Homily for Pentecost Sunday Year B, 19th May, 2024

 

Readings: Acts.2:1-11; Ps.104; Gal. 5: 16-25;  John 15:26-27.16:12-15

Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia.

 

COME HOLY SPIRIT MAKE US KNOW YOU EXPERIENTIALLY

 

We have gathered here today to celebrate the Solemnity of Pentecost. Today we receive a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Today the promised Paraclete has come, the Comforter has come, the purifying fire has come. An experiential encounter with the Holy Spirit. Today all children of God are empowered once more to conquer the world with the Good News of Christ's salvation.

 

Today the fears, the shame, the weakness of sins, the lukewarmness, the lockdown and all the barriers that hold us captive in the upper room of fear and shame have now been consumed by the power of the Holy Ghost, which we receive afresh today. For we have been set free and empowered to transform the world once again with the truth of the Gospel of Christ.

 

This is the fulfilment of the promise Jesus made to his disciples in our Gospel passage today when he said to his disciples: ‘When the Advocate comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who issues from the Father, he will be my witness. And you too will be witnesses, because you have been with me from the outset. ‘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.

 

This promise was made when, after the Last Supper and the ugly event of his passion, death and resurrection, a sense of loss and fear saddened the hearts of the Apostles. But their sadness will not be long, for Jesus will not abandon them, he will not leave them orphans. He will send the Counsellor, the power of Love, the Spirit of the Father. And this Spirit will enable them to understand that his work is a work of love:  love of the One who gave himself, love of the Father who has given him and love for humanity whom he has come to save.

 

Thus, this is the mystery of the Pentecost we are celebrating today as we have it in our first reading, when on the Pentecost day the disciples were in a room of lockdown and fearfulness, and suddenly they heard what sounded like a powerful wind from heaven, the noise of which filled the entire house in which they were sitting; and something appeared to them that seemed like tongues of fire; these separated and came to rest on the head of each of them. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak foreign languages as the Spirit gave them the gift of speech.

 

Such is the work of the Holy Spirit, who illuminates the human spirit and reveals in it, the image of Christ Crucified and Risen, in order to become more like him, bearing the image and instrument of the love which flows from Christ. It is in this image of love, that the greatness of the Pentecost event is perceived.

 

There are seven gifts and twelve fruits of the Holy Spirit, the seven gifts include wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. While the fruits which are perfections that the Holy Spirit infused in us as the first fruits of eternal glory are as follows: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, chastity.

 

Among all these gifs and fruits, love is the most important of the fruits of the Holy Spirit, just as it is also the most important of all the Christian virtues. Without love, all the good things we have accomplished mean nothing. Hence, St Paul advised us in our second reading saying: If you are led by the Spirit, no law can touch you. But when self-indulgence is at work in you the results are obvious: fornication, gross indecency and sexual irresponsibility; idolatry and sorcery; enmity and strife, jealousy, bad temper and selfishness; disagreements, factions, envy; drunkenness, carousing and similar things.

 

However, Paul continued by saying: I warn you now, as I warned you before those who behave like these will not inherit the kingdom of God. What the Spirit brings is very different and they include love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, trustfulness, gentleness and self-control. There can be no law against things like that, to embrace the Spirit of love that will help us to accommodate each other’s gifts and talents, for we, though separate individuals are united as one body and one Spirit in one baptism.

 

Dear friends, today the power of the Holy Spirit of love has been poured upon us, so we are called and empowered to go into the whole world and proclaim the Good News of God’s love to humanity. There are many people in our world today who have not experienced the true love of God in their hearts, because they are distracted by various worldly concerns and their selfishness, as they keep hurting each other and causing trouble and suffering to one another. These should not be our attitude.

 

Let our actions and deeds bear the fruit of this love of God not only to such people but to our fellow brethren by showing genuine care and concern for each other. Let us not close our doors of love because we continually want to feel secure and do not want to be disturbed by others or by God. Rather let us like the apostles break open the doors of our hearts, for Christ overcomes our enclosure to bring us love and peace and build a bridge between heaven and earth, so that we can climb up on this bridge of love to reach him and together with him, we too can reach all humanity, beginning with our families, societies and to the ends of the Earth.

 

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, as we lift our hearts together with Mary our mother in the Spirit of Pentecost, singing the Veni Sancte Spiritus, may the Holy Spirit of love come down upon all your children wherever we may be and fill our hearts with the fire of his love. Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in us the fire of your love. Amen. Wishing you a Spirit-filled Pentecost celebration.

Homily For Saturday Seventh Week of Easter Year B, 18th May, 2024

 

Readings: Acts 28:16-20.30-31; Ps.11; John 21:20-25

Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia.

 

HOW WILL YOU FEEL TO BE THE DISCIPLE WHOM THE LORD LOVES?

 

One of the greatest mysticists and doctors of the Church,  St. John of the Cross says in the first stanza of his poem entitled: The Living Flame of Love, “O living flame of love that tenderly wounds my soul in its deepest center! Since now You are not oppressive, now consummate! if it be Your will: tear through the veil of this sweet encounter!” This flame of love is the Holy Spirit that bathes the soul encounters it in glory and refreshes it with a divine life of love in which the will of the soul is united in the most sublime flame of love for God in Jesus.

 

This may be the situation in the life of John the beloved one of the disciples of Jesus in our Gospel passage today, which made the scriptures described him as ‘the disciple whom Jesus loved’. What a great description of anyone’s personality. This disciple had a peculiar share in the love of Christ and was admitted to great nearness and freedom with him that gives him the liberty that no one has among the disciples. This is evident by his leaning on the breast of Jesus at the suggestion of Peter, to ask him at the Last Supper, who was to be the traitor.

 

The fact is that it is a great thing to love Jesus and be loved by Jesus. Yes, Jesus loved all his disciples, yet within that circle of love, there was an innermost place in which the beloved John was favoured to dwell. For those who display an extraordinary love for one, are all the more capable of great affection to many; therefore, because Jesus loved John most, he has an enhanced estimate of his love than the other disciples. Though John was raised, but others were not lowered, rather they were raised with him.

 

John was in more intimate communion with Jesus than others. He was always wherever Jesus was. When all the disciples sit at the table, even Peter is not nearest to the Lord like John, for John will lean his head upon the bosom of Jesus with earnest, eager, intense affection. Jesus loves him not just as a disciple but as a dear friend whose personality as a young individual has the most profitable opportunity of becoming eminent piety. He was the only disciple who was nearer to Jesus and his mother at his passion and death.

 

Hence, Jesus entrusted his mother to him saying Son behold your mother, mother behold your son, because in John, Jesus has found a soul that truly loves. And the more a soul loves God, the more it desires that God be loved and honoured by all and the greater this desire becomes, the more the soul labours toward that end in all possible means and this is evidenced in all the works of John the beloved.

 

Dear friends, have you ever felt loved by God personally? Have you ever been identified as one whom God loves? How will you feel to be the disciple whom the Lord loves? Have you personally desired to be an instrument of God’s love for humanity? Have you ever paid the price of sacrificial love? Have your love ever been rejected by those you loved most or have rejected those who loved you most?

 

Today we are called to examine our conscience to know if there is any sign of true love of God and neighbours in us. We are called to make ourselves available for God’s love to abide in us. We are called to build a personality that gives room for love to flow in us and through us. As we anticipate the solemnity of Pentecost tomorrow, we are called to open our hearts for the Holy Spirit to enkindle in us the fire of his love so that our souls will be transformed in love. May this fire of love be extended to our families, societies, country and the world at large.

 

LET US PRAY: Loving Father, inflame our hearts once again with the fire of your love. Grant that we may personally and collectively experience your divine love for us and all humanity through Christ our Lord. Amen. Wishing you a lovely weekend.

Homily For Friday Seventh Week of Easter Year B, 17th May 2024

 

Readings: Acts 25:13-21; Ps.103; John 21:15-19

Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia.

 

LORD, YOU KNOW EVERYTHING, YOU KNOW I LOVE YOU

 

The ups and downs of life have been a great experience and challenge to humanity. Hence, every day is a new struggle. Life struggles, struggle for survival, struggle against the manipulation of the evil ones, more challenging is the struggles of our self, especially our weakness and sinfulness.

 

These struggles are evident in the life of the disciples of Jesus. All the time they were with Jesus they struggled to be like him, to follow his ways and to understand him and it wasn’t easy. In the cause of these struggles they failed, denied, forsaken, and sinned against the Lord Jesus despite their love for him. But this was well predicted by Jesus who warned them to remain steadfast even in the midst of these struggles.

 

However, after all the struggles and falls during his passion and death, Jesus now needed to strengthen his disciples for the great task ahead before departing from them. So on the occasion of the Gospel passage today, Jesus said to Peter the leader of his Apostles: ‘Simon son of John, do you love me more than these others do?’ He answered, ‘Yes Lord, you know I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my lambs.’

 

A second time he said to him, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ He replied, ‘Yes, Lord, you know I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Look after my sheep.’ Then he said to him a third time, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ Peter was upset that he asked him the third time, ‘Do you love me? and said, ‘Lord, you know everything; you know I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep.

 

Here we can imagine the disposition of the disciples when seeing the Lord as they sat together round the fire, eating silently the meal which Jesus had prepared, and no doubt gazing silently at the Lord’s silence. It must really be a great moment of tension as to how the oppressive silence was to be broken and how Peter’s heart must have been troubled when the great silence was broken with the words: Simon, son of John, do you love me? These three times questions have a special force in the restoration of him who had three times denied his Master, and now three times declares his love for Him, and he is three times restored and entrusted with a great task of feeding his master’s sheep.

 

From this gracious act, we see how God through Jesus treats a soul conscious of its sinfulness and fault; and in Peter’s disposition, we see an illustration of how a soul, conscious of its sinfulness and fault, should behave before God.  This gracious event is very symbolic not just that the Lord had forgiven Peter for his threefold denial at the moment of his arrest and suffering, but also that, the Lord restored him again as the leader of his flocks and the entire Universal Church.

 

Dear friends, in our struggles in this life we have done ugly and sinful things that we are really regretting and don’t want to remember or talk about them just like St Peter. Wishing we could have changed or avoided them, but there is nothing we can do about them anymore except to seek restoration. And this restoration is what Jesus is offering us today as he says: my child do you still love me? Do you really love me? Do you love me more than all the things of this passing world?

 

All we have to say in consciousness of our faults and sinfulness is: Lord you know everything, yes I truly love you. And just like St Peter, the Lord Jesus will not only forgive us, he will restore us to a greater glory. So why struggle in silence, it’s time to break open the hidden wounds of sin in our hearts, for the Lord wants to heal and restore us once again so that we can be open and free to receive the Holy Spirit the promised Paraclete, who will restore us afresh to God’s greater glory.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, as we anticipate the coming of the Holy Spirit, we come to you today conscious of our faults and sinfulness, grant us we pray for your healing and restoration through Christ our Lord. Amen. Remain blessed.

Homily For Thursday Seventh Week of Easter Year B, 16th May, 2024

 

Readings: Acts 22:30.23:6-11; Ps.16; John 17:20-26

Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

 

DON’T GIVE UP IN YOUR STRUGGLES FOR THE LORD JESUS IS PRAYING FOR YOU

 

Whenever we are passing through a very difficult ugly situation and feels that all hope is gone as our trusted friends have abandoned us, we actually feel great and relieved when we remember that someone is praying for us. It feels right to know that someone is interceding on our behalf, it feels great to hear that someone is communicating with God on our behalf. Yes, for few days now, we have been listening to the High Priestly Prayer of Jesus for his disciples who were with him at the Last Supper, how he prayed for their sanctification and unity.

 

However, in this final part of his prayer, Jesus now prays for all those who through the influence of his disciples come to believe in God and in him, of which each one of us belongs to those whom Jesus is praying for when he said in our Gospel passage today: Holy Father, I pray not only for these, but for those also who through their words will believe in me. May they all be one, Father, may they be one in us, as you are in me and I am in you, so that the world may believe it was you who sent me.

 

Here as Jesus prays for his disciples he also extended his pray to everyone who will come to believe in him for he knows that we will all need similar grace and be exposed to similar trials. Hence he prays that those who follow him may be drawn into the life of the Holy Trinity. The Father sends the Son to humanity precisely so that the Son may draw all humanity into the relationship that exists between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. So this prayer reminds us that our unity, our “oneness” is to be a sign to the world of God’s love for us in Jesus Christ. Therefore, it is a thing of great joy to know that each Christian, no matter how insignificant, humble, unknown, poor, unlearned, or despised is been remembered in prayer by Jesus who is now seated at the right hand of God the Father, who will always grant his request.

 

So, if  we can value the prayers of our friends. How much more should we value the prayer of the Son of God. Because from this single prayer of Jesus, we Christians are infinitely more privileged then any other people of the world. Thus, in the midst of any difficulty, trials, and struggles, we should be more confidence once we remember that the Son of God prays for us, and his prayers will surely be heard by God. It is this confidence that St. Paul had when he testified before the tribunal of the chief priests and the entire Sanhedrin as we have it in our first reading, and next night, the Lord appeared to him and said, ‘Courage! You have borne witness for me in Jerusalem, now you must do the same in Rome.’

 

Dear friends, I don’t know what you are passing through now especially as regards your faith in Jesus? I don’t know what you are asking God to do for you? I don’t know how ugly the situation in your life has been? I don’t know whatever sickness your are passing through or how abandoned and rejected you feel right now? All I have to let you know is that Jesus has not stopped thinking and praying for you. All you have to do is to be confident and remain faithful like St. Paul and you will hear the Lord say to you ‘Courage my child! You have borne witness for me today through your struggles, now I must do the same for you by restoring you to a greater glory.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, as we place our hope in You, grant that through the prayers of Jesus we may always come out victorious in all our trials and tribulations and so obtain the joy of your help through Christ our Lord. Amen. Wishing you the best of God’s favour and blessings.

Homily For Wednesday Seventh Week of Easter Year B, 15th May 2024

 

Readings: Acts 20:28-38; Ps.68; John 17:11-19

Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia.

LORD, SANCTIFY US ONCE AGAIN IN YOUR TRUTH AND ONENESS 

Sanctity, truth and oneness are very vital concepts that any meaningful family, society, group, community or religion will always need in order to achieve their mission and goals. These are very fundamental because of the role they play in ensuring that things are properly done in any environment they exist. Sanctity which is the quality of being holy comes from the Greek word Hagiason which is related to hagios, which means holy, that is to set apart for God’s service. 

So the concept of Sanctity, sets one apart for the particular service he/she has to render. Truth on the other hand comes from the Latin word veritas which means a representation of things as they are. This concept makes one open to the real situation of the realities around him/her. And where these concepts are present openness and tolerance become possible, hence oneness and unity can be achieved. 

Therefore, knowing the importance of sanctity, truth and oneness in achieving any mission and goal, Jesus in his High Priestly Prayer asks the Father to sanctify his disciples in truth and oneness as we have it in our Gospel passage today when he prayed ‘Holy Father, keep those you have given me true to your name, so that they may be one just as we are one… I am not asking you to remove them from the world but to protect them from the evil one. They do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world, and for their sake, I consecrate myself so that they too may be consecrated in truth.  

Similarly, in our first reading, St. Paul prayed to the elders of the Church in Ephesus to be on their guard for themselves and for all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made them overseers, to feed the Church of God which he bought with his blood and guide them against fierce wolves who will invade them and will have no mercy on the flock. For there will be men coming forward with a travesty of the truth on their lips to induce the disciples to follow them. 

So, from this passage truth becomes the midst by which the sanctification of the disciples will take place. But the evil in the world is a great hindrance to achieving this. However, their likeness to Jesus is the great ground of hope for they have been consecrated to the truth. And this is the real hope and holiness of all true Christians, for through this, the gift of the Holy Spirit is made available to the Church in order to be sanctified in the truth and so share in the oneness of which Christ prayed. 

This oneness is what the whole Christian community has to achieve and sustain both in nature, will, affection and understanding; not only in their union with Christ, but to one another; abiding together, cleaving to each other, standing fast in one Spirit, having the same designs, and the interest of the mission of the salvation of humanity at heart.

Dear friends, today we are called to embrace the divine truth by which we have been sanctified in order to achieve the goal of unity and oneness of which Christ prayed. This oneness is very important not only as Christians but also as families, communities, co-workers, friends and couples. Let us allow the Holy Spirit to sanctify us once more to the truth and so achieve the oneness of which Christ prayed.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, sanctify us once again in the truth of which Your Son Jesus has given us, so, that we may once again achieve oneness in our family, society, in the Church and the world at large through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a blessed day.

Homily For Tuesday Seventh Week of Easter Year B, The Feast of St. Matthias, 14th May 2024

 

Readings: Acts 1: 15-17.20-26; Ps.113;  John 15:9-17

Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia.

 

IF YOU KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS YOU WILL REMAIN IN MY LOVE

 

One of the greatest gifts of God to humanity is love. A gift that shows how much he loves us by sending his Son whose life-giving sacrifice means salvation for the world. So, the love that Jesus has for us is nothing less than the Divine love that unites the Persons of the Trinity. And Jesus presented this love as life that must continue among his disciples.

 

 That is why love is beyond human nature and when we love, we are actually acting out that very nature of God in us and this can be overwhelming and mysterious because love is the nature of God that we share. Little wonder in our Gospel passage today, Jesus said to his disciples: ‘As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.

 

Hence, today as we celebrate the feast of St. Matthias, we see how the apostles worked so hard to keep the Lord’s commandments and remain in his love as they chose Matthias to replace the traitor, Judas Iscariot, who betrayed the Lord and then killed himself in regret and grief. Thus, Matthias, one of the earliest followers of Jesus, was chosen in order to complete the number of the Twelve Apostles as we have it in our first reading. History has it that, St. Matthias out of love, went on to serve the Lord and his Church faithfully, for he went on many missions and travelled as far as Ethiopia. He laboured hard to establish the Church and the faith in different places and preached the Good News of the Lord, calling many to conversion and true faith.

 

Tradition has it, that Matthias suffered martyrdom in Colchis in Asia Minor. No doubt that St. Matthias together with the other Apostles gave their life, strength, dedication and their whole heart to serve God and his Church, practising and doing what Jesus had commanded them to do, which is to keep the commandments of God so as to remain in his love.

 

Dear friends, let us keep the Lord’s commandments, let us embrace Jesus and the love he is offering us. Let us like St. Matthias serve the Lord and His Church faithfully by spreading his love everywhere we find ourselves. The truth is that it actually feels right and awesome to experience and share the love of God. I don’t know if you have ever loved someone and you show it, or someone loves you and shows it. Or somebody loves you and you know it, it is something great and awesome, because love brings life, healing and wholeness into people’s lives. Thus, it is by loving God in our neighbours that we can share and experience this nature of God in us and by so doing, we will conquer the world full of hatred, self-centeredness, greed and sin.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, You chose St Matthias to become one of the Apostles, grant that through his intercession, we may keep your commandments and remain in your love. And help us to spread this love to the world and by so doing conquer the hatred, self-centeredness, greed and sin rooted in our families, societies and the world at large. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen  Do have a lovely day.

Homily For Monday Seventh Week of Easter Year B, 13th May, 2024

 

Readings: Acts 19:1-8; Ps.68;  John 16:29-33

Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia.

 

LORD HELP US TO CONQUER OUR FEARS  AND THE TRIBULATIONS OF THIS PASSING WORLD

 

Tribulations and sufferings have been the hallmark of most people’s experience in the world today. Sometimes we feel overwhelmed by the level of sufferings we are passing through everyday, the sad news we hear and see in our streets, the television and in the social media. These often make us feel hopeless and fearful because the situation is beyond our control.

 

This kind of fearful situation is what Jesus is addressing in our Gospel passage today, knowing that very soon his disciples are going to face a worse situation, so he said to them “Listen; the time will come, in fact it has come already, when you will be scattered, each going his own way and leaving me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. I have told you all these so that you may find peace in me. In the world you will have trouble, but be brave: I have conquered the world.”

 

Here Jesus is telling his disciples these, not to discourage them but to prepare them for many troubles and tribulations they are going to face in the future, so that when the time comes they will find peace and confidence in him.  He told them not to worry because he has conquered the world, not in any political or economic sense but in overcoming the evil in the world. So, all our tribulations, sorrow, suffering have been conquered in Jesus through his passion death and resurrection. Therefore, his disciples can share in this victory, as long as they remain faithful and united in peace.

 

Dear friends, this same promise is available for us his disciples, who today are passing through great tribulations and sufferings in the world. We have to be courageous and find strength in words of Jesus who has conquered the world and all it’s evil and tribulations. For today, Jesus is reassuring us that no matter what is happening in our world, he is still in control and will always ensure that we come out victoriously.

 

Thus, as we prepare and wait patiently for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, let us take our fears, sufferings, tribulations, sickness and disappointments to Jesus and ask him to give us the courage and strong faith, so that through the power of the Holy Spirit we will overcome all the ugly situations in our lives, families, societies and the world at large and so enjoy once again the peace of knowing that he is with us always till the end of time.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, may the power of the Holy Spirit come upon us, we pray, so that following your instructions, we may overcome the world and all the trials and tribulations we face everyday through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a fruitful week.

Homily For Seventh Sunday in Easter Year B, 12th May, 2024. End of World Communication Week

 

Readings: Acts.1:15-17.20-26; Ps.103; 1 John 4:11-16;  John 17:11-19

Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia.

 

WAITING ON THE HOLY SPIRIT THE PROMISED  PARACLETE

 

One of the difficult things we don’t like to hear when we are expecting something great to come our way is the word “wait”. The word wait can be very unpleasant to the ears of anyone who is desperately in need of something. But oftentimes, we have little or no option not to wait, and in life, we have a lot of waiting to do. We wait for the day to break, we wait for the month to end, we wait for the traffic, we wait for our admission, interviews, jobs, husband, wife, children, we wait and wait and wait, in fact, waiting on God is a regular message of faith which we hear every day. Waiting can really be difficult and uncomfortable, it can be suicidal for those who lack the virtue of patience. Nonetheless, good and great things are worth waiting for.

 

Today the seventh Sunday of the Holy season of Easter, our disposition is that of waiting. This is because before this Sunday was the Solemnity of the Ascension which we celebrated on Thursday, from which the Church waits prayerfully for the promised Paraclete. So the Church in this waiting disposition anticipates the promised Paraclete who will help her to communicate the message of Christ to all humanity.

 

 This act of communication is very important as the Church celebrates World Communication Sunday today which was established by Pope Paul VI in 1967 as an annual celebration and as we know communication is a very important aspect of our faith and mission.

 

Little wonder, Jesus knowing how difficult this mission can be for his disciples asked them to wait for the promised Paraclete and he also prayed for them as we have it in our Gospel passage today when he said: Holy Father, keep those you have given me true to your name, so that they may be one like us. They do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world. Consecrate them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world I have sent them into the world, and for their sake, I consecrate myself so that they too may be consecrated in truth.

 

This prayer is so important in our lives as Christians. It is called the High Priestly prayer of Jesus. Here we heard the Lord Jesus asking the Father to sanctify his disciples in truth and oneness knowing the importance of sanctity, truth and oneness in achieving their mission and goal. We can see the efficacy of this prayer of Jesus in the election of Matthias to the rank of the Twelve Apostles as we have it in our first reading, which can be seen as an example of how communication in prayer is such an important aspect and part of our faith.

 

We cannot be true Christians unless we open ourselves to the Lord and communicate with him regularly in order to know his will for us and others and by so doing dwell in his love. Hence, we heard St John in our second reading saying: My dear people, since God has loved us so much, we too should love one another. No one has ever seen God, but as long as we love one another God will live in us and his love will be complete in us.

 

Also, in this High Priestly Prayer, Jesus prayed for his disciples that the Father should take care of them in the midst of all the evils in the world and that they should be one as he and the Father are one. In this prayer, Jesus shows us that prayer is a form of communication between us and God, whom we should love dearly and wait patiently for His will to be done in our lives.

 

This simply means that we have to learn how to communicate regularly with God and wait patiently for his will to be done. And in like manner, we must learn how to wait patiently with our loved ones, our friends, our family members and relatives, our spouses and others who are dear to us, we must learn how to wait patiently with life activities and the challenges and struggles that come with it.

 

Dear friends, as the disciples are waiting prayerfully for the promised Paraclete, we too are also called to prepare ourselves for the coming of the Holy Spirit this coming Pentecost Sunday. We are called to go to the upper room of our hearts and conscience and wait patiently for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. We are called to prepare and wait on the Holy Spirit through the ongoing novena to the Holy Spirit. We are called to wait patiently for the fulfilment of God’s plan for every one of us just like Matthias. Though waiting may be difficult, but good and great things are worth waiting for and being prepared for.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, graciously hear our supplications,  as we wait patiently for the fulfilment of your promise, grant that when the Paraclete comes, may we be disposed to receive him as our Advocate and let him teach us what to do, how to do it, when to do it and give us the grace to do it properly through Christ our Lord. Amen.  Do have a grace-filled Sunday.

Homily For Saturday Sixth Week of Easter Year B, 11th May, 2024

 

Readings: Acts 18:23-28; Ps.47;  John 16:23-28

Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia.

WHY IS IT NECESSARY TO END OUR PRAYERS BY SAYING: “THROUGH CHRIST OUR LORD”? 

People often ask why most of our liturgical prayers end with the phrase ‘through Christ our Lord'. Is this necessary since God can hear us directly? Anyway, the answer to this question is found in our Gospel passage today, when Jesus said to his disciples: ‘I tell you most solemnly, anything you ask from the Father he will grant in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and so your joy will be complete... because the Father himself loves you for loving me.’

Here Jesus makes a solemn promise to his disciples that whatever they ask the Father in his name will be granted to them. This is because in Jesus the disciples will experience direct contact with the Father. Thus, his name becomes the link that will usher them into the divine relationship between the Son and the Father. It is through this relationship that the disciples will come to experience the divine privilege that will give them access to their request from God.  

Therefore the Greek word ‘dia’ which can be translated as both ‘by’ or ‘through’ can be linked to the words of Jesus when he said in John 14:6  ‘I am the way. No one can come to the Father except “through“ me’. Thus, Jesus is the way through which we can come to God the Father. For through Jesus, we have obtained access to the grace of being God’s children. 

This does not mean that God is inaccessible. Rather as we know God is a spirit Whose nature is beyond our apprehension and different from our nature that are material and sinful. So to make himself known to us he sent his son to take our flesh upon him and to become human like us in order to free us from the power of sin and death so that we can be closer to him through Christ his Son. Hence, asking God for something through Christ ushers us into the divine grace that gives us access to a divine relationship with God the Father and this has become the normal way for the Church to pray to the Father as we do in all our liturgical prayers

Dear friends, God makes himself known to us through Jesus and we come to him through Jesus. Hence, Christ Jesus has become the divine grace through which we obtain the divine access into the divine life of the Trinity. And this is the source of our joy as Christians. This gives us the divine access to include Jesus in our daily decision-making, and try to see things the way he does and when this happens we transcend ourselves into the divine relationship that will make us open to the will of God and so obtain from him whatever we need since we will be inspired to pray according to his will.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, as we learn to present our needs to you through your Son Jesus, grant that we may obtain through him the divine access to your will and so obtain favour for all our petitions according to your Holy will through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a grace-filled weekend.

Homily For Friday Sixth Week of Easter Year B, 10th May 2024

 

Readings: Acts 18:9-18; Ps.47;  John 16:20-23

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia.

 

YOUR SORROWS WILL TURN TO JOY AND NO ONE WILL TAKE YOUR JOY FROM YOU

 

Often when we reflect on the ugly events that happen around us which have caused us deep sorrows, we wonder why God who is so good and powerful permits such events to happen to us. Sometimes we feel we should have avoided such a sorrowful event, hence, we complain and even doubt the power of God whom we thought would have helped us overcome the evil.

 

Thus, Jesus knowing that his disciples would surely find themselves in this kind of situation said to them in our Gospel passage today:  ‘I tell you most solemnly, you will be weeping and wailing while the world will rejoice; you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn to joy…and that joy no one shall take from you. When that day comes, you will not ask me any questions.’

 

Here Jesus is talking about the sorrows the disciples will experience when he goes away after his death and suffering, and the joy they will experience when he soon returns at his resurrection. This does not simply mean that they shall pass from sorrow to joy, rather the sorrow itself shall become joy because it was the necessary cause of their joy.

 

So, Jesus illustrates this with the necessary pain and sorrow of childbirth and the joy of motherhood. An analogy that better explains the pains and sorrows of the disciples, where their pains and sorrows lead directly to a joy that no one could take away from them. A perfect way of explaining what will happen when they see him again and their deepest pains and sorrows will be transformed into purest joys which no one can take away.

 

These are words of encouragement for the disciples who were afraid of what would become of them when Jesus was no longer physically with them. These same words of encouragement are what St. Paul received from the Lord at Corinth when he was scared of what would become of him and his mission as we have it in our first reading, when at night the Lord spoke to him in a vision, ‘Do not be afraid to speak out, nor allow yourself to be silenced: I am with you. I have so many people on my side in this city that no one will even attempt to hurt you.’ 

 

Therefore, we are to learn from Jesus, whose path to joy went through the awful agony of the cross, knowing that our path to eternal joy may first go through the pains of sorrow for our sins. Because for us to find permanent joy in Jesus, we have to die to self which may lead us through a necessary sorrowful moment that will give birth to a permanent joy that is found in the risen Christ.

 

Dear friends, today we are encouraged to be patient in times of sorrow for God knows how to turn our sorrows of today into a thing of great joy in the future. The sorrow of contrite hearts today becomes the gladness of pardoned tomorrow; the sorrow of hardships, intimidation, abandonment, sickness, poverty and even death will become the great joy of success, victory, healing, freedom and eternal life which no one can take away from us.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, you restore us to eternal life in the Resurrection of Christ, grant we pray that our present sorrows will be turned into great joy and lead us to eternal victory through Christ our Lord. Amen.

As we begin the novena to the Holy Spirit today, may the Holy Spirit fill our hearts with the joy of His presence

Homily For Thursday Sixth Week of Eastertide Year B, The Solemnity of Ascension,13th May, 2024

 

Readings: Acts1:1-11; Ps. 47; Eph. 4:1-13; Mark 16:15-20

Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia.

ASCENSION OF THE LORD A CONFIRMATION OF THE REALITY OF HEAVEN 

Today we celebrate the solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord. This solemnity reminds us of that great moment of hope when the Lord triumphs victoriously and is no longer physically present among his disciples and followers, as they can no longer directly see him or touch him as they had been during all the while he was physically present with them. 

We can recall that the Joy of the risen Lord had filled the hearts of his disciples as they experienced his physical presence for the past forty days after his death and resurrection. So on the occasion of today’s solemnity, the Lord Jesus in the presence of his disciples was physically ascended into heaven as they watched him taken away in the cloud, to return to his heavenly Throne, triumphant and victorious. It was a moment of great hope for them as they wished to be with him for eternity. 

However, they have a mission to accomplish, they are to bear witness to the events and testify about it on their missions and pass it down as a true hope for humanity. But this does not mean that the Lord has abandoned or left his disciples, rather he has gone to fulfil his promise of preparing a place for his faithful disciples, and will also send a great Helper to assist them.

Therefore, the feast of the Ascension of the Lord does not mean that Jesus has departed to some place far from people and from the world. Rather it means that he no longer belongs to this world conditioned by a life of corruption and death, as he now belongs entirely to God as the eternal Son, who has purified the filthiness of humanity and raised us into God’s presence by taking with him our flesh and blood in its transfigured form and this is a thing of great hope and joy for all who believe in him. It is this great joy and hope that we celebrate today. An event that shows that humanity has been introduced into the very life of God. 

Hence, from the readings of today, we have the details of this great event and the last instructions of Jesus to his disciples. In the first reading, before the Ascension, Jesus said to his disciples: ‘You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and then you will be my witnesses not only in Jerusalem but throughout Judaea and Samaria, and indeed to the ends of the earth. As he said this he was lifted while they looked on, and a cloud took him from their sight.’ 

While in the Gospel passage, Jesus instructed his disciples saying; Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News to all creation. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; he who does not believe will be condemned. As they preached everywhere, the Lord worked with them and confirmed their words with great signs that accompanied them. 

In addition, St Paul in the second reading says: ‘he ascended’, what can it mean if not that he descended right down to the lower regions of the earth? The one who rose higher than all the heavens to fulfil all things is none other than the one who descended. And to some, his gift was that they should be apostles; to some, prophets; to some, evangelists; to some, pastors and teachers; so that the saints together make a unity in the work of service, building up the body of Christ. And so come to unity in our faith and our knowledge of the Son of God, until we become the perfect Man, fully mature with the fullness of Christ himself. 

Dear friends, the occasion of the Ascension of the Lord is a confirmation of the reality of heaven, which reminds us that God has always been faithful and loving as he fulfils his covenants and promises to humanity. It reminds us of our mission to evangelize the world, to give hope to humanity by letting them know that human hope and life are beyond the boundaries of this passing world.  It reminds us that God will always be with us no matter what we are passing through in this world for he will always provide for us and care for us at all times. Hence, we must have faith in him no matter how challenging and difficult the situation in our lives may be, we must have hope and trust in God that in the end, everything will be fine. 

Let us hold on to the Lord for this occasion is indeed a great time for us to recall the hope that we found in Jesus' triumphant victory over evil, sin and condemnation. Let us celebrate the greatest hope that God has given to humanity by letting us share in the very Life of the Trinity. The hope is that humanity will one day be united body and soul with our Lord and Saviour Jesus. A confirmation of the reality of heaven, for this is the central message of the event of the Ascension that gives great joy and hope to all who believe, which as disciples, we are called to bear witness to the world. 

Therefore, let us share this great hope with the people of the world by letting the light of Christ in us illuminate the darkness and ignorance in the world. Let us share this hope through our words, actions and deeds. Let our presence bring hope and encouragement, not hatred and division. Let our actions bring healing and succour in hopeless situations. Let our deeds inspire humanity to come to know God and embrace the victory Jesus has won for us. 

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, let this solemnity of the Lord’s Ascension, enkindle in us the passion to love you more dearly and to spread in the world the Joy and hope we have found in Jesus. Let this Joy and hope bring healing, succour, strength and courage that will help us to overcome the ugly and hopeless situations in our lives, families, societies andn the world at large. This we ask through Christ our Lord. Amen. Peace be with you.

Homily For Wednesday Sixth Week of Eastertide Year B, 8th May 2024

 

Readings: Acts 17:15.22-18:1; Ps.148;  John 16:12-15

Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia.

 

ARE YOU IGNORANCE OF GOD? LET THE HOLY SPIRIT LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH

 

One of the Spiritual works of Mercy is instructing the ignorant, and this is one of the most difficult tasks to do as a Christian, especially when it comes to dealing with people who are presumed to be learned. This kind of difficulty is what St. Paul has to face with the people of Athens in our first reading today. So Paul finding himself in the most learned city in the world of his time needed to preach the Good News of God to them. But the theme for his message has to be something that will interest his audience.

 

Thus, he started by clearing their ignorance regarding what he knew they were searching for. He said to them: “I have seen for myself how extremely scrupulous you are in all religious matters, because I noticed, as I strolled round admiring your sacred monuments, that you had an altar inscribed: To An Unknown God. Well, the God whom I proclaim is in fact the one whom you already worship without knowing it.”

 

In this passage, St. Paul claims that this unknown God is none other than God the Creator. He gave us evidence of the ignorance of pagan worship and made it clear that the object of true worship is the one Creator God. He showed us the proper relationship between humanity and God as he lets us know that the time of ignorance is now over. Also, Paul speaks of God’s creative act of humanity, from a single person Adam, he made every race of people and in him, we live and move and exist.

 

Therefore, we are God’s offspring, his true image in the world. Thus any image made by human skill and creativity will possibly be anything other than a distortion of the image of the one, true God. And so Paul warns us from involving in any form of idol worship as he calls for total repentance because God will no longer overlook our ignorance. This is evident in our Gospel passage today, when Jesus said: ‘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.’

 

Dear friends, many idols enslave us in this world and when we are suddenly deprived of them we end up acting irrational and selfish, even to the point of hurting others just so that we may protect and justify ourselves. But the truth is that the time of ignorance is over, for today we have before us the Spirit of truth. We can no longer pretend to be ignorant of God’s instructions. Therefore, let us repent from our sinful ways of life and embrace the Spirit of truth who will clear our ignorance.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we are ignorant of so many things about you and the world we live in, grant that the Holy Spirit of truth, will continue to teach us about you and the faith we have found in our Son Jesus as he unveils the darkness of lies and falsehood in our world. He who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen. God bless you.

Homily For Tuesday Sixth Week of Eastertide Year B, 7th May, 2024

 

Readings: Acts 16:22-34; Ps.138;  John 16:5-11

Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia.

 

HOLY SPIRIT COME AND TEACH THE WORLD THE TRUTH ABOUT SIN, RIGHTEOUSNESS AND JUDGEMENT

 

As Jesus continues with his teaching on the Person of the Holy Spirit, whom he called the Counsellor. He said to his disciples in our Gospel passage, ‘I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Counsellor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgement.’

 

The focal point here is on the works of the Holy Spirit in the world. This is because Jesus knows that with the rejection of his teaching by the people of the world, the disciples need an advocate who will surely proved to the world how wrong they are in rejecting and killing him. Hence, What seemed like abandonment to the disciples, brought about the message of hope assuring them that the Holy Spirit will show the world how wrong it was, about sin and about judgment. That is, the Spirit will convict and persuade the people of the world of their sinful condition which they hold so tight because they were wrong for not believe in Jesus.

 

Thus the Holy Spirit will clearly show to the world the righteousness of Jesus and his claims to come from God in order to bring the Word of God anew to the world. The Holy Spirit will reveal the meaning of Christ’s death as the condemnation of all that is evil in the world, and victory over devil the “prince” of this world. This is so evidence in our first reading, were we heard about the victory of Paul and Silas who were praying and singing God’s praises in the prison when the prison doors were opened.

 

Dear friends, as we struggle with the ugly situation in the world, we are reminded that the Holy Spirit dwells in us as our Counsellor, all we need to do is to turn towards him with hope and courage, knowing that God has called us to be his people and he will always be faithful to his promises. And if we trust in him, we shall not be disappointed for in him alone is our sure hope of assistance during this difficult moments of our lives.

 

Therefore, let us open our hearts to the Holy Spirit and let him be the sources of hope, light and inspiration for us especially in this difficult moment of fears of uncertainties in our hearts and minds, which have enslaved and prevented us from realizing what our lives truly mean and what we represent in this world.

 

Let us know that God has not and will not abandon us in the ugly situation we have found ourselves in this passing world, for he has given us the gift of the Holy Spirit, whose work is to ensure our victory and prove to this sinful world how wrong they are in rejecting and persecuting Jesus and the work of redemption which he has established.

 

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, the ugly situation in our world is really shaking the faith of your children, grant, we pray, that we may always find delight in the indwelling of your Holy Spirit and so courageously conquer our fears and worries just like Paul and Silas. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. May God bless and keep us safe.

Homily For Monday in the Sixth Week of Eastertide Year B, 6th May 2024

 

Readings: Acts 16:11-15; Ps.149;  John 15:26-16:4

Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia.

 

THE LORD WILL SEND US THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH

 

In our societies today many false influential powers have great effects on our lives coming from various sources under the guise of good but are in fact leading us astray. So, there is a need for us to examine these influences and today in our Gospel passage, Jesus said to his disciples: when the Advocate comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, he will be my witness. And you too will be witnesses, because you have been with me from the outset. ‘I have told you all this that your faith may not be shaken.

 

Thus, the Holy Spirit will lead us to learn how to distinguish clearly where and in whom dwells the Spirit of truth from the Spirit of falsehood. As long as we are of God and in Christ, we have nothing to fear for we do not belong any more to this present world, full of sin, hatred, greed, corruption, deceit and violence. Every day many false prophets and teachers are increasing and are deceiving the people. May God guide us against embracing, too readily, any doctrine proposed to us without due consideration from any teacher who may pretend to have a divine inspiration but does not.

 

Dear friends, we must be very wise for many false prophets are operating under the power of the devil. Today Jesus is promising us the Spirit of truth that will give us a special sign for distinguishing true doctrine and true teachers from the false ones. Therefore, 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: Lord God, you promised to send us the Spirit of truth, grant we pray that we will always stand and witness to the truth we have found in Jesus against all the false influential prophets and teachers in our society today, he who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen. Do have a fruitful week.