Homily For Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C, 31st August, 2025

 

Readings: Sir. 3:17-20.28-29; Ps.68; Heb. 12:18-19.22-24; Luke 14:1.7-14

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

WHEN YOU FAIL TO BE HUMBLE SITUATIONS OF LIFE WILL TEACH YOU HOW TO BE

One of the virtues that is lacking in our societies today is humility. This virtue is really lacking in our society today because pride has become a way of life, which most people wish to embrace. Hence, we often hear people saying in a very proud way, Do you know who I am? By the time I finish with you then you will fear me. We hear people taking all sorts of honorific titles, whether merited or not, for they want to be addressed and recognised so gloriously at every public event.

This should not be our attitude or disposition, for Jesus in our Gospel passage today, while addressing the Pharisees, told us a parable about humility, saying: When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take your seat in the place of honour. A more distinguished person than you may have been invited, and the person who invited you both may come and say, “Give up your place to this man.” And then, to your embarrassment, you would have to go and take the lowest place. 

No; when you are a guest, make your way to the lowest place and sit there, so that, when your host comes, he may say, “My friend, move up higher.” In that way, everyone with you at the table will see you honoured. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the man who humbles himself will be exalted.’

Here, we see the importance of humility, we see how humility can help to elevate someone from nothingness to something great. Pride can bring down the mighty into nothingness. Little wonder we are advised in our first reading today saying: My son, be gentle in carrying out your business, and you will be better loved than a lavish giver. 

The greater you are, the more humble you should behave, and then you will find favour with the Lord; for great though the power of the Lord is, he accepts the homage of the humble. There is no cure for the proud man’s affliction, since an evil growth has taken root in him.

The truth is that humility is not a way of glory, but a road of surrender that leads to passion and death of oneself. It is a way of sacrifice, a service to others at the price of self-sacrifice. That is why many people do not want to be humble. 

Hence, we heard in our second reading today that we have come to Mount Zion and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem where the millions of angels have gathered for the festival, with the whole Church in which everyone is a ‘first-born son’ and a citizen of heaven. So to be a citizen of heaven we must be humble just like Jesus.

Dear friends, we must learn to be humble now before the forces of life humble us. Though it may seem so difficult to embrace the virtue of humility, especially in our society today, this virtue has a lot to offer us both as individuals and as a group. In fact, our world needs humble men and women, because a good society is built on all kinds of commendable virtues such as humility. 

Humble leaders are modest about their success and make it known to everyone that their failures don’t define them. Humility is a grace that attracts more grace. For pride closes the door to spiritual growth, but humility opens the door of our lives more to God's grace. To the humble, God gives patience, peace, and gentleness. 

A humble person is teachable, Influenceable, willing to accept corrections without defending his or herself, a humble person rejoices when others are celebrated, no position can be too small for a humble person. A humble person doesn’t always have to be right, but naturally seeks the advice of others. 

A humble person easily admits his own mistakes, and failures and wishes to help others succeed. A humble person has a grateful attitude and is not easily offended. He or she can be quick to forgive and not hold grudges or have a sense of entitlement from someone; rather, he or she is confident and content with what he or she has. 

Therefore, it is time for us to put off our old self which is led by pride, arrogance, conceit and deception. For pride, as we know, is the first capital sin that destroys every other virtue. Hence, we have to put on a new person born of humility, love, compassion, contentment, purity, forgiveness etc. 

So let us work hard to add more virtues in our activities and behaviour, for blessed are those who are virtuous, for they easily solve their problems, and the fruit of the virtue grows in the soil of humility. Thus, why not try humility in solving those difficult and challenging moments in your life? Just try to be humble because it works like a miracle.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, we have often failed to follow the example of Christ’s humility which he has taught us. As we are reminded once again of the need to be humble, give us the grace to truly be humble at any level we find ourselves, we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a fruitful Sunday celebration.

Homily For Saturday, Twenty-First Week in Ordinary Time, Year C, 30th August, 2025

 

Readings: 1Thess.4:9-11; Ps.98; Matt.25:14-30

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

WHAT IS YOUR GOD GIVEN TALENT AND HOW ARE YOU USING It? 

There is no doubt in my mind that God has a plan for everyone of us, for each person has been given a special talent according to his/her ability in order to fulfil that plan, just as we heard in the parable in our Gospel passage today since everyone is special, unique and a masterpiece. 

In this parable, a man who was going on a journey summoned his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to the third one; each in proportion to his ability to utilise it until he comes back. 

Here, Jesus is telling us that we have all been given gifts by God which we must account for. If we use these gifts wisely for our own benefit and the benefit of others, we will grow and blossom. If, on the other hand, we fail to use them just like the third servant, we remain dormant and unsuccessful. 

But what is this talent all about? The talent may represent different physical and spiritual gifts of God, but its basic foundation is the love of God towards us, the love that God has shown to us, which needs to be reciprocated through an active love for our neighbours. 

So, this parable teaches us that our gifts are meant to be put to use, in the service of God and humanity, especially the poor. Our service to God should not be done grudgingly or fearfully, but generously, and with the willingness to take risks in responding to God's mandate. 

We must be ready to lose our lives in order to find them. God wants us to use the individual talents given to us to make a difference in the world, not to relax into our comfort zone doing nothing with them. God wants the best from us and when we have given our best, we receive more from him. 

However, we often find it difficult to discover our talents or to accept the one God has given to us because we have failed to embrace love. Little wonder St. Paul in our first reading says: “As for loving our brothers, there is no need for anyone to write to us about that, since we have learnt from God how to love one another”.

Dear friends, what is your talent? Have you put it to full use? Or have you buried it out of fear, ignorance and shame? For we are called today to search and discover our talent, to discover love and invest on it in order to achieve the purpose by which we are created just like the first two servants in the parable of the talents who utilized the talents given to them Therefore, we are reminded that we are going to give an account before God and the real tragedy of life is not in being limited to one talent but in failure to use that one talent properly.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, you have given us a special talent according to our ability in order to fulfil your plans for us. Help us to discover our talents and utilise them in such a way that it will lead us to love you and our neighbours, especially the poor, and so attain eternal life. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a fruitful weekend.

Homily For Friday Twenty-First Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 29th August, 2025. The Memorial of The Beheading of St. John the Baptist

 

Readings: 1Thess.4:1-8; Ps.97; Mark 6:17-29

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

THE HEAD OF JOHN THE BAPTIST, THE PRICE FOR TRUTH 

In our society today, people hate to hear the sound of the word truth. I wonder why people often tremble when they hear the word ‘truth’? This is because it makes the world tremble since most things in the world are built on falsehood and deceit, and people are becoming comfortable with falsehood as a way of life. In fact, throughout the history of the world, mankind has been seeking to know the truth, but when confronted by the truth, they reject it outright.

Almost two thousand years ago, Truth was put on trial and was judged and condemned by people who were devoted to lies. But in each generation, truth always manifests itself to the world through people who have paid the price of truth with their lives. This is obvious in our world today, especially with the ugly situation in our societies, where humanity is placed in perpetual darkness of corruption, greed and confusion, as the voices that speak the truth are silenced by all means. 

Today people don’t want to be transparent and honest in their dealings with others and even with themselves. They don't want anybody to remind them of the hard truth about the realities of life and they can do anything just to silence the truth. Thus, the cost of speaking the truth has become so expensive that sometimes it costs the life of an individual or even a whole community. It is even more demanding when the truth to be told has to do with someone in authority.

This is the case with John the Baptist whom we celebrate the memorial of his Martyrdom. In our Gospel passage today, we heard how his head was the prize for the truth he told to Herod and Herodias. Before now, Herod had arrested John and put him in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife. John had told him that it was against the Law for him to have his brother’s wife. Herod had wanted to kill John but was afraid of the people, who regarded him as a prophet. 

But, on the occasion of Herod’s birthday, the daughter of Herodias danced before the company, and so delighted Herod that he promised with an oath to give her anything she asked. She conspired with the mother and demanded the head of John the Baptist. The king was distressed, but thinking of the oaths he had sworn and of his guests, he ordered John to be beheaded and the head be given to the girl, who took it to her mother. 

Here, Herod made a bad decision, which, out of pride, he found it difficult to change his mind and admit that he was wrong. He did not plan to execute John that night. He was persuaded by Herodias to do so because he was a weak man. He was a slave to other people’s opinions, for he feared the people who revered John; he also feared the reaction of his guests if he should retract his oath.

These ugly attitudes towards John the Baptist prefigured what they did to Jesus in his Passion, demonstrating how good people, especially when they struggle for truth and justice, are often condemned to suffer at the hands of greed and powerful people. 

This same terrible crime is what people are facing every day in our families, communities, country and the world at large. For this same reason, a lot of people have died, some will still die, and some will continue to suffer because of the truth they have spoken to the enemies of truth.  

 But should we stop speaking the truth because of fear of losing our lives? I don't think so, because truth saves life, it brings freedom, it releases tension, it brings peace, and it settles quarrels and disputes. Truth is the freedom that must be offered to everyone, whoever, whenever and however it will best bring conversion to its enemies, just like John the Baptist did to Herod and Herodias even at the expense of his life. 

Little wonder St. Paul in our first reading urged and appealed to us in the Lord Jesus to make more and more progress in the kind of life that you are meant to live: He warns us to keep away from fornication for we have been called by God to be holy, not to be immoral like the pagans do.  

Dear friends, why do we prefer lies and deception over truth? How far can we stand the cost of speaking the truth amid influential and ‘powerful' people? Like Herod, how often do we make bad decisions out of pride and fail to reverse them? When we make such bad decisions, how quickly are we able to change our minds, to admit that we are wrong? Also, are we like Herodias who is waiting for an opportunity to silence the innocents who confront us with the truth? 

If today we happen to be one of the guests of Herod, what would be our reaction? Will I have protested or stayed silent? Thus, what do we do when we see others suffering injustice? Do we have the courage to speak up, even at the cost of losing, our job, our position, our vocation, friends and even our lives? Today, we are called to speak the truth, for the world needs to hear the truth no matter the cost.

LET US PRAY:  Lord God, it is difficult to speak and stand for truth in our world today.  But St. John the Baptist died for the truth he spoke to Herod. Through his intercession, grant us the grace and courage to become the instruments of your word in truth and deeds, and so speak the truth always to humanity, no matter the cost. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Wishing you a fruitful day.

Homily For Thursday, Twenty-First Week in Ordinary Time, Year C, 28th August, 2025. The Memorial of St Augustine

 

Readings: 1Thess. 3:7-13; Ps.90; Matt.24:42-51

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

WHY WE MUST STAY AWAKE FOR THE DAY OF THE LORD?

As a human person, there are two most important events in our lives. One is well-known, prepared, and is constantly celebrated, that is, our birthday. The other, which is the ultimate, is not known, and less attention and preparation are being made for it, that is, the day of our death.

So, Jesus, knowing how important this day is, instructed his disciples in our Gospel passage saying: “Stay awake, because you do not know the day when the Lord is coming. You may be quite sure of this that if the householder had known at what time of the night the burglar would come, he would have stayed awake and would not have allowed anyone to break through the wall of his house. Therefore, you too must stand ready because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

In this passage, we have two commands at the beginning and at the end, which are not quite the same. The first command is based on God’s coming at a “day” when we do not know and the second is in an “hour” you do not expect, that is to say that it will be uncertain, unexpected and surprising.

Just like the householder’s ignorance of the time when the thief would come is the reason why he does not watch. He cannot keep awake all night, and every night, to be ready for him; so he has to go to sleep, and then he is robbed.

Thus our ignorance of the day and time is the reason for our watchfulness, because we can keep awake all the night of our life just like the householder watches to prevent being robbed. So the image of the thief is chosen to illustrate the unexpected approach of the second coming of Christ, which will be a great surprise to those who are asleep, as they will be robbed of Heaven and also deprived of their earthly treasures.

But the Lord's coming will be a happy day for those who shall be found awake and ready, while it will be very dreadful for those who are not prepared. Thus, St. Paul in our first reading today prayed that we may so confirm our hearts in holiness that we may be blameless in the sight of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus Christ comes with all his saints.

Dear friends, today we are called to be ready, we are called to repentance, we are called to embrace the new life the Lord is offering us. We are called to a life of constant struggle towards perfection in order to embrace the Lord whenever he comes.

Therefore, preparation is the keyword. Let us not be deceived when the world suggests to us that the day of death is not coming soon and so forget who we are, and then, the day and time will take us by surprise. Rather, let us be like that wise servant who is prepared at all times for the coming of the master.

This is what we see in the life of St Augustine, whose memorial we celebrate today, for when he realised that the best way to be prepared is to love God and neighbours. So, he devoted all his life to writing about love, telling us that true happiness is found in interior living and not in material things we possess. He embraced God and became a great instrument in preparing humanity towards the kingdom of God.

LET US PRAY, Lord God, today you ask us to be ready for your coming, increase in us the desire to be prepared and ready for that inevitable event of death, so that whenever it comes, it will not be a shock to us, we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. It's a lovely day, may God bless your efforts and grant success to the works of your hands.

Homily For Wednesday, Twenty-First Week in Ordinary Time, Year C, 27th August 2025. The Memorial of St. Monica

 

Readings: 1 Thess.2:9-13, Ps 139, Matt 23:27-32

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

DON’T LIVE A LIFE OF WHITEWASHED TOMB

In our society today, the word “packaging” is one of the popular terminologies used by people to describe how they make things that are not too good to look extremely good, and this has a serious negative effect on our society today, as we have actually lost focus on how we ought to do things. Thus, most people and things that appear to be good to us are not really what we think they are. 

For most people and the things we see are like whitewashed tombs which outwardly appear beautiful and draws the admiration of people, but within it are full of dead man's bones and all sorts of corruption just the way Jesus described the attitude and life style of Scribes and Pharisees in the Gospel passage, when he addressed their attitude which is not far from what we have today in our societies.

This is because the scribes and the Pharisees are interested mostly in the external beauty of things around them while neglecting the essence. They are self-satisfied and think that they are above the law. They look good from the outside but ugly and dirty within. They neglected the deeper things around them. 

They are interested only in worldly goods and not the things of the heart like justice, mercy, love and compassion. So Jesus challenged them as he challenges us to change our ugly ways of life, to change from within us. This is very difficult to change. Nevertheless, we need to change in so many ways especially as regards our attitude towards things of this passing world.

Dear friends, we might not feel very comfortable with the idea of Jesus rebuking and uttering terrible words of admonition to the Scribes and Pharisees. But the questions we need to ask ourselves are: Have we really embraced the Word of God we hear every day? Is the Word bearing fruit in our lives? 

Can we recognise in this fragile condition in our society, the great deeds that Jesus is doing to save humanity and the need to turn back to God by changing our ugly life of whitewashed tomb? Hence, Jesus is saying woe to us for failing to embrace and live out the Gospel teachings, because he seems to expect some sort of change in us when we hear his Words or when we encounter him in prayer. 

This is what we see in the life of St Monica, whose memorial we celebrate today, for she devoted her life and talents to praying for the conversion of her son Augustine. She once said to him: “Son, one thing there was, for which I desired to remain still a little longer in this life, that I should see you a Catholic Christian before I died. This God has granted me in superabundance, in that I see you his servant to the contempt of all worldly happiness. What, then, am I doing here?”

Therefore, God is calling us to repentance; He wants to come into our souls and dwell. But he cannot dwell in a heart that is like a whitewashed tomb. Thus, Jesus is rebuking all humanity, he wants us to stop living a life of packaging, deception and corruption.  

This is what St. Paul is telling us in our first reading today when he said, You can remember how we taught you what was right, encouraging you and appealing to you to live a life worthy of God, who is calling you to share the glory of his kingdom. 

Hence, if we believe in God and put our trust in Him, we will have the assurance and guarantee of restoration, for God does not want us to suffer the consequences of our sins; that is why He keeps reminding us about the upcoming danger. But, if humanity constantly refuses to change, we will end up in self-destruction. 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we are living in a world of whitewashed tombs, help us to be wise enough to discern and not be carried away or be distracted by the beauty of the whitewashed tombs we see in most people and in things around the world today. And as we struggle with the events of life, may God guide and direct our paths. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. God bless you.

Homily For Tuesday, Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time, Year C, 26th August, 2025

Readings: 1Thes 2:1-8; Ps.139; Matt.23:23-26

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

THE DANGER OF BEING A BLIND AND HYPOCRITICAL LEADER

God created humanity to be managers of all that He created. To carry out this responsibility, He gave us the mantle of leadership as one of the characteristics of the human person, that which makes us unique from every other creature. Thus leadership is a gift from God by which we serve Him and our neighbour responsibly in this world.

But this great gift has often been abused by humanity because of greed, love of power, fame and selfishness. This was the attitude of most of the Scribes and the Pharisees in the Gospel today. For they had the responsibility to lead the people to the Kingdom of heaven, but they neither entered nor allowed those who wanted to enter to go in.

Hence, Jesus called them hypocrites, blind guides because they misuse the gift of leadership entrusted to them. Many of them multiply the laws to suit their agenda by enforcing a very strict interpretation and application of the law to the smallest details while neglecting the true purpose and meaning of the law. They only focus on the letter while neglecting the spirit of the Law, thereby making the law a mere formality that gives room for people to take God’s law for granted.

And such attitudes towards the Law are meaningless if not accompanied properly with the desire and understanding from the heart and soul that truly love God. Thus, he called us to embrace love, justice, mercy, and good faith as good qualities of a leader.

Little wonder St. Paul in our first reading today says: It was our God who gave us the courage to proclaim his Good News to you in the face of great opposition. We have not taken to preaching because we are deluded, immoral, or trying to deceive anyone; it was God who decided that we were fit to be entrusted with the Good News, and when we are speaking, we are not trying to please men but God, who can read our inmost thoughts

Dear friends, What type of a leader are you? Are you a blind and hypocritical leader or a committed and responsible leader? This is important because the major problems in our societies are caused by bad leadership. So today we are called not to be hypocrites or blind guides but good leaders who are committed and responsible with whatever we are entrusted with.

As leaders we are called to serve God and humanity in any capacity we find ourselves. Remember, the first person to lead is your very self from which we can extend it to others in our families, societies and the world at large.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, you have given to all humanity the grace of leadership, but we have often misused it because of greed and selfishness. As we embrace the gift of leadership today, may we never be tired of doing what is good. And as we struggle it out the remaining days of this month and the rest of the year, may You be the sole fount of true wisdom and knowledge guide all our decisions in life, through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a fruitful day.

Homily For Monday, Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time, Year C, 25th August 2025

Readings: 1Thess.1:1-5.8-10, Ps. 149, Matt.23:13-22

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

DON'T BE A HYPOCRITIC LEADER

Leadership is one of the characteristics of a human person; it is what makes us unique from every other thing. It is a gift from God by which we serve Him and our neighbour responsibly. However, the Scribes and the Pharisees in the Gospel today, who had the responsibility to lead people to the Kingdom of heaven, have become an obstacle, for they neither enter nor allow those who want to enter to go in.

Thus, Jesus called them hypocrites, blind guides because they misuse the gift of leadership entrusted to them. For they say, “If a man swears by the Temple, it has no force; but if a man swears by the gold of the Temple, he is bound.” But Jesus said to them You fools and blind! For which is of greater worth, the gold or the Temple that makes the gold sacred? 

Therefore, when a man swears by the altar he is swearing by that and by everything on it. And when a man swears by the Temple he is swearing by that and by the One who dwells in it. And when a man swears by heaven he is swearing by the throne of God and by the One who is seated there.’

Here, Jesus is referring to the ceremonious way in which the Pharisees took oaths. It was one of the things in the culture of their time. That is, people swearing oaths with impressive-sounding words before the congregations without fulfilling them, like our politicians today. But what were the words of these oaths anyway?

They were forms of words designed to impress people. There were no indications that the person swearing the oath had any power over the things that the oath mentioned. 

It was just using words to impress and so produce acceptance of things in relation to the oath, when in fact this is completely fraudulent because the persons taking the oath, do not intend to keep the promises or commitments that they were apparently confirming by taking that oath. They were just fooling the people. 

And Jesus is saying in essence, that we should not let this foolery ever be part of us because it is hypocrisy, and Jesus is against hypocrisy in all its forms, especially when it has to do with taking the name of God in vain.

To take the name of God in vain means to invoke His name unnecessarily or profanely, to use it without humbly acknowledging the holy character of the One whose name we are invoking. To invoke the name of God in an oath or vow when our statement is false, inconsequential or when we do not intend to honour our words is a direct violation of the third commandment of God. 

Therefore, the issue Jesus is addressing here goes to the very core of our character as Christians, to the heart of what it means to live as a child of God, especially in a society like ours, where deception and falsehood are the order of the day.

Dear friends, Jesus calls us today to be sincere in everything we do or say. That is why he commanded us not to swear an oath; rather, we should say yes when we mean yes, and no when we mean no, so as not to become hypocrites and liars. 

So, today we are called not to be hypocrites or blind guides but good leaders who are committed and responsible with whatever we are entrusted with. Little wonder St Paul in our first reading tells us to observe the sort of life that they lived when they were with us, which was for our instruction, since it was from them that the word of the Lord started to spread.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, oftentimes we have been hypocrites, blind guides of the things you entrusted to us. May we never take your name in vain or be tired of doing what is good. As we struggle through the remaining days of this month of August and the rest of the year, may the sole fount of true wisdom and knowledge guide us in all our decisions in life. Amen. Do have a fruitful week ahead.