Reflection for 17th Sunday of Ordinary Time (Year A)

Sunday 27/07/2014

Wisdom is the ability to make the right decision and the right judgement at the right time. The Gospel reading (Mt. 13:44-52) invites us to always take the right decision. The wise merchant made the right decision to sell all he had in order to buy the pearl of great price. The right decision is that which places God above every other thing. We have to seek what is pleasing to God first because the Bible says, seek first the kingdom of heaven and its righteousness and every other thing will be added to it.

Solomon in the first reading (1 Kings 3:5, 7-12) asked for wisdom, which was pleasing to God. The bible says wisdom knows what is pleasing to God (cf. Wisdom 9:9) and we have to do what is pleasing to God even when it is unpleasant to us. Once we make the right choice by making God our most valuable treasure, we can never regret our decision no matter the outcome because the second reading (Rom. 8:28-30) assures us that all things work for good for those who love God.

We are wise when we abandon every other engagement and go for mass on Sunday but foolish when we think of the time we shall spend in the Church and so miss Sunday mass. Let us like Solomon ask for the wisdom to know and do what is pleasing in the sight of God . Happy Sunday.

Reflection/Homily: Fifth Sunday of Lent Year A (6 April 2014)

Reflection/Homily: Fifth Sunday of Lent Year A (6 April 2014)

Theme: God is Ever Ready to Raise You

As a minor seminarian, I once got myself into a problem that almost robbed me of my highly esteemed vocation. I was on suspension as the case was been looked into while I waited for the final verdict of either returning or permanently remaining at home. During that period, I felt I was standing alone in the whole wide dark world. All I needed then was a reassurance of God’s love for me and a physical manifestation of this love. For once, I felt like one in the grave. I spent my days in the chapel asking God to intervene and one day, I decided to prayerfully read the passage presented to us in the first reading (Ezekiel 37:12-14). I felt these words being addressed to me: “I will bring you out of your graves… put my spirit in you… settle you in your land and you will know that I, Yahweh have done what I said I would do.” It was not long after then that a friend who went to plead on my behalf was asked to inform me to return. For once too, I felt like Lazarus being raised from the grave and like Mary and Martha having their brother back. It was then that I became convinced that each time we read the Bible, we do not just recount events that happened in the past, but that God also speaks to us personally and repeats His actions in our lives. 

Reflection/Homily: Third (3rd) Sunday of Lent Year A (23 March 2014)

Reflection/Homily: Third (3rd) Sunday of Lent Year A (23 March 2014)

Theme: Christ is The Source of Living Water

The first reading (Exodus 17:3-7) narrates to us the story of how thirsty the Israelites were in the desert on their way to the Promised Land. Despite their lack of trust in God, God intervened in their situation by asking Moses to strike the rock with his rod and out of this rock came fresh water for the Israelites to drink. Perhaps we may have experienced similar forms of divine interventions in our lives especially at our moments of despair. The reading assures us that though God may seem not to be interested in our predicaments, He is always there to rescue us and that is why we should continue to trust in Him who can never disappoint us. All we need to do is to obey His commands just as Moses did. Today, in our journey to the new Promised Land (heaven), like the Israelites, we also experience thirst in various forms. We may be thirsty of healing, salvation, employment, financial breakthrough, etc and these problems may have led us to murmur against God. In the midst of these difficulties, we can always approach Christ represented by the ministers of the Gospel who are also representatives of Moses. Through the exercise of their ministry, God comes to our aid. Christ is that rock from which the blessings of God flow like water. He is the source of the living water which quenches our spiritual and physical thirst.

Reflection/Homily: Second (2nd) Sunday of Lent Year A (16 March 2014)

Reflection/Homily: Second (2^nd) Sunday of Lent Year A (16 March 2014)

Theme: The Journey of Faith

During my first apostolic work as a senior seminarian, I was sent to a parish in my diocese. This parish was located in the hinterland and I was informed that there was no power supply and mobile telecommunication service (network) there. I was used to regular power supply and I imagined how I could neither charge my mobile phone nor have access to the internet for six weeks. Worst still, then, I was not used to spending a long period of time outside my home or seminary. I wondered how comfortable I would be in a strange environment especially among people of a different culture and dialect. Within the apostolate, I discovered that the grace of God was always at my disposal and it enabled me enjoy the circumstances under which I worked. Perhaps, you may have had a similar experience leaving your home for a strange land either as a result of marriage or educational pursuit or in search of greener pasture. We know there are always lots of anxieties involved in leaving a familiar place for an unfamiliar place.

Reflection/Homily: Seventh (7th) Sunday in Ordinary Time of the Year A (23rd February 2014)

Reflection/Homily: Seventh (7th) Sunday in Ordinary Time of the Year A (23^rd February 2014)

Theme: Being like the Father

In human families, we often discover that children bear in themselves visible features of their parents. It is usually possible to identify a child because you are familiar with the father's countenance. So it should also be in spiritual families. We are supposed to bear some features of God our father in us. That is why the first reading (Lev. 19:1-2, 17-18) invites us to be holy as our heavenly Father is. The call to holiness is a universal call to all sons and daughters of God irrespective of creed, colour, nationality, occupation or state of life. There are two paths to holiness of life: the positive path and the negative path. The positive path consists in doing those things expected of us as children of God and the negative path consists in avoiding those things we are not expected to do.

We have to love our neighbours as we love ourselves and we should not hate anyone or try to revenge the evil done to us. Jesus portrays this teaching better in the gospel reading (Mt. 5:38-48) by asking us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. By asking us to turn the other cheek when we are slapped, Jesus was not inviting us to willfully expose ourselves to harm. He was simply encouraging us to take the path of peace which our aggressors would not expect. Holiness thus, becomes our daily strive and we remain in the process of becoming until we are crowned with the unfading crown of glory on the last day. 

Reflection/Homily: Eight (8th) Sunday of Ordinary Time of the Year A (2 March 2014)

Reflection/Homily: Eight (8^th) Sunday of Ordinary Time of the Year A (2 March 2014)

Theme: Do Not Worry – Trust in God.

There was a time during the Babylonian exile when the people of Israel seemed to have lost all hope in God as a result of the difficulties confronting them. They thought God had forgotten and abandoned them to perish. In their despair, God spoke to them through the Prophet Isaiah reassuring them of His love for them. It is against this backdrop that we can understand the first reading (Isaiah 49:14-15) where Isaiah compares the love of God with the love of a mother. Through the Prophet, God assures them that even if a woman forgets the baby at her breast, that He (the Lord) will never forget His people. At the moment, you may be undergoing a form of exile in your life and you may also have fallen into despair just as the Israelites did. The Word of God still remains valid for you today that even in your difficulties and hopelessness, the Lord has never forgotten you. In fact, the Lord cannot forget his own. He is aware of the difficulties you are passing through. You may be suffering as a result of your sins or even innocently, but bear in mind that the sufferings of all who belong to God are always redemptive and that the Lord will always vindicate His own.

Reflection/Homily: Sixth (6th) Sunday in Ordinary Time of the Year A (16 February 2014)

Reflection/Homily: Sixth (6^th) Sunday in Ordinary Time of the Year A (16 February 2014)

Topic: Fulfilling the Law

During the time of Jesus, it was observed that in teaching the Law, the Scribes had characteristics phrases like “There is a teaching that…, it is written that…” which they used to introduce the Law but Jesus would begin directly as a Law Giver with expressions like “I tell you most solemnly, unless…” This marveled the Jews to the extent that his audience confirmed that he taught them with authority unlike the Scribes (cf. Mark 1:22, Matt. 7:28-29). The Scribes were regarded as the authentic interpreters and teachers of the Law. In order to understand and fulfill the Law of Moses perfectly, the Scribes deduced several rules and regulations from the Ten Commandments and taught the Jews to obey them. For example, interpreting the third commandment (Keep the Sabbath Day Holy), the Scribes understood this to include abstaining from work and they classified all kind of things as work. So they prohibited doing things such as carrying a burden, writing, healing, etc on a Sabbath Day. They were motivated by the desire to obey the letters of the Law and that was why they brought about these rules and regulations.

Reflection/Homily: Fifth (5th) Sunday in Ordinary Time of the Year A (9 February 2014)

Reflection/Homily: Fifth (5^th) Sunday in Ordinary Time of the Year A (9 February 2014)

Theme: Becoming the Light of the World

In the Gospel reading (Mt. 5:13-16) which comes immediately after delivering the beatitudes, Jesus clarifies the mission and identity of those called to the kingdom of God. They are called to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Salt is a basic necessity of life. Among its numerous functions, it is used as a seasoning to give flavour to food, used as a preservative and also used to purify an object.  As the salt of the earth, Jesus calls us to give flavour to our tasteless world, to preserve the good we find in the world and to purify the world. We can give flavour to our tasteless world when we work for the good of humanity. Most people seem to find little or no reason for existence. Life for them is bitter and meaningless and when we help them make their lives meaningful, we have given flavour to the world. It could be an attitude of care given to the sick, an act of hospitality shown to a stranger, an encouragement given to the lukewarm, etc. In an age where morality and virtue are forgone alternatives to relativism and vice, we are expected to preserve in the world the culture of morality, honesty, justice, love, peace and harmony. As agents of purification, we are also called to purify the world from the stain of sin by working for the conversion of sinners. 

Reflection/Homily: Third (3rd) Sunday in Ordinary Time of the Year A (26th January 2014)

Reflection/Homily: Third (3^rd) Sunday in Ordinary Time of the Year A (26^th January 2014)

Theme: Building an Undivided Kingdom

 Author: Uwakwe Chibuike

In the first reading (Isaiah 8:23-9:3), the Prophet Isaiah describes the new era of liberty and joy which the future Messiah will usher in. This prophecy was given in the 8^th century B.C when Galilee was populated by the Assyrians who settled there after the fall of the northern kingdom (Israel) in 722 B.C. These Assyrians who were pagans dominated the land such that it was difficult for the remnants to practice true religion. Isaiah’s prophecy was to reawaken their hope in the Messiah whose arrival would drive away the darkness of paganism and slavery and would bring in the true light of Christianity and freedom. We see the fulfillment of this prophecy in the Gospel reading (Matthew 4:12-23) when Christ withdrew into Nazareth in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali to preach. In Galilee, Christ began his public ministry with a call to repentance, telling them to “repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”. The people who once lived in the darkness of paganism and sin began to experience the wonderful light of God’s presence.

Reflection/Homily: Second (2nd) Sunday in Ordinary Time of the Year A

Reflection/Homily: Second (2^nd) Sunday in Ordinary Time of the Year A

Theme: Behold the Lamb of God

Author: Uwakwe Chibuike

In the first reading (Is. 49:3, 5-6), the Prophet Isaiah through the prophecy of the “Suffering Servant” gives to the Israelite captives in Babylon a message of hope. This prophecy was meant to encourage them to remain steadfast in faith until the arrival of the One who will raise the tribes of Jacob and restore the survivors of Israel. This servant would be a light to the nations that the salvation of God might reach the ends of the earth. To achieve this, the suffering servant has to suffer and crush himself for those he has been sent to redeem. In Christ Jesus, we see the perfect fulfillment of this suffering servant. Sent by God to redeem mankind through the great sacrifice of the Cross, Jesus allowed himself to be dragged like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter (cf. Is. 53:7), where he slaughtered himself for our redemption. That was why in the gospel reading (John 1:29-34) when John saw Christ coming, he exclaimed “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” 

By pointing out to Christ as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, John the Baptist reveals the identity and mission of Christ. Before Christ, lambs were special animals usually slaughtered in the temple for the remission of sins. Christ appeared not as a lamb or one of those lambs but as “THE LAMB” indicating a definite identity and as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world,” indicating a divine mission. Thus, the identity of Christ becomes that of an innocent victim and his mission is to be sacrificed for the forgiveness of our sins. As an innocent victim, Christ was prefigured in the Abrahamic sacrifice at Mount Moriah (cf. Gen. 22:1-19). In him, we find the true son of Abraham who is going to be sacrificed as an innocent victim with the wood he himself has carried and his blood would seal the covenant between God and man. 

Homily for the 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)

Homily for the 2^nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)

Theme: This Is the Lamb

Author: Silvester O’Flynn

Every time the Eucharist is celebrated the words of John the Baptist about Jesus are recalled: ‘Look, there is the lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world.’ The biblical writers had no hesitation about mixing their metaphors. Jesus is sometimes the shepherd of the flock and sometimes the lamb!

The image of Jesus as lamb grew out of a rich and complex vein of Jewish thought. The blood of the lamb, sprinkled on door posts, was the sign to save the Hebrew people from the destroying angel: that was when Moses led them out of their Egyptian slavery. The annual remembrance of that liberation became the Passover Feast, the climax of the Jewish year. Lambs in the great numbers were slaughtered and family groups ate the meat of yearling lamb in the sacred meal which bound them together in very close fellowship with one another and with God. They ate it standing, dressed for a journey.

Reflection/Homily: Feast of the Baptism of our Lord Year A (January 12 2014)

Reflection/Homily: Feast of the Baptism of our Lord Year A (January 12 2014)

Theme: The Value of Christian Baptism

Author: Uwakwe Chibuike

Today’s feast, the Baptism of our Lord was originally one of the three Gospel events marked by the feast of Epiphany. In the Western Church, it was later overshadowed by the visit of the Magi before Pope Pius XII in 1955 instituted it as a separate liturgical commemoration of Christ’s baptism. The Baptism of Christ is a great point of Theophany because in it the great mystery of the Blessed Trinity is made manifest. The Gospel reading (Mathew 3:13-17) confirms the manifestation of the Blessed Trinity at the Baptism of Jesus. God the Father is revealed in the Voice which confirmed the Sonship of Jesus, God the Son is revealed in Jesus who was baptized and God the Holy Spirit is revealed in the Dove which descended on the Son. This manifestation of the Trinity thus becomes the origin and destination of our Christian worship because all our prayers begin and end in the name of the Blessed Trinity.

An interesting aspect of our reflection today is on the necessity and importance of Christ’s baptism. Would Christ’s ministry not have been successful without receiving John’s baptism? We know that John’s baptism is different from the baptism Christians receive today. John’s baptism was only the baptism of repentance and was not mandatory for all Jews. The baptism Christians receive today is a Christian ritual for cleansing and incorporation into the family of God. So Christ had no atom of sin, he had no need for cleansing and was already the son of God. But he had to receive baptism in order to identify with the people and confirm his oneness with them in their longing for God. His baptism is also a confirmation of his incarnation, proving that he has not only taken our flesh but has also come to live among us and do the things we do. He thus, approved baptism as a means to God and God used it to commission his public ministry with the anointing of the Holy Spirit. 

Reflection on the Feast of the Baptism of our Lord: 12th Jan. 2014

Reflection on the Feast of the Baptism of our Lord: 12^th Jan. 2014

Theme: Jesus Baptized

Author: Sylvester O’Flynn

      

Righteousness is not a very happy word. It can suggest the hypocritical, better -than-thou attitude of the self-righteous.

Or it is a terrifying word when it conjures up the picture of a very strict God who is angry with us when we break his law. This righteous God would never let his face smile on us or let us go out to play on Sunday.

When religion is dominated by the concept of a strict, exacting God it drives people to insane fanaticism, morbid depression or gnawing self-hatred. God is then feared but not loved: and religion is very correct but also very cold.