30th Sunday of the Year B, 2018

May the Lord in today’s Eucharistic celebration open your eyes not only to see/recognize him in the poor, the sick and the dying but also to become a veritable disciple of his, who follow him by coming to the aid of the needy neighbors. Happy Sunday! +John I. Okoye

DOCTRINE AND FAITH(Jer 31,79; Hebrew 5,1-6; Mark 10,46-52: 30th Sunday of the Year B, 2018)
    The first reading is an oracle of salvation (Thus says the Lord) which contains a summons to praise God for the blessings of deliverance and restoration. The Israelites are to praise God for the salvation he brought about, the effect of which will be seen in the future return of the exiles. This anticipated return is described in vivid detail. The procession of returnees seems to be retracing the very path that was taken when the people were exiled to the land of the North. They left their cherished homeland in tears, but they will return amid shouts of joy. Yet only a remnant will return, and this remnant will consist of the most vulnerable of the people. It includes those who are blind or lame, who are mothers or who are pregnant, all people who are utterly dependent upon God. It will be through them that the nation will be restored. From one perspective the returnees represent the people who would be ineligible for major leadership positions within a patriarchal society. Because of their gender or physical impairment, they would be the last ones to be called on for the task of rebuilding a nation. On the other hand, the imagery used here is replete with allusions to new life. Mothers and pregnant women may be vulnerable, but they are also symbols of fecundity and hope. In their bodies they hold the promise of the future. The image of brooks of water also evokes visions of fruitfulness and refreshment. As they leave the land of their exile behind, this remnant carries within itself the possibilities of new beginnings. The restoration promised here is clearly a work of God. Customary human initiative plays no role in it.
    In casting Jesus in the role of high priest, the author of the Letter the Hebrews (2nd Reading) states the general qualifications a man must meet before he can assumes the responsibilities of the office. Patterned after the model of Aaron, the prospective high priest must be able to empathize with the frailty of those he serves, and he must have been called by God. Although the reading does not mention Jesus’ solidarity with human weakness, as king and priest he shared in the limitations of the human condition. His profound humility is seen in his willingness to empty himself of his divine privileges and to become human. His life shows his solidarity with others.
    In the gospel reading the account of the healing of a blind man is in some ways also a call narrative, a call to follow Jesus.  Although Jesus’ words do not actually invite the man to follow him, the man interprets his actions as doing so. The faith of this man is both demonstrated by his actions and explicitly recognized by Jesus. When he hears that it is Jesus of Nazareth who is passing by him, he cries out to him using a title that has strong messianic connotations. Son of David identifies Jesus not only as a descendant of this royal figure but also as the long-awaited one who was to fulfill both the religious and the political expectations of the people. Bartimaeus knows that Jesus has the power to heal him, but he also believes that he is the anointed of God who has come to inaugurate the reign of God. Unlike so many other healing narratives in which people bring those who are sick and afflicted to Jesus to be healed, in this instance the people around the blind man try to silence him. No reason for this is given. Whatever the case may be, Jesus hears the man’s cries and has him brought to him. Beggars normally would spread out their cloaks so they would be able to collect alms. This beggar throws his cloak aside, apparently leaving behind both the alms he has already collected and his life of begging. He has left what he had in order to respond to the call of Jesus. The man who was blind already had eyes of faith and he acted on this faith, publicly proclaiming it. As a consequence of his profession, Jesus tells him it is this faith that gave him his sight. In his eagerness; to respond to Jesus’ call, he had already left everything. Having been cured, he now follows Jesus.

    As we come to the close of the Liturgical Year, we pause this Sunday to see how far we have come. It is a time to examine how we are maturing in the Spirit. To what degree have we followed God, who leads us out of captivity, out from our place of exile, out from the North? Have our fortunes been restored? Have our eyes been opened? Has this been a good year? Throughout this Liturgical Year we have examined several aspects of our faith. We have pondered the history of our salvation, the merciful compassion of God shown to us after we have sinned; God’s willingness to lead us out of the bondage of our addictions and failures. We have meditated often and long on the person of Jesus, on his life and death, on the meaning of his sacrifice, on his resurrection, on his influence in our lives today. We have considered our own ongoing transformation as disciples of Jesus—baptized into his death and resurrection, commissioned to bring the news of his love to all those with whom we come into contact. We have reflected on all of these wonderful deeds of God, and now we must ask the question: what difference has it made? Do We See?  do we now have perception? As we review our consideration of the faith, can we say that we have gained new insight? Have we merely acquired some information about the biblical readings, about our religious ancestors in Israel, about the ministry of Jesus and the life of the early Church? Or have our eyes really been opened; have we been enabled to leave behind whatever prevents us from living the Christian life fully, to abandon our exile or the trappings of our former lives? Have we accepted more genuinely the Christian responsibilities that are ours as baptized followers of Christ—in our own personal lives, in our families, in our relationships with others, at the workplace? To what degree have we been transformed into Christ? How open have we become to the action of the Spirit in our lives? Have we been transformed into a new creation? And do we recognize Christ in our midst, cry to him?
   Have we come to see more deeply who this Christ is and who we are in Christ? Do we recognize him as our teacher, and have we learned from him the mysteries of God’s love and how we can adequately respond to that love? Do we realize that the poor and unassuming man who walked the roads of life is the son of David, the one of royal descent who has come to establish the reign of God? Have we learned to recognize God’s reign—present in the poor and the unassuming as well as in those who struggle with their prosperity, in the people who are burdened with doubt and insecurity as well as those who rejoice in the truth, in the needy and the seriously limited as well as those who minister out of strength and ability? Do we recognize him as the healer who will open our eyes so that we can really see? Have we heard his coming in the words of today’s prophets and teachers, catechists, priests, bishops who open for us the treasures of our religious tradition and in the wisdom of those who know that life is precious and must not be squandered and in the religious leaders who take us by the hand and bring us to the feet of Jesus? We may see all of this in the readings, but do we recognize it in our own lives? Has this been a good year? May our encounter with Christ in this Eucharistic celebration make us perceive his blessings and graces on us, appreciate them and like Bartimaeus abandon all encumbrances and follow him without looking backwards. Happy Sunday! +John I. Okoye

(graphics by chukwubike)

REST IN PEACE THE PEOPLES' FATHER..(Nwafor-ani)

Funeral Rites:Very Rev.Fr.Dr. Daniel Nwafor-ani

29th Sunday: Year B

May today’s Eucharistic celebration bestow on you the insight how to deepen  and strengthen  your relationship with God that will enable you  approach the throne of God boldly, and there  receive the grace to be faithful to the end. 

  Happy Sunday. +John I. Okoye

 DOCTRINE AND FAITH
(Isaiah 53,2.3.10-11; Hebrew 4, 14-16; Mark 10, 35-45; 29th Sunday: Year B)


This short passage of the first reading provides a partial sketch of the portrait of the suffering servant of God. It opens on a discomforting note: the suffering of this forlorn individual was brought on by the Lord; the Lord has been pleased to crush his servant with suffering. The vicarious nature of this suffering is clear from the reading. The servant gives himself as a sin offering; he endures his agony so that others can be justified. His death will win life for others, and in this way he will accomplish God’s will. It seems that the Lord delights in crushing this pitiable victim because his agony will bring about salutary benefits in the lives of others. The prophet claims that the servant too will eventually be relieved and will experience fullness of days. However, the principal consequence of his sufferings will be felt in the lives of others. So often violence begets violence. Here the suffering servant offers no defensive response, no retaliation. The violence inflicted upon him is accepted, embraced, and put to rest. With the vicarious offerings of this innocent scapegoat, reconciliation with God is accomplished.    Who is this suffering servant? He is the prefiguration of our Lord Jesus Christ whose vicarious suffering brought salivation to the whole world. 
    This first reading gives us some glimpses of the person of Christ. The second reading takes up cue from the first reading and develops further the personality of Christ from the point of view of his role as the High Priest. He is the High Priest who intercedes for all those who turn to him. He is a high priest who was tempted in all things and, therefore, can sympathize with human struggle. He is as well the Son of God. In order to demonstrate Jesus’ preeminence, the author of the Letter to the Hebrews, from where our second reading is got, applies to him several features of the high-priestly office. Just as the high priest of the Old Testament passed through the curtain into the presence of God in the holy of holies, there to sprinkle sacrificial blood on the mercy seat (Hebrew 9:7), so Christ, exalted after shedding his own blood, passed through the heavens into the presence of God. Being the Son of God, his sacrifice far exceeds anything that the ritual performed by the high priest might have actually accomplished or hoped to accomplish. Jesus’ exalted state has not distanced him from us. On the contrary, he knows our limitations; as a man he shared many of them. He was tried to the limit, but he did not succumb to despair or blasphemy. Furthermore, it is precisely his exalted state that gives us access to the throne of God. As an authentic human being, he carries all of the members of the human race with him as he approaches the heavenly throne. Unlike former high priests who approached the mercy seat alone and only on the Day of Atonement, Christ enables each one of us to approach God, and to do so continually. This confidence we have in our relationship with Christ should empower us to approach the throne of God boldly, there to receive the grace we need to be faithful. The throne of grace from which we receive mercy is in striking contrast to the mercy seat on which the blood of reconciliation was sprinkled. Where previously the mercy seat was inaccessible, now we are invited to approach God’s throne with confidence. Reconciliation has been achieved through the blood of Christ. Now grace reigns.
    In the gospel reading, we see how the close disciples of Jesus misunderstood his role as the vicarious sufferer, his identity as the Son of God and  his identifying with us. James and John seek places of prominence in Jesus’ kingdom, and Jesus informs them that real prominence is found in service, not in wielding authority over others. The other apostles were probably indignant not because the request of James and John was so audacious but because it was made before any of the others were able to make comparable requests. The instructions that follow indicate that the apostles were all ambitious and misunderstood the nature of Jesus’ life and ministry. whose ministry was to serve people and ransom them. 

    We may ask ourselves: What reward do we hope to receive ourselves for our loyal services as Christians and contemporary disciples of God? When we set out to follow Jesus, faithful to the promises we made at baptism to renounce sin and to live lives that are directed by the Spirit, we normally do so with generosity of heart, with full enthusiasm. It is the love of God that impels us, not the thought of reward. However, after we have borne the burden of this decision for a while and we realize some of the implications of our commitment, we begin to wonder what it is all worth. How will we benefit from our dedication? What will we get out of it? We know that we will be generously blessed by God, that we will inhabit one of the mansions that Jesus has gone ahead to prepare for us. Would it be so wrong to hope for a little more, especially if we have made significant sacrifices along the way? It seems that two of Jesus’ closest disciples felt the same way. These two brothers belonged to Jesus’ inner circle. They had already been set apart from the others. They had been privileged to witness his transfiguration (cf. Mark 9, 2-8). Surely they were not asking for a privilege that God had not already granted them. Of those to whom much has been given, much will be required in return. The closer we are to Jesus, the more we will be expected to mirror him. James and John asked for places of honor, places reserved for those who exercise authority. Jesus did not deny that they would have such authority. He assured them that they would have places that were set apart. However, he described these places of distinction in a way the brothers had not expected. The great ones in the reign of God, the ones who exercise authority over others, must be the servants of the rest. Parents, teachers, civil authorities, managers of every kind, pastoral leaders (catechists, priests and bishops) must all be servants, as Jesus was a servant. Besides modelling our leadership after his, we will also have to model our hardship after his; we will drink from his cup of suffering and be baptized into his death. As we draw close to the one who gave his life as an offering for sin, we will find that the same self-sacrifice is being asked of us. Put another way, when we struggle with the misfortunes we encounter, misfortunes we face because of our commitment to Jesus, we will have him as an inspiration and a model to follow. He can sympathize with our weaknesses, identify with our suffering. For this reason, we can draw strength from his example, and we can hope for his kindness. May we pray in today’s Eucharistic celebration for the graces to morrow in our lives Jesus the servant of all and Jesus the vicarious sufferer. Happy Sunday! 
+John I. Okoye

(graphics  by chukwubike)

REV FR.(DR.) Daniel Nwafor-ani (Rest In Peace)

CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF ENUGU
DIOCESAN CATHOLIC SECRETARIAT
P. O. BOX 302
ENUGU
ENUGU STATE
NIGERIA

October 08, 2018
Dear brothers and sisters,

OBITUARY ANNOUNCEMENT
With heavy hearts and resignation to the will of God, we, hereby, announce the sudden death of Very Rev. Fr. Dr. Daniel Nwafor-Ani, whose sad event occurred on Tuesday, October 2, 2018 at the age of 74 years.  He hailed from Nomeh in Nkanu East LGA, and was ordained on July 4, 1981.  He worked in various pastoral areas. His obsequies shall be as follows:
FINAL RITES
Date: Monday, October 29, 2018
8:30 a.m.: Body leaves Ntasi Obi Hospital, accompanied in a motorcade, for his home town, Nomeh, Nkanu East LGA.
10:30 a.m.:  Brief stop-over at the family compound (De Profundis)
11:00 a.m.: Requiem Mass at St. Patrick Parish, Nomeh, Nkanu East LGA
12:30 p.m.: Body returns to Ntasiobi Hospital
Date: Tuesday, October 30, 2018
4:30 a.m.: Vigil Mass at Immaculate Heart Parish, Uno Okpete, Enugu
Date: Wednesday, October 31, 2018
10:00 a.m.:  Burial Mass and interment at Holy Ghost Cathedral, Ogui-Enugu
Date for Month’s Mind: Tuesday, November 27, 2018
10:00 a.m.:  Month’s Mind Mass at Immaculate Conception Parish, Ugwuegede, Abakpa Nike

We solicit your prayers for his repose, and request your presence at his funeral.

Sincerely yours in the Lord,

Rev. Fr. Ambrose Chineme Agu
DIOCESAN SECRETARY/CHANCELLOR

28th Sunday: Year B

MAY TODAY'S EUCHARISTIC CELEBRATION ENRICH YOU WITH THE STRONG FAITH NEEDED TO TAKE A BOLD STEP TOWARDS GIVING-UP WHATEVER THAT HAMPERS OUR DEEP COMMUNION WITH GOD, AND THEN GROW IN INTIMACY WITH HIM. HAPPY SUNDAY! +JOHN I. OKOYE

 

DOCTRINE AND FAITH

(Wisdom 7,7-11; Hebrew 4, 12-13; Mark 10, 17-30; 28th Sunday: Year B)
    Today’s first reading praises the loftiness of wisdom. Wisdom, here, personified as a woman, is praised as a priceless treasure beyond compare. Within the Israelite Tradition, wisdom is understood in three ways: empirical wisdom; theological wisdom; and wisdom that is associated with the cosmos. Empirical wisdom, which is akin to prudence, is gained through thoughtful reflection on life experiences. Theological wisdom is like the first, but it presumes that the reflection has been guided by religious principles, and the insights gained are in accord with the religious tradition. The wisdom associated with the cosmos originates in a realization that the real answers to life cannot be achieved merely through reflection on experience. Only God understands the ultimate meaning of reality. However, God might bestow wisdom of this sort on those who ask for it. She was indeed granted to the speaker of this first reading who is depicted as a king and who prayed for wisdom. Presumably it was the kind of wisdom that would enable him to rule judiciously. He proclaims that he preferred her to riches, to health, to beauty, to everything that women and men normally cherish. Of all the wonders life has and offers, in his eyes wisdom is the most precious treasure. In fact, in comparison with her, other riches are of little value.
    In the second reading the word of God is extolled for both its creative and its juridical force. It is living and effective because it is the expression of the God who is living and effective. As performative speech it accomplishes what it describes; as juridical speech it passes judgment on what it discovers. God’s word is incisive and probing, sharper than a sword that cuts both ways. It can pierce the inner recesses of a person, cutting cleanly between souls and spirit and body, penetrating the most secret thoughts of the heart. The word realizes what it set off to do, and it enhances the life-giving reality it discovers and condemns whatever is unauthentic. Everything that is stands open before this great God.
    The gospel reading presents the incident of a young man who approached Jesus demanding to be told what he was to do to inherit eternal life. The initial exchange between Jesus and the rich man raises an important theological question: Can one gain eternal life, or is it a gift from God? The man’s question implies that he believes that he can do something to deserve eternal life. Jesus’ response about obeying the law indicates that a particular way of living is indeed required of those who desire eternal life. The man is not putting Jesus to the test; he has approached him with, great respect. This is an honest and upright man, one who has been observant from his youth but who realizes that there is still something missing in his life. Jesus recognizes this goodness, and he loves him (agapao). The detailed description of the man’s goodness is important in order to show that even the righteous find it difficult to respond to the radical demands of discipleship. The man could not renounce his riches. Jesus uses this specific case to make a general statement that shocked even his disciples. He uses a graphic example to illustrate how hard it is for those who are encumbered to squeeze through a narrow opening. Nowhere in his teaching does Jesus say that wealth is bad. In fact, riches were considered an indication of divine favor and a reward for piety. Jesus is claiming that they can be a diversion from the real goal of life, a hindrance to entrance into the reign of God. The power and security they provide can obscure the need to trust in God. Jesus admits that this is a hard saying. His response is probably the key to understanding the entire passage. While those who wish to inherit eternal life are bound to the commandments, only divine grace can enable them to enter the reign of God. While they must live lives of moral integrity, they must rely completely on God. Peter uses the rich man’s failure to renounce his wealth and follow Jesus to point out the commitment of the disciples. They have done precisely what the other was unable to do. Jesus responds by outlining the reward they can expect. Those who have given up the security of family and property, the basis of identity in the ancient world, will receive a new kind of security, a new family and identity grounded in faith in Jesus. However, this alternative form of relationships and this new set of values not based on material goods will threaten the general social patterns and the values that are in place. Because they are a challenge, the disciples will be criticized and attacked. Thus the real cost of discipleship is personal renunciation and persecution by others.
This Sunday’s readings confront us with the need to make choices in life, choices for God. They also remind us that no significant choice is without its price. However, if we make the right choices, we are assured that we will be richly rewarded. Do we want power or riches or beauty, or even health? These are all good, but will they really satisfy the deepest yearnings of our heart? To choose one option is to relinquish the others. The young man wanted eternal life. Surely there is nothing more worthy than that. However, the price he was asked to pay was more than he had expected, and he went away saddened. He was neither insulted nor frustrated because he could not get what he desired. He was saddened, because what he really wanted he now discovered would exact a heavy cost. To choose is to face the consequences of  the word of God, and sometimes this is as sharp as a two-edged sword. One of the mysteries of faith is the incomprehensible generosity of God. We choose wisdom instead of all of the good things of the world, and we receive these good things along with wisdom itself. We are asked to relinquish all of the things we value, and we get them back a hundredfold. We are asked to make these choices in faith. We can never be sure of the outcome until we make the choice and we see what happens. We are invited to take a step into the unknown. We are told that we will not fall. However, we are never sure of this until we take the step and discover that we have not fallen. Or if we do fall, we are not really hurt. Perhaps the faith needed to make the choice also supplies us with the ability to see everything as a hundredfold blessing. God demands so much but gives so much more. May we, therefore, ask God in today’s holy Mass to give us the wisdom that would enable us tallow the word of God transform our hearts and make correct choices in life generously and in deep faith in God. Happy Sunday! + John I. Okoye

27th Sunday: Year B 7th October 2018

MAY THE LORD IN TODAY'S EUCHARISTIC CELEBRATION BESTOW YOU WITH THE GIFT OF THE FEAR OF HIM THAT WILL ENABLE YOU ACKNOWLEDGE HIS SOVEREIGNTY AND LIVE IN INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM AND RESPOND IN GENEROUS AND SACRIFICIAL LOVE TO YOUR NEEDY NEIGHBOR. HAPPY SUNDAY. +JOHN. I. OKOYE

                                                          DOCTRINE AND FAITH
(Genesis 2,18-24; Hebrew 2, 9-11; Mark 10,2-16; 27th Sunday: Year B)
A key to a profitable interpretation of the liturgical readings of today could be the first verse of the responsorial psalm of the day: O blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways (Psalm 127/128). This psalm is classified as a wisdom psalm. It is a clearly descriptive instruction that teaches rather than an address directed to God in praise or thanksgiving. The psalm contains some of the themes and vocabulary associated with the wisdom tradition. Examples include reward and punishment; happy, or blessed; ways, or path. It begins with a macarism (v. 1), which is a formal statement that designates a person or group as happy or blessed. This statement includes mention of the characteristic that is the basis of the happiness and then describes the blessings that flow from that characteristic. In this psalm, those called happy are the ones who fear the Lord, who walk in God’s ways (w. 1,4), and the blessing that flows from this attitude of mind and heart is a life of prosperity (w. 2-3). In the wisdom tradition fear of the Lord is the distinguishing characteristic of the righteous person. It denotes profound awe and amazement before the tremendous marvels of God. While this may include some degree of terror, it is the kind of fear that accompanies wonder at something amazing rather than dread in the face of mistreatment. The one who fears the Lord is one who acknowledges God’s sovereignty and power and lives in accord with the order established by God. If anyone is to be happy and enjoy the blessings of life, it is the one who fears the Lord. Who are the ones who fear God, who walk in God’s ways? They are those who bind themselves together with Christ in marriage, those who are brothers and sisters of Christ, those who accept the reign of God in the manner of a child—these walk in God’s ways. 
Binding oneself with Christ in Marriage: The first reading from the book of Genesis and the Gospel reading show clearly that marriage, the union of one man and one woman which has its origin from God. The first reading brings out clearly that man and woman are indeed partners and they complement each other. The author of this passage, by the use of poetic constructions, indicates that he did not set out to provide an accurate account of the creation of the first couple but sought to focus on their relationship. This is confirmed in the last verse, which speaks of the very powerful and natural drive of the sexes to be physically united as one flesh. This drive prompts a man to disengage himself from his primary relationship and responsibility (his family of origin) and to establish a new social unit. The importance of such a shift of loyalties of a man in the ancient world cannot be underestimated. In the Gospel reading, the Pharisees were not asking about the acceptability of divorce; it was permitted by law. Jesus responds to their challenge with one of his own. He first uses his knowledge of the Mosaic Law to answer their question. He then goes beyond this tradition to the original intent of God as found in the creation account. Doing this, he does not undermine the authority of the Mosaic tradition. Instead, he points out its concession to human weakness. However, in God’s design the couple become one flesh and must not be separated. Jesus’ teaching does not make the demands of marriage easier, but it does place the marriage partners on an equal footing.
    In our world today, as were in ancient times, there are so many reasons why people marry. Although most do so out of love, some marry for companionship, or for money, or because a child is involved. Unfortunately, too many people fail to consider marriage from a religious point of view. This is sometimes even true of believers. There are several reasons in their minds about being joined to each other, but when people marry, they do not always think about being joined with Christ. It is not that Christ is a third party in the union. It is more profound than that. Christ, who is the sign or sacrament of God’s presence in the world, is the ground of that union. The couple does not merely receive a sacrament, they become one. They become an outward sign of the love of God to each other and to their neighbours. They are able to open themselves to each other in love because God has first loved them. When they become one in marriage, they create something new, something that is a sign of the creative power of God. This in no way minimises the passionate love they may have or the unselfishness with which they give themselves to each other. Instead, it underscores the origin of that passion and the model of that unselfishness. It is only those who fear the Lord that attain this ideal of marriage and blessed are they!
    We are brothers and sisters of Christ in more than one way. First, through his incarnation he became one of us, a little lower than the angels. Jesus emptied himself of his divine privileges, and if this was lot humbling enough, he did so in order to empty himself in death for the sake of everyone else. He shared our human existence; he knew the highs and lows of human life. He died for us. Then he redefined family relationships, claiming that blood bonds were no longer the determinant for establishing kinship. Instead, those who hear the word of God and keep it, those who commit themselves to God in faithful discipleship, those who fear the Lord are his brothers and sisters. 
Marriage and every other form of discipleship as well make significant religious demands on us, particularly trust and openness. Because we are taking a step into the unknown, they require a profound act of trust—trust in ourselves, trust in each other, and, most important, trust in God. They also expect openness on our part—openness to give and openness to receive. Unfortunately, we associate these characteristics with unpretentious children. While children may possess them (because they are innocent, we must repossess them because we have been re-created in Christ by virtue of our baptism. May we in today’s Eucharistic celebration pray for the gift of the fear of the Lord with its attendant blessings Happy Sunday! +John I. Okoye