EASTER: AN EVENT REPLETE WITH HOPE

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is an event beaming and anchored on hope. In fact, it is ad rem to affirm that the life of Jesus is a life anchored on hope. His was a life lived in a total abandonment in the hands of the Father. More than anything else, the cross is the icon per eccellenza of Jesus’ hope, and indeed from his cross we learn how and what it entails to hope.
As a matter of fact, we see the total self-emptying of Jesus and as such an entrance into Kenosi, to the extent that he was subjected to all sorts of evil. On the cross all sorts of evil befell on Jesus:


-PHYSICAL EVIL: The death on a cross is the highest form of physical suffering and corporal torturing.


-PSYCOLOGICAL EVIL: Jesus was abandoned by all, he was denied and betrayed. We cannot but remember the ingratitude of those who wanted Barabbas instead of Jesus. There was the wickedness of those who gave him vinegar while he was thirst.


-MORAL EVIL: The injustice of Pilate who suffocated and sacrificed the truth at the alter of unfounded consensus. The condemnation and death of an innocent.


-SPIRITUAL EVIL: Then here comes the pertinent question: where is God? Here we see the seemingly absence of God, and Jesus feels this abandonment: My God, My God why have you forsaken me?


How did Jesus die on the cross? He died in the profession of the great Hope: “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit”. Even in the midst of all these evils Jesus did his profession of hope. Little wonder, on Good Friday the Holy Mother Church proclaims the cross “sign of hope”. Here Jesus transformed the cross to an icon of love and hope.


Above all else however, the resurrection of Jesus is the response of the Father to the hope of Jesus. For St. Paul , Jesus does not only teach us hope, he is our hope(cfr. 1Tm1,1). On the other hand, the silence of the Father reveals that the paternity of God is not a paternalistic paternity. Little wonder, his absence during the crucifixion was apparent. Why was it unshakeable the hope of Jesus? Because it was founded on the communion with the Father. At the basis of the communion in question, there is the Holy spirit “Vinculum comunionis”. Jesus dies abandoning himself to the Father who brings the dead to life and calls into existence what does not yet exist (Rm.4,17).


Dear brethren in the resurrected Lord, even in the present economic, moral, political and religious crisis we may be experiencing, together with St. Paul it is my utmost desire to reawaken in you the knowledge of the nature of the hope founded on the God of hope(cfr.Rm.15,13). On discovering this, St. Paul averred: “Our hope will not disappoint us, because the love of God has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit which has been given to us” (Rm.5,5).Therefore, “ we should always have our answers ready for those who ask us the reason for the hope that we have”(1Pt.3,15). Our Hope is Jesus and the resurrection is the reason for the hope. Yes, Christ among us, is our hope of glory (Col.1,27).
Wishing you a grace-filled Easter celebration.


Vitus M.C Unegbu S.C
Rome.

VERONICA WIPES THE FACE OF JESUS

Fierce looking soldiers surrounded Jesus. They were determined to execute the order; nothing must stop them from ensuring that Jesus was crucified at Calvary. Who dare stop them! Their sight alone was a warning. So all who loved Jesus followed mournfully from a safe distance.

However, a woman in the weeping crowd matched her compassion for the bleeding Jesus with courage. She was so deeply touched that her attention faded from the fierce-looking soldiers and was singularly directed at the person of Jesus and His wounds and pains. This experience made her to begin to associate herself personally and totally with Jesus. Thus, it did not matter whether she was not the only one weeping or following Jesus; it did not matter what the blood-thirsty soldiers would do, neither did it matter what people would say! All that concerned her then was the good she could do for Jesus at that moment.

Therefore, she stepped out of her comfort zone to wipe the face of Jesus with her veil. It was as if she wanted to share her comfort with Jesus. Today we encounter the bleeding face of Jesus wherever there is hardship, tension, misunderstanding, unforgiveness, injustice, etc. Veronica has given us an example. Our compassion at such situations must not be mere self-pity. We must translate it into a living experience of encounter by backing it up with courage and action. Jesus says “In so far as you did this to the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me” (Mt 25:40). Like Veronica, we must focus our attention on Jesus and recognize His face in our brothers and sisters. This will energize us to move out of our comfort zones to bring comfort to others.

Good Friday reflection
April 10, 2009

Summary of Pope's Message for Lent 2009

If you ask Pope Benedict XVI ‘what should I do this Lenten season?’ he will respond: “Fast”. This is the main focus of his message for this year’s Lenten season. Drawing from the Scriptures and Church Fathers, he explained the meaning and importance of fasting in our life.

In fasting we deprive ourselves of something that in itself is good and useful for our bodily sustenance. Why? He says it’s a great help to avoid sin and all that leads to it. But true fasting, following the example of our Lord Jesus Christ (Mt 4:4; 6:18, Jn 4:34), does not culminate in mere avoidance of material comfort/food, rather it is directed towards doing the will of God.

“In our own day, fasting seems to have lost something of its spiritual meaning, and has taken on, in a culture characterized by the search for material well-being, a therapeutic value for the care of one’s body. Fasting certainly bring benefits to physical well-being, but for believers, it is, in the first place, a “therapy” to heal all that prevents them from conformity to the will of God,” says the Holy Father.

Fasting helps us to mortify our egoism and open our heart to love of God and neighbor. Quoting St. Augustine, the Pope explains that in the face of divergent and negative impulses, fasting confers unity to the whole person.
“At the same time, fasting is an aid to open our eyes to the situation in which so many of our brothers and sisters live. By freely embracing an act of self-denial for the sake of another, we make a statement that our brother or sister in need is not a stranger. It is precisely to keep alive this welcoming and attentive attitude towards our brothers and sisters that I encourage the parishes and every other community to intensify in Lent the custom of private and communal fasts, joined to the reading of the Word of God, prayer and almsgiving.”

He urges us to cast aside all that distract the spirit and grow in whatever nourishes the soul. He says, “I am thinking especially of a greater commitment to prayer, lectio divina, recourse to the Sacrament of Reconciliation and active participation in the Eucharist, especially the Holy Sunday Mass.

“With this interior disposition, let us enter the penitential spirit of Lent. May the Blessed Virgin Mary, Causa nostrae laetitiae, accompany and support us in the effort to free our heart from slavery to sin, making it evermore a “living tabernacle of God.” With these wishes, while assuring every believer and ecclesial community of my prayer for a fruitful Lenten journey, I cordially impart to all of you my Apostolic Blessing.”

WHERE DO WE LOOK FOR WHAT WE WANT????

What do you really want in life? where are you searching for it? how will you know when you have found it? Often, we think we are aware of these questions, and we think we know the answers, but unfortunatly, what we think we want may not be what we really want. The classic story of Siddhartha is a vivid illustration of this human conundrum.

Siddhartha was a young man, born in a tradional Hindu family, his father was a priest in a local temple and by tradition Siddhartha to succeed him. One day, Siddhartha begins to experience restlessness within himself. So he leaves his home in search of happiness. While on his search, he encounters a group of ascetics who live an austere life in the forest. Siddhartha is drawn to them and thinks to himself: This is what I really want. This will make me happy. He joins them and lives an austere life. He feels happy.But after some months, the restlessness returns. Siddhartha decides to leave the ascetics and contiunes his search. soon after, he meets a group of monks and is drawn to their monastic lives. He says to himself: This will make me happy. He joins them and experiences happiness. But after some months the restlessness returns. He then decides to leave the monastery and continues his search. Along his journey, he falls in love with a beautiful woman. For the first time he experiences the thrill of sexual love and says to himself: This is what I really want. He decides to stay with her. But after some time, the restlessness returns. He leaves her, Next he comes in contact with rich businessmen and he soon becomes a rich businessman himself. He has money, power and influence. He feels he has achieved what he really wanted. But the restlessness returns.

Tired of searching, Siddhartha decides to return home. Years earlier, at the start of his search for happiness, he had to cross a river. Now, years later, he is on the banks of the same river, waiting for the boatman to ferry him across the very same river. When the boatman comes near, he recognizies Siddhartha. He askes him, "weren't you the same man who, some years ago, went across in search of happiness?" Siddhartha answers, "yes" And then Siddhartha asks the boatman,"have you gone across in search of happiness?" the boatman responds, "no. i am not ready yet. The river is my teacher. i am learning much from the river and i have still more to learn." Just then siddhartha looks at the river and experience enlightenment. He deciedes to be an assistant to the boatman, helping him ferry people across the river.

Let's examin the story of its essential lessons. siddhartha, who is in touch with his restlessness, tries to deal with it by searching for happiness in one way of life after another. After many false starts he finds an end to his restlessness right where he began his search. Unlike siiddhartha,however, many of us tend to get stuck.We often relentlessly pursue what we think will make us happy. We might chase money, power, fame, status or achievement. A businessman may say to himself,"If i make a million dollars, i'll be happy."He works hard and makes a million dollars. He feels happy. but after some time, the old restlessness returns. Then he may say to himself, "perhaps two million will make me happy" Once again, he works hard and achieves his goal. He feels happy but only for a while. The old restlessness returns. Again, he ups the ante, "perhaps four million will make me happy"The man, like many of us, is stuck. Instead of realizing that money fails to make him happy and that, like Siddhartha, he should search for something else, he pursues more of what does not really satisfy him. We witness the same phenomena in a person's struggle for power, influence or achievement.WHAT ABOUT YOU?????

Vitus Chigozie Unegbu, S.C.

Rome

LOVE MUST BE RENEWED

Sometimes those close to us are the ones that appreciate us less. Persecution is most painful when it’s from the one who ought to embrace us. Because we are afraid that when people get to know more about us they may begin to less appreciate and love us, we are sometimes afraid of familiarity. That’s why they say familiarity breeds contempt. But we are not alone in this situation.

Our Lord Jesus experienced the same in Luke 4:16—30. His own people who ought to embrace him more than others tried to throw him off the cliff. They could not accept him because they thought they knew him very well. “This is Joseph’s son, surely.”

And we sometimes are like these people: we get familiar with Jesus and persecute him. We get used to Mass and the Eucharist; we cram the prayers; we know a lot about the scripture and doctrine; we get familiar with the priests and Religious, etc. We thus treat all these with mechanism and contempt. We scorn and laugh at anyone who tries to bring life out of them. Thus, we persecute the one we ought to love….

Should we then not get used to Christ and things that relate to him because we may treat them with contempt. No! Familiarity breeds contempt when there is no love! Love makes all things new. We must back our knowledge of Christ and his Church with love. And continue to renew this love. For love not renewed grows arid. And aridity can lead to scorn and persecution.

Therefore, our love for Jesus in the Eucharist must be constantly renewed, especially through confession. We must constantly ask ourselves why we do the things we do in the name of Christ so as to get rid of all selfishness that may creep in. If not, we may try to throw off from the cliff of our lives the one who loves us so dearly and offers himself for us. We persecute the one who has come to us with the message of life and abundance of blessings. Our love, both for God and each other, must undergo constant renewal.

Our help is in the name of the Lord—who made heaven and earth.

Jude Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R (01—09—08 Archangels’ Parish Satellite Town, Lagos)

REVEALED INCLINATIONS

Today we hear the story of the rich young man who came to Jesus to ask what he must do to earn eternal life (Cf. Mt 19: 16—22). It is interesting to note that this man had been faithful to the commandments—a man who rejoices in keeping God’s law. Above all, he’s one who desires God’s kingdom, God’s righteousness—a man who wants to behold the face of God—who desires life in its fullness and wants that perfect peace that only God can grant.

But prior to this upward desire for God and his perfect peace, this man encountered within him a downward experience of emptiness, incompleteness, an unsatisfied hunger, which propelled him to seek direction from Jesus. Interestingly, he recognized Jesus as the one who has solution to his problem—the way, the truth and the life. He saw in Jesus the one through whom his heart desires can be satisfied. Jesus, the Good Master, is the one through whom the deep yearnings of his heart can be quenched.

If one misses his way and seeks direction, he rejoices when he finds it. If I have difficulty with a mathematical problem, I rejoice when I discover the solution. In the case of this young man, he was in search of the direction to heaven, but when Jesus pointed it out to him, instead of rejoicing at finding his way, he went away sad… Why?

While he was sincerely searching for the heavenly treasure, unknowingly to him, his heart was secretly attached to another treasure—the earthly wealth. Now, the inordinate desires of his heart has encountered the true longings of his life—the reason for his existence. This encounter compels him to a radical decision. The fact that he had to shed off all else in other to attain the true longings of his heart made him sad. And he preferred his earthly treasure to the heavenly peace. This decision removed him from the happiness he was searching for.

LESSON
Every now and then, we find ourselves at this place of radical encounter as we strive to satisfy our heart desires. It is a point when our inclination to earthly treasure encounters the deep seated longing for perfect peace. Prior to this encounter, our choice for heaven is covered under the shadow of self-righteousness. The inordinate inclinations of the heart remain hidden. And they sometimes manifest in a self-ordained piety. But when we approach Christ like the man in the gospel of today, His radiant light reveals how far away we are from perfect peace. We begin to see those secret attachments of our heart. At the same time, the way to true treasure—‘what I must do to attain Heaven’—is revealed to me.

This twofold manifestation of our desires, revealed by Christ the Light of the world, compels one to make a choice. However, while one is free to ‘walk away sad’ or ‘enter into peace’, this encounter with Christ immediately graces him to choose Heaven.

Jude C. Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
(Reflection given on 18/8/08 at Archangels’ Parish, Satelite Towna, Lagos)

GOOD LUCK AND HARD WORK

The successes we achieve in life, do they mostly come as a result of good luck or hard work? My Dad, Celestine Obichere Nwachukwu once said, “I believe in hard work not good luck; but if good luck comes I use it to boost my hard work.” The above statement distinguishes rather than separates the two. However, his claim implies that he had his focus on hard work, while not ruling out good luck. What should be our attitude to our successes with reference to these two orientations to reality?

A success accrues to hard work if its life wire is solely connected to a conscious and persistent working out. Here, the individual involved is the harbinger. But can we have a success that is directly proportional to the effort committed to it? As far as the answer is no, our attitude to our successes should not be solely accrued to the effort employed. There is always some sort of good luck!

Good luck, in itself, refers to something unmerited. However, it must have some bases. This cultivation ground for good luck is given by our efforts. Hard work opens up the parameter from which success emerges. Thus, hard work gives the bases upon which we embrace and appreciate good luck, which is mostly hidden under our successes. In other words, one should not fold his arms and wait for good luck to fall upon him. He must be active. However, he should never forget that there is more to his good fortunes or otherwise than his efforts. We face much anxiety when we overlook activity while focusing on its fruits.

From the foregoing, it is obvious that man is not defined by his activity or earnings. He is not a robot or beast of burden. That is why his efforts can never be proportional to the outcome. He has dignity not because he works or earns, but because he is! Therefore, his dignity can never be compared with his works. Any thought-system, attitude or action that equates a person or treats him as means to some success is an insult on human dignity. The same applies when an individual is treated as an object of pleasure. Work is meant for man not vice versa.

So, man must neither be workaholic nor lazy. He should execute his task, earn his wages and take his time-off. Success should never be targeted at the expense of a dignified life.

Yes! Man has dignity because he is. And “he is” because God is! Man is who God has made him to be. Thus, his very worth or dignity is given! In other words, we cannot divorce God from any discourse about man without arriving at a distorted view. Interestingly, “givenness”, which is rooted in God, becomes an intrinsic part of man’s existential experience. There is always something unmerited, something given or rather, good luck, which lubricates our daily quest for survival.

That is why it is commonly said that we should work as if everything depends on us, and pray as if everything depends on God. Good luck and hard work are the two sides of every success or failure we experience. A silent pause on this issue will reveal to us the inevitability of prayer in our life.

Chinwenwa J. N (My holiday reflections, July 2008)