Fr. Ken's Pastoral Care

Jeremiah Readings: Jeremiah 20:7-9; Psalm 63; Romans 12:1-2 and Matthew 16:21-27.  SEDUCED BY CHRIST: SUBMISSIVE TO HIS WILL   Some persons were carried away by their emotions at the start of their journey to marital life. They were engrossed by their emotion that nothing else matters to them, except their partners. With time and event revealing things to them, they become so bitter in marriage because not what they were expecting they are experiencing. This is what the liturgy of today communicates to us, how the prophet Jeremiah was seduced by God into a relationship with Him, and he submitted himself to the will of God. Christ in the Gospel calls us to reflect on the cost of responding to this seductive nature of God as we respond to His will and St. Paul in the second reading exposes to us the necessary sacrifice we make when we fall in love.   In the first reading, we hear the words of the prophet Jeremiah saying, “ O Lord you have deceived me, and I was dece...

YOU Readings: Isaiah 22:19-23; Psalm 138; Romans 11:33-36 and Matthew 16:13-20.  WHO IS GOD TO YOU?    We often express our knowledge of God based on our experiences with Him. If we ask a prisoner, who is God to him/her? Most likely, the response will be of one who grants freedom or sets prisoners free. In the case of one who is sick, God is a healer; for the hungry or those who lack, He is a provider; for the weak, He is their strength… our knowledge and experience with God differs. However, the penny catechism book helps us to understand God as “A supreme being who alone exist of himself and he is infinite in all perfection.” Our knowledge of God is explicit in the readings of today.   In the first reading, we see God as one who humbles the proud and exalt the lowly. This is clear as He sends message to Shebna (one of King Hezekiah’s chief assistants), through his prophet Isaiah. He said, “ I will thrust you from your office, and you will be cast down from ...

Readings: Isaiah 56:1.6-7; Psalm 67; Romans 11:13-15.29-32 and Matthew 15:21-28.  COMPLIANCE TO THE LAWS FOR OUR SALVATION.    On Friday, 14th of August this year, I read the speech of the Governor of Ogun State, His Excellency, Prince Dapo Abiodun MFR, on his update and efforts to combat the present pandemic. The fourth paragraph of his speech draws my attention, which is in relation to the liturgy of today, when he said, “ It is of great importance that all stakeholders fully comply with the agreed guidelines, so that, together we can further flatten the curve of this pandemic. ” He went further to restate the guidelines and made an emphases of NOT HESITATING to shutdown religious centers through his task force if any of these guiding principles are disobeyed. While the task force are roaming around like a roaring lion, ready to devour any lawbreaker, the liturgy of today invites us to experience GOD’S MERCY AND SALVATION.   In the first reading, the prophe...

Readings: 1Kings 19:9.11-13; Psalm 85; Roman 9:1-5 and Matthew 14:22-33.  DO NOT BE AFRAID!  On this day, the nineteenth Sunday in ordinary time, the Holy Mother Church calls us to reflect on fears as it has eaten us deeply. Many of us are now living in fears; it is so sad that we are even afraid in the presence of God. We are afraid of not being victims in any forms, we are afraid of the present pandemic in the world, we are afraid of compliance to government policies as regards opening of religious centers, we are afraid of going to church. It is so bad that we are more afraid of man and his policies than God, and more afraid of death than God. If we can comply with government policy, how much more do we comply with the policy of God?   In the first reading, we read of the fear of Elijah, which made him to hide in the cave. In the antecedence to this pericope, “ King Ahab and Jezebel expressed their intention to take the life of Elijah as they did to other prop...

St. John Mary Vianney Readings: Jeremiah 30:1-2.12-15.18-22; Psalm 102 and Matthew 15:1-2.10-14.  THE HEART OF MAN   With the present pandemic, many have come to appreciate the proper hygiene of washing hands. Even as we awaits the reopening of religious gatherings, one of the criterias for the opening of churches is to have a running tap with water and soap for washing of hands. How does these cuts across our liturgy of today?   In the gospel, we read that the Pharisees and Scribes came to Jesus saying, “ Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat. ” This tradition exposes to us the pure and impure law of the Jewish culture. This Jewish culture had nothing to do with good hygiene but the Pharisees and Scribes were just after the disciples of Christ, seeking for what to use against Christ and his disciples, and so, they became offended that the disciples did not practice the tradition of the elders ...

Lord, save me Readings: Jeremiah 28:1-17; Psalm 119 and Matthew 14:22-36.  WHAT HAPPENS WHEN CHRIST IS NOT IN OUR BOAT?    Dear friends in Christ, the liturgy of today calls us to reflect on one among the various miracles of Christ, how he walked on water and calmed the fears of his disciples.   We heard in the readings that Christ “ made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. ” Dismissing the crowds, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. There is something interesting Christ wants us to learn this act. We cannot be so busy doing the work of God and forget the God of the work. There is need for us to always create time for our private prayers. With our personal relationship with God, we derive strength to face the forces of the world. The forces are represented in this gospel pericope as wind and waves. When Christ was not in the boat, the boat was beaten by the waves and the wind was agains...

Give them something! Readings: Isaiah 55:1-3; Psalm 145; Romans 8:35.37-39 and Matthew 14:13-21.  DIVINE INVITATION TO EXPERIENCE GOD'S GENEROSITY   Sometimes we express sad feelings when our friends or family members throws party without inviting us. We feel bitter that they do no regard nor honour us. Even when we discover the upcoming event before the date, and realized it is strictly by invitation, our grief for the host increases. Here we are today, honoured by God himself with a Divine Invitation, an invitation that expresses the love of God towards us, who wants to quench our thirst and satisfy our hunger. If God is this good to us, what then can separate us from his love?   From the first reading of today the Lord said, “ Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the water; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come buy wine and milk without money and without price. ” What a beautiful invite! This is not “Strictly by invitation”, it is for everyone. An invit...