ASH WEDNESDAY AND LENT SEASON

ASH WEDNESADY AND LENTEN SEASON!!!

From the social to the spiritual we try to model and prepare for the Lenten Season. The Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday usher us into the beginning of Lent from Ash Wednesday. The reason for Mardi Gras in social realm brings to limelight in the yesteryears, the raucous and hedonistic events which entered into the Christian calendar as the “last hurrah” before the Lent which starts actually on Ash Wednesday. In this social gathering, there is carnival feast, from the Latin etymology the words carne & vale, this imply “Farewell to the flesh”. The name came from the tradition of slaughtering and feasting upon fattened calf on the last day of carnival. This day is also known as Shrove Tuesday which means “to shrive” or hear confession. This day is still known as Pancake Tuesday and Fetter Dienstag. All things being equal the custom of making pancakes comes from the need to use up fat, eggs and diary before the fasting and abstinence of Lent begins looking forward to the celebration of the Resurrection or Easter. Therefore, this helps us to meditate most profoundly what are involved in the Ash Wednesday and Lent as a Holy Season. Therefore in Ash Wednesday we see these:

A – AVOID all forms of sinful relationship with the world from this season and onwards.

S – SHOW your nothingness before God that He may bring a change in your life.

H – HOLINESS is the key word throughout the season of Lent.

W – WITHOUT God in your life, your entire personality is spiritually vacuum.

E – EVACUATE your sinful old nature before God in the Sacrament of Reconciliation as to profit from this Season worthily.

D – DRESS yourself with spiritual armour so that the devil in the desert will be overcome with prayer, fasting and almsgiving.

N – NEVER take the devil for granted for he is planning on strategy to pull you down, “stand up to him strong in faith” 1Pet.5:9.

E – EMBRACE yourself in the things that increases virtue each moment in life.

S – SALVATION is all we ought to look and work for.

D – DO everything possible to win heaven.

A – ACCEPT the corrections available to you as to change for better.

Y – YOU are needed in heaven, so “work out your salvation with fear and trembling”.

As we know, Lent reminds us of unforgettable spirit of Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving which are inter-connected with “to judge oneself”, “to bend knee in prayer because of Divine”, “to show pity, mercy, compassion, charity”, righteousness, kindness and justice. These three principal elements Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving of Lent are rightly summarized in Matt 6:2-4=Almsgiving; 5-15=Prayer; 16-18=Fasting. By these we combat the devil in the desert of our lives. Therefore Lent reminds us about these:

L – LEAVE off every pleasure or vice that draws you back from not increasing in virtue. Phil2:7-8; Joel 2:13; Mk.1:15

E – EMPTY yourself in prayers that the Spirit of God may take control of your life in this Holy Season. Ezk 18:21-23;Gen 3:19.

N – NEVER take the devil for granted, say NO to his prices and favours for they are detrimental to spiritual and moral lives. 1Pet 5:8-11; Gal 5:16-26.

T – TEMPTAION or TRIAL makes us ready and conscious to overcome the devil with the sincere spirit of preparedness. Sir 2; Jas 1: 22; 2:12-13.

THEOSAGAPE-GOD IS LOVE 1 JN4:8 VALENTINE FEAST AND FRIENDSHIP

THEOSAGAPE-GOD IS LOVE (1JN 4:8): GOD-LOVE IS THE SOURCE OF LOVE

“My dear friends, let us love one another for love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Those who do not love have not known God, for God is love. How did the love of God appear among us?” 1John 4:7-9a

Today is 14^th February, the famous St. Valentine’s day, which liturgically has overshadow the celebration of memorial of SS Cyril (monk) and Methodius (Bishop). Looking at this Love and Valentine feast day, what eschatological implications regarding our spiritual and moral lives has it to each of us as we involve ourselves in the love manifestation in the social celebrations?. We are not only children of God but also friends of God, if only we demonstrate Him, who is Love through friendship to others not only by remembering and celebrating the feast of Valentine among lovers but showing Him in our lives every moment of our existence to all. How did the love of God appear among us? This appearance can be seen through the way we show and demonstrate Love and friendship in this Val’s day and beyond. By this act and certainty of Love and friendship which is imminent in God let us reflect concretely on the words Valentine and Friendship as we celebrate the Valentine week:

WHAT TRUE VALENTINE IS!!!

V – VALUE other people first, in this consists of true valentine.

A – APPRECIATE the positive and good qualities of others, this is true valentine.

L – LET goodness be associated with you in all your dealings with others, for this is true valentine.

E – EVERY moment with a true friend is Godly, this is true valentine.

N – NOTHING is too great or too small when it comes from a sincere heart for there you find true valentine.

T – TOTAL sacrifice from you to others, though may not be quantified depicts a true valentine.

I – INSERT your whole person into the heart of others for good, there you find a true valentine.

N – NEVER deceive others in the name of valentine for deceit is unequivocal to true valentine.

E – EMPTY yourself for the moral and spiritual growth of others, this is true valentine personified.

Therefore, Valentine is all that is well and vigorous, in the priestly or consecrated life it is a true martyrdom for the love of our apostolate, and as lay faithful following Christ with every amount of total trust in all his teachings. Let us bear in mind that we are all called to holiness of life. Happy Val to you all. St. Valentine, pray for us.

WHAT IS TRUE FRIENDSHIP?

Friendship in the real sense of it is a way towards sacrificing your time, talent, energy and the whole self for the goal and happiness of others, hence the word friendship implies:

F – FOCUSING your mind towards making others happy.

R – REACHING to others as to make them feel well always.

I – INSISTING on the things that glorifies God in your relationship with friends.

E – ENDURING things on behalf of others.

N – NEVER to give the devil opportunity between your relationships with friends as you celebrate the Valentine day with people cfr.1Peter 5:8-9.

D – DOING everything to bring nearer your friends to God.

S – SHAPING your personality from the virtues of your friends and they in return increasing their virtue s from yours.

H – HOLINESS of life is a key to true friendship.

I – INSTRUCT your friends well whenever they err.

P – PUT all efforts to help you grow positively for the sake of knowing others.

God bless you all on this friends’ and lovers’ day of Valentine. Be my Val.

MY BIRTHDAY REFLECTION ON, WITH AND TO MYSELF

BIRTHDAY REFLECTION ON MYSELF (IKECHUKWU-UGOCHI-OBERE[P] OGUN), FOR MYSELF, WITH MYSELF AND TO MYSELF ON MY BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION TODAY, TUESDAY 7^TH FEBRUARY 2012

Stop, think, reflect, ponder and pray over yourself IKECHUKWU-UGOCHI-OBERE[P] OGUN this day Tuesday 7^th February 2012 on my birthday celebration. On the day of my birth there was war, hence many people were crying, grieving and were unsecured and unsure of themselves and what next to come. That possibly might have ignited their thoughts thereby trying to pose some questions why they should continue to live and be happy as well, on my birthday and its celebration that goes with the normal and usual happy birthday. This was the circumstance that brought and ushered me into the world as a child. I joined in crying UWAA for several minutes before my mother, PHILOMENA NWULU OGUJIOFFOR [NEE] EKEBUISI OGUAMA quenched my cry by breast feeding me. Did I ever knew that I was crying and for what reason was I crying then? In the midst of these the doctors and nurses that attended to my mother given birth to me at AGWU JOINT HOSPITAL were happy thanking God. My mother’s happiness knew no bound after her panting in pains of my birth. The news of my birth reaching my family home at UMUIHE AMALATO AKU OKIGWE, re-echoed yet another great joy and happiness, yet very many were still in agony of death news of their beloved ones.

Therefore, I ought to stop and think, reflect and ponder over my birthday celebration and the wishes that go along with it. Each year on 7^th February people will say happy birthday IKECHUKWU-UGOCHI-OBERE[P]. Have I been able to contemplate over MY BIRTHDAY and know that there is MY DEATH DAY in front of me. Certainly yes there is, therefore MAY THE SOUL OF IKECHUKWU-UGOCHI-OBERE[P] REST IN PERFECT PEACE AND LET PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE ON ME AMEN when it comes for I know not the time, hour, minute, second or moment of this MY DEATH DAY. To rest in perfect peace in eternity I must and ought to make others happy and be satisfied with my presence among them as I celebrate my birthday, as to call to mind my motto: SENTIAM CHRISTUS IN VITA MEAM. Have I been doing that so that when people say IKECHUKWU HAPPY BIRTHDAY it will really mean IKECHUKWU HAPPY DEATH DAY. I should try to remember that: The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, while the heart of the fool is in the feasting Qoholet [Ecclesiates] 7:4. IKECHUKWU each day draws you nearer to the grave hence; More fortunate are the dead for being dead, than the living who have to live, and even more fortunate than both is the one not yet born who has not seen the abuses under the sun Qoholet [Ecclesiates] 4:2-3.

Oh LORD my GOD forgive me all my sins which I have consciously or unconsciously committed all these years celebrating birthday, and the unhappiness and sadness which I have voluntarily or involuntarily caused to people even on my birthdays. Oh my Mother Blessed Virgin Mary intercede for me, my Patron Saint Paul and my guardian archangel Gabriel(Ikechukwu) help me to achieve well UGOCHI on my death day which starts from my birthday, AMEN.