THE HIDDEN WISDOM

Reflection for Friday of the 16^th Week in Ordinary Time, Year A

(Jer 3:14-17; Mt 13:18-23)

“Return, O faithless children, says the Lord; for I am your master...and I will bring you to Sion.” As Jeremiah called the people back to God, he explained to them the blessings they would enjoy if they turned back and followed the Lord. They Lord will give them a shepherd after His own heart, who will feed them with knowledge and understanding. In other words, a Shepherd who will open their eyes to insight and mystery! They shall increase and multiply. When that day comes, the Ark of the Covenant will not be needed anymore. Jerusalem shall be called the throne of the Lord, and all nations shall gather to it, to the presence of the Lord.

Imagine such a gathering of God’s faithful! This prophecy of Jeremiah looks into the future of Christ Jesus. He is the Good Shepherd, who opens the mind of those who come to Him in faith, and fill them with wisdom and understanding. He becomes our new Covenant through which a new Jerusalem dawns, where all peoples shall gather in the presence of God. Meditating on the Gospel of today, we see the disciples gathered around Jesus in a room as He opens their minds and hearts to the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, hidden in the parable of the sower.

As a Good Shepherd, Jesus leads them to understand how an ordinary human activity like sowing seeds in a farm can communicate a divine reality. This is hidden wisdom! It might appear simple and easy, but it is only when we ‘gather around Jesus’ that we can gain such knowledge. That is, we need Jesus to understand how the realities of our lives carry ‘Divine data.’ In other words, when we ‘return to the Lord’ as Jeremiah said, and ‘gather our lives around Him’, we will begin to see how almost every aspect of our lives, such as relationship, family, sickness and health, wealth and career, etc, have meaning for the Kingdom of Heaven. Sometimes our lives unfold like a ‘parable’ but in Jesus we find the meaning of it all.

If we execute our activities this day with the wisdom and understanding that Jesus gives, then we shall be like the seeds that were sown on the good soil, “This is he who hears the word and understands it; he indeed bears fruit, and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.” May it be so for you today through Christ our Lord, Amen!

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R

Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church,

Tedi-Muwo, Lagos.

Friday July 24^th, 2020.

www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com

For other reflections on the parable of the sower in recent past, click below:

https://nwachinwe.blogspot.com/2020/07/working-for-righteousness.html

https://nwachinwe.blogspot.com/2020/07/sowing-for-harvest.html

https://nwachinwe.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-builder-and-sower.html

THE CISTERN OF HIDDEN TREASURE

   Reflection for Thursday of the 16^th Week in Ordinary Time, Year A

(Jer 2:1-3, 7-8,12-13; Mt 13:10-17)

Another prophet has taken over the stage! From today till the end of this month, we shall be hearing from Jeremiah. I describe him as ‘a prophet par excellence.’ His message is intermingled with his life. If you pay attention to him, you cannot but fall in love with Jeremiah. He grew up during the reign of King Josiah, when Judah was at peace. But he saw the bad times coming, and warned the people, but they rejected him. He lived through the Babylonian exile and Assyrian invasion. He was exiled in Egypt and died there. Announcing destruction at a time the people thought they were enjoying peace, brought fierce opposition and sorrow to Jeremiah. He is popularly described as the suffering servant of God.

In today’s readings, Jeremiah began to remind the people the devotion of their fathers, and how they loved God and followed Him in the desert. Then, “Israel was holy to the Lord, the first fruits of His harvest.” All who hurt her was punished. God settled them in the Promised Land. But now they have defiled the land. The priests, the lawyers, the rulers, and prophets have all transgressed. They were pursuing vanity! Jeremiah announced the two evils the people committed against God: “They have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water.”

It was stubbornness of heart for Israel to knowingly turned her back on the sure source of life God gave them in the law and prophets, and instituted idols that cannot help them, and had never helped any nation. Jeremiah would continue to speak to them but their stubbornness of heart would not let them hear, instead they would persecute him. Thus, Jesus says to those who block their hearts from hearing of God’s word, God too will hide His mysteries from them! To the stubbornness of heart, the message of God will come to them in parables, such that they will have to raise their hearts and minds to understand it. Therefore, the 'parables' will help draw their heart from their self-inflicted stubbornness, and launch them into the realm of God’s mysteries. One gets humbled as he climbs through the parables to the hidden mysteries.

So the disciples, and those who have these mysteries revealed to them, are the humble and blessed. We hear and see what many prophets and righteous men longed to see and hear but did not see them nor hear them. The knowledge of God and the gracious moments we share in Him should be guided jealously, for it is a hidden treasure. Israel, carelessly threw away their good times with God, and ended up with empty cisterns that cannot hold water. As we open up our hearts to Jesus today, He assures us of an increase in His blessings, “For to him who has, will more be given.”

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R

Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church,

Tedi-Muwo, Lagos.

Thursday July 23^rd, 2020.

www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com 

"I HAVE SEEN THE LORD"

Feast of St Mary Magdalene

(Song of Solomon 3:1-4; Jn 20: 1-2, 11-18)

1.0. The Question of the Magdalene

Today we celebrate the feast of St Mary Magdalene, one of the prominent women in the Gospels. She is mentioned about twelve times in the Gospels. Magdala was a town in Galilee, where Jesus visited severally. Mary of Magdala was delivered of seven demons, afterwards, she became a follower of Jesus. She was identified among several women that supported Jesus’ ministry (Lk 8:1-3). And she watched the crucifixion from a distance and saw where Jesus was buried (Mk 15:40). Mary Magdalene was the first to witness the resurrection, and the first to announce the resurrection to the other disciples. This has earned her the title in some quarters as “Apostle to the Apostles.”

But there are some unresolved questions about this woman. Is Mary Magdalene the same as the sinful woman that anointed the feet of Jesus? (Lk 7:36-38). Maybe her taking oil to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus can make one think that the two personalities are the same. Was she the same as the woman caught in adultery? (Jn 8:1-11). Some traditions try to associate her with Mary the sister of Martha and Lazarus. Nevertheless, these were not specified in the Bible. But the fact that the Church has a saint day for Martha, and Mary Magdalene is celebrated in place of the other Marys, apart from the Mother of Jesus, gives room for the above assumptions.

2.0. “I have seen the Lord”

“Mary Magdalene went and said to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord’; and she told them that He had said these things to her.” Here is a woman who discovered Jesus along the way, committed her life totally to Him, and is now addressed by Jesus with such respect and importance! After her deliverance, she discovered the truth that is Christ Jesus, and surrendered her life totally to Him. It was in response to the love she has for Jesus that she went to anoint His body. Then she became the first to witness the resurrection.

My beloved brother and sisters, we thank God for the gift of Mary Magdalene and the example of her life. Each day gives us an opportunity to rediscover the truth of Christ Jesus and fall in love with Him anew. This brings newness to our lives, and disposes us for a deeper Divine encounter. But, Like Mary, we must be committed and be responsible to the demands that this love makes on us.

St Mary Magdalene is the patron saint of contemplative life, glove makers, converts, penitent sinners, sexual temptation,  people ridiculed for their piety, Perfumers, hairdressers, Pharmacists, tanners and women. In 2016, Pope Francis raised the level of her liturgical memory from ‘memorial’ to ‘feast.'

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R

Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church,

Tedi-Muwo, Lagos.

Wednesday July 22^nd, 2020.

Feast of St Mary Magdalene.

www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com

DOING THE WILL OF GOD

  Reflection for Tuesday of the 16^th Week in Ordinary Time, Year A

(Micah 7:14-15l 18-20; Mt 12:46-50)

One of the duties of a prophet is to act as an intermediary between God and the people, especially in delivery God’s message. He also intercedes for the people before God. And this is what our beloved prophet Micah did in the readings of today. “Shepherd your people, Lord, with your staff, the flock of your inheritance, who dwell alone in a forest in the midst of a garden land.” He begged God to feed them as He did in the days of old. Since God is the most merciful, Micah appealed to Him for compassion and forgiveness of their sins. He called unto God to continue to show faithfulness as He swore to Abraham, Jacob, “As you have sworn to our fathers from the days of old.”

In the Gospel, as Jesus was teaching the people, someone came forward and interrupted Him with the news that His mother and brethren were outside, asking to speak with Him. Following the law of ‘honour your father and mother’, we all expected Jesus to get up immediately and attend to them. Mary must have travelled far in search of her Son. The Handmaid of the Lord, who surrendered herself to the will of God in bearing the Divine Son, did not stop being a mother halfway! Her motherly instinct continued to follow Jesus. Now, she has found Him, Jesus’ response kept us thinking...

“And stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He said, ‘Here are my mother and my brethren! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother, and sister, and mother.’” Yes, and the Blessed Virgin Mary is the most qualified thereof to answer the Mother of Jesus since she surrendered totally to the will of God. “Let it be to me according to your words” (Lk 1:38). She is the mother and model of those worthy to become ‘family’ with Jesus, i.e. those who do the will of God. Obviously, it is those who seek the will of God that seek for Jesus! And those who find Jesus are those who do the will of God.

The prophet Micah sought from God His guidance, mercy and faithfulness, which are God’s will for His people. And Mary, who committed herself totally to the will of God, looked for Jesus, in whom is the completeness and fulfilment of God’s will. All who seek God with a sincere heart find Jesus in the righteous lives they lead. Our hearts race with Mary to behold Jesus when we desire truth and righteousness. And surely, we shall have peace in Christ Jesus, for all who hungers for righteousness are satisfied (Mt 5:6). Let us pray this day that the will of God be done in our lives, so that the blessings of God we need today shall flow unto us as members of the family of Jesus. Amen.

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R

Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church,

Tedi-Muwo, Lagos.

Tuesday July 21^st, 2020.

www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com

WHAT DOES THE LORD REQUIRE OF YOU?

 Reflection for Monday of the 16^th Week in Ordinary Time, Year A

(Micah 6:1-4, 6-8, 6-8; Mt 12:38-42)

Welcome to another blessed Week as we journey with Prophet Micah, who was a contemporary of Isaiah. Micah can be described as the prophet of divine justice for the inviolable rights of the poor.

In our readings today, Micah used a courtroom analogy to expose the situation between God and His chosen people, Israel. This kind of analogy involves a question and answer section, and witnesses. The prophet summons the mountains and hills to hear the debate! God questions Israel, saying, “O my people, what have I done to you? In what have I wearied you? Answer me! For I brought you up from the land of Egypt, and redeemed you from the house of bondage...” Israel’s response to this was the offering of calves and thousands of rams and oils. Micah concludes the debate by saying to the people, “And what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.”

The words of the prophet resonate in our hearts today. Once we fail in doing what the Lord requires of us, we will be pursuing self-interest and exuberance in the name of divine worship. That is why the Pharisees asked Jesus for a sign. How can an evil and adulterous people ask for a sign from God? How can we be unjust, unforgiving, greedy, proud and ask for miracles? Jesus explained that He himself is the sign. As Jonah stayed three days and three nights in the belly of the whale and became a sign for the people of Nineveh, so Jesus, the Son of man, resurrected after three days and became a living assurance that God has delivered us from bondage.

Both the wisdom of Solomon, which the Queen of the South came to seek, and the miraculous sign of Jonah for the conversion of Nineveh, all point to Jesus Christ as their ultimate Sign. But the Pharisees neglected the Saviour in their midst and were asking for a sign; a sign that would point to what? It was to entertain their curiosity. Not to us, Lord, not to us, but to your name give the glory (Ps 115:1). Micah has reminded us today that God wants something from us. And our hearts are constantly tuned to this divine requirement on us as we gaze upon the face of Jesus in meditation. As we go about our activities this Week, let us be conscious that we are in God’s presence. No matter how the days unfold, we should practice justice, love and kindness, and be humble. Jesus is in our midst; A blessing greater than ‘Jonah’ and ‘Solomon’ is here for you. Amen.

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R

Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church,

Tedi-Muwo, Lagos.

Monday July 20^th, 2020.

www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com

WORKING FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS

 Reflection for 16^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

(Wisdom 12:13, 16-19; Rm 8: 26-27; Mt 13:24-43)

1.0. Kingdom of Work

“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.” The Book of Wisdom talks about the righteous deeds with which God cares for all men and judges unjustly. Though sovereign, God works among His people, governing all with forbearance and mildness, judging justly and giving them chance to repent. Our meditation today captures this image of God who ‘works’, planting His kingdom of righteousness among us.

In the Gospel, Jesus presents three parables to illustrate how the Kingdom of God grows among us. Each of the parables uses the imagery of serious labour to convey its message. In the first He says, “The Kingdom of Heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field...” Here God is positioned as a ‘Farmer’, which involves serious work. The same goes with the sowing of the mustard seed and the kneading of the leaven with the flour. “My Father still goes on working, and I am at work, too” (Jn 5:17). In the same way, we must be dedicated people, committed to the task ahead, working out our salvation in fear and trembling (Phil 2:12). It takes persistence and time to build up a moral and righteous life. If you have placed your hand on the plough the Kingdom of Heaven and its righteousness, there is no looking back! This is how we can bear fruits for the Kingdom.

2.0. Fruit for the Kingdom

In the first parable, the seeds of the Kingdom were left to grow among the seeds of the evil one. The reason for this is that none of His righteous ones may be lost while still growing. But all will be allowed to grow to full maturity for the harvest. Then, the good ones shall be separated from the evil ones by their fruits! The Angels will gather those who produced fruits into the heavenly barn, and burn the rest.

What exactly is this fruit? The parable of the mustard seed gives us the idea. The righteousness of the Kingdom planted might be insignificant, almost unnoticed! But it grows to become a big tree that exists not just for itself, but is recognized for providing shelter to birds of the air! Imagine the great act of mercy and charity that the tree stands for, always available to all who come under its shade. The same applies to the little leaven mixed with the flour. It enriches the flour, and provides delicious meal to the hungry. The good works we do for the Kingdom of Heaven must shine before people to the glory of God (cf. Mt 5:16). There is no room for selfishness for the Children of the Kingdom.

God is still working in our lives; the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. The seeds of the evil one may want to dominate us, “But the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words.” And Jesus continues to nourish us in the Holy Eucharist. The holy Catholic Church is rich with numerous channels of grace to sustain us to bear fruit for the Kingdom. We cannot grow to full maturity and bear fruits of holiness if we do not apply the graces given us through openness to the Holy Spirit, prayer and the Sacraments. Let us be committed to the work God has started in us to produce mercy, charity, patient-endurance, humility, etc. It is on the Cross that God's great work to sow His Kingdom in our lives shines out.  Finally, Jesus said, “Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father.” Amen!

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R

Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church,

Tedi-Muwo, Lagos.

Sunday July 19^th, 2020.

www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com  

THE ULTIMATE SIGN

 Reflection for Friday of the 15^th Week in Ordinary Time, Year A

(Is 38:1-6,21,7-8; Mt 12:1-8)

 At the end of our week long journey with prophet Isaiah, today he intervenes in the sickness of king Hezekiah. At first, Isaiah the prophet informed the King that the sickness would lead to his death. On hearing this, Hezekiah turned his face to the wall, and prayed earnestly to God, and wept bitterly. God received his plea, and sent Isaiah to go and inform the King, saying, “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; behold, I will add fifteen years to your life. I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and defend this city.” Hezekiah asked for a sign to show that God will fulfill what the prophet said. Isaiah told him that the sun would turn ten steps backwards.

If we too call out to God in our distresses, He will answer us, for He sees our tears. And He has given us the greatest sign that He will attend to our pleas in the cries and tears of Jesus on the Cross, whose Blood pleads for us incessantly (Heb 12:24). But the people did not accept Him; Jesus became a sign that was rejected (Lk 2:34). Thus, we see the Pharisees in the Gospel of today, opposing Jesus, accusing Him of allowing His disciples break the Sabbath. Jesus pointed to them the examples of David and the Temple Priests of old who were never accused of breaking the law or profaning the Sabbath though they did what was forbidden. “I tell you, something greater than the Temple is here.”

Because of their hardness of heart, the Pharisees failed to recognize who was in their midst. They did not know that Jesus is the Master of the Sabbath! He is the reason for the Sabbath; the answer to the Temple worship. He is the greatest Sign that fulfills itself. Hezekiah cried to God, and He answered him. Still, he asked for extra sign from Isaiah. Now, Jesus cried for us on the Cross and God heard Him. So, in our distresses we only need to call on Jesus and our ‘cry’ will be heard. That means the answer to our ‘cry’ in Jesus already awaits us, and is assured. Therefore, we need not ask for another sign to believe. Jesus is the answer! Those who run after miracles before believing that their cries have been heard are among those who rejected Jesus as the ultimate sign.

Therefore, Jesus said, “I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.” This is what we are expected to pursue, not signs. By our acts of mercy, we wipe the ‘tears’ of others. And when we call, Jesus will surely answer and wipe our tears. Let us move forward this day in charity and confidence, the blessing of God goes ahead of us. Amen.

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R

Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church,

Tedi-Muwo, Lagos.

Friday July 17^th, 2020.

www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com