Posts by Fr. John Bosco Obiako
Fratricide and Fraternity
Two interventions from two of Joseph’s brothers strike a special chord in my heart while reflecting on today’s first reading which tells the story of Joseph and his brothers. When Reuben heard this, he tried to save him from their hands, saying, “We must not take his life. Instead of shedding blood,” he continued, “just…
Read MoreBeyond a Theoretical Faith
St. James in his letter emphasizes the importance of good works as a testament of a good faith (Jas 2: 16ff). That is the theme of our First Reading today. It would almost seem that the words which St. James offers us in this letter of his are in contradiction with what St. Paul affirms…
Read MoreBe On Your Way
In life there are often various moments of helplessness, which induce states of suffering and discomfort. When confronted, in particular, with grief and death, everything becomes more difficult to deal with and, often, to overcome and understand. Loss and Grief When the death of a significant person to us occurs (a parent, a child, a…
Read MoreThe Dilemma of Joseph
Crisis of Love Only Matthew and Luke tell us about the birth of Jesus. Matthew speaks of the birth of Jesus from the point of view of Joseph, while Luke does it from the point of view of Mary. For Matthew, it is important to show that Jesus really is descended from David and that…
Read MorePlenty of Tears
Strength in Tears In life, there are a lot of things which can make us to shed things. These things can be positive or negative in nature. Personally, a good movie can make me cry. Some lovely songs can also move me to shed tears. Some people cannot withhold their tears on receiving some acts…
Read MoreSt. Luke, the Evangelist
St. Luke the evangelist can be particularly dear to us because he is the “evangelist of Our Lady.” Only from him did we get handed down to us the accounts of annunciation, visitation, the scenes of Christmas, and the presentation in the temple of Jesus. And we can say he is the evangelist of the…
Read MoreSOWING THE SEED OF THE WORD IN OTHERS
Going through the first reading today, I had a mental flashback to when I was growing up as a young boy in a family of 7 children. I remember the usual daily “moral instructions” from our parents then. My dad, a retired elementary school teacher, would often use this phrase, “As my father used to…
Read MoreGood Christians and Politics
In today’s first reading, Jotham’s apologue presents us with a great lesson on the concept of leadership and why good people should take up the responsibility of governance. He tells the story of the trees, who want to make a king for themselves. Evidently, the trees in this story have a high concept of leadership:…
Read MoreSummer: Not Vacation from the Faith
It is wise and dutiful to alternate adequate times and spaces for rest from one’s usual routine of activities, after having dedicated oneself to a particular project or studies. Jesus proposed this idea of rest to the group of Twelve. Those called for the first time– “apostles” (Mk 6:30a). We read about this rest in…
Read MoreJesus Alive with His Holy Wounds
The Gospel of Luke 24:35-48 presents us Jesus’ visits to the two disciples on the way to Emmaus and their mood before and the during the visit. The disciples were in difficult days mixed with fear, disappointment, doubt and anxiety. Then the Risen One, Christ, presents himself among them. How do they react? Shocked, terrified…
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