Call To Love

10-29-2023Weekly ReflectionFr. Anthony Okolo, C.S.Sp, V.F.

The readings of this Sunday, especially the first reading and the gospel, call us to the strong commandment of love. Jesus manifested His love by His death on the Cross to save us from sin and give us new life in God. The crisis experience in various parts of the world today is a result of the failure to heed the commands of Jesus to love. It demands the giving of oneself for the sake of the good of another without counting the cost and without any condition. The commandment of love is what Jesus left for us when he says, “I give you a new commandment love one another as I have loved you.” God is love and to see God in the face of our fellow human being is to live the life of love. In this case our actions towards others are motivated by the spirit of God.

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We Belong To God

10-22-2023Weekly ReflectionFr. Anthony Okolo, C.S.Sp, V.F.

In the first reading from the prophet Isaiah, we see God uses Cyrus, a pagan king, as an instrument to realize the liberation of Israel from the Babylonians. Hence, in Isaiah 45:1 it says, “Thus, says the Lord to his anointed, Cyrus whose right hand I grasp”, and in verse 4, it says “For the sake of Jacob, my servant of Israel my chosen one, I have called you by name, though you knew me not, I am the Lord and there is no other.”

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God Invites Us to a Joyous Banquet

10-15-2023Weekly ReflectionFr. Anthony Okolo, C.S.Sp, V.F.

The story of a marriage feast was not something new. It was also frequently used in the Old Testament. A splendid feast or banquet is a good symbol of joy and happiness, as well as mutual union and love. Even in our own experience we can recall a special dinner at Thanksgiving or Christmas at which everyone enjoys not only the fine food and drink but also the conversation and the feeling of friendship and love. As Jesus told the parable in today’s gospel, the king made elaborate preparations for the dinner and then sent out invitations. To the amazement of the king, some ignored the invitation and went off to attend to business and personal affairs. To the absolute indignation of the king, others rose in rebellion against him and murdered his servants.

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God’s Love

10-08-2023Weekly ReflectionFr. Anthony Okolo, C. S. Sp., V.F.

The first reading and the gospel of today share a common theme in the use of imagery they employed to convey their message. The central imagery shared by both Isaiah and Matthew is that of the vineyard of the Lord. At the same time, the vineyard of the Lord is referred to as the house of Israel. And in each case, the vineyard, instead of producing good fruits, produced wild grapes. According to Isaiah, despite all he did to care for the vineyard on the fertile hillside, planting of the choicest vines, building a watchtower to guard it when he looked for a crop of grapes what it yielded was wild grapes.

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Promise and Commitment

10-01-2023Weekly ReflectionFr. Anthony Okolo, C.S.Sp, V.F.

Ezekiel’s prophesy in the first reading teaches us the possibility of pardon through repentance for one’s accumulated evils, because God glories in forgiving those who turn back to him, and he ardently desires the salvation of all, but also the risk of losing all the good one has done by returning to doing evil. In the second reading Paul writing to Philippians encouraged them to be united and show their love for each other through humility and service. Christ, who is divine, became man to suffer and die for our salvation. No act of humility on our part can ever rival the humiliation of Christ’s suffering and death on the Cross. Christ willingly took on the role of a servant and allowed himself to be crucified for our sake even though he was innocent of any sin. Then in the gospel of Matthew the parable teaches us that promises can never take the place of performance and fine words are never a substitute for fine deeds.

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God’s Abundant Mercy and Care Will Provide What is Enough for Each Person

09-24-2023Weekly ReflectionFr. Anthony Okolo, C.S.Sp, V.F.

In the first reading from the prophecy of Isaiah, he makes a clarion call to each one of us to seek the Lord while he is near and to forsake our wrong ways and embrace the mercy of God. The tone of this invitation manifests a sense of urgency to take the opportunity we may have now and come back to God with a true conversion of heart. The reason for the sense of urgency is evident because the reality of death recalls that life is fleeting and therefore, our days to live a Holy life are finite.

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Forgive One Another

09-17-2023Weekly ReflectionFr. Anthony Okolo, C.S.Sp, V.F.

The book of Sirach tells us today “Forgive your neighbor the wrong he has done, and then your sins will be pardoned when you pray” while the responsorial psalm, says “Bless the Lord…who forgives all your iniquity.” While the gospel reports of Peter’s question to Jesus how many times my brother will offend me that I forgive him. Should I forgive seven times? What Peter is getting at is that everything must have an end at some point, even forgiving as well. Jesus is his response says, if you want to draw limit to forgiving, then God will also limit his mercy.

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Seek Better Relationship with God and Your Neighbor

09-10-2023Weekly ReflectionFr. Anthony Okolo, C.S.Sp, V.F.

According to William Barclay, today’s gospel passage is one of the most difficult passages to interpret in the whole of Matthew’s gospel. Part of the reason may be because it has to do with open and social confrontations and many cultures try, as much as possible, to avoid confrontation. The first message Jesus teaches us in this gospel is that we should not delay in reconciling with any person we have issues with. If anyone has anything against you, spare no effort to get things right again between the two of you. Basically, it means that we must never tolerate any situation in which there is a breach of personal relationship between us and another member of the church. If anyone offends us there is only one way to settle it, face to face talk. Not talking over your broken relationship is very dangerous and can destroy your peace of heart.

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Follow Me with Your Cross

09-03-2023Weekly ReflectionFr. Anthony Okolo, C.S.Sp, V.F.

In 2005, in a certain remote village a man encouraged two of his children to go for evening Catechism classes and adoration in the church. The elder one was about twelve years while the younger was four or five years old. It had rained heavily that afternoon and there was a great flood. When the catechism and adoration were over the two kids made their way back home. Because of the flood the older boy carried the younger one on his back. Suddenly the shoe of the small one fell in one of the flowing waters. The older one dropped the small one on the sidewalk and went back to pick up the shoe, and immediately the flood carried him, and he hit his head on something and died there. The father on hearing the news went straight to the priest and asked the priest where God was when my son who came for adoration and catechism died in the flood. The priest not knowing what to answer only responded that God was where He was when His son Jesus died on the cross.

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Who is Jesus for You

08-27-2023Weekly ReflectionFr. Anthony Okolo, C.S.Sp, V.F.

The first reading from the book of Isaiah paints a picture of what was going on towards the end of Isaiah’s prophecy. Thus says the Lord to Shebna, master of the palace, “I will thrust you from your office and pull you down from your station.” Shebna was meant to be a steward in the royal palace but suddenly, he began to see himself as a king forgetting his position as a steward. In his arrogant behavior God speaks through Isaiah that he would pull him down from his office and get Eliakim to take over whom he will elevate to be a father to many inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. There are times when many people forget that they are mere servants or instruments in God’s hands. Some even tend to arrogate themselves to the position of God. Many others forget that without God all their accomplishments in life would not have been possible. The message of Isaiah in today’s first reading calls for true humility recognizing our position as God’s children.

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Persistence and Never Give Up Searching for God

08-20-2023Weekly ReflectionFr. Anthony Okolo, C.S.Sp, V.F.

Today’s gospel presents us with the story of a Canaanite woman who seeks Jesus’ help for her daughter who is under demonic influence. Jesus’ response and the woman’s faith challenge us on how to respond when we seek God’s assistance in moments of need, trial, and difficulty.

This woman’s love for her sick child of demonic influence is profound as this compels her to take the misery of her child as her own misery. The love she has for her child is a true reflection of God’s love for us, His children. God makes our own misery His own and takes our challenges upon Himself. It is because of this love that made her suffer the rebuffs and insults from the hand of Jesus. It was love which made her accept the silence from Jesus without minding; it was love which made her approach Jesus even when she knew within herself that she was not qualified being a non-Jew. So, we can say that love for her child was the driving force in her heart and there is nothing stronger than this deep love in her heart for her child. In this way, it is this love that our Lord Jesus has for us His children which made Him suffer the agony of the cross and finally gave His life for us.

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Do Not Be Afraid

08-13-2023Weekly ReflectionFr. Anthony Okolo, C.S.Sp, V.F.

Today’s liturgy assures that Jesus is with us even when the storms of life try to hit from different sides. We should focus our eyes on Jesus who always comes to our aid. We should not only turn to him when we are in need or when we are in big trouble but should always go to him at every time as a child goes to the mother all the time. Let us not forget that Jesus awaits for us to come to him with our joys, sorrows, challenges, fears and troubles.

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Jesus is the Messiah

08-06-2023Weekly ReflectionFr. Anthony Okolo, C.S.Sp, V.F.

“The Transfiguration reflects Christ’s divinity in an extra ordinary way. Just as at His baptism, the voice of his Father was heard calling Christ his ‘beloved son’. Moses and Elijah both encountered God on a holy mountain and represent the Law and the prophets. Christ at the center of the three indicates He is the center of the Revelation.”

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