Homily For Saturday First Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 18th January, 2025

Readings: Heb.4:12-16, Ps. 19, Mark 2:13-17

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

A CALL TO LEAVE OUR OLD SINFUL WAY OF LIFE AND FOLLOW THE LORD

The mission of Jesus is often misunderstood by people who feel that they should be the one to dictate to God what to do. But Jesus will always surprise them and use them to set a good example for the rest of us.

This is evident in our Gospel passage today, which presents to us the call of Levi who was a tax collector, a presumably public sinner. As Jesus passed by, he said to Levi, “Follow Me.” This is a present tense command which is a call for Levi to leave his old way of life behind and to begin a new life of following him.

But why would Jesus have any interest in a man like this? There is only one word that can answer this question, and that is grace. Despite his ugly occupation, his ugly lifestyle, his failures, and his sins, Jesus loved Levi, and he called him to a new life.

The fact remains that Jesus never condemned anyone, nor did he judge people by their past behaviour. He is only interested in what they can be now and in the future. There and then, Levi drops everything and goes after Jesus just the same way Peter and Andrew, James and John had also done.

Later, when Jesus was dining at Levi’s house, several known sinners and tax collectors were at the table with him and his disciples. This was a real scandal for the scribes and Pharisees. For them, if Jesus really was a Rabbi he would have had nothing to do with such people. But Jesus replied: It is not the healthy who need a doctor but the sick. I did not come to call the virtuous but sinners.

Hence, Jesus' whole mission is the salvation of souls and redemption of people to wholeness. And the best way to achieve this is by having direct contact with them. But we are often not present where people are most in need of hearing God’s message. Sometimes, we tend to side with the Pharisees and feel we should keep away from sinful and ‘immoral’ people.

Dear friends, we need to learn that the Gospel message can most effectively be communicated to those who have lost touch with God and the meaning of life by reaching out to them. We should not be afraid to reach out to people, especially those who have been captured by the things of this sinful world.

 For we heard in our first reading today that, the word of God is something alive and active: it cuts like any double-edged sword but more finely: it can slip through the place where the soul is divided from the spirit or joints from the marrow; it can judge the secret emotions and thoughts of everyone.

Hence, Jesus calling Levi to follow him shows that with God there is great mercy to pardon the greatest sinners. There is grace to change the greatest sinners and make them holy. This is a great sign of hope for anyone who thinks that God has abandoned him or her because of sin or past ugly ways of life. God is not interested in our past ugly and sinful ways of life. Rather he is interested in what he can make out of us now and in the future if we give up our sinful ways of life.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, your love and compassion for humanity is so great, even in our sinful and ugly ways of life, you never abandoned us. So Lord, when sin separates us from you, may your grace and providence bring us back. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a fruitful weekend.

Homily For Friday First Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 17th January, 2025. The Memorial of St. Anthony Abbot

 

Readings: Heb.4:1-5.11, Ps. 78, Mark 2:1-12

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

GET UP PICK UP YOUR STRETCHER AND GO HOME

The sin and evil going on in the world are putting our faith to the test and most people are giving in to this scheme because they lack the strong will to withstand the suffering, sickness and problems that befall us as a result of these evil actions.

People are running ups and downs, seeking solutions. While the evil ones are taking advantage of the ugly situation to destroy the faith of the people. In fact, one may begin to wonder if there is still hope for the restoration of humanity from this ugly situation. But the fact remains that God is able and willing to heal and restore humanity once again.

This is evident in our Gospel passage today when some people brought to him a paralytic stretched out on a bed. And seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, ‘Courage, my child, your sins are forgiven.’ But some scribes doubted his authority to forgive sins, and Jesus, knowing what was in their minds, said: ‘Why do you have such wicked thoughts in your hearts?

Now, which of these is easier to say, “Your sins are forgiven,” or to say, “Get up and walk”? But to prove to you that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,’ he said to the paralytic, ‘get up, and pick up your bed and go off home.’ And the man got up and went home.

Here, we see the power and authority of Jesus towards the restoration of the paralytic man carried by his friends. A gesture that signifies the restoration of humanity paralyzed by sins and evil.

So Jesus will always begin by forgiving our sins, for sin seems to be the root of the sickness. But sin may be pardoned, yet the sickness remains; the sickness may be healed, yet the sin not pardoned. But for Jesus, healing is holistic for those who have faith in God.

However, this is what the scribes and the Pharisees failed to understand as they doubted and opposed the power and authority of Jesus just like some of us often do. And those who behave like this, the Lord says, that they will never enter his rest as we heard in our first reading today.

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

Therefore, we are also called to imitate the great faith and love of the friends of the paralytic, the love and faith that radiate from the innermost being of those who exercise it. Let us like them, learn to love and help one another. Because the absence of love is the cause of all the problems in our world today.

Today most families exist only by grace because of the absence of love. How I wish we could invest our time and resources in ensuring love and goodwill in our dealings with one another; believe me, the world will be a temporary home for everyone.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, we are paralyzed by the sins and evil we are committing against you and the world you created out of our pride, greed and selfishness. As we come to you in faith, forgive us our sins, heal and restore us once again. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. God bless you.

Homily For Thursday First Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 16th January 2025

 

Readings: Heb.3:7-14, Ps. 95, Mark 1:40-45

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

HOW TO APPROACH JESUS FOR HEALING AND RESTORATION 

In the scriptures and even in our daily lives there is no doubt that the compassionate love of Jesus in solidarity with human sufferings is evident.  Little wonder, we have great events in the scriptures that illustrate the compassionate concern of Jesus in the struggles of humanity and how he wishes to set us free from the shackles of our troubles. 

This is evident in the occasion of our Gospel passage today, where a leper, came up and bowed low in front of Jesus and said to him, if you will, you can make me clean. Feeling sorry for him, Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him and said, ‘Of course I will! Be clean!’ And immediately his leprosy was cured at once. 

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

More so, the story of this leper is a good example of how sinners can and should appeal to Jesus for cleansing, especially from their sins. We should come in faith knowing that God is always willing to cleanse every sinner who comes to Him. 

So, let us sincerely turn to God once again with all of our hearts and with all of our strength, just like the leper who came to Jesus with faith, knowing that he could heal him and make him better. 

This is what all of us must have as well, a strong and genuine faith in God. If only we would listen to him today and not harden our hearts as we heard in our first reading today; who knows, today may be our great opportunity to be restored, and what is needed is to put our faith in action and say Lord if you will you can restore me. 

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

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

LET US PRAY: Lord God, humanity is in deep darkness caused by different forms of leprosies and only you can heal and restore us. For you know our innermost being and the challenges we are facing today, come to our aid, we pray and cleanse us from all our physical, emotional, economic and spiritual leprosies; we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Peace be with you.

Homily For Wednesday First Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 15th January 2025

 

Readings: Heb.2:14-18, Ps. 105, Mark 1:29-39

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

EXPERIENCING THE HEALING POWER OF JESUS

As Jesus continued to carry out his mission of preaching, he also showed compassion and care for those who were passing through difficulties. This shows the love and mercy of God for humanity. 

Little wonder in our Gospel passage today, when Jesus returned from preaching in the synagogue to Simon Peter's house, behold Peter's mother-in-law was sick with fever. 

This is not a minor sickness in the ancient world. A fever was not only debilitating for a short while but was often a symptom of a condition that would lead to death. Thus, our first reading today clearly described how and why the coming of  Jesus and, by taking up our human nature, made it possible for him to identify himself with the struggles of humanity as he embraced us with his love, compassion and care. For he came to heal us from our sins and from all the afflictions we encounter.

So, when Jesus approached Peter’s mother-in-law, he simply raised her and the fever left her. And she immediately begins to serve them, something she was unable to do because of her illness.  

Thus, she was able to render her service to the first Christian communities. She was healed and restored with new strength so that she may again rise and take up her proper place in the community of God’s people. 

Dear friends, God cares for our well-being and is always ready to help us in our struggles so that we can be well-disposed to serve him. Hence, whenever we are sick both physically or spiritually and are cured of this sickness, it is tempting to sit back and accept people’s good wishes and congratulations. 

These should not be our attitudes, we should rather learn from Peter’s mother-in-law that healing is not just to make us well but to enable us to become active again in rendering service to God and humanity.

LET US PRAY: Almighty God, we are sick in need of your healing and compassion. As we struggle every day to serve you and humanity, heal all our illnesses and give us the grace to get up and become more active again to render more quality services to you and our communities. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a favourable day.

Homily For Tuesday First Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 14th January 2025

Readings: Heb.2:5-12, Ps. 8, Mark 1:21-28

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

LEARN TO SPEAK AND ACT WITH GOD’S GIVEN AUTHORITY AND POWER

Oftentimes, whenever we want to communicate something important, it is always the case that we need to back up such activities or messages with authority. And when this is lacking, people may not take our activities or message seriously.

Thus, in our Gospel passage today, we heard people referring to the authority by which Jesus speaks and carries out his mission. For he spoke and acted with God-given authority.

This is even more evident in the manner in which he was able to rebuke the man possessed by an unclean spirit. These spirits are malicious beings that might be demons or fallen angels who have followed Satan to rebel against God.

They may appear mighty and powerful, as Satan, but in the end, none of them were able to rise against God. For God alone is the source of all power and authority.

So Jesus, being the Son of God, wants to show us that he has been given all the power and authority over the evil ones. And through him, we have been given all authority and power over those spirits.

This is what we heard in our first reading today, for we are told that God has given dominion over all things to man, and not to any of the Angels.

Dear friends, it is obvious to everyone that Jesus had authority, his authority does not come from his position in life or from worldly power. Rather, his authority comes from his relationship with God his Father. He listened to his voice and spoke his words.

Therefore, we must learn to carry out our Christian responsibilities with authority and power, just like Jesus. And if we want to speak with authority, we must learn to spend time with God, listening to his voice and doing his will.

Hence, today we are called to recognize that the presence of Jesus in the world brings about victory over the evil ones. The unclean spirit recognized Jesus as the power of God. His power over demons is a direct defeat of the evil one while the restoration of the possessed man signifies the inauguration of God's kingdom in the world.

Now, Jesus has given us the gift of his presence in the person of the Holy Spirit, which God has bestowed on us in our baptism. In this gift resides the power and authority to evangelize the world and to confront evil and overcome it.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, in a world full of evil and intimidation, we need your authority once again to speak and stand for what is right and just. As we struggle with our daily tasks, may we be courageous, knowing that the same Jesus who delivered the possessed man can heal our fears, anxieties and worries, for his presence sets us free from evil manipulations, he who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen. Remember, the power to overcome resides in you. Have a blessed day.

Homily For Monday First Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 13th January 2025

Readings: Heb. 1:1-6, Ps. 97, Mark 1:14-20

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

THEY LEFT EVERYTHING AND FOLLOWED THE LORD

Today marks the beginning of the Season of the Ordinary Time in this current Liturgical year. Today we are reminded of our call and vocation as Christians, which is well illustrated in our Gospel passage today.

The Gospel gives us the account of the calling of the first Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, the four fishermen, Peter and his brother Andrew, as well as James and John, the sons of Zebedee, whom he called just right after he began his ministry after his baptism at the Jordan.

Here, we heard how Jesus called them, and they responded by leaving everything behind, their boat, their families and their profession, to follow the Lord. Today, we are called like these Apostles to follow Jesus, and following Jesus means leaving behind the life we have now and embracing the new life he is offering to us.

When we opt to follow Jesus, our life revolves around him. It’s no longer what we feel like doing, but what his word instructs us to do. It also means leaving behind our sinful ways of life and embracing the holiness of life.

And this is what our first reading today is emphasizing, telling us that at various times in the past and in different ways, God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets; but in our own time, the last days, he has spoken to us through his Son, who is the radiant light of his glory and the perfect copy of his nature, sustaining the universe by his powerful command. Thus, he is the one calling us to follow him.

Dear friends, in this call of following the Lord, what have we left behind? What have we sacrificed? Today, we are called to really examine our conscience to know where we are as regards our vocation as Christians. How have we personally experienced Jesus?

When was your spiritual turning point? Do we have a personal conviction about God that is not based on what people told us of him? In case we have not personally experienced him, all we need to do is sincerely seek God in those common events in our lives, and we will realize how much God is willing to reveal himself to us.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, today we are reminded of our call to follow your Son Jesus, as we respond to this call, may we find inner joy in our soul that will prompt us to spread the Good News of the Gospel with faith and conviction. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Wishing you a fruitful week ahead.

Homily For Sunday The Feast of The Baptism of The Lord Year C, 12th January, 2025

 

Readings: Is. 40:1-5.9-11; Ps. 104; Titus 2:11-14.3:4-7; Luke 3:15-16.21-22.

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

BAPTISM A MOMENT OF PERSONAL ENCOUNTER WITH THE TRINITY

Today, we celebrate the feast of the Lord’s baptism, an event which marks the end of the Christmas season and the beginning of the first part of the Ordinary Time of the liturgical calendar. However, this feast is not just about the Lord’s baptism, but our baptism as well and the renewing of its grace in our lives. The celebration of the baptism of Jesus reminds us of our identity and mission as Christ's faithful.

Today’s feast reminds us of who we are and our obligations and commitment to God on the day we were baptized. This feast reminds us that Jesus received baptism not because he needed it; rather, it is to sanctify the water of baptism and also identify himself with his people, who, as a result of John's preaching, are now aware of their sins and their need for repentance.

So, from our readings today, we heard Prophet Isaiah in our first reading talking about the promise of God’s salvation and the coming of the One through Whom God would redeem all of His people. He also talks about how God would send a servant to prepare a way for his coming.

In our Gospel passage, we see the manifestation and God’s confirmation of these two personalities. For when John had baptized all the people and while Jesus, after his baptism, was at prayer, heaven opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily shape, like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, saying: ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.’

 In the second reading, we heard Paul telling us that God’s grace has been revealed, and it has made salvation possible for the whole human race and taught us that what we have to do is to give up everything that does not lead to God, and all our worldly ambitions; that we must be self-restrained and live good and religious lives here in this present world.

And while we are waiting in hope for the blessing which will come, Paul stressed the importance of professing our faith in Jesus Christ, which is an essential aspect of the rite of Baptism. This, of course, shows God's revelation to mankind, especially about the mystery of the Trinity. A Moment of Encounter with the Trinity and also a moment of revelation of the true identity and mission of Jesus.

Thus, the Catechism of the Catholic Church CCC 1279 emphasizes that by our baptism, we become adoptive sons and daughters of God, brothers and sisters of Jesus, members of his Church, heirs of heaven and temples of the Holy Spirit.

So, we are incorporated into the Church, the Body of Christ, and made sharers in the priesthood of Christ. Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit and the door which gives access to the other Sacraments (CCC 1213).

Hence, let us come and receive the immortality that flows from baptism through the testimonies of water, Spirit and Blood which bear witness to the love of God for humanity. We are told by one ancient author that this is the water that is linked to the Spirit, the water that irrigates Paradise, makes the earth fertile, gives growth to plants, and brings forth living creatures.

In short, this is the water by which a man receives new birth and life, the water in which even Christ was baptized, and the water into which the Holy Spirit descended in the form of a dove. And whoever goes down into these waters of rebirth with faith renounces the devil and pledges himself to Christ. He comes up from baptism, throws off his servitude, and becomes an adopted son of God and a co-heir with Christ, resplendent as the sun and purified.

Therefore, the baptism of Jesus reminds us of our mission that is, to experience the presence of God within us and share it with others, to acknowledge our own dignity as God’s children, to live as children of God in thought, word and action, to lead a holy and transparent Christian life.

We are not to desecrate our bodies with impurity, injustice, intolerance, jealousy or hatred in order to grow daily in intimacy with God and be co-creators in building up his Kingdom on earth.

Hence, every baptism is a moment of decision, a moment of identification with the people of God, a moment of approval, a moment of conviction, a moment of certainties and assurance, a moment of equipment and indeed a moment of personal encounter with the Trinity.

Dear friends, today is a special day for us to remember the graces we have received at baptism in order to renew them. We can recall that on the day of our baptism, we were anointed with the Oil of Catechumens, the sign of Christ's gentle strength, to fight against evil.

Also, blessed water was poured over us, an effective sign of interior purification through the gift of the Holy Spirit. We were then anointed with Chrism to show that we were thus consecrated in the image of Jesus. A white cloth was placed on our forehead as a sign of purity.

More so, the candle lighted from the Paschal Candle was given to us as a symbol of the light of Faith which our parents, godparents and ourselves must continually safeguarded and nourished with the life-giving grace of the Holy Spirit.

Therefore, this is another day for us to renew our baptismal promises, consecrating ourselves to the Holy Trinity and rejecting Satan and all his empty promises, which our world is constantly projecting to us through all means of media and social communications.

So, as we enter the first half of the ordinary time, we are called to reactivate the grace and gift we received at our baptism in order to faithfully carry out the mission entrusted to us by the Lord.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, we thank you for the gift and grace of baptism. As we celebrate today’s feast may we rediscover in a new way the beauty of our baptism and so be filled with the grace and joy of Christ’s presence, who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen. Have a fruitful Sunday celebration.

Homily For Saturday After the Epiphany of the Lord, 11th January, 2025

Readings: 1 John 5:14-21, Ps.149, John 3:22-30

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

LEARN TO BE HUMBLE IN FULFILLING YOUR ROLE IN THE MISSION OF CHRIST

As Christians, one of the mandates that Jesus gave to us is to proclaim the Good News of our salvation, for in this mandate, every one of us has a special role to play. But the question is, what is our role in the mission of Christ, and how are we playing this role?

Today’s Gospel passage presents to us the humility with which John the Baptist plays his role in the mission of Christ. John knew who he was in the sight of God. He knew his strengths and his weaknesses; he knew that his life was centred on Christ.

This was not a burden for him, for he clearly understood God’s sovereignty; he understood who Jesus was. He rejoiced in the coming of Jesus and his role in the mission and life of Jesus. He knew he was the announcer of Good News, but not the Good News itself.

However, he did not have to make a public show of himself. He was not out to promote his ministry or reputation. Even though it seems as if he is becoming insignificant when Jesus arrives, he does not feel so. He aimed to identify Jesus to the people, which he did with all humility as we heard him say, “he must increase, but I must decrease”.

Thus, John shows us what it means to be a true disciple of the Lord. As disciples, we should not allow pride, ambition, ego and selfish desire to dictate how we live our lives. If not, we will easily be carried away by worldly temptations and lose our way by falling deep into the trap of sin.

Rather, we are called to be humble and to be faithful to God at all times. Hence, St. John, in our first reading today, tells us to struggle to free ourselves from sin and reject the path of sin so that we will not end up being trapped more and more in the path of sin, for this may make us end up in eternal damnation if we are not careful.

Dear friends, we all have a significant role to play in the plan of God, John understood his role in the mission of Christ and showed great humility in exercising it. But do we have any clue of what our role is in the mission of Christ? In what ways do we exemplify humility in the little task entrusted to us? Let us learn from John the Baptist how to humbly exercise our role in any task or mission entrusted to us.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, John the Baptist humbly remarked that it was only right that while his Lord and Master increased in importance and prominence, he should decrease, thereby showing and teaching us what it means to be humble servants and disciples. As we contemplate his life, may we learn to be humble in carrying out the mission and vocation entrusted to us. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a peaceful weekend.

Homily For Friday After the Epiphany of the Lord, 10th January, 2025

Readings: 1 John 5:5-13, Ps.147, Luke 5:12-16

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

EXPERIENCING THE HEALING TOUCH OF THE LORD

Reflecting on the ugly situation in our lives, our families, societies and the world at large, there is no doubt that most people are sick and in need of God’s healing touch. Thus, our Gospel passage today presents to us the story of a leper who approached Jesus for healing.

He made this request with faith and trust in the power of Jesus. He said: “Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.” Probably, he may have heard stories of Jesus' many healings. So in response, Jesus immediately touched him, saying: “I will be clean.” The man was healed immediately.

This can be symbolic in relation to what God has done for humanity. For a while, we were still in a state of sin, corruption and deep darkness as a result of the evil activities in this world.

The Lord has not abandoned us; rather, he always reached out to us and touched us with his generous love and often had mercy on us for our sins, which had separated us from God just as the leper had been separated and cast out from the society.

Here also, the touching of Jesus is very significant. No ordinary person would dare to touch a leper. Think of the inner healing that must have resulted from the touch of Jesus, that moment of physical contact. Touch is something we all need but are so often lacking in our relationship with God and one another. Thus, we too, need healing, including the healing that comes from the touch of Jesus.

And the truth is that we all have received this amazing loving touch of God, his mercy, compassion, forgiveness and healing. This is what St. John, in our first reading today, is reminding us when he spoke about overcoming the challenges of this world by believing in Jesus, who, through the testimonies of water, Spirit and Blood, bears witness to the love of God.

Dear friends, I don’t know what type of leprocious problems you are passing through, I don’t know how severe or hopeless your condition is. All I know is that Jesus is willing to help us if we come to him in faith. So, let us put our trust in the healing power of Jesus.

The story of this leper is a good example of how sinners can and should appeal to Jesus for cleansing, especially from their sins. We should come in faith, knowing that God can cleanse us because he is always willing to cleanse every sinner who comes to him.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we come to you today just like the man in our Gospel passage, you know our innermost being, so we ask that if you will, you can cleanse us, our families, our societies and the world from physical, emotional sinful, greed, unforgiveness and spiritual leprosies. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a blessed day.

Homily For Thursday After the Epiphany of the Lord, 9th January, 2025

Readings: 1 John 4:19-5:4, Ps.72, Luke 4:14-22

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

LOVING GOD MEANS KEEPING HIS COMMANDMENTS 

For the past few days now, we have been hearing about love from the first letter of St John. As we know, John is one of the inner circle of the disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is known as the beloved disciple of Jesus as his character and personality portray this, and all his teachings are centred on love.

Thus, our first reading today, centers on the summary of God’s commandments, that is, the love of God and the love of neighbour. Here, John was just very practical because anyone who loves God will naturally love all God’s children, who are, of course, in a very real sense,e, our neighbours. 

We must love every single person because we are all created in the image and likeness of God. It is not possible to separate the love of God from the love of neighbour, for it is one commandment with two parts which will be the criterion for the final judgement of God.

John tells us that these commandments are not burdensome. Not because they are always easy to carry out fully but because we live in the strength of the Holy Spirit and also because they are in total conformity with our nature made in the likeness of God; there is nothing artificial or arbitrary about them. 

To observe them is to become more and more what we are meant to be, that is, living in that image of our Creator, which we share with him. This is the teaching and mission of Jesus Christ as we have it in our Gospel passage today, where we heard Jesus proclaimed his mission and goals as the fulfilment of all the wonderful promises of God’s salvation for humanity.

Dear friends, our Lord Jesus has taught and revealed to us what it means for us to love. He often reached out to us, even to the worst and the most wicked sinners. He always touches us with his love and also calls us to follow his example. But are we willing and able to commit ourselves to follow his example? I don’t know if you have ever loved someone and you show it, or someone loves you and shows it. 

The truth is that it feels right and awesome because love brings healing and wholeness into people’s lives. Thus, it is by loving God in our neighbours that we can share and experience this nature of God in us and by so doing we will conquer the world full of hatred, self-centeredness, greed and sin. 

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, love is your gift to humanity, help us to embrace this gift of love and learn to share it with one another, just as Jesus has taught us who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen. Have a lovely day.

Homily For Wednesday After the Epiphany of the Lord, 8th January, 2025

Readings: 1 John 4:11-18, Ps.72, Mark 6:45-52

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

LORD HELP US TO NAVIGATE THROUGH THE STORMS OF LIFE

Recalling my first time sailing through the sea on a boat for forty minutes with a group of friends. It was fun, we were all putting on our life jackets with all the safety measures and cation.

But I must confess that it was not too pleasant when we had to navigate through the waves of the sea. Then I realized what it means to be on the sea with heavy storms. A condition where the need to look for a Saviour is highly expected.

Such was the case with the disciples of Jesus in the Gospel passage today. It is a story about panic, for after the miracle of the multiplication of loaves, Jesus asked his disciples to get into the boat and sail to the other side while he went to pray. With the waves breaking over the boat, the disciples were afraid.

Hence, they needed help from anywhere. It was at this point that they saw Jesus walking on the sea, and he said to them: “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid”.

This story signifies God's chosen people on a transit of faith, frightened by the guilt of sin and wounded by the waves of the sea, the abode of evil forces and monsters of this world. The boat can be taken as a symbol of the young Christian Church struggling with the world’s principalities and powers, while the storm is a symbol of persecution suffered by this young Christian community.

However, John, in our first reading, tells us that God abides in us and his love is perfected in us, for there is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. Thus, Jesus says: "Do not be afraid" as we struggle with the storms of this passing world for he abides with us.

Dear friends, today Jesus is calling us to journey on his boat of life with an unwavering faith and a repented heart because, the world is being tossed around by the waves of the evil forces, the enemies of humankind. And it is only God who can subdue it, for he has promised to restore us to himself.

Therefore, I don't know the great storms of doubt and fear in your soul as a result of the power of the evil forces of this world. All I know is that with great faith in God, the words of Jesus: “Take courage, it is I,” will surely resound in the hearts of all of us, especially those victims around us and all Christians who live in a hostile community.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we thank you for constantly intervening in our daily storms of life. As we go about our duties today may you guide us through the storms of life. We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Homily For Tuesday After the Epiphany of the Lord, 7th January 2025

Readings: 1 John 4:7-10, Ps.72, Mark 6:34-44

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

GOD LOVES US SO MUCH BUT DO WE LOVE HIM?

One of the common words we use to express our feelings is the word “love” and this word means a lot of things to different people. But what is love? For me, love is God’s nature which he shares with us. That is why love is beyond human nature.

When we love, we are acting out that very nature of God in us. Love is greater than human nature because it is the nature of God that we share. Therefore, to understand the depth of God's love for us, there is a principle that we need to abide by, that is, the principle that says that every day is a gift from God to us.

A gift that shows how much He loves us by sending His Son, whose life-giving sacrifice means salvation for all humanity. But the world prefers darkness to light, life, and death, and these have made the world a difficult place to live in.

Today, in our first reading, we are told that God loves us so much that he sent his Son Jesus to be the expiation for our sins. And the event of feeding of the five thousand as we have in our Gospel passage today, speaks of the generosity of God and his kindness towards us.

Telling us that when God gives, he gives abundantly. He gives us more than we need for ourselves so that we can share with those who lack. In fact, we can interpret this miracle as the fruit of sharing with one another, for it is possible that once the disciples began to share the little food they had with those around, others also who had brought some food with them started sharing what they have and indeed grace multiplied what they have to the point of having left over.

Dear friends, God loves us so much, that he is willing and ready to satisfy our unquenchable hunger for physical and spiritual things. How I wish humanity could give up greed, selfishness, hatred, and embezzlement of our common resources in order to embrace true love for one another.

Let us learn to share our resources with one another for the purpose for which they are meant; believe me, the world will witness another miracle of the multiplication of resources that will be enough for everyone with left over for future generations.

But we have failed to embrace this love, we have failed to share this love with one another or give up greed and our other ugly attitudes. Therefore, let us embrace Jesus and the love he is offering us. Let us, like Jesus, have compassion and love for everyone, for that is the very nature of God which he shares with us.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, we are really hungry and in need of your love and satisfaction both physically and spiritually; feed us once again with your heavenly grace and multiply the little bread and fish we share with others and provide for us the basic needs of life. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a lovely day.

Homily For Monday After the Epiphany of the Lord, 6th January, 2025

 

Readings: 1 John 3:22-4:6, Ps.2, Matt. 4:12-17.23-25

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

DO NOT BE DECEIVED LEARN TO DISCERN THE TRUE SPIRIT OF GOD

In our societies today, many influential powers have deep effects on our lives, coming from various sources under the guise of good, but some are, in fact, evil, leading us astray. So, there is a need for us to examine this false and deceptive spirit.

For the Holy Spirit will lead us to learn how to distinguish clearly where and in whom is the Spirit of truth from the Spirit of Falsehood and darkness. Little wonder we are told in our Gospel passage that the people that lived in darkness have seen a great light; on those who dwell in the land and shadow of death, a light has dawned.’

As long as we are of God and in Christ, we have nothing to fear. We do not belong any more to this present world, full of sin, hate and greed, corruption, deceit and violence. Thus, we must let ourselves be guided by the Lord against embracing, too readily, any doctrine proposed to us.

We must guide ourselves against attaching ourselves, without due consideration, to any teacher that may pretend to have a divine inspiration; because many false teachers are increasing every day to deceive the people.

Dear friends, we must not let ourselves be deceived by the evil power of this world. John, in our first reading, gives us a special sign for distinguishing true doctrine or true teachers from false ones. For him, any spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ had come in the flesh is of God.

Therefore, we must be very wise for many false prophets are operating under the power of the devil who are deceiving humanity and turning our attention from God.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we thank you for the gift of Your Holy Spirit, who guides us against the deception of this world. Give us the grace of discernment in order to distinguish between good and false Spirit. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a fruitful week ahead.

Homily For Sunday, the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, 5th January, 2025

Readings: Isaiah 60:1-6, Ps. 72, Eph 3:2-3.5-6, Matt.2:1-12

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

LET THE STARLIGHT OF OUR FAITH GUIDE US IN OUR JOURNEY TO ENCOUNTER THE LORD

Today the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Epiphany of our Lord, an occasion where we continue to contemplate and celebrate the mystery of the birth of Jesus. Epiphany was first celebrated in Africa, Egypt precisely, where it was used to replace a pagan feast, where the people celebrate the victory of light over darkness.

However, the word “Epiphany” means manifestation or revelation. So it is the solemnity of the manifestation of the Lord the Light of our faith. Thus in our first reading, we heard the prophet Isaiah saying: Arise, shine out, Jerusalem, for your light has come, the glory of the Lord is rising on you, all are assembling and coming towards you. Your sons from far away and your daughters being tenderly carried in the arms.

 In our Gospel passage, we see how the Wise Men, being led by a star, journeyed a long distance in search of the newborn king. They were probably sages in search of something more about life, in search of the true light that could point out the path to the true meaning of life.

This journey of the Wise Men was bold, courageous and imaginative. For some persons, they may appear to be foolish, even a little crazy. No doubt that they encountered many difficulties and experienced some moments of doubt and danger. Yet despite the difficulties, doubt and dangers they preserved in their search and were joyful when they finally found the baby Jesus.

Thus, today the Wise Men find, crying in a manger, the one they have followed as he shone in the sky. They saw, in swaddling clothes, the one they had long awaited as he lay hidden among the stars. Today, the Wise Men gaze in deep wonder at what they see: heaven on earth, earth in heaven, man in God, God in man, one whom the whole universe cannot contain now enclosed in a tiny body.

As they look, they believe and do not question anymore, as their symbolic gifts bear witness: incense for God, gold for a king, myrrh for one who is to die. In this journey, the light of a star guided them; they did not know where the star was leading them. Hence, their journey was very much a journey of faith, knowing that the star was a means by which a great mystery was to be revealed.

The journey of these Wise Men symbolizes our journey of faith and it can serve as a model for us as we struggle on our journey of faith. For the faith of the Wise Men is the first fruit of the belief of the Gentiles, so the Gentiles, who were the last, became the first. The same is our journey, for just as they were guided by the light of a star so we are guided by the light of faith.

Little wonder in our second reading we heard St Paul saying: This mystery that has now been revealed through the Spirit to his holy apostles and prophets was unknown to any men in past generations; it means that pagans now share the same inheritance, that they are parts of the same body, and that the same promise has been made to all, in Jesus Christ, through the Gospel.

Dear friends, we can learn something great from these Wise Men. First, their journey was one of searching and questioning, of fear and hope, of pain and joy. It is not an easy journey. Our journey of faith contains all of these elements. Like the Wise Men, we can expect to encounter difficulties and experience doubts. But, we can draw inspiration from their courage and perseverance.

Also, we can learn something about Herod. As the Wise Men journeyed through the great city of Bethlehem, the star disappeared; they could no longer see it. For them, it was logical to seek the new king in the royal palace, where they believed that wise men were to be found. But to their amazement, the newborn child was not found in the places of power and culture. Hence, King Herod, in anger, seeks to kill the child.

Here, perhaps, we should ask ourselves: is there something of Herod in us? Have we in any way seen God as a sort of rival? Have we been blind to the signs God is offering us or pay deaf ears to his words because we think he is setting limits on our lives and does not allow us to live as we wish?

Another thing we can learn from the Wise Men is that they did not travel alone; they travelled in a little community of three believers. We, then, must not try to make the journey of our faith alone; we need to journey with our brothers and sisters in our community. We need to support one another. However, we have one great advantage over these Wise Men. At the start of their journey, they knew nothing about Christ. We already know Christ and have encountered him in faith.

Nevertheless, the fact that we have not seen him face-to-face means we have not yet arrived at our final destination. So we are still searching, still journeying to encounter Jesus the light of the world. Thus the journey of faith is the journey of a lifetime. The goal of this journey is to arrive at the heavenly Bethlehem where we can see Jesus and experience his glory.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, as we celebrate the manifestation of your Son Jesus today, let the light of his presence dispel the darkness in our lives, in our families, societies and so illumine our paths as we struggle and journey in faith towards achieving our goals and purposes in life. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. God bless you.

Homily For Saturday Before Epiphany, 4th January, 2025

 

Readings : 1 John 3:7-10 , Ps 98, John 1:35-42

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

AN ENCOUNTER WITH JESUS THE LAMB OF GOD

Every day is an opportunity to encounter God through different events that occur in our lives. Sometimes, we have memorable and remarkable events in our lives, but often, we have insignificant ones. I don’t know if you have ever had an experience that made you realize the emptiness of the things of this passing world, a kind of experience that turns pride into humility, sinfulness into righteousness. Weaknesses into strength.

This is the kind of experience the two disciples of John had when he showed them Jesus the Lamb of God. They followed him and remained with him. They encountered Jesus and their lives never remained the same again. This very encounter brought about their true vocation and destiny from John’s disciples to disciples of Christ.

We heard that one of these two who became followers of Jesus after hearing what John had said was Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter. Early next morning, Andrew met his brother Simon and brought him to Jesus, who looked hard at him and said, ‘You are Simon son of John; you are to be called Cephas’ meaning Rock

Dear friends, like these two disciples of John the Baptist, we are called to reflect on our personal experience with God. How have we experienced God? When was your spiritual turning point? Have you experienced God personally? Can we share confidently our convictions about God with others? In case we don’t even know if we have any personal experience of God, all we need to do is to sincerely seek God in those common events in our lives and we will realize how much God is willing to reveal himself to us.

The problem with why it often seems as if we are far away from God is because we are so attached to things of this world, such as greed, guilty passion, evil desires, fornication, and impurity, which is the same thing as worshipping a false god. It is these kinds of behaviour that make us stay far away from God, and it gets worse when one is surrounded by people who are doing the same thing.

Little wonder St John, in our first reading today, said: my children, do not let anyone lead you astray: to live a holy life is to be holy just as he is holy; to lead a sinful life is to belong to the devil since the devil was a sinner from the beginning.

Therefore this new year, we must give up all our ugly attitudes of getting unnecessarily angry, being bad-tempered, spitefulness, the use of abusive language and dirty talk and telling of lies. Thus, we must put off our old behaviour and put on a new self which looks up towards encountering Jesus the Lamb of God.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, you often wish that we should know you. As we go about our daily activities, may we experience You in a unique way and, through this experience, discover our true vocation in life? We ask this through Christ our Lord. Peace be with you.

Homily For Friday Before Epiphany, 3rd January, 2025

 

Readings : 1 John 2:29-3:6 , Ps 98, John 1:29-34

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

A CALL TO BEAR AUTHENTIC WITNESS OF CHRIST THE LAMB OF GOD

As Christians, our duty is to teach and bear sincere witness to God’s commandments by our ways of life. This, of course, points out the mission of the Church in proclaiming the word of God and our part in this mission.

Little wonder the Gospel passage today reminds us of how God has called us all to follow Christ, the Lamb of God and Saviour of the world. For when John the Baptist saw Jesus passing by he declared: ‘this is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world... Yes, I have seen and I am the witness that he is the Chosen One of God.’

Here John is pointing out the essence of Jesus’ mission, whose coming was foretold by the prophet Isaiah (49:3.5-6), telling us about that great Servant of God, whose mission was to bring sinners back to God. Considering this great task of Jesus, John introduced him as a Lamb of God and not a Lion and also described the Holy Spirit as a dove, not a hawk which is more powerful.

Why? Because the Lamb is one of the most gentle, harmless and loving creatures of God, while the dove is a gentle bird, a symbol of peace and goodwill. So these images tell us about the person of Jesus and the approach by which he will carry out his mission.

Consequently, Jesus, the gentle Lamb of God, gently died for our sins, so that we could live in joy and freedom of God’s children, teaching us to bear authentic witness of this great event in our relationship with one another.

This is our vocation and mission, for John said in our first reading: You know that God is righteous, then you must recognize that everyone whose life is righteous has been begotten by him.

So, to all of us Christians, who have been called to follow Christ and have been sanctified and blessed to be God’s people, who are reunited and brought together from the world to bear the fruit of love and holiness of life. So that we can be true and living witnesses of our faith in God, to proclaim His salvation among the nations and the peoples of the earth.

Dear friends, like John, we can say: I have seen, and I am a witness. For we have been entrusted with the great task of witnessing. We are commissioned as Christ's disciples to go forth and make disciples of all the nations, making all peoples God’s children through His Church by the power of the Holy Spirit. We are called to bear authentic witness of our experience of God.

 But how can we achieve this task? The approach is given to us by John the Baptist, who tells us to follow the way of the Lamb and the dove. That is, we are to be the most gentle, harmless and loving children of God, we must be a symbol of peace, compassion and goodwill. We are not to force people to believe in God by the use of intimidation or force, and neither should we use any forms of tricks or false persuasions.

All these methods do not usually lead to true faith and love for God. They may cause people to turn away from God and the Christian faith. Instead, we should love people and do our best to live our lives with faith and holiness each moment of our lives.

Because, if our actions and way of life do not match what we profess to believe in, how can we then expect people to believe in us or the Lord? Instead of bringing others closer to God, we will only end up sending them further away from God.

Therefore, as the year unfolds, we are all challenged to live our lives as the Lord has taught us. We should put our trust in the Lord and make him the centre of our lives in every action. We should show love, care, compassion and concern for our fellow brothers and sisters just as the Lord has loved us.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, give us the grace and courage to bear authentic witness of your Gospel in a world where people are confused and no longer pay attention to your word. This we ask through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a peaceful day.

Homily For Thursday Before Epiphany, 2nd January, 2025. The Memorials of Saints Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen, Bishops

Readings : 1 John 2:22-28 , Ps 98, John 1:19-28

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT IS YOUR IDENTITY?

 

Oftentimes, things happen in our lives 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 everyone. Today, in our Gospel passage, we heard about the role and the personality of John the Baptist in the redemptive plan of God. 

This is obvious when John is questioned by the Pharisees. They asked him, who are you? This is a fundamental question we need to ask ourselves every day. John explained to them that he is just a voice and his role and purpose is to cry in the wilderness to make a straight way for the Lord.

 

This is a fundamental question because it points out the fundamental reality of who we are and what we have identified ourselves with. A lot of people do not know who they are or what they have identified themselves with. 

A lot of people today are suffering and struggling because they do not know who they are and the identity they bear. Some have misplaced their identity with something else, some are putting on an identity that doesn’t belong to them.

 

Dear friends, Who are you? What is your identity? What is the source of your identity? Whose identity are you putting on now? Why are you putting on someone else identity? Why have you misplaced your identity? 

John the Baptist was very clear about his identity, he was clear that he was not the Christ. He was clear that he was not Elijah. John was clear that he was not the prophet, he was only the voice of one crying in the wilderness, making straight the way of the Lord.

 

The fact remains that every human person has a special role to play in the master plan of God. Though some seem to have a more significant role than others. However, whether significant or not, the truth remains that we all have a role to play. 

But the question is, how are we playing this role? Are we playing according to the master plan or against it? Are we confused about who we are and our role in this master plan of God, or have we deviated from it?

 

As the year begins we must ask ourselves the fundamental question: who am I? What is my mission and purpose on this earth? To discover these, we must ensure that we cooperate with God's plan for us and do these three essential things. 

First, we must learn to pray the right way, secondly, we must have a convincing plan, nurture it and not deviate from it. Thirdly, we must be disciplined and strive to live a holy life. Remember, you are God's special child, and your goal in life is Salvation. We are playing our role in the salvation of mankind; our existence means a lot to future generations.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, our true identity is found only in you through Christ your son, as we rejoice and celebrate his birthday, may we be filled with the joy of his presence and through the intercession of Saints Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen,  grant us the grace to live out our purpose and mission in this life.  We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a fruitful day.