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