GOOD FRIDAY. THE LORD’S PASSION. By Tobe Eze

GOOD FRIDAY. THE LORD’S PASSION.

First Reading

Isaiah 52:13-53:12

Second Reading

Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9

Gospel (Passion)

John 18:1-19:42

THEME: WHO’S FAULT?

I may not necessarily analyze the readings of today, I want to take another route which still has connection with the readings but not explicit. A man caught a life bush rat and covered it with a local basket in the kitchen, locked the kitchen door and left for somewhere. His two little sons were at home. The first knew about the bush rat but the second was not aware of it. The second one was hearing a strange sound in the kitchen and went and called the first one to tell him what was happening. He told him what was there and warned him not to go near it. He accepted. After a long time, the first son asked the second son. Will it not be good if we play with that rat? Continue Reading.............................................

Holy Thursday. Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper By Tobe Eze

Holy Thursday. Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper

First Reading

Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14

1 Corinthians 11:23-26

Gospel

John 13:1-15

THEME: DO YOU REALIZE WHAT I HAVE DONE FOR YOU?

There are three significant celebrations this night. Today Christ the Lord instituted two sacraments and the act of love or charity that gives them beauty. He instituted the sacrament of the Holy Orders and the sacrament of the Eucharist, then lastly, he commanded us to love. To show love to one another.

These three signs today are mysterious in nature and mystery is something beyond human understanding. We use faith to believe in mysteries. From the three reading, we can see the manifestations of these three gifts to us. Continue Reading...........................

WHO IS IN CHARGE? By Tobe Eze

WHO IS IN CHARGE?

Many persons have their different reasons for doing different things. In life, what pleases me may not please another but there are things that are generally accepted. One of those things that are generally accepted is “freedom”. Everyone wants to enjoy freedom. This freedom is understood differently and that is why many are making serious mistakes in life. One of the heart breaking ways by which people understand freedom these days especially by the youth is the idea of “cultism”. Many youth think that by joining cult, they will enjoy their freedom and control others, far from that.

It breaks the heart to hear every now and then that young men and women are being shot down (to death) almost on daily bases. Relations are shooting themselves because they belong to different groups. Some enter these groups because one or two stupid reasons like; so that people will fear them, so that they will force respect on themselves, so that they will be protected (if there is protection) and so on.

The problem here is that some of them do not check the other side of the whole thing. One will enter a group willingly but cannot leave the group willingly and people are still trooping in. one will enter a group to be feared and protected but you live in perpetual fear. When the person sees a Hilux or related cars, the person will start running. Once the person hears a siren, the person will be uncomfortable. Once the person hears a sound, the person will be distressed. Is this not a perpetual fear? If you are joining a group for you to be in charge of an area and you end up being afraid of any movement in that area, are you still in charge? Some do not go home again, perpetual running. They have gone to a journey of no return, what they would have avoided.

There is nothing that is good as living without fear. Some young men and women do not follow or work in an open places because of this trend of cultism. We can still help ourselves. It is not too late. Before we think of doing anything, let us check the ups and downs of that particular thing and it will pay us better than jumping into something that we will regret forever. Let us shun cultism for it makes us slaves and denies us our freedom. If you join it, you are no longer in charge of anyone or anything, things and people will be in charge of you, if so, tell me “who is in charge”! Thanks.

Tobe Eze (DAN~HILL)

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