Called to be the People and Disciples of God

Readings: 1^st: Ex 19, 2-6a; Ps: 99, 2. 3. 5; 2^nd: Rom 5, 6-11; Gos: Mt 9, 36—10, 8

This brief reflection was written by Fr. Njoku Canice Chukwuemeka, C.S.Sp., DMin, a Catholic Priest and a member of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Spiritans). He is a missionary in Puerto Rico. He is Director of Santuario del Espiritu Santo, Dorado, and the Major Superior of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Spiritans), Circumscription of Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Fr. Canice is a member of the Academy of Homiletics. For more details and comments, contact him at: canice_c_njoku@yahoo.com, canicechukwuemeka@gmail.com.

Find other books @: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/893122

(Donate @ATH Mobil: Canice Njoku-7873146309)

(https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8452-8392)

On this eleventh Sunday of ordinary time, the Church reminds us of our call by God. This call can be understood in two ways; first, through God’s covenant with Israel. God chose and called us to be his people. Second, through Jesus Christ the new covenant, God called us to be his disciples. So, God made us his people and reconciled us in Christ Jesus. God called us, each by name, to be a people consecrated to him.

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In today’s first reading, we see the first part of our call. This reading tells us about one of the most famous covenants of God with his people in the Old Testament, the Sinai Covenant. Through it, God made Israel his people and offers to guide them toward a great destiny, and his people offer obedience.

If the people are faithful to their promise, they will forever be the sacred people, God’s possession. If they fail due to their human destiny, God will not abandon them but will continue to search for them. This is God’s way of acting. Although we fail, God never abandons us. Therefore, the saying is wise: “To err is human; to forgive divine.”

As humans, we always fail in our part of our covenant with God. Like the Israelites in the Old Testament, we are quick to say, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do!” (Exodus 19:8). We are quick to say yes, we believe and will be faithful to our covenant. However, most times, we fail. Despite this, God never abandons us. He continues to be faithful to his covenant.

In today’s second reading, Paul reminds us of how God continues to be faithful to us through his only Son, Jesus Christ, for our salvation: “What proves that God loves us is that Christ died for us while we were still sinners.” Through the sacrifice of Christ, we are constantly reconciled with God. So, God never abandons us because he chose and called us to be his people.

The second aspect of our calling is to be Christ’s disciples in a world quickly losing life’s meaning, in a world where many feel abandoned, helpless, and hopeless. This call and mission were born from mercy and compassion for a dejected and abandoned world. Hence, today’s gospel tells us, “At the sight of the crowds, Jesus’ heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd.”

Therefore, as Christians, each of us has a unique call. By virtue of our baptism, God chose and called each of us by our new name, as he called his twelve apostles today, to help our abandoned world. This is a special call and invitation to lift and save our dejected world from ruins. It is a call to be faithful shepherds to one another. As God and his Son continue to show us mercy and compassion, we must also show mercy to one another, especially to those who have failed or erred in one way or the other.

Finally, our call had a unique purpose and message. Today, Christ sent his disciples with specific instructions. “Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town. Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, and drive out demons.”

Is Christ discriminating? No! Indeed, Christ came to save the world. However, our call and mission must start from somewhere. We must start this mission with ourselves. It must begin in our homes, families, and communities (mission ad intra). Later, the mission can be extended (ad extra) to others. Through this, Christ reminds us that Charity begins at home. This is important because we must first become God’s people before becoming God’s disciples.

So, my dear brothers and sisters, let us pray to God to keep us faithful to his call to be his people and disciples.

Peace be with you!

Maranatha!

Llamados a ser el Pueblo y Discípulos de Dios

Lecturas: 1^ra: Ex 19, 2-6a; Sal: 99, 2. 3. 5; 2^da: Rom 5, 6-11; Ev: Mt 9, 36—10, 8

Esta breve reflexión fue escrita por el Padre Canice Chukwuemeka Njoku, C.S.Sp., DMin., un sacerdote católico y miembro de la Congregación del Espíritu Santo (Espirítanos). Es un misionero en Puerto Rico. Es director del Santuario del Espíritu Santo, Dorado, y el Superior Mayor de la Congregación del Espíritu Santo (Espirítanos), Circunscripción de Puerto Rico y República Dominicana. El padre Canice es miembro de la Academia de Homilética (The Academy of Homiletics). Para más detalles y comentarios , se puede contactarlo al: canice_c_njoku@yahoo.com, canicechukwuemeka@gmail.com.

Encuentra otros libros en: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/904854

(Donar @ATH Móvil: Canice Njoku – 7873146309)

(https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8452-8392)

En este domingo, la madre iglesia nos recuerda nuestra llamada por Dios. Esta llamada se puede entender de dos maneras. Primero, a través de la antigua alianza con Israel, a ser su pueblo. Secundo, a través de Jesucristo, la nueva alianza, Dios nos llamó a ser sus discípulos.

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En la primera lectura de hoy, nos vemos la primera parte de nuestra llamada. Esta lectura nos habla de una de la más famosa alianza de Dios con su pueblo, la alianza de Sinaí. A través de ella, Dios hizo Israel su pueblo y ofrece guiarlo hacia un destino grande, y su pueblo ofrece obediencia.

Si el pueblo es fiel a su promesa, será para siempre el pueblo sagrado, la posesión de Dios. Si fracasa en su destino, humano, Dios no lo abandonará, sino que lo seguirá buscando. Esta es la forma de actuar de Dios porque ama a su pueblo. Aunque le fallamos, nunca nos abandona. Por eso, es sabio el dicho: “Es humano fracasar, es divino el perdonar.”

Como humanos, fallamos en nuestra parte de nuestra alianza con Dios. Sin embargo, como los israelitas, nos apresuramos a decir: “¡Todo lo que el Señor ha dicho, haremos!” (Éxodo 19:8). Tenemos prisa a decir sí, creemos y seremos fieles a Dios. Sin embargo, de muchas maneras fallamos. A pesar de esto, Dios nunca nos abandona. Él sigue siendo fiel a la alianza.

En la segunda lectura de hoy, Pablo nos recuerda cómo Dios continúa siendo fiel a nosotros a través del sacrificio de su Hijo, Jesucristo, para nuestra salvación: “Y la prueba de que Dios nos ama está en que Cristo murió por nosotros, cuando aún éramos pecadores.” A través del sacrificio de Cristo, somos constantemente reconciliados con Dios.

El segundo aspecto de nuestro llamado es ser discípulos en un mundo que pierde rápidamente el significado de la vida, en un mundo donde muchos se sienten abandonados, impotentes y sin esperanza. Este llamado y misión nacieron de la misericordia y la compasión por un mundo desamparado. Por eso el evangelio de hoy nos dice: “al ver Jesús a las multitudes, se compadecía de ellas, porque estaban extenuadas y desamparadas, como ovejas sin pastor.”

Por lo tanto, como cristianos, cada uno de nosotros tiene un llamado único. En virtud de nuestro bautismo, Dios escogió y llamó a cada uno de nosotros su nuevo nombre, para ayudar a nuestro mundo desamparado. Este es un llamado especial a levantar y salvar nuestro mundo en ruinas. Es un llamado a ser verdaderos hermanos a unos a otros. A medida que Dios y su Hijo continúan mostrándonos misericordia y compasión, también debemos mostrar misericordia a unos a otros especialmente a aquellos que frascaron de una manera u otra.

Finalmente, nuestra llamada tiene un propósito y un mensaje único. Hoy, Cristo envió a sus discípulos con instrucciones específicas. “No vayan a tierra de paganos ni entren en ciudades de samaritanos. Vayan más bien en busca de las ovejas perdidas de la casa de Israel.

¿Está discriminando Cristo? ¡No! De hecho, Cristo vino a salvar al mundo. Sin embargo, nuestro llamado y misión debe comenzar desde algún lugar. Debemos comenzar esta misión con nosotros mismos, en nuestros hogares, familias y comunidades (misión ad intra). Luego, podemos extenderla a otros (misión ad extra). A través de esto, Cristo nos recuerda que la caridad comienza desde el hogar. Esto es importante porque primero debemos ser el pueblo de Dios antes de ser discípulos de Dios.

Por eso, queridos hermanos, oremos a Dios para que nos mantenga fieles a su llamado a ser su pueblo y discípulos.

¡La paz sea con ustedes!

¡Maranata!

Pip: Corpus Christi, bread that outlasts the desert, and a feast that took a pope to make universal — canicecnjoku brings the solemnity into focus this week.

Mara: That’s right. The posts cover the Eucharist as both spiritual nourishment and the source of the Church’s unity — the same homily delivered in English and in Spanish for the Corpus Christi solemnity.

Pip: Let’s start with what the Eucharist actually is and why it matters.

Eucharist: Bread, Body, and Divine Presence

Mara: The question at the center of Corpus Christi is this: what does it mean for God to remain present with us, and how does the Eucharist answer that question across time, from the desert to the Mass?

Pip: The English homily, “Homily For The Solemnity of Corpus Christi, Year A,” sets the frame directly. The gospel reading is the spine, and Christ’s claim is unambiguous: “I am the living bread. The bread that I shall give is my flesh — if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you will not have life in you.”

Mara: That claim was scandalous enough that disciples walked away and Romans accused early Christians of cannibalism. The homily doesn’t soften that history — it names it, then pivots to what distinguishes the Eucharist from the manna in the desert.

Pip: The manna sustained Israel physically, and they still died. The Eucharist, the argument goes, sustains spiritually and permanently. That’s the real typological break the homily is drawing.

Mara: And the first reading from Deuteronomy does the setup work. Moses reminds the people: “He humbled and fed you with manna. Do not forget the Lord your God, who brought you water and fed you with manna in this dry place.” The Eucharist is positioned as the fulfillment of that same sustaining love, now extended to the soul.

Pip: So the logic runs: physical food, manna, Eucharist — each a step deeper into what it means for God to nourish his people. The stakes aren’t ceremonial; they’re about what actually keeps a person alive in the fullest sense.

Mara: The homily also names a second focus — the Church itself as the Body of Christ. Paul’s second reading grounds the community dimension: unity across people, races, and nations through sharing one Body and Blood. The Spanish homily, “Homilía para la Solemnidad de Corpus Christi, Año A,” covers the same ground and adds that when the Eucharist is given to the sick, it carries the name viaticum — food for the journey — which sharpens the image considerably.

Pip: Viaticum is a word that does a lot of quiet work. It reframes every Mass as a provision for travelers, not a reward for the arrived.

Mara: The homily puts it plainly: we go to Mass not because we are worthy, but because we always need God’s love and mercy — and those come through the Eucharist.

Pip: Which is also how the feast holds together its two foci — presence in the bread, presence in the gathered community — without one swallowing the other.

Mara: Corpus Christi itself has a history worth noting: it originated in France in the mid-thirteenth century and was extended to the whole Church by Pope Urban IV in 1264. The solemnity is old, but the homily treats the question it raises as permanently unsettled — worth returning to every year.

Pip: The kind of question that doesn’t close, which is probably why it keeps generating homilies in two languages.

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Mara: The thread running through everything here is sustenance — what it means for God to feed his people across every kind of desert.

Pip: And whether the meal changes you or just fills you. That tension is worth sitting with until next time.

Dios Permanece Con Nosotros, A Por La Santa Eucaristía

Lecturas: 1^ra: Deu8: 2-3.14-16; Sal:147; 2^da: 2Co 20: 16-17; Ev: Jn 6: 51-58

Esta breve reflexión fue escrita por el Padre Canice Chukwuemeka Njoku, C.S.Sp., DMin., un sacerdote católico y miembro de la Congregación del Espíritu Santo (Espirítanos). Es un misionero en Puerto Rico. Es director del Santuario del Espíritu Santo, Dorado, y el Superior Mayor de la Congregación del Espíritu Santo (Espirítanos), Circunscripción de Puerto Rico y República Dominicana. El padre Canice es miembro de la Academia de Homilética (The Academy of Homiletics). Para más detalles y comentarios , se puede contactarlo al: canice_c_njoku@yahoo.com, canicechukwuemeka@gmail.com.

Encuentra otros libros en: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/904854

(Donar @ATH Móvil: Canice Njoku – 7873146309)

(https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8452-8392)

Hoy celebramos la solemnidad del cuerpo y sangre de Cristo o “Corpus Christi.” Se comenzó en Francia en la mitad del siglo dúo trece, y fue extendido a la iglesia entera por el Papa Urbano IV en 1264. Esta fiesta, se enfoca en dos manifestaciones. Primera, en la Santa Eucaristía como el cuerpo y la sangre de Cristo. Segunda, en la Iglesia como el cuerpo de Cristo.

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En el estudio de la nutrición humana, los siguientes dichos son verdades: “eres lo que comes”, y una buena comida nutre el cuerpo. Mientras que la comida física que comemos nutre el cuerpo, la comida espiritual nutre nuestra alma, la prepara y preserva para la eternidad. La Santa Eucaristía, como el cuerpo y la sangre de Cristo no solo hace el alma cabe de morar en sano cuerpo, sino que también lo hace caber de aparecer en antes Dios.

 En la primera lectura, Moisés recuerda sus hermanos de como Dios los cuidaba por nutrir y sostenerlos en el desierto: “les Humilló… les alimentó con el maná… No olviden al Señor su Dios, que en este lugar sin agua les trajo agua y les alimentó con maná…” Por esto, Dios demostró su amor y su capacidad a sostener su pueblo elegido físicamente y espiritualmente. En nuestro tiempo, Dios nos ha dado la Eucaristía para nuestro alimento espiritual. Por lo tanto, la Eucaristía es el “Sacramento de la salvación universal”.

En la segunda lectura, Pablo nos recuerda la unidad de la iglesia a través de compartir en un solo cuerpo y sangre de Cristo. Durante la celebración eucarística, personas, comunidades, razas y naciones están unidas ya que comparten en el cuerpo y sangre de Cristo. Por lo tanto, en cada Misa se llama nuestra atención a la presencia real de Cristo en la Eucaristía.

En el Evangelio de hoy, Cristo sucintamente proclamó: “Yo soy el pan de vida. El pan que Yo les daré es mi carne… Si no comen la carne del hijo del hombre y beben su sangre; no tendrán vida en ustedes.” Fue a causa de esta verdad que algunos de sus discípulos le abandonada pensando: ¡este dicho es duro…! (Jn 6:61). Además, los romanos (ca. 64-313 D.C.) acusaron los cristianos de canibalismo. Como dijo Cristo, su cuerpo es verdadera comida, y su sangre verdadero vino. Aunque es una tipología del maná que los israelitas comieron en el desierto (y todavía murieron), es diferente porque como Cristo dice: “Quien come el cuerpo y bebe la sangre del hijo del hombre nunca morirá.”

Por lo tanto, la Eucaristía sostiene nuestra vida espiritual, mientras que la comida humana y el maná que los israelitas comieron, sostiene nuestra vida física y mortal. Nos da la gracia de sentirse perdonado y estar dispuesta a perdonar a los demás. Vamos a Misa, no porque seamos dignos. Más bien, porque siempre estamos en necesidad de la misericordia y amor de Dios. Éstos vienen a través de la Eucaristía.

La Eucaristía afecta la vida de nuestras comunidades cristianas. Es a través de la Eucaristía que recibimos nuestra identidad y misión como iglesia. Providencialmente, Dios la hizo disponible a nosotros para alimentarnos en nuestro viaje espiritual. Por lo tanto, cuando se administra a los enfermos, se llama “viáticos (comida para el viaje). A través de ella, Dios sigue a permanecer con nosotros.

Finalmente, el foco secundario de esta solemnidad está en el cuerpo de Cristo presente en la iglesia. La iglesia es llamada el cuerpo de Cristo debido a la íntima comunión que Jesús comparte con sus discípulos. Cristo expresó esta unidad mediante el uso de la metáfora del cuerpo, en la que él mismo es la cabeza. Esta imagen ayuda a mantener en foco a la unidad y la diversidad de la iglesia. Así que, durante cualquier celebración eucarística, Cristo se hace disponible a nosotros, nos atrae a sí mismo y nos une uno con el otro.

¡La paz sea con ustedes!

¡Maranatha!

God Abides with Us, Through the Holy Eucharist

Readings: 1^st: Deu 8: 2-3.14-16; Ps 147; 2^nd: 2Cor 20: 16-17; Gos: Jn 6: 51-58

This brief reflection was written by Fr. Njoku Canice Chukwuemeka, C.S.Sp., DMin, a Catholic Priest and a member of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Spiritans). He is a missionary in Puerto Rico. He is Director of Santuario del Espiritu Santo, Dorado, and the Major Superior of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Spiritans), Circumscription of Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Fr. Canice is a member of the Academy of Homiletics. For more details and comments, contact him at: canice_c_njoku@yahoo.com, canicechukwuemeka@gmail.com.

Find other books @: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/893122

(Donate @ATH Mobil: Canice Njoku-7873146309)

(https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8452-8392)

Today, we celebrate the solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ or “Corpus Christi.” It originated in France in the mid-thirteenth century and was extended to the whole Church by Pope Urban IV in 1264. This feast focuses on two manifestations: the Holy Eucharist as the body of Christ and the Church as the body of Christ.

Available now on

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1179451

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B094YSGTZF

In the study of Human Nutrition, the following statements are very factual: “You are what you eat” and “good food nourishes the body.” While the physical food we eat nourishes the body, spiritual food nourishes our soul, prepares, and preserves it for eternity. The Eucharist, as the body and blood of Christ, not only makes the soul fit to dwell in a healthy body but also makes it fit to appear before God.

In the first reading, Moses reminded his brethren of how God took good care of them by nourishing and sustaining them in the desert: “He humbled and fed you with manna. Do not forget the Lord your God, who brought you water and fed you with manna in this dry place.” Through this, God demonstrated his love and ability to sustain His chosen people physically and spiritually. In our time, God has given us the Eucharist for our spiritual nourishment. Hence, the Holy Eucharist is the “Sacrament of universal salvation.”

In the second reading, Paul reminds us of the church’s unity through sharing in the one Body and Blood of Christ. During the Eucharistic celebration, people, communities, races, and nations are united as they share in the Body and Blood of Christ. Hence, at every Mass, our attention is called to the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist.

In today’s gospel, Christ succinctly proclaimed: “I am the living bread. The bread that I shall give is my flesh…if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you will not have life in you.” It was on account of this truth that some of his disciples deserted him thinking: “This saying is hard…!” (Jn. 6:61). Also, the Romans (ca. 64-313 AD) accused Christians of cannibalism. Christ said His body is real food, and his blood is true wine. Though it is a typology of the Manna that the Israelites ate in the desert (and still died), it is different because, as Christ says: “Whoever eats the body and drinks the blood of the Son of Man will never die.”

Hence, the Eucharist sustains our spiritual life, while our human food and the Manna that the Israelites eat sustain our physical and mortal life. It gives us the grace to feel forgiven and to be ready to forgive others. We go to Mass not because we are worthy. Instead, these come through the Eucharist because we always need God’s love and mercy.

The Eucharist affects the life of our Christian communities. It is from it that we receive our identity and mission as a church. Providentially, God made it available to us in order to nourish us on our spiritual journey. Hence, when administered to the sick, it is called “viaticum (food for the journey). Through it, God continues to abide with us.

Finally, the secondary focus of this solemnity is on the Body of Christ as it is present in the Church. The Church is called the Body of Christ because of the intimate communion which Jesus shares with his disciples. Christ expressed this unity by using the metaphor of a body, in which Himself is the head. This image helps to keep in focus both the unity and the diversity of the Church. So, during any Eucharistic celebration, Christ makes himself available, draws us closer to himself, and unites us with one another.

Peace be with you all!

Maranatha!