4th Sunday of the Year A, 2017

May the almighty God give you the special grace to live out the beatitudes every moment of your life. Happy Sunday!
+ John I. Okoye

DOCTRINE AND FAITH
(Zephaniah 2,3; 3,12-13; 1 Cor 1, 26-31 ; Matt 5,1-12,: 4th Sunday of the Year A,  2017)

 In the gospel reading of today, Jesus proclaims in a very solemn manner the beatitudes. Proclaiming this from a mountain, Mathew presents Jesus as the new Moses who proclaims the new law, the statutes of the new people of God, the people of the new covenant, which is the Church. The beatitudes which he proclaims are not abstract precepts, nor theoretical enunciations but rather true characteristics of Jesus himself which are verifiable in his life as we see in the Gospel narratives. He is per excellence the poor in spirit, the afflicted, the meek, the one who thirst for justice, the merciful, the pure in heart, the operator of peace and the persecuted.   

            The disciple of Jesus, the true Christian, is the one who follows the master and incarnates the beatitudes in his life after the Christ’s example. The first beatitude which Jesus enunciates is: How happy are the poor in spirit; theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Jesus is a typical example of this beatitude. He was born, lived and died poor. Poverty in spirit does not only mean interior detachment from material things but also connotes the idea that it is chosen and willed and that it is not endured out of necessity or undertaken on account of circumstances. The one who is poor in spirit is one who refrains from the accumulation of the goods of the world, one who chooses to live not paying any iota of attention to money, power or career. He is also one who refuses to get involved in the worship of money or power. The poor of the beatitudes are like the poor about which both Zephaniah and Paul speak. These are people who, in engaging themselves in life, repose their hope especially on God. They are free from selfishness and ambition for power, from avidity for wealth. They are people who, no matter how badly the world treats them, remain attached to God, repose all their confidence in him and entrust themselves into his hands, assured that God will never disappoint them and for this reason they are very happy.

  What one finds a bit jolting in the proclamation of the beatitudes is that Jesus declares blessed or happy the category of people whom the world considers unhappy: the poor, afflicted, the persecuted, etc. It is not to be understood that Jesus exalts and beatifies any situation of suffering and sorrow as such; this would be some special type of masochism. The situation of suffering remains what it is. But the reaction of the Christian about it should be different from that of the world. The world anchors the foundation of her joy and happiness in the possession of the goods of this world, in wealth, success, pleasure or something of this kind. However, the gospel invites one to set the foundation of his joy on the love of God, a love that promises unfailing security in the midst of any crisis in which one may find himself. The joy of the beatitudes is based on the certainty of a happy future which will be the gift of God. It is also based on the joyful realization that right now, it is possible to have a foretaste of the joy, on account of the spiritual disposition which the beatitudes make possible. This spiritual disposition as well as the moral attitudes emanating from the beatitudes should not remain interior, individualistic and abstract; neither should it be left to be passive. It should not have a private but rather a public and concrete aspect. The spiritual disposition should lead to a very courageous undertaking for justice and peace, from individual faithful as well as the entire Christian community. What is expected from the Christian is not passive surrender but concrete and active task in favour of peace and justice.

 We mentioned above that true follower of Christ is the one who incarnates the beatitudes in himself/herself especially in his/her heart, where the reign of God has its root. It is, therefore, opportune that we ask ourselves if our moral profile corresponds to those traced by the beatitudes, that is to say, if we are truly people who do not run after the goods of the world considering it as the mirage of happiness. We examine ourselves to find out if we trust in God and confide in him. We need to ask if we are people that are humble and simple and sincere in heart, who are not ambitious and full of the arrogant air of one who has arrived. Are we people who do not believe in violence but desirous to work for justice and peace with the force of love, also capable to suffer and bear persecution for the cause of good. Are we merciful? It is necessary that we Christians assume and imitate this evangelical mentality and believe that through them to be happy, already in this world as far as it is possible to human condition, but hopefully to be permanently happy in the next life.

 Happy Sunday! +John I. Okoye

graphics  by chukwubike 

3rd Sunday of the Year A, 2017

May God help us realize that in order to be apostles who preach that the reign of God is hand and who are fishers of Men, we are to be completely converted to God. Happy Sunday! + John I. Okoye

DOCTRINE AND FAITH 
(Isaiah 8, 23b-9.1-3; 1 Cor 1, 10-13; Matt 4, 12-23: 3rd Sunday of the Year A, 2017)

 The gospel reading tells us that having received the news of John the Baptist’s arrest, Jesus went to Galilee and stayed in the remotest part, the area called the Galilee of the pagans. Here the population was mixed and in this much despised area, he begins his ministry. It is quite significant and shows the orientation of his ministry: Jesus always went to the small, humble and the most needy ones of our society. Furthermore, the evangelist Matthew sees the beginning of Jesus’ ministry in this region as the fulfilment of the prophecy of Isaiah who prophesied that the towns of Zebulon and Naphtali that had been dwelling in the shadow of death would see great light. Jesus is the great light that sprang up for all humanity as he himself says: I am the light of the world. The Evangelist, John in the prologue of his gospel holds: He (Jesus) is the light who illumines all who come into the world. The designation that Jesus is the light of the world means that he is the Way and the Truth. He not only accompanies us in our journey towards God the Father, but also makes assurance double sure that we reach God, our life destination. Jesus as light of the world also means that he is the Life, that is to say, the one who will ransom our soul from death confirming what he says: He who follows me will have the light of life. Jesus as light would also mean that he is also the source of joy. His birth was regarded as a great joy for the world (Luke 2,10). 
            Jesus begins his ministry with these words: Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. The invitation to conversion is based on the good news: The kingdom of God is near. The Jews were expecting the kingdom of God that would change the face of the world, ushering in justice, peace and joy. Jesus affirms that the reign of God is near but adds that conversion is needed to have access to it. By this Jesus clearly indicates that the kingdom of God is not something outside the person but something that has to take root in the very heart of the person, through conversion. Conversion here means a total dedication of the heart, mind and being to and towards God. Nothing is to be hidden from God or kept outside the influence of God. There has to be the total surrender of oneself to God. It is people with such attitude of mind that welcome and admit the reign of God.

In the gospel story of today, we also see the call of the first apostles of Jesus. It is quiet significant that from the onset of his ministry, Jesus did not want to go alone. He called some people to be associates in his ministry of salvation for the world. The first associates he called were two sets of brothers: Simon and Andrew, James and John. They were called away from their occupation. They were casting their nets to catch fish but henceforth they would be casting a different kind of net to be catching people/followers. They left what they were doing and followed Jesus. The radical nature of their response should not be overlooked or oversimplified. They were not poor beggars. They were meaningfully and gainfully employed in one of the most stable occupation of the area. They had a lot to lose by following him and yet they dropped everything and followed Jesus. James and John even left their father. This was an unusual and unacceptable move in a society where kinship ties were very strong and loyalty to one’s father was of paramount importance. Let it also be borne in mind that these men were called and that they did not initiate their own discipleship as follows of rabbis normally did.

            The call of the first apostles of Jesus today should remind us of our own call to be his disciples and fishers of people. What are we expected to do as the disciples of Jesus? We are called to preach that the kingdom of heaven is at hand, whether in public ministry or in our private lives. We are to break the yoke that weighs people down and the rod that oppresses people. We are also to bring our brothers and sisters to Jesus, the source of joy. We are to usher in the light of Christ that would remove all shadows of darkness. Like St. Paul we are to work for unity, both in the Christian community and outside it.  But above all the disciple of Jesus will have to maintain a good relationship with the Master, Jesus, through continuous conversion. Continued conversion is facilitated by our nearness to the word of God and the sacrament of Eucharist. Happy Sunday! +John I. Okoye  

GRAPHICS  BY   chukwubike oc )

2nd Sunday of the Year: Year A, 2017

May the Holy Spirit make you realize that you are an apostle of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God as well as the servant of God and as such, you are a veritable messenger of God’s Love to the needy and downtrodden of our society. Happy Sunday! + John I. Okoye

DOCTRINE AND FAITH 
(Isaiah 49,3.5-6; 1 Corinthian 1,1-3; John 1,29-34: 2nd Sunday of the Year: Year A, 2017)

            In the gospel reading of today as John the Baptist sees Jesus walk towards him, he exclaims in a very significant expression: Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world. A superficial look at Jesus would consider him an ordinary person, a mere carpenter of Nazareth. Jesus simplicity is seen in the fact that twice John admits that initially he did not know Jesus. In fact, he only came to recognize who Jesus was by means of divine revelation. I did not know him myself, but he who sent me to baptize with water had said to me, “the man on whom you see the Spirit come down and rest is the one who is going to baptize with the Holy Spirit. It was when this happened at the baptism of Jesus that John knew him as the Lamb of God and even as the Son of God. The title, Lamb of God is a most likely reference to the suffering servant of Isaiah 53, 7. During Jesus’ time, there were some people like John the Baptist who envisioned a Messiah who would suffer at the hands of the people. The prophet’s description of the servant fits the interpretation of the events of the death of Jesus. Both theservant and Jesus were led to the slaughter like innocent lambs and they handed over their lives like sin offering for others. 

  Beside the image of Christ as the Lamb of God, Jesus’ connection with the Holy Spirit is quite significant. John the Baptist saw the Holy Spirit descend on Jesus. By divine illumination John understood that Jesus was baptized with the Holy Spirit. Jesus is, therefore, one who has the fullness of the Spirit of God in him and communicates it to people. John the Baptist states that he was called by God to baptize and that the purpose of his baptism was that Jesus might be made known to Israel; clearly a messianic hope. The baptism Jesus would bring was one of messianic fulfillment rather than preparation for messianic times. John baptized with water; Jesus would baptize with the Spirit, and this would bring about the renewal of minds and reconciliation between man and God. Here we recall the words of Jesus: If one is not reborn of water and the Holy Spirit he will not enter into the kingdom of heaven (John 3, 1ff). John the Baptist, the one to whom God entrusted with the preparation of the way for the messiah, presents Jesus to us in these words: Yes, I have seen him and testify that he is the Son, the elect of God. With this solemn declaration he handed over the new master to his disciples, the crowd and us. Jesus is the one we should now follow and whose disciples we are now called to become. We meet Jesus in the Eucharistic celebration in a special way. The celebration of the Eucharistic is the sacrament of the real presence of the risen Christ in our midst and of our meeting with him. The liturgy of the Word proposes that we listen to his instructions. In the liturgy of the Word it is Jesus who speaks to us. In the liturgy of the Eucharistic we have him really present. In the Mass Jesus is the Lamb of God, who immolates himself and his sacrifice in Calvary makes present to us.  At the reception of Holy Communion our meeting with Christ becomes a physical contact. The Lamb of God donates himself to us as food and nourishment for the soul. 
              In the second reading, Paul begins his self identification by applying the designation: apostle to himself. The word means one who is commissioned and on a specific mission. Strictly speaking, an apostle is more than a disciple or follower. He is one who is sent with the full authority of the sender. Paul further states that he was called to be an apostle. He did not volunteer; the initiative was not his. Moreover, he was an apostle of Jesus who is called by Christ. This means that Jesus, the one who died before Paul came to know him, called Paul and sent him out as an apostle. Therefore as an apostle, Paul exercises the authority of Christ. To be called is to be chosen and this is how Paul perceived his apostleship. In exercising of his apostleship, Paul situates the gospel squarely within the Christian community he was evangelizing. It is a different time from the time of Jesus; it is a different place and different culture. Yet in a sense the message is the same because it is grounded in the life and teaching of Jesus. The challenge Paul faces is the interpretation of Jesus’ gospel for a new historical situation and moment. He does not merely repeat what he has heard. This is because of the peculiarity and the uniqueness of his audience. Paul reinterprets the message in a manner that makes it relevant to those he was ministering to. Like Paul we also have been called to be apostles. We received this call when we were baptized. The beginning of a New Year with its custom of making new resolutions is wonderful time to remember to what we have committed ourselves. At times it seems our apostleship is no less daunting than Paul’s. However, it is no less immediate either. Whenever it is, in Paul’s time or in our own time we must remember that salvation enfolds within the events of time. Furthermore, the followers of Jesus always return to the events of his life in order to discover the meaning of the events in their lives.
            Jesus was not only the Lamb of God, but also the Servant of the Lord as well. He came to unite all people, to bring new life to those who suffer defeat, to be a light to the nations. Paul’s apostleship moves the servant ministry of Jesus forward into the Gentile world. It is now our turn to step into the role of servants to work to unite families that have been torn apart, to bring new life to those on the brink of despair, and light in the midst of darkness. We all know situations in our very ordinary lives to which we can bang the saving grace of God. In this way and in such situations we too can testify that Jesus is the Son of God. Happy Sunday!+John I. Okoye

(graphics by chukwubike)

The Epiphany of Our Lord Jesus Christ

God reveals Himself to us

By Scott P. Richert

Catholicism Expert

Updated July 05, 2016.

The Feast of the Epiphany of Our Lord Jesus Christ is one of the oldest Christian feasts, though, throughout the centuries, it has celebrated a variety of things. Epiphany comes from a Greek verb meaning "to reveal," and all of the various events celebrated by the Feast of the Epiphany are revelations of Christ to man.

Quick Facts

• Date: January 6. (In most countries and dioceses, the celebration is transferred to the Sunday between January 2 and January 8, inclusive. See When Is Epiphany? to find the date Epiphany is celebrated this year.)
• Type of Feast: Solemnity. (See Is Epiphany a Holy Day of Obligation? for more details.)
• Readings: Isaiah 60:1-6; Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13; Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6; Matthew 2:1-12 (full text here)
• Prayers: Collect for the Feast of the Epiphany of Our Lord Jesus Christ (from the Mass of St. Pius V): "O God, Who by the guidance of a star didst this day reveal Thine only-begotten Son to the Gentiles, mercifully grant that we, who know Thee now by faith, may be so led as to behold with our eyes the beauty of Thy majesty. Through the same Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen."

History of the Feast of the Epiphany

Like many of the most ancient Christian feasts, Epiphany was first celebrated in the East, where it has been held from the beginning almost universally on January 6. Today, among both Eastern Catholics and Eastern Orthodox, the feast is known as Theophany—the revelation of God to man.

Epiphany: A Fourfold Feast

Epiphany originally celebrated four different events, in the following order of importance: the Baptism of the Lord; Christ's first miracle, the changing of water into wine at the wedding in Cana; the Nativity of Christ; and the visitation of the Wise Men or Magi. Each of these is a revelation of God to man: At Christ's Baptism, the Holy Spirit descends and the voice of God the Father is heard, declaring that Jesus is His Son; at the wedding in Cana, the miracle reveals Christ's divinity; at the Nativity, the angels bear witness to Christ, and the shepherds, representing the people of Israel, bow down before Him; and at the visitation of the Magi, Christ's divinity is revealed to the Gentiles—the other nations of the earth.

The End of Christmastide

Eventually, the celebration of the Nativity was separated out, in the West, into Christmas; and shortly thereafter, Western Christians adopted the Eastern feast of the Epiphany, still celebrating the Baptism, the first miracle, and the visit from the Wise Men. Thus, Epiphany came to mark the end of Christmastide—the Twelve Days of Christmas (celebrated in the song), which began with the revelation of Christ to Israel in His Birth and ended with the revelation of Christ to the Gentiles at Epiphany.
Over the centuries, the various celebrations were further separated in the West, and now the Baptism of the Lord is celebrated on the Sunday after January 6, and the wedding at Cana is commemorated on the Sunday after the Baptism of the Lord.

Epiphany Customs

In many parts of Europe, the celebration of Epiphany is at least as important as the celebration of Christmas. While in England and her historical colonies, the custom has long been to give gifts on Christmas Day itself, in Italy and other Mediterranean countries, Christians exchange gifts on Epiphany—the day on which the Wise Men brought their gifts to the Christ Child.
In Northern Europe, the two traditions have often been combined, with gift-giving on both Christmas and Epiphany (often with smaller gifts on each of the twelve days of Christmas in between). (In the past, though, the main gift-giving day in both Northern and Eastern Europe was usually the feast of Saint Nicholas.) And in the United States in recent years, some Catholics have tried to revive the fullness of Christmastide. Our family, for instance, opens gifts "from Santa" on Christmas Day, and then, on each of the 12 days of Christmas, the children receive one small gift, before we open all of our gifts to one another on Epiphany (after attending Mass for the feast).

Related

• The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord: A Theophany
• What Do Christians Celebrate on Epiphany?
• When Is Epiphany This Year?
• Christmas: The Celebration of the Birth of Jesus Christ