Homily For Thursday, Twenty-Sixth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A, 1st October 2026. The Solemnity of Our Lady Queen & Patroness of Nigeria

 
Readings: Is.11:1-10, Ps.72, Eph. 2:13-22, Matt.2:13-14.19-23

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

WHY HAVE WE FAILED TO BECOME THE LIGHT AND SALT OF OUR COUNTRY, NIGERIA?

Pondering the struggles, fears, tears, disappointments and betrayals that people are passing through every day to survive in this world, especially in our country, Nigeria. Some people have lost hope in themselves and in everything they do because a few individuals, driven by greed for power and wealth, have frustrated our country's progress. For there is no doubt that the root of all the problems in our world today is the love of power. For people are ready to do anything to be in power and to retain that power.

 This is what we see in the life of Herod in our Gospel passage today, where the Holy Family of Jesus had to flee to Egypt because Herod planned to kill an innocent child for the sake of retaining his power. This ugly attitude is not far from us today, especially in our country, Nigeria, which is in a state of distress because of the love of power and greediness among the people in power and even the common citizens.

The fact remains that the elements of good and bad seem inherent in the human person, little wonder the world involves both good and bad mixed. This will help us to understand the reason for the corruption, greediness, immorality, and social decadence in our country today. So as we are celebrating our country, Nigeria, at 66 since our independence, we thank God who has made it possible for us to witness this day.

But today’s celebration should plunge us into deep reflection about the ugly condition of this country. We need to ask ourselves, what have we done right? What have we done wrong? How can we do better and what will the future of this country be like? This is because our country, Nigeria, needs a radical transformation from greed and selfishness to love and goodwill in a sacrificial way.

This is because the rate of corruption and greed in this country is so appalling. People are never tired of acquiring and embezzling public funds for their own selfish gain. This shows that we have failed in our responsibility at different levels where we find ourselves.

For we have failed to give that taste of love, joy, goodwill, integrity, honesty, holiness, and compassion to our tasteless and corrupt families, societies and our country Nigeria. As a result, life has become short, brutal and hopeless, with no money; the little in circulation has no value; fuel is not affordable; no light, no food, no water, no good roads; and the cost of living is so high.

Dear Friends, why have we failed to be the salt and light of this nation? Why have we chosen to mingle with darkness? Why have we chosen to remain silent and lose the sweet taste of love and goodwill God has given us? Is it the case that Christians are not involved in making policies in our societies and the implementation of those policies? I don’t think so, for I know we are involved, but we have forgotten who we are, so we have been thrown out to be trampled underfoot by men of darkness and lawlessness.

The truth is that we need a radical transformation. A transformation that will bring about a new outfit that makes one a new person, with a new life, a new mind and a new way of doing things. And this is possible only when we understand the shortness of this life, the emptiness of this passing world and the danger of greediness; then we will be able to do things the right way and our country, Nigeria, will be great again.

This country will be transformed only when the power of love and goodwill supersedes the love of power and when everyone understands that leadership is sacrificial and crucial to every human development. A situation where justice and faithfulness become the habit of every one of us in this country. Hence, all we need is good leaders who are not hypocrites. Leaders who will be truly servants of the people at all levels of leadership, beginning from the self to the family, to societies and to our country.

So, can I be such a leader in my life, my family, in my society and in my country? If my answer is yes. Then, we can begin to experience that peaceful coexistence and blessings that the prophet Isaiah mentioned in our first reading and bring the hostility going on in our country to an end just like St. Paul said in our second reading that we shall no longer be strangers in our own country but true citizens with the saints not just here in our country Nigeria but also in the kingdom of God.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, out of selfishness and greediness we have committed a lot of crimes and injustices against one another, grant that through the intercession of Our Lady Queen and Patroness of Nigeria, we may resolve to have genuine love and goodwill in carrying out our activities in our country as you guide and direct us to learn how to do the right thing always by letting the power of love transform the ugly situation in our country. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Happy New Month, I wish you a blessed Independence Day celebration. 

Homily For Wednesday, Twenty-Sixth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A, 30th September 2026. The Memorial of St. Jerome

 

Readings: Job 9:1-12.15-16, Ps. 88, Like 9:57-62

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

WHY MAKE EXCUSES FOR WHAT YOU CAN DO NOW?

The path to success is so rigorous, strenuous and competitive. The strong pass through it and are celebrated, while the weak will always quit or give up. Hence, many people have not been able to achieve their goals in life because they always have excuses. Oftentimes we hear people say, "I want to do this but...," "I could have done it but...," "I thought of it but..." I was almost there but...

This kind of attitude is what Jesus is addressing in our Gospel passage today, when he said to someone, ‘Follow me’, the man replied, ‘Let me go and bury my father first.’ But he answered, ‘Leave the dead to bury their dead; your duty is to go and spread the news of the kingdom of God.’

Then another said, ‘I will follow you, sir, but first let me go and say goodbye to my people at home.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Once the hand is laid on the plough, no one who looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.

Here, Jesus is emphasising that following him requires a life of total self-denial, and the man who requested to follow Jesus had not reflected thoroughly on what following Jesus would entail. So Jesus made it clear that following him would mean giving up many of the personal comforts that he enjoyed and perhaps took for granted.

However, it may seem that the Lord Jesus was very harsh when he said that those who have chosen to follow him and looked back were not fit for the kingdom of God or that those who died ought to be left on their own to be buried. This is not the case here; rather, Jesus is emphasising that to be his follower requires serious commitment and sacrifices at all times.

And this is what we see in the life of Job in our first reading where we heard how Job, although he was suffering and was passing through many troubles, friends who abandoned him and even accused him of wrongdoing, remained committed to God in righteousness without blaming either God or the people for his misfortunes. Thereby teaching each and every one of us how to respond and react in the moment of trials and difficulties.

And today, as we celebrate the memorial of St. Jerome, which marks the sixteen centuries that he has passed on, we recall his great contributions to the Church and the Christian faithful, especially for his compilation of the Latin translation of the Greek Bible. Jerome was involved in and experienced all sorts of worldly pleasures as a young student of philosophy.

But later, his conscience led him to conversion into the Christian faith as he renounced all of his past sinful ways of life and devoted himself deeply to the study of the Scriptures, from which come all his great works we still study today.

Dear friends, for us to succeed in life we need to pass through some rigorous steps and stop making excuses. Sometimes the rigour of the paths may seem difficult and impossible, but in the end they form the experience that will propel us to success and sustain us as well.

So as we journey through the rigorous path of success in our mission and vocations, let us be encouraged by the life of Job and St. Jerome, knowing that none of our sacrifices and contributions in the mission of Christ and his Church will be in vain.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, teach us how to faithfully embrace our vocation and mission in life without making excuses. And through the intercession of St. Jerome, may we be ever more nourished by your word and find in it the fount of grace to journey the path of life; we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a blessed day

Homily For Tuesday, Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A. 29th September, 2026. The Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, Archangels

 

Readings: Rev. 12:7-12; Ps. 103, John 1: 47-51

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

CELEBRATING THE ARCHANGELS THE DEFENDER, GUIDE, AND HEALER OF THE HUMAN SOUL

As Christians, for us to be fruitful in our given vocation in life, there is a need for us to build a personal relationship with God and building this relationship is not as difficult as some people think, because God desires to have such a relationship with us. He often manifests this through the instrument of angels and Archangels. Little wonder we celebrate today the three great Archangels, Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, who are God’s most powerful instruments for safeguarding the human soul.

In these Archangels, we have a powerful link to God, especially in our constant struggle and the spiritual battle for the sake of our souls. They are categorised based on their responsibilities. Archangel Michael is known as the Prince and defender of the heavenly hosts. He defends us in battle and helps us to be humble, so that we may not fall into pride, ambition, greed and vanity like the devil, whom he defeated and sent away from heaven.

This helps us remain firm in our commitment to serving the Lord, as we read in our first reading today (Rev. 12:7-12). Archangel Gabriel is known as the Messenger of God. He helps us to have faith in God through his words so that we may always hope in God. Archangel Raphael is known for the manifestation of the healing and mercy of God, especially for souls corrupted by sin.

This shows us the extent to which God can go for the sake of saving humanity. The fact is that God loves us so much, and it is not about our love for him, but his own love for us. This is manifested in the life of Jesus who loves us personally and desires to share in our daily struggles through the angels and Archangels.

All he demands from us is to acknowledge his presence in our lives and cooperate with his grace, and when such a relationship is established our lives will change for good just like Nathaniel in our Gospel passage, who acknowledged that Jesus is the Son of God, for which Jesus commended him for his faith and went on to tell him that he shall see great things in heaven including the angels ascending and descending in the presence of God.

Dear friends, what is our experience of angels and Archangels? Is there any occasion where we can say that we have personally encountered or experienced the presence of an angel? What is our relationship with our guardian angels? If not, we should desire to have one through our daily activities.

For today, we are reminded that God, through the Archangels, manifests his power and presence in human activities, and so we are called to always cooperate with the will of God as directed by his angels and Archangels, who minister to us. We are called to build a personal relationship with God through His Archangels, who are there to defend, guide and heal our souls from sin and death.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, thanks for the gifts of your Archangels, whom you often send to guide and direct our affairs in life. Through their faithful direction and protection, may our lives advance boldly along the path of salvation, through Christ our Lord. Amen. Thanks to our Archangels may you continue to direct and guide our ways

Homily for Monday Twenty-Sixth Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 27th September, 2026

Readings: Job 1:6-22, Ps.17, Luke 9:46-50

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

UNDERSTANDING WHERE TRUE GREATNESS IS FOUND

As human beings, we often desire to be great and do whatever will make us feel great. Hence, our lives become competitive and comparative because greatness adds ego to our status. This competitive and comparative way of life is what the disciples of Jesus displayed in our Gospel passage today, where we heard how they were arguing about who was the greatest among them.

This is quite surprising for them to be arguing for such an intention just after Jesus had told them that he was going to be betrayed. This shows that his disciples had not grasped his teaching thereby exposing the danger between the mission of Christ and human ambition as a result of ignorance.

For Jesus, knowing the intentions of his disciples, showed them the way to identify true greatness and one who has such qualities using the image of a humble child. Here, Jesus surprised his disciples by linking true greatness to the humility and simplicity of a little child and also showed how children can be the subject of a parable that reveals the vanity and deception found in some great persons. Because children are docile, humble, teachable, loving, forgiven and dependent.

Thus, Jesus explains that in the kingdom of heaven, true greatness is found in humility, and children serve as a symbol of humility, for they are dependent on adults for everything, just as we also are dependent on God. Little children serve as a concrete symbol of the simplicity which is a condition for entering the kingdom of heaven. So, in children we see these great virtues of simplicity and humility being placed.

And these acts of simplicity and humility are what characterised the life of Job in our first reading today, where Satan said to God that Job’s faith was only strong because he was so blessed and protected by God, but if he should lose them all, then he would surely abandon God and curse him.

This was while God allowed Satan to attack Job and take away everything he had: his great possessions and his family. But Job, in simplicity and humility, remained faithful to God, saying: " Naked I came from my mother’s womb, naked I shall return. The Lord gave, the Lord has taken back. Blessed be the name of the Lord!’

Dear friends, today we see in the lives of the disciples the danger between human ambition and the mission of Christ especially in the midst of ignorance and pride. Therefore we are reminded that true greatness and ambition are found in humble service to others.

But this is exactly what many of us are lacking. For we are so proud, greedy, and selfish, for we are deeply attached to the pleasurable things of this passing world, which prevents us from seeking true greatness that leads to the heavenly kingdom.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, amidst the danger of human ambition in relation to your mission, we have become so engrossed in the competitive activities of this world, seeking to be great in things that are passing away, grant that, we may embrace true greatness rooted in the humble service of our neighbours, we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a blessed and fruitful week ahead.

Homily for the Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A, 27th September 2026

Readings: Ezek.18:25-28, PS. 25, Phil 2:1-11. Matt. 21:28-32

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

YOU CAN STILL REPENT AND DO THE RIGHT THING NO MATTER HOW GRIEVOUS YOUR SINS ARE

One of the gifts God gave humanity is freedom. This freedom, though, comes with great responsibility, since we are responsible for what comes out of how we manage it. We are free to choose whatever we like, but we are also responsible for the consequences of our choice.

However, because of our fragile nature, we often make grievous mistakes in our choices even when God has given us all the necessary guidelines towards making the right decision, but out of disobedience, we frequently fail to follow these guidelines. Today we are meant to know that we can still repent and do the right thing no matter how grievous our sins are. For repentance and obedience are necessary dispositions towards attaining our ultimate goal in life, which is eternal life.

This is exactly what our Gospel passage this Sunday is addressing, when Jesus, in the parable of the Two Sons, said to the chief priests and elders of the people, ‘What is your opinion? A man had two sons. He went and said to the first, “My Son, you go and work in the vineyard today.” He answered, “I will not go,” but afterwards thought better of it and went. The man then went and said the same thing to the second who answered, “Certainly, sir,” but did not go. Which of the two did the father’s will?’ ‘The first’ they said. Jesus said to them, ‘I tell you solemnly, tax collectors and prostitutes are making their way into the kingdom of God before you.

Here, we see how repentance and obedience helped this first son to make the right decision about his father’s request while the second son failed because of negligence, irresponsibility and disobedience.

The second son represents those of us Christians who promised to work for God’s kingdom but have failed, thereby excluding ourselves from the kingdom. While the first son represents those ‘sinners’ who first chose to go their own way but now have repented and begin to follow the way of the Lord, by so doing, they have gained access to God’s kingdom. So in the first son we see someone who reflected on his decision, realised that he was wrong, and decided to make it right by taking full responsibility for his decision.

This very disposition is related to what the prophet Ezekiel is addressing in our first reading today, when he said: if the upright man renounces his integrity to commit sin and dies because of this, he dies because of the evil that he himself has committed. But if the sinner renounces sin to become law-abiding and honest, he deserves to live. He has chosen to renounce all his previous sins; he shall certainly live; he shall not die.

This is because the righteous would perish for their sins of disobedience, while sinners would be saved by their repentance and obedience. This tells us the importance of repentance and obedience, which are rooted in humility, for they are necessary dispositions towards attaining eternal life.

This disposition is also exactly what St. Paul tells us to imitate in the person of our Lord Jesus as we have in our second reading where he said: in your minds, you must be the same as Christ Jesus: who though his state was divine, yet he did not cling to his equality with God but emptied himself to assume the condition of a slave, and became as men are; and being as all men are, he was obedient yet, even to accepting death, death on a cross. But God raised him high and gave him the name which is above all other names.

This shows us the humble obedience and the great love that the Lord Jesus has for humanity. For he willingly humbled himself and bore the most painful and shameful burden of our sins on the Cross. Thereby teaching us the kind of selfless love that we all have been called to show in our daily lives especially in our relationship with others

Dear friends, in our journey of life, have we made wrong decisions but found it difficult to change our minds and put things right? Are we thinking of leaving the right path to follow the sinful paths because of the ugly condition we are passing through now? Are we thinking that our righteous ways of life have not been fruitful because sinners are gaining more ground than we do? Are we living in sin now thinking that God will not punish us? Or are we thinking that it is not possible to repent now because of the gravity of our sins?

The truth remains that God is watching and waiting for us to change our minds. He is waiting for us to decide to make things right and take responsibility for our actions. He is watching and waiting for us to repent and make the right decision, but his waiting can not be for eternity. All we need is the right disposition that is rooted in humble obeisance and repentance of our sinful and ugly ways of life.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we have often abused the gift of freedom which you have given us and have strayed from the path you have made for us as a result of our sinfulness. Give us the grace of true repentance and humble obedience as you guide us through the right path of life. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Happy Sunday and God bless.

Homily For Saturday, Twenty-Fifth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A, 24th September 2026

 

Readings: Eccl. 11:9-12:8, Ps.90, Luke 9:43-45

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

UNDERSTANDING THE EMPTINESS OF HUMAN LIFE WITHOUT GOD

Reflecting on my personal experience of the emptiness of human life. This happened once as a seminarian, when I was privileged to be among the people visiting a cemetery at Oke Are in Ibadan.

On our way to the cemetery, which is located on a hill in the heart of Ibadan, passing through the market and streets, all I could see were people struggling, buying and selling, fighting and cursing each other. I also saw a lot of beggars, sick and poor people; among these people were the rich, the educated, as well as their leaders, both traditional and political. It was indeed an interesting community.

But getting to the cemetery, I saw on a wall the names and dates of so many men and women who had passed on from this interesting community. Then I asked myself, in deep reflection, where are all these people whose names are listed on this wall? Were they like us before? Are we going to be like them later? Where will all of us in this beautiful community be in the next hundred years?

With this in mind, I realised that there is a time for everything in this world, a time to be born, and a time to die. Then, the dust returns to the earth as it once came from it, and the spirit to God who gave it. For vanity of vanities, the Preacher says.

All is vanity. Just as the Book of Ecclesiastes in our first reading today tells us, saying: Rejoice in your youth, you who are young; let your heart give you joy in your young days. Follow the promptings of your heart and the desires of your eyes. But this you must know: for all these things God will bring you to judgement.

This is not different from what Jesus is reminding his disciples in our Gospel passage today where after his great miracles, when everyone was full of admiration for all he did, Jesus said to his disciples, ‘For your part, you must have these words constantly in your mind: that the Son of Man is going to be handed over into the power of men.’ But they did not understand him. They did not remember that there is a time for everything.

Dear friends, human life is vanity vanishing without God. So, today we are reminded of the true reality of life: that we all are going to die one day, and the dust of our flesh and bones will return to the earth while our spirit returns to God, knowing that we will be accounted for in how we lived this life. We are going to give back to God the gift of life he has given us, because our life is a temporal assignment.

So, why not start living this life according to the present reality, since we do not know how and when we are going to be accounted for? Why not accept joyfully who we are now as we work hard to be better tomorrow? Remember, everything is in the hands of God; we brought nothing into this world, and we are taking nothing out of it.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, our life is meaningless without you. Grant that we may realise the shortness of this life and so prepare to give account of how we have lived our lives in this passing world. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Wishing you a fruitful use of today's graces.

Homily For Friday, Twenty-Fifth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A, 25th September 2026

Readings: Eccl. 3:1-11, Ps.144, Luke 9:18-22

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

UNDERSTANDING THE TRUE PERSONALITY OF THE LORD JESUS

In life, there is always a moment when we will want to examine and know if our friends can really be trusted, if they truly know and understand who we are and what we represent. This is because, as social beings, we often make friends whom we can confide in and entrust with our innermost thoughts and plans. But this friendship does not come automatically; it develops gradually.

This is the situation between Jesus and his disciples in our Gospel passage today, when Jesus asked them, saying: Who do people say I am?’ And they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ ‘But you,’ he said ‘who do you say I am?’

Peter answered, ‘You are the Christ. But he gave them strict orders not to tell anyone anything about this. For the Son of Man is destined to suffer grievously, to be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes and to be put to death, and to be raised up on the third day.

Here, we see how Peter expressed his personal conviction about who Jesus is. He did not have to quote any authority, because his response was a clear and sincere knowledge of who he professed Jesus to be. This is because Peter’s gift of faith comes from his personal encounter with the person of Jesus.

Thus, our faith requires that we give a personal answer to the question: who is Jesus to me personally? For it is not enough to quote the teachings and Catechism of the Church about our faith or the teachings of other theologians and preachers or to respond only from the head, but from the heart that is convinced of what it believes in.

Today most people are following Jesus without knowing who Jesus truly represents. Some people find it very difficult to embrace the teaching of Jesus because they lack the faith and conviction about his personality, even when Jesus had revealed himself to us through his great miracles and teachings.

The fact is that, Jesus wants us to develop a divine way of looking at things. He wants us to know him deep down in our souls, so that we can profess our faith with deeper meaning and conviction. This faith is necessary in order to accommodate and overcome the ugly events of persecution, condemnation and blackmail that we encounter every day.

Little wonder, the book of Ecclesiastes in our first reading today tells us that there is a time for everything, for every purpose, and everything will indeed happen as God wills it, and not up to us to decide what will happen to us, as there are indeed many things out there beyond our control and understanding.

For what does a man gain for the efforts that he makes? All that he does is apt for its time; but though he has permitted man to consider time in its wholeness, man on his own cannot comprehend the work of God from beginning to end.

Dear friends, having heard the teachings and great works of Jesus in the scriptures and traditions of the Church, the question remains: what can I say is my personal experience of Jesus? Have I personally encountered and identified our Lord Jesus in my life? How has my knowledge of Jesus helped other people to come to faith in Jesus?

Today we are called to really examine our conscience to know where we are as regards to our faith as Christians. We are called today to develop a divine way of understanding the mysteries of God, but not rejecting them because we do not understand them. Therefore, let us turn towards God once again with all our hearts and devote our whole lives to seeking to know Him more and more.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, you revealed to Peter the true identity of Jesus your Son, help us to personally identify the personality of Jesus in our lives and so profess our faith with deeper meaning and conviction. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. God bless you.

Homily For Thursday, Twenty-Fifth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A, 24th September 2026. Today Is My Priestly Anniversary (Please Keep Me In Your Prayers)

Readings: Eccl. 1:2-11, Ps.90, Luke 9:7-9

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

UNDERSTANDING THAT LIFE IS VANITY VANISHING WITH GOD. THE GUILTY CONSCIENCE OF HEROD

Oftentimes, we hear people express the phrase guilty conscience, which is used to express the ugly condition of the human conscience- that part of our life that tells us whether what we are doing is right or wrong. For if you have a guilty conscience, you feel guilty about something because you know it was wrong. But if you have a clear conscience, you do not feel guilty because you know you have done nothing wrong.

This is the situation Herod finds himself in in our Gospel passage today, who, out of pride and selfishness, had killed John the Baptist, thinking that by that he could silence the voice of truth. Still, when he heard of the great works of Jesus and could not comprehend it, he perceived that John the Baptist, the voice of truth had returned to life again, when he said: John? I beheaded him. So who is this I hear such reports about?’ And he was anxious to see Jesus.

Here, we see the guilty conscience of a man who is anxious to see Jesus because of his ugly role in the death of John the Baptist. This is what happens to us whenever we try to take the role of God in our relationship with others. And this ugly attitude is what a lot of people are practising today, and as a result, many people are suffering the consequences of a guilty conscience.

This is because most of us are so attached to worldly things that we have not realised the emptiness of this passing world. We have let our pride, our ego and our selfish desires blindfold us from the true realities of life.

 Little wonder our first reading today taken from the book of Ecclesiastes, tells us that vanity of vanities. All is vanity! For what does a man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun? Today we are alive; tomorrow we are no more. Generation goes, and generation comes, but the earth remains forever. Acquiring wealth later to realise at deathbed that all is vanity, vanishing.

Thus, we are meant to know that there are many things in this world that are beyond human comprehension and understanding, because God’s ways of doing things are beyond human capacity to understand His plan fully. All we need to do is to remain docile and faithfully follow his plans for us and not be like Herod and his guilty conscience.

Dear friends, what is the essence of our existence in this world? What does God really require from us in this life? Do you have a guilty conscience of any kind? What are the things that make us have a guilty conscience?

Do you know that without God, everything in life is vanity, vanishing? Therefore, let us not be carried away by the beauty of the things of this passing world, for nothing lasts forever. So, we should remain steadfast in our faith in God, who has called us to love him and to love one another.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we have come to you with our guilty conscience, for we are so much attached to things of this passing world, with little or no attention to your teachings. Help us to realise that without you, life and all we have is nothing but vanity. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a fruitful day.

Homily For Wednesday, Twenty-Fifth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A, 23rd September 2026. The Memorial of St Pio of Pietrelcina

 

Readings: Prov. 30:5-9, Ps.119, Luke 9:1-6

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

“TAKE NOTING FOR THE JOURNEY” UNDERSTANDING THE SACRIFICIAL NATURE OF OUR MISSION

With the hostility, persecution and the influential power of things in this passing world, we really need to think twice about our faith as Christians, whether we are actually ready to live out our faith in the midst of a hostile environment. So, if we are willing to live out our Christian faith and obligations to the mission of Christ, we need to make a radical decision about our discipleship in a personal and radical way.

This is what Jesus is teaching his disciples in our Gospel passage today, when he called the Twelve together and gave them power and authority over all devils and to cure diseases. He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal.

He said to them, ‘Take nothing for the journey: neither staff, nor haversack, nor bread, nor money; and let none of you takes a spare tunic. Whatever house you enter, stay there; and when you leave, let it be from there. As for those who do not welcome you, when you leave their town shake the dust from your feet as a sign to them.’

Here, Jesus does not directly intend to cause tensions and divisions, but he wants to expose the sacrificial nature of our mission. Hence, Jesus demands a total commitment towards the journey of discipleship once begun or not beginning it at all.

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

Dear friends, we are called today to make a radical decision to sincerely and faithfully carry out the mission of Christ entrusted to us. But how much are we willing to let go for the sake of the mission of Christ? Why are we finding it difficult to follow Jesus? What are those habitual desires and possessions that are holding us back from making this radical decision today?

 It is time for us to let them go in order to focus more on the mission Christ has entrusted to us. Therefore, let us learn to follow the examples of all the other great disciples who had given their time, energy, and even lives for the salvation of many souls. Just like St. Pio Pietrelcina whose memorial we celebrate today.

He was born in the small village of Pietrelcina in southern Italy, and joined the Capuchin friars at the age of 16. He became a priest seven years later, and spent fifty years at the monastery of San Giovanni Rotondo, where he was very much sought after as a spiritual advisor, confessor, and intercessor. Many miracles were popularly ascribed to him during his lifetime

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, today we are called to a sacrificial journey of Christ's mission. Because our excessive desire for the pleasurable things of this passing world has weakened our hearts towards our mission, give us courage and grace to let go of our ugly desires, to hold firm in our faith despite losing people and things that are dear to us. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a fruitful day.

Homily for Tuesday Twenty-Fifth Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 22nd September, 2026

Readings: Prov. 21:1-6.10-13, Ps.119, Luke 8:19-21

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

UNDERSTANDING WHAT IT MEANS TO BELONG TO THE ULTIMATE FAMILY OF JESUS

One of the psychological and spiritual needs of the human person is the sense of belonging, this need is just like the need for food, clothes and shelter. The feeling of belonging is fundamental to our sense of happiness and well-being.

It gives value to life and helps us cope with some pain and emotions, as it improves our motivation. Hence, we often want to belong and identify with one another, with our friends and families, with our culture and from one association and group to another.

However, one of the most 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. For when he was told that his mother and brothers were standing outside and wanted to see him. He said: ' My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and put it into practice.’

Here, Jesus speaks of two ways the people around him could be identified as members of his family. First, he talked 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 and ultimate 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 biological 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 our relationship with God is more important and should be 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, before all human relations.

For 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 how we have done the will of God here on earth. And our first reading, taken from the book of Proverbs, tells us that a man’s conduct may strike him as upright, but the Lord, however, weighs the heart.

Dear friends, where do we ultimately and truly belong? Do you belong to the true family of Jesus? 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?

 So, today we are called to understand what it means to belong to the ultimate family of Jesus. In this ultimate family we are to do the will of God always. This makes us truly belong to that true family of Jesus, where the love of God and the love of neighbour unite us together.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we truly belong to you; 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 Twenty-Fifth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A, 21st September 2026. The Feast of St. Matthew Apostle and Evangelist

Readings: Eph 4:1:-7.11-13, Ps.19, Matt. 9:9-13

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

RESPONDING POSITIVELY TO GOD’S CALL LIKE ST MATTHEW

In life, we make choices, and the choices we make every day communicate our innermost desire, which also determines how meaningful, valuable, healthy and fruitful our lives and mission are going to be. This is no different in the life of Jesus, who, on account of his mission to save humanity, had to make choices about people who would be his instruments of evangelising in the world.

Though Jesus had been calling people from different walks of life to be part of his mission, today’s call and choice of Matthew, a man identified with sinners because of his work as a tax collector, was quite strange to some people.

Little wonder, in our Gospel passage today, after Jesus had called Matthew to follow him, he had a dinner in his house and while at the dinner, it happened that some tax collectors and sinners came to sit at the table with Jesus and his disciples.

When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, ‘Why does your master eat with tax collectors and sinners?’ When Jesus heard this he replied, ‘It is not the healthy who need the doctor, but the sick. Go and learn the meaning of the words: I desire mercy, not sacrifice. For I did not come to call the virtuous, but sinners.’

Here we hear the innermost desire of Jesus for sinful humanity in need of salvation. The call of Matthew is like the call of each of us, a choice that demonstrates Jesus' desire for sinners to repent. For all he desires is mercy and not sacrifices, repentance and not pride.

Jesus is calling us to repentance; he is inviting us to make a fundamental choice for God, just like St. Matthew, who, though a sinner, rose up and followed Jesus at his call for repentance. We too are to respond to this invitation without delay.

Let St. Matthew be an inspiration and hope for every one of us. Let him be an example that will remind us that there is no one beyond the reach of God’s mercy and love. For he is capable of transforming our ugly ways of life into a glorious instrument for human salvation.

Today we celebrate the Feast of St. Matthew, we are called to imitate him. For tradition has it that after his conversion, Matthew became a great evangelizer, who went about preaching the Good News to many people. It was told that he went to Ethiopia, where he had a growing community of Christ's faithful.

And according to tradition, he was martyred while celebrating the Holy Mass on the Altar, after he rebuked the local king in Ethiopia, who lusted and desired to have his own niece, who had dedicated herself in holy virginity to God. Here we see how Matthew, who was once a sinner, was called and transformed into a great saint and a great instrument of evangelisation.

Dear friends, St Paul in our first reading tells us that each one of us has been given our own share of grace in Christ's mission. For some are called to be apostles and evangelists like Matthew; some prophets; some pastors and teachers; so that together we are united in the work of service, building up the body of Christ. But how are we contributing to this mission? What is our disposition towards the call of Jesus? Is our choice in life reflecting our faith in the mission of Christ?

LET US PRAY: Lord God, despite our sinfulness, you called and chose us to be instruments of your salvation to all humanity. Through the intercession of St. Matthew, give us the grace to make good choices that will help us to respond positively to your call for repentance and evangelisation. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Wishing you a blessed week ahead.

Homily For The Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A, 20th September 2026

 

Readings: Is. 55:6-9, PS.145, Phil 1:20-24.27. Matt. 20:1-16

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

NEVER GIVE UP FOR GOD HAS TIME AND A PLAN FOR YOU

Often, when we pass through a dark moment in life, it seems as if all hope is gone. We put up all our energy and enthusiasm struggling and hoping for better and brighter opportunities. Sometimes it seems as if that brighter moment won’t come. The truth is that our time of favour and success is not determined by how long or strenuous we have struggled, but by our disposition towards God's time of grace and generosity, for God alone decides how to reward us for our efforts. All we need is to be available and disposed to doing his will at all times.

This is what the parable of the vineyard labourers in our Gospel passage today is teaching us, especially as regards to our disposition towards embracing the kingdom of God. For the vineyard owner went out at different times and gathered people to work in his vineyard. And as time went on, he continued to look for more workers and went out along the way to seek unemployed workers, even at the eleventh and final hour, calling all into his vineyard.

At the end, the landowner went beyond justice. Motivated by compassion and having employed labourers at different times, he decided to pay them the same wages as agreed with those who were hired first, and they felt bad for the landowner’s generosity towards those hired last.

Here the human mind suspects injustice, while the heart of God sees only an opportunity to be generous. This generosity of God calls us to be generous too; but out of envy we often selfishly consider ourselves more deserving than others.

From this parable, the vineyard owner represents God Himself, while all the labourers represent all of us who are called to work in the Lord’s heavenly vineyard. Thus, we heard how God is reaching out to us at every moment and stage in our lives. He keeps sending messengers, prophets, and teachers to call us and to remind us of the need for us to be reconciled and be reunited with him.

Little wonder we heard the prophet Isaiah in our first reading saying: seek the Lord while he is still to be found, call to him while he is still near. Let the wicked man abandon his way, the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn back to the Lord who will take pity on him, for our God is rich in forgiving; and his thoughts are not our thoughts, his ways not our ways. This shows how God loves us so much that he constantly tries to call us and to bring us back to himself.

Dear friends, God has a plan and a time for each of us. But how are we responding to God’s call and plans? How are we waiting for God's time? What is our disposition towards God’s generosity to others? What is our attitude towards those whom God has lifted up to our level? What is our attitude towards those who are waiting on God’s time? Do you consider yourself more deserving than others?

From today’s parable, we can identify three kinds of persons. First, those who are like the landowner who hires people to get a job done, but with sympathy for those to be employed. Secondly, the unemployed waiting desperately in the marketplace and thirdly, the labourers who consider themselves more deserving than others. Thus, we all need to ask ourselves: among these three groups, where do I belong?

This is important because the way workers and labourers are being treated in our societies these days is really appalling. But God is assuring us today that even though we are the least, the nobodies and most neglected in the eyes of the world, he will not forget us, for he has a time and a plan for everyone and will continue to provide for our daily needs.

However, he warns those of us who are greedy and selfish to change from our greed and sinful ways, because when his time comes, the last will be the first and the first, last. For in his kingdom, there is time and a plan for everyone with equal grace and equal status. But do not miss your turn out of impatience. Wait on the Lord for your time, and your turn is very close.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, today we are reminded of your constant efforts to reach out to us at every moment of our lives. In the darkest moment of our lives, help us to realise that you are reaching out to us always, even at the very last hour, as long as we are still breathing and living, for it is never too late for us to experience your generosity and mercy. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Happy Sunday and God bless.

Homily For Saturday, Twenty-Fourth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A, 19th September 2026

 

Readings: 1 Cor 15:35-37,42-49; Ps. 56; Luke 8:4-15

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

THE FRUIT OF HAVING THE RIGHT DISPOSITION TOWARDS THE WORD OF GOD

Our disposition towards whatever we do in life determines how successful we can be. Experience has shown that people’s dispositions vary depending on where their interests are based.

Therefore, to be fruitful in whatever we do, we must develop the right disposition towards it. Knowing the importance of this statement in understanding his mission, Jesus, in our Gospel reading today, used the parable of the sower to describe different kinds of human disposition and response towards the Word of God.

He said, A sower went out to sow his seed. As he sowed, some fell on the edge of the path and were trampled on; and the birds of the air ate it up. Some seed fell on rock, and when it came up it withered away, having no moisture. Some seed fell amongst thorns and the thorns grew with it and choked it. And some seed fell into rich soil and grew and produced its crop a hundredfold.’ Saying this he cried, ‘Listen, anyone who has ears to hear!’

In this parable, Jesus categorised our different dispositions towards the Word of God in relation to our interior life. Thereby giving us the guidelines that will help us to examine our attitudes towards the seed of God’s Word, whether our soul is like dry rocky ground, whether our soul is full of the thorns of the things of this passing world 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.

This is important because today and even in the Scriptures, many hear the words of Jesus and do not understand them because of a wrong disposition, for instance in the Scriptures we have the religious leaders who are against the teachings of Jesus, and 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 fell away when trouble or persecution came on account of the Word. The rich young man, unable to part with his possessions, provides a clear example of one who hears the word, but whose love for the passing things of this world and the lure of wealth choked the word, and it yielded nothing.

Also, what about the good soil? These are those who hear the Word, understand and internalise it, who indeed bear fruit and yield an abundant harvest. Our mother Mary and the apostles, 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. And St. Paul in our first readings today says: If the soul has its own embodiment, so does the spirit have its own embodiment. The first man, Adam, as scripture says, became a living soul; but the last Adam has become a life-giving spirit.

Here, St Paul reminds us of our basic Christian faith, which teaches that, for us to rise with Christ, we must first die to ourselves. That is, those things which lead us to the ways of this world must die, and we must be reborn to the life of faith.

Then we will rise with Christ and share his glory, just as we read in the parable of the Sower. For the Sower being Christ himself, teaches us how to manage the challenges of life in order to yield a rich harvest of faith and attain the eternal joy of heaven,

Dear friends, today, our hearts are the fields in which the Word of God is scattered, to which do our hearts belong? The pathway, the rocky ground, the thorns or the good soil? Whichever one, we are called to pay attention and take some time to appreciate God’s Word in our lives by allowing it to bear solid roots in us and germinate to bear great fruits

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, we are often distracted from hearing and assimilating your Word we hear every day, give us grace to remain open to receiving your Word, so as to bear fruit abundantly. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a blessed and peaceful weekend.

Homily For Friday Twenty-Fourth Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 18th September, 2026

Readings: 1Cor 15:12-20, Ps.17, Luke 8:1-3

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

ACKNOWLEDGING THE ROLE OF SILENT PROVIDERS AND SUPPORTERS OF CHRIST’S MISSION

Jesus involved a lot of people in his mission to saving humanity, some he called to follow him, some desired to follow him but could not, while some decided to follow him because of their personal experience of him and what they can gain from him. But only few followed him in order to provide for him and contribute towards the success of his mission. This is the dispositions and personality of those involved in the mission of Christ in our Gospel passage today.

For when Jesus made his way through towns and villages preaching, and proclaiming the Good News of the kingdom of God. He went with his twelve disciples whom he had called, as well as certain women who had experienced him personally through his divine healing and deliverance. Along these groups are several others who provided for them out of their own resources.

This Gospel passage actually points out the nature of the mission of the Church in proclaiming the word of God and our part in this mission. Thus, we are reminded of how God has called us to follow Christ and contribute to the salvation of humanity.

And St. Paul in our first reading tells us that, if our hope in Christ has been for this life only, we are the most unfortunate of all people. But since Christ has in fact been raised from the dead, as the first-fruits of all who have fallen asleep, we have a sure hope in his resurrection.

Thus as children of eternal life, who are judged worthy of a place in the heavenly Kingdom. So, we are to fully involved in the mission of Christ. For there are men and women of our time who give themselves to noble causes. They give themselves to the service of others: they are those who see to the good of others and contribute to the growth of God’s Kingdom just like the women in our Gospel passage today.

These are people of noble cause, like parents who teach their children the ways of the Lord by their practical way of life, like people who help the weak and the vulnerable, like friends who speak the truth and stand by it and political and Church leaders, who renounce power rather than compromise principles and uses every opportunity they have to evangelize the people. May your contribution towards the mission of Christ never be in vain

Dear friends, are we really part of this mission of Christ? In what ways are we supporting the mission of Christ in his Church ? Are we ready to contribute towards this mission by our ways of life? Do we desired to be part of this mission but lack the courage and discipline? Or do we think that this mission is not for us?

The fact remains that as baptized persons, it is our obligation to carryout this mission and it is not optional. It is an obligation we must carryout irrespective of our status, position, environment and deposition.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, the women in our Gospel today involved in your mission and contributed towards the success of evangelization because they have experienced your love and mercy to also realized how much of your love and mercy we have enjoyed and so be deposed to embrace and contribute to the mission of our salvation. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a blessed day. 

Homily For Thursday Twenty-Fourth Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 17th September, 2026

 

Readings: 1Cor 15:1-11, Ps.118, Luke 7:36-50

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

UNDERSTANDING HOW TO PRESENT OURSELVES BEFORE GOD IN GRATITUDE

Oftentimes we are quick to judge and condemn other people, we are quick to identify their sins without looking at our own sinful ways. We find it difficult to accept that something good can come out of people we have labeled as sinners in the society. But this is not the same with Jesus in our Gospel passage today who welcomes sinner and showed them mercy and kindness.

That is why when one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to a meal in his house, and when they are at table, a woman came in, who had a bad name in the town and brought with her an alabaster jar of ointment and begin to weep and her tears fell on the feet of Jesus, and she wiped them away with her hair; kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment as she expressed her gratitude for mercy received.

But the Pharisees, instead of rejoicing on account of this woman's repentance, they confined their thoughts to her former ugly and sinful ways of life. Then with a parable, Jesus demonstrated that the greater a sinner, the greater the love he/she ought to show to God when he/she receives mercy and pardoned.

Little wonder Jesus told Peter I came into your house, and you poured no water over my feet, but she has poured out her tears over my feet and wiped them away with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but she has been covering my feet with kisses ever since I came in. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. For this reason I tell you that her many sins have been forgiven, for she loved much.

This is the same with St. Paul in our first reading when he said I am the least of the apostles; in fact, since I persecuted the Church of God, I hardly deserve the name apostle; but by God’s grace that is what I am, and the grace that he gave me has not been fruitless.

This tells us that we all are sinners and debtors before God. Though some sinners are greater debtors; but whether our debt be more or less, it is more than we are able to pay. However God is always ready to forgive us and the more we express our sorrow for sin, the more our love for Christ grows.

Dear friends, how do we present ourselves before God? Are we like the Pharisees, who always talk about other people’s sins without minding our own sinfulness? Are we carried away by the things around us and so forget the right things we ought to do? Are we like the woman in our Gospel, who came before the presence Jesus with a heart of gratitude and thanksgiving for the mercy and pardon received? Today we are called to learn how to show appreciation for mercy and pardon we receive always from our heavenly Father.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we thank you for your graces and mercy which is beyond human imagination, for it is by your grace that we are what we are today, teach us we pray, how to be more willing to forgive others as we recognize our own need for your forgiveness and so learn how to love more and show gratitude. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a fruitful day. 

Homily For Wednesday Twenty-Fourth Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 16th September, 2026. The Memorial of SS. Cornelius and Cyprian

 

Readings: 1Cor.12:31-13:13, Ps.33, Luke 7:31-35

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

LOVE THE GREATEST GIFT OF GOD TO HUMANITY

Love is that nature of God which we share, a gift from God to humanity. Love is like the stream water, so innocent and pure. True love is not hidden, it radiates from the innermost being of a person who experience it. Little wonder St Paul in our first reading tells us that there are three things that last: faith, hope and love; and the greatest of these is love.

Love is always patient and kind; it is never jealous; love is never boastful or conceited; it is never rude or selfish; it does not take offence, and is not resentful. Love takes no pleasure in other people’s sins but delights in the truth; it is always ready to excuse, to trust, to hope, and to endure whatever comes.

So love is the greatest of all the gifts of God. Since all the virtues, from the lowest to the highest are worthless unless motivated by love. So love however, is the greatest and foundation of all the virtues. Other virtues such as faith will cease with the vision of God, hope will disappear into the possession of what we hoped for.

But love is permanent and eternal because, God is love and we are his seed of love in this world. Thus our primary purpose in life is to love, and not just any kind of love, but sacrificial love that is rooted in selflessness that is devoid of greed, selfishness and haughty.

This kind of love is what is lacking among the people of our generation as we have it in our Gospel passage today when we heard Jesus talking about the people who out of jealousy had failed to embrace his teaching and that of John the Baptist.

For the people looked down on him and were very judgmental against him and John the Baptist because of their unique personality. This ugly attitude were caused by lack of love, inability to appreciate God’s love and all that He has done for the sake of all humanity.

Dear friends, how much of this love dwells in us knowing that our true happiness is found in love? The fact remains that we can never be happy if we lack love in us. We can never be satisfied if we lack love. We can never receive love if we have never given it. So, no matter what kind of gifts we have whether spiritual or material, love is the only way to make them a source of happiness which bring us satisfaction that comes only from the heart that truly loves.

This is what we see in the lives of SS. Cornelius and Cyprian whose memorial we celebrate today. For they were holy servants of God who dedicated their lives to the service to God and their neighbour. And for this they died as martyrs under great persecution for they stood firm in their faith and hope which is rooted in their love of God and neighbours.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, enkindle in us once again the fire of your love, so that we may become your great servants dedicating our lives and service to loving you and our neighbours, through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a lovely day.

Homily For Tuesday, Twenty-Fourth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A, 15th September, 2026. The Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows

 

Readings: 1Cor. 12:12-14.27-31; Ps. 100; John 19:25-27

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

UNDERSTANDING HOW TO MANAGE YOUR SORROWS OF LIFE PATIENTLY LIKE MOTHER MARY

In life, we encounter ugly events and challenges that cause us sorrows and tears. And oftentimes we don't know how to manage those moments. Just yesterday, we celebrated the exaltation and triumph of the Holy Cross; today, we are celebrating the sorrows of our Blessed Mother, who experienced a great sorrow at the suffering and death of her Son, who suffered grievously for the sins and faults of others and for the sake of the redemption of all humanity.

So as we commemorate our Lady's greatest sorrows: beginning with the prophecy of Simeon in the temple, her flight into Egypt with the infant Jesus, the missing of Jesus at the age of 12 in Jerusalem, Mary's encounter with her son Jesus on his way to Calvary, his crucifixion, death and burial. In fact, our Gospel passage today tells us that Jesus, seeing his mother and the disciple he loved standing near her, said to his mother, ‘Woman, this is your son. Then to the disciple he said, ‘This is your mother.’

Thus, from that moment, the disciple made a place for her in his home. This very action may seem so easy for those who have not experienced the painful torture that comes from witnessing the suffering of their loved ones. But for those who have experienced such torture, especially our good mothers, we will understand better that it is harder to watch the pains and suffering of your loved ones than to bear our own pains.

So, we can now understand the situation and condition our Lady was passing through for the sake of obedience to God’s will as she watched Jesus suffer for our redemption. Little wonder in our first reading we are told that we are Christ’s body; but each of us is a different part of it. Just as a human body, though it is made up of many parts, is a single unit because all these parts, though many, make one body, so it is with Christ. In the one Spirit we were all baptised, Jews as well as Greeks, slaves as well as citizens, and one Spirit was given to us all to drink.

Dear friends, I don’t know what kind of sorrows you are carrying in your hearts. Is it the sorrows caused by the ugly situation in your life, your family, your place of work, your inability to achieve your goals and dreams in like manner? Or is it sorrows caused by other people, or caused by mistakes of your past, the ugly ways of life? Whatever and however deep the sorrows are, today we are called to learn how to bear our sorrows of life patiently, like Mary, by linking them to the will of God.

Let us learn how to present our sorrows and problems to God in prayer by raising up our minds and hearts to him, and since he promised that he will teach us the way we should go, instruct us, and advise us. Let us listen to what he is calling us to do and ensure we do them just like our Mother Mary, because the Lord Jesus speaks to us from the depths of our heart, and he desires that we listen to him whenever we pray and associate our sorrows with his own, just like Mary, our mother.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, there are so many sorrows in our lives, and people are doing all they can to overcome them. Through the intercession of Our Lady of Sorrows, may we experience your love and help us to know the best ways to bear our sorrows patiently. We asked this through Christ our Lord. Amen. God bless you 

Homily For Monday Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 14th September, 2026. The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

 

Readings: Num. 21:4-9, Ps.78, Phil.2:6-11, John 3:13-17

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

UNDERSTANDING THE TRUE MEANING OF THE HOLY CROSS

A lot of people in our societies today put on the cross without knowing the true meaning of the cross and what it represent. They just feel that the cross is a fashionable object that makes them look good and feel important, but this is not the case because the cross is more than that.

Today we celebrate the Feast of the exaltation of the Holy Cross, this feast is so important to our Christian faith, because the Holy Cross is a symbol of sacrificial victory of our faith.

This Feast began when St. Helena discovered the relic of the true Cross on which Jesus was crucified, which was preserved in Jerusalem. A sacred relic that represents the mystery of the unending love of God for humanity.

Though, the cross in the eyes of early Christians had no beauty, it was a sign of sorrow, a symbol of courage, an expression of faith which stood outside the city walls, decorated only with decaying corpses of Christ faithful who died for their faith in Christ. They are left on the cross as a threat to anyone who believes in Jesus.

But today, the cross has become the universal image of Christian belief, an instrument of salvation which often appear in Christian art works and countless generations of artists have turned it into a thing of beauty to be carried in procession or worn as jewelry and other religions activities.

Here we can see how this ugly event has turned into a glorious act, which shows the power of God over evil. For God is the source of victory, he has the power to turn ugly situation into a glorious one through the power of love.

Little wonder our Gospel passage today, talks about the relationship between God and the world. Telling us that God loves the world and the humanity living in it. He loves it so much that he gave his only Son, who died a shameful and terrible death on a cross for the seek of his love.

God loves the whole world and his love is total and unconditional for every one of his creatures. For God reveals his love, his greatest glory when his Son was lifted up on the cross for there the victory of our salvation was achieved and at the cross, Jesus tells us everything and solves all our difficult problems.

Just like the Israelites in our first reading who having sinned against God and were punished on account of their sins, complained as they asked Moses to intercede for them and God said to Moses, make a fiery serpent and put it on a standard. If anyone is bitten and looks at it, he shall live. This very symbol is a prefiguration of the Cross of Christ.

And St. Paul in our second reading tells us that though Jesus in the form of God, but he humbled himself by accepting death on a Cross and God exalted him and gave him the name which is above all other names, so that all beings in the heavens, on earth and in the underworld, should bend the knee at the name of Jesus to the glory of God the Father.

Dear friends, as we reflect and celebrate the exaltation of the Holy Cross and it's saving power in our Christian life, let us deeply look at the Cross, what do we see? How do we feel about the Cross? What does the Cross represents in our life? Do we feel the love of Jesus expressed for us on the Cross? Can we perceive the expensive price of our salvation?

We are called today to tell the world how deep God has loved us. We are to demonstrate this love to the world and let this love be felt by those who have lost hope in God especially at this time when humanity is struggling with the ugly situation of inflation and political crisis.

Therefore, let us extend this love in any form, gestures or manner possible to everywhere that it is lacking. A kind word, a single phone call, a text message, an act of forgiveness, a single prayer, sacrifice, patience and any form of generous act shown to anyone around you or as many people you can reach out today, can reflect this love of God for humanity through us, for we are the face of God’s love now, we are the channels of his Mercy and compassion.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, as we celebrate the feast of the exaltation of the Holy Cross, may we experience once again the power of your love for humanity, and give us the grace to reciprocate this love in the world by our way of life, using the gifts, the talents and resources you have given us. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Happy Feast day to all the Priest and lay faithful of the Archdiocese of Lagos.

Homily For Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A, 13th September, 2026

 

Readings: Sirach 27:30-28:7, Ps.103, Rom 14:7-9, Matt. 18:21-35

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

UNDERSTANDING THE IMPORTANCE OF FORGIVENESS AND THE DANGERS OF UNFORGIVENESS

The word forgiveness is often used to express compassionate feelings that support a willingness to let go of mistakes or an offences committed against someone. It is a word we desire to hear from others but very difficult to offer to others.

Little wonder in our Lord’s prayer, there is a portion that points out something so important about the word forgiveness. This portion says “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespassed against us” (Matt.6:12).

In this prayer we have a fundamental principle of Christian life, by which we make a covenant and commitment that will be a standard through which we are going to be judged as regards our relationship with others and with God. But often times we are not conscious of these principles especially when we have to face the difficult moment of forgiving a grievous offense.

Thus, St. Peter being conscious of this fact, asked Jesus in our Gospel passage today, ‘Lord, how often must I forgive my brother if he wrongs me? As often as seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘Not seven, I tell you, but seventy times seven. And he practicalized his answer with an example of a servant who owed his master a huge debt that he and his generation cannot pay. But when he pleads for mercy, the master forgave him all the debts.

However, this same servant found a fellow servant who owed him as little as one hundred denarii, he seized him by the throat and began to throttle him and even when he pleaded for mercy, instead of forgiving him, he puts him in prison according to the norms of the law until he had paid his debt.

This unforgiven servant did to his fellow servant what the master could have done to him, but did not. When the master heard how he treated his fellow servant, he said to him: “You wicked servant! I have forgiven you all your debt because you appealed to me. Were you not bound then to have pity on your fellow-servant just as I had pity on you?

And, angry, the master handed him over to the torturers till he should pay all his debts.” Jesus then said this is how my heavenly Father will deal with you unless you each forgive your brother from your heart.’ For God will apply the principle he has given us in our Lord’s Prayer, which automatically puts us where we properly belong based on how we have related with others.

In this story, we see the extreme estimate of the debt the servant owed his master, ten thousand talents, even if he and his family had to work their whole life, they would never have been able to pay that debt. This because, a denarius is a day's wage for a common workingman. While a talent is 6,000 denarii, or 20 years of daily wages.

That means he would need to work 6,000 days to earn one talent and we are talking about ten thousand talents. That is 60,000,000 denarii or 200,000years compared to 100days his fellow servant owed him

So, that’s a huge amount, in fact, there was no comparison between the two debtors at all. However, this is meant to expose to us the ugly attitude of unforgiveness and also help us to understand that our debt before God is so huge and countless that we cannot be able to pay them.

And this is why we must forgive others, for we are told in our first reading that resentment and anger are nothing but foul things, and both are found among sinners. For he who exacts vengeance will experience the vengeance of the Lord, who keeps strict account of our sin. Thus we must forgive our neighbour for the wrongs they have done to us so that when we pray, our sins will be forgiven.

We must remember our covenant with the Lord and so overlook the offence of others and live by the commandments in conscious of the events of the last day, the day of judgement after death. For this reason, St. Paul in our second reading tells us that the life and death of each of us have its influence on others; if we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord, so that alive or dead we belong to the Lord. So why not forgive others who have wronged us?

Dear friends, the question we need to ask ourselves is: what happens when we fail to forgive other people? What will happen is that we will not be forgiven by God. Also, the negative consequences of not forgiving other people can lead to emotional pain and bust of anger, hatred, hurtful feelings, resentment, bitterness, stress, anxiety, depression and blaming others for our negative feelings which can create health issues, negative effects in our relationships with others and stop us from experiencing the freedom that forgiveness offers.

Friends, there is no doubt that forgiving a grievous offence can be very difficult. But there are many reasons why we must forgive and one of these strong reasons is that forgiveness is like recovering a lost treasure that contains: inner joy, peace, freedom and healing.

So my dear friends, are there people we have vowed not to forgive? Have people hurt us so badly that we can’t forgive them? Have we offended people and cannot be humble enough to ask for their forgiveness? Do we think that our sins are so huge for God to forgive? Are we finding it difficult to forgive those who have offended us?

 Today Jesus is asking us to learn how to forgive others unconditionally from our hearts so that God will also forgive us always and unconditionally. Therefore, we must never refuse to forgive or reject an offer of reconciliation in our relationship with God and with our fellow human beings and if this becomes difficult, we must bring it to Jesus in prayer for our palmist tells us that our Lord is compassionate and loving, slow to anger and rich in mercy.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, our debts are so huge in comparison with the little debts of forgiveness others owe us. As we make it a habit to forgive others from our hearts, may we experience your mercy and discover the hidden treasures that forgiveness brings. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a grace-filled Sunday celebration.

Homily For Saturday Twenty-Third Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 12th September 2026.

 

Readings: 1 Corinthians 10:14-22; Ps 116; Luke: 6: 43-49

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

THE DISPOSITION OF OUR HEART IS KNOWN BY THE GOOD OR BAD FRUIT WE BEAR

A tree is known to be either good or bad, healthy or sick by the fruit it produces. In the same way, the human heart is known to be either good or bad, holy or sinful, sincere or corrupt by the fruits of our words and actions rooted in our character.

Little wonder Jesus in our Gospel passage today said: A good man draws what is good from the store of goodness in his heart; a bad man draws what is bad from the store of badness. For a man’s words flow out of what fills his heart. Everyone who comes to me and listens to my words and acts on them is like the man who, when he built his house, laid the foundations on a rock. But the one who listens and does nothing is like the man who built his house on soil, with no foundations.

Here, as Jesus concludes the sermon on the plain, he tells us that hearing and doing the word of God is building our faith on a rocky foundation, that cornerstone, that solid ground, through the fiercest drought and storms of life, because the fruit of the Word of God in us is seen when tested in the storms of life.

He also reminds us that it is not enough to hear the word of God; we must put it into practice. It is not sufficient to speak about God; we must practice what we speak. We must let the Word of God touch and shape our lives so that we can bear good and healthy fruit.

For it is a waste of time and energy if our lives do not reflect the Gospel we preach, if we do not hear the words of Jesus and act on them. Hence, we must embrace the word of God in our lives and let it unite us together so that we can bear good fruit even in our corrupt society.

And St. Paul in our first reading today said that: The blessing-cup that we bless is a communion with the blood of Christ, and the bread that we break is a communion with the body of Christ. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot take your share at the table of the Lord and at the table of demons.

Dear friends, what kind of fruit are we bearing deep down in our hearts? How has the word of God changed my life and the lives of those around me? How has the word of God challenged and propelled me to love God and my neighbours? Is my attitude towards the word of God like that of the foolish builder who takes shortcuts for quick results? Or that of a wise builder who spends time digging a secure foundation through constant meditation and practice of the word of God?

Therefore, we must know that whenever we hear the word, we must apply it to our daily lives, because that's the only way we can feed our souls and so bear good fruit. This is important because our society today has enough hearers of the word; what we need now are doers of the word, men and women who will feed their lives with the Word of God and from the abundance of their heart live a life that will influence society positively.

Remember, the houses built by the wise and foolish persons may probably look alike. But the difference is the foundations, which can only be revealed when tested by the storms of life.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, through your Word we find life and hope in Christ your Son, who is our all in all, grant us the grace to embrace your Word in our lives and so bear good and healthy fruits rooted in a rocky foundation. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a blessed and peaceful weekend.