Easter 2016: Quotes and messages you can share with loved ones

For Christians, the Holy Week comes to an end with Easter Sunday.

Christians across the world will celebrate Easter with the midnight service on Sunday to herald the resurrection of Jesus Christ three days after he was crucified. The crucifixion of Christ was observed on Good Friday.
The Holy Week began with Palm Sunday on March 20 and comes to an end with Easter Sunday on March 27.

Here are some messages and quotes you can share with your loved ones on Easter:

1. May this Easter bring you all together for a great celebration filled with lots of joy, happiness and love.
2. Wishing you a Happy Easter! May it be a wonderful time spent with your friend and family.
3. Easter celebration represents new life. Enjoy this holiday with your loved ones.
4. Christ showed His endless love by giving His Life to wash away our sins. May your have a wonderful Easter filled with love and peace.
5. Wishing you a peaceful Easter that fills you with new life and vitality.

6. Celebrate this holy week with a heart filled with peace and love towards your friends and enemies. Have a blessed Easter 2016.
7. May you be blessed with immense love from God, who will bring abundant happiness in your life by filling your heart with peace. Happy Easter.
8. It is the day to remember our Savior, who has risen from the dead. Easter greetings to you and your family.
9. Happy Easter everyone! Remember the reason for the season and make yourself and the world a better place.
Quotes
1. "When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”" —Matthew 27:52-54
2. "And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."" —Luke 23:43
3. Do not abandon yourselves to despair. We are the Easter people and hallelujah is our song. — Pope John Paul II

Pope Francis celebrates Easter Mass in St.Peter's Basilica in 2014. -AFP
4. Let every man and woman count himself immortal. Let him catch the revelation of Jesus in his resurrection. Let him say not merely, 'Christ is risen,' but 'I shall rise.' Phillips Brooks
5. There would be no Christmas if there was no Easter. —Gordon B. Hinckley
6. Easter is meant to be a symbol of hope, renewal, and new life. — Janine di Giovanni
7. "Jesus replied, 'The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.'" —John 12:23-25
8. “Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” —John 11:25-26
9. "For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” —Romans 6:9-11
10. “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…” —Peter 1:3

Catholic Church Demotes Father Mbaka

Popular Catholic priest, Reverend Father Ejike Mbaka has been moved to a new duty post at Our Lady Parish, Umuchigbo, Njinike accompanied by hundreds of his parishioners admirers and well wishers.
He relocated on Saturday after he was transferred from Christ the King parish, GRA, Enugu where he had, over the years, built a cult like fellowship on the strength of precision of most of his prophecies and miracles recorded during prayer sessions at his Adoration Centre.
Father Mbaka prophesised the emergence of President Muhammadu Buhari ahead of last election and also warned him last month of a plot to kill him.
His followers believe he's being punished. Mbaka himself said his new posting is a witch hunt.
As early as 7am on Saturday, a crowd had started forming at the Christ the King parish Enugu preparatory for the movement. Several lorry loads, buses and cars filled with people lined the streets as he made his way to Emene.
Band groups dished out music to which people were dancing. In fact, some were overcome by emotion to the extent that they broke down in tears.
Social and economic activities along major streets came to a halt. The journey lasted four hours. It was a triumphal exit for Father Mbaka as he addressed the crowd and said:

“I know we are going to suffer between now and a few months to come. I am going to suffer and suffer. I know that.
“I’m going to suffer because I have no place to put my head. I am going to suffer because I have no place to keep the Adoration Ministry’s assets.
“I know I’m going to suffer. Fortunately, it is going to happen in the month of lent. So, I am going to use my exit here as a Lenten observance but Jesus said it all in John 16:20 to his apostles that you will be sorrowful and the world will be rejoicing but very soon I will turn your sorrow to joy.
“But for now I know you are going to suffer. The Adoration Ministry is passing through suffering right now even though I’ve accepted that is the will of God. Is the will of God through suffering? It is a mega suffering
“The quantum of the assets of the Adoration Ministry is the only thing I am bothered about for now.
“Where am I going to keep them? I am going to stay in one small room that has only one small bed, one small table, little toilet and bathroom. So where am I going to keep all the adoration assets?
“My clothing and books I can keep in the car or somebody’s house but where will I keep these assets that I have given to the Catholic church of Enugu?
“But I say may God take the glory and whoever that has offended me, I have forgiven.
“I won’t fight anybody or even dream of battling anybody. If anybody allows the devil to use him, the same that advised you to make a mistake will laugh at you when you cry over the error. The baby is born, there is no going back.
“We are moving out. We have been doing it and we will do it again. Moses was going out with a rod in his hand, Mbaka is moving out with his Bible and this nobody can take away from me.”
I am telling you people as a courageous leader, do not be afraid. "We are moving and in not distant time, you people are going to smile."

VATICAN: IRAN MUST JOIN FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM

Pope Francis held talks with Iran's president, Hassan Rouhani, at the Vatican Tuesday, calling on Tehran to play a key role in stopping the spread of terrorism as Iran tries to improve its image in the global arena following an agreement on its nuclear program.
Hassan Rouhani made the first state visit to Europe by an Iranian president in almost two decades this week, following the lifting of sanctions against his country.

The pontiff warmly clasped the hand of President Hassan Rouhani in the first official call paid on a pontiff by an Iranian president since 1999. They held 40 minutes of private talks before Rouhani met with other top Vatican officials.

The talks "delved into the conclusion and application of the nuclear accord, and the important role that Iran is called upon to play, together with other countries of the region, was highlighted," the Holy See said.

It added that that role should "foster adequate political solutions to the issues plaguing the Middle East, fighting the spread of terrorism and arms trafficking."
The "cordial" talks also stressed common spiritual values, the statement said.

Usually it's the pope who asks his audience to pray for him. This time, after the two men spoke with the help of Italian and Farsi language translators, it was the guest who asked the pope for prayers. "I ask you to pray for me," Rouhani said.

The Vatican meeting was a key part of the Iranian effort to take a more prominent place on the world stage after the nuclear deal with Western powers.

Iran, which agreed to limit its nuclear activities in exchange for an end to economic sanctions, is eager to carve out a bigger role in mediating Middle East conflicts. Francis' papacy has emphasized mediation and conflict-resolution, including his role in helping Cuba and the United States to normalize their relations.

Rouhani heads to France today on his four-day European trip seeking to boost Iran's image abroad as well as to rehabilitate economic ties with a continent that had been a big trade partner before the sanctions.

Francis gave Rouhani a medal depicting St. Martin giving his cloak to a poor man in the cold, describing the saint's act as "a sign of unsolicited brotherhood."
Rouhani brought a gift of a hand-made rug that he said was made in the Iranian holy city of Qom.

Before going to the Vatican, Rouhani told a forum of business leaders in Rome that "Iran is the safest and most stable country of the entire region."
Italy also sees Iran as a potential peacemaker in Syria's civil war, as the Italian government fears the warfare will further destabilize Libya — just across the Mediterranean from southern Italy — fuel terrorism and jeopardize energy security.
"Italy has always backed the role of Iran as a regional player in resolving tensions in the area, starting with the Syrian crisis," Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni said after meeting his Iranian counterpart, according to his office.
Rouhani has described the political talks leading to the nuclear deal as a potential blueprint for pursuing peace in the Middle East.

Vatican offers homeless new mother a place to live

Vatican officials offered to house a homeless woman who gave birth near St. Peter’s Square on Wednesday.
Italian police found the woman while patrolling the area—she had given birth on a piece of cardboard around 2 a.m. Wednesday, according to CBS News.

Officers covered the mother and child in their jackets to protect them from the near freezing temperatures, later taking them to a nearby hospital.

The woman received a visit from Monsignor Konrad Krajewski, who carries out Pope Francis’ charity missions. He offered her space at a home owned by the Vatican for mother and babies in need.

According to a Vatican spokesman, the woman has not decided if she will accept the offer.

PHOTO: Africa's Tallest Statue Of Jesus Unveiled In Nigeria

Africa welcomed its largest ever statue of Jesus after an unveiling ceremony took place in Abajah village in Imo state, eastern Nigerian on New Year Day.

According to The News, the 8.53 metre (28 foot) tall “Jesus de Greatest” statue commissioned in 2013, was built by a Chinese company and  carved in white marble.

The huge statue of Jesus which was recently unveiled in Imo state. Photo: NAN

Hundreds of Catholic priests and worshippers besieged St Aloysius Catholic Church in the village to behold its unveiling which was commissioned by Obinna Onuoha, a local businessman.

Onuoha it was, who hired the Chinese company to carve the statue and place it in the grounds of a 2000-capacity church that he built in 2012.

The man who said he has had the dream of erecting the statue since he was 26years old, said: “It’s the biggest statue of Jesus on the continent. Definitely pilgrims will come.”

THE CELEBRATION OF CHRIST THE KING IN MAKURDI

This Sunday in the Catholic calendar is the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ the King, the last Sunday of the Church year. (Next Sunday will be the First Sunday of Advent and the first day of the Church’s calendar). It is implicit in the feasts of Epiphany, of Easter, of Ascension.

The feast of Christ the King is celebrated in the Roman Catholic church in honour of Jesus Christ as lord over all creation. This feast of was created by Pope Pius XI in 1925. This is a medieval feast which uses the metaphor of “King”, a powerful one in those days, to describe the role of Jesus. The Kingdom of God is the central teaching of Jesus throughout the Gospels. The word kingdom appears more than any other word throughout the four Gospels. Jesus begins His public ministry by preaching the kingdom. "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel (Mark 1:14).

 CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON CHRIST THE KING SUNDAY 

Over here in Makurdi the Capital of Benue State, There was procession from St. Theresa Parish High Level down to Holy Ghost Catholic Church. The event was rounded up with the Adoration of The Blessed Sacrament.

 CLICK HERE TO READ POPE MESSAGE FOR CHRIST THE KING 

Check out images and a video clip below:

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"Leave church doors open"- Pontiff declares

In the wake of the Paris attacks, churches have now been working on upgrading security but Pope Francis advises against this.

The pope maintains that the church must stay open despite all these terror fears.
"Please, no armoured doors in the Church, everything open," the 78-year-old pontiff told pilgrims in St Peter's square, Italy.
"There are places in the world where doors should not be locked with a key. There are still some but there are also many where armoured doors have become the norm.

"We must not surrender to the idea that we must apply this way of thinking to every aspect of our lives, ... " Francis said, "To do so to the Church would be terrible."

He urged the Church to keep its doors open to lapsed believers who are considering returning and to the hundreds of thousands of migrants arriving in Europe from Africa, the Middle East and South Asia.

HOMILY FOR THE 31ST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME OF THE YEAR (B).

WHEN IS LOVE REALLY LOVE?


Rev. Fr. Boniface Nkem Anusiem PhD.

Have you experienced love before? What does it seem to love or to be loved? Is there fake and real love? What is love? Where is love? How is love? Is love what we feel; that is affection? Remember that feelings fade but love never dies (1 Cor.13:8). Is love equivalent to likeness? Remember likes often turn to dislikes! What actually is love and when is love real? Let us reflect on these and more issues connected with love.

On the 14th of April 1912, the greatest maritime tragedy in sailing history occurred with the R.M.S Titanic. The sea vessel was the largest at the time with state of the art accompaniments which included aboard gymnasium, swimming pool, restaurants and park. The passengers in the epoch-making voyage were the exclusively rich at the time who wanted to be reckoned with the first voyage of one of the best from White Star Line. There were also few poor and lucky folks who were emigrants to North America who got free tickets. In all, there were more than 2,224 passengers on board.

With sixteen watertight compartments in a 1/6 mile long hull, the captain Edward John Smith made a pre-voyage boast that “not even God could sink the Ship”.(Of course God does not sink ships he rather saves them). The Titanic left Southampton to New York for her first sail on the historic 10th of April 1912.

While screen playing the story as a movie, James Cameron created two characters that made the movie “Titanic” to get universal acclaim. Hence as the Ship began her journey, fate brought about the meeting of two young people who later became love birds. Rose was of the super-rich class and was by family arrangement to marry a man from another rich family while Jack was one of the poor lucky emigrants heading to North America to search for better living. As the interaction between Rose and Jack grew, they came to connect and eventually fell in love.

An hour before midnight on the 14th of April 1912, amidst a starry moonless night, the Titanic collided with an iceberg which the crew noticed late in the midst of late night merriment. The formidable Ship broke into severally pieces while letting in the freezing North Atlantic Ocean water to engulf the Vessel. Unfortunately, rescue came a bit late and there were few lifeboats. Those in the first class were evacuated first which would have made it possible for Kate to have the option to escape death leaving Jack behind but she could not. She preferred to go through it all with Jack.

They struggled together to survive the raging freezing ocean water. At last there was just a platform left for them to hold unto. Rose clung unto it on top while Jack had his entire body inside the grisly cold water. He kept on encouraging Rose to hold and never to give up. Before a rescue could come, Jack was entirely frozen and died. Rose was eventually rescued!
While recounting what happened that eventful night after many years as an old woman, Rose said that she could only remember that a young man, out of love that she could not describe, gave up his life so that she could live. If we are asked to describe in one word what Jack did for Rose, the most fitting word would be sacrifice! The word sacrifice itself has a lot to do with love. To love one must let go something that is precious and that entails making a sacrifice. So to define love we must keep our eyes on sacrifice.

In the First Reading today (Deut.6:2-4), we are presented with the instructions given by God to the Israelites. Among other things God said: “Hear O Israel the Lord our God is one Lord; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your might”.
If we examine the above instruction very closely, we will discover some pertinent points. First and foremost it was a command. Some translations would say: “You MUST love the Lord your God…” To show the seriousness of the instruction it began by summoning them to HEAR; to pay attention; to LISTEN. Furthermore, this love of God is to be done with the fullness of three important personal effects:

1) With all your heart: The heart is mentioned up to a thousand times in the whole of the bible. In Hebrew it is known as lebab and in Greek it is known as kardia. The heart is the seat of physical, emotional, and moral activities. In fact people are known to be good or bad from the point of view of their hearts. In the gospel of Matthew (15:18-20) our Lord Jesus Christ mentioned that it is not what goes into someone that defiles the person but what goes from inside; that is from the heart. It is from there that all evil proceeds. Loving God with all our hearts means that we allow our hearts to be God-full, leaving no space for any other thing. It means giving God our hearts

2) With all your soul. The soul is the most important aspect of the human person that survives after the death of the body. It is often used interchangeably with life. In Genesis (2:7) we are told that God breathed on man after making him from the dust of the earth and he became a living soul. Our soul represents everything about us. Without the soul we are no more. To love God with all our soul means submitting our entire being to God.


3) With all our might: Might has a lot to do with strength; not just physical strength but also spiritual strength. In the book of Judges (6:12) Gideon was greeted as “mighty man of valour”. In Ephesians (6:10) Paul advised saying: “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might”. Loving God with all our might means channelling all our physical and spiritual strength to God.

From what we have above, we can clearly see that loving God with all our heart, soul and might means sacrificing everything about us to God. A practical example of giving all these to God was the action of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego (Dan.3:1ff). For the sake of their love for God, they were ready to lose everything including their lives however, God gave them back what they offered and even more.
In the Gospel Reading today (Mark 12:28-34) we discover that the instruction about love continued. One of the Scribes came to our Lord Jesus Christ and wanted to know which of the commandments could be the first. That is the most important of all. The man could be representing the men and women of his time (and of our time too) who were (are) confused as to what could be the most important of the commandments.

The Scribe who came to Jesus Christ wanted him to give preference to one of the commandments over and above others. May be as a Scribe he had been confronted with the same question or he wanted to size the opinion of our Lord to know the extent he knew the law. In whichever way, the response our Lord gave was indeed very remarkable. He quoted for him the passage we examined in the First Reading (Deut.6:2-4) about loving God and concluded with a passage in Leviticus (19:18) which says: “Love your neighbours as yourself”. In essence our Lord is of the view that the greatest commandment is the commandment of LOVE.
From what we have above, our Lord Jesus Christ gave us the two dimensional expression of love: to God and to our fellow human beings. In any case, it will be pertinent to examine how we can achieve these. The love of God is not achieved by saying it: “I love God”. It begins first from knowledge of God. The book of Hosea (4:6) says that “My people perish for lack of knowledge!” It is very clear and indisputable that you cannot love what you do not know! That could be fantasy, lust or infatuation. From knowledge and communication, you connect. That is the due process to love. Love seeks to express itself in selfless giving; an example is what our Lord Jesus Christ did for us. A selfish person cannot love effectively because his/her self-interest will always block the way to reaching out to others.

Love strictly seen is the seed of every good thing. Love is the reason why Jesus Christ came into the world (Jn 3:16), love is the reason why he preached and worked miracles (Matt. 9:36; Mark 6:34). Love is the reason why he went to the cross to die (Rom 5:8). Love is the reason for our salvation. Love answers all questions! Love is the only thing that can decide our fate after leaving this world. Love is a seed which every right thinking Christian must always sow.
Part of the reason why love as a phenomenon seems to be hard to define is that it is another name for God and God is not easy to define or describe. 1 John 4:8 tells us that “whoever does not love does not know God for God is love”. No wonder then St. Paul (1 Cor. 13:7) said that love conquers all things; this means that everything is subject to love which is God.

To love is not optional as most of us think. It is a commandment which carries a lot of consequences. In John (13:34) our Lord Jesus Christ said: “I give you a new commandment Love one another as I have loved you”. It also identifies who we are: “If you love one another everyone will know that you are my disciple” (John 13:35). Love is not based on conditions or conveniences. For some people their love is seasonal: the season of abundance; when things are going fine. The litmus test for love are critical times like the one Rose and Jack experienced at the Titanic tragedy and the love Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had for God to the extent of marching into to the burning furnace.
Today our Lord Jesus Christ has given us the assignment to examine our love quotient. Do we love just by words of mouth, just by flowers, paintings, writings, messages and others materials gifts or do we practice and actualize love by our selflessness! Love is really love when it is selfless and sacrificial!

Happy Sunday and blessed week ahead!

Fr. Bonnie
(fatherbonny@hotmail.com).

Christ Destroyed Our Death

DEATH is a separation. Once the spirit, which is life, departs from a human being, the person dies and the fleshly toga dismembers into morass of earthy dust. In man, the physical death is brought about by the separation of the human spirit from the flesh (soul and body). Death is the inglorious wages of sin.
The spiritual death is human separation from the Lord, his Creator. The spiritual death, called the second death, will manifest fully in the hell fire. Death was occasioned by the first human couple’s sin.
As a result of joint human fall in the first Adam, when he sinned in the Garden of Eden, death proliferated to all humans. ‘But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear’ (Is.59: 2; Gen.3: 5-7)
The devil had power over death through sin, so the Lord Jesus accepted death to destroy death and the devil. In His death on the tree of Calvary, Christ tasted death for all humans. ‘But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man’ (Heb.2: 9).
On the cross of Calvary, Christ, Who knew no sin, became the Second and the Last Adam. His death became a joint death for the entire human race. ‘And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, ‘Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost’ (Lk.23: 46). So by His overcoming death by His death and resurrection, all human beings in Him became free ALSO from death.
Since Christ came and died hanging on the cross, death is no more for everybody. The Great Saviour has delivered us from this body of death. ‘O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord…’ (Rom.7: 24, 25).
In Christ, the bondage of fear of death gave way to freedom. A liberty that will even make us to taunt death and scoff at it in the end… ‘O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?’ (1Cor.15: 55).
All saints despise death at baptism, and like Christ, will be changed and transported to be with the Lord, forever. That day, the Word of God by the Psalmist comes to fulfilment: ‘I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord’ (Ps. 118:17).
The punitive judgment of the saints’ sin and death laid upon the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross of His death is everlasting. In the Lord Jesus, we passed over death to victory. For all that accept Christ Jesus, the physical death ceases to be punitive wages of death, but a sleep of rest awaiting the trumpet of God to usher one into glory.
Death commits mortals to dust, but the Almighty God has judged it. And death itself shall eternally ‘die the second death’. That day, death would hastily release ALL of Adam’s progeny in its custody, yet will he be hauled into fire.





•Pastor Julian Ejikeme Okechukwu of Christ Manifest Ministries writes from Lagos. +2348034046895; christmanifest@gmail.com

Listen to your guardian angel's advice - he is God’s messenger, Pope Francis says

Each of us has a Guardian Angel who, acting on behalf of God, advises us and protects us from evil, if we only listen to him, Pope Francis said during his homily at Mass on Friday.

“May we ask the Lord for the grace of this meekness, to listen to the voice of this companion, to this ambassador from God who accompanies us in His name and may we be supported by his help,”

the Pope said Oct. 2 during his celebration of Mass for the feast of the Guardian Angels, Vatican Radio reported.

He explained that when Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden, God could have left them to fend for themselves. But instead, as an act of love and mercy, the Lord sent with them an angel to guide and protect them.

The same is true for us today, Pope Francis said. Even when we feel alone or think that we can “hide so many things from God,” our Guardian Angels are by our sides, guiding us and trying to
show us the right path. “It’s like having God’s ambassador with us. And the Lord advises us: ‘Respect his presence!’ And when we, for example, commit a sin and believe that we’re on our own: No, (the Guardian Angel) is there,” he said.

   Although we cannot see our angels, we can listen to them and heed their advice, the Pope continued. “Show respect for (the angel’s) presence. Listen to his voice because he gives us advice. When we hear that inspiration: ‘But do
this … this is better … we should not do that.’
Listen! Do not go against him.”

In Mt. 18:1-5, 10, Jesus tells his disciples they must become like little children in order to enter heaven. In the same way, we must be childlike in our humility and meekness before our Guardian Angels, Pope Francis said.

“The Christian must be meek when it comes to the Holy Spirit. Meekness towards the Holy Spirit begins with this yielding to the advice given by this companion on our journey.”

He closed by saying that we must “ask the Lord for the grace of this meekness, to listen to the voice of this companion” who is a sign of God’s love for us.

“(I)n this Mass where we praise the Lord, let us remember how good our Lord is, who straight after we lost His friendship, did not leave us alone, did not abandon us.”

HOW THE APOSTLES DIED

1. Matthew Suffered martyrdom in Ethiopia, Killed by a sword wound. 

2. Mark (not an apostle,but one of the first missionaries) Died in Alexandria, Egypt , after being dragged by Horses through the streets until he was dead. 

3. Luke ( not an apostle, but was Paul's doctor) Was hanged in Greece as a result of his tremendous Preaching to the lost.

 4. John Faced martyrdom when he was boiled in huge Basin of boiling oil during a wave of persecution In Rome. However, he was miraculously delivered From death. John was then sentenced to the mines on the prison Island of Patmos. He wrote his prophetic Book of Revelation on Patmos . The apostle John was later freed and returned to serve As Bishop of Edessa in modern Turkey . He died as an old man, the only apostle to die peacefully 

5. Peter He was crucified upside down on an x-shaped cross. According to church tradition it was because he told his tormentors that he felt unworthy to die In the same way that Jesus Christ had died. 

6. James The leader of the church in Jerusalem , was thrown over a hundred feet down from the southeast pinnacle of the Temple when he refused to deny his faith in Christ. When they discovered that he survived the fall, his enemies beat James to death with a fuller's club. * This was the same pinnacle where Satan had taken Jesus during the Temptation. 

 7. James the Son of Zebedee, was a fisherman by trade when Jesus Called him to a lifetime of ministry. As a strong leader of the church, James was ultimately beheaded at Jerusalem. The Roman officer who guarded James watched amazed as James defended his faith at his trial. Later, the officer Walked beside James to the place of execution. Overcome by conviction, he declared his new faith to the judge and Knelt beside James to accept beheading as a Christian.

 8. Bartholomew Also known as Nathaniel Was a missionary to Asia. He witnessed for our Lord in present day Turkey. Bartholomew was martyred for his preaching in Armenia where he was flayed to death by a whip.

 9. Andrew Was crucified on an x-shaped cross in Patras, Greece. After being whipped severely by seven soldiers they tied his body to the cross with cords to prolong his agony. His followers reported that, when he was led toward the cross, Andrew saluted it in these words: 'I have long desired and expected this happy hour. The cross has been consecrated by the body of Christ hanging on it.' He continued to preach to his tormentors For two days until he expired.

 10. Thomas Was stabbed with a spear in India during one of his missionary trips to establish the church in the Sub-continent.

 11. Jude Was killed with arrows when he refused to deny his faith in Christ.

 12. Matthias The apostle chosen to replace the traitor Judas Iscariot, was stoned and then beheaded.

 13. Paul Was tortured and then beheaded by the evil Emperor Nero at Rome in A.D. 67. Paul endured a lengthy imprisonment, which allowed him to write his many epistles to the churches he had formed throughout the Roman Empire. These letters, which taught many of the foundational Doctrines of Christianity, form a large portion of the New Testament.

 14. Simon the Zealot Simon was traditionally martyred by being sawn in half. 

15. Philip Philip evangelized in Phrygia where hostile Jews had him tortured and then crucified upside down. Some sources have him being stoned Perhaps this is a reminder to us that our sufferings here are indeed minor compared to the intense persecution and cold cruelty faced by the apostles and disciples during their times For the sake of the Faith. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: But he that endureth to the end shall be saved

. Pass on to encourage other Christians

THE “AMAZIAHS” AND THE “AMOS’” OF THE PROPHETIC MINISTRY Homily for the Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B). Rev. Fr. Boniface Nkem Anusiem PhD

From a very tender age as a junior seminarian, I became
accustomed to the saying: “Many are called but few are
chosen”. Back then I wondered in my little mind if I will be
among those that will be chosen. Then I will start counting
the big boys in my class as those who will be chosen first
because of their sizes. I would often tell myself that I had
to buckle up and grow fast (I was small then) to be among
the “big ones” to be chosen. It was later that I learnt that it
was not all about size or even personal effort; but the
grace of God understandable as unmerited favour.
Today we have interesting prophetic episodes both in the
First Reading (Amos 7:12-15) and in the Gospel Reading
(Mark 6:7-13). In the first reading, we are presented with
the verbal attack on Amos by the priest at Bethel called
Amaziah. Amos’ oracle indicated an impending disaster
that will befall the King and the people in form of exile due
to their dissociation from God. Amaziah who was more of
a political priest accosted the prophet Amos and asked him
to leave the land of Israel to Judah and earn his bread as a
prophet there.
From the scenario, it is clear to us that religion at that
moment was commercial and political enterprise.
Amaziah’s position as the (chief) priest at Bethel could
have been at the instance of the political scheme of king
Jeroboam who must have brought in people who will tell
him what he wants to hear. One can then imagine what the
prophecy of Amos portends. From Amaziah we understand
that Bethel (house of God; the site of Jacob’s dream
(Gen.28:18-19)) was now seen as royal sanctuary and
national temple. The people at the time were seeing the
worship of God as a mere religious observance not as a
spiritual activity.
There is a difference between religious observance and
spiritual practice. It is in this sense that one can be
religious without being spiritual. Religious observance
includes, though not restricted to conventions like strict
attention to time, context, rubrics, and other religious
rituals that are external to the religion in question. On the
other hand worship as a spiritual activity has to do with an
inner disposition which connects the worshipper with the
object of worship (Jn. 4:24). In spiritual worship of God we
talk about faith, hope and love (1 Cor. 13:13).
During this time the people were deeply preoccupied with
religious observances and not with spiritual practices of
their religion. Their worship was based on the external
ritual obligations without a corresponding internal spiritual
interface. Worship for them was at the service of royalty
not divinity. It was more of a national affair than personal
commitment. This is still very valid in our contemporary
human society where people go to Church because it is
Sunday and they have to carry out that religious obligation.
People go to Church because others are going; some go to
Church because they don’t want to be alone in the house.
The question is how many are motivated by faith, love and
their hope in God?
From the point of view of Amaziah the priest the prophetic
ministry ought to be a commercial activity. That was why
he asked Amos to leave the land of Israel to Judah and
earn his living as a prophet from that region. From the
words of Amaziah, he was not concerned about the
prophetic message. He was more concerned about how
Amos and his message would affect his business in Bethel.
We see the above situation taking place in our day with so
much commercialization going on with the message of
God. People are asked to pay consultation fee before they
could see a man of God. They are still required to pay
sometimes heavily before they can be prayed for. These
are the Amaziahs of our time. And they can go to any
length to fight a perceived competitor or rival. Amos was of
a different stock. He was called from the work of
shepherding to become a mouthpiece of God. He had the
mission of delivering the word of God as it is.
In the gospel today, Jesus SUMMONED the Twelve and
began to send them out in PAIRS. He gave them
AUTHORITY over unclean spirits. He further instructed
them to take NOTHING for the journey except a STAFF, no
BREAD, no HAVERSACK. They were to wear SANDALS but no
spare TUNIC. They should stay wherever they are
welcomed. They should preach REPENTANCE, cast out
devils and anoint the SICK.
Before going into the explications I wish to call back what
happened to me as a seminarian; I true confession really. I
was posted on apostolic work to a certain popular town.
My mates congratulated me on what everyone perceived
to be a good posting. I was convinced that I was going to
have a good time so I got a big bag and packed all the
things I felt I would need: electric iron, electric boiler,
clippers, a transistor radio and other things. After packing,
I had a big bag and another hand luggage. On reaching the
parish I met other seminarians posted to the same parish,
we were five in number. I also saw people from the out
stations that came along to pick us. Some of them came
with cars, others with motorcycles and one person with a
bicycle. The Parish priest wanted to be fair enough so he
asked us to pick from folded papers where each will be
going. I was the last to pick and opening the paper I saw
myself picking the least Out Station and being carried by
the man with the bicycle to a remote village without signs
of civilization. Consequently my electrical and electronic
appliances became useless. They actually occupied spaces
for nothing.
Let us go back to the gospel. We are told that Jesus
SUMMONED the Twelve. This means that he called them
out from the rest of the disciples for a brief apostolic work.
They were chosen from the lot to set afire what they had
learned from the master so far. It is actually the Lord who
calls, he also chooses. The letter to the Hebrew says that
no one takes the honour upon oneself each is called as
Aaron was called (Heb.5:4). From our contemporary day
and age we experience a situation wherein we make a
harvest of apostles, pastors, evangelists, prophets,
prophetesses etc. We see such people claiming to have
heard God calling and sending them to some mission. Of
course for most people like Amaziah it is all about earning
bread!
The Lord sent them out in PAIRS. This has a physical and
spiritual denotation. Physically there is need for fellowship
in the ministry. This later turned into the concept of
community in the early Church. Spiritually it assures us of
God’s abiding presence; hence we are not alone. Our Lord
did say when two or more are gathered in my name, I am
in their midst (Matt.18:20 ).They were given AUTHORITY not
just power. Authority is not something that anybody can
get anyhow. People acquire powers in various ways but
authority is far-fetched. Powers fail and fade but authority
subsists and even survives one who holds it for instance
the authority of the papacy. A further instruction was for
them to take a Staff which ascertains the fact that they
have authority given to them.
They were asked to take NOTHING for the journey! Why?
The simple answer is that they have EVERYTHING. Yes
whoever has God has everything. God is not only their
provider He is also their provision. God will definitely
orchestrate assistance for them wherever they go. Often
God plants Samaritans for us in the various routes we go.
We remember that God asked ravens to feed Elijah during
the famine in the land of Israel (1ST king 17:4).
For the journey they were asked to wear Sandals. This
needs to be understood as standing for the spreading
goodnews of peace (Isaiah 52:7; Romans 10:15 & Eph.6:15).
Furthermore they were asked not to be moving around in
search of comfort. This means that they should accept any
situation that presents itself as part of their mission. This
has been overlooked in our day wherein some people are
looking for financially greener pastures overlooking the
spiritually needful pastures. Everyone wants to be located
among the rich and wealthy. We often forget that the poor
people also have souls that should be saved.
Finally they were asked to preach REPENTANCE.
Repentance here entails denouncing evil and sin and
accepting God. Accepting God also entails knowing Him.
This knowledge leads us to faith, love and hope. In our day
the preaching is overly based on prosperity. Some
preachers paint the picture of a world without the poor or
needy. A world where you get whatever you want and
anytime; indeed an Eldorado! Our Lord actually said that
the poor will be with us always.
Today we are called upon receive the word of truth in our
lives and not to replicate Amaziah. We are called upon to
worship God in spirit and not like a mere religious
obligation. We are called upon to reflect the missionary
script given by our Lord Jesus to the apostles. Among other
things we should know that if God has called, chosen and
sent us, He will also provide for us. Thus there will be no
need for struggling over material remunerations; they are
distractions from the main purpose of our ministry as
ordained priests and our vocation generally as Christians.
There is also need to fight the Amaziah in us. This Amaziah
comes in various shapes and shades. It stands for jealousy
which is one of the viral attacks we face in our vocation.
We should be able to accept the fact that we are differently
gifted and should also appreciate and encourage one
another.
Amaziah also stands for materialism that is rocking the
foundation of our ministry. Many are today more
conscious of what will come to them than what will be
gainful in the life of the people they minister to. This is the
trend of our day and age where men of God live in
mansions and drive exotic cars while the members of the
church may not afford one modest meal. Yet they are
persuaded to donate their last saving with the promise that
God will make them suddenly rich.
There is need for us to exterminate those destructive
Amaziahs of selfishness and materialism in the ministry
and incorporate the Amos’ that represents true mission as
set out by our Lord Jesus Christ.
Have a wonderful Sunday and a blessed week ahead.
Fr. Bonnie
(fatherbonny@hotmail.com).