Homily For Saturday Twenty-Fourth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 20th September, 2025. The Memorial of St Andrew Kim Taegon and Companions

 

Readings: 1 Tm 6:13-16; Ps. 100; Luke 8:4-15

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

MAKE YOUR HEART A FERTILE GROUND FOR THE WORD OF GOD TO BEAR FRUIT

Our disposition towards whatever we do in life determines how successful we can be. And experience has shown that people’s disposition varies depending on where their interests are based. Therefore, to be fruitful in whatever we do, we must develop the right disposition towards it. Knowing how important this is in understanding his mission, Jesus, in our Gospel reading today, used the parable of the sower to describe different kinds of human disposition and response towards the Word of God.

He said, A sower went out to sow his seed. As he sowed, some fell on the edge of the path and were trampled on; and the birds of the air ate it up. Some seed fell on rock, and when it came up it withered away, having no moisture. Some seed fell amongst thorns and the thorns grew with it and choked it. And some seed fell into rich soil and grew and produced its crop a hundredfold.’ Saying this he cried, ‘Listen, anyone who has ears to hear!’

In this parable, Jesus categorised our different dispositions towards the Word of God in relation to our interior life. Thereby giving us the guidelines that will help us to examine our attitudes towards the seed of God’s Word, whether our soul is like dry rocky ground, whether our soul is full of the thorns of the things of this passage world or do we regularly seek to nourish our soul and prepare it to receive the Holy Word of God? So we are called to create a fertile disposition within our hearts to do the will of God.

This is important because today and even in the scriptures, many hear the words of Jesus and do not understand it because of wrong disposition, for instance in the scriptures we have the religious leaders who are against the teachings of Jesus, the crowds that responded positively to Jesus, especially to his miracles of healing, yet turned against him at the end and demanded his crucifixion.

Some disciples, such as Judas, might also be included among those who fell away when trouble or persecution came on account of the Word. The rich young man, who was unable to part with his possessions, provides a clear example of one who hears the word, but the love for the passing things of this world and the lure of wealth choked the word, and it yielded nothing.

Also, what about the good soil? These are those who hear the Word, understand and internalise it, who indeed bear fruit and yield an abundant harvest. Our mother Mary and the apostles, excluding Judas, are good examples of such people. Therefore, the different kinds of ground on which the seed falls represent different ways by which we receive the Word of God. And St. Paul in our first readings today says: I charge you to keep the commandment unstained with no faults or failures, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Here, St Paul reminds us of our basic Christian faith, which teaches that, for us to rise with Christ, we must first die to ourselves. That is, those things which lead us to the ways of this world must die, and we must be reborn to the life of faith. Then we will rise with Christ and share his glory, just as we read in the parable of the Sower.

For the Sower being Christ himself, teaches us how to manage the challenges of life in order to yield a rich harvest of faith and attain eternal joy of heaven, just like St. Andrew Kim Taegon and Companions whose memorial we celebrate today. For they gave up their lives during the persecution of Christians in Korea as a light of faith for the people and so illuminated the darkness of sin and wickedness.

Dear friends, today, our hearts are the fields in which the Word of God is scattered, to which do our hearts belong? The pathway, the rocky ground, the thorns or the good soil? Whichever one, we are called to pay attention and take some time to appreciate God’s Word in our lives by allowing it to bear solid roots in us and germinate to bear great fruits

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, we are often distracted from hearing and assimilating your Word we hear every day, give us grace to remain open to receiving your Word, so as to bear fruit abundantly. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a blessed and peaceful weekend.

Homily For Friday Twenty-Fourth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 19th September, 2025

  

Readings: 1Tim. 6:2-12; Ps. 49; Luke 8:1-3

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

HOW  ARE YOU CONTRIBUTING TOWARDS THE MISSIONARY MANDATE OF CHRIST? 

In his mission to save humanity, Jesus involved a lot of people, some he called to follow him, some desired to follow him but could not, while some decided to follow him because of their personal experience of him and what they could gain from him. 

But only a few followed him in order to provide for him and contribute towards the success of his mission. This is the disposition and personality of those involved in the mission of Christ in our Gospel passage today. 

For when Jesus made his way through towns and villages preaching, and proclaiming the Good News of the kingdom of God. He went with his twelve disciples whom he had called, as well as certain women who had experienced him personally through his divine healing and deliverance. Along with these groups are several others who provided for them out of their own resources. 

This Gospel passage actually points out the nature of the mission of the Church in proclaiming the word of God and our part in this mission. Thus, we are reminded of how God has called us to follow Christ and contribute to the salvation of humanity. 

 St. Paul, in our first reading, tells us that we must learn to sacrifice for the mission, knowing that the love of money is the root of all evils, and there are some who, pursuing it, have wandered away from the faith, and so given their souls several numbers of fatal wounds. 

But, as people dedicated to God, we must avoid all that. We must aim to be saintly and religious, filled with faith and love, patient and gentle. We must fight the good fight of the faith and win for ourselves eternal life.

Thus, as children of eternal life, we are judged worthy of a place in the heavenly Kingdom. So, we are fully involved in the mission of Christ. For there are men and women of our time who give themselves to noble causes. They give themselves to the service of others: they are those who see to the good of others and contribute to the growth of God’s Kingdom just like the women in our Gospel passage today. 

These are people of noble cause, like parents who teach their children the ways of the Lord by their practical way of life, like people who help the weak and the vulnerable, like friends who speak the truth and stand by it and political and Church leaders, who renounce power rather than compromise principles and use every opportunity they have to evangelize the people.

Dear friends, are we really part of this mission of Christ? In what ways are we supporting the mission of the Church? Are we ready to contribute towards this mission through our way of life? Do we desire to be part of this mission but lack the courage and discipline? 

Do we think that this mission is not for us? The fact remains that as baptised persons, it is our obligation to carry out this mission, and it is not optional. It is an obligation we must carry out irrespective of our status, position, environment and deposition.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, the women in our Gospel today were involved in your mission and contributed towards the success of your evangelisation because they had experienced your love and mercy and wished to reciprocate this love. Help us to also realise how much of your love and mercy we have enjoyed and so be disposed to embrace and contribute to the mission of our salvation. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a blessed day.

Homily For Thursday, Twenty-Fourth Week in Ordinary Time, Year C, 18th September 2025

 

Readings: 1Tim. 4: 12-16; Ps.111; Luke 7:36-50

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

BECAUSE SHE LOVES MORE HER MANY SINS ARE FORGIVEN

Oftentimes, we are quick to judge and condemn other people; we are quick to identify their sins without looking at our own sinful ways. We find it difficult to accept that something good can come out of people we have labelled as sinners in society. But this is not the same as Jesus in our Gospel passage today, who welcomes sinners and shows them mercy and kindness.

That is why when one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to a meal in his house, and when they are at table, a woman came in, who had a bad name in the town and brought with her an alabaster jar of ointment and begin to weep and her tears fell on the feet of Jesus, and she wiped them away with her hair; kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment as she expressed her gratitude for mercy received.

But the Pharisees, instead of rejoicing on account of this woman's repentance, confined their thoughts to her former ugly and sinful ways of life. Then with a parable, Jesus demonstrated that the greater a sinner, the greater the love he/she ought to show to God when he/she receives mercy and is pardoned.

Little wonder Jesus told Simon the Pharisee, I came into your house, and you poured no water over my feet, but she has poured out her tears over my feet and wiped them away with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but she has been covering my feet with kisses ever since I came in. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. For this reason, I tell you that her many sins have been forgiven, for she loved much.

This tells us that we are all sinners and debtors before God. Though some sinners are greater debtors, whether our debt be more or less, it is more than we can pay. But God is always ready to forgive us and the more we express our sorrow for sin, the more our love for Christ grows.

Thus, St. Paul in our first reading said “do not let people disregard you because you are young, but be an example to the believers in the way you speak and behave, and in your love, your faith and your purity, do not let your spiritual gifts lie unused.

Dear friends, how do we present ourselves before God? Are we like the Pharisees, who always talk about other people’s sins without minding our own sinfulness? Are we carried away by the things around us and so forget the right things we ought to do?

Are we like the woman in our Gospel, who came before the presence of Jesus with a heart of gratitude and thanksgiving for the mercy and pardon received? Today, we are called to learn how to show appreciation for the mercy and pardon we receive always from our heavenly Father.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we thank you for your graces and mercy which is beyond human imagination, for it is by your grace that we are what we are today, teach us how to be more willing to forgive others as we recognize our own need for God's forgiveness and so learn how to love more, we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a fruitful day.

Homily For Wednesday, Twenty-Fourth Week in Ordinary Time, Year C, 17th September 2025

 

Readings: 1Tim. 3:14-16; Ps.111; Luke 7:31-35

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

LET US LEARN TO TAKE THE WORD OF GOD SERIOUSLY

Reflecting on the disposition of humanity today towards the Word of God, I can not help but ask myself questions about our faith in God, whom we often claim to love and belong to. This is because, despite all the articles of faith and evidence in both scriptures and historical tradition, we still do not have a good grasp of who God really is in our lives. 

This very disposition is always the case with every generation and this is what Jesus is addressing in our Gospel passage today when he said: What description can I find for the men of this generation? What are they like? They are like children shouting to one another while they sit in the marketplace: “We played the pipes for you, and you wouldn’t dance; we sang dirges, and you wouldn’t cry.” 

For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a possessed; the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners! Here Jesus made us know that the problem with this generation is that we have failed to listen to either the message of John the Baptist or that of Jesus. 

No doubt that John’s uncommon lifestyle made people accuse him of having a demon, while Jesus’ habit of eating and drinking with sinners affected his reputation among the Jews. But Jesus made us know that his generation finds reason to take offence at both John and Jesus himself. 

So, Jesus compares those who are rejecting his message to that of children in the marketplace who cannot decide whether they want to play a wedding song or a funeral song, but can’t get the people to dance when the tune is piped. For they played their pipes, and expect others to dance; they beat their breasts in lamentation, and expect others to weep. They complain if others do not comply with their demands

To such a company, Jesus refers as an evil generation in which he and John the Baptist found themselves. Just as in our own generation today, some people have refused to repent when challenged by the teachings of John the Baptist and some people also refused to join the celebrations of Jesus and to take his message seriously.

Dear friends, what is our attitude towards the Word of God we hear every day? Why have we failed to take the Word of God seriously? Why have we failed to embrace the article of faith made available for us by the Lord in our scriptures? Why do we take for granted the signs and messages the Lord is giving us?

Little wonder we heard St. Paul in our first reading today saying: I want you to know how people ought to behave in God’s family – that is, in the Church of the living God, which upholds the truth and keeps it safe. Without any doubt, the mystery of our religion is very deep indeed: He was made visible in the flesh, attested by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed to the pagans, believed in by the world, taken up in glory.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, enkindle in us once again the fire of your love, so that we may embrace your message and so become your great servants dedicating our lives and service to loving you and our neighbours. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.  Have a lovely day.

Homily For Tuesday, Twenty-Fourth Week in Ordinary Time, Year C, 16th September, 2025, The Memorial of SS. Cornelius and Cyprian

  

Reading: 1Tim. 3:1-13; Ps. 101; Luke 7:11-17

Rev.  Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

DO NOT CRY THE LORD WILL RESTORE EVERYTHING FOR YOU 

Pondering on the struggles, fears, tears, disappointments and betrayals that people are passing through every day just to survive in this world, especially in our country, Nigeria. How some people have lost hope in themselves and even in everything they do, just like the widow of Nain in our Gospel today who had lost her only son, her only hope, the only thing she had. But it pleased God to restore her joy even when all hope had gone. 

For we heard that when Jesus saw the woman he felt sorry for her and said: ‘Do not cry’. Then he went up and put his hand on the bier and the bearers stood still, and he said, ‘Young man, I tell you to get up.’ And the dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him to his mother. Everyone was filled with awe and praised God saying, ‘A great prophet has appeared among us; God has visited his people.

Here we see the compassionate heart of Jesus for the widow and the restoration of her son. This will let us know that God, at an appointed time, will restore our lost hope and confidence again so that we will know that he, the Lord, is our God. He made us, and we belong to him, for eternal is his merciful love, and he is faithful from age to age.

Dear friends, I don’t know what you are going through now. I don’t know what seems to be lost in your life or your family. I don’t know how bad things have become for you now. One thing I know is that God has not abandoned you. God has not forgotten you. Your time has come, it may be today, this month, this year or very suddenly, just like the widow. 

All we need to do is to pay attention to what St. Paul is telling us in our first reading today as regards what should be the character of a good leader when he said: To want to be a presiding elder is to want to do noble work. That is why the president must have an impeccable character. He must not have been married more than once, and he must be temperate, discreet and courteous, hospitable and a good teacher; not a heavy drinker, nor hot-tempered, but kind and peaceable.

Therefore, what God wants from us is to be a good person even in the midst of all the challenges we face every day. So as you go about your activities today, know that God has not forgotten you, cheer up, for God understands what you are passing through, and as it pleases him, he is just waiting for the right time to restore your joy and bless you. 

This is what we see in the lives of Pope Cornelius and Cyprian whose memorial we celebrate today. For they were holy servants of God who dedicated their lives to the service of God and for the love of God and their neighbour. And for this they died as martyrs under great persecution, of which they stood firm in their faith and hope which is rooted in their love of God and neighbours.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, as we struggle with our daily challenges, may we experience your saving help and so be a shining splendour in our family, society and in the world at large. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a fruitful day.

Homily For Monday, Twenty-Fourth Week in Ordinary Time, Year C, 15th September, 2025. The Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows

 

Readings: 1Tm 2:1-8; Ps.28; John 19:25-27

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

LEARN TO BEAR YOUR SORROWS OF LIFE

In life, we encounter ugly events and challenges that cause us sorrows and tears. And oftentimes we don't know how to manage those moments. Just yesterday, we celebrated the exaltation and triumph of the Holy Cross; today, we are celebrating the sorrows of our Blessed Mother, who experienced a great sorrow at the suffering and death of her Son, who suffered grievously for the sins and faults of others and for the sake of the redemption of all humanity.

So as we commemorate our Lady's greatest sorrows: beginning with the prophecy of Simeon in the temple, her flight into Egypt with the infant Jesus, the loss of Jesus at the age of 12 in Jerusalem, Mary's encounter with her son Jesus on his way to Calvary, his crucifixion, death and burial. In fact, our Gospel passage today tells us that Jesus, seeing his mother and the disciple he loved standing near her, said to his mother, ‘Woman, this is your son. Then to the disciple he said, ‘This is your mother.’

Thus, from that moment, the disciple made a place for her in his home. This very action may seem so easy for those who have not experienced the painful torture that comes from witnessing the suffering of their loved ones. But for those who have experienced such torture, especially our good mothers, we will understand better that it is harder to watch the pains and suffering of your loved ones than to bear our own pains.

So, we can now understand the situation and condition our Lady was passing through for the sake of obedience to God’s will as she watched Jesus suffer for our redemption. Little wonder in our first reading we are told that there is only one God, and there is only one mediator between God and mankind, himself a man, Christ Jesus, who sacrificed himself as a ransom for them all.

Dear friends, I don’t know what kind of sorrows you are carrying in your hearts. Is it the sorrows caused by the ugly situation in your life, your family, your place of work, your inability to achieve your goals and dreams in like manner? Or is it sorrows caused by other people, or caused by mistakes of your past, the ugly ways of life? Whatever and however deep the sorrows are, today we are called to learn how to bear our sorrows of life patiently, like Mary, by linking them to the will of God.

Let us learn how to present our sorrows and problems to God in prayer by raising up our minds and hearts to him, and since he promised that he will teach us the way we should go, instruct us, and advise us. Let us listen to what he is calling us to do and ensure we do them just like our Mother Mary, because the Lord Jesus speaks to us from the depths of our heart, and he desires that we listen to him whenever we pray and associate our sorrows with his own, just like Mary, our mother.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, there are so many sorrows in our lives, and people are doing all they can to overcome them. Through the intercession of Our Lady of Sorrows, may we experience your love and help us to know the best ways to bear our sorrows patiently. We asked this through Christ our Lord. Amen. God bless you.

Homily For Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C, 14th September, 2025. The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

 

Readings: Num. 21:4-9, Ps . 78, Phil.2:6-11, John 3:13-17

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

THE HOLY CROSS A SYMBOL OF THE SACRIFICIAL LOVE OF CHRIST FOR HUMANITY

A lot of people in our societies today put on the cross without knowing the true meaning of the cross and what it represents. They just feel that the cross is a fashionable object that makes them look good and feel important, but this is not the case because the cross is more than that. Today we celebrate the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. This feast is so important to our Christian faith because the Holy Cross is a symbol of the sacrificial victory of our faith.

This Feast began when St. Helena discovered the relic of the true Cross on which Jesus was crucified, which was preserved in Jerusalem. A sacred relic that represents the mystery of the unending love of God for humanity. Though the cross in the eyes of early Christians had no beauty, it was a sign of sorrow, a symbol of courage, an expression of faith which stood outside the city walls, decorated only with decaying corpses of Christ's faithful who died for their faith in Christ. They are left on the cross as a threat to anyone who believes in Jesus.

But today, the cross has become the universal image of Christian belief, an instrument of salvation which often appears in Christian artworks and countless generations of artists have turned it into a thing of beauty to be carried in procession or worn as jewellery and other religious activities. Here we can see how this ugly event has turned into a glorious act, which shows the power of God over evil. For God is the source of victory, he has the power to turn an ugly situation into a glorious one through the power of love.

Little wonder our Gospel passage today, talks about the relationship between God and the world. Telling us that God loves the world and the humanity living in it. He loves it so much that he gave his only Son, who died a shameful and terrible death on a cross for the sake of his love.

God loves the whole world and his love is total and unconditional for every one of his creatures. For God reveals his love, his greatest glory, when his Son was lifted up on the cross, for there the victory of our salvation was achieved, and at the cross, Jesus tells us everything and solves all our difficult problems.

Just like the Israelites in our first reading, who had sinned against God and were punished on account of their sins, complained as they asked Moses to intercede for them, and God said to Moses, Make a fiery serpent and put it on a standard. If anyone is bitten and looks at it, he shall live. This very symbol is a prefiguration of the Cross of Christ.

And St. Paul in our second reading tells us that though Jesus in the form of God, but he humbled himself by accepting death on a Cross and God exalted him and gave him the name which is above all other names, so that all beings in the heavens, on earth and in the underworld, should bend the knee at the name of Jesus to the glory of God the Father.

Dear friends, as we reflect and celebrate the exaltation of the Holy Cross and its saving power in our Christian life, let us deeply look at the Cross. What do we see? How do we feel about the Cross? What does the Cross represent in our lives? Do we feel the love of Jesus expressed for us on the Cross?

Can we perceive the expensive price of our salvation? We are called today to tell the world how deeply God has loved us. We are to demonstrate this love to the world and let this love be felt by those who have lost hope in God especially at this time when humanity is struggling with the ugly situation of inflation and political crisis.

Therefore, let us extend this love in any form, gestures or manner possible to everywhere that it is lacking. A kind word, a single phone call, a text message, an act of forgiveness, a single prayer, sacrifice, patience and any form of generous act shown to anyone around you or as many people you can reach out today, can reflect this love of God for humanity through us, for we are the face of God’s love now, we are the channels of his Mercy and compassion.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, as we celebrate the feast of the exaltation of the Holy Cross, may we experience once again the power of your love for humanity, and give us the grace to reciprocate this love in the world by our way of life, using the gifts, the talents and resources you have given us. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Happy Feast Day to all the priests and lay faithful of the Archdiocese of Lagos.