"STAY WITH US, LORD" (Luke 24:29)

In a few days, we shall be welcomed into a new season. Days ago, we celebrated the last Sunday in the Catholic Church's liturgical year; The Solemnity of Jesus Christ, King of the Universe (the 34th Sunday in Ordinary Time, but usually not said this way). We are set to begin a new year based on the Church's liturgical year, from which we draw many lessons and indications, vital for spiritual, political, and socio-economic well-being. With Advent in 2020, we shall be ushered into YEAR B. Advent is the season in focus. From Adventus (ad-venio, to come to), Advent is a season of the Church's greatest expectation, for having laboured in “Babylon”, subjected to sin, torture and brutalities of God's opponent, the Church anticipates the birth of a Redeemer. Within this time, we unite with Israelites, who up to date, await the birth of the Messiah, the expected sign of freedom from oppression and foreign governance, based on Ancient Israel political atmosphere. Advent helps us...

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  CARRYING THE CROSS Dear Friends, we enter the 2nd Day of the praying of the Holy Rosary in this Month of October. Clearly, today would like us to delve into passion and sorrow with particular reflection on the Sorrowful Mysteries as it is the tradition on every Friday, with Good Friday being the day maximus . Today is also the 1st Friday of the Month of October and hence, it is a sign of communion of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary.  The Mysteries of today, I would say, take us unto a pedestal wherein we journey with Christ in his passion, like Mary, aspirating and trying to enter those same moments of pain and agony. That fellow whom we love, always yearn to listen to, walk with, I speak of Christ, is about to be sacrificed. This level embodies God's love for us, for mankind, “in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (cf. Romans 5:8), winning us to himself, desiring that we might stray no more. This vivifies an erudition of love especially when fused with sacri...

1st Reading      1 Corinthians 2:10-16 R. Psalm            Psa. 145,8-9.10-11.12-13.13-14 Gospel               Luke 4:31-37 Dear friends, today we are presented with one of Jesus' liberation acts presented as a healing. As outlined in his programmatic discourse which he expounded in a synagogue in Nazareth (yesterday's Gospel) to be on a mission of bringing good news to the poor, liberty to the captives, we see Jesus liberating a  possessed man.  This kind of story relayed by Luke already should stress the fact that Luke concerns himself more with works of a physician since he himself is a physician. We speak best in our fields.  Today's Gospel, I believe, engulfs our various situations in life, situations wherein we are chained by forces seeming to be beyond us. An encounter with Jesus sets the pace for a liberation from such challenging situations. With Christ, powerlessness, a sort of ...

1st Reading           1 Corinthians 2: 1-5 R. Psalm                 Ps. 119:97.98.99.100.102 (R.  97a)  Gospel                     Luke 4: 16-30 May Christ help us. We shall be concerning ourselves with Luke's Gospel with particular attention given to his activity in Galilee, as well as Paul's first letter to the Christian community in Corinth, as our first reading. Invariably, we are set to see missionary work outside the normal domain. Paul will preach to the Greeks, not Jews, while Luke, a Gentile Physician, will use stories of healing as any physician will do, and even due to his area to be outside the Jewish land, he will reference examples outside the expected areas to counter reactions against Jesus, especially from Pharisees and Scribes.  Our lives can be that which mirrors Christ's, if we learn to recognize the needs of the time, even ...

1s Reading          Ezekiel 12:1-12 Psalm                    Ps. 78: 56-57.58-59.61-62 (R. see 7b)  Gospel                   Matthew 18:21-19:1 A very important part of our lives concern our day-to-day interaction with others. This has become imperative because we are social beings and we necessarily need an interaction with other people in all spheres to live well.  While we endeavour to do this we come across obstacles that are inimical to healthy interactions. One of such is man's imperfection. These imperfections often lead us to offend others.  Amidst these imperfections, there is still room for reconciliation, and the Gospel has been addressing this theme since yesterday. The Gospel addresses the problem of man's inability to reconcile and forgive. With the mention of 'brother', Jesus makes it a very important point to speak about all those we come...

1st Reading       Ezekiel 9: 1-7; 10:18-22 Psalm                 Ps. 113:1b-2.3-4.5-6 (R. 4b)  Gospel               Matthew 18: 15- 20 The prophet Ezekiel, in today's first reading, narrates a vision of the slaughter of idolaters and also the consequent departure of God from Jerusalem. This departure meant doom for Israel as they will be exiled in Babylon by the Babylonians, first in 597 BC and then in 586 BC. The events, described by Ezekiel, are prior to the siege of Jerusalem by the Babylonians. Ezekiel's prophetic ministry spans through the Babylonian exile (592-570 BC) and hence, Ezekiel is often consulted when anyone seeks to know about the Babylonian exile of the Israelites. This is strengthened by the fact that Ezekiel himself was part of those taken to exile. Ezekiel's special concern for the purity of the Temple and the peace of Jerusalem is known by he being brought up in the p...

1st Reading          Ezekiel 2:8-3:4 Psalm                      Ps. 119: 14.24.72.103.111.131 (R. 103a)  Gospel                     Matthew 18: 1-5. 10. 12-14 We celebrate the memorial of St. Clare. Clare, at the age of 18, ran away from home to join St. Francis of Assisi and his followers. In this delight, she founded the Poor Clares. She was later joined by her sister and widowed mother. Clare had a rule drawn for the Poor Clares centered on poverty, prayer, discipline and holiness. Laxity set in gradually as is part of any religious order. In our own lives, too, we are always oscillating between being too strict and being too lax. It seems to be a universal tension in the human race. What should be the case should be the desire to remain faithful always. The readings of today invite us to embrace and promote Christian unity and discard that which sep...

1st Reading        2 Corinthians 9: 6b-10 Psalm                   Ps. 112: 1b-2.5-6.7-8.9 (R. 5a) Gospel                 John 12: 24-26   We start this week's reflection with an invitation to become servants just as we celebrate the feast of St. Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr today. In spite of persecution, he fervently served God's people to the point of death. His name occurs (with Pope Sixtus’, who was killed days earlier) in the Roman Canon of the Mass. We ask him to intercede for all Deacons who are preparing for their priestly ordinations that by availing themselves as vessels, “God may act upon remote substances [God's people] through them [less substances]” (Dionysius, Coel. Hier . xxiii; in Thomas Aquinas, Summa , Question 6, Article 1). The readings of today seem to sp...

1st Reading   Nahum 1: 15; 2:2; 3:1-3.6-7 R. Psalm         Dt. 32:35cd-36ab. 39abcd. 41 (R. 39c)    Gospel             Matthew 16: 24-28 Discipleship is a central issue to consider when we think of what to do in order to inherit the kingdom of God. Discipleship sets us as students and listeners and not always as the leaders that we sometimes wish to be.  In the Gospel of today from Matthew, we hear Jesus drawing our attention to two concepts, yet relating. He begins by speaking to his disciples about the issue of discipleship and then ends with the topic of the afterlife.  It is very important for us to note that our Gospel finds parallels with Mark (cf. 8: 34-38) and Luke (cf. 9: 23-27). Together, we speak of the Synoptic Gospels as relaying the passage, but with minute differences.  Discipleship, in our Gospel context, dwells i putting aside our wills, our parochial interests and submitting our freedom to ...

1st Reading    Daniel 7:9-10. 13-14 Psalm            Ps. 97: 1-2. 5-6.9 (R. cf. 1a. 9a)  2nd Reading   2 Peter 1: 16-19 Gospel              Matthew 17: 1b-9 Happy feast day. We celebrate the Transfiguration of the Lord. This particular feast recounts Jesus' encounter with Moses and Elijah. This event helps us to remember Jesus' revelation of his Glory to his Apostles; Peter, James and John. The event, in a joyful setting, amazed the apostles to the extent that Peter suggested the erection of three tents.  Clearly, the Gospel mentions a mountain. The mention of a mountain as a place for divine encounter is not new to us. We remember Moses going up the mountain to receive the law (cf. Exodus 24: 12).  The Psalmist also draws our attention to the fact that God possesses “the heights of the mountains” (cf. Psalm 95: 4). The Ark of Noah is also recorded to have rested on the mountains of Arara...

First Reading          Jeremiah 31:1-7 Psalm                       Jer. 31:10.11-12ab.13 (R. see 10d)  Gospel                      Matthew 15: 21-28 Even when we think we are outside the domain God's plan suffices for us too; for there is no disparity, no differentiation, unlikeness, state of being unequal of any sort when we deal with issues concerning God's love. God's mercy and compassion envelopes even the unsightly of society.  Today's Gospel situates Jesus in a foreign land, in the region of Tyre and Sidon. This region, with the Tyre and Sidon as very important towns, located along the Mediterranean, are found in Phoenicia, a Gentile state, so to say. This properly belongs to the Greeks. In this region, Jesus encounters a woman whose daughter was possessed.  However, the Gospel is also told by Mark (cf. Mk. 7: 24-30). While Matt...

First Reading         Jeremiah 30:1-2,12-15,18-22 Psalm        Ps. 102:16-18.19-21 and 22-23 (R. 17) Gospel                    Matthew 15:1-2,10-14 Today, we celebrate the Memorial of St. John Mary Vianney. He is celebrated today as patron of Priests. His dedication to duty and selflessness led many back to God. Although he was a weak student he was ordained on account of his devoutness rather than any achievement or promise. Like St. Pio of Pietrelcina, St. John Mary Vianney is also remembered as a very good confessor. Today, we ask God, thought the intercession of St. John Mary Vianney, to bless all Priests and renew in them zeal for the singular mission of the salvation of souls. Matthew's account is still of great concern today as we tend to have a continuous reading,  a lectio continua . At the heart of today's Gospel is the Jewish practice of washing. Jesus and his disciples were confron...

First Reading         Jeremiah 28:1-17 Psalm             Ps. 119:29.43.79.80.95.102 (R. 68b)  Gospel                     Matthew 14:22-36 Dear friends, we continue our reflection on some of the miracles of Jesus as relayed by Matthew. Yesterday, Matthew treated the feeding of the five thousand men, save children and women. Today, with John the Baptist's death and the feeding of the people as precedent, we hear another spectacular narrative, which I believe, we are familiar with. This is about Jesus' act of walking on the sea. In any case, we are continue from yesterday. We find Jesus, after feeding the people, sending them away while he himself goes into solitude to pray. The disciples were in a boat crossing to the other side. The next time we hear about Jesus was on the lake of Gennesaret or the Sea of Galilee walking on it. Jesus' act of walking on the sea establish...

In recent times, there has been a labourious demand on our part to restore the universe to its original state of innocence. This kind of innocence resides in the fact that, all things have been created good and hence, seen with communality, perfection lies in them. With the concept and attribute of goodness which is being used to refer to all created things comes the goodness of the Creator of these creatures of which man is an indispensable part. Put at the apex, life, even of the considered minute constituent elements of the universe, ought to be defended and protected.  The responsibility to protect and preserve entrusted to man, by virtue of his capability to control all other things, in recent years, has been a left in the oblivion duty. Forsaking this divine responsibility, man forsakes not only the Creator of the universe, but also his very self. This is against the backdrop of he being an active part of the universe and hence, a deliberate refusal to faithfully carry out th...

1st Reading          Hosea 14:1-9 Psalm                     Ps. 51:3-4.8-9.12-13.14 and 17 (R. 17b)  Gospel           Matthew 10: 16-23 After every fall into sin, the Love of God beckons the faithless heart to experience a change towards good and come to an acknowledgement of God's goodness, thereby leading to conversion. The theme of conversion  is well expressed in the first reading of today. With Conversion, we remember the season of Lent which this reading tends to relive again and again.  Today, we end the book of Hosea with an appeal to Israel to seek God's forgiveness for turning away from his love. They acknowledged their guilt and spoke of the weakness of what they trusted in (foreign nations, other gods and even themselves).  Consequently, we hear about the restoration of Israel. God offered to be like dew for Israel. Dew is a life-giving element. A return to...

1st reading           Hosea 11:1-4.8c-9 Psalm                 Ps. 80:2ac and 3b.15-16 (R. 4b)  Gospel                     Matthew 10:7-15 Hosea continues his exposure of the transgressions of Israel. Today, he tells us about the relation between Israel and God while he stresses Israel's worship of another god. Hosea speaks of God's redeeming act when he redeemed Israel from Egypt. In all these, Hosea tells of God's decision not to give way to his wrath to come to play. The wrath of God will mean doom for Israel. Like former times and how he treated them with love, God deems it to redeem them and bring them back to himself. We, today, want to still trust in the unfailing love of God for his people, for us. The Gospel speaks of the mission of the twelve. Matthew notes that they were to go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (v. 6), not the pagan territories or ...

1st Reading          Hosea 10: 1-3, 7-8, 12 Psalm             Ps. 105:2-3.4-5.6-7 (R. 4b) Gospel                    Matthew 10: 1-7 Dear friends, today we have Hosea speaking to the Israelites as he exposes their transgressions. Noting especially their cultic acts and a consequential future breakdown of the human leadership, the abandonment of the altars, and implementation of God's punishment, Hosea advises them to seek a renewal of heart and turn to the Lord. “The more the abundance his fruit, the more altars he built” (v. 1). The basis for building an altar, sacred pillars is Faith. These resonate well with a sacred arena dedicated to a deity.  Sacrifices are made in these altars as expression of worship to God. If the element of faith is lost, whatever is done culminates in the payment of lip service. This resultant usually becomes the order when we ar...

1st Reading       Hosea 8:4-7,11-13 Psalm                   Ps. 115: 3-4.5-6.7ab and 8.9-10 (R. 9a)  Gospel                 Matthew 9:32-38 “They were like sheep without a shepherd”. This is a very striking statement made by Matthew in his attempt to describe the crowd and to stress Jesus' pity on them. Here are a group of people won to redemption by Christ's love but do not have enough people to show forth same love for them.  The first reading speaks of an attack on the existing religious and political institutions of Israel. They were rescued from Egypt and brought to their present location. They have soon forgotten God's redeeming work and have resorted to human leadership not endorsed by God. These are people who, by their very disdainful acts, have portrayed to be without a shepherd, one who takes care of them. They seem to communicate a message of not showing regard ...

1st Reading        Hosea 2:16,17-18,21-22 Psalm                   Psalm 144:2-9 Gospel               Matthew 9:18-26 We are ushered into the weeks of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time with a continuation of Matthew's narration of the ministerial life of Christ.  Today, we are presented with the raising of the official's daughter and the healing of the woman with a Haemorrhage. We have to realise that these are feminine characters receiving the restorative power of Christ. Jesus enters their hopeless situations and spurs hope.  The narrative, however, begins with the Official seeking from Christ life for her daughter who has just died. The story seem to be overshadowed by Jesus' interaction with the woman with a Haemorrhage.  Our disposition matters in what we seek. Faith complements and becomes a good ground for God's redemption. There should always be an effort on our part. W...

1st Reading               Ephesians 2:19-22 Psalm                          Psalm 116:1-2 Gospel                        John 20:24-29 Today, we celebrate the feast of St. Thomas, the apostle. What dawns with the mention of Thomas, the apostle is his popularly attributed doubt for which some find it easy to call him the 'doubting Thomas'. The Gospel of today narrates the specific event in which Thomas' doubt of Christ is recorded. I would, however want us to reflect on two important things. The first being that Thomas was referred to as a “twin”. This is very interesting.  Scripture records individuals who are twins or two people who are related (eg. Peter and Andrew, James and John, etc).  We never hear of Thomas' twin. The Greek term used to refer to twin as used in today's Gospel is "Δίδυμος" (Didumos). This word ...

1st Reading      Amos 7:10-17 Psalm               Ps. 19:8.9.10.11 (R. 10b)  Gospel              Matthew 9:1-8 Reactions to injustices often take the form of violence on the part of the individual(s) being attacked. The utter of truth may tend to suffer malice for speaking reality.  Today's first reading portrays a similar situation in which Amaziah, the High Priest, seeks to stop Amos from prophesying. This is a society in which the people have shown disregard for God and injustice prevails even among the religious elites. Amaziah knows that Amos' prophesies will come true with disastrous consequences. Meanwhile, Amos goes on to say what he was given to say.  Again, Amos was accused of prophesying for bread, for money (v. 12). This means that Amos is a prophet by profession. Amos replied by stating his wealth for which he does not prophesy as a profession. He is herdsman and a dresser o...

  1st Reading     Amos 5: 14-15.21-24   Psalm                Ps. 50:7.8-9.10-11.12-13.16-17 (R. 23bc)    Gospel        Matthew 8: 28-34 Happy New Month. Today, we enter a new month, the month of July. July, by way of reminder, is dedicated to devotion to the Precious Blood of Christ. Related to this devotion is man's demand for mercy and liberation. Let us, therefore, endeavour to start the month well, counting the blessings, appreciating God's love for man, and never disdaining God.  On the issue of not disdaining God, the first reading expresses excerpts from the first two woes against Israel. There are, however, three woes issued against Israel. V. 14-15 treats a sort of admonishment and an advise to choose that which is good and hate evil. In v. 21-24, Amos speaks of the rejection of sacrifices, offerings, feasts and songs. This is strange. What have the Israelites done?  In any...

1st Reading      Amos 3:1-8; 4:11-12 Psalm           Psalm 5:5-6.7.8 (R. 9a)  Gospel                  Matthew 8: 23-27 We continue our reflection even as the month of June ends today and we enter the second half of the year. These are times when people are most faced with difficulties. Today, we focus on one of Jesus' miraculous acts in Matthew. This narrative is so famous that we find it very appropriate in our attempt to console those perturbed by storms, storms in the sense of difficulties. The year of faith finds this text at heart.  The setting of this event is on the Sea of Galilee. For us to appreciate and help us get a clearer view of the narrative, we have to know what happens on the sea. The sea of Galilee naturally _goes wild_  unexpectedly. Waves are experienced at any time and sea farers and fishermen are well aware of this. In fact, some of Jesus' disciples are fisherme...

1st Reading         Acts 12:1-11 Psalm                   Ps. 33:2-9 2nd Reading       2 Timothy 4:6-8,17-18 Gospel                  Matthew 16:13-19 Dear friends, we celebrate today the solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul. These two are great pillars when we speak about Christianity, especially in the early Church. With Paul and his mission to the Gentiles and Peter with his to the Jews, we see a sense of a universal  missionary mandate, less indifference. In fact, these two ancestors of our faith experienced imprisonment and were delivered.  The first reading narrates the Lord's deliverance of Peter while in prison. In any case, the reading reveals that earnest prayer for him was made to God by the Church . This is a great leader in prison. He was supported by prayers. Widening the sense, we say support. Support in the sense of being ther...

1st Reading        2 Kings 25:1-12 Psalm                   Ps. 137: 1-2.3.4-5.6 (R. 6ab)  Gospel                  Matthew 8: 1-4 I WILL DO IT The liberation of the poor and the oppressed is at the heart of Jesus' public ministry. Often, he is seen attacking the elites in a bid to seek justice for the poor and the oppressed. Dear friends, today we read about one of Jesus' acts of liberation of a leper who gave Christ the decision to liberate or not to. This incident, however, did not witness an attack on the elites. The first reading tell of another incident during the reign of Zedekiah who has been made king of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar after Jehoiachin has been taken to exile. Our first reading is also recorded in Jeremiah 39: 1-10. Zedekiah, after rebelling against the Nebuchadnezzar, coupled with his breaking of a solemn oath to Nebuchadnezzar (cf. Ezk. 17:11-21) suff...

1st Reading   2 Kings 24: 8-17 Psalm             Ps. 79:1-2.3-5.8-9 (R. see 9bc)  Gospel         Matthew 7:21-29 Rescue us, O Lord for our stronghold has been broken into. Rescue us for we are perishing, save the dying and protect our 10,000 men going into exile in Babylon. This is the anguish in Judah as in the first reading of today.  Judah is at the verge of being conquered by the Babylonians under the famous Nebuchadnezzar who is already in the 8th year of his reign. At this time, Jehoiachin has just been made king of Judah and, just like his predecessors, he is noted to have done evil in the sight of the Lord. Three months of reign as King of Judah, they were sent into exile and these are trying moments in Judah and for Jehoiachin, a dream-shattering incident. This is the result of Jehoiachin's misdeed.  As is often the case, Judah suffers the same fate as other nations as they weakly watched Babylonians taking a...