My Cross Is My Opportunity

By Ujunwa Patrick Okeahialam C.S.Sp.

Many people today face a host of challenges and feel they have many crosses to bear. They wonder if suffering and pain are the goals of creation and the burden of believing. In My Cross is My Opportunity, author Ujunwa Patrick Okeahialam, a Catholic priest, discusses how to overcome the obstacles and crosses and see them as opportunities.

In this spiritual reflection, he aims to make the idea of the cross less frightening. Using the example of the biblical Job, Okeahialam explains that although we remain oblivious of how some of life’s challenges come about, we have the power to choose who gets glory from the difficulties we face: God or Satan. He communicates that God does not abandon his own.

A blend of wisdom from theological insights as well as a depth of personal pastoral experience, My Cross is My Opportunity encourages Christians to see barriers as ladders and bridges that can be used to achieve divine glorification.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Sep 4, 2020
• ISBN: 9781973697916

Ujunwa Patrick Okeahialam C.S.Sp.

Ujunwa Patrick Okeahialam, C.S.Sp., PhD, is a Catholic Priest with over twenty-five years in the ministry. Born and ordained in Nigeria, he is currently serving in the United States. Fr. Uju is an eloquent preacher and enjoys intellectual discourses and writings. This is his fourth publication in the area of Spirituality.

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Copyright © 2020 Ujunwa Patrick Okeahialam, C.S.Sp.

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All Scripture quotations are taken from the New American Bible, Revised Edition. Copyright © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC. All Rights Reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-9736-9790-9 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-9792-3 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-9791-6 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2020913398

WestBow Press rev. date: 08/17/2020

CONTENTS

Preface

Acknowledgments

Foreword

Introduction

Chapter 1 Behold the Lamb of God

Chapter 2 The Cross

Chapter 3 Whose Trophy Do You Wish to Become?

Chapter 4 The Cross of Christ Is Everything

Chapter 5 Christ’s Way Is the Answer

Chapter 6 For Every True Cross There Is a Simon

Epilogue

PREFACE

T he making of this book began as a private reflection on my journey to the priesthood and the many vicissitudes in living the challenges of the ministry. I intentionally did not choose it but found myself on the path for a different reason. When I realized it would soon happen, I decided to sabotage it but very unsuccessfully. However, I continued to entertain different thoughts, dreams, and ambitions—many of which remained unfulfilled. Regardless of the series of shattered dreams in my life, the energy in ministry remained high. Regardless of my many missteps, my desire to serve remained strong. This was a source of conflict and a call to meditate because I was told it was my cross to carry.

I struggled with the idea because people ordinarily make efforts to overcome their crosses and do not run into them. Although Jesus did embrace his cross, he initially wished it would be taken away. He fell under its weight several times and ultimately died on it. The real tension for me became that I was providing a platform for my eventual demise by embracing the life of pastoral ministry.

My instinct was to answer no. Yet making sense of the intrigues and disappointments along the way was not easy to resolve. There is an Igbo adage that says, One does not pick a fire that will burn one to death. At this moment, two silver linings emerged that redefined my sense of the cross. First, the cross always represents an intersection that calls for a choice on how or where to procced. Second, it always provides an opportunity for self-redefinition—to live only for the self or for the glory of God. This is the background of the cross as an opportunity. It is not because it is desired or less painful but because the intersection it provides can be transformed with the help of grace for a higher purpose for God and for others.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

S ince this work emerged as a reflection on how to make sense of my pastoral ministry given my restless past and present, I wish to recognize the roadblocks that the hand of grace led me through. I am thankful to my younger brother Nick, who fought to prevent me from taking the entrance to the junior seminary. I am thankful for my love of soccer, which prevented my expulsion from the junior seminary but also complicated my continuation in the senior seminary. I am thankful to the seminary formators, who unknowingly led me to realize the strength of my dependence on God in the midst of obstacles. I am thankful to my superiors, whose understanding and misunderstanding of me led me along the path of self-discovery and my need to make a difference, for good, at every opportunity.

Many helped me pass through the roadblocks, and I appreciate my family’s encouragement as my journey and pastoral ministry unfolded. Like me, they all discerned and obeyed without leading me to other paths that they could have. My spiritual director, Fr. Jude Ogbenna, C.S.Sp., and formator, the late Fr. Obinna Aguh, C.S.Sp., played some unexplainable roles to keep me in line when the doors were closing on me and I thought I could no longer continue. I owe them appreciation. Not to be forgotten are Bishop Ayo-Maria Atoyebi, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, and the late Bishop Arthur Tafoya, whose unquestioning trust of me made me careful not to disappoint them in the pastoral duties entrusted to me. The same door of support has been kept open for me by Bishop Stephen Berg, and I am most grateful. To the staff and parishioners of Sacred Heart Church Alamosa, Colorado, I remain grateful, especially Ms. Sylvia Arias of the parish religious education department for always challenging me to do more in the overall faith formation of the people of the parish.

For my health, my wellbeing, and the spirit to serve, I cannot thank God enough. He conquered me, and I am happy. Last, I thank the Rev. Matthew Wertin, the diocesan vicar for New Evangelization, for his fraternal encouragement and time to pen the foreword for this piece of reflection. Not to be forgotten also is Ms. Adrianna Lopez, who took time out of her busy schedule to proofread the work and to offer clarifying suggestions. I hope this work can do for you what I discovered in my struggles—that the crosses of life can be opportunities on the path of giving glory to God and helping others to become better.

FOREWORD

R eading this publication reminded me of how St. Louis Marie de Montfort speaks about Friends of the Cross, and I realized I was hearing from one such friend. Fr. Uju, a Spiritan father, has been faithfully and fruitfully serving in our diocese for many years. He has also just celebrated his silver jubilee—twenty-five years of ordination! This is a pastor in the trenches with the people of God, and it shows. You will soon witness it for yourself.

His writing includes not only helpful wisdom about biblical/theological insights but a depth of personal experience. There are also great pastoral examples, which illustrate the points. St. Paul encourages us not to submit again to the yoke of slavery (Galatians 5:1) because Jesus Christ has offered and bestowed upon us his very own yoke, which is easy and light, giving