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St. Mary's Catholic Church, Egbe Parish, Along Street Peter school, Egbe (2026)

23/02/2025

Kindness Toward All
February 23, 2025
Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
Readings for Today

“But rather, love your enemies and do good to them, and lend expecting nothing back; then your reward will be great and you will be children of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” Luke 6:35–36

It is certainly difficult to be “kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.” But doing so is exactly what our Lord commanded us to do. And His command is not a command in the sense of being a burden. On the contrary, it’s a command that frees us from the ingratitude and wickedness we encounter.

Oftentimes, when we encounter ingratitude from another, or any other form of wickedness, we tend to react in kind. Our fallen human nature lures us into cruelty when faced with cruelty. We criticize, condemn, attack, and get angry. But Jesus is very clear that this is not how the “Most High” acts toward the wicked. And it is not how He acts toward us. In the end, the wicked who fail to repent will endure the consequences of their rejection of God’s mercy. But until that final judgment, hope of conversion must always be present. And for that reason, we must never give up on another, no matter how difficult. The kindness shown to everyone, in every circumstance, goes to the heart of the mission we have received as children of God.

Think about the person in your life who seems unworthy of your kindness and generosity. Why are they undeserving? Are they truly undeserving? The truth, according to our Lord’s teaching, is that these are not questions we should even ask ourselves. Instead, we must fully commit ourselves to loving everyone who appears to be our enemy and do good to them and to everyone whom we encounter. Though this is difficult, it won’t be if we understand the goodness that God has shown to us.

God has shone us perfect goodness, not because He expected anything back, but simply because He has willed to love us. If we want to be children of God the Most High, then we must reciprocate the love given to us. That’s the nature of God’s love. It cannot be contained. It cannot be selfishly received without also allowing it to pour forth from our lives. When we understand this, we will understand the reason Jesus instructed us to be “kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.” It is simply because this is how God has treated us.

Reflect, today, upon the unlimited love God has for you. It is beyond what you could ever comprehend. Reflect upon the great benefit of opening yourself to God’s perfect love, kindness, generosity, and mercy. The benefit is that you can be filled with that which you receive. And as you receive this love of God, it necessarily overflows into the lives of everyone you encounter, the good and the wicked. Everyone must always be offered this love. Do not hesitate, for God does not hesitate with you.

Most merciful Lord, You bestow Your abundant goodness upon all people, the good and bad alike. You never cease offering Your love and mercy. May I always be counted among those who fully open themselves to Your grace and always offer this same depth of love to all? Jesus, I trust in You.

02/02/2025

“Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in the sight of all the peoples: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.” Luke 2:29–32

At the time of Jesus’ birth, there was a man named Simeon who had spent his whole life preparing for one significant moment. Like all faithful Jews at the time, Simeon was waiting for the coming Messiah. The Holy Spirit had revealed to him that he would indeed see the Messiah before his death—and so this happened when Mary and Joseph brought Jesus into the Temple to offer Him to the Lord as an infant.

Try to imagine the scene. Simeon had lived a holy and devout life. And deep within his conscience, he knew that his life on earth would not come to an end until he was privileged to see the Savior of the World with his own eyes. He knew this by a special gift of faith, an interior revelation of the Holy Spirit, and he believed.

It’s helpful to think about this unique gift of knowledge that Simeon had throughout his life. Normally we gain knowledge through our five senses. We see something, hear something, taste, smell, or feel something, and as a result come to know it to be true. Physical knowledge is very reliable and is the normal way we come to know things. But this gift of knowledge Simeon had was different. It was deeper and was spiritual in nature. He knew he would see the Messiah before he died, not because of some external sensory perception he had received but because of an interior revelation from the Holy Spirit.

This truth begs the question, which type of knowledge is more certain? Something you see with your eyes, touch, smell, hear or taste? Or something that God speaks to you in the depths of your soul by a revelation of grace? Though these types of knowledge are different, it’s important to understand that the spiritual knowledge that is given by the Holy Spirit is far more certain than anything perceived through the five senses alone. This spiritual knowledge has the power to change your life and direct all your actions toward that revelation.

For Simeon, this interior knowledge of a spiritual nature suddenly united with his five senses when Jesus was brought into the Temple. Simeon suddenly saw, heard and felt this Child Whom he knew he would one day see with his own eyes and touch with his own hands. For Simeon, that moment was the culminating moment of his life.

Reflect, today, upon anything that our Lord has spoken to you in the depths of your soul. Too often we ignore His gentle voice as it speaks, preferring instead to live only in the sensory world. But the spiritual reality within us must become the center and foundation of our lives. It is there where God speaks, and it is there where we, too, will discover the central purpose and meaning of our lives.

My spiritual Lord, I thank You for the countless ways in which You speak to me day and night in the depths of my own soul. Help me to be always attentive to You and to Your gentle voice as You speak to me. May Your voice and Your voice alone become the guiding direction of my life. May I trust in Your Word and never waver from the mission You have given to me. Jesus, I trust in You.

15/12/2024

**The Crowds Asked, “What Should We Do?”**
In Luke 3:10, the crowds asked John the Baptist, “What should we do?” Among them were tax collectors, soldiers, and ordinary people. John’s response was direct and practical, urging them to repent and turn away from the sins that entangled them in their daily lives. Sin, whether it be through intentional acts (sins of commission) or the failure to act virtuously (sins of omission), takes on many forms. John reminded the people that repentance was essential, but he also pointed them toward something greater—Christ Himself. He declared, “One mightier than I is coming… He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”

This twofold message from John the Baptist is especially meaningful during Advent. First, we are called to cleanse our hearts by repenting of our sins. Second, we are invited to turn to Christ, filling our lives with His presence. Advent is a season of preparation, much like Lent, when we are called to examine our consciences and seek reconciliation with God. This time of spiritual renewal prepares us to celebrate the miracle of Christ’s birth, not merely as a historical event but as a reality that transforms our lives.

Today, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Egbe, we had the profound blessing of witnessing this transformation as the Bishop of our Diocese, Most Reverend Martin Dada Olorunmolu, administered the Sacrament of Confirmation. This sacrament, which completes the grace of Baptism, seals the faithful with the gift of the Holy Spirit, empowering them to live as true witnesses of Christ. Just as John the Baptist pointed the crowds to the coming Messiah, the Bishop reminded us that Confirmation strengthens our bond with Christ and equips us to carry out His mission in the world.

As we reflect on the gift of the Holy Spirit given in Confirmation, we are reminded of our call to live out our faith boldly and courageously. The Holy Spirit, whom we receive in this sacrament, is the same Spirit promised by John and poured out by Christ. This Spirit fills us with divine fire, enabling us to bear witness to the love of God and to shine as lights in the world. Let us renew our commitment to live as disciples, drawing strength from the grace of the sacraments.

This Advent, let us heed John’s exhortation: repent of our sins, turn our hearts fully to Christ, and allow the Holy Spirit to ignite a fire of love within us. May the Christ Child, born in Bethlehem, draw us closer to His heart and inspire us to live as faithful witnesses of His truth. Jesus, we trust in You!

03/11/2024

Seekers of Truth
November 3, 2024
Thirty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B)
Readings for Today
The scribe said to him, “Well said, teacher. You are right in saying, ‘He is One and there is no other than he.’ And ‘to love him with all your heart, with all your understanding, with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself’ is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” Mark 12:32–33

Reflect, today, upon the way that you share your faith with others. Are you one who tends to be argumentative and condemning? Or do you allow the joy of your own discovery of the truths of God do the evangelizing? Be a seeker of Truth. Do so openly and with joy. If you do, others will discover in you the truths of God that they need and will be invited to imitate your truth-seeking in their own lives.

Lord of all Truth, in You and You alone will we discover the truths that set us free. Give me the grace and courage I need to always seek out the truth You teach. As I discover and understand all that You teach, help me to express my discoveries with joy and enthusiasm so that others will also be drawn to You. Jesus, I trust in You.

HAPPY SUNDAY

27/10/2024

As Jesus was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a sizable crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind man, the son of Timaeus, sat by the roadside begging. On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, son of David, have pity on me.” Mark 10:46–47

The story of Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, is a powerful reminder of humility and faith in our spiritual journey. Cast aside by society and seen as a burden, Bartimaeus endured not only physical blindness but also the emotional pain of rejection and judgment. His dependence on others for survival mirrored the spiritual dependence we all have on God. Like Bartimaeus, we are spiritually blind without divine grace, unable to reach Heaven through our own efforts. Recognizing our limitations and humbling ourselves daily is the first step toward seeking God’s guidance.

When Bartimaeus heard that Jesus was near, he didn’t hesitate; he cried out for mercy, showing both persistence and faith. Even when the crowd tried to silence him, he prayed more fervently. Jesus' initial silence wasn’t rejection but an invitation for Bartimaeus to deepen his prayer. This teaches us that, when we feel unheard, we must pray with greater resolve, seeing God's silence as a call to trust more profoundly. Our trials and moments of seeming silence from God are opportunities to strengthen our faith.

Upon being called by Jesus, Bartimaeus left his cloak behind—a small yet significant gesture. The cloak symbolizes anything that hinders our immediate response to God’s call, whether it's fear, pride, or attachments. Like Bartimaeus, we must be ready to let go of anything that holds us back from wholeheartedly following Christ. In doing so, we make ourselves open to the transformative power of grace, which clears our spiritual vision and leads us closer to God.

Bartimaeus' prayer was simple yet profound: “Master, I want to see.” This reflects the deep desire to see beyond our physical limitations and gain spiritual insight. By seeking a closer vision of God, we invite His healing into our lives, allowing us to follow Him more fully. As we reflect on Bartimaeus’ humility, persistence, and faith, may we find the courage to pray with similar passion, trusting that God will restore our sight and lead us forward.

20/10/2024

Jesus’ Gentle Truth
October 20, 2024
Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B)
Readings for Today

James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” He replied, “What do you wish me to do for you?” They answered him, “Grant that in your glory we may sit one at your right and the other at your left.” Mark 10:35–37

James and John boldly ask Jesus for places of honor beside Him, a request that provokes anger from the other apostles. Despite their competitive desire for greatness, Jesus responds gently and teaches them that true greatness lies in service, explaining that "whoever wishes to be great must be a servant, and whoever wishes to be first must be the slave of all." This highlights the contrast between worldly ambition and the call to humble servitude in God's kingdom.

Our fallen human nature often inclines us toward seeking worldly success, recognition, and admiration, but these desires are rooted in sin. The author draws attention to the temptation Jesus overcame in the desert, where the devil offered Him earthly power. By rejecting this, Jesus models the path away from such sinful desires, offering us the grace to do the same when tempted by pride or selfish ambition.

Jesus shows great patience in guiding His disciples through their weaknesses, just as He does with us today. He was patient with James, John, and the other apostles when they struggled with pride and jealousy. Similarly, He is patient with us as we overcome the sins that challenge us, offering guidance and the grace to change our disordered desires.

One powerful tool Jesus gives us to combat our disordered desires is the truth. His teachings, which often oppose the world's wisdom, reveal that most of our desires are tainted by original sin. By embracing the truths Jesus teaches, such as the value of humility and service, we can reorder our lives in alignment with God’s will and overcome the pull of worldly temptations.

Finally, we are encouraged to reflect on our own disordered desires and open our hearts to the gentle truth Jesus speaks to us. Facing these truths with humility can lead to true freedom and joy while resisting them can result in pain and frustration. By allowing Jesus to lovingly correct us, we can embrace conversion and experience the peace that comes from living by His teachings.

08/09/2024

Humble Instruments of Grace
September 8, 2024
Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B)
Readings for Today

He put his finger into the man’s ears and, spitting, touched his tongue; then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him, “Ephphatha!”—that is, “Be opened!”—And immediately the man’s ears were opened, his speech impediment was removed, and he spoke plainly. Mark 7:33–35.

This reflection explores the story of Jesus healing a deaf and mute man. The people who brought the man to Jesus asked Him to heal by laying His hand on him, but Jesus took a more symbolic and intimate approach instead. He placed His finger in the man’s ears and touched his tongue with His saliva, and the man was healed.

The symbolism of the "finger of God" is emphasized, representing God's power, as seen throughout the Bible. Similarly, though unusual, the use of saliva has natural healing properties, in which Jesus healed the man. Although Jesus didn’t need to use His finger or saliva, He chose to involve His physical body to show how His humanity was a source of divine grace.

The reflection concludes by reminding us that just as Jesus used His body as an instrument of healing, He also uses us, as members of His Church, to distribute His grace. No matter how unworthy or sinful we may feel, God can still work through us. By humbly offering ourselves to be used by God, we allow His divine power to manifest through us.

The final prayer asks for Jesus to use the person as an instrument of His grace, despite human unworthiness, trusting fully in His power.

01/09/2024

Rejecting False Accusations
September 1, 2024
Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B)
Readings for Today

What a foolish thing for these Pharisees and scribes to be concerned about! They were in the presence of the Son of God, the Savior of the World, a man of perfect virtue and pure goodness, and all they could do was to observe that some of Jesus’ disciples failed to follow the scrupulous teaching on how they should wash their hands before a meal. The reason for this was their pride. These teachers of Israel had devised a large body of detailed, unwritten, human laws that they treated with the same binding force as the Law of Moses that they received from God. But the scribes’ and Pharisees’ human traditions were not from God; they were a body of regulations flowing from their own self-righteous need to act as interpreters of the Law. Therefore, whenever someone failed to follow the traditions the Pharisees and scribes taught as binding, they took it personally and reacted with judgment.

One lesson we can learn from these religious leaders is that we should never take things personally. Allowing ourselves to become personally offended at anything at all is, in fact, an act of our own pride. We do need to have sorrow for the sin we see, but that is different than allowing ourselves to become personally offended. For example, even if we were to teach the very Law of God and someone rejects that teaching, our response must be sorrow for them as we reject their error.

Jesus went on to respond to the Pharisees and scribes by quoting to them the Prophet Isaiah: “This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines human precepts” (See Isaiah 29:13). What’s interesting is that Jesus didn’t really engage them in conversation about this, defending Himself or His disciples in their eyes. Instead, He rebuked the Pharisees and scribes in a general way so as to dismiss their criticism as false, and then turned away from them and addressed the crowds.

We will all experience unjust condemnation at times. If we are in the wrong, then we must receive the condemnation as if it were from God and repent. But if the condemnation flows from someone’s wounded pride or error, then Jesus set the example on how we ought to respond. The best response is to reject their error and then refuse to become engaged in the conversation further. Too often when we are criticized unjustly, we also take it personally. We tend to fight back and justify ourselves, trying to prove that the other person is wrong. But when we do that, we are most likely acting out of our own wounded pride. This will result in angry sulking feelings and the experience of oppression that the evil one inflicts upon us. Jesus’ model is to reject the lie and then refuse to engage it further. The reason for this is that the unjust condemnation is actually the seed of the evil one. The person delivering it is only the instrument. So we rebuke the lie of the evil one and refuse to get into a personal battle with the person delivering the lie. Doing so brings freedom from oppression and allows our hearts to remain at peace, no matter what we endure.

Reflect, today, upon any ways that you have taken some conversation personally, allowing it to oppress you with anger, becoming defensive or argumentative. Know that whenever that happens, this is an attack from the evil one as he seeks to oppress you. Do not accept that abuse. The guide for each of us is the peace and joy that comes from the Holy Spirit. Even the greatest martyrs remained at peace and felt joy in the midst of their persecution. Reflect upon any ways that you have allowed the evil one to agitate you and leave you upset with your wounded pride. Do not fall into his trap. Hold on to the truth and remain at peace, and that will be all the defense you need to make.

My persecuted Lord, You endured much criticism in life, but You never allowed it to steal Your peace. You remained perfectly strong, rejecting the lies and turning from them. Please give me the grace I need to always turn away from the lies of the evil one and to listen only to Your clear and gentle voice. Jesus, I trust in You.

St. Mary's Catholic Church, Egbe Parish

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