Posts by Fr. John Opara
Doing the Will of God
Not only people, but also words can be appealing or unappealing to us. Think, for example, of “yes” and “no.” For many people, “yes” is more valued than “no.” We are happy when someone says yes to us because we are not yet thinking about its fruit. Jesus’ Perspective Jesus knew that saying “yes” or…
Read MoreTrusting God’s Grace in the Unfinished
On the feast of Saint Monica, the Church presents to us the story of a woman whose life speaks quietly but powerfully about faith, perseverance, and hope. Her story connects beautifully with Saint Paul’s words to the Corinthians: “I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has…
Read MoreBegin Small
We live in a culture that celebrates instant success and dramatic results. We are tempted to believe that if our efforts do not produce immediate change, they have little value. However, God’s ways are often different. He delights in taking small acts of faith and using them to accomplish His greater purposes. Thus, in the…
Read MoreWhat Jesus is looking for
We hear about the centurion and his refusal of Jesus’ offer to come and heal his servant. For St. Augustine, the centurion’s greatness lay not merely in believing Jesus could heal from a distance, but in combining strong confidence in Christ’s power with a deep awareness of his own unworthiness. Thus, humility is precisely what…
Read MoreWe are also Mediators
Jesus Christ stands at the center of God’s plan of salvation for humanity. The New Testament presents Him as the mediator between God and human beings. In our first reading (1 Peter 2:21–25), Christ is described as the innocent lamb who bore humanity’s sins and as one who brings healing, reconciliation, and hope into a…
Read MoreIn the Service of Others
The image of Jesus as the good Shepherd has something to do with our own identity as children of God; “See what great love the Father has bestowed on us, that we are called children of God—and we are.” (1 John 3:1). The fact that we are his children gives the reason for this relationship…
Read MoreRevealing Who Jesus Is
As Pope Benedict XVI reminds us in his Encyclical Letter “God is Love”, “Being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction.” This is the question that stands before us as we…
Read MoreFirst, Go and Be Reconciled: Reconciliation as a Prerequisite for Worship
Reflecting on Jesus’ words, one may conclude that we live in a world of misplaced priorities. In the pursuit of success, some people hurt others. Yet instead of seeking forgiveness, they plan thanksgiving services, undertake stringent mortifications, or engage in spiritual exercises such as the Stations of the Cross. They justify their actions by claiming…
Read MoreHaving a Relationship with Jesus
I always understand believing as entering into a relationship. In John 15:16, Jesus says: “You did not choose me. I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last.” This expresses the very heart of the covenant between God and humanity. It is precisely for this reason that Jesus became human:…
Read MoreSeeing and Believing
Today, on the Feast of St. John the Apostle and Evangelist, the Church invites us to reflect on how we perceive divine mysteries. St. John is named the beloved apostle not simply because Jesus loved him above others, but because he is the apostle that perceives God as love. Today on his feast day, we…
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