The Lord Shall Deliver Our Nation

01-10-2017 OUR LADY QUEEN AND PATRONESS OF NIGERIA (SOLEMNITY)

SCRIPTURAL READING:

1. Isaiah 11:1-10.

Ps. 72:1,7-8.12-13,17;

1. 2 Ephesians 2:13-22 Accl; Lk. 1:28.
2. Gospel Matt. 2:13-15.19-23.

Preamble:

Dear friends please repeat these words after me;

Stay with me Lord Jesus, as I give you my mind, may your word never depart from me.

Stay with me Lord Jesus, as I give you my ears, help me listen and obey your voice.

Stay with me Lord Jesus, as I give you my heart, help me welcome you always.

Holy Spirit, rekindle in me the fire of your love. Amen.

THEME: The Lord Shall Deliver Our Nation

Today friends, we celebrate our 57^th independence anniversary. Amidst the so many agitations, anger, frustrations and prayers offered across the nation, there are a number of questions I have sat down to ask myself.

As a nation what are we truly celebrating? Should we celebrate this entity called Nigeria? If I must celebrate what shall I celebrate? Shall I celebrate the breakdown in value system, selfishness, mistrust, culture of marginalization, the intimidation, kidnappings, robbery, mass killings, mass exodus of our youths in search of a greener pasture, economic hardship, lack of basic amenities, dilapidating infrastructures across the nation, political clash and tensions within ethnic groups, the inefficiency of the leadership, and a host of other worries that feel the mind? What shall I tell the younger generation I am proud of about this nation Nigeria?

Shall I say there is unity? If there appears anything to be called unity, among the so called united, how united are they? Whose interest do we serve in this country Nigeria? The self or of government who seek self actualization rather than community development, up building and continuity of nation building or that of my fellow Nigerians? Whose interest do I represent? Is it my ethnic, clan or the interest of my fellow Nigerians?

Am I proud of this entity called Nigeria? Whom shall I blame? Shall I blame the past generations, or present generations or the generations to come? Can I stand and own up that this country is my country and I must play my own part to ensure it becomes better or do I keep casting blame after blame at others? Who will bail the cat? Me or the other or all of us? We are in search of true federalism whose democratic principles are up to standard, we are in search of true leadership and governance, but I ask am I not a leader where I am? Is not each man or woman seated in this house of the Lord not a leader in one way or the other? If I want or if we want Nigeria to be better, shouldn’t it be a collective responsibility and commitment to making Nigeria a better place? Shall we go ahead complaining Nigeria has done this, this government has done this? Oh this local government or state government has done this? Who is this Nigeria? Who is this government? Am I part of it or am I referring to something else I am not a part of either by tribe or clan, language or colour or ontological positioning and natural placement by the creator. Can a man jump out of his skin? Can Nigeria become better by mere talking and arguments or are we all to get down to sit, plan strategically, work, and pray in order to revive our precious treasure and give a good direction our nation should go and create a lasting platform our younger generation would build their life upon? Or do we just feel less concerned and say it’s the business of those in government.

Where lies our patriotism for our beloved country? I didn’t choose myself to be a Nigerian but I have a role to play in what happens in this country I belong to called Nigeria. What is that role? Can I identify it? Do I believe that governance begins with me?

The flight to Egypt we read from the gospel passage tells us that our Saviour and Lord also went through the terror of bad leadership; he came to save his own but his own sort to kill him at infancy not even minding or waiting to see what he would become. His life was sort after by the jealousy and cruelty of King Herod. But God intervened because he had a superior plan for his own, he preserved his life for his mission was to save his very own in the flesh. To save his life, he sent his angel to instruct his foster father Joseph to take the mother and child out of Egypt. He acted in strict obedience to the divine directive and fled into Egypt and only returned when King Herod was dead.

The preservation of Jesus was necessary if salvation were to come to us. That is why the first reading of today’s liturgy, also draws our attention to the kind of leadership the Lord promises to give to the children of Israel and what his era would bring.

The Navarre Bible gives us an explanation to the meaning of this passage. It tells us that the passage is regarded as the third Immanuel Oracle, it has two parts to it. The first part verses 1-5 announces that the shoot will spring from the stump of Jesse (David’s father) at some future date.

The second part from verses 6-9 describes the good things associated with his reign, using imagery to do with messianic peace: creation will be restored to its state of original justice.

The first part is a formal announcement of the accession of a new king in the line of David-humble, because he comes from a tree that has pruned yet has all the vitality of a tender shoot. It refers a future king (there shall come…) and not the reigning monarch. The new king will be endowed with exceptional qualities that equip him to rule, thanks to the Holy Spirit who will descend upon him. The Divine Spirit who will descend upon him. The divine spirit is an inner strength, a gift that God gives to key figures in salvation history to enable them to accomplish a difficult and dangerous mission-Moses (cf. Num. 11:17), the judges (cf. 3:10;6:34), and David (1 Sam. 16:13).

The new descendant of David will rule over the people not in a heavy-handed way like the king of the time, but with a charismatic dynamism that comes from God.

Six gifts of the Holy Spirit are mentioned, in pairs-wisdom and understanding, referring to the skill and prudence that ensure that he will judge rightly; counsel and fortitude, the characteristics of an astute strategist like David; knowledge and the fear of the Lord, which have to do with the religious sphere, for the King must not forget that he is God’s representative.

The second part describes very beautifully the messianic peace that will flower with this new “shoot.” It paints a holistic picture of the harmony that reigned at the dawn of creation, only to be broken by sin. Even among wild beasts violence will disappear. No longer will man in his pride desire to to  be ‘like God, knowing good and evil’ Gen. 3:5; instead he will be filled with the divine gift of the ‘Knowledge of the lord-verse 9.’

The child, mentioned twice in verse 6 and 8, is not directly connected with the child-king of the oracle found in chapter 9:6 or with the Immanuel 7:14; however, in the mind of the prophet they must have many points of contact, given the reference to the child having a leadership role in verse 6.

The image of the “shoot” from the royal line who will bring peace has been interpreted in Christian tradition as finding fulfillment in Jesus Christ. St. Thomas Aquinas read this passage as referring to Christ, who brought about the restoration of mankind; he points out: first, the birth of Christ the restorer is spoken of in verse 1; then, his holiness verse 2-9 are described.

John Paul II comments: making reference to the coming of a mysterious personage, which the New testament revelation will identify with Jesus, Isaiah connects his person and mission with a particular action of the spirit of God-the Spirit the Lord. these are the words of the prophet: there shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. and his delight shall be the fear of the Lord.

Dear friends, our nation Nigeria can be healed if we are able to pray for the true leadership who is guided by the light of the Holy Spirit. We strongly need the Holy Spirit to guide us in our choice of leadership and not zoning of electoral power. We need peace and stability. We need growth and value driving governance. We can get this if we begin to seek the face of the Lord.

On these grounds, the catholic Bishops of Nigeria have seen the need to rely on the help of the Lord to help us solve this menace. They have called for a 33days prayer to re-consecrate Nigeria to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. This is both timely and helpful as we celebrate the Marian Year-the centenary celebration of the apparition of our blessed mother at Fatima. We ask that we join hands in saying this prayer and ask our blessed Mother to intercede for us and obtain for us great blessings from the Lord.

May the lord heal our nation Nigeria!

May the Lord deliver our country Nigeria from evil!!

May the Lord bless our Country Nigeria!!!

I wish everyone a happy independence day.