FR REMI HOMILIES/REFLECTIONS AND SERMONS

HOMILY FOR TUESDAY OF THE 5HT WEEK OF EASTER, (OUR LADY, MOTHER OF AFRICA) Act 1:12-14; Lk.1; John 2:1-11 Do whatever He tells you As a Church in Africa, today, we celebrate our Lady of Africa. Africa as a continent is rich in culture, human and natural resources but shamefully marred by many kinds of problems because of greed and the mismanagement of these resources. Consequently, today’s gospel calls us to reflect on how the Blessed Virgin Mary saved a couple from the shame of lack of wine on their wedding day. The first thing we must note is that this miracle was the first public sign of Jesus; which means that before then, Jesus was not known to be a miracle worker. Therefore, Mary and Jesus were not invited on the basis of Jesus’ supernatural power but for some other relationship they may have had with the couples. When they ran out of wine, obviously, they must have sought different ways to remedy the situation. Meeting Jesus and/or Mary would not have been one of the options bec

HOMILY FOR MONDAY OF THE 5TH WEEK OF EASTER 29TH APRIL 2024 Acts 14:5-18; Ps.115; John 14:21-26 Committed to authentic listening The first reading of today records the healing of a cripple at Lystra. The process through which this cripple was healed leaves us with so much lessons. First, Paul and Barnabas were not engaged in a prayer session or a miracle crusade. Their intention was simply to preach God’s word and through it, bring the people to accepting Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. Lystra was a pagan city. So, Paul and Barnabas busied themselves with telling the people about the goodnews of Jesus Christ and the mighty works that accompanied Him. The cripple who had never walked since birth, gave a listening hear to the message preached by Paul. He listened to the point that his faith started building up from what he was hearing about Jesus of Nazareth. His whole being was so engrossed with the goodnews that the faith that which was building up in him started to cause him to have

REFLECTION/HOMILY FOR THE 5TH SUNDAY OF EASTER YEAR B 28TH APRIL 2024 Acts 9:26-31; Ps.22; 1Jn.3:18-24; John 15:1-8  _By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples._ (Jn.15:8) Abide in Jesus and bear good Fruits! The readings of today remind us that we have been providentially placed in a position of close connectivity with Jesus so that we may bear fruit in plenty. This theme is pregnant with meaning. We must bear in mind that providence expects fruitfulness from each one of us. To make this possible, God gives us all what is required to make us fruitful, while preserving our freedom. To be fruitful, we must remain with Jesus and we must make judicious use of our union with Jesus. Invariably, we risk becoming fruitless when we either do not abide in Jesus or when we abide in Jesus but fail to produce fruits. But what does it mean to be fruitful. Fruit is characteristic of plants. In the process of growth, so many development take place in th

SERMON/HOMILY FOR SATURDAY OF THE 4TH WEEK OF EASTER 27TH APRIL 2024 Acts 13:44-52; Ps.98; John 14:7-14 Let us continue in God’s Word After Paul had revealed to the people that it was their ignorance of the Scripture that led them to crucifying the Saviour, the people were cut to their hearts. They obviously told the story to those who were not in the synagogue that Sabbath day. And so, the next Sabbath, the whole city gathered together. It is interesting to note that the multitude did not gather because they heard that miracles happened and desired such for themselves. If at all they desired miracles, it was the miracle of being enlightened by God’s Word so that they repent and desist from whatever misdeed they do as a result of ignorance of God’s Word. They gathered in their number because they humbly admitted that they were acting in ignorance. Their gathering was a humble submission that they did not know it all about the Word of God. Now, we should ask ourselves, what do we do wit

HOMILY FOR FRIDAY OF THE 4TH WEEK OF EASTER Acts 13:26-33; Ps.2; John 14:1-6 Jesus is our Security Security is something very important for every living thing. Virtually all that a man does is geared towards securing himself both for the present and in the future. Nothing else makes sense to a man when his life is threatened. Only a secured mind can meaningfully contribute to the growth and development of a community. In today’s gospel reading, the security of the apostles seemed to be taken away from them. They had left everything and followed Jesus because they believed that they would be secured with Jesus than with their former pre-occupations. Now, Jesus is telling them of his impending betrayer and death. They had expected that Jesus will help defeat the Romans who persecuted them at that time. Through this defeat, they will be stake holders in the new-world, and so their lives will be ultimately secured. Now, their calculations seems to be falling apart. Jesus is going to die; n

SERMON/HOMILY ON THE FEAST OF ST. MARK THE EVANGELIST 25TH APRIL 2024 1Peter 5:5b-14; Ps. 89; Mark 16:15-20 The Face of Jesus in times of Persecution   The gospel of Mark is generally considered to be the oldest of the four gospels. In fact, Scripture scholars hold that the other gospels relied on the gospel of Mark that explains why Mark’s gospel is the shortest of them all. If you are writing commentary on a work, it is most likely that your commentary will be more elaborate than the work itself. In writing, Evangelist Mark was preoccupied with revealing the identity of Jesus. In the prologue (1:1-15), he introduces Jesus to the reader and also reveals his identity as Christ, the Son of God. The gospel is divided into two parts. In the first part (1:16-10:52), the fundamental question of who Jesus is, is answered. Amongst so many attempts, Peter eventually said: “You are the Messiah” (8:29). It is in the second part of the gospel (11:1-16:20) that the true identity of Jesus is finall

REFLECTION/HOMILY FOR WEDNESDAY OF THE 4TH WEEK OF EASTER 24TH APRIL 2024 Acts 12:24-13:5a; Ps.67; John 12:44-50 Being Docile to the Holy Spirit In today’s first reading, we realize that it is the Holy Spirit who enables us to discover the particular mission for which God calls us. It is the Holy Spirit who enlightens us on how to accept and live out God’s will for our lives. At the Annunciation, the message of the Angel troubled the heart of Mary and she wondered how possible it is for her to fulfill what was outlined for her. The angel made it clear that it is through the power of the Holy Spirit that she will be able to carry out her missionary mandate. Prior to His Ascension, Jesus specifically told His disciples to wait for the out pour of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the primary agent of Evangelization. It is the license without which the vehicle of evangelization cannot be driven. Without the Holy Spirit there is no commissioning; and unless we are commissioned, we cannot be a

SERMON/HOMILY FOR TUESDAY OF THE 4TH WEEK OF EASTER 23RD APRIL 2024 Acts 11:19-26; Ps. 87; John 10:22-30 Accepting that Jesus is God On several occasions, Jesus’ disciples witnessed Jesus preach the goodnews to non-Jews. This was to show that God’s salvation is not the exclusive property of anyone or group of people. However, they say that experience is the best teacher. The persecution that erupted after the death of Stephen dispersed the disciples across many nations. While it was their aim to continue to preach the goodnews wherever they found themselves, they did not expect non-Jews to welcome the gospel message. It became surprising when they experienced Greeks in Antioch accepting this message and God’s favour was upon them. This experience was to again teach them that everyone is qualified to be saved by the goodnews of Jesus Christ. Salvation is not like some lucrative white collar Jobs that are available to only those who have connections. Since we all acknowledge God as our c

SERMON/ HOMILY FOR MONDAY OF THE 4TH WEEK OF EASTER 22ND APRIL 2024 Acts 11:1-18; Ps.42; John 10:1-10 Obedience and Accountability Yesterday, we reflected on the image of the Good Shepherd, a model for us today. Today, Peter, the head of the Church, demonstrated exemplary life-style as a Shepherd after God’s heart. For one to be like the good shepherd, he/she must be able to listen. We need to listen to God’s voice in order to follow him; we need to listen to God’s voice in order to know how to effectively be His ministers. Peter saw a vision in which the Lord made known to him His desire that all men be saved irrespective of whatever barrier that divide men socially and otherwise. If Peter had not listened, he would have been moving but not in God’s direction. When Peter’s action scandalized the circumcised party, he displayed another trait of a good Shepherd: accountability. He explained to them why he did what he did; how he got the divine mandate to welcome the gentiles too into th

REFLECTION/HOMILY FOR THE 4TH SUNDAY OF EASTER YEAR B  21ST APRIL 2024 Acts 4:8-12; Ps.118; 1Jn.3:1-2; John 10:11-18  _I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep._  Our Vocation to Preach and Practice the Gospel Truth! This fourth Sunday of Easter is referred to as Good Shepherd Sunday and/or Vocation Sunday. On this day, we conscious pray as well as remind ourselves of the need to pray for Vocations to the Priesthood and Religious life. In a more extensive manner, we reflect on the need and pray for the grace to be faithful to the tenets of our respective vocations. It is the level of our faithfulness to our vocations that determines the general wellbeing of the society. Lack of faithfulness means lack of commitment, which is an indication of selfishness ruling over selflessness. No matter how we defend it, there can be no good end result for unfaithfulness. So, if we honestly want to turn things around for the better, let us get more committed to our r

SERMON/HOMILY FOR SATURDAY OF THE 3RD WEEK OF EASTER 20TH APRIL 2024 Acts 9:31-42; Ps.116; John 6:60-69 The Fruits of walking in the way of the Lord In the first reading of today, two miracles were worked by the power of the risen Christ through the instrumentality of Peter: Aeneas who has been bedridden for eight years was healed, Tabitha was brought back to life again. The healing of the sick and raising of the dead were signs that were associated with Jesus. For these signs to also be associated with the disciples was a clear testimony to the fact that power of the risen Christ was still with the Church. Jesus’ resurrection and ascension did not translate into his absence from the Church. While the authorities continued to persecute the Church, the common people would have been skeptical if the disciples will be able to continue with the mission of Christ. This skepticism must have been heightened by those unfortunate times when the disciples attempted to perform some works but coul

SERMON/HOMILY FOR FRIDAY OF THE 3RD WEEK OF EASTER 19TH APRIL 2024 Acts 9:1-20; Ps.117; John 6:52-59 Enlightened for Christ The first reading of today presents us with the conversion of St. Paul. Although it is properly called conversion, but the conversion was more of an enlightenment on what is right than a movement from wrong to right. While Saul went to the high priest to obtain letters to the synagogues of Damascus to enable him legally arrest Christians, he thought of it as the right thing to do. Christians were seen as violators of the Jewish laws and customs. Consequently, as a devoted Jew, Saul took it upon himself to preserve the laws and customs given by God to Moses and handed on by his forefathers. Saul had a noble intention but lacked the right knowledge. Therefore, the conversion of Saul can be likened to a counselling experience on what is truly right. There were many Jews persecuting Christians at that time. We may begin to wonder why the Lord specifically chose to enc

SERMON/HOMILY FOR THURSDAY OF THE 3RD WEEK OF EASTER 18TH APRIL 2024 Acts 8:26-40; Ps.66; John 6:44-51 Just for the sake of God Even after the disciples had been dispersed to different parts of the world due to the fierce persecution of Christians in Jerusalem, the Spirit of God continued to work in and through them wherever they found themselves. The Spirit of God is not limited to particular places but can work only through available hearts irrespective of their location. In the first reading, the Spirit of God directed Philip to an Ethiopian Eunuch. The encounter between Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch led to the baptism of the Eunuch. Thereafter, the Spirit of God took Philip away to Azotus where he continued preaching the gospel. The message here is that as soon as we declare our availability to God and his work, God can use any means to direct us to where and how he wants us to minister. To be available means to allow God take the lead. Any Christian who wants to do the will of G

SERMON/HOMILY FOR WEDNESDAY OF THE 3RD WEEK OF EASTER17TH APRIL 2024 Acts 8:1b-8; Ps.66; John 6:35-40 Persecution is no obstruction One who does not love cannot bring others to Christ and Christ to others because witnessing is never without persecution. In today’s first reading, a fierce persecution against the Hellenist Christians took place. The goal of the persecution was to scatter the assembly of believers so that they will no longer speak in the name of Christ. True to the expectation of the persecutors, the believers scattered about as they ran for their lives. But because the Lord has promised victory through the power of his resurrection, their fled did not bring an end to the mission of Christ. They fled but planted the gospel in the various places they found themselves. Thus persecution was turned into cross-pollination. From the earliest times, the Holy Spirit has always turned persecution into manure for evangelization. Dear Christian, you will be persecuted but you can ne

SERMON/HOMILY FOR TUESDAY OF THE 3RD WEEK OF EASTER 16TH APRIL 2024 Acts 7:51-8:1a; Ps.31; John 6:30-35 The gain of identifying with the Lord In the first reading of today, Stephen is arraigned before the people, the elders and the scribes; the very people who spear-headed the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Stephen is summoned for identifying with Jesus and he would have expected that the council will be ready to do to him as they did to Jesus. Yet, the manner and content of Stephen’s address does not seem like that of one whose death was imminent or who was afraid to die. The courage with which Stephen spoke clearly suggested that giving him a second chance to stop witnessing to the risen Christ, will be a waste of time. It is not the case that Stephen may not have had an iota of fear for death; rather, he was much more consumed with Joy for the privilege to imitate Jesus in his suffering. For him, his suffering was a Divine Connection; an opportunity he must exercise to the full. He wa

REFLECTION/HOMILY FOR MONDAY OF THE 3RD WEEK OF EASTER 15TH APRIL 2024 Acts 6:8-15; Ps.119; John 6:22-29 Do not resist the Good The dispute about the daily distribution of food threatened the unity of the believers and so attracted the prompt action of the disciples. But it seems that some persons were not at home with the restoration of peace in the community. Today, we read about Stephen, one of the seven deacons selected for the daily distribution of food. It is said that he was full of grace and power, and did great wonders and signs among the people. This means that Stephen did his work well. Yet, some members of the synagogue made case with him. It has become a common experience to find people who delight in the disorganization of any assembly. Sometimes, they pretend to be fighting a just cause but the manner they go about it reveals that they have ulterior motives. Such people will always see problem where there is no problem. They try to present themselves as the only “messiah

HOMILY/SERMON FOR THE 3RD SUNDAY OF EASTER YEAR B 14TH APRIL 2024 Acts 3:13-15, 17-19ab; Ps.4; 1Jn.2:1-5a; Luke 24:35-48 … _by this we may be sure that we know him, if we keep his commandments_ . (1Jn.2:3) Ongoing Spiritual Enlightenment! Jesus is the Word of God. Yet, it is possible to be familiar with the scriptures without having a real encounter with Jesus. When this happens, the person in question will be in a state of ignorance that he/she is both unaware of and unwilling to admit. In such situation, one will confidently be acting in ignorance. The readings of today set to address such a situation. They invite us to put on a learning disposition that allows us to unlearn (what we think/feel we already learnt), in order to relearn. The focus is to know the scripture to the point that we truly encounter Christ. We have not yet known the scripture until we can decipher what Jesus is saying to us today in our present and peculiar situation. If not, the bible will only seem like a boo

SERMON/HOMILY FOR SATURDAY OF THE 2ND WEEK OF EASTER 13TH APRIL 2024 Acts 6:1-7; Ps.33; John 6:16-21 We must do our part well Yesterday, we saw an end to the external challenge the apostles had with the authorities. Today, we read of an internal challenge; _wahala no dey finish_ ! As the early Christian community grew in number, there was an obvious need for a structure that would aid the effective administration of the community. Without proper administration, the people will be not be organized enough to live out the Christian identity. The apostles were able to realize this need for a structure because they had listening ears. They listened to the murmuring between the Hellenists and the Hebrews as regards the sharing of food. The controversy was still at the stage of murmuring yet the apostles quickly addressed the matter. We need such agility today. The more we allow issues to linger, the worse they may become and more difficult to handle. We must be responsible enough to realize

HOMILY/MEDITATION FOR FRIDAY OF THE 2ND WEEK OF EASTER 12TH APRIL 2024 Acts 5:34-42; Ps.27; John 6:1-15 Remain with the Lord As the angry men in council deliberated on how best to deal with the apostles for defiling their orders, Gamaliel offered a piece of advice that remains valid till this day. His position can be summarized as: whatever is not of God will not stand the test of time; whatever is of God is unstoppable. Know this and know peace! Whatever is not of God, irrespective of the blossoming it experiences, the attractiveness is ensues, the pleasure it gives, it is bound to end is disarray. On the other hand, whatever is of God, irrespective of the oppression melted against it, no matter how unpopular and unattractive it may be, it is bound to stand the test of time. Beloved, the point here is that only God can give true life; so, only what is connected to God truly survives. This truth was demonstrated in the gospel reading of today. The multitude connected themselves to Jesu

HOMILY/MEDITATION FOR THURSDAY OF THE 2ND WEEK OF EASTER 11TH APRIL 2024 Acts 5:27-33; Ps. 34; John 3:31-36 Unrepentance Breeds Fear For those who really desire to grow in life, the truth is always a catalyst, but for those who are obstinate in sin, the truth is irritating. This was the case in the first reading of today. After being set free by an angel of the Lord, the disciples obediently went to the temple to preach the truth about the gospel. Their listeners welcomed their teaching with open hearts because they desired true life. The case was not the same with the high priest and members of the council. For them the message preached by the disciple was irritating because it made them guilty of the death of Jesus Christ. To be guilty of someone’s death means that the deceased person was not deserving of death. So, to preach that Jesus is resurrected means that he was not guilty of blasphemy and other accusations charged against him. Therefore, his accusers acted maliciously. The Ch

SERMON/HOMILY FOR WEDNESDAY OF THE 2ND WEEK OF EASTER 10TH APRIL 2024 Acts 5:17-26; Ps.34; John 3:16-21 The Word of God sets Free In the first reading of today, the high priest and the Sadducees persecuted the apostles not merely for their connectivity with Jesus but also for continuing the mission of Jesus. These unrepentant authorities, plagued with guilty conscience, needed to continually convince themselves (and others) that they acted rightly by killing Jesus Christ. So, they never found comfortable anything, person or event that resonances the name and works of Jesus Christ. Darkness attempted to completely put off light so that left with no other choice, the world will embrace darkness as light. So in the first reading, they put the apostles in prison for speaking and doing the works of Christ. Putting them in prison was to stop them. However, an angel of the Lord set them free in a remarkable way. They were led out of the prison while the prison remained securely locked with se

SERMON/HOMILY FOR TUESDAY OF THE 2ND WEEK OF EASTER 9TH APRIL 2024 Acts 4:32-37; Ps.93; John 3:7b-15 A united Christian Community It is easier for people to be united when they have a common purpose. When there is no common purpose, it can be very difficult for people to see themselves as one even under the umbrella of common humanity. But the problem with uniting under a common purpose is that such people may segregate themselves from others who do not share in their purpose. Should this principle be applied to the practice of Christianity? The first reading of today gives an answer. We are told that the company of those who believed were of one heart and soul. This means that people were united on the basis of their common believe in Jesus Christ. This belief made them see themselves as one. This belief also made them over look other cultural, financial, educational, identities that hitherto united or separated them. All of these no longer mattered; what mattered now was their common

 SERMON/ REFLECTION/HOMILY ON THE SOLEMNITY OF THE ANNUCIATION OF THE LORD 8TH APRIL 2024 Isaiah 7:10-14; 8:10; Ps.40; Heb.10:4-10; Luke 1:26-38 Our role in the Annunciation!  _Ordinarily, the solemnity of the Annunciation is celebrated March 25 every year. But due to the fact that the date occurred during Holy week this year, the celebration was moved to this day._  The birth of Christ into this world meant the physical presence of God in human space and time. Now, since this God is the King of kings, it only makes sense that His coming is not only announced as its done for earthly kings, but also be announced in a manner that it has and can never be done for any earthly king. The coming of Christ needed to be announced because Christ is the king of the universe. While the flute player, musician or aide will announced the coming of earthly kings, only God Himself can announce His own coming. This means that it is not man who makes God glorified. God is glorified in Himself and by Hims

SERMON/HOMILY FOR THE 2ND SUNDAY OF EASTER DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY 7TH APRIL 2024 Acts 4:32-35; Ps.118; 1Jn.5:1-7; John 20:19-31  _Give praise to the Lord, for he is good; his mercy endures forever._ (Ps.118:1) Twofold understanding of Mercy! Today being the second Sunday of Easter, is referred to as Divine Mercy Sunday. On this day, we give thanks to God for his abundant mercies, we ask for mercy for our many shortcomings and failings, and we reflect on our mission as ambassadors of mercy. A celebration of this kind becomes so necessary when we honestly acknowledge the fact that we generally seek mercy more than we give it. Infact, we can dare to be unmerciful to the one who has shown us mercy. Today, mercy has turned into an instrument of manipulation in the hands of some persons. They preach mercy when they need it, but forget about it when it is their turn to give it. Today’s celebration calls us to imbibe mercy not as a tool of manipulation but as a virtue. As a virtue, mercy is not a

SERMON/HOMILY FOR SATURDAY WITHIN THE OCTAVE OF EASTER 6TH APRIL 2024 Act 4:13-21; Ps.118; Mark 16:9-15 The Supremacy of the Divine Law The drama that ensued after the healing of the lame man continues in today’s first reading. It was obvious to the elders and the Scribes that the power of God was at work in the disciples, not just in the healing event, but also with the boldness these uneducated and common men spoke. In an attempt to put God aside and enthrone themselves, the elders and scribes will not succumb to the power of God that is made manifest in their midst. They would even warn the disciples not to speak in the name of Jesus anymore. The response of Peter and John is something Christians need to make personal: “whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge; for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard”. What a courage and conviction the disciples had; just like that of Shedrack, Meshack and Abadenego. Peter and John ma

REFLECTION/HOMILY FOR FRIDAY WITHIN THE OCTAVE OF EASTER 5TH APRIL 2024 Act 4:1-12; Ps.118; John 21:1-14 Becoming a mature Christian A mature person does things out of conviction. When we are convinced of the power of the resurrection, we will practice the Christian faith more maturely. One who is convinced is not afraid but bold. This boldness is not pretentious but able to stand the test of time. In the life of Peter, we find this graduation from immature faith to mature faith. When Jesus told Peter that he would deny him three times, Peter boldly refuted Jesus and pledged that he would give up his life for Jesus. He seemed to maintain this boldness as he drew out his sword and cut off the ear of one the servants who had come to arrest Jesus. But when he saw that Jesus was being condemned to death, he three times denied that he ever knew Jesus or belonged to his company. The sight of the authorities and fear of being condemned like Jesus, crippled Peter’s boldness. Jesus’ resurrectio

REFLECTION/HOMILY FOR THURSDAY WITHIN THE OCTAVE OF EASTER 4TH APRIL 2024 Acts 3:11-26; Luke 24:35-48 The Resurrection discards Fear Since Jesus’ resurrection, his appearance has only been to individuals. Today, he makes his first appearance in the company of the disciples. Like the appearance to the individuals, this too was greeted with no expectation. As close as the disciples were to Jesus, as privileged as they were to certain information and teachings from Jesus, they did not expect that Jesus will rise from the grave. Yet here was Jesus before them. The only explanation they could proffer to His appearance was that it was Jesus’ ghost. No matter how loved a person maybe, after death, the appearance of the ghost will always attract fear. Infact, it is often believed that ghosts appear to avenge their death. The disciples of Jesus are not entirely innocent of Jesus death; at least, they were guilty of abandoning him when he needed them most. Thus, they had reason to fear the prese

SERMON/HOMILY FOR WEDNESDAY OF THE OCTAVE OF EASTER 3RD APRIL 2024 Acts 3:1-10; Ps.105; Luke 24:13-35 The Ever-abiding Presence of God Man is hardly ever without one problem or the other. There is never a time we are dry of petitions to bring before God in prayer. In as much as we cannot but continually make effort to solve life’s problems, we need to be cautious not to loose our vision of Jesus. Certain events surrounding the resurrection of Jesus say to us that when we are overly concerned about our problems, we may fail to recognize the presence and power of God in our midst. What we must do with our challenges is to unite them to the power of the risen Lord. In the gospel reading of yesterday, Mary Magdalene was so concerned about who might have stolen the body of Jesus to the extent that she could not recognize Jesus in her midst. Even when she saw him, she supposed him to be a gardener and begged him to release to her the body of her Lord. In the gospel reading of today, the two

SERMON/HOMILY FOR TUESDAY OF THE OCTAVE OF EASTER 3RD APRIL 2024 Act 2:136-41; Ps.33; John 20:11-18 Easter calls us to Stay with the Lord Today’s liturgy teaches us what the Lord wants from us if we must authentically and fruitfully celebrate his resurrection: we must stay with the Lord. The first and the gospel readings present this requirement from different perspectives. In the gospel reading, we meet Mary crying at the tomb of Jesus not just because Jesus is dead but because she thought his body has been stolen. It is good we understand the circumstances surrounding Mary’s action. First, Jesus had cast out seven demons from her (Lk.8:2) and since then, she became a committed follower of Jesus. Second, she was not expecting the resurrection. Her presence at the tomb was to mourn Jesus’ death. Her love for Jesus pushes her to love him even in death; unconditional love. Indeed she was a faithful disciple who stays with the Master both in joyful and sorrowful moments. In the first read

REFLECTION/HOMILY FOR MONDAY OF THE OCTAVE OF EASTER 1ST APRIL 2024 Acts 2:14, 22-32; Matthew 28:8-15 The Glory of the Resurrection is unsurmountable Publicity is key to any business and indeed any event. This is because the patronage of others is important if the establish venture is to be successful. Little wonder some persons and bodies form the habit of televising their charitable acts so that they may form a public image of good and generous. This is not the case with the glory of the resurrection. Whatever is of God does not rest on public opinion. In the gospel reading of today, the Chief priests bribed the soldiers to lie that Jesus did not resurrect and to rather say that it was the disciples who came to steal the body while they (the soldiers) were asleep. If the testimony of the resurrection of Jesus Christ was to be dependent on the publicity of men, then the fake rumour that the soldiers told would have crumbled the resurrection testimony. God did not prevent the soldiers