Theological Reflections for Sundays and Solemnities of Liturgical Year B

By Bishop Joseph Perry and Clemente de Dios Oyafemi

With generosity, Fr. Oyafemi has organized for the hearer of the Sacred Word of God a written record that compels us to revisit our conversation with the Triune God.
In these reflective moments, one is drawn towards the art of silence, in which we truly can hear the God who is speaking to us, asking us to respond to Him.
This collection of homilies is a treasure that reminds the reader/ hearer of the many ways that we are afforded to receive what God is always freely giving. In this book there are many blessings to be received, many blessings to share, and a great deal to think about. May the readers be delighted and encouraged to keep on talking with our awesome God. REV. DAVID JONES. PASTOR, ST BENEDICT THE AFRICAN EAST, ARCHDIOCESE OF CHICAGO

In this, his latest literary endeavor, Fr. Clem demystifies the scriptural readings for Sunday Masses and Solemnities throughout the liturgical year "B" and clearly points out their significance to every believer. He illuminates the contextual implications of those readings in concrete historical human conditions.
Fr. Clem's childhood experiences and his seventeen years of priestly life have come out pedagogically in the jokes and stories used as vehicles to convey the message to Gods people in their efforts to maintain their Christian identity in this day and age.
If life is truly a journey, this book is a great companion to help us navigate it.------ DR MERCEDES AND DR KEN RUNDLE, MUNSTER, INDIANA

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Sep 27, 2011
• ISBN: 9781467034074

Bishop Joseph Perry

Fr. Clem is a charismatic priest and an eloquent preacher. Ordained in 1994, Fr. Clem has served the Church in Nigeria, United Kingdom, Mexico, and various parts of the United States. Fr. Clem holds a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy and a Masters degree in Theology. He also holds a Masters degree in Religious Education from the Jesuit Fordham University, New York. Since 2001, Fr. Clem has been serving the Church in the United States. He is currently serving as Parochial Administrator of St Basil/Visitation Church in the Archdiocese of Chicago. This book of Theological Reflections is his third publication on Liturgical Readings.

Book preview

Contents

FOREWORD

Introduction

Season of

ADVENT

Be Watchful! Be Alert! (Mk 13:33)

Prepare the Way of the Lord (Mk 1:3)

The Immaculate Conception of the

Blessed Virgin Mary

Rejoice Always! (1 Thes 5:16)

With God Nothing Shall Be Impossible (Lk 1:37)

Season of

CHRISTMAS

And the Word Became Flesh… (John 1:14)

Solemnity of Mary Mother of God

Adoring Jesus Today

ORDINARY

TIME

Testifying to Jesus Today

Repent and Believe in the Gospel

Teaching with Authority

Encountering Jesus the Healer

Praying To the Compassionate Lord

We Have Never Seen Anything Like This! (Mk 2:12)

Season of

LENT

Repent and Believe In the Gospel (Mk 1:15)

It Is Time to Climb the Mountain

The Cleaning of the Temple

No Love Without Sacrifice

Solemnity of St. Joseph, Husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Jesus Dies Like A Grain of Wheat to

Produce Much Fruit

The True Gospel of Jesus

Season of

EASTER

Alleluia! Alleluia!! Alleluia!!!

Divine Mercy Sunday

You Are Witnesses of These Things (Lk 24:48)

I Am the Good Shepherd (Jn 10:14)

Without Me You Can Do Nothing (Jn 15:5)

Love One Another (Jn 15:17)

Go into the Whole World and Proclaim

the Gospel (Mk 16:15)

And They Were Filled With the Holy Spirit

ORDINARY

TIME

Trinity Sunday

The Priest, the Eucharist, and the Church

Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

The Power of the Word of God

Nativity of Saint John the Baptist

Solemnity of Ss. Peter and Paul, Apostles

Jesus’ Power Over Health and Death

Rejection of Prophets and Prophetic Voices

The Mission Of the Church Today

The Compassion of Jesus

The Miracle of the Loaves

Feeding on Jesus, the Bread of Life

I Am the Bread of Life

Solemnity of the Assumption of the

Blessed Virgin Mary

How to Truly Live Forever

The Courage to Make Tough But Right Decisions

True and Sincere Worship

Be Opened!

Who Is Jesus For You?

The Authority That Serves

Looking at the Bigger Picture of Religion and Reality

The Mystery of Marriage

Obstacles to Discipleship

Proclaiming the Gospel Today

Your Faith Has Saved You

Solemnity of All Saints

The Courage to Love

The Courage to Give

The Beginning of the End

Solemnity of Christ the King

Selected Bibliography

FOREWORD

Scripture has taken a recharged place in our lives as Catholic Christians in the last half-century, given advances in biblical scholarship, new translations of the scriptures based on the original languages of the Bible, and the Word being brought into worship in larger samplings, highlighted by our rites and expounded upon by our bishops, priests and deacons. Truly, it can be said that we hunger for that Word that prepares us for our reception of the Lord’s Body and Blood in the Sunday assembly and which guides our lives closer to God and His will for us.

The theological reflections found here is the work of a priest who has reflected on that Word so that it can take our lives aloft while we struggle to live the Christian lifestyle in a world of many contradictions.

May his writing here help prepare you for digesting the Word of God.

Most Reverend Joseph N. Perry

Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago

To: My Beloved

Mama Felicia Olu Oyafemi

On her 80th Birthday

Laura Fisher Burke

On her 25th Birthday

Talia Daly

On her 25th Birthday

Introduction

Christian life is anything but easy. It is about having a profound personal relationship with Christ and extending that relationship to others. In Christ we find true meaning to our lives. But outside of him we find loneliness, frustration, and misinterpretations of the signs of our time.

In today’s world there is a lot of frustration among Christians. At times, human experience of suffering, poverty, oppression, and persecution may lead us to begin to look elsewhere for help. Difficulties often make us look for alternative answers. We are tempted to doubt God’s ability to sustain, lead, and guide us. To be a disciple of Christ, however, is to follow him daily because he is the path that leads to eternal life. Are we looking for truth? Then, we have to listen to him because he is the TRUTH. To be looking for truth outside of Christ is to sell oneself to frustration and deceit. There is nothing you and I can experience today that Jesus has not been through. Whether it is a failure or success, joy or sorrow, he has been there before. Therefore, if we are looking for answers to any human problem, or question, we have to look up to him. To be Christian is to remain with him for he is the source of life. Without him we are nothing and will be dried up like a river that is cut off from its source. (cf Theological Reflection for Liturgical Year B pp 69-70).

This book engages Christians in a profound reflection on our identity and our mission in a world that is infested with anxiety, faithlessness, `and doubts. It reminds us that we are not ordinary people; we are disciples of Jesus Christ and pilgrims on earth. We are in the world but not of the world (cf John 17:14-16). Our experiences in the world might make us question; what is going on in our lives? But the Word of God is always there to strengthen, to help, and to challenge us in our struggles. This book does not pretend to give answers to profound and genuine questions we have as Christians living in a difficult world. Rather, it comes to give some strength and encouragement to all struggling Christians. It also challenges us to reflect as a family of God’s people. It challenges us to reflect as pilgrims who have a destiny beyond here.

The liturgical calendar of the Church has three cycles: A, B, and C. This publication is for the Liturgical Cycle B, which begins on November 27, 2011 and ends on November 25, 2012. It is my hope that these set of theological reflections will strengthen every reader as we continue our journey. It is not easy, but all is possible by the Grace of God.

Clemente de Dios Oyafemi

Chicago, Illinois

August 15, 2011

Solemnity of the Assumption

Liturgical Cycles A, B, C

Book%20Pie%20Chart.jpg

Illustration Design, by Doug Fisher, Springboro, Ohio.

The liturgical year is the church’s calendar. The church’s year begins with the 1st Sunday of Advent and concludes with the Feast of Christ the King. The church’s year goes in cycles A, B, C. Once we complete a cycle, another one begins instantly. For example: November 2010-November 2011 was Year A. Year B begins on November 27, 2011 and continues till the Feast of Christ the King on November 25, 2012.

Season of

ADVENT

1st Sunday in Advent

November 27, 2011

1st Reading: Is 63:16b-17, 19b; 64:2-7, 2nd Reading: 1Cor 1:3-9; Gospel: Mk 13:33-37

Be Watchful! Be Alert! (Mk 13:33)

Today the Church begins a new liturgical year. It is called Cycle B. By means of the yearly cycle, the Church celebrates the whole mystery of Christ from his Incarnation until the day of Pentecost and the expectation of his coming again. Each liturgical year starts with the Season of Advent and concludes with the Feast of Christ the King celebrated in Ordinary Time. Coined from the Latin word adventus, advent simply means coming. In ancient times, it was used for the coming of kings or great personalities. Today we use advent to mean the coming of Jesus Christ our King. Advent, therefore, is a season of devout and joyful expectation. The Season of Advent, which begins this year in the evening of November 27th and ends in the afternoon of December 24th, has two major parts. The first part—Nov. 27-Dec 16—focuses our minds on the second coming of Christ at the end of time. The second part—Dec. 17-24—focuses our minds on the first coming of Christ when he was born as a child. It is a season in which we prepare for Christmas.

Years ago, when I was growing up in Nigeria, there was a security group called Vigilante. Coined from the Latin word vigil, meaning night, this group called Vigilante had the responsibility to watch over the city during the night. In other words, these people keep the night. Should any of them fall asleep, the thief comes and pounces on him; thus, the last thing a vigilante will do is to slumber or doze. Today rich people, with gated property, also have night-watch or gatemen who watch over their property to prevent burglary. The night-watch or gateman can never slumber, because if he does, he risks his own life and the people he watches over.

In today’s gospel passage, the Lord Jesus asks us to be watchful, alert, or vigilant (cf Mk 13:33). Why must we be watchful? We must be watchful because nobody knows the time when the Master will come (cf Mk 13:33, 35). What is the significance of this message? And how does it affect us?

The metaphor of vigilance or watchfulness is so important for us Christians today. Why? It is a busy world. People are working twenty-four-seven. At times, there is no time to eat; no time for fun; no time for family; no time to rest; no time to pray. Today the Lord Jesus is asking us to keep watch, just like the vigilante. We cannot allow the temptations, distractions, and gimmicks of a busy world overcome us.

As we begin the Season of Advent, the Church is profoundly reminding us of the imminence of the second coming of Christ. When is this going to happen? Nobody knows. The Lord, himself, tells us that he will return at a time when no one expects (cf Lk 12:40; Mk 13:35); therefore, we must be ready at all times. That means that we cannot sleep at all. Why can’t we sleep? The reason is because sleep takes away your consciousness. In sleep anything can happen. You have no control of yourself or your environment.

The world in which we live can tempt us to lose focus on our identity and mission. The early Christians were always conscious of their identity—disciples of Jesus awaiting the return of the Master. And that is exactly who we are. The expectation of Christ is a constant and integral part of Christian life. In the next two weeks the Church’s liturgy directs our mind to reflect on the second coming of Christ. So how do we prepare for that?

When you are expecting the visit of a dignitary, you want to keep constant and effective communication with that person. You want to be ready in terms of food, hospitality, care, security, protocol, etc. As Christians, our communication is prayer. We need to keep a constant, active, and effective communication with the Master. The protocol is found in the Bible, where the Master teaches us the greatest commandment summarized as the love of God and neighbor (cf Mt 22:34-40). Whenever he comes we are ready because we are constantly doing what he asks us to do.

May each and every family experience the joy of Christ’s expectation. May the Lord help us to be watchful, vigilant, and alert through prayer and good works.

2nd Sunday in Advent

December 4, 2011

1st Reading: Is 40:1-5, 9-11; 64:2-7, 2nd Reading: 2 Pt 3:8-14; Gospel: Mk 1:1-8

Prepare the Way of the Lord (Mk 1:3)

If you have ever had a bus ride in Rome, in western part of Nigeria (Africa), or in Mexico you will appreciate the metaphor, used by the prophet Isaiah, in today’s first reading. The winding roads in Rome, Nigeria, or Mexico might not be too different from the one’s you will see when driving between Medjugorje and Sarajevo (Bosnia) or between Toulouse and Lourdes (France). And that is what you will find in many ancient cities. Then you will agree with me that even with modern technology, it is somehow impossible to make straight, some roads; fill, some valleys; or make low, some mountains. Such a project requires a lot of money, high technology, and many other resources. And in the end, you might want to ask: Why go through all these?

Today’s first reading is a message of hope. It is a comforting message; a promise of new exodus of God’s people from exile, back to Jerusalem. The historical background of this message is very pathetic. Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, having attacked Jerusalem, deported influential persons of Judea to Babylon in 597, 587 and 582 BC. The Jerusalem Temple was destroyed and Davidic monarchy removed (cf 2 Kgs 25:8-21). While in exile, people questioned: why did the Omnipotent God allow this to happen? Why do we have to suffer like this?

The Lord called and sent his prophet to address the problem with a message of consolation. Notably, the figurative language of verses 3-5 in the first reading describes the actual return of the exiles from Babylon, to Jerusalem. Unlike the exodus from Egypt, led by Moses, this glorious return will be different because the Lord, himself, will lead them. Moreover, Babylon is separated from Jerusalem by a great desert. The road linking these two cities does not cross the desert; rather, it skirts it all the way up to about 1000 Kilometers, or 621 miles. Now the miraculous thing in the exodus is that the exiles will be coming back to their homeland across the desert by a wide, flat highway! Wow! Only God can do that. Moreover, the hope for that transformation demands profound faith or trust.

This same message of hope re-echoes in today’s gospel passage, Prepare the way of the Lord (cf Mk 1:1-8). What is the significance of this message? How does it apply to us today?

The preaching of John the Baptist in the desert marks the beginning of a New World. John proclaims a Baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. There is always a new beginning. The coming of Jesus marks the beginning of a new creation. This Season of Advent is the beginning of new liturgical year cycle B. This is for us the start of a new journey toward God. It is a time of a new exodus; a movement from the enslavement of socio-political, economic, and religious structures to true freedom in God.

Today we are