Rev. Fr. Dr. Kingsley Ikechukwu Benedicterence Nze
Rev. Fr. Dr. Kingsley Ikechukwu Benedicterence Nze is a Catholic priest of the Archdiocese of Owerri, Nigeria, and a scholar of Sacred Liturgy. He holds a doctorate in Sacred Liturgy from the Pontifical University of Saint Anselm, Rome, and lectures in Liturgy at Seat of Wisdom Seminary, Owerri. His research interests include liturgical ecclesiology, liturgical theology, the Roman Rite, sacred music and liturgical inculturation, with particular attention to Catholic worship in Africa.
28 articles
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Sunday Reflection
All Saints (Solemnity)
What does it take to become a saint? On 16 July 1228, barely two years after his death, Pope Gregory IX canonised St. Francis of Assisi. Francis embraced poverty and served lepers.
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Sunday Reflection
30th Sunday in Ordinary Time
St Francis of Assisi once feared lepers. In today’s Gospel, Jesus places before us the heart of Christian life: love God with all our being and our neighbour as ourselves. But how do we love when uncertainty surrounds u…
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Sunday Reflection
29th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Pope Benedict XVI recalls how St Francis of Assisi renounced his inheritance to follow Christ. Before the bishop of Assisi, he relinquished his father’s wealth, choosing to belong entirely to his heavenly Father.
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Sunday Reflection
28th Sunday in Ordinary Time
What would you do if a royal family invited you to a banquet? Would you gladly accept or find an excuse to stay away? Imagine our country, where so many of our brothers and sisters go to bed hungry, while someone reject…
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Sunday Reflection
27th Sunday in Ordinary Time
The Franciscan tradition tells a story about St Francis of Assisi and Lady Poverty. Francis understood that the danger is not possessing things, but allowing possessions to possess our hearts. He embraced Poverty as a “…
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Sunday Reflection
26th Sunday in Ordinary Time
St Francis of Assisi once encountered a poor man dressed in simple, worn clothing while he was still living with the ambitions and comforts of his former life. Something moved within him. Francis removed his fine clothi…
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Sunday Reflection
25th Sunday in Ordinary Time
St Francis of Assisi once reminded his brothers that everything they possessed was a gift from God. For Francis, life was not something to possess or compare, but a gift to receive with gratitude. This beautifully echoe…
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Sunday Reflection
24th Sunday in Ordinary Time
St Francis of Assisi once met a man bitterly complaining about his master. The man believed he had been wronged and was so angry that he cursed him. Francis listened and gave him a surprising piece of advice: “Forgive y…
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Sunday Reflection
23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Christianity does not permit us the luxury of indifference. We often say, “Mind your own business. Stay in your lane.” But the Word of God reminds us that, in the family of God, we are responsible for one another. God m…
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Sunday Reflection
23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time: Mass for the Care of Creation
Many of our communities in Nigeria suffer flooding. We cry, “God, save us from flood!” But we must also ask: Who blocked the drainage? Who filled the gutters with plastic? Who cut down the trees?
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Sunday Reflection
22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Some crosses do not look like crosses. They appear in ordinary life as difficult conversations, forgiveness offered when the heart is not ready, unnoticed sacrifices, or the quiet choice to defend the vulnerable when si…
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Sunday Reflection
20th Sunday in Ordinary Time
In his Canticle of Creation, St. Francis of Assisi praised God for the sun, moon, earth, and all creatures, calling them brothers and sisters. For Francis, creation was not something to divide, but one family under one …
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Sunday Reflection
19th Sunday in Ordinary Time
During the Fifth Crusade, St. Francis of Assisi crossed enemy lines to meet Sultan al-Kamil in Egypt. His companions warned him that he could be killed, but Francis went without weapons or protection, carrying only the …
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Sunday Reflection
18th Sunday in Ordinary Time
One day, St. Francis of Assisi was approached by a starving beggar asking for food. Francis had almost nothing, but he gladly shared the little bread he carried.
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Sunday Reflection
Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (C)
One of the most moving moments in the life of Saint Francis of Assisi was when, after encountering Christ, he stood before the Bishop of Assisi, removed his expensive garments, renounced his inheritance, and embraced a …
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Sunday Reflection
Sixteenth Sunday of the Year (A)
A beautiful Franciscan tradition tells of the thieves of Monte Casale, who were harshly driven away from the friary because of their crimes.
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Sunday Reflection
Fifteenth Sunday of the Year (A)
One of the lesser-known but deeply revealing habits of Saint Francis of Assisi was his care for neglected chapels.
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Sunday Reflection
Fourteenth Sunday of the Year (A)
One winter day, Saint Francis of Assisi and his companion, Brother Leo, were walking through the cold, weary, and exhausted. Along the way, Francis explained to Brother Leo what he called “perfect joy.”
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Sunday Reflection
12th Sunday of the Year
A popular story told about St. Francis of Assisi recounts that while travelling through a dark and dangerous forest, some of his companions became frightened by the uncertainty of the journey.
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Sunday Reflection
11th Sunday of the Year
In the town of Gubbio, a fierce wolf terrorized the people. It attacked livestock and threatened human lives, causing fear and hostility throughout the community. Many believed that the only solution was to kill the ani…
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Sunday Reflection
Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ
On this Solemnity of Corpus Christi, the Church celebrates the supreme gift Jesus Christ gives to us: His own Body and Blood. Christ comes to nourish us in the most humble and accessible way: as Bread. The life of St.
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Sunday Reflection
The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity
The readings of this Sunday draw us into the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity, the revelation of God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In the first reading, God reveals Himself to Moses as “a God merciful and gracious, s…
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Sunday Reflection
Pentecost Sunday
The readings of this Sunday draw us into the fire and transforming power of the Holy Spirit, who gives life to the Church. Pentecost is the decisive moment when fear is shattered and mission begins.
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Sunday Reflection
Seventh Sunday of Easter
The Gospel of this Seventh Sunday of Easter places us within the sacred silence of Christ’s priestly prayer. Standing between the Ascension and Pentecost, the Church listens as Jesus entrusts His disciples to the Father…
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Sunday Reflection
Sixth Sunday of Easter
The readings of the Sixth Sunday of Easter invite us into the mystery of love that becomes obedience, witness, and mission. In the Gospel of John, Jesus declares: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”
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Sunday Reflection
Fifth Sunday of Easter
On this Fifth Sunday of Easter, Jesus Christ speaks to troubled hearts: “Do not let your hearts be troubled... I am the way, the truth, and the life.” The life of St. Francis gives flesh to this message.
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Sacramentals
Blessing and Sprinkling of Holy Water in Catholic Liturgy: “Sprinkle me with hyssop, and I will be clean”
Holy water is an integral part of Catholic liturgical life. Its blessing, its two elements of water and salt, the rite in the Roman Missal and the Book of Blessings, and who may bless it.
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Sacred Images
The Presence of Sacred Images in Liturgical Worship and Environment: “You shall not make for yourself an idol (graven image)”
Signs, symbols and images in Christian worship: why the veneration of sacred images is not idolatry, from Scripture, the Council of Nicaea, St. John of Damascus and the Catechism.
