GENEROSITY CARRIES US ALONG

Meditation for the 13^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

(2 Kg 4:8-11, 14-16; Rm 6: 3-4, 8-11)

A heart that loves will always have a strong impulse to be generous. The beauty and mystery of generosity shines out when it comes out freely from the heart without any external compulsion. We see this in the first reading where a rich woman was inspired to offer Elisha hospitality as he passed by. She perceived that Elisha was a prophet and followed up her instinct with generosity, for “Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law” (Rm 13:10). Charity is the manifestation of the divine love among us. The woman’s act of charity germinated from her faith in God. Since she recognized Elisha as a man of God, her act of charity becomes a divine embrace for her. Every genuine charity flows from God and returns back to Him. And her act of charity continued to grow. From offering refreshment to the prophet, she prepared a room where Elisha and his servant could stay anytime he passed by. As charity grows stronger in the heart of the giver, it spreads and carries the giver along. At the end, God answered the prayer of the woman through Elisha, who said to her, “At this season, when the time comes around, you shall embrace a son.”

 

Wealth has a magic way of turning our attention ‘inwards’, locking us up in selfishness. How come this wealthy woman was able to look ‘outwards’ and consider the needs of Elisha? It is because of her faith and love of God, which she expressed through her generosity. According to the second reading, since through baptism we were buried with Christ into His death, so also, we shall live with and walk in the newness of life. Jesus’ self-donation is the greatest act of generosity. Having received such generosity through baptism, we too must consider ourselves dead to sin, dead to attachment of wealth, and alive to God in Christ Jesus. It is by our acts of charity that we live out and testify that we are alive to God in Jesus, and not to wealth in selfishness.

 

When the divine life in us prompts us to charity, the response must show a love greater and stronger than any human relationship. It is only when our lives are sowed like seed in Christ Jesus can they germinate to fullness of life and blossom in peace and serenity. Jesus says, “He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake will find it.” True generosity is a way we deny ourselves and sow our lives in Jesus. And every act of charity performed to the glory of God must be rewarded, even if it is a cup of cold water given to these little one because he is a disciple of Jesus, not for any other reason. This is the generosity that carries us along, and brings answers to our prayers. Charity is the silent way God cares for us and answers our prayers. He who sows sparingly shall reap sparingly; and he who sows bountifully shall also reap bountifully (2 Cor 9:6).

 

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R

Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church,

Tedi-Muwo, Ojo, Lagos.

Sunday July 2, 2023.

www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com

 

THE MARVELOUS FAITH

 THE MARVELOUS FAITH

Meditation for Saturday of the 12^th Week in Ordinary Time

(Gen18:1-15; Mt 8:5-17)

It was a beautiful moment when Jesus accepted the request of the Centurion about his dying servant, saying, “I will come and heal him.” But in his humility and faith this Roman official said to Jesus, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only say the word, and my servant will be healed.” Jesus marveled at the faith of this man, and praised him. Many of the people who came to Jesus wanted to see signs or some demonstrations before they could believe. But this Centurion believed in the Person of Jesus as one whose has authority over time and space, such that whatever He declares must surely happen accordingly. And this authority is attributed only to God. The awesome faith of the Centurion sees the sickness of the servant from the lens of the divine authority of Jesus. From this view, the sickness ceases to be a huge problem since only one word from Jesus can wipe it away!

However, in the first reading, Abraham’s encounter with the three turns the other side of the coin of faith. The Lord said to him, “I will surely return to you in the spring, and Sarah your wife will have a son.” Over hearing this, Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I have grown old, and my husband is old, shall I have pleasure?” Then, the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh…Is anything too hard for the Lord?” Sarah’s sarcastic laugh was due to the fact that she viewed the problem from the lens of her human weakness, which is so limited and incapable of solving the problem.

 

Immediately, we can see the two sides of the coin of faith and the difference each makes. When confronted with life challenges and we present them to the Lord in prayer, our faith will look out for the answer either from the power of God, of which it was said that nothing is too hard for the Lord, or from our personal merits and capabilities, which are so limited and weak. As we follow the example of the Centurion, Jesus says, “God; let it be done for you as you have believed.” Amen.

 

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R

Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church,

Tedi-Muwo, Ojo, Lagos.

 Saturday July 1, 2023.

www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com

 

“I will; be clean”

Meditation for Friday of the 12^th Week in Ordinary Time

(Gen 17:1, 9-10, 15-22; Mt 8:1-4)

Let us meditate briefly on the beautiful encounter between Jesus and the leper as given in today’s gospel. As Jesus stepped down from the mountain, a leper knelt before Him, saying, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” Surprisingly, Jesus went against the religious and cultural practice of the time by stretching out His hand and touched the leper. He said to the man, “I will; be clean.” Immediately the man was cured. Think about that divine touch that healed the man; see that holy and spotless hand that left its imprint on the sore spots of the leperos man! The touch of Jesus was soft and gentle, silent and calm, yet it was firm and powerful, and transforming. It was a victorious touch that transformed the man. Once more, think about that courageous touch that defied all barriers and prejudices to remove the man’s shame…

 

Looking back on the story of Abraham, we read how God reassured Him of the promises and made a covenant with Abraham. As a mark of the covenant, God said to him, “Every male among you shall be circumcised.” The mark will be an imprint that would differentiate the chosen people of God, who would benefit from the covenant. This covenantal mark of ownership becomes a prefiguration of the indelible baptismal seal that will differentiate people of the new covenant. Through this mark we are qualified to receive the divine touch of Jesus, which He readily makes available for us through the Sacraments of the Church. The divine touch of Jesus brings in us such effects as exemplified in the leper.

 

Therefore, let us humble ourselves in adoration before Jesus, and present our needs and situations to Him by lifting up our hearts and minds to Him in prayer, saying, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” He responds to us prompts with His words and action—form and matter—giving us a total and complete healing, saying, “I will; be clean.” Amen.  

 

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R

Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church,

Tedi-Muwo, Ojo, Lagos.

Friday June 30, 2023.

www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com

 

HOW TO IDENTIFY WOLVES IN SHEEP CLOTHING

HOW TO IDENTIFY WOLVES IN SHEEP CLOTHING

Meditation for Wednesday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time

(Gen 15:1-12,17-18; Mt 7:15-20)

At a time like this, the words of Jesus in the gospel of today are ever timely because there are so many self-acclaimed prophets, evangelist, pastors, etc in every city. Even in the ordinary practice of the faith, wrong approaches to faith and distorted spiritual exercises abound. How can we differentiate and identify wolves in sheep’s clothing? Jesus warns, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits.” What kind of fruit does true faith produce?

Let us meditate on the experience of Abraham as given in the first reading to understand the kind of fruit that differentiates and reveals a true prophet and a true believer. It appears the old man was wondering whether he had believed wrongly or not. So, Abraham began to question God, saying, “O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” The Lord brought him outside and asked him to number the stars, saying, “If you are able to number them, so shall your descendants be.” Abraham believed what the Lord said, and this faith was reckoned to him as righteousness. Thus, the FRUIT OF FAITH is evident. That means true faith re-produces itself in oneself when practice rightly, and in others through the works of the true prophets. 

Further, Abraham asked for a sign to show that he and his descendants shall possess the land that God promised him. The Lord asked him to offer a SACRIFICE acceptable to him. The accepted the sacrifice in the form of a smoking fire and a flaming torch. “On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, ‘To your descendants I give the land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river of Euphrates.” Thus, the fruit of a true faith will always be a pleasing sacrifice offered and acceptable to the Lord. This can vary from simple acts of charity to endurance and forgiveness, up to a life of participation in the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross. 

These are ways we can identify and differentiate the numerous wolves in sheep’s clothing. At the end Jesus says, “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will know them by their fruits.” Amen. 

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R

Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church,

Tedi-Muwo, Ojo, Lagos.

Wednesday June 28, 2023.

www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com

UNLOCKING ABRAHAM’S BLESSINGS

Meditation for Tuesday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

(Gen 13;2, 5-18; Mt 7:6, 12-14)

Let us meditate on how the teachings of Jesus in the gospel of today can unlock Abraham’s blessings for us. He says, “So whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them; for this is the law and the prophets.” It is surprising how easily we wish to be treated differently from the way we threat others. It is only when we consider the good of others first, or when we put ourselves in their shoe before acting that we can treat them as we wish to be treated. This is justice and fairness. Much more than that, it brings about what the law and the prophets try to establish. Hence, it creates such an environmentthat unlocks heavenly blessings.

 

The dramatic story in the first reading talks about the conflict between the herdsmen of Abraham and those of Lot. Abraham resolved the conflict by asking Lot to choose first the grazing area he considered best. This is a typical example of threatening others as you would like to be threatened. This singular gesture did not diminish Abraham, instead God was pleased with and him. “The Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, ‘Lift up your eyes, and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward; for all the land which you see I will give to you and to your descendants forever. I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth.”

 

Let us try to reduce selfishness today by thinking a little bit more about the welfare of others. Sometimes we place justice in front, demanding that people must be worthy and qualify to merit our kindness and love. But true justice and fairness shines out when we consider the good of others and the common good. It is like passing through a narrow gate, full of discomfort and discipline but leads life. Yes, this narrow gate of considering the good of others will definitely unlock Abraham’s blessings for us. Amen.

 

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R

Saints Peter and Paul Catholic,

Tedi-Muwo, Ojo, Lagos.

Tuesday June 27, 2023.

www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com

 

THE LOG AND THE SPECK IN OUR EYES

Meditation for Monday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time
(Gen 12:1-9; Mt 7:1-5)

The human mind is the seat of judgement. Our basic mode of reasoning takes the form of judgement and making choices and arriving at a conclusion. It appears practically impossible for someone to apply reason on issues without making judgement about them. Thus, when Jesus says in the gospel of today, “Judge not, that you be not judged”, it appears he is asking us to ‘suspend’ reason about what we perceive. But listening further, He says, “For with the judgement you pronounce you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get.” To pronounce judgement is to ‘conclude’ for others, and attempt to ‘determine’ the fate of someone. That means the one who raises the measure of his judgement as an objective standard for others has automatically accepted to subject himself to that same standard.

 

Obviously, our subjective views are not clear enough to see through another person’s whole intention and actions to conclude their life. We hardly see enough of ourselves; how can we claim to have perceived ourselves completely of others! It is hypocritical to abandon the log in one’s eyes while noticing the speck in his brother’s eye. That is why the example of Abraham in the first reading will forever remain fresh in our hearts. He demonstrated clearly in his obedience of faith to God’s instructions that God is all knowing, and he ‘reasoned’ out his journey in favor of God’s will.

 

Thus, Abraham embarked on the journey of faith without seeing the whole picture; without knowing what it would take or where it would end. He journeyed on with the same energy and confidence, “still going towards the Negeb.” This is how the ‘judgment of faith’ carries us forward beyond the limits of the ‘judgement from self’. This self-based rationalizing is usually blind to the self and completely biased against others. The judgment it produces cannot take us far. But when faith is the light of reason, our vision of life pierces through to the heavens and our horizon is endless. Then, we journey on; and like Abraham who became a source of blessing to others, we lead them to the right path. Instead of judging and condemning others, we inspire, uplift, encourage and bless them to continue their journey of life in the path of God’s will. Amen.

 

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R

Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church,

Tedi-Muwo, Ojo, Lagos.

Monday June 26, 2023.

www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com

 

“TO WHOM SHALL WE GO?”

 “TO WHOM SHALL WE GO?”
CMO RETREAT
ST ANN, PPL, LAGOS
Saturday June 24^th, 2023
(Jn 6:68)

The verse is taken from Jesus’ teaching about His Body and Blood, saying, “If you do not eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink His blood, you have no life in you” (Jn 6:53). It was a difficult teaching for the people, a deep mystery that was hard for them to understand. Many of them got confused, for they were holding on to the technical, rational and logical understanding of the message, in addition to their cultural and religious prohibition on eating blood (Lev 17:10). While many of the Jews outrightly did not believe Him, but many of disciples, who earlier believed in Him turned their back on Him (Jn 6:64-65). However, Jesus did not bend His teaching to suit them nor begged them to stay, instead He turned to the twelve apostles and said to them, “What about you, do not want to go away too?” Peter answered, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the message of eternal life, and we believe; we have come to know that you are the Holy One of God” (Jn 6:67-69).

 

In our society today, there is so much confusion in every aspect of our lives. We are facing economic crisis, socio-political crisis, family life and marriage crisis are increasing. The new age moral issues are intoxicating our younger generation. Can men of this generation confidently claim that they are the head of their families or they have been reduced to mere ‘bread winners’? There is a new wave of spirituality spreading across, so loud, so exciting, so compelling but with little content and value; bringing little or no conversion and union with God. In the midst of these confusion and attack on the mysteries of faith, ‘To whom shall we go?’ It may be easy to take the shortcut and walk away and remain in our self-enclosed ideas and ways of life. This can lead to frustration and depression as we continue to circle around the confusions of life. Some others have settled for the most convenient and easy approaches to life and faith, rejecting every imprint of the Cross of Christ, they get drowned in the euphoria a life of pleasure and affluence that is not stable nor enduring. Thus, we have people of this generation, who easily walk away at the slightest difficulty or discomfort. Lacking patience, they wander like sheep without shepherd, dwelling only on the surface of the message and events around them, instead of exploring deeper to understand the mysteries of life.

 

The Christian fathers of today must rise to the challenge. We have the example of Simon Peter and the other apostles to go by. They equally did not have an in-depth knowledge of what Jesus was teaching about the Eucharist. But they stood on the existing relationship of faith they had with Him, and placed their trust in Him over and above their ego. Their vulnerability at placing their faith in Christ became their courage in the face of the confusion of their lack of understanding of the mysteries. Knowledge gives us power—power to control what we have mastered. But for the apostles who remained, confidence in Jesus became their knowledge, for they have come to know that He is the all-knowing! Thus, the act of choice-making is already decided in Christ Jesus. That means the Christian Fathers must have confidence in Jesus as Peter did. This is the assurance they have in the midst of the confusions and crisis of our time. If we are not resolute in Jesus, how can we be resolute in the face of the difference voices that is appealing to us! This is so important especially in the face of the huge family responsibilities father are expected to undertake.

 

“To whom shall we go?” echoes our yearning for understanding of the present situations each of us experiences, and it exposes our incapacity to resolve perfectly all the crisis before us and ahead of us. However, as Christ’s faithful, it becomes a rhetorical question since we have already acknowledged Jesus as the answer. Therefore, “To whom shall we go?” becomes an expression of our reaffirmation of faith and trust in Jesus as the only we must follow. It becomes important that Christian Fathers of today must re-align their steps to follow Jesus more closely, despite the many broad and easy ways the world suggests. The worldly alternatives do not give lasting solution, instead the end up creating more confusion and they lead to destruction. The Christian Father who imitates Jesus closely becomes a good guardian and bread winner of his family, leading like a good shepherd on the pathway of love, peace, forgiveness, unity and progress. Such a man must avoid the distraction of the essay ways that lead to ruin, such as anger, violence, life of pleasure, laziness, prayerlessness, etc. Hence, “To whom shall we go?” echoes our rejection of the easy ways that are not of Christ, no matter how popular or alluring they may be.

 

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R

June 24, 2023.