2nd Sunday of Easter Year C. (Divine Mercy Sunday). By Tobe Eze

2^nd Sunday of Easter Year C. (Divine Mercy Sunday).

First Reading

Acts 5:12-16

Second Reading

Revelation 1:9-11a, 12-13, 17-19

Gospel

John 20:19-31

THEME: ALL IN MERCY

The Psalmist shouted this in Psalm 130:3, “If you O Lord should mark our guilt, Lord who would survive? But with you is found forgiveness.” All we have and are on this earth, we got from the mercy of God. Judging us with merit, we are doomed but judging us with mercy, we are redeemed. Jesus did not come to suffer, die and resurrect just to show us that he has the power to do that but because of his mercy, love and charity on us who are in bitter pain from the fall of the first Adam. Continue Reading.....................................

Easter Day – The Resurrection of the Lord. Year C. By Tobe Eze

Easter Day – The Resurrection of the Lord. Year C.

First Reading

Acts 10:34a, 37-43

Second Reading

Colossians 3:1-4

Gospel

John 20:1-9

THEME: A NEW DAWN

Alleluia! Obiligo, Jesu akpogburu n’ elu obe, onye mmeri.

Since after the fall of man in Genesis 3, humanity have suffered the sorrow of not seeing the salvation God planned for us before the foundation of the world (1 Peter 1:20 and Ephesians 1:4). The world has been waiting for a time to be released from this sorrow but it seemed it was not coming. Many prophets came to give humanity hope of this salvation. During Christmas, the hope was fulfilled through the birth of Jesus Christ. He came but the people he met did not recognize him. He did many works which were not the primary purpose of his coming. He did that to clear the ground for the main work though many did not notice it. Before the coming of Christ, animals were the victims of sacrifice and that made it impossible to gain that salvation prepared from of old. It was necessary for another thing greater that animal to make way for the salvation of man. Going through the scriptures, we can notice that there was a trace of human sacrifice as it appeared in the gospel reading of 3^rd Sunday of Lent (Luke 13:1-9). This human sacrifice and animal sacrifice could not bring the salvation because all of them are imperfect. A perfect being was needed and Jesus willingly submitted to do it for us, not for his own salvation but for us. We took forty days to journey with Christ in the wilderness and today we are back to the shore of the river for it is a new dawn for humanity. The light that dispenses darkness has come and we are happy. Continue Reading..............

Holy Saturday. Easter Vigil Year C. By Tobe Eze

Holy Saturday. Easter Vigil Year C.

First Reading: Genesis 1:1-22

Second Reading: Genesis 22:1-18

Third Reading: Exodus 14:15-15:

Fourth Reading: Isaiah 54:5-14

Fifth Reading: 55:1-11

Sixth Reading: Baruch 3:9-15, 32-4:4

Seventh Reading: Ezekiel 36:16-17a, 18-28

Eighth Reading (Epistle): Romans 6:3-11

Gospel: Luke 24:1-12

THEME: THE STONE HAS BEEN ROLLED OUT.

Some persons can be very religious in life. A certain woman during a burial (Christian burial), was sharing food. It happened that the food was not enough, she did not eat. After about 50 minutes or one hour when the food has finished, a woman came looking for food. When she was told that there was no food left, she finished the woman who shared the food up. There is nothing bad on earth that the woman did not rain on her fellow woman. Even when people tried to explain to her that the woman herself did not eat, she did not listen but was seriously barking. She told her that that is how they eat church money that poor people have contributed, that hell is now their birthright. After the whole thing, she left. What touched all of us who where there was, the woman that was insulted was just smiling and did not say anything. Continue Reading.....................................

GOOD FRIDAY. THE LORD’S PASSION. By Tobe Eze

GOOD FRIDAY. THE LORD’S PASSION.

First Reading

Isaiah 52:13-53:12

Second Reading

Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9

Gospel (Passion)

John 18:1-19:42

THEME: WHO’S FAULT?

I may not necessarily analyze the readings of today, I want to take another route which still has connection with the readings but not explicit. A man caught a life bush rat and covered it with a local basket in the kitchen, locked the kitchen door and left for somewhere. His two little sons were at home. The first knew about the bush rat but the second was not aware of it. The second one was hearing a strange sound in the kitchen and went and called the first one to tell him what was happening. He told him what was there and warned him not to go near it. He accepted. After a long time, the first son asked the second son. Will it not be good if we play with that rat? Continue Reading.............................................

Holy Thursday. Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper By Tobe Eze

Holy Thursday. Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper

First Reading

Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14

1 Corinthians 11:23-26

Gospel

John 13:1-15

THEME: DO YOU REALIZE WHAT I HAVE DONE FOR YOU?

There are three significant celebrations this night. Today Christ the Lord instituted two sacraments and the act of love or charity that gives them beauty. He instituted the sacrament of the Holy Orders and the sacrament of the Eucharist, then lastly, he commanded us to love. To show love to one another.

These three signs today are mysterious in nature and mystery is something beyond human understanding. We use faith to believe in mysteries. From the three reading, we can see the manifestations of these three gifts to us. Continue Reading...........................

WHO IS IN CHARGE? By Tobe Eze

WHO IS IN CHARGE?

Many persons have their different reasons for doing different things. In life, what pleases me may not please another but there are things that are generally accepted. One of those things that are generally accepted is “freedom”. Everyone wants to enjoy freedom. This freedom is understood differently and that is why many are making serious mistakes in life. One of the heart breaking ways by which people understand freedom these days especially by the youth is the idea of “cultism”. Many youth think that by joining cult, they will enjoy their freedom and control others, far from that.

It breaks the heart to hear every now and then that young men and women are being shot down (to death) almost on daily bases. Relations are shooting themselves because they belong to different groups. Some enter these groups because one or two stupid reasons like; so that people will fear them, so that they will force respect on themselves, so that they will be protected (if there is protection) and so on.

The problem here is that some of them do not check the other side of the whole thing. One will enter a group willingly but cannot leave the group willingly and people are still trooping in. one will enter a group to be feared and protected but you live in perpetual fear. When the person sees a Hilux or related cars, the person will start running. Once the person hears a siren, the person will be uncomfortable. Once the person hears a sound, the person will be distressed. Is this not a perpetual fear? If you are joining a group for you to be in charge of an area and you end up being afraid of any movement in that area, are you still in charge? Some do not go home again, perpetual running. They have gone to a journey of no return, what they would have avoided.

There is nothing that is good as living without fear. Some young men and women do not follow or work in an open places because of this trend of cultism. We can still help ourselves. It is not too late. Before we think of doing anything, let us check the ups and downs of that particular thing and it will pay us better than jumping into something that we will regret forever. Let us shun cultism for it makes us slaves and denies us our freedom. If you join it, you are no longer in charge of anyone or anything, things and people will be in charge of you, if so, tell me “who is in charge”! Thanks.

Tobe Eze (DAN~HILL)

Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion Year C. By Tobe Eze

Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion Year C.

At the Procession with Palms.

Gospel

Luke 19:28-40

At the Mass

First Reading

Isaiah 50:4-7

Second Reading

Philippians 2:6-11

Gospel

Luke 22:14-23:56

THEME: THE EXULTATION OF THE WORLD AND THE EXULTATION OF GOD.

There are two ways one can be exulted and two of them are manifested in the readings of today. The first gospel at the procession is telling us about the exultation human beings give to people and the latter development in life. The second reading at the mass talks about the exultation God gives to those who are humble through the example of Christ. There are some things that are made available for us to attain that humility that will give us exultation from God and those things appeared in the first reading. It is true that there may be ups and downs in the part of righteousness, many who have exulted us may turn to be against us but the joy of the Easter will be greater than the sufferings of Good Friday and this appeared in the gospel (Passion) at the mass. Continue Reading..................

HUMAN CAPITAL. By Tobe Eze

HUMAN CAPITAL.

From experience, I have noticed that some have turned everywhere they see a student of students in churches where reflections and homilies are given. Some through their advice make some students to know of evils that did not even know of them before. Borrowing from my brother Ugwuanyi Joseph Obumnaeke, “A student needs money more than advice”. Investing on human beings sometimes seems very difficult for what people are turning to be now. People are now biting the fingers that are feeding them. But that should not make us to stop it for there are still many good ones we can help. Anyi ama ji maka mgbagbu yara ogu.

Some rich men and women are scattered everywhere around us and we still have poor serious youths wasting around us. What is happening? Is it that the youth are not good to be helped or the rich do not like to help? Let us watch this problem very well to know how to tackle it for it is destroying our community and life.

Think of a brilliant young boy in the village that the family is finding it difficult to have their three square meal everyday. When you ask him his class from the window or glass of your car, when he answers ss2, you will shout “Wow!” You are there already. You will give him series of advice, preaching without any referential content. When you go to the university, behave yourself there, when you know there is no WAEC money. Or another boy who has finished learning work but no money to start his own, you will tell him, when you start your own, try and be going to shop on time and go home late. And so many persons who have different potentialities but no one to help them to put them into actualities.

Logical Positivist in Analytic Philosophy made it clear that for any statement to be meaningful, it must have a referential content. I am now saying that, for any advice from the rich to the poor must have a referential content for it to be helpful. Let us build people and they will in turn build others and life will continue in that spirit and our world will be better. Though some may disappoint, but greater number will do good. Build human beings so that, they will build others for it is the best. Thanks.

Tobe Eze (DAN~HILL)

5th Sunday of Lent Year C. By Tobe Eze

5^th Sunday of Lent Year C.

First Reading

Isaiah 43:16-21

Second Reading

Philippians 3:8-14

Gospel

John 8:1-11

THEME: THE LOVE OF GOD ON HUMANITY.

A man after so many years of being a Catholic, temptation came through his son. His second son fell sick, the sickness was very serious that people told him that it was caused by spiritual power. Many advised him to go to a native doctor, others to a prayer ministry and others to chapel and booking of mass. As a strong catholic, he started with booking of mass and chapel but things were not turning to be good, he latter went to prayer ministries that their Parish Priest asked them not to go, things were not also getting better. Lastly he went to a native doctor who made the boy to be well. The boy got healed but they were made to promise that they will continue to sacrifice to the god of the native doctor till the end of the life of the boy. Continue Reading................................

4th Sunday of Lent Year C. (Laetare Sunday) By Tobe Eze

4^th Sunday of Lent Year C. (Laetare Sunday)

First Reading

Joshua 5:9a, 10-12

Second Reading

2 Corinthians 5:17-21

Gospel

Luke 15:1-3, 11-32

THEME: EVER LOVING FATHER.

Since creation of man till these days, God has been looking for any possible means of bringing us back to himself and we have been insisting in our journey away from home. Many ways he has planned for man’s salvation and has fulfilled them but we that those plans are meant to save are busy going our ways in doing evil. He sent his son to us and when he was leaving us, he did not leave us as orphan rather, he gave us himself as sacrament and other sacrament for our salvation but we are still journeying away. Continue Reading.................................