Holy Thursday Commentary in Igbo Language

Ndi b’anyi otito diri nu Jeso Kristi…

Umunne m na umunna m, ndi nze na ozo, ndi ichie, ndi eze, ndi gburu agu na ndi n’egbughi, umuaka, umuagboghobia, umuikorobia, ndi nne na ndi nna anyi nnoo-nu-oh!

Onye anwuna ma ibe ya efuna; onye mara nke ochiri ya zaba; onye mara nke ana etu ya, ya zaa.

Na atufughi oge, n’ihi na o na-abu ekwe kuo ama agbaa. Oge nri ehihie ruo, onye usa apuo oriri. O bu nani uzo di mma ka ana eje ugboro abuo. Maka ndi uche ha echetaghi, ndi biara na ndi uzo biara, tata bu TOOZIDEEH di aso, Ubochi Dinwenu Jeso Kristi guzobere Sakramenti nke Yukaristia di Aso na Sakramenti nke odaasi di aso, bu nke eji echi ndi Ukochukwu. N’ubochi taa kwa ka ogosiputara ihunaya n’ebe umu azu ya no site na isa ha ukwu.

Commentary on Palm/Passion Sunday in Igbo Language

Ndi b’anyi, ekele m unu.

Ekwe kuo ama agbaa. Ezuo ka aha eri eze mgbada atotuo ngiga. A nam asi onye obula n’ime unu nnoo n’nnukwu emume nka tata.

Emume anyi tata abughi egwu achi utaba n’aka agba, ma obu egwu nkita. O bu nnukwu emume puru iche nke ndi otu Kristi. N’ikwu ya na mgbawa eze, uka na-eme ncheta obuba Kristi ji mmeri wee baa na Jerusalem.

Ugbua, O di mkpa na anyi ga ege nti nke oma, wee ghota ihe nriba ama digasi n’emume anyi tata. Maka n’onye anoghi ebe eliri ozu n’esi n’ukwu abu ya. Tinyekwara na oburu n’atughi aro wee gaba nta, e gbuo anu enweghi aha.

Commentary on Palm/Passion Sunday Celebration in English (Abridged Version)

May the name of the Lord be praised both now and forever. 

I welcome each and every one of us to today’s celebration. Today is a red letter day as far as Christianity is concerned. We are being launched today into the terrains of the holiest of all the weeks; the week of our salvation. The singular spectacular nature of this week is evident in the various synonyms with which it is addressed. These include Greater week, Holy week, Paschal week, Passion week, Authentic week etc. St John Chrysostom described this week as a very special week because in it, our Lord Jesus Christ broke the greatest jinx- the jinx of death and doom; jinx of our servitude to sin. Coming to today’s celebration, it may interest us to know that today is Palm Sunday. This celebration dates back to 4^th century. It may also interest us to know that this same 4^th century witnessed the radical recognition of Christianity as a legal religion by Emperor Constantine. Then, the early Christians go up to Mount Olive in files, singing and from there, they go up to Jerusalem with the Bishop. With these, they re-enact the event that took place in the days of Christ.

Reflection/Homily: Palm/Passion Sunday – Year B (March 29 2015)

Reflection/Homily: Palm/Passion Sunday – Year B (March 29 2015)

Theme: The Painful Betrayal of a Friend

In the Shakespearean classic, Julius Caesar, William Shakespeare narrated the betrayal of Julius Caesar by his best friend Marcus Brutus. In that tragic play, Brutus was tricked into joining a team of conspirators who wanted to kill Julius Caesar. On the fateful day of Caesar’s assassination at the Capitol, he was stabbed in the back by his murderers but the stab from Brutus came as a very big shock to him. He felt betrayed by a friend and was disposed to defeat. Shocked at the betrayal by his friend Brutus, Caesar died with the words “Et tu Brute?” (and you Brutus?) on his lips. You may have had similar personal experiences of betrayal by a trusted friend. Perhaps, a friend betrayed your love, or betrayed you in a business plan or in school or at work. These are usually very painful and traumatic experiences. In the light of our personal experiences of betrayal by a trusted friend, we can better understand the agony Christ went through in today’s passion narrative (Mt. 26:14-66 or 27:11-54). Judas, one of the closest friends of Jesus conspired with the Chief priests to hand Jesus over to them at the cost of thirty pieces of silver. Perhaps, he thought Jesus would miraculously escape as he had always done, but the whole drama became clear to him only when Jesus was taken away to be crucified. His inordinate love for money led him to betray his master. 

Reflection/Homily: Palm/Passion Sunday – Year A (March 13 2014)

Reflection/Homily: Palm/Passion Sunday – Year A (March 13 2014)

Theme: The Painful Betrayal of a Friend

In the Shakespearean classic, Julius Caesar, William Shakespeare narrated the betrayal of Julius Caesar by his best friend Marcus Brutus. In that tragic play, Brutus was tricked into joining a team of conspirators who wanted to kill Julius Caesar. On the fateful day of Caesar’s assassination at the Capitol, he was stabbed at the back by his murderers but the stab by Brutus came as a very big shock to him. He felt betrayed by a friend and was disposed to be defeated. Shocked at the betrayal by his friend Brutus, Caesar died with the words “Et tu Brute?” (and you Brutus?) on his lips. You may have had similar personal experiences of betrayal by a trusted friend. Perhaps, a friend betrayed your love, or betrayed you in a business plan or in school or at work. These are usually very painful and traumatic experiences. In the light of our personal experiences of betrayal by a trusted friend, we can better understand the agony Christ went through in today’s passion narrative (Mt. 26:14-66 or 27:11-54). Judas, one of the closest friends of Jesus conspired with the Chief priests to hand Jesus over to them at the cost of thirty pieces of silver. Perhaps, he thought Jesus would miraculously escape as he had always done, but the whole drama became clear to him only when Jesus was taken away to be crucified. His inordinate love for money led him to betray his master.