Ordained in 2003 for the Archdiocese of Ibadan, Nigeria, Amole was sent overseas, first to Rome to study and then to Canada. Amole is now based in the Archdiocese of Toronto at Immaculate Conception parish in Sutton West, Ont.
Amole is the author of Light Unto My Path: Forty Biblical Reflections (Lulu Publishing Services, 133 pages, $15.57), a culmination of six years work completed when he turned 40 and celebrated 10 years as a priest.
Amole chose 40 reflections because of the number’s significance in Scripture. In the Old Testament, Moses spent 40 days and nights on Mount Sinai before receiving the 10 Commandments, the people of Israel were fed manna for 40 years, Elijah’s journey to Mount Horeb took 40 days and David reigned Israel for 40 years. In the New Testament, Jesus fasted for 40 days and nights and then appeared to disciples over a span of 40 years after His resurrection.
The Catholic faith is rooted in the Scriptures, said Amole.
“The greatest desire I want for people to take away or to have when they read that book is to have a greater love for Jesus because Jesus is the culmination of the Scriptures.”
The number one lesson he wants readers to take with them as they travel through his reflections is that “the Word of God indeed enlightens us, it enlightens our path... that the Word of God is actually composed of the sacred tradition and the sacred Scripture,” he said. “As St. Jerome would say, the ignorance of the Scriptures is the ignorance of Christ. So a good Catholic couldn’t possibly talk about knowing his faith and being in love with Christ and with God without reflecting and dwelling on the Scriptures.”
Amole views his book as his personal contribution to the New Evangelization. He also sees it as a way to combat the misconception that Catholics do not read the Bible or value the Word of God.
“That is not the truth because as you know very well, the Scripture forms part of the liturgy that the Catholic participates in every day,” he said. “This is my own way of emphasizing the Scriptures and reaching out to the modern man as part of the New Evangelization, to let people know that indeed Catholics think most important are the readings and reflections of the Bible.”
Chapters are brief, typically spanning no more than three pages, so they will be quick to read, meaningful without being boring.
“In our sometimes consumerist, very fast world, we find it difficult to communicate very important messages to people because they find it too long,” he said, calling his reflections “inviting” and relevant.
Topics include following the Father’s will, freedom from fear, the beauty of the different, the existence of God, suffering, the source of joy and much more.
Before coming to Canada, Amole studied moral theology in Rome and in Nigeria served as secretary to his bishop, who wanted him to gain pastoral experience overseas. Canada seemed the right fit. Amole has family in Ontario and Nigeria has an English-speaking culture, so he already spoke the language.
“The language is important, you’re able to minister, you’re able to have a great connection with the people who speak the same language with you. I think that also encouraged me in making a choice of where I want to minister pastorally before I go back home,” he said. He’s lived in Canada for two years.
“Being a priest while in Canada is the same thing as being a priest elsewhere. You minister to the people of God.” However, “there is a lot of diversity and the ability to be able to reach out to different people, different languages,” said Amole. “This in a way paints the beauty of the Church, actually, because that’s what the Church is, a universal Church, a Catholic Church. You can see that correlation between the people of Canada and the Catholic faith in the universality... being able to reach out to everybody just as they are. I find this interesting and I think that’s unique.”
Light Unto My Path is available on Amazon.ca and LuLu.com or by contacting Immaculate Conception/Our Lady of the Lake Parish via e-mail parish@immaculateconception.on.ca or phone (905) 476-0097.