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 Tuesday, July 4, 2023 ST ELIZABETH OF PORTUGAL (Opt Mem) First Reading. Genesis 19: 15-29 Psalm. 26: 2-3, 9-12 (R. 3a) Gospel. Matthew 8: 23-27 TOPIC FOR REFLECTION FEAR WEAKENS FAITH The beginning of failure in life is fear. Fear destroys faith It makes a person becomes vulnerable  It makes a person lose trust in him/herself and God. The first thing fear does to a person is to lose confidence in oneself. Once, the self-confidence is gone, faith becomes weakened and many negative ideas filled the mind.  Hope you know that courage builds faith, while fear destroys it. It is on this note that satan is not always happy that God loves us, and he will usually do everything within his capacity to make sure humanity does not receive that love from God. Our confidence in God disturbs him. Therefore, its first strategy is to create fear in the heart and minds of the individual. He knows that once a person begins to become afraid, the courage in such a person is gone. I will want ...

 Sunday, July 2, 2023 Thirteenth Sunday of the Year A First Reading. 2 Kings 4: 8-11, 14-16 Psalm. 89: 2-3,16-17, 18-19 (R .cf. 2a) Second Reading. Romans 6: 3-4, 8-11 Gospel. Matthew 10: 37-42 TOPIC FOR REFLECTION HOW PREPARED ARE WE TO FOLLOW JESUS? My dear, to follow Jesus demands great lots of sacrifices. Christianity's way of life is not based on life without suffering that demands sacrifices.  As Christians, Christ is our leader, and whatever happened to Christ, must if not in the double fold, happen to us. Of truth, we are all aware that Christianity was termed a rebellious religion simply because it opposes the evil acts of that time. I guess you are aware that, once you stop people from carrying out any evil action, you must suffer for it and that is what Christianity stands for.  Christianity among all virtues stands for MERCY and JUSTICE, and anybody who wants to stand for MERCY and JUSTICE must be prepared to face opposition. It is in facing opposition that sa...

Saturday, July 1, 2023. B.V.M. on Saturday. First Reading. Genesis 18: 1-15 Psalm. Luke 1: 46-50 and 53-55(R. 54b) Gospel. Matthew 8: 5-17 TOPICS FOR REFLECTION THE TRINITY AND ABRAHAM LET YOUR FAITH BE STRONG, THERE IS NOTHING TOO HARD FOR GOD TO DO Here is my prayer of deliverance for you today.  Psalm 126.        A PRAYER OF DELIVERANCE 1 When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,     It was like a dream. 2 Our mouths were filled with laughter,     our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations,     “The Lord has done great things for them.” 3 The Lord has done great things for us,     and we are filled with joy. 4 Restore our fortunes, Lord     Just as rain brings water back to riverbeds 5 Those who sow with tears     will reap with songs of joy. 6 Those who go out weeping,     carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy,     carrying sheaves with the...

 Friday, June 30, 2023 FIRST MARTYRS OF THE CHURCH OF ROME (Opt. Mem.) First Reading.  Genesis 17: 1, 9-10, 15-22 Psalm. 128: 1-5 (R. 4) Gospel. Matthew 8: 1-4 TOPIC FOR REFLECTION. GOD'S PROMISES NEVER FAIL At a very ripe old age, the Lord promised  Abraham that he shall have his son whom He the Lord will establish His covenant with and will become Father of all nations. Remember that Abraham was already 100 years while Sarah his wife was 90 years old.  Listen to me, as the Lord lives, your hope in Him is not in vain. You shall smile, because as we often claim that Abraham's blessings are "mine", therefore I pray this day that your blessings and testimonies will be uncountable.  1. The barren woman shall conceive. 2. The Fatherless shall become Fathers of many children.  3. The pregnant woman shall deliver safely, we shall hear the cry of mother and child in Jesus' name. 4. Our children shall continue to be blessings upon blessings to our families societie...

 Thursday, June 29, 2023. SS PETER AND PAUL, Apostles (Solemnity) First Reading. Acts 12: 1- 11 Psalm. 34: 2-9 (R. cf. 5b) Second Reading. 2 Timothy 4: 6-8, 17-18 Gospel. Matthew 16: 13-19 TOPIC FOR REFLECTION PETER AND PAUL: THE STRONG PILLARS OF THE CHURCH, BOTH WERE LIKE YOU AND I Today, the HOLY MOTHER CHURCH celebrates the two strong pillars of the universal Church: Sts. Peter and Paul.  Peter was a common fisherman in Galilee, he was never educated, he lacks patience, was hot-tempered, too forward in all things, and he was the promise-and-fail type who will make a promise and still breaks the promise in no distant time. He has a weak WILL. He denied Jesus even after vowing that he will never deny Him.  In summary, Peter was an emotional person just like some of us. Yet, Jesus overlooked all the aforementioned weaknesses of Him and still made him the head of His Holy Church. More reason it is said that the Church is made up of sinners and saints. Peter who became the...

 Wednesday, June 28, 2023 ST IRENAEUS, B AND M. (MEM) First Reading. Genesis 15: 1-12, 17-18 Psalm. 105: 1-9 (R. 8a) Gospel. Matthew 7: 15-20 TOPIC FOR REFLECTION BY THEIR FRUIT WE SHALL KNOW THEM No one has ever planted cassava and harvested yam No one has ever planted corn and harvested wheat No one has ever planted a particular type of crop and harvested another crop. The grain of the type of crop you plant grows to produce abundant fruits of the same crop planted. More reason, if you plant for instance two or three seeds of corn, you will harvest what is more than the two/three seeds you planted. Invariably, what you plant and grow in your mind, is what you manifest as abundant fruits externally. If you conceive evil, you will nurture, nurse and tame the evil to germinate, while the manifestation of that evil you nurture to grow is your harvesting period; hence the abundance of fruits of the evil will be felt by people around you. It is the same process with one who conceives g...

 Tuesday, June 27, 2023 ST CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA, B.M. (Opt Mem) First Reading. Genesis 13: 2, 5-18 Psalm. 15: 2-5 (R. 1 a) Gospel. Matthew 7: 6, 12-14 TOPIC FOR REFLECTION VALUE WHAT YOU HAVE: VALUE YOUR FAITH. My dear, please I beg you to value what you have. Cherish it or cherish them. Do you know that what you have, uncountable people are longing to have just 10% of that which you have but do not value?  So, it is on this note that I will suggest the following... 1. Do not treat with scorn what you suppose to treasure. 2. Do not disvalue what you ought to value  3. Do not desecrate the consecrated 4. Do not maltreat the treated 5. Do not dehumanize humanity 6. Do not dethrone the enthroned 7. Do not demoralize morality  8. Do not make unholy what is holy 9. Do not treat humans as animals, it's a sin. 10. Do not give what is holy to a dog, if you do, it is like handing over oneself to the devil Therefore, if the above analysis does make sense meaningfully, then we w...

 Sunday, June 25, 2023 Twelfth Sunday of the Year A First Reading. Jeremiah 20: 10-13 Psalm. 69: 7-9, 13 and 16: 32-34 (R. 13c) Second Reading. Romans 5: 12-15 Gospel. Matthew 10: 26-33 TOPIC FOR REFLECTION TELL WITH A LOUD VOICE: IF GOD IS FOR YOU, WHO CAN BE AGAINST YOU? Rom. 8: 31. Hello..., My fear, fear friend 😆 😂😂 I know and acknowledged that there are uncountable evil people in the world. People who do not want others to succeed in life, people filled with envy and jealousy, empty vessels who have nothing to offer, and such are the people who plan to destroy their fellow men and women. Let us presume that these sets of people do not know why they act the way they act. But, if you care to know why... Please, kindly pause and read the letter of St. James. 4: 1-4. If you truly read it, you will have a clear picture. Wait, wait, a beg stop😂😂 😆, I know you did read the passage, where are you rushing to? Oya stop, stop joor 😂😂😂 go back and read it before you continue, tha...

 Saturday, June 24, 2023 BIRTH OF ST JOHN THE BAPTIST (SOLEMNITY) First Reading. Isaiah 49: 1-6 Psalm. 139: 1-3, 13-15 (R. 14a) Second Reading. Acts 13: 22-26 Gospel. Luke 1: 57-66, 80 TOPIC FOR REFLECTION THE BIRTH OF JOHN THE BAPTIST IS VOCATION OF SALVATION Vocation is from the Latin word "Vocare" which means to call. No one is called without a mission. When a patent called his or her child, it is for a mission, no matter how insignificant it may appear. To be sent on an errand, a message is a mission. Once the message is delivered, one would say, mission accomplished because the message was delivered.  Invariably, all have been called in one form or another and has accomplished the mission by delivering the message to whom the message was meant.  Meanwhile, divine vocation is supernatural,  John the Baptist is among those whom God called from their mother's womb, just as Isaiah and Jeremiah were called the same way as John. Still, each prophet called had a specif...

 Thursday, June 22, 2023 St Paulinus of Nola, B. (Opt Mem) SS John Fisher, B. & Thomas More, M. (Opt Mem) First Reading. 2 Corinthians 11: 1-11 Psalm. 111: 1-4, 7-8 (R. 7a) Gospel. Matthew 6: 7-15 TOPIC FOR REFLECTION. SHOUTING AT PRAYER IS A SIGN OF SPIRITUAL EMPTINESS. Let us give thanks to God who has called us to become a member of His Church, the mystical body of Christ. Prayer is not just good, but very much important in our daily lives. Prayer is simply defined as an act of communicating with the Lord. We see God as a divine being, and we all are human beings; as such our common factor is "being" while the difference is that, He (God) is divine and we are human. As a divine, He has no limitations, He is above space and time; however, as humans, we have limitations being governed by space and time. Therefore, as a being in the image and likeness of God, we already have things in common with the Lord. The creation account of Genesis 1:7 "Then the Lord God formed...

 Wednesday, June 21, 2023 ALOYSIUS GONZAGA, R. (Memorial) First Reading.  2 Corinthians 9: 6-11 Psalm. 112: 1-4, 9 (R. 1 b) Gospel. Matthew 6: 1-6, 16-18 TOPIC FOR REFLECTION DO NOT SHOW OFF, YOU DON'T NEED IT Let me ask you,  those who were singing your praises 2, 3 years ago, where are they today?  Will they still give you the same praise when  you first start to perform what attracted their praises  My dear, please, the praise of God should be your priority and not that of man. ABOUT ALMSGIVING So, St. Paul reminds us that God loves a cheerful giver. Giving cheerfully means the  followings: 1. Giving without being forced to do so 2. Giving not to gain people's attention  3. Giving and not blowing the trumpet  4. Giving and not humiliating to receiver  5. Giving and not expecting any payback 6. Giving and feeling the pains of the sacrifice 7. Giving not out of the leftover, but of widow's mite. 8. Giving unconditionally  9. Give t...

Monday, June 19, 2023 ST ROUMUALD, ABB. (Opt. Mem) First Reading. 2 Corinthians 6: 1-10 Psalm. 98: 1-4 (R. 2a) Gosprl. Matthew 5: 38-42 TOPIC FOR REFLECTION ENDURING HARDSHIP FOR CHRIST'S SAKE St. Paul in today's first reading listed all the sufferings he had to endure while he was among the Corinthians for the sake of Christ, the sufferings are as listed below: 1. Afflictions,  2. Hardships,  3. Calamities,  4. Beatings,  5. Imprisonments,  6. Tumults,  7. Labours,  8. Watching,  9. Hunger;  10. Tested our purity,  11. Tested our knowledge,  12. Tested our forbearance,  13. Tested our kindness,  14. Tested our genuine love,  15. Tested our truthful speech and the power of God 16. Tested and treated the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left; in honour and dishonour, in ill repute and good repute. 17. Treated as impostors, as dying, and behold we live;  18. Treated as punished, and yet not kille...

 Sunday, June 18, 2023 ELEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME A First Reading. Exodus 19: 2-6 Psalm. 100: 1-5 (R. 3c) Second Reading. Romans 5: 5-11 Gospel. Matthew 9: 36-10: 8 TOPIC FOR REFLECTION YOU ARE TO WIN SOULS FOR GOD Jesus said, “The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest.” The question is, are you ready to become a labourer in the vineyard of God? Though, many of us have the conception that it is only the Priests and Religious who solely have the mandate to win souls for God; however, I will like to let us know that it is not only the priests and religious that must win souls for God, but it is the responsibility of all baptized Christians, especially Catholics. As baptised Catholics, we share in the priesthood of Christ, and by that virtue of sharing in His Priesthood, we automatically become co-missionary with Him in His redemptive work. In that case, we should have in mind that as God de...

Friday, June 16, 2023 MOST SACRED HEART OF JESUS (SOLEMNITY) First Reading. Deuteronomy 7: 6-11 Psalm. 103: 1-4, 6-7, 10 (R. 17ab) Second. 1 John 4: 7-16 Gospel. Matthew 11: 25-30 TOPICS FOR REFLECTION THE HEART OF JESUS: THE HEART OF LOVE LOVE IS THE ENGINE OF THE HEART Love lubricates the heart, and the only way to be like Jesus is to let our hearts be like His Heart. We often pray: Sacred Heart of Jesus........... Make our hearts like unto yours. The heart is the life of the individual. The heart is life. If the heart should fail, one will cease to exist. Therefore, for one to be healthy, signifies that the heart is healthy; and to be unhealthy means the heart is unhealthy. The functions of the heart need not fail for a second, it must be healthy for it to function very well. Yet, for the heart to function very well, it needs love to dwell in it. The heart that accommodates love, is a physically healthy life, while the heart that accommodates hatred, is a physically unhealthy life. ...

 Thursday, June 15, 2023 Weekday (10) First Reading. 2 Corinthians 3: 15-4: 1, 3-6 Psalm. 85: 9-14 (R. cf. 1 0b) Gospel. Matthew 5: 20-26 TOPIC FOR REFLECTION HE WHO HAS THE SPIRIT OF GOD, FORGIVES. 1. St. Paul admonished said that wherever the Spirit of the Lord dwells, there is freedom. 2. If the Spirit of God dwells in us, we shall behold His glory. 3. Anyone who has the glory of God would not lose hope, his faith will remain steadfast. Such a person realises that if he losses hope in God in whose image and likeness he is created, who else will he put his hope in? 4. Those who do not lose hope in God are saved, while those who lose hope in God may perish. 5. We should let our light shines out of darkness by freeing our minds of an unforgiving spirit. 6. The Spirit of God is Mercy, while the spirit of the devil is callous (unforgiving, wickedness, etc) 7. Jesus said, unless our righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, we will never enter the kingdom of heaven....

 Wednesday, June 14, 2023 Weekday (10) First. Reading.  2 Corinthians 3: 4-11 Psalm. 99: 5-9 (R. see 9c) Gospel. Matthew 5: 17-19 TOPIC FOR REFLECTION DO NOT BEND THE LAW TO JUSTIFY YOURSELF Many of us today use the law to justify our evil actions. It is not good. It's a great sin. Jesus in today's Gospel did not bend or adjust the law, rather He followed the law to the last letter. All He did was renew it. Quoting the Gospel... Jesus said to his disciple, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfil them. For truly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Whoever then relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but he who does them and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” More so, I hope you are aware that Jesus is the fullness of the...

Monday, June 12, 2023 Weekday 10 First Reading.  2 Corinthians 1: 1-7 Psalm. 34: 2-9 (R. 9a) Gospel. Matthew 5: 1-12 TOPIC FOR REFLECTION ALWAYS CARRY JESUS WITH YOU 247 My dear, many of us are used to praying in the morning when we wake up, and perhaps @ night before we retire to bed. But, I bet you that the majority of us do not carry Jesus along in our daily routines. Let me sight some examples below As you move out to enter a car, bus, keke, bike, trekking/walking, we should say Lord as I enter any of the above, enter with me. As I trek/walk,  walk with me As I alight, alight with me Lord Jesus As I open the door of my office, shop, workshop, etc, Lord Jesus be the one who opened it, and not me, because as you open it, your presence will become radiant. As I interact with clients, customers, students, friends, and colleagues, at work today, Lord Jesus be the interacting with them, not me, because you are the fullness of wisdom. As so on like that...... My dear, if we carry...

 Sunday, June 11, 2023 THE MOST HOLY BODY AND BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST (CORPUS CHRISTI) (Solemnity) First reading. Deuteronomy 8: 2-3, 14-16 Psalm. 147: 12-15, 19-20 (R. 12a) Second reading. 1 Corinthians 10: 16-17 Gospel. John 6: 51-58 TOPIC FOR REFLECTION THE HOLY EUCHARIST IS GOD'S NEW COVENANT My dear, before I commence with today's reflection, let me quickly wish you HAPPY CORPUS CHRISTI. May the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ grant salvation to all. Now, let us commence in earnest. Two sources of sacrifices existed both in the old and new covenants. They are... a. Blood of the animal in the Old Testament, and b. Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the New Testament It is good to know that though, both have blood in common, the effects of both types of blood are incomparable. The blood of the animal which was sprinkled upon the Israelites was just to restore their external outward holiness, but still left the inner dirty. It is like someone who showers because he disco...

 Saturday, June 10, 2023 V. M. on Saturday First Reading. Tobit 12: 1, 5-15 20 Psalm. Tobit 13: 1, 2-4, 6, 8 (R. 1b) Gospel. Mark 12: 38-44 WORDS OF ANGEL RAPHAEL TO TOBIT 1. It is good to praise God and to exalt his name, worthily declaring the works of God. 2.  Do not be slow to give God thanks. It is good to gloriously reveal the works of God 3. Do good and evil will not overtake you. 4. Prayer is good when accompanied by fasting, almsgiving, and righteousness.  5. A little with righteousness is better than much with wrongdoing.  6. It is better to give alms than to treasure gold. For almsgiving delivers from death, and it will purge away every sin.  7. Those who perform deeds of charity and of righteousness will have the fullness of life.  8. Those who commit sin are the enemies of their own lives. ANGEL RAPHAEL REVEALED HIMSELF When you and your daughter-in-law Sarah prayed, I brought a reminder of your prayer before the Holy One; and when you buried t...

 Friday, June 9, 2023 Saint Ephrem of Syria, Deac. D. (Opt Mem) First Reading. Tobit 11: 5-17 Psalm. 146: 1-2, 6-10 (R. 1b) Gospel. Mark 12: 35-37 TOPIC FOR REFLECTION THE TEST OF FAITH Wait! Hold on, Relax and let me tell you  Do you know that a good person faces the hardest temptations in life, while a bad person faces less temptation? Here are the reasons... Satan will tempt a good person in a hard way, to renounce God to worship him, however, a wicked person is already on the side of satan, so he will receive less temptation from his master, satan. The story of Job in the bible explains it all. My dear, always remember that the moment a child is enrolled in a school, the child will immediately begin to study for the examination. Hence, the school exams determine the student's progress. Similarly, whoever is born into this life should be ready to attempt life's examinations which come through trials and tribulations.  Nobody born of a woman will escape trials and tribu...

 Thursday, June 8, 2023 Weekday Ordinary Time (9)d First Reading. Tobit 6: 9-12; 7:1, 9-12, 16; 8: 1, 4-9 Psalm. 128: 1-5 (R. see 1 a) Gospel. Mark 12: 28-34 TOPIC FOR REFLECTION DO YOU TRULY LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOUR? If you love your neighbour, you love God If you hate your neighbour, you hate God Christianity is not theoretical, but practical; more reason we are made to understand that it is a way of life. Invariably, if your character is good, it means you are spiritually sound, but if it's bad, it means you are a fake Christian. Everything good belongs to God, while everything bad belongs to the devil. Therefore, if you are good, you belong to God, and if you are bad, you belong to the devil. However, there are some people in life, when they greet you good morning, please you need to kindly check the time to be sure it is morning. These are the people who eat and dine with wickedness.  They eat wickedness as food They drink wickedness like wine and water They digest wickedness ...

 Monday, June 5, 2023 ST BONIFACE, B.M. (MEMORIAL) First Reading. Tobit 1: 3; 2: 1-8 Psalm. 112: 1-6 (R. 1b) Gospel. Mark 12: 1-12 TOPIC FOR REFLECTION BE CHARITABLE TO PEOPLE  If God is charitable to you, and you want people to be charitable to you, be charitable to others. Life is give and take. Tobit said: "I walked in the ways of truth and righteousness all the days of my life, and I performed many acts of charity to my brethren and countrymen" My dear, can any of us say boldly that he/she performs acts of charity without fear of favour? Let us be merciful and charitable to others as God is merciful to us, this is one of the best ways of showing love to God. Similarly, in today's Gospel, the cornerstone was rejected by killing Him just as they killed the prophets of old. Please, let us not be like those who do not value human life. Let us treat people and the prophets of God very well, no one can tell whom God had sent among them to be the cornerstone of one's lif...

 Sunday, June 4, 2023 MOST HOLY TRINITY (Solemnity) First reading. Exodus 34: 4b-6, 8-9 Psalm Daniel 3: 29-34 (R. cf. 29b) Second reading. 2 Corinthians 13: 11-13 Gospel. Matthew John John 3:16-18 TOPIC FOR REFLECTION MAN, IN THE IMAGE OF THE BLESSED TRINITY ***God is three in one and one in three. God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. (God, His Word, His Breath)It will  ***Man created as three in one. (Man, his word, his breath). NOW, LET US BEGIN OUR ANALYSIS. God created Man in his image and likeness, and to be in the image and likeness of God is to have similarities. Therefore, let us examine alongside the Trinitarian God and Man in the image of the Trinity God. God as a person: Man is a person God as the word: Man has a word God as breath: Man has a breath Now, God as a person who has both Word and Breath is Divine, His Word and Breath are as active as He (God) is, and this qualifies both His Word and His Breath to be called God. (God's Word, God's Breath) Lik...

 THE NOISY SILENCE NATION  A silent noisy Nation has enveloped her citizens, hope seems to be lost. The greedy are rejoicing, while the honest are watching as mysteries shall be unfolded soonest There used to be a Nation that chose to destroy her future. A wealthy Nation with poor citizens A Nation that sold her reasoning faculty, yet invest in borrowing another person's reasoning faculty from another Nation. A Nation that willfully enslaves herself A Nation that glories and promotes injustice, while justice is demoted and buried. Please, God, come to our aid What is the hope of a common man in a Nation that has no value for life? Our children are crying, weeping, and dying of starvation, yet their greedy high-class parents are feasting. What a Nation! The Nation is bleeding and crying for justice How many people has the Nation carelessly lost into the hands of cold death, while the greedy leaders feast on their blood The blood of her innocent dead citizens is crying for venge...

 Monday, May 29, 2023. MARY MOTHER OF THE CHURCH (MEMORIAL) First Reading. Genesis 3: 9-15, 20 Psalm 87: 1-2, 3 and 5, 6-7 Gospel. John 19:25-34 TOPIC FOR REFLECTION  WHY IS MARY CALLED MOTHER OF THE CHURCH? HISTORICAL BACKGROUND  In the Roman Catholic Church, there is a study called Mariology. It means the study of Mary. However, the title Mother of the Church in Latin is called Mater Ecclesiae. This title was officially given to Mary by Pope Paul VI on November 21, 1964, after the Second Vatican Council’s third session. Although the title was first used for Mary in the 4th century by Saint Ambrose of Milan, later, it was also used by  Pope Benedict XIV in 1748 and later by Pope Leo XIII in 1885. It was Pope John Paul II who added it to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, while Pope Francis added it to the Roman Missal Calendar to be celebrated as a memorial by the title "Mother of the Church" every Monday of the year which follows Pentecost Sunday. Therefore, it ...