WEDNESDAY 18TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B. By Tobe Eze

WEDNESDAY 18^TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B.

1^ST READING: JEREMIAH 31:1-7

GOSPEL: MATTHEW 15:21-28

THEME: PERSISTENCE IS A VIRTUE.

I was travelling from Nsukka to Enugu one day. I entered pick and drop bus. At a point where it dropped to pick more persons, a boy came to me to buy pear from him. I told him that I did not need it. He continued persuading me to buy it. I ignored him but to my greatest surprise, he did not go. At a point, I had to save myself that embracement and bought the pear from him. I bought that pear not because I needed it but because he persisted.

In the first reading, God said that all that will survive the tribulations will enjoy his goodness. He is also telling us today that if we persist in following him, despite all the troubles of the world that he will bless us.

We can see the practical persistence in the gospel. Persistence working and walking. Persistence personified. The woman despite that Jesus called her and her daughter dogs, she used one Igbo adage as a consolation, “Onyeocha kpoo mu ewu ma ya kwuo mu ugwuo mu”. Jesus can call her anything provided she gets what she was looking for.

We sing regularly “Mmiri mara mu ebe mu n’ eso Jesu” but we do not live it out. There is always a reward that follows those who persisted till the end. “The one who will remain steadfast will be given the unfading crown of glory” (1Peter 5:4). Let us ask God to give us the grace to be persistent in good things despite the situations we may find ourselves. Thanks.

TUESDAY 18TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B. By Tobe Eze

TUESDAY 18^TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B.

1^ST READING: JEREMIAH 30:1-2. 12-15. 18-22.

GOSPEL: MATTHEW 14:22-36

THEME: DO NOT DOUBT, HAVE FAITH.

I have come to realize that the major problem we have on earth is the lack of faith in God. That people do this bad thing and the other may be the lack of faith in God. The Israelites lost faith in God and started going the wrong way that God got angry with them. God is also today promising them and us his mercy and redemption. The problem now is, do we have faith to accept it? That many temptations win us today is on the basis of lack of faith. Peter filled with faith walked on the water but as soon as he lost faith and focus, he started sinking. All those who touched his garment with faith were healed. Where is your faith and my faith? We have faith in the Lord but just like Peter, when a little challenge comes, we fall off.

A man who was born and brought up in the Catholic Church was faced with an illness. At a point, the illness refused to be healed. People were telling him that this is no longer a thing of prayer and meditation. He should look for a diviner (Dibia). Oria agbaro aka. Refusing for sometimes, at last he yielded to their suggestions. After all said and done, the diviner could not also heal him. He died in the sickness despite what the diviner did. Had he known, he would have not involved himself in that. Have faith in God and he will visit you in due time. Thanks.

MONDAY 18TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B. By Tobe Eze

MONDAY 18^TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B.

1^ST READING: JEREMIAH 28:1-17

GOSPEL: MATTHEW 14:12-21

THEME: TEST THE SPIRIT.

There are many spirits working in the world now. Many people are now claiming to be called to the service of the Lord. How do we know these false ones? They have sweet and convincing mouths that it is very difficult for us to know the difference. How can we tell the one sent by God?

This appeared in the first reading where Hannaniah appeared as a prophet sent by God to his people. He told them what they wanted to hear and they were happy. Is it not the same with what is happening today in our own world? These days they tell us what we want to hear and we will clap and jump for them and follow them.

The words of the prophet can never favour everyone, it must pain some. Jeremiah knowing that Hannaniah was lying reminded them of the already existed true prophets but they ignored that because they have heard what they wanted to hear. We will be told the stand of the church and God from time immemorial but because the present person is telling us what we want to hear, we will abandon God and the church and follow the person.

The gospel is showing us the type of prophet we should follow. We should follow one who has compassion for his people. Instead of asking the people to get him what to eat and drink and sow seeds for all those he healed, he rather fed them from what he and his apostles had. The church and God are calling us today to test if the spirit is taking from us the little we have or is it giving us what we do not have. Test every spirit before you believe in it (1John 4:1). Thanks.

SATURDAY 17TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B. By Tobe Eze

SATURDAY 17^TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B.

1^ST READING: JEREMIAH 26:11-16. 24

GOSPEL: MATTHEW 14:1-12

THEME: REMAIN IN TRUTH, THE APOINTED TIME IS NEAR.

Like in the responsorial Psalm, “At an acceptable time, O Lord answer me”. At the accepted time, the Lord answered Jeremiah and saved him from the hands of those who wanted to kill him.

At the acceptable time, the Lord answered the whole world by sending John the Baptist to prepare his ways for him. When John completed his works, he used his blood to wash the way for the Messiah to come and take over.

A story goes thus. A son of a certain man died. His best friend came and as he was consoling him, he told him that if this one did not happen, greater one may have happened. That man that his son died said in his heart that that his friend has hand in the death of his son. After the burial and funeral. He called that his best friend to thank him and his family for their support during burial and funeral. After cooking everything for the family, he poisoned the food to kill the whole family for he thought the man was responsible for the death of his son. When the family came, as they were about to pray and eat the food, a man ran inside there and told the family that their first son who was to graduate that year had accident and died at that spot. The man as usual said, if this did not happen, greater one would have happened he left with his family without eating that poisoned food. At that point, it became clear to that wicked man that his friend was innocent. If John the Baptism did not die, what would have happened?

Sometimes many bad things happen to us and we start to question God and his existence. It maybe that the Lord is waiting for the appointed time to do it for us. Jeremiah thought that that was his last time but God rescued him. Herod and Herodias thought that killing John will end the truth but that was the beginning of it. Herod out of fear said that Jesus was John, that he has been raised from the dead to life again. God’s ways are not our ways, he has plans of better things for us. John said he will decrease so that Jesus will increase (John 3:30), it was not just mere saying, it is also applied to us today. We suffer in other to increase. Let all that we pass through do not take us away from the truth (Romans 8:32). We were, we are and we will continue to be more than conqueror if we remain in him. Thanks.

FRIDAY 17TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B. By Tobe Eze

FRIDAY 17^TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B.

1^ST READING: JEREMIAH 26:1-9

GOSPEL: MATTHEW 13:54-58

THEME: SOMETIMES IT PAINS TO BE HOLY.

It is very difficult for a righteous one to get his reward here on earth, rather many tribulations. Many tribulations follow being righteous. We are at home with how people mock those who try to be holy or live the life of holiness. Holinwaeje, Santanwa egbe, uka ehihie, uka anyanwutu and many other names.

Jeremiah after saying what the Lord has directed him to say, they instead of repenting vowed to put him to death. After the teachings of Jesus in the gospel, instead of them taking it and changing their ways of life, they started questioning his authority and threw him out of the city. After Dino Melaye had said the truth of ringing the bell of justice, instead of taking his words, Buhari and his co-murderers wanted him dead.

Instead of taking the truth your parish priest told you, you plan to kill him, seduce him or lure him to bed just to drag his name on the floor. Instead of taking the good news of the young seminarian sent to your parish, you start to question his age, background, class or qualifications and every other things. God is watching us.

Instead of taking the truth told us in clan, village, community, church and other places we meet, we look for a way to deal with the person who spoke the truth. For those who stand in the path of truth and life, the reward of a righteous one on earth is persecutions and the reward in the after world is eternal salvation, do not relent, it may pain today but tomorrow will be better. Thanks.

THURSDAY 17TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B. By Tobe Eze

THURSDAY 17^TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B.

1^ST READING: JEREMIAH 18:1-6

GOSPEL: MATTHEW 13:47-53

THEME: WE DETERMINE WHAT HE DOES TO AND FOR US.

As we can see in the first reading, the clay in the potter’s hand tried to show the potter that it can misbehave and the potter showed it that he was still in-charge and changed it to another shape. If we prove to God that we are stubborn, he can still do another thing to us.

In the gospel, the parable is still showing us what will be obtainable on the last day which will be the fruit of our labours. If we do good he will put us in his vessel but if we do bad, to a burning furnace where there will be gnashing of teeth. We must obey God if we must make heaven. He is our creator and he has power to do anything to and with us depending on our dispositions.

If we show him that we are incorrigible, he will treat us as such, if we show him that we are corrigible, he will also treat us as such. Life and death are now placed before us and it is left for us to choose (Deuteronomy 30:19). Choose the God that you will serve for I and my family have chosen to serve the living God (Joshua 24:15). The ball is in our court. Thanks.

WEDNESDAY 17TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B. By Tobe Eze

WEDNESDAY 17^TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B.

1^ST READING: JEREMIAH 15:10. 16-21

GOSPEL: MATTHEW 13:44-46

THEME: TO FOLLOW GOD IS NOT EASY.

Jeremiah complained to God all that he was passing through because of his words. He suffered many tribulations because of the word of God. But all hope were not lost.

In the gospel, we are made to understand that, to get that heaven we must sacrifice many if not all we have. The man who found the treasure in the field sold all he had in order to buy that land. We have to sacrifice all we have in order to buy or make heaven. What are those things we have to sell? We have to sell our pride, insincerity, adultery, idolatry, fornication and all forms of sins we commit to buy every other good things that lead us to heaven. When we talk about selling what we have, it is not like a woman who changed church newly from catholic to another church. On her first day in the church, the pastor told them to sell everything they had and bring the proceed to sow seed and God will multiply it. She went home and sold all that she had and took the proceed to the pastor. After two weeks she was left with nothing and nothing came in. Instead of running to the pastor, she ran to the parish priest to tell him what happened. After all said and done, the parish priest helped her to start life again and she was forced by experience to come back to the Catholic Church. We are not to sell what we use for our living but the evils we do and it must surely pain us to do that because they are our comfort zones but our rewards will be greater. Thanks.

TUESDAY 17TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B. By Tobe Eze

TUESDAY 17^TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B.

1^ST READING: JEREMIAH 14:17B-22

GOSPEL: MATTHEW 13:36-43

THEME: GOD IS THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN HEAR US.

In the first reading, the situation of the Israelites are being made known to us. Despite all forms of gods they followed, they could not give them joy that they wanted. It is only in the Lord that there is fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11). They were looking for where to get solution to their problems but could not find it. What a bad thing!

The apostles had their own problem of not getting clearly what the parable of the wheat and weed meant. Immediately they went to Jesus, their problem was solved because he is the only one who can hear, understand and feel with us in our situations. It was because of that that after looking at our situation, he decided to come down to live like us, die like us and to redeem us from our ugly situation.

When I was at Ibagwa-Aka, I was coming back from the parish house on Nkwo market day and Nkwo is their special market day. Three women were going home from market and one was discussing her husband. How bad the man is and how he treats her. She said that the man is not worthy of being a husband talk more of a father. I was using rolling on the motorcycle I was using and I was just following them at the back. When the other two reached their various houses, they left that one. I started my motorcycle and rushed her and asked her to enter. When I reached her house, I decided to pass, she shout for me to stop. I told her that I cannot stop for I wanted to take her to her father’s house so that he can leave that evil man. She told me No that it has not reached to that level. I told her, if it has not reached to that level, why were you selling your family so cheap to people who cannot help you?

None of those people we carry our troubles to will give us the solution except God. “Come to me all who are over laboured and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28)”. He is the only one who can hear us and understand us. Let us leave those godfathers, godmothers, godbrothers, godsisters and so on that give us vain hopes and come to Jesus who is the final solution to all our troubles. Thanks.

MONDAY 17TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B. By Tobe Eze

MONDAY 17^TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B.

1^ST READING: JEREMIAH 13:1-11

GOSPEL: MATTHEW 13:31-35

THEME: SINS HAVE DEPRIVED US MANY THINGS.

I met a boy one day and gave him bread to eat, he collected it with joy. After three days, I saw him with biscuit and asked him to give me one and he refused out rightly. I could not understand him, then I went and bought that type of biscuit 2 and asked him to come and collect one. He rushed like a hungry dog but I did not give it to him. He cried heaven and earth but the cry did not touch me. Why this? In the first reading, from the drama that took place, we can see how God took his people but they made themselves useless before him. He planned to make them his people forever but they chose the wrong part of following other gods. I was just trying to make that small boy my friend but he failed me. What is that that our sins have deprived us? That boy’s selfishness deprived him other gifts from me.

The gospel came to tell us how we will be and where we will be if we remain in God and that is what sin is depriving us. Mustard seed that is very small growing to a big tree. We that are not recognized by men will at the end gain everlasting happiness. From another angle, that place people joke with, think it is very small, have many mansions for us to occupy. A man once told me that he will not work towards making heaven that all of us will not accommodate there. It is this kind of thing that makes us to sin always and loose that which is prepared for us. Had it been that small boy gave me that biscuit, I would not have taken it and also I would have bought more for him. If we leave sins that bring us condemnation as in the first reading, we will be great like in the gospel and we will occupy that position prepared for us in heaven. Thanks.

SATURDAY 16TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B. By Tobe Eze

SATURDAY 16^TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B.

1^ST READING: JEREMIAH 7:1-11

GOSPEL: MATTHEW 13:24-30

THEME: REWARD FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

The Lord has promised us many good things if we come back to him. If we do not allow ourselves to be deceived by all sorts of strange doctrines (Ephesians 4:14). He warns against all sorts of evils we do and after come to his house to claim Christians. The two cannot go together, choose one and leave the other and I advise we should choose God. In the gospel, it explains what St. Augustine said that the church is the church of saints and sinners. It is not God who made them sinners in his own house or was it his intention for that to be rather the devil.

One person told me one day that many evil men and women are in the Catholic Church and we allow them, for that he will never in his life come back to Catholic Church again. If God allowed them to grow together (Matthew 13:30), who are we to go and uproot them? He is the Lord of the vineyard and knows what he will do after.

Those who remained in him, those who remained righteous till the end, we will be taken to his barn where they will be preserved forever.  Let us remain as wheat and we will be rewarded with his house. Thanks.