THE TEST OF FAITH

 THE TEST OF FAITH
Meditation for the Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A
(Is 56:1-7; Rm 11:13-15, 29-32; Mt 15:21-28)

Let us meditate on the unique and beautiful faith of the Canaanite woman, who cried out to Jesus, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely possessed by a demon.” It is obvious that her urgent need to save her daughter inspired her to run to Jesus for solution. This natural instinct is understandable even in an unbeliever who is in serious problem. Being a foreigner, she must possess a faith that is over and above her problems for her to receive the answers. This kind of faith that is not problem centered is what is already expected of all believers. The door of faith is open to all peoples. The prophet Isaiah announced in the first reading that foreigners who joined themselves to the Lord, who uphold the covenant, will be made joyful and their sacrifices will be accepted.

 

In the second reading, we see how the Gentiles accepted Jesus and believed in Him, but the Jews, through whom Jesus came, rejected him. While ministering to the Gentiles, St Paul reaches out to the Jews too. The mercy and love of God know no borders, His salvation is available to all. St. Paul said he would use the example of the converted Gentiles to inspire some of the Jews to accept Jesus. This is how the faith of the Canaanite woman is an example for us today.

 

Jesus was silent as the woman kept asking for His intervention. This period of silence was transformational though it was also a period of testing for her. She had to decide either to continue calling on Jesus or walk away. If she had remained at the level of the energy generated by the problem, she would have given up when she received no answer. But she had come to believe in Jesus, and she was drawn by the authority of Jesus over and above her immediate need at that time. That was why she would not stop calling on Jesus and following Him along the way. Her faith was purified of her ego and attachment to her problem, such that she had to humble herself and exalt Jesus.

 

That was why as Jesus said, “It is not fair to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs”, she responded, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” This is the response of one who had died to herself in faith and alive in Christ Jesus through faith. This is the kind of faith that is alive when a believer is not afraid of ‘God’s silence’ but through faith has come to recognize and maintain her standing in Jesus, no matter the situation she finds herself. Then, Jesus answered her, saying, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you desire.”

 

The door of faith is open to all peoples, but the journey through it will test our patience and maturity in faith. If we have stepped in, we will not give up when we experience the cold hand of ‘divine silence’, which gives us opportunity to be purified and grow in faith. As we persevere in faith, God is drawing us to His Holy Mountain, where His mercy awaits us. Amen.

 

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R

Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church,

Tedi-Muwo, Ojo, Lagos.

Sunday August 20^th, 2023.

www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com

 

SAVED FROM THE TURBULENT WATERS

 Meditation for the Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A
(1 Kg 19:9, 11-13, Rm 9:1-5, Mt 14:22-33)

Self-preservation is the greatest instinct in the human person. Unfortunately, it is equally the greatest source of temptation in man. It was the foundational principle with which the serpent lured Eve to attempt the forbidden fruit (cf. Gen 3:4-5). The question of self-preservation became part of the passion of Christ when the leaders mocked Him, saying, “He saved others, let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One” (Lk 23:35). The soldiers added to the injury, saying to him, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself” (Lk 23:36). Humanly speaking, ‘saving oneself’ and ‘securing one’s wellbeing’ appear to be our predominant preoccupations. However, the grace of the resurrection assures us that our ultimate self-preservation is in Christ Jesus. He says, “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (Mt 16:24-25).

Let us meditate how Jesus stepped forward, walking on the water, to save the disciples, who were on the sea battling with the waves. Think about the silent, gentle and steady steps of Jesus in the midst of the aggressive, violent and noisy storm! His calm and courage outweighed the fear and tension roused by the turbulent waves. As the apostles gazed upon Him in this situation, we immediately recall how Elijah encountered God in a still small voice after enduring great wind, earthquake and fire. Jesus is always present in our life-journey. Sometimes, we do not realize it or seek Him until there is a storm.

 

The disciples were terrified once more when they saw Jesus walking freely and confidently on the turbulent waters, which was their greatest threat at that time. “But immediately He spoke to them, saying, “Take heart, it is I; have no fear.” His words were consoling enough, but Peter needed proof of faith. He said to Jesus, “Lord, if it is you, bid me come to you on the water.” Jesus replied immediately, “Come.” Peter knew He could not walk on the water, passing through the storm unless Jesus gave him the authority to do so. Most importantly, he believed that in the name of Jesus He too could walk on the turbulent waters, for with God all things are possible.

 

Peter walked on the water towards Jesus. With the authority of Jesus, in His name and towards Him, we too shall step forward and pass through any storm in our lives. But the temptation of self-preservation is always around the corner! When Peter shifted his attention from Jesus and began to feel the strength of the waves and the storm, fear of losing his life beclouded him. At this point, he felt helpless at the opposing storm and began to sink. At once he cried out, “Lord, save me.” And immediately Jesus stretched out His saving arm and caught him, saying, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

 

From the Cross, Jesus continues to stretch out His mystical saving arm that we may not sink in the waters of life. Man cannot save himself; Jesus saves! No matter what the storm that is trying to engulf us, we only need to believe that with His authority and in His name, we can pass through, and stretch out our arms of prayer and call upon Him. Like Peter, we call upon him by the words of our prayers, even when they are silently uttered in the secrets of the heart. And by stretching forth our hands we take the proper action and behavior that corresponds with our faith and prayer life. At the end, everything will lead to the glory of God, for, “When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshipped Him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God.’” Amen.

 

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R

Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church,

Tedi-Muwo, Ojo, Lagos.

Sunday, August 13^th, 2023.

www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com

 

THE HIDDEN WISDOM

Meditation for the 17^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A
(1 kg 3:5, 7-12; Rm 8:28-30; Mt 13:44-52)

Wisdom and knowledge do not come cheap. The hidden wisdom of God is revealed only to those who humbly desire it as King Solomon did in the first reading. He priced wisdom above wealth and health, denied himself of all others to ask for divine wisdom. This action of Solomon is demonstrated in the parable of the hidden treasure. The man who found the hidden treasure, which is of the highest value, had to let go of other treasures of lesser value in order to acquire it. It is one thing to have KNOWLEDGE of what is of highest value, but it is WISDOM to act in the right way in order to possess it.

 

Let us meditate on how God, the source of wisdom, hid the ultimate treasure of the kingdom of heaven. He did not leave it in the open for causal eyes to see, but He hid it, such that it can only be found by those who are looking for it, and acquired by those who value it above all else. This wisdom of God indicates that everything that has value cannot be on the SURFACE, but must be sought for before it can be found. Think about how love, truth, beauty, goodness, etc, are not causally placed on the surface but hidden in the depths of the heart. They can only be found and possessed by those who know their value, who are ready to make sacrifices. Yes, in his joy, the man goes and sells all that he had and buys the field.

 

Human wisdom is foolishness in God’s eyes (1 Cor 3:19). The human mind would have considered Solomon foolish for not requesting for his personal wellbeing and safety first. Man considers amassing wealth as a means of dominance and control. But Solomon asked for divine wisdom in favor of his people. It would have been foolishness in the eyes of the world for a merchant to sell all he had in order to purchase one pearl of great value. The fear of loss; fear of losing relevant, dignity, pleasure, health, or life itself discourages us. This is because we calculate from a selfish safe angel! But the second reading urges us to calculate from a ‘divine angle’, where we are truly safe, and whatever ‘investment’ we make from there will not fail us, but must surely end to our favor. “We know that in everything God works for good with those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.”

 

Therefore, being conformed to the image of Jesus, we stand on the authority our shared life with Him, “So that, knowing the love of Christ, which is beyond knowledge, you may be filled with the utter fullness of God” (Eph 3:19). Jesus becomes the highest Treasure, the one Pearl that is of the greatest value. Though He came to dwell among us, He is still hidden from the eyes of the worldly minded, but is found by those who are sincerely searching for truth, and by those inspired by the Holy Spirit. The hidden wisdom of God is made available to us in Christ Jesus. Thus, we are truly wise when we come to know Jesus, and He becomes the reason for our lives and actions. “Because of the supreme advantage of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, I count everything else as loss. For Him I have accepted the loss of all other things, and look on them all as filth if only I can gain Christ” (Phil 3:8). In this way, God will turn every situation to our advantage since we have been predestined and called to share in the life of Jesus; “And those whom He called he also justified; and those whom He justified He also glorified.” Amen.

 

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R

Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church,

Tedi-Muwo, Ojo, Lagos.

Sunday July 30^th, 2023.

www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com

 

   

  

SEPARATING THE WEED FROM THE WHEAT

Meditation for the Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A
(Wisdom 12:13, 16-19; Rm 8:26-27; Mt 13:24-43)

Let us meditate on the parable of the weeds sown among wheat. The parable reveals the surprising mercy and patience of God, who allowed the good crops and bad seeds to grow together until the harvest time. The evil seed sneaks in later at the ‘dark hour’ and spreads across, trying to dominate. Think about the pressure that will be on the good seeds as the evil ones grow beside them! Seeing this, we would have loved a quick and immediate solution by the Master to uproot the weeds at once. But the Master says, “No; lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them.” The depth of the mercy and patience of the Master for the good seed is such that He does not want to lose any one of them.

 

Meditate on how the harvest time is the ultimate moment of separation between the wheat and the weeds. At this moment, their fruits become what will distinguish each from the others, and the standard of separation. A good seed planted will be saved only if it bears the fruit for which it was intended. No matter how long it takes, evil must be exposed, for it bears forth nothingness. “By their fruits we shall know them” (Mt 7:16). This uncommon wisdom, according to the first reading, shows that God, who is sovereign in strength, judge with mildness and with great forbearance. “Through such works you have taught your people that the righteous man must be kind, and you have filled your sons with good hope because you give repentance for sins.”

 

How can the good bear fruit when they are competing and rubbing shoulders with evil? The recklessness and disorderliness of evil can influence and corrupt some good seeds. Thus, the good seed can only bear fruit by perseverance. However, the good seeds are not helplessly abandoned to the mercy of the evil seeds. God sends the Holy Spirit as the first of those who believe (Rm 8:23). “The Spirit helps us in our weakness…” And He preserves us from the corruption of evil. “The Spirit Himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words.” Therefore, while the wheat and the weed look alike on the surface, going through similar struggles, God’s chosen ones have an inner life of the Holy Spirit that makes the difference. No matter the spread of evil, and how weak we have become, we are always in the presence of God through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us. Let us open up our hearts and keep alive the presence of the Holy Spirit within us. Amen.

 

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R

Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church,

Tedi-Muwo, Ojo, Lagos.

Sunday July 23, 2023.

www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com

 

FINDING STRENGTH AND REST IN LABOUR

Meditation for the 14^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A
(Zech 9:9-10; Rm 8:9, 11-13; Mt 11:25-30)

Against the backdrop that the rulers and influential people are the outspoken and powerful in society, the prophet Zechariah declares to Zion, saying, “Behold, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey.” The prophet explains that this King, who would ride on a young donkey would destroy the chariots from Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem; “He shall command peace to the nations”, and His dominion shall reach the ends of the earth. Ordinarily, the more aggressive and violent leaders overthrow the gentle and weak ones.

 

This principle of exercising power and control has filtered into our everyday life. Often times, the gentle and humble are perceived as boring and dull. The aggressive and violent presume they have the right to get whatever they want. People we commonly project to lead are often those who are forward and outspoken. Those who are calm and recollective, humble and gentle, do not gather much clout and friends. In a world that is laden with a competitive attitude, aggressive and violent people seem to be having a field day. One of the turbulent storms that is trying to wreck marriages today is power tussle. The fear of being under authority has become an epidemic among the younger generation.   

 

The prophecy of Zechariah is fulfilled in Jesus Christ, which was clearly manifested during his triumphant entry into Jerusalem (Mt 21:1-5). Jesus is the meek and humble King, who came to save us from the bondage of evil and grant us peace and eternal life. As He humbled Himself, taking our human form, in Him God has revealed Himself the ‘infants’, i.e. the humble and lowly in heart. This is the new way God reveals His life and power, which escapes the wisdom and understanding of wordily minded. Since Jesus is the Incarnate Wisdom, and the only way to the divine life, He says, “No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and any one to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.”

 

Therefore, Jesus invites us to come to Him with our labors and heavy laden and find rest. He says, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Thus, we must model our hearts after Jesus, bearing His joke of humility. That is the only way we can find peace in our hearts, homes and society. Aggression and violence will keep us restless and powerless.

 

Our response to the divine invitation Jesus offers is made possible by the working of the Holy Spirit, who dwells in us. From within, the Holy Spirit makes available and applies to us the life of Jesus. So, the strength to bear the joke, and the rest Jesus gives, are animated within us by the Holy Spirit. St. Paul says in the second reading, “If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through the Spirit who dwells in you.” Hence, we are debtors, not to the flesh but to the Holy Spirit. We respond to the invitation of Jesus by opening up our hearts to the promptings of the Spirit through meditation, prayer and virtuous life. And we must avoid sin, which tends to cover the light of the Spirit from shining out in us. In this way, we shall accomplish all our labors, and there shall be no burden too heavy for us to bear, for, “I can do all things in Him who strengthens me” (Phil 4:13). Amen.

 

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R

Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church,

Tedi-Muwo, Ojo, Lagos.

Sunday July 9^th, 2023.

www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com

12^th Anniversary of my Ordination

 

GENEROSITY CARRIES US ALONG

Meditation for the 13^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

(2 Kg 4:8-11, 14-16; Rm 6: 3-4, 8-11)

A heart that loves will always have a strong impulse to be generous. The beauty and mystery of generosity shines out when it comes out freely from the heart without any external compulsion. We see this in the first reading where a rich woman was inspired to offer Elisha hospitality as he passed by. She perceived that Elisha was a prophet and followed up her instinct with generosity, for “Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law” (Rm 13:10). Charity is the manifestation of the divine love among us. The woman’s act of charity germinated from her faith in God. Since she recognized Elisha as a man of God, her act of charity becomes a divine embrace for her. Every genuine charity flows from God and returns back to Him. And her act of charity continued to grow. From offering refreshment to the prophet, she prepared a room where Elisha and his servant could stay anytime he passed by. As charity grows stronger in the heart of the giver, it spreads and carries the giver along. At the end, God answered the prayer of the woman through Elisha, who said to her, “At this season, when the time comes around, you shall embrace a son.”

 

Wealth has a magic way of turning our attention ‘inwards’, locking us up in selfishness. How come this wealthy woman was able to look ‘outwards’ and consider the needs of Elisha? It is because of her faith and love of God, which she expressed through her generosity. According to the second reading, since through baptism we were buried with Christ into His death, so also, we shall live with and walk in the newness of life. Jesus’ self-donation is the greatest act of generosity. Having received such generosity through baptism, we too must consider ourselves dead to sin, dead to attachment of wealth, and alive to God in Christ Jesus. It is by our acts of charity that we live out and testify that we are alive to God in Jesus, and not to wealth in selfishness.

 

When the divine life in us prompts us to charity, the response must show a love greater and stronger than any human relationship. It is only when our lives are sowed like seed in Christ Jesus can they germinate to fullness of life and blossom in peace and serenity. Jesus says, “He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake will find it.” True generosity is a way we deny ourselves and sow our lives in Jesus. And every act of charity performed to the glory of God must be rewarded, even if it is a cup of cold water given to these little one because he is a disciple of Jesus, not for any other reason. This is the generosity that carries us along, and brings answers to our prayers. Charity is the silent way God cares for us and answers our prayers. He who sows sparingly shall reap sparingly; and he who sows bountifully shall also reap bountifully (2 Cor 9:6).

 

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R

Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church,

Tedi-Muwo, Ojo, Lagos.

Sunday July 2, 2023.

www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com

 

THE MARVELOUS FAITH

 THE MARVELOUS FAITH

Meditation for Saturday of the 12^th Week in Ordinary Time

(Gen18:1-15; Mt 8:5-17)

It was a beautiful moment when Jesus accepted the request of the Centurion about his dying servant, saying, “I will come and heal him.” But in his humility and faith this Roman official said to Jesus, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only say the word, and my servant will be healed.” Jesus marveled at the faith of this man, and praised him. Many of the people who came to Jesus wanted to see signs or some demonstrations before they could believe. But this Centurion believed in the Person of Jesus as one whose has authority over time and space, such that whatever He declares must surely happen accordingly. And this authority is attributed only to God. The awesome faith of the Centurion sees the sickness of the servant from the lens of the divine authority of Jesus. From this view, the sickness ceases to be a huge problem since only one word from Jesus can wipe it away!

However, in the first reading, Abraham’s encounter with the three turns the other side of the coin of faith. The Lord said to him, “I will surely return to you in the spring, and Sarah your wife will have a son.” Over hearing this, Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I have grown old, and my husband is old, shall I have pleasure?” Then, the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh…Is anything too hard for the Lord?” Sarah’s sarcastic laugh was due to the fact that she viewed the problem from the lens of her human weakness, which is so limited and incapable of solving the problem.

 

Immediately, we can see the two sides of the coin of faith and the difference each makes. When confronted with life challenges and we present them to the Lord in prayer, our faith will look out for the answer either from the power of God, of which it was said that nothing is too hard for the Lord, or from our personal merits and capabilities, which are so limited and weak. As we follow the example of the Centurion, Jesus says, “God; let it be done for you as you have believed.” Amen.

 

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R

Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church,

Tedi-Muwo, Ojo, Lagos.

 Saturday July 1, 2023.

www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com