SAINT LOUIS CATHOLIC CHURCH, AKURE (Catholic Diocese Of Ondo, Nigeria)

JULY 8- THE FOURTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME- EZEKIEL 2:2-5, PSALM 123:1-4, 2 CORINTHIANS 12:7-10, LUKE 4:18, MARK 6:1-6 Last Sunday we reflected and saw the connection and power of FAITH in the lives of Jarius’ Daughter and the Woman with haemorrhage. In our readings today, we see the opposite of faith as expressed in the manifestation of an impertinent contempt.  Truly, familiarity had bred an unforgivable contempt. In the first reading, Ezekiel was s ent to the obstinate and rebellious Israelites- a people whom God had labelled as his own and they too had customised God as their heritage. He has fought their battles, gave them the land of others, blessed them with profuse goodness and did numerous things that cannot be counted. But what did they give in return to such a loving God? Uninterrupted transgressions, deafened disobedience, imprudent rebellion. But very soon! They will know that there has been a prophet among them.  The case is not different in the Gospel...

JULY 15, FIFTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME- AMOS 7:12-15, PSALM 84:9-14, EPHESIANS 1:3-14, EPHESIANS 1:17,18, MARK 6:7-13.  In a society where there are so many vendors speaking the “word of God”, where there are so many persons selling different messages in the name of Christ, where there are so many prophets and evangelists exploiting people in the name of Jesus, we must be very careful to examine what we hear and accept so as not to fal l prey of deception and eventual condemnation.  In the first reading, Amos was condemned and expelled by Amaziah because Amos preached the authentic message of God and that became a threat to Amaziah who was a paid prophet of the King, preaching lies to the king and the nation. God’s word was rejected because it was the truth and Amaziah feared the truth! The Psalmist encourages us all to hear what the Lord God has to say, not what others want to say for God or what we like to hear.  A summarised truth of God’s message is ...

AUGUST 11, NINETEEN SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME- I KINGS 19:4-8, PSALM 34, EPHESIANS 4:30-5:2, JOHN 6:51, JOHN 6:41-51. On this Sunday, Christ takes us a step further in his teaching on the Bread of Life as he declares the necessity of the Eucharist as we journey on earth towards God. In the first reading, Elijah the prophet was at the point of death. He was tired, frustrated and even prayed for death. Howeve r, he was saved and sustained by the heavenly food provided by an Angel. The Angel had to make him eat this heavenly food twice to have enough strength for his long Journey. After which he walked for forty days and forty night to the Mountain of the Lord.  We cannot successfully walk our different journeys in this world to Heaven (the mountain of the Lord) without the necessary strength and sustenance, which the Eucharist provides. The psalmists gives us reasons why we must Taste/Eat the Eucharist. When we receive the Holy Eucharist, these things will happen to us: 1) His pr...