CYON St. Philip's Parish Obrikom

07/02/2023

*Avoiding lips service* (Mark 7:1-13)

Lip service means an insincere respect or adherence that is expressed but not put into practice. This was the problem Jesus had with the pharisees in today’s gospel. They made so much external show of religiosity while in their hearts, they were far from God. Their worship were empty and fake; mere screen savers.

True worship is not just a combination of the external rites and rituals, but must proceed from a heart that is united to the will of God. God hears the heart, not just the lips.

You may say all the right words at the right times, but in the end, it is your actions and not words that matter. You don't lead by lip service; you lead by example. So be careful because What you do, speaks so loud that people find it difficult to hear what you say.
Today therefore, rather than merely categorize and judge the pharisees as offering lips service, let us look inwardly and examine our motives and attitude towards the worship we render to God. Do I offer lips service, or do I worship God from my heart in spirit and in truth? True worship must be seen and felt in the quality of life we live.

Good afternoon and happy Tuesday.

06/02/2023

05/02/2023

03/02/2023

24/01/2023

POPE FRANCIS WARNS PRIESTS TO AVOID LONG, AND BORING HOMILIES.

During a meeting with students in a liturgy course, the Pope asked priests to be careful with their homilies, without turning them into philosophy classes and to keep them brief.

This is not the first time Pope Francis has said something like this. But it is the first time he used the word "disaster."

"Your words should be simple. Words that everyone can understand. Don't give long homilies. Your homilies should not be boring. Your homilies should reach people's hearts, because they come from your heart. What you tell parishioners is what you have in your heart."

A professor I had would say that a homily should have internal coherence: an idea, an image and an emotional effect, so that people go home with an idea, an image and something that moved their heart.

But Pope Francis has said this advice is not for priests in situations where it is difficult to attend Mass. For example, in some parts of the world, families have to travel for hours or days to receive the Eucharist. In those cases, the Mass is often more intense and the homilies longer than usual.

22/01/2023

SILENCE BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER THE HOLY MASS

In a wider sense, being silent allows us to channel our energy to a deep reflection and contemplation on the challenges and uncertainties of life— especially the things that worry us, and gives afterward the power to calmly face them.

Unfortunately, the world around us is difficult to cope with, because of the noise around us, and many tend to find it difficult and eventually lose focus to pray, meditate and reflect before, during, and after Mass.

BEFORE THE MASS

The hour of silence before Mass can be a time to gather together the whole of the human self, recollect our thoughts, train our minds, and decide on how to go about the union with God in the Holy Mass. Imagine that you are a footballer and you were invited to a sporting competition with another team. The preparation and training you will have to undergo, the togetherness you imagined to play the game with, all there is to see you win at last, (at this time, preparation is the key. Any work well prepared produces success).

Silence before Mass is something very crucial that Catholics should do to enjoy a fruitful presence with God in Mass. it is a praiseworthy practice for silence to be observed in the church, in the sacristy, in the vesting room, and in adjacent areas, so that all may dispose themselves to carry out the sacred celebration devoutly and fittingly”

For many people, certain periods of silence at Mass especially after the homily, before the call for the profession of faith and after the reception of the Holy Communion may be the longest they will experience all week given that so many have busy and hectic schedules within the week.

DURING THE MASS

At the beginning of the mass, a time of silence follows. This gives us an opportunity for serious recollection, to mentally reflect on our lives, and bring to mind those less serious sins in our lives. Only then can we entrust them to God who is rich in mercy and forgiveness.

The notability of silence during Mass should be acknowledged if one desires to feel the presence of God and desires to hear Jesus talking to him or her, The book of Ecclesiastes noted that there is a time for everything; a time to talk and a time to listen [Eccl. 3: 1-11]
At Mass, we encounter God in the priest who acts as 'persona Christi', the liturgy of the word and the liturgy of the Eucharist; these are ways we hear(the voice of) Jesus in the mass talking to us and we can only hear one talking to us when there's silence. Jesus also invited us to this Silence " be silent and listen to me, you distant lands" (cf. Isaiah 41:1). If one is maintaining silence in the church, especially during Mass, the presence of God will be felt.

AFTER THE MASS

However, the idea of silence after Mass is seemingly impossible, this may be because of the excitement that comes after the Mass— the wonderful homily given by the Priest or Deacon, as people will want to meet him for either compliments or other things that becomes necessary or even unnecessary. The long-time friend they just came by, and other unessential things that oppose silence or cause pandemonium.

Pope Benedict XVI in "Sacramentum Caritatis" referred to the "precious time of thanksgiving after communion", urging everyone to preserve the importance of Communion as "a personal encounter with the Lord Jesus in the sacrament." He recommended that during this time "it can also be most helpful to remain recollected.

Conclusively, the GIRM (General Instruction of the Roman Missal) has this to say:

“The liturgy must be celebrated in a way that fosters meditation; clearly, any sort of haste that hinders reflectiveness must be avoided. The dialogue between God and God’s people taking place through the Holy Spirit in the Mass demands short intervals of silence, suited to the assembly, as an opportunity to take God to our hearts and to prepare a response to it in prayer. Proper times for silence during the liturgy or Mass are, for example, before the liturgy begins, after the first and second reading, after the homily, etc.
How much more should there be a deep reverent silence before, during, and after Mass?

This holiest mystery thus needs to be firmly believed, devoutly celebrated, and intensely lived in the Church. Jesus' gift of himself in the sacrament which is the memorial of his passion tells us that the success of our lives is found in our participation in the trinitarian life offered to us truly and definitively in him in the holy Mass. The celebration and worship of the Eucharist enable us to draw near to God's love and to persevere in that love until we are united with the Lord whom we love.

~ Felix Danbwarang

21/01/2023

Dear Parish Priests in Nigeria, with due respect and love of Christ and with fraternal concern, I make this appeal to you.

1. As a Priest, your primary mission in the parish is for the SALVATION OF SOULS and spiritual growths of your parishioners, not anything else.

2. The Economy of Nigeria is obviously in a worst condition.
People are undergoing levels of intolerable sufferings as a result of the bad leadership.
Don't intensify the hardships by persistently asking them for projects funds.
There's absolutely no need for gigantic edifices and regular renovation of the Church buildings at this difficult time.
It's waste of resources, God is not complaining that he doesn't have a nice dwelling place.

3. GOD'S BLESSINGS and GRACE shouldn't be COMMERCIALIZED.
God's blessings, love, mercy and grace are free for everyone.
The parishioners should not be hypnotized into believing that the highest money donors in the Church acquire bigger blessings or finds favour before God.
That's a theological fraud.
The people of God shouldn't be coerced into giving offertory collections.
It's an act of concious volition from individuals and not the right of a Priest.

4. The Holy Mass is the highest form of prayer in the Catholic Church, and it's a BLESSING.
Therefore, it's wrong to categorise certain Holy Masses as "Mass of special blessings"(Uka Bia Nara Ngozi).
Such practice doesn't have liturgical basis in the Catholic Church, hence money-oriented.

5. Dear Priests, you must not acquire new vehicles, big plasma TV, King size beds, expensive iPhones, etc.
Just procure the simple necessary things you need as a religious.
A priest is not called to a life of opulence, but a life of simplicity.

6. As a Parish Priest, you should be APPROACHABLE and AVAILABLE to everyone.
Oftentimes, some Parish Priests are only available for the wealthy and politicians, while inaccessible for the poor people.
Give equal opportunity and attention to everyone, especially the needy, because they're the main apostolate of Christ while he was in the world.

7. The Catholic Sacraments should be administered to the people of God without requesting for money.
The Holy Sacraments of Baptism, Holy Communion, Confirmation and Holy Matrimony are completely free of charge in the Catholic Church.

8. As a Priest of Christ, it's your moral duty to ensure your deceased parishioner is buried without asking the bereaved family to pay.
The human soul is more important than the debts.
Burying the dead is one of our Christian obligations, therefore a Catholic Priest shouldn't place payments as a prerequisite for Christian burial.
It's against our Christian theology.

9. The Parish Priest is the principal catechist.
He is the teacher and animator of faith in his Parish, therefore he should ensure he teaches the parishioners the Holy Bible, the Catholic doctrines and Catechism of the Catholic Church.
This is because most Catholics are just churchgoers who don't know the Bible, and the teachings of the Magisterium.

10. Church expenses should be curtailed, the needy and physically challenged people should be given more attention and financial supports in the Church.

11. During liturgical celebrations, especially the Holy Mass, anything that doesn't glorify God or align with the present liturgy, should be avoided.

12. A Parish Priest shouldn't allow classism in the Parish.
Everyone, both the rich and the poor are all equal before God.

13. The Parish Priest should know his parishioners, and develop the habit of visiting them.
It's very important.
His presence in a particular family could be medicinal, it could reinstitute a lost hope, faith and the sense of membership to the one family of Christ.

14. Never invite politicians to the Sanctuary during the Holy Mass to make political speeches.
The Holy Sanctuary is for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, not a social podium.
The Church shouldn't as well be turned into campaign place.

15. As Nigeria is about to do the General Election, the Parish Priests should sensitize the parishioners to get their PVCs to vote wisely.
They should know that only the Mass, Adorations and Rosaries are insufficient to change the maladministration of Nigeria.
They should be made to understand that most of their daily prayers are just the responsibilities of good government, therefore, they have to cast their votes wisely to elect the competent candidates.

God bless you!

Meanwhile, I wish to register my sense of gratitude to all the priests for their good works and their dedication to the service of God and humanity. God bless and replenish you all.
- Augustine Mario

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21/01/2023

January 21 | Saint of the Day

➕ MEMORIALOF SAINT AGNES OF ROME
Virgin and Martyr

Foster-sister of Saint Emerentiana. At age 12 or 13 Agnes was ordered to sacrifice to pagan gods and lose her virginity by r**e. She was taken to a Roman temple to Minerva (Athena), and when led to the altar, she made the Sign of the Cross. She was threatened, then tortured when she refused to turn against God. Several young men presented themselves, offering to marry her, whether from lust or pity is not known. She said that to do so would be an insult to her heavenly Spouse, that she would keep her consecrated virginity intact, accept death, and see Christ. Martyr. Mentioned in first Eucharistic prayer. On her feast day two lambs are blessed at her church in Rome, Italy and then their wool is woven into the palliums (bands of white wool) which the pope confers on archbishops as symbol of their jurisdiction.

Died

• beheaded and burned, or tortured and stabbed to death, or stabbed in the throat (sources vary) on 21 January 254 or 304 (sources vary) at Rome, Italy
• buried beside the Via Nomentana in Rome

Name Meaning: chaste; lamb; pure one

Saint Agnes of Rome, Pray for us!