The Baptism of the Lord – Feast Year C. By Tobe Eze

The Baptism of the Lord – Feast Year C.

FIRST READING
Isaiah 40:1—5, 9—11

SECOND READING
Titus 2:11—14; 3:4—7

GOSPEL
Luke 3:15—16, 21—22

THEME: THE WATER OF REBIRTH

Christ being God, a man without sin, why was he baptized? We are taught that baptism is a sacrament that washes away our original sin, makes us Christians, children of God and bringing us into one faith. Christ had no need of all these but he was baptized. Incantation was to divinize humanity and to humanize divinity. He took our nature to save us. His life on earth was just as a yardstick that all should follow and that contributed to his acceptance to be baptized in the river Jordan by John. As he has shown us examples of the way we should follow, he practiced many of them which baptism is one of them. To show us the importance of baptism, he said to Nicodemus, if you are not reborn by water (baptism) you will not enter the kingdom of God. When he was about leaving his apostles, he charged them to baptize people in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). Continue Reading.............................

Solemnity of The Epiphany of the Lord Year C. By Tobe Eze

Solemnity of The Epiphany of the Lord Year C.

FIRST READING
Isaiah 60:1—6

SECOND READING
Ephesians 3:2—3a, 5—6

GOSPEL
Matthew 2:1—12

THEME: LET OUR STARS SHINE WITH THE LORD.

What type of thing attract people to us? Money, speech, behaviours, shape of the body, colour of the skin, height and so on? All these are not in themselves evils but there are ways they will manifest themselves and they turn to be evil.

The three readings are talking about the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ as we celebrate it today. This solemnity does not mean that it is only today that Christ has manifested himself to us rather, it is to bring to our notice what happens to us daily and how we should approach it.

Following Christ is a journey of faith for sometimes we may not know where we are going but with faith, we say that our Master knows the way. Talking from the old, Abraham the father of faith made a journey of faith when he left his father’s house, going to the place the Lord will show him which he didn’t know (Genesis 11:31-12:9), but by faith he made the journey. Still on Abraham, he made a statement he didn’t also know on the way to sacrifice his son Isaac “the Lord will provide (Genesis 22:8)”. And latter the Lord provided. All the apostles and disciples of our Lord followed him without knowing where they were going. He was just calling them and asking them to follow him and they were leaving everything behind and were following him. When he wanted to enter Jerusalem, he sent two out to go and get him a donkey  unclear message but with faith, they went without complaining or fear and everything went well for them (Matthew 12:21). Likewise the two that prepared the upper room for the last supper (Luke 22:12). Continue Reading....................

NEW YEAR DAY. WORLD DAY OF PEACE. Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God Year C. By Tobe Eze

NEW YEAR DAY. WORLD DAY OF PEACE. Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God

 Year C.

FIRST READING
Numbers 6:22—27

SECOND READING
Galatians 4:4—7

GOSPEL
Luke 2:16—21

THEME: LET US BE NEW BY LEAVING EVIL AND SEEKING PEACE WHICH MARY HAS GIVEN BIRTH TO PRINCE OF PEACE.

We have three great celebrations today and three of them are very significant in our lives. Today is the beginning of a New Year, today being a beginning of a New Year is the world day of peace and the Church is celebrating today Mary Mother of God. Three great feasts but related. Let us take them one after the other.

New Year: What is new in us about this New Year? At the beginning of every year, people make different resolutions. This and that is (are) my New Year resolution (s). To what end? How many weeks do we keep to those resolutions we make? Some do not exceed January, some February and mostly the highest will last till March and we will go back to our normal way of life. New Year does not change any person rather we are the ones to change ourselves. It is good to make resolutions and work towards achieving them for that is a way of planning life. These beautiful resolutions we make have to be renewed if we want to achieve them. Let us try and see if we can write them down and check them or read them each day before embarking on the day’s activities and again at night to check the effort made. How can we connect this to the second celebration? Continue Reading.............

The Feast of Holy Family Year C. By Tobe Eze

The Feast of Holy Family Year C.

First Reading

Ecclesiasticus 3:3-7, 14-17

Second Reading

Colossians 3:12-21

Gospel

Luke 2:41-52

THEME: OUR MODEL.

There is a family in my place that before now, people have never noticed that they have ever quarreled. Our parish priest then was preparing some families who have already started their family life without wedding. Both young men and women and old men and women for mass wedding during Easter. One day, he asked them, how will you like to build your family? One of the old women stood up and said. Achoro mu ka ezinulo mu diri ka nke John Eze. When she was asked why, she said, they have never quarreled. After the wedding and everything concerning it. One day the old woman was going around in the evening, she come beside John Eze’s house and she was hearing some noise. When she approached to know what was happening, she heard the voice of John’s wife barking at the husband. She was scandalized. As she went closer, she heard the voice of John telling the wife, please we can settle this at night. People may be hearing us now and the wife accepted. The woman shouted in our local dialect. “Nya bu ne onye lile akwo ne azu ne ike nye yeru oye” (Onye nile akwo n’ azu, ike ya yere oye. Everyone being carried at the back, his/her bottom is open). This means that everyone has his/her own problem but it is now the way you carry it around. Continue Reading...........

Solemnity of Christmas Day Year C. By Tobe Eze

Solemnity of Christmas Day Year C.

First Reading

Isaiah 52:7-10

Second Reading

Hebrews 1:1-6

Gospel

John 1:1-18

THEME: WHAT IS CHRISTMAS FOR YOU?

Many people have different ideas of Christmas. Ethnic groups may have different views, ages or epochs may have different views and nature may also have different views. In all these, individually, we have different views. Now, let us ask ourselves what Christmas is for us.

The first reading is taking Christmas as a time of bringing good tidings or good news to the people. Blessed are the feet of those who bring good news to the people of God. What message do you carry during Christmas?

The second reading is talking about the son of God whom God is well pleased with. Through Jesus Christ, we are all adopted children of God. The question now is, is God well pleased with us? Can he proudly call us his children? With what we do during this Christmas season, can God beat his chest and call us his children? Continue Reading..............

4th Sunday of Advent Year C. By Tobe Eze

4^th Sunday of Advent Year C.

First Reading

Micah 5:1-4a

Second Reading

Hebrews 10:5-10

Gospel

Luke 1:39-45

THEME: WHO SHALL BE OUR NEW BETHLEHEM?

A story was told of a community that wanted to go for war against another community. The king was asking of young men who can go for war. Many young men willingly submitted to go to the war. People were coming out and they were being clapped for. When one young man stood up to join, the scenario changed from clapping to laughing. Why was it so? Because the boy that stood up was not fit for the war. He was rejected by the people because they knew he was not strong and had no quality of a strong man. Out of anger he told the King, in one week time, I will like to wrestle with the strongest man of the community, if he wins me, banish me from this kingdom, but if I win him, I will follow them to war, and the king accepted. When he went home, he noticed the gravity of what he said and started strong training and practices. He called all his friends and they helped him in any form they could to make him strong for the wrestling. When the appointed day came, all came out to see how he will be disgraced and at last, banished from the kingdom. The wrestling started and the story changed from what the people expected to another thing. After a long struggle, he defeated the strongest man of the community and that gave him firm in the community and he joined his fellow men to prepare for the community war. Why the story? Continue Reading............................

3rd Sunday of Advent Year C (Gaudate Sunday). By Tobe Eze

3^rd Sunday of Advent Year C (Gaudate Sunday).

First Reading

Zephaniah 3:14-18a

Second Reading

Philippians 4:4-7

Gospel

Luke 3:10-18

THEME: REJOICE, I REPEAT REJOICE.

Why are all the readings asking us to rejoice? Even the second reading repeated it, why? It is because of the importance of the joy that is to come that all the readings are now asking us to rejoice. Igbos will say, oke ehi dobie, oke mmadu achuwa ya. The greatest plan of God for man after his fall is about to take place and that is why we should rejoice. Our salvation is assured and it is a great thing that calls for joy.

The three reading are preparing us for the coming of our saviour Jesus Christ who will be born to us to save us from sin death and to bring us back into life which we lost through our first parents when they fell (Genesis 3). The first reading made us to understand that the Lord has remembered us, the second reading is telling us that our saviour is at hand and that is why we should rejoice and the gospel has come to make us know the way we are to prepare to welcome our saviour. Continue Reading.....................................

2nd Sunday of Advent Year C. By Tobe Eze

2^nd Sunday of Advent Year C.

First Reading

Baruch 5:1-9

Second Reading

Philippians 1:4-6, 8-11

Gospel

Luke 3:1-6

THEME: CUTTING AND LEVELING OF OUR ROADS.

In my village, every last Saturday of October every year is a day of repairing our village roads. After repairing the road, many things that do block the road will be cut and potholes will be filled. Gutters will be constructed again to avoid water flowing on the road. After doing that, everywhere will be looking good and it will be appreciated by all who use the road. After sometime into the year, before the last Saturday in October, our roads will get worse and it will become difficult for people using vehicles to use them. My persons thought of what should be done to solve the problem, they thought of having the repairing twice in a year but people objected, because of coming home and going back to different places where they live. After a long argument, a conclusion was reached that after every three months, those living in the village should help and fill those potholes to help the road not getting worst. They started it but another problem came out. Before that three months, there may be a heavy rain once or twice and it will wipe out the whole thing and the road will get worse again. Another solution has to be brought out and that solution is now helping everyone. They reached the conclusion that, anyone that erosion destroys the road before his house should repay it, not waiting till three months or whatever but with immediate effect and that has brought a wonderful solution to the problem. During the general repairing of roads, the work will be very small and all will do that happily and go. Why this story? Continue Reading.......................

1st Sunday of Advent Year C. By Tobe Eze

1st Sunday of Advent Year C.

FIRST READING
Jeremiah 33:14—16

SECOND READING
1 Thessalonians 3:12—4:2

GOSPEL
Luke 21:25—28, 34—36

THEME: THE SALVATION GOD PLANNED FOR US.

God destined us not for retribution but to win salvation through Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:1). He planned for our salvation before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4). This is the time we always expect that promise in Christ Jesus.

God said in the first reading through the prophet Jeremiah says, “The days are coming, says the LORD, when I will fulfil the promise I made to the house of Israel and Judah”. That his plan of salvation for humanity is what he is telling us today being the first Sunday of Advent. A time when we prepare for the commemoration of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. Advent is a time for preparation for the coming of our saviour. It is not that we don’t prepare ourselves other times but we do it more now. Continue Reading..................

Solemnity of Christ the King Year B. By Tobe Eze

Solemnity of Christ the King Year B.

FIRST READING
Daniel 7:13—14

SECOND READING
Revelation 1:5—8

GOSPEL
John 18:33b—37

THEME: A GENTLE KING.

When we were growing up, when I was still in the secondary school. Our Parish (when we were still in our mother parish) encouraged us to be going for joint prayer. Each station should bring out a day in a week when they go to one of the Block Rosary centres in their station. It should continue to rotate among the centres. It will help to strengthen the centres in the station. I was the president of my own centre. One day when we were going for the joint prayer, during Akatakpa masquerade’s festival, we met one of them on the way. The children I was with wanted to run but I calmed them down. The Akatakpa ran towards us to scare me so that he will scatter us and beat those he can. I continued telling those kids not to move that nothing will happen. When it came closer enough and noticed that we were not moved, it turned and went to another direction. The next day, the boy in the masquerade came to me and asked me what gave me that courage as young as I was then. I told him, as a leader I had to, had it been I moved, what would have been the fate of those kids? In other to rule, you have to show your subject that you can protect them from prevailing dangers. Why the story? It is not that it is equal to whom Jesus is to us and what he did for us but just to show how he supports us in all our hard times. Continue Reading......................