Homilies & Reflections
One thing I ask of the Lord. This I long to dwell in the house of the Lord,
all the days of my
life.
One thing I ask of the Lord. This I long to dwell in the house of the Lord,
all the days of my
life.
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*REFLECTION FOR THE FEAST OF ST. BARTHOLOMEW*
We celebrate today, the Feast of the Apostle, Batholomew, also known as Nathaniel. He was a doctor in the Jewish law and a dear friend of St. Philip the Apostle. Because Bartholomew was a man "in whom there is no guile", his mind was open to the truth. He went willingly with Philip to see Jesus Christ, and recognized the Saviour immediately as the Son of God. After having received the gifts of the Holy Spirit on the first Pentecost, Bartholomew evangelized Asia Minor, northwestern India, and Greater Armenia. According to tradition, while preaching to idolaters in Armenia, he was arrested and condemned to death.
The first reading (Rev. 21: 9-14) focuses on the role of the Apostles as the foundation upon which God builds the New Jerusalem, the Church. They continued the ministry of Jesus, proclaiming the Good News to every corner of the earth. As foundations, linked directly to Christ, the Corner Stone, we, the building blocks of the edifice, draw strength from their faith.
Nathaniel, in the gospel today (John 1: 45-51), is praised by Jesus for his honesty and faith when introduced by Philip. Nathaniel didn't belief anything good could come out of Nazareth, however, after encountering Jesus he professed: "Rabbi, you are the Son of God, you are the King of Israel." Do you still doubt who Jesus is in your life?
Dear friends, clever arguments rarely win people to the gospel, but an encounter with the person of Jesus Christ can change one's life forever. This is what Philip did by inviting Nathaniel to "come and see" for himself who Jesus is. As a member of the Apostolic faith, what effort am I making to bring people to encounter Jesus Christ?
I pray as we journey in life today, through the actions of the Holy Spirit, our hearts will be touched and our minds opened to accept Jesus as truly the Son of God and our Saviour. May the truth of the Gospel change our lives. Have a Divine encounter-full day!
Date: 2026-08-09 - 2026-08-15
From The Chancery Dear Brothers, happy weekend! You would recall that during the last Bishop's/Priests' Meeting, the Bishop directed that the entire diocese of Umuahia should be observing a one week prayer for *Peace* in Igbo land. I am happy to inform you that, following the directive of His Lordship, the seven days prayers will begin on the 9th of August, and end on the solemnity of Our Lady's Assumption (15th of August), 2026. Take note of the following, please: 1) Take time to explain to your parishioners about the importance of the one week of prayers. 2) Draw their attention to the fact that this is directed by the Bishop himself. 3) Remember that it is a daily evening program. 4) The color to wear is black. 5) The day begins with Rosary procession and concludes with holy Mass. 6) All are advised to make sacrifices during those days. Do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions regarding the program. Thanks for your usual understanding and positive cooperation. Rev Henry Maduka
The Diocese of Umuahia was erected on June 23, 1958 with Most Rev. Anthony Gogo Nwaedo C.S.Sp. as its first Bishop and Most Rev Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji as the second Bishop. The diocese was carved out from the then Diocese of Owerri. Since its inception, two other dioceses: Okigwe (1981) and Aba (1990) have been excised from it. Its present area of about 2,460.40km2 spans six Local Government Areas: Umuahia North, Umuahia South, Ikwuano, Bende, Ohafia and Arochukwu.
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