19th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A By Tobe Eze

19th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A

FIRST READING
1 Kings 19:9a, 11—13a

SECOND READING
Romans 9:1—5

GOSPEL
Matthew 14:22—33

OUR GOD IS A GENTLE GOD.

I was watching a show on the television, at a point, the minister or pastor or whatever he maybe called told the people that they should pray for God's earthquake to come. He said that if the earthquake does not come, no miracle will take place. Another said that before miracle will happen, the Lord’s hurricane must come and many other instances.

In the first reading, Elijah was waiting for the Lord on the mountain. Many noisy things came but God was not in any of them until the last little voice. God’s miracles and blessings are not necessarily to come through noisy environments. They come also in a very cool place and in a tiny voice. These days’ preachers should so that whether you like it or not you must here it. I went to Ogbete market in Enugu one day and I saw a group of people on awareness rally about a crusade they were organizing and they were sing around the market. You must be born again! You must be born again!

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32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A. By Tobe

32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A.

FIRST READING
Wisdom 6:12—16

SECOND READING
1 Thessalonians 4:13—18

GOSPEL
Matthew 25:1—13

THEME: IT DOES NOT TAKE MUCH.

A famous story about how tortoise tested the wisdom of its children is what I wish to you and introduce this reflection. Tortoise called its three children, it asked the first. How many times will something happen to you and you will learn? The first one answered two times and it told it that the first one is not wise. It asked the second one the same question and it answered once and it told it that the second one is not wise. It asked the last one and it answered, that it will learn from others experience. That it will not happen to him before he will learn. The tortoise congratulated it and told it that it is very wise.

21st Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A. By Tobe Eze

21st Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A.

FIRST READING
Isaiah 22:19—23

SECOND READING
Romans 11:33—36

GOSPEL
Matthew 16:13—20

THEME: POWER TO THE RIGHTEOUS ONE.

In one autonomous community that I know very well. One year when election was fast approaching, one of their sons who was contesting for governorship asked the king of the community what they were lacking then so that he will do it for them. The king after thinking told him that his palace chairs are old. The people of that community overthrew him overnight and made another person king immediately for he was not representing them well. Why this story? Continue Reading..................

20th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A. By Tobe Eze

20th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A.

FIRST READING
Isaiah 56:1, 6—7

SECOND READING
Romans 11:13—15, 29—32

GOSPEL
Matthew 15:21—28

THEME: TRUST AND OBEY. DO NOT REACT TO EVERYTHING.

A man went home one day with a serious wound on his face because he was responding to what the vigilant group told him. He went to a ceremony and was coming home late. When he reached the vigilant group, they asked him, where he was coming from at that time of the night. He told them and they asked him to go. When he was about to go, one of them said, odika onwere nwanyi ya na ya mekoro n' abalia (it seems like he had something with a woman this night). Instead of going, he came back to ask the man to repeat what he said. The vigilant man repeated it three times and the man went fighting. During the fight he was wounded on the face with a log of wood. Something he would have avoided. Had it been he obeyed and went home, he would have not sustained any scratch.

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The Transfiguration of the Lord – Feast By Tobe Eze

The Transfiguration of the Lord – Feast

FIRST READING
Daniel 7:9—10, 13—14

SECOND READING
2 Peter 1:16—19

GOSPEL
Matthew 17:1—9

THEME: ALL POWER, GLORY, MAJESTY AND HONOUR BELONG TO HIM.

Lord, it is better we make three tents here, one for you, one for Elijah and one for Moses. If you are in the presence of God, you will lack nothing. Peter noticed that he was in the presence of his master and forgot himself for he knew that all things are in him and anyone with him has a share in them. He has everything we need in this passing world and the everlasting world.

Why do we go about looking for things that have nothing in them? In the first reading, Daniel saw a vision where everything good was given to the son of man. In the second reading St. Peter repeated what happened on the mountain of transfiguration. Gospel tells us about the transfiguration.

We can be transfigured in this life. Jesus’ transfiguration was a way created for us to follow. We have to go up to the mountain of transfiguration so that we will be transformed. Continue Reading....................

31st Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A. By Tobe Eze

31st Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A.

FIRST READING
Malachi 1:14b—2:2b, 8—10

SECOND READING
1 Thessalonians 2:7b—9, 13

GOSPEL
Matthew 23:1—12

THEME: BECAUSE OF THE WORD.

In the beginning was the word, the word was with God (John 1:1-14). This word is what has been doing mighty things from the beginning of the world till now and will continue forever. Genesis recorded the account of creation as what was done through the power of the word. Let there be and there was. Everything good comes from this word. St. Augustine said that God created the world out of nothing. Nihi est nihilo Continue Reading............................

30th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A. By Tobe Eze

30th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A.

FIRST READING
Exodus 22:20—26

SECOND READING
1 Thessalonians 1:5c—10

GOSPEL
Matthew 22:34—40

THEME: LOVE IS THE WAY.

Let me start with what happened or what I experienced in August 2017. I went to a particular parish to give the block rosary children talk. I was told to prepare Qualities of a good block rosary child. When I was explaining eight of them one by one for them, when I reached love. I told them I Love You All, they started laughing. I did not understand what was happening. When I asked them the reason for that, one of them told me that I am corrupting them.

24th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A. By Tobe Eze

24th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A.

FIRST READING

Sirach 27:30—28:7

SECOND READING
Romans 14:7—9

GOSPEL
Matthew 18:21—35

THEME: SELF LIBRATION.

I remember when I was in the secondary school, I fought with one girl in my school she was a year below me. Whenever I see her in my school, I became uncomfortable. Till one of my classmates that opened up to called us and reconciled us, then I started getting myself back. Again when I was writing WAEC, one of my classmates that I was living with in the same compound, she was using my pots anytime she wanted to use them provided I was not using it (them). One weekend, she locked my pot inside her room and went home. I was forced to go home for weekend because my pot was not there for me to cook. On Sunday night, when we have returned from our various homes, I went to her room, I finished her up with mouth and when she wanted to react, I gave her a serious beating. After that incident, that compound was no longer comfortable for me. I hated getting her voice talk more of seeing her after that incident for it torments my conscience. Whenever she showed, mood changed. At a point I told myself that I could not continue. One night, I went inside her room, knelt down and begged her for forgiveness and we started enjoying ourselves again. Why all these stories?

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A. By Tobe Eze

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A.

FIRST READING
Ezekiel 33:7—9

SECOND READING
Romans 13:8—10

GOSPEL
Matthew 18:15—20

THEME: ONE STEP IS NOT ENOUGH, IT CONCERNS YOU.

A story was told by an old man to children gathered around him in the village square. The story goes like this; A tree squirrel was on a tree crying on the top of its voice. At a point, a snake nearby told the squirrel to keep quiet but it did not listen, the snake said, it does not concern it. The squirrel continued and cocoyam's leaf told it to keep quiet but it did not listen, then the cocoyam's leaf said the same thing. It does not concern it. Lastly, a pumpkin stem told the squirrel to keep quiet and it did the same as before, the stem of pumpkin also did as others have done. As the squirrel continued, a hunter heard the sound of the crying, he approached and shot the squirrel. The squirrel fell beside the snake, the snake was laughing and lamenting, “I warned this idiot”. As the snake was still laughing, it was also killed by the same hunter. The hunter looked around to see what he will use to carry the two animals, he saw the cocoyam’s leaf and cut it. Again looking for something to use to tie them, he cut the stem of pumpkin. It has concerned all of them. Continue Raeding......................

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A By Tobe Eze

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A

FIRST READING
Jeremiah 20:7—9

SECOND READING
Romans 12:1—2

GOSPEL
Matthew 16:21—27

THEME: DOCILITY: A PERFECT WAY OF LIFE.

The proverb of onye n' enyo, isi ya ana-aputa is not only on bad things that it is being used, it is also ad rem to today’s readings. Onye gakwuru Jesu nso, onweta otutu ihe di mma. When you go closer to Jesus with a docile heart, he will shower you with his blessings. Sometimes the blessings may look like it is being delayed. We may suffer many things in the cause of going to God with a docile heart, but at last we will enjoy. Sorrow may endure for the night but morning comes with joy. Continue Reading..........................................