JB Lifestyle

Last sunday's readings were centred on the joy of advent! The joy that only the birth of our Lord Jesus can bring! Pleasure is fleeting but true joy comes from knowing the Lord and from loving him. Everything else is hopeless without Christ. There is nothing that can compare and we can never be fulfilled untill we truly unite ourselves to him! Christmas is always my favorite time of the year. I just cant help but feel excited when i see the decorations especially the lights! Oh the lights really get me. The true meaning of christmas is sometimes lost in all the expectations for gifts and other material things. In the desire for excessive indulgement in eating and making merry! That is not the true meaning of christmas and neither is santa! The true meaning of christmas has always and will always be about the birth of our Lord! Indeed, a great light has come to the world and we shall no longer dwell in darkness! Let us all remember the true meaning of christmas and rejoi...

A Chinese scientist recently shocked and outraged the world when he revealed that he had altered the DNA of twin girls before their birth. His name is He Jiankui and he is proud of his work, recently defending it at a Hong Kong summit! He claims to have done it for a "good" reason which was to give them resistance to HIV. Granted some people are questioning his claims but i am horrified and appalled that this is another evil originating in China. A few weeks ago, i received a video about how some chinese were using aborted fetuses in supplements and booster pills! A few weeks before that, another video was sent to me about how they used chemicals to make fake eggs in my own country, Uganda! Another about using plastic to make fake rice and the list goes on..... I have no authority to pass judgement on anyone but these evils keep multiplying and i cannot help but wonder how far will they go? Change starts with us and there are some lines we shouldn't cross for go...

The "ubuntu" philosophy of Africa is a model of life in my opinion. Literally translated to mean "i am because we are", it is a philosophy that embraces the belief that we are all universally connected and dependant on one another as humans! It is a beautiful and true philosophy especially for our times which emphasize selfishness and are centred on materialism and ego! We have replaced people with things in the hope of fulfilling our lives and in the search for happiness! We have deluded ourselves into thinking we are happy when we are comfortable and have the "securities" that wealth affords! Do we ever stop to think how miserable the wealthy can be? Or how marriages of the rich and famous, seemingly beautiful couples never seem to last? When we replaced people with things, we moved even further away from the source of true happiness which is love, the love of God and neighbor! I cannot forget the homily  Bishop Michael Curry gave at the royal ...

Last Sunday, we celebrated the solemnity of Christ the King! In this great feast we are reminded that Jesus is the true King and highest power in the universe! He is subject to none and Lord and master of all things in Heaven, on earth and in the underworld! We also remember that although Christ has dominion over all things, his motto on earth was "i am among you as one who serves" When the mother of James and John approached Jesus seeking glory for her sons and asking that one sit on his left and one on his right, he told her that those positions would only be granted to those chosen by the Father! Later on he called the disciples to himself as they were grumbling over what she had just requested. He told them that his kingdom was not like the kingdoms of this world where royalty crushed and oppressed their subjects, lording over them! In Christ's kingdom whoever wants to be first, must be last and servant of all! The humility of Christ is truly a marvel consid...

That was the title of one of the popular movies of 1999. It echoed the speculation and anxiety about the year 2000 AD. For a long time, humanity has been obsessed with the conclusion of our time on earth. Will it be a cataclysmic event that wipes out all life? Will it be as described in the apocalypse, with changes in the atmosphere and great signs in the sky, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions! Some "charismatic" people have even used this anxiety to lead many to their untimely deaths! (sigh) In my own country Uganda, there was a group led by a former Catholic priest(Joseph Kibewteere) and Nun (Credonia Mwerinde) that misled hundreds of people with their false visions of the Virgin Mary and the apocalypse, utlitmately murdering them by burning, strangulation and poisoning. Some of their victims were innocent children! Jesus already warns us of unnecessary anxiety over his coming. He already told us not to be swayed by the tongues and works of false prophets! I admire ...

The scandal involving the priesthood in the Catholic Church has been very much publicized of late and people are rightfully angry! It seems to have been going on for a while now and some people are debating on whether or not the religious vow of chastity should be relaxed by the church. Someone was even saying even St. Peter had a wife. Jesus called the disciples from their normal lives to a higher vocation! Indeed, Peter had a wife and i think some of the others did as well but their lives are always transformed when they encounter Christ. There are so many examples of the call to chastity but i will mention a few. We shall start with Mary of Magdala. When she first encountered Jesus, she was a wealthy and very beautiful young woman who indulged in many affairs with men. She was considered by the society to be a loose and immoral woman. But when she encounters Christ, she is changed forever! She becomes a model of true virtue and chastity! Let us also take the example of my pat...

I am still in shock over the recent brutal murder of journalist Jamal Kashoggi in the Saudi embassy in Turkey! The crown prince of Saudi Arabia has even been accused of having a hand in his murder. (one of the suspects Maher Mutreb, was a direct aide of prince Muhammed bin Salman). My condolences to his family who are distraught over not being able to bury his body. Reports of his murder suggest that he was probably strangled and then his body dismembered and cut up to be smuggled out of the saudi consulate in Istanbul! (sighhh) I dont want to jump to conclusions but it looks very likely that the top leadership in Saudi Arabia had something to do with his murder, either directly or indirectly. As Meryl Streep once said, "when the rich and powerful use their priveledge and position to bully others, everybody loses" Power must always be tempered by great humility and responsibility! It is indeed seductive and deceitful in that, it can corrupt someone into thinking the...

Catholic Mass is the holiest event on earth! Masses are offered daily in the catholic church but do we often stop to reflect on this marvel or have we allowed ourselves to lose sight of the wonder that is God coming down to earth? St. Pio of pietricina used to tremble during mass and even become teary eyed at the Gospel reading. He was a true example of reverence before Jesus in the blessed sacrament and brought us to a higher reflection on mass. Mass is truly the sacrifice of Jesus being crucified at the altar and coming down from heaven at the time of consecration so that the host becomes his body, blood, soul and divinity! Only Catholic priests have the power to consecrate a host! Oh if we only knew what a treasure we have in the Catholic Church! To have God come down to unite his magnificence to our nothingness! There are no words.................. The Pharisees and the scribes were blinded by their pride and could not see who Jesus really was so he said to them that at the...

Many times what we truly desire is right before our eyes but often disguised in someone or something unexpected! The little mermaid is one of my favorite classic cartoons. (I can relate to it personally in a certain way) There is a scene where the mermaid saves the prince from drowning and sings to him, only to disappear as he recovers conciousness. The memory of her voice intrigues him and he vows to find her and marry her! To cut a long story short, she eventually gives up her voice for the chance to walk on land and when the prince finally finds her , she cannot tell him who she is because she is mute. In one of the scenes, the prince's butler tells him , "Far more than any dream girl is one of flesh and blood, and right before your eyes" That has always stuck with me. Sometimes we are searching for a dream and reality is passing us by! As the priest in my local church said when reflecting on the reading about the good samaritan , "often times the person we l...

Last week i was reading an article about how the Chinese current aid boom in Africa has ulterior motives and strings attached! Apparently, the Chinese government has the right (according to signed contracts) to seize national assets in case debts are not repayed by the agreed time! Hmmmm.......this is very troubling indeed and not very ethical! However, it got me to thinking about the place of patriotism in our world today! During the colonial era, some countries like Britain, conquered large parts of Africa and the Americas for prestige and possibly industry! A country's conquered territories brought a sense of national pride for the reigning monarchs and leaders. For the conquered territories however, native populations were subdued and decimated and some had their cultures eroded in favour of the conqueror's foreign designs!   I will take the case of Africa, some of our traditions were deemed barbaric and backward, so we were forced to take on European influences ...

The world today is rife with news about the scandal affecting the Catholic Church involving abuse by some priests and the cover up by some Bishops. It is truly a very sad situation, heartbreaking and has threatened the unity of the Roman Church. Yesterday i was reading an article that said, if only the church had only followed her rules, we would NOT be in such a mess today! One of the most important and strictest rule concerns chastity. A person seeking to enter the priesthood who shows weakness concerning chastity should never been confirmed into the priesthood! We cannot expect that the person will be somehow changed by his vocation to priesthood. The change MUST happen before he is confirmed into such an important vocation. The devil is particularly vehement in his attacks on the priesthood in temptations to deviant passions! There is also the matter of the "Vigano" letter, calling for Pope Francis' resignation as he is accused of being involved in the cover up...

The Catholic Church has been taking alot of heat from the recent expose' on abusive Priests. I can only imagine how devastating this is to the many devoted Catholics worldwide and how destructive this has been to the lives of the victims. I empathise with them and our prayers are with you always. Last week i read an article about how priests these days are viewed with suspicion and thinly veiled anger! So much so that they are now afraid to wear the white collar and it has caused them shame. Yes, i am a proud catholic and this scandal has indeed caused me and no doubt some others great shame. However we need to remember that all men are fallible. I cannot condone what the abusive priests did. What they did has caused so much pain to the innocent victims and has wounded the church severely not to mention the cover up by some bishops! It is truly abhorent! But the Catholic Church was started by Christ himself and she will endure everything! Let us not fill our hearts with ha...

In the old testament, we discover the amazing story of David, Israel's great King! David faced alot of hardships and opposition from Saul. His life was often in danger but he triumphed in the end becasue he was faithful to God and because he was God's CHOICE! When God chooses someone for a position in life, you cannot change it. You cannot go against the will of God! Yesterday i was reminded of that in a homily by a young priest in my local church. He also reminded us that envy and jealousy come from thinking that you deserve someone else's position, wealth, beauty, e.t.c. Always remember that no matter your weaknesses or your station in life, when God chooses you, he will ensure your success. We need not look at and compare our situations in life with others. Entrust your life to God and he will guide you to wherever you were meant to be and you will achieve your greatest potential in Life by trusting God! Lord, help me to accept your will in all things and surre...

"Seek first the kingdom of heaven and all the rest will fall in line" In yesterday's Gospel reading Jesus rebukes the scribes and pharisees yet again because they had lost sight of what it meant to be a true believer! They placed more importance on the "gifts" and Glory of the temple rather than who dwelt within it! We all have temporal needs and daily struggles in life but do we allow them to distract us from what is truly important in life. All things will end in time but how have we prepared for our life in the here after? Spiritual needs are more important than the physical and we need to focus more on that. How have we touched the lives of those we encounter? Did we leave them changed by the warmth of God's love? Have we remembered them in our prayers? God is and should be our everything. In him, we will find every consolation and the fulfilment of our every need. We can only be fulfilled and truly happy when we are living in him and for him. As ...

Below is a snippet of Meryl streep from her golden globes speech and i must say i was impressed by her wise words  : "It kind of broke my heart when I saw it, and I still can’t get it out of my head because it wasn’t in a movie. It was real life. And this instinct to humiliate when it’s modeled by someone in the public platform by someone powerful, it filters down into everybody’s life ‘cause it kind of gives permission for other people to do the same thing. Disrespect invites disrespect. Violence incites violence. When the powerful use their position to bully others, we all lose." Today, all over the world and in my own country, the powerful have been using their positions to trample on the masses and get their own way no matter the cost. They do not think twice about destroying people's lives so that they can achieve their despicable ends! I know it makes people really angry, (I know i am) but we have to take the high road. (sigh) As Meryl says "v...

In numbers there is a prayer for blessing as below : ‘“The Lord bless you      and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you      and be gracious to you;   the Lord turn his face toward you      and give you peace.”’ It is in the book of numbers and i remember my mother used to say that prayer over me when i was about to leave home for a long time. Yesterday the priest in my local church gave a homily about how we often times wonder why our lives are not right and yet we have ignored or abandoned our parents! God's blessings come to children through their parents and if we neglect them or abandon them, we cannot hope to live a happy life! How many people actually live close by their parents but have spent months or even years without checking on them? Distance should however not be an excuse because we have so many means of communication  today. Even making a phone call to check on them is too difficul...

How interesting or captivating a story is, can be determined by how it is told or by the person telling it! In my opinion, journalists do tell stories but are they all true or is there an extra something added to make them famous or sell their publications? How far would they really go for a story? Sometimes the truth can be really captivating but could end up destroying people's lives! Journalists need to have some intergrity as well. Think hard before you publish something inflamatory, it could ruin someone. I know it is important to get the truth out there but how we do it matters! Its  a balancing act, i guess. Journalists need to know when to publish something and when to let it go! We are all human after all, our reputations are the best thing we own and its really hard to repair them once they are tarnished. May God grant us the grace to learn the wisdom of silence. There is an Arab proverb that says "only speak when the words you are to say are more beautiful th...

It is a spiritual work of mercy to console people who are in distress, whether they be strangers or people close to us! Sometime last month, i met someone who is suffering with a terminal illness. We talked for a while and i sympathised with her plight! We have met several times since then and she has left a mark on my life. Sometimes, we need to have perspective so that we can better appreciate God's gift of life. Yesterday i met her again and she wasn't doing so well. She is in so much pain and she has a child to look after. When we talked she was in tears and i didnt know how to console her. I told her that in life, some people seem to suffer more than others but we will not know the reason why untill we are called to eternity by our creator! I told her, it was God who brought us together and God Loving people still exist in this world. I tried to keep her hope alive! You do not have to look far to see someone in desperate need. There are so many lonely people, sea...

We have all heard the saying, "dont believe everything you hear". This is a good motto to live by because it seems that lies spread faster than the truth! A man's reputation is the best thing he owns and once it is tainted, its almost impossible to recover it! People love to talk and yes,"talk is cheap". We do not often realize, the effect our words can have on people's lives. Be careful what you say and guard your words, for they can even start a war! Many times we do not even try to verify what we hear, but pass it on carelessly untill it has been twisted. Making false statements about people is truly wrong and we need to learn how to mind our own business and be silent. Even if something you know or hear is true but quite damaging, for the sake of someone's reputation, its better to be silent! We need to discover the wisdom of silence. Sometimes its best not to say anything at all! Ps : James speaks about the power of the tongue in the ne...

Last sunday's gospel touched on the mission Christ was giving to his dsiciples. He sent them to preach, heal and drive out demons throughout the countryside. As Christians, we need to remember that we each have a unique mission. We seem to have forgotten that or chosen to abandon it! Look at the world today, take a good look and you will see how insensitive and apathetic we have become! Sometimes when something terrible like a murder or a senseless act of war takes place, we don't seem to be affected by it! I mean some people think to themselves, "too bad for them" and just shrug it off. Life goes on right? As Christians, our mission means speaking out against injustice as well as keeping our actions in line with Christ's. Sometimes you cannot speak out but let your actions reveal who you are. It's such a shame and truly heartbreaking that often times many evils in society today are perpertrated by so called Christians! (sigh) Let us all take up o...