7th Sunday of Easter Year A By Tobe Eze

JERUSALEM

7th Sunday of Easter Year A

FIRST READING
Acts 1:12—14

SECOND READING
1 Peter 4:13—16

GOSPEL
John 17:1—11a

THEME: LET US GO BACK TO JERUSALEM.

After all said and done, returning is the best. East and West, home is the best. After Jesus had been taken up to heaven the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey away. In my school, when holidays are coming closer, the joy of going back to my root always becomes excess. I always long to go back to my home where the journey started. In today’s readings, we are called to make a bold step back home. The examples of this journey are the apostles who went back to Jerusalem after the ascension of our Lord. They went back where they started the journey with the Lord. Jesus left them when they needed him most. We can remember when we were small or children should tell how they feel when our or their mothers leave to go for a place without us or them. But they realized that when this door closes, another will open immediately. They listened to the inner voice that reminded them of the promise of Jesus. I will send you the Holy Spirit. We always come back to ourselves when we go back to the house and meet our other brethren. We forget about our mothers that time. Moving back to the rightful place is the best move we can make in life. Continue Reading

It is very much important that we should ask ourselves some questions in our lives so that we may find reasons to go back, where we are going back to and what we will see there. But the first question we should ask ourselves is, where are we? Then other questions will follow. Why should we go back? Where is the Jerusalem? And what can we see there?

Where are we right now? I remember when I was a little boy, whenever I go out when I was not expected to go out, I will never feel comfortable, or when I go to the place I do not suppose to go or whenever I am doing what I do not suppose to do, there will no spirit of comfortability in me. I will be afraid that my parents or my elder brothers or sisters will find out. Whenever you notice that the place you are is not giving you the full joy it should give you, then you should rethink. The place you are either is not the place you should be or you are not doing the right thing there or you are there at the wrong time. Try and find out the problem.

Why should we go back? Man naturally needs happiness. Anyplace we are and the place is not giving us the happiness we need as happy beings, then we should leave the place immediately and look for the best place God prepared for us. When we know that we are at the wrong place, the best option is for us to leave, run before it will become too late for us. Go back to your root. As a married man, leave all those married and unmarried women that destroy your family, as a married woman leave those married and unmarried men making your family to be hell fire for you, as a young man please leave those single and married women that are blocking your destiny. It is not that person that you are pointing at that holds your destiny. Go back to Jerusalem and you will see your destiny there. As a young women, no person is bewitching, you are the problem, leave every unclean life and go back to Jerusalem. All of us, we should leave all those men and women who are misleading us. They are evils. They reason why we should leave is because none of them is helping us.

Where is that Jerusalem? Some of us have left the place where we should be and now to locate it again is becoming a serious problem. I met one man sometime around July 2016 who have divorced his wife for over two years and he was telling me how the children were giving him troubles. When I asked him about his wife, he said “if it is about that one, for her “. I got interested in the case and continued to persuade the man to talk. After narrating the problems he thought were only from the wife. I made him to understand that he was no more in Jerusalem. Our Jerusalem may be our homes, schools, places of work, Church, market places etc. Being in Jerusalem is all about being in the place you suppose to be at the proper time. Being in Jerusalem is all about obeying the word of God and accepting every situation in our lives. Going to our God and no going to any other thing. Doing good and being a truthful person in any situation and at any point in time and life.

What can we see there? After reconciling the man with his wife. Around October, he called me to thank me for taking him and his family back to Jerusalem. When I went to visit them during Christmas 2016, they were adoring me like God. They said that they have seen reasons why they should stay always in Jerusalem for everything good is in there. The apostles did not leave Jerusalem and there they received the Holy Spirit on the Pentecost day.

As we prepare and wait for the Holy Spirit, let us remain in our various Jerusalem if we are there, and if we are not there, let us run, and run back to it for there the Holy Spirit will meet us.

THANKS AND HAPPY SUNDAY