Dominic de Gúzman: Lord that I may See

I really esteem St. Dominic de Guzman.  I’m tempted to share the story of his life here, but that can be found on the web (of the Dominican Order).  I’m tempted to try to figure out how best to reflect about him, but I think the story of Bartimaeus (Mk. 10:51) speaks in light of Dominic’s story. Bartimaeus is one of those characters in the Gospel that spur me on. His insistence, even when the crowd wanted to shut him down, is a mark of courage. He was much focused and knew what he wanted. His request to Jesus is brief: “That I may see.”  What a wonderful request to make of our Lord! 

Dominic de Guzman was confronted by the murky shadows of his time through the ‘Albigensian Heresy’, which diluted the sound theological teachings of the church and gave a wrong hermeneutical approach to what prevailed. This could be best described as the blindness which lured many astray. Like the blind Bartimaeus who pleaded to Jesus to restore his sight, Dominic through the inspiration of God was endowed with a new vision to fight the heresy through the VERITAS which is TRUTH; Dominic aspired to preach what was in opposition of the ‘blind’ doctrines and theology of the Albigensians. Dominic knew that he was a loved sinner.  That filled him with such gratitude that he desired with all his being to know (through study and contemplation), love and serve the one who loved him so mercifully.  Once his heart was on fire with a passionate desire to be with Jesus, he came to a spiritual freedom that was quite powerful, liberating him to serve others with all his heart, and this is projected in the VERITAS.

Dominic learned to acknowledge, distinguish, reflect upon, and discern the origin of the various movements within and around him.  He wasn’t afraid of contradicting even those who were seen as the ‘gurus’ and ‘academics’ of his time, because he spent time and much effort to discover what was the TRUTH which illumines all darkness. He found great power in embracing those deep challenges which confronted the Church. Dominic could find intimacy with God in all things, particularly in his quest to study, his love for community life and ardent love for preaching. 

Perhaps because he found grace in the messiest parts of his life especially in his ‘fight’ with the Albigensians, and because he wasn’t afraid to wade around in his preaching, Dominic always trusted God was available to him in any experience.  Anything at all, no matter how busy or troubling, good or bad, secular or simple, embarrassing or exhilarating any experience could be the occasion and the means for an experience of intimacy with God.

Dominic had a passion for others, and found it incredibly easy to be with others.  It was all integrated for him. If Dominic loved Jesus and wanted to be with Jesus through his preaching and his love to stand for the TRUTH, it was simply natural to be committed to others, as Jesus is.

It is quite obvious that the Heresy propagated by the Albigensians and the work undertaken by Dominic and his friars to correct the anomaly might have created a dichotomy in comparison with darkness and light. Like the blind Bartimaeus who cried to Jesus to restore his sight in these simple words “I want to see”, Dominic might have made a similar petition in the following:  I want to see people return to God;  I want to see people rejoicing in living out God’s word; I want that I myself can rejoice when I suffer for the sake of the Lord;  I want to understand how Jesus Christ is my High Priest and intercedes for me;  I want to see how Jesus Christ is always present in His Church even when there is so much sinfulness in the members of the Church;  I want to see how Christ loves me even when bad things happen to me; I want to see our political leaders live as agents of TRUTH, JUSTICE and PEACE not channels of hooliganism, corruption and embezzlement of public funds;  and I want to see everything which concerns me turning around for my good!  Bartimaeus’ prayer was rewarded with an immediate answer, just like that of Dominic through the establishment and the success of the Order of Preachers, popularly known and called the Dominicans.

The experience of Dominic de Guzman during the time of the Albigensian Heresy is not different from today’s world characterised by various forms of abuse, terrorism, crimes ranging from broad-day light robbery to the various forms of assassination (character and physical) and lies which have been misrepresented as ‘eloquence’.  The experience of Dominic and the Blind Bartimeaus should teach us a very simple lesson: when we are focused, we definitely will say precise and short prayers truthfully (VERITAS), but when we are not, we babble as Jesus said the Jews do in their prayers (Mt. 6:7). May Jesus not only open our eyes to see all we desire to see, but also open our hearts and minds to decipher the TRUTH from FALSEHOOD as Dominic de Guzman did.

DATE: 11TH JULY 2017 MEMORIAL OF SAINT BENEDICT, ABBOT FIRST READING: Genesis 32:23-33 PSALM: Psalm 17:1-3, 6-8, 15 GOSPEL: Matthew 9:32-38 THEME: FACING OUR FEARS

A quote about fear reads, “F.E.A.R. has two meanings: Forget Everything And Run or Face Everything And Rise”. We all have fears – named and unnamed. A moment comes in life when one would either have to stand up and face his/her greatest fear or forever remain the slave of that fear.

By going into a self-imposed exile for many years (about twenty years), Jacob had sought to avoid his brother Esau, the one from whom he had “stolen” a blessing. Now, the time had come for the two to meet. Will Esau kill him or spare his life? (cf. Gen 27:42). In his fear and anxiety concerning this encounter, Jacob prayed, "O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac…Deliver me, please, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau, for I am afraid of him…(Gen 32:9-12).

The First Reading for today may well be considered as an answer to his prayer. In a religious experience, Jacob wrestled with an unnamed person. This person was unable to prevail over Jacob, and Jacob insisted that he blesses him before he lets go of him. Finally, he said to Jacob: "Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel; for you have contended with divine and human beings and have prevailed" (Gen 32:28). Jacob overcame his fear and when the moment finally came to meet Esau, the unimaginable thing happened: “Then Esau ran to meet him and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept” (Gen 33:4).

The secret of Jacob’s success in life was that he knew how to wrestle spiritually and act astutely. He was a man of prayer and action. He carried with him a certain divine presence that could disarm a warrior. The presence of God in his life brought him immense blessings wherever he went. In fact his uncle Laban acknowledged this when Jacob came to stay with him in Haran: “I have learnt by divination that the LORD has blessed me because of you” (Gen. 30:27).

We all have our particular fears. We all come to a point in life when the thought of a particular imminent event or encounter may scare us. It may be characterized by sleeplessness and restlessness. However, if God is with you, there is no need to be afraid. When God is with you, even your apparent attacker will turn out to be an instrument of blessing.

PRAYER: Eternal Father, with you on my side, who can be against me? For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate me from your love in Christ Jesus my Lord.

DATE: 10TH JULY 2017 MONDAY OF THE FOURTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME FIRST READING: Genesis 28:10-22 PSALM: Psalm 91:1-4, 14-15 GOSPEL: Matthew 9:18-26 THEME: JACOB’S DREAM

Unlike post-freudian understanding of dreams as expressions of one’s psychological state or subconscious sentiments, dreams in several texts in the Book of Genesis serve as means of divine revelation. Through dreams, actual divine encounters took place and individuals received directions from the Lord.

Our First Reading gives an account of a divine encounter that Jacob had via a dream. It is situated within the context of his flight to Haran – his “home country” – to escape the wrath of his brother Esau after shrewdly ‘robbing’ the latter of the blessing of their father. It was on this journey that the Lord spoke to him one night in a dream. When Jacob woke up from sleep, he said: “Truly, the Lord is in this place and I did not know it!” (Gen. 28:16). He did not take the dream as mere psychological processes of the mind. The dream meant a lot to him and he marked this important moment in his life by erecting a sacred pillar with the stone he had previously used as a pillow. Spurred on by this dream, he made a vow: “If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, so that I come again to my father's house in peace, then the LORD shall be my God, and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God's house; and of all that thou givest me I will give the tenth to thee" (Gen. 28:20-22).

There is a saying that “the poorest person on earth is not the one without money, but the one without a dream.” It is true that not all dreams are worth pursuing but there are some dreams – ‘divine dreams’ – that give focus to one’s life’s journey. Such dreams inspire, liberate and make a person want to move on in life. They may come either in sleep or while a person is fully awake.

Jacob had a dream. What about you? What is the dream that propels your life’s journey? We may not be able to change the direction of the wind but we can adjust our sails to reach our destination when inspired by divine dreams, we perceive where grace is leading us to.

PRAYER OF BLESSING: May the Lord give you a DREAM beyond your wildest imagination. May the Lord multiply and increase you. May the Lord protect you and prosper you all the days of your life. Amen

DATE: 7TH JULY 2017 FRIDAY OF THE THIRTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME FIRST READING: Genesis 23:1-4, 19; 24:1-8, 62-67 PSALM: Psalm 106:1-5 GOSPEL: Matthew 9:9-13 THEME: THE LORD WILL SEND AN ANGEL BEFORE YOU

God always sends angels to guide us on life’s journey but often we regard divine interventions as coincidences. However, as someone rightly put it: “A coincidence is when God performs a miracle but chooses to remain anonymous.” The beautiful things that happen in our lives are no mere luck; they are signs that we do not walk alone. God is with us.

In our First Reading, Abraham sent one of his servants to his home country to find a wife for Isaac, his son. The servant immediately saw the hurdle in that mission and asked a practical question: "Perhaps the woman may not be willing to follow me to this land; must I then take your son back to the land from which you came?" (Gen. 24:5). Abraham, however looked beyond the hurdle and focussed on God’s ability: “See to it that you do not take my son back there. The LORD, the God of heaven…will send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there”(Gen. 24:6-7). True to the words of Abraham, the Lord guided the servant to find a wife, Rebekah, for Isaac.

Often we limit our faith in God’s ability by dillydallying with a lot of ‘what ifs’. The fear of failure saps strength and makes one to mark time at the same spot – no progress. Consequently, some refuse to take the needed first step to get to where they ought to be in life. The statement of Abraham is a powerful guiding principle – “The LORD will send an angel before you”.

Do you have a major decision to take or a choice to make? Pray to God and trust him to guide you. No one ever trusted God and was disappointed. If things do not work out the way you expect, God will make them work out in ways you least expect.

PRAYER: Eternal Father, you are the loving shepherd who never leaves his flock untended. You guide your own and lead them besides still waters. May you send forth an angel to show me the steps I should take that I may arrive at the place you have always desired for me. For the sake of Christ I pray. Amen

DATE: 5TH JULY 2017 WEDNESDAY OF THE THIRTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME FIRST READING: Genesis 21:5, 8-20 PSALM: Psalm 34:7-8, 10-13 GOSPEL: Matthew 8:28-34 THEME: THE LORD HEARS THE CRY OF THE POOR

A normal routine of a catholic priest is to listen compassionately to the lamentations of God’s people. As a father (perhaps that is why they are called fathers), a priest would attend daily to God’s children. Some come crying because they cannot pay their school fees; others come because they need financial help to get to the hospital; those with broken hearts in relationships also come with their plights. Others come seeking for ‘shelter’ away from boiling family issues. Sometimes, he becomes the object of transference of harboured anger against God. The challenges/problems of God’s children often render many priests speechless and humanly-speaking powerless with a gentle cry in their hearts: God where are you?

Where is God when trials come? Where is God when things go wrong? Where is God when all is not well with his children?

The scene of Hagar roaming aimlessly in the wilderness of Beersheba and subsequently leaving her crying child under a shrub to die evokes feelings of rejection, helplessness and hopelessness in the reader of the text. These feelings suddenly change when God enters the scene of the narrative. We are told that God heard the cry of the baby and a messenger from heaven brought Hagar this message: "What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not; for God has heard the cry of the boy where he is. Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him fast with your hand; for I will make him a great nation."  (Gen. 21:17-18). By this statement, the Lord revealed that he had a plan for Ishmael.

There is a plan concerning each one of us. Plans, however, unfold with time and God is the master of time. The period (i.e. meantime) between where we are now and where God has destined us to be is often a moment when our faith is tested. It is akin to sojourning in the “wilderness of Beersheba”. However, the God who heard the cry of Ishmael still hears the cry of every helpless child of his. Yes there is a plan. Even if it takes time, prayerfully wait upon the Lord. The big problem you see in the meantime would turn out to be your testimony at the right time.  Something good is coming your way.

PRAYER: Eternal Father, my heart will not be troubled even though trouble besets my heart for in you I have placed my hope and you have placed me on a solid rock called Jesus Christ. Amen
   

DATE: 4TH JULY 2017 TUESDAY OF THE THIRTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME FIRST READING: Genesis 19:15-29 PSALM: Psalm 26:2-3, 9-12 GOSPEL: Matthew 8:23-27 THEME: THE LORD OUR RESCUER

On February 2, 2017, a good number of media houses in the US carried the story of a woman by name Shelby Carter, who in the face of a raging fire that was consuming her house in Illinois, chose to save her 12-day old daughter by strapping her with a car seat and tossing her out of a second story window. The baby was rescued but the woman died in the process through carbon monoxide intoxication from smoke inhalation. The heroic act of this woman gives us a taste of compassion. Compassion moves you to save. Therefore, to say that God is compassionate means he would do everything within his means to save us.

In our First Reading, we have an account of a compassionate God who sets out to save Lot and his family from an impending sulphurous inferno upon Sodom and Gomorrah. At a point in time during the rescue mission, Lot, according to the text, was hesitant. However, the men sent by the Lord, “seized his hand and the hand of his wife and the hands of his two daughters, for the compassion of the LORD was upon him; and they brought him out, and put him outside the city” (Gen. 19:16). In sum, the Lord virtually 'snatched' Lot and his family from disaster.
 
The Gospel text also gives an account of a compassionate Lord who rescued his disciples from a violent storm that broke over the lake. In fact, their boat was swamped by the waves. Upon hearing their cry, “save us Lord, we are perishing”, we are told that Jesus “rose and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm” (Matt. 8:26).

From the two Scripture texts above, we can confidently say that the Lord is able to deliver. Are you faced with a big problem? Is a raging fire heading towards your direction? Are you being submerged by the storms of life? Courage, the God who rescues from fire and water is with you. Call upon him and he would rescue you.

The Lord of compassion says to each one of us: “When you pass through the waters I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you” (Isa. 43:2).

PRAYER: God of mercy and compassion, save my feet from the miry clay, lest I sink. Rescue me from the countless troubles that surround me. You are my strength and salvation. You are my only hope in this situation. For the sake of Christ, I pray. Amen

DATE: FRIDAY, 3RD JULY 2017 FEAST OF ST. THOMAS, APOSTLE FIRST READING: Ephesians 2:19-22 PSALM: Psalm 117:1-2 GOSPEL: John 20:24-29 THEME: DOUBT NO LONGER BUT BELIEVE

A priest lifts up what appears to be a “white bread” during Mass and with audacity declares, “Behold the Lamb of God; behold him who takes away the sins of the world. Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb.” At that instant, the “Thomases” in the congregation begin to shrug with discomfort and murmur within their hearts, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe" (Jn 20:25).

When it comes to matters of faith, we are all “Thomases” in one area or the other.  There are certain articles of the Christian faith that are mind-boggling and our “scientific minds” cry out for evidence. Thomas, in our Gospel text, sought for tangible evidence to ascertain the veracity of the claim that Jesus had truly risen from the dead. From that perspective, we can say that Thomas was a seeker. After eight days of waiting, he got the evidence he had been longing for when the Lord revealed himself again to the community of faith gathered. Thomas, with a renewed faith, affirmed the resurrection and divinity of Christ in these words: “My Lord and my God.”

What can we learn from the experience of Thomas in moments when we are plagued with doubts?

1. Wait upon the Lord. A time of waiting upon the Lord purifies our hearts and minds and prepares us for the “Kairos” – i.e. the Lord’s appointed time of revelation. In the case of Thomas, he had to wait for eight days. It is not stated, in our Gospel text, what he did during those eight days. However, it is highly plausible that he spent those days of waiting in prayer.

2. Wait within the community of faith. Thomas had a doubt about the resurrection of Christ but did not abandon the community of faith. The fact that you have doubts about one or the other article of faith does not mean you should walk out of the Church. In fact, it was right within the community of faith that the Lord revealed himself to him and his faith was renewed.

3. Express your renewed faith. Thomas’ expression of faith, “My Lord and my God”, was a declaration of complete trust in Jesus. According to tradition and the history of the Church, the faith of Thomas took him as far as India proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ there. Later on in life, he would die as a martyr. In the same way, when the Lord renews our faith, we ought to express it in words and actions.

As we celebrate the feast of St. Thomas, the apostle, let us pray that our faith in Jesus may bring light to a world that is steeped in doubt and faithlessness.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, may my faith in you never flicker and die. As I wait on you daily, deepen it and let its light dispel the darkness of sin and the night of unbelief. Amen 

DATE: 1ST JULY 2017 SATURDAY OF THE TWELFTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME FIRST READING: Genesis 18:1-15 PSALM: Luke 1:46-50, 53-55 GOSPEL: Matthew 8:5-17 THEME: IS ANYTHING TOO HARD FOR THE LORD?

For many of us, the unfolding events of our earthly lives are akin to complex quadratic equations. Some of us feel dizzy when we see a combination of numbers and alphabets and we easily get depressed when we are asked to find the x factor in an equation. Similarly, the challenges of life may weigh our spirits down. However, the fact that I am unable to solve a particular equation does not mean that the equation is not solvable. Every problem in life has a solution. If you cannot handle a problem of life all by yourself, get help from the Lord.

In our First Reading, Abraham and Sarah got help during a divine visitation to solve an ancient problem that had plagued their marriage -- an issue of the fruit of the womb. In that encounter, the Lord said to Abraham, “I will surely return to you in due season, and your wife Sarah shall have a son" (Gen 18:10). Sarah upon hearing this news laughed. The laughter of Sarah has an important function in the narrative. It helps the reader to see the apparent hopelessness of the case. Humanly speaking, there was no way Sarah could give birth. She had long passed the age of menopause (Gen 18:11). However, the laughter of Sarah evoked a response from the ‘divine visitors’:  "Why did Sarah laugh, and say, 'Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?' Is anything too hard for the LORD?” (Gen 18:13-14).

Life is full of challenges and often we find ourselves powerless and vulnerable in the face of some difficult situations. God, however, is faithful. There is no problem too hard for God to solve. Not even the barrenness of an old woman was a problem for God to handle. Indeed, “God is not a human being, that he should lie, or a mortal, that he should change his mind. Has he promised, and will he not do it? Has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?” (Nb 23:19).

What we need in the face of any challenge is the kind of faith that the centurion in our Gospel text had. In seeking healing for his servant who was not well, he said to Jesus: "Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only say the word, and my servant will be healed” (Mt. 8:8). He had complete trust in the power of the Word of God to bring wholeness into what, humanly speaking, appeared to be hopeless.

Are you faced with a very difficult situation?  Is there something that is bothering you? Be reminded that “No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it”  (1Co 10:13).

PRAYER OF BLESSING: Like Abraham and Sarah, may you too receive a divine visitation very soon – a visitation that will put laughter on your face. When that happens, may you join the psalmist to sing: “When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then it was said among the nations: ‘The LORD has done great things for them.’ The LORD has done great things for us, and we rejoiced” (Psalm 126:1-3

DATE: 30TH JUNE 2017 FRIDAY OF THE TWELFTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME FIRST READING: Genesis 17:1, 9-10, 15-22 PSALM: Psalm 128:1-5 GOSPEL: Matthew 8:1-4 THEME: THE LORD BLESSES THOSE WHO FEAR HIM

As kids in what was then referred to as “Sunday School", many of us were required to memorise a number of texts in the Bible. We had to learn Scripture texts by rote without paying much heed to the implications of what we were saying. The teacher would mention a text in the Bible and then like parrots, we would spew out the sacred words. It was a way of introducing us to the Book of life. One of such texts which easily ingrained itself in my memory is Proverbs 9:10: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom…”

The responsorial psalm for today corroborates the above assertion: “Blessed is every one who fears the LORD, who walks in his ways! You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be happy, and it shall be well with you. Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table. Lo, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the LORD” (Ps. 128:1-4).

The First Reading gives an example of a man who feared the Lord and an insight into what the fear of the Lord really entails. We are told that the Lord appeared to Abram, who was then ninety-nine years old, and said to him: "I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless. And I will make my covenant between me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly..." (Gen. 17:1ff).

The preamble – 'walk before me and be blameless'– captures the spirit of what the fear of the Lord is. It is not a cringing and paralysing fear of the divine but rather a filial reverence that expresses itself in total submission to the Lord. Abram had this attitude in relation to God. Consequently, he was blessed beyond measure. His name and that of his wife were changed – from Abram to Abraham, and Sarai to Sarah – to signify the brand new thing the Lord was doing in their lives. At age ninety, Sarah received the promise of the Lord to conceive and give birth, and it came to pass.

The Lord still looks out for people who fear him to bless them. In a world where pursing righteous living is regarded as archaic, the readings for today invites us to 'seek the Lord while he may be found and call upon him while he is still near'. When all is said and done, the whisper of a person who fears the Lord is more powerful than the shouts of one who has no reverence for God in his heart. In effect, it is not shouting in prayer that brings about divine intervention; it is the fear of the Lord.

PRAYER: Eternal Father, give me a true sense of awe in your presence and a heart willing to do whatever you tell me. In you I put my trust and I shall never be disappointed. For the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen  

DATE: 29TH JUNE 2017 SOLEMNITY OF SAINTS PETER AND PAUL, APOSTLES FIRST READING: Acts 12:1-11 PSALM: Psalm 34:2-9 SECOND READING: 2Timothy 4:6-8, 17-18 GOSPEL: Matthew 16:13-19 THEME: MODEL OF LEADERSHIP

It said that “he who thinketh he leadeth and hath no one following him is only taking a walk” (Anonymous). There is always an element of ‘following’ in leadership. The followers may follow the ideas or ideals of the leader. Consequently, a leader is a person who wields massive impact. A selfless leader, with the passage of time, will gather around him/herself selfless followers and a self-seeking leader will consciously or unconsciously raise up self-seeking followers.

One thing that strongly characterised the early Christian community was the understanding of leadership as service. The leaders suffered for the good of the flock. They were the first to lay down their lives in the face of any trial. They had less privileges and yet worked tirelessly. They had the “smell of the sheep”. Saints Peter and Paul, whose feast we celebrate today offer us a model of leadership in the Body of Christ.

Paul uses the imagery of libation to describe his service to the Christian community: “As for me, I am already being poured out as a libation, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race. I have kept the faith. From now on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have longed for his appearing” (2Tim 4:6-8).  For him, leadership was a call to sacrifice – an act of laying down one’s life. He gave his all for the cause of the Gospel and died as a martyr.

Peter also offered his life as sacrifice. The First Reading gives us an account of his imprisonment and his subsequent deliverance. Church history and tradition hold that he too sealed his sacrifice with the heroic act of martyrdom.

In some Christian communities today, the power dimension of leadership has become so strong that it has almost supplanted the suffering-servant dimension of it. The pomp and pride that characterise political leadership have eaten deep into the fibre of some of our Christian communities to the extent that in some places church leaders have become “small gods” needing libation instead of pouring themselves out as libation.

Peter, the rock on which the Church was built, and Paul, the indefatigable tireless missionary, both offered their lives in sacrifice. As we celebrate their solemnity, may we emulate their good examples and offer our lives selflessly as a sweet smelling sacrifice to God.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, you gave your all without counting the cost. May I also give my all without counting the cost. Amen

DATE: 27TH JUNE 2017 TUESDAY OF THE TWELFTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME FIRST READING: Genesis 13:2, 5-18 PSALM: Psalm 15:2-5 GOSPEL: Matthew 7:6, 12-14 THEME: THE FAVOUR OF GOD

As the saying goes, “favour makes a person to receive without asking.” In the life of Abram, we see how the favour of God directs the life of a person who is obedient to the Word of God.

In our First Reading for today, the time had come for Abram and Lot to go their separate ways. Abram appears not to be interested in grabbing the best land for himself. He gives Lot the opportunity to make a choice. “And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw all the valley of the Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere…” (Gen 13:10). Consequently, Lot chooses the whole of the Jordan plain. Abram, by default, would have to settle with what was left.

However, as destiny would have it, the choice of Lot turned out to be the outskirts of Sodom (the very place that would be destroyed, together with Gomorrah, as the story unfolds). Abram, on the other hand, without asking, had received the Promised Land as his portion. The Lord tells him, “Rise up, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you'' (Gen 13:17).

When the favour of God is upon your life, it does not matter who chooses first; favour will lead you to make the right choice. It does not matter where you are assigned to; favour will lead you to the right place and at the right time. It does not matter what people think about you; God will surprise them. “The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me” (Ps 16:6).

Taking a cue from Abram’s journey of faith, we can conclude that what matters in life is an attitude of obedience to the voice of God. A person of favour is a person of obedience; and it is the favour of God that brings blessings.

PRAYER: Eternal Father, as I kneel before you, I ask not for wealth, power or fame but your favour. Favour me for the sake of Christ your Son. Amen

DATE: 26TH JUNE 2017 MONDAY OF THE TWELFTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME FIRST READING: Genesis 12:1-9 PSALM: Psalm 33:12-13, 18-20, 22 GOSPEL: Matthew 7:1-5 THEME: STEP OUT IN FAITH

Helen Keller is quoted as saying, “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” Over the years, I have taken delight in listening to the stories of people who have excelled in different spheres of our human existence and I am gradually coming to the conclusion that anyone who aspires to make it to great heights must at a certain point in time take a risk. If you want to be extraordinary, you would have to go the extraordinary way.

Our First Reading confirms the above point. The Lord said to Abram, "Leave your country, your kindred and your father's house for a country which I shall show you; and I shall make you a great nation, I shall bless you and make your name famous; you are to be a blessing!” (Gen 12:1-2). In response to the Word of God, Abram stepped out in faith. He responded to the call of the Lord at age 75 (It is never too late to obey the Lord). He did not know where God was leading him to; he simply relied on the Word of God and took a risk. The consequence of his decision was the birth of a whole nation.

T.S. Eliot once said, “Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.” There is a moment in life when one has to step out in faith. To take a step of faith is to take a risk, inspired by the word of God.

Are you having a strong sensation that your life is meant for something bigger than what it is now? Do you feel as if destiny is beckoning you to greater heights? Perhaps the time has come for you to consider stepping out in faith. Four steps to follow:

Step 1. Pray to God to give you a vision (plan)

Step 2. Clarify the vision with your priest or trusted spiritual guide.

Step 3: Go back to God in prayer.

Step 4: Step out in faith.

Eagles were made to fly and cheetahs were made to run. God has a plan for each one of us. As we step out in obedience to the Word of God, the divine plan would unfold.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, show me the road I should take and I would step out in faith for you will never disappoint me. Amen

DATE: 24TH JUNE 2017 SOLEMNITY OF THE NATIVITY OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST FIRST READING: Isaiah 49:1-6 PSALM: Psalm 139:1-3, 13-15 SECOND READING: Acts 13:22-26 GOSPEL: Luke1:57-66, 80 THEME: BORN FOR A REASON

I would always walk past a trunk of tree lying in the bush nearby and all that my eyes could see was a piece of wood destined to rot. One day, a brother-priest set eyes on the same trunk and saw in it a tabernacle. With his chisel and hammer, he carved a beautiful tabernacle out of that wood and now that trunk is destined to sit in the sanctuary of the house of the Lord.

What every new born baby would turn out to be in future is unknown to the human mind but for the divine mind everything is clear and well planned. God does not play lottery up there in heaven and leave the work of his hands to chance. No one comes into this world by accident.

The First Reading, which is one of the four “servant of the Lord” oracles establishes the divine purpose attached to everyone sent into the world. The author writes, “The LORD called me before I was born, while I was in my mother's womb he named me…”(Isa 49:1). In this text, God speaks of having a blueprint for the life of his servant. In other words, there was a purpose for him coming into the world.

Similarly, in the life of John the Baptist whose birth the Church celebrates today, one can discern a divine purpose underpinning his existence. His parents insisted that his name should be John, in view of the divine role he was to play. John himself, in the Second Reading, is quoted as saying, “What do you suppose that I am? I am not he (i.e. the saviour). No, but one is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of the sandals on his feet” (Act 13:25).

Divine destiny has been placed on each one of us. We must discover it and live it joyfully. Once the purpose has been discerned, one should mark out a straight pathway to its fulfilment, looking neither to the right nor the left. It is good to be inspired by someone but to imitate someone is to lose your originality and to become a copy of another original.

The question, “What will this child turn out to be?” (Lk. 1:66), is one worth personalising and reflecting upon. What am I becoming? Am I happy with the way my life is unfolding? God has a purpose for every one he brings to this earth and until one discovers that purpose, one would live an unfulfilled life.

PRAYER: Eternal Father, before I was conceived in my mother’s womb you knew me. You planned for my entrance into this world and you sustain my life with your grace. I yield completely to your divine will and pray that your purpose may be fulfilled in my life. For the sake of Christ, I pray. Amen 

DATE: 23RD JUNE 2017 SOLEMNITY OF MOST SACRED HEART OF JESUS FIRST READING: Deuteronomy 7:6-11 PSALM: Psalm 103:1-4, 6-8, 10 SECOND READING: 1 John 4:7-16 GOSPEL: Matthew 11:25-30 THEME: THE HEART OF LOVE

Sunshine is the character of the sun and love is the character of God. Even if momentarily dark clouds appear to hide the sun from our view, we are certain that the sun is still there and it would continue to shine. My actions or inactions cannot stop God from loving; however, my actions or inactions can prevent me from experiencing fully the love of God.

In our First Reading, the Lord gives the reason for his choice of Israel: “It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the LORD set his love upon you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples; but it is because the LORD loves you” (Deut. 7:7-8). In other words, his choice is based purely on his nature – God is love.

The love of God shown to Israel is extended to the whole human race as expressed in our Second Reading: “…God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him” (1 Jn. 4:7, 9).

Now comes the heart of the matter. In broad daylight, I can chose to hide myself in a dark closet and keep away from the rays of the sun. Similarly, many starve themselves of love not because they are not loved by God but because they insulate themselves from the love of God. Jesus in our Gospel text invites every one of us to come and experience the warmth of God’s love in these words: “Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Mt. 11:28-29)

Yes, “What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer. Oh what peace we often forfeit. Oh what needless pain we bear. All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer? "(Joseph M. Scriven).

Are you burdened with a problem? Are you faced with a challenge? Is there something troubling you? The sacred heart of Jesus invites you to experience the warmth of his love.
It is only when we avail ourselves to be loved by God that we can confidently go forth to love one another, for we cannot give what we do not have.

PRAYER: Eternal Father, ‘like the sunflower that follows every movement of the sun’, I turn towards you to experience your love that sets the captive free.

DATE: 18TH JUNE 2017 SOLEMNITY OF THE BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST FIRST READING: Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 14-16 PSALM: Psalm 147:12-15, 19-20 SECOND READING: 1Cor 10:16-17 GOSPEL: John 6:51-58 THEME: BREAD OF HEAVEN

St. Maximillian Kolbe is quoted as saying: ''If angels could be jealous of men and women, they would be so for one reason: Holy Communion.''

In the verses preceding today's Gospel text, a crowd that had come to Jesus because of their desire for earthly bread said, ''Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ''He gave them bread from heaven to eat'"(Jn. 6:31). In response to this argument, Jesus made it clear to them that it is the Father and not Moses who gives the true bread from heaven. A portion of the discussion that ensued thereafter is captured by our Gospel text for today. Jesus said to the crowd: "I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh"  (Jn. 6:51).

At the heart of the spiritual and sacramental life of the early Christian community was the understanding that the bread that is broken and the wine that is poured during worship (liturgical assembly) was the real Body and Blood of Christ. Paul affirms this in the Second Reading with two rhetoric questions: ''The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ'' (1 Cor. 10:16 ).

For 2000 years, in continuity with the faith of the early Christians, the Church has upheld the belief that Jesus Christ makes himself available to us on every altar of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass , the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist.

Today's liturgical celebration is a call to every believer to prepare and come to the table of the Lord where we feast not on food that passes away but on the real body and blood of Christ. It is a celebration of the generous offer of Christ to humanity. He does not only give us 'things' in life, he gives us his very self.

The essential element in responding to this invitation is faith. When bread and wine have been consecrated at Mass, it takes the eyes of faith to see that what is present on the altar and offered to us in communion is Jesus Christ.
When we receive the Eucharist with faith, our lives are changed forever.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, by virtue of the one and eternal sacrifice you made on the cross, you continually make yourself available to us in the Eucharist. Thank you for the gift of your Body and Blood. May this holy food bring me health in mind, body and soul, and lead me to salvation. Amen 

DATE: 17TH JUNE 2017 SATURDAY OF THE TENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME FIRST READING: 2Corinthians 5:14-21 PSALM: Psalm 103:1-4, 9-12 GOSPEL: Matthew 5:33-37 THEME: TO SWEAR OR NOT TO SWEAR

About one hundred and eighty years before the birth of Christ, a Jew by name Ben Sira gave an excellent piece of advice to his fellow Jews concerning swearing: ''Do not accustom your mouth to oaths, and do not habitually utter the name of the Holy One;  for as a servant who is continually examined under torture will not lack bruises, so also the man who always swears and utters the Name will not be cleansed from sin'' (Sir. 23:9-10). He proceeded to give three reasons why swearing can have unpleasant repercussions: (1) A person incurs sin when he does not fulfil a sincere oath that he has made. (2) A person incurs double sin when an oath is lightly sworn. (3) A person courts calamities for his household when the oath is insincere ( cf. Sirach 23:13-14).

The Gospel text for today is a continuation of the "Sermon on the mount" and the fourth of the six antithesis (cf.Mt. 5:21-48 ). Concerning oaths, Jesus had this to say: "Again you have heard that it was said to the men of old, `You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.' But I say to you, Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black'' (Mt. 5:33-36).

Where there is truthfulness, oaths are unnecessary because the purpose of an oath, by calling God as a witness, is to guarantee truthfulness. It all boils down to integrity. When you have established yourself as a person whose 'yes' is always yes and whose 'no' is no, you do not need to swear to make a point. Integrity establishes you as a trustworthy person.

In Christ Jesus, as Paul says in the First Reading, we are a new creation. Our association with Christ who is Truth should make us truthful at all times.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, may my way of life guarantee the truthfulness of whatever I say so that I would not need to swear in order to convince someone. Amen

DATE: 16TH JUNE 2017 FRIDAY OF THE TENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME FIRST READING: 2Corinthians 4:7-15 PSALM: Psalm 116:10-11, 15-18 GOSPEL: Matthew 5:27-32 THEME: THE DIGNITY OF WOMANHOOD

Like the menace of illegal mining (galamsey in Ghana) where lands and rivers have been destroyed with impunity, some men see women as nothing more than a piece of flesh to be sexually exploited. These 'sexual illegal miners' (sim) reduce women to objects and with their 'pickaxe and shovel', they jump from one virgin forest to another. They have made themselves like sim cards that enter into almost every phone. Even if they are married, they cannot take their eyes off a beautiful woman who passes by. Unfortunately, our socio-economic environment either implicitly or explicitly perpetuate this corruptive perception of womanhood. For example, seductively dressed women are made to stand next to objects for sale in a bid to attract men to purchase the objects in question.

The Gospel Reading is a continuation of the 'Sermon on the mount', with particular reference to the six antithesis (cf. Mt. 5:21-28). In the text for today, Jesus makes two important statements that uphold the dignity of womanhood. In the first statement Jesus says: 'You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart'' (Mt. 5:27-28). It is a call to see value in a woman rather than to devalue ourselves with vain thoughts about women. There is a Jewish proverb which says, 'It is better to talk to a woman and think of God, than talk to God and think of a woman.'

In the second statement, Jesus says, ''It has also been said, 'Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a writ of dismissal'. But I say this to you, everyone who divorces his wife, except for the case of an illicit marriage, makes her an adulteress; and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery'' (Mt. 5:31-32). In a patriarchal society where divorce and remarriage were permitted in certain instances (cf. Deut. 24:1-4), Jesus challenges the status quo and places premium on the indissolubility of licit marriages. I came across a Judeo-Christian proverb which puts it this way: ?When a divorced man marries a divorced woman, there are four people in that marital bed.?

The two statements of Jesus in our Gospel text is a call to sanitise our minds with regard to the one Adam calls, 'bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh'. Women are not pieces of paper that we throw into the bin after we have finished using them. Women have something more to offer , something more than fleeting pleasures. It is safe to say that without a woman, every man stands incomplete. 

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, help me to see the true value in every woman. Curb my passions that I may not lustfully trample underfoot she who is beautiful in your eyes. Amen 

DATE: 15TH JUNE 2017 THURSDAY OF THE TENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME FIRST READING: 2Corinthians 3:15 ? 4:1, 3-6 PSALM: Psalm 85:9-14 GOSPEL: Matthew 5:20-26 THEME: ANGER

Anger is not a mere fleeting emotion. It is a force which controls if it is not controlled. The steam of uncontrolled anger expresses itself in words, actions and inactions with disastrous consequences. Friendships have been destroyed because of anger; marriages have broken down because of anger; there are people languishing in prisons because of anger; civil and world wars have snuffed out the lives of millions because of anger. Uncontrolled anger is an escalator to the gates of hell.

In narrating Jesus' sermon on the mount, Matthew presents us with six antithesis that can be found in Mt 5:21-28 (An antithesis is a kind of rhetorical contrast of ideas marked by the choice and arrangement of words). The formula used in each of the six antithesis is: ''You have heard'' ''but I say'' In each of the six statements, Jesus makes reference to an Old Testament law and then stamps his divine authority by perfecting and giving it a new rendition with a deeper meaning.

The Gospel text for today presents us with the first of the six statements: "You have heard how it was said to our ancestors: 'You shall not commit murder' and 'Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.' But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever shall say to his brother, 'Raca,' shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever shall say, 'You fool,' shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell' (Matt. 5:20-22) (Raca is an insult, verbal abuse, in the Aramaic language which means something like 'blockhead', 'empty head' or 'numskull').

As anger grows, its disastrous effects also grow. We see in the above text, an escalating movement from a local court verdict to the Jewish Sanhedrin and then to eternal punishment. In sum, it does not pay to harbour anger for long.

Do you feel embittered on account of something that has happened? Are you harbouring anger in your heart? The best way to deal with anger, according to Jesus, is reconciliation. Take note that Jesus makes it clear in the Gospel text that we must take the initiative for reconciliation. We should not wait for the other party to extend a hand of peace before responding. We should do everything within our means to sow the seeds of peace wherever there is strife.

We reconcile not because we are at fault but because that is the way to go. Reconciliation is the act of reconstructing a bridge that both offender and offended need to cross over to paradise.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, you came to bring us freedom. May your Spirit of truth hover over every heart that stands in need of freedom, and as you inspire us to take steps of reconciliation may we discover the peace and joy that comes from the Holy Spirit. Amen

DATE: 14TH JUNE 2017 WEDNESDAY OF THE TENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME FIRST READING: 2Corinthians 3:4-11 PSALM: Psalm 99:5-9 GOSPEL: Matthew 5:17-19 THEME: THE SPIRIT OF THE LAW

Rabbi Chanina is quoted as saying, ''When two sit together and pronounce the words of the Law, the shekinah( the divine presence) is among them'' (Pirke  Abot 3:2). This quote captures the high regard the Jewish society have for the Torah and for that matter the Jewish Scriptures.

Jesus himself, a Jew, shows deep respect for the Law when he says ''For truly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law until all is accomplished'' (Mt. 5:18). However, before making this statement, Jesus makes an important point: ''Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill'' (Mt 5:17).

The word 'fulfill' as translated from the Greek 'pleroo' carries with it the sense of making full that which was not yet full, i.e. bringing to completion that which was previously not complete. However, the completion that Jesus brings is not an additional law but the Spirit of the law. It is the infusion of this Spirit into a believer that enables him/her to live to the full the demands of the law.

Paul, in the First Reading, refers to this 'completion' as  ''a new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit''. He goes ahead and says ''for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life'' (2Cor 3:6).

The Spirit of the Law is that which makes a person to act not because of an external law written in books but because of an internal law written on one's heart. In other words, I do the good that I do not because someone or something, external to me, is policing me or asking me to do it but because I am moved from within to do it. Doing what is right becomes my new nature, thanks to the covenant of the Spirit. This would explain why there are some illiterates who cannot read the 'Law or Prophets' but are able to live to the full what is prescribed there. They have within them the Spirit of the law. This is what brings a person a glory that surpasses that of Moses.

Let us therefore pray to God to pour into our hearts the Spirit who enables us to love God for who He is and to love your neighbour as ourselves.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, fill me with your Spirit so that I may love God and my neighbour not because a law says I should do so but because I want to do so. Amen

DATE: 13TH JUNE 2017 MEMORIAL OF SAINT ANTHONY OF PADUA, PRIEST AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH FIRST READING: 2Corinthians 1:18-22 PSALM: Psalm 119:129-133, 135 GOSPEL: Matthew 5:13-16 THEME: AGENT OF CHANGE

One lighted candle may not be able to chase darkness away completely but it certainly makes a difference in a dark room. The presence of a pinch of salt in a big bowl of soup may not be felt much and yet no matter how little it is, it adds value to the soup.

The entrenching presence of evil in our world can sometimes be so overwhelming that it leaves many good-hearted people discouraged. There are many Christian communities worldwide and yet evil appears to be on the increase daily. Like thick darkness blurring our vision, there are moments when there appears to be no headway in the fight against evil and we succumb to lamentation.

Jesus, in our Gospel text, reminds us of a very powerful truth: ''You are the salt of the earth'' You are the light for the world'' (Mt. 5:13-14).  He uses salt and light as metaphors to illustrate the effect Christians ought to have on the world. The essence of this saying of Jesus is that our Christianity must count.

A true disciple of Jesus has what it takes to influence the world. Often, we dwell so much on the darkness around us that we ignore the light inside us. Just imagine this: If every disciple of Christ would make the effort to light his/her little candle of holiness, darkness would be chased away completely from our world.

The fear of being ridiculed and rejected has made many of us tasteless in a world that is quickly passing away. Jesus warns that if we lose our taste as Christians, we would no longer be good for anything but thrown out and trampled underfoot (see Mt. 5:13).

The time to stand tall in our faith and let our presence be felt is now. Now is the time to let our light shine in our marriages and families, among our friends, at our workplaces, in the shopping malls and wherever we find ourselves.  ''A city built on a hill cannot be hidden''(Mt. 5:14).
Yes, you are the agent of change for our world.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, make me your instrument of change in a world that stands in need of renewal and transformation. May my words and deeds bring light into every dark situation and flavour into the lives of those I meet daily. Amen
 

DATE: 12TH JUNE 2017 MONDAY OF THE TENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME FIRST READING: 2 Corinthians 1:1-7 PSALM: Psalm 34: 2-9 GOSPEL: Matthew 5: 1-12 THEME: IN SEARCH OF HAPPINESS

If you desire a change, you must change your desires. Desires have the power to drive a person to particular destinations in life. Some desires would drive you to a place of happiness and others would bring you to the doorsteps of gloom. We all have desires but we are all not driven by the same desires in life because our value systems are not the same.

A personal value system is a set of principles/ideals that guide one's life. It gives structure and purpose to one's personal world. Latent desires in each one of us become potent depending on one?s value system. A change in a value system would lead to a change in desires and a change in desires would cause a change in one's world.

In our Gospel text for the day, Jesus proposes a value system that leads to happiness and blessedness. It is traditionally referred to as the Beatitudes. It forms part of what is known as the 'sermon on the mount'. Jesus addresses this sermon to his disciples, i.e. those who aspire to learn from him and follow in his footsteps. A close look at the text shows that the beatitudes are counter-cultural: the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers and those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness are said to be blessed. The vision that Jesus shares with his disciples goes against the spirit of the world which engenders pride, hedonism and hatred, and places value on what the world scorns.

Happiness has eluded many of us because although we search for it so hard, we do so at the wrong places and in the wrong things. The search for happiness must start from within. As we submit our inner person to the transforming power of the Word of God, something would change in us and a new desire would well up from within and lead us to where true happiness can be found.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, you are my happiness and in you my soul is content. I give you all I have and I am and I receive from you all that you have and are. May the joy I have found in you be my strength his day. Amen.

DATE: 11TH JUNE 2017 THE SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST HOLY TRINITY FIRST READING: Exodus 34:4-6, 8-9 PSALM: Daniel 3:52-56 SECOND READING: 2Corinthians 13:11-13 GOSPEL: John 3:16-18 THEME: I BELIEVE IN ONE GOD

The bedrock of any love relationship is COMMUNICATION. It takes communication to start a relationship and it takes communication to sustain it. We do not say everything about ourselves the very first day we enter into a relationship with someone. Self-disclosure is gradual and it deepens as the relationship matures.

In entering into a relationship with the human race, God chose to communicate and to reveal himself gradually. The First Reading gives us one of the early written accounts of God's self-revelation to humanity. On Mount Sinai, God is said to have passed before Moses and proclaimed: "The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness" (Exod. 34:6). Although Moses heard him, at this stage of self-disclosure, God remained invisible.

With the passage of time, the invisible God made himself visible in and through the person of His Son Jesus Christ. This second stage of the self-disclosure of God is captured in our Gospel text: ''For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life''  (Jn. 3:16). To encounter Jesus is to encounter the God who spoke on Mount Sinai.

The person of the Holy Spirit completes the threefold self-disclosure of God. Thus Paul, in the Second Reading, writes: ''The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all'' (2 Cor. 13:13).

The Church has never disputed the fact that there is only one God. In fact the Catechism of the Catholic Church states emphatically that ''We do not confess three Gods, but one God in three persons...'' (CCC 253).

There are three important lessons that we can learn as we celebrate Trinity Sunday. First and foremost, Trinity Sunday should make us humble.  Often, we are tempted to think that our minds are the yardsticks for all truth. The revelation of the Most Holy Trinity has taught us that God is greater than our minds.

Secondly, the celebration of Trinity Sunday is a call to re-examine the image we have of God. One's image of God influences one's character. We bear the image of the one we worship. If God, for you, is a warrior, you will end up being a warrior. If your God is a God of wrath, you will emulate his anger. For us Christians, we call our God, ''Abba, Father'' and this loving Father has revealed himself to us in the person of his Son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. 

Thirdly, Trinity Sunday should inculcate in us the spirit of unity and cooperation. Just as the three Divine Persons come together to accomplish the work of salvation, we too will need oneness of vision and purpose to accomplish great things in our families, parishes and nations.

May the Holy Triune God live in our hearts and in the hearts of all people.

PRAYER: Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, it is now and ever shall be world without end. Amen

DATE: 10TH JUNE 2017 SATURDAY OF THE NINTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME FIRST READING: Tobit 12:1, 5-15,20 PSALM: Tobit 13:2, 6-8 GOSPEL: Mark 12:38-44 THEME: GOD CARES

Often, God sends people into our lives who have the ''anointing'' of an angel. In other words, some people walk into our lives as messengers of God sent to serve us. They often enter our personal worlds at critical moments on our life's journey and offer some help to us. Today's first reading is a perfect example of how God sends angels to minister to us.

Raphael, in the Book of Tobit, appears human in many ways, and yet he was an angel sent by God on an extraordinary mission to bring healing to Tobit and help Sarah find a rightful marriage partner.  In today's First Reading, he finally reveals his true identity. He tells Tobit, ''God sent me to heal you and your daughter-in-law Sarah. I am Raphael, one of the seven angels who stand ever ready to enter the presence of the glory of the Lord.'' 

Raphael also revealed what moves heaven to send angels to us: ''Prayer with fasting and alms with uprightness are better than riches with iniquity. Better to practise almsgiving than to hoard up gold. Almsgiving saves from death and purges every kind of sin. Those who give alms have their fill of days; those who commit sin and do evil bring harm on themselves'' (Tob. 12:8-10).

Inherent in the above statement are four pillars of a sound spiritual life: PRAYER, FASTING, ALMSGIVING and UPRIGHTNESS (i.e. right conduct). The eyes of God are continually on the person who builds his/her life on these pillars and the Lord does not hesitate to send angels to minister to  such a person.

To pray, fast, give alms and have a right conduct (uprightness) is a form of spiritual investment. In times of need one can fall on the fruits of this investment.

God who cares about each one of us is more than willing to help us in times of need. In taking our spiritual life seriously,  we dispose ourselves to be served by angels.

PRAYER OF BLESSING: ''For he shall give his angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. They shall bear you up in their hands, lest you dash your foot against a stone'' (Psalm 91:11-12)

May God send an angel to snatch you out of every fire and water. As you wait upon God in prayer, may you mount up with wings as eagles; may you run and not be weary. May you walk and not faint. Amen

DATE: 9TH JUNE 2017 FRIDAY OF THE NINTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME FIRST READING: Tobit 11:5-17 PSALM: Psalm 146:1-2, 6-10 GOSPEL: Mark 12:35-37 THEME: TAKE HEART!

Life has its ups and downs. There are moments when thick dark clouds rob one's world of brightness but no matter how long the dark clouds hang up there in the sky, we are confident that the sun would shine again. There are certain events in life that can shake our faith in God and make us wonder whether God cares. However, the good news is that tears of pain have an expiry date. Yes, ''weeping may linger for the night but joy comes with the morning '' (Psalm 30:5).

The First Reading from the Book of Tobit confirms the above point. We started reflecting on the Book of Tobit on a painful note. We relived the story of a Jewish man who was among the captives deported to Nineveh - Assyria from the Northern Kingdom of Israel in 722/721 B.C. We shared in his agony of seeing his fellow Jews die and having to bury them and eat his food in sorrow. We relived the agony Tobit had to go through when he became blind and how the taunt of his wife broke his heart leading him to offer a prayer of lamentation to God.

Now in today's First Reading, Tobit receives his sight back. His tears of pain change into tears of joy. He bursts out into a song of praise: ?Blessed be God! Blessed be his great name! Blessed be all his holy angels! Blessed be his great name for evermore! For, having afflicted me, he has had pity on me and now I see my son Tobias!  (Tob 11:14-15). In sum, the touch of the Lord changed his mourning into dancing.

Today, let us turn to everyone who is mourning and tell him/her: Take heart! Tell everyone who has lost someone or something precious: Take heart! Tell the one who is drowning in pain: Take heart! No matter how deep one?s pain is, in Christ one would smile again.

PRAYER: Lord God, you are the strength and salvation of all those who hope in you. Comfort the sorrowing and cause your light to shine in the dark hours  of the journey of the night. For the sake of Christ, I pray. Amen 

DATE: 8TH JUNE 2017 THURSDAY OF THE NINTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME FIRST READING: Tobit 6:10-11; 7:1, 9-14; 8:4-9 PSALM: Psalm 128: 1-5 GOSPEL: Mark 12:28-34 THEME: THE MARRIAGE OF SARAH

A prayerless person is like a ship on the high sea with no specific bearing. Such a person is easily driven and tossed about by the wind and goes around in circles. Prayer gives focus and leads to a divine destination. It puts the pieces of the puzzle of one's life together and gives meaning to one's existence.

The marriage of Sarah is a testimony of the efficacy of prayer. Seven men had sought to marry her but on each occasion the story of love turned sour  'one by one each of the men died on the very night they approached her. It was believed that a demon (Asmodeus) was in love with her'  you may call it ''spiritual marriage'' and therefore she had become unmarriageable in relation to any man (cf. Tb. 3:8; 6:14-15). In fact, one of her father's maid even insulted her: ''You are the one who kills you husband'' (cf. Tob. 3:8). However, when Sarah chose to pray, God chose to answer, and the answer of God was the coming into her life of a God-fearing man by name Tobias.
Eventually the two got married.

When nothing seems to work, always remember there is still one thing that works  'prayer'. God's ways of answering prayer are as mysterious as prayer itself. For example, Tobias' initial intention for going to Media, where Sarah lived, was not to go and marry but to retrieve some money from someone but as divine destiny would have it, he found himself in the home of Sarah and they got married.

When you have prayed, trust God to answer. He answers in his own way and ''in his time he makes all things beautiful.''

PRAYER: Eternal Father, I lay my case before your throne of grace and look up to you for your intervention. In you I trust and I am confident that with you all is well. Grant this through Christ, our Lord. Amen

DATE: 7TH JUNE 2017 WEDNESDAY OF THE NINTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME FIRST READING: Tobit 3:1-11, 16-17 PSALM: Psalm 25:2-9 GOSPEL: Mark 12:18-27 THEME: THE PRAYER OF ANGUISH

God hears every prayer but there are certain prayers that carry a note of urgency. They pierce through the clouds and do not relent until they have been answered. Such prayers emanate from the deepest part of a person's being and ''move'' God into action. It is called the prayer of anguish.

In a prayer of anguish, a person travails to prevail. It often flows from a broken heart amidst tears and/or sweat. It was the prayer of Hannah in the House of the Lord at Shiloh and the prayer of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane.

The First Reading offers us two examples of a prayer of anguish. Misfortune had hit the good man Tobit -- he had gone blind. On one occasion, he had a misunderstanding with his wife on an issue and the wife made a statement that broke his heart: ''Where are your charitable deeds now? Where are your righteous acts? Look! All that has happened to you is well known!? (Tob 2:14). Hearing this, he groaned, wept aloud and prayed'' a prayer of anguish.

In another scene, we also have an account of a woman by name Sarah who had experienced successive failures in marriage. One of her father's maids reproached her saying, ''You are the one who kills your husbands! Look! You have already been given in marriage to seven husbands, but you do not bear the name of a single one of them'' (Tob 3: 8). That insult broke her heart and made her cry. In her anguish, she too stretched her hands toward Jerusalem and prayed. 

We are told that ''at that very time, the prayer of both of them was heard in the glorious presence of God''.

Like the cry of a baby that moves a mother into action, prayers of anguish cause God to arise. Perhaps what makes a prayer of anguish to 'move mountains' is not so much the tears or sweat that falls to the ground but the sincerity, trust and childlikeness that characterise it. In a prayer of anguish, a person places all his/her hope in the God who hears the cry of the poor.

Has your heart been broken? Have you been hurt badly? Have you lost taste for earthly existence? Do you feel as if you have come to the end of the road? Is hope for a brighter tomorrow fizzling away? Are you faced with a big problem? Cry out to God in your moment of anguish. He will hear you and readily answer.

PRAYER: Lord, "I lift up my eyes unto the mountains; from where will my help come from? My help comes from you who made heaven and earth." Come to my aid Lord and rescue me from this dark and gloomy pit. For the sake of the name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen

DATE: 6TH JUNE 2017 TUESDAY OF THE NINTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME FIRST READING: Tobit 2:9-14 PSALM: Psalm 112:1-2, 7-9 GOSPEL: Mark 12:13-17 THEME: WHEN EVIL HAPPENS TO GOOD PEOPLE

It sounds logical when good things come the way of good people and evil goes the way of chronic evildoers.  However, when the inverse takes place and evil happens to a good person the very foundation of our understanding and existence is shaken to the core.

Tobit was a man of prayer and almsgiving. He was a sincere worshipper of the Lord. He continually risked his life in order to serve the needs of his people far away in the land of exile in Assyria.  In our First Reading, we have an account of evil befalling him. The droppings of birds fell on his eyes. He did all he could to save his eyes  ''he applied the medicine given to him by doctors'' and yet he went blind. Now come the questions: Could God not have prevented the birds from causing harm to him? Of course he could. Could God not have given wisdom to the doctors to prescribe the right medicine that would cure him? Of course he could. Could God not have healed him instantly without any human intervention. Sure he could. Why did God not do all that?

Just as the sun rises and the rain falls on both the just and unjust, the unpleasant effect of earthquakes and hurricanes are equally felt by all. That is the reality of life here on this earth. There are moments when prayer, as powerful as it is, would not stop a storm. At best it would strengthen a person to go through the storm.

When evil happens to an evildoer, it gives birth to more evil but when it happens to a good person, goodness is multiplied and spread abroad. Jesus rightly said, ''Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit'' (Jn. 12:24).

We should never desire that evil should come our way; however, like manure with all its unpleasant smell, if evil should fall on our soil, may we seize that opportunity to produce abundance of good fruits.

PRAYER: Eternal Father, when evil comes our way, may we never lose faith in you but trust that in Christ all things work for good with those who love you. Amen

DATE: 5TH JUNE 2017 MEMORIAL OF SAINT BONIFACE, BISHOP AND MARTYR FIRST READING: Tobit 1:3; 2:1-8 PSALM: Psalm 112: 1-6 GOSPEL: Mark 12:1-12 THEME: THE PROBLEM OF EVIL

A philosopher decided to topple a priest after a sermon on the goodness of God. He said to the priest: ''You claim that there is God and that he is good and all-powerful, and yet look around you,  there is so much evil in the world. How can this be?'' In response the priest said to him, ''You are God's answer to the problem of evil. God put you where you are so that you would quench the flames of evil with the goodness in your heart.'' There is a Chinese proverb which says, ''better to light a candle than curse the darkness.''

The Gospel text and the First Reading for today give narrations of the evil of murder meted out to some individuals. Apart from maltreating and killing the servants, a group of evil-minded tenants, in our Gospel text, chose to lynch the beloved son of a vineyard owner. They said concerning his son, "This is the heir. Come on, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours" (Mk. 12:7). After saying this, ''they seized him and killed him and threw him out of the vineyard'' (Mk. 12:8).

In the First Reading, Tobias also brought his father (Tobit) a piece of unpleasant news as he sat down to feast:  "Father, one of our nation has been murdered and thrown into the market place" (Tob. 2:3). Upon hearing this news, Tobit sprang up at once, left his meal untouched, took the man from the market place and laid him in one of his rooms, waiting until sunset to bury him (cf. Tob. 2:4). In sum, he was moved with empathy and he expressed it concretely.

The attitude of Tobit in the face of evil is worth emulating. We do not need to know somebody personally before seeking to do good to that person. Whenever and wherever evil pops its ugly head up, we must respond with goodness. Like Tobit who abandoned his own pleasure in order to carry out a work of mercy towards a victim of evil, we too must be ready to step out of our comfort zones and pour the water of goodness on the sparks of evil.

The Lord planted you wherever you are right now for a purpose. Have you seen something gone wrong? Is evil taking place around you? God has imbedded in you what it takes to do something about it. Yes, evil can be defeated when good people arise and confront it.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, lead me to conquer hatred with the power of love and to sow seeds of peace in times of strife. Amen

DATE: 4TH JUNE 2017 PENTECOST SUNDAY FIRST READING: Acts 2:1-11 PSALM: Psalm 104:1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34 SECOND READING: 1Corinthians 12:3-7, 12-13 GOSPEL: John 20:19-23 THEME: RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT

Plant two naturally good seeds in a potentially good soil. Give one of them adequate water and sunshine but deprive the other of these elements. The result, after some days, would be obvious  the one that received sufficient water and sunshine would find itself enabled to sprout and bear fruits, whereas the other, though a good seed too, would perish in the soil.  The descent of the Holy Spirit upon a person makes a big difference. Like water and sunshine, the Holy Spirit gives a person the ability to sprout and bear fruits.

To understand the account of the Pentecost event, as recorded in our First Reading, we need to look at Acts 1:8. In that text, Jesus is reported to have told his disciples, ''You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Now on Pentecost day, we read, ''And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance'' (Acts 2:4). In other words, the disciples received an ability to do what they could not do all by themselves, i.e. to witness.

The ability that the Holy Spirit gives for witnessing is echoed in the Gospel text where Jesus tells the disciples, ''As the Father has sent me, even so I send you, Receive the Holy Spirit'' (Jn. 20:21-22).

Paul, in the Second Reading, helps us to appreciate the fact that the Spirit that the early Christians received on Pentecost day is the same Spirit that is offered to all believers: ''We were baptised into one body in a single Spirit, Jews as well as Greeks, slaves as well as free men, and we were all given the same Spirit to drink'' (1 Cor. 12:13). It means that we too can manifest the presence of the Holy Spirit in ways akin to that of the early Christian community. It is therefore scripturally and theologically inaccurate to think or say that some gifts and abilities that the Holy Spirit gives, as enumerated in Scripture, are not meant for our generation. On the contrary, Paul writes, ''To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good'' (1 Cor. 12:7).

As we celebrate Pentecost Sunday, we each need to do some sober reflection and ask ourselves some few questions: Am I truly living a life in the Spirit? In what ways is the Holy Spirit manifesting His presence in my life? Have I allowed the Holy Spirit to make me an active agent of evangelization?

The Holy Spirit is not an idea. He is a real divine person. He desires to make a big difference in the life of each one of us. Would you give Him the chance?

PRAYER: Come Holy Spirit, we need you. Give us power and make us witnesses of the Kingdom. Amen 

DATE: 3RD JUNE 2017 SATURDAY OF THE SEVENTH WEEK OF EASTER MEMORIAL OF SAINT CHARLES LWANGA AND COMPANIONS FIRST READING: Acts 28:16-20, 30-31 PSALM: Psalm 11:4,5,7 GOSPEL: John 21:20-25 THEME: PAUL IN ROME

Gazing at a little plant sprouting through a crack in a cement-concrete slab, my thoughts quickly went to the saying, "bloom wherever you are planted".

Sometimes, life can be very challenging and we may find ourselves in difficult terrains/circumstances but wherever one is planted, one can still live a meaningful and fruitful life and make a difference.

In our First Reading, we have an account of Paul's arrival in Rome: he had been brought there as a prisoner and lived there under house arrest. Even in that difficult situation, Paul found a way of engaging himself in some limited apostolic work. He would evangelise the crowd that gathered around his home and it was during this challenging moment in his life that he wrote what is popularly referred to as the 'Captivity Epistles', addressed to the Ephesians, the Philippians, the Colossians and to Philemon.

Though bound with chains, Paul preached the Gospel in order to unchain those in spiritual captivity. The last two verses of today's First Reading has it that ''he lived there two whole years at his own expense and welcomed all who came to him proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance'' (Act 28:30-31).

Indeed God had a purpose for Paul in Rome. In fact the Lord Jesus had told him previously, ''Courage! You have borne witness for me in Jerusalem, now you must do the same in Rome'' (Acts 23:11).
 
Like Paul, the Lord has a purpose for us wherever we find ourselves. Are you in Ghana? God put you there. Are you in Nigeria? God put you there. Are you in the US or UK? God put you there. Are you in Rome? God put you there. Even if you are under house arrest, like Paul, see yourself as having been planted there by the Lord to be a living witness of the Gospel. It is in availing ourselves completely to the Lord that the Holy Spirit would use us to bring about massive transformation in the very place and among the people where we find ourselves.

PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, may the power of your Spirit fill me with strength wherever I find myself. In season and out of season make me a living witness of the Gospel. Amen

Andrews Obeng, svd

DIVINE WORD MISSIONARIES

BIBLICAL PASTORAL MINISTRY
(Ghana Province)

?May the darkness of sin and the night of unbelief vanish before the light of the Word and the Spirit of grace. And may the heart of Jesus live in the hearts of all people? (St. Arnold Janssen).

DATE: 2ND JUNE 2017 FRIDAY OF THE SEVENTH WEEK OF EASTER FIRST READING: Acts 25:13-21 PSALM: Psalm 103:1-2, 11-12, 19-20 GOSPEL: John 21:15-19 THEME: LET YOUR FAITH COUNT

In recent times, some Christians have made the headlines on front pages of our daily newspapers and other platforms on social media. Unfortunately, quite a number of the headlines are not news of heroic witnessing but scandals which seek to discredit the very Gospel we are called upon to proclaim. It is important that occasionally, we each pause and ask ourselves: What kind of headlines am I making. Am I furthering the cause of Christ and the Gospel or I am bringing the Christian message into disrepute. The word Gospel means good news and any bearer of an important piece of news will himself /herself make news.

Paul, in today's First Reading, made the headlines on account of his good faith in Jesus. The headlines first caught the attention of Governor Festus and later King Agrippa. In the case of Paul, the headlines did not bring him favours but trials. However, he was content to have shared in the sufferings of Christ. Later on in life, Paul would reflect on this whole experience and tell Timothy, ''Anybody who tries to live in devotion to Christ is certain to be persecuted'' (2Tim 3:12).

As Christians we should not go seeking for trouble. However, we must seek to proclaim the Gospel even if that leads us into trouble. Jesus is asking each one of us the same question he put to Peter in today's Gospel: Do you love me? If we do, then we ought to make the right headlines for Christ.

One thing that Paul and all other faithful witnesses of the Gospel can testify is the veracity of the statement of Jesus: ''When they bring you to trial and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say; but say whatever is given you at that time, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit" (Mk 13:11).

May the Holy Spirit, during this season of novena, make us news worthy and give us the right words to say in every situation we find ourselves in.

PRAYER: Holy Spirit of God, we turn to you this day amidst the challenges of our life?s journey. May we never give up in times of trials but trust you enough to make all things work for our good. In the name of Jesus, we pray with thanksgiving. Amen

DATE: 1ST JUNE 2017 THURSDAY OF THE 7TH WEEK OF EASTER MEMORIAL OF ST. JUSTIN, MARTYR FIRST READING: Acts 22:30, 23:6-11 PSALM: Psalm 16:1-2,5,7-11 GOSPEL: John 17:20-26 THEME: BE WISE

Wisdom is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. It is a divine ability at the will of the Holy Spirit that enables a person to receive and apply deep insights to issues. The gift of wisdom enables a person to say the right word at the right time in the right place.

Paul exercised wisdom in today's First Reading. As he stood in front of the entire Sanhedrin, the Supreme Court in the land of ancient Israel, he must have felt like a sheep standing before wolves. He knew very well that any wrong move would spell his doom. In the given situation, Paul chose to be wise. Knowing very well that some of the members of the Sanhedrin were Sadducees and others Pharisees, he said "Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. I am on trial concerning the hope of the resurrection of the dead." (Act 23:6).  This apparently harmless statement resulted in the Sadducees and Pharisees locking up their horns in a dispute of doctrine, and that was how Paul sneaked out of their hands.

The experience of Paul in today's First Reading brings to mind a piece of advice that Jesus, during his earthly ministry, gave to his disciples: "See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves "(Mat 10:16).

Like Paul, there are moments in life when we have to contend with challenges on account of our faith in Jesus. Some of these challenges may come from members of our family, co-workers, friends and even our fellow Christians. In such situations, what we need is the gift of wisdom.

May we prayerfully desire the grace of wisdom during this season of novena to the Holy Spirit: "If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you"(Jam 1:5).

PRAYER: Holy Spirit of God, fill me with the wisdom that comes from above and inspire me to make the right decisions today. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen

DATE: 31ST MAY 2017 FEAST OF THE VISITATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY FIRST READING: Zephaniah 3:14-18 or Romans 12:9-16 CANTICLE: Isaiah 12:2-6 GOSPEL: Luke 1:39-56 THEME: BLESSED AMONG WOMEN

Not long ago, the world celebrated "Mother's Day". It was a celebration of honouring mothers and maternal bonds and also to reflect on the influence of women in society. It was exhilarating reading some of the posts on motherhood on social media. In sum, there is a growing awareness that mothers are worth celebrating.

Mary too is a mother. She is the mother of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. A Christian who refuses to give honour to this woman gives no honour to her Son.

In our Gospel text for today, Elizabeth, a relative of Mary, filled with the Holy Spirit was moved to honour Mary with the words, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy" (Luke 1:42-44).
If Elizabeth considered the visit of Mary as honourable, then it is a mark of gross disrespect for anyone who calls himself or herself a Christian to dishonour the mother of our Lord Jesus Christ either in words or actions.

Mary is one of us, in so far as she too is a created human being. However, the grace of God has placed her on a unique pedestal and made her a model for all generations. Her very life is a definition of faith and in her we have come to see what it means to submit oneself unreservedly to the Word of God.

As we celebrate a woman whose "YES" to God changed the course of history, we are also challenged to bring about a change in our marriages, families, homes, workplaces and society by saying "YES" to the Word of God.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, in the fullness of time, you chose to be born into this world through a woman. In honouring your mother, I celebrate the power of your Word to cause change. Pour into my heart the grace that filled your mother and by my life, may I glorify and honour you. Amen.

DATE: 30TH MAY 2017 TUESDAY OF THE SEVENTH WEEK OF EASTR FIRST READING: Acts 20:17-27 PSALM: Psalm 68:10-11, 20-21 GOSPEL: John 17:1-11 THEME: FINISH HARD!

There are many starters but few finishers. We just need to look around us and we would find many examples. There are beautiful plans that have seen the rising of the sun but not its setting. Uncompleted projects abound in the political, socio-economic and even religious spheres of our earthly life. Many start but not all are able to finish. 

Both Jesus and Paul were no mere starters; they were finishers. Jesus in our Gospel text, prayed to the Father saying, 'I have glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do' (Jn. 17:4). Paul, in his farewell speech to the Elders of the Church at Ephesus as narrated in our First Reading, states, 'I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, in order that I may finish my course, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God' (Acts 20:24). They both went through excruciating sufferings and yet they did not allow the pains to make them abandon their God-given mission. They went all out to the very last end.

Like Jesus and Paul, our heavenly Father has entrusted to each one of us a particular task here on earth. In seeking to carry out this task, we often come face to face with challenges. Unfortunately, some of us easily give up and walk away. As followers of Christ, we ought not to easily succumb to the pressure to give up and be overwhelmed by the waves of challenges. We must finish hard.

To be a 'finisher', one needs the virtue of long-suffering, synonymous to patience. This virtue is a fruit of the Holy Spirit (cf. Gal 5:22-23). During this period of Pentecost Novena, let us turn to the Holy Spirit and ask Him to give us that grace of endurance to complete the task that He has entrusted to us.

PRAYER: Come Holy Spirit. Give me the strength I need to endure whatever comes my way on this journey of faith. May trials never discourage me for you are with me even in dark hours of my life. For the sake of Christ, I pray. Amen.

DATE: 29TH MAY 2017 MONDAY OF THE SEVENTH WEEK OF EASTER FIRST READING: Acts 19:1-8 PSALM: Psalm 67:2-7 GOSPEL: John 16:29-33 THEME: THE SEAL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

A seal indicates ownership. It is also used to guarantee a document or letter and to protect against tampering. By way of analogy, the Holy Spirit is the authenticating seal of God in the life of a believer ( cf. Eph. 1:13). The active presence of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer is a confirmation that one belongs to Christ and has access to the "Holy of Holies".

In our First Reading, we have an account of Paul's encounter with a group of believers in one of the beautiful cities of the Roman empire , Ephesus (southwest Turkey). Paul asked them, ''Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed'' Their response was ''No, we have never even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.'' In sum, they were completely ignorant on the subject of the Holy Spirit. After brief catechetical instructions from Paul, they were baptised in the name of Jesus and when Paul laid his hands on them there was a clear outward manifestation of the presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives, characterised by speaking in tongues and prophesying.

Later on in life, Paul, reflecting on this and other similar experiences would write, ''Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit'' To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good  ''All these are inspired by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills'' (1Cor 12:4,7,11).

The mark of the Holy Spirit, which is the proof of one's identity in Christ, is tangible. In other words, it is not enough to say that, I have received the Holy Spirit? without any concrete sign that the Holy Spirit is at work in you. We may not have the same charisms but there is always a particular manifestation of the presence of the Holy Spirit in a true believer.

During this season of novena to the Holy Spirit, let us intensify our devotion to the Holy Spirit, yielding completely to him. Let us allow him to show forth his presence and power in our lives and confer on us our true identity in Christ.

PRAYER: Come Holy Spirit. Be the seal of divine identity upon my life. Brand me with your gifts and fruit. Confer on me the true character of a believer in Christ. Amen 

DATE: 28TH MAY 2017 SEVENTH SUNDAY OF EASTER FIRST READING: Acts 1:12-14 PSALM: Psalm 27:1, 4, 7-8 SECOND READING: 1Peter 4:13-16 GOSPEL: John 17:1-11 THEME: WAITING IN PRAYER

Time is precious and many would not want to waste it. Thus, in a world where everything is moving so fast, the word "wait" has become synonymous to waste of time. We sometimes carry this secular and biased understanding of "waiting" to our spiritual lives too. For some, to wait in prayer is a thorn in the flesh. We expect the Lord to act here and now, and if He appears to "delay" we tend to look for alternative human solutions.
 
Just before his ascension, Jesus told his disciples not to depart from Jerusalem but to WAIT for the promise of the Father , the outpouring of the Holy Spirit (cf. Acts 1:4-5). In obedience to this directive, the disciples, according to our First Reading, returned from Mount Olivet,  the place of the ascension,  to the Upper Room in Jerusalem to wait in prayer.

A striking similarity between the First Reading and the Gospel text is that Jesus is also presented as praying. If the priestly prayer of Jesus took place within the context of the Last Supper per the narrative arrangement in the Gospel of John, then we may infer that Jesus offered this prayer in the Upper Room. So we have both master and disciples praying in the Upper Room prior to two big events ? namely, the passion in the case of Jesus and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the case of the disciples.

Big events must be preceded by 'big time' prayers. If you want something big from the Lord you must pray 'big'. Many of us do pray in life; however, a moment comes when we need to spend time profusely in prayer. Calculating the period between the ascension of Jesus and the day of Pentecost, we can estimate nine days. During these nine days, the disciples did not pray some of the time, they prayed unceasingly "These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer" (Acts 1:14). In other words, they persevered in prayer. Prayer prepares you and gives you a big heart to receive the big grace that God has for you.

We are in the season of the Pentecost Novena and in many places, prayers are ongoing in preparation for the celebration of Pentecost.  Encouraged by the life of prayer of the early Christian community, may we too keep on praying until the love of God is poured anew into our hearts by means of the Holy Spirit.

PRAYER: Come Holy Spirit. Fill us with the radiance of your presence as we wait upon you and renew our strength. For the sake of Christ, we pray. Amen. 
   

SATURDAY OF THE SIXTH WEEK OF EASTER FIRST READING: Acts 18:23-28 PSALM: Ps 47: 2-3, 8-10 GOSPEL: Jn.16:23-28 THEME: GET HELP!

The picture painted of Apollos in the First Reading is admirable. He was an eloquent man with sound knowledge of the Scriptures; he preached with great spiritual fervour; he was accurate in all the details about Jesus and he preached the Gospel fearlessly in the synagogues of the Jews. In spite of all these credentials, he did not have it all; he still needed help. It took Priscilla and Aquila to offer him that needed assistance of a detailed instruction about the way. He needed to discover new things in Christ.

The fact is that no one has it all. The knowledge that most of us have in Christ is only a tip of the iceberg. There is more to be discovered. Unfortunately, our 'credentials' often blind us from seeing the need to learn more about Christ and to deepen our Christian faith. Over reliance on academic credentials, titles and positions hinders us in submitting humbly to the 'Aquilas' and 'Priscillas' in order to receive detailed instruction about the way.

An 'Aquila' or 'Priscilla' may take the form of a spiritual director, a spiritual companion or a counsellor. God uses such persons to help us grow in our faith journey. In my own personal spiritual journey, I have learnt some great truths from illiterates and semi-literates, truths that I never got from the classroom. I have come to discover that God is able to use very simple people to reveal to us profound truths.

During this season of Pentecost Novena, we have the opportunity to pray and ask for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit in order to deepen our experience of the Christian faith. As the Lord sends us the 'Aquilas' and 'Priscillas' to aid us in this experience let us submit with a humble heart and allow the Lord to do something new in our lives. We all need an Aquila and Priscilla to help us get to the next level of the spiritual ladder. Do not ignore them.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, baptize me with your Spirit and let this show forth in a life of holiness to glorify your name. Amen

DATE: 26TH MAY 2017 FRIDAY OF THE SIXTH WEEK OF EASTER FIRST READING: Acts 18:9-18 PSALM: Psalm 47:2-7 GOSPEL: John 16:20-23 THEME: DO NOT BE AFRAID, FOR I AM WITH YOU

There are moments in life when suddenly all hell breaks loose and one is pummelled by trials of different sizes and shapes. In such moments fear and anxiety lurk around seeking to melt the heart and to weaken the will to continue.

Humanly speaking, Paul had a lot to be afraid of. He was embarking on a perilous missionary journey. In fact, in one of his letters to the Church in Corinth, he recounts unpleasant missionary experiences such as imprisonment, flogging, exposition to death, shipwreck and dangerous journeys (cf. 2Cor. 11:23-29).

In today's First Reading, the Lord spoke to Paul one night in a vision while he was in the City of Corinth, ''Do not be afraid, but speak and do not be silent; for I am with you'' (Acts 18:9-10). This message was timely. It gave fresh heart to Paul and he continued to stay in that city for one year and six months teaching the word of God among the people.

There are many social evils out there in our world today and the will to be a Christian in every situation is difficult. The fear of being ridiculed or persecuted has robbed some Christians of the desire to stand up for the Gospel publicly. In the face of such challenges, the Lord speaks to each one of us, ''Do not be afraid, for I am with you.''

As we surrender to the Holy Spirit, during this season of Pentecost Novena, fear gives way to holy boldness and sorrow gives way to joy. Jesus makes it abundantly clear in the Gospel that ''your sorrow will turn to joy'' (Jn 16:20).

Has the going become tough for you? Do not be afraid. The Holy Spirit is with you to help you, and if God is for you, who can be against you?

PRAYER: Holy Spirit, your joy is my strength. As I surrender this day to you, take away every fear, anxiety and worry from my heart and fill me with the graces I need to bear good fruits. For the sake of the name of Jesus I pray. Amen

DATE: THURSDAY, 25TH MAY 2017 SOLEMNITY OF THE ASCENSION OF THE LORD FIRST READING: Acts 1:1-11 PSALM: Psalm 47:2-3, 6-9 SECOND READING: Ephesians 1: 17-23 GOSPEL: Matthew 28:16-20 THEME: POWER FROM ON HIGH

As the apostles gazed into the sky, watching Jesus ascend, one wonders what their feelings were and what was going on in their minds. Were they in a state of ecstasy, with all the sweet feelings that go with it or they were in a state of bereavement seeing a loved one depart from them? Whatever their feelings and thoughts were, the rhetorical question of the two men dressed in white was the alarm bell to bring them back to reality:  Why are you looking into the sky?

The ascension of Jesus into heaven does not mark the end of his ministry on earth. Rather, it ushers us forth into a new phase of this one ministry to save. The task of this new phase is to be carried out by his followers, having been equipped with the power of the Holy Spirit. Hence, just before ascending into heaven, Jesus, in our Gospel text, says to his disciples, "All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations..."

The divine power which Jesus speaks of is so great that the author of our Second Reading writes, I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his mighty power (Eph 1:18-19).

Jesus ascended with power into heaven so that we can move with power on earth. Unfortunately, many Christians walk on the face of the earth powerlessly, ignorant of the power that is available to them in Christ.

Like the disciples of Jesus, the time has come for us to wait in the city, praying until we are clothed with power from on high. Now is the time to enter our "Upper Room" and for the next nine consecutive days pray until we are filled with the Holy Spirit (cf. Acts 1:12-14).

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, fill us anew with the power of the Holy Spirit as we wait upon you and send us forth clothed with your divine presence to proclaim to all nations the Good News of salvation.

DATE: 24TH MAY 2017 WEDNESDAY OF THE SIXTH WEEK OF EASTER FIRST READING: Acts 17:15, 22 ? 18:1 PSALM: Psalm 148:1-2, 11-14 GOSPEL: John 16:12-15 THEME: GO AND RESCUE!

When your baby is trapped in a storm, you would not mind running through the rain to save him/her. That is the kind of passion that God ignites in the heart of an evangelist. He/she cannot watch one single child of God perish in a raging storm.

Paul was a man who seized every opportunity to proclaim the Gospel. He preached in the synagogues of the Jews, in the public places of the gentiles and in today's First Reading, we hear him preaching in the Areopagus of Athens.

Athens was the intellectual hub of the ancient Greek world. It was a city of philosophers  prominent among them were the epicureans and stoics. The Areopagus was the council or court of justice which met in the open air on a hill.  It was the nerve center of Athens and the arena of the intelligentsia.

Naturally, faced with such an audience, Paul considered it expedient to speak to them using a language they would best understand. There were mixed reactions to his message. Some burst out in laughter while others became believers.  Many years later, Paul, perhaps reflecting on this experience, would write: While the Jews demand miracles and the Greeks look for wisdom, we are preaching a crucified Christ: to the Jews an obstacle they cannot get over, to the gentiles foolishness (1Cor 1:22-23).

It is true that the Areopagus is a place where we stand the risk of being mocked by scoffers and where preaching the Gospel may come with the feeling of being put on trial. However, the Great Commission mandates us to send the Gospel to everyone. The Gospel must be preached in the nerve centers of our time.

Pope John Paul II, in his encyclical Redemptoris Missio writes:  At that time the Areopagus represented the cultural center of the learned people of Athens, and today it can be taken as a symbol of the new sectors in which the Gospel must be proclaimed (RM 37).

For fear of the challenges that await us in the modern Areopagus, some have coiled themselves in their shells and have chosen to incessantly churn out half-baked reasons why the church should not take the Gospel to everyplace. These are people who would prefer the Church to shrink and die gradually; but this is not going to happen, for in our time the Lord is raising up courageous young men and women who do not fear to preach the Gospel even in the den of lions.

The time is ripe for us to proclaim the Gospel on every platform where human beings can be found. The Gospel must be preached in the parliament, the judicial courts, the presidency and ministries; it must be preached in the universities and on social media. The Gospel must resound on the streets and in public places. Everyone must hear the message that Jesus saves! Let us preach the Gospel and trust God to do the conversion.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus Christ, fill us with your Spirit of Truth and give us boldness to preach your unchanging Gospel in a rapidly changing world.