Charles Nyameh

21/04/2025

Gratias 🙏

21/04/2025

🙏 🙏

24/07/2024

16/07/2024

Please say a prayer for me. It is my 19th Priestly anniversary! Thank God for all his mercies and thanks to all the people of God who have been our support and guide all along!

26/06/2024

Big shout out to my newest top fans! 💎 Daniel James, John Loveth, Neil Dave, Akor Mathew Usman

Drop a comment to welcome them to our community, fans

20/06/2024

SILENT PRAYERS BY THE PRIEST, BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER THE HOLY MASS: COMPILED BY REV. FR. CHARLES NYAMEH!

This is an attempt to take you through the silent prayers the Priest says, before, during and after the mass. This is so as to expose the depth of preparation; the sincerity of penitence and the ever consciousness of God as the Priest celebrates this sublime Sacrifice. How I wish that all those who attend Mass could also be this prepared, penitent and conscious throughout the celebration!

VESTING PRAYERS:

AMICE: Before the Priest wears the amice, he says this prayer, "LORD SET THE HELMET OF SALVATION ON MY HEAD TO FEND OFF ALL THE ASSAULTS OF THE DEVIL."

ALB: before the priest wears the alb; the long white garment he says this prayer, “PURIFY ME LORD AND CLEANSE MY HEART SO THAT WASHED IN THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB I MAY ENJOY ETERNAL BLISS”.

CINTURE/ GIRDLE: before the priest puts on the cincture he says this prayer, “LORD GIRD ME ABOUT WITH THE CINTURE OF PURITY AND ESTINGUISH MY FLESHY DESIRES, THAT THE VIRTUES OF CONTINENCE AND CHASTITY MAY ABIDE WITHIN ME”.

STOLE: before the priest wears the Stole he says this prayer, “LORD RESTORE THE STOLE OF IMMORTALITY WHICH I LOST THROUGH THE COLLUSION OF OUR FIRST PARENTS, AND AS UNWORTHY AS I AM TO WEAR THIS SACRED VESTMENT, MAY I YET GAIN ETERNAL LIFE”.

CHASUBLE: before the priest wears this last vestment for Mass he says this prayer, “LORD YOU SAID MY YOKE IS EASY AND MY BURDEN LIGHT, GRANT THAT I MAY BE ABLE TO WEAR THIS VESTMENT SO AS TO OBTAIN YOUR GRACE”.

PRAYER BEOFRE MASS: This prayer is said by the priest along with the other ministers who serve or read at Mass; it varies from one parish to the other, but this is one version:

PRAYER BEOFRE MASS

LEADER: OUR HELP IS IN THE NAME OF THE LORD……….
ALL: WHO MADE HEAVEN AND EARTH

ALL: OH LORD, AS WE ARE ABOUT TO SERVE YOU AND YOUR PEOPLE, WE BEG YOU IN YOUR MERCY, TO PURIFY US FROM ALL OUR DEFILEMENTS, SO THAT OUR WORSHIP MAY BE PLEASING TO YOU, AND OUR PRAYERS FIND FAVOUR IN YOUR SIDE. WE MAKE THIS PRAYER THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. AMEN

SILENT PRAYERS DURING THE MASS:

1. Before the Priest reads the Gospel, he bows to the Altar and says this prayer silently, “CLEANSE MY HEART AND MY LIPS, ALMIGHTY GOD, THAT I MAY WORTHILY PROCLAIM YOUR HOLY GOSPEL”.

2. After reading the Gospel and the people’s response to the words, “The Gospel of the Lord”, the Priest kisses the Book of the Gospel or the Missal and says this prayer silently, “THROUGH THE WORDS OF THE GOSPEL, MAY OUR SINS BE BLOTTED OUT”.

3. After the preparation of the gifts, as the Priests raises the Paten with the Bread {Host} he says this prayer silently, “BLESSED ARE YOU LORD GOD OF ALL CREATION, FOR THROUGH YOUR GOODNESS WE HAVE RECEIVED THE BREAD WE OFFER YOU, FRUIT OF THE EARTH AND WORK OF HUMAN HANDS, IT WILL BECOME FOR US THE BREAD OF LIFE”. But if a song is not sung at this stage, the priest can say it allowed, to which the people will respond, “BLESSED BE GOD FOREVER”.

4. As the Priest mixes the wine and the water, he says this prayer silently, “BY THE MYSTERY OF THIS WATER AND WINE, MAY WE COME TO SHARE IN THE DIVINITY OF CHRIST WHO HUMBLED HIMSELF TO SHARE IN OUR HUMANITY”.

5. As the Priest raises the Chalice containing the wine, he says this prayer in silence, “BLESSED ARE YOU LORD GOD OF ALL CREATION, FOR THROUGH YOUR GOODNESS WE HAVE RECEIVED THE WINE WE OFFER YOU; FRUIT OF THE VINE AND WORK OF HUMAN HANDS IT WILL BECOME OUR SPIRITUAL DRINK”. But if a song is not sung, the priest could say this aloud, to which the people will respond, “BLESSED BE GOD FOREVER”.

6. After bringing down the chalice, the priest bows to the Altar and says this prayer silently, “WITH HUMBLE SPIRIT AND CONTRITE HEART MAY WE BE ACCEPTED BY YOU, O LORD AND MAY OUR SACRIFICE IN YOUR SIGHT THIS DAY BE PLEASING TO YOU, LORD GOD”.

7. As the Priest washes his hands in water and wipes them on the finger towel, he says this prayer silently, “WASH ME O LORD FROM MY INIQUITY AND CLEANSE ME FROM MY SIN”.

8. As the priest breaks the Bread and puts a small piece of the Bread into the chalice he says this prayer in silence, “MAY THIS MINGLING OF THE BODY AND BLOOD OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST BRING ETERNAL LIFE TO US WHO RECEIVE IT”.

9. After the Lamb of God is said or sung, the Priest kneels reverently, before eating the Body and drinking the Blood of Christ, he says this prayer silently, “MAY THE RECEIVING OF YOUR BODY AND BLOOD, LORD JESUS CHRIST, NOT BRING ME TO JUDGEMENT AND CONDEMNATION, BUT THROUGH YOUR LOVING MERCY BE FOR ME PROTECTION IN MIND AND BODY AND A HEALING REMEDY”, OR “LORD JESUS CHRIST, SON OF THE LIVING GOD, WHO, BY THE WILL OF THE FATHER AND THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, THROUGH YOUR DEATH GAVE LIFE TO THE WORLD, FREE ME BY THIS, YOUR MOST HOLY BODY AND BLOOD, FROM MY SINS AND FROM EVERY EVIL; KEEP ME ALWAYS FAITHFUL TO YOUR COMMANDMENTS, AND NEVER LET ME BE PARTED FROM YOU”.

10. Then as the priest eats the Body of Christ and drinks the Blood of Christ, he says this silent prayer, “MAY THE BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST KEEP ME SAFE FOR ETERNAL LIFE”.

11. After the Mass, before removing his vestments, the Priest with the other ministers say this prayer at the Sacristy {this may vary from parish to parish}.

PRAYER AFTER MASS

LEADER: WE GIVE THANKS TO YOU ALMIGHTY GOD………
ALL: FOR YOUR LOVE ENDURES FOREVER

ALL: WE THANK YOU LORD FOR GIVING US THE GRACE OF SERVING AT YOUR HOLY ALTAR, MAY THE FRUITS OF THIS MASS ENABLE US TO LOVE YOU AND OUR NEIGHBOURS AT HOME,AT WORK, AT SCHOOL AND AT OUR BUSINESS PLACES. WE MAKE THIS PRAYER THROUGH CHRIST OUR LORD. AMEN

So when next you see attend a Mass, be as prepared as the Priest is, before, during and after, and the graces and blessings upon you will be unimaginable! And when the Church says the Eucharist or simply called the Mass is the source and summit of our faith, you should understand why! I wish you a grace-filled celebration when next you are at Mass.

01/06/2024

HOW CAN THIS MAN GIVE US HIS FLESH TO EAT?

SOLEMNITY OF THE BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST {CORPUS CHRISTI} YEAR B ( Exodus 24:3-8, Ps 115, Heb 9:11-15, Mk 14:12-16,22-26).



To the Catholics, this feast is the heart of the Church; the Catechism of the Catholic Church says, “The Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life”. In summary, 'Without the Eucharist, there would be no Catholic Church'. Grappling with the teaching and understanding of this teaching on the Eucharist did not start today nor will it end today. A thorough reading of the whole 6th chapter of John’s gospel will give great insights into Jesus’s teaching on the Eucharist. It was as a result of that teaching that this question arose, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” This issue is even made more complicated by the fact that even after the Prayer of Consecration, the bread and wine now become the Body and Blood of Christ, still retain their physical appearances: taste; colour; texture; quality, and quantity. This is where faith is required, for as the Scripture says, “We walk by faith and not by sight” {2 Cor 5:7}.



Brief History of the Feast:

In 1263, a Priest from Prague was on his way to Rome on a pilgrimage in order to pray for God to strengthen his faith in the Eucharist, as he was beginning to have some doubts. He stopped over at Bolsena {70 miles north of Rome} to celebrate the Mass. After the prayer of consecration, the Bread turned into flesh with blood dripping on the piece of white cloth that it was placed upon, also known as the corporal. The following year, Pope Urban IV instituted the Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ. He asked St. Thomas Aquinas to compose hymns for the Feast. Aquinas wrote two hymns: ‘Tantum Ergo’ and ‘O Salutaris’. The blood-stained corporal is still preserved in the Basilica of Orvieto {North of Rome} for pilgrims to see! There are also known Eucharistic miracles that have been approved by the Church. Where scientific and laboratory tests were carried out , and in each of the cases of these Eucharistic miracles, the results have always been the same; tissue from the heart with the blood group AB!



Essential Elements of the Eucharist:

1. Unleavened Bread {bread without any leaven or yeast}: by referring to his Last Supper as the Passover, Jesus is only perfecting the Jewish Passover; remember he said, “I did not come to abolish the Law and the Prophets, but to fulfill them” {Mt 5:17}. When the Jews left Egypt under the leadership of Moses, they didn’t have time to let their bread rise before going into the desert. Because of this, any type of leavened bread or bread product is prohibited during the Passover. Jesus used also unleavened bread for the Passover Meal. And in strict adherence to this biblical tradition, the Catholic Church has maintained this practice and does not recognize it as a valid celebration of the Eucharist when any bread with leaven or yeast is used. The miracle of the multiplication of loaves by Jesus is a pointer to this ultimate celebration. He gave them bread to eat and now turns bread and wine into his Body and Blood.

2. Wine: the biblical wine used for the celebration of the old and new Passover was from the vine. So, during the Mass, the Priest raising the chalice with the wine prays, “Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation, through your goodness, we have this wine to offer, the fruit of the vine and work of human hands, it will become for us our spiritual drink”. And the people respond, “Blessed be God forever”. So, in strict compliance with this biblical tradition, the Catholic Church does not accept as valid any celebration with soft drinks or other forms of wine that are not fruits of the vine.

Why the Eucharist?

When Jesus said, “This is my Body and this is my Blood”, he meant those words. It is not a ‘sign’ or a ‘representation’ or a ‘symbol’ of His Body or Blood. He lost many disciples as a result of this teaching which they regarded as ‘intolerable’ in John’s gospel chapter 6. He still loses disciples today as a result of this, but those who wish to stay will stay. After some left, Jesus asked his apostles, ‘will you also go away?’ It was Peter who spoke on their behalf, “Lord to whom we shall go to? You have the words of eternal life”.



Eucharistic Sharing:

it is a common practice in some Church denominations to invite those who attend from other Churches to receive communion. So, whenever such members of other Churches attend the Catholic Church for any given celebration like Marriages; thanksgivings; funerals, etc, some often wonder why such Eucharistic sharing is prohibited. These are two major reasons why this is not possible:

1. Our understanding of the Eucharist differs; while the Catholics believe that after the prayer of consecration, the Bread and Wine become the Body and Blood of Christ, the others believe it is a ‘sign’, ‘symbol’, or a ‘representation’ of the Body and Blood of Christ. This difference is the reason Catholics reserve the remaining Holy Communion in a special place called the Tabernacle while the Protestants do not. Again, this is in line with a biblical tradition where the ‘Show Bread’ or ‘Bread of Presence’ in the Old Testament times is kept in the temple with candles lit {Exo 25:30}. This is the bread that was eaten by David and his followers when he was hungry and there was nothing else to eat as mentioned in Mt 12:4.

2. Those who partake of the Communion must be in ‘full communion with the Church. So, while cherishing our communion with our other Christian brothers and sisters, sharing communion is not possible because we are not in full communion. Moreover, not even all Catholics are allowed to receive; and even those who receive ought to be spiritually prepared to do so (by a sincere act of contrition or going to confession).

St. Paul gives us the mother of counsel on this, “Therefore, if anyone eats of the bread and drink from the cup of the Lord unworthily, he sins against the Body and Blood of the Lord. Let each one then examines himself before eating of the bread and drinking of the cup. Otherwise, he eats and drinks his own condemnation in not recognizing the Body. This is the reason why so many among you are sick and weak and several have died” {1 Cor 11:27-30}.

As we celebrate this Feast, may we all have a deeper understanding and appreciation of the Sacramental presence of Jesus in the Church and in our lives. May our participation also deepen our union with him so that we can be like Christ in our words and actions. Amen

31/05/2024

THE VISITATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY TO ELIZABETH!

The gospel at Mass today is the account of the visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary to her kinswoman Elizabeth (Lk 1:39-45). The biblical scholar Laurentin sees a resemblance between the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Ark of the Covenant!

The Ark of the Covenant was a box that basically contained the two tablets of the Ten Commandments of God; it was the visible sign of the presence of Yahweh or God among the Israelites. When this Ark of the Covenant was captured by the Philistines (due to the infidelity of the Israelites) and kept in the temple of their god, Dagon, the Philistines suffered greatly on account of the Ark of the Covenant. Their god Dagon was also found each time falling flat before the Ark of the Covenant. After consultations, they were told to return the Ark of the Covenant to Israel with offerings to appease Yahweh so as to stop the calamity they faced.

Having heard of all these things, when the Ark of the Covenant was to be brought back, David exclaimed, "How can the Ark of the Lord come to me?" (2 Sam 6:9). Similarly, Elizabeth exclaimed at the visit of the Blessed Virgin Mary, "Who am I that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" (Lk 1:43) And since David would not accept the Ark of the Covenant in his house, it was taken to the home of Obed-edom the Gittite. Just as the Ark of the Covenant stayed three months in the house of Obed-edom (2 Sam 6:11) so also the Blessed Virgin Mary stayed three months in the house of Elizabeth (Lk1:56). And just as the Ark of the Covenant brought tremendous blessings to Obed-edom, the visit of the Blessed Virgin Mary brought tremendous blessing to Elizabeth and even to her unborn child. The Scripture says, "When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and giving a loud cry, said, 'You are the Most blessed among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb'." (Lk 1:41-42) Mary with the baby Jesus in her womb was filled with the divine presence as the Ark of the Covenant was with the glory of Yahweh.
When Jael delivered Israel by killing the mighty Canaanite general- Sisera, Deborah the Prophetess exclaimed, "Blessed be Jael among women". (Judges 5:25). When Judith killed Holofernes, the great enemy of Israel, Uzziah praised her saying, "O daughter, you are blessed by the Most High God above all other women". (Judith 13:18) So great, therefore, is the blessedness of Mary because she gave birth to Him who would deliver not only Israel but the whole world!

In another instance, a woman noticing how Jesus had wisely confounded his adversaries, said, "Blessed is the womb that bore you and the breasts you sucked". Jesus responded to her saying, "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it". (Lk 11:27-28). Hence, Mary had a double and unique share of these blessings; firstly for hearing the word of God and keeping it, for she had said, "Be it done to me according to your word" (Lk 1:38) Secondly and uniquely, she physically bore Jesus in her womb and gave birth to him!

What does your visit bring to others? Joy, laughter, comfort, solace, blessing, peace, love, unity or sorrow, pain, anguish, hatred, division, strife? Or do you even visit at all? Like David and Elizabeth, we are equally unworthy of God's visitations and favours, yet in his mercy, he comes to us each day through people and the events of life. Let us strive to recognize him and his presence so that we might share in his joy and salvation so as to also share it with others!

25/05/2024

HOMILY FOR THE SUNDAY OF THE MOST HOLY TRINITY YEAR B {Deut 4:32-34, 39-40, Ps 32, Rom 8:4-17, Mt 28:16-20}

There’s an old story about a man who went up to the mountain to meet the guru.
And the guru is sitting there and kind of half nodding. And he shoves him a little bit and he wakes up. And the guru says, “What can I do for you?”

And the man says, “Well, I’ve come from the United States, and I heard you are a very wise man, so what I really want to do is I want you to explain to me God so that I will do my best to worship Him the way you do.”

And he was a very nice man and the guru says to him, “A god that you can explain is not a god that you should worship.” St. Paul in his letter to the Romans 11:33-35 writes, “How rich are the depths of God – how deep his wisdom and knowledge – and how impossible to pe*****te his motives or understand his methods! Who could ever know the mind of the Lord…”? St. Catherine of Siena also said this prayer,

Eternal God, eternal Trinity,
You have made the Blood of Christ so precious
through His sharing in Your Divine nature.
You are a mystery as deep as the sea;
the more I search, the more I find,
and the more I find the more I search for You.
But I can never be satisfied;
what I receive will ever leave me desiring more.
When You fill my soul I have an ever-greater hunger,
and I grow more famished for Your light.
I desire above all to see You,
the true light, as you really are. Amen.

The doctrine of the Most Holy Trinity is the most fundamental doctrine of the Christian faith, upon which all other Christian doctrines derive their source and goal. God the Father revealed to us as the Creator, God the Son revealed to us as the Redeemer, and God the Holy Spirit revealed to us as the Sanctifier/Advocate/Comforter. As Catholics, besides beginning and ending all our prayers, “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit”, we say this beautiful prayer in the exaltation of the Most Holy Trinity, “Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen!”

We are, therefore, admonished not so much to seek to understand the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity beyond what has been revealed to us, but to show in our daily lives our profession of faith in the Trinity. When we live in love, unity, and harmony; when we use responsibly the earth that God has entrusted to our care; when we show compassion; when we make sacrifices for others; when we forgive as God forgives us in Christ Jesus; when we bring a smile to the faces of those who are broken by life’s difficult situations; when we build rather than destroy; when we save lives rather than kill; when we strive to live by even hard truths rather than soothing lies; when we allow the Holy Spirit to guide our decisions and actions; when we make God and godly discussions part of our daily lives, we are living the life of the Most Holy Trinity. For as the second reading says, "All those moved by the Spirit are sons and daughters of God."

May God grant us the grace to truly love Him and all that He created, so that at the end of our lives, we will all be reunited with God our Creator who is Love and wants us all to be saved!

22/05/2024

PRAYER TO ST. RITA OF CASCIA (SAINT OF IMPOSSIBLE CASES)

O glorious St. Rita, who shared in the sorrowful passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ, obtain for me the grace to suffer with resignation the trials of this life and to assist me in all my necessities! Amen

NB: This prayer, I have faithfully said daily since my secondary school days when I became a member of St. Rita's pious society (over 30 years ago). I have gone through numerous challenging situations that could have knocked me completely down, but in this prayer, I have always found the grace to move on like nothing happened!

St. Rita of Cascia, pray for us!🙏🙏🙏