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“Alms atone for sins” (Ecclesiasticus 3:29): Charitable Deeds Will Earn you Heaven Sirach 3:17-18, 20, 28-29; Hebrews 12:18-19, 22-24a; Luke 14:1, 7-14 Growing up in northern Nigeria, it was a taboo to be a debtor; my parents wouldn’t accept that. We, my siblings and myself, were taught contentment with whatever meager resources we had, especially finances. The implication of this lesson was that no one spent the money he didn’t earn or have. North America taught me a different lesson: here, everybody is a debtor, including self-acclaimed rich people like Donald Trump. In fact, being a debtor is a good thing out here because oneRead More →

You’re God’s Ambassador, behave like one! Isaiah 66:18-21; Hebrews 12:5-7, 11-13; Luke 13:22-30 Our world today reels in sin and wallows in the darkness of unbelief. Thank goodness, it is not because there are so many bad people around, but simply because good people sit back and do nothing or not enough. How often does one hear, “we are all sinners”; “there is no good person left”; the world is in a terrible shape. The good news is that, these are all human judgments, not God’s. On the part of God, this is the message he has for us – “For God so loved theRead More →

There is always salvation for those who wait on the Lord! Jeremiah 38:4-6, 8-10; Hebrews 12:1-4; Luke 12:49-53 In an age of political correctness, the desire to say just what people want to hear and not to offend others, does the truth still have a place in our polity and religious life? What is the role of faith and religion in a secularized and modernized world? These are serious questions to be asked if religion, particularly Christianity, will be relevant to our contemporary world. In the so-called first-world, issues like abortion, euthanasia, same-sex union, gun control, and eugenics are considered no-go-areas, especially for religious interventionRead More →

Investment Sunday: Prepare for Heaven while on Earth Wisdom 18:6-9; Hebrews 11:1-2, 8-19;Luke 12:32-48 Knowledge and intelligence are generally associated with the human ability to conquer and dominate nature; they are mediums for the survival of the human specie on earth. But if our first reading comes from the book of wisdom, there is a stark distinction to be underscored between knowledge and wisdom. “Wisdom” is the secret of life, how life is to be lived, the meaning of life. This is the reason for the association of wisdom with experience – lived experience. So, what is wisdom, and how do we acquire it? OfRead More →

Refusing God’s will is Injustice, Lest we Accuse God Ecclesiastes 1:2; 2:21-23; Colossians 3:1-5, 9-11; Luke 12:13-21. The cry against injustices can be heard all around us. The rich and poor alike complain about being recipients of injustices. Today’s readings interestingly do not spare God from the criticism of being unjust. When one goes to God, as the gospel parable of today puts it, and there was no justice according to the desire of the man asking for it, God finds himself in the dock, having to defend himself from human conception of injustice. Even beyond the narrative of the gospel of today, many humanRead More →

Choosing to be an Intercessor  Genesis 18:20-32; Colossians 2:12-14; Luke 11:1-13 Sodomy or homosexuality, it boils down to the same thing – Sodom and Gomorrah – symbol and reality of sin, not just of yesteryears but of today as well. The destruction that awaits every sinner, gay, straight, and all sexual activities without God’s approval. But it is unthinkable that Sodom and Gomorrah was exclusively a gay town, at least Lot and his wife and daughters were there. It follows that there were births, marriages, and conventional families living there. In fact, Lot’s wife did not turn into a pillar of salt for being aRead More →

God’s visits are turning points Genesis 18:1-10a; Colossians 1:24-28; Luke Lk 10:38-42 After the lesson on our neighbors last week, exemplified by the parable of the good Samaritan, a lesson in hospitality and kindness to our neighbors, typified by the people in need, whosoever they may be, we move today to love of God. Interestingly, last Sunday’s gospel summarized all the commandments of God as love of neighbor and love of God. Today, we deal with how to love God from the example of Abraham. It is important to remember that Abram’s name has been changed to Abraham, and God had promised him, during theRead More →

On the Road to Jericho, I am a Samaritan: What about You? Deuteronomy 30:10-14; Colossians 1:15-20; Luke 10:25-37 The book of “Deuteronomy,” from where our first reading is taken, means “second law.” In other words, the Law of the Lord was either  forgotten or abandoned, which warranted the need to revamp it. You know what, it is high time we, too, revamped the laws of the Lord in our lives today. If that Law stood our ancestors in good stead in the past, it can do the same for us today who are faced with genocides, gun violence, abortion, etc. Laws normally get negative pressRead More →

On the Road to Jericho, I am a Samaritan: What about You? Deuteronomy 30:10-14; Colossians 1:15-20; Luke 10:25-37 The book of “Deuteronomy,” from where our first reading is taken, means “second law.” In other words, the Law of the Lord was either  forgotten or abandoned, which warranted the need to revamp it. You know what, it is high time we, too, revamped the laws of the Lord in our lives today. If that Law stood our ancestors in good stead in the past, it can do the same for us today who are faced with genocides, gun violence, abortion, etc. Laws normally get negative pressRead More →

Let the Real Me Appear: The Power of Reform Luke 10:1-12, 17-20; Galatians 6:14-18; Isaiah 66:10-14c Patience is a relation of reform. As the saying goes, “Rome was not built in a day,” even though what was done daily led to the building of Rome! The creation of personality and character, too, take very long, and perseverance leads to the desired goal and reward. “Let the real me appear: the power of reform” becomes a very urgent question given the readings of this Sunday. The question is: how does God create unity, so that humans may learn from him? Isaiah 66 reminds us of God’sRead More →