FINDING PEACE IN A TROUBLED WORLD. WHERE DO WE TURN TO? (Homily for May 1, 2016. Sixth Sunday of Easter. Year C.)

Bible Study: Acts 15, 1 to 2 and 22 to 29. Revelation 21, 10 to 14 and 22 to 23. John 14, 23 to 29.

Apart from water, food and shelter, peace is considered as one of man’s most treasured possession.. As we know, peace is more than the absence of war, it is the presence of that inner calmness, the presence of a certain degree of fearlessness, the presence of joy and appreciation for one’s state in life. Without peace, it is difficult for anyone to really say he or she is alive as every moment comes with its own load of worries, unhappiness and fear. To be without peace is to live in a temporary hell and this is a punishment no human being deserves.

Dear friends, the truth is that we cannot hide the fact that in our world today, there are real threats to our personal and communal peace. The Fulani herdsmen menace in this country is an example internal terrorism brewing right before our very eyes. The seemingly hopeless condition of our economy with the naira loosing value day after day is a threat to our peace. The fact that there is no constant supply of light and we cannot even get fuel to power our better-pass-my-neighbours is a disturbance to our personal peace. The high cost of living coupled with the wastefulness on the part of our senators, assembly members, representatives and leaders in different cadres who do not seem interested in alleviating the plights of the poor masses just leaves us restless.

It is almost a year now since a new government came into power but it is becoming clear that the change we are seeing now is different from the change we were expecting and the harsh realisation of this fact is scary to say the least. Even on a domestic level, many homes today are without peace. There are never ending quarrels over money, unfaithfulness, childlessness, unemployment and so on between couples and sometimes interference from the extended family members.

The church itself is not even left out. Consider the unbridled rivalry between different denominations, see how Pentecostals and Catholics treat other like arch enemies. Sometimes, even between fellow Catholics, charismatic members and legionaries. Today’s first reading is classic case of how there can be division in the church leading to the lack of peace. The issue was about whether or not the converted gentiles should be circumcised to receive salvation. Circumcision was just one issue but within the church today, there are so many issues capable of splitting us apart.

In the midst of all these things that trouble us, we have always sought for ways and strategies to find peace. One of the ways we look for peace is trying to amass as much wealth as we can. We assume that since money solves many problems, the more of it we get, the better our chances of dealing with our life situation. But then, even with so much money, many cannot understand why peace still eludes them. You must have heard the saying: “Big man, big wahala.”

Some take to arms and ginger others to fight. They seek peace through self-defence or under the protection of military might. In the name of finding peace, there is almost no end to the production and discovery of weapons of mass destruction. You hear of soldiers going for peace keeping and you see them go with rifles, bombs, sophisticated weapons and so on and you wonder how much peace they end up bringing to the victims at the receiving end of these weapons. If by killing others, you hope to find peace, then find out if you will have any peace should you become the only man left alive on earth.

Again to find peace, many believe pleasure is the answer. They are ready to do whatever will tickle their nerves even if such clearly offends God. Moral values are fast eroding from our society today as many believe entertainment holds the key to salvation. Listen to our music today, look at our films; see how our youth dress. It is rather disheartening. If pleasure could bring peace, why is there still so much unrest among the humans who now live like animals in our society today?

Dear friends, Jesus Christ has given us the only solution to peace. He says in our Gospel passage this morning: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you.” So far we have considered various ways we try to obtain peace from the world and we know how such peace are short-lived and bring alongside their own baggage of pain.

The peace that Jesus gives is the only true peace and this peace is so powerful because it entails having God himself living inside you. “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.” If you succeed in having God living inside of you, what can possibly threaten your peace anymore? Is there any situation too difficult for God to handle?

Dear friends, rather than expend our energies on things that only provide false promises of peace only to leave us restless all the more, let us be resolved to get close to Jesus and love him by keeping his commandments that he may dwell in our hearts and bring us true peace. The world as we see it cannot give us the peace we need. Jesus alone is the answer. The only peace we need is to have God the father, the God the Son and God the Holy Spirit right inside our hearts. He who finds God lacks nothing. He who lacks God lacks everything. To be in God is to experience Peace! Let us treasure the fact that this peace is available to us right now.

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, come into my heart that I may find true peace of soul despite all the troubles the wold contains. Amen

God bless you. Good morning. Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. Happy Sunday and Happy new month. Welcome to May!

(Homily for April 30, 2016. Saturday of the 5th Week of Easter)

THIS WORLD IS NOT OURS.

Bible Study: Acts 16, 1 to 10 and John 15, 18 to 21.

Just recently, someone sent me a very gruesome video of the violent killings of some Christians by fellow human beings. With shock, I watched how human beings were being slaughtered in a manner even less dignifying than cows. The even went as far as removing parts of their bodies and were laughing along. All this in the name of religion.

We have read stories of how Christians were persecuted in ancient times but to see the same thing happen right before our very eyes by our fellow Nigerians is just the height. Jesus said it all: “If the world hates you, realize it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own; but because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you from the world, the world hates you.”

This hatred is real and we can see it with our eyes. We do not hate anyone, we are always very accommodating and expecting the best of people even from other religions. Yet some religions are taught and groomed to feel nothing other hatred for us Christians and each day part of their prayer fuels that hatred even more. It feels as if we are placed in an unfortunate situation. Do we begin to hate them back? No!

The whole essence of being in Christ is the realization and understanding that the world in which we live in is not our final destination. We must tell ourselves that we are hated because we are not at home. And so we must strive to live each day in preparation for our departure home. Rather than hate people or think of ways to fight back, we must as a matter of priority weed out everything and anything that could prevent us from reaching our final destination; luxury, sinfulness, lust of the eyes, lust of the senses, pleasure, materialism, etc.

What profit would it be to gain the world, make the world love us and then loose what is most precious? Which is our very souls.

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, in the face of this persecutions, help me to remain focused on reaching my final destination with you. Amen

God bless you. Good morning. Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. Have a prayerful weekend and happy end of the month.

WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS. (Homily for April 29, 2016. Friday of the 5th Week of Easter)

Bible Study: Acts 15, 22 to 31 and John 15, 12 to 17.

Finally, the question of circumcision was settled as we read in today’s first reading. The Gentiles who were not part of the old covenant do not need to bear the mark of that covenant in their bodies for accepting to be Christians. Now it had become clear that circumcision itself contributes nothing to salvation. Rather, it is because of what Christ did for us on the cross that we have the privilege of going to heaven.

In some cultures in the world, the practice of circumcision still holds sway but then, their explanation for doing this is nothing more than the maintenance of some ancient culture. Some cultures even hold certain myths regarding the practice. For instance, I have heard that females who are circumcised are more likely to be well-behaved and less immoral than those who are not. Again, there is no solid proof of this.

It is not by mutilating one’s genitals that he or she would be holy rather as Moses himself said, what is more important is to: “circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and be no longer stubborn.” Deuteronomy 10, 16. It is the heart itself that needs mutilation; that tendency in us to live according to our flesh as though we are ordinary animals – that is what we must cut off. 

And we mutilate our hearts not just for the fun it but because we are friends of Jesus. In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus calls us his friends but as we can see, only very few people living on this planet today realize this and concretize it in their lives. As the saying goes, “Show me your friends, and I will tell you who you are.” By the way we live, it shows that Jesus is not our friend.

The first guarantee of our friendship with Jesus is our ability to love others just as Jesus himself loved us. Jesus says quite plainly: “YOU ARE MY FRIENDS ‘IF’ YOU DO WHAT I COMMAND YOU.” And what has he commanded us? To love. And what kind of love? To lay down our lives for our enemies, to not resist when we are attacked, to refuse to hate even those who are taught to hate us.

In the wake of the Fulani herdsmen menace, there is a growing tendency among Christians to hate and treat with suspicion all those from the North as well as our gatemen, our shoe-makers, our okada-riders. But then, this attitude of hate is not Christlike. Christ never thought us to hate but to love. It is our love, not our hatred that will succeed in converting the lost sheep in the end.

Today, also we remember a great saint and doctor of the church, St. Catherine of Siena. Her life was one of deep piety and love for Jesus as a best friend. When she was still very young, she was favoured with celestial visions and began to practice severe austerities. At 16, she became a Dominican tertiary and undertook the care of lepers even from her own home. At times, she would go on for days without eating anything other than the Holy Eucharist. She prayed incessantly and suffered especially for sinners who refused to pray for themselves. Many came to her to seek her advice and some received miraculous healing when she prayed for them. Although she, like Padre Pio suffered the Stigmata, she radiated so much joy that one would hardly realise how much suffering she was passing though. Catherine died on the 29^th of April 1380 aged barely 33. Her famous writing is titled “Dialogue.” And for this and other spiritual writings, she was proclaimed a doctor of the church by Pope Paul VI in 1970.

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, may my friendship with you teach me to circumcise my heart from immorality and hate. Amen.

St. Catherine of Siena, pray for us.

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

THAT YOUR JOY MAY BE FULL. (Homily for April 28, 2016. Thursday of the 5th Week of Easter)

Bible Study: Acts 15, 7 to 21 and John 15, 9 to 11.

In a world of growing injustices, violence unleashed on innocent citizens, leaders refusing to rise up to their responsibilities to provide the dividends of democracy, a world where a particular set of people seem to be having their way while perpetrating evil on a massive scale, a world of growing anger among the citizens and especially among Christians who seem to be the victims of these unprovoked attacks, one is tempted to wonder if Jesus Christ was ever right when he preached love in place of hate.

We all desire to be happy and to live joyful and healthy lives but the problem is that not everyone knows how to find this happiness and for such persons, the key to relieve their pain is to unleash pain on others but it never works. As strange and unreasonable as this may sound, the key to our greatest happiness is not violence on others or revenge but love.

John 15, 10 to 12. “If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”

When Jesus was arrested, Peter took out a sword and struck the ear of Malchus, a slave to the high priest, and to the amazement of everyone, Jesus put back the ear in place and made an amazing statement: “Put your sword back into its place; for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.” Matthew 26, 52.

This is a statement for angry Christians in this country today. All those who go about maiming, raping and killing our people are using the sword and whether they like it or not, they too will perish by the sword of their hands. But it is not for us to follow the way of Peter. Love is more powerful than hate! 

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, help us to remain in your love by loving as you loved. Amen.

St. Louis Maria De Monfort, pray for us.

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

IS THERE AN EASY TICKET TO HEAVEN? (Homily for April 27, 2016. Wednesday of the 5th Week of Easter)

Bible Study: Acts 15, 1 to 6 and John 15, 1 to 8.

In our first reading this morning, an argument about circumcision arose in the early Christian community. Some men came from Judea and were teaching the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”

Paul and Barnabas totally disagreed and given the mounting commotion, they had to be sent to Jerusalem which was at that time the headquarters of the church for clarification on this matter.

For these men, circumcision was the only ticket to heaven and as such, if one was not circumcised, no matter how holy he or she may be, there is no chance of salvation. What they failed to realise was that circumcision was nothing more than a sign and not the real deal.

Going back to Genesis 17, 10 to 11, we read: “This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. You shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskins, and IT SHALL BE A SIGN of the covenant between me and you.”

It is funny how we can often become fixated with signposts and forget what they lead to. A sign only indicate the presence of something, it is not the thing itself, it gives direction to a location but it is not the location itself. And the sign of circumcision was meant to indicate an agreement between God and the people of Israel to keep the commandments of God.

Circumcision was a way of marking out the people, it is something that differentiated them from other nations and a permanent reminder in their own bodies that they were not to be like those who do not worship God. At its very best, circumcision was nothing more than a tribal mark. By making circumcision a prerequisite for salvation, these men were completely taking things out of context and more still, undermining what Jesus Christ had done on the Cross.

Do I place more emphasis on signs (external appearances) and forget the actual realities they point to? For instance, do I believe that with the Bible under my pillow, I will be protected from evil even if I never take my time to read it?

In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus simply tells us what he requires of us. Not external circumcision, but inner connection. “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.  … If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. John 15, 4 to 7.  Dear friends, let us strive to be connected to Jesus and daily meditate on his words rather than believe in mere signs and symbols.

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, grant me the grace to abide firmly in you always. Amen.

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

THE POWER AND BEAUTY OF INNER PEACE. (Homily for April 26, 2016. Tuesday of the 5th Week of Easter)

Bible Study: Acts 14, 19 to 28 and John 14, 27 to 37.

In our Gospel passage this morning, we hear Jesus talking to us about Peace and he specifically mentions that the peace which he wants us to have is different from the peace that the world can afford. The peace which the world gives is very expensive, you need to have very strong iron gates, tall and walls and even trained soldiers guarding your house but the Peace which Jesus wants us to have is free.

It is peace that protects you from deep inside your heart from despair, from fear and anxiety. It is a peace that prevents you from getting worried when things are not working out as you expect them to be. It is peace that keeps you going no matter the trials and difficulties you experience. Hence the moment Jesus says he wants to give us this peace, he immediately went on to say: “Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”

The story of Paul preaching to several towns as contained in our first reading this morning is a classic example of a person who succeeded because he had this inner peace. Consider the fact that he was stoned by his fellow Jews and dragged out of the city and the people assumed he was dead. Imagine the pain he must have felt, the discomfort and bruises even to the point when he suddenly became unconscious.

The following day, he got up and without a single thought for his health, he continued the very mission that led to his stoning. He didn’t even complain to God like Jonas who was asked to preach to the Nenivites and could not afford a scorching heat one hot afternoon. Paul regained consciousness and he went back to the same town from which was dragged out “strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying that THROUGH MANY TRIBULATIONS we must enter the kingdom of God.”

How can we possibly accept the many tribulations that are just part of the road to heaven? The only solution is for us to have this inner peace.

By the way you may ask, why is the road to heaven so difficult? Why did Jesus say if you must follow him, you must carry your cross? Why did he say, “narrow is the path that leads to life and only few find it?” Matthew 7, 13 to 14. Yes, the road is hard because the world as we see it does not belong to us. Hence Jesus makes mention of the “ruler of this world” as one who was coming to bring about disturbance. “I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place, you may believe. I will no longer talk much with you for the ruler of this world is coming.” This ruler of the world that Jesus Christ is referring to is the devil who in the course of his temptations took him to a great height showing him all the kingdoms of the world in their riches asking that Jesus would simply bow that all these may be given to him.

Jesus refused to bow, he refused the smooth and easy ride; he choose the difficult road instead. Peace of mind is such a vital ingredient for us to move successfully on this road to heaven. When we have this peace, nothing is too difficult anymore. The persecutions we have to face from satan and forces of darkness become light and we are just able to handle our trials like Paul did. We are ready for anything and determined to continue to serve God forever.

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, fill our heart with your peace that we may never be discouraged by trials. Amen.

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

CELEBRATING ST. MARK; THE GREAT EVANGELIST. (Homily for April 25, 2016. Monday of the 5th Week of Easter)

Bible Study: 1^st Peter 5, 5 to 14 and Mark 16, 15 to 20.

Today, we celebrate one of the great heroes of our Christian Faith, a man about whom nothing much would have been known if he had associated with the right persons at the right time. Mark was a personal assistant to the first Pope, St. Peter and as a very good secretary, the Gospel he wrote was the content of everything he heard St. Peter preach as they went from place to place in the mission of evangelization.

As we read in our first reading this morning, St. Peter refers to St. Mark as a Son. Being called a son is the best qualification any assistant can get from his master. It shows that Peter was very satisfied with Mark’s excellent service. Like any biological son, Mark proved himself a worthy assistant, humble and resourceful in applying his own talents and gifts towards the overall goal of the mission.

In life, we cannot all be bosses, we must learn to bring ourselves down and serve in whatever capacity God so desires of us. Sometimes, your greatest achievement may just be having to work in the background. No one might acknowledge you but someday, somehow, the world itself would know how indispensable you are. This is a lesson we get from the life of Mark.

It is not surprising that in that same first reading where Peter referred to Mark as a son, he began by saying: “Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that in due time he may exalt you.” 1^st Peter 5,  5 to 6. 

It is believed that Mark must have been among the Seventy that Jesus sent out two by two to go into the surrounding countries where he himself was to visit and at the end of their mission, they came back rejoicing declaring how the evil spirits obeyed their bidding. This is the same reality that Mark tries to convey in his Gospel passage which we read today. “And they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that attended it.” Mark 16, 20. In other words, apart from being a writer, Mark was also a preacher himself.

According to scripture scholars, Mark was the first person to have written a Gospel as early as 64 A.D. and others such as Matthew and Luke copied from him. This accounts for the deep similarities in the three Gospels. While Mark’s Gospel tends to appeal to the common people given that he wrote it in simple Greek, Matthew addresses a traditional Jewish audience and Luke appeals more to the Gentile community. Saint Mark’s journey with Saint Peter and Saint Barnabas is recorded in Acts as they travelled through Cyprus and Rome carrying the Word. Church writings accredit Saint Mark as founding the Church in Alexandria and consequently, serving as bishop there.

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, teach me to be humble and never hold back my talents for use in the spread of the Gospel. Amen

St. Mark, pray for us.

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

A NEW COMMANDMENT; LOVE ONE ANOTHER JUST AS I LOVED YOU. (Homily for April 24, 2016. Fifth Sunday of Easter. Year C)

Bible Study: Acts 14, 21 to 27. Revelation 21, 1 to 5 and John 13, 34 to 35.

When I first glanced at today’s Gospel passage, I almost thought I was looking at the wrong reading. This is the fifth Sunday of Easter and guess what our Gospel passage takes us back again to that scene in the upper room and not just that, it mentions the fact that Judas Iscariot had just gone out to betray Jesus.

With pain in his heart at the realization of what was about to happen to him, one would have expected Jesus to become angry with Judas and think of a way to destroy him before he succeeds in his plan. Instead, Jesus went on to tell his disciples, “I give you a new commandment: love one another.” John 13, 34. As Jesus was saying this, he had Judas in his mind and he was basically saying to them: “love everybody including the very persons who betray you. Love that brother or yours who would stab you in the back. Love that man or that woman who you know to be planning your death.”

As ridiculous as this may sound, this was exactly what Jesus was saying and this is exactly what he expects of us today. And because knew that this kind of love is so different from what we are used to, he made it clear that he was giving us a NEW commandment. While the Old commandment says: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” Leviticus 19, 18, this new commandment says: “You shall love your very enemies and give yourself out for them just as Jesus did on the cross.”

While the Old commandment is based on oneself, treating people as you want to be treated, being nice to people so that they too can be nice to you, this NEW commandment says the opposite. It is not based on how you feel but on what Christ did. This new commandment says we should be nice to the people who hurt us deliberately, that even when we are not getting anything from them, we should continue to shower them with care and warmth, that when they give us one dirty slap, we should turn the other cheek, that when they forcefully take our cloak, we should let them have our tunic as well, that when they oppress us, insult us and make us feel less of ourselves, we should continue to love them and never retaliate evil with evil.

In fact, this is revolutionary. The kind of love we are used to, the kind of love we see everywhere is according to P-Square: “Do me, I do you.” It is a business love. You treat me right, I treat you right, you scratch my back, I scratch your back. The day I no longer get from you, know that is the day I will stop giving to you. If you don’t allow me benefit from you, then I will make sure life is miserable for you. This is the kind of love we see every day and at best this love is not Christ-like.

One does not need to be a Christian to love in a do-me I-do-you fashion and if that is the only love we are capable of, then there is no need for us to be in church. Even pagans treat with kindness those who are kind to them. As Christians, our love for one another should go beyond this; our love should accommodate those who hurt us, our love should be selfless, our love should not expect anything back from the people who benefit from us, our love must involve sacrifice and we should never complain even when we are not being paid or compensated or complimented for what we give out.

Jesus’ idea of love is so different, that is why humanity is yet to understand it even after two thousand years.  For Jesus, love is the love and care of the good Samaritan for the traveller waylaid on his way, of the good shepherd seeking his lost sheep, of the father welcoming his lost and wayward son, of the public sinner pouring costly ointment on his feet: for Jesus, “greater love than this no man has, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”  To a world of betraying Judas-es, lying Peters, lying Caiphas-es, gambling soldiers, and a whole spectrum of evil at his crucifixion, Jesus declared, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do..” This is love which is entirely new. This is love as St. Stephen gave his life, “”Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. . . . Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” Acts 7, 59 to 60.

The early Christians lived this love preached by Christ such that those around them saw this love as their living trademark, “See how these Christians love one another.”  Their love transcended race, culture and language and created a new society, the Christian Church.  This love is the fire that propelled the Apostles to abandon their personal interests and their families and move out from place to place to preach. It was not convenient to them, they faced serious persecution and suffered so many things, yet they did not give up on the mission. In today’s first reading, a mention is made of several towns Paul and Barnabas visited and their message was one of courage “that it is through many tribulations that we must enter the kingdom of God.”

Dear friends in Christ, love is fake if it keeps demanding it get back what it gives out to the other person, love is fake if it is only about emotional or sensual feelings, love is fake if it is just about the looks or the shape and size of one’s body, love is fake if it is not Christlike, love is fake if one has to pay back for it, love is fake if it is not as Christ exemplified for us or against the commandment of God that demands respect of the body as a temple of the Holy Spirit. In the name of love, many plunge themselves into sin today and we know how such ends.

Dear friends, let us be Christians and love as Christ did that we may eventually be part of the new heaven and new earth that John speaks about in the second reading. Any love that is not oriented to heaven, any love that contradicts God’s commandments and is not selfless like that of Christ is devilish.

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, may we learn to love as you loved and not as the world loves. Amen

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

THE JOY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. (Homily for April 23, 2016. Saturday of the 4th week of Easter.)

Bible Study: Acts 13, 44 to 52 and John 14, 7 to 14.

Today’s first reading begins with a tone of sadness but ends on a joyful note. Paul and Barnabas were beginning to make waves with their preaching attracting multitudes to God but fellow Jews out of jealousy rose against them.

This was the same jealousy that prevented the Pharisees from receiving Jesus even though they were convinced that Jesus is the Messiah. Jealousy is such a bad thing but as we see in this first reading today, jealousy became the catalyst that made way for the Gospel to reach the Gentiles.

In the midst of the persecution that arose against the disciples, they were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. One of the fruits of the Holy Spirit is Joy. Not even the strokes of the cane was able to dampen their joy. This shows clearly that the joy of the Holy Spirit is very different from other joys.

This joy is one that goes beyond the emotional feeling of excitement or sensory pleasure, it is joy that arises from the depths of one’s heart, it is a spring of water which Jesus describes in his encounter with the Samaritan woman; it is joy that cannot be quenched even by the mighty blows of persecution or martyrdom. This is the joy that gave the martyrs courage to smile even when they were been led to the gallows to be burnt at stake.

Jesus tells us indirectly what is responsible for this type of joy when he said to Philip, “To have seen me is to have seen the Father.” If the Holy Spirit is in you, then God is in you and if you carry God inside you, you have no choice but to be HAPPY because happiness is not just a gift of God, it is God itself.

Yesterday, Jesus began the Gospel by saying, “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me.” Today he seems to build further on that by saying: “Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it that the Father may be glorified in the Son; if you ask anything in my name I will do it.”

Are you feeling sad? Why trouble your heart when you have Jesus? Have you prayed about it and do you believe strongly in your heart that your prayer is enough? Do you believe you just told a friend who has the power to do anything? Song: What a Friend we have in Jesus….

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, help us to do your will and be filled with joy, peace and happiness everyday. Amen

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

LET NOT YOUR HEARTS BE TROUBLED. (Homily for April 22, 2016. Friday of the 4th week of Easter.)

Bible Study: Acts 13, 26 to 33 and John 14, 1 to 6.

The words of Jesus in our Gospel passage this morning are really really reassuring.  Despite whatever life brings, let these words remain always at the back of our minds: “Let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me.” Jesus did not just say, “let not your hearts be troubled”, he went ahead to add the only cure and remedy or safeguard so to say, that would prevent our hearts from getting unnecessarily troubled – “Believe!” Just believe.

Believe that there is God and that God knows, God sees, God understands, that God cares and always wants the best for you. Believe also in Jesus that he is the Son of God, that he once lived in human flesh and he perfectly understands what you are going through. Truly speaking, the only cure for worry is Faith!. To the extent that we believe things would be fine is the extent that we let go of our fears and anxiety.

Consider what St. Paul is saying in the first reading. Jesus Christ was persecuted by a people he came to save, a people who were anxiously expecting a Messiah, and even though they did not recognise Jesus as the long awaited Messiah, by their very actions, they helped bring to fulfilment all that the prophets of old said about Jesus.

Dear friends, could it just be that the so-called suffering you may be going through right now is just a fulfilment of God’s ultimate plan for you? Think about it! Would you still consider your present situation as suffering if you had the privilege of seeing the future and knowing that great things lie ahead of you?

Take for example, a student who has to eat once a day and stay up all night to read. He may consider his present predicament as suffering but then, what if he is destined to get a job that would earn him a 7digit salary just after school. Would he still consider his present situation as suffering? Sometimes a change in perspective may just be all we need to quench our worries and re-settle our hearts.

Just believe! Trust in God. Nothing ever happens to you without God’s permission and knowledge. Yes, things may be bad right now. But don’t waste any time worrying. Even a troubled heart like a troubled sea will not make you see clearly what lies ahead and it is the hope of something better that keeps us going. Faith may not show you the whole of your future but it encourages you to just take one small step at a time like one holding a small lamp in the dark. That small step is all that matters. Little drops make mighty oceans.

People may be disturbing you from all sides right now, and you just cannot understand why they are being mean to you. You may be so unjustly treated and innocently accused of what you are not aware of. You may even be so angry right now with somebody or with a particular system but still, let not your heart be troubled! Let not your hearts be troubled. The people who killed Jesus did not even know they were helping to prove his authenticity as the Messiah. Those people making life difficult for you may just be helping to bring out the best in you, the best that God himself created you to be.

Let not your hearts be troubled.

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, teach me to trust and believe that you are always there for me. When life is hard and my boat is tossed by storms from all sides, allow me to see you walking on water towards me. Enlarge my heart to trust that you have plans for me; plans to give me a meaning and a purpose in life. Amen.

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

A CHRISTIAN IS A PERSON ON MISSION. (Homily for April 21, 2016. Thursday of the 4th week of Easter.)

Bible Study: Acts 13, 13 to 25 and John 13, 16 to 20.

Going through the words of Jesus in our Gospel passage this morning, you would notice how he makes use of missionary vocabulary such as: SERVANT, MASTER, SEND, RECEIVE. By washing the feet of his disciples, Jesus gave them an example of what mission is all about; it is first of all realizing that you have been sent and then, bringing yourself down to serve those to whom you were sent. It is being humble enough to help people wash off their dirty sides by pouring the water of God’s words on their feet.

Every Christian must see himself or herself as a person on mission. Being servants of God, the service we owe God is spreading the message. And this mission has no boundary. So long as you meet people on a daily basis, so long as you can identify those aspects of the people’s lives that are in clear contrary to what God demands, you can help to wash their feet. This is exactly what we see the great Apostle Paul do in the first reading. He came to a Jewish synagogue and fully aware that the people knew about the Old Testament, he started his sermon from there and gradually he made them realize that Jesus is the fulfilment of all the hopes and promises of old.

The missionary task is not so much an act of magic. It is precisely being able to speak directly into the minds and hearts of people. It is meeting them where they are and showing them a way forward. Today we celebrate the memorial of a great intellectual giant, a missionary in his own ranking whose writings about God helped shape the face of Theology and Philosophy. As an Abbot and later on a bishop, Anselm defended the faith despite the challenges of excommunication which he suffered twice in the hands of the secular kings who were trying to control the Church.

 Anselm's chief achievement in philosophy was the ontological argument for the existence of God put forth in his "Proslogium". Starting from the notion that God is "that than which nothing greater can be thought", he argues that what exists in reality is greater than that which is only in the mind; wherefore, since "God is that than which nothing greater can be thought", He exists in reality.

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, I am your servant. Use me every day to spread your word. Amen.

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

WHOEVER BELIEVES IN ME DOES NOT REMAIN IN DARKNESS. (Homily for April 20, 2016. Wednesday of the 4th week of Easter.)

Bible Study: Acts 12, 24 to 13, 5 and John 12, 44 to 50.

Yesterday I saw a write up that presented a perfect analysis of modern day Christians. We claim to believe in Jesus Christ and at the same time, we find it difficult to live according to his words. By that nature of lives, there is nothing that marks us out as Christians other than the fact that we call ourselves Christians.

According to the author of the article, a female student came to seek counselling because she was constantly harassed by a lecturer who was himself a married man and a Christian for that manner. This case is just one tiny example of the many ways Christians in our day betray their faith in Jesus. How is it possible to say you are Christian and yet you do not believe that adultery is a sin? And when confronted, the lecturer’s response is: “after all, I am not the only Christian who is guilty of it.”

The real problem this country is facing today is not a problem of leadership neither is it a problem of bad government but it is the FAILURE OF ALL OF US WHO ARE CHRISTIANS to allow the light of the CHRIST who we profess shine through our lives. Because we have rejected the moral authority of the Bible, because we no longer believe that disobedience to Christ’s words is grievous sin, we now emanate darkness. Yes, Jesus says whoever believes in me does not remain in darkness.

Today, we Christians are wallowing in darkness because we no longer believe white is white or black is black. We no longer believe that telling lies is devilish or that stealing is evil. We are no longer ready to defend what we believe by our actions. We are in hot pursuit of pleasure, power and possessions and right before our very eyes, those who believe in their religion are sweeping us off our feet. Christianity may not last long in this country if this trend continues, that is, if we Christians do not stop deceiving ourselves and come out from our darkness.

There are more Christian politicians in this country than Muslims, our Vice President is a Pastor, there are Christians in the National assembly, house of reps and our Governors are Christians but you see, like the case of that lecturer who goes to church but emanates darkness by his conduct, we Christians in power have failed and we must stop passing blames on anyone else.

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, free me from the darkness of unbelief that my faith in you and in your commandments may transform my conduct and save my nation. Amen.

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

WHAT MATTERS IS YOUR FAITH. (Homily for April 19, 2016. Tuesday of the 4th week of Easter.)

Bible Study: Acts 11, 19 to 26 and John 10, 22 to 30.

When Jesus was sending out the 72, he specifically instructed that they were to go only to the “Lost Sheep of the House of Israel” that is, the Jews. Initially, Jesus had preference for the Jews who were the original descendants of the chosen children of God but then as they say, YOU NEVER VALUE WHAT YOU HAVE UNTIL YOU LOSE IT. St. John tell us: “He came to what was his own, but his own people did not accept him. But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God.” John 1, 11 to 12. Hence when the Jews were slow in accepting Jesus, the Gentiles who were not initially part of the promise jumped on the message and got their share in the salvation meant for the Jews only.

In our Gospel passage today, Jesus draws a distinction between those who belong and those who do not belong, those destined for salvation and those destined for destruction. Jesus’ basis for drawing this dividing line surprisingly had nothing to do with ETHNICITY, LANGUAGE, CULTURE, AGE, MALE OR FEMALE, FINANCIAL or SOCIAL STATUS, etc.

Jesus’ ultimate basis for drawing this distinction was FAITH. He told the Jews: “The works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness to me; but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep.” It does not matter where you come from or what language you speak. The only thing that matters is what you believe! You may be very regular in church for instance but that does not make you a Christian. It is what you believe from your heart of heart. And this belief is manifested in your actions. That is why Jesus added: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them and they follow me.”

Dear friends, we all have a calling to extend the Shepherd’s voice to as many people as possible. Broadcast the word of God, spread the message. Let Jesus use your hands, your feet, your voice and your smiles. Bring as many as you can into the fold. No one really deserves to be lost, no one, not even those who do not speak your language, no one, not even your enemies!

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, shepherd of my soul, you came to bring me abundant life, remove anything that would prevent me from enjoying this abundant life and help me to avoid discriminating my fellow sheep. Amen.

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