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

The Son of Man Came to Seek and Save the Lost Luke 19:1-10 Ackuaku Edmund Elorm  The text under consideration is a narrative about the encounter between Jesus and Zacchaeus.  Prior to this, we hear of Jesus as near Jericho (not in Jericho yet) and He performed a miracle of restoring a beggar's sight (sense organ, external). In Jericho, He did another 'miracle', surprising one of course. He healed the inner self of a man who searched and longed for rest. He, like St. Augustine said, had a restless heart which finally rested in Christ. Like the Psalmist said,  his foes surrounded him on every side. He sought vindication and wanted to prove his innocence. We speak of Zacchaeus, the short man (v. 3), the tax collector (v. 2), the Sinner (v. 6) and a descendant of Abraham (v. 9). The result of this encounter brought him Peace, Joy, Charity as expressed in (v. 8) and an admission of possible guilt (thus,... 'if I have cheated anyone', v.8). He faithfully says Psal...

Multiplication of the loaves ( John 6:1-15) I welcome you to this week's reflection on the Bible with special reference to the signs in the Gospel of John. Last week we commenced work on the Multiplication of the Loaves. In this same narrative, I would like us to consider the bread that was multiplied and shared. In one's first contact with this text, one may perceive the loaves to be very rich probably because it was Jesus who received them and probably because one might be driven by the assumption that 'the more the quantity, the lesser the quality, and vice versa'. This assumption might be fallacious as it does not apply to all situations. Jesus' life has been one which gets in contact with very 'low-keys', with poverty of resources, as evident from his birth to his death. The resources used, bread and fish, were very poor. The bread was made of barley. Barley was used as a gift of atonement by an adulterer. Barley was considered food for animal...

Multiplication of the Loaves (John 6:1-15) Last week we entered into discussion on the miracle of changing water into wine in Cana in Galilee (cf. John 6:1-15) Today we shall look at the multiplication of loaves. What we ought to know is that this miracle is a nature miracle and a feeding miracle. It appears in all four Gospels but with little variations. This story speaks about immensity, about abundance and God's providence. This miracle occurred at the sea of Tiberias. John used two genitive cases ( i.e., of Galilee of Tiberias). In the New Testament only John gives the town of Tiberias for Herod Antipas completed building the town of Tiberias about 20 A.D. Therefore, the place was known as the Sea of Galilee of Tiberias probably only after Jesus' time. The characters of this miracle were Jesus, the crowd, a lad, Philip, Andrew and other disciples. It is a miracle where Jesus turned a crowd of 'selfish men and women' into a fellowship of sharers. Jesus ne...

Changing Water Into Wine (John 2:1-11)   Yesterday we looked at a command to discipleship in the light of Mary's instruction to the servants at the wedding feast in Cana, thus, Do whatever He tells you. We established yesterday that the proclaimed 1st miracle of Jesus, 'Changing of water into Wine'is classified under nature miracles and it is also a 'miracle of feeding'. Today, I would like us to look at the change from water into wine. A great transformation and this transformation is at the heart of the miracle. A great philosopher, Heraclitus, realized a constant figure in the world. This constant figure he called Change. To him, nothing is permanent. Everything is changing. In the face of this miracle of change, of transformation, there still remains some elements of permanence. The jars, the characters were not changed. Only the content of the jars was changed. This change of water into wine signifies that there is a transforming power associated w...

LESSON II LENT 2019 Lent is the 40 days before Easter in which Catholics pray, fast, contemplate, and engage in acts of spiritual self-discipline. Catholics do these things because Easter, which celebrates the Resurrection of Christ, is the greatest holy day of the Christian year (even above Christmas) and Catholics have recognized that it is appropriate to prepare for such a holy day by engaging in such disciplines. The reason Lent lasts 40 days is that 40 is the traditional number of judgment and spiritual testing in the Bible (Genesis 7:4, Ex 24:18, 34:28, Numbers 13:25, 14:33, Jon 3:4). Lent bears particular relationship to the 40 days Christ spent fasting in the desert before entering into his public ministry (Mt 4:1-11). Catholics imitate Christ by spending 40 days in spiritual discipline before the celebration of Christ's triumph over sin and death. Fasting is a biblical discipline that can be defended from both the Old and the New Testament. Christ expected his disci...

Ash Wednesday is the first day of  Lent . Its official name is “Day of Ashes,” so called because of the practice of rubbing ashes on one’s forehead in the sign of a cross. Since it is exactly 40 days (excluding Sundays) before  Easter Sunday , it will always fall on a Wednesday—there cannot be an “Ash Thursday” or “Ash Monday.” The Bible never mentions Ash Wednesday—for that matter, it never mentions Lent. Lent is intended to be a time of self-denial, moderation, fasting, and the forsaking of sinful activities and habits. Ash Wednesday commences this period of spiritual discipline. Ash Wednesday and Lent are observed by most Catholics and some Protestant denominations. The Eastern Orthodox Church does not observe Ash Wednesday; instead, they start Lent on “Clean Monday.” While the Bible does not mention Ash Wednesday, it does record accounts of people in the Old Testament using dust and ashes as symbols of repentance and/or mourning ( 2 Samuel 13:19 ;  Esther 4:1 ;...

Topic: “First Approach to the Holy Mystery” Our participation in the Holy Mass ought to be full, conscious and active. Individual participation in the thanksgiving work of the community of believers is paramount. By inwardly taking part in the celebration of the Holy Mass we also approach the mystery of our Faith. One can neither see nor feel a mystery but must accept it and keep it faithfully, trying to live with it spiritually. In this mystery (Holy Mass) it happens as if the priest walked up the stairs to the Chamber of the Lord's Last Supper and as if the faithful were allowed to follow Him there to begin the Holy sacrifice together with Jesus and His apostles . By attempt thus to imagine before our inward eye and to experience the events, all our everyday thoughts will fall away, provided we do not walk to church talking with others but instead attune ourselves to Holy Mass, to the mystery and the unspeakable greatness of our Faith. The priest's approaching to the al...