Homily For Saturday Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 9th August, 2025

  

Readings: Deut. 6:4-13; Ps. 18; Matt 17-20

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel  Emenike Onyia.

EXPRESSING THE FAITH THAT MOVES MOUNTAINS

Oftentimes, we think and wish that we have enough faith to face whatever challenges come our way. But the fact remains that we can only know the level and capacity of our faith when we are truly faced with a situation that overwhelms our physical and mental abilities. Then we will realise that what we think we have as faith is nothing but a shadow of reality. Such was the situation with the disciples of Jesus in our Gospel passage today.  

A man came up to Jesus begging him to deliver his son, whom he had brought to the disciples, but they were unable to cure him. But Jesus said to them ‘faithless and perverse generation!’ ‘How much longer must I be with you? How much longer must I put up with you? Bring him here to me.’ And he rebuked the devil, who immediately came out of the boy and he was cured from that moment. 

Then the disciples came privately to Jesus. ‘Why were we unable to cast it out? They asked. He answered, ‘Because you have little faith. I tell you solemnly, if your faith were the size of a mustard seed you could say to this mountain, “Move from here to there,” and it would move; nothing would be impossible for you.

Here, Jesus gives two reasons why the disciples failed to cure the boy. The first is connected with their own moral condition and disposition as they are only depending on their own personal abilities. Secondly, and more importantly, is their lack of faith. Though they had, indeed, shown some faith by making even the attempt at the expulsion of the devil. 

But they had acted half-heartedly and had not displayed that perfect confidence and trust which alone can bring success and make all things possible. Thus, Jesus decided to use the analogy of a mustard seed to give them a lecture about having a perfect and complete faith that moves mountains.  

The mustard seed, as we know, is the smallest of all seeds, which grows to produce the largest of all shrubs. So with the analogy of the mustard seed in relation to faith, Jesus supposed that, if we have the smallest faith that is genuine, we can do all things. Just like the mustard seed produced the largest of all herbs. 

Therefore, if we begin to nurture our faith to grow and strengthen from a small, humble beginning, it will grow to the point that it can help us to perform and achieve greater things and conquer the most difficult situations that, at first, would appear impossible. 

So faith moving mountains implies that spiritual and divine ability to make difficult and stumbling situations vanish. And this is obtained when we are rooted in God through sincere love. Little wonder we heard Moses in our first reading today instructing the Israelites on the need to love God sincerely with all their hearts and souls as they have it in their common daily prayer called the Shema Israel.

Dear friends, if we want to grow in faith, we must cultivate the humble habit of a mustard seed, which, though small, has the potential of becoming great when exposed to a fertile environment. For us to have the faith that moves mountains, we must be well-deposed to embrace the power of God in our lives, we must desire to have a personal experience of the power of God at work in the world and acknowledge that in him comes our victory over every situation we encounter.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, faith is your supernatural gift to humanity, grant that we may embrace this gift even as little as that of a mustard seed, to move out of our lives the tough mountains that are crushing us in our daily lives. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a joyful weekend.

Homily For Friday Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 8th August, 2025, The Memorial of St. Dominic

 

Readings: Deut. 4:32-40; Ps. 77; Matt 16:24-28

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

UNDERSTANDING THE SACRIFICE OF FOLLOWING THE LORD

Reflecting on the effect of the continuous hostility, persecutions and the influential powers of the things of this world, I think it is time for us to really think twice about our faith as Christians, whether we are actually ready to live out our faith in the midst of these ugly situations in our societies, which is getting tougher everyday. For if we are really willing to live out our Christian faith and obligations, then we need to make a personal radical decision towards our discipleship.

Little wonder Jesus in our Gospel passage today says:  ‘If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross and follow me. For anyone who wants to save his life will lose it; but anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it. What, then, will a man gain if he wins the whole world and ruins his life? Or what has a man to offer in exchange for his life?

 Here Jesus knowing what awaits us in this world, takes his discourse on discipleship to a radical and difficult level, especially in a situation where our faith and Christian values have been thrown out of caution as a result of secularism, individualism and excess desires for worldly pleasures, thereby neglecting the things that lead us to God.

Thus, these hard words of Jesus can only be understood in the light of our life experience. Here comes the moment when we have to make a radical and difficult choice as disciples of Jesus. It’s time for us to take up our Cross in a sacrificial way and follow the Lord. But what is the cross we are called to take up? Taking up our cross could mean to faithfully face our daily challenges with all their difficulties. It is accepting who we are and what we have and using them to the glory of God. 

The way of the cross is a way of sacrifice, a way of commitment, a way of love, forgiveness, mercy and compassion, which aims towards the good of the other person. It can be a costly service to a loved one who is ill; it can be embracing illness, even terminal illness or other personal weaknesses. This makes no sense except when we relate it to the suffering of Christ through faith in God. 

For God, through Moses, in our first reading today, reminded us of the great works he did and is still doing to save and bring us to the promised Land. Hence, he commanded us saying: understand this today, therefore, and take it to heart: the Lord is God indeed, in heaven above as on earth beneath, he and no other. Keep his laws and commandments as I give them to you today, so that you and your children may prosper and live long in the land that the Lord your God gives you for ever.’ 

Here, God has promised us that he will stand by us in the midst of persecution and suffering. That for a while we might suffer, but in the end, those who remained faithful in him will be victorious while the oppressors will be rejected, crushed and destroyed. Thus, to share the glory of Christ, we have to share his suffering, because it is impossible to follow Jesus without accepting the cross, nor acknowledging and embracing all that life has to offer us.

Let us learn from St. Dominic whose memorial we celebrate today. Through his personal experience of God, he has helped the faithful to renew their faith and commitment in God and their society through the deepening of their spiritual lives, especially through the use of the rosary as a prayer, which eventually became one of the most popular of all devotions in the Church, through which countless souls have been converted to the Lord, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Dear friends, we must learn to deny ourselves the excess desire for the things of this passing world in order to follow the Lord. For we are called today to deny ourselves the pleasurable things of this passing world in order to take up our Cross and follow the Lord. It’s time to make a radical decision to sincerely and faithfully follow Jesus. 

But how much are we willing to let go for the sake of following him? Why are we finding it difficult to follow Jesus? What are those habitual desires and possessions that are holding us back from making this radical decision today? It is time to come to God with all our hearts, for tomorrow may be too late.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, the excess desire for the pleasurable things of this passing world have weakened our hearts towards your, give us courage and grace to let go of our ugly desires and as we do this, may the cross of Christ be a shining example in our daily struggles, so as to hold firm in our faith despite all the sufferings and persecutions we may encounter. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a fruitful day.

Homily For Thursday Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 7th August, 2025

Readings: Num. 20:1-13, Ps. 95, Matt. 16:13-23

Fr. Emmanuel Onyia

UNDERSTANDING AND EXPRESSING THE TRUE IDENTITY OF JESUS

As social beings, we often make friends with whom we can confide and entrust our innermost thoughts and plans. But the friendship does not come automatically. There is always a moment when one will want to know if his or her friends can really be trusted, if they truly know and understand who we are and what we represent.

This is the situation between Jesus and his disciples in our Gospel passage today, when Jesus asked them saying: Who do people say the Son of Man is? And they said, ‘Some say he is John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ ‘But you,’ he said ‘who do you say I am?

Then Simon Peter spoke up, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ Jesus replied, ‘Simon son of Jonah, you are a happy man! Because it was not flesh and blood that revealed this to you but my Father in heaven. So I now say to you: You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church. And the gates of the underworld can never hold out against it. 

Here, we see how Peter expressed his personal conviction about who Jesus is. He did not have to quote any authority, because his response was a clear and sincere knowledge of who he professed Jesus to be. Hence, Jesus stressed that Peter's faith is a gift from the Father when he said: “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. 

This is because Peter’s gift of faith comes from his personal response to Jesus. Thus, our faith requires that we give a personal answer to the question: Who is Jesus to me personally? For it is not enough to quote the teachings and Catechism of the Church about our faith or the teachings of other theologians and preachers or to respond only from the head but from the heart that is convinced of what it believes in. 

Today most people are following Jesus without knowing who Jesus truly represents. Some people find it very difficult to embrace the teaching of Jesus because they lack the faith and conviction about his personality, even when Jesus has revealed himself to us through his great miracles and teachings. 

The fact is that Jesus wants us to develop a divine way of looking at things; he wants us to know him deep down in our souls, so that we can profess our faith with deeper meaning and conviction.

This is why he told Simon, You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." 

So, the faith given to Peter by God is the rock on which Jesus built his Church. And this royal authority is what Jesus entrusted to His Church through St. Peter and his successors, of which our current Pope, Pope Leo XIV, is the 266th successor of St. Peter.

Dear friends, having heard the teachings and works of Jesus in the scriptures and traditions of the Church, the question remains: who is Jesus to you? What is your personal experience of Jesus? How has your knowledge of Jesus helped other people to come to faith in Jesus? Today, we are called to really examine our conscience to know where we are with regard to our faith as Christians. 

We are called today to develop a divine way of understanding the mysteries of God, but not to reject them because we do not understand them. We are also called to be convinced of who we are and the need to truly unite together in God and His Church entrusted to St. Peter, of which the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Therefore, let us turn towards God once again with all our hearts and devote our whole lives to seeking to know Him more and more.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, you revealed to St. Peter the true identity of Jesus, your son. Help us to profess our faith with deeper meaning and conviction. And as we experience the power of your presence, may we embrace more deeply your sacred mysteries. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Remain blessed.

Homily For Wednesday Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 6th August, 2025. The Feast of Transfiguration of the Lord

 

Readings: Dan. 7:9-10.13-14, Ps.97. 2 Peter.1:16-19. Luke 9:28-36

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

THIS IS MY BELOVED SON LISTEN TO HIM

Today we celebrate the Feast of Transfiguration of the Lord, the mystery and revelation of the true identity of Jesus. The word “Transfiguration” is the combination of two words ‘trans’ meaning change, and ‘figure’ meaning appearance or the outlook of a body.

That is, the change in appearance of Jesus that reveals his true nature as the Divine Son of God, shining forth from his human nature, unveiling that he was not just a Man, but also the great Son of God incarnate in the human flesh. This will help us to understand the true identity of Jesus.

This is important because knowing the true identity of Jesus has always been the desire and quest of most people of his time and even in our time. Most people today still do not really have a grand knowledge of the personality and identity of who Jesus really is and his mission towards the salvation of humanity. So to make known his identity to humanity, Jesus, in our Gospel passage today, chose three of his disciples, Peter, James and John and led them up a high mountain where they could be alone.

There in their presence, he was transfigured: his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Suddenly Moses and Elijah appeared to them; they were talking with him. Then Peter spoke to Jesus. ‘Lord,’ he said ‘it is wonderful for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.’ He was still speaking when suddenly a bright cloud covered them with shadow, and from the cloud there came a voice which said, ‘This is my Beloved Son listen to him.

So, in this Feast, we remember the revelation of Christ as the beloved Son of the Father, the one we are called to trust and listen to in prayer. An event that occurs to undermine objections to the inevitable event of parousia, which calls us to a life of faith and radical transformation. A transformation that brings about a new outfit that makes one a new person with a new life, a new mind and a new way of doing things.

In this revelation, we recall the presence of the two greatest and most renowned figures from the Old Testament, namely Moses and the prophet Elijah. They represent the law and the prophets, which bear witness to the personality and identity of Jesus and,, to crown all, the voice from the clou,d, which has also been the symbol of God’s presence with His peop, le, bearing witness that Jesus is the Beloved Son of God, calling us to listen to him.

Little wonder St. Peter in our second reading today tells us that, it was not any cleverly invented myths that we were repeating when they brought us the knowledge of the power and the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ; we had seen his majesty for ourselves.

Peter made us know that Jesus was honoured and glorified by God the Father, when the Sublime Glory itself spoke to him and said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; he enjoys my favour.’ He said they heard this themselves, spoken from heaven, when they were with him on the holy mountain.

This event also fulfils the vision of Daniel in our first reading, where he said: I saw, coming on the clouds of heaven, one like a son of man. He came to one of great age and was led into his presence. His sovereignty is an eternal sovereignty which shall never pass away, nor will his empire ever be destroyed.

And the preface of this feast says that Jesus revealed his glory in the presence of chosen witnesses and filled with the greatest splendour that bodily form which he shares with all humanity, that the scandal of the Cross might be removed from the hearts of his disciples.

Dear friends, are we in any way ignorant of the personality, identity and mission of our Lord Jesus Christ? Have we personally experienced the presence of Jesus in our lives? Have we ever encountered Jesus in such a transformative way that changes our sinful ways of life and builds our faith stronger in the Lord?

The truth is, we can change our religion, churches, even our pastors, friends, residence, car or our physical appearance: hair, clothes, colour, ur even our gender as some people do today. But if we don't have a transfigurative experience that will bring about a change of mind and heart towards loving God and our neighbours, we will remain the same and the old experience of unfruitful life will perpetuate itself over and over again. Because everything absolutely changes when we change our minds for good, and that is the essence of today’s feast.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, you never cease to make known to your children the mysteries of your Love for humanity, grant that by listening to the voice of your beloved Son, we may personally experience his love in our lives and merit to become coheirs with him, who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen. As you begin the day, may God bless you with a sound mind and unwavering faith in him.

Homily For Tuesday Eighteenth week in Ordinary Time Year C, 5th August, 2025

 

Readings: Num. 12:1-13, Ps 51, Matt. 14:22-36

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

LORD SAVE US FOR WE ARE SINKING IN SINFUL THINGS OF THIS PASSING WORLD

When Jesus, in our Gospel passage today, received the news of John the Baptist’s death, he made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he sent the crowds away. When evening came, he was there alone, while the boat, by now far out on the lake, was battling with a heavy sea storm. 

So as the waves were breaking over the boat, the disciples could not believe that Jesus had seen them and was approaching. Hence, they were afraid and needed help from anywhere. It was at this point that they saw Jesus walking on the sea, and he said to them: “Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid”. 

But Peter said, ‘If it is you, Lord, tell me to come to you across the water.’ ‘Come’ said Jesus. Then Peter got out of the boat and started walking towards Jesus across the water, but as soon as he felt the force of the wind, he became afraid and began to sink. So he cried out ‘Lord! Save me!’ Jesus put out his hand at once and held him. 

This story signifies God's chosen people on a transit of faith, frightened by the guilt of sin and wounded by the waves of the sea the abode of evil forces and monsters of this world. The boat can be taken as a symbol of the young Christian Church struggling with the world’s principalities and powers, while the storm is a symbol of persecution suffered by this young Christian community. And Jesus says: "Do not be afraid". 

This, no doubt, is what humanity is passing through today in the hands of a few selfish, evil men and women who have decided to destroy humanity by trying to recreate human beings into an artificial machine against the natural way God has created us in order for a few of them to control the lives and activities of all.  

Today, humanity needs to humbly cry out like Peter, Lord, save us, for we are sinking into the destructive hands of the evil powers of this sinful world. Hence we are called to trust in the Lord and hope in his promises and providence. For it is time for us to listen to God and hold onto him more closely. 

Let us not be like Aaron and Miriam in our first reading, who spoke against God and Moses and were punished for their sins. Rather, let us learn to be humble like Moses, who was known as the most humbled man on earth.

Dear friends, Jesus is calling us today to journey on this boat of life with an unwavering faith and a repentant heart because the world is being tossed around by the waves of evil forces, the enemies of humankind. And it is only God that can subdue it, for he has promised to restore us back to Himself, if only we can trust in him completely. 

So, I don't know the terrible storms of doubt and fear in your soul? Are you under the power of the evil forces of this world? I don’t know how long or deep you have been involved in this evil. All I know is that with great faith in God, the words of Jesus: “Do not be afraid, take courage, it is I,” will surely resound in the hearts of all his children who live in a hostile environment and are victims of the evils in this world.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, save humanity once again, grant that the violent storms and waves of bondage in our lives will end in a wonderful calm that brings peace in our souls. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Wishing you the best of God’s favour and blessed.

Homily For Monday Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 4th August, 2025. The Memorial of St John Mary Vianney

 

Readings: Num. 11:4-15, Ps 81, Matt. 14:13-21

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

THE LORD CARES FOR OUR SPIRITUAL AND PHYSICAL WELLBEING

Humanity is constantly in need of one thing or the other; we are never tired of searching for things that will satisfy our desire for physical and spiritual well-being. This is the situation and condition of the people in our readings today.

In the first reading, we heard how the people of Israel lamented against God and Moses for giving them only manna without any meat, fish, cucumber and garlic, as they were used to in Egypt. And in our Gospel passage, we heard how the people were in search of Jesus for more bread. So as Jesus stepped ashore he saw a large crowd; and he took pity on them and healed their sickness and also miraculously fed them.

Here, Jesus fulfils his role as the expected messiah who is to liberate his people from all kinds of diseases. The healing touch of Jesus reveals to all those who are in need that God is faithful to his promises. This healing and wholeness are offered as a sign of the presence of God’s kingdom among his people. But Jesus did not just heal the sick, he also 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 especially signifies the event of our Eucharistic celebration. The Eucharist has the same characteristics of this miracle: the community gathered together, the transformation of humble elements into a glorified body of Christ 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 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, for 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 have and indeed grace multiplied what they have to the point of having left over.

How I wish humanity could learn to share our resources with one another, believe me, the world will witness another miracle of multiplication of resources that will be enough for everyone with leftovers for future generations. So, as Jesus heals and feeds the physical aspect of humanity, he also knows that we need the food of the Eucharist to sustain us spiritually for our journey to heaven which is our promised land.

Here, Jesus did not bring the loaves and fish out of nowhere. Rather, he took what was offered to him and multiplied it greatly. This bread is the gift of the Eucharist, which we receive back from Jesus, whose heart is always moved with pity and compassion towards us.

Dear friends, God loves us so much, that he is willing and ready to satisfy our unquenchable hunger for physical and spiritual things. Therefore, come to Jesus and embrace his love and you will be satisfied. Let us learn from St. John Mary Vianney, whose memorial we celebrate today. The beloved patron of Parish priests.

Like John Mary Vianney, let us cultivate the right disposition of heart that will enable us to be visionary leaders, leading those entrusted to us safely towards the path of truth and life. Through his life of holiness, preaching, prayer and penance, he was able to transform the lives of the people of his time.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, we are really hungry, in need of your love and satisfaction both physically and spiritually, through the intercession of St. John Mary Vianney feed us once again with your heavenly grace and multiply the little bread and fish we share with others and provide for us the basic needs of life. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a blessed week.

Homily For Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C, 3rd August, 2025

 

Reading: Eccl.1:2.2:21-23; Ps. 90; Col. 3:1-5.9-11; Luke 12:13-21

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

FOOL! THIS NIGHT DEMAND WILL BE MADE FOR YOUR SOUL. LIFE IS VANITY VANISHING WITHOUT GOD

There is no doubt that the material things of this passing world are so beautiful and captivating. Of course, they are gifts from God and he alone gives us the right to them. Hence, what we possess is meant to help us grow in our relationship with God and neighbours, not to separate us from them.

But if we are not careful, too much love for material possessions can be an obstacle on our way to God’s Kingdom. Little wonder Jesus, in our Gospel passage today, warns us against covetousness and excessive attachment to worldly possessions, which he greatly emphasised with the story of the rich man's Harvest.

In this story a rich man who, having had a good harvest from his farm, thought to himself, “What am I to do? I do not have enough room to store my crops.” Then he said, “This is what I will do: I will pull down my barns and build bigger ones, and store all my grain and my goods in them, and I will say to my soul: My soul, you have plenty of good things laid by for many years to come; take things easy, eat, drink, have a good time.” But God said to him, “Fool! This very night, the demand will be made for your soul; and this hoard of yours, whose will it be then?

Here, Jesus tells his disciples about the need to live a life of detachment. He used this story to teach his disciples and all of us about the futility of excessive worldly desires and it’s pursuits. Thereby showing us the foolishness of human greed, as well as pride and ego. For in this man we see the uselessness of human selfishness, covetousness and excess desire for worldly possessions.

This is because he constantly focused only on himself saying I will do this, I will do that, ‘my goods, my fruits, my barns, my soul, etc, without any interest or room for his neighbours or the poor. He has no thought of God, nor of his own servants. If he had looked a little beyond himself, he would have seen many places where he could have bestowed his crops. Thus, there is a need for us to constantly prune ourselves from excess love for material possessions of this passing world.

For we heard in our first reading that things of this passing world are vanity without God. That vanity of vanities. All is vanity! Since a man who has laboured wisely, skillfully and successfully must leave what is his own to someone who has not toiled for it at all.

This, of course, is vanity and great injustice; for what does he gain for all the toil and strain that he has undergone under the sun? What of all his laborious days, his cares of office, his restless nights? This, too, is vanity.

The fact remains that material possessions in themselves are good, for we would not survive for long without them, but excess attachment to them at the expense of eternal life is grade one suicide. No doubt, it is difficult to give out or share our possessions, but the ones who give up everything are the ones who receive more in this life as well as in heaven.

For we heard St. Paul in our second reading saying: Let your thoughts be on heavenly things, not on the things that are on the earth, because you have died, and now the life you have is hidden with Christ in God.

That is why we must kill everything in us that belongs only to earthly life: fornication, impurity, guilty passion, evil desires and especially greed, which is the same thing as worshipping a false god; and never tell each other lies. You have stripped off your old behaviour with your old self, and you have put on a new self which will progress towards true knowledge of the image of God.

Dear friends, what is the essence of our existence in this world? What does God really require from us in this life? Do you know that without God everything in life is vanity vanishing? So today Jesus addressed the very thing that most people are not ready to give up. Those things such as: money, houses, credentials, love of power, pride and wealth.

But, if we are honest enough, we will admit that we all have some things we would be very slow to let go if Jesus should make the demand of them. Those things we are so much attached to and would not like God to ask us to give them up for the sake of following him.

In fact, it might be a good thing today for us to ask ourselves what would be the most difficult thing for us to give up if Jesus should ask us to do so. It might be something we own, like our properties, treasures, fame, beauty, influence and power or our wealth; it may be a relationship, or our job, or our habits and attitudes.

So, whatever we possess that will separate us from our mission of following Jesus and loving our neighbours, today we are called to give them up and come follow the Lord, because in leaving them for the sake of Jesus, we actually gain all in abundance.

Therefore, detaching and sharing what we possess with others, especially the poor, is a sure way to find life, peace and happiness. And Jesus is telling us that it will be difficult for us to enter his kingdom when we choose to attach ourselves to the riches of this passing world. Though material possessions are gifts from God and he alone gives us the right to have them, what we possess is not meant to separate us from God; rather, they should help us to grow in our relationship with God and neighbours.

Hence, let us not be carried away by the beauty of the things of this passing world, for nothing lasts forever. Rather, we should remain steadfast in our faith in God, who has called us to love him and to love one another, for that is all that the Lord requires from us in this life.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we are living in a world where materialism is the order of the day. Help us to learn how to live a life of detachment and keep us always from the sin of covetousness and pride. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a blessed Sunday celebration.