Posts by Fr. Luke Ijezie
Living with Confidence in the Midst of Opposition
We are often encouraged to live with courage and confidence. But there are situations when courage becomes a task and confidence evaporates. There is nothing as horrible as one living in the midst of adversaries whose only pleasure is in bringing harm and antagonism. In such a situation, one’s life is always precarious. Fear is…
Read MoreChristian Commitment to Unity
The question of unity is a question that confronts every generation of Christians. Many factors today make unity a real task, as Christians are easily divided on ideological lines and on the basis of other considerations. This internal disunity very much hampers the work of spreading the gospel. The Gospel of today from John 17:20-26…
Read MoreMissionary Work in a Difficult World
The Christian life is a missionary life. Every follower of Christ is literally sent on mission to win every creature for the kingdom. Whether most present-day Christians are conscious of that is another story. But that remains the fact. All the four Gospels end with a post Easter missionary mandate. In Matt 28:19-20, the Risen…
Read MoreGod’s Presence in Our Midst
Usually in moments of great crisis, people run to loved ones or powerful acquaintances for succour. The great tragedy is that of having no one to run to, living with the sense of being abandoned. For many people, the greatest friend and powerful figure to run to for succour is God. The human being remains…
Read MoreResponding to the Call for Repentance
We are confronted daily with the option to change from old ways to new ways in the face of new realities. The Christian life is a new life and entry into it requires a total turning from the old way of living. This is what repentance means. Jesus begins his ministry by calling people to…
Read MoreConversion from Prejudice to New Knowledge
One of the factors responsible for most acts of religious intolerance is the presumed knowledge of God. Most religious people are victims of this presumption. In moments of real encounter with God, one comes to realize how ignorant one was. As the Church celebrates the conversion of the Apostle Paul today, it is good to…
Read MoreLight in a World of Darkness
We appreciate the light more when we find ourselves in a dark place. The modern life is so used to light and current that when these go off, life becomes unbearable. One imagines what it means for a major world city today to be without light for twenty-four hours. The disaster can only be imagined.…
Read MoreHope of a New City of Joy and Peace
What sustains us in difficult moments is the hope that things will be better. As conditions become increasingly tough, people naturally desire a future filled with better promises. The Christian life is anchored on the assurance that the future is a glorious one, and this is far greater than what we can imagine. This hope…
Read MoreThe Secret Inner Force of Growth in Us
In the course of living this complex life, we sometimes fall into the danger of thinking that everything depends on our human power and human ingenuity. It is a danger because when one lives with such a frame of mind, one easily gets frustrated and sometimes falls into depression because things do not happen the…
Read MoreThe Rich Man and Lazarus
Wealth and poverty are two realities that confront us every day and everywhere. The biblical approach to both realities is a bit complex. The story of the rich man and Lazarus in today’s Gospel from Luke 16:19-31 presents a classic picture of wealth and poverty. In some passages of the Bible, wealth is seen as…
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