SATURDAY 15TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B. ByTobe Eze

SATURDAY 15^TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B.

1^ST READING: MICAH 2:1-5

GOSPEL: MATTHEW 12:14-21

THEME: DO WE REMEMBER JUSTICE AT ALL?

Sometimes, after looking at what is happening in the world, one may ask, will anyone make heaven? We often pray against bribery and corruption in Nigeria pointing accusing fingers to our leaders and we are even worse than them. I have come to realize that many who shout that prayer are our major problems.

The first reading is seriously warning us of the evil we do to people especially those under us. Curse shall be upon us when we think about evils at night and execute them in the day. When we think about evil in the night of our hearts and execute them in the day of our actions. The poor in the reading are not majorly those who have no money or little money rather, those whom we oppress in one way or the other. Responsorial Psalm is reminding God not to forget the poor. If God remembers them, we that are oppressing them will be in trouble.

Gospel says that God’s son will make sure that victory comes. Are we going to be saved when it comes? Let us think deep in many ways we oppress people and relent from that. Snatching peoples’ lands, tress, animals, money, wives, children, parents and many other ways we do that.

A man from my place married a young beautiful lady. After few years of their marriage, the wife noticed that the man has a widow that he goes to every now and then. When he says he has nothing to give to the family, he goes to the widow and spend all. The wife has done all within her power but the widow has snatched him from the family. She came to me and told me about it. I recommended prayers and good behaviour towards her husband which she does. She latter called me and said that there is a little change.

Let us today go back to our God who is the God of justice and work towards the path of justice so that we will not be condemned but gain life everlasting. Thanks.

FRIDAY 15TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B. By Tobe Eze

FRIDAY 15^TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B.

1^ST READING: ISAIAH 38:1-6. 21-22. 7-8.

GOSPEL: MATTHEW 12:1-8

THEME: RIGHTEOUSNESS AND NOTHING MORE.

When a humble son approaches his father to beg for a favour, the father does not hesitate to grant him that for he is a righteous son, but if a wayward child comes, his father will not freely grant him his wishes.

In the first reading, we saw how God answered the prayer of Hezekiah not only his own but for the whole nation because he was upright. Can God answer your own prayers or my own today talk more of another through you or me because of your or my righteousness?

The gospel expands this through the last part of it where Jesus said, Ihe n’ asom bu ebere, obughi aja. We spend time attending all church’s activities and donating money and other things every now and then to things concerning church but our hearts are as dark as charcoal. It is not enough. We claim to be following the law and behind it, we punish people because of our own selfish interest.

A woman who was very devoted to the CWO. It happened that she had problem with the president in the market. The next CWO meeting she came late and the president saw it as the best avenue to punish her. After giving her reasons and proofs, the president persisted under the umbrella of the law. She was nursing a child that time, after preparing the child for the meeting, the child poured oil on himself which made her to start afresh. After that, when they were coming, the chain of their motorcycle broke into two, she had to roll the motorcycle to a mechanic who repaired it and she continued the journey and that made her to come late. Her hands were still filled with oil and grease from the chain. After telling all these, the president persisted on the law not because they could not adjust but because she had something against her.

Righteousness is the only thing that can exalt a nation not the amount of sacrifices we make with evil hearts (Proverbs 14:34). It was because God saw Hezekiah as a righteous man that he answered his prayers. The Jews were not righteous and they did not recognize that something greater than the temple was in their midst. Let us today uphold righteousness for that is the only thing God wants from us not evil sacrifices. Thanks.

THURSDAY 15TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B. By Tobe Eze

THURSDAY 15^TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B.

1^ST READING: ISAIAH 26:7-9.12. 16-19

GOSPEL: MATTHEW 11:28-30

THEME: GOD IS THE SOLUTION.

After complaining in the first reading, Isaiah recognized that God was the only answer to their problems and he beckoned on him to come to their rescue. There would be no solution to their problems outside God.

In the gospel, Jesus God made man is calling us to come to him with our troubles that he is the only one who can help us with it. We should not think of anyone else to give us solution to our problems except him the Lord. These days we seem to have forgotten God and are now going after men and women of (so called) God. We have chapels almost in every parish where Jesus is waiting for us to come and meet him anytime anyday, we have priests almost everywhere looking for souls to be taken to Christ, we have morning masses and morning adorations almost in every parish but we leave all these and be looking for self-ordained ministers who will minister to and for us.

Jesus is the only way if we accept him. Sometimes he comes to us himself to help us but we like to stick to our normal old ways of life.

A man went to farm in a very far place. When he was returning, he was carrying a heavy basket of cassava on his head. A man with pickup car met him and decided to help him. He entered at the back. When the man wanted to cross an expressway, when they has traveled far, as he was looking left and right, from the glass he saw that the man was still carrying the basket of cassava even in the car. Even when God wants to help us, we continue to carry our problems as if we can solve them.

Let us accept Christ’s invitation and come or go to him who is the only solution to our problems. Thanks.

WEDNESDAY 15TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B. By Tobe Eze

WEDNESDAY 15^TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B.

1^ST READING: ISAIAH 10:5-7. 13-16

GOSPEL: MATTHEW 11:25-27

THEME: BE HUMBLE.

One Igbo adage will always ask, Okwuru o n’ akari onye kuru ya?  Can an okro over grow or out grow the person that planted it? Assyrians were thinking they had gotten all they needed, they could do all without the help of God and God asked them the question above. He is asking us also today the same question. As they lacked humility so also we are lacking it in our lives today.

Jesus in the gospel is thanking his father for hiding the riches of heaven from proud men/women, those who are lacking humility and revealing it to those who are humble and still uphold humility like children. If we humble ourselves, certainly we shall be exulted and if we exult ourselves, we shall be humbled as recorded in the Bible (Matthew 23:12). We are just dust of the earth (Ecclesiastes 3:20), no need for bragging.

A story was told by a priest from my place. In his first posting after ordination, he was very young then. A woman came to the parish house looking for a priest. That was in the afternoon. The priest after taking his lunch decided to go for a little walk. He met that woman at the gate but she could not even talk to the person for Fada was not putting on soutane, talk more of greeting. She passed him and entered the parish house and was asking to see a priest. She was told that she left a priest at the gate. She came to Fada and asked him, Bia nnwa, kedu ebe ifuru Fada? Fada told her that Fada was not far from there. She started barking at him telling him that children of these days are no more respectful. As she was shouting, a lady passed and greeted, Fada good afternoon! And Fada responded, it was that time that she noticed that she was talking to Fada and started to beg. Fada cautioned her to learn how to apply humility in everything she does in life so that she can go far in life.

It is a serious virtue to be humble and we cannot get heaven if we are not humble. Let us humble ourselves today like little and humble children and God will be on our sides and reveal the riches of heaven to us now and forever. Thanks.

TUESDAY 15TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B. By Tobe Eze

TUESDAY 15^TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B.

1^ST READING: ISAIAH 7:1-9

GOSPEL: MATTHEW 11:20-24

THEME: DO NOT ALLOW YOURSELF TO BE DESTROYED.

A famous story about tortoise and its three children on how many times will something happen to you that you will learn has a little connection with today’s readings.

In the first reading, the people of Emphraim was promised to be blot out from the face of the earth because of their evil plans against the people of God despite all that they have seen God had done for his people, they went ahead to plan evil against them.

In the gospel, the people of Chorazin and Bethsaida faced it with Jesus because of their obstinacy in their evil ways of life. They refused to change after all that Jesus had done for them.

It is likely that we are in the same category with these places about to be destroyed. We have remained obstinate in our sins and have left the faith we embraced earlier. Jesus has shown us many signs and wonders but still we plot evils in our hearts and with others. Christianity increases everyday but evils increase also. What is happening? We should run for our dear lives and run back to God so that we will not be destroyed in the presence of God as in the first reading and those whom we think are evil will not be better than us on the judgment day. Let us learn from the Holy Bible which is the word of God and not waiting like the first and second sons of the tortoise to have experience before learning. Thanks.

MONDAY 15TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B. By Tobe Eze

MONDAY 15^TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B.

1^ST READING: ISAIAH 1:10-17

GOSPEL: MATTHEW 10:34-11:1

THEME: CHOOSE GOD AND LEAVE EVIL.

The first reading is seriously warning us that no matter the type of prayer, fasting and every other religious thing we do without clean heart and clean hands, he the Lord will not listen to us.

Gospel tells us what Jesus told his disciples who were thinking that Jesus will give the world peace despite their sins.

If we must see God, if our prayers must be answered, we must choose to follow God. Condition for our prayer to be answered is to follow God and by following God we must be at war with worldly things. When Jesus talked about division he has brought. He talked about division from choosing God and leaving evil. Leaving our evil ways of life and following the righteous way of God no matter what it may cost us. It may cost us our pleasure, or our comfort zones, mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters but it is the best way to follow. Let us today choose the way of life and leave the way of death by choosing God and leaving the devil. Thanks.

SOLEMNITY OF THE BIRTHDAY OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. By Tobe Eze

SOLEMNITY OF THE BIRTHDAY OF JOHN THE BAPTIST.

FIRST READING.

ISAIAH 49:1-6

SECOND READING.

ACTS 13:22-26

GOSPEL.

LUKE 1:57-66.80

THEME: THE MAN JOHN THE BAPTIST.

Many prophets came to prepare the way of the son of God. They were preparing and clearing ways for him to come. John the Baptist was one of them. There is a clear difference between the prophets of old and John the Baptist. John is the bridge that connects the old and new testaments. He was the old prophet that made preparations for the coming of the Messiah and saw him when he come. Others longed to see the Messiah but could not, it was only John that saw him and showed him when he came. All the prophets called were called after their birth, it was only John who was called from the womb. Even in the womb he made signs to show whom he is when Jesus in the womb with his mother visited him also in the womb and his mother Elisabeth.

11th Sunday of Ordinary Time Year B. By Tobe Eze

1.       Slavery from within is the worst slavery on earth. Tobe Eze.

11th Sunday of Ordinary Time Year B.

FIRST READING

Ezekiel 17:22-24

SECOND READING

2 Corinthians 5:6-10

GOSPEL

Mark 4:26-34

THEME: FREEDOM WITH RESPONSIBILITIES.

Many things were the problems of the medieval period and early modern philosophers. These problems many of them worked tirelessly to proffer solutions to them. Out of those problems, two were prominent and drew attention of many of them and these two were, THE EXISTENCE OF GOD and THE PROBLEM OF EVIL.  Problem of evil is the main point that questions the existence of God. Continue Reading..................

10th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B. By Tobe Eze

1.       Recognize your present needs and it will help you to know your future needs and prepare for them. Tobe Eze.

10th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B.

FIRST READING
Genesis 3:9—15

SECOND READING
2 Corinthians 4:13—5:1

GOSPEL
Mark 3:20—35

THEME: TRUTH IS ALWAYS DIFFICULT TO ACCEPT.

Truth is bitter to the ears but it gladdens the heart (Psalm 104:15, Proverb 12:25). Only truth can set us free (John 8:32). Eziokwu bu ndu.

If you see how people react to truth especially when it is not on their favour, you will notice how hard it is to accept the truth. We often lie in many occasions just because truth is not in our favour. We shift responsibilities many times because of that same reason. We deny some things we know that is very clear because of the same reason. Continue Reading.........................

Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ Year B. By Tobe Eze

1.       Gentleness of the body is not gentleness of the heart, make them to be one. Tobe Eze.

Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ Year B.

FIRST READING
Exodus 24:3—8

SECOND READING
Hebrews 9:11—15

GOSPEL
Mark 14:12—16, 22—26

THEME: THE HIGHEST GIFT ONE CAN GIVE

It was Nikolaus Michaelson in a film named The Originals that said, “I will protect Hope my daughter with my last drop of blood”. This is not equivalent to what God did for and to us but just to compare it for us to see what likely God has done for us.

There was a video sent to me through WhatsApp by a friend. The video is a story of a man who had a daughter. The mother of the child died at the 4^th year of the child. The father was left to take care of the daughter. After her graduation from school, she fell Ill. She was taken to the hospital by her father. When they conducted test, they found out that she had heart problem (heart failure), she needed a new heart but she was not told. One day at the bed side, she told her father to do anything he can to save her, though she was ignorant of the type of sickness she was suffering from. He promised her that she will do that. After pondering on the whole thing, he went to the doctor and asked him to take his heart. The doctor objected but after all said and done, his heart was taken but before that he wrote something and asked them to his daughter to read when she must have recovered. After some months of recovery, she was given the write up to see what her father did for her. He used his life in exchanged of her daughter’s own. Though ethically “it is not right to take life no matter what”. This story is just to show us how our Lord Jesus Christ offered himself to redeem us. Out love the father sacrificed himself, out of love our Lord Jesus Christ sacrificed himself. Continue Reading.................