WHO IS(ARE) MY REAL FRIEND(S)?

It is common to hear among the existentialist philosophers that man is a being with others. Also, Aristotle summarises that a man who cannot live with others in a community is either a beast or a god. No man is an island. Maybe this is why we come into contact with others whom we generally call friends 👍🏻👍🏻.

My dear friend(s), let me ask you this important questions: Before you call someone your friend, have you ever made an assessment of that person? Can you tell for sure who are your fair-weather friends and who are your faithful friends? How close are the two of you? What makes you think s/he is a good friend?

Well, the answers to these fundamental questions are embedded in Sirach 6, 5-17. The author of the book says,  "When you gain a friend,  gain him through testing,  and do not trust him hastily."

Are you shocked? Now, listen to his description of the several types of fair-weather friends that you need to be wary of: "For there is a friend who is such an his own convenience, but will not stand by you in your day of trouble. And there is  a friend who changed into an enemy, and will disclose a quarrel to your disgrace. And there is a friend who is a table companion, but will not stand by you in your day of trouble... "

The end of the passage gave us hope when it records that "a faithful friend is an elixir of life, and those who fear the Lord will find him. Whoever fears the Lord directs his friendship aright, for as he is, so is his neighbour also." All hope for a faithful friend is not lost🙏🏻🙏🏻.

Now, let us turn the questions to ourselves: Are we also a faithful friend to others? Am I faithful to my husband or wife? Do I see my partner as a friend? Am I a gossip, cheat and friend breaker? Do I smile in front of my friends and stab them behind? After reading this reflection, do I hope to change?

My dear friend(s), these are some of the questions you and I must answer before we eat good food today.. 😜😜. For your information, I have answered mine, that is why I am enjoying my chilled pineapple juice. Are you jealous already?

Do what is needful.. I am leaving you here. Hope to see you tomorrow, God willing. Happy weekend!

Buongiorno
Rabbi

HOW LONG IS YOUR FUTURE?

Obviously, no mortal being can beat his chest and answer the above question with certainty. This is simply because our future lies not in our hands, but in God's. One thing about us is that the more time we have in our hands, the more time we waste. Why? 😁😁

Whenever we go to bed at night, we think that there will be tomorrow. Of course, there will always be a tomorrow. But, we do not know whether we shall see it or not. We just relied on the mercy of God and have hope 👍🏻👍🏻

The author of the book of Sarah urges us not to delay our return to the Lord  nor postpone it from day to day (Sirach 5,8). Why do you keep postponing that activity? Why do you delay in helping that person who is desperately in need of your help? Does God postpone your blessings? 😳😳😳

Jesus said in Mark 9, 50 "Be at peace with one another." Does this mean anything to you? It is just more than the need for reconciliation with our enemies, perceived or real. What is really urgent is to stop hurting others and being a pain to others, whether it is with our words or actions. Why do you gossip about what is not true? 😡

My most cherished friend(s), Jesus has warned us to cut off our hurtful and sinful words and actions because at the end we shall have to pay the debt of our sins. Think about this.

Make sure you eat enough before you leave your house today. I have already finished a glass of chilled watermelon juice 😜. Rabbi loves you and wishes you a hitch-free day.

Guten Morgen
Rabbi😘😘

WE KILLED HIM!

Wow, I couldn't resist my urge to start writing to you after my official 10 days break. How have you been? Did you miss me as much as I did? I was praying that the days should pass swiftly so I can come back to  you. Nice to meet you in good health 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻.

I am scared by the topic I'm writing to you this morning. Who have we killed? Are we killers? Did I travel to bring back bad news? God forbid! 😳😳 But, who did we kill? Read on.

Every religion emphasises the dignity and sacredness of human life. But in Christianity,  this teaching flows from the Scriptures. For instance, in  Genesis 9,1-13, there is an outright emphasis on this dignity and sacredness of human life.

Yahweh emphasised in verse 6, " he who sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed,  for in the image of God was man created." This simply means that God shall demand an account of every man's life from his fellowman. And he who shed man's blood, shall have his blood shed by man, for in the image of God, man was made.

Let's go back to our topic, "we killed him". Who? Let me ask you, can man shed God's blood?😳😳. What happens when man puts God to death? Many years ago, Jesus prophesied that He will be put to death by man🙊.

Well, my dear friend(s), by our sins, we have shedded God's blood thereby putting Him to death. We have all killed him😡
Yet strangely enough, it was by the shedding of the blood of Jesus that we are saved.

How loving God is to us. Indeed, He is awesome. Even when we do not merit His love, He gave it to us unconditionally💃🏼💃🏼💃🏼.

Dear friend(s), the good news of God's unconditional and sacrificial love for man, even to the point of shedding His blood and dying for man, is the good news of our salvation 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

That is the good news I have brought to you. Don't worry, I am not traveling anytime soon. We shall stay and enjoy together.

I missed my favorite pineapple juice and coconut rice. Do you know that in Bujumbura, I didn't see coconut rice to eat? 😁😁
I can't go there again... This is my way of starting the day with you. Don't kill, either by word or action. I have warned you.

As always, I love you from my heart. And I am back for good. Go out and preach the gospel by your life..

This is your friend and brother, saying,

Bonjour monsieur/madame
Rabbi😘😘😘

WHAT DO YOU SEE, HEAR AND SPEAK?

Many people have started saying, "Thank God is Friday." What is really special about Friday? Are foods given free in the restaurant? Are treatment given free in the hospital? Do people make calls free with their network provider? Whatever it is, thank God is Friday. 😂

Well, that's not what I want to talk about today. Have you tried to watch your favourite program on television and the audio is not functional? How did you feel when you only saw the people moving without hearing what they were saying? 😂 😂 😂

Okay! That was exactly the situation of the deaf man in the gospel of Mark 7, 31-37. In fact, but not for the benevolence and good will of his friends and relations, he would have missed Jesus. Our neighbours are important. Treat them well 👍🏻

Sadly though, when he was brought before Jesus, he didn't understand exactly what was happening until Jesus put His fingers into his ears and touched his tongue with spittle.

It dawned on him at that moment that Jesus was healing him of his deafness and his speech impediment. Now, the fundamental question is: what is he going to hear from then on, and what is he going to speak? Incredible! 😳😳😳

Fortunately enough, you and I reading this reflection now, can see, hear, and speak. But then, another important question crop up: What do we see, what do we hear, and what do we speak? Must we look at everything? Must we listen to everything? Must we say everything? Think, my dear friend(s) 🙈🙉🙊.

Many people would argue that it didn't start today, because in Genesis 3,1-8, instead of Eve to listen to the commandments of God, she was listening to antics of the devil. What a world! 😡

My dear friend(s), I prayed for you today, may God help you to see only the good, hear only the pleasant news, and speak only the truth and good news. May God close the eyes of those who are looking for you to harm you. May He close the ears of those who are waiting to hear bad news against you. May He also seal the mouth of those spreading false information about you 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

I have resumed my pineapple juice therapy 😁😁😁😜. Make sure you eat well before you leave your house. I love you 😘😘😘

Good morning!
Rabbi

STOP JUDGING BY HIS OR HER LOOK.

Another new week is here with its blessings and challenges. Before we start the new week properly, I wish to exhort you not to judge anyone by his/her look, because  we cannot say what a person is really like just by his looks. Or can you?

No doubt, we can presume the feelings of a person through his look. For instance, when there is an angry look, a hurt look, a loving look, a tender look, etc. All these can reveal what the person may have at heart. But, even at that, it can be deceptive.

My dear friend(s), how did the people recognized Jesus in Mark,  6, 53-56? They saw in Him something deeper than just the physical dimension, like the look of mercy and love.They saw in Him, the face of love, the face of God.

How can people recognize you? As always an angry person, happy person, jovial person, loving person, gossip, spy, helper, agent of destruction, etc. Do you like the way people recognize you?

Well, this is a new week and you can make amends. If you do not like the way people recognize you, then do something to change. May others recognize that good look in us, and see that face of love and mercy in us.

Correct each other in brotherly love. I wish you a very happy and productive day and week ahead. Don't forget to eat before you leave your house this morning. As usual, Rabbi loves you.

Good morning

Rabbi😘😘

GO TO A LONELY PLACE AND REST

It seems to me that those who find time to relax, rest and enjoy good health are considered to be lazy in the world. Many times I see people writing "TGIF"  (Thank God is Friday) on their Facebook wall, and I ask myself, "Do they always rest?" Maybe, people rest from OFFICIAL work on Fridays to continue their personal hustling.. 😜😜

The need for rest and recreation seemed to be like a missing element in our lives. Am I right? Today is Saturday, are you going to rest? There is wedding, funeral, ordination, traditional marriage, naming ceremony, this and that.. Lol. When are you going to rest? 😁😁We may have been used to busyness and hurried lives that we do not remember  the necessity of rest and recreation.

My dear friend(s), when was the last time you had a quiet time for prayer and to refocus your heart on God? In Mark 6, 30-34, when the disciples came back from their mission and reported what they had done, the response of Jesus was for them to go to a lonely place and rest. Have you seen the need for rest? 🙊🙊

Let me tell you, no matter how you hustle, success cannot be created by your own hands. It is God who will give success to the work of your hands. So, find time to rest. What will be will be..

Okay!  This would do for today. I forgot to tell you that as I am writing this reflection, a chilled glass of pineapple juice is just by my side. I'm relaxing. Do the same, my dear friend(s). Go for games either this morning or later in the evening.

I am your friend, saying rest well and good morning.

Rabbi 😘😘