Posts by Fr. John Bosco Obiako
The 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…
Read MoreSt. Joseph and the Holy Act of Discernment
Discerning good from evil, right from wrong, the essential from the useless, has not been an easy task for many people. The need for “wide-ranging” discernment affects every human being, committed to seeking motivation, to making choices not only in view of immediate well-being, but also to give meaning to one’s existence. Discerning is accepting…
Read MoreSweet-Bitter
Last Sunday, I attended Mass in a nearby parish, and there was another visiting priest. The Parish Priest was away on a spiritual retreat. I presided at the Mass while the other priest preached the homily. He was very good and made a positive impression in his preaching. The parishioners remained thrilled all through, and…
Read MoreHonoring Saint Luke the Evangelist
With joy today the Church remembers and honors Saint Luke the Evangelist. Luke, a disciple of Paul of Tarsus, a native of Antioch. And, recognized as the author of the third Gospel as well as the Acts of the Apostles. He is a very great personality. The Saints as Real People The Church, in her…
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