THURSDAY 17TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B. By Tobe Eze

THURSDAY 17^TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B.

1^ST READING: JEREMIAH 18:1-6

GOSPEL: MATTHEW 13:47-53

THEME: WE DETERMINE WHAT HE DOES TO AND FOR US.

As we can see in the first reading, the clay in the potter’s hand tried to show the potter that it can misbehave and the potter showed it that he was still in-charge and changed it to another shape. If we prove to God that we are stubborn, he can still do another thing to us.

In the gospel, the parable is still showing us what will be obtainable on the last day which will be the fruit of our labours. If we do good he will put us in his vessel but if we do bad, to a burning furnace where there will be gnashing of teeth. We must obey God if we must make heaven. He is our creator and he has power to do anything to and with us depending on our dispositions.

If we show him that we are incorrigible, he will treat us as such, if we show him that we are corrigible, he will also treat us as such. Life and death are now placed before us and it is left for us to choose (Deuteronomy 30:19). Choose the God that you will serve for I and my family have chosen to serve the living God (Joshua 24:15). The ball is in our court. Thanks.

WEDNESDAY 17TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B. By Tobe Eze

WEDNESDAY 17^TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B.

1^ST READING: JEREMIAH 15:10. 16-21

GOSPEL: MATTHEW 13:44-46

THEME: TO FOLLOW GOD IS NOT EASY.

Jeremiah complained to God all that he was passing through because of his words. He suffered many tribulations because of the word of God. But all hope were not lost.

In the gospel, we are made to understand that, to get that heaven we must sacrifice many if not all we have. The man who found the treasure in the field sold all he had in order to buy that land. We have to sacrifice all we have in order to buy or make heaven. What are those things we have to sell? We have to sell our pride, insincerity, adultery, idolatry, fornication and all forms of sins we commit to buy every other good things that lead us to heaven. When we talk about selling what we have, it is not like a woman who changed church newly from catholic to another church. On her first day in the church, the pastor told them to sell everything they had and bring the proceed to sow seed and God will multiply it. She went home and sold all that she had and took the proceed to the pastor. After two weeks she was left with nothing and nothing came in. Instead of running to the pastor, she ran to the parish priest to tell him what happened. After all said and done, the parish priest helped her to start life again and she was forced by experience to come back to the Catholic Church. We are not to sell what we use for our living but the evils we do and it must surely pain us to do that because they are our comfort zones but our rewards will be greater. Thanks.

TUESDAY 17TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B. By Tobe Eze

TUESDAY 17^TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B.

1^ST READING: JEREMIAH 14:17B-22

GOSPEL: MATTHEW 13:36-43

THEME: GOD IS THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN HEAR US.

In the first reading, the situation of the Israelites are being made known to us. Despite all forms of gods they followed, they could not give them joy that they wanted. It is only in the Lord that there is fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11). They were looking for where to get solution to their problems but could not find it. What a bad thing!

The apostles had their own problem of not getting clearly what the parable of the wheat and weed meant. Immediately they went to Jesus, their problem was solved because he is the only one who can hear, understand and feel with us in our situations. It was because of that that after looking at our situation, he decided to come down to live like us, die like us and to redeem us from our ugly situation.

When I was at Ibagwa-Aka, I was coming back from the parish house on Nkwo market day and Nkwo is their special market day. Three women were going home from market and one was discussing her husband. How bad the man is and how he treats her. She said that the man is not worthy of being a husband talk more of a father. I was using rolling on the motorcycle I was using and I was just following them at the back. When the other two reached their various houses, they left that one. I started my motorcycle and rushed her and asked her to enter. When I reached her house, I decided to pass, she shout for me to stop. I told her that I cannot stop for I wanted to take her to her father’s house so that he can leave that evil man. She told me No that it has not reached to that level. I told her, if it has not reached to that level, why were you selling your family so cheap to people who cannot help you?

None of those people we carry our troubles to will give us the solution except God. “Come to me all who are over laboured and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28)”. He is the only one who can hear us and understand us. Let us leave those godfathers, godmothers, godbrothers, godsisters and so on that give us vain hopes and come to Jesus who is the final solution to all our troubles. Thanks.

MONDAY 17TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B. By Tobe Eze

MONDAY 17^TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B.

1^ST READING: JEREMIAH 13:1-11

GOSPEL: MATTHEW 13:31-35

THEME: SINS HAVE DEPRIVED US MANY THINGS.

I met a boy one day and gave him bread to eat, he collected it with joy. After three days, I saw him with biscuit and asked him to give me one and he refused out rightly. I could not understand him, then I went and bought that type of biscuit 2 and asked him to come and collect one. He rushed like a hungry dog but I did not give it to him. He cried heaven and earth but the cry did not touch me. Why this? In the first reading, from the drama that took place, we can see how God took his people but they made themselves useless before him. He planned to make them his people forever but they chose the wrong part of following other gods. I was just trying to make that small boy my friend but he failed me. What is that that our sins have deprived us? That boy’s selfishness deprived him other gifts from me.

The gospel came to tell us how we will be and where we will be if we remain in God and that is what sin is depriving us. Mustard seed that is very small growing to a big tree. We that are not recognized by men will at the end gain everlasting happiness. From another angle, that place people joke with, think it is very small, have many mansions for us to occupy. A man once told me that he will not work towards making heaven that all of us will not accommodate there. It is this kind of thing that makes us to sin always and loose that which is prepared for us. Had it been that small boy gave me that biscuit, I would not have taken it and also I would have bought more for him. If we leave sins that bring us condemnation as in the first reading, we will be great like in the gospel and we will occupy that position prepared for us in heaven. Thanks.

SATURDAY 16TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B. By Tobe Eze

SATURDAY 16^TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B.

1^ST READING: JEREMIAH 7:1-11

GOSPEL: MATTHEW 13:24-30

THEME: REWARD FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

The Lord has promised us many good things if we come back to him. If we do not allow ourselves to be deceived by all sorts of strange doctrines (Ephesians 4:14). He warns against all sorts of evils we do and after come to his house to claim Christians. The two cannot go together, choose one and leave the other and I advise we should choose God. In the gospel, it explains what St. Augustine said that the church is the church of saints and sinners. It is not God who made them sinners in his own house or was it his intention for that to be rather the devil.

One person told me one day that many evil men and women are in the Catholic Church and we allow them, for that he will never in his life come back to Catholic Church again. If God allowed them to grow together (Matthew 13:30), who are we to go and uproot them? He is the Lord of the vineyard and knows what he will do after.

Those who remained in him, those who remained righteous till the end, we will be taken to his barn where they will be preserved forever.  Let us remain as wheat and we will be rewarded with his house. Thanks.

FRIDAY 16TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B. By Tobe Eze

FRIDAY 16^TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B.

1^ST READING: JEREMIAH 3:14-17

GOSPEL: MATTHEW 13:18-23

THEME: RETURN TO THE LORD.

The first reading shows us the type of God we have. A God that begs his people to return to him from their far away journey. We have gone wrong in many ways but God does not care about it or them, he is only interested in our returning back to him, our God. He destined us not for his retribution but to win salvation (1Thessalonians 5:9). It is only when we have returned to God by making our hearts ready for the sower to sow the seed in a fertile or good hearts that will bear fruit in 30s, 60s and 100s. Remember that Jesus did not spare the tree that failed to produce fruit when every possible opportunities have been given to it to produce fruit (Mark 11:12-25). God is now asking us to return to him begging us. Can you imagine God begging man? Instead of us begging him to accept us, he is now begging us to come back. We can recall what happened to Pharoah who hardened his heart. And many others like Judas Iscariot. If we harden our hearts today, tomorrow may be too late for us. Why not change today and begin to produce our own flowers that will turn to fruit in 30s, 60s and 100s. Thanks.

THURSDAY 16TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B. By Tobe Eze

THURSDAY 16^TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B.

1^ST READING: JEREMIAH 2:1-3. 7-8. 12B

GOSPEL: MATTHEW 13:10-17

THEME: WHY THIS CHANGE?

We are made to know that our forefathers who first accepted this faith were travelling very far with their legs in order to attend masses and receive other sacraments. Today everything is now at our beck and call but we are no longer embracing them. Why the change?

God is asking us in the first reading through Jeremiah why we have left him the fountain of the living water.

The gospel has given us reasons for that. Because we have closed our hearts from accepting the word of God, we have closed our ears to hearing it, closed our eyes from seeing the workings of the word of God.

A man who lived in Lagos for years came back empty handed. His kinsmen paid for him to go and learn a work. He did that for two months and stopped (a work he should learn in three years). When he was asked the reason for that, he said that even the Bible said it that the rich shall become richer and the poor shall become poorer, that he sees no reason why he should suffer himself while the bible is in support of the situation. He closed up to all the words of admonitions and advice given to him by his kinsmen and friends. That is also our problem today. We take positions and say we cannot move again when we have many opportunities to move more.

The rich shall become richer and poor poorer is not just the literary understanding but it has a spiritual dimension. St. Augustine who noticed God late in his life became rich in the Lord and in order to become richer he shouted. “Oh have I known you late”. Those who have the knowledge of God will look for him the more and gain more of it but those who do not have and do not make effort to have, even the little they know will be taken away from them. This change towards evil is the result of our closed areas we should have opened. Let us open our hearts, minds, eyes, ears and every other places we can open for God and get richer in his knowledge and heaven will be ours. This change is not favourable to and for us. Thanks.

WEDNESDAY 16TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B. By Tobe Eze

WEDNESDAY 16^TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B.

1^ST READING: JEREMIAH 1:1. 4-10

GOSPEL: MATTHEW 13:1-9

THEME: THOSE WHO WILL ACCEPT IT WILL BEAR MORE FRUIT.

Jeremiah the prophet was called by God to preach and prophesy to his people Israel. He wanted to run away from that by giving excuses for he knew what result prophets get. God promised to be with him. Now the problem is no more from Jeremiah but now on those whom he will preach and prophesy to. Will they accept it? It is this question that the gospel came to answer.

Some fell on the road, among thorns, on stones or rocks and on a good soil. Many that are messengers of God are now everywhere preaching and prophesying to us. How do we make our hearts ready for the message? Do we prepare it to be a road or thorns or rock or the good and fertile soil? The onus lies on us to make our hearts ready to accept and work with the word of the Lord which has been given to us by God.

A story circulated on social media one time ago about a Barber who said that God does not exist. His customer tried to argue with him but could not fine enough reason to back his argument up. The Barber talked about the moral decadence in the world as a proof that God does not exist. He said that, there are many priests, pastors and other preachers everywhere but evil still has upper hand in the world which shows that God does not exist. The customer left the shop after his barbing, outside he saw a man with bushy and dirty hair. He went back and told the Barber that Barbers do not exist. He said to him, I am a Barber who just barbed you now, and I exist how can you say that? He went out and brought that man with bushy and dirty hair and showed him to the Barber. He said, if barbers exist, why is it that people like this still exist? He told him that they have refused to come to them barbers to barb them, then the man told him also that those who commit all those sins have refused to accept the preaching of those men and women of God outside their. And that made the Barber to be humble and accept that God exists.

It is not that preachers are no more doing their works but it is our disposition that is very important and not long and rich homilies, reflections and every other things. Igbos do say, ma onye agwalu kwe. If the one addressed accepts it. Let us accept the word of God with faith today and work with it so that we shall bear more fruit and our fruit will last and salvation will be ours. Thanks.

TUESDAY 16TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B. By Tobe Eze

TUESDAY 16^TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B.

1^ST READING: MICAH 7:14-15. 18-19

GOSPEL: MATTHEW 12:46-50

THEME: HE REMEMBERS HIS PEOPLE.

The topic of the first reading is “He will cast our sins into the depths of the sea”. If we remain steadfast in love of God and faith in him, he will remember us and cast our sins away. He is rich in mercy and abounding in love (Ephesians 2:4, Psalm 145:8 and 103:8). He has nothing to do with our sins. Once we show him that we are sorry, he welcomes us back.

Gospel still on the same point. Jesus said that those who do the will of his father are his mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters. If you obey the will of God, he will remember you as one of his family members. He does not forget those who obey him and walk in his ways. Think of our blessed mother Virgin Mary who was the first to obey him in the New Testament (Luke 1:38), he himself obeyed her at the wedding of Cana (John 2:5). He will also obey our requests if we obey his dictates.

God does not forget his people no matter the situation. Israelites stayed many years in Egypt and when the time came, he remembered them. The whole earth was wallowing in sin and death, he remembered us and gave us his only begotten son to die for us (John 3:16). He is still doing it in our own time. Let us not relent in doing good and being God’s children, he does not forget his people. Thanks.

MONDAY 16TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B.By Tobe Eze

MONDAY 16^TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B.

1^ST READING: MICAH 6:1-4. 6-8.

GOSPEL: MATTHEW 12:38-42

THEME: WHAT ELSE WILL GOD DO FOR US?

God in the first reading through the prophet Micah is asking us what again do we want from him. He has done many things for us but we have failed to recognize them.

Gospel also is following the same line. Some Jews asked Jesus for another sign when he had worked many wonders among them. I received a message through whatsApp one day which told a story about a rich man who fell sick and was rushed to the hospital. He used oxygen there. After his treatment, the bill was very high, when he asked why, he was told that it was because of the oxygen he used. The man started crying, he said, I am now 60 years old and since I was born, I have been using oxygen free but just for these two days I stayed here, I have to pay this amount for oxygen. He finally said, I AM OWING GOD.

Have we ever thought of all these free gifts of nature to us before asking God for more favours? ATR practitioners thank God, Ala, ancestors and their personal Chi every morning before doing anything. We Christians take them as candidates for hell. They may rise to condemn us on the last day or judgment day. We need to appreciate God for all he has done for us. He does not ask much from us. There is nothing that we will give him that will equate what he has done for us, what he is doing for us and what he will do for us. What else do we need from him? Remember some are lacking that which we have. To end with a story.

A man called Onumonu in my village. There was this holidays that I went home. I went to buy cement for my brother’s house that was under construction that time. I was to buy six bags and I was using lady’s motorcycle to carry them. I was carrying them two per a trip. I had to go there three times. When I was coming back for the first time, I met him with a cutlass, I stopped and greeted him and we discussed. He told me that he was going to get something for his goats. After the third one, I was washing the motorcycle when his two grandchildren came to my house crying. I scolded them for I knew them for doing that but they told me their father was dead. I thought it was their father not knowing that it was the man that I discussed with. When I rushed there, I saw him lying on a mat in his parlour. We rushed him to the hospital and the doctor confirmed him dead. What came to my mind that moment was just. I HAVE LIFE WHICH HE HAS NOT.  We have many things others do not have, we should thank God for them before asking for more. Thanks.