Homily For Friday Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 1st November, 2024. Solemnity of All Saints

 

Readings: Rev. 7:2-4.9-14, Ps.24, 1John 3:1-3, Matt. 5:1-12

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

WHO ARE THE SAINTS AND WHY MUST WE CELEBRATE THEM? 

Today, the Church celebrates two special events; the first one is the gift of another new month, of which I say happy new month to you all. The second, which is the most important, is the solemnity of All Saints. The Church, as we know, is not just the physical structure we have all over the place; no, the Church is much more than that. The Church is the body of Christ, and every one of us is a member by virtue of our baptism.

This Church is divided into three groups, that is the militant Church, the suffering Church and the triumphant Church. The militant Church are all of us, especially the baptized, who are still inhabiting and struggling with the human flesh. But immediately after death, we belong either to the suffering Church or the triumphant Church.

The suffering Church is the souls that belong to the body of Christ but are still in need of purification. While the triumphant Church are the souls that have been purified by the blood of the Lamb and are united with Christ. They are the saints that we are celebrating today.

Thus, every first November, the Church presents to us the solemnity of All Saints. A day we celebrate the triumphant Church that is all the saints known or unknown to us who have triumphed victorious to heavenly glory, which, of course, reminds us that we are called to grow in holiness and to become saints, for that is our primary goal in life.

This solemnity dates back to the 7th century, and the occasion of its introduction was the conversion of the ancient Roman Pantheon into a Christian Church. Emperor, Phocas gave the Pantheon to Pope Boniface IV, who converted it into a Church and dedicated it to the Blessed Virgin Mary and all the saints about the year 608. But later in the year 731, Pope Gregory III consecrated a chapel in St. Peter’s Church in honour of all the saints, and since then, the solemnity of All Saints has been celebrated all over the world.

Therefore, in this great event, we are called to imitate the heroic virtues of the saints by living a life of beatitudes as peacemakers, pure of heart, meek, humble and merciful, as Jesus teaches us in our Gospel passage today. In our first reading, St. John in the Book of Revelation tells that these saints are the people who have been through great persecution, and they have washed their robes white again in the blood of the Lamb.

Also, in our second reading, he made us know that we are already the children of God, but what we are to be in the future has not yet been revealed; but when it is revealed, we shall be like him because we shall see him as he really is. And everyone who entertains this hope must purify himself and try to be as pure as Christ.

Dear friends, why must we celebrate the saints? We celebrate the saints because they remind us of our universal vocation to holiness. Through their intercessions, they strengthen us in our struggles towards our goal, which is to attain eternal life. They help us to recall our communion with God along with the triumphant church and our duty to pray for the suffering Church. The saints remind us that we are pilgrims on this earth.

Therefore, this solemnity strengthens our faith in the teachings of the Church. No doubt all of us want to become saints, and oftentimes, we really want to live a holy life, but there are always obstacles on our way to holiness; these obstacles make us so aware of our sins, our weaknesses and our failures.

Yes, we are sinners, but so are the saints. They only relied on God’s mercy and grace and so we too. We cannot become holy through our efforts alone we need to cooperate with the grace of God. Remember, anything worth having is worth making sacrifices for, and the more it’s worth, the more significant sacrifices we should be willing to make for it. If holiness is necessary for one to attain heaven. Then it is worth all the sacrifices Jesus mentioned in the beatitudes.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, as a militant Church on earth, there are a lot of troubles and challenges we are struggling with; help us through the intercession of all the saints to overcome them and so make it triumphantly to your heavenly kingdom. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Happy new month and a blessed All Saints celebration.

Homily For Thursday Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 31st October, 2024

Readings: Eph.6:10-20, Ps 144, Luke 13:31-35

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

TAKE UP YOUR WEAPON OF WARFARE AND CONQUER THE EVIL AROUND YOU

In this world, we struggle with so many things, and we often encounter ugly events and challenges that cause us sorrows and ties. And most times we don't know how to manage those moments. This is because 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 people are doing everything they can to overcome them.

Today, St. Paul, in our first reading, encouraged us to be strong and prepared against the attacks and assaults from the evil one, and its wicked forces. He said: Put on the whole armour of God to be able to resist the devil’s tactics. For it is not against flesh and blood that we have to struggle, but against the principalities and powers originated from the darkness of this world.

 So stand your ground, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, and put on the integrity of life for a breastplate, wearing shoes on your feet with that eagerness to spread the gospel of peace and always carrying the shield of faith so that you can use it to put out the burning arrows of the evil one. And then take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. He told us to be firm in our faith in God and to be ready to resist those who are going to try to harm us and bring us down.

This is exactly what Jesus did in our Gospel passage today when some of the Pharisees warned him to leave the area where he was teaching because Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great was after him. This warning was just a way of trying to get rid of Jesus by frightening him using external forces and authority under the name of Herod. But Jesus was not moved by all their threats. For he knows that his mission is part of God’s larger plan which can not be interrupted by any external forces and authority. Hence, he ignored them and continued with his work of healing the people and liberating them from evil ones

Dear friends, our lives are in God’s hands, for we are part of God’s larger plan, and nothing will happen to us that conflicts with God’s wishes and plans for us. All we need is to embrace the whole armour of God in faith, with the belt of truth buckled round our waist, and put on integrity of life for a breastplate, with eagerness to spread the gospel of peace while carrying the shield of faith so that we can use it to put out the burning arrows of the evil ones, using the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. By so doing, overcome the ugly situation we face every day in our societies and families today.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, every day is a struggle against the malice of the evil ones, and oftentimes, we don’t know what to do. As we embrace your words today, grant that we may find the courage and strength to conquer our fears and struggles against the evil ones, we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Wishing you and fruitful day.

Homily For Wednesday Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 30th October 2024

Readings: Eph.6:1-9; Ps 145; Luke 13:22-30

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

LEARN TO PASS THROUGH THE NARROW DOORS OF LIFE

Life is nothing but 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, the emptiness and shortness of life make 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 before me the teachings of Jesus in our Gospel passage today when he said: try your best to enter by the narrow door, because I tell you, many will try to enter and will not succeed. For once the master of the house has got up and locked the door, you may find yourself knocking on the door, saying, “Lord, open to us” but he will answer, “I do not know where you come from.

Here, Jesus calls our attention to the reality of life which we must not take for granted. There is a need for us to follow the teachings of the Lord, for humanity has failed to embrace the life of truth, holiness and love for God and one another. Though this seems difficult and narrow to follow, we prefer to follow the destructive ways of life that are born out of pride, greed and uncontrollable desire for worldly things. There is no doubt that the things of this passing world are so captivating, and many people have been captured by its seductive power and are greatly following it. We must not be victims of this ugly situation. Rather, we must learn to submit ourselves to the directives of the Holy Spirit for he is always ready to guide us along the narrow ways of life.

Little wonder St. Paul, in our first reading today, says that you can be sure that everyone, whether a slave or a free man, will be properly rewarded by the Lord for whatever work he has done well. And those of you who are employers, treat your slaves in the same spirit; do without threats, remembering that you and them have the same Master in heaven.

Dear friends, learn to pass through the narrow doors of life. The worst thing that can happen to us at the last moment of our life is to hear the Lord say: I do not know where you come from. The fact remains that 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 more and more narrow because humanity is working so hard to expand the seductive roads and gates of destruction against the narrow gate of life.

Therefore, we are called 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 embracing the life of love and sacrifice which Jesus has offered us. So, 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: Lord God, our journey of life depends on you, and today, you have called us to follow the narrow gate of love and sacrifice. But the seductive road of this passing world is really captivating, and many are victims of its power; Grant us the grace to resist it, but we 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 Tuesday Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 29th October 2024

 

Readings: Eph.5:21-33, Ps 128 , Luke 13:18-21

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

THE WORD OF GOD NEEDS A FERTILE HEART TO GROW LIKE A MUSTARD SEED

In the scriptures, it is obvious that Jesus often likes to use a simple story to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson when addressing the people regarding very important things. So, by couching his teaching in parables, Jesus made certain points much clearer to his audience. This is evident in our Gospel passage today, where he told us two parables, the parable of the mustard seed and the parable of the Yeast, using them to describe the nature of God’s kingdom, which he came to establish in the hearts of humanity.

In these parables, Jesus compared the Kingdom of God to a mustard seed growing from the Word of God spoken to the hearts of his few disciples which will grow and spread in the hearts of all humanity. This analogy focuses on the size of the seed that grows to become a mighty tree that gives shelter and salvation to all.

Here also, Jesus is not just speaking of the size of the mustard seed, but the faith of the people as that of a mustard seed. Telling us that just as the mustard seed responds to the word of God and grows into a mighty tree, so will the faith of the people grow into great vessels through hearing and doing what the word of God says. However, God has given humanity the freedom to choose whether to hear his word and embrace the faith to bear the fruits of the kingdom or to reject it and perish.

More so, this analogy of the mustard seed symbolizes the humble beginnings of the Christian faith which is well watered by the Holy Spirit to grow and give life and hospitality to all the people of the world. However, we need to know that there are good-for-nothing seeds present in this world to deceive people from listening to God’s word, seeds such as fear, regrets, doubt, jealousy, hatred, disrespect, greediness, lying, gossip, impurity, wickedness and all sorts of sinful acts.

Those who embrace these good-for-nothing seeds follow the dictates of their hardened hearts and will soon be thrown away as good-for-nothing because they have not listened to God’s words. Hence, St. Paul, in our first read, encouraged us to embrace the good seeds of God’s words in our families by giving us the principles that will guide the relationship between husband and wife using the analogy of the relationship between Christ and his Church.

Dear friends, the word of God needs a fertile heart to grow like a mustard seed. But in the world today, we have different kinds of seeds. So, the question remains, what kind of seeds are we embracing and watering in our lives today? Are we watering valuable mustard seeds of faith and love or weeds of fear, regrets, doubt, jealousy, hatred, disrespect, greediness, lying, gossip, impurity, wickedness and all kinds of sinful deeds that will destroy us?

Today, we are called to quit watering these weeds because that's what the enemies want, and we must not fall into their traps. Rather, we are called to water those valuable mustard seeds of faith, love, holiness, hospitality, obedience, and charity and make them our values of life. When we feed and water such values, we will grow stronger like the mustard tree where people may find solace and so build up God’s kingdom.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, as you sow the seeds of your word in our hearts, give us the grace to water and grow it into the mustard tree of faith, holiness and hospitality that will usher us into your kingdom, through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a fruitful day.

Homily For Monday Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 28th October, 2024. The Feast of SS. Simon and Jude, Apostles

Readings: Eph.2:19-22; Ps  19; Luke 6:12-19

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

A CALL TO DISCIPLESHIP AS FELLOW CITIZENS OF GOD’S HOUSEHOLD

Will you leave? Will you care? Will you risk? Will you let the Lord lead you? These are questions of great demands which every true disciple must constantly reflect through in life in order to be aware of the seriousness of the commitment required of every one of us as disciples of Jesus. This great demand is presented to us in our liturgy today as we celebrate the feast day of the great apostles St. Simon and St. Jude, and our readings propel us to reflect on our call to discipleship. 

In the Gospel, we heard how Jesus, after deep prayers, called from among his disciples twelve apostles of which Simon and Jude were part of the twelve. Simon also known as the Zealot, was a member of the Zealots, the extremists who fought for the freedom of the Israelites against the Romans at the time of Jesus. While St. Jude, often referred to as St. Jude Thaddeus, was a member of the extended family of Jesus.

These two apostles, along with others, followed the Lord faithfully throughout his ministry. Simon, though a member of the Zealot, abandoned his previous life as a freedom fighter to a great missionary along with St. Jude Thaddeus, who was the probable author of the Epistle of St. Jude. These two apostles together served the Lord reached out to many peoples, and evangelized many nations. That is why both of them are celebrated together today, because of their missionary zeal and commitment to God even to the very end of their lives.

 

Tradition has it that Simon spread the Gospel to places like Persia and Armenia, Egypt and Ethiopia and along with Jude, they evangelized throughout Judea, Samaria, Persia, Armenia and other places. Sadly, after many decades of missionary activities, these two great apostles were martyred in Lebanon. They committed themselves wholeheartedly to the mission of Christ and his Church; they converted many and established firm foundations of the Christian faith in many places. Little wonder St Paul, in our first reading, tells us that we are fellow citizens of God’s household that has the apostles and prophets for its foundations and Christ Jesus himself as its main cornerstone.

Dear friends, evangelization is the very nature and essence of the Church. And Jesus gives us the mandate and the commission to evangelize, that is, to announce the Good News to all the nations and to spread the Gospel to every creature. This commission is shared by all those who are baptized both priests and lay faithful. Everyone has a particular responsibility to share in the work of proclamation of the Gospel. Today, we should ask ourselves, how have we proclaimed the Gospel to the world? What efforts are we making to ensure that the mandate Christ entrusted to us is carried out effectively in our generation? 

Therefore, at this moment when the world is confused because we have removed God from our daily lives, at this time when we have placed our hope in the activities of the human person who seems to have taken the place of God, at this time when our governments, scientists, doctors, lawyers, professors and even pastors assumed the place of God, which of course have brought about the ugly situation we are facing in our societies today. We are reminded once again about our very mission, for it is time to take this mandate very seriously because it is our responsibility to fulfil our promises to God and ensure that the Christian faith is preached and sustained in the world and by so doing save humanity once again from sin, death and destruction that we have caused for ourselves.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we are lost in this world, we are confused because we have cut ourselves off from You our cornerstone, as we come back to You once again, please give us the grace to preach the Gospel following the examples of saints Simon and Jude, may we learn from their teaching and walk faithfully in the footsteps of Christ and by so doing draw humanity back to You once again.  We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. God bless you.

Homily For Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B, 27th October, 2024

Readings: Jer. 31:7-9; Ps. 126; Heb.5:1-6; Mark 10:46-52

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

LORD, THAT I MAY SEE!

Nature has made us know that one of the most important organs of the human body is the eyes. The Eye is the organ of sight, it is the most important organ for locating and observing the world around us because the eyes help us to see and observe things. It’s a complex organ that takes in information and sends it to the brain to process and create a command for the whole body.

To understand the importance and safety of this organ, the eye has three layers: the outer layer is fibrous and protective, the middle layer is vascular, and the eyeball is surrounded by a layer of orbital fat for its safety. This is because any eye-related symptoms can be a clue to issues affecting the whole body. Now we can understand the difficult situation of Bartimaeus and the intervention of Jesus in our Gospel passage today

There is no doubt that Jesus has deep compassion for human difficulty and suffering, which springs from the love of God the Father and constitutes the basis of the Church’s liberating activities. This, of course, manifests in different ways in the scriptures and the life of the Church.

Hence, we can see how Jesus manifested his compassion for human suffering in the story of Bartimaeus, the blind beggar who gave us a complete lesson about faith, expressed with total simplicity in front of Christ Jesus. He had faith enough to cry out to Jesus as he passed by, even when he was scolded by the people close to him. His need for Jesus was so great that he cried all the louder: Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!

Then Jesus asked him a very important question: “What do you want me to do for you?” So even though his need was obvious, Jesus wanted him to mention it. In the same way today, Jesus is asking us: my child what do you want me to do for you? Why not like this blind beggar and tell Jesus what you need? Even though he knows your needs, you still need to present them before him. This blind man needed his eyesight restored, so he said aloud to Jesus, “Lord, that I may see!” And Jesus said: ‘Go your way; your faith has saved you.’

Here, we will understand the importance of our physical and spiritual sight. Here we understand the need to ask the Lord to open our eyes so that we can see. Most of us are physically and spiritually blind we need to say: Lord, that I may see! Many ugly situations in our lives, family, society and country require us to ask the Lord to open our eyes so that we can see.

Are you struggling with difficult situations? Are you confused? Are jobless? Are you looking for a life partner? Are you about to start up something? Are you sick? Are you under bondage or addicted to drugs and sinful attitudes? Is your life falling apart because of your old age or past mistakes? Tell the Lord to open your eyes so that you can see the foresight and insight of life like Bartimaeus.

Today, we see in Bartimaeus, a man whose faith led him to put off his former identity as a blind beggar and cry in hope for restoration. Bartimaeus’s faith involves knowing, believing, proclamation, prayer, personal encounter, liberation and following Jesus. More so, Jesus, in this healing, reveals his compassion towards human sufferings and wants us to imitate Bartimaeus’s faith in our struggles and challenges of life.

Little wonder we heard the Lord through prophet Jeremiah in our first reading today saying: Shout with joy for Jacob! Hail the chief of nations! Proclaim! Praise! Shout: ‘The Lord has saved his people, the remnant of Israel!’ See, I will bring them back from the land of the North and gather them from the far ends of the earth; all of them: the blind and the lame, women with children, women in labour: a great company returning home.

They had left in tears; I will comfort them as I lead them back; I will guide them to streams of water by a smooth path where they will not stumble. Yes, the Lord cares and loves his people. He wishes to gather us together from where we are scattered, humiliated and lost in the world in order to share in his heavenly kingdom which our Lord Jesus came to establish in the hearts of humanity.

Thus, in our second reading, we heard that our Lord Jesus Christ is the saviour of all humanity and the High Priest of all, appointed to act for men in their relations with God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins, and so he can sympathize with those who are ignorant or uncertain.

Here, we see the power and mandate of Christ to all towards the missionary activities of the redemption of humanity. So, from the Priestly function of Christ, we all share in the Priestly missionary mandate of Christ which requires sacrifice of all we have: our time, talents, resources and even our lives. Therefore, what obstacles are stopping us from being part of these missionary activities and achieving our goals in life?

Dear friends, what is that obstacle in your life that distracts and limits you from achieving your goals and passion? What is the one thing you need in your life? Have we ever felt helpless? Do we feel the need for Jesus’ help in some part of our lives? Do we know people who are helpless and in need of some help? How strong is our compassion towards them? Let us look at them for a moment and imagine Jesus looking at them. How does he see them? Why not, in faith, present our needs before Jesus, who is willing and ready to help us?

Friends, our country is going through a difficult time due to bad leaders who have put us in a helpless situation. Like Bartimaeus, we need to cry out to God for help. But, what do you really want the Lord to do for you? What is that one thing we need in this country? Let us present it before the Lord today just like Bartimaeus.

So, like Jesus, each one of us is called today to reach out to people around us who are really in need of our assistance. This includes our family members, our neighbours, our colleagues and others who we encounter in life. The truth is that you may be the only person who can bring the healing and compassion of Jesus into their lives today.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, as we celebrate the Eucharist today, help us to overcome the obstacles in our lives. May we experience once again your compassionate love and grant our hearts desire according to your Holy will, we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Happy Sunday to you all.

Homily For Saturday Twenty-Ninth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 26th October, 2024

Readings: Eph.4:7-16, Ps 122 , Luke 13:1-9
Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

NOW IS THE RIGHT TIME TO REPENT LESS WE PERISH

With the ugly situation in our country today, there is no doubt that both the poor and the rich are testifying to it suffering in our society. Hence, we can feel the struggles, the scarcity of food and resources, the kidnappings, the killings, the flooding, the tears, and the disappointments that people are passing through every day. Some people are losing hope in themselves and even in everything they do as they run up and down seeking solutions.
 
The poor are seeking daily bread, upliftment and favour; the rich are seeking protection and good health, while the evil ones are taking advantage of the situation to destroy the little hope and faith of the people. All these are signs from God who gives us the opportunity to repent from our sinful ways of life.
 
This is what Jesus is telling us in our Gospel passage today when he said: “Do you suppose the Galileans who suffered like this were greater sinners than any other Galileans? They were not, I tell you. No, but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did. Then with a parable of the barren fig tree, Jesus demonstrated how God has made every moment of our lives an opportunity for us to repent and be fruitful.
 
This is clear when he said in the parable, “Look, for three years now I have been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and finding none. Cut it down: why should it be taking up the ground?” “Sir,” the man replied, “leave it one more year and give me time to dig round it and manure it: it may bear fruit next year; if not, then you can cut it down.” 
 
Such is God’s patience with us for he gives us the opportunity to turn away from our sinful and ugly ways of life. Repentance is the key message of this Gospel, for Jesus makes it clear that those who suffered and were killed were not worse offenders than others; rather, he uses the opportunity to call us to repentance. Note that the purpose of this message is not for condemnation but for redemption.
 
This is what St. Paul is emphasizing in our first reading saying: we shall not be children any longer, or be tossed one way or another and carried along by every wind of doctrine, at the mercy of all the tricks men play and their cleverness in practising deceit. But if we live by the truth and in love, we shall grow in all ways into Christ, who is the head by whom the whole body is fitted and joined together.
 
Dear friends, this call for repentance shows us that it is not too late for us to repent, for this may be the last opportunity. Because we can never tell what will happen in the next moment. We can never tell who is the next to die, and we can never know the form it will take, or where it will occur. All that matters is for us to repent now that we still have the opportunity.
 
Therefore, let us repent now, for repentance helps us to be well-disposed in life and for death. It helps us to live right and at peace with God and with one another. It gives us the courage and confidence to face any situation without fear of death.
 
LET US PRAY: Almighty, ever-living God, You are the author of our lives, freedom and salvation; all we have are yours. Thank you for being with us in our daily troubles, struggles, fears, tears, hope and joy. May you provide for the poor, console the troubled, heal the sick, protect and put simile on the faces of your children today and always. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a blessed and safe weekend.

Homily For Friday Twenty-Ninth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 25th October 2024

Readings: Eph.4:1-6, Ps 24, Luke 12: 54-59

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

WHY HAVE WE FAILED TO INTERPRET THE TRUE SIGNS OF THIS PASSING WORLD?

As a human person, we often try to discern the events happening around us in order to predict what can be the outcome of such events in the future. We often read the signs of nature in order to predict what will happen in the future.

Little wonder Jesus, while rebuking the crowd in our Gospel reading today, said: when you see a cloud looming up in the west, you say at once that rain is coming, and so it does. And when the wind is from the south you say it will be hot, and it is. Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the face of the earth and the sky. How is it you do not know how to interpret these times?

Here, Jesus condemned the ugly attitudes of the crowds for they can read the signs of nature and so predict the future, but now out of jealousy and selfishness, they have failed to recognize the truth by refusing to acknowledge in Jesus one who comes from God, one who speaks God’s word and acts in the power of God. So Jesus rebuked them for such a hypocritical attitude. In the second aspect of the Gospel, Jesus is asking us to put things right while there is still time.

Thus, St. Paul, in our first reading, implores us to lead a life worthy of our vocation. To bear with one another charitably, in complete selflessness, gentleness and patience by preserving the unity of the Spirit, knowing that we are one Body, one Spirit, sharing the same hope in one Lord, one faith, one baptism in one God who is Father of all.

Dear friends, there are so many signs around us today. How are you interpreting the signs of this passing world, the signs that tell us that this world is passing by? What is our disposition towards these signs? Can we identify the signs of our time? How can we understand and interpret them? Are we reading the hand of God in what is going on around us, especially in our country, societies and our families? How are we responding to these signs? What do we think Jesus would do if he was living with us now? Today, Jesus is calling us to discernment. We have to discern our actions towards the signs we see in our world today.

Though it is very easy to condemn the ugly situation going on in our country, societies and families, are we learning anything from it? Are we having any sense of guilt and repentance? Why allow this evil to linger in us by getting into endless arguments and deception when we already know what is right?

Why waste so much time arguing about unnecessary things while missing out on the main points that are more basic and challenging? I think it is time we come back to the real issues, which are justice, honesty, transparency, equity, love and respect for human life and property. These are the things we all need to put right at all levels and sectors we find ourselves.

LET US PRAY: Almighty God, in every event that happens to us, you said, has your mark on it. Help us to discern the signs of our time, in order to embrace your will for us and to follow you wherever you may lead us as we struggle to overcome the ugly situation in our country, societies and families. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. May God protect and keep us safe always.

Homily For Thursday Twenty-Ninth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 24th October 2024

Readings: Eph.3:14-21; Ps 33; Luke 12: 49-53

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

WHY WILL HE BRING DIVISION INSTEAD OF PEACE?

The way things are going in our societies today, we need to think twice about our faith as Christians and whether we are ready to live out our faith in the midst of the ugly situation in our country today. The hostility, brutality, persecution and influential power of the things of this world, which have eaten deep into the minds of our leaders, are quite disturbing, for things are getting tougher, and we need to do something about it.

Therefore, if we are willing to live out our Christian faith and obligations, then we need to make a radical decision towards our discipleship in a personal and radical way, for these days, it is not enough to say am a Christian, we must convincingly and radically practice our faith by following the example of our Lord Jesus.

Little wonder Jesus in our Gospel passage today, takes his discourse on discipleship to a radical and difficult level when he said: 'Do you suppose that I am here to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. From now on, a household of five will be divided: three against two and two against three; the father divided against the son, son against father, mother against daughter, a daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law, a daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.

Here, Jesus does not directly intend to cause tensions and divisions in family life, but he wants us to accept the consequences that come with the truth of the Gospel teaching, more importantly, when it comes to living out the Gospel message radically, especially in a situation where our family values have been thrown out of caution as a result of secularism, individualism and excess desires for worldly pleasures and possessions, thereby neglecting the things that lead us to God.

So, these hard words of Jesus can only be understood in the light of our life experience because there are moments when we have to make radical and difficult choices as disciples of Jesus. These moments may wield the sword of division or separation among those people and things which are so dear to us.

However, Jesus does not endorse us engaging in armed conflict, but he warns that we have to struggle to put him first before family ties, knowing that divisions will surely occur as people have to decide to be for or against God. Hence, he states that the cost of discipleship extends to one even losing his life. Because following Jesus demands the sacrifice of all that one has.

None of us can become his true disciple if we do not give up our excess desire for worldly pleasures and possessions and pay our unreserved loyalty and allegiance to God over all other competing loyalties in our lives, including family, self-interest, and possessions. Little wonder St. Paul in our first reading prayed for us to grow strong in faith and love of God our Father whom every family, whether spiritual or natural, takes its name

Dear friends, we are called today to make a radical decision to sincerely and faithfully live out our Christian faith and morals. But how much are we willing to let go for the sake of our faith in God? Why are we finding it difficult to follow Jesus? What are habitual desires and possessions that are holding us from making this radical decision today? It is time to come to God with all our hearts, for tomorrow may be too late.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, the excess desire for the pleasurable things of this passing world have weakened our hearts towards you, give us courage and grace to let go of our ugly desires and attitudes, so as to hold firm in our faith despite losing people and things that are dear to us, as we ask you to heal and transform our nation once again. This we ask through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a fruitful day.

Homily For Wednesday Twenty-Ninth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 23rd October 2024

 

Readings: Eph.3:2-12, Isaiah 12, Luke 12: 39-48

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

WHY MUST WE STAND READY?

Oftentimes when I observed how people devote time and energy to rigorous preparation towards achieving their goals. I realized that adequate preparation is the secret and foundation of every successful event. Then I said to myself, if we can go to this length of rigorous periods of preparation just for things of this passing world, it will be even more demanding when it has to do with preparing for eternal life.

Therefore, if we can devote such time and energy towards our spiritual life, which we often neglect, we will be more awake and prepared for the day of the Lord. This is what Jesus is telling us in our Gospel passage today when he said to his disciples: “Be quite sure of this, that if the householder had known at what hour the burglar would come, he would not have let anyone break through the wall of his house. You too must stand ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.’

Then he used the parable of faithful and wise steward to make this point clearer. He concluded by saying: when a man has had a great deal given him, a great deal will be demanded of him; when a man has had a great deal given him on trust, even more will be expected of him.’

In this passage, we have two commands at the beginning and the end, which are not quite the same. The first command is based on God’s coming at a “day” when you do not know, and the second has to do with managing the responsibility entrusted to us. For, just like the householder’s ignorance of the time when the thief would come is the reason why he does not watch.

Thus, our ignorance of the day and time should be the reason for our watchfulness in order to prevent being robbed. So, the image of the thief is chosen to illustrate the unexpected approach of the second coming of Christ, which will be a great surprise to those who are asleep as they will be robbed of Heaven and even their earthly treasures.

Hence, Jesus commanded us to stay awake, because we do not know either the day or the hour when the Lord will come. And St. Paul, in our first reading, says: I, who am less than the least of all the saints, have been entrusted with this special grace, not only of proclaiming to the pagans the infinite treasure of Christ but also of explaining how the mystery is to be dispensed. So, how are we managing the responsibility entrusted to us, especially the responsibility of managing our lives and also the lives and properties entrusted to us on a great deal of which great deal is expected from us?

Dear friends, as managers of God’s resources, we must stand ready to avoid being robbed of our earthly and heavenly treasures. We must be courageous, wise, patient and prudent, knowing that our lives as Christians demand that we should be alert. We should be prepared at all times and be ready to make sacrifices like faithful and wise stewards.

We should be watchful for we know neither the day nor the hour when the Lord will call us. Hence, we are reminded today that this world is passing away, so we need to stay awake and be ready as we look into our inner being and our interior life to embrace the life of holiness and self-control that will help us to be more prepared.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we often fail to listen to your warnings concerning the things of this passing world and the need for us to stay awake and be ready for your coming; give us the grace and wisdom to be well prepared to stand before you whenever you call us. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Peace be with you.

Homily For Tuesday Twenty-Ninth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 22nd October 2024

Readings: Eph.2:12-22, Ps.84:9-14, Luke 12:36-38

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

WILL YOU BE READY WHEN THE LORD SHALL COME?

There are two most important events in our life as a human person. One is well known, prepared and constantly celebrated, that is, our birthday. The other, which is the ultimate, is not known and less attention and preparation is being made for it, that is, the day of our departure from this world.

So, Jesus, knowing how important this day is, instructed his disciples in our Gospel passage today, saying: “Be like men waiting for their master to return from the wedding feast, ready to open the door as soon as he comes and knocks. It may be in the second watch he comes, or in the third, wait for him, for happy are those servants if he finds them ready when he comes.”

Here, we have a scenario which illustrates the unexpected approach of the coming of Christ, which will be a great surprise to those who are asleep as they will be missing out on the heavenly joy and also be deprived of their earthly treasures. But for those that shall be found awake and ready, the Lord's coming will be a happy day, while for those that are not prepared, it will be very dreadful. Thus our ignorance of the day and time of his coming is the reason for our watchfulness, so we must be awake and ready at all times.

And St. Paul, in our first reading, made us know that we are no longer aliens or foreign visitors: we are citizens like all the saints and part of God’s household. We are part of a building that has the apostles and prophets as its foundations and Christ Jesus himself as its main cornerstone. For this reason, we should be more prepared and ready for that glorious day of the Lord.

Dear friends, will you be ready when the Lord shall come? For we are called today to be ready. We are called to repentance. We are called to embrace the new life the Lord is offering us. We are called to a life of constant struggle towards perfection in order to embrace the Lord whenever he comes. Therefore, preparation is the key word. Let us not be deceived when the world suggests to us that the day of death is not coming soon so forget who we are, and then, the day and time will take us by surprise.

Rather, let us be like those wise servants who are prepared at all times for the coming of the master. Thus, we must change our disposition, especially as regards our attitude towards the things of this passing world, in order to embrace more of the things that will lead us to our heavenly kingdom, for we are nothing but travellers in this world.

LET US PRAY, Lord God; today, you ask us to be ready for your coming; increase in us the desire to be prepared and ready for that inevitable event of death so that whenever it comes, it will not be a shock to us, we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. It's a lovely day, may God bless your efforts and grant success to the works of your hands.

Homily For Monday Twenty-Ninth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 21st October, 2024

 

Readings: Eph 2:1:10, Ps.100, Luke 12:13-21

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

IF THE LORD SHOULD MAKE DEMANDS OF YOUR SOUL TODAY, YOUR WORLDLY POSSESSIONS, WHOSE WILL THEY BE?

There is no doubt that the material things of this passing world are very necessary for our well-being. They are gifts from God and he alone gives us the right to them. But what we possess is meant to help us grow in our relationship with God and our neighbours, not to separate us from them, because if we are not careful, too much love for material possessions can be an obstacle on our way towards God’s Kingdom. Little wonder Jesus, in our Gospel passage today, warns us against covetousness and excessive attachment to worldly possessions. This he greatly emphasized with the story of the Rich Man’s Harvest.

In this story a rich man who, having had a good harvest from his farm, thought to himself, “What am I to do? I do not have enough room to store my crops.” Then he said, “This is what I will do: I will pull down my barns and build bigger ones, and store all my grain and my goods in them, and I will say to my soul: My soul, you have plenty of good things laid by for many years to come; take things easy, eat, drink, have a good time.” But God said to him, “Fool! This very night, the demand will be made for your soul and this hoard of yours, whose will it be then?

Here, Jesus tells his disciples about the need to live a life of detachment. He used this story to teach his disciples and all of us about the futility of worldly desires and their pursuits. Thereby showing us the foolishness of human greed, as well as pride and ego. For in this man, we see the uselessness of human selfishness, covetousness and excess desire for worldly possession.

He constantly focused only on himself, saying I will do this, I will do that, ‘my goods, my fruits, my barns, my soul, etc, without any interest or room for his neighbours or the poor. He has no thought of God, nor his servants. If he had looked a little beyond himself, he would have seen many places where he could have bestowed his crops. Thus, there is a need for us to constantly prune ourselves from excess love for material possessions of this passing world.

The fact remains that material possessions in themselves are good, for we would not survive for long without them, but excess attachment to them at the expense of eternal life is grade-one suicide. No doubt, it is difficult to give out or share our possessions, but the ones who give up everything are the ones who receive more in this life as well as in heaven.

For St. Paul tells us in our first reading that we all, like those in the past, are living sensual lives, ruled entirely by our physical desires and our ideas; so we that by nature we were as much under God’s anger as the rest of the world. But God loved us with so much love that he was generous with his mercy: when we were dead through our sins, he brought us to life with Christ.

Dear friends, if the Lord Should call us today, what becomes of our souls and our worldly possessions? Today, detaching and sharing what we possess with others, especially the poor, is a sure way to find life, peace, and happiness. And Jesus is telling us that it will be difficult for us to enter his kingdom when we choose to attach ourselves to the riches of this passing world. Though material possessions are gifts from God, and he alone gives us the right to have them, what we possess is not meant to separate us from God; rather, they should help us to grow in our relationship with God and our neighbours.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we are living in a world where materialism is the order of the day; help us to learn how to live a life of detachment and prune us always from the sin of covetousness and pride; we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a blessed week.

Homily For Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B, 20th October, 2024. World Mission Sunday

 

Readings: Isaiah 53:10-11; Ps. 33; Heb. 4:14-16; Mark 10:35-45

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

WHAT IS YOUR DISPOSITION TOWARDS THE MISSIONARY MANDATE OF CHRIST?

The true sign of a healthy Church is seen and established by the missionary activities carried out by the people of God. This is a fact we all must understand because going on a mission is an important aspect of our Christian faith.

So, today, we celebrate the World Mission Sunday, which began in 1926 by Pope Pius XI in his encyclical letter Rerum Ecclesiae. To mark the 98th World Mission Sunday this year we are presented with the theme "Go and invite everyone to the banquet" (cf. Mt 22:9). So, the “banquet" explains a celebration of community, an open dialogue of faith, and a testament to our commitment to welcome, first and foremost, our brothers and sisters on the margins of society.

Here, we are called to reflect on the missionary mandate that Jesus gave us, thereby reminding us that we are called to be missionaries, professing our faith to the whole world, telling them about the truth and love of God which we have found in Jesus Christ our Lord.

As Christians, all of us, by virtue of our baptism, have received this mission from Jesus. It is not reserved for any group of persons such as the clergy, religious or missionary societies. But every baptized person is obligated to be part of the missionary activities of the Church by witnessing with our lives and by supporting the missionary activities which we are called to do today and always.

But why must we go on a mission? The reason why we must go on a mission and also support missionary activities is that we are beneficiaries of missionary sacrifices of others who had experienced the awesome gift of God’s love and goodness and made them known to us. Secondly, we have, in so many ways, experienced the love of God and his benevolence, so we must extend the same to others.

But the most important reason why we must go on a mission is to establish and constantly renew the knowledge of God’s Kingdom in the hearts of humanity as Jesus commanded us to do. We need to let humanity know about the salvation our Lord Jesus has won for us by revealing the awesome love of God for all humanity.

We will understand the importance of this missionary mandate when we reflect on the ugly attitudes of most people in our societies today and how we are so obsessed with the love of power. People are ready to do anything just to grab power and sustain it. People kill, kidnap, blackmail and condemn others because of their ambition to hold power and sustain it. This ugly attitude of humanity is well displayed in our Gospel passage today when the two sons of Zebedee requested Jesus that he should promise that they should sit one at his right hand and the other at his left in his kingdom.

This unfortunate request was made while Jesus was telling his disciples about his passion and death. But instead of reflecting on the seriousness of the words of Jesus, they were busy quarrelling over who grabs power as most people do today, especially in our country, Nigeria, where many people are suffering and cannot afford their daily meals, but some are busy enriching themselves with the resources of the nation.

Little wonder when the other ten disciples heard about the request made by these two sons of Zebedee, they were indignant with the two brothers. Perhaps because they had misinterpreted Jesus’ teachings about the Kingdom and presumed that it would be a kingdom in which they would have honour and prestige like most people think today.

But Jesus called them and said, ‘You know that among the pagans the rulers lord it over them, and their great men make their authority felt. This is not to happen among you. No; anyone who wants to be great among you must be your servant, and anyone who wants to be first among you must be your slave, just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.

Dear friends, what is your disposition towards the missionary mandate of Christ? How are you contributing to this mission? As we carry out this missionary mandate, we must know that true greatness is found in sincere and humble service to others and not in ambition for power nor by plotting against others.

This ugly attitude is what we often experience in our families, societies and our country today. Where people do all kinds of evil in order to grab power and sustain it. But this should not be the same with us, for we heard what prophet Isaiah in our first reading today said about Jesus: by his sufferings shall my servant justify many, taking their faults on himself. And since he offers his life in atonement, he shall see his heirs, he shall have a long life and through him what the Lord wishes will be done.

Therefore, I don’t know what your experience has been as regards the missionary mandate of Christ. I don’t know which of the characters in our readings can best describe our attitude towards this mission. Are we like the sons of Zebedee? Is our attitude like that of the ten disciples? Is our attitude like that of the pagan rulers who lord it over others? Whichever category we fall in, we must change and have the right disposition which is a call for sacrificial love for God and for humanity.

Today we are called to be humble like Jesus, who came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many. For he is the supreme high Priest who has been tempted in every way that we are, though he is without sin. Let us be confident, then, in approaching the throne of grace, that we shall receive mercy from him and find grace when we are in need of help as we heard in our second reading today.

Therefore, as missionaries and leaders, we should see ourselves as servants and not seek after status beyond our reach or plot the downfall of others. Remember, ambition can be a good thing but only if it is kept in check and if pursued for the right reasons, that is, to serve others.

 LET US PRAY: Lord God, as missionaries, we are often consumed by excess love for power, which we often misuse and abuse. As we listen to your teaching today, may we learn to use the power and authority entrusted to us in humble service for the common good of all. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a fruitful Sunday celebration.

Homily For Saturday Twenty-Eighth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 19th October, 2024

 

Readings: Eph 1:15-23, Ps. 8, Luke 12:8-12

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

DO NOT SIN AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT

Today, as Jesus continues to instruct his disciples on how to relate with him, he made a very vital statement that is so important and different from his usual messages, when he said in our Gospel passage today: “If anyone openly declares himself for me in the presence of men, the Son of Man will declare himself for him in the presence of the angels. But the man who disowns me in the presence of men will be disowned in the presence of God’s angels. Everyone who says a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.

From this frightening passage, Jesus reveals to us that sins, no matter how grievous, can be forgiven, but there is a particular sin that will not be forgiven. That is the sin against the Holy Spirit. But what is this sin against the Holy Spirit? And why would it not be forgiven? The sin against the Holy Spirit is rooted in one's outright rejection of God’s grace of salvation offered to us through the Holy Spirit‘s incessant invitations and warnings. This happens when the will of a person is hardened against God’s mercy and goodness.

Hence the sin against the Holy Spirit is “unforgivable” because it is the sinner himself who rejected God’s forgiveness. This is so because God respects the freedom which He has given us, for he respects a sinner’s decision to firmly refuse to be forgiven. Thus, this sin, traditionally has been seen as a sin of final impenitence, or presumption, which occurs in a situation where someone sinned gravely and then either fails to have any sorrow for that sin or simply presumes on God’s mercy without truly repenting. And this lack of sorrow closes the door to God’s mercy against the sinner.

To make this clearer, Pope Pius X, in our catechism, made us know that there are six elements of this sin against the Holy Spirit, which include: Firstly, by despairing of God’s salvation, which occurs when a person completely loses hope of salvation by judging and undermining the divine mercy of God.

Secondly, the presumption of God’s salvation occurs out of pride, when a person cultivates in his soul an idea of his perfection by believing that his salvation has been guaranteed by what he has done. Thirdly by denying the truth of faith recognized as such by the Magisterium of the Church, by considering his understanding to be greater than that of the Church and the teachings of the Holy Spirit even after an exhaustive doctrinal explanation. This attitude is referred to as the sin of heresy.

Fourthly, by envying the grace that God gives to other people. This occurs when one detests other people's gifts and possessions, ns, wishing to have everything alone, thereby going against the law of love for one’s neighbour. Fifthly, obstinacy occurs when someone resolves to remain firmly in sin and continues in error even after receiving the light and help of the Holy Spirit by separating him/herself from God’s will and rejecting His salvation. Lastly, by final impenitence. This occurs as a result of the complete rejection of God and the invitation of the Holy Spirit during one's entire lifetime even at the hour of death.

Dear friends, we must be very wise, for many false prophets and teachers are operating under the power of the devil, leading people away from God. 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 in order not to let them lead us to sin against Him (Holy Spirit).

Little wonder St. Paul, in our first reading today, says: may the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give you a spirit of wisdom and perception of what is revealed, to bring you to full knowledge of him. So, let us learn how to 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: O God, you promised to send us the Spirit of truth; grant us 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 and never sin against the Holy Spirit. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a fruitful weekend.

Homily For Friday Twenty-Eighth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 18th October 2024, The Feast of St. Luke The Evangelist

Readings: 2Tim. 4:10-17; Ps. 145; Luke 10:1-9

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

HOW ARE YOU CONTRIBUTING TOWARDS THE MISSIONARY MANDATE OF CHRIST?

Especially today, the Holy Mother Church celebrates the feast of St. Luke, one of the four great Evangelists of our Christian faith. According to traditions St. Luke was probably a Hellenised Jew or a Greek who embraced the Christian faith as one of the earliest converts among the earliest disciples of Jesus Christ.

He was known as a physician and highly educated and intelligent, which made it possible for him to be able to give us a well-detailed account of the most important events about the life and ministry of Jesus in the Gospel account according to Luke and the life and mission of Christ’s disciples in Act of Apostles as inspired by the Holy Spirit.

No doubt St. Luke, through his Gospel account, has converted many to the Christian faith, turning many people towards the Lord and calling them to embrace his truth and love. Therefore, Luke has proved himself to be a great disciple by demonstrating the act of being a good missionary, for we heard in our Gospel passage today how the Lord appointed seventy-two persons and sent them out ahead of him, in pairs, to all the towns and places he was to visit.

He said to them, ‘The harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to his harvest. Start now, but remember, I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. Carry no purse, no haversack, no sandals. Salute no one on the road. Whatever house you go into, let your first words be, “Peace to this house!

Here, Jesus gave us the nature and requirements for carrying out his missionary mandate successfully. So, to continue this great mission, he invites his disciples and sends them out, commanding them to see themselves as someone who gives freely of the good they have received from God. Hence, we should offer to others what we have received from God just like St Luke, knowing that it has cost us nothing.

We must live a life of detachment that is, in this mission, we are to depend totally on God's providence. Unfortunately, many of the disciples have to face rejection and persecution from people who, through their rebellious attitude, have refused to believe in God even though He has always been so patient, loving, caring and forgiving us.

So, as we celebrate this feast of St. Luke the Evangelist, let us be inspired by his faith and commitment. Let us follow his examples as we carry out our missionary mandates, no matter how insignificant they may be. We should not underrate our efforts or think that we can't be like St. Luke because of our background or level of exposure.

Rather, we should know that God has called his disciples from different backgrounds and works of life, the poor, the rich, some educated, some illiterate, some privileged and powerful, while others are weak and not too significant. So, our background and level do not matter. What is important is our attitude towards the missionary mandate entrusted to us at any level we find ourselves.

But dear friends, what is our attitude today towards the missionary mandate of Christ? How has the Word of God shaped our lives? How are we contributing towards the missionary mandate of Christ? Today, as we celebrate the feast of St Luke, we recall his great contributions to the Church and the Christian faithful. For just as St Luke gave us the Gospel account and the Act of the Apostles as inspired by the Holy Spirit, we as disciples of Christ, have also received a lot from God and his saints without payment; we should learn to give without expecting reward.

Today we are called to acknowledge with gratitude all that we have received from God and give freely to others that which we have received. For this act of charity will purify us from pride and self-righteousness, because we are all recipients of God's love, mercy, forgiveness, favour, protection, healing and deliverance. So, we must offer to others these same gifts which we have received.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, today, as we celebrate the feast of St. Luke, you gave us the requirements and nature of our missionary mandate. Help us to effectively follow these requirements just like St Luke did. We ask this through Christ our Lord Amen. Have a favourable week.

Homily For Thursday Twenty-Eighth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 17th October, 2024. The Memorial of St. Ignatius of Antioch

 

Readings: Eph 1:1-10, Ps. 98, Luke 11:47-54

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

WHY DO YOU WANT TO KILL INNOCENT PEOPLE WHO SPEAK TRUTH?

Today in our Gospel passage, Jesus continued with his reproach on the Scribes and the Pharisees for hardening their hearts from his teaching, therefore behaving like their ancestors. Little wonder, Jesus, in his reproach, said: woe to you who build the tombs of the prophets, the men your ancestors killed!

In this way you both witness what your ancestors did and approve it; they did the killing, you do the building. Hearing this the scribes and the Pharisees began a furious attack on him. They tried to force answers from him by setting traps to catch him out in something he might say.

Here, Jesus was speaking to the people about the ugly attitudes and wickedness of humanity, well manifested by the Scribes and Pharisees. For on the various occasions when we ought to obey the Lord, we prefer to live and act in accordance with our own selfish and proud attitudes. Hence by reproaching us, Jesus is reminding us that this is not the right path for us to follow.

Instead, we should be more faithful and pay more attention to God’s words and teachings. This he had repeatedly communicated to us through the prophets, which we often rejected and also killed the prophets. Similarly, Jesus despite all the signs and wonders he had done for humanity we still refused to have faith in him.

To understand this great sacrifice of the Lord, St. Paul, in our first reading, says: blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all the spiritual blessings of heaven in Christ. For he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and spotless and live through love in his presence. Telling us how much God loves us and how necessary it is for us to listen to him.

This is what we see in the life of St. Ignatius of Antioch whose memorial we celebrate today. He was one of the most prominent of all the early Church fathers, who helped to establish a solid foundation for the Church in Antioch and also the Universal Church. He wrote extensively to the other Church communities. But was martyred by being thrown to wild beasts in the amphitheatre, where he defended his faith to the very end.

Dear friends, why do we often feel bad when we hear people telling us the truth? Why do we often set traps to catch up with innocent people because they are telling us the truth we don’t want to hear? Today, we are called not to be like the Scribes and Pharisees, who, out of pride and selfishness, rejected the words of Jesus and sought to kill him.

Rather, we should be more humble and disposed towards the words of God we hear every day. We should make efforts to transform our lives and faith more closer to that of Jesus. We should stop opposing and setting traps for people because they are telling us the truth or refuse to follow our opinions. Let us stop building on the past ugly and evil attitudes of people who have gone before us just like the scribes and Pharisees.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, out of pride we often wish to eliminate those who correct us. As you reproach our ugly attitudes of pride and selfishness today, may we be filled with the longing for true holiness and humility; we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a blessed day.

Homily For Wednesday Twenty-Eighth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 16th October, 2024

Readings: Gal 5:18-25, Ps. 1: 1-6, Luke 11:42-46

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

WHAT IS THE STATE OF YOUR INTERIOR LIFE? IS IT LIKE A WHITEWASHED TOMB?

The condition of our society today calls for deep reflection, as so many things that appear to be good are like whitewashed tombs which outwardly appear beautiful and draw the admiration of people, but within them are full of dead man's bones and all sorts of corruption. They call it packaging, the popular terminology used by people to describe how they make things that are not too good to look extremely good, and this has made us lose focus of how we ought to do things right.

This ugly attitude of the human person is what Jesus is condemning today in our Gospel passage. As he continued to challenge the hypocritical attitude of the scribes and Pharisees which is not different from the attitude of most of us. He said: Alas for you Pharisees! You who pay your tithe of mint and rue and all sorts of garden herbs and overlook justice and the love of God! These you should have practised, without leaving the others undone. Alas for you Pharisees who like taking the seats of honour in the synagogues and being greeted obsequiously in the market squares! Alas for you, because you are like the unmarked tombs that men walk on without knowing it!

Here, Jesus is challenging us to think differently about how we live our lives. He is challenging us to look at what is going on in our inner being, our interior life, that part of us that we hide from one another. For most people and the things we see around us today are like whitewashed tombs which outwardly appear beautiful and draw the admiration of people but within us are outright ugliness and all sorts of corruption like the unmarked tombs that men walk on without knowing it.

This is because, like the scribes and the Pharisees, we are interested mostly in the external beauty of things around us while neglecting their essence. We are self-satisfied, and often time think that we are above the law. We often want to look good from the outside but remain ugly and dirty within.

Little wonder St. Paul in our first reading, tells us that, when self-indulgence is at work in us, the results are gross indecency, fornication, and sexual irresponsibility; idolatry and sorcery; feuds and wrangling, jealousy, bad temper and quarrels; disagreements, factions, envy; drunkenness, orgies and similar things. He then encouraged us to embrace the interior life of the spirit, which brings love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, trustfulness, gentleness and self-control, for when we are led by the Spirit, no law can touch us.

Dear friends, what is the state of your interior life? Is it like a whitewashed tomb? Today we are called to build our interior life strong and stop living a fake life of packaging. We are challenged to change our ugly ways of life, to change from within us. This may seem very difficult. But, we need to change in so many ways, especially as regards our attitude towards things in this passing world. For God is calling us to repentance; he wants to come into our souls and dwell.

But he cannot dwell in a heart that is like a whitewashed tomb. Thus, Jesus is rebuking all humanity, he wants us to stop living a life of deception, immorality and corruption in the name of packaging. Rather, we should build up our interior being by embracing the things of the heart such as justice, mercy, love and compassion.

LET US PRAY: Loving Father, help us to build our interior life strongly in your love for we are living in a world of whitewashed tombs of deception, immorality and corruption. Give us grace to be wise enough to discern what is right and pleasing to you. And as we struggle with the ugly situation of this life, may you guide and direct our paths. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. God bless you.

Homily For Tuesday Twenty-Eighth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 15th October, 2024. The Memorial of St Therese of Avila

 

Readings: Gal 5:1-6, Ps. 119, Luke 11:37-41

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

THE TRUE NATURE AND PURITY OF THE HUMAN PERSON COMES FROM WITHIN OUR INTERIOR LIFE

Our society is full of artful deception, dishonesty and fraudsters. Integrity has become virus to be eliminated. Morals and virtuous acts are no longer valuable. Heroes of deception and fraudsters are honored, decorated and celebrated. This unhealthy attitude of humanity is what Jesus is addressing in our Gospel passage today. For when a Pharisee invited Jesus to a dine at his house, he was surprised that Jesus had not first washed before the meal.

But Jesus said to him, ‘Oh, you Pharisees! You clean the outside of cup and plate, while inside yourselves you are filled with extortion and wickedness. Fools! Did not he who made the outside make the inside too? Instead, give alms from what you have and then indeed everything will be clean for you.

Here, the Pharisees were so much interested with the outward appearance and the ‘letters’ of the Law, that they neglected the ‘spirit’ of the Law. However, Jesus made it clear that the purity of the human person is not based on outward appearance of a person but, from the good fruit of virtue that comes from the human soul, because outwardly we may appear to be good and pious, but in reality, our hearts are full of wickedness, immorality and sin.

Little wonder St. Paul in our first reading, reminded us that our salvation is due to our faith in God and not just on the Law or the obedience to the Law. That is why he rebuked those who forced and demanded that every members of the Christian faithful should embrace circumcision according to the Law of Moses. Therefore, letting us to know that without faith, all of our good actions, obedience and the observances of the Law will be empty and meaningless.

Dear friends, the true nature and purity of the human person comes from within our interior life. So, today we are called to look within ourselves, and purify our inner being and so make our outward appearance reflect our inner being. We must ensure that our faith in God is pure and genuine by letting our whole lives be inspired by virtuous and truthful actions in our daily activities. Therefore, we must let our attitudes begin to change our society that is full of artful deception, dishonesty and fraudsters. Let our lives bear good fruits of integrity, love, purity and faith.

This is what we see in the life of St. Theresa of Avila whose memorial we celebrate today. She was one of the most prominent members of early Church, who helped to established a solid foundation for the Church. A life she embraced so deeply and became a renowned mystic and holy woman. For with the help of St. John of the Cross, she was a very important figure in the renewal and reformation of the Carmelite order through which she established the Discalced Carmelites.

St. Theresa of Avila is one of the few female Doctors of the Church because of her immense contribution to the faith through her writings and way of life by which she sought to return the Christian faith to it’s purer state. So, let us learn from her how to 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, our hearts are full of corruption, greediness, wickedness and immorality, give us the grace to purify our lives with virtues of integrity, honesty, purity and love, we ask this through Christ our lord. Amen. Do have a fruitful day.

Homily For Monday Twenty-Eighth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 14th October, 2024

Readings: Gal 4:22-24.26-27.31-5:1, Ps. 113, Luke 11:29-32

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

WHAT KIND OF SIGNS ARE YOU SEEKING IN THIS PASSING WORLD

Oftentimes people want to see signs before they can accept or believe whatever we have to present to them. This is the case with the crowd in our Gospel passage today, as they asked Jesus for signs. He said to them, ‘this is an evil generation that asks for a sign! But the only sign that will be given is the sign of Jonah, telling us that, on Judgement day the men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation and condemn it, because when Jonah preached they repented; and there is something greater than Jonah here with us, that is, Jesus himself.

Here, Jesus presents to us the final recommendations of the end time, pointing out that he is the greatest sign of all time just like Jonah was to the people of Nineveh. He insists that we should pay rapt attention to the signs nature is giving us concerning the end time events, that these signs will make us to have hope founded firmly on the word of God which drives away fear and despair, knowing that the kingdom of God is very near to us.

He also warns us about following those who claim to know when the end is coming. For we may see many of the signs written in Scripture happening already in our time and people are terrified looking for someone to show them the way. We should know that Jesus is the only Way, the Truth and the Life.

And St. Paul in our first reading today reminded us the sign of God’s promise to Abraham as a result of his faith, by comparing between the two sons of Abraham, the one born earlier to the slave Hagar, namely Ishmael, and the one born of his wife, Sarah, the promised son, Isaac, born as promised by God. Thereby giving us the contrast between the two states of our existences, namely our past, sinful and slavery life, and our new and purified life which we obtained through our baptism the greatest sign of our redemption.

Dear friends, what signs are we seeing around us today? How can we interpret the signs of this times, the signs that tell us that this world is passing away? Do these signs make us to dread the second coming of the Lord or do we joyfully embrace it in anticipation? Remember, Jesus warns us not to waste our time seeking for signs, rather we should repent and be prepared, we should remain firm in faith.

He reminds us that he is not just the sign of Jonah, but something far greater than Jonah, and without him in our lives, we will be lost, because the future lies in his hands and nothing can destroy or hurt us as long as we remain faithful to his commands. Nonetheless, what he requires of us in this world is for us to act justly, to love tenderly and to walk humbly with our God.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, in a world full of confusion and deception, help us to remain faithful in following our Lord Jesus knowing that he is the greatest sign of all times. And as we carryout our task this week, may your favour be with us now and always. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a blessed week ahead.