THE PROPHETIC AUTHORITY

Meditation for the 4^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B
(Deut 18:15-20; 1 Cor 7:32-35; Mk 1-21-28)

We are easily swayed by the loudest voices! The popular and trending ideas are usually those that dominate the air wave. In our society today, even in the church, you only need to be bold and loud to have your way, and aggressively sell your point. Often times, those who fly on these wings have less truth in their content. So, evil and negativity often push their way to dominate the narratives. Think about the loudest voices we hear today about human relationships, family, wealth, politics, etc. The silent and powerful voice of TRUTH is the only nightmare these ‘noises’ do not want around them.

THE PROPHET

Therefore, we need the true prophet, who cannot be taken over by the loud voice of lies and deceit, and who in turn will declare the word of God. A prophet speaks the truth. He is aware of himself as chosen by God to do so. He speaks with his words and actions, such that his life stands out to silence the loud voice of deceit. In the first reading, God promised to raise a prophet for His people.

AVAILABILITY

The prophetic gift of God, which is fulfilled in Christ Jesus (Mt 5:17), is given to the faithful through baptism (CCC 904-907). This participation in Christ’s prophetic office can be fulfilled through evangelization and the testimony of a holy life. In this way, the light of truth will continue to dispel the darkness of negativity and deceit. Thus, there is no need for us to be anxious or afraid; what is required of us is to make ourselves available for the grace of our baptism to flow! Hence, the second reading emphasizes on our undivided devotion to the Lord, which we are called to do through our different states of life: the married, through the obligations of their marriage, and the single, through their undivided commitment to the affairs of the Lord.

THE AUTHORITY

In the Gospel, the teaching of Jesus impressed the people, “For He taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes.” The teaching of the scribes was like a reported speech. But Jesus ‘owned’ the word; the authority of the word of God is in Him. Imagine the great influence of Jesus, and how the people were caught up in His mighty power! Before this could sink in their hearts, the evil spirit in the possessed man began to cry out. He tried to distract them, and divert attention to himself by positioning himself as one who 'knows' Jesus, and who, therefore, would have to ‘approve’ Him for the people. Notice that the evil spirit yielded like the spokesman for the good of the people. Evil and negativity, with all their noise, always seek attention and to dominate the ‘narrative.’

“But Jesus rebuked him, saying, ‘Be silent, and come out of him!’” And all the noise disappeared. The cool breeze of truth spread across. After this, the people were more amazed at the authority of Jesus. Thus, if we make ourselves available to Jesus, maintain our undivided devotion to Him, every mountain of deceit before us will crumble; the empty noise of negativity and evil shall be silenced. Amen.

 

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church,
Tedi-Muwo, Lagos.
Sunday January 31^st, 2021.
www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com

 

THE ASSURANCE OF FAITH

Meditation for Saturday of the 3^rd Week in Ordinary Time, Year B
(Heb 11:1-2, 8-19; Mk 4:35-41)

 Drawn by the great promise in the priesthood of Jesus Christ, we continue our journey to participate in the awesome merits from our High Priest. Faith becomes the most important vehicle that will drive us to this destination. Keeping our faith alive and applying it in our daily lives becomes an unavoidable solemn duty for all who look forward to the great promise in the ministerial priesthood of Jesus Christ. Hence, today’s reading explains faith and backs it up with the practical example of Abraham.

“Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to go to a place he did not know to receive an inheritance. Think about how Abraham’s faith became a strength that made him to persevere even when he encountered difficulty in the land of his sojourn, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob. Again, let us reflect on how beautifully the faith of Abraham ‘permeated’ throughout his household. Sarah’s faith was described in the same way as that of Abraham. The endurance of Abraham in faith cannot be separated from that of Sarah, Isaac and Jacob.

Abraham’s faith was so secure; his conviction was unshakable, such that he was ready to offer back to God the immediate answer to his prayers in order to keep his faith in God intact. “By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac and he who had received the promises was ready to offer up his only-begotten son, of whom it was said, ‘Through Isaac shall your descendants be named.’” He believed that God was able to raise men from the dead. It was on the authority of this faith that he got Isaac back. 

This, too, is the authority of the faith we have in the resurrection as we battle the storms of life. This is the great faith expected of us as we continue to rove over the waters of life. The assurance of faith we have in Christ Jesus, our High Priest, is stronger than hunger, health, sickness, poverty, wealth, and  even death itself. Amen.

 

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church,
Tedi-Muwo, Lagos.
Saturday  January 30^th, 2021.
www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com

 

RICH HARVEST

Meditation for Friday of the 3^rd Week in Ordinary Time, Year B
(Heb 10:32-39; Mk 4:26-34)

We are on the down turn of our meditations on the Letter to the Hebrews after climbing the ‘Highest Heavens’, where Christ Jesus is seated at the right hand of God, and offers the one eternal sacrifice for us. The merits of this priestly offering flow to us through the working of the Holy Spirit. But we cannot receive this utmost grace of salvation in vain (2 Cor 6:1). We need the appropriate disposition and responsibilities to this effect.

Thus, our first reading today reminds believers of their endurance and compassion, which was based on the assurance of hope they had of an abiding great reward. “For you have need of endurance, so that you may do the will of God and receive what is promised.” And the great promise of God we have is Christ Jesus our High Priest. Therefore, our endurance and compassion become living expressions of our faith and hope in the merits of Jesus. “But my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.” It is our duty to abide in faith and apply it in our lives; the evidence of this is the endurance and love we show.

If we keep this faith and hope in the merits of Jesus alive, we shall grow to produce rich harvest of righteousness. While we own the duty to nurture faith, the growth and fruit it produces is beyond us. A little seed of faith sown in action, grows like the mustard seed to become the greatest shrub, with extended branches, so that birds of the air can make nests on it. As you go about your activities today, think about persons, situations, etc that demand your endurance or compassion, and areas of your life where you need to apply more faith! As you do so, a rich harvest awaits you. Amen.

 

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church,
Tedi-Muwo, Lagos.
Friday January 29^th, 2021.
www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com

 

RESPONSIBILITIES TOWARDS CHRIST’S PRIESTHOOD

Meditation for Thursday of the 3^rd Week in Ordinary Time, Year B
(Heb 10:19-25; Mk 4:21-25)

Up until now, we have been meditating on the priesthood of Jesus Christ as given in the Letter to the Hebrews. We saw how the nature of His priesthood is more excellent, glorious and effective than the priesthood of old. Yesterday we saw how this priesthood that is offered once for all in the highest heavens is made effective in our times during the working of the Holy Spirit. Now, attention has shifted to us for whom Christ made His one offering and to whom this ministry is given in the Church. Our participation in this mystery summons us to responsibility.

Our gaze at Jesus the High Priest, seated at the right hand of God, fills us with confidence “To enter the sanctuary by the Blood of Jesus.” Since we have a great High Priest, who has removed the curtain that separated us from God’s throne of grace, “Let us draw near with a true heart in full ASSURANCE OF FAITH.” We must ensure that we are pure in body and soul, removing every evil conscience. Since God is faithful to His promises, we hold fast to our confession of hope, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and do good works, not neglecting to meet together.” If we keep these responsibilities towards our participation in the priesthood of Jesus Christ, we shall shine like light placed on the lamp stand.

God has given us the highest and most efficient means of salvation. We cannot receive this grace in vain; more responsibility is expected of us towards this great mystery. This is how we sustain the confidence and freedom with which we approach this throne of grace. Amen.

 

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church,
Tedi-Muwo, Lagos.
Thursday January 28^th, 2021.
Memorial of St Thomas Aquinas, OP
www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com

 

 

 

THE ONE SACRIFICE AND THE HOLY SPIRIT

Meditation for Wednesday of the 3^rd Week in Ordinary Time, Year B
(Heb 10:11-18; Mk 4:1—20)

Welcome back as we continue our meditations on the Letter the Hebrews. How often does Christ offer His sacrifice? The priests of Old offered daily sacrifices, which could not take sins away. But Jesus Christ offered for all time, a single sacrifice for sins; He paid the debt due to our sins. As our High Priest, He took His position “At the right hand of God”, dwelling in an ‘Eternal Tent’ from which His offering is accepted. The one sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross, began in time but was completed in eternity; He died in time but rose in eternity. Yes, Jesus died in the flesh, but rose with a glorified body! Thus, there is no need to repeat the sacrifice since eternity is One, where there is neither succession nor repetition! Thus, the priesthood of Jesus is above all, “For by a single offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.” How does this one sacrifice apply to us today?

“And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us.” Yes, the Holy Spirit dwelling in our hearts ‘activates’ the grace of the one sacrifice of Jesus Christ for us. By the working of the Holy Spirit, the priestly ministry of Jesus Christ is ‘activated’ in the Catholic Church, by which the merits of the one and eternal sacrifice is ‘re-enacted’ such that the Church ‘participates’ by sharing in the merits of the eternal offering. Here time ‘disappears’; space is ‘conquered’, and our hearts are lifted up, and our lives are ‘soaked’ in the grace of the resurrection! From here we ‘germinate’ and grow...

Nourished in the One Sacrifice of Jesus through the working of the Holy Spirit, we grow to bear fruits of righteousness like the seeds of the sower that fell on good soil. That is why we must not quench the fire of the Holy Spirit in us through immoral living. As we continue to meditate on the priesthood of Jesus Christ, let prepare our hearts for the Holy Spirit that we may participate worthily in the One Sacrifice, given to us in the Eucharist. Amen.

 

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church,
Tedi-Muwo, Lagos.
Wednesday January 27^th, 2021.
www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com

MESSENGERS OF MERCY

  Meditation for the 3^rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B

(Jonah 3:1-5, 10; 1 Cor 7:29-31; Mk 1:14-20)

“After John was arrested”, Herod and Herodias thought they had silenced the voice of truth as they tried to bury their conscience in the false life they created for themselves. The roaring voice of John disappeared from wilderness and his baptism was halted. Human wickedness germinates in the secret of the heart but spreads to overshadow the light of truth. In the face of this hanging gloom as John was suddenly plucked off, Jesus appeared in Galilee, “Preaching the Gospel of God, and saying, ‘the time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the Gospel.’”

The message of Jesus declares the nearness of the Kingdom and at once invites people to it. Those who tried to silence the voice of truth by arresting John would discover that they wasted their time, for, not only is truth consistent, but it grows and spreads! As John’s arrest opened the way for Jesus to declare the Gospel, so the wickedness of the people of Nineveh necessitated the call of Jonah. He became his mission with a sadist heart and gloomy face by being judgmental against the evil in Nineveh. But he learnt in a hard way that He was called to evoke repentance and open them up to God’s mercy. Through Jonah’s prophetic mission, the wickedness of Nineveh gave way to God’s showers of mercy!

Thus, we cannot separate hearing of the word of God from accepting the invitation it immediately offers. As Jesus called Peter and his brother Andrew, James and his brother John, so he calls us each time we hear His word. In the face of the evils of our society, God is calling men and women through whom His mercy will supersede. Jonah learnt to drop his pride and prejudice behind, the fishermen brothers of Galilee abandoned their trade and family to answer the call. The quick spread of evil reminds us of the urgency of the call: “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” For us to be available and effective voices of truth, we must detach ourselves from earthly values and things of this world by focusing on the nearness of God’s Kingdom and the urgency of the call of the Gospel. “For the form of this world is passing away.”

May the mercy of God be upon us this day; as we place all our trust in Him. Amen.

 

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church,
Tedi-Muwo, Lagos.
Sunday January 24^th, 2021
www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com

 

UNVEILING THE CURTAIN

 Meditation for Saturday of the 2^nd Week in Ordinary Time, Year B

(Heb 9:2-3, 11-14; Mk 3:20-21)

At the end of our second week of journeying with the Letter the Hebrews, we meditate on how excellent and effective is the priesthood of Jesus Christ. In the Old Testament temple, there were two divisions, separated by a curtain: the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies. ‘The Holy Place’ was the outer area where the lamp stand and the bread of offering were kept. ‘The Holy of Holies’ was the inner chamber where the Ark of the Covenant was kept. When Jesus died on the Cross, this temple curtain was torn in two (Mk 15:37). Thus, by Jesus’ priestly offering of Himself, there are no more barriers between ‘the place of sacrifice’ and ‘the dwelling place of God.’ Jesus, the High Priest, who offers our sacrifice, now dwells in the highest heavens.

What is more excellent is that Jesus performs His priestly ministry, not in man-made tents like the priests of Old, but He enters God’s dwelling place, “Taking not the blood of goats and calves but His own Blood, thus securing and eternal redemption.” Think about how great and effective is the offering of Christ. If the sprinkling of the blood of animals in the priest of old purified the flesh of defiled persons, “How much more shall the Blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, purify your conscience from dead works to serve the living God.”

In our society today, people hardly pick interest in anything that does not benefit them directly. The prevailing attitude is for us to turn every opportunity for potential benefit, even if it requires ‘harnessing' the potentials of others. That is why miracle-seeking faith is echoing in our churches, even calling on Jesus, who gave Himself as an unblemished sacrifice for us. In the Gospel, He so dedicated His time to the crowds that He could not eat. Let us learn from His example, and through His grace, live for others since Jesus has removed the ‘curtain’ that separated us from God’s throne of grace. Amen.

 

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church,
Tedi-Muwo, Lagos.
Saturday January 23^rd, 2021.
www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com