CELEBRATION OF THE VALUELESS. By Tobe Eze

CELEBRATION OF THE VALUELESS.

We have come to understand that what we cherish most in this part of the world is worthless things and discard relevant or relegate important things to the mud. Why do we leave the object and pursue its shadow? Many have left what is paramount important to their lives and spend time in doing things that will not benefit them or anyone around them. There is this that Bishop Matthew Hassan Kuka said when he was asked to reply to what some politicians were criticizing the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), “I cannot beatify them with my comment”. If we are to borrow this, then we will shun many stupid things we cherish these days and celebrate the valuables.

There are many ways by which morality is being dragged to the mud and people celebrate them more than anything on earth. Many poor students are excelling in many schools but no one is interested in them but talk about Big Brother Nigeria (BBN), almost all will be interested. Many actors and actresses or more still those in the entertainment world are making effort to see to the promotion of morality and such videos do not sell in our country these days rather, those who are teaching us how to sell our morality are being sold on daily basis. I opened a blog where I post reflections, quotes, homilies, articles and so on, I was not getting enough traffic there. I approached someone to complain to him my experience and to see if he can offer a solution. He told me to post pornographies there and I will hammer. If you open Youtube to watch film, what they will display for you there are pornographic videos. You cannot find a good one there till you search for it and it will come out from the hidden place. We can still remember how people celebrated the deadly dance style ‘one corner’, other songs that are decently danced are forbidden. Naked girls dancing are being celebrated more than ever.

If you ask some people, they will tell you that they are not the ones doing it so, they have nothing to be held against them there. Since you follow and watch them, you are supporting them and that is a way to beatify them which we should not. Why have we degenerated to this level? This is not how our forbearers lived. I remember when I was small, my father normally bark and sometimes beat my elder sisters if he sees them hang their pants outside the bathroom. These days, what we celebrate are those who go naked around the street both male and female. We have left the point. Let us come back when there is still time and stop celebrating the valueless. Let us shun the celebration of the valueless and celebrate the valuables and we shall right the wrong. Thanks.

Tobe Eze (DAN~HILL)

3rd Sunday of Lent Year C. By Tobe Eze

3^rd Sunday of Lent Year C.

First Reading

Exodus 3:1-8a, 13-15

Second Reading

1 Corinthians 10:1-6, 10-12

Gospel

Luke 13:1-9

THEME: GO CLOSER.

There are many Igbo proverbs that explain this our team very well. Some of them are; Onye no mmadu nso n’ anu isi eze ya (someone who is closer to a person perceives the mouth odour of the person), oke no n’ ulo gwara nke no n’ agu n’ azu di na ngiga (a rat that resides in the house is the one that told the wild one that there is fish in the kitchen) and so many other.

The first reading is the story of the first personal encounter Moses had with God in the scene of the burning bush. He saw something very strange, instead of running away, he decided to go closer to understand and God called out to him. By going closer to God, he was chosen and sent by God to his people to redeem them from their suffering in the land of Egypt. Instead of running away from what we do not understand in our faith, we should go closer, ask questions and we shall understand.

Though God was very close to the people of Israel but they were misbehaving and that brought death to them. Moses went closer to God, he saw his glory and lived his life to please the Lord but some or majority of those he was with were not measuring up and that brought serious destruction to them in the desert and this is what the second reading is reminding us today that it does not end in coming closer to God but being able to remove our sandals for we are standing on a holy ground or land. Continue Reading........................

2nd Sunday of Lent Year C. By Tobe Eze

2^nd Sunday of Lent Year C.

First Reading

Genesis 15:5-12, 17-18

Second Reading

Philippians 3:17-4:1

Gospel

Luke 9:28b-36

THEME: STAY IN THE GLORY OF THE LORD.

It is not always easy for one to trust someone one knows very well talk more of trusting someone one does not know, not seen. The glory of the Lord manifests in our lives on daily basis but it seems very difficult sometimes for us to recognize it for we leave the glory or the presence of God to looking for another thing or other things that are not all that necessary. It is always had to be in the presence of the glory of God but it pays more than anything on earth.

Abraham in the first reading brought all that were requested from him for his covenant with his God. He did not stop in bringing them but persisted in the presence of the glory of God. He kept guard over them so that, animals will not feed on them. It is not enough to be converted to Christianity, to receive baptism and other sacraments we receive from God through the church but being able to keep watch so that animals of faith do not feed on our faith and that is the act of remaining in the presence of God. Continue Reading..................................

1st Sunday of Lent Year C. By Tobe Eze

1^st Sunday of Lent Year C.

First Reading

Deuteronomy 26:4-10

Second Reading

Romans 10:8-13

Gospel

Luke 4:1-13

THEME: ROAD TO EGYPT.

A child of 11 years was saved from a burning house. The child was insisting on going back to the house. People were confused about what is pushing the child to act in that way. After several trials but failed, the child started crying. When the child was asked what the problem was, the child said that he left his toy inside the fire. What is a toy compare to his life? Was the child so stupid from your judgment? These and other questions will be answered latter in this reflection.

The first reading is recounting what the people of Israel passed through in the hands of the Egyptians and what led them to Egypt. They were seriously suffering hardship in their hands but the Lord came to their rescue. They cried to the Lord and he heard them. The funniest thing here is that, the major thing that led them into that slavery was food (ihe n’ aba n’ afo). Can we trace anything like that these days in our lives? Can we point out people who are in slavery both psychological, moral, spiritual and even physical and others that are led into that by things that enter the stomach? Continue Reading..........................

8th Sunday in the Ordinary Time Year C. By Tobe Eze

8^th Sunday in the Ordinary Time Year C.

First Reading

Sirach 27:4-7

Second Reading

1 Corinthians 15:54-58

Gospel

Luke 6:39-45

THEME: GIVE YOURSELF A DEFINITION.

It is commonly said that, the way you dress is the way people will address you. In Igbo, Etu isi debe akwa gi ka I ga adina. We majorly give ourselves definition. Others who try to explain or define us are doing that based on what we have shown them that we are. No one talks from nothing. What occupies us gives us our definition and that is why Jesus is telling us that, out of the abundant of the heart, the mouth speaks.

Human beings, animals and even trees are known of what they produce. That a man is known as a wicked man is because he manifested wickedness, that a man is known as a good man is also because he manifested goodness, an animal is known dangerous is the product of the danger it brought out likewise a tree that produces sour fruit is known for that or sweet fruit for that. Continue Reading..............

7th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C. By Tobe Eze

7^th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C.

 First Reading

1 Samuel 26:2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-23.

Second Reading

1 Corinthians 15:45-49.

Gospel

Luke 6:27-38

THEME: WONDERFUL BUT VERY HARD.

From my own observance, I think the most rewarding religion on earth is Christianity and the hardest religion to practice. True Christianity is the only religion that preaches loving your enemy and praying for him/her. It is sometimes easier said than done. Think of this.

If you have been a victim or you have someone who has been a victim of this Fulani herdsmen problem. One day you are passing and you happen to see a Fulani Herdsman lying lifeless on the way, what will you do? Help him? Leave him there? Or help in fastening his death? We as human beings believe so much in acting back on those who have offended us and sometimes we do forget those who have been good to us. Continue Reading...................................

6TH Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C. By Tobe Eze

6^TH Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C.
 First reading

JEREMIAH 17:5-8

Second Reading

1 Corinthians 15:12, 16-20

Gospel

Luke 6:17, 20-26

THEME: HAPPY THE MAN WHO PLACED HIS TRUST IN THE LORD.

Let me start with a story that I heard somewhere. Three young men who were business men but were not all that wonderful in their businesses. They had been prayerful as the story went but things were not working as they expected. They met a man whom they thought was doing very well to help them. The man recommended a devotion to our Lady for them. They went home not satisfied for that was not what they expected. They met another man who took them to a native doctor. The native doctor agreed to help them but he gave them a condition. The condition was that they will be turned into vultures for two weeks and after that, they will be turned back to human beings and money will be theirs. Out of curiosity, they accepted. The man turned them into vultures and asked the man who took them there to go and come back after two weeks to go with them. After one week, when the native doctor was on his way to attend to someone, he had accident and died. When the time to turn them back reached, they flew back to the shrine to be turned, on reaching there, they could not see the man. When the person that took them to the place came back, he could only find those vultures and no native doctor. When he went out to ask people about the man, they told him that he is dead. That was when he knew that those three are gone. Continue Reading..........................

5th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C. By Tobe Eze

5^th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C.

First Reading

Isaiah 6:1-2a, 3-8

Second Reading

1 Corinthians 15:1-11

Gospel

Luke 5:1-11

THEME: GOD REVEALS OUR TRUE SELF.

Sometimes our true self is hidden also to us not only to others. Isaiah, Paul and Peter who are characters in today’s readings did not know their true self till they encountered God. What are the things that are necessary for this encounter? Our state of life may not be necessary but our disposition is what is needed. Isaiah was in the temple praying and he experience the glory of God and his true self came out. Paul was on his way to fight for what he believed to be truth when he encountered the Lord. Peter was doing his job that he has mastered for years when he encountered the Lord. Likewise we can encounter the Lord in different ways in our live. Continue Reading.........................

4th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C. By Tobe Eze

4^th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C.

First Reading

Jeremiah 1:4-5, 17-19

Second Reading

1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13

Gospel

Luke 4:21-30

THEME: THE PAIN OF LOVE.

Sometimes people are grieved to the heart because of what they receive from love that they show to people. Out of your goodwill, you will show someone love and the person will turn against you and deal with you mercilessly. Shall we stop loving?

A boy came to me one early morning even before morning mass. He came knocking at my door at that early hour. This was during Christmas season. I was asking who may be doing this knowing the type of cold we do experience during that time. When I asked, he called his name and told me that it was him. I asked him any problem and he said yes. I opened my door and he came in. he sat down and started narrating his story. He said, around October, I asked my girlfriend (wife to be), to start that time to look for things that she will use for Christmas that I will not wait till Christmas to start buying because I may not have money that time or things will become too costly. She accepted. Continue Reading.................................

3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C. By Tobe Eze

3^rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C.

First Reading

Nehemiah 8:2-4a, 5-6, 8-10

Second Reading

1 Corinthians 12:12-30

Gospel

Luke 1:1-4, 4:14-21

THEME: THE POWER OF THE WORD OF GOD.

In the beginning was the word, the word was with God and the word was God (John 1:1). And the word took flesh, and dwelt among us (John 1:14).

An old man one day went to the church for the first time. After the homily, he was unease on his seat. When one of the church wardens approached him to know the problem, he told the man that he wanted to appreciate the priest for the wonderful homily. The church warden told him that no one is permitted to reply the homily that it is meant for people to take in, digest and use it in their daily lives and the man accepted that. After the mass when they were going home, he overheard people saying that the priest did not make sense in his homily that day and he was confused. After sometimes, he barked at them. When he went home, he started having mercy on those persons and the entire church for they do not know what they are doing to themselves. Next Sunday he went again and the priest as if he knew about him and started the homily with. “No matter what the world is turning to be, you should not be discouraged for God is still with us”. These words of introduction by the priest gave the man consolation. Why the story? Continue Reading...................................