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.

Homily For Saturday, Twenty-Sixth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A, 3rd October, 2026. The Memorial of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus

Readings: Job 42:1-3.5-6.12-17, Ps.119, Luke 10:17-24

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

UNDERSTANDING THE TRUE JOY OF OUR MISSION AS CHRISTIANS

In Christ's mission, many things can make us happy, and we often hope for more of them. But one goal should be the basis for all our desires. And this is what Jesus is telling us in our Gospel passage today, for when his disciples came back rejoicing with the report of how they were victorious on the mission he sent them.

Jesus said to them: ‘I watched Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Yes, I have given you power to tread underfoot serpents and scorpions and the whole strength of the enemy; nothing shall ever hurt you. Yet do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you; rejoice rather that your names are written in heaven.

Here, Jesus made it clear that the true joy of our mission is to make heaven, and he warns us to be careful and make sure our priorities and motivations are found around this one goal of making it to heaven.

Little wonder Jesus, filled with joy by the Holy Spirit, said, ‘I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and of earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to mere children. Thus, if we are ready to open our hearts in humility and simplicity, God himself will reveal many things to us about himself.

Dear friends, this is exactly what happened in the life of Job in our first reading, for when he opened his heart to God, Job realised his faults, and he repented of his mistakes, and embraced the will of God for him as he remained faithful even in the most difficult times in his life. And God blessed and restored him even more than before, thereby telling us that those who hold onto God till the end, despite the trials and persecutions of life, God will bless and restore us to his glory.

This is also what we see in the life of St. Therese of the Child Jesus whose memorial we celebrate today. For when a priest told her that her falling asleep during prayer was due to a want of fervour and fidelity and she should be desolate over it, she wrote “I am not desolate. I remember that little children are just as pleasing to their parents when they are asleep as when they are awake.”

LET US PRAY: Lord God, today we are made to know that the true Joy of our mission is to make heaven, may we experience this true Joy of your heavenly kingdom. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a fruitful weekend

Homily For Friday, Twenty-Sixth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A, 2nd October 2026. The Memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels

 

Readings: Job 38:1-12-21,40:3-5, Ps. 139, Matt.18:1-5.10

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

WHAT IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR GUARDIAN ANGELS

As humans, we often experience some level of favour, providence and protection which we do not expect. Sometimes we wonder how we managed to escape some dangerous actions on our way or what has inspired and sustained us in doing great works.

The answer to this question is found in the memorial we are celebrating today, that is, our Holy Guardian Angels whom God has set before us. Their function is to be our guide and protector in our constant struggle against the war that rages in our souls. In these angels, we celebrate God’s loving care for each and every one of us, for God sends them to guide and to protect us. They are higher beings than us, but God put them at our service.

The angels have one goal in mind, which is the glorification of God, which, for our sake, consists in our salvation and sanctification. They are prepared to do anything to procure our salvation and increase our sanctification. So, angels do protect us physically, but more than that, they protect us more spiritually, especially guiding and protecting our souls from the danger of sin and condemnation.

The Angels do this by putting in us a holy fear, or contempt for those evils we know we should avoid. They enlighten our minds to help us to know the good we ought to do and the evil we are to avoid; this they do by acting upon the sensible part of our souls, our emotions and sentiments, and so inspire us with joy, peace and favour of God. For God communicates his message to us through their mediation.

This is what we see in the life of Job in our first reading, where we heard how Job, although he was suffering and passing through many troubles, including his friends who abandoned him and even accused him of wrongdoing, remained committed to God in righteousness without blaming either God or the people for his misfortune. For he said: My words have been frivolous: what can I reply? I had better lay my finger on my lips. I have spoken once… I will not speak again; More than once… I will add nothing.

Thereby teaching each and every one of us how to cooperate with our guardian Angels to respond and react in the moment of trials and difficulties. Thus, in our Gospel passage today, Jesus tells us to be humble like little children in following the directives of our Guardian Angels. He also warned us not to mislead the little children in their faith or harm them, for their Angels in heaven are constantly interceding for them.

Dear friends, God has always provided and protected us. He often sends his Angels before us, but what is your relationship with your guardian angels? We need to have a good relationship with our guardian angels so they are always there to help us in our struggles. All we have to do is trust in the Lord and follow the directives that our Guardian Angels have proposed for us. They are always before God, interceding and praying constantly for us.

They often speak to us and communicate the message of God to us, but we are often too busy and distracted by the noisy things of this passing world, which the devil has been using to lead us astray. We cannot give in to his schemes if we remain faithful and attentive to our Holy Guardian Angels.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, we thank you for the gift of our Guardian Angels; today we ask that, through their intercession, we may always find favour in your sight and before men. Let us always be defended by their protection and rejoice eternally in their company as we say: Angel of God, our guardian dear, to whom God’s love commits us here. Ever this day be at our side, to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen. Have a fruitful day. 

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

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

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

WHY MAKE EXCUSES FOR WHAT YOU CAN DO NOW?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

UNDERSTANDING WHERE TRUE GREATNESS IS FOUND

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

UNDERSTANDING THE EMPTINESS OF HUMAN LIFE WITHOUT GOD

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

UNDERSTANDING THE TRUE PERSONALITY OF THE LORD JESUS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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