THE SILENT LOUD CRY

Meditation for Friday after Ash Wednesday
(Is 58:1-9; Mt 9:14-15)

In our meditation today, we see a beautiful link between fasting, almsgiving and prayer as given in the first reading. The prophet Isaiah describes fasting as a way to make our voices heard on high. It becomes a ‘silent loud cry’ offered up to God through self-denial. Thus, fasting is invocative. It is expected that God will quickly respond to such a humbled contrite heart. The prophet laments that there are actions that act as soundproof against the ‘loud cry’ of fasting. Such actions that can work against our fasting include seeking pleasure, injustice, quarrelling.

 

According to prophet Isaiah, fasting becomes empty if it does not incline us to righteousness. The Lord says, “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?” This shows that the authenticity of our fasting lies in its capacity to incline us to be prompt to charity.

 

Once our fasting has disposed us to charity, the prophet says, “Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you, the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.” Now, the ‘silent loud cry’ has become prayer answered; “Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and He will say, Here I am.” That is why fasting enlightens our hearts and brightens our countenance. It is only the hypocrites who look pale and draw pity by their fasting.

 

In this Lenten season, we see how fasting, almsgiving and prayer are connected. The internal strength generated through fasting inclines us to charity, which attracts answers to our prayers. In our fasting this season, we offer to God the ‘silent loud cry’ of our urgent need for divine intervention in our lives and society. And as we practice almsgiving, our cry is heard; God wipes away our tears. Amen.

 

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R

Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church,

Tedi-Muwo, Ojo, Lagos.

Friday February 24, 2023.

www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com

THE CROSS AND THE COMMANDMENTS

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

Self-preservation is the greatest instinct in man. Every other choice we make is presumed to respect our innate desire for survival. In the first reading, Moses said to the people, “See, I have set before you this day life and good, death and evil.” He urged them to obey God’s commandments as the way to choose life and multiply. To disobey the commandments will lead to evil and death. Thus, the two options of life and death have practically one singular response: the commandments. It is either we are obeying the commandments or disobeying the commandments. Thus, by that act with which we keep the commandments, we choose life and avoid death. And by that act with which we disobey the commandments, we choose death and lose life.

 

In gospel, Jesus still talked about the two options of life and death, but He presented the cross the solution. As Moses prescribed obedience to the commandments as the way to have life and multiply, Jesus offered us the cross as the source of life. He said, “If a man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake, he will save it.” The choice for the cross becomes our choice for Jesus, in whom we are saved.

 

The hidden instinct for self-preservation in man has been called out of its selfish domain, purified through the commandments and satisfied in Christ Jesus. The life promised through the commandments is now flowing like a fountain in Jesus Christ. On the cross, He opened this wellspring of life for us, which is the end-purpose of the law. So, as we identify and carry our cross daily, we conquer evil, and fullness of life in Jesus Christ. That is why as we deny ourselves this Lenten season, our will is strengthened to take up our cross. Through our Lenten observances, our instinct for self-preservation now translates into love for the cross of Jesus. By following Jesus so intimately, we satisfy the law, and have abundance of life. Amen.

 

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R

Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church,

Tedi-Muwo, Ojo, Lagos.

Thursday February 23, 2023.

www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com

 

THE TIMING OF THE SEASON OF LENT

Meditation for Ash Wednesday, 2023
(Joel 2:12-18; 2 Cor 5:20-6:2; Mt 6:1-6, 16-18)

The season of lent often comes as a package that is never anticipated but, all the same, it is warmly received. Unlike Advent and Christmas seasons, we usually do not look forward to lent. However, the silence and solemnity that becloud the season envelops our hearts, and we step into it with great determination. Thus, we do not go to meet Lent, rather, Lent comes to meet us! It is a unique and outstanding liturgical season in the Church, endowed with a highly formative spirituality that is hinged on the call for prayer, fasting and almsgiving.

The timing of the season of lent is timely! It is described as a ‘veritable time’, a ‘time of favor.’ The message and observances that are clustered in lent are not exclusive to the season. This is where some non-Catholics mistakenly think that Catholics observe fasting only during lent. At lent, we practice the observances, not just as individuals, but as the Body of Christ, the Church. Here, obedience goes ahead of our sacrifices. At this time, the Church leads, we learn and follow at the same time. Just as time is a continuum, and the liturgical seasons are not exclusive to each other, so also the observances of the 40 days of lent energize us onwards. The season of lent is ever timely for it comes to renew our commitment to the core values of our Christian life by redirecting our gaze to the cross of Christ.  

 

“But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast” (Mt 9:15). Think about such emptiness when Jesus, the Bridegroom, is not present. Sometimes our choices and actions make our hearts, homes, church and society unconducive for Jesus to settle in. Our fasting, prayer and almsgiving become practical expressions of our inner yearning for salvation in Christ Jesus. Meditate on how much Jesus wants to be part of our lives, families, and communities. Thus, it is timely that we should set aside this time of lent to deny ourselves of empty desires, repent of our waywardness, and align our heart desires with Jesus’ thirst for us from the cross. The eternal desire of Jesus for our salvation makes every Lenten season timely.

 

Oh! What a beautiful time lent is? It is a time of fasting and abstinence that satisfies the heart. Lent is colored with silence and solemnity, yet it drums joy and peace to the heart. As we kick off this season with ashes on our foreheads, the 40 days appear to be stretched forward, but at Easter, we appreciate every bit of the journey. Think about the beauty of a penitent Church, wrapped in contrition, and kneeling with Mary at the foot of the cross. There is no better time to make amends than now. “Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” Amen.

 

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R

Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church,

Tedi-Muwo, Ojo, Lagos,

Wednesday February 22, 2023

www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com

THE WAY OF HOLINESS AND PERFECTION

 Meditation for the Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

(Lev 19:1-2, 17-18; 1 Cor 3:16-23; Mt 5:38-48)

The Lord said to the congregation of the sons of Israel, “You shall be holy; for I the Lord your God am holy.” The readings of today echo the call to holiness, at a time like this, when sin has eaten deep into every fabric of our society. The voice of Jesus resounds anew, “You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” The call to holiness and perfection may not be popular among believers today, but the freshness and strength of the message cannot be denied.

 

The call to holiness and perfection takes Christian morality to a realm that can only be sustained by faith in Jesus Christ. As we embark on this journey to holiness, we begin to realize our mandate as ‘Image of God’ and live out the grace we have as those redeemed by Jesus Christ. Since God has shared life with us in Christ Jesus, and bestowed upon us the riches of his glory, the way to holiness and perfection is now accessible and available. In the Old Testament, holiness was measured by keeping the commandments. But in the New Testament, holiness is measured by following Jesus and living out His righteousness.

 

Often times, we tend to shy away when we hear Jesus say, “If any one strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also…” It appears humanly impossible to do so. But God had already prepared us in Christ Jesus to follow Him on that path. In the second reading, St. Paul asks, “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? Our steps to holiness and perfection must begin with this conscious realization that the Holy Spirit has made His home in our hearts, and we recognize Him as the hidden wisdom that directs our thoughts and actions. That means we are expected to give out a spiritual response, even to what is done to us physically.

 

As temples of God, acting from the hidden wisdom of the Holy Spirit, the responses we give will shock the world, “For the wisdom of this world is folly with God.” The spiritual response we give becomes for us an expression of the life of Christ. For we live no longer for ourselves, but for Him who died and rose from the death (2 Cor 5:15). The cross of Christ is the ultimate temple of God, where the perfect sacrifice was offered. Hence, we bear this identity of Jesus, and carry around in our bodies the temple of the cross so that the life of Jesus may be revealed in our bodies (2 Cor 4:10).

 

Meditate on how the Holy Spirit overshadows the heart that welcomes Him, leaving no room for violence, revenge, and enmity. He leads us on the pathway of peace, love and reconciliation. This is how we can ‘turn the other cheek’, ‘go two miles with the oppressor’, ‘love and pray for our enemies.’ This is not to demonstrate our resilient capability. But it is the spiritual response we give, “So that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.” This is how we manifest the life of Christ, and walk on pathway of holiness and perfection. Amen.

 

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R

Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church,

Tedi-Muwo, Ojo, Lagos.

Sunday February 19^th, 2023.

www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com

 

THE TOWER TO THE HEAVENS

 Meditation for Friday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time
(Gen 11:1-9; Mk 8:34-9:1)

It is commonly said that language carries the thought system of a people. The common language of the people on earth means they were able to communicate freely with one another. This unity of thought and language would have been a veritable force to ‘conquer the earth, to be fruitful and multiply’ as God directed. Instead, they said to themselves, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves…” Was this part of God’s mandate to man? With one language, the people of earth at that time formed uniformity among themselves, and pride ruled their hearts. In uniformity, their lives were ruled by a unilateral idea as they placed one brick upon another, positioning themselves in competition with no other than God Himself.

If they continued channeling their energies, ideas and resources in this unilateral tower of pride, how can man conquer the earth, increase and multiply over the earth? Obviously, God knew that it is by variety in unity that man can be creative, inventive, develop and conquer the earth. Thus, God created variety out the language of the people. “So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city.”

 

Imagine how the tower of Babel stood tall as the tower of pride, for through it man by himself tried to erect himself up to the heavens. However, it is God alone who can make such a connection possible. This is what Jesus came to do for us. And He lifted up the cross as the true tower that we can climb on to get to the heavens. The cross gathers us in humility, and unites us in our diversity. The language of the cross is understood by believers in every corner of the earth. Hence, Jesus said, “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”

 

With the ‘tower of the cross’, we shall never be misguided; our time, energy and resources shall be properly applied so as to fulfill God’s injunctions. If we do not speak the language of the cross, we will be pursuing vainglory. Then, uniformity will replace true unity that respects individual differences, and man will be heading to self-destruction. Jesus asked, “For what does it profit a man, to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? For what can a man give in return for his life? Jesus the mediator, is the perfect link between heaven and earth. And He has invited us to Himself through the cross. “In hoc signo vinces” (In this sign thou shalt conquer). Amen.

 

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R

Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church,

Tedi-Muwo, Ojo, Lagos.

Friday February 17^th, 2023.

www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com

 

THE COVENANT BOW

 Meditation for Thursday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time
(Gen 9:1-13; Mk 8:27-33)

“God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.” The Lord put every creature on his care, and commanded that man should take care of his brother. “Of every man’s brother I will require the life of man. Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for God made man in His own image.” Then He said to Noah, “Be fruitful and multiply, bring forth abundantly on the earth and multiply it.” The Lord established a covenant with Noah and his descendants, sayings, “That never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” The Lord set a bow in the cloud as a sign of the covenant between God and the earth.

Let us meditate on the new relationship God established with Noah and his descendants. Now Noah became the father of the new generation of man, washed clean through the waters. God renewed in him the command He gave the first man after creation. In the Covenant with Noah, God would sustain the new generation of man thus formed. In other words, the survival of Noah’s generation and their escape from destruction would hinge on the covenant, never on the strength of their personal righteousness. That means the new generation of man, washed clean of evil and corruption, are to be identified as people of the covenant.

 

As we pause in silence, and gaze on the beauty of God’s covenant with Noah, we see Jesus, in whom is the perfect covenant for the new generation of man, washed clean through the waters of regeneration. The cross of Jesus, lifted up, becomes the perfect ‘bow in the sky’ that guarantees our survival and escape from destruction. Above all, in Him the perfect new generation of man is born. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Cor 5:17). And the newness is gives is ever new.

 

In the gospel, the identity of Jesus was revealed as Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.” Immediately Jesus began to introduce them to His cross, saying, “The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected...” We see at once how the cross is part of identity of the Christ. Just as the bow in the sky was important for the covenant that defined the new generation of man through Noah, so also the Cross is the banner that defines the new life we have in Christ Jesus. What was prefigured through Noah, has been perfected in Jesus Christ, in whom God and man is reconciled, and through whom man is given dominion over the earth, and care for his brothers and sisters. Amen.

 

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R

Saints Peter and Paul, Catholic Church,

Tedi-Muwo, Ojo, Lagos.

Thursday February 16^th, 2023.

www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com

 

LONGING FOR THE NEW LIFE

Meditation for Wednesday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time

(Gen 8:6-13,20-22; Mk 8:22-26)

Let us meditate on Noah’s anticipation to see the end of the flood. Though he was safe inside the Ark, he was still eager to step out once the flood ended. He sent forth birds to confirm if the water had dried up four times. Obviously, his heart went with the birds each time he sent them out. His anticipation to see the end of the flood was not an expression of doubt in God’s promise to save him from the waters. It was a yearning to step into the new life, washed clean through the waters. In this way, the Ark became a sort of ‘enclosure of hope’, which conveyed him safely to the new life, washed clean of evil and wickedness. Then, Noah offered burnt offerings in thanksgiving. God accepted his offering and promised never to destroy the earth again.

 

The anticipation of Noah and his eager longing is the kind of hope we have in Christ Jesus for the new life He offers.  “But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay” (Rm 8:20-21). Think about the blind man of Bethsaida, how Jesus led him from the ‘flood of blindness’ and landed him safely in the ‘dry land of clear sight.’ His age-long desire to see received ‘the assurance of hope’ in the divine touch of Jesus. The divine presence of Jesus in our lives, in our every situation, gives us that assurance of hope that purifies our anticipations, removes doubt, and strengthens them as unshakable eagerness to step into the new life of grace in Christ Jesus.

 

Think about the joy of the man that received his sight. His joy rises gracefully like the burnt offering of Noah. This joy is already captured in our Eucharistic celebration. Therefore, though we are still longing and anticipating through our prayers, the Eucharist gives us the opportunity to participate in the joy of the new life of grace in Christ Jesus. Amen.

 

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R

Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church,

Tedi-Muwo, Ojo, Lagos.

Wednesday February 15^th, 2023.

www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com