Mass Readings For Sunday 10th September, 2017

Mass Readings For Sunday 10th September, 2017

  23:24    Catholic Channels

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First Reading, Ezekiel 33:7-9

7 'Son of man I have appointed you as watchman for the House of Israel. When you hear a word from my mouth, warn them from me.

8 If I say to someone wicked, "Evil- doer, you are to die," and you do not speak to warn the wicked person to renounce such ways, the wicked person will die for this guilt, but I shall hold you responsible for the death.

9 If, however, you do warn someone wicked to renounce such ways and repent, and that person does not repent, then the culprit will die for this guilt, but you yourself will have saved your life.

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9

1 Come, let us cry out with joy to Yahweh, acclaim the rock of our salvation.

2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving, acclaim him with music.

6 Come, let us bow low and do reverence; kneel before Yahweh who made us!

7 For he is our God, and we the people of his sheepfold, the flock of his hand. If only you would listen to him today!

8 Do not harden your hearts as at Meribah, as at the time of Massah in the desert,

9 when your ancestors challenged me, put me to the test, and saw what I could do!

 Reading 2, Romans 13:8-10

8 The only thing you should owe to anyone is love for one another, for to love the other person is to fulfil the law.

9 All these: You shall not commit adultery, You shall not kill, You shall not steal, You shall not covet, and all the other commandments that there are, are summed up in this single phrase: You must love your neighbour as yourself.

10 Love can cause no harm to your neighbour, and so love is the fulfilment of the Law. 

Gospel, Matthew 18:15-20

15 'If your brother does something wrong, go and have it out with him alone, between your two selves. If he listens to you, you have won back your brother.

16 If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you: whatever the misdemeanour, the evidence of two or three witnesses is required to sustain the charge.

17 But if he refuses to listen to these, report it to the community; and if he refuses to listen to the community, treat him like a gentile or a tax collector.

18 'In truth I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

19 'In truth I tell you once again, if two of you on earth agree to ask anything at all, it will be granted to you by my Father in heaven.

20 For where two or three meet in my name, I am there among them.'

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Catholic Priest Rev Father Daniel Nwankwo Cheat Death

Catholic Priest Rev Father Daniel Nwankwo Cheat Death

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IT is quite unfortunate that people no longer fear God’s servants and the house of God.

Yesterday exactly one week after a catholic priest was kidnapped and killed in orlu in imo state Nigeria, another Rev father was shot by unknown gun men in Lagos state Nigeria. Rev Father Daniel Nwankwo was shot after morning mass at St Thomas catholic parish Ikeja.

The gun men had a dialogue with the catholic priest before shooting him. Group who witness the incident as the priest raised alarm rush the priests to the lagos state teaching hospital where he is currently taking medication.

The reason for this evil act is yet unknown

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Daily Mass Reading for Saturday, September 9th, 2017

Daily Mass Reading for Saturday, September 9th, 2017

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First Reading, Colossians 1:21-23
21 You were once estranged and of hostile intent through your evil behavior;
22 now he has reconciled you, by his death and in that mortal body, to bring you before himself holy, faultless and irreproachable-
23 as long as you persevere and stand firm on the solid base of the faith, never letting yourselves drift away from the hope promised by the gospel, which you have heard, which has been preached to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become the servant.
Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 54:3-4, 6, 8
3 Arrogant men are attacking me, bullies hounding me to death, no room in their thoughts for God.
4 But now God is coming to my help, the Lord, among those who sustain me.
6 How gladly will I offer you sacrifice, and praise your name, for it is good,
7 for it has rescued me from all my troubles, and my eye has feasted on my enemies.

Gospel, Luke 6:1-5
1 It happened that one Sabbath he was walking through the cornfields, and his disciples were picking ears of corn, rubbing them in their hands and eating them.
2 Some of the Pharisees said, 'Why are you doing something that is forbidden on the Sabbath day?'
3 Jesus answered them, 'So you have not read what David did when he and his followers were hungry-
4 how he went into the house of God and took the loaves of the offering and ate them and gave them to his followers, loaves which the priests alone are allowed to eat?'
5 And he said to them, 'The Son of man is master of the Sabbath.'

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He who kills by sword shall die by sword! The culprits are currently paraded as they make a live confession on how they killed the Reverend Father.

He who kills by sword shall die by sword! The culprits are currently paraded as they make a live confession on how they killed the Reverend Father.

  15:55    Catholic Channels

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Concerning our post last week about the death of Rev. Fr Cyriacus Onunkwo, the culprits are currently paraded as they make a live confession on how they killed the Reverend Father.

The Imo State Police Command has paraded several persons suspected to have involved in armed robbery and kidnapping activities in the command premises. Among them were those suspected to have abducted and killed Rev.Fr Cyriacus Onunkwo,in one of the Catholic parishe in Orlu zone in imo state Nigeria.

The commissioner of Police in charge of Imo state command, while briefing the news men said that IMO state under his watch must enjoy peace in all areas of life. He also pledge to support his men where necessary to ensure efficiency in delivery of their constitutional duties.

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History and Facts about St. Peter Claver

History and Facts about St. Peter Claver

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This priest of the Society of Jesus was born in 1580. Feast day is Sptember 9th. He is known as the "apostle of the slaves." While he was still studying to become a Jesuit, he felt a burning desire to go to South America as a missionary.
He volunteered and was sent to the seaport of Cartagena. There great shiploads of African slaves were brought to be sold. At the sight of those poor people all crowded together, sick and suffering, Peter felt great pity. He made up his mind to help them and to convert them. As soon as a shipload arrived, he would go among the hundreds of sick slaves.
He gave them food and medicine. He baptized the dying and the little babies. He nursed the ill. It was hard work in terrible heat. One man who went once with St. Peter could never face the heart-breaking sight again. Yet Peter did it for forty years.
 He baptized some three hundred thousand people. He was there when the ships came in. He cared for and loved those who were treated so unjustly by society. Although the slave owners tried to stop Father Claver, he taught the faith to the slaves anyway. It was slow, discouraging work. Many people criticized him, saying it was all a waste of time. They thought the slaves would never keep the faith. But St. Peter was patient and he trusted that God would bless his people. He also went to visit his converts after they left Cartagena.
The priest never stopped urging the slave owners to take care of the souls of their slaves and to be better Christians themselves. During the last four years of his life, Father Claver was so sick that he had to stay in his room, He could not even celebrate Mass. Most everyone forgot about him, but he never complained. Then suddenly at his death on September 8, 1654, it was like the whole city woke up.
They realized that they had lost a saint. From then on he was never forgotten again. Pope Leo XIII proclaimed him a saint in 1888. Prejudice against people because of their race, religion, culture or birthplace offends God, the good Father of us all.
 We can ask St. Peter Claver to help us love everybody as God's children. We can also ask him to help us get rid of any prejudice that could be in our hearts.

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The history and Facts about blessed virgin Mary's birth

The history and Facts about blessed virgin Mary's birth

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We do not usually celebrate the birthdays of the saints. Instead we celebrate the day they died, because that is the day they were born into the joys of heaven. But the birthday of Mary, our Blessed Mother, is an exception.
We do celebrate her birthday because she came into this world full of grace and because she was to be the Mother of Jesus. The birth of Our Lady was like a dawn.
When the sky starts to turn a rosy pink early in the morning, we know the sun will soon come up. In the same way, when Mary was born, she brought great happiness to the world.
 Her birth meant that soon Jesus, the Sun of justice, would appear. Mary was the wonderful human being whose privilege it was to bring the Lord Jesus to all people.
Even today, if we have Mary, we have Jesus. Whoever is very devoted to her is very close to the heart of Jesus.
We can make Mary's birthday special by whispering a Hail Mary often throughout the day.

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Daily Mass Reading for Friday 8th September, 2017

Daily Mass Reading for Friday 8th September, 2017

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First Reading, Micah 5:1-4

¹ But you (Bethlehem) Ephrathah, the least of the clans of Judah, from you will come for me a future ruler of Israel whose origins go back to the distant past, to the days of old.

² Hence Yahweh will abandon them only until she who is in labour gives birth, and then those who survive of his race will be reunited to the Israelites.

³ He will take his stand and he will shepherd them with the power of Yahweh, with the majesty of the name of his God, and they will be secure, for his greatness will extend henceforth to the most distant parts of the country.

⁴ He himself will be peace! Should the Assyrian invade our country, should he set foot in our land, we shall raise seven shepherds against him, eight leaders of men

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 13:6, 6

⁶ But I trust in your mercy, Grant my heart joy in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, for he has dealt bountifully with me!

Gospel, Matthew 1: 1-16, 18-23

¹ Roll of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, son of David, son of Abraham:

² Abraham fathered Isaac, Isaac fathered Jacob, Jacob fathered Judah and his brothers,

³ Judah fathered Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar, Perez fathered Hezron, Hezron fathered Ram,

⁴ Ram fathered Amminadab, Amminadab fathered Nahshon, Nahshon fathered Salmon,

⁵ Salmon fathered Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz fathered Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed fathered Jesse;

⁶ and Jesse fathered King David. David fathered Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah's wife,

⁷ Solomon fathered Rehoboam, Rehoboam fathered Abijah, Abijah fathered Asa,

⁸ Asa fathered Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat fathered Joram, Joram fathered Uzziah,

⁹ Uzziah fathered Jotham, Jotham fathered Ahaz, Ahaz fathered Hezekiah,

¹⁰ Hezekiah fathered Manasseh, Manasseh fathered Amon, Amon fathered Josiah;

¹¹ and Josiah fathered Jechoniah and his brothers. Then the deportation to Babylon took place.

¹² After the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah fathered Shealtiel, Shealtiel fathered Zerubbabel,

¹³ Zerubbabel fathered Abiud, Abiud fathered Eliakim, Eliakim fathered Azor,

¹⁴ Azor fathered Zadok, Zadok fathered Achim, Achim fathered Eliud,

¹⁵ Eliud fathered Eleazar, Eleaser fathered Matthan, Matthan fathered Jacob;

¹⁶ and Jacob fathered Joseph the husband of Mary; of her was born Jesus who is called Christ.

¹⁸ This is how Jesus Christ came to be born. His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph; but before they came to live together she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.

¹⁹ Her husband Joseph, being an upright man and wanting to spare her disgrace, decided to divorce her informally.

²⁰ He had made up his mind to do this when suddenly the angel of the lord appeared to him in a dream and said, 'Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because she has conceived what is in her by the Holy Spirit.

²¹ She will give birth to a son and you must name him Jesus, because he is the one who is to save his people from their sins.'

²² Now all this took place to fulfil what the Lord had spoken through the prophet:

²³ Look! the virgin is with child and will give birth to a son whom they will call Immanuel, a name which means 'God-is-with-us'

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