Radio Maria Nigeria - Enugu

16/08/2025

At the pilgrimage center in Ugwogo Nike.
Ave Maria!

15/08/2025

DAILY REFLECTION

FRIDAY, 15TH AUGUST 2025

THEME: THE SOLEMNITY OF THE ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Readings:
- Rev. 11:19; 12:1-6, 10
- 1 Cor. 15:20-26
- Lk. 1:39-56
~REV. FR. Ambrose Ofodile Dei Verbum

THE WOMAN ESCAPED INTO THE DESERT WHERE GOD PREPARED A PLACE OF SAFETY FOR HER

The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary reflects the resurrection of the body of Christ, the Church. Pope Paul VI describes Mary’s Assumption as a feast celebrating her destiny of fullness and blessedness, the glorification of her Immaculate soul and virginal body, and her perfect submission to the risen Christ. This feast offers the Church and all mankind a consoling image of the fulfillment of their final hope.

*Gaudium et Spes* notes that an ideal, perfectly harmonious world is not possible in this life but only in the next. The Assumption stands as a celebration and affirmation that Mary has attained the ultimate goal.

The Assumption is not just an event; it is also an affirmation and continuation of the Incarnation. It represents the culmination of it and is understood as the consequence and manifestation of Mary’s fullness of grace.

THE YES OF MARY

The ‘Yes’ of Mary also reflects the ‘Yes’ of Jesus—a ‘Yes’ that is holistic and enduring. According to Pope Benedict XVI, Mary's 'Yes' is the foundation of her motherhood. Her response is not an impulsive reaction to the angel but the result of an engaged and profound dialogue. In her 'Yes,' she overcomes the natural trepidation that usually accompanies such divine encounters, culminating in her final consent.

Just as Abraham's faith marked the beginning of the Old Testament covenant, Mary’s faith inaugurates the New Covenant. Her belief and consent precede the Incarnation.

The woman described in the Book of Revelation is the Blessed Virgin Mary. At the birth of Jesus Christ, Herod—represented by the red dragon—sought to kill Him, but God intervened. After giving birth to Christ, God did not abandon Mary; He preserved her and brought her to the glory of heaven at the end of her earthly life. This event is specifically referred to as *The Dogma of the Assumption*.

THE DOGMA OF ASSUMPTION

The New Dictionary of Catholic Theology defines dogma as the Church's belief that, through Scripture and tradition, God reveals His intentions for mankind to the ecclesial community, and that the Church's leadership has the authority to interpret and promulgate this truth.

In the New Testament, the term 'dogma' is found only once to denote a decision made by authority, as seen in Acts 16:4, referring to the decision of the Council of Jerusalem on the admission of Gentiles to the community.

While there is no explicit mention of the Dogma of the Assumption in Scripture, we do find implicit references to it, such as in today's reading from the Book of Revelation.

It is essential to note that the Catholic Church derives its Revelation from *Magisterium, Scripture, and Tradition (Scriptura et Traditiones)*. The Vatican II Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation, *Dei Verbum, no. 10*, asserts that sacred Scripture and tradition form one deposit of the Word of God entrusted to the Church. Both are inseparable and indispensable for attaining salvation.

On 1st November 1950, Pope Pius XII, after receiving affirmation from bishops and laity worldwide—following an official query sent on 1st May 1946—proclaimed, through the Apostolic Constitution "Munificentissimus Deus," the Dogma revealed by God: "Mary, the Immaculate and Perpetually Virgin Mother of God, after the completion of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into the glory of heaven." This proclamation also recognizes other dogmas related to the Blessed Virgin Mary:
a. Immaculate Conception
b. Mother of God
c. Perpetual Virginity

The New Dictionary of Catholic Theology notes that by using the phrase, "... having completed the course of her earthly life," Pius XII indicated his intention to leave open the theological and historical question of whether Mary experienced death before being taken up into glory.

It is crucial to emphasize that, as a mere creature redeemed by Jesus Christ, Mary did not ascend to heaven like Jesus; rather, she was assumed into heaven by the divine power of God. To further support the belief that the Blessed Virgin Mary holds a unique place in the salvation of mankind and is inseparable from Jesus Christ, Pope Pius XII taught that "Mary, resplendent in glory in body and soul, reigns in heaven with her Son."

*Lumen Gentium*, no. 68, affirms Mary's Assumption as a sign of certain hope and comfort for the Pilgrim people of God.

HOW DID WE ARRIVE AT THIS DOGMA?

Luke 1:28 states that Mary was "full of grace." Because she was full of grace, she is preserved and freed from the threefold curse of sin outlined in Genesis 3:16-19. Additionally, she is considered incorruptible, thus exempt from returning to dust.

About Genesis 3:15, the Church interprets the "seed of the woman" as Christ and identifies the woman herself as Mary. Therefore, Mary participated in the battle and victory over Satan, death, and sin. While her role is subordinate to that of Jesus, Mary is inseparable from Him and the work of redemption.

APPEAL TO REASON

Ludwig Ott, in *Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma,* outlines the grounds for the Assumption of Mary:

a. Freedom from Sin*
It is fitting that, since Mary was free from sin and immaculately conceived, she would be preserved from bodily dissolution. Her assumption into heaven aligns with God's original plan for humanity.

b. Motherhood of God*
As the woman who gave birth to Jesus, who is the Son of God, it is fitting that she shares in the fate of the body of Christ, which never experienced corruption.

c. Perpetual Virginity*
Since Mary was a virgin before and after giving birth, it is fitting that her virginal dignity should remain untouched by death.

d. Participation in the Work of Christ*
In her role as the Mother of God, Mary actively participated in the redemptive work of Christ as a co-redeemer. She was present during Christ’s earthly ministry and continues to accompany Him in heaven.

Mary's role is irreplaceable. From the moment of her conception, she has been full of grace and continuously reigns with her Son in heaven. She serves as our great intercessor, guiding us in obedience to Christ (John 2:5).

PRAYER:🙏
May the Blessed Virgin Mary, who was taken up to heaven body and soul, continuously intercede for us before her Son, Jesus Christ, that we may be saved from our present sorrows and tribulations. Amen.

Happy Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

✝️MAY THE ALMIGHTY GOD BLESS AND KEEP YOU:
FATHER, SON, AND THE HOLY SPIRIT. AMEN.

15/08/2025

🌟 Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary! 🌹✨
Join us in reflecting on this beautiful mystery of faith, where Mary is taken up body and soul into heaven.
Let us always honor our Mother and seek Her intercession. 🙏🎶

14/08/2025

DAILY REFLECTION

NINETEENTH WEEK IN THE ORDINARY TIME YEAR I
THURSDAY, 14TH AUGUST, 2025

MEMORIAL OF ST. MAXIMILIAN KOLBE, PRIEST AND MARTYR
THEME: FORGIVE, SO THAT YOU WILL BE FORGIVEN*
MTT. 18:21-19:1

We owe a great deal to the impulsive Peter who always elicits great teachings with impetuosity.

In ancient Israel, it was commendable to take revenge after an offence had been committed three times. Thus Peter expected to be commended when he said, *"Lord, how often must I forgive my brother if he wrongs me?
As often as seven times?.
Peter exceeded three times and doubled it.

The number seven stands for perfection. Peter seemed to have reached the elastic limit of forgiveness.

However, Jesus' answer was a disappointment to Peter who expected to be commended since he transcended the perceived limit.
Jesus' response is an indication that there is no limit to forgiveness.

We are to forgive as long as God forgives us. *"Not seven, I tell you, but seventy times seven"* (490) and its multiples are symbolic for fullness thus indicating the limitlessness of forgiveness.

And so, to buttress his point, Jesus presented the story of the king whose servant owed a huge amount with no possibility of paying back, despite his promise to do so, but upon the servant's plea, the King cancelled all his debts.

Unfortunately, the same servant could not forgive a fellow servant who owed him less. The servant threw him into prison until he could pay.
The failure of the servant to show mercy where he had received mercy led to the King's mercy being rescinded.

By the above Jesus calls attention to the necessity of forgiving those who wronged us. It is to be noted that human beings are fellow servants living in a comparable relationship to God and having various amounts of debt, yet all of them are indebted.

In the Lord's prayer we constantly ask for God's forgiveness *" Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us (Mt.6:12)"*, however, God's forgiveness is not conditional but we must as children of God reciprocate this loving forgiveness by forgiving the wrongs done by our neighbours.

Forgiveness of our neighbour is an imitation of God's loving forgiveness in the realm of human beings, and as such, moved by the unlimited forgiveness of God, we must always be disposed to forgive the wrongs of our neighbours.

PRAYER🙏🏿 :
May we always be disposed to forgive the debts of our neighbours, thus imitating our heavenly Father, whose unlimited forgiveness always accompanies us. Amen.

MAY THE ALMIGHTY GOD BLESS AND KEEP YOU;
FATHER, SON AND HOLY SPIRIT, AMEN
~REV. FR. AMBROSE OFODILE

14/08/2025

St. Maximilian, born Raymond Kolbe, a Polish Franciscan priest, founded the Militia of the Immaculata movement and the Niepokalanow center near Warsaw. Kolbe also founded monasteries in both Japan and India. To better "win the world for the Immaculata," the friars utilized the most modern printing and administrative techniques. Imprisoned by the N***s in Auschwitz, he sacrificed his life for another prisoner and was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1982. St. Maximilian Kolbe died on August 14 and his remains were cremated on August 15, the same day as the Assumption of Mary feast day.

Prayer:
Saint Maximilian Mary Kolbe, you lived a holy life, sharing the Gospel through the modern means of your time. You culminated your service to God by laying down your life for a stranger. Please pray for me, that I will have the depth of love that you had and that God will take that gift of my life and use it for His glory.

Saint Maximilian Mary Kolbe, pray for us.

13/08/2025

DAILY REFLECTION

NINETEENTH WEEK IN THE ORDINARY TIME OF THE YEAR, I

WEDNESDAY, 13TH AUGUST, 2025

"...IF HE REFUSES TO LISTEN, TREAT HIM LIKE A PAGAN OR A TAX COLLECTOR"
MTT. 18:15-20

My response or reflection this morning is rather reactionary than explanatory.

The gospel presents three stages or procedures for disciplining an erring member of the Church community.

In the first place it does seem that this passage does not represent appropriately the understanding and proper teachings of Christ. One wonders whether it is the work of a redactor since the procedures sound more like a later addition representing the regulation of a Church committee in the early life of the Church.

During the time of Jesus' ministry,there was no organized or established Church with a stated discipline as it is presented in the gospel, Jesus and his disciples were itinerant preachers.

Again, Jesus has been variously accused by the pharisees and scribes as being a friend to tax collectors and sinners and could not have asked that a sinner be treated as irredeemable and as an outcast.

There is no limit to the effort one could make in bringing back an erring member of the Church to the fold. It is rather surprising that it is adduced that Jesus advocated for such an exhaustive and final measure when one has only tried the three procedures in reclaiming a sinner.

The whole atmosphere smacks of a limit to forgiveness which could not have been espoused by Jesus himself!

We must endeavour to continue pushing until we reclaim our erring brothers and sisters.

PRAYER🙏🏿:
May we follow Jesus who gave no limit to the extent we could go to reclaim an erring member of the community and may he give us his peace and consolation. Amen.

MAY ALMIGHTY GOD BLESS AND KEEP YOU;
✝FATHER, SON AND HOLY SPIRIT, AMEN
REV. FR. Ambrose Ofodile Dei Verbum

12/08/2025

Jane Frances de Chantal, born in Dijon, France on January 28, 1572, was a devoted follower of the Virgin Mary. After marrying Baron Christopher de Chantal at 21, they had six children, but tragedy struck when Christopher died from a hunting accident. Overcoming her grief, Jane forgave the man responsible and later founded the Visitation nuns with the help of Bishop Francis de Sales. She dedicated her life to caring for the sick and elderly. Jane died on December 13, 1641, and was canonized on July 16, 1767. She is the patron saint of various causes, including loss of children and in-law problems.

Prayer:
Saint Jane de Chantal, you devoted yourself to the will of God from early in your life and allowed God to lead you through hardship to a glorious fruitfulness. Please pray for me, that I will see every cross and every unexpected turn not as a burden but as an opportunity for deeper trust and greater fidelity to the unexpected life that awaits.

Saint Jane de Chantal, pray for us.

12/08/2025

Isidore Bakanja worked as an assistant mason for white colonists in the Belgian Congo (later Zaire). Baptized on 6 May 1906 at age 18 after instruction from Trappist missionaries, he was known for sharing his faith with a rosary in hand, despite being untrained, and was considered a catechist. He left his native village because there were no fellow Christians.

He also worked as a domestic on a Belgian rubber plantation, where many agents, atheists opposed to missionaries, called anyone associated with religion "mon pere." When Isidore asked permission to go home, agents refused and ordered him to stop teaching fellow workers how to pray: "You'll have the whole village praying and no one will work!". He was told to discard his Carmelite scapular; when he refused, he was flogged twice. The second time, agents tore the scapular from his neck, pinned him down, and beat him with a whip of elephant hide with nails, over 100 blows. He was then chained to a spot 24 hours a day.

When an inspector came to the plantation, Isidore was sent to another village. He managed to hide in the forest, then dragged himself to the inspector. "I saw a man," wrote the horrified inspector, "come from the forest with his back torn apart by deep, festering, malodorous wounds, covered with filth, assaulted by flies. He leaned on two sticks in order to get near me - he wasn't walking; he was dragging himself". The agent tried to kill "that animal of mon pere", but the inspector prevented him. He took Isidore home to heal, but Isidore knew better. "If you see my mother, or if you go to the judge, or if you meet a priest, tell them that I am dying because I am a Christian."

Two missionaries who visited him reported he received the last sacraments devoutly. He assured them he had already forgiven the agent and would pray for him in heaven. After six months of prayer and suffering, Isidore died, rosary in hand and scapular around his neck.

Blessed Isidore Bakanja Martyr of the Carmelite Brown Scapular, pray for us!

11/08/2025

The flag off of the Enugu Diocesan CYWO annual feast of Assumption at St. John Parish, Agbani on Sunday, 10th August, 2025

11/08/2025

DAILY REFLECTION

NINETEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR, 1
The memorial of St. Clare
Monday 11th August, 2025

Theme: Does your master not pay the half shekel?
Mt.17:22-27

A recourse to Exodus 30:13 would indicate the payment of temple tax of half shekel by every male Jew over twenty years of age. The tax was meant for the upkeep of the temple at Jerusalem. The running cost of the temple was expensive and so the tax authorities have an organised way of collecting these taxes from people that it was impossible to evade the tax.

They approached Peter to enquire if Jesus pays his tax, Does your master not pay the half shekel? The question was intended to elicit some negative reactions or arguments. They hoped that Jesus would refuse to pay so that they could hold it against him.

However, when Peter answered in the positive and presented the situation to Jesus, his response was to their disappointment.
Jesus was aware of their malicious intent. He asked a question that should have triggered the thinking capacity of the temple tax collectors, "Simon, what is your opinion? From whom do the Kings of the earth take toll or tribute? From their sons or from foreigners?". By the above Jesus was saying, God is the King of the universe and he is the Son of the King and therefore he does not have any obligations to pay any tax in support/honour the temple of his own Father.

He believes he is an insider and thus foreigners are the ones who could pay the temple tax.

However, Jesus agreed to pay not out of intimidation or fear or compulsion but "So as not to offend these people". He told peter that they must pay in order not to set a bad example to others. He wanted Peter to realise that Christianity is not in conflict with good citizenship. In fact , a good Christian should also be a good citizen by obeying the rules and regulations of the state.

He should be a model of good citizenship. He directed peter to a very unlikely source for the temple tax: a coin in the mouth of a fish. Some commentators like Barclay, would argue that Jesus would never send peter to meet such an obligation in an effortless and lazy manner. He would not commend such a miracle of what one could do by himself. To think that Jesus approved such a miracle would amount to succumbing to the tempter who wanted him to perform the miracle of turning stones to bread to satisfy his hunger. (It must be noted that I am not doubting that Jesus could perform such a miracle), What Jesus was telling Peter was simply to go back to his occupation of fishing and carry out a day's work that would fetch the amount needed for their temple tax. It does not need a miracle to fetch two half shekels. They could earn the amount if Peter did his normal day work.

And so in our dealings with God we should make effort and God comes in where our own human powers cannot take us. To be a good Christian is also to be a good citizen.

PRAYER🙏🏿:
May God give us the grace to follow the right course of action whenever we are tempted. May we become good Christians who shall become good citizens. May we not become a stumbling block for those who earnestly seek God . Amen.

MAY ALMIGHTY GOD BLESS AND KEEP YOU;
✝ THE FATHER, SON AND HOLY SPIRIT, AMEN
REV. FR. Ambrose Ofodile Dei Verbum

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11/08/2025

St. Clare, born in 1193 in Assisi, desired to dedicate herself to Jesus Christ from a young age. Influenced by St. Francis, she abandoned the world and received the penitential habit on March 18, 1212. Initially placed in a Benedictine convent, she later founded the Order of Poor Clares with her sister Agnes and other noblewomen. The Order spread to Germany and Bohemia, known for their extreme austerities and perpetual fasting.
St. Clare's spirit of poverty was evident as she gave away her inheritance and refused any revenue for her monastery. During an attack by Frederick II's army, she displayed the Blessed Sacrament, causing the enemies to flee in terror. St. Clare’s life came to an end on August 11, 1253. She was canonized in 1255 by Pope Alexander IV.

PRAYER🙏:
God, in Your mercy You led St. Clare to embrace poverty. Through her intercession help us to follow Christ in the spirit of poverty and come to see Your face in the heavenly Kingdom. Amen.

Saint Clare of Assisi, pray for us.