utaziprincereflection

  THE CATHOLIC TEACHINGS ON THE ANGELS The Catholic Church celebrates feast of Sts Michael, Gabriel and Raphael (THE ARCHANGELS) on September 29. On every October 2, the Church celebrates the Guardian Angels.  WHY IS THE CATHOLIC CHURCH SO CONCERNED ABOUT CELEBRATING THE ANGELS OF GOD? Angels have a very big role in the Bible and in our history. Angels are a Dogma of Catholic Faith; you cannot be a Catholic if you do not believe in the existence of angels. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 328) states: The existence of the spiritual, non-corporeal beings that Sacred Scripture usually calls angels is a truth of faith.  The Jews believe in the angels because the Old Testament makes numerous references to them. For them (Jews) then it is an article of faith that cannot be ignored if you want to be a sincere and devout Jew. The same especially is true of Christians. In addition to what is given to us in the Old Testament, almost every book of the New Testament shows u...

  HOMILY FOR OCTOBER 1 2022 SOLEMNITY OF OUR LADY QUEEN AND PATRONESS OF NIGERIA Isaiah 11:1-10 Psalm 72:1-2,7-8,12-13,17 Ephesians 2:13-18 Matthew 2:13-15,19-23 MOTHER MARY, WE NIGERIANS RECOURSE TO YOUR PATRONAGE Dear Sisters and Brothers, today is the Celebration of the Solemnity of Our Lady, Queen and Patroness of Nigeria. Therefore, the memorial of Saint Theresa is shifted to the 3rd of October for us here in Nigeria. Today is the 62nd birthday of Nigeria. Today, we remember the day Nigeria had her independence since 62 years ago. Truly, as Nigerians celebrate her Independence anniversary, we are forced to ask the germane, relevant and valid question: Is Nigeria really independent, both in sensu stricto et sensu lato of INDEPENDENCE? The answer from any adult with good reasoning in Nigeria, will be NO. There is no doubt that many have said that Nigeria is close to Hell Fire; for that, Satan will not punish Nigerians if they find their way to Hell Fire. So funny. What it means ...

 HOMILY FOR 29 SEPTEMBER 2022, FEAST OF SAINTS MICHAEL, GABRIEL AND RAPHAEL, DE ARCHANGELS   Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14  or  Revelation 12:7-12ab; Psalm 138:1-2ab, 2cde-3, 4-5; John 1:47-51 WORSHIPPING GOD IN THE MIDST OF HIS ANGELS I pray for you: May you continue to join the heavenly choirs in singing the praise and glory of God. AMEN Have you ever said to someone (or has anyone said to you):  You are an angel.  What does that mean to you? Most people take it to mean that the person is angelic in that they are doing or saying good things for another. Angels, technically, are purely spiritual beings who proclaim the praise of God and bring the message of God to others. Obviously, humans are not angels, but we can be angelic (or angel-like) if we join in the singing of the glory of God and help bring to others the Good News of Divine love. The readings of today are chosen for the feast of the Archangels (Michael, Raphael, and Gabriel).  The first of the...

 A BRIEF ON SAINT JEROME SEPTEMBER 30 (345  420) Also known as Eusebius Hieronymus Sophronius; Girolamo, Hieronymus, Jerom; Man of the Bible Additional Memorial: 9 May (translation of relics) He was born to a rich pagan family in 345 (347) AD at Strido, Dalmatia. Jerome led a wild and misspent youth. Studied in Rome, Italy, and became a lawyer. He converted to Christianity and joined the Church in theory, and was baptized in 365 AD, but it was only when he began his study of theology that he had a true conversion and the faith became integral to his life. He became a monk, then, needing isolation for his study of Scripture; he lived for years as a hermit in the Syrian deserts. There he is reported to have drawn a thorn from the paw of a lion; the animal stayed loyally at his side for years. He was a Priest; Student of Saint Gregory of Nazianzen; Secretary to Pope Damasus I who commissioned Jerome to revise the Latin text of the Bible. The result was 30 years of work which we k...

 INTERNATIONAL BUY A PRIEST A BEER DAY: SECOND MONDAY IN SEPTEMBER Rev Fr Utazi Prince Marie Benignus Utaziprince@yahoo.com September 22 2022 This topic is somehow bizarre. The reason is that, to many, a Priest of God supposes not to drink. But is it true? Is this assertion biblical or just man made? Well, this should be a discourse for another day. The first point you will bear in mind is that this INTERNATIONAL BUY A PRIEST A BEER DAY is a Catholic Celebration. On this festive day of every September 9, faithful Catholics all over the world take their priests out for a beer and get to know them better.  The second point is that this beautiful Catholic tradition dates back to the time of Saint Hopswald of Aleyard, the first man to take his priest out for a beer. It was truly a pious deed of Saint Hopswald of Aleyard. The fable or folklore says that Saint Hopswald, a master brewer by trade, was a Teutonic pagan who was converted and baptized by a zealous Catholic priest. One da...