God's Decrees Give Life

08-29-2021Weekly ReflectionFr. Anthony Okolo, C.S.Sp

Moses in the first reading of today prepares for his final departure as the Israelites are about to enter the Promised Land. Knowing that his death is at sight he gives his final farewell message to the people. The message is anchored on the commandments, God has given them as a people and he encourages them not to remove or add anything to that law. He reiterates that this law is a special gift that reveals God’s closeness to the people of Israel, it also had to be guarded and preserved just as it was revealed. This is why he warns them not to add or remove anything from the law because it is sacred and meant to be a guiding light for them. The observance of this word of God would keep them alive, as they enter to take possession of the land which the Lord, the God of their fathers is giving them.

READ MORE

Jesus is the Holy One God and we Believe and are Convinced.

08-22-2021Weekly ReflectionFr. Anthony Okolo, C.S.Sp

Today’s Gospel reading concludes the discourse on the bread of life we have been reading for the past four weeks now .The central argument John sets out in his gospel was to prove to his audience that Jesus is the Holy One of God. He is the anointed Messiah who came down from heaven. He is the Bread of Life, the Light of the world and the Good Shepherd. This is evident in the response of Peter to Jesus when he asked the twelve “Do you also want to leave” and Peter answered, “ Master to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that You are the Holy One of God.” Peter’s answer seals the murmurings, and quarrelling among the disciples on how this Man can give us his flesh to eat. Peter has always been inspired by the Holy Spirit to reveal the true identity of Jesus at a very critical moment and this is what he has demonstrated again by this response to Jesus’ question that Jesus has the key to eternal life and there is no other place to go than to Jesus.

READ MORE

Heaven is Our Goal

08-15-2021Weekly ReflectionFr. Anthony Okolo, C.S.Sp

Today we celebrate the solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary into heaven. It means that Mary was taken body and soul into heaven. It was not by her own power that she was assumed into heaven, but by the special grace of God that her body should not experience corruption of decay as she was preserved from the beginning to give birth to one who is Holy. Her Assumption was a privilege she enjoyed as the Mother of God and totally sinless she was rewarded by God for that act. The feast celebrates the special place that Mary has in the life of the Church. By her assumption we can understand that Mary, because of the dignity of her motherhood and her own personal submission to God’s will at every stage of her life, takes precedence over everyone in sharing of God’s glory which is the destiny of all of us who die united with Christ her Son.

READ MORE

Jesus is Truly the Bread of Life that Strengthens Us

08-08-2021Weekly ReflectionFr. Anthony Okolo, C.S.Sp

Elijah in the first reading of today presents a very despairing situation as a result of the challenges he faces in his ministry to the point that he prayed for death. However, instead of granting his request God sends him heavenly nourishment through the angels to keep him going. There are times we are confronted with life challenges that like Elijah we become so depressed that we may have prayed that God take our life. The good news is that the angels are never far from us when we face such life challenges. The angel of God comes as well to provide us the strength we need to embark on the journey of life but recognizing the angel depends on how open we are to see them in moments of trials and difficult situations. Paul in the second reading calls our attention to certain things we must get rid of in our life so as to enrich our relationship with God and one another. According to Paul. “All bitterness, fury, anger, shouting and reviling must be removed …forgiving one another as God has forgiven us”. The truth is that resentment, bitterness and anger not only create a big barrier in our relationship with God but are capable of harming our physical health and even at times affect our internal organs. Anytime we allow bitterness, unforgiving spirit and anger to take hold of us we chain ourselves and refuse to unlock the chain to set ourselves free.

READ MORE

Do Not Work for Food that Perishes

08-01-2021Weekly ReflectionFr. Anthony Okolo, C.S.Sp

Today’s gospel reading is a continuation of last Sunday’s reading where Jesus multiplied five barley loaves and two fish to feed the people and at the end they were all satisfied with about twelve basket as left over. This miracle is more than just feeding the people to satisfy their physical hunger, it goes to point to Jesus as the bread of life and as one who sustains life. Having fed very well, the crowd were so amazed at the miracle that they started looking for Jesus. On seeing Jesus they told him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” Jesus immediately told them “you were looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled.” He then told them “Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life”. The question for our personal reflection is, what is this food that endures for eternal life and how do we work for it?

READ MORE