Don't Pretend You Don't Know!

We went for grandmother's burial ceremony several years ago when I was still a single lady. And one of my male cousins started touching me in a funny way. I studied how he was moving close and close.

And every where I was during the few days we spent at home, he must be with me. Despite he was my first cousin, I saw lust all over him. I did not pretend that I didn't notice.

I called him to order! He was ashamed but I had to let him know that sexual feelings towards your relative is out of place.

If I pretend I didn't take note it may not end well. Stop lust as early as you notice one. A lot of ladies were sexually abused by their very close relatives. And of course they might have been touched carelessly by these same relatives without complain to their guardian or parents.

Most times you pretend you didn't notice someone throwing passes at you. You laugh at his or her frequent stupid lustful jokes. This is the same person who eventually abused you sexually or made you fell into temptation. When you are faced with lustful people be frank to say No to their sexual advances.

What people feel sometimes is LUST and not LOVE! Many are ruled with the spirit of lust. And when you come in contact with any of such people, you must be sensitive to know. You must also be sincere with yourself, and be sure you are not also ruled with same.

Lust is expressive through languages, choice of words in speech and chats , dressing, behaviours, looks, pictures, actions etc The bible says out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.

From choice of words, emojis, actions and behaviours, you can easily know where the journey is heading.

Naturally, the body is weak. Several people that are able to detect lust, still allow themselves to be trapped. At an instance of discovery, lust must not be given further attention. If not, one may be carried away.

When lust is not controlled it will give birth definitely to sin. "Then when lust hath conceived, it bring forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bring forth death" Jam 1:15

Evang Kemi Longe

 

Why do difficult times make us value what we have?

We take so many things in our lives for granted. When something is already available to us, we tend to not value it enough.

Whether it is people in our lives or other aspects of life such as health, knowledge, relationships, and culture, we often forget to appreciate them. When we go through difficult times and see those people standing with us and little things helping us to cope up with those situations, we realize their importance and tend to appreciate them more. 

Don't become ignorant because you feel you have a surplus or you are so sufficient that you won't need anyone or anything else in life. Appreciate everything and everyone that adds value to your life. In the dark days, these are the ones who will stand by your side.

Dr. Bhawna Gautam 

#people #life #appreciation #sunshine #value

Are you living every moment of your life? Most of us are not.

Our life is the greatest opportunity we have. When we see our life as an opportunity, what we also see are the possibilities we can create. When we see life as only one chance, we try to make use of every moment of our life.

To fully live one’s life, one should live very moment with zeal, enthusiasm and anticipation that the next moment will be even better than before. What people do instead is live in regrets, ignore the little joys of life and wait to celebrate big achievements. It is small everyday moments and little achievements that bring more happiness. Once you start seeing them, you will start loving and living your life.

To live your life fully, you must make the most of every moment of your life because when you make the most, you will feel successful and celebrate it everyday.

Dr Bhawna Gautam

#life #one #chance #opportunity #liveit #loveit #celebrateit #success #little #joys

THE CROSS AS THE WAY TO SALVATION!

⏰Twenty Third Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)

📖Wis 9.13-18b; Ps 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14 and 17 (R.v.1); Phil 9b-10, 12-17; Lk 14.25-33

🎤THE CROSS AS THE WAY TO SALVATION!

The ways of God are mysterious, and our inability to understand them is stressed in the First Reading from the book of Wisdom. Moreover, in considering the message of the other two readings, we might be tempted to ask why St Paul should end up a prisoner and with a violent death after having devoted most of his life to the spread of the Gospel of Christ. Or indeed, why should it be, as stated in the gospel reading, that in order to be a disciple of His, Christ says we should carry a cross. Again and again, on our journey through life, we come up against the mystery of suffering, the mystery of the path of the cross which Christ calls us to tread.

There are a number of occasions in the gospels when the Son of God seems to speak with what might appear to be rash exaggeration, an unwarranted intemperance of expression.  Today's gospel contains an example of such hyperbole:  "If any man comes to me without hating his father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, yes and his own life too, he cannot be my disciple." 

Is not love the greatest of the Commandments?  Did not the Lord Himself enjoin charity as the perfect fulfilment of the moral Law?   Are we really required to cultivate hatred of our nearest and dearest, in order to be a disciple? 

There never was, and never will be, any convenient equality between His Mind and ours.  He is infinite wisdom, knowledge unlimited, power unbounded. We are none of that. Little wonder then the Book of Isaiah says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:8-9).

In today's gospel, Our Lord teaches us that His claims on us are always greater, more demanding, more far-reaching than any blood-ties could produce.  He teaches us that in our relationship with Jesus, our human family ties, our friends and close relatives must always take the second place.  Hard?   

Undoubtedly, the gift of our families is a great blessing. It is even a confirmation of man as a ‘pro-creator’ in fulfilment of God’s mandate at creation. It is also a source of moral and spiritual stability.  It is the context in which children should first learn to love and worship God.  The place where spouses should help each other to grow in holiness.  All this is true. 

However, Our Lord reveals and encapsulates an unchanging truth that we dare not ignore or water-down: as disciples of the Son of God, He is our sovereign Lord and Master.  He takes priority.  He comes first.  His claims are absolute. The Gospel is uncompromising, and true.  The Cross is non-negotiable.

As Catholics, whether married or single, clerical or lay, we all have the same over-riding, over-arching priority: Jesus the Lord.  Jesus Christ comes first.  Hence, he says, “seek first His kingdom, and these things shall be yours as well” (Luke 12:31).

May God lead our hearts to seek him above all things, and thus gain life in the end. Amen.

Happy Sunday to you. It is well with you.

https://www.fadajbcezeonwumelu.com/the-cross-as-the-way-to-salvation/

Eze Nri Ifikuanim, the Priest-King of the ancient Nri kingdom of Igboland,

Eze Nri Ifikuanim, the Priest-King of the ancient Nri kingdom of Igboland, was a highly intelligent and scholarly king who traded with other kingdoms, including Egypt, Ethiopia, India and as far as Babylon, now Iraq, in the Middle East.

According to Igbo oral tradition, his reign started in 1043 and ended in 1089 when he died.

In 1959, his grave was unearthed by British Archaeologist, Charles Thurstan Shaw (1914–2013) who discovered a burial chamber with remains adorned in robes, bronze crown, sceptre, staff and breast-plates adorned with precious stones that were evidence of a sophisticated Igbo civilisation from the year 948 A.D.