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 THE EXALTATION OF THE HOLY CROSS*
"To ranson a slave, God gave His Son" *(exultet* - Holy Saturday). The Cross is the symbol of God's unconditional love for humanity. We celebrate today, the Memorial of the Exaltation/Triumph of the Cross. This feast was observed in Rome before the end of the seventh century. It commemorates the recovery of the Holy Cross, which had been placed on Mt. Calvary by St. Helena and preserved in Jerusalem, but then had fallen into the hands of Chosroas, King of the Persians. The precious relic was recovered and returned to Jerusalem by Emperor Heralius in 629.
Today's readings point to the meaning of the cross in the plan of salvation. Jesus' being raised up, consequently, is our being raised up eventually to be with Jesus in heaven. The first reading (Num. 21: 4-9) prefigures the crucifixion of Jesus. Moses, by lifting up the bronze serpent mounted on a pole, salvation- healing and restoration- was given to those bitten by seraph serpents as a consequence of disobedience.
The gospel (John 3: 13-17) links back to the serpent on the pole and how the "Son of Man" lifted on the Wood of the Cross brings greater salvation, the gift of eternal life.
Dear friends, unlike Moses' deliverance in the wilderness which only resulted in temporary relief for the people, Jesus' atoning death on the cross brought decisive victory over sin, satan, and death. Jesus' victory on the cross cancels the debt of sin, and releases us from guilt and condemnation, giving us new life, a share in the Divine Life. "We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you, because by your Holy Cross you have redeemed the world".
I pray as we journey in life today, we will draw strength from Jesus Who humbled Himself to die on the cross (Phil. 2: 6-11) for our sake to reconcile us to God. May we courageously carry our own different crosses and follow our Lord Jesus onto victory. May we rise in grace to heal the wounds of hatred, unforgiveness, hurts and divisions in our lives. Love conquers! Have a salvation-full (healing) 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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