The Triumph of Grace

Feast of St Mary Magdalene, The “APOSTLE OF THE APOSTLES”

When sin becomes public it is called a scandal. The ears of the public are magnetic to scandals, and those ‘caught in the act’ are not spared but ridiculed. Today we celebrate with high honor a woman in the bible who was known as a ‘public sinner.’ Mary Magdalene was introduced as follower of Jesus from whom seven demons was cast out (Lk 8:1-3; Mk 16:9). Among the group of women that followed and supported Jesus, Mary Magdalene was first mentioned. This shows that she occupied a prominent role among those women! Again, her name was mentioned among the women that witnessed the crucifixion from a distance (Mk 15:40; Mt 27:55-56; Lk 23:49; Jn 19:25). Mary Magdalene was there when Joseph of Arimathea buried the body of Jesus (Mk 15:47; Mt 27:61).

The evangelists testify that Mary Magdalene saw the empty tomb and encountered the risen lord (Mk 16:1-8; Mt 28:1-10; LK 24:1-12; Jn 20:1-10). Her courage and love for Jesus was at its peak at the resurrection experience. Jesus sent to go and inform the disciples that he had risen. By standing as a witness, and delivering to them the good news of the resurrection, Mary Magdalene is called, ‘Apostle to the apostles.’

Mary Magdalene is often associated with the unnamed sinful woman in Lk 7:36-50, who anointed the feet of Jesus at the Pharisee’s house. And it was presumed that the sinful woman was a former prostitute, who could be likened to the woman caught in adultery in Jn 8:1-11. She was also likened to Mary of Bethany, the sister of Martha and Lazarus. This notion and tradition gained wide spread acceptance through a narrative of Pope Gregory I (Gregory the Great) in 591. Hence, Mary Magdalene came to be associated more with the woman that was saved from prostitution than the woman that was delivered of seven demons. In 2016 Pope Francis raised the level of liturgical memory on July 22 from memorial to feast, and for her to be referred as the "Apostle of the apostles".

In her we see how the grace of God can transform us. The opportunity to new life we have in Christ Jesus is immeasurable. This gracious opportunity for growth, transformation and salvation, is available and accessible to us if we can consistently and courageously love Jesus like St Mary Magdalene. Yes, Mary Magdalene is patron of contemplative life, converts, glove makers, hairdressers, penitent sinners, people ridiculed for their piety, perfumeries, pharmacists, sexual temptation, tanners, women.

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church,
Tedi-Muwo, Ojo, Lagos.
Thursday July 22, 2021.
Feast of St Mary Magdalene.
www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com
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FOOD FOR THE JOURNEY

  FOOD FOR THE JOURNEY

Meditation for Wednesday of the 16th Week in Ordinary Time, Year B

(Ex 16:1-5, 9-15; Mt 13:1-9)

We meditate today on the hunger that provoked the whole congregation of the people of Israel as matched through the desert. They quickly realized that freedom comes at a cost! And the responsibility their freedom match brought was overwhelming. The unfavorable desert
weather outside, and the hunger and thirst within, made them to complain bitterly such that they wished they remained in Egypt. God heard their cry and fed them with mana.

The mana became a prefiguration of the real spiritual food that God prepared for His children as they continue to journey to eternal salvation. From the Gospel of today, we meditate how the word of God is rained down on us like the Sower's seed, sown with utmost generosity and a living hope of harvest. The seed of the word had hard times producing its fruits, but the good soils produced each according their capacity.

‘The Word became flesh’, and came like a pilgrim among us! And Jesus gave us His flesh in the form of bread and wine. He became the ‘living Mana’, which journeys with us along the desert roads of this life, and ushers us into His eternal home. If the word of God is alive and active in us, we shall live out our full potential and bear fruit for eternal life. Amen.

 

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church,
Tedi-Muwo, Lagos.
www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com

www.soundofsilence.ng

 

ONE FAMILY IN CHRIST

                                 Meditation for Tuesday of the 16^th Week in Ordinary Time, Year B
                                                            (Ex 14:21-15:1; Mt 12:46-50)

Family ties are usually strongest in our minds. From there grows tribal or racial sentiments, which secretly but powerfully influences us. The waters of baptism do not wash away the imprint of these blood ties, but it is expected that faith should build on those ties, widening its horizon and taking the outreach to a deeper and more influential level than the believer’s natural blood ties.

As Jesus was preaching, the man in the crowd, recognizing the importance of family bond, interrupted him by informing him that his mother and his brethren were outside looking for him. It was expected that he would stop to attend to them, but Jesus answered, “Here is my mother and my brethren! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother, and sister, and mother.” Doing the will of God, i.e. allowing the word of God we heard through Jesus Christ to germinate and bear fruit in us, makes us ‘one family’ with Jesus. The grace of God is able to bind us in ties that are more enduring and widespread than the blood ties. The life we share in the Blood of Jesus transforms us into the image of Jesus, such that while we exist in our family blood line, we truly live and operate with the life we share in Christ Jesus.

But many Christians are still locked up in the small circle of family and familiar tongue and culture! We often restrict our charities and allegiance to human blood line. This is worse when it comes to marriage. Like the Israelites that crossed the red sea, we need to be delivered from this land of slavery of living only for those in our bloodline. But it will take the grace of God, the mighty hand of God to break this yoke, just as he divided the sea and the people passed through. In the same way, the word of God abiding in us can pull us through, so that we can enjoy the beauty and freedom of sharing life-bonds with all who do the will of God.

 

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church,
Tedi-Muwo, Ojo, Lagos.
Tuesday July 20^th, 2021.
www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com
www.soundofsilence.ng 

The Grace to face Oppositions

To what extent can friends and enemies oppose our progress?

July 4, 2021

The Grace to face Oppositions

Meditation on the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B

(Ezekiel 2:2-5; 2 Cor 12:7-10; Mk 6:1-6)

Friends and foe; lovers and haters, these seem to be the two faces of people we meet on our life journey. To what extent can these two impact on us? In the first reading, the prophet Ezekiel was sent to a rebellious people, a people that would oppose him and persecute him. Despite that, God told him to go on and carry out his prophetic mission. “And whether they hear or refuse to hear (for they are a rebellious house) they will know that there has been a prophet among them.”

The opposition took different turn in the second reading, where St Paul complained about a thorn in his flesh! He experienced the opposition from within him, i.e he became his own ‘enemy’ and felt the ‘stubbornness’ arising from within him, in his own flesh! Where could he hide from his own self? We can feel his misery as he called out to God to deliver him, but the Lord answered him, “My grace is enough for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” So St Paul learnt humility; never to boast of his power or achievement, except the power of Christ. With this grace, no more shall one be afraid or surrender to weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities; the grace of God is stronger than them all. One can still succeed in every aspect of his life despite the ‘thorns in his flesh’, only if he cooperates with the grace of God, which is always available and sufficient.

Surprisingly, the Gospel narrates another source of opposition that is equally dangerous. Jesus could not fulfil his mission among his loved ones. The people that claim to be his very own, who came to him as his loved ones and close relations. The familiarity became dishonour and an obstacle to faith! Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honour except in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.” He was shocked at the depth of their unbelief.

It is obvious, therefore, that the ENEMY that tries to stop our progress and success in life can come from the people or things we hate, our very selves, and the people or things we love! The opposition coming from loved ones is more difficult to detect and to endure (Ps 55:12-14). And the opposition coming from within us can only be overcome by the grace of God. Our openness to grace flies us above all obstacles and oppositions. Amen.

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R

Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church,

Tedi-Muwo, Ojo, Lagos.

Sunday July 4th, 2021.

www.soundofsilence.ng

www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com