21st Sunday, Year A on the first reading : ELIAKIM

ELIAKIM

I will depose you and I shall raise up Eliakim.

Eliakim means My God will raise up. God deposed Shebna who was ruling without the guidelines and guidance of God and raised up Eliakim and commanded that all what he opens none will close and all that he closes none will open.

God became interested in the life and mission of Eliakim for the sake of the whole people.  God can use one person to change the life of others. When wickedness and violence became too much in the land,  God intervened by making Eliakim the leader.

God is ready to intervene in your life too. In whatever situation you either good or bad,  He will intervene.  If your situation is good,  He will make it better,  if it is bad, He will turn everything around for your good,  for all things work together unto for all who love God. (Romans 8:28). Love God above all things and He intervene in your situation as He did when He raised up Eliakim.

My dear people of God, Eliakim should become part of your name as from today. And you should start saying as from today " backward never,  forward ever, That's My God will raise me up. I will never be let down.  If I am down I will rise and stand. if I am standing, I will move higher and higher. I will continue to grow and wax stronger in the Lord."

May God depose all evil spirits in your life and grant you his Holy Spirit to control your life henceforth.

Eliakim.  May God raise you higher than all your problems and troubles into His
blessings and favours. And may the blessings of ELIAKIM be yours.

Add Eliakim to your name and make it a prayerpoint.

Rev. Fr Peter ELIAKIM Ayangbola.

Happy Sunday.  God bless you and your family 👪 .

20th Sunday. Year A.

WE ARE CALLED TO IMITATE MODELS OF FAITH AND SO BECOME MODELS OF FAITH OURSELVES.

As a matter of fact, there are many models of faith that we can mention. A very important personality is Abraham our father in faith. One whose exemplary life of faith will continue to remain relevant for a very long period of time. His life shows us that a lot of patience, dedication and faithfulness is required to be men and women of great faith.

Our Gospel reading also presents us with another example of someone who can be regarded as a model of faith for us.  One whose is a Canaanite, (The Jews believed there is salvation for these people)  not even part of the 'chosen Israel' and to make matters worse,  she is even a woman.(Women weren't taken as important as the men. One may not even use a woman as a witness in the court of law, if you do,  be sure to lose the case,  because their testimonies were not taken serious at all. In fact an average Jewish man prays every morning like this. "God,  I thank you for not making me a gentile and for not making me a woman."

So dear friends in Christ, you can imagine the kind of situation the woman in our Gospel today found herself. But not minding all those things,  she against all odds decided to approach Jesus.

ONE IMPORTANT LESSON: Faith is a decision. Prayer is also a decision. Prayer with faith is also a decision. You need to make up your mind. There is no two ways about it. You are either here or there  I think I should pray.  Maybe I should pray.  Can I go for Mass or for confession?  There should be no time for such beating-about-the-bush questions
To be closer to God you need to make important decisions in your life.  Abandon all that will hinder you.  DECIDE to do away with them all just as the woman did in today's Gospel not minding anything that could hinder her. 
Decide today.  If you don't stand for something you will fall for anything. Every choice you make has an end result.  Make the right choice today.  Don't let your sin or bad thought hinder you.

PERSISTENCE
Even when Christ told the woman was trying to test the woman's faith and even called her dog, she didn't relent.  She persisted.

 Many times Jesus will test our faith to see how determined we are. This is also a test of how persistent we are. Do we really want what we are asking for? As human beings there is a tendency for us to expect that all we ask for will be given right away. But we have to realize that God will give what we ask for in His time and not ours.. So we have to labor also and not stop asking if we really need something from Him. We have to hound heaven to answer our prayers. We have to learn how to wait, to be patient and not to demand. We are humble servants of God and we have to learn the meaning of "Thy will be done." It is all up to God.
 But we know that we have a God who is merciful, who loves us. He came into this world to give us life, to save us. Reflect on the experience of the Canaanite woman. She never stopped pleading her cause and the loving and merciful Jesus granted her wish because of her faith.
This made Jesus the breaker of useless barriers
JESUS: THE BREAKER OF UNNECESSARY BARRIERS.

The first and second readings both talk about the universality of God's salvation.  Jesus broke the barrier that kept the gentiles out of the salvation of God. God's salvation is open to all. (1 Timothy 2:4).

Jesus is wonderful breaker of useless barriers. Barriers that are blocking your salvation or progress in life.  Jesus wants to break them and they will be broken if you DECIDE to take them all to Him.

GOD BLESS YOU.

HAPPY SUNDAY TO YOU.

19th Sunday, year A. On the first reading. (1Kgs 19:9a, 11-13a)

Don't lose your vision of Jesus.
Keep your eyes ever on Him
Many precious beloved ones have lost their way
For they lose their vision of Him.

This song expresses part of the message of today's liturgy. We should never ever lose sight of Jesus, our Redeemer, Saviour and protector.

We are urged to remember once again that as Christians, followers of Christ our journey is not going to be an easy one.  Since our Master passed through such, we should be ready to do such.
This is quite evident in our first reading of today.  Elijah had just defeated the prophets of baal proving that he serves the only Living and Mighty God. He had also killed all the prophets.  He was indeed a wonderful and true prophet of the Most High. 

But now, his enemies are demanding of His life.  A friend of God who just showed that God is wonderful and Mighty.  Why should he be passing through something like this.  This is a storm in his life. So he ran to where? To a mountain and waited on God.  God told Him to stand still there and he did.

My dear people of God, when trials come your way and tribulations come to you, how do you handle them? You don't need to start complaining why is this happening to me? I am serving God with my whole heart everyday why is this still happening to me? No. God has not promised us an easy journey but a safe landing and good ending.  Don't worry it won't change your situation.  Pray and let God worry.  When God worry your worries and problems.  You can be rest assured that all your worries and problems will not be stumbling blocks to you but stepping stones into holiness.

When trouble comes where do you run to? Many will first of all try to settle it on their own.  It is only when they cannot handle it that they turn to God. Dear friend, God should never be secondary in your agenda or plans. He should be first and primary.  Not only first but He should be there all the time, all the way of your life. 

When Elijah was in trouble, He ran up to the mountain. Mountains in the Bible are places of encounter with God. Recall Moses going up the mountain to communicate with God, he received the ten commandments there.  Jesus was transfigured also on the mountain and so on.

Elijah ran up to the mountain.  Which means He ran straight to God.  He didn't put God as last resort or secondary.  God was his first and primary focus out of his trouble. As he waited in prayer, patiently and persistently.  He heard the sound of a mighty wind that broke rocks expecting God to be but He wasn't. An earthquake and fire followed but God wasn't there. Then a gentle breeze came and a silent one at that and there was God and Elijah recognised the presence of God in a gentle breeze.

Dear people of God, a very revealing fact about our God and which will continue to be  true is that His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts. Elijah maybe expecting God to be in the fire which was what he used to defeat the prophets of baal.  But God proved once again that He is God. He wasn't in the fire.  Elijah was able to recognise Him in the gentle breeze because he was praying, he was patient, quiet, focused and he was persistent.

Dear friends in Christ, these are what we need in order to have an effective prayer and conversation with our Our Mighty Father.

We need to be patient. Isaiah 40:31 says those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. Often we take flight when we encounter a little trouble but the actual fact is that problems, storms, trials do not last.  Only faith does. Be patient.  God comes at His own time and in His own way.

While you are patiently waiting on God,you also need to be quiet.  If Elijah was not quiet, he wouldn't have heard the gentle breeze, not to talk of recognising THE PRESENCE OF GOD in it. There are too much noise in our world today. Noise that are trying to distract us from God. Noise of Ebola virus, noise of sin and even in your hearts noise of thinking about what is not important and necessary.  Let us remain quiet and silent.  For to listen to God, we must be silent. Visit the Blessed Sacrament and sit quietly there and you will hear God talking to you.

Be focused and be persistent in prayer.  Don't give up.  Don't lose hope.  God will answer you at the best time, because His time is always and remains the best.

Jer 6:16.

God bless you

Transfiguration

Today the Holy Mother Church ⛪ celebrates the feast of the Transfiguration which occurs on Mount 🗻 Tabor.
I was privileged to be on this mountain in the month of May last year and on this mountain 🗻 my dear friends you will really experience the presence of God.

On this mountain 🗻,  a church ⛪ has been built on it with the name Catholic Church ⛪ of the Transfiguration.  We celebrated Mass inside this Church and it was divinely amazing.  You will feel that your prayers are answered and you will be proud once again to be a Catholic. Thank God For our Church .

Transfiguration means change . To change. On mount 🗻 Tabor so many things changed . Our Lord Jesus Christ was transfigured. He became dazzling as white with Moses and Elijah present.

As we celebrate the feast of The Transfiguration may everything begin to change for your good in the mighty name Of Jesus.

Moses represents the Law and Elijah the prophets. This is a confirmation that our Lord Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of The Law and the Prophets. All what has been said and heard about God and His love for mankind is being fulfilled in Christ Jesus.

My dear friends, Our Lord Jesus Christ has all you need for that positive lasting change in your life . All power has been given to Him (Matthew 28:18). He has the key 🔑 to your success and blessings. Do not be far from Him. Be very close to Him. Do things that are pleasing in His sight. Obey His commandments. Don't lose faith.

His Glory is beyond all telling. This is what Peter saw that made Him to declare "Lord it is wonderful for us to Be here, let us build three tents; one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah."  he forgot a tent ⛺ for Himself And the other disciples. I am sure they would have stayed with Jesus in His own tent ⛺ for "...He has the words of Eternal Life" John 6:68 .

Little wonder a voice came down from Heaven "This is my Beloved Son, with whom I Am well pleased , Listen to Him". My Dear Friends who do you listen to ? Your problems or your troubling minds? Your negative advice-giving friends or Jesus who speaks to you in different ways and also in the quietness of your heart . Do you find out time ⌚ to meditate on the Word of God?

Let your lives be transfigured with Jesus today. Let us always desire to Be in the presence of God. For it is always wonderful and refreshing.
Be conscious of the God's Presence in all you do today and always.

Have a Wonderful Day .
God Bless You

GOD IS OUR PROVIDER: 18th Sunday in ordinary time, Year A

You open wide your hands. You satisfy the needs of your people.

First Sunday of the August. What a wonderful way to begin this new month with a promise from God.
My dear friends in Christ, we are reminded once again today that our God is the mighty Provider. He knows that we hunger and thirst for some many good things in life. 

Some hunger for food and drink. Some hunger for truth and justice,  some hunger for promotion in their places of work. Others are hungry for a good life partner,  others still for the fruit of the womb, still others for success in examinations and so on.

Today,  God says He knows all that we hunger for and He is ready to take care and to provide for us. He says to us in today's first reading 📖 "oh come..., eat..drink and you who are hungry and thirsty , though you have no money ,come buy without money and eat". Do you believe this ?

You need to be rest assured that God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory (Phil.4:19), because it is His Promise to provide for you. And He is God not man that He should lie. He will never ever fail.

The Ever Provident God manifested Himself again in today's Gospel, when he catered and provided for the crowds, even without them asking. God knows your needs before you ask Him and He wants your cooperation too.

He taught a very important lesson. Bring what you have and there will be more for your needs and even surplus.

As Pope Saint John Paul II, says no one is too poor that he has nothing to give and none is too rich that he has nothing to receive. It is not what you have that matters but what you make available for God to use for His glory.
Make your time , talents and treasures available to God for use and many more will be added unto you . Givers never lack.

May the ever Provident God meet us all at the point of our needs.