FR REMI HOMILIES/REFLECTIONS AND SERMONS

HOMILY ON THE FEAST OF THE VISITATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY (MAY 31 2024) Zephaniah 3:14-18a; Isa.12; Luke 1:39-56 Before His Ascension, when Jesus spoke to His disciples about his impending departure, He assured them that His departure does not mean His absence because the Holy Spirit will come to guide them to the truth. Since Jesus is the truth, the Holy Spirit guides us to discover Jesus. It is this guidance of the Holy Spirit to discover Jesus that we celebrate in the feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This feast does not just mean to say that Mary visited Elizabeth; they were cousins and so, she would have done that a number of times. This feast rather outlines the first visit of the Mother of God. Mary had just been told by the Angel Gabriel that she will be the Mother of God. Immediately she goes to visit Elizabeth. Through her greeting, Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit who also guided her to discover/notice the Jesus in Mary’s womb. Elizabeth exc...

HOMILY FOR THURSDAY OF THE EIGHTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR II (MAY 30, 2024 1Pt.2:2-5, 9-12; Ps.100; Mark 10:46:52 At the beginning of the gospel reading of today, it was mentioned that a great multitude followed Jesus as he was leaving Jericho. We are not told who they were neither was it recorded why they followed Jesus or what exactly they benefited from following Jesus. But immediately the case of the beggar came up, issues were clearly spelt out: his name was given as Bartimaeus, his problem was mentioned to be blindness, his reason for wanting to meet with Jesus was so that his sight could be restored; and in the final analysis, his request was granted. The difference between the multitude and Bartimaeus that brought about a more profound encounter between him and Jesus was the fact that Bartimaeus acknowledged his weakness. Prior to his meeting with Jesus, he humbled himself and begged to earn a living. When he learnt that Jesus was passing by, he was not ashamed to cry out f...

HOMILY FOR WEDNESDAY OF THE EIGHTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR II (MAY 29, 2024) 1Peter 1:18-25; Ps.147; Mark 10:32:45 That feeling of supremacy! One feeling that seem to give people happiness in life is that they have some edge over their contemporaries. There is this consciousness of measuring ones achievement in comparison with what others have. With this mentality, people do not simply seek to grow so as to become better persons and make better impacts in their immediate environment, but so that they can feel greater/better than their mates. This was how the ten disciples understood the request made by James and John to Jesus in the gospel reading. For them, James and John want to use their biological relation with Jesus as a ladder to climb over the other ten of them. This would have brought in mutual suspicion amongst the disciples. This mutual suspicion has destroyed some human relations in our world today. The moment people perceive that their colleagues have gotten some favour...

REFLECTION /SERMON FOR TUESDAY OF THE EIGHTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR II MAY 28, 2024 1Peter 1:10-16; Ps.98; Mark 10:28-31 Be not a utilitarian No human being wants to be used by another. Man is at his best when he is valued and respected. This human desire was expressed by Peter in the gospel reading of today. To follow Jesus, they made sacrifices of leaving their family and career. In following Jesus, they had their expectations that was worth the sacrifice of abandoning their formal lives. If their expectation is not meant, then they would have made the wrong move. So, Peter, speaking on behalf of the others, wanted to be sure that Jesus is not merely using them as instruments to achieve his personal goal. If it is a goal that the disciples cannot share in, then working with Jesus is tantamount to being used. In response, Jesus assured the disciples that those who make sacrifices to build God’s kingdom can never be left out of the kingdom. This means that the Lord does not merely ...

SERMON/REFLECTION FOR MONDAY OF THE EIGHTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR II MAY 27, 2024 1Peter 1:3-9; Ps.111; Mark 10:17-27 Continuous growth towards perfection There is no part of the Ten Commandments that directly ask that we give to the poor. So, it is easy to understand how the man who met Jesus in today’s gospel reading omitted that in his effort to live a good live. The fact that the man had lived by the commandments since his youth says something good about him. It means that he never depended on his possessions to guarantee him a happy and fulfilled life. Though he was rich, he gave God his due by keeping the commandments. So, when he asked Jesus: what must I do to inherit eternal life, he was not asking how much he needed to contribute so that Jesus will give him a sure ticket to heaven. Since this man lived so well, why then did he feel the need to ask Jesus such a question? Why was he not able to feel satisfied with the much he had been doing? This goes to show to us that Chr...

SERMON/REFLECTION FOR THE SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST HOLY TRINITY, YEAR B MAY 26, 2024 Deut.4:32-34. 39-40; Ps.33; Rom.8:14-17; Matthew 28:16-20  _Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: to God who is, who was and who is to come._ (Rev.1:8) Authentic Christianity is essentially Trinitarian It is always required for a typical academic/research work, that proper classification of terms be made. This entails that the context in which the basic concepts to be employed by the researcher in the work should be properly outlined and clarified. This is necessary because a word/concept can have different meaning/understanding in different context. It is only after a due and diligent conceptual analysis that anyone can engage a research work in accordance with the mind of the researcher. Again, it is only within the circumference of conceptual analysis that criticisms can make sense. Today, we celebrate the solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. The Trinity is at the heart/fou...

SERMON/REFLECTION FOR SATURDAY OF THE SEVENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR II (MAY 25, 2024) James 5:13-20; Ps.141; Mark 10:13-16 Theme: Admit your failings and pray for one another There is no situation in life we find ourselves in that we do not have to involve God. This is the lesson St. James teaches us in the opening paragraph of today’s first reading. God has something to do with and for us in whatever circumstances of life we may be in. We should not remember God when life is sweet but forget him when the chips are down; neither should we run to him in difficult times but have no time for him when things improve for the better. By extension, St. James is teaching us to pray for virtually everything about our lives. Nothing can be said not to concern God. Prayer is our relationship with God. St. James went on to teach us how to relate with one another. He said: confess your sins to one another and pray for one another… Confessing our sins to one another means we should acknowledge...

SERMON/REFLECTION FOR FRIDAY OF THE SEVENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR II (MAY 24, 2024) James 5:9-12; Ps.103; Mark 10:1-12 Jesus on Marriage! From the question the Pharisees asked Jesus in the gospel reading, it is clear that marital union was already experiencing fierce challenges at that time, such that some married people conceived the idea that only separation could be a lasting solution. The Pharisees wanted to know if Jesus supported the permission to divorce that Moses gave to the people. One can only imagine the number and magnitude of marital problems that ensued at the of Moses that mounted so much pressure on him to permit married people to divorce. Today, one may sometimes doubt within himself if perseverance can still hold sway in some marriages. Can we really persevere about everything? Jesus was not oblivious of marital challenges when he taught about the permanence and indissolubility of marriage in today’s gospel. When people marry, they enter into a permanent union ...

SERMON/MEDITATION FOR THURSDAY OF THE SEVENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR II (MAY 23, 2024) James 5:1-6; Ps.49; Mark 9:41-50 You have something to share! One may think that in today’s first reading, St. James was condemning riches since he speaks of doom about them. This is not the case. Upon careful reflection, we will realize that St. James was condemning two attitudes that are common with those who are not poor in spirit; those who cling so closely to material things so that they have no space either for God or for others. People with such attitudes are fond of hording in the midst of suffering, while taking undue advantage of others. Such attitudes are not found only with the wealth. Any human being can be guilty of them. The first attitude is a clear case of ignoring the pain and lack of those around while enjoying the sight or thought of the plenty one has stored for himself/herself. It is often said that one man’s meat is another man’s poison. None of us has the prerogative to w...

SERMON/MEDITATION FOR WEDNESDAY OF THE SEVENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR II (MAY 22, 2024) James 4:13-17; Ps.49; Mark 9:38-40 God owns our Tomorrow Today, St. James offers us another practical guide for proper living. It is about remembering that our tomorrow is only possible by the Grace of God. It is normal and expected of humans to make plans for the future. Even a little child prepares to submit the school assignment tomorrow. For grown-ups, we make more concrete plans that aim at ensuring a better future for us. Even when it is challenging to plan for a better tomorrow, we simply hope on God. St. James tells us that in as much as planning is normal, it is utter foolishness to think that our plans can succeed without Divine intervention. When we plan without accommodating God, without recognizing that the dawn of tomorrow and our perception of it depends on God, then we are as good as not planning at all. The point St. James is making here is that no one with God-consciousness, w...

SERMON/MEDITATION FOR TUESDAY, SEVENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR II (MAY 21, 2024) James 4:1-10; Ps.55; Mark 9:30-37 The Right way to be Ambitions In the first reading, James continues his warning against selfish ambition. He tells us that selfish ambition is the source of the discord experienced amongst humans. Wherever human relationship is thwarted, know that selfishness has raised its ugly head. To understand James better, we need to note that James was not condemning ambition in itself. By nature, every human being is expected to be ambitious. To be ambitious means to strongly desire something and to concretely work towards achieving it. Therefore, the only way one can avoid being ambitious is to have no plan for the future. But we know very well that he who fails to plan has already planned to fail. James carefully noted two things that corrupt ambition: content and means. The content of our ambition need to be something reasonably realizable without causing harm to anyone; if ...

SERMON/MEDITATION FOR MONDAY AFTER PENTECOST – MEMORIAL OF MARY, MOTHER OF THE CHURCH (MAY 20, 2024) Gen.3:9-15,20; Ps. 87; John 19:25-34 Mary is our Mother too Today we celebrate the memorial of Mary, Mother of the Church. This celebration focuses on the relationship between Mary and the Church of Christ. In the first reading of today, we saw the fall of our first parents. They fell because they disobeyed God. When Adam was asked why he fell, he blamed it on Eve who gave him the forbidden fruit to eat. By this, the co-operation of woman was clearly highlighted in the fall of humanity. It became necessary that the co-operation of a woman be also highlighted in the rise of humanity. This was what Jesus ensured in the gospel reading. While already at the point of death, he would not die until he had completed his work for man. Since he was in the business of emptying himself for humanity, leaving man with his mother too was something very important. So, he established a Mother-Son relati...

Sermon/Meditation for the celebration of Pentecost Sunday, MAY 19, 2024 Acts 2:1-11; Ps.104; 1Cor.12:3b-7, 12-13; John 17:11b-19  _To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good_ (1Cor.12:7) Seek the Fruits not the signs of the Holy Spirit Today is so special that in the Catholic tradition, we do not come to this day without due preparation. For the past nine days, we have been involved in the Novena to the Holy Spirit. During the novena, we prayed to and for the Holy Spirit to renew, reinvigorate and rejuvenate us; we asked the Holy Spirit to do both new and greater things in and through us. However, today’s celebration offers us ample opportunity to reflect on the Holy Spirit especially in our relationship with this third person of the Blessed Trinity. What do we desire of the Holy Spirit? From the readings of today, we see that there are signs of the possession of the Holy Spirit, and there are the actual fruits of the Holy Spirit. Signs depict presence but...

Meditation/reflection for Saturday of the 7th week of Easter  18th May 2024 Acts 15:13b-21; Ps.103; John 21:15-19 Seek consolation in Jesus! It is sometimes easier to bore suffering when other persons are involved. But if one happens to be suffering alone, the pain seem to be more. In the gospel reading of yesterday, Jesus revealed to Peter how he (Peter) was going to die; through martyrdom. When Jesus was making this revelation, he was not addressing all the disciples but Peter alone. The painful death that awaited Peter was more painful since it was for Peter alone. In the gospel reading of today, Peter inquired how another disciple was going to die. If the disciple was also to experience martyrdom, Peter would have been consoled that he was not alone. But if not, maybe Peter would have inquired why his case was sadly different. Maybe this was part of the reason Jesus did not directly answer Peter’s question. The answer Jesus gave Peter was as good as saying “mind your business”....

Sermon for Friday. Seventh Week of Easter 17th May, 2024. Acts 25:13b-21. Psalm 103:1-2,11-12,19-20ab. John 21:15-19. In the first reading, Festus invites King Agrippa to hear St. Paul's case, explaining that the issue appears to be a type of inter-religious dispute, lacking legal merit. He, therefore, dismisses the case, though Paul appeals to defend his case before the Emperor. Imagine the hardship Paul went through for the sake of the Gospel. Confronted with many accusations and presented before different authorities, Paul's faith remained firm, and he was willing to be dragged to the very limits, all for the sake of the Gospel. It is this same fate that awaits St. Peter and the other Apostles prophesied by our Lord Jesus Christ in today's Gospel. A prophesy He said to show by what death he (Peter) was to glorify God (John 21:19). The dialogue between our Lord and Peter in today's Gospel expresses the Christian vocation. Our Lord asks us daily if we love Him in a spe...

HOMILY FOR THURSDAY OF THE SEVENTH WEEK OF EASTER (MAY 16, 2024) Acts 22:30; 23:6-11; Ps.16; John 17:20-26 Persevere in doing good! It is often said that the reward of good work is more work. This is because one who has been faithful in little things can be presumed to be faithful in greater things compared to another who has not shown faithfulness at all in what is little. In the social sphere, we find it easy to accommodate the above idea. An employee to whom the employer always assigns duties will feel privileged because such indicates that the employer trusts him or her so well. It also indicates that the employer will handsomely reward the employee someday. This general conception may attract the envy of other employees. However, it seems difficult for us to understand how this principle also applies in our spiritual journey. To lead a good Christian life is a good work. Always, God rewards such good work by putting us in more situations where our goodness can turn things for the ...

HOMILY FOR WEDNESDAY OF THE 7TH WEEK OF EASTER 15th May 2024 Acts 20:28-38; Ps.68; John 17:11b-19 Know and Teach the Truth Teaching is a very powerful concept. It involves the transmission of knowledge in an atmosphere that is psychologically submissive to the learner. Teaching can be either through words or actions. In the first reading of today, Paul continued his testimony to the elders of the Church in Ephesus of how he has taught the believers. His teaching was able to make such great positive impact because he taught the truth of the gospel. However, Paul calls the elders to due diligence because just as teaching the truth is able to bring about massive positive influence, so also false teaching will bring about massive negative influence. To guide against false teaching, first, Paul recommended that the Church of the Lord should be properly feed. Feeding, here, means to continue to preach/teach the truth. There is no better way of discarding darkness than by igniting light. If w...

HOMILY FOR THE FEAST OF ST. MATTHIAS THE APOSTLE Acts 1:15-17, 20-26; Ps.113; John 15:9-17 God purposefully calls us Today, we celebrate the feast of St. Matthias, one of the apostles of Jesus who though was not initially chosen by Jesus when others were called, was later chosen to replace Judas after the latter had betrayed Jesus and committed suicide. We may need to ask: was it necessary that Judas be replaced? Must the number of the apostles be twelve? Couldn’t the remaining eleven carryout the ministry Christ entrusted to them? What we find here is the purposefulness of God’s call. God does not call on impulse; he has a well-defined mission for each and every one of us. This was clearly made known to Jeremiah: “before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, before you were born I set you apart, and appointed you a prophet to the nations” (Jer.1:4-5). It is the mission that necessitates our calling. God did not call us and then assigned a mission to us; rather, there is a mission to b...

Reflection/Homily for Monday of the 7th Week of Easter 13th May 2024 Acts 19:1-8. Psalm 68:2-3,4-5ac,6-7ab. John 16:29-33. We see the importance of the sacrament of baptism in the first reading. St. Paul, on hearing that some disciples at Ephesus received the Baptism of St. John the Baptist immediately baptized them in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. With the reception of our Lord Jesus Christ's Baptism, one receives the Holy Spirit. It is the baptism we receive in the Catholic Church. Our Lord instructed his disciples before his ascension into heaven, saying, "Go and make disciples of all nations and baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matt.28:19).  With this baptism, one receives the Holy Spirit. It is then your job as a baptized Christian to fan the Holy Spirit into flame just like the twelve who received Baptism from Paul in the first reading.  In fanning the Holy Spirit into flame, let us be assured that we are going to face tr...

Homily for the 7th Sunday of Easter Year B.  Acts 1:5m15-17,20a,20c-26. Psalm 103:1-2,11-12,19-20ab. 1 John 4:11-16. John 17:11b-19. Theme: "May They Be One." In the first reading, St. Peter spoke on behalf of about one hundred and twenty brethren (brothers and sisters in the Lord) on the need to have a replacement for Judas Iscariot to keep to the twelve Apostles initially selected by our Lord Jesus Christ. The man to be chosen must fulfil two conditions. Firstly, he must have accompanied them during all the time that the Lord Jesus Christ went in and out among them, beginning from the Baptism of John the Baptist until the day when Christ Jesus ascended into heaven. Secondly, he must become with them a witness to the Lord's resurrection. The person in summary must be able to testify to the Lord's resurrection and also to the preaching and miracles of the Lord. Two men were presented who fulfilled these conditions Peter demanded. They now request the Lord to decide fo...

SERMON/HOMILY FOR SATURDAY OF THE 6TH WEEK OF EASTER Acts 18:23-28; Ps.47; John 16:23b-28 The Holy Spirit and Knowledge In this season of the novena to the Holy Spirit, many of us are waiting upon the Holy Spirit so that at Pentecost He will possess us. In order to possess the Holy Spirit or fan into flame the gifts we have earlier received, we feel the need to make this all-important prayerful preparation. However, from the example of Apollos in the first reading of today, we understand that added to prayerful preparation, we must also seek knowledge. Yes, Jesus promised that when the Spirit comes, He will guide us into the truth. This does not mean that we are going to be passive in the process of being guided into the truth. There is a place for human effort. As we are undergoing the Pentecost novena, how much have we learnt about the Holy Spirit from the Scriptures, good theological books and other media? Apollos was able to do much in preaching that the Christ was Jesus because he...

HOMILY FOR FRIDAY OF THE 6TH WEEK OF EASTER Acts 18:9-18; Ps. 47; John 16:20-23a Sorrow turned into Joy Jesus spoke of sorrow and Joy to his disciples in today’s gospel reading. Both were in relation to Him. His physical departure will bring sorrow upon the disciples but their steadfastness to the Faith will win them eternal Joy from the Lord; a joy that is neither material based nor can it be taken away by another. For us today, the experiences of sorrow and joy is something we have to accept in the course of living out the Christian life – we cannot afford to deny any of them and still hope to be authentic in our practice of the faith. The challenge in accepting these realities of sorrow and joy is that the world will always be at the opposite end. When we are sorrowful, the world will be happy; when we are happy, the world will be sorrowful. Therefore, we cannot afford to be of the world. For the disciples, the departure of Christ will make them more vulnerable to the Scribes and th...

SERMON/HOMILY ON THE SOLEMNITY OF THE ASCENSION OF THE LORD 9th May 2024 Acts 1:1-11; Ps.47; Eph.1:17-23; Matt.28:16-20 He has gone to prepare a place for us Today is a joyful day. The event of today gives full meaning to everything that had happened to and around Christ right from when his birth was spoke about by the prophets. Today, we finally know who has the true power and the final say. Today, the question of “where did this man come from?” has been definitively answered. The one who came from heaven has returned to heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. The ascension of the Lord brings to an end the physical presence of Jesus on earth. The purpose of the incarnation (our redemption) has been accomplished; man has been reconciled to God. The ascension teaches us that our physical presence on earth will end too; but whether we shall go to heaven like the Lord, is dependent on if we remain reconciled to God. The incarnation was a public event and so was the ascension...

HOMILY FOR WEDNESDAY OF THE 6TH WEEK OF EASTER 8TH MAY 2024 Acts 17:15, 22-18:1; Ps.148; John 16:12-15 The Holy Spirit satisfies us! After being set free miraculously from prison together with Silas, Paul continued his missionary endeavour towards the gentiles. He came to Athens and was given the opportunity to speak in the presence of the Athenian philosophers and leaders. Paul observed their religious worship and even though it was not perfect, it served as a starting point for Paul to introduce the God of the Christian Faith to the Athenians. Of all the gods they worshipped, there was one with the inscription “To an unknown god”. Paul did not see the people as totally ignorant; rather he identified their gropings to reach the truth – and the truth is God. They may not know how best to reach this truth, but they did express their desire to reach the truth. So, Paul introduced the gospel of Jesus Christ as the perfect satisfaction of their longing hearts. In the gospel reading, Jesus ...

SERMON/ HOMILY FOR TUESDAY OF THE 6TH WEEK OF EASTER 7TH MAY 2024 Acts 16:22-34; Ps.138; John 16:5-11 With God, disappointments become Blessings Life continues to teach us that we are not always in control of everything that happens around and to us. Often times, we wish that certain things never happened. It could be an impeding unpleasant situation that we have prayed against, yet it materialized. Such experiences could leave us demoralized. The readings of today address us in such a demoralized atmosphere. The readings teach us that God can always create something wonderful out of every ugly situation, such that the ugly situation becomes a necessary springboard for the consequent wonder that followed it. But this can only come about if we don’t stop believing in the power of God in whatever happens around and to us. In the first reading, it was rather unfortunate that Paul and Silas were attacked by the crowd of Philippians, not for any wrong they have done but for bringing them th...

HOMILY FOR MONDAY OF THE 6TH WEEK OF EASTER Acts 16:11-15; Ps.149; John 15:26-16:4a A Sense of Appreciation! The disciples have been going from place to place preaching the goodnews of Christ. They have shown so much zeal and commitment to this course. Whenever the message was accepted, they were obviously filled with joy. Whenever the message was rejected, they refused to be discouraged. In fact, when they lives were in danger, they kept preaching the Word. This kind of zeal is usually associated with someone who has an ulterior motive or a personal gain in championing a course. If we attribute this thought to the missionary endeavour of the disciples, it will mean that their preaching was not selfless, but that they had something personal to gain. If this is true, it will further mean that those who accept the goodnews, were doing the disciples a favour. But this was not the case! The disciples were motivated by a sincere desire to obey Christ command to go make disciples of all nati...

Reflection/Homily for Sixth Sunday of Easter Year B 5th may 2024 Acts 10:26-26,34-35,44-48. 1 John 4:7--10. John 15:9-17. Theme: God is Love. The central message of today's readings is love. The love of God knows no boundary. Hence, our Responsorial Psalm: "The Lord has shown his deliverance to the nations." Indeed, we see in the first reading how the Lord showed his deliverance to the nations by the Holy Spirit being poured on Cornelius and his household, and they received the sacrament of Baptism in the first reading. With the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Cornelius and his household, St.  Peter said, "Truly I perceive that God shows no partiality, but in every nation, anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him" (Acts 10:34-35). Cornelius was acceptable to God because he feared God and did what was right. He was "a devout man who gave alms generously to the people and prayed constantly to God" (Acts 10:2). His almsgiving open...

HOMILY FOR SATURDAY OF THE 5TH WEEK OF EASTER 4th may 2024 Acts 16:1-10; Ps.100; John 15:18-21 Discover how God speaks to you From the first reading of today, we understand that in the missionary endeavours of the disciples and the early Christians, they remained open and docile to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. They allowed the Spirit of God to take the lead and direct them to where the gospel must be preached at every point in time. They never chose a place based on its viability or the generosity of the people but on the direction of the one who owns the mission. While Paul and Timothy travelled through Phrygia and Galatia, they understood that the Holy Spirit did not want them to speak the word at Asia. When they attempted to go into Bithynia, they also understood that it was not the plan of God for them. But when Paul saw in a vision, a man of Macedonia, he understood that they Lord wanted them to go preach the gospel in Macedonia urgently. The point here is that the disciples...

HOMILY FOR FRIDAY OF THE 5TH WEEK OF EASTER, (STS. PHILLIP AND JAMES  1Cor.15:1-8; Ps.19; John 14:6-14 Popularity is not a sign of Faithfulness Today, we celebrate the feast of St Phillip and St. James – apostles of Jesus Christ; we are presented with two great men who not only used their time, talent and treasure to bear witness to the gospel, but also their very lives. They are martyrs. One thing that is common about these two martyrs is that little is known about them. According to John’s gospel, Philip came from Bethsaida. Before the feeding of the multitude, it was him that Jesus asked how they should buy bread for the crowd. It was also him who persuaded Nathaniel to come and see Jesus. Tradition has it that after Pentecost, he went to preach the gospel in Asia Minor. He suffered martyrdom by crucifixion at Hierapolis in Phrygia. James was the Son of Alphaeus, a brother of Jude Thaddaeus and a cousin to Jesus. The mother, Mary of Clopas was a sister of the Blessed Virgin Mary...

 HOMILY FOR THURSDAY OF THE 5TH WEEK OF EASTER, (ST. ATHANASIUS  Acts 15:7-21; Ps.96; John 15:9-11 Jesus Christ is truly God and truly Man The life and contribution of St. Athanasius makes us realize that the creed that we profess today, was not formulated without fierce theological debate. Every statement in the creed was arrived at after so much theological deliberations. Today, we are celebrating the contribution of St. Athanasius to the growth of the Faith particularly in the formulation of an article of the faith, namely, that Jesus Christ is truly and fully God. Athanasius wrote and taught to refute the heresy of Arianism. Arianism taught that the incarnation is not possible and sensible because the world is saturated with evil and so, God cannot soil himself by becoming man. Therefore, the Jesus who was truly and fully man, could not have been God. Their rejection of Jesus as God was in a bid to safeguard the divinity of God. However, since Jesus was quite extraordinary...

HOMILY FOR WEDNESDAY OF THE 5TH WEEK OF EASTER Acts 15:1-6; Ps. 122; John 15:1-8 Religious Piety The adoption of gentiles into the faith was unexpected but eventually welcomed by the believers. However, there was great dispute as to how these gentiles will be incorporated into the believing community. This led to the first council of Jerusalem. Some believers taught that the gentiles must first be circumcised according to the Law of Moses before they can be saved. This position reveals the understanding of such believers about the faith. For them, the Law of Moses is the channel of salvation. Ordinarily, the Mosaic Law was binding on only Jews. So, these believers invariably taught that one must become a Jew in order to be saved. The fact that Jesus was a Jew and subjected himself to the Mosaic Law may strengthened this conviction. For them, salvation is the heritage of the Jews; so, when God was allowing gentiles to receive the Holy Spirit, he was invariably granting them passport to ...