New Year Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. Year B By Tobe Eze

New Year Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. Year B

FIRST READING
Numbers 6:22—27

SECOND READING
Galatians 4:4—7

GOSPEL
Luke 2:16—21

THEME: SO SOON.

Just like yesterday and a year is gone. Praise be to our Lord Jesus Christ both now and forever more. Amen. Otito diri Jesu. Na ndu ebebe. Glory to God. Honour to Mary.

When I was small, in 2004, I was in the kitchen with my elder sister on 15th January. We were singing with 15th January 2004. At a point she asked me where will I be in 2014 and I shouted kpaoooo! Too far. But now, 2014 has long ago passed. It is a thing of joy. Years are now running so fast, and all are to the glory of God. It is not by our power or our might but through his merciful love and care. Chukwu dalu. Keep us forever in your side both in this passing world and the everlasting one coming. Continue Reading..........................................

Feast of the Holy Family Year B. By Tobe Eze

Feast of the Holy Family Year B.

 FIRST READING

Sirach 3:2—6, 12—14 

SECOND READING

Colossians 3:12—21 

GOSPEL

Luke 2:22, 39—40 

THEME: THE JOY OF THE PRIMARY CHURCH.

My son, take care of your father when he is old; grieve him not as long as he lives. Even if his mind fail, be considerate of him; revile him not all the days of his life; kindness to a father will not be forgotten, firmly planted against the debt of your sins —a house raised in justice to you. When he prays, he is heard; he stores up riches who reveres his mother. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing to the Lord.

Wives, be subordinate to your husbands, as is proper in the Lord

Husbands, love your wives, and avoid any bitterness toward them. 

Fathers, do not provoke your children, so they may not become discouraged. 

One should ask, why did I start with children instead of the head of the family? The reason for that is because today’s feast of Holy Family puts it in that way. The family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. This family should be the yardstick to every family. Continue Reading......................

Christmas Day - Solemnity; Christmas, the Birthday of Jesus Year B. By Tobe Eze

Christmas Day - Solemnity; Christmas, the Birthday of Jesus Year B.

FIRST READING
Isaiah 62:11—12

SECOND READING
Titus 3:4—7

GOSPEL
Luke 2:15—20

THEME: JOY TO YOU.

A child was dancing in front of her mother’s shop when Christmas was fast approaching, when the child was asked the reason for the joy and dance. The child said, the time my mother will make more money has come. Again a pagan was passing before a Catholic church on Christmas day, when he saw the type of vehicles that packed outside the Church compound, he shouted that “the God this people are celebrating must be a big one and went in to the Church and became a Christian from that day. Just that he saw cars. What do you own that will bring people to Christ? His family was so happy that day. Continue Reading............................

A HERMENEUTICAL ANALYSIS OF “OMABE” MASQUERADE IN EHA-ALUMONA TOWN OF NSUKKA L.G.A, ENUGU STATE. By Tobe Eze

A HERMENEUTICAL ANALYSIS OF “OMABE” MASQUERADE IN EHA-ALUMONA TOWN OF NSUKKA L.G.A, ENUGU STATE.

1.0 INTRODUCTION
A study on the “Ọmabe” masquerade of Eha-Alumona Town is tasking, partly because of its secrecy, and also as a result of the notion that it is unchristian, and associated with pagan practices. To this effect, this study aims at laying bare the activities of Ọmabe masquerade in Eha-Alumona town. This may help in eradicating such claims, even though, one may not categorically say that the activities of “Ọmabe” masquerade is entirely free of fetish practice. But it is more cultural than religious. It therefore becomes pertinent that we painstakingly carry out this study. This will warrant that we historically evaluate Eha-Alumona town – the people inhabiting it and certainly their activities with particular reference to Ọmabe masquerade. This will be possible with the help of some indigenous sons of this community who would be interviewed on the activities of Ọmabe Masquerade in Eha-Alumona town. Their submissions would be analysed hermeneutically to ascertain the true meaning inherent in the practices of Ọmabe masquerade.
You are encouraged to read on.
1.1 BACKGROUND OF STUDY
This research work is designed to study a particular type of masquerade called “Ọmabe”. It is a known masquerade in Eha-Alumona town of Nsukka L.G.A, Enugu State. Hence the activities and practices of this masquerade within the purview of Eha-Alumona town will be our major focus.
1.2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
An Idiothetic Approach was adopted in this study, which allowed me to engage in a one on one interview with four Respondents. These respondents are noble sons of the soil and respectable individuals in Eha-Alumona town. They include: Attama Ozioko Ede, Chief Sir. Simeon Ugwu, Chief Innocent Ezea, Onyishi Cyril Eze and Onyishi Ọrịị Nwaozioko. They were interviewed
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differently, and on different occasions. Nevertheless, their cooperation were encouraging and remarkable.
1.3 DEFINITION OF TERMS
 Masquerade:

Etymologically the word “masquerade” has its roots in the French word “mascaraed” and an Italian word “maschera,” but masquerades likely originated on the West African coast. It is practiced in many different forms, but its origin is traced to West Africa. According to West African custom, masquerade can refer to a performance by masked characters, the performer himself, or the character portrayed by the performer. The African style of masquerade is an outdoor event, performed by men, and sometimes limited to the attendance of men1.
 “Ọmabe” Masquerade:

This is a type of masquerade found in Eha-Alumona town of Nsukka L.G.A, Enugu State. It is among the most ancient masquerades in Eha-Alumona town. “Ọmabe” masquerade is a traditional performance acted out by exclusive secret society within Eha-Alumona town, and it is staged biannual (after every two years). They move about holding long whips, cutlasses and they occasionally dance and sing to the spectators.
2.0 HISTORICAL AND GEOGRAPHICAL BACKGROUND OF EHA-ALUMONA
It is pertinent at this point to engage in a historical and geographical overview of the place of study. Here, the geographical location will be disclosed, as well as the historical origin of the town. To understand the town more, the prevalent occupations and religion will be considered too.
1 Wikipedia.
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2.1 GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION
Eha-Alumona is located on the Eastern part of Nsukka city, Eha-Alumona is bounded on the North by Orba, on the South by Ede-Oballa and some part of Opi, on the East by some part of Opi and Mbu and on the West by Nsukka, all in Enugu State.
Eha-Alumona, just like Nsukka, is a land of hills and valleys, thus the “Ugwu” within the household names of lots of its indigenes. The Ugwuezemkpume hillock with its stony valleys which geographically separates Agbamere from Ukweje now Eha. There’s Eme stream by Agụ Umabor. Eha-Alumona has Agụ and Ụlọ (Undeveloped and developed areas).
2.2 HISTORICAL ORIGIN.
There are two accounts of the historical origin of Eha-Alumona. These accounts are instrumental in understanding the origin of Eha-Alumona people.
Eha-Alumona, like any other town is inhibited today by immigrants from various parts of Nigeria known and yet unknown. Continue Reading...........................

Gaudate Sunday. Copied from Catholic Encyclopedia.

The third Sunday of Advent, so called from the first word of the Introit at Mass (Gaudete, i.e. Rejoice). The season of Advent originated as a fast of forty days in preparation for Christmas, commencing on the day after the feast of St. Martin (12 November), whence it was often called "St. Martin's Lent"-- a name by which it was known as early as the fifth century. The introduction of the Advent fast cannot be placed much earlier, because there is no evidence of Christmas being kept on 25 December before the end of the fourth century (Duchesne, "Origines du culte chrétien", Paris, 1889), and the preparation for the feast could not have been of earlier date than the feast itself. In the ninth century, the duration of Advent was reduced to four weeks, the first allusion to the shortened season being in a letter of St. Nicholas I (858-867) to the Bulgarians, and by the twelfth century the fast had been replaced by simple abstinence. St. Gregory the Great was the first to draw up an Office for the Advent season, and the Gregorian Sacramentary is the earliest to provide Masses for the Sundays of Advent. In both Office and Mass provision is made for five Sundays, but by the tenth century four was the usual number, though some churches of France observed five as late as the thirteenth century. Notwithstanding all these modifications, however, Advent still preserved most of the characteristics of a penitential season which made it a kind of counterpart to Lent, the middle (or third) Sunday corresponding with Laetare or Mid-Lent Sunday. On it, as on Laetare Sunday, the organ and flowers, forbidden during the rest of the season, were, permitted to be used; rose-coloured vestments were allowed instead of purple (or black, as formerly); the deacon and subdeacon reassumed the dalmatic and tunicle at the chief Mass, and cardinals wore rose-colour instead of purple. All these distinguishing marks have continued in use, and are the present discipline of the Latin Church.

3rd Sunday of Advent Year B. By Tobe Eze

Gaudete Sunday (/ɡaʊˈdɛtɛ/ gow-DEH-teh) is the third Sunday of Advent in the liturgical calendar of the Western Church, including the Roman Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion, many Lutheran Churches, and other mainline Protestant churches.3rd Sunday of Advent Year B.

FIRST READING Isaiah 61:1—2a, 10—11

SECOND READING
1 Thessalonians 5:16—24

GOSPEL
John 1:6—8, 19—28

THEME: WHAT TYPE OF MESSAGE DO YOU CARRY?

There was a king who fell sick. At a point he asked his first son to go get him his native doctor to consult his ancestors to know the problem. When the native doctor arrived, after incantation, he told him that before he gets well all his brothers must die. When the king heard that, he asked him to be arrested. The king sent for another native doctor, when that one came he started like this. My king, I think before you get out of this, we have to do something about your enemies. The king asked him what they will do, he told him that his enemies are his brothers but he suggests that a sacrifice and charm for protection should be made for him but if he wants to end everything, they have to be killed. The king chose the first option. Why this story? It is about the type of messages we carry around. Sometimes we carry bad ones, sometimes good ones but in a wrong manner or place and sometimes we carry good ones at perfect place it should be. Sometimes we give people hope where there is no hope through our messages, sometimes we give people hope where there is hope. Sometimes we take away hope where there is hope through our messages. What we should ask ourselves is, what type of message do we carry about? Some are true but the communication may make it or them bad. Like when you want to tell a woman who has one son that the son is dead, it is true but there is a way you will present it and you will bury two persons and there is a way you will present it and she will understand. Mode or manner of communication.

APOSTOLIC VOCATIONS. Rev. Fr. Mike Okata's Handout on Spiritual Theology.

I found and also find this very interesting and have decided to share it. it is not just ordinary class work but life changing work.

Bigard memorial seminary, enugu. Spiritual theology

 STH 315: APOSTOLIC VOCATIONS

Priestly and religious Vocations: Nature, Signs, Care/Fostering of vocations (Read Optatam Totius no. 2; Cans. 232 – 235; Pastores Dabo Vobis nos. 34 – 59).

Vocations to which everyone is called from all eternity: the vocation to be “holy and blameless” (Eph. 1:4-5; LG. 39, 40) are of various kinds, but the most commonly distinguished in the Church are those of the lay, the clerical and religious states of life. Marriage is also a special divine call, (LG 35) and cannot be answered together with the priestly and religious vocations. Both have the characteristics of vocation in general but also have their own peculiarities.

PRIESTLY VOCATION: NATURE

Every Christian vocation is founded on God, because it comes from God and is God’s gift and is never given outside the Church (Pastores Dabo Vobis 35). The Church by her nature is a vocation and a begetter and educator of vocation, “because she is a sacrament, a sign and instrument in which the vocation of every Christian is reflected and lived out” (PDV, ibid).

The priesthood is a call not a career, a re-definition of the self, not just a new ministry, a way of life not a job, a state of being, not just a function; a permanent lifelong commitment, not a temporary style of service, an identity, not just a role (Cardinal Dolan).

“Every high priest is taken from among human beings and is appointed to act on their behalf in relation with God, to offer gifts and sacrificed for sins’ (Heb 5:1).

SIGNS OF VOCATIONS

The Ration Fundamentalis for the training of priests (No, 39) describes and lists the human and moral qualities of those who are candidates for the priesthood; the spiritual and intellectual gifts which they must have to apt for the priestly ministry. Such attitudes that one must have before any call from the Lord is established include:

a.     Right intention: This involves motives of intention. A right intention is absolutely necessary

b.     Spiritual qualities – piety and sacramental practices

c.      Human and moral qualities

d.     Pastoral qualities

e.      Intellectual qualities (can 1029)

f.       Health (can 1029)

g.     Emotional Maturity

2nd Sunday of Advent Year B. By Tobe Eze

2nd Sunday of Advent Year B.

FIRST READING
Isaiah 40:1—5, 9—11

SECOND READING
2 Peter 3:8—14

GOSPEL
Mark 1:1—8

THEME: MAKE THE CROOKED WAY STRAIGHT.

 This call for making the crooked way straight, leveling every hilly areas and so on that appeared in the first reading and the gospel can only touch us very well when we apply what St. Peter said in the second reading that, “ten thousand years are like a day before God and we do not know that day of the Lord.” It is the spirit of there time that devil uses to deceive us that think always that the day of the Lord is ten thousand years coming, it just like a day. Our days of the Lord are differently. Onye na nke ya. Continue Reading.......................

A VISIT TO THE MORTUARY. By Tobe Eze

A VISIT TO THE MORTUARY.

INTRODUCTION.

The end product of our struggling here in this physical world is death. Whatever we gather on this earth, whatever we think we have and are will surely be defeated one day by death. Death is cure for all our ill health and sound health. People go about doing anything on earth to get firm, wealth, name and many other prestigious positions on earth and tend to forget that death is real. Martin Heidegger is a philosopher who talked about authentic death and he explained it with one being conscious of his personal death. When one recognizes that death is private then dasein (one) will come back to itself. When we realize that we are to end up this passing world one day, we will try to live an authentic life. Continue Reading.................................

16th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A. By Tobe Eze

16th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A.

FIRST READING
Wisdom 12:13, 16—19

SECOND READING
Romans 8:26—27

GOSPEL
Matthew 13:24—43

THEME: GIVE THEM CHANCE.

The last statement of the first reading is, “And you taught your people, by these deeds, that those who are just must be kind; and you gave your children good ground for hope that you would permit repentance for their sins.” It is on this ground with the first parable in the Gospel that I wish to start with a story.

Two girls were living in the same room in the university. One was too promiscuous and the other was too pious. The one that was too pious was seeing her roommate as a candidate for hell fire. She does not for her, hardly does she talks to her. She sees fault in everything she does. The other, whenever she wants to do anything good, she does it for the two. One day the canal one called the pious one to narrate her story of life to her so that she will help her but she said no, that she has nothing to do with someone like you. One who sleeps with any man that passes around her. When they graduated, they went to their various homes. The pious one did not get job immediately. Her father and mother died through fire outbreak. She was left with nothing material to start life and she had three siblings to take care of. To cut the story short. After suffering for years, she succumbed to what almost every man that comes to her rescue tells her. Your body in exchange of help. She succumbed to that and was even worst than his roommate. After many years if experience and every other things, the two roommates met again. That was when she accepted to listen to her roommate. Her roommate told her that was born and brought up in the community of prostitutes. Her mother died as a prostitute. She told her that she was making effort to stop that type of life when they were in school but she did not give her chance to explain herself to her. Continue Reading......................................