"THE TREE OF LIFE"

Meditation for Wednesday of the 5^th Week in Ordinary Time, Year B
(Gen 2:4-9, 15-17; Mk 7:14-23)

The second account of creation describes how man was formed. He is a product of the earth, formed from the dust from the ground but lives with the breath of life from God. “When you hide your face they vanish; you take away their breath, they die and return to dust” (Ps 104:29). God placed man in a garden where he could feed himself and exist freely. At the CENTRE of the garden was the TREE OF LIFE, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God gave man this one command, “You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat it, you shall die.”

The man of earth, who lives by the breath of life from God, is given freedom with responsibility for his own sake. If the life of man is the BREATH OF GOD, then physical fruit or food cannot defile him. This is the discussion we heard in the Gospel of today. Those who make laws about ‘how to eat’ or ‘what to eat’ in order to keep the spirit of God in man are mistaken. Jesus explains, “What comes out of a man is what defiles a man.”

It is clear, therefore, that our inner heart is the new GARDEN from where we live and exist freely. Two kinds of tress are identified: the good tree of life and the bad tree that brings death. The fruits we produce show the kind of tree we are feeding on. Jesus explains, “From within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, fornication, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and they defile a man.” Let us nurture the ‘tree of life’ in the garden of our hearts, and feed from there. Because we live by the Breath of God, it is only when we nourish our hearts with the ‘tree of life’ that we produce fruits of the Holy Spirit. What do you think is this ‘food of life’ that keeps us spiritually alive and undefiled?

May God give us the grace not to feed on bad fruits that defile us, through Christ our Lord, Amen.

 

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church,
Tedi-Muwo, Lagos.
Wednesday February 10^th, 2021.
Memorial of St Scholastica.
www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com

THE OFFERING OF OUR HEARTS IN WORSHIP

 Meditation for Tuesday of the 5^th Week in Ordinary Time, Year B
(Gen 1:20-2:4; Mk 7:1-13)

The creation story has two important high points: The creation of man and the creation of the seventh day! God created man in His own image, and blessed him with fruitfulness and authority over every other creature. But on the seventh day, God drew attention to Him, and kept the last day of creation to Himself. Thus, He who is the source of all creation shall be at its end! “And on the seventh day God finished His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.” So man and other creatures will not be ends in themselves, but they must continue to look ahead to the seventh that is owned by no creature but God Himself. “All creatures look to you to be fed in due season” (Ps 145:15). 

But the Pharisees and Scribes gathered together to Jesus to look down on Him and to criticize Him. They asked Him, “Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with hands defiled?” They stood before Jesus but their hearts were not with Him; their hearts were tied to the observance of the tradition of the elders and seeking human approval instead of seeking the face of God. “This people honour me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me...” since creation did not end on the sixth day, man cannot be law unto himself. However, since in Jesus God became man, Jesus Christ is ‘The First Born of all creation’ (Col 1:15), so that human observances cannot contradict the divine mandates. The blessing of man on the sixth day of creation is now completely fulfilled through Jesus Christ, who also carries within Him the fulfilment of the blessing of the seventh day of rest!

How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of Hosts! (Ps 84:1). It is beautiful to gather around Jesus; how attractive is His presence! Sometimes we come to Him, but our hearts are tied to money, human problems, or miraculous powers. Let us lift up our whole heart to Him and we shall receive answers to our prayers, Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

 

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church,
Tedi-Muwo, Lagos.
Tuesday February 9^th, 2021.
www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com 

A TINY TOUCH

Meditation for Monday of the 5^th Week in Ordinary Time, Year B
(Gen 1:1-19; Mk 6:53-56)

We begin this week’s meditations with the beautiful story of creation and the powerful story of Jesus’ healing of the sick. God spoke direct words and things came into existence. In the Gospel, we hear about a unique way Jesus healed the sick: “They laid the sick in the market places, and begged Him that they might touch even the fringe of His garment; and as many as touched it were made well.”

It appears Jesus healed them ‘indirectly’, i.e. without any direct words of healing or explicit exercise of His healing power. Now we can begin to understand the workings of faith as a supernatural gift of God. Faith is the assurance of what is hoped for (Heb 11:1). And God is present in our faith! That is why we cannot claim to believe and still remain ‘distant’ from Him; our faith must ‘empty’ us into the person of Jesus. Hence, even His silence speaks to the believer; any ‘touch’ of His presence heals. Jesus confirms the power of faith as He says to the woman that touched His cloak, “Daughter, your faith has saved you” (Mk 5:34).

Once more, imagine stretching out hand to touch the garment of Jesus and be healed without Him uttering a word! But, think about what it takes to believe that such a touch is enough to wipe off one’s problem! What a courage such a believer would have in order to step forward, piercing through the crowd to Jesus. Such a believer must be CONTEMPLATIVE in order to see holistically through the eyes of faith the divine presence available for him. A touch of the fringe of his garment becomes for us this day A COTEMPLATIVE TOUCH! When we courageously step aside to be alone with Jesus in the silence of our hearts, we shall have this ‘tiny touch’ within that heals and uplifts our souls. Amen.

 

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church,
Tedi-Muwo, Lagos.
Monday February 8^th, 2021.
www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com

THE HEALING OF HUMAN SUFFERING

 Meditation for 5^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B

(Job 7:1-4, 6-7; 1 Cor 9:16-19, 22-23; Mk 1:29-39)

Have you ever been in a situation where you feel helpless, alone or abandoned? Human suffering is inevitable. Like an uninvited guest, it sneaks in to awaken us from our vision of comfort. We are surprised at the sudden realization that the life we cherish so much is not totally under our control. The cry of suffering humanity echoes from the depths of our hearts. What is it we enjoy that lasts? Even the human life itself fades like a shadow! The lamentation of Job in the first reading of today echoes our voices in the face of emptiness, pain and sorrow. “Like a hireling who looks for his wages, so I am allotted months of emptiness, and nights of misery are apportioned to me.” Sickness and death rank highest in causing pain and meaninglessness to life.

Being aware that we are floating on this ocean of human suffering, which swiftly washes our joy and fulfilment of life away, we turn to Jesus to be saved. Hence, Peter invited Jesus to attend to his mother-in-law, who was sick with fever. Jesus took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her. It was such a complete and total healing that she served them. Imagine the hand of Jesus clasping the hand of human suffering! With the healing hand of Jesus in view, available and accessible, our every form of pain and abandonment has become reason to stretch out our hands of faith towards Jesus. Now our lamentation over our helplessness has become a prayer of hope through which we are lifted up to serve Jesus.

After healing many people and casting out demons, Jesus did not stay back to enjoy the popularity. He went to a lonely place and prayed there. To be alone with God in silence and prayer takes humility and submission to the will of God. Wrapped in this cloud of silence and prayer, we renew our strength and re-align our vision. It is within this lonely place with God that we are drawn out of the loneliness and abandonment that human suffering pushes us to. Alone with God, we feel that strong gentle divine touch that raises us up from the bed of self-agony and hopelessness of life.

Then Jesus said, “Let us go on to the next towns that I may preach there also; for that is why I came out.” With the divine touch we have received, we return back the glory to God by spreading the good news. That is why St Paul said about preaching the gospel that, “Necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel.” We must commit ourselves to the Gospel, and dispose ourselves to spreading the message with its power and salvation. “I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. I do it all for the sake of the Gospel, that I may share its blessings.” Amen.

 

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church,
Tedi-Muwo, Lagos.
Sunday February 7^th, 2021.
www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com

 

THE GREAT RETURN

Meditation for Saturday of the 4^th Week in Ordinary Time, Year B
(Heb 13:15-17, 20-21; Mk 6:30-34)

In conclusion, the letter to the Hebrews draws our attention back to Jesus, from whom we began this journey, and who was at the centre of the message of this letter. “Brethren, through Jesus let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge His name.” To remain focused on Christ Jesus, we must be men and women of sacrifice here below. And we make this sacrifice by performing good works, sharing what we have with others, and by being obedient and submissive to our leaders.

Let us meditate on the return of the apostles from their missionary journey. Jesus sent them forth two by two, and they came back to Him to render account of all they did and taught. This is a sign of obedience and submissiveness. Sometimes we channel the energy of our obedience and submissiveness in the wrong direction, i.e. to persons and situations that will exhaust and misuse them. This can only happen if we do not first surrender them to Jesus. He alone will renew and refill us, such that in submitting to Him, we do not ‘diminish.’ That is why when the apostles came back to Him, He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a lonely place, and rest a while.”

Finally, we learn from the example of the Apostles and the Letter to the Hebrews to ensure that our inner energies, intentions and actions are channeled back to Jesus and that they remain submissive to Him. The letter concluded with a prayer: “Now may the God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in you that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory forever and ever...Grace be with you all.” Amen.

 

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church,
Tedi-Muwo, Lagos.
Saturday February 6^th, 2021.
Memorial of St Paul Miki & Companions.
www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com

 

THE HIGHEST VALUE

 Meditation for Friday of the 4^th Week in Ordinary Time, Year B
(Heb 13:1-8; Mk 6:14-29)

After weeks of journeying with the Letter to the Hebrews, we are now at the concluding section. We are reminded of the values we must cherish and sustain. These include, brotherly love, hospitality to strangers, visit to prisoners and care for the less privileged. “Let marriage be held in honour among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled; for God will judge the immoral and adulterous.” Further, we are advised to avoid greed for money, rather we should be content with what we have since God does not forsake those who put their trust in Him. And we should remember the men and women of faith, who preached the word of God to us.

Yes, these values will give meaning to our lives and keep us secure in Jesus Christ. Imagine such a shallow and negative life Herod and his household soaked themselves into as they pursued vanity! They tried to satisfy their empty lives and secure relevance at the expense of John the Baptist’s life! This is the kind of wasteful living the Letter to the Hebrews wants us to avoid. As the message and works of Jesus brought to life the ‘voice’ of John the Baptist, so also the life of Jesus keeps alive those who live for Him. Therefore, let us abide in Jesus, and hold on to Him as our highest value. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Amen.

 

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church,
Tedi-Muwo, Lagos.
Friday February 5^th, 2021.
Memorial of St Agatha.
www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com

 

THE CITY OF GOD

Meditation for Thursday of the 4^th Week in Ordinary Time, Year B

(Heb 12:18-19, 21-24; Mk 6:7-13)

As we are gradually rounding up our meditations on the Letter to the Hebrews, it is important to reflect on the great mystery of Christ we are being called to. Looking that the trials and discipline we are expected to embrace in faith, one may begin to wonder if it is worth it at all! But whatever we endure here now cannot be compared with the glory to be revealed for us. “You have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire...But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem...” What a glorious presence! Imagine you being found worthy to be invited to enter such a beautiful and awesome presence? Your soul would rise to its highest contemplation and be suspended in the bright glorious presence of God.

What we are called to participate in faith is a festal gathering of innumerable angels; an assembly of those enrolled in heaven, where everyone is a first born. Yes, it is a coming together of the spirits of just men and women made perfect; a place where God Himself is the judge. We are being called to Jesus, “The mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks more graciously than the blood of Abel.” What then can delay our response? What obstacle, trial or discipline can we not overcome to dwell in this glorious presence of God, where the Blood of Jesus bleeds for us!

In the Gospel, Jesus sent out His disciples two by two to spread this good news. Think about how He ‘stripped’ them of every distraction; such that the meditations of their hearts should not be on bread, bag, money, clothing, accommodation, relationships, or people's praises or rejection. The ultimate contemplation of their hearts must be on the Word of God and its authority. This, too, is how we move forward in faith, despite all challenges, to enter Mount Zion, the city of God, and abide in His glorious presence. Amen.    

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church,
Tedi-Muwo, Lagos.
Thursday February 4th, 2021.
www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com