Posts by Fr. Sylvanus Amaobi
Wash Yourselves Clean and Put Away Your Misdeeds
Dear brothers and sisters, “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24). In today’s first reading, Isaiah presented God’s displeasure to the people. He was displeased by their burnt offerings of rams, fats of fatlings, and blood of calves, lambs, and goats. He detested their…
Read MoreLet Your “Yes” Mean “Yes” and Your “No” Mean “No”
Jesus’s teaching on oath-taking Dear brothers and sisters, “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24). The fifth chapter of St. Matthew’s gospel records Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (the Beatitudes) and some of His great teachings on the law and its significance. Jesus Christ…
Read MoreKeep Watch Over Yourselves and the Whole Flock
As Jesus Christ, the good shepherd, we are called to take care of one another. Dear brothers and sisters, “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24). Paul lived among the presbyters of the church at Ephesus. He fellowshipped with them and taught them the…
Read MoreStephen, The First Martyr Did the Work of God
Dear brothers and sisters, “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24). Following in the Footsteps of Jesus Christ The opening prayer (collect) of today’s liturgy reads in part, “Grant, we pray, almighty God, that putting off our old self with all its ways, we…
Read MoreThe Suffering of the Just
Dear brothers and sisters, “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24). The Wicked Continue to Plot Against the Upright The righteous person listens to God’s word as his or her moral guide. He or she makes a diligent effort to follow God’s teachings and…
Read MoreTake Up Your Cross and Follow Me
Dear brothers and sisters, “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24). A Clarion Call In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus Christ tells us, “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” Our crosses…
Read MoreObedience is Better Than Sacrifice
Dear brothers and sisters, “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24). Obedience is Better Than Sacrifice God gave Saul an assignment. He sent him on a mission to attack Amalek, put under the ban everything he has, and not to spare the city. He…
Read More“If You Would Hearken to My Commandments”!
Dear brothers and sisters, “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24). God’s Commandments Some people, most times, view God’s commandments in a negative light. For such people, the commandments are sets of rules put together to entrap, cage, micromanage, and deprive people of their…
Read MoreJesus, Master! Have Pity on Us!
Dear brothers and sisters, “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24). A Prayerful Request Leprosy in Biblical times was a terrible thing. It was a dreaded disease. The Levitical prescriptions about lepers state, “The garments of one afflicted with a scaly infection shall be…
Read MoreDivine Invitation for a Heavenly Banquet
Dear brothers and sisters, “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24). God Invites Us For a Banquet Jesus once again tells another parable about how the kingdom of God would be likened. A king, he said, willfully gave a wedding feast for his son…
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