Homily For Wednesday The Octave of Christmas. 1st January, 2025. (Happy New Year). The Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God. And World Day Of Peace

Readings: Num 6:22-27, Ps 67, Gal. 4:4-7, Luke 2:16-21

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

LEARN TO IDENTIFY YOUR PLANS AND PURPOSES THIS YEAR WITH THE UNIVERSAL PLAN OF GOD

It is the New Year 2025, so we join the whole human race in celebrating the goodness of God, who has made it possible for us to witness another New Year. So, we thank God. To portray the significance of this day the Holy Mother Church celebrates three great events. First, the Church joins the whole human race to celebrate the New Year, another gift of God to humanity.

Secondly, since this great gift comes as we are celebrating the birthday of our Lord Jesus, the Church reflecting on the role of Mary in the whole event of this season, dedicated today as the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God. Thirdly, following the ugly situation of war and crises in which humanity has found herself, Pope Paul VI chose and encouraged us to celebrate every 1st day of January as the World Day of Peace.

So we are called to pray for peace in our world and also commit our plans and purposes to God this year knowing that every year is a gift of God to humanity. We journey through it in hope, full of expectations, favour, grace and blessing, just like Mary, whom God in time endowed with the great responsibility of becoming the Mother of his Son Jesus Christ, thereby sharing greatly in the universal plan of God for humanity.

Hence, following the role of Mary in God’s plan for our salvation, the Church ascribes some special prerogatives or privileges to her. These prerogatives concern what the Faith of the Church affirms in connection with the Blessed Virgin Mary. They include her immaculate conception, her perpetual virginity, the assumption of Mary and the title Mary, the Holy Mother of God (Theotokos), which is the foundation of other prerogatives.

The solemnity of this prerogative is what we are celebrating today which shows her special role in the universal plan of God, of which our Gospel passage today gave us some details of how she cooperated with the will of God and treasured all the things that happened to her and pondered them in her heart.

This tells us that our success in life is determined by our disposition towards doing the will of God. Hence, we have to identify our plans and purposes this new year with the universal plan of God for humanity. But how can we identify the plan of God for us? Very simple, we were told in the Gospel of John 2:1-11, how the wedding couple invited Jesus and his disciples on the most important day of their lives.

When an embarrassing moment came up during the celebration, Mary, in her usual way of helping people, asked Jesus to save the couple from social embarrassment and even when her request was not granted by her son, she had strong faith that he would not refuse her request. So she said to the servants: “ Do whatever he tells you”

By this request, Mary, who represents the Church, reveals to us the key to a successful and happy Christian Life and the key to the success of whatever we have set out to achieve this year. That is to say that, the secret key that opens the treasure of a successful and happy Christian life is to do whatever he (Jesus) tells us. But what did Jesus say we should do?

Here, Jesus told the servants: Fill, Draw and Serve. Telling us to fill our lives with the water of salvation which he offers us every day through His words and Eucharist and when we have filled our lives with the fountain of his presence, then we should draw from the joy it offers and serve humanity who are really in need and thirsty for the word of God especially at this moment in our world when humanity really hope and seek for God’s intervention in families and societies.

Dear friends, let this principle guide all our activities this year for that is how to identify our plans and purposes with the will of God. So, we must learn to fill our minds with positive things so that we can draw from the abundance of our hearts and serve humanity.

Therefore, this year, we all are called to identify our plans and purposes with the universal plan of God. We are called to serve in any capacity we find ourselves, bearing in mind that one should not strive to be a leader but a servant because leadership is a gift given to one by God.

Remember, you don’t have to be great to get started but you have to get started in order to be great this year. All we need is to ask God to fill us with wisdom and show us what we can offer to humanity this New Year in accordance with his plan, for by so doing we will be successful in all we do this year.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, we thank you for the gift of another New Year, grant that through the intercession of our Mother Mary, may we find strength to do your will always, especially in all our daily struggles. May your grace and favour be with us even to the last hour of this new year. This we ask through Christ our Lord. Amen. Happy New Year.

Homily Tuesday Within The Octave of Christmas, 31st December, 2024

Readings : 1 John 2:18-21, Ps 96, John 1:1-18
Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

LET CHRIST THE LIGHT ILLUMINE OUR HEART AS WE END THE YEAR

As we mark the end of the year 2024 and look forward to the beginning of the new year 2025, we give thanks to God for his grace and favour in our lives. We also need to keep our focus steadily towards the goal of knowing Christ and his mission and purpose for us. Hence, our Gospel passagIllumin' presents to us the unchanging truth about our salvation in the Word of God, Who was with God since the beginning, and Who was God.

This same Word of God has become the Son of God, begotten not created. The Word which came down into the world and became Flesh. Through Him, we have seen the love of God for the salvation of humanity. This is what we celebrate this Christmas season: the manifestation of God’s love in the Flesh, in the person of Jesus Christ, the light that shines in the dark, light that darkness could not overpower.

However, many of us, despite what God has done in our lives, have not appreciated this love and the care that he has shown us. Instead, we chose to follow the falsehood of this world and dwell in sin and shame. To call our minds out of this ugly way of life, St. John, in our first reading today, spoke of the antichrists present all around us.

These antichrists are those who seek to cover up the truth of God with falsehoods and lies by committing all forms of evil against God and humanity. We are called today to be careful in order not to fall into their traps of lies and falsehoods. Thus, we must hold firmly to our faith in God with thanksgiving in our hearts no matter the situation we may find ourselves in this world.

Dear friends, we must learn to end this year with thanksgiving to God in our hearts, for it is not easy to pass through the challenges and overcome the obstacles of the year. This is important if we reflect deeply on the activities of the year. It will help us to understand better the ugly situation we faced this year so that we can be well-prepared to conquer and manage the situations of the coming year.

So, today being the last day of this year, it is a good time for us to take stock and evaluate carefully how our activities this year have been. We have to spend time evaluating what our relationship with God has been. We must resolve and make an effort to be faithful to God and dedicate more time to his works and mission.

Hence, as we prepare to welcome the new year, we should look back and see in what way we can do better, especially as Christians, so as to live our lives ever more sincerely and genuinely in faith. Therefore, let us remain focused and determined in our faith by making firm resolutions that will guide us through the struggle of the coming year.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, we thank you for being with us in all the struggles of this year, as we step into the New year, may the light of your presence drive away all darkness of falsehood and confusion in our lives, families, society and the world, let your peace, favour and blessings remain always with us, we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Peace be with you.

Homily For Monday Sixth Day of the Octave of Christmas, 30th December 2024

 

Readings : 1 John 2:12-17, Ps 96, Luke:2:36-40

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

WHAT IS YOUR PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH THE LORD JESUS AT THE TEMPLE?

It’s always the desire of humanity to have an encounter with God especially when we are passing through difficult situations. This had always been the desire and disposition of the people of Israel as they awaited the coming of the Messiah as prophesied by the prophets. Hence, our Gospel passage today presents to us the experience of Anna with Jesus at the temple.

Anna was a deeply spiritual person who spent her working hours in the Temple, praying and fasting. She came on the scene just as Jesus and his parents were in the Temple. She, too, must have realized the true identity of the Child and gave thanks to God. She then began to speak about Jesus to everyone, especially those awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.

This passage says much about our experience with the divine, showing that our social status is of no consequence in our relationship with God. If we want to be close to God, we have to make prayer a very important part of our lives.

In prayer, we come to know Jesus and to love God more and once we truly come to know Jesus, we cannot keep it to ourselves but must share the experience with the people around us, especially those who are looking for some meaning in their lives, just like Anna in the Gospel.

 Little wonder St. John, in our first reading, admonished us to embrace the love God is offering us through his Son Jesus and not give in to the love of this passing world because the love of God cannot be in any man who loves the world. For the world has nothing to offer us except the pleasure of the sensual body, the lustful eye, pride of sin and greed which finally lead us to destruction.

Dear friends, what is our relationship with God like as regards the things of this passing world? How have we personally experienced the Lord Jesus who has been born for us? How have we been able to share our experience of God with others? If we have not experienced the Lord personally in our lives, the right time to do that is now.

But we need to ask ourselves what is our disposition towards prayers and pleasurable things of this passing world. To experience the Lord, we must love him above all other things and truly desire to encounter him just like Anna.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we are living in a world where materialism and pleasurable things are seriously distracting us from experiencing your presence in our midst, help us to conquer our inordinate desire for the things of this world in order to embrace the heavenly things. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. As the year comes to an end, may the joy, favour and grace of God lead us into the new year.

Homily For Sunday Within The Octave of Christmas, 29th December, 2024. The Feast of the Holy Family of Nazareth, Year C

 

Readings : 1Samuel 1:20-22.24-28; Ps 84; 1John 3:1-2.22-24; Luke 2:41-52

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

LEARN TO UPHOLD YOUR FAMILY'S CHRISTIAN VALUES AND PRACTICE LIKE THE HOLY FAMILY

The family has been described as the nucleus of life and the seed of every human society. The word "nucleus" is often used to describe the core of something. In the context of family according to asocial anthropology Bronisław Malinowski, the nuclear family is considered the core or basis of all family structures.

Family is a domestic church, a place of faith, a place of prayer and a place of loving concern for the good of one another. Little wonder, every last Sunday of the year that falls within the octave of Christmas, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Holy Family of Nazareth as a way of addressing with joy all the families of the world, wishing them the peace and love that Jesus brought among us this Christmas.

The Lord Jesus was born and grew up In a human family. In this way, he consecrated the family as the first and ordinary means of his encounter with humanity. Jesus was born in a stable and had a manger as his first home, but the love of Mary and Joseph made him feel the tenderness and beauty of being loved. Children need this kind of love from their father and mother. It is this that gives them security and, as they grow, enables them to discover the meaning of human life.

The Holy Family of Nazareth went through many trials, beginning from the event of the annunciation, the birth of Jesus, the presentation at the temple, the flight to Egypt, the massacre of the innocents, the finding of Jesus at the temple just as we have it in the Gospel passage today. Telling us that whatever we are passing through as a family, we can draw strength and grace from the Holy Family, who, trusting in divine providence, found their stability and guaranteed Jesus a serene childhood and a sound upbringing.

Thus, our first reading talks about the relationships in the family by reminding us about Hannah and how God helped her resolve the problems in her family. Today, she came to thank God, saying: This is the child I prayed for, and the Lord granted me what I asked him. Now I hand him over to the Lord for the whole of his life. He is handed over to the Lord.’

And our second reading reminds us that love is the source of harmony in the family. So today, demand is made of us and our families to do the will of God at different stages of our lives and ensure the peaceful existence of our families.

Dear friends, in our societies today, family life and values are no longer guaranteed, as the powerful influence of secularism and materialism are fast destroying all the great values and virtues that sustain the family and society.

Today, the only hope we have is the family and our religious practice, which are under serious threat as they stand against the agenda of the secular world. Thus, we must uphold our family values and practices, with fraternal love as the hallmark of sustaining our Christian virtues and values in the family and community.

Also, we must hold on to the virtues and practice of our faith and not give in to the pressure of secularism and materialism. Let the Holy Family of Jesus be a model for us to follow. And as we struggle to build a holy and lovely family, let us entrust all families to Our Lady and St Joseph, so that we do not lose heart in the face of trials and difficulties but always cultivate conjugal love and devote ourselves with trust to the service and protection of life which is a product of the family.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, a lot of families in our world today are struggling to survive as a result of secularism and materialism, which has taken away the sacrificial love that sustains the family. As we celebrate the feast of the Holy Family, may you restore all the families of the world with your love and peace. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Wishing you a joyful and glorious Sunday Celebration.

Homily For Saturday The Octave of Christmas, 28th December, 2024. The Feast of The Holy Innocents

 

Readings : 1 John 1:5-2:2, Ps 124, Matt.2:13-18

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

THE HOLY INNOCENTS: A REFLECTION OF THE SIDE EFFECTS OF OUR UGLY ATTITUDE TOWARDS HUMAN LIFE 

As we continue the celebration of the birth of Christ, the Holy Mother Church today, calls our attention to one of the ugly events that occurred in Bethlehem as a result of King Herod’s love of power and fear of losing his power to the newborn baby our Lord Jesus Christ. 

So out of envy, pride and greed, he ordered the killing of all the male children from two years down. The Greek Liturgy states that Herod killed 14,000 boys, the Syrians speak of 64,000, and many medieval authors also suggested 144,000, according to the book of Revelation 14:3. However, modern writers reduce the number since Bethlehem was a rather small town.

 Nevertheless, this ugly event illustrates our ugly attitude towards human life, showing us that every human life begins with birth and ends with death.  See how the presence of the baby Jesus made the King of this world tremble, frenzy, mad with rage that he ordered the killing of innocent children. 

He did not have any pity for sorrowing mothers, no sympathy for weeping fathers, no compassion for the crying voice of the little innocent. Just as we heard in our Gospel passage: a voice crying in Ramah, sobbing and loudly lamenting: it was Rachel weeping for her children because they were no more. They were slaughtered out of fear for the Prince of Life.

Dear friends, this outrageous event is still happening in our societies today. For how often do we kill the innocents out of our selfish ambitions? Is this not obvious when we see and hear what people do for the sake of obtaining powers and retaining them? When we engaged in all forms of atrocities just for the sake of our political positions and other ambitions? We are not far from Herod when we kill people because of position, power and comfort.

We are the same as Herod when we prevent others from living out their potential. We are not far from Herod when we kill the young fetus through abortion and every other means of terminating pregnancy. We are like Herod when we refuse to submit to the will of God out of pride. We are like Herod when we let envy, jealousy and greed get hold of us and blindfold us into doing evil against other people.

Therefore, we are called today to reflect on the side effects of our ugly attitude towards people, especially children, we are called not to be like Herod who out of fear, envy and love of power seeks to murder Life itself, rather we are called to clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience and truth in following and doing the will of God.

Little wonder, St. John, in our first reading today, said: If we say that we are in union with God while we are living in darkness, we are lying because we are not living the truth. But if we live our lives in the light, as he is in the light, we are in union with one another, and the blood of Jesus purifies us from all sin. 

However, if we say we have no sin in us, we are deceiving ourselves and refusing to admit the truth. But if we acknowledge our sins, then God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and purify us From everything wrong.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, as we reflect on the life and death of the Holy Innocents, grant us the grace to embrace your will over our worldly ambitions. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. As the year comes to an end, hope in the Lord, be faithful, and be steadfast for you are so special to the Lord. Have a fruitful day.

Homily For Friday The Octave of Christmas, 27th December, 2024 The Feast of St John the Apostle and Evangelist

Readings : 1 John 1:1-4; Ps 97; John 20:2-8

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

BEARING AUTHENTIC WITNESS LIKE ST. JOHN

As we continue the octave of Christmas, today the Church celebrates the Feast of St John the Apostle and Evangelist. St. John, as we know, is one of the Twelve Apostles, one of the three inner circles of Jesus Christ, and no doubt one of the four great Evangelists of the Church. As one of the three inner circles of our Lord, John, together with St. Peter and St. James, his brother, were often brought to the most important events in the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ.

St. John, as we know, was present in great events such as the resurrection of the synagogue official’s dead daughter, the Transfiguration of the Lord at Mount Tabor, and also at the agony of the Lord at the Gardens of Gethsemane before the time of the Lord’s Passion. He witnessed the great works and miracles of Jesus.

We will recall that St. John was one of those who remained and followed the Lord at the moments of his Passion, suffering and death on the Cross. He also remained with Mary at the foot of the cross and it was John that the Lord Jesus entrusted Mary his Mother, and also John to Mary as well. This no doubt shows the important role St. John played in the life and mission of the Lord Jesus.

The fruit of this great privilege is evident in the missionary activities of St. John. For he spent all his life in spreading the truth of God all over the world. He also wrote several letters and Epistles and the fourth Gospel is attributed to him. He also received the great vision of the end time event when he was in exile as a result of the persecution of Christians, this vision he recorded in the book of Revelations as we have it today.

So today as we celebrate the Feast of this great Apostle, we heard the readings of his first letter and his Gospel passage. In this letter, as we have it in our first reading today, St John wrote about Christ the Word of Life that has come into this world. Concerning this Word he said: this is what we have heard from him, and the message that we are announcing to you: that God is light; there is no darkness in him at all. If we say that we are in union with God while we are living in darkness, we are lying because we are not living the truth. It is this Word of truth that we are celebrating this Christmas.

However, this Christmas celebration will not be complete if we do not let the Lord be born in our hearts or if we do not have a personal experience of the Lord Jesus in our lives such as the one we heard in our Gospel passage today. Here, we were told about the personal experience of John and Peter, who having heard about the resurrection of the Lord, ran towards the empty tomb with open hearts to encounter Christ, who had died and is risen to save us and remove us from our hearts the guilty of sin and death, so that we can embrace his divine and eternal life.

Dear friends, this is the fundamental core of our Christian faith; this is the victory that transforms us and unites us with our Lord. Hence, if Jesus, who was born for us, was crucified, died, buried, risen, and is alive, who will ever be able to separate us from him? Who will ever be able to deprive us of the love of him who has conquered hatred and overcomes death?

Friends, I don’t know what has been your experience in this world, especially this Christmas season. I don’t know how you woke up today. I don’t know what troubles you mind? But all I know is that today is another gift of God to humanity, a day of joy, a day of victory. I am excited, and hopeful and am going to live it with all joy, not trying to change things that I could not be able to change or try to fix things that do not want to be fixed.

I will not let the ugly situation in our world today or any ugly event of the past distract me today or steal my joy. I will focus on the blessings that come with the joy of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. I will follow the directives of the Lord, for his ways are right and the upright walk in them, but the transgressors stumble in them. Thus, let us proclaim the message of this season and spread it throughout the world with the joyful song of this Holy Season.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, as we celebrate the great event of Christmas, may your joy fill our hearts and through the intercessions of St John, may we spread this joy all over the world, especially to people and places where this joy is lacking. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a blessed day.

Homily For Thursday The Octave of Christmas, 26th December, 2024. The Feast of Stephen, the First Martyr

Readings : Act 6:8-10;7:54-59; Ps 31; Matt.10:17-22

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

LORD FILL US ONCE AGAIN WITH YOUR GRACE AND POWER LIKE ST. STEPHEN

Every day, God makes himself present to us, but we often ignore him or pretend we do not perceive his presence. The truth is that in each heart, there is a secret garden which God has made uniquely for himself and that garden is our conscience. This garden is like a safety deposit vault which has two keys; God has one key; hence, the soul cannot let in anyone else but God. The human heart has the other key, which no one can get in without his/her consent. However, God is always at the gate of this garden with his key but we often pretend to be looking for ours.

This is the ugly attitude of humanity, which is well illustrated by the people who seek to kill Stephen, as we have it in our first reading today. Stephen was filled with grace and power and began to work miracles and great signs among the people. But certain people came forward to debate with him. As they could not get the better of him because of his wisdom. They were infuriated and planned to kill him. Nevertheless, Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at God’s right hand. This he witnessed before them, but they stoned him to death.

Dear friends, today we celebrate the feast of St. Stephen, the first martyr who completely opened the door of his heart and found God; he witnessed with his life and went up triumphantly to heaven. We are called today to open up our minds and hearts for God to fill us with the grace and power of witnessing the Good News of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are called not to be afraid to bear witness. For we may be dragged before governors and kings for the sake of the Gospel, we should not worry about how to speak or what to say; for what we are to say will be given to us when the time comes, as Jesus promised us in our Gospel passage today.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, as we open up our minds and hearts for your words to reign in us. Grant us the grace and courage to bear witness to the Gospel and through the intercession of St Stephen, may we find you in daily events of our lives. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a fruitful day.

Homily For The Solemnity of the Lord’s Nativity ( Christmas). Wednesday 25th December, 2024

Readings:Is. 52:7-10, Ps 98, Have 1:1-6, John 1:1-18

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

LET CHRIST JESUS THE PRINCE OF PEACE BE BORN IN YOUR HEART

Today Christ is born, today the Prince of Peace is born, today a great light has shone on the darkened world of humanity. Today the people who walked in the darkness of sin and shame, a great light has shone, and God has visited his people. So, let us join the angels’ hymn of praise, as they sing out following the announcement of the new-born Saviour: “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace among men of goodwill.”

Today we celebrate the Birth of Jesus Christ, our Saviour, in a manger in Bethlehem. In the manger of Bethlehem, there appeared the great light which the world awaits. He is the Christ, the Word that was with God from the beginning. The Word is the true light that enlightens all men. This Word has come into the world, for the Word was made Flesh and dwell among us, the Son of God who became man. To him, the Father says: “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”. God has become one of us so that we can be with him and become like him, for this is how we come to know him.

Little wonder, prophet Isaiah in our first reading today says: “How beautiful on the mountains, are the feet of one who brings good news, who heralds peace, brings happiness, proclaims salvation, and tells Zion, ‘Your God is King, for all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.” Thus, for those who dwelt in the land of deep darkness a great light has shone. This light means knowledge; it means truth, as contrasts with the darkness of falsehood and ignorance. This Light gives us life, it shows us the way to love. For in him is the fullness of love. Where there is love, light shines forth for the world; but when there is hatred, the world remains in darkness.

Hence, in Child Jesus lying in the manger, God has shown his glory, the glory of love in order to guide us along the way of love. From manger, a stream of light, love and truth will spread to every generation. In every age, it will touch men and women to enlighten them. And wherever people put their faith in Jesus, the grace of charity will spring up, the grace of love towards others, loving concern for the weak, the poor and the suffering, the grace of forgiveness and grace of peace in our homes, societies, and the world at large.

Dear friends, Christ is our Light and our Peace, and he proclaims his peace to those far away and to those who are near. This is why the prophet Isaiah called him “Prince of Peace”. His kingdom is said to be one “of Endless Peace”. Also, Pope Benedict XVI will say: that “among we Christians and Catholic, the word “peace” has taken on a very particular meaning: it has become a word to designate communion in the Eucharist. There Christ’s peace is present. In all the places where the Eucharist is celebrated, a great network of peace spreads through the world. The communities gathered around the Eucharist make up a kingdom of peace as wide as the world itself. For, when we celebrate the Eucharist we find ourselves in Bethlehem, in the “house of bread”. Where Christ gives himself to us and, by so doing, he gives us his peace”.

At the Eucharist Jesus exchanges his Divinity with our humanity. He exchanges his glory with our sadness and pain. In the Eucharist, Jesus exchanges his love with our hatred; in the Eucharist, Jesus exchanges his mercy with our unforgiveness. In the Eucharist Jesus exchanges our sinfulness with his holiness and purity. So, today, he has come to offer us his love. Are we ready to embrace it? Are we ready to say yes to Jesus? Are we ready to accept him and the salvation he has come to offer us? Are we ready to let go of our ugly behaviour in order to embrace the new life he is offering us? The new life of grace, peace, love, joy, faith, courage, wisdom and favours? If your answer is yes, then the essence of this Christmas has been fulfilled.

Therefore, let us join Mary, Joseph, the angels and the shepherds in the manger to sing the glorious hymns of praise saying: “Glory to God in the highest” and on earth, peace to people of goodwill”. Let us spread this joy and peace everywhere we go even to the ends of the earth. And as we do this, may the joy of the child Jesus fill our hearts, our homes, our societies, our country and the world at large, who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.

LET US PRAY: Lord Jesus, we welcome you into the little manger of our life, as we celebrate your presence may you reign in our hearts, in our homes, in our societies, in our country and the whole world, you who lives and reigns with God the Father and The Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen. Merry Christmas, wishing you a joyful and peaceful celebration of this season. God bless you.

Homily For The Vigil Mass of the Lord’s Nativity ( Christmas) Year C. Tuesday 24th December 2024

 

Readings:Is. 62:1-5; Ps 89, Act. 13:16-17.22-25; Matt. 1:1-25

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

WHERE IS THE TRUE LITTLE MANGER OF JESUS?

For the past four weeks now we have been preparing for his coming. Tonight, we have gathered in anticipation of the birth of our Lord Jesus. Tonight, Jesus is coming to dwell with us for an exchange; he is coming to offer his divinity in exchange for our sinful humanity. Tonight, Jesus is offering everything; he is sacrificing everything for our salvation. He is giving up his heavenly glory in exchange for our suffering world. He is taking human flesh and becoming a man in order to elevate the human person to share in his divinity. Tonight, God is unveiling his Word, which became Flesh in the womb of Mary, in order to dwell with us. Tonight the Lord is manifesting himself in a little manger in Bethlehem of our souls.

Little wonder, in the Gospel passage tonight, we heard the genealogy of Jesus, which gave us the historical plan of God towards the manifestation of his Son, the Word made Flesh. From this genealogy of Jesus, we can observe that generations came, generations went, great men and women came and passed away, and new generations continued to spring up as God continued to unveil his plan for humanity. This genealogy shows how the Lord revealed to different generations what he was going to do for humanity. Judah’s kingship over all of Israel was given to David, who became the rightful king and God’s chosen one, and God promised that David’s house would rule over Israel forever.

Hence, we heard St. Paul in our second reading tonight saying: Men of Israel, and fearers of God, listen! God chose our ancestors and made our people great when they were living as foreigners in Egypt, and by divine power, he led them out. ‘Then he made David their king, of whom he approved in these words, “I have selected David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, who will carry out my whole purpose.” To keep his promise, God has raised for us one of David’s descendants, the child Jesus, whose coming we wait for tonight. For we heard the Lord in our first reading tonight saying: about Zion, I will not be silent, about Jerusalem, I will not grow weary until her integrity shines out like the dawn and her salvation flames like a torch.

So, tonight, the Lord is searching for a dwelling place, and the only place available is the little manger of Bethlehem. For down in a little manger lies the child Jesus, no crib for a bed, but, the little Jesus laid down his sweet head on a little manger of the humble dwelling of shepherd and his sheep. Here our God became man and took on our flesh. Our Creator became a creature; the One who dwells in the highest place, now lay helpless in a manger. The One who we so great and mighty became so tiny, so weak, and so powerless in a manger. The King of the whole world had been made a little child in a manger. The Creator of time has been constrained by time in a manner.

This little manger was a great symbol and sign. When the angel appeared to the shepherds in the field to invite them to visit the newborn King, he told them to look for a baby in a manger. But the manger was not just a sign for the shepherds; it’s a sign to all of us that Jesus is accessible to everyone who seeks him in humility. Yes, every humble soul will surely have access to the little manger of Jesus, for the shepherds would not have had access to a baby born in a royal palace, and as strangers, they probably wouldn’t even have had access to a baby born in the confines of a family home. But a manger was accessible to pure, innocent and humble souls.

Dear friends, the questions we need to ask ourselves tonight Are: where is the little manager? How can we locate the little manger of Jesus? How prepared is this little manager? Can we say that the little manger is available for the child Jesus to be born?

I know a good number of us will still be looking for the little manger of Jesus. I know some will tell me that the manager is right beside us. I know that those who are good with the scripture will tell me that the manager is located in a little town in Bethlehem. Yes, there was a little manger in Bethlehem, and there is a little manger beside us here so beautiful and captivating. But the true little manger is not just in Bethlehem, or the symbol of what we have here; rather, the true little manger is my soul, the dwelling place of God, which is located in the innermost chamber of my being.

This little manger of my soul is what the child Jesus is searching for to dwell in tonight. He is searching for a humble soul, he is searching for a peaceful soul. The child Jesus, with Mary and Joseph, is searching for a lovely soul; he is searching for the merciful and caring souls of humanity. The Lord is searching for innocent souls who can accommodate and make him accessible to humanity.

The little manger of Jesus, that’s who we are, but are we available for the child Jesus to come in and be born in us? Are we ready and prepared to welcome the child Jesus in our little manger? Are you going to allow him to dwell with us? Are we going to offer him joyful praise and worship just like the shepherds? Are we going to let him exchange our sinful humanity with his divinity?

What is stopping us from welcoming Jesus into the inner manger of our souls? Will you let bitterness and anger occupy the dwelling place of the Lord? Will you let the desire for the things of this passing world prevent you from opening the door of your soul for the child Jesus to come into the night? Will you let unforgiveness and jealousy send the child Jesus away from the manger of your soul? Will you let the ugly attitudes of your husband, your wife your children or your parents deprive you of the joy of this gracious season? Will you let the present situation in your life separate you from the presence of the child Jesus?

 Why not make your soul available for the child Jesus to reign in your life? Why not let the peace of his presence dwell in your heart? Why not let the joy of his presence dwell in the manger of your soul? Why not let his love propel you to love even those that you find very difficult to forgive? Why not let the child Jesus reign in that little manger of your soul tonight and always? Remember, the scripture says that the Newborn child dwells in the little manger in the little town of Bethlehem, which means “the house of Bread”. That means that the child Jesus dwells also in the little tiny Bread of Life. That is the Eucharist.

So, the Lord Jesus present in the Eucharist wants to feed us with his heavenly glory and love. He wants to dwell in the little manger of our souls to nourish our souls and exchange our sinful humanity with his divinity. Why not open up your heart to receive the child Jesus present in the Eucharist which is going to be consecrated in a few moments tonight? Why not let the child Jesus in the Holy Eucharist reign in the little manger of your soul? Do not let anything deprive you of his presence tonight.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, as we open the little manger of our souls for you to dwell in, may you reign in our hearts, in our homes, in our societies, in our country and the whole world. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Merry Christmas to you all.

Homily For Tuesday Fourth Week of Advent Year C, 24th December, 2024

 

Readings : 2 Samuel 7:1-5,8-12,14,16, Ps 89, Luke: 1:67-79

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

ARE YOU PREPARED TO EMBRACE THE LORD’S DIVINITY IN EXCHANGE FOR YOUR HUMANITY

For the past four weeks now, we have been preparing for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ; by evening today, Jesus is coming to us for an exchange; he is coming to offer his divinity in exchange for our sinful humility. Jesus is offering everything, he is sacrificing everything. He is giving up his glory in exchange for our sufferings. He is taking human flesh and becoming a man in order to elevate the human person to share in his divinity.

This is evident in our first reading today, where we heard about King David, who was now a king of the United Kingdom of Israel, who set out to build a house for the Lord. But the Lord, knowing David’s plan, asked him through the prophet Nathan to stop, for instead, it is he, the Lord, who will build a dynasty for David, a dynasty that will last forever.

Dear friends, Jesus is coming to exchange his glory with everything about us: our weaknesses, our strength, our filthiness, our sinfulness, past, present, future, everything we can ever think about in our lives. But are we prepared to embrace the Lord’s Divinity in exchange for our sinful humanity? Are we ready to exchange our life with that which Jesus is offering us today? Are we ready to exchange our humanity with that of his divinity? Are we ready to embrace the love he has for us? Are we ready to exchange our worries, burdens, sorrows, failures and fears with the smiling, peaceful and loving face of the baby Jesus who will soon make himself present to us?

Zechariah experienced this loving mercy of God and surrendered everything about his plan in exchange for God’s plan for humanity which he expressed in his Benedictus canticle in our Gospel passage today. What about us? What are we offering in exchange? What are we sacrificing? What do we give up in exchange for God’s love in our lives?

LET US PRAY: Lord God, for four weeks now, we have been preparing for the birthday of your Son Jesus; as we await his coming at dawn, may you fill our hearts with the joy of his presence, who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen. Wishing you a fruitful and joyful day.

Homily For Monday Fourth Week of Advent Year C, 23rd December, 2024

 

Readings : Malachi 3:1-4:5-6; Ps 25; Luke: 1:57-66

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

WHAT IS THE MEANING AND SIGNIFICANCE OF YOUR NAMES IN RELATION TO GOD’S UNIVERSAL PLAN

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.

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, 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 on the birth and naming of John the Baptist, of which we can identify three unusual features: first the old have given birth. Secondly, the child has a strange name, “John”, derived from the Hebrew name Yochana,n, meaning " YAHWEH is Gracious", a name which no one bears in the family. And thirdly, Zechariah's dumbness is taken away on account of giving this name.

These brought great joy to the people and they praised God. However, such remarkable events caused the crowd to fear, reflect and suspect 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, such as prophet Malachi in our first reading today, saying: “Look, I am going to send my messenger to prepare a way before me. And the Lord you are seeking will suddenly enter his Temple. Who will be able to resist the day of his coming? Who will remain standing when he appears? For he is like the refiner’s fire and the fullers’ alkali. He will take his seat as refiner and purifier; he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver.” No doubt the mission of John the Baptist was unique and challenging because of his special role in preparing humanity for the coming of the Lord.

Dear friends, what are the mysteries surrounding your birth and your name? Our birth and names have a way of revealing our purpose and mission in life. This shows that we all have a significant place in the plan of God, and our names are not just a common ceremony because they bear the mystery of our mission and purpose in life, which are testimonies of God’s plan for us.

So, why not take time today to reflect on the mystery, the meaning and circumstances surrounding your birth and your 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 which 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, whenever and however it will best bring conversion to sinner even at the cost of his head.

LET US PRAY: Almighty 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, through Christ our Lord. Amen. As we embrace the Christmas season, may the joy of the Lord be our strength.

Homily For Fourth Sunday of Advent Year C, 22nd December, 2024

 

Readings: Micah 5:2-5; Ps. 80; Heb. 10:5-10; Luke 1:39-45

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

SHARING THE JOY OF GOD’S MESSAGE THROUGH VISITATION

As we await the commemoration of the nativity of our Lord Jesus, an event that reminds us and reveals to us the great plan of God towards redeeming humanity. This Sunday we are required to say yes to this plan of God and share the joy of this encounter with people through Visitation. This is evident in our readings today; in our first reading, we heard prophet Micah saying: out of you will be born for me the one who is to rule over Israel; for the Lord is therefore going to abandon them till the time when she who is to give birth gives birth.

These prophetic words came to fulfilment in the life of Mary as we have it in our Gospel passage today which reminds us of the moment when Mary, after the event of Annunciation, received the message from Angel Gabriel about the plan of God for her and her cousin Elizabeth, she came to visit Elizabeth, for both are now miraculously pregnant with child. For at that time, Mary was just having the Child Jesus in her not long after he was conceived in her womb by the power of the Holy Spirit, while Elizabeth, who had become pregnant earlier, was having John the Baptist in her womb, even in her old age as a barren woman.

At this visitation, Mary sang the Magnificat in honour to God for the great thing he has done not just for her but for all humanity. For having heard that her cousin Elizabeth, who at that time had been long barren, had now conceived a child, she came and found out that what the Lord had revealed to her through the Angel Gabriel was indeed true, that her cousin Elizabeth had miraculously conceived in her old age. And herself, about to have a Child without any human relations but by the power of the Holy Spirit. These made Mary rejoice greatly, for it was truly a great and joyful moment which God had shown to all his people.

Hence, this grace-filled event reveals the special role that Mary played in God’s plan for human salvation. So, as she brought the Word of life dwelling in her womb to Elizabeth, Mary became the image of the Church’s missionary activity, for she is filled with the Holy Spirit, ready to visit and bring Christ to all humanity. This also presents to us the joyful moment when Mary, bearing the Word Made Flesh, visited barren and lonely humanity well represented by the person of Elizabeth. Thus, in this act of kindness, we recall the faith and the wonderful commitment shown by Mary as an example and inspiration to all of us. For she obeyed the plan of the Lord and entrusted herself completely to the divine will of God.

Dear friends, saying yes to God’s plan for us is so important. And I must tell us that God has a special plan for everyone, a unique plan. But sometimes it seems as if God has favoured some persons more than others. Well, in the eyes of men, it seems true, but God has favoured each person in a very unique way only that we sometimes do not understand what God is doing in our lives. Our understanding of favour is quite different from that of God. However, all we need is to say: God, here I am! I am coming to obey your will just as we heard in our second reading today, an affirmation of Mary’s response to God’s plans for her.

 So, as Christians, in Mary, we found a great role model for each and every one of us. For, following the example of Mary we also embark on our journey of faith, learning from her obedience and dedication to the mission that has been entrusted to her throughout her life just as we are entrusted with the task of spreading the Gospel passage to all humanity.

But the truth remains that we are so busy with the things of this passing world and have failed to carry out our mission. Today, the streets are full of people struggling and bobbling; the markets are full of people buying, selling, cheating and chatting, and the Churches are full of people praying, singing and celebrating. We are so busy with everything except the very essence of our mission, which is, the salvation of our souls. Today, we are called to reflect deeply and to dispose ourselves to embrace the Word of God with joy just like Mary and Elizabeth.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, only the soul for whom you have done great things can truly proclaim with fitting praise the joy of your presence. As we embrace your words today through the visitation of our Mother Mary, we joyfully surrender unto you, our whole life, our senses, our barrenness and loneliness, for our spirit rejoices at the coming of Christ Jesus our Saviour, and may this joy always remain in our hearts through Christ our Lord. Amen. Wishing you a fruitful Sunday celebration.

Homily For Saturday Third Week of Advent Year C, 21st December, 2024

Readings : Song of Songs 2:8-14 , Ps. 33, Luke: 1:39-45

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

LEARN TO SHARE YOUR JOY WITH OTHERS

Every good news we hear has a way of activating the joy in our hearts, and when this happens, we necessarily want to share this joy with others. This is the case with the women in our Gospel passage today, who received favour from the Lord and decided to share their joy as they play their part in the saving plan of God.

For Mary, having heard that her cousin Elizabeth, who at that time had been long barren, had now conceived a child, she came and found out that what the Lord had revealed to her through the Angel Gabriel was indeed true, that her cousin Elizabeth had miraculously conceived in her old age. And herself, about to have a Child without any human relations but by the power of the Holy Spirit. These made Mary rejoice greatly, for it was truly a great and joyful moment which God had shown to all his people.

Thus, the psalmist today tells us to ring out our joy to the Lord, O you just; O sing him a song that is new for our Lord is coming to save us. Our beloved comes leaping upon the mountains as we heard in our first reading. Therefore, as we wake up this morning may the joy of the coming Lord fill our hearts with passion, love and ready to accomplish great things for the Lord and humanity.

May the Lord give us the grace and skills to face the tasks of the day and help us to share our joy and favours with others just like Mary who shared her joy with Elizabeth. Also, through the joy we share, may others leap for joy just like the child in Elizabeth's womb.

Dear friends, it’s a few days to Christmas, and as we struggle with our daily tasks, may God grant us the wisdom, inspiration and skills that will enable us to accomplish great things today and always. Let us be hopeful, joyful and patient. Fear not, be focused, be ready, be determined and do not delay in preparing, for the Lord is at hand.

LET US PRAY, Almighty God, as we anticipate the coming of your Son, may we be well disposed and prepared to embrace him with joy, who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen. Have a fruitful and peaceful day.

Homily For Friday Third Week of Advent Year C, 20th December, 2024

 

Readings: Is. 7:10-14; Ps. 24; Luke 1:26-38

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

LET IT BE DONE TO ME ACCORDING TO YOUR WORD

As the great event of Christmas draws very near, the liturgy in a special way today, reminds us about the mysterious event of the Annunciation of the Lord, an event that marks nine months before the birth of Jesus at Christmas, recalling the very moment when our Lord and Saviour was conceived in the womb of Mary.

Here, Mary responded to the revelation of God’s Good News through the Archangel Gabriel, saying: I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your Word. With this response, the Word became flesh and dwells among us through a humble Virgin, thereby revealing the arrival of the long-awaited Saviour into the world as we have it in our Gospel passage today.

In our first reading, we heard how King Ahaz also received revelation from God through the prophet Isaiah, of the coming of God’s salvation to his people. But Ahaz refused to accept the sign, out of false humility, saying that he would not put God to the test even when the prophet had specifically said that God would give him a sign. This shows a lack of faith and disobedience from King Ahaz, which is quite opposite to that of Mary, who humbly accepted God’s will.

When compared the response of Mary to that of Ahaz, who further led the people of Judah into sin, as he did not follow or obey God’s laws. We will see that his lack of faith is indeed opposite to Mary’s total submission to God, his pride and false humility are opposite of Mary’s total humility and devotion to God. Hence, Mary has become a role model for all of us, as her obedience and willingness to accept her role as the Mother of God and Saviour is something that all of us, as Christians, should also emulate in our own lives.

Dear friends, this year has been filled with a lot of uncertainty, sorrow and grief, challenges and trials, obstacles, difficulties and suffering all over the world. But we are consoled in today’s Gospel passage that talks about the Annunciation of our Lord and Saviour with the words of the angel, telling us not to be afraid, for we have won God’s favour.

This is to make us know that the Lord has special plans for us if only we can accept the will of God and be humble and submissive to God’s will just like Mary, so we too can say in faith: “Let it be done to me according to your will”.

Thus, we are called to draw strength, faith and courage from Mary in her total submission to God’s will, knowing that despite all the darkness, sorrow and uncertainties in our country today. God will not abandon his people. His promise of salvation is a reality that we will surely experience.

Therefore, let us entrust ourselves in humility to God just as Mary had done. Let us ask for his mercy and forgiveness as we also forgive one another. It is not time to judge people or lose faith. Rather, it is time to pray for each other as we grow stronger in faith and our love and devotion to God. Knowing that he is closer to us in these challenging moments for he does not fail in his promises.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, as the event of Advent comes to its peak, the occasion of the annunciation reminds us of your promises and plans to redeem humanity, as we listen to your words today, may we respond positively to your requests and so be filled with the joy of your presence, we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. God bless.

Homily For Thursday Third Week of Advent Year C, 19th December, 2024

Readings Judges 13:2-7,24-25; Ps. 71; Luke: 1:5-25

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

GOD HAS NOT FORGOTTEN YOUR HOUSEHOLD FOR HE HAS A PLAN FOR EVERYONE

Oftentimes, things happen in our lives and our family that we can not explain how and why they happened. This is to tell us that we are unique and special, because, in our uniqueness, we come to realize that God has a special plan for every household. This is evident in our readings today where we are presented with the message about the visits of the angel announcing the birth of great men giving birth by barren women in the Old and New Testament scriptures.

In our Gospel passage, we have Elizabeth mother of John the Baptist and the unnamed mother of Samson in the first reading. They remind us that God is in control of human history and our families. For he intervenes graciously in favour of the helpless and despised. He knows how to guide us towards his plans for us.

Thus, Angel Gabriel was sent to bring good news to Zechariah and his household. Though he did not believe the words of the Angel. The first message of the angel to Zechariah was: “Do not be afraid, your prayer has been answered!”

Up until now, most people do not know the plan of God for them and this causes fear in their lives. So, the message of the angel continues to be valid, “do not be afraid”, for God has a plan for everyone and through prayers, God reveals his plan for us.

Dear friends, God has not forgotten your household for he has a special plan for you. The greatest plan of God is the salvation of our souls, to reconcile the heart of humanity toward their Creator, to reconstruct the fabric of human relationships and to build up a community of love and holiness in our household.

This was the mission of Samson, John and also the mission of Jesus and continues to be the most important mission and plan of God today. But, how are we contributing towards this mission? Remember, it is on this mission that we discover the purpose and plan of God for each one of us.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, every day we struggle to identify ourselves with your plans for us; grant that we may faithfully follow your plans and find joy in doing them no matter how difficult they may be; we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a blessed and fruitful day.

Homily For Wednesday Third Week of Advent Year C, 18th December, 2024

 

Readings Jer. 23:5-8; Ps. 72; Matt.1:18-24

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

DOING THE WILL OF GOD LIKE ST. JOSEPH

As we continue the preparation for the birthday of our Lord Jesus, today’s liturgy presents to us the events preceding the birth of Jesus and invites us to contemplate the roles St Joseph played in the life of Jesus and Mary which our Gospel passage today presents to us how Jesus Christ came to be born. A challenging moment in the lives of Mary and Joseph.

Mary, who was betrothed to Joseph, was found to be with a child, but Joseph, being a man of honour and wanting to spare Mary’s publicity, decided to surely, with great sorrow, send Mary away quietly. He had made up his mind to do this when the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because she has conceived what is in her by the Holy Spirit, she will bear a Son, and you shall call him Jesus, for he will save his people from sins. We can imagine the great trauma Joseph was passing through when we think about the love he has for Mary. But even in these circumstances, he intends to do the will of God.

Hence, we can see how this Gospel passage reveals to us the magnanimity of Joseph’s heart and soul. He wished to follow his plan, but God was reserving another plan for him, a greater mission. Joseph was a man who always listened to the voice of God; he was deeply sensitive to his secret will; he was a man attentive to the messages that came to him from the depths of his heart.

Joseph did not persist in following his plan; he did not allow bitterness to poison his soul; rather, silently, he was ready to make himself available to the event of the new mission entrusted to him. This reveals to us how deep and great St. Joseph’s holiness of life was.

Dear friends, the challenge to every baptized Christian is to live a holy life and God cannot abandon us in this struggle. For he promised us in the first reading to stand up for us a righteous branch who shall reign as King and deal wisely and shall execute justice and righteousness in our land. He shall save the needy when they cry, the poor, and those who are helpless. Look at how the Lord helped Joseph in the challenging moment of his life, giving him the grace to cooperate with his will even when it seemed difficult; he said to him, “Do not fear”.

So like Joseph, we should not fear to face those challenging moments of disappointment, pain, sorrow, guilt, betrayals, and complex and complicated situations in our lives, for by combating them comes our victory and through the power of the Holy Spirit our souls are purified and the will of God is made manifest in our lives.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, give us the grace to imitate the silence and holiness of St Joseph, especially in a world full of noise, iniquities and distractions. A world that encourages neither recollection nor listening to you nor one another. Grant us the grace to cultivate the inner attitude of silence and recollection in order to fully embrace the spirit of this season so as to joyfully experience the glory of Christmas. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a grace-filled day.

Homily For Tuesday Third Week of Advent Year C, 17th December, 2024

 

Readings Gen.49:2.8-10, Ps. 72, Matt.1:1-17

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

LET YOUR LIFE INFLUENCE YOUR GENEALOGY POSITIVELY LIKE THAT OF CHRIST

Today, we begin the second part of the Advent season; as we know, the Advent season is divided into two parts. The first, which runs from the first Sunday until the 16th of December, dwells on the second coming of Christ, the eschatological aspect of Advent. The second aspect, which focuses on the first coming of Christ at Bethlehem, runs from today, 17th -24th December. Hence, the best way to begin this second aspect of advent is by reflecting on the genealogy of Jesus Christ, our Saviour, as we have it in our Gospel passage today.

From this genealogy of Jesus, we can observe that generations come, generations go, great men and women come and pass on, and new generations continue to spring up as God continue to unveil his plan for humanity. Just as he revealed to Jacob in our first reading today when he gathered all of his sons and their own families, and said his parting words as he was about to die. He blessed all of his children, some more than others, and from among all of the children, Judah stood out to be the one who received a more favourable blessing.

This shows how the Lord revealed through Jacob what he was going to do for the people of Israel and humanity. Judah's kingship over all of Israel was given to David, who became the rightful king and God’s chosen one, and God promised that David’s house would rule over Israel forever, which is evident in the genealogy of Jesus.

Dear friends, this is Christ's generation, but the question that comes to mind is: our genealogy to what extent can it be traced to that of Christ? Can my way of life be linked to that of Christ and his genealogy? The things we are doing now, to what extent have they been influenced by the events of the past generations, to what extent are they influencing this present generation and to what extent are they going to influence the future generations?

Therefore, let us use this great opportunity of Advent season to open our hearts, our minds and our whole beings to the Lord. Let us return to the Lord and focus our attention on him as we renew our faith in him and play our role in his plan of redeeming humanity.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, as we open our hearts to embrace your coming, may you continue to watch over us and guide us in our journey of faith and as we struggle with the ugly situation in our world today, may the Holy Spirit, teach us what to do today, how to do them, when to do them and give us the grace to do them properly. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. May God bless and guide your ways today and always. 

Homily For Monday of the Third Week of Advent Year C, 16th December, 2024

Readings Num. 24:2-7,15-17, Ps. 25, Matt. 21:23-27

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

RECOGNISING THE AUTHORITY OF JESUS IN OUR LIFE

In our dealings with people, we are often requested to refer to authorities in order to back up our claim to know or possess anything. And when such authority is not available, we may not be taking it seriously. Little wonder our gospel passage today, presents to us the fundamental question concerning the source of Jesus’ authority, namely whether it is divine or human. Here the chief priests and elders were more concerned to learn whether Jesus had received the proper human authorization by questioning the source of his authority.

In response, Jesus draws their attention to John the Baptist and his authority, and by so doing, he implies that the source of John's authority is the source of his as well. Thus, anyone who correctly identifies the source of John's authority will identify the source of Jesus’ own as well. Therefore the questions we need to ask ourselves are: What is our notion about the authority of Jesus? Do we have any doubt about the authority of Jesus? How much of this authority dwells in you? The crowds identified the source of John and Jesus’ authority as divine, have we identified the divine authority of Jesus in our lives? Why not ask him to manifest his power and authority once more in your life?

Little wonder we heard how Balaam, in our first reading, acknowledged the authority of God,d, saying: the oracle of Bala, am, son of Beor, oracle of the man with far-seeing eyes, the oracle of one who hears the word of God. He sees what Shaddai makes him see, receives the divine answer, and his eyes are opened. How fair are your tents, O Jacob! How fair your dwellings, Israel! A hero arises from their stock; he reigns over countless people. His king is greater than Agag, his majesty is exalted.’

Dear friends, as we go on with our recollection of this advent season, we need to open up our hearts to truly embrace the authority of the Lord Jesus. We need to build up our interior lives around his authority. We need to be closer to God and continue to prepare ourselves physically and spiritually as we anticipate the coming of our Lord Jesus in our hearts and souls. For there, he awaits our response to his invitation to holiness and love.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, in your divine authority we build our confidence and hope. May you continue to direct and guide our ways and bring our plans and purposes to a successful end, through Christ our Lord. Amen. It’s another week, wishing you the best of God’s favour and blessings.

Homily For Third Sunday of Advent Year C (Gaudete Sunday), 15th December 2024

 

Readings: Zep. 3:14-18; Ps. Is. 12:2-6; Phil. 4:4-7; Luke 3:10-18

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

REJOICE! REJOICE! BUT HOW CAN WE REJOICE IN THE WORLD OF CRISIS, WICKEDNESS AND SIN?

The entrance antiphon of today’s Mass begins by saying: Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice. Indeed, the Lord is near. Yes, every third Sunday of Advent the Church celebrates Gaudete Sunday, the Sunday in Advent season when we are called to rejoice for the coming of the Lord is very near.

On this Sunday, we put on rose vestments a colour that is only used twice in the entire liturgical year, first on a day like this when we celebrate the Gaudete Sunday and secondly on the fourth Sunday of Lent when we celebrate the Laetare Sunday. This Gaudete Sunday is named as such because we are called to rejoice in the Lord forever.

So, our focus this Sunday is on the theme of Joy, and we can recall that for the past two Sundays of Advent, our focus was on the aspects of Hope and Peace. Today, this theme of Joy ushers us into the most important disposition of the season of Advent that calls us to prepare for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ at Christmas, when the true Joy of the Lord will be born in our hearts.

Little wonder prophet Zephaniah, in our first reading today, said: Shout for joy, daughter of Zion, Israel, shout aloud! Rejoice, exult with all your heart, daughter of Jerusalem! The Lord has repealed your sentence; he has driven your enemies away. The Lord, the king of Israel, is in your midst; you have no more evil to fear.

This message of hope and joy came at a time when the people of Israel had just returned from their long exile in Babylon, for they had faced great humiliation and suffering due to their infidelities and stubbornness, their abandonment of God, His laws and commandments. Because of these grievous sins, they were sent to exile in Babylon where they were brought low and defeated, but as the Lord remembered them and saved them once again, prophet Zephaniah called them once again to rejoice.

Dear friends, the ugly situation humanity has found herself today is quite similar to the situation of the people of Israel in Babylon and this can prevent us from rejoicing. Today, humanity has found herself in Babylon of different degrees, and it seems as if there is no hope for her restoration, and this has taken our joy away. Today, we have found ourselves in deep Babylon of sin, corruption, impurity, immorality and evil of the highest order; hence to rejoice becomes difficult.

We have found ourselves in Babylon of iniquities of the highest degree, we have found ourselves in Babylon of wars and killing of each other. We have found ourselves in Babylon of hatred as never before. People hate each other at different levels, colours, and religions, even within our families and shamelessly among married couples.

Oh humanity, we have chosen to dwell in Babylon of greediness, where one will choose to kill, blackmail and tarnish the good image of people just to have it all, I, I, I, me, me, me, is the slogan of the day, if I can’t have it no one will have it. Oh, poor humanity, why have we chosen to dwell in Babylon of immorality at the highest level in the history of mankind?

No single respect for the sanctity of the human body and soul. We dine in sexual immoralities of different degrees and we package them with beautiful names to make them even more captivating. Everything we do now must be sexy in order to gain recognition.

What is going on with us? When will this Babylon be over? When are we going to say no to these ugly ways of life? When will we say no to oppression and criminal activities? When will we say no to killing, blackmail and tarnishing of the good image of one another?

When will we say no to corruption, impurity and greediness? When will we say no to hatred and unforgiveness? When will we say yes to the life of integrity, holiness, and purity of heart? When will we say yes to goodwill and care for one another? When will we say yes to peace, love, kindness and respect for one another?

Today in our Gospel passage, we heard the people, after embracing the message of John the Baptist, asked him, saying: what then should we do? How can we begin anew? How can we say no to these ugly ways of life? John said to them: If anyone has two tunics he must share, that is charity, we must be charitable. He said ‘Exact no more than your rate, that is, a call to quit corruption, impurity, greediness and immortality. ’No intimidation! No extortion! Be content with your pay.

My dear friends, we can truly rejoice when we embrace this message of John the Baptist. We can only rejoice when we say yes to God and no to evil. We can only rejoice when we become agents of peace. And when this happens, we can now embrace the words of St Paul in our first-second reading where he said: Rejoice, always rejoice in the Lord; I repeat, what I want is your happiness. Let your tolerance be evident to everyone: the Lord is very near. Fear not, but let the peace of the Lord reign in your heart. Remember, the birth of Jesus is the reason why we are rejoicing.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we thank you for the gift of your love and joy as you call us to rejoice today in preparation for the coming of your Son, our Lord Jesus; help us to do away with our ugly ways of life that prevent us from obtaining your true Joy. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Happy Sunday.

Homily For Saturday, the Second Week of Advent Year C, 14th December 2024. The Memorial of St. John of the Cross

Reading: Sir. 48:1-4.9-12; Ps 80; Matt. 17:10-13

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

THE LIFE AND WORK OF PROPHETS

In our societies today people often desire to hear the message from the prophet to know what God is saying as regards their situation in life. This is the disposition of the people at the time of Jesus. Little wonder, in our Gospel passage today, we heard how the disciples of Jesus, after their experience of the Lord’s transfiguration, as they were coming down from the mountains, asked Jesus, saying: why do the scribes say then that Elijah has to come first?’ ‘True,’ he replied ‘Elijah is to come to see that everything is once more as it should be; however, I tell you that Elijah has come already, and they did not recognise him but treated him as they pleased, and the Son of Man will suffer similarly at their hand.

Here a reference Is made to John the Baptist, the one who was the Herald of the Messiah, the one who prepared the path for the Lord Jesus as predicted by the prophets. So, Jesus mentioned how John was the fulfilment of those prophecies, and indeed, his works and ministry had prepared the path for his coming into this world. Meanwhile, John the Baptist has often been compared with the prophet Elijah because both of them have some similarities; they lived similarly, travelling in the wilderness, proclaiming repentance and the coming of God’s salvation, as we heard about prophet Elijah in our first reading today.

Indeed, John the Baptist can be likened to the prophet Elijah, who was sent into the world to finish the works that Elijah had once initiated. Though John the Baptist had the spirit of the prophet Elijah, which was not the same as being the same person, both, by that extension, had the same ministry among the people of God, and they used the same approach and efforts to pass the message of God to his people. Both suffered because of their teaching and mission. Jesus also would face the same reality.

Dear friends, today we are called to reflect on the lives and mission of these two great prophets, especially in this Advent season, so that we too may become more faithful by following their examples and faith. We do not need to keep waiting for prophets to come again. Rather, we should embrace the message these great prophets have for us. And their message is quite simple. They are calling us to repentance, they are calling us to love, they are calling us to make the path of our lives straight, they are calling us to embrace the Lord Jesus and the gift of salvation he is offering us this season. This is what we see in the life of St. John of the Cross whose memorial we celebrate today.

He is one of the great doctors and mysticists of the Church who truly understands and embraced the authority of Jesus and so inspires in our soul, how to continue to be in love with the Lord, he said: What more do you want my soul and what else do you search for outside, when within yourself you possess all the riches, delights, satisfactions, and fullness of the kingdom of your beloved whom you desire and seek. Therefore, be joyful and glad in your interior recollection with him for you have him so close to you. Desire him deep within your soul, and there adore him. Do not go in pursuit of him outside yourself for he is deep with you.

LET US PRAY: Heaven Father, as we listen to your words through your prophets calling us to repentance, love and preparation, may we embrace your word and so prepare our hearts for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen. Have a blessed weekend.