YCSN Aliade AREA

08/08/2019

*I BELIEVE IN GOD THE FATHER*
Any one that gets to the age of maturity in that family dies mysteriously. This tragic death continued in the family of Uzoma for the past 30 years. In fact, no body has been able to marry or gets married in the family. They all die mysteriously at the prime of their youth. Henry is a strong believer in the Lord. He was the last to die in the family. To break this curse, he invited a priest for a "family liberation prayer". During counselling and enquiry session from the elders, it was discovered that a little girl was buried alive in their father's compound. But before that girl died, he cursed the entire family saying, "all your children and children children will die at the prime of their youth".

YOUCAT QUESTION AND ANSWER NO.67
*What is sin?At the core of sin is a rejection of God and the refusal to accept his love. This is manifested in adisregard for his commandments. [CCC 385-390]*
_Sin is more than incorrect behavior; it is not just a psychological weakness. In the deepest senseevery rejection or destruction of something good is the rejection of good in itself, the rejection ofGod. In its most profound and terrible dimension, sin is separation from God and, thus, separationfrom the source of life. That is why death is another consequence of sin. Only through Jesus do weunderstand the abysmal dimension of sin: Jesus suffered God’s rejection in his own flesh. He tookupon himself the deadly power of sin so that it would not strike us. The term that we use for this isredemption (Youcat commentary)_

*REFLECTIVE QUIZ*
1⃣ Why do we sin and what causes us to sin?
2⃣ Has sin any consequence?
3⃣ Is it possible to conquer and overcome sin in its entirety?
4⃣ "Where sin increased, grace abound all the more"( cf Rom 5:20b). Does it mean we should continue living in sin since grace is available according to this bible passage?

AUTHOR: Austin Franklin I. Ezejimofor
2019 ©CATECHETICAL LITERACY
*_FREE online faith forum for adult y

07/08/2019

POSITIVE SPIRIT: WEDNESDAY, 7TH AUGUST, 2019, WEEK 18, YEAR I.

Numbers 13:1-2,25-14:1,26-29,34-35, Psalm 106; Matthew 15:21-28

The first reading narrates a story that invites us to self examination and also serves as a warning. It calls us to examine ourselves if we are driven by a positive spirit or a negative spirit?

A negative spirit is manifested in the inclination to judge things and people negatively, to be quick to conclude that something is impossible, it won't work, it is hopeless. This is a kind of pessimism. Sometimes it appears in the form of objective rationalism but still it is a negative rationalism.

Positive spirit is the reverse, it is a form of realism that puts God into calculation and it's able to see the better side of things and people. Positive spirit prompted by faith, impresses God and drives us to success.

In today's first reading, we are told Moses sent out twelve spies to the land of Canaan, ten of them came back saying "it is a good land but we are hopeless, we can never have it, only Joshua and Caleb confessed in the affirmative, with God on our side, we are able to.

Listen to this, God said in reply "I will deal with you according to the very words, you have used in my hearing." In other words, their judgement will become their reality.

In today's gospel, we see that positive Spirit in the Canaanite woman, her excellent spirit impressed Jesus. She believed and she received.

We could learn today to be more positive in our judgement and analysis of people, things and situation.

Also, we may need to be careful of those we allow to have a say in our lives too, if we surround ourselves with negative people they soon become voices of discouragement and obstacles to us from achieving our dreams and purposes in life.

Fr Emmanuel Okami

06/08/2019

THE TRANSFIGURATION OF THE LORD: 6TH AUGUST, 2019, WEEK 18, YEAR I.

DANIEL 7:9-10, 13-14; PSALM 97; 2 PETER 1:16-19; LUKE 9:28-36.

I so much love the book "the confession of St Augustine." It is a book that I presume many people will be able to relate with. It tells the stories of Augustine's struggles, especially his moral and spiritual struggles, how he was addicted to a life of pleasure until he found grace or grace found him.

After he tasted of the sweetness of God, the addictive sweetness of pleasure became vain and unattractive. All he wanted was more of God.

The experience of Augustine is often the experience of those who have tasted the sweetness of knowing God, experiencing his love and glory. The things that once charmed them most, the things they were once addicted to, soon lose all its attractions and fascination. In Phil 3:7, St Paul called all he has struggled to gain as so much rubbish for the supreme advantage of knowing Jesus.

Today as we celebrate the transfiguration of the Lord, let us listen to Peter saying "master, it is wonderful for us to be here; so let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah."

He has seen and tasted of the glory of the Lord, he has forgotten about everything else in the world, even his family, all he wanted was to continue to experience this beauty and contemplate this glory. Nothing matters more than this.

In life, we sometimes get attracted to and perhaps addicted to something that gives us pleasure but also troubles our conscience with guilt. We feel helpless.

The truth is that when we taste of true pleasure, true happiness, true joy from God, at once what we feel we can not do without becomes repulsive and empty of attraction to us. The imperfect dissolves between the perfect, the mundane loses value before the divine, the shadow fades before the reality.

Let us pray for this transforming experience, this transfiguration experience, an experience that will liberate u

05/08/2019

I WOULD RATHER YOU KILLED ME: MONDAY, 5TH AUGUST, 2019, WEEK 18, YEAR I.

NUMBERS 11:4-15; PSALM 81; MATTHEW 14:13-21

I know a woman who in 2010, lost her only son who was two years old. She was so sad and she kept telling God "take my life, I don't want to live again."

I met her again, last year (2018), this time, she has an identical twins (both girls) and a boy of two years old. I wanted to tell her off so I asked her "..N.., will you like to die? She quickly retorted "I reject death in my life in Jesus' name." I said "but in 2010, you were saying "I don't want to live again." She responded with a deep sigh.

We can all relate with this woman and of course with Moses in today's first reading. The people stressed him out with their incessant complaints, everything became hopeless and meaningless to him and the task God gave him looked practically unachievable, so he turned to God and said "I would rather you killed me!"

Such moments come also in our lives, when we just can not make sense of our lives. When we just feel "it's over." When we think we have lost the will to live and life has lost its attractions. Moments when we feel "I can not continue." For some, it comes after losing someone so dear.

Some moments we are just so down and grief-stricken and we just want to escape and be alone.

It also happened to Jesus in today's gospel, his cousin John was just brutally murdered, he decided to withdraw to a lonely place, all he wanted was to take a break and be on his own.

Whenever we find ourselves in this situation or maybe we are battling with this at this moment, let us keep these three points in mind.

A. Jesus understands what you are going through, He has been there before. God knows how you feel and He knows you are hurting. What you need is not death or isolation but his grace to see you through.

B. It is never out of God's control. Things may get out of control for us, but never for God. For him, everything is in perfect control.

04/08/2019

*The History of Women in Trousers*

Despite being worn by both sexes in ancient times, trousers were a “masculine” garment for hundreds of years. Instead, women wore long, voluminous skirts.

But, in the nineteenth century, women started wearing a form of trousers again. These were worn only for horse riding, although they wore full skirts on top of them to keep them hidden.

By the 1880s, women in the West finally started wearing trousers for leisure activities. They were safer to wear when cycling, as the trousers were far less likely to get caught in the wheels. They also allowed greater freedom of movement. Additionally, they were considered healthier to wear than the cumbersome skirts they usually wore.

Yet, despite their increasing popularity, trousers weren’t considered acceptable women’s attire until the 1970s. In fact, in some places, it was illegal for women to wear trousers! These days, trousers are worn by women for all occasions without any masculine connotations.

Trousers have been worn in the Western world since ancient times. They are now the most common form of lower-body clothing for men. Practical and comfortable, there’s no wonder that they’ve been adopted by both sexes as part of their everyday dress. Trousers were first invented because robes are...

31/07/2019

We thank God and congratulate all Aliade Area Ycsers who passed this year's WASSCE and for those who couldn't make it or their results were not released, don't be discouraged, it's not over yet until you make it over. God bless your hearts... YCS.....

31/07/2019

MOSES IN GOD'S PRESENCE/IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA: WEDNESDAY, 31ST JULY, 2019. WEEK 17, YEAR I.

EXODUS 34:29-35; PSALM 99; MATTHEW 13:44-46.

The first reading of today narrates how Moses performs his ministry of mediation between God and the people.

Moses speaks to the Lord and brings God's message to the people from the Lord. This morning, I want us to pay particular attention to what happened to Moses after speaking with the Lord. "The skin on his face was radiant after speaking with the Lord..."

Put differently, Moses reflected something of the glory of the Lord. This is exactly the effect of a genuine relationship with God. We begin to reflect something of God, something of God's gentleness, warmth, love, kindness and holiness. This is God-liness. Reflecting something of God in our manners, words, appearance and character.

The more we come before God in humble, sincere and genuine relationship, the more God is imprinted on us.

This is what we see in the life of St Ignatius of Loyola. A worldly man who found God like the man who found treasure in the field and as soon as He embraced God, his whole life began to reflect something of the Holiness of God.

Ignatius was born on October 23,1491 in Loyola, North Spain. He Joined the army when he was seventeen years old, he was prompted by the quest for fame. He fought many battles without injuries until May 20, 1521 in d battle of Pamplona then, he was 30 years old. He was wounded in that battle and while receiving treatment, he was opportuned to read a book titled the life of Christ and the flower of the saints. He felt so challenged by the heroic lives of the saints and their love for Jesus. He gave up his military career, he gathered some companions around himself and started what later became the society of Jesus (Jesuits).

They dedicated themselves to missionary works and the defence of the faith, inspired by true love of Jesus and the Church. Ignatius brought so many to the faith by his holiness

10/06/2019

MARY, MOTHER OF THE CHURCH: MONDAY AFTER PENTECOST, 21ST MAY, 2018.

On Saturday 3rd March 2018, the Vatican announced Pope Francis’ decision that the Church celebrates the Blessed Virgin Mary in her role as “Mother of the Church” every year on the Monday after Pentecost, as a way to foster Marian piety and the maternal sense of the Church.

This celebration is just very logical and appropriate because it furthers our reflection on the power of the Holy Spirit using Mary as a case study.

In the life of Mary, we see what the Holy Spirit can do in a soul. The Holy Spirit preserved her from sin from the very instance of her conception, by the power of the Holy Spirit she conceived without a carnal relation, under the impulse of the Holy Spirit, she glorified God and prophesied that all generations shall call her blessed, moved by the Holy Spirit she was able to endure all the agonies she went through in her vocation as the mother of the redeemer.

Interestingly too, even after her greatest agony, she remained with the Church despite how all the Apostles but one deserted her son. She was always with them in their meetings as testified to by the first reading.

Yesterday, being the birthday of the Church, today it is just appropriate that we celebrate the Mother of the Church.

This celebration will therefore also help us to meditate on her role as the Mother of the Church and of course our Mother. With this in mind, we may learn to remain very close to her so that through her patronage, we may continue to grow in grace, in divine gifts and in holiness.

As we celebrate this memorial today, let us have recourse to our Mother for two things:

A. To help us discover, preserve and utilize with humility, the gifts of the Holy Spirit we have received this period.

B. We want to also beg her to help us obtain some fruits of the Holy Spirit- especially these two;

I. The fruit of gentleness to help us dissolve our temper. Everybody seems to be too impatient an

05/06/2019

We are hoping to hear from all ycsers about your sections, please relate to us what is happening there! If you need help let us know here and your challenges

10/05/2019

DAILY T🍷NIC
By: Ezejimofor Austin Franklin

*Conversion*
'You must go to Church today!' Mrs Justina shouted at her husband. 'All the problems we're facing in this house are caused by your spiritual laxity!' She continued nagging the man. 'Have you finished ranting?', retorted Mr John softly. 'You see, Church is not by force, beside, I can't see any reason why I should follow you to that church. Is that the way to talk to someone you want to convert?' The husband questioned... Conversion is not by force. It's a process, and primarily the work of the Holy Spirit who does it as he wills. This we see in Saul's conversion in today's first reading.

*Read: From Today's Frist Reading:*
_"Immediately it was as though scales fell away from Saul’s eyes and he could see again. So he was baptised there and then, and after taking some food he regained his strength. He began preaching in the synagogues, ‘Jesus is the Son of God.’ " ( Acts 9:18-20)_

*Reflect*:
● What do I understand as conversion?
● Do I still need conversion as a Christian?

*Pray*: O Lord, touch me and change me, just like you did in St. Paul's life. I want to serve you in truth and in Spirit. Please Lord, make me an instrument of honour for your use. Remove in me all those vices that obstruct me from serving and working with you, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

*Let the T🍷NIC revive, refresh and reinvigorates us today. Amen*

03/03/2019

A REFLECTION ON QUALITY OF WORDS: 8TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR C. 3RD MARCH, 2019.

ECCLESIASTICUS 27:5-8; PSALM 92; 1 CORINTHIANS 15:54-58; LUKE 6:39-45.

The first reading of today draws our attention to the importance of the words we speak.

It says "the defects of a man appears in his talk...the test of a man is his conversation... a man's words betray what he feels...

The Gospel also ended its admonitions by telling us that "...a man's words flow out of what fills his heart."

In other words, the quality of our words reveals the following about us

I. Our true character and the measure of our integrity.

II. The depth of our wisdom

III. The level of our spiritual maturity

IV. Our degree of modesty

V. The quality of the contents of our heart.

As children of God, our words should be;

A. Words that edify/encourage and inspire those who listen to us.

B. Words of blessing, charity and peace and not curse, abuse, insults or condemnation.

C. Words that are modest and pass the purity test.

D. Words of grace and wisdom.

E. Words that are entirely true and purged of any deceit.

Three bible passages for us to ponder on today;

James 1:26

If you claim to be religious but don't control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless.

Ephesians 4:29

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

James 3:2

Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.

Today, the Lord is inviting us, to focus on ourselves, not on our neighbour, not our friends or our colleagues at work, leave your spouse or your children, let us not think about the malicious words of our enemies right now, let us deal with the plank in our eyes today or put directly, the cancer of our tongues.

If this is our project for this new month, this lent and this year and we are able to achieve this, then we are making significant progress in our journey of faith.

Fr Emmanuel Okami