WHY DO WE FAST?

Reflection for Friday after Ash Wednesday
(Is 58:1-9; Mt 9:14-15)
On this first Friday of Lent, the readings address the issue of fasting. There is a deeper understanding about fasting in the teachings of Jesus than in the Old law. The Prophet Isiah introduces fasting as a means of appeasing God for transgressions. He condemned mere external show, which does not reflect in righteous deeds. “Is not this the fast that I  choose: to loose the bonds of the wickedness...to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry...”

Thus even in the Old Law fasting has a positive connotation. It is not mere ‘punishment’ for the body, but a ‘hunger’ for righteousness. God accepts such fasting that leads to a change of heart for goodness. It means, therefore, that in choosing the objects of our fast, we must choose to deny ourselves those things that pull us out of grace and make us selfish. “Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer, you shall cry, and He will say, Here I am.”

Furthermore, this question of fasting is brought to Jesus. As if wearied, burdened and trapped in their own fasting, the disciples of John the Baptist approached Jesus, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” This hypocritical attitude is common. When someone fasting begins to notice those who are not, distraction has set in. And it makes fasting burdensome and scary! Jesus’ explanation and introduction to the new order of fasting is liberating and enriching.

“Can the wedding guest mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come, when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.” Thus, fasting is ‘timed’, and for the exaltation of the ‘Bridegroom’, whose “taken away” announces the time of fasting. In other words, the ‘wedding guests’, Christ’ faithful, in full communion with Him, have achieved the ultimate purpose of fasting, for Christ Jesus is their Righteousness. But the ‘time’ of fasting awakens when we long for this fullness of grace and communion with Jesus. Thus, we fast because we long for Jesus; our fasting is our expression for our hunger for Jesus. Whatever that is the object of our fasting is such that must increase our desire for Jesus.

It is joyfully and fulfilling to thirst for Him who thirsts for us!

Fr Jude Chinwe Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
National Shrine of Our Mother of Perpetual Help,
Ugwogo-Nike, Enugu.
Friday March 8th, 2019.

The ‘Crossroad’ of Decision-making

Reflection for Thursday after Ash Wednesday
(Deut 30:15-20; Lk 9:22-25)

In this season of Lent, we are being summoned to make the right choice for our salvation. Lent is a time of decision-making—to choose God and choose life. “I call upon heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that I have set before you life and death...” our Lenten observances train us to have the right disposition to choose life, and enter into our eternal inheritance. The promise and blessings of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob await those who make the right choice in life.

Nevertheless, the ultimate victory over life and death is set before us in the Cross of Christ. “Jesus said to His disciples, ‘The Son of Man must suffer many things...and be killed, and on the third day be raised.’” In the Cross of Jesus is the ‘crossroad’ of decision-making. Our choices are judged right or wrong to the extent they draw life from the Cross. If we reject the Cross in an attempt to save our lives, we will lose it. But, “if anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me...Whoever loses his life for my sake, he will save it.” Lent gives us the ‘platform’ to accept the Cross of Jesus through our daily crosses. There lies a life-saving choice, enriched with heavenly blessings.

Therefore, we freely and joyfully impose upon ourselves acts of penance! This becomes a ‘training ground’ where we acquire the necessary spiritual strength, and the proper disposition, to carry our daily crosses to Jesus. Thus, we learn humility and patience, which enables us to allow Jesus to lead the way, no matter the weight of the burden upon us.

Thanks be to God, the Lenten summon to choose has already been made for us: God the Father has chosen us in Christ Jesus before the foundation of the world, and destined us for every spiritual blessings in the heavenly places (cf. Eph 1:3-6). Blessing that even surpasses that of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, but is now made available through the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Fr Jude Chinwe Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
Mater Domini Community,
Enugu.
Thursday March 7th, 2019.

Now is the Favourable Time

Reflection for Ash Wednesday 2019
(Joel 2:12-18; 2Cor 5:20-6:2; Mt 6:1-6,16-18)
‘“Even now,’ says the Lord, ‘return to me with all your heart...’”(Joel 2:12). The first and second readings both say the time to repent is 'now': “Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2Cor 6:2).

The annual Lenten journey comes anew each year. The fragrance of lent, like the sacrificial smoke of incense, spreads and penetrates the Church with ever new ardour. Lent is new; it occurs now! ‘Now is the favourable time.’ Though it is stretched across 40 days, we take each day as it unfolds. Our past days are renewed in this ‘now’ of Lent, and our future receive boost and direction from this favourable moment.

Traditionally, all our Lenten observances are grouped under prayer, fasting and almsgiving, but how do we approach these in order to receive the mercy and favour announced by the Prophet Joel and Apostle Paul?

Jesus says we must practice them in secret! That means our prayer, fasting and almsgiving should be offered without the interference of the ego; without the pleasure of momentary reward or recognition. Also there should be no comparison or competition here. The fragrance of our Lenten observances belong only to God; “...and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”

In the secret place of our hearts—in truth and silence of heart—we joyfully make our Lenten journeys. It is only when we offer our prayer, fasting and almsgiving from the secret room of our hearts can we swim in the “now” of salvation—the moment of God's favour—without anticipation for a long future,  or depression from a dry past. Thus, to perform our Lenten observances in ‘secret’ removes tension from the ‘now', the present moment of each day of lent. This will enable us to freely and joyfully participate, enriched with grace and favour, with a renewed heart and mind.

God bless you.
Fr Jude Chinwe Nwachukwu,  C.Ss.R
Mater Domini Community,
Alulu-Nike, Enugu.
Ash Wednesday March 6th, 2019.

THE STOREHOUSE OF GOODNESS

Reflection for 8th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C
(Sirach 27:4-7; 1Cor 15:54-58; Lk 6:39-45)
The real battle is in who takes control of the human mind. “When the sieve is shaken, the refuse remains; so a man's filth remains in his thoughts”(Si 27:4). The first reading goes ahead to show that the secret thoughts of a person manifest through his words. “...So the expression of a thought discloses the cultivation of a man's mind. Do not praise a man before you hear him speak, for this is the test of men”(Si 27:6).

Speech is easy, but it is not easy to ‘cultivate’ the mind. Most people are more in a hurry to speak than to take time to cultivate their minds. Speech from an enlightened mind is wisdom, which uplifts the speaker and direct the audience aright. Funny enough, the quest to lead others seems more appealing than the process of formation of a person's mind. One who pays much attention to ‘cultivate’ his mind, to acquire knowledge and good conscience, will not be obsessed with leadership. This is because such a one enjoys authority within himself. But when people are in a hurry to offer advice, correct, criticize or lead, they often end up as blind guides!

So Jesus asked, “Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not fall into a pit?” (Lk 6:39). Surely, they will. It is hypocritical for one to neglect his blindness or the log on his eyes while extending guidance to others. Sin has blindfolded us. We can no more see God. This was the predicament of Adam and Eve after they disobeyed. Our vision of life is blurred; the future is far removed and we cannot envision our salvation. Being conscious of our short-sightedness is the first step forward. Like the Pharisees, if we do not admit and work on our ‘blind spots’, we end up as blind guides (cf. Jn 9:40-41). “Lord that I may see”(Mk 10:51).

“We want to see Jesus” (Jn 12:21). He is the True Guide. “In your light we see light” (Ps 36:9). We need Jesus to open our minds, lead us aright, and we follow Him as the Way. Any guide that is not of Christ Jesus will lead us to the pit of hell. “Though the Light has come into the world, people prefer darkness to the light because their deeds were evil” (Jn 3:19). We need to allow the light of Christ to penetrate our innermost being, to enlighten our understanding, and thus, guide our words and actions (cf. Eph 1:18). “For no good tree bears bad fruit...for each tree is known by its fruits”(Lk 6:43-44). Our minds are the storehouse of good and evil. “For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks”(Lk 6:45). If the storehouse of our heart and mind are guarded by Jesus Christ, then we will have enough vision for ourselves and for others too.

Therefore, Christ Jesus is the ‘Cultivation’ of our mind! He is the ‘Life' of every living conscience. He is the ‘Living Sieve' that removes filth from our minds. The battle for the control of the human mind has been won! “Death is swallowed up in victory...O Death where is your sting?”(1Cor 15:55). No more shall we allow ‘blind guards' to short-change the eternal vision we have in Christ Jesus. “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1Cor 15:57). Thus we must remain steadfast in faith, and abound in good works.

Fr Jude Chinwe Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
Mater Domini Community,
Alulu-Nike,
Enugu,
Nigeria.
Sunday March 3rd, 2019.

The Covent Bow

Reflection for Thursday of the 6th Week in Ordinary Time
(Gen 9:1-13; Mk 8:27-33)
After the flood, God continued to open new frontiers of relationship with man through Noah. In the flood, God rained down His anger on man for his increasing wickedness. But the flood did not recreate man or wash off his inclination to evil. As ‘prince' of all creation, the punishment on man affected all other creation consequently. Yesterday we saw how God tried to untie this tight bond such that man's punishment or blessings would not automatically affect other creation. The ark of Noah became a sort of Garden of Eden from which man received a new mandate that would define his relationship with God.

Once more, God imparts His blessings and authority on man—The man of the Ark! “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.” God expressed certain disparity between God and other creatures. Again, He opened for man the frontiers of freedom; man could freely use any living creature as food. But God re-enforced the borders of man's freedom. “Only you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is , its blood.” This new frontier of relationship was sealed with a covenant, in which God promised never again to destroy the earth by the flood. He set a bow in the cloud as a sign of this covenant...

The work restoring creation completely back to God must be accomplished. This would require an everlasting covenant, with its perfect sign lifted up. “And Jesus began to teach them that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.” The Cross of Christ, therefore, is the perfect bow lifted up that assures that God has saved His people. The Blood of Jesus Christ now defines the borders of our freedom. A new frontier of relationship with God has indeed been opened for us in Christ Jesus. 

Fr Jude Chinwe Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
Mater Domini Community,
Alulu-Nike, Enugu.
Thurday 21st February, 2019.

Seeing the Uniqueness in Creation

Reflection for Wednesday of 6th Week in Ordinary Time Year
(Gen 8:6-13,20-22; Mk 8:22-26).
“At the end of 40 years Noah opened the window of the ark...” He gradually confirmed the end of the flood. He built an altar and offered burnt offerings to God. This sacrifice was pleasing to God. Seeing that man's heart is inclined to evil, which might attract more severe consequences for the entire creation, God, who had blessed and punished creation through man, now decided to change that pattern. “I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the imagination of man's heart is evil...” Irrespective of man, creation can now retain its beauty and order.

“Do you see anything”, Jesus asked the blind man. The man's eyes opened gradually. Which points to our growth in grace. First, he confused men with trees. “I see men; but they look like trees, walking.” Jesus impacted more healing grace upon him and he saw everything clearly and distinctly.

After the flood, God made this separation. But we need to see through Christ Jesus so as to perceive the unique beauty, and appreciate the value and goodness of every creation without confusing men with things. There is a growing ‘levelling’ in the value we attach to relationships, job, property, leisure, etc. We need Jesus to open our eyes that we might see clearly and distinctly!

Fr Jude Chinwe Nwachukwu,  C.Ss.R
Wednesday 20th February, 2019.

Washing off Evil

Reflection for Tuesday of the 6th week in Ordinary Time
(Gen 6:5-8;7:1-5,10; No 8:14-21)
“The Lord saw that wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of His heart was only evil continually.” The little seed of evil sown, grows progressively. But God is never silent in the face of evil. “It grieved Him to His heart.” So He decided to was creation clean through the waters of the flood! One man, Noah, was found worthy to be the father of the renewed creation. “And after seven days the waters of the flood came upon the earth.”

Similarly, the one, Jesus is leading us on a Passover journey to the new creation. He cautions us, “ Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” Hypocrisy has no place in the new life in Christ Jesus. Evil can no more continue to grow...God's grief for the sin of man pierced His heart on the Cross. Now we are washed in the water and blood from the side of Jesus. We walk with Jesus to console His heart and ensure that evil does not continue to grow.

Fr Jude Chinwe Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
Tuesday 19th February,  2019.