THE EUCHARISTIC ENCOUNTER

THE EUCHARISTIC ENCOUNTER
Meditation for the Solemnity of Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi), Year C
(Gen 14:18-20; 1 Cor 11:23-26; Lk 9:11-17)

The Eucharist is the center of the life of the Church, and the life of believers revolve around the Eucharist. For those who participate actively, it is not a matter of argument, but the testimony of their lives. Every explanation of this mystery is only a pointer or symbolic, leading one forward to it. Indeed, the Eucharist is a place of encounter! And it is only the one who encounters the divine presence in the Eucharist who truly understands it.

The Eucharist as a place of encounter offers us a lot of opportunities. One of them is the example of Abraham in the first reading. Think about how Melchizedek, king of Salem and priest of God the Most High, offered bread and wine! These, the priest offered in thanksgiving to God for delivering Abraham from his enemies, and he called down God’s blessings on him. And Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. This is a clear pre-figuration of the Eucharist in which Jesus Christ offers His Body and Blood in the form of Bread and Wine. In the Eucharist, we offer thanksgiving and glory to God, receive divine grace and blessings, and our aspirations are offered up to God.

Thus, in the Eucharist we encounter Jesus, who commanded us to do this in memory of Him. The second reading says, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the chalice, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.” Having shared in the life of the Cross through the Eucharist, this PROCLAMATION becomes our living manifestation of the grace that has nourished us. A life that is powered by the energy generated from the Cross overcomes every suffering and conquers every opposition. Above all, the Eucharist floods the soul with heavenly contentment and peace.

The miracle of the loaves exemplifies the satisfaction that this living Bread and Wine gives. By having compassion on them in their hunger, Jesus gave Himself to the multitude in love, and by multiplying bread for them, He satisfied each person uniquely. Though there were many and they had different degrees of hunger but the one nourishment satisfied them all. “And as there is one loaf, so we, although there are many of us, are one single body, for we all share in the one loaf” (1 Cor 10:17).

Therefore, in the Eucharist, we equally encounter one another as brothers and sisters in Christ. So, what started as a divine encounter now translates into love for my neighbor. We now know how the Eucharist has become the center of the life of the believer. It gives us the silent strength to live a holy life and to love one another. Amen.

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church,
Tedi-Muwo, Lagos.
Sunday June 19^th, 2022.
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Solemnity of Corpus Christi

Sharing in the Life of the Trinity

Sharing in the Life of the Trinity

Meditation for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

(Prob 8:22-31; Rm 5:1-5; Jn 16:12-15)

Let us meditate on the mystery of the Three Persons in one God. The doctrine of the Trinity holds that God is one; and the one God is Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. That means the Father is God, Jesus Christ is God, and the Holy Spirit is God. The three persons are ‘co-substantial’, ‘co-equal’ and in perfect unity. The mystery of the Trinity in one God is the most sublime of all mysteries. As we meditate on the Trinity, our understanding of this mystery comes from our exaltation and contemplation. While reasoning principles cannot fully grasp this mystery, still reason is not violated by trying to understand it. In other words, it is not unreasonable to believe in Trinity. On the other hand, it uplifts and nourishes the mind.

 

What do we see in most religions that do not recognize God as Trinity? God for them is ‘completely other’, with no inter personal relationship with his faithful. Fear is usually part of their spirituality since there cannot be any ‘shared life’ between the followers and their God. This is so because, since their God is one and ‘solitary’, it cannot communicate itself in love, but reach out to his believers by proxy, such as prophets, messengers and interpreters, or by appearing and disappearing. Those who deny the Trinity often adhere to their doctrines and promote them with the same zeal as their cultural beliefs. This is because such a ‘solitary’ God will depend on his adherents to be loved and worship, and they must hold on to their practices in order to keep their God relevant. At the end, as culture demands compliance, so does such religion propagate their faith. Here, man becomes a slave to the God he worships, or he breaks free and detects to the God who needs his worship to be fulfilled.

 

Oh! Let us exult and rejoice that God is One and Trinity! That means He is perfect love, perfect unity, and in Him is fullness of live. God is life itself. In the one God is perfect communication; he is the source of interpersonal relationship. Because God is One and Trinity, He can communicate Himself and still remain in His perfect self without losing Himself. As we meditate on the Trinity, we stand in awe at the God who is complete and perfect in Himself, to whom nothing can be added or subtracted. He does not need us to be relevant, nor does our worship add to His greatness but they profit us for our salvation. Because God is Trinity, He can create man in His own image and likeness, redeem him and sanctify him.

 

Since God is Trinity of Persons, we can have personal relationship with Him, calling Him ‘Abba! Father’ (Gal 4:6), and walking hand in hand with Jesus as our Brother (Heb 2:11), and enjoy communion with the Holy Spirit who dwells in us and sanctifies us from within as God’s temple (1 Cor 3:16). God, in His Trinity of Persons, shares out His life with us, and still remains perfectly complete. And we have the duty to reveal this hidden life of God through our words and actions (cf. 2Cor 4:11). That is why we must be people who build healthy relationships, and love all peoples as God has loved us in Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit. Because we carry in ourselves the life of the Trinity, we derive fulfilment and maturity mostly by loving others and sharing life with them. That is why selfishness hurts and dehumanizes us. Our sharing in the life of the Trinity makes it possible for us to go through tribulations and still maintain our inner joy and peace.

 

May the almighty God bless you, in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R

Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church,

Tedi-Muwo, Ojo, Lagos.

Sunday 12^th June, 2022.

Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

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THE WRONG TURN OF RELIGION

 The Wrong Turn of Religion

Meditation for Wednesday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time

(1Kg 18:20-39; Mt 5:17-19)

 

Religion promises to care for the good of man, from life here on earth to life beyond. But at the wrong turn of religion, it can bring about unimaginable disaster to humanity. Faith in God is sublime, it nourishes the mind and uplifts the heart. It can lead the human person to stability and great achievements. But at the wrong turn of religion, when doctrines are misconceived, and religion is used as tool for the kingdom of man rather than for the kingdom of God, it becomes a scourge unto man and spreads like a virus.

 

Think about how the worship of Baal, with its numerous prophets, dehumanized Israel. Elijah had to run for his dear life. Like every wrong turn of religion or false belief, the prophets of Baal were numerous, noisy and forceful. The people seemed to be held captive and confused, they could no longer air their view. While true faith guarantees freedom, the wrong turn of religion stiffens its followers, and does not allow variety or freedom of expression. Man steps into religion to discover himself in God. But false belief tries to discover God in man, and by so doing, man loses himself by false divinization of himself!

 

Then, pride sets in to make up for the emptiness within and fear of being found out. Think about how much the prophets of Baal assumed for themselves! Imagine the audacity with which they embraced Elijah’s contest! Elijah said to them, “And you call on the name of your god and I will call on the name of the Lord; and the God who answers by fire, he is God.” The false worshipers called and called, but there was no answer; they applied several physical gestures to twist Baal to do their will, but there was no answer. Elijah even mocked them, adding zeal to their pride, which exposed their emptiness more, and leading to their destruction.

 

On his own part, Elijah humbly set up the traditional altar of the Lord in the name of the twelve tribes of Israel, “To whom the word of the Lord came, saying, ‘Israel shall be your name.’” In other words, he built the altar on the authority of the word of God. After preparing the bull, jars of water were poured on it. Water supposed to be obstacle to fire, but Elijah wanted to show that nothing can stop the fire of God! He invoked God’s name, calling Him the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Then Elijah expressed his submission to the will of God, saying, “Let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word.”

 

“Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt offering…” The people felt liberated, and gave their free profession of faith, saying, “The Lord, He is God; the Lord, He is God.” In the gospel of today, Jesus declares that He came to complete what was begun in the prophets. As Elijah was a messenger through which the people of old acknowledge and worshipped the true God, so much so is Jesus Christ ‘God among us’, our Mediator, through whom our prayers answers. The love of Jesus is the new fire that overcomes every obstacle, and takes our steps away from the wrong turn of religion. Amen.

 

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R

Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church,

Tedi-Muwo, Ojo, Lagos.

Wednesday June 8^th, 2022.

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The Taste of Charity

 The Taste of Charity

Meditation for Tuesday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time

(1Kg 17:7-16; Mt 5:13-16)

Let us meditate on the encounter between Elijah and the widow of Zarephath. The woman’s act of kindness sheds light on the nature of charity that attracts divine providence. Indeed, charity is an economic principle that is less recognized as such, because we often see it from the point of view of giving away. The act of charity supplies more than it gives away!

 

Elijah was in need, and God sent him to a widow who was equally in need. The woman lamented about her situation to the prophet, saying, “As the Lord your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of meal in jar, and a little oil in a pitcher; and now, I am gathering a couple of sticks, that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die.” With this situation, she had every reason not to listen to any demand on her. Being a widow, she had no one to come to her aid. And having made up her mind and laid out her plan, she did not consider any act of charity. Of course, the situation at hand did not warrant any giveaway! The demand for charity often breaks forth, and challenges our routine plans.

 

The prophet’s demand sounded as harsh as the hunger that ravished the land at that time. He said to her, “Fear not; go and do as you have said; but first make a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterward make for yourself and your son.” The sound of the demand for charity often rings as if the person asking for help does not understand what you are going through. Even if he understands your situation, the mere fact that he is asking you for help implies that he places his own needs above yours. And this can evoke resentment. That is why it is difficult to be charitable, and to persevere in charity unless guided by the grace of God.

 

Then, Elijah said to her, “For thus says the Lord the God of Israel, ‘The jar of meal shall not be spent, and the pitcher of oil shall not fail, until the day that the Lord sends rain upon the earth.’” We see that the prophet was not selfish in his demand, but equally desired her wellbeing. There is no room for selfishness in charity, both from the giver and the receiver. But human beings by nature are inclined to selfishness. That is why genuine charity can only be sustainable under the higher authority of the word of God. Inspired by the prophetic message, the widow responded swiftly.

 

At this point, charity becomes an act of faith; and faith becomes the motivator of charity. Genuine charity descends on the receiver as ‘prayer answered’, and opens up the giver to divine providence. That is why charity uplifts the heart and floods it with divine sweetness. By this the words of Jesus in the gospel of today comes alive, “You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored?” As salt brings out the taste in the different ingredients in a pot of soup, so does charity bring out sweetness in our lives, relationships, families, and society at large. It will brighten your day, and your jar of oil will never run dry. Amen.  

 

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R

Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church,

Tedi-Muwo, Ojo, Lagos.

Tuesday June 7^th, 2022.

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THE GREAT SOUND OF PENTECOST

 THE GREAT SOUND OF PENTECOST
Meditation for the Solemnity of Pentecost
(Acts 2:1-11; 1 Cor 12:3-7, 12-13; Jn 20:19-23)

As we meditate on the Pentecost event, we turn our attention to the great sound and energy that announced the descent of the Holy Spirit. It was a sudden sound, like the rush of a mighty wind; an overshadowing sound that leaves its imprint on all that it touches. The Holy Spirit came with so great a sound, yet, so gentle like the sound of silence! A tongue of fire appeared on each of the apostles; a fire blazing but not burnt up (Ex 3:2). These symbols indicate that the break forth of the Holy Spirit had to overcome certain barriers so as to make His abode in human nature.

 

Maybe the mode of His descending will help us understand deeply how far heaven can be from earth without the Holy Spirit; man would have been totally ‘locked up’ in himself, and salvation of Christ would have been available to the few people who can access it and remember it! Fear and emotional instability would dominate the actions of people. It is almost an unimaginable life without the Holy Spirit. The force and energy that shattered these barriers and brought us this far is worthy of our meditation.

 

So, in listening to the sound of silence, the sound of meditation, we perceive the sound of the movement of the Spirit, and appreciate that transforming power that saves us. The great sound, like a mighty wind and the burning fire, demonstrates clearly that overcoming power of God, the unstoppable movement of the Holy Spirit, which renews the face of the earth and restores man’s friendship with His creator. The gifts of the Holy Spirit (Is 11:2-3; 1 Cor 12:7-10) and the fruits of the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:22-23) indicate that the regeneration that the Spirit brings cannot be achieved by human power. In fact, they can only come about when the divine power overpowers human power.

 

As we listen to the great sound of Pentecost, we stand in awe at that power which can move man to speak in the tongue of his fellow man, to speak to the understanding of his neighbor. To speak the ‘language’ of another person implies to ‘reason’ with him, while communicating to him the truth, even divine truth. It is only by the power of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth (Jn 16:13), can man communicate truth to one another with love, without violating his conscience or dignity. As we ‘drink of one Spirit’, we achieve such unity that accommodates variety, without destroying anyone’s individuality.

 

The great sound of Pentecost continues to vibrate in the Church today as we celebrate. The great anointing power of the Holy Spirit gently melts away the stubbornness of our hearts. The powerful rush of wind from on high refreshes our hearts like the new breath of life. Jesus breathed on His disciples and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” As we draw close to the life of Jesus, this Breathe continues to settle in us gently but powerfully transforming us into the image of Christ. The Holy Spirit brings to life in us the life of Jesus, His love, forgiveness and salvation. Jesus said, “The Holy Spirit will glorify me, since all He reveals to you will be taken from what is mine (Jn 16:14).

 

Therefore, in listening to the sound of the movement of the Holy Spirit in us, we discern how to open up our hearts and allow Him to inspire our actions. By so doing, the great sound of Pentecost becomes for us a rhythm of love and joy. A joy filled with peace, and a peace afire with love for God and neighbor. Amen.

 

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R

Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church,

Tedi-Muwo, Ojo, Lagos.

Sunday June 5^th, 2022.

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Solemnity of Pentecost.

VESSEL OF DIVINE VISITATION

Meditation for the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
(Zeph 3:14-18; Lk 1:39-56)

Today we celebrate the visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Elizabeth. Coincidentally, this feast marks the end of our May devotion to Mary. Among many other biblical encounters, why did the Church craft out this particular event and turned it into a celebration?

 

The visitation of Mary to the house of Zachariah is a landmark encounter in the history of human salvation. It was not a coincidence, but part of God’s plan, and an important event that shines out the hidden mystery of Christ. After the Angel Gabriel explained to Mary how the Incarnation would come about through the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit, he gave a practical example to show that with God all things are possible. The Angel said, “Your cousin Elizabeth also, in her old age, has conceived a son, and she whom people called barren is now in her sixth month” (Lk 1:36). Mary gave her fiat, saying, “You see before you the Lord’s servant, let it happen to me as you have said.” As the Angel left, Mary set out quickly to visit Elizabeth.

 

This visitation became a landmark demonstration of God’s power to make the incarnation possible, the God who does what human mind cannot comprehend. In the visitation to Elizabeth, we see Mary’s fiat in action; an immediate and quick response to God, with whom all things are possible. And this response of faith demonstrates her humility. God’s mighty power shines out on His faithful and lowly servants.

 

Mary stepped into Zachariah’s house full of grace, overshadowed by the Holy Spirit, and as mother of Jesus. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the child leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with Holy Spirit and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” We see how Mary became a VESSEL through whom the blessings God bestowed on her reached Elizabeth and the baby in her womb. This visitation became a special moment of encounter in which Elizabeth became the first to recognize Mary as the mother of God. And John the Baptist had a divine touch in the womb his mother.

 

The Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth was a unique and special event that is worthy of celebration. We cannot forget nor allow such a great mystery of salvation to pass us by. It highlights the first response of humanity to the mystery of the Incarnation. We see here how God, who came to dwell among us, dissolves the graces of our salvation even through those who believe in the fulfilment of God’s promises.

 

Therefore, Mary steps in as Spiritual Vessel, Vessel of honor, singular vessel of devotion and vessel of joy! The echo of her Magnificat continues to resound in our hearts, and adorn our celebration today. Her visitation becomes an acclamation that God can do all things. He can exalt the lowly, fill the hungry with good things and show mercy to all generations forever. In our celebration, we recognize the special favor God has bestowed on Mary, and honor her. She said, “Henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.” In this feast, we express our desire for divine visitation in our lives, families, nation, and the world at large. Therefore, let us continue to invoke Mary’s Perpetual Help, for she is that special Vessel through which we can have divine visitation. Amen.  

 

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R

Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church,

Tedi-Muwo, Lagos.

Tuesday May 31^st, 2022.

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Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Heaven is the Goal

 Heaven is the Goal
Meditation for the Seventh Sunday of Easter
(Acts 7:55-60; Rev 22:12-14, 16-17, 20; Jn 17:20-26)

Do people still have their two eyes closed in prayer, in contemplation of divine mysteries and the glory of God? Modern man has eaten the fruit of knowledge, the only issue is that we know less about the mysteries of God. Many people that flood church programs have their one closed in prayer, and the other eye opened to see miracles or quick solutions for their problems. When this miracle is not forthcoming, despair sets in, and some people may abandon their faith or become aloof to spiritual matters. When religion is reduced to only solving human problems, it becomes a problem unto itself. In other words, if heaven is not the goal of worship, even prayer will appear to be part of our problem too.

 

The first reading of today says, “Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.” Think about a committed religious man like Stephen, over whom heaven opened to directly at his most difficult moment, yet, his enemies cut short his life! It seems his prayers did not attend to his immediate human needs at that time. At least, that is how it appears if we look at his practice of faith from the point of view of problem-solving. But Stephen himself understood that heaven is the goal! This he demonstrated by commending his soul to Jesus, and asking for forgiveness for his persecutors.

 

With his eyes gazed into heaven, and by seeing Jesus, Stephen took the particular posture that ought to characterize Christian worship and exercise of faith. The eyes that are opened to heaven should be closed to earthly life! Then the heavenly light gives vision and life to man here below. That is why the vision of John in the second reading saw Jesus, the Alpha and the Omega, the Bright morning star. In his hands is the solution and answer to our prayers here below, for He says, “Let him who is thirsty come, let him who desires take the water of life without price.” Heaven remains the ultimate answer to our every prayer; heaven is the goal!

 

Therefore, in His farewell message, Jesus lifted up his eyes to heaven and prayed for His disciples and for all the faithful who would believe through their preaching.  He said, “That they may all be one; even as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” Jesus prayed that the unity of the Trinity be lived out in the unity of believers. And believers can only replicate this divine unity by lifting up the eyes of their faith to heaven. With such uplifted heart and mind into the divine glory, believers can worship God for His own sake, and view their earthly affairs with the vision of heaven. In this way, they can have a COMMON VISION despite their differences and variety of activities.

 

Thus, if heaven is the goal of our worship and action, it gives all believers a common vision of life, which gives birth to unity among believers. But there is so much disunity among Christian families and church communities today. This is a sign that we have other hidden visions of life apart from those inspired by heaven. It shows that not all who claim to believe have their eyes gazed to heaven as their goal. Still, the desire of Jesus for all believers is for them to be with Him in Heaven, to behold His glory. Let us meditate on this awesome desire of Jesus for us, and mingle it with our human desires! Then, His love and unity will shine out in us, in our families and society. Jesus says, “O righteous Father…that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.” Amen.

 

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R

Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church,

Tedi-Muwo, Ojo, Lagos.

Sunday May 29^th, 2022.

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