How lovely is Your Dwelling Place, Lord.

Thursday 1^st August, 2019. Bible Study: Ex. 40:16-21; 34-38, Ps. 84 & Matthew 13:47-53)_

_“How lovely is thy dwelling place, O LORD of hosts! My soul longs, yea, faints for the courts of the LORD; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God.” *(Psalm 84:1-2)

The Psalmist today sings: “How Lovely Is Your Dwelling Place O Lord, Mighty God.” Does it often occur to me that when I walk into a church I am actually at home? Am I able to relax knowing that God is right there? In our first reading today, we are told: “Then the cloud covered the meeting tent and the glory of the LORD filled the Dwelling. Moses could not enter the meeting tent, because the cloud settled down upon it and the glory of the LORD filled the Dwelling.”

The Israelites had the privilege of seeing the glory of God in the form of a thick cloud. If only God could open our eyes to see his glory, ascending and descending upon the tabernacle, we would not be able to contain ourselves.

As the Psalmist sings: My soul is yearning longing and yearning, waiting to be in God’s presence. A day in God’s house is better than a thousand elsewhere! I would rather dwell in the foot-mats of God’s house than have a three-bedroom suite in the devil’s mansion.

Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to a net that is thrown into the river and catches both big fish and small fish. This parable is similar to that of the weeds and wheat. In the church, you have all kinds of people; those who are there to worship God and those who are there to steal, kill and destroy; those who are there to repent (and begin a new life) and those who are there to recruit souls for the devil; those who are there to better their lives and those who are there to attack, divide and cause a commotion.

By giving us the parable of the small fish and big fish, Jesus is saying that even if you are a small fish, God will keep giving you a second chance to grow into a big fish. This is why the fishermen throw back the small fishes into the river.

You remember Ananias and Sapphira? What sin did they commit that warranted their immediate deaths? They told a lie. Do you know God can decide to strike you down if you enter the church after telling a lie? But God hasn’t struck you because you are just a small fish for now. Repent today. Don’t wait till it’s too late. No one knows the last day.

Today we celebrate the memorial of St. Alphonsus Maria de’Ligori, the founder of the Order of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Redemptorists). He was an Italian Catholic Bishop, spiritual writer, composer, musician, artist, poet, lawyer, scholastic philosopher and theologian. He was born on 27^th of September, 1696 and died on this day 1^st of August, 1787 at Pagini, in Italy.

Amongst his favourite quotes include: “Acquire the habit of speaking to God as if you were alone with Him, familiarly and with confidence and love, as to the dearest and most loving of friends. Your God is ever beside you - indeed, He is even within you.”

St. Alphonsus works for which he holds the title of Doctor of the Church continues to inspire growth in the spiritual life today. Reading through his Sunday homilies, I felt as though they were written just yesterday. Indeed, we can only say St. Alphonsus like the writers of the Sacred Scriptures was inspired by the Holy Spirit. God does great and beautiful works with anyone who opens himself to be used as His instrument. St. Alphonsus is an example of the big fish in the net caught by the fishermen.

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, increase my love and devotion to you. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Thursday of the 17th week in Ordinary Time. Bible Study: Ex. 40:16-21;34-38, Ps. 84 & Matthew 13:47-53

Heaven is not Cheap.

Wednesday 31^st July, 2019. Bible Study: Exodus 34:29-35 Psalm 99 and Matthew 13:44-46.

“The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.” (Matthew 13:45-46)

There is one song that carries the message of our Gospel passage this morning. It goes thus: You take the whole world, and give me Jesus… you take the whole world and give me Jesus… you take the whole world and give me Jesus… am satisfied, am satisfied.

There is another song that also brings home the message: My lifetime, I will give God my lifetime, my lifetime, I will give God my lifetime… if I give God my life time, he will take care of me, he will never let me die, I will give God my lifetime.

Dear friends, if we really want to get to heaven, then we must be willing to let go of everything we have. We cannot pursue material prosperity at the same time with spiritual prosperity. We cannot eat our cake and still have it.

A man found a treasure in a field and decided to buy the field. To purchase the field, he had to sell everything he had. Do I consider my spiritual life as a great treasure? Do I value my relationship with God? Am I willing to sacrifice everything else in this world just to remain in tune with God?

Not too long ago, I read the story of a Gospel Artist who was offered a lifetime salary of one million dollars monthly to join the Illuminati cult. The young man turned down the offer saying nothing will ever stop him from using his music to evangelise and worship God. By rejecting this offer, he has paid a great price for the kingdom of God. Indeed, heaven is not cheap.

After speaking with God, Moses' face shone so brightly that the people had to put a veil on his face. Do I realize this is exactly what happens to me when I spend time in prayer? Am I willing to sacrifice my time for prayer? Or do I allow other mundane activities to occupy my prayer time?

Dear friends, heaven is not cheap. It deserves all our mind, all our heart, all our strength and all our soul. We must give all we can to the race. Heaven should never be secondary to us lest we miss it.

Today we remember St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus also known as the Jesuits. Ignatius was on his way to military fame and fortune when a cannonball shattered his leg.  Because there were no books of romance on hand during his convalescence (healing process in the hospital), he whiled away the time reading the life of Christ and lives of the saints. His conscience was deeply touched, and a long, painful turning to Christ began.

Ignatius was a true mystic. He centred his spiritual life on the essential foundations of Christianity—the Trinity, Christ, the Eucharist. His spirituality is expressed in the Jesuit motto, ad majorem Dei gloriam—“for the greater glory of God.” He is the Patron of Retreats.

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, give me the grace to get my spiritual priorities right. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Wednesday of the 17th week in Ordinary Time. (Year 1) Bible Study: Exodus 34:29-35 Psalm 99 and Matthew 13:44-46).

Great Leaders are Prayer Warriors.

Tuesday 30^th July, 2019. Bible Study: Exodus 33:7-11; 34:5b-9, 28 & Matthew 13:36-43.)_

_“And Moses made haste to bow his head toward the earth, and worshiped. And he said, ‘If now I have found favor in thy sight, O Lord, let the Lord, I pray thee, go in the midst of us, although it is a stiff-necked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for thy inheritance.” *(Exodus 34:8-9)*_

In the parable of the weeds among the wheat, we can see that there are different kinds of people in the world. The good seed represents those of us who believe in God and are children of the kingdom while the weeds represent the children of the world who love to perpetrate evil.

As much as we live side by side with evildoers, we are supposed to be leaders in our own little ways. Leading others is not easy. Sometimes, like Moses, you may find yourself alone against the crowd. Moses was just one man yet as one man, he was able to bring an entire nation to repentance from idolatry.

Upon returning from the mountain with the stone tablets, Moses could have decided to keep his mouth shut in timidity since the crowd outnumbered him. He could have given in to pressure like the weak Aaron who fashioned a golden calf for them. But then, Moses stood his ground, he stood for what was right even if it was not popular. Moses did not believe in the dictum: “if you can’t beat them, join them.” Instead, he beat them until they all joined him. This is leadership.

Leadership is not easy but there is secret to being successful at it: PRAYER. Great leaders are prayer warriors. As a man, Moses was very weak, he lacked physical strength having passed his youthful age. He was a meek person, he couldn’t speak coherently and with confidence (hence the need for Aaron), he feared people a lot, he was even afraid of Pharaoh, his faith was weak. But the success of his leadership prowess came from his constant meetings with God.

Every good leader must have a tent of meeting with God. Every good leader must have the habit of going up to the mountain to consult with God. If we must lead others, let us know that Leadership involves power and power comes only from God. If we are not in tune with God by daily prayer, adoration, visitation to the Blessed Sacrament, we are basically powerless. Without God in our lives, the weeds could suck up our nutrients and we who are wheat would produce a poor harvest.

God already made up his mind to destroy them and raise a new nation from Moses alone but Moses prayed, he begged God for mercy, he told God how the nations around would reason if they heard the people perished in the wilderness not knowing it was because of their sins. God spared the people. He listened to the prayer of Moses. I do not intend to debate whether prayer changes the mind of God or not, but the point we must take home today is that LEADERS ARE PRAYER-WARRIORS.

If you are a leader in any capacity, be you a Father or Mother, a teacher, a minister, a public official, you will achieve so much by the habit of Praying Always. Don’t be too busy to pray. Never be too concerned about leading, organising or building that you abandon your prayer room (your tent of meeting). Of course, which CEO will refuse to attend a board meeting with his directors or with the owner of the company and still hope to succeed? Do we realize the mistake we make by not holding personal meetings with God? Give time to prayer and God who is the only true leader will lead through you.

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, equip me each day to be a better leader. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Tuesday of the 17th week in Ordinary Time. Bible Study: Exodus 33:7-11; 34:5b-9, 28 & Matthew 13:36-43).

Faith is the Answer.

Monday 29^th July, 2019. Bible Study: Exodus 32:15-24.30-34 or 1 John 4:7-16 and John 11:19-27

_“Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.   And even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” *(John 11:21-22)*_

A few days ago, we celebrated the feast of St. Mary Magdalene, a woman who loved Jesus and was not afraid to display it. Today we are celebrating another woman who was also very close to Jesus; Martha, the sister of Mary and Lazarus.

And just last Sunday, our Gospel passage took us to that familiar scene in the Bethany home of Mary and Martha where Jesus often went with his disciples. On this particular occasion, Martha served while her sister Mary sat at the feet of Jesus listening to him.

In today’s Gospel, we are presented with events following the death of their brother, Lazarus who was also a close friend of Jesus. Upon hearing that Jesus was on his way to the house, Martha (a hyper-active Sanguine) could not wait for Jesus to enter the house. She ran to meet him on the road while Mary sat still inside the house.

Martha was the one who said to Jesus, “IF YOU HAD BEEN HERE, MY BROTHER WOULD NOT HAVE DIED.” This statement is one that expresses how difficult it can be to combine faith in God’s existence with evil in the world.

For Martha and for many today, the fact that a lot of evils happen in the world today is a sign that God is absent from this world. When bad things happen to us, we tell ourselves “if God was here, so and so would not happen.” But as we see in this occasion, Jesus was fully aware of the situation and He deliberately decided to wait four days before showing up.

God’s ways are not our ways. We only need to trust God when we pray knowing that whatever be the outcome of our prayers is exactly the best for us. On this particular occasion, Jesus did not show up on time just so that He would use the occasion to prove to the world that He is God; that He is power over life and death.

The fact that your prayers were not answered does not mean God is angry with you, it does not mean prayers are powerless. It only indicates that God had something better in place for you. Jesus said to Martha, “Your brother will rise again.” But Martha did not understand what Jesus meant, she had lost all hope of seeing Lazarus in flesh and blood again. She said: “I know he will rise again at the resurrection on the last day.”

Dear friends, do not be too quick to give up on God. Do not be too quick to conclude that your prayers are not working. I have heard many say: “I don pray tire, yet nothing dey happen.” As far as God is concerned, it is never too late. Jesus said to her: “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

This question is the most important question we would have to answer individually: “Do you believe this?” Do you believe that even now, it is not too difficult for God to change your situation? Do you believe that what you thought was impossible can still happen? Martha’s response was greatly instrumental to this miracle. She said “Yes, Lord; I believe…”

The life of St. Martha teaches us the need for closeness to Jesus; the need to work for Jesus. Martha expressed her love for Jesus by cooking for him and forever she would be remembered for this. How am I expressing my love for Jesus?

What stops me from cooking even a single meal today to feed one or two poor people around me so that in that way Jesus would eat? On the last day, this little act of kindness would be remembered on our behalf: “When I was hungry, you fed me; now enter into the home of my father.”

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, increase my faith in your power to do the impossible. Amen.

St. Martha, pray for us. 

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. Memorial of Saint Martha. Bible Study: Exodus 32:15-24.30-34 or 1 John 4:7-16 and John 11:19-27).

The Wheat and the Weeds: A Story of God’s Mercy.

Saturday 27^th July, 2019. Bible Study: Exodus 24:3-8, Psalm 50, Matthew 13:24-30

_“The servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ But he said, ‘No; lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest...’” *(Matthew 13:28-30)*_

There is the story of a farmer who found an eagle’s egg and placed it among the chicken’s newly laid eggs. Eventually, the little eagle developed in the midst of the chicks not knowing it was different. One day, the eagle looked up at the sky and saw the giant Eagle soaring above and he said to its fellow chicks: “how I wish I can go up there” but in response, they said: “no, you can’t, you are not meant to fly.”

Dear friends, the constant challenge before us Christians is being able to realize our true potentials as wheat and distinguish ourselves from the weeds. It is not everyone who goes to the church that deserves the name “Christian.” And just as the wheat and the weeds look familiar, it is not so easy to distinguish between the genuine Christian from the nominal Christian.

It is not what we profess with our lips that matter but what we believe in our hearts. You are not what you say you are, you are not what you think you are, you are what you do! Actions speak louder than words, actions define our true character. This is the point Jeremiah clearly emphasizes in today’s first reading.

In those days, there were many persons who felt secure based on the fact that the temple was standing. They felt confident that with God’s temple, they are safe just like there are many Christians today who base their security on mere church membership. Jeremiah warns:

“Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, burn incense to Baal, and go after other gods that you have not known, and then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, ‘We are delivered!’ -- only to go on doing all these abominations?” Jeremiah 7:9-10.

Never base your relationship with God on human standards. Do not say, “so and so is doing it and they come to church, why shouldn’t I also do it.” Do not be like the eaglet accidentally placed in the midst of little chicks and grows up to believe it cannot rise above their level. Be careful about who you follow on the mere basis of ‘my church member, my church member’, you can never really tell the wheat from weeds.

Another lesson we must learn from this parable, as well as the parable of the sower, is that in the body of Christ, people are not all the same. It is very wrong to just use one blanket to cover everyone. It is very wrong to call everyone in the church a weed just because all those you have met so far are weeds. Just as some are seeds among thorns, some are seeds on rocky ground, some are seeds on very good soil. And even among those on good soil, their outputs are different; some produce hundred, others sixty and some others thirty.

By the way, what is the basis for judging whether one is a weed or wheat? Isn’t it the case that we are sometimes weed and sometimes wheat? Within us lies the power to either be true Christians or to be such as Jeremiah describes above. We have two elephants fighting seriously inside of us constantly and the one that wins is the one we feed.

Happy weekend, please as you rest today, find a few minutes to do a short act of meditation. Try to do a mental review of every activity you did throughout this week. Find out areas where you failed God and areas where you were actually wheat. Right them down. If possible, go for confession. Set new spiritual goals for yourself and come back next week to check your list. Be wheat, never assume you can never rise above the weeds you see all around.

Let us Pray: Lord Jesus, make me realize my security is not based on church or denomination but on sincere worship. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Saturday of the 16th week in Ordinary Time. Bible Study: Exodus 24:3-8, Psalm 50, Matthew 13:24-30).

Wisdom for Life, Joy for the heart, Light for Your eyes.

Friday 26^th July, 2019. Bible Study: Exodus 20:1-17, Psalm 19 and Matthew 13:18-23)_

_“The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever. *(Psalm 19:7-9)*_ 

Have you been lost in a strange land before? Imagine you are lost and you need to get to a particular location within a certain time frame, then you try asking people for directions but no one understands English. Under this circumstance, how would you feel when you suddenly stumble upon a map? I bet you would jump up and down in joy and quickly apply yourself to the directions. Like one lost in a strange land, the Israelites were really lost when they found themselves in the middle of nowhere in the desert. When God gave these commandments, he actually provided them with a map.   

The Ten Commandments represent Divine Wisdom guiding the affairs of mankind. Obedience to these commandments translates to living life as God desires and not just as people think fit. As our Responsorial Psalm sings, there is great wisdom in keeping these commandments.

“The law of the Lord is perfect, REFRESHING THE SOUL; the decree of the Lord is trustworthy, giving WISDOM TO THE SIMPLE. The precepts of the Lord are right, REJOICING THE HEART;

The command of the LORD is clear, ENLIGHTENING THE EYE… They are MORE PRECIOUS THAN GOLD than a heap of purest gold. Do you notice how the Psalmist draws analogies from the most important parts of the body?

See how the psalmist describes the value of keeping God’s commandments. Is it not obvious that all the problems that people face today are deeply rooted in the fact that God’s instructions are ignored, disobeyed and even legislated against.

The Ten Commandments are not only a map for the best life possible, they also contain seeds capable of yielding a great harvest in our life. However, our keeping of the Ten Commandments depend on the type of soil we have, that is, it depends on our attitude to God.

Some don’t even care or know that the Ten Commandments exist. They are like seeds along the path. Some people are so eager to receive the Ten Commandments but in the face of temptation and trial, they push God aside. They are like seeds planted on rock.

Some others again love to keep the Ten Commandments but they also want to pursue material things. Their love for riches at times overshadows their love for God. They are the seeds that are planted among thorns.

How do I relate with God? To what extent do I value the commandments of God as a map for the best life possible on earth? What type of soil is my heart?

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, impart in me the grace to value your commands. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Friday of the 16^th Week in Ordinary Time. Bible Study: Exodus 20:1-17, Psalm 19 and Matthew 13:18-23).

Lessons from the Life of St. James the Apostle.

Thursday 25^th July, 2019. Bible Study: 2 Corinthians 4:7-15, Psalm 126 and Matthew 20:20-28

_“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you, but whoever would be great among you must be your servant.” *(Matthew 20:25-26)*_

As we celebrate the feast of St. James today, we are drawn to reflect on the remarkable personality of this great apostle who shared his blood for the sake of the faith. It so turned out that amongst the apostles of Jesus, James was the first to die a martyr’s death under the sword of Herod.

In the Gospel passage, we see the mother of James and John presenting her sons before Jesus to make a request: “Please permit that these two sons of mine may sit one at your left and the other at your right hand.” This is one lesson we learn from James and his brother; the fact that we must not only work and pray for our earthly needs, we must also focus our prayers on achieving heaven.

For them to bring their mother to Jesus, it shows they knew Jesus very well. They knew Jesus was close to his own mother and that Jesus never refuses whatever Mary asks. They didn’t want a “No” for an answer so they went as far as bringing their mother. Dear friends, we must be so determined to make heaven to the extent that we ask others to pray for us in other to be among those who would be found worthy of God’s eternal city.

When Jesus asked: “Can you drink of the cup? (suffering, persecution, hardship etc. that would follow), it was not the mother who responded but James and John themselves answered: “Yes we can!” This shows their faith and willingness to overcome any challenge in their ambition for heaven.

Note that Jesus neither answered “yes” or “no” to their request, instead, he said: “You will drink of the cup but as for seats at my right and left, they belong to those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.” This again is another lesson we must learn: You may be ready to do anything, even up to shedding your blood like James and John but never forget that it is not your ambition or your effort that would get you what you want, but the WILL of God.

Prayer is not a command, it is a plea, a plea that our will may align with God’s will. No matter how hard we pray, God’s will always prevail. This is the lesson we learn from Jesus’ response to James and John.

Finally as St. Paul says in the first reading, let nothing discourage you. Not even the fact that your prayers are not granted for “we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.” 2 Corinthians 4:8-9

At the end of the day, the other disciples became indignant with James and John for coming out openly to express their ambition for heaven. It became an occasion for Jesus to teach them about servant leadership. We must never be like the pagans when we are placed in charge of others. Never boss over people; the greater you become, the humbler you should be. There is more glory in serving than being served.

James eventually drank the cup. He died a martyr for the sake of the Gospel. As to whether he got the seat in heaven, we shall find out when we eventually get there. Nevertheless, in the meantime, let us ask for his intercession and learn from his determination and zeal to achieve heaven. Let us make heaven a priority.

Let us Pray: Lord Jesus, grant that nothing may ever prevent me from achieving eternal life with you in paradise. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Feast of St. James, the Apostle. Bible Study: 2nd Corinthians 4:7-15, Psalm 126, Matthew 20:20-28).

Effective Parenting: Nurturing Rich Soils in Kids.

Wednesday 24^th July, 2019. Bible Study: Exodus 16:1-5.9-15, Psalm 78 and Matthew 13:1-9

_“Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears, let him hear.” *(Matthew 13:8-9)*_

Sometime ago, something rather disheartening happened in my locality. It was the day fixed for the Primary School leaving certificate examinations. The Governor decided to pay surprise visits to some of these centres. Lo and behold, the Governor caught some Teachers right inside the examination hall copying answers for the children. In fact, in another centre, he saw parents struggling to bribe their way into the hall to help their children copy. Some parents were seen climbing the school fence.

This incidence really calls to question the nature of parenting in our society today. How are we bringing up our children? Do we realize that the future of our country depends on the sound moral and spiritual foundation we lay in our kids? One eminent professor said recently that Nigeria is producing a generation of illiterates – educated illiterates; graduates who are world-apart from what their degrees and certificates claim.

If as parents we now teach and encourage our children to commit malpractice in examinations, how do we make them understand that kidnapping, terrorism, prostitution, bribery, armed robbery, telling of lies, certificate forgery and so on are evil?

A child who is well brought up is the glory of his parents. As our Gospel passage today explains, the nature of the soil determines the nature of the harvest. Let us bear in mind that our role as parents is to cultivate and constantly manure good soils in the heart of our children so that God can work mightily through them.

Another serious problem among today’s children is the development of an entitlement mentality. This is where many parents of today’s generation got it wrong, they bring up their children to believe that they can always get what they want even without working for it. Children today do not understand that it is okay to suffer for a while, that is okay to delay gratification, that money takes time to come by, that life is a journey.

Like the children of Israel on their way to the Promised Land, children today want it all NOW; NOW; NOW. And when they don’t get it, they complain, they throw up tantrums, they get depressed and even commit suicide. There has never been a time when life wasn’t tough for the youths. In fact, I think it was tougher those days. I listen to my father and many of his generation tell me how they suffered just to pay their own school fees through school given that their own fathers were not even educated. They survived.

The murmurings of the children of Israel showed the depths of their lack of appreciation to God, a failure to look beyond their immediate circumstances (impatience) and a deep-seated sense of entitlement. These are sadly the same traits we see in the children of my generation; experts in complaining and murmuring; professionals in ranting all day on social media, insulting government officials without offering meaningful solutions or creative ideas.

Let us teach our children to develop rich soils by cultivating in them the virtues of trusting in God, the discipline of hard work, the willingness to follow the more difficult route and the beauty of patience.

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, help us to realize that by changing the soil (the foundation), we can change our fruits. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Wednesday of the 16th week in Ordinary Time. Bible Study: Exodus 16:1-5.9-15, Psalm 78 and Matthew 13:1-9).

Don’t Get Caught in the Middle of the Sea.

Tuesday 23^rd July, 2019. Bible Study: Exodus 14:21-15:1, Exodus 15 and Matthew 12:46-50)_

_*“Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the water may come back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen."  So Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its wonted flow when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled into it, and the LORD routed the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.  The waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen and all the host of Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea; not so much as one of them remained. (Exodus 14:26-28)*_

Dear friends, rather than ask Pharaoh why he refused to let go of the Israelites, I need to ask myself why I often refuse to let go of the past hurts and faults of others. And rather than feel sorry for Pharaoh and his cohorts for drowning in the sea, I better warn myself that continuous pursuit of my so-called enemies for vengeance could only lead to drowning in the middle of the sea.

Yes, the Egyptians felt offended. Moses tricked Pharoah saying they were only going to offer sacrifice to God in the desert but days went by and they were nowhere to be found. But was there any need going after them?

Like Pharaoh, we all have been cheated, deceived, insulted by at least one person in our lifetime. But unlike Pharaoh, we cannot afford to spend the rest of our lives pursuing people. We must let go and move on regardless of what others have done or will still do to us.

Unforgiveness is deadly! Every act of revenge always backfires. Pharaoh and his cohorts got drowned in the sea. There is a story of a woman who poisoned her five children mistakenly all in a bid to revenge her neighbour simply for insulting her.

In the Gospel passage, Jesus was preaching when he was told his mother and relatives wanted to see him. He deliberately decides not to give them any preferential treatment. He would not stop what he was doing to attend to them instead he turns to the crowd and says: “whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother, and sister, and mother.”

One way we do the will of God is forgiving and letting go. In Pidgin English, we say: “Pickin must resemble him papa.” We resemble God only to the extent that we are people of mercy. One who cannot forgive does not know God.

After twenty-seven solid years behind bars, Nelson Mandela said: When I was about to walk of the prison into a life of freedom, I knew that if I refuse to forgive those who hurt me, I would still be in chains.

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, save me from fear. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Tuesday of the 16^th week in Ordinary Time. Bible Study: Exodus 14:21-15:1, Exodus 15 and Matthew 12:46-50).

God will Make a Way.

Monday 22^nd July, 2019. Exodus 14:5-8 and John 20:1-2,11-18

_*“Woman, why are you weeping? Whom do you seek?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). (John 20:15-16)*_

As I was going through today’s readings, I immediately started singing Don Moen’s song:  God will make a way, where there seems to be no way, He works in ways we cannot see. He will make a way for me. He will be my guide, hold me closely to His side. With love and strength for each new day, He will make a way, He will make a way.

By a roadway in the wilderness, He'll lead me, and rivers in the desert will I see. Heaven and Earth will fade but His Word will still remain, and He will do something new today….

Slavery is such a grave evil humans inflict on one another. Slavery begins with a basic lack of respect for the dignity of a fellow human being. Every time you look down on others or deny them of their human rights, every time you exploit others talents, energies and time against their will and without adequate and proper remuneration, know that you are no better than Pharaoh and his household. The painful reality is that despite the fact that we are Christians, slavery continues to happen in our homes today under the guise of house helps, apprentices and the like.

One thing we need to understand about slavery is that it is not only the slave that suffers, but the slaver is also equally affected and destroyed. This is the point Asa, the musician made when she sang “I’m in chains, you are in chains too. I wear uniforms, you wear uniforms too.” Lack of respect for your fellow human being does not make you a higher species.

The real impact of slavery is not so much the physical wounds inflicted on people but the psychological destruction it brings within a person. The slave begins to think of himself in such low terms that he craves for and worship his master. This is the stage of surrender! In the presence of his master, he is overcome by fear. This was the type of fear that gripped the Israelites in the presence of Pharaoh. They even said to Moses, “where there no better tombs in Egypt that you brought us out here to die?”

That was when Moses sang: GOD WILL MAKE A WAY. Be still. Be calm. Relax. Fear Not. Just watch and see. Let God fight for you. Do not be in a haste to act. These Egyptians you see now, you will see them no more. Each time, we are consumed by fear, we should remember this encounter. Never underestimate the power of God. Be calm, and know God knows how to make ways where there is none.

Today, we celebrate the feast of St. Mary Magdalene. The following except is culled from Catholic Online.org:

St. Mary Magdalene is one of the greatest saints of the Bible and a legendary example of God's mercy and grace. The precise dates of her birth and death are unknown, but we do know she was present with Christ during his public ministry, death and resurrection. She is mentioned at least a dozen times in the Gospels. The Gospels agree that Mary was originally a great sinner. Jesus cast seven demons out of her when he met her. There is also debate over if Mary Magdalene is the same unnamed women, a sinner, who weeps and washes Jesus’ feet with her hair in the Gospel of John. Scholars are sceptical this is the same person.

Despite the scholarly dispute over her background, what she did in her subsequent life, after meeting Jesus, is much more significant. She was certainly a sinner whom Jesus saved, giving us an example of how no person is beyond the saving grace of God. During Jesus' ministry, it is believed that Mary Magdalene followed him, part of a semi-permanent entourage who served Jesus and his Disciples.

Mary likely watched the crucifixion from a distance along with the other women who followed Christ during His ministry. Mary was present when Christ rose from the dead, visiting his tomb to anoint his body only to find the stone rolled away and Christ, very much alive, sitting at the place they laid Him. She was the first witness to His resurrection.

St. Mary Magdalene's feast day is July 22. She is the patroness of converts, repentant sinners, sexual temptation, pharmacists, tanners and women, and many other places and causes.

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, save me from fear. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Monday of the 16^th week in Ordinary Time. Feast of St. Mary Magdalene. Bible Study: Exodus 14:5-8 and John 20:1-2,11-18).