Catholics In Nigeria

Wonderful Words of Life: Sunday, 14th of Sept., 2025. The Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross.
📜Num. 21:4-9; Ps 78:1-2,34-38; Phil. 2:6-11; Jn 3:13-17

Theme: Hail the Holy Cross, our only hope.

“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.” (Jn 3:14-15)

We celebrate today the triumph of the cross, the wood of the cross on which Jesus died. We celebrate a symbol of our faith. The public veneration of the Holy Cross dates back to the fourth century when St Helen, mother of Emperor Constantine, discovered it in Jerusalem. The Israelites, on their way to the promised land, lost all hope in God and Moses and began to complain. They wanted freedom without wilderness; they wanted liberation without suffering. They forgot so soon how God delivered them from Egypt. God sent a fiery serpent to bite them. The serpent brought sense to them, and they pleaded for mercy.

God asked Moses to make a bronze or brazen serpent and erect it. So that all those who look on it in faith shall be saved. Indeed, the cross was a sign of healing. Christ in the gospel makes allusion to what Moses did in the wilderness, that as Moses lifted up the serpent, so shall the son of man be lifted up the cross. When I am lifted up the cross, all who believe in me may have eternal life. The cross becomes a way of life; a lifestyle for us, Christians. Christ willingly accepted to die on the cross. Yes! He embraced suffering for our sake. He carried the load of sin; he was stung for our sake. God did not allow the Israelites to die in the wilderness, but he allowed his only begotten Son to die on the cross. God became vulnerable for us, died a shameful death, not a natural death, but God turns it around for our God.

Beloved, the cross is a symbol and a mystery of our faith. The evil could not understand the paradox of the cross. What the evil meant for evil, shame, disgrace, and humiliation God turn it around for our good. We celebrate today, the victory of the cross, our own collective victory. The exaltation of the cross means that whoever embrace it, it becomes a means of triumph for us. God lifts us from sickness, afflictions, pain, sorrow, barrenness, and death . The old rugged cross is now a means of healing. Do not be ashamed of the cross. Put the cross in your homes, offices, shops, and schools, and wear them. The devil is afraid of the cross; the world kicks against the cross display in public places. As we celebrate the victory of the cross, we pray for the grace to reject sin and overcome evil in our lives. Let us not be afraid to suffer with Christ because we, too, will share in his glory.

Lord, we embrace the power of the cross, our hope of salvation. May we cling to this cross all our days. Amen

Happy Sunday and a blessed week ahead*

Fr. Kevwe A. Unuajohwofia, C.Ss.R

NINETEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YR C

Wisdom 18:6-9
Hebrews 11:1-2,8-19
Luke 12:32-48

IS YOUR LAMP OF FAITH STILL BURNING?

The true test of a Christian’s fidelity to God lies in the grace of a persevering faith. The content of the teaching Office of the Church, the magisterium and the sacred tradition that we have today is a product of the unwavering faith of the Church Fathers.

The book of Hebrews tells us that faith is a journey. It is a journey of trust and oath-taking between God and those he called to be his chosen people. God called Abraham to set out for a country he has prepared for him, and he responded with a “leap of faith” without having any idea of his destination. The book of Hebrews will go further to show the unwavering faith of the descendants of Abraham. They lived by faith and died in faith despite the many trials and tribulations that came upon them.

Just like our Fathers in faith, their descendants and the saints all had their faith tested but were unwavering in their trust in God; our faith will be tested as well. Sometimes, we might experience pain, sickness, and even the death of a loved one, we should not lose heart. We should be steadfast in our commitment to God. Through the dark, stormy and cold moments, we should remain faithful to God.

In the Gospel, Jesus tells his disciples to be faithful in their service to God because no one knows the hour that the Son of man will come. The words of Jesus are not meant to frighten us but to encourage us to walk the journey of faith loyally and consistently. In a world where strife, pain, and famine seem to be taking the forefront, people wonder if the hour has come?

Dearly beloved, let us not be too preoccupied with the thought of the imminent coming of the Son of man because he said he will come at a time when we least expect. We should rather focus on the daily opportunities given to us for revival and renewal in our spiritual life. It is my prayer that when the Son of man come in glory, may He find us working for his kingdom like the faithful servants described in the Gospel of today. Amen.

Fr. Michael Eihebhoria, C.Ss.R

*SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, (YEAR C)*

Genesis 18:20-32
Colossians 2:12-14
LUKE 11:1-13

*PRAYER IS A LIFESTYLE AND THE SURE MEANS OF SALVATION*

How does one pray? Is there a set pattern of prayer? For some persons, prayer is a way of communing with God. For others, it is the raising of our hearts to God. We need to understand that prayer is a natural and spontaneous activity. Oftentimes, some people think that prayer is the exclusive reserve of their faith. It is not the case. Prayer cuts across all the various faith groups like Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, African Traditional Religion, and a host of others.

For Christians, prayer is central to our religion. It is the foundation on which our faith is built. St. Alphonsus, a model for a life of prayer wrote in one of his teachings on Prayer that "prayer is the necessary and sure means of obtaining salvation, and all the graces we need to attain it."

As Catholics, prayer should be a lifestyle. We should pray fervently and unceasingly. The disciples of Jesus saw something different about his life of prayer. They saw the intensity and consistency of his life of prayer. They saw his devotion to a life of prayer. They saw the need for solitude and personal prayer. In Mark 1:35, the scripture tells us how Jesus would leave for a lonely place to pray in the very early hours of the morning. His disciples knew that everyday he goes to draw strength from his Father in the early hours of the morning and they needed that strength too. So they asked him to teach them how to pray.

Beloved, let us strive to make prayer a lifestyle. Let us create a lasting relationship with God because he is "Our Father" and we are his adopted sons and daughters by baptism. Let us spend time with Him in prayer. When we spend enough time with Him in prayer; our hearts become one with Him and they create a kind of uniformity of wills. God's will becomes our will, when he wills and as he wills.

It is the will of God that all men be saved and come to share in his life of grace in his kingdom (Heb 10:9). May the Lord make haste to help us as we place all our hopes in Him. Amen.

*Fr Michael Eihebhoria, C.Ss.R.*

*Wonderful Words of Life:* Sunday, 13th of July, 2025. The 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time Yr C.
📜Deut. 30:10-14; Ps 69:13-36; Col. 1:15-20; Lk 10:25-37

Theme: Break boundaries and reach out to the other.

*“But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbour?” (Lk 10:29)*

Today's readings bring us to the heart of a true religion. The first reading from Deuteronomy tells us that true religion involves obedience to the voice of God that invites us to love God with all our hearts, might, and strength. This law of God is not far away in heaven or beyond the sea, but very close to you, and it is in your heart. The law is within and doable. This is what guides our path to eternal life. What is eternal life? John 17:3 "And eternal life is this: to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent." To know God means to live and love as he does. A lawyer came to Jesus to ask him how to achieve eternal life.

Jesus decided to refer the lawyer to the law. What did the law say, lawyer? The lawyer answer was apt as he quoted Leviticus 19:18. The lawyer probe further and asked, "Who is my neighbour? This question set the pace for today's lessons. Jesus gave a story of three persons; priest, levite, and a Samaritan, who met someone that was half-dead beaten by criminals on his way from Jerusalem to Jericho. The priest and levite looked the other way in haste and did nothing, but the Samaritan had compassion and attended to the man and took the extra care to foot his hospital bills. Who is the man's neighbor? The one who cares for him. Jesus ended the gospel by telling the lawyer, "Go and do likewise." (Lk 10:37)

Beloved, who is my neighbour? A neighbour, according to the Jews is someone of the same race, religion, social class, and relative. But Jesus, in today's gospel, gives a radical definition of a neighbour. Anyone who is in need of help. Anyone created in the image and likeness of God. Anyone who needs our attention. Anyone we can access to show love and compassion. We must break away from inherited anger, quarrel, and hostility of our parents and family members to inherit eternal life of Christ. Eternal life means moving from your comfort zones and familiar grounds and showing love to God's creatures. We must learn to break boundaries and reach out to people whom we are not related to. We must learn not to look down on people. You may have your differences in religion, but that should not make us treat people less than who they are. If loving your neighbor means being disloyal to your tradition, then disloyalty itself becomes a virtue. We must treat people with compassion, love, care, dignity, and respect. We have to heal people's wounds and take them to the safe space of love and mercy.

Lord, by your grace, may we be available to our neighbours' needs and care for the vulnerable. Amen

Happy Sunday and a blessed week ahead.

Fr. Kevwe A. Unuajohwofia, C.Ss.R