No one stops the Hand of God
No one stops the Hand of God When King Herod the great heard that a king was born in Jerusalem, he felt threatened just by a simple and innocent enquiry of the Magi (Matt 2:3). He was threatened NOT BECAUSE HE WAS DOING ALL WELL BUT BECAUSE HE WAS SO MUCH MATERIALLY ATTACHED TO THE THRONE, the same throne of David such that the throne became his god and it made him too insecure. Actually, Herod was being pursued by his own evil shadows–his insecurities and so slaughtering the innocent children (Matt 2 : 16), was the only way his dark heart and mind could conceive. He never reckoned that actually, there was a God, for he would have sought deeply what the birth of a child could mean for his old age and his throne. By the way, no one took away his throne for his son succeeded him…
Que: Good day Padre, please why is it that Catholics don’t help each other, we prefer donations than helping the needy around us while pentecostal churches look out for their own.
Que: Good day Padre, please why is it that Catholics don’t help each other, we prefer donations than helping the needy around us while pentecostal churches look out for their own Thank you first for being open enough in asking your questions. However, your question begs alot of questions. When you say “Catholics” do you mean in the individual sense or as a Church? Irrespective of what you meant, factually: As individual, I know Catholics who help Catholics and also go out of their way to help none Catholics. So, they help human beings irrespective of their Christian denomination, faith or religion. Infact, some come to me and say “use this to money, bags of rice, clothes, etc to help the poor.” And so, I do. Christ told us that when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing (Matt…
Fiducia Supplicans – The English Version
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SYNOD ON SYNODALITY 2023: SUMMARY OF THE SYNOD FINAL DOCUMENT
SYNOD ON SYNODALITY 2023: SUMMARY OF THE SYNOD FINAL DOCUMENT The Vatican’s nearly month long *Synod on Synodality* assembly, convened by Pope Francis concluded this morning with members proposing concrete reforms among which include; a) Establishing new ministries for the laity for example it was proposed that the ministry of lector could become a true ministry of the *Word of God* which could include preaching. Secondly, a ministry for *married couples* that could assist married couples and those preparing for marriage was also proposed. b) The synod proposed increased *lay involvement in Church decision making*. c) The need to create processes to evaluate *bishop’s performance of their ministry*. d) The need to *expand the footprint of synodal assemblies* going forward. All Church leader at whatever level should create a *Spirit of Synodality* in how they manage Church apostolate and ministry which has never been a private affair. e) Women should…
PRAYER VS. CHARITY
By Fr. Henry Charles Umelechi There’s something that summarizes Christianity and that is “Caritas,” which is love or charity. When you look at the life of Jesus, you would see that each of his actions is governed by charity which is love of God and love of neighbor. In various instances, Jesus demonstrated this: The Parable of the good Samaritan (Luke 10:25–35). The woman caught in adultery (John 7:53–8:11). The story of Zaccheus (Luke 19:1–10) The multiplication of loaves and fishes (Mt 14:13-21; Mk 6:30-44; Lk 9:10-17 and Jn 6:1-15). The rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31) The rich man who sought perfection (Matt 19:16–30, Mark 10:17-13; Luke 18:18–30) The raising of Lazarus(John 11: 1-44) The greatest commandment (Matt 22:36–40) And what have you? In all these instances, one common denominator is the “acknowledgement of the concept of the ‘other’” which Jesus Christ called “the love of neighbor.” The beloved…
The List of the Current Catholic Dioceses in Nigeria and their dates of creation/erection.
List of the Current Catholic Dioceses in Nigeria and their dates of creation/erection. By Fr. Henry Charles Umelechi (18 October, 2023) Each Catholic Metropolitan province contains an Archdiocese and suffragan diocese(s). An archdiocese is referred to as a metropolitan see or the “head” diocese of an ecclesiastical province: the “primus inter pares,” the first among the dioceses in a province. For example, the Archdiocese of Onitsha is the Metropolitan See for the Province of Onitsha, which includes Archdiocese of Onitsha itself and the suffragan dioceses of Abakaliki, Aguleri , Awgu, Awka, Ekwulobia and other three dioceses. The suffragan dioceses are those dioceses under the leadership of the Archdiocese. Currently, there are 60 Catholic dioceses in Nigeria which includes one eparchy, in 9 Ecclesiastical provinces with 9 Metropolitan Archdioceses: ✓Metropolitan Archdiocese of Abuja(8) Historical Details: Erected as an Independent Mission: 6 November 1981 Elevated to a Diocese: 19 June 1989 Elevated…
Fr Obumse: The Winner of the Microfinance Bank Personality of the Year
Fr Obumse: The Winner of the Microfinance Bank Personality of the Year By Fr George Adimike One of the interesting aspects of the sacred priesthood is its unity in content, mystery, and meaning and its diversity in expression. Priests operate within diverse socio-religious circumstances; it is a text with multiple contexts. As embodied representatives of Christ on earth, priests bring their gifts and talents to bear on the work. Through those skills and competencies, they labour for the reign of God, integrating stole and towel, or rather service and sacrifice. The priesthood is a divine project, exemplifying leadership as a society-serving, self-bearing and soul-saving mystery. It is a mystery through which moral agents in-personify and typify the mysterious mercy of God and become stewards of sacred treasures and saving mysteries. In short, the priesthood of Christ is a versatile mystery with the sole vocation of being the agency for the…
Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael
Onyedịkachukwu, Ikechukwu and … You might be wondering what these people mentioned above did or what happened to them. You might actually ask what story is coming up. Nunquam, there’s no story; these are the Igbo equivalents of the Archangelic names of Michael, Gabriel and Raphael. Generally, we knew the angels of God from the Scriptures and many of us encounter them personally at various points in our lives knowingly or unknowing. Nevertheless, they are called angels not because it’s their nature but because of the functions they do as God’s messengers. By their nature, they are divine heavenly spirits. Some of the names of these angels are gotten from their ministries. Ohh, I don’t mean prayer ministries or government ministries which has almost lost their original motives and meaning today. Yes, “ministry” is derived from the Latin word “Minister, ministri” meaning “Servant, servants”. So, the proper names of the…
Why Demons Possess People: Catholic Exorcist Reveals the Secrets Behind Possession
Why Demons Possess People: Catholic Exorcist Reveals the Secrets Behind Possessio By George Ryan “Exorcism is very much about severing one relationship, a toxic relationship with the devil, and forging another one, a wholesome one with Christ.” Why does demonic possession happen and what do exorcists do about it? In a revealing episode of “The Catholic Talk Show,” seasoned exorcist Father Carlos Martins provides a rare and enlightening glimpse into the secrets behind possession and the role of a Catholic exorcist. Contrary to popular belief, the job of an exorcist is not to cast out the devil. Rather, it’s to determine why the devil is present, to work with the victim, and to rescind the rights granted to the demonic presence. “The job of the exorcist is to find out why the devil is there, what rights has he gained, and it’s then his task to work with the victim…
PEPT Judgement: Has God forsaken Nigeria?
PEPT Judgement: Has God forsaken Nigeria? Someone would ask, “where is God in this whole judicial saga? How would you convince the ordinary faithful that God is still there? How would you give them hope? It’s a big lie to tell Christian faithfuls and Nigerians who feels dejected in great despair that there’s hope for Nigeria and that God is still answering prayers without telling them how? We call on God day and night but God has long since arrived and we kept Him at the door ; we are afraid of individual change but want the presidency to change. The individual makes the presidency. So, anybody who wants to give Nigerians hope by words must tell them the truth, and the truth is that the problem of Nigeria is in all of us Nigerians and not only the presidency. That all of us includes the members of National Assembly,…