Posts by Fr. Maurice Emelu
Certain Faith
Grace to you! Growing up as a boy, my dad told me many stories about the bravery of our ancestors. Those stories were meant to instill in me the courage to be part of a historical moment and culture. Many families, societies and countries have their stories. We celebrate historical figures. We celebrate our roots.…
Read MoreThe Kind of People Who Encounter Christ
On this feast of Epiphany, I reflect on the kind of people to whom God is made manifest. Epiphany is about the revelation of Christ beyond the shores of Bethlehem and Jerusalem to the whole world. The Church in the east call it the feast of theophany (manifestation of God). It equally signifies that Christ…
Read MoreAmazing Love. Amazing Name
A man at the wheel was far beyond the speed limit. His was one of those times you momentarily forget, and the speedometer goes off the chart. Revolving lights seen in the rear mirror, plus the siren, was abrupt notice that he was in the cop’s net. The countenance of the cop looking through his…
Read MoreHow I Dedicate My Year
Happy New Year! I am grateful for the gift of life and the New Year. My prayer is that this New Year will be more blessed than the previous one. Amen. If I may ask, what are your plans for this New Year? Any New Year resolutions? Honestly, I gave up on making New Year…
Read MoreCome to Christ and Find Rest
Grace to you! Sometime last year, I boarded a plane en route to Louisville, Kentucky, and sat between two men. As often as I did while traveling, I brought out my blue Rosary and started to pray in silence. Forty minutes into the flight, one of the men seemed to have something to say to…
Read MoreRestored
Grace to you! It’s been a delight reading the various reflections of our contributors this past month. It’s a joy to see the variety of our faith stories from different cultures, peoples, and nations. By the Lord, as we know, this is done. It is marvelous. Today’s reflection draws from the joy of divine restoration…
Read MoreLove of Neighbor
An American spent some time in Eastern Europe. The experience was an eye-opener to her. Simple things she took for granted, such as language, dress code, and mannerism, were different from those she met and made her see things in a different light. “In those months,” she said, “I appreciated what it feels like to…
Read MoreJesus’ Five Marriage Keys, and Teaching on Divorce
Let me begin this reflection by congratulating those who are married and are keeping to the bond of this holiest human union. You are indeed blessed to be the heroic sign and symbol of the triune mystery. Heroic because your life is a vivid expression of the courage of faith in a society where many…
Read MoreWhen to Know You’ve Completely Forgiven
In his book Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis wrote: “Everyone says forgiveness is a lovely idea, until they have something to forgive, as we had during the war” (p.66). As I minister in different settings and parts of the world, one of the most challenging experiences is bringing healing to those hurting or torn apart because of the harm…
Read MoreFraternal Correction
It’s not an easy thing to correct one another. Doing so in the spirit of the Gospel is more difficult. In the face of evident sin or circumstances of evil closer to home, how do we correct one another while preserving the integrity of faith as believers, especially when silence toward bad ideas or conducts…
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