Homily For Friday Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 1st August, 2025. The Memorial of St. Alphonsus Liguori. HAPPY NEW MONTH

 

Readings: Lev. 23:1.4-11.15-16.27.34-37; Ps. 81; Matt. 13:54-58

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

DO NOT GIVE UP WHEN PEOPLE LOOK DOWN ON YOU  

In life, people are quick to neglect and look down on others, who they believe cannot offer them anything good at the moment. They are quick to forget that everyone, no matter the present condition is a potential instrument for God's blessings. This is the ugly attitude of the people of Nazareth in our Gospel passage today. 

For when Jesus came to his home town and taught the people in the synagogue in such a way that they were astonished, but instead of embracing the message of Jesus, they treated him with contempt and in their pride they said: ‘Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers? 

This is the carpenter’s son, surely? Is not his mother the woman called Mary, and his brothers and sisters here with us? Where did he get all these?’ And they would not accept him. But Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is only despised in his own country and in his own house’, and he did not work many miracles there because of their lack of faith.

Thus, out of pride and contempt, the people rejected the blessings God had for them. Today, this kind of ugly attitude is what stops people from doing good, because they don’t want to be treated with contempt, and as a result, a lot of people have been deprived of their blessings out of human pride and contempt.

This is what the Lord is addressing through Moses in our first reading today. For he said when you enter the land that I give you, and gather in the harvest there, you must bring the first sheaf of your harvest to the priest, and he is to present it to the Lord with the gesture of offering, so that you may be acceptable.

This is what we see in the life of St. Alphonsus Liguori, whose memorial we celebrate today. He was the founder of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, also known as the Redemptorists. He was truly a holy man and a role model that we can emulate in our own lives. St. Alphonsus Liguori was remembered for his great piety and dedication to serving the people of God, just like Moses. He was known for his simple and yet effective homilies, his courageous and loving outreach to those under his care and in touch with the plight and troubles of the people in his community.

Dear friends, do not treat anyone with contempt, for everyone is a potential instrument of God’s blessings and favour. And if you want to make a difference in life, be ready to ignore what people are saying about you now, forget your past failures and your humble beginning. People may not appreciate you now, they may even say all kinds of things about you, just to humiliate and discourage you.

Put all of them behind you, work hard for your dreams, give your time to it, sacrifice your sleep and comfort, sweat for it, plan for it, overcome all your terrors of opposition, enduring pains and obstacles, with the help of God you will succeed and become a source of God's blessings. 

Then you will sing joyfully to God, your strength, and all the people will gather about you in praise of your God. And they will say: Is not this the Carpenter's son or daughter? Where then did he get all this? Yes, that's who we are, for Jesus is the Carpenter of our success and salvation. 

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, oftentimes in our pride, we treat people with contempt because of their humble background, give us the grace to realise that everyone is a potential instrument of your blessings and favour to humanity. And as we struggle towards our goals, may you, through the intercession of Alphonsus, crown all our efforts and sacrifices with success this new month. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.  Happy New Month. 

Homily For Thursday Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 31st July, 2025. The Memorial of St. Ignatius of Loyola

 

Readings: Ex. 40:16-21.34-38; Ps. 84; Matt 13:47-53

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

THE LORD IS OUR POTTER WE ARE RAW CLAY IN HIS HAND 

A story was told of a beautiful clay pot used to decorate a garden. The clay pot was the point of attraction to all, including its fellow ordinary clay. So one day the ordinary clay approached the beautiful clay pot and said, We have no doubt that you are clay just like us. But how come you have become so beautiful and special that everyone admires you? 

The clay pot smiled and said: There was a time when I was nothing but a dumb lump of red clay. Then one day a Potter came with a digger and a hoe, dug me out of the dumb lump, and painfully separated me from my fellow clay and brought me to his house. I cried out, but he ignored me. 

He rolled and pounded me on a wooden table several times without mercy. I cried out, Don’t do that! Leave me alone!’ But the Potter suddenly placed me on a spinning wheel and spun around and around and around until I lost all consciousness. Just when I thought it was over, he placed me carefully into an oven which is hotter than hellfire. 

Why me! I cried out in anguish! But the potter only smiled and gently said: Because you are special! I struggled, I yelled, knocked and broke several times, but the Potter was patient and meticulous in ensuring that I adjusted to his will. Realising that I cannot win, I surrender completely to the will of the Potter, and he only nodded in understanding and quietly said: “It's not over yet! 

Then he pulled me out of the oven, when the heat had cooled, he carefully picked me up, dusted away some dirt, and behold, I was totally transformed, looking so beautiful and special. And the potter smiled and said: This is what you are meant to be. For God has made you into a special vessel for a special purpose. 

This story reflects our relationship with God, who is our Potter. For God has created humanity as beautiful clay in his hands to be moulded into a beautiful and special vessel for the heavenly kingdom. But humanity has sinned and rebelled against God and his plan for us, just like the people of Israel in our first reading today. 

For knowing how stiff-necked they were, God sent Moses to build a tabernacle of his presence from where he guided and moulded his people along their journey according to his plan after they had repented and turned away from their sinful ways of life.

Hence, we are called to repentance and cooperate with God's grace,  for there will be a day of judgement, of which Jesus,s, in our Gospel passage, used a parable to describe that the kingdom of heaven will be like a dragnet cast into the sea that brings in fish of all kinds. 

When it is full, the fishermen haul it ashore; then, sitting down, they collect the good ones in a basket and throw away those that are no use. Here Jesus is telling us that the kingdom is open for all but not all can be suitable to dwell in it, only those who on the judgement day are found suitable can be admitted into the kingdom, just like St. Ignatius of Loyola, whose memorial we celebrate today. 

Dear friends, God is our potter; we are nothing but raw clay, hoping to be moulded into heavenly vessels. So, all God requires from us is for us to let him mould us to become his heavenly vessels. No doubt that sin has destroyed our original nature, but just like when a potter was shaping spoils in his hands and he formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him. So will God re-mould us into a new vessel for his heavenly kingdom if we repent from our pride and sinful ways of life. 

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, sin and pride have separated humanity from your plans for us. Today, we come to you like a lump of clay in a dump, be our Potter once again and remould us into the heavenly vessels which you planned for us. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. God bless you.

Homily For Wednesday Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 30th July, 2025

 

Readings: Ex. 34:29-35; Ps. 99; Matt 13:44-46

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

SEARCHING FOR THE ULTIMATE TREASURE OF LIFE

From the day we were born till the day we die, our lives can be likened to one who is searching for something so precious, like a treasure. And at the point of death, it appears as if one has found all he or she has been searching and looking for, and then sells all he or she has in order to abandon all they have in this world in order to buy that which they have found. Thus, today we are called to reflect on what should be that precious and ultimate treasure. 

So, in the Gospel passage today, Jesus used two parables to describe to the people that the kingdom of God is the greatest and ultimate treasure anyone can and should acquire. He said to them: the kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field which someone has found; he hides it again, goes off happy, sells everything he owns and buys the field. Again, he said, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls; when he finds one of great value, he goes and sells everything he owns and buys it.

Here, the parables describe the kingdom of God as the ultimate treasure that cannot be compared to anything whatsoever we have in this world. Though the kingdom is open for all, not all can be suitable to dwell in it; only those who on the judgement day are found suitable can be admitted into the kingdom. 

Using these parables Jesus explains what the kingdom of heaven is like and what we need to do in order to acquire it. The essence of these parables is to remind us that the kingdom of heaven is so precious and great, that it is worth more than our entire life and our worldly possessions and treasures. 

Therefore, we must do all that it takes to ensure that we acquire it, losing it over the temporal worldly pleasure, fame, power and influence of the things of this passing world will be complete foolishness. For none of them last forever, and what good is it for us to gain the whole world but lose our souls out of God’s kingdom. For it is the glory of this kingdom that made the skin on the face of Moses in our first reading shine so much that the people of Israel would not dare to come near him.

Dear friends, what are you searching for in this passing world? What is your ultimate treasure in this life? How many of us are paying attention to this ultimate heavenly treasure? How many of us think and search for this ultimate treasure of our souls? 

One thing brought us into this world, and there is only one thing we can leave in this world, and there is only one thing we can take away from this world as our ultimate treasure, that is Love. Yes, Love is our ultimate treasure and as we know God is Love.

So,  how many of us desire to personally discover God in our lives? How I wish we would understand the shortness of this life, the emptiness of this passing world and the danger of losing our souls out of greed for the things of this passing world. 

Then, we will sincerely desire to experience God personally, because in him lies the greatest and ultimate treasure of life. And discovering God personally in our lives is the greatest treasure anyone can ever have. Remember, God is Love, have you discovered Love? Then you have discovered God and His Kingdom.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, the world is full of distractions from false treasures, give us a wise and discerning heart in order to give up all our attachments to worldly possessions in pursuit of True Love, the heavenly and ultimate treasure of your kingdom. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Peace be with you.

Homily For Tuesday, Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time, Year C, 29th July, 2025. The Memorial of SS. Martha, Mary and Lazarus

Readings: Ex. 33:7-11.34:5-9.28; Ps. 103, Luke 10:38-42

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

DON’T BE TOO BUSY AND ANXIOUS ABOUT THE THINGS OF THIS PASSING WORLD. LEARN TO LISTEN TO GOD 

Today we celebrate the memorial of Saints, Martha, Mary and Lazarus very close family friends of Jesus. In this family, we see what should be a good example of our attitude towards Jesus in our families. In our relationship with Jesus, we often do not know what Jesus requires from us.  Oftentimes, we worry about so many things in life, and this often distracts us from relating to Jesus properly. But Jesus will always have a way of teaching us how to relate to him despite our different charisms and dispositions. 

This is what is playing out in our Gospel passage today, where we heard the story of how Martha was so busy trying to make Jesus comfortable as he visited them at their house in Bethany. But when Martha observed that her sister Mary was not helping out in the preparation, rather was busy listening to Jesus, she said to Jesus: “Lord, do you not care that my sister is leaving me to do the serving all by myself? Please tell her to help me.’ But the Lord answered: ‘Martha, Martha,’ ‘you worry and fret about so many things, and yet few are needed, indeed only one. It is Mary who has chosen the better part; it is not to be taken from her”.

 

Here, Jesus is not condemning this great sacrificial virtue nor condoning laziness. Rather, he is saying that being busy without listening and listening without doing is completely worthless. Because in our relationship with him, Jesus wants us to learn how to listen to him even in our busy schedules. 

Hence, he gently corrected the impression of Martha who was too busy and distracted with so many things that she risks losing sight of what is really important, that is, listening to Jesus. This is because Martha gives the impression that Mary is just sitting there doing nothing. But, in fact, she was listening to Jesus. 

However, Jesus is not telling us to be content with sitting down to listen to his word, for he always insists that the best way of listening to his word is by putting it into practice. His objection to Martha is that she was too anxious and distracted by many things, so she was not able to really listen to him, and for Jesus, listening is the best option. 

This act of listening to God is what the people in the first reading today failed to do. That is why in our first reading, Moses, while praying for the people of Israel who have failed to listen to God, said: ‘If I have indeed won your favour, Lord,’ I beg. True, they are stiff-necked people, but forgive us our faults and our sins, and adopt us as your heritage. 

Dear friends, in our relationship with Jesus, are we more of a listener or more of an accommodating and caring person? Are we more like Martha, Mary or Lazarus for they were all close family friends of Jesus? Today, many of us are so busy and anxious about so many things that we have no time to listen to God speaking to us and addressing the situation we are actually busy trying to solve. 

Today we are called like Martha to pause and listen, so that we can hear God speaking to us and directing us towards the right path. Remember, Martha who was known as a friend of Jesus, loved to welcome him into her home, let us also learn from her, for it is a great virtue to be hospitable and caring especially when we spend quality time to listen to God and letting him direct and guide us towards carrying out our daily tasks without being distracted by the things of this passing world. 

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we are anxious and worried about so many things, but indeed only one thing is needed, give us the grace to truly listen to your word and so have a caring and hospitable family just like St. Martha, Mary and Lazarus. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a fruitful weekend.

Homily For Monday Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 28th July, 2025

 

Readings: Ex . 32:15-24.30-34; Ps. 106; Matt. 13:31-35

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

WHAT KIND OF SEED ARE YOU NURTURING  IN YOUR HEART? 

Using a simple story to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson has always been one of the characteristics of Jesus when addressing the people regarding very important things. By couching his teaching in parables, Jesus made certain points much clearer to his audience. 

This is evident in our Gospel passage today, where he told us two parables: the parable of the mustard seed and the parable of the Leaven,

using them to describe the nature of God’s kingdom, which he came to establish in the hearts of humanity. 

In the scriptures especially in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus used the mustard seed in two different analogies. First, in today’s Gospel passage, Jesus compares the Kingdom of God to a mustard seed growing from the Word of God spoken to the hearts of his few disciples, which will grow and spread to the hearts of all humanity. This analogy focuses on the size of the seed that grows to become a mighty tree that gives shelter and salvation to all.

The second analogy of the mustard seed is found in Matt. 17:20. In this analogy, Jesus is not speaking of the size of the mustard seed, but the faith of the people as that of a mustard seed. Telling us that just as the mustard seed responds to the word of God and grows into a mighty tree, so will the faith of the people grow into a great vessel through hearing and doing the word of God. However, God has given humanity the freedom to choose whether to hear his word and embrace the faith so as to bear fruits of the kingdom or to reject it and perish. 

Nevertheless, these two analogies of the mustard seed symbolise the humble beginnings of the Christian faith, which is well nurtured and watered by the Holy Spirit to grow and give life and hospitality to all the people of the world. However, we know that there are good-for-nothing seeds present in this world to deceive people from listening to God’s word. 

Such seeds include: fear, regrets, doubt, jealousy, hatred, disrespect, greediness, lying, gossip, impurity, wickedness and all sorts of sinful acts. For those who embrace these good-for-nothing seeds follow the dictates of their own hard hearts and will soon be thrown away as good-for-nothing, because they have not listened to God’s words.

Therefore, let us not embrace such good-for-nothing seeds; rather, we should learn to embrace the mustard seed of faith entrusted to us and nurture it. We must let the word of God dwell in his heart and bear great fruit that will become a great instrument for God’s salvation for humanity. We are also entrusted with different seeds of responsibilities that seem very little as a mustard seed, but are we nurturing them to grow into great trees for God’s Kingdom?

Dear friends, in the world today, we have different kinds of responsibilities in the form of seeds. But the question remains, what kind of seeds are we embracing and watering in our lives today? Are we watering valuable mustard seeds of faith and love or weeds of fear, regrets, doubt, jealousy, hatred, disrespect, greediness, lying, gossip, impurity, wickedness and all kinds of sinful deeds that will destroy us? 

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

LET US PRAY: Lord God, as you sow the seeds of your word and faith in our hearts, give us the grace to grow it into the mustard tree of love, holiness and hospitality. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a fruitful week ahead.

Homily For Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C, 27th July, 2025. The World Day For Grandparents and the Elderly

 

Reading: Gen. 18:20-32; Ps. 138; Col. 2:12-14; Luke 11:1-13

Rev.  Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

PRAYER REQUIRES PATIENCE, PERSEVERANCE AND PERSISTENCE DIALOGUE WITH GOD

As contingent beings, it is common for human beings to reach out to other people when we need something. And oftentimes we seek the intervention of God, especially in some difficult needs and situations.  No doubt that a good number of us have in one way or the other looked up to God or people for help. 

I don’t know if you have ever been truly in need of something from a friend who is capable of giving you what you need, but you have not found a way to ask him to give you what you need now? Or have you been in a situation where you needed something from a friend but couldn't get it because you didn’t know how to reach them easily? Such a situation can put one under serious pressure. 

Then the question that comes to mind is, are we going to give up or persevere in our struggles on waiting or reaching out to him? This kind of disposition is what we experience sometimes when we pray and our requests are yet to be granted because we don’t really know how to dialogue with God in prayer.

Hence, the disciples of Jesus, knowing how important prayer is, and having watched Jesus pray, asked him to teach them how to pray, as we have it in our Gospel passage today, where Jesus taught them our Lord’s Prayer. As we know prayer is a means of communication between God and humanity. It is a close link by which we reach God who dwells in our hearts. It is through prayer that we discern the will of God for us.  Thus we can learn how to dialogue with God in prayer from this prayer Jesus taught his disciples the pattern of all prayers 

In this prayer, we have four traditional dimensions of prayer, which include: glorification of God, submission, justice and protection. Jesus begins by saying: Father, hallowed be thy name thy kingdom come, thereby teaching us that we begin any of our prayers by glorifying God. 

Following this is our total submission to God’s providence when we say: Give us each day our daily bread. Then, we acknowledge the justice and mercy of God when we say: Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who have sinned against us. And finally, we ask for God’s guidance and protection when we say: Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from all evil.

This tells us that we should approach God with confidence as a friend, persisting until we obtain what we need as Jesus illustrated with the story of a father and his son and a man who had a visitor and needed the help of his neighbours. With this illustration, Jesus emphasised that if we, who are prone to evil, know how to give good gifts to our children, how much more shall the heavenly Father give to those who ask him. 

So, we should learn how to keep on asking, seeking, and knocking in prayer until we obtain the answer we need. Just like a boy asking his father for a fish or an egg, knowing that his father would not give him a snake or a scorpion instead of the fish or egg he had requested. 

This is what Abraham demonstrated in our first reading when he kept asking for God’s mercy on behalf of the sinful cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. But more than Abraham interceded for Sodom and Gomorrah, the Lord Jesus sacrificed his life for the redemption of humanity. 

This is what St. Paul in our second reading today made us know when he said: The Lord has brought you to life with him, he has forgiven us all our sins. He has overridden the Law, and cancelled every record of the debt that we had to pay; he has done away with it by nailing it to the cross. This of course, shows us how God is willing to hear us whenever we call on him in prayer.

 Dear friends, as contingent beings, there are times when we ask and we receive, seek and find, knock and it is opened to us. But there were also times when we asked but did not receive, sought but did not find, knocked but the door remained shut. In such moments, persistence and perseverance in prayer are what we are called to embrace. 

These will help us to understand how to trust God knowing that he does not need to be informed of our needs, thereby encouraging us never to lose heart. This is certainly one of the biggest challenges of our faith today. People are not just patient with God. We want to have everything right now as it is hot. Patient, persistence and perseverance are very difficult virtues for most people today. Let us learn from our elderly people whom we celebrate today. For their lives teach us patience and perseverance. 

Therefore, it is time for us to change our perspective and wrong disposition towards prayers. It is time for us to spend more quality moments in prayer and be connected with God. We must let our prayers also be meaningful and genuine from our hearts. It is time for us to improve the quality of our prayer life by imitating Jesus, who always prayed to his heavenly Father at every possible opportunity. 

But some of us end up spending lots of time reciting the prayers, and yet we do not mean what we say, because we have not learnt how to dialogue with God in prayer, especially when we have a wrong disposition born from an unforgiving heart, which must be redirected before we can get a positive response from God. 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, oftentimes we are not patient with you in our prayers, because we don't know how to dialogue with you in prayers. Give us the grace to learn how to dialogue with you and to persevere and be persistent in our prayer life and in every other thing we do in life, especially in our relationship with others. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Happy Sunday.

Homily For Saturday Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 26th July, 2025. The Memorial of SS. Joachim and Anne

Readings: Ex . 24:3-8; Ps. 50; Matt. 13:24-30

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

THE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION OF EVIL IN THE WORLD CREATED BY GOD WHO IS ALL GOOD 

Oftentimes when we reflect on the ugly events that happen around us, we wonder why God, who is so good and powerful, permits the evil we see and experience in the world He created. And sometimes, the evil ones are so cruel that we wish that God should just wipe them away from the face of the earth, and when this does not come forth, we complain and even doubt the power of God over this evil. 

The answer to this ugly phenomenon is found in the parable of today's Gospel passage. Here the sower has sown good seed in his field for a healthy wheat harvest. But in the dark of night, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat. 

So when the plants came up and bore grain, the weeds appeared as well. What Matthew most likely refers to as weed is darnel or cockle, a harmful weed that closely resembles wheat and is common in Israel. The difference between darnel and real wheat is evident only when the plants mature and the ears appear. 

So, when the servants notice the weeds, their first response is to question the quality of the seed. Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from? When the master replies that an enemy has sown the weeds, the slaves are anxious to take care of the problem, to root those nasty weeds immediately. 

But the master restrains his servants, saying that in gathering the weeds they would uproot the wheat along with them. He orders them to let both grow together until the harvest. Then he will send out his reapers to collect and burn the weeds and to gather the wheat into his barn.

 

In this parable the one who sows the good seed is Jesus, the field is the world, and the good seeds are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. Jesus does not, however, say who the servants represent. Perhaps they represent the disciples or anyone who has questioned why God allows evil to grow and thrive, and wishes to take matters into his or her own hands and root out the evil around. 

But this will not be easy, because, it is not so easy to tell the weeds from the wheat as their roots are intertwined below the ground. Thus, rooting out the weeds would uproot the wheat as well, doing more damage to the crop than leaving the weeds to grow. 

Therefore, let us learn from SS. Joachim and Anne, the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary, whose memorial we celebrate today. In the midst of the challenge of weeds of this passing world, they were entrusted with the task of nurturing and bringing up Mary as a great instrument for God’s salvation for humanity.

Dear friends, most of us are victims of evil weeds in our world. Today, as we wish to remove these weeds in our lives, Jesus wants us to learn how to be patient and trust God in times of trouble and tribulations, for he alone knows the best time and how best to deal with the evil ones. For when that time comes He will gather all evildoers and throw them into the furnace of fire. 

But the problem is that we are not patient with the Lord; we often behave like the Israelites in our first reading today, who, after listening to the commandments of God, said: ‘We will observe all that the Lord has decreed; we will obey them.’ But just a few days later they abandoned the teachings of the Lord. Therefore, we must learn to be patient with the Lord, especially in times of troubles and tribulations.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, our hearts are full of weeds of different corruptions and evil planted by the evil ones. As we wait on you, may you guide and protect us from the malice of the evil ones. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Have a fruitful weekend.

Homily For Friday Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 25th July, 2025. The Feast of St. James, Apostle

Readings: 2Cor 4: 7-15, Ps 126:1-6, Matt: 20:20-28

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

TRUE GREATNESS IS FOUND I HUMBLE SERVICE TO OTHERS AND NOT IN DOMINATION 

To be great is one of the desires of every human person; it is that which makes us utilise the unique gift God has given us, from which we serve Him and our neighbours responsibly. However,  human greediness and selfishness have made us see greatness as domination and subjection of others competitively and comparatively. Today as we celebrate the feast of St. James,  we heard in our Gospel passage how the disciples of Jesus were struggling with this competitive and comparative attitude. 

This is because the mother of Zebedee’s sons came with her sons to make a request from Jesus saying, ‘Promise that these two sons of mine may sit one at your right hand and the other at your left in your kingdom.’ And Jesus answered, ‘You do not know what you are asking’. ‘Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink?’ They replied, ‘We can.’ ‘Very well,’ he said ‘you shall drink my cup, but as for seats at my right hand and my left, these are not mine to grant; they belong to those to whom they have been allotted by my Father.” 

So, other disciples became angry because James and his brother John, through the intercession of their mother, desired to have key leadership positions in the kingdom of our Lord Jesus. But Jesus let them know that the transcendent power and authority to lead belong to God and whoever He wishes to share it with. 

 

Here, Jesus prophesied that James and his brother John would "drink of the same chalice" of suffering as himself, since the two brothers had asked to be seated at his right and his left in his kingdom, and he told them that they would be with him in a far different way than they expected. 

Thus, James suffered martyrdom for the sake of the kingdom, for he was beheaded in Jerusalem at the orders of Herod Agrippa. His death is the only biblical record we have of the death of one of the Apostles, and he was the first to give his life for his Master. He embraces true greatness not by domination and subjection, but by service, sacrifice and dedication to the faith he has found in Jesus, which he wishes to share with others.

So, today we celebrate the feast of a great man, who, along with his brother John and Peter, was part of the inner circle of Jesus. So like St. James, we are encouraged to seek true greatness in humility of service and sacrifice even at the point of losing everything. 

St. Paul also encouraged us in our first reading to be steadfast for we are affiliated in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed. Knowing that true greatness is found in humble service and not in domination or subjection of others. For good leaders serve the community, they subdue arguments and divisions, they maintain unity in times of distress and act as role models for the young just like St. James. 

Dear friends, today, we are all called to seek true greatness in humble service of others and not in domination. We are called to utilise the unique gift God has given us and use it to serve Him and our neighbours responsibly 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 from God. Remember, true greatness is found in our sacrificial service to others, not in competitive and comparative subjection and domination of others. 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, you have taught us that true greatness is found in the sacrificial service to humanity, give us the grace to live a life of sacrifice and humility. And through the intercession of St. James, may our lives be a good example of true greatness. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Wishing you a fruitful week.

Homily For Thursday Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 24th July, 2025

 

Readings: Ex . 19:1-2.9-11.16-20; Ps. Dn. 3:52-56, Matt 13:10-17

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

LET US LEARN TO LISTEN AND UNDERSTAND WHAT THE LORD IS SAYING TO US

Reflecting on the present situation of our country, I must say that it is obvious that we are like sheep desperately in need of a shepherd, as the present leaders have shown that they are not and cannot be the Messiah we are looking for, since we have continually been involved in doing evil.

We have abandoned the God who has blessed us with all the good things of life in order to embrace the gods of money, wealth and have made ourselves gods to others. What we have in our country today are corrupt, greedy and selfish people who are like a leaky cistern that can not hold water because we have failed to listen to the voice of God calling us to repentance.

Little wonder in our Gospel passage today, we heard Jesus saying: “The reason I talk to them in parables is that they look without seeing and listen without hearing or understanding. So, you will listen and listen again, but not understand, see and see again, but not perceive.

For the heart of this nation has grown coarse, their ears are dull from hearing, and they have shut their eyes, for fear they should see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their heart, and be converted and be healed by me”.

Here, we see the Lord’s sadness and anger at us for our selfishness, greed and ingratitude. For we are constantly disobeying God through our sinful, rebellious and unwilling attitudes to embrace and properly utilise what God has given us for the good of all. Thus, we constantly take God’s patience and kindness for granted. We have taken His mercy and compassion for granted.

Today, we are called to come back to God with all our hearts so that He will respond to our needs. For he will restore the fortune of the poor and put our enemies to shame as they will come quaking and trembling in fear of the Lord because of all the evil they have committed against humanity.

For we heard the Lord saying to Moses in our first reading today: ‘I am coming to you in a dense cloud so that the people may hear when I speak to you and may trust you always. Go therefore to the people and tell them to prepare themselves today and tomorrow. Let them wash their clothing and hold themselves in readiness for my coming.

Dear friends, without God in our lives we are nothing. So we are called to listen to the voice of the Lord calling us to repentance. Let it not be business as usual, for the righteous God will send a good shepherd to His people, who will shepherd us with his staff of justice, mercy, forgiveness and fidelity. Though not in the manner we expect. He will not lead us in any campaign against our corrupt and selfish leaders.

But he will lead us in a campaign against an even more formidable foe, the devil and his agents. And when he has succeeded in overcoming them, our leaders and their corruption and selfish way of life will be taken care of. Then, his kingdom of peace and justice will be established and it will last forever. All we need to do is to trust in the Lord, ask him for directions and be docile to his words.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we have abandoned your ways out of selfishness and greediness. Help us to change this ugly way of life, so as to embrace your word and become a vessel of love. May Christ, our good shepherd, guide our paths and lead us into his own dwelling place forever and ever. Amen. Have a blessed.

Homily For Wednesday Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 23rd July, 2025

 

Readings: Exo.16:1-5.9-15; Ps. 78; Matt:13:1-9

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

THE OBSTACLES THAT MAKE OUR HEARTS UNFERTILE SOIL FOR GOD’S WORD TO BLOSSOM IN YOUR SOUL

Those who are into farming understand very well how a healthy seed blossoms on fertile soil. Little wonder Jesus in the parable of the sower decided to use this great farming mechanism to explain the relationship between the Word of God and the human heart. Because the Word of God is to the human heart what a healthy seed is to the soil.

In this parable, Jesus said to the crowd, ‘Imagine a sower going out to sow. As he sowed, some seeds fell on the edge of the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Others fell on patches of rock where they found little soil and sprang up straight away, because there was no depth of earth.

But as soon as the sun came up they were scorched and, not having any roots, they withered away. Others fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Others fell on rich soil and produced their crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Listen, anyone who has ears!’

Here, Jesus uses the parable of the sower to describe different kinds of responses to God's Word, for there are four obstacles that can distract us from making our hearts a fertile soil. These obstacles include: shallow-mindedness, hardened heart, worldly desires and finally, trials and persecutions. Most people fall into some, if not all, of these obstacles.

But what about the good soil? These are those who made their hearts a fertile soil through love and purity of heart, which helped them to hear the Word of God and understand it, and indeed bear fruit and yield an abundant harvest of a hundred, sixty and thirtyfold. Our Mother Mary is a good example of such people. Therefore, the different kinds of ground on which the seed falls represent the different ways in which we receive the Word of God.

Dear friends, today Jesus Christ gives us all the wonderful and beautiful Words of life, wooing us to heaven, are we disposed to letting his word blossom in our souls? Remember, our hearts are the fields in which the Word of God is scattered. To which do our hearts belong: the pathway, the rocky ground, the thorns or the good soil? Whichever one, we are called to pay attention and take some time to appreciate and dispose our hearts more, so that God’s Word may find a root in us.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, each and every one of us have received the seeds of your Word. Give us grace to remain open to receiving your Word, so that it will blossom in our souls and bear fruit abundantly. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a fruitful day.

Homily For Tuesday Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 22nd July, 2025. The Feast of St. Mary Magdalene

 

Readings: 2Cor. 5:14-17, Ps. 63, John 20:1-2.11-18

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

LET YOUR HEART SEARCH FOR THE LORD LIKE MARY MAGDALENE

Every human person has a past and a future. The past is gone; we cannot change it. But the future brings hope alive, for in both past and future, we make our history a reality that can change the world. Today we celebrate the feast of St. Mary Magdalene, a woman whose life history gives hope to sinners and a sense of the past for saints.

Often Mary Magdalene is referred to as the woman from whom Jesus had cast out seven demons or the repentant prostitute. Scriptures and history point out that Mary Magdalene had been greatly transformed by her faith in Jesus, and her life was changed after her first encounter with Jesus, for she abandoned her past life of sin.

May Magdalene was a grave sinner who ought to have been condemned to die by those who were also unworthy and sinful before God. But grace of God brought about the encounter that transformed her life and she was privileged to be the first to know about the resurrection of Jesus and to also encounter the risen Lord.

This is evident in our Gospel passage today, which presents to us the encounter of Mary Magdalene with the risen Lord. When the apostles had left the tomb, Mary stayed outside the tomb, weeping. In her devotion to Jesus, Mary seeks to learn where she might find Jesus’ body so that she might take him away, a task that would be difficult both emotionally and physically.

But she was not even concerned with how she would convey the body from one place to another. She only believes that Jesus’ body has been dishonoured, desecrated, and she is determined to see that he is accorded the honour that it deserves.

So, she remained by the tomb, weeping. Her heart was in earnest to find Jesus. The angels asked her: Why are you weeping? She was just busy trying to find the corpse of Jesus. But when she turned around and saw Jesus, her heart was filled with joy and peace. This courageous act of faith was her encounter with the risen Lord.

Thus, in Mary Magdalene, we see a heart that is determined to find Jesus. A heart that truly loves Jesus, a heart that cannot give up the search for Jesus, a heart that listened and remembered the words of Jesus about his resurrection.

Dear friends, as we celebrate the feast of St. Mary Magdalene, we are called to imitate her virtues, knowing that God can use anyone as His instruments if we are ready to embrace Him irrespective of our past ways of life. For St. Paul tells us in our first reading that if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old creation has passed away; behold, the new has come. For Christ died for all so that living men should live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised to life for our sake.

Therefore, today, we are called to forget our past sinful life and embrace the Lord. We are called to seek the Lord with affection and tears. But oftentimes the clouds and darkness of our sins blind us from recognising the Lord who is always very close to us.

The truth is that the Lord’s way of making himself known to his people is by his word; his word appeals to our souls, speaking to us in a particular way that is unique to us. Are we ready to embrace the Lord once again and make our history a reality that will change this sinful world?

 LET US PRAY: Lord God, like Mary Magdalene, our souls seek to encounter you personally once again. Give us the grace and strength to always be ready to turn away from sin and embrace your word, that we may personally experience, fill and recognise your presence once again in our lives. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a blessed day.

Homily For Monday Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 21st July, 2025

 

Readings: Exo. 14:5-18; Ps. Exo.15:1-6; Matt:12: 38-42

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

WHY DO YOU SEEK SIGNS? HAVE NO FEAR! STAND FIRM! 

Listening to the conversation between Jesus, the scribes and Pharisees in our Gospel passage today as they asked Jesus for signs. He said to them, ‘It is an evil and unfaithful generation that asks for a sign! The only sign it will be given is the sign of the prophet Jonah, telling us that, on Judgement day, the men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation and condemn it, because when Jonah preached, they repented; and there is something greater than Jonah here with us, that is, Jesus himself. 

Reflecting on this, the question that comes to my mind is: where will you and I and the beautiful things of this world be in the next ten, twenty, forty, eighty and hundred years for those who are strong? The deep silence in my soul could not offer me any answer to this question rather, it exposed me to the foolishness of human greediness and selfishness. Hence, I asked myself what God really requires from us in this world. This is what the Lord requires of us: only this, to act justly, to love tenderly and to walk humbly with your God. 

Therefore, we must be courageous like Moses in our first reading today, who, when the people of Israel were trapped between the Red Sea and the Egyptian army, did not begin to look for signs; rather, he courageously said to the Israelites: ‘Have no fear! Stand firm, and you will see what the Lord will do to save you today: the Egyptians you see today, you will never see again. The Lord will do the fighting for you: you have only to keep still.’

Hence, as Jesus in this Gospel, presents to us the final recommendations of the end time, he insists that we should not be afraid, but we should pay rapt attention to the signs nature is giving us concerning the end time events, that these signs will make us to have hope founded firmly on the word of God which drives away fear and despair, knowing that the kingdom of God is very near to us. 

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

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

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

LET US PRAY: Lord God, as we embrace your word today, give us the grace to act justly, to love tenderly and to walk humbly with you and as we carry out our task this week, may your favour be with us now and always. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a blessed week.

Homily For Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C, 20th July, 2025

 

Reading: Gen. 18:1-10; Ps. 15; 2Col. 1:24-28; Luke 10:38-42

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

LEARN TO LISTEN TO GOD AND YOUR ACTIONS AND HOSPITALITY WILL BE PERFECT

One of the vital aspects of the human person, which is very much lacking in most of our communications these days, is listening. This is because, oftentimes, we worry about so many things in life, trying to let people hear us without taking time to listen to them. Some people are always trying to satisfy everyone without listening to the real thing that matters.

I have also come across people who are often worried about how to make others feel more comfortable without minding their own discomfort. They are so concerned with pleasing others even when they are not pleased. What a great sacrificial virtue that is not common these days.

This sacrificial virtue is the attitude of Martha in our Gospel passage today, where we have the story of how Martha was so busy trying to make Jesus comfortable when he visited them at their house in Bethany.

But when Martha observed that her sister Mary was not helping out in the preparation, rather was busy listening to Jesus, she said to Jesus: “Lord, do you not care that my sister is leaving me to do the serving all by myself? Please tell her to help me.’ But the Lord answered: ‘Martha, Martha, you worry and fret about so many things, and yet few are needed, indeed only one. It is Mary who has chosen the better part; it is not to be taken from her”.

Here, Jesus is not condemning this great sacrificial virtue nor condoning laziness. Rather, he is saying that being busy without listening and listening without doing is worthless. Hence, he gently corrects the impression of Martha, who was too busy and distracted with so many things that she risks losing sight of what is really important, that is, listening to Jesus. This is because Martha gives the impression that Mary is just sitting there doing nothing. But, in fact, she is listening to Jesus.

However, Jesus is not telling us to be content with sitting down and listening to his word, for he always insists that listening to his word means putting it into practice. While his objection to Martha's request is because she was too anxious and distracted by many things, so that she was not able to really listen to him, for Jesus, listening is the best option.

It is this act of listening that made Abraham, in our first reading today, recognise the personality of three men standing close to him and said to them: My lord, I beg you, if I find favour with you, kindly do not pass your servant by. A little water shall be brought; you shall wash your feet and lie down under the tree. Let me fetch a little bread and you shall refresh yourselves before going further. That is why you have come in your servant’s direction.’

They replied, ‘Do as you say.’ And as they departed one of them said: ‘I shall visit you again next year without fail, and your wife will then have a son.’ What a favour he received from them, and this teaches us the importance of hospitality and listening to God who speaks to us deep down in our conscience.

Little wonder, St. Paul in our second reading today said: “I became the servant of the Church when God made me responsible for delivering God’s message to you, the message which was a mystery hidden for generations and centuries and has now been revealed to his saints.”

Here, St. Paul made us know that we must learn to listen to God’s message and be hospitable to one another, for this is the wisdom in which we are thoroughly trained and instructed and so made perfect in Christ.

Dear friends, we need to ask ourselves if we are more like Martha or like Mary, for they were both friends of Jesus. Are we more of listeners or hospitable, accommodating and caring? Today, we must learn to listen to God even in the midst of our busy schedule with the things of this passing world.

Today, many of us are so busy and anxious about so many things that we have no time to listen to God speaking to us and addressing the situation we are actually busy trying to solve. Today we are called like Martha to pause and listen, so that we can hear God speaking to us and directing us towards the right path. Like Mary, we have listened we are called to action like Martha

Thus, Martha and Mary, who were known as friends of Jesus, loved to welcome him into their home; let us learn from them, knowing that hospitality is perfected when we have a listening ear. For it is a great virtue to be hospitable and caring, especially when we spend quality time listening to God and letting him direct and guide us towards carrying out our daily tasks.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we are always so busy with the things of this passing world, that we often do not have time to listen to you. Give us the grace like Mary to choose the better part, which is to truly listen to your word and then be well disposed to be caring and hospitable just like Martha, we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a blessed Sunday celebration.

Homily For Saturday Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 19th July, 2025

 

Readings: Exo. 12:37-42; Ps.136; Matt:12:14-21

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

OVERCOMING THE UGLY ATTITUDE OF HUMANITY

There is no doubt that we are living in a world full of crazy and ugly attitudes of different kinds of people. The world is full of people who are entrusted with the noble task of leading and managing the resources and affairs of the people, making decisions to eliminate and destroy them just for their personal gain and selfish interest. 

This is what we have in our Gospel passage today, where the Pharisees, who are the leaders of the people, because of their selfish interest and pride, went out and began to plot against Jesus, discussing how to destroy him, because of his great works and teaching for the people.

Jesus knew this and withdrew from their district. Many followed him and he cured them all, but warned them not to make him known. This was to fulfil the prophecy of Isaiah which reminds us about the figure of the suffering Servant of Yahweh, in the person of Jesus. Here, Jesus experienced constant opposition and hostility at the hands of the Pharisees, who sought to destroy Him. 

So, Matthew in this Gospel identifies Jesus with the Suffering Servant who is filled with God’s spirit, despite the aggression of his opponents, he does not suspend his ministry of healing, forgiving and spreading the Good News. For he is full of gentleness and compassion. 

Hence, Jesus the suffering Servant of God, the lovable and gentle teacher, has come to bring the light of truth to this crazy world, for he does not seek the death of sinners, but their conversion and salvation. Therefore, in him, we can also find the courage and strength to persevere in these times of difficulty, suffering and persecution. For God has chosen us as His beloved sons and daughters. He has given us His Spirit so that we can stand firm against all the evil activities going on in this crazy world.

But as for those who have chosen to be instruments of destruction, manipulation and deception of humanity just for their selfish interest or for vain glory or for fun thereby letting people die for these wrongs that they do. Such people will have no share in the kingdom of the Lord, for the evils they have done will be their portion and lot. 

This is exactly the attitude of the Egyptians in our first reading today, of which the Lord, through Moses, led his chosen people out of their midst to the promised land, for such is the ugly attitude of humanity today, but God will never abandon His chosen.

Dear friends, there is no doubt that we are really living in an evil and crazy world, but we must know that the transcendent power and authority belong to God. Yes we are affiliated in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed. 

Thus, we must know that true greatness is found in service and not in domination or subjection of others. Good leaders serve the community, they subdue arguments and divisions, they maintain unity in times of distress and act as role models for the young ones. 

Therefore, it is time for us to put off our old self which leads to evil desire, manipulation, covetousness, selfishness and greed, in order to put on a new person born of love, compassion, contentment, purity and forgiveness. We are all called today 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.

LET US PRAY: Almighty God, like little boys we go down on our knees with all humility, asking for your grace and courage to overcome the evil and ugly situation going on in this crazy world, where humanity is being manipulated, deceived and destroyed because of a few people’s selfish interest. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a pleasant weekend.

Homily For Friday Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 18th July, 2025

Readings: Exo. 11:10-12.14:; Ps.116; Matt:12:1-8

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

WHAT GOD REQUIRES FROM US IS MERCY

One of the attributes of God is mercy, and this attribute runs through the scriptures as it is actually the summary of most of the stories in the scriptures. Because at the end of everything it is the mercy of God that we need more than His justice. Little wonder that Jesus, in our Gospel passage today, teaches us about the essence of making laws. 

This is clear from his response to the Pharisees who criticised the attitude of his disciples, who on the Sabbath were seen plucking ears of corn to eat because they were very hungry. 

So, Jesus corrected them on the right disposition concerning the application of God's law and any law at all, when he said to them "I desire mercy and not sacrifice". This is because the Pharisees emphasised the strict keeping of the law of the Sabbath while neglecting the spirit of the law, which has to do with God’s love and mercy.

 This is also evident in our first reading, where we heard of God’s justice and mercy in dealing with the Egyptians and the Israelites. For the Egyptians, he said: I will go through the land of Egypt and strike down all the first-born in the land of Egypt, man and beast alike, and I shall deal out punishment to all the gods of Egypt. 

This is God’s justice. Then he said to the Israelites, The blood shall serve to mark the houses that you live in. When I see the blood I will pass over you and you shall escape the destroying plague when I strike the land of Egypt. This is God’s mercy in action.

Dear friends, Law exists for the good of the people, but oftentimes we find ourselves seeking more recognition by exercising too much control over other people’s lives under the guise of laws. 

Hence, we should not lack compassion and mercy or close our hearts against our neighbour like the Pharisees, an attitude that reminds me of the words of Pope Francis when he said: "If our heart is closed, if our heart is made of stone, then the stones will end up in our hands and, then, we will be ready to throw them at someone.

Therefore, this should not be the case; rather, we should always consider the essence and purpose of making laws and applying them, bearing in mind that human needs, which supersedes all other human interests, should be the guiding principle of any law, both social and religious. 

In fact, the ritual demands of the Sabbath encourage mercy, forgiveness and compassion, which are at the heart of any true religion. Thus, as we make laws and implement them, let love, compassion and mercy be our guiding principles. 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, you show the light of your truth to those who go astray, grant that we may always embrace your laws and apply them with mercy and compassion, through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a blessed day.

Homily For Thursday, Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time, Year C, 17th July, 2025

 

Readings: Exo. 3:13-20; Ps.105; Matt:11:28-30

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

WHEN YOUR TASK AND MISSION BECOME A HEAVY BURDEN COME TO JESUS FOR HELP

Thinking about the ugly condition of our societies today, where the ugly and sinful attitudes of greed, corruption, pride and selfishness of people have placed a heavy burden and stress on us all and often these burdens are so heavy that we don’t know how to carry them.

The worst of these burdens are the sorrows we bear in our hearts: sorrows caused by our sins, unhealthy relationships we engaged in, unforgiveness, and family problems as a result of the bad influence of society.

Thus, today in our Gospel passage Jesus says to us: Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light.’

No doubt that everyone of us has a task and a mission to accomplish and this can be very demanding, just like Moses in our first reading today, for he encountered God who reveals his name to him as I Am Who I Am and commissioned him and gave him a task and the mission of bringing the people of Israel out of Egypt where they were treated badly. A task and mission which is really heavy and demanding. But promised us to be with him.

Similarly, Jesus recognises the sorrows in our lives, how we labour and are overburdened as a result of our tasks and mission. Hence he invites us to come to him with all our burdens. Yes, it is like a human person to think and worry about things of this world.

Every human person thinks and worries about something. Only a few people can sometimes find it easy to resolve their problems, but for most people, their problems are too great, and they move from bad to worse. Hence, this invitation of Jesus opens a refreshing space in our soul, by inspiring hope and drawing us into God’s loving and gentle presence where our souls find peace and solace.

Dear friends, what task and mission has God given to us in this life? How are we carrying out this task and mission? What are the challenges we are facing? Is the task and mission so heavy for us to bear? Are we carrying additional load apart from the one God has given to us? I don't know the heavy burden in your heart right now, I don’t know your cherished plans which have failed, and it seems as if disappointments have prevailed, thereby wandering in the darkness of confusion and a heavy heart all alone.

Today, Jesus is inviting us to come to him with all our burdens, all our troubles, all our challenges and disappointments, and he will give us rest. He says we should embrace his yoke, we should learn from him, for he is gentle and humble of heart and by so doing find rest for our souls. Then we will tell the story of how we overcome our most troublesome and darkest of moments, for we will understand it better by and by.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, as we come to you with our heavy burden and sorrows in our hearts, grant that we may embrace the yoke of Christ and so find peace and solace in our souls. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Wishing you God's favour.

Homily For Wednesday Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 16th July, 2025

 

Readings: Exo. 3:1-6.9-12; Ps.105; Matt:11:20-24

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

IMITATING THE CHILD-LIKE HUMILITY OF JESUS IN PRAYER

Gazing on the crucifix this morning, all I could see was the childlike humility of Jesus towards his loving Father. For he sacrificed himself on the cross for the sake of humanity. Thereby teaching us that our relationship with God in prayer requires the humility of an infant to his loving father.

This type of humility is not a way of glory, but a road of surrender that leads to passion and death of one's self. It is a way of sacrifice, a service to others at the expense of the self. In prayer, Jesus experienced God as his Father and approached him with a childlike humility, faith and confidence.

Hence, in our Gospel passage today, Jesus after his reproaches towards unrepentant cities of Chorazin and Bethsaida, demonstrates to us a humble way of relating with God in prayer when he said,, ‘I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and of earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to mere infants. Yes, Father, for such was your gracious will'.

Here, Jesus is referring to those who claim to be wise and intelligent, self-sufficient and self-made, such as the Pharisees and Sadducees, scribes and Lawyers who rejected his message. Also, those who think that they don’t need God, for they can save themselves by their meritorious works.

Thus, Jesus points out that there is a link between prayer and the inner disposition of being a humble child of God in communion with a heavenly Father, through confidence and total abandonment to God. For no matter who we are and what we have achieved in life, humility is the key and sure way to reach God in prayer.

Nonetheless, even those who are highly gifted and blessed can become a "baby" who humbly depends upon God’s grace. While the uneducated and less privileged persons can be in the same undesirable company as the wise and intelligent if they are not humble in spirit in their relationship with God and their neighbours, because our natural and spiritual gifts are only useful in our Christian journey when we have a humble heart.

This is what God is teaching us in our first reading today, in the story of Moses and the burning bush. For God called him from the middle of the bush saying: ‘Moses, Moses!’ ‘Come no nearer,’ he said. ‘Take off your shoes, for the place on which you stand is holy ground. I am the God of your fathers,’ ‘the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.’ At this, Moses, in humility, covered his face, afraid to look at God; therefore, we can see that humility is very essential in our relationship with God, especially in prayer.

Dear friends, today God wants us to relate to him in total humility and obedience, just like the humility of an infant to his lovely father. For He is always with us in our daily troubles and struggles, He understands us more than we can ever imagine. Therefore, why not humbly come to Him in prayers for He is always willing to help us in solving those difficult and challenging situations in our lives. Remember, our natural and spiritual gifts are only useful in our Christian journey when we have a humble heart.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we thank you for being with us in our daily struggles, troubles, joys and hopes. May you provide for the poor, console the troubled, heal the sick and put a smile on the faces of your children who humbly come to you in prayers. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a blessed day.

Homily For Tuesday Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 15th July, 2025 The Memorial of St. Bonaventure

 

Readings: Exo 2:1-15; Ps. 67; Matt:11:20-24

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

WHY HAVE WE FAILED TO EMBRACE THE WORD OF GOD?

Reflecting on the ugly and fragile nature of our societies and the world as a whole, especially how the streets are full of people struggling and suffering, the markets are full of people buying, selling, cheating and manipulating others.

Our leaders are so busy with acquiring, manipulating and embezzling the common resources, not minding the struggles, the tears, the disappointments that people are passing through every day, as some people have lost hope in themselves and even in everything they do. We are just so busy with everything except the very essence of our existence, that is, the salvation of our souls.

This ugly and fragile kind of condition is what Jesus is addressing in our Gospel passage today as he continues with his reproaches, this time to cities where he had done great miracles, yet the people failed to embrace the life of the Gospel he preached.

Hence, he reproached them, saying: Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. And still, I tell you that it will not go as hard on Judgement day with Tyre and Sidon as with you’.

Yes, Jesus has taught us about the kingdom of God and proclaimed a message of healing and conversion but his teaching and powerful deeds have not yet been embraced by humanity.

Hence, Jesus in this Gospel is not just rebuking the cities of Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum, but all humanity for not being open to the fruits of his Gospel, calling us to reflect on how we are losing out on what God is offering us. Because God will always have plans to save his people just as we heard in our first reading in the story about the birth and struggles of Moses in Egypt, how God was preparing him for the task ahead.

Dear friends, we might not feel very comfortable with the idea of Jesus rebuking and uttering terrible words of threats on these big and powerful cities that represent all humanity. But the questions we need to ask ourselves are: Has humanity really embraced the Word of God we hear every day? Is the Word bearing fruit in our lives?

Can we recognise in this fragile condition the great work that Jesus is doing to save humanity and the need to turn back to God? Do we think that repentance is for others and not for us? Jesus is saying woe to us for failing to embrace and live out the Gospel teachings, because he seems to expect some sort of changes in us when we hear his Words or when we encounter him in prayers.

Therefore, God is calling us to repentance; He wants to come into our souls and dwell. Today, He is rebuking all humanity. He wants us to come to Him, for He comes to us more than we go to Him. Hence, if we believe in God and put our trust in Him, we will have the assurance and guarantee of restoration, for God does not want us to suffer the consequences of our sins; that is why He kept reminding us about the upcoming danger. But, if humanity constantly refuses to believe in God, we may end up in self-destruction.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, as we embrace your words today, may we through the intercession of St. Bona venture experience your love, joy and healing both physically, materially and more importantly spiritually, as we wait patiently for the restoration of all humanity from the ugly and fragile condition of this passing world. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. God bless you.

Homily For Monday Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 14th July, 2025

 

Readings: Exo 1:8-14.22 Ps. 12; Matt:10:34-11:1

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

UNDERSTANDING THE SACRIFICIAL NATURE OF CHRISTIAN FAITH

The way things are going in our world today, we really need to think twice about our faith as Christians, whether we are actually ready to live out our faith in the midst of all the ugly situations in our societies today. Because the hostility, persecution and the influential power of things of this world are getting hold of us and are not stopping soon, rather, it seems to be getting tougher.

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

Little wonder Jesus in our Gospel passage today, takes his discourse on discipleship to a radical and difficult level when he said: 'Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth: it is not peace I have come to bring, but a sword. For anyone who prefers father or mother to me is not worthy of me. Anyone who prefers a son or a daughter to me is not worthy of me. Anyone who does not take up his cross and follow in my footsteps is not worthy of me. Anyone who finds his life will lose it; and anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it.’

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

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

However, Jesus does not endorse our engaging in armed conflict, but he warns that we have to struggle to put him first, before family ties, knowing that divisions will surely occur as people have to decide to be for or against God. Hence, he states that the cost of discipleship extends to one even losing their life. Nevertheless, he promises that even the small efforts we make in following him will be rewarded.

Thus, Jesus demands a total commitment towards finishing the journey of discipleship once begun or not beginning it at all. Because following Jesus demands the sacrifice of all that one has. For none of us can become his disciple if we do not give up our excess desire for worldly pleasures and possessions, and pay our unreserved loyalty and allegiance to Jesus over all other competing loyalties in our lives, including family, self-interest, and possessions.

Dear friends, we are called today to make a radical decision to sincerely and faithfully follow Jesus and to accept the consequences of living by the truth of the Gospel. But how much are we willing to let go for the sake of following the truth of the Gospel? Why are we finding it difficult to follow Jesus? What are those habitual desires and possessions that are holding us back from making this radical decision today? It is time to come to God with all our hearts, for tomorrow may be too late.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, the excess desire for the pleasurable things of this passing world have weakened our hearts towards you. Give us courage and grace to let go of our ugly desires, so as to hold firm in our faith despite losing people and things that are dear to us. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a fruitful week ahead.