Posts by Fr. John Bosco Obiako
Nicodemus’ 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…
Read MoreWe are all Administrators
Life in general has shown that we are all administrators in one way or the other; of our lives, talents, and the goods bequeathed to us by God. But sometimes, we can cheat and manipulate others around us in the way we live our lives. In our personal vocabulary, the verbs ‘to cheat’ and ‘to…
Read MoreGift of a New Heart
The prophet Ezekiel, in the first reading of today, announces an extraordinary outpouring of the Spirit, whereby the Lord pours out in the hearts of the people a feeling of sincere repentance for their sins (Ez 36:25). And a passionate search for the divine will. The vertex of the passage is at vv. 26f, in…
Read MoreLooking for a Sign
When we look for a sign of why we lack trust in the Lord, our religious quest is no longer authentic, and we fall into the economy of success, rejecting the humble one of the kingdom. Of course, we say that we are looking for signs, success, to give glory to God, but in reality,…
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