Fr Ogundipe Sdv

Today the Holy mother church celebrates ST JOSEPH THE WORKER. The Gospel of Matthew began with the genealogy of Jesus for a particular reason. That is, to insist on the humanity of Christ, that does not interfere with his divinity. However it is pivotal to know that Jesus is both man and God. In today’s Gospel the people asks, is this not the carpenter’s son? Matthew Henry in his commentary said “They upbraid him with his father. Is not this the carpenter's son? Yes, it is true he was reputed so: and what harm in that? No disparagement to him to be the son of an honest tradesman. They remember not (though they might have known it) that this carpenter was of the house of David (Luke 1:27), a son of David (Luke 1: 32); though a carpenter, yet a person of honor.” What then is the soteriological implication of this? St Anslem in his book Cur Deus Homo teaches that to sin is to steal God’s honor. Man sinned, thereby he stole God’s honor which is infinite. If God over looked man’s sin

PRIESTLY HAPPINESS: A key to personal and communal happiness. My Lord Bishop, Vicars (General and Religious), Deans, Monsignori, very Rev Frs. Frs, permit me to begin this reflection with the words of Chinua Achebe in classical novel “Things Fall Apart” that “A man who calls his kinsmen to a feast does not do so to save them from starving. They all have food in their own homes. When we gather together at the moonlight in village square, it is not because of the moon. Every man can see it in his own compound. We come together because it is good for kinsmen to do so.” My brothers, every time we gather for monthly recollection, it is not because we don’t have chapels in our parishes, but we gather to promote our brotherhood and togetherness in prayers and meditations. This morning, I want to share with you, priestly happiness as a key to personal and communal happiness, meaning that there are many more keys to happiness. But this few tips am about to share with you are basic to our pries