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

31st Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B.

FIRST READING
Deuteronomy 6:2—6

SECOND READING
Hebrews 7:23—28

GOSPEL
Mark 12:28b—34

THEME: OBEDIENCE IS THE WAY TO LIFE.

In the year 2016, I was at a place called Umualor in Isi-uzo Local Government Area of Enugu State. The place is a swampy area. During rainy season, everywhere is filled with water. One day I went to the Parish Priest to collect his motorcycle to go somewhere within the parish. He told me to follow the place others have been following, no matter how I think the place is deep and there are many other dried places to follow, I should not make that mistake. When I left, I reached a place. The type of hole other Motorcycles follow, I was thinking that it was too deep for me to follow. I looked around and I saw another place I thought was dry. When I tried following there, my motorcycle sank in, when I stepped my feet on the ground to help the situation, my feet also sank into the mud. The thing destroyed my sandals. Why this story?  Had it been I obeyed the Parish Priest, I would not have suffered that. Continue Reading..........................

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

30th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B.

 FIRST READING

Jeremiah 31:7—9

SECOND READING
Hebrews 5:1—6

GOSPEL
Mark 10:46—52

THEME: LET US THROW AWAY OUR TROUBLES FOR THE LORD HAS COME TO SAVE US.

In a certain place, there was this poor palm wine tapper. He has been struggling since his youth. One day as he was going about his normal wine tapping, a rich man stopped his car before him. He was wondering whom that person maybe. When the man came down from his car, he greeted the poor man as a friend but he could not recognize him. After the introduction, it was his classmate from the neighbouring village.  They hugged themselves and exchanged necessary pleasantries. After the greetings, the rich man brought out two bundles of money and gave it to the poor man.  Out of joy he threw away his climbing rope.  After everything, he left it there and went home with the money.  He used it for investment and it helped him to become an average man in the society. He did not stick to his palm wine tapping rather he changed and became a better person. Continue Reading................

29th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B. By Tobe Eze

29th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B.

FIRST READING
Isaiah 53:10—11

SECOND READING
Hebrews 4:14—16

GOSPEL
Mark 10:35—45

THEME: WE ALL WILL SHARE IN THE SUFFERING.

A woman met me one day and told me that she is tired of being a Christian.  I asked her why and she said.  I have been in agony for years now.  My husband is a drunkard and my children are not all that moving well in their areas of businesses. If it were when we were pagans, I would have promised one deity one or two things and things would have changed. Brother, God is inconsiderate. After listening to her, I preached to her and made her to know the kind of love God has for us, that she should just give God chance in her life and family and she will see the goodness of the Lord. Continue Reading..........

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B. By Tobe Eze

28^th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B

 First Reading

Wisdom 7:7-11

Second Reading

Hebrews 4:12-13

Gospel 10:17-30

THEME: THE WORD OF GOD IS ALL WE NEED; WE SHOULD HAVE IT.

In the beginning was the word, the word was with God and the word was God (John 1:1). I am the living bread, anyone who eats my body and drink my blood will have eternal life… (John 6:48-58).

The word of God is wisdom itself and anyone who has it has gotten a treasure that is above all. Seek you first the kingdom of God and its riches and every other thing shall be added onto you (Matthew 6:33). The word of God when accepted whole heartedly, comes with many other gifts that will help one to live long. Today’s readings present three forms this word of God can be. Continue Reading...........

27th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B. By Tobe Eze

27th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B.
FIRST READING

Genesis 2:18—24

SECOND READING
Hebrews 2:9—11

GOSPEL
 Mark 10:2—16

THEME: COMPANIONSHIP FIRST.

According to Rev. Fr. Nathaniel Ugwu (Fr. Natty Reggae), “marriage is between two managers that manage themselves very well”. In marriage, man and woman manage each other for they are different people with different strengths and weaknesses. They were born in different places and brought up differently. Even if they did courtship for 10 years, it is not enough to know all about themselves. Life changes with age or time. This is why man and woman who are in a marriage or who are planning to go into marriage should bear in mind that they are different persons coming to be joined together. Understanding is the key to good management of marriage. Continue Reading.............

RESPONSIBILITY KICK OFF. By Tobe Eze

RESPONSIBILITY KICK OFF. 

Ethics made us to understand that responsibility of an action is the act of taking the blame worthiness and praise worthiness of an action or actions performed by one. Every action we take in this physical world of existence has responsibility attached to it, either blame worthy or praise worthy. We are supposed to take the two from our actions but the ugly trend now is that we kick the blame worthy out and take praise worthy even to the extent of taking others' glories. 
The act of emebo (shifting of ugly responsibilities) in our society these days are quite alarming. One must always find a way to blame another or another thing for his or her failure or mistakes. Someone will sit down in the comfort of his/her apartment, to conclude about an action about to carry out. When one is caught in the action, it is either he/she blames his village people or friends or commonly the devil. Is it not kicking off responsibility to another one or thing?
The earlier we started taking up our responsibilities no matter the condition the better for us. This is because, the issue of shifting responsibility is almost the hallmark of every problem we have in our society today. No one is ready to be blamed but we are always ready to act. Plato’s ideal state is built on each taking up his/her responsibility. The Philosopher Kings (rulers) doing their works, soldiers doing theirs and artisans doing theirs. Let us rise up to our responsibilities and stop blaming others and things will change in our world today. We will always work to avoid blames if we rise up to our responsibilities and that will help our society than kicking off our responsibilities to others. Let us shun the kick off of responsibility and face reality. Thanks. 
Tobe Eze (DAN~HILL).

PRAYER PROSTITUTION. By Tobe Eze

PRAYER PROSTITUTION.

A woman I know very well, a born and brought up Catholic told me one day, “My family is suffering all sorts of hardship and this people want me to stay one place and watch it. They should hold their communion.” Many will perform miracles in my name but they are not from me (Matthew 7:22, 24:5). It is not all that call me Lord! Lord! Will enter the kingdom (Matthew 7:21). Bible has said many on this but people are still gullible more than ever.

My brother Emodi Eze, in one of his write ups on facebook laid bare the difference between miracle and magic. I am not to rewrite his article but just to give in a summary. Miracle happens with or without our help while magic cannot happen without our help. We should always bear in mind that it is the Lord that works miracles not human beings. People telling you to come to them or their praying grounds to receive miracles, does it mean that outside there, God cannot do the miracle? Jesus is the only one who can help us in our situations and that is why he is inviting us everyday to come to him all who are overburdened and over laboured and he will give us rest (Matthew 11:28).Continue Reading.........

26th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B. By Tobe Eze

26th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B.

FIRST READING
Numbers 11:25—29

SECOND READING
James 5:1—6

GOSPEL
Mark 9:38—43, 45, 47—48

THEME: THE TRUE SPIRIT.

The true spirit of God or the Holy Spirit falls on those God wills to receive the spirit. It is not our own making for a particular person or group of persons to receive the Holy Spirit. There are different gifts from the Holy Spirit as St. Paul pointed out in (1 Corinthians 12). Those gifts are meant for the well-being of human race. These gifts can be received by anyone as God wills. Continue Reading.............

25th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B. By Tobe Eze

25th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B.

FIRST READING
Wisdom 2:12, 17—20

SECOND READING
James 3:16—4:3

GOSPEL
Mark 9:30—37

THEME: GLORIES THAT FOLLOW SUFFERINGS.

For you will not leave my soul among the dead, nor let your beloved know decay (Psalm 16:10). In Igbo there is an adage that says, achukata nwa ogbenye, achuga ya ebe ka mma. In order to affirm this, in the Bible there are many places it talks about the love of the poor by God. It was Leibniz a philosopher in his division of evil into three types metaphysical, physical and moral evils said that good things sometimes follow physical evil. Sometimes we suffer but they are just as gold being tested in fire (1 Peter 1:7).

A certain family that was just living average life faced challenges in life. It happened that the father of the house fell sick and he was the source of living for them. They travelled to far and near to see to the solution to their father’s health but all to no avail. This cost them almost all they had. After four years of serious sickness the man died living the family in abject poverty. The three children of the family dropped out of school. One day one of their indigenous priests came home for Christmas break from abroad and asked the Parish Priest to organize a scholarship exam for all fatherless children in the parish that he needs five persons that he will train. After the exam, two of the dead man’s children passed the exam. The scholarship was to train them abroad, and that was how they met their glory. The Lord does not forget his people no matter the situation. Continue Reading.............

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

24th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B.

FIRST READING
Isaiah 50:4c—9a

SECOND READING
James 2:14—18

GOSPEL
Mark 8:27—35

THEME: FAITH IS BEYOND THE WORDS OF THE MOUTH.

After looking at some situations in this world I come to say that faith is the hardest thing one can achieve through an easiest way. What happened in a certain family made me to understand that faith is the best thing or treasure one can have.

A family of six, four children. It happened that the first child and daughter of the family in her final year in the University suffered just a little headache and died. The last child and daughter in the same way died. The family also endured it as they did in the first one. The first son in his second year in the University died also. It happened that he was my classmate. When we were going there for the burial, we were just praying to God to help us so that we would not bury two persons or even more than. When the body of the boy return from the mortuary, we divided ourselves into two groups. One should go and get the casket and the other should go closer to the parents to avoid stories that touch the heart. To our greatest surprise, it was obvious that they were consoling some of us. After the mass, as they were appreciating all that came. The mother said, I know you people are expecting us to kill ourselves today because of the death of our son, it will not solve the problem, you are expecting us to cry, it will not solve the problem, people are expecting us to do one thing or the other, and all of them cannot solve the problem. It is only faith in God that created us can solve the problem. When she said this, I asked myself, Tobe Eze, can you have this type of faith? Why this story? Continue Reading..........................