The Promise and the Fulfillment

“And everyone who has left houses, brothers, sisters, father, mother, children or land for the sake of my name will be repaid a hundred times over, and also inherit eternal life.”
(Matthew 19: 29)

Is it possible to leave all these things behind and follow Christ? Yes, of course. Throughout Church history, men and women, married and single have responded to Christ’s call to become missionaries. Many Christians who have not left home as missionaries, still respond to the call to evangelical simplicity and prove that the above challenge and promise are not in vain.

How does Christ fulfill this promise? Missionaries leave their country for the sake of Christ. Wherever they go, they find a new country, a new father, mother, brother, sister and home. When they die, many prefer to be buried in their new homes. Is this not fantastic? This is God’s doing and it is marvelous in our eyes.

Extra Baggage

“I tell you solemnly, it will be hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Yes, I tell you again, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 19: 23 – 24)

A rich man is one who possesses a lot of money and every type of property. He gets whatever he wants that money can buy. Christ says here that it will be difficult for him to enter the kingdom of heaven. Why? Because extraordinary wealth is most probably obtained outside God’s will. Such wealth becomes an alien god. The rich becomes attached to it and comes to rely on it instead of on God. Such wealth poses a grave danger to one’s salvation. What does it profit a man to have all the gold and silver in the world for the few years of life and lose his soul for all eternity?

What is your attitude to riches and wealth? Do you recognize God as the creator of all riches and wealth? Can you become a conduit for God’s riches for the development of God’s government and kingdom on earth? How much extra baggage are you carrying? Christ promises that the kingdom of God belongs to the poor in spirit. The poor in spirit are content because they have everything they need without carrying heavy extra baggage.

Called to Simplicity

“Jesus said, ‘if you wish to be perfect, go and sell what you own and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.” (Matthew 19:21)

What is Christ saying to me in this scripture?
He calls me to a life of service, friendship and companionship. He calls me to a life of perfection. In order to benefit optimally from the call of Christ and enjoy it, I must renounce myself and all attachment to material things. I must have the mind of Christ in all things.

Lord Jesus, how do I obey the command to sell what I have and give the money to the poor? You keep only around you what you need, no extras, and no storage for tomorrow. Sell the extras and give the money to the poor.

Lord Jesus, I have heard your message. You invite me to evangelical simplicity, to poverty in spirit. I accept dear Lord. Grant me the grace to be totally detached from all material things so that I can be attached to you. Teach me to trust you as my ONLY supplier of everything. Lord if you truly call me to a life of evangelical simplicity, I say yes to you. Go ahead and finish the good work you have started.

Wrong Partner?

“This is why a man must leave father and mother, and cling to his wife, and the 2 become one body. They are no longer two, therefore, but one body. So then, what God has united, man must not divide.” (Matthew 19: 5 – 6).

Marriage is ordained by God for one man and one woman. When a man meets a woman and they get married, God’s unerring direction is at work. In God’s government, there are no accidents. Every action, every event is governed by his love and wisdom. “God is faithful in all his words and LOVING IN All HIS DEEDS,” the psalmist proclaimed. If all God’s deeds are wise, then there is no question of “wrong partner.” Through the apparently “wrong partner”, God is saving us and training us.

Help us Lord to see the truth in your divine providence.

Enough Money

“Keep your lives free from love of money, and be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, ‘I will never leave you; I will never abandon you.’ Let us be bold, then, and say, ‘The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?” (Hebrews 13: 5)

I have never thought of faith as boldness. But the above scripture says: “Let us be bold…” which in the context means: Let us have faith. When I looked up the word bold in the Thesaurus, I saw among many words the following: audacious, courageous, daring, fearless, unafraid, etc. The opposite of bold is defined as: afraid, cowardly, fearful, timid, weak, etc.

To enjoy God’s promise on money, we must be fearless in claiming the gift. The love of money creates in us the condition for being fearful of the loss of money. But God’s word says:

Do not worry about money. Have no anxiety whatsoever about money.
Be content with whatever you have.
If you have much, be content with it. If you have little, be equally content.
God promises: I will always support you and be your sufficiency. You will never be embarrassed on account of money.
You will always have what you need.
Trust in Me at all times to provide.

Because God has made the promise and I know that God is true and faithful, I am very bold and confident as I say: “The Lord is my helper in all my financial needs. Why should I be afraid? Nobody can threaten me or embarrass me because of money. This is God’s word and it is true. If I believe it and do not doubt at all, everything becomes possible.” (Matthew 21: 21).

“The Lord is my shepherd; I have everything I need.” (Psalm 23: 1)
“The Lord is my light and my salvation; I will fear no one.” (Psalm 27:1)

“Protect me, O God; I trust in you for safety. I say to the Lord, ‘you are my Lord; all the good things I have come from you.” (Psalm 16:1)

Your Debt is cancelled

“You wicked servant,” he said ‘I cancelled all that debt of yours when you appealed to me. Were you not bound, then, to have pity on your fellow servant just as I had pity on you?” (Matthew 18: 32 – 33).

The wicked servant was handed over to be tortured until he could pay all his debt. And Jesus added that our heavenly Father will deal with us in similar manner if we do not forgive each other.

How will you feel if you receive a letter from your bank or Credit Card Company and the content reads like this: “We are happy to inform you that with immediate effect all your credit card debt, your mortgage and all your loans have been cancelled. You are now completely free of debt.” For many of us, the joy might be too much to bear. Yet this is what God has done with our debt of sin. He can also do this with all our debt. But God demands something in return. He demands that we do to others what he does for us. In this parable, we see that what others owe us is miniscule compared to what we have been forgiven.

Thank you Lord, for this lesson. You have forgiven me so much. I pledge to forgive anybody who has offended me in any way.

How to forgive

“Then Peter went up to him and said, ‘Lord, how often must I forgive my brother if he wrongs me? As often as 7 times?’ Jesus answered, ‘Not 7, I tell you, but 77 times.” (Matthew 18: 21 – 22)

In this text, Jesus gives us a new standard for forgiving those who wrong us. The standard is God himself. With him, there is no limit to forgiveness. He is infinitely merciful, compassionate and ever-forgiving. Jesus is inviting us to behave like himself, like God.

Whom do we need to forgive? Spouses, children, siblings, relatives, friends; those who cheat us; those who persecute us.

The theme of forgiveness is so important that it is a condition for getting God to grant our requests. Jesus included forgiveness in the Lord’s Prayer.

We need the Holy Spirit to be able to forgive completely.

Jesus, I have heard your word today on forgiveness and I accept your teaching. I forgive anybody who might have offended me in any way. I pledge always to forgive. I need your grace to be able to do this well.

One Lost Sheep

“Tell me, suppose a man has a 100 sheep and one of them strays; will he not leave the 99 on the hillside and go in search of the stray? I tell you solemnly, if he finds it, it gives him more joy than do the 99 that did not stray at all. Similarly, it is never the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost” (Matthew 18: 12 – 14)

Christ is the shepherd who has the 100 sheep. Once upon a time, I was the one lost sheep. Christ searched for me until he found me and brought me back. When he found me, he was very joyful.

I am called today to be a shepherd to one lost sheep. What Christ did for me I will do for the one lost sheep. Where will I search for the one lost sheep?

Lord Jesus, give me a burden for the one lost sheep. Equip me with a merciful, compassionate and patient heart until I find the one lost sheep.

Promise of Eternal Life

“God of power and mercy, only with your help can we offer you fitting service and praise. May we live the faith we profess and trust your promise of eternal life.” (Opening Prayer – 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time)


If we cannot trust God in little things, how can we trust his promise in bigger things? How can we trust his promise of eternal life? “The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in greater ones; and the person who is dishonest in very small matters is also dishonest in great ones.” (Luke 16: 10).

St. Martin de Porres: Get Us to America

Saint Martin de Porres was born in Lima Peru in 1579 to a black mother and a Spanish gentleman. He first entered the Dominican Priory in Lima at the age of 11 as a servant. Later, he applied to be accepted as a lay brother since he could not apply for the priesthood because of his color. He was trained as a pharmacist and soon used his gifts and talents to heal both humans and animals. He lived such a life of heroic sanctity that even while he was alive, many miracles were attributed to him. After he died, he was famed as a miracle worker.

The legend of St. Martin de Porres came with the Dominican missionaries to Vietnam in 1527. The Portuguese explorers were the first Europeans to arrive in Vietnam in 1516. As the Dominican missionaries evangelized the people of Vietnam, they introduced them to the cult of their confrere, Martin de Porres, whose fame as a helper in extreme cases had spread all over the world through the Dominican missionaries.

The cult of St. Martin de Porres exploded after Martin was officially canonized a saint in 1963. As a young boy growing up in my native country Nigeria, I had chosen the name of Martin de Porres as my confirmation name.

Vietnam has a large number of Dominican institutions made up of convents, seminaries, schools and parishes. These institutions were a fertile soil for the cult to flourish. The masses of Vietnam saw in Martin one of their own and an ever present help in their seemingly stubborn social and economic problems.

The people of Vietnam suffered very much during the Vietnam War. They found comfort in devotions to the saint. Some years after the war in 1975, thousands of Vietnamese fled their home land for America. They prayed fervently to St. Martin to take them to America and many such prayers where answered. The Vietnamese never forgot this favor when they settled in the US.

What does St. George, St. Joan of Arc and St. Martin de Porres have in common? All are patron saints of three countries: England, France and Vietnam. Great legends have spun around their lives.

Carl Jung writing on mythology said, “Myth is the revelation of divine life in man. It is not we who invent myth; rather it speaks to us as a Word of God.” (Memories, Dreams, Reflections).

Although St. Martin was already popular in Dominican establishments in the United States, the coming of the Vietnamese brought fervor to the cult of the popular saint.

Many people in the US will be aware that the day after Halloween is All Saints Day. This is a solemn feast for Catholics all over the world. November 2 is All Souls Day, when the dead are remembered through Masses and liturgical prayers. When Sister Josephine invited me to attend a Mass in honor of St. Martin de Porres on November 2 at the Vietnamese Dominican Convent, I was certain that she made a mistake about the schedule. I did not believe that any feast other than that of All Souls will be permitted on that day. So I double checked to make sure that something was happening before I left home for the Dominican Convent.

It was a Saturday morning with breezy and cool wind. The crowd overflowed the large square in front of the convent with a huge statue of St. Martin de Porres. My experience in the two hour ceremony gave birth to this article idea. On that day, I experienced the transforming power of a legend in the life of a people.

November 3 is the feast of St. Martin de Porres.

Mere Children

“See that you never despise any of these little ones, for I tell you that their angels in heaven are continually in the presence of my Father in heaven.” (Matthew 18: 10)

God loves the little ones, the “mere children.” What is Christ’s teaching on little children?

• Allow the little children to come to me, for it such as these that belong the kingdom of God.


• Unless you receive the kingdom of heaven as these little ones, you shall not see it.


• Whoever corrupts these little ones will suffer dearly for it.


• Do not despise any of these little ones.

It is clear that Jesus has a preferential option for little children. What is our attitude to little children? Is it marked by impatience, prejudice and even cruelty?

Lord teach us to love little children as you do.

What is in 10?

"At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Once there were ten girls who took their oil lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and the other five were wise “(Matthew 25: 1-2).

"Or suppose a woman who had ten silver coins loses one of them - what does she do?” (Luke 15:8)

"As Jesus made his way to Jerusalem, he went along the border between Samaria and Galilee. He was going into a village when he was met by ten men suffering from a dreaded skin disease " (Luke 17: 11-120.

The number Ten has always fascinated me. There are ten fingers and ten toes. There are Ten Commandments. Robert Schuller's , in his book, TOUGH TIMES DO NOT LAST BUT TOUGH PEOPLE DO teaches how to count to ten and win.

Teaching with Authority

“If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth.” (John 8: 31-32)

Divine truth is what doctrine is all about. Jesus Christ taught this truth with authority. Even his enemies acknowledged this.

I have seen teachers who compromise the truth and weaken their teaching authority. They bring in speculation into their teaching. Why do they do this? They want to appear erudite. They may also want to appear sympathetic to the point of view of their audience.

To teach the truth, you must know the Truth, Jesus Christ.

St Theresa

"The Lord nurtured and taught her; he guarded her as the apple of his eye. As the eagle spreads its wings to carry its young, he bore her on his shoulders. The Lord alone was her leader"(Deut 32: 10-12)

St Theresa of the Child Jesus was born in Alencon, France in 1873. As a young girl, she entered the Carmelite convent at Lisieux, where she developed rapidly into a spiritual adult. She burned these words of Jesus into her heart: "Unless you change and become like little children, says the Lord, you shall not enter the kingdom of God." (Matthew 18:3) St Theresa of the Child Jesus modeled her life to that of the little child of Matthew 18:3. This explains her popularity and immense appeal to countless devotees all over the world. She died on September 30, 1897. Her feast day is the 1st of October.

Quotes from St Theresa
"The Doctor of doctors teaches us without the sound of words. I have never heard Him speak, and yet I know He is within my soul. Every moment He is guiding and inspiring me, and, just at the moment I need them, `lights' till then unseen are granted me. Most often it is not at prayer that they come but while I go about my daily duties" ("The Story of a Soul", Chapter 8).

BOOKS ON ST THERESA

Found in the Temple

"My child, why have you done this to us? See how worried your father and I have been, looking for you."(Luke 2: 48).NJB

Jesus had remained behind in Jerusalem to listen to the teachers of the Law. The incidence teaches us a number of lessons about Mary and Jesus. Mary was not omniscient. She did not know that Jesus was in the temple. Mary also felt acutely the pain of a mother who had lost a son. We admire Mary's patience and perseverance. Jesus already shows a singleness of purpose with regard to His mission even at the age of twelve.

The Documents of Vatican II, Lumen Gentium comments: "When the Child Jesus was lost and they had sought Him sorrowing, His parents found Him in the temple, taken up with the things which were His Father's business. They did not understand the reply of the Son. But His Mother, to be sure, kept all these things to be pondered over in her heart (cf. Lk2: 41-51).

Writing

"Furthermore, my child, you must realize that writing books involves endless hard work, and that much study wearies the body.”
(Ecclesiastes 12: 12)NJB

The desire to write is one of my earliest ambitions. I started the habit of keeping journals towards in the end of my high school and discontinued this habit when I left college. . During my desert experience, I went back to serious journal keeping. There was no particular method to my journal keeping. I tried to jot down something everyday.

What are the contents of my journal? Reflections on scripture passages; insights from my desert experience; events that I consider significant during the course of the day. When I have nothing to write, I write down the mundane activities of the day. One habit I would like to form is to review my journals on a systematic basis. Whenever I did this, I have derived some pleasure and sometimes insights from it.

Spiritual Direction

"How could I, unless I have someone to guide me? (Acts 8:31)

Do we need a human guide in our journey of faith? If the Holy Spirit leads and guides us, why should we need a spiritual director?

Books on Spiritual Direction

My Top 10 Spiritual Books

"Dear Theophilus:
In my first book, I wrote about all the things that Jesus did and taught from the time he began his work until the day he was taken up to heaven. (Acts 1:1-2)

God in His wisdom decided to put His words in a book. Throughout the centuries, God's book, the Bible has given birth to other scriptures or biblettes. Holy men and women who had fed and digested God's word had shared their personal reflections on this word with their fellow men. Some of these works have become classics. Below are 10 books in my reading list. O that I would be able to read all before I leave this earth!

1. The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius
2. Mary of Nazareth by F. Suarez
3. Imitation of Christ by Thomas A Kempis
4. Francis De Sales : Introduction to the Devout Life
5. Confessions of St. Augustine
6. St Therese of Lisieux: The Story of a Soul
7. Blessed Josemaria Escriva: The Way
8. St Louis de Monfort: The Secret of the Rosary
9. St. Teresa of Avila: Interior Castle
10. St. John of the Cross: Dark Night of the Soul

Shalom

"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30)

We all labor and are heavily burdened with problems of money, health, family, job, cars, etc. Jesus knows us individually and is aware of our situation. He invites us to come to Him to find solution to our many problems. We come to Jesus in the Eucharist. We meet Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. When the Church gathers in prayer in His name, He is there. When we accept the word of God with faith, it changes our lives and our circumstances.

Prayer for geniune contentment
"My God, in your creation of this world you made all things to be very good. I thank you, Lord, for all the goods of this world, and especially all those who have provided for me and my loved ones.
But remind me, Lord, that only you are the true Good, and that all earthly goods are but shadows of you. And should I become very attached to any fleeting good, and let it obstruct my love for you, grant me the holy desire to have it taken from me. Through Christ Our Lord, the King of glory who has no pillow to lay his head. Amen."

Listen to Jesus Christ, the faithful Witness.
"Set your mind on God's kingdom and His justice before everything else, and all the rest will come to you as well. So do not be anxious about tomorrow; tomorrow will look after itself. Each day has troubles enough of its own."
(Matthew 6: 33-34)

MY TOP 10 SCRIPTURES

"I am the way, and the truth, and the life" (John 14:6).

St Jerome wrote: "Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ."

I have listed below ten out of hundreds of scriptures that have provided me with healing truths. As St Paul tells Timothy: "All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching the truth, rebuking error, correcting faults, and giving instruction for right living, so that the person who serves God may be fully qualified and equipped to do every kind of good deed" (2 Timothy 4: 16-17). These scriptures have helped me to gain victory in life's big battles.

1. "Do not be afraid! Stand firm, and you will see what Yahweh will do to rescue you today: The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. Yahweh will do the fighting for you; all you need to do is to keep calm." (Exodus 14: 13-14)

2. "Have the book of this Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may carefully keep everything that is written on it. Then your undertakings will prosper, then you will have success. Have I not told you: Be strong and stand firm? be fearless and undaunted, for go where you may, Yahweh your God is with you." (Joshua 1: 8-9)

3. "Be strong, stand firm, have no fear, do not be afraid of them, for Yahweh your God is going with you; he will not fail you or desert you." (Deut 31:6)

4. "Trust wholeheartedly in Yahweh, put no faith in your own perception; acknowledge him in every course you take, and he will see that your paths are smooth.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

5. "Yahweh is my shepherd, I lack nothing. In grassy meadows he lets me lie. By tranquil streams he leads me to restore my spirit. He guides me in paths of saving justice as befits his name. " (Ps 23: 1-2)

6. "Bless Yahweh my soul, from the depths of my being, his holy name; bless Yahweh, my soul, never forget all his acts of kindness.
He forgives all your offences, cures all your diseases, he redeems your life from the abyss, crowns you with faithful love and tenderness; he contents you with good things all your life, renews your youth like an eagle's." (Ps 103: 1-5)

7. "Yes, I know what plans I have in mind for you, Yahweh declares, plans for peace, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." (Jeremaiah 29:11)

8. "Then Yahweh answered me and said, 'Write the vision down, inscribe it on tablets to be easily read. For the vision is for its appointed time, it hastens towards its end, and it will not lie; although it may take some time, wait for it, for come it certainly will before too long. You see, anyone whose heart is not upright will succumb, but the upright will live through faithfulness." (Habakkuk 2: 2-4)

9. "Set your mind on God's kingdom and his justice before everything else, and all the rest will come to you as well. So do not be anxious about tomorrow; tomorrow will look after itself. Each day has troubles enough of its own." (Matthew 6: 33-34)

10. "If this enterprise, this movement of theirs, is of human origin it will break up of its own accord; but if does in fact come from God you will be unable to destroy them. Take care not to find yourselves fighting against God." (Acts 5: 38-39)

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