DIVINE WHISPER with FR. PIUSRALPH EFFIONG, SMMM

FRIDAY OF THE 13th WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME OF THE YEAR (C)

Mystery of the day: Sorrowful

Text: Amos 8:4-6.9-12; Matthew 9:9-13

"I desire mercy, and not sacrifice. For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners." (Matthew 9:13)

Theme: He desires mercy...

It has been part of the Divine plan to redeem humanity from shackles of total damnation after the great fall of our first parents. God has a special love for nan, to the extent of making him His caretaker - that is overseeing every other creatures in creation. 

In the light of this that, Evangelist Mathew gave an account of Christ's messianic mission of reconciling humanity with the Divinity. 

"I desire mercy, and not sacrifice. For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners." (Matthew 9:13)

His encounter with Mathew reminds us of the beautiness of God's love and mercy. Thus, seeking for the lost sheep in Matthew as the tax collector attracted the attention of Pharisees. They have already knew who was a sinner and who was not. They built a wall against others whom through their judgement are not righteous. 

Hence,  "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" They asked the disciples. Their conclusion already had a fault premise in that, they knew nothing about the messianic mission of our Lord.

Beloved in Christ, God sees us deeper than we see ourselves. That is why in encountering Matthew, a new specie of life was created. This is to inform our wailing minds that, God is more interested in us, more than we are in Him. No matter how awkward our relationship with God and one another is, let us make amends and trust in God, He will make us anew creature in Him. 

Finally, we are left with these Words:

"I desire mercy, and not sacrifice. For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners." (Matthew 9:13). Then go and learn what this means says the Lord.

Peace, be with you.

Let us pray

Almighty and everliving God, Your Words are always alive and active in our lives. It heals the sick and comforts the distress. We beseech Thee, O! Lord to grant us the grace of sincerity and docility to Your detects and commandments, so that we may see you face - to - face as You really are. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

© The ARCHIVE                        01072022

DIVINE WHISPER with FR. PIUSRALPH EFFIONG, SMMM

THURSDAY OF THE 13th WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME OF THE YEAR (C)

Mystery of the day: Luminous

Texts:   Amos 7:10-17; Matthew 9:1-

Theme: Christ the Saviour who reconciles us.

"God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation." (2 Corinthians 5:19)

Beloved in Christ, the unfathomable love of God cannot be measured, as it goes beyond human calculation and understanding. With the fall of our first parents (cf. Genesis 3:1ff.); humanity lost the precious gift of original grace. And at the appointed time, God in His love restored the grace on man through His only begotten Son, to expiate his iniquities, and then reconciled the fallen race back to God. (cf. John 3:16)

In the light of this salvific mystery, that St. Paul in today's gospel acclamation reechoed this kind gesture of God through His Son.

"God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation." (2 Corinthians 5:19)

And in another part, the fulfilment of this salvific act comes to play in today's gospel pericope; where Christ told the paralytic: "Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven." (cf. Matthew 9:1-8). 

This divine gesture embodies three acts. These are: healing, reconciliation and teaching. In healing the paralytic was restored; "... the Son of man has power to forgive sin" gives an in-depth understanding of Christ's act of reconciliation; and in teaching, He reminded Scribes that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins.

Beloved in Christ, let us be conscious of the love of God always. We need to reciprocate this love He has for us by forgiving one another of their fault against us, and enlightening the ignorant through teaching. In doing this, we are bearing witness to the Truth which is Christ - our Saviour and Redeemer. Peace, be with you.

Let us pray

Eternal God, we thank You for the wonders of Your creation. Grant us the grace to reciprocate this gesture by loving one another in sincerity of heart. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen

© The ARCHIVE                 30062022

DIVINE WHISPER with FR. PIUSRALPH EFFIONG, SMMM

WESNESDAY OF THE 13th WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME OF THE YEAR (C)

Mystery of the day: Glorious

Celebration: Feast of Ss. Peter & Paul

Texts: Acts 12:1-11; Timothy 4:6-8, 17--18; Matthew 16:13-19

Theme:...be my witness

 "Who do men say that the Son of man is?" (Matthew 16:13)

The true test of faith is bearing witness to our identity as Christians. For instance, a teacher may be figured out in the crowd with his disciplined manner or the way he or she dresses. A palm wine tapper is being recognized with his calabash and knife, and it is out of place to have a tailor with farm implements as his major tool. It is in the light of this, that Christ asked His disciples: 

 "Who do men say that the Son of man is?" (Matthew 16:13)

This pertinent question raises yet another question which is directed to us: Who is He to us? The answer is utterly personal, as our actions as Christians defined who is Christ. 

In the conversation, we had four different camps, those who said, John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah and others said one of the prophets. St. Peter's submission: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." (Matthew 16:16). This Petrine's standpoint gave a sure and unquestionable definition on the personality of our Lord. 

However, We are bound to tell the world who He is through our words and actions. As we universally celebrate the feast of the martyrdom of Ss. Peter and Paul, an invite is being sent to us to bear witness to this identity and personality of Jesus Christ as the duo did. 

To buttress this, St. Augustine in his sermon on this unique celebration gave an in-depth definition of the personality of these men. He defined them by their work saying: "For their fame has penetrated every land and their message has reached the ends of the earth."  (Sermon 295, 1-2.4.7-8). And that they saw what they proclaimed.

Dearest friend(s) in Christ, let clothe ourselves with the mantle of authentic witness to the "real personality" of our Lord in our day to day Christian living. This entails carrying our daily crosses in patience, giving listening ear to those in need, supporting the weak, comforting the sorrowful, etc. Just a little action with a sincere heart, the ice can break. Peace! Be with you.

Let us pray

Almighty and eternal God, we are Your children. Accept we pray the homage of our lips and grant us the grace of recognizing You in others and every event of life; so that we may be true witnesses and "proclaimers" of Your Personhood through our thoughts, words and actions. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

© The ARCHIVE                       29062022

DIVINE WHISPER with FR. PIUSRALPH EFFIONG, SMMM

WEDNESDAY OF THE 12th WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME OF THE YEAR (C)

Mystery of the day: Glorious

  2 Kings 22:8-13; 23:1-3; Matthew 7:15-20

Theme: Detach from..... and attach to God.

"Abide in me, and I in you, says the Lord; he who abides in me bears much fruit." (John 15:4.5)

The call to discipleship calls for detachment from every distraction, and attachment to the call itself. Being focus gives birth to fruitful discipleship which Christ through Evangelist John in today's gospel acclamation says: 

"Abide in me, and I in you, says the Lord; he who abides in me bears much fruit." (John 15:4.5)

This invitation gives insight into the gospel reading of today which exhorts us to beware of false prophets in sheep clothing... for by their fruits we shall know them. (cf. Matthew 7:15-20).

As a Christian by the virtue of baptism we are being called into the ministry of prophecy and teaching; with this, we are being expected to bear good fruits for the greater glory of our Creator. That is why, St. Augustine rightly puts, we need to cooperate with the operating Grace of God in us. This can only take place, if we detach from what is distracting us.

Beloved in Christ, let us respond to this invitation by our Lord, by clinging to Him as the beginning and the end; then we will all bear fruits in hundreds and thousands. Peace, be with you.

Let us pray

Dearest Lord, Yours is the earth and its fullness. Thank You for the many blessings we have received, that which we are receiving and those ones yet to be received. We beg Thee, O! Lord to give us the grace to abide in You and only You alone. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. 

© The ARCHIVE                 22062022

DIVINE WHISPER with FR. PIUSRALPH EFFIONG, SMMM

TUESDAY OF THE 12th WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME OF THE YEAR (C)

Mystery of the day: Sorrowful

Celebration: Memorial of St. Aloysius Gonzaga

2 Kings 19:9-11, 14-21, 31-36; Matthew 7:6, 12-14

Theme: Be fair to others

"So whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them; for this is the law and the prophets." (Matthew 7:12)

In the course of event, many look up to be treated with all amount of fairness. Right and comfortable places are to be assigned to them. Front seat in public events should be tagged with their names, the master of ceremonies needs to give them special attention and so on the list. 

But sadly, when it has to do with others, we tend to play down with "flimsy justification" either he or she is not worthy, or we begin to recount his or her weaknesses. What a world of many colours!

In the light of this, that we are being invited by the Church through the sacred scripture to do unto others what we desire for ourselves:

"So whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them; for this is the law and the prophets." (Matthew 7:12).

In doing this, we now create a sort of synergy in the Christian community with one another where love, justice, peace and stability thrive. We need fair hearing from the accused, listening ear to one another, being judgemental leads to chaos and anarchy. Bearing in mind, as I have in one of my Thoughtful Thinking:

" In every Heart, there is an Ear." The heart of love must go with ear before we utter words of condemnation. Let justice and fairness speak as St. Paul in his epistle to the Colossian Church. (cf. Colossians 4:1)

Finally, triumph not over the downfall of anyone for it is still dark for the the break of the dawn. Peace, be with you.

Let us pray

Merciful Lord, receive we pray the homage of our lips at the break of this dawn. May our daily lives be sown for eternal harvest. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

© The ARCHIVE        21062022

DIVINE WHISPER with FR. PIUSRALPH EFFIONG, SMMM

MONDAY OF THE 12th WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME OF THE YEAR (C)

Mystery of the day: Joyful

2 Kings 17:5-8, 13-15, 18; Matthew 7:1-5

Theme: Judge Not!

"Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, ..." (Matthew 7:1-2)

One of the things we find ourselves doing best in our comfort zones is judging others. Most often, we are guilty of making a haste judgement over one another, closing the chapter of one's record without hearing from the victim. Sometimes, we also ran the risk of using the size of our shoes as the measurement for others. 

As an exhortation to this ill way of life, that today's table of the Word presents before us our Lord's Words:

"Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, ..." (Matthew 7:1-2).

This is to remind us that, God's grace is operative in each and every one of us. And that we see different from how God looks at us. 

Finally, let us first of all clean ourselves of the dirt surrounding us, before we think of the body odour we presumably perceived from one another; likely the odour may be generated from the dirt surrounding us. Peace, be with you.

Let us pray

Eternal God, we appreciate the daily gift of Your Word to us. Grant us we pray to put them into action, by looking beyond the weakness of one another. For in You, there is hope for better change. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. 

© The ARCHIVE                 20062022

 

HOMILY FOR THE SOLEMNITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI by FR. PIUSRALPH EFFIONG, SMMM

Commentary on the Solemnity of Corpus Christi

This feast is celebrating the religious belief in the Body and Blood of Christ and real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. This feast is celebrated on the Sunday after Trinity Sunday to commemorate the institution of the Eucharist. An Augustinian nun Juliana of Liege had a great veneration for the Blessed Sacrament and she wished very much for the institution of a special feast for honoring the Blessed Sacrament. Once she saw a vision of the Church under full moon having a black spot. She thought that the black dark spot signifies the lack of a feast of the Eucharist. Bishop Robert de Thorete, Bishop of Liege was convinced about the vision of Juliana and ordered a feast to be celebrated in his diocese from the year 1247 and celebrated by the Cannons of St. Martins at Liege. Pope Urban-IV published a Papal Bull 'Transiturus' on September 8, 1264 directing to celebrate this feast on the Thursday, after Trinity Sunday. But in countries where this feast is not a Holy Day of obligation including United States, it is celebrated on the Sunday after Trinity Sunday. The new Liturgy for this feast was composed by St. Thomas Aquinas and he also written a hymn to sing on Corpus Christi Day-Pange Lingua Gloriosi Corporis Mysterium and this hymn is being sung on the Holy (Maundy) Thursday during the procession of the Blessed Sacrament. 

This is to express the doctrine of Transubstantiation, in which it is believed that the bread and wine are changed into the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. This feast is to show the Church's gratitude to the Christ, who instituted the Holy Eucharist and gave it to the Church, which is the greatest treasure of the Church. Maundy Thursday in which the Holy Eucharist was instituted is not a joyous day due to the Lord's Passion. To celebrate the joyous aspect of Maundy Thursday when the Holy Eucharist was instituted, this feast is celebrated. Eucharist is the sacrament of Life, sacrament of Love, sacrament of Unity and sacrament of Faith. Christ said when instituting the Holy Eucharist. "This is My Body given up for you, this is My Blood shed for you." These are the words of sacrifice for others and love for others.

                  

                    HOMILY

R. 1 Genesis 14:18-20

R. 2 I Corinthians 11: 23-26

Gospel Luke 9:11-17

Theme: "I am the living bread which came down from heaven, says the Lord; if any one eats this bread he will live for ever." ( John 6:51)

Today, we gather to celebrate the solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, our Saviour and Redeemer. 

The three readings for today's liturgy capture the meaning of the Eucharist in three ways:

1. Gift: Which the first reading presents the awesome gifts of bread and wine Milchizedek King of Salem brought before Abraham, a foretaste of the Holy Eucharist.

2. Sacrifice: The second reading portrays the sacrifice Christ made for humanity and then invite us to a common unity through the breaking of the bread.

3. Miracle: Obviously, Eucharist itself is one of the greatest miracles.  A miracle in the sense that, it satisfied our spiritual hunger, as the gospel presented the feeding of the multitude.

In the light of this, the Holy Eucharist is a precious gift from God the Father in the Son through the power of the Holy Spirit. 

As St. Thomas Aquinas in his work "Opusc 57, 1-4" which forms the Second reading of the Office of Readings for this great Solemnity says: 

"For He offered His body to God the Father on the altar of the cross as a sacrifice for our reconciliation: and He shed His blood for our ransom and cleansing, so that we might be redeemed from wretched captivity and cleansed from all sins."

However, the beauty of this celebration is enshrined in the wordings of the sequence, as it reads:

"Man cannot understand this, cannot perceive it; buta lively faith affirms that the change, which is outside the natural course of things, take place. Under the different species, which are now signs only and not their own reality, there lie hid wonderful realities. His body is our food, his blood our drink."

This therefore defined the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist as the hub of all sacraments. For at Baptism we are baptised into this body of Christ with the Holy Eucharist the summit of the faith, Confirmation gives us the unction to live out what we receive, at sacrament of reconciliation we are being prepared to receive it worthily, in anointing of the sick, he is being fed and prepared for the spiritual journey with the Lord. The other two sacraments of service: Holy Order and Matrimony makes one the minister of the Eucharist and create bond between the couples respectively. As we gather round the table of the Eucharist every now and then, let us be ever conscious of the fact that, we are being invited to commune with Christ through our love for one another. For out of love that Christ left for us the memorial of His passion. And He exhort us to do same. Be charitable to one another as He did to the multitude despite the disciple's complain over few bread. And He multiplied the few to many for the satisfaction of the multitude. (cf. Luke 9:11-17) Finally, as we partake in one cup and bread, let us speak language of love so that the fruit of this communion may be seen among us. Peace, be with you. Let us pray Jesus, good shepherd and true bread, have mercy on us; feed us and guard us. Grant that we find happiness in the land of the living. You know all things, can do all things, and feed us here on earth. Make us your guests in heaven, co-heirs with you and companions of heaven's citizens. Amen. © The ARCHIVE           19062022