Glory of God Prayer Group, St. Cecilia Parish, Wa Diocese, Ghana - Let Your Light Shine

Saint of the Day

The future

The future is something which everyone reaches at the rate of 60 minutes an hour, whatever he does, whoever he is. C. S. Lewis

Have peace fully in your heart

While you are proclaiming peace with your lips, be careful to have it even more fully in your heart. Francis of Assisi

There is God

I would rather live my life as if there is a God and die to find out there isn't, than live my life as if there isn't and die to find out there is. Albert Camus

Source of the deadliest hate

From the deepest desires often come the deadliest hate. Socrates

True wisdom

True wisdom comes to each of us when we realize how little we understand about life, ourselves, and the world around us. Socrates

if you love until it hurts

I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love. Mother Teresa

Pride

It was pride that changed angels into devils; it is humility that makes men as angels. Saint Augustine

The beginning of good works

The confession of evil works is the first beginning of good works. Saint Augustine

Hear the other side

Hear the other side. Saint Augustine

Authority of woman

Once made equal to man, woman becomes his superior. Socrates

False words

False words are not only evil in themselves, but they infect the soul with evil. Socrates

Pray and work

Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you. Saint Augustine

Perfect moderation

To many, total abstinence is easier than perfect moderation. Saint Augustine

Miracles

Miracles are a retelling in small letters of the very same story which is written across the whole world in letters too large for some of us to see. C. S. Lewis

Do not serve with a gloomy face

It is not fitting, when one is in God's service, to have a gloomy face or a chilling look. Francis of Assisi

Charity and wisdom

Where there is charity and wisdom, there is neither fear nor ignorance. Francis of Assisi

Importance of Christianity

Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important. C. S. Lewis

People of worth

Worthless people live only to eat and drink; people of worth eat and drink only to live. Socrates

Education without values

Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make man a more clever devil. C. S. Lewis

A man of courage

He is a man of courage who does not run away, but remains at his post and fights against the enemy. Socrates

THE EPIPHANY (Revelation) OF THE LORD, Yr B, Jan 7, 2024.

Readings
1st: Isaiah 60:1-6
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm: 71:1-2, 7-8, 10-13
2nd: Ephesians 3:2-3, 5-6
Gospel: Matthew 2:1-12

Theme: Be Someone's Star

My dear people of God, today Mother Church celebrates the manifestation of our Lord, traditionally referred to as Epiphany. Epiphany, another word for "showing", marks the official end of Christmas season and paves the way for the Lord's Baptism. For liturgical purposes, the Baptism of our Lord this year takes place tomorrow, Monday Jan 8, 2024, to ursher Him into His public Life and Ministry (Ordinary Time). Our reflections would focus on the Theme, deduced from the role the Star plays in the Magi's tireless search for the New Born King. The Solemnity of Epiphany teaches us not to be narrow minded in our thinking about other people. The entirety of its message is an instant breakdown of that "thick wall" between us and those we consider "outsiders" and cannot meet with God's favor. The visit of the magi tells us that God's Son becomes flesh not only for Jews (Christians) but also for Gentiles (non-Christians). The story of the magi is told only by Matthew and which story begins the international showing of Jesus (the gospel) by Matthew beyond the selfish and narrow minded "world" of the Jews. It is still not too certain how many men made up the magi. Perhaps, the number (three) is meant to conveniently correspond to the gifts presented: gold - gift for a king, frankincense - gift for a priest, myrrh - gift for one who is to die. The precise number is not our preoccupation. What is important for our purpose is that the Magi represents all people to whom God shows Himself in Jesus. By this narrative, Matthew, among other things, intends to show the difference between the Gentile leaders who travel hundreds of miles to honor the Messiah and the Jewish leaders who are just five miles away but caring nothing about Him. That which is already full even God cannot add anything to it. (Teresa of Avila) It is still the case today, perhaps worse, that some people live just behind the Church's fence wall; they have time for everything anytime anywhere but not daily Mass. The self-righteous attitude of the Jewish leaders is also a direct reflection of some individuals, families, groups/associations who pride themselves of being so special in the eyes of God and in the Church. The unrelenting search of the magi takes us to that era when serious minded Christians commuted long distances on foot to attend (daily) Mass, sometimes under very trying weather conditions.

The Magi's journey has a number of lessons to teach us in our own life journey in search of Christ. For them, it takes a personal and a determined search to discover Jesus and who He is (for me). Hearing or reading about Jesus should not be confused with knowing Him. Knowledge and faith are two different things. What I heard or read about Jesus can never be the fullest truth of who He is. Personal search, personal discovery, personal encounter and personal experience would do better. Even at the level of human interaction, it would be a clear sign of psychological deficiency to relate with someone/people based on what others [have said about them]. The story of the "doubting Thomas" is so familiar and popular to us that very few Christians, if at all, would fully understand and appreciate the lesson it seeks to teach. Thomas is not like you and I who would hear something casually and begin to peddle and spread it carelessly without strict verification. Clarity, certainty and precision are his second nature. Faith (constantly) seeks understanding. We cannot confuse experience with knowledge. Jesus is personally discovered and experienced, not reported. For the Magi, distance and distractions like Herod are never obstacles or obstructions on their way. They are convinced, well focused and are not prepared to give up in the face of any distraction or obstruction. For the Magi, there is nothing like "try/taste and see Christianity". "Once your hands are on the plough....no turning back" The long search (journey) was not without great difficulties and challenges. It was full of intermittent frustrations, threats and physical stresses. Matthew gives a too simple picture of the Magi's visit, as if it took just a day or two. It is widely speculated that they had seen the Star two years earlier before the despot and power-drunk Herod summoned them for that malicious interrogation. The story of the Magi is still the stressful experience of many who struggle on their daily journey towards God and their resolve to live the gospel in its details. The Magi had a goal which, for them, must be achieved, despite the cost. People without goals can dangerously be aimless, visionless and hopeless. Life without set goals is synonymous to not existing. We could safely compare goals with the star in our today's gospel. Following that star (goal) can sometimes mean serious trouble (with Herod) but trouble is far easier to cope and deal with than coping and dealing with meaninglessness. In other words, there is more sense and value to suffer and die for something than to live for nothing.

Darkness, the direct opposite of light, is a colour for black and night. It is also the colour of melancholy, grief and loss. Darkness is the colour of death, the colour worn and jealously owned and protected by Lucifer, the CEO of all evil, personified and impersonated by Herod in our today's gospel. The truest description of Herod is that he was a very cruel character with an ever guilty conscience that was never at peace for a moment. He was very suspicious. The older he grew the more suspicious he became until he turned into a murderous old man. If he suspected anyone as a rival and a threat to his power, that person was promptly eliminated. It is clear and certain how such a man would feel when news reached him that a child was born who was destined to be king. The murderous old man was troubled and sleepless.The whole Jerusalem was also troubled, knowing well the instant steps Herod would take to eliminate the child. In our own life journey, we should make rooms for "modern Herods" who hate for no reason and fear for no cause. They feel threatened and insecure just only by hearing of something good about others. They spend a great deal of time plotting how to defame and destroy. In the process, very innocent people (children) are destroyed. But for their inspired decision to return home through a different root, the Magi would have been the first victims of Herod's cruelty before the Innocent Children. Perhaps, our "modern Herods" are more numerous, more wicked and closer - in families, communities and offices. We prayerfully hope our churches are fully safe from their presence and pursuit. I pray that all your goals in 2024 find favor with God and bear deserving fruits, despite any possible "Herod" on the way. Rest assured, that wherever there may be a "Herod" in the course of this year (and beyond), your God has already been there. Trust also that your God doesn't leave things half done, He is not a God of "half journeys", otherwise He would not even permit the beginning. Continue to make time to recite the Holy Rosary daily God richly bless you and your family.

Rev. Fr. Thomas L. Debuo, Catholic Diocese of Damongo (0244511306/0243711926/0246222135)

Living in a changed life

Three days fasting and prayers - Wednesday, 26th November, 2008 Teacher: Felix Dordaa Mahama Text: {bib=1 Peter 4:1-6} “When you go to Rome, do what the Romans do” Once we want something from a certain place, we have to identify ourselves with that place and live like the people there (“When you go to Rome, do what the Romans do”). Once we change our state of life, we have to change the things that we do or the way we used to do them. In our... Read more>>>

Reckoning my past as loss for the sake o…

Three days fasting and prayers -28th - 30th May, 2008Teacher: Felix Dordaa Mahama Text: {bib=Philippians 3:7-9} Background of St. Paul St. Paul was a Pharisee. He was a scholar well respected. He had the right to be called a Jew and to be hailed by his own people and by other people. Everyone loves uniqueness and the Israelites were unique; and St. Paul could choose to hold on to this uniqueness without caring about the rest of the world.  He could choose to stick to... Read more>>>

Advice to young girls

The moment you agree to date a married man,you agree to be a second class woman andevery second class person is classified as a person of lower value.Now look at it this way.If he is with you and his wife calls,he lies that he is still in the office or on an official assignment.You dare not interrupt his conversation or quiry him, but you can't call him when he is at home....... My sister you be toy? He sneaks you from... Read more>>>

Glory be to the Father ...

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end. Amen.   Read more>>>

Pursue Your Strengths

God has equipped each one of us with specific gifts and talents. It’s up to each of us to identify those gifts and be disciplined enough to develop them. You have to learn to stay in your strength zone. What are you naturally good at? What do you enjoy doing? Take the time to identify your strengths and weaknesses, and as the Scripture says, give yourself to your gifts. In other words, don’t spend all your time trying to improve... Read more>>>

When God decides: authority of God

Exhortation during three days fasting and prayers: 28th–30th January, 2009Teacher: Felix Dordaa Mahama Text: {bib=Matthew 20:1-16} When God decides, no one can stand in His way. The message in the above title is what today’s text has presented to us. Jesus has likened the kingdom of heaven (i.e., the operation of God) to the farmer who has hired workers to work in his vineyard. The vineyard owner chose to pay the latecomers as much as he had paid the early comers, and this... Read more>>>

Who has more followers: God or satan?

Please finish reading before you do anything else right now; read this to the end. My name is God. I know you will give your time to me. I love you and always bless you. I am always with you. I need you to spend 30 minutes of your time with me today. Don't pray. Just praise. Today I want this message across the world. Will you help? Please drop everything & pass it on. Tell the devil you are... Read more>>>

The unconditional love of Jesus Christ w…

{bib=Matthew 13:44-46} Have you ever fallen in love? Do you remember when the phone rang and he or she was on the other end? Your heart fluttered with excitement. You couldn’t wait to see your loved one again. However, the romantic attraction you’ve ever had is nothing compared to the way Jesus loves you. You’re always on his mind. To him, you are the “pearl of great price” ({bib=Matthew 13:46}). He gave up everything for your salvation. If only this would... Read more>>>

You need to pray

DEAR BELOVED IN CHRIST, GET A LITTLE TIME AND READ AND GOD WILL BLESS YOU, AMEN. BEWARE of the times. You need to:??Pray for forgiveness??Pray for strength??Pray for knowledge ??Pray for wisdom??Pray for insight??Pray for understanding??Pray for strong faith??Pray for grace??Pray for peace??Pray for mercy??Pray for protection??Pray for Holy Ghost direction??Pray for power??Pray for spiritual guidanceso to withstand in all times.Whosoever seeks these but not wealth is founded on a rock.   Read more>>>

The 7 UPs

1 . Wake Up !!!Decide to have a good day. "Today is the day the Lord hath made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." {bib=Psalms 118:24} 2. Dress Up !!!The best way to dress up is to put on a smile. A smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks. "The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at outward appearance; but the Lord looks at the heart." {bib=1 Samuel 16:7} 3. Shut Up... Read more>>>

Guarding our social lives to attain spir…

Teaching for Sunday 30th October, 2011Teacher: Felix Dordaa Mahama Text: {bib=John 15:17-19}. We are in the world but we are not of the world What is our social life? The Lord tells us that even though we are in the world we do not belong to the world. Through our brother Paul in {bib=Romans 12:2}, He tells us again that we should not conform to the standards of the world. We live in the world everyday; eating, drinking, sleeping, working and interacting with... Read more>>>

The unchangeable changer

The Israelites left Egypt with jewelry and clothes they didn't buy. May our enemies look on as we advance in wealth and health miraculously because the unchangeable changer and the great I AM is our God and his name and power is our solace. Cosmas Nanyaa   Read more>>>

Guarding friendship

Teaching for Sunday 21st June, 2009Teacher: Felix Dordaa Mahama Text: {bib=Sirach 22:19-27} Friendship = companionship History of friendship Friendship has existed since the beginning of creation: When God created man, he saw that it was not good for man to be alone, so he created woman – {bib=Genesis 2:8-23}. God used to come down and interact with Adam and Eve in the Garden. Destruction of friendship But man broke this friendship through disobedience by eating the forbidden fruit. We also frequently break our friendship with people... Read more>>>

Lesson from the story of Joseph.

The brothers of joseph thought they were pushing him away from his dream of being who God said he would be. Little did they know that they were rather pushing him into it.   Read more>>>

Marriage Software

This is what a guy wrote to a Systems Analyst -(Marriage Software Div); Dear Systems Analyst, I am desperate for some help! I recently upgraded my program from Girlfriend 7.0 to Wife 1.0 and found that the new program began unexpected Child Processing and also took up a lot of space and valuable resources. This wasn't mentioned in the product brochure. In addition Wife 1.0 installs itself into all other programs and launches during systems initialization and then it monitors all other system... Read more>>>

What does God say about your problems?

A personal reflection on 23rd July 2011{bib=2 Kings 19:1-37} (start at {bib=2 Kings 18:13}) OR {bib=Isaiah 36, 37} {bib=2 Kings 19:3} – When you are in grief, do you pick a boyfriend/girlfriend for help; do you consult another god, do you start looking for a way to extort other people, do you throw your hands up in despair?               – When you are in shame do you show your enemies? {bib=2 Kings 19:6} – What are you going through now? Sickness, joblessness, underpayment, frustration... Read more>>>

Wrong moral living or wrong moral teachi…

Difference between wrong moral living and wrong moral teachings Some people confuse the two concepts of wrong moral living and wrong moral teaching. If we study scripture carefully, we will realize that right from the beginning God has condemned both wrong moral living and wrong moral teaching. However, we also realized that even so, there has been no period in history when the world has been completely rid of evil or wrong moral living. Abraham, for instance, could not wait patiently for... Read more>>>

Short memory

One of the most painful things in this world is when people you helped in the past later decide to work against you. So many people have vowed never to do anything to help others again because of the ungratefulness of some people they once helped. Our world is really full of people with selective short memory. They only remember the bad you once did against them but quickly forget the good you did for them. Joseph was a man God... Read more>>>

The agenda is on - The six stages of soc…

Social Deception very often is a process by which wrong becomes right, and right becomes wrong. It’s a complete paradigm shift of opinions, standards and morals that is achieved softly, subtly and often takes a generation to entrench into society. Those who engineer it are very deliberate and structured in their approach.   If you want to know what I am talking about, find out your mother’s views on things like sexuality and marriage and compare them with yours. The contrast in... Read more>>>

Understanding the book of Acts

Analysis of video condemning water baptism for gentiles(Understanding Acts)   It is very helpful to watch the complete video before reading my comments, so that you can have the full picture. Someone referred me to this video when we were discussing about baptism. The video claims that water baptism is not required by gentiles for salvation. I have analyzed the video and given my thoughts on it. I would have loved to post my comments directly on youtube, but comments have been disabled... Read more>>>