Posts by Fr. John Opara
Entrusting Ourselves to God’s Love
In a world often dominated by the pursuit of material wealth and personal security, the teachings of Jesus in today’s Gospel (Mark 10:17-27) offer a profound counter-narrative. This passage, which recounts the interaction between Jesus and the rich young ruler, provides a crucial lesson on where true security lies. The rich man’s quest for eternal…
Read MoreThe God That Desires to Be Known
The Greek word γινώσκω (ginosko), meaning to know, is used 141 times in John’s Gospel. It is used in different ways, because there are different levels of knowing and different reasons for knowing something. The first stage is knowing a fact. The next level is understanding the truth. And the essence of this knowledge and…
Read MoreTrusting the Mercy of God
We are closely approaching the Easter Season, a period marked with new life. Hence, many symbols (like the easter eggs or Bunny) with which we describe the Easter event, point to this newness of life. The Lenten season helps to prepare us for this new life. Regarding how this new life is possible, Pope Francis…
Read MoreRenewal
Renewing Love: The Lenten period is a favorable time of renewal. Renewal is not merely with regard to the small sacrifices we make; it encompasses our entire life and being. We are called during lent to reconsider our relationship with God and neighbor. Needed Renewal This renewal of life goes through the renewal of our…
Read MoreWho Is This Man?
The Call of the Disciple: The call of the disciples at the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry shows God’s decisiveness to establish his kingdom on earth. Jesus’ method was simple. First calling the disciples to be with him, and later to be sent out, to impact their world. Being with him is important to help…
Read MoreA Special Love
Christmas is a feast that demonstrates God’s love for us in a special way. The newborn child is the savior of the world. The purpose of God becoming human becomes clear as Jesus, the incarnate Son, willingly embarks on a journey that culminates in the ultimate sacrifice on the cross. The manger in Bethlehem finds…
Read MoreSome Gifts for God
The act of giving has been an important part of religious and cultural practices throughout history and continues to be so today. Whether it’s a small monetary donation or a selfless act of kindness, giving has the power to make a significant difference in the world and in the lives of those around us. Today‘s…
Read MoreDecide in Love
“Decide for ourselves what is right.” These words stand out in today‘s gospel. As we journey through life, we are faced with countless choices and decisions. The experts say that we make up to 200 decisions daily. Beginning with the smallest daily choices and moving to the life-altering decisions. Beginning from how long the morning…
Read MoreOngoing Evangelization
The mission of evangelization is proper to the Son of God (Cf. Luke 4, 18). In order to continue the mission of Jesus Christ, we need to know Christ well. Knowing him und understanding him remains important because there is a link between the person of Christ and his message. Pope Paul VI writes: “As…
Read MorePassing on the Key
A key is what people use the most in daily life. For instance, we need it to open our house, office, and car. We have also password for our credit cards and computers. The key has also a symbolic significance. Parents open for their children the door to meaningful life, (just as St. Monica did…
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