Homily For Thursday Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 30th October, 2025

 

Readings: Rom. 8:31-39; Ps 109; Luke 13:31-35

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

NOTHING SHOULD COME BETWEEN US AND THE LOVE OF GOD

In this world, we struggle with so many things, and we often encounter ugly events and challenges that cause us sorrows and tears. And most times we don't know how to manage those moments.

This is because there is an active presence of evil in the world which manifests itself in different forms. So, every day is a struggle against the malice of the evil ones, and people are doing everything they can to overcome them.

Today, St. Paul in our first reading encouraged us to be strong for he is certain of this: neither death nor life, no angel, no prince, nothing that exists, nothing still to come, not any power, or height or depth, nor any created thing, can ever come between us and the love of God made visible in Christ Jesus our Lord.

This is exactly what Jesus manifested in our Gospel passage today when some of the Pharisees warned him to leave the area where he was teaching because Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great was after him. This warning was just a way of trying to get rid of Jesus by frightening him using external forces and authority under the name of Herod. 

But Jesus was not moved by all their threats. For he knows that his mission is part of God’s larger plan, which can not be interrupted by any external forces or authority. Hence, he ignored them and continued with his work of healing the people and liberating them from the evil ones

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

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

Homily For Wednesday Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 29th October, 2025

 

Readings: Rom. 8:26-30; Ps 13; Luke 13:22-30

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

TRY TO PASS THROUGH THE NARROW GATE OF LIFE 

Life is nothing but a temporal assignment, a journey which begins in the morning so beautiful, full of expectations and hope, but the sojourner has no knowledge of his/her destination, purpose and end. The only guide is his/ her willingness to constantly follow the directives of the Sender who communicates his plans and purposes to those who care and are willing to listen. 

Thus, the emptiness and shortness of life make me reflect on my future as a human person and the question that comes to my mind is: "Where will you and I, and the beautiful things of this world be in the next one, ten, twenty, forty, eighty and hundred years for those who are strong? 

The deep silence in my soul could not offer me any answer to this question; rather, it exposed before me the teachings of Jesus in our Gospel passage today when he said: Try your best to enter by the narrow door, because, I tell you, many will try to enter and will not succeed. For once, the master of the house has got up and locked the door, you may find yourself knocking on the door, saying, “Lord, open to us”, but he will answer, “I do not know where you come from.

Here, Jesus calls our attention to the reality of life which we must not take for granted, that is the need for us to follow the teachings of the Lord, for humanity have failed to embrace the life of truth, holiness and love for God and for one another that seems difficult and narrow to them, but prefers to follow the destructive ways of life that is born out of pride, greed and uncontrollable desire for worldly things. 

This is because the things of this passing world are so captivating and many people have been captured by its seductive power and are greatly following it.  We must not be victims of this ugly situation. Rather, we must learn to submit ourselves to the directives of the Holy Spirit for he is always ready to guide us along the narrow ways of life.

Little wonder St. Paul in our first reading today says that: The Spirit comes to help us in our weakness. For when we cannot choose words to pray properly, the Spirit himself expresses our plea in a way that could never be put into words.

Dear friends, the worst thing that can happen to us at the last moment of our life is to hear the Lord say: I do not know where you come from. The fact remains that life is indeed very short and the road that leads to death and destruction is truly wide and very captivating, of which many are captives of its seductive power. 

But the road to life is becoming narrower and narrower because humanity is working so hard to expand the seductive roads and gates of destruction against the narrow gate of life. 

Therefore, we are called to embrace the narrow gate and road that leads to eternal life. We must work harder by resisting all the temptations and sinful things of this passing world and embracing the life of love and sacrifice which Jesus has offered us.

 So, let us turn towards God with all our hearts by removing from our hearts all forms of pride, greed and unhealthy desires that lead us astray down the path of destruction.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, our journey of life depends on you and today you have called us to follow the narrow gate of love and sacrifice. But the seductive road of this passing world is really captivating, and many are victims of its power. Grant us the grace to resist it, but journey through the path and gate that leads to eternal life. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. May God bless your little efforts in life and guide you always.

Homily For Tuesday Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 28th October, 2025. The Feast of SS Simon and Jude

 

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

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

As CITIZENS OF GOD’S HOUSEHOLD, HOW ARE WE FULFILLING THE MISSION OF CHRIST

Will you leave? We you care? Will you risk? Will you let the Lord lead you? These are questions of great demand which every true disciple must constantly reflect on in life, in order to be aware of the seriousness of the commitment required of each of us as a disciple of Jesus. 

This great demand is presented to us in our liturgy today as we celebrate the feast day of two great apostles, St. Simon and St. Jud,e, and our readings propel us to reflect on our call to discipleship. 

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

These two apostles, along with others, followed the Lord faithfully throughout his ministry. Simon, though a member of the Zealots, abandoned his previous life as a freedom fighter to become a great missionary along with St. Jude Thaddeus, who was the probable author of the Epistle of St. Jude. 

These two apostles together served the Lord and reached out to many people and evangelised many nations. That is why both of them are celebrated together today, because of their missionary zeal and commitment to God even to the very end of their lives.

 

Tradition has it that Simon spread the Gospel to places like Persia and Armenia, Egypt and Ethiopia, and along with Jude, they evangelised throughout Judea, Samaria, Persia, Armenia and other places. Sadly, after many decades of their missionary activities, these two great apostles were martyred in Lebanon. 

They committed themselves wholeheartedly to the mission of Christ and his Church, and they converted many and established firm foundations of the Christian faith in many places. Little wonder St Paul in our first reading tells us that we are fellow citizens of God’s household that has the apostles and prophets for its foundations, and Christ Jesus himself for its main cornerstone.

Dear friends, evangelisation is the very nature and essence of the Church. And Jesus gives us the mandate and the commission to evangelise, that is, to announce the Good News to all the nations and to spread the Gospel to every creature. This commission is shared by all those who are baptised, both priests and lay faithful. 

Everyone has a particular responsibility to share in the work of proclaiming the Gospel. Today, we should ask ourselves, how have we proclaimed the Gospel to the world? What efforts are we making to ensure that the mandate Christ entrusted to us is carried out effectively in our generation? 

Therefore, at this moment when the world is confused, because we have removed God out of our daily lives, at this time when we have placed our hope in the activities of the human person who seems to have taken the place of God, at this time when our governments, scientists, doctors, lawyers, professors and even pastors assumed the place of God, which of course have brought about the ugly situation we are facing in our societies today. 

We and reminded once again about our very mission, for it is time to take this mandate very seriously, because it is our responsibility to fulfil our promises to God and ensure that the Christian faith is preached and sustained in the world and by so doing save humanity once again from sin, death and destruction.

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

Homily For Monday Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 27th October, 2025

 

Readings:  Roman 8:12-17; Ps 68;  Luke 13:10-17

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

NO LAW SHOULD RESTRICT US FROM ENSURING THE WELLBEING OF THE HUMAN PERSON 

 

From the scriptures, it seems like every encounter that the Pharisees had with Jesus was always aimed at finding fault with what Jesus was doing. This is because they are jealous of the great work of Jesus. But to their great surprise, Jesus will always escape and use that opportunity to communicate an important message to the people. 

Such was the occasion of our Gospel passage today. When on a Sabbath day Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach, and a woman was there who for eighteen years had been possessed by a spirit that left her enfeebled; she was bent double and quite unable to stand upright.

 

When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, ‘Woman, you are rid of your infirmity,’ and he laid his hands on her. And at once she straightened up, and she glorified God. But the synagogue official was indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, and they addressed the people present saying: There are six days when work is to be done. Come and be healed on one of those days and not on the Sabbath. Then Jesus said, This woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has held bound these eighteen years, was it not right to untie her bonds on the Sabbath day?

 

Here the synagogue official affirms that the Sabbath is not an appropriate time for God to manifest his compassion and mercy.  But Jesus, on the other hand, made us know that God’s actions cannot be dictated or restricted by humans. Because God’s mercy and healing know no limits of time or place if we sincerely turn to him.  

Hence, we see how Jesus demonstrated his compassionate care for humanity, for the most important thing for God in this world is the human person. That's why he makes every effort to save humanity from damnation. He desires to see us making an effort to become faithful and holy. His mercy is so deep that he proposes it as the guiding principle for the perfect fulfilment of the laws of life.

 

This, Jesus, in this passage, has to teach us that humanity’s welfare should not be neglected because of laws and regulations. That nothing should restrict us from doing good to people not even the laws of the Sabbath. Therefore, since we desire to honour God’s laws, we must seek the good of people as well. 

This is what the Pharisees have failed to understand, for they are rather fault-finders and self-righteous people, who only wish to mislead the oppressed and suppress the truth and the good works of others, just because of jealousy and their selfish desires to sustain their ego, pride and their worldly ambition, since they dwell in the flesh rather than the Spirit. So, we should not be like them; rather, we should be compassionate and merciful like our Lord Jesus Christ, for that is what we are called to do.

 

Little wonder St. Paul in our first reading, tells us that everyone moved by the Spirit is a son of God. The spirit we received is not the spirit of slaves bringing fear into our lives again; it is the spirit of sons, and it makes us cry out, ‘Abba, Father!’ The Spirit himself and our spirit bear united witness that we are children of God.

 

Dear friends, no law or regulation should stop us from ensuring and caring for the well-being of people around us. So today, we are called to constantly do good to everyone. We are called not to be fault-finders who are blindfolded by pride.

We must also renounce all sorts of immoral actions and wickedness that may destroy the purity of our souls. Therefore, let us be compassionate and merciful for that is what we are called to do in this life.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we often fail to listen to your teaching because of our selfish desires and pride. Help us to always listen to you and be willing to do good always, as we resolve to live a life of purity and humility. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a blessed week ahead.

Homily For Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C, 26th October, 2025

 

Reading: Sirach 35:12-14.16-18; Ps.34; 2Tim.4:6-8.16-18; Luke:18:9-14

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

HUMILITY AND PERFECT CONTRITION IN PRAYER

There is no doubt that prayer is part and parcel of our Christian life. It is the act of raising up our minds and hearts to God. But sometimes we find it difficult to carry out this exercise because we don't understand how or what is demanded of us or the best disposition to prayer.

This is what Jesus is addressing in our Gospel passage today. For we heard how two men went up to the Temple to pray, one a Pharisee, the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood there and said this prayer to himself, “I thank you, God, that I am not grasping, unjust, adulterous like the rest of mankind, and particularly that I am not like this tax collector here. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes on all I get.”

While the tax collector stood some distance away, not daring even to raise his eyes to heaven; but beat his breast and said, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” Hence, Jesus said, the tax collector went home at right with God; the Pharisee did not. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the man who humbles himself will be exalted.

In this parable, Jesus wants to let us know the importance of praying with the right attitude and disposition, especially those of us who think we are very righteous and often look down on people. For we can draw from this parable a sure remedy for arrogance in our prayer life and acts of piety.

This is important because our prayers and pieties, if done with humility, will be pleasing to God and will even lead us to make frequent acts of contrition for our wrongdoings. But when humility and contribution are lacking our prayers will be presented arrogantly, judgmentally and will be fruitless just like this Pharisee.

So, it is important to have the right attitude and disposition towards prayers. Little wonder Pope Francis said: “It is not enough, therefore, to ask how much we pray; rather, we have to ask ourselves how do we pray, or better, what is the state of our heart during prayers: it is important to examine it so as to evaluate our thoughts, our feelings, and root out arrogance and hypocrisy just like the tax collector.

For we heard how the tax collector stood at a distance proclaiming his guilt and beating his breast in contrition. Hence, we are encouraged to be sorry for our sins. As we know, Contrition, according to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, is sorrow of the soul and detestation for the sin committed, together with the resolution not to sin again. Especially when it arises from a love by which God is loved above all else.

This contrition is called “perfect” (contrition of charity) and is a gift from God. The second contrition is called “imperfect” which is also a gift of God, a prompting of the Holy Spirit. It comes out of the consideration of the ugliness of sin or the fear of eternal damnation and the other penalties threatening the sinner (which is referred to as the contrition of fear)” (CCC 1451-1453).

Dear friends, in prayer, we are not to give God instructions or present our profile of piety, but our disposition should be that of humility and perfect contrition just like this tax collector. We are to present ourselves to God just like a good servant will report for duty and wait for instructions from his master. So, we are to respond in obedience to God's instructions in prayer, for there we encounter God in the innermost part of our being.

Thus, we are told in our first reading today that the man who with his whole heart serves God will be accepted, and his petitions will be carried to the clouds. For the humble man’s prayer pierces the clouds, and he will not be consoled until it reaches the Lord. And the Lord will not be slow in responding or executing his judgment.

This is what we heard St. Paul expressing in our second reading today: “My life is already being poured away as a libation, and the time has come for me to be gone. I have fought the good fight to the end; I have run the race to the finish; I have kept the faith; all there is to come now is the crown of righteousness reserved for me, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on that Day; and not only to me but to all those who have longed for his Appearing”.

Therefore, today we are called to cultivate the right disposition towards prayers, especially that of a humble and perfect contrite heart and learn how to communicate with God the right way.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we do not know how to pray as we ought, as we listen to your words today, may we learn how to cultivate the right attitude and disposition towards prayers. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Wishing you a peaceful and joyful Sunday celebration.

Homily For Saturday, Twenty-Ninth Week in Ordinary Time, Year C, 25th October, 2025.

 

Readings: Romans 8:1-11; Ps 24; Luke 13:1-9

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

GOD HAS GIVEN US OPPORTUNITY TO REPENT NOW,  LESS WE PERISH

Reflecting on the ugly situations in our country today and in the world at large, there is no doubt that both the poor and the rich are testifying to it. For we can fill the struggles, the killings, the tears, the disappointments that people are passing through every day. In fact, some people are losing hope in themselves and even in everything they do, as they run up and down seeking solutions. 

The poor are searching for daily bread, upliftment and favour, the rich are seeking protection and good health, while the evil ones are taking advantage of the situation to destroy the little hope and faith of the people. All these are signs from God who gives us the opportunity to repent from our sinful ways of life.

This is what Jesus is telling us in our Gospel passage today when he said: “Do you suppose the Galileans who suffered like this were greater sinners than any other Galileans? They were not, I tell you. No, but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did. Then with a parable of the barren fig tree, Jesus demonstrated how God has made every moment of our lives an opportunity for us to repent and be fruitful. 

This is clear when he said in the parable, “Look, for three years now I have been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and finding none. Cut it down: why should it be taking up the ground?” “Sir,” the vinedresser replied, “leave it one more year and give me time to dig round it and manure it: it may bear fruit next year; if not, then you can cut it down.”  

Such is God’s patience with us for he gives us the opportunity to turn away from our sinful and ugly ways of life. Repentance is the key message of this Gospel, for Jesus makes it clear that those who suffered and were killed were not worse offenders than others; rather, he uses the opportunity to call us to repentance. Note that the purpose of this message is not for condemnation, but for redemption. 

This is why St. Paul, in our first reading, says that God has done what the Law, because of the nature of our flesh, was unable to do. For God dealt with sin by sending his own Son in a body as physical as any sinful body, and in that body God condemned sin. He did this so that the Law’s just demands might be satisfied in us, who behave not as our flesh requires but as the spirit dictates. So those who live by the flesh are interested only in what is flesh, but the spiritual are interested in spiritual things.

Dear friends, this call for repentance shows us that it is not too late for us to repent, for this may be the last opportunity. Because we can never tell what will happen in the next moment. We can never tell who is the next to die, we can never know the form it will take or where it will occur, all that matters is for us to repent now that we still have the opportunity. 

For none of those who died yesterday knew that it was going to happen that way. Therefore, let us repent now, for repentance helps us to be well disposed for life and for death. It helps us to live right and at peace with God and with one another. It gives us the courage and confidence to face any situation without fear of death.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, You are the author of our lives, freedom and salvation, all we have are yours, thank you for being with us in our daily troubles, struggles, fears, tears, hope and joy, may you provide for the poor, console the troubled, heal the sick, protect and put simile on the faces of your children today and always as we make effort to repent from our sinful ways. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a blessed and fruitful weekend.

Homily For Friday Twenty-Ninth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 24th October, 2025

 

Readings: Romans.7:18-25; Ps 119; Luke 12: 54-59

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

WHY NOT JUDGE FOR YOURSELVES WHAT IS RIGHT?

As human beings, we are good at discerning the events happening around us in order to predict what the outcome of such events can be in the future. We often read the signs of nature in order to make predictions of what will happen in the future.

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

Here, Jesus condemned the ugly attitudes of the crowds for they can read the signs of nature and so predict the future, but now out of jealousy and selfishness, they have failed to recognise the truth by refusing to acknowledge in Jesus one who comes from God, one who speaks God’s word and acts in the power of God.

So Jesus rebuked them for such a hypocritical attitude. In the second aspect of the Gospel, Jesus is asking us to put things right while there is still time; if not, we should be willing to duly face the punishment for all our wrongdoings.

Thus, St. Paul in our first reading says: I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh, for though the will to do what is good is in me, I cannot do it. For I do not do the good I want, because instead of doing the good things I want to do, I carry out the sinful things I do not want.

Dear friends, there are so many signs around us today. What is our disposition towards these signs? Can we identify the signs of our time? How can we understand and interpret them? Why have we failed to understand the sign that tells us that this world is not our home, we are just passing by?

Are we not reading the hand of God in what is going on around us, especially in our country? Now we are called to respond to these signs. What do we think Jesus would do if he were living with us now? Today, Jesus is calling us to discern our actions towards the signs we see in the world we are living in now.

Though, it is very easy to condemn the ugly situation going on in our world today, are we learning anything from it? Do we have any sense of guilt and repentance? Why allow this evil to linger in us by getting into endless arguments and deception when we already know what is right? Why waste so much time arguing about unnecessary things while missing out on the main points that are more basic and challenging?

I think it's time we come back to the real issues, which are justice, honesty, transparency, and equity, equal respect for human life and property. These are the things we all need to put right at all levels and sectors where we find ourselves as we wait on the awesome day of the Lord.

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

Homily For Thursday Twenty-Ninth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 23rd October, 2025

Readings: Romans 6:19-23; Ps.1; Luke 12: 49-53
Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

THE SWORD OF DIVISION AND SEPARATION

The way things are going in our societies today, we really need to think twice about our faith as Christians, and whether we are ready to live out our faith amid the ugly situation in our country today.

The hostility, brutality, persecution and influential powers of the things of this world have eaten deep into the minds of our leaders and are not stopping soon; rather, it will get tougher unless we stop it now once and for all.

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

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

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

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

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

For none of us can become his true disciple if we do not give up our excess desire for worldly pleasures and possessions, and pay our unreserved loyalty and allegiance to God over all other competing loyalties in our lives, including family, self-interest, and possessions.

Thus, St. Paul in our first said that: as once we put our bodies at the service of vice and immorality, so now we must put them at the service of righteousness for our sanctification.

Dear friends, we are called today to make a radical decision to sincerely and faithfully live out our Christian faith and morals. But how much are we willing to let go for the sake of our faith in God?

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

Homily For Wednesday Twenty-Ninth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 22nd October, 2025

 

Readings: Romans 6:12-16; Ps. 124; Luke 12: 39-48

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

WHY WE MUST BE READY AND PREPARED AT ALL TIMES?

Adequate preparation is often said to be the secret and foundation of every successful event. This is obvious when we observe how footballers, boxers, athletes, also engineers, doctors and farmers, businessmen and women devote time and energy to rigorous preparation towards achieving their goals.

Then I said to myself, if we can go to this length of rigorous periods of preparation just for things of this passing world, more should be even demanded of us when it has to do with preparing for eternal life.

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

You too must stand ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.’ Then he used the parable of the faithful and wise steward to make this point clearer. And he concluded by saying: When a man has had a great deal given him, a great deal will be demanded of him; when a man has had a great deal given him on trust, even more will be expected of him.’

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

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

Hence, Jesus commanded us to stay awake, because we do not know either the day or the hour when the Lord will come. To achieve this, St. Paul in our first reading says: that we must not let sin reign in our mortal bodies or command our obedience to bodily passions, we must not let any part of our body turn into an unholy weapon fighting on the side of sin.

Rather, we should offer ourselves to God, and consider ourselves dead men brought back to life; we should make every part of our bodies into a weapon fighting on the side of God; and then sin will no longer dominate our lives, since we are living by grace and not by law.

Dear friends, as we struggle with the ugly situation in our society and in our world today, we must be courageous, wise, patient and prudent, knowing that our lives as Christians demand that we should be alert. We should be prepared at all times and be ready to make sacrifices like the faithful and wise stewards of our Lord. We should be watchful for we know neither the day nor the hour when the Lord will call us.

Hence, we are reminded today that this world is passing away, so we need to stay awake and be ready. We need to look into our inner being, our interior life in order to embrace the life of holiness and self-control that will help us to be more prepared for the coming of the Lord.

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

Homily For Tuesday Twenty-Ninth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 21st October, 2025

 

Readings: Romans 5:12.15.17-21; Ps. 40; Luke 12:36-38

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

HAPPY ARE THOSE WHO ARE READY FOR THE MASTER TO RETURN

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

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

Here we have a scenario which illustrates the unexpected approach of the coming of Christ which will be a great surprise to those who are asleep as they will be missing out on the heavenly joy and also be deprived of their earthly treasures.

But for those that shall be found awake and ready, the Lord's coming will be a happy day, while for those that are not prepared, it will be very dreadful. Thus our ignorance of the day and time of his coming is the reason for our watchfulness, so we must be awake and ready at all times.

Thus, St. Paul addressing the ugly situation that humanity found herself and the need for us to be ready to come out of it said in our first reading today that: sin entered the world through one man, and through sin death, and thus death has spread through the whole human race because everyone has sinned; but the gift itself considerably outweighed the fall.

If it is certain that through one man’s fall, so many died, it is even more certain that divine grace, coming through the one man, Jesus Christ, has come to so many as an abundant gift of salvation. For this reason, we should be more prepared and ready for that glorious day of the Lord.

Dear friends, we are called today to be ready. We are called to repentance. We are called to embrace the new life the Lord is offering us. We are called to a life of constant struggle towards perfection in order to embrace the Lord whenever he comes.

Therefore, preparation is the key word. Let us not be deceived when the world suggests to us that the day of death is not coming soon so forget who we are, and then, the day and time will take us by surprise.

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

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

Homily For Monday Twenty-Ninth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 20th October, 2025

 

Readings: Romans 4:20-25; Ps: Luke 1: 69-75;  Luke 12:13-21

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

ALL THESE HOARDS OF YOURS WHOSE WILL THEY BE? 

Material possessions are gifts from God and he alone gives us the right to them. But what we possess is meant to help us grow in our relationship with God and neighbours not to separate us from them, because if we are not careful, too much love for material possessions can be an obstacle on our way to God’s Kingdom. 

Little wonder Jesus in our Gospel passage today warns us against covetousness and excessive attachment to worldly possessions which he greatly emphasized with the story of the rich Man Harvest. 

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

Here, Jesus tells his disciples about the need to live a life of detachment. He used this story to teach his disciples and all of us about the futility of worldly desires and their pursuits. Thereby showing us the foolishness of human greed, as well as pride and ego. 

For in this man, we see the uselessness of human selfishness, covetousness and excess worldly possession, as he constantly focused only on himself saying I will do this, I will do that, ‘My goods, my fruits, my barns, my soul, etc, without any interest or room for his neighbours or the poor. 

He has no thought of God, nor his servants. If he had looked a little beyond himself, he would have seen many places where he could have bestowed his crops.  Thus, there is a need for us to constantly prune ourselves from excess love for material possessions of this passing world. 

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

For St. Paul tells us in our first reading that, since God had made him a promise, Abraham refused either to deny it or even to doubt it, but drew strength from faith and gave glory to God, convinced that God had the power to do what he had promised. This will help us to understand the need to live a detached life.

Dear friends, detaching and sharing what we possess with others especially the poor is a sure way to finding life, peace, and happiness. And Jesus is telling us that it will be difficult for us to enter his kingdom when we choose to attach ourselves to the riches of this passing world. 

Though material possessions are gifts from God and he alone gives us the right to have them, what we possess is not meant to separate us from God, rather, they should help us to grow in our relationship with God and our neighbours.

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

Homily For Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C, 19th October, 2025. Mission Sunday

 

Reading: Exo. 17:8-13; Ps.121; 2Tim.3:14-4:2; Luke:18:1-8

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

LEARN TO BE PATIENT AND PERSISTENT IN PRAYER AS MISSIONARY 

There are times when we asked and we received, sought and found, knocked and it was opened to us. But there were also times when we asked but did not receive, seek but did not find, knocked but the doors remained shut. In such moments what should we do? Quit or persist in our request?

Jesus in our Gospel passage today gave us the answer to this question. For using the parable of the widow and the unjust judge he addressed the issues of faith in difficult times and the need to persevere in prayer. Here Jesus reassures us that God hears our prayers. He tells us that we need to pray continually and never lose heart.

In this parable Jesus is not comparing God to an unjust judge, but he is saying that if through perseverance one obtains justice from an unjust judge, how much more will we receive our hearts desires from a good and loving Father? For persevering in prayer teaches us that God does not need to be informed of our needs, rather he is training us to learn how to be patient with life situations and struggles.

The parable also serves to encourage those suffering from injustice to continue with their struggles and also the call for justice for everyone. In this parable, we learn how we should persist in our complaints, and prayerfully confront unjust authorities in order to effect the change needed for justice to reign.

Thus, Jesus is encouraging us never to lose heart in times of injustice and challenges of life, rather, we should approach God with confidence, persisting until we obtain what we need. We should keep on asking, seeking, and knocking in prayer until we obtain the answer we need.

This is what we heard in our first reading today when we heard how the people of Israel was victorious in the battle at Rephidim. For as long as Moses kept his arms raised, Israel had the advantage; when he let his arms fall, the advantage went to Amalek. And when Moses’ arms grew heavy, they took a stone and put it under him to support him.

Also Aaron and Hur supporting his arms, one on one side, one on the other; and his arms remained firm till sunset. And with the edge of the sword Joshua cut down Amalek and his people and victory was granted to the chosen people of God. This teaches us that sometimes prayer requires the support of others especially in difficult situations, for we need one another.

Now we can understand the value of praying for one another. Yes, there is strength and strong connection when we pray together or support one another in prayers. For it is often said that the family that prayers together stays together. Prayer has the power to strengthen families and improve relationships, that’s precisely why we need to have a special prayer place for everyone in our family.

Our Family prayer is the bound that holds us together. It’s the spiritual foundation of our home which is a solid base that gives our children the security and confidence to face challenges in life. This is why we need to teach our children the important of prayers and the need to inspire them to pray and study the scriptures.

Little wonder St. Paul in our second reading today says: all scripture is inspired by God and can profitably be used for teaching, for refuting error, for guiding people’s lives and teaching them to be holy. This is how the man who is dedicated to God becomes fully equipped and ready for any good work.

He continues: I put this duty to you, in the name of Christ Jesus and of his kingdom: proclaim the message in season and out of season, welcome or unwelcome, insist on it. Refute falsehood, correct error, call to obedience. But do all with patience and with the intention of teaching.

Dear friends, have you been truly in need of something from a friend who is capable of give you what you need but has not yet giving it to you? Or have you been in a situation where you needed something from a friend but cannot get it because you can not reach him or does not know how to reach him easily? Such a situation can make one to be under serious pressure. Then the question that comes to mind is, are we going to give up or persevere in our struggles of waiting and reaching out to him? This kind of disposition is what we experience sometimes when we pray and our requests are yet to be granted.

In such moments we should not give up easily for sometime prayers require persistency and perseverance. For 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, for people are not ready to wait for God’s time. Let me ask you a question? “As good parents who love their children, if your seven years old son walk up to the Father who his capable to give his son anything he asks saying: father I want you to give me the car key for I wish to own and drive a car.

As a good and loving father what will you do? Give him the car key immediately because you can afford it knowing that the car at this stage of his life will put his life and the life of other people in danger? Or will not rather ask him to wait for the right time when he is matured enough and passed through driving school, then he will be able to manage the car properly?”

This is how God relates with us as our loving Father. But we are not just patient with God. We want to have everything right now as it is hot without knowing if it is the right time and right thing for us to have. The fact remains that patient, persistency and perseverance help us to conform our will to God’s will, but I don’t know why these are very difficult virtue for most people acquire today.

As we celebrate mission Sunday, let us learn to be patient with God in prayers, let us learn to wait for God’s time, knowing that God’s time is always the best for us. Let us not give up so easily especially in difficult and challenges situations. Let us learn how to wait on God’s intervention through our persistent in prayer.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, oftentimes we are not patient with you in our prayers, give us the grace to persevere and be persistent in our prayer life and in every other things we do in life, especially in our relationship with others. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a fruitful mission Sunday celebration.

Homily For Saturday Twenty-Eighth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 18th October, 2025. The Feast of St. Luke The Evangelist

 

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

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

FULFILLING THE MISSIONARY MANDATE OF CHRIST

Today we celebrate the feast of St. Luke, one of the four great Evangelists of our Christian faith. According to traditions St. Luke was probably a Hellenised Jew or a Greek who embraced the Christian faith as one of the earliest converts among the earliest disciples of Jesus Christ.

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

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

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

Here, Jesus gave us the nature and requirements for carrying out his missionary mandate successfully. So, to continue this great mission he invites his disciples and sends them out, commanding them to see themselves as someone who gives freely of the good they have received from God.

Hence, we should offer to others what we have received from God just like St Luke, knowing that it has cost us nothing. We must live a life of detachment that is, in this mission, we are to depend totally on God's providence.

Unfortunately, many of the disciples have to face rejection and persecution from people, who through their rebellious attitude have refused to believe in God even though He has always been so patient, loving, caring and forgiving us.

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

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

But dear friends, what is our attitude today towards the missionary mandate of Christ? How has the Word of God shaped our lives? How are we contributing towards the missionary mandate of Christ? Today, as we celebrate the feast of St Luke, we recall his great contributions to the Church and the Christian faithful.

For just as St Luke gave us the Gospel account and the Act of the Apostles as inspired by the Holy Spirit, we as disciples of Christ, have also received a lot from God and his saints without payment; we should learn to give without expecting reward.

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

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

Homily For Friday, Twenty-Eighth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A, 17th October, 2025. The Memorial of St Ignatius Antioch

  

Readings: Romans 4:1-8; Ps. 32; Luke 12:1-7

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

WHOM TO FEAR IN THIS LIFE
 

The word “FEAR” is often defined as an unpleasant emotion caused by the threat of danger, pain, or harm. Little wonder, threats, intimidation, torture and fear are some of the powerful ways of silencing people from expressing their views, opinions and faith. 

Hence, Jesus, knowing the difficulties and challenges his disciples would encounter, needed to train and instruct them properly, so that they could stand firm in the midst of threats, opposition and persecution that might bring fear to their midst.

 

Thus, in our Gospel passage today, Jesus continues with his instruction on what it means to be a firm disciple with respect to the mission he is about to entrust to his apostles. He began by saying, What I say to you in the dark, tell in the daylight; what you hear in whispers, proclaim from the housetops. Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; fear him rather who can destroy both body and soul in hell. Can you not buy five sparrows for two pennies? And yet not one is forgotten in God’s sight. Why, every hair on your head has been counted. Fear not: you are worth more than hundreds of sparrows.

 

As disciples, these encouraging words of Jesus are very apt especially now that we are passing through difficult moments of intimidation, persecution, brutality, killings, war, genocide, poverty, sickness, greed, immorality and famines in our families, societies, country and the world at large. 

This ugly condition can make someone completely lose hope in humanity and also in God. But Jesus does not want us to lose hope; rather, he wants us to be firm and strong disciples who will stand firm and courageously face the ugly situations we encounter every day. For Jesus needs firm disciples who will speak and stand for his Gospel no matter the cost.

 

He says we should not fear the threats, intimidation, torture and brutality of people who claim to be powerful because of the office they occupy. We should not give in to some of these powerful ways of silencing people from expressing their views, opinions and faith. Yes, all over the world, there are struggles against injustice, protests against intimidation and brutality of innocent people, especially in our country.

 

Hence, we, the youths, are out seeking justice, equity and good governance. We must not stop or give up on our struggles. We must continue to speak and condemn evil without fear, but with the assurance that the Lord is with us, despite everything that we may be suffering and enduring because of the sins and wickedness of the evil ones. 

Thus, St. Paul in our first reading says that happy are those whose crimes are forgiven, whose sins are blotted out; happy the man whom the Lord considers sinless. This is what we see in the life of Ignatus of Antioch, whose memorial we celebrate today. He was the second bishop of Antioch after St Peter. 

He was arrested condemned to death, and transported to Rome to be thrown to the wild beasts in the arena. In the course of his journey, he wrote seven letters to various churches, in which he dealt wisely and deeply with Christ, the organisation of the Church, and the Christian life.

Dear friends, today we are called to be firm disciples of Jesus who has conquered fear, for our purpose in life is to become Jesus in deeds and character. By so doing, we will have confidence that God will enable us to carry out the work that he has entrusted to us, even amid persecution, knowing that neither the human person nor the devil can affect our souls. 

We can be confident of God’s ultimate care for us because He knows even the number of hairs on our heads. Thus, as true disciples of Jesus, we must have confidence and remain firm in faith even during persecution, intimidation, brutality, suffering and sickness, because, His love and care for us surpass all our challenges.

 

LET US PRAY: Almighty God, our society is full of threats, intimidation, brutality, torture and fear from people who are entrusted with authority and ought to protect the interests of humanity. Grant us the grace to resist their evil and ugly attitude and to stand firm amid all the opposition and persecutions we may encounter in our daily lives, we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Wishing you a blessed day.

Homily For Thursday, Twenty-Eighth Week in Ordinary Time, Year C, 16th October 2025

 

Readings:  Romans 3:21-30; Ps. 130; Luke 11:47-54

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

DON’T SET TRAPS AGAINST THE INNOCENT

 

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

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

 

Here, Jesus was speaking to the people on the ugly attitudes and wickedness of humanity, well manifested by the Scribes and Pharisees on various occasions, when we ought to obey the Lord, but preferred to live and act by our own selfish and proud attitudes. 

Hence, by reproaching us, Jesus is reminding us that this is not the right path for us to follow; instead, we should be more faithful and pay more attention to God’s words and teachings, which he had repeatedly communicated to us through the prophets, of which we often rejected and killed the prophets. Similarly, Jesus, despite all the signs and wonders he had done for humanity, we still refused to have faith in him.

 

Hence, St. Paul in our first reading tells us that God’s justice that was made known through the Law and the Prophets has now been revealed outside the Law, since it is the same justice of God that comes through faith to everyone. For a man is justified by faith and not just by doing something the Law tells him to do.

 

Dear friends, today Jesus rebuked the ugly attitude of humanity, calling us not to be like the Scribes and Pharisees, who, out of pride and selfishness, rejected the words of Jesus and sought to kill him. 

Rather, we should be more humble and disposed towards the words of God we hear every day. We should make efforts to transform our lives and faith more closely to that of Jesus. We should not be like the Pharisees and Scribes who look for the downfall of others because they tried to correct us.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, as you reproach our ugly attitudes of pride and selfishness today, may we be filled with the longing for true holiness and humility, we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a blessed day.

Homily For Wednesday, Twenty-Eighth Week in Ordinary Time, Year C, 15th October, 2025. The Memorial of St Therese of Avila.

Readings: Rom. 2:1-11; Ps. 62; Luke 11:42-46

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

DON’T BE LIKE UNMARKED TOMB

The condition of our society today calls for deep reflection, as so many things that appear to be good are like whitewashed tombs which outwardly appear beautiful and draw the admiration of people, but within them are full of dead men's bones and all sorts of corruption.

They call it packaging, the popular terminology used by people to describe how they make things that are not too good to look extremely good, and this has made us lose focus on how we ought to do things right.

This ugly attitude of the human person is what Jesus is condemning today in our Gospel passage. As he continued to challenge the hypocritical attitude of the scribes and Pharisees which is not different from the attitude of most of us.

He said: Alas for you Pharisees! You who pay your tithe of mint and rue and all sorts of garden herbs and overlook justice and the love of God! These you should have practised, without leaving the others undone. Alas for you Pharisees who like taking the seats of honour in the synagogues and being greeted obsequiously in the market squares! Alas for you, because you are like the unmarked tombs that men walk on without knowing it!

Here, Jesus is challenging us to think differently about how we live our lives. He is challenging us to look at what is going on in our inner being, our interior life, that part of us that we hide from one another.

For most people, the things we see around us today are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful and draw the admiration of people, but within us are outright ugliness and all sorts of corruption, like the unmarked tombs that men walk on without knowing it.

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

Little wonder St. Paul in our first reading says that we often abuse God’s abundant goodness, patience and toleration, not realising that this goodness of God is meant to lead us to repentance. This is what we see in the life of St. Theresa of Avila whose memorial we celebrate today.

She was one of the few female Doctors of the Church and the most prominent members of the early Church, who helped to establish a solid foundation for the Church. A life she embraced so deeply and became a renowned mystic and holy woman. And through her writings and way of life, she sought to return the Christian faith to its purer state.

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

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

LET US PRAY: Loving Father, help us to build our interior life strongly in your love for we are living in a world of unmarked tombs of deception, immorality and corruption. Give us grace to be wise enough to discern what is right and pleasing to you. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. God bless you.

Homily For Tuesday, Twenty-Eighth Week in Ordinary Time, Year C, 14th October, 2025

Readings: Romans 1:16-25 Ps. 19; Luke 11:37-41

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

BUILDING A STRONG INTERIOR LIFE

There is no doubt that our societies today are full of artful deception, dishonesty and fraudsters. Integrity has become a virus to be eliminated. Morals and virtuous actions are no longer valuable. Heroes of deception and fraudsters are honoured and celebrated.

The interior life of the human person is no longer regarded as important as the outward appearance. This unhealthy way of life is what Jesus is addressing in our Gospel passage today. When a Pharisee invited Jesus to dine at his house, he was surprised that Jesus had not first washed before the meal.

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

Here, the Pharisees were so much interested in the outward appearance and the ‘letters’ of the Law, that they neglected the ‘spirit’ of the Law and the interior life of the human person.

However, Jesus made it clear that the interior life and purity of the human person are not based on the outward appearance of a person but, from the good fruit of virtues that comes from the human soul, because outwardly we may appear to be good and pious, but in reality, our hearts are full of wickedness, immorality and sin.

Little wonder St. Paul in our first reading, reminded us that the anger of God is being revealed from heaven against all the impiety and depravity of men who keep truth imprisoned in their wickedness. For what can be known about God is perfectly plain to them since God himself has made it plain.

Therefore, we must learn to take our interior life very seriously knowing that without a sound interior life, all of our good actions, obedience and the observances of the Law will be empty and meaningless.

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

LET US PRAY: Lord God, our hearts are full of corruption, impurity, greediness, wickedness and immorality. Give us the grace to purify our lives with virtues of integrity, honesty, purity and love. We ask this through Christ our lord. Amen. Have a fruitful day.

Homily For Monday Twenty-Eighth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 13th October, 2025

 

Readings: Romans 1:1-7; Ps. 98; Luke 11:29-32

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

UNDERSTANDING THE SIGN OF JONAH

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

Here, Jesus presents to us the final recommendations of the end time, pointing out that he is the greatest and only sign we need just like Jonah was to the people of Nineveh. He insists that we should pay rapt attention to the signs nature is giving us concerning the end-time events, that these signs will make us 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.

We should also be careful 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.

Thus, St. Paul in our first reading today reminded us about Christ as the sign of God’s promise when he said: it is about Jesus Christ our Lord who, in the order of the spirit, the spirit of holiness that was in him, was proclaimed Son of God in all his power through his resurrection from the dead. Through him we received grace and our apostolic mission to preach the obedience of faith to all pagan nations in honour of his name.

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?

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

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, in a world full of confusion and deception, help us to remain faithful in following our Lord Jesus, knowing that he is the greatest sign of all time. 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. Do have a blessed week ahead.

Homily For Twenty-Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C, 12th October, 2025

 

Readings: 2Kings 5:14-17; Ps.98; 2Tim.2:8-13; Luke 17:11-19

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

CULTIVATE THE INNER ATTITUDE OF SHOWING GRATITUDE TO GOD 

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

But how often do we show gratitude for such great love? How often do we say thank you, Lord, for all you have done for us? For we often take this for granted.

This is evident in our Gospel passage today, where we heard the story of Jesus’ encounter with the ten lepers. Ten of them were cured, but only one, who was a foreigner among them, came back to thank Jesus. From this man’s gratitude, Jesus made a comment on human ingratitude when he asked “Was there no one to return and give thanks to God except this foreigner?”

The problem is that we don’t always remember that the ultimate source of our graces and gifts is God. That is what makes the Samaritan leper so special and distinguishes him from the other nine, because he realised that God is the source of his healing. 

Unfortunately, God’s greatest gifts, which are our life and health, our ability to think and achieve great things, are often taken for granted by most of us, because we see no reason to show gratitude to God for them.

More so, the story of these lepers is a good example of how we sinners can and should appeal to Jesus for cleansing especially from our sins. We should come in faith knowing that God is always willing to cleanse every sinner who comes to Him, just like Naaman in our first reading today.

But we must know that the devil does not want us to be saved, and he would tempt us to be arrogant and prideful, as we heard in the story of Naaman, who went to the land of Israel seeking healing from leprosy. And when he visited prophet Elisha, he was told to wash himself at the River Jordan seven times, and he would be healed. But he initially refused out of pride. 

This was exactly how the devil tried to prevent Naaman from receiving healing, not just from leprosy but also from his sinfulness and lack of faith, by placing pride and ego in his heart. Thank God for Naaman’s servant who reminded him to be humble and do what the prophet said in order to be healed. In the end, Naaman obeyed, humbling himself in obedience to the advice of the servant, and he was healed, and we heard how he came to thank God and his prophet. 

This is also what we have in our second reading today, where we heard St. Paul appreciating what God has done for him by linking all his success and challenges to that of Christ, saying: if we have died with him, then we shall live with him. If we hold firm, then we shall reign with him. If we disown him, then he will disown us. We may be unfaithful, but he is always faithful.

Dear friends, I don’t know what type of leprosy problems you are going through. Are you weighed down by sin or sickness? Are you feeling helpless and rejected?  Or do I know people who are helpless and need some help? Do I feel the need for Jesus’s help in some aspect of my life? We must know that Jesus wishes to set us free from sickness, troubles, challenges and manipulations of the evil ones. 

The Lord desires to be with us as we struggle every day to overcome the challenges in our families, society and the world at large. Therefore, we should not be afraid to approach Jesus for healing and restoration, all we need is an active faith and a heart of gratitude just like the foreign leper and Naaman

So, let us sincerely turn to God today and say thank you, Lord, for all the things he has done for us. The fact remains that God has blessed us, it’s time to come back and thank him. We have been saved from sin, is time to thank God. It is time to say I'm sorry, Lord, I'm sorry for having deviated from you, and now is the time to come back and say thank you, Lord. 

Yes, it’s time to thank God and all those who he has used to bless us. It’s time to thank our father and mother, our husband and wife. It’s time to thank our siblings, our uncles, aunties, teachers, workers,  employees and employers. It’s time to thank our maids, neighbours, colleagues, classmates, friends,  pastors, doctors and nurses. It’s time to thank those good people in government, civil servants, lawyers, police officers, military men and women who are faithful in their humanitarian services.

Yes, it’s time to thank anyone who has been of help to us. In fact, it will be a great thing if we can figure out one or more persons who have helped us, but we have never thought it necessary to say thanks. Today may be the right day to search, visit and call them and say thank you for all you have been to me. 

If they are dead, pray for them and extend this appreciation to their families. Don't miss this golden opportunity; don't let it pass you by. I will not miss it, I don’t know about you. So today, let us learn to show gratitude to God and to one another, for this is what God requires of us. Let us learn to say thank you, Lord, for that is the right and wise thing to do 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, you know our innermost being and the challenges we are struggling with, come to our aid, we pray and cleanse us from all our physical, emotional and spiritual leprosies as we thank you for all you have done for us, we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Peace be with you.