Homily for Friday in the Second Week of Easter, 2nd MAY 2025. The Memorial of St. Athanasius

 

Readings: Acts.5:34-42; Ps.27; John 6:1-15

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

THE JOY OF SUFFERING HUMILIATION AND PERSECUTIONS FOR THE SEEK OF CHRIST

As the persecution of the early Church continues, today, the members of the Sanhedrin call for council meetings to decide what to do with the apostles. At this council, as we heard in our first reading, Gamaliel, a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin, suggested that the apostles should be left alone based on past experiences of those who claimed to be great but were letter perished when their leader had died.

So, for him what is happening now with the apostles might be the same. He advises them to have nothing to do with the apostle, that if their purpose or activity is from human origins, it will soon perish. If not, they will not be able to destroy them without fighting God Himself. So they had the apostles beaten and ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus. However, instead of being depressed, the apostles left the court full of joy that they had been judged worthy of being beaten for the sake of the Name of Jesus.

Here, they experienced the blessedness that Jesus had spoken of in the Sermon on the Mount when he said: “Blessed are those who are persecuted in the cause of right: theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people abuse you and speak all kinds of calumny against you on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven” (Matt 5:10-12). In our Gospel passage today, we heard how Jesus, out of love and compassion, fed the crowd.

This feeding of the crowd refers back to the journey of the people of God in the desert from Mount Sinai to the promised land, which, specially, signifies the event of our Eucharistic celebration. The Eucharist has the same characteristics of this miracle: Where the community gathers together, and then the transformation of humble elements into a glorified body of Christ takes place to satisfy our spiritual hunger, which is an abundant gift of God to humanity. In fact, because of the link to the Eucharist, this is the only miracle that is reported by all the four gospels.

However, we can interpret this miracle of feeding the crowd in two ways. First, we can simply interpret it as a miraculous event, pointing to the divine origin and mission of Jesus. Secondly, we can interpret the miracle as the fruit of sharing with one another. It is possible that once the disciples began to share the little food they had with those around, others also who had actually brought some food with them started sharing what they had, and indeed, grace multiplied what they had to the point of having leftovers. This shows how much God cares for us, and he will never abandon us no matter the situation.

Dear friends, God loves us so much, so we must learn to joyfully suffer humiliation and persecution for his sake. Hence, in any situation we find ourselves in, we are called to remain firm and faithful to God. We must learn to bear witness to our faith in Christ; though this mandate may seem difficult in our world at this moment, just like in the time of the apostles, the grace of God is sufficient for us.

Therefore, let us not be afraid of witnessing our faith in the world, for God will surely protect us as He protected the apostles. Let us learn from St. Athanasius whose memorial we celebrate today.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, as we proclaim your name to the world, especially in these difficult times, give us, through the intercessions of St. Athanasius, the grace to rejoice even in the midst of persecution, suffering, sickness or death. This we ask through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a fruitful day.

Homily For Thursday Second Week of Easter, 1st May, 2025. HAPPY NEW MONTH

 

Readings: Acts.5:27-33; Ps.34; John 3:31-36

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

WE MUST LEARN TO OBEY GOD ABOVE ANY HUMAN AUTHORITY

Every 1st of May, the world celebrates Labour Day and May Day as the Church celebrates the optional memorial of St. Joseph the worker, the great Patron of all workers. St. Joseph the Worker ( carpenter) as he is called, was upright, virtuous and good in all the things he had done, a hardworking servant of God in all things. Thus, God found in St Joseph a true manager who will be truly a faithful guide of His son.

All humanity is called to be God’s manager, called to manage all the things He created, but humanity has failed to manage God’s creative works properly, and because we mismanaged God’s creatures, humanity has turned the world against itself, and today we are all suffering as a result of our mismanagement. This is what we see in the lives of the disciples of Jesus.

So, as the persecution of the apostles continued, the authorities of the Pharisees and the Sanhedrin forbade them from preaching in the name of Jesus as we have it in our first reading today. But the apostles spoke out boldly saying: We should obey God than men. They stood firm and witnessed all that they had experienced. Their testimony was directed by the Holy Spirit, who is given to all those who respond to God with the obedience that comes from faith.

Hence, they continued to preach in the name of Jesus, and their accusers could not stop them even though they had been strictly forbidden to do so. Such is the grace and courage we receive when we experience the power of the risen Lord. We will not be afraid to witness because we are convinced that Jesus is the One who comes from above, the One whom God has sent to speak the words of God.

He is the Word of God who came to bear testimony to what he has seen and heard just as we heard him telling Nicodemus in our Gospel passage, that anyone who believes in the Son has eternal life, but anyone who refuses to believe in the Son will never see life: the anger of God stays on him.

Dear friends, we should never forget that we are the managers of whatever God has given us, especially as Christians living in a world where our faith is being challenged every moment, along with the ugly situation we are facing every day. We still have to make costly choices of choosing to obey God rather than men and not give in because of persecution, hunger, poverty or our worldly ambition.

Everywhere we find ourselves, be it in business, relationships, politics and family life, we have to make decisions about remaining honest, truthful, faithful to our faith and commitments to God above that of any human authorities.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, give us grace and courage to constantly obey You above any human authority, especially in times of difficulty, hunger, striving, sickness, and persecution. Never let us deny You because of worldly pressures and difficulties or be put to shame, as we place all our hope in You. Amen. It’s a New Month, be strong and be focused for the Lord has promised to be with us till the end of time. 

Homily For Wednesday Second Week of Easter, 30th April, 2025. The Feast of Our Lady Mother of Africa

 

Readings: Acts.1:12-14; Ps. Luke 1:46-55; John 2:1-11

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

LET US LEARN TO DO WHATEVER JESUS TELLS US

As the month comes to an end, today we celebrate the feast of Our Lady, Mother of Africa, a celebration that encourages we Africans to turn to Mary for her maternal intercession and assistance in our daily struggles in life as Africans. Little wonder our Gospel passage today presents to us the story of an event that portrays what ought to be our relationship with Jesus and his mother, Mary, in every event of our daily lives.

Here, we see how the wedding couple invited Jesus and his disciples on the most important day of their lives. When an embarrassing moment came up during the course of the celebration, Mary, in her usual way of helping people, asked Jesus to save the couple from social embarrassment and even when her request was not granted by her son, she had strong faith that he would not refuse her request. So she said to the servants: “ Do whatever he tells you”.

By this request, Mary, who represents the Church,h, reveals to us the key to a successful and happy Christian Life. That is to say that, the secret key that opens the treasure of a successful and happy Christian life is to do whatever he (Jesus) tells us. This is why we must learn to do whatever Jesus tells us. But what did Jesus say we should do? He told the servants: Fill, Draw and Serve.

Telling us to fill our lives with the water of salvation which he offers us every day through His words and Eucharist and when we have filled our lives with the fountain of his presence, then we should draw from the joy it offers and serve the world which is really in need and thirsty for the word of God especially at this moment in our world when humanity really hope and seek for God’s intervention.

Dear friends, we really need to fill our lives with the words of Jesus, which we hear every day. We need to learn from our mother, Mary, who never ceases to ponder God’s words in her heart. We need to learn how to serve others from the abundance we have received from God and pray together like Mary and the apostles in our first reading today.

We need to draw from the fountain of grace and gifts that God has given to us in order to build up our lives, our families, societies, countries and continents. We need to learn how to sacrifice for the good of others. We need to learn how to intercede for others who are going through difficult moments. But this is possible only when we have filled our empty souls with love, peace, joy and happiness that comes from knowing that Jesus cares so much about us personally and collectively.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, the situation of human life in our world today is really frightening, your children in the African continent pray that through the intercession of our Lady Mother of Africa, may we find the strength to do your will always especially in our daily struggle in Africa, as we ask you to protect us from the evil manipulations and agenda of the world powers. This we ask through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a fruitful day.

Homily For Tuesday Second Week of Easter, 29th April, 2025. The Memorial of St Catherine of Siena

 

Reading Act:32-37; Ps.93; John 3:7-15

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia.

IMITATING THE FRATERNAL LOVE OF THE EARLY CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY 

One of the major problems in our world today is individualism; this, no doubt, is the cause of disunity, greediness and corruption that is really destroying humanity today. 

To overcome this ugly attitude we need to learn from the early Christian community as recorded in our first reading today, which gives us an account of how the company of believers were of one heart and soul deeply united with each other. 

They bear witness to the central element of their faith, that is, loving God with all their hearts and with all their soul and loving their neighbours as themselves. Thereby bearing witness to the teachings of Jesus. They sold their belongings brought the proceeds together, and distributed them to each according to their need. 

This great gesture demonstrates what fraternal love really means. No one claimed anything as belonging to him/herself; everything was held in common. This shows us the social life of the early Church. But the question is, do we still have such sharing communities in our Church today? 

Perhaps we may find such communal sharing in some different communities of religious life with vows of poverty and total sharing of resources coupled with a life of material simplicity.  Also, there may be other groups of lay people and some families who try to implement this Christian vision and value. 

Dear friends, let us embrace the communal and fraternal love of the early Church, for how many families are practising this great Christian fraternal living? How many societies in our churches are willing to maintain this tradition. 

This should be encouraged, especially at this moment when the world is passing through difficult times, and we are fast losing our great Christian values of communal and fraternal living. 

There is a need for us to also extend it to societies where fraternal Communion and charity have been taken over by individualism, selfishness, corruption and greed. How I wish humanity would learn how to live in fraternal charity like the early Christians, then we will see that the world resources will be enough for everyone. Therefore, let us unite again as one family.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, as we reflect on the attitudes and virtues of the early Church, give us the grace to imitate them as we cultivate the attitude of sharing our material blessings with those in genuine need in our community, especially in this difficult moment in our societies, country and the world at large. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a grace-filled day.

Homily For Monday Second Week of Easter, 28th April, 2025

 

Readings: Acts.4:23-31; Ps.2; John 3:1-8

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

THE GRACE TO PROCLAIM THE WORD OF GOD WITH COURAGE AND BOLDNESS

Threats, intimidation, torture and fear are some of the powerful ways of silencing people from expressing their views, opinions and faith. We can recall how this ugly attitude was used to silence the youths in the recent past in our country, especially in the ugly event of the End-Sars protest, which brought about the Lekki toll gate shooting and the killing of innocent people.

These very techniques and tools are what the chief priests and the elders used in intimidating the apostles in our first reading today, and the same systematic tools prevented Nicodemus from coming to Jesus except by night, as we read in the Gospel passage today.

Nicodemus was afraid and ashamed to be seen with Christ because of his colleagues who would possibly threaten him. So he came in the night to seek knowledge. Here he came not to have knowledge about the state affairs, though he was a ruler, but about the concerns of his own soul and its salvation. Though he came by night, Jesus welcomed him and afterwards, at the passion, he proclaimed Christ publicly, hereby demonstrating and teaching us the power of courage.

Dear friends, these same courage and boldness were the prayerful requests the apostles made to the Lord when they were threatened by the authorities never to preach in the name of Jesus. Now, the disciple knew that powerful forces were arrayed against them. They knew, as well, that Peter and John were determined to continue their witnessing.

So they prayed for strength to speak the Word of God with confidence and boldness and asked that in their expression of faith, God should accomplish their works with signs and wonders in the name of Jesus. We all need this confidence and boldness if we are to effectively evangelize the people, especially at this moment when the world has lost interest in the things of God.

LET US PRAY: heavenly Father, as we struggle with the ugly situation of fear, intimidation and torture in our families, societies, country and the world at large, give us the grace, confidence and boldness to proclaim your Word in the power of Your Spirit to penetrate the hearts of men and women of our generation. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. May the Joy of the risen Lord be our strength.

Homily For the Second Sunday of Easter, the Divine Mercy Sunday, 27th April, 2025

 

Readings: Acts.5:12-16; Ps.118; Rev. 1:9-11.12-13.17-19; John 20:19-31

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

ARE YOU STILL DOUBTING LIKE THOMAS? IT’S TIME TO BELIEVE IN THE RISEN LORD

The event we celebrate today is meant for us to focus our attention once again on the Lord, to ask Jesus for his mercy on us and the whole world especially through his glorious and wondrous passion, which stands as a perfect offering for the redemption of humanity.

Little wonder Pope St. John Paul II in the Jubilee Year of 2000, instituted the Divine Mercy Sunday, which is to be celebrated every second Sunday of Easter to remind us that the joyful celebration of the Easter season is also a time for us to appreciate once again that our Lord Jesus passed through the worst of sufferings and humiliations in his Passion, Death and Resurrection, and so won eternal life for humanity.

Hence, we need to have faith in the Lord and believe that through him there is hope for our salvation. This truly explains the words of Jesus to his disciples when he said: “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe”. This statement could be a central theme in our Gospel passage today.

Here, Jesus said to Thomas: “ Do not doubt but believe… for blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.” This is because Thomas was lacking in faith and so was doubtful of the Lord’s resurrection but only to be humbled when the Lord himself appeared right before him. Thomas believed and said to the Lord, ‘My Lord and My God’. The Gospel ended by saying that these are written so that you may believe in Jesus and that you may have life in his name.

This also is repeated in our second reading today, where we heard the Lord saying through St. John “Do not be afraid; it is I, the First and the Last; I am the Living One, I was dead and now I am to live forever and ever, and I hold the keys of death and of the underworld. Now write down all that you see of present happenings and things that are still to come.’

Here, we are told that through our faith, we have victory over the world. So, the purpose of this Gospel is for us, the readers, to believe and enjoy the promised blessing. Today no doubt, Millions of Christians have been strengthened in their faith by reading this Gospel, and millions of others have been brought to faith through it.

But, what about you and I, who today have experienced the Lord, having journeyed with Jesus as long as we have come to embrace the Christian faith? What can we say about our personal encounter and experience of the person of Jesus?

Are we really convinced about the faith we profess? Are we still at the level of faith that is based on what we hear or read about Jesus? Or have we really and truly encountered the person of Jesus in such a way that our faith has no doubt anymore, such that we can truly say, like St. Thomas, "My Lord and My God"?

Dear friends, are we still doubting like Thomas? Today, we are encouraged to believe without even seeing Thomas. But this can really be very difficult in a world of empiricism, yet we are still called to truly embrace this faith without doubting despite all the ugly human attitudes that are kicking against our faith.

That is why, sometimes in our lives, we behave like Thomas; in fact, Thomas represents all of us who, in one way or another, have been doubtful of the presence of God in our lives. No doubt that there are many of us with different experiences at different levels of faith and devotion.

But at some point, we may have grown weak in our commitment to the Lord and begin to doubt his presence with us based on our own experiences, or when we are distracted and tempted by many ugly desires for worldly things that will turn us away from the Lord.

More so, we have often placed God aside and forgotten about him, by prioritizing more on other things in our lives. We have often treated him or things related to him as something not significant. There are times when we doubt the presence of God in our families, societies and even the Church.

There are times when we have doubted the presence of God in the Eucharist, in the sacraments and even in the activities of his ministers. Oftentimes, we are doubtful of the mercy of God, his love for us, and his power to save, heal and protect us as we go seeking help from other “sources”, which will only worsen our situation.

Brethren, to be a believer in our world today can be really difficult, so we need to support each other. We need to strengthen our community life, especially during this difficult moment in our country and the world at large. The first Christians supported one another by praying, worshipping and sharing their resources and the word of God together.

This is what we heard in our first reading today. For the people were loud in their praise and the numbers of men and women who came to believe in the Lord increased steadily. And so many signs and wonders were worked among the people at the hands of the apostles.

Therefore, let us unite together as believers, and bear authentic witness to our faith. As we struggle in this dark moment in our lives when God seems far away from the world, let us ask him to help us to remove all forms of doubt, especially at this time when the Gospel is under all kinds of threats by faithless and ignorant people.

Nevertheless, let us ask God for his Divine mercy in our lives, our families, societies, country and the world at large. Remember, the Lord is indeed merciful; he forgives us freely and generously, but we should not take his mercy for granted by dwelling perpetually in sin.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, today we are encouraged to believe without seeing, this can really be very difficult in a world of empiricism, help us especially this trial moment in our world, never to doubt whatever you have revealed through your son, may we rather be steadfast in faith, joyful in hope and untiring in loving you and our neighbours, as the world hope to experience your Divine Mercy once again, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Homily For Saturday Octave of Easter, 26th April 2025

 

Readings: Acts.14:13-21; Ps.118; Mark 16:9-15

Rev Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

A CALL TO BEAR AUTHENTIC WITNESS OF THE GOSPEL TO THE WHOLE WORLD

After the resurrection of Jesus, he appeared to his disciples on different occasions. Today in our Gospel passage, he appeared to the eleven apostles and commissioned them to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to the whole creation.

This is what Peter and John exercised in our first reading today. Here, the rulers, elders and scribes were astonished at the great witness shown by Peter and John, so they tried to prevent them and other disciples from spreading the Good News about the risen Lord by attempting to suppress them through fear and intimidation.

However, the disciples were not ready to give in to fear or pressure, for they were encouraged and strengthened by the Lord through the Holy Spirit as they were no longer the same people who hid for fear of the authorities. Instead, they openly defied the orders from the Sanhedrin and continued to carry out the missions which God had entrusted to them.

Hence, the mandate of this mission has been repeated in our liturgy throughout this octave of Easter in order to remind us of our mission as Christians. It also allows us to review our Easter experience, so as to examine ourselves about the impact the week has made on us.

Dear friends, to what extent have we been able to bear witness to the world about the risen Lord? As disciples of Christ, we are mandated to share the Good News of salvation provided by Christ Jesus to all creation. We are to do so not just in silence but in words and actions, which is seen in our ways of life.

So, friends, what can we do to ensure that the Gospel reach out to all creation? How best can we spread this Good News, especially in this time of difficulty when the world is looking for answers to the fundamental reality of human life?

 The answer to this fundamental question is rooted in the Gospel of Christ and the best way to preach the Gospel today is witnessing by our way of life. Today, many voices are preaching the Good News, but only a few are bearing authentic witness to the Gospel. Therefore, let our lives bear authentic witness to the Gospel of the Lord.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, give us the grace and courage to bear authentic witness of your Gospel in a world where people are confused and no longer pay attention to your word. This we ask through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a peaceful weekend.