DIVINE WHISPER with FR. PIUSRALPH EFFIONG, SMMM

MONDAY OF THE 32nd WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME OF THE YEAR (II)

Mystery of the day: Joyful 

Table of the Word:  Titus 1:1-9; Luke 17:1-6

"Who shall climb the mountain of the LORD? Who shall stand in his holy place? The clean of hands and pure of heart, whose soul is not set on vain things." (Psalm 24:3-4ab)

Theme: Who shall climb the mountain of the Lord?

Reflection for the day

The theme of today's reflection "Who shall climb the mountain of the Lord? is an extract from the Psalm. It is a popular text, which occasionally some people misunderstood it. 

The text is a reminder of our end and the beginning of the life to come; which the author of the book of Maccabees in the story of the martyrdom of those seven young men made reference to in the second reading of yesterday (cf. 2 Maccabees 7:1-2.9-14).

Today, the Psalmist puts before us this fundamental question in the second stanza:

"Who shall climb the mountain of the Lord?"

Biblically, mountains have a logical religious symbolism for Jewish and Christian cultures since they are “closer to God” who dwells in the heavens. As a result, God often reveals himself on a mountaintop. This Mountain therefore represents God's abode, or His dwelling where we hope to see Him as He really is. 

However, how prepared are we to go up to this mountain? Evangelist Luke in the gospel pericope gave us a direct answer from the Lord:

"Take heed to yourselves; if your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him; and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, and says, 'I repent,' you must forgive him." (Luke 17:3-4)

We need to let go the hurt of our brothers, to embrace peace and seek for peace always so as to live in harmony with one another. If we fail, then we have lost the ticket to this mountain. Above all, we need to love one another without cost or sentiment. This of course, the fulcrum of our Christian calling.

Finally, let us not set our hearts on vain glory which are temporary but on heavy realities which will grant us the befitting place before our God. Peace, be with you!

Let us pray

Merciful Lord, we thank You for the wonders of Your creation. We give You glory for the provision, care and love. We beseech Thee O! Lord to grant us the grace to live above our weaknesses so that we may be able to behold the beatific vision when this earthly dwellings must have passed away. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

© The ARCHIVE               07112022

DIVINE WHISPER with FR. PIUSRALPH EFFIONG, SMMM

WEDNESDAY OF THE 31st WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME OF THE YEAR (II)

Celebration: The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed

The Church, after rejoicing yesterday with our brothers who are in heaven, today prays for all who, in the purifying suffering of purgatory, await the day when they will join the company of the saints. The celebration of the Mass, which is the sacrifice of Calvary renewed on our altars, has ever been for the Church the principal means of fulfilling the great commandment of charity towards the dead. We can also relieve their sufferings through our prayers, suffrages, and penances. Even after death, links with our fellow-travellers and brothers are not broken.

                  Reflection

Theme: Dying to the world to live in Christ.

"Brethren: Hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us."  (Romans 5:5-6).

Each time the thought of death comes around, fear grips our courage, many questions beg for answers; but the answer seems to be too far to our reach.

Those directly affected are broken into pieces. The feelings become unexplainable as the intense pain of losing a loved one becomes real. The memories they left behind become fresh each day. O! Death where is thy sting? Where is your victory?

From time immemorial after man's disobedience which led to losing of original grace, he inherited the reward of death. 

Thus, humanity become a victim of this unavoidable path of existence. But amidst this, Christ death has conquered fear and pain that may encompassed us. 

As we remember our loved ones today who have gone before us marked with the sign of faith; let us be conscious of the fact that none of us will leave here alive. We will either soon or later leave at here at pace best known to God. 

Finally, let us know that we live on borrowed time, as this world is not ours. Fear not, for Christ has conquered this enemy of man - death. And His resurrection is our hope that we shall see Him as He really is. Peace, be with you.

Let us pray

Listen kindly to our prayers, O Lord, and, as our faith in your Son, raised from the dead, is deepened, so may our hope of resurrection for your departed servants also find new strength. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

© The ARCHIVE               02112022

DIVINE WHISPER with FR. PIUSRALPH EFFIONG, SMMM

SATURDAY OF THE 30th WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME OF THE YEAR (II)

Mystery of the day: Joyful 

Table of the Word: Philippians 1:18-26;  Luke 14:1.7-11

“Every one who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 14:11)

Theme: Something must humble a man.

Reflection for the day

In our today's world the virtue of humility has been relegated to the background, as everyone desires to be noticed, to be preferred to. The insatiability in man leads to pride; a vice that Christ condemned in today's gospel pericope.

"Every one who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 14:11)

However, in our day-to-day journey, how humble are we? Do we perceived that we must first be acknowledged before others? Do we see ourselves in a more righteous spec to others? These and many are pertinent questions we must answer for ourselves. 

Let us recalled that words of exhortation from the Book of Proverbs:

" Pride goes before fall" (Proverbs 26:18)

This implies that, people who are overconfident or too arrogant are likely to fail. 

Therefore, let us put ourselves in the weighing balance of Christian life and tell ourselves how far have we gone. Pride, remains the signature of the Scribes and Pharisees. Let us not be counted among those who trust in their whims and caprices but only in God with humility. 

Finally, let us get into our consciousness that certainly something must humble a man. Let us not wait to be humbled.

Peace, be with you!

Let us pray

Merciful God, in humility of heart we come to You this morning. Accept we pray the homage of our lips and grant us the grace to eschew pride and arrogance. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

© The ARCHIVE               29102022

DIVINE WHISPER with FR. PIUSRALPH EFFIONG, SMMM

FRIDAY OF THE 30th WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME OF THE YEAR (II)

Mystery of the day: Sorrowful 

Celebration: Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles

Simon is usually called the "Cananean" and also "the Zealot", probably because he belonged to the Jewish party of "the Zealots of the Law". Jude, also called Thaddeus or "Courageous", is the author of a short epistle in the New Testament. They probably preached in Mesopotamia and Persia and were martyred. Their names appear in the Roman Canon.

Table of the Word: Philippians 1:1-11; Luke 14:1-6.

“He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:1-11)

Theme: We are Divine Project

Reflection for the day:

In God there is always joy, for there is no disappointment in Him. He has never appoint to disappoint or promised then at the long run fail. His Word is always sure. 

Juxtaposing this attributes with the first reading reignites our trust in Him as St. Paul in his epistle to the Church in Philipi avers:

"He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:1-11)

In this text, it is early seen the marvels of the Lord in action, an attitude which keeps our hope high provided we trust in Him as the beginning and end of it all. 

However, beloved in Christ, how much do we trust God when the going is tough? Has situation drift our faith from God? Why do we suddenly forget the goodness of the Lord? 

Let our hearts no longer troubled but trust in Him who cannot disappoint or fail. We are His project, no matter the oddity of life He can never abandon us. He will surely bring it to fruition.

Finally, as we celebrate the two witnesses of the gospel who stood firm in faith - Ss. Simon and Jude; let us imitate their steadfastness in God, then seek their intercession. Peace, be with you!

Let us pray

O God, who by the blessed Apostles have brought us to acknowledge your name, graciously grant, through the intercession of Saints Simon and Jude, that the Church may constantly grow by increase of the peoples who believe in you. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

© The ARCHIVE               28102022

DIVINE WHISPER with FR. PIUSRALPH EFFIONG,

SATURDAY OF THE 29th WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME OF THE YEAR (II)

Mystery of the day: Joyful 

Table of the Word:  Ephesians 4:7-16; Luke 13:1-9.

"Grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ's gift." (Ephesians 4:7)

Theme: Many Gifts One Spirit.

Reflection for the day:

In one of my thoughtful reflections, I discovered that: "the beauty of every hand lies in unequalness of our fingers." This gives allusion to the first reading of today, here St. Paul in his epistle to the Church in Ephesus reminded us of the need to utilize the precious gifts God has bestowed upon us in various states, ranks and files, while appreciating that of others too so as to build a healthy worshiping community.

 

In his words, St. Paul says:

"Grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ's gift." (Ephesians 4:7)

It is in the abundance of God's gratuitous love and mercy that He showers upon humanity these gifts such as: evangelist, teachers, prophets, carpenters, drivers and so long the list. All to work for the edification of one another. 

In the same line of thought, he (St. Paul) admonished those who are strong to bear with the failings of those who are weak, and not to please ourselves. (Romans 15:1).

By application, this text called to mind the essence of unity of purpose for the growth of the Christian community stresing on the need to appreciate one another. 

As I captured at the beginning, not all fingers are equal but each of them is indispensable in its nature and form. 

Finally, in unity of the spirit we ought to work together as a body irrespective of varieties of gifts bearing in mind that we have the same spirit. As we are exhorted still in the first reading of today:  "...each part is working properly, makes bodily growth and upbuilds itself in love." (Ephesians 4:16).

May we therefore, work together for the growth of one another and the edification of the body of Christ - the Church. Peace, be with you!

Let us pray

Almighty and eternal God, we thank You for the love and care we enjoyed. We beg Thee to give us the grace to understand the gift given to us, so as to utilize it for the edification of one another. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

© The ARCHIVE                 22102022

DIVINE WHISPER with FR. PIUSRALPH EFFIONG, SMMM

WEDNESDAY OF THE 29th WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME OF THE YEAR (II)

Mystery of the day: Glorious 

Table of the Word:  Ephesians 3:2-12; Luke 12:39-48.

"Every one to whom much is given, of him will much be required; and of him to whom men commit much they will demand the more." (Luke 12:48)

Theme: Responsibilty and commitment.

Reflection for the day:

Every responsibility goes with commitment. As responsibility is seen in the light of having "the ability to respond" to every commitment or task given. 

As Christians, we are stewards of God's grace and mercy as St. Paul was. We are obliged to live this stewardship out in thoughts, words and action devoid of envy, hatred and dissension in our families,  worshiping community and the society at large.

This expectation is founded in the words of our Lord in the gospel pericope of today according to Evangelist Luke:

"Every one to whom much is given, of him will much be required; and of him to whom men commit much they will demand the more." (Luke 12:48)

As stewards of God's creation, we are committed to preserve and promote these beautiful gifts of God to humanity. 

Sadly, the reverse is the case, as the earth has been polluted, vegetation degraded, our sea lives destroyed, in fact the entire creation has been raped of its originality by man out of negligence and irresponsibility.

It is on this note, that Christ brings to our consciousness our responsibility to the care of our environment, people under our charge, and the creation at large. 

Beloved in Christ, let us be conscious of the fact that we are obliged to be prudent in handling what is being entrusted to our care, whether human or other creation for we are only stewrds and not creators. Though some received in small measure, while others in large extent, above all no matter how large or small our coast may be, we are to be responsible; for on the last day we will be questioned. What then will be your answer? Peace, be with you!

Let us pray

Almighty and eternal God, we thank You for the gift of creation. We are sorry for the many times we must have degraded creation or abusing responsibility entrusted to us through our negligence. We pray therefore for the grace to be responsible stewards in utilizing the beauty of it. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

© The ARCHIVE               19102022

DIVINE WHISPER with FR. PIUSRALPH EFFIONG, SMMM

 TUESDAY OF THE 2th WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME OF THE YEAR (II)

Mystery of the day: Sorrowful 

Celebration: St. Luke (Evangelist)

A physician from Antioch, he was converted to the Christian faith. He was a disciple of St Paul and a faithful companion in all his journeys. He was the author of the third Gospel and of the Acts of the Apostles. He was the evangelist who wrote about the childhood of Jesus and who has told us some of the most moving parables of the Lord, such as that of the lost sheep and the prodigal son. In his gospel, he highlights the universality of salvation.

Table of the Word:  2 Timothy 4:10-17; Luke     10:1-9

"The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest. Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves." (Luke  10:2-3)

Theme:  I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.

Reflection for the day:

The call to discipleship is demanding, demanding in the sense that there is need for commitment and dedication in spite of challenges. As Christians, the sacrament of baptism gave us the unction and mandate to bear authentic witness to the gospel no matter any situation. 

The similar scenario is found in the life of St. Luke, one of the outstanding disciples of St. Paul who toiled tirelessly in propagating the gospel. 

In this same spirit that he (Luke) in the gospel pericope of today recounted the words of our Lord saying: 

"The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest. Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves." (Luke  10:2-3)

The vineyard is indeed large, but labourers are few because of spiritual laxity among us. We lost consciousness of the grace of the Lord. Thus, refusing to do what we ought to do.

Connotatively, the term "vineyard" has to do with every sphere of life endeavour,beginning with the family - the domestic Church, Community of faithful, and the society at large. What are our obligations in various fields of our endeavour? How do we carryout our responsibilities as Christians? Do we allow the frivolities of this life to push us away from our obligation. If so, then we have failed to be active labourers in the vineyard. 

Finally, let us put in our best to live up to our responsibility as faithful workers in the Lord's vineyard. Let the trouble and challenge of this life not betray our focus in doing what we suppose to do, rather let us work so as to fulfill the essence of our existence. For when we fail to do the needful, we stand the chance of losing the master's reward which is "the beatific vision." Let our hope be on the Lord, for He knows our cares and worries in every situation. Peace, be with you!

Let us pray

Lord God, who chose Saint Luke to reveal by his preaching and writings the mystery of your love for the poor, grant that those who already glory in your name may persevere as one heart and one soul and that all nations may merit to see your salvation. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

© The ARCHIVE               18102022