The One Who Serves is always Greater than He who is Served.

Homily for February 28, 2018.

“…but whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave; even as the Son of man came not to be served but to serve.” Matthew 20:26-28. 

The shortest road to greatness is service and this is a secret many people do not know. We all want to get ahead in life but we fail to realize that going higher does not happen by bringing people down but bringing oneself down before others. If indeed respect begets respect, then service begets promotion.

Today, Jesus teaches us that whoever desires to be great or first must become the slave of others. How does this work?

By serving others, we make them feel better about themselves (lighten their burdens like Simon of Cyrene), and thereby putting ourselves into their good books. They never stop talking about us and whenever the opportunity presents itself, they recommend us to others. You remember how Pharaoh’s cup bearer enjoyed Joseph’s services for free while in prison? Years later, when Pharaoh had a dream that needed an interpreter, the only name on the cup bearer’s lips was who? Joseph!

Again, in serving other we get to improve ourselves faster than ever; we soon discover our talents and acquire skills we never thought we would have. Our knowledge increases, opportunities are opened for us, and we become solution oriented. Outwardly, it may seem like we are slaving for the benefit of others but in reality, we are actually benefiting ourselves more than anyone else.

By serving others, we may not make as much money as we would want, but we make something far more valuable than money. If Joseph had not being a slave, there was no way he would have functioned well as a Prime Minister. Dear friend, life’s greatest lessons are not taught in the comfort of our classroom desks but in tears, sweat and blood.

No wonder Denzel Washington said: “Ease is a greater threat to progress than adversity.” If it was easy, there would be no stars in this world. God himself who created us did not make life easy not because he likes stress but because he knows that if we are not stressed, the gifts and talents he deposited in us for the continued development of this world will not shine out.

It wasn’t easy for Jeremiah, it wasn’t easy for any of the prophets neither was it easy for Jesus. Yet, not even the fear of death could detract Jesus from his mission to serve rather than be served. He “emptied himself, taking the form of a servant… humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:5-11 

Dear friends, there is more honour in being a servant than in being served by others. If Jesus Christ, our Lord and God could afford to come to this world to serve mankind, why should I be ashamed of serving others?

Do not think you are doing your children a favour when you employ housemaids and houseboys to do all the work in the house while your kids simply eat, sleep and play. You are deforming your children, taking away their opportunity for creativity and personal development. As Fr. George Ehusani puts it: “If because of your suffering, you became wise, your attempt to prevent your children from suffering will make them fools.”

Let us Pray: Lord Jesus, give me the same mind as you had to humble myself and serve others. Take away from me my pride, my longing to exult myself. May I be poor in spirit Lord. Amen.

Be happy, live positive, it is well with you. Wednesday of the 2^nd Week of Lent. Bible Study: Jeremiah 18:18-20 and Matthew 20:17-28.

You are what you Do.

Homily for February 27, 2018.

“…so practice and observe whatever they tell you, but not what they do; for they preach, but do not practice.” Matthew 23:3. 

You are not what you say you are or preach,

You are not what you think you are,

You are not what others think you are,

You are not what your job description says,

You are what you do!

The Christian life is not a show. It is never about giving impressions, it is about living the life! Not too long ago, I read about how a certain man of God was arraigned in court for killing a pregnant lady as well as another woman with a nine-month old baby all in an attempt to cover up his immoral relationship with the pregnant lady.

It was the type of life people were living that merited them the name “Christian.” It wasn’t that they decided to call themselves that name. If you really want to know who you are, forget about the praises and adulations you receive from others, ask yourself: “what do my actions say about me?” What are those things I do especially in secret?

The prophet Isaiah speaks to us in very sharp terms; “Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your doing from before my eyes, learn to do good, seek justice, correct oppression, defend the fatherless, plead for the widow…” Isaiah 1:16ff

Somehow, Isaiah re-echoes the words of Ezekiel in our readings a few days ago. When one repents and changes his ways, everything he has done in the past will be forgotten. “Come now, let’s reason together, though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow.”

And just as Abraham was richly blessed for his obedience and willingness to sacrifice his Son Isaac, whom he loved so much, we too are called to be obedient to God and be willing to sacrifice all those things we love too much which are not in line with our Christian faith.

Let us Pray: Lord Jesus, show me the path of true holiness. Amen.

Be happy, live positive, it is well with you. Tuesday of the 2^nd Week of Lent. Bible Study: Isaiah 1:10, 16-20 and Matthew 23:1-12.

Be Merciful.

Homily for February 26, 2018.

“For the measure you give will be the measure you get back.” Luke 6:38.

Not too long ago, we celebrated a jubilee year of mercy. It was an opportunity for world as a whole to reflect deeper on the theme of mercy. What does it mean to be merciful and why is mercy such an important virtue in the spiritual life?

To put it as simple as possible, following the words of Jesus in Luke 6:36-38, Mercy is refraining from judging and condemning others, mercy is the ability to forgive those who offend us, mercy is giving to those in need, mercy is doing charity without counting the cost.

It is one thing to identify something bad in someone’s behaviour, it is one thing to point out the errors of others for correction but it is a different thing altogether to judge and condemn a person, (which means drawing a permanent conclusion about a person). It is throwing out both the baby and the bath water. It is the most merciless thing anyone can do to a fellow human being.

When you judge/condemn me, you stop seeing me as a person but as something, you identify me with my problem and you no longer believe I can amount to anything better. However, being merciful on the other hand is knowing what my problem is yet showing me love by giving me a way out of my predicament.

To the most hardened of sinners, Jesus applied mercy; he ate and drank with them, he gave them a sense of belonging, he made them feel loved and accepted such that even without Jesus preaching repentance, they felt the strong urge to turn away from their sins. Like we saw in the movie, “Beauty and the Beast”, mercy is being able to love the Beast despite its ugliness so that its true nature as a handsome man can come out.

The second aspect of mercy is forgiveness. Jesus says “forgive and you will be forgiven.” God’s mercy is clearly revealed in the largeness of his heart to forgive. Ezekiel 33:11 says: “As I live, says the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways; for why will you die, O house of Israel?”

Once more we must note that forgiveness is not the same thing as condoning evil. It is rather it the act of freeing a prisoner from one’s heart only to realize that the real prisoner is you. If we do not forgive, we become worse than our enemies in the sense that we try to use evil to cure evil. It never works.

The third aspect of Mercy as Jesus describes in Luke 6:36-38, is charity; giving – helping the needy. To be merciful is to put oneself in the shoes of another. It is being able to feel the pains of others as our own pains and doing something to alleviate their plight. Jesus says “the measure you give will be the measure you get back.” This statement is quite similar to the parable of Jesus in Matthew 25:34-36:

“Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.”

Being merciful is such an important virtue because without it, we cannot claim to be children of God neither can we be rest assured of entrance into Paradise on the last day. Your best possible life can only happen when you are merciful. Be merciful, do not hold up hatred in your heart, do not be stingy with your gifts and your life will surely make a difference in this world.

Let us Pray: Lord Jesus, take away my heart of stone and give me a merciful heart like yours. Amen.

Be happy, live positive, it is well with you. Monday of the 2^nd Week of Lent. Bible Study: Daniel 9:4-10 and Luke 6:36-38.

Jesus Christ; the Sacrifice of Abraham.

Homily for February 25, 2018.

“And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, "This is my beloved Son; listen to him.” Mark 9:7. 

Dearly beloved in Christ, we give thanks and praise to God for giving us yet another Sunday of Lent. The season of lent so far has offered us some of the best selections of readings from the Bible geared our overall growth in Spirit. Today, our attention is drawn to the special event of the transfiguration of Jesus.

*What is Transfiguration?*

It is a change of figure (size, shape, colour, appearance, etc.) It is a change in the way something is perceived by the ordinary eye so as to reveal something deeper, something beyond the surface; the true nature of something. When Jesus was transfigured, Peter, James and John got the chance to behold Jesus Christ as God.

What they saw was far deeper than what the Gospel of Mark reports. They only tried to compare what they saw with things we see. But the truth is that as St. Paul said: “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived (is) what God has prepared for those who love him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9.

Heaven is real. Heaven is beautiful. Heaven is worth our efforts. Peter only saw a flash of heaven and he didn’t want to leave anymore. He was suggesting that three tents should be built; he just wanted to remain. When we get to heaven, no matter how loud the cries of those who love us may be, none of us would like to return back to this world.

*Why the Transfiguration?*

For me, this event took place to first of all, to strengthen the faith of the disciples; to give them something to fall back to when they shall watch their master Jesus been beaten, spat upon, insulted, dragged like a common criminal, humiliated, terribly maltreated and eventually crucified. The transfiguration was necessary to reveal to the disciples and to every one of us that there is always going to be light at the end of the tunnel.

Every time God answers our prayers, every time we get to do thanksgiving, we are experiencing our own transfigurations. It is good that we hold on to such moments because they happen once in a while to strengthen us and prepare us for tough days ahead. Life is not always going to be a bed of roses. Never forget the good times so that in bad times, you will remember that God still loves you.

*The Deeper Meaning of the Transfiguration.*

Abraham waited for twenty five long years before God answered his prayer and blessed him with a promised son, Isaac. Abraham was the happiest man on planet earth. He so much loved Isaac that God became jealous. Like Abraham, most of us make the mistake of falling in love with the blessings of God much more than God himself.

I was shocked, when I saw a video recently of a girl praying to God to turn her into a snake so that she could swallow her own thirty-six million. This is just a comic reflection of how we Christians have come to love money so much that we now value money more than our own human life; we love money more than God and this is a shame!

Because the love of Isaac had taken so much space in Abraham’s heart, God wanted to test Abraham’s true loyalty. God demanded the ultimate sacrifice from Abraham. Think of something you cannot part with, something so dear and so precious to you that in all sincerity, you love more than God. Picture yourself as giving up that very thing to God. It is hard, isn’t it? That is exactly what Abraham did and that is what we are called to do – give up those things that wrestle with our love for God.

By tying up Isaac on the altar to be offered as a burnt offering, (note that Isaac assisted in arranging the wood for the sacrifice), Isaac became a prefiguration of Jesus. The voice of the father at the transfiguration becomes a clear confirmation of the fact that Jesus is “BELOVED SON OF GOD” (meaning: that which God loves the most) who like Isaac assisted in sacrificing himself willingly for the salvation of the world.

In the transfiguration we see how God takes the place of Abraham to offer the love of his life as a sacrifice for mankind. If God was willing to give up everything he has for you and I to have life, what greater proof do we need that he loves us? St. Paul in our second reading today says: “If God be for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, will he not also give us all things with him?” Romans 8:31-34.

Finally, if God could go to this extent for our salvation, what am I doing to reciprocate that love? Why do I still love earthly things more than God? The voice of the Father at the transfiguration added: “listen to him.” Do I take my time listen to Jesus every day? Am I just a Sunday-Sunday bench warmer? Do I listen to worldly music all day and claim not to have time to listen to God’s voice?

Let us Pray: Lord Jesus, by dying for me, you made me your greatest priority, help me to live for you by making you my greatest priority. May my love for money never come in between me and you. Amen.

Happy Sunday. Be happy, live positive, it is well with you. Second Sunday of Lent, Year B. Bible Study: Genesis 22:1-18, Romans 8:31-34 and Mark 9:2-10.

Die to the Past, Forgive, Let Go and Let God.

Homily for February 23, 2018.

“So if you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” Matthew 5:23-24. 

The most difficult word in the Bible is FORGIVE. If we are to be very sincere with ourselves, we would realise that forgiveness (reconciliation with people who have something against us) is easier said than done.

Even though we pray the Lord’s Prayer every day, only one line rings a bell in us: “Give us this day our daily bread.” We never pause to meditate on the line that says: “as we forgive those who trespass against us.” We so gloss over this line that we do not even though it is part of the “Our Father.”

Mind you, we do not pray: “as we plan to forgive…” or “as we hope to forgive…”. What we pray is “as we forgive…” This means each time we pray with unforgiveness, hatred or bitterness still in our hearts, we are lying to God. We are claiming to have done something when we haven’t done it.

No wonder Jesus teaches in Matthew 5:23 that we should not even come to God to offer our gifts if our hearts are not completely clean from hate. Reconciliation for Jesus is more important than offertory. I may be the highest donor in church, the best singer or the best preacher but if there are still people I am quarrelling with, my worship of God is corrupt.

Now comes the big question: “How do I forgive?” The book of Ezekiel 18:21-25 contains a clue. The prophet tells us how God behaves. God does not relate with us according to our past! God does not keep records of our past whether be good or bad. God is a God of this moment. God is able to forgive us because he constantly dies to the past.

In other words, if we are to forgive, we must develop the habit of dying every moment to our past. This is not easy but with a little practice, it is possible. The past looks more real than even the present, everything we know about our whole life is contained in the past, it always looks like we can never let go of the past but the truth is that the past does not exist. Or better put, its existence is based on our decision to dwell in it; the past is only real in our minds, it has no life on its own.

Has the past being painful? Then why are you still holding on to it? Is there something you enjoy by holding on to an event that is painful? This is the insanity of humankind. Yes, it is madness to cling so tightly to something that is so painful yet because that is what everybody does, we take it as normal. When we see someone who has been able to forgive (let go completely), we look at that person as insane but we are the ones mad.

By not letting go of the past, we make the mistake of allowing the past steal from both our present and future. Just yesterday I read the story trending on social media about the new President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, how he was on the verge of taking over directly from Nelson Mandela as his preferred successor only to be edged out of politics fifteen years ago. He did not allow this affect his morale; he went into business, today he is not only successful in business, he is even wiser and stronger for the office of President. The author of this write-up quoting Steve Covey added: “Have a mentality of abundance; pursue other dreams if the current one seems unattainable.”

Die to the Past every minute, forgive to make your heart cleaner and shining so that there is room for God to still enter and speak to you, let go; we brought nothing to this world, we shall leave with nothing. If I refuse to let go now, my death will force me to let go so why wait till then? Let go and Let God take care of things.

Let us Pray: Lord Jesus, teach me to forgive so that I may stop telling lies each time I pray the prayer you taught us to pray. I also thank you for my Archbishop, Augustine Akubeze who has just been elected President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria. Endow him with the wisdom, courage and grace to lead the entire catholic faithful in Nigeria to the right direction. Amen.

Be happy, live positive, it is well with you. Friday of the First Week of Lent. Bible Study: Ezekiel 18:21-28 and Matthew 5:20-26.

Leadership Requires Knowledge.

Homily for February 22, 2018.

“Blessed are you, Simon Barjona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church.” Matthew 16:17-18.

The saying remains forever true that: “Leaders are Readers.” To be a leader at all, one must have knowledge and to be a good leader, one has to have the right kind of knowledge. Furthermore, to be a spiritual leader, one must know God; that is, one must have the capacity of hearing from the Holy Spirit.

When Jesus asked his disciples about his identity in Matthew 16, Jesus was basically testing the disciples. He wanted to know which of them the Holy Spirit would minister to. Up till that moment, his disciples did not really know who Jesus was; to them, he was just a mystery; a puzzle they couldn’t crack.

In Mathew 8:27, we see how the disciples in their confusion and utter amazement wondered aloud: “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?” For Peter to have given the right answer, Jesus knew it wasn’t just Peter speaking, it was the Holy Spirit. “… For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 16:17.

By displaying his ability to hear from the Father, Jesus immediately made Peter the visible head of the church. Jesus was confident that the same Holy Spirit that spoke to Peter that day at Caesarea Philippi would continue to speak to him to take the right decisions, to say the right words and carry out the right actions to move the church forward. It wasn’t going to be about Peter as a person but about the Holy Spirit.

As we honour the Chair of St. Peter today, we pray for the Peter of today’s world, Pope Francis – that God would continue to inspire him as he inspired Peter. As a man, Peter was weak, often frightened, erratic, quarrelsome and faithless; he tried to dissuade Jesus from the way of the cross, he cut off someone’s ear, he denied Christ three times after boasting, he went back to fishing even after the resurrection of Christ. But as Pope, God used him perfectly to set the standards of church leadership.

Like Peter, we priests and religious are not free from our human weaknesses and often embarrassing shortcomings. Peter himself pointed them out in his admonition to the elders (priests) of the church. They include: unwillingness to tend the flock from one’s heart (disobedience to/grudges against authority), serving for the sake of money (canvassing for “juicy-parishes” where there are wealthy parishioners who “know how to take care of their priest”), having a domineering attitude over the people of God (carrying oneself like a god rather than being pastorally available to the people; treating the poor like garbage), and not showing good example to the flock. (Cf. 1^st Peter 5).

Today, many persons aspire for leadership positions both within the church and in secular positions. Some are willing to kill whether with the sword, with their lips or even with biro and paper. Remember what Jesus said to Peter during his arrest: “Those who kill by the sword will die by the sword.” Matthew 26:52. Leadership is service; it is not worth the “blood” of anyone. (G.E.J)

Dear friends, there is nothing wrong with being ambitious for power, there is nothing with canvassing for positions so as to get the opportunity to make life better for people or to draw people closer to God. The question is: Do I have the right kind of knowledge required for the job? In other words, Am I in tune with the Holy Spirit or am I simply propelled by my selfish ego? Do I even know Jesus?

Let us Pray: Lord Jesus, bless our dear Pope Francis and all the leaders of the church, despite their shortcomings, use them daily to uplift humanity integrally. Amen.

Be happy, live positive, it is well with you. Feast of the Chair of St. Peter. Bible Study: 1^st Peter 5:1-4 and Matthew 16:13-19.

Never Give Up On Yourself: Appearance is not Reality

Homily for February 21, 2018.

““Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!”And the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them. Then tidings reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, and covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.” Jonah 3:4-6

The entire book of Jonah is for me a story of God’s unending faith in humanity; the fact that God does not give up on the creature he made; the fact that God is ever ready to give us a second chance again and again.

God could have simply destroyed the Nenivites but he gave them a second chance by sending Jonah to them. Jonah himself tried to escape from God but God caught him, brought him back and gave him another chance. Jonah wasn’t even qualified as a messenger of God yet this irresponsible-runaway-preacher became instrumental to the salvation of an entire city.

It beats my mind that Jonah didn’t even ask them to repent. He didn’t say “change your evil ways. Be good children of God. Stop sinning, etc.” Jonah just went about the city announcing doom and destruction. It was a hopeless situation for the people but they refused to resign themselves to FATE. They instinctively knew that despite whatever their past had been, what matters to God is “right now.” They heard the message of doom but believed in their hearts that there was still hope.

Dear friends, what is it about your spiritual life that makes you conclude you can no longer make heaven? Could it be an addiction that you have struggled with for the greater part of your life such that you have reached a negative conclusion that your situation is hopeless? Let the people of Nineveh inspire you today. It is never too late to change. It is never too late to start working on your bad habits.

Outwardly things may seem hopeless but then, they are mere appearances. Do not make judgements based on appearances (signs), do not conclude about yourself based on what you see now. Develop a new vision for yourself. Call yourself a Saint and start working on yourself, begin to make efforts, do something about that which you do not like about you, ask for help, open the roof of houses like the four men who brought their paralytic to Jesus, talk to someone today as to how to come out of your spiritual captivity. You see, the point is: God wants to see the efforts you are making.

To the people of Israel, Jesus appeared like an ordinary man; a simple son of a carpenter; a young man who grew up in their eyes; a man who eats and drinks freely even with those condemned as sinners by society. The signs (appearances) available to them did not indicate Jesus was truly a Messiah. So, they asked for more signs, they asked for some appearances.

By the way, it wasn’t as if Jesus did not provide signs of his Divinity, the people in question simply chose focus on those signs of his Humanity; those signs that only their physical eyes could carry. They lacked the faith to go beyond surface appearances. They couldn’t see that Jesus was greater than Solomon; they lacked the attitude of the Ninevites who believed Jonah without judging him and took his voice to be God’s voice.

At times, like these people, we judge ourselves based on surface appearances; we consider ourselves good for nothing because of what our physical eyes can carry. We lack faith to realize that we have God inside us; that we are capable of much more than we think. We see the son-of-a-carpenter in ourselves but we don’t believe in the Saint we could be. Never judge a book by its cover. Never conclude about yourself based on your past; don’t give up on yourself, keep believing, keep being positive; keep making efforts.

Let us Pray: Lord Jesus, change me completely from inside out. May I never give up on myself but continue everyday to grow in spirit. Amen.

Be happy, live positive, it is well with you. Wednesday of the First Week of Lent. Bible Study: Jonah 3:1-10 and Luke 11:29-32.

Believe More, Talk Less and Follow the Golden Rule

Homily for February 20, 2018.

“And in praying do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” Matthew 6:7-8. 

As the saying goes, “empty vessels make the loudest noise.” When a man knows the stuff he is made of, he does not talk too much anymore. The ability to talk very well is a gift but talking too much is a vice, a bad habit. As part of his sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6, Jesus warns us about talking too much or repeating ourselves over and over again when we pray.

The effectiveness of prayer is not a matter of the number of words used, but the faith with which every word is spoken. The book of Hebrews tells us: “Without faith it is impossible to please him. For whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” Hebrews 11:6.

Before ever we set out to pray, we must first assure ourselves that God is more than able to grant our requests. We must remind ourselves of what God has done in the past and face the truth that no situation is beyond God. in this regard, in the book of Isaiah, God assures us that just as the rain drop from heaven and never returns until it has watered the earth, God’s words can never return empty. Isaiah 55:10-11. This should propel us to pray.

Dear friends, the simple truth is that when we have to repeat ourselves over and over again in prayer, it shows that we don’t believe our prayers have been heard or will ever be heard. The deeper your faith in God, the lesser the number of words you employ in prayer. By shouting at the top of your voice, it is either you just want people to hear you pray, (that is, you just want to attract attention to youself) or you are actually showing that God is far from you or that God has hearing problem.

The Gentiles were of the habit of using “empty phrases” at prayer. A lot of the speaking-in-tongues we Christians do today are “empty phrases.” We know such tongues are not inspired by the Holy Spirit yet we force all kinds of sounds from their mouths to make people believe we can pray. We end up making mockery of prayer.

In teaching us the Lord’s prayer, Jesus wants us to learn that prayer is a father-child conversation; a community factor; a co-ordinated affair. Jesus not only gave a formula for prayer, he shows us that all prayer deserves a formula. In the Lord’s prayer, Jesus did not speak in tongues, rather, he taught us to use real words that are sensible and meaningful. We should stop trying to make people feel that if they don’t speak in tongues, their prayers do not carry weight.

Above all, in this prayer, Jesus teaches us that words alone are not even the essence of prayer. Prayer is not complete without the necessary corresponding actions. My prayer is useless if I don’t follow the Golden rule; if I don’t treat people just as I want to be treated. If I don’t forgive those who offend me, I waste time asking God to forgive me my own faults.

Prayer must go with action, whatever I ask from God, I too must be willing to give to my fellow brothers and sister. Prayer is a Cross; the vertical line depicts our reception from God while the horizontal line depicts our sharing with one another. Prayer must benefit others. I dare not ask God for divine protection while I wish death for someone else. The divine protection I plan to receive from God must extend to people otherwise my prayer is null and void.

Let us Pray: Lord Jesus, renovate my prayer life; deepen my faith in you that I may realize the need to use less but meaningful words in prayer. Amen.

*Be happy, live positive, it is well with you. Tuesday of the First Week of Lent. Bible Study: Isaiah 55:10-11 and Matthew 6:7-15.*

Fr. Abu. 

Nb. Based on today’s homily, one might be tempted to ask: What about the Rosary? Isn’t it a prayer of repetition which falls under what Jeus condemns? The answer is No. The Rosary is first and foremost a meditation on the life of Christ, the events of his birth, his teachings, his sacraments, his suffering, his death and resurrection and the implications of his life on us. The “hail marys, our fathers and glory be”only help to facilitate this meditation. Take away the meditation, the rosary prayer becomes a mere repetition; a motion without movement.

Be a Christian, Not an Actor.

Homily for February 16, 2018.

“Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to hit with wicked fist. Fasting like yours this day will not make your voice to be heard on high. Is such the fast that I choose, a day for a man to humble himself?” Isaiah 58:4-5.

Authenticity is a very rare commodity these days. For instance, smartphones today come with all kinds of tools and gadgets capable of making even the most ugly person on earth appear like a movie star; nothing seems real anymore. The crave for social relevance; the crave to make others fall in love with you; the crave for popularity has taken away authenticity from today’s world.

People no longer do things because they are right but because they “appear” right to others. I feel like using the word “pretense” but it is an understatement. It is sad today that people measure their net-worth in terms of their ability to gather as many fans (social media likes) as possible. Young people today do not dress just to cover their bodies but primarily to slay – to make people’s heads roll.

Today, we are challenged to rise up to a new virtue; the virtue of authenticity – living and acting based on one’s deep personal convictions of what is right according to the truth not minding people’s opinion. It takes a real man to stand up for what is right even when the whole world seems to be going the opposite direction.

In Matthew 9:14-15, we see how Jesus displayed this virtue with the issue of fasting. Jesus knew the tradition of fasting among the people but the least of his concern was to try to please the people. Jesus also know how fasting was used to attract attention to oneself just like today’s social media apps. Jesus would not allow his disciples fast because he knew that his very presence as God in human flesh nullifies their fasting. Jesus was interested in doing the right thing even if it meant loosing face with the crowd.

Indeed, what we learn from this act is that it is better to appear like a sinner before the crowd while you are saint inside than to appear like a saint before people and remain a devil at heart. And this is what the prophet Isaiah teaches us in Chapter 58:1-9. Just as there is a type of smile that does not reach the heart (the wicked smile used by the enemy), there is also a type of fasting that is not anthentic; a fasting that condoles injustice, lies, evil, seeking of sensual pleasures and so on. Isaiah says such fasting is only for the people eyes – it does not carry our prayers to God.

Don’t be a crowd-pleaser. Stop trying to “look” good for others; be good as your conscience says. Stop being an actor; life is not a stage and even it were, then it is a stage without an audience since everyone else is probably dramatizing on their own stages as well. Be a Christian instead, that is, live as though you are Jesus Christ himself.

Behave as Jesus would do at all times not minding how popular that would be. You be the one to start it. True fasting is not abstaining from food as many people think. No, true fasting as Isaiah teaches is creating justice for the oppressed, breaking the yoke of bondage, the yoke of slavery, kindness to the hungry, the poor and needy, clothing the naked, housing the homeless; generosity. Begin today, be real, be different, be authentic, serve God and stop acting.

From where I come from, there are always two types of products in the market. For instance, you go to a shop to buy a television, the shop owner would tell you, this one costs one dollar, but there is the authenitic version inside which costs one hundred dollars. In truth, the one dollar television would go bad within one month of usage but the hundred dollar television would serve till you decide to gift it away. To know if you are authentic, check out how long you last; how long you continue to do good.

Let us Pray: Lord Jesus, save me from inferiority complex, give me the courage to stand up and do what is right at all times even it it means loosing face with the crowd. Amen.

Be happy, live positive, it is well with you. Friday After Ash Wednesday. Bible Study: Isaiah 58:1-9 and Matthew 9:14-15.