Linking Belief and Life

By Fr. Gerald Musa

Linking Belief and Life is a compilation of some reflections on the scriptures. In it, one finds a selection of special scriptural passages which are accompanied by a reflection. At the end of each chapter, one finds a related passage from the psalms. The book is a compilation of Fr. Gerald Musa's sermons during 2004 and 2005 when he was at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Sugarland, Texas.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Fr. Gerald Musa
• Release date: Jul 14, 2015
• ISBN: 9781311265128

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Linking Belief and Life

Father Gerald M. Musa

Copyright 2011 by Fr. Gerald M. Musa

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be printed or reproduced without the expressed written consent of Steuben Press or Fr. Gerald M. Musa.

Linking Belief and Life is written by Fr. Gerald M. Musa

Published by:

Steuben Press

an Imprint of R&R Graphics, Inc.

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Centennial, CO 80122

www.steubenpress.com

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Nihil Obstat: Fr. Cornelius Tagwai

Imprimatur: Bishop Kevin J. Aje (Sokoto, Nigeria)

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Dedication

To Mallam Emmanueal and Christiana Musa,

My parents and first teachers in the faith.

To Fr. Thomas K. McDermott, OP

and to

Fr. Kevin Thissen, OP

(of blessed memory)

Acknowledgments

I wish to thank Fr. Kevin Thissen, O.P. who first invited me to assist in St. Thomas Aquinas Church, Sugarland, Texas, in 2004 and to Fr. Joseph Kalladan who welcomed me to the same parish the subsequent year.

Many thanks to Jennifer Hill-Brown, Shakeela Weber, Alex and Ozioma Nworji and Suzanne Grisby for making the publication of this book possible. Furthermore, I am indebted to Judy Tierney, Anita Okuribido, John Scibelli, Pittila S.T. Nande, Ameh Dennis, Catherine Musa and Laminde Saratu Ibrahim for reading the manuscripts and for making corrections and offering suggestions.

I acknowledge and I appreciate the contribution of other authors whose works I have quoted in the reflections.

God bless you all and be with you always.

Table of Contents

Foreword

Chapter One - He Who Humbles Himself Will Be Exalted

Chapter Two - The Spirit Gives Life and Love Makes Life Meaningful

Chapter Three - Vanity of Vanities

Chapter Four - A Christian Attitude to the Weak and Wicked

Chapter Five - Marriage: More Than a Contract

Chapter Six - Gratitude for God’s Mercy

Chapter Seven - The World is More Than What We Can See (The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary)

Chapter Eight - In All Things God Works for Good

Chapter Nine - Jeremiah, John and Jesus: Men Familiar with Suffering

Chapter Ten - The Cost of Indifference

Chapter Eleven - Put Out in the Deep (Duc In Altum)

Chapter Twelve - God Works Contrary to Stereotypes (Feast of St. Bartholomew)

Chapter Thirteen - Who Is My Neighbor?

Chapter Fourteen - The Work of the Lord and the Lord of the Work

Chapter Fifteen - The Scriptures: Our Guide in Difficult Situations

Chapter Sixteen - A Vocation Within A Vocation

Chapter Seventeen - Christian Response to Opposition

Chapter Eighteen - Late Comers

Chapter Nineteen - A Rare Opportunity

Chapter Twenty - What About Riches?

Chapter Twenty-One - Inconsistency and Hypocrisy

Chapter Twenty-Two - Being Focused in the Presence of the Lord

Endnotes

Foreword

LINKING BELIEF AND LIFE

But these are written that you may (come to) believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name (John 20:31).

The scripture strengthens our belief in God and it makes us to seek the fullness of life, which our Lord Jesus came to share with us. The above quotation tells us how belief generates life. Jesus said, I have come that they may have life and have it to the full. We obtain the fullness of life when we are able to link belief and life.

This book is a compilation of some reflections on the scriptures, which I shared with the people of St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, Sugarland, Texas.

St. Thomas Aquinas church, is a parish I would like to describe as a’ rainbow parish’ because of the different ministries that make the parish spiritually brilliant. Furthermore, the parish consists of people coming from different cultures and this multicultural community is like a beautiful rainbow.

In short, the nature of the parish reminds me of the universality of the church and of the words of the book of Revelation where it is said that the Lord Jesus has gained followers from every tribe, tongue, people and nation (Rev.5:9). One of the unique qualities of this parish is the active participation of individuals and ministries. This makes the parish very alive.

In 2004, I was on a three-months visit to this parish and I worked closely with one of the ministries called the Caring Ministry. I see this ministry as very helpful because of the distinctive services they render to the community. They try to link their belief with life, as they cared for one another. The members of this ministry undertake the role of caring for the parishioners in many different ways as they:

Visit the sick at hospitals or at home bringing parish fellowship to the sick parishioners.

Take communion to the sick and to the homebound.

Offer funeral aid by helping to plan funeral liturgies and providing an on-going support for bereaved families.

Provide food, rent utilities and financial counseling for families in need.

Give spiritual direction to those who need to deepen their prayer life, spiritual journey and their inner healing.

Offer meals for parishioners after surgery, childbirth, severe or debilitating illnesses, crises pregnancies and funeral receptions.

Support services for those in crisis: Doctor, Nurse, Realtor, Counselor, Financial Advisor, Social Worker, Therapist, Lawyer, Travel Agent, and Insurance Agent.

In addition, the care ministry of this parish established the following ministries:

The ‘Gabriel Project’, which supports women who have crises during pregnancy. This is called the ‘Gabriel Project’ to express the good tidings that the Angel Gabriel brought to Mary. The Angel gave Mary an assurance of God’s powerful support when Mary could not understand the plan of God from the beginning.

The Rosary Prayer Ministry: this group meets after the morning Masses and prays for the needs of the community.

The ‘Prayer Shawl Ministry’ works hand in hand with the caring ministry. The shawl ministry, as the name implies, makes special shawls for the sick. These shawls become a sacramental as the Priest blesses them. They are used afterward as healing garments with which the sick cover themselves in prayer.

The core of Jesus’ ministry was care. He cared for the bodies and souls and minds of those to whom he ministered. Therefore, the manifestation of the true body of Christ is seen today in any parish that pursues vigorously programs and activities that are geared toward the physical, spiritual and indeed, the integral welfare of its members. The followers of Christ were first called Christians in Antioch as they were seen to LOVE ONE ANOTHER. If Love sustained the early church, this same LOVE can sustain and nourish any Christian community that seeks to be lively and spirit-filled.

This book selects some special scriptural passages. Each of these passages is followed by reflections and a related passage from the psalms which concludes each chapter.

GOD BLESS YOU.

FR. GERALD M. MUSA

28th November, 2006

Feast of the Apostles Simon and Jude

Chapter One

He Who Humbles Himself Will Be Exalted

SIRACH 3:17-18, 20

My child, conduct your affairs with humility and you will be loved more than a giver of gifts. Humble yourself the more, the greater you are, and you will find favor with God. What is too sublime for you, seek not, into things beyond your strength search not.

LUKE 14:1, 8-12

When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not recline at table in the place of honor. A more distinguished guest than you may have been invited by him, and the host who invited both of you may approach you and say,’ Give your place to this man,’ and then you would proceed with embarrassment to take the lowest place.