Homily For Saturday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 1st August, 2026. 1st August 2024. The Memorial of St Alphonsus Mary Liguori. HAPPY NEW MONTH

Readings: Jer. 26:11-16.24, Ps. 69, Matt. 14:1-12

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

LEARN TO STAND FOR WHAT IS RIGHT AND TRUTH NO MATTER THE COST

One thing that the world hates to hear is the sound of the word "truth". Why! Because it makes the world tremble as most things in the world are built on falsehood and deceit, and people are becoming comfortable with falsehood as a way of life.

This is obvious, especially with the ugly situation in our societies today, where humanity is placed in perpetual darkness and confusion as the voices that speak the truth are silenced by all means.

Today, people want to be "free" to do whatever they like; they don't want anybody to remind them of the hard truth about the realities of life. Hence, they can do anything just to silence the truth.

Thus, the cost of speaking the truth has become so expensive that sometimes it costs the life of an individual or even a whole community or nation. It is even more demanding when the truth to be told has to do with the conversion of one in authority.

This is the case with John the Baptist in our Gospel passage today, whose head was the prize for the truth he told to Herod and Herodias. Herod had arrested John and put him in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife. For John had told him, ‘It is against the Law for you to have her.’ Herod had wanted to kill him but was afraid of the people, who regarded John as a prophet.

But, on the occasion of Herod’s birthday, the daughter of Herodias danced before the company, and so delighted Herod that he promised on oath to give her anything she asked. She conspired with the mother and demanded the head of John the Baptist. The king was distressed, but, thinking of the oaths he had sworn and of his guests, he ordered John to be beheaded, and the head be given to the girl, who took it to her mother.

This same terrible crime is what we have in our first reading today, where the people demanded that the prophet Jeremiah deserve to die since he had prophesied against the city. Jeremiah had told the people that the Lord would destroy their city and their temple if they refused to amend their sinful ways of life and listen to the voice of the Lord God, who was calling them to repentance.

These ugly attitudes towards John the Baptist and Jeremiah point to what is done to Jesus in his Passion, demonstrating how good people, especially when they struggle for truth and justice, are often condemned to suffer at the hands of greed and powerful people.

 But should we stop speaking the truth because of fear of losing our lives? I don't think so because truth saves a life, brings freedom, it releases tension, brings peace, and it settles quarrels and disputes. Truth is freedom which must be offered to everyone, whoever, whenever and however it will best bring conversion to its enemies, just like John the Baptist did to Herod and Herodias even at the expense of his life.

Herod made a bad decision and, out of pride, found it difficult to change his mind and admit that he was wrong. He did not plan to execute John that night. He was persuaded by Herodias to do so because he was a weak man. He is a slave to the opinion of others; he fears the people who revered John; he also fears the reaction of his guests if he should retract his oath.

Dear friends, like Herod, how often do we make decisions out of pride? When we make bad decisions, how quickly are we able to change our minds and admit that we are wrong? Are we like Herodias, who is waiting for an opportunity to silence the innocents who confront us with the truth?

If today we happen to be one of the guests of Herod, what would be our reaction? Will I have protested or stayed silent? Thus, what do we do when we see others suffering injustice? Do we have the courage to protest, even at the cost of losing our lives? Today we are called to speak the truth, for the world needs to hear the truth no matter the cost.

This is what we see in the life of St. Alphonsus Liguori, whose memorial we celebrate today. He was the founder of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, also known as the Redemptorists. He was truly a holy man and a role model that we can emulate in our own lives. St. Alphonsus Liguori was remembered for his great piety and dedication to serve the people of God

LET US PRAY: Lord God, it is difficult to speak and stand for truth in our world today; give us the grace and courage to become an instrument of your word in truth and deeds just like St. John the Baptist. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Wishing you God’s favour and blessings this month. 

Homily For Friday, Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A, 31st July, 2026. The Memorial of St. Ignatius of Loyola

Readings: Jer. 26:1-9, Ps. 69, Matt. 13:54-58

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

LEARN TO TREAT EVERYONE WITH RESPECT

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

For when Jesus came to his home town and taught the people in the synagogue in such a way that they were astonished, but instead of embracing the message of Jesus, they treated him with contempt and in their pride they said: ‘Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers? This is the carpenter’s son, surely? Is not his mother the woman called Mary, and his brothers and sisters here with us? Where did he get all these?’

And they would not accept him. But Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is only despised in his own country and his own house’, and he did not work many miracles there because of their lack of faith.

Thus, out of pride and contempt, the people rejected the blessings God had for them. Such is also the attitude of the people in the first reading today, where God, through the prophet Jeremiah, calls the people of Judah to repent and turn away from their sins so that He might forgive them and stop the wrath and punishments resulting from their many sins. Unless they repent from their sins, what happened to the sanctuary of Shiloh would also happen to them all.

But they did not listen to him; rather, they all seized hold of Jeremiah and said, ‘You shall die! Why have you made this prophecy in the name of the Lord? So, in their pride, they treated him with contempt and even planned to kill him.

Today, this kind of attitude is what prevents people from doing good because they don’t want to be treated with contempt. As a result, many people have been deprived of their blessings due to human pride and contempt.

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

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

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

LET US PRAY: Lord God, oftentimes in our pride we treat people with contempt because of their humble background, through the intercession of St Ignatius of Loyola give us the grace to realise that everyone is a potential instrument of your blessings and favour to humanity, and as we struggle towards our goals, may you crown all our efforts and sacrifices with success. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Peace be with you.

Homily For Thursday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 30th July 2026

Readings: Jer.18:1-6, P 146, Matt 13:47-53

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

A CLAY IN A POTTER’S HAND

A story was told of a beautiful clay pot used to decorate a garden. The clay pot was the point of attraction to all, including its fellow ordinary clay. One day, the ordinary clay approached the beautiful clay pot and said, 'We do not doubt that you are clay, just like us.' But how come you have become so beautiful and special that everyone admires you?

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

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

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

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

This story reflects what the prophet Jeremiah is telling us in our first reading today: God is the Potter, and we are the clay. God has created humanity as beautiful clay in his hands to be moulded into a beautiful and special vessel for the heavenly kingdom. But humanity has sinned and rebelled against God and his plan for us. Unless we repent and turn away from our sinful ways we will all perish.

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

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

Dear friends, all God requires from us is for us to let him mould us into the heavenly vessels that he planned for humanity. There is no doubt that sin has destroyed our original nature, but just like when the potter was shaping clay in his hands, and he formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him. So will God re-mould us into a new vessel for his heavenly kingdom if we repent from our pride and sinful ways of life?

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, sin and pride have separated humanity from your plans for us; today, we come to you like clay in a lump, be our Potter once again and re-mould us into that heavenly vessel which you planned for us. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen

Homily For Wednesday, Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A, 29th July, 2026. The Memorial of SS. Martha, Mary and Lazarus

 

Readings: Jer. 15:10.16-21; Ps. 59; Luke 10:38-42

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

WHAT IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS?

Today we celebrate the memorial of Saints Martha, Mary and Lazarus, very close family friends of Jesus. In this family, we see what should be a good example of our attitude towards Jesus in our families. In our relationship with Jesus, we often struggle to understand what Jesus requires of us.

Oftentimes, we worry about so many things in life, and this often distracts us from relating to Jesus properly. But Jesus will always have a way of teaching us how to relate to him despite our different charisms and dispositions.

This is what is playing out in our Gospel passage today, where we heard the story of how Martha was so busy trying to make Jesus comfortable as he visited them at their house in Bethany.

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

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

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

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

This act of listening to God is what we see in the life of the prophet Jeremiah in the first reading today as we heard the Lord saying to him: I will make you

a bronze wall fortified against this people. They will fight against you but they will not overcome you, because I am with you to save you and to deliver you.

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

Today we are called, like Martha, to pause and listen, so that we can hear God speaking to us and directing us towards the right path. Remember Martha, who was known as a friend of Jesus, loved to welcome him into her home.

Let us also learn from her, for it is a great virtue to be hospitable and caring, especially when we spend quality time listening to God and letting him direct and guide us towards carrying out our daily tasks without being distracted by the things of this passing world.

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

Homily For Tuesday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 28th July, 2026

 

Readings: Jer.14:17-22, P 78, Matt 13:36-43

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

WHY HAVE WE CONSTANTLY FAILED TO LISTEN TO GOD’S INSTRUCTIONS

One of our great music legends Bob Marley said in one of his songs titled Natural Mystic:

There's a natural mystic

Blowing through the air

If you listen carefully now you will hear

This could be the first trumpet

Might as well be the last

Many more will have to suffer

Many more will have to die

Don't ask me why

Things are not the way they used to be

I won't tell no lie

Everyone has to face reality now.

This song aligns with the topic of our message today and also with current events in our country, as the situation in our societies today calls us to listen carefully to the cries and lamentations of all those who are suffering, just as Jesus did.

This can be linked to our Gospel passage today because, for many days now, we have been listening to Jesus telling us about the kingdom of God and the need for us to prepare to embrace it. On most occasions, Jesus used parables to communicate the importance of this message. Having listened to him carefully, his disciples in our Gospel passage today asked him to explain the parable of the wheat and the darnel and he said:

 “The sower of the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world; the good seed are the subjects of the kingdom; the darnel, the subjects of the evil one; the enemy who sowed them, the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; the reapers are the angels. Well then, just as the darnel is gathered up and burnt in the fire, so it will be at the end of time.

Then, the Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all things that provoke offences and all who do evil and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth. Then the virtuous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Listen, anyone who has ears!”

What is most important in this message is for us to “Listen carefully”. This is because the world as we know it is coming to an end, for the day of reckoning is very close at hand. This could be the first trumpet might as well be the last. For it is obvious from the signs we are seeing around us today, especially with the situation in our societies. How can we interpret the signs of these times, the signs that tell us that there is no peace or tranquillity in this passing world?

Many are suffering, and many more will have to suffer from the greediness of others. Many have died, and many more will have to die. Many are perishing in sin; many more will have to perish if we refuse to repent of sin and greediness.

And God says through the prophet Jeremiah in our first reading: “Tears flood my eyes night and day, unceasingly, since a crushing blow falls on the daughter of my people, a most grievous injury. If I go into the countryside, there lie men killed by the sword; if I go into the city, I see people sick with hunger”.

Dear friends, do these signs make us afraid of the second coming of the Lord or do we joyfully await its coming? Because the explanation of this parable gives us an account of what will happen on the day of reckoning. And today, we are called to examine our conscience to know where we are concerning our vocation as Christians.

What will be our lot if the Lord calls us today? Will we be among the virtuous who will shine like the sun in the kingdom of our Father? Or among those who will be thrown out of his kingdom and sent into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth?

The answer to this question is available in our consciences, and if we listen carefully now, we will hear, for things are not the way they used to be; we all have to face reality now. Every day is a golden opportunity; today may be the only opportunity for us to change our sinful ways of life and embrace God completely.

PRAYER: Lord God, as we listen carefully to your word, let the groans of your children come before you; help us to embrace your word and be prepared to embrace your kingdom on the day of reckoning. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. God bless you

Homily For Monday, Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A. 27th July, 2026

 

Readings: Jer.13:1-11; Ps. Deut. 32;

 Matt. 13:31-35

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

UNDERSTANDING AND APPLYING THE PARABLES IN OUR LIVES

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

This is evident in our Gospel passage today, where he told us two parables: the parable of the mustard seed and the parable of the Leaven, using them to describe the nature of God’s kingdom, which he came to establish in the hearts of humanity.

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

The second analogy of the mustard seed is found in Matt. 17:20. In this analogy, Jesus is not speaking of the size of the mustard seed, but the faith of the people as that of a mustard seed.

Telling us that just as the mustard seed responds to the word of God and grows into a mighty tree, so will the faith of the people grow into a great vessel through hearing and doing the word of God. However, God has given humanity the freedom to choose whether to hear his word and embrace the faith so as to bear fruits of the kingdom or to reject it and perish.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Homily for the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A, 26 July, 2026

 

Readings: 1kings 3:5.7-12, Ps 119; Rom. 8:28-30; Matt. 13: 44-52

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

OBTAINING YOUR ULTIMATE TREASURE OF LIFE REQUIRES THE SACRIFICE OF ALL THAT YOU HAVE

Every day under the terrible scourges of the sun and noisy streets, people struggle to acquire things that they value as treasures of life. The quarrelling and fighting in our streets, the early morning rush, the traffic jam, the aggressive words we give and receive every day, all just to acquire things of this life and make them our treasures of life. And people are never tired of acquiring properties for themselves and their future generations, forgetting that all these things will pass away sooner or later, just as we ourselves will expire from this world. Thus, this Sunday we are called to reflect on what should be our ultimate treasure and how we can acquire it.

In our first reading and the Gospel, we heard of the need to focus our attention on the search for the ultimate treasure. And for King Solomon, his greatest treasure was the wisdom and discernment to govern the people entrusted to him. So when the Lord appeared to him in a dream not long after he had succeeded his father, King David, the Lord told him to ask whatever he wanted, and it would be given to him. In a display of wisdom, Solomon asked for a listening heart to understand how to discern between good and evil, enabling him to govern God's people effectively.

Though he would have asked for more power, glory or wealth, he asked for the wisdom to discern the good from the bad and to be able to lead the people of God wisely in the ways of the Lord. The Lord was pleased with Solomon's request and promised to bless him and his people with a wise and discerning mind like none before and after him. So, the wisdom that he obtained was not so much of selfish desire or for personal gain, but for his office as a leader. And as we know, wisdom and discernment are part of the characteristics of heavenly treasures.

Little wonder, in the Gospel, Jesus used three parables to describe to the people that the kingdom of God is the greatest and ultimate treasure anyone can and should acquire. He said to them: the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field which someone has found; he hides it again, goes off happy, sells everything he owns and buys the field.

Again he said, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls; when he finds one of great value he goes and sells everything he owns and buys it. And lastly, he said, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea that brings in fish of all kinds. When it is full, the fishermen haul it ashore; then, sitting down, they collect the good ones in a basket and throw away those that are no use.

Here, the first and second parables describe the kingdom of God as the ultimate treasure that cannot be compared to anything whatsoever we have in this world while the third parable tells us that the kingdom is open for all but not all can be suitable to dwell in it, only those who on the judgement day are found suitable can be admitted into the kingdom.

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

 Therefore, we must do all that it takes to ensure that we acquire it, losing it over the temporal pleasure, joy, glory, fame, power and influence of the things of this passing world will be complete foolishness. For none of them last forever, and what good is it for us to gain the whole world but lose our soul out of God’s kingdom? Thus, St. Paul in our second reading tells us that God co-operates with all those who love and desire his kingdom, those who are called according to his purpose. For those he called he justified, and with those he justified he shares his glory.

Dear friends, in the midst of false and perishable treasures around us, what is your ultimate treasure of life? If the Lord should allow us to make a request for what our heart desires, what would you request? Solomon sought an understanding mind to govern and care for God’s people. He wanted the ability to discern between good and evil. He recognised that a selfish attitude could not sustain his kingdom, so he requested heavenly treasure.

Today how many of us are paying attention to this ultimate heavenly treasure? What is our ultimate treasure in this life? How many think and search for this ultimate treasure of our souls? How many desire to personally discover God in their life? How I wish we would understand the shortness of this life, the emptiness of this passing world and the danger of losing our soul out of greediness for the things of this passing world. Then, we will sincerely desire to experience God personally, because in him lies the ultimate treasure of life. And discovering God personally is the greatest treasure one can ever have.

PRAYER: Almighty God, the world is full of distractions from false treasures; give us a wise and discerning heart to give up all our attachments to worldly possessions in pursuit of the heavenly and ultimate treasure of your kingdom, through Christ our Lord. Amen. Peace be with you. 

Homily for Saturday, Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A, 25th July, 2026. The Feast of St. James, Apostle

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

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

IF YOU WANT TO BE GREAT, LEARN TO SERVE HUMANITY SACRIFICIALLY

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dear friends, today, we are all called to seek true greatness in humble service of others and not in subjection and domination of others. We are called to utilise the unique gift God has given us and use it to serve Him and our neighbours responsibly in any capacity we find ourselves, bearing in mind that one should not strive to be a leader but a servant because leadership is a gift from God. Remember, true greatness is found in our sacrificial service to others, not in competitive and comparative subjection and domination of others.

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

Homily for Saturday Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 25th July, 2026

 

Readings: Jer. 7:1-11; Ps.84; Matt. 13:24-30

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

UNDERSTANDING THE PROBLEM OF EVIL IN OUR SOCIETIES

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

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

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

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

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

However, this will not be easy because it is not always easy to distinguish between the weeds and the wheat, as their roots are often intertwined below the ground. Thus, rooting out the weeds would uproot the wheat as well, doing more damage to the crop than leaving the weeds to grow.

Dear friends, most of us are victims of the evil weeds and darnels of this passing world. But are you a good seed or the evil weed of this passing world? What shall we do when our good works are intertwined with the evil weeds of this passing world?

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

But the problem is that we are not patient with the Lord, we often behave like the Israelites in our first reading today, who have failed to listen to God, for we have chosen to dwell in sin and are intertwined with the sinful weeds of this world.

Thus, we heard the prophet Jeremiah saying: Amend your behaviour and your actions. Put no trust in delusive words. Yet here you are, trusting in delusive words, to no purpose! Stop doing evil and learn to do good so that you will be saved. Therefore, we must learn to be patient with the Lord especially as we struggle with the troubles and tribulations of this passing world.

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

Homily For Friday, Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A, 24th July, 2026

 

Readings: Jer. 31:14-17, Ps. Jer. 31:10-13; Matt. 13:18-23

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

HAVING THE RIGHT DISPOSITION TOWARDS THE WORD OF GOD

A critical observation of the structure of our society reveals how people are struggling with the things of this life; our passion, determination and willingness are deep-rooted in worldly things. For we work so hard to fill our hearts with the rocks and thorns of life that we have no room for the Word of God to blossom in our hearts.

This unhealthy and ugly attitude is what Jesus addresses in our Gospel passage today, as he explains the parable of the sower, pointing out our different dispositions towards the Word of God in relation to our inner life. Here, Jesus describes different kinds of obstacles to God's Word, obstacles such as shallow-mindedness, hardened heart, worldly desires and finally, trials and persecutions.

Today, because of our uncontrolled desire for things in this world, most people fall into some, if not all, of these obstacles. For a lot of people do hear and talk about the Word of God, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth will always choke the word we hear, and it yields nothing because it has no root to sustain it in our hearts.

Also, we often harden our hearts by following the dictates of our stubborn attitude, thereby making our hearts a rocky ground where God’s Word does not bear much fruit. Thus, we are called to examine whether our soul is like the dry, rocky ground or has been choked by the thorns of this life.

For it is time to regularly seek to nourish our soul and prepare it to receive the Holy Word of God so that we can create a fertile disposition within our heart to let the Word bear fruit in our soul.

Dear friends, how are we receiving God’s Word and applying it in our daily lives? Today we heard the Lord saying in our first reading that no one will ever say again: Where is the ark of the covenant of the Lord? For when that time comes, Jerusalem shall be called: The Throne of the Lord; all the nations will gather there in the name of the Lord and will no longer follow the dictates of their own stubborn hearts.

Remember, our hearts are the fields in which the Word of God is spread today. But to which do our hearts belong: the pathway, the rocky ground, the thorns or the good soil of faith and hope? Whichever one, we are called to dispose our hearts more so that God’s Word may find root in us.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, the world is full of hidden rocks and thorns which are seriously making your Holy Word unfruitful in our hearts, give us the grace to truly detach ourselves from them to faithfully embrace your Word in our souls and bear great fruits of love, peace, joy and fulfilment. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Peace be with you.

Homily for Thursday Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 23rd July, 2026

 

Readings: Jer.2:1-3.7-8.12-13, Ps. 36, Matt 13:10-17

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

WHY HAVE WE ABANDONED THE LORD OVER THE LEAKY CISTERN OF THIS PASSING WORLD

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

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

This is the ugly situation God, through Prophet Jeremiah, is addressing in our first reading today when He said to the people: “I brought you to a fertile country to enjoy its produce and good things; but no sooner had you entered than you defiled my land, and made my heritage detestable. The priests have never asked, “Where is the Lord?”

Those who administer the Law have no knowledge of me. The shepherds have rebelled against me; the prophets have prophesied in the name of Baal, following things with no power in them. It is the Lord who speaks. Since my people have committed a double crime: they have abandoned me, the fountain of living water, only to dig cisterns for themselves, leaky cisterns that hold no water”.

 And in our Gospel passage we heard Jesus saying: “The reason I talk to them in parables is that they look without seeing and listen without hearing or understanding. So, you will listen and listen again, but not understand, see and see again, but not perceive. For the heart of this nation has grown coarse, their ears are dull of hearing, and they have shut their eyes, for fear they should see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their heart, and be converted and be healed by me”.

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

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

Dear friends, without God in our lives we will be a leaky cistern that can not hold water. So, it will never be business as usual, for the righteous God will send a good shepherd to His people, who will shepherd us with his staff of justice, mercy, forgiveness and fidelity. Though not in the manner we expect. He will not lead us in any campaign against our corrupt and selfish leaders.

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

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we have abandoned your ways out of selfishness and greed, in order to build a leaky cistern of corruption and greediness that can not do us any good. Help us to change this ugly way of life, so as to embrace your word and become a vessel of love. May Christ, our good shepherd, guide our paths and lead us into his own dwelling place forever and ever. Amen. Have a blessed day. 

Homily For Wednesday, Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A, 22nd July, 2026. The Feast of St. Mary Magdalene

 

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

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

HOW A SINNER BECAME A SAINT

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

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

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

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

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

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

This courageous act of faith brought about her encounter with the risen Lord. Thus, in Mary Magdalene we see a heart that is determined to find Jesus. A heart that truly loves Jesus, a heart that cannot give up the search for Jesus, a heart that listened and remembered the words of Jesus about his resurrection.

Dear friends, as we celebrate the feast of St. Mary Magdalene, we must learn to let go of our old sinful way of life and embrace the new life of grace and hope God is offering us. So, today we are called to imitate her virtues, knowing that God can use anyone as His instrument if we are ready to embrace Him irrespective of our past ways of life.

For St. Paul tells us in our first reading that anyone who is in Christ is a new creation; the old creation has passed away; behold, the new has come. For Christ died for all so that living men should live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised to life for our sake.

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

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

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

Homily For Tuesday, Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A, 21st July, 2026

 

Readings: Micah 7:14-15.18-20, Ps. 85, Matt 12:46-50

Rev Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

WHERE DO YOU TRULY BELONG?

One of the psychological and spiritual needs of the human person is the sense of belonging; this need is akin to the need for food, clothing, and shelter. The feeling of belonging is fundamental to our sense of happiness and well-being, as it gives value to life and helps us cope with painful emotions, thereby improving our motivation.

Hence, we often want to belong with one another, to our friends and families, to our culture and from one association and group to another. However, one of the common and safest places to belong is our families, especially when it is rooted in the family of God.

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.’ 

From 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 which 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 becoming part of this family. This is not to say that Jesus is rejecting his family; to do so would be contradicting his own teaching about loving one's parents and loving one's neighbours.

However, Jesus is using this opportunity to emphasise that relationship with God is more important, and this is based 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 also was 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 and 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, prior to all human relations. Since we belong first to God before belonging to our families, after which we all go back to God where we ultimately belong, which will be determined by our attitude towards doing the “Will” of God here on earth.

Dear friends, are you part of the true family of Jesus? Where do we ultimately and truly belong? As Christians, we claim to be part of God’s family, but do our attitudes and decisions show that we truly belong to God’s family? Do we not often commit ourselves to things contrary to the faith we professed in God?

Today, the prophet Micah in our first reading prays for God’s mercy, asking God to show kindness to His people and forgive our trespasses for the times we have failed to be committed in doing His will, as he calls us to turn back to God once again, for it is in Him that we truly belong.

Therefore, today, like Mary and the disciples of Jesus, we are called to do the will of God always to truly belong to that true family of Jesus where love of God and love of neighbour unite us together.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we truly belong to your family; give us the grace to always do your will and as we carry out our activities today, grant success to the works of our hands, through Christ our Lord. Amen. God bless you. 

Homily for Monday, the sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 20th July, 2026

 

Readings: Micah 6:14.6-8, Ps.50; Matt 12:38-42

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

WHAT DOES THE LORD WANT FROM US IN THIS WORLD?

Listening to the conversation between Jesus and the scribes and Pharisees in our Gospel passage today as they asked Jesus for signs. He said to them, ‘It is an evil and unfaithful generation that asks for a sign! The only sign it will be given is the sign of the prophet Jonah, telling us that, on Judgment 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.

Hence, Jesus in this Gospel, presents to us the final recommendations of the end time, 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.

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

Reflecting on this, the question that comes to my mind is: where will you and I and the beautiful things of this world be in the next ten, twenty, forty, eighty and hundred years for those who are strong? The deep silence in my soul could not offer me any answer to this question rather, it exposed me to the foolishness of human greediness and selfishness.

Hence, I asked myself what God really requires from us in this world? I found the answer to this question in our first reading, where God, through the prophet Micah, says, 'My people, what have I done to you?' How have I been a burden to you? Answer me. For what is good has been explained to you, oh man; and this is what the Lord requires of you: only this, to act justly, to love tenderly and to walk humbly with your God.

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? Today, Jesus warns us not to waste our time seeking signs; instead, we should be prepared and remain firm in our 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 not to seek signs, but to act justly, to love tenderly and to walk humbly with our God.

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

Homily for the Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A, 19th July, 2026

 

Readings: Wis. 12:13.16-19; Ps 86; Rom. 8:26-27; Matt. 13:24-43

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

UNDERSTANDING THE PROBLEM OF EVIL IN THE WORLD CREATED BY A GOOD AND POWERFUL GOD.

No doubt that our society is full of evil and wickedness, and oftentimes, when we reflect on the ugly and evil events that happen around us, we wonder why God, who is so good and all-powerful, permits the evil we see and experience in the world He created.

And most times, the evil ones are so cruel that we wish that God should just wipe them away from the face of the earth and when this does not come to pass, we complain and even doubt the power of God over this evil, as so many good and virtuous people have been victims of these evil ones.

I recall discussing this with someone who was deeply angry and grieved about the state of our country, and he said that he feels like gathering all the corrupt leaders and people in our country and erasing them from the face of the earth. Looking at the anger in his face, I struggled to smile and said to him, but God will not allow that.

And he said, why will God not allow that to happen? Why? For today we see the evil ones becoming more ‘successful’, more recognised, more powerful and honoured in society while the virtuous and good people are rejected, maltreated and neglected. This raises many questions, the answers to which are found in the parables in our Gospel passage today.

For in our Gospel this Sunday we have three parables used by Jesus to describe the kingdom of God in relation to the ugly events that are happening in the world, beginning with the parable of the wheat and the weeds, the parable of the mustard seed and the parable of the leaven. These parables are quite explanatory to his audience who were basically people living then, as farmers, shepherds, fishermen and others who actually understood the message.

So, in the parable of the wheat and weeds, the sower has sown good seed of wheat in his field for a healthy wheat harvest. But in the dark of night, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. Here, the wheat represents the good things that God has created and handed on to humanity, Meanwhile, the weeds represent the wickedness and the evil brought by Satan, as well as those who have rejected the love and truth of God’s message.

However, what Matthew most likely refers to as weeds is darnel or cockle, a harmful weed that closely resembles wheat and is common in Israel. The difference between darnel and real wheat is evident only when the plants mature and the ears appear. So, when the servants notice the weeds, their first response is to question the quality of the seed. Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?

When the master replies that an enemy has sown the weeds, the servants were anxious to take care of the problem, to root those nasty weeds out immediately. But the master restrains his servants, saying that, in gathering the weeds they would uproot the wheat along with them. So he orders them to let both grow together until the harvest. Then he will send out his reapers to collect and burn the weeds and to gather the wheat into his barn.

In this parable the one who sows the good seed is God, the field is the world, and the good seeds are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. However, Jesus did not tell us whom the servants represent.

Perhaps they represent the disciples or anyone who has questioned why God allows evil to grow and thrive, and wished to take matters into his or her own hands and root out the evil around. But this will not be easy, because it is not so easy to tell the weeds from the wheat, as their roots are intertwined below the ground. Thus, rooting out the weeds would uproot the wheat as well, doing more damage to the crop than leaving the weeds to grow.

Therefore, we can say that this is why God is silent in the midst of all the evil going on in the world today. For he permits them for an appointed time when he will uproot and separate them without affecting the good and innocent ones who are attached and affected by their presence. Hence, Jesus wants us to learn how to be patient and trust God in times of trouble and tribulations for he alone knows the best time and how best to deal with the evil ones. For when that time comes He will gather all evildoers and throw them into the furnace of fire.

Little wonder in our first reading we heard that God shows His strength when men doubt the completeness of his power and so rebuke any insolence among those who know it, for he has power to act whenever he chooses. And St. Paul in our second reading tells us 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, and God who knows everything in our hearts knows perfectly well what we need.

Dear friends, the parable of the mustard seed symbolises the humble beginning of the Christian faith, which was well watered by the Holy Spirit to grow and give life and hospitality to all the people of the world. Thus, there is no doubt that in the world we have different kinds of seeds and weeds. But the question we need to ask ourselves is, what kind of seeds are we, and what kind of seed are we watering in our lives today? Are we watering valuable seeds or weeds? Are we watering weeds that we do not need, such as: weeds of fear, regrets, doubt, jealousy, hatred, disrespect, greediness, lying, gossip, impurity, wickedness and sin?

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

LET US PRAY: Almighty God, you are full of mercy and compassion, slow to anger, abounding in love and truth, as we struggle like the wheat in the midst of weeds, guide and protect us from the malice of the evil ones. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a grace-filled Sunday.

Homily for Saturday Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 18th July, 2026

 

Readings: Micah 2:1-5; Ps.9; Matt:12:14-21

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

DEALING WITH THE UGLY ATTITUDE OF HUMANITY IN IMITATION OF CHRIST THE SUFFERING SERVANT

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

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

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

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

Hence, Jesus the suffering Servant of God, the lovable and gentle teacher, has come to bring the light of truth to this crazy world, for he does not seek the death of sinners, but their conversion and salvation.

Therefore, in him, we can also find the courage and strength to persevere in these times of difficulty, suffering and persecution. For God has chosen us as His beloved sons and daughters. He has given us His Spirit so that we can stand firm against all the evil activities going on in this crazy world.

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

This is exactly what we have in our first reading today, of which the Lord, through the prophet Micah, said: Woe to those who plot evil, who lie in bed planning mischief! No sooner is it dawn than they do it their hands have the strength for it. Seizing the fields that they covet, they take over houses as well, owner and house they confiscate together, taking both man and inheritance.

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

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

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

We are all called today to serve in any capacity we find ourselves, bearing in mind that one should not strive to be a leader but a servant because leadership is a gift given to one by God. Remember, you don't have to be great to get started, but you have to get started to be great.

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

Homily For Friday, Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A, 17th July, 2026

 

Readings: Isaiah 38:1-6.7-8.21-22, Ps. 38, Matt 12:1-8

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

WHY WE MUST DESIRE GOD’S MERCY AND THE KNOWLEDGE OF HIM

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

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

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

This is also evident in our first reading, where we heard of God’s mercy on King Hezekiah, who was suffering from a terrible illness that would have led to his death. But he begged the Lord in prayer to remember what he had done for the sake of his people, for Hezekiah had been faithful to God and led the people of Judah to return once again to God.

So God had Mercy on him and said to the prophet Isaiah: ‘Go and say to Hezekiah, “The Lord, the God of David your ancestor, says this: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears. I will cure you: in three days you shall go up to the Temple of the Lord.” I will add fifteen years to your life.’ Such is the mercy of God.

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

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

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

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

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

Homily For Thursday, Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A, 16th July, 2026

Readings: Isaiah 26:7-9,12,16-19; Ps.102; Matt:11:28-30

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

COME WITH YOUR HEAVY BURDEN AND FIND REST IN THE LORD WHEN

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

The worst of these burdens are the sorrows we bear in our hearts: sorrows caused by our sins, unhealthy relationships we have engaged in, unforgiveness, and family problems resulting from the negative influence of society.

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

No doubt that every one of us has a task and a mission to accomplish, and this can be very demanding, just as we heard the prophet Isaiah in our first reading today saying:The path of the upright man is straight; You smooth the way of the upright. Following the path of your judgements, we hoped in you, O Lord; your name and your memory are all my soul desires.

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

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

Dear friends, what task and mission has God given to us in this life? How are we carrying out this task and mission? What are the challenges we are facing? Is the task and mission so heavy for us to bear? Are we carrying an additional load apart from the one God has given to us?

I don't know the heavy burden in your heart right now, I don’t know your cherished plans which have failed, and it seems as if disappointments have prevailed, thereby wandering in the darkness of confusion and a heavy heart all alone.

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

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

Homily For Wednesday, Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A, 15th July, 2026. The Memorial of St. Bonaventure

Readings: Isaiah 10:5-7.13-16, Ps. 94, Matt 11:25-27

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

COMING TO GOD IN PRAYER WITH THE HUMILITY OF A CHILD

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

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

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

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

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

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

This is what God is teaching us in our first reading today, when He reminded us through the prophet Isaiah that no power in this world is meaningful without Him. Pride, as shown by the Assyrian king, will lead us nowhere but destruction and failure. Therefore, it’s time for us to get rid of pride, corruption, greed and unhealthy desires that dwell in us, in order to embrace the life of humility and love.

Dear friends, today God wants us to relate to Him in total humility and obedience, just as an infant relates to its loving father. For He is always with us in our daily troubles and struggles, He understands us more than we can ever imagine.

Therefore, why not humbly come to Him in prayer, for He is always willing to help us in solving those difficult and challenging situations in our lives. Remember, our natural and spiritual gifts are only useful in our Christian journey when we have a humble heart like St Bonaventure, whose memorial we are celebrating today.

He defended the Franciscan Order and, after he was elected general of the order in 1255, he ruled it with wisdom and prudence. He is regarded as the second founder of the Order. He declined the archbishopric of York in 1265 but was made cardinal bishop of Albano in 1273, dying a year later in 1274 at the Council of Lyons.

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