The Good Shepherd Does Not Discriminate

Monday 1st May 2023. Read Acts 11:1-18, Psalm 42 and John 10:11-18

“And I have other sheep, that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will heed my voice. So, there shall be one flock, one shepherd.” (John 10:16)

What makes Jesus the Good Shepherd? Jesus gives us two answers today: One, sacrifice for the sheep – Jesus says: “The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” but the hireling leaves the sheep and flees when danger approaches, the hireling cares only about himself, not the sheep. Two, knowledge of the sheep – Jesus says: “I am the good shepherd; I know my own and my own know me.”

In truth, the call to leadership must never be considered a call to personal glory or an opportunity to enrich oneself. It is always a call to service, a call to selflessness, a call to sacrifice, and getting to know those that one leads. Leading others (fellow human beings) is indeed the most difficult assignment on earth. Without cultivating the habit of personal prayer, no one can ever succeed at it.

This is the lesson we learn in today’s first reading. In his prayer, Peter was given a vision wherein he was told not to call anything unclean which God has made clean. He would later understand the meaning of this vision when some men came from Caesarea to fetch him. In the end, a Roman official of high standing, Cornelius along with his entire family was baptized and received the Holy Spirit. This paved the way for the spread of the faith to Rome.

From the vision of Peter, we learn to avoid judging people simply based on where they come from. Whereas the bad shepherd, the thief thrives by creating division and sowing seeds of hatred and ethnic rivalry among the sheep, the good shepherd unites all, mends conflicts, and teaches love above anything else. 

St. Paul would later add in Galatians 3:27-29 “As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male or female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to the promise.” 

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, shepherd of my soul, give me a heart that welcomes rather than discriminates others. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Monday of the 4th Week of Easter. Bible Study: Acts 11:1-18, Psalm 42, and John 10:11-18).

@Rev. Fr. Evaristus E. Abu

The Lord is My Shepherd; there is Nothing I shall Want

Sunday 30th April 2023. Read Acts 2:14-41, Psalm 23, 1 Peter 2:20-25 and John 10:1-10 

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10) 

Last Sunday, we read Luke’s account of the two disciples who encountered Jesus on the road to Emmaus without knowing it. Jesus displayed the depth of his love as the Good Shepherd by not abandoning these two disciples who were already straying away from the fold. No matter what we may be passing through, Jesus sees, He knows, He understands and He is always beside us.

In today’s Gospel passage, we hear Jesus say: “The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him. (John 10:3-4). Jesus is always ahead of us in our journey through life. He goes before us. We cannot hide from Him.

As the Psalmist notes: “Where shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend to heaven, thou art there! If I make my bed in Sheol, thou art there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there thy hand shall lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, ‘Let only darkness cover me, and the light about me be night,’ even the darkness is not dark to thee, the night is bright as the day.” (Psalm 139:7-12). However, it is one thing to be led by a shepherd but a different thing to recognize the presence of the shepherd. This is the problem with many Christians and this brings us to our lessons for today.

1. Why Am I Afraid?

Fear is like background music constantly playing in our heads as we go through our day. From dawn to dusk, we listen to its rhythm and simply dance to it through our decisions, actions, and inactions. The message we constantly get from the world is: “You are on your own. Every man for himself. No one cares.” And so, we allow fear to consume us forgetting that God is with us, that He cares for us, and that we are never alone.

Our Psalmist today sings: “Though I should walk in the valley of the shadow of death, no evil would I fear. For you are with me.” Get this. God does not prevent us from “walking through the valley of death”; He doesn’t stop us from passing through the fire. He makes us go through all of these to teach us that no matter what we face, He deserves our complete trust. Abraham was tested, Job lost all he had, Peter was imprisoned, Paul faced many shipwrecks, and virtually all the saints suffered grievously in one way or another. As our second reading today explains, even Jesus suffered but in all of these, we can say with St. Paul that “we are more than conquerors.” (Romans 8:37)

Again, God does not suddenly destroy our foes, rather, He keeps them alive so that they can see us eating sumptuously from the table God has prepared for us where our “cup is overflowing.” Stop praying for your enemies to die, pray instead for a deeper awareness of God’s presence in your life. The cure for fear is to never forget that aspect of “for you are with me.”

2. Whose Voice Do I Follow?

We live not just in a digital but in an information-explosion age. There are so many voices today, so many who claim to have all the answers. Go to any social media platform for instance, and you are likely to see a message like “follow me” or “subscribe.” The average social media user today judges their self-worth by the number of followers, likes, or views they find on their content. Amidst the social media frenzy that has inevitably become part of our daily lives, it is important for us to step back and ask ourselves: “Whose voice am I following?”

In other words, what kind of content attracts and sustains my attention or dictates my actions? Who/What do I follow online? For instance, some would ignore messages about God but would not mind watching comedy shows, dance videos, and other non-religious content on social media not minding how much data they consume. Whether we like it or not, as Jesus said: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.” Is social media stealing from you, killing your sense of morality, or destroying your love for God? 

In our Gospel acclamation today, we hear Jesus say: “I know my own and my own know me.” (John 10:14) Jesus goes further to describe Himself as the Door of the Sheep meaning that it is only through Him that we can find our hearts’ desires and needs. “If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out of pasture.” If we enter by Jesus, there is nothing we shall lack but if we fail to enter by Jesus as our Door of life, we never find green pastures. The devil lures us with a lot of beautiful things but he only seeks to destroy us.

3. What Must I Do?

After listening to the powerful sermon of Peter wherein he summarized the whole of the Scriptures about the life of Christ, the people were caught to the heart and asked: “What must we do?” Having understood now that Jesus is our shepherd who never leaves us alone, this is the question we must now ask ourselves. Something has to change in our lives. There must be a difference from today. As Peter responded: 1.“Repent, and be baptized…” 2. “Receive the Holy Spirit….” 3. “Save yourselves from this wicked generation.”

These are the three steps we must also take today. Repent from following the devil, repent from immorality, the blind pursuit of wealth, falsehood, hatred, greed, and all that displeases God. As St. Peter tells us in our second reading, Christ suffered for us to leave us an example of how we too must die to sin and live to righteousness.

Secondly, begin a novena to the Holy Spirit if you have not already started. Pray every day for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon you to live and walk in the light of Christ. Thirdly, dare to be different from this crooked generation. Do not live by the standards of this world instead, be a light, set a standard for the world. Seek to please God above anything else in all you do.

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, open my eyes to see that you are always with me and I am never alone, save me from following false shepherds all around me. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Fourth Sunday of Easter, Good Shepherd Sunday. Bible Study: Acts 2:14-41, Psalm 23, 1 Peter 2:20-24 and John 10:1-10).

@Rev. Fr. Evaristus E. Abu

Lord, to Whom Shall We Go?

Saturday 29th April 2023. Read Acts 9:31-42, Ps. 116:12-17, John 6:60-69 

“Because of this many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him. So, Jesus asked the twelve, ‘Do you also wish to go away?’ Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom can we go?’” (John 6:56-57)

Many turned and walked away from Jesus. Jesus then turned towards the twelve and asked if they would like to go away as well. Peter, speaking on behalf of the twelve, said: “Lord, to whom shall we go?” In other words; “Do we have a choice?” Come to think of it: Is there an alternative to God? If we cannot find happiness following the footsteps of God, where else can we turn?

The people walked away from Jesus because He told them the plain truth about the Holy Eucharist. Jesus did not try to color the truth to suit the audience. Jesus was not so concerned about pulling a large crowd, rather He cared more about the salvation of their souls. By telling them that they were not getting physical bread the second time, they already felt offended but by now telling them that the bread they needed was his very flesh, Jesus literally “drove them away.”

Like those who walked away from Jesus, there are many times we walk away from God when our desires are not met. We stop taking prayers seriously, we stop being active in our pious societies, we become less fervent with our devotional activities, or we turn aside from following our conscience and begin to commit sin, etc. There are times we act out of anger towards God or we seek some sort of revenge for unanswered prayers or the existence of a crisis in our lives. We begin to question the existence of God.

It is precisely at such moments that we should say with Peter, “Lord, to whom shall we go?” Obviously, the real reason for the behavior of the crowd was that they did not understand. Peter himself did not understand but he chose to remain with Jesus – this is the definition of trust. You do not trust God because you know everything about God, you trust God because you believe He is all you have.

It is not possible for us to understand everything about God. Like the Holy Eucharist, there are still so many things about God that remain mysterious to us. No matter how high the temptation may be for you to walk away from God, let us remember that the best is yet to come. God has not changed and will never change a bit. Just hold on. Don’t quit on God.

For his steadfastness to endure when he didn’t understand, Peter would go on to become a great instrument in God’s hands. Our first reading today tells us how Peter knelt down to pray after which he spoke to a dead woman saying: “Tabitha, get up.” And she opened her eyes and sat up. Jesus tells us: “Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.” (John 14:12-14). You do not need to understand everything about God before you become His chosen instrument. 

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, when I feel like giving up, speak your word to the depths of my heart. Deepen my love for you and work through me always. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. (Saturday of the 3rd week of Eastertide. Bible Study: Acts 9:31-42, Ps. 116:12-17, John 6:60-69)

@Rev. Fr. Evaristus E. Abu

Whoever Eats Me Will Live Because of Me - Jesus

Friday 28th April 2023. Read Acts 9:1-20, Ps. 117, John 6:52-59

“Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them.  Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me.” (John 6:56-57)

Just as it wasn’t a mere coincidence that the Ethiopian Eunuch met Philip, it wasn’t an ordinary coincidence that Saul met Ananias. God is totally in control of everything that happens on Earth. The saying is true: “When we entrust our lives to God, we begin the see the hand of God in everything.”

Saul set out with letters authorizing him to persecute Christians but Jesus dramatically arrested him on the way to Damascus. “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” asked Jesus. This question reveals one sublime truth: that Christians are literally the body of Christ. Anyone who is fighting a Christian is fighting Christ. Anyone is who making life difficult for you just because you are a Christian is contending with God.

In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus continues his conversation with the crowd who had earlier on eaten their fill of the loaves and fishes. They wanted Jesus to work the miracle again but Jesus told him to labor for bread that lasts forever. When the crowd demanded this bread, Jesus made it clear that He is himself the bread of life.

Jesus wasn’t speaking figuratively. Jesus literally meant what He said: “He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him” “He who eats me will live because of me” and “He who eats this bread will live forever.” There is a fine saying that you are what you eat. When we eat Jesus’ flesh in Holy Communion, we become part of Jesus. Jesus abides in us and we in Jesus. This is why when Jesus appeared to Saul on his way to Damascus, Jesus asked: “Why do you persecute me?” instead of “Why are you persecuting Christians?”

If we understand what happens each time we receive Holy Communion, we would realize that we have the best protection any human being can ever have. Just as Jesus protected the Christians in Damascus from Saul’s raid, Jesus would surely protect you from the plans of your enemies whether known or unknown. Jesus assures us that whoever eats Him will live because of Him. No one can cut short your life because you are a child of communion – you are not just anybody.

Again, knowing that we are part of Jesus through our reception of Holy Communion let us strive to live holy and sinless lives. Above all, while people looked at Saul and saw in him a murderer and a terrorist, God saw in Saul an instrument of the Gospel. Jesus did not arrest Saul just to punish him, rather Jesus transformed Saul into a minister of the Gospel. Avoid praying for your enemies to die, instead, pray that God may so use them for good as He did with Saul who later became Paul. 

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, may I worthily receive your body and blood. Work in me and through me for good. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. (Friday of the 3rd week of Eastertide. Bible Study: Acts 9:1-20, Ps. 117, John 6:52-59)

@Rev. Fr. Evaristus E. Abu

When the Student is Ready, the Teacher Appears

Thursday 27th April 2023. Read Acts 8:26-40, Ps. 66:8-9,16-17,20, John 6:44-51

“Then the Spirit said to Philip, ‘Go over to this chariot and join it.’ So, Philip ran up to it and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ He replied, "How can I unless someone guides me?” (Acts 8:29-31)

The story of the Ethiopian Eunuch in Acts, chapter 8 reveals to us that there is more to life than what meets the eye. We literally encounter angels daily without knowing it. Just as God sent Philip to the Ethiopian Eunuch, God sends certain people our way for certain reasons. The book of Hebrew warns: “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.” (Hebrews 13:2)

Treat everyone you meet with kindness because whether you admit it or not, there is a Divine Plan in progress. God, the master planner sets things in place and arranges events. To the Ethiopian Eunuch, it was just a coincidence that Philip joined his chariot at a time he needed someone to explain the scriptures to him. Reading the story now, we can see that it was not an ordinary coincidence.

You may wonder, does it mean that everything has been arranged already? Yes and No. Yes, because God has plans for every moment of our lives. (Cf. Jeremiah 29:11). No, because God gives us the power of choice. We can alter these plans if we refuse to heed the voice of God deep within us. The Spirit spoke to Philip instructing him to join this particular chariot. Philip could have resisted the prompting of the Holy Spirit. Who knows? God could have sent someone else and on the day of Judgement, Philip would have to answer for it. (Cf. Matthew 24:45-51)

On the other hand, this experience teaches us that when we are ready for God, (when we sincerely desire to get close to God; drop our bad habits, deepen our understanding of the scriptures), etc. God is very happy and He does everything to help us grow. As the saying goes: “When the student is ready, the teacher appears.” This is what Jesus confirms in our Gospel passage when he said: “No one can come to me unless the Father draws him.” (John 6:44) And as James puts it: “Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.” (James 4:8). 

For his attempt to read the scriptures, the Eunuch did not just get a deeper understanding of God’s word, he also received baptism. Truly, when our desire to know God increases in our hearts when we are open to His Word and make efforts to read the Bible, we should bear in mind that such actions do not go unnoticed in heaven. God takes note of every firm resolution we make. Jesus told us: “I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” (Luke 15:7)

If there is so much joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, if God is happy to send people our way when we make efforts to come close to Him, it means that God is not happy when we decide to walk away from Him.

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, Jesus, send good people my way daily that I may grow in Spirit. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. (Thursday of the 3rd week of Eastertide. Bible Study: Acts 8:26-40, Ps. 66:8-9,16-17,20, John 6:44-51)

@Rev. Fr. Evaristus E. Abu

Sorrow May Last in the Night, but Joy Comes in the Morning

Wednesday 26th April 2023. Read Acts 8:1-8, Ps.66:1-7, John 6:35-40

“This is indeed the will of my Father, that all who see the Son and believe in him may have eternal life; and I will raise them up on the last day.” (John 6:40)

Our first reading today begins by telling us that great persecution arose against the church following the death of Stephen, but ends with this line: “So there was much joy in that city.” (Acts 8:8). This tells us that God knows how to write straight on crooked lines.

Perhaps Philip would not have known he had such powerful spiritual gifts if he had not fled Jerusalem at the time of the persecution. Truly, we would never know what God has deposited in us until we face hard times. Like food that has to be cooked before its nutritional value for our health comes out, hardship helps to cook us so that our value comes out.

Recently, I learned about the theory of three great obstacles to success whether in the spiritual life or any aspect of life. They are: 1. The Fear of Change, 2. The Path of Least Resistance, and 3. The Quest for Short-Cuts. The bottom line of these three is the strong desire in us humans to avoid suffering by all means or as Jesus puts it, choosing the wide road instead of the narrow path.

The book of Sirach 2:1 says: “My child when you come to serve the Lord, prepare yourself for an ordeal.” Jesus says: “When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next; for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of man comes.” (Matthew 10:23). This is exactly what plays out in today’s first reading. The Christians were forced to take the narrow path; they had to run for their lives but their very dispersal served the purpose of the Gospel.

Don’t give up on God when the going becomes tough. Those fighting you now may just be pushing you to your destined glory. They may even be making things easy for you indirectly. In today’s Gospel passage, the crowd sought Jesus because they wanted a repeat of the miracle of the loaves. Jesus was offering something far better than ordinary bread but at that time, they did not understand. You might be praying for something and yet God is preparing something far better for you. Don’t give up now. God knows what He is doing. 

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, save me from all forms of discouragement and despair. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. (Wednesday of the 3rd week of Eastertide. Bible Study: Acts 8:1-8, Ps.66:1-7, John 6:35-40)

@Rev. Fr. Evaristus E. Abu 

Lessons From Saint Mark, the Evangelist

Tuesday 25th April 2023. Read 1 Peter 5:5-14, Ps. 89:2-3,6-7,16-17, Mark 16:15-20

 

“And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name, they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.” (Mark 16:17-18)

Today, we celebrate one of the great heroes of our Christian Faith. Mark was a personal assistant to the first Pope, St. Peter the Apostle, and the Gospel he wrote was the content of what he heard Peter preach as they went from place to place in the mission of evangelization.

Peter even refers to Mark as a son as read in today’s first reading. Mark was not just an assistant but also, one who in all humility served the mission by applying his talents and gifts. Perhaps, Peter had him in mind when he wrote of the need for us to clothe ourselves with humility. 

Indeed, one shining virtue we should all have is humility. Without it, we cannot learn from others and we cannot grow. We should never do anything to attract praise or exaltation to ourselves; let us allow God himself to exalt us.

It is believed that Mark was among the Seventy that Jesus sent out two by two to go into the surrounding countries in Luke 10: 1-20. And as Luke narrates, the seventy came back rejoicing and declaring how the evil spirits obeyed their bidding.

This is the same reality that Mark tries to convey in the concluding part of his Gospel passage which we read today. “And they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by signs that attended it.” (Mark 16:20)

As we can see, miracles are signs that accompany and confirm the message, not the other way around. Jesus asked us to go and preach everywhere. He didn’t say go and work miracles everywhere. Today’s Christianity has turned things around: No one says, “Come and hear the word of God,” or they say, “Come and receive your miracle.”

Any place where miracles are happening yet the word of God is not preached or given little attention and time, we must be on guard for native doctors, magicians, and occultists have taken over the miracle business.

All we are called to do is to preach. Let Jesus work the miracles according to His will. Mark says: “The Lord worked with them confirming the message by signs…” No one can lay claim to any miracle but Jesus is the only one who works miracles.

According to scripture scholars, Mark was the first person to have written a Gospel as early as 64 A.D. while Matthew and Luke copied from him thereby accounting for the deep similarities in the three Gospels.

Saint Mark’s journey with Saint Peter and Saint Barnabas is recorded in Acts as they traveled through Cyprus and Rome carrying the Word. Church writings accredit Saint Mark as founding the Church in Alexandria and consequently, serving as bishop there. 

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, may I also spread your word like Mark the Evangelist. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Saint Mark, Evangelist – Feast, Bible Study: 1 Peter 5:5-14, Ps. 89:2-3,6-7,16-17, Mark 16:15-20).

@Rev. Fr. Evaristus E. Abu

What Do You Want From God?

Monday 24th April 2023. Read Acts 6:8-15, Ps. 119:23-24,26-27,29-30, John 6:22-29

“Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life.” (John 6:26-27)

Every day, people around the world go down on their knees to pray to God. It is easy to assume that we all want the same thing from God but this is far from the truth. Just as our fingers are different so are our prayers. If God were to give you the grace of listening to people’s prayers, you will be shocked at what you will hear.

In today’s first reading, we come across the story of the first Christian Martyr, Stephen. As a result of the dispute that arose in the Christian community over food, Stephen was one of the seven deacons who was appointed for the daily distribution of food. In Acts 6:5, we read that Stephen was a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit.

Beyond serving meals, Stephen also did great wonders and signs among the people. (Acts 6:8). This did not go down well with some persons who felt that Stephen was doing too much. Out of envy, they sought to bring Stephen down. Whether we like it or not, there are persons like this in the church. They don’t believe anyone other than them should shine. They are not in church to worship God but to make others worship them. They pretend to be nice to people but their hearts are full of devilish intentions.

First, they tried to argue with Stephen. Be careful of those who come to you to argue on matters of doctrine and faith. I once heard of two Christians of different denominations who argued to the point of throwing blows. The question is, are you trying to understand the other person’s point of view or simply trying to prove you are superior to them? Are you arguing because you are interested in the salvation of this person or because you just want to vent your hatred for him or her? Avoid the temptation of becoming a pawn in the hands of the devil in the name of an argument.

Secondly, when they saw that they could not withstand the superior wisdom of Stephen, they secretly instigated men to tell lies against Stephen. They say if you want to kill a dog, give it a bad name. There are people in the church who go about gossiping about others, spreading false tales, half-truths, and unconfirmed rumors about others. Be slow to believe and avoid helping to propagate gossip. As we see in the case of Stephen, there might be hidden agendas to these stories. 

In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus addressed the crowd saying: “You are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.” Am I in church just because of bread? Do I only pray for things that do not last? There is nothing wrong in seeking God for material blessings but we must learn to also ask for spiritual blessings.

If we pray to God for our daily bread, we must also remember to pray to God for contentment so that we can learn to count our blessings for the ones He has done in the past. We can pray for a new job, a new car, a new house, etc, but it is good to also pray for wisdom, knowledge, understanding, piety, fear of God, etc. Above all, let us also learn to ask for God Himself like the two disciples on their way to Emmaus who said to Jesus: “Stay with us, Lord.”

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, come into my heart, cleanse me of envy of my neighbor and the love of the passing things of this life. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Monday of the 3rd week of Eastertide, Bible Study: Acts 6:8-15, Ps. 119:23-24,26-27,29-30, John 6:22-29).

@Rev. Fr. Evaristus E. Abu 

Are You Feeling Disappointed With God?

Sunday 23rd April 2023. Read Acts 2:14,22-33, Ps. 16:1-2,5,7-11, 1 Peter 1:17-21, Luke 24:13-35 

“While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him.” (Luke 24:15-16) 

Perhaps like these two disciples who decided to walk away, some of us here have become so disappointed with God and are already on our way to Emmaus, that is to say, some of us are already considering leaving the church or even abandoning the Christian faith altogether. Does this apply to you? Let us now find out what Jesus is saying to us today.

1. Even When We Walk Away from God, He Never Walks Away from Us

Last Sunday, we read about how Jesus appeared to the disciples not just once but twice. They were locked up in a room for fear of the Jews. Jesus could see how troubled they were at heart, hence the first thing He said was: “Peace be with you.” What does this tell us? We serve a God who deeply cares for us; a God who understands how we feel; a God who comes to meet us right where we are.

Like the disciples who were locked up in a room due to fear, these two disciples were not at peace because they felt that Jesus failed to live up to their expectations. By joining these two disciples on their way to Emmaus, Jesus once again shows the depth of His love for His flock. Jesus shows that He is the Good Shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine in search of the one lost. (Cf. Luke 15:4).

It is precisely at those moments when we think God has left us that He is closest to us. You may be going through a very rough path right now and you wonder why God would allow so and so to happen. You may be thinking it is all over for you. Don’t worry, God is right there with you.

Once upon a time, Jesus was alone praying and his disciples were on the boat crossing to the other side, the winds and waves rose and they feared for their lives. From a distance, Jesus could see what they were going through and He decided to go to them walking on water (Matthew 14:23-27). Jesus did this to pass a very important message: “No matter how rough life may be for you, know that you are never alone; I am right beside you.”

By walking with these two disciples, Jesus became the third person on the way to Emmaus thereby symbolically completing them. Are you feeling down? Does it feel like something is lacking in your life? Call on God today. He who has God has everything.

2. Knowing About Jesus is Different from Knowing Jesus

Luke tells us that “their eyes were kept from recognizing him.” What does this mean? These disciples knew about Jesus but they didn’t know Jesus. If they knew Jesus, they would have known that He was not a political messiah and that He had not come to establish an earthly kingdom. They would have remembered that after feeding the multitudes and the people were about to make him a king, Jesus escaped from their midst. (Cf. John 6:15).

Like the two disciples, a lot of us often become disappointed with God because we assume that God’s kingdom is all about finding prosperity here on earth. The crowd met Jesus the next day and demanded another miracle of loaves and Jesus told them: “Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life.” (John 6:27) At the end of the day, just because Jesus was not willing to give them ordinary bread to eat again, “many of his disciples (like these two disciples) drew back and no longer went about with him.” (John 6:66)

On the other hand, like these two disciples, we may be very familiar with the Word of God, yet we do not know the Word. The two disciples were conversant with scriptural passages such as Jeremiah 23:6, “In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely.” They said to Jesus: “We had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel.” (Luke 24:21) They failed to understand that this redemption was never a matter of overthrowing the Roman authorities.

You see, it is not enough that you have a Ph.D. in theology or that you are able to quote the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. The big question is: “Do you know Jesus?” or put in another way: “Are you able to recognize Jesus?” For instance, do you see the face of Jesus in the poor, the hungry, the thirsty, the naked, the homeless, etc. Do you remember that song: “Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers, that you do on to me.”

3. Don’t be Foolish: Suffering is Part of Life

One of the reasons the disciples were walking away was because they couldn’t understand why Jesus, would allow himself to be handed over to the Roman authorities and be killed like a common criminal. They were asking themselves, “If truly Jesus is God, why did He suffer? Can God suffer?”

After listening to them, Jesus realized what they needed most was a deeper understanding of the scripture. The disciples did not know Jesus because they didn’t know the scriptures. As St. Jerome would say: “Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.” And to their surprise, Jesus began by saying: “O foolish men, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” (Luke 24:25-26).

Beginning with Moses, Jesus interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself showing clearly that suffering was part of God’s plan. This is exactly the same point Peter makes in today’s first reading. Jesus had to be delivered into the hands of lawless men and killed in fulfillment of the plan of God. Jesus was killed but it was impossible for him to have been held bound by the power of death. In fact, Jesus had to suffer and die so as to defeat death forever.

Child of God, it is foolish to think that by being a Christian, you are automatically free from suffering. It is foolish to sing: “Me I no go suffer, I no go beg for food, God of miracle, na my papa eeh, na my papa eeh” forgetting that, like a farmer who has to till the ground, we must first plant in tears before we harvest in joy. (Cf. Psalm 126:6).

It is foolish to recite scriptures such as Philippians 4:19 which says: “My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory” without taking note of scriptures such as Luke 14:26-27 which says: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple.”

The point is, suffering is just one part of the story. Whether we like it or not, there would be moments of suffering in our lives, there would be tough times, and there would be moments of confusion and disappointment. We may even find ourselves praying like Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane: “Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass me by.” There would be moments our enemies would laugh at us or make a mockery of our faith. Suffering is just part of life. We should not give up on God or walk away when things are not okay, rather we must continue to trust that better times would come.

4. It is at the Breaking of Bread that We Get to Know Jesus

It is interesting to note that our entire Gospel passage today is an account of the Holy Mass Jesus himself celebrated for these two disciples after His resurrection. This Mass began the moment Jesus joined them on their way to Emmaus. By opening the scriptures to them and explaining to them all that was written about Himself, Jesus was carrying out the first part of the Mass which is known as the Liturgy of the Word.

The Liturgy of the Word consists of the Introduction, Penitential Rites, Gloria, Opening Prayer, First Reading, Responsorial Psalm, Second Reading, Gospel Acclamation, Gospel Reading, Homily, Creed, and Prayer of the Faithful. If you pay attention to the liturgy of the word, and listen to Jesus speaking through the readings and the homily, you cannot but agree that like these disciples, you would feel your heart burning within you.   

Given that the disciples were paying attention to Jesus, they didn’t want Him to stop. They begged him saying: “Stay with us.” This request of the two disciples can be likened to the prayer of the faithful where we beg God for various intentions and chief among these intentions is always that Jesus should stay with us.  

The second part of the Mass is the Liturgy of the Eucharist. This is what happened when Jesus took the bread and blessed it, broke it, and gave it to them. It was at this moment that their eyes were finally open. It was at the Eucharist that they recognized Jesus and since they were now able to recognize Him in the Bread and Wine (Holy Communion), there was no need for them anymore to see Jesus in human form. Hence, Jesus disappeared from their sight.

Furthermore, every Mass ends with “in te Missa est” meaning: “Go forth and proclaim the Good News.” Like these disciples who couldn’t wait till the following day but found their way back to Jerusalem that same hour, every time we attend Mass, we are called upon to go out and spread the message to the whole world joyfully.

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, come into my heart and speak your word as you did to those two disciples on the road to Emmaus. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Third Sunday of Easter. Year A. Bible Study: Acts 2:14,22-33, Ps. 16:1-2,5,7-11, 1 Peter 1:17-21, Luke 24:13-35).

@Rev. Fr. Evaristus E. Abu 

Even in Chaos, God is Never Far from You

Saturday 22nd April 2023. Read Acts 6:1-7, Psalm 33 and John 6:16-21

“The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus, walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were terrified.” (John 6:18-19)

No matter how bad things turn out for you, never forget the words of Jesus in Matthew 28:20 “I am with you always, to the close of the age.”

As the legendary Christian Musician, Don Moen sang: “God will make a way where there seems to be no way.” God made a way for the apostles when it seemed as though they were going to meet their death on the sea.

By walking on water, Jesus was saying: “I am on top of the situation.”

In our first reading today, a situation arose which seemed to disrupt their communal living. The Hellenists murmured against the Hebrews because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution of food. This was a community that thrived on being Christ-like; yet it seemed that injustice was going to tear it apart just as the storm was threatening the apostles at sea.

Of course, by this time the apostles had learned their lessons. They were not going to rush into trying to share the food themselves because they knew life was not all about their physical effort:

“It is not right that we should neglect the word of God in order to wait on tables. Therefore, friends, select from among yourselves seven men of good standing, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint to this task, while we, for our part, will devote ourselves to prayer and to serving the word.” (Acts 6:2-4) 

The apostles would let nothing distract them from their essential calling. They were conscious of Christ’s presence with them. They knew prayer and the word were their top priority.

Are we still conscious of Jesus’ presence with us today? What value do we place on prayers? Know this, no matter what your fears may be, never neglect Prayer and Bible Study. You may have to get down to work but no matter how much work you do, never assume you are busier than God. He knows what you are going through and He is more than capable of rescuing you.

Even in chaos, God is never far from you. Have you prayed? Then relax! Let God defend His Name!

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, you walked on water to teach me that there is nothing beyond your power. Help me to trust even when things become difficult for me. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Saturday of the 2nd week of Eastertide. Bible Study: Acts 6:1-7, Psalm 33 and John 6:16-21).

@Rev. Fr. Evaristus E. Abu