THE MARK OF THE RESURRECTIOIN

THE MARK OF THE RESURRECTIOIN
Meditation for 3^rd Sunday of Easter, Year B
(Acts 3:13-15, 17-19; 1 Jn 2:1-5; Lk 24:35-48)

The readings of today talk about forgiveness of sins as the grace of the Resurrection. In the first reading, Peter explained the Resurrection as the work of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The children of Abraham rejected the one whom the God they claim to worship anointed! That means their mindset, ways of life, choices, etc are in opposition of the God and that of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. However, they followed the wrong track in ignorance but that brought suffering to Christ. Nevertheless, the prophets foretold that the Christ should suffer. The resurrection conquered the suffering caused by their ignorance and at the same time fulfilled the promise of God since Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. “Repent, therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out.”

In other words, the sufferings of the Cross reveal the ugliness of sin; the resurrection exposes its ignorance and uselessness. Accepting the good news of the Resurrection implies leaving behind the ignorant and useless sinful ways follow Jesus as the right way. The grace of the resurrection gives us opportunity to change our ways and be counted anew as Children of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. That is why the second reading talks about how we are to remain as those who have accepted this message of the resurrection and know Jesus. “And this is the way to be sure that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.”

In the Gospel Jesus appeared to the disciples to clear their doubts and prove to them that He has risen. The resurrected body is really human, yet he passes through closed doors in His divinity. He explains that His resurrection fulfils the law and the prophets, which includes that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead. “And that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in His name to all nations.”

If the wages of sin is death, it means victory over death that is caused by sin cancels out the effects of sin, and at the same time, reveals its worthlessness. The resurrection is the ultimate call to repentance. It is an invitation to participate in the righteous life of Jesus, with the power to live fully human and enjoy divine graces. Repentance removes the obstacle of sin so that we live out fully the life of the new man, Jesus Christ. It is the mark of the resurrection we touch today. Repentance makes us feel the healed scars of sin on the Body of Christ, the Church. Alleluia, Christ is risen as He said, Alleluia!

 

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church,
Tedi-Muwo, Lagos.
Mother’s Day
www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com

 

THE TRIAL

Meditation for Passion Sunday, Year B

The Pharisees and the Elders made several efforts to arrest Jesus. His ministry was punctuated by these ‘attacks’ to bring him down. Most times, the fear of the crowd who rallied around Him scared them away. The more He escaped, the more the opted their game. Towards His passion they became more direct, having convinced the people that Jesus was blaspheming by calling Himself the Son of God, the Messiah (Jn 10:33-36). The more Jesus explained through His teaching that the Scriptures witness to Him as the Son of God, the more they found Him ‘guilty’. The more He performed miracles to show that He and the Father are one, the more their fury boiled because more people were beginning to believe Him! The Chief priests and the Elders had already condemned Jesus but looking for whatever pretence they could to justify their plot against Him (Mk 14:1). Finally, their opportunity came when Jesus was arrested at the garden of Gethsemane.

“They led Jesus to the High Priest; and all the Chief priests assembled, with the elders and the teachers of the law” (Mk 14:53). What kind of trial did they organize for Jesus since they had already made up their minds? They started digging out for evidence to support the accusations, even those that came up to speak defeated themselves by conflicting witnesses (Mt 14:55-59). What next since all the evidences could not convict Him? They High Priest and the Elders were at the verge of self-defeat and shame! Then the High Priest stood up in the midst of the crowd and questioned Jesus. First, he asked Jesus to comment the allegations brought against Him. But those allegations conflicted themselves and failed! So Jesus was silent. Secondly, he asked Him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?” Jesus answered, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Most Powerful, and coming with the clouds of Heaven around Him. The High Priest pretended to be shocked at the answer, tore his garments to stir up the people against Him. And it worked. They began to spit on Jesus and beat Him (Mk 14:60-65).

The High Priest and the Elders were put to trial by their own jealousy and hatred; their gang up against Jesus exposed their wicked hearts. When they taught they had gotten what they wanted, they realized immediately that they had no power to sentence Jesus to death, only the civil authorities could do so. Therefore, they took Jesus to Pilate. But Pilate was a Roman Governor, who cared less about issues of Jewish religion. He was only interested in collecting taxes and maintaining order. The issues tabled by these religious leaders had no legal relevance, not to talk of death sentence! In his mind, Pilate had already set Jesus free but was looking for whatever pretence he could use to allow Jesus to go.

The real trial was now between Pilate and the Sanhedrin, each struggling to outwit the other and have the upper hand! Pilate was shocked to discover that Jesus was not interested in the ‘freedom’ he was offering, neither was He interested in the ‘condemnation’ the Sanhedrin was pushing for. Pilate found himself losing the battle, his authority had no relevance to Jesus, and the crowds and Sanhedrin were rejecting his power too. Pilate made a last minute attempt to win the favour of the crowd, since it was obvious that Jesus would not answer him, and the High Priests and Elders had made up their mind. He offered to sentence Barabbas, the man who had hurt the people, and set Jesus, the King of the Jews, free. Seeing that Pilate wanted to outsmart them by having the crowd to his side, the Chief priests blackmailed him and stirred up a riot. Now, Pilate’s position as governor was on trial, while the pride of the High Priest and the Elders were on trial! The crowds always follow what appealed to them as the ‘popular demand’ for the moment.  But Jesus remained silent and calm; He was making a free offering of Himself to the Father (cf. Mk 15:1-20).

In life we go through this kind of trial. We may be drawn to follow the path of Pilate, conscious of our ego, power and influence, thinking we have power to give freedom to others. We may be on the path of the jealous Sanhedrin, being selfish, lustful, competitive, greedy and unsatisfied. At times we want to cheer the crowd with no responsible conscience, and no personal commitment. Oh, how easy it is to hide under the ‘crowd’ to commit evil without being personally accountable for it. However, we still have Jesus standing quietly, innocent and free, knocking at the doors of our hearts, inviting us to His wounded side, where we freely offer ourselves to the Father through Him, with Him and in Him, forever and ever! Amen.

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church,
Tedi-Muwo, Lagos.
Sunday March 28^th, 2021.
Palm Sunday
www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com

 

ST JOSEPH, MOST OBEDIENT & PILLAR OF FAMILIES

ST JOSEPH, MOST OBEDIENT & PILLAR OF FAMILIES
 Retreat talk to Satellite Denary CMO
(Mt 1:16-25, 2:13-23; Lk 1:26-27, 2:1-7, 21-28, 41-52)

1.0.         OBEDIENCE OF ST JOSEPH

St Joseph was an excellently obedient servant of God. His form of obedience is not just in mere observance of the law; he shares in Mary’s form of obedience of to God. St Joseph is an epitome of obedience because he gave way for the will of God in his life, i.e. he did all he could never to obstruct the will of God. While Mary totally surrendered herself the will of God, Joseph totally gave way for what God had pre-destined to happen. Joseph appeared like resolute man, who knew what he wanted; a determinate man, who was strong enough to execute his plans and bring about his desired result! He was a man of action, who spoke by his works. Yet, he was a man of God, who would never resolve what would displease God, and was ready to execute what God commanded. Thus, his virtue of obedience lies in his faith and relationship with God.

St Joseph was a faithful son of King David’s lineage. He seemed to have embodied the hope of an eternal dynasty from the house of David; he was duly recognized as ‘of the house of David.’ He was a worthy son, a man that was down to earth with his family heritage, and was found worthy to stand in the name of his ancestor, David! Where David was recognized as a man after God’s heart, his lineage son, Joseph grew to become ‘father’, a man who dwells with God! So Joseph was faithful to the great virtues that characterize the hope of an eternal dynasty in the house of David. He was a chaste man, just, hardworking carpenter, quiet man, respects women, fears God, sensitive and attentive.

St Joseph was obedient even to civil authorities. He obeyed the directive of Emperor Augustus Caesar to go to his native town of Bethlehem for census. Despite the inconveniences of making the long journey since Mary was due for delivery, Joseph obeyed the civil directive. It appears he travelled at the very dateline because of his low financial status and the inconveniences of travelling with a pregnant woman. That was why he could not get accommodation in the inn. He was also obedient to the religious laws of the time. This is obvious as he went with Mary to dedicate the Child according to the temple rules. And every year, he would lead Mary and Jesus for an annual pilgrimage to Jerusalem.

St Joseph’s act of obedience shines out the most in his encounter with the angel, through a dream. He obeyed the message of the angel to take Mary home as his wife. He obeyed when the angel told him to name the child, Jesus. He obeyed when told in a dream to escape with the child to Egypt, even without any definite time-frame to return. He obeyed when asked to return. These were no easy moments for him, but he obeyed. Surprisingly, he even obeyed promptly and completely! Such level of humble and unreserved response can only come from a man who lives under God’s commandments.

2.0.  ST JOSEPH, PILLAR OF FAMILIES

Pope Leo XIII declared St Joseph the patron and protector of the universal Church, the earthly family of God, in his encyclical, “Quamquam Pluries” on August 15^th, 1889. God found him worthy to preside over the household that the Saviour would come from. St Joseph became an essential link through which the hope of Israel in general, especially the hope of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and the hope of an everlasting dynasty in the name of David, would be find their fulfilment. Thus, he became the PILLAR by which the hope of Israel towers to its fulfilment in Christ Jesus. In turn, St Joseph stood firm like the PILLAR by which the Holy Family is rooted in socio-cultural and religious life of Israel. In other words, he gave the divine Son his cultural identity and upbringing; he gave him a ‘take off point’ to begin His ministry. Jesus would be called, ‘The Son of Joseph’ (Mk 6:3). And ‘Son of David’ (Mt 15:22, 21:9; 2Tim 2:8) became a messianic title for Jesus. “How can the Scribes maintain that the Christ is the son of David?” (Mk 12:35).

According to Pope Leo XIII in ‘Quamquam Pluries’ No. 3, “Hence it came about that the Word of God was humbly subject to Joseph, that He obeyed him, and that He rendered to him all those offices that children are bound to render to their parents. From this two-fold dignity flowed the obligation which nature lays upon the head of families, so that Joseph became the guardian, the administrator, and the legal defender of the divine house whose chief he was. And during the whole course of his life he fulfilled those charges and those duties. He set himself to protect with a mighty love and a daily solicitude his spouse and the Divine Infant; regularly by his work he earned what was necessary for the one and the other for nourishment and clothing; he guarded from death the Child threatened by a monarch's jealousy, and found for Him a refuge; in the miseries of the journey and in the bitternesses of exile he was ever the companion, the assistance, and the upholder of the Virgin and of Jesus. Now the divine house which Joseph ruled with the authority of a father, contained within its limits the scarce-born Church. From the same fact that the most holy Virgin is the mother of Jesus Christ is she the mother of all Christians whom she bore on Mount Calvary amid the supreme throes of the Redemption; Jesus Christ is, in a manner, the first-born of Christians, who by the adoption and Redemption are his brothers. And for such reasons the Blessed Patriarch looks upon the multitude of Christians who make up the Church as confided specially to his trust - this limitless family spread over the earth, over which, because he is the spouse of Mary and the Father of Jesus Christ he holds, as it were, a paternal authority. It is, then, natural and worthy that as the Blessed Joseph ministered to all the needs of the family at Nazareth and girt it about with his protection, he should now cover with the cloak of his heavenly patronage and defend the Church of Jesus Christ.”

As the pillar, St Joseph was not an absentee father. He was readily available, both in the difficult times and joyous times. His fatherhood was concretely expressed in his having made his life a service to the mystery of Incarnation and to the redemptive work connected with it. His devotion to his family is a model for fathers today, who are easily tempted towards allowing disordered attachments to pleasure distort and hinder their dedication to their family. St Joseph was a reliable and trustworthy guardian of the holy Family. According to St Francis de Sales, St Joseph was the custodian of the hearts of Jesus and Mary, the grace of love that he received from the Holy Spirit makes him a participant of all the goods Mary possessed, and which made them grow marvellously to perfection.

The Church continues to recommend St Joseph as patron of fathers. Family life today appears to be threatened. We have more things to tear us apart than to unite us; there are several forces battling against unity in the home.  Many fathers are gradually losing their capacity to make binding commitments. We see from St Joseph how a person’s virtuous and spiritual life translates into a pillar that supports others. Joseph is like a mustard seed sown that grows into a big shrub (Mk 4:30-32). Let us embrace St Joseph today; seeking his intercession and learning from his example. Our families shall stand secure on Jesus Christ, who is the Cornerstone from which we rise as supporting pillars of God’s household. Amen.

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
St Ann Catholic Church,
PPL, Okokomaiko, Lagos.
CMO DENARY LENTEN RETREAT
March 27^th, 2021.
www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com

 

VINDICATION FROM TERROR

Meditation for Friday of the 5^th Week of Lent

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

The tension is rising! The hour of Jesus is closer at hand, and the gang up against Him is thickening. The prophet Jeremiah captures the mood of the moment in the first reading. “I hear many whispering. Terror is on every side! ‘Denounce him! Let us denounce him!’ say all my familiar friends, watching for my fall.” Jeremiah’s ordeal was fulfilled in Jesus, who faced such fierce opposition from the Jews. The prophet entrusted the situation to God, who vindicated him and his accusers ended up in dishonour.

While some believed Jesus, the anger of those who opposed Him superseded.  It is difficult for one to reject Jesus and still remain neutral about Him; they all end up persecuting Him. So those who would not accept Jesus as the Son of God took up stones to throw at Him. Jesus began to explain to them how the Scriptures and His works bore witness that He is the Messiah, the Son of God. He told them that if the works are not of the Father, then they should not believe him. But if they recognize the works as coming from God, even though they do not believe in Him, “Believe the works that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” By performing works that only God can do, like raising Lazarus from death, is a self-evident proof that Jesus is divine.

After all the explanations, the Jews tried again to arrest Him, but He escaped from their hands.  After this, many people believed in Him. His adversaries were covered with shame, but they continued to re-strategize on how to arrest Him. So when we are surrounded by enemies, bound tight by tension, fear, temptation and sin, let us quickly surrender to Jesus. He is our Vindicator! We do this by focusing our God-given responsibilities of the day, and living out the will of God for us in every situation. This was how Jesus conquered His adversaries by focusing on the works of the Father. In His name we too shall be vindicated. Amen.

 
Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church,
Tedi-Muwo, Lagos.
Friday March 26^th, 2021.
www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com

HOPE IN THE ANNUNCIATION

Meditation for the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord

Today we recall the annunciation of the Lord Jesus Christ to the Blessed Virgin Mary. We celebrate with great solemnity that moment in human history when the Divine Son of God took flesh in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary. We rejoice and are glad, for the almighty has done great things for us!

The Annunciation of the Lord was faintly heard even at the dawn of creation when God announced the coming of a new order through the woman, which would crush Satan. “I shall put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; it will bruise your head and you will strike its heel” (Gen 3:15).  The development of the Annunciation of the Lord followed henceforth throughout the history of Israel. In God’s covenant with Noah, the universal Covenant was pre-figured. When He announced His covenant with Abraham and his descendants, hope the Annunciation of the Lord was sown in the patriarchal lineage. Moses was a prominent figure whose life, and the role he played, left more to be desired for the coming generations. He became a pointer to the Holy One who mediates for His people before the Father. He was the leader, in whom was hoped for the Messiah who would lead the people to freedom in the eternal promised land. Moses, the law-giver, longed for the perfect covenant that would not be broken. “If you really believed Moses, you would believe me too, since it was about me that he was writing” (Jn 5:46).

In David, the Annunciation of the Lord began to grow as a royal dynasty that would last forever. Yes, we longed to see the everlasting sovereign dynasty for all peoples. In the prophets and the priesthood, the Annunciation of the Lord was awaited in their call for justice and righteousness; the Holy One to come, the vindicator and the Lord the righteous judge was longed for, and the great Sign of salvation was expected.  Isaiah told Ahaz, “Ask a sign of the Lord your God...Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign. Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Is 7:10-14). Hope in the Annunciation of the Lord came very close in Zechariah, Elizabeth and John the Baptist!

However, in the Blessed Virgin Mary the Annunciation of the Lord was no more a hope suspended in the unknown future; the Annunciation of the Lord became a reality! How glorious is Gabriel the harbinger of good news; how beautiful is Mary the receiver of good news. The moment she offered her great YES to the will of God, the Annunciation of the Lord breaks in from an unknown future into the reality of humanity. No more shall humanity hope in vain; no more shall we go without hope! (cf. Rm 5:5). How happy is the Blessed Virgin Mary who was given the most exalted honour of receiving God in such an extraordinary way. Let us echo her ‘yes’ to the will of God in our lives that the grace of the Annunciation, which Mary has in full, shall be poured into our hearts. Amen.

 

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church,
Tedi-Muwo, Lagos.
March 25^th, 2021.
Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord.
www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com

THE AUDACITY OF FAITH

Meditation for Wednesday of the 5^th Week of Lent

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

Today we meditate on the beautiful and powerful story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. These faithful men resisted the persuasion of King Nebuchadnezzar to worship the golden image he set up. We see in the developing story our battle with temptation and sin.

Nebuchadnezzar was full of himself; his pride was all over him. “But if you do not worship, you shall immediately be cast into a burning furnace; and who is the god that will deliver you out of my hands?” In his voice, we hear the AUDACITY of evil; the pomposity with which temptation floods our hearts and minds. The voice of sin is always self-confident; giving assurance without hope! Refer back to the audacity with which the serpent addressed Eve (Gen 3:1-5). “Sin speaks to the sinner in the depths of his heart...” (Ps 36:1).  Imagine the roaring voice of the King as he tried to convince the three young men. Compare it with the relentless attraction with which temptation pulls us to sin! This roaring voice gives the impression that resisting its suggestion would lead one to unnecessary pain and agony. It takes one with a burning fiery faith like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to resist the self-imposing influence and empty promises.

The audacity of faith is tested as it stands firm against the pomposity of evil. Such a faith hopes completely in God, surrendering itself fully to the will of God. “If it be so, our God, whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O King. 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.” The King was angry and threw the men into the furnace. Sin and temptation always try to prove a point as you resist them, which is part of the trick to convince you, even at the last minute, to give in. The fury of evil always attempts to take away the freedom and life of the children of God.

But faith in God wins! The silent power of faith silences the roaring voice of evil. At that moment, sin and temptation vanish like smoke. The faithful are saved; the evildoers testify. Hence, Jesus declared, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” Jesus’ word anchors us on His person that we might follow Him in faith. Therefore, our Christian faith becomes the way we surrender totally to Jesus, in whom we fulfil the will of God. In this way, we do not surrender to the audacity of an alluring evil and we fear no threat of any burning furnace. Jesus said, “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 makes you free, you will be free indeed.” Amen.

 

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R

Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church,

Tedi-Muwo, Lagos.

Wednesday March 24^th, 2021.

www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com

 

 

 

THE PATTERN OF THE NEW COVENANT

The Pattern of the New Covenant

 Meditation for the 5^th Sunday of Lent, Year B

(Jer 31:31-34; Heb 5:7-9; Jn 12:20-33)

“Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with house of Israel and the house of Judah...” The people of Israel transgressed against the commandments and broke their covenant with God. The prophet Jeremiah announced a new covenant, which shall be unique and different. It shall be a covenant written on their hearts, not on the tablet of stones. That means the covenant shall be part of their lives, and it shall become the principle of their existence. And knowledge of God will be part of their existence, for each shall know God from within him. It is only a fool that says in his heart that there is no God (Ps 14:1). Thus, the hand of God shall be evident in their lives. Therefore, their sins shall be forgiven. “I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sins no more.”

If sin that caused the breakdown of the earlier covenant can be wiped out in the new covenant, it means that the SUSTENANCE of the new covenant is not on the individual sinner. We hear from the second reading that Christ is the source and sustenance of the new covenant. In His body in the flesh, Jesus offered up supplications with tears to God for us. Though He was Son, He learnt obedience through His suffering and death. God raised Him,  and made Him perfect and the source of eternal salvation to all who obey Him. Thus, Jesus becomes our entry into the New covenant in Himself.

 In the Gospel some Greeks came to look for Jesus. These were among the Gentiles, who were accounted sinners and unbelievers. For these people to desire the Messiah implies that the universal salvation of Jesus is already at work. Hearing their coming to look for Him, Jesus said, "The HOUR has come for the Son of man to be glorified." The great hour for the new and eternal covenant is the hour of the Cross! This too is the hour the sinner dies to sin that he might live with Christ. "Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit." This is the PATTERN with which Jesus saved us on the Cross. 

Thus, the pattern in which we are saved is now prescribed to us as the way of life! This is so beautiful. Hence, the covenant ìs mingled with our lives; we must always die to ourselves so that the grace of the resurrection will come alive in us. This too is the pattern with which we follow Jesus; our pattern of worshipping and serving God with our lives. If we die with Him, we too shall be glorified in Him. Therefore, we must resist the temptation to be self-absorbed, living for ourselves and trying to save our lives! We must begin to surrender ourselves by allowing Jesus to draw us to Himself. 

"When I am lifted up, I shall draw all men to myself." We see how we are pulled to Christ, the source and sustenance of the new covenant, my living out the pattern of the Cross. In this way, the prophecy of Jeremiah is fulfilled that the new covenant shall be written in our hearts. By dying with Jesus like a grain of wheat, we rise with the blessings of the Father to build up families, relationships, businesses, education, moral life, prayerful life, etc. And our sins our washed away, through Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R

Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church 

Tedi-Muwo, Lagos.

Sunday March 21st, 2021.

www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com