I am Nigeria and Nigeria is Me

Thursday 1st October 2020. Read Isaiah 11:1-10, Psalm 72:1-17, Ephesians 2:13-22 & Matthew 2:13-15.19-23 

“Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there till I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” Matthew 2:13

For us here in Nigeria, October First is our independence day. On a day like this, the question we ask ourselves is: “Is Nigeria worth celebrating?” Most often, the answer to this question is the long list of things that have gone wrong with this nation. In truth, the mood around us today is not that of celebration but a mixture of anger and frustration. Most of us are so ashamed to be identified as Nigerians that we are ready to do whatever it takes to leave or rather, run away, from this country just as the Holy Family (Jesus, Mary and Joseph) ran away from Israel to take refuge in Egypt.

The flight of the Holy Family to Egypt would never have happened if there wasn’t a problem with its leadership at that time. As we read in today’s Gospel passage, God sent an angel to warn Joseph in a dream to take the child and his mother and run to Egypt because Herod was about to destroy the child. Indeed, any country where its leaders value their comfort over that of the young (children and youth), where there is no serious commitment to education is not worth staying in.

However, unlike the Holy Family who were just three persons, it would be practically impossible and even senseless for over ninety million persons to flee. The only flight we can afford is not out of Nigeria but into a better Nigeria; that is, we the citizens working with our own hands making use of the abundant resources which God has already endowed us with. Perhaps, this better Nigeria may not even be a single country (topic for another day), but for this entity to be better, we all must be willing to pay the ultimate price for it. No country ever became what it is by luck, it is a question of the calibre of people who identify themselves as its citizens.

Dear friends, stop thinking of Nigeria as some abstract reality existing in the air, Nigeria is not just a map neither is it simply landmass and waterways. Nigeria is people. Nigeria is me and I am Nigeria. The goodness or badness of Nigeria so to say is only a function of my own goodness or badness. If I am dishonest, lazy and wicked, that is exactly what Nigeria is. I cannot be hoping for a better Nigeria to happen when I am not willing to change my own evil ways. I cannot be praying for Nigeria to become good when in my sphere of leadership, I am worse than Herod. I cannot be dreaming of a new Nigeria when I can afford to see my fellow Nigerians suffering, yet, I partake in the looting of public funds.

Nigeria will only be good to the extent that I am willing to be good. This is the reason why while there are some individual Nigerians who keep surprising the entire world with mighty feats and positive achievements, some other Nigerians are just doing the opposite. The funny thing is that even those involved in crime and other nefarious evil claim that they desire a better Nigeria as if it was possible for that to happen without their contribution.

During the just-concluded elections in my state, I saw video clips of persons who were arrested not necessarily by the police or the army but by fellow citizens for trying to buy or sell votes. For the first time, I felt there is hope for our country; that as a people, we have been able to identify our problems and we are now willing to make the sacrifice for things to change.

Yes, a lot rests on leadership. While our Gospel passage speaks of the Holy Family running because of a bad leader, our first reading contains a prophecy of an extraordinary leader who will actually make life beautiful for the people. This leader will have the spirit of wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge and fear of the Lord, he shall be impossible to bribe, in fact, righteousness shall be the belt in his waist. Wouldn’t you rather become such a leader for Nigeria?

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, your mother understands hardship, may she intercede for a better Nigeria. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Feast of Our Lady Queen of Nigeria. Bible Study: Isaiah 11:1-10, Psalm 72:1-17, Ephesians 2:13-22 and Matthew 2:13-15.19-23).

Answering the Call to Ministry

Wednesday 30th September 2020. Read Job 9:1-16, Psalm 88:10-15 and Luke 9:57-62 

“Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head.” Luke 9:58

Our Gospel passage today presents us with three examples of persons called to ministry. One came to Jesus on his own declaring his intention to follow Him. Another Jesus himself called to follow but wanted to bury his father. While the third wanted to follow Jesus but at the same time said needed to say farewell to his family. From these three persons, we learn some important lessons about ministry.

One, ministry should never be considered as a career or a money-making enterprise. To the man who came on his own wanting to follow him, Jesus said: “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head.” (Luke 9:58). It was necessary for Jesus to let him know that ministry demands carrying a very huge cross. To those He sent out to preach, Jesus would say “Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and salute no one on the road.” (Luke 10:4) Anyone whose attraction to ministry is material wealth, luxury or comfort is clearly mistaken.

Two, ministry demands one’s complete devotion and total commitment. To the man who gave the excuse of going to bury his father first, Jesus said: “Leave the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:60) Bear in mind that this man wasn’t asking for permission to attend a burial ceremony, he needed to go and settle everything about his family before coming to do God’s work. Celibacy frees the minister in that it allows him to “let the dead bury their own dead.”

Three, ministry is not about what you want but what God wants. To the man who wanted to first go home to bid farewell to his family. Jesus said: “no one who puts his hand to the plough and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:62). Once you say “yes” to God, you lose the right to say “no” later. God needs people who can forego their personal will. This is the reason the minister takes the vow of obedience.

To obey goes beyond merely taking instructions, it is primarily about subjecting one’s will to that of another. It is being able to say: “I am no longer in charge of myself.” Without this willingness to do the will of God rather than your own will, ministry can result in frustration. Indeed, if we summarize the three statements of Jesus, we come to one conclusion: Following Jesus comes at a cost. If you cannot pay the price, then you don’t deserve the prize. As Jesus would say: “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24) 

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, give me the grace to live by my vows and commitments as I follow you daily. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Wednesday of the 26th Week in Ordinary Time. Bible Study: Job 9:1-16, Psalm 88:10-15 and Luke 9:57-62).

The Archangels Gabriel, Raphael and Michael

Tuesday 29th September 2020. Read Daniel 7:9-14, Psalm 138 and John 1:47-51

“Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.” John 1:51

The existence of angels is a fact not easily comprehended by human reasoning. Angels form part of what St. Paul talks about when he said: “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him.” (1st Corinthians 2:9). Though the Bible speaks about angels in many instances, there are only three whose names were specifically mentioned and that is why we refer to them as the Archangels.

Michael is mentioned as a warring prince who fights on behalf of God’s children. Daniel 10:12-13 reads: “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your mind to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard…The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me….” Michael is again mentioned in the book of Revelations as waging war against the devil. “Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they were defeated and there was no longer any place for them in heaven.” (Revelation 12:7-8).

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

Archangel Gabriel plays the role of the messenger of good news in the Annunciation: “In the sixth month the Angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.” (Luke 1:26-28) Gabriel also announced to Zechariah that at his old age, he would have a child. (Luke 1:19ff).

The power and working of the Angels is a testimony to the greatness of God and the fact with him, nothing is impossible. As we read in the Gospel passage, Jesus said to Nathanael, “Truly, I say to you, you shall see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”

Angels reveal to us the power of God at work in the midst of men. They represent a dimension of reality that reason alone cannot grasp. The Angels are pure spirits but they can take the form of human beings. There are Angels in our world and we often encounter them without knowing. That is why it is always good to be good to everyone we meet! (Cf. Hebrew 13:2)

Let us pray: Lord Jesus may I be an Angel to those around me. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Feast of the Archangels. Bible Study: Daniel 7:9-14, Psalm 138 and John 1:47-51).

Receiving the Kingdom of God like a Child

Monday 28th September 2020. Read Job 1:6-22, Psalm 25 and Luke 9:46-50

“Whoever receives this child in my name receives me … for he who is least among you all is the one who is great.” Luke 9:48

The story of Job raises a lot of questions. Not only does it challenge our traditional understanding of God as incapable of evil, it also gives the impression that Satan is part of God’s cabinet. How can God give permission to Satan to torment Job? Can we say God is indirectly responsible for the evil in the world by giving permission to Satan? 

Our Gospel passage today answers these questions. The disciples of Jesus are arguing about who is the greatest and Jesus shocks them by bringing a child before them. The best way to approach God is with a childlike attitude; an attitude that believes without questioning.

Job did not have the privilege of attending the meeting where his matter was discussed. Little did he know that his unfortunate circumstance was not coincidental. Job had no idea that he was simply being tested. Yet, he passed the test. We are told: “In all this, Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.” Job’s success came from his childlike attitude; his willingness to accept things as they are.

Seen from our human perspective, the world is not perfect. Like Job, we are not privileged to see the big picture, our knowledge is so limited, and we do not know if we are being tested. So, if we begin to question everything, we could end up failing the test.

We just need to learn the childlike attitude of Job to accept things as they are: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb and naked I shall return…”

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, in moments of trials and difficulty, help me to remain firm in faith like Job. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Monday of the 26th Week in Ordinary Time. Bible Study: Job 1:6-22, Psalm 25 and Luke 9:46-50).

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

Sunday 27th September 2020. Read Ezekiel 18:25-28, Psalm 25, Philippians 2:1-11 and Matthew 21:28-32

“Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you” (Matthew 21:31) 

Jesus gave a parable last Sunday of the landowner who kept hiring people into his vineyard even at the eleventh hour to teach us that even at the last minute, God is willing to accept us into His Kingdom as long as we repent. Somehow, today’s liturgy continues on this same theme. Like the labourers who were standing idle in the market place all day, we may have spent our entire lives in sin but as the prophet Ezekiel makes us understand today, it is our present, not our past that matters to God. This brings us to our lessons for today.

1. We are not what we say we are, we are what we do.

In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus gave a parable of a man who had two sons and wanted them to work in his vineyard. One said “I will not” but afterwards had a rethink and went but the other answered “I will go sir” but did not go. This parable says a lot about many of us Christians. With our lips, we claim to love God and but our actions contradict our words.

Jesus himself expressed this phenomenon when he noted: “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, ‘These people honour me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me…’” (Mark 7:6-7). This is worth pondering upon, “Could I be worshipping God in vain?” It is not the Church we attend or our frequency in the Church that makes us Christians, it is our actions that count. When I am not in the Church, what does my behaviour say about me?

2. Before taking out the speck in someone’s eye, consider the log in yours.

Jesus made a very touching statement in the conclusion of today’s Gospel passage: “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.” Those we judge and condemn may eventually get to heaven while we who claim to be holy are shut out.

In another passage, Jesus explains: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you evildoers.’” (Matthew 7:21-23).

This calls for a deep examination of conscience on our part. In all honesty, am I better than those I condemn? The things I preach against in public, do I do them in secret? I may succeed in deceiving people by my external show of religiosity but as Jesus warns: “Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.” (Luke 12:2-3) 

3. Every Saint has a past but every sinner has a future.

St. John would say: “For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.” (John 3:17). On different occasions, Jesus clearly stated, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Luke 5:31-32, Matthew 9:12-13, Mark 2:17). As much as God hates sin, He truly loves sinners and by sinners, we mean those honest enough to admit their faults without pointing fingers.

Too often, like the man who buried his talent, we blame others for our sinfulness. We find it hard to take responsibility but the moment we are able to admit we are squarely at fault, that sin no longer has dominion over us. God is ever ready to forgive and receive those who admit their faults, those who rethink their evil ways and those who “come to their senses” like the case of the Prodigal Son. As we often say in the Stations of the Cross, “no matter what my past has been, I can begin anew.”

You may have fallen many times but today, God is giving you another chance. “When a wicked man turns away from wickedness ... and does what is lawful and right, he shall save his life.” (Ezekiel 18:27). Surely, God is ever ready to forgive us His mercy must never be taken granted. In other words, never assume you still have time. To borrow the words of Isaiah in last Sunday’s first reading, “Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near.” (Isaiah 55:6). Repent now while you still can.

4. Stop pretending to be a Christian, become one; – have the same mind as Jesus.

The summary of all we have so far said is this: “It is only those who behave like Christ that deserves to be called Christians.” Like the son who said I will go but did not eventually go, we give scandal to the name of Christ when we do not imitate Christ. Luckily, St. Paul in today’s second reading helps us identify very salient attributes that define the life of Christ.

They include: A. Selflessness - “Let each of you look not only to his own interests but also to the interest of others.” B. Humility – “Though he was in the form of God, [Jesus] did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant.” C. Obedience – “And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross.” Notice that each of these qualities require sacrifice - letting go of my own interests, my pride and my will – yet, without these three qualities, none of us deserves to be called a Christian.

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, help me to come to terms with my sins that I may repent completely and grant that my actions henceforth may positively proclaim faith in you. Help me to selfless in my dealings with others, humble before all and obedient to your Word. Amen

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (26th Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year A. Bible Study: Ezekiel 18:25-28, Psalm 25, Philippians 2:1-11 and Matthew 21:28-32).

The Shortness of Life

Friday 26th September 2020. Read Ecclesiastes 11:9-12-8, Psalm 90 & Luke 9:43-45

“For everything, there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven” Ecclesiastes 3:1

Today, the author of the book of Ecclesiastes tells us: “Remember your creator while you are still young” meaning you are not going to remain young for long. Life is in stages but then, it is moves very fast. The worst mistake any person can make is to assume that there is time.

Even today, I still come across many youths who engage in all sorts of immoral activities thinking they have all the time in the world to repent later on. One, no one is guaranteed time as we not know when we shall die. Secondly, even if it is true that you have time, do not forget that bad habits do not die easily.

Are you still young? This is the time to draw close to God. It is how you make your bed that you would lie on it. The morning shows the day. It is the seeds you plant in your youthful age that would determine the crops you will harvest in your old age. Never let down your guard in the name of “enjoying life.”

Without God in the picture, there is nothing like enjoyment. There is only beating about the bush. St. Augustine summarizes it as “Our hearts are restless until they rest in God.” If we ignore God in a bid to catch fun, we only land ourselves in pain, sorrow and regret.

In our Gospel passage, we see that Jesus is not carried away by those singing his praises. He refuses to allow pride get to him. He knows that these same people who are speaking well of him would eventually be the ones to shout: “Crucify him, Crucify him.” Jesus told his disciples: “Let these words sink into your ears; for the Son of man is to be delivered into the hands of men.” (Luke 9:44).

Dear youths, don’t be carried away by your facial beauty, your shape or the fact that you are full of energy now. Don’t become proud because of the many people who are praising you now. Don’t think you will always remain like this or that people will always speak well of you. Remember your God today.

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, increase my wisdom to act fast that I may not miss salvation. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Saturday of the 25th Week in Ordinary Time. Bible Study: Ecclesiastes 11:9-12-8, Psalm 90 & Luke 9:43-45).

No Condition is Permanent

Friday 25th September 2020. Read Ecclesiastes 3:1-11, Psalm 144:1-4 & Luke 9:18-22

“For everything, there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven” Ecclesiastes 3:1

There is great wisdom in knowing that Life happens in stages and in seasons. There is a particular time for everything; birth time and death time, morning time and evening time; mourning time and rejoicing time; planting time and reaping time. Nothing lasts forever.

The book of Sirach says: “In the time of plenty, think of the time of hunger; in the days of wealth, think of poverty and need. From morning to evening conditions change and all things move swiftly before the Lord.” (Sirach 18:25-26). Are things going so smoothly for you right now? Think of the sad times and learn to be grateful for this moment. Are you going through difficulties at this moment, is there something seriously eating you up deep within? Then just remember the good times and say to yourself: “This too shall pass.”

If you haven’t seen the end of something, it is not because it will never end but because the end is yet to come. Whatever it is you are going through right now, just go through it, don’t get stuck, keep your fighting spirit till you see the end of it.

Imagine a song with just one tune or dance with only one type of move? How sweet will it be if a musician plays only one key on the keyboard? Again, no matter how sweet a song is, if it plays for too long, it becomes boring. Change is what creates a beautiful rhythm in the universe. The fact that things change and are subject to change is what makes life beautiful.

Are you having the best of what life has to offer right now? Think of those who are not so privileged and help them no matter how insignificant you assume your help is to them. Life is "turn by turn." When you are climbing a ladder, remember those you meet along the way because you might need them when coming down. Nothing is permanent.

Jesus told his disciples in today’s Gospel passage that he would be handed over to the elders and the chief priests, that he would suffer many things, be rejected and killed. How did Jesus summon the courage to talk freely about his death? He knew his death was only a season that would pass; He knew that no matter the amount of beating, shame and insult, something beautiful was coming afterwards.

Life is a song, it is rhythm; it will soon be your turn to change your dance steps. One day, you shall use your present situation to crack jokes. Don’t give up! Don’t enjoy alone either, don’t live in vanity, help those crying today. There will be many to dry your own tears when you cry.

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, save me from despair. Teach me to be grateful for whatever life throws at me. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Friday of the 25th Week in Ordinary Time. Bible Study: Ecclesiastes 3:1-11, Psalm 144:1-4, and Luke 9:18-22)

What is our Gain?

Thursday 24th September 2020. Read Ecclesiastes 1:2-11, Psalm 90:3-17 & Luke 9:7-9.

“What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun?” (Ecclesiastes 1:3)

 “Vanity of vanities, says the preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity.” First, what exactly is vanity? Have you ever looked through your wardrobe only to discover you have clothes you haven’t worn for over a year and yet you still feel the need to keep them? That is one example of vanity.

Herod, having heard of the fame of Jesus Christ regretted his decision to present John the Baptist’s head to the little girl. He only wished Jesus Christ was John the Baptist raised to life. What was the point of wasting someone’s life just to please one’s guests and prove that you are a person who keeps his promise? How much respect did Herod gain by killing John the Baptist? It is vanity when we seek to gain the love and respect of others rather than the admiration of God our maker.

There is a very important question the Preacher asks: “What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun?” The answer to this question is found in a similar question Jesus asked: “What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life? Or what shall a man give in return for his life?” (Matthew 16:26).

In other words, the moment we take God out of the picture, all our labour and toiling is useless. All our running around and in fact, everything is just a waste of time. Without God, we gain nothing! Without God, life on earth is just an endless circle of pain and intermittent victories; like a rat race – you think you have solved one problem, only for another problem to arise and then comes the next and the next. Before you know it, you have lived 90 years and you wonder how time just flew by.

It is only when we put God into the picture that our lives on earth begin to make sense. It is only when we realize our true purpose on earth (to know God, to love God, to serve Him and happy with Him forever) that we really begin to live. Once we make God the centre of our lives, we stop trying to gain the world. Of course, we can never gain the world – even the richest man on earth still struggles to sleep at night because he has serious troubles of his own – our hearts can never be satisfied from all the world has to offer.

There is a sense of despair that comes upon us when we realize the emptiness of this world. The author of Ecclesiastes must have written out of this despair. He seems to wonder if there is any point at all in being alive. When we read Chapter two, we see how the author indulged in so many things just to find that inner fulfilment and joy but couldn’t find it. He tried laughter, he tried food, he tried wisdom, he even tried foolishness, he turned to riches, ownership of slaves, gardens and parks, great works of beauty, vineyards. He got singers both men and women, he sought after concubines but all to no avail.

At a point, he confessed: “So I hated life because what is done under the sun was grievous to me; for all is vanity and a striving after wind.” (Ecclesiastes 2:17). Truly, life on earth is practically useless if we do not live entirely for God. As Jesus puts it: “whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 16:25). How much money are you trying to make that someone has not made before? What are you trying to do that has never been done before? Start living for God today; reorder your priorities and everything would start to make sense.

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, teach me to live simply and to give away my wants once my needs are met. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Thursday of the 25th Week in Ordinary Time. Bible Study: Ecclesiastes 1:2-11, Psalm 90:3-17, and Luke 9:7-9)

Contentment is Better Than Riches

Wednesday 23rd September 2020. Read Proverbs 30:5-9, Psalm 119 & Luke 9:1-6

“Two things I ask of thee; deny them not to me before I die. Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me.” Proverbs 30:7-8

God does not give anyone an assignment without also giving him or her the necessary instruments to accomplish the task. In today’s Gospel passage, we see Jesus sending out the Twelve on a mission and for this Jesus gives them the following: Power, Authority over all demons, Ability to cure diseases and Contentment. Of course, it is easy to read this passage without recognizing this last instrument; contentment.

By asking them to “take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not have two tunics,” (Luke 9:3) Jesus was basically teaching them or rather giving them the power of contentment. Truly, contentment, (a virtue which the Church concretely expresses with the vow of poverty) is such an all-important instrument for ministry. Show me a minister who lacks this virtue and I will sure you one who would soon turn the worship of God into the worship of mammon.

The temptation to be rich; to gather and to grab is always an undeniable force for anyone who opts to serve God. Jesus referred to this temptation as the thorns which grew up to choke the good seed thereby preventing it from bearing fruits. (Cf. Luke 8:14). Satan even offered to give Jesus all the kingdoms of the world if only He would agree to bow. Jesus clearly knew that the mission of the disciples would be greatly hampered if they fell for this same temptation, hence He warned them to take nothing. 

From my year of pastoral experience, I have come to realize that proclaiming the Gospel goes beyond merely standing on the pulpit to preach; sometimes, the Gospel that God’s people need is, in the words of Jesus, “you give them something to eat.” (Matthew 14:16) While we must condemn excessive luxurious lifestyles, we cannot fail to notice how the minister struggles to help the poorest of the poor who
see him as their last hope.

This is why the prayer in today’s first reading is such a perfect prayer for anyone called to the ministry. There are actually three strong prayer points contained in this reading. One, that God will keep us away from telling lies and from falsehood; that we do not become hypocrites, pretending to be caring for souls while being interested only in what we can get from them. Second, that God should keep us from poverty and at the same time, keep us away from riches. Thirdly, that God should give us the food that we need – not simply what we want (crave or desire) but what we need to be effective.

I know how it feels to become depressed (or frustrated) in ministry as a result of hunger which soon translates to anger at one’s flock and bitterness against the authorities. Trust me, it is not funny at all. As our first reading puts it, “lest I be poor, and steal, and profane the name of my God.” On the other hand, there is a certain level of wealth that becomes a great distraction to the minister himself and a scandal to those he ministers to.

Truly, virtue lies in the middle and the key to striking this balance is contentment; being grateful for whatever comes and trusting completely in God’s providence. Happiness comes not from what we have but from knowing that God will always make a way; that He is a Father who will never give His children stone when He knows they need bread.

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, teach me to be content as I spread the faith to the world. Amen.  

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Wednesday of the 25th Week in Ordinary Time. Bible Study: Proverbs 30:5-9, Psalm 119, and Luke 9:1-6)

Help, Do not Close Your Ear to the Cry of the Poor

Tuesday 22nd September 2020. Read Proverbs 21:1-13, Ps. 119:1-44 & Luke 8:19-21 

“And as he sat at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and his disciples.” Matthew 9:10

Although our first reading today contains a lot of striking proverbial sayings, one that strikes a chord profoundly is: “He who closes his ear to the cry of the poor will himself cry out and not be heard.” As Jesus teaches us: “So whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them; for this is the law and the prophets.” (Matthew 7:12).

It is precisely what we give out that we receive. The help we render to others comes back in different ways. Even the good thoughts we have towards others and the prayers we say for them come back as blessings for us. “Give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For the measure you give will be the measure you get back.” (Luke 6:38)

No one has it all; one man’s waste is another man’s treasure. While some walk long distances just to find food, others are forced by their doctors to walk long distances just to lose weight and keep fit. We are all poor in one way or another. Once we are able to come to terms with our own poverty, we are then able to understand with and sympathize with the poverty of others.

One musician sang: “Lean on me when you are not strong because I am going to need somebody to lean on tomorrow.” I think God allows calamity (pain or loss) in our lives sometimes just so that when we come out of it, we are able to understand with and strengthen those who are down.

It is good to play ‘Angel’ at times: Go out of your way to help people in very critical situations and then disappear. It is good deeds like these that actually make us Christians. In our Gospel passage, we hear Jesus saying: “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it.” This means it is by acting on God’s word that we become engrafted into the family of Jesus. By our deeds of righteousness, we become blood relations of Jesus.

Quite sadly, there are too many persons today who are into the professional business of telling lies to deceive unsuspecting Christians who genuinely desire to help the poor. This has often made many develop a “heart of stone” with regards to giving. Someone once came to my office crying profusely for money to buy blood saying that his wife is about to die in the hospital. I quickly left everything I was doing and told him to hop into my car so we can go to the hospital. As we were on the way to the so-called hospital, he started begging that I drop him off and give him transport money. Recently a lady texted me needing help. My account balance was less than five thousand naira and I was looking for a way to ask my friends for help. The next day she sent a text message that completely contradicted her previous story so I asked her to just say the truth only for her to reply with insults.

You may have a thousand reasons for not helping someone or even anybody at all but if you can verify that one is truly in need of help and you are capable of helping, please do not allow the negative experiences of fraudsters (agents of darkness) prevent you from rendering help.

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, help me live in a manner that truly represents me as a member of your family. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Tuesday of the 25th Week in Ordinary Time. Bible Study: Proverbs 21:1-13, Psalm 119:1-44 & Luke 8:19-21) 

Stomach Evangelization

Monday 21st September 2020. Read Ephesians 4:1-13, Psalm 19:2-5 and Matthew 9:9-13

“And as he sat at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and his disciples.” Matthew 9:10

Today, Jesus is at the table in the house of a Pharisee, Matthew. Jesus didn’t care about the bad reputation He was getting from the people – “Behold, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!” (Matthew 11:19) 

The Pharisees asked the disciples of Jesus: “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” Jesus, on hearing it, said: “Those who are well have no need of the physician, but those who are sick.” Indeed, we would not be wrong to say Jesus was a master at stomach evangelisation. Through eating and drinking, Jesus brought conversion to Zacchaeus as well as his friends and relatives.

This stomach strategy also worked excellently in the case of Matthew whose Feast we celebrate today. By sharing a meal with Matthew, Jesus not only ensured his conversion, Matthew became one of the Twelve Apostles. Sharing a meal with someone can actually serve as a very powerful tool for evangelization. When we sit down to eat, we not only put food in our bodies, we also enter into each other’s world. 

Today, many families have lost the culture of eating together. If you no longer eat together, know you are missing out on a great opportunity for real growth and spiritual nourishment.

As we celebrate the feast of St. Matthew today, we not only reflect on lessons to be learnt from the manner of his call, but we also reflect on the fact that God has called each of us as well through the various gifts and talents he bestowed upon us. This is what St. Paul teaches us in today’s first reading. No human being is without special gifts. No human being is useless as far as the building up of the body of Christ is concerned. Find out your special gifts today!

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, open my heart to creative ways of spreading the Good News to others. Amen. St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist, Pray for us. Amen

Happy Sunday. Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Feast of St. Matthew. Bible Study: Ephesians 4:1-13, Psalm 19:2-5 and Matthew 9:9-13)

Repent Now! Before It’s Too Late.

Sunday 20th September 2020. Read Isaiah 55:6-9, Psalm 145, Philippians 1:20-24.27 & Matthew 20:1-16

“Seek the LORD while he may be found, call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts.” Isaiah 55:6-7

Last Sunday, Jesus told us to forgive without counting, this Sunday, Jesus tells us He too is willing to forgive and welcome the sinner even at the eleventh hour. God never asks us for something He Himself is not willing to give. No matter what your past has been, you too can enjoy the bliss of heaven with all the Saints. Just say ‘Yes’ and agree to work in His Vineyard today.

With this summary, let us now consider in detail our lessons for today.

1. Time is Ticking Out.

Someone once said: “There are no poor or rich people. Everyone regardless of race, colour, creed or family background has only twenty-four hours in a day.” No matter how influential or powerful you are, you cannot add even a single minute to your allotted twenty-four hours and this also means that you cannot extend your allotted time on earth. The Prophet Isaiah in today’s first reading passionately appeals to us: “Seek the Lord while He may be found.”

This means, there would surely come a time when the Lord can no longer be found, there would come a time when God will no longer be near; a time when repentance would be impossible. Dear friends, now is the time to repent. Now is the time for you to stop your wickedness against others. Now is the time to stop fighting people; to stop wishing evil against others.

There is a form of witchcraft that is common today even among us Christians – say, for instance, we do not like someone or the person offends us or say the person refuses to do business with us etc. We say nothing to him/her but deep in our hearts, we start to pray that some calamity or evil will before them, that the business would fail or that they would become disappointed somehow. We hold on to this negative energy without knowing it and when we eventually hear bad news, we become happy, we are even the first to publicise it and we glory in the tears of others saying: “You see, I said it, he/she didn’t listen to me.” Should we hear Good News, we become engrossed in bitterness and pretend to be happy. This is wickedness, it is witchcraft.

Repent today. Isaiah says, forsake your thoughts. Change your thoughts. Even if you don’t like someone, wish them well. Jesus says we should pray for our enemies, how much more our friends (or better put, those we pretend to be their friends). Return to God while you still have the opportunity to do so. Drop your negative energy.

2. Honour God with Your Body

The words of St. Paul in our Second Reading today are quite profound and worthy of meditation. “Christ will be honoured in my body whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” As we noted in the first lesson, no matter how powerful we are, when our time to die comes, we cannot add even a single second to what has been allotted to us. Death is very frightening. Even to be reminded of one’s mortality is considered by many as an insult. “How dare you tell me I will die?” Of course, will anyone live on earth forever?

The only way to defeat death is to make your life meaningful - as St. Paul says: “For me, to live is Christ” that is, to say, live for Christ or better put, make Christ your topmost priority. St. Paul is so confident. He seems not to know which to choose, whether to go on living or to die. He knows that if he dies, he would surely be welcomed in heaven. Until we all attain this level of confidence as Christians, we are not yet mature in the faith. Until we are able to overcome the fear of death, we are yet to start living.

Now you may wonder, how do we live for Christ? This is where our Gospel passage today comes in. Jesus, speaking through the parable, tells us to WORK FOR HIM. Become an agent in the mission of Christ; play your part in fostering God’s kingdom on earth; do something no matter how small, to plant the faith, to spread the Good News, to influence good morals etc. etc. The vineyard is so big that there can never be enough labourers. There is always going to be room for more because as Jesus would say: “The harvest is rich but the labourers are few.” (Matthew 9:37)

It is all too easy for us to become frightened with terror when we see adherents of other religions using their positions in Government to promote their religious cause. When we Christians get into similar positions, what stops us from doing the same? Why are we the loudest champions of the idea of a secular state? Why do we make money our only priority when we can use our current position in life to push for bills that support the growth of the Christian faith? Why do we devote so much energy to fighting ourselves when there are millions of souls to be saved?

3. Collaboration not Competition.

There is a story I saw on social media a while ago. A lady asked her boss for permission to attend her sister’s wedding in another state and he shouted: “Who will clear the files, who will do this and do that… you can’t go!” She felt sad but very important. A few weeks later, they lost an employee in the office and the boss called for a meeting. He told them to observe a minute of silence and in less than 30 seconds, he broke the silence saying they could all get back to work. She then asked the boss: “Who will clear the files, who will do his job and so on.” He quickly responded: “Someone will resume tomorrow morning to take over his duties.” That was when she realized she was not so important after all.

When we begin to serve in God’s vineyard, pride becomes one of our greatest temptations. Somehow, we start looking down on others because we feel they are not doing as much as we are doing; we feel they are not winning as many souls as we do; we feel they are ordinary sinners while we are God’s Generals. We begin to count our achievements as though it was solely by our own efforts alone; we count the number of Churches, schools, hospitals and other facilities we have built and we make people literally bow to us.

This is the truth: the fact that I have been a Christian or even a priest for so many years does not make me more important than that woman who comes every Saturday to clean the pews in the Church or that young man who was baptized yesterday. Without their collaboration, I am nothing. They may be younger than me in the faith, but I have no right to look down on them or treat them as slaves. I may have worked longer and harder than others but in heaven, we shall all receive an equal reward. Truly, as Isaiah tells us in our first reading, the way we humans think is different from the way God thinks.

Conclusion: It is the Eleventh Hour, yet God is still Recruiting.

Are you ashamed of your past? Do you feel you have gone too far from God? My dear, your present is more important than your past. You may have stood idle all day, you may have even buried your talents, hung up your work tools but God is saying to you today: “You too, go into my vineyard.” It is not too late to repent. The Psalmist sings: “The Lord is close to all who call on him.” What are you waiting for? Call Him today. Start honouring God with your body; make Christ your topmost priority in our everyday life; contribute your quota in God’s kingdom and never disrespect anyone.

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, help me to make the best use of my time, to repent while I can, to serve with all I have and to bear fruits for your kingdom on earth. Amen.

Happy Sunday. Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year A. Bible Study: Isaiah 55:6-9, Psalm 145, Philippians 1:20-24.27 and Matthew 20:1-16)