Homily For Monday After the Epiphany of the Lord, 5th January, 2026

 

Readings: 1 John 3:22-4:6, Ps.2, Matt. 4:12-17.23-25

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

WHY WE MUST LEARN TO DISCERN THE TRUE SPIRIT OF GOD?

In our societies today, many influential powers have deep effects on our lives, coming from various sources under the guise of good, but some are, in fact, evil, leading us astray. So, there is a need for us to examine this false and deceptive spirit.

For the Holy Spirit will lead us to learn how to distinguish clearly where and in whom is the Spirit of truth from the Spirit of Falsehood and darkness. Little wonder we are told in our Gospel passage that the people that lived in darkness have seen a great light; on those who dwell in the land and shadow of death, a light has dawned.’

As long as we are of God and in Christ, we have nothing to fear. We do not belong any more to this present world, full of sin, hate and greed, corruption, deceit and violence. Thus, we must let ourselves be guided by the Lord against embracing, too readily, any doctrine proposed to us.

We must guide ourselves against attaching ourselves, without due consideration, to any teacher that may pretend to have a divine inspiration; because many false teachers are increasing every day to deceive the people.

Dear friends, we must not let ourselves be deceived by the evil power of this world. John, in our first reading, gives us a special sign for distinguishing true doctrine or true teachers from false ones. For him, any spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ had come in the flesh is of God.

Therefore, we must be very wise for many false prophets are operating under the power of the devil who are deceiving humanity and turning our attention from God.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we thank you for the gift of Your Holy Spirit, who guides us against the deception of this world. Give us the grace of discernment in order to distinguish between good and false Spirit. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a fruitful week ahead.

Homily For Sunday, the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, 4th January, 2026

 

Readings: Isaiah 60:1-6, Ps. 72, Eph 3:2-3.5-6, Matt.2:1-12

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

LET THE STAR OF YOUR FAITH GUIDE YOU TO JESUS THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD

As we continue to contemplate and celebrate the mystery of the birth of Jesus. Today the Holy Mother Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Epiphany of our Lord. The word “Epiphany” means manifestation or revelation. So it is the solemnity of the manifestation of the Lord. Epiphany was first celebrated in Africa, Egypt precisely, where it was used to replace a pagan feast where they celebrate the victory of light over darkness. For Christ is the True Light that dispels darkness

Little wonder in our Gospel passage we see how the Wise Men being led by a star journeyed a long distance in search of the new born King, the True Light of the world. They were probably sages in search of something more about life, in search of the true light that could point out the path to true meaning of life.

This journey of the Wise Men was bold, courageous and imaginative. For some persons, they may appeared to be foolish even a little crazy. No doubt they encountered many difficulties and experienced some moments of doubt and danger. Yet in spite of the difficulties, doubt and dangers they preserved in their search and were joyful when they finally found the baby Jesus.

In this journey the light of a star guided them, they did not know where the star was leading them. Hence, their journey was very much a journey of faith, knowing that the star was a means by which a great mystery was to be revealed. The journey of these Wise Men symbolizes our journey of faith and it can serve as a model for us as we struggle on our journey of faith. Thus, just as they were guided by the light of a star so we are guided by the light of faith.

Dear friends, we can learn something great from these Wise Men. First, their journey was one of searching and questioning, of fear and hope, of pain and joy. It is not an easy journey. Our journey of faith contains all of these elements. Like the Wise Men, we can expect to encounter difficulties and experience doubts. However, we should draw inspiration from their courage and perseverance.

Also, we can learn some thing about Herod. As the Wise Men journeyed above the great city of Bethlehem the star disappears, they could no longer see it. For them, it was logical to seek the new king in the royal palace, where they believe that wise men were to be found. But to their amazement, the newborn child was not found in the places of power and culture. Hence, king Herod in anger seeks to kill the child.

Here, perhaps, we should ask ourselves: is there something of Herod in us? Have we in anyway seen God as a sort of rival? Have we been blind to the signs God is offering us or pay deaf ears to his words because we think he is setting limits on our life and does not allow us to live as we wish?

Another thing we can learn from the Wise Men is that, they did not travel alone, they traveled in a little community of three believers. We then, must not try to make the journey of our faith alone, we need to journey with our brothers and sisters in our community. We need to support one another. However we have one great advantage over these Wise Men. At the start of their journey they knew nothing about Christ. We already know Christ and have encountered him in faith.

Nevertheless, the fact that we have not seen him face-to-face means we have not yet arrived at our final destination. So we are still searching, still journeying to encounter Jesus the Light of the world. Thus the journey of faith is the journey of a lifetime. The goal of this journey is to arrive at the heavenly Bethlehem where we can see Jesus and experience his glory.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, as we celebrate the manifestation of your Son Jesus today, let the light of his presence dispel the darkness in our lives, in our families, societies and so illuminate our paths as we struggle and journey in faith towards achieving our goals and purposes in life. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. God bless you.

Homily For Saturday The Octave of Christmas, 3rd January, 2026

Readings : 1 John 2:29-3:6 , Ps 98, John 1:29-34

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

THE LAMB OF GOD WHO TAKES AWAY THE SINS OF THE WORLD 

As Christians, our duty is to teach and bear sincere witness to God’s commandments by our ways of life. This of course points out the mission of the Church in proclaiming the word of God and our part in this mission.

Little wonder the Gospel passage today reminds us of how God has called us all to follow Christ, the Lamb of God and Saviour of the world. For when John the Baptist saw Jesus passing by he declared: ‘this is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world... Yes, I have seen and I am the witness that he is the Chosen One of God.’

Here John is pointing out the essence of Jesus’ mission, whose coming was foretold by the prophet Isaiah (49:3.5-6), telling us about that great Servant of God, whose mission was to bring sinners back to God. Considering this great task of Jesus, John introduced him as a Lamb of God and not a Lion and also described the Holy Spirit as a dove, not a hawk which is more powerful.

Why? Because, the Lamb is the most gentle, harmless and loving creature of God while the dove is a gentle bird, a symbol of peace and goodwill. So these images tell us about the person of Jesus and the approach by which he will carry out his mission.

Consequently, Jesus, the gentle Lamb of God, gently died for our sins, so that we could live in joy and freedom of God’s children, teaching us to bear authentic witness of this great event in our relationship with one another.

This is our vocation and mission for John said in our first reading: You know that God is righteous then you must recognize that everyone whose life is righteous has been begotten by him.

So, to all of us Christians, who have been called to follow Christ and have been sanctified and blessed to be God’s people, who are reunited and brought together from the world to bear the fruit of love and holiness of life. So that we can be true and living witnesses of our faith in God, to proclaim His salvation among the nations and the peoples of the earth.

Dear friends, like John we can say: I have seen and I am a witness. For we have been entrusted with the great task of witnessing. We are commissioned as Christ's disciples to go forth and make disciples of all the nations, making all peoples God’s children through His Church by the power of the Holy Spirit. We are called to bear authentic witness of our experience of God.

 But how can we achieve this task? The approach is given to us by John the Baptist, who tells us to follow the way of the Lamb and the dove. That is, we are to be the most gentle, harmless and loving children of God.

We must be a symbol of peace, compassion and goodwill. We are not to force people to believe in God by the use of intimidation or force, and neither should we use any forms of tricks or false persuasions.

All these methods do not usually lead to true faith and love for God, and in fact, they may cause people to turn away from God and the Christian faith. Instead, we should love people and do our best to live our lives with faith and holiness each moment of our lives.

Because, if our actions and way of life do not match what we profess to believe in, how can we then expect people to believe in us or the Lord? Instead of bringing others closer to God, we will only end up sending them further away from God.

Therefore, as the year unfolds, we are all challenged to live our lives as the Lord has taught us. We should put our trust in the Lord and make him the centre of our lives in every action. We should show love, care, compassion and concern for our fellow brothers and sisters just as the Lord has loved us.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, give us the grace and courage to bear authentic witness of your Gospel in a world where people are confused and no longer pay attention to your word. This we ask through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a peaceful day.

Homily For Friday The Octave of Christmas, 2nd January, 2026.

 

The Memorials of Saints Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen, Bishops. 

Readings : 1 John 2:22-28; Ps 98; John 1:19-28

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

UNDERSTANDING YOUR PURPOSE AND MISSION IN THE ECONOMY OF LIFE

Oftentimes, things happen in our lives that we can not explain how and why they happened. This is to tell us that we are unique and special, because, in our uniqueness we come to realize that God has a special plan for everyone. Today, in our Gospel passage, we heard about the role and the personality of John the Baptist's in redemptive plan of God.

This is obvious when John was questioned by the Pharisees. They asked him, who are you? This is a fundamental question we need to ask ourselves everyday. John explained to them that he is just a voice and his role and purpose is to cry in the wilderness in order to make a straight way for the Lord.

This is a fundamental question because it points out to the fundamental reality of who we are and what we have identified ourselves to with. A lot of people do not know who they are or what they have identified themselves with. A lot of people today are sufferings and struggling because they do not know who they are and the identity they bear. Some have misplaced their identity with some thing else, some are putting on an identity that doesn’t belong to them.

Dear friends, Who are you? What is your identity? What is the source of your identity? Whose identity are you putting on now? Why are you putting on someone else identity? Why have you misplaced your identity. John the Baptist was very clear about his identity, he was clear that he was not the Christ. He was clear that he was not Elijah. John was clear that he was not the prophet, he was only a voice of one crying in the wilderness, make straight the way of the Lord.

The fact remains that every human person has a special role to play in the Masters plan of God. Though some seem to have more significant role than others. However, whether significant or not, the truth still remains that we all have a role to play. But the question is, how are we playing this role? Are we playing according to the master plan or against it? Are we confuse about who we are and our role in this master plan of God or have deviated from it.

As the year begins we must ask ourselves the fundamental question: who am I? what is my purpose on this earth? To discover these, we must ensure that we cooperate with God's plan for us and to do these, three things are very essential. First we must learn to pray the right way, secondly, we must have a convincing plan, nurture it and not deviate from it. Thirdly, we must be disciplined and strive to live a holy life. Remember, we are playing our own role in the salvation of mankind, our existence means a lot to future generation.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, our true identity is found only in you through Christ your son, as we rejoice and celebrate his birthday, may we be filled with the joy of his presence and through the intercession of Saints Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen, grant us the grace to live out our purpose in this life. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a fruitful day

Homily For Thursday The Octave of Christmas. Happy New Year 1st January, 2026

The Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God. And World Day Of Peace

Readings : Num 6:22-27, Ps 67, Gal. 4:4-7, Luke 2:16-21

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

“DO WHATEVER HE TELLS YOU”: THE SECRET TO UNDERSTANDING GOD’S PLAN AND PURPOSES OF YOU THIS YEAR

In a special way this morning, the whole human race celebrates the goodness of God who has made it possible for us to witness another New Year. So, every first day of January the Holy Mother Church celebrates three great events. First, the Church joins the whole human race to celebrate the New Year, another gift of God to humanity.

Secondly, since this great gift comes as we are celebrating the birthday of our Lord Jesus, the Church reflecting on the role of Mary in the whole event of this season, dedicated today as the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God. And thirdly, following the ugly situation of war and crises which humanity has found herself, Pope Paul VI chose and encouraged us to celebrate every 1st day of January as the World Day of Peace.

So we are called to pray for peace in our world and also commit our plans and purposes to God this year knowing that every year is a gift of God to humanity. We journey through it in hope, full of expectations, favour, grace and blessing just like Mary whom God in time endowed with the great responsibility of becoming the Mother of his Son Jesus Christ, thereby sharing greatly in the universal plan of God for humanity.

Therefore, following the role of Mary in God’s plan for our salvation, the Church ascribes some special prerogatives or privileges to her. These prerogatives concern what the Faith of the Church affirms in connection with the blessed Virgin Mary. They include her immaculate conception, her perpetual virginity, the assumption of Mary and the title Mary, the Holy Mother of God (Theotokos), which is the foundation of other prerogatives.

The solemnity of this prerogative is what we are celebrating today which shows Mary’s special role in the universal plan of God, of which our Gospel passage today gave us some details of how she cooperated with the will of God and treasured all the things that happened to her and pondered them in her heart.

This tells us that our success in life is determined by our disposition towards doing the will God. Hence, we have to identify our plans and purposes this year with the universal plan of God for humanity. But how can we identify the plan of God? Very simple, we were told in Gospel of John 2:1-11, how the wedding couple invited Jesus and his disciples in the most important day of their lives.

Unfortunately, when an embarrassing moment came up during the course of the celebration, Mary in her usual way of helping people asked Jesus to save the couple from social embarrassment and even when her request was not granted by her son, she had strong faith that he will not refuse her request. So she said to the servants: “ Do whatever he tells you”

By this request Mary who represents the Church reveals to us the key to a successful and happy life especially as a Christian. That is to say that, the secret key that opens the treasure of a successful and happy Christian life is to do whatever he (Jesus) tells us. But what did Jesus say we should do? He told the servants: Empty, Fill, Draw and Serve.

Telling us to Empty ourselves from distractions of this passing world and Fill our life with the water of salvation which he offers us every day through his Words and Eucharist and when we have filled our lives with the fountain of his presence, then we should Draw from the joy it offers and Serve humanity who are really in need and thirsty for the word of God especially at this moment in our world when humanity really hope and seek for God’s intervention.

Dear friends, let this principle guide all our activities this year for that is how to identify our plans and purposes with the will of God. So, we must learn to fill our minds with positive things so that we can draw from the abundance of our hearts and serve humanity. Therefore, we must know that whatever healthy seed you water grows and the seed you quit watering will eventually die and go away.

But the question is, what kind of seed are you going to be watering in your life this year? Are you going to be watering valuable seeds or weeds? Because nature has made it clear that not all the seeds are good for us and so any unwanted seed is a potential weed. Then, the question you need to ask yourself is: are you watering weeds that you do not need? There are so many weeds in our lives, such as: weeds of fear, regrets, doubt, jealousy, hatred, disrespect, greediness, lying, gossip, impurity, wickedness, procrastination etc they are good for nothing.

Today we are called to quit watering these weeds because that's what the enemies want and we must not fall into their traps. Rather we are called to water those valuable mustard seeds of goodness, honestly, faithfulness, love, holiness, obedience, charity and make them our values of life. For when you feed and water your value, your value will grow stronger like the mustard tree that all the people of the world may find solace on it.

However, we must know that true greatness is found in service and not in domination or subjection of others. Good leaders serve the community, they subdue arguments and divisions, they maintain unity in times of distress and act as role models for the young. This year, we all are called to identify our plans and purposes with the universal plan of God.

We are called to serve in any capacity we find ourselves, bearing in mind that one should not strive to be a leader but a servant because leadership is a gift given to one by God. Remember, you don't have to be great to get started but you have to get started in order to be great this year. All we need is to ask God to fill us with wisdom and show us what we can offer to humanity this New Year in accordance with his plan, for by so doing we will be successful in all we do this year.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, we thank you for the gift of another New Year, grant that through the intercession of our Mother Mary, may we find strength to do your will always especially in all our daily struggles. May your grace and favour be with us even to the last hour of this new year. This we ask through Christ our Lord. Amen. Happy New Year.

Homily For Wednesday Within The Octave of Christmas, 31st December, 2025

 

Readings : 1 John 2:18-21, Ps 96, John 1:1-18

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

LET US END THE YEAR WITH PRAISE AND THANKSGIVING TO GOD

Today marks the end of the year 2025, as we look forward to the beginning of the new year, we have to keep our focus steadily towards the goal of knowing Christ and his mission and purpose for us. Hence, our Gospel passage today presents to us the unchanging truth about our salvation in the Word of God, Who was with God since the beginning, and Who was God.

And this same Word of God has become the Son of God, begotten not created. The Word which came down into the world and became Flesh. Through Him we have seen the love of God for the salvation of humanity. This is what we celebrate this Christmas season, the manifestation of God’s love in the Flesh, in person of Jesus Christ.

However, many of us despite what God has done in our lives, we have not appreciated this love and this care that he has shown us. Instead, we chose to follow the falsehood of this world, and dwell in sin and shame. To call our minds out of this ugly ways of life, St. John in our first reading today spoke of the antichrists present all around us.

For these antichrists are those who seek to cover up the truth of God with falsehoods and lies by committing all forms of evil against God and humanity. We are called today to be careful in order not to fall into their traps of lies and falsehoods. Thus, we must hold firmly to our faith in God with thanksgiving in our hearts no matter the situation we may find ourselves in this world.

Dear friends, we must learn to end this year with thanksgiving to God in our hearts, for it is not easy to pass through the challenges and overcome the obstacles of the year. This is important if we reflect deeply through the activities of the year. For it will help us to understand better the ugly situation we faced this year, so that we can be well prepared to conquer and manage the situations of the coming year.

So today being the last day of this year, it is a good time for us to take stock and evaluate carefully how our activities this year had been. We have to spent time to evaluate what our relationship with God has been. We must resolve and make effort to be faithful to God and dedicate more time for his works and mission.

Hence, as we prepare to welcome the new year, we should look back and see in what way we can do better especially as Christians so as to live our lives ever more sincerely and genuinely in faith. Therefore, let us remain focused and determined in our faith by making firm resolutions that will guide us through the struggle of the coming year.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, we thank you for being with us in all the struggles of this year, as we step into the New year, may the light of your presence drive away all darkness of falsehood and confusion in our world, let your peace, favour and blessings remain always with us, we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. As the year comes to an end, may the joy, favour and grace of God lead us into the new year.

Homily For Tuesday The Sixth Day Within The Octave of Christmas, 30th December, 2025

 

Readings : 1 John 2:12-17, Ps 96, Luke:2:36-40

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

AN ENCOUNTER THAT LEADS TO MISSION AND EVANGELISATION

It’s always the desire of humanity to have the experience of God especially when we are passing through difficult situation. This had always been the desire and disposition of the people of Israel as they await the coming of the Messiah as prophesied by the prophets. Hence, our Gospel passage today presents to us the experience of Anna with Jesus at the temple. 

Anna was a deep spiritual person who spent her waking hours in the Temple, praying and fasting. She came on the scene just as Jesus and his parents were in the Temple. She, too, must have realized the true identity of the Child and gave thanks to God. She then began to speak about Jesus to everyone, especially those awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem. An action that portray an encounter that leads to mission and evangelisation 

This passage says much about our experience with the divine, showing that our social status is of no consequence in our relationship with God. If we want to be close to God, we have to make prayer a very important part of our lives. In prayer we come to know Jesus and to love God the more and once we truly come to know Jesus, we cannot keep it to ourselves but must share the experience with the people around us, especially those who are looking for some meaning in their lives, just like Anna in the Gospel.

 Little wonder St. John in our first reading admonished us to embrace the love God is offering us through his Son Jesus and not give in to the love of this passing world, because, the love of God cannot be in any man who loves the world. For the world has nothing to offer us except pleasure of the sensual body, the lustful eye, pride of sin and greed which finally lead us to destruction.

Dear friends, what is our relationship with God  as regards to the things of this passing world? How have we personally experienced the Lord Jesus who has been born for us? How have we been able to share our experience of God with others? If we have not experienced the Lord personally in our lives, the right time to do that is now. But we need to ask ourselves what is our disposition towards prayers and pleasurable things of this passing world? To experience the Lord, we must love him above all other things and truly desire to encounter him just like Anna. 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we are living in a world where materialism and pleasurable things are seriously distracting us from experiencing your presence in our midst, help us to conquer our inordinate desire for the things of this world in order to embrace the heavenly things. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Peace be with you. 

Homily For Monday The Fifth Day Within The Octave of Christmas, 29th December, 2025

Readings : 1 John 2:3-11, Ps 96, Luke:2:22-35

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

BEHOLD, THIS CHILD IS SET FOR THE FALL AND RISING OF MANY

Following the tradition of purification as laid down by the law of Moses, the parents of Jesus came to the temple to present him to the Lord. This is what we have in our Gospel passage today. Where St Luke explained that Mary and Joseph wished to fulfil all the prescriptions of the law in order to emphasize that Jesus was born into a family of simple people, lowly but steadfast in faith: a family that belonged to the poor once of Israel the true People of God. It is important to note that the purpose of this event among the Jews is for the purification of the mother and the redemption of the son, which shows the act of offering the Son of the Most High to the Father who sent him.

This same child Jesus, who is immediately presented in the Temple, is the same person who, as an adult, would purify the Temple (cf. Jn 2:13-22). Above all, he would make himself the sacrifice and the High Priest of the new Covenant. For which he will suffer greatly as prophecy by Simeon in our Gospel concerning both the Child Jesus and Mary the Mother saying: “Behold, this Child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against, a sword will pierce through your own soul also that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

Thus, this prophecy is pointing out the salvation which Jesus will bring to his people, that which he embodies in himself, as he passed through the Cross, the violent death by which he was to vanquish death and transform humanity with the sacrifice of his life through love. Hence, he has become the true Light of the world of which Simeon proclaimed as a revelation, that Jesus was to be the High Priest of all, who is to redeem all mankind from their sins.

By so doing he becomes the true light that enlightens every man who is born into this world. Thus, St. John in our first reading tells us that the night is over and the real light is already shining. And anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the dark. But anyone who loves his brother is living in the light and need not be afraid of stumbling.

Dear friends, today, as we encounter Christ the true Light of the world presented at the temple, let us of course, allow ourselves to be enlightened and made radiant by this light. Let us share in its splendour, and so be filled with it’s radiant, so that no one remains in the darkness. Let us bring him into our families and homes, so that sharing in his light we may be brought out of the darkness of hatred, envy greed and jealousy that covers our lives as individuals, families, Homily For Monday The Fifth Day Within The Octave of Christmas, 29th December, 2025

Readings : 1 John 2:3-11, Ps 96, Luke:2:22-35

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

BEHOLD, THIS CHILD IS SET FOR THE FALL AND RISING OF MANY

Following the tradition of purification as laid down by the law of Moses, the parents of Jesus came to the temple to present him to the Lord. This is what we have in our Gospel passage today. Where St Luke explained that Mary and Joseph wished to fulfil all the prescriptions of the law in order to emphasize that Jesus was born into a family of simple people, lowly but steadfast in faith: a family that belonged to the poor once of Israel the true People of God. It is important to note that the purpose of this event among the Jews is for the purification of the mother and the redemption of the son, which shows the act of offering the Son of the Most High to the Father who sent him.

This same child Jesus, who is immediately presented in the Temple, is the same person who, as an adult, would purify the Temple (cf. Jn 2:13-22). Above all, he would make himself the sacrifice and the High Priest of the new Covenant. For which he will suffer greatly as prophecy by Simeon in our Gospel concerning both the Child Jesus and Mary the Mother saying: “Behold, this Child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against, a sword will pierce through your own soul also that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

Thus, this prophecy is pointing out the salvation which Jesus will bring to his people, that which he embodies in himself, as he passed through the Cross, the violent death by which he was to vanquish death and transform humanity with the sacrifice of his life through love. Hence, he has become the true Light of the world of which Simeon proclaimed as a revelation, that Jesus was to be the High Priest of all, who is to redeem all mankind from their sins.

By so doing he becomes the true light that enlightens every man who is born into this world. Thus, St. John in our first reading tells us that the night is over and the real light is already shining. And anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the dark. But anyone who loves his brother is living in the light and need not be afraid of stumbling.

Dear friends, today, as we encounter Christ the true Light of the world presented at the temple, let us of course, allow ourselves to be enlightened and made radiant by this light. Let us share in its splendour, and so be filled with it’s radiant, so that no one remains in the darkness. Let us bring him into our families and homes, so that sharing in his light we may be brought out of the darkness of hatred, envy greed and jealousy that covers our lives as individuals, families, communities, societies, country and the world at large.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, the world is seriously in darkness of deep confusion and and we really need the light of your presence. As we celebrate the birth of your Son and his presentation at the temple, may we be enlightened and so over come the darkness of this sinful world. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Have a fruitful day.

Homily For Sunday Within The Octave of Christmas Year A, 28th December, 2025. The Feast of the Holy Family of Nazareth

 

Readings: Sir. 3:2-6.12-14; Ps 128; Col. 3:12-21; Matt. 2:13-15.19-23

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

UNDERSTANDING THE PLACE OF FAMILY IN THE SOCIETY 

Family, as we know, is always seen as the nucleus of life and the seed of every human society. It is a domestic church, a place of faith, a place of prayer and a place of loving concern for the good of one another. Little wonder every last Sunday of the year that falls within the octave of Christmas or 30th of December if the last Sunday is new year, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Holy Family of Nazareth as a way of addressing with joy some of the issues within the families of the world, wishing them the peace and love that Jesus brought among us this Christmas.

The Lord Jesus was born and he grew up in a human family. In this way, he consecrated the family as the first and ordinary means of his encounter with humanity. Jesus was born in a stable and had a manger as his first home, but the love of Mary and Joseph made him feel the tenderness and beauty of being loved. Children need this kind of love from their father and mother. It is this that gives them security and, as they grow, enables them to discover the meaning of life.

The Holy Family of Nazareth went through many trials, beginning from the events of the annunciation, the birth of Jesus, the presentation at the temple, the massacre of the innocents, the finding of Jesus at the temple and the flight to Egypt, just as we have it in the Gospel passage today. Telling us that whatever we are passing through as a family, we can draw strength and grace from the Holy Family, who, trusting in divine providence, found their stability and guaranteed Jesus a serene childhood and a sound upbringing.

Thus, our first reading talks about the relationships in the family when it says: The Lord honours the father in his children, and upholds the rights of a mother over her sons. Whoever respects his father is atoning for his sins, he who honours his mother is like someone amassing a fortune. My son, support your father in his old age, do not grieve him during his life.

And our second reading reminds us that love is the source of harmony in the family. Little wonder St. Paul said: As God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

He continues: Wives he said, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged. So today, demand is made of our family and us to do the will of God at different stages of our lives and so ensure the peaceful existence of our families.

Dear friends, let us learn to make the Holy Family of Jesus a model of our family, for in our societies today, family life and values are no longer guaranteed, as the powerful influence of secularism and materialism is fast destroying all the great values and virtues that sustain the family and society. Today, the only hope we have is the family and our religious practice, which are under serious threat as they stand against the agenda of the secular world. Thus, we must uphold our family values and practices, with fraternal love as the hallmark of sustaining our Christian virtues and values in the family and community.

Also, we must hold on to the virtues and practices of our faith and not give in to the pressure of secularism and materialism. Let the Holy Family of Jesus be a model for us to follow. And as we struggle to build a holy and lovely family, let us entrust all families to Our Lady and to St Joseph, so that we do not lose heart in the face of trials and difficulties but always cultivate a conjugal love and devote ourselves with trust to the service and protection of life which is a product of the family.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, a lot of families in our world today are struggling to survive as a result of secularism and materialism, which have taken away the sacrificial love that sustains the family. As we celebrate the feast of the Holy Family, may you restore all the families of the world with your love and peace. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Wishing you a joyful and glorious day.

Homily For Saturday in The Octave of Christmas, 27th December, 2025. The Feast of St John the Apostle and Evangelist.

 

Readings : 1 John 1:1-4; Ps 97; John 20:2-8

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

FINDING YOUR PLACE IN THE MISSION OF CHRIST

Every 27th of December within the octave of Christmas, the Church celebrates the Feast of St John the Apostle and Evangelist. St. John, as we know, is one of the Twelve Apostles and one of the three inner circle of Jesus Christ, and no doubt one of the four great Evangelists of the Church. As one of the three inner circle of our Lord, John, together with St. Peter and St. James, his brother, were often brought to the most important events in the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ.

St. John, as we know, was present in great events such as the resurrection of the synagogue official’s dead daughter, the Transfiguration of the Lord at Mount Tabor, and also at the agony of the Lord at the Gardens of Gethsemane before the time of the Lord’s Passion. He witnessed great works and miracles of Jesus.

We will recall that St. John was one of those who remained and followed the Lord at the moments of his Passion, suffering and death on the Cross. He also remained with Mary at the foot of the cross, and it was to St. John that the Lord Jesus entrusted Mary, his Mother, and also John to Mary as well. This no doubt shows the place of St. John in the mission of Christ and the important role he played in the life and mission of the Lord Jesus.

The fruit of this great privilege is evident in the missionary activities of St. John. For he spent all his life spreading the truth of God all over the world. He also wrote several letters and Epistles, and the fourth Gospel is attributed to him. He also received the great vision of the end-time event when he was in exile as a result of the persecution of Christians, this vision he recorded in the book of Revelation as we have it today.

So today as we celebrate the Feast of this great Apostle, we heard the readings of his first letter and his Gospel passage. In this letter, as we have it in our first reading today, St John wrote about Christ the Word of Life that has come into this world. Concerning this Word, he said: This is what we have heard from him, and the message that we are announcing to you: that God is light; there is no darkness in him at all. If we say that we are in union with God while we are living in darkness, we are lying because we are not living the truth. It is this Word of truth that we are celebrating this Christmas.

However, this Christmas celebration will not be complete if we do not let the Lord be born in our hearts or if we do not have a personal experience of the Lord Jesus in our lives that will make us find our place in the mission of Christ such as the one we heard in our Gospel passage today. Here, we were told about the personal experience of John and Peter, who having heard about the resurrection of the Lord, ran towards the empty tomb with open hearts to encounter Christ, who had died and is risen to renew us, to remove from our hearts the guilt of sin and death, so that we can embrace his divine and eternal life.

Dear friends, this is the fundamental core of our Christian faith; this is the victory that transforms us and unites us with our Lord. Hence, if Jesus, who was born for us, was crucified, died, buried and is risen, and is alive, who will ever be able to separate us from him? Who will ever be able to deprive us of the love of him who has conquered hatred and overcomes death?

Therefore, I don't know what your experience has been in this world, especially this Christmas season. I don't know how you woke up today. I don't know what troubles your mind. But all I know is that today is another gift of God to humanity, a day of joy, a day of victory. I am excited, hopeful and am going to live it with all joy, not trying to change things that I cannot change or try to fix things that I do not want to be fixed.

I will not let the ugly situation in our world today, or any ugly event of the past, distract me today or steal my joy. I will focus on the blessings that come with the joy of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. I will follow the directives of the Lord, for his ways are right and the upright walk in them, but the transgressors stumble in them. Thus, let us proclaim the message of this season and spread it throughout the world with the joyful song of this Holy Season.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, as we celebrate the great event of Christmas, may your joy fill our hearts and through the intercessions of St John, may we spread this joy all over the world especially to people and places where this joy is lacking. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a blessed day.

Homily For Friday in The Octave of Christmas, 26th December, 2025 The Feast of Stephen, the First Martyr

 

Readings : Act 6:8-10;7:54-59; Ps 31; Matt.10:17-22

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

WHY STONE THE INNOCENT FOR BEARING WITNESS TO THE GOOD NEWS OF CHRIST?

Every day God makes himself present to us, but we often ignore him or pretend we do not perceive his presence. The truth is that in each heart, there is a secret garden which God has made uniquely for himself and that garden is our conscience.

This garden is like a safe deposit vault which has two keys. God has one key; hence, the soul cannot let in anyone else but God. The human heart has the other key, which no one can get in without his/her consent. However, God is always at the gate of this garden with his key but we often pretend to be looking for ours.

This is the ugly attitude of humanity, which is well illustrated by the people who seek to kill Stephen as we have it in our first reading today. Stephen was filled with grace and power and began to work miracles and great signs among the people. But certain people came forward to debate with him.

As they could not get the better of him because of his wisdom. They were infuriated and planned to kill him. Nevertheless, Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at God’s right hand. This he witnessed before them, but they stoned him to death.

Dear friends, today we celebrate the feast of St. Stephen, the first martyr, who opened the door of his heart completely and, finding God, he witnessed with his life and went up triumphantly to heaven. We are called today to open up our minds and hearts for God to fill us with the grace and power of witnessing to the good news of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We are called not to be afraid to bear witness. For we may be dragged before governors and kings for the sake of the Gospel, we should not worry about how to speak or what to say; for what we are to say will be given to us when the time comes, as Jesus promised us in our Gospel passage today.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, as we open up our minds and hearts for your words to reign in us. Grant us the grace and courage to bear witness to the Gospel and, through the intercession of St Stephen, may we find you in the daily events of our lives. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a fruitful day.

Homily For The Vigil Mass of the Lord’s Nativity (Christmas) A. Saturday 24th December, 2025

 

Readings: Is. 62:1-5; Ps 89, Acts. 13:16-17.22-25; Matt. 1:1-25

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

A NIGHT OF ENCOUNTER WITH THE CHILD JESUS IN THE LITTLE MANGER OF OUR SOULS

Tonight we have gathered in anticipation of the birth of our Lord Jesus, whom for the past four weeks we have been preparing for his coming. Tonight, Jesus is coming to dwell with us for an exchange; he is coming to offer his divinity in exchange for our sinful humanity. Tonight, Jesus is offering everything; he is sacrificing everything for our salvation.

He is giving up his heavenly glory in exchange for our suffering world. He is taking human flesh and becoming man to elevate the human person to share in his divinity. Tonight God is unveiling His Word, which became Flesh in the womb of Mary, in order to dwell with us. Tonight the Lord will manifest himself in a little manger in Bethlehem of our souls.

Little wonder in the Gospel passage tonight, we heard the genealogy of Jesus, which gave us the historical plan of God towards the manifestation of his Son, the Word made Flesh. From this genealogy of Jesus, we can observe that generations came, generations go, great men and women came and passed away, new generations continue to spring up as God continue to unveil his plan for humanity.

This genealogy shows how the Lord had revealed to different generations what he was going to do for humanity. Judah’s kingship over all Israel was given to David, who became the rightful king and God’s chosen one, and God promised that David’s house would rule over Israel forever.

Hence, we heard St. Paul in our second reading tonight saying: Men of Israel, and fearers of God, listen! The God chose our ancestors, and made our people great when they were living as foreigners in Egypt; and by divine power he led them out. ‘Then he made David their king, of whom he approved in these words, “I have selected David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, who will carry out my whole purpose.” To keep his promise, God has raised up for us one of David’s descendants, the child Jesus, whose coming we await tonight. For we heard the Lord in our first reading tonight saying: about Zion I will not be silent, about Jerusalem I will not grow weary, until her integrity shines out like the dawn and her salvation flames like a torch.

So, tonight the Lord is searching for a dwelling place and the only place available is the little manger of Bethlehem. For down in a little manger lies the child Jesus, no crib for a bed, but the little Jesus lay down his sweet head on a little manger of humble dwelling of a shepherd and his sheep. Here our God became man and took on our flesh. Our Creator became a creature; the One who dwells in the highest place, now lay helpless in a manger. The One who we so great and mighty became so tiny, so weak, and so powerless in a manger. The King of the whole world had been made a little child in a manger. The Creator of time has been constrained by time in a manger.

This little manger was a great symbol and sign. For when the angel appeared to the shepherds in the field to invite them to visit the newborn King, he told them to look for a baby in a manger. But the manager was not just a sign for the shepherds; it’s a sign to all of us that Jesus is accessible to everyone who seeks him in humility. Yes, every humble soul will surely have access to the little manger of Jesus, for the shepherds would not have had access to a baby born in a royal palace, and as strangers, they probably wouldn’t even have had access to a baby born in the confines of a family home. But a manger was accessible to pure, innocent and humble souls.

Dear friends, the questions we need to ask ourselves tonight are: where is the little manger? How can we locate the little manger of Jesus? How prepared is this little manger? Can we say that the little manger is available for the child Jesus to be born?

I know a good number of us will still be looking for the little manger of Jesus. I know some will tell me that the manger is right beside us. I know that those who are good with the scripture will tell me that the manger is located in a little town in Bethlehem. Yes, there was a little manger in Bethlehem, and there is a little manger besides us here so beautiful and captivating. But the true little manger is not just in Bethlehem, or the symbol of what we have here, rather the true little manger is my soul, the dwelling place of God, which is located in the innermost chamber of my being.

This little manger of my soul is what the child Jesus is searching for to dwell in to night. He is searching for a humble soul, he is searching for a peaceful soul. The child Jesus is searching for a lovely soul, he is searching for merciful and caring souls of humanity. The Lord is searching for innocent souls who can accommodate and make him accessible to humanity. The little manger of Jesus, that’s who we are, but are we available for the child Jesus to come in and be born in us? Are we ready and prepared to welcome the child Jesus into our little manger? Are you going to allow him to dwell with us? Are we going to offer him joyful praise and worship just like the shepherds? Are we going to let him exchange our sinful humanity with his divinity?

What is stopping us from welcoming Jesus into the inner manger of our souls? Will you let bitterness and anger occupy the dwelling place of the Lord? Will you let the desire for the things of this passing world prevent you from opening the door of your soul for the child Jesus to come in tonight? Will you let unforgiveness and jealousy send the child Jesus away from the manger of your soul? Will you let the ugly attitudes of your husband, your wife, your children or your parents deprive you of the joy of this gracious season? Will you let the present situation in your life separate you from the presence of the child Jesus?

 Why not make your soul available for the child Jesus to reign in your life? Why not let the peace of his presence dwell in your heart? Why not let the joy of his presence dwell in the manger of your soul? Why not let his love propel you to love even those whom you find very difficult to forgive? Why not let the child Jesus reign in that little manger of your soul tonight and always? Remember, the scripture says that the Newborn child dwells in the little manger in a little town of Bethlehem, which means “the house of Bread”. That means that the child Jesus dwells also in the little tiny Bread of Life. That is, the Eucharist. So, the Lord Jesus present in the Eucharist wants to feed us with his heavenly glory and love. He wants to dwell in the little manger of our souls so as to nourish our souls and exchange our sinful humanity with his divinity. Why not open up your heart to receive the child Jesus present in the Eucharist, which is going to be consecrated in a few moments tonight? Why not let the child Jesus in the Holy Eucharist reign in the little manger of your soul? Do not let anything deprive you of his presence tonight.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, as we open the little manger of our souls for you to dwell in, may you reign in our hearts, in our homes, in our societies, in our country and in the whole world. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Merry Christmas to you all

Homily For Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Advent Year A, 24th December, 2025

 

Readings : 2 Samuel 7:1-5,8-12,14,16, Ps 89, Luke: 1:67-79

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

HOW ARE YOU WAITING ON THE LORD’S COMING? 

For the past four weeks, we have been preparing for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Tonight. Coming to us for an exchange, he is coming to offer his divinity in exchange for our sinful humanity. Jesus is offering everything, he is sacrificing everything. He is giving up his glory in exchange for our sufferings. He is taking human flesh and becoming man to elevate the human person to share in his divinity. 

This is evident in our first reading today, where we heard about King David, who was now the king of the United Kingdom of Israel, and set out to build a house for the Lord. But the Lord, knowing David’s plan, asked him through the prophet Nathan to stop, for instead it is he, the Lord, who will build a dynasty for David, a dynasty that will last forever. This he fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ our Lord, whose coming we await in anticipation.

Dear friends, what are you preparing to offer in exchange for God’s Love and Divinity? For Jesus is coming to exchange his glory with everything about us: our weaknesses, our strengths, our filthiness, our sinfulness, past, present, future, everything we can ever think about in our lives. But are we ready to exchange our lives for what Jesus is offering us today? Are we ready to exchange our humanity with that of his divinity? Are we ready to embrace the love he has for us? Are we ready to exchange our worries, burdens, sorrows, failures and fears with the smiling, peaceful and loving face of the baby Jesus who will soon make himself present to us? 

Zechariah experienced this loving mercy of God and surrendered everything about his plan in exchange for God’s plan for humanity which he expressed in his Benedictus canticle in our Gospel passage today. What about us? What are we offering in exchange? What are we sacrificing? What do we give up in exchange for God’s love in our lives? 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, for four weeks now we have been preparing for the birthday of your Son Jesus, as we await his coming at dawn, may you fill our hearts with the joy of his presence, who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen. Wishing you a fruitful and joyful day.

Homily For Tuesday Fourth Week of Advent Year A, 23rd December, 2025

 

Readings : Malachi 3:1-4, 4:5-6; Ps 25; Luke: 1:57-66

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

UNDERSTANDING THE MYSTERIES SURROUNDING YOUR BIRTH AND NAMES?

One of the most significant days in our lives is our birthday. This day often comes with joy and praise and in the mood of the joy that a life has been born, one of the things that comes to mind is giving a name to the baby as an identity. This event is very important and necessary. In fact, the naming of objects and persons is an important ritual found in scripture.

We can recall in the book of Genesis (Gen.2:19-20), when God created Adam and gave him the responsibility of giving names to all creation. So the act of giving a name to people has been a traditional event not only in the scriptures but in every human culture.

 Thus, our Gospel passage today, gives us the record of the events of the birth and naming of John the Baptist. From the passage, great, significant and surprising things happened on the birth and naming of John the Baptist, of which we can identify three unusual features: first the old have given birth.

Secondly, the child has a strange name, “John”, derived from the Hebrew name Yochana, meaning " YAHWEH is gracious", a name which no one bears in the family, and thirdly, Zechariah's dumbness is taken away on account of giving this name. These brought great joy to the people and they praised God. However, such remarkable events caused the crowd to fear and reflect that something different and surprising is happening, things worth remembering. Showing us that, when God names a child, that child is significant in his plan.

John, whose birth was prophesied by the prophets, such as the Prophet Malachi, in our first reading today, saying: “Look, I am going to send my messenger to prepare a way before me. And the Lord you are seeking will suddenly enter his Temple. Who will be able to resist the day of his coming? Who will remain standing when he appears? For he is like the refiner’s fire and the fullers’ alkali. He will take his seat as refiner and purifier; he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver.” No doubt the mission of John the Baptist was quite unique and challenging because of his special role in preparing humanity for the coming of the Lord.

Dear friends, what are the mysteries surrounding your birth and your name? For we all have a significant place in the plan of God, and our names are not just a common ceremony, because they bear the mystery of our mission and purpose in life, which are testimonies of God’s plan for us. So, why not take out time today to reflect on the mystery, the meaning and the circumstances surrounding your birth and your names.

For by God’s grace, we will understand better who we are and what our mission and purpose on earth are. And by so doing, we will faithfully stand for the truth which we represent and fulfil our plans and purposes, just like John the Baptist, who stood for the truth of his mission and offered it to everyone, whenever and however it would best bring conversion to sinners, even at the cost of his head.

LET US PRAY: Almighty God, you created each one of us to fulfil your plan on earth and in our names we bear the mystery of our mission and purpose. Grant us the grace to faithfully and courageously fulfil our mission and purpose in this world, through Christ our Lord. Amen. As we embrace the Christmas season, may the joy of the Lord be our strength.

Homily For Monday Fourth Week of Advent Year A, 22nd December, 2025

 

Readings : 1 Samuel 1:24-28, 1 Samuel 2:1,4-8 , Luke: 1:46-56

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

LEARN TO SHOW JOYFUL APPRECIATION TO GOD

As we look back on all the events that happened this year and how we managed to survive all of them. I think it is indeed necessary to contemplate the victory and greatness of our God, who knows no limits. Just like Mary in our Gospel passage and Hannah in our first reading. In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the Prophet Samuel, how Hannah, filled with joy, came to thank God for answering her prayers. For she once came to the Lord in sorrow and frustration and she prayed to the Lord to help and rescue her from her troubles.

The Lord heard her prayers and blessed her with a child, who was to be known as Samuel. And since Hannah had promised that if she had a son, she would dedicate and offer him to the Lord, and thus, in our first reading today, we heard how she joyfully came to the Lord and offered Samuel to be God’s servant. And in our Psalm today we heard the great song of joy that Hannah sang, in thanksgiving to God who had shown her love and blessings.

In the same light, we heard in our Gospel passage how Mary sang the Magnificat in honour of God for the great thing he has done not just for her but for all humanity. Thus, Mary, having heard that her cousin Elizabeth, at the time, who had been long barren, had conceived a child, just like Hannah, came and found out that what the Lord had revealed to her through the angel Gabriel was indeed true, that her cousin Elizabeth had miraculously conceived in her old age. And herself, about to have a Child without any human relations but by the power of the Holy Spirit. These made Mary rejoice greatly, for it was truly a great and joyful moment which God had shown to all his people.

Dear friends, are we truly grateful to God? For only a grateful heart can joyfully show appreciation like Mary and Hannah. But today the world is so busy preparing for the coming of her Saviour. The streets are full of people struggling and bobbling, the markets are full of people buying, selling, cheating and chatting, the Churches are full of people praying, singing and celebrating. We are so busy with everything except the very essence of the season that is, showing joyful appreciation to God for the salvation of our souls.

Today God is calling us to reflect deeply on all he has done for us this year and show joyful appreciation just like Mary and Hannah. For he wants to come into our souls to share the joy of his presence with us. Jesus is coming to us, for he comes to us more than we go to him. As we await his coming, may God help us to be well prepared physically, materially and more importantly spiritually for his joyful coming.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, only the soul for whom you have done great things can truly proclaim with fitting praise the joy of your presence. As we embrace the season of Christmas, we joyfully surrender unto you, our whole life, our senses, our judgment, for our spirit rejoices at the coming of Christ Jesus our Saviour, and may this joy always remain in our hearts through Christ our Lord. Amen. Peace be with you.

Homily For Fourth Sunday of Advent Year A, 21st December, 2025

 

Readings: Isaiah 7:10-14;  Ps. 24; Rom. 1:1-7; Matt. 1:18-24.

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

IF GOD IS WITH US, ARE WE STILL WITH GOD? 

Today is the fourth Sunday of Advent, the Sunday that ushers us into the Holy Season of Christmas, the birthday of our Lord Jesus Christ, an event that reminds and reveals to us the great plan of God towards redeeming humanity. Little wonder our readings today focused on the revelation of God’s plan to dwell with us and redeem us. 

Hence, we heard in our first reading how the prophet Isaiah, when the people of God were passing through crises, war and oppression, told King Ahaz to ask for a sign from the Lord, no matter how deep. But in false humility, Ahaz said he would not put the Lord to the test. In response, Prophet Isaiah said: ‘Listen now, House of David: are you not satisfied with trying the patience of men without trying the patience of my God, too? Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign. It is this: the maiden is with child and will soon give birth to a son whom she will call Immanuel, a name which means “God-is-with-us”

These prophetic words came to fulfilment in the life of Mary at the event of Annunciation, who, having received this message from the Angel Gabriel, accepted God’s will and plan for her. For she is about to have a Child without any human relations but by the power of the Holy Spirit. This grace-filled event reveals the special role that Mary is playing in God’s plan for human salvation. 

But when Joseph realised this, he was heartbroken since Mary was betrothed to him and he loved her so much. But what will he do? How is he going to handle this? The Gospel tells us that Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put Mary to shame, resolved to send her away quietly before the angel in a dream spoke to him about his mission and role in the salvation of humanity.

Here, we see the magnanimity of Joseph’s heart and soul. How he wished to follow his own plan, but God was reserving another plan for him, a greater mission. Joseph was a man who always listened to the voice of God; he was deeply sensitive to his secret will and was a man attentive to the messages that came to him from the depths of his heart. He did not persist in following his own plan; he did not allow bitterness to poison his soul; rather, silently, he was ready to make himself available to the event of the new mission entrusted to him. What a great virtue.

Little wonder the Angel said to him: Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because she has conceived what is in her by the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son and you must name him Jesus, because he is the one who is to save his people from their sins.’ Now all this took place to fulfil the words spoken by the Lord through the prophet: the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and they will call him Emmanuel, a name which means ‘God-is-with-us’ as we have it in our Gospel passage today.

Thus, St. Paul in our second reading today said: this news is about the Son of God who, according to the human nature he took was a descendant of David: it is about Jesus Christ our Lord who, in the order of the spirit, the spirit of holiness that was in him, was proclaimed Son of God in all his power through his resurrection from the dead. Through him we received grace and our apostolic mission to preach the obedience of faith to all pagan nations in honour of his name. This means that Jesus is the Word of God made Flesh and dwells with us. He is the “Emmanuel” God with us.

But the question before us today remains: is God still with us? If the answer is yes, are we still with God? These questions are very important because a deep reflection on what is going on in our societies and the world at large, one will surely have doubts about the presence of God in so many activities and events in our lives today. I have heard people asking very pertinent questions concerning the circumstances around them, saying: Is God still with us, especially with the present situation in their lives? Is God still with us in this present situation in our country, our societies and our families? Is God still with us with the sad news of killings and kidnappings of innocent souls in our society? 

Is God still with us when greedy men and women are looting the common fund and resources of our nation? Is God still with us when bribery and corruption have become a way of life? Is God still with us when we make and promulgate bad polices and regulations that are destroying human lives and our environment? Is God still with us when immorality and wickedness have become the fashion and a way of life? Is God still with us, brothers and sisters, when true love is seen as a scam or an impossible virtue? Is God still with us when holiness, honesty, integrity, hard work, life of sacrifice and sincerity have become old school? Is God still with us?

Dear friends, the answer to these questions is not blowing in the wind, because God is with us much more than we can ever imagine. But the question remains, are we still with God? Are you standing with him? Is my way of life showing that I am still standing with God? For one thing is sure, you can choose to be with someone but you can not force anybody to remain with you. God has chosen to be with us, and he is always with us, but are we with him? 

Are we still paying attention to him? Are we listening to what he is saying to us? Are we not running away from God? Are we not saying to him, Leave us alone so that we can do whatever we want? Are we not feeling restricted by the presence of God around us? Are we not saying to God, I don’t want you now, come only when I need you? And after we have separated ourselves from God, now we are calling on him whom we have abandoned even when he had never abandoned us. 

Therefore, it is time to come back to God, for he is very much with us. I don’t know how far we have separated ourselves from God; it is time to come back, for he is coming to be with us. I don’t know how tough our activities this year have been, but what is important now is that God is with us, but are we with him? He wants to help us, are we going to listen to him? He wants to guide and save us, are we going to follow him? If the Lord is with us, are we going to remain with him?  

We have left God and followed our own plans, and the results are obvious. Why not learn to follow the plan of God like St Joseph and Mary?  But, like King Ahaz, we have abandoned True Love, holiness, honesty, integrity, hard work and the results are very obvious: hatred, wickedness, corruption, greed, killing, and kidnapping. Now let us come back to God who is always with us. For the psalms today says: Who shall climb the mountain of the Lord? Who shall stand in his holy place? The man with clean hands and a pure heart, who desires not worthless things. Who has not sworn to deceive his neighbours? 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, only the soul for whom you have done great things can truly proclaim with fitting praise the joy of your presence. As we embrace your words today, may we always remain with you who is always with us as we joyfully surrender our whole life, our senses, our troubles, our barrenness and loneliness in anticipation of you coming who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen. Wishing you a fruitful Sunday celebration. 

Homily For Saturday Fourth Week of Advent Year A, 20th December, 2025

 

Readings: Is. 7:10-14; Ps. 24; Luke 1:26-38

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

DO NOT BE AFRAID, YOU HAVE FOUND FAVOUR WITH THE LORD

As the great event of Christmas draws very near, the liturgy in a special way today, reminds us about the mysterious event of the Annunciation of the Lord, an event that marks nine months before the birth of Jesus at Christmas, recalling the very moment when our Lord and Saviour was conceived in the womb of Mary.

Here we see how she responded to the revelation of God’s Good News through the Archangel Gabriel saying: I am the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done to me according to your Word. With this response, the Word became flesh and dwells among us through a humble Virgin, thereby revealing the arrival of the long-awaited Saviour into the world as we have it in our Gospel passage today.

In our first reading, we heard how King Ahaz also received a revelation from God through Prophet Isaiah, of the coming of God’s salvation to his people. But Ahaz refused to accept the sign, out of false humility, saying that he would not put God to the test even when the prophet had specifically said that God would give him a sign. This shows a lack of faith and disobedience from King Ahaz, which is quite opposite to that of Mary, who humbly accepted God’s will.

When comparing the response of Mary to that of Ahaz, who further led the people of Judah into sin, as he did not follow or obey God’s laws. We will see that his lack of faith is indeed opposite to Mary’s total submission to God, his pride and false humility are opposite to Mary’s total humility and devotion to God. Hence, Mary has become a role model for all of us, as her obedience and willingness to accept her role as the Mother of God and Saviour is something that all of us as Christians should also emulate in our own lives.

Dear friends, this year has been filled with a lot of uncertainty, sorrow and grief, challenges and trials, obstacles, difficulties and suffering all over the world. But we are consoled in today’s Gospel passage that talks about the Annunciation of our Lord and Saviour with the words of the angel, telling us not to be afraid, for we have won God’s favour. This is to make us know that the Lord has special plans for us, if only we can be humble and submissive to God’s will just like Mary, so we too can say in faith: “let it be done to me according to your will”.

Thus, we are called to draw strength, faith and courage from Mary in her total submission to God’s will, knowing that despite all the darkness, sorrow and uncertainties in our country today. God will not abandon his people. His promise of salvation is a reality that we will surely experience.

Therefore, let us entrust ourselves in humility to God just as Mary had done. Let us ask for his mercy and forgiveness as we also forgive one another. It is not the time to judge people or lose faith. Rather, it is time to pray for each other as we grow stronger in faith and in our love and devotion to God. Knowing that he is closer to us in these turbulent times, for he does not fail in his promises.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, as the event of Advent comes to its peak, the occasion of the annunciation reminds us of your promises and plans to redeem humanity, as we listen to your words today, may we respond positively to your requests and so be filled with the joy of your presence, we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. God bless you.

Homily For Friday Third Week of Advent Year A, 19th December, 2025

 

Readings Judges 13:2-7,24-25, Ps. 71, Luke: 1:5-25

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

LEARN TO FOLLOW GOD’S PLAN FOR YOU

Oftentimes, things happen in our lives that we can not explain how and why they happened. This is to tell us that we are unique and special, because, in our uniqueness, we come to realise that God has a special plan for everyone. This is evident in our readings today, where we are presented with the message about the visits of the angel announcing the birth of great men, born to barren women, in the Old and New Testament scriptures.

In our Gospel passage, we have Elizabeth, mother of John the Baptist and the unnamed mother of Samson in the first reading today. They remind us that God is in control of human history and intervenes graciously in favour of the helpless and despised. For he knows how to guide us towards his plans for us.

Thus, the Angel Gabriel was sent to bring good news to Zechariah, who did not believe his words. The first message of the angel to Zechariah was: “Do not be afraid!” Up until now, most people do not know the plan of God for them and this causes fear in their lives. So, the message of the angel continues to be valid, “do not be afraid”, for God has a plan for everyone and through prayers, God reveals his plan for us.

Dear friends, the greatest plan of God is the salvation of our souls, to reconcile the heart of humanity toward their Creator, to reconstruct the fabric of human relationships and to build up a community of love and holiness. This was the mission of Samson, John and also the mission of Jesus and continues to be the most important mission and plan of God today through his Church. But, how are we contributing towards this mission? Remember, it is on this mission that we discover the purpose and plan of God for each one of us.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, every day we struggle to identify ourselves with your plans for us, grant that we may faithfully follow your plans and find joy in doing them, no matter how difficult they may be, we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a blessed and fruitful week.

Homily For Thursday Third Week of Advent Year A, 18th December, 2025

 

Readings Jer. 23:5-8, Ps. 72, Matt.1:18-24

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

UNDERSTANDING THE CHALLENGE OF PLAYING OUR ROLE IN THE ECONOMY OF LIFE 

As we continue the preparation for the birthday of our Lord Jesus, the liturgy today presents to us the events preceding the birth of Jesus and invites us to contemplate especially the roles St Joseph played in the life of Jesus and Mary, as our gospel passage today presents to us how Jesus Christ was conceived. A challenging moment in the lives of Mary and Joseph.

Mary, who was betrothed to Joseph, was found to be with a child; but Joseph, being a man of honour and wanting to spare Mary’s publicity, decided to send Mary away quietly with great sorrow. 

He had made up his mind to do this when the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because she has conceived what is in her by the Holy Spirit, she will bear a Son, and you shall call him Jesus, for he will save his people from sins. We could imagine the great trauma Joseph was going through when we think about the love he has for Mary. But even in these circumstances, he intends to do the will of God.

Hence, we can see how this Gospel passage reveals to us the magnanimity of Joseph’s heart and soul. How he wished to follow his own plan, but God was reserving another plan for him, a greater mission. Joseph was a man who always listened to the voice of God; he was deeply sensitive to his secret will and was a man attentive to the messages that came to him from the depths of his heart. 

Joseph did not persist in following his own plan; he did not allow bitterness to poison his soul; rather, silently, he was ready to make himself available to the event of the new mission entrusted to him. This reveals to us how deep and great St. Joseph’s holiness of life was.

Dear friends, the challenge to every baptised Christian is to live a holy life, and God cannot abandon us in this struggle. For he promised us in the first reading to raise up for us a righteous branch who shall reign as King and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in our land. He shall save the needy when they cry, the poor, and those who are helpless. Look at how the Lord helped Joseph in the challenging moment of his life, giving him grace to cooperate with his will, even when it seemed difficult. He said to him, “Do not fear”. 

So like Joseph, we should not fear to face those challenging moments of disappointment, pain, sorrow, guilt, betrayals, complex and complicating situations in our lives, for by combating them comes our victory and through the power of the Holy Spirit our souls are purified and the will of God is made manifest in our lives. 

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, give us the grace to imitate the silence and holiness of St Joseph, especially in a world full of noise, iniquities and distractions. A world that encourages neither recollection nor listening to you nor one another. Grant us the grace to cultivate the inner attitude of silence and recollection to fully embrace the spirit of this season to joyfully experience the glory of Christmas. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a grace-filled day.