Homily For Saturday Twenty-Sixth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 4th October, 2025. The Memorial of St. Francis of Assisi

Readings:  Bar. 4:5-12.27-29; Ps 69 Luke 10:17-24

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

THE JOY OF OUR MISSION IS TO MAKE HEAVEN

In the mission of Christ, there are so many things that can make us happy and oftentimes we hope to have more of them. But there is one goal that should be the basis for all our desires. 

And this is what Jesus is telling us in our Gospel passage today, for when his disciples came back rejoicing with the report of how they were victorious on the mission he sent them. 

Jesus said to them:  ‘I watched Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Yes, I have given you power to tread underfoot serpents and scorpions and the whole strength of the enemy; nothing shall ever hurt you. Yet do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you; rejoice rather that your names are written in heaven.

Here, Jesus made it clear that the true joy and goal of our mission as Christians is to make heaven, and he warns us to be careful and make sure our priorities and motivations are centred on this one goal of making it to heaven. 

Little wonder Jesus, filled with joy by the Holy Spirit, 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 children.  Thus, if we are ready to open our hearts in humility and simplicity, God himself will reveal many things to us about himself.

Just like St. Francis of Assisi, whose memorial we celebrate today. He was known for his deep spirituality towards listening to the Word of God and his humble act of charity to the poor and needy. He once said we must not be wise and prudent according to the flesh. Rather we must be simple, humble and pure. We should never desire to be over others.

Dear friends, this is what we see in the life of Prophet Baruch in our first reading today, when he made a great revelation to the people of Israel, saying:  I suffer loneliness because of the sins of my own children, who turned away from the Law of God. 

Take courage, my children, call on God: he who brought disaster on you will remember you. As by your will you first strayed away from God, so now turn back and search for him ten times as hard; for as he brought down those disasters on you, so will he rescue you and give you eternal joy.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, today we are made to know that the true Joy of our mission is to make heaven, grant that through the intercession of St. Francis of Assisi, may we experience the true Joy of your heavenly kingdom. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a fruitful weekend.

Homily For Friday, Twenty-Sixth Week in Ordinary Time, Year C, 3rd October, 2025. The Memorial of St Therese Of The Child Jesus

 

Readings: Bar 1:15-22; Ps. 79; Luke 10:13-16

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

GOD EXPECTS A CHANGE WHENEVER WE ENCOUNTER HIM IN HIS WORD

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.

Though we are blessed with every good thing you can talk about, we have misused them and use them to abuse one another. 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’.

No doubt, 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 correct us if we are doing wrong.

 In our first reading, we heard how, from the day when the Lord brought our ancestors out of the land of Egypt until today, we have been disobedient to the Lord our God, we have been disloyal, refusing to listen to his voice.

Dear friends, we must not let Jesus say woe to us for failing to embrace the Word of God. Though 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 of us and humanity at large. But the questions we need to ask ourselves are: have we 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. Therese, 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 Thursday, Twenty-Sixth Week in Ordinary Time, Year C, 2nd October, 2025. The Memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels

 

Readings: Neh. 8:1-12; Ps.19; Matt.18:1-5.10

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

CELEBRATING OUR HOLY GUARDIAN ANGELS

As humans, we often experience some level of favour, providence and protection which we do not expect. Sometimes we wonder how we managed to escape some dangerous actions on our way or what has inspired and sustained us in doing great works.

The answer to this question is found in the memorial we are celebrating today, that is, our Holy Guardian Angels whom God had set before us, to be our guide and protector in our constant struggle against war that rages in our souls. In this angel we celebrate God’s loving care for each and every one of us, for God sends them to guide and to protect us. They are higher beings than us, but God put them at our service.

The angels have one goal in mind, which is the glorification of God, which, for our sake, consists in our salvation and sanctification. They are prepared to do anything to procure our salvation and increase our sanctification. So, angels do protect us physically, but more than that, they protect us spiritually, especially guiding and protecting our souls from the danger of sin and condemnation.

The angels do this by putting in us a holy fear, or contempt for those evils we know we should avoid. They enlighten our minds in order to help us to know the good we ought to do and the evil we are to avoid, this they do by acting upon the sensible part of our souls, our emotions and sentiments, and so inspire us with joy, peace and the favour of God. For God communicates his message to us through their mediation.

Thus, in our Gospel passage today, Jesus tells us to be humble like little children in following the directives of our Guardian Angels and not be rebellious. As he also warned us from misleading the little children in their faith or in harming them, for their Angels in heaven are constantly interceding for them. He said, ‘I tell you solemnly, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. And so, the one who makes himself as little as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Little wonder in our first reading we heard how this rebellious attitude of the human person brought about the capture and exile of the people of Israel. But having gained their freedom, they decided to hear and meditate on the word and laws of God, which, when the word was read and interpreted, they mourned, but Ezra said to all the people, ‘This day is sacred to the Lord your God. Do not be mournful, do not weep.’ For the people were all in tears as they listened to the words of the Law.

Dear friends, God has always provided for us and protected us. He often sends his Angels before us. All we have to do is to trust in the Lord and follow the directives that our Guardian Angels have proposed for us. Because, they are always before God interceding and praying constantly for us.

They often speak to us and communicate the message of God to us, but we are often too busy and distracted by the noisy things of this passing world, which the devil has been using to lead us astray. We can not give in to his schemes if we remain faithful and attentive to our Holy Guardian Angels.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, we thank you for the gift of our Guardian Angels, today we ask that through their intercession may we always find favour in your sight and before men, and always be defended by their protection and rejoice eternally in their company as we say: Angel of God, our guardian dear, to whom God’s love commits us here. Ever this day be at our side, to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen. Have a fruitful day.