocate Jesus’ undying love for us by living and dying for love of Him. Let us develop unwavering passion for holiness and righteousness of Christ. And we shall never live and die in vain like Jesus.

Happy Holy Week!

Rev. Fr. Justin.

 Friday of 5^th Week of Lent: reflection

THEME: YOUR PERSECUTORS WILL NOT OVERCOME YOU

Readings: Jer 20:10-13, Jn 10:31-42

As we draw closer to the Holy Week, the week of the passion of Christ, the daily gospel readings help us to feel the closeness of Christ’s passion by giving us scenes of intense attacks against Jesus and the attempts of the authorities to arrest and kill him. The first readings are also doing the same task by providing us stories of the persecution of the just and how God delivered them. These are to prepare our minds to see the victory of Christ on the cross as we head into the Holy Week.

In today’s first reading, the prophet Jeremiah fills us with the assurance that God will fight for us when we are persecuted for doing what is right; that God will foil the attacks of the enemy against us and cause the plotters of evil against us to stumble. Therefore, he challenges us to firmly cling to God in the face of persecutions, for God will fight our battle for us. He challenges us to commit our course to God with faith and allow Him to do the battle for us.  

Are you surrounded by people who are plotting evil against you or waiting for your downfall as it happened to Jeremiah? Are your trusted friends, colleagues and relatives even complicit in the whole evil plots against you as it happened to Jeremiah? Are those around you just waiting for you to slip so that they will attack and destroy you? Today, Jeremiah is assuring you that God is with you as a strong and mighty warrior, therefore, your persecutors will stumble, they will fail, they will not overcome you (Jer 20:11). Just commit your life and your course to Him with faith.   

May you be victorious in all the challenges of this Friday. Amen

Fr Isaac Chima

 

 

Thursday of 5^th Week of Lent: reflection

THEME: WE ARE HEIRS TO ABRAHAM’S BLESSINGS

Reading: Gen 17:3-9

We are once more reminded that the period of Lent is a special time of grace, a time to make peace with God and our neighbor in order to be worthy to benefit from the ocean of blessings that flow from the paschal mysteries of Christ. Reconciliation with God and our neighbor also prepares us to benefit from the Abrahamic blessings.

When we consider the amazing things God promised to Abraham and his descendants, we cannot but leap with joy for being counted among the children of Abraham. The first reading of today made a list of the wonderful things God promised to Abraham and, by extension, to all his children and all those who will, by faith, become his children (you and I). 

This reading, however, ended with the condition that such amazing blessings will be Abraham’s and his children’s if and only if they follow God’s ways. We all know that Abraham complied with God’s commands and was fully blessed. So, it is evident that obeying God's commands is what stands between us and the possession of Abraham's blessings. The time of Lent offers us a golden opportunity to come closer to God, drink from the ocean of His mercy and, then, possess the entirety of Abraham’s blessings.  

Do you want Abraham’s blessing to be yours? Then, keep God’s commands as Abraham did.

May your Thursday bear abundant fruits of happiness, blessings, and success. Amen

Fr Isaac Chima

Wednesday of 5^th Week of Lent: reflection

THEME: WITH GOD ON YOUR SIDE, YOU CAN FACE ALL ODDS.

Dan 3: 14-20,24-25.28

In a world where some jobs that put food on the tables of many Christians frequently force them to compromise their faith in God, thereby leaving them in a state of constant conflict between their love/obedience for God and the material welfare of their families, the first reading of today’s Eucharistic celebration provides us with an example to follow. It is the well-known story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego; a story written to give courage to people who were suffering in dire and seemingly hopeless situation.

 

The response of the three young men to the king, which was full of faith in God against all odds, should be on the lips of those whose jobs and relationships require them to go against their faith if they must get something good out of them. They told the king that they will not compromise their faith and that their God will rescue them from his hands, and that even if their God does not rescue them, they will not still compromise their faith in Him. Can you say the same thing in all the situations that promise to make you great on the condition that you compromise your Christian faith and values?

 

When faith in God is strongly affirmed against the demands of the evil one, gates of hell are often let loose and cankerworms of difficulties unleashed, as was the case of the three young men where the furnace was made seven times hotter because they affirmed their faith in God. Therefore, do not lose hope in God when trials and tribulations are increasing in your life in spite of your strong faith in God, your refusal to do evil and your great contributions towards the growth of Christianity.

 

When the young men were finally thrown into the fire, God did not do what many people may have anticipated, instead, he sent them his angel who helped them to remain unhurt even in the fire. That was even a bigger miracle. Most times, the kind of rescue we expect from God doesn’t come to us the way we wanted it, and that doesn’t mean that God has failed us. However, God always sends us the grace to face all odds and to emerge victorious from them; He comes to us so that we will not be alone and, with His presence, even the hottest of all fires will not burn us.  If He is with you, even the worst of trials and tribulations will not defeat you.

 

May your Wednesday be blessed.

Fr Isaac Chima

 Solemnity of St Joseph (March 19): reflection

THEME: LEARNING FROM ST JOSEPH

Reading: Mt 1:16,18-21,24a

 

Today, the Church celebrates the solemnity of St Joseph, the foster father of Jesus and the Husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary. He is also the Patron of the Universal Church.

What we know about St Joseph has some lessons for us. Let us briefly state few of them.

In all the stories surrounding the birth and early childhood of Jesus where Joseph played active roles, it was not recorded that Joseph uttered a word. Yet, all those stories depicted him as a man full of humility, attentiveness to God and to his family and unflinching obedience to God’s will even when God’s will was not understood by him and the times it caused him great discomfort. These are qualities that all family leaders must possess if they want their families to reflect love, peace, unity and other good virtues.

Did you notice how St Joseph handled his family problem in the gospel of today? In this gospel passage, we were told that when Joseph discovered that the lady (Mary) betrothed to him was with child, and knowing fully well that he was not responsible for that pregnancy, he did not do what the law required of him. The law required him to shame Mary by publicly renouncing her and submitting her to face justice. Joseph did not do any of these, he, rather, opted to treat Mary with compassion by deciding to send her away secretly; he didn’t want her to be shamed, he didn’t want her to face public ridicule.

One of the reasons why many families are breaking down these days is because the couples inside them are behaving like information ministers or megaphones; what gives them joy is making their partners’ mistakes a topic of discussion with friends and anyone who will care to listen. Such people simply can’t wait for mistakes to drop down in their matrimonial homes and BOOM, everybody will hear it. Joseph invites couples to make room for patience, compassion, mercy, tolerance, empathy and silence when it is needed in their marriages.

Also, in a world where shaming people has become the hobby of many people, the action of Joseph leaves us an example to follow. It teaches us to treat those we feel have offended us with compassion, just as God treats us sinners. Joseph invites us to always listen to the voice of compassion and mercy in the treatment of those we feel have made mistakes in their lives, rather that listening to the vicious voice that tells us to drag them out, tell horrible stories about them and shame them.

May St Joseph pray for us. Amen.

Fr Isaac Chima

 Monday of 5^th Week of Lent: reflection

THEME: TRUST IN GOD ALWAYS, HE WILL NEVER FAIL YOU.

Reading: Dan 13:1-9,15-17,19-30,33-62

The long story of the travails of Susanna and her rescue by Daniel, which we read in the first reading of today’s Eucharistic celebration, ended with some words of praise to God from the crowd who witness what transpired. It said: “Then all the assembly shouted loudly and blessed God, who saves those who hope in Him.” Perhaps this long narrative was recounted to teach us that our God rescues those who hope in Him against all odds, those who hope in Him even at such times when hoping in Him appears unrealistic. Indeed, our God never fails those who sincerely look up to Him.

Recall that Susanna refused to grant the evil wishes of those two wicked men because she didn’t want to sin against God. When she was being sentenced to death, she was still praying to this God for rescue. Imagine what was going on in her mind and the minds of those who heard her pray to God for rescue as she was being led to the place of her execution. She may have been thinking that God had disappointed her. The people may have also been thinking that trusting in God was a futile venture, the same way many people of our own time think or feel when they see the just suffering many hardships and trials.

True to His name, God did not fail Susanna; He intervened and rescued her, proving all those who doubted Him wrong. Dear friends, sincerely trusting in God even in those moments when such trust appears unfeasible isn’t a stupid idea. People may mock and laugh at you, but the God who saved Susanna will not let you down. Remember, it was at that time when the Jews thought that they have conquered His Only Son that He raised Him from the grave and gave Him glory. He is the same God, and He will never fail you. Trust in Him. With Him on your side, you should fear no evil even if you should walk in the valleys of the shadow of death (Ps.23:4)

Another important lesson we should extract from this story is that we should not be afraid to be the lone voice saying something different but right in the midst of myriads of voices saying and believing something wrong. The satanic ideology of ‘if you can’t beat them, you join them’ has left our world deeply wounded and has contributed to the persecution, misery and death of many innocent people. If Daniel had kept mute for fear of the crowd, innocent Susanna would have been killed. Therefore, let us always remember that anytime we keep mute in the face of injustice and lies, someone innocent pays the ultimate prize.   

May God bless your new week with abundance of grace and favours. Amen

Fr Isaac Chima