4th Sun of Year 28 Jan. 2018: Year B

May you at the Eucharist of today listen to Jesus, the prophet of God and be liberated through his words from all that prevent you from dedicating yourself fully to Christian living of love of God and neighbour. Happy Sunday! + John I. Okoye

Doctrine and Faith

(Deut 18,15-20; ; 1Cor 7,32-35; Mark 1,21-28: 4th Sun of Year 28 Jan. 2018: Year B)

In the first reading, we heard what Moses said to the people: Your God will raise up; for you a prophet like myself, from among yourselves, from your own brothers: to him you must listen. Prophecy is a form of divine communication. Throughout the ages people have devised various ways of establishing communication with divine beings. The law of Israel condemned all such forms of divination, maintaining that only God could initiate the communication. While Israel did believe that some form of revelation often occurred in dreams and visions, they considered prophecy to be the primary means of divine communication. The function of the prophet was to re-say to the people what the Lord had communicated to him, often introduced by the phrase, thus says the Lord (koh amar Jaweh). Moses is not, normally, thought of as a prophet, but the first reading clearly states he is. He is, if we follow the simple definition of a prophet as one who re-says what God has communicated. In fact, he is considered the prophet par excellence. He received the word of the Lord in the form of the Law, and he acted as God’s spokesperson promulgating this Law to the community. In the passage, quoted above, Moses promised that God will not leave the people without a mediator. Rather, just as he has been chosen by God to be a prophet (Exod 4,12), so would another be raised. In fact, this promise of the prophet is a response to a request that the people made at the foot of Horeb (cf Deut 5,23-26). There, in fear, they realised that they could not approach God directly but would need a mediator.

The gospel of today presents Jesus as a prophet. As soon as he began his ministry he was revealed as a prophet powerful in words and in deeds. He enters a synagogue on a Sabbath and begins to teach. His first act was teaching, because he is the one who reveals the plan and designs of God, and all the mysteries that communicate new life. The people are stupefied by his teaching, because it is not just the ordinary teaching. The scribes were teaching but not with their personal authority: they based their teaching on what was said before. Their authority relied on the precedents already set by the teachings of others. Jesus, on the other hand, teaches like one having authority in his own right. He thus shows himself the Son of God, and not just a simple person who needed to base his teaching on the tradition of his predecessors. The people in the synagogue recognise this and marvel at it. What is more, he also reveals his power in deed. There was a man in the synagogue who had an unclean spirit that caused him severe physical suffering. If such an affiliated person was found in a holy place like the synagogue, he certainly would have to be removed. Jesus does not have the man leave, instead he casts out the evil spirit. This evil spirit recognises the power of Jesus and even affirmed his sanctity: What do you want  with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are: the Holy One of God. Jesus came to free men from the influence of evil spirit and to give them the true liberty as sons and daughters of God.  Jesus sharply rebuked the evil spirit saying: Be quiet! Come out off him! These sharp words of Jesus are enough to obtain victory over the evil spirit who goes out of the man shouting loudly. Thus Jesus establishes the reign of God in a previously disordered situation. Note that as Jesus confounds the evil spirit, he demands that it should not speak so as not to reveal his real identity which is not the focal point of the narrative. It is to be observed that just as people were astonished by the teachings of Jesus, so they were amazed at his power over the evil spirit.

The people of Jesus time believed that evil spirits roamed the world and caused havoc whenever and wherever they could. Are there signs that the evil spirits are at work in our own modern world, in the globalised world today and in our local communities? Are such evil spirits causing havoc among us today? The situation we find ourselves seems to suggest that the effect of the evil spirit is felt both in the globalised and local societies. We are caught in dysfunction and sin, and try as much as we may, we do not seem to be able to rid ourselves of their shackles. We live in the midst of battle between good and evil, the struggle of human finitude and failure. We may begin with good intentions, but we are so often sidetracked or derailed along the way. We are plunged into the throes of human suffering and pain, and there seems to be no escape from it. And what is, perhaps, the most difficult to accept is that evil appears to have the upper hand in this conflict. The devil seduces us in more ways than we can count  and we are often caught in its web before we recognise that the pleasures it holds out to us cannot really satisfy the desires of the human heart. It is only then that we reach out for salvation, that we heed the invitation of the reign of God.

 In the midst of all these to whom  do we turn? There have always been many and varied voices that claim to have the remedy for our ills. Prosperity preachers and politicians have stirred up crowds and ignited their emotions. Promises have been made and predictions advanced, yet the conflict goes on; the demons continue to hold sway. And then a voice is heard in the midst of chaos of our lives. This voice rings with authority: Be quiet! Come out! The demons recognise the authority in Jesus’ voice. They know who he is, but the people around him do not. They acknowledge his power over them, but again and again Jesus finds himself in conflict with the crowd and with their leaders over the question of his authority. How can this be since he has the credentials of the true prophet as described by Moses? In fact, he exercises the very authority  of God. When we are released by Jesus from the demons that possess us, we are freed from the stranglehold of evil and liberated to live far less encumbered and divided lives. We will then see that we can be so liberated in any lifestyle, within any commitment. No earthly reality will possess us, neither relationship nor obligations. Rather we will be possessed by Christ who liberates us for the reign of God. Therefore, whether married or unmarried, whether in the midst of the community or at its margins, we will be able to heed the voice of God in our hearts and recognise Jesus in our midst. Happy Sunday!

 +John I. Okoye

graphics by chukwubike 

3rd Sun of Year, Jan. 21, 2018, Year B

May the encounter with Jesus in today's Liturgy, help you to accept the reign of God, get converted completely to God and become a good participant in the work of spreading the reign of God in the world. Happy Sunday! +John I. Okoye.

Doctrine And Faith

(Jonah 3,1-5,10; 1Cor 7,29-31; Mark 1,14-20  3rd Sun of Year, Jan. 21, 2018, Year B)

            Let us, in humility be open to the lessons the readings of this Sunday propose to us. The first reading begins with the report that the word of God was coming to the prophet Jonah. But this time, the recipients of the word of God was not Israel, as was usually the case, but Nineveh, Israel’s mortal enemy. Nineveh, situated on the East bank of the Tigris River was then the capital of Assyria and was known throughout the Ancient Near East as one of the most brutal cities of the day. For this reason, it became the symbol for wickedness in the ancient world. It was to this despised city that the prophet was sent with the pronouncement of judgment and punishment. The people of Nineveh heeded the message of the prophet, believed in God and proclaimed a fast. It is striking to note that God was concerned with the salvation of another nation other than Israel, in fact, a nation that had been brutal toward the chosen people. This demonstrates the universality of divine compassion and willingness to forgive. Also noteworthy is that the city renowned for its wickedness repented of its sins as soon as it heard the proclamation of a prophet from one of the backwater nations it had oppressed. This unpretentious prophet from an insignificant nation was heeded without delay. Note also the description of reversal at the end of the story. The people of Nineveh turned from the evil they were doing, and so God turned from the evil that he threatened against them. The sudden conversion of this contemptible city speaks loudly of God’s graciousness and the transformative power of God’s word. Even the worst sinners can repent and be made new. 

            In today’s gospel reading, Jesus inaugurates his ministry with the bold declaration: The kingdom of God is at hand. The term, kingdom of God is rich in theological meaning. In the earliest traditions, it was identified with the people of Israel, and had very definite meaning. However, even in the time of Israel’s monarchy, God was considered the real ruler of the people, and the monarch was the one who administered in the place of God. The failure of the monarchy prompted the people to look to the future, to a time when all would be steadfast in their commitment to God. Down through the ages the prophets looked forward to the future. They encouraged the people to turn away from their lives of sin and to dedicate themselves anew to the reign of God. At the beginning of his public ministry, that is, after the arrest of John the Baptist, Jesus perceiving the time then as kairos (a propitious moment for decision or action) inaugurated the reign of God. For Jesus, it was the time of fulfillment of all expectations. Being an auspicious time, Jesus went on to call for repentance/conversion. Just like the prophets of old, he called for a metanoia —a change of heart, a complete return to God. He also called for belief in the truth of the proclamation that the kingdom of God was indeed at hand. The announcement of the good news was followed by an account of the call of the fishermen Simon, Andrew, James and John. Playing with the image of casting nets, Jesus summons them to follow him, to cast their nets and to gather up other followers. Jesus thus gathered the first members of his evangelisation team. We note that, unlike the disciples of other famous rabbis and Greek teachers, these followers were called to work with Jesus, not merely to learn what he had to teach. Again, it is to be noted as significant that while this reading says nothing about the family responsibilities of the brothers Simon and Andrew, it does indicate that James and John have family ties. In a patriarchal society the abandoning of one’s father violated a fundamental kinship relationship. The abruptness with which these men left their familiar lives and all of the relationship and obligations associated with them is a final indication of the radical nature of life in the kingdom of God. This is truly a new way of living in the world.

            On account of the exigencies of kairos when Paul wrote to the Corinthians, he indicated other ways of living that are different from the normal. The normal priority of life, priorities necessary for personal survival and the continuation of race give way to very different behaviour. Indeed fasting is called for rather than eating, continence rather than procreation. It is not that the customary demands of life are to be scorned. Paul because of his perception of the period as kairos during which the Christians of Corinth were to prepare seriously to be ready for the return of  Christ, admonished to consider all things in this world as having relative and not absolute value. They are means and not to be seen as ends or scope of this life. They are good things of this life but at the same time precarious and can disappoint and should therefore, not be considered as alternative to eternal and definitive goods.

            Coming to the end of our reflection on the readings of this Sunday we are struck with the very significant idea that those who receive the good news are more important than those who bring it. Jonah and the first disciples (fishermen) were simple people whom God used for the spread of the good news. The more important people were the people of  Nineveh to whom Jonah ministered, the contemporaries of Christ to whom he addressed the message of the inauguration of the kingdom and the call to repentance, the people of Corinth who listened to Paul’s admonition and certainly us, the present day Christians whom the Mother Church addresses today. There is some similarity in the messages: it is a call for repentance. The grace of God requires new way of perceiving things, new ways of living, a turning to God in faith and commitment. In addition, the good-news proclaimed first by Jesus and then by his disciples announces the advent of the reign of God. Those who hear the message are invited into the age of fulfillment. This salvific reign is a reign of truth, compassion and kindness.  It is a way of life that leads to justice that teaches the way of a humble and compassionate God, God who is able to turn his threats into blessings. It is a way of life lived in the holiness of the call itself. Repentance/conversion is necessary because we have not been living in this way.          

            There is urgency in the readings. The people of Nineveh had only forty days to change their attitude and behaviour. Unless we embrace the gospel now and live it fully, we may run out of time. The world in its present form is passing away, and God’s call demands a total response. Like the disciples, we must leave our nets, the familiarity of our former ways of living, and follow the call we have heard in the depths of our hearts. We may be called from a life we have enjoyed, as the Corinthians were, or may be called like Jonah to a life from which we try to escaped. In either case, God’s call to discipleship is pertinent and unrelenting. As disciples of Christ and ambassadors of God we are called not only to enter the reign of God but also to promote and spread it; to bring with us the good-news of salvation wherever we go and in whatever we do. As demanding as it may be, we should be grateful that God does not give up on us. Therefore, having been called by God, we should now begin to live our lives in a totally different way, guided by the values of the reign of God rather than those of the world that is passing away. Happy Sunday! +John I. Okoye

 graphics by charles

NIGERIA AND THE SPIRIT OF BIAFRA

NIGERIA AND THE SPIRIT OF BIAFRA
Last week, the Nigeria Army took delivery of five MFI-15 Safari trainer aircrafts from Pakistan. The MFI-15 were made by Saab of Sweden. If I tell you the story of MFI-15 aircraft you will either laugh or be in shock.
In May 1969, the Biafran

Airforce engineers, with the help of a Swedish mercenary called Carl Gustaf von Rosen, converted Swedish built Malmő MFI-9 civilian trainer aircrafts into what they called MiniCOINS - Miniature Counter Insurgency. They were popularly called Biafran Babies, with capacity to carry significant loads of ordinance.
The converted airplanes were effective. They were used by the Biafran Airforce to strike  Nigerian airfields at Port Harcourt, Enugu, Benin and even Lagos, destroying some number of Nigeria's expensive MiG-17s and Ilyushin II-28s. The first MFI-15, developed from the Biafran design, had its first flight on the 26th of February, 1971.
The success of the Biafran Babes evoked the interest of the original manufacturers. That was how MFI-15, the aircraft that Nigeria imported from Pakistan last week, was born. The Swedish made CKD parts are assembled in Pakistan as the Mushshak.
The first and second pictures are Carl von Rosen about to take off in the Biafran Baby. The third picture is one of the MFI-15 aircraft Nigeria imported from Pakistan. The fourth picture shows the five MFI-9 of the Biafran Air Force at Uli airport in 1969, while the fifth picture shows the five MFI-15 aircraft Nigerian Airforce just imported from Pakistan in 2018.
What Biafra made in 1969 under war conditions, Nigeria is importing from Pakistan in peacetime, 2018.
Now you may laugh or be in shock.

2nd Sun. Year B, January 14, 2018

 We want  to take this opportunity of the first post of this year 2018 to thank immensely our indefatigable Bishop His Lordship John I. Okoye and his   assistants  who  regularly and punctually write this  homily   and make them available to me which on my personal decision put them up in the blog  for the general public(with some  appropriate  illustrative graphics) who view my blogs and  other social media. 
We shall continue  to pray to God  almighty  to give you  more wisdom and physical strength to continue  with this great work. God bless you all .

I  am  

Charles O. Chukwubike 
(The Blogger and Moderator https://www.facebook.com/doctrineandfaith/  
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May by listening to Jesus, who speaks to you always make you grow in intimacy with him and transform you a good disciple of his. Happy Sunday!  +John I. Okoye

Doctrine and Faith

(1 Samuel 3,3b-10.19; 1 Cor 6,13c-15a.17-20; John 1,35-42: 2^nd Sun. Year B, January 14, 2018)

The Church at the beginning of the Ordinary Season of her liturgical year invites us to reflect closely on the implications of our Christian calling. The readings of this Sunday present us with the correct understanding of our vocation as Christians as well as challenge us to a life of faithful adherence.

In the first reading, we see the figure of Samuel as he dwells in the sanctuary of God at Shiloh, where the Ark of the Covenant was kept. The Lord called out to him severally but he was unable to discern the Lord’s voice. Only by the guidance of Eli was he able to realize that it was the Lord who was inviting him. As soon as he did, he responded with all the disposition of his being saying: Speak Lord, your servant is listening! This indicates that the priceless treasure we bear within us as Christians is God’s initiative and never ours no matter how we come to know Christ. Unlike Samuel, who had the right disposition, many people do not pay attention to the insinuations of grace or stay within the space where the grace of God could meet them. Amidst the bustle and hustle of our busy age, it is almost impossible to pick the voice of God. The desire to always seek the will of God which, after all, is the best like young Samuel should always be our disposition and attitude. Little wonder Samuel made great exploits. His influence can only be attributed to God’s direction in his life. Each one of us (young and old) fits into his plan and has a duty to accomplish. May we, therefore, in our everyday life seek to listen to what the Lord is saying. With the guidance of our priests, those God has placed over us as spiritual guides and, especially, the assistance of the Holy Spirit we can understand the message God is giving to us at every moment.

The gospel reading still advances God’s desire in Jesus to share his life with us, to have a deep rapport of friendship, based on deep knowledge and love. Jesus expressed his willingness to allow the disciples have experience of him, to come to know his identity, a knowledge that could open a new vista for them, when in reply to their question, where do you live? he answered: Come and see. Notice that before this invitation, John the Baptist made the revelation that Jesus was the Messiah, when he exclaimed as Jesus was passing by: Look, there is the Lamb of God. What John said about Jesus made impression on attentive Andrew and John. We get something striking about these duo. They have been touched so much that they have to labour to share the good experience they had with the Lord and work it out that their hearers too come to experience him. Andrew with joy declared to his brother Peter: We have found the Messiah. God through Christ calls each of us as his disciple, just as he called Samuel, Andrew, John and Peter. He does so in order to make us participate in the work of salvation, first of all by closely adhering to him in an intimate friendship and only then becoming messengers of his work of evangelization by bringing our neighbours in contact with Christ as John the Baptist did (who pointed Christ to John the Evangelist and Andrew) and later Andrew (who brought Peter to Jesus).  What other lesson can we adduce from this periscope? Our Liturgy is not an empty action having no bearing on our day to day living. The Eucharist should be an opportunity for deep encounter and intimacy between us and Christ. Unless the transformative effect of the Liturgy overflows into our daily activities we risk not being Christians in reality.

Paul poignantly states in the second reading:  You know surely that your bodies are members making up the body of Christ...Your body, you know, is the temple of the Holy Spirit... The logical consequence of these affirmations is that the Christian life should be pure and all traces and forms of immorality and impurities should be shunned.  In asserting that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit Paul insists that God dwells within us and, therefore, we no longer have absolute right over them. So, we neither defile the temple of God nor grieve the Holy Spirit that dwells within our body, the means through which we touch the mysteries of God. The readings of today make it clear that Jesus wishes that each of us should enter into intimacy and friendship with him. This defines the Christian vocation. We can enter into intimacy and friendship with him by making conscientious effort to conform and unite our will with his. Quiet times with him alone in prayer, meditating on the mysteries of our redemption, participating in the Sacraments and sincere effort to remain in the state of grace are best bet to remain connected with God. May we therefore, ask him for all the graces we need for this when we meet him at the table of the Eucharist. Happy Sunday! + John I. Okoye

graphics  by chukwubike