Reflection on Today's Readings and the Feast of Blessed Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi, Wednesday 20th January, 2021
Texts: Phil. 2:1-11; Ps. Is. 12:2-6; Mtt. 13:44-46
Today is the feast of Blessed Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi in Nigeria. Today's first reading reminds us of the need to kill our ego, which makes us self-centered in our encounter with the world. Ego makes us think of self alone and breeds pride. The reading asks us to rather be other-centred. It hits the point in the following words: "Do nothing from selfishness or conceit, but in humility count others better than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others." Most of the problems we have, today, is because we are self-centered. Because we are self-centered, we lie, we engage in bribery and corruption, we rob others, we kidnap, etc. A society where self-centeredness has taken root can never grow and the values of common good and solidarity will be jettisoned. Let each be other-centred and life will be good.
Humility is the virtue that heals man of the evil of his ego. Therefore, the reading invites us to be humble like Jesus Christ. It says, "Have this mind among yourselves, which was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men." From the example Jesus Christ has given us, it is clear that to be humble we need to let go some certain rights and privileges. Today's gospel reading also affirms that we need to let go our earnings for the kingdom of God. The earnings, here, are things dear to us; we need to let them go for something of greater value, which is the kingdom of God. We are also reminded that humility exalts man. While egoistic life brings false self-exaltation and leads to destruction of self and the society, humility brings true exaltation of self and leads to love and human development in the society. Father Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi exemplified humility in his life. The brief note on his feast in the Roman Missal reads: "Fr. Tansi lived the monastic life with great faith and humility. Absorbed in prayer, he was a living example of patience and charity" (p. 1545).
Father Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi was the first to be recognized as the blessed in Nigeria, even in West Africa. He hailed from the south-east of Nigeria. He was born in 1903. Having lost his father at a tender age, his mother sent him to be educated under the Irish Holy Ghost Missionaries. He began his Sacramental life at age nine with his baptism in 1912. He had Michael as his baptismal name. He was trained to be a teacher and at age 21 he became the headmaster of St. Joseph school.
Having decided to be a priest, he was admitted into seminary and in 1937 he was ordained a priest. He started a new parish in 1939. Father Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi led an exemplary and ascetic life, and was a brilliant preacher, and great community leader. He led in treading mud bricks for building a weekly boarding school. He challenged members of a secret society to give up their evil deeds, he confronted the wealthy and the powerful for their corruption.
His desire to be a contemplative monk came to fruition in 1950 when he was accepted by Mount St. Bernard Abbey in England. He took the name Cyprian for his new life. Not minding that he was already an ordained priest, he accepted to start the training for the new life from the beginning, novice.
He died of aortic aneurysm on 20 January, 1964. When his remains were brought back to Nigeria, a cure of a terminally ill young woman was attributed to his intercession. He was made venerable in 1995 and beatified in 1998 in Onitsha.
O God, who joined the apostolic zeal of a pastor to the way of life of monk in Blessed Cyprian Michael; grant us, by his intercession, that persevering in prayer, we may seek untiringly the coming of your kingdom. Amen.
Fr. Andrew Olowomuke
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