One Man should Die for All

 Reflection for Saturday of the 5^th Week of Lent

(Ezekiel 37:21-28; Jn 11:45-57)

Today we round up the 5^th week of Lent. In our readings this week, there was heated debate between Jesus and the Jews about His origin and identity. They refused to accept His divine origin and His identity as the Messiah. But Jesus would never compromise nor deny His Origin or identity. So they accused Him of blasphemy and made several efforts to arrest or kill Him but they did not succeed because His hour had not yet come. By next week He will freely surrender Himself.

Today, we hear how the council of the chief priests and Pharisees had their final meeting to strategize on how to kill Jesus. It was an emergency meeting, which was prompted by the most outstanding miracle of Jesus: the raising of Lazarus! What ought to be a good news or a reason to convince them, became the very reason they must silence Him. The meeting was chaired by Caiaphas. The agenda for the day was summarized: “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and destroy both our holy place our nation.” Everything was done in a hurry; there was an urgency to do away with Him. Their kings revolt, their rulers plot together against the Lord and against His anointed...(Ps 2:2).

 

“You know nothing at all; you do not understand that it is expedient for you that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation should not perish.” The Chief Priest was prophetic in his utterance though his intention was malicious. For the prophet Ezekiel in the first reading announced that God will gather His people as one under one king, and remove all their defilement. “But I will save them from all the backslidings in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.” According to the prophet, this promise of restoration will be founded on an everlasting covenant of peace with the people...So as the leaders hurriedly conspire against the Lord, God was using them to quickly fulfill His plan of salvation. Upon Christ Jesus will lie the burden of gathering the Children of God.

The Children of God thus saved, must abide in Christ Jesus with such urgency as the elders concluded in their meeting today. “They were looking for Jesus and saying to one another as they stood in the temple, ‘What do you think? That He will not come to the feast?’” At a time like this, it is expedient that we look for Him. In Him lies the restoration we yearn for. The promises given through the prophet Ezekiel today shall be ours if we pray and imitate Jesus in our lives. Next week, we shall enter in to the solemn celebration of the realization of our salvation in Christ Jesus.

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R

Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church,

Tedi-Muwo, Lagos.

Saturday 4^th April, 2020.

My birthday!!!

SPIRITUAL COMMUNION

My Jesus, I believe that you are really here in the Blessed Sacrament. I love you more than anything in the world, and I hunger to feed on your flesh. But since I cannot receive Communion at this moment, feed my soul at least spiritually. I unite myself to you now as I do when I actually receive you. Never let me drift away from you. Amen.

----St Alphonsus Liguori

Escaping Persecution

Reflection for Friday of the 5^th Week of Lent

(Jer 20: 10-13; Jn 10:31-42)

“The Jews pick up stones to stone Jesus.”  Imagine Jesus in the midst of those angry faces, armed with stones. This lingering debate about the origin and identity of Jesus had hurt their pride. Grudge and rage covered their minds. Only the blood of the innocent could satisfy them. The situation of Jesus in today’s reading was captured by Prophet Jeremiah, ‘“Denounce him! Let us denounce him!’ say all my familiar friends, watching for my fall.”’ But the Prophet announced that such plan will fail and the persecutor shall stumble. He cried out, “O Lord of hosts, who tests the righteous, who see the heart and the mind, let me see your vengeance upon them; for to you have I committed my cause.”

Despite the danger before Him, Jesus began to speak to their conscience. Since they would not listen to the evidence of His works nor the explanations He gave, maybe their conscience would convince them. “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of these do you stone me?” The Jews answered, “We stone you for no good work but for blasphemy; because you, being a man, make yourself God.” Jesus made further appeal to their conscience that even scripture addressed those who heard the word of God as ‘gods’, how much more the One who came from the Father. Further, He tried to make them understand that He and the Father are working together, so they should focus on the works for them to understand. “...Even though you do not believe me, believe in the works, that you many know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.”

“Again they tried to arrest Him, but He escaped from their hands.” That means their conscience too was infected by their pride and grudge. They persecuted Jesus based on His person—His origin and identity—not for any wrongdoing, neither against the society nor religion. This kind of rage can be seen whenever we face racism or tribalism. It is dangerous to have a closed mind—refusing to be corrected or enlightened. This can lead to picking up stones against the innocent!

The escape of Jesus from those stones is the victory of the innocent. Faith in Jesus, even in the face persecution, is our escape root! This can come about if our heart and mind are fed by Jesus' teaching, and our consciences are formed by His word. The Prophet Jeremiah already saw this victory coming, “Sing to the Lord; praise the Lord! For He has delivered the life of the needy from the hand of evildoers.”  Amen.

 Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R

Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church,

Tedi-Muwo, Lagos.

Friday April 3, 2020

ABRAHAM’S BLESSINGS

 Reflection for Thursday of the 5^th of Lent

(Gen 17:3-9; Jn 8:51-59)

BEFORE ABRAHAM

God created man in his image and likeness, and man had his will absolutely united with God. It was a peaceful life in the garden, without fear or death. God needed no covenants to relate to man. But the devil tricked man, and he misused his freedom and chose to pull his will from God. He disobeyed and sin entered with death! Before Abraham, there was need to save man from swimming in sin and ending in death. God, in His love and mercy, had a plan to save man and restore him to perfect unity with the Trinity.

WITH ABRAHAM

God inaugurated the plan of salvation...He called Abraham to accept a pilgrimage of faith by going to the Promised Land. By dwelling there in faith, Abraham was to form a new human race, who would live by faith and thus they would become God’s chosen people. Now God had to relate to man by covenants. In other words, God had to attract man’s free consent by offering him promises sealed in His name! In today’s reading, God said to Abraham, “Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations...I will make you exceedingly fruitful...and kings shall come forth from you.” This covenant was applicable to his descendants throughout their generations.

ARE YOU GREATER THAN ABRAHAM?

In today’s Gospel, the Jews used the case of Abraham to argue against Jesus’ origin and identity. Jesus continued to point to them that He is divine, but their obsession as descendants of Abraham would not let them hear. He said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.” Before Abraham, God had a plan to save man from the domain of death. And Jesus came to fulfill that plan and bring to completion the journey that was inaugurated with Abraham.

Jesus reminded them that Abraham looked forward to seeing the fulfillment of the promised God made to him. “Your father Abraham rejoiced that he was to see my day; he saw it and was glad.” Now Jesus shook the very foundation on which their argument was based. As their temper was rising they asked him, “You are not fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” He answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”

Immediately they attempted to stone Him. Their rejection and persecution of Jesus was because they had already made up their minds on how the Messiah should be based on their own interpretation and tradition. But God’s gift of salvation was conceived even while Adam and Eve were still hiding in shame from God. And whenever we want to think out our lives for God without being open to His divine will, we too will pick up stones against Jesus. Our duty is to keep to His word; death will never be our destination. The Blessings of Abraham, and much more than that, awaits us in Christ Jesus. Amen!

Fr Jude Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R

Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church,

Tedi-Muwo, Lagos.

Thursday, April 2^nd, 2020.

SPIRITUAL COMMUNION

My Jesus, I believe that you are really here in the Blessed Sacrament. I love you more than anything in the world, and I hunger to feed on your flesh. But since I cannot receive Communion at this moment, feed my soul at least spiritually. I unite myself to you now as I do when I actually receive you. Never let me drift away from you. Amen.

----St Alphonsus Liguori

“You will be Free Indeed”

Reflection for Wednesday of the 5^th Week of Lent

(Dan 3:14-20, 24-25,28; Jn 8:31-42)

The Burning Fiery Furnace

The description of the furnace was apt. That was the tool with which Nebuchadnezzar threatened the faith of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. His boost had no human equal. “But if you do not worship, you shall be immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace; and who is the god that will deliver you out of my hands?” This pride is in everyone who thinks the life of somebody is in his hands! The three young men gave the king the shock of his life and would not compromise their faith. Not just that, to the King’s embarrassment they added, “But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image which you have set up.” A worship that is forced is false! 

What does it look like to profess such a faith in the presence of a giant idol, a burning fiery furnace and a proud king? It is like Jesus in the garden foreseeing His passion. True faith feels the heat of persecution but remains firm. God sent His Angel to deliver the three young men. The furnace burnt in vain, the king was humble, and idol remained lifeless without recognition as the kingdom acknowledged the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego!

 “The Truth will make you Free”

As the debate about the origin and identity of Jesus continued among the Jews, Jesus addressed those that believe in Him saying, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” We all want to live free. But if our freedom in the hands of another person, can we be truly free? So the Jews disagreed immediately that they are descendants of Abraham and cannot have their freedom in the hands of anyone, which would imply being in bondage.

Freedom is elusive. We easily misuse and abuse it. But God gave man freedom so that he can render true worship. Thus, freedom is a spiritual reality, which we be enjoyed only when we in truth. False life or sinful life, will take away our freedom. Hence Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not continue in the house forever; the son continues forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” Jesus is the Truth (Jn 14:6), and as such, He is the custodian of our freedom. The Jews were obsessed with the fact that they are descendants of Abraham, and idolized their origin.

As Nebuchadnezzar did to the three young men, the Jews persecuted Jesus for standing firm on the truth that He is the Son of God and the one in whom we are free. There are so many idols in our world today to demand our time and allegiance. There are different ideologies that call for followership. And we have leaders who claim that our freedom is safe in their hands, etc. If the words of Jesus become the energy within our hearts, we will remain firm in His truth, and then He will set us free from any kind of fiery burning furnace in our life.

Fr Jude Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R

Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church,

Tedi-Muwo, Ojo, Lagos.

Monday, March 30^th, 2020. 

 SPIRITUAL COMMUNION

My Jesus, I believe that you are really here in the Blessed Sacrament. I love you more than anything in the world, and I hunger to feed on your flesh. But since I cannot receive Communion at this moment, feed my soul at least spiritually. I unite myself to you now as I do when I actually receive you. Never let me drift away from you. Amen.

----St Alphonsus Liguori

WHEN I AM LIFTED UP

Reflection for Tuesday of the 5^th Week of Lent

(Num 21:4-9; Jn 821-30)

1.0.      They Lost Patience

In the midst of their hunger and thirst, the Israelites became impatient and lost faith. They turned against God and Moses. Losing patience means they could no longer wait on the Lord to answer them at His own time, and continuing to trust that He would answer them. Their hunger inspired them to desire a God who would be at their disposal, and not vice versa. It is not possible for man to withdraw his heart from God without turning it against God. It is either God is the friend or the enemy; the solution or the problem! Whenever we lose patience and refuse to see God as the Solution, we will accuse Him of the problem... “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness?”

Since they claimed God brought them out to die, fiery serpents became the answer to their impatience. They saw death and repented of their blasphemy. So God asked Moses to set up a bronze serpent as a sign; “And if a serpent bit any man, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.” Thus, this sign would remind them of how they provoked God, and at the same time draw God’s mercy to them.

2.0.      “Who are You”

The Pharisees continued to interrogate Jesus about His identity since they set themselves to oppose Him. They refused to acknowledge His divine manifestations and teachings, which indicate that He is the Messiah. So Jesus said to them, “I told you that you would die in your sins, for you will die in your sins unless you believe that I am He.” With their closed minds, they continue to ask him, “Who are you?” Then Jesus answered, “When you have lifted up the Son of man, then you will know that I am He...”

“As Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of man be lifted up so that everyone who believes may have eternal life” (Jn 3:14-15). His life and identity would be explained by His death! Those who refused to believe will see His death and acknowledge Him. “The Centurion, who was standing in front of him, and had seen how he had died, and he said, ‘In truth this man was Son of God’” (Mk 15:39). Lifted up on the Cross, He will remind us of our rebellion against God through sin, and at the same time, draw God’s mercy upon us.

This Lenten season we look upon the Cross of Jesus. Sin bites like the fiery serpent; our impatience takes us to the wrong turn in life. We are solution-oriented people, so we can easily lose faith when the answers are not forthcoming. The sight of Jesus crucified speaks to our conscience and brings healing to our body and soul. Thus, as the Son of man is lifted up, our hearts go with Him, and we are uplifted above the world, its temptations and struggles.

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R

Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church,

Tedi-Muwo, Lagos.

“Neither do I Condemn YOU”

 Reflection for Monday of the 5^th Week of Lent

(Dan 13:41-62; Jn 8:1-11)

The readings today tell the story of two women in the face of their accusers. Susanna, who was innocent, was accused by two unrighteous elders. The woman in the Gospel was caught in the every act of adultery by the self-righteous Scribes and Pharisees. Susanna remained faithful to God, and would not compromise her moral standard. Daniel, with divine wisdom, saved Susanna from the false accusation, and the two elders received the punishment they prepared for her. They laid a snare for me in my path, but fell in it themselves (Ps 57:6). When people have made a sinful act their way of life, they wittingly and aggressively lure others to their side. Those who resist are persecuted.

  

But the woman caught in adultery was guilty as charged. For the self-righteous Scribes and Pharisees, her sin was her immediate condemnation. And exposing her would hide their own guilt. So while they conserve the sin, they sentence the sinner. It is more important to them that the sinner is stoned than the sin eradicated. Thus they dragged the woman along...This always the approach of the unrighteous and secularism.

  

“And placing her in their midst they said to him, ‘Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery.’”  Their concern is about This woman, not The act of adultery! Their interest is not to promote righteousness but to institutionalize their hypocrisy, which Jesus had condemned severally and openly. So they used the woman as bait to catch the bigger fish! Their intention was to stone the woman for adultery and stone Jesus for contravening the law...

But Jesus gave them a surprise response: silence! “Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground.” His holy presence permeated through to their hearts. They found themselves summoned and ‘arrested’ by such powerful presence, yet calm and silent. “I, the Lord, search the heart, test the motives, to give each person what his conduct and his actions deserve” (Jer 17:10). Jesus raised His head and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” “For God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but so that through him the world might be saved” (Jn 3:17). Seeing how unfit they were to judge and condemn, Jesus gave an opportunity to repent and be saved. Instead they choose to drop the stones and walk away. Oh, how I wish they dropped the stones and remained with him, sitting side by side with the woman!

“And Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him.” The unrighteous woman standing before the Righteous One... It was a great moment of expectation. She had seen those heavy stones targeted at her, received insults and abuses and felt her end had come. This kind of fear and desolation describes the life of a sinner until he meets Jesus. And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and do not sin again.”

Therefore, Jesus condemned the sin but saved the sinner, unlike the hypocrites that saved the sin but condemned the sinner. It was as if the woman got her life back from the grave like Lazarus! After the encounter, both Susanna and this woman would live in gratitude to God, who becomes the centre of their lives. Jesus saves!

Fr Jude Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R

Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church,

Tedi-Muwo, Ojo, Lagos.

Monday, March 30^th, 2020.

Living Free in the Resurrection

Reflection for 5^th Sunday of Lent Year A

(Ezekiel 37:12-14; Rm 8:8-11; Jn 11:1-45)

 Introduction

Death is the big loss! Burial ceremony is an important cultural identity, and a means by which we express our desire for life. The loss of grace and its resultant life of sin is the field in which death grows. The wages of sin is death (Rm 6:23). Life appears sweet and rosy till the cold hand of death surfaces. So we struggle to stay alive! The burden of death is the one yoke man cannot handle by himself. The more we grow in self-awareness that human life is calibrated, the more we deepen our knowledge of our activities and seek for better ways to survive. Let us know the shortness of our lives that we may gain wisdom of heart (Ps 90:12).

And all who have gained this wisdom reach out to God for solution just as the sisters of Lazarus sent message to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is ill.”

  

The Journey to the Grave

“Let us go back to Judea...Our friend Lazarus is at rest; I am going to wake him.” Lazarus must have felt the agony of human weakness as sickness ravaged his body. Seeing his body give way to lifelessness was painful for him and those around him. In wisdom they reached out to Jesus who alone has power to cure sickness, and prevent death. And that was where their faith reached. Man by himself cannot perceive a remedy to death except by revelation. However, Jesus did not show up! We could perceive their utmost disappointment that Jesus did not come to prevent the death of Lazarus. This was another agony for Lazarus and his sisters. The silence of God in the face of human suffering is a mystery beyond measure. It is like the closure of churches in the face of global pandemic!

But the Prophet Ezekiel in the first reading announced that God will raise his people from the grave. So the journey to the grave, with all its terror and pain, will end in futility. “And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people.” The journey of Jesus to the grave of Lazarus was to fulfill this prophecy but through the grace of Jesus’ own journey to His grave. In his own journey to the grave, Jesus felt the pain, agony, the silence of God and the terror of death, just as Lazarus felt. It was in anticipation of His own journey that He stood with such authority before the grave of Lazarus!

“I am the Resurrection”

Martha, Mary and the disciples believed strongly that Jesus could have prevented the death of Lazarus. They believed in the resurrection, but as an event suspended and kept for another phase of existence. “I know he will rise again at the resurrection on the last day.” That means till then, death remains the known finality. Then the prophecy of Ezekiel would remain hanging... That implies our present life will be overwhelmed by the fear of death. But Jesus introduces Himself in a new way to them as the remedy.

  

“I am the resurrection. Anyone who believes in me, even though he dies, will live...” Thus, the resurrection is a person! He is alive and present. Jesus the Resurrection makes His life available for us to participate in through faith. The Resurrection is present. It is the life we share in Christ Jesus (cf. Phil 3:10). This faith dissolves the power of death and dispels the darkness of the grave.

“Unbind Him, let Him go Free”

Jesus answered Martha, “Have I not told you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” He gave thanks to God, and with a loud voice, called out Lazarus from the grave. As he came out Jesus said, “Unbind him, let him go free.” Death tries to hold us down with the bandage of fear. Whenever we live merely to escape death, or just to increase the number of our years, we simply exist within the confines that death marked for us. If our faith in Jesus remains only at the level where we see Him as the One who can prevent death and elongate our years, such faith will be weak and be filled with agony. Jesus has set us free by giving us opportunity to share today in His life of the Resurrection.

Therefore, St Paul enjoins us to live lives pleasing to God. That means we cannot allow the flesh or earthly desires to rule our lives. We should recognize the indwelling of the Spirit, which makes us belong to Christ Jesus. The Prophecy of Ezekiel is fulfilled, “And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live.” Thus St Paul assures us, “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 his Spirit who dwells in you.”

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R

Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church,

Tedi-Muwo, Ojo, Lagos.

Sunday 29^th March, 2020.

 SPIRITUAL COMMUNION

My Jesus, I believe that you are really here in the Blessed Sacrament. I love you more than anything in the world, and I hunger to feed on your flesh. But since I cannot receive Communion at this moment, feed my soul at least spiritually. I unite myself to you now as I do when I actually receive you. Never let me drift away from you. Amen.

----St Alphonsus Liguori