FEATURE ARTICLE

Thursday, December 12, 2024
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REJOICE!

n my last write-up titled "Stay awake!" my mind was awake while my fingers slept off as I was writing. Thus I wrote that the Birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary was on December 8 instead of September 8. I hope you are awake to do the correction in your mind and in your script. The Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary is celebrated on December 8. This year the Solemnity was shifted to Monday December 9 in order not to omit the second Sunday of Advent. Please continue to stay awake because the Second Coming of Jesus Christ is still being awaited. No one knows the year, the date and the time. Christmas is the re-enactment of his first coming in flesh and blood. His Second Coming will be in glory.

My topic today is Rejoice! Are you rejoicing already? There is a certain Lady whose name is Joy. Unfortunately she is a sadist. A sadist is one who rejoices at the misfortune of others and becomes envious of their progress. This particular lady's face is always gloomy or melancholic. She seldom laughs suspiciously. Her name is a contradiction. She needs to change her name from Joy to Sadist or Sadine.

On the third Sunday of Advent we celebrate the "Gaudete" Sunday. It is a Latin terminology which means 'to rejoice'. What are we rejoicing for? The coming of the Saviour Jesus Christ is imminent. We are rejoicing because our salvation is assured. He comes with material and spiritual goodies. The Word made flesh is about to be celebrated on 25 December 2024. The Angels of God sing: "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men of goodwill." Are you of good will or bad will? If the former, then rejoice! But if the latter, then weep! Have you sewn your Christmas bodily and spiritual clothes? A good tree bears good fruits while a bad tree bears bad fruits. Action, they say, speaks louder than words. As we rejoice at Christmas, we look forward to the second glorious coming of the Lord and Saviour of fallen mankind. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. Are you living or dead? Have you checked your status? If not, hurry to any worthy priest of God for spiritual diagnosis and healing before the hammer strikes.

Christmas is a celebration of joy. Anyone found sad on Christmas day should be arrested and prosecuted accordingly. Those who possess fake PHD are enemies of progress. This fake certificate contains these three words: Pull him (her) down. The bearers of such fake PHD certificate are abundant in our society today. Therefore we must shine our eyes as we celebrate Christmas at home or abroad.

As we rejoice, let us remember the less privileged among us. There is joy in sharing. It pays to be generous. There is acute hunger and hardship in our country Nigeria. Some are eating from hand to mouth. Some are eating from dust bin to mouth. Many are starving. The gospel a hungry person understands is: "Give me something to eat." Christmas is a celebration of love. Let us love one another, especially the poor, the sick and the hungry within and outside our vicinities. A hungry man is an angry man while a happy man feels satisfied.

One can never rejoice in iniquity. Therefore we ought to have a sound soul in a sound body. Sin alienates us from God. Christmas and Emmanuel are synonymous. Emmanuel means 'God is with us.' Satanuel means the devil is with you. Confession of sins and repentance are sine qua non for rejoicing. We can rejoice positively when we are at peace with God and our neighbours. Thus, as we reconcile with God, we should also reconcile with one another. Rejoicing is infectious. Let us infect one another joyfully. As we rejoice in God, let us beware of the devil and the enemies of progress. Saint Peter admonishes us, "Be calm but vigilant because your enemy the devil is prowling round like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour" (1 Peter 5: 8). Do not give the devil and his agents the opportunity!

Not all those who celebrated Christmas last year are alive today. May God have mercy on them and grant them eternal life. We that are alive are not better than the dead. It is only by the grace of God. Therefore we have the golden opportunity to examine our consciences and make necessary restitution and amendments. Whenever we sleep and wake up the next day, God gives us a second chance. This Divine privilege should not be taken for granted. Who knows if you or I will be alive to celebrate 2025 Christmas? Let us use this rare opportunity to fill the potholes in us and level every mountain in our souls and strengthen the rough paths in our lives. Do not delay. Procrastination is dangerous.

As I was tying this write-up, a middle-aged man walked into my office tired and dejected. His face resembled the road that leads to hell fire. The vein pumping blood into his facial areas has ceased working. Harmattan leashed terror on him from head to toe. His upper and lower lips have parted ways. Thus his bad dental formula was exposed. His presence tensed me up. I stopped tying instantly. Then I respected his human dignity by offering him a seat. In addition I offered him a welcome handshake. I nearly shouted for pain because his palm was rough and sharp like razor blade. Despite the painful exchange of greeting, I smiled and exclaimed, "Welcome and rejoice!" He glanced at me mockingly and said, "What am I rejoicing for, when my life is full of woes? I am ill, poor, hungry and despaired in life. Poverty has crippled me. As a result, my wife deserted me and disappeared with our three children. I am now lonely and hopeless. Yesterday I nearly committed suicide. But after a second thought, I changed my mind. An unseen voice directed me to come to you for healing, deliverance and feeding.

First of all, I congratulated him for cancelling the suicide attempt and for seeking help. I narrated the story of the man who went into a forest to commit suicide. After inserting his head into a round rope and was about to jump down, a shrill voice from below shouted, "Odogwu, please don't crush me!" He paused. Put off the rope and climbed down. He saw a crippled boy inside a large pot thrown into that forest to die. The healthy despaired man looked up and down and said to himself: "Since this thrown-away crippled boy still has hope of living, why should I as healthy as I am, kill myself?" He smiled and returned home to face the challenges of his life. After narrating this story, the distressed man before me smiled and his face beamed. I prayed for him and offered him some foodstuffs and little financial support. He laughed and danced for joy. I said to him, "Rejoice!" He shouted, "Amen!!!" As he was leaving my office, he was singing, "Ebe m nwere enyi Jesus, nganga na-egbu m egbu!" This means, since I have a friend like Jesus, I am full of joy.

There is always hope in hopelessness. Since a black hen could lay white eggs, there is hope. Also a living dog is better than a dead lion. The secret of survival is happiness. No matter the adverse condition you encounter in life, do not despair. Do not allow the present hardship, hunger and insecurity situation in our country Nigeria to weigh you down. Always be careful, happy and trust in God. Rejoicing is an effective and costless medication. Jesus Christ is the cause of our joy. I wish you merry Christmas and joyful New in advance. Rejoice!!!

TOP HEADLINES

TOP COMMENTARIES

Rejoice!
Fr. PAT AMOBI CHUKWUMA
Christmas is a celebration of joy. Anyone found sad on Christmas day should be arrested and prosecuted accordingly.
Mishap in the Niger Delta
ERIC TENIOLA, Lagos, Nigeria
In 2015, my friend, a retired Federal Permanent Secretary, Dr. Goke Adegoroye from Akure Oloyemekun in Ondo state wrote a book titled "RESTORING GOOD GOVERNANCE IN NIGERIA". The book is well researched and a guide to good governance in this country.
THE CHRISTIAN WALK
Ashanti, Ghana Breakthrough 2024 is here: Knowing the will of God Almighty!
MOSHOOD FAYEMIWO, Cameron, Texas, USA
The Will of the True Lord God Almighty is the Seat of Divine Decision. His Will is what He wants all human beings to do in all areas of life.
Where is your Nathanael?
Pastor AMOS DADA, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
What the Holy Spirit is asking today is have YOU broken the chain? Where is your Nathaneal, Since you were brought to Christ how many have you brought to him? ... Nathanael means ‘God has given’ or ‘Gift of God.'
Stay Awake!
Fr. PAT AMOBI CHUKWUMA
If you wish to sleep at all, then you must employ the 'sleeping-muruanya' method. This involves sleeping with one eye closed and the other open. Few nights ago, I experienced 'sleeping-muruanya' after I saw something strange in my bedroom.