IN THE MIDST OF THE STRUGGLES, CHRIST ALONE IS OUR PEACE. (Homily for October 1st. Independence Day. (Nigeria), Feast of Our Lady Queen of Nigeria.)

Bible Study:  Isaiah 11, 1 to 10. Ephesians 2, 13 to 22. And Matthew 2, 13 to 23.

As we mark our independence day today, one thing every Nigerian can agree with is that our country is not yet where we wish it would have been. It has been a struggle this last fifty five years but we are still a country. We may not be happy at the past and we may be scared about the future but all we really have is the present. Now is all we have to make our country the best it can ever be. Hence, more than anything else, today is a day to pray for ourselves and for our country, today is a day to say the rosary asking for the intercession of Mary, Queen of Nigeria.

Do not underestimate the power of prayer. For many persons, today would just be a day to sit down and complain, a day to talk about the one million and one things wrong with this country, a day to read out a roll call of corrupt officials and leaders who have let this country down in the past or a day to compare this country with other developed nations of the world. But what good will all that do for Nigeria? For us Christians, we know that nothing is beyond the power of God. Even when it seems as if things are not working out as expected, God is not asleep.

This was exactly the case with Joseph and Mary when they had to flee with the baby Jesus in the middle of the night all the way to Egypt simply because Herod was looking for the child to destroy him. It wasn’t funny at all. Like the way things are right now in our country, Joseph and Mary surely wished that things were different but that was just how God wanted it.

Yes, we are faced with a lot of struggles but the only solution is to look up to Christ as our psalmist sings: “In his days, justice shall flourish and peace till the moon fails.”

Let us pray:

Lord Jesus, you are our peace and in you alone lies the solution to all the problems that beset us as a country. Look with mercy upon us today and help us to move forward as we enter a new year in our existence as a Nation. Amen.

May Mary our mother who was not a stranger to struggle intercede for us as we are currently faced with many challenges and struggles. Amen.

Good morning. Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. Happy New Month and Happy Independence Day Nigeria.

KEEP GOING FORWARD, DON’T STOP. NEVER LOOK BACK! (Homily for WEDNESDAY of the 26TH Week in Ordinary Time. Memorial of St. Jerome).

Bible Study:  Nehemiah 2, 1 to 8. And Luke 9, 57 to 62.

The book of Nehemiah is one of the books in the Bible that tells a truly human story; one that virtually everyone living on planet earth can properly identify with. It is a story of how an ‘ordinary’ cup-bearer rose to become a Governor, a builder and a defender of lost heritage. It is a story of how one man’s deep trust in God and prayerfulness catapulted an entire nation from laughing stock to mighty force. It is a story of a man who refused to look back, a man who would not allow discouragement prevent him from accomplishing that which God set his mind to do.

We all can identify with the characters in the story of Nehemiah. From the King who was compassionate enough to notice his cup-bearer looking unusually sad to the elegant Queen just sitting beside him making those ‘tiny’ suggestions, to the cup-bearer whose heart was heavy as a result of the ruins of his fatherland. We can see how one trained to take instructions suddenly became the one giving instructions to the king asking for specific letters to be written for the release of wood for the work and letters to be given to the Governors of the region to allow work commence. Hmmmmm!

Nehemiah represents a man who was called by God, yet had every reason to doubt himself, had every force of discouragement but went along all the way to the end without looking back. Nehemiah could have asked himself “Who am I to speak to the king?” Nehemiah did not have previous training in building and constructions, he wasn’t even in the army, neither was a high-profile government official but one thing was that he did not LOOK BACK or LOOK DOWN on himself. He did not allow the question of settling family issues come before his call. Note that this was the problem with the man Jesus called in the Gospel passage. Jesus had to say to him: “No one who puts his hand to the plough and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Silence those voices of discouragement today. Keep telling yourself “Yes, I can.” “Yes, I can.” “Yes, I can.” People may say whatever they like about me but I know “Yes, I can.” I may be a ‘no-body’ but I know that with God, I am somebody. This is what Nehemiah was saying to himself as he went to the palace, this is what St. Jerome was saying to himself when it took him eighteen long years to translate the entire Bible from Hebrew and Aramaic to Latin.

We are able to access the Bible in English today easily but just imagine what the world would have been if somebody had not set out to translate it from its original languages. For eighteen years, Jerome was indoors working day and night, not sleeping much performing severe fasts that the world may read the word of God.

St. Jerome like Nehemiah was a busy person. They were not the type of people satisfied with doing nothing, they worked hard and accomplished things for God’s kingdom.

Jerome who was once a secretary to a reigning Pope was a man deeply committed to the Scriptures. One of his favourite sayings which I guess you may have heard is this: “Ignorance of the Scriptures is Ignorance of Christ.” He would also saying: “The reading of Holy Scriptures should follow upon prayer, and prayer in turn should follow reading.” Meaning that we should only read the Bible in the context of prayer and prayer should normally lead to the study of the Bible.

Read more about St. Jerome at http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/Saints/saint.aspx?id=1154

Let us pray:

Lord Jesus, keep me busy for you. May I never be discouraged by challenges or distractions of any kind as I give myself entire to the promotion of your kingdom on earth. Use me in any way you wish regardless of my present status or calling. Use me Lord. Amen.

Good morning. Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. 

THE GLORY OF HEAVEN. (Homily for TUESDAY of the 26TH Week. Feast of Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael.)

Bible Study:  Daniel 7, 9 to 14. And John 1, 47 to 51.

The existence of angels is a fact not easily comprehended by human reasoning. Angels form part of what St. Paul talks about when he said: “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him. 1^st Corinthians 2, 9.

Though the Bible speaks about angels in many instances, there are only three whose names were specifically mentioned and that is why we refer to them as the Archangels.

In the book of Jude 1, verse 9, we read: “But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, disputed about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a reviling judgment upon him, but said, "The Lord rebuke you."

Michael is again mentioned in the book of Revelations as waging war against the devil. “Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they were defeated and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world -- he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.” Revelation 12, 7 to 9.

Even as far back as the Old Testament, Michael is mentioned as a warring prince who fights on behalf of God’s children. Daniel 10, 12 to 13 reads: “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your mind to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words. The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, so I left him there with the prince of the kingdom of Persia.”

In the book of Tobit, we encounter the Archangel Raphael as a travel companion, a healer and a demon-destroyer.  Tobit 3, verse 17 reads: “And Raphael was sent to heal the two of them: to scale away the white films of Tobit's eyes; to give Sarah the daughter of Raguel in marriage to Tobias the son of Tobit, and to bind Asmodeus the evil demon, because Tobias was entitled to possess her.”

Archangel Gabriel plays the role of the messenger of good news by bringing the message of the Annunciation to Mary in Luke 1, 26 to 28 we read: “In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Hail, O favoured one, the Lord is with you!” He was also the angel that announced to Zechariah that at his old age, he would have a child. (Luke 1, verse 19 and following).

The power and working of the Angels is a testimony to the greatness of God and the fact with him, nothing is impossible. As we read in the Gospel passage, Jesus said to Nathanael, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” This statement shocked Nathanael, it revealed to him the power of God and he was converted instantly. Angels also reveal to us the power of God at work in the midst of men. They represent a dimension of reality that reason alone cannot grasp. Just as Nathanael couldn’t understand how Jesus was able to see him under the fig tree, we cannot fully understand how the angels work but we know that they are real.

Let us pray:

Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God commits me here, ever this day be at my side to light and guard, to rule and guide me. Amen.

Good morning. Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. 

THE HOLY JEALOUSY. (Homily for MONDAY of the 26TH Week in Ordinary Time, Year B).

Bible Study:  Zechariah 8, 1 to 8. And Luke 10, 46 to 50.

In our analysis of yesterday’s readings, we identified jealousy as a sin which we must avoid. Surprisingly, today’s first reading speaks of God as being jealous thereby bringing to light the fact that jealousy can be of different categories.

There is a jealousy that is sinful in that it leads to a bring-him-down-syndrome, this kind of jealousy is aimed at the destruction of the person. However there is another type of jealousy which is not sinful but holy, it is the type of jealousy a mother has for her only child, a jealousy that guards the person, protects him from any danger is goes at any length to provide for him or her. This is the jealousy of God for us.

God is not ashamed to be jealous for us because he truly loves us. He wants us to give our hearts to him whole and entire. In the phrasing of the first commandment, God says: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I the Lord your God am a JEALOUS GOD. Exodus 20, 2 to 5.

The reason for God’s jealousy is simple: He want to dwell inside our hearts. This is what we understand from the prophecy of Zechariah: “Thus says the LORD of hosts: I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am jealous for her with great wrath. Thus says the Lord: I will return to Zion, and will DWELL IN THE MIDST of Jerusalem, and Jerusalem shall be called the faithful city.” Zechariah 8, 2 to 3.

God is so jealous for our sake that he wants nothing else and no one else to occupy our hearts. That is why the saying is so true that OUR HEARTS ARE RESTLESS UNTIL THEY REST IN GOD. The summary of everything our hearts long for is God. Money, beauty, relationship, etc., are poor substitutes. Only God can fill the heart with deep inner satisfaction.

Let us pray:

Lord Jesus, increase my love for you and draw me nearer to you everyday. Amen.

Good morning. Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. Happy new week.

THE SMELL OF SIN. (Homily for SUNDAY of the 26TH Week in Ordinary Time, Year B).

Bible Study:  Numbers 11, 25 to 29. James 5, 1 to 6. And Mark 9, 38 to 48.

A few weeks ago, I happened to see a book titled “The Smell of Sin and the Fresh Air of Grace” written by Don Everts. I grabbed it almost immediately and sat down to read. It so happened that the author was specifically talking about what Jesus Christ said in today’s Gospel passage.

Whoever causes one of these little ones to sin, it would be better if a great milestone is hung round his neck and thrown into the sea…

If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off….

If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off….

If your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out…

This is the smell of sin. Sin is such a serious matter. By using these graphic images, Jesus wants us to really have a feel of the gravity of what sin does to us. By talking about how we are to cut out parts of our body or drowning in the sea, Jesus wants us to perceive the smell of sin.

Have you ever been to the emergency ward of a very busy hospital before? Can you imagine the gruesome sight of seeing people being rushed in who were involved in motor accidents? Or try to picture the sight of people whose hands or feet have been amputated as a result of cancer or some other deadly disease. These are the images that should run through our minds each time we are faced with temptation to sin.

Our readings today mention different types of sin which we must avoid as well as their implications to us.

1. The sin of Jealousy.

In the first reading, we may ask: Why did Joshua try to stop Eldad and Medad from prophesying? And then, in the gospel passage, we can also ask: Why did the disciples of Jesus try to stop a man from casting out demons in the name of Jesus? The answer is jealousy. It is the feeling of sadness arising from the actions of others. It is the fuel behind the PULL-HIM-DOWN-MENTALITY that has become so rampart in our world today.

You would know when you are jealous when you do not feel happy over what others are doing that you cannot do. It is not surprising that these same disciples of Jesus were disgraced by a demon when a man brought his son to them and they could not cast it out. Today’s Gospel passage is taken from Mark 9, verse 38 to 48 and the episode of this disgrace took place in the same Mark 9, verse 17 to 28.

And one of the crowd answered him, "Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a dumb spirit; and wherever it seizes him, it dashes him down; and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid; and I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able." …And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit… And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?"

I try putting myself in the shoes of the disciples and I realise that honestly I would feel the same way they did. How can I who is supposed to be close to Jesus be unable to cast out a demon and here is somebody who does not even belong successfully casting it out? Of course, I will try to stop him.

Jealousy is deadly, it makes us look down on others and pick out faults that are not necessary. Jealousy blinds us to the INFINITE POWER OF GOD that is unrestricted and unlimited to any camp or group. Jealousy helps us see our pride clearly when we try to stop others from doing what we feel we alone are capable of doing.

The fact that Eldad and Medad were absent from the ordination ceremony yet received the power of prophesy only goes to show that God is so powerful that he cannot be held bound by distance. Just like Jesus healed the servant of the centurion by simply speaking the word even though he was so many miles away, God is capable of working and using anybody regardless of that person’s location. But Jealousy prevents us from acknowledging this fact. Jealousy limits God in our eyes, it also limits us from growing deeper in our faith.

Are you jealous of anybody? Please drop it today.

2. The sin of Exploitation of Workers.

The second sin our readings mentioned today can be found in the second reading precisely. When people work for us and we refuse to pay them what they deserve, it simply amounts to using them and God does not take it likely at all.

As James says, “Come now, you rich, WEEP and HOWL for the MISERIES that are coming to you…” Refusing to pay workers’ wages is worse than Stealing and riches gotten through such means are useless. It is like heaping up rotten food into one’s stomach or wearing clothes that are best suited for mad people on the streets.

If we are to apply what Jesus says in the Gospel passage to what James is saying, it would read thus: BETTER BE A POOR MAN THAN STEAL FROM YOUR WORKERS BY REFUSING TO PAY THEM THEIR JUST WAGES.

Well, this month is coming to an end, are you a C.E.O or a manager? Have you paid your staff their August Salary? I will not be surprised if there are people here yet to receive their July Salary. If you are guilty of this sin. Please today, God is calling you to repent.

3. The sin of Scandal.

Another deadly mentioned in our readings today is Scandal. Jesus said: Whoever causes one of these little ones to sin, it would be better if a great milestone is hung round his neck and thrown into the sea.

In other words, when we show bad example, when we refuse to live up to the expectations of our vows and commitments, our actions are actually worse than drowning in the sea with a milestone around our neck. Every sin is a serious matter because it smells but the sin of scandal is so smelly that it is worse than death.

Scandal destroys the faith of those who are entrusted to us. Scandal makes a mockery of our moral values. Scandal kills the spiritual life of people who would rather take us to be mentors. This is why we must be very careful to avoid sin not just for our sake but for the sake of others who may be watching us even without us knowing.

Are you father, a mother, a coach, a teacher, a minister? Are you a leader in any church organisation? Do you hold any position of authority at all no matter how small? Even if you are in charge of just one person, do you realize that your consent to sin destroys not only you but the people under you? Are you guilty of not practicing what you preach? Do you break the rules secretly yet come out openly to promulgate them? Today God is calling to repent.

Conclusion – SIN IS AVOIDABLE.

To Sin is to die. Every sin is both a suicide and a murder. It kills us spiritually and it kills others by setting bad example. By saying we should cut off our hands and foot and pluck our eyes, Jesus wants us to realise that we have power over sin and that we have what it takes to avoid it. Never accuse Satan of causing you to sin. If Satan was the cause of sin, why would Jesus be asking us to cut our hands or pluck out our eyes? He would have said instead, “Just kill Satan and you will never sin again.”

Furthermore, in talking about plucking our eyes and cutting our hands, Jesus means to let us know that sin does not just happen by chance or by reflex so to say. There are things that lead to sin. If we really want to stop sin, then we need to avoid setting up the environment for sin. They say, a mistake is only a mistake the first time. If you do it again, it is no longer a mistake but an act of foolishness and its reward is death!

Let us pray:

Lord Jesus, open my eyes to see the gravity of every sin that I may never ever offend you at any instance. Amen.

Good morning. Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. Happy Sunday.

UNDER THE SHEPHERD’S HANDS. (Homily for SATURDAY of the 25TH Week in Ordinary Time, Year B).

Bible Study:  Zechariah 2, 5 to 9 and 10 to 11, Luke 9, 43 to 45.

As children of God, we have no reason to be afraid of enemies because we have a God who knows how to care for us. As we hear in today’s first reading; “Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion; for lo, I come and I will dwell in the midst of you, says the LORD.  And many nations shall join themselves to the LORD in that day, and shall be my people; and I will dwell in the midst of you.”

Also our Psalmist today adds: “The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.”

It is one thing to be ruled by excessive fear, it is a different thing altogether to be have confidence in God in the midst of attacks from the forces of darkness and enemies which surround us.

Fear itself can a weapon in the hands of our enemies against us. Some time ago in this country, just before the elections, there was a nationwide exercise carried out by the Police called “OPERATION SHOW OF FORCE.” The essence of this exercise was not to harm anybody but to let miscreants know that should they try to steal ballot boxes or do things against the success of the election, the police are ready and able to pull them down. Eventually, the elections came out peacefully with very minor reports of violence and not even a single life lost.

Sometimes, Satan performs operation show of force. He does things to scare Christians so as to control them. But my dear friends in Christ, we are more than conquerors. We have a God who defeated Satan on the cross and He remains our shepherd today. When evil doers threaten us, let us simply smile at them and renew our confidence in God.

Let us pray:

Lord Jesus, my shepherd, help me never to leave the warm embrace of your protection. Amen.

Good morning. Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. Happy Weekend.

TAKE COURAGE, NOTHING GOOD COMES EASY. (Homily for FRIDAY of the 25TH Week in Ordinary Time, Year B).

Bible Study:  Haggai 2, 1 to 9 and Luke 9, 18 to 22.

It is precisely when things becomes most difficult that we must push forward. And what keeps us going is courage.  When you begin a race, a journey or perhaps a new virtue, it is usually sweet and interesting but as you get along, it soon gets extremely difficult and you feel left with no other option but to give up completely. The truth is that it is precisely when things get most difficult that you become closest to victory. Courage is what will get you your long awaited victory. Courage is what will give you the crown, courage will earn you a new life.

I remember when I started sending out daily homilies on this platform around August last year. At first, it was easy and interesting but as time went on, I discovered I had put myself in trouble; there was no going back! Many times, I felt like giving up as it was consuming much of my time and energy but COURAGE kept me going. Today, this cross has become part of me.

Addressing the leaders and people of Israel, Haggai in today’s first reading calls for this great virtue of courage: “Yet now TAKE COURAGE, O Zerubbabel, says the Lord; TAKE COURAGE, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; TAKE COURAGE, all you people of the land, says the LORD; work, for I am with you, says the LORD of hosts, according to the promise that I made you when you came out of Egypt. My Spirit abides among you; FEAR NOT. For thus says the LORD of hosts: Once again, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land. Haggai 2:4-6.

The beauty of being alive is that your situation is not yet hopeless. Courage is a virtue that is only inaccessible to dead people.

Just know that the journey to success in life as well the journey to heaven is meant to be DIFFICULT. There must be hurdles along the way, there must be sacrifices and tough choices to be made. Jesus sums it all up in today’s Gospel passage when he said: “The Son of man must SUFFER many things, and be REJECTED by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be KILLED, and on the third day be RAISED.” Luke 9:23. 

Let us pray:

Lord Jesus my big brother, help me to gain wisdom in the fact that the darkest part of the night comes just before the dawn. Grant me the grace of Courage especially when it matters most. Amen.

Good morning. Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you.

WHY MUST WE BUILD THE FAMILY HOUSE? (Homily for THURSDAY of the 25TH Week in Ordinary Time, Year B).

Bible Study:  Haggai 1, 1 to 8 and Luke 9, 7 to 9.

A few days ago, we read of how Jesus said that his mother and his brothers were those who hear the word of God and keep it, thereby officially making us all part of his one family. The church can be likened to a family house, it is a place where we can rightfully call home, a place to relax and connect with the people that matter most to us. In this case, God is our father and Jesus our elder brother.

When we are able to come to an understanding that the church is more than a building or a work of art, but our very family home, then we would stop at nothing to put it in a good shape. What son would be living in a mansion in the city while his father is squatting in a mud house with leaking roof in the village? If you were that father going about begging for sustenance to survive and maintain your mud-house and you hear your son has built a mansion in the city without sending you a kobo all the while, how would you feel?

Unfortunately, many do not mind! They see the church as “their-place” rather than “our-place”, they find it difficult to contribute towards the building of the church, yet they spend lavishly in their own buildings. They do this not because they don’t have the means but because they really do not know what they are doing.

When we read 2^nd Samuel, chapter 7, we get to see how God lavished blessing on David for merely having the mind of building a house for God. Even though, God wanted his son to build the house, God blessed him tremendously. David asked Nathan, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells in a tent?”

Just as God was so happy with David for having this mind, our first reading today makes us understand that the reverse is often the case when our attitude towards the building of God’s house is unpleasant. Haggai says to us, “Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins?  Now therefore thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider how you have fared. You have sown much, and harvested little; you eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill; you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and he who earns wages earns wages to put them into a bag with holes.” Haggai 1:4-6.

Honestly, the words of Haggai sound like curses and that is exactly what they are. If we do not build the family house, we are like people going to fetch water with baskets, we work so hard trying to make ends meet but we do not see where the money is going to, we eat so well, yet we are never nourished, we run so fast yet we make no movement.

Above all, we must not forget that just as it is important to build the family house (the church) physically, it is equally important that we build the spiritual house in our hearts and keep it clean daily by censoring our thoughts. Let God have a space in your mind always. Do not be like Herod trying to see Jesus only because he wanted to see miracle.

Let us pray:

Lord Jesus my big brother, I place my life entirely in your hands. Help me to be a good son who takes proper care of Daddy’s house, the church. Teach me how to reverence the holy place and bless me as I build for you. Amen.

Good morning. Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you.

INSTRUMENTS OF GOD’S POWER AND HEALING. (Homily for WEDNESDAY of the 25TH Week in Ordinary Time, Year B). Memorial of St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina.

Bible Study:  Ezra 9, 5 to 9 and Luke 9, 1 to 6.

In our Gospel passage for today, Jesus summons the Twelve Apostles and GAVE them POWER AND AUTHORITY over all demons and to cure diseases. He then SENT them to PROCLAIM the Kingdom of God and to HEAL the sick. He said to them, “Take NOTHING for the journey, no walking sick, no sack, no food, no money and not even a second tunic.”

As Christians, our relationship with God makes us instruments of God’s power. The closer we are to God, the better the flow of this power through us to God’s people. Basically, we are intercessors for the people, like Ezra, our basic duty is praying for God’s people. We make sacrifices on their behalf and take on vows such as celibacy, obedience and poverty so that we can be in good standing with God, have time for God and be less distracted by the world for his power to flow through us.

However, the fact that we have power and authority over demons and diseases does not make us magicians.

Magicians perform signs and wonders for display and get paid for doing so, they are always popular and people troupe to them because they believe they have power in themselves. But for ministers of God, money is completely out of the question! We do not try to make ourselves popular by advertising miracles and we always make people understand that we are not powerful in ourselves, but are simply being used by God. We do not consider ourselves higher or better than the people and we never do anything to make them worship us.

There are however a lot of magicians in our world today, some of whom appear like ministers but by their fruits we know them.

Today we celebrate the memory of one great Saint who is a classic example of one who God used powerful as an instrument of his healing. He could spend as much as 10hours daily hearing confessions and he had a gift of knowing what was in the heart of people even if they tried to hide their sins. He understood that nothing causes as much sickness to us humans as living in sin, hence his commitment and dedication to the sacrament of Penance. He is none other than St. Padre Pio, the priest and stigmata. You may want to read more about him by clicking http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/Saints/saint.aspx?id=1147

Let us pray:

Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

Where there is injury, pardon;

Where there is doubt, faith;

Where there is despair, hope;

Where there is darkness, light;

Where there is sadness, joy.

O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek

To be consoled as to console,

To be understood as to understand,

To be loved as to love;

For it is in giving that we receive;

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;

It is in dying to self that we are born to eternal life. Amen.

Good morning. Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you.

COMING HOME DAILY WITH JOY. (Homily for TUESDAY of the 25TH Week in Ordinary Time, Year B).

Bible Study:  Ezra 6, 7 to 8, 12, 14 to 20 and Luke 8, 19 to 21.

Nothing gives as much joy to us humans as having a sense of belonging. This is why we value our family ties. Family is a place where we are always welcome, a place where we are perfectly understood, a place where we can rest our head knowing that we are never alone. That is why we long to be home every day and when work takes us far away, we long with nostalgia to be home again.

Jesus, today makes us understand that apart from our physical family, there is another family we belong to by virtue of our HEARING and ACTING on the WORD of God. As he says to us, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it.” Luke 8, 21.

Our deepest motivation for keeping God’s commandment should be the understanding that we are part of this beautiful family of Jesus. This accounts for the feeling of restlessness we encounter each time we commit a sin. Our greatest source of happiness as Christians is knowing that we are at peace with God and our conscience is clear whenever we come before his presence. No wonder the Psalmist sings: “I rejoice when I heard them say, let us go to God’s house.”

The church is more than a mere building. It is our home. We should go to church to relax. As Jesus says to us in Matthew 11, 28 to 29, “Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

Whenever you feel burdened and troubled, please go home to church. Talk to Jesus, your brother, ask Mary your mother, consult with the saints, they are your family. Never make the mistake of going to a beer parlour, never try to seek solace in sinful relationships, internet, television, worldly music or destructive media, such things never get you relaxed but only increase your sorrow and multiply your pain in the long run. Like the case of the Prodigal son, such things are pig-food at their very best.

If your brother is the Governor of a state, your manner of movement and public behaviour, and even what you say becomes somewhat restricted. You don’t talk anyhow lest you start making headlines. So it is with this special family where Jesus is our brother and God is our father.

Let us pray:

Lord Jesus, help me to appreciate my identity as a member of your family and live accordingly finding rest only in you. Amen.

Good evening. Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you.

I DID NOT COME TO CALL THE RIGHTEOUS BUT SINNERS. (Homily for MONDAY of the 25TH Week in Ordinary Time, Year B. Feast of St. Matthew).

Bible Study:  Ephesians 4, 1 to 7, 11 to 13 and Matthew 9, 9 to 13.

The call of Matthew, the tax collector is a classic example of the fact that before God, no one is absolutely useless. Many looked at Matthew and saw in him an ordinary tax collector and thereby a sinner because it was common knowledge that in the business of collecting taxes, the tax-master always kept his own share. But God looked at Matthew and saw in him a man who would not only become a great apostle but the very man to write one of the Gospels that would be used for thousands of thousands of years to come to preach and talk about Jesus.

God relates with us based on our potentials and not on our past. We should therefore not allow the past prevent us from responding to God’s call from within.

We all have been called to various apostolates and equipped with various gifts and talents, but then, the fact that we have been given different gifts does not necessarily mean that God wants us all to open new churches.

As St. Paul says in the first reading, the various gifts we have been given are to be used for the collective growth of the body of Christ in UNITY. Ephesians 4, 11 to 13 says: “And his gifts were that some should be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith.” In this same passage, St. Paul says: we must be “eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Because “there is one body and one Spirit, … one Lord, one faith, one baptism,  one God and Father of us all. Ephesians 4, 3 to 6.

Furthermore, the call of Matthew challenges us never to become puffed up by pride concerning our state of life. It is not in our place to judge or condemn people but to strive live in a manner worthy of our calling.

Rather than condemn people, let us have the same mind that Jesus had towards them. First he loved them, he accepted them, he ate and drank with them, he ministered to their needs, he preached the truth to them, and carried them gently till he won their hearts over. Have you ever attempted to save a sinner before?

Let us pray:

Lord Jesus, just as you called Matthew, may I be an instrument in your hands in winning hearts and minds closer to you everyday. Amen.

Good evening. Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. Happy new week.