Homily For Monday Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 1st July, 2024. Happy New Month

 

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

Rev.  Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

 

FOLLOWING THE LORD REQUIES SERIOUS COMMITMENT AND SACRIFICE

 

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, following the Lord requires serious commitment and sacrifice because to succeed in life we need to pass through some rigorous steps without 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 New Month

Homily For Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B, 30th June, 2024

 

Reading: Wis.1:13-15;2:23-24; Ps.30; 2Cor 8:7.9.13-15; Mark 5:21-43

Rev.  Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

 

SINFUL HUMANITY IN NEED OF GOD’S MERCY, RESTORATION AND SALVATION

 

There is no doubt that people are going through a lot of difficulties as a result of the active presence of evil in the world which manifests itself in the form of trials, temptations, sickness and challenges both physically and spiritually. So every day we struggle against these troubles and tribulations, and people are doing everything they can to overcome them.

 

But oftentimes, it seems as if we are not making progress because we don’t have enough faith to subdue our challenges and out of fear we fall victim and are helpless. The fact remains that, we have faith but we have not been able to actively and radically put it into action like the synagogue official whose daughter had died but came to Jesus for help and also the woman with a haemorrhage in our Gospel passage today.

 

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

 

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

 

Here, the father of this little girl had faith and radically put his faith into positive action, for he confessed great faith in the resurrection. He believed that even Jesus’ slightest touch would restore life in his daughter, likewise the woman with a haemorrhage. This story of the little girl and the woman with haemorrhage has interesting similarities: Both were called “daughters”, and both were restored at the demonstration of radical faith in the touch of Jesus. The woman had been ill for twelve years, and the little girl was twelve years old. Both the woman and the little girl have been cut off from normal societal activities.

 

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

 

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

 

Her reaching out to touch Jesus and her restoration signifies the effort each one of us needs to make to reach out to God in order to be restored, the father of this little girl represents the importance of helping and interceding for one another reminding us about the power in the intercession of the Saint, the Church and our dear ones. And finally, these stories show us the willingness of Jesus to heal all of us just as he had healed the woman from all of her troubles and restored the girl back to life. But this requires that we radically put our faith into action.

 

The ability to put our faith into positive action is what St Paul is addressing in our second reading today when he said: You always have the most of everything: of faith, of eloquence, of understanding, of keenness for any cause, and the biggest share of our affection. So you are expected to put them into use. Remember how generous the Lord Jesus was: he was rich, but he became poor for your sake, to make you rich out of his poverty.

 

And in our first reading, we heard the truth that God never intended for any one of us to endure suffering in any of its forms or to experience death. For death was not God’s doing, he takes no pleasure in the extinction of the living. For humanity are meant to share fully in the love of God and to share in the glory of his kingdom.

 

Dear friends, we are called to put our faith into positive action. For if we have no faith in the Lord and refuse to put our faith in action, we will suffer and there is no hope for us. I don’t know why we are often stubborn and often hardened our hearts and minds by refusing to trust the Lord who is so generous and compassionate. Today therefore, we are made to know that, it is not enough to have faith, we must radically put our faith into action no matter the circumstances we find ourselves. It is through active faith that we can reach out to God in prayers and so obtain mercy, salvation, restoration and our hearts desires.

 

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

Homily For Saturday Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 29th June, 2024. 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

 

LEARN TO BRING YOUR UNIQUE MISSION INTO THE ONE MISSIONARY MANDATE OF CHRIST

 

There is something deep and unique about every person as regards 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 whose solemnity we are celebrating today 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 built 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 says: “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. This is a guarantee 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 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 mission entrusted to them. Their lives are symbols of unity in one missionary mandate of Christ. St. Peter was entrusted with the leadership of all the Apostles and the 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, like Saints Peter and Paul we must learn to bring our unique mission into one missionary mandate of Christ. This is important following the ugly events of division, manipulation and multiplication of Churches going on in Christianity today. Hence, we are called to examine our conscience to know where we are with regard 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 the 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.

Homily For Friday Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 28th June 2024. The Memorial of St. Irenaeus

 

 Reading: 2Kings 25:1-12; Ps.137; Matt.8:1-4 

Rev.  Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

 

HOW TO APPROACH THE LORD FOR HEALING AND RESTORATION

 

There is no doubt that we have great events in the scriptures that illustrate the compassionate concern of Jesus in the struggles of humanity and wish to set us free from the shackles of all our troubles.

 

This is evident in the occasion of our Gospel passage today, where a leper having listened to Jesus speaking on the mountain, came up and bowed low in front of him and said ‘Sir, if you want to, you can cure me.’ Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him and said, ‘Of course I want to! Be cured!’ And his leprosy was cured at once.

 

Here the touching of Jesus is very significant. No ordinary person would dare to touch a leper. We can think of the inner healing that must have resulted from the touch of Jesus, that moment of physical contact that the leper had not experienced for a long time due to rejection. Touch is something we all need, but are so often lacking in our relationship with God and one another. But this cannot stop Jesus from reaching out to his children who call on him for healing and restoration.

 

Thus, the leper was despised, feared, shunned and rejected, but when he approached Jesus in humility, he became the object of divine attention. We too just like the leper, need healing, including the healing that comes from the touch of Jesus, all we need is to approach Jesus in humility and we will become a person of divine attention.

 

More so, the story of this leper is a good example of how we sinners can and should appeal to Jesus for cleansing, especially from our sins. We should come in faith knowing that God is always willing to cleanse every sinner who comes to Him. So, let us sincerely turn to God once again with all of our hearts and with all of our strength, just like the leper who came to Jesus with faith, knowing that he could heal him and make him better. This is what all of us must have as well, a strong and genuine faith. Today may be my great opportunity to be restored and what is needed is to put my faith in action and said Lord if you will you can restore me.

 

Dear friends, I don’t know what type of leprocious problems you are going through. Are you weighed down by sin or sickness? Are you feeling helpless and rejected?  Or do I know people who are helpless and need some help? Do I feel the need for Jesus’s help in some part of my life? Let us pause for a moment and imagine Jesus looking at us. How does he see us? What are you saying to him and what is he saying to you?

 

Jesus wishes to set us free from sickness, troubles challenges and manipulations of the evil ones. He desires to be with us as we struggle every day to overcome the challenges in our families, society and the world at large. Therefore, we should not be afraid to approach Jesus for healing and restoration, all we need is an active faith like the leper in our Gospel passage today.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, you know our innermost being and the challenges we are struggling with,  come to our aid through the intercession of St. Irenaeus and cleanse us from all our physical, emotional and spiritual leprosy, we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Peace be with you.

Homily For Thursday Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 27th June 2024

 

Reading: 2Kings 24:8-14; Ps.79; Matt. 7:21-29

Rev.  Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

 

THE IMPORTANCE OF LISTENING AND DOING THE WORD OF GOD

One of my favourite hymns in our hymn book says:

In Christ alone my hope is found, He is my light, my strength, my song! This cornerstone, this solid ground, firm through the fiercest drought and storm. What heights of love, what depths of peace, when fears are stilled when striving cease! My Comforter, my All in All, here in the love of Christ I stand.

 

This hymn draws my attention to our Gospel passage today, where Jesus says:  ‘It is not those who say to me, “Lord, Lord,” who will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the person who does the will of my Father in heaven. When the day comes many will say to me, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, cast out demons in your name, work many miracles in your name?”

 

Then I shall tell them to their faces: I have never known you; away from me, you evil men! And he continues, everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on rock. Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and hurled themselves against that house, and it did not fall: for it was founded on rock.

 

Here Jesus calls our attention to something very important. He reminds us that it is not enough to hear the word of God; we must put it into practice. It is not sufficient to speak about God, but we must practice what we speak. We are called not merely to hear God’s word but to daily put it into action. Hearing or reading the Word is important, but that is not enough.

 

We must let the Word of God touch and shape our lives. For it is a waste of time and energy if our lives do not reflect the Gospel we preach if we do not hear the words of Jesus and act on them. The truth is that the houses built by wise and foolish persons may probably look alike. But the difference is the foundations, which can only be revealed when tested by the storms of life as we heard in our first reading concerning King Jehoichin and the people of Israel.

 

Dear friends, what are we doing with the word of God we hear every day? What kind of fruit am I bearing? How has the word of God changed my life and the lives of those around me? How has the word of God challenged and propelled me to love God and my neighbours? The fact remains that, hearing and doing the word of God is building our faith on a rocky foundation, that cornerstone, that solid ground, through the fiercest drought and storms of life, because the fruit of the Word of God in us is seen when tested in the storms of life.

 

Thus, is my attitude towards the word of God like that of the foolish builder who takes shortcuts for quick results? Or that of a wise builder who spends time digging a secured foundation through constant meditation and practice of the word of God? Therefore, when we hear the word we must apply it to our daily lives because that's the only way we can feed our soul. Our society has enough hearers of the word, what we need now are doers of the word of God, men and women who will feed their lives with the word of God and from the abundance of their hearts live a life that will influence the society positively.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, through your Word we find life and hope in Christ who is our all in all, grant us the grace to be doers of your Words and not just hearers, in order to build our faith on a rocky foundation in Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a blessed day.

Homily For Wednesday Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 26th June 2024

 

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

Rev.  Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

 

HOW CAN WE IDENTIFY A TRUE PROPHET FROM A FALSE PROPHET?

 

 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 as rooted in our character. Thus, 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 leading us astray. Every day many false prophets and teachers are increasing and are deceiving the people. So, there is a 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 know them by their fruits.”

 

Here, Jesus is calling our attention to the 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 lifestyle of false prophets and preachers in our societies today can 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 many false prophets are 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 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. Though is not easy to be a true teacher or prophet in our world today. 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. Have a fruitful day.

Homily For Tuesday Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 25th June 2024

 

Reading: 2Kings 19:9-11.14-21.31-36; Ps.48; Matt. 7:6,12-14

Rev.  Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

 

LEARN TO AVOID THE WIDE AND  CAPTIVATING ROADS OF THIS PASSING WORLD FOR THEY ARE DESTRUCTIVE

 

Life is a temporal assignment, a journey which begins in the morning so beautiful, full of expectations and hope, but the sojourner does not know his/her destination, purpose and end. The only guide is his/ her willingness to constantly follow the directives of the Sender who communicates his plans and purposes to those who care and are willing to listen.

 

Thus, this emptiness and shortness of life makes me reflect on my future as a human person and 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 require from us in this world? And how can we really identify the path we are called to follow?

 

I found a consoling answer to this question 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 has failed to embrace the life of truth, holiness and love for God and for one another seems difficult and narrow to them but prefer to follow the destructive ways of life that are born out of pride, greed and uncontrollable desire for worldly things, as 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 to 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 desire, for he would soon meet his 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, 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 is becoming narrower more and more because humanity is 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. Let us 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: O 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 captivating and many are victims of its power, grant us the grace to resist it but journey through the path and gate that leads to eternal life, we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. May God bless your little efforts in life and guide you always.

Homily For Monday Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 24th June 2024. 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

 

THE MYSTERY OF OUR BIRTH AND NAME

 

One of the most significant days 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. 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. Thus, today we celebrate the great Solemnity of the birth of St. John the Baptist, the only person, whose birthday is celebrated in the Church’s liturgical calendar, besides that of Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary, because of his role in history of the salvation of humanity.

 

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, great significant and surprising things happened during 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 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 perceive that something different and surprising was happening, things worth remembering. Showing us that, when God names a child, that child is significant in his plan.

 

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 fulfil 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 for the baptism of repentance which many people believed in him. But John fearlessly confronted them calling them wicked, brood of vipers and hypocrites. He also courageously confronted King Herod with the truth about his illegal and sinful relationship with Herodias his brother’s wife, and this led to his martyrdom and so ends his mission of decreasing while Jesus increases.

 

Dear friends, we all have a significant place in the plan of God and our birth and name are a mystery that point to this plan. Our names are not just a common ceremony. It is a testimony of God’s plan for us. Why not take time today to reflect on the meaning and circumstances surrounding our births and our names? 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 fulfil our plans and purposes, just like John the Baptist who stood for the truth of his mission and offered it to everyone, whoever, 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 fulfil your plan on earth and in our names we bear the mystery of our mission and purpose, Grant us the grace to faithfully and courageously fulfil our mission and purpose in this world. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a blessed and joyful week.

Homily For Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B, 23rd June 2024

 

Reading: Job 38:1.8-11; Ps.107; 2Cor 5:14-17; Mark 4:35-41

Rev.  Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

 

PEACE! BE STILL! FOR THE LORD WILL NOT LET YOUR BOAT OF FAITH SINK IN THE HEAVY STORMS OF LIFE

 

In the scriptures, we often hear stories of how people struggled with heavy storms as they assailed through the sea. Even our fishermen and the Marine men who are into sea business can tell us better what it means to be on the sea with heavy storms, 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. It is a story about the disciples' panic and fear of perishing as a result of the heavy storm that is affecting their boat.

 

As this heavy storm is about 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, ‘Teacher, do you not care if we perish? And Jesus said: “Peace! Be still!!” And the Storm ceased and there was a great calm. And he said to them, ‘Why are you afraid, how is it that you have no faith? The men were astounded and said, ‘What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the sea obey him.’

 

Here, this story signifies God's chosen people on a transit of faith, frightened by the guilt of sin and wounded by the waves of the sea, the abode of evil forces and monsters of this world. The boat can be taken as a symbol of the faith of the Church and the people of God struggling with the world’s principalities and powers. While the storms are symbols of heavy persecution and suffering by the people of God. These great waves and the wind facing the boat, which threatened to sink it also represent the difficulties and challenges that we are facing in this world on account of our faith, which seems as if Jesus is no more with us. The fact remains that Jesus is still with us more than we can ever imagine. And he is saying: why are you so afraid, you men of little faith?

 

Little wonder we heard St. Paul saying in our second reading that the love of Christ should overwhelm us when we reflect that if one man has died for all, and the reason he died for all was so that living men should live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised to life for them. Thus, for anyone who is in Christ, there is a new creation; the old creation has gone, and now the new one has come.

 

This is well affirmed in our first reading today, where we are made to reflect on the life of Job, who in heavy storms of life, remained firm in his faith despite the efforts of the devil to sink the boat of his faith through misfortunes and sufferings in order to make him abandon the Lord. But Job remained firm, he did not blame God, though he did blame himself and wonder why the Lord had to let him suffer such great misfortune just like most of us who often worry and wonder about our daily storms and struggles.

 

Dear friends, there is no doubt that there is an active presence of evil in the world which manifests itself in different forms. So every day is a struggle against the malice of the evil ones, and we are doing everything we can to overcome them. Today Jesus is inviting us into his boat of life, thereby calling us to journey on this boat with 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 to himself.

 

Therefore, I don't know the great storms of doubt and fear in your soul. I don’t know if you are under the power of the evil forces of this world. I don’t know how fragile the boat of your faith is or how deep the storms of life have tried to sink your faith.  All I will say is that we should let the words of Jesus sound once again in our hearts saying “Peace! Be still!” For 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 his peace and joy.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God. As we struggle every day to overcome the ugly situation around us, do not let the boat of our faith sink in the heavy storms of life. Grant that the violent storms and waves of bondage in our lives, our families and the world, will end in a wonderful calm that brings peace in our souls. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Happy Sunday to you all.

Homily For Saturday Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 22nd June, 2024.

 

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

Rev.  Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

 

DO NOT BE TOO ANXIOUS AND WORRIED ABOUT THE THINGS OF THIS PASSING WORLD FOR GOD CARES ABOUT YOU

 

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

 

Little wonder, the most lucrative businesses 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 anxiety sometimes can lead to anxiety when people fail to achieve their plans because they have chosen to separate themselves from God.

 

Thus, this anxiousness that brings about a 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. We often stray from the right path because we are too distracted by our 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 separates us from God.

 

Thus, we have to take a stand and choose firmly between serving God or 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 so not be too anxious or worried about the things of this life for God cares about us despite all that we are going through. Hence, we have to make sure that we are not distracted by our over-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 life of comparative and competition, 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 B, 21st June, 2024. The Memorial St. Aloysius Gonzaga

 

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

Rev.  Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

 

WHAT IS YOUR ULTIMATE TREASURE AND HOW ARE YOU SECURING IT?

 

Every day under terrible scourges of the sun and noisy streets, people struggle to acquire things that they value as treasures of life. The quarrelling 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 pass 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 is so attached to the things of this passing world, calls our attention to what should be our ultimate treasure. He made us know that the kingdom of God is the greatest and ultimate treasure anyone can and should acquire. 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 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. 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.

 

Therefore, we must do all that it takes to ensure that our focus is on things of heaven and how to acquire them. Because losing it over the temporal pleasure, vain 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 lose 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 the opportunity to request what our heart desires, what would you request? How many of us are paying attention to ultimate heavenly treasures? How many think and search for the ultimate treasure of our souls? How many desire to personally discover God in their life knowing that he is the ultimate treasure anyone can acquire in this world?

 

How I wish we would 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. 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. Through the intercession of St. Aloysius, give us wise and discerning hearts in order to give up all our attachment to worldly possessions in pursuit 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 B, 20th June, 2024

 

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

Rev.  Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

 

LEARN TO FOLLOW THE LORD’S PATTERN OF PRAYER

 

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 contains a series of statements and petitions in which we affirm our relationship with God, with the people around us and with the world in general. 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, 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 to say: “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 fourth 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 because 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 Lord's 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 say prayers wrongly when we consider prayer as a means to only achieve what we desire, without considering what God desires for us. Some of us spend lots of time reciting the prayers and yet we do not mean what we say because we have wrong dispositions born from unforgiving hearts 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 moments in prayer and be connected with God. We must let our prayers 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 opportunity.

 

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