HE DESCENDED INTO HELL By Bro. Paul Atsu Agbemashior

HE DESCENDED INTO HELL, AND ON THE THIRD DAY HE ROSE AGAIN 

Paul Atsu Agbemashior 

In the Apostle's Creed, a confession of faith that stretches back to the early Church, the phrase "He descended into hell" is included. This expression alludes to the notion that following his crucifixion, Jesus entered the underworld, also known as Hades or Sheol, and preached to the spirits incarcerated there. To release the souls of the righteous who had passed away before his resurrection, Jesus entered the realm of the dead.

"With the expression 'He descended into hell', the Apostles' Creed confesses that Jesus really died and that by his death he conquered for us death and the devil 'who has the power of death' (Heb 2:14). (CCC 636).

Catholic teaching on this subject is based on theology and biblical allusion. Although the statement "He descended into hell" is not found in the Bible, a number of passages allude to Jesus' entry into the afterlife. For example, 1 Peter 3:18-19 says that Christ "suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring you to God. He was killed in the flesh, but made alive in the Spirit. He also visited the imprisoned souls while preaching there. According to this verse, after dying on the cross, Jesus went to preach to souls in the hereafter.

Another scripture often quoted on this subject is Ephesians 4:9-10, which says: "He [Jesus] also descended to the lower parts of the earth. He who descended also ascended far above all the heavens to fill all things". This passage suggests that Jesus descended into the realm of the dead before ascending into heaven.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church affirms this teaching, stating that “Jesus, like all men, experienced death and in his soul joined the others in the realm of the dead. But he descended there as Savior, proclaiming the Good News to the spirits imprisoned there” (CCC 632). This teaching emphasizes that Jesus’ descent into the realm of the dead was a salvific act, in which he proclaimed the Gospel to those who had died before his resurrection.

The resurrection of Jesus, a central pillar of the Christian faith, is referred to in the phrase "On the third day he rose again". Biblical allusions, such as the Gospel stories of the empty tomb and the appearances of the resurrected Jesus to his followers, also lend credence to the resurrection of Jesus. 

As we can see in 1 Corinthians 15:14, 17, St Paul emphasised the resurrection. This is an emphasis on the fact that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is central to the Christian faith. If Christ had not risen from the grave, the gospel would be useless and hollow. It gives Christians hope and assurance that Jesus is the Son of God, that he has conquered sin and death, and that those who believe in him will be raised to eternal life. In other words, humanity would still be trapped in sin and unable to find salvation if Christ had not been raised from the dead. The resurrection of Christ is therefore the foundation of the Christian faith.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that the resurrection of Jesus is a historical event that has profound theological significance. It states that “The Resurrection of Jesus is the crowning truth of our faith in Christ, a faith believed and lived as the central truth by the first Christian community; handed on as fundamental by Tradition; established by the documents of the New Testament; and preached as an essential part of the Paschal mystery along with the cross” (CCC 638).

The themes of salvation and new life linked to the death and resurrection of Jesus are often emphasised in today's lessons. The presentation emphasises the need to live according to the Gospel message and the hope that Christians have in the face of suffering and death.

The Apostles' Creed, a declaration of the central convictions of the Catholic faith, contains the Catholic belief that "He descended into hell and on the third day he rose from the dead." While it may be challenging to comprehend or apply this adage to contemporary life, there are a number of ways Catholics can live out this concept every day:

Embrace the mystery: The concept of Christ’s descent into hell is a mysterious one, and Catholics are encouraged to embrace this mystery rather than trying to fully understand it. This means acknowledging that there are some things about God and his plan that are beyond our understanding, and trusting that God has a purpose for everything, even if we don’t fully comprehend it.

Reflect on the significance of the resurrection: The resurrection of Jesus is a foundational belief of the Catholic faith, and it has immense significance for our lives today. Catholics can practice this belief by reflecting on the ways in which the resurrection gives us hope, joy, and new life, even in the midst of suffering and death.

Share the Good News: The resurrection of Jesus is the central message of the Gospel, and Catholics are called to share this message with others. This can be done through evangelization, acts of kindness and service, and sharing our own personal experiences of encountering the risen Christ.

Seek forgiveness and redemption: The descent of Jesus into hell can be seen as a symbol of his willingness to descend into the depths of human suffering and sin in order to bring redemption and salvation to all people. Catholics can practice this belief by seeking forgiveness for their own sins and by working to bring healing and redemption to others who are struggling.

In summary, Catholics can practice the belief in “He descended into hell and on the third day he rose from the dead” by embracing the mystery, reflecting on the significance of the resurrection, sharing the Good News, and seeking forgiveness and redemption. These practices can help us to deepen our faith and live more fully in the light of Christ's resurrection. These teachings are based on biblical references and theological reflection, and are central to Christian faith and practice.

HE LIVES IN ME | Simeon Umenwa

 

HE LIVES IN ME     

Simeon Umenwa

INTRODUCTION

Jesus tells us: “He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.” In other words, when we eat the body and drink the blood of Jesus in Holy Communion, we essentially become like Jesus’ and he begins to live inside of us. To apply the words of Diana Ross, Jesus basically lives in you and all we need to do is to have faith because we are never alone. Jesus lives in you, he watches over everything that happens to you, there is no mountain too great, no height to high, just have faith because Jesus lives in you and with you in Galatians *2:20* he say I'm crucified with Christ; and it's no longer I who live, but it's Christ who lives in me and the life which i now live in the fresh I live in faith the faith of the son of God who loved me and gave himself up for me". Christian’s life is living in faith and our life is a matter of allowing him to live in us and through us.

HOW CAN HE LIVES IN ME

One of the major problem of Christianity is not having faith. Our faith is not strong. Faith is having three things in mind trusting faith, believing faith and expectant faith. Let’s see 

Luke 8:43-48: “Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years; and though she had spent all she had on physicians, no one could cure her. She came up behind Jesus and touched the fringe of his clothes, and immediately her hemorrhage stopped. Then Jesus asked, ‘Who touched me?’ When all denied it, Peter said, ‘Master, the crowds surround you and press in on you.’ But Jesus said, ‘Someone touched me; for I noticed that power had gone out from me.’ When the woman saw that she could not remain hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before him, she declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed. He said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.’” 

Have faith that is the key of welcoming Jesus in our heart as Christians. You can see that she has faith believing, trusting and expecting divine healing in her life we can apply the same in our life we should believe, trust an expect, for by the virtue of our baptism Christ has been living us its now our turn to live in Christ through our faith.

You see, when Saul was on his way to persecute the Christians in Damascus, he didn’t realize that the Christians he was persecuting were communicants and that Jesus was living in them; he didn’t realize that he was also persecuting Jesus. To the glory of God, Jesus confronted him on the road and he was struck down with a bright light from heaven which blinded him. Then Jesus asked him a very passionate question: “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

Dear friends, cast away your fears. Be faithful to communion and know that each time you eat the flesh and drink the blood, you are part of Jesus and Jesus is in you. No one can harm you without Jesus knowing, and there is no where you can ever go without Jesus being there because he is in you. He is your life.

Knowing that Jesus is in you should not make you arrogant, neither should it make you try to put his power to the test. Instead, it should make you conscious not to offend Jesus by falling into sin as we can never hide anything from him. On the other hand, do not keep away from communion as Jesus himself said: “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.” Go for confession today and receive communion because the more you keep away from communion, the more you grow weaker in your resistance to sin.

BUT HOW DOES GOD DWELL IN US? 

Through the power of His Holy Spirit. In Romans 8 Paul explains that “the Spirit of God dwells in you” (verse 9) means that “Christ is in you” (verse 10). Jesus Christ can live in a person through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Therefore, the degree to which God and Jesus Christ dwell in us depends on the degree to which we follow the leading of God’s Spirit and use its power. When the Holy Spirit is in us, it empowers us to actually become like God the Father and Jesus Christ in nature, character, spirit, attitudes, approach and love.

It leads and empowers us to live and think as the Father and Christ do!

Moreover in order to have Christ in us by living as He lived, we must deeply desire to change and become more like Him. We have to want to seek to have Jesus Christ’s life in us for Him to give us the help we need to achieve that end. The desire and willingness to change (the 100 percent commitment of heart to change) is the primary thing we bring to the table.

As we read in Philippians 2:13, “For it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (New Revised Standard Version). So we must have the “will” to live as He did, and we must “work” at developing His character. This means we must cry out to God in prayer for the help we need to change. The Bible also calls this hungering and thirsting for righteousness (Matthew 5:6). John said, “In Him was life; and the life was the light of men” (John 1:4). Jesus Christ’s life illuminates the path—the way—God wants us to live. He calls us to the path, but we must want to get on it. If we do, He will give us all the help we need to grow. But, again, only if we seek it. He will not force the help on us. Nor will He make the changes we need to make for us.

Too many seem to believe Christianity is just about Jesus doing everything for us. But even though we do need to let go of our own will and let God work in us, which does not mean He will do everything for us. We must work hard. In fact, in the New Testament Christians are often called “workers” (Colossians 4:11; 2 Timothy 2:15; 3 John 1:8).

We must put diligent effort into working to develop Christ’s character within us.

CHRIST IN US IS WHAT CHRISTIAN IS ALL ABOUT

At the heart and core of Christianity is the fact that we must be diligently seeking to change to become like Jesus Christ—to have His life formed in us. If we do not have the qualities of Jesus Christ’s life being formed in our life, we will be “disqualified” from the Kingdom of God (2 Corinthians 13:5).

This fundamental truth of seeking to change is not understood by everyone who claims to follow Christ. But the truth is that the Christian life involves using free will and developing Christian character through right choices and diligent effort.

You can do the same by building faith and diligently striving to walk as Jesus walked through the power of His Holy Spirit.

Paul said, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh. ..” Notice the paradox there: he says, “I no longer live,” and then he says, “The life I live.” There’s some sense in which he’s not living and Christ is living instead, and another sense in which, “Oh, I am living.” But what does he mean then? He says, “The life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” Galatians 2:20

There’s the fundamental truth about a Christian. When we by faith are united to Christ, we are first united to his death. Romans 6:5 says, “If we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.” Then, since our old rebellious, unbelieving selves died with Christ, in union with him in his death, we’re made alive by the Spirit to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4). David is emphasizing that we think of this newness of life as Christ living through us so that all our life becomes a display of Christ. 

 IN CONCLUSION

The more we Christ in our lives the more we change to his image. Our new self is created by the Spirit through faith, and the image of that new self is Christ, Christ himself. From one degree of glory to the next. Yes, David, yes, don’t waste his life; don’t waste Christ’s life in you and we should know Faith isn’t just a notion that some people hold onto in tough times; faith is an important element to all human life on earth. Life is precious, but it can also be remarkably difficult at times. Faith is what helps to get us through, illuminating the pathway in times of darkness, helping to give us strength in times of weakness. Without faith, we are nothing. Faith is everything, faith brings us more to God the more we seek him the more the betterment for us for Christ lives in us in our daily activities trust and believe.

SHALOM

The Most Holy Night | Jude S. Agbatar, SC.

The Most Holy Night

Jude S. Agbatar, SC. 

Introduction

The most holy night is the night in the life of the Christian faith where the Lord Jesus Christ broke free the gate of hell, saving the souls held captive for their negligence of God’s instructions especially in the days of Noah and the great father Adam. The night is the night of all nights. The night that sacraments of christian initiation are administered: Baptism, Holy Eucharist and Confirmation (catholic tradition). The Most Holy night, which is known better as the Holy Saturday, is a celebration that has so many connotations that one would hardly cover it’s scope at a single presentation, hence we will limit our work to the history of the Most holy night, what the Most Holy Night is about and the significance of the celebration. To do this, we will simply be expository in unraveling the history and mystery behind the celebration.

Traditional notes on the Most Holy Night

Holy Saturday is the day the church celebrates the 40-hours long waiting of the disciples of Jesus after his death and burial on the Good Friday. Holy Saturday is the last day of lent and the third day of the triduum. It is the day between good Friday and Easter Sunday. By the 4th century the holy night began at nightfall with the lighting of the new fire and candles according to the people’s number and the great Easter candle. Traditionally, fasting was not allowed on Saturdays and Sundays and so holy Saturday was the only Saturday in which Christians were in a fast awaiting the resurrection of Christ after Good Friday, which was broken at the Eucharistic celebration at the vigil Mass.

The Most Holy Night: what is it about?

This night is the night the church celebrates the victory of Christ over death. It is the night in which Christ arose in all his glory with the souls held captive for ages in Hades. Thus, the church invites her worshippers to rejoice with great joy for the great triumph of Christ. The priest especially invites the people with blessings to join him as he sings the praise of God. For this his(Christ) singular sacrifice paid the debt humanity incurred since creation.

This particular night also commemorates, symbolically, the passing of the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt to the promised Land. In this same way the night celebrates our redemption from slavery in the vices of this world to the light of Christ. This night also shows God’s great love for us. For he gave his son to ramson us from death, and by so doing broke the gate of hell open to free those condemned by the necessary sin of Adam. This is the night that all our brokenness have been restored. This is also the night in which the church give God the highest praise for all he has done for humanity as we celebrate the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ from his victory over death.

Significance of the Most Holy Night

This is the night the church celebrates the restoration of humanity: we are expected to open ourselves to receive this restoration by disposing ourselves, which has been prepared by prayer and penance over the time of lent, to receive our restoration as children of God.

The church celebrates the sacraments this night: we all as christians are invited to the renewal of our baptismal promises. It is another opportunity to reclaim our place in our relationship with God which we lost through sin. Let us make good use of the opportunity.

This night is a night of hope: Remember the disciples of Jesus were waiting in hope for his rising from the dead. In our own time we wait in hope for the second coming of our Lord. We also wait in hope for his intervention in our life situations. We must have made many prayer requests during this time of Lent. This night is the night we receive assurance that God, who never abandons his people, will not abandon us.

This night is the night of new life: We are a people of new life. Let us then go into the world and show the fruits of our prayer and fast. One serious sin in our lives must be defeated by the virtue of the merit of Christ this night. Let us mark and ensure that, we resolve to let go that particular sin keeping us in bondage.

It is the night Christ bids peace to us(John 20:19-21) and sends us out in boldness to the world after filling us with the holy spirit (John 20:22) Let us bear testimony of the events of Christ to the world by word and deed.

Conclusion

We come into the holy week with prior preparation to celebrate, in its fullness, Christ’s mysteries. Holy Saturday which is the Most Holy Night is the culmination of this celebration. The night celebrates and reminds us of who we are. Knowing who we are now gives us a responsibility to keep that which we are. Each one of us will receive something new from the forthcoming celebration of the Most Holy Night, let that be what will set us apart from unbelievers, and move us towards evangelization. Let us not forget to participate in the celebration of the forthcoming Most Holy Night bearing in mind that, passion precedes resurrection. Happy Easter in advance.

WALKING IN THE LIGHT | Sr. Maryrose Uche Anurikristi

WALKING IN THE LIGHT (JOHN 8: 12-20)

Sr. Maryrose Uche Anurikristi

Light is the natural agent that stimulates sight and makes things visible. There are categorically two sources of light: the natural source and the artificial source. The Nature source of light include sun, lightening, animals like jellyfish, plants like mushrooms, insects like fireflies, stars, and moon while the artificial source of light include candle, lamp, bulb, torch, lighter, fire, frame by matches, light from phone and television. 

IMPORTANCE OF LIGHT TO LIFE 

Light is a source of life because everything depends on light in some way. plants synthesize nutrient from sunlight and animals and humans depend on plants for survival.

The human body need to be exposed to the natural sunlight to function properly. Note that vitamin D is gotten from sunlight which is essential to human health. 

Light protect us from bad energy.

Light have a positive effect on mood.

Light can reduce emotional problems like depression.

Light can improve sleep by producing melatonin, an essential sleep hormone. 

Light improve productivity and job satisfaction.

Light improves visibility and safety.

Can you now imagine this life without light? That was why Jesus used light to describe His importance in our lives in John 8:12, “I am the light of the world, whoever follows me will have the light of life and will never walk in darkness” 

So, I will like to take it bit by bit.

 

I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD

Jesus Christ referring to Himself as the light implies that His presence, and lifestyle illumines and makes things visible, clearer and livable for others. Ways Jesus showed that He is the light of the world include:

In His Teachings: example, in his antithesis of Matthew 5, 21-48 

In his healing miracles: example, the healing of the man born blind in John 9:1-12

In his preference of the poor, rejected and condemned as a corrective measure. Example, choosing and mingling with the poor as seen in his birth, town and the case of the woman cut in adultery in John 8:1-11

In His act of love and kindness: example, feeding the hungry in Matthew 14: 13-21

In His care of his creatures as seen in Mathew 6: 25-34, thereby, making all things to partake in His love and care.

In His relationship with all even those discriminated against, as seen in the story of the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4: 13-18

In an encounter with Him which normally changes everything positively. Example, the woman with the issue of blood in Mark 5: 25-34 and summing the commandments into Love in Matthew 22: 37-40

In His presence which gives life and hope, as seen in the story of Lazarus in John 11:1-44 and the widow of Nain in Luke 6: 17- 7 :23

In His union with His father in constant prayer a seen in 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18. 

In his birth, sufferings, death and resurrection.

 WALKING IN THE LIGHT

In the second part of John 8:12, Jesus said “whoever follows me will have the light of life and will never walk in darkness”. Hence walking in the light implies following Christ who is the light. Therefore, walking in the light here, simply means a continuous process of striving to live as Christ lived both in words and lifestyle. The following are the ways we can walk in the light:  

Enlightening the ignorant

Bringing healing to other and to self through encouragement, affirmation and kindness.

Avoiding classification of others based on social or economic status.

Being kind to self and others

Care for others, self and creatures 

Becoming a channel of peace restoration

 Let your presence be felt positively

Always have good relationship with God through constant and effective prayers

Make your history an encouragement for other and see God’s hands in your history too.

Let your lifestyle speak and bear witness for Christ.

In conclusion, anyone who walks in Christ, walks in the light and light and darkness has no thing in common. Light disperses darkness, hence, walking in light automatically free us from all forms of all darkness. 

Prefect Like the Father | Amara Emmanuella Okpalaoji

PERFECT LIKE THE FATHER

Amara Emmanuella Okpalaoji 

Fr Kingsley Idehen (14th October 2020) shared his experience from childhood. When he was still a child he always follow his grandad to the farm. There is a little hut where they rest, cook and eat after working. His grandad always come to the farm with his soap wrapped in leaves, when rain falls it fell on it and the sun shines on the leaves with the soap inside. After eating his grandad will remove the leaves and give it to him to use and wash the oily plates they used to eat. The leaves will become foamy and soapy. According to him this experience taught him that when we cling to anything or we are close to anything we become more like that thing.

St Claire of Assisi once said "we become what we love and who we love shapes what we become. If we love things, we become a thing. If we love nothing, we become nothing, imitation is not a literal mimicking of Christ, rather it means becoming the image of the beloved, an image disclosed through transformation. This  means that we become vessels of God compassionate love for others ".

When we look up to God, we draw closer towards perfection. We become what we look up to. When we look up to God, we try to live

up to the life of perfection which he lived on earth.

God in his infinite wisdom blessed man with numerous gifts and grace to make heaven. We all are created in our own unique way with different gifts which if put to use we will seek perfection and make heaven. We must not be like a particular Saint or act like him or her to become a Saint or become perfect. Remember that our gift differs. How can we seek perfection? We must first strive to know the will of God for us and strive to accept it and work for heaven despite all the challenges we will face. We follow and fulfill the commandment of faith and love with a "fools mentality".

God gives strength to those who declare they are foolish, he also bless them with wisdom but leaves those who claim to be wise and live according to their will to suffer. It is because of this that St Alphonsus de Liguori said, "in the journey of eternity, those who renounce their will and declare their foolishness wins God's favor more easily than those who anchoring on their own will claim to be wise for God comes to bless and revive the weak and foolish, but the strong and the weak he lives on their own accord.

True sanctity does not entail mighty for we look for God in little things and for st Theresa, sanctity entails the 'Little Way" which can

be referred to as "Foolish Way" therefore, it is only by being foolish that we can be wise, for it is only the foolish that yearns for and obtains wisdom. Hence, he that seeks sanctity with wisdom fails woefully, ending up being foolish.

To ascend into a celestial life a Christian will pass through different stages "Righteousness, holiness and perfection". The stage of righteousness is achieved when one is baptized and we follow the teaching of Christ but with reluctance. That is when we strive for holiness. We achieve perfection when we perfect our holiness by living in union with the doctrine of faith and love in good and bad times, so that we become a fool and summit to God, detaching from the things we want and like, to perfect ourselves some degree of mortification and detachment is needed on top of our good works to crown it." He who wants to be my follower must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me"

In the scriptures, perfect means “complete, whole, and fully developed; totally righteous. True followers of Christ may become perfect through his grace and atonement.”. Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles has taught that perfection in this life “can be achieved as we try to perform every duty and keep every law. If we do the best we can, God will bless us according to

our deeds and the desires of our hearts.”

Now, the act of being perfect or striving towards perfection does not means never making mistakes. Jesus did not say that making a mistake means that perfection is out of reach. We can repent.

According to President Lorenzo Snow (1814–1901), the key to perfection in this life is to “be better today than you were yesterday.

… Continue to be a little better day by day.

THE FOURTH MAN IN THE FIRE | Amos Simeon

 

THE FOURTH MAN IN THE FIRE

Amos Simeon.

Department of Philosophy and Religious Study.

Dominican University Ibadan. Email. ezespiritus1@gmail.com

INTRODUCTION

A proof for God’s existence is never meant to replace the living faith of a believer. There is an implicit prejudice in our secular age that somehow the so called “Proofs” for God’s existence are meant to establish faith in the non-believers. For example, Aquinas’s famous five arguments for God’s existence are often taken out of context by contemporary philosophers of religion. Thus, this proof of the true God by the Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego was not meant to replace the living faith of believers but i cannot disclaim this idea completely without adding that a proof of the true God in Babylon at this period was meant to portray God’s supreme power over the existing idols in Babylon. Analysis of the Bible implies not only about God’s dealings but touches all aspect of human existence. At the time when Nebuchadnezzar was king of Babylon, Babylon was already full of idols. Thus the story of the fourth man in the fire as seen in Daniel 3:14-20, would be seen as a refusal to worship Babylonian idols by the three Hebrew men, the text would be analyze and meditated upon, the background and the theological message would be communicated. This piece of art work is not only intended to enlighten our rational faculty but its emphasis is to open the minds of believers and non-believers, to acknowledge the supremacy and the saving power of God in our lives and to strengthen our faith in God.

THE BOOK OF DANIEL

The name Daniel is rooted from the Hebrew word which means my judge is God or God has judge. The analytic structure of the book of Daniel is belief to contain two genre namely: the haggadic genre and the apocalyptic genre. The representative word of haggadic genre means a setting forth, tales, a narrative or a literal form often used in the sense of storytelling for inculcating moral lesson. The haggadic genre is found in chapter 1-6, of the book of Daniel. While Apocalyptic genre covers the rest chapters of the book. The book is a collection of a prophecy of history with an Eschatology (end time) both cosmic in scope and political in focus, and its message is just portraying God to save all Israel in their present oppression. The book was first written in Aramaic and later translated to Hebrew. The author/editor was likely a highly respected member of his own society, a well-educated Jew who was proficient in Greek. It is conceivable that Daniel's reputation as a sage seer in Hebrew tradition led to the choice of his name for the book's protagonist. The book was dated back the reign of king Antiochus IV Epiphanes of Syria, who was an oppressor of the Jews in the 167BC. Daniel is regarded as the author of the book, he was a receiver of visions from on high that are interpreted to him by heavenly intermediaries, the wise and righteous intermediaries who are able to understand dreams and thus communicate the will of God to humans. Jews and Christians both cited Daniel as prophesying the end of the world in the first century AD. Thus, the apocalyptic nature of the book, speaks of distress that will come upon the earth. By this structure of the book, it opens the minds of modern thinkers to determine whether the text should be interpreted historically or eschatologically.

THEOLOGY OF THE BOOK OF DANIEL FOR RESEARCH PURPOSE

The book was written for the purpose of encouraging the Jews to remain faithful to the true religion at the period when the people were allured to the worship and practice of the culture of Hellenism/Hellenistic paganism and over the wisdom of the Chaldeans. The book also aims at demonstrating God’s power over merely human wisdom of the pagans, with such demonstration of God’s power, his faithful ones were rescue from the hands of their persecutor. The book also depict how God establish His universal resign over all people (as seen in the story of the fourth man in fire).

The story of the fourth men in fire is offend conceptualized by scholars as a dangerous illusion if it led people to believe that their faith gave them immunity of the burning fire. Thus this story was a metaphorical character which serves as a symbolic representation of the hope of resurrection. The whole of this even and its meaning shows that the Aramaic text, the manner by which God delivers his people is depicted as a mysterious kind.

REFLECTIVE THEMES (FROM DANIEL 3: 14-20):

The veracity of faith:

From the story we heard how the faith of the three men were being tested in a blazing furnace fire. Such instances can be found our Christian living whereby our faith in Jesus, the son of the living God, would be question. It is this veracity of faith God that we should look into in order to verify our faith in Christ. Dear believers in Christ, there are times, when men would rise to say, let me see if his/her God would save you” this expression has raise or touched a lot of concerns as it regards how we worship God. How rooted are we in faith with God? When trials and temptation comes our way, how resilient are we? When such moment comes, can we be brave enough to say, even if our God does not come down to save us, I would not give up my faith in him? Or do waves of lives penury disconnect us or separate us from the love of God?

The setting of pagan status:

The theology for us is to question ourselves on the status that we have hung/set in our homes and in our heart that are Un-Godly. The bible tells us that the only status that we should hang or set in our homes, public place and in our heart is the crucifix, the present of God, and the purity of heart and mind. However, we need to evaluate our society to know the golden statue that people have set before us to worship. What are those pagan practices in our society that we need to stand against?

The interview of the 3 Hebrew men by Nebuchadnezzar:

From the scripture we were told how the King interviewed the 3 Hebrew men and how he gave them his final warning, and he pledge to them his penalty for refusing to obey the sounds of the horns and instruments, that they would be thrown into a fiery furnace. The same is applied to us as Christian, what are the different interviews that you have encountered in your Christian journey? The interview we heard is not an interview for job vacancy, it is an interview to test your faith in God. It is an interview to see how resistant you would be with temptations. It is an interview of all kinds of life frustrations. In this interview the pass mark is on how esteem you hold your

Christian values, morals and conducts. Do people experience a positive change of thought when they encounter you?

A challenging question and a corresponding answer; The scripture told us that when the news reached the king that the three Hebrew men has refused to bow down to worship the status as commanded, he summoned them and put this challenging question before them”Is it true O Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego that you do not serve my gods and you do not worship the golden statue that I have set up? There are moment in our lives when the journey seems rough and tough, and people began to question our faith. Such moment also include when our youths are undetermined in their moral and Christian Virtue and turn to vices. Would you be brave enough to give a corresponding answer like the three men did by saying, even if our God does not come to save us, we would not bow down to worship any idols.

Are you scared of your furnace?

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had their day of overcoming authorities. Daniel had his day. Stephen had his day. Peter and Paul had their days. This is your day. Your final moment is going to come. I don’t know what furnace you are facing; I don’t know what this means for you. I just know who will meet you there. He says, “Fear not, though you pass through the flames they will not burn you, they will not destroy you.” He says, “I’ll meet you in the furnace. Pick up your cross, your challenges, your fears, your worries and follow me.

Because of your faith in God, He is assuring you today from this scripture that in the midst of the fire, you can work, (Courage is the alarm) in the midst of the fire, you will Find God's protective power from being harm or hurt by its flames.

CONCLUSION

There is need to return to the true God. Do we promote God’s universal reign with our strong faith in him? What are the alters of different status/craving images that we have bowed down to? Do we recognized the ever present and saving power of God in our lives or we have place emphasis on the pagan altars, which have blocked or become a barrier from being aware of God’s presence in our lives? There is need dear friends in Christ, to fasten up belt of strong faith in God, who alone can save us from our persecutors of this world of all kinds. In this season holy week of lent, God is calling us to be holy from all form of sins, holy from erecting idolatries in our homes and

communities. Like soldiers of Christ let us run into the battle field and preach the gospel by our good lives and announcing and creating awareness of God’s saving power in our lives.

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Daniel Harrington. S. J. Interpreting the old testament.

John J. Collins. 1981. Daniel first Maccabees, second Maccabees with an excursus on the apocalyptic genre. Wilmington, Delaware: Michael Glazier inc.

Martin McNammara MSC. Intertestament literature. Raymond brown. New Jerome biblical commentary Revised Standard Version Bible.

Robert C. Walton. Basic introduction to the old testament.

THE SACRAMENT OF HEALING | Sr. Maria Assumpta Eberechi Uwanaka

 AN EXPOSTION OF THE SACRAMENT OF HEALING IN RELATION TO 2KINGS 5:10-14. 

Sr. Maria Assumpta Eberechi Uwanaka 

Introduction

 The concept of healing is most common to the average person in the world, but its link to sacrament is what most people will hardly consider. Healing can occur in many ways viz. physically, psychologically, emotionally, spiritually, and economically. Each person has his or her own place where healing is needed. But how this healing is gotten matters. Take for instance the story of Naaman. He got his healing not in his home country, but in Israel, a foreign land. Thus, in the land of Israel, specifically in the river Jordan, Naaman experiences an outward manifestation of the inward graces that characterized the land of Israel. Thus, Naaman's healing becomes a prefiguration of the sacrament of Healing. However, one will ask; why is the healing of Naaman referred to as a sacrament? What is the significance of the healing of Naaman? And what is its importance in our contemporary time? These questions will be addressed in this reflection. But before addressing the aforementioned questions, we need to analyze 2kings 5:10-14 as a biblical passage. 

Analysis of 2Kings 5:10-14

 The prophet sent him the message: “Go and wash seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will heal, and you will be clean.” But Naaman went away angry, saying, “I thought he would surely come and stand there to invoke the Lord his God, and would move his hand over the spot, and thus cure the leprosy. Are not the Rivers of Damascus, the Abana and the Phapar, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be cleansed?” with this, he turned about in anger and left. But his servants came up and reasoned with him. “My father,” they said, “if the prophet had told you to do something extraordinary, would you not have done it? All the more now, since he said to you, wash and be clean, should you do as he said.” So Naaman went down and plunged into the Jordan seven times at the word of the man of God. His flesh became again like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. 

 This account begins with Elisha’s cure of Naaman’s leprosy. This healing of Naaman was not only the healing of the physical illness that disfigured his body but also the spiritual illness that has disfigured his spirit. Through this healing Naaman the king of Syria who was a pagan converted from paganism to the worship of the true God. This healings he got in a gratuitous way, since they were a free gifts from God. This story links up with the proceeding narratives in its emphasis on the role of a servant and on Elisha’s power over the lives of others. It widened the perspective of the legend sequence by depicting the prophet using his powers on behalf of Gentile enemy.

Clarification of terms

Leper: the reference to a skin disease (Lev 13-14). Little maid: this stands in contrast to the figure of mighty Naaman who was greater and yet, without her and her speaking up he would never have been healed. Took: bringing of gifts when approaching a prophet was standard practice, (I Sam 9:6-10). Let him come: Elisha’s self-assurance contrasts with the king’s agitation. Thus, the story revolves around people moving from ignorance and misconception to genuine knowledge. The two figures of this story are significant of much beyond themselves. Elisha the prophet is the bearer of a divine cure. Naaman, the great Syrian noble, is striken with the disease that throughout the Old Testament is treated as a parable of sin and death. 

The prophet sent him the message: this phrase indicates that, Elisha stands in his dignity, Naaman the suppliant does not dare to enter, and Elisha does not go out. This is not the case that Elisha was proving that he is holy, rather, it is a way of testing Naaman’s humility and obedience. And also Elisha had the confident that if only Naaman would obey his words he will be healed. This is an example for us to always obey the words of those we seek healing from. Again through the above phrase, Elisha maintained his superiority by dealing with Naaman only through an intermediary. 

Go and wash seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will heal, and you will be clean: this declaration indicates that Naamna was not cured by any external means applied by the prophet. The Syrians as well as the Israelites knows that the Jordan could not heal leprosy. By this, Naaman was to understand that he was healed by the God of Israel, at his prophet’s prayer. The second phrase is an indication that leprosy is characterized by raw flesh running sores, which end in entire wasting away of the tissues. It is worth noting that, seven is a significant figure which means completeness, hence, when Naaman was asked to wash himself seven times that means that, he should wash completely. But Naaman’s misconception of how a prophet ought to operate almost abort him of his healing.

“I thought he would surely come and stand there to invoke the Lord his God…: Naaman’s pride is touched here, he was not received with due deference. If the prophet would have come and chanted incantations over him and made mystical motions of his hands above the patches of his leprosy he would have believed the cure. But there was nothing like that. Thus he went away and would have sacrificed his hope of cure to his passion.  

But his servants came up and reasoned with him. “My father,” they said…: his servants filled with brevity brought him to his common sense with their cool remonstrance. 

WHY IS THE HEALING OF NAAMAN REFERRED TO AS A SACRAMENT?

 Having analyzed the above passage let us now consider why this passage is considered as the sacrament of healing. By so doing we now ask, what is a sacrament? A sacrament is an outward sign of an inward grace, ordained by Christ, by which grace is given to our soul. By this definition the healing of Naaman is linked as a sacrament of healing because it consist of the outward sign “washing in river Jordan” and inward grace “been cleansed and his body returned like that of a little child.” This is what a sacrament does for us when we receive it. Naaman was not only healed of his physical illness “leprosy” but also his spiritual illness that disfigured his spirit. He was a pagan but through this healing he became a new person in the worship of the true God. 

 WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE HEALING OF NAAMAN?  

 Concerning the significance of this passage, three things are to be considered; First, God’s cure puts us all on one level; Naaman wished to be treated like a great that happened to be a leper while Elisha treated him like a leper that happened to be a great man. This is what Christianity stands for, it brushes aside all the surface of differences of all men and goes in its treatment of them straight to the central likenesses, the thing which in all mankind are identical. Thus, the differences in cultures, stations, statues etc are all accidents of life, we are all the same in the sense that we have all sinned and come short of the Glory of God; and our great physician (Christ) in His great remedy, insisted in treat us all as patients and not as this, that, or other kind of patients. Thus, Christianity insists on looking at all men as standing on the one level and partaking of the one characteristic. 

Second, God’s cure goes beyond our expectations: Naaman wanted something sensuous for his confidence in the prophet’s cure to lay hold upon. But that is what the prophet did not want him to believe in, hence he decided to conceal himself and make God’s power prominent. He wished to cure Naaman’s soul of the leprosy of idolatry as well as to cure his body. The prophet’s part in this story was not to cure but to bring God’s cure. He is only a voice of God, and doing this, Naaman was able to exclaim that “there is no other place that there is God except in Israel. Thus, Christianity has no priest’, no sacraments’, no external rite which bring grace or help except in so far as by their aid the soul is brought into contact with the truth, and by meditation, and faith is thus made capable of receiving more of Christ’s Spirit. 

 Thirdly, God’s cure wants nothing from you but to take it: this aspect brought out the right statement of Naaman servants “My Father, if the prophet had bid you do some great thing…, Naaman’s cleansing was only a test of his obedience, and a token that it was God who cleansed him. There was no power in Jordan’s waters to take away the leprosy. Our cleansing is in that blood of Jesus Christ that has the power to take away all sin, and to make the foulest amongst us pure and clean.  

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE SACRAMENT OF HEALING IN OUR CONTEMPORARY TIME?

 The contemporary relevance of this topic could not be underestimated. This is because through it we learn to always be obedient to the instruction of God and His ministers. Also, it teaches us to have trust in God’s word and that of his ministers. Again, just as Naaman who humbles himself and gives a listening ears to his servants, this story teaches us to be humble, and have listening ears. Recall the action of Naaman when he found out that he has been healed. This challenges us to learn to give thanks to God and be appreciative of His numerous wonderful deeds He does in our life. In addition, Naaman's confession and packing of the soil, exhorts us to increase our adoration to God; especially when He does something for us. And through this we receive both physical and spiritual healing as what happened to Naaman. We need not to look down on anybody or the words and instructions of the representative of God. 

CONCLUSION 

 Speaking of the sacrament of healing is very crucial to us since we all have different forms of sickness that we need to be healed of. The most important thing is that our actions are required for the healing to occur. We need to make a move just like Naaman did, and we need also to listen and keep away our pride and ego when it come to the instruction of those we approached in order to be healed. However, we need first to discover and acknowledge that we are sick no matter how comfortable we think we are, and listen to the suggestions of those around us no matter the age or size of the person (meaningful ones). Thus, let us carefully observe ourselves and approach the throne of mercy for physical and spiritual healing.