Homily For Thursday Third Week of Easter Year A, 23rd April, 2026

Readings: Acts. 8:26-40; Ps.66; John 6:44-51

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING THE GIFT OF UNDERSTANDING

One of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is the gift of understanding. It is the second gift of the Holy Spirit, behind wisdom. Through understanding, we gain a certitude about our beliefs that moves beyond faith. It enables one to see more deeply into the mysteries of the faith and judge with certainty all created things.

The essential quality of this gift is the penetrating intuition. This gift not only assists in penetrating revealed truths, but also natural realities that are related to the supernatural end.

Thus, understanding is not so much the fruit of studies, but the loving desire and penetrating intuition towards understanding all that the Father has revealed. This is exactly what happened to Philip while explaining the scriptures to the Ethiopian Eunuch in our first reading today.

For when he heard him reading the book of Isaiah the prophet, he asked him, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ The Eunuch replied: ‘How can I understand unless I have someone to guide me?’

Here, the Eunuch seeks the gift of understanding, which Philip has already received at Pentecost and with the help of this gift, he was able to explain the scriptures to him. This is because the mysteries of God’s revelation have been made known to him, and with the Spirit’s prompting, these mysteries can be penetrated and understood by humanity.

 The fact remains that God created us for friendship, and this gift enables us to know of his love, mercy, glory, and power, which moves our hearts to love and live as adopted sons and daughters of God and so enjoy his friendship.

Little wonder, Jesus in our Gospel passage today said: No one can come to me unless he is drawn by the Father who sent me, for it is written by the prophets: They will all be taught by God, and will hear the teaching of the Father, and learn from it.

Dear friends, we must desire to have the gift of understanding, for this gift, penetrates the truths of faith, operates in several ways: disclosing the hidden meaning of Sacred Scripture; revealing the significance of symbols and figures. It gives us deeper insight into the meaning of our faith and the moral teachings which serve as standards for human actions.

This gift imparts a sense of confidence and certainty in our belief. It helps us grasp the reality of heaven, our beatific vision, which is why we need the gift of understanding more than ever before.

It is a gift that is really lacking in our lives, not just as Christians but as individuals living in societies full of confusion and a lack of sense of direction. But, how can we acquire the gift of understanding? How can the gift of understanding help us to grasp the meaning of the truths of our faith in relation to our struggles with the ugly situations in our world today?

The answer is simple: we must learn, just like the Ethiopian Eunuch, to cultivate the habit of listening to the Holy Spirit, who never ceases to speak to us deep down in our conscience.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, we thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit. As we listen to your words today, give us the gift of understanding so that we can grasp the meaning of the truths of our faith in relation to our struggles with the ugly situations in our world today. This we ask through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a favourable day

Homily For Wednesday Third Week of Easter Year A, 22nd April, 2026

 

Readings: Acts. 8:1-8; Ps.66; John 6:35-40

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

BELIEVE IN JESUS THE BREAD OF ETERNAL LIFE

What can ever satisfy the human hunger and thirst for peace, wholeness righteousness, love and joy? These are the things we search for every day of our lives. But we seem to have little or no answer.

This is because we have often failed to listen to God’s words calling us and directing us towards the path of truth, which he has revealed through his son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who has been speaking to us in our Gospel since his resurrection.

Thus, today, Jesus continues with his teaching on the bread of life, seeking to draw those who listen to him into a profound relationship with himself. He asks them to believe in his wonderful promises about eternal life. In the same way, he invites us to partake in an indestructible life, to share in the very life of God.

Jesus wants us to know that he is the food of our souls. Our souls are really starving due to sins, and indeed thirsty for holiness, love, peace and purity. In Jesus alone can the starving and empty souls find their strength and satisfaction. For in him, there is fullness of life.

The fact remains that Jesus is the bread of life which came down from heaven. And he wants us to commit our souls into his hands. Thus, whenever we experience anything of spiritual hunger and thirst, we must come to Jesus and be satisfied.

This is what was lacking in the life of Saul, who, in our first reading today, worked for the total destruction of the Church after he had witnessed and ensured the stoning and death of Stephen. So, he went from house to house arresting both men and women and sending them to prison. But those who had escaped from him went from place to place preaching the Good News of peace, love holiness and salvation.

Dear friends, like Saul, are we weighed down by sorrows in conscience or straining in affections and love, especially in this difficult moment in human history, and thereby acting in ignorance? Or are we like the disciples who, even in the midst of persecution, remained faithful in witnessing the love they have found in Jesus?

Whatever the situation may be for us now, we must know that Jesus is always ready to relieve and restore us whenever we come to him in faith. So, you have to let your starving soul be satisfied in Jesus, the bread of eternal life. For in him alone shall we find lasting satisfaction, peace and love both now and for eternity.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, oftentimes we are thirsty and hungry within our souls, may we find in the Words of Jesus that satisfaction which our souls so desired and by so doing find eternal life. This we ask through Christ our Lord. Amen. Wishing you the best of God’s favour and blessings

Homily For Tuesday Second Sunday of Easter, 21st April, 2026

Readings: Acts. 7:51-8:1; Ps.31; John 6:30-35

Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

WHOEVER COMES TO JESUS, THE BREAD OF LIFE, WILL NEVER BE THIRSTY OR HUNGRY

The ugly situation in our societies, country and the world at large can make someone completely lose hope in humanity and even in God. Today, people are confused; they don’t even know what to believe or who to trust anymore.

The questions that come to mind are: To whom shall we run? What shall we do? Any hope for a better tomorrow? What signs are there for us to see to be assured of a better and brighter future for humanity? This present disposition can be likened to the disposition of the people in our Gospel passage today.

Here, the Jews who had witnessed the great miracle of the multiplication of loaves and fish, when confronted with the hard teaching about the person of Jesus, asked Jesus for a sign to prove that He is the Messiah, a sign like the manna that their forefathers ate in the desert. They said to Jesus that God gave them bread from heaven to eat. For the Jews, the manna was God’s gift from heaven. So they wanted such a miraculous sign again.

However, Jesus made it clear to the crowd that it was God rather than Moses who provided the manna for the Israelites. Also, he identified himself as the true bread of life that comes from God. That he himself is God’s divine intervention in our world. He is the gift of God to the world.

So he told them solemnly: “I AM the bread of life.” Using the word “I AM”, he strongly identifies himself with God, a statement that recalls the name God revealed to Moses in the burning bush (Exod 3:14). Jesus goes on to say: “Whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.”

Thus, the true manna, the true bread from heaven, is the Word of God, which is Jesus, and this Word is what he teaches us to believe in. Today, this Word is now addressed to us, and we shall do well to pay attention to it because with the events going on in the world today, we too can find ourselves in an ugly situation.

A situation where we may no longer have faith in God and start doubting his existence as we are now scared of losing our lives, our health, our wealth or even our loved ones as a result of war, kidnapping, terrorism and high inflation. The worst of it is not knowing what to believe anymore, especially in the way our society has been structured, people no longer know their left from their right.

Dear friends, I don’t know what you are going through now. Does it seem as if all hope is lost and there is no opportunity again for you? Are you confused about your faith? Jesus says: I AM the bread of life, blessed is the one who does not lose faith in me. For he is waiting for us at the Eucharist, where he feeds us spiritually. Therefore, be courageous, do not be afraid. Be patient, do not lose heart for the Lord will surely come to save us.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, whenever we come to Jesus and bind ourselves closely to him, we are actually identifying ourselves with You. May we constantly embrace Your love for us in the Eucharist as You feed us daily with the bread of life through Your Word. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. God bless you.

Homily For Monday in Third Week of Easter Year A, 20th April, 2026

 

Readings: Acts. 6:8-15; Ps.119; John 6:22-29

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

OPENING YOUR HEART SO THAT GOD WILL USE YOU TO ACCOMPLISH GREAT THINGS LIKE ST. STEPHEN

In every human heart, there is a secret garden which God has made uniquely for himself and that garden is our conscience. However, God is always at the gate of this garden knocking, but we pretend not to hear him. The truth is that every day God gives us the grace to experience him and bear witness, he makes himself present in us, but we often ignore him or pretend we do not perceive his presence.

This was the attitude of the men who sought to kill Stephen out of jealousy in our first reading today, where we heard the account of how St. Stephen, one of the first deacons who was full of grace and power, bore witness to the risen Lord before the people. He worked many miracles and great signs among the people.

But some group of men felt so infuriated and ground their teeth at him since they could not withstand his wisdom. Nevertheless, Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at God’s right hand. This he witnessed before them and they saw his face like that of an angel.

Dear friends, this was possible because Stephen opened the door of his heart completely and, finding God, he witnessed him with his life. We too have been given the grace and power to bear authentic witness to the faith we have found in Jesus who tells us in our Gospel passage today, to believe in him and work for the food which endures to eternal life, the kind of food the Son of Man is offering us. That is, the eternal food of love, compassion, mercy, kindness, peace and salvation.

These were the food that Stephen had received from the Lord when he opened the door of his heart, and this same food he offered to the members of the Sanhedrin, but they could not comprehend or withstand it. Therefore, Jesus is calling us to work for this kind of food that comes from the heart of a person who has personally encountered him, the risen Lord.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, as we open our hearts to embrace the eternal food of love, compassion, mercy, kindness, peace and salvation which You offer to humanity, give us the grace and courage to bear authentic witness of Your goodness in the world, especially at this moment when humanity needs You most. This we ask through Christ our Lord. Amen. As the week begins, be strong, be hopeful and stay safe for God is still in control.

Homily For Third Sunday of Easter Year A, 19th April, 2026. HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY

Readings: Acts.2:14.22-33; Ps.16; 1Peter 1:17-21; Luke 24:13-35

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

HAVING AN ENCOUNTER THAT RESTORES HOPE

The Catechism of the Catholic Church No. 1817, defines Christian hope as: "the theological virtue by which we desire the kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our happiness, placing our trust in Christ's promises and relying not on our own strength, but on the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit”

So, the virtue of hope is a necessary vehicle for Christian faith and in the journey of life. We can only understand the value of this virtue when we find ourselves in a hopeless situation like the two disciples of Jesus on their way to Emmaus, as we heard in our Gospel passage today.

These two disciples were sad because their hopes had been dashed. They had placed their hope in Jesus, believing that he would be the one who would redeem Israel. They said in Luke 24:21: “But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel.”

They were hoping that Jesus would become a political leader who would once again bring Israel into freedom from Roman oppression, just the same way Nigerians were hoping that the present government would bring restoration and confidence to our country, only to wake up and realise that we have been deceived and things have been worse than ever.

So, like these disciples, we were hoping. But our hope was gone and now we are sad and confused. Most of us are now going back to Emmaus to continue with our old ways of life. This is the reality of life, for in this journey of life, we may see ourselves journeying back through the road to Emmaus, walking and looking so sad, hopeless and confused.

Yes, many things in life can make us sad and hopeless. Sometimes, we suffer humiliation and disappointment from family members and friends. At times we lost our jobs, our properties, our friends through quarrels, divorce, abuse, addictions, and other natural and supernatural disasters. And these inflict pains and hopelessness in our hearts as we walk sad and hopeless through the Emmaus road of life.

And here comes Jesus journeying with us, letting us know that hope does not die! Because he is alive today and can walk into our lives and restore hope, for his presence is hope personified. He wants to have a deep conversation with us, he wants to remind and instruct us about his promises. He wants to reveal himself to us in a personal and collective manner just as he did with his two disciples today. The hope once lost will be restored by his presence through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Little wonder, Pope Francis, while defining Christian hope, said that: "hope is much more than simple optimism for Christians, it is a constant expectation, it's a gift from the Holy Spirit, it's a miracle of renewal that never lets us down”.

This will help us to understand what happened in our first reading today, where we heard how Peter stood up with the Eleven and addressed the crowd in a loud voice speaking about their personal experience of God, how God raised Jesus to life and how he received from the Father the Holy Spirit, and now they are witnesses to this through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

Similarly, St. Peter in our second reading, wants us to remember that the ransom that was paid to free us from our useless and ugly ways of life was not paid in anything corruptible, neither in silver nor gold, but in the precious blood of a lamb without spot or stain, namely Christ. Here, we see how God chooses to carry out His plan.

This awesome nature of God is well demonstrated in the story of the mysterious presence of Jesus before his two disciples, who were disappointed and were going back to their old ways of life. These disciples recognised Jesus at the breaking of bread and returned to bear witness to their encounter.

Dear friends, the setting of this story of the two disciples on the way to Emmaus, portrays the structure of our liturgical celebration more practically. At our liturgical celebrations, we journey with Jesus along the way of faith, where he unites us with himself, though separated by sin, as he reconciles us with ourselves through the penitential rite. Then he feeds us with his word, as he prepares us for a special encounter at the Eucharistic table where he manifests himself in the Eucharist for us to recognise him.

Friends, happy are we who encounter and recognise our risen Lord in the Eucharist, where he constantly invites us to come and be restored.

Therefore, as we continue our journey of faith, we may find ourselves on the road to Emmaus with all hope seeming lost. The road which represents disappointment, failure, sorrow, grief, bitterness and confusion. So like the two Emmaus disciples, we should know that the risen Lord is with us in our journey of life, even when we cannot recognise him.

In the same way, he is journeying with us in our liturgical worship even when we don’t recognise him. Jesus is journeying with us today. He wants to hear us discuss him, he wants to enlighten us, he wants to open our hearts and minds through the scriptures, and he wants to address our daily challenges. He wants to reveal himself to us at this Eucharistic celebration. Are you ready to encounter him?

LET US PRAY: O God, as we journey with You, especially at this difficult moment in human history, may Your presence strengthen our faith and constantly renew our hope, give us the grace and courage to dedicate ourselves, our time, and energy in serving You, as You fill our hearts with the Joy of Your kingdom. Amen. May God bless all our Mothers.

Homily For Saturday in Second Week of Easter, 18th April, 2026

 

Readings: Acts.6:1-7; Ps.33; John 6:16-21

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

LORD, LET YOUR PRESENCE CALM ALL THE STORMS IN OUR LIVES

A boat is a craft made for transportation, fishing, or cruising on the water, and it is propelled by oars or wind. It is a full house, a complete and secure vessel. The fishermen and the mariners who are in the sea business know the value of a boat and what it means to be in a boat faced with heavy storms. Little wonder, in the Scriptures, Jesus often made use of the boat to teach and instruct the people and his disciples.

On the occasion of our Gospel passage today, the disciples got into the boat and went before Jesus to the other side. When evening came, they were there alone on the boat, which had gone far on the lake, and was battling with a heavy sea storm.

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

In this Gospel passage, we can foresee a gesture which signifies the chosen people of God 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.

Today, Jesus is inviting us to journey on this boat of life with an unwavering faith and a repentant heart so that our storms of struggles will cease. Because the world is being tossed around by the waves of evil forces the enemies of humankind, inflicting hardships, sickness and sorrows on us.

But Jesus is inviting us to come into his boat so that we can find life, peace and grace to overcome our struggles. This is what the apostles did in our first reading today when they had challenges with the distribution of resources to the people.

So inspired by the Holy Spirit they said to the people: select from among yourselves seven men of good reputation, filled with the Spirit and with wisdom; we will hand over this duty of distribution to them, and continue to devote ourselves to prayer and to the service of the word.

Dear friends, the world is full of seas and caves of different problems in the form of storms, and so many people are trying to find ways to fix their problems. Today, Jesus is inviting us to come into his boat of life with an unwavering faith and a repentant heart, and we will find peace of mind. For his boat is the safest vessel where all our storms can be subdued. Where humanity can find solace, where all our struggles will cease, where hope for the future is guarantied.

Therefore, I don't know the great storms of doubt and fear in your soul today? I don’t know how deep your sorrows of constant failure and disappointment are. I don’t know how long or deep you have been involved in the evil going on in this world. All I know is that when Jesus comes into the boat of our lives, our families and societies, all the storms in our lives will cease and then we will worship God in sincerity and freedom.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we thank you for being with us in all our struggles against the storms of life, as we invite you into the boat of our lives, grant that the violent storms and waves of bondage in our lives will end in a wonderful calm that brings peace in our souls. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Wishing you a peaceful weekend.

Homily For Friday in Second Week of Easter, 17th April, 2026

 

Readings: Acts.5:34-42; Ps.27; John 6:1-15

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

EXPERIENCING THE BLESSEDNESS PROMISED TO THOSE PERSECUTED FOR THEIR FAITH

Today, the persecution of the apostles continues as the members of the Sanhedrin call for a council meeting to decide what to do with the apostles.

So at this council, as we have in our first reading, Gamaliel a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin, suggested that the apostles should be left alone based on past experiences of those who claimed to be great but had later perished when their leader had died, that what is happening now with the apostles might be the same.

He advises them to have nothing to do with the apostle, that if their purpose or activity is from human origins, it will soon perish. If not, they will not be able to destroy them without fighting God Himself. So, his advice was accepted, and they had the apostles called in, gave orders for them to be flogged and warned not to speak in the name of Jesus and then released them.

However, instead of being depressed, the apostles left the court full of joy that they had been judged worthy of being beaten for the sake of the Name of Jesus. Here, they experienced the blessedness that Jesus had spoken of in the Sermon on the Mount when he said: “blessed are those who are persecuted in the cause of right: theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people abuse you and speak all kinds of calumny against you on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven” (Matt 5:10-12).

Dear friends, in any situation we find ourselves, we are called to bear witness to our faith in Christ, though this mandate may seem difficult in our world at this moment, just as it was in the time of the apostles, the grace of God is sufficient for us. Therefore, let us not be afraid of expressing our faith anywhere we find ourselves in the world, for God will surely protect us as He protected the apostles.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, as we proclaim your name to the world, especially in these difficult times, give us the grace to rejoice even in the midst of persecution, suffering, sickness or death. This we ask through Christ our Lord. Amen. May the blessings, joy and favour of the Lord find their way in our lives and in our families.