Homily For Monday, Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A. 27th July, 2026

 

Readings: Jer.13:1-11; Ps. Deut. 32;

 Matt. 13:31-35

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

UNDERSTANDING AND APPLYING THE PARABLES IN OUR LIVES

Using a simple story to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson has always been one of the characteristics of Jesus when addressing the people regarding very important things. By couching his teaching in parables, Jesus made certain points much clearer to his audience.

This is evident in our Gospel passage today, where he told us two parables: the parable of the mustard seed and the parable of the Leaven, using them to describe the nature of God’s kingdom, which he came to establish in the hearts of humanity.

In the scriptures especially in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus used the mustard seed in two different analogies. First, in today’s Gospel passage, Jesus compares the Kingdom of God to a mustard seed growing from the Word of God spoken to the hearts of his few disciples, which will grow and spread to the hearts of all humanity. This analogy focuses on the size of the seed that grows into a mighty tree, providing shelter and salvation to all.

The second analogy of the mustard seed is found in Matt. 17:20. In this analogy, Jesus is not speaking of the size of the mustard seed, but the faith of the people as that of a mustard seed.

Telling us that just as the mustard seed responds to the word of God and grows into a mighty tree, so will the faith of the people grow into a great vessel through hearing and doing the word of God. However, God has given humanity the freedom to choose whether to hear his word and embrace the faith so as to bear fruits of the kingdom or to reject it and perish.

Nevertheless, these two analogies of the mustard seed symbolise the humble beginnings of the Christian faith, which is well nurtured and watered by the Holy Spirit to grow and give life and hospitality to all the people of the world. However, we know that there are good-for-nothing seeds present in this world to deceive people from listening to God’s word.

Such seeds include: fear, regrets, doubt, jealousy, hatred, disrespect, greediness, lying, gossip, impurity, wickedness and all sorts of sinful acts. Those who embrace these good-for-nothing seeds follow the dictates of their own hard hearts and will soon be thrown away as good-for-nothing, because they have not listened to God’s words.

Therefore, let us not embrace such good-for-nothing seeds; rather, we should learn to embrace the mustard seed of faith entrusted to us and nurture it. We must let the word of God dwell in our hearts and bear great fruit that will become a great instrument for God’s salvation for humanity. We are also entrusted with different seeds of responsibilities that seem very little, like a mustard seed, but are we nurturing them to grow into great trees for God’s Kingdom?

Dear friends, in the world today, we have different kinds of responsibilities in the form of seeds. But the question remains, what kind of seeds are we embracing and watering in our lives today? Are we watering valuable mustard seeds of faith and love or weeds of fear, regrets, doubt, jealousy, hatred, disrespect, greediness, lying, gossip, impurity, wickedness and all kinds of sinful deeds that will destroy us?

Today, we are called to quit watering these weeds because that's what the enemies want, and we must not fall into their traps. Rather we are called to nurture and water those valuable mustard seeds of faith, love, holiness, hospitality, obedience, charity and make them our values of life. For when we feed and water such values, they will grow stronger like the mustard tree where people may find solace and so build up God’s kingdom.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, as you sow the seeds of your word and faith in our hearts, give us the grace to grow it into the mustard tree of love, holiness and hospitality. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a fruitful week ahead.

Homily for the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A, 26 July, 2026

 

Readings: 1kings 3:5.7-12, Ps 119; Rom. 8:28-30; Matt. 13: 44-52

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

OBTAINING YOUR ULTIMATE TREASURE OF LIFE REQUIRES THE SACRIFICE OF ALL THAT YOU HAVE

Every day under the terrible scourges of the sun and noisy streets, people struggle to acquire things that they value as treasures of life. The quarrelling and fighting in our streets, the early morning rush, the traffic jam, the aggressive words we give and receive every day, all just to acquire things of this life and make them our treasures of life. And people are never tired of acquiring properties for themselves and their future generations, forgetting that all these things will pass away sooner or later, just as we ourselves will expire from this world. Thus, this Sunday we are called to reflect on what should be our ultimate treasure and how we can acquire it.

In our first reading and the Gospel, we heard of the need to focus our attention on the search for the ultimate treasure. And for King Solomon, his greatest treasure was the wisdom and discernment to govern the people entrusted to him. So when the Lord appeared to him in a dream not long after he had succeeded his father, King David, the Lord told him to ask whatever he wanted, and it would be given to him. In a display of wisdom, Solomon asked for a listening heart to understand how to discern between good and evil, enabling him to govern God's people effectively.

Though he would have asked for more power, glory or wealth, he asked for the wisdom to discern the good from the bad and to be able to lead the people of God wisely in the ways of the Lord. The Lord was pleased with Solomon's request and promised to bless him and his people with a wise and discerning mind like none before and after him. So, the wisdom that he obtained was not so much of selfish desire or for personal gain, but for his office as a leader. And as we know, wisdom and discernment are part of the characteristics of heavenly treasures.

Little wonder, in the Gospel, Jesus used three parables to describe to the people that the kingdom of God is the greatest and ultimate treasure anyone can and should acquire. He said to them: the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field which someone has found; he hides it again, goes off happy, sells everything he owns and buys the field.

Again he said, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls; when he finds one of great value he goes and sells everything he owns and buys it. And lastly, he said, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea that brings in fish of all kinds. When it is full, the fishermen haul it ashore; then, sitting down, they collect the good ones in a basket and throw away those that are no use.

Here, the first and second parables describe the kingdom of God as the ultimate treasure that cannot be compared to anything whatsoever we have in this world while the third parable tells us that the kingdom is open for all but not all can be suitable to dwell in it, only those who on the judgement day are found suitable can be admitted into the kingdom.

Using these parables Jesus explains what the kingdom of heaven is like and what we need to do in order to acquire it. The essence of these parables is to remind us that the kingdom of heaven is so precious and great, that it is worth more than our entire life and our worldly possessions and treasures.

 Therefore, we must do all that it takes to ensure that we acquire it, losing it over the temporal pleasure, joy, glory, fame, power and influence of the things of this passing world will be complete foolishness. For none of them last forever, and what good is it for us to gain the whole world but lose our soul out of God’s kingdom? Thus, St. Paul in our second reading tells us that God co-operates with all those who love and desire his kingdom, those who are called according to his purpose. For those he called he justified, and with those he justified he shares his glory.

Dear friends, in the midst of false and perishable treasures around us, what is your ultimate treasure of life? If the Lord should allow us to make a request for what our heart desires, what would you request? Solomon sought an understanding mind to govern and care for God’s people. He wanted the ability to discern between good and evil. He recognised that a selfish attitude could not sustain his kingdom, so he requested heavenly treasure.

Today how many of us are paying attention to this ultimate heavenly treasure? What is our ultimate treasure in this life? How many think and search for this ultimate treasure of our souls? How many desire to personally discover God in their life? How I wish we would understand the shortness of this life, the emptiness of this passing world and the danger of losing our soul out of greediness for the things of this passing world. Then, we will sincerely desire to experience God personally, because in him lies the ultimate treasure of life. And discovering God personally is the greatest treasure one can ever have.

PRAYER: Almighty God, the world is full of distractions from false treasures; give us a wise and discerning heart to give up all our attachments to worldly possessions in pursuit of the heavenly and ultimate treasure of your kingdom, through Christ our Lord. Amen. Peace be with you. 

Homily for Saturday, Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A, 25th July, 2026. The Feast of St. James, Apostle

Readings: 2Cor 4: 7-15, Ps 126:1-6, Matt: 20:20-28

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

IF YOU WANT TO BE GREAT, LEARN TO SERVE HUMANITY SACRIFICIALLY

As human beings, it is always our desire to be great. This desire is what makes us utilise the unique gift God has given us, from which we serve Him and our neighbours responsibly. However, human greediness and selfishness have made us see greatness as domination and subjection of others competitively and comparatively. Today as we celebrate the feast of St. James, we heard in our Gospel passage how the disciples of Jesus were struggling with this competitive and comparative attitude.

This is because the mother of James and John, sons of Zebedee, came with her sons to make a request from Jesu,s, saying, ‘Promise that these two sons of mine may sit one at your right hand and the other at your left in your kingdom.’ And Jesus answered, ‘You do not know what you are asking’. ‘Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink?’ They replied, ‘We can.’ ‘Very well,’ he said ‘you shall drink my cup, but as for seats at my right hand and my left, these are not mine to grant; they belong to those to whom they have been allotted by my Father.”

So, other disciples became angry because James and his brother John, through the intercession of their mother, desired to have key leadership positions in the kingdom of our Lord Jesus. But Jesus let them know that the transcendent power and authority to lead belong to God and whoever He wishes to share it with.

Here, Jesus prophesied that James and his brother John would "drink of the same chalice" of suffering as himself, since the two brothers had asked to be seated at his right and his left in his kingdom, and he told them that they would be with him in a far different way than they expected.

Tradition has it that James suffered martyrdom for the sake of the kingdom, for he was beheaded in Jerusalem at the orders of Herod Agrippa. His death is the only biblical record we have of the death of one of the Apostles, and he was the first to give his life for his Master. He embraced true greatness not by domination and subjection, but in service, sacrifice and dedication to the faith he had found in Jesus, which he wished to share with others.

So, today we celebrate the feast of a great man, who along with his brother John and Peter was part of the inner circle of Jesus. So like St. James, we are encouraged to seek true greatness in humility of service and sacrifice even at the point of losing everything.

 And St. Paul also encouraged us in our first reading to be steadfast for we are affiliated in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed. Knowing that true greatness is found in humble service and not in domination or subjection of others. For good leaders serve the community; they subdue arguments and divisions; they maintain unity in times of distress and act as role models for the young, just like St. James.

Dear friends, today, we are all called to seek true greatness in humble service of others and not in subjection and domination of others. We are called to utilise the unique gift God has given us and use it to serve Him and our neighbours responsibly in any capacity we find ourselves, bearing in mind that one should not strive to be a leader but a servant because leadership is a gift from God. Remember, true greatness is found in our sacrificial service to others, not in competitive and comparative subjection and domination of others.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, you have taught us that true greatness is found in the sacrificial service to humanity, give us the grace to live a life of sacrifice and humility. And through the intercession of St. James my our lives be a good example of true greatness. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a fruitful weekend.

Homily for Saturday Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 25th July, 2026

 

Readings: Jer. 7:1-11; Ps.84; Matt. 13:24-30

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

UNDERSTANDING THE PROBLEM OF EVIL IN OUR SOCIETIES

Oftentimes, when we reflect on the ugly events that happen around us, we wonder why God, who is so good and all-powerful, permits the evil we see and experience in the world He created. And sometimes, the evil ones are so cruel that we wish that God should just wipe them away from the face of the earth, and when this does not come to pass, we complain and even doubt the power of God over this evil.

The answer to this ugly phenomenon is found in the parable of today's Gospel passage. Here the sower has sown good seed in his field for a healthy wheat harvest. But in the dark of night, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat. When the plants came up and bore grain, the weeds appeared as well.

What Matthew most likely refers to as weeds is darnel or cockle, a harmful weed that closely resembles wheat and is common in Israel. The difference between darnel and real wheat is evident only when the plants mature and the ears appear.

So, when the servants notice the weeds, their first response is to question the quality of the seed. Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from? When the master replies that an enemy has sown the weeds, the slaves are anxious to take care of the problem, to root those nasty weeds immediately.

But the master restrains his servants, saying that in gathering the weeds they would uproot the wheat along with them. He orders them to let both grow together until the harvest. Then he will send out his reapers to collect and burn the weeds and to gather the wheat into his barn.

However, this will not be easy because it is not always easy to distinguish between the weeds and the wheat, as their roots are often intertwined below the ground. Thus, rooting out the weeds would uproot the wheat as well, doing more damage to the crop than leaving the weeds to grow.

Dear friends, most of us are victims of the evil weeds and darnels of this passing world. But are you a good seed or the evil weed of this passing world? What shall we do when our good works are intertwined with the evil weeds of this passing world?

Today, as we wish to remove these weeds in our lives, Jesus wants us to learn how to be patient and trust God in times of trouble and tribulations, for he alone knows the best time and how best to deal with the evil ones. For when that time comes He will gather all evildoers and throw them into the furnace of fire.

But the problem is that we are not patient with the Lord, we often behave like the Israelites in our first reading today, who have failed to listen to God, for we have chosen to dwell in sin and are intertwined with the sinful weeds of this world.

Thus, we heard the prophet Jeremiah saying: Amend your behaviour and your actions. Put no trust in delusive words. Yet here you are, trusting in delusive words, to no purpose! Stop doing evil and learn to do good so that you will be saved. Therefore, we must learn to be patient with the Lord especially as we struggle with the troubles and tribulations of this passing world.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, our hearts are full of weeds of different corruptions and evil planted by the evil ones. As we wait on you, may you guide and protect us from the malice of the evil ones. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Have a fruitful weekend.

Homily For Friday, Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A, 24th July, 2026

 

Readings: Jer. 31:14-17, Ps. Jer. 31:10-13; Matt. 13:18-23

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

HAVING THE RIGHT DISPOSITION TOWARDS THE WORD OF GOD

A critical observation of the structure of our society reveals how people are struggling with the things of this life; our passion, determination and willingness are deep-rooted in worldly things. For we work so hard to fill our hearts with the rocks and thorns of life that we have no room for the Word of God to blossom in our hearts.

This unhealthy and ugly attitude is what Jesus addresses in our Gospel passage today, as he explains the parable of the sower, pointing out our different dispositions towards the Word of God in relation to our inner life. Here, Jesus describes different kinds of obstacles to God's Word, obstacles such as shallow-mindedness, hardened heart, worldly desires and finally, trials and persecutions.

Today, because of our uncontrolled desire for things in this world, most people fall into some, if not all, of these obstacles. For a lot of people do hear and talk about the Word of God, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth will always choke the word we hear, and it yields nothing because it has no root to sustain it in our hearts.

Also, we often harden our hearts by following the dictates of our stubborn attitude, thereby making our hearts a rocky ground where God’s Word does not bear much fruit. Thus, we are called to examine whether our soul is like the dry, rocky ground or has been choked by the thorns of this life.

For it is time to regularly seek to nourish our soul and prepare it to receive the Holy Word of God so that we can create a fertile disposition within our heart to let the Word bear fruit in our soul.

Dear friends, how are we receiving God’s Word and applying it in our daily lives? Today we heard the Lord saying in our first reading that no one will ever say again: Where is the ark of the covenant of the Lord? For when that time comes, Jerusalem shall be called: The Throne of the Lord; all the nations will gather there in the name of the Lord and will no longer follow the dictates of their own stubborn hearts.

Remember, our hearts are the fields in which the Word of God is spread today. But to which do our hearts belong: the pathway, the rocky ground, the thorns or the good soil of faith and hope? Whichever one, we are called to dispose our hearts more so that God’s Word may find root in us.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, the world is full of hidden rocks and thorns which are seriously making your Holy Word unfruitful in our hearts, give us the grace to truly detach ourselves from them to faithfully embrace your Word in our souls and bear great fruits of love, peace, joy and fulfilment. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Peace be with you.

Homily for Thursday Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 23rd July, 2026

 

Readings: Jer.2:1-3.7-8.12-13, Ps. 36, Matt 13:10-17

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

WHY HAVE WE ABANDONED THE LORD OVER THE LEAKY CISTERN OF THIS PASSING WORLD

Reflecting on the present situation of our country, I must say that it is obvious that we are like sheep desperately in need of a shepherd, as the present leaders have shown that they are not and cannot be the Messiah we are looking for, since we have continually been involved in doing and defending evil.

We have abandoned the God who has blessed us with all the good things of life in order to embrace the gods of money and wealth and have made ourselves gods to others. What we have in our country today are corrupt, greedy and selfish people who are like a leaky cistern that can not hold water.

This is the ugly situation God, through Prophet Jeremiah, is addressing in our first reading today when He said to the people: “I brought you to a fertile country to enjoy its produce and good things; but no sooner had you entered than you defiled my land, and made my heritage detestable. The priests have never asked, “Where is the Lord?”

Those who administer the Law have no knowledge of me. The shepherds have rebelled against me; the prophets have prophesied in the name of Baal, following things with no power in them. It is the Lord who speaks. Since my people have committed a double crime: they have abandoned me, the fountain of living water, only to dig cisterns for themselves, leaky cisterns that hold no water”.

 And in our Gospel passage we heard Jesus saying: “The reason I talk to them in parables is that they look without seeing and listen without hearing or understanding. So, you will listen and listen again, but not understand, see and see again, but not perceive. For the heart of this nation has grown coarse, their ears are dull of hearing, and they have shut their eyes, for fear they should see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their heart, and be converted and be healed by me”.

Here, we see the Lord’s sadness and anger at us for our selfishness, greed and ingratitude. For we are constantly disobeying God through our sinful, rebellious and unwilling attitudes to embrace and properly utilize what God has given us for the good of all. Thus, we constantly take God’s patience and kindness for granted.

We have taken His mercy and compassion for granted. Today, we are called to come back to God with all our hearts so that He will respond to our needs. For He will restore the fortune of the poor and put our enemies to shame as they will come quaking and trembling in fear of the Lord because of all the evil they have committed.

Dear friends, without God in our lives we will be a leaky cistern that can not hold water. So, it will never be business as usual, for the righteous God will send a good shepherd to His people, who will shepherd us with his staff of justice, mercy, forgiveness and fidelity. Though not in the manner we expect. He will not lead us in any campaign against our corrupt and selfish leaders.

But he will lead us in a campaign against an even more formidable foe, the devil and his agents. And when he has succeeded in overcoming them, our leaders and their corruption and selfish way of life will be taken care of. Then, his kingdom of peace and justice will be established and it will last forever. All we need to do is to trust in the Lord, ask him for directions and be docile to his words.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we have abandoned your ways out of selfishness and greed, in order to build a leaky cistern of corruption and greediness that can not do us any good. Help us to change this ugly way of life, so as to embrace your word and become a vessel of love. May Christ, our good shepherd, guide our paths and lead us into his own dwelling place forever and ever. Amen. Have a blessed day. 

Homily For Wednesday, Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A, 22nd July, 2026. The Feast of St. Mary Magdalene

 

Readings: 2Cor. 5:14-17, Ps. 63, John 20:1-2.11-18

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

HOW A SINNER BECAME A SAINT

Every human person has a past and a future; the past is gone, we cannot change it, but the future brings hope alive, for in both past and future we make our history a reality that can change the world. Today we celebrate the feast of St. Mary Magdalene, a woman whose life history gives hope to sinners and a sense of the past to the saints.

Often Mary Magdalene is referred to as the woman from whom Jesus had cast out seven demons or the repentant prostitute, whichever one, Scripture and history point out that Mary Magdalene had been greatly transformed by her faith in Jesus and her life was changed after her first encounter with Jesus for she abandoned her past life of sin.

Mary Magdalene was a great sinner who ought to have been condemned to die by those who were also unworthy and sinful before God. But the grace of God brought about the encounter that transformed her life, and she was privileged to be the first to know about the resurrection of Jesus and to also encounter the risen Lord.

This is evident in our Gospel passage today, which presents to us the encounter of Mary Magdalene with the risen Lord. When the apostles had left the tomb, Mary stayed outside the tomb weeping. In her devotion to Jesus, Mary seeks to learn where she might find Jesus’ body so that she might take him away, a task that would be difficult both emotionally and physically.

But she was not even concerned with how she would convey the body from one place to another. She only believed that Jesus’ body had been dishonoured, and she was determined to see that he was accorded the honour that he deserves.

So, she remained by the tomb, weeping. Her heart was in earnest to find Jesus. The angels asked her: Why are you weeping? She was just busy trying to find the corpse of Jesus. But when she turned around and saw Jesus, her heart was filled with joy and peace.

This courageous act of faith brought about her encounter with the risen Lord. Thus, in Mary Magdalene we see a heart that is determined to find Jesus. A heart that truly loves Jesus, a heart that cannot give up the search for Jesus, a heart that listened and remembered the words of Jesus about his resurrection.

Dear friends, as we celebrate the feast of St. Mary Magdalene, we must learn to let go of our old sinful way of life and embrace the new life of grace and hope God is offering us. So, today we are called to imitate her virtues, knowing that God can use anyone as His instrument if we are ready to embrace Him irrespective of our past ways of life.

For St. Paul tells us in our first reading that anyone who is in Christ is a new creation; the old creation has passed away; behold, the new has come. For Christ died for all so that living men should live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised to life for our sake.

Therefore, today, we are called to forget our past sinful life and embrace the Lord. We are called to seek the Lord with affection and tears. But oftentimes the clouds and darkness of our sins blind us from recognising the Lord who is always very close to us.

The truth is that the Lord’s way of making himself known to his people is by his word; his word appeals to our souls, speaking to us in a particular way that is unique to us. Are we ready to embrace the Lord once again and make our history a reality that will change this sinful world?

 LET US PRAY: Lord God, like Mary Magdalene, our souls seek to encounter you personally once again. Give us the grace and strength to always be ready to turn away from sin and embrace your word, that we may personally experience, fill and recognise your presence once again in our lives. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a blessed day.