David Michael Okechukwu's Blog

Maybe you felt some deep sorrows or life seems too hard to face with memories you cannot forget (Now, stop wallowing in thought but result quickly into seeking God's own remedy)  = = = Give a good fight by standing your ground (Let no signs of defeat be found in your looks so that no one become entertained by your appearance)  = = =  Acts 5:17-42 &  Exodus 14:13-31  = = =  In this world, you are more than a performer -  The BIBLE calls you: "an overcomer" (Romans 8:15-39)  = = =  SELF HELP PRAYER Almighty God,  let no humiliations make me feel I worth nothing -  May I always take a clue from the Scriptures so as not to become victim of public opinion but rather draw strength from your DIVINE SCORES for me AMEN                   Happy Sunday 

Today's Verse “And this city shall be to me the name of joy, a praise and a glory before the nations of the earth who shall hear of all the good that I do for them.“ – Jeremiah 33:9a We can be a city of Joy that shines brightly for God’s glory. Facing the troubles of the life we endure on earth can teach us many things about what is good and how to overcome the bad. The beauty of it all is that we don’t have to do any of it on our own. In a previous verse we are promised that God will “restore their fortunes…and rebuild them as they were [or should be.”(V7) In the verses surrounding today’s verse, we are given a promise of peace; with peace comes joy. As you let the joy of your heart reign alongside the peace God has promised, He can use you to do many wonderful things. Go forth and shine brightly on the hill as a great city of joy today. – Commentary by Matthew Elliott Today's Prayer Father, joy is the key to happiness. Today, I pray t...

Pope St Pius X (1835 - 1914) He was born in the village of Riese, near Venice, one of ten children of a very poor family. He was ordained to the priesthood at the age of 23. He was successively bishop of Mantua and of Venice, and was elected Pope, against his wishes, in 1903. In his time as Pope, he sought to “restore all things in Christ.” He insisted on the separation of Church and State, and banned the formation of political associations that claimed exclusive religious sanction for their political programme, whether of the Left or of the Right. He revised the code of Canon Law, founded an institute for scriptural studies, and initiated the revision of the Latin translation of the Bible (the Vulgate) and the reform of the liturgy.   He lived in great poverty even when he was Pope, and preached sermons every Sunday in the courtyards of the Vatican, to any who would listen. In his simplicity and goodness of heart, he performed miracles even when he was alive, and the...

21st Sunday in Ordinary Time   Liturgical Colour: Green. Readings at Mass Entrance Antiphon Cf. Ps 85: 1-3 Turn your ear, O Lord, and answer me; save the servant who trusts in you, my God. Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I cry to you all the day long. Collect O God, who cause the minds of the faithful to unite in a single purpose, grant your people to love what you command and to desire what you promise, that, amid the uncertainties of this world, our hearts may be fixed on that place where true gladness is found. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. First reading Isaiah 66:18-21 The Lord says this: I am coming to gather the nations of every language. They shall come to witness my glory. I will give them a sign and send some of their survivors to the nations: to Tarshish, Put, Lud, Moshech, Rosh, Tubal, and Javan, to the distant islands that h...

Today's Verse “Let the godly sing for joy to the Lord; it is fitting for the pure to praise Him.” - Psalm 33:1 Life has its ups and downs and all too often we let the downs overcome us to the point we only focus on the negative and we forget the positives. We can’t live our lives giving into discouragement, despite how easily that can be when we face so many downs. We believers are given both ups and downs so we can continually grow. Instead of always focusing on the downs that get thrown along your life’s path, take a moment to focus a little more on the ups. Give God the glory for the good that has taken place in your life. It is in the good times that we need to sing Joy and honor to Him. Make it a point to praise Him in all aspects of life, doing this will lead to some amazing joyful melodies. - Matthew Elliott Today's Prayer God, thank You for setting an example of Joy for all of us today. Teach me dear Lord, what it will take for ...

St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090 - 1153) He was born near Dijon, in France, in 1090, of a noble family. In 1112 he joined the new monastery at Cîteaux. This had been founded fourteen years before, in a bid to reject the laxity and riches of the Benedictine Order (as exemplified by great monasteries such as Cluny) and to return to a primitive poverty and austerity of life.   Bernard arrived at Cîteaux with four of his five brothers and two dozen friends. Within three years he had been sent out to found a new monastery at Clairvaux, in Champagne, where he remained abbot for the rest of his life. By the time of his death, the Cistercian Order had grown from one house to 343, of which 68 were daughter houses of Clairvaux itself.   Bernard was a man of great holiness and wisdom, and although he was often in very poor health, he was active in many of the great public debates of the time. He strongly opposed the luxurious lives of some of the clergy, and fought aga...

Saturday of week 20 in Ordinary Time   (Saint Bernard, Abbot, Doctor  ) Liturgical Colour: White. Readings at Mass Entrance Antiphon Filled by the Lord with a spirit of understanding, blessed Bernard ministered streams of clear teaching to the people of God. Collect O God, who made of the Abbot Saint Bernard a man consumed with zeal for your house and a light shining and burning in your Church, grant, through his intercession, that we may be on fire with the same spirit and walk always as children of light. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. First reading Ezekiel 43:1-7 The angel took me to the gate, the one facing east. I saw the glory of the God of Israel approaching from the east. A sound came with it, like the sound of the ocean, and the earth shone with his glory. This vision was like the one I had seen when I had come for t...

Today's Verse "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." – I Peter 2:9 Do you remember the childhood game follow the leader or Simon says? It is a challenging game. People follow one soul who is proclaimed to be the head of the group. They try to copy everything that they do in an ideal and straight forward fashion. Now, consider your life when you are a believer in Christ. You are a leader in a dark world, because the light of Christ is within you. Serving God and living for Him should be our life’s mission. We are essentially royalty as members of His family. We should rejoice and praise Him in every moment. Let it be our prayer that as we take each step, we do so in His image and likeness. May others see that uniqueness within us and want to follow the leader, learning more about He who has save...

Saint John Eudes (1601 - 1680) He was born and died in Normandy. He was ordained priest and spent many years preaching parish missions. He organized a congregation of nuns that grew into the Sisters of Our Lady of Charity, dedicated to the care of women rescued from a disorderly life, and a congregation of priests dedicated to the running of seminaries. He was active in encouraging devotion to the Sacred Heart, and to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.   In his time the Church in France was corrupt and in many ways a source of evil rather than grace. The higher clergy were rich and privileged, and enjoyed and guarded their privileges (the country was run, and wars were waged, by a cardinal). The lower clergy were ignorant and the common people were poor, superstitious, and oppressed as much spiritually as materially. To this mix was added the poison of Jansenism, which taught that human nature was corrupt, original sin rampant, and perfection was both necessary for salvati...

Friday of week 20 in Ordinary Time     or Saint John Eudes, Priest  Liturgical Colour: Green. Readings at Mass Entrance Antiphon Ps 83: 10-11 Turn your eyes, O God, our shield; and look on the face of your anointed one; one day within your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. Collect O God, who have prepared for those who love you good things which no eye can see, fill our hearts, we pray, with the warmth of your love, so that, loving you in all things and above all things, we may attain your promises, which surpass every human desire. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. First reading Ezekiel 37:1-14 The hand of the Lord was laid on me, and he carried me away by the spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of a valley, a valley full of bones. He made me walk up and down among them. There were vast quantities ...

St Jane Frances is our saint for today

Thursday of week 20 in Ordinary Time   Liturgical Colour: Green. Readings at Mass Entrance Antiphon Ps 83: 10-11 Turn your eyes, O God, our shield; and look on the face of your anointed one; one day within your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. Collect O God, who have prepared for those who love you good things which no eye can see, fill our hearts, we pray, with the warmth of your love, so that, loving you in all things and above all things, we may attain your promises, which surpass every human desire. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. First reading Ezekiel 36:23-28 The word of the Lord was addressed to me as follows: ‘I mean to display the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned among them. And the nations will learn that I am the Lord–it is the Lord who speaks– when I di...