It is unimaginable to see workers in Nigeria crying for minimum wage in this dispensation. For some the so called minimum wage is to make the poor exist along side with the rich: if they cannot afford three square meal per day, they can at least afford a triangle one. As the saying goes, “if you can not beat them you join them.” In the case of Civil Servants, we cannot beat them, because “they have the knife and the yam” to do as they wish, but we can frustrate their efforts. The majority have the key to the success of the minority, but the minority are using the key to lock the progress and development of the resources that will enhance the living condition of the majority. This is our case in Nigeria and it is shameful to comprehend.
The call for a strike by various unions to demand the implementation of the new minimum wage from 7,500 naira to 17,000 and now 18,000 naira is necessary and important because of the rising cost of living. This wage as approved by the Federal Government is quite inadequate and demoralising, because the wives of those who earn this meagre amount will buy from the same market with those earning over 450,000 naira per month. It is only in Nigeria, we see a primary six holder earning as much as 164 million Naira per year and when we calculate the so called minimum wage it is just 216,000 thousand Naira per year. Lord have mercy on your poor people in Nigeria.
It is painful that even the President is not addressing this injustice. In addressing the Nigerian workers at the start of the proposed strike action, the President said: "I believe labour will stay with us and we are also pleading with them that they should reason with us. On the issue of the wage, you know the federal government presently pays 17,000 and within this period, we raised it from 7500 to 17,000. Now they are talking about the minimum wage of 18,000, you will agree with me that 1000 difference for good people that have been friendly will not lead to any industrial action."
“If you become very strict on the issue of minimum wage as applied elsewhere in this country, I find it very difficult to believe that presently any federal government staff is even earning less than 18,000, because the minimum wage of 18,000 is level one step one, which is supposed to be for primary six holders and most of the federal government staff are either level three or level four and above..."
Thank God Mr. president knows that 18,000 is supposed to be for primary six holders, but the painful part of this is that, the president disclosed that due process has to be followed before the wage increase can be implemented, adding that the increase will not only affect the arms of government, but also the private sector. "If it was salary increase I don't think we will be discussing this matter, but this is minimum wage; because it is minimum wage it has to pass through all the sections of government as specified by law. It must go to the national assembly because the law must be made and the minimum wage does not affect only government employees and that is what Nigerians should know. Assuming federal, states and local government can pay, what of the private people who employ? Every employer of labour is affected, so if we now just go and impose a minimum wage on all Nigerians without due consultation, do you think small and medium scale enterprises can all meet up?"
Please save us this goodluck speech and address the problem. The fat salaries by The National assembly members, as well as the past presidents are enjoying benefit of the national treasury, even after filling their pockets. The fact is that Nigerian Politics is lucrative and politicians have turned themselves into instant millionaires just for being members of the National Assembly, paying themselves huge and unjustified salaries and allowances not commensurate with their very low productivity and without doing anything worthwhile for the country. My question is this: Do we have Legislators or “Legis-looters”, Executives members of the national assembly or “Execu-thieves”?
It is no wonder that Nigerians are yet to see the dividends of democracy. For the past 11 years democracy is still crawling because we have high class men as leaders and not servants. If nothing is done quickly to stem this looting surge, it may come to a time that there will be no money to run the government beyond paying the swollen salaries and allowances (looting in disguise) of our public office holders. Yes, some will say there is “Oil”, but remember “a talents that is not well appreciated and used well” will died a natural death.
Let us pause for a while and think of what these huge sums of money used in paying opportunists and never-do-well politicians can do if diverted to building power plants to rescue us from our power problem, fortifying our security system, funding railway and road construction, funding education, reviving agriculture, funding hospitals and dispensaries, developing the Niger Delta and even paying salaries of teachers and the pension entitlements of our pensioners.
In my own view this whole idea of warning the government about strike action cannot dry the tears of the poor in this country. Sometimes, we need to ask ourselves some questions about the reasons for going on strike as masses and also look into the agenda of those who call out for a strike action because of low income, instead of us to sit back after promissory note from the government and watch the jobless individuals in the national assembly without any iota of shame to silently increase their own salaries, for legislating nothing. There are numerous bills yet to face first readings that affect some Unions, if not all, yet we want to demonstrate our madness by calling for a strike on a matter where there is no argument. We should cry out over the waste, over the thievery, cheating and injustice under the guise of democracy.
It is a great injustice, because one cannot comprehend that for the House of Representatives, there are 360 of these parasites. Each gets 36 Million per quarter, which translates to 144 million per year per Member. The calculation of their drain on the Nigerian treasury is 360 X 144 million Naira X 4 years = 207,360,000,000 or 207 Billion Naira. Each member of the House of Representatives will take home 576 Million Naira after 4 years, laughing all the way to the banks. If this is the fate of a mere parasite what will be that of the virus (Senators).
Whatever it is, Nigeria cannot sustain or afford this waste, what I will say is: If the poor cannot lead, let them share in the riches of the nation, let the minimum wage be implemented to save our economy.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
WHAT DOES CHRISTMAS REALLY MEAN AND HOW SHOULD IT BE CELEBRATED? - Rev. Fr. Stan-William Ede
On the 25th of December every year, the world wears on an extravagantly brilliant look amidst the pomp and pageantry with which people go about celebrating what many have come to describe as “The Birthday of Life”. It is the day on which all Christians, and in fact, the whole world celebrate the Birthday of Jesus Christ to commemorate the special events of about 2000 years ago, when the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity came in flesh and blood into human history to redefine the human existence and to establish the Kingdom of God on earth.
The word “Christmas” comes from the Old English words, Cristes Maesse or Cristes-messe, which means in Modern English, “Christ's Mass” or “Mass of Christ”, and it has become the common English name for the feast of the birthday of our Lord. Though the Bible ascribes no specific date as such to the birth of the Saviour, this feast dates back to the very early years of Christianity. However, Christmas attained its great popularity as a festival in the Middle Ages. A huge body of custom and belief grew up around the feast, especially of a convivial kind. Nevertheless it retains its ancient character.
After the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ, carrying forth the Mission to all humankind by the Apostles and disciples was not an easy task. The Christian experience was embroiled in a very hostile world, and the Christians had to device all tactics possible to win the hearts of the pagan populace who were most fickle and get them converted to Christianity. In the Roman Empire, December 25th, the time of the winter solstice, i.e., a time when the dying sun began its steady climb into the northern skies, was the day the pagans celebrated the Dies Natalis Solis Invicti, i.e., the Birthday of the Invincible Sun. This is because the sun god was proclaimed the principal patron of the pagan Roman Empire, and it was one of the biggest feasts they had which they all looked forward to annually.
When the Christians were fulfilling Christ's mandate to make disciples of all nations and restore all things in Christ, they had to teach the people the truth using categories that they are familiar with to explain the mysteries of God and His Truths, as the Apostle Paul did in Acts 17:22-33. “Who indeed is as unconquerable as our Lord?” asked St. John Chrysostom, He is the “Sun of Justice”, the “Sun of Righteousness”, the “Invincible Light of Glory” and the “Everlasting Lord of the Ages”. The Christians then took over this day, December 25th to celebrate the Incarnation of the God-man, his “manifestation in the flesh” of being born into the world.
God willed that all men may be saved and He sent His own Son into the world to reconcile all men to Himself. “…When the appointed time came, God sent His Son, born of a woman … to enable us to be adopted as sons and daughters” (Gal. 4: 4-5). This is our certainty: we know that Jesus became a man like us, but at the same time he is the “Word Incarnate”, He is the Second Person of the Holy Trinity who took human flesh and entered into human history; and therefore, in Jesus, human nature and indeed the whole of humanity, is redeemed, saved, ennobled to the extent of participating in "divine life" by means of Grace.
“All the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God” (Ps 98:3). On this day of joy, the people of Rome and the whole world hear the joyful proclamation of the birth of the Son of God: Christmas is a mystery of grace to be contemplated; Christmas is a marvelous event to be shared. Christmas is therefore a time for reflection which cannot fail to have an impact on the whole of life. Indeed the new history of humanity, a history in which man's sins encounter divine salvation, began at Christmas.
What does the birth of Jesus Christ mean to us? What does the extraordinary event of the birth of Jesus Christ mean to us? What “good news” does it bring us? To what goals does it spur us?
St. Luke, the Evangelist, in Zechariah's inspired words, presents the Incarnation as the visit of God: “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people, and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David” (Lk 1:68-69). But what is the effect of the “visit of God” on man? Sacred Scripture testifies that when the Lord intervenes he brings salvation and joy, he frees from affliction, he gives hope, he improves the fate of whoever is visited and opens up new prospects of life and salvation.
Christmas is the visit of God “par excellence”; in fact, in this event he comes very close to man through his only Son, who in his infant's face demonstrates his tenderness for the poor and for sinners. The grace of adoption as children of God is offered to men in the Incarnate Word. Luke is concerned to show how the event of Jesus' birth really changes the history and life of men, especially of those who receive him with a sincere heart: Elizabeth, John the Baptist, the shepherds, Simeon, Anna and above all Mary, are witnesses to the marvels that God works with his visit.
In the Saviour whose birth at Bethlehem we celebrate at Christmas, the Christian community contemplates the “Wisdom of the Most High”, the “Guide of his people”, the “Flower of Jesse's stem”, the “Key of David”, the “Radiant Dawn”, the “King of all the nations” and, last of all, “Emmanuel”, that is, “God is with us”. This name recalls the prophecy made seven centuries earlier through the mouth of the prophet Isaiah. With the birth of the Messiah, God assures his complete, definitive presence among his people. This is the divine response to the basic need of humanity in every place and age.
The Solemnity of Christmas brings back memories of tenderness and goodness, and increasingly draws fresh attention to the fundamental human values: the family, life, innocence, peace and gratuitousness. In the words of our beloved Pope John Paul the Great, in his December 1995 General Audience, “Christmas is the feast of the family which, gathered around the crib and the tree, the traditional Christmas symbols, discovers that it is called to be the sanctuary of life and love. Christmas is the feast of children, because it reveals 'the lull meaning of every human birth, and the joy which accompanies the Birth of the Messiah is thus seen to be the foundation and fulfillment of joy at every child born into the world' (cf. Pope Paul VI's Evangelium Vitae, n. 1). The Nativity of the Lord, likewise, brings us to rediscover the value of innocence by inviting adults to learn from the school of children to approach the newborn Saviour's crib with wonder and purity of heart.”
Christmas is the feast of peace, because “true peace has come down to us from heaven" and "the skies rain down sweetness all over the world”. The angels sing in Bethlehem: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased!” (Lk 2:14). How graciously fulfilled our lives would be if we cherish peace, by living it out in our lives and working for it to flourish in our communities and wherever we find ourselves, for the Bible says, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons and daughters of God” (Matt. 5:9). The world needs peace amidst the many human tragedies that have obscured the joys and hopes of so many people all over the world. Today, more than ever before, we must continue tirelessly in our search for peace in the world.
Christmas is also the feast of gifts: I can imagine the joy of those, both children and adults who, receiving a Christmas gift, will feel loved and committed to making themselves a gift, like the Child that the Virgin Mary shows as in the crib.
But, again according to John Paul the Great, these considerations only partly explain the festive and evocative atmosphere of Christmas. So then, how should Christmas be celebrated? Besides the festive and evocative aspect of eating, drinking, visiting friends and relatives, going to funfairs, exchanging gifts and pleasantries, what special considerations for our faith do we need to evaluate so as to accentuate our exercise of the faith?
It is well known that for believers the true foundation of the joy of this feast lies in the fact that the eternal Word, perfect image of the Father, became “flesh”, a frail infant in sympathy with weak and mortal men. In Jesus, God himself came close to and remains with us, incomparable gift to welcome with humility into our daily life.
During Advent, we really need to get prepared to experience the saving event of Christmas with total openness of spirit. In the poverty of the manger we must contemplate the great event of the Incarnation and let it penetrate to the depths of our being, with its power to change our life. And then, with the arrival of the great day itself, we should let Christmas evangelize us, as it did the shepherds, who readily accepted the announcement of the Savior's birth and went without delay to adore him, thus becoming the first witnesses of his presence in the world. In turn we will become witnesses to Emmanuel at the side of our every brother or sister, especially the poor and suffering.
According to John Paul the Great, “We are all of us in Jesus: our true nobility and dignity has its source in the great and sublime event of Christmas. In the mystery of Christmas we admire in astonishment the eternal divine Word who became man, who became a surprising Presence among us, within us. With the efficacious help of his grace he fills the void of sadness and suffering, enlightens our search for joy and peace, and protects our every effort aimed at building a better world of greater solidarity”.
In the light of the Mystery of the Incarnation, everyone should celebrate Christmas, like Mary, by welcoming the One who comes “to visit us from on high” (Lk 1:78), with an open and sincere heart, and by striving to become the instruments of God's joyful visit for those we meet in our daily path.
The word “Christmas” comes from the Old English words, Cristes Maesse or Cristes-messe, which means in Modern English, “Christ's Mass” or “Mass of Christ”, and it has become the common English name for the feast of the birthday of our Lord. Though the Bible ascribes no specific date as such to the birth of the Saviour, this feast dates back to the very early years of Christianity. However, Christmas attained its great popularity as a festival in the Middle Ages. A huge body of custom and belief grew up around the feast, especially of a convivial kind. Nevertheless it retains its ancient character.
After the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ, carrying forth the Mission to all humankind by the Apostles and disciples was not an easy task. The Christian experience was embroiled in a very hostile world, and the Christians had to device all tactics possible to win the hearts of the pagan populace who were most fickle and get them converted to Christianity. In the Roman Empire, December 25th, the time of the winter solstice, i.e., a time when the dying sun began its steady climb into the northern skies, was the day the pagans celebrated the Dies Natalis Solis Invicti, i.e., the Birthday of the Invincible Sun. This is because the sun god was proclaimed the principal patron of the pagan Roman Empire, and it was one of the biggest feasts they had which they all looked forward to annually.
When the Christians were fulfilling Christ's mandate to make disciples of all nations and restore all things in Christ, they had to teach the people the truth using categories that they are familiar with to explain the mysteries of God and His Truths, as the Apostle Paul did in Acts 17:22-33. “Who indeed is as unconquerable as our Lord?” asked St. John Chrysostom, He is the “Sun of Justice”, the “Sun of Righteousness”, the “Invincible Light of Glory” and the “Everlasting Lord of the Ages”. The Christians then took over this day, December 25th to celebrate the Incarnation of the God-man, his “manifestation in the flesh” of being born into the world.
God willed that all men may be saved and He sent His own Son into the world to reconcile all men to Himself. “…When the appointed time came, God sent His Son, born of a woman … to enable us to be adopted as sons and daughters” (Gal. 4: 4-5). This is our certainty: we know that Jesus became a man like us, but at the same time he is the “Word Incarnate”, He is the Second Person of the Holy Trinity who took human flesh and entered into human history; and therefore, in Jesus, human nature and indeed the whole of humanity, is redeemed, saved, ennobled to the extent of participating in "divine life" by means of Grace.
“All the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God” (Ps 98:3). On this day of joy, the people of Rome and the whole world hear the joyful proclamation of the birth of the Son of God: Christmas is a mystery of grace to be contemplated; Christmas is a marvelous event to be shared. Christmas is therefore a time for reflection which cannot fail to have an impact on the whole of life. Indeed the new history of humanity, a history in which man's sins encounter divine salvation, began at Christmas.
What does the birth of Jesus Christ mean to us? What does the extraordinary event of the birth of Jesus Christ mean to us? What “good news” does it bring us? To what goals does it spur us?
St. Luke, the Evangelist, in Zechariah's inspired words, presents the Incarnation as the visit of God: “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people, and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David” (Lk 1:68-69). But what is the effect of the “visit of God” on man? Sacred Scripture testifies that when the Lord intervenes he brings salvation and joy, he frees from affliction, he gives hope, he improves the fate of whoever is visited and opens up new prospects of life and salvation.
Christmas is the visit of God “par excellence”; in fact, in this event he comes very close to man through his only Son, who in his infant's face demonstrates his tenderness for the poor and for sinners. The grace of adoption as children of God is offered to men in the Incarnate Word. Luke is concerned to show how the event of Jesus' birth really changes the history and life of men, especially of those who receive him with a sincere heart: Elizabeth, John the Baptist, the shepherds, Simeon, Anna and above all Mary, are witnesses to the marvels that God works with his visit.
In the Saviour whose birth at Bethlehem we celebrate at Christmas, the Christian community contemplates the “Wisdom of the Most High”, the “Guide of his people”, the “Flower of Jesse's stem”, the “Key of David”, the “Radiant Dawn”, the “King of all the nations” and, last of all, “Emmanuel”, that is, “God is with us”. This name recalls the prophecy made seven centuries earlier through the mouth of the prophet Isaiah. With the birth of the Messiah, God assures his complete, definitive presence among his people. This is the divine response to the basic need of humanity in every place and age.
The Solemnity of Christmas brings back memories of tenderness and goodness, and increasingly draws fresh attention to the fundamental human values: the family, life, innocence, peace and gratuitousness. In the words of our beloved Pope John Paul the Great, in his December 1995 General Audience, “Christmas is the feast of the family which, gathered around the crib and the tree, the traditional Christmas symbols, discovers that it is called to be the sanctuary of life and love. Christmas is the feast of children, because it reveals 'the lull meaning of every human birth, and the joy which accompanies the Birth of the Messiah is thus seen to be the foundation and fulfillment of joy at every child born into the world' (cf. Pope Paul VI's Evangelium Vitae, n. 1). The Nativity of the Lord, likewise, brings us to rediscover the value of innocence by inviting adults to learn from the school of children to approach the newborn Saviour's crib with wonder and purity of heart.”
Christmas is the feast of peace, because “true peace has come down to us from heaven" and "the skies rain down sweetness all over the world”. The angels sing in Bethlehem: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased!” (Lk 2:14). How graciously fulfilled our lives would be if we cherish peace, by living it out in our lives and working for it to flourish in our communities and wherever we find ourselves, for the Bible says, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons and daughters of God” (Matt. 5:9). The world needs peace amidst the many human tragedies that have obscured the joys and hopes of so many people all over the world. Today, more than ever before, we must continue tirelessly in our search for peace in the world.
Christmas is also the feast of gifts: I can imagine the joy of those, both children and adults who, receiving a Christmas gift, will feel loved and committed to making themselves a gift, like the Child that the Virgin Mary shows as in the crib.
But, again according to John Paul the Great, these considerations only partly explain the festive and evocative atmosphere of Christmas. So then, how should Christmas be celebrated? Besides the festive and evocative aspect of eating, drinking, visiting friends and relatives, going to funfairs, exchanging gifts and pleasantries, what special considerations for our faith do we need to evaluate so as to accentuate our exercise of the faith?
It is well known that for believers the true foundation of the joy of this feast lies in the fact that the eternal Word, perfect image of the Father, became “flesh”, a frail infant in sympathy with weak and mortal men. In Jesus, God himself came close to and remains with us, incomparable gift to welcome with humility into our daily life.
During Advent, we really need to get prepared to experience the saving event of Christmas with total openness of spirit. In the poverty of the manger we must contemplate the great event of the Incarnation and let it penetrate to the depths of our being, with its power to change our life. And then, with the arrival of the great day itself, we should let Christmas evangelize us, as it did the shepherds, who readily accepted the announcement of the Savior's birth and went without delay to adore him, thus becoming the first witnesses of his presence in the world. In turn we will become witnesses to Emmanuel at the side of our every brother or sister, especially the poor and suffering.
According to John Paul the Great, “We are all of us in Jesus: our true nobility and dignity has its source in the great and sublime event of Christmas. In the mystery of Christmas we admire in astonishment the eternal divine Word who became man, who became a surprising Presence among us, within us. With the efficacious help of his grace he fills the void of sadness and suffering, enlightens our search for joy and peace, and protects our every effort aimed at building a better world of greater solidarity”.
In the light of the Mystery of the Incarnation, everyone should celebrate Christmas, like Mary, by welcoming the One who comes “to visit us from on high” (Lk 1:78), with an open and sincere heart, and by striving to become the instruments of God's joyful visit for those we meet in our daily path.
THE ANNUNCIATION - Prof. Michael Ogunu
An Encyclopaedic Dictionary of Biblical and General Catholic Information defines the Annunciation of the Lord as (1) “The announcement made to Mary by the angel Gabriel that she was to be the Mother of God” (Lk 1, 26 38). At the very instant the fact was announced, “the Word became flesh” in the womb of Mary. (2) “The feast, celebrated on March 25, in commemoration of the event”. March 25 may have been chosen because it is nine months before Christmas, but according to Benedict XIV, the 25th of March was known by ancient tradition to have been the actual day.
March 25 may rightly be called the Feast of the Incarnation for on that day we commemorate the central truth of our Catholic Faith which is the Incarnation of our Lord: “For us men and for our salvation, the Eternal Son of God became flesh in the womb of the Virgin Mary and made his dwelling place among us” (cf. Jn. 1:14).
The Annunciation is one of the most mysterious and important events in the history of the world. It is described beautifully in the Gospel of Luke, with all the simplicity and power so typical of God's Word:
“The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. Upon arriving, the angel said to her: 'Rejoice, O highly favoured daughter! The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women… You have found favour with God. You shall conceive and bear a son and give him the name Jesus. Great will be his dignity and he will be called Son of the Most High…'.
“Mary said to the angel, 'How can this be, since I do not know a man?' The angel answered her, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; hence the holy offspring to be born will be called Son of God'” (Lk 1:26 37).
The Gospel of Matthew also affirms the virginal conception (Mt. 1:12 25). An angelic messenger tells St. Joseph, “Have no fear about taking Mary as your wife. It is by the Holy Spirit that she has conceived this child…”. (Mt. 1:20 21).
Most notable in the Annunciation account is the response of the young girl who was the recipient of God's special vocation of Mother of the Messiah. “I am the servant of the Lord. Let it be done to me as you say” (Lk. 1:38).
Mary chose to be servant of the Lord and to bring the Saviour into the world. It proved to be an heroic service of love, for with Her Son, She walked the Way of the Cross. An often-forgotten Old Testament verse may well have inspired and assailed the young Mary: “When you come to serve the Lord, prepare yourself for trials. Be sincere of heart and steadfast, undisturbed in time of adversity… For in fire gold is tested, and worthy men in the crucible of humiliation” (Sir. 2:1 5).
The feast of the Annunciation teaches us several truths that are worthy of our reflection. In the first place, God became man because He loves us and wanted to join His divine nature to our human nature so that we could share in His divine nature by grace. This truth is a central theme of the teaching of the Catholic Church. It is also the basis of the sacramental life of the Church. The kind of new life that Jesus came to give us is a sharing in divine life which we had lost through the first or original sin of Adam and Eve. Now by Jesus' death, it would be restored and the sacraments would be means of receiving it and growing in it.
Secondly, this event teaches us that God requires our cooperation to bring about the salvific deeds He intends to accomplish. Without Mary's fiat, the Son of God would not have become man and we would not have been redeemed. This truth is also part of the profound message of Fatima when our Blessed Mother asks all Her children to pray and fast so that souls may be spared from the fires of hell. The understanding is that many will not receive graces for salvation unless others cooperate with God's grace to obtain them.
Thirdly, the feast of the Annunciation teaches us that life begins for human beings at conception. The Church has always believed that Jesus became man at the moment of His conception, not at the moment of His birth. The Latin text of the Creed states this very fact when it says, “et incarnatus est de Spiritu Sancto ex Maria Virgine, et homo factus est” which translated means “and He became flesh by the power of the Holy Spirit through the Virgin Mary and became man”. This is also the third declaration of the Angelus when one says, “And the Word became flesh” with the response “And dwelt among us”. At this moment many genuflect to show adoration of the Incarnate Word of God. This truth also reminds us why the Catholic Church so strongly condemns abortion from the moment of conception.
Finally, the feast of the Annunciation reminds us of the remarkable role of Mary in the work of salvation. Mary was the one called by God to uniquely participate in the work of salvation so that the Son of God could become man and, by His death, redeem our world. Mary is the New Eve because as the sinless Mother of God, made so by Christ her Son, she becomes the Mother of all the truly living, those who accept and live in the very life of God. Mary remains our Mother, and even from Fatima gives us prudent warning about our times and the need for prayer and conversion so that souls may find her Son.
So as we celebrate the feast of the Annunciation, let us rejoice in all the truths that are found in this great mystery. Let us begin to pray the Angelus daily in our families to commemorate our God becoming man by means of Mary. Let us rejoice that the Son of God truly came to dwell with His people by becoming man and opening the doors of heaven for us to enter.
March 25 may rightly be called the Feast of the Incarnation for on that day we commemorate the central truth of our Catholic Faith which is the Incarnation of our Lord: “For us men and for our salvation, the Eternal Son of God became flesh in the womb of the Virgin Mary and made his dwelling place among us” (cf. Jn. 1:14).
The Annunciation is one of the most mysterious and important events in the history of the world. It is described beautifully in the Gospel of Luke, with all the simplicity and power so typical of God's Word:
“The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. Upon arriving, the angel said to her: 'Rejoice, O highly favoured daughter! The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women… You have found favour with God. You shall conceive and bear a son and give him the name Jesus. Great will be his dignity and he will be called Son of the Most High…'.
“Mary said to the angel, 'How can this be, since I do not know a man?' The angel answered her, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; hence the holy offspring to be born will be called Son of God'” (Lk 1:26 37).
The Gospel of Matthew also affirms the virginal conception (Mt. 1:12 25). An angelic messenger tells St. Joseph, “Have no fear about taking Mary as your wife. It is by the Holy Spirit that she has conceived this child…”. (Mt. 1:20 21).
Most notable in the Annunciation account is the response of the young girl who was the recipient of God's special vocation of Mother of the Messiah. “I am the servant of the Lord. Let it be done to me as you say” (Lk. 1:38).
Mary chose to be servant of the Lord and to bring the Saviour into the world. It proved to be an heroic service of love, for with Her Son, She walked the Way of the Cross. An often-forgotten Old Testament verse may well have inspired and assailed the young Mary: “When you come to serve the Lord, prepare yourself for trials. Be sincere of heart and steadfast, undisturbed in time of adversity… For in fire gold is tested, and worthy men in the crucible of humiliation” (Sir. 2:1 5).
The feast of the Annunciation teaches us several truths that are worthy of our reflection. In the first place, God became man because He loves us and wanted to join His divine nature to our human nature so that we could share in His divine nature by grace. This truth is a central theme of the teaching of the Catholic Church. It is also the basis of the sacramental life of the Church. The kind of new life that Jesus came to give us is a sharing in divine life which we had lost through the first or original sin of Adam and Eve. Now by Jesus' death, it would be restored and the sacraments would be means of receiving it and growing in it.
Secondly, this event teaches us that God requires our cooperation to bring about the salvific deeds He intends to accomplish. Without Mary's fiat, the Son of God would not have become man and we would not have been redeemed. This truth is also part of the profound message of Fatima when our Blessed Mother asks all Her children to pray and fast so that souls may be spared from the fires of hell. The understanding is that many will not receive graces for salvation unless others cooperate with God's grace to obtain them.
Thirdly, the feast of the Annunciation teaches us that life begins for human beings at conception. The Church has always believed that Jesus became man at the moment of His conception, not at the moment of His birth. The Latin text of the Creed states this very fact when it says, “et incarnatus est de Spiritu Sancto ex Maria Virgine, et homo factus est” which translated means “and He became flesh by the power of the Holy Spirit through the Virgin Mary and became man”. This is also the third declaration of the Angelus when one says, “And the Word became flesh” with the response “And dwelt among us”. At this moment many genuflect to show adoration of the Incarnate Word of God. This truth also reminds us why the Catholic Church so strongly condemns abortion from the moment of conception.
Finally, the feast of the Annunciation reminds us of the remarkable role of Mary in the work of salvation. Mary was the one called by God to uniquely participate in the work of salvation so that the Son of God could become man and, by His death, redeem our world. Mary is the New Eve because as the sinless Mother of God, made so by Christ her Son, she becomes the Mother of all the truly living, those who accept and live in the very life of God. Mary remains our Mother, and even from Fatima gives us prudent warning about our times and the need for prayer and conversion so that souls may find her Son.
So as we celebrate the feast of the Annunciation, let us rejoice in all the truths that are found in this great mystery. Let us begin to pray the Angelus daily in our families to commemorate our God becoming man by means of Mary. Let us rejoice that the Son of God truly came to dwell with His people by becoming man and opening the doors of heaven for us to enter.
GO IN THIS MIGHT OF YOURS - Felicia Imokhai
What is Might? Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary defines might as great strength, energy or power. Great strength is never associated with fear. Go in this might of yours were the Lords words to Gideon (Judges 6:14). In the life of Gideon, fear swallowed the might that was in him. Fear is a restraining factor. You may have the strength to do something but fear will restrain you from attempting it. The mission Christ handed over to the Church is suffering a great set back today because many chosen missionaries are trapped in the cave of fear, sin and compromise.
This is one of the greatest missions of the devil over children of God especially God's chosen vessels. The devil has caged their ministries by burying their spiritual talents and vision. Once the devil makes them unprofitable for the kingdom of God, his mission is accomplished. One thing children of God should know is that the devil is never afraid of any body's position, title, money or your profession. The devil is only afraid of the power of God in you. This was the testimony of the seventy-two disciples Jesus sent out. "The seventy-two men came back in great joy “Lord” they said; even the demons obeyed us when we gave them a command in your name!”. (Lk. 10:17).
The story in Judges Chapter six form verse one to sixteen (Judges 6:1 -11), there was the case of the Israelites in the generation of Gideon. In verses eight to ten of that chapter, Gideon heard before the testimony of his people, how God drove out the Midianites and Amorites from their land and gave the land to the Israelites. When God gave the land, He told them “do not fear the gods of Amorites but they disobeyed God so God allowed them to suffer for it. They sinned against God by serving the gods of the Amorites, so because of the sin, their protection was removed. Every sin is an open door for the enemy. Their suffering was so much that they would work and plant, but the Amorites and Midianites will come and harvest and destroy all, then leave them in hunger. Out of fear, they went into hiding in caves/mountains and that became their stronghold. Were they saved in their caves? No! Our safety is in the hands of God. The people of Israel cried out to the Lord for help and God sent them help (Judges 6:7-13). The name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous runs to it and are safe (Prov. 18:10).
After God had rebuked them for their unfaithfulness, He looked for a man among them to use. This was how Gideon came into the situation.
God saw the power hidden in Gideon even though he was hiding from the Midianites “Then the Lord's angel came to the village of Ophrah and sat under the oak-tree that belonged to Joash, a man of the clan of Abiezer. His son Gideon was threshing some wheat secretly in a winepress, so that the Midianites would not see him. The Lord's angel appeared to him there and said, “The Lord is with you, brave and mighty man.” Gideon said to him, if I may ask sir, why has all this happened to us if the Lord is with us? God addressed Gideon as a chosen vessel to rescue His people hence God said, the Lord is with you but Gideon said if the Lord is with us why this why that. The Lord then ordered him, “Go in this thy might to rescue Israel from the Midianites. I myself am sending you” (Judges 6:11-14) Gideon was surprised and he said to the angel, you must be joking, may be you are taking me to be one of the Midianites terrorizing this town. I am unfit for what you are saying and sending me to do. If you say this during the time of our forefathers when God was doing wonders, I will agree with you. Do I have strength? Don't you see what is happening to us? God is always looking for the unfit to make them fit for His mission. In Exodus 3:10-12, Moses behaved the way Gideon behaved when God sent him to the King of Egypt “I am nobody”. He said (Exodus 3:11) God needs Gideons today to ask him, why is what is happening in this country today happening in our time? What happened to the testimonies we use to hear about Nigeria our country? Somebody in this generation is anointed and empowered for a mission like Gideon.
Gideon was an agent of change. He had a divine purpose in life but he did not know it until the Lord discovered it. If the Lord did not discover Gideon in his generation, the grave would have buried his talents and power. So we have great men and women who died with their talents and potentials unutilized for God and mankind. After Gideon's encounter with the angel of God, he made a covenant with God and started on his mission immediately starting from his fathers evil altar. He pulled down the altar of Baal and replaced it with the altar of the Lord. Gideon went forth with the might of God to subdue the Midiantes and Amorites, thereby bringing victory and confidence to the land. Dignity and peace returned to his people after his battles.
When Gideon's people were loyal to the gods of the Midianites and sacrificed to the altar of Baal, the Midianites subdued them and they went into caves to hide. Many Christian are in caves today because of the situation at hand. How long are Christians going to remain in caves when Jesus has already given us freedom. Christians must come out of their caves to join with God's army and walk in holiness and obedience to God's word to defend the faith and the truth of the gospel.
Braise up for action as the year runs to an end, for God speared your life in this 2010 for a purpose. You are the Gideon of your family, Church, town, school and this generation. Go in this thy might for the Lord is with you.
This is one of the greatest missions of the devil over children of God especially God's chosen vessels. The devil has caged their ministries by burying their spiritual talents and vision. Once the devil makes them unprofitable for the kingdom of God, his mission is accomplished. One thing children of God should know is that the devil is never afraid of any body's position, title, money or your profession. The devil is only afraid of the power of God in you. This was the testimony of the seventy-two disciples Jesus sent out. "The seventy-two men came back in great joy “Lord” they said; even the demons obeyed us when we gave them a command in your name!”. (Lk. 10:17).
The story in Judges Chapter six form verse one to sixteen (Judges 6:1 -11), there was the case of the Israelites in the generation of Gideon. In verses eight to ten of that chapter, Gideon heard before the testimony of his people, how God drove out the Midianites and Amorites from their land and gave the land to the Israelites. When God gave the land, He told them “do not fear the gods of Amorites but they disobeyed God so God allowed them to suffer for it. They sinned against God by serving the gods of the Amorites, so because of the sin, their protection was removed. Every sin is an open door for the enemy. Their suffering was so much that they would work and plant, but the Amorites and Midianites will come and harvest and destroy all, then leave them in hunger. Out of fear, they went into hiding in caves/mountains and that became their stronghold. Were they saved in their caves? No! Our safety is in the hands of God. The people of Israel cried out to the Lord for help and God sent them help (Judges 6:7-13). The name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous runs to it and are safe (Prov. 18:10).
After God had rebuked them for their unfaithfulness, He looked for a man among them to use. This was how Gideon came into the situation.
God saw the power hidden in Gideon even though he was hiding from the Midianites “Then the Lord's angel came to the village of Ophrah and sat under the oak-tree that belonged to Joash, a man of the clan of Abiezer. His son Gideon was threshing some wheat secretly in a winepress, so that the Midianites would not see him. The Lord's angel appeared to him there and said, “The Lord is with you, brave and mighty man.” Gideon said to him, if I may ask sir, why has all this happened to us if the Lord is with us? God addressed Gideon as a chosen vessel to rescue His people hence God said, the Lord is with you but Gideon said if the Lord is with us why this why that. The Lord then ordered him, “Go in this thy might to rescue Israel from the Midianites. I myself am sending you” (Judges 6:11-14) Gideon was surprised and he said to the angel, you must be joking, may be you are taking me to be one of the Midianites terrorizing this town. I am unfit for what you are saying and sending me to do. If you say this during the time of our forefathers when God was doing wonders, I will agree with you. Do I have strength? Don't you see what is happening to us? God is always looking for the unfit to make them fit for His mission. In Exodus 3:10-12, Moses behaved the way Gideon behaved when God sent him to the King of Egypt “I am nobody”. He said (Exodus 3:11) God needs Gideons today to ask him, why is what is happening in this country today happening in our time? What happened to the testimonies we use to hear about Nigeria our country? Somebody in this generation is anointed and empowered for a mission like Gideon.
Gideon was an agent of change. He had a divine purpose in life but he did not know it until the Lord discovered it. If the Lord did not discover Gideon in his generation, the grave would have buried his talents and power. So we have great men and women who died with their talents and potentials unutilized for God and mankind. After Gideon's encounter with the angel of God, he made a covenant with God and started on his mission immediately starting from his fathers evil altar. He pulled down the altar of Baal and replaced it with the altar of the Lord. Gideon went forth with the might of God to subdue the Midiantes and Amorites, thereby bringing victory and confidence to the land. Dignity and peace returned to his people after his battles.
When Gideon's people were loyal to the gods of the Midianites and sacrificed to the altar of Baal, the Midianites subdued them and they went into caves to hide. Many Christian are in caves today because of the situation at hand. How long are Christians going to remain in caves when Jesus has already given us freedom. Christians must come out of their caves to join with God's army and walk in holiness and obedience to God's word to defend the faith and the truth of the gospel.
Braise up for action as the year runs to an end, for God speared your life in this 2010 for a purpose. You are the Gideon of your family, Church, town, school and this generation. Go in this thy might for the Lord is with you.
CHRISTMAS; A SEASON OF JOY AND HOPE - Chioma Agboh
Christmas is here again, when Christians commemorate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ who for the love of mankind, left all the splendour and glory of His heavenly throne to be born of a Virgin in a manger. The joy of Christmas for us Catholics especially, is not in the feasting, show-off of affluence or the holiday break that comes along with it, but the fact that God so loves us to allow His only son to come to the world in human form, dwelled among men and experienced all the daily struggles in life; all because He the creator of the universe, LOVES US!
Yes! This is our joy, confidence and even the foundation of our faith that He loved us first even while we were still wallowing in sin. This gives us the hope that God has good thoughts towards us and as His redeemed children, there is nothing we shall ask of that He will not give to us. As joint heirs and brethren of Jesus, we ought to exhibit traits of His life in us to the ignorant as we celebrate Christmas, we should let the joy of Christ in us radiate to others through our dealing with them and in our words; evangelization of all forms must be our watch word.
Also, we should endeavour to give others hope this Christmas, let them know that Jesus the reason for the season can take care of all their challenges and trials if they can only believe, trust in Him and allow Him to take over. More, there are so many depressed, lonely and troubled people all around us even in the Church who needs a shoulder to lean on and a listening ear to pour out their tales of woes to; you can be that shoulder and ear to your brother and sister to make them know that they are not alone and Jesus was born just to make them smile again.
More, we can't claim to know Christ if in this festive period there is someone we know who is unable to feed or cloth his or her self or family, when we have a spare. Make them have a feel of the season by sharing what we have with them; that poor family down the street, the old woman who cannot help herself, the little boy or girl who needs a family to visit and play with should not be ignored or looked down on as they also are the reasons Jesus was born.
Even as we do all these, we must also be security conscious so as not to give the devil a chance to spoil our joy. Parents should strictly warn their children against the use of knock-outs during this festive period especially in places of worship, as it is a sign of disrespect to our king whose birthday we commemorate.
Besides, young girls should mind their mode of dressing, desist from clothings that do little to cover their bodies and should try as much as they can to limit late outings that will make them board bikes, as the issue of rape of young girls by some unscrupulous bike men is on the rise. To be warned is to be armed.
As we do all these, may our joy and hope remain firm in the new born king and may the peace that the season brings fill our hearts and homes, Amen.
Yes! This is our joy, confidence and even the foundation of our faith that He loved us first even while we were still wallowing in sin. This gives us the hope that God has good thoughts towards us and as His redeemed children, there is nothing we shall ask of that He will not give to us. As joint heirs and brethren of Jesus, we ought to exhibit traits of His life in us to the ignorant as we celebrate Christmas, we should let the joy of Christ in us radiate to others through our dealing with them and in our words; evangelization of all forms must be our watch word.
Also, we should endeavour to give others hope this Christmas, let them know that Jesus the reason for the season can take care of all their challenges and trials if they can only believe, trust in Him and allow Him to take over. More, there are so many depressed, lonely and troubled people all around us even in the Church who needs a shoulder to lean on and a listening ear to pour out their tales of woes to; you can be that shoulder and ear to your brother and sister to make them know that they are not alone and Jesus was born just to make them smile again.
More, we can't claim to know Christ if in this festive period there is someone we know who is unable to feed or cloth his or her self or family, when we have a spare. Make them have a feel of the season by sharing what we have with them; that poor family down the street, the old woman who cannot help herself, the little boy or girl who needs a family to visit and play with should not be ignored or looked down on as they also are the reasons Jesus was born.
Even as we do all these, we must also be security conscious so as not to give the devil a chance to spoil our joy. Parents should strictly warn their children against the use of knock-outs during this festive period especially in places of worship, as it is a sign of disrespect to our king whose birthday we commemorate.
Besides, young girls should mind their mode of dressing, desist from clothings that do little to cover their bodies and should try as much as they can to limit late outings that will make them board bikes, as the issue of rape of young girls by some unscrupulous bike men is on the rise. To be warned is to be armed.
As we do all these, may our joy and hope remain firm in the new born king and may the peace that the season brings fill our hearts and homes, Amen.
CHRISTMAS IS CHRIST'S MISSION - Most Rev. (Dr.) Gabriel G. Dunia
Lo, I have come to do thy will O God” (Hebrews 10:7; Cf. Psalm 40:8). The INCARNATION, this is, the union of the human nature and the divine nature (the WORD becoming man as well as God) in the one person of Jesus Christ in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary, has meaning solely in the complete WILL of the Most Blessed Trinity. The word was sent by the Father in complete obedience of the Son (who is the word) by the power of the Holy Spirit. Consequent upon the complete obedience of the word to the will of the Father by the power of the Holy Spirit, the incarnation and the subsequent birth of Christ became a reality. It is his Will of the Father in complete obedience of thy Son by the power of the Holy Spirit which the Blessed Virgin Mary in her Most unreserved humility consented to when she exclaimed; “fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum” Let it be to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38) which is simply: fiat voluntatuam = they will be done. Here, the fullness of the Grace of the ALL INVOLVING PARTICIPATION of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the total fulfillment of the WILL or MISSION of the Most Blessed Trinity is unequivocally made manifest.
Thy will be done is the essence of the birth, that is, the coming of Christ as man into the world. Christ's birth is Christ's Mission otherwise referred to as Christmas. Christ the word of God and God Himself became flesh to be born solely in order to fully execute the WILL of the Most Blessed Trinity. This will of the Most Blessed Trinity is the total salvation of the world from eternal Damnation. This is the Mass, the Mission which through Christ, with Christ and in Christ, in the full unity of the power of the Holy Spirit, has been achieved by all means to the glory of God the Father.
THE MASS IS THE MISSION.
The word mission is from the Latin word missio meaning a sending forth, the act of being sent. The English word, Mass, originates from the word mission. Hence, at the end of the celebration of the mission of Christ, the Holy Mass of Christ, in which the life and sacrificial death of Jesus Christ on mount Calvary for the salvation of the world is re-enacted, all are enjoined to go in peace to live and carry what has been packed, given and authorized so that the individuals can and should now go out and spread or distribute that eternal and infinite gift of God to all and sundry. In other words, the mass is ended means the at packaging of the mission (Mass), that is, all that the sending forth entails, has been well put in place and therefore all those who are authorized to receive the package are to do so and allow themselves to be sent and do the WILL of the one who has sent them.
NO CHRIST WITHOUT MASS AS NO MASS WITHOUT SACRIFICE.
Christ is the author and finisher of both the true Mass and the true Sacrifice. He is truly the vine and all others are branches. For this reason, it ought to, normally, be more logical to say that no mass without Christ. Yet, the reasoning here is that the appearance (the INCARNATION) of Christ at all should necessarily denote first, “Mission” or “Mass” before it should be seen as connoting the same. With this understanding, it is contradictory for anyone to claim the possession of Christ without the celebration of, and participation in the Holy Mass (Holy Mission) of Christ. In other words, anyone who consciously or unconsciously excludes the Holy Mass, which is the Mission of Christ, from his life, belief and worship excludes Christ entirely, for Christ Himself has made this abundantly clear when he states: “and he who does not take (up) has cross and follow me is not worthy of me” (Matthew 10:38). “He who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). Manete in dilectione mea = remain in my love (John 15:9). No one can actually claim to remain in THE love of Christ and indeed in Christ himself if the person excludes the Mass (Mission) of Christ which is his suffering and sacrificial death on the cross of Calvary for the salvation of the world.
MISSIONARIES ARE NOT MERCENARIES
Missionaries are not mercenaries. Missionaries follow strictly the mandate of their master, Jesus Christ, the Lord who commanded the apostles specifically and all his followers in general to: “God therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all I have commanded you, and lo, I am with you always to the close of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20).
How are the missionaries supposed to conduct themselves? The missionaries are to avoid the running after earthly possessions for personal gains (cf. Mark 6:8; Luke 10:4; Matthew 10:9). It is not part of the missionaries' mission to be trouble makers especially engaging in trading and such like business for personal gains (cf. Luke 10:4; 12:15). It is a missionary spirit and culture to accept and take only what is given to the missionary (cf. Luke 12:7). It is the missionary spirit to bring healing, that is the message of salvation to all and sundry (cf. Luke 10:9). The missionary is always ready and willing to do good, build and salvage the good name of the Church not destroying and savaging it even if he has to die (cf. Luke 23:10-21).
“The mercenaries on the other hand are paid workers. They are only interested in money. They are ready to do anything provided they get whatever they want not minding about whether their actions are right or wrong or about the effects of the actions on other people. It is the culture and spirit of mercenaries to look for every available opportunity to loot and destroy. With this understanding, it will not be too difficult to distinguish between missionaries and mercenaries among the worker in the Lord's vineyard.
As we celebrate the two thousand and ten (2010) Christmas. Let us be mindful of the will of our Almighty God for the whole world and be committed to pursuing and fulfilling that WILL to the fullest for the salvation of the whole world and the glory of God come what may. Amen.
Thy will be done is the essence of the birth, that is, the coming of Christ as man into the world. Christ's birth is Christ's Mission otherwise referred to as Christmas. Christ the word of God and God Himself became flesh to be born solely in order to fully execute the WILL of the Most Blessed Trinity. This will of the Most Blessed Trinity is the total salvation of the world from eternal Damnation. This is the Mass, the Mission which through Christ, with Christ and in Christ, in the full unity of the power of the Holy Spirit, has been achieved by all means to the glory of God the Father.
THE MASS IS THE MISSION.
The word mission is from the Latin word missio meaning a sending forth, the act of being sent. The English word, Mass, originates from the word mission. Hence, at the end of the celebration of the mission of Christ, the Holy Mass of Christ, in which the life and sacrificial death of Jesus Christ on mount Calvary for the salvation of the world is re-enacted, all are enjoined to go in peace to live and carry what has been packed, given and authorized so that the individuals can and should now go out and spread or distribute that eternal and infinite gift of God to all and sundry. In other words, the mass is ended means the at packaging of the mission (Mass), that is, all that the sending forth entails, has been well put in place and therefore all those who are authorized to receive the package are to do so and allow themselves to be sent and do the WILL of the one who has sent them.
NO CHRIST WITHOUT MASS AS NO MASS WITHOUT SACRIFICE.
Christ is the author and finisher of both the true Mass and the true Sacrifice. He is truly the vine and all others are branches. For this reason, it ought to, normally, be more logical to say that no mass without Christ. Yet, the reasoning here is that the appearance (the INCARNATION) of Christ at all should necessarily denote first, “Mission” or “Mass” before it should be seen as connoting the same. With this understanding, it is contradictory for anyone to claim the possession of Christ without the celebration of, and participation in the Holy Mass (Holy Mission) of Christ. In other words, anyone who consciously or unconsciously excludes the Holy Mass, which is the Mission of Christ, from his life, belief and worship excludes Christ entirely, for Christ Himself has made this abundantly clear when he states: “and he who does not take (up) has cross and follow me is not worthy of me” (Matthew 10:38). “He who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). Manete in dilectione mea = remain in my love (John 15:9). No one can actually claim to remain in THE love of Christ and indeed in Christ himself if the person excludes the Mass (Mission) of Christ which is his suffering and sacrificial death on the cross of Calvary for the salvation of the world.
MISSIONARIES ARE NOT MERCENARIES
Missionaries are not mercenaries. Missionaries follow strictly the mandate of their master, Jesus Christ, the Lord who commanded the apostles specifically and all his followers in general to: “God therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all I have commanded you, and lo, I am with you always to the close of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20).
How are the missionaries supposed to conduct themselves? The missionaries are to avoid the running after earthly possessions for personal gains (cf. Mark 6:8; Luke 10:4; Matthew 10:9). It is not part of the missionaries' mission to be trouble makers especially engaging in trading and such like business for personal gains (cf. Luke 10:4; 12:15). It is a missionary spirit and culture to accept and take only what is given to the missionary (cf. Luke 12:7). It is the missionary spirit to bring healing, that is the message of salvation to all and sundry (cf. Luke 10:9). The missionary is always ready and willing to do good, build and salvage the good name of the Church not destroying and savaging it even if he has to die (cf. Luke 23:10-21).
“The mercenaries on the other hand are paid workers. They are only interested in money. They are ready to do anything provided they get whatever they want not minding about whether their actions are right or wrong or about the effects of the actions on other people. It is the culture and spirit of mercenaries to look for every available opportunity to loot and destroy. With this understanding, it will not be too difficult to distinguish between missionaries and mercenaries among the worker in the Lord's vineyard.
As we celebrate the two thousand and ten (2010) Christmas. Let us be mindful of the will of our Almighty God for the whole world and be committed to pursuing and fulfilling that WILL to the fullest for the salvation of the whole world and the glory of God come what may. Amen.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
MARRIAGE IS GOD'S GIFT TO MAN - FR. GOMINAH
Christians have been advised to treasurer their marriages and to make faithfulness to their spouses their watchword, as the institution of marriage is a gift of God to man, which is sacred and should not be toiled with.
This advise was given recently by the immediate past rector of St. Paul Catholic Church Iyerekhu Rev. Fr. Sylvester Gominah, while giving a homily at the holy solemnization of matrimony between Mr Daniel Aigberua (Son of the diocesan laity correspondent, Mr Sylvester Aigberua) and former Miss Patricia Okpalla.
Continuing, Rev. Fr. Gominah reiterated that God instituted marriage and did not make a mistake when he created woman for man from his rib to be a help mate, thereby making the institution perfect and sacred so that they can be co-creator with Him when they procreate.
The Rector pointed out that in marriage, the couple is no longer two but one, who has been called into the service of God to bring up children that will glorify the Lord and make a home that will help to evangelize Christ to the unsaved, show them the idea home that God intends for all, so that the society can be a happy and safe place for all.
However, Fr. Gominah lamented that some people do not have regard for this perfect gift of God and have turned it to a social activity with no thought or place for God in their homes, which has led to the high increase of divorce cases and unruly and disobedient children who torment their parents and all around them.
More, the priest called on all to endeavour to make Christ the centre of their relationships instead of lust, stressing that it is when relationships are dedicated to God that the love of God can radiate around it and produce good fruits that will serve as points of reference of God's blessing.
Admonishing the newly wed, Fr. Gominah charged them to cultivate the habit of constant communication, modesty, godly character, praying and eating together and to endeavour to shun all third parties in their home affairs, if they are to have a successful married life, while praying for grace to be faithful to one another, love, bring forth godly children and good health of mind and body.
Highpoint of the ceremony was a joyful thanksgiving procession to the altar by the new wed accompanied by family members, friends, well wishers and parishioners.
Christians have been advised to treasurer their marriages and to make faithfulness to their spouses their watchword, as the institution of marriage is a gift of God to man, which is sacred and should not be toiled with.
This advise was given recently by the immediate past rector of St. Paul Catholic Church Iyerekhu Rev. Fr. Sylvester Gominah, while giving a homily at the holy solemnization of matrimony between Mr Daniel Aigberua (Son of the diocesan laity correspondent, Mr Sylvester Aigberua) and former Miss Patricia Okpalla.
Continuing, Rev. Fr. Gominah reiterated that God instituted marriage and did not make a mistake when he created woman for man from his rib to be a help mate, thereby making the institution perfect and sacred so that they can be co-creator with Him when they procreate.
The Rector pointed out that in marriage, the couple is no longer two but one, who has been called into the service of God to bring up children that will glorify the Lord and make a home that will help to evangelize Christ to the unsaved, show them the idea home that God intends for all, so that the society can be a happy and safe place for all.
However, Fr. Gominah lamented that some people do not have regard for this perfect gift of God and have turned it to a social activity with no thought or place for God in their homes, which has led to the high increase of divorce cases and unruly and disobedient children who torment their parents and all around them.
More, the priest called on all to endeavour to make Christ the centre of their relationships instead of lust, stressing that it is when relationships are dedicated to God that the love of God can radiate around it and produce good fruits that will serve as points of reference of God's blessing.
Admonishing the newly wed, Fr. Gominah charged them to cultivate the habit of constant communication, modesty, godly character, praying and eating together and to endeavour to shun all third parties in their home affairs, if they are to have a successful married life, while praying for grace to be faithful to one another, love, bring forth godly children and good health of mind and body.
Highpoint of the ceremony was a joyful thanksgiving procession to the altar by the new wed accompanied by family members, friends, well wishers and parishioners.
RELATIONSHIP OF YOUTHS TO BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
By Rev. Fr. Ferdinand Okafor
One of the problems in the Catholic Church today that requires urgent attention, is the decline in the devotion to Mary among the youths. Mary played an important role in the history of salvation. It is worrisome to observe that the talk about Mary as well as devotion to her is considered boring or irrelevant by the present day youth. Most youths no longer participate in the recitation of the rosary whether in the Church or at home. They see the praying of the rosary as well as the devotion to Mary as the prayer for the aged. This problem bothers the mind of many traditional Catholics and the question that follows is: what is the way out? But before discussing the way out of this problem, we must be certain of those that are concerned in this matter: that is, the youths.
It is difficult to say exactly who the youths are. There are various opinions as regards those that can be regarded as youths. In the Catholic Church, the age is not really defined. The Code of Canon Law only defines those who are minor: that is anybody who has not completed the eighteenth year of age, while anybody that has completed the eighteenth year of age is regarded as major (Can. 97 $ 1). The Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary describes youth as a period of time when someone is young: that is, the stage between childhood and adulthood. Some people regard youth as a boy or girl who is a teenager: that is from the ages of 13 to 19. In all however, youth is a period of physical growth and development from puberty to maturity. It is, the period of adolescence.
The problem with the youths of today is that they like spontaneous prayers that give little or no room for meditation. This is a resultant effect of the kind of society that we are living in. In a society where people prefer noise of all kinds to quietness, this kind of attitude is bound to occur. Most youths today, dread silence. They do not appreciate the value of silence. Little wonder then that most youths are no longer creative and their ability to retain ideas is low too.
The way out of this problem could be to organize a cultural revival among the youths which will focus on forming the youths to imbibe the value of silence and meditation. Youths need to develop love for the Blessed Virgin Mary and learn from her what it means to ponder on the word of God. Mary is a perfect example of true discipleship and a model for all who desire to live a contemplative life. Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary has its appropriate point of reference in Christ. It helps us to contemplate the works of Christ in the salvation of mankind and to love him in turn. The Church rightly honours the Blessed Virgin with special devotion. From the most ancient times, the Blessed Virgin has been honoured with the title: Mother of God, to whose protection the faithful fly in all their dangers and needs.
The devotion that is given to the Blessed Virgin Mary differs essentially from the adoration which is given to the incarnate word and equally to the Father and the Holy Spirit (Lumen Gentium, n. 66). In honouring the Blessed Virgin Mary, God is adored and glorified. When we contemplate on the virtues of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we easily call to mind Our Lord Jesus Christ and His salvific work. In promoting devotion of the Blessed Virgin Mary, certain attitudes of piety which are incorrect such as exaggeration of content and form which even falsifies doctrine as well as the small-mindedness which obscures the figure and mission of Mary must be avoided. It is necessary to avoid a one-sided presentation of the figure of Mary, which by overstressing one element compromises the overall picture given by the Gospel. Every unworthy self-interest is to be carefully banned from the area of what is sacred.
Mary is not only an example for the whole Church in the exercise of divine worship, but she is also, clearly, a teacher of the spiritual life for individual Christians. The faithful are to look up to her and imitate her in making their lives an act of worship of God and their worship a commitment of their lives. As St. Ambrose rightly stated, we need to have the spirit of Mary in order to glorify God and proclaim the greatness of the Lord. Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary gives Christians an opportunity to grow in divine grace and motivates them to cultivate theological virtues of faith, hope and love, as well as other virtues that characterized the Blessed Virgin Mary. These virtues include humility, meditation, prayerfulness (cf. Acts 1:12-14); her fortitude in exile (cf. Mt. 2:13-23) and in suffering (cf. Lk. 2:34-35, 49; Jn. 19:25); her poverty reflecting dignity and trust in God (cf. Lk. 1:48, 2:24); her attentive care for her Son, from His humble birth to the ignominy of the cross (cf. Lk.2:1-7; Jn. 19:25-27); her delicate forethought (cf. Jn. 2:1-11); her virginal purity (cf. Mt. 1:18-25; Lk. 1:26-38); her strong and chaste married love. These virtues of the Mother will also adorn her children who steadfastly study her example in order to reflect it in their own lives.
It is impossible to honour the Blessed Virgin Mary who is “full of grace” (Lk. 1:28) without thereby cultivating in oneself the state of grace, which is friendship with God, communion with Him and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. It is this divine grace which takes possession of the whole man and conforms him to the image of the Son of God (cf. Rom. 8:29; Col. 1:18). (n. 57, Marialis Cultus Pope Paul VI).
Devotion to the Blessed Virgin is an aspect of Christian worship (Lk. 1:48). We express our devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary through the celebration of the liturgical feasts dedicated to the Mother of God and Marian prayer, such as the rosary, which is an “epitmo of the whole Gospel”, that expresses this devotion to the Virgin Mary. We therefore need to take these devotions seriously by participating actively in them.
By Rev. Fr. Ferdinand Okafor
One of the problems in the Catholic Church today that requires urgent attention, is the decline in the devotion to Mary among the youths. Mary played an important role in the history of salvation. It is worrisome to observe that the talk about Mary as well as devotion to her is considered boring or irrelevant by the present day youth. Most youths no longer participate in the recitation of the rosary whether in the Church or at home. They see the praying of the rosary as well as the devotion to Mary as the prayer for the aged. This problem bothers the mind of many traditional Catholics and the question that follows is: what is the way out? But before discussing the way out of this problem, we must be certain of those that are concerned in this matter: that is, the youths.
It is difficult to say exactly who the youths are. There are various opinions as regards those that can be regarded as youths. In the Catholic Church, the age is not really defined. The Code of Canon Law only defines those who are minor: that is anybody who has not completed the eighteenth year of age, while anybody that has completed the eighteenth year of age is regarded as major (Can. 97 $ 1). The Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary describes youth as a period of time when someone is young: that is, the stage between childhood and adulthood. Some people regard youth as a boy or girl who is a teenager: that is from the ages of 13 to 19. In all however, youth is a period of physical growth and development from puberty to maturity. It is, the period of adolescence.
The problem with the youths of today is that they like spontaneous prayers that give little or no room for meditation. This is a resultant effect of the kind of society that we are living in. In a society where people prefer noise of all kinds to quietness, this kind of attitude is bound to occur. Most youths today, dread silence. They do not appreciate the value of silence. Little wonder then that most youths are no longer creative and their ability to retain ideas is low too.
The way out of this problem could be to organize a cultural revival among the youths which will focus on forming the youths to imbibe the value of silence and meditation. Youths need to develop love for the Blessed Virgin Mary and learn from her what it means to ponder on the word of God. Mary is a perfect example of true discipleship and a model for all who desire to live a contemplative life. Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary has its appropriate point of reference in Christ. It helps us to contemplate the works of Christ in the salvation of mankind and to love him in turn. The Church rightly honours the Blessed Virgin with special devotion. From the most ancient times, the Blessed Virgin has been honoured with the title: Mother of God, to whose protection the faithful fly in all their dangers and needs.
The devotion that is given to the Blessed Virgin Mary differs essentially from the adoration which is given to the incarnate word and equally to the Father and the Holy Spirit (Lumen Gentium, n. 66). In honouring the Blessed Virgin Mary, God is adored and glorified. When we contemplate on the virtues of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we easily call to mind Our Lord Jesus Christ and His salvific work. In promoting devotion of the Blessed Virgin Mary, certain attitudes of piety which are incorrect such as exaggeration of content and form which even falsifies doctrine as well as the small-mindedness which obscures the figure and mission of Mary must be avoided. It is necessary to avoid a one-sided presentation of the figure of Mary, which by overstressing one element compromises the overall picture given by the Gospel. Every unworthy self-interest is to be carefully banned from the area of what is sacred.
Mary is not only an example for the whole Church in the exercise of divine worship, but she is also, clearly, a teacher of the spiritual life for individual Christians. The faithful are to look up to her and imitate her in making their lives an act of worship of God and their worship a commitment of their lives. As St. Ambrose rightly stated, we need to have the spirit of Mary in order to glorify God and proclaim the greatness of the Lord. Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary gives Christians an opportunity to grow in divine grace and motivates them to cultivate theological virtues of faith, hope and love, as well as other virtues that characterized the Blessed Virgin Mary. These virtues include humility, meditation, prayerfulness (cf. Acts 1:12-14); her fortitude in exile (cf. Mt. 2:13-23) and in suffering (cf. Lk. 2:34-35, 49; Jn. 19:25); her poverty reflecting dignity and trust in God (cf. Lk. 1:48, 2:24); her attentive care for her Son, from His humble birth to the ignominy of the cross (cf. Lk.2:1-7; Jn. 19:25-27); her delicate forethought (cf. Jn. 2:1-11); her virginal purity (cf. Mt. 1:18-25; Lk. 1:26-38); her strong and chaste married love. These virtues of the Mother will also adorn her children who steadfastly study her example in order to reflect it in their own lives.
It is impossible to honour the Blessed Virgin Mary who is “full of grace” (Lk. 1:28) without thereby cultivating in oneself the state of grace, which is friendship with God, communion with Him and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. It is this divine grace which takes possession of the whole man and conforms him to the image of the Son of God (cf. Rom. 8:29; Col. 1:18). (n. 57, Marialis Cultus Pope Paul VI).
Devotion to the Blessed Virgin is an aspect of Christian worship (Lk. 1:48). We express our devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary through the celebration of the liturgical feasts dedicated to the Mother of God and Marian prayer, such as the rosary, which is an “epitmo of the whole Gospel”, that expresses this devotion to the Virgin Mary. We therefore need to take these devotions seriously by participating actively in them.
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