Posts by Fr. Maurice Emelu
The King Who Calls Us Friends
Feast of Christ the King If you look around a bus stop, a café, or even the pews before Mass begins, you see a universal posture. Heads are bowed. Eyes are cast downward. Silence reigns. A century ago, this might’ve looked like a community in deep prayer. Today, we know better. We are bowing not…
Read MorePersistent Prayer: Three Cases You Need to Know
Prayer sits at the heart of the spiritual life, and Jesus teaches it through his words and actions. As God, he did not need to pray, yet he prayed constantly, showing us how vital prayer is for communion with the Father. He began his ministry in fasting and prayer (Matthew 4:2; Luke 4:2). A disciple,…
Read MoreLazarus Nearby: A Conversation on the Sin of Negligence
The biblical story of Lazarus at the gate of the rich man is not only about wealth but also about the silent danger of negligence. Lazarus never asked for bread. He only longed for scraps. The rich man never refused him, yet he still stood guilty, not for what he had done, but for what…
Read MoreNo Clauses, No Shortcuts: Lessons from Our Lady of Sorrows
It is a special morning as the Church celebrates the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows. My day begins with prayer and a freshly brewed cup of coffee around 2:30 a.m. As I sip slowly and meditate on God’s Word for the day, I think about mothers who carry heavy crosses and endure countless sacrifices…
Read MoreWho Has Known the Mind of God?
How do we know the mind of God? The Book of Wisdom puts it plainly: “Who can know God’s counsel, or who can conceive what the Lord intends?” (Wisdom 9:13). It’s a question that at first feels too lofty, too mysterious. But what if we brought it closer home? How do I know God’s mind in my own…
Read MoreAblaze for God: Set the World on Fire
A cold world needs to be set on fire, and God calls us to do just that. About twenty-two hundred years ago, between 164 and 152 B.C., Leonidas, a runner from Rhodes, broke the Olympic record by winning twelve gold medals. For centuries, no one surpassed him. Then, on Thursday, August 11, 2016, Michael Phelps…
Read MoreWhy the Path to Glory Always Includes Pain
I woke by 2:20am. I felt the voice of my body speaking, a soft ache and gentle protest in my muscles, echoes from yesterday’s 10-mile hike. My legs felt sore, my shoulders heavy, and yet, strangely, it felt good. Not the comfortable kind of good, but the kind that tells you something meaningful was endured.…
Read MorePope Francis: A Passing in Glory
Pope Francis came with a whisper, but his presence roared through our times. Rest in peace. Amen. I had just concluded my hours of prayer, the stillness that seeps deep into the soul. It was 4:20am EST, and I was about to shift into work mode—research paper open, books stacked like quiet sentinels on my…
Read MoreEaster Message: A Jubilee Reflection on the Power of Hope
It was still dark when Mary Magdalene walked to the tomb. It was not just the dimness of early morning but the kind of darkness overwhelming a grieving soul. Jesus had been crucified—hope, as she knew it, lay buried behind a heavy stone. But then, she saw. The stone had been rolled away. Easter begins…
Read MoreThe Spirituality of Feedback
A wise teacher said: “Every mark on your draft is a gift.” When I first heard this, it felt like an attempt to soften the blow of a heavily annotated manuscript. But over the years, I’ve seen the truth in those words. Genuine, honest, generous feedback is not a correction of who we are. It…
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