THIRTY FOURTH SUNDAY/SOLEMNITY OF CHRIST THE KING

Ezek 34:11-2, 15-17; 

1 Cor 15:20-26, 28 

Matt 25:31-46.

Today we celebrate the feast of Christ the King, which marks the end of the Liturgical season.  Next Sunday will be the first Sunday of Advent, Year B.  The importance of today’s celebration cannot be overemphasized. It serves to remind us of a few essentials. First, that the God who created us is the sovereign of all creation, human, animals, seas, plant, mountains, and nations, name them! He is all and all, the alpha and the Omega! the source of our lasting hope!  Second, Christ Jesus is God’s incarnate, the Son of God, and the King of the Universe. Third, earthly leaders, kings, parents, family heads, heads of governments, bosses in factories and institutions, representatives at the United Nations, in their different roles, in history, that stretches back  to the monarchical history of Israel (if we want) are called to be viceroys and imitators of Christ, in his love, kindness, leadership, care, mercy, justice, and righteousness.  

In Israel’s history, apart from David, Hezekiah and Josiah, most of the kings were completely out of touch with God’s expectations: obedient, fair, selfless, holy, wise, peaceful, prayerful, hopeful, compassionate, faithful, steadfast, courageous, prudent, sensitive, and covenant oriented, qualities that may be necessary for our leaders today!

Thirty-Third Sunday of Year A

Proverbs 31:10-13, 19-31; 1 Thess. 5:1-6 and Matt 25:14-15,19-21.

Today, as we celebrate the 33^rd Sunday of Year A we draw closer and closer to the end of the 2017 liturgical calendar, and also, to the beginning of a new one marked by the season of Advent. The day also marks the beginning of the First World Day of the Poor by which the Holy Father, Pope Francis invites the whole church to turn their gaze on our beloved poor who stretch their hands and plead for our concrete help and solidarity through concrete signs of solidarity and fraternity.

In the midst of all the anxieties of life, the threats of wars, terrorism, ISIS, Boko Haram, etc the church invites and exhorts us in the reading today to remain faithful and dedicated to our Head and Lord Jesus Christ. I read the story about a faithful dog called Hachiko recently.  It was owned by a professor at the University of Tokyo. The professor used to take a train from a particular Station every day to go to the University. Each day Hachiko accompanied him to the train station when he left for work. Upon returning, the Professor would find the dog patiently waiting and wagging its tail. This happy routine continued until one fateful day, when the professor was taken ill on the job and unfortunately died before he could return home. As usual, the dog waited at

THIRTY SECOND SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME YEAR A

  

Wisdom 6:12-16        1 Thessalonians 4:13-18      Matthew 25:1-13

I once saw a small boy seating patiently by the gate in front of their house. Considering that it was getting dark and chilly I asked the boy to go into the house. But he politely refused. When I enquired why he would not go in, he responded: “I have to wait here to open the gate for my mummy when she comes back, and I know that she is on her way now.” Surely, the poor boy was right, and I got it wrong because while we were still conversing we heard a car horn and a flash, and the boy with bright eyes and a bold smile on his face said to me, “here she comes, I told you I know my mummy is on her way.” Immediately, he left me to open the gate for his mum. I guessed, he was

THIRTY FIRST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR A

Mal 1:14-2:2, 8-10; 1Thess 2:7-9, 13; Matt 23:1-12

In today’s gospel, Jesus affirms the Pharisees and scribes as the legitimate leaders of the people, following Moses. He tells His disciples to obey and respect them but not to follow their example. What they say is true so follow them, but in practice they are misusing their authority for the sake of their selfish advantage, so do not imitate their example.

Many people say that today, we have a leadership crisis. But we do not have a leadership crisis but a servant leadership crisis. We have too many people who want to be first, who want to lead the parade, to be on top of the heap, who want the big office, to have the title, the power, the perks and the prestige. We don't have enough people who really want to wash the dirty feet of others as Jesus did. The question today, is not where are the leaders but much simpler than that, where are the servants.

Many people say that authority is bad. They say that power corrupts. Everyday we hear stories about scandals among politicians, corporate heads, even in the church and others who hold positions of authority. But authority is good because it comes from God. God

ALL SOULS DAY

 

Wisdom 3:1-9; 1Thess 4:13-18;  John 11:17-27

 I am the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25)

After the feast of all saints yesterday, today the Church prays for the souls of those in purgatory, especially for our loved ones, gone before us, waiting to join in the heavenly glory, through purification. The importance of this celebration cannot be overemphasized. Even when November 2 falls on a Sunday, the priests still celebrate three times, the Masses for the Souls of all the Faithful Departed. These

THIRTIETH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME: CHRISTIAN LOVE IS A COMMANDMENT

Readings: Exod 22:20-26; 1 Thess 1:5c-10;  Matt 22: 34-40

Throughout Matthew’s Gospel 22 Jesus engages in a series of debates with the local leaders, the Pharisees and the Sadducees, regarding many practical, legal and faith issues. Last few Sundays the issues were that of preparedness for the kingdom of God and civil responsibility. Last Sunday it was about taxes to Caesar with the script sponsored by the Pharisees and the Herodians. This Sunday it is all about the greatest commandment sponsored by a lawyer. The learned gentleman came with one question: “which is the greatest of the commandment in the law?” We know that God gave

TWENTY NINTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME & MISSION SUNDAY

Is 45:1, 4-6; 1Thess 1:1-5b; Matt 22:15-21 

Today is World Mission Sunday. On World Mission Sunday, Catholics gather to celebrate the Eucharist and to contribute to a collection for the work of evangelization around the world. This annual celebration gives us a chance to reflect on the importance of mission work for the life of the Church and on our part in the missionary role of the Church. It reminds us that we are one with the Church around the world and that we are all committed to carrying on the mission of Christ, however different our situations may be.

We can all do a great deal of missionary work by the way we live our faith. We are surrounded by good people who do not know Christ, or who know Him only superficially. When we let the

TWENTY EIGHT SUNDAY OF YEAR A

                                         

(Is 25.6-10; Phil 4.12-14,19-20; Mt 22.1-10)

We may not be so used to royal weddings, but I still remember when Prince Charles of England married Lady Diana Spencer in 1981. Thousands of invitations were sent out. Crowned heads and international political figures, heads of state, aristocrats and newly rich, all those who were somebody in "high society" vied with one another as to who would have the honour of being invited to the festivities. Of course not every body was so favoured, for the number of available seats was limited. And so for those who were lucky enough to receive the much coveted invitation, a refusal was unthinkable. One does not turn down an invitation coming from Buckingham Palace.

In ancient times, kings announced the approximate time for a wedding banquet weeks in advance. The exact day of the banquet was given at a later date. To say "yes" to the advance invitation and no at the later date was an insult. It was this kind of situation that Jesus had in mind in today's parable.

The audience for whom Jesus intended his parable was the Jews of his time. Ages before, they had accepted God's invitation to be his chosen people - his special guests at the banquet

Twenty-Seventh Sunday Year A

Readings: Isaiah 5:1-7; Phil 4:6-9 and Matt 21:33-43

Today, we have an interesting story (parable) in the Gospel Reading (Matt.21:33-43) concerning a landlord (or householder) and his tenants. A landlord planted a vineyard, fenced it, dug a winepress, and built a tower on the vineyard. It is interesting to note that the landlord did all the needful in the vineyard and that the tenants he brought to stay in the vineyard would have just very minimal tasks to do. Furthermore the machinery for production was in place with a facility for maximum security represented by the watch tower. The tenants had only the duty of caretaking and harvest. Significantly also, the landlord left the place after leasing it to the tenants and travelled to another country.

There is always a time of harvest. When that time came, the landlord sent his servants to get the fruits of the vineyard but the servants got an aggressive response from the tenants. They had one beaten, killed another and yet another was stoned. This latter may have

SOLEMNITY OF OUR LADY QUEEN AND PATRONESS OF NIGERIA

Isaiah 11:1-10 

Ephesians 2:13-22 

Matthew 2:13-15.19-23 

Today, the twenty-sixth Sunday of the year (A), we celebrate the solemnity of Our Lady Queen and Patroness of Nigeria. By this celebration we commemorate the consecration of Nigeria to the Blessed Virgin Mary soon after the Independence in 1960. The very first consecration of our country, as some of you may recall, was in 1954 during the International Marian Year. At the heart of the consecration to the Immaculate Heart is the quest for peace which was a feature of the message of Fatima, a hundred years ago.  During his historic visit to Nigeria in 1982, on 14th February 1982, in Kaduna, to be precise, Pope Saint John Paul II led the Church in Nigeria in another consecration to Mary. While leading in the consecration, the Holy Father prayed in part as follows:

O Mother of all individuals and peoples...I desire to consecrate and entrust to you, Mother of the Church, in a special way, the Church in the land of Nigeria.....  

Today we also celebrate the 57th anniversary of our national independence and the Church in Nigeria calls all of us to pray with our Mother Mary and through her for the country.  This year’s celebration of the feast is unique in the sense that it is being celebrated during the Marian Year declared by our

Twenty sixth Sunday of Year A

Eze 18:25-28; Phil 2:1-11 and Matt 21:28-32

This Sunday the Church draws our attention in a most special way to the importance of realizing what God wants from us and obediently carrying them out.  In our first reading, God through his prophet Ezekiel, confronts and responds to Israel's accusation of his being unjust by allowing them suffer in the hands of their captors and enemies. He condemns their blame-shifting attitude and pointed out to them that they are the ones at fault and to blame for their predicaments. The simple reason being: "When the upright man renounces his integrity to commit sin because of this he dies of the evil that he himself committed." In order words, God simply means that renouncing of the part of integrity is "capital disobedience" (a grave sin), the effect or consequence of which is death. 

However, it is not over for the sinner. If we return to the part of integrity in obedience to the will of God, we have life once again. This was Israel's case throughout their biblical history. Owing to their disobedience, they suffered slavery and deportation to Egypt, Persia, and Babylon. However, when they realized themselves and

Twenty Fifth Sunday of the Year: A

​Is 55.6-9; 

Phil 1.20-24; 

Mt 20.1-16

​The gospel reading proposed for our meditation this Sunday seems at first sight to be dealing with a labour problem. It is as if it is setting up a model for management and labour relationships. Such is not, however, the case. The parable is more about the generosity of God than about working conditions. The story is more about the supreme goodness of God than about wage settlements.  

​Someone has attempted to put the parable in a modern setting. He invites you to imagine there are four houses on your street. You own the house on the corner, and it

Twenty Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time: A

Ecclesiasticus 27,30 – 28,7

Romans 14,7-9

Matthew 18,21-35

Often the readings proposed for our meditation on Sundays seem to be referring to the lives of those who lived during the Old  or New Testaments.  That cannot be said of the readings of this Sunday which apply to all of us right now. The reading speak about the omnipresent sin of many of us - refusing to forgive others. Yet, the obligation to forgive is mentioned 108 times in the Scriptures.  We must be grateful to Peter for pushing the question today. His question to Jesus caused Him to discuss material He was