​Beloved in Christ,
 
Jesus is the central character of the Bible. On this Sunday, declared by Pope Francis in his motu proprio of 30 September, 2019, Aperuit illis as the Sunday of the Word of God, the church calls us to devote attention precisely to the Sacred Scripture as a source of knowledge about Jesus, the lover and saviour of our souls. The entire Holy Bible, the Old and the New Testaments, in essence, reveals to us the God who loves and saves us through the incarnation of his Son, Jesus Christ, the great light who preaches and invites us into the kingdom of heaven (Mt 4:17).
 
To help us celebrate, disseminate, and study the Word of God, as Pope Francis teaches in his apostolic letter, I will share with you excerpts from one of my favourite study bibles, the Didache Bible. What follows answers the questions: what is the Bible, what constitutes it, and why we should read it?
The Sacred Scripture is the Word of God addressed to humanity. Though God is the principal author, in composing the Sacred books, "God chose men and while employed by Him they made use of their powers and abilities, so that with Him acting in them and through them, they as true authors, consigned to writing everything and only those things which He wanted" (in Introduction, Didache Bible). This inspired library of books "forms a sacred deposit, which cannot be changed- the 'canon' of Scripture- and includes forty-six books in the Old Testament and twenty-seven in the New Testament." The Catholic Bible, therefore, is made up of seventy-three (73) books.
 
We should read from these inspired books of the Bible daily. Why? "The Bible is a unique book, unlike any other. Through its pages God meets his children with great love and speaks with them (DV 21), and expresses in human language the ultimate truths of his being. Sacred Scripture teaches us that man was created 'in the image of God' (Gen 1: 27), with the capacity to know and love his Creator, and it offers us the way to achieve happiness on earth and in Heaven. 'In Sacred Scripture, the Church constantly finds her nourishment and her strength, for she welcomes it not as a human word, 'but as what it really is, the word of God.' The Bible is a priceless treasure in which we always find light and a guide for our earthly pilgrimage" (Introduction, The Didache Bible, xiv).
 
Own a Catholic Bible. Read and pray (lectio divina) the Bible daily. Join others in studying the Bible. Love and live the Bible daily. The Bible is the Word of God addressed to YOU! In it, God makes His everlasting saving love known to you.
 
In His Joy,
 
Fr. Alayode, OP
 

​Beloved in Christ,
 
John the Baptist's testimony in this Sunday's gospel reveals Jesus to Israel as "the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). This testimony is the subject of our reflection this Sunday. What is the meaning and implication of John's message regarding Jesus' identity? There are three parts to John's declaration. John points to Jesus as "the Lamb of God,"  addresses the problem of "the sin" and how it pertains to "the world."
 
First, "the sin." Here, John speaks of sin in the singular, with an article preceding it. He is speaking here more than individual sin and sinner, though that sense is not excluded. There is a universal approach to sin here. Sin is a translation of the Greek hamartia, which means missing the mark when an archer aims at an object. This sense of sin means that humanity has fallen short in all ways in its relationship with God; sin has ruptured that relationship. The nature of sin is such that it removes us from friendship with God, and we become vulnerable and lost as a result of the breakage from God's love. Sin has the worst form of consequences, temporal and eternal, than we often imagine or admit. 
 
Second, "of the world." The sin committed is universal, and all humanity participates in this act of disobedience against God. All the world has sinned. The baptism of Jesus that John spoke about and which we celebrated last Sunday initiated the process of saving us, the entire world, from the destructive impact of sin on the world. There is a multiplicity and ambiguity in the use of the word "world" in the Bible. There is a sense in which God loves the world, there is another understanding of the world as set against God, and there is the notion of the world that God created and came to save. The whole world, believers as well as unbelievers in God, has fallen away from God and lost its bearings. The world is a mess, and it cannot save itself; only God can liberate it from the negative hold of sin. This is where Jesus comes in.
 
Third, "the Lamb of God." Now comes Jesus, the savior of the world from sin. But, why "Lamb"? The figure of the lamb is a signification of weakness, not strength. Why not Lion instead of Lamb? The answer to this is found in Israel's liturgical act of offering a perpetual sacrifice to God as an act of worship, communion, and dedication. John the Baptist is from a priestly tribe; it is reasonable to assume that he's well informed on the offering of unblemished lambs to God twice a day in the temple as a sin offering. The lamb of sacrifice that the Israelites have been offering to God as an expiation for sin is now revealed in its fullness in Jesus, the Son of God, the glory and the light of God. "Behold, the Lamb of God," John says. 
 
John makes Him known so that all may have communion with him and follow him as he confers on us a new designation, children of God. John helps us to identify Jesus as the new Lamb of the Passover, who comes to offer himself as the true sacrifice that saves all who believe in God from sin and its consequences. The church makes the priest play the role of John the Baptist at Mass. At Mass, the priest points and directs our eyes to Jesus, the Lamb, who is present sacramentally, real and substantially, at every Mass. When the priest repeats the words of John the Baptist at Mass, he performs a truly priestly role- he points to us the true Lamb, the true Sacrifice, the one who takes away the sin of the world. I encourage you to gaze on the true Lamb of God when the priest raises Him at mass today, just before communion, and says, "Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world."
 
Let us, like John the Baptist, show Jesus, the Savior of the world, to others. As people called to be holy, who "call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" ( 1 Corinthians 1: 2), let us reveal the Light that saves from the darkness of sin to others, "to the ends of the earth" (Is. 49: 6). Look up at Jesus at Mass today, He is revealed that we might have communion with him, follow him closely and show him to others in every way possible.
 
I invite you all to join in the prayers for an end to abortion and a greater respect for all human life as we participate in the nationwide vigil on Thursday, during our evening mass and Eucharistic adoration that follows.  Please plan to attend this solemn Holy Hour of prayer.
 
The week of prayer for Christian Unity begins today. Let us pray that all of us Christians may be one in witnessing to the Gospel of Christ.
 
I wish you a joyful celebration of Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday, a Baptist pastor and civil rights icon whose teachings and advocacy shed light on the essence of Catholic Social Teaching (CST)- the respect for human dignity and the promotion of justice and the common good in all their ramifications.
 
With Joy,
 
Fr. Alayode, OP
 

 Beloved in Christ,
 
Who is Jesus Christ? There's an utmost need for us to know who Jesus Christ is. It
may seem silly or stupid to raise the question about Jesus Christ's identity to a Christian Catholic congregation. Yet, it is a profound question that demands pondering upon to arrive at an answer. The Gospel reading for this Sunday provides
 a perfect answer. Jesus Christ is the beloved Son of God. At the baptism of Jesus
 in the River Jordan, the Holy Spirit, in the form of a dove, descended upon him. The Father’s voice came from heaven, addressing Jesus: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (Mt 3:17).
 
As the Only Begotten Son of the Father, Jesus embarks on a mission of redemption. Through Jesus’ baptism in the Holy Spirit, he is anointed and empowered to do good and bring healing to “all those oppressed by the devil” (Acts 10:38), “to open the eyes of the blind, to bring out prisoners from confinement, and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness” (Isaiah 42:7). This is good news. Now that we have answers to the question: who is Jesus Christ?, let us advance into the new year with courage and faith because we have been baptized in him and like him, anointed “with the Holy Spirit and power” (Acts 10:38). Knowing who he is, the anointed one and Son of God, we know ourselves better;  adopted sons and daughters of God. Let us live out our identity; we are beloved sons and daughters of the Father. Reflect deeply about your baptism and its implications on this last day of the Christmas season, and strive to listen to Jesus and, like him, go about doing good.
 
As we come to the close of the Christmas season, I want to seize this moment to say THANK YOU to all of you who have made the season a joyful one. In addition, I am indebted to many of you who created time to bring the Christmas joy to live in the parish: thanks to the team responsible for the decorations in the historical church and the church on the hill, thanks to the extraordinary minister of the Holy Communion, lectors, altar servers, ushers, money counters, the choirs, and the musicians. I also extend my appreciation to the various parish groups that helped create the Christmas spirit in the parish: St Vincent de Paul Society, Men’s Club, Council of Catholic Women, Knights of Columbus, and others that I may have failed to mention.
 
I want to make a special mention of the satisfaction I derived from celebrating a Christmas vigil mass at the Historic St. Peter Church, the first in twenty-five years! I’m filled with gratitude to men and women who worked behind the scenes to make such a special celebration possible. Thanks to Michael Checco and the choir, and St. Michael’s Guard. I hope to do
it again next Christmas!
 
I am grateful for all the Christmas gifts I received from you: parish societies, families, and individuals. You made it possible for me to get away this past week on a retreat/mission. Our Father in heaven will reward your generosity. I extend to you the promise of Jesus Christ, the Father’s Only Begotten Son: “whoever gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he shall not lose his reward” (Matthew 10:42).
 
In His Joy,
Fr. Alayode, OP
 

 Beloved in Christ,
 
Today, the Church celebrates the manifestation of Christ’s divinity to all people. The visit of the Magi to Jesus, bearing gifts, in fulfillment of the oracle of the Prophet Isaiah 60:1-6, is a sacred moment that celebrates not only the incarnation of Christ but also the extension of the Light of Redemption to the Gentiles, that is, all nations other than Israel. All people are now part of God’s covenant of love. He Shines His Light Upon All.
 
In the first reading for this Sunday’s liturgy, Prophet Isaiah sees into the future when the light of grace will shine upon all God’s children, Jews, and all nations alike. All distant peoples, represented in the Astrologers from the East, are now sharers in the grace from the Creator of all. As Psalm 72 says, “every nation on earth will adore” the Lord. St. Paul in his letter to Ephesians makes a similar proclamation that the mystery of God’s grace has now been “made known to people in other generations,” “Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel” (Ephesians 3:5-6). The Magi, representing the Gentiles, following a special star, are led to the place where the child Jesus was, and on seeing him, “prostrated themselves and did him homage” (Matthew 2:11). All nations adore Jesus, the saviour of the world.
 
In the spirit of the Magi, let us be filled with joy that we have been invited to share in the grace of God. We have been called to be partakers of the Good News, we have been called to be sons and daughters of God, and we have been called to use all our treasures, our time, talents, and wealth to serve and worship him. Let us be more driven this new year in our worship of the Lord of Lords. Like the Magi, let us joyfully offer ourselves to Jesus, making him the reason for our existence. Whatever God has in store for us in this new year, we should accept with gratitude and trust in his love for us. Love of God is communicated to us in the divine word. Let us embrace that love and allow the love to inform our worship and adoration of God in this new year.
May the Light of Christ, which shone upon the entire world at his birth, spread into the heart and soul of every one of us as we begin the new year 2026. It will be a year of Divine Light, scattering all forms of darkness that exist.  
 
We will hold our first parish monthly Eucharistic adoration for 2026 tomorrow. Let us keep in mind how significant this holy hour is. In imitation of the Magi, let us come with all we have and who we are to worship and adore the Lord who took on our humanity to save it.
 
May you have a blessed Christmas season and a joyous New Year!
 
Fr. Alayode, OP
 

​Beloved in Christ,
 
Merry Christmas! We celebrate the feast of the Holy Family in the Octave of Christmas. It is essential to highlight that Jesus, the redeemer of the world, was born into the human family of Mary and Joseph. The incarnation took place within a human family, a family set apart for the glory of God. What a great insight the holy family has given us today: holiness is found embedded in the frail, human family. Within the divinely ordered structure of the family- dad, mom, and children, a human interrelationship, a life ordered to the glory and reflection of God’s familial relationship, is made manifest. This is good news. Merry Christmas!
 
Responsibility, honour and authority are central values sewn into the fabric of the human family. As Sirach (3: 2-6, 12-14) and Colossians (3:12-17), and Mathew (2:13-15, 19-23) reveal to us in the liturgy of the word, fathers play roles that are different from roles played by mothers, and children have specific responsibilities toward their parents. Each one is assigned to a particular, yet similar role based on the Christian principle of love and respect. With love comes responsibility. Once each member of the family is aware of the responsibilities it owes others, the family is on its way to holiness. We see Joseph take on the responsibility for protecting the family in the Gospel for this Sunday. We also see the honour and authority fathers and mothers have over their children in Sirach and how children are called to obey their parents in Colossians. Responses to these divinely ordered roles make Christian families holy.
 
God established holiness within the human family, with all its imperfections. The holy family of Jesus, Mary and Jesus is not without its own difficulties. For instance, in the Gospel account according to Matthew (2:13-15, 19-23), we hear of the danger posed to baby Jesus and how his father and mother made difficult decisions to migrate to a foreign land to protect the holy family. Families go through periods of difficulties, be it on account of external, violent threat, failed parenting or marriage, misbehaving or wayward children ( we recently had a couple of bad news stories in the media of children killing their parents). Let it be known that the holy family, too, had its share of hardships, disappointments, and sorrows.  
 
Holiness is not without difficulties. Raising your children and making your home a Christian home does not guarantee freedom from moments of fright and worry. Those stress-filled moments are part of the ingredients that make up the holy family. The problems that arise from raising a Christian family can be turned into opportunities to place our trust in God’s love, protection, and grace and to solidify it. With the example of the Holy Family as a guide, let us make it our goal to structure our family on the principle of faith, love, and responsibility to one another. Let us take our family problems to God in prayer, asking for the intercession of the Holy Family. Let's renew our commitment to family prayer. A family that prays together will live holy.
 
On this day, nineteen years ago (December 28, 2006), the soul of my beloved father, Lawrence Ajibade Oniwe, departed this world for eternity with the Father; I hope and pray. He was one human being I honoured and still honour. The example of St. Joseph inspired his authority over the family. I will continue to miss him. Please remember him in your prayers.
 
Merry Christmas to all families of St. Peter. I look forward to a holy New Year with you.
 
Fr. Alayode Bernard, OP
 

Dear Friends in Christ,
  
God is One of Us. As I was reflecting on St. Matthew’s account of the incarnation of God, Joan Osborne’s 1995 hit song, “One of Us”, came to mind. In the chorus verse of the somewhat theologically controversial song, she sang repeatedly, “What if God was one of us?” What if he were a “slob” or a “stranger on the bus,” what if he were just a regular Joe? Today’s Gospel account answers the questions in the affirmative, God is indeed one of us, a person with an identity, son of Joseph, son of David and Mary, the ever virgin. He took on our humanity through the “yes” of simple people and was born in an obscure place in Bethlehem. His name, according to the prophecy in Isaiah 7:14, is Emmanuel, meaning “God is with us” (Mt 1:23).
 
God stoops low to conquer (apology to Oliver Goldsmith). In becoming one with us, taking up our humanity, born into the squalor and obscurity of the stable in Bethlehem, he demonstrates his love and humility, and so saves us. His love, because all he did was for our benefit, not his; it was a selfless giving. Humility, because the creator chooses to inhere our flawed human nature and poverty to show us the way to truth and life. God’s oneness with us came about because ones like us, Joseph and Mary, chose to listen and comply with the divine will despite the difficulty that came with their YES! A woman who is yet to live with her husband suddenly becomes pregnant. A man who had no intimate union with his betrothed is asked to be the father of the child she is pregnant with. God had to depend on free will fiats from Mary and Joseph to become one of us and with us, and to save us. This is a testimony to the power of trusting in God in all events of our lives, no matter the trials that accompany them.
 
We will come to the end of the Advent season on Wednesday, and by sunrise, begin the celebration of the nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ in a couple of days. The great solemnity will sneak up on us, so to speak. As a result of the nearness, I want to anticipate the solemnity by wishing you all a Merry Christmas! It will be my seventh Christmas with our loving and growing parish, and I look forward to it with the excitement of children gathered around the Christmas tree, opening their presents. The joy at the Family Bingo last Sunday and at the Advent meditation and adoration with Mark Forrest this past Monday, on a snowy, freezing evening, are pleasant signs of greater things to come as we properly enter the Christmas season. Let’s keep the Christmas spirit in sight in the few days left of Advent. Seek to be one with God who became one with you on Christmas Day.
 
Have a Holy Advent and Merry Christmas, friends!
 
In His Hope and Will,
 
Fr. Alayode Bernard, OP
 

Beloved in Christ,
“Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” (Mt 11:2). Is God not who he says he is? Is Jesus truly present in our world? Am I seeing myself grow spiritually? John the Baptist must have wondered, in his pain and suffering, whether Jesus was truly the Messiah he claimed to be. We too have our doubts and questionings of the presence of God in our world, is Jesus at work in our lives?
 
Christ came 2000 years ago at the first Christmas, yet the world is still in the darkness of sin, violence, war, hate, lies, suffering, and aimless death. We were baptized, received Eucharist frequently, confirmed, yet and despite this, Jesus' coming and presence in our lives, we still show weakness and sin and suffer pains and anguish.
 
Despite conditions that make us wonder whether God is with us because of suffering and trials, despite our wondering and doubts about whether we are growing in faith, we know for sure that the Light of joy is present in the darkness of sin and evil that sometimes envelopes our lives. The Lord will come and save us, the Psalmist says to us this morning. God is with us, he is near, the coming of the Lord is near, St James reminds us. Here is your God, he comes to save you, says the prophet Isaiah.
 
No cause for alarm, Jesus is here in our world, in our Church, in our individual lives. The seed of Christ's presence 2000 years ago is still growing patiently and quietly in a world that seems to only show us darkness. Look at all the good brought into the world since Christ came at first Christmas: catholic schools, orphanages, hospitals, saints. See how you have lived life based on hope, faith, and a good Christian conscience. These are the fruits of Christ's presence in our lives.
We only need to be patient and trust in the Lord. Until his second coming and his daily comings, we must be joyfully expectant and live in hope that there is light on the horizon. Like the farmer in today’s letter of St James, we must be patient to see the seeds we plant blossom. We are called to build in faith, patiently and expectantly. Donovan’s song, “Little Church”, in the film based on the life of St. Francis of Assisi, Brother Sun, Sister Moon, captures this sense for us: 
 
“If you want your dream to be
Build it slow and surely.
Small beginnings, greater ends
Heartfelt work grows purely.
 
If you want to live life free
Take your time go slowly.
Do few things but do them well
Simple joys are holy.
 
Grow slowly and steadily. It takes time to grow spiritually. Like many saints, we may not see the signs of God’s presence in the midst of our struggles, sin and sufferings we encounter daily, we may have our doubt and questionings like John the Baptist but like St. Teresa of Avila, who for the first 20 years of her spiritual life was not on fire,  we must persist in prayers and charity until our faith starts to blossom. The saints have much to teach us about how God is joyfully encountered, even in the darkness of a sad and sorrowful world. Let us be joyful as we patiently allow Jesus to come into our lives at Christmas and every day. We must do our part in watering and fertilizing the soil as we wait patiently for the seeds of faith planted in us to grow and blossom. Be patient and have no doubt that Jesus is the one who is to come, and he is near. Do not doubt but rejoice that he is near on this Gaudete Sunday.
 
We had our Advent penance service last Friday. Many of us have had the opportunity to prepare a home in our hearts for Jesus to dwell at Christmas by taking advantage of several opportunities for sacramental reconciliation. We have an additional aid in our preparation for a joyful Christmas tomorrow at our Advent Night of prayer and adoration led by Mark Forrest, Irish Tenor. It promises to be another amazing night of hope and joy; you don’t want to miss it. Invite a friend to come with you.
 
With joy,
 
Fr. Alayode Bernard, OP
 

Beloved in Christ,
 
"Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight" (Matt 3:3). John the Baptist preached and provided a cleansing bath of repentance. He is the Elijah Isaiah prophesied would come to prepare the way for the Messiah, the Messiah who will establish the kingdom of heaven. John the Baptist's baptism of repentance was to clear the path for the entrance of the Lord of Lords into the hearts of the people of Israel. Repentance is a significant factor in establishing God's reign in our lives. To prepare for the access of Jesus into our lives and to make his path straight and smooth, we need to repent and show signs of repentance. What does repentance consist of? What does it mean to repent?
 
When John the Baptist announced the coming of the Lord in the desert, the people of Israel had waited for generations; he offered an opening to a life of grace. By inviting them to receive the baptism of repentance, he quickly added that his baptism was different and lesser than the baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire that Jesus was coming to grant the people. Yet, in the baptism of John the Baptist, we get a clear idea of the importance of changing our way of seeing the world. Anyone preparing as they await the coming of Jesus and his kingdom into their lives must first have a modified or altered perspective on life. Such a change is what repentance entails and consists of. The Greek word used in the New Testament is metanoia. It means "beyond the perception of the mind. "In a fuller sense, metanoia (repentance) encompasses many things: a change of mind or heart or a new way of seeing, thinking, or looking at life, an embrace of a different set of values and attitude, a transformation of consciousness. Advent is an ideal time to go to the desert and experience repentance.
 
The desert experience is necessary for preparation for repentance. We are waiting for God's kingdom's arrival in our lives and the world through it. According to spiritual writer Alan Jones, in his book Soul Making, the desert is more than a place. The desert is an experience of solitude, conversion, and transformation. It demands a response that leads to revelation and revolution in the spiritual sense. In the silence and stillness of the desert, you will experience a total confrontation with yourself, a closer look at things and people, face situations one would rather avoid, and answer questions one would rather forget. John the Baptist invites us to the desert experience. Could you find the time and place to be still and wait in silence? I can guarantee you that by entering into the spiritual desert, you will find a need to confess your sins (Matt 3:6). "Since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," (Rom 3:23) as St Paul reminds us, we all need to "repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near" (Matt 3:2).
 
If you have not gone to sacramental confession in a year, you should go as soon as possible. If you have not approached the Sacrament of reconciliation in months or weeks, you need to have the desert experience, receive sacramental absolution, and emerge a "born-again" catholic. Please save the date for our parish penitential service on Friday, December 12, at 7 p.m.

In Hope and Love,
​
Fr. Alayode Bernard, OP
 
 
 
 
 

Beloved in Christ,

"Stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come! (Mt. 24:42).
The next four weeks of Advent are a period of preparation for the commemoration of the Lord's first coming. It is also an intense spiritual season for highlighting the necessity of staying alert for the second coming of Jesus Christ. We stay awake and keep running the salvation race that culminates in meeting Jesus Christ at the end of our earthly time. It is possible and most likely that we get tired, distracted, or derailed along the way, hence our need for spiritual support to keep us running toward Jesus Christ, our goal. Our parish provides this spiritual support during this season of awakening by offering more time and opportunities for prayers, penance, and purification. Opportunities are provided to us to prayerfully attend daily masses, go to confession in between Sunday masses and other indicated times, and give sacrificially to those most in need in our community.
Sin, the works of darkness (Rom 13:12), deadens our alertness to Christ’s presence and restrains running to meet him; therefore, we need to throw off the shawl of sin to stay awake! (Mt. 24:42). And then, we can go rejoicing to the house of the Lord (Psalm 122:1). Let’s stream toward the mountain of the Lord’s house; energized by prayers and penance, let’s run forth to meet Christ as we kick off our Advent season this Sunday. 

To aid us in running closer to union with Christ, to assist us in overcoming the dominion of sin in our lives, to help us stay alert and focused on Jesus, as we await his coming, we offer to the parish many gates to grace:
*Masses are celebrated daily. If God gives you the time and health, attend daily masses.
*Participate in daily eucharistic adoration from 7 am before weekday masses.
*Please plan to attend our monthly Eucharistic adoration on Monday, December 1.
*Get an Advent wreath candle, light one each week, and gather as a family around it to pray. 
*There are opportunities for the sacrament of reconciliation between masses on Sunday, and especially at our parish Advent penance service on December 12.
*The international Irish Tenor, Mark Forrest, will lead a Eucharistic-centered parish mission on Monday, December 15th. You don't want to miss the hour of grace.
*Create time for silence and meditation on the coming of Jesus by reading the relevant scripture passages daily.
*Advent has a penitential character (hence, no Gloria at Sunday masses, a limited display of flowers, purple vestments, etc), so make spiritual sacrifices and penance.

May your Advent season be filled with hope, peace, joy, and love.

In Christ our Hope,
​
Fr. Alayode Bernard Oniwe, OP
 

​Beloved in Christ,
 
The liturgical year comes to an end with the solemnity of Christ the King of the Universe. In this Sunday's gospel, the criminal crucified next to Jesus acknowledged Jesus as king when he said, "Jesus, remember me when you get into your kingdom" (Lk 23:42). A couple of verses earlier, the other crucified criminal said mockingly, "Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us." Unknown to him, the unrepentant thief was unveiling the truth that Jesus is the saving king of all the universe. He reigns; he has dominion over a kingdom of the saved. What goes against the grain here is that Christ did not establish the kingdom of the saved by physical, brutal power but by accepting death on the cross. On the cross, in Greek, Latin, and Hebrew, is inscribed "The king of the Jews." In an attempt to mock Jesus, like the unrepentant criminal did, Pilate inadvertently acknowledged that Jesus reigns over his kingdom by way of crucifixion.
 
Our first reading from Second Samuel 5:1-3, on the anointing of David as king, links Jesus, the Son of David, to David's kingship and, more broadly, to Adam's kingship over the garden of Eden. As king like Adam. Jesus has dominion over all things, and he leads broken humanity back to paradise, to the original state of grace and bliss. In the gospel account, the repentant thief is transferred to the kingdom of God's beloved son, Christ, the savior who redeems and forgives sin (Col 1:13), Christ who makes "peace by the blood of his cross" (Col 1:20), the suffering king with the cross as his throne.
 
In the same way, our thrones are crosses, like Christ. We must yield lordship to Christ by accepting to share in his suffering to be glorified with him. Is Christ the Lord of our lives? Is he the king we adore? I once heard Bishop Ronald Gainer preach at a forty-hour Eucharistic service that if we are not adoring the Lord, we are adoring something else, we are adoring ourselves. Such must not be the case with us. Instead, we must adore the King of Kings by surrendering to redemptive suffering in union with his on the cross. Our king reigns over his kingdom from his throne on the cross; let's be subject to his dominion from our own crosses. Let us adore him, the king of the universe, by lovingly entrusting our lives to him. 
 
As we get ready for the first Sunday of Advent, may Christ the King reign over us!
 
Happy Thanksgiving! All thanks to Christ, our King.
 
In His Love,
 
Fr. Alayode Bernard Oniwe, OP
 
 

Beloved in Christ,
  
This Sunday's readings highlight endings. I want to reflect on these endings in terms of the three Ps: persecution, perseverance, and Parousia. In the Gospel of Luke, chapter 21:5-19, Jesus speaks of the events that will lead up to the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem. He says in apocalyptic language of the cosmic upheaval that will precede the destruction of Jerusalem. The Jewish audience perceived the city and its temple as the center of the universe. Telling them that all will fall apart, that there "will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down," must have been traumatic. But before these, there will be a heavenly and earthly cataclysm like earthquakes, famine, plagues, as well as wars and insurrection. And before these, there will be persecution of Christians. And then, on the day of judgment, the Parousia will follow. There will be a sequence of events before the Day of Judgement, the day of wrath (Dies irae).

All the events Jesus prophesied about Jerusalem came to pass. In 70 AD, the temple and Jerusalem were destroyed by the Romans. Before the destruction, historians recorded that numerous fearful natural signs appeared in the sky and on earth. Then, the destruction of Jerusalem and its temple, a microcosm of the Temple of the Universe, took place. We must recognize that Jesus was prophesying on two levels here —the destruction of Jerusalem and the Universe; the destruction of Jerusalem is a type and sign of what will happen to the whole universe. In other words, as Jesus spoke of Jerusalem, he was also pointing to the end of the world. The first thing to happen is persecution. Christians will be persecuted, and they are still being persecuted today in both overt and subtle ways all over the world. We will suffer persecution for standing for the name of Jesus and his teachings: "You will be hated because of my name," Jesus says.
 
What do we do while the persecution lasts? What should Christians do as they await the Parousia, the second coming of Jesus, and the Day of Judgement? We must continue to live as Christians. We must live a life of prayer, sacrifice, service, and charity. We must persevere in our Christian obligations. With fortitude, hope, and trust in God's love and providence, we must continue to live out the Christian values. As Malachi said to his Jewish people in preparation for the day of judgment, we must live in fear of God's name (see Malachi 3:20). We must live knowing that Jesus is enough for us, even as we face persecution. We must trust in the grace provided by Jesus through His Church and the Sacraments. There is no time for idleness, as St. Paul instructs the Christian community in Thessalonica to live an orderly life of work and service, "toil and drudgery, night and day " (2 Thessalonians 3:8). Christians are to continue loving God and their neighbor until the end.
 
Pope Francis, in his apostolic letter Misericordia et Misera, designated the thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary time as "World Day of the Poor". Pope Leo has followed in the footsteps of Francis in his apostolic exhortation, Dilexi Te, where he instructs us "On Love for the Poor". So we must remember our Christian obligations to the poor, a people whose condition and care are at the heart of the Gospel. As we prepare for the Parousia and the coming day of judgment, heartfelt love and care for people experiencing poverty is a non-negotiable Christian duty.

In Christ's love,

Fr. Alayode Bernard Oniwe, OP
 

​Beloved in Christ,

As the Church celebrates this Sunday, the dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome, the cathedral of the Bishop of Rome, that is, the Pope, I could not resist the "temptation" of recalling my visit with thirty-two other pilgrims to this sacred space on September 18, 2025. As the picture of the basilica suggests, it is outstanding in its beauty and grandeur. The architectural grandeur highlights the glory and majesty of God. This basilica is a symbol of the unity of the Catholic Church under the leadership of the pope.
 
As this Sunday's Liturgy of the Word reveals, the temple of God is more than a physical building. It is a physical building in a direct sense, but more importantly, it is a sacred place that demands reverence because it is the place where we encounter God. In this chosen and consecrated place, God's name is honored forever (see 2 Chronicles 7:16). On a deeper level, it serves as a metaphor for the Body of Christ. The physical building, the basilica, reflects the true nature of the Church, which is constituted as the body of Christ, the central place of worship. As Jesus says in the gospel, "Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up" (Jn 2:19). As it was later clarified, "Jesus was speaking about the temple of his body" (Jn 2:21). Jesus identifies his body as the New Temple, succeeding the old covenant temple we read about in our first reading from Ezekiel 47. And from this New Temple, the Body of Christ, flows all the graces for redemption, especially the Sacraments of baptism and the Holy Eucharist. The body of Jesus is the church, the focus of worship and fount of grace. The Lateran Basilica is symbolic of Christ; it represents and reminds us of the true nature of the Catholic Church.
 
We, too, are in a sense a body of Christ. We are the temple of the living God; we are part of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles with Christ as the cornerstone (cf. Ephesians 2:19-22). Hence, we should respect our bodies because the Spirit of God dwells in us. As St. Paul would also say, we should offer our bodies as a spiritual sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God (cf. Rm 12:1). Do we now have a deeper understanding of the nature of the Church? Do we understand how it is a sacred place and the dwelling of God? Do we also know that we are, in a sense, the body of Christ, we who are made in the image and likeness of God, chosen and consecrated for the glory of God? We should consider these realities more often and what they demand of us.
 
In Christ,
Fr. Alayode, OP
 

Beloved in Christ,
  
What's God's plan for us after death? Eternal life in His presence. God sent us his Son, Jesus, to save us for everlasting life with him in heaven. However, he also gives us the freedom to choose otherwise. An eternity of separation from God is what we call hell. We were not called or chosen for hell. When God chose or called us in Christ Jesus, He intended for us to see him face to face after death. We find this claim in the verses from this Sunday's gospel, John 6:37-39. Jesus says to us the following words of comfort: "I will not reject anyone who comes to me" and "I should not lose anything of what he (God) gave me." Jesus never dismisses anyone or sends them to hell. Those who choose eternal life can have it, but they cannot choose to live against God's will at the same time.
 
As I said earlier, verses from this Sunday's pericope are encouraging and consoling to us who remember and mourn loved ones. We pray for our departed brothers and sisters because we know God will not abandon those who lived for Christ while alive after death. God will not reject those who follow Jesus. If they followed the path of salvation, we have in God's promise "hope that does not disappoint (Rom 5:5). How does this work? Jesus describes the path to eternal life when he says: "For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life."
 
As it turns out, the popular aphorism, "Seeing is believing," is false. Some see and do not believe. To have everlasting life after death, we must see and believe in Jesus. What does this mean and entail? What does it mean biblically to "see" and "believe"? Let us turn to that. In biblical spirituality, seeing Jesus is recognizing him as God and developing a desire for a relationship with him. It is a desire for communion and friendship with him. To believe in Jesus is to have absolute faith and trust in his power to save us. In other words, believing in Jesus is to entrust oneself totally to Him who died and rose to save us. A life of trusting in Jesus, with whom we have a relationship, is the guaranteed pathway to eternal life with God after death.
 
Why do we pray for our dead friends and relatives if they belonged to Jesus; if they believed in Jesus while they lived? We pray for them because, though they might have died in a state of grace and in friendship with God, it is possible that their will and heart were still attached to the sins they had repented of and forgiven. There is a likely scenario in which our righteous loved ones in Christ are not fully purged and purified of attachment to sin. While they may be on their path to God's presence, the beatific vision, there may still be a need for purification from temporal punishment due to sin. Our prayers, penances, and almsgiving hasten their purification. Purgatory is the word that describes this process of purification that advances them into heaven. If we must express our charity to our faithful departed, our belief in the communion of saints gives us reason to pray for the repose of their souls. 
 
Pray for the souls of your dead loved ones that they may attain God's plan for them post-mortem. God chose them for eternity with him. Help them achieve this purpose. We remember them at our 10:30 am mass and at Eucharistic adoration at 3:00 pm.
  
In Christ,
 
Fr. Alayode, OP
 

 Beloved in Christ,
 
"O God, be merciful to me a sinner," prays the tax collector in today's Gospel passage from Luke 18. This humble plea by the tax collector in the temple, as he beats his chest, shows how we should approach God in prayer. In the last couple of weeks, we have reflected on Christian prayer, what it is, and its necessity. The gesture and prayer of the tax collector in our Gospel pericope this Sunday show us the importance of putting on the spirit of humility if we are to approach God appropriately and effectively. Be humble if you want your prayers to reach God. Be humble enough to acknowledge that you are a sinner and lack any merit before God, mainly on account of your good works.
 
Humility is a virtue that reminds us that our works lack merit; it is the grace and mercy of God that justifies us and makes our prayers avail before God. We all must come to acknowledge that without God's mercy and grace, we have no chance of making any spiritual progress, even if we check all the boxes for spiritual exercises: we pray the rosary daily, attend mass frequently, feed the poor, support pro-life efforts, fast, give a lot of money to the church, etc. While all these spiritual acts are essential and demanded by God, ultimately, it is God's grace, his mercy, and love that make us right and accepted before him. We must avoid pride and embrace humility. It is not praying to oneself by listing one's merit that appeals to God; it is being humble that exalts us before God.
 
When the tax collector, a hated public sinner in the Jewish community of Jesus' time, went to pray in the temple by distancing himself from the temple's sacred space, by daring not to raise his face to heaven, and by beating his breast as he cried to God in humility, he opened the heavens and received God's prompt response. He is redeemed, saved, and justified because his prayer is infused and borne in acknowledgment of his unworthiness to any claim to merit but his total trust and dependence on God's generous gift of mercy. In like manner, we must be quick to recognize our need for God's mercy and grace, no matter how good or holy we think we are. Even if we are Mother Teresa or Pope John Paul of our time, living an observable Christian life of charity, we must always be aware that our best efforts are likely to be tainted in some way. We must approach God and life with humility. God loves us and wants us saved. We need his mercy to start with. So, this Sunday and days ahead, when you approach God in prayer, use that self-identification: I am a sinner. Lord, please have mercy on me. Ask for mercy and act in mercy towards all.
 
Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto Thine.
 
The Church dedicates November to remembering and praying for the souls of all the faithful departed. I beg of you to offer Mass, rosary, penances, and other spiritual offerings, especially during this month, for the repose of the souls of your departed loved ones.  Check the bulletin for the All Souls' Day mass schedule.
 
In Christ,
 
Fr. Alayode, OP
 

Beloved in Christ,

Faith and gratitude are the underlying themes in this Sunday's reading. The lepers in both the first and Gospel reading show us how to express our living faith in God in acts of thanks, praise and worship. The only leper out of the ten healed who returned to Jesus illustrates for us the simple but profound act of faith. The lepers asked Jesus for mercy, meaning they sought to be healed of their leprosy. Jesus instructed them to go and show themselves to the priest. They responded in faith. In the Old Testament (See Leviticus 13 and 14), a leper returns to the priest only after he has been healed to be examined and certified clean. These lepers trusted the healing words of Jesus, his command that they show themselves to the priest. "As they were going they were cleansed." As they went to do as Jesus instructed them, they were cleansed by the words of Jesus. The lepers act in living faith, a faith that saves. They recognize the person and power of Jesus to do what he says. That explains why they addressed Jesus as Master- the Lord of life.

The act of faith is required to experience God's mercy. God always wants to heal us spiritually and physically, but the prerequisite is a total trust in God. It is a disposition of surrender to God's loyalty and dependency. God is always faithful. It is that simple and should not be complicated. We must assent to his living words, and in our belief in his majesty and mercy, we do receive healing on our journey.

As we continue to contemplate the themes of faith and gratitude to God, I leave you with the following questions for reflection: Are we learning how to thank the Lord? Do we recognize in praise, thanksgiving and worship the gift of mercy God constantly bestows upon us? What are the conditions in our lives today that require God's mercy? What kind of faith do we have in Jesus and his power to bestow the graces of healing upon us? When we receive God's mercy —and we do receive it every day —what do we do next? Are we filled with thanks and praise? Do we show our gratitude in worship? The Holy Eucharist is the most excellent form of thanks, praise, and worship of God because it is Christ himself who is offered and offers thanks to God. Do we attend mass as frequently as possible as an opportunity to return gratitude to God for his mercy?

With gratitude to God for the gift of a long and blessed life of faith, we celebrate Joseph Fliss' centenary today after the 10:30 am Mass.

Behold! A conference for the family of God is scheduled for October 18th. Have you registered? Please register today.

The priests of our diocese of Harrisburg begin their annual workshop today and return on Friday. Please keep us in your prayers.

​Fr. Alayode, OP