Meditation on the Solemnity of Christ the Universal King

 Meditation on the Solemnity of Christ the Universal King

(Ezekiel 34:11-17; 1 Cor 15:20-26,28; Mt 25:31-46)

Today we celebrate with great solemnity and exaltation that Jesus Christ is the Universal King. He is King and Lord of Heaven and Earth. He is sovereign over life and death. Here on Earth, He leads with utmost humility as the Good Shepherd, who lays down His life for His sheep. Rising from the dead, He became “The first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.” Thus, the Kingship of Jesus is an eternal sovereignty.

The Gospel of today gives us idea into the nature of His Kingship and how we ought to respond. On the last day, Jesus would sit on His glorious throne as the Just Judge, separating the righteous from the unrighteous. The criteria for welcoming people into the Heavenly Kingdom depend on the acts of charity they performed on earth. “Come, O blessed of my Father...for I was hungry and you gave me food...” The formula is simple: the glorious King identified those who identified Him in the midst of “the least of these my brethren.” Human weakness and suffering have become a stepping stone to salvation!

The hungry, the thirsty, the naked, etc are all around us. Thus, the glorious King has made it possible for all to have the opportunity to enter into His Kingdom. He identified Himself with the suffering humanity; He suffers with the sick, the hungry, the thirsty, etc. Just as the sheep hears the voice of the shepherd, Christ’s faithful recognize Him in human sufferings. It is from this humble state that His mighty power shines out. His power is made visible in weakness (2 Cor 12:9). If giving Christ food in the hungry can earn one a place in Heaven, how much more the hungry man himself in whom Christ dwells? He becomes a ‘sacramental’ of grace. Hence, human suffering and lowliness have become a kind of 'ruling sceptre' with which Jesus uplifts fallen humanity and shepherds us to eternal life.

Since every authority and power are subject to Jesus, we must learn from Him in our little exercise of authority. Government policies would uplift a nation if they are primarily targeted at the lowly in the populace. Our exercise of authority should strengthen people in their weakness. A good leader recognizes the hunger, thirst, nakedness, imprisonment, etc in his subjects and leads them to satisfaction. Jesus the Universal King, the First Born of all creation, the First Fruit from the dead, the Lord of Heaven and Earth, has given us access to His Kingdom as we attend to the least of our brethren. Amen.

 

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church,
Tedi-Muwo, Lagos.
Sunday November 22^nd, 2020.
Solemnity of Christ the King.
www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com

THE WISDOM THAT SAVES

 Reflection for 32^nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A
(Wis 6:12-16; 1Thes 4:13-18; Mt 25:1-13)

It is embarrassing to see matured and educated people act foolishly. Man is rational being, but at times, the animal side of us gets hold of us. Wisdom is acquired, and must be nurtured for it to last. It is often described as a LIGHT, which is found by those who seek her. It is a gift given to those ready to receive it. While wisdom guides our daily life, it carries us to eternal life. The second reading gives insight into death and afterlife as a way of gaining wisdom of heart. The Gospel narrates the parable of the wise and foolish virgins.

The parable reveals the kind of discretion we need in order to make Heaven. Let us meditate on some of the imageries in the story.

1.    TEN VIRGINS: Virginity is a distinguishing character, which symbolizes purity. Here are those who were found worthy to meet the Lord. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Mt 5:8). They all were given equal opportunity to meet the Bridegroom.

2.     LAMPS & OIL:  Lamps shine light in the dark. Obviously, the journey was in the night. The light from the lamps would come against the darkness of the night. This is how the Children of God live in the dark world and must overcome it. The oil is what keeps the light of the lamp glowing. The light would burn as long as the oil is in it. The ability to use discretion and provide constant oil for the lamp till an undisclosed time separated the wise from the foolish. This oil could be our works of charity, prayers, etc that keep our light shining in the midst of an unrighteous world.

3.     THE BRIDEGROOM: He is the reason for the waiting; He delayed in the eyes of the virgins, but He came at His own right time! He expected the Elects to be ready when He comes and have their lights lit. His ‘delayed time’ was a merciful time for the Virgins to apply wisdom, and get themselves ready for a time they did not know.

It is quite obvious, therefore, that the wise virgins were those who live by faith. In faith, the ‘delayed time’ of the Bridegroom becomes the ‘hour of mercy’ and a gracious time. The wise virgins were already living out their hope of meeting the Bridegroom! They were not waiting in fear and pain, but in confidence and joy. In other words, wisdom appropriates and brings to our daily life the joy and graciousness of meeting the Bridegroom (Titus 2:13). True wisdom is never selfish; wisdom cannot be according to worldly standards (cf. Prov 26:12, 1Cor 3:18).

Bearing in mind death and our meeting with the Lord Jesus can make one wise. Thus, St Paul explains in the second reading how the dead and the living shall meet the Lord. Jesus who died and is alive, becomes the meeting point and passage way from death to life. Therefore, the wise ones, called to meet the Lord, make Jesus the centre of their lives. They plan ahead for the Lord; their store of oil never runs dry as their lamps keep shining even in the darkness of this world. Whoever is ready for the Lord, is ready to face life. He will never be overtaken or taken by surprise. He overcomes all things through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church,
Tedi-Muwo, Lagos.
Sunday November 8^th, 2020.
www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com

 

THE JOY OF CONTENTMENT

 Reflection for Saturday of the 31^st Week in Ordinary Time, Year A

(Phil 4: 10-19; Lk 16:9-15)

We thank God for the weeklong journey with St Paul’s letter to the Philippians. Today, St Paul talks about a deep spiritual joy, which is learned over time. It is called CONTENTMENT. “For I have learned, in whatever state I am, to be content. I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound; in any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and want. I can do all things in him who strengthens me.” Contentment as a spiritual joy, is practiced severally before one acquires it as a disposition towards material things. Like St Paul, a contented person maintains a stable disposition of gratitude, both in plenty and in want. This is so because his desires are redeemed and find their solace only in Christ Jesus. Desire for Christ sanctifies our will.

The joy of contentment is seen in the joy of generosity. It is only a contented person that gives out what is his with joy and without any hidden attachment. Since he draws strength from Christ Jesus, the contented man acquires inner stability and joy both in want and in plenty. Charity and submission to the will of God are means of growing in the spiritual joy of contentment. “Not that I seek the gift; but I seek the fruit which increases to your credit.”

Just as the act of charity grows from little things to greater ones, so also is the habit of contentment. Human desire is insatiable. Very often, our loyalty lies where our desires are inclined. Through contentment, we surrender our whole desires to God so that our loyalty remains with Him. “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other...You cannot serve God and money.” To be contented is not to live marginally, but to live fully in the strength of Christ over and above all circumstances. Such a one is unstoppable and lacks nothing, since he is CONTENTED already both in plenty and in want. “And my God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Amen.

 

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church,
Tedi-Muwo, Lagos.
Saturday November 7^th, 2020.
www.nwachinw.blogspot.com

 

FRIENDS OF THE CROSS

Reflection for Friday of the 31^st Week in Ordinary Time, Year A

(Phil 3:17-4:1; Lk 16:1-8)

Often times, people take for granted things they did not work for or suffer for. The value we attach to things seems to be proportional to the commitment or the suffering it costs us. That is why the Cross of Christ is our ultimate source of value since ‘we are crucified with Christ’ and every favour comes to us as the fruit of the Cross! In today’s reading from Paul’s letter to the Philippians, we are warned against THE ENEMIES OF THE CROSS OF CHRIST. Yes, St Paul raised alarm about certain believers who oppose the Cross. This is how he described them: “Their end is destruction, their god is the belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.”

“The road that leads to destruction is wide and spacious, and many take it” (Mt 7:13). The spirituality of the Cross fills us with patience, such that, while we await the glorious revelations of Jesus, we equally learn endurance over the works of our hands. Secondly, it fills us with hope since we have received an assurance ‘that He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will raise up our mortal bodies.’ So our patience and endurance in all things is alive with hope! This cannot be without the Cross of Christ. Thus as lovers of the Cross of Christ, we dedicate and subject everything to Jesus Christ, who in turn has subjected all things to Himself through His Cross and Resurrection. “When I am lifted up, I shall draw all men to myself” (Jn 12:32).

The enemies of the Cross; those who run away from every difficulty, will end up as losers like the dishonest servant in the parable of today. He discovered through his shame that hard work is the key to success! This servant tried to apply wisdom in a dishonest way to win favour for himself. The Cross of Christ is the wisdom with which the Children of God unlock favours and earn eternal life at the end. Think about the difficulties you meet each day, and view them through the Cross of Christ, and begin to accept them as your own participation in the offering of Jesus. Then, your joy and crown will shine out and endure, Amen.

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church,
Tedi-Muwo, Lagos.
Friday November 6^th, 2020.
www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com

 

 

 

SURPASSING JOY AND SELF-WORTH

Reflection for Thursday of the 31^st Week in Ordinary Time, Year A
(Phil 3:3-8; Lk 15:1-10)

There is certain level of self-worth we feel when we make some life achievements, both morally and physically. To the extent that we take pleasure in these ‘breakthroughs’, they can boost our self-confidence. St Paul used himself as an example and recounted the great achievements he had made, and how he would have been recognized as a great observer of the Law. However, on receiving Jesus into his life, Paul wrote, “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.”

Now, is the knowledge of Christ Jesus you have today strong enough to hold your self-worth and self-confidence? Think about the things that you take pleasure in, and the things through which you express yourself and find relevance. Is your faith in Christ Jesus among them? In other words, does your relationship with Jesus give you self-confidence and self-relevance? If yes, the joy of such encounter is heavenly!

Think about the heavenly joy over one repentant sinner in the parable of the lost sheep, or the joy of the woman who found her lost coin. Imagine the surpassing joy the Shepherd had over the one lost sheep. What sort of joy the woman had over the one coin she found, such that it appears she spent the other coins to throw a party to celebrate the one she found! This is a sign of the kind of overwhelming joy that Heaven projects towards each of us. Receiving Jesus as St Paul did will become for each of us an encounter with the surpassing value God has placed on each of His Children.

There is joy in knowing Christ Jesus; the surpassing great worth and joy floods our hearts at every knowledge of Christ we gain each day, and it gives us the highest self-esteem and confidence. That is why we must strive each day to deepen our knowledge of Christ Jesus through meditation and study. Then, our joy and self-worth will stand secure, and the loss of anything below cannot knock us off balance, Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen!

 

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church,
Tedi-Muwo, Lagos.
Thursday November 5^th, 2020.
www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com

TO WORK WITHOUT GRUMBLING

Reflection for Wednesday of the 31st Week in Ordinary Time, Year A

(Phil 2:12-18; Lk 14:25-33)

It is very easy for us to complain and grumble when things do not go the way we want or when we meet difficulties. Our labours, “in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation” can go unappreciated and with little rewards. We readily have reasons to grumble and complain. But St Paul draws our attention to a deep spiritual reality, which will pull us away from nagging and frustration.

He says we should do everything at all times in obedience to God, working out our salvation “with fear and trembling” because GOD IS AT WORK IN YOU. Imagine being conscious as you go about your daily routine that God is still working in you? And He will continue to work till you reach perfection, “fully mature with the fullness of Christ Himself” (Eph 4:13). This becomes our motivation in carrying out our duties, even in the midst of a crooked society and dishonest people, is from God. In our work, with all its stress and joys, we silently echo the words of Jesus, “My Father still goes on working and I am at work too.” In other words, what inspires us to work without grumbling or complaining is because GOD is still working in us. This spiritual reality makes us shine as light in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation.

In the Gospel of today,  Jesus explains to the crowd following Him that only those who can renounce all that they have can truly be His disciples. A disciple of Jesus must take proper account of what he will leave behind in order to follow Him. Today, we are asked to shift attention to God as He continues to work in us. Here we leave behind the will of others and our own will, which often are not perfect, and we become conscious that we work to please God. Thus, God's good pleasure becomes the pleasure of our work. This is the spiritual joy with which we endure all things and carry out difficult tasks without grumbling or complaining, Through Christ Our Lord,  Amen.

Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R 

Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church, 

Tedi-Muwo,  Lagos. 

Wednesday  November 4th, 2020.

Memorial of St Charles Borromeo

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EXALTATION OF THE HUMBLE

Exaltation of the Humble

Reflection for Tuesday of the 31st Week in Ordinary Time, Year A

(Phil 2:5-11; Lk 14:15-24)

Paul's letter to the Philippians shall guide our meditation in this first Week of the month. Today, Paul recounts the humility of Jesus Christ as an example for all to follow. Jesus “emptied” Himself, taking the form of a servant, and became obedient unto death, even death on a Cross. “Therefore, God has highly exalted Him...that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow...and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” 

The Gospel of today narrates the disappointing story of how those invited to the banquet turned down the invitation. They held tight their personal engagements such that they could not surrender in obedience to the invitation of the Master. This behaviour angered the Master, who sent his servants to invite the lowly to the banquet. 

Being able to empty oneself in humility is a sign of self-mastery! When we are so rigid and unbending to the Will of God, it is a sign that we have been “taken over” by certain influences or engagements. But if we follow the example of Jesus as St Paul proposed, then we shall be exalted in Christ Jesus to the glory of God the Father. This is how we grow in inner peace and self-knowledge. Unless we humble ourselves in total surrender to the will of God, we will continue to diminish ourselves in different external entanglements. Let the living example of Jesus Christ be our exaltation today, Amen.

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R

Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church, 

Tedi-Muwo, Lagos.

Tuesday November 3rd, 2020.

St Martin De Porres.

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SHARING IN THE GLORY OF THE SAINTS

Solemnity of All Saints

(Rev 7:2-4, 9-14; 1Jn 3:1-3; Mt 5:1-12)

1.0. The Vision of the Saints 

Today we celebrate the Saints in Heaven. This celebration fills us with hope that our pilgrimage on earth has a blissful end in God. “In my Father's house there are many rooms” (Jn 14:2). Our eyes are turned heavenwards as we remember our brothers and sisters who already share in eternal life in God's Kingdom. The first reading narrates the vision of the great multitude of the Saints from every part of the world, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes with Palm branches in their hands while proclaiming the salvation of God. The Saints are those, “who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” 

The eternal life of the Saints is more than a mere vision; it is God's promise, an expression of His love for us. The immeasurable love of God for us shines out in the reality of the Saints. This is what the second reading explains. So, while in this earthly life, we live with the hope of sharing in the glory of the Saints. This automatically puts us at odds with the world and its standards, which neglects God and His promises. Therefore, the children of God must wrestle through great tribulations in order to be revealed and crowned with the glory of the Saints. 

2.0. “For theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven”

The way to sainthood is open to all peoples in every aspects of their lives or the situations they might find themselves. Jesus gives the BEATITUDES as the new way of living that inclines one to Heaven and draws to him heavenly graces. They reveal that God's “blessedness” is readily available and awaits us if we approach life with the right spiritual disposition. The promises of God's Blessedness to our earthly life is a foretaste of the glory of the Saints,  which we shall receive at the end.

The way of life revealed in the Beatitudes is completely in opposition to wordily standards. This leaves us with the freedom to choose how to model our lives. By choosing to live according to the standard revealed in the Beatitudes, we have chosen to share in the glory of the Saints. And its Blessedness will begin to manifest itself in us today. Amen.

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R 

Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church, 

Tedi-Muwo,  Lagos. 

Sunday November 1st, 2020.

Solemnity of All Saints.

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