YOUTH WEEK QUIZ COMPETITION 2017. By Tobe Eze

CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF NSUKKA.

ST. THERESA’S PARISH UGWU NA AGBO EDEM-ANI.

YOUTH WEEK QUIZ COMPETITION 2017.

1.      What was the theme of the church’s first council in Jerusalem? Ans. Circumcision of the Gentile Christians.

2.      Who was the second Pope? Ans. St. Linus.

3.      …………………. Was the Roman emperor noted for persecuting Christians? Ans. Nero.

4.      In the Roman Empire, Christianity was declared a licit religion by …………………… in the year …………… Ans. Constantine in 313 A.D.

5.      Who were the apostles who died in Rome? Ans. Peter and Paul.

6.      The first major heresy in the church was known as……………………… Ans. Arianism.

7.      Who initiated Arianism? Ans. Arian, an Alexandrian Priest.

8.      Where and when was the 1^st ecumenical council of the church held? Ans. Nicaea in 325 A.D.

9.      What was the major theme in the council of Nicaea? Ans. Combating Arianism.

10.  How many ecumenical councils has the church held? Ans. 21. Continue Reading................

25th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A By Tobe Eze

25th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A

FIRST READING
Isaiah 55:6—9

SECOND READING
Philippians 1:20c—24, 27a

GOSPEL
Matthew 20:1—16a

WHY COMPLAINING?

People come to church seeking the face of God differently, when God comes to them, some will like to tell God how he will see to their different intentions. God who created you, created others and as you expect blessings from him, so also others expect blessings from him. When we try to show God that we are wiser than him, we should bear in mind that even before we were conceived, he knew us. (Jeremiah 1:5).

In the first reading, Isaiah is telling us to seek God when there is time. We all know that the dead cannot praise or seek God. The words of our Lord in Matthew 7:7 are for those who are alive. The face of God we should seek is not just to be coming to church but to follow the dictates of God and his church.

26th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A. By Tobe Eze

26th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A.

FIRST READING
Ezekiel 18:25—28

SECOND READING
Philippians 2:1—11

GOSPEL
Matthew 21:28—32

THEME: IS IT NOT INJUSTICE?

Is it not injustice that I will make effort throughout my lifetime and at my dying better I relent and loose every effort I have been making since I was born and someone who has never made effort towards death had a change of heart and gain everything?

In Luke 18:1 the disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ said “we ought to pray and never loose heart”. This is just the best answer to the question above. In Igbo we use to say onye gbakata kwuru nke ogbara agba ala ya n' iyi. That is, one who makes effort and stop, will lose even the one he has made. It is only when we run the race till the end that we will get the reward. Continue Reading....

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A By Tobe Eze

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A

FIRST READING
Isaiah 25:6—10a

SECOND READING
Philippians 4:12—14, 19—20

GOSPEL

Matthew 22:1—14

WHY ON THE MOUNTAIN? AND WHY PUNISHMENT?

Isaiah 55:1, the Lord said “All you that thirst, come to the waters: and you that have no money make hadte , buy and eat, come you, buy wine and milk without money and without any price.” Why should God leave every plain land around and go up to the mountain to prepare banquet for his people? The answer is too simple. In Igbo there is this adage that onye otu ukwu adighi aza akwaa okwuru, and another one says anu adighi ike agaghi ebi ebe osisi ahaba di. And another adage says that ihe di mma na afia aru inyeta. We all know that climbing the mountain is not an easy job. If you are to climb mountain, you must prepare for it for it is not meant for those who are not prepared. If you are to follow Christ, be prepared to climb mountain so that you get to the place the banquet is prepared, and if you try to go up unprepared, you will fall off to where there will be gnashing of teeth and that will be your punishment for not being prepared. There are many different ways we climb that mountain, it is not through one way. Continue Reading.....................

27th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A By Tobe Eze

27th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A

FIRST READING
Isaiah 5:1—7

SECOND READING
Philippians 4:6—9

GOSPEL
Matthew 21:33—43

IF IT WERE YOU, HOW WILL YOU FEEL.?

There is what our people say when one is inappreciative, Eri ago, (someone who eats and deny). A woman was beating her child one day and I went to intervene. The woman told me to leave her alone for her to kill the child for he does not deserve to live. When I asked her reason for that she said that the boy has never obeyed anyone talk more of listening to what she tells him to do. She said that he likes doing opposite of things he is asked to do, that he should die once and leave her alone. I tried talking sense into her. After sometimes, she told him that brother has saved you today.

SELF CONTROL; A GUARANTEE FOR CHASTITY/CATHOLIC YOUTH AND PENTICOSTALISM; A WAY OUT. By Tobe Eze

CATHOLI DIOCESE OF NSUKKA.

A TALK BY HILLARY TOBECHUKWU EZE (DAN~HILL) TO CYON DURING YOUTH WEEK.

TOPIC: SELF CONTROL; A GUARANTEE FOR CHASTITY/CATHOLIC YOUTH AND PENTICOSTALISM; A WAY OUT. 1CORINTHIANS 6:19.

Definition of Terms:

What is Self-Control? It is ability of one knowing his/her weak points. It can also be when the virtue temperate in one is working very well. Temperate is one of the cardinal virtues we have in life and it helps one to control his/herself. When one has self-control, one does not disgrace him/herself before people either through gluttony, sex, talking much, ITK and so on.

What is Chastity? It is ability of one to be faithful to a particular level or stage of life one is. A youth can be chaste as a youth, a married man/woman can be chaste as a married person and religious, priests, seminarians and every other groups that has chosen to remain chaste in life can be chaste in their different positions. Chastity is not meant only for priests or seminarians. Every person are called to be chaste. No matter your position, you have no right to sin. One person was telling after seeing a girl that came to visit me in my house that I should the girl over to him that this thing is no more meant for us. Another was also telling me when I told him to regulate how he sleeps with girls that he is not in the seminary.

My confusion here is, is the sixth commandment meant only for those in the seminary or only for priests. Chastity is call for everyone who is created by God. It is not meant for a particular group of persons.

PRAYERS AS A MEANS OF BUILDING UP CHRISTIAN SPIRITUALITY By Tobe Eze

PRAYERS AS A MEANS OF BUILDING UP CHRISTIAN SPIRITUALITY

A prayer less Christian, they say, is a powerless Christian, Hillary Eze in this piece portrays how one can build up one’s spirituality through prayer.

            “Lord teach us how to pray, as John taught his disciple” (Lk. 11:1)

INTRODUCTION

            Our everyday life is full of activities which have continued linger and encroach into another day. But owing to the fact that there is a being in control of both the past, the present and the future, it is fitting to chart our activities through him. It is good to communicate with him, converse with him each day to strengthen us for the business of the days ahead, or to know what he has in stock for us.

Understanding the importance of prayer, the apostles requested Jesus to teach the how to pray (Matt. 6:9-13). In addition, Jesus in the gospel of (Lk. 18:2) encourages, His apostles to always pray and not lose heart. It is in prayer that we can fully realize ourselves, appreciate God for his good deeds upon us and ask for more, like Oliver Twist. It is by this powerful weapon that we can recognize God as the creator, who created us in his own image and likeness, and have faith in him that he does anything we ask him, through his Son Jesus Christ (Jn. 14:14). With prayer, God shows us the way to eternal life, just as he showed Abraham in the Old Testament. Prayer is an essential tool for spiritual development. It makes us commune with God and do that, which pleases Him. Effective prayer solidifies Christian faith.

THE CONCEPT OF PRAYER

 St. Teresa of Avila, in her book entitled Life’ explained prayer as “an intimate sharing between friends; it means taking time frequently to be alone with Him who, we know, loves us”.

The catechism of the Catholic Church defines prayer as, the raising of one’s mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God (No_ 2590) is a great religious act. It is also a concept familiar and central in every known religion though its interpretation and usage may vary from one religion to another. In the Christian context, the classical definition of prayer by the apostolic fathers, is the act of speaking to God. Therefore, prayer means the act of conversation between mortal (a man) and immortal (God). St. Bonaventure, in his own view, sees prayer as a journey from the body to the spirit; it is a journey to God.

To crown it all, prayer is a communication, union, awareness, encounter, conversation, relationship and communion with God, it is a total turning to God.

MOTHERS GIFT FROM GOD. By Tobe Eze

CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF NSUKKA

A TALK TO THE CATHOLIC WOMEN ORGANIZATION (CWO).

BY: HILLARY TOBECHUKWU EZE {DAN~HILL)

TOPIC: MOTHERS GIFT FROM GOD.

Juma ọbọbiigwe ihe obụ ode nu inwere okpo nu ke.

WHO IS A MOTHER? SIRACH 26:1-4 AND 5-12 AND 13-18.

A mother is a women validly married according to her culture. Culture may be traditionally or in a Christian way. In our own contest, it is in a Christian way. A mother does not mean categorically women with children. The bible said that a woman is a companion to the man not an incubator. (Gen. 1:18). Mothers are those women who take care of a home where people are living. A mother, in the altar of wedding always promise her husband respect and every other thing. A mother is a person who takes care of the husband God gave to her and so on.

WHAT ARE OUR DUTIES?

1.       Taking care of our homes.

2.       Taking care of our husbands.

3.       Taking care of our children.

4.       Taking care of our communities.

5.       Taking care of our churches.

WHAT ARE OUR PROBLEMS WHICH CAUSE FAILURE IN RESPOSIBILITIES?

1.       Gossiping.

2.       Over busy.

3.       Unforgiving Spirit.

4.       Pentecostalism.

5.       Having many gods.

WHAT MAY BE OUR SOLUTIONS TO THESE CHALLENGES?

1.       Coming Back To Ourselves.

2.       Believing God.

3.       Facing our primary works very well.

4.       Seeking for good advice.

5.       Being in God terms with God.

6.       Prayer is the only way out.

Monday of Week 15 Year A Tobe Eze

Monday of Week 15 Year A

FIRST READING
Exodus 1:8–14, 22

GOSPEL
Matthew 10:34C11:1

THE TROUBLE WITH FAITHFULNESS.

The Israelites were faithful to their God and he was blessing them with fruitful marriages. Pharaoh and his people instead of seeking for their own way of increasing in number they were busy have evil thoughts for the Israelites. The Israelites were faithful to their God even when they were undergoing the hard labour given to them by Pharaoh and his men. Seeing that Onye Chukwu goziri na ogozigo ya they brought another way to subdue them.

Jesus in the gospel, is also disposing us for the troubles attached to following him or being faithful to him. The war Jesus is telling is that he brought to us is not ogu egbe na mma but ogu okwukwe. It is not that type we think or we see in films or the world. The war he is talking about is war of faith as St. Peter said that we should be ready to defend our faith always. The war of truth, we should say the truth always, we should stand on the truth always and fight for truth. When we tell people the truth about their wrong doings, certainly they will not be happy with us. They look for any means to fight us, to engage us in a war. It is this type of war that Jesus is talking about. The trouble with faithfulness is that people will hate us because of our faithfulness but we should remember that it is only those who are steadfast till the end will be given the unfading crown of Glory.

VIRGINS AND MASTURBATION By Brendan Amadi.

VIRGINS AND MASTURBATION by Brendan Amadi.

The Author.

I get lots of questions on masturbation most especially from ladies -yes, ladies masturbate a lot, especially virgins. Guys also masturbate. There is no debate on that. I'm not here to argue about who masturbates most, I need to deal with a serious issue.

Sexual urge for virgins is strong. What makes it stronger is the novelty, newness, the mystery and the hear says about sex.

Masturbation is fondling your genitals consistently to achieve orgasm. Ladies may stroke their clitoris while guys rub, massage or caress their penis. I decided to give explicit explanation because some ask me what masturbation is. Some ladies especially non-virgins use candles, banana, small bottles, sticks, dildos or whatever represents a penis and do solo sex (having sex by yourself).

From teenage upward, you will have a strong desire for sex. It's a sure sign you are normal and capable of having and enjoying sex in marriage. In your 20s it will be stronger and intense! You may wake up feeling horny for no single reason in the world or go hot on spotting a curvy lady! You may start noticing shapes and curves and you have to shake your head several times to keep the image off. You may get worked up on watching a romantic movie and discharge something. You check up and discover you are wet. All these are normal, you haven't committed any sin. Continue Reading