Morning Voice

January 1 2020: The Octave Day of Christmas Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God   READINGS:  NM 6:22-27 ;  PS 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8 ;  GAL 4:4-7 ;  LK 2:16-21 An Ivorian proverb says, “A bad son gives his mother a bad name.” Another proverb adds, “One can never repay one's debt to one's mother.” At the birth of a child, the first person who smiles to him, comfort him and assures him of ineffable love and protection is his mother. Mothers are a lovely gift from heaven. We could not expect a better gift at the opening of this year than the motherly embrace of Mary. We celebrate today, January one, Mary as Mother of God. About this Marian title, St. Luigi Orione exclaims, “Mater Dei! Mother of God! We have chosen the most complete, the origin of all Mary’s titles.” The “Theotokos” is the preliminary of all concerning Mary. She is all that we say and sing of her, simply because she is “Mother of God.” Mary was immaculate, that i...

December 29 2019: The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph - A   READINGS:  Sir 3:2-6, 12-14 ;  Ps 128:1-2, 3, 4-5 ;  Col 3:12-21 ;  Mt 2:13-15, 19-23 A Ghanaian proverb says, “The family is like the forest: if you are outside, it is dense; if you are inside, you see that each tree has its own position.” The Catechism, quoting Paul VI in his address at Nazareth on January 5, 1964, states, “The home of Nazareth is the school where we begin to understand the life of Jesus - the school of the Gospel. First, then, a lesson of silence. May esteem for silence, that admirable and indispensable condition of mind, revive in us… A lesson on family life. May Nazareth teach us what family life is, its communion of love, its austere and simple beauty, and its sacred and inviolable character... A lesson of work. Nazareth, home of the "Carpenter's Son", in you I would choose to understand and proclaim the severe and redeeming law of human work…” (CCC 533). ...

December 25 2019 - The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas) - Mass During the Night   READINGS:  Is 9:1-6 ;  Ps 96: 1-2, 2-3, 11-12, 13 ;  Ti 2:11-14 ;  Lk 2:1-14 . A Lithuanian proverb says: “If it weren't for sorrow and bad times, every day would be Christmas.” Years back, when we were in Novitiate, under the inspiration of one of our fathers, we created a living manger (Belen) taking into account the ordinary realities of the life of the Abouré people of Bonoua and their neighbors. Whenever we arrive at Christmas, this experience comes to my mind and challenges me. Today is Christmas. The Bethlehem crèche spreads a message of revolution. It is the place par excellence of the revolution of love. For in this manger, the love of God became man and was called Jesus. In his recent Apostolic letter entitled, “ADMIRABILE SIGNUM”, “The enchanting image of the Christmas crèche”, the Holy Father, Pope Francis tells a great truth which opens us to the solem...

December 25 2019 - At the Vigil Mass   READINGS:  Is 62:1-5 ;  Ps 89:4-5, 16-17, 27, 29 ;  Acts 13:16-17, 22-25 ;  Mt 1:1-25 A Hindu proverb says, “True happiness consists in making others happy.” Another proverb adds, “There are two kinds of men: those who could be happy and are not, and those who search for happiness and find it not.” Genuine happiness is contagious. Thus, no one can be happy alone or contain his happiness for himself without sharing it with others. Heaven and Earth today rejoice of a unique and singular event: God is born to us. Today is Christmas. The day God became man and dwelled with men. It is the day where the love of God fills the whole universe and the entire creation rejoice and is glad. The Gloria is anew sung, and not only by human voices, but also and firstly by angelic choir. What makes this night so special is the great mystery it reveals. This, the Catechism states it right saying, “The unique and altog...

December 22 2019: Fourth Sunday of Advent - A   READINGS:  Is 7:10-14 ;  Ps 24:1-2, 3-4, 5-6 ;  Rom 1:1-7 ;  Mt 1:18-24 An Italian proverb says, “Any man can be a father, but it takes a special person to be a dad.” Another proverb adds, “A fatherless boy is no better than unburied seed.” The incarnation of Christ was made know by the message of an Angel, and Joseph is chosen to be instrument of that mystery. We are the last Sunday of Advent. God’s love fills our heart. The mystery we prepared for is about to be fulfilled. God is coming to be one of us. The liturgy already distills that message of joy and love. Isaiah, in the first reading gives the prophetic vision of the “Emmanuel, God with us.” Paul, in the second reading, speaks of Jesus-Christ, the Messiah, as descend of David. The Gospel gives narration of the annunciation of the good news made to Joseph. Joseph is someone who, apparently, has no voice in the Gospels, and of who...

December 15 2019: Third Sunday of Advent (Gaudete) - A   READINGS:  Is 35:1-6a, 10 ;  Ps 146:6-7, 8-9, 9-10 ;  Jas 5:7-10 ;  Mt 11:2-11 A Dutch proverb says, “It's a poor heart that never rejoices.”   “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice. Indeed, the Lord is near.” From that beautiful antiphon said in Latin words, this third Sunday of Advent has its calling, “Gaudete” or Sunday of Joy. Through today’s liturgy, we learn that Christian life is a life of joy, a revolution of joy. Actually, the coming of the Lord will bring about a great revolution. The whole creation will feel and exult at his presence. Those who were lamenting or living in the valleys of tears and darkness will see a new light. Everything that kept mankind in sorrow, and slavery will be destroyed, even the greatest human infertility, sin, will be smashed. So will the joy of the redeemed people will be great and blissful. That day long awaited is at hand. We al...

December 9 2019: Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary   READINGS:  Gn 3:9-15, 20 ;  Ps 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4 ;  Eph 1:3-6, 11-12 ;  Lk 1:26-38   A Japanese proverb says, “A faultless person has seven faults, a faulty person forty-eight faults.” Starting from this Pauline statement, “all have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23) taken out of context, the Catholic dogma of the Immaculate Conception would suffer all the accusations and criticisms. But, happily, further, Paul adds, “They are justified freely by his grace through the redemption in Christ Jesus.” What do we actually profess, through this celebration? A simple reality, that God, wanting to save human beings from the sin that keeps them in slavery and away from Him, chose to be incarnated through a woman and become one of us. But in order for this mystery of salvation to be realized, he has in advance preserved the who would become ...

December 8 2019: Second Sunday of Advent - A READINGS:  Is 11:1-10 ;  Ps 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17 ;  Rom 15:4-9 ;  Mt 3:1-12   An American proverb says, “Dreams are wishes your heart makes.” Another proverb adds, “It is no longer good enough to cry peace. We must act peace, live peace and live in peace.” Christian life is not a life of barrenness. The goal of Christianity is fruitfulness. The coming of the Lord will remind us that we must be fruitful. This fecundity, however, will not be possible without at first, peace, hence the candle of peace that we light today; and then, and most importantly, an exercise on oneself, REPENTANCE. It is all about changing oneself and giving room to God’s grace to be at work in us and through us. As human beings, we are sometime like trees planted in a soil. When the soil become poor or over-used, the plant can no longer be productive at its best capacities. In order to give it back its productivity, there ...