Posts by Fr. Maurice Emelu
The Heart that Sends
I begin today’s Sunday Sermon of Week Eleven of the Church’s Ordinary Time Cycle A with the Gospel of Matthew 9:36-10:8. Jesus moves through the towns and villages of Galilee, a northern region defined by its fertile farms, bustling fishing ports, and dusty trade routes. Galilee is the home of laborers and the men and…
Read MoreLiving Water at the Well: How Jesus Satisfies Our Thirst
Reflection on the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4) and Christ as the living water that quenches the deepest thirst of the human soul. Last Sunday, we witnessed the dazzling glory of the Lord during the event of the Transfiguration, a glimpse of the glory to come. The lesson was that the future ahead…
Read MoreWhy Entitlement Fails in the Spiritual Life: Lessons from the Prodigal Son
Does the logic of entitlement work in the spiritual life, or does God’s grace follow a different logic altogether? Deeply wired into the human mind is what I might describe as the instinct of reciprocity. Render a service and expect a return. We show kindness and quietly hope it will be repaid. We invest years…
Read MoreAs We Begin Lent 2026
What Christians Might Learn From Muslims I wish you, friend and dear reader, a blessed Lent 2026 and Ash Wednesday. Every year we return to Lent with the familiarity of a known season. We recognize the liturgical color, the readings, the ashes and the invitations to pray, fast and give more. Yet I wonder what…
Read MoreBlessed Is the One Who Takes No Offense at Me
“Blessed is the one who takes no offense at me” (Matthew 11;6) names the tension many feel at Christmas, when hope arrives not as resolution, but as a child born into unanswered questions. A few days ago, I caught myself thinking about Christmas, as we often do during this time of the year. The lights…
Read MoreThe 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…
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