4th Sunday of Easter Year C. (Good Shepherd Sunday) By Tobe Eze

4^th Sunday of Easter Year C. (Good Shepherd Sunday)

First Reading

Acts 13:14.43-52

Second Reading

Revelation 7:9.14b-17

Gospel

John 10:27-30

THEME: UNDER THE CARE OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD

Today being good shepherd Sunday, the three readings are pointing towards the real good shepherd who is Christ Jesus. Previous years, I normally centre on the works of shepherds pertaining to us on earth, but this year, I am moving to another side of the good shepherd which is how we can be under the care of the perfect good shepherd. Continue Reading...........................

Third Sunday of Easter Year C. By Tobe Eze

Third Sunday of Easter Year C.

First Reading

Acts 5:27b-32.40b-41

Second Reading

Revelation 5:11-14

Gospel

John 21:1-19

THEME: WHAT DO YOU TEACH?

Almost all we do or say on earth affect others who are around us both directly and indirectly. If that is true, then we have to be careful in all we do for if we mislead any of these people of God, it will be better for us that we were not born (Matthew 26:24). Some of us are teaching others good ways of salvation while others are taking people back.

In the first reading, the apostles were busy taking people to the way of life while the chief priests were busy trying to stop them and to take people back to darkness. Ask yourself where you belong. Do you belong to the chief priests or to the apostles? Answer yourself. Continue Reading..................

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..............

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..................

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.................................

3rd Sunday of Lent Year C. By Tobe Eze

3^rd Sunday of Lent Year C.

First Reading

Exodus 3:1-8a, 13-15

Second Reading

1 Corinthians 10:1-6, 10-12

Gospel

Luke 13:1-9

THEME: GO CLOSER.

There are many Igbo proverbs that explain this our team very well. Some of them are; Onye no mmadu nso n’ anu isi eze ya (someone who is closer to a person perceives the mouth odour of the person), oke no n’ ulo gwara nke no n’ agu n’ azu di na ngiga (a rat that resides in the house is the one that told the wild one that there is fish in the kitchen) and so many other.

The first reading is the story of the first personal encounter Moses had with God in the scene of the burning bush. He saw something very strange, instead of running away, he decided to go closer to understand and God called out to him. By going closer to God, he was chosen and sent by God to his people to redeem them from their suffering in the land of Egypt. Instead of running away from what we do not understand in our faith, we should go closer, ask questions and we shall understand.

Though God was very close to the people of Israel but they were misbehaving and that brought death to them. Moses went closer to God, he saw his glory and lived his life to please the Lord but some or majority of those he was with were not measuring up and that brought serious destruction to them in the desert and this is what the second reading is reminding us today that it does not end in coming closer to God but being able to remove our sandals for we are standing on a holy ground or land. Continue Reading........................

2nd Sunday of Lent Year C. By Tobe Eze

2^nd Sunday of Lent Year C.

First Reading

Genesis 15:5-12, 17-18

Second Reading

Philippians 3:17-4:1

Gospel

Luke 9:28b-36

THEME: STAY IN THE GLORY OF THE LORD.

It is not always easy for one to trust someone one knows very well talk more of trusting someone one does not know, not seen. The glory of the Lord manifests in our lives on daily basis but it seems very difficult sometimes for us to recognize it for we leave the glory or the presence of God to looking for another thing or other things that are not all that necessary. It is always had to be in the presence of the glory of God but it pays more than anything on earth.

Abraham in the first reading brought all that were requested from him for his covenant with his God. He did not stop in bringing them but persisted in the presence of the glory of God. He kept guard over them so that, animals will not feed on them. It is not enough to be converted to Christianity, to receive baptism and other sacraments we receive from God through the church but being able to keep watch so that animals of faith do not feed on our faith and that is the act of remaining in the presence of God. Continue Reading..................................

1st Sunday of Lent Year C. By Tobe Eze

1^st Sunday of Lent Year C.

First Reading

Deuteronomy 26:4-10

Second Reading

Romans 10:8-13

Gospel

Luke 4:1-13

THEME: ROAD TO EGYPT.

A child of 11 years was saved from a burning house. The child was insisting on going back to the house. People were confused about what is pushing the child to act in that way. After several trials but failed, the child started crying. When the child was asked what the problem was, the child said that he left his toy inside the fire. What is a toy compare to his life? Was the child so stupid from your judgment? These and other questions will be answered latter in this reflection.

The first reading is recounting what the people of Israel passed through in the hands of the Egyptians and what led them to Egypt. They were seriously suffering hardship in their hands but the Lord came to their rescue. They cried to the Lord and he heard them. The funniest thing here is that, the major thing that led them into that slavery was food (ihe n’ aba n’ afo). Can we trace anything like that these days in our lives? Can we point out people who are in slavery both psychological, moral, spiritual and even physical and others that are led into that by things that enter the stomach? Continue Reading..........................

8th Sunday in the Ordinary Time Year C. By Tobe Eze

8^th Sunday in the Ordinary Time Year C.

First Reading

Sirach 27:4-7

Second Reading

1 Corinthians 15:54-58

Gospel

Luke 6:39-45

THEME: GIVE YOURSELF A DEFINITION.

It is commonly said that, the way you dress is the way people will address you. In Igbo, Etu isi debe akwa gi ka I ga adina. We majorly give ourselves definition. Others who try to explain or define us are doing that based on what we have shown them that we are. No one talks from nothing. What occupies us gives us our definition and that is why Jesus is telling us that, out of the abundant of the heart, the mouth speaks.

Human beings, animals and even trees are known of what they produce. That a man is known as a wicked man is because he manifested wickedness, that a man is known as a good man is also because he manifested goodness, an animal is known dangerous is the product of the danger it brought out likewise a tree that produces sour fruit is known for that or sweet fruit for that. Continue Reading..............

7th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C. By Tobe Eze

7^th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C.

 First Reading

1 Samuel 26:2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-23.

Second Reading

1 Corinthians 15:45-49.

Gospel

Luke 6:27-38

THEME: WONDERFUL BUT VERY HARD.

From my own observance, I think the most rewarding religion on earth is Christianity and the hardest religion to practice. True Christianity is the only religion that preaches loving your enemy and praying for him/her. It is sometimes easier said than done. Think of this.

If you have been a victim or you have someone who has been a victim of this Fulani herdsmen problem. One day you are passing and you happen to see a Fulani Herdsman lying lifeless on the way, what will you do? Help him? Leave him there? Or help in fastening his death? We as human beings believe so much in acting back on those who have offended us and sometimes we do forget those who have been good to us. Continue Reading...................................

6TH Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C. By Tobe Eze

6^TH Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C.
 First reading

JEREMIAH 17:5-8

Second Reading

1 Corinthians 15:12, 16-20

Gospel

Luke 6:17, 20-26

THEME: HAPPY THE MAN WHO PLACED HIS TRUST IN THE LORD.

Let me start with a story that I heard somewhere. Three young men who were business men but were not all that wonderful in their businesses. They had been prayerful as the story went but things were not working as they expected. They met a man whom they thought was doing very well to help them. The man recommended a devotion to our Lady for them. They went home not satisfied for that was not what they expected. They met another man who took them to a native doctor. The native doctor agreed to help them but he gave them a condition. The condition was that they will be turned into vultures for two weeks and after that, they will be turned back to human beings and money will be theirs. Out of curiosity, they accepted. The man turned them into vultures and asked the man who took them there to go and come back after two weeks to go with them. After one week, when the native doctor was on his way to attend to someone, he had accident and died. When the time to turn them back reached, they flew back to the shrine to be turned, on reaching there, they could not see the man. When the person that took them to the place came back, he could only find those vultures and no native doctor. When he went out to ask people about the man, they told him that he is dead. That was when he knew that those three are gone. Continue Reading..........................

5th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C. By Tobe Eze

5^th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C.

First Reading

Isaiah 6:1-2a, 3-8

Second Reading

1 Corinthians 15:1-11

Gospel

Luke 5:1-11

THEME: GOD REVEALS OUR TRUE SELF.

Sometimes our true self is hidden also to us not only to others. Isaiah, Paul and Peter who are characters in today’s readings did not know their true self till they encountered God. What are the things that are necessary for this encounter? Our state of life may not be necessary but our disposition is what is needed. Isaiah was in the temple praying and he experience the glory of God and his true self came out. Paul was on his way to fight for what he believed to be truth when he encountered the Lord. Peter was doing his job that he has mastered for years when he encountered the Lord. Likewise we can encounter the Lord in different ways in our live. Continue Reading.........................

4th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C. By Tobe Eze

4^th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C.

First Reading

Jeremiah 1:4-5, 17-19

Second Reading

1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13

Gospel

Luke 4:21-30

THEME: THE PAIN OF LOVE.

Sometimes people are grieved to the heart because of what they receive from love that they show to people. Out of your goodwill, you will show someone love and the person will turn against you and deal with you mercilessly. Shall we stop loving?

A boy came to me one early morning even before morning mass. He came knocking at my door at that early hour. This was during Christmas season. I was asking who may be doing this knowing the type of cold we do experience during that time. When I asked, he called his name and told me that it was him. I asked him any problem and he said yes. I opened my door and he came in. he sat down and started narrating his story. He said, around October, I asked my girlfriend (wife to be), to start that time to look for things that she will use for Christmas that I will not wait till Christmas to start buying because I may not have money that time or things will become too costly. She accepted. Continue Reading.................................

3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C. By Tobe Eze

3^rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C.

First Reading

Nehemiah 8:2-4a, 5-6, 8-10

Second Reading

1 Corinthians 12:12-30

Gospel

Luke 1:1-4, 4:14-21

THEME: THE POWER OF THE WORD OF GOD.

In the beginning was the word, the word was with God and the word was God (John 1:1). And the word took flesh, and dwelt among us (John 1:14).

An old man one day went to the church for the first time. After the homily, he was unease on his seat. When one of the church wardens approached him to know the problem, he told the man that he wanted to appreciate the priest for the wonderful homily. The church warden told him that no one is permitted to reply the homily that it is meant for people to take in, digest and use it in their daily lives and the man accepted that. After the mass when they were going home, he overheard people saying that the priest did not make sense in his homily that day and he was confused. After sometimes, he barked at them. When he went home, he started having mercy on those persons and the entire church for they do not know what they are doing to themselves. Next Sunday he went again and the priest as if he knew about him and started the homily with. “No matter what the world is turning to be, you should not be discouraged for God is still with us”. These words of introduction by the priest gave the man consolation. Why the story? Continue Reading...................................

2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C. By Tobe Eze

2^nd Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C.

First Reading

Isaiah 62:1-5

Second Reading

1 Corinthians 12:4-11

Gospel

John 2:1-11

THEME: THE LORD HAS VISITED US.

There are many ways we may have suffered in this life that we have doubted the power of God. Some ask questions like; Does God exist at all? Some, is he still alive? Does he care about us? And so many other questions like this one. People who ask these questions are not all that wrong but they are still wrong for it shows how little their faith in God is. Even if we have lost faith in God, today’s reading are consolations to us. They are to encourage us, to still have faith in God. Continue Reading.............

The Baptism of the Lord – Feast Year C. By Tobe Eze

The Baptism of the Lord – Feast Year C.

FIRST READING
Isaiah 40:1—5, 9—11

SECOND READING
Titus 2:11—14; 3:4—7

GOSPEL
Luke 3:15—16, 21—22

THEME: THE WATER OF REBIRTH

Christ being God, a man without sin, why was he baptized? We are taught that baptism is a sacrament that washes away our original sin, makes us Christians, children of God and bringing us into one faith. Christ had no need of all these but he was baptized. Incantation was to divinize humanity and to humanize divinity. He took our nature to save us. His life on earth was just as a yardstick that all should follow and that contributed to his acceptance to be baptized in the river Jordan by John. As he has shown us examples of the way we should follow, he practiced many of them which baptism is one of them. To show us the importance of baptism, he said to Nicodemus, if you are not reborn by water (baptism) you will not enter the kingdom of God. When he was about leaving his apostles, he charged them to baptize people in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). Continue Reading.............................

Solemnity of The Epiphany of the Lord Year C. By Tobe Eze

Solemnity of The Epiphany of the Lord Year C.

FIRST READING
Isaiah 60:1—6

SECOND READING
Ephesians 3:2—3a, 5—6

GOSPEL
Matthew 2:1—12

THEME: LET OUR STARS SHINE WITH THE LORD.

What type of thing attract people to us? Money, speech, behaviours, shape of the body, colour of the skin, height and so on? All these are not in themselves evils but there are ways they will manifest themselves and they turn to be evil.

The three readings are talking about the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ as we celebrate it today. This solemnity does not mean that it is only today that Christ has manifested himself to us rather, it is to bring to our notice what happens to us daily and how we should approach it.

Following Christ is a journey of faith for sometimes we may not know where we are going but with faith, we say that our Master knows the way. Talking from the old, Abraham the father of faith made a journey of faith when he left his father’s house, going to the place the Lord will show him which he didn’t know (Genesis 11:31-12:9), but by faith he made the journey. Still on Abraham, he made a statement he didn’t also know on the way to sacrifice his son Isaac “the Lord will provide (Genesis 22:8)”. And latter the Lord provided. All the apostles and disciples of our Lord followed him without knowing where they were going. He was just calling them and asking them to follow him and they were leaving everything behind and were following him. When he wanted to enter Jerusalem, he sent two out to go and get him a donkey  unclear message but with faith, they went without complaining or fear and everything went well for them (Matthew 12:21). Likewise the two that prepared the upper room for the last supper (Luke 22:12). Continue Reading....................

NEW YEAR DAY. WORLD DAY OF PEACE. Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God Year C. By Tobe Eze

NEW YEAR DAY. WORLD DAY OF PEACE. Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God

 Year C.

FIRST READING
Numbers 6:22—27

SECOND READING
Galatians 4:4—7

GOSPEL
Luke 2:16—21

THEME: LET US BE NEW BY LEAVING EVIL AND SEEKING PEACE WHICH MARY HAS GIVEN BIRTH TO PRINCE OF PEACE.

We have three great celebrations today and three of them are very significant in our lives. Today is the beginning of a New Year, today being a beginning of a New Year is the world day of peace and the Church is celebrating today Mary Mother of God. Three great feasts but related. Let us take them one after the other.

New Year: What is new in us about this New Year? At the beginning of every year, people make different resolutions. This and that is (are) my New Year resolution (s). To what end? How many weeks do we keep to those resolutions we make? Some do not exceed January, some February and mostly the highest will last till March and we will go back to our normal way of life. New Year does not change any person rather we are the ones to change ourselves. It is good to make resolutions and work towards achieving them for that is a way of planning life. These beautiful resolutions we make have to be renewed if we want to achieve them. Let us try and see if we can write them down and check them or read them each day before embarking on the day’s activities and again at night to check the effort made. How can we connect this to the second celebration? Continue Reading.............