Suffering is the way of discipleship of Christ. Discipleship is the process of learning to love and follow Jesus and becoming more like him in our attitudes and actions. It is a commitment to the cross that implies pain, suffering and even death.
Undoubtedly, God is a God of the poor, the needy and the less privileged. A God whose thoughts, words and actions offer us comfort, healing, restoration and transformation from our situations.
The Word of God should be consoling and reassuring, especially to the poor and the seemingly hopeless situations that face us daily. It comforts us at our trials, difficulties and even temptations when we feel like giving up to hopelessness.
Christianity is a life of an inner grace that transforms us from within into Christ-like. That is good people: priests, Christians, parents, children etc. It is not an external life of show-offs, eye or lips services. Sadly, enough, today many so-called Christians are wolves in sheep’s clothing living a double-standard life.
We are called to be prophetic missionaries who speak out the truth without fear or favour of anyone. Speaking the truth these days is unpopular, especially among church men and women who prefer to be prudent or diplomatic. This is because of the philosophy that doesn’t speak the truth so that you don’t hurt anyone. Our vacation as prophets and missionaries is to continue the mission of Christ on earth. That is preaching repentance, forgiveness of sins, liberation, and salvation.
The sufficient grace of God is at work in our human and Christian lives amidst our human weaknesses and inadequacies. Hence, the Christian life is a life of grace or strength in weakness through God´s grace and mercy. This strength in weakness is the beauty and mystery of our lives in God. For Paul, it is clear without doubt or reservation that the Christian faith and life are all grace.
God from all intent and purpose wants us to have life and abundance; he is the giver of life, not death. This mystery of God´s generosity in life to us is difficult to understand, especially in a world with too many miseries.
Human sufferings, miseries, death, and evil are not God´s making or doing. It came because of Satan and the evil ones as well as the choices we make in life. The culture of death around us today is all man´s making.
In life, there will always be storms, however, with Christ, there is peace, calm, and tranquillity amidst storms. All we have to do is to be still and know that the Lord is in control. Indeed, in our lives journey, there will be powerful storms, that shake us to the foundation of our being. These storms do not only affect us but also everything and everyone around us is constantly shaken by the storms of life. Yet, we need to relax because God is in control.
The Christian life is a life of spiritual growth, development, and fruitfulness in small and insignificant things through the action of the Holy Spirit. It is a life of grace, faith, and mercy. Though with our effort and cooperation with God´s grace through sacramental and prayerful life.
According to Pope Puis XII, one of the greatest tragedies of modern man and woman is the loss of the sense of sin. Sin or moral evil is today widely dismissed as merely a religious notion. The notion of sin and its consequences are being watered down in the name that Christianity is not only guilt-lading. The mathematic simply removes sin from Christianity and it becomes a social organization of ethics of relative right and wrong.
The unfathomable mystery of the Most Holy Trinity is the celebration of God in a community of love and fellowship. It is also a feast of the individuality of distinct Persons in the community of the Divine Godhead: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The implication of this mystery is fundamental for all
The Holy Spirit endows us with many gifts and fruits, among which is the Spirit of love to forgive sins. That is, the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of love that fosters unity in diversity through reconciliation and forgiveness of sin. Our mission as Christians and as a Church is to be an instrument of love and reconciliation through the action of the Holy Spirit.
The Solemnity of Ascension of the Lord is the feast of the Risen Christ with a glorified body taken up to heaven and now sitting at the right hand of God forever. It is plain from Scripture that Jesus’ ascension was a literal, bodily return to heaven. He rose from the ground gradually and visibly, observed by many intent onlookers.
God is love is the greatest single statement about God in the whole Bible. There is no doubt that love is the essence of the Christian faith and life. For God is love, we are called to live in love as Christians. This life of love is not how we love, but how Jesus loves us. Our love is imperfect and erroneous but God´s love is perfect.
Jesus´ teaching on the vine branches, the vine, and the vinedresser is a fundamental reality of our human and spiritual that without Him we are nothing. The life of vine branches (us), the vine (Christ Jesus) and its dresser (God) is one of total dependence in a healthy manner to bear abundant fruits! If we are nothing and can do nothing with Christ. Then, our lives and existence should be abiding in Christ through whom we live, move, and exist. What does it mean to abide in Christ Jesus?
The Fourth Sunday of Easter usually known as the Good Shepherd Sunday reminds us that, Christ is our gateway to life and salvation. On this day, we are encouraged by the Church to reflect on the meaning of the Resurrection. That is, we celebrate the Risen Christ as the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep.
Today, the readings are all about repentance and forgiveness in Christ Jesus. Indeed, forgiveness is the gift of the Risen Christ in the early Christian communities. That is the forgiveness of sins that encourages us to seek a new life in Christ and the need not to be afraid.
Christ is the visible face of the Divine Mercy of God. The most evidential proof is that God is not a moralist legalist or sadist bent on eternal punishment for sinners. It is the unfathomable mercy and grace at work in us even in our sinful state. “Where sin abounds, grace (or mercy) abounds much more.” Romans 5:20
Alleluia! Defeat has been turned to Victory. Alleluia! Alleluia! The victim is now the Victor. Alleluia! Alleluia! Good has overcome evil. Alleluia! Alleluia! Life has been restored over death. Alleluia! Alleluia! Love has conquered hatred. Alleluia Alleluia! Light has dispelled the darkness! Alleluia! Alleluia. Virtuousness has replaced viciousness and sins. Alleluia! Alleluia! Forgiveness has been written over condemnation. Alleluia!
From the historical viewpoint, Jesus’ passion and death were a result of the excuses of men and the betrayal of the truth. In a nutshell, the passion and death of Jesus Christ is an exemplification of courage versus cowardice on the part of all the actors involved.
From Christ himself to the least participant in the passion and death narrative. In Christ, we see a journey of courage from the inception of his public ministry till his death on the cross.
In life, someone argues, there is meaning in dying in loving services for others. True life’s meaning is found when we live for others. This is because there is an absurdity that comes with life. When this sense of absurdness engulfs us with a sense of uncertainty and insecurity life becomes meaningless. In a moment like this, we can only find fulfillment and a sense of meaningfulness in the service of others through God.
The Christian life is full of an amazing and rejoicing grace in God when our souls meet with true repentance of sins and embrace the unfathomable mercy of God. No one is a Christian because he or she merits being one. It is all grace and nothing but grace. This is the most humble fact we must be conscious of daily.
God is love (1 John 4:8). Hence, to love is not only to be religious and spiritual but also to be God-like. Inarguably, love is at the basis of our religious teaching, preaching, doctrines, theology, philosophy, ideology, practices, and even rituals and rites. If these are devoid of love then religion is as useless as any human venture.
The readings of this Sunday point us to the necessary pain, suffering, and sacrifice of Lent. These lead to the renewal or transformation of our spirit, soul, and body. They invite us to be courageous when making a sacrifice for God. As our sacrifice renews God’s blessings upon us and strengthens our will to go through life bear with patience our crosses.
Lent is a desert experience of a long retreat of silence, reflection, meditation, and prayer. We all need this desert experience. Every Lenten season is a journey of grace into the desert. There are fewer distractions. It is quieter and clearer in the desert.
We all have different images of life as we experience, however amidst the absurdity of life, its meaning can be found in selfless acts or services to others. Someone, once argued that the only meaning of life is through the service of others.
Jesus´ authority and power are one to heal the broken humanity and to cast out evil in all its forms of existence either as demonic possessions, satanic influences, powers, and principalities in the low and high places. As well as to restore integrity and dignity in decent living through his teaching and preaching.
A Christendom without reformation or renewal is doomed. This conversion or repentance is a radical renewal of faith, lifestyle, and commitment to God. Our vocation to know, to love, and to serve God begins with a call to authentic or genuine conversion.
Life is a vocation and it is one which God calls us by name! Our vocation is to know God, love Him, and serve Him in our fellow brothers and sisters. Every state of our life is a calling from God. We are called to life when we were born. We do not exist by accident. We were also called to the Christian life in Christ Jesus when we were baptized. We have specific vocations to marital life, consecrated life, or to live life in singlehood. Whatever our state or calling, living fully within God´s plan for us is a vocation. A life, God intended for us to know, to love, and to serve Him in others.
The Feast of Epiphany means that in Christ Jesus, God is for all people and nations without exclusion. The Greek word Epiphany (επιφάνεια), means appearance or manifestation. In theological terms, Epiphany means the appearance or manifestation of Christ to the world after his birth.
Indeed, God is not just manifested to a small group of people called Israel. With the visit of the Magi, he is being revealed to all the people of earth and nations. This manifestation of God, Himself to us in so many ways. It is called a theophany. At the fullness of time, the revelation of his only Begotten Son: Jesus Christ was its climax.
CHRISTMAS: FEAST OF FAMILY Christmas is a feast of the family: Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. We all are from a family. We all belong to a family. The family is the most important nucleus of our neighbourhood, community, society, church,…
The mystery of the Incarnation and celebration of Christmas is a total demonstration of God’s love for us. It is the feast of Immanuel: God with us! The Dwelling Presence of God among men and women forever. That is, God who builds the house among us! It is God who sends the Saviour! It is God who comes to Mary and through Mary gives us the Saviour. All comes from God and all returns to God, but the present is the most important time because it is now that God and humans are in a relationship.
Rejoice in the Lord always because the joy of the Lord is our strength! The third Sunday of Advent is traditionally called “Gaudete Sunday”. It is derived from the original Latin text of the entrance antiphon of today’s Eucharist celebration: “Gaudete in Domino Semper” which means–“Rejoice in the Lord always.” This changes radically the tone of our Advent celebration and preparation for the Coming our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
The Season of Advent is a moment of repentance, reparation and reconciliation with God, ourselves and our brothers and sisters. These are the “3Rs” of the Advent Season. It is a moment of peace that comes from giving and receiving forgiveness from God and others. The theme of our celebration this second Sunday is peace through reconciliation.
Once again, we begin the season of Advent and a new liturgical calendar of the Church´s year of grace in the year of our Lord Jesus Christ. Advent is a moment of grace to be awake while waiting. It is a new season of waiting, preparing, and being alert for the coming of the Lord. The world awaited his coming more than 2000 years ago. The world anticipates his coming in glory at the end of time. Equally, the world awaits his coming daily in every event and experience of our lives.
There is nowhere Christ the King can reign more than in our hearts and over our lives. The truth is that Christ does not want to be a proclaimed King on the lips of men and women. He wants to be enthroned in our lives, marriages, families, churches, communities and everyday affairs but above all in our hearts.
Life is a gift of God to us without any merit of ours, but the Christian principle of fulfilling or doing the will of God calls us to a life of stewardship and accountability. We are not only challenged by service but also the transparency of rendering account to God for his trust to confide us with able talents or gifts according to our capability.
We are not meant to live forever and the thought of dying one day can be very scary especially when there is no preparedness or hope for the end time. As Christians what gives our human existence a a sense of meaningfulness is our hope of the resurrection. Hence, amidst the uncertainty of earthly life, the Christian hope assures of a bright tomorrow.
This is an irrefutable statement any form of true religion liberates us from the shackles of enslavement not to only sin but to persons and things. This is what makes Christ different from other religious leaders. His life, deeds and teachings have one principal motive to direct men and women to God freely them from all internal or external enslavement.
Love is all that there is to life and Christian living. Hence, no matter our intelligence and knowledge of the Holy Scripture, doctrine and theological discourses on God, the Church and Christian life, faith and spirituality. If our lives do not reflect the basic empathy to relate, connect, feel or love, then all is nothing. Love is all there is in the Christian faith, life and spirituality.
A good Christian is a good citizen is the principle of Dual citizenship and dual obligations: This doctrine is sometimes called the “doctrine of the two powers,” or the “two realms,” meaning that the life of a Christian involves a twofold allegiance: to the ruling government in civil and secular issues, and to God and the Church as regards spiritual and religious issues.
One basic and undeniable fact of our Christian life is that God always calls or invites us to the feast of joy. The Eucharist and communitarian liturgical celebrations are enriching with the Word of God and the communion of brothers and sisters.
God always invites us to a life of grace, joy, and celebration. He invites us to an intimate, rich, and abundant life with Him and in Him. God´s invitation is with a wide-armed, open-hearted, and generous hospitality. That is gratuitous, full, and lavish.
The Christian life and testimony are about giving God his deserved fruits for investing richly and graciously in us. We are the choicest vine planted on a well-prepared and fertile land. We are enriched in all graces and blessings to bear abundant fruits to the glory of God.
Therefore, a Christian needs to bear fruits that last and are commensurate to the grace and blessings lavished on us. No, to bear fruits is a waste of the kingdom project of God. Hence, the greatest tragedy of Christianity is a Christian who lives a fruitless life upon all the graces and blessings God bestowed on him.
Being a Christian is not a matter of good disposition or intention to do good. It is not about answering the name Christian. Neither, it is about going to church, belonging to a pious society or organisation or even to the priestly or religious bodies. It is not an identification of wearing societal or organisational memberships or uniforms.
As well, it is not with a priestly collar or religious habit. Of course, the hood does not make a monk as the saying goes. Equally, being a Christian is not having theological, pastoral or biblical knowledge of God and the Church. Who, then is a Christian?
It is not always easy to understand the unjust generosity of God because the ways of God in not yours. Why, He is so merciful and generous with his grace. A lavish giver without measure and skilful calculation.
For many of us, life seems unfair or unjust. Covertly, we can even blame God for being unjust to us. I used to think the same way. Until recently when I see things differently. Life is not unfair or unjust. Neither, is God unjust or unfair with me or with you. I am uniquely blessed by God in a single and particular way from every human being on earth. The same way you are too.
FORGIVENESS It is imperative to physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health to give and receive forgiveness. Today, there is a lot of evidence showing the connection between a lot of psycho-physical illnesses and our inability to forgive. On a personal…
The Christian Church, community, family, and religious life are not devoid of conflictual living, hence Jesus’ way to fraternal correction is fundamental. However, we must have an open mind to fraternal correction and sensitivity to others´ complaints. Community healing is through authentic reconciliation and listening to each other. In other words, a conscious, authentic and constructive dialogue is necessary for reconciliation.
Our crosses of life in Christ Jesus are indispensable and they are the only way to eternal life. Life is sweet when you live in blissfulness! Yet, the Christian is not a peaceful life without difficulties. The crosses of life are part and parcel of daily living in Christ Jesus.
KNOWLEDGE IS THE POWER TO SERVICE Knowledge is not just power against ignorance but it is also an authority to exercise dominance over everything in honour and glory of the Lord and service to brothers and sisters. The Christian power,…
Prayer and hospitality are the two pillars of Christian spirituality. In prayer with relate and communicate with God, while in hospitality we live out our prayer life in relationship to others. In modern times, the spiritual and prayerful life is a challenge to Christians. There is dryness in spiritual and prayer life. We are discouraged by so many unanswered prayers in our daily lives.
There is a strong need of calming down the storms of life around us daily. Indeed, there are a lot of ravaging storms through waves and winds of life. These storms are internal and external and rob us of our inner peace and tranquillity.
The transfiguration is the manifestation of the glory of Christ on earth. What a grace for Peter and James and John to see Jesus transfigured. They got a preview of the glory of Jesus rising from the dead and his glory in heaven. It was also a preview of the glory we all hope to share in heaven. This was a very special grace for Peter and James and John and indeed for all of us.
There is an immense power in our spoken word and more so, there is a living and effective power in the Word of God. Actually, the Word of God is God Himself. Hence, the Word of God and the heart of men and women are co-relational in Christian life. This is because the amount and quality of the fruits our hearts bear depend on the level and depth of integration the Word of God has in our hearts.
We are wearied and burdened by so many things: twisted dreams or desires, financial burdens, sickness, political and social instabilities, inter-tribal conflicts, religious conflicts, insecurities, children delinquency, marriage wahala, family demand, fidelity to committed stands, trials and temptations, as well as many life´s uncertainties. HENCE CHRIST INVITES US TO FIND TRUE AND BLISSFUL REST IN HIM
Today, our Christian lives are full of challenges and crosses that lead to transformational changes and witnesses to the gospel of Christ. These challenges or crosses are good indicators that we are doing the right thing.
The Christian life and practice is not a hypocritical service of going to the Church as a Christian or being in the Church as a priest or pastor, but speaking out and standing for the truth without fear or favour for anyone. It is the hard line to defend the faith against hypocrisy, pretentious prudence or diplomacy in the name of God or the Church.
The Christian vocation and mission is a life of grace in Christ Jesus and not something we merit. It is God’s work and we are only collaborators in its realization through his grace acting in us. God is the one who initiates, designs, invites and executes the mission through us. That is why it is called “Missio Dei”.
However, our Christian calling is complex and not easy at all. That is living the Christian vocation and realizing our God-given mission is a seemingly impossible task humanly. It is absolutely necessary to live and implore God’s grace and help.
The Solemnity of Corpus Christi was intended to affirm Catholic belief in the Real Presence of the Risen Christ in the consecrated bread and wine at Mass. A firm belief in the Body and Blood of Christ and regular reception of the Blessed Sacrament or Holy Communion is fundamental to Catholic doctrine, spirituality and growth in holiness. It is our inheritance.
The Most Holy Trinity is the central mystery of our Christian faith that demonstrates to us the unity and diversity of god. It is a community of three distinct persons in personality, yet one in nature and glory.
The famous saying: “he who is unable to live in society, or who has no need because he is sufficient for himself, must be either a beast or a god” by Aristotle does not apply to our Trinitarian God.
The power of the Holy Spirit who proceeds from the Father and the Son is not only the giver of life or the spirit of love. It is an enormous power that propels the Christian life to completion. That is, in our Christ witness to the Risen Christ. It is a manifested power in the modus operandi of the Spirit.
He is the spirit of truth, love, unity, gifts, communication and organization. In the Spirit, all is perfectly harmonised for greater efficiency. The Holy Spirit is the motor, energy or power that brings to life the Christian life and testimony. Without the Holy Spirit, the Christian life is dead.
The greatest commission and promise of Christ to all of us is: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” The Feast of Ascension marks the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry and the beginning of the apostles witnessing the gospel.
The readings explain how the Holy Spirit is the precious gift of the Crucified and Resurrected Christ to us. He is the indwelling Spirit of God in us that leads, guides, illuminates, and sanctifies our being, existence, and Christian life and effort.
The principal purpose of these readings is to create awareness of the indispensable role of the Holy Spirit in our Christian life or the Church. Indeed, for us to love genuinely and to keep rules and regulations faithfully are the two most difficult things in the world.
In life, so many things troubled us and make life uncomfortable for us, yet the abiding presence of Christ strengthens us on our journey through life. It is our faith in God and Christ that makes us go through daily life situations with a sense of tranquillity and peace.
The celebration of Christ as the Good Shepherd assures of an empathic Lord and Saviour who loves and cares about us. There is no more beautiful and consoling theme or readings for our current condition and situation of life than the theme of Risen Christ as our Good Shepherd. He is not only the Lord and Saviour of our life, hearts, soul, and body.
He is the Good Shepherd who laid his life down for us, but he also leads and guides us to healthy, ever-greener pastures and living running water and protects us from all harm, evil, and danger. Good Shepherd provides guides, leads, protects, cares and blesses our lives, our souls and our daily efforts.
The road to Emmaus is our journey of faith amidst the sadness and disappointment of life. A lot of a journey through with a heavy burden of emotional luggage. They weigh and deprive us of life’s joy, happiness and peace. Hence, many of us go through life in a very miserable way carrying the endless burden of pain, shame, guilt and cares.
The disciples’ journey to Emmaus amid apparent hopelessness is also our journey of faith in the mysteries of Christ, especially his resurrection. Often in life, we travel with a deep sense of grief, sadness, and disappointment over things that have happened to us.
Divine Mercy! It is the inexhaustible mercy of God manifest upon all for us through the Risen Christ. Actually, this is the Easter gift that the Church receives from the Risen Christ and offers to humanity. The devotion to Divine Mercy Sunday grew rapidly after its designation by Pope Saint John Paul II.
Every second Sunday of Easter is Divine Mercy Sunday. We contemplate God’s mercy that brings us to the season of Easter Joy. As well as, the invitation to live out the communitarian mission of God´s mercy in the corporals and spiritual works of mercy.
The Easter celebration of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ is a call to a new life with Christ Jesus: our Lord and Saviour who has risen from the dead. It occurs always at the season of spring when new life blossom and flourish in all of nature around us. “Easter” literally means “the feast of fresh flowers.” Easter is the greatest and the most important feast in the Church for four reasons:
It is a new life that calls us from darkness to light, evil to good, hatred to love, guilt to innocence, sad to joy, despair to hope, fears to faith, worries to peace, pride to humility and victims to victors.
The whole context of Lent provokes a deeply disturbing fundamental question why did Christ die a violent death to redeem humanity? Could God almighty not will it for the fallen nature of man to be restored without any shed of blood of his beloved Son like he orderly and creatively did in his work creation and everything will be new again? Why the passion, death and resurrection of Christ? Why must God die? Is it a sadistic act for Christ to die that way? All these fundamental questions lead to one single fact: why did Christ die?
The whole exercise of the Lenten season is a spiritual calling for us to die in Lent and to rise to new life in Christ Jesus, our Lord and Saviour who conquers and defeats Satan, evil, sin and death. Therefore, the pillar held of Lenten observances is articulated in this biblical phrase: ¨Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life.¨ John 12:20-33.
There are many themes in the readings of today but one that is very clear is that Jesus Christ is the light that came into the world of darkness. Last Sunday we saw the theme of Christ: Living Water that springs to eternal life. Christ was presented to us as the only one who can satisfy our hunger or our thirst. This fourth Sunday, Christ again gave himself as The Light of the world so that we do not live in the error or darkness of sin.
On this third Sunday of Lent, Jesus offers us living water with the gift of the Holy Spirit that wells up in us to eternal life. It is one of the most beautiful images of the Sacred Scripture an ever-flowing spring that sprouts for the fountain of God´s grace, mercy and love. Christ invites us freely to drink the living water that flourishes and refreshes us.
The context of the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ relays to us that the cross of pain is equally the crown of glory. It is clear that the passion, suffering and death of God: Jesus Christ is not alone a concern or shock to his disciples, but also a scandal. How could the almighty, powerful and saving God be so vulnerable, weak and helpless in the hands of men? It is a mystery incomprehensible.
The Lenten season is a moment of grace given to us by God through his Church´s liturgical celebrations to overcome the temptations of life through the grace of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Our temptations are what we desire or what we try to renounce. Hence, we will constantly be confronted with temptations from within us and outside us. We need grace and mercy to overcome temptations that plague us daily.
To love our enemies and pray for our persecutors is the Christian calling, we all receive from a merciful and lovely God who urges us to make effort and struggle toward perfection. Hence, today, the challenge in the readings is for us, “to be holy as he the Lord is holy” Lev. 19:2 or “perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect” Mt. 5:48.
The spirituality of the Christian life is built on the principle of love and not the law as religion indicates. Hence, we are challenged today to obey the spirit and not just the letter of the law. This is why Jesus insists that we go deeper than our external deeds.
The titular call to all Christians is to be salt to the earth and light to the world. As such, the Christian life of prayer and spirituality is not all about what we want God to do for us, it is fundamentally about what God wants us to do, for Him, for others and ourselves. In a world of titleholders, Christ calls or invites us to be the Salt of the Earth and Light of the World.
It is all grace and nothing more: Christianity and the Christian life we live as priests, ministers, and members of the Church. The Christian life is an amazing grace that saves us all from our wretchedness. Concretely, a happy or blessed Christian life amidst difficulties and problems is the most profound practical way to live a godly or spiritual life.
We all as Christians have a vocational call to be light of truth and goodness to all people living in the shadow of darkness. This is the starting point of Jesus’ message: “repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” This was the very message of John the Baptist. “Turn from your sins, and back turn to God, because the kingdom of heaven is near.”
One of the most astonishing titles of Jesus Christ in the Gospels that relate to his mission of saving mankind is the Lamb of God who takes always the sins of the whole world. Jesus Christ is the sacrificial lamb who willingly offered Him to God to atone for our sins. It was the purpose of God for Him to be the immaculate, innocent and obedient lamb that gave up Himself for all.
The feast of today, the epiphany of the Lord Jesus Christ beats our imagination of GOD FOR ALL without exclusion from the fold or cliquish within the fold. The readings of the day attest to this fundamental principle of our faith and Christian living.
Today’s Feast of Mary, the Mother of God, is a very appropriate way to begin a new year, reminding us to rely on the powerful intercession of our Heavenly Mother. Indeed, what an honour and privilege to have the first day of 2023 the Lord´s day: Sunday. It is an indication and an invitation to begin the year with the Lord of Time, History and Life.
LOVE, JOY, PEACE, GRACE AND LIFE The beautiful themes of Christmas are love, joy, peace, grace and life. It reveals to us that: God is love 1 John 4: 8, 16. It is assured of the joy of the Lord…
Immanuel: God with us is the most beautiful and comforting theme of the Advent and Christmas seasons. The intervention of God in human history through Christ Jesus, after so many seasons of sins and failure, was a life-changing moment. Our lives, existence and history were changed forever. Indeed, it was a moment of encounter when God redirected and reformulated everything about us, our relationship with Him and with one another.
We are invited to hope and joy at this season of Advent and Christmas. Traditionally, the third Sunday of Advent is called “Gaudete” Sunday. The day takes its common name from the Latin word “Gaudete” (“Rejoice”). The first word of the entrance antiphon of this day’s Mass: “Gaudete in Domino Semper…” which means “rejoice in the Lord always”.
Honestly, we cannot prepare and celebrate Christmas without reconciliation and peace with God, others and ourselves.
This Sunday, we have the theme of peace through repentance and reconciliation with God, others and oneself in loving preparation for Christ’s birth at Christmas.
It is a new season of the church’s liturgical year, the season of advent which means the lord’s coming to save us and our hopeful waiting in preparation. The word advent in Latin “adventus” means “coming”.
This is the coming of Jesus into the world. Advent is intended to be a season of anticipation for Christ coming, preparation for Christ coming and reparation for Christ coming at Christmas. Advent also marks the start of the liturgical New Year and a moment of grace, mercy, peace, love, and salvation.
What marks the kingship and reign of Christ from every other kingship or reign is peace. The kingship and reign of men have always been one of violence, bloodshed and lack of enduring peace. The British movie “THE GAMES OF THRONES” depicts this horrible reality and the characteristics of the reigns and kingships of men.
On this penultimate Sunday to the end of the Church’s liturgical year. The central theme of today’s readings is an invitation for us to muscle courage to stand firm in/with Christ Jesus. Especially, as it pertains to the Day of the Lord or the Second Coming of Jesus in glory as a judge.
The Afterlife reality or experience is not just a Christian hope of the resurrection of Christ Jesus through the action of the Holy Spirit. It is an existential reality of our human life on earth. It is a religious or spiritual reality that every religious faith holds onto. To give full meaning to our hard and miserable human existence.
One of the beauties of our Christian faith is the mercy of God that always finds us wretched sinners when we are lost. God’s mercy finds and reaches us profoundly more than we can ever imagine. The nature and essence of God is mercy. This mercy is the saving and amazing grace that always finds and saves us even when we are spiritually dead, lost or weak.
The mission of Christ continues through our Christian vocation to witness to the Kingdom of God with humility and prayer. It is a mission where God calls the humble, the weak and the insignificant to shame the proud, strong and important.
Christ’s mission is the humble acceptance of the need for God in our lives. The admittance that we are naughty and God is all. The mission of God (Missio Dei) is the encouragement of God to us to be good on earth as followers of his Son Jesus Christ.
The readings of this Sunday present us with a clear picture of persistence and perseverance through faith in prayer and the final success that this achieves. Especially, amidst the hopelessness and the powerlessness of life’s situations around us.
Gratitude or an act of thanksgiving seems like something very insignificant. However, it is the purest form of worship of God. It is the most important way of expression that sustain our human relationships as well as our relationship with God.
We must not only appreciate people when we need something from them but also after receiving it from them. Gratitude or appreciation has many faces: acts, gestures, words, things and even thoughts.
Living faith is an active faith against all odds of life. It is an indomitable faith that overcomes all contraries of life trusting the absolute mercy, grace and providence of God. Indeed, faith is one of the superlative forces or energies of conviction in God, on the earth and in heaven that can change, transform or overcome any and everything that comes on us.
The gospel of today presents us with an eternal truth: the love of God and money are two parallel ways. They cannot or will never meet or cross each other. We are either for God or for the world. Hence, it presents us towards the end with some crucial lines of a hard or brunt truth: “No slave can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”
What makes Christianity unique from all other religions is the inexhaustible mercy of God in Christ Jesus. The Christian faith is never a religion of punishment. No matter the gravity of our errors, how many times and the manner of our mistakes, the mercy of God reaches all. In Christianity, therefore, Christ is the face of God’s mercy shown to lost humanity.
Today’s readings invite and challenge us to become true Christian disciples of Christ with total commitment and no half-measure with God. You cannot be a Christian with certain preferences or conditions to follow God.
The greatest lesson of our Christian faith is that we have a humble but powerful God who reveals himself to us daily in people, things, or events of our lives. The humility of God calls and challenges us to a humble, meek and gentle lifestyle.
On a personal and communal level, the Christian life is not an easy vocation or road to travel by. It entails a lot of ups and downs. It is a life of many struggles and challenges to maintain a steady upward and onward way to heaven. However, it is a life of grace marked by many failings and errors humanly.
Explicitly, the fire Jesus brings into the world, which is ready to burn is the fire of truth. The truth divides people for Christ or against him. As Frederick Nietzsche, the 18th-century German Philosopher said, you could tell much about a man’s character by how much he could tolerate.
Indeed, faith in God overcomes all fears. Biblically, Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval, Hebrews 11:1. Clearly, anyone who walks or lives by faith does not only have absolute trust in God but also has no cause to be afraid.
This is because faith assures and guarantees that God is in control of all, even the most seemingly hopeless situations of our lives and the world today.
The Christian life of discipleship and following Christ entails a generous life of fulfilment sharing what we have with others and not living a greedy lifestyle. The fundamental question is what gives fulfilment to our existential life on earth? In other words, one of life’s deepest questions is: What is the meaning of a man’s life on earth? Or, what profit does a man get from all his labour?
The Lord`s prayer is not only just a prayer but the best model or structure on how to pray as a Christian. The Christian life is a spiritual life that has its source in perpetual prayer. That is, the Christian life is prayerful. The Bible enjoins us to pray unceasingly, 1 Thess. 5:16-18
Indeed, the story of the good Samaritan is a summary of how true faith is living Christian action of empathy and sympathy for others, especially the downtrodden. A Christian is an empathetic person who can feel, connect and relate to the painful situations or experiences of others. He is one who easily moves with compassion and pity towards the needy and helpless.
We are called as Christians to rejoice in our identity and not our worth in terms of what we have done or accomplished. The challenge of the Christian life is for us not to become obsessed with our significance, accomplishment and influence, but to rejoice that we are privileged to be associated with God`s work. With a living hope of having our name written in heaven. That is having our identity ingrained with and in God.
The Solemnity of Corpus Christi was intended to affirm Catholic belief in the Real Presence of the Risen Christ in the consecrated bread and wine at Mass. A firm belief in the Body and Blood of Christ and regular reception of the Blessed Sacrament or Holy Communion is fundamental to Catholic doctrine, spirituality and growth in holiness. It is our inheritance.
The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity is not just the central mystery of the Christian faith, but also the demonstration of three persons of the Divine Trinity as God of communion and communication. In this Mystery of the Most Holy Trinity, the Church celebrates our belief that God is One and yet Three Persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, equal in majesty and glory, One in Three and Three in One.
It is an indisputable fact that no Christianity or Christian is living without the Pentecostal experience. This is because it is the Pentecostal experience that transforms, renews and makes us authentic witnesses of Christ in the world.
The abiding presence of God through the Holy Spirit is the most recurring theme of the scriptural readings, as we draw closer to the end of the Eastertide that culminates with the feasts of Ascension and Pentecost. Indeed, the readings this Sunday are all about the abiding love of God through his Spirit of love.
The Christian life and spirituality could be summarized in the dying wish of Jesus Christ for us to love one another as he (Christ) has loved us. Hence, the most fundamental guiding principle, philosophy, theology or spirituality of the Christian life is the call to love God and others not like ourselves but like Jesus did and commanded us to do.
One thing that is obvious celebrating the good shepherd Sunday is that the imagery of the Christ the Good Shepherd implies the image of loyal and good sheep. Traditionally, the fourth Sunday after Easter is called the Good Shepherd Sunday and it is also the “World Day of Prayer for Vocations. When we pray priestly for and religious vocations, as well as for martial life since the good shepherd role is also in the family.
The power of the Risen Christ through the Holy Spirit is Peter’s transformation to stand for and with Christ our Saviour and Lord. Hence, the person and personality of Peter is a very interesting point to reflect upon this Easter time. This is because in him we see the resurrection power a work, changing and transforming everything about him.
The Divine Mercy is the unfathomable grace of God! This is the Easter gift that the Church receives from the Risen Christ and offers to humanity. The devotion to Divine Mercy Sunday grew rapidly after its designation by Pope Saint John Paul II.
Our Easter song is alleluia! Christ is risen Alleluia! For death or tomb could not hold him captive and even in the grave, Jesus is Lord. Alleluia! This is the context and the mystery of the resurrection. Indeed, it is one of the most controversial topics of Christianity. Yet, it is on it that our Christian faith, life and testimony are anchored firmly.
The Palm Sunday known as the Passion Sunday liturgically is the commemoration or relive of the triumphant entry of Christ to Jerusalem. A historical and bold entry that eventually leads to his passion, death and resurrection. It is not only a fulfilment of the plan or will of God the Father as Jesus himself indicated it to us. It is a demonstration of the love of God to save us at all costs from slavery to sin and Satan.
The principal or central theme of this fifth Sunday of Lent is that there is empowerment through the grace and mercy of God in our sinfulness. God is never interested in the death or punishment of anyone of us due to sin. His grace and mercy always meet us in our state or moment of wretchedness.
One of the most beautiful stories of the gospel of Jesus Christ is the story of the Prodigal Son which demonstrated that the repentance of one sinner is the joy of God the Father. For this reason, many biblical scholars believe that the parable of the Prodigal son should be called the Prodigal Father, the forgiving or loving father or the joy of God. The story shows us who God the Father actually is, a God who wastes grace, mercy and love despite our waywardness to squander them.
Truly, Lenten season is not only a moment of prayer, penance and charity, but also a time of repentance, reconciliation and renewal of our relationship with God and our brothers and sisters. It is a time to take full advantage of the grace and mercy of God made available to us through Christ Jesus.
The transfiguration of Christ before his apostles Peter, James and John is the response of God to the scandal of the cross of Christ or suffering in Christendom. Often, at Lent, we hear too much about sufferings, sacrifices, or the cross, messages, and talks like these can be very discouraging to hear. The transfiguration shows us the glory that awaits us after sufferings or sacrifices of Lenten penitential practices,
Our Christian love is to love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who abuse you. It is an unconditional love rooted in goodness without the shadow of emotions or feelings of hatred, resentment or vengeance. While our human feelings or love is only to like those who like us, love those who love and act with kindness towards those who do the same with us. It is a conditional love or feelings based on mutuality and interests.
There is no doubt the beatitudes of blessedness and woefulness in the gospel of Luke is one of Christ radical messages that challenge us and unsettle our spirit. It is revolutionary teaching that turns upside down our human values systems. While it demands of us some rare Christian values seen as stupidity or wretchedness in the eyes of the world.
It is beautiful to see the characteristics of sinfulness and unworthiness in the life and person of all those called by God. A true vocation comes with a deep sense of unworthiness to respond to the calling of God. The joyful truth is that God does not choose the perfect but perfect those he has chosen for his service.
The Christian prophetic message is a the heart of Christianity. These faith convictions cannot be silenced through rejection or prejudice. Hence, as Christians, we are all called and commissioned by God to be prophets. Prophets who speak and live out the truth without fear or favour.
The assembly of the people of God is the living body of Christ: the inclusive Church for all. The Church is not just a building or a place of gathering. The Church is a body created by God the Father, saved by God the Son and governed by the Holy Spirit who sanctifies it. The purpose of the Church as a living institution alive and active and constantly undergoing transformation and reformation is the topic of the readings today.
Our lives are full of complexities, but the best solution to these challenges or problems is through the intervention or prayer of Mary. With Mary powerful intercession, whatever difficulties there are in our lives, marriages, families, communities, societies, churches, or the world have quick and effective solutions. Jesus would never deny his dearest mother anything, even when his intervening time is not due.
The Christian baptism is our profound commitment and mission to Christ and his kingdom. It is not just a mere religious ritual or rite of sacred oil, water and words pronouncement. Actually, the sacrament of baptism opens us up to the grace of God and the Christian life.
There is no time more appropriate to consecrate ourselves to the patronage of Mary, Mother of God, more than the beginning of a new start of the year. Usually, the New Year start is always one that is apprehensive, tense and worrisome for all with a mixed feeling of hopes and fears for the future. These feelings are normal, natural and human. Yet, they invite us to have recourse to God and his divine plan and promise for us.
The Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph reminds us of love, peace, and unity, which are the basics of the Christian family. The Holy Family is a perfect model of family life today in our society. Especially as many have lost the sense of family through governmental and media disorientations. The instrumental tools of Satan destabilized the most fundamental nucleon of the world.
There is no doubt that Christmas is a festive celebration of peace on earth to men and women of goodwill. This is the most beautiful declaration of the angels to the humble shepherds on the night of Christmas. When heaven and the earth were united at the birth of the Saviour and the Prince of Peace. The angels sang beautifully to the whole wide world: Glory to God on High and peace on earth to men (women) of goodwill.
The joy and celebration of Christmas are in the little or insignificant things of our daily human and Christian lives. Where God comes to meet us. It means we all need the grace to be conscious of the little joys, gestures, words, actions and contacts we make with God and others during this holy season. Christmas challenges us to see great things happening in human history and around us in the most insignificant ways.
The feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe invites us to see Mary as the herald of joy and peace to the human race. The coincidence of celebrating the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on the 3rd Sunday of Advent is one of Joy. A Sunday is traditionally known as Gaudete Sunday. The word Gaudete means rejoice.
Our Christian life is a call to us to be joyous and to let our joy be communicative to our brothers and sisters around us. This third Sunday of Advent is the celebration of joy. In the Holy Mass of today, the first four words of the Entrance Antiphon begins with Gaudete in Domino Semper, which means, Rejoice in the Lord always (Philippians 4:4).
The most fundamental spiritual reality of Advent is that there is no Christmas without spiritual preparation of our hearts and reconciliation or peace with God or our brothers and sisters. Hence, Advent is a season of grace that God gives us through His Church to prepare us spiritually for the birth of Jesus Christ. This birth is not in the celebrations, traditions, decorations or symbols of Christmas but our hearts. The befitting dwelling place of God in our lives.
The Advent season of hope begins the new liturgical year of the Church. It offers us hope amid uncertainties of life and the time we are living. With the pandemic still lingering, it seems our hope of a better future is depicted.
The Solemnity of Christ Our Universal King is a celebration that implies Christ must be King of our hearts. This means his kingdom of peace, justice, love, grace, and mercy should reign in us and around us. In other words, the celebration of Christ as King, Lord, and Saviour of the world is a feast the challenge us to enthrone Christ in our hearts and lives.
Christ must also reign in our families, marriages, businesses, schools, workplaces, societies and churches. It is not enough to acclaim Him, King by words, songs, banners, symbols or rites. We must enthrone over our existence and affairs.
The end of time is a moment of celebrating with the Lord the fullness of salvation. It is not a reckoning time of death, judgment and punishment. Our Christian reality is one that whether we are dead or alive, we are in the Lord. As such, the Second Coming is not something for us to be afraid of rumours of many frightening things happening in heaven and earth
The beauty of life is that we can practice generosity in poverty. Giving and sharing out of the little we have in life. We cannot wait until we have in abundance before we can share with others. There is one thing that is certain about sharing generously with others out of our limited sources. The God of providence never let us lack anything. He replenished all our giving with abundant blessings, favours and graces.
The mission of God (Missio Dei) is the encouragement of God to us to be good on earth as followers of his Son Jesus Christ. The Christian life calls to be an encouragement to one another at all times. This is the mission entrusted to us by Christ himself.
The Christian life is not only a life of self-effacing alone. It is also a life of loving service to others. This is the life Jesus Christ himself lived for others and called us all to embrace as well. Whether those we live for or serve are grateful or not.
Discipleship is making that fundamental or radical choice for God through the Word of God. Indeed, in life, we have many preferential options. God cannot be one of them. He has to be our priority above everything: wealth, power, authority and affluence.
The reflection of this Sunday invites us to see the institution of marriage as something holy in the natural order of the creation of God. The topic of marriage is one of the touchy topics of our time. This is because of many controversies around it.
An authentic living out of the Christian life and principles demand of us a sense of tolerance. In addition, social responsibility is in our conduct towards others. As Christians, we are a call to think, speak and act with and in the character of Christ (Rom. 12:1-2; 1Cor. 11:1; Eph. 4:22-24; Eph. 5:1-2).
The joy of suffering in the Christian way of living is total submission to do the will of God. The suffering of a Christian is never a curse, punishment from God. Nor it is due to his sinfulness or as a result of the carelessness of God. God is not stoic or sadist when it comes to our suffering. Instead, our sufferings are proofs of his love, grace and redemption to do his holy will.
There is no doubt God is a God of the poor, the needy and the less-privileged. A God whose thoughts, words and actions offer us comfort, healing, restoration and transformation from our situations.
To be a Christian is to be both hearer and doer of the Word and Commandments of God. It is not just enough to be a hearer of the Word of God but also a doer of the Word of God. This is the challenge confronting the Christian life today.
Fundamentally, Christianity is a spirituality of total declaration of Christ as the Lord and Saviour out of personal faith conviction. And the practical living of the highest moral standard this faith confession means or implies to the Christian vocations.
The Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a celebration of hope. A celebration of hope that God rewards his faithful servants who cooperate with him to fulfil the salvific plan of salvation. This is the reward of Mary for her faithfulness to the will of God.
The Eucharist is the fountain of Christian Life. That is, it is the source and summit of the Christian life and Church. This is the affirmation of the Vatican II document. The Christian life is a journey of perfection towards a spirituality oriented towards Heaven and God. It is a weary journey that needs food to strengthen us on the way.
We have various pangs of hunger that need to be satisfied but, above them, all is the spiritual hunger that only God can spiritually satisfy in us. This hunger, desire or longing for love, care, recognition, fame or money and material things are ways man searches out his destiny.
There is a miracle of abundance and superabundance in life when there is love and sharing with others. This is the central focus of this Sunday readings. It is God that multiplies, but not out of nothing. It is what we bring to God in faith and trust that he multiplies into abundance for us all. The love action to share the little we have is the miracle of abundance.
The concept and the context of the word shepherd in the reflection of this Sunday is a leadership challenge. If an existential threat affecting families, the churches, and the world today. It is leadership qualities. It is an age-long problem that plagues the human race at all levels. Especially, families, nations, institutions and groups like the Christian Church or community is leadership.
The mission of Christ continues through our Christian vocation to witness to the Kingdom of God. This is the mission of God, and we are just participants or collaborators. It is a prophetic mission to proclaim the grace, mercy, and peace of God. As well as it is a mission to denounce evil, injustice and oppression.
The Christian life is a life of grace in weakness or strength in weakness through God´s grace and mercy. This strength in weakness is the beauty and mystery of our lives in God.
God from all intent and purpose wants us to have life and have it in abundance; he is the giver of life and not death. This mystery of God´s generosity of life to us is difficult to understand, especially in a world where there are too many miseries around us.
With the Lord, there is peace amidst storm always. All we have to do is to be still and know that the Lord is in control. In life, there will always be storms. Indeed, powerful storms that, shake us to the foundation of our being. However, the storms do not affect us, but also everything and everyone around us is constantly shaken by the storms of life.
The Christian life is a life of spiritual growth and spiritual fruitfulness through the action of the Holy Spirit. It is a life of grace, faith and mercy. Though with our effort and cooperation with God´s grace through sacramental and prayerful life.
The body and blood of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is not only a sacrament of the Church. The celebration of the body and blood of Christ in the Eucharist is a pure, perfect and living sacrifice. The Eucharist is the sacrifice of the cross where Christ´s body was immolated, and his blood was poured out for us.
The unfathomable mystery of the Most Holy Trinity is the celebration of God in the community. It is also a feast of the individuality of distinct Persons in the community of the Divine Godhead. In this mystery, we see the individuality of the Divine Person in the community as opposed to the individualism of man in the human community.
The Holy Spirit who proceeds from the Father and the Son is not only the giver of life but also the spirit of love. The feast of Pentecost is when we celebrate the birth of the Catholic, Apostolic and Universal Church. It is also the beginning of the Church´s mission to witness to the Risen Christ. When coward men were transformed into courageous men.
The Solemnity of Ascension of the Lord is the feast of the Risen Christ with a glorified body taken up to heaven and now setting at the right hand of God forever. It is plain from Scripture that Jesus’ ascension was a literal, bodily return to heaven. He rose from the ground gradually and visibly, observed by many intent onlookers.
God is love is the greatest single statement about God in the whole Bible. There is no doubt that love is the essence of the Christian faith and life. For God is love, we are called to live in love as Christians. This life of love is not how we love, but how Jesus loves us. Our love is imperfect and erroneous but God´s love is perfect.
The first and most basic characteristic of the early Christians and Christian community is abiding in Christ by a spirit-filled life. Their actions, words and thoughts were guided under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Hence, their testimony to Christ was alive, active and meaningful because of their abiding in Christ.
The Resurrected Christ is the Good Shepherd who laid down his life for his sheep. The concept of the Good Shepherd is one of the most beautiful titles of Jesus Christ in the Bible. It reminds us of a God-man who is loving, caring, tender, and empathetic with us.
Indeed, Easter is joyful, hopeful. Peaceful, and graceful feast of our eternal victory in Christ Jesus. Yet, it presents us with an everlasting challenge of what kind of life, we live on, in Christ Jesus. Spiritual life in the imitation of Christ and testimonial life before our brothers and sisters in the Christian community. This is the sign of our redeemable life in Christ Jesus.
The resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ opens up to us the fountain of unfathomable mercy of God. The Divine Unfathomable Mercy of God is the Easter gift that the Church receives from the Risen Christ and offers to humanity.
Alleluia! Alleluia!! Alleluia!!! He is Risen !The Resurrected Christ conquers for us, sins, guilt, shame, and death, as well as evil, evil spirits, demons and Satan.
The Broken Christ or as it is known in México “Cristo Roto” may not have liturgical, doctrinal or biblical teaching but a strong spirituality of seeing and treating our brokenness and that of our brothers and sisters in the Broken Christ.
FORGIVENESS SETS US FREE FROM BEING PRISONER OF THE OFFENDER AS WELL AS PRISONERS OF UNHAPPINESS. IT IS NOT A SIGN OF WEAKNESS BUT STRENGTH TO FORGIVE.
Love and sacrifice are the fundamental principles of the redemption story. Love gives all without reservation. While sacrifice endures all for the sake of love. Both are a form of complete or total self-giving, self-donating, or self-emptying.
In a nutshell, the passion and death of Jesus Christ is an exemplification of courage versus cowardice on the part of all the actors involved. From Christ himself to the least participant in the passion and death narrative. In Christ, we see a journey of courage from the inception of his public ministry till his death on the cross.
The Feast of the Annunciation of the Lord is a total and complete Mary´s yes to God without reservation. It is a conscientious ascent to motherhood. This motherhood of the Blessed Virgin Mary announced to her on the Feast of Annunciation of the Lord 25, March occurs exactly nine months to the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord, 25 December. It is a joyful feast of Mary´s cooperation with the eternal plan of God to save the fallen human race. It is celebrated motherhood of God, of ours and the Universal Church.
All our Lenten observances point to one single and simple fact that is the willingness of dying to self. This is all Lenten season is all about taking an introspective journey to fix or mend our brokenness by sins, failures and weaknesses. Hence, Lent revolves around the practices of prayer, fasting, almsgiving and penance. This entails dying to self to ascertain spiritual growth and Christian maturity.
The fatherhood of Saint Joseph is a virtue worthy of emulating in our time where the figure of the father is disappearing. It is an imitating standard too in Christendom where fatherhood is a big problem as marriage and family lives are in crisis. St. Joseph a quiet, silent, innocent, obedient, loyal, humble, hard-working, provident, protective and loving father and spouse invite us to a profound reflection of fatherhood.
he Christian life is an unmerited grace of God. No one is a Christian because he or she merits being one. It is all grace and nothing but grace. This is the most humble fact we must be conscious of daily.
God is love (1John 4:8). Hence, to love is not only to be religious and spiritual but also to be God-like. Inarguably, love is at the basis of our religious teaching, preaching, doctrines, theology, philosophy, ideology, practices and even rituals and rites. If these are devoid of love then religion is as useless as any human venture.
The spirit of Lent is one of sacrifice. A sacrifice that leads to transformation and renewal. A sacrifice of Lent is the Easter joy of the resurrection. Hence, Lent invites us to renounce something precious in us: ego, desire or things. It is a time of penitential sacrifice to give up something we hold dear for the sake of the gospel.
In our human life or existence, temptations are always bound to come our way. Interestingly, these temptations are not meant to ruin, to obstruct or to destroy us. They are tests or trials meant to strengthen us, to empower us as winners not losers in Christendom.
The Lenten season is a moment of grace that God a given to us through his Church. It is a sober moment that calls for a pause and a reflection on what is the essence of life. It is a period to know life is nothing with God.
In life, someone argues, there is meaning only in the service of others. This is because there is an absurdity that comes with life. When this sense of absurdness engulfs us with a sense of uncertainty and insecurity life becomes meaningless.
Today, we celebrate the feast of Christ light of the world, and the glory of Israel. Indeed, Christ is our light. We celebrate the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord forty days after we celebrate the birth of Jesus at Christmas.
Jesus´ authority and power are one to heal the broken humanity and to cast out evil in all its form of existence either as demonic possessions, satanic influences, powers, and principalities in the low and high places.
A Christendom without reformation or renewal is doomed. This conversion is a radical renewal of faith, lifestyle and commitment to God. Our vocation to know, to love and to serve God begins with a call to authentic or genuine conversion.
Life is a vocation! A vocation to know God and serve Him in our fellow brothers and sisters. Every state of our life is a calling from God. We are called to live when we were born. We do not exist by accident.
Baptism is a sacrament of grace! It is a sacrament which cleanses from original sin and actual sin (if baptized as an adolescent or adult), make us children of God and members of the Church.
God manifestation of Himself to us is in so many ways. This is called “theophany”, the greatest of which at the fullness of time was the revelation of his son Jesus Christ.
There is no time more appropriate to consecrate ourselves to the patronage of Mary more than the beginning of a new start of the year.
The feast of Christmas is a celebration of a family. A holy family model of all families that is a shining example to all human families.
Christ is Christmas! Christmas is one of the most celebrated feasts of Christendom and indeed in the whole wide world. It is a feast the changes the human history forever. A feast and a celebration of Jesus Christ at the centre of it.
Christmas is a feast of God´s love for falling humanity and his abundant grace to raise us up. It is a feast of restoration of falling humanity through Christ Jesus.
It is derived from the original Latin text of the entrance antiphon of the today Eucharist celebration: “Gaudete in Domino Semper” which means–“Rejoice in the Lord always.” This changes radically the tone of our Advent celebration and preparation for the Coming our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
There is a concept of “homecoming” or “coming home” with regard to Christmas. It is a homecoming celebration of the Son of God, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ
Advent a moment of grace to be awake while waiting. It is a new season of waiting, preparing and being alert for the coming of the Lord.
The Christian life is all about whatever we do or fail to do to the least of our needy brothers and sisters. Hence. the feast of Christ the King is a renewal of our loyalty to Jesus our Saviour, our Lord and our King.
There is a call for preparedness of the end of time. A moment of accountability for our Christian stewardship. And also a moment of evaluation to what direction our lives have been since the beginning of the liturgical year.
We need the hope of preparedness through the Spirit of God. This is why we need the Wisdom of God that enlightens, illuminates and guides us in life and in death to the salvation in Christ Jesus.
The feast of all Saints is a feast that invites and challenges us to become saints of God. Indeed, the Christian vocation to be saints is the basic and paramount Christian goal. Saints are sinners who strive through perfection or sanctity. Where sanctity is living the ordinary daily lives in extraordinary ways.
Love is all that there is to life and Christian living.Christian religion starts and ends with the love which is the total commitment of life to God. Love is all and not rules or regulations or intellectual discourses.
a good Christian makes a good citizen, one who is faithful to God´s commandments and live responsibly in obedience to constituted authority.
God always calls or invites us to a life of grace, joy and celebration. However, we never respond favourably to God´s invitation to abundant life, grace, mercy and eternal joy.
The Church must remain the noble and productive vineyard of the Lord. If it must relevant in today´s world. Mediocrity has no place in the Church.
To be a Christian implies living out in concrete actions the profession or confession of faith. It is in leading an exemplary life. It is by popular datum, “action speaks louder than the word”.
The abiding and assuring presence of God is all we need to endure the precarious moments of our lives. Hence, today’s readings assure us that our God will be with us throughout our lives. God promises us the continuous presence of the Holy Spirit, who will guide, protect, and strengthen us despite the uncertainties of the end times.
The beauty of life is that we can practice generosity in poverty. That is, we give and share out of the little we have in life. We cannot wait until we have an abundance before we can share it with others. One thing is certain about sharing generously with others out of our limited sources the God of providence never lets us lack anything. He replenished all our giving with abundant blessings, favours and graces.
Nothing brings us greater joy than putting God first, others second, and ourselves. This is the principle of Christian spirituality: God first in all things. The urgent call is to seek God’s kingdom and its righteousness first, and then other things will be added (Mat.6:33).
The Christian life calls to encourage one another at all times. This is the mission entrusted to us by Christ himself. We are challenged to be instruments of God’s healing, teaching reconciling, and leading others back to friendship with God. The best testimony of faith and witness is to uplift others, especially in their weaknesses and failures.
The Mission of Christ and every Christian missionary is the willingness to serve others generously and selflessly. This is the greatest missionary statement of all times: “For the Son of Man has come not to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many. Mark 10:45
The way of discipleship is letting go of self-determination to control things, situations, and persons in our lives to be happy and at peace. Today’s readings challenge us to let go of our sense of self-sufficiency, dependence, security, control, possession of power, wealth, and fame.
The Christian Marriage has its foundation in God! It is God’s divine plan for a man and a woman. It is only pro-creational in collaboration with the divine plan. It is also the propagation, nourishment and sustenance of the human race on earth.
The broken God or the brokenness of God is the holistic redemption of man. Hence, the joy of suffering in the Christian living is total submission to God’s will. The suffering of a Christian is never a curse or punishment from God.