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The Road to the Roses Is Decorated with Thorns. 8/30/26. Chima Offurum.

I’ve sometimes had problems with outcomes after I resigned myself to someone doing something right, only to find they failed to do so. Today’s first reading echoes such a situation, but positively, after the Prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 20:7-9) felt deceived by God, even though he had submitted his will to being so “duped.” Nevertheless, despite […]

The Road to the Roses Is Decorated with Thorns. 8/30/26. Chima Offurum. Read More »

Undertaking Our Duty. 8/23/26. Chima Offurum.

When we live with a sense of purpose, we see our lives and responsibilities differently. In this weekend’s Bible passages, even with eventual recognition, the contrasting experiences of Shebna and Eliakim in the first reading (Isaiah 22:19-23) remind us that positions, privileges, and opportunities are ultimately entrusted to us for a purpose. Shebna loses his

Undertaking Our Duty. 8/23/26. Chima Offurum. Read More »

No one is beyond God’s embrace. 08/16/26. By Chima Offurum.

God seems to be proclaiming through the outstretched arms of Jesus Christ on the Cross a message that knows no bounds of race, nationality, culture, or social position (John 12:32). Long before the coming of Christ, Isaiah announced this universal invitation when it was declared that foreigners who join themselves to the Lord and remain

No one is beyond God’s embrace. 08/16/26. By Chima Offurum. Read More »

The courage to speak up is in every Christian’s prophetic mission. 8/9/26. By Chima Offurum.

Although I was never particularly a fan of him, Dino Melaye’s (a Nigerian politician) well-known statement captures an important truth about prophetic witness: “If you speak, you are killed; if you don’t speak, you get killed too.” These words, which were not an invitation to seek suffering, serve as a reminder that silence in the

The courage to speak up is in every Christian’s prophetic mission. 8/9/26. By Chima Offurum. Read More »

An Invitation to Lasting Peace. 08/02/2026. Chima Offurum.

Deep within every human heart is an enduring desire for life, nourishment, and fulfillment. This longing hugely explains why not only humans but all living creatures instinctively seek what sustains their existence. We naturally gravitate toward whatever promises satisfaction and peace, holding fast to their sources for as long as possible.  In line with these

An Invitation to Lasting Peace. 08/02/2026. Chima Offurum. Read More »

When God Gives a Pleasant Surprise. 7/26/26. Chima Offurum.

What Would You Do? is a classic American hidden-camera television program that I have enjoyed watching in the past, hosted by John Quiñones, that explores human ethics, moral choices, and bystander intervention in everyday situations. John is a motivational speaker and journalist working for ABC News in the United States.  In many ways, this weekend’s

When God Gives a Pleasant Surprise. 7/26/26. Chima Offurum. Read More »

Project Report: Educational Support Initiative for Students of St. Joseph Catholic Parish/Mark Unegbu Memorial School, Awarra, Imo State, Nigeria

As part of its ongoing commitment to expanding access to quality education for disadvantaged children, the Grassroots Access to Empowerment Foundation (GATE) conducted a project visit to St. Joseph Catholic Parish/Mark Unegbu Memorial School, Awarra, located in Ohaji Local Government Area of Imo State, Nigeria. Engr. Dr. Chigozie Offurum, the foundation’s chairman of the board,

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Justice and Kindness Are Siblings. 07/19/26. Chima Offurum.

The readings for the Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (7/19/26) reveal a profound truth about the heart of God when it states that justice and kindness are not opposing forces but inseparable siblings. The Book of Wisdom reminds us that although God is all-powerful, He governs with mercy and judges with clemency (Wisdom 12:13, 16–19).

Justice and Kindness Are Siblings. 07/19/26. Chima Offurum. Read More »

Restoration for all People is POssible! 07/05/26. Chima Offurum.

This Sunday’s first reading, the Book of Zechariah (9:9-10), may initially sound somewhat exclusive in its language, given its direct call to the daughter of Zion to rejoice, even though both men and women equally experience the joys and burdens of a nation’s political and social realities. In the Gospel, however, Jesus broadens the invitation

Restoration for all People is POssible! 07/05/26. Chima Offurum. Read More »

Goodness does not discriminate. 6/28/26. Chima Offurum.

The story of Elisha and the couple from Shunem (2 Kings 4:8-11, 14-16a), together with Jesus’ teaching in today’s Gospel (Matthew 10:37-42), provides context for my reflection with you this weekend. Although the readings appear to emphasize acts of kindness toward the messengers of the Gospel, such as prophets, priests, and religious men and women,

Goodness does not discriminate. 6/28/26. Chima Offurum. Read More »

Darkness can never overcome the Light.6/21/26. Chima Offurum.

On this weekend of the Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time, I find myself reflecting on what gives us, as Christians, confidence in the face of adversity. What sustains our courage amid persistent challenges? One answer emerges clearly from today’s Gospel, clarifying that just as Jesus Christ is the light of the world (John 8:12), we

Darkness can never overcome the Light.6/21/26. Chima Offurum. Read More »