Posts by Fr. John Bosco Obiako
Peace Unto This House
When I was growing up, I had an aunt who was a Religious Sister in the Congregation of the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Mother of Christ. At the main entrance door of our family house, she hung a holy placard with the inscription: “PEACE UNTO THIS HOUSE.” I remember reading it aloud…
Read MoreFirst of All
First of all, I ask that supplications, prayers, petitions, and thanksgivings be offered for everyone, for kings and for all in authority, that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life in all devotion and dignity (1 Timothy 2:1-2). The expression “first of all” which the Apostle Paul uses in the First Reading of today…
Read MoreWalking Into Marriage
Preparation.When a young man feels called to a life of religious consecration or priesthood, this vocation isgenerally confirmed, by discernments of the Parish Priest, then by the seminary formators. Iremember when I started feeling the desire to become a Catholic priest. It was when I was about 9years old. After my First Holy Communion, I…
Read MoreThe Liberated Liberator
The future “liberator” of the Jewish people from Egypt is a “liberated” himself, one who has experienced the condition of a slave and faced the danger of death even from birth. Moses is first “liberated” by Pharaoh’s daughter from the waters, as we read in the First Reading of today (Exodus 2:1-15). Solidarity Even before…
Read MoreWounded and Hurting
In the Gospel of today, Jesus feels pity and compassion for the crowd whom the Evangelist describes as being like sheep without a shepherd (Matt. 9:36-10:8). Jesus knows that the sheep are susceptible to a lot of risks and dangers due to lack of shepherds. Many of them can go astray, while others can be…
Read MoreThe Lord’s Promise of Joy
Today, in some parts of the world, is the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord. You probably must have heard about “Ascension Thursday”, right? Yes, traditionally, the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord has been celebrated “40 days after Easter” in keeping with the Scriptural reference in Acts: “He presented himself alive to…
Read MoreNicodemus’ Personal Encounter with Jesus
It is probable that the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus was long, even if the Gospel has given us only a few sentences about it. As a doctor of the law, Nicodemus expected to meet a prophet, one chosen by God, but his expectations were completely exceeded: there was much more there. There was someone…
Read MoreSacrifice of the Heart
“For it is love that I desire, not sacrifice, and knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings” (Hosea 6:6). The verse we have quoted above is from the first reading of today, and it expresses the thought, the synthesis of the intuition which Hosea the prophet has about God. The whole meaning of Christ’s love…
Read MoreMountain Experience
In the Bible, the mountain always has a special meaning: it is the high place, where heaven and earth “meet,” and where Moses and the prophets had the extraordinary experience of encountering God. Climbing the mountain means getting a little closer to God. The Gospel of today presents us the mountain experience of the apostles…
Read MoreSharing in the Priesthood of Christ
Jesus or Melchizedek? The first reading of today (Hebrews 7:1-3; 15-17) presents us with the mysterious figure of Melchizedek (king of Salem and priest of God Most High). Interestingly, we can ask ourselves whether Jesus, who is the eternal High Priest, is a priest in the likeness of Melchizedek, or if Melchizedek is the one…
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