Homily For Friday, Twenty-Ninth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A, 23rd October 2026

 

Readings: Eph.4:1-6, Ps 24, Luke 12: 54-59

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

HOW ARE YOU INTERPRETING THE SIGNS OF THIS PASSING WORLD?

As human persons, we often try to discern the events happening around us in order to predict what the outcome of such events may be in the future. We often read the signs of nature to predict what will happen in the environment.

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

Here, Jesus condemned the ugly attitudes of the crowds for they can read the signs of nature and so predict the future, but now out of jealousy and selfishness, they have failed to recognise the truth by refusing to acknowledge Jesus one who comes from God, one who speaks God’s word and acts in the power of God. So Jesus rebuked them for such a hypocritical attitude. In the second aspect of the Gospel, Jesus is asking us to put things right while there is still time.

Thus, St. Paul, in our first reading, implores us to lead a life worthy of our vocation. To bear with one another charitably, in complete selflessness, gentleness and patience by preserving the unity of the Spirit, knowing that we are one Body, one Spirit, sharing the same hope in one Lord, one faith, one baptism in one God who is Father of all.

Dear friends, there are so many signs around us today. How are you interpreting the signs of this passing world, the signs that tell us that this world is passing by? What is our disposition towards these signs? Can we identify the signs of our time? How can we understand and interpret them?

Are we reading the hand of God in what is going on around us, especially in our country, societies and our families? How are we responding to these signs? What do we think Jesus would do if he were living with us now? Today, Jesus is calling us to discernment. We have to discern our actions towards the signs we see in our world today.

Though it is very easy to condemn the ugly situation going on in our country, societies and families, are we learning anything from it? Are we having any sense of guilt and repentance? Why allow this evil to linger in us by getting into endless arguments and deception when we already know what is right?

Why waste so much time arguing about unnecessary things while missing out on the main points that are more basic and challenging? I think it is time we come back to the real issues, which are justice, honesty, transparency, equity, love and respect for human life and property. These are the things we all need to put right at all levels and sectors we find ourselves in.

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

Homily For Thursday, Twenty-Ninth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A, 22nd October 2026

 

Readings: Eph.3:14-21; Ps 33; Luke 12: 49-53

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

UNDERSTANDING AND ACCEPTING THE REALITY FROM THE TRUTH OF THE GOSPEL MESSAGES

The way things are going in our societies today, we need to think twice about our faith as Christians and whether we are ready to live out our faith in the midst of the ugly situation in our country today. The hostility, brutality, persecution, and the influential power of worldly things, which have eaten deep into the minds of our leaders, are disturbing, for things are getting tougher, and we need to do something about it.

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

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

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

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

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

None of us can become his true disciple if we do not give up our excess desire for worldly pleasures and possessions and pay our unreserved loyalty and allegiance to God over all other competing loyalties in our lives, including family, self-interest, and possessions. Little wonder St. Paul in our first reading prayed for us to grow strong in faith and love of God our Father, from whom every family, whether spiritual or natural, takes its name

Dear friends, we are called today to make a radical decision to sincerely and faithfully live out our Christian faith and morals. But how much are we willing to let go for the sake of our faith in God? Why are we finding it difficult to follow Jesus? What are habitual desires and possessions that are holding us from making this radical decision today? It is time to come to God with all our hearts, for tomorrow may be too late.

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

Homily For Wednesday Twenty-Ninth Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 21st October 2026

Readings: Eph.3:2-12, Isaiah 12, Luke 12: 39-48

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

A CALL TO BE READY AND RESPONSIBLE

Oftentimes, I observed how people devote time and energy to rigorous preparation towards achieving their goals. I realised that adequate preparation is the secret and foundation of every successful event.

Then I said to myself, if we can go to this length of rigorous periods of preparation just for things of this passing world, it will be even more demanding when it comes to preparing for eternal life.

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

Then he used the parable of the faithful and wise steward to make this point clearer. He concluded by saying: when a man has had a great deal given him, a great deal will be demanded of him; when a man has had a great deal given him on trust, even more will be expected of him.’

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

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

Hence, Jesus commanded us to stay awake, because we do not know either the day or the hour when the Lord will come. And St. Paul, in our first reading, says: I, who am less than the least of all the saints, have been entrusted with this special grace, not only of proclaiming to the pagans the infinite treasure of Christ but also of explaining how the mystery is to be dispensed.

So, how are we managing the responsibility entrusted to us, especially the responsibility of managing our lives and also the lives and properties entrusted to us, a great deal of which is expected from us?

Dear friends, as managers of God’s resources, we must stand ready to avoid being robbed of our earthly and heavenly treasures. We must be courageous, wise, patient and prudent, knowing that our lives as Christians demand that we be alert. We should be prepared at all times and be ready to make sacrifices like faithful and wise stewards.

We should be watchful for we know neither the day nor the hour when the Lord will call us. Hence, we are reminded today that this world is passing away, so we need to stay awake and be ready as we look into our inner being and our interior life to embrace the life of holiness and self-control that will help us to be more prepared.

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

Homily For Tuesday Twenty-Ninth Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 20th October 2026

 

Readings: Eph.2:12-22, Ps.84:9-14, Luke 12:36-38

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

WHY WE MUST BE READY AT ALL TIMES

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

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

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

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

And St. Paul, in our first reading, made us know that we are no longer aliens or foreign visitors: we are citizens like all the saints and part of God’s household. We are part of a building that has the apostles and prophets as its foundations and Christ Jesus himself as its main cornerstone. For this reason, we should be more prepared and ready for that glorious day of the Lord.

Dear friends, will you be ready when the Lord shall come? For we are called today to be ready. We are called to repentance. We are called to embrace the new life the Lord is offering us. We are called to a life of constant struggle towards perfection in order to embrace the Lord whenever he comes. Therefore, preparation is the key word. Let us not be deceived when the world suggests to us that the day of death is not coming soon, so we forget who we are, and then the day and time will take us by surprise.

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

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

Homily for Monday Twenty-Ninth Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 19 October, 2026

 

Readings: Eph 2:1:10, Ps.100, Luke 12:13-21

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

ALL YOUR WORLDLY POSSESSIONS WHO WILL HAVE THEM WHEN YOU ARE CALLED?

There is no doubt that the material things of this passing world are very necessary for our well-being. They are gifts from God and he alone gives us the right to them. But what we possess is meant to help us grow in our relationship with God and our neighbours, not to separate us from them.

So, if we are not careful, too much love for material possessions can stand in the way of our journey toward God’s Kingdom. Little wonder Jesus, in our Gospel passage today, warns us against covetousness and excessive attachment to worldly possessions. This he greatly emphasised with the story of the Rich Man’s Harvest.

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

Here, Jesus tells his disciples about the need to live a life of detachment. He used this story to teach his disciples and all of us about the futility of worldly desires and their pursuits. Thereby showing us the foolishness of human greed, as well as pride and ego. For in this man, we see the uselessness of human selfishness, covetousness and excessive desire for worldly possessions.

He constantly focused only on himself, saying I will do this, I will do that, my goods, my fruits, my barns, my soul, etc., without any interest or room for his neighbours or the poor. He has no thought of God, nor his servants.

If he had looked a little beyond himself, he would have seen many places where he could have bestowed his crops. Thus, there is a need for us to constantly prune ourselves from excess love for material possessions of this passing world.

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

For St. Paul tells us in our first reading that we all, like those in the past, are living sensual lives, ruled entirely by our physical desires and our ideas; so we, by nature, were as much under God’s anger as the rest of the world. But God loved us with so much love that he was generous with his mercy: when we were dead through our sins, he brought us to life with Christ.

Dear friends, if the Lord should call us today, what becomes of our souls and our worldly possessions? Today, detaching and sharing what we possess with others, especially the poor, is a sure way to find life, peace, and happiness. And Jesus is telling us that it will be difficult for us to enter his kingdom when we choose to attach ourselves to the riches of this passing world.

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

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

Homily for the Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A, 18th October, 2026. Mission Sunday

 
Readings: Is 45:1.4-6, Ps. 96, 1Thess.1:1-5 Matt. 22:15-21

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

COME, LET US RETURN TO OUR ORIGINAL STATE, WHICH IS GOD’S IMAGE OF PURITY, HOLINESS AND LOVE

At the time of Jesus, one of the great means of exchange was the use of coin. A coin, as we know, is a small, flat, round piece of metal used primarily as a medium of exchange or legal tender to facilitate trade. Coins are most often issued by the government with particular images, numerals and inscriptions. It is a very important commodity used in the payment of taxes and other important goods; this gives great value to anyone who has enough of it in his possession.

So, on the occasion of our Gospel passage today, the Pharisees and Herodians attempted to trap Jesus using the mandatory law of paying tax to Caesar. It was a serious trap for Jesus, because a negative response from him would make him a serious enemy of Rome; a positive response would make him lose the trust of his own people, who generally detest paying this tax. Thus, Jesus said to them: “Why do you set this trap for me? Bring me a coin and let me see it.’ They handed him one and he said, ‘Whose image and inscriptions is it?’ Caesar’s they told him. Jesus said to them, ‘Give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.’ This reply took them completely by surprise.

But what does this reply mean? Here Jesus requests a coin; he secures the coin; he inquires about the image and inscription of the coin; and they respond by identifying the coin with Caesar. In the context of these actions, Jesus is probably holding the coin; this implies that the true image of the coin is in his possession, but the empirical image and inscription of the coin are the sum total of the things that belong to Caesar. In other words, the true image and inscriptions of anything come and belong to God. However, the empirical image of corruption, greediness, pride, oppression, and deception that are found in this coin belongs to Caesar and should be rendered back to him.

 Thus, Jesus affirms that one’s obligation to the government is necessary as long as it is for the good of all, while insisting that one’s obligation to God is always greater, and this should be done by rendering the true image of the coin to God, which ultimately belongs to Him. The image of justice, charity, mercy, compassion, integrity, purity, fairness, faith, trust, support and sacrificial love in our dealings with one another

This is what prophet Isaiah is pointing out in our first reading as he expatiates on the relationship between faith and politics, which was well demonstrated in the person of Cyrus, whose right hand God had used to subdue nations and uncover the loins of kings.

In the same light, St. Paul in our second reading encouraged the Church of Thessalonians to remember their faith, love and hope in God even in the midst of their struggles against the political powers and authority around them.

Dear friends, in our struggles against the ugly political powers and authorities of our generation, we all, in one way or another, possess the coins of this life, but whose image and inscription are in the coin we possess? Are we possessing the coin with the true image and inscription of God or the coin with the empirical image of sin, corruption, greed, selfishness and deception?

Today, as we celebrate Mission Sunday, Jesus is telling us to render back to the Caesars of this world all the ugly and sinful coins in our possession, for they belong to Caesar. While rendering to God the true image of the coin with the inscription of love, mercy, justice, forgiveness, charity, faith, trust, support, compassion, integrity, fairness, purity and holiness, for they truly belong to God.

LET US PRAY: O God, whose providence never fails in its design, grant that we may always render to you what really belongs to you, as we do away with all that offends you and our fellow neighbours, through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a fruitful Mission Sunday celebration

Homily For Saturday, Twenty-Eighth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A, 17th October, 2026. The Memorial of St. Ignatius of Antioch

 

Readings: Eph 1:15-23, Ps. 8, Luke 12:8-12

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

WHAT ARE THE SINS THAT CANNOT BE FORGIVEN AND WHY?

Today, as Jesus continues to instruct his disciples on how to relate to him, he made a very vital statement that is so important and different from his usual messages, when he said in our Gospel passage today: “If anyone openly declares himself for me in the presence of men, the Son of Man will declare himself for him in the presence of the angels. But the man who disowns me in the presence of men will be disowned in the presence of God’s angels. Everyone who says a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.

From this frightening passage, Jesus reveals to us that sins, no matter how grievous, can be forgiven, but there is a particular sin that will not be forgiven. That is the sin against the Holy Spirit. But what is this sin against the Holy Spirit? And why would it not be forgiven?

The sin against the Holy Spirit is rooted in one's outright rejection of God’s grace of salvation offered to us through the Holy Spirit‘s incessant invitations and warnings. This happens when the will of a person is hardened against God’s mercy and goodness.

Hence the sin against the Holy Spirit is “unforgivable” because it is the sinner himself who rejected God’s forgiveness. This is so because God respects the freedom which He has given us, for he respects a sinner’s decision to firmly refuse to be forgiven.

Thus, this sin, traditionally has been seen as a sin of final impenitence, or presumption, which occurs in a situation where someone sinned gravely and then either fails to have any sorrow for that sin or simply presumes on God’s mercy without truly repenting. And this lack of sorrow closes the door to God’s mercy against the sinner.

To make this clearer, Pope Pius X, in our catechism, made us know that there are six elements of this sin against the Holy Spirit, which include: Firstly, despairing of God’s salvation, which occurs when a person completely loses hope of salvation by judging and undermining the divine mercy of God.

Secondly, the presumption of God’s salvation occurs out of pride, when a person cultivates in his soul an idea of his perfection by believing that his salvation has been guaranteed by what he has done.

Thirdly, by denying the truth of faith recognised as such by the Magisterium of the Church, by considering his understanding to be greater than that of the Church and the teachings of the Holy Spirit even after an exhaustive doctrinal explanation. This attitude is referred to as the sin of heresy.

Fourthly, envying the grace that God gives to other people. This occurs when one detests other people's gifts and possessions, wishing to have everything alone, thereby going against the law of love for one’s neighbour.

Fifthly, obstinacy occurs when someone resolves to remain firmly in sin and continues in error even after receiving the light and help of the Holy Spirit by separating him/herself from God’s will and rejecting His salvation. Lastly, by final impenitence. This occurs as a result of the complete rejection of God and the invitation of the Holy Spirit during one's entire lifetime even at the hour of death.

Dear friends, we must be very wise, for many false prophets and teachers are operating under the power of the devil, leading people away from God. Today Jesus is promising us the Spirit of truth that will give us a special sign for distinguishing true doctrine and true teachers from the false ones.

Therefore, let us constantly ask the Holy Spirit to give us the grace of discernment to distinguish between good and false prophets and teachers in order not to let them lead us to sin against Him (Holy Spirit).

Little wonder St. Paul, in our first reading today, says: may the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give you a spirit of wisdom and perception of what is revealed, to bring you to full knowledge of him.

So, let us learn how to be true Christians in our way of life, words and deeds. Let us learn to put our trust in God who has promised to keep us from falling away from the true faith we have found in His Son Jesus.

This is what we see in the life of St. Ignatius of Antioch whose memorial we celebrate today. He was one of the most prominent of all the early Church fathers, who helped to establish a solid foundation for the Church in Antioch and also the Universal Church. He wrote extensively to the other Church communities. But he was martyred by being thrown to wild beasts in the amphitheatre, where he defended his faith to the very end.

LET US PRAY: O God, you promised to send us the Spirit of truth; grant us that we will always stand and witness to the truth we have found in Jesus against all the false influential prophets and teachers in our society today and never sin against the Holy Spirit. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a fruitful weekend.

Homily For Friday, Twenty-Eighth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A. 16th October 2026

Readings: Eph. 1:11-14; Ps. 32; Luke 12:1-7

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

WHY WE SHOULD FEAR HE WHO CAN DESTROY THE SOULS AND THE BODY

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

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

Thus, in our Gospel passage today, Jesus continues his instruction on what it means to be a firm disciple in light of the mission he is about to entrust to his apostles.

He began by saying, What I say to you in the dark, tell in the daylight; what you hear in whispers, proclaim from the housetops. Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; fear him rather who can destroy both body and soul in hell. Can you not buy five sparrows for two pennies? And yet not one is forgotten in God’s sight. Why, every hair on your head has been counted. Fear not: you are worth more than hundreds of sparrows.

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

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

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

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

Thus, St. Paul in our first reading says: It is in Christ that we were claimed as God’s own, chosen from the beginning, under the predetermined plan of the one who guides all things as he decides by his own will.

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

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

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

Homily For Thursday, Twenty-Eighth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A, 15th October, 2026. The Memorial of St. Thérèse of Ávila

 
Readings: Eph 1:1-10, Ps. 98, Luke 11:47-54

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

LEARN TO ACCEPT THE PURIFYING FIRE OF TRUTH AND NEVER SUPPRESS IT

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

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

Here, Jesus was speaking to the people about the ugly attitudes and wickedness of humanity, well manifested by the Scribes and Pharisees. For on the various occasions when we ought to obey the Lord, we prefer to live and act in accordance with our own selfish and proud attitudes. Hence by reproaching us, Jesus is reminding us that this is not the right path for us to follow.

Instead, we should be more faithful and pay more attention to God’s words and teachings. This he had repeatedly communicated to us through the prophets, which we often rejected. Similarly, despite all the signs and wonders Jesus had done for humanity, we still refused to have faith in him.

To understand this great sacrifice of the Lord, St. Paul, in our first reading, says: blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all the spiritual blessings of heaven in Christ. For he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and spotless and live through love in his presence. Telling us how much God loves us and how necessary it is for us to listen to him.

This is what we see in the life of St. Theresa of Avila whose memorial we celebrate today. She was one of the most prominent members of the early Church, who helped to establish a solid foundation for the Church. A life she embraced so deeply and became a renowned mystic and holy woman. With the help of St. John of the Cross, she was a very important figure in the renewal and reformation of the Carmelite order through which she established the Discalced Carmelites.

St. Theresa of Avila is one of the few female Doctors of the Church because of her immense contribution to the faith through her writings and way of life, by which she sought to return the Christian faith to its purer state. So, let us learn from her how to be true Christians in our way of life, words and deeds. Let us learn to put our trust in God who has promised to keep us from falling away from the true faith we have found in His Son Jesus.

Dear friends, why do we often feel bad when we hear people telling us the truth? Why do we often set traps to catch up with innocent people because they are telling us the truth we don’t want to hear? Today, we are called not to be like the Scribes and Pharisees, who, out of pride and selfishness, rejected the words of Jesus and sought to kill him.

Rather, we should be more humble and disposed towards the words of God we hear every day. We should make efforts to transform our lives and faith closer to that of Jesus. We should stop opposing and setting traps for people because they are telling us the truth or refuse to follow our opinions. Let us stop building on the past ugly and evil attitudes of people who have gone before us just like the scribes and Pharisees.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, out of pride we often wish to eliminate those who correct us. As you reproach our ugly attitudes of pride and selfishness today, may we be filled with the longing for true holiness and humility; we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a blessed day.

Homily for Wednesday, Twenty-Eighth Week in Ordinary Time, Year B, 14th October, 2026

Readings: Gal 5:18-25, Ps. 1: 1-6, Luke 11:42-46

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

WHY DO WE PREFER TO LOOK GOOD OUTSIDE BUT INSIDE IS SUPER UGLY AND DIRTY?

The condition of our society today calls for deep reflection, as so many things that appear to be good are like whitewashed tombs which outwardly appear beautiful and draw the admiration of people, but within them are full of dead men's bones and all sorts of corruption. They call it packaging, the popular term people use to describe how they make things that aren't very good look extremely good, and it has made us lose focus on how we ought to do things right.

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

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

Here, Jesus is challenging us to think differently about how we live our lives. He is challenging us to look at what is going on in our inner being, our interior life, that part of us that we hide from one another. For most people, the things we see around us today are like whitewashed tombs which outwardly appear beautiful and draw the admiration of people, but within us are outright ugliness and all sorts of corruption, like the unmarked tombs that men walk on without knowing it.

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

Little wonder St. Paul in our first reading, tells us that, when self-indulgence is at work in us, the results are gross indecency, fornication, and sexual irresponsibility; idolatry and sorcery; feuds and wrangling, jealousy, bad temper and quarrels; disagreements, factions, envy; drunkenness, orgies and similar things.

He then encouraged us to embrace the interior life of the spirit, which brings love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, trustfulness, gentleness and self-control, for when we are led by the Spirit, no law can touch us.

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

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

LET US PRAY: Loving Father, help us to build our interior life strongly in your love for we are living in a world of whitewashed tombs of deception, immorality and corruption. Give us grace to be wise enough to discern what is right and pleasing to you. And as we struggle with the ugly situation of this life, may you guide and direct our paths. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. God bless you.

Homily For Tuesday, Twenty-Eighth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A, 13th October, 2026

Readings: Gal 5:1-6, Ps. 119, Luke 11:37-41

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

LET OUR INTERIOR LIFE BE PURIFIED AND OUR WHOLE LIFE WILL BE PURE

Our society is full of artful deception, dishonesty and fraudsters. Integrity has become a virus to be eliminated. Morals and virtuous acts are no longer valuable. Heroes of deception and fraudsters are honoured, decorated and celebrated. This unhealthy attitude of humanity is what Jesus is addressing in our Gospel passage today. For when a Pharisee invited Jesus to dine at his house, he was surprised that Jesus had not first washed before the meal.

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

Here, the Pharisees were so much interested in the outward appearance and the ‘letters’ of the Law that they neglected the ‘spirit’ of the Law. However, Jesus made it clear that the purity of the human person is not based on the outward appearance of a person but, on the good fruit of virtue that comes from the human soul, because outwardly we may appear to be good and pious, but in reality, our hearts are full of wickedness, immorality and sin.

Little wonder St. Paul, in our first reading, reminded us that our salvation is due to our faith in God and not just to the Law or obedience to the Law. That is why he rebuked those who forced and demanded that every member of the Christian faithful should embrace circumcision according to the Law of Moses. Therefore, let us know that without faith, all of our good actions, obedience and the observances of the Law will be empty and meaningless.

Dear friends, the true nature and purity of the human person come from within our interior life. So, today we are called to look within ourselves, and purify our inner being and so make our outward appearance reflect our inner being.

We must ensure that our faith in God is pure and genuine by letting our whole lives be inspired by virtuous and truthful actions in our daily activities. Therefore, we must let our attitudes begin to change our society that is full of artful deception, dishonesty and fraudsters. Let our lives bear good fruits of integrity, love, purity and faith.

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

Homily for Monday Twenty-Eighth Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 12th October, 2026

 

Readings: Gal 4:22-24.26-27.31-5:1, Ps. 113, Luke 11:29-32

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

WHY ARE WE STILL SEEKING FOR Signs? 

Often, people want to see signs before they can accept or believe what we present to them. This is what the crowd in our Gospel passage today did: they asked Jesus for signs. He said to them, ‘This is an evil generation that asks for a sign!

But the only sign that will be given is the sign of Jonah, telling us that, on 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.

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

And St. Paul in our first reading today reminded us of the sign of God’s promise to Abraham as a result of his faith, by comparing the two sons of Abraham, the one born earlier to the slave Hagar, namely Ishmael, and the one born of his wife, Sarah, the promised son, Isaac, born as promised by God.

Thereby giving us the contrast between the two states of our existence, namely our past, sinful and enslaved life, and our new and purified life which we obtained through our baptism, the greatest sign of our redemption.

Dear friends, what signs are we seeing around us today? How can we interpret the signs of these times, the signs that tell us that this world is passing away? Do these signs make us dread the second coming of the Lord, or do we joyfully embrace it in anticipation? Remember, Jesus warns us not to waste our time seeking signs; rather, we should repent and be prepared. We should remain firm in faith.

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

LET US PRAY: Lord God, in a world full of confusion and deception, help us to remain faithful in following our Lord Jesus knowing that he is the greatest sign of all times. 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 ahead. 

Homily for the Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A, 11th October, 2026

Readings: Is.25:6-10, Ps. 23, Phil 4:12-14.19-20. Matt. 22:1-14

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

WHY HAVE WE BECOME TOO BUSY TO HONOUR THE LORD’S OPEN INVITATION TO HEAVENLY BANQUET

In our hymn book, some hymns are based on some of the parables in the scriptures; one of them entitled 'I can not come to the banquet, composed by Miriam Therese Winter gives us the summary of our Gospel passage today and the first and last stanzas of this hymn say:

1. A certain man had a feast on his fine estate in town,

He laid a festive table and wore a wedding gown

He sent invitations to his neighbours far and wide

But when the meal was ready, each one of them replied!

CHORUS:

I can not come!

I cannot come to the banquet, don't trouble me now,

I have married a wife, I have bought me a cow,

I have fields and commitments that cost a pretty sum,

Pray hold me excused, I cannot come!

2. Now God has written a lesson for the rest of mankind,

If we're slow in responding, He may leave us behind,

He's preparing a banquet for that great and glorious day,

When the Lord and Master call us, be certain not to say.

In this life we are so busy with so many things that, if we do not take care, we will miss out on the essence of our existence. Each day, the streets are full of people struggling and bobbling; the markets are full of people buying and selling, and people rising very early in the morning and coming back late at night.

This shows us how much effort people put in every day just to earn their daily bread; I thought, if we can sincerely put in such an amount of effort in order to catch up with the train of eternal life, which God is inviting us to in today’s Gospel passage.

Today, from the parable of the marriage feast, the Lord offers us again an invitation to the banquet of heaven. An invitation which is God's free act of kindness, as He wishes to dine with us. No one deserves it anyway, and He is not obliged to invite us, nor are we expected to honour his invitation.

Hence in the parable, those who think that they deserve to be invited are too busy to enter the banquet hall. But the poor in spirit and the humble who know that the love God has for them is completely gratuitous accept his invitation with joy.

Thus, today we are called not to be too busy to come to our heavenly banquet. For God’s banquet is his Church; good and bad, saints and sinners are invited, for the Church is made up of saints and sinners. The bad are expected to become good while sinners are expected to repent and put on a new garment of holiness and love.

As Christians, today we are reminded of our wedding garment, the new suit we put-on on the day of baptism. Therefore, we cannot go on wearing the old garments of sins of pride, greed, adultery, fornication, theft, drunkenness, selfishness and unforgiveness, which will throw us into the dark, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth, for many are called, but few are chosen.

Dear friends, why have we become too busy to honour the invitation of God to his heavenly banquet? Today we are called to honour his invitation and put on the wedding garment of love, holiness and open the doors of our hearts to the poor, the marginalised, and those rejected by society.

And God, through the prophet Isaiah in our first reading, promised to gather us together from all the foreign countries, and bring us home to his Holy mountain, where the Lord of hosts will prepare for all peoples a banquet of rich food.

On this mountain he will remove the mourning veil covering all peoples, and the shroud enwrapping all nations; he will destroy death for ever. The Lord will wipe away the tears from every cheek; he will take away his people’s shame everywhere on earth. And St. Paul in our second reading encouraged us to be disposed to cope with whatever situation we find ourselves now, for God in return knows how to fulfil all our needs according to his riches in glory through Christ Jesus our Lord.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, today we are reminded of the invitation to your heavenly banquet. As we honour this invitation, help us to put on the wedding garment of love, holiness, forgiveness, and mercy which we embraced in our baptism. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a blessed Sunday celebration. 

Homily for Saturday Twenty-Seventh Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 10th October, 2026

 

Readings: Gal 3:22-29, Ps. 105, Luke 11:27-28

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

WHAT JESUS NEEDS ARE THOSE WHO HEAR THE WORD OF GOD AND KEEP IT

 In our relationship with God, family and neighbours, which one do we think comes first, because all seem to be important? This is very vital when we relate it to the response of Jesus to a woman in our Gospel passage today, who when Jesus was speaking to the crowd, raised her voice and said, ‘Happy the womb that bore you and the breasts you sucked!’ But Jesus replied, ‘Still happier those who hear the word of God and keep it!’

Here, Jesus highlights that our primary relationship in life is with God, and we obtain it by doing his will. For even the deepest and most natural bonds are created within this primary love of doing the will of God.

Mother and family were important in the life of Jesus and even at his death; but his real family is centred around the new family relationship that is built among those who hear and keep the word of God. Therefore, our relationship with our family and neighbours is actually rooted in our relationship with God, whose word is the light that guides our steps.

But the questions remain: What have we been doing with the word of God we hear every day? What kind of fruit are we bearing in our family and society? How has the word of God changed our life and disposition towards our family? How has the word of God challenged and propelled us to love God and neighbours? The answers to these questions are blowing in the wind.

Therefore, today we are called to be more practical and attentive towards listening to the word of God. We are called to put into action the word we hear every day. And concerning this new family of Jesus made up of those who hear the word of God and keep it, St Paul in our first reading tells us that all of us who belong to this family are baptised in Christ and have all clothed yourselves in Christ, and there are no more distinctions between Jew and Greek, slave and free, male and female, but all of us are one in Christ Jesus.

Dear friends, whatever we feed grows, and whatever we quit feeding dies and fades away. So what are we feeding our soul with? How are we feeding on the word of God? Our society has enough hearers of the word; what we need now is doers of the word of God, men and women who will feed their lives with the word of God and, from the abundance of their hearts, live a life that will influence society positively.

Thus, when we hear the word of God we must apply it to our daily lives, because that's the only way we can feed our soul. And by so doing we become blessed brothers and sisters of our Lord Jesus Christ.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we thank you for the gift of your words we hear every day; grant that we may cultivate the habit of hearing and keeping your words, to become living instruments of your words in our families, societies and the world at large. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen Have a blessed and fruitful weekend.

Homily for Friday, Twenty-Seventh Week in Ordinary Time, Year A, 9th October, 2026

 
Readings: Gal 3:7-14, Ps. 111, Luke 11:15-26

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

DO NOT LET ENVY AND JEALOUSY MAKE YOU DENY THE GOOD WORKS OF OTHERS

Discernment is one of the gifts of God, which enables us to know and distinguish between good and evil spirits. This gift is essential to every leader's office. But it is sad and unacceptable when a leader misuses this gift out of envy and jealousy. This is the attitude of some of the people in the crowd, especially those who belong to the party of the Pharisees, as we have in our Gospel passage today.

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

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

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

Hence, in our first reading, St. Paul, addressing the ugly divisions sown by the devil in the community of the faithful in Galatia, made us know that they will collapse and fall apart if all of their members continue to divide against each other. Thus they have to make sure that they overcome the divisions among them and seek true unity in Christ, so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might include the pagans, for through faith we all have received the promised Spirit.

Dear friends, we are called today not to be mischievous; rather, we should make proper use of the gift of discernment which the Lord has given us. We must not let envy, jealousy and overambition make us forget the truth about the spiritual realities we experience from the Lord.

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

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

Homily for Thursday, Twenty-Seventh Week in Ordinary Time, Year A. 8th October, 2026

Readings: Gal 3:1-5, Ps. Luke 1:69-75, Luke 11:5-13

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

KEEP ASKING, KEEP SEARCHING AND KEEP KNOCKING; THERE WILL SOON BE A POSITIVE RESPONSE

Have you truly needed something from a friend who can give it to you, but is too busy to give it now? Or have you been in a situation where you needed something from a friend but couldn't get it because you couldn't reach him easily?

Such a situation can put one under serious pressure. Then the question that comes to mind is, are we going to give up or persevere in our struggles of waiting or reaching out to him? This kind of disposition is what we experience sometimes when we pray and our requests are yet to be granted.

And this kind of situation is what Jesus is addressing in the story in our Gospel passage today as he continues his teaching on prayer. Thus, telling us that we should approach God with confidence as a friend, persisting until we obtain what we need. We should keep on asking, seeking, and knocking in prayer until we obtain the answer we need.

Just like a boy asking his father for a fish or an egg, knowing that his father would not give him a snake or a scorpion instead of the fish or egg he had requested. With this illustration, Jesus emphasised that if we, who are prone to evil, know how to give good gifts to our children, how much more shall the heavenly Father give to those who ask him.

This is what the people of Galatia were lacking that made them begin to quickly turn away from the faith and St. Paul in our first reading today chastised them for these ugly actions, in embracing the false teachings and ideas promoted by those who did not follow the true teachings of the Church but were quick to follow the ideas of the factions of the Church who taught something different from the true faith. Therefore we should not be like them. Let us learn how to be patient and persevere in our prayers.

Dear friends, prayer requires asking, seeking and knocking at God’s door patiently and persistently. Though one may say I have been praying for God’s intervention in some ugly situations, it seems as if no answer has been given. The fact is that God answers all our prayers if we are patient with him.

For he may not grant us what we want because, as a caring Father, he gives us what we truly need, and not what we want. But are we willing to trust the Lord and be patient with him? Are we willing to seek the Lord and to make the effort to find him and to follow him wherever he leads us? Do we have the courage and the love of God in our hearts?

No doubt we are full of energy, zeal and passion, ready to face the challenges and struggles of yet another day. But the question we need to ask ourselves is, what are we doing concerning the present situation in our lives, our family, societies and country?

It may seem as if all hope is gone, but the Lord is saying to us today, that we should ask, and it will be given to us; search, and we will find; knock, and the door will be opened to us. For the one who asks always receives; the one who searches always finds; the one who knocks will always have the door opened to him. Let us all not be afraid to seek the Lord and ask him for blessings, protection and guidance.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we are struggling with so many ugly situations in our lives, families, societies and the world at large. As we pour out our hearts to you in prayer, seeking and knocking, may you grant our hearts' desires according to your will and guide our ways today and always. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a fruitful day.

Homily For Wednesday, Twenty-Seventh Week in Ordinary Time, Year A, 7th October 2026. The Memorial of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary

Readings: Gal 2:1-2.7-14, Ps. 117, Luke 11:1-4

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

HOW TO PRAY THE RIGHT WAY ACCORDING TO THE LORD JESUS

As human beings, communication is part and parcel of our lives, and prayer is one of the important means of communicating between God and humanity. It is a close link by which we reach God who dwells in our hearts. It is through prayer that we discern the will of God for us.

Hence, if we have not been able to discern the will of God for our lives or have not had any personal relationship with God in prayer, then perhaps we should consider examining our prayer life to know if we have been praying the right way. Thus we can learn the proper way to pray from the prayer Jesus taught his disciples as a pattern for all prayers, as we have in our Gospel passage today.

In this prayer, we have four traditional dimensions of prayer, which include: glorification of God, submission, justice and protection. Jesus begins by saying: “Father, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come”, thereby teaching us that we begin any of our prayers by glorifying God. Following this is our total submission to God’s providence when we say: give us each day our daily bread.

Then, we acknowledge the justice and mercy of God when we say: forgive us our sins as we forgive those we have sinned against us. And finally, we ask for God’s guidance and protection when we say: lead us not into temptation but deliver us from all evil.

This is important because it is the means by which we communicate with our God. But oftentimes

 we treat prayer wrongly when we consider prayer as a means to only achieve what we desire without considering what God desires for us. Some of us end up spending lots of time reciting the prayers, and yet we do not mean what we say.

This is because we have a wrong disposition born from an unforgiving heart, which must be redirected before we can get a positive response from God. This is what St. Paul was emphasising in our first reading today when he reminded the Galatians how he stood firm in defence of the Gentiles before Peter and the Jews.

This is what the memorial of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary we are celebrating today represents. An event where we recall the famous victory of the Christian faithful against the enemies of the Church in the Battle of Lepanto, where through the prayers and intercessions of Our Blessed Mother Mary the Church became victorious when the situation of the Christian faith was in extreme danger and was bitterly divided by the various heresies and splinter groups appearing at the time due to the Reformation movement.

Then, Pope Pius V called all of Christendom to pray the rosary fervently, seeking the intercession of Mary, the Mother of God, that her Son Jesus should be with the faithful fighting for the survival of the Christian faith, which was under persecution and trials. And through the power of their love and dedication to praying the Rosary, God granted victory to his faithful people, and this is the root of our October devotion.

Dear friends, as we know, there are times when we asked, and we received; sought and found; knocked, and the door was opened to us. But there were also times when we asked but did not receive, sought but did not find, knocked but the door remained shut. In such moments, persistence and perseverance in prayer are what we are called to embrace. For they will help us to understand how to trust God knowing that he does not need to be informed of our needs, thereby encouraging us never to lose heart.

This is certainly one of the biggest challenges of our faith today. People are not just patient with God. We want to have everything right now as it is hot. Patience, persistence, and perseverance are very difficult virtues for most people today.

Therefore, it is time for us to change our perspective and wrong disposition towards prayer. It is time for us to spend more quality moments in prayer and be connected with God. We must let our prayers also be meaningful and be genuine from our hearts. It is time for us to improve the quality of our prayer life by imitating Jesus, who always prayed to his heavenly Father at every possible opportunity.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, oftentimes we are not patient with you in our prayers, because we don't know how to dialogue with you in prayer. Through the intercession of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, give us the grace to learn how to dialogue with you and to persevere and be persistent in our prayer life and in every other thing we do in life, especially in our relationship with others. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a fruitful day.

Homily For Tuesday, Twenty-Seventh Week in Ordinary Time, Year A, 6th October 2026

 
Readings: Gal 1: 13-24, Ps. 139, Luke 10:28-24

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

UNDERSTANDING THE IMPORTANCE OF LISTENING AND HOSPITALITY IN OUR FAMILIES

Listening is a vital aspect of the human person, yet it is sorely lacking in most of our communication these days. This is because we often worry about so many things in life, trying to make people hear us without taking time to listen to them.

There are people who are always trying to satisfy everyone without listening to the real thing that matters. I have also come across people who are often worried about how to make others feel more comfortable without minding their own discomfort. They are so concerned with pleasing others even when they are not pleased. What a great sacrificial virtue that is not common these days.

This sacrificial virtue is the attitude of Martha in our Gospel passage today, where we have the story of how Martha was so busy trying to make Jesus comfortable when 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 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 worthless. Hence, he gently corrects the impression of Martha, who was too busy and distracted with so many things that she risks losing sight of what is really important, that is, 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 and listening to his word, for he always insists that listening to his word means putting it into practice. While his objection to Martha request is that she was too anxious and distracted by many things, so that she was not able to really listen to him, Jesus says listening is the best option. So, are you too busy and distracted like Martha? Learn to listen to God like Mary and it shall be well with you.

Dear friends, in our relationship with Jesus, are we more of listeners or more of accommodating and caring? Are we more like Martha or like Mary, for they were both 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 learn from her, knowing that hospitality is perfected when we have a listening ear. 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.

Hence, let us learn how to listen to God just like St. Paul in our first reading, who, through listening to God, changed from a persecutor to a preacher of the faith he had previously tried to destroy.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we are always so busy with the things of this passing world that we often do not have time to listen to you. Give us the grace, like Mary, to choose the better part, which is to truly listen to your word and then be well disposed to be caring and hospitable, just like Martha. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a blessed day

Homily For Monday, Twenty-Seventh Week in Ordinary Time, Year A, 5th October 2026

Readings: Gal 1:6-12, Ps. 111, Luke 10:25-37

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

UNDERSTANDING WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A GOOD SAMARITAN

As humans, we always desire to know what life requires of us, especially when we are faced with the realities of life. We often want to know what should be our priority. So we always ask questions that will help us in addressing most of the challenges we encounter. These questions are sometimes meant to test our ability towards understanding the realities of life.

This is the deposition of the lawyer in our Gospel passage today, who came to Jesus to test him by asking him questions concerning the requirements for inheriting eternal life. This lawyer referred to the 'Shema Israel' - שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל, the prayer that the people of Israel knew and recited from their earliest years.

From this prayer, they learned that the most important thing in life is to love God with all their heart, with all their soul, and with all their mind and to love their neighbour as well. In other words, loving God with all our heart, with all our understanding and strength, and to love our neighbour as ourselves. These are what the Lord requires of us and it is the foundation of all the things we have to do.

But this lawyer needed more clarification concerning these requirements, so he asked Jesus a second important question when he said: Who is my neighbour? At this point, Jesus did not just explain; he illustrated who a true neighbour should be with the famous story of the good Samaritan. In fact, from the story, Jesus did not just answer the question: ‘Who is my neighbour?’

He also demonstrates what a true and righteous neighbour should be like, thereby showing us that our neighbours are often those we least expect to be neighbours. For our neighbour can be anyone, even the ones we most despise or fear, just like the good Samaritan, and this tells us that a true neighbour shows compassion, love, care and makes sacrifices for others.

And St. Paul, in our first reading, addressing the people of Galatia concerning what it means to be a good neighbour, spoke clearly against all those who misinterpreted the Scriptures and twisted the truth for their own selfish purposes and, by so doing, sowed seeds of division and confusion among the Christian communities.

Thereby, warning us that if anyone should preach a version of the Good News different from the one they have already preached to us, whether it is an angel from heaven, he is to be condemned for committing such sin against God and against his neighbours.

Dear friends, love is the centre of all the teachings of Jesus, for love is a gift from God to humanity. It is like the stream water, so innocent and pure. True love is not hidden; it radiates from the innermost being of a person who has experienced it. If we love God, then, we will see him in others and treat them justly and honourably. We will not hurt our neighbours but do our utmost to live in peace with them.

The truth is that the absence of love is the cause of all the problems in our world today, as most families exist by grace and not by love. Imagine how wonderful the world would be if we all loved one another. How I wish we could invest our time and resources in ensuring love and unity in our dealings with one another. Believe me, we will not only be fulfilling the first and greatest commandments of God, but we will be building a happy community.

LET US PRAY: Almighty God, in you resides the fullness of love; grant that we may truly love you and our neighbours and so conquer the world full of hatred, self-centeredness, greed and corruption. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a fruitful week ahead.

Homily for the Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A, 4th October, 2026

 
Readings: Is. 5:1-7, Ps. 80, Phil 4:6-9. Matt. 21:33-43

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

LET US BE GOOD AND FAITHFUL TENANTS IN GOD’S VINEYARD

In this world, we are like tenants living in an apartment entrusted to us to manage by a generous landlord who has gone on a long-distance journey. We do not know when he will return, or what his plan is for the apartment. But one thing is certain, he wants us to be fruitful and to give a proper account of what he has entrusted to us whenever he comes back.

Sadly, because of the comfort and freedom we are enjoying, we have forgotten who we are; we have forgotten that we are nothing but common tenants. Worse still, some are now claiming to be the landlord, maltreating other fellow tenants and acquiring the whole property for themselves at the expense of others. And they are doing everything to ensure that the true landlord does not return.

This ugly attitude of humanity is what the prophet Isaiah in our first reading is talking about in the song concerning the vineyard of the Lord, which has failed to bear good fruits despite the efforts the Lord has made to ensure that it is fruitful. This same issue is what Jesus is also addressing in our Gospel passage today in the great parable of the vineyard owner, who planted a vineyard, fenced it around, dug a winepress in it and built a tower; then he leased it to tenants and went abroad. When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants to collect his produce from the tenants whom he had entrusted with the care of his vineyard.

 But the tenants were now wicked, greedy and selfish, for they desired to keep everything they gained to themselves. Hence, they persecuted and killed the servants sent to them. The tenants also killed the son of the vineyard owner, whom the owner sent to them thinking that the tenants would respect his son. In the end, the vineyard owner came down himself and dealt with all those wicked tenants, punishing them all for their wickedness and the evil things which they had committed out of greed and ego. They lost everything and were punished justly by the owner.

This parable describes the relationship between God and humanity and how humanity has been summoned for a trial. Here, the owner of the vineyard is God, the servants represent the prophets who constantly rebuked the people and reminded them about their being tenants in the Lord’s vineyard. The son represents Jesus Himself, who is the Son of God sent into the world to save humanity, but was rejected and killed. Also, the vineyard represents the world and all its resources which do not belong to us but to God, while the wicked tenants represent the ugly attitudes of humanity towards these resources entrusted to us by God.

Dear friends, our world, our nation, our societies, our families, and our lives as individuals are on trial before God, for God has presented his case against us today, summoning our blessed land and mountains to act as judges between Him and the people of this generation, by reminding us how He has blessed us with so many resources, skills, good weather and people. But we have failed to be fruitful; we have misused the Lord’s gifts and resources; we have neglected his message; we have committed and are still committing a lot of evil and murder, yet we are still crying, seeking solutions and signs from God.

Today as tenants in God’s vineyard, we are called to change our ugly attitudes. We are called to turn away from greed, corruption, pride and ego. If not, we will likely end up like those wicked tenants who acted with such evil against their fellow men and even against the son of their master and were justly punished and the kingdom of God was taken away from them and given to those who will be fruitful. Therefore, what God requires from us today is to do justice, to love kindly and to walk humbly with him for our good and the good of others.

Little wonder, St. Paul in our second reading tells us not to worry; but if there is anything we need, we should pray for it, asking God for it with prayer and thanksgiving. He also encouraged us to fill our minds with everything true, everything that is noble, everything that is good and pure, everything that we love and honour, and everything that can be thought virtuous or worthy of praise, we should keep doing them. Knowing that, it was the stone rejected by the builders that has become the cornerstone.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, oftentimes we have failed to be good and fruitful tenants in your vineyard despite all you have offered us. Help us today to make a radical decision that will change our ugly, selfish, greedy and corrupt attitudes, in order to embrace a more loving and caring attitude that will make us more fruitful in your vineyard. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Happy Sunday, I wish you God's favour and blessings.