The Feast of Blessed Iwene Tansi

: Phil. 2:1-11, Mt. 13:44-46. Today, the Church in Nigeria celebrate locally the Feast of Blessed Cyprian Michael lwene Tansi, a humble servant of God born in Aguleri, Anambra State of the South East, Nigeria. Tansi was born in 1903 and brought up by the Spiritan Missionaries. He joined the Seminary, though trained at first as a Catechist and Ordained a Catholic Priest in 1937. As his desire to be a contemplative increased, he left to England in 1950 to join the Cistercian Abbey of Mount Bernard and lived an examplary life of humility as taught by the author of today’s first reading.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus teaches us that the ultimate goal of believers is the Kingdom of Heaven. Thus, everything we do must be geared towards achieving this final and definitive goal.

When we discover the Kingdom of God we receive the greatest possible treasure, the gift of God Himself. To sell all that we have to obtain this incomparable treasure means that we should give up whatever that restrain us from gaining access to Him. This teasure has a special connection to the heart, the place of desire and longing, the place of will and focus. The thing we most set our heart on is our highest treasure. Through his austere life and mortification the Church beatified Blessed Iwene Tansi as one who has attained the heavenly Kingdom and the crown of glory which he sole desired.

May the Lord direct our hearts to pursue our eternal goal with humility! Amen!! Good morning and have glorious day!!!