Tag: Fr. Bonnie Homilies
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THE POWER OF THE EMPTY TOMB IN THE EASTER STORY: AN EASTER REFLECTION Rev. Fr. Boniface Nkem Anusiem Ph.D.
We start by looking at a word we use often, and that is “empty.” It could indicate something positive or negative depending on the context. When you say that someone is empty, people would quickly conclude that the individual lacks certain qualities may be common sense. On the other hand, when you say that an…
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HOW TO TURN YOUR PAINS INTO GAINS REFLECTION FOR THE PASSION SUNDAY Rev. Fr. Bonnie Nkem Anusiem Ph.D.
Can you recall any experience of intense suffering and pains? Have you been at an agonizing point in your life where nobody seems to care, and the best among your close allies abandons you? Sometimes, when we go through some challenges and changes in life, some people around us tend to change or back-off. Difficult…
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OVERCOMING SPIRITUAL EXILE: REFLECTION FOR THE 4TH SUNDAY OF LENT Rev. Fr. Bonnie Nkem Anusiem Ph.D.
Separation could be a very painful experience. Hearts are often broken when people part ways due to the death of loved ones, when a meaningful relationship ends, or when people move on for any reason at all. Those who serve prison terms attest that the most painful part of their situation is the confinement that…
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HOW TO OVERCOME TEMPTATIONS REFLECTION FOR THE FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT (YEAR B) Rev. Fr. Bonnie Nkem Anusiem Ph.D.
There is no human being on earth that is beyond temptation. Of course, your past experiences in life could attest to the reality of various forms and shapes of temptations. Temptation is not sinning; it only goes wrong when you yield or get consumed. Mark’s Gospel (1:12-15) tells us how our Lord Jesus Christ was…
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WHERE ARE THE TRUE PROPHETS? Reflection for the 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B) Rev. Fr. Boniface Nkem Anusiem Ph.D.
Early in May 2011, both the internet and social media were agog with the “End of the World” prophecy of Harold E. Camping, a self-trained bible scholar and radio evangelist. Through the Family Radio based in Oakland, the preacher predicted that the world would end on Saturday, May 21, 2011, following the rapture of 200…
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THE KEYS TO PROMISE KEEPING HOMILY FOR THE 4TH SUNDAY OF ADVENT Rev. Fr. Boniface Nkem Anusiem Ph.D.
God is still in the business of making and keeping promises!
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OWN AND KEEP YOUR JOY HOMILY FOR THE 3RD SUNDAY OF ADVENT Rev. Fr. Boniface Nkem Anusiem Ph.D.
Once upon a time, a military general who did not believe in God learned about the sudden conversion of his only daughter to Christianity, and he was incredibly sad about it. Calling on her, he gave her three days to renounce her new faith. After three days, she showed up before her dad, but she…
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HOW TO PRE-PARE NOT TO PRE-FAIL REFLECTION FOR THE 2ND SUNDAY OF ADVENT Rev. Fr. Boniface Nkem Anusiem Ph.D.
Once upon a time, a king observed that his kingdom was becoming very filthy. He sent his messengers to instruct the people to keep their homes and surroundings clean every day, but the response was inadequate. Hence, the king thought about doing something different about the kingdom’s uncleanliness. The next day, he sent a message…
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HOW TO WAIT AND WATCH REFLECTION FOR THE FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT (YEAR B) Rev. Fr. Bonnie Nkem Anusiem Ph.D.
The story of the Chinese bamboo trees would be immensely helpful for our reflection. Once upon a time, a farmer heard about Chinese bamboos and how they could make anyone rich. So, selling some of his properties, he went in search of the seeds. He found a seller in a distant town. After the transaction,…
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WHO IS YOUR KING? THE FEAST OF CHRIST, THE KING Rev. Fr. Boniface Nkem Anusiem Ph.D.
“The Proud King” was originally a story in the poem of William Morris before it got many versions. It talks about a wealthy and influential king who became arrogant and proud. He even imprisoned the local priest who preached that God could make a rich man poor and a poor man rich. One day as…
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HOW TO TURN OUR TALENTS INTO TREASURES HOMILY: 33RD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (YEAR A) Rev. Fr. Boniface Nkem Anusiem Ph.D.
Australian pelicans have the most extended and beautiful beak or bill (as often called) among the other avian creatures. The beak should be about twenty inches long, and it could expand in size when they hunt to get food. One day, three female pelicans decided to visit a famous lake many hours away. They were…
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HOW NOT TO BE A FOOLISH CHRISTIANHOMILY FOR THE 32ND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (YEAR A)Rev. Fr. Bonnie Nkem Anusiem Ph.D.
Could you recall any foolish thing you did recently for which you can boldly accept your foolishness? I could remember running out of gas one rainy evening as I was returning from a funeral. Though I saw a gas station, I was, however, hoping to stop at the next one, but none showed up until…
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BECOMING A SAINT IN THE DOT COM AGE! REFLECTION FOR All SAINTS FEAST Rev. Fr. Boniface Nkem Anusiem Ph.D.
The life of the Italian teenager Carlo Acutis is a very contemporary instance of sainthood in an age that wrestles with a lot of distractions, irreligion, and dispassion for God. Some of us may have heard the story of this seventeen-year-old boy who was recently beatified in Assisi on October 10, 2020, a few days…
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UNDERSTANDING THE TWO SIDES OF LOVE HOMILY FOR THE 30TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (YEAR A) Rev. Fr. Boniface Nkem Anusiem Ph.D.
How do you feel when someone says, “I love you,” and you can tell that the statement is from the person’s heart? Elated and appreciated, I guess. Love is immensely powerful and overwhelming. The best story ever is the love story. Furthermore, St. Paul tells us that it is the foundation of everything (1Cor.13:7). Lately,…
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OVERCOMING THE “CAESAR MENTALITY”HOMILY FOR THE 29TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (YEAR A) Rev. Fr. Boniface Nkem Anusiem Ph.D.
Ownership mentality is perhaps one of the significant cables in the human structure. We all like to identify who owns what and how much. In business administration, ownership refers to the legitimate right of possession. In other words, it indicates that something belongs to a named individual or persons leveraging some proofs. For instance, the…
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THE LORD WILL WIPE AWAY YOUR TEARS HOMILY FOR THE 28TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (YEAR A) Rev. Fr. Boniface Nkem Anusiem Ph.D.
John Thuo, a homeless street beggar from Nairobi, Kenya, was doing his usual rounds of begging for alms from cars on a busy street when he saw a woman on a mask connected to an oxygen concentrator. He could not understand why she had to be clad in the device with cylinders in the car.…
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LET GOD BE GOD IN YOUR LIFE!
HOMILY FOR THE 25TH SUNDAY (YEAR A) Rev. Fr. Boniface N. Anusiem Ph.D. Do you believe that God is normal? Somethingis said to be normal when it conforms to a known or predictable standard. For instance, it is normal for the sun to rise in the east and set in the west. But from…
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HOW TO FORGIVE ANY HURT
REFLECTION FOR THE 24th SUNDAY (YEAR A) Rev. Fr. Boniface Nkem Anusiem Ph.D. “Father, I have forgiven, but I will never forget what she did to me; after all, I suffered for her sake; you need to be in my shoes to feel the way it hurts!”…
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HOW TO PAY THE LOVE DEBT
HOMILY FOR THE 23RD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (YEAR A) Rev. Fr. Bonnie Nkem Anusiem Ph.D. Love is an indispensable subject matter with global relevance. It is difficult not to talk about love even when it hurts by recalling some personal experiences. A 2017 article in havingtime.com, by the blogger Gigi Solo, quotes some…
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OVERCOMING SATAN’S OBSTACLES
TWENTY-SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (YEAR A) Rev. Fr. Boniface Nkem Anusiem Ph.D. Sun Tzu was a Chinese military strategist and philosopher who existed around the 5th Century BC. Many historical sources regard him as the author of the classic Chinese work, “The Art of War,” which outlines the strategies and maneuverers one could…