FIRST SUNDAY IN LENT

READINGS AT MASS

Gen. 2:7-9; 3:1-7 

Psalm 51

Rom. 5:12-19

Mt. 4:1-11

Theme: DID GOD REALLY TELL YOU...

Dear friends in Christ, N'wokafu YESU KRISTO...

The tendency to make God look like a liar is one of the greatest temptations of our time. In our desire to go our own way and feel good about it, we question the veracity of the instructions of God in His revealed Word. We wish to twist or adjust them to suit our erroneous ways.

Sometimes, we question the clear statements of God. We put them through rigorous logical assessment and philosophy of men seeking to punch holes in them to render them irrelevant. This temptation to question, with evil intentions, exactly what God has said is one of the temptations we encounter in our reading for today. 

In the first reading, the serpent approached the woman and posed the first question ever recorded in the Bible, “Did God really tell you not to eat from any of the trees in the garden?” A cunning question laced with evil intentions: the beginning of speculation and re-examination that will lead to the presentation of God as incredible. (But the serpent said to the woman, “You certainly will not die..”).

In the same way, the tempter in today's Gospel approached Jesus, and twice prefaced His proposition with the phrase, “if you are the Son of God...” We notice, from these two instances, the temptation to sow doubt and erode trust. It has always been the plan of the evil one to erode trust and faith by making us question the credibility of the very foundations of our faith.

Beloved, God is not a liar. His Word, like His love for us, is sure and true. Any time you feel the need to question this, just remember who might be questioning you.

PRAYER

Lord, keep us focused on your will  and help us never to doubt or question the veracity of your promise to us. Amen! 

May God bless you. 

-Rev. Fr. Kenneth Debre

Sunday, February 26, 2023. 

Holy Rosary Parish, Hohoe.

SEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

 

READINGS AT MASS TODAY

Lev. 19:1-2,17-18

Psalm 103

1 Cor. 3:16-23

Mt. 5:38-48

Theme: LOVING THE ENEMY

Dear friends in Christ, N'wokafu YESU KRISTO...

Revenge, the desire to exact punishment on those who hurt us according to their act, is very natural. It is equally natural to hate our enemies and wish evil for them according to the evils they have meted to us. We naturally yearn for the opportunity to strike them back. 

In today's Gospel, Jesus, however, made a demand that will go down in history as one of the most difficult and unpopular demands of the Christian life. A demand that goes against everything human and natural. To His disciples and those who were listening to Him He said, " _love your enemies, do good to those who hate you_ ..."

The demand to love one's enemy is simply out of this world. But that is what the divine master requires of His followers. Jesus desires that His followers cure evil and enmity with love. We are to love our enemies and do good to those who hate us. For Jesus Christ, love and not revenge is the best weapon against destructive hatred.

How can I love someone who is bent on destroying me? How do I love someone who has no love but hatred for me.

This command appears impossible to obey because we have woefully forgotten or ignored the second part of the command: "...and pray for those who persecute you." Dear friends in Christ, the first step to loving one's enemies is to say a prayer for them and prophecy blessing upon their lives (Lk. 23:34, Acts 7:60). This is the secret key to Jesus' challenging demand. 

No one can love the enemy he does not pray! 

PRAYER

Almighty God and father, today I want to pray for (N) who has hurt me so much. Please bless him and give me the strength to love him. Amen!

May God bless you.

-Rev. Fr. Kenneth Debre

Sunday, February 19, 2023.

Holy Rosary Parish, Hohoe.

SIXTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

READINGS AT MASS

Sirach 15:15-20

Psalm 119

1 Cor. 2:6-10

Mt. 5:17-37

Theme: THE RIGHTEOUS PHARISEES

Dear friends in Christ, N'wokafu YESU KRISTO...

As Jesus was contrasting the righteousness of the Kingdom of God with the traditional interpretation of the Law, He made a statement that probably shocked all His listeners. Jesus said, “unless your righteousness exceeds that of the Scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.”

The Scribes and the Pharisees were the most religious people of Jesus' time. They were prayerful, devoted, and spiritual. They had a deep reverence for the name of God such that they will never mention the proper name of God in an ordinary conversation. And they were meticulous in tithing. Despite their faithfulness to the Mosaic Law, Jesus likened them to whitewashed tombs. 

Indeed, like whitewashed tombs, everything about the Pharisees was about the external. Their external appearance did not correspond to their internal disposition and spirit. Their words did not match their actions. They were merely surface acts of faith for personal glory. The Pharisees lacked authentic internal righteousness. They lacked the righteousness that comes from a deep faith in God and transforms the entire person.

Beloved, righteousness comes by faith in Christ. As we progress on our journey as Christians, we must strive to correspond our interior life with what we profess externally. Our every act of faith must be taken with genuine and the purest of intentions. 

In the final analysis, it is not about how holy and devout we appear before men but how God sees us from the inside.

PRAYER

Almighty ever-living God, may we learn to interiorize the demands of the Law and faith for true righteousness. Amen. 

May God bless you.

-Rev. Fr. Kenneth Debre

Sunday, February 12, 2023.

Holy Rosary Parish, Hohoe

FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

READINGS AT MASS

Is. 58:7-10

Psalm 112

1 Cor. 2:1-5

Mt. 5:13-16

Theme: EVERYTHING SALT

Dear friends in Christ, N'wokafu YESU KRISTO...

Everything about salt is its saltiness. The saltiness, the ability to give taste and unlish flavor, is its nature and essence. Losing that will be disastrous. 

In our Gospel text for today, Jesus speaks about the unfortunate scenario of salt losing its saltiness and how useless it will be if that ever happened. Because losing that will be just like losing everything it is.

As Christians and children of God, we have our inherent beauty and brightness with which we light up the world around us in faith, hope and love. It is that which makes us who we are. 

However, the challenges of this world and the ingratitude of people can force us to lose this beautiful nature and radiance. The pathetic thing about it is that we lose ourselves and our essence when we allow that to happen.

Beloved, like salt losing its saltiness, it will be unfortunate for us to lose our essence in our quest to survive the hustles of life. 

Do not lose yourself! 

PRAYER

Almighty ever-living God, may we never cease to radiate taste and light in the world. Amen. 

May God bless you.

-Rev. Fr. Kenneth Debre

Sunday, February 5, 2023.

Holy Rosary Parish, Hohoe