“ My mother and brethren are those who hear the word of God and do it”

25th  Tuesday in ordinary time

“ My mother and brethren are those who hear the word of God and do it”

A preacher once said that “SIN” simply means  “Simple Instruction(s) Neglected”.

Adam was instructed not to eat of a particular tree, He did eat of it and incurred the wrath of God. More so, all those who neglected God’s instructions ( according to Bible narratives) especially those instructions that He "particularly spelt out"  incur His wrath. And those who kept His words despite the possible challenges that came with it (like the Blessed Virgin Mary) were blessed. To know the right thing is one thing, to do the right thing is another.  Hence, knowledge is power when it is exercised. A dormant knowledge that is neither shared and not implemented is as useless as grain seeds abandoned in a store for moth and beetle to eat away at them. They are neither planted to regenerate nor processed to serve human needs.  

THE FACADE IN RELIGIOUS LEADERSHIP.

 THE FACADE IN RELIGIOUS LEADERSHIP.

  Man, as the popular saying goes, is an arena of infinite possibilities. Man, in order to find answers to the infinite number of questions that divides his attention, seeks to enter into various relationships with the world, springing from social, economic, political, environmental and of course the climax of this interrelatedness, the religious. John Mbiti, in his seminal work: African Religions and Philosophy, highlighted that deep within the human heart is the conception of a divine. No one needs to be taught that. 

Can a celibate have friends of the opposite sex?

 

24th  Friday in ordinary time.  (Luke 8:1-3)

“These were the women who provided for them out of their means”

“Can a celibate have friends of the opposite sex?”

A certain priest became notorious for driving down to the brothel in the afternoon and spending some time there on a weekly basis. The parish Council couldn’t bear it anymore so they approached him, because he not only  scandalised parishioners, but also gave their Christian brethren from other churches a reason to ridicule them. For crying out loud, what business does the priest have in a brothel? Well the truth  was the priest encountered this lady (a prostitute) in the confessional and though she was sorry for her way of life,  she was reluctant to let go, nor would she come anywhere around the church unless for confessions once in a while. Thus, the priest took it upon himself to help her turn a new leave, so he visited her on a weekly basis.

What comes to your mind when you see a celibate with a friend of the opposite sex, if the prostitute lady, eventually starts coming to church, and she’s sighted with the priest standing and discussing after mass, or worse, the priest decides to drive her home, what will the many who don’t know the whole story think?

HEGEL AND HUMAN RECONCILIATION

 HEGEL AND HUMAN RECONCILIATION

The struggle to live together as human from diverse walks of life and origins, has never ceased to occupy the keen interest of men and beasts alike. The pages of scripture redound with attempts to put a seeming glue into the various divides of human species, to see how people, only because they breathe in and breathe out same components of air can live together without being at each other’s throats always. But very interestingly, beyond scriptures, thinkers of all eras have taken to heart the salience of such endeavour. So that both theists and atheists alike, at least converge on this point. And the rational conclusion that both worlds (religion and philosophy), have arrived at is that, the battle for reconciliation must begin from the self; the individual human heart. The war must be fought within. 

SUFFERING; THE ALLOTTED PORTION OF LOVERS

 

SUFFERING; THE ALLOTTED PORTION OF LOVERS

An elderly priest was once asked what would happen if a priest falls in love, he kept quiet for sometime and replied saying, "he will suffer, that is the portion of lovers". Can we say that this statement has some elements of truth in it. Even though love is a sweet thing, everyone wants to love and to be loved, we always seek to be cared for and in fact, we desire to care too for those we love because seeing our loved ones happy gives us its own special kind joy. Nevertheless, experience has taught us that to love is to suffer. The afflictions of our loved ones pains us, the worries that troubles them troubles us. In fact, even in our own pains and worries, sometimes we feel pained knowing the pains our loved ones will undergo when they discover our afflictions.