Ogiri John Ogiri

Mid-day reflections By Ogiri John Ogiri When Jesus went missing in Jerusalem, his parents searched for him and after three days had passed, he was found in the synagogue teaching the wise. He was found doing his father's work. My dear friends in Christ, where do people always find you? What do they always find you doing? What do they always hear you talk about? Lord, help me to be found in your presence always. Let me be found doing the right thing at all time. In the office, at home, among people, let me always dwell in your presence doing your work which are to teach others, helping them to acquire knowledge, wisdom and understanding, feed the hungry, give water to the thirsty, clothe the naked, visit the prisoners, open my home to the destitute, listen to, and comfort the worried, give peace to troubled souls, encourage the weak, and love the unloved. In everything, help me to work and live for charity so that on the last day when you shall come, I can be prepared to sit for...

The Holy Rosary Prayers are scriptural by  Ogiri John Ogiri Different people have asked me questions about the place of the the holy rosary prayers in the Bible. Some- unenlightened Catholic and Protestant brethren- have openly criticized the Catholic church for teaching and encouraging Catholic faithfuls to pray the holy rosary prayers arguing that it is all about Marian worship and not about the worship of God. I have tried to answer those questions on several occasions during my intellectual intercourse with them in schools and in the Church. But I still feel the need to write on this same topic so as to help you understand that in the Catholic Church, we honour Mary very deeply and religiously but we do not give her the worship that we bestow on the Almighty God. The Holy Rosary in the Bible Photo credit: Catholic Exchange. The Crucifix On the crucifix, we recite the apostle creed which is the profession of our collective faith in God, who became man through th...

My Morning Reflections When you don't know me;when you have never been close to me,you are likely to misunderstand me; you are likely to judge me wrongly. But before you write me off, first give me an opportunity to prove myself; before you judge me, wait until you have known me; wait until you have been close to me. I am not whom you think I am or should be or whom you perceive me to be. I am who I am. I am just me. Be careful. Don't judge anyone wrongly. Don't write anyone off because of his or her present condition. You don't know tomorrow; tomorrow is unpredictable; tomorrow is a bottomless ocean which is without a definite end. The journey to the place called "tomorrow" is indeed a long and tortuous journey. It is not the swift that survive and get there; it is the humble, the courageous and the persistent at heart that eventually make it.  You have seen only what I am today but you haven't seen or known what I will become tomorrow. Be wise! Be hum...

Doing good is a heavy burden on our conscience. Why is "doing good" being described as a burden? It is for the simple reason that, it is more difficult to act right and do good acts than it is to do evil acts or act wrongly. Apart from those who live false lives,denying the existence of any trace of conscience in them, we all feel guilty when we go against the dictates of our moral consciences. On the other hand, we all experience joy unspeakable and some kinds of uplifting of the spirit when we perform good deeds. To free the conscience, to relieve it of this burden and empty our minds of guilt feelings, therefore, we must strive, with unabated continuity, to do good. We will have no need to worry about any witches and wizards attacking us from our various villages as some so-called men of the cloth have had us believe) because they will see the light of our good works and glorify our father in heaven. We will have no need to go for any "special" deliverance on a...

Your Most Dangerous Enemy is You! By   Ogiri John Ogiri In your daily journeys in this life, the likelihood that you will meet one form of challenge or another is very high. Don't be surprized or scared when they come and they will always come. The reason is that, life was not designed to be a bed of roses. The creator never promised anyone a life free from stresses or challenges. In fact,he specifically told Adam, “You will have to work hard all your life to make it produce enough food for you.  It will produce weeds and thorns, and you will have to eat wild plants.You will have to work hard and sweat to make the soil produce anything, until you go back to the soil from which you were formed. You were made from soil, and you will become soil again.”(Genesis 3:17-19). The implication of the above statement is that you must work hard if you want to succeed. There is no overnight success anywhere. Unfortunately, due to distorted scriptural teachings from mate...