Lip Service Does Not Move God

Sunday, 1 September 2024. Readings: Deuteronomy 4:1-2,6-8, Ps. 15:2-5, James 1:17-18,21-22,27, Mark 7:1-8,14-15,21-23

“Isaiah prophesied rightly about you hypocrites, as it is written, ‘These people honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching human precepts as doctrines.’” (Mark 7:6-7)

Last Sunday, we read that many of Jesus’ disciples left Him because, rather than multiply loaves for them, Jesus promised to give them His flesh and blood. Reflecting on today’s readings, I feel that the crowd who turned away from following Jesus deserves some commendation for their sincerity. They left Jesus because they did not understand or desire what He offered. Today, we find many people pretending to follow Jesus while their hearts are very far from Jesus.

Last Sunday, Joshua asked the people to choose who they wanted to serve. This question became very necessary because the people were neither hot nor cold. (Cf. Rev. 3:15-16). They claimed to be followers of God, but they still carried their idols around. Coincidentally, during this last week, some of our Gospel passages were taken from Matthew 23, where Jesus addressed the hypocrisy of the Scribes and Pharisees. The truth is that many Christians today (and religious leaders) are worse than these Scribes and Pharisees.

Mahatma Gandhi once said: “I like your Christ, but I don’t like your Christians because they are so unlike your Christ.” The biggest problem with 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. Would it not be better to walk away like the crowds in Last Sunday’s Gospel passage than to remain like Peter and the other disciples even when we lack their conviction?

Peter said, “To whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:68). Many Christians’ lifestyles today contradict their belief that Jesus alone has the words of eternal life. Have you ever ordered an item online only for something entirely different to be delivered to you? This is how God feels when we fail to live up to His expectations in the name of impressing others.

How do we get entangled with self-deception and lip service? And how can we avoid falling into such traps? These are the lessons we shall learn today.

1. Cleanse the Inside and the Outside Would Become Clean
To avoid self-deception, Jesus says, “First, clean the inside of the cup.” In other words, the first step to becoming His true followers is to look honestly at ourselves, acknowledge the dirt within our hearts, and clean them up. The problem is that, like the scribes and Pharisees Jesus condemned, we always try to do the opposite; we clean the outside and abandon the inside.

In Matthew 23:25-28, Jesus said: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside, they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First, clean the inside of the cup so that the outside may become clean. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which on the outside look beautiful, but inside, they are full of the bones of the dead and all kinds of filth. So, you also, on the outside, look righteous to others, but inside, you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.”

The story is often told of a man who struggled with alcohol. On the day of his baptism, the priest said to him: “From today, your name is no longer ‘Drunkard’, you are now ‘Evangelist’,” and the whole congregation clapped for him. When he got home that day, he opened his fridge and behold, a bottle of beer called out his name. At first, he closed the fridge, saying: “I rebuke you.” After a while, he thought about it, brought out the bottle of beer, dipped it in water, and said: “From today, you are no longer ‘Beer’; you are now ‘Pure Water.’” He opened the bottle and gulped its entire content.

Avoid cosmetic repentance. Cleanse the inside. As Jesus said in today’s Gospel passage: “It is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, folly. All these evil things come from within and defile a person.” (Mark 7:21-23).

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.? If the whole world could see my thoughts, would I be proud of what they would say?

2. You Are Not Who You Say You Are; You Are What You Do
A few years ago, I went to a busy market to purchase a particular electronic device, but the more I asked for it, the more I was referred elsewhere. I almost gave up until one shop owner told me to wait while he checked his warehouse. After about thirty minutes, the man came back full of smiles with the device I had requested. I was happy at first, but seeing what he held, 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. How often have we bought things with beautiful wraps only to be disappointed with their content? We live in a world of “Packaging.” We are like people who paint our houses beautifully but bring 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. The thief thought that by dressing as a seminarian, people would assume a priest sent him to repark the car.

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? Refrain from being carried away with packaging (trying to look good) when your inside is not in order. If you are good on the inside, the world will seek you out.

3. Be Wise. Keep God’s Commandments. Avoid Lip Service
Just as the scribes and Pharisees could not hide their hypocrisy from Jesus (even though they cleverly deceived the people into thinking they were holy), there is no way we can hide our secrets from God. 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 lifespan.

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? 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 that I wouldn’t want my spouse to see? God says: REMOVE THEM. 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.

Keeping God’s commandments begins with trust. We struggle to obey God’s commandments because we do not believe God can meet our heart’s desires. As students, we often struggle with keeping the school rules because we think those who made the rules are senseless or out of touch with what students need. How foolish are we to think we know better than God or that we can eat our cake and keep it?

4. Render Pure Worship to God
How do we render Pure Worship to God? St. James answers: “But be doers of the word, not merely hearers who deceive themselves. For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror, for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like…. If any think they are religious and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” (James 1:22-27)

This is pure religion: One, Charity to the orphans, widows, the afflicted, the needy, etc. (Corporal Works of MPurity Purityurity; freedom from immorality in our world. If we cannot help people and do not keep ourselves from worldliness, our going to church, our night vigils, our singing and dancing, tithes and offerings, are in vain! Without PurityyPurityurity, we waste time observing human traditions (rules and regulations). Imagine how Jesus was accused of breaking the Sabbath rule all because he healed a sick person on the Sabbath day. Sometimes, we leave the important aspects of our faith to chase after frivolities.

How sad would it be that on the last day, after all our pretence, God will deny us entry into heaven? In Luke 13:25-28, Jesus says: “When once the owner of the house has got up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then in reply, he will say to you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’ Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ But he will say, ‘I do not know where you come from; go away from me, all you evildoers!’ There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and you thrown out.”

Let us pray: Almighty, ever-living God, we repent of our lives of secrecy and religion of hypocrisy. Strengthen our resolve to render you only pure worship from this day. We ask this through Our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. May God’s abundant blessings be upon us all. (22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time. Bible Study: Deuteronomy 4:1-2,6-8, Ps. 15:2-5, James 1:17-18,21-22,27, Mark 7:1-8,14-15,21-23).

@Rev. Fr. Evaristus E. Abu

Be a Good Steward of Your Opportunities in Life

Saturday, 31 August 2024. Readings: 1 Corinthians 1:26-31, Ps. 33:12-13,18-21, Matthew 25:14-30

“Well done, good and trustworthy slave. You have been trustworthy in a few things; I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.” (Matthew 25:21)

We do not all have equal opportunities, but we all have equal abilities to maximise our opportunities. Some of us were born with ‘silver spoons,’ others with ‘clay pots.’ Some were born into homes of physical, psychological, and mental abuse, and some into havens of love, abundance, and peace. Ultimately, God expects us to shine with what we have been given.

- In today’s First Reading, St. Paul says, “Not many of you were wise, not many were powerful, and not many were of noble birth…” but God, the perfect equaliser, chooses what is foolish to shame the wise and what is weak to shame the strong so that at the end, no one can boast about anything.

- Is God unfair? Does He bless some people more than others? The parable of the talents Jesus gave in today’s Gospel passage addresses this concern. The master had three servants; to one, he gave five talents; to another, two talents; and to the third, he gave one talent. There is no way we can all be the same. We do not have the same talents and gifts, but God gives to each person according to their capacity.

- Rather than engage in useless competitions with one another or expend energy fighting for equality (a fight that will never end), rather than engage in the “pull-him-down” games we play often, there is much peace that comes with realising it is not what we have that counts but how we manage it.

- The one who got two talents did not ask for more simply because another got five. He traded with his and produced four, while the other produced ten. Your two talents can never produce ten. You are unique and different. Stop competing with others; compete with yourself by striving to be better than you were yesterday.

- I saw a video on social media recently. A man went into a bank to do some transactions. Thinking he had come to withdraw, a lady pushed him aside to stand in the queue. Without saying anything, he went to the deposit section. As he left the bank, the lady, still in the queue, came to meet him to apologise for what she had done earlier. How often do you push people aside, thinking they are obstacles to you, not knowing they are running a different race?

- The one with only one talent perfectly depicts what envy does to us. When we feel sad at what others have, we no longer appreciate what is ours and end up burying our God-given talents. Envious people never tire of complaining and speaking of others in a bad light. When asked why he buried the talent, the man complained about the master’s character. Do you believe everyone else (apart from you) is responsible for your failure? Avoid envy; you may not be as wealthy or talented as others, but your little can multiply if you trade with it.

Let us pray: Almighty, ever-living God, grant that we may make the best of our opportunities. We ask this through Our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. May God’s abundant blessings be upon us all. (Saturday of week 21 in Ordinary Time. Bible Study: 1 Corinthians 1:26-31, Ps. 33:12-13,18-21, Matthew 25:14-30).

@Rev. Fr. Evaristus E. Abu

Are You Ready for the Lord?

Friday, 30 August 2024. Readings: 1 Corinthians 1:17-25, Ps. 33:1-2,4-5,10-11, Matthew 25:1-13

“Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” (Matthew 25:13)

The theme of watchfulness is central to today’s liturgy. Jesus emphasises an aspect of being prepared: wisdom. To be wise means to prepare ahead for any eventuality. There were ten maidens: five were foolish, and five were wise.

- The foolish ones are called foolish not because of their lack of reasoning but because of their lack of preparation for the future. They carried lamps without some extra oil. They did not think the oil in their lamps could run out, so they assumed that what they had would sustain them.

- The wise ones prepared for the future; they trusted little in the oil in their flask and decided to go along with extra oil.

- To be wise spiritually is to trust little in your wealth, current status, education, connections, and devotional practices. To be wise is to have a backup, something extra, to hold on to should everything else fail. To be wise, you have to have some extra oil.

- What is that extra oil? In the words of St. Paul in today’s first reading, it is the message of the cross. In the eyes of the world, carrying the cross is nothing short of foolishness since one can afford to be a Christian without necessarily carrying any cross.

- A Christian who rejects the cross fails to carry the extra oil. For instance, as a youth, you may have the experience of your peers laughing at you and calling you a fool for not joining them to partake in the pleasures of the world.

- As St. Paul puts it, “The word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and the cleverness of the clever; I will thwart.” (1st Corinthians 1:18-19).

Let us pray: Almighty, ever-living God, always make us ready. We ask this through Our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. May God’s abundant blessings be upon us all. (Friday of week 21 in Ordinary Time. Bible Study: 1 Corinthians 1:17-25, Ps. 33:1-2,4-5,10-11, Matthew 25:1-13).

@Rev. Fr. Evaristus E. Abu

Lessons From the Beheading of John the Baptist

Thursday, 29 August 2024. Readings: 1 Corinthians 1:1-9, Ps. 145:2-7, Mark 6:17-29

“The king said to the girl, ‘Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it.’ And he solemnly swore to her, ‘Whatever you ask me, I will give you, even half of my kingdom.’ She asked her mother, ‘What should I ask for?’ She replied, ‘The head of John the baptizer.’” (Mark 6:22-24)

Once upon a time, a popular musician sang: “If you stand for the truth, you will always stand alone.” John the Baptist stood for the truth in a world that was fast losing its moral values, and he found himself standing alone. John the Baptist died defending the institution of marriage. We must pay a price if we dare to speak the truth, especially to those in positions of authority. This brings us to our lessons today:

- First, never be afraid to speak the truth, especially when certain of the facts. By keeping quiet in the face of evil, we partake in the sins of others. It is better to die for telling the truth than to support it with your silence. The greatest disaster of our age is not only the presence of evil but the indifference of those who are supposed to be good.

- In today’s Gospel acclamation, we are reminded of Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount: “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:10-12)

- Secondly, do not be an average Christian; strive for perfection. In today’s first reading, St. Paul addressed the Christians in Corinth as persons “called to be saints.” John the Baptist, even in prison, continued to preach the truth to Herod. Speaking the truth entails speaking directly to those involved. If you know I am a bad person, come to me and tell me to my face. Tell me my mouth is smelling, and I will cry, but not forget to brush my teeth next time. Don’t go telling other people about me. Only cowards believe that they can change others by gossiping about them.

- Thirdly, Herod was never at peace after the death of John the Baptist. If I fail to accept correction but begin to fight the mouth that tells me the truth, I have murdered my peace. Silencing the voice does not make the evil you do right. The death of John the Baptist did not legitimise the adulterous union of Herod and Herodias; it only made them murderers. No matter how powerful you become, learn to see things from another’s perspective and accept correction.

- Fourthly, let us learn to practice self-control. Herod was not thinking straight when he promised even half his kingdom to a little girl. What if she had asked for his head? Think before you speak. Be a master of your emotions. In moments of anger, hold it. In moments of excitement, hold it also. Learn the habit of speaking to God and hearing from him before talking. Avoid making promises. Remember, seeking God's guidance in all our actions can bring us peace and clarity.

Let us pray: Almighty, ever-living God, increase our courage to proclaim and live out the truth. We ask this through Our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. May God’s abundant blessings be upon us all. (The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist. Bible Study: 1 Corinthians 1:1-9, Ps. 145:2-7, Mark 6:17-29).

@Rev. Fr. Evaristus E. Abu

Repent From Hypocrisy

Wednesday, 28 August 2024. Readings: 2 Thessalonians 3:6-10,16-18, Ps. 128:1-2,4-5, Matthew 23:27-32

“For you are like whitewashed tombs, which on the outside look beautiful, but inside they are full of the bones of the dead and all kinds of filth.” (Matthew 23:27)

One of the most difficult things is to correct a person who believes they are perfect. It is a task that requires courage and willingness to risk one’s own life. Jesus would have tried to be quiet (or even diplomatic), but he said the truth just as it is. This is one important lesson we must learn from Jesus, who 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 or to pretend (to praise them in their presence only to go behind them and complain). If you cannot tell someone the truth to his face, don’t say it to anyone else; this is gossip.

- In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus told the scribes and Pharisees to their face how they cared more about their public image without minding that their hearts were full of iniquity. Jesus likened them to whitewashed tombs, beautiful to look at from the outside but full of dead men’s bones inside. As a Christian, if people get close to me, would they see something different from what I portray in public? Do I even believe the things I preach? Do I expect anyone to believe me if I am not convinced about right and wrong? How do I hope to convert a single soul if I am still an unbeliever? How long would I continue hiding, hoping my secrets would never be exposed?

- The scribes and Pharisees practised adorning the tombs of the persecuted prophets for their righteous deeds. Meanwhile, they were about to repeat history by killing Jesus for telling them the truth. Often, we fail to examine our conscience and keep telling ourselves we are better than everyone else. We begin to believe the lies we tell ourselves to the extent that even when confronted with the truth, we immediately consider that person an enemy.

- No matter how good you think you are, be open to criticism. Do not surround yourself with sycophants. Cherish and appreciate those who have different opinions; there is always something to learn and something you can improve on. Do not assume that your critics are being disloyal to you. Only a true friend will tell you to your face that you are going the wrong way. Jesus says we should be childlike to enter heaven, be willing to take advice even from our subordinates, and not become a god unto ourselves.

- Today, we celebrate an African saint, the great Augustine of Hippo. He was born in Numidia. His family were ethnic North Africans (the Berbers). His father was a pagan, but his mother was a devout Christian. Augustine left his Christian background and joined the Manichean sect, founded by the prophet Mani in 240. He also fell in with friends who followed a hedonist approach to life. Despite his wayward lifestyle, he developed an interest in philosophy and was impressed by the writings of Cicero.

- Augustine became an expert in Latin and rhetoric. In his late teens, he developed an affair with a young woman from Carthage. She gave birth to his son Adeodatus in 372. In 384, he was given a more prestigious position as a rhetoric professor at the Imperial Court of Milan. Eventually, he annulled his marriage as he made plans to become a celibate priest. In 386, at the age of 31, he made a formal conversion to Christianity.

- Bishop Ambrose baptised Augustine in April 388. Afterwards, they returned home to Africa, where his son Adeodatus died shortly after. Augustine gave away his wealth to the poor and converted his house into a monastic foundation for himself and a group of like-minded Christians. He later became a priest and even a Bishop who defended the Church’s true teachings. His writings helped to formulate some of the Church’s doctrines.

Let us pray: Almighty, ever-living God, give us the grace to practice what we preach and be open to the truth. We ask this through Our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. May God’s abundant blessings be upon us all. (Saint Augustine, Bishop, Doctor. Bible Study: 2 Thessalonians 3:6-10,16-18, Ps. 128:1-2,4-5, Matthew 23:27-32).

@Rev. Fr. Evaristus E. Abu

Woe to You, Scribes and Pharisees

Readings: 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3,14-17, Ps. 96:10-13, Matthew 23:23-26

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you, tithe mint, dill, and cummin and have neglected the law's weightier matters: justice, mercy, and faith. It is these you ought to have practised without neglecting the others.” (Matthew 23:23)

Today’s Gospel passage calls for a deep examination of conscience. Once again, we must remember that Jesus never set out to condemn these religious leaders; his words were uttered out of love so that they would wake up from their slumber and make them apply the needed changes in areas where they were getting it wrong.

- Today, we hear Jesus accusing the Scribes and Pharisees of emphasising tithes so much while ignoring the law’s weightier matters, such as justice, mercy, and faith. Jesus says the tithe issue is like a fly compared to a camel. If I begin to preach that failure to pay tithe is equivalent to going to hell, God will judge me severely for turning the truth upside down.

- Jesus did not condemn tithing; He said it is less important than justice, mercy, and faith. This means that on the last day, God will never ask why you refused to pay your tithes. Instead, He will ask you why you failed to practice justice, mercy and faith. We will be judged for failing to feed the hungry, giving drinks to the thirsty, visiting the sick and the prisoners, etc. If you do not feel like tithing or you do not believe in it, you are not sinning.

- Some have asked me if using their tithes for charity or giving them to their parents is okay. Now you know the answer: justice, mercy and faith (which can only be expressed by good works) are more important than tithes. Even if you believe in tithes and practice them faithfully, remember that God is not a money doubler and that your blessings in life do not depend on your tithing. God blesses His children according to His will, not according to their offerings. This is why many non-Christians are wealthy and successful and do not tithe.

- In today’s First Reading, St. Paul writes to the Thessalonians: “Let no one deceive you in any way.” (2 Thessalonians 2:3). There were many false preachers in those days who did not understand the scriptures and were busy misleading the Christians regarding the end of the world (The Lord’s Day). Today, we still have many preachers who deceive Christians by making them part with their hard-earned money in the name of tithes and seeds. Brothers and Sisters, let no one deceive you. Man of God, do not become a burden to your parishioners in the name of tithes.

- We Scribes and Pharisees today are more concerned about the number of people who come to our churches than the quality of their spiritual lives. We wash the outside of the cup; we make the people feel good, yet inside, their hearts are full of corruption, wickedness, and evil. As churches increase exponentially in our cities, crime and evil also increase. True change can only begin from the inside. As the saying goes, if you want to change the world, begin with the man you see in the mirror.

- Today, we celebrate Saint Monica. She was a woman of excellence, a mother to the core, a woman who believed that with God, nothing is impossible, and a true mother who would never give up on her wayward son. This woman believed in the power of prayers and continued to pray even when it seemed as if her boy was getting worse every day. Today, we celebrate a mama-father, a mama-bishop, and a super mum who knew the art of raising a child. St. Monica is an icon of true motherhood, a great patron of mothers, and a shining example of the meaning of what it takes to be a mother.

- Like the widow who kept pestering the unjust judge, St. Monica prayed relentlessly for her son, St. Augustine. Like the Canaanite woman who was prepared to receive insults from Jesus for the sake of her possessed daughter, St. Monica went through thick and thin for her son Augustine.

Let us pray: Almighty, ever-living God, give us the grace to practice what we preach so that our life may not preach a gospel different from our lips. We ask this through Our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. May God’s abundant blessings be upon us all. (Saint Monica. Bible Study: 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3, 14- 17, Ps. 96:10-13, Matthew 23:23-26).

@Rev. Fr. Evaristus E. Abu

Woe to You, Scribes and Pharisees

Readings: 2 Thessalonians 1:1-5,11-12, Ps. 96:1-5, Matthew 23:13-22

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you lock people out of the kingdom of heaven. For you do not go in yourselves, and when others are going in, you stop them.” (Matthew 23:13)

As the Book of Sirach would say, “For everything, there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven…” (Ecclesiastes 3:1). From the tone of Jesus’ words in today’s Gospel passage, this is a time for serious examination of conscience. Before this time, Jesus spoke in very soft (diplomatic) language. He even used several parables to drive home his messages to the Pharisees. Still, given that they did not understand (or make efforts to change their ways), Jesus went direct – He pointed out their sins and pronounced “woes” on them.

- Today’s Gospel passage is a reminder (a tiny glimpse) of what Judgment Day would look like. Do not get carried away with the reality of God’s mercifulness to the extent of throwing caution to the wind. On the Last Day, we shall be reminded of our misdeeds and the countless opportunities we were given to repent of them.

- The fact that Jesus was very hard on the Pharisees in today’s Gospel passage also tells us that being a good teacher requires a combination of several teaching methods. There is nothing wrong with using honey to catch flies, but sometimes, you must apply the rod – say it as it is. Your listeners should cry (or feel insulted) than for them to remain in darkness because you are afraid of telling them the truth.

- Jesus was doing them a favour by announcing woes to the Pharisees. Only a true friend will tell you the truth about yourself. Many preachers (pastors, priests, church leaders, etc.) wallow in darkness because they have surrounded themselves with praise singers. We, men of God, believe we are perfect because everyone respects us, and since no one is bold enough to correct us, we no longer see anything wrong with our sinful behaviours. Like these Pharisees, we take many things for granted, not knowing their negative effects on the flocks entrusted to our care. Are you a man of God? Appreciate your critics. Listen to them; do not consider everything as an insult. No one is above correction.

- Jesus accused the Pharisees of shutting down the kingdom of heaven. Am I an obstacle to those who sincerely desire to become saints? What scandalous things do I do in secret that must stop? Secondly, Jesus accused them of travelling far and wide to convert people only to make them perfect candidates for hell. Am I simply interested in increasing the number of people coming to my church? Am I more concerned about offertories, tithes, and seeds than the spiritual nourishment of my flocks? Thirdly, 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?

- One word which summarises Jesus’ pronouncements against the Pharisees is
“hypocrisy.” W. L. Walker, in his article in the ISBE Bible Dictionary, writes: “The word ‘hypocrisy’ generally meant, in classical Greek, stageplaying, acting, the histrionic art; hence, it came to mean acting a part in life, etc. We find it in this sense in 2 Maccabees 6:25. It means “to pretend,” “to feign,” “to make as if”, etc.” The truth about pretence (acting the part) is that it doesn’t take time before it becomes obvious you are only a fake.

- In today’s First Reading, Paul commends the Christians in Thessalonica for their steadfastness amid persecution, a testament to their faith’s authenticity. Trials tend to sieve true Christians from hypocrites. In the face of great difficulties, all pretence melts away. Only a true Christian will remain in Christ when the wind blows hot. For instance, the crowd sought Jesus because they wanted bread. After eating bread the first time, they wanted to make Jesus a king (this was just a pretence). When Jesus refused to repeat the miracle of the loaves, their true colours came out; they walked away from Jesus. If you walk away when it is hot, you don’t deserve to be here when it is cool.

Let us pray: Almighty, ever-living God, cleanse us from all hypocrisy. We ask this through Our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. May God’s abundant blessings be upon us all. (Monday of week 21 in Ordinary Time. Bible Study: 2 Thessalonians 1:1-5,11-12, Ps. 96:1-5, Matthew 23:13-22).

@Rev. Fr. Evaristus E. Abu

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

Sunday, 25 August 2024. Readings: Joshua 24:1-2,15-18, Ps. 34:2-3,16-23, Ephesians 5:21-32, John 6:60-69

“O taste and see that the Lord is good; those who take refuge in him are happy. O fear the Lord, you his holy ones, for those who fear him have no want. The young lions suffer want and hunger, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing!” (Psalm 34:8-10)

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 summarises 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.

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 realised He was unwilling to feed them with ordinary physical bread once again. Interestingly, 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. Like the Crowds, You Will Be Disappointed If All You Seek from Jesus is Bread
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 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, connections, 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 you only worship God for the passing things of this Life. As St. Paul says: “If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.” (1 Corinthians 15:19). The crowds who left Jesus represent Christians who move from one church to another today in search of miracles. They often fall into the hands of people who deceive them and worsen their problems.

2. The Holy Eucharist is our Life
You might wonder, if Jesus did not come 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, His flesh and blood. The Holy Eucharist is the bread that comes down from heaven; it is the food of angels, and it is the food that Elijah ate, which sustained him for forty days and forty nights without hunger (Cf. 1 King 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 at the last day. … As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, 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 reason why Jesus came to die for us.

In today’s second reading, St. Paul uses 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 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 flesh and blood to eat and drink, only for them to walk away from Him. Like these crowds, will you walk away from this precious gift Christ is offering you today?

3. Being a Christian is a Choice; It is Never by Force
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 specialise in telling people only what they want to hear. (Cf. 2 Timothy 4:3 & 2 Corinthians 11:13-14).

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 decide where you 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. If we walk away from God, we will never find happiness anywhere else. Only in God can we find true happiness for our souls. After walking away from Jesus, did the crowd eventually find the bread they sought? 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 says: “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 (Book of Judges), you would realise that the Israelites never kept this promise. 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 pretence?

Today, our psalmist 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: Almighty, ever-living God, to whom shall we go? You alone have the key to eternal Life. Give us the grace to remain faithful to the end. We ask this through Our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. May God’s abundant blessings be upon us all. (21st Sunday in Ordinary Time. Bible Study: Joshua 24:1-2,15-18, Ps. 34:2-3,16-23, Ephesians 5:21-32, John 6:60-69).

@Rev. Fr. Evaristus E. Abu

There is Love in Sharing

Saturday, 24 August 2024. Readings: Revelations 21:9-14, Ps. 145:10-13a,17-18, John 1:45-51

“Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and said of him, ‘Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!’” (John 1:47)

Today, we celebrate the feast of St. Bartholomew, otherwise known as Nathanael. He was born at Cana and brought by the Apostle Philip to meet Jesus. Nothing further is known for certain. Eusebius speaks of him in India, but the Roman Martyrology has him martyred in Armenia, skinned alive according to the Persian custom. Because his relics were enshrined on the island of the Tiber, which is principally used as a hospital, he has become a patron saint of the sick.

- Bartholomew did not hide his deep-seated convictions regarding Nazareth as a whole. “Can anything good come out of that town?” Without mincing words, this statement must have been very discouraging. When I talk about Jesus to others, I should not expect them to accept what I say: hook, line, and sinker. I would be a dreamer to assume they would immediately say, “Yes, Yes, Yes, I believe.”

- When you tell people about something new, their first reaction is usually negative. They are negative because it is natural to suspect something you don’t know anything about. They are also negative because of the lies you must have probably told them in the past. They are negative, too, because of how you present it or perhaps because you don’t have much passion.

- Philip wasn’t discouraged by Bartholomew’s reaction. He didn’t write him off. Instead, he said: “Come and see.” When Bartholomew eventually became an Apostle himself, he must have remembered this experience many times and used the same strategy in spreading the Good News.

- Bartholomew was touched by the fact that Jesus saw him under the fig tree. He was immediately convinced that only a Son of God could have known he was under a fig tree then. What was he doing under the fig tree? Could it be that Jesus was saying: “Young man, I know your secret, oh.” Anyway, we would not be celebrating him today if he did not stick to Jesus and remain with him to death.

- The way and manner in which we become converted vary. Some people’s conversions were rather dramatic, some not so. The “how” is not so important. What matters is that at some point in our lives, we become true Christians, true followers of Jesus, and fully convinced about Jesus. And one way we know we are converted is when we stop being shy about spreading the Good News.

Let us pray: Almighty, ever-living God, use us as your instruments of salvation. We ask this through Our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. May God’s abundant blessings be upon us all. (Saint Bartholomew, Apostle - Feast. Bible Study: Apocalypse 21:9-14, Ps. 145:10-13a,17-18, John 1:45-51).

@Rev. Fr. Evaristus E. Abu

It Is Never Too Late for God

Readings: Ezekiel 37:1-14, Ps. 107:2-9, Matthew 22:34-40

“Thus says the Lord God: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your soil; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken and will act.” (Ezekiel 37:12-14)

When can you say, “God no longer cares for me?” At what point can you say, “My sins are too much, and I don’t deserve God’s love anymore?” At what point can you say, “There is no need to make efforts to be a good person?” . . .

- No matter how bad things may have been, no matter how great your sins may have been, it is never too late for God. This is the message of today’s first reading from the book of Ezekiel. Your bones may have been dead completely. You may have lost all hope. You may have given up on every attempt to repent from certain things you know God is not pleased with, but the truth, my dear friend, is that God still cares! His love is everlasting!

- Lazarus died for four days, but when Jesus showed up, he proved that for God, there is nothing like “too late.” Ezekiel’s prophecy of the dry bones shows us that there can be dead cases as far as our life is concerned. We can always change; there is always room for repentance. We can never be too old to start learning again. Why is it that it can never be too late for God? His steadfast love never ceases; His mercies endure forever. God’s mercies are new every morning. As we often sing: “Great is thy faithfulness, O Lord. Great is thy faithfulness.”

- God has written his laws in our hearts; whether or not we are Christians, we know what is right and wrong. In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus is asked about the greatest commandment, and he responds by mentioning the love of God and the love of neighbour. As long as we strive to love God with all our hearts, minds, and strengths, we will keep our part of the bargain, and by loving our neighbour as ourselves, we will make the world a better place. Where there is love, there is God, and when your actions are propelled purely by love for God and your neighbour, you cannot possibly sin.

- God has given us his commandments, and our ability to keep them depends on how much we love and respect him. St. Augustine once said: O GOD, YOU HAVE MADE US FOR YOURSELF; OUR HEARTS ARE RESTLESS UNTIL THEY REST IN YOU. You may have been looking for happiness, but there is a quicker way now. Reciprocate the love that God has shown to you. Begin today to live right and do right. Forget the past and repent.

Let us pray: Almighty, ever-living God, create in us a pure heart and renew your spirit within us. Do not cast us away from your presence, O Lord, and take not your Holy Spirit from us. We ask this through Our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. May God’s abundant blessings be upon us all. (Friday of week 20 in Ordinary Time. Bible Study: Ezekiel 37:1-14, Ps. 107:2-9, Matthew 22:34-40).

@Rev. Fr. Evaristus E. Abu

Come and Eat, but Dress Properly

Readings: Ezekiel 36:23-28, Ps. 51:12-15,18-19, Matthew 22:1-14

“Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen.” (Matthew 22:13-14)

“Come and eat” is a universal language. Being invited to a meal is an honour. Turning down an invitation without any reason is a sign of irresponsibility. However, beating up and even killing the person who brought the invitation card is a call for war.

- What kind of guests would hear “Come and eat” and still refuse to show up? This is very strange! But then, this is our situation today. We reject His generous invitation by not living according to God’s mind. When we allow sin to fester in our lives for whatever excuse, we are just like the guests who gave various reasons for their refusal to attend. We prove to God that these excuses are more important than our love for Him.

- When we maltreat those who tell us the truth and call us to repentance (just like Herod, who killed John the Baptist), we are like the guests in Jesus’ parable who killed the servants of the Master just because they brought invitation cards. The behaviour of these guests is a pointer to what the Prophet Ezekiel describes in today’s First Reading. They had hearts of stone; they were bold enough to maltreat the Master’s servants sent to deliver good news to them.

- When those invited did not show up, the Master extended the invitation to everyone. The common lie we tell ourselves is: “People are bad, but I am not that bad; I am better than most people; in fact, I am trying.” This was how the Jews felt when Jesus told them: “In truth, I tell you, tax collectors and prostitutes are making their way into the kingdom of God before you.” (Matthew 21:31). Even the Prophet Ezekiel, in our first reading today testifies that God will gather people from all nations.

- The fact that we are church-going Christians is just the invitation card we have been given, but if we don’t leave our homes and respond to this invitation (by the life we live), we cannot partake of the banquet of heaven. This brings us to the second aspect of the parable: the fact that something is free does not mean it is cheap. The fact that the guests were invited on a platter of gold did not give any of them the right to come in without a wedding garment.

- The man who came in without a wedding garment symbolises many Christians who take God for granted today: Christians who abuse the sacrament of penance, Christians who do not believe that God has a say in what they do with their bodies, Christians who are wolves in sheep clothing; Christians who try to eat their cake and still have it at the same time. Salvation is free but not cheap. Faith without works is dead. If you say you love God, let your love inspire your good works; put on your wedding garment – behave like someone preparing to spend forever in God’s presence.

- Today, we celebrate the Memorial of the Queenship of Mary (the fifth glorious mystery). Today’s feast is a sequel to that we celebrated on 15 August: the Assumption of Mary into heaven. The entire life of Mary is a confirmation of the words of Jesus: “With “od, all things are possible.” From” the fact that a virgin became pregnant without intercourse to the fact that she remained a virgin even while married to Joseph and lived a sinless life even to being assumed into heaven, it defies human logic. To doubt anything about Mary is to assume there is a limit to what God can do.

Let us pray: Almighty, ever-living God, do not cast us from your presence like this young man without a wedding garment. We ask this through Our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. May God’s God’sant blessings be upon us all. (Our Lady, Mother and Queen. Bible Study: Ezekiel 36:23-28, Ps. 51:12-15,18-19, Matthew 22:1-14).

@Rev. Fr. Evaristus E. Abu

Before God, We Are All Equal

Wednesday, 21 August 2024. Readings: Ezekiel 34:1-11, Ps. 23, Matthew 20:1-16

“Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you.” (Matthew 20:13-14)

In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus tells the parable of the Landowner to teach us to avoid pride in our lives, whether based on our material possessions or our spiritual wealth. Jesus wants us to know how equal we are before God, our creator.

- A landowner recruits people to his vineyard and agrees with each how much he would pay at the end of the day’s work. Each person could bargain for their pay before they started the work. Everyone got exactly what he bargained for at the end of the day’s work. The problem started when those who had earlier agreed to be paid a denarius in the morning realised that even those who started work in the evening got the same denarius.

- Like these workers in the vineyard, what separates us from each other is unimportant. There is no need to look down on anyone or take anyone to be a god because even if it seems we are better or worse than others, we are all equal before God. Jesus has said it all: “The last will be first, and the first will be last.”

- The essence of the Christian life is COLLABORATION, not COMPETITION. Why engage in fights with others? A few years from now, we will all have become dust under the ground. Avoid looking down on anyone, as no one can see the future. Imagine the workers employed in the morning mocking (or even maltreating) the ones employed in the evening, not knowing they were not better off.

- In our first reading, God tells Ezekiel to prophesy against the bad shepherds leading the people astray. The progress and development of any society and its destruction lie heavily on the quality of its leadership. In a society like ours, where politics is conceived as the most viable business, we have a lot of shepherds who, rather than feed the sheep, feed on the sheep. Let us examine ourselves: “What kind of shepherd am I? Is God proud of me?

- Today, we remember Pope Pius X. He was born in the village of Riese, near Venice, and was one of ten children of a very poor family. He was ordained to the priesthood at the age of 23. He was successively bishop of Mantua and Venice and was elected Pope, against his wishes, in 1903. As Pope, he sought to “restore all things in Christ.” He campaigned for the freedom of the Church from state control, notably in countries such as Poland, where the Russian Orthodox authorities were oppressing the Catholic people. At the same time, he barred the clergy from the temporal administration of social organisations, which was often a cause of grave difficulties. Similarly, he banned the formation of political associations that claimed exclusive religious sanction for their political programme, whether of the Left or the Right. He revised the code of Canon Law, founded an institute for scriptural studies, and initiated the revision of the Latin translation of the Bible (the Vulgate) and liturgy reform.

- He lived in great poverty even when he was Pope and preached sermons every Sunday in the courtyards of the Vatican to anyone who would listen. In his simplicity and goodness of heart, he performed miracles even when he was alive, and the clamour for his canonisation started immediately after his death, on 20 August 1914, broken-hearted at the outbreak of the First World War.

Let us pray: Almighty, ever-living God, teach us to collaborate rather than to compete. We ask this through Our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. May God’s abundant blessings be upon us all. (Saint Pius X, Pope. Bible Study: Ezekiel 34:1-11, Ps. 23, Matthew 20:1-16).

@Rev. Fr. Evaristus E. Abu

Why is it hard for the Rich to Enter Heaven?

Readings: Ezekiel 28:1-10, Deuteronomy 32:26-28,30,35-36, Matthew 19:23-30

“Again, I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” (Matthew 19:24)

In today’s Gospel passage, the disciples are astonished to hear Jesus say it is hard for the rich to enter Heaven. Is God against riches? Wasn’t Abraham the richest man on earth in his time? After Job’s trials, didn’t God restore his riches twice as much as he had before? Even Solomon, when God told him to ask for anything, and he asked only for wisdom, didn’t God add riches as well? Isn’t it the case that “the blessing of the Lord makes rich, and he adds no sorrow with it”? (Prov. 10:22). Why would it be hard for the rich to enter the kingdom of God?

1. Pride: Wealth makes us consider ourselves better than others. Addressing the prince of Tyre in today’s First reading, God says: “Because your heart is proud, and you have said, ‘I am a god, …(yet you are but a man, and no god)… by your wisdom and your understanding, you have gotten wealth for yourself,’… therefore thus says the Lord GOD: ‘…I will bring strangers upon you, the most terrible of the nations; and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of your wisdom and defile your splendour’” (Ezekiel 28:2-7). Wealth makes us think of ourselves as gods; since there is only one God in Heaven, we cannot compete with God.

2. Idolatry: To be idolatrous is to love created things more than God. As Jesus teaches us, the greatest commandment is “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” (Matthew 22:37, Mark 12:30, Luke 10:27, Cf. Deut. 6:5, 10:12, 13:3, Joshua 22:5, 1 Kings 8:23). Let us honestly ask ourselves: Is my desire for God greater than my desire for material riches and luxuries? Haven’t I made a god of my possessions? In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus says: “Everyone who has left their houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold, and will inherit eternal life.” (Matthew 19:29). Entering Heaven will be hard for anyone who worships their wealth.

3. Selfishness: The third reason Heaven is hard for the rich is selfishness, refusal to help those in need, yet wasting their resources. God is love. Heaven is a place where people love each other and think of the interests of others. If I cannot practice this love here on earth, it will be hard to learn in Heaven. In Matthew 25, Jesus describes Judgment Day: “Then the King will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty, and you gave me drink, I was a stranger, and you welcomed me, I was naked, and you clothed me, I was sick, and you visited me, I was in prison, and you came to me”” (Matthew 25:34-36)

Today, we remember St. Bernard of Clairvaux. He was born near Dijon, in France 1090, of a noble family. Bernard was a man of great holiness and wisdom, and although he was often in very poor health, he was active in many of the great public debates of the time. He strongly opposed the luxurious lives of some of the clergy and fought against the persecution of the Jews. He was also a prolific writer of an inspiring rather than a technical kind. The Church is always suffering from corruption and always being renewed. If St Bernard, so often ill, could take a leading part in this renewal, what excuse do we have?

Let us pray: Almighty, ever-living God, give us the grace of humility and generosity. We ask this through Our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. May God’s abundant blessings be upon us all. (Saint Bernard, Abbot, Doctor. Bible Study: Ezekiel 28:1-10, Deuteronomy 32:26-28,30,35-36, Matthew 19:23-30).

@Rev. Fr. Evaristus E. Abu

To Be Perfect, Give to The Poor

Monday, 19 August 2024. Readings: Ezekiel 24:15-24, Deuteronomy 32:18-21, Matthew 19:16-22

“I have kept all these; what do I still lack? Jesus said to him, ‘If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’” (Matthew 19:20-21)

Religiosity without charity amounts to mere lip service before God. It is not enough to keep God’s commandments; we must also ensure that we do not make a god of our material possessions. If we cannot give out what we have, cannot help the less privileged, and do not care about the poor, it simply means the things we have are the gods we worship.

- The key to generosity is knowing where one’s security lies. Where exactly is my security? My bank account? My name? My friends? My job description? Or my God. If my security lies in anything material, I will become stingy, knowing it will not last forever. The young man walked away sorrowfully because he could not imagine life without his possessions. He felt he would die without money, expensive clothes, shoes, gold and diamonds, mansions, oil wells, etc.

- Try to put yourself in this young man’s shoes and allow the words of Jesus to resound again in your ears: “If you want to be perfect, go and sell what you possess and give to the poor.” Are you going to walk away? Will you bluff over this message and go about your normal day-to-day activities? Or will you take an excursion to your wardrobe and bring out clothes you no longer need so that you can clothe some poor people who cannot afford such?

- The Bible’s recording of this young man’s sorrowful disposition shows that, in truth, attachment to what this world has to offer only brings sorrow, pain, and sadness. Nothing in this world is capable of bringing us lasting happiness. True freedom is the willingness to risk losing everything because we know God alone is our security. Shun idolatry and stop worshipping your possessions. You were born without them, and you can still survive without them. Let go and Let God.

- Our first reading today contains another dramatic episode in the life of the Prophet Ezekiel. Not too long ago, we read how God told Ezekiel to act as one going into exile and carry the baggage of an exile and dig through the city wall in the sight of the people to draw their attention to what would come if they persisted in their sins. Today, we read how God told Ezekiel that his beloved wife, the delight of his eyes, would be taken from him, but he was not to weep or mourn. Ezekiel told the people this message in the morning, and that very evening, his wife died; thus, the Prophet himself became a sign to the people of the calamity that was to come.

- Dear friends, there is no gain in sin. Just as our Gospel passage encouraged us to give away our possessions to attain perfection, the Prophet Ezekiel’s life also encouraged us to give up our attachment to sin and our love for those things that displease God. You can do it without that bad habit and give up that secret vice. Let go and Let God.

Let us pray: Almighty, ever-living God, give us the grace of inner freedom. We ask this through Our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. May God’s abundant blessings be upon us all. (Monday of week 20 in Ordinary Time. Bible Study: Ezekiel 24:15-24, Deuteronomy 32:18-21, Matthew 19:16-22).

@Rev. Fr. Evaristus E. Abu

Forsake Foolishness; Eat And Drink The Food Of Eternal Life

Readings: Proverbs 9:1-6, Ps. 34:2-3,10-15, Ephesians 5:15-20, John 6:51-58

“Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day.” (John 6:53-54)

While our first reading is addressed “to him who is without sense,” our second reading says: “Therefore do not be foolish.” Who is the fool referred to in these readings? What are the things we do or fail to do that make us fools, and how can we avoid such foolishness? The answers to these questions are contained in our readings, and they include:

1. Foolishness is flowing with Ungodly Trends in Society

St. Paul admonishes in our second reading: “Watch carefully how you live, not as foolish persons but as wise, making the most of the opportunity, because the days are evil.” Ephesians 5:15-16. If, at the time of St. Paul, he could say the days are evil, what would he say about our generation today? A world that so worships money that people are ready to do anything just for money; a world that redefines sinfulness as prosperity; a world where religion itself has become a commercial commodity; a world that treats people with dignity only based on their popularity on social media, how beautiful they look or how much money they have. Unless we stand out of the evils of our day, we are part of the foolishness St. Paul warns us against.

2. Ignorance of Scripture is Foolishness

Our first reading discusses “wisdom” as a person who built a house, set everything in place, and is now inviting people to come and eat freely. Who is this wisdom, and how can we locate her house? St. Paul says, “Do not be foolish, but understand God’s will.” In other words, the home of wisdom is understanding the will of God, and since the Bible contains this will (testament), it follows that we are most foolish if we never take the time to read the Bible. To say you have no time to read the Bible is to say you do not consider the Bible worthy of your allotted share of 24 hours daily.

3. Living Only for the Flesh is Foolishness

Another point in St. Paul’s admonition is: “Do not get drunk on wine, in which lies debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit.” St. Paul is not simply referring to alcohol; he addresses a much deeper problem: caring for our physical bodies at the expense of our souls. According to another priest’s sermon for this Sunday, “… our contemporary culture has become so much concerned with the care of the human body. It is so amazing how fast-growing the body care and cosmetics industries are. I see them on signboards: teeth-whitening, tanning, anti-ageing treatment… and so on.” We now hear of artificial human hair and body parts, to name a few. As Jesus would say: “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? For what can a man give in return for his life?” (Mark 8:36-37).

4. Staying away from Holy Communion is Foolishness

When Jesus talks about gaining the whole world and forfeiting our life, He is not only referring to our physical death; He is talking about forfeiting the true essence of our life, which is union with God. Hence, in today’s Gospel passage, we hear Jesus say: “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, the one who feeds on me will have life because of me.” (John 6:53-57).

Dear friends, we become like plants uprooted from the ground whenever we stay away from Holy Communion, the Body and Blood of Christ. We may appear alive but begin to die if we are not replanted. Even though the crowds were disputing among themselves, Jesus wasn’t willing to shift ground. He hit them with the truth: “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His Blood, you have no life in you” (John 5:53).

Now, Holy Communion is like a double-edged sword. If we don’t take it, we die; if we take it in a state of sin, we die an even greater death. As St. Paul says: “Whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord… anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died.” (1 Corinthians 11:27-30).

As much as we cannot take Holy Communion in a state of sin, we need Holy Communion to strengthen us against the lure of sin. These are some sayings of the saints about Holy Communion: “Holy Communion delivers us from daily faults and preserves us from mortal ones.” (St. Alphonsus De Liguori). “Communion represses the movements of anger and incontinence, the two passions that most frequently and violently assail us.” (St. Bernard). “Communion defeats the devil’s suggestions.” (St. Thomas). “Communion pours into our souls a great inclination to virtue and a promptitude to practice it and, at the same time, imparts to us a great peace, by which the path of perfection is made very sweet and easy.” (St. John Chrysostom)

Don’t be foolish and cheat yourself by staying away from Holy Communion. Let your desire to receive Holy Communion daily become your greatest motivation to live above sin, avoid temptations, have a pure heart, and study the Bible. The more Communion you receive, the stronger you become spiritually, and the fewer temptations overpower you.

Let us pray: Almighty, ever-living God, free us from all foolishness, especially that of staying away from your Body and Blood. We ask this through Our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever. Amen.

*Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. May God’s abundant blessings be upon us all. (20th Sunday in Ordinary Time. Bible Study: Proverbs 9:1-6, Ps. 34:2-3,10-15, Ephesians 5:15-20, John 6:51-58).*

@Rev. Fr. Evaristus E. Abu

Let the Children Come to Me

Readings: Ezekiel 18:1-10,13,30-32, Ps. 51:12-15,18-19, Matthew 19:13-15

“‘Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.’ And he laid his hands on them and went on his way.” (Matthew 19:14-15)

Today’s Gospel passage reveals something so pure and striking: God wants the children to come to him. Like the disciples of Jesus, we are often guilty of preventing children from coming to Jesus. This happens in the following ways:

- First, we do not allow children to participate in religious activities. We do this because we think that children cannot comprehend God or that their participation in religious activities is only a nuisance. Meanwhile, Children are more religious than we think. The best gift you can give your children is to teach them about God. However, remember that actions speak louder than words when teaching children about God. You cannot light a child’s candle if yours is not burning.

- Secondly, we fail to show conviction about our faith through exemplary conduct. There are a lot of practical atheists today who were previously Christians but have disconnected themselves from all forms of religious activity, not because they found faults with God but because they are not happy with persons who claim to know God.

- Children who grow up without any idea of God end up becoming spiritually deficient. Let your children come to God. Take them to Sunday School. Let them participate in the catechism class. For many of us, those things we learnt in catechism as children sustain our Christian faith to this day. Those who say: “I don’t want to indoctrinate my child. I want the child to grow up and decide for himself whether or not to believe in God or follow religion”, always end up having social media carry out negative indoctrination for them.

- You may spend huge sums of money educating your children, but if you fail to nourish them spiritually or teach them how to pray, you deform them. Some parents go as far as offering bribes so that their children can receive baptism and other sacraments without going through the rigours of catechism class. This is equivalent to paying for a first-class BSc Degree without knowing what the degree stands for. The degree is yours, but the knowledge is absent. This is the root of our problems in Nigeria today.

- Some parents do not realise the danger of refusing to spend time with their children until it is too late. Never leave your children unattended. In this era of smartphones, parents find it convenient to leave their children under the care of smartphones. Your child may become quiet while playing with the phone, but this could lead to smartphone addiction, introduction to immoral content, and other dangers capable of destroying children.

- The prophet Ezekiel today tells us that we serve a God of justice. God is not going to punish children for their parents’ sins. Nevertheless, we must give an account of the children God has given us. Above all, Ezekiel tells us today to repent. God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked but in their repentance. Have you been preventing your children directly and indirectly from getting close to God? Repent today.

Let us pray: Almighty, ever-living God, grant that, by our words, actions and examples, we would never hinder any child from coming to you. We ask this through Our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. May God’s abundant blessings be upon us all. (Saturday of week 19 in Ordinary Time. Bible Study: Ezekiel 18:1-10,13,30-32, Ps. 51:12-15,18-19, Matthew 19:13-15).

@Rev. Fr. Evaristus E. Abu