Posts by Fr. Luke Ijezie
Experiencing the Force of Liberation
Our life in this mortal frame is often subject to forces beyond our control. We are often victims of forces that keep us in bondage, but there are also forces that bring liberation. These two opposed brands of forces are well captured in the liturgical readings of this day. The Carnal Forces and the Liberating…
Read MoreGod’s Intervention to Rescue His People
What sustains life is hope. Without the hope of a better future, we can hardly survive the upheavals of the present. Here one recalls the opening words of the great Encyclical of Pope Benedict XVI, SPE SALVI facti sumus – “In hope we were saved, says Saint Paul to the Romans, and likewise to us…
Read MoreGiving a Message of Encouragement
Most people fail not necessarily because they are incapable, but because they are not properly motivated and encouraged. Working with young people has taught me that what they need most is encouragement. Even when they fall short of expectations, they still need to be encouraged so that they can rise above their perceived limits. The…
Read MoreAnxiety and Divine Providence
One of the things that makes life very fascinating is the fact that we do not know what will happen next. We ordinarily live in hope that the future will always be good. Anxiety sets in when what we see does not encourage this hope of a better future. This happens mostly in our daily…
Read MoreGod’s Presence Brings Wholeness
Wholeness is a state of completeness which one needs to be fully human. Many things destroy our state of completeness and leave us in a broken condition. It is a reality that many today live with broken hearts, broken spirits, broken families, and broken societies. But living constantly in the presence of God is the…
Read MoreOffering and Self-Giving
One characteristic of religious worship is the presentation of gifts to God, otherwise called offering. The Old Testament presents different forms of offering. One common trait is that in every offering, what is offered somewhat represents the one doing the offering. The point is that every form of offering is a form of self-giving. This…
Read MoreJesus is the Way and Solid Foundation
One of the fundamental claims of Christianity is that Jesus is the way to God. It is a truth the contemporary pluralistic society objects with passion. This makes it difficult sometimes to propose a single way. Many modern people do not usually believe that there is only one way, thanks to the democratic culture. They…
Read MoreMaking the Impossible Possible
One of the most inspiring parts of Scripture is the statement that with God, nothing is impossible. It means that God can do that which is ordinarily taken to be unachievable. This is why He is called an omnipotent God. We often forget this reality, especially when we are overwhelmed with doubts and uncertainties. God’s…
Read MoreKnocking on God’s Door
A friend narrated how he once rushed a seriously sick man to a nearby general hospital, but upon reaching the hospital he found that the doors were securely closed and sealed. The reason was that the hospital staff was on strike. The sick man would have died if not that a decision was made to…
Read MoreWho are You, Lord?
Our religious life is based on our presumed knowledge of God. This knowledge can make us humble, but it can also make us very arrogant. The arrogance comes to the fore when we forget that our natural human limitations make it difficult for us to have a perfect knowledge of God. The fact is that…
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