Grace to you!
 
One of the things that fascinate me about the life of Jesus as documented in the bible is his humanness. The apostles didn’t simply paint a picture of Jesus as a superstar or a mystic. They reported what they saw, over and over again – a person who lived a normal life.
 
Jesus was called names because he ate and drank like a typical Jew. Many of the professional prophets or seers of his time wore the makeup of esoteric mannerism to be seen as “God sent.” Jesus didn’t need any makeup.
 
Jesus had family and close friends like all of us do. His life was a typical everyday life; the kind you would find with normal people on the street and in our villages.
 
Maybe, that was why the apostles and disciples couldn’t come to the realization of his divinity until after the Resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit. His humanness was too real, too ordinary to be true. Yet, it was the perfect humanity as God willed it. He is the man – “Ecce Homo”
 
In the Gospel of Luke 4:37-39, we read the famous story of the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law by Jesus. Jesus paid a visit to Peter’s home. Peter’s mother-in-law was sick. This is a true, normal scenario – sickness, pain and suffering are part of human frailties, and our parents and grandparents tend to have a fair share of those.
 
Observe the role played by people in the house. Despite the casual, normal setting (Jesus was simply stopping by), they knew how not to miss any opportunity. They capitalized on a subtle moment. They had proper discernment not to miss a moment of grace.
 
Just as Jose Maria Escriva says, “Jesus is passing by everyday.” He passes by our homes, our workplace, our dinner table; he passes by the fields and the gym, etc. Shall we be very aware that he is here?  Shall we not miss the opportunity for grace and miracles?
 
Those in Peter’s house didn’t miss the opportunity. They asked, begged or interceded for healing for Peter’s mother-in-law.
 
The Lord Jesus, our healer, responded. He healed the woman and she resumed her duties – service.
 
Often, because the God-encounter with us (whether in our everyday life, during fellowship, at prayer and more importantly at the Eucharist) is too normal, we seem not to realize that Jesus is here. He is with us. He will heal our fever.
 
Through the intercession of the Church around us, the fever of life that cripples us could be healed. Nonetheless, we need people to notice; people to intercede for the healing.
 
You know what the fever is? In addition to a medical situation, the saints saw an allegorical significance of the fever to the fever of lust, pride or greed. Saint Jerome called it “sinful passions.” Those Jesus heals.
 
“Our fever is passion, our fever is lust, our fever is anger – vices which, although they affect the body, perturb the soul, the mind and the feelings” (Saint Ambrose, Exportio Evangelii).
 
I pray Lord Jesus to visit us today, healing the fever crippling our love and commitment to service. Amen. We pray also for the sick, that they may be healed. Amen.
 
God love you. God bless you.
 
Fr. Maurice Emelu
 

Grace to you!
 
Humility is crucial to divine blessing. It’s a modest but truthful estimation of ourselves in relation to others, whether in thoughts or in actions. In Chapter 19 of my book, Word for a Wounded World, Volume I, I treated humility in a little more details. It may be a good read. Here, I wish to share what I consider twelve signs of humility.
 
1. Honesty. A humble person is honest all the way – honest about his or her strengths, weaknesses and limitations. Because the humble are honest, they are not surprised by their weaknesses since they know without grace, anything can happen.
 
2. I am sorry. The ability to say, “I am sorry” when we offend somebody, without being compelled to do so, is a sure sign of humility. The biblical story of the publican, who knelt asking for mercy, is a case in point, at least from the viewpoint of our relationship with God. It applies to our relationship with one another too.
 
3. Openness to other’s opinion and allowing them to express it. The humble are open to other people’s ideas; and, even if those ideas don’t seem to agree with what they think, they give them unbiased attention. It’s a sign of humility to have a listening ear and not to dominate the discussion.
 
4. Not self-absorbing. It’s a sign of humility to be altruistic; that is, not being self-centered. Humility makes us reach out to others and consider not simply what is good for me, but what is good for the other person as well. For the humble, reality isn’t just what I perceive, but what another sees as well. It’s simply not always about me. It’s also about others.
 
5. Gratitude. It’s a great sign of humility to say, “thank you.” As simple as it sounds, it’s revealing of a heart that realizes a gift isn’t an entitlement, but a favor, and must be appreciated no matter how little. Even when the gift isn’t to be used or accepted, a thank you is still a gesture of humility.
 
6. Readiness to ask. The readiness to ask for help when we need it is a sign of humility. Contrary to what many think, during moments of real need, when one can’t help oneself; it demands humility to ask for help. “I need food, money, job, opportunity, mentorship, tutorial, technical support, etc.,” are all signs of humility. The proud don’t want to ask; and like the proverbial person being drowned, unless the drowning raise their hand for help, no one would rescue them. Many sink because of pride.
 
7. Prayer. It’s a sign of humility to pray. Many who are unbelievers may not like this principle. However, think about it: isn’t it evident that when we acknowledge the supremacy of God and pray to God, indirectly we are submitting to divine authority? It’s humility. Many who minister in massive security prisons, where inmates are gang members, would testify that the act of bowing or kneeling for the blessing of a minister is a sign of submission to a higher authority. To kneel is a sign of humility.
 
8. Forgiveness. It takes a humble heart to forgive others. Forgiveness is an indirect acknowledgement of the fact that we also offend others; and nobody, including us, is perfect. The proud do not give people a second chance. The humble do.
 
9. Tolerance. Humility is manifested through tolerance. The more humble people are, the more tolerant of other’s they tend to be. Just like love, humility has a way of finding excuses for the flaws of others and being accommodating.
 
10. Empathy. It’s in the very nature of humility to place oneself in the shoes of another person. By so doing, we are indirectly influenced to be kind to them, as we would want others to be kind to us. Just like kindness, humility is the virtue of identifying with the weak.
 
11. Easy to let go. The humble find it easy to let go. Hence, they are often seen as weak, or people who don’t know how to fight for their rights. Actually, they are the most courageous and disciplined people one can ever meet. It takes a lot of courage to let go.
 
12. Gracious speech. Finally, the humble speak graciously. Borrowing the phrase of Saint Paul, their words are “gracious, seasoned with salt” (Colossians 4:6). Even when they know far more than an average person in the room, they don’t sound abrasive, arrogant or cocky. They are polite. People want to be around them because they make people feel welcome, and their opinions valued.
 
Scripture says: “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” (Sirach 3:17-18).
 
Jesus tells us: “For every one who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 14:11).
 
Jesus meek and humble of heart, make our hearts like unto yours. Amen
 
God love you. God bless you.
 
Fr. Maurice Emelu
 
 

Grace to you!
 
Millions of viewers watched the recently completed Olympic games. From the field tracks to the boxing arena and the soccer field, no one who made it as an Olympian (whether they won a medal or not) made their country’s team list on a platter of gold. It’s by hard work.  
 
Virtually everybody knows hard work pays. It’s easy to say. What isn’t easy is putting this self-evident principle into action. Here lies what distinguishes those who succeed from those who can’t. And I mean “can’t” because no hard work, no success.
 
Our nature as humans is richly endowed. We are all talented, though differently. Our talents aren’t because we are believers or unbelievers, it’s because we are human, God’s special creatures.
 
The subtle distinction between talents and spiritual gifts must be born in mind. Talents are our natural endowments. Gifts are special charisms from the Holy Spirit. The writer who writes the best prose doesn't need to be a “gifted” believer, so also the orator who speaks with the clarity of Cicero, or the convincing style of Augustine. Many orators aren’t believers.
 
Talents are part of our nature so designed so we can grow to the best God has made us. The growth is divine desire.  
 
Here is a secret about developing our talents: when we use them, they grow. They mature. They become something else – something that surprises us. The more they are used, the better they develop and mature.
 
The death of talents is laziness; its growth is discipline and hard work. Those who go to bed early and rise late miss out on precious use of time. Time management is crucial to success.
 
Those who want to be spoon-fed are nipping the potentials of growth in the bud. Talent growth is about learning how to fish, getting on the boat and casting the net.
 
Developing talent has a sense of ownership to it. One can say I worked hard for it. God looking from heaven nods in endorsement of the child who put God’s grace to work. It’s God’s wish that we develop our talents.
 
If you want to develop your talents or your skills, use them. Don't toss them while looking for what another person has.
 
Do you have the voice to sing? Sing. Do you know how to write? Write until your hand hurts. Only then could your prose improve from a mere sketch to a synergy of thoughts weaved through riveting words.
 
Do you know how to play the guitar? Stretch the limits. Spare no chords. Can you dance? Take the stage and dance to the beats. Your veins and muscles need the swings and the stretches. It’s healthy too.
 
Do not censure yourself before it's time. Make mistakes. For it’s by a series of those messy and failing attempts that the talent is fine-tuned; the gold mine is dug.
 
The fear of mistakes and the ingratitude that what I have is inferior to what my neighbor has are two obstacles to developing your talents. Remember, as the Lord Jesus told us, “Everyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away” (Matthew 25:29).
 
As God told Moses when he wasn't sure what to do, he also speaks to you today: “What do you have in your hand? Use it.”
 
One saint did. Her name is Monica. What she had was her knees and her heart of intercession. At least every one has that much. She used it, used it well. She never gave up hope. The result was the conversion of her wayward son, now known as Saint Augustine.  
 
There are no two ways about it. Use your talents. Use them often and they will grow big. Many times, you would look back, in retrospect, and marvel at what you have become; how far you have gone.
 
I pray you develop your talents.
 
God love you. God bless you.
 
Fr. Maurice Emelu
 

​ Grace to you!
 
These days, more workplaces and homes are equipped with CCTV cameras. In the medical field or within security facilities, this is normal. Often, notice is placed at a prominent place so people would know there are cameras. We know there is a law to place the notice.
 
Apart from the security – deterrence – it promotes, it is also a way of checks and balances against mischievous behavior. 
 
What happens when the camera reviewer sees that somebody was behaving as if to say he didn't know someone is watching? Surprisingly, we hear similar reports more frequently than one would expect.
 
What about the computers with webcams? Virtually, every computer manufactured in the last five years has Webcam. If you have ever used those computers, tablets, notebooks, netbooks or smartphones, you've been probably watched or videotaped. Somebody is watching.
 
With iCloud, iMac and Google map technologies, the whole claim of privacy is a joke. We all have been unwittingly thrust to public domain by our own click choices. Scary, isn’t it?
 
This may serve a good purpose, though not the kind one would want. At least, some people with a sense of self-control and discipline could constantly be on their best behavior; and some who would want a reminder of the ethical conduct in public view now have one in the webcam or the CCTV camera. What a paradox!
 
CCTV cameras have a way of making upset staff keep their composure with a rude customer, a nerving colleague or supervisor, the same way recorded phone calls promote politeness in customer service conversations. Webcams have a way of making us be on our best behavior while surfing or shopping online or even struggling to overcome the cyberloafing addictive temptations of the Internet. Not simply because somebody may be watching, but because that's the right thing to do.
 
Maybe the techno-culture of the webcam and the CCTV cameras could enrich our understanding of God’s omnipresence. How about if we always remember that God is here? How about if we cherish this truth that God knows us through and through; and that before we were intricately conceived in our mother's womb, God knew; and that we can’t flee from God's presence as the Book of Psalms states?
 
How about we be at our duty post, our service spot, on our best behavior? Not simply because the world is coming to an end or due to judgment, but because we are called in love to love and to serve; to be God's glory for all to see?
 
Do you know the answer to the fear of the apocalypse? It's sanctifying every moment of our day, being on duty at our post, staying awake, as Jesus told the disciples (Matthew 24:42). It’s also a call to responsibility.
 
If God were to have the lenses of the CCTV cameras (believe you me, God sees beyond the lenses), knowing us from our room to the closet, from the church to the workplace, from the street to the movie theater, would it change the way we live our life?
 
If it will, perchance we are not redeeming our time well; we aren’t at our duty post. How about living freely; sanctifying every moment in such a way that the CCTV cameras become obsolete because there is nothing wrong to see, no need for the camera operators to watch the clips? A life lived like that would be truly free and enjoyable. Such is the life of the redeemed. Pleasant!
 
God love you. God bless you.
 
Fr. Maurice Emelu

 

 
Grace to you!
 
Many times, a dig into history unearths priceless information. History is rich. Such was my recent discovery about a few more details concerning the life of Saint Bartholomew (one of the Apostles of Jesus Christ). Information about many of his missionary activities in India is scant. The claim by some authors  that his impact in a community caused havoc to the god of the land is interesting. Hope you wouldn’t mind if I shared the story.
 
The 18th century writers Robert A. Donaldson and A.C. Cox who wrote in 1886, furnished us with some stories about Bartholomew. Though there could be doubts as to the veracity or otherwise of their claims, their account about the Apostle Bartholomew could inspire your prayerful contemplation. You will  find their edited prose “Martyrdom of the Holy and Glorious Apostle Bartholomew,’ in Volume 8 of The Ante-Nicene Fathers: Fathers of the Third and Fourth Centuries: The Twelve Patriarchs, Excerpts and Epistles, the Clementina, Apocrypha, Decretals, Memoirs of Edessa and Syriac Documents, Remains of the First Ages, translated by A. Walker.
 
Though a very old document and some of the details may not be collaborated by other sources, it has some information that can open up some themes for discussion. Since my goal in my daily reflections isn’t an academic exercise, I will leave out the critical evaluation of the style and the content of the story, but share it for our spiritual enrichment. It has some rich food for thought. 
 
The gist may inspire us in our communion with the saints, those who have gone before us marked with the sign of faith. Stories of the saints provide us with models of Christian life for emulations. We need those models, don’t we?
 
According to the above authors, Bartholomew came to India as one of the poor pilgrims quartered in the temple of the Indian god Astaruth. Astaruth was claimed to be the god of healing, so the sick of the region flocked to its temple for healing. It was claimed that this god healed people so as to make them dependent on its manipulative powers.
 
The presence of Bartholomew within the territory of the god caused havoc. The power of Astaruth to heal ceased. Its prophets couldn’t perform magic or miracles anymore. When the temple was filled with the sick and worshipers came to receive oracles and miracles from the god, Astaruth was dumb. It could neither speak nor heal.
 
Distressed, Astaruth’s messengers decided to travel to another city to consult with a superior oracle from a more prominent god called Becher. This “god forum shopping,” as I will call it, sounds familiar doesn’t it?
 
When the people consulted with the oracle of Becher, they were told that a man who is the worshiper of the Almighty God, who dwells in heaven, lives in their territory and his presence has bound the power of Astaruth, making it impossible for the god to heal.
 
Following a description of the man who is responsible for this havoc, the people realized that it was Bartholomew. To make a long story short, they approached Bartholomew for help and their search was followed by unprecedented miracles. The result was the rejection of their god and the profession of faith in Jesus Christ. About 10,000 were converted, including the King of the region along with his entire household.
 
The news of these conversions was met with great opposition by a brother of the king, who himself was the king of another Indian territory, and many of the followers of Astaruth. He ordered that Bartholomew be beaten with rods and beheaded, although some suggest Bartholomew was flayed alive or crucified upside down.
 
Whatever the correct version of the story is, we draw from the life of Bartholomew what is common to all the apostles – namely, the desire to bear witness to Jesus Christ as the Savior. Despite the risk of losing their lives, they dared to evangelize.
 
Does the story of this Apostle teach us anything about the impact of the presence of a holy person in a community? What if our presence could bring the fresh air of God’s Spirit and renew the face of the earth? I pray this will be the case. Amen
 
God love you. God bless you.
 
Fr. Maurice Emelu
 

 

Grace to you!
 
A lady met a new friend. The first impression was striking. Before long, a relationship had started to develop. It appeared both wanted a life-long commitment. A few dinners together seemed to reinforce their first impression.
 
As some people do, they started to share their favorite pictures – favorite places they had been to, their homes, their family portraits, etc.
 
The man's house looked very beautiful, and was located in a nice neighborhood. The lawn well manicured and the lady couldn't wait to pay her friend a visit. She couldn’t stop from dreaming of a wonderful family with kids in a beautiful home, well put together. The invitation to visit was gladly welcomed.
 
When she stepped into the home, she couldn't believe what she saw. It was in a mess – filthy, stinking and cluttered with junky stuff, in addition to crumbling ceilings. The bathrooms, probably made of white Italian tiles, had accumulated so much dirt that they wore the look of brown dirt slabs of the Stone Age. It was a disaster.
 
What was shocking to her was the disparity between appearance and reality; between a man whose shoes were well polished, the shirts and pants well ironed, a home well put together from the outside, but the inside was like a junkyard. It was like the metaphor of the whitewashed tomb which Jesus used a number of times in Scripture to describe hypocrisy.
 
The above picture is a fair depiction of hypocrisy. Ever wonder why Jesus never spared condemning hypocrisy?
 
Of all conversations in the bible, Jesus’ has some graciousness to it. Jesus seems to have a soft spot for all sinners and all who sincerely try to seek help. He doesn’t seem to care so much about people’s past as he cares about how to lead them to a better future. But when it comes to hypocrisy, he seems to throw politeness to the backyard. He gave the hypocrites straight talk.
 
For instance, in Matthew 23, Jesus has a litany of criticisms against the Scribes and the Pharisees for their hypocrisy. He condemned them for following rigorous rites while ignoring the weightier things of God's law – judgment, mercy and fidelity (Matthew 23:24). He condemned them for cleaning the outside cup, that is, appearing very holy from the outside, whereas on the inside they were “full of plunder and self indulgence” (Matthew 23:25).
 
Let’s be clear about this. All are sinners, but not every sinner is a hypocrite. Sometimes, one may not be certain where the lines are drawn. Suppose you commit the same sins over and over again, and yet confess them again and again, aren’t you a hypocrite? Some may argue.
 
I don't think so. The evil of hypocrisy isn't because we sin; it is because we claim we don't sin, but willfully sin and deliberately engaged in a cover-up or project the false persona of a “holier-than-thou” triumphalism.
 
The difference between a hypocrite and a sinner is that the sinner knows his or her weaknesses and works hard, cooperating with the grace of God, to fight on so as to overcome them. The hypocrite, on the other hand, believes that inner transformation isn't necessary, provided people see us as good or as saints.
 
While the sinner looks inward for inner conversion, hypocrites look outward for people’s praise and commendation, whereas inwardly they do the opposite of what they criticize or what they claim to hate. Hypocrites set high standards for others but apply a different scale for themselves.
 
I would rather be a sinner asking for mercy than a hypocrite enthroned on the platform of pretentious glory. Such glory doesn't last.
 
The hypocrite could also be redeemed. The route to redemption is the way so spoken by the Book of Psalms;  “A humble contrite heart, the Lord does not reject” (Psalm 51:17).
 
The person who is so loved by God is the person who is not ashamed to say, “I am a sinner,” “I am sorry,” “I am weak.” “I need the Redeemer because there is something to be redeemed.”
 
May you pray with me: Jesus meek and humble of heart, make my heart like yours. Amen
 
God love you. God bless you.
 
 Fr. Maurice Emelu
 
 

 

Grace to you!
 
Exposure to the deliverance ministry, familiarity with God’s Word in Scripture and Sacred Tradition and testimonials of exorcists, have taught me many things about how the devil operates. I will use one of the devil’s tactics, namely counterfeiting, as the setting for my reflection today. 
 
One of the two classical concepts (Satan is the second) used in the New Testament to describe the devil is διάβολος (diabolos), which means a slanderer, a malicious false accuser who thrives in deceit. The word appeared thirty four times, but never used in the Old Testament. The devil is a deceiver, an impostor.
 
The Lord Jesus called the devil the father of lies (John 8:44). The devil thrives in counterfeiting.
 
A number of examples: Watch anywhere you have a pro-life community, you would see a heavy presence of organizations that promote heartless support for abortion, violence against the life of the baby in the womb sold as women health. Black Mass is a counterfeit for the Eucharistic celebration. God must have gods – gods always as the counterfeit. Wherever the good is, a counterfeit of the good is present. The devil knows it and it thrives in deceit.
 
In the history of the world, the kingship of God has been counterfeited also. Such was the ancient kings from Sennacherib of Assyria to Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and Xarxes of Persia; kings of ancient China to ancient Rome during the years of imperial cults or Emperor worship; down to Stalin, Mussolini and Hitler, those despots who claimed to be the universal king, against whose background Pope Pius XI wrote the famous letter, Quas Primas of 1925 in praise and declaration of Jesus Christ, the King of the Universe.
 
If the devil would counterfeit the kingship of Christ, would it not also counterfeit the place of the mother of Our Lord, Mary? Surely, the devil would.
 
In the prophecy of Jeremiah, we see the true counterfeit of what belongs to heaven, God's throne. Many who oppose the queenship of Mary use these Jeremiah texts as biblical evidence.
 
The texts are two where the prophet Jeremiah condemns the people of Israel for worshiping the so-called “queen of heaven” (see Jeremiah 7:18 and 44:17-25). The real name of this goddess whom the idol worshippers called the “queen of heaven” was Ashtoreth, Astarte or Ishtar – the Assyrian and Babylonian goddess of fertility, who was believed to be the wife of Baal.
 
This is devilish, diabolic counterfeiting at its best. For those who use these texts to denounce Mother Mary as the Queen of Heaven, ask yourself: is Ishtar the queen of God's heaven? If Jesus is the Universal King, how is Ishtar the true queen of God's heaven? Can't we see how the devil thrives in counterfeiting?
 
Mary is the queen of heaven because she is the mother of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior, the King of heaven and earth. No other woman could fit that title, neither in heaven nor on earth. If heaven is God's throne and not Baal’s throne, then Mary, who is the greatest among all women, is the most fitted to reign with the Son as the queen.
 
Did the Bible not say that if we died with Christ, we shall also live and reign with him? (See 2 Timothy 2:11-12) What is wrong with Mary wearing the crown of glory which Saint Peter says awaits all believers (I Peter 5:4), or the crown of victory which Revelation 2:10 gloriously spoke about? The major difference is that we don't have a second Jesus’ mom; neither do we have a second “full of grace” figure in the biblical history of salvation. Only Mary fits the description. This singles her out among all humanity.  
 
That this truth of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary isn’t written verbatim in the Bible is simply because the Bible was not about Mary, but about Jesus.
 
Moreover, by being the crown of all women in heaven as queen of all, Mary isn't sharing equality with God. Not even in earthly kingdoms, in those days of monarchical rules, does the queen have the same power as the king. The king is the owner of the kingdom. The queen is his spouse.
 
The image of the Book of Revelation 12, about a woman crowned with the twelve stars, which is the image of the Church, allegorically, is also the image of the birth of the Son of God by that pregnant woman – Mary.
 
Mary isn't worshipped; she is revered as blessed by the Lord. Her life and memories of her faith-witness tell us about the yes of a woman that ushered the Incarnation (God born as man). If this doesn’t show something beyond the ordinary, I wonder what does.
 
All to Jesus through Mary our mother! Love you Mother Mary. Love you the true queen of heaven.
 
May the grace of Virgin Mary’s queenship smash the head of all devilish counterfeit claims to sovereignty. Amen.
 
God love you God bless you.
 
Fr. Maurice Emelu