Morning Voice

March 30, 2024. Holy Saturday at the Easter Vigil in the Holy Night of Easter – B. Readings: Gn 1:1—2:2; Ps 104:1-2, 5-6, 10, 12, 13-14, 24,35; Gn 22:1-18; Ps 16:5, 8, 9-10, 11; Ex 14:15—15:1; Ex 15:1-2, 3-4, 5-6,17-18; Is 54:5-14; Ps 30:2, 4, 5-6, 11-12, 13; Is 55:1-11; Is 12:2-3, 4, 5-6;Bar 3:9-15, 32--4:4; Ps 19:8, 9, 10, 11; Ez 36:16-17a, 18-28; Ps 42:3, 5; 43:3,4; Rom 6:3-11; Ps 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23; Mark 16:1-7. “You seek Jesus of Nazareth, the crucified. He has been raised; he is not here.” Mark 16:6 A Romanian proverb says: “When the night is darkest, the dawn is nearest.” A Cameroonian proverb adds: “The darkness of night cannot stop the light of morning.” This is the night of keeping vigil for the Lord (Ex 12: 42). This is the day the Lord has made, in it let us rejoice and be glad. This is a night worth thousands of nights. On this very night, the book is open, the greatest of all mysteries is written and read. Christ, the Lord has risen from the dead, Alleluia! T

March 29, 2024. Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion. Readings: Is 52:13—53:12; Ps 31:2, 6, 12-13, 15-16, 17, 25;Heb 4:14-16; 5:7-9; Jn 18:1—19:42. "He himself was wounded for our sins." Isaiah 53:5 An Arabic proverb says: “Only a mother can understand the suffering of a son.” An Ashanti proverb adds: “Pain is inevitable suffering is optional.” What we celebrate today, Good Friday, is suffering. The suffering Son of God, the suffering Mother of God. We are called to revive and meditate on the suffering our Lord Jesus Christ went through for our salvation. As says the Prophet Isaiah in the fourth oracle of the Servant of the Lord, "He himself was wounded for our sins." Jesus is truly the incarnation of that suffering servant. And like Mary, his Mother, we too are urged to take our share in the Lord's suffering. On this Good Friday, let us orient our reflection, meditation, and thoughts on the reality of suffering. Jesus suffered and died on the Cross to

March 28, 2024. Holy Thursday - the Lord’s Supper – B. Readings: Ex 12:1-8, 11-14; Ps 116:12-13, 15-16bc, 17-18; 1Cor 11:23-26; Jn 13:1-15. “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.” 1 Cor 11:26 An Indian proverb says: “Service is greatness.” A Congolese proverb adds: “A river that forgets its source will soon dry out.” The Catechism of the Catholic Church, quoting Lumen Gentium 11, says about the Holy Eucharist: "The Eucharist is "the source and summit of the Christian life." "The other sacraments, and indeed all ecclesiastical ministries and works of the apostolate, are bound up with the Eucharist and are oriented toward it. For in the blessed Eucharist is contained the whole spiritual good of the Church, namely Christ himself, our Pasch." CCC 1324 Therefore, we are assembled to celebrate today what gives strength, meaning, and direction to our lives as Christians. We celebrate the bond

March 24, 2024. Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion. Readings:  Mk 11:1-10; Is 50:4-7; Ps 22:8-9, 17-18, 19-20, 23-24; Phil2:6-11; Mk 14:1—15:47. “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is to come! Hosanna in the highest!” Mk 11:10 A Kikuyu proverb says: “To be praised is to be ruined.” An Akan proverb adds: “He is a fool who praises the fruit of a tree and forgets its roots.” Mankind is emotionally oriented. And our emotions can change from one moment to another. The ancient philosophers spoke of human versatility, that is, a capacity to turn from one situation to another one at a glimpse. Taken in a certain sense, this is a very positive characteristic. The word versatility describes having many different skills or qualities. Versatility allows you to adapt to many different situations. Nevertheless, when it comes to emotional and interpersonal relationships, being versatile could be a quite negative thing with st

March 17, 2024. Fifth Sunday of Lent – B. Readings: Jer 31:31-34; Ps 51:3-4, 12-13, 14-15; Heb 5:7-9; Jn12:20-33. “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified." (Jn 12:23) "The days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant..." (Jer 31:31) An Ashanti proverb says: “However long the night, the dawn will break.” A Native American Hopi proverb adds: “Take a breath of the new dawn and make it a part of you.” In these days, we Christians and the whole Church are like people staring, hopefully waiting for a new dawn. Reading and meditating on today's word of God, the lyrics of a reggae song from the Ivorian Reggae Star, Alpha Blondy came to my mind. The title is New Dawn. Quite very adapted to our liturgy today. He sings: "Since you told me that you love me. I did everything you asked me. Now you're gone with the dawn. I keep on wandering, wandering, wandering all alone. I keep on struggling, struggling on my own. And I'm starin

March 10, 2024. Fourth Sunday of Lent – Lætare – B. Readings: 2 Chr 36:14-16, 19-23; Ps 137:1-2, 3, 4-5, 6; Eph2:4-10; Jn 3:14-21. A Spanish proverb says: “Every season brings its joy.” A Russian proverb adds: “After a storm fair weather, after sorrow joy.” There is a kind of joy that springs from today's liturgy. It is a joy that comes from hope. Amidst all the sorrowful and heartbreaking events of life, optimistic people will always find a reason to rejoice. While pessimists give up on fate and happenings, optimists and positivists see always a glimpse of a better future. The lure of tomorrow shines through how we see and look at today. We are today, the 4th Sunday of Lent, in Latin, Laetare Sunday, or Sunday of Joy. It is a prophetic joy for the future Resurrection of the Lord and our resurrection with him. It is a joy beforehand. That joy is fed on hope. Thus, the entrance antiphon: "Rejoice, Jerusalem, and all who love her. Be joyful, all who were in mourning; exult

March 3, 2024. Third Sunday of Lent – B. Readings: Ex 20:1-17; Ps 19:8, 9, 10, 11; 1 Cor 1:22-25; Jn2:13-25. A Sicilian proverb says: “When the hunting dog barks it's a signal that the prey is near.” A Swahili proverb adds: “Clouds are the sign of rain.” Someone, one day came to me with this question, “Father, how much is the wedding in your parish? My companion and I would like you to be the one officiating our wedding.” I smiled and answered, “How much is your love for your partner?” And that is a sad reality. Sacraments and liturgical services are not for sale. They are priceless. But the practice and the reality make people think that we sell them. For a baptism, we fix fees. For confirmation we have fees. For weddings, not only the gathering of documents is costly, but there is also a fee. Blessings and some other liturgical acts are also accompanied by donations… So people think we sell them. Jesus, today, comes to give us a sign. He purifies the temple so that we too