OUR CAESAREA PHILIPPI

HOMILY FOR THE 21^ST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR A

Rev. Fr. Ezekoka Peter Onyekachi

The town Caesarea Philipii lies some miles north of the sea of Galilee, and beside the mount Horeb where the transfiguration is proposed by many to have taken place. It was outside the territory of Herod Antipas who ruled over Galilee. The population was mainly non-Jewish. This town was so replete with the shrines of pagan gods. In fact, its name was originally Panias, which symbolizes the area of Pan, the god of nature. There was a big cavern in Caesarea Philippi which was believed to be the birthplace of Pan. That was why that area was identified with the name of that god, Pan. Still to note is that in this town, Herod the Great had built a white marble to the godhead of Caesar, and thereupon erected a temple. Later on, Philip the son of Herod beatified the temple, enriched it and even changed the name of the area which was known as Panias to Caesarea Philippi. Caesarea here means Caesar’s town, as Philipii here means of Philip; that is, Caesar’s town of Philip. This means that the town is owned and cared for by Philip.

In the Gospel of today (Matt 16:13-20), we find Jesus, together with his disciples inside this pagan territory, Caesarea Philippi. Therein, he asked them series of questions about what people say He is and what they themselves say He is. It was Peter who later on got the answer to the question Jesus posed: you are the Christ, the son of the living God. Through Peter’s answer, the disciples became better aware of the identity of Jesus, even though they were yet to understand more fully the spiritual work of the messiah, whom they thought about in political terms. Jesus then had to ascertain Peter as the head of the others, and promised to be with them till the end of time. We must remember that by this time, Jesus was about to face the pains of the cross. So, he needed to hand the work over to his disciples, and to make the leader the one who best understood his mission. He then enjoined them to tell no one about the discovery they have made. With the knowledge of this town Caesarea Philippi, and with what happened therein in the life of Jesus and his disciples, we discover a big significance it can have in the lives of today’s Christians.

1. Caesarea Philippi is a place of prayerful retreat. In the Gospel parallels of the episode, we discover one thing. Mark (8:27-29) gives his account of this question of the identity of Jesus as Matthew who places the context in the district of Caesarea Philippi, but Luke (9:18-20) says that it happened that as Jesus was praying alone, his disciples were with him. Hence, he places it under the context of prayer. So, we can allude that Jesus who was fond of praying went to Caesarea Philippi with his disciples and after they prayed, he asked the questions. And if we are right about this, then Caesarea Philippi was a place of retreat for Jesus and his disciples. It is then a place of retreat for us. It can signify the place we go to when we desire to be alone with our God. It can signify the moment we decide to go indoors in prayer. So, the question comes: what do you do when you need spiritual revival? We are encouraged to have some time for ourselves every month and every year to observe some hours and days of retreat for the nourishment of our souls. The experience of Caesarea Philipii ensures this nourishment.

2. Caesarea Philipii is a place of decision making. Of all places that was, Christ took the disciples to a place adorned with many pagan altars and idols, a place littered with the temples of the Syrian gods, a place that reminded the Israelites about the image of Caesar in whose political bondage they were under. There, Jesus, a Jew too the disciples to question them about whom he was. It is as if Jesus deliberately set himself against the background of the many gods and their splendour demanding to be compared with them and be given the verdict in his favour. It was as if Jesus told the disciples: look at all these gods and decide for yourself whom you believe in. It was as if too Jesus deliberately places himself side by side with Caesar’s image demanding to be compared with it and be given the verdict of who really was their king. Caesarea Philippi then became a place of making the decision for Christ and for no other. It is a place where we go to for the best conviction that Jesus is our Lord. It can also be that experience that gives you the opportunity to really compare Jesus with the pagan gods and the corrupt monarchs of the world. It is a place where we have to compare Jesus with the material possessions that tend to distract and lure us away from God. We need such confrontation. To gain credibility over anything, we have to go face to face with that which poses as a threat unto us; that which fights to contradict what we stand for, and that which we have come to abolish. Our God wants our decision for Him to be out of our free will, having convinced ourselves that he is above all other gods, and all other kings. It is a place or the experience where we repeat the action of Joshua 24:14-15, choose this day whom you will serve.

3. Caesarea Philippi is a place for problem confrontation and solution. Jesus knew very well that his earthly time was ending, and it had to end in a very painful manner. He was troubled. His time was now short. As a human being, he must have thought to himself: is there anyone who understood me? Was there any who recognized me for what I really am? Will there be any who will carry on this work after I am gone? He was troubled about the survival of the new way he came to inaugurate. These problems would only be solved through putting his followers to test. It was however good to know that the problem eased after the interaction with his disciples. It was there in Caesarea Philipii that he gained that consoling. He gained strength. He was happy that someone answered the question prompted by God. More energy came for the mission. If we allow ourselves to make use of Caesarea Philipii to confront our problems, we surely will get solution as Jesus. We grow stronger and wiser. When you are troubled, what do you do? Where is your own Caesarea Philippi where you go to confront your worries and solve them?  It can be a person or a place. It is a place that gives you the conducive atmosphere to tell yourself the truth and face your troubles, asking questions and getting solutions. You must go out. The solution is not always in oneself. The other can help us solve the problems sometimes. It is a person that is sincere to you, and represents Jesus Christ. It can be your spiritual director or your counsellor. But the sure yardstick for measuring the place or person is Christ. Christ must be in the place (e.g. The Chapel/Church) and in the person (a faithful Christian).

4. It is a place for Christ-discovery and self-discovery. Jesus wanted his disciples to know who he really is. From such knowledge, they too would discover themselves as regards the mission for which they are called. If you are in doubt about the existence of God, then you need the experience of Caesarea Philippi. You need to discover who Christ is to you and by so doing discover yourself and the mission he wants you to accomplish. To discover your purpose and goal in Life, you must discover Christ first for only He can direct you well. Discovering Jesus assures us of a great courage knowing that we have him; cut off from me, you can do nothing (John 15:5). If we desire to discover ourselves outside Jesus, we are best to be likely compared to the flower that shines in the morning but withers before the night fall. Christ demands a personal knowledge of him. When you need to discover Christ, what do you do? It is true as the Second Reading (Rom 11:33-36) asks for who can know the mind of God? However, it is even truer that when we walk with Jesus to Caesarea Philipii, we shall discover God, and in fact, it will be himself to ask us of himself and lead us to a proper discovery of ourselves. When you need to discover yourself, what do you do?

5. It is a place of empowerment. At Caesarea Philipii, Peter and the disciples got empowerment. There were four sets of promise –on this rock my Church will be built, the gates of hell shall not prevail against it, the keys of heaven I give you, and whatever you bind on earth is bound in heaven. These must have inspired the disciples the more for their mission. Hence, Caesarea Philippi signifies the place for inspiration and empowerment. It is a place where God makes promises to us. It is a place where we are given the power to combat evil. With this sort of experience, we remain resolute with a resilient spirit to fight on and will never be defeated. God empowers us to fight against evil. In the First Reading (Isaiah 22:19-23), the Lord promised to crown and empower Eliakim so as to fight against sin and the corruption in Jerusalem. If you wish to join us in the fight against corruption and the evil edifices the devil have erected, then join us to Caesarea Philippi for a very powerful empowerment. In that place, we are enthroned so as to dethrone evil.

May the experience of the disciples in Caesarea Philippi be felt by us this week and ever. Amen God bless you. Amen.

HEALING BORDER CONFLICTS BY FAITH

HOMILY FOR THE 20^TH SUNDAY IN THE ORDINARY TIME, YEAR A

Rev. Fr. Ezekoka Peter Onyekachi

Communities and countries of the world are so interested in boundaries, and even time and again fight over them. The war fought between America and Mexico between 1846 and 1848 was as a result of a conflict over border. This war was refreshed and stretched between 1910 and 1918. Between the years 1879 and 1883, three countries, Chile, Bolivia and Peru were also in war, which is now known as the war of the pacific. The Chaco war was fought between 1931 and 1935 by the countries of Bolivia and Paraguay. There was a battle over the lake of Khasan between the Soviet Union and Japan in 1938. Recently, there was a lingered conflict between Israel and Lebanon over the Shebaa farms during the years 2000 to 2006. India and Bangladesh had conflicts in 2001 over the Bangladeshi border. In 2012, Sudan and South Sudan experienced border conflicts, while between the years 2012-2014, Syria and Turkey had clashes over border. Down here in our country Nigeria, we all are aware of the Bakassi Peninsula case. 

Today, Bakassi Peninsula is governed by Cameroon, but before it all happened, there was boundary dispute between Nigeria and Cameroon. The long border area between Cameroon and Nigeria, extending from Lake Chad to the Gulf of Guinea has been a bone of contention between these two countries dating back to colonial period. In the early 1990s, there was a break-out of military confrontations between the two countries over this area. It took the intervention of the International Court of Justice to settle the case on the 10^th October 2002. Ever since, there had been uprisings around some portions of that area. In 2006, when the Bakassians threatened to seek independence if Nigeria renounced sovereignty, the Nigerian President, Olesugun Obasanjo sent Nigerian troops to calm the area. This is to show us that the conflicts lingered. There were interventions both from UN secretary then Kofi Annam and the Nigerian senate over this same peninsula, until it was finally handed over to Cameroon on 14^th August, 2008. The question comes: why this thirst over lands?

There is a paradigm that really does not recognize and fight over boundaries –the paradigm of faith. That is, the faith in Jesus which extends to all the earth. No one is excluded. Faith breaks all boundaries. In my one-year experience as a Catholic priest, one of the confirmed understandings I have made is that in faith, everyone has got an equal chance to believe and be saved by his/her belief. Faith knows no boundary. Faith assures acceptance of one in another distant land. It is as a result of faith that the Pope travels out of Rome to pay visits to various countries regardless of the colour and culture of the people. Faith is the background behind the pastoral visit of every Bishop to the parishes within his diocese but in different villages. One lives his/her nation and goes to another nation, and yet finds a community of believers, and within a twinkle of an eye is so comfortable in their midst without fear of being sabotaged or relegated; faith does it. In faith, there is but one culture.

In the First Reading (Isaiah 56:1.6-7), we hear the Lord giving equal opportunity of salvation to the people considered as foreigners in Jewish land. The salvation and the justice of the Lord are not for a particular clan or culture. These divine opportunities are for all. Foreigners living within Palestine were granted limited rights and protection (cf. Exod. 22:20, Deut. 10:19), but Isaiah proclaimed a message that broke these bounds extending full privileges to the foreigners, and more extensively to those living outside Palestine; the nekar. Everyone is welcomed and fully admitted into the community of God’s people. And so, the Prophet Isaiah unequivocally proclaimed salvation to foreigners; and that means to all. The whole of Isaiah 56 is regarded as “salvation for foreigners.” Inasmuch as the foreigner has faith in God and does his duties, he has an equal chance with the person considered as ‘son of the soil’ who has faith in God and does his duties too.

In the Gospel (Matt. 15:21-28), this message was sounded so clearly by Jesus to his disciples in a dramatic way. This event foreshadowed the spread of the Gospel worldwide and God’s own desire that all barriers are broken down. A Canaanite woman came to Jesus for help. The son was possessed by a demon. Jesus gave the impression of sending her away. The woman insisted even when her importance was undermined. Jesus then passed his message: O woman, great is your faith. Jesus meant to tell the disciples that faith breaks the division existing in the mind of almost every Jew. This woman cried not for herself but for her daughter. She loved so deeply that she considered her daughter’s problem her own. Her love was more than the normal love and sympathy. We come to ask ourselves: how many of us can do same for our children? Many of our children are simply living under the influence of Satan, sin or shame of the devil. We are obliged as parents and friends to report the matter to Jesus. We must seek the Lord while he may be found and call on him while he is near (Isa 55:6).

Imagine how many of us would have our needs met if we interceded for one another as this woman did. This woman was not a Jew and yet recognized Jesus. She believed in the power of the Messiah. Her insistence (which manifests faith) proves it. As much as faith is involved, acceptance has to follow. We must be aware that this woman was a Canaanite, and the old Canaanites were the ancestral enemies of the Jews. One can imagine with what eye the disciples looked unto this woman coming for help. We must recall the fight for the land of Canaan, which was over land acquisition and possession. The message is clear. Faith heals boundary conflicts. Faith heals ancestral enmity. Faith heals the mind that projects hatred. It was not merely the healing of the girl that mattered, but there was also a healing of mentality in the disciples. For the Gospel of Jesus to be extended to the whole world, the disciples who would be the agents of this message must undergo a purgative exercise that would make their minds to accept every person. That is what Jesus achieved with this. It was all about faith.

This woman had faith. The encounter with Jesus made her faith to grow stronger. She began by calling Jesus Son of David which was somewhat a political title. This title looked on Jesus in terms of earthly glory and power. She ended by calling Jesus Lord, which was a title which looked on Jesus in terms of heavenly power and glory. Her faith was persistent. It was undiscourageable. She came to Jesus because Jesus was her hope. Her faith was cheerful and patient. Even in the midst of trouble, she was passionately in earnest, and yet could smile. God loves a cheerful faith, the faith with a smile which can light the gloom. Remember that there were only two people whose faith Jesus commended and pronounced to be great: this woman’s and the centurion. It is worth noting that both of them were Gentiles. We all are connected by this same faith. But what is a great faith? It is a desperate cry of need (v. 22). It is a persistence that will not quit (vv.23-24). It is a spirit that worships Jesus as Lord (v. 25). It is a spirit of humility and surrender to the Lord (vv. 26-27). It is a faith that receives its request (v.28).

As human beings and as Christians today, we tend to build walls around ourselves to demarcate ourselves from others. We create boundaries even by ourselves and exclude others because they are not ‘like us.’ We pride ourselves with the ‘son of the soil’ syndrome which eats deep into the fabric of unity that is characterized by the Christian faith. We give others names to show their non-belongedness from us. In our domestic families, we tend to create divisions that only serve to erode the morality of our homes. Children tend to let go the faith handed down by their parents to follow theirs, and in a fanatical way create tensions in homes. We as a community must work to allow our common faith to break the boundaries the human society and culture in different strata has created. We pray our common faith helps us to achieve a common humanity built on a common goal. Amen. Happy New Week. God bless you.

THE WOMAN’S COMPLETE VICTORY

HOMILY FOR THE SOLEMNITY OF THE ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

 

Rev. Fr. Ezekoka Peter Onyekachi

The solemnity of the Assumption celebrates the bodily taking up of the Virgin Mary into heaven at the end of her earthly life. The feast is rooted on a dogma which states that having completed the course of her earthly life, Mary the Mother of Jesus was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory. It was on the first of November, 1950 that Pope Pius XII promulgated this dogma in the apostolic constitution munificentissimus Deus.

The first reading is taken from the book of Revelations (11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab) which generally exposed the complete victory of the woman blessed by God. A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. Who is this woman? She is the Blessed Virgin Mary. She was with child, who is Jesus, her son. There was another sign. The huge red dragon was readily waiting for the woman to give birth to devour her child when she gives birth, but God saved the child, and gave a properly prepared place to the woman.

This woman was adorned with the sun, the moon and the stars. This links us to the dream of Joseph in Genesis 37:9-11. And Joseph had another dream. This time, the sun, the moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me. Here, the sun represented the father, the moon the mother and the eleven stars the brothers. The picture was a picture of Israel, and so Joseph was dreaming that Israel would be saved from destruction through him. And that is the same picture we must see in Revelation. The twelve tribes of Israel represent the sons and daughters of Israel (the people of God), but the children of God have now been begotten by faith. So, the twelve tribes represent all of the children of God begotten by faith who would be saved from destruction by sin by the singular fiat of this woman to be the mother of the saviour. There is a clear reference to Jesus as the child who would rule all nations (cf. Ps. 2:9). He alone is exalted up to the throne of God.

The woman would give birth to a child who would rule with an iron sceptre against the nations of the world. He has come to destroy evil. He comes to bring righteousness and godliness to the world by being so hard against evil and the devil. The Psalmist says, you will rule with an iron sceptre; you will dash them to pieces like pottery. And so, because of the highly exalted place of the baby (Jesus) of this woman, God prepared a special place for her. In her specialty, she was not allowed to see corruption but to be taken up body and soul to heaven. We celebrate her because she endured the pains of childbearing. We celebrate her because she had a facial encounter with the red dragon that was patiently waiting to devour her child. Oh, what a tensed state. We celebrate her because God Himself showed his power over the dragon, and taking the child gave her a most exalted place. She was saved so that she can be a channel of grace for us. Little wonder, the Blessed Virgin Mary is called mediatrix of all graces. She became a channel of grace because she allowed herself to become a channel of God’s entrance into the world.

If we align ourselves with such grace, we cannot walk in disgrace. The devil represented as the dragon will always suffer defeat. Even in the midst of the crisscross of good and evil here on earth, God remains there to save us from evil. There is a constant struggle between good and evil, but the good finally prevails. This tells us that there is a great spiritual combat waged behind the scenes of this world, fought for the souls of men. It is grace which goes hand in hand with our efforts that can make us win the war.

Finally, in an age of carnality, sensuality and materialism the assumption reminds us of the dignity and destiny of our human body, and while appreciating the dignity of womanhood, and channels our thinking capacity to the true life beyond the grave. The grace of assumption then gives to the human body the dignity it should have as it makes us to realize that God uses and favours everyone regardless of race and gender. Assumption gives us a clue to be expectant of the life beyond ours and to work to join those going to a properly prepared place. As the Blessed Virgin Mary, the mother of God and our mother is victorious, we too can be completely victorious after our earthly toil. HAPPY ASSUMPTION day. God bless you.

HIS PRESENCE EMPOWERS

HOMILY FOR THE 19^TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR A

Rev. Fr. Ezekoka Peter Onyekachi

A story is told about a little boy and his father. It happened that the father of the boy went out down the street to buy something for the little boy who had continued to cry since the father returned from work. The father had the tradition of coming home with some snacks for the son, but on this day he totally forgot to buy anything out of the fatigue of his work. He mandated the son to plug in the electric kettle for him, so that he could take his hot bath when he returns from buying the snacks for the boy who had refused to be consoled. The boy did as the father had instructed. So the boy was left alone in the house with the plugged-in electric kettle. Suddenly, there was smoke coming out from the outlets of the one storey building. The neighbours saw this and started shouting fire, fire, fire!!!. The boy was still in the sitting room still ignorant of the smoke which was as a result of the fire that has entirely consumed the kitchen. He heard the cries from the neighbourhood, and ran out to the balcony to discover what actually the problem was. It baffled him as he could not see the flour because everywhere was totally smoked. 

He ran back inside the house but discovered that the fire was already making its way to the sitting room via the passage. The concerned neighbours were shouting his name and were saying, Chidi, jump down. We are here to catch you. Chidi who was now simply imprisoned at the balcony was so afraid of such a height that he refused to jump down. The father who now had seen the scenario from a distance ran so fast and then shouted: Chidi, it’s Dad, jump down, I am here to catch you. When Chidi had the voice of the father, he became less fearful and as if fresh energy had entered into him, he jumped down and very luckily for him, fell in the hands of the father. The experience of this boy has a lot to teach us. I would not know if you had encountered a presence that empowered you, and made you to do what ordinarily you would not have done if left alone. Chidi who was afraid to jump down when he heard the voices of others was empowered to do so when he heard that of his father. The father’s presence empowered him to go beyond his fears and limitations.

In the First reading (1 Kings 19:9-13), we see the divine presence of God in the life of the prophet Elijah. This passage comes after the encounter of Elijah with the prophets of Baal. Elijah had occasioned the killing of the prophets of Baal, and this made Jezebel (whom the husband Ahab had informed) so sad that she sent a message to Elijah that she will take his own life. Elijah became afraid over this threat and then flew for his life. It was on this expedition that God appeared to Elijah in a manner he did not expect. He expected the Lord to appear in the form of a great and powerful wind; this did not happen. Secondly, there was a heavy earthquake and he expected to see the Lord; He was not there. There came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. Many a time, it is not how we expect God to appear to us that he appears. He knows the best way to appear to us. Someone in fear needs not an exotic manner of manifestation. All he/she needs is one that that calms him, and that projects peacefulness. The Lord finally came with a gentle whisper. It was from this gentle whisper that a voice said to Elijah: what are you doing here? Elijah had left his duty post out of fear. That voice energized Elijah to go back and be more energized to fight the evil and corruption that Ahab and the wife Jezebel had been perpetrating in Israel. The divine presence empowers us to go back to our drawing board, to go back to that situation we were running away from, to confront our fears and to overcome those fears.

In the Gospel (Matt. 14:22-33), we see the effect of the presence of Jesus on nature and especially on the disciples of Jesus. The presence of Christ conquers fear. There was a storm which was tossing about so ferociously the boat where the disciples were. They were not only in fear but also in pains and anguish. Jesus went to them walking on the sea. They disciples were so afraid that they thought it was a ghost. The context they found themselves did not allow them the mental and physical disposition to discern quickly their vision. They were struggling for survival as a result of the threat to their lives that the storm had subjected to. They were frightened, perhaps thinking that the ‘death angel’ or a premonition of their death was at hand. They were in a near-death situation. Then all of a sudden, a voice came: it is I, do not be afraid. Jesus gave them assurance with his presence. His presence was a great encouragement and empowerment to the apostles. His presence and words are a marvelous revelation of His care and power to save us through the storms of life. His presence will always go with us (cf. Exod. 33:14).

Storms abound in our lives. We should not be discouraged or hopeless when they come. Christ is able to take those trials and problems and make opportunities out of them. When we are caught in the greatest storms of life, Christ’s presence alone can save us. His presence empowers and conquers our fears, giving us hope and security. Our storms can be moments of sorrow, self-conflict, joblessness, decision making, sickness, barrenness, or any adverse circumstance. Do not be discouraged for Christ is so near and ready to help those who call out to him. His presence is most assuring, comforting, energizing, and empowering to any true disciple.

However, the disciples were not so sure it was him, as the question came: Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water. Two things are involved in this plea. The first is that it was the voice of Jesus that made Peter to request and to do that which ordinarily he would not have requested for nor done. The voice of Jesus empowered Peter to make the request and to walk on the sea. Peter who was afraid of the storm was now empowered to walk over the waters, just because he heard the voice of Jesus. The presence of Jesus made Peter conquer his fears and rise above his limitations. The second is that Peter may not have been thinking of miracle when he told Christ he should be allowed to come. It is most probable that he was so desirous to be saved. The situation they found themselves made them to desire so much a saviour who would ease their tension. The command of Jesus come was so strong. It came as a command. And Peter saw himself walking on the sea. As he had his eyes upon Jesus, he was succeeding but as he focused on the storm he began to sink. When we do not focus on Jesus, we begin to sink. Peter called on the Lord and was immediately saved. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved (cf. Rom 10:13). Our faith is dwindled when we think that the storms of life are greater than our master Jesus. Little wonder Peter was called a man of little faith. His faith faltered.

There was more encouragement when Christ entered the boat and got the storm calmed. The disciples had seen great relief and deliverance. Christ presence in the boat brought peace, harmony, calmness and joy to them. If Jesus is in your home, the home experiences happiness, peace and joy. Now, the presence of Jesus in the boat gave them a more solid knowledge about his identity. They bowed down and worshipped him saying: truly, you are the son of God. When you experience the divine presence that empowers, you cannot but ascertain within yourself the person you ought to give your full allegiance to. Jesus’ presence gives us more assurance to believe and worship him. Nevertheless, it becomes lugubrious that many of us are in the same boat with Jesus but never act as if he is our saviour, and never worships him. Some of us repeat the same mistake of the Jews who Paul was lamenting over in the Second Reading (Rom. 9:1-5). The Jews are brothers and sisters of Christ in the flesh but fail to recognize him in the spirit. Far be such an attitude from us. We must recognize Jesus in the spirit and all the more worship him for he is our God.

Furthermore, think about the presence of that person or thing who (that) empowers you and energizes you to do that which ordinarily you would have been afraid to do. But it is again pitiable that many in the society today have resorted to ungodly means when they need empowerment. Some have resorted to smoking, excessive intake of alcohol and drugs. These elements are simply inordinate means of getting empowered and energized. One may feel a momentary energy and fearlessness. But I tell you, apart from the fact that their effect is momentary, inherent in that energy and fearlessness is a type of recklessness that destroys and kills, and which makes us inhuman and subhuman, and renders our cognition so incapable of proper discernment. These elements impair our reasons, and give us a false impression that we are strong, where we actually are the weakest of all. Some others have also resorted to diabolical (evil) means of empowerment. It baffles me when a wealthy man convinces himself that after making his wealth, what awaits him is a search for protection from a dibia (native doctor). This is a fake promise by the devil. The devil cannot give what he does not have. He used the same tactics during the temptation of Jesus: all this I will give you if you bow down and worship me (Matt 4:9).

The same holds for parents who call ungodly people to give some marks on the bodies of their kids for the purpose of protection against the enemies. Some want to grow in talent and treasure, but their means of achieving these are simply inordinate. Some want to get admission into tertiary institutions, but their agent of empowerment is faulty. Some desire to scale through in examinations, but they rely in some other forces other than proper preparation and dependency on God. Some desire to have children or get husband/wife, and for these they have known the nook and crannies of the native homes in almost all the villages. These means of empowerment are all faulty, evil, frustrating, and retrogressive.  If we really need proper empowerment, proper protection, proper fearlessness, run to Jesus who constantly approaches us and extends his hands for us to grab his. The only way to get empowered is the divine presence of Jesus who is the great master of the universe. No power can paralyse his power. He paralyses other forces and they obey him. I wish you the divine presence that empowers this new week and forever. God bless you.