Category: Advent

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“YOU WILL CONCEIVE IN YOUR WOMB AND BEAR A SON” (Luke 1:31)

⏰20 December 2019 📖Isa 7:10-14; Ps 24:1-2, 3-4ab, 5-6 (R.v.7c, 10c); Luke 1:26-38 🎤”YOU WILL CONCEIVE IN YOUR WOMB AND BEAR A SON” (Luke 1:31) Did you say ‘amen’ to that? I just hope you did, and so shall it be for you through Christ our Lord. Amen. You see! The conception we make reference to here does not necessarily mean the conception of a child in the womb of a woman. It is the conception of a good news that turns your pains into joy and replaces your fears and hopelessness with hopeful situations. Consider the circumstances around the...

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“BEHOLD, YOU ARE BARREN AND HAVE NO CHILDREN; BUT YOU SHALL CONCEIVE AND BEAR A SON” (Judg 13:3)

⏰19 December 2019 📖Judg 13:2-7, 24-25a; Ps 71:3-4a, 5-6ab, 16-17 (R.v.8a); Luke 1:5-25 🎤”BEHOLD, YOU ARE BARREN AND HAVE NO CHILDREN; BUT YOU SHALL CONCEIVE AND BEAR A SON” (Judg 13:3) My dear, you are a child of destiny. Never allow the enemy to minister failure into your life. The God who created you did so for a purpose. So never think that the Lord has abandoned you or does not answer you in time of your needs. Have you read the account of the announcement of the birth of Samson (Judg 13:2-25) or that of John the Baptist (Luke...

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THE SOUND OF CHRISTMAS: IMMANUEL

⏰Fourth Sunday of Advent (Year A) 📖Isa 7:10-14; Psalm 24:1-2, 3-4ab, 5-6, (R.v.7c, 10c); Rom 1:1-7; Matt 1:18-24 🎤THE SOUND OF CHRISTMAS: IMMANUEL The Hebrew word, Immanuel, as we all probably know by now means “God-is-with-us.” This is reflected literally in both the First Reading and the Gospel. In both accounts, the promised child that would bear this name is a child that would portray the destiny of God’s people. This child is going to be a special child, though Isaiah, in the First Reading might not have had a clear view on how special the child was going to...

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“THAT ALL MAY BE SAVED” (1 Tim 2:4)

⏰17 December 2018 📖Gen 49:2, 8-10, ; Ps 72:1-2, 3-4ab, 7-8, 17 (R.v.7); Matt 1:1-17 Right from the beginning, after the fall of man, God had a plan for his salvation. Jacob must therefore have been inspired to make that prophecy concerning Judah that, “The sceptre shall not depart from Judah…until he comes to whom it belongs; and to him shall be the obedience of the people” (Gen 49:10). We can understand that that prophecy preempts the promise made to David that his dynasty shall last for ever (2 Sam 7:13), which found its fulfilment in Jesus (cf. Luke 1:32)....

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“MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER FOR ALL PEOPLES” (Isa 56:7)

⏰Friday of the Third Week of Advent (16 December 2016) ????Isa 56:1-3a, 6-8; Ps 67:2-3, 5, 7-8 (R.v.4); John 5:33-36 ????”MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER FOR ALL PEOPLES” (Isa 56:7) Do you know that you are also important to God? Yes, I mean you! God does not have favourites (cf. Rom 2:11). It is his desire that all should be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth (cf. 1 Tim 2:4). That includes you! God wants you also to be saved. So the preparation we talked about yesterday is as well meant for you...

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“YOUR DESCENDANTS WILL POSSESS THE NATIONS AND WILL PEOPLE THE DESOLATE CITIES” (Isa 54:3)

⏰Thursday of the Third Week of Advent (16 December 2021) 📖Isa 54:1-10; Ps 30:2 and 4, 5-6, 11-12a and 13b (R.v.2a); Luke 7:24-30 🎤”YOUR DESCENDANTS WILL POSSESS THE NATIONS AND WILL PEOPLE THE DESOLATE CITIES” (Isa 54:3) Most times, what lead us into sin and impoverishment is the desire to become what we are not or not meant to be. Adam and Eve disobeyed God because of that (cf. Gen 3:5). The people of Israel also wanted to be like other nations (cf. 1 Sam 8:5-8). This is despite the fact that God had chosen them from other nations to...

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“THE LORD, OUR GOD, IS THE ONE LORD” (Deut 6:4)

⏰Wednesday of the Third Week of Advent (14 December 2016 – Memorial of St. John of the Cross) ????Isa 45:6b-8, 18, 21b-25; Ps 85:9ab and 10, 11-12, 13-14, (R. see Isa 45:8); Luke 7:19-22 ????”THE LORD, OUR GOD, IS THE ONE LORD” (Deut 6:4) Fresh from the land of exile and slavery, where they experienced polytheism (the idea of many gods) and religious prostitution, the people of Israel needed to be reminded that they have only one God, who is able to do all things well for them, and under whom they shall experience victory and glory (see Isa 45:6-25)....

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THE LOWLY ONE CALLED AND THE LORD HEARD HIM (cf. Ps 34:6)

⏰Tuesday of the Third Week of Advent (13 December 2016 – Memorial of St. Lucy) ????Zeph 3:1-2, 9-13; Ps 34:2-3, 6-7, 17-18, 19 and 23, (R.v.7a); Matt 21:28-32 ????THE LOWLY ONE CALLED AND THE LORD HEARD HIM (cf. Ps 34:6) The scripture says in 2 Chron 7:14, “If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and heal the land.” The prophet Zephaniah reiterates this point in Zeph 3:1-13. The defiled, rebellious and oppressing city...

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“NO WEAPON FASHIONED AGAINST YOU WILL SUCCEED” (Ps 54:17)

⏰Monday of the Third Week of Advent (16 December 2019) 📖Num 24:2-7, 15-17; Ps 25:4-5ab, 6 and 7cd, 8-9, (R.v.4b); Matt 21:23-27 🎤”NO WEAPON FASHIONED AGAINST YOU WILL SUCCEED” (Ps 54:17) My dear, in this new working week, I pray for you that any stone the enemy hurls at you this week and beyond shall not only turn stepping stones, they shall also become for you, showers of blessing. Amen. Those who labour to pull you down shall only be labouring in vain and working for your good because, just as God changed the evil mission of Balaam for the good...

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OUR FAITH IS MADE STRONG IN DIFFICULTY

⏰Third Sunday of Advent (Year A) Gaudete 📖Isa 35:1-6a, 10; Psalm 146:6c-7, 8-9a, 9bc-10 (R. Isa 35:4); Jam 5:7-10; Matt 11:2-11 🎤OUR FAITH IS MADE STRONG IN DIFFICULTY The entrance antiphon for today’s liturgy says, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice.” Indeed, the Lord is near. In our world today, a lot of happenings deny us happiness and sometimes make us to begin to look elsewhere, besides God, for salvation. There are cases of religious violence, economic recession, unemployment, childlessness, great illness, sudden death of a close relation, kidnapping and so on. With all these, many people...