Homily For Wednesday Fourth Week in Ordinary Time Year 4th February, 2026 International Day of Human Fraternity

Readings: 2 Sam 24:2.8-17; Ps. 32, Mark 6:1-6

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

NEVER LOOK DOWN ON PEOPLE 

 

In life, people are quick to neglect and look down on others whom they believe cannot offer them anything good at the moment. They are quick to forget that everyone, no matter the present condition is a potential instrument for God's blessings. This is the ugly attitude of the people of Nazareth in our Gospel passage today.

 

When Jesus came to his hometown, he taught the people in the synagogue in such a way that they were astonished, but instead of embracing the message of Jesus, they treated him with contempt and, in their pride, they said: ‘Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers? This is the carpenter’s son, surely? Isn't his mother the woman called Mary, and his brothers and sisters here with us? Where did he get all these?’ And they would not accept him. But Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is only despised in his own country and his own house’, and he did not work many miracles there because of their lack of faith and he marvelled because of their unbelief.

 

Thus, out of pride and contempt, the people rejected the blessings God had for them. And like the prophets of old, Jesus was not accepted by the very people to whom he had been sent. Because the people showed only little faith, he was only able to cure a few of the sick. But he went on to teach in other villages, while there were few great works done in his hometown. So, if he is not allowed to do good where he would, he must do it somewhere else.

 

Therefore, he had to move on, he did not insist on convincing those whose minds were closed. Consequently, they miss out on the blessings he is offering them.  So in their pride, they treated him with contempt. Today, this kind of ugly attitude is what stops people from doing good because they don’t want to be treated with contempt, and as a result, a lot of people have been deprived of their blessings out of human pride and contempt.

 

This is what we see in our first reading, where David, out of pride, carried out a census of the people. Realising how wrong he was and the consequences on the people, he said, “Lord, ‘It was I who sinned; ‘I who did this wicked thing. But these, this flock, what have they done? Let your hand lie heavy on me then and on my family.’

 

Dear friends, do not treat anyone with contempt, for everyone is a potential instrument of God’s blessings and favour. And if we want to make a difference in life, we should be ready to ignore what people are saying about us now, we have to forget our past failures and our humble beginning. People may not appreciate us now, they may even say all kinds of things about us, just to humiliate and discourage us.

 

Therefore, we should put all our obstacles behind us and work hard for our dreams, give our time to them, sacrifice our sleep and comfort, sweat for them, plan for them, overcome all our terrors of opposition, enduring pains and obstacles, with the help of God we will succeed and become a source of God's blessings. Then we will sing joyfully to God our strength and all the people will gather about us in praise of our God. And they will say: Is not this the Carpenter's sons or daughters? Where then did they get all these? Yes, that's who we are, for Jesus is the Carpenter of our success and salvation.

 

LET US PRAY: Almighty God, oftentimes in our pride we treat people with contempt because of their humble background, give us the grace to realise that everyone is a potential instrument of your blessings and favour to humanity, and as we struggle towards our goals, may you crown all our efforts and sacrifices with success. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Homily For Tuesday Fourth Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 3rd February 2026.

 

Readings: 2 Sam. 18:9-10.15.24-26.30.19:3; Ps.86; Mark 5:21-43

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

LEARN TO PUT YOUR FAITH INTO POSITIVE ACTION THAT YIELDS POSITIVE RESULTS

There is no doubt that people are facing numerous difficulties. Every day, we struggle against these troubles and tribulations, and people are doing everything they can to overcome them. But oftentimes, it seems as if we are not making progress because we don’t have enough faith to subdue our challenges, and out of fear, we fall victim and are helpless. The fact remains that we have faith, but we have not been able to actively and radically put it into action like the synagogue official whose daughter had died but came to Jesus for help and also the woman with a haemorrhage in our Gospel passage today.

In this passage, one of the officials came to Jesus and said, ‘My daughter is desperately sick, but come and lay your hand on her and she will live.’ Jesus then rose and his disciples followed him to the official's house. On their way, a woman who had suffered from a haemorrhage for twelve years came behind him and touched the fringe of his cloak, for she said to herself, ‘If I can only touch his cloak I shall be well again.’

So, when Jesus turned round and saw her, he said to her, ‘Courage, my daughter, your faith has restored you to health.’ And from that moment the woman was well again. When Jesus reached the official’s house and saw the crowd making a commotion he said, ‘Get out of here; the little girl is not dead, she is asleep.’ And they laughed at him. But he went inside and took the little girl by the hand, and the girl arose.

Here, the father of this little girl had faith and radically put his faith into positive action, for he confessed great faith in the resurrection. He believed that even Jesus’s slightest touch would restore life in his daughter, likewise the woman with a haemorrhage.

This story of the little girl and the woman with haemorrhage has interesting similarities: Both were called “daughters”, and both were restored at the demonstration of radical faith in the touch of Jesus. The woman had been ill for twelve years, and the little girl was twelve years old. Both the woman and the little girl have been cut off from normal societal activities.

On the other hand, there were also differences between them. First, the official is an influential man in the community, but the woman is unclean and an outcast. The man approaches Jesus boldly, but the woman approaches him timidly. The girl was raised based on the father’s radical faith, the woman was restored through her faith, for she was very sure that the very moment she touched the Lord’s cloak, all her troubles were ended, for her body was made whole again.

This woman and the little girl represent the sinful humanity in need of God’s mercy, salvation and restoration. The faith and intercession of the synagogue official signify the great intercessions of the saints and the people of God towards the restoration of humanity. The woman’s bleeding signifies the iniquity of all humanity who are defiled by the constant shedding of innocent blood through violence, wars and abortions, thereby making humanity unworthy of God’s presence.

The woman reaching out to touch Jesus and her restoration signifies the effort each one of us needs to make to reach out to God to be restored and finally the willingness of Jesus to heal all of us just as he had healed the woman from all of her troubles and restored the girl to life. But this requires that we radically put our faith into action.

Dear friends, we are called to put our faith into positive action. For if we have no faith in the Lord and refuse to put our faith into action, we will suffer, and there is no hope for us. I don’t know why we are often stubborn and often harden our hearts and minds by refusing to trust the Lord who is so generous and compassionate.

Today, therefore, we are made to know that it is not enough to have faith; we must radically put our faith into action, no matter the circumstances we find ourselves in. For it is through active faith that we can reach out to God in prayers and so obtain what we desire

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, we thank you for the gift of faith, give us the grace and courage to put our gift of faith into positive action that yields positive results. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a fruitful day.

THE PRESENTATION OF JESUS INTO THE Homily For Fourth Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 2nd February, 2026

 

The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord. (World Day For Consecrated Life)

Readings: Mal.3:1-4, Ps.24, Heb. 2:14-18, Luke 2:22-40

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

THE PRESENTATION OF JESUS INTO THE TEMPLE OF HUMAN HEARTS 

Today, in a special way, we celebrate the Feast of the Presentation. An event that takes place forty days after the birth of Jesus, at the time of Christmas. A day we are reminded of the event of the Presentation of Jesus in the temple at Jerusalem. This event serves three purposes: the first is the redemption of the firstborn male, which, according to the law of Moses, was set apart for God. The second purpose is the purification of Mary, which is done after giving birth, and the third is the Presentation of Jesus into the temple of God, which dwells in human hearts.

 

Hence, in our Gospel passage today, St Luke explained that Mary and Joseph wished to fulfil all the prescriptions of the law to emphasise that Jesus was born into a family of simple people, lowly but of steadfast faith: a family that belonged to the poor of Israel, the true People of God. It is important to note that these three purposes are the purification of the mother, the redemption of the son and the presentation, aimed at giving an account of the presentation of Jesus in the Temple of God, which dwells in human hearts. A symbol of the reality that shows the act of offering the Son of the Most High to the Father who sent him.

 

Hence, this becomes the confirmation of the words of the Prophet Malachi which we heard at the beginning of the first Reading: “Behold”, says the Lord, “I send my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming to purify the sons of Levi. Then the offering will be pleasing to the Lord” (3:1- 4), thereby indicating the role of the child.

 

The same child Jesus, who is immediately presented in the Temple, is the same person who, as an adult, would purify the temple of our hearts (Jn 2:13-22). Above all, he would make himself the sacrifice and the High Priest of the New Covenant, as we heard in our second reading from the Letter to the Hebrews. A passage which tells us about the new priesthood instituted by Christ the High Priest.

 

For which he will suffer greatly as prophecy by Simeon in our Gospel passage concerning both the Child Jesus and Mary the Mother when he said: “Behold, this Child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against, a sword will pierce through your soul also that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

 

Thus, this is pointing out the salvation which Jesus will bring to his people, that which he embodies in himself, as he passed through the Cross, the violent death by which he was to vanquish death and transform humanity with the sacrifice of his life through love. Hence, he becomes the true Light of the world of which Simeon and Anna proclaimed as a revelation, that Jesus was to be the High Priest of all, who is to absolve and redeem all mankind from their sins. By so doing becomes the true Light that enlightens every man who is born into this world.

 

Dear friends, today as we encounter Christ the true Light of the world presented in the temple of our hearts, let us of course, allow ourselves to be enlightened and made radiant by this light. Let us share in its splendour, and be filled with its radiance so that no one remains in the darkness. Let us bring this Light of Christ into our families and our homes, so that through sharing in his light we may be brought out of the darkness that covers our lives as individuals, families, communities, societies, country and the world at large.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, as we celebrate the presentation of your Son Jesus today, let the light of his presence dispel the darkness in our lives, in our families, societies and so illuminate our paths as we struggle and journey in faith towards achieving our goals and purposes in life. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. God bless you.

Homily For Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A, 1st February, 2026. (HAPPY NEW MONTH)

 
Readings: Zep. 2:3:3:12-12; Ps. 146; 1Cor.1:26-31; Matt. 5:1-12

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

UNDERSTANDING AND FOLLOWING THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF CHRISTIAN LIFE

Each day of our lives is a struggle for perfection, we grow from one level of understanding and knowledge to another. But what really gives value to this growth is the fundamental principles we follow. Because the fundamental principles of life help us to be focused and determined to achieve our goals. Therefore, Jesus, knowing the value and importance of the faith he has come to offer humanity, laid down the fundamental principles that will guide his disciples in the new way of life which he is offering us.

These fundamental principles are what we find in our Gospel passage today, in the famous Sermon on the Mount by our Lord Jesus, also known as the Beatitudes. This famous Sermon opens to us the interior life of Jesus: poor in spirit, gentle, merciful, hungry for justice, pure in heart, a peacemaker, who is prepared to sacrifice and suffer persecution for the cause of what is right.

These, of course, are guiding principles to a new life he has called us to live. Here, Jesus gave us eight characteristics of blessed people, which are the fundamental principles of Christian life. Each of these Beatitudes is a statement of an ideal way we ought to live and be in close contact with God. Let us now examine these principles in relation to the life of Christ especially his passion.

First, these principles began by talking about the poor in spirit which brings to mind the low condition of mankind that looks up to a Redeemer and the glory to come. This we can relate to the life of Jesus, who is the King of kings and the Lord of lords, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. But, upon the cross, he was stripped, mocked, spat upon, crowned with thorns, and given vinegar to drink.

Secondly, we were told that those who mourn are blessed, for their true repentance, watchfulness, humble mind, and continual dependence on the mercy of God through Christ Jesus shall be comforted by the Lord. We can recall the agony of Jesus, we can recall his cry, " My God! My God! Why have you forsaken me? But he was consoled with the grace of resurrection.

In these principles, we were told that the meek are blessed, for being patient, silent and submissive to the will of God, and so are comforted even in this world. This is true because Christ endured much on the cross, and did so patiently. For we were told that when he suffered, he did not threaten; he was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and he did not open his mouth. Therefore Christ’s patience on the cross was great. So, we too must be meek and patient looking upon Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.

Next is about those who hunger and thirst after righteousness for they are blessed. This is because, their desires for spiritual blessings shall be satisfied. Since in his passion, Christ taught us the way to perfection and holiness. Also, we are told that the merciful are blessed, for their compassion, help and pity on the souls of humanity who are in sin and need mercy.

Yes, Christ suffered for us as a remedy for our sins, and secondly, as an example for us to follow. So we must be merciful. We are also told that the pure in heart are blessed; for they shall see God, since their hearts are made pure in holiness and are capable of seeing God, just like Jesus who was like us in everything except sin.

Also, the peace-makers are blessed, for they love and delight in peace which Christ is offering to humanity, when he said peace be upon us, forgive them Father for they do not know what they are doing. Finally, we were told that those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake are blessed, for victory is theirs since they understand that there is nothing in our sufferings that can be compared to the victory of eternal life. Yes, for Christ says: that no man has greater love than to lay down his life for his friends. And this is what Christ did on the cross. And if he gave his life for us, then it should not be difficult for us to bear whatever hardships arise for his sake.

These are exactly what we heard in our first reading today which says: Seek the Lord, all you, the humble of the earth, who obey his commands. Seek integrity, seek humility: you may perhaps find shelter on the day of the anger of the Lord. In your midst, I will leave a humble and lowly people, and those who are left in Israel will seek refuge in the name of the Lord.

Little wonder, St Paul in our second reading said: it was to shame the wise that God chose what is foolish by human standards, and to shame what is strong that he chose what is weak by human standards; those whom the world thinks common and contemptible are the ones that God has chosen, for he has chosen those who are nothing at all to shame those who are everything.

Dear friends, we are called to understand and follow the fundamental principles of Christian life of perfection. For we are truly blessed when we are poor in spirit, when we mourn for our sinfulness, gentle, hunger and thirst for holiness. We are blessed when we are merciful and peacemakers in a world that is full of wickedness, greed and corruption. Today, we are called to live our lives in these virtues and when we encounter challenges, difficulties, persecutions and troubles, we should remain faithful to the end for none of these tribulations shall be compared to the victory of eternal life.

 LET US PRAY: O God, from whom all good things come, grant us the grace to live out these fundamental principles of our Christian life and so overcome this sinful world, to enjoy the beatific vision of eternal life in You, through Christ our Lord. Amen. As you begin your task this week, may the glory of God inspire you and elevate you to greater heights. Have a blessed Sunday.

Homily For Saturday Third Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 31st January, 2026. The Memorial of St. John Bosco

 

Readings: 2 Sam. 12:1-7.10-17; Ps.51; Mark 4:35-41

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

WHY ARE YOU AFRAID? PEACE! BE STILL!! SAYS THE LORD

In the scriptures, we often hear stories of how people struggle with heavy storms as they are assailed by the sea. Today, our fishermen and the mariners who are involved in the sea business can tell us better what it means to be on the sea during heavy storms. A situation where the need for a Saviour is highly anticipated. Such was the case with the disciples of Jesus in our Gospel passage today. It is a story about the disciples' panic and fear of perishing as a result of the heavy storm that is affecting their boat.

As this heavy storm was about to break their boat, the disciples could not believe that Jesus was asleep while they were afraid and needed help from anywhere. So they went to him and woke him saying, ‘Teacher, do you not care if we perish? And Jesus said: “Peace! Be still!!” And the Storm ceased and there was a great calm. And he said to them, ‘Why are you afraid, how is it that you have no faith. The men were astounded and said, ‘What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the sea obey 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 faith of the Church and the people of God struggling with the world’s principalities and powers, while the storms are symbols of heavy persecutions and sufferings by the people of God. And Jesus is saying: why are you so afraid, you men of little faith.

Dear friends, there is no doubt that there is an active presence of evil in the world, which manifests itself in different forms. So everyday is a struggle against the malice of the evil ones, and people are doing everything they can to overcome them. Today, Jesus is inviting us into his boat of life, thereby calling us to journey on this boat with an unwavering faith and a repentant heart, because the world is being tossed around by the waves of the evil forces, the enemies of humanity. And it is only God who can subdue it, for he has promised to restore us back to himself.

This is exactly what we heard about David in our first reading today, for after David had committed grave sins against Uriah and God, the prophet Nathan confronted him about this ugly situation. David felt very remorseful about his actions and asked God for mercy. And this the Lord granted him and promised to restore him and calmed down the storms of destruction in his household. 

This is what we see in the life of St. John Bosco whose memorial we celebrate today for despite the challenges and oppositions he faced in life, he remained committed to his work as a priest and made great impacts in the lives the youths of his time and even in our time for through many people who sharing in his spirituality, founded the Order of the Salesians of Don Bosco, one of the great religious orders in our society today.

Therefore, I don't know the great storms of doubt and fear in your soul? I don’t know if you are under the power of the evil forces of this world. All I know is that with great faith in God, the heavy storms in our lives will become calm. So, why are you afraid? Peace! Be Still!! Says the Lord. Why not present your challenges of life to Jesus, for he will surely rebuke the violent storms in our hearts so that we can experience once again the calmness of his peace and joy.

LET US PRAY: Lord God. As we struggle every day to overcome the ugly situation around us, grant that the violent storms and waves of sin and bondage in our lives, our families and the world, will end in a wonderful calm that brings peace in our souls. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Wishing you a fruitful and joyful weekend.

Homily For Friday, Third Week in Ordinary Time, Year C, 30th January, 2026

 

Readings: 2Sam. 11:1-4.5-10.13-17; Ps  51; Mark 4:26-34

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

MAKE YOUR HEART A FERTILE SOIL FOR GOD’S KINGDOM 

In the scriptures, using a simple story to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson has always been one of the characteristics of Jesus when addressing the people on matters of great importance. 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 the parable of the mustard seed, using it to describe the nature of God’s kingdom, which he came to establish in the hearts of humanity. 

Here, 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 to become a mighty tree that gives shelter and salvation to all.

More so, Jesus is not just speaking of the size of the mustard seed, but also the faith of the people as that of a mustard seed. Telling us that just as the mustard seed responded 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, and so build up the kingdom of God.

Nevertheless, these two analogies of the mustard seed symbolise the humble beginnings of the Christian faith, which is well watered by the Holy Spirit to grow and give life and hospitality to all the people of the world. Hence, in building the kingdom of God, we are reminded that we can be tempted in different ways just like David in our first reading, who when tempted by the beauty of an innocent woman, failed to control himself and so fell into the sin of adultery which led him to commit another sin of murder as he tried to cover up his sins. 

This very single mistake caused great damage to the mission of David and to his household.  So we should learn from this costly mistake of David. We should not give in to temptations and lost of the eyes. Rather, we should learn to remain faithful until our souls are saved in our heavenly kingdom. 

Dear friends, we need to let our knowledge of God’s kingdom grow like that of a mustard seed, knowing that in the world today we have different kinds 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, love, holiness, hospitality, obedience, and charity that will lead us to God’s kingdom? Or are we watering weeds that are distracting us from attaining heaven? 

We must stop watering such weeds, let us feed ourselves with valuable mustard seeds of virtues and values. For when we feed and water such values, we will grow stronger like the mustard tree where people may find solace and so build up God’s kingdom. 

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, as you sow the seeds of your word in our hearts, give us the grace to grow them into the mustard tree of faith, holiness and hospitality and by so doing build up your heavenly kingdom. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a fruitful day.

Homily For Thursday Third Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 29th January, 2026

 

Readings: 2 Sam. 7:18-19.24-29; Ps.132; Mark 4:21-25

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

HOW ARE YOU USING YOUR EARS TO LISTEN?

The ears, as we know, are organs of hearing which consist of the pinna. It is a gift from God, through which we have the faculty of perceiving sounds and recognising things in an auditory way. To exercise the faculty of this organ effectively we must learn to use it to listen attentively to information. For the world, no doubt, is full of noise, echoing different things in our minds through our ears.

But what are we feeding our ears with? How do we use these organs? How has this organ helped us in our spiritual life despite this noisy world? How have we managed the noise in our lives, in families and society, which distracts us from listening to God? What are the things we hear or listen to? The Word of God that we hear every day - how has it developed our relationship with God and our neighbour?

Therefore, when Jesus said in our Gospel reading today, “he who has ears let him hear”, he is referring to our ability to listen to God's Word and act on it even in the midst of this noisy world. Thus, what Jesus means is that the person who seeks to gain some spiritual insight into what he is saying will have that insight increased when they listen, whereas whoever does not listen to him will end up in spiritual ignorance. To avoid this, we need to learn from King David, who, after Nathan had spoken to him, went in and, seated before the Lord and listening to him, he said: ‘Who am I, O Lord, and what is my House, that you have led me as far as this?

Dear friends, by listening, hearing and following Jesus, we grow in familiarity with his voice and hear him more. And by so doing we make Jesus the light of our lives placed on the lampstand to give light and insight to our souls as individuals, family and society, illuminating all the darkness around us.

 LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, our ears are a gift from you, help us to use them properly. And as we carry out our activities today, may our ears hear the consoling words of Jesus guiding and directing us towards the light of his presence. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Remain blessed.