Homily For Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A, 1st February, 2026. (HAPPY NEW MONTH)

 
Readings: Zep. 2:3:3:12-12; Ps. 146; 1Cor.1:26-31; Matt. 5:1-12

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

UNDERSTANDING AND FOLLOWING THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF CHRISTIAN LIFE

Each day of our lives is a struggle for perfection, we grow from one level of understanding and knowledge to another. But what really gives value to this growth is the fundamental principles we follow. Because the fundamental principles of life help us to be focused and determined to achieve our goals. Therefore, Jesus, knowing the value and importance of the faith he has come to offer humanity, laid down the fundamental principles that will guide his disciples in the new way of life which he is offering us.

These fundamental principles are what we find in our Gospel passage today, in the famous Sermon on the Mount by our Lord Jesus, also known as the Beatitudes. This famous Sermon opens to us the interior life of Jesus: poor in spirit, gentle, merciful, hungry for justice, pure in heart, a peacemaker, who is prepared to sacrifice and suffer persecution for the cause of what is right.

These, of course, are guiding principles to a new life he has called us to live. Here, Jesus gave us eight characteristics of blessed people, which are the fundamental principles of Christian life. Each of these Beatitudes is a statement of an ideal way we ought to live and be in close contact with God. Let us now examine these principles in relation to the life of Christ especially his passion.

First, these principles began by talking about the poor in spirit which brings to mind the low condition of mankind that looks up to a Redeemer and the glory to come. This we can relate to the life of Jesus, who is the King of kings and the Lord of lords, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. But, upon the cross, he was stripped, mocked, spat upon, crowned with thorns, and given vinegar to drink.

Secondly, we were told that those who mourn are blessed, for their true repentance, watchfulness, humble mind, and continual dependence on the mercy of God through Christ Jesus shall be comforted by the Lord. We can recall the agony of Jesus, we can recall his cry, " My God! My God! Why have you forsaken me? But he was consoled with the grace of resurrection.

In these principles, we were told that the meek are blessed, for being patient, silent and submissive to the will of God, and so are comforted even in this world. This is true because Christ endured much on the cross, and did so patiently. For we were told that when he suffered, he did not threaten; he was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and he did not open his mouth. Therefore Christ’s patience on the cross was great. So, we too must be meek and patient looking upon Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.

Next is about those who hunger and thirst after righteousness for they are blessed. This is because, their desires for spiritual blessings shall be satisfied. Since in his passion, Christ taught us the way to perfection and holiness. Also, we are told that the merciful are blessed, for their compassion, help and pity on the souls of humanity who are in sin and need mercy.

Yes, Christ suffered for us as a remedy for our sins, and secondly, as an example for us to follow. So we must be merciful. We are also told that the pure in heart are blessed; for they shall see God, since their hearts are made pure in holiness and are capable of seeing God, just like Jesus who was like us in everything except sin.

Also, the peace-makers are blessed, for they love and delight in peace which Christ is offering to humanity, when he said peace be upon us, forgive them Father for they do not know what they are doing. Finally, we were told that those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake are blessed, for victory is theirs since they understand that there is nothing in our sufferings that can be compared to the victory of eternal life. Yes, for Christ says: that no man has greater love than to lay down his life for his friends. And this is what Christ did on the cross. And if he gave his life for us, then it should not be difficult for us to bear whatever hardships arise for his sake.

These are exactly what we heard in our first reading today which says: Seek the Lord, all you, the humble of the earth, who obey his commands. Seek integrity, seek humility: you may perhaps find shelter on the day of the anger of the Lord. In your midst, I will leave a humble and lowly people, and those who are left in Israel will seek refuge in the name of the Lord.

Little wonder, St Paul in our second reading said: it was to shame the wise that God chose what is foolish by human standards, and to shame what is strong that he chose what is weak by human standards; those whom the world thinks common and contemptible are the ones that God has chosen, for he has chosen those who are nothing at all to shame those who are everything.

Dear friends, we are called to understand and follow the fundamental principles of Christian life of perfection. For we are truly blessed when we are poor in spirit, when we mourn for our sinfulness, gentle, hunger and thirst for holiness. We are blessed when we are merciful and peacemakers in a world that is full of wickedness, greed and corruption. Today, we are called to live our lives in these virtues and when we encounter challenges, difficulties, persecutions and troubles, we should remain faithful to the end for none of these tribulations shall be compared to the victory of eternal life.

 LET US PRAY: O God, from whom all good things come, grant us the grace to live out these fundamental principles of our Christian life and so overcome this sinful world, to enjoy the beatific vision of eternal life in You, through Christ our Lord. Amen. As you begin your task this week, may the glory of God inspire you and elevate you to greater heights. Have a blessed Sunday.

Homily For Saturday Third Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 31st January, 2026. The Memorial of St. John Bosco

 

Readings: 2 Sam. 12:1-7.10-17; Ps.51; Mark 4:35-41

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

WHY ARE YOU AFRAID? PEACE! BE STILL!! SAYS THE LORD

In the scriptures, we often hear stories of how people struggle with heavy storms as they are assailed by the sea. Today, our fishermen and the mariners who are involved in the sea business can tell us better what it means to be on the sea during heavy storms. A situation where the need for a Saviour is highly anticipated. Such was the case with the disciples of Jesus in our Gospel passage today. It is a story about the disciples' panic and fear of perishing as a result of the heavy storm that is affecting their boat.

As this heavy storm was about to break their boat, the disciples could not believe that Jesus was asleep while they were afraid and needed help from anywhere. So they went to him and woke him saying, ‘Teacher, do you not care if we perish? And Jesus said: “Peace! Be still!!” And the Storm ceased and there was a great calm. And he said to them, ‘Why are you afraid, how is it that you have no faith. The men were astounded and said, ‘What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the sea obey him.’

This story signifies God's chosen people on a transit of faith, frightened by the guilt of sin and wounded by the waves of the sea, the abode of evil forces and monsters of this world. The boat can be taken as a symbol of the faith of the Church and the people of God struggling with the world’s principalities and powers, while the storms are symbols of heavy persecutions and sufferings by the people of God. And Jesus is saying: why are you so afraid, you men of little faith.

Dear friends, there is no doubt that there is an active presence of evil in the world, which manifests itself in different forms. So everyday is a struggle against the malice of the evil ones, and people are doing everything they can to overcome them. Today, Jesus is inviting us into his boat of life, thereby calling us to journey on this boat with an unwavering faith and a repentant heart, because the world is being tossed around by the waves of the evil forces, the enemies of humanity. And it is only God who can subdue it, for he has promised to restore us back to himself.

This is exactly what we heard about David in our first reading today, for after David had committed grave sins against Uriah and God, the prophet Nathan confronted him about this ugly situation. David felt very remorseful about his actions and asked God for mercy. And this the Lord granted him and promised to restore him and calmed down the storms of destruction in his household. 

This is what we see in the life of St. John Bosco whose memorial we celebrate today for despite the challenges and oppositions he faced in life, he remained committed to his work as a priest and made great impacts in the lives the youths of his time and even in our time for through many people who sharing in his spirituality, founded the Order of the Salesians of Don Bosco, one of the great religious orders in our society today.

Therefore, I don't know the great storms of doubt and fear in your soul? I don’t know if you are under the power of the evil forces of this world. All I know is that with great faith in God, the heavy storms in our lives will become calm. So, why are you afraid? Peace! Be Still!! Says the Lord. Why not present your challenges of life to Jesus, for he will surely rebuke the violent storms in our hearts so that we can experience once again the calmness of his peace and joy.

LET US PRAY: Lord God. As we struggle every day to overcome the ugly situation around us, grant that the violent storms and waves of sin and bondage in our lives, our families and the world, will end in a wonderful calm that brings peace in our souls. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Wishing you a fruitful and joyful weekend.

Homily For Friday, Third Week in Ordinary Time, Year C, 30th January, 2026

 

Readings: 2Sam. 11:1-4.5-10.13-17; Ps  51; Mark 4:26-34

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

MAKE YOUR HEART A FERTILE SOIL FOR GOD’S KINGDOM 

In the scriptures, using a simple story to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson has always been one of the characteristics of Jesus when addressing the people on matters of great importance. 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 the parable of the mustard seed, using it to describe the nature of God’s kingdom, which he came to establish in the hearts of humanity. 

Here, 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.

More so, Jesus is not just speaking of the size of the mustard seed, but also the faith of the people as that of a mustard seed. Telling us that just as the mustard seed responded 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, and so build up the kingdom of God.

Nevertheless, these two analogies of the mustard seed symbolise the humble beginnings of the Christian faith, which is well watered by the Holy Spirit to grow and give life and hospitality to all the people of the world. Hence, in building the kingdom of God, we are reminded that we can be tempted in different ways just like David in our first reading, who when tempted by the beauty of an innocent woman, failed to control himself and so fell into the sin of adultery which led him to commit another sin of murder as he tried to cover up his sins. 

This very single mistake caused great damage to the mission of David and to his household.  So we should learn from this costly mistake of David. We should not give in to temptations and lost of the eyes. Rather, we should learn to remain faithful until our souls are saved in our heavenly kingdom. 

Dear friends, we need to let our knowledge of God’s kingdom grow like that of a mustard seed, knowing that in the world today we have different kinds 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, love, holiness, hospitality, obedience, and charity that will lead us to God’s kingdom? Or are we watering weeds that are distracting us from attaining heaven? 

We must stop watering such weeds, let us feed ourselves with valuable mustard seeds of virtues and values. For when we feed and water such values, we will grow stronger like the mustard tree where people may find solace and so build up God’s kingdom. 

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, as you sow the seeds of your word in our hearts, give us the grace to grow them into the mustard tree of faith, holiness and hospitality and by so doing build up your heavenly kingdom. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a fruitful day.

Homily For Thursday Third Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 29th January, 2026

 

Readings: 2 Sam. 7:18-19.24-29; Ps.132; Mark 4:21-25

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

HOW ARE YOU USING YOUR EARS TO LISTEN?

The ears, as we know, are organs of hearing which consist of the pinna. It is a gift from God, through which we have the faculty of perceiving sounds and recognising things in an auditory way. To exercise the faculty of this organ effectively we must learn to use it to listen attentively to information. For the world, no doubt, is full of noise, echoing different things in our minds through our ears.

But what are we feeding our ears with? How do we use these organs? How has this organ helped us in our spiritual life despite this noisy world? How have we managed the noise in our lives, in families and society, which distracts us from listening to God? What are the things we hear or listen to? The Word of God that we hear every day - how has it developed our relationship with God and our neighbour?

Therefore, when Jesus said in our Gospel reading today, “he who has ears let him hear”, he is referring to our ability to listen to God's Word and act on it even in the midst of this noisy world. Thus, what Jesus means is that the person who seeks to gain some spiritual insight into what he is saying will have that insight increased when they listen, whereas whoever does not listen to him will end up in spiritual ignorance. To avoid this, we need to learn from King David, who, after Nathan had spoken to him, went in and, seated before the Lord and listening to him, he said: ‘Who am I, O Lord, and what is my House, that you have led me as far as this?

Dear friends, by listening, hearing and following Jesus, we grow in familiarity with his voice and hear him more. And by so doing we make Jesus the light of our lives placed on the lampstand to give light and insight to our souls as individuals, family and society, illuminating all the darkness around us.

 LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, our ears are a gift from you, help us to use them properly. And as we carry out our activities today, may our ears hear the consoling words of Jesus guiding and directing us towards the light of his presence. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Remain blessed.

Homily For Wednesday of The Third Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 28th January, 2026. The Memorial of St. Thomas Aquinas

 

Readings: 2Tim 1:1-8; Ps. 96; Mark 4:1-20

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

TO WHICH DO YOU HEART BELONGS

A good disposition and positive response towards whatever we do in life has a way of building up our confidence and interior life, and this of course, leads us to great success. Little wonder in our Gospel passage today, Jesus uses the parable of the sower to describe different kinds of responses to God's Word. 

He explained the parable by pointing out our different dispositions towards the Word of God in relation to our interior life. This will help us to know whether our soul is like dry rocky ground or whether we regularly seek to nourish our soul and prepare it to receive the holy Word of God. So we are called to create a fertile disposition within our hearts to do the will of God.

In the scriptures, many hear the words of Jesus and do not understand them because of poor disposition, for instance, the religious leaders who are against his teachings, the crowds that responded positively to Jesus, especially to his miracles of healing, yet turned against him at the end and demanded his crucifixion. 

Some disciples, such as Judas, might also be included among those who fall away when trouble or persecution came on account of the Word. The rich young man, who was unable to part with his possessions, provides a clear example of one who hears the word, but the love for the passing things of this world and the lure of wealth choked the word, and it yielded nothing. 

But what about the good soil? These are those who hear the Word, understand it and internalise it. They indeed bear fruit and yield an abundant harvest. Our mother Mary and the disciples, excluding Judas, are good examples of such people. Therefore, the different kinds of ground on which the seed falls represent different ways by which we receive the Word of God. 

Dear friends, our hearts are the fields in which the Word of God is scattered. But, to which do our hearts belong? The pathway, the rocky ground, the thorns or the good soil? Whichever one, we are called to have the right disposition and a positive response to the Word of God. We are to pay attention and take some time to appreciate God’s Word in our lives by allowing it to bear solid roots in us so that we can bear great fruits that will manifest in our interior life.

This is what we see in the life of St. Thomas Aquinas whose memorial we celebrate. For he was one of the famous theologians, who understood what it means to sow the seed of faith in people so as to build the kingdom of God. Thomas is remembered for his great work, the Summa Theologiae and many other contributions, writings and works which still influenced and inspired so many people.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, oftentimes our disposition and response towards your Word is so poor. As we listen to your Words today, through the intercessions of St Thomas Aquinas give us grace to remain open to receiving your Words, to bear fruit abundantly. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Have a favourable day.

Homily For Tuesday Third Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 27th January, 2026

 

Readings: 2 Samuel 6:12-15.17-19; Ps.24; Mark 3:31-35

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

WHERE DO YOU TRULY BELONG

Reflecting on my relationship with God, family and neighbours, I asked myself which one comes first, because all are so important. As we know, having a sense of belonging is fundamental to human happiness and well-being, as it gives value to our lives and helps us cope with painful emotions. Hence, we often want to belong with one another, to our friends and families, to our culture or from one association to another. However, one of the most common and safest places to belong is our families, especially when it is rooted in the love of God and our neighbours.

So, today in our Gospel passage, Jesus speaks about belonging to his family and his relationship with members of his family when he said: ‘Here are my mother and my brothers. Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven, he is my brother and sister and mother.’ In the Gospel, Jesus speaks of two ways the people around him could be identified as members of his family. Firstly, he talks about those who belong to the family of his birth, that is, his mother, father and relations. Then his other family is made up of those who do the will of God.

 This family, he says, is his true family, where doing the will of God is the only way of belonging to this family. This is not to say that Jesus is rejecting his family; to do so would contradict his teaching about loving one's parents and loving one's neighbours. However, Jesus is using this opportunity to emphasise that our relationship with God is more important, and this should depend on our total commitment to doing the will of God through him.

Surprisingly, Mary the mother of Jesus belongs to both sides of the family, for she gave birth to Jesus and was also the first to do the will of God when she said, “Let it be done unto me according to your word” (Luke 1:38). For this reason she is the first disciple of Jesus and a model for all Christians.

Thus, to be a Christian or a disciple is to enter into the family of Jesus and embrace a new relationship with God and with one another for this is the most important place to belong. All other bonds, including those of blood, should be considered secondary. Because, belonging to God is fundamental to our basic relationships, before all human relations. We belong first to God before belonging to our families, after which we all go back to God where we ultimately belong, which is determined by how we have been doing God’s will here on earth.

Dear friends, where do we ultimately and truly belong? As Christians, we claim to belong to God, do our attitudes and decisions show that we truly belong to God? Do we not often commit ourselves to things contrary to the faith we professed in God? Can we say that we are truly doing the will of God? What have we been doing with the word of God we hear every day? What kind of fruit are we bearing in our family and society? How has the word of God changed our lives and disposition towards our family? How has the word of God challenged and propelled us to love God and our neighbours? The answers to these questions are blowing in the wind.

Today we are called to be more practical and attentive towards obeying the commandment of God. We are called to put into action the words we hear every day. Let us learn from David in our first reading today, who, knowing the importance of doing the will of God, went and brought the ark of God up from Obed-edom’s house to the Citadel of David with great rejoicing, with a sacrifice of praise.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, today we are called to do your will always to truly belong to that true family of Jesus where the love of you and our neighbour unites us together. Grant that we may learn to do your will and be good collaborators with others in the mission and vocation entrusted to us. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Have a blessed day.

Homily For Monday of The Third Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 26th January, 2026. The Memorial of SS. Timothy and Titus

 

(Today is MY BIRTHDAY, DO PRAY FOR ME)

Readings: 2Tim 1:1-8; Ps. 96;; Mark 3:22-30

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

FAN INTO A FLAME THE GIFT GOD GAVE TO YOU

One of the gifts of God to us is the gift of discernment, which enables us to know and distinguish between good and evil spirits. This gift is extremely important to every leader's office. However, it is sad and unacceptable when a leader decides to misuse this gift out of envy, jealousy, and ignorance. This is the attitude of the scribes in our Gospel passage today.

For we heard how Jesus had delivered a man possessed by an evil spirit. The spirit had bound his tongue and made him mute. But when Jesus had cast out the demon from the man, and the man spoke, some scribes who watched this great miracle as it happened said that it was through the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that he was able to cast the devil out.

This is because they were adamant in their opposition against Jesus, which was propelled by envy and jealousy. That is why they were unable to look beyond their narrow-mindedness and stubbornness in insisting that their way was the true way, while others, like our Lord Jesus, were wrong. But Jesus, as usual, used the opportunity to correct them by pointing out the mistakes in their argument.

Thus, telling us that it does not make sense for the demons to be fighting one another and so be divided among themselves. Because any house that divides within itself can not stand, and as we know the evil ones are always united in their plans to bring about destruction in human activities.

So, it is obvious that the scribes know the truth but were not ready to accept it rather the chose to deny the work of God, that why Jesus concluded the gospel by saying that: everyone who says a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.

From this frightening passage, Jesus reveals to us that sins, no matter how grievous, can be forgiven, but there is a particular sin that will not be forgiven. That is, the sin against the Holy Spirit. But what is this sin against the Holy Spirit? And why would it not be forgiven? The sin against the Holy Spirit is rooted in one's outright rejection of God’s grace of salvation offered to us through the Holy Spirit‘s incessant invitations and warnings.

This happens when the will of a person is hardened against God’s mercy and goodness. This is so because, it is the sinner himself who rejected God’s forgiveness. And since God respects the freedom which He has given us, He respects a sinner’s decision to firmly refuse to be forgiven.

Dear friends, we are called today not to be like the scribes who, out of pride and ignorance, denied the power of God over spiritual realities and so sin against the Holy Spirit. Rather we should make proper use of the gift of discernment which the Lord has given us. We must not let envy, jealousy and overambition make us deny the truth about the spiritual realities we experience from the Lord.

We must not let the devil succeed in sowing the spirit of division among us. We should also ask God to endow us with the spirit of discernment and truth, especially during this period that we are often faced with the ugly and sad attitude of human deception all over the world.

Hence, St. Paul in our first reading today encourages Timothy as well as all of us saying: “Fan into a flame the gift that God gave you when I laid my hands on you. God’s gift was not a spirit of timidity, but the Spirit of power, and love, and self-control. So you are never to be ashamed of witnessing to the Lord”

So, let us learn from SS. Timothy and Titus, whose memorial we celebrate today. They were servants who truly understood what it means to belong to the family of Jesus and have the right disposition towards his Word. For they were both close collaborators of St. Paul who entrusted to them the care of God’s faithful, of which they were known to be among the first Bishops of the Church. They were great servants of God with great commitment and dedication to doing the will of the Lord and suffering martyrdom for their faith.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, as we struggle every day with the manipulation of the evil ones, give us the grace to overcome them, may we never be misled by the devil and all of his forces, as they often attempt to sow divisions and dissensions among us. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Peace be with you.

Homily For Third Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A, 25th January, 2026

 
The Sunday of the Enthronement of the Word of God.

Readings: Is. 9:1-4; Ps. 27; 1Cor.1:10-13.17; Matt. 4:12-23

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

WHAT IS MY EXPERIENCE WITH JESUS THE LIVING WORD OF GOD

Today, being the third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A, we are called to celebrate the Word of God. On 30th September, 2019, Pope Francis in his Apostolic Letter Aperuit Illis, declared and instituted “A Sunday for the Word of God”, which is to be celebrated every third Sunday in Ordinary Time of the Church’s Liturgical Year. This is of great importance and significance, as it is the light and strength of our faith.

The purpose of this declaration is to remind all Christ faithful that the Word of God, as contained in the scriptures, is vital and integral in the development of our faith in God. The Word of God, in this case, does not just refer to the Scriptures as we know them, but also refers to Christ Himself as our Lord and Saviour, the Divine Word made Incarnate.

Hence, our readings today emphasised making the word of God the light of our lives. In the first reading, Prophet Isaiah talked about the lands of Zebulun and Naphtali, which were conquered by the Assyrians in 732 BC, and dwelt in the darkness of oppression. So he predicted how God would liberate his people who live and walk in the deep darkness of oppression, how they would be set free by the great light of God’s glory.

These words of the Prophet Isaiah were fulfilled in our Gospel passage today, where the chosen people of God who dwell in the lands of Naphtali and Zebulun failed to drive out the Gentiles that are in their midst, they preferred to live with them in the darkness of corruption, sin and shame. These are the people to whom Jesus brought his ministry of the words of light in the midst of the darkness that surrounded them. The presence of Jesus brought them great light.

Here, Matthew is saying that God has chosen Galilee of the Gentiles to be the place where His light will shine. And wherever light and darkness are used in scriptures, it connotes the power of good over evil, order over chaos, security over danger, joy over sorrow, truth over falsehood, life over death and salvation over condemnation. Though, Jesus begins his ministry in Galilee, his mission will be extended to the whole world.

Hence, he called his disciples, who would be instruments to extend his mission to the whole world. Jesus’ invitation to become disciples offers them the opportunity to observe him closely daily. And by doing so, they will learn more from him to become familiar with his ways of doing things. They will unconsciously copy his manner of speaking, his gestures, his dealings with people. They will see how he solves problems and counters opposition. So that gradually, they will become like Jesus in thought, word and deed.

This speaks powerfully about discipleship, which the people of Corinth failed to understand, as we heard in our second reading. Hence they divided the body of Christ into groups of instrumental personnel of Christ, namely: Paul and Apollos. This is due to a lack of good knowledge of the scriptures. Thus, St. Paul, while reminding them that all were baptised into one Christ, said: I appeal to you, brothers, for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ, to make up the differences between you, and instead of disagreeing among yourselves, to be united again in your belief and practice. Therefore, there can only be one loyalty, that is to Christ alone, who is the Word Made Flesh and dwells among us.

Dear friends, the question we need to ask ourselves is: What is my relationship with Jesus, the Living Word of God made flesh, who dwells among us? What is my experience with the Word of God? Have I truly encountered the Lord in His Word? What is my response towards the Word of God we hear every day? How much of this Word dwells in us? How have we experienced and encountered God in His Word? How have I communicated my experience with the Word of God to humanity? How often do I reverence the Lord in His Word? How often have I shied away from speaking about God and His Word in my daily conversations with other people? How often do I obey the instructions of the Lord through his Words

Brethren, the emphasis on the Word of God today is very important to all of us the faithful people of God. For if we are to follow Christ faithfully, we must cultivate the habit of studying the scriptures because the Word of God is our daily sustenance and the source of our strength and faith. We should make the Word of God the guiding principle of our lives. For in the scriptures we find the strength and courage to promote good over evil, order over chaos, security over danger, joy over sorrow, truth over falsehood, life over death and salvation over condemnation.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, as we enthroned your Word in our lives, our families and in your Church today, grant we pray, that through the power of the Holy Spirit, we may come to discover the power and the efficacy of the scriptures in our lives as individuals, families and community of God’s people. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a blessed and lovely Sunday.

Homily For Saturday Second Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 24th January, 2026. The Memorial of St. Francis De Sales

 

Readings: 2 Samuel 1:1-4,11-12,17,19,23-27; Ps.80; Mark 3:20-21

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

UNDERSTANDING THE SACRIFICE OF DISCIPLESHIP

Often, people think that being a successful Christian means living a comfortable lifestyle. They believe that once we embrace the Christian faith, we will no longer encounter challenges and difficulties in life. But this is not true, because Christian faith requires the sacrifice of all our time, energy, compassion and resources. 

This is evident in our Gospel passage today, where we heard how the Lord Jesus and his disciples were so engaged in the redemptive works among the people. The work was so great to the extent that they were so busy doing their work that they had no time to rest at all, and even to eat, even when they were hungry. They were so engrossed in the work to the extent that the relatives of Jesus could not believe it and they thought he was out of his mind. This was because they felt he spent so much time in his ministry, since he did not spend much time with his family.

This is to remind us that following the Lord is not always an easy and comfortable journey, and more often than not, we may be required to make great sacrifices. However, those sacrifices were not without rewards, for those who had committed themselves to the service of the Lord, shall receive the grace of eternal life and shall never be disappointed in their endeavour in life. Just like the disciples of the Lord, who out of compassion sacrifice all their time and resources to the service of the Lord and were not disappointed or abandoned in their struggles and challenges because they understood what it means to acquire the heart of their master Jesus.

This is exactly what we see in the life of David in our first reading today, where we heard how David, full of compassion and love, reacted upon hearing the tragic story of the death of King Saul and his son Jonathan at the Battle of Mount Gilboa against the Philistines, where the Israelites were grossly defeated. Then David made this lament over Saul and his son Jonathan saying: How did the heroes fall? Saul and Jonathan, loved and lovely, neither in life, nor in death, were divided. O Jonathan, in your death I am stricken, I am desolate for you, Jonathan my brother. This shows how deep David’s love and compassion for his people were despite how Saul treated him.

Dear friends, we are reminded that following the Lord requires the sacrifice of our time, our compassion and our resources. For in Christ Jesus, God has accomplished his redemptive work. What is needed is for us to identify ourselves with this covenantal sacrifice through our active participation in the missionary activities and mandate that the Lord has entrusted to us as his disciples. Therefore, we are called to embrace these missionary activities with the sacrificial love of Christ and his people by coming out of our comfort zones of ugly and sinful ways of life, to embrace the love and mercy the Lord is offering us and be ever more grateful to God for such an act of kindness and compassion. 

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, we thank you for such a great act of love which you have shown to us through Christ your Son, who is full of love and compassion. Grant that we may be ever more faithful in following and doing your will, who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen. Have a blessed and favourable weekend.

Homily For Friday Second Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 23rd January 2026

 

Readings: 1Sam.24:2-21; Ps.57; Mark 3:13-19

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

RESPONDING POSITIVELY TO GOD'S CALL AND MISSION

 

As Jesus continued his work of evangelisation and mission towards the salvation of humanity, he needed people who would be entrusted with this mission. Thus, in our Gospel passage today, Jesus chose twelve apostles out of his disciples. He called and separated them from the crowd so that they would be with him. And he gave them power to preach the gospel, to heal the sick, and to cast out devils.

 

Here, Jesus clarifies the extreme nature of his mission, which he will entrust to his apostles, so that those who would follow him must first count the cost because they will definitely share in his sufferings to share in his glory. Thus, Jesus, who had earlier given the disciples explicit instructions about his mission, makes known to the apostles their specific mission.

 

Consequently, each one of us, like the apostles, is called by name into a deep personal and intimate relationship with Jesus in order to be sent to bear witness to him in the world. Absolute commitment is a necessary quality for this mission. Jesus did not choose people because of what they were. Rather, he chose them for what they could become under his direction and power.

 

This is what we see in the life of David in our first reading today, where we see the magnanimity of David’s heart, for he refused to kill Saul when he had a perfect opportunity to strike Saul and claim the Kingship of Israel for himself. 

Although he has been chosen as the new King of Israel, that should not have justified him to murder a person in the time of his weakness, and even less so to do so for the pursuit of power and personal glory, as most people do today. This is because David was truly filled with love for God and respect for Saul. He did everything to serve the Lord according to his will and mission for him.

 

Dear friends, how are we responding to God's call and mission? How best are we carrying out this mission of preaching the Gospel, healing the sick and casting out the devil? How are we relating to those we judge to be sinners and those we see as our enemies? 

What efforts are we making to convert them? Remember, as followers of Christ, we are called to journey with Jesus in love and compassion towards others, even in the midst of suffering, rejection, and persecution.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, you called and chose us to be with you to bear witness of our salvation to humanity, help us to have the missionary zeal that will enable us to live with integrity, purity and detachment from the things of this passing world. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a favourable day.

Homily For Thursday Second Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 22nd January, 2026

 

Readings: 1Sam. 18:6-9,19:1-7; Ps. 56; Mark 3:7-12

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

THE LORD WISHES TO SET US FREE FROM THE SHACKLES OF THE EVIL ONES

Today, in our Gospel, Mark provides a summary of Jesus' activities among people from Galilee, Judea, Jerusalem, Idumaea, and even the pagan regions of Tyre and Sidon. Telling us that Jesus is really concerned about the struggles of humanity and wishes to set us free from the shackles of the devil

As Jesus heals the people and performs great works, most people wish to see Him and to touch Him. The people were so numerous that Jesus himself was concerned with the danger of being crushed by the multitude.

Thus, he asked disciples to have a boat ready for him so that the crowd would not crush him, for they were crowding forward to touch him. And from the boat, he spoke to them and healed the sick, and set free those possessed especially the excluded and the marginalized who came to him with their ailments.

Those who were not accepted in the society of the time were accepted by Jesus. The power of evil, which causes great fear in people, was overcome by Jesus, so we do not need to be afraid of Satan anymore.

Dear friends, Jesus wishes to set us free from sickness and the forces and manipulations of the evil ones. He desires to be with us as we struggle every day to overcome the forces of evil in our families, society and the world at large. Therefore, we should not be afraid to stand firm against the manipulations of the devil, because Jesus will not abandon us in this battle of life.

This is evident in our first reading today in the case of David and King Saul. For out of jealousy for what the women attribute to David as a way of praising God for the victory he gave them through David, Saul has a hatred for David to the point of planning to kill him. This should not be our disposition; rather, we should learn to appreciate what God has accomplished through other people and not behave like Saul, who became jealous of David.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, as we struggle every day to do your will, may your presence be felt in our midst through Christ our Lord. Have a blessed day.

Homily For Wednesday Second Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 21st January, 2026. The Memorial of St. Agnes

 

Readings: 1Sam. 16:17:32-33.37.40-51; Ps. 144; Mark 3:1-6

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

NO LAW SHALL RESTRICT US FROM DOING PEOPLE

From the scriptures, it seems like every encounter that the Pharisees had with Jesus was always aimed at finding faults with what Jesus was doing. But to their greatest surprise, Jesus will always escape and use that opportunity to communicate an important message to the people. Such was the occasion in our Gospel passage today.

When on a Sabbath day Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach, and a man was there whose right hand was withered. The scribes and the Pharisees were watching him to see if he would cure the man on the Sabbath, hoping to find something to use against him. But knowing their thoughts he said to the man with the withered hand, ‘Stand up! Come out into the middle.’

Then Jesus said to them, is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good, or to do evil; to save life, or to destroy it? And said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ He did so, and his hand was better. But they were furious and began to discuss the best way of dealing with him.

Here 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 all efforts 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 and interpretation of the laws of life. Thus, 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, in as much as 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 people and suppress the truth and the good works of others, just because of their selfish desires to sustain their ego, pride and their worldly ambition.

But we should not be like them, rather we should be compassionate and merciful for that is what we are called to do. We should learn to be courageous and resist any law or people who use laws or their physical position to oppress others. We should learn from David in our first reading today who courageously confronted Goliath and defeated him despite his intimidating physical appearance and so brought victory to God’s people who were intimidated by Goliath.

This is what we also see in the life of St. Agnes whose memorial we celebrate today. For as a noble young Roman woman, St. Agnes had many suitors and those who were interested in her, but she rejected them all for she had dedicated and consecrated her purity and virginity to God, and will not allowing any of those men to desecrate her virginity and sanctity. So out of pride and jealousy suitors became very angry at her, and reported her to the authorities as a suspected Christian, since to be a Christian was a crime punishable by death.

On account of this, the Roman prefect, named Sempronius condemned her to death and attempted to kill her by various methods. First the attempts by several men to defile her virginity by force failed because they were immediately struck blind before they died. The attempts also to hurt her by other means such as burning on a stake also failed for the flames refused to burn the wood. But eventually she was beheaded by being stabbed in the throat and that’s how Agnes met her end through martyrdom and brought glory to God and his mission.

Dear friends, today we are called to know that no law should restrict us from constantly doing good to everyone. We are called not to be fault-finders who are blindfolded by pride. We must also renounce all sorts of prideful actions and wickedness that may destroy our relationship with others and the purity of our souls. Therefore, let us be compassionate and merciful for that is what we are called to do in this life, especially in this moment when our societies and families are really in chaotic situations.

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, especially in the interpretation and application of laws and regulations. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a blessed day.

Homily For Tuesday of The Second Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 20th January 2026

 

The Feast of Blessed Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi

Readings: Phil 2:1-11, Ps. Is.12:2-6, Matt.13:44-46

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

WHAT IS OUR ULTIMATE TREASURE AND HOW ARE YOU ACQUIRING IT?

There is no doubt in my mind that every human being desires to make it into the kingdom of God. But what will lead us to that kingdom is where people have challenges that will often make it seem as if they are not interested.

Therefore, what are the things that will help us to understand the importance of embracing those things that will lead us to God's Kingdom? This is what we have in our Gospel passage today, where 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.

Here, he describes the kingdom of God as the ultimate treasure that cannot be compared to anything whatsoever we have in this world. However, the kingdom is open for all, but not all can be suitable to dwell in it; only those who on the judgment 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.

Thus, in the life of Blessed Michael Iwene Tansi whose Feast we celebrate today, we see a man who understood these parables, one who discovered the great treasure of heaven, sold everything and acquired it. In Tansi, we see how the light of faith was sown in him like the mustard seed grew to give hope to many people.

 Tansi was born in Aguleri, Anambra State, in September 1903, but died in Leicester, England, on 20th January 1964. He was ordained a Roman Catholic priest for the Archdiocese of Onitsha. He was known for love of neighbour, healing and reconciliation of the people with God, with oneself, with one another and with the created reality.

Tansi dedicated himself not only to daily contemplative prayer but also to active ministry. He evangelized the youth, prepared couples for marriage, visited the sick, was a very good confessor, promoted vocations to the priesthood and religious life, and provided for the needs of the poor.

Hence, in Tanis, we see a man who understood 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.

Dear friends, obtaining the ultimate treasure of heaven requires the sacrifice of all our worldly possessions. Though in the world we have different kinds of treasures. But the question is: what is your ultimate treasure and how are you acquiring it? How are we searching for it? Are we really ready to sacrifice all for this treasure?

So, let us learn from Tansi, whose life shows us how the humble beginning of the Christian faith sown in him was well watered by the Holy Spirit to grow and give life and hospitality to people of the world.

Little wonder St. Paul in our first reading says that though Jesus was in the form of God, he did not count equality with God as a thing to be grasped. For he rather emptied himself in humble obedience to God his Father. Therefore, today we are called to empty ourselves of the passing things of this world in order to humbly acquire the heavenly treasure, just like Tansi, who humbly sacrificed the treasures of this passing world in order to embrace the treasures of heaven.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, the world is full of distractions from false treasures, through the intercession of Blessed Tansi, give us grace to discover the treasures of your kingdom and nurture these treasures in faith, holiness and hospitality which we received during our baptism in order to give up all our attachment to worldly possessions in pursue of the heavenly and ultimate treasure of your kingdom. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Happy Feast Day!! 

Homily For Monday Second Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 19th January, 2026

 

Readings: 1Sam.15:16-23; Ps. 50; Mark 2:18-22

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

PRESERVING THE NEW LIFE OF GRACE WITH THE FRESH SKIN OF GOODWILL 

 

Reflecting one of my favourite communion hymns titled New Life, especially its chorus that says:

New Life! New Life, You came to bring us new life,

New life, New life, we find such Joy in your abundant Life.

 

This hymn calls our attention to the gift of New Life which Jesus is offering to humanity. A gift that differentiates his disciples from other people. This is evident in our Gospel passage today, where we read about the observation made by the disciples of John the Baptist concerning the relationship between Jesus and his disciples and their new ways of doing things. 

So they came to Jesus and asked him questions regarding their manner of fasting and feasting. Jesus used this opportunity to educate them about the New Life of grace which he has come to offer humanity.

 

He said to them: Surely the bridegroom’s attendants would never think of mourning as long as the bridegroom is still with them? But the time will come for the bridegroom to be taken away from them, and then they will fast. For no one puts a piece of unshrunken cloth onto an old cloak, because the patch pulls away from the cloak and the tear gets worse. Nor do people put new wine into old wineskins; if they do, the skins burst, the wine runs out, and the skins are lost. No; they put new wine into fresh skins and both are preserved.

 

Here Jesus gave two responses to the question. First, people do not fast when they are in the company of the bridegroom which is a time for celebration. For Jesus is the groom and as long as he is around, it would be inappropriate for his disciples to fast. However, a time will come when the groom will no longer be with them, then they will surely fast, telling us that fasting should be done at the right time for the right reasons. Moreover, being in a relationship with Jesus is more important, because, what the bridegroom is to the bride, that's what Jesus is to the souls of all who believe in him.

 

Then, in the second response, Jesus shows that he is bringing something totally new which should not be mixed with the old way of life. He emphasized the importance of pouring new wine into fresh wineskins and the need to avoid using a new cloak to patch an old one. Here, the fresh wineskins refer to a new heart that has put off the old cloak of sin and looks forward to the new wine of grace through the process of conversion.

 

So, as his bride, he loves us with a deep and everlasting love. He pays all our debts to God; he supplies all our daily needs; he sympathizes with us in all our troubles; he bears with all our infirmities, and does not reject us because of our weaknesses. He regards us as part of himself:  We share in the glory that he has received from his Father. These are the privileges of all true Christians who are called to the heavenly kingdom.

 

So, Jesus is teaching us that the Kingdom of Heaven is not a matter of ritual or ceremonious fasting or feasting. But is about building a personal relationship with God who loves us personally and unconditionally. Little wonder, we heard Samuel telling Saul in our first reading that, in our relationship with God obedience is better than sacrifice.

 

Dear friends, what is that old garment in our lives that we are patching with the new? What is that old wine of habitual sin that we are pouring into the new wineskins of our redeemed and purified souls? today we are called to a fresh response towards embracing the New Life of grace which Jesus is offering us. We are called to put our New Life of grace into the fresh skin of restoration. As we think about these, let us struggle to avoid our old sinful ways of life and fully embrace the new righteous way of life that Jesus is offering us.

 

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, You are the source of our new life, for in Your light we see light. Grant us the grace of true and total conversion so as to find such great Joy in your abundant Life of grace and mercy, through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a blessed and favourable week

Homily For Second Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A, 18th January, 2026

Readings: Is. 49:3.5-6; Ps. 40, 1Cor. 1:1-3; John 1:29-34

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

UNDERSTANDING AND PARTICIPATION IN THE MISSION OF JESUS THE LAMB OF GOD

Today is the second Sunday in Ordinary Time of the Liturgical year A, which begins immediately after we celebrated the Baptism of the Lord last Monday. The beauty of this season lies in the fact that it invites us to live our ordinary life as a journey of holiness, faith and friendship with Jesus in order to continually discover our vocation and mission, which is rooted in Christ’s own mission.

Hence, our readings today present to us a call to encounter and follow the Lord, which points out the mission of the Church in proclaiming the word of God and our part in this mission.

Thus, in our Gospel passage, we heard how God has called us through John the Baptist to follow Christ, the Lamb of God and Saviour of the world. This is clear when John the Baptist in our Gospel saw Jesus passing by and declared: This is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

For this is the one I spoke of when I said: A man is coming after me who ranks before me because he existed before me. ‘I saw the Spirit coming down on him from heaven like a dove and resting on him. Yes, I have seen and I am the witness that he is the Chosen One of God.’

Here he is pointing out the essence of Jesus’ mission, telling us about the great Servant of God, whose mission was to bring sinners back to God as we heard in our first reading through prophet Isaiah saying: ‘It is not enough for you to be my servant, to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back the survivors of Israel; I will make you the light of the nations so that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.

Considering this great task of Jesus, John introduced him as the Lamb of God and not the Lion of God and also described the Holy Spirit as a dove, not a hawk which is more powerful. why? Because the Lamb is the most gentle, harmless and loving creature of God, while the dove is a gentle bird, a symbol of peace and goodwill.

So these images tell us about the person of Jesus and the approach by which he will carry out his mission. Consequently, Jesus, the gentle Lamb of God, gently died for our sins, so that we could live in joy and freedom as God’s children, teaching us to do the same in our relationship with one another.

Thus, how to effectively carryout this vocation and mission is what St. Paul spoke about in our second reading as he addressed the Church and the faithful in Corinth and indeed to all of us Christians, who have been called to follow Christ and have been sanctified and blessed to be God’s chosen people, who are reunited and brought together from the world to bear the fruit of love and holiness of life. Hence, St. Paul addressed us as: the holy people of Jesus Christ, who are called to take their place among all the saints everywhere who pray to our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, he reminded us that we are called to holiness every day of our lives, especially in this ordinary time. He made us to know that we are not meant to defile our bodies through any forms of ugly attitudes such as fornication: for the body is meant for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. For God who raised the Lord from the dead, will by his power raise us up too.

Hence, we must keep away from any forms of defilement such as: adultery, fornication and impure thoughts. Because all the other sins are committed outside the body, but to fornicate is to sin against our own body. And our body, as we know, is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in us to help us in our vocation and mission this year.

Dear friends, today we are called to holiness towards the mission of following Christ the Lamb of God, for there are so many things that are distracting us from our mission and vocation, and are leading us into sin, and we are so attached to them because the world has sexualized almost everything around us. The television, the internet, the music, movies, cartoons, and even our social and religious activities are corrupted by these sexualisation motives.

This, of course, drives and tempts us to commit the sins of adultery, fornication, homosexuality, lesbianism and masturbation. Because we have lost the virtue of self-control towards our sexuality, which of course is the cause of the increase in rape, incest, divorce and all forms of gender transformation going on in our society today. The main point here is for us not to indulge in sins that will ruin our souls.

Therefore, as the year unfolds, we are all challenged to live a holy life as the Lord has taught us. And as we carryout our mission, we are called to follow the way of the Lamb. That is, we are to be the most gentle, harmless and loving children of God. We must be a symbol of peace, compassion and goodwill. We are not to force people to believe in God by the use of intimidation or force, and neither should we use any forms of tricks or false persuasions. Rather, we should be more selfless and forgiving in our interactions with one another, putting aside our pride, ego and selfish desires, knowing that the grace of God is always sufficient for us.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, as we struggle every day to do your will and respond positively in the mission and vocation entrusted to us, give us the grace to be responsible with our sexuality, especially in this time when the world as lost the true meaning and value of human sexuality, and as a result so many lives and families are being destroyed. Help us we pray to find joy, courage and solace in your saving grace as you guide us through the year. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a blessed Sunday celebration. 

Homily For Saturday of The First Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 17th January, 2026

Readings: 1 Sam. 9:1-4.17-19.10:1; Ps. 21; Mark 2:13-17

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

THE LORD CAME TO CALL SINNERS AND NOT THE RIGHTEOUS

The mission of Jesus is often misunderstood by people who feel that they should be the ones to dictate to God what to do. But Jesus will always surprise them and use them to set a good example for the rest of us. This is evident in our Gospel passage today, which presents to us the call of Levi who was a tax collector, a presumably public sinner. As Jesus passed by, he said to Levi, “Follow Me.” This is a present-tense command, which is a call for Levi to leave his old way of life behind and to begin a new life of following him.

But why would Jesus have any interest in a man like this? There is only one word that can answer this question, that is, grace. Despite his ugly occupation, his ugly lifestyle, his failures, and his sins, Jesus loved Levi, and he called him to a new life. The fact remains that, Jesus never condemned anyone nor does he judge people by their past behaviour. He is only interested in what they can be now and in the future. There and then, Levi drops everything and goes after Jesus just the same way Peter and Andrew, James and John had also done.

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

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

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

For we heard in our first reading today that Samuel encountered Saul and, before anointing him, said: Go up ahead of me to the high place. You are to eat with me today. In the morning I shall take leave of you and tell you all that is in your heart. It was after this encounter that Samuel anointed Saul, for the word of God is something alive and active: it can slip through the place where the soul is divided from the spirit and can judge the secret emotions and thoughts of everyone of us.

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

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

Homily For Friday of The First Week in Ordinary Time Year A 16th January, 2026

 

Readings: 1 Sam.8 4-7.10-22; Ps. 89; Mark 2:1-12

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

GET UP, AND PICK UP YOUR BED AND GO HOME?

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

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

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

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

Here we see the power and authority of Jesus towards the restoration of the paralytic man carried by his friends. A gesture that signifies the restoration of humanity paralyzed by sins and evil. So Jesus will always begin by forgiving our sins, for sin seems to be the root of the sickness. But sin may be pardoned, yet the sickness not be removed; the sickness may be removed, yet the sin not pardoned. But for Jesus, healing is holistic for those who have faith in God. 

However, this is what the scribes and the Pharisees failed to understand as they doubted and opposed the power and authority of Jesus, just like the Israelites in our first reading today, who rejected Samuel and the Kingship authority of God while requesting a human King. And the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for it is not you they have rejected; they have rejected me from ruling over them.’

Dear friends, have we rejected the authority and kingship of God in our lives? Don’t you think that the problem in our world today is a result of our rejection of  God and his kingship in our dealings? So, today we are called to be submissive to the Kingly authority of God and not be like the Israelites and the scribes who were enslaved by their pride and desire to maintain their prestige in society. 

They doubted the power and authority of the Lord and rejected the message of truth. Of which Jesus rebuked them, showing us that truly he has power and authority not just to heal and forgive us, but to restore us and all humanity back to our former glory.

 

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

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

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

Homily For Thursday of The First Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 15th January, 2026

 

Readings: 1 Sam. 4:1-11; Ps. 44; Mark 1:40-45

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

EXPERIENCING THE HEALING POWER OF JESUS

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 the struggles of humanity and how he wishes to set us free from the shackles of our troubles.

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

Here, the touching of Jesus is very significant since no ordinary person would dare to touch a leper. We can think of the inner healing that must have resulted from the touch of Jesus, that moment of physical contact which the leper had not experienced for a long time due to rejection. Touch is something we all need, but are so often lacking in our relationship with God and one another, and it is even becoming worse with the ugly situation of the coronavirus and the need for social and physical distancing. But this cannot stop Jesus from reaching out to his children who call on him for healing and restoration.

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

More so, the story of this leper is a good example of how 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. So, let us sincerely turn to God once again with all of our hearts and with all of our strength, just like the leper who came to Jesus with faith, knowing that he could heal him and make him better.

This is what all of us must have as well, a strong and genuine faith in God. But we should not be like the Israelites in our first reading today, who only remembered God when they were in need of him. For they have made God a tool to be used only when they need him. That is why when they were defeated in war, the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, came with the ark. And when the ark of the Lord arrived in the camp, all Israel gave a great shout so that the earth resounded. However, they were defeated despite the presence of the Ark of the Lord.

Dear friends, we should never take the gift of God’s presence in our lives for granted. We must learn to utilise any encounter we have with the Lord, for it may be our great opportunity to be restored and what is needed is to put our faith in action by saying Lord, if you will, you can restore me.

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

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

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

Homily For Wednesday of The First Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 14th January, 2026

 

Readings: 1Sam. 3:1-10.19-20; Ps. 40; Mark 1:29-39

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

EXPERIENCING THE HEALING POWER OF JESUS AND DIVINE DIRECTION 

As Jesus continued to carry out his mission of preaching, he also showed compassion and care for those who were passing through difficulties. This shows the love and mercy of God for humanity. Little wonder in our Gospel passage today, when Jesus returned from preaching in the synagogue, he entered Simon Peter's house, and behold, Peter's mother-in-law was sick with a fever. 

This is not a minor sickness in the ancient world. A fever was not only debilitating for a short while, but was often a symptom of a condition that would lead to death. So, Jesus simply raised her up, and the fever left her. She immediately began to serve them, something she was unable to do because of her illness.  Thus, she was able to render her service to the first Christian communities. 

She was healed and restored with new strength so that she may again rise and take up her proper place in the community of God’s people. This clearly shows how and why Jesus came down upon us and by taking up our human nature made it possible for him to identify himself with the struggles of humanity as he embraced us with his love, compassion and care. For he came to heal us from our sins and from all the afflictions we encounter.

Dear friends, God really cares for our well-being, his always ready to help us in our struggles so that we can be well disposed to serve him. Hence, whenever we are sick both physically or spiritually and are cured from this sickness, it is tempting to sit back and accept people’s good wishes and congratulations. These should not be our attitudes; we should rather learn from Peter’s mother-in-law that healing is not just to make us well but to enable us to become active again in rendering service to God and his community.

Therefore, let us learn to trust in the Lord’s power and authority to help us in our struggles. Let us learn from the experience of Samuel in our first reading today, who was guided by Eli to discern the call of the Lord. Let us learn to say Hear I am Lord since you called me, for the Lord is always ready and willing to heal and help us in our struggles.

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