Meditation for Wednesday of the 1st Week in Ordinary Time B.

1 Sam 3, 1-10.19-20; Mk 1:29-39

Jesus in the gospel encourages us to give time to prayer without getting caught in the trap of activism.

Samuel's call and his “yes” to the Lord. His “yes” meant that he had become an important prophet and military leader for the people. He inspires us to open ourselves to God's call. Speak Lord, your servant listens.

Jesus himself teaches us to say yes to the Lord. He is the

God himself who is present and who acts among us. He preaches the Good News, he heals all infirmities, he delivers from the spirit of evil. The preaching of the Good News to every creature and deliverance from the forces of darkness are at the heart of the ministry of Jesus Christ!

You too are the successor of Jesus and Samuel. Go and proclaim the release of the captives.

Father Georges sac

Meditation for Tuesday of the 1st Week in Ordinary Time (B) 1S1, 9-20; Mk 1:21-28

With great devotion, divine intervention comes without appeal.

Hannah, in the first book of Samuel, is the example of a heart that suffers but keeps trust in God alone.

In her distress, she turns to God. She went to the sanctuary of the Ark of the Covenant in Shiloh and asked the Lord to remove her stigma and grant her a child. In her attitude, she showed trust in the Lord despite the enormous pain that her sterility caused her. As a result, the Lord answered Hannah's prayer and granted her a son whom she named Samuel. Like Hannah, let us sing is a hymn of praise to the God of love. Let us put our faith in Him even in the very challenging times.

Jesus demonstrates this love of God in the gospels by casting out unclean spirits and teaching with authority. Jesus comes in fact to free our lives from spiritual sterility, but also from all the impure spirits that affect and afflict humanity.

Lord, Jesus, thank you for freeing me from my distress!

Father Georges sac

Reflection on Baptism of the Lord. Isa 55:1-11; Ps 1 John 5:1-9; Mk 1:7-11

The feast of the Baptism of the Lord marks the end of the Christmas season and the beginning of the public ministry of Jesus.

Jesus, who did not need baptism, identifies himself with us sinners and shows us its importance and the way to follow.

 Through the waters of baptism, we become members of God's family and are thus expected to live lives worthy of the children of God. Baptism actually conforms us to Jesus and opens heaven for us, freeing us from sin and the chains of death.

Through his baptism, Jesus opens to all nations, especially to those who are truly thirsty, the door of salvation.

For those who are truly opened to God's invitation, He offers through his Son Jesus Christ, the source of living water, eternal life.

This is how in today's second reading, St John draws our attention to the importance of believing in Jesus Christ through the three elements which testify to our filiation in Christ, namely: water, blood and spirit. Every day, we are defiled internally and externally by sin, but the water of baptism, which Christ brings, effectively continues God's work in our lives. By his blood and by his spirit, Christ continues his reign in our lives and in our world.

Let us renew our baptismal commitments on this day and, like Jesus, puts ourselves at the service of the kingdom of God.

May the peace of Christ be with you!

Father Georges sac

Reflection of JANUARY 05, 1 John 3: 11-21; John 1:43-51

Are you another Cain?

The Christian should live according to the will of God, which consists of loving others with the love that God loves us Cain is the same one who killed his brother Abel.
Cain is the one who shows hatred, jealousy, malice to another person. Cain is the one who kills, who abuses, who steals, who defrauds, who mistreats and who exploits another human being. Cain is recruited today in all circles of life. Cain is violence in our families, in our streets, in our schools, in our hospitals and in our markets. Cain is the choice of tribalism, xenophobia, racism in contempt of love, dialogue and inclusiveness, and Peace

Philip and Nathanael are witnesses to the love of Jesus Christ.
We, too, are called to bear witness to Christ and the kingdom by loving others at all times, no matter what they do to us, and to bring to the world the love and peace that God gave us at Christmas.

Are you another Cain?

Father Georges sac

Reflection of January 4, 2024. 1 John 3:7-10.

Saint John tells us that a sinful lifestyle is not consistent with God's love for us. Sin is not consistent with our identity as children of God. Our life must be the fruit of life in truth and the Holy Spirit who plunges us into eternal life.

It is this life that Jesus invites the first apostles and us to seek. "What are you looking for ?" Eternal life in Jesus Christ!

Saint Andrew and his brother, Saint Peter found the Messiah and proclaimed him to others.

Have we already found Jesus the Messiah in our life? how long have we been proclaiming Him as Messiah to others?

 The encounter of every Christian with Christ should be the beginning of a new catechetical mission for others.

Fr. Georges sac

Reflection of January 2, 2024.

Faithful to our conscience and our faith!

 Being a Christian should influence our whole life: our choices, our decisions, our positions, and our relationships with the world. Our way of being should be dependent on our understanding of the role God has in our lives.

 Our faith should help us face the antichrist, those temptations that seek to replace Christ with what appears to be a quick answer, and a simplistic yet falsified teaching of the gospel.

 God invites us to be faithful to our call to live a life centered on authentic faith, which is an invitation to put God in control, to trust in God's navigation, to use our gifts to improve life on this earth, while always being aware of the promise he made to us: eternal life. John the Baptist is indeed the Christ model to follow. It is Christ and nothing else, not even himself, who is at the center of his preaching.  Jesus is the Son of God, our eternal salvation. He is our Light. We must follow him.

Father Georges sac

Saturday, December 30, 2923. Sixth day in the octave of Christmas. 1 John 2:12-17; Luke 2:36-40

Christian's Victory

At Christmas, we experience God's mercy on everyone. In Jesus and through his blood, we have redemption, the forgiveness of our sins. This is already the victory love over evil as Emmanuel enters humanity.

Saint John invites us to be faithful to Jesus and his word. We must live according to divine will, avoiding the obstacles that the world places before us. For this, we need to live according to the spirit of Christ every day of our lives. According to the prophetess, Anne, we must lead a life of fasting, prayer, and total service to God. Thanks to the love of Christ, we already have victory, and we can get up every day and learn to sow love, forgiveness, and joy around us!

 Give us the Lord, the grace of victory  over   the lust of the flesh and the addiction for the world. 

Father Georges sac

Daily reflections, December 28, 2023. 1John 1:5-2,2; Ps123; Matt 2:13-18. The holy innocents, Martyrs

Herod will seek to destroy the child!

Because of jealousy, envy, fear, insecurity and his selfishness, Herod, who represents the dark forces, Satan and his proxies, will demand the massacre of all boys from 0 to two years old. Because of the reasons today, Herod continues to massacre God's children. Through wars to conquer or preserve power, to ensure control of mineral resources, to have a position of power or promotion in a service, to remain the beneficiary of a bank account, land, 'a social climb, a marriage. Herod continues to wreak havoc in our societies today: The crisis in the South-West and North-West speaks to us; the recent massacres in Nigeria; the millions of people who continue to perish in Congo; the genocide that took place in Rwanda; the Israel Palestine’s war, the war going on in Ukraine... All this shows that we are not yet able to live as children of the light and that we do not yet accept Jesus as our King who must reign over us! The murder of the Innocents by Herod in his attempt to kill the newborn king demonstrates our refusal to welcome God and live according to the values of his kingdom. However, we are invited to understand that despite the constant presence of the forces of darkness, we must believe in God to the point of dying for him. So let us remain in fervent prayer because Herod still seeks to kill the child!

May the holy Innocents pray for us! And may the angel who appeared to Joseph be there for you, especially in times of danger and peril!

Fr. Georges Roger BIDZOGO SAC

Tuesday in the Octave of Christmas. Saint Stephen, first martyr

Acts 6:8-60; Ps30; Mt10:17-22

Stephen, a witness of Christ!

Stephen was the first deacon and the first martyr of the Church. He was stoned to death by the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem under the approving gaze of Saul (the future Saint Paul, apostle of the Gentiles). Stephen, under the power of the Holy Spirit, manifests through his predictions and his wonders his faith in the Son of God, Jesus Christ. The forgiveness he offers to his executioners identifies him with his Master and Savior, Jesus Christ. He already fulfills through his martyrdom the words of Christ who recalls that his disciples will be delivered up and betrayed for having believed in him. Indeed, Stephen by committing his spirit into the hands of the Lord, testifies that there is no reason to worry, because for all who believe and bear witness to Jesus, victory and eternal life are assured. Yes, to those who persevere in their faith, the heavens are indeed open.

Merry Christmas to everyone!

Father Georges Roger Bidzogo sac

Daily Reflections, December 23, 2023.

Setting his people free

Zachariah proclaims that God “has come to his people and set them free.” Freedom is the reason for Christ. It is what God always wants to do. He hates the fact that we’ve become enslaved by sin and fear, and accordingly, he wants to liberate us. The central event of the Old Testament is an event of liberation from slavery. We are, as sinners, enslaved to our pride, our envy, our anger, our appetites, our greed, our lust—all of which wrap us up and keep us from being the people that we want to be.

Lord set me free from any form of slavery of sin.

O Mary conceived without sin,
Pray for us who have recourse to thee

Fr Georges sac

Daily Reflections December 22, 2023. 1 Sam1: 24-28; 28. Luke 1:46-56.

My soul glorifies the Lord

The most powerful response to God is gratitude. Grateful are hearts of faith. Anna, who was barren, comes back to Shilo to offer Samuel to the Lord. The Blessed Virgin Mary magnifies the Lord for his goodness. Being grateful can change our lives.

Be grateful for what you have, be grateful for the people around you, and stop complaining. Paul and Silas were unjustly put in prison, but because of gratitude and for not complaining, God made an earthquake that shook the prison, and even the jailer was converted and born again.

Be grateful, and you will be able to turn even the worst situation into an opportunity and your mess into a message.

Happy Friday!

Fr. Georges sac

Reflection of December 18, 2023. Jer 22:5-8; Matt 1:18-24.

Joseph's "Yes"

Today we turn to the book of the prophet Jeremiah which was written in 605 BC. Today we are told that a descendant of King David will reign as a true king. Jesus is announced. 

Our gospel text tells us how Joseph and Mary came to be together and the dilemma Joseph had when he discovered Mary was already pregnant. We have in the text the Annunciation to Joseph in which it is said that this child is not an ordinary child but one who will save people from their sins. Being a man of faith, Joseph heeds the dream and takes Mary as his wife. Joseph’s “yes” to God is the one we are called to have in our lives. 

Dear  St. Joseph teach me how to say yes to God.  

Fr Georges sac

Daily Reflections, 14 December 2023. St John of the Cross. Isaiah 41 :13-20 ; Ps 145 ; Mt 11 : 11-15.

God, our Redeemer

When you feel lost, lonely, abandoned, afraid of what the future might be, this passage of Isaiah must become your guide. The Lord says to you, “I the Lord your God, hold your right hand”. “Fear not, I will help you” The Lord our God promises to send us the Redeemer, the Comforter, the God who will change our lives forever. This is the Good news that all the prophets up to John the Baptist have announced. Like John the Baptist we all have an important role to play for the edification of the kingdom of God and the proclamation of the Good news. God is coming to set us free and to guide us! This might not be easy to keep especially when adversities arise, but our Faith will save us. No wonder St. John of the Cross says, “Faith is a dark night for man, but in this very way it gives him light.”

St John of the cross, Pray for us!

Daily Reflections, December 13, 2023. Is 40: 2531; Ps 102; Mt 11:28-30. St Lucy, Virgin and Martyr.

As we celebrate St Lucy, whose name means light is the patron saint of blindness. In her twofold sacrifice of virginity and martyrdom, we indeed acknowledge the power of God who has no equal in creation. St Lucia torture by Diocletian because of her deep faith helps us to look on God as our sole consolation and peace! Jesus takes very seriously our problems, our burden of sins and sufferings; He is able to and abundantly able to solve our problem and he invites to acknowledge him as the Son of God and our Saviour. By inviting us “come to me”, Jesus is boldly affirming sovereignty and his capacity to give us rest. Do you have any burden, come to Jesus! Like St Lucy, we must live our faith openly and without fear!      

May St Lucy help us to carry the light of Christ into our world!

Fr. Georges sac

Daily Reflections, November 12, 2023, Isaiah 40:1-11; Ps 96; Mt 18:12-14

Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us!

The title of  our Lady of Guadalupe is among the most famous and widespread marital titles in the world. According to Antonio Valerino, the Virgin appeared to Juan Diego, an American, at Mount Tepeyac, ordering him to build a church on that mountain. The virgin will confirm her match and her message to Mgr. Juan de Zummarage by printing her image on the Tilma and the exotic flowers that she had asked Juan Diego to make a collection even though it was winter time. On this day, the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe was built on the hill of the apparition. We give thanks to God for St. Juan Diego who was canonized on July 31, 2002 by St. John Paul II, thus revealing the message of love and compassion of our Lady of Guadalupe and her promise to always come to the aid of humanity. Our Lady of Guadalupe repeats to you today the same words she said to Juan Diego: “My dear child… Where are you going? Know it and understand that I am “Your mother”, the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the True God for whom we live, the Creator of all things, Lord of heaven and earth.

Our Lady of Guadalupe, Pray for us!

Daily reflections, December 11, 2023. St Damascus, Pope.

Rise up and walk

We begin this new week with a note of hope from Isaiah 35 and from Luke 5 . God is coming to save his people. He is coming to remove the yoke of captivity and to lift us up from our impediments, limitations, and infirmities. 

The  thoughts and plans of the Lord towards us are the thoughts of peace and not evil; the plans to give us a better future (‭Jeremiah‬ ‭29‬:‭11‬).

God is a God of life. He wishes above all things that we may prosper and be in health spiritually and physically (‭ 3 John‬1: 2). If he can make the dry land and the desert rejoice, he can equally rise you up from your spiritual and physical paralysis. We believe that all things are possible (Luke 18: 27). This God of all possibilities has the power to heal and destroy every barrier, limitation, every evil and curse, every spell, every yoke, every poison, and every sickness. 

So I declare to you today, stand up and increase, be on the move, and enjoy your status as a free child of God.

Let's cultivate the gift of faith and carry others in the stretcher of faith of the Church.

Fr. Georges sac

Hearts ready for God

Dear friends in Christ, during this Advent season, focus your preparation on embracing the Sacraments, particularly reconciliation/confession and the Holy Eucharist. Just as God tenderly guided the exiles in Isaiah 40, let us allow Him to navigate our spiritual journey, clearing the path for Christ's presence in our hearts: "Prepare the way for the Lord". As we reflect on today’s readings for the Holy Eucharist, we open ourselves to receive Christ—not only celebrating His historical birth but eagerly anticipating His glorious return. This calls for sound self-examination. May this Advent be a period of profound spiritual reflection and readiness, transforming our hearts into a warm dwelling for the Lord, who comes to us at Christmas and will return on the last day. Amen.

Fr. Georges Roger BIDZOGO SAC

Daily Reflections, 09 December 2023. Is. 30: 19-21. 23-26; Ps 146; Mt 9:35-10, 1.5a. 6-8

The God of Hope

The beautiful passage of Isaiah 30:19-21. 23-26 and today’s gospel, reminds me of another beautiful and powerful passage from Psalm 56:8: “Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book? You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book? You keep track of all my sorrows.” Talking to people who were anxious and desperate, Isaiah invited his fellow-Jewish to talk to God for he would answer. He is a God of Commission and abundant mercy” (Psalm 86:15). The time of Advent is a reminder that our God hears when we cry out and delivers us from all our troubles (Psalm 34:17). Are broken hearted? The Lord is near you. Are you living in a deep situation of sin? The Lord has come to save you. Are you afflicted by anything? Know that the Lord is coming to deliver you!

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit! (Romans 15:13)

Fr. Georges Roger BIDZOGO SAC

The immaculate conception; Gen 3:9, 15-20; Ps 97; Eph1, 3-6.11-12; Lc 1:26-38

Jesus saves us all including, Mary his Mother (Luke 1:44)

In the Catholic Church, four dogmas refer to Mary: 1) the Perpetual Virginity; 2) Divine Motherhood; 3) Immaculate Conception; 4) Assumption into Heaven. This feast is different from the virginal conception of Jesus. The immaculate conception is an expression of the Catholic faith. Mary was preserved by God from sin at the conception and throughout her life. Mary is not sinless by nature but by grace. Unlike Jesus who is sinless by nature as he is the God who created and redeemed his own Mother. Mary herself calls Jesus, her “Saviour” (Luke 1:47ff). The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that she was “redeemed in a more exalted fashion, by reason of the merits of her Son” (CCC #492) The Virgin Mary is the most fully redeemed of all creatures. She is “fully of grace” (Kecharitomene) (Luke 1:28). Henceforth, she is an exception to the phrase: “for all have sinned and fallen short of God’s grace…” (Rom. 3:23). Pope Puis IX explains that this was “a single and unique privilege” for God even promised to put enmity between Satan and the Woman, that is Mary (Genesis 3:15). In Immaculate Conception of Mary, the focus is not Mary, but the perfect celebration of Jesus’ works of redemption in her. In the immaculate conception of Mary we see the fulness and the perfection of Christ’s redemptive work from the moment he made her. She is conceived without the stain of sin; she is full of grace from the moment she is conceived. Therefore she is the perfect instrument of Christ's redemptive works in our life for we need a mother to make it to heaven. Mary is the exemplar for us and the new creation as she is indeed the new Ark of the Covenant (Revelation 11: 19 ff). The immaculate conception is about God’s powerful grace to save humanity. It calls us to seek for holiness, to strive to be perfect as our Father is perfect. Whenever we live faithfully and virtuously, we raise up our fallen humanity. I pray that like Mary, you will be a “better Eve” of obedience and faithfulness to God. Eve chased us away from the garden due to her disobedience but Mary brought us back to the garden through her obedience. Queen conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee! May we all strive to have immaculate hearts, hearts ready for God; hearts that listen to God's word; hearts that are opened to accomplish God’s plan.

O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee

FR. Georges sac

Daily Reflection, 07 December 2023. Is. 26:1-6; Ps 117; Mt 7 : 21. 24 – 27

St Ambrose of Milan

Wise or foolish builder !

If we do not live out the Word of God we hear on a daily basis, then we would be resting on a weak foundation (sinking sand), heading for a spiritual collapse in times of adversities, trials, tribulations, etc. We must put God’s word into practice, then we are building upon Christ, the Solid Rock. The first reading Isaiah 26, speaks of a strong city which the Lord will build. Whenever we act on God’s word, we become wise builders, the strong city built upon the solid rock. As we continue to prepare for the coming of Christ in this Advent season, we pray to remain firmly established on the Word of God and Christ the Rock of our salvation. (Psalm 62:6-8). Indeed, if our life is rooted in Christ, the Rock, we become strong, steadfast, consistent and not shaken. Are you wise  or a foolish builder?

Lord, strengthen my foundation!