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

ABRAHAM’S JOURNEY: The Assurance of Faith Through the Sacrifice

 Meditation for Wednesday of 12th Week in Ordinary Time, Year B

(Gen 15:1-12, 17-18; Mt 7:15-20)

Abraham complained to the Lord, “Behold, you have given me no offspring; and a slave born in my house will be my heir.” Every believer goes through this kind of trial at some point in his life. Still, the faithful man grows with it, and the trial makes him stronger. This is because the divine consolation that comes at such moment brings reassurance and confidence. Thus, the Lord reassured Abraham of the promise He made to him. He asked Abraham to count the number of stars, saying, “So shall your descendants be.”

Abraham believed the Lord; “And He reckoned it to him as righteousness.” Abraham believed without any evidence to spur him on. After the Lord reassured him in his complain, he renewed his faith in God. But he asked the Lord, “O Lord God, how am I to know that I shall possess it? In response the Lord asked him to offer a sacrifice, which the Lord accepted at sundown! “On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abraham, saying, ‘To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river of Euphrates”

Think about the great sacrifice of Jesus that has become the sign and fulfillment of God’s covenants. THE SIGN OF THE CROSS, the Sacrifice of Jesus, is God’s ultimate response to our desire for assurance and confidence in His promises. Once more we see how Abraham’s journey looked forward to the salvation of humanity. Thus, Jesus warns in the Gospel of today that we should beware of false prophets, who claim to reassure us in faith, but strip us of the saving sign of the Cross, the sacrifice of Jesus that leads us on to the fulfillment of God’s promises. “Thus you will know them by their fruits”, fruits of love, discipline, righteousness, etc. These are fruits of the Cross of Christ, which in turn gives us more assurance than that of Abraham

Our help is in the name of the Lord; who made heaven and earth! Amen.

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church,
Tedi-Muwo, Ojo, Lagos.
Wednesday June 23^rd, 2021.
www.soundofsilence.ng
www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com

 

 

ABRAHAM’S JOURNEY: The Narrow Gate of Faith and Humility

Meditation for Tuesday of 12th Week in Ordinary Time, Year B
(Gen 13:2, 5-18; Mt 7:6, 12-14)

Have you noticed that when people’s Eal 

possession increases, they become less accommodating and more selective in relating with others? The race to overtake each other is fiercer among the wealthy. Abraham and Lot had great possessions, “So great that they could not dwell together, and there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s cattle and the herdsmen of Lot’s cattle.” However, Abraham took the humble narrow way and appealed for peace, requesting that they separate and head different directions. Lot chose the Jordan Valley side that was watered like the garden of the Lord. So Lot journeyed towards the East and established his empire among the cities of the Valley down to Sodom.

Abraham dwelt in the land of Canaan. The Lord promised to give the land to him and his descendants forever. The Lord said to him, “I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth…” Abraham dwelt by the oaks of Mamre, which are at Hebron; “And there he built an altar to the Lord.” While Lot’s quest ended with the dwelling he established for himself, Abraham would not settle down until he had built an altar for the Lord. What does this mean for Abraham? We see in this gesture that the Lord meant more for him than the land of promise and all his possessions.

We see how the humility of Abraham opened blessings for him. In handling his misunderstanding with Lot, he did not act extraordinary. He did what normal human person can do: desire peace, and give way for peace. But at the end we discover that Abraham was able to act humanly because of his faith in God, whom he followed as his priceless possession. Sieving our daily lives through faith is like passing through the narrow gate that Jesus talked about in the Gospel of today. “For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” Let us learn from the example of Abraham and be among the few that will find such blessings.

Our help is in the name of the Lord; who made heaven and earth! Amen.

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church,
Tedi-Muwo, Ojo, Lagos.
Tuesday June 22^nd, 2021.
www.soundofsilence.ng
www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com

 

ABRAHAM’S JOURNEY

    Meditation for Monday of 12th Week in Ordinary Time, Year B
(Gen 12:1-9; Mt 7:1-5)

We begin reading from the Book of Genesis with the call of Abraham. The beautiful story of Abraham’s vocation, with its quick and immediate response, marks a great step in the history of salvation after the disobedience of Adam and Eve. The depth of the call and the immediate and total response of Abraham had no precedence; it was totally unique and new, and looked forward into the future of human salvation. I think it is the next greatest call of man after creation.

The journey was for him to move from his homeland to the new land, which he only knew through the promise of God. The promise of the land came with the promise of overflowing blessings. Abraham moved with his family and possessions. It was a difficult journey but he obeyed. Did Abraham obey because of the things God promised him? He had practically every reason to turn down the offer and remained at home to enjoy the wealth he had already acquired, and to continue to operate within his familiar environment. But his faith in God moved him on, and in obedience he accepted the vulnerability of faith, which rewards with strength and overflowing divine providence. “And I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.”

May the Lord open our ears to hear and our eyes to see where His grace is leading us to, and the vocation has called us to. That is why we should not be distracted with judgment of others, just as Jesus warned in the Gospel of today. “Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye…You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” Like Abraham, God calls us to move forward into the new life of salvation. We may have reasons to remain in familiar ways of life or spirituality. But we need to remove the logs that block our vision of God so that we can see the direction He is leading us to, and respond promptly and totally. Amen.

Our help is in the name of the Lord; who made heaven and earth! Amen.

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church,
Tedi-Muwo, Ojo, Lagos.
Monday June 21^th, 2021.
www.soundofsilence.ng
www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com

SUFFICIENT GRACE

Meditation for Saturday of 11th Week in Ordinary Time
(2 Cor 12:1-10; Mt 6:24-34)

‘Packaging’ has become a common norm, especially among the younger generation. ‘Impressionism’ is commonly accepted as ‘gate pass’ in one’s quest for success. We easily accept honour that does not reflect our commitment or sacrifice. While we readily project a good image, deep within we battle with our weaknesses and struggles. Though St Paul appeared to have conquered his weakness, he reframed from boasting about it to avoid being elevated more than he should, especially as the battle with his weaknesses was still raging. However, through his experiences of struggles and victory, St Paul gives us hope in our battles with ourselves.

“And to keep me from being too elated by the abundance of revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to harass me, to keep me from being too elated.” St Paul said three times he asked the Lord to remove this thorn from him, but he got the same answer: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” The struggles and weakness that was designed to bring the children of God down has now become the entrance point of grace! So we humbly acknowledge our weaknesses, while cooperating with the power of Christ that is on us. “For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities; for when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Since the grace of God is at work in us even in our weaknesses, we need not be anxious about our lives, what to eat, drink, clothes wear not about the body. Jesu says, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well.” The grace of God is sufficient today as we battle with each days troubles and struggles. Being anxious about tomorrow is an expression of lack of faith and trust in the efficacy of God’s grace. Such anxiety transports the person to the realm where there is no grace to sustain him. So, “Let the day’s own trouble be sufficient for the day”, since the grace of God is sufficient to triumph at every moment.

Our help is in the name of the Lord; who made heaven and earth! Amen.

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church,
Tedi-Muwo, Ojo, Lagos.
Saturday June 19^th, 2021.
www.soundofsilence.ng
www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com 

IDENTIFYING FALSE PREACHERS

                                                    IDENTIFYING FALSE PREACHERS

Meditation for Thursday of 11th Week in Ordinary Time
(2 Cor 11:1-11; Mt 6:7-15)

Often times, fake products appear more appealing and affordable than the original. We easily fall for lies than truth because they taste sweeter and easier to accept. Fake prophets and those who teach and practice wrong doctrines gather more crowd than good shepherds of Christ. “For I have come in my Father’s name and you do not accept me. If another comes in his own name, you will accept him” (Jn 5:43). This was the issue St Paul faced in the first reading of today. He marveled how the people he evangelized allowed themselves to be deceived by false preachers, who took advantage of them and made gains from their pockets. St Paul preached and worked among them without demanding anything from them, instead his needs were supplied by the brethren from Macedonia. But they people abandoned the gospel truth and the example he taught them and followed the false and easy ways of those who deprived them, burdened them and deceived them with false doctrines.

Following the example of Jesus Christ, a good shepherd always lays down his life for the sheep; a bad shepherd or wolf feeds on the sheep! These false preachers are louder, instilling fear in people so as to manipulate them, and they make the kingdom of man on earth the end point of their message. All these the sell out in the name of Jesus Christ! And they walk away with huge gains to their advantage.

From the Gospel of today, we learn also that a false preacher can be identified by his way of praying, “For they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.” Jesus the Good Shepherd then taught us to pray the ‘Our Father’, which shows us how a true believer places God, His Kingdom and will over and above everything, and looks upon Him to receive his daily bread, forgiveness of sins and deliverance from evil. Let us be true in our worship and practice of our faith so that we would not fall prey to false preachers who distract us from the Kingdom of God.

Our help is in the name of the Lord; who made heaven and earth! Amen.

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church,
Tedi-Muwo, Ojo, Lagos.
Thursday June 16^th, 2021.
www.soundofsilence.ng
www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com

 

 

SOWING IN CHARITY

                                         Meditation for Wednesday of 11th Week in Ordinary Time
                                                            (2 Cor 9:6-11; Mt 6:1-6, 16-18)

After describing the charitable acts of the Churches in Macedonia as the workings of grace, St Paul, in today’s reading, compares charity to sowing of seed in view of harvest. “He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will reap bountifully.” Charity begins from the mind and heart. The charitable person must make up his mind, and decide freely, not reluctantly or under compulsion. The prompting to charity is almost instantaneous and requires prompt and free response, “For God loves a cheerful giver.”

God Himself is the source and the motivational force behind every authentic act of charity. “God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that you may always have enough of everything and may provide in abundance for every good work.” That means the pattern of God’s charity towards us informs and empowers our acts of charity. And our acts of charity connect us to God’s providence. “He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your resources and increase the harvest of your righteousness. Also, the extent of our charity or our capacity for charity determines our capacity to receive divine providence. This is how our acts of charity become our sowing to reap harvests of God’s providence.

Therefore, we perform works of charity simply to please God and earn his favor. Jesus said in the Gospel of today, “But when you give alms, do not let your let hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” In this silent and ‘secret place’ of charity, the act performed translates into ‘self-offering’ to God. This, in turn, is viewed and received by the Father with graciousness of Jesus’ Self-Offering on the Cross. And the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ shall become our reward. Amen.

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church,
Tedi-Muwo, Ojo, Lagos.
Wednesday June 16^th, 2021.
www.soundofsilence.ng

www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com