The Power and Works of the Holy Spirit.

Wednesday 1st September 2021. Read Colossians 1:1-8, Psalm 52 & Luke 4:38-44 

“And demons also came out of many, crying, ‘You are the Son of God!’ But he rebuked them, and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ.” (Luke 4:41)

1. Healing. Today’s Gospel passage is a direct manifestation of the manifesto of Jesus: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed,” (Luke 4:18). Inflamed by the Holy Spirit, Jesus visited Simon’s house where he healed Simon’s mother in law and that same night, the whole community brought to Jesus their sick and possessed relatives. Jesus healed them all.

2. Prayerfulness. Jesus rose very early the next and went to a quiet place all by himself to pray. When we are led by the Holy Spirit, we cannot afford to stay away from prayer. For Jesus, going to a quiet place all by himself to pray shows He practised what he preached: “And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners ... But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” (Matthew 6:5-6).

It is sad today to see Christians today who take pleasure in using prayer to disturb others. Some believe that if they don’t shout at the top of their voices, their prayer will be ineffective. Brothers and sisters, God is not deaf. He doesn’t need loud speakers to hear prayers, He only needs a heart.

3. Preaching. When his disciples found Jesus, they said, “everyone is looking for you” but Jesus said: “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other cities also; for I was sent for this purpose.” St. Paul would say: “Woe to me if I do not proclaim the Gospel.” (1st Cor. 9:16). Preaching is an activity of the Holy Spirit. “No one takes this honour upon himself unless he is called and chosen like Aaron was.” (Hebrews 5:4).

Let us pray:  Lord Jesus, fill me with the Holy Spirit. Amen. 

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Wednesday of week 22 in Ordinary Time. Bible Study: Colossians 1:1-8, Psalm 52 & Luke 4:38-44)

Don’t Get Caught Off-Guard.

Tuesday 31st August 2021. Read 1st Thess.5:1-11, Psalm 27 and Luke 4:31-37 

“When people say, ‘There is peace and security,’ then sudden destruction will come upon them as travail comes upon a woman with child, and there will be no escape. (1 Thessalonians 5:3) 

The book of Proverbs teaches us: “A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want, like an armed warrior.” (Proverbs 6:10-11). If a little sleep can bring me poverty, then a little relaxation of my spiritual life can land me into temptation and sin.

Dear friends, we can’t afford to sleep or relax in our prayer life. I only deceive myself when I skip my prayers and say: “God understands.” The truth is that each time I skip prayer, the devil capitalizes on it. Constant prayerfulness increases our self-discipline, it makes us stronger against sin and other agents of darkness.

Jesus went to the city of Capernaum to preach and guess what? Right inside the house of God, there was a man with an unclean demon! Who would have thought that such a person would be in the house of God? Can you imagine would have happened if Jesus was not prepared? Be careful. Stay alert in the spirit. Don’t get caught off-guard.

St. Paul tell us in Ephesians 6:13-18 “Therefore take the whole armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the equipment of the gospel of peace; besides all these, taking the shield of faith, with which you can quench all the flaming darts of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray at all times in the Spirit.” 

Child of God, be ready at all times. Never stop praying. You can be attacked at any time. Be on guard. St. Peter would say: “Be sober, be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith.” (1 Peter 5:8-9)  

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, renew my spirit within me. Bring back that fire in me to be closer to you. Amen. 

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Tuesday of week 22 in Ordinary Time. Bible Study: 1st Thess.5:1-11, Psalm 27 and Luke 4:31-37).

The Bitter Side of Truth.

Monday 30th August 2021. Read 1st Thess. 4:13-18, Psalm 96 and Luke 4:16-30

“When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. And they rose up and put him out of the city, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw him down headlong.” (Luke 4:28-29)

In today’s Gospel passage, we see that what began as a happy reception of Jesus eventually turned into an attempt to kill him. What was responsible for this sudden change of attitude? Truth.

It was the usual custom of Jesus to go to the Synagogue in Nazareth. On this day, Jesus decided to step into the podium to proclaim the message. Luke reported that “all spoke well of him and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded from his mouth.”

So why was Jesus almost thrown him off the cliff? By reminding them about the widow of Zarephath and Naaman the Syrian, Jesus made them understand the Good News of salvation was not exclusive to the Nation of Israel. Even before Jesus was born, God intended salvation for the whole of mankind.

Jesus told them the truth, but it was just too bitter to swallow. To this day, people do not like to be told the truth. The prosperity gospel has become so popular in our day because it is the opium of the masses; it is exciting and thrilling. It makes you forget your sorrows and hope that everything would be fine.

We must face the truth, we Nigerians (along with our government) have failed and there is no amount of shouting in our churches daily that can change our situation. For instance, if you refuse to do any work, shouting “I receive it” in Church will not put millions of naira in your pocket. 

If you as a person continue living in sin, telling lies, and deceiving people, you are part of the problem of our country and until you repent, things will only get worse. All our prayers would become useless if none of us is ready to do the right thing. 

Let us pray:  Lord Jesus, may the truth of your word guide my life. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Monday of week 22 in Ordinary Time. Bible Study: 1st Thess. 4:13-18, Psalm 96 and Luke 4:16-30).

God is not moved by Lip-Service.

Sunday 29th August 2021. Read Deuteronomy 4:1-2.6-8, Ps. 33, James 18:21-22.27 & Mark 7:1-8.14-15.21-23 

“And now, O Israel, give heed to the statutes and the ordinances which I teach you and do them; that you may live.” (Deuteronomy 4:1) 

One of the biggest challenges facing Christianity today is what St. James refers to as SELF-DECEPTION in today’s second reading and what Jesus Christ refers to as LIP SERVICE in our Gospel passage. How do we get entangled with self-deception and lip service? And how can we avoid falling into such traps? These are some of the lessons we shall learn today.

1. Forget the Outside and Look inwards.

A few years ago, I went to a busy market to purchase a particular electronic device but the more I kept asking for it, the more I was being referred elsewhere. I was almost giving up until one shop owner told me to wait while he checks his warehouse. After about thirty minutes, the man came back full of smiles with the very device I had asked for. I was happy at first but seeing what he was holding, my happiness dampened. It looked like something he picked from the dustbin. I asked him: “Sir, this doesn’t look original to me oh…”

I was still speaking when he quickly cut in and said: “Oga, na wetin dey inside na you dey buy oh, no be the carton.” That was a moment of enlightenment for me. This is exactly the point Jesus teaches in today’s Gospel passage. “It is not what goes into a man from outside that defiles him; but the things which come from within.”

Now let’s ask ourselves: What is inside me? How pure is my heart? What efforts do I make each day to purify my mind of evils such as immoral thoughts, pornographic images, wicked imaginations, vengeful feelings, criminal moves, deceptive tricks to dupe people etc.?

2. You Are Not Who You Say You Are, You Are What You Do.

We live in a world of “Packaging.” We are like people who paint our houses beautifully but bring in deadly snakes into our bedrooms. At an ordination ceremony some time ago, a young man was caught trying to steal a car but what was so shocking was that he was dressed as a Seminarian. Packaging.

Once upon a time, a man sued his wife to court demanding for ten million dollars. This woman won a beauty contest and the man being a successful businessman decided to marry her. Their wedding was the talk of the town. Everything went well until the day this woman gave birth. The man could not believe his eyes. The baby had no resemblance whatsoever to its mother, that was when the woman confessed that her beauty was a result of plastic surgery. Packaging.

Is there a contradiction between my carton (my packaging) and my real self? Do I project myself as a saint before others whereas I am a demon inside in my heart? How long do I hope to continue deceiving myself thinking I am fooling people?

4. Be Wise, Keep God’s Commandments, avoid Secrecy.

Let us reason together, wouldn’t it be better not to have a skeleton in your cupboard than to wake up one day and find that the skeleton you kept is now haunting you like a ghost? Why live a double life? Every secret has a life span. Jesus tells us: “For nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known.” (Matthew 10:26)

Is there something bad I am planning to do now that I wouldn’t want people to know or hear about it? God is saying to you right now: DON’T DO IT. Am I in a relationship with someone and I am trying so hard to keep it secret? God says: END IT. Are there certain things on my phone which I wouldn’t want my spouse to see? God says: REMOVE THEM. Secrecy leads to self-deception and lip service.

4. Render Only Pure Worship to God.

Moses says in today’s first reading: “Keep them (the commandments) and do them; for that will be your wisdom and your understanding.” This means we are foolish when we disobey God’s commandments. In fact, Jesus says rendering worship with hearts defiled is vain; useless to God, a waste of time.

So how do we render Pure Worship to God? St. James answers: CHARITY to the orphans, widows, the afflicted, the needy etc. (Corporal Works of Mercy) alongside PURITY; freedom from immorality in our world. If we cannot help people and we do not keep ourselves from worldliness, our going to church, our night vigils, our singing and dancing, tithes and offerings, are in vain! 

Let us pray:  O my good Jesus, I repent of my life of secrecy and religion of hypocrisy. Strengthen my resolve to render you only pure worship from this day. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time. Bible Study: Deuteronomy 4:1-2.6-8, Ps. 33, James 18:21-22.27 & Mark 7:1-8.14-15.21-23).

Be a Good Steward of Your Opportunities in Life.

Saturday 28th August 2021. Read 1Thess.4:9-11, Psalm 98 and Matthew 25:14-30 

“Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master.” (Matthew 25:21)

We do not all have equal opportunities in life but we all have equal abilities to make the best of all our opportunities in life.

In the parable of the talents given by Jesus in today’s Gospel passage, the master had three servants. To one the master gave five talents, to another, two talents, and to the third, he gave only one talent. It always seems like some persons are more blessed than others but you see, just as our talents are different, our problems are also different. Avoid envy and never become proud.

Do not be so concerned about who got five talents or ten. If it is only one that you have, don’t bury it. Focus on your opportunities, use even your limitations and lack to your advantage – make the best of your unique situation.

Today, St. Paul exhorts us to mind our business: “We exhort you, brethren, to … aspire to live quietly, to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we charged you; so that you may command the respect of outsiders, and be dependent on nobody.” (1 Thessalonians 4:10-12) 

The master called the servant who buried his talent wicked and slothful. We are wicked and slothful when, instead of developing our God-given abilities and talents, we focus on pulling others down. We are wicked and slothful when we live with envy, picking faults in everyone, complaining about our leaders yet failing to contribute our quota to a better society.

We remember St. Augustine today. His life teaches us one important lesson: Every saint has a past and every sinner has a future. Are you currently struggling to walk in the light? Do not give up. You too can be a saint. 

Let us pray:  Lord Jesus, give me the grace to use up my talents while I live that I may die completely empty. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Saint Augustine, Bishop, Doctor (Memorial). Bible Study: 1Thess.4:9-11, Psalm 98 and Matthew 25:14-30).

Never Forget the Extra Oil.

Friday 27th August 2021. Read 1 Thes. 4:1-8, Psalm 97 and Matthew 25:1-13

“Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps.” (Matthew 25:2-4)

There were ten maidens, five were foolish and five were wise. The only thing that differentiated the foolish from the wise was the fact that they went along with some extra oil; they didn’t depend only on the oil in their lamps.

Perhaps the foolish ones were more concerned about how they looked; they forgot the one thing necessary; a bottle of oil just in case the oil in their lamps go out. That one thing which we often take for granted, that extra oil is our relationship with God. Of course, only a few wise persons remember to carry it.

St. Paul in today’s first reading says: “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from unchastity… For God has not called us for uncleanness but in holiness. Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God.” (1 Thessalonians 4:2-8). If you live on earth as though God does not exist, how do you hope to spend eternity with God whom you have so rejected?

Don’t just be an average Christian, be a wise one; carry some extra oil along with your lamp. Be an authentic Christian. 

Today we remember St. Monica, a woman who has become so popular in Christianity because of her son, St. Augustine. The life of St. Monica is an inspiration to mothers who are finding a hard time getting their children to know God. What was her secret? Relentless prayers. Like the widow who kept going to the unjust judge, St. Monica prayed for her son until he became a changed person.

Let us pray:  Lord Jesus, save me from the foolishness of mediocrity. Amen. 

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Saint Monica (Memorial) Bible Study: 1 Thes. 4:1-8, Psalm 97 and Matthew 25:1-13).

Never forget the End.

Thursday 26th August 2021. Read 1 Thess. 3:7-13, Ps. 90:3-4,12-14,17, Matthew 24:42-51

“Therefore you also must be ready; for the Son of man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” (Matthew 24:44)

Jesus says to us today: “Watch, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.” To be watchful is to be alert in the spirit. It reminding oneself constantly that the end must surely come.

Just as a good security officer never goes to sleep while on duty, being watchful requires that we diligently guard our heart. The book of Proverbs chapter 4, verse 23 defines what spiritual watchfulness is all about when it says: “Guard your heart will all vigilance, for out of it proceeds the wellsprings of life.”

St. Peter puts it beautifully when he wrote: “Discipline yourselves, keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary, the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour. Resist him, steadfast in your faith.” (1st Peter 5:8-9). 

The best way to keep watch is to get busy. It is not enough that we are watchful, we must also be doing what God desires. Hence Jesus says: “Blessed is that servant whom his master when he comes, will find SO DOING.” Before we begin an activity, let us ask ourselves “if the world were to end right now, will God be happy to meet me doing this?” 

Always remember the end; always remember that even the air you breathe is borrowed and you will have to relinquish it someday. Thinking of our death often helps us to be less materialistic, it also helps us to forgive easily. Reminding ourselves that we shall die helps us to take life lightly and refrain from complaining when we don’t seem to have all we need. 

Let us pray:  Lord Jesus, help me to be prepared always. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Thursday of week 21 in Ordinary Time. Bible Study: 1 Thessalonians 3:7-13, Ps. 90:3-4,12-14,17, Matthew 24:42-51).

Woe to You Scribes and Pharisees.

Wednesday 25th August 2021. Read 1Thes. 2:9-13, Ps.139 & Mat. 23:27-32

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!” (Matthew 23:27)

One of the most difficult things to do is to try to correct a person in authority. Jesus would have tried to be quiet but he said the truth just as it is. In His own words, Jesus told us: “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28).

When it comes to correcting our religious leaders, there is a tendency for us to quote passages such as “Touch not my anointed ones and do my prophet no harm.” (1 Chronicles 16:22 & Psalm 105:15). In truth, the greatest harm we can do to God’s anointed ones and prophets is our failure to tell them the truth.

In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus likened the Scribes and Pharisees to whitewashed tombs which were beautiful to look at from the outside but were full of dead men’s bones inside. If people get close to me, would they see something different from what I portray in public?

Jesus also condemned the fact that the Scribes and Pharisees had a practice of adorning the tombs of the prophets, meanwhile, they hated Jesus with a passion. The question is: How do I react when someone tells me the truth?

In today’s first reading, St. Paul writing to the Thessalonians stated: “For you remember our labour and toil, brethren; we worked night and day, that we might not burden any of you, while we preached to you the gospel of God…” (1 Thessalonians 2:9) Have I become a burden to my flock financially? Do I only think of what I would get from them?

St. Paul continues: “You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our behaviour to you believers.” (1 Thessalonians 2:10). Can I as a religious leader say this to my flock? Am I truly a role model when it comes to righteousness and holiness? 

Let us pray:  Lord Jesus, give us the grace to practice what we preach. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Wednesday of week 21 in Ordinary Time. Bible Study: 1Thes. 2:9-13, Ps.139 & Mat. 23:27-32).

St. Bartholomew and the Rest of Us.

Tuesday 24th August 2021. Read Apocalypse 21:9-14, Psalm 145:10-18, John 1:45-51 

“Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” (John 1:46)

It is so easy to write off a person, a town, or even a city. The life of St. Bartholomew who we celebrate today is a clear testimony to this fact. He was obviously not pleased when Philip told him that the Long-Awaited Messiah is from Nazareth.

Bartholomew (also known as Nathanael) asked a question, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Imagine someone asking if anything good can come out of your town. Jesus said two things about Bartholomew that sums up his life;

One, he was a man without any guile. Meaning, he was such an upright person unlike the Pharisees Jesus condemned for their hypocrisy. Two, Jesus said He saw Bartholomew under the fig tree – symbolic of a deep prayer life. Through his prayer life, Bartholomew literally attracted Jesus to himself.

After Jesus summed up his life, Bartholomew knew that only God could have such details about him. Bartholomew fell on his face and worshipped Jesus. Unlike the other apostles who had a hard time believing that Jesus is God, Bartholomew’s faith was more like love at first sight.

As we reflect on the life of Bartholomew, we are called to look at our own lives. How committed am I to living uprightly? Do I tell lies? How close am I to God? How good is my prayer life? Do I still recognize Jesus Christ as God? Or have I come to take Jesus’ presence for granted?

Jesus promised Bartholomew that he would see greater things; that he would see heaven opened and the angels ascending and descending. This statement of Jesus further makes us convinced that Bartholomew is in heaven right now. The saints are not simply “dead people”, they are alive with God and our faith in this truth is the reason we ask for their intercession. 

Let us pray:  Lord Jesus, increase in me a longing for heaven. Amen. St. Bartholomew, Pray for us.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Saint Bartholomew, Apostle – Feast. Bible Study: Apocalypse 21:9-14, Psalm 145:10-18, John 1:45-51).

Woe to You Scribes and Pharisees.

Monday 23rd August 2021. Read 1 Thess.1:1-5,8-10, Psalm 149 & Mat.23:13-22 

“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!” (Matthew 23:13) 

It is sad that despite the multiplicity of churches, evil seems to be on a rise in our society. Our real problem is hypocrisy. We are always trying to deceive people when we really cannot deceive God. We are like the men who brought the woman caught in the act of adultery to Jesus. We have picked up stones already but we now need to listen to Jesus: “Let him who has not sinned be the first to cast a stone.” In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus accused the Pharisees of:

One. “Shutting the kingdom of heaven”. You wonder, how on earth can those who are leading people to heaven be the ones shutting the same door? Does my life proclaim a different Gospel from what I preach? Jesus said that they neither go in themselves nor would they allow those who want to go in.

Two. Jesus accused them of traveling far and wide to convert a single person to the faith only to make him or her a more qualified candidate for hell. Am I simply interested in increasing the number of persons who come to my church? As a priest or the leader of a church, am I more concerned about offertories, tithes, and seeds than the actual spiritual nourishment of souls?

Three. Jesus accused the scribes and Pharisees of not teaching the truth regarding swearing and oath-taking. How sound is my theology? What efforts do I make to update my knowledge? Jesus called them blind guides because they were teaching things that they themselves did not even know. These Pharisees taught that if one swears by the altar, it is nothing but if one swears by the gift on the altar, he is bound by the oath. This way, they seemed to place more emphasis on the gift than the very altar itself which again revealed where their true interests lied.

Let us examine our consciences and repent. We should not be so interested in attempting to convert anyone as much as we should be interested in living in the light ourselves.

Let us pray:  Lord Jesus, cleanse me from all forms of hypocrisy. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Monday of week 21 in Ordinary Time. Bible Study: 1 Thess.1:1-5,8-10, Psalm 149 & Mat.23:13-22).

Will You Also Go Away? Taste and See that the Lord is Good.

Sunday 22nd August 2021. Read Joshua 24:1-18, Psalm 34:1-22, Ephesians 5:21-32 and John 6:60-69

“Many of his disciples, when they heard it, said, ‘This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?’” (John 6:60)

In the opening prayer of today’s Mass, we prayed: “O God, who cause the minds of the faithful to unite in a single purpose, grant your people to love what you command and to desire what you promise, that amid the uncertainties of this world, our hearts may be fixed on that place where true gladness is found.” This prayer summarizes our readings today. In it, we prayed that amid the uncertainties of this passing world, we would love what God commands, desire what He promises, and fix our minds on that place where true gladness is found.

Obviously, the crowd in today’s Gospel passage walked away from Jesus Christ because their minds were not fixed on that place where true gladness is found. They became disappointed with Jesus when they realized that He was not willing to feed them with ordinary physical bread once again. It is interesting to note that Jesus did not try to change His stand or water down His message when He saw the crowds leaving. What lessons does this passage teach us:

1. Following Jesus For the Sake of Bread (material benefits) Leads to Disappointment.

So many Christians today have been made to believe that the only reason Jesus took our human flesh, lived among us, died, and rose again was simply to provide for our material needs. Somehow, we have been wrongly influenced by the popularity of the prosperity gospel. Like these disgruntled crowds, many Christians today have reduced their worship of God to the mere attainment of the passing things of this life. We only remember to pray when we need money, friends, connection, food, water, etc.

Dear friends, if all that Jesus came to do for us was to provide for our material needs, why did Jesus allow the crowds to leave Him? If all that Jesus came to do was to remove poverty from our lives, why did He say we would always have the poor among us? (Cf. Matthew 26:11). Do not make the mistake of this crowd? Let it never be that the only reason you worship God is just to get your own fill of bread – that which you would eat and be hungry again. If this is the case, you might soon find yourself moving from church to church like these crowds. 

2. The Holy Eucharist is our Life.

You might wonder, if Jesus did not come simply to feed us with physical bread and make our lives on earth sweet and beautiful, why did He die for us? What did Jesus achieve by His passion, death, and resurrection? To give us His flesh to eat and His blood to drink that we may attain eternal life. Jesus’ greatest gift to mankind is the Holy Eucharist which is His flesh and blood. The Holy Eucharist is the bread which comes down from heaven, it is the food of angels, it is the food that Elijah ate which sustained him for forty days and forty nights without being hungry (Cf. 1 Kings 19:5-8).

The Holy Eucharist is the food of which Jesus said: “if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh… unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you;  he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. … As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats me will live because of me.” (John 6:51-57)

The Holy Eucharist is our life – without it, we are no better than walking corpses even if we have everything else in this life. If you are not receiving Holy Communion, you are missing out on the main purpose Jesus came to die for us. St. Paul in today’s second reading use the analogy of Christ’s gift of Himself in the Holy Eucharist to describe how husbands are to sacrifice themselves completely for the sake of their wives. “For no man ever hates his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, as Christ does the church because we are members of his body.” (Ephesians 5:29-30)  

Like a man willing to die for his wife, only for her to walk away from him, Christ was willing to give the crowd His own flesh and blood to eat and drink only for them to walk away from Him. The question is: “Will I also walk away from this precious gift Christ is offering to me today?” Or Would I walk away from Jesus once again like that young man who walked away from Jesus sad all because he was unwilling to give out his riches to the poor? (Cf. Luke 18:18-22)

3. The Christian Life is a Choice.

The beauty of what happens in today’s Gospel passage is that when the people walked away from Jesus, He did not call down fire from heaven to burn them. Jesus will not even try to use sweet-mouth to get them back. Jesus was never a crowd-pleaser. Jesus always spoke the truth, unlike false prophets who specialize in telling people only that which they want to hear. (Cf. 2 Timothy 4:3 & 2 Corinthians 11:13-14)

In fact, Jesus asked the twelve: “Will you also go away?” Coincidentally, this was the same choice that Joshua in our first reading today placed before the Israelites: “If you will be unwilling to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve…” (Joshua 24:15). In other words, if you have a problem with following God’s instructions, no need to put one leg here and the other leg there just decide where you really want to be. Serving God is not by force.

If you do not see any value in what Jesus is offering (Holy Eucharist), and all you want is ordinary bread (the perishable things of this world), then feel free to walk away. As much as we are free to choose, we are never free from the consequences of our choices. One thing is very clear, if we choose to walk away from God, we would never find happiness anywhere else. Only in God can we find true happiness for our souls. One question I often ask myself is: “After walking away from Jesus, did the crowd eventually find the bread they were looking for?” If you consider the commandments of God as too difficult to keep or as a hindrance to your happiness, will you find happiness by worshipping the devil?

4. Taste and see that the Lord is Good.

Peter, speaking on behalf of the twelve disciples responded to Jesus saying: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life; and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” (John 6:68-69). Joshua also makes a similar choice in our first reading when he said: “as for me and my house, we would serve the Lord.”

It is funny that after listening to Joshua, the people responded: “Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord, to serve other gods…” (Joshua 24:16). If you read the next book of the bible (the book of judges), you would realize that the Israelites never kept this promise. Note that it is one thing to give verbal assent to God but a different thing altogether to live it out. A lot of Christians today are “like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.” (Matthew 23:27). Do I outwardly profess the creed even when I do not accept the teachings of the church? Am I living in pretense? 

Our psalmist today sings: “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” What is keeping you stuck in those sinful habits, why not give God a try today. Taste God, follow those “difficult” instructions you have always resisted and you will see that God is Good. 

Let us pray:  Lord Jesus, I will not walk away, I will not follow the world, to whom shall I go, you alone have the key to eternal life, I believe in you, give me the grace to remain faithful to this commitment. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (21st Sunday in Ordinary Time. Bible Study: Joshua 24:1-18, Psalm 34:1-22, Ephesians 5:21-32 and John 6:60-69).

Do I Practice what I Preach?

Saturday 21st August 2021. Read Ruth 2:1-3,8-11,4:13-17, Ps. 128):1-5, Matthew 23:1-12

“Practice and observe whatever they tell you, but not what they do; for they preach, but do not practice. They bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by men. (Matthew 23:3-5)

Jesus summarizes the life of the Scribes and Pharisees today by saying that they do not practice what they preach. Like these scribes and Pharisees, do I practice what I preach? Am I simply a signboard that points to a particular direction but never goes there? On the other hand, have I become a stumbling block preventing others from going to heaven through my scandalous actions? Is my practice of Christianity merely to attract the attention of others?

Jesus went further to discourage the practice of giving undue worship to religious leaders by saying: “But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brethren. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called masters, for you have one master, the Christ. He who is greatest among you shall be your servant; whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” (Matthew 23:8-12)

Many Christians have asked me why we priests are addressed as “Father” or “Reverend Father” when Jesus specifically asked us not to call any man on earth “father”? In this passage, Jesus is not against the use of titles, rather He is specifically warning against worshipping human beings. In this context, Jesus is saying, “Call no man on earth your God. You have only One God who is in heaven!”

At the same time, Jesus is telling the religious leaders themselves not to see themselves as gods just because of the respect they enjoy from the people. Jesus is telling us, priests, religious, and pastors that the true hallmark of religion is humility. We are merely servants. We must avoid becoming lords to those that God has placed under our spiritual care.

The story of Ruth and Naomi comes to an end today with the happy union of Ruth and Boaz whom God blessed with a child that eventually became the direct Grandfather of David and subsequently, one of the ancestors of Jesus Christ. Our responsorial psalm today says it all: ‘Blessed is everyone who FEARS THE LORD, who walks in his ways! You shall EAT THE FRUIT OF THE LABOUR of your hands; you shall BE HAPPY, and it shall BE WELL WITH YOU….’ (Psalm 128:1-6).

Let us pray:  Lord Jesus, help me to love you better each day. Amen. 

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Saint Pius X, Pope (Memorial) Bible Study: Ruth 2:1-3,8-11,4:13-17, Ps. 128:1-5, Matthew 23:1-12).

True Love is sacrificing for Others.

Friday 20th August 2021. Read Ruth 1:1-22, Psalm 146 and Matthew 22:34-40 

“But Ruth said, ‘Entreat me not to leave you or to return from following you; for where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God; where you die I will die, and there will I be buried.’” (Ruth 1:16-17)

The love of God is the summary of all the commandments. It is also the greatest of them all. What does it mean to love God? It means to value God so much in your heart that you would rather die than offend him.

At the heart of Christian worship is love. Another word for love is worship. To love is to worship. In other words, if we were to really love God, we would truly worship him by keeping every one of his commandments even if we don’t feel like keeping them. To love God is to sacrifice one’s own will for the sake of doing the will of God.

Take away love, and all that we do in Church becomes a waste of time and energy, a show or drama so to say! This was why Jesus had to ask Peter this question three times, “Do you love me?” “Peter, do you love me more than these?” “Peter, do you really love me more than these?” How can we claim to be serving God if we love other things more than God?

The first and greatest commandment is also intricately connected to the second commandment which is: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” Of course, as St. John says:  “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.” (1 John 4:20).

The Story of Ruth and Naomi in the Bible is a story of Love. How I wish our daughters will increase the love they have for their mothers-in-law. Ruth refused to leave Naomi, her mother-in-law because she was wise enough to know that Naomi, being an aged woman cannot survive on her own without help. Here comes another lesson in love; the care for the old.

Love is empty if it doesn’t require anything from you. True love requires sacrificing for others especially for the old.  Just as loving God demands our wholehearted worship, loving our neighbours also demands sacrifice on our part. 

Let us pray:  Lord Jesus, help me to love you with better each day. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Saint Bernard, Abbot, Doctor (Memorial). Bible Study: Ruth 1:1-22, Psalm 146 and Matthew 22:34-40).