Blue Blood

Live each day as though it were your last 📌

[Ugochukwu Ugwoke, ISch @FrUgochukwu]

Today makes it 27 days since 39 school children and 7 teachers were kidnapped in Oyo State, Nigeria. Some of those children are not even up to 10 years old.

For 27 days, little children who should be in classrooms and in the safety of their homes have been sleeping in the bush under rain, cold, fear, hunger, and uncertainty.

Imagine what their parents are going through every single day.

Yet, the country moves on as though nothing happened and our political leaders are busy with campaigns, power games, and re-election calculations.

[Ugochukwu Ugwoke, ISch @FrUgochukwu]

The Twelve Promises of the Sacred Heart of Jesus were revealed by Jesus to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque in the 17th century for those devoted to His Sacred Heart, especially those who faithfully practice devotion to the Sacred Heart and receive Holy Communion on the First Fridays.

The Twelve Promises

1. I will give them all the graces necessary for their state of life.

2. I will establish peace in their families.

3. I will comfort them in all their afflictions.

4. I will be their secure refuge during life, and above all, in death.

5. I will bestow abundant blessings upon all their undertakings.

6. Sinners shall find in My Heart the source and infinite ocean of mercy.

7. Lukewarm souls shall become fervent.

8. Fervent souls shall quickly mount to high perfection.

9. I will bless every place in which an image of My Heart is exposed and honored.

10. I will give priests the gift of touching the most hardened hearts.

11. Those who promote this devotion shall have their names written in My Heart, never to be blotted out.

12. I promise you, in the excessive mercy of My Heart, that My all-powerful love will grant to all those who receive Holy Communion on the First Fridays for nine consecutive months the grace of final perseverance; they shall not die in My displeasure nor without receiving the sacraments; My Heart shall be their secure refuge in that last hour.

[Ugochukwu Ugwoke, ISch @FrUgochukwu]

HOW MANY TIMES SHOULD THE FAITHFUL MAKE THE SIGN OF THE CROSS AT MASS?

In the Latin Rite of the Catholic Mass, the faithful commonly make the Sign of the Cross at these moments:

1. At the beginning of Mass: “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

2. Before the proclamation of the Gospel: Three small crosses are made on the forehead, lips, and chest while saying: “Glory to You, O Lord.”

3. At the final blessing and dismissal: When the priest blesses the people.

These are the principal moments explicitly expected of the congregation.

However, I have seen many Catholics also make additional signs of the cross at Mass, perhaps, out of personal piety. For example: during absolution in the Penitential Act, Holy Holy Holy, before offering the sign of peace, after receiving Holy Communion, or at mentions of the Trinity.

But strictly speaking, the standard universal practice for the faithful during Mass is mainly those three moments.

Fr. Ugochukwu Ugwoke, ISch

[KAT @reallKAT]

NAHUM 1 :9
There will come a time when that problem won’t bother you again, not because you forgot, but because God ended it once and for all.

[Omo Kogi (Yagba) 🌍 @harrysone9]

If this pops up on your TL, repost it; it costs you zero naira.

[𝐀𝐬𝐚𝐤𝐲𝐆𝐑𝐍 @AsakyGRN]

Some parents of the abducted schoolchildren in Ogbomoso are appealing for help to secure the safe return of their children. 😢💔

[Ugegbe ✨ @MarinatedTurks]

Not only Ibadan i just got to know there are also kidnapped children in Borno state and i really don't know why it's not going viral as much.

Children are now endangered species in Nigeria.

I am so scared of their fate, the sexual abuse and torture.

My goodness😭😭.

[OurFaveOnlineDoc 🇬🇧 🇳🇬 @OurFavOnlineDoc]

46 children are in terrorists den.
46 children are in terrorists den.
46 children are in terrorists den.
The Nigerian Government is doing nothing.

46 children are in terrorists den.
46 children are in terrorists den.
46 children are in terrorists den.
The Nigerian Government is doing nothing.

Please retweet this for the world to see.
It only takes one minute to share.

[KWEKU THE HUSTLER @Urchilla01]

On this day, children's day, let's all remember that over 50 Nigerian children were kidnapped in Oyo state and are currently being held hostage under the most horrifying conditions, while their president focuses on his diabolical politics.

For these children and their parents and relatives, there is nothing to celebrate.

[Ebun @kenkenlewu]

As seen in these pictures released by the kidnappers, this is the heartbreaking condition these innocent children are in.

Tonight makes it the 10th night since one-year-old baby, little children, and school teachers were kidnapped in Ogbomosho, Oyo State.

I watched some videos of the parents crying and begging. The agony in their voices is something no parent should ever experience. Pain, regret, fear… “Had I known” has now become the cry of many families.

To some parents, education is no longer a thing of joy. Sending their children to school now feels like sending them into danger. For many, school is gradually becoming a source of fear instead of hope.

And the painful part is we have a president who is also a grandfather 💔

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Governor Seyi Makinde.

No be life una dey live oo.

A government that cannot protect innocent children has failed its people.

APC government is evil😭😭

[Ebun @kenkenlewu]

Tonight makes it the 6th night since small children and school teachers were kidnapped. APC GOVERNMENT IS EVIL 💔💔💔💔

Last night, heavy rain fell terribly. Snakes, deadly ants, scorpions all kinds of danger in that bush.
A little baby still being carried on the mother’s back is out there in the wilderness.

Yet, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has slept peacefully for the past six days.

Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and his children have also been sleeping comfortably since this tragedy began.

Meanwhile, innocent families are crying, praying, and living in fear every single minute.

APC government is evil.

If you still think there is hope for Nigeria again… honestly, I pity you.

[Ugochukwu Ugwoke, ISch @FrUgochukwu]

Miracles happen each time the Holy Mass is offered. But because many today's Catholics expect only dramatic miracles - the blind seeing, the lame walking, the deaf hearing, the dead rising, they often miss the quieter miracles God performs on the altar and in human hearts.

At each Mass, a sinner returns to God. A wounded soul finds peace. A troubled mind receives hope. A burdened heart gains strength to continue. Someone forgives. Someone believes again. Someone encounters Christ in the Eucharist. Mere bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ.

These are the greatest miracles.

Not all miracles are noisy. Some happen silently in the depths of the soul during Mass.

[Ugochukwu Ugwoke, ISch @FrUgochukwu]

Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus - Outside the Church, there is no salvation.

- St Cyprian of Carthage

[Walter 🇳🇬 🇵🇭 🇨🇦 @gamerwalt]

I'll give married guys some free advice...

​Chase your wife around the house. You turn something on in her. You guys become children for just that 4 minutes running around. 😉

​Lift her off the ground. It says something to her mind. 😉

​But if you want to keep the spark alive in the middle of a busy life, add these to the list:

​Take over the dinner chaos. When she is staring down the pot trying to figure out how to feed everyone, stepping in and saying, "I've got this," or just ordering the Friday night pizza or food so she doesn't have to cook, speaks directly to her soul.

​Handle the unsexy logistics.

​Give her the gift of absolute silence. Sometimes taking the kids out of the house for two hours so she can just exist in a quiet room without anyone needing anything from her.

​Flirt with her during the ordinary moments. A wink across the room while you are both cleaning up the kitchen reminds her that underneath the heavy titles of "Mom" and "Dad," you are still just two people crazy about each other.

​Notice the invisible labor. Thank her for remembering the scheduling, the grocery, and all the behind the scenes magic that keeps the house running. It bridges the gap and silently says, "I see exactly how hard you work for us."

​The movie romance is great, but the trenches of everyday life are where the real connection happens.

Show up for her there.

[Ugochukwu Ugwoke, ISch @FrUgochukwu]

From a mother's perspective, watching your own son whipped, humiliated, spit upon, and then nailed to a tree would be like putting your heart through a grinder.

The Blessed Virgin Mary experienced all of that on Good Friday. She is the Mother of Sorrows. She is able to comfort us in our sorrow because she her herself knew sorrow.

[Ugochukwu Ugwoke, ISch @FrUgochukwu]

RETHINKING THE GOOD FRIDAY PASSION DRAMAS

For many years now, dramatizing the Passion of the Lord on Good Friday has become a popular tradition in many parishes in Nigeria and beyond. I am quite sure that as this year’s Good Friday is around the corner, many parishes are already warming up to dramatize the Passion of the Lord. While this can be meaningful, past experience has shown that it often risks losing the deep spiritual and theological significance of the event in a theatrical performance.

The Church teaches that the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ - known as the Paschal Mystery - is the climax of the salvation history. Every liturgy flows from and returns to this mystery (CCC 571-573). As such, the Passion of Christ is not just a dramatic script or story to be acted or reenacted; it is the mystery of divine love poured out for the salvation of the world (cf. John 3:16). Therefore, it must be treated with reverence and depth.

On Good Friday, the Church invites us not just to be spectators, but participants in the suffering of Christ. That is why the liturgy of Good Friday is simple, solemn, and reflective. No Mass. No bells. Just the Cross of Christ and the Word of God. We are to enter into silence, not applause.

Without doubt, sacred drama can be a powerful tool of evangelization and the Church has long used visual and artistic forms to teach and evangelize. However, when reverence is lost, when actors become performers, and the audience becomes fans, we turn what is meant to be sacred into a spectacle of entertainment - and forget its theological import and power to move and convert hearts.

In the last years, the dramatization of the Lord’s Passion in many parishes has become more theatrical than theological; a performance or spectacle than a prayer. When the Passion of Christ is turned into a theatre, people watch the Passion Play like a movie meant for entertainment while the heart of the mystery fades.

The Passion is the mystery where God’s mercy meets our misery. It should move us to tears, not laughter. To repentance, not applause. But when drama takes center stage, the Cross fades into the background. We leave the celebration feeling “entertained” but not “converted.”

Parishes and liturgy committees must ensure that every depiction of the Passion is treated with sacred respect. If we choose to dramatize it, let it not just be playful but prayerful, contemplative, and directed toward the Paschal Mystery - and not mere visual effect.

It is therefore time to rethink our approach to Good Friday Passion play. Catechesis is needed. We should bring back the reverence. Christ did not die to entertain us. He died to redeem us. The Passion of the Lord is not a performance to be acted but a mystery to be lived.

Our Passion reenactments should reflect this truth with solemnity, depth, and humility. Our Passion Play should reflect the passion of our faith and stir devotion, not distraction. This is the Cross that saved us. This is the Blood that redeemed us. Let us not trivialize it or make caricature of it on the stage of performance. We should live the Passion and not just act the Passion. The drama should not overshadow the Cross.

Fr. Ugochukwu Ugwoke (Schoenstatt Fathers)

[Ugochukwu Ugwoke, ISch @FrUgochukwu]

We adore you O Christ and we praise you, because by thy Holy Cross, you have redeemed the world.

[Ugochukwu Ugwoke, ISch @FrUgochukwu]

Catholicism is beautiful and being a Catholic is a beautiful thing.

[Ugochukwu Ugwoke, ISch @FrUgochukwu]

PRAYER FOR PRIESTS

O Jesus, our great High Priest, hear my humble prayers on behalf of your priests.  Give them a deep faith, a bright and firm hope and a burning love which will ever increase in the course of their priestly life.

In their loneliness, comfort them.  In their sorrows, strengthen them.  In their frustrations, point out to them that it is through suffering that the soul is purified, and show them that they are needed by the Church; they are needed by souls; they are needed for the work of redemption. Amen🙏🏿

[Ugochukwu Ugwoke, ISch @FrUgochukwu]

You cried so many times in private. Now, God is about to bless you publicly.