pendulum

“The Lord said to Moses, “Go down; for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves; they have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them; they have made for themselves a molten calf, and have worshipped it and sacrificed to it, and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!”’ And the Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people; now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may bum hot against them and I may consume them; but of you I will make a great nation.” But Moses begged the Lord his God, and said, “O Lord, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you have brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand?”

Excerpt, First Reading, Thursday 3rd April 2025 – EXODUS 32:7-14.

So, do we by any chance feel that God wanted the consent or approval of Moses before bringing down his wrath on the Israelites in today’s teaching who were worshipping a molten calf as their god?

In His fierce anger, He would have quickly sent down blazing coals to consume the whole population. After which, He would inform Moses on the next line of action.

Nevertheless, God is kind, loving, generous, merciful and forgiving. Our God is a God of endless second chance. He is the God that gives another chance.

God, therefore, by virtue of the intervention of Moses, gave the Israelites a second chance.

Just like Moses stood in the gap for the Israelites, so, also those of us who are fortunate to still have our parents alive, enjoy the privilege of having them constantly intercede for us.

Notwithstanding that God gives endless opportunities for us to make amends, if and when we decide to take that convivial nature of God for granted and we persist in our sinful ways, there is an extent to how much intervention our Moses can have on our behalf.

So, one day na one day, monkey go go market, him no go come back.

A word should be enough for the wise.

Have a fantastic day folks.

#Blessed_Carlo_Acutis! #Pray_for_us!

-Akase F. Agabo
3rd April 2025.

“Jesus was casting out a demon that was mute; when the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke, and the people marvelled. But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons” . . . . . . . . . . . . He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters.

Excerpts, Gospel Reading, Thursday 27th March 2025 – LUKE 11:14-23.

So, the machete as well as a knife, their usage is based on the intent.

We could use a knife to slaughter a cow and use the machete to butcher the meat.

A cow that was tethered to a pole, one stealthily comes to use a knife and cut off the rope and when accosted by the owners, he uses a machete to hack them down.

Now, these are one and the same items, their usage is determined by the intention of the users.

It is just like the social media, which by the way, is a very beautiful creation, it usage and application are widely determined by the plans and intentions of the users.

Some of us upload contents that their value and circulation would be monetised and subsequently get us enriched.

However, there are some of us who have given to crashing into discourse that we have scanty or no knowledge about. And we are very deft at doing this.

We will crazily crash into other users posts and start pontificating as if we are the repository of consulate knowledge as far as that issue is concerned.

Since we are ferociously vociferous on the app, we quickly attract our likes as well as those who are equally biased to our leanings and very quickly the subject will soon be diverted and centred on individuals or on a particular person.

Consequently, when those of us with superior knowledge wade in and begin making very clear sense and want to steer the discourse back to the original topic, those of us who crashed in, on noticing our seeming folly will resort to blatant attack on persons, blackmail and hauling of insults.

Such scenerio are more visible when the topic is centred around politics. Hence, camps for and against soon take sides and try to sway conversations to suit their political leanings. It is mostly those who are truly neutral that tend to make the most sense.

The prevailing discourse during Jesus’ era on earth were power (rulership) and religion.

Hence, when Christ cleansed a certain mute of demons, those who were seemingly from the other religious camp swooped on him with their blackmail.

Dudes were like, “No be lie?” Then the cohorts will respond, “ Na lie nah! Na juju nahim him dey use.”

Dis kain mata, e don yey wen be start. So, all dis things wey we dey do for social media, especially Twitter, now X, e don tey wey e start o!. No be now. Even Jesus self, e happen to am. But God pass dem sha.

Those of us notoriously spreading the false narratives, God is just bidding His time, allowing us the opportunity to retreat from our falsehood. Because, God vex no dey good o. Although, Him no dey quick vex. But, wen Him come vex, our end go bad!!!

Have a fantastic day folks.

#Blessed_Carlo_Acutis! #Pray_for_us!

• Akase F. Agabo
• 27th March 2025
  

“The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!” . . . . . . . . . . . . Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; . . . . . . . . . . . . And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I know not man?” And the angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. . . . . . . . . . . . . And Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”

Excerpts, Gospel Reading, Tuesday 25th March 2025 – LUKE 1:26-38.

So, today, the Church celebrates the solemnity of the Annunciation.

This Annunciation, my dear friend is the solemnity that begins the course of Christmas.

If we count as from today 25th March to 25th December, it will be exactly 9 months.

Suffice to say, at the angel’s message from God, the Blessed Virgin Mary immediately conceived the Child Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit.

It has been established that life begins at conception. Does anyone still hold some doubts about that or still desires further clarification?

If solemnity of the Annunciation that the Catholics celebrate today is not enough to clarify us on the issue of life beginning at conception, then, we must also have doubts that Jesus Christ came into the world as truly God and truly man.

Assuming the day that your father lay with your mother and you were conceived your quickly took some drugs that flushed out her body metabolic system, hence, you were conceived, but, you were never given birth. And subsequently you mother never had any children again.

Do you think your mother wouldn’t live in regret for the rest of her life for what she did?

It is so graciously good that the Blessed Virgin Mary is truly a mother.

Furthermore, those of us who still ask questions about the Hail Mary prayer, here is your evidence.

Today, the angel Gabriel said to the Blessed Virgin Mary, “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!. . . . . .”

Reading the Holy Bible further on in the same chapter, the Blessed Virgin Mary quickly left to go visiting with her cousin Elizabeth – the wife of Zechariah both of who are the parents of John-de-Baptist who was already 6 months in the womb of his mother.

When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby John leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, exclaimed, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!” – LUKE 1:41-45.

Now, we can see how historical occurrence that shaped our faith equally formed and necessitated the Hail Mary Prayer.

Holy Mary mother of God! Pray for us and for the whole world!

Have a fantastic day folks.

#Blessed_Carlo_Acutis! #Pray_for_us!

– Akase F. Agabo
25th March 2025.

“Naaman, commander of the army of the Syrians . . . . . . . . . . . . was a mighty man of valour, but he was a leper. Now the Syrians on one of their raids had carried off a little maid from the land of Israel, and she waited on Naaman’s wife. She said to her mistress, “Would that my Lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.”

Excerpt, First Reading, Monday 24th March 2025 – 2 KINGS 5:1-15.

So, this whole part of the Holy Bible came about because Naaman, the Syrian General was a leper.

However, what made it very more interesting is that God was going to use this ailment to get Himself known and worshipped in far away places than where He was traditionally known.

And who else to use than a little girl who was a maid to the General’s wife.

She was one of the spoils of war and she was carried off so she would one day become a concubine to one of the Syrian soldiers. Lucky enough for her, in the interim, she was made a slave in the house of the General.

Now, this is where the story gets more interesting. Naaman who is described to be such a great and mighty warrior, so highly placed and respected that he was only second to the king of Syria, descended so low to listen to and follow the counsel of a little slave girl.

This decision will eventually take him from Syria his country to Israel, a far away country.

My dear friend, at this rate, one is not alluding that we should or must take counsel from every Tom, Dick and Harry at any time and act upon it.

What we must do is that, we should be prayerful, asking God to avail us the grace to discern and know His counsel, irrespective of who it could be coming from.

Dear friend, once we accept that everyone is important, we have taken care of half of the problem. And, we, too, like Naaman, the Syrian General who was cleansed of his leprosy, we would be equally, so, positively directed.

Folks, have a fantastic day and a fulfilled week.

#Blessed_Carlo_Acutis! #Pray_for_us!

-Akase F. Agabo
24th March 2025.

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the LORD. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”

Excerpt, First Reading, Thursday 20th March 2025 – JEREMIAH 17:5-10.

So, we are aware that nature has so made it that no matter where trees are planted, there comes a particular season in the year when they must shed their leaves so as to grow new ones.

This applies even also to a tree that grows beside an all season flowing water body.

So, also it is with each of us who puts their trust in the Lord.

Though, the Lord is with us as our shield, protector and provider, we are yet not immune from the life of mere mortals.

Therefore, we will still fall sick. Nevertheless, the ailment will not claim our life. Even if it fatally ends, our soul will yet not be lost.

We will also toil and sweat to earn our daily living as do other mortals. Only, by the blessings of the Lord, our toils and sweat shall meet and satiate our needs.

As we traverse through life, we will meet those who will cheat us as well as those who will steal from us. However, due to the shield of the Lord on us, no matter how much that will be taken from us, yet we will not will never go under or be grounded.

People will lie against us and say all manner of calumnies against us, just so as to vilify us to the world. Yet, in all of these, His banner over us that is love, will vindicate us from them all.

My dear friend, such it is, when we put all our faith, hope and trust in God without faltering, wavering or giving up.

And, like a tree that sheds its leaves, after every storm, we will bounce back renewed, refreshed and stronger.

Have a fantastic day folks.

#Blessed_Carlo_Acutis! #Pray_for_us!

-Akase F. Agabo
20th March 2025.

“And when he had ceased speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” And when they had done this, they enclosed a great shoal of fish; and as their nets were breaking,. . . . . . . . . . . .”

Excerpt, Gospel Reading, Monday 17th March 2925 – LUKE 5:1-11.

So, mostly in Nigeria, several artisans who indulge in one form of a craft or the other, they so much dislike to be directed or told what to do.

This attitude is noticed mostly from those artisans that can not read and write or those that can barely do it.

Once one makes a remark on their work or proffers a suggestion, some of them are always quick to retort, “Do you want to teach me my work or do you want to take it over from me and do it yourself?”

Some, however, are very amenable to suggestions.

Simon, the son of Jonah, falls into the category of the former who are quite opposed to having some supposed interlopers or one ‘I too know’ to poke nose into their trade.

However, Simon was already awed by the teaching of Jesus Christ.

Though, already enamoured by Christ’s teaching, notwithstanding, Simon still displayed some form of protest before going ahead to obey and do as requested by this strange itinerant Rabbi who took possession of his boat and was ordering him around.

Lesson: one can never have an encounter with Christ Jesus and remain the same.

Subsequently, when Simon did as he was instructed to do by the strange itinerant preacher sitting in his boat, he made the catch of his life and at a very unpredictable and unusual time.

Lesson: we must learn to accept the outcomes of situations and not allow them dictate our emotions. Such situations may have happened for a reason yet to be known to us.

Simon may possibly not have been the only fisher man so disappointed the previous night.

Due to the anger and frustration of the fruitless all night expedition, those to whom the request was first made to them would have refused and angrily walked away.

Rowing up into the deep water and casting out the net is the easiest thing ever in the world any fisher can do.

However, Simon’s protest, as would any other average artisan wasn’t for the hard work, it was rather for the fruitlessness of such efforts and for the supposed insult that such a request was coming from someone who supposedly doesn’t know ‘jack’ about fishing.

It was like when the Prophet Elisha told Naaman the Syrian General to go deep himself 7 times in River Arabah and he would be cured of his leprosy.

The General was grieved and felt insulted. And he was going to turn and go all the way back home.

This was until a silent discerning still small voice spoke through one of his lieutenants.

If healing from your leprosy is what you seek, what is the big deal going to dive 7 times in one obscure river? If the dude had asked you to do something much bigger and serious, won’t you have been prepared to do it and get cured? – 2 KINGS 5:1-15.

So, it was also with Simon. That same silent discerning voice ministered to him and he was willing to listen and obey.

“If I had caught some fish, I would have been eager to rush off to the fish market and sell them before the big buyers will buy and go and my fish will start getting dry and spoilt.

Moreover, if I have toiled all night without catching a single fish, what is the big rush running home empty handed that I will not allow this ‘manchi’ a few seconds in my boat to yearn all he’s got to say to these people who are always never satiated from hearing people talk?

As it is, today’s First Reading says that we should practice hospitality ungrudgingly, one to another. – 1 PETER 4:7-11.

Elijah, while running away from Jezebel, he hid in a cave. God asked him to come to the entrance and hear Him speak.

There was a mighty wind that shifted rock. There was even also an earthquake. Then, there was fire.

In all of these, God was not in them.

Then, there was a silent cool breeze. Elijah rushed to the entrance and God spoke to him in a still small voice. – 1 KINGS 19.

Dear friend, we should always seek to listen to the small silent voice. It is the discerning voice of reason.

Simon listened and yielded to that silent discerning still small voice and he encountered Christ Jesus and his life was never the same again.

We, too, can be like Simon, Peter.

Folks, have a fantastic day and a fulfilled week.

#SAINT_PATRICK! #Blessed_Carlo_Acutis! #Pray_for_us!

– Akase F. Agabo.
17th March 2025.

“So whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them; for this is the law and the prophets.”

Excerpt, Gospel Reading, Thursday 13th March 2025 – MATTHEW 7:7-12.

So, the rule in today’s teaching is straight forward, clear and simple. It is yet another form of tit-for-tat.

So, if we so desire to be respected, we, too, must first show respect.

First, we must have self-respect. Then, we must also show and be seen to be very respectful of others.

The word on the streets that says, “Respect is reciprocal” mustn’t be taken for granted, it is very real my dear friend.

It is always better to be respected than to be liked.

Have a fantastic day folks.

#Blessed_Carlo_Acutis! #Pray_for_us!

– Akase F. Agabo
13th March 2025.

“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you; but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

Excerpt, Gospel Reading, Tuesday 11th March 2025 – MATTHEW 6:7-15.

So, the reasoning in today’s teaching is just the way it is. It is tit-for-tat.

If we hold grudges against someone who did us some wrong and we refuse to forgive and let go, do we think we will get respite from God?

Today’s teaching says, God, too, will also not forgive us the sins we have committed against Him. Tit-for-tat!

Come to think of it, remaining unforgiving and holding a grudge against one who wronged us in itself, is it not a sin?

Similarly, now that we are in the season of Lent, if we embrace the Lenten practice of skipping some meals and observing abstinence, yet we remain unforgiving to those who wronged us and maintain a harsh disposition towards then, we will certainly not gain any Lenten indulgence. We go jus dey do keto make we slim.

God says in today’s teaching that, He too, will be far away from us.

Nevertheless, even if we over feed from eating all our daily meals and indulge in all that pleasure us, but we are forgiving of all who wronged us and choose to be loving rather than hostile, God in turn will also act likewise towards us.

That,☝️ my dear friend, is the import of today’s teaching and impart of Lent. Love above everything.

Have a fantastic day folks.

#Blessed_Carlo_Acutis! #Pray_for_us!

– Akase F. Agabo
11th March 2025.

“Then the King will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, O blessed of my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed . . . . . . . . . . . . And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.’

Excerpt, Gospel Reading, Monday 10th Match 2025 – MATTHEW 25:31-46.

So, there’s a theological belief that, God loves the masses that is why He created us so many.

As of the year 2023, the population of the world was put at 8 billion people.

Now, just imagine how every single of us must have at least one meal a day.

However, quite unfortunately, some of us in our part of the world have been displaced by political, ethnic or religious crisis. Some, it is due to environmental factors or other forces of nature.

So, getting to earn a living to feed ourselves in our current places of displacement is almost impossible.

Therefore, shelter and clothing and food have become herculean task for those of us so affected.

These are just a fraction of those that are truly indigent and may genuinely require to access help from those of us who can truly render help.

Therefore, my dear friend, we mustn’t wait until such a time when we have excess or very much that we will want to help.

If we can spare just one plate of food each time while serving out our daily ration for an indigent person, we will already be doing very much.

Any of our clothes that we haven’t used for the past 3 months, it is possible we may not need them again.

Such clothes, even if we do not know how to reach those who need them, we can take them to any Catholic Church and request that they should be given to St Vincent-de-Paul Society.

The society knows how to reach these people and have deplored effective and efficient ways of distributing palliatives to these indigent people that they prefer to refer to them as their clients.

While dropping off these wears, if we are y buoyant enough to add a little token to it, by all means we should do.

The immediate above is canvassed because, some clients visit the society requesting for help to access medical care. Some who are on transit request for temporal shelter, while others require just a little aid to help them reach their destination.

We will be surprised that when we arrive at the Throne of Grace, mercy will arise and give us a warm embrace just for these little efforts we carelessly made.

Remember, charity is a virtue that can covers a multitude of sins. – 1 PETER 4:8.

Folks, have a fantastic day and a fulfilled week.

#Blessed_Carlo_Acutis! #Pray_for_us!

– Akase F. Agabo
10th March 2025

“Moses spoke to the people, saying, “See, I have set before you this day life and good, death and evil. If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you this day, by loving the Lord your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his ordinances, then you shall live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you . . . . . . . . . . . .”

Excerpt, First Reading, Thursday 6th March 2025 – DEUTERONOMY 30:15-20.

So, the choice has always been ours, to either do good and live or follow the ways of the world and perish.

The instructions given by the Prophet Moses above were simple, “ Love God and love your neighbour as yourself.” Simple!

If we are going to do something not good to someone else, and on a second thought we feel that if that were done to us, we will be hurt, that is our conscience speaking to us. That, my dear friend is the voice of God speaking reason to us.

At this rate and at this point, we have the option of making the choice of heeding the voice of reason or going it our way.

However, Christ Jesus in today’s teaching says, what will become of our soul if and when we keep going it our way by taking other people’s lands and other properties, grabbing monies budgeted for public good and syphoning them into private accounts, importing and distributing fake and substandard products, sleeping around . . . . . .?

When we have gained all the riches and pleasures of this world, what then will become of our soul when we pass on?

It is not as if we are geared not to be prosperous. Recall that Moses said above that, once we follow the commandments of the Lord God, we shall prosper and multiply and God will bless us.

What could most likely be getting us to go the way of the world could be our greed.

My dear friend, even if we have gone so deep into having it our way by going the way of the world, this Lenten season provides us yet another opportunity to have a redress.

The doors of the Church are always and ever open, we may begin by first going for confession.

Christ says, what will it profit us if we gain the whole world and lose our soul?

My dear friend, eternity is way too long a period of time to be lost in just for the temporal gains of our impatience that we pressure to enjoy here.

Have a fantastic day folks.

#Blessed_Carlo_Acutis! #Pray_for_us!

– Akase F. Agabo
6th March 2025.