Homily For Friday, Twenty-Fifth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A, 25th September 2026

Readings: Eccl. 3:1-11, Ps.144, Luke 9:18-22

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

UNDERSTANDING THE TRUE PERSONALITY OF THE LORD JESUS

In life, there is always a moment when we will want to examine and know if our friends can really be trusted, if they truly know and understand who we are and what we represent. This is because, as social beings, we often make friends whom we can confide in and entrust with our innermost thoughts and plans. But this friendship does not come automatically; it develops gradually.

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

Peter answered, ‘You are the Christ. But he gave them strict orders not to tell anyone anything about this. For the Son of Man is destined to suffer grievously, to be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes and to be put to death, and to be raised up on the third day.

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. This is because Peter’s gift of faith comes from his personal encounter with the person of 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 had 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 faith is necessary in order to accommodate and overcome the ugly events of persecution, condemnation and blackmail that we encounter every day.

Little wonder, the book of Ecclesiastes in our first reading today tells us that there is a time for everything, for every purpose, and everything will indeed happen as God wills it, and not up to us to decide what will happen to us, as there are indeed many things out there beyond our control and understanding.

For what does a man gain for the efforts that he makes? All that he does is apt for its time; but though he has permitted man to consider time in its wholeness, man on his own cannot comprehend the work of God from beginning to end.

Dear friends, having heard the teachings and great works of Jesus in the scriptures and traditions of the Church, the question remains: what can I say is my personal experience of Jesus? Have I personally encountered and identified our Lord Jesus in my life? How has my 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 as regards to our faith as Christians. We are called today to develop a divine way of understanding the mysteries of God, but not rejecting them because we do not understand them. 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: Lord God, you revealed to Peter the true identity of Jesus your Son, help us to personally identify the personality of Jesus in our lives and so profess our faith with deeper meaning and conviction. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. God bless you.

Homily For Thursday, Twenty-Fifth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A, 24th September 2026. Today Is My Priestly Anniversary (Please Keep Me In Your Prayers)

Readings: Eccl. 1:2-11, Ps.90, Luke 9:7-9

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

UNDERSTANDING THAT LIFE IS VANITY VANISHING WITH GOD. THE GUILTY CONSCIENCE OF HEROD

Oftentimes, we hear people express the phrase guilty conscience, which is used to express the ugly condition of the human conscience- that part of our life that tells us whether what we are doing is right or wrong. For if you have a guilty conscience, you feel guilty about something because you know it was wrong. But if you have a clear conscience, you do not feel guilty because you know you have done nothing wrong.

This is the situation Herod finds himself in in our Gospel passage today, who, out of pride and selfishness, had killed John the Baptist, thinking that by that he could silence the voice of truth. Still, when he heard of the great works of Jesus and could not comprehend it, he perceived that John the Baptist, the voice of truth had returned to life again, when he said: John? I beheaded him. So who is this I hear such reports about?’ And he was anxious to see Jesus.

Here, we see the guilty conscience of a man who is anxious to see Jesus because of his ugly role in the death of John the Baptist. This is what happens to us whenever we try to take the role of God in our relationship with others. And this ugly attitude is what a lot of people are practising today, and as a result, many people are suffering the consequences of a guilty conscience.

This is because most of us are so attached to worldly things that we have not realised the emptiness of this passing world. We have let our pride, our ego and our selfish desires blindfold us from the true realities of life.

 Little wonder our first reading today taken from the book of Ecclesiastes, tells us that vanity of vanities. All is vanity! For what does a man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun? Today we are alive; tomorrow we are no more. Generation goes, and generation comes, but the earth remains forever. Acquiring wealth later to realise at deathbed that all is vanity, vanishing.

Thus, we are meant to know that there are many things in this world that are beyond human comprehension and understanding, because God’s ways of doing things are beyond human capacity to understand His plan fully. All we need to do is to remain docile and faithfully follow his plans for us and not be like Herod and his guilty conscience.

Dear friends, what is the essence of our existence in this world? What does God really require from us in this life? Do you have a guilty conscience of any kind? What are the things that make us have a guilty conscience?

Do you know that without God, everything in life is vanity, vanishing? Therefore, let us not be carried away by the beauty of the things of this passing world, for nothing lasts forever. So, we should remain steadfast in our faith in God, who has called us to love him and to love one another.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we have come to you with our guilty conscience, for we are so much attached to things of this passing world, with little or no attention to your teachings. Help us to realise that without you, life and all we have is nothing but vanity. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a fruitful day.

Homily For Wednesday, Twenty-Fifth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A, 23rd September 2026. The Memorial of St Pio of Pietrelcina

 

Readings: Prov. 30:5-9, Ps.119, Luke 9:1-6

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

“TAKE NOTING FOR THE JOURNEY” UNDERSTANDING THE SACRIFICIAL NATURE OF OUR MISSION

With the hostility, persecution and the influential power of things in this passing world, we really need to think twice about our faith as Christians, whether we are actually ready to live out our faith in the midst of a hostile environment. So, if we are willing to live out our Christian faith and obligations to the mission of Christ, we need to make a radical decision about our discipleship in a personal and radical way.

This is what Jesus is teaching his disciples in our Gospel passage today, when he called the Twelve together and gave them power and authority over all devils and to cure diseases. He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal.

He said to them, ‘Take nothing for the journey: neither staff, nor haversack, nor bread, nor money; and let none of you takes a spare tunic. Whatever house you enter, stay there; and when you leave, let it be from there. As for those who do not welcome you, when you leave their town shake the dust from your feet as a sign to them.’

Here, Jesus does not directly intend to cause tensions and divisions, but he wants to expose the sacrificial nature of our mission. Hence, Jesus demands a total commitment towards the journey of discipleship once begun or not beginning it at all.

Because, following Jesus demands the sacrifice of all that we have. For none of us can become his disciple if we do not give up our excess desire for worldly pleasures and possessions, and pay our unreserved loyalty and allegiance to Jesus over all other competing loyalties in our lives, including family, self-interest, and possessions.

Dear friends, we are called today to make a radical decision to sincerely and faithfully carry out the mission of Christ entrusted to us. But how much are we willing to let go for the sake of the mission of Christ? 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 for us to let them go in order to focus more on the mission Christ has entrusted to us. Therefore, let us learn to follow the examples of all the other great disciples who had given their time, energy, and even lives for the salvation of many souls. Just like St. Pio Pietrelcina whose memorial we celebrate today.

He was born in the small village of Pietrelcina in southern Italy, and joined the Capuchin friars at the age of 16. He became a priest seven years later, and spent fifty years at the monastery of San Giovanni Rotondo, where he was very much sought after as a spiritual advisor, confessor, and intercessor. Many miracles were popularly ascribed to him during his lifetime

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, today we are called to a sacrificial journey of Christ's mission. Because our excessive desire for the pleasurable things of this passing world has weakened our hearts towards our mission, give us courage and grace to let go of our ugly desires, to hold firm in our faith despite losing people and things that are dear to us. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a fruitful day.

Homily for Tuesday Twenty-Fifth Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 22nd September, 2026

Readings: Prov. 21:1-6.10-13, Ps.119, Luke 8:19-21

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

UNDERSTANDING WHAT IT MEANS TO BELONG TO THE ULTIMATE FAMILY OF JESUS

One of the psychological and spiritual needs of the human person is the sense of belonging, this need is just like the need for food, clothes and shelter. The feeling of belonging is fundamental to our sense of happiness and well-being.

It gives value to life and helps us cope with some pain and emotions, as it improves our motivation. Hence, we often want to belong and identify with one another, with our friends and families, with our culture and from one association and group to another.

However, one of the most common and safest places to belong is our families, especially when it is rooted in the family of God. So today in our Gospel passage, Jesus speaks about belonging to his family and his relationship with members of his family. For when he was told that his mother and brothers were standing outside and wanted to see him. He said: ' My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and put it into practice.’

Here, Jesus speaks of two ways the people around him could be identified as members of his family. First, he talked about those who belong to the family of his birth that is, his mother, father and relations. Then his other family which is made up of those who do the will of God.

This family, he says, is his true and ultimate family, where doing the will of God is the only way of belonging to this family. This is not to say that Jesus is rejecting his biological family; to do so would be contradicting his own teaching about loving one's parents and loving one's neighbours. However, Jesus is using this opportunity to emphasise that our relationship with God is more important and should be based on our total commitment to doing the will of God through him.

Surprisingly, Mary the mother of Jesus belongs to both sides of the family, for she gave birth to Jesus and also was the first to do the will of God when she said, “let it be done unto me according to your word” (Luke 1:38). For this reason she is the first disciple of Jesus and a model for all Christians.

Thus, to be a Christian or a disciple is to enter into the family of Jesus and embrace a new relationship with God and with one another and this is the most important place to belong. All other bonds, including those of blood should be considered secondary. Because, belonging to God is fundamental to our basic relationships, before all human relations.

For we belong first to God before belonging to our families, after which we all go back to God where we ultimately belong, which will be determined by how we have done the will of God here on earth. And our first reading, taken from the book of Proverbs, tells us that a man’s conduct may strike him as upright, but the Lord, however, weighs the heart.

Dear friends, where do we ultimately and truly belong? Do you belong to the true family of Jesus? As Christians, we claim to belong to God; do our attitudes and decisions show that we truly belong to God? Do we not often commit ourselves to things contrary to the faith we professed in God?

 So, today we are called to understand what it means to belong to the ultimate family of Jesus. In this ultimate family we are to do the will of God always. This makes us truly belong to that true family of Jesus, where the love of God and the love of neighbour unite us together.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we truly belong to you; give us the grace to always do your will, and as we carry out our activities today, grant success to the works of our hands, through Christ our Lord. Amen. God bless you.

Homily For Monday, the Twenty-Fifth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A, 21st September 2026. The Feast of St. Matthew Apostle and Evangelist

Readings: Eph 4:1:-7.11-13, Ps.19, Matt. 9:9-13

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

RESPONDING POSITIVELY TO GOD’S CALL LIKE ST MATTHEW

In life, we make choices, and the choices we make every day communicate our innermost desire, which also determines how meaningful, valuable, healthy and fruitful our lives and mission are going to be. This is no different in the life of Jesus, who, on account of his mission to save humanity, had to make choices about people who would be his instruments of evangelising in the world.

Though Jesus had been calling people from different walks of life to be part of his mission, today’s call and choice of Matthew, a man identified with sinners because of his work as a tax collector, was quite strange to some people.

Little wonder, in our Gospel passage today, after Jesus had called Matthew to follow him, he had a dinner in his house and while at the dinner, it happened that some tax collectors and sinners came to sit at the table with Jesus and his disciples.

When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, ‘Why does your master eat with tax collectors and sinners?’ When Jesus heard this he replied, ‘It is not the healthy who need the doctor, but the sick. Go and learn the meaning of the words: I desire mercy, not sacrifice. For I did not come to call the virtuous, but sinners.’

Here we hear the innermost desire of Jesus for sinful humanity in need of salvation. The call of Matthew is like the call of each of us, a choice that demonstrates Jesus' desire for sinners to repent. For all he desires is mercy and not sacrifices, repentance and not pride.

Jesus is calling us to repentance; he is inviting us to make a fundamental choice for God, just like St. Matthew, who, though a sinner, rose up and followed Jesus at his call for repentance. We too are to respond to this invitation without delay.

Let St. Matthew be an inspiration and hope for every one of us. Let him be an example that will remind us that there is no one beyond the reach of God’s mercy and love. For he is capable of transforming our ugly ways of life into a glorious instrument for human salvation.

Today we celebrate the Feast of St. Matthew, we are called to imitate him. For tradition has it that after his conversion, Matthew became a great evangelizer, who went about preaching the Good News to many people. It was told that he went to Ethiopia, where he had a growing community of Christ's faithful.

And according to tradition, he was martyred while celebrating the Holy Mass on the Altar, after he rebuked the local king in Ethiopia, who lusted and desired to have his own niece, who had dedicated herself in holy virginity to God. Here we see how Matthew, who was once a sinner, was called and transformed into a great saint and a great instrument of evangelisation.

Dear friends, St Paul in our first reading tells us that each one of us has been given our own share of grace in Christ's mission. For some are called to be apostles and evangelists like Matthew; some prophets; some pastors and teachers; so that together we are united in the work of service, building up the body of Christ. But how are we contributing to this mission? What is our disposition towards the call of Jesus? Is our choice in life reflecting our faith in the mission of Christ?

LET US PRAY: Lord God, despite our sinfulness, you called and chose us to be instruments of your salvation to all humanity. Through the intercession of St. Matthew, give us the grace to make good choices that will help us to respond positively to your call for repentance and evangelisation. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Wishing you a blessed week ahead.

Homily For The Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A, 20th September 2026

 

Readings: Is. 55:6-9, PS.145, Phil 1:20-24.27. Matt. 20:1-16

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

NEVER GIVE UP FOR GOD HAS TIME AND A PLAN FOR YOU

Often, when we pass through a dark moment in life, it seems as if all hope is gone. We put up all our energy and enthusiasm struggling and hoping for better and brighter opportunities. Sometimes it seems as if that brighter moment won’t come. The truth is that our time of favour and success is not determined by how long or strenuous we have struggled, but by our disposition towards God's time of grace and generosity, for God alone decides how to reward us for our efforts. All we need is to be available and disposed to doing his will at all times.

This is what the parable of the vineyard labourers in our Gospel passage today is teaching us, especially as regards to our disposition towards embracing the kingdom of God. For the vineyard owner went out at different times and gathered people to work in his vineyard. And as time went on, he continued to look for more workers and went out along the way to seek unemployed workers, even at the eleventh and final hour, calling all into his vineyard.

At the end, the landowner went beyond justice. Motivated by compassion and having employed labourers at different times, he decided to pay them the same wages as agreed with those who were hired first, and they felt bad for the landowner’s generosity towards those hired last.

Here the human mind suspects injustice, while the heart of God sees only an opportunity to be generous. This generosity of God calls us to be generous too; but out of envy we often selfishly consider ourselves more deserving than others.

From this parable, the vineyard owner represents God Himself, while all the labourers represent all of us who are called to work in the Lord’s heavenly vineyard. Thus, we heard how God is reaching out to us at every moment and stage in our lives. He keeps sending messengers, prophets, and teachers to call us and to remind us of the need for us to be reconciled and be reunited with him.

Little wonder we heard the prophet Isaiah in our first reading saying: seek the Lord while he is still to be found, call to him while he is still near. Let the wicked man abandon his way, the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn back to the Lord who will take pity on him, for our God is rich in forgiving; and his thoughts are not our thoughts, his ways not our ways. This shows how God loves us so much that he constantly tries to call us and to bring us back to himself.

Dear friends, God has a plan and a time for each of us. But how are we responding to God’s call and plans? How are we waiting for God's time? What is our disposition towards God’s generosity to others? What is our attitude towards those whom God has lifted up to our level? What is our attitude towards those who are waiting on God’s time? Do you consider yourself more deserving than others?

From today’s parable, we can identify three kinds of persons. First, those who are like the landowner who hires people to get a job done, but with sympathy for those to be employed. Secondly, the unemployed waiting desperately in the marketplace and thirdly, the labourers who consider themselves more deserving than others. Thus, we all need to ask ourselves: among these three groups, where do I belong?

This is important because the way workers and labourers are being treated in our societies these days is really appalling. But God is assuring us today that even though we are the least, the nobodies and most neglected in the eyes of the world, he will not forget us, for he has a time and a plan for everyone and will continue to provide for our daily needs.

However, he warns those of us who are greedy and selfish to change from our greed and sinful ways, because when his time comes, the last will be the first and the first, last. For in his kingdom, there is time and a plan for everyone with equal grace and equal status. But do not miss your turn out of impatience. Wait on the Lord for your time, and your turn is very close.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, today we are reminded of your constant efforts to reach out to us at every moment of our lives. In the darkest moment of our lives, help us to realise that you are reaching out to us always, even at the very last hour, as long as we are still breathing and living, for it is never too late for us to experience your generosity and mercy. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Happy Sunday and God bless.

Homily For Saturday, Twenty-Fourth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A, 19th September 2026

 

Readings: 1 Cor 15:35-37,42-49; Ps. 56; Luke 8:4-15

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

THE FRUIT OF HAVING THE RIGHT DISPOSITION TOWARDS THE WORD OF GOD

Our disposition towards whatever we do in life determines how successful we can be. Experience has shown that people’s dispositions vary depending on where their interests are based.

Therefore, to be fruitful in whatever we do, we must develop the right disposition towards it. Knowing the importance of this statement in understanding his mission, Jesus, in our Gospel reading today, used the parable of the sower to describe different kinds of human disposition and response towards the Word of God.

He said, A sower went out to sow his seed. As he sowed, some fell on the edge of the path and were trampled on; and the birds of the air ate it up. Some seed fell on rock, and when it came up it withered away, having no moisture. Some seed fell amongst thorns and the thorns grew with it and choked it. And some seed fell into rich soil and grew and produced its crop a hundredfold.’ Saying this he cried, ‘Listen, anyone who has ears to hear!’

In this parable, Jesus categorised our different dispositions towards the Word of God in relation to our interior life. Thereby giving us the guidelines that will help us to examine our attitudes towards the seed of God’s Word, whether our soul is like dry rocky ground, whether our soul is full of the thorns of the things of this passing world or whether we regularly seek to nourish our soul and prepare it to receive the Holy Word of God. So we are called to create a fertile disposition within our hearts to do the will of God.

This is important because today and even in the Scriptures, many hear the words of Jesus and do not understand them because of a wrong disposition, for instance in the Scriptures we have the religious leaders who are against the teachings of Jesus, and the crowds that responded positively to Jesus, especially to his miracles of healing, yet turned against him at the end and demanded his crucifixion.

Some disciples, such as Judas, might also be included among those who fell away when trouble or persecution came on account of the Word. The rich young man, unable to part with his possessions, provides a clear example of one who hears the word, but whose love for the passing things of this world and the lure of wealth choked the word, and it yielded nothing.

Also, what about the good soil? These are those who hear the Word, understand and internalise it, who indeed bear fruit and yield an abundant harvest. Our mother Mary and the apostles, excluding Judas, are good examples of such people.

Therefore, the different kinds of ground on which the seed falls represent different ways by which we receive the Word of God. And St. Paul in our first readings today says: If the soul has its own embodiment, so does the spirit have its own embodiment. The first man, Adam, as scripture says, became a living soul; but the last Adam has become a life-giving spirit.

Here, St Paul reminds us of our basic Christian faith, which teaches that, for us to rise with Christ, we must first die to ourselves. That is, those things which lead us to the ways of this world must die, and we must be reborn to the life of faith.

Then we will rise with Christ and share his glory, just as we read in the parable of the Sower. For the Sower being Christ himself, teaches us how to manage the challenges of life in order to yield a rich harvest of faith and attain the eternal joy of heaven,

Dear friends, today, our hearts are the fields in which the Word of God is scattered, to which do our hearts belong? The pathway, the rocky ground, the thorns or the good soil? Whichever one, we are called to pay attention and take some time to appreciate God’s Word in our lives by allowing it to bear solid roots in us and germinate to bear great fruits

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, we are often distracted from hearing and assimilating your Word we hear every day, give us grace to remain open to receiving your Word, so as to bear fruit abundantly. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a blessed and peaceful weekend.