The Church is Our Mother! 05/04/25. Chima Offurum.

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  • The entire book of the Acts of the Apostles is a record of post-resurrection events and the marvels God did through the apostolic mission of the followers of Jesus Christ, heralding a new dawn that has stretched to our time. The Easter event is so huge that its celebration goes beyond a day into the fifty days of Eastertide and the weekly memorial held every Sunday. Thanks to Jesus’ resurrection, we witness the work of God’s grace in the life of the Church and the world. We find the works in the continuous ministry of the Church through the umbrella of Catholic Charity, mission hospitals, schools, and other agencies. We are God’s arms to continue this ministry through our words and actions. The Church is our Mother.
    Specifically, today, we recognize through the Apostles’ experiences in the first reading (Acts 5:27-41) that life often presents opposing forces. We experience joy and sorrow, love and hate, creation and destruction, etc. We admit that these dualities could also reflect the deeper spiritual tension between aligning with God’s will and sometimes succumbing to human desires.​ For instance, in today’s first reading, the Sanhedrin summoned the Apostles, warning them about their continuous preaching about Jesus, whom they had killed. They wanted “to eat their cake and still have it” (as we commonly say), but life does not work that way. Our choices have consequences; we reap what we sow. During the Passion journey of Jesus, the same people had told Pilate that Jesus’ blood should be on theirs and their children’s heads (Matthew 27:25). The time of reckoning had come, and they no longer wanted to stand by their words.
    On the contrary, Peter and the other apostles equally had a stark choice: to obey the Sanhedrin’s command to cease preaching about Jesus or remain faithful to God’s directive. Their response was resolute: “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:27-33). The Apostles and other followers of Jesus’ commitment to their faith exposed them to different punishments and ordeals. However, they rejoiced, feeling honored to suffer for Christ’s name, and that was all that mattered. Jesus Christ had promised to remain with his Church until the end of time (Matthew 28:20). St. Paul had reaffirmed that God will always supply their needs out of the bountiful riches in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19). Today’s gospel connected these episodes or lines with Christ’s visit to his followers as they labored in the field; he brought them comfort, and even made and served them breakfast (John 21:1-19).
    Like the Apostles, we can choose to obey God too, which may invite hardship, but also brings profound fulfillment. We are products of our choices. If we decide to walk their path, we align our objectives with their unwavering commitment and ensure that the message of love continues to spread everywhere to impact countless lives in our communities and worldwide. As we think about it, their example challenges us to prioritize truth over lies, goodness over evil, and above all, divine truth over societal approval, recognizing, like they did, that our choices have consequences, including their eternal significance.​ As we celebrate, we pray that in moments of moral conflict, we may uphold truth and righteousness for God’s glory and our happiness.

61 thoughts on “The Church is Our Mother! 05/04/25. Chima Offurum.”

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