A DANCE OF SILENCE

Life arise from you like edifice

And collapse therein unspoken

Words burst from silence

That the message might not be broken

From you no secret is missed

For you are the revealer of wisdom

Saints befriend mystery in silence

You healer of heart so burden

But why dread my soul, Oh Silence

For like a judge in a courtroom

You sentence my heart to truth and patience

That no one escapes save the doomed

So I join the dance of silence

To roll my life from the noisy doom

For the heart of dance and the dance of heart is silence

Your dance is joy and wisdom

Fr Jude Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R

Mother of Perpetual Help Shrine

Ugwogo-Nike, Enugu, Nigeria.

September 20, 2016.

The Astute Believer

(Reflection for the 25^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C. Amos 8:4-7; 1Tim 2:1-8; Lk 16:1-13)

The prophet Amos warns against injustice to the poor. Those who place all their values only on wealth and profit cannot but be unjust to the poor. The good news is that God identifies with the poor and takes this injustice upon Himself, “The Lord has sworn by the pride of Jacob: ‘surely I will never forget any of their deeds’” (Amos 8:7). In other words, those who help the poor are actually making friends with God.

Jesus elaborates this need of winning friends for the Kingdom with the parable of the astute servant. The young man was wise enough to make friends for future security with the wealth placed in his charge. Though he was dishonest in his dealings, he was smart to get some sort of insurance for the future when he might be in need. Such prudence is required of children of light.

Hence Jesus tells us, “Make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous mammon, so that when it fails, they may receive you into the eternal habitations” (Lk 16:9). Such friendship with God secures eternal future, and is a sign of wisdom. Unlike the servant, the children of light must be honest and faithful in their dealings. But following the smartness of the servant, we must use our rightful wealth to favour others, and help the poor. In this way we become friends with Heaven. Thus, acquiring wealth cannot be the end or simply to satisfy the pleasure of having. This would amount to love or devotion to money. It is God alone we serve!

“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will he devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon” (Lk 16:13). By being just and fair in our dealings, we show that we are trustworthy for eternal wealth. And by helping those in need with our wealth, heaven becomes our real personal treasure, kept secure even with multitude of friends praying for us.

Hence St Paul recommends prayer for all men, especially those who are highly placed. Prayer is the friendly gesture we offer to help all men to be saved. “That is good, and it is acceptable in the sight of God our saviour, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1Tim 2:3-4). In prayer our hearts rise above material wealth as we draw heavenly blessings. In this way, we equally acquire holy desire for others, and avoid being manipulative in our affairs. In fact, Paul presents prayer as a sort of wealth with which we can use to help all men in their need. “I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands...” (1Tim 2:8).

Fr Jude Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R

Our Mother of Perpetual Help Shrine,

Ugwogo-Nike, Enugu, Nigeria.

September 18, 2016.

God's Mercy awaits us

(Reflection for 24^th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C Ez 32:7-11, 13-14; 1Tim 1:12-17; Lk 15:1-32)

  

In line with this year of Mercy, the readings of today reveal the surpassing greatness and the foundational nature of God’s mercy. Ironically, this great mercy is revealed to us through man’s great recklessness in sin. The newly delivered people of Israel quickly turned to idols, and God’s anger was roused. Sin operates with a certain “quick appeal” and an underlying sense of impatience. But Moses came to their rescue. He mediated and God’s mercy became the final word. The mercy of God awaits us.

Jesus, the new Moses, reveals to us the depth of God’s mercy. With the parable of the lost coin, the lost sheep and the prodigal Son, Jesus shows how the mercy of God triumphs over sin, and turns it’s sadness into rejoicing. The prodigal son falls in line because he was equally lost but found. The task of recovering that which was lost is the “work of salvation.” What is lost by sin can only be recovered through the work of salvation, which Jesus achieved on the Cross. That was why the saints described sin as a crucifying of Jesus.

Seated with the Tax Collectors and sinners, Jesus becomes a concrete manifestation of that mercy of God which shines out through human weakness and fallings. This dialogical representation is elongated in the sacrament of Reconciliation, where God’s mercy is available and readily accessible. The joy of the woman who found her coin, the joy of the shepherd who found his sheep, and the joy of the father who got his son back, together with the joy of the Angels over a sinner who repents, are shared and communicated to the penitent who receives the Sacrament of Confession. Oh! What a tremendous reality of God’s mercy we have!

In other words, sin sucks this joy away. An unhappy man may readily blame others for his mood. But beyond what can be seen or said, may be a lurking sin hiding at a corner of his heart. Such was the mood of the prodigal son. After travelling far and wide, and trying all sorts of “enjoyment”, he came back to his senses; he entered into the depth of the silence of his heart. And he quickly discovered that it was neither his father nor his elder brother that caused his sad situation. However, searching through his conscience was not enough. Man cannot save himself. A drowning man cannot put his hand on his head and rescue himself. He must get help outside of himself. The young man tried to rescue himself by reaching out to his fellow man for salvation, “But no one gave him anything” (Lk 15:16).

Then he realized his father was a merciful and generous man: “How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare” (Lk 15:17). He decided to reach out to his father’s mercy: “I will arise and go to my father and I will say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired servants” (LK 15:18-19). This appeal for mercy represents the diagraphical structure of sin: vertical and horizontal; against God and man. This is equally the sign of the Cross, on which sin is crushed and mercy revealed!

The mercy of the father was foundational; It prepared a home for him. In other words, we can say that the return of the prodigal son evolved from the mercy of the father, which inspired it and awaited him. His journey back home began at that moment he realized there was room for him in his father’s heart. Love is the tree, mercy the fruit!

Upon his arrival, we are scandalized at the surpassing mercy of the father. The joy of the father subsumed the wretchedness of his young man. The disappointing story of the prodigal son disappears into the joyful story of a merciful father, who won his son back. We see beside the man his repented son receiving the unmerited embrace and kiss, wearing the unmerited best robe, ring, shoes. Above all, we see him devouring the meat of the fatted calf he never worked for. His hunger is quenched; his sadness has turned into joy. But it is an unmerited joy.  He makes merry because his father is happy. He has no joy of his own. He tried to create his own initially but lost it all. Now, his only happiness is the one he shares from his father. The joy of the father is poured out into the son.

The faithful son, who was on the side of the father, should add to the joy shared by the prodigal son. He should increase the reason for the joy resounding in the family. So the elder son must not view his good works in comparison with the sinful acts of the younger brother. This would lead to anger and frustration. And, of course, it could bring about a sense of slavery, where the free man thinks he is salving! He works from the side of his merciful father...

Therefore, St Paul enjoins us in the second reading to display God’s mercy given to us through faith and love in Jesus Christ. We have become apostles of mercy as we mark this Jubilee year of mercy. Our good works and perseverance in God must give an example, and constitute reason for others to repent, embrace the Sacrament of Reconciliation and share in the joy of the Lord, the joy of angels. The mercy of God awaits us!

Fr Jude Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R

Our Mother of Perpetual Help Shrine,

Enugu, Nigeria.

September 11, 2016.

THE WISDOM OF DISCIPLESHIP

(Reflection for 23^rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C. Wisdom 9:13-18, Philemon 9-10, 12-17,

Lk 14: 25-33)

What man can learn the counsel of God? This is the opening question of today’s first reading. The body weighs down the soul, so it’s difficult to pierce through mysteries or get wisdom by our own power. However, wisdom trickles down from on high. It is the action of the Holy Spirit. “And thus the paths of those on earth were set right...” Therefore, the wise follow the dictates of the Holy Spirit as the wise men followed the star! Disposition for human knowledge comes with the same orientation with which we incline our mind and heart to the contemplation of spiritual things. The human mind must be opened to the Holy Spirit so that it can transform human knowledge to wisdom—the Wisdom of God that has taken flesh in Jesus Christ. 

In the Second reading, Paul displays such wisdom that is not just flesh and blood. He intercedes for Onesimus to his master, Philemon. Paul sacrifices his own need for the servant boy by sending him back to his master. He asks Philemon to make the following sacrifices: forgive the young man and take him back; renounce his mastership over Onesimus and take him back as a brother. “So if you consider me your partner, receive him as you would receive me.” Philemon would have to make a very tough decision, informed by his faith in Christ Jesus. To be a disciple of Jesus is a radical choice!

Hence Jesus turned and addressed the multitude that accompanied him. He is not interested in “crowd following” but He came to make disciples. Jesus places the radical choice of discipleship above the natural and strong attachment to father, mother, brother, sister, wife, children, even to one’s own life! This sounds surprising, but no more.

This is so when we realize that Jesus himself has gone ahead of us. He did not cling to His equality with God, but emptied himself for us (Cf. Phil 2:6-8). He gave his own life to win us as his disciples, his close friends. Therefore, our response must be paralleled. We too must value Him above all else. But this depends on the extend we allow ourselves to be touched by His love. In other words, we have been bought by His laying down His life in exchange for us out of His love. “You are not your own property, then; you have been bought at a price” (1Cor 6:20).  “You have been bought at a price; do not be slaves now to any human being” (1Cor 7:22-23). Therefore, the detachment from family, self and property for the sake of discipleship come in the form of an exchange.

The love of Jesus fills and satisfies our deepest yearnings. He touches us from within, and is even deeper in touch with our real self than we are to ourselves. If God is thus close, He knows us more than we know ourselves. He knows our needs and gives us good things. The Spirit of God pierces the hidden secrets of our lives. That means, God is more to us whatever father, mother, brother, sister, wife, children, property, or we are to ourselves. And we must recognize His love as surpassing. If not, we cannot be His disciple.   

Jesus watches over us and provides for us a father, shows us mercy like a mother, journeys with us like brother, sister, wife, and we possess Him like a treasure! The transaction is done. Whenever we fill the need for any human attachment or love, we offer it to Jesus first and trust that only Him can satisfy that need. In turn we receive our human ties and possessions as gifts from God. “And everyone who has left houses, brothers, sisters, father, mother, children or land for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times as much, and also inherit eternal life” (Mt 19:29). This is the radical choice of discipleship—the ultimate exchange! What is received is greater than what is offered. We sow sparingly and reap abundance of harvest in Christ Jesus. This too is the wisdom of discipleship, which cannot be gotten by flesh and blood.

“Who, then, is that wise and faithful servant...?” (Mt 24:45). He takes counsel, examines the cost and finds out if he is capable. “Otherwise, when he laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to mock him” (Lk 14:29). The uncompleted building becomes a landmark of shame and disgrace, and a solid evidence of lack of wisdom. Such foolishness can lead to death as in the case of the defeated king (Lk 14:31-32). Today, Jesus reveals to us the wisdom of discipleship.

So, like a man undertaking a building project and like a king matching out in battle, we follow Jesus as His disciples. The edifice of discipleship is built by carrying our crosses daily and detaching ourselves from all earthly ties, and attaching ourselves totally to Jesus. This requires an enormous grace. But the grace is always available; “My grace is enough for you”. Like Jesus at the Garden of Gethsemane, we enter into deep prayer to take stock of our strength, and to receive help when in need. Finally, we get a new answer to our opening question: What man can learn the counsel of God? It is the one who has offered himself as a disciple of Jesus.

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R

St Mark’s Catholic Church,

Ohovbe, Benin City, Nigeria.

September 4, 2016.