Category: EVERGREEN REFLECTIONS
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TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE:ADOPTING THE DIVINE DESIGN FOR LIFE AND MINISTRY
Reflection for the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) Rev. Fr. Boniface Nkem Anusiem Ph.D. The account of the creation of man in the Book of Genesis (2:18) tells us that God had an “afterthought” and said: “it is not good for the man to be alone. I will make him a helper suitable…
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WHO DO YOU FOLLOW AND WHY?
Reflection for the 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) Rev. Fr. Bonnie Nkem Anusiem Ph.D. Any avid user of social media platforms should be conversant with the word “followers,” which describes the people who subscribe to someone’s ideas or activities in the social space. People often evaluate the weight of an individual’s fame…
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THE FOOD AND DRINK THAT CHANGED OUR “DIGESTIVE SYSTEM”!
Reflection for the Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ Rev. Fr. Boniface Nkem Anusiem Ph.D. Food is necessary for the sustenance and maintenance of every living thing. Humans, as well as plants and animals, need food to survive. That explains why we regard food as one of the basic needs of life.…
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THE HOLY TRINITY: HOLY MYSTERY, HOLY CONFUSION, AND THE HOLY LESSONS
Rev. Fr. Boniface Nkem Anusiem Ph.D. The word mystery describes something or someone impossible to articulate or describe by the excellency of the human intellect. Some things that are mysterious for human beings may not be the same for pure spirits like angels because they enjoy some levels of knowledge that are beyond humans.…
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“DO YOU TRULY KNOW THE HOLY SPIRIT?”
Reflection for the Feast of Pentecost Rev. Fr. Boniface Nkem Anusiem Ph.D. If you ask an average Christian if they know the Holy Spirit, you may get an affirmative answer based on the common knowledge of the His identity with the Holy Trinity. While that knowledge is basic, it does not however show what the…
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LIFE WITHOUT ASCENSION IS A DISASTER!
Reflection for Ascension Thursday (Sunday) Rev. Fr. Boniface Nkem Anusiem Ph.D. Did you know that if Jesus did not physically ascend to heaven after the resurrection, he would still be alive and moving around the earth for these past two thousand years? Jesus died once and is never to die again (Romans 6:10). In the…
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THE EXCELLENT TEACHER!
Reflection for the Sixth Sunday of Easter (Year C) The Holy Spirit Rev. Fr. Bonnie Nkem Anusiem Ph.D. Some teachers are unforgettable because of the values and virtues they carry and communicate. If you take a little time to scan through your school days, you may recall some teachers who greatly impacted your life. Some…
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SOMETHING NEW IN OUR LIVES!
Reflection for the Fifth Sunday of Easter Rev. Fr. Bonnie Nkem Anusiem Ph.D. What comes to your mind when you hear the word “new” attached to any subject? I bet that it evokes the feeling of something better and more desirable. No wonder it excels as a bargaining principle in various areas of life,…
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THE MOTHER WHO IS NOT REMEMBERED ON MOTHER’S DAY
During my Mother’s Day reflection on Sunday, I asked the people if anyone could recall the origin of the Mother’s Day celebration. There was a long silence as nobody had ideas. The importance of a historical perspective to anything we celebrate, including Mother’s Day, does not need much emphasis. So, what is the history behind…
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WITHOUT LOVE YOU LABOR LONG FOR NOTHING
REFLECTION FOR THE 3RD SUNDAY OF EASTER Rev. Fr. Boniface Nkem Anusiem Ph.D. The greatest need ever is love because it is the bedrock of every good thing`. Did you know that it is easier to say, “I love you” than to answer the question, “do you love me?” The question seems to point to…
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DO WE NEED DIVINE MERCY?
Reflection for Divine Mercy Sunday Rev. Fr. Bonnie Nkem Anusiem Ph.D. One interesting discovery in our ecosystem is that each organism can only survive at certain places and under certain conditions. For example, a lion cannot live in water as powerful as it is. Furthermore, the largest creature on earth, the blue whale, can only…
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A LETTER TO THE VICTORIOUS AND RISEN LORD
Rev. Fr. Bonnie Nkem Anusiem Ph.D. Dearest gracious and risen Lord, Welcome back! It is barely three days now, and it seems you were long gone. The glory of your rising from the dead replaces the agony of the cross. The Easter joy diminishes the pain of Good Friday. Precious Lord, your last words on…
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A LETTER TO THE PASSIONATE AND DYING CHRIST
Rev. Fr. Bonnie Nkem Anusiem Ph.D. Dearest passionate and loving Lord, This is my first ever published letter to you. I am excited to do this, and I promise that it will not be the last in this communication capacity. Pardon me in advance; I will be asking you questions. I may get emotional…
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STONING THE SIN AND SAVING THE SINNER!
Reflection for the 5th Sunday of Lent (Year C) Rev. Fr. Bonnie Nkem Anusiem Ph.D. There is no dispute that we all are sinners without exception. For instance, the two Psalms of David (14:2-3; 53:2-3) tell us that God looked from heaven on the children of men to see if anyone understands. The Psalms further…
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THE JOY OF RECONCILIATION
Reflection for the 4th Sunday of Lent (Year C) Rev. Fr. Boniface Nkem Anusiem Ph.D. People often wonder why God usually allows the wicked to flourish and excel while the righteous suffer and even die! The prophecy of Ezekiel answers this puzzle where God asks, “Do I take any pleasure in the death of…
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BURNING AND BEARING FRUITS FOR THE LORD
Are you fruitful or barren like that one tree that was singled out in the entire orchard be cut down? Like the gardener begged for an additional year, the Lord is giving us this Lenten season as a grace period to become fruitful. In the Gospel of John (15:16), Jesus says, “you did not choose…
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THE LENTEN SIGNIFICANCE OF THE TRANSFIGURATION OF THE LORD
The morale of the transfiguration narrative is that we should keep praying until we are transformed from every disfiguration and distortion. Praying is not reducible to obtaining material favors but that significant change that can open the heavens for us to receive the divine confirmation of our place in the heart of God our Father.
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TRAIN YOUR WORDS, WIN YOUR WORLD
Nobody has a bad mouth; the problem is the heart. Essentially, words are cooked in the heart, the seat of all good and evil. Therefore, we must refine our hearts so that the words that proceed from them become dependable memories that will uplift people!
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HOW TO OVERCOME EVIL WITH GOOD
Reflection for the 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) Rev. Fr. Boniface Nkem Anusiem Ph.D. Imagine if God would need to hit us physically with something each time we sin! Evidently, there would be more people with broken bones and maimed bodies in the world than those who are whole. The Psalmist puts…
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OBTAINING THE KEYS TO BLESSEDNESS
Reflection for the 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) Rev. Fr. Boniface Nkem Anusiem Ph.D. Once upon a time, a king promised that he would give a bag of gold to the most diligent person in the kingdom. He said he would watch people conduct their daily activities to identify the most diligent…