He Lives Among Us

05-29-2022Weekly ReflectionFr. Anthony Okolo, CSSp

Today is the Seventh Sunday in Easter which means the Easter season is coming to an end. We celebrated Ascension last Thursday and next Sunday would be the Pentecost which brings the long period of Easter to a final close. One great thing we can take away from the Easter period is the affirmation that Jesus is alive and He lives among us. If He had not risen from the dead our faith would not have been credible and our preaching empty, however, since He has risen from the dead, we are sure that He lives among us and walks along with us in good times and bad.

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The Spirit Comes to Liberate Us and Give Us Peace

05-22-2022Weekly ReflectionFr. Anthony Okolo, CSSp

The Easter season is gradually winding down and some of the readings will be focused on the events before the Pentecost. Luke tells us in the first reading, “It is the decision of the Holy Spirit and of us not to place on you any burden beyond these necessities namely, to abstain from meat sacrificed to idols, from blood, from meat strangled animal and from unlawful marriage if you keep free of these, you will be doing what is right”. There was a problem between the Jewish Christians and the Gentiles in the early life of the church. The first group of people who became Christians were the Jews and they came into Christianity with their Jewish tradition, customs and rituals. When the Gentiles, who are not conversant with the Jewish tradition, started believing in Jesus the Jews wanted them to observe all the Jewish traditions and the Mosaic law.

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Love As Jesus Loved Us

05-15-2022Weekly ReflectionFr. Anthony Okolo, CSSp

The first reading from the Acts of the Apostles narrates how Paul and Barnabas proclaimed the good news and made a considerable number of disciples. They made a considerable number of converts not without hardship, but with encouraging each other in the midst of challenges. We were told they returned to Lystr, to Iconium and to Antioch to strengthen the spirit of the disciples.

There was a great need to encourage one another in the service of God. When we encourage one another, it brings healing and restores hope and this is what gives fruit to the work of evangelization. In the same way, when we encourage each other’s spirit, we make more progress and achieve more in our relationships and families. The last point here for us to take is commending our project to God with prayer and fasting.

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Jesus the Good Shepherd Knows Each of Us

05-08-2022Weekly ReflectionFr. Anthony Okolo, CSSp

Today, the fourth Sunday of Easter the church celebrates Good Shepherd Sunday. Today is also observed as vocation Sunday when special prayers are offered for the increase of vocations to priesthood and religious life. We pray especially for all priests in the Lord’s vineyard since priests are visible representation to us of Christ in His role as the Good Shepherd. Jesus tells us that He is the Good Shepherd who knows His sheep and cares for them. Jesus uses the image of a shepherd because during His time in Israel a good shepherd is known as one who is ready to lay down his life for his sheep. Therefore, in using this metaphor Jesus brings it clearly home that He is that shepherd who gives His life for us His sheep.

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Do Something Different

05-01-2022Weekly ReflectionFr. Anthony Okolo, CSSp

We are still in the glorious mood of the Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead which is the foundation of our faith as Christians. His Resurrection is a credible assurance that He is alive and with us here.

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