Homily For Sunday the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi) Year A, 7th June, 2026

Reading: Deut. 8:2-3.14-16; Ps. 147; 1Cor. 10:16-17; John 6:51-58

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

EXPERIENCING THE REAL LOVING PRESENCE OF CHRIST IN THE EUCHARIST

Today, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, also known as the Corpus Christi celebration. This solemnity typically occurs on Thursday or Sunday following the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. It is a solemn celebration where we reaffirm with great joy our faith in the Eucharistic Mystery of Christ's loving presence for humanity. An event that reminds us of God’s infinite gift of love for humanity which was made present in the Person of Christ Jesus under the appearance of Bread and Wine.

The mystery of the solemnity of Corpus Christi constitutes a very important aspect of our Christian faith, which is rooted in the historical and cultural context of the Jewish people's experience with God, of which Jesus is the fullest expression of this experience and revelation. Therefore, on the occasion of our Gospel passage today, we heard how Jesus engaged the people in a very important discussion about the reality of his sacrificial love for humanity that is not so familiar to the people.

 He said to them “I am the living bread which has come down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is my flesh, for the life of the world… I tell you most solemnly, if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you will not have life in you. Anyone who does eat my flesh and drink my blood has eternal life, and I shall raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me and I live in him.

This teaching seemed so hard and difficult to understand, as many disciples of Jesus withdrew from him and abandoned him, just like some of our brethren in faith chose to abandon this same truth of our faith concerning the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. However, their abandoning Jesus does not make him change his statement. But for those Apostles who stayed, he made known this mystery at the Last Supper when he instituted the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist and gave them power and authority to do this in memory of him.

This is a very important mission, which the Apostles had faithfully carried out and have passed on to all of their successors, the bishops and the priests of the Church, who have been ordained and received the same power and authority of the Lord to celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. At the Last Supper, Jesus presented the Bread and Wine as his Body and Blood, which he offered as a sacrificial love for humanity, and asked his disciples to do the same in memory of him.

This very mandate of Christ is what the Church is doing at every celebration of the Holy sacrifice of the Mass, where Christ through the priest who acts ‘in persona Christi’ by the power of consecration, transubstantiates the Bread and Wine into his Real Body and Blood and offers it to God His Father as an unbloody sacrificial love for humanity.

This means that the substance and essence of the bread and wine the priest blessed and offered to God at the celebration of the Holy Mass have truly become the very Body and Blood of Christ Himself, under the appearance of bread and wine through the mystery of Transubstantiation. Thus, through the word ‘transubstantiation’ from the two words ‘Trans’, which means ‘change’ and ‘Substance’, meaning ‘substance or essence’, we can explain the mystery of the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Here, we have the change of the whole substance of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ through the prayer of consecration by Christ Himself through the priest in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Therefore, at every Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, through the power of the Holy Spirit the substance of bread and wine become the Real and Most Precious Body and Blood of Christ Jesus, just in the same way he spoke at the Last Supper saying ‘This is My Body, which shall be given up for you’, ‘This is the Chalice of My Blood, the Blood of the New and Eternal Covenant, which shall be poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins’.

This he fulfilled at the Cross in Calvary, where he offered himself; Body, Soul and Divinity for the salvation of humanity. Hence, we share in this grace of salvation when we participate fully in this sacrificial offering of God’s love for humanity. That is why the Church defined the Eucharist as the sacrament of the true body and blood of Jesus Christ, together with his Soul and Divinity, under the appearance of bread and wine. Though, the appearances of bread and wine remain in the Holy Eucharist, for we cannot see Christ with our bodily eyes in this sacrament. But we do see him with the eyes of faith

Little wonder St Paul says in our second reading today that: The cup of blessing that we bless is a participation in the blood of Christ, and the bread that we break is a participation in the body of Christ. For there is only one bread in the form of a single body, and we all have a share in this one bread of which we aspire to become what we receive. This is because Jesus offers his own blood, having won an eternal redemption for us. He has purified our inner self from dead actions so that we can offer our service to the living God.

The fact remains that in the Eucharist, we are physically and spiritually fed much more than the Israelites in the wilderness, who were fed with manna as we have it in our first reading. For they were given the manna to survive in the wilderness, but Christ gave us the Eucharist not just for us to survive in this world, but, for us to gain eternal life and come to share in his love. This will help us to understand that the Eucharist is the presence of Christ's love for humanity.

Dear friends, what is our relationship with Jesus in the Eucharist? What is our attitude towards the Holy Eucharist? What is our experience of Jesus in the Eucharist? How has the Eucharist we receive almost every day changed our lives positively? How has the Eucharist influenced our lives to sacrifice for the good of humanity? Do we still have that strong desire to receive Christ in the Eucharist? Do we still believe in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist? Do we still feel the love of Jesus in the Eucharist?

 How often have we abused the Eucharist and treated the body of Christ without due reverence? How often have we received the Eucharist unworthily? The answer to these questions is blowing in the wind because we have forgotten that anyone who received the Eucharist in an unworthy state received judgment unto himself or herself (1Cor. 11:27-29). FoAnyoneware of having committed a mortal sin must not receive Holy Communion, even if he experiences deep contrition, without having first received sacramental absolution, unless he has a grave reason for receiving Communion and there is no possibility of going to confession ( CCC. 1457).

Therefore, we must receive the Eucharist worthily and reverently. And these are the benefits we gain when we receive the Eucharist worthily: first, we gain eternal Life and renew the life of grace we received at Baptism. We also gain forgiveness of Venial Sins, we receive spiritual joy, Supernatural Protection and closeness to the Trinity. Yes, the Eucharist fills our hearts with love and thanksgiving. It gives us hope that God is with us in our daily struggles. In the Eucharist, we have a personal communion with Christ. For it keeps us in one communion with God, the church and with one another. It reminds us of God's constant presence with humanity and his love for us.

So, today we are called to embrace the love of God present in the Holy Eucharist, the power of God’s mercy for sinful humanity. We are called to deepen our understanding of the rich mystery of our faith in the Eucharist. Today we are called to change the way we relate with Jesus in the Eucharist. We are called to strive to worthily receive the Holy Eucharist. We are called to be grateful for this Sacrificial love of Christ in the Holy Eucharist and form the habit of adoring Christ our Lord present in the Holy Eucharist. We are called to let the love of his presence transform our souls into that purest love that will renew our families, our societies, our country and the world at large.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, through the sacrificial love of your Son Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist, grant us the grace to constantly experience your presence within us especially in the midst of doubt, ignorance, persecution, trials and uncertainties of life. May the Eucharistic Power of Christ's love fill our hearts once again and so renew the hatred, greed and corruption in the hearts of sinful humanity. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Happy Sunday to you all.

Homily For Saturday Ninth Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 6th June, 2026

Reading: 2Tim 4:1-8; Ps 71; Mark12:38-44

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

DO NOT LET PRIDE AND EGO DEPRIVE YOU OF YOUR BLESSINGS

Beginning from the time of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, the Devil has been tempting mankind with the capital sin of pride and ego, knowing how vulnerable and weak we can be in resisting our desires for knowledge and power. These are temptations for every age. However, it is more obvious in our society today, as we all want and like red carpet treatment. We all enjoy wearing well-tailored clothes and being addressed by honorific titles on different occasions and events, even in the Church.

These, of course, can be done innocently without any harm, depending on how they affect our relationships with God and our neighbours. When it is done out of pride and ego, then it becomes harmful to others, and this can lead to idolatry, where man will seek to be like God or assume the honour and glory due to God.

This ugly attitude is what Jesus is addressing in our Gospel passage today, when he said “Beware of the scribes who like to walk about in long robes, to be greeted obsequiously in the market squares, to take the front seats in the synagogues and the places of honour at banquets; these are the men who swallow the property of widows, while making a show of lengthy prayers. The more severe will be the sentence they receive”.

Here, Jesus points to men entrusted with religious leadership who have turned their positions of trust into selfish interest as they focus on what they can get, rather than what they can give. So Jesus warned his disciples against such behaviour, especially how they exercised and practised their faith.

The Pharisees and the teachers of the Law often prided themselves on their privileged and highly respected position in the community, and showed off their faith, seeking important and privileged positions. What Jesus is telling us all is to be careful and vigilant against the temptations of ego and pride in our lives. We must focus our attention on God and put Him first and foremost in all we do.

Dear friends, the warning of Jesus concerning our pride and ego is not only for religious leaders and ministers, but for every one of us: fathers, mothers, teachers, lecturers, government officials, military leaders, businessmen and women, celebrities, doctors, mechanics and leaders of all walks of life.

We are to be on the watch to avoid being carried away by the titles of honour and dignity that come with the pride of life, like some of the scribes in our Gospel passage today. Rather, we should humble ourselves in the midst of external respect and honour, for noble souls despise this kind of honour, as they offer it to God, to whom all respect and honour belong.

Therefore, let us learn an act of humility by ensuring that we give all honour and glory to God just as St Paul said to Timothy in our first reading: proclaim the message and, welcome or unwelcome, insist on it. Refute falsehood, correct error, call to obedience – but do all with patience and with the intention of teaching. The time has come for me to be gone. I have fought the good fight to the end; I have run the race to the finish; I have kept the faith; all there is to come now is the crown of righteousness reserved for me, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on that Day; and not only to me but to all those who have longed for his Appearing.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, as you warn us today to beware of the pride and ego of human life, grant us the grace of humility in the midst of all prideful events in our lives, through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a grace-filled weekend.

Homily For Friday Ninth Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 5th June, 2026. The Memorial of St. Boniface

 

Reading: 2 Tim 2:10-17; Ps. 119; Mark 12:35-37

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

CAN THE PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS IN THE WORLD STOP?

A critical study of the history of Christianity reveals that persecution, suffering, trials, and martyrdom have been recurring events. Jesus, his apostles, and their successors endured painful sufferings and martyrdoms, yet they continued to give their best to serve the Lord and humanity with unwavering faith. But I wondered why it should be so, given that the teaching and doctrines of Christian faith offer nothing but love, peace and truth to humanity.

So what is it about the Christian faith that frightens the world so deeply that it seems as if Christianity should be extinguished from the world? The simple reason is that Christian faith offers truth and light to the darkness, ignorance and sinful humanity who have grown rotten in the darkness of this sinful world.

The scourge of truth is so painful and difficult for humanity to bear, hence, they prefer to avoid or resist it and the only way to escape this, is by persecuting the bearers of truth and this gives birth to unending ugly acts of persecution, sufferings and trials we are passing through today especially as Christians.

Thus, in the Gospel passage, we heard how the personality of Jesus was challenged by the people in the temple. Here, Jesus taught them that the Messiah, though from the lineage of David, was not a mere man, as they supposed, but that he was both God and man, they ought not to wonder or to be offended because he called himself the Son of God.

This they heard with great attention and pleasure; for the clear and solid answers with which Jesus responded, gave them a high opinion of his wisdom, and showed them how far he was superior to their most renowned rabbis who still dwell in the darkness of ignorance as they seek means to extinguish the truth by persecuting him the more.

Dear friends, we can see why there is constant persecution of Christians in our world. Should we stop being Christian? Can the persecutions of Christians stop? How do you think the world would be if there were no Christians to remind humanity about God?

So, we must not give up, we must not stop being Christians, for God will always be with his people no matter how much they may have to suffer or be persecuted. This is well illustrated in our first reading today with the story of the restoration of the sight of Tobit and the reunion of his family.

Therefore, we must remain faithful in our faith for we are not alone in the sufferings and persecution we encounter as a result of our faith and the mission entrusted to us by Jesus. Through our perseverance, many people will be touched by the truth, and come to know more about the truth and with open hearts and minds, embrace it.

So, friends, as we struggle with our faith and mission, we are encouraged to persevere in the midst of all our fears, sufferings, trials and persecutions. Though it may seem as if our condition is now hopeless and irredeemable, for those who put their trust in God, all things work out for our good. Hence, we are told in our first readings that all scripture is inspired by God and can profitably be used for teaching, for refuting error, for guiding people’s lives and teaching them to be holy. This is how the man who is dedicated to God becomes fully equipped and ready for any good work.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, as we struggle with the sufferings and persecution of this passing world because of our faith in you, grant through the intercession of St. Boniface that our lives may bear great witness to the truth we have found in Jesus, we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Remain blessed.

Homily For Thursday Ninth Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 4th June, 2026

Readings: 2 Tim. 2:8-15; Ps.24; Mark 12: 28-34

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

LOVING GOD AND YOUR NEIGHBOURS IS WHAT GOD REQUIRES FROM US

In our journey of faith, we often struggle with numerous commitments and responsibilities. Oftentimes, we want to know which one should be our priority. What should be the most important thing to focus our energy on? What should become the foundation of all the things we need to do? In fact, we want to know what is really required of us in this life.

This is the deposition of the Scribe in our Gospel passage today who came to Jesus and asked the same question. In response to his question about which is the greatest commandment? Jesus reminded him of the 'Shema Israel' - שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל, the prayer that they knew and recited from their earliest years.

From this prayer they learned that the most important thing in life is to love God with all their heart, and with all their soul, and with all their mind; that is, with all the powers and faculties of the soul; as under the influence and guidance of the more noble faculties of the soul, the mind, the understanding, judgment, and will. Jesus then added: that loving one’s neighbour is the second priority.

In other words, loving God with all your heart, with all your understanding and strength, and to love your neighbour as yourself is what is required of us and it is the foundation of all the things we have to do. Jesus set the standard of love not just by the love he was able to show, but by the depth of love which he showed by dying for us.

This is exactly what St. Paul is encouraging us to imitate in our first reading, when he said: If we have died with him, then we shall live with him. If we hold firm, then we shall reign with him. If we disown him, then he will disown us. We may be unfaithful, but he is always faithful, for he cannot disown himself.” This is possible only when we understand the true meaning of love and sacrifice and this is what is really lacking in our relationship with God and neighbours.

In fact, a critical look at what is happening in our world today, it is obvious that the world has lost the true meaning of love. This present generation has failed to understand the true meaning and source of love and this can be seen in the kind of fruit we bear.

The fruit of love in this generation is so complicated: love has become a tool for selfishness, deception, greed, and emotional and sexual satisfaction. This is because we have abandoned God, who is the source and power of love, and created for ourselves a mirage in the name of love.

Dear friends, today, we are called to come back to the source of love, God himself, who teaches us that love is an attitude that seeks the good of others despite how we feel about them, he teaches us to be merciful, just as he is merciful. That love is a sacrificial attitude, an attitude that forgives, an attitude that accommodates, preserves, heals and builds up when every other thing fails. This is the kind of attitude the world needs now, the attitude that comes from the pure love of God and neighbours.

But how can humanity recover this power of love and harness it to bear more fruit in our societies where it seems as if true love does not exist? This is possible when we realise that we are products of love and are called to live out our essence, which is to love.

Therefore, we can make our choice today to renew our commitment to keeping these two commandments and to reflect on how best we can put them together for our good and the good of humanity, for by so doing, we will not be far from the kingdom of God. Remember, in you resides that love that is lacking in others.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, in You, is the fullness of love, grant that we may truly love You and our neighbours and so conquer the world full of hatred, self-centeredness, greed and corruption, we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a blessed day.

Homily For Wednesday Ninth Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 3rd June, 2026. The Memorial of St Charles Lwanga and Companions

 

Readings: 2 Tim. 1:1-3,6-12; Ps.123; Mark 12: 18-27

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

UNDERSTANDING THE REALITY OF LIFE, DEATH AND RESURRECTION

The question of what becomes of the human person after death has been a perennial topic in every human generation, and this remains true in our generation. However, the answer to this question has been given to us by Jesus on the occasion of our Gospel passage today, when the Sadducees, one of the most powerful and influential groups within the Jewish community at the time of Jesus, came to ask him questions about this issue.

They are comprised of secular and powerful societal elites who were predominantly irreligious and worldly in their attitudes. They rejected the spiritual aspects of the Jewish customs and teachings, refusing to believe in the presence of Angels and the Spirit, as well as the concept of the afterlife. They rejected the notion of resurrection and life after death.

To them, this life on earth is the only life they have and are living through, for no other things matter more than to enjoy the world as it is, and thus, they tend to live an extravagant lifestyle and selfish attitudes.

So they came up to Jesus with a trick question concerning the notion of resurrection using example of seven brothers who shared a woman as their wife and died without a child, for according to the Jewish laws and customs, when a man died without having any descendant to continue his name and lineage, it was his brother’s responsibility and obligation to take the widow of the deceased man to be his wife, and the firstborn child of the union would be considered as the child of the deceased brother.

Thus, they asked Jesus, " Whose wife will she be at the resurrection? Here, Jesus rebuked them for their ignorance of the scriptures and the power of God. Then he goes on to explain how people will relate to each other in the afterlife. After death and resurrection, men and women do not marry, for they will be like the angels in heaven.

He reminds them of the scene where the voice from the burning bush identifies itself to Moses. “I AM the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob” (Exodus 3:6). He is the God of the living and not of the dead. After this reply from Jesus, they no longer dared to ask him any questions, because, he had given a mind-blowing answer to their ignorance and unbelief.

Dear friends, it is natural for us to ask questions about the resurrection of life, but we should not expect to understand it fully while we are still alive. But we have to believe in the resurrection not so much because Jesus argued with the Sadducees, but because of his own resurrection and his promise to share his life with us forever.

Jesus tells and shows us that we are children of the resurrection and children of God who neither marry nor are given in marriage in the heavenly kingdom. For all that matters is our relationship with our God and neighbour, as for what we shall be after death is known by God alone.

Therefore, as Christians, we are challenged to overcome our excessive attachments to the world and to be closer to God and to allow Him to guide us in our path. Little wonder, St. Paul in our first reading today, reminds and encourages us not to worry about worldly trials sufferings and persecutions. Instead, let us focus our attention on the assurance of life and joy that we will have in the kingdom of God.

Thus, let us be encouraged by the lives of St. Charles Lwanga and Companions, martyrs of Uganda, whose memorial we celebrate today. Charles Lwanga and his twenty-one companions (the youngest, Kitizo, was only 13) were executed for being Christians, for rebuking the king for his debauchery and for murdering an Anglican missionary, for “praying from a book,” and for refusing to allow themselves to be ritually sodomised by the king. They died between 1885 and 1887. Most of them were burned alive in a group after being tortured. Within a year of their deaths, the number of catechumens in the country increased greatly.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, many things challenge our faith every day, grant that through the intercession of St. Charles Lwanga, we may remain steadfast in faith and charity, even in the face of trials and persecutions through Christ our Lord. Amen. God bless you.

Homily For Tuesday Ninth Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 2nd June, 2026

Reading: 2Peter 3:11-15,17-18; Ps.112; Mark 12:13-17

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

KNOWING WHAT BELONGS TO CAESAR AND WHAT BELONGS TO GOD

At the time of Jesus, one of the great means of exchange was the use of coins. A coin, as we know, is a small, flat, round piece of metal used primarily as a medium of exchange or legal tender to facilitate trade.

They are most often issued by the government with particular images, numerals and inscriptions. It is a very important commodity used in payment of taxes and other important goods, which gives great value to anyone who has enough of it in his possession.

So on the occasion of our Gospel passage today, when the Pharisees and Herodians attempted to trap Jesus using the mandatory law of paying tax to Caesar. It was a serious trap for Jesus because a negative response from him would make him a serious enemy of Rome; a positive response would make him lose the trust of his own people, who generally detest paying this tax.

Thus, Jesus said to them: “Why do you set this trap for me? Bring me a coin and let me see it.’ They handed him one, and he said, ‘Whose image and inscriptions are they?’ Caesar’s they told him. Jesus said to them, ‘Give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.’ This reply took them completely by surprise.

But what does this reply mean? Here, Jesus requested a coin; he secured the coin; he inquired about the image and inscription on the coin; and they responded by identifying the coin with Caesar.

In the context of these actions, Jesus is probably holding the coin. This implies that the true image of the coin is in his possession, but the empirical image and inscription of the coin are the sum total of the things that belong to Caesar. In other words, the true image and inscriptions of anything come and belong to God.

However, the empirical image of corruption, greediness, pride, operation and deception that are found in this coin belongs to Caesar and should be rendered back to him. Thus, Jesus affirms that one’s obligation to the government is necessary as long as it is for the good of all, while insisting that one’s obligation to God is always greater, and this should be done by rendering the true image of the coin to God, which ultimately belongs to Him.

Dear friends, in one way or another, we all possess the coins of this life, but whose image and inscription is in the coin we possess. Are we possessing the coin with the true image and inscription of God or the coin with the empirical image of Caesar which signifies sin, corruption, greed, selfishness and deception?

Today, Jesus is telling us to render back to the Caesars of this world all the ugly and sinful coins in our possession, for they belong to them. While rendering to God the true image of the coin with the inscription of holiness, love, mercy, forgiveness, charity, for they truly belong to God.

When this is done, we will hear the consoling words of the Lord, like those of Tobit's wife, as we heard her consoling Tobit in our first reading today, saying: ‘What about your own charitable deeds? What about your own good works?

Everyone knows what return you have had for them.’ In the life of Tobit, we see that it is indeed possible to be fully faithful and committed to God, while living in harmony as law-abiding citizens of the community, even in the midst of persecutions and operations as we experience in our societies today.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, whose providence never fails in its design, grant that we may always render to you what really belongs to you, as we do away with all that offends you and our fellow neighbours and so live in harmony with the authority of the state. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Homily For Monday Ninth Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 1st June, 2026. The Memorial of St Justin the Martyr. Happy New Month

 

Readings: 2 Peter 1: 2-7; Ps. 91; Mark 12:1-12

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

GREEDINESS AND WICKEDNESS OF HUMANITY TOWARDS GOD AND THE VINEYARD HE ENTRUSTED TO US

Often, I wonder why there is so much evil, greed, and wickedness in the world, despite God's blessings of good things. This is evident in our Gospel passage today, marked by a growing conflict between Jesus and the religious and political leaders of his time. And Jesus illustrates this ugly event with an allegory of the Vineyard Owner which was directed towards the ugly attitudes of humanity.

In this allegory, Jesus tells the story of a man who planted a vineyard, equipped it with all that was necessary, and then leased it out to tenants to cultivate. Now, the vineyard owner sent his servants to collect the dues and rents from the tenants whom he had entrusted with the care of his vineyard, which he had leased out to them. Those tenants were wicked and desired to keep everything they gained to themselves, hence they persecuted and killed the servants sent to them. The tenants also killed the son of the vineyard owner, whom the owner sent to them thinking that the tenants would respect his son.

This allegory describes the relationship between God and humanity and how humanity has been summoned for a trial. Here, the owner of the vineyard is God, while the son represents Jesus Himself, the Son of God sent into the world to save humanity. Also, the vineyard represents the world itself while the wicked tenants represent the ugly attitudes of humanity towards the resources entrusted to us by God.

Dear friends, why all this wickedness, greed and corruption in our society? Today our nation is on trial before God, for God has presented his case against us, summoning our blessed land and mountains to act as judge between Him and the people of this country, by reminding us how He has blessed us with so many resources, skills, good weather and people. But we have misused them, neglected his message, and committed a lot of evil and murder, yet we are still crying, seeking solutions and signs from God.

Today, as tenants in God’s vineyard, we are called to change our attitude positively; we should turn away from greed, corruption, pride and ego. If not, we will likely end up like those wicked tenants who acted with such evil against their fellow men and even against the son of their master and were justly punished.

Therefore, what God requires from us today is for us to do justice, to love kindly and to walk humbly with him for our good and the good of others. Little wonder St. Peter in our first reading made us know that God has given us the guarantee of something very great and wonderful to come: through them, we will be able to share the divine nature and to escape corruption in a world that is sunk in vice.

But to attain this, we will have to do our utmost best, adding goodness to the faith that we have, understanding to our goodness, self-control to our understanding, patience to our self-control, true devotion to our patience, kindness towards our fellow men to our devotion, and, to this kindness, love.

This is what we see in the life of St. Justin the Martyr, whose memorial we celebrate today. He was known for his desire to establish a peaceful relationship between the Church and the state. Through his writings, he tried to convince Emperor Marcus Aurelius to end the persecution of Christians by the Roman state, which led to his martyrdom with some of his followers in the year 165.

Today however, St. Justin no doubt, has shown us through his works and interactions, with pagan philosophers and even with the Emperor, that it is indeed possible to be fully faithful and committed to God while exercising our authority and position by living in harmony as a law-abiding citizens of the community and the state even in the midst of persecutions and operations as we experience in our societies today.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, grant that we may turn away from pride, greed and the corruptions of this passing world and become steadfast in faith and care for one another. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Wishing you the best of God's favour and blessings. Happy New Month.