Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion Year C. By Tobe Eze

Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion Year C.

At the Procession with Palms.

Gospel

Luke 19:28-40

At the Mass

First Reading

Isaiah 50:4-7

Second Reading

Philippians 2:6-11

Gospel

Luke 22:14-23:56

THEME: THE EXULTATION OF THE WORLD AND THE EXULTATION OF GOD.

There are two ways one can be exulted and two of them are manifested in the readings of today. The first gospel at the procession is telling us about the exultation human beings give to people and the latter development in life. The second reading at the mass talks about the exultation God gives to those who are humble through the example of Christ. There are some things that are made available for us to attain that humility that will give us exultation from God and those things appeared in the first reading. It is true that there may be ups and downs in the part of righteousness, many who have exulted us may turn to be against us but the joy of the Easter will be greater than the sufferings of Good Friday and this appeared in the gospel (Passion) at the mass. Continue Reading..................

HUMAN CAPITAL. By Tobe Eze

HUMAN CAPITAL.

From experience, I have noticed that some have turned everywhere they see a student of students in churches where reflections and homilies are given. Some through their advice make some students to know of evils that did not even know of them before. Borrowing from my brother Ugwuanyi Joseph Obumnaeke, “A student needs money more than advice”. Investing on human beings sometimes seems very difficult for what people are turning to be now. People are now biting the fingers that are feeding them. But that should not make us to stop it for there are still many good ones we can help. Anyi ama ji maka mgbagbu yara ogu.

Some rich men and women are scattered everywhere around us and we still have poor serious youths wasting around us. What is happening? Is it that the youth are not good to be helped or the rich do not like to help? Let us watch this problem very well to know how to tackle it for it is destroying our community and life.

Think of a brilliant young boy in the village that the family is finding it difficult to have their three square meal everyday. When you ask him his class from the window or glass of your car, when he answers ss2, you will shout “Wow!” You are there already. You will give him series of advice, preaching without any referential content. When you go to the university, behave yourself there, when you know there is no WAEC money. Or another boy who has finished learning work but no money to start his own, you will tell him, when you start your own, try and be going to shop on time and go home late. And so many persons who have different potentialities but no one to help them to put them into actualities.

Logical Positivist in Analytic Philosophy made it clear that for any statement to be meaningful, it must have a referential content. I am now saying that, for any advice from the rich to the poor must have a referential content for it to be helpful. Let us build people and they will in turn build others and life will continue in that spirit and our world will be better. Though some may disappoint, but greater number will do good. Build human beings so that, they will build others for it is the best. Thanks.

Tobe Eze (DAN~HILL)

5th Sunday of Lent Year C. By Tobe Eze

5^th Sunday of Lent Year C.

First Reading

Isaiah 43:16-21

Second Reading

Philippians 3:8-14

Gospel

John 8:1-11

THEME: THE LOVE OF GOD ON HUMANITY.

A man after so many years of being a Catholic, temptation came through his son. His second son fell sick, the sickness was very serious that people told him that it was caused by spiritual power. Many advised him to go to a native doctor, others to a prayer ministry and others to chapel and booking of mass. As a strong catholic, he started with booking of mass and chapel but things were not turning to be good, he latter went to prayer ministries that their Parish Priest asked them not to go, things were not also getting better. Lastly he went to a native doctor who made the boy to be well. The boy got healed but they were made to promise that they will continue to sacrifice to the god of the native doctor till the end of the life of the boy. Continue Reading................................

4th Sunday of Lent Year C. (Laetare Sunday) By Tobe Eze

4^th Sunday of Lent Year C. (Laetare Sunday)

First Reading

Joshua 5:9a, 10-12

Second Reading

2 Corinthians 5:17-21

Gospel

Luke 15:1-3, 11-32

THEME: EVER LOVING FATHER.

Since creation of man till these days, God has been looking for any possible means of bringing us back to himself and we have been insisting in our journey away from home. Many ways he has planned for man’s salvation and has fulfilled them but we that those plans are meant to save are busy going our ways in doing evil. He sent his son to us and when he was leaving us, he did not leave us as orphan rather, he gave us himself as sacrament and other sacrament for our salvation but we are still journeying away. Continue Reading.................................

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...................................