6th Sunday of Easter Year A By Tobe Eze

6th Sunday of Easter Year A

FIRST READING
Acts 8:5—8, 14—17

SECOND READING
1 Peter 3:15—18

GOSPEL
John 14:15—21

THEME: ACTIONS SPEAK MORE THAN WORDS.

Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope, but do it with gentleness and reverence, keeping your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who defame your good conduct in Christ may themselves be put to shame. From the second reading.

A story by Mark Link says: An Angel was going with fire in the right hand and water in the left hand. When the Angel met a man, the man asked the angel what he will be doing with those items. And the Angel replied; I will use the fire to destroy the kingdom of heaven and water to quench the fire in the hell fire so that, there will not be any reward for the righteous and wicked, through this he may know those who love God. This little story will usher us in into what the first and second reading and the Gospel are telling us today. Jesus told his disciples, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” Some of claim to love God only because they need reward from him and it is manifest in one of the names we call him. Etoo dike na nke omere omekwa ọzọ. We no longer praise God for his good but to receive more blessings from him. We do not do charity because it is good but to receive after the act. We measure the charity we do with the reward we will get in return. We always ask; How far can I go before I sin? How much can I steal before I sin gravely? How little can I give and still satisfy my Christian obligation? But we should focus more on; What more can I do to help? We should ask our neighbours is there anything you need? Don’t hesitate to call me at any time. This is the service we see when there is love. Continue Reading

5th Sunday of Easter Year A By Tobe Eze

5th Sunday of Easter Year A
FIRST READING

Acts 6:1—7

SECOND READING
1 Peter 2:4—9

GOSPEL
John 14:1—12

THEME: BE KNOWN FOR DOING GOOD.

Brothers, select from among you seven reputable men, filled with the Spirit and wisdom, whom we shall appoint to this task, whereas we shall devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word." From the first reading.

In the first reading, the problem of sharing food among the early Christians came up and it was tackled immediately by choosing seven deacons to help in sharing of food. They were chosen from among men, among their own brothers. In the second reading, St. Peter is trying to tell us that if we should develop and grab that identity God prepared for us. You are "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may announce the praises" of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Agbụrụ ahọtara ahọta, ndị nchụ aja nọ na ọkwa Eze, Mba dị nsọ, ndị Chineke họtara onwe ya anyị bụ ndị isi na ọchịchịrị kpọbata n' Ihe nke gị dị ebube. In the Gospel, Jesus is telling us apostles of this age that he has many mansions for us in his father’s house. Continue Reading

4th Sunday of Easter Year A By Tobe Eze

4th Sunday of Easter Year A (GOOD SHEPHERD SUNDAY)

FIRST READING
Acts 2:14a, 36—41

SECOND READING
1 Peter 2:20b—25

GOSPEL
John 10:1—10

THEME: WHERE IS THE LIFE? WHAT IS HAPPENING?

I will give you life, life in abundant (John 10:10b) this is the conclusion of today’s gospel.  From what is happening to and around us, I have questions to ask. In the first reading St. Peter did the perfect work of a shepherd by talking to the people about Jesus and bringing them to him. Second reading and the gospel are presenting to us the pure and that which is expected of us as shepherds and sheep. To follow Christ’s example, by suffering.

The questions are now. (1) Do we still have shepherds like Peter? (2) Or the sheep are no more listening and lastly? (3) Where is the life promised us? Ọbụ n’ ọkpụisi amaghị akpụ ka ọbụ agụba adịghị nkị? Continue Reading

3rd Sunday of Easter By Tobe Eze

3rd Sunday of Easter

FIRST READING
Acts 2:14, 22—33

SECOND READING
1 Peter 1:17—21

GOSPEL
Luke 24:13—35

THEME: HE CANNOT LEAVE US AMONG THE DEAD.

The obstacle in our path

In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the King for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the stone out of the way.
Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. After the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the King indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway.
The peasant learned what many of us never understand! Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition. Continue Reading

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

2nd Sunday of Easter (Divine Mercy)

FIRST READING
Acts 2:42—47

SECOND READING
1 Peter 1:3—9

GOSPEL
John 20:19—31

THEME: GOD LOVES TOGETHERNESS

A story: Helping Others.

Once there was a small boy named Shankar. He belonged to a poor family. One day, he was crossing through the forest carrying some woods. He saw an old man who was very hungry. Shankar wanted to give him some food, but he did not have food for his own. So he continued on his way. On his way he saw a deer who was very thirsty. He wanted to give him some water, but he did not have water for himself. So he went on his way ahead. Then he saw a man who wanted to make a camp but he did not have woods. Shankar asked his problem and gave some woods to him. In return, he gave him some food and water. Now he went back to the old man and gave him some food and gave some water to the deer. The old man and the deer were very happy. Shankar than happily went on his way. Continue Reading

Easter Day - The Resurrection of the Lord By Tobe Eze

Easter Day - The Resurrection of the Lord

FIRST READING
Acts 10:34a, 37—43

SECOND READING
Colossians 3:1—4

GOSPEL
John 20:1—9

THEME: THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN SAVE.

Alleluia Alleluia. It is been said in Igbo language, Onye ihe ọma mere adịghị aza Ọzọemena. He who is favoured by fortune do not say, let it not happen again. A good thing has happened to us that the Lord has risen from death freeing us from death. Ihe ukwu mere anyị, ka anyị kele nu Chukwu.   A Story:

Night Watchman: The manager of a firm advertised for a night watchman. All the applicants were present. But the manager was not satisfied. He found something wrong with each man. There was Raju, an applicant. He was sitting in a corner waiting for his turn of interview. Manager found nothing wrong in his appearance. He questioned about his health. He got the reply that he was suffering from sleeplessness. Manager was happy and appointed him.  It was St. Anselm who said, when God was looking for the one who will bring salvation to humankind, he could not use any of the created thing both man and animal for both are not perfect. It was only he himself that is perfect and he took human nature to save mankind. The manager who was looking for someone whom he will employ, he could not find anyone for the job except he that was suffering from sleeplessness. God also knew that Jesus was, is and will continue to be only the perfect being that can save humankind from sin and suffering, he also knew that Jesus was, is and will continue to suffer from love. It was because God saw that Jesus has everything it takes, that was why he gave him up for us.

The journey of our salvation which started on the annunciation day has been fulfilled today. Today the Lord has risen from the dead and this is the salvation which God prepared for us through Christ immediately after the fall of the first Adam. Christ’s mission on earth are (1) Died to win death for us. (2) For his side to be opened, so that salvation and the Church will be born. (3) He died to be the firstborn from the dead. (4) He died to fulfill what the scripture said. (5) He died for our sins. And lastly (6) He died for love. Continue Reading

Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion By Tobe Eze

Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion

At the Procession with Palms

GOSPEL
Matthew 21:1—11

At the Mass

FIRST READING
Isaiah 50:4—7

SECOND READING
Philippians 2:6—11

GOSPEL
Longer Form Matthew 26:14—27:66

THEME: LOOK BEYOND THE CROWD.

In one week time, the journey of our salvation which started on the Annunciation day will come to fulfillment. Jesus humbled himself, taking the form of a servant just to bring us salvation. Isaiah the prophet in today’s first reading is telling us exactly what Jesus did for our salvation. Jesus gave up everything, he did not talk just to give us salvation.

As Christians, many things are expected from and of us. We should learn from Jesus today who did not in his life time succumbed to the wishes of the crowd. The people we see today singing praises for us may also be the ones that will condemn us tomorrow. Jesus who looked beyond the crowd saw that it is best to be lifted up as recorded in the second reading by God not by crowd. In (John 6:15) after feeding of five thousand men excluding children and women, the crowd was trying to make him king which he did not accept for he know what crowd can be. The best king is the one made by God.

Crowd is a faceless identity. It is this same crowd today in the first Gospel was shouting Hosanna, throwing branches and clothes for Jesus to walk on them. On good Friday it will also be the same crowd that will shout crucify him crucify him. Jesus encountered many crowds in his life time but he was seeing beyond what ordinary men can see about crowd. Continue Reading

5th Sunday of Lent Year A By Tobe Eze

5th Sunday of Lent Year A

FIRST READING

Ezekiel 37:12-14

SECOND READING

Romans 8:8-11

GOSPEL

John 11:1-45

THEME: GOD CAN RAISE OUR DEAD SITUATIONS TO LIFE AGAIN.

My fellow Christians, we are drawing closer to the great event of our salvation, which is Easter. Today’s readings are telling us also like that of last week how God can bring out fortunes from our misfortunes. In the first reading today, the prophet Ezekiel is giving us hope that our dry bones will rise again. And the second reading is trying to make us understand that, it is only through living in the spirit that our dry bones will rise again. The Gospel makes it clearer that if we are living our lives in spirit, Jesus will cry to his father in our own dead situations like he cried for his friend Lazarus who was dead. Continue Reading

HOLY ROMANCE. By Tobe Eze

HOLY ROMANCE.

It was like a dream for me on that faithful night when it all started. Since that day this question. Is there a Holy Romance? Has not left me. Where is it written in the bible that there is a holy romance? But he won by quoting Bible passages where it is written that we should greet each other with a holy kiss. He quoted Romans 16:16 and 2Corinthians 13:12 which I read and saw that it is boldly written. I asked him, but what is written here is kiss and not romance. But he fired a horrible answer back that it is romance that begets kiss. He asked me which one I consider worse. Kiss or romance? He said immediately okay, if you choose kiss, let us go for it.

It all started on one of the all night crusades we normally go every Friday. I was one of the prayer warriors, so I normally go earlier every Friday. It happened that I went too early that day. I met only our leader Brother John. He is our leader and spiritual director. When he steps to the arena the atmosphere changes. When people see him coming they will start to sing Onyeze abaruola! Onyeze abaruola! Onyeze abaruola! He makes things happen. He sees the past, the present and the future. He does what even Jesus did not do when he was doing his own ministration on earth. Continue Reading

THE GOOD SIDE OF SEX. By Tobe Eze

THE GOOD SIDE OF SEX.

Introduction.

In the common language of everyone, “Everything that has advantage, has also disadvantage”. It is on this ground that I want to say that sex on its own has also something good that comes out of it. Let us not mind that we focus more on the wrong side of it and not even listen to the inner voice that talks in favour of it. Our minds are now negatively formulated about the word sex. Whenever we hear it, it will be as we heard devil calling us. Forgetting that all of us came from it and all that will come will also come from it. It is only the way, the time, the place and the persons involve that make it sin, not sex itself.

Everything we do on this earth has its own time. Even the Bible recorded it. There is time for everything, a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace. And sex is not an exception. Come and think of it, if a man waits till marriage before having sex, is it still an evil? Or if a woman does the same? It is a matter of time.

That we fall into many problems today is because we do not wait for the proper time. Premarital and ex-marital sex are doing the right thing at the wrong time, wrong place and with wrong person which in turn has changed the whole thing into wrong act. Patience is a virtue. We rush into things that are unclear to us many times and this land us into many problems. Looking at the percentage of divorced families these days, greater percentage is caused by either premarital or extramarital sex. Continue Reading