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_ Today we celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Africa. History has it that through her intercession the French who came to North Africa to re-established themslves  early in the19th century were able to build a church through the Sodality of Our Lady in Lyon offered to the 1st bishop, Bishop Dupuch a bronze statue of the Immaculate Conception with the understanding that she would be the Protectress of both the Mohammedans & the natives. This bronze statue, very dark in colour, is known as Our Lady of Africa. Pilgrims began to come to venerate the image where the lame, the blind, & the crippled were miraculously healed, & sailors came also to beg for protection of their long & perilous voyages. In today’s gospel (Lk 1:26 -38) Mary, Jesus, & His disciples were invited to a wedding. When the couple ran out of wine, Mary said to Jesus,“They have no wine.” Although Jesus said to her, “‘Woman, what concern is that to you & to me?My hour has not yet come.’ His mothe

We never knew that going to work _and coming back home freely was a sheer favour_ of God. We often complained of the workload, we never knew we were privileged. We never knew  mingling with our boss, senior ones and colleagues, sharing experiences about life together were just through the mercy of God, we never knew. We never knew leaving our homes for official engagements, businesses, trade, vocation, family funfares and events and returned with complaints of stress, work tediousness and little dishes and gifts received were only allowed by almighty, we never knew. In fact, we never knew going to the houses of God freely by both Faith's  to worship was indeed a rare privilege. We never knew that walking freely on the streets, meeting friends and loved ones in the other neighborhoods were special favour from God. We never knew it was a rare privilege being in the public buses, commercial cabs, boarding motorcycles, talking freely with other seat occupants and even l

The Catholic Priest Catholic priesthood is a vocation. Being a vocation, it is a sublime gift of God. It is also a gift of God’s love to his sinful humanity. One can say that the Catholic priesthood is a vocation or a call to exercise among God and his people. Through the sacred ordination he enters into “the portion of the people of God” destined for its service, “a portion” whose honor consists of being of service for the leitourgia. Pope Innocent III, speaking of the priest and of his office, says that the priest is placed between God and man, beneath God, but above man. He cannot be called God but neither can be called God nor can be called a mere man. In other words, the priest is called by God and is a mediator between God and man. The Catholic priesthood can be seen as the priesthood of Jesus Christ since the priesthood emanated from Jesus Christ himself. He instituted the priesthood Himself as the eternal High priest whose priesthood tally with the order of Melchizedek – w

Tetelestai ( IT IS FINISHED) In the passion story according to John which we have just heard, the last words that Jesus said on the cross before he bowed his head and gave up the spirit is "It is finished" (John 19:30). Three words in English but in the original Greek it is just one word, Tetelestai . What does Telestai ("it is finished") mean? Scholars got more insight into the meaning of this expression a few years ago after some archaeologists dug up in the Holy Land a tax collector's office that was almost intact, with all the tax records and everything. There were two stacks of tax records and one of them had the word, tetelestai, on the top. In other words, "paid in full." These people don't owe anything anymore. So, when Jesus said "It is finished," what is finished? It is the debt we owe God by our sins. It has been paid in full? The Jews of Jesus' time saw sin as a debt that we owe God, a debt that must somehow be rep

Today is celebrated as Spy Wednesday to call to mind the betrayal of Jesus by Judas. A person who's given charge of money is one of the most trusted because in human relationships you never know a person until you trust them with money and power. So Judas was obviously in the top class when it comes to trust but for the love of money he betrayed that trust to become a petty spy. One aspect of this story that touches me is the fact that it had to take a spy (insider job) to identify Jesus from amongst His followers. It means Jesus as a Shepherd did not only smell like a sheep (in the words of Pope Francis) but also looked like a sheep that's why it was difficult to point Him out in the crowd without help. I compare this scenario with the shepherds of today. It's quite easy to point out amongst a congregation who the pastor is. Of course he is the man everyone is bowing down before him, he is the one with body guards falling over one another to protect, he is the one

Alleluia, the Lord is Risen…Look for the things that are in heaven where Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father (Col. 3:1). We celebrate another Solemnity of the Resurrection of Jesus; we celebrate the Risen Lord as our hope, our succour, our strength and victory over sin, illness and death; Christ is indeed our health and salvation. This year’s celebration is very unique and significant because of the reality in our World and Church today. This reality is rather not to be lived and accepted with lamentations and regrets but as a positive call and sign from God for us to understand, evaluate and reflect as individuals, as Families, as Priests, Religious and Lay faithful on the real meaning of the Resurrection of the Lord, the Easter. Each of us must draw from the present reality the significance of the abiding presence of the Risen Lord. As we commemorate the paschal mystery of the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, I wish to share with you beloved b

       Some people called me to ask if Coronavirus will ever end. My usual response is, “Yes, it will, certainly.” One pious and curious believer asked, “When?” This is the question I wish to shortly answer. When is the coronavirus coming to an end? This disease that has humbled the proud, made caricature of dictators, defiled science, and brought the powerful to their knees. When will it come to an end?          This disease that has emptied places of worship, shutdown airports, locked down cities, closed down schools and markets. When will it come to an end? This disease that has unveiled the ignorance of the primitive, unsealed the limit of technology, exposed the failures of government, revealed the incompetence of leaders, showed the indiscipline of families and showcased the lawlessness of citizens. Which day and time will it come to an end?         This disease that has denied alcoholics their bars, workaholics that jobs, sex maniacs their brothels, pedophiles their opportu