Quantcast
Channel: Uwakwe Reflections: Sunday Homilies, Reflections and lots more
Viewing all 302 articles
Browse latest View live
↧

Reflection/Homily: Fourth (4th) Sunday of Advent Year B (December 21 2014)

December 18, 2014, 10:06 pm
$
0
0


Theme: Saying Yes to the Will of God

Some years ago, during one of my apostolic works in a parish, there was this boy who insulted a senior during the catechism class. I asked the boy to kneel down for insulting an elder and the boy retorted: “Brother, this senior doesn’t deserve respect, even though I am kneeling down in your eyes, in my mind I am still standing up”. The boy proved to me that it was very difficult to bend his will even in a justifiable cause and this goes to confirm what psychologists believe that the human will is the strongest faculty in man to be bent against his desire. There are people who once they make up their minds to do or not to do a particular thing, nothing makes them act otherwise, not even biblical exhortations or counseling. People say that such a person’s will is unchangeable.

In the first reading (2 Sam 7:1-5,8-12,14,16), we see David abandon his will for the will of God. David triumphed over his enemies in battle and when he was settled, he decided to build a temple for God. This will was communicated to the Prophet Nathan who approved it. But God revealed a contrary will to David through the prophet. God’s will for David was not for him to build Him a house but to establish his throne forever. David had to bend his will for God’s will to be done and for His promises to come true in his life.

Click Here to Read more »
↧
Search

Reflection/Homily: Christmas Vigil Mass (24th December 2014)

December 24, 2014, 3:19 pm
$
0
0
Theme: God Reveals Himself

This evening’s liturgy marks the beginning of the Christmas season. It is a season of joy and celebration. But more importantly, it is a period when God the Father reveals Himself in the Son through the power of the Holy Spirit. This season is about God’s revelation of Himself to humanity. Revelation is a form of theophany, that is, God manifesting Himself. In the history of the Israelites, God manifested Himself among several ways as the God who saves. He saved them from slavery in Egypt, saved them through the desert, etc, until they entered the Promised Land. Within this period, God warned them to be faithful to His ordinances or risk being taken into captivity (cf. Deut 28:58,64). When they could no longer observe God’s commandments, they were taken into captivity by the Babylonians. There they suffered and wept. As we heard in the first reading (Isaiah 9:2-4,6-7) God had to reveal His plan to save them through the Prophet Isaiah who announced the Good News that God was coming to save them.
Click Here to Read more »
↧
↧

Reflection/Homily: Solemnity of Mary Mother of God (January 1 2014)

December 31, 2014, 2:57 pm
$
0
0
Theme: The Relevance of Mary’s Motherhood of God

In a particular kingdom, after the death of the king, the crown prince had to choose a wife before his coronation as the next king. He made it open for every young girl in the kingdom to exhibit her qualities and draw his attention. Several young girls started wearing sexy clothes to seduce the Prince but he was not moved.  Some began to wear wonderful hairstyles but the Prince was not moved. Others prepared delicious meals and presented them to the prince but he was not delighted.

Every young girl made an attempt in several ways but the Prince was not moved. It was not because he was very difficult to be pleased but because they did not know exactly what he so desired of a woman more so of a wife. Only one woman had a perfect knowledge of this. This woman was like the rest of women in the kingdom, while some valued her, others despised her. She was very dear to the Prince because of her glaring personality, but no one dared to consult her or win the Prince’s heart through her.
Click Here to Read more »
↧

Reflection/Homily: The Feast of the Baptism of our Lord Year B (January 11 2015)

January 10, 2015, 5:14 am
$
0
0


Reflection/Homily: The Feast of the Baptism of our Lord Year B (January 11 2015)
Theme: The Value of Christian Baptism 

Today’s feast, the Baptism of our Lord was originally one of the three Gospel events marked by the feast of Epiphany. In the Western Church, it was later overshadowed by the visit of the Magi before Pope Pius XII in 1955 instituted it as a separate liturgical commemoration of Christ’s baptism. The Baptism of Christ is a great point of Theophany because in it the great mystery of the Blessed Trinity is made manifest. The Gospel reading (Mathew 3:13-17) confirms the manifestation of the Blessed Trinity at the Baptism of Jesus. God the Father is revealed in the Voice which confirmed the Sonship of Jesus, God the Son is revealed in Jesus who was baptized and God the Holy Spirit is revealed in the Dove which descended on the Son. This manifestation of the Trinity thus becomes the origin and destination of our Christian worship because all our prayers begin and end in the name of the Blessed Trinity.

Click Here to Read more »
↧

Reflection/Homily: Third (3rd) Sunday of Ordinary Time (Year B) January 25 2015

January 30, 2015, 10:06 am
$
0
0

Reflection/Homily: Third (3rd) Sunday of Ordinary Time (Year B) January 25 2015
Theme: Do not Deflate your Tryes

Peter and Robinson were two good business associates. One day they travelled to a distant land to buy some goods. This time they bought more than usual because they wanted to maximize profits. On their way back they remembered their lorry would not pass through the tunnel on the road because of the height of the goods loaded on it. When they got were confused on what to do. They wanted to deflate their tyres so as to reduce the height of the lorry and pass through the lorry when a little boy approached them and said: “it is about to rain and it is better to lose a part than to lose the whole”. They read meaning into this and decided to remove the excess and less profitable goods, lost it to the rain and the lorry was able to pass through the tunnel.

Click Here to Read more »
↧
↧

Reflection/Homily: Fourth (4th) Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year B (February 1 2015)

January 30, 2015, 10:08 am
$
0
0


Reflection/Homily: Fourth (4th) Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B (February 1 2015)
Theme: We too are called to be Prophets

A prophet is one called to communicate the mind of God to the people of God. But who knows the mind of God? While the mind of God is beyond human understanding, God reveals His mind to those He appointed to be prophets that they may communicate same to His people. Every age has need for prophets and throughout the ages, God has never failed to raise up prophets who will condemn evil and encourage righteousness. In the first reading (Deut. 18:15-20) we see God’s promise to the Israelites that He will raise up another prophet like Moses who will lead them. They are to recognize this prophet through the authority and integrity he will exercise in his words and actions. The gospel reading (Mark 1:21-28) presents Christ as the fulfillment of that promise. He appeared as a great prophet who communicated the mind of God to the people. In teaching them about God’s will, the gospel records that “his teaching made a deep impression on them because, unlike the scribes, he taught them with authority”. With this authority, as we saw in the gospel reading, he commanded even unclean spirits and they obeyed him. This confirms Jesus as the ideal prophet.

Click Here to Read more »
↧

Updated: Bishop Vincent Ezeonyia of Aba Diocese is dead

February 8, 2015, 4:21 am
$
0
0


Bishop Vincent Ezeonyia of Aba Diocese is dead

The Catholic Bishop of Aba Diocese, Most Rev. Vincent Valentine Ezeonyia CSSp has passed on. The incident occurred at the wee hours of Sunday February 8 2015. The Bishop who was ill for a short period was said to be receiving sound medical attention in an undisclosed hospital before the unfortunate incident. The Catholic Diocese of Aba is yet to release his funeral program.
↧

Reflection/Homily: Sixth (6th) Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B (February 15 2015).

February 14, 2015, 2:47 am
$
0
0
Reflection/Homily: Sixth (6th) Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B (February 15 2015). 
 Theme: Only the Healing Hands of Jesus can Save us

Today, people do not know much about leprosy because the advancement in human medicine has been able to contain the disease. It is a chronic infectious disease caused by a mycobacterium known as Mycobacterium Leprae and it imposes serious damages on the skin of its carrier. The Ebola Virus Disease gives us a better picture of how dreaded leprosy was in the days of Jesus. A leper would be declared unclean by a priest and he is separated from the community to live in isolation. Only a priest could declare him clean and reintegrate him into the community after healing. The first reading (Lev. 13:1-2, 44-46) gives us a picture of how horrible their situation was.

In the Gospel reading (Mark 1:40-45), we are presented with a leper who is uncomfortable with his situation and desires a positive change. He knew he was unclean but he desired to be unclean and he mustered the courage to approach Jesus for mercy and healing. Jesus being very compassionate to those who approach him requesting for mercy and healing made his clean and whole again and he went home praising God. Like the leper, today, we are individually and collectively afflicted by several forms of diseases which have separated us from others. Some of us are suffering from diseases of the body such as terminal and chronic illnesses and diseases of the mind such as traumas, psychological disorders, emotional imbalances,  just to mention but a few. Several nations have their own diseases like terrorism, (especially the boko haram insurgence in Nigeria and the terror of the Islamic State in the West), electoral tension and violence, war, corruption, strange epidemics like the bird flu, ebola, etc. In the midst of these problems, who do we run to for healing?
Click Here to Read more »
↧
Search

Another Iroko has fallen: Fr Ernest Munachi Ezeogu is Dead.

February 14, 2015, 2:59 am
$
0
0
Another Iroko has fallen: Goodnight Fr Ernest Munachi Ezeogu 

 By Uwakwe Chibuike MFC

Whoever loves African Theology must have known him and admired his deep theological insights in praise of Africa. For him, Christianity is Africa's greatest contribution to humanity because Christianity itself is an African heritage since Jesus Christ the founder of Christianity was biologically an African. He went beyond all doubts to prove that Jesus was by birth an African having been born naturally by the Blessed Virgin Mary who was an African from Egypt. According to this great Biblical scholar renowned for his expertise in New Testament Exegesis and research on the historical Jesus, by adoption, Jesus was a Jew since Joseph who was Jewish wasn't responsible for Mary's pregnancy. Thus, to proclaim Jesus 'Son of David' is an act of faith, while recognising him as 'Son of Africa' is a biological fact. His theological works speak volume of his biblical and theological expertise that enjoys a blend of African cultural affinity. 

Popularly known as Fr Munachi, this seasoned preacher of God's Word is known to be the oldest cleric to own an online resource for Sunday homilies. His website www.munachi.com boasts of over 18,000 email subscribers since it's inception in 1997 when access to the Internet was an exclusive reserve for a privileged few. His homilies inspired and motivated most of us to begin similar projects.
He was a formator at the Spiritan School of Theology Attakwu, Enugu where he taught Sacred Scripture, which he studied for twelve years in Rome, Jerusalem and Toronto. The Nwangele LGA-born Holy Ghost Father delivered the 2009 Odenigbo lecture series titled Jesu Onye Afrika: Ozioma Maka uwa Nile” (Jesus the African: Good News for the Whole World) where he defended his thesis on the African origin of Jesus.

Dear mentor, I will greatly miss you. I was looking forward to meeting you in Enugu in October as you requested. I never knew my brief chat with you in Sept 2014 at the Obiri Odenigbo in Owerri would be our last. That day, you encouraged me to always leave a legacy wherever I am and that my weekly reflections would be a great legacy. Thanks for the inspirations you gave me. Thanks for touching the lives of thousands spiritually through your online homilies. My heart still bleeds because of your death. Who would continue your Sunday homilies? Definitely, nobody would fit into that big shoe. You wrote with a blend of detailed expertise and simplicity. As a seminarian, I have always dreamt of writing like you. You made God's unchanging Word ever relevant for man's changing world. Your homilies are always new each time they are read. Your expertise on Pauline Theology which you exhibited in your homilies on the epistle was superb. O death why now? I wish your site could remain running for years. Your dream of building a bigger website has failed. How I wish I had access to your hosting, I would definitely keep the website running at my own cost. Fr. I am yet to accept this sad news. Mana jee nke oma (Safe journey). The world would definitely miss you. May God rest your soul until we meet at the beatific vision. 
↧
↧

Catholic Bishop Orders removal of Blessed Sacrament from Churches/Chapels.

February 14, 2015, 3:03 am
$
0
0
Following the desecration of the Blessed Sacrament in over ten Parishes, the French bishop of Bekkay-Ars, Friday February 13, has ordered that the Blessed Sacrament be removed from the tabernacles of all parish churches/chapels and kept in a more secured private place.

According to the prelate, the Blessed Sacrament may be returned to tabernacles temporarily for adoration if a sufficient number of faithful are present. The “only exception” to the decree is in the case of a “well-secured” metallic tabernacle with a resistant lock.

Hmmm. The Church is facing another danger. Last time some hoodlums went into a Church in Orlu Diocese and poured the Sacred Species on the floor and went their way. Are people openly fighting Christ through his Church?  They will definitely lose o. Tell them if you know them and please be on  the guard in your area.
↧

Reflection/Homily: Ash Wednesday (February 18 2015)

February 17, 2015, 2:04 pm
$
0
0
            It was not long ago that it was announced in a parish that the diocesan bishop would be coming to the parish on a pastoral visit. This great event of the bishop’s visit once in four years due to the large size of the diocese was marked with a great preparation. There were renovations within the Church premises, decorations, clean ups, etc just to prepare for the great event of the bishop’s visit. This is an indication that most often, important and remarkable things do not just happen without serious preparations. For an ordination and profession to take place there must have been a period of formation, for graduation, a period of scholarly involvements, serious academic struggles and scholarship, for marriage, a period of courtship and even for Christmas, a period of advent.

            Therefore, the Church as the Vehicle of Salvation has also deemed it wise to prepare Her members for the re-enactment of the Sacred Mysteries of the Death and Resurrection of Our Lord. That is why today being “Ash Wednesday”, we are launched into this great season of preparation we all regard as the Lenten season or period. 
Click Here to Read more »
↧

Reflection/Homily: First (1st) Sunday of Lent Year B (February 22 2015)

February 20, 2015, 11:02 am
$
0
0


Reflection/Homily: First (1st) Sunday of Lent Year B (February 22 2015)
Theme: Repent and Believe in the Gospel

A covenant ordinarily speaking could mean a binding agreement between two or more people, equal or unequal. When one ponders on the covenant God established with man, we wonder why the All Powerful God had to go into an agreement with mortal men who solely depend on Him? Likening our relationship with God to our relationship with our possessions (like our pets), do we need to make an agreement with our dogs not to sell them off when they are sick? We need not go into agreements with them before taking actions for or against them. But despite the great inequality between God and man, God had to go into agreements with man just to convince us of how much He loves and values us. In the first reading (Gn 9:8-15), we see one of such unmerited agreements God had with humanity through Noah. Before then, humanity rebelled against God and He had to wipe them away leaving only the righteous Noah, his family and a few animals. After that, God promised never to wipe away humanity with the flood again. This covenant He made with Noah, He signed with the rainbow in the cloud. 

Click Here to Read more »
↧

Bishop Vincent Ezeonyia for Burial on February 27

February 20, 2015, 11:21 am
$
0
0
Most Rev. Vincent Valentine Egwuchukwu Ezeonyia, CSSp who died on Sunday February 6, 2015 at the age of 73 will be buried on February 27, 2015 at the Christ the King Cathedral Aba.

Burial Arrangements

Thursday February 26, 2015 at 5 pm, there will be a Vigil Mass at Christ the King Cathedral Aba

Friday February 27, 2015 at 6 am, body leaves Our Lady of Mercy Mortuary, Umulogho, Obowo Imo State, at 7 am, lying in state at Christ the King Cathedral Aba, at 8 am, Office of the dead at Christ the King Cathedral Aba, at 10.30 am, Funeral Mass at Christ the King Cathedral Aba. Interment follows immediately after the Mass.

There will be a requiem Mass for him at St. Dominic Catholic Church Uke, Anambra State on Saturday March 14 2015. His Month's mind will take place at Holy Ghost Novitiate, Awo-Omamma, Imo State on Friday, March 20 2015.

Adapted from the Burial Arrangements signed by Rev. Fr. Godfrey Ukonu, Director of Communications, Catholic Diocese of Aba.
↧
↧

Reflection/Homily: Second (2nd) Sunday of Lent (March 1 2015)

February 24, 2015, 1:24 am
$
0
0


Reflection/Homily: Second (2nd) Sunday of Lent (March 1 2015)
Theme:  At the Mountain-Top Faith  gives way to Vision 

            As a little boy, when I first heard the passage read in the first reading, the first question that was raised in my mind was whether God could tempt one to sin since Abraham would have been guilty of murder if he had sacrificed Isaac. I later grew up to understand this passage better bearing in mind the distinction between temptation and test. The transliterated Hebrew “nacah” is rendered in English as “to test or tempt”. Its transliterated Greek equivalent “peirasmos” also means “test or tempt”. The words “test and tempt” though similar are not exactly the same, the former is positive while the latter is negative. For this reason, exegetes recommend we look into the context to differentiate between the two meanings, bearing in mind that God only tests while Satan tempts. The goal of God’s tests is for us to prove our faith but the devil tempts to destroy our faith. St. James stresses this distinction when he says “consider it a great joy when tests of many kinds come upon you, for you well know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance… (1 v.2-3) and “… God does not tempt anyone to sin” (1 v.13).
Click Here to Read more »
↧

Reflection/Homily: Third (3rd) Sunday of Lent Year B (March 8 2015)

March 7, 2015, 9:46 am
$
0
0
Reflection/Homily: Third (3rd) Sunday of Lent Year B (March 8 2015)
Theme: God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom

Taylor Sauer, 18, was an intelligent high school graduate who met her untimely death on Jan. 12 2012 when she ran into a truck while messaging a facebook friend as she drove. It was later discovered that Taylor posted on facebook every 90 seconds while driving. After her burial, her parents Clay and Shauna Sauer became lobbyist in their home state Idaho (U.S) urging the state legislature to pass a law banning texting or facebooking while driving. The father said “I think every state should have the texting ban law, it might not make changes right now, but for the young generations, it will be an educational tool, just like the seat belt law”.

From the background of this story, we see a law (like the law banning texting/facebooking while driving) not as anything evil but as a necessary good to prevent a potential evil. This means that law-givers do not give or make laws for punishment or to deprive people of comfort but to ensure people’s safety and general well-being. This is how we have to understand the divine laws/commandments given to us in the first reading (Ex. 20:1-7). These laws were given by God to Moses at Mt. Sinai for the observance of all Israelites and by extension, all people of God. The commandments should not be seen as punishments but as guides that will help us live a fulfilled life in our relationship with God and our neighbours. If there had been a law prohibiting facebooking while driving, Taylor might not have been so unfortunate if she was conscious of the law. Therefore, the commandments prove God’s love for us and they make us always conscious of the good we ought to do and the evil we ought to avoid. The Ten Commandments are all important and none should be considered more important than the other, but for today’s reflection, let us examine the 6thand 9th commandments.
Click Here to Read more »
↧
Search

Reflection/Homily: Fourth (4th) Sunday of Lent Year B (March 15 2015)

March 13, 2015, 2:15 pm
$
0
0


Reflection/Homily: Fourth (4th) Sunday of Lent Year B (March 15 2015)
Theme: God’s Immeasurable Love for Humanity
Today’s readings challenge us to reflect on God’s immeasurable love for humanity and its implications for us. In the first reading (2 Chr. 36:14-16, 19-23), the Israelites with their political and religious leaders all rebelled against God and defiled God’s dwelling place. Out of love for them, God constantly sent messengers to direct and teach them but their messages were treated with scorn. God did not abandon them but He kept on watching them as they neglected His Love and wallowed in sin. Being vulnerable for being outside of God’s love, they were attacked and taken into captivity by the Babylonians. When they suffered and learnt their lessons, God had to intervene because of the love He had for them by raising up a king who will proclaim their liberty, offer them treasures and help them rebuild the Temple as we see in Ezra chapter 1.
The second reading (Eph 2:4-10), also confirms this love of God not just for the Israelites alone but for all of us. It says that because of God’s love for us, He was generous to us with His mercy, to the extent that even when we were spiritually dead because of our sins, He had to look for us and gave us life. In our sinfulness, we run far away from God and brand ourselves enemies of God but in God’s love, He finds us wherever we go, brings us nearer to Himself and brands us His friends, not by merit but by virtue of His mercy built on grace. Thus, a reflection on the love of God is a reflection on the mercy of God which brings about a salvation built on the platform of grace. That is why the reading also exhorts us never to claim to be worthy of God’s salvation since it is a privilege gained through grace and not on merit. But this grace has to be activated to bear fruits through faith.
Click Here to Read more »
↧

A Short Stations of the Cross

March 13, 2015, 2:19 pm
$
0
0
1st Station: Jesus is condemned to death – O my Jesus, you were condemned for my sake and most often I still condemn you through the evil I do, help me with your grace never to condemn you again and when people condemn me or rain all sorts of abuses on me just because of you, help me to stand firm.
2nd Station: Jesus carries his cross – My dying Jesus, I understand the weight of the cross to be the weight of my sins, help me to carry my own cross patiently following your example.
3rd Station: Jesus falls the first time – My most beloved Jesus, by virtue of your first fall help me to overcome the sins of the flesh which make me fall away from your grace.
Click Here to Read more »
↧
↧

“My Time at the Vatican may be Short” – Pope Francis

March 13, 2015, 3:01 pm
$
0
0
In an interview Pope Francis granted to the Mexican broadcaster Televisa on the second anniversary of his unexpected election, Pope Francis said his time as the head of the Roman Catholic Church will be brief. Pope Francis said he misses the relative anonymity he had as a bishop. As NPR's Sylvia Poggioli reports, "He also said he doesn't mind being pope, but would like to go out in Rome unrecognized, for a pizza." Pope Francis said, “I have a sensation that my pontificate will be short: four or five years, or two or three.” "'I feel the Lord, the pope added, “has placed me here for a short time.” Pope Francis also praised his predecessor's decision to resign as courageous. Pope Benedict's decision, the pope said, opened the door to popes emeritus. Pope Francis also focused on one of his favorite themes, denouncing what he called the injustice of wealth, saying it's a mortal sin to give someone an unjust salary or for the rich to take advantage of the poor.

Later in the day, Pope Francis announced a special jubilee year starting in December to focus the Church on its main priority: mercy. Remembering the week that he was named pope, Francis said he had packed only a small suitcase for his trip to the Vatican, and he had already written a homily to deliver on Palm Sunday, after returning to Argentina. "He was not on any list of eligible candidates and neither had the thought entered his mind," according to the Vatican News agency. " Discussing the idea that he would only remain pope for a short while, Francis said, "It is a somewhat vague sensation. Maybe it's like the psychology of the gambler who convinces himself he will lose so he won't be disappointed, and if he wins, is happy. I do not know."

↧

Pope Francis declares a Holy Year for Mercy

March 13, 2015, 3:36 pm
$
0
0

During his homily for a Lenten penitential service, Pope Francis announced an extraordinary Jubilee to start at the end of the year, which will be dedicated to a theme close to the pontiff’s heart: mercy.“Dear brothers and sisters, I have thought about how the Church can make clear its mission of being a witness of mercy,” the Pope told attendees of his March 13 penitential liturgy in St. Peter’s Basilica. “It's a journey that starts with a spiritual conversion. For this reason I have decided to declare an Extraordinary Jubilee that has the mercy of God at its center. It will be a Holy Year of Mercy.”The biblical passage for the Holy Year's theme is from Luke Chapter 6 verse 36, in which Jesus tells his disciples, “Be merciful as your Father is merciful.” “I am convinced that the whole Church will be able to find in this Jubilee the joy of rediscovering and making fruitful the mercy of God, with which we are all called to give consolation to every man and every woman of our time,” Francis said, and entrusted the Holy Year to Mary, Mother of Mercy. Pope Francis made his announcement during a penitential liturgy opening the second “24 Hours for the Lord” event, which he originally called for in Lent of last year.
Click Here to Read more »
↧

Reflection/Homily: Fifth (5th) Sunday of Lent Year B (March 22 2015)

March 21, 2015, 2:43 pm
$
0
0


Reflection/Homily: Fifth (5th) Sunday of Lent Year B (March 22 2015)
Theme: The Christian Cross as a Gateway to Heaven
In life, most times we desire good things but sometimes, we are unable to pass through crucibles in other to get them. For example, many students dream of graduating with first class honours but only a few are really burning extra candles. Some of us forget that hard work is a necessary condition for a great achievement. In the gospel reading (John 12:20-33), Jesus reiterates this principle that nothing good comes easy. He uses the analogy of the sown wheat to demonstrate that to redeem man, he must die and for us to gain eternal life, we must also die just as a sown wheat must die in the ground before it yields a rich harvest. The problem is that most of us are reluctant to work hard. This reluctance is found in our physical and spiritual lives. Sometimes, we want this or that from God but we can’t kneel in prayer to get them. We want to go to heaven but we can’t do good and avoid evil. We want to be exceptionally spiritually gifted but we can’t work hard to develop these spiritual gifts, etc.
Click Here to Read more »
↧
Viewing all 302 articles
Browse latest View live
Search
<script src="https://jsc.adskeeper.com/r/s/rssing.com.1596347.js" async> </script>