Homily for Friday Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 1st July, 2022. Happy New Month.

 Homily for Friday Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time  Year C,  1st July, 2022. Happy New Month.

Reading: Amos 8:4-6.9-12; Ps. 119; Matt. 9:9-13

Rev.  Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

WHAT IS YOUR ATTITUDE TOWARDS NOTORIOUS SINNERS? 

There is no doubt that Jesus had been calling people from different works of life to be part of his mission, but 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 a number of tax collectors and sinners came to sit at the table with Jesus and his disciples. This is because to follow Jesus, Matthew needs to abandon his lucrative job, knowing that he can never regain it. Also, he needs to cut himself off from his old network of friends. 

So, it seems likely that, in a spirit of joy, Matthew invites Jesus and his disciples to a great feast at his house. But the Pharisees felt bad and offended about Jesus sharing a meal with "sinners", so they complained to his disciples saying: “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 heard the inner most desire of Jesus for sinful humanity in need of salvation. Because 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 sinner, rose up and followed Jesus at his call for repentance. 

 Therefore, we too are to respond to this invitation without delay, so that we will not be like the people of Israel in our first reading today, who failed to listen to God’s words and warnings. Thus we heard the Lord saying: see the days when I will bring famine on the country, a famine not of bread, a drought not of water, but of hearing the word of the Lord. They will stagger from sea to sea, wander from north to east, seeking the word of the Lord and failing to find it

Dear friends, as Christians who are called to follow the Lord, what is our attitude towards notorious and public sinners? How are we responding to God's call to repentance? How are we relating with those we judge to be sinners? What efforts are we making to convert sinners? Today, we are called to 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. Remember, Jesus desires mercy and not sacrifice and we are all invited to follow him along the way of salvation and not to condemn or judge anyone. 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, despite our sinfulness,  you called and chose us to be instrument of your salvation to all humanity. As we learn for St. Matthew, give us the grace to make good choices that will help us to respond positively to your call for repentance and evangelization. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.  Happy New Month and do have a fruitful month.

Homily for Thursday Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 30th June, 2022

 Homily for Thursday Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time  Year C,  30th June, 2022

Readings: Amos 7:10-17, Ps 18:8-11 , Matt 9:1-8

Rev.  Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

THE SYMBOL OF THE RESTORATION OF HUMANITY PARALYZED BY SIN

The sin and evil going on in the world are putting our faith to the test and most people are giving in to the scheme of devil because they lack the strong will to withstand the suffering, sickness and problems that befall us as a result of this evil. People are running ups and down seeking for solutions. while the evil ones are taking advantage of the situation to destroy the faith of the people. In fact, one may begin to wonder if there is still hope for the restoration of humanity from this ugly situation. But the fact remains that God is able to heal and restore humanity once again.

This is evident in our Gospel passage today, when some people brought to him a paralytic stretched out on a bed. And seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, ‘Courage, my child, your sins are forgiven.’ But some scribes doubted his authority to forgive sins, and Jesus knowing what was in their minds said: ‘Why do you have such wicked thoughts in your hearts? Now, which of these is easier to say, “Your sins are forgiven,” or to say, “Get up and walk”? But to prove to you that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,’ he said to the paralytic, ‘get up, and pick up your bed and go off home.’ And the man got up and went home.

Here we see the power and authority of Jesus towards the restoration of paralytic man carried by his friends. A gesture that signifies the restoration of humanity paralyzed by sin. So Jesus began by forgiving our sins. Though sin seems to be the root of the sickness. But sin may be pardoned, yet the sickness not be removed; the sickness may be removed, yet the sin not pardoned. But for Jesus, healing is holistic for those who have faith in God. And this is what the scribes and the Pharisees failed to understand as they doubted and opposed the power and authority of Jesus just like the priest Amaziah in our first reading, who opposed prophet Amos.

Prophet Amos was doing the work of God, by calling people to repentance and to face the consequences of their sins. This is because, Amaziah and king Jeroboam had sinned and also led the people of Israel to sin against God as well.  So Amaziah saw Amos as a rival and a threat to his own influence, and that was also why he went up to king Jeroboam complaining about Amos and asking him to get out of Israel and return to the land of Judah, and stop prophesying in Bethel because he doesn’t want to hear the truth just like must of our leaders today who does not like to hear the truth. 

Dear friends, today we are called not to be like the priest Amaziah or the scribes who were enslaved by their pride and desire to maintain their prestige in the society, doubted the power and authority of Jesus and rejected the message of truth. Of which Jesus rebuked them, showing us that truly he has power and authority not just to heal and forgive us but to restore us and all humanity back to our formal glory.

 

We are also called to imitate the great faith and love of the friends of the paralytic, the love and faith that radiate from the innermost being of those who exercise it. Let us like them, learn to love and help one another. Because the absence of love is the cause of all the problems in our world today. For most families exist only by grace because of the absence of love. How I wish we can invest our time and resources in ensuring love and goodwill in our dealings with one another, believe me, the world will be a temporal home for everyone.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we are paralyzed by the sins and evil we are committing against you and the world you created, as we come to you in faith, forgive us our sins, heal and restore us once again. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Peace be with you.

Homily for Wednesday Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 29th June, 2022. The Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul

 Homily for Wednesday Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time  Year C,  29th June, 2022. The Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul

Reading: Acts. 12:1-11; Ps. 34; 2 Tim. 4:6-8.17-18; Matt. 16:13-19

Rev.  Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

LET US LEARN TO BE UNITED IN ONE MISSIONARY MANDATE OF CHRIST JUST LIKE SAINTS PETER AND PAUL 

The solemnity of today presents to us two great personalities in the mission and mandate Christ entrusted to his Church. A solemn celebration that reveals to us that there is something deep and unique about every person as regards to the master plans of God for humanity. But sometimes it takes personal experience to discover this uniqueness. I don't know if you have ever had an experience that made you think about your purpose on this earth as you realize the emptiness of this life. A kind of experience that turns pride into humility, sinfulness into righteousness, an experience that changes your perspective about things or people?

This is the kind of experience Saints Peter and Paul had with Jesus on different occasions that made them change their perception of life as they embraced their mission and mandate from Jesus. Their very encounter with Jesus brought a great transformation. Thus Simon left his fishing profession and became a Fisher of men and a preacher of the word of God with a new name Peter the Rock on which Jesus build his Church, the same thing with St. Paul.

This is evident in our Gospel passage today, where Peter demonstrated an act of faith as he gave an inspired answer to the question about the personality of Jesus. And Jesus stresses that Peter's faith is a gift from the Father when he said: “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." 

Here the key represents the authority to open the gate of the Kingdom of Heaven, and to judge whether to admit or to refuse. While the expression “binding and loosing” refers to the doctrinal decisions and disciplinary power of St Peter, that is, the faculty to impose and to lift, a guarantees that Peter’s decisions in the exercise of his ecclesial function are valid in the eyes of God. And that is why in the iconographic tradition we see the keys in the hand of Peter,  because, the faith given to Peter by God is the rock on which Jesus built his Church. This is what St Peter expressed in our first reading today when he said: “Now I know that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from Herod and from all that the Jewish people were so certain would happen”.

Meanwhile, Paul’s encounter brought true conversion in his life and changed his perspective about Christians with a new identity, changing his name from Saul to Paul. A name indicating his new mission as the Apostle of the Gentiles. Little wonder the iconographic tradition represents St. Paul with a sword. The image of the sword refers to his entire mission of evangelization and that was the instrument with which he was killed. 

No doubt that St. Paul carried out his mission with all his zeal and passion that he is regarded as one of the apostles and today his works still speak about the effect of his personal encounter with Jesus. Hence, we heard him saying in our second reading: I have fought the good fight to the end; I have run the race to the finish; I have kept the faith; all there is to come now is the crown of righteousness reserved for me, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on that Day; and not only to me but to all those who have longed for his appearing.

Thus, the relationship between Peter and Paul is designed by God for the purpose of the mission entrusted to them. Their lives are symbol of unity in one missionary mandate of Christ. For St. Peter was entrusted with the leadership of all the Apostles and Church, while St. Paul was empowered and entrusted with the mission to the Gentiles (Gal.2:8). For this mission they both suffered martyrdom for the faith and their love for God and the mission entrusted to them by Jesus.  

This very sacrificial life of love is what we are celebrating today, as being represented in different images and statues of Saints Peter and Paul as seen in front of Saint Peter’s Basilica, in the seminaries and in parishes, of which they are easily recognizable by their respective attributes: the keys in the hand of St. Peter and the sword held by St. Paul, showing us the fraternal zeal and unity of these two Apostles on their way to martyrdom for the love of Christ. 

Dear friends, we must learn to be united in one missionary mandate of Christ Just like Peter and Paul. We must not encourage or be part of the ugly events of division, manipulation and multiplication of Churches going on in Christianity today. Though, we are blessed with different gifts and apostolates, these are meant for the unity and growth of the mission of Christ and not to bring divisions. 

Therefore, today we are called to really examine our conscience to know where we are with regards to our faith as Christians, we are called to be convinced of who we are and the need to truly unite together in God and His Church entrusted to St. Peter of which the get of underworld shall not prevail against it. 

LET US PRAY: Almighty and ever living God, as we begin our day with the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, create in us we pray, a pure heart and renew a steadfast spirit of true faith within us, so that your Church may truly be united as one. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a fruitful day.

Tuesday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 28th June, 2022. The Memorial of St. Irenaeus

Tuesday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 28th June, 2022. The Memorial of St. Irenaeus

Readings: Amos 3:1-8,4:11-12, Ps 5: 5-8, Matt 8:23-27

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

WHY ARE YOU SO FRIGHTENED, YOU MEN OF LITTLE FAITH?

There is no doubt that Christians and in extension humanity are passing through frightening situation as a result of persecution, bad governance and religious fanatics. This ugly situation has serious effect to the faith of the people and are causing serious panic among Christians all over the world. A situation where the need to look for a Saviour is highly expected. Such was the case with the disciples of Jesus in our Gospel passage today, where we heard a story about the disciples' panic and fear of perishing as a result of the heavy storm that was affecting their boat. 

With this heavy storm breaking their boat, the disciples cannot believe that Jesus was asleep while they were afraid and needed help from anywhere. So they went to him and woke him saying, ‘Save us, Lord, we are perishing!’ And he said to them, ‘Why are you so frightened, you men of little faith?’ And with that he stood up and rebuked the winds and the sea; and all was calm again. 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 storm is a symbol of heavy persecutions and suffering by the people of God. And Jesus is saying: why are you so frightened, you men of little faith. 

Today Jesus is calling us to journey on this boat of life with an unwavering faith and a repented heart, because the world is being tossed around by the waves of 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. In similar way prophet Amos in our first reading warns the people of Israel about the coming judgement, calling them to turn to God in faith and do what is good, just like St Irenaeus whose memorial we celebrate today.

St. Irenaeus, was someone who understood that following the Lord requires giving up everything that one cherishes. He was a holy bishop, a true servant of God, and martyr of the Church. He was known for his great piety and many important works on theology and defended the faithful from heresies even at the cost of his life, for he followed the rigorous path to success and also passed through great persecution and storms without making excuses or giving up. 

Dear friends, 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.  Are you frightened by the ugly situation in our society? Are you a victim of the ugly situation of persecution, bad governance and religious fanatics? We must not be faithless but trust in God’s intervention. For I know that with great faith in God, the heavy storms in our lives will become calm, for Jesus will surely rebuke the violent storms in our hearts so that we can experience once again the calmness of peace and joy.

PRAYER: Lord God, as we struggle everyday to overcome the ugly situation around us, grant that the violent storms and waves of bondage in our lives will end in a wonderful calm that brings peace in our souls, And through the intercession of St. Irenaeus may we be ever more nourished by your word and find in it the fount of grace to journey the path of life. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Wishing you a fruitful day.

Homily for Monday Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 27th June, 2022

 Homily for Monday Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 27th June, 2022

Reading: Amos 2:6-10.13-16; Ps. 50; Matt. 8:18-22

Rev.  Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

STOP MAKING EXCUSES, COME LET US  FOLLOW THE LORD 

The path to success is so rigorous, strenuous and competitive. The strong pass through it and are celebrated, while the weak will always quit or give up. Hence, a lot of people have not been able to achieve their goal in life because, they always have excuses to give. Oftentimes we hear such people saying I want to do this but.., I could have done it but..., I thought of it but… I was almost there but... 

This kind of attitude is what Jesus is addressing in our Gospel passage today, when one of the scribes came up and said to him, ‘Master, I will follow you wherever you go.’ Jesus replied, ‘Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.’ Another man, one of his disciples, said to him, ‘Sir, let me go and bury my father first.’ But Jesus replied, ‘Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their dead.’

Here, it seems as if the Lord Jesus was very harsh when he said that those who have chosen to follow him have no place to call their own or that those who died ought to be left on their own to be buried. This is not the case here, rather Jesus is emphasizing that to be his follower requires serious commitment and sacrifices at  all times. That following him requires a life of total self-denial and the man who wished to follow him most reflect thoroughly what following Jesus would entail. So Jesus made it clear that following him would mean giving up many of the personal comforts that one enjoys.

But this is not the same with the people of Israel in our first reading today, who did not follow the instructions the Lord and often broke their covenant with God. Thus the Lord said: For the three crimes, the four crimes, of Israel I have made my decree and will not relent: because they have sold the virtuous man for silver and the poor man for a pair of sandals, because they trample on the heads of ordinary people and push the poor out of their path, because father and son have both resorted to the same girl. See then how I am going to crush you into the ground. For that day, the strong man will find his strength useless, the mighty man will be powerless to save himself. The bowman will not stand his ground, the fast runner will not escape, the horseman will not save himself and the bravest warriors will run away naked.

Dear friends, why making excuses when the Lord has chosen us and called us to follow him? Why do we chose to remain unfaithful and disobedience? How much of our lives and resources can we sacrifice for the sake of following the Lord? How far can we go for the sake of God’s kingdom? The fact remains that, for us to succeed in life we need to pass through some rigorous steps and stop making excuses. 

Sometimes the rigorousness of the paths may seem difficult and impossible but at the end they form the experience that will propel us to success and sustain us as well. So as we journey through the rigorous path of success in our mission and vocations, let us be encouraged to learn how to sacrifice for the sake of following the Lord, knowing that none of our sacrifices and contribution in the mission of Christ and his Church will be in vain.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, following you requires giving up everything, teach us how to faithfully embrace our vocation and mission in life without making excuses. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a blessed week

Homily for Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C, 26th June, 2022

 Homily for Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time  Year C, 26th June, 2022.

Reading: 1Kings19:16.19-21; Ps.16; Gal. 5:1.13-18; Luke 9:51-62

Rev.  Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

HOW TO DEAL WITH REJECTION, PERSECUTION AND STRONG OPPOSITIONS OF LIFE 

Oftentimes when we find ourselves in difficult situations caused by our opponent, the first instinct that comes to our minds is to do away with the opponent and ensure that he or she does not exist anymore. Sometimes we feel like crushing anything that stands on the way towards our goal, especially when we think that we have the power and authority do so. 

This is the disposition of James and John in our Gospel passage today, when they said to Jesus: ‘Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to burn them up?’ This is because some people in Samaritan village will not let Jesus and his disciples past through their town to Jerusalem. For opposing them the two disciples felt that they should be consumed by fire. But Jesus turned and rebuked his disciples, and then went off to another village.

Here, Jesus is showing us how to deal with rejection and strong opposition of life. For in life we must surely encounter oppositions, but what makes a difference is how we deal with it. In the Gospel the two disciples of Jesus feel that the best way to deal with such opposition is by calling down fire on the opponent, just like most of us will have done if we have the power and authority to do so. 

However, this is not the same with Jesus, who though had the absolute power and authority to command fire to consume anything he wishes, but in this case, he chooses to flee from the problem not because he was a coward, no, rather because he hoped to experiencing peace and teach us that sometimes the best way to deal with rejection, hostility and oppositions is to walk away.

This does not mean that he was weak, rather he wants us to understand that a change of location does not make us weak or remove our enemies, it only changes where the battle takes place. And for Jesus the battlefield is not the Samaritan territory, but the heart of the human person who occupied the territory. Perhaps, Jesus did not come to destroy the people, if he had come for that purpose, he would have destroyed these Samaritans; but he came to save. 

And so Jesus bears patiently the ignorance of the opposition, we too must learn to do the same. For we heard St. Paul in our first reading saying: My brothers, you were called, as you know, to liberty; but be careful, or this liberty will provide an opening for self-indulgence. Serve one another, rather, in works of love, since the whole of the Law is summarized in a single command: Love your neighbour as yourself. If you go snapping at each other and tearing each other to pieces, you had better watch or you will destroy the whole community. 

This is necessary because we are called to be disciples of Jesus just like Elisha in our first reading today and in our Gospel we also heard Jesus telling us about the need to embrace the call for discipleship with undivided attention, so as to withstand the pressures of life especially when we have to deal with rejection, hostility and persecutions.

Dear friends, have you ever been rejected by people? Are you passing through difficult opposition? Are you passing through persecutions? Are you been tormented by people? Do you feel that people are responsible for the ugly situation in your life or in your family and needs to do something about them? What are those oppositions and obstacles in your life? Have you lost your inner peace and joy because of the persecution and obstacles around you? Do you really want to overcome those oppositions and obstacles and gain your peace and joy back? Then we must learn from Jesus how to gently and wisely walk away from opposition for the sake of peace. 

We must learn to change the battle ground not because we are weak but because we are not sent to destroy the opponent or to be like them, rather we are called to gently and wisely correct them. So, we should not be like James and John wanting to destroy those that opposes us. Rather we must learn to acquire the spirit of Lord Jesus; temper our zeal like his; seek to bear patiently with those who stands on our way. Let us seek peace. Let us be patient, and forgiving. Let us not allow the feeling of revenge to consume us into hurting those with whom we feel we cannot resolve our differences.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, everyday we encounter oppositions that we feel like crushing and eliminating. Help us to learn from Jesus how to deal with opposition patiently for the sake of peace and harmony in our societies. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a fruitful Sunday celebration.

Homily for Saturday Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 25th June, 2022. The Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary

 Homily for Saturday Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 25th June, 2022. The Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Reading: Lam. 2:2,10-14,18-19; Ps. 74; Matt.8:5-17

Rev.  Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

IMMACULATE HEART : THE BEST DESCRIPTION OF THE INTERIOR LIFE OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY 

Biologically, the heart is the main organ in the circulatory system. It is the structure primarily responsible for the circulation of blood and transportation of nutrients in all parts of the body. This special task uplifts the role of the heart as a vital organ whose normal operation is constantly required. In biblical language, “heart” indicates the centre of the human person where his sentiments and intentions dwell. 

Yesterday we celebrated the solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Heart where we embrace God’s infinite love and mercy for humanity and His will for our universal salvation. Following the Sacred Heart of Jesus is the Immaculate Heart of his Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary. 

Hence today, the liturgy invites us to venerate the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The Immaculate Heart of Mary is a devotional name used to refer to the interior life of the Blessed Virgin Mary, her joys and sorrows, her virtues and hidden perfections, and, above all, her virginal love for God the Father, her maternal love for her son Jesus, and her compassionate love for all people. 

Here we recall Mary’s great love for God, her faith and piety, her commitment to serve the Lord wholeheartedly, and how she loved her Son dearly from the moment conception, his birth, his finding in the Temple and even up to his passion of the Cross, when Mary followed her Son faithfully as he picked up his Cross and bore that burden of the Cross to Calvary, she bears and pondered all this sorrows deep within her Immaculate Heart. 

This is the event we celebrate today, where we recall how Mary having struggled to understand the mysterious events in the life of her Son Jesus, stored up all these events in her heart. A heart that is propelled by love and filled with genuine faith in God, a heart so pure and contemplative. For such is the immaculate heart of Mary, having been conceived without sin, and pure from any taints of evil and wickedness. 

Yet, this loving and caring Immaculate Heart has to endure great sorrows and in the midst of these sorrows she did not stop being loving, compassion and caring to her Son and also to all of us, as she fulfills the mandate entrusted to her by Jesus at the Cross of Calvary saying: Mother behold your son and son behold your mother. By this mandate all of us are blessed to have been placed under the maternal care of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, a great saint and our role model.

Dear friends, today we are called to imitate and embrace the Immaculate Heart of Mary, whose maternal care we have been commended by Jesus at the Cross of Calvary. So, let us like Mary express our faith in God just like the Roman centurion in our Gospel passage today, who sorts help for his sick servant, he approached Jesus for healing, but when Jesus accepted to come to his home, the centurion hesitates, feeling unworthy of Jesus’ presence in his home, said to him “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only speak the word, and my servant will be healed”.

  

What a great faith, unlike the people of Israel in our first reading who were lamenting over the destructions that had ravaged their land and their entire kingdom because of their faithlessness and  disobedience. But we are truly fortunate to have received such abundant love and compassion from the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary his mother, who is also our loving mother. Let us therefore cultivate a heart that mirrors that of our mother, let us imitate the purity of her heart, let us be caring, loving, contemplative and compassion in our relationship with one another. 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, as we imitate the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary, graciously grant that through her intercession we may be a worthy temple of your glory and make our hearts a loving, caring and compassionate vessel for all through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a fruitful weekend.

Homily for Friday Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 24th June, 2022. The Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus ( World Day of Prayer for the Sanctity of Priestly Life)

 Homily for Friday Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time  Year C, 24th June, 2022. The Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus ( World Day of Prayer for the Sanctity of Priestly Life)

Reading: Ezk.34:11-16; Ps. 23; Rom. 5:5-11; Luke 15:3-7

Rev.  Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

TRUE LOVE ABIDES IN THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS THE WOUNDED SHEPHERD

Today, the Church celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. An event that occurs every Friday after the Sunday in which we celebrate the solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. In this solemnity, the Church invites us to contemplate and celebrate the love of God pouring forth from the Most Loving Heart of Jesus the Good Shepherd, whose heart was pierced for the salvation of humanity. 

A great act of love which God revealed through his influences on mystic saints such as St. Gertrude the Great which was made more obvious through St. Margaret Mary Alacoque in the revelation she had around 17th century. In this revelation the Lord appeared to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque and showed her his heart and the anguish and sorrow which he had for the sins and disobedience of humanity, despite the incomprehensible act of love, compassion and mercy that he has lavished upon us. 

Then the Lord said to her: “Behold the Heart that has loved so many men, and yet, instead of gratitude, all I received were ingratitude…” and asking in particular that the Friday after the week in which the Solemnity of Corpus Christi is celebrated should be dedicated to him as the Feast of reparation to the Most Sacred Heart. The Lord also promised St. Margaret Mary that all those who devoted themselves to His Most Sacred Heart with faith will be protected and receive the graces of God.

So, the long development of this revelations led to the devotion to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus as we have it today. Though it was Pope Pius IX that extended and placed this great Feast and Solemnity in its current form and honour.  Moreover, this great feast also mark the occasion of the World Day of Prayer for the Sanctity of Priestly Life, keeping in mind that the priesthood is the product of Christ sacrificial heart of love for humanity. 

Hence, we remember all of us priests who have been called to model ourselves after the life of Christ’s love by giving ourselves to the ministerial priesthood, that we may truly model ourselves and our hearts after that of the Most Sacred Heart of Christ the Good Shepherd. Let us be filled with love for all humanity while recognizing that the priestly life is a very difficult undertaking especially in our world today. Let us be supported by all, knowing that priests, though humans just like everyone, have their flaws and imperfections, but we are at the same time held up to a much higher expectation to care and guide the people of God. 

Meanwhile, in the midst of all our difficulties, challenges, daily temptations and pressures of life, we are called to abide in the loving heart of Christ for he who abides in love, abides in God and God abides in him.(1 John 4:7-16). Little wonder, St Paul in our second reading says: The love of God has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit which has been given us. For we were still helpless when at his appointed moment Christ died for sinful men. It is not easy to die even for a good man, though of course for someone really worthy, a man might be prepared to die, but what proves that God loves us is that Christ died for us while we were still sinners.

Therefore, in this solemn feast our devotion is rooted in the mystery of God’s love; for it is precisely through the Sacred Heart of Jesus that the Love of God for humanity is sublimely manifested in all its effect and power especially for souls thirsting for God’s mercy, for in it we find the inexhaustible source from which we draw the water of life that refresh and revives the thirsty souls of sinful humanity and make us new and alive again. 

Hence we are called today to abide in this love of Christ which flows from the pierced heart of Jesus the Good Shepherd, who when entrusted with a hundred sheep, losing one, would leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the missing one till he found it as we heard it in our Gospel passage today. And in our first reading today we heard the Lord saying: I am going to look after my flock myself and keep all of it in view. I myself will pasture my sheep, I myself will show them where to rest–it is the Lord who speaks. I shall look for the lost one, bring back the stray, bandage the wounded and make the weak strong. I shall watch over the fat and healthy. For I shall be a true shepherd to them.

Dear friends, true love is found in the sacred Heart of Jesus the Good Shepherd. So, every Christian is called to embrace the love of God which he poured out from the Sacred Heart of Jesus, so as to become a wellspring which gives life of love to others. For we ought to be offering life-giving water to a parched and thirsty world. We are called to embrace that love which propelled Jesus to lay down his life for his friends and also forgives his enemies, for that is what this solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus represents. We are called to contemplate the mystery of love in the heart of a God who full of compassion, bestows his love upon humanity through his Son. 

Though humanity has rejected his love, but God does not lose heart in the face of ingratitude or rejection by the people he loved and chosen; rather, with infinite mercy he sends his only-begotten Son into the world to take upon himself the fate of a shattered love, so that by defeating the power of evil and death he could restore humanity once again from our slavery of sin and death back into a life of grace and open up his Sacred Heart of love once again for all who wishes to embrace it.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, grant that we, who glory in the loving Heart of your beloved Son and recall the wonders of his love for us, may be made worthy to receive an overflowing measure of grace from that fount of heavenly gift of love which he offers to humanity. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do pray for me today and for the sanctity of all the Priests.

Homily for Thursday Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 23rd June, 2022. The Solemnity of the Birth of John the Baptist

 Homily for Thursday Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time  Year C,  23rd June, 2022. The Solemnity of the Birth of John the Baptist

Reading: Is.49:1-6; Ps.139; Acts 13:22-26; Luke: 1:57-66.80

Rev.  Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING YOUR BIRTH AND YOUR NAME?

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the birth of St. John the Baptist, the only person, who’s birthday is celebrated in the Church’s liturgical calendar, besides that of Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary, because of his role in the history of the salvation of humanity. And as we know that one of the most significant day in our lives is our birthday, this day often comes with joy and praise. And in the mood of joy that a life has been born, one of the things that comes to mind is giving a name to the baby as an identity based on the circumstances surrounding the birth. 

This event is very important and necessary. In fact the naming of objects and persons is an important ritual found in scripture. We can recall in the book of Genesis (Gen.2:19-20), when God created Adam and gave him the responsibility of giving names to all creation. So the act of giving a name to people has been a traditional event not only in the scriptures but in every human culture.  

On account of this, our Gospel passage today, gives us the record of the events of the birth and naming of John the Baptist. From the passage, significant and surprising things happened on the birth and naming of John the Baptist, of which we can identify three unusual features: first the old have given birth. Secondly, the child has a strange name “John” derived from the Hebrew name Yochanan meaning " YAHWEH is gracious", a name which no one bears in the family and thirdly, Zechariah's dumbness is taken away on account of giving this name, which brought great joy to the people and they praised God. 

However, such remarkable events caused the crowd to fear and perceived that something different and surprising is happening, things worth remembering. Showing us that, when God names a child, that child is significant in his universal plan for humanity. 

Hence, John’s birth was prophesied by the prophets as we have in our first reading today, to be the last among the prophets, for his role was to prepare the people and to finally proclaim the coming of the Messiah who will fulfill the long awaiting plan of God for the salvation of humanity. And in our second reading, St. Paul gave us an account of how John in humility carried out his mission as he proclaimed a baptism of repentance for the whole people of Israel. And before John ended his career he said, “I am not the one you imagine me to be; that one is coming after me and I am not fit to undo his sandal. 

No doubt the mission of John the Baptist was quite challenging as he encountered many obstacles just like other prophets before him. He faced strong opposition and rejection from the Pharisees who doubted and challenged his teaching and works of baptism and repentance of which many people believed in him. But John fearlessly confronted some of the Pharisees calling them wicked, brood of vipers and hypocrites. He also courageously confronted king Herod with the truth on account of his illegal and sinful relationship with Herodias his brother’s wife, and this led to his martyrdom and his mission decreasing while Jesus increases.

Dear friends, we all have a significant place in the plan of God. Our names are not just a common ceremony. It is a testimony of God’s plan for us. Why not take out time today to reflect on the meaning and circumstances surrounding our births and our names. For by God’s grace we will understand better who we are and what our mission and purpose on earth are. And by so doing, we will faithfully stand for the truth of what we represent and fulfill our plans and purposes, just like John the Baptist who stood for the truth of his mission and offered it to everyone, whenever and however it will best bring conversion to sinner even at the cost of his head. 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, you created each one of us to fulfill your plan on earth and in our names we bear the mystery of our mission and purpose. Grant us through the intercessions of St John the Baptist, the grace to faithfully and courageously fulfill our mission and purpose in this world. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a blessed and joyful day.

Homily for Wednesday Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 22nd June, 2022

 Homily for Wednesday Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time  Year C,  22nd June, 2022

Reading: 2Kings 22:8-13.23:1-3; Ps.119; Matt. 7:6.15-20

Rev.  Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

BY THEIR FRUIT WE SHALL KNOW THEM

 A tree is known to be either good or bad, healthy or sick by the fruit it produces. In the same way the human heart is known to be either good or bad, holy or sinful, sincere or corrupt by the fruit of our words and actions rooted in our character. Thus, in our societies today there are many false influential powers that have great effect in our lives coming from various sources under the guise of good but are in fact leading us astray. Everyday many false prophets and teachers are increasing and are deceiving the people. So, there is need for us to examine these influences.

Little wonder Jesus in our Gospel passage today said: “Beware of false prophets who come to you disguised as sheep but underneath are ravenous wolves. You will be able to tell them by their fruits. For a sound tree produces good fruit but a rotten tree bad fruit. A sound tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor a rotten tree bear good fruit. Any tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown on the fire. I repeat, you will be able to tell them by their fruits.”

Here, Jesus is calling our attention to ugly situation in our societies today, where false prophets and teachers are  deceiving people. He tells us to be careful and discern to know false prophets from true ones. He made us to know that by the fruits they bear we shall know them. For a true prophet draws what is good from the store of goodness in his heart; while a false prophet draws what is bad from the store of his bad thoughts. Because a man’s words flow out of what fills his heart. So it is not sufficient to speak about God, we must practice what we speak. We must let the Word of God touch and shape our lives so that we can bear good and healthy fruit. 

Dear friends, the ugly attitude of deception, manipulation, exaggeration, corruption and flamboyant life style of false prophets and preachers in our societies today can really make it difficult for people to become true and faithful believers of Christ in our world today. Little wonder, people are scandalized by the actions and behaviour of some preachers and teachers. Some have given up their faith, some are about to give up, some are just confused while a lot of people are just holding on to the little faith they have based on their little personal experience and encounter with the Divine.

Therefore, we must be very wise for there are many false prophets operating under the power of the devil. Let us come to Jesus who has promised us the Spirit of truth that will give us a special sign for distinguishing true doctrine and true teachers from the false ones, just as we heard in our first reading today when the King discovered a book in Tempe that contains God’s commandments and said  ‘Great indeed must be the anger of the Lord blazing out against us because our ancestors did not obey what this book says by practising everything written in it. 

Hence, let us constantly ask the Holy Spirit to give us the grace of discernment in order to distinguish between good and false prophets and teachers. Let us also be true Christians in our way of life, words and deeds. Let us learn to put our trust in God who has promised to keep us from falling away from the true faith we have found in His Son Jesus.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, our societies are full of deception, false prophets and teachers, send us the Spirit of truth to discern the truth from the false. Grant we pray that we may always stand and witness to the truth we have found in Jesus against all the false influential prophets and teachers in our society today. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a fruitful day.

Homily for Tuesday Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 21st June, 2022. The Memorial of St. Aloysius Gonzaga

 Homily for Tuesday Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time  Year C,  21st June, 2022. The Memorial of St. Aloysius Gonzaga

Reading: 2Kings 19:9-11.14-21.31-35.36; Ps.48; Matt. 7:6.12-14

Rev.  Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

LEARN TO AVOID THE WIDE AND DESTRUCTIVE WAYS OF THIS PASSING WORLD

Life is a temporal assignment, a journey which begins in the morning so beautiful, full of expectations and hope, but the sojourner have no knowledge of his/her destination, purpose and end. The only guide is his/ her willingness to constantly following the directives of the Sender who communicates his plans and purposes to those who care and willing to listen. 

Thus, when relate this to  the reality of emptiness and shortness of human life, the question that comes to my mind is: "where will you and I, and the beautiful things of this world be in the next one, ten, twenty, forty, eighty and hundred years for those who are strong? The deep silence in my soul could not offer me any answer to this question rather, it exposed me to the foolishness of human greediness, corruption and selfishness. Hence, I asked myself what does God really requires from us in this world? And how can we really identify the path we are called to follow? 

I found a consoling answer to these questions in our Gospel passage today, where Jesus said “always treat others as you would like them to treat you; that is the meaning of the Law and the Prophets.” And he added “Enter by the narrow gate, since the road that leads to destruction is wide and spacious, and many are following it; but narrow is the gate and hard is the road that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” 

Here, Jesus described how humanity have failed to embrace the life of truth, holiness and love for God and for one another because it seems difficult and narrow to them, but prefers to follow the destructive ways of life that is born out of pride, greed and uncontrollable desire for worldly things, for things of this passing world are so captivating and many people are captured by its seductive power and are greatly following it. 

This is exactly what happened to king Sennacherib of Assyria in our first reading, who out of pride and greed, blasphemed against God before the walls of Jerusalem, as he mocked God and the people of Israel, referring their faith and hope in God as being useless and meaningless. Then the people turned to God in deep prayer and the Lord reassured them, from king Hezekiah through prophet Isaiah, that despite all the power and the vast armies king Sennacherib possessed, he would never conquer nor achieve his desired, for he will soon meet a just end because of all the sins that he had committed against God and His people. So his pride, greed and sins led to his downfall and damnation, calling us to reflect on our own lives and actions.

Dear friends, let us learn to avoid the wide and destructive ways of this passing world, for life is indeed very short and the road that leads to death and destruction is truly wide and very captivating, of which many are captives of its seductive power. But the road to life are becoming narrow more and more because humanity are working so hard to expand the seductive road and gates of destruction against the narrow gate of life. 

Therefore, to embrace the narrow gate and road that leads to eternal life, we must work harder by resisting all the temptations and sinful things of this passing world and embrace the life of love and sacrifice which Jesus has offered us. This is exactly what we see in the life of St. Aloysius Gonzaga whose memorial we celebrate today. Though born into a wealthy family, he renounced the world’s riches and honour in order to live a life of service, simplicity, holiness and piety. So, Let us try to imitate him and turn towards God with all our hearts by removing from our hearts all forms of pride, greed and unhealthy desires that lead us astray down the path of destruction.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, our journey of life depends on you and today you have called us to follow the narrow gate of love and sacrifice. But the seductive road of this passing world is really captivating and many are victim of its power. Grant us through the intercessions of St. Aloysius, the grace to resist it and journey through the path and gate that leads to eternal life, we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. May God bless our little efforts in life and guide us always.

Homily for Monday Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 20th June, 2022

 Homily for Monday Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time  Year C,  20th June, 2022. 

Reading: 2Kings 17:5-8.13-15.18; Ps.60; Matt. 7:1-5

Rev.  Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

DEALING WITH OUR LOG OF PRIDE AND THE SPECK OF WEAKNESS IN OTHERS

One of the ugly attitudes of the human person is the urge to often criticize, judge and condemn others without looking into our own faults. Have we ever experienced a situation where it happened that, while we are condemning other people for their faults and suddenly we realized that our own faults are just as many as theirs, for this do happen often in our relationship with one another. 

This ugly attitude is what Jesus is addressing today in the Gospel passage, when he said “ Do not judge, and you will not be judged; because the judgements you give are the judgements you will get, and the amount you measure out is the amount you will be given. Why do you observe the speck in your brother’s eye and never notice the log in your own?

Here, Jesus is referring to the improper and prideful attitudes of many of the Pharisees, the scribes and teachers of the Law and many others like them who self acclaimed righteousness has led to criticism and condemnation of other people, as they have failed to see the log in their eye while seeking to remove the speck in other's. But what is this log in our eyes? It is the log of pride, greed and self-righteousness. 

These log of pride, greed and self-righteousness make us to forget who we are and claim who we are not. Pride as we know is the first capital sin, it makes us to look down on people, pride makes us blind. It makes us not to look into our own lives to see and accept how wrong we can be, because we are people often controlled by our ego and pride, our human ambitions and desires, as we like to always be in control and superior to others. 

This is exactly the attitude of most of the Israelites and the kings in our first reading  that led to their downfall as they were swallowed by the forces of the Assyrians who came and conquered their whole lands and destroyed their capital city and humbled them with slavery.

Therefore, today we are called to humbly look into our lives and identify all those ugly attitudes of pride in us and get rid of them, so that we can humbly correct and accommodate other peoples weakness. So instead of pointing out what is lacking in others, we must look into ourselves, and find ways or how we can make good use of the opportunities that God has given us to show good examples to others. We are to discard all our prideful, wicked and sinful ways of life and replace them with genuine love for one another, with new zeal and sincere commitment to telling one another the truth in all humility.

Dear friends, we are called not to judge, because, often that which we judge in others, we ourselves are doing worst.  Hence, Jesus is challenging us today to think differently about how we live our lives. Calling us to look into our inner being, our interior life, that part of us that we hide from one another. Let us purify them in humility, so that we can be pure and free to help others in the struggles with their weakness. Therefore, it’s time to look into ourselves and take away our prideful ways of life, so as to humbly accommodate the weakness and faults of others especially in our families, societies and the world at large, knowing that no one is perfect without the other.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, give us the grace of humility and capacity to always look within us in other to be more aware of our inadequacies. May we become more gentle in dealing with others, we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a blessed and graceful week.

Homily for Sunday of the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi) Year C, 19th June, 2022

 Homily for Sunday of the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi) Year C, 19th June, 2022

Reading: Gen. 14:18-20;Ps. 110; 1Cor.11:23-26; Luke 9:11-17

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

HOLY EUCHARIST: THE MYSTICAL PRESENCE OF CHRIST’S LOVE FOR HUMANITY

Today, the Church celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ also called the Corpus Christi celebration, an event that occurs every Thursday or Sunday after the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. It is a solemn celebration were we reaffirm with great joy our faith in the Eucharistic Mystery of Christ’s love for humanity. Reminding us of God’s infinite gift of love for humanity which was made present in the Person of Christ Jesus under the appearance of Bread and Wine.

The mystery of the solemnity of Corpus Christi, constitutes a very important aspect of our Christian faith, which is rooted in the historical and cultural context of the Jewish people's experience with God, of which Jesus is the fullest of this experience and revelation. Hence, St. Paul in our second reading today reminded us of what happened at the Last Supper when he said that on the same night that the Lord Jesus was betrayed, he took some bread, and thanked God for it and broke it, and he said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this as a memorial of me.’ In the same way he took the cup after supper, and said, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Whenever you drink it, do this as a memorial of me.’ Until the Lord comes, therefore, every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are proclaiming My death. 

With this statement Jesus instituted the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist and gave his Apostles power and authority to do this in memory of him. This is a very important mission, which the Apostles had faithfully carried out and have passed on to all of their successors, the bishops and the priests of the Church, who have been ordained and have received the same power and authority from the Lord to celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. 

So, at the Last Supper, Jesus presented the Bread and Wine as his Body and Blood which he offered on the cross as a sacrificial love for humanity and ask his disciples to do the same in memory of him. This is  very significant with the event of Jesus feeding about five thousand men  with five loaves and two fish in a miraculous way that expressed his deep love  for helpless humanity as we have it in our Gospel passage today. This great act of love as mandated by Christ is what the Church is doing at every celebration of the Holy sacrifice of the Mass, where Christ through the priest who act ‘in persona Christi’ by the power of consecration, transubstantiate the Bread and Wine into his Real Body and Blood and offer it to God His Father as an unbloodied sacrificial love for humanity. 

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

Therefore, at every Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, through the power of the Holy Spirit the substance of bread and wine become the real and most precious Body and Blood of Christ Jesus, just in the same way he spoke at the Last Supper saying ‘This is My Body, which shall be given up for you’, ‘This is the Chalice of My Blood, the Blood of the New and Eternal Covenant, which shall be poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins’ of which he fulfilled at the Cross in Calvary, where he offered himself Body, Soul and Divinity for the salvation of humanity. Hence, we share in this grace of salvation when we participate fully in this sacrificial offering of God’s love for humanity. 

Little wonder in our first reading we heard that:  Melchizedek king of Salem brought bread and wine; and as a priest of God Most High, who pronounced blessings. Therefore, Christ has come, as the High priest of all the blessings we have received and those that are yet to come. He has passed through the greater, the more perfect tent, which is better than the one made by men’s hands because it is not of this created order; and he has entered the sanctuary once and for all, taking with him not the blood of goats and bull calves as of old. But here, Jesus offers his own blood, having won an eternal redemption for us, purifies our inner self from dead actions so that we can offer our service to the living God. 

The fact remains that in the Eucharist, we are physically and spiritually fed much more than the Israelites in the wilderness, who were fed with manna as we have it in Deut. 8:2-3,14-16, they were given the manna to survive in the wilderness, but Christ gave us the Eucharist not just for us to survive in the wilderness of this passing world but for us to gain eternal life and come to share in his love, for the Eucharist is the real presence of Christ’s love for humanity.

Dear friends, what is our relationship with Jesus in the Eucharist? What is our attitude towards the Holy Eucharist? What is our experience of Jesus in the Eucharist? How has the Eucharist we receive almost everyday change our lives positively? How has the Eucharist influence our lives to sacrifice for the good of humanity? How often have we abuse the Eucharist and treat the body of Christ without due reverence? How often have we received the Eucharist unworthily? Do we still have that strong desire to receive Christ in the Eucharist? Do we still believe in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist? Do we still feel the love of Jesus in the Eucharist? The answer to these questions is blowing in the wind.

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

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

Homily for Saturday Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 18th June, 2022

 

 Homily for Saturday Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time  Year C, 18th June, 2022

Reading: 2 Chron. 24:17-25; Ps.89; Matt. 6:24-34

Rev.  Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

WHY ARE WE TOO ANXIOUS AND WORRIED ABOUT THE THINGS OF THIS PASSING WORLD?

The activities and life of the human person are always competitive and comparative in nature, that is why we are often anxious to recognize or be recognized as the strongest, wisest, cleverest, richest. We will always want to know the most beautiful, handsome, most talented and greatest in virtually everything. 

Little wonder, the most lucrative business and adventures are found among those activities that are competitive such as sports, entertainment and politics because greatness gives more ego to our status and people are so anxious about them. This anxiousness sometimes can lead to anxiety when people failed to achieve their plans because they have chosen to separate themselves from God.

Thus, this anxiousness that brings about competitive and comparative way of life is what Jesus is addressing in our Gospel passage today when he said: “You men of little faith? Do not be anxious; do not say, “What are we to eat? What are we to drink? How are we to be clothed?” It is the pagans who set their hearts on all these things. Your heavenly Father knows you need them all. Set your hearts on his kingdom first, and on his righteousness, and all these other things will be given you as well. So do not be anxious about tomorrow: tomorrow will take care of itself. For each day has enough trouble of its own.

Here, Jesus is calling us to reflect on our lives and our attitudes towards the material things of this passing world. For we often stray from the right path because we are too distracted by our personal ambitions and desires for worldly pleasures and achievements which are serious obstacles that can prevent us from attaining our salvation, as we end up falling deeper and further into the path of sin which separate us from God.

Thus, we have to take a stand and choose firmly between serving God or that of material things, because we cannot serve both God and money, for sooner or later we will love one more than the other and the anxiousness to acquire more of it may lead us to anxiety. Hence the Lord tells us not to worry about our lives or other worldly desires for he shall provide all that we need.

Dear friends, why are we too anxious and worried about the things of this passing world? Why have we let this anxiousness separate us from God and his plan for us? So, today we are reminded that God cares about us despite all that we are passing through. But we have to make sure that we are not distracted by our ambitious desires for worldly things. We must let our focus be on God’s providence and not be like the Judaeans in our first reading today who abandoned the Temple of the Lord, the God of their ancestors, for the worship of sacred poles and idols. Because of their guilt, God’s anger fell on Judah and Jerusalem.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we live a comparative and competitive life style, and these have often led us to be anxious about tomorrow and our future, and when we cannot meet up with these desires we fall into anxiety. This is because we have chosen to separate ourselves from you. As we listen to your words today, may we not be too anxious about the things of this passing world. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a peaceful weekend.

Homily for Friday Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 17th June, 2022

 Homily for Friday Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time  Year C,  17th June, 2022. 

Reading: 2Kings 11:1-4.9-18.20; Ps.132; Matt. 6:19-23

Rev.  Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

GOD AND HIS KINGDOM IS THE ULTIMATE TREASURE WE MUST ALL DESIRE  

Everyday under terrible scourges of the sun and noisy street, people struggle to acquire things that they value as treasures of life. The quarreling and fighting, the early morning rush, the traffic jam, the aggressive words all just to acquire things of this life and people are never tired of acquiring properties for themselves and their generation yet to come, forgetting that all these things sooner or later passes away as we ourselves expire from this world.

Thus, in our Gospel passage today we are called to reflect on what should be our ultimate treasure and how we can acquire it. For Jesus said: Do not store up treasures for yourselves on earth, where moths and woodworms destroy them and thieves can break in and steal. But store up treasures for yourselves in heaven, where neither moth nor woodworms destroy them and thieves cannot break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Here, Jesus knowing how humanity are so attached to the things of this passing world, calls our attention to what should be our ultimate treasure. He made us to know that the kingdom of God is the greatest and ultimate treasure anyone can and should acquire. For it will be a waste of time trying to store up our treasures in this world, because the world as we know is passing away likewise the things in it. 

The world is not a safe place to store one’s ultimate treasures. The safest place to store up our treasures is in heaven. For heaven itself is the ultimate treasure that cannot be compared to anything whatsoever we have in this world and it 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 our focus is on things of heaven  and how to acquire it. Because losing it over the temporal pleasure, joy, glory, fame, power and influential 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 loses our soul out of God’s Kingdom just like Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah in our first reading today, whose selfish ambition led to the death of so many people including herself.

Dear friends, the questions we need to ask ourselves today are: where and what is our ultimate treasure in this life? if the Lord should give us opportunity to make request of what our heart desires, what would you request for? How many of us are paying attention to ultimate heavenly treasures? How many thinks and search for the ultimate treasure of our souls? How many desires to personally discover God in their life knowing that he is the ultimate treasure anyone can acquire in this world? How I wish we will 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.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, the world is full of distractions coming from false treasures of this passing world, give us a wise and discerning hearts in order to give up all our attachment to worldly possessions in pursue of the heavenly and ultimate treasure of your kingdom. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Peace be with you.

Homily for Thursday Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 16th June, 2022

 Homily for Thursday Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time  Year C,  16th June, 2022. 

Reading: Sir. 48:1-12; Ps.97; Matt. 6:7-15

Rev.  Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

PRAYING THE RIGHT WAY 

Today, Jesus knowing how important the act of prayer is to humanity, taught his disciples the principle and pattern of all prayers as we have it in our Gospel passage today, when he said: “Pray then in this way: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we also have forgiven all who trespassed against us. And do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from evil one”.

Here, Jesus knowing that prayer is an essential part of our faith through which we grow in our relationship with God, and become more connected to Him, gave us seven principles that should guide all our prayers. This prayer contain series of statements and petitions in which we affirm our relationship with God, with the people around us and with the world in general. In it contains a statement of faith, obligations and commitment as the foundation through which these seven principles are fulfilled.

The first principle is to acknowledge God as “Our Father”. A call for unity that requires faith, obligation and commitment. Here we acknowledge God not just as my Father, but as Our Father and the ‘our’ includes every single person who lives or has ever lived on this earth. The second principle calls us to reverence the name of the Lord as we say: “Hallowed be thy name “ yes, God’s name is holy no matter what we say or think. However, we make this prayer for our sake more than for His. Because from the holiness of His name comes the root of our faith and strength, so we are praying that God’s name be held in  deepest respect by people everywhere. 

The third principle calls us to have the vision of God’s kingdom, hence we pray saying: “Your kingdom come”, that is, we pray that humanity should consciously and willingly embrace the love and kingship of God which He is offering us. The forth principle invites us to dispose ourselves to embrace the will of God as we pray saying: “Your will be done on earth, as in heaven”. This is very important for it helps us to discern and be disposed to pray and live in accordance with the will of God.

The fifth principle calls us to learn how to be contented with what we have against all forms of selfishness and greed as we say: “Give us today our daily bread,” of which God surely provides. The sixth principle calls us to make an examination of conscience and to seek reconciliation knowing how weak we are, hence we pray saying: “And forgive us our trespasses, as we have forgiven those who trespassed against us”. 

Here we make serious commitment and obligation, asking that the condition for God’s forgiveness of our sins should be based on our readiness to forgive those who have offended us. Finally the seventh principle calls us to have total confidence in God’s providence, protection and guidance as we pray saying: “And do not put us to the test, but save us from evil”, here we acknowledge our weaknesses and our total dependence on God’s help against all the evil forces of this world. 

Dear friends, I have no doubt that we know our Lords prayer, but knowing it is not enough, we have to pray it devotedly, but praying it is not enough, we have to believe in what we pray for, but believing is not enough, we must put it into practice in our daily lives. This is because, often time we treat prayer wrongly when we consider prayer as a means to only achieve what we desired, without considering what God desires for us. Some of us spend lots of time reciting the prayers and yet we did not mean what we say because we have wrong disposition born from unforgiving heart which must be redirected before we can get a positive response from God.  

Therefore, it’s time for us to embrace these seven principles and change our perspective and wrong disposition towards prayers. It is time for us to spend more quality moment in prayer and be connected with God. We must let our prayers to be meaningful and genuine from our hearts. It is time for us to  improve the quality of our prayer life by imitating Jesus, who always prayed to his heavenly Father at every possible opportunities. 

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, in prayer we communicate more closely with you, please teach us how to pray for we really do not know how to pray as we ought, we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a favourable day.

Homily for Wednesday Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 15th June, 2022

 Homily for Wednesday Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time  Year C,  15th June, 2022. 

Reading: 2 Kings 2:1,6-14; Ps. 31; Matt. 6:1-6.16-18

Rev.  Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

LEARN TO SECRETLY CARRYOUT YOUR RELIGIOUS PIETY AND HUMANITARIAN SERVICES

There are three principle disciplines that guide all our religious pieties, this disciplines include: almsgiving, prayer and fasting. They can be rightly extended to every act of righteousness and services rendered to humanity. These disciplines have not been properly understood or implemented by people, for most people see this disciplines as an opportunity to display their piety in order to gain cheep human popularity and admiration. 

The negative attitude towards these religious discipline has been greatly adopted by many people including religious leaders who should know better. Therefore, it is this ugly and negative attitude that Jesus is addressing in our Gospel passage today, when he warned his disciples not to indulge in any form of outward display of their religious pieties so as to attract the admiration of others. Here Jesus presents how we should properly carryout our religious pieties and obligations, and any service we render for the sake of humanity. 

Using each of these three spiritual disciplines, he gave us the basic formula saying: That we should not blow trumpets in the streets to draw the attention of everyone when we give alms to the poor. We should not say our prayers in the most conspicuous places so that people will marvel at our holiness and when fasting, we should not put on gloomy and drawn looks so that everyone will know that we are fasting. Then he calls us not to be like the hypocrites who displays their charitable deeds, for they have received their reward. After which he instructed us regarding the secret practice of piety and promise us that God will reward us for any piety practiced in secret.

Thus, Jesus calls us to carryout our religious pieties and obligations to humanity secretly, for when it is done in the secret we will receive great reward from God and as recipients of these rewards, we will be surprised, because we have no idea that we did anything remarkable or that anyone noticed our charitable acts. For we certainly did not perform the charity to gain rewards. Rather, it is the combination of our selfless, sacrificial and unassuming attitudes that opens the channel by which God dispenses His blessings upon us. And this is evident in the life of Elisha who patiently and faithfully served his master Elijah and received as his reward a double grace of the spirit of Elijah as we have it in our first reading today.

Dear friends, we are called to cultivate the right attitude towards our religious pieties and carry them out with the right intention and purpose, and not just for any selfish purpose. Therefore, it is important that we have the right disposition and direction towards our religious pieties and shun all forms of worldly interest or rewards, so as not to be distracted by the vanity of the things of this passing world. Let humility, faithfulness, sacrificial love be the driving force towards all our religious pieties and every other things we do for the good will of humanity. 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, strength of those who hope in you, graciously grant us the gift of humility and sacrificial attitude towards our family, religious and societal obligation and responsibilities. May we carry them out faithfully and selflessly with right attitude and good intentions. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a blessed day.

Homily for Tuesday Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 14th June, 2022

 Homily for Tuesday Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time  Year C,  14th June, 2022

Reading: 1Kings 21:17-29; Ps.516 Matt. 5:43-48

Rev.  Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

SHOULD WE STILL LOVE OUR ENEMIES AND PRAY FOR THOSE WHO PERSECUTE US ?

Naturally people desires to love and be loved, to relate and be in the company of those whom they love. No body enjoy being among those who detest them and cause them pain and sorrows. That is why people naturally sacrifice for those whom they love in order to keep their friendship and companion. But it takes great love and sacrifice to do good to people who detest us and caused us sorrows and pain since it is difficult and unnatural to sacrifice for sure people. 

This sacrificial life of love is what Jesus calls us to embrace in pursuit of the life of perfection. Little wonder he says in our Gospel passage today: “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. If you love those who love you, what right have you to claim any credit? Even the tax collectors do as much, do they not? And if you save your greetings for your brothers, are you doing anything exceptional? Even the pagans do as much, do they not? You must therefore be perfect just as your heavenly Father is perfect”.  

Here Jesus emphasis that though it is natural and universal for human beings to love those who love them. But what makes his disciples different from other people is the ability to love not just everyone, but to love their enemies and not take vengeance or bear grudges against one another. For by so doing they will be imitating the perfection of God our heavenly Father, who shows equal love to all and calling us to a greater life of sacrificial love and virtue towards perfection. 

This is what God did in the case of Ahab in our first reading today, a king who was cut up in his wicked act of killing Naboth  and taking his vineyard out of his own selfish desires. But when his evil deeds were exposed, he tore his clothes, humbled himself before God and Elijah, His prophet, and showed great remorse over his evil actions of which God forgave him. Such is God’s kindness, mercy, compassion and love to each and every one of us, without exception, even to the worst and most wicked of sinners.

Dear friends, with the situation in our societies today should we still love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us? Yes, we have to, for we are called to a sacrificial life of love and perfection, we are called to choose love over hatred and forgiveness over vengeance. For hatred breeds violence and other things that weakens the human soul, but love unites and heals. 

The fact is that, God desires peace for humanity and this peace is what Jesus came to bring in the world, to restore the peace that God intended for all creation from the first day of creation. Today all of us are called to offer this peace to the world full of hatred, greed and violence. This we  are called to accept and live out day by day in every way we can.

Therefore, it’s time for us to stretch out the hands of friendship and peace to everyone both friends and enemies alike, by investing more resources on things that bring about peace and friendship with one another, rather than building nuclear weapon that breeds more violence and hatred in the world. For by so doing the world will become more peaceful and loving.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, the cross of sacrificial life of love is so heavy, give us the grace to truly forgive our enemies and strive towards the life of perfection that offers peace, mercy, compassion and love to distressed humanity through Christ our Lord. Amen. Peace be with you. 

Homily for Monday Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 13th June, 2022. The Memorial of St. Anthony of Padua

 Homily for Monday Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time  Year C, 13th June, 2022. The Memorial of St. Anthony of Padua 

Reading: 1Kings 21:1-16; Ps. 5; Matt. 5:38-42

Rev.  Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

CAN RETALIATION SOLVE THE PROBLEM OF KILLING, WICKEDNESS AND PERSECUTIONS IN A WORLD?

The fragile and selfish nature of the human person, makes it seems natural and common for human beings to react positively or negativity to things that hurt them.  Little wonder one of our most influential scientists Isaac Newton, states in his third law of motion, that: "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction." This law describes what happens to a body when it exerts a force on another body. Forces as we know always occur in pairs, so when one body pushes against another, the second body pushes back just as hard and in equal magnitude. 

This law truly explains why a hot slap given to anyone whether out of anger for the bad thing he/ she has done or just as an act of wickedness and intimidation will naturally trigger in our consciousness an equal magnitude of retaliation and this has been the force behind the law that says: ‘ an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 

This principle was the basis for justice in the Ancient Near Eastern. It was put in place to restrain unlimited blood vengeance. It limited what damages one could expect to what was considered proportional, equal and fair to any unjust act. However, in our Gospel passage today, Jesus offers a new dimension that calls for deeper virtue towards this law when he says: “You have learnt how it was said: Eye for eye and tooth for tooth. But I say this to you: offer the wicked man no resistance. On the contrary, if anyone hits you on the right cheek, offer him the other as well; if a man takes you to law and would have your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone orders you to go one mile, go two miles with him.” 

Here Jesus declares that the law had no reference to private revenge, that it was given only to regulate natural human conduct, but the Jews had extended it to private conduct, and made it the rule by which revenge is taken. They considered themselves justified by this rule to inflict the same injury on others just the way they had received. Jesus then showed another aspect of the law which is more sacrificial and requires a deeper virtue, in which the old interpretation of the Law will no longer be valid.

 So Jesus reversed the attitude of conniving to see one’s adversary suffer, with the sacrificial attitude of love for enemies. An attitude that does not seek for what one can get for retaliation but what one can sacrifice for the sake of peace and love. For this attitude makes the disciples of Jesus different from other people since they will have to love not just everyone but also their enemies and not take vengeance or bear grudges against one another. And by so doing they will be imitating God their heavenly Father, who shows equal love to both the good and the bad, because his love knows no bounds. 

Dear friends, can retaliation solve the problems of killings, wickedness and persecutions in our societies? Think about it, for today we are called to embrace a life of deeper virtue. A life of sacrificial love, for when Jesus told his disciples to offer the other side of  their checks to be struck, their cloak when asked for tunic and to go even one mile further, he is calling us all to a new life of sacrificial love, one that is filled not with revenge or selfishness of men like king Ahab and his wife Jezebel in our first reading, who killed Naboth for refusing to give them his vineyard which he inherited from his ancestors in obedience to the law. 

Instead, we are to reject all forms of violence, retaliation and vengeance, but focus all our attention on forgiveness, mercy and peace in a sacrificial way so that the world will become more peaceful and loving. For this is the attitude and disposition of St. Anthony of Padua whose memorial we celebrate today.

So, embracing the attitude and disposition of St. Anthony of Padua we can prove we are God’s servants by our courage, patience, holiness and kindness; thought looking most miserable and poor, yet we make others rich, and even when it appears we are having nothing, yet we have everything in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore, we are to reject all forms of violence, retaliation and vengeance, but focus all our attention on forgiveness, mercy and peace in a sacrificial way so that through our sacrificial love the world will become more peaceful and loving.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, it is really difficult to live a life of non retaliation in a world full of wickedness, persecution, and violence, give us through the intercessions of St. Anthony of Padua the grace to resist all forms of violence but focus all our attention on the sacrificial love of forgiveness, mercy and peace. This we ask through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a blessed week.

Homily for Sunday of the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity Year C, 12th June, 2022

 Homily for Sunday of the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity Year C, 12th June, 2022

Reading: Prov. 8:22-31; Ps. 8; Rom. 5:1-5; John 16:12-15

Rev.  Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

HOW GOD CHOOSES TO REVEAL HIMSELF TO HUMANITY

Today we celebrate the solemnity of the most Trinity, an event that occurs every first Sunday after the great event of Pentecost, that marks the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. So, today our attention is turned to the mysteries of heaven, where we gaze with an eye of faith into the mystery of God’s revelation of himself to humanity.

Therefore, today’s celebration is a special feast that gives us the opportunity to gaze into the communitarian life of God as the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, who live in a communion of love and calls us to participate in this love. Thereby reminding us of the marvelous plan of our salvation, that finds its origin in this Trinitarian love of the Father, who sent the Son and the Holy Spirit for the redemption of humanity, of which we have been called to share in this family of love. This family of love is God’s nature that he shares with humanity through the Son Jesus, the Word Made Flesh and the Holy Spirit the promised Paraclete. 

This solemnity reveals to us that “God is love not in the oneness of a single Person, but in the Trinity of one substance”, as we have it in the Preface of today’s celebration. Telling us that God is the creator and merciful Father; he is the Only-Begotten Son, the eternal Word of Wisdom incarnate, who died and rose for us; he is also the Holy Spirit the Paraclete, who moves all things in history, toward their final and full recapitulation. 

That is, three Persons who are ONE GOD by the nature of his Being and Substance as Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. For the Father is love, the Son is love made Flesh and dwelt among us, and the Spirit is love in Action. So, there is wholly ONE purest, infinite and eternal LOVE which is God and love which is God himself in Revelation to humanity and God in Action with and  in humanity. This of course is always a mystery, a reality that surpasses human reason without contradiction. 

Thus, in this Sunday’s solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, we celebrate the summary of God’s revelation which was brought about through the paschal mysteries of Christ’s Death, Resurrection and Ascension to the right hand of the Father, and the gracious outpouring of the Holy Spirit. This great mystery of the Triune God can not be totally comprehend by human mind and language, hence the Church has called us to live it with deep faith and apply it in our daily lives. 

Little wonder, our readings today tell us about this Trinitarian nature of God in human history, In the First Reading, we heard about the revelation of how God’s wisdom actively participated in the history of creation. For we heard how the Wisdom of God cries aloud saying: The Lord created me when his purpose first unfolded, before the oldest of his works. From everlasting I was firmly set, from the beginning, before earth came into being.

Therefore, Jesus who is wisdom personified in human nature after his resurrection instructed his disciples in our Gospel passage today saying: ‘I still have many things to say to you but they would be too much for you now. But when the Spirit of truth comes he will lead you to the complete truth, since he will not be speaking as from himself but will say only what he has learnt; and he will tell you of the things to come.

 Here his disciples are been in cooperated in to the life of the Trinity, they are to go and introduce humanity into this New Life. This is a great act of love which shows us God’s love in action, illustrating that God is not closed or satisfied with his own self-sufficiency, but he is that life of love that wants to communicate itself with his fragile creatures in an open and deep relationship. 

Hence St Paul talking about this new relationship in our second reading, encouraged and invited us to share and participate actively in the communitarian family of love in the Trinity that is now open for all humanity when he said: through our Lord Jesus Christ, by faith we are judged righteous and at peace with God, since it is by faith and through Jesus that we have entered this state of grace in which we can boast about looking forward to God’s glory. Because the love of God has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit which has been given us. 

  

Dear friends, today’s solemnity invites us to embrace the new life we have found in the Trinity, that new life that calls us to the reality of love that is contained in the mystery of our faith. The One love of the Father, that is made Flesh in the Person of Christ Jesus the Son, and in Action in the Person of Holy Spirit, in a purely physical unity of which humanity are called to participate. Hence Jesus has revealed to us that we are essentially “God’s children”, creatures who live in relationship with the Creator God the Father, and are called to share this relationship with one another. Thereby reaching out to God and to our fellow mankind, in whose life we discovers the image of our common love in the Father. 

Thus, in this love comes the model of the human community, originating from the Triune Family to our individual human families down to the society and the world at large, pointing to us that humanity are one, related in the love of God our common Father, through His Son Jesus in the active power of the Holy Spirit. This is the faith we have embraced and are called to share with all humility. Therefore, we are called to grow in this mission, knowing that, the Trinity is at the same time unity in love and in mission, the more deep this love dwells in us, the stronger the urge to pour it out and spread it to all, beginning from our families, down to the society and to the ends of the Earth.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, as you reveal the mystery of your nature which is love and calls us to share and participate in it, grant that humanity may come to embrace this loving kindness, and so be united as one family sharing one common Father in love and truth, we ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever. Amen. Do have a fruitful Sunday celebration. 

Saturday 10th Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 11th June, 2022, The Memorial of St. Barnabas

 Saturday 10th Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 11th June, 2022, The Memorial of St. Barnabas

Readings: Act. 11: 21-26.13:1-3; Ps. 118; Matt. 5:33-37

Rev.  Fr. Emmanuel Onyia

WE MUST LEARN TO SIMPLY SAY YES OR NO WHEN WE MEAN IT

I swear to say the truth nothing but the truth is the word we often hear people say in the courts, in the streets, in the market places and even in the Church to express and affirm what they want to do or what they want to say. But I wonder why we don’t really mean what we say or fulfill what we promised. 

This very ugly attitude is what Jesus is addressing in our Gospel reading today, when he said: do not swear at all, either by heaven, since that is God’s throne; or by the earth, since that is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, since that is the city of the great king. Do not swear by your own head either, since you cannot turn a single hair white or black. All you need say is “Yes” if you mean yes, “No” if you mean no; anything more than this comes from the evil one.’ Here, Jesus is referring to the ceremonious way in which the Pharisees took oaths. It was one of the things in the culture of their time. That is, people swearing oaths with impressive sounding words before the congregations without fulfilling them. 

But what were the words of these oaths anyway? They were forms of words designed to impress people. They were not indications that the person swearing the oath had any power over the things that the oath mentioned. It was just using words to impress and so gain the acceptance of things in relation to the oath, when in fact this is completely  fraudulent because the persons taking the oath, do not intend to keep the promises or commitments that they were apparently confirming by taking that oath. They were just fooling the people. And Jesus is saying in essence, that we should not let this foolery ever be part of us because it is hypocrisy and Jesus is against hypocrisy in all its forms, especially when it has to do with taking the name God in vain. 

To take the name of God in vain means to invoke His name unnecessarily or profanely, to use it without humbly acknowledging the holy character of the One whose name we are invoking. To invoke the name of God in an oath or vow when our statement is false, inconsequential or when we do not intend to honor our words is a direct violation of the third commandment of God. Therefore, the issue Jesus is addressing here goes to the very core of our character as Christians, to the heart of what it means to live as a child of God especially in a society like ours, were deception and falsehood are the order of the day.

Dear friends, Jesus calls us today to be sincere in everything we do or say. That is why he commanded us not to swear an oath, rather we should say yes when you mean yes, and no when you mean no, so as not to become hypocrites and liars. Let us learn to be sincere, courageous and stands for what is right.  This great and wonderful attitude is what St. Barnabas whose memorial we celebrate today is known for among his fellow Apostles. Barnabas is one of the most important figures in the history of the early Church, his real name was Joseph, but the apostles nicknamed him Barnabas, which means “son of encouragement.” For this is a pure summary of his entire personality, for he was someone who encourages others, believed in them and helps them to respond to God with enthusiasm, because of his helpful and optimistic nature. 

Barnabas sold a field he owned and laid the proceeds at the apostles’ feet, an obvious sign of his total commitment to Christ and total trust in the apostles. Such a gesture, common among the first disciples, would have certainly inspired the other members of the Church to courageously to do the same . Little wonder, we see his encouragement more especially in his interaction with St. Paul in our first reading today where the Holy Spirit speaks to the young Church saying, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”  In this mission, Barnabas was inspired by the gift of Courage and he was able to encouraged Paul and also encouraged the entire Church to recognize Paul’s gifts and talents. For without Barnabas’ intervention, Paul would have probably remained silenced in Tarsus before other disciples. 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, as we celebrate the memorial of St. Barnabas today, give us the courage and a firm faith to say no when we mean no, and yes when we mean yes, and by so doing, change our society positively through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a peaceful weekend.

Homily for Friday Tenth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 10th June, 2022

 Homily for Friday Tenth Week in Ordinary Time  Year C, 10th June, 2022.

Reading: 1 Kings 19:9.11-16; Ps. 27; Matt.5:27-32

Rev.  Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

THE SIXTH COMMANDMENT AS REGARDS  TO HUMAN SEXUAL IRRESPONSIBILITY 

There is not doubt that humanity has lost the dignity of the gift of human sexuality as a result of our sexual irresponsibility at different stages of human development. Human sexuality as  we know  encompasses all the physical and integral attributes of our sexual identity as male or female, includes all our thinking, feeling, acting and interaction that emanate from our maleness and femaleness. 

It is a very important aspect of humanity that must not be neglected. Because it enriches human relationships in ways that are basic to God's own nature and plans as it offers humanity the grace to participate in the works of creation in partnership with God. Little wonder, sexuality is one of the first human attributes to be identified when scriptures says in Gen.1:27: God created man in his image… Male and female God created them. 

So as a result of this great privilege in relation to human sexuality and procreation, humanity are to be truly responsible with the gift of their sexuality. This responsibility is guided by two fundamental principles that is, love and covenant. Hence, any intimate expression of sexuality especially inform of sexual intercourse, which is the most bonding of all human relationships, must be guided by these two fundamental principles of love and covenant in a marital act. 

Therefore to emphasize the important of this sexual responsibility, the sixth commandment of God states that thou shall not commit adultery. This reveals to us that God wants us to live chastely, justly and charitable in our relationships with one another and this is exactly what Jesus is addressing in our Gospel passage today.

Here, Jesus emphasized that this sixth commandment forbids not only the acts of adultery and fornication but all appetites to them, all lusting after sexual object, for this is the beginning of the sin. The lust of conceiving it is a bad step towards the sin, for as far as the heart can do it, there is nothing but convenient opportunity for the sin itself to be carried out. So all approaches toward gratification of this sexual appetite such as: touching and feeding the eye with the sight of it where further satisfaction can be obtained is forbidden. Because such looks and behaviour are very dangerous and destructive to the soul and Jesus said that it is better to lose the eye and the hand than to give way to this sin, and perish eternally in it. 

Dear friends, today there are so many things that are leading us into this sin and we are so much attached to them because the world has sexualized almost everything around us. The television, the internet, the music, movies, cartoons, even our social and religious activities are corrupted by this sexualization motives which drive or tempt us to commit this sin of adultery, fornication, homosexuality, lesbianism and masturbation. Because we have lost the control of our responsibility towards our sexuality, which of course is the cause of the increase in rape, incest, divorce and all forms of gander transformation going on in our society today.

The main point here is for us not to indulge in sins that will ruin our soul. Rather we should strive for perfection, by living a life of mortification and keep a constant watch over our own hearts against the rising of lust and corruption in and out of our conscience, by avoiding the occasions of sin as much as we can, by resisting it from the beginning and decline the company of things and those who expose us to this sin. Anything at all that lead us to this sin must be cut off in our lives and environment, if not we will keep on falling into it. It is a radical decision we must make today no matter who is involved and the cost or sacrifice that may be required.

PRAYER: Almighty God, our human sexuality is your great gift to humanity, give us the grace to be responsible with our sexuality, especially in this time when the world as lost the true meaning and value of human sexuality, and as a result so many lives and families are being destroyed, we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. God bless you.