Fr. Ken's Pastoral Care

Parable of two sons Readings: Ezekiel 18: 25-28; Psalm 25; Philippians 2:1-11 and Matthew 21:28-32.  THE BROKEN VOW AND FREQUENT FALL The liturgy of today reminds us of the various vows and commitments we made before God and his people as witnesses. As clerics and religious, we made vow of obedience, to our legitimate superiors and bishops, the vows of chastity and of poverty. To couples, before the Alter and the people of God, you promised “I WILL” or “I Do” during matrimonial rite. How ‘far’ about your promises? Have you forgotten you made such promises or you are acting on disobedience? At baptism, we promise obedience to God and the teachings of the Church. Are these vows and promises we made still intact or they are all broken? Do we seek reasons to justify our disobedience to God? Once again, let us ponder on today’s readings.   In the first reading, a picture of justice and mercy of God is presented to us through the prophet Ezekiel. God reminds the people of Israel...

Readings: Isaiah 55:6-9; Psalm 145; Philippians 1:20-24. 27 and Matthew 20:1-16.  THE DISTANCE BETWEEN HEAVEN AND EARTH   There are times in life we desire to receive preferential treatment because we had probably contributed more to a given group and so, in our way of thinking, we deserve a remarkable reward. The liturgy of today calls us to reflect on the unimaginable WAYS AND LOVE OF GOD. Have we in anyway, tried to subject God to human form that he does things in our own way? Do we place ourselves as superior over others, or better than others that we merit more reward than them? In God’s vineyard, he treats each one equally, and in his conception of justice, everyone is entitled to his unconditional love and generosity. What matters is our response to his invitation.   In the first reading, we see God’s invitation through the prophet Isaiah to, “ Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near; let the wicked man FORSAKE HIS WAY, and the u...

Readings: Sirach 27:30-28:7; Psalm 103; Romans 14:7-9 and Matthew 18:21-35.  FORGIVENESS BRINGS HEALING.    Recently, there was a video of a mother and son that went viral, a little boy teaching his mother on how to control her anger, saying to her, “ Mummy, just be calming down. ” Reflecting on the readings of today, the voice of this little boy echoes again as two important things strikes my attention: anger and forgiveness . How well have we been able to manage our anger and how often do we forgive? Are we tired of forgiving and can't forgive anymore? To some of us, little things triggers our anger and it affects the rest of our day. It could be personal problems, such as difficulties in relationship or missing a promotion at work. It could be problems caused by others such as family members or friends, cancelling plans of meetings or a heavy traffic can also provoke our anger. Hence, do we allow our anger to leave us with grudge and bitterness, which eventually re...

Watchman over the City Readings: Ezekiel 33:7-9; Psalm 95; Romans 13:8-10 and Matthew 18:15-20.  HOW LONG WILL THE WATCHMAN REMAIN SILENT?    There are so much grumbling in the society, some persons are suffering and smiling. Our people are dying in starvation, corruption, injustice, insecurity and so many other vices that brings pains and sadness to us, yet it seems no one is confronting these issues. If the voice of the poor masses is not loud enough, what about our leaders, specifically the religious leaders? Why are we so silent about the atrocities in the society? It seems we are so comfortable and have ceased to talk, or probably, we don’t want to be scapegoat and so we have become afraid to speak when we ought to and prefer we all die in silence. The liturgy of today reminds us of who we are, we are watchmen placed over the city. We are to identify evils or wrong doings and give corrective measures with love and with the aim of reconciling the offender with God...

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...