Dear friends in Christ,

                                             Celebrating the Class of 2020 High School Seniors

Congratulations to the class of 2020 Seniors of our parish! I think of your graduation in terms of the feast of the Ascension of the Lord we celebrated on Thursday, May 21. In many ways, your academic achievement is a form of rising to a higher position. You have worked hard and scaled several hurdles to get to where you are; you have earned this success and deserve our applauds. As we think of Jesus' Ascension to heaven as a source of hope for all believers, so should you find hope for a better future as you graduate from high school. The roads have been rough, yet your courage, resilience, and faith took you through it.
The journey is not over; it continues. The struggle is not over; it continues. I remember a rallying call, a Latin phrase, from my days in college as an active member of a Student Union demonstration for justice, reduced tuition fees, and a better living condition on campus for students from college authority. To boost their collective spirit, we would cry out to the mobilized student body, "Aluta continua, victoria ascerta" (the struggle continues, victory is certain!). Let the spirit behind this saying be a source of encouragement to you when you face life struggles that still await you in the future. You are already experiencing part of it like everyone in the present restrictions placed on our lives by Covid-19. You must not be discouraged by uncertainties of life or cowered in terror to the hazards of human life. Instead, let the challenges that life will present in various forms draw out the best in you-courage, resourcefulness, creativity, doggedness, and a deeper faith in Jesus Christ, your best friend in any situation whatsoever. Victory is certain when you face all odds with all the rigors of energy God has endowed you. You are in my prayers and always remember the church is with you and behind you.
On this note, on behalf of the entire parish, I extend words of congratulations to the following class of 2020 Seniors :
Lancaster Catholic HS
 
Hope Amanda Abel
Nicholas Thomas Barb
Jillian Grace Bradley
Gabrielle Anna Bruno
Kathryn Theresa Keane
Aaron Joshua Kern
Zygmunt Anthony Mikula
Tyla Janae Smith
Ian Paul Witkowski
 
Bishop McDevitt HS
 
Morgan Anna Molnar

Elizabethtown HS
 
Jared Salvador Alvarez
Brody Beach
Emily Madison Ball
Alexandra Collman
Leah Elizabeth Covaleski
Camille Donahue
Madisyn Jane Ealy
Gavin Gilhool
Matthew Goodling
Lauren Nicole Hottenstein
Logan Lauver
Matthew McCorkle
Kristin McEvoy
Alexander Miller
Noah Rebert
Dugan Reiman
Cole Michael Rice
Ellen Ruth Schlosser
Connor Schramm
Andrew Jacob Telenko
Kimberly Wolf
Ryan Yencha
 
 

Dear friends,        
                                                                 I Miss You All

It was on Wednesday morning, May 13. I was looking with delight at my beautiful, mowed rectory green lawn through my kitchen window, drinking my black Starbucks coffee, a good pike place roast while figuring out in my mind what to say in my homily later in the morning about readings from Acts 15 and John 15. Then I saw them. They were walking on South Cherry Alley, about to cross Park Road. Two close friends, I have not seen them together in weeks, though I see one of the two a couple of times a week. If she is not going into the St. Peter historical church to change altar linens or candles, she's helping with counting Sunday collections in the office on Monday. Sandy and Kay were taking a walk in the neighborhood since they could not go to the Masonic Village anymore for their routine exercises. My mind switched off my meditation for the day's bible passages, and my face lit up, I was filled with joy like that of my godson Dayo when he gets a car toy gift from me. I dashed out of the kitchen, out onto the rectory, and yelled, "Sandy." "Kay." It was Kay who eventually heard my loud screams of her name and turned around. I cared less what my neighbors were thinking about me screaming so loud across the street. I was just happy to see Kay Millhouse and Sandy Koser together, best of friends they are, those holy ladies. I miss seeing them.

Why am I writing about sighting two of my parishioners taking a walk and why I am so thrilled to see them? In place of my usual Sunday homily reflection, I felt moved this time around to express my deeply-felt feelings of sense of loss due to not seeing my loving and devoted parishioners since our last parish mass without a congregation on March 15. I miss all my parishioners during this time of the pandemic restrictions. I miss them coming to daily and Sunday masses. I miss seeing Sandy and Kay take care of the altar linens and flowers, respectively, after mass. I miss watching them say few words in hushed voices as they pass by each other in the sanctuary. I miss the happy-faced Joseph Barone, who has not been there to help with setting up for Monday evening Eucharistic adoration. I had to lit the charcoal and prepare the thurible by myself during the celebration of Easter vigil without a congregation. I miss seeing Jane Cavender and Anne Norment collaborating to read assigned bible passage and Gospel acclamation. I miss seeing Beth and Michael Vertucci coming through the aisle to receive communion religiously. I miss seeing Rich and Marty Esoldo as well, especially the glow on Rich's face when I distribute the Precious Blood. I miss seeing Rachel Clark on the front pew to the right of the altar, seeping water-I hope, as she pays attention during mass. I miss seeing the saintly Vince Bresch come in quietly into the church to pray about a half-hour before mass begins. I miss seeing Mike and Pat Minick walking elegantly to their car after mass. I miss Ronnie Acri telling me about his labor in the building of the historic church altar and his nickname in high school.
 I miss seeing Tim and Lee Malcolm read together in-pew from their big missal book. I miss going out to breakfast with John and Joan Bridgen and all these people, including the amiable Amie Barone, of course. I miss way lot of people; I cannot name all names; please pardon me.

Each time I step into the new church, I miss seeing you all. I miss seeing the ushers, who would not miss the devoted service of John Gulya and his team. I miss seeing and praying with the extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion and the altar servers gathered in the narthex, waiting for me to lead them in prayers before mass. I miss processing into the sanctuary with my lector carrying the book of the Gospel. I miss the choir, I'm glad Corinne has been helping us every Sunday, but I miss the entire robed choir in the pew. I miss my devoted pianists and musicians, Linda Itzoe and Liz Pfautz, and the angelic voiced cantors. I miss all the fantastic parishioners who would look at me with faces beaming with smiles as I sing part of my homily (even if they don't understand part of what I am saying in my elegant Nigerian accent, lol). I miss seeing that church filled with joyful people during baptisms and weddings. I miss the energy and joy of the youth choir and their leaders. I miss the occasional visits to the RCIA and CCD classes. I miss post-8:30 am mass remarks from my friend, Ed Millhouse. When do I see you again? I miss seeing every one of you; honestly, I do

Above all, I miss seeing all the little, cute, and angelic children who run happily from all sides of the church to the altar to drop their collection. I cry tears of joy when I think of such witness of little ones. I love you all and miss you much. I am thankful for all the love many of you have shown me-bringing me food, sending me cards, calling to check on me and praying for me. You all mean the world to me and am glad to be with you during this strange time. We are in it together. We will overcome COVID-19 together. I pray for you every day at mass and offer my daily Rosaries for you. Please stay safe and remain joyful in this season of Easter and beyond. I can't wait to see you back in the church pews. I pray it happens sooner than later.

In Christ who loves us,      

Fr. Bernard Oniwe, OP
 

Dear Friends in Christ,          
                                                       Why Do I Believe in Jesus Christ?

I have watched some videos and attended webinars in the last two weeks on why atheists do not believe in Jesus Christ. One of their central arguments against belief in Jesus or the existence of God is that there is no rational basis for such belief. British Philosopher Bertrand Russel aptly captures this line of argument in an interview he granted a few years before his death in 1970. In his answer to the question, why are you not a Christian? In his own words, he says he is not a believer in Jesus: “because I see no evidence whatsoever in any of the Christian dogmas.” He goes on further to say that in his engagement in pursuit of knowledge, he concluded that Christian dogmas are not true because they are irrational and one can’t verify their truthfulness. For instance, Russel considers Jesus teaching of afterlife nonsensical. Jesus’ declaration and promise in John 14 about returning to heaven after his resurrection to prepare a place for those who believe in him, and an invitation to faith in him as the way, truth, and life are rejected by Bertrand Russel and his likes in our current age for lack of proof for the truthfulness of such claims. Can we make a compelling case for the evident truth of Christ and his teachings? Yes, we can.
The incarnate Word, imago Dei, Jesus Christ himself is the proof of dogmas of Christian faith. My claim would be considered fallacious and lacking in scientific evidence by philosophers and scientists respectively. But the onus of proof in this context and concerning this subject is found in the person of Christ himself-the author of life. His words and teachings are true because God’s witness and testimony are true (Jn 8:14). Consequently, we believe in God and all truths he revealed to us: we believe in heaven and hell, we believe in the resurrection of the body at the end of life, we believe in the Parousia, and the last judgement. We believe in all teachings of Jesus because they are self evident to perception of faith. These truths fall primarily within the purview of faith. The knowledge of the world and what is known about it is not limited to the material form of knowledge; after all, our universe is composed of matter and spirit. Jesus is the origin and ground of all human knowledge.
Jesus declares to the curious and knowledge-seeking Thomas, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life” (Jn 14:6). We know these teaching to be true by the gift of faith and can verify it to be true by the life and works of believers in Christ down the ages who fulfill the promise of Christ when he says that “he who believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do; because I go to the Father.” (Jn 14:12). All humans are seeking for a way to truth and life, including atheists and agnostics and non-Christians. Because the human soul cannot find perfect fulfillment in the material provision, Jesus provides the way to the essential spiritual purpose of the humans. St. Augustine makes this clear in his sermons: “Every man can attain an understanding of the Truth and the Life; but not all find the Way. The wise of this world realize that God is eternal life and knowable truth; but by the Word of God, who is Truth and Life joined to the Father, has become the way by taking a human nature” (De Verbis Domini Sermones, 54).
For Many, like Bertrand Russel, who reject Jesus, “a cornerstone, chosen and precious” in the configuration of their lives, there are many more who by grace believe or have faith in him as the cornerstone of their lives, and progress and joy are their lots. The growth in the number of disciples and the widespread of the Way among Jews and Gentiles alike as we heard from Acts of the Apostles 6:1 are concrete and verifiable evidence of the truthfulness of Christ teaching about himself when he says “whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these” (Jn 14:12). These self-evident truths of faith are parts of the reasons why I believe in Jesus Christ, the reason why I am a Christian. It is part of our functions as partakers in the royal priesthood of Christ to offer sacrifices and prayers for non-believers and carry out works of Christ to attract them to follow the Way.
In Christ, the way, the truth, and the life,      
Fr. Bernard Oniwe, OP
 

Dear Friends,     
                                                  Shepherd, Sheep, and Strangers

The Good Shepherd calls his sheep by name. The stranger’s voice also calls the sheep to himself. The sheep paying close attention listen for and follow the voice of the good shepherd and disregard the attractive but misleading voice of the stranger. Our world is like a marketplace of competing voices. These mercantile-like voices can be compared to the honey-sweet voice of Homer’s Odyssey singing Sirens, enticing us to purchase various items shoved in our faces. What products do these voices call us to buy? Lies and death, packed in shimmering boxes held together by golden strings. Don’t be mesmerized by the sweet coated tongues of these slimy sirens as Odysseus’ men were before being tricked to their peril by the irresistible singing voices of the mythical Sirens. The voice of the enemy-strangers, the diabolic voice calls us to a place of destruction and atrophy; the enchanting voice calls to diminish and destroy our soul. Let’s be wise to shut out this deceptive voice, do not listen to it.
As St. Peter wrote in his first letter, be on the alert because the enemy is like a roaring lion ready to pounce on you once you listen to the false voices of the devil (cf. 1 Pt 5:8).  The Good Shepherd calls his own by name and they follow him. But as it sometimes happens, the sheep fall victim to the pretentious voice of the stranger and is lead astray. When do we go astray? When do we follow strange voices? They are the times we fail to listen to the Shepherd’s voice in the silence of our hearts. There are too many screaming voices in our head and mind inviting us to distractions-to sin and darkness. They come to our souls in different disguises. They are the material culture of our post-Christian world, they are sensuous pleasure in the public places and media, they are the calls to false self-reliance and independence from the so-called “clutch of faith and religion”, they are the selfish cravings for dominance over others, they are the heart-hardening to the Gospel of life similar to the hardening of hearts of Israelites at Meribah, “as on the day at Massah in the wilderness” (Ps 95: 7-8), and they are the other forms of deviation from the voice of love and truth.
Today, we will listen to the Shepherd’s voice. We will find time for silence. We will detach the plugs from our ears from time to time today and listen to the voice calling us to life. Jesus speaks to us in the Sacred Scriptures and deep, quiet meditations, he speaks to us in people we meet each day, he speaks to us in the beautiful and sublime things of nature, and he speaks to us even in the tragedies of life like the present pandemics. We only need to listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and let his voice speak to us and lead us back to the shepherd and guardian of our souls (1 Pt 2: 25).
Decide today to listen to the true voice of the Shepherd who leads his sheep to abundant life. For a start, may I suggest you commit daily to 10 minutes of silence in the presence of God who dwells in the inner recesses of your soul? Start by inviting the Holy Spirit and give the Shepherd’s voice full control to speak to your mind and soul. By listening to the Shepherd’s voice, we are tied to Christ and prevented from following destructive voices of the evil stranger similar to how Odysseus was tied to the mast of the ship to prevent him from following the seductive and destructive voice of the seductive siren.

Have a Blessed Good Shepherd Sunday.
In Christ, the Good Shepherd,      
Fr. Bernard Oniwe, OP
 

Dear friends in Christ,              
                                                                          Let's Switch Gears!
I was self-taught to drive as a teen in the early '80s on a stick shift car. Learning to drive a transmission car without adult supervision had unpleasant consequences for me-it is painful to recall the image of my dad's wrecked Peugeot 504 car, but that is a story for another day. One painful but vital lesson I learned about switching gears while driving a manual shift car is the timeliness of taking your foot off the clutch as you pedal on the accelerator. I burnt a couple of clutch pads because I failed to take my foot off the pedal as soon as I switch gears to a different level. We need to know the time to switch gears for smooth transmission and mobility of our spiritual life as it driving a stick shift car. A productive religious devotion and prayer life depend on making switches among abundant options as we fight spiritual battles. We fight spiritual battles with weapons of prayers.
It is time we switch gears of our spiritual weapon to the Rosary. As we face the challenges of our time, the Covid-19 pandemic, I want to suggest that we turn intentionally to Mary Our Lady of the Rosary. St. Dominic and St. Pio of Pietrelcina taught me many years ago that turning to Our Blessed Mother Mary and the prayer of the Rosary in time of dire straits is a holy thing to do. St. Padre Pio said it is unthinkable to think we can win life battles without the aid of our Lady and the Rosary: "Some people are so foolish that they think they can go through life without the help of the Blessed Mother. Love the Madonna and pray the Rosary, for her Rosary is the weapon against the evils of the world today. All graces given by God pass through the Blessed Mother." 
 Bible supports this claim.  "Lord Jesus, open the Scriptures to us; make our hearts burn while you speak to us" (Lk. 24:32). As Jesus opened the scriptures to two of his disciples on the way to Emmaus, I opened the scriptures to the marriage feast at Cana (Jn. 2:1-11)  and Jesus' last words to his Mother and John at the foot of the Cross (Jn. 19:25-27). They speak to me of God willing to channel his graces to us through the prayers and motherly care of Mary. These are instances where Mary is called upon to intervene on our behalf to Jesus and Jesus, commending us to her maternal care, respectively.
I want to suggest we go to Mary specifically in May. Devotions to Mary in May started in Ancient Rome to commemorate the beginnings of floral blooms. It is part of the reasons our children crown Mary with flowers during the May crowning of Mary. As we switch to the time of spring, we turn to an intensification of our Marian devotions. I encourage you to meditate daily on the mysteries of the Holy Rosary; we honor Mary this way, and she will intercede on our behalf in these challenging times.
St. Bernard of Clairvaux, my patron saint, said, "God wills that all his gifts should come to us through Mary." I believe so. Through Mary, God gave us his son and our savior Jesus Christ. Through the intercession of Mary, God wants to help us win our spiritual battles as we switch our prayer gears to Marian devotions in May. Please pray at least a chaplet of the Rosary daily throughout May. Pray for us, Holy Mary, Mother of God.

In Jesus and Mary,   
Fr. Bernard Oniwe, OP
 

 Dear friends in Risen Christ,
                                                     Receive Mercy, Practice Mercy

On the eve of the Second World War, Jesus Christ, the Lord of Mercy, revealed to Sr. Faustina Kowalska a message of Divine Mercy. Our Lord requested Sr. Faustina to promote the establishment of the Feast of Divine Mercy universally in the Church. Our Lord went on to say that "Mankind will not have peace until it turns to the fount of my mercy." The message of Divine Mercy is not new, but the Lord instructed Sr. Faustina to convey its modern form to the world of our time, a time of deep suffering and loss, and in need of peace and hope.
 God manifested an abundance of merciful love to us in the Bible. The message of the sacred scripture is about God's mercy. The Old and the New Testaments contain accounts of how God, who is rich in mercy, came to save his erring children from damnation through the merciful love of Jesus Christ. From the pierced side of Jesus on the Cross flows the redemptive water and blood. Jesus offered us the grace of his merciful love in the sacraments of mercy- Baptism and Eucharist: "This is the one who came through water and blood, Jesus Christ, not by water alone, but by water and blood" (I Jn 5: 5).
 He imparted the grace of this redemptive act of merciful love on his followers when he appeared to the apostles after his resurrection as St. John wrote: "Jesus came and stood in their midst…breathed on them and said to them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained' "(Jn 20). Our infidelity never limits God’s love; he wants to shed his healing rays of mercy on us when we become repentant and choose to love him and our neighbors. God of mercy and compassion who reaches out to us in mercy and calls us to hope in his merciful love. At the same time, he calls us at this time to share with others this hope by practicing mercy. I invite you at this time to believe in the gift of mercy that Jesus brings us on this Sunday of Divine Mercy. I encourage you to begin a lifetime devotion to praying daily the Chaplet of Divine mercy so…" that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and that through this belief, you may have life in his name." Receive mercy, practice mercy. 
O God, we have been washed in the living water of baptism and redeemed in the Blood of the Lamb, increase our faith in your everlasting and superabundance mercy.

Jesus, We Trust in You.In Christ,

Fr. Bernard Oniwe, OP
 

                                                            The Lord is Risen, Shout Alleluia!
 
Dear Friends in Christ,
 
Jesus rose from the dead on the first day of the week because the scripture says: "he must rise from the dead" (Jn 20:9). Mary Magdalene, Simon Peter, and John, the beloved disciple, saw an empty tomb and only later came to believe that Jesus has risen. If we look at what happened to the disciples of Jesus from another perspective, we will see that Easter Sunday was not necessarily and initially a happy day for them. They were devastated that the Pharisees and Scribes crucified their Lord.  They lived in hiding and in fear of these enemies who were after the followers of Jesus. Now they found an empty tomb that did not initially translate to them as a sign of Resurrection. On this Easter morning at the empty tomb, the disciples were in a state of mourning and sadness. At first, Easter morning was not a happy one for the disciples until the Risen Lord appeared to them later. We do feel the same way the disciple felt. The darkness that is the devastation of coronavirus pandemic seems to snuff off the light of Easter joy.
 
This year's Easter is different from what we are used to. Our churches are empty. We are not physically present in church singing Alleluias at Mass, rejoicing that Jesus has risen.  Like the empty tomb, our empty Church does not immediately turn to a piece of joyful news. Yet we are joyful and celebrate the Risen Christ because the event of the Resurrection transcends all the dysfunction that currently marks our world and our regular church life. We have been dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic all through lent. The empty tomb tells us that Jesus has risen over death and sin. The Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ is a real and historical fact. His body is indeed risen and united to his soul; this is an authentic experience. But we need more than the historical truth and real knowledge; we need faith to experience the reality of the Resurrection of Jesus.
 
I invite you to that living faith. Despite our empty Church, despite the shadow cast on our worship by coronavirus pandemic, we are above all a people of transcendence faith. Our faith bears testimony to the reality of the Resurrection, the joy of Easter. My dear friends, Jesus has risen indeed, let us rejoice and be glad in this day. This Easter Sunday is the day the Lord has made for us to testify to the world that our faith in Risen Christ is higher than the scourge of coronavirus. Let us break into joyful song and dance. Let us bear witness to risen Christ as we share His love, hope, and saving grace with all people in our lives. Let us offer to all people the good news from the empty tomb and empty Church that Jesus is indeed victorious over all the anomalies of our life as we live it presently.
 
Let the world know that despite deaths and fear, Jesus reigns supreme. He has conquered death and sin. He will overcome the darkness of the Coronavirus pandemic. "This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad" (Psalm 118:1).
 
                                             Happy Easter!      

Fr. Bernard Oniwe, O.P.
 

Dear friends in Christ,
 
                                                                  Sin and Salvific Suffering
 
We begin Holy Week with the procession by the crowd with palms to welcome Jesus into Jerusalem, where at a place called Golgotha, he would fulfill his mission, death by crucifixion for the salvation of the human race from sin and death. During the Passiontide, we listen to the passion narrative, according to Matthew, where our own story of sinful culpability confronts us. We read about the betrayal by Judas Iscariot, denial by Peter, cunning act of the Pilate, shout of murder by the crowd at the instigation of the elders and the Pharisees, heart-wrenching death of Jesus on the Cross at Calvary, his burial and sealing of his tomb.
 
From the Mount of Olives to Golgotha, from the sweating of blood and arrest of Jesus at a place called Gethsemane to his gruesome crucifixion at Golgotha, we prayerfully contemplate the passion of Christ, and we arrive at the question: why did Jesus have to save us through this most horrible suffering unto death? To answer the question, I will borrow the words of St. Anselm of Canterbury in his book on the incarnation,  Cur Deus Homo? (Why did God become Man?}. In a conversation with Boso in Bk 1:11 about satisfaction for sin, Anselm argues that the only way the debt our sin incurred could be satisfied is by God himself paying the debt because we are incapable of paying for it:
 
"If someone sins, he has to restore what he has taken away before he can be clear of fault. So then, every one who sins ought to pay back the honor of which he has robbed God. This is the satisfaction which every sinner owes to God."
 
Jesus satisfied what we owe God by our sin through his suffering on our account, his passion, and death on the Cross. Let us unite our prayers and penance with the Lord's Passion during this time of pandemic restrictions when our liturgical life seems stunted, but graces still flow from the fount of the Church's sacrament celebrated before empty pews. The entire liturgy of the Holy Week will be live-streamed to you on parish Facebook page and YouTube videos posted afterward on our parish website. I intend to keep the scheduled times for the Triduum,  Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday, Good Friday Liturgy, and Easter Sunday mass as posted on our website and in Lent and Easter pamphlet sent to you.
 
As you enter into the mystery of the Holy Week, I recommend you read Pope John Paul II Apostolic Letter, Salvifici Dolores (http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/hlthwork/documents/hf_jp-ii_apl_11021984_salvifici-doloris_en.html)  and watch Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Cross (if you have the heart to endure the gory graphic scenes illustrating the evil effect of our sins)
 
In Christ Crucified,
Fr. Bernard Oniwe, OP
 

Dear friends in Christ,
                                                                                Is God Absent?
 
Jesus assures Martha in John's Gospel for this Sunday that her brother Lazarus "will rise again." Jesus says of himself: "I am the resurrection and the life, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?" (John 11:25). The resurrection of the dead is very crucial to the Christian faith; it is no wonder the Nicene Creed we recite at masses on Sundays and Holydays of obligation highlights it. Do we believe in the resurrection of the dead?
 
Death of Lazarus, a dearly beloved friend of Jesus, rocked the world of his sisters, Mary and Martha of Bethany. The Gospel, according to John, relates the sisters' tears and grief over the painful death of their brother. Jesus himself wept when confronted with his death, displaying his humanity and indicating to us that it is human to cry when we lose a loved one. As we continued to be tried by the global coronavirus pandemic, those who have lost loved ones to the virus can connect with the sorrows of Mary and Martha. Like the sisters, they are perhaps wondering if God is absent and no longer involved in our world. The scourge of this invisible agent of death challenges all of us, we live in anxiety and uncertainty.
 
But we must pause and ponder the raising of Lazarus in today's Gospel. Jesus raised him to strengthen our faith. We must find hope and strength in our faith in the resurrection of the dead as we face the threat of death either directly or indirectly. As we think of thousands who have died in Italy, Spain, China, and even in our country, we must turn to Jesus the living Lord who, in the words of prophet Ezekiel, will open graves (Ez 37:12). St. Paul reminds us of the Spirit of God who lives in us, the Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead (Rom 8:11). Like Mary and Martha, we must rise and fall at the feet of Jesus, crying out prayerfully to Him, who will hear our voice (Ps.130:2 ). Jesus is not absent, even in the face of death; he is here with us. Jesus is here to raise our hope by raising Lazarus from the dead, and he assures us of his love and presence despite permitting the tragedy of the plague and death. He is not absent in our time of trials; he is very much present. Do we believe him?
 
What meaning and use are we making of this time of quarantine? What is the Lord telling us in our bible reading and prayers? God has a purpose for this period of painful isolation, what are his intentions for you and me?
 
Yours in the Living Christ,
Fr. Bernard Oniwe, OP
 
 

Dear Friends in Christ,
                                                                      Are We Also Blind?
The entire chapter 9 of John's Gospel is devoted to the account of Jesus' cure of the man born blind. This singular focus of the chapter signifies the importance of the subject addressed, Christ; the divine Light overcomes the darkness of sin. The sacrament of baptism accurately embodies this act. It is for this reason that "enlightenment" is another name given to baptism in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
To see in the spiritual sense, it is Christ who will give us Light (Eph. 5:14). We need his Light now more than ever because we have a form of darkness that looms over our lives, the gloom called Covid-19. A plague that has suddenly turn our world into chaos and uncertainty. It is spreading the darkness of fear, illness, and death that is rocking every facet of life. We need Christ's Light. We need to be able to see through this darkness. We need a perception, a divine perception. Like Samuel, we tend to see with human eyes, not with divine eyes, but "Not as man sees does God sees" (1 Sam 16).
Like some of the Pharisees in today's Gospel, we ask Jesus, like the man born blind, "Are we also blind?" (Jn 9:40). Yes, we should humbly admit that we are blind, but we should also be confident to say that we have encountered Jesus Christ, the Light of the world. If we believe and follow Jesus in this time of the darkness of the unknown, we will have the Light of life.
Despite the blindness we experience now, despite the pains and sufferings that follow, the Light of faith is a source of joy. On this Sunday, traditionally called Laetare Sunday, we find a reason to rejoice because Jesus the Light will cure our blindness. Let's invite that Light in continuous prayers, fasting, and compassion for our neighbors. And let's stay safe by doing the right thing.

In Christ, the Light,
Fr. Bernard Oniwe, OP