THE COST OF DISCIPLESHIP DEMANDS GIVING UP ALL THAT WE POSSESS

 Wednesday 31st week in Ordinary Time Year A, 4th November, 2020. The Memorial of St. Charles Borromeo

Readings: Phil 2: 12-18 , Ps.26 , Luke 14:25-33

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

THE COST OF DISCIPLESHIP DEMANDS GIVING UP ALL THAT WE POSSESS

A true disciple must constantly reflect through life in order to be aware of the seriousness of the commitment required of him/her. Little wonder Jesus in our Gospel passage today, takes his discourse on discipleship to a radical and difficult level when he said: ‘If any man comes to me without hating his father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, yes and his own life too, he cannot be my disciple. Anyone who does not carry his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. So in the same way, none of you can be my disciple unless he gives up all his possessions.’

Here, Jesus teaches about the cost of discipleship. That there is a price to be paid. However, Jesus does not directly intend to cause tensions and divisions in family life, but he wants us to accept the consequences that comes with the truth of the Gospel teaching, more importantly, when it comes to living out the Gospel message in a radical way, especially in a situation where our family values have been thrown out of caution as a result of secularism, individualism and excess desires for worldly pleasures, thereby neglecting the things that lead us to God. 

So, these hard words of Jesus can only be understood in the light of our life experience, because there are moments when we have to make radical and difficult choice as disciples of Jesus. These moments may wield the sword of division or separation among those people and things which are so dear to us. Thus, he warns that we have to struggle to put him first, before family ties, knowing that divisions will surely occur as people have to decide to be for or against God. Hence, he states that the cost of discipleship extends to one even losing his life. For none of us can become his disciple if we do not give up our excess desire for worldly pleasures and possession, and pay our unreserved loyalty and allegiance to God over all other competing loyalties in our lives including family, self-interest, and possessions.

Dear friends, how much are we willing to let go for the sake of discipleship. Do we find it too demanding? In what ways? Is giving up ‘all my possessions’ realistic and if not what does this passage means to me? Whatever my response maybe, may God give us the grace to grow in freedom, to be ready to follow and to serve him in a new way and also be able to speak to the Lord about the points of difficulty in paying this cost. For St. Paul in our first reading tells us to work out our salvation in fear and trembling, just like St. Charles Borromeo whose memorial we celebrate today, for though he came from a wealthy family of Medici, he dedicated himself entirely to serving his people in a very sacrificial way.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, the excess desire for the pleasurable things of this passing world have weakened our hearts from becoming a good disciple, give us courage and grace to let go of our ugly desires, so as to hold firm in our faith despite losing people and things that are dear to us. And through the intercession of St. Charles Borromeo, may we be outstanding in merit of his virtues and abounding in good fruit by our work and way of life. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a fruitful day.

OPEN INVITATION TO GOD'S KINGDOM DON’T BE TOO BUSY TO COME

 Tuesday 31st week in Ordinary Time Year A, 3rd November, 2020. The Memorial of St. Martin De Porres

Readings: Phil 2:5-11 , Ps.22 , Luke 14:15-24

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

OPEN INVITATION TO GOD'S KINGDOM DON’T BE TOO BUSY TO COME

Invitation to event and social gathering are part of humanity's social ways of life. And as usual Jesus often uses the things we are very much familiar with to teacher us a very important lesson. So on the occasion of our Gospel passage today Jesus tell the parable of the great banquet, how a man planned a large banquet and sent out invitations, but those invited turned it down, so he opened the invitation to all who cares to come. Jesus ends the parable by saying that “not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet”

Here, their excuses for not coming to the banquet are not realistic. Because no one buys land without seeing it first, and the same can be said for buying oxen. And what, exactly, would keep a newly married couple from attending a social event? All the excuses in the parable show insincerity on the part of those invited. Hence the invitation is opened up to society’s maimed and downtrodden. The fact is that, those who ignored the invitation to the banquet chose their own punishment, they missed out and the master respects their choice by making it permanent: they would not “taste of my banquet”, he said. 

So it will be with God’s judgment on those who choose to reject Christ or are so busy to respond to his invitation, they will have their choice confirmed, and they will never taste the joys of heaven. Therefore, let us learn to honour the invitation of God in humility, just like Christ Jesus whose 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 humbler yet, even to accepting death, death on a cross as we heard in our second reading today.

Dear friends, the kingdom of God is opened for us today, let us not be too proud or busy to embrace it for the blessings of the kingdom are available to all who will come to Christ by faith. Let us learn to be humble and charitable with the gift God has given us, just like St. Martin De Porres, whose memorial we celebrate today. For he was known for his care for the poor and the sick, using his knowledge in medicine and extraordinary spiritual gifts with a profound life of prayer, humility and penance. And today he is known as patron saint of African Americans.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we are too busy with the things of this passing world, as we hear about the invitation to your Heavenly Kingdom today, may we embrace it with all humility while imitating St. Martin De Porres whose life is rooted in the humility of Christ your Son who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen. Do have a blessed day.

COMMEMORATING AND PRAYING FOR SUFFERING SOULS IN NEED OF PURIFICATION

 Monday 31st week in Ordinary Time Year A, 2nd November, 2020. The Commemoration if All the Faithful Departed (All Souls Day.)

Readings: Wis.3:1-9 , Ps.23, Rom 5:5-11 , Matt. 5:1-12

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

COMMEMORATING AND PRAYING FOR SUFFERING SOULS IN NEED OF PURIFICATION

As customary in the seminary, every 2nd November we often visit the cemetery to pray for the souls of the Faithful Departed. In 2017, I was privileged to be among those to visit 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, beggars, sick people and poor alike, among the people were the rich, the educated, their leaders both traditional and political. 

But getting to the cemetery I saw in a wall names and dates of some men and women who had passed on from this interesting community. Than I asked myself in my deep reflection, where will all of us in this beautiful community be in the next hundred years? Where are all these people whose names are listed in this wall? Where they like us before? Are we going to be like them later? With this is in mind I realized that there is time for everything in this world, a time to be born, and a time to die, a time to weep, and a time to laugh, a time to break down and a time to build up (Eccl: 3:1-11).

Little wonder the Church in her wisdom asked us every 2nd November, a day after the solemnity of All Saints, to commemorate and pray for all the faithful departed (All Souls), especially the suffering Church, that is, those souls that belong to the body of Christ but are still in need of purification. So today we remember our loved ones who have gone before us into eternal life. 

This we do not in grief but in the spirit of faith and hope, knowing that they are living in communion with us as they share in the resurrection of Christ. Just as we heard in our first reading that the souls of the virtuous are in the hands of God for those who are faithful will live with him in love; since grace and mercy await those he has chosen. And St. Paul in our second reading tell us to rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation in order to live a beatific life which Jesus gave us in our Gospel passage today.

Dear friends, do you know that you can offer some little help to souls struggling to attain heaven our beatific vision? Do we know that there are helpless souls who only rely on our help to attain the beatific vision? What am I willing to do for this helpless souls? Before now, have I even thought of it that my departed brethren need my assistance in other to reach their destination. Am I sure that I can avoid this state of suffering and purification? Do we ever remember that our loved ones may be there now?

Perhaps while they were in this life, they were of great help to us. Do we realize that our prayers and sacrifices represent the key to release them and we can use it if we want to? Do we care about using it? Therefore, as we remember the souls who are passing through this rigor of purification, it would be good for us to offer some prayers of intercession especially for our loved ones as plenary indigence awaits us when we do this devoutly today or any day in this month of November at the Holy Mass or at the cemetery. 

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, as we commemorate and pray for all souls today, may the light of your mercy shine upon them, especially those who are in need of your mercy. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Wishing you a favourable week.

CELEBRATING THE SAINTS: A REMINDER OF OUR FUTURE GLORY

 Thirty- first Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A, 1st November, 2020. Solemnity of All Saints.

Readings: Rev. 7:2-4.9-14, Ps.24, 1John 3:1-3, Matt. 5:1-12

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

CELEBRATING THE SAINTS: A REMINDER OF OUR FUTURE GLORY

Today the Church celebrates three special events, first one is the gift of another new month of which I say happy new month to all of us. The second is the thirty-first Sunday in ordinary time year A. The third which is so important is the solemnity of All Saints. The Church as we know is not  just the physical structure we have all over the places. It is much more than that. The Church is the body of Christ which everyone of us are member by the virtue of our baptism. 

This Church is divided into three groups, that is the militant Church, the suffering Church and the triumphant Church. The militant Church are all of us especially the baptized who are still inhabiting and struggling with the human flesh. Immediately after death we belong either to the suffering Church or the triumphant Church. The suffering Church are the souls that belong to the body of Christ but are still in need of purification. While the triumphant Church are the souls of the saints which we are celebrating today.

Thus, every first November, the Church presents to us the solemnity of All Saints. A day we celebrate the triumphant Church that is all the saints known or unknown to us who have triumphed victorious to heavenly glory, which of course reminds us that we are called to grow in holiness and to become saints. That is our primary goal in life. 

This solemnity dates back to 7th century, and the occasion of its introduction was the conversion of the ancient Roman Pantheon into a Christian Church. For emperor Phocas gave the Pantheon to Pope Boniface IV, who converted it into a Church and dedicated it to the blessed Virgin Mary and all the saints about the year 608. But later in the year 731, Pope Gregory III consecrated a chapel in St. Peter’s Church in honour of all the saints and since then the solemnity of All Saints has been celebrated all over the world.

Therefore, in this great in event, we are called to imitate the  heroic virtues of the saints by living a life of beatitudes as peace makers, pure of heart, meek, humble and merciful as Jesus teaches us in our Gospel passage today. And in our first reading St. John in the book of revelation tells that these saints are the people who have been through the great persecution, and they have washed their robes white again in the blood of the Lamb, of which in our second reading he made us to know that we are already the children of God but what we are to be in the future has not yet been revealed; but when it is revealed we shall be like him because we shall see him as he really is. And everyone who entertains this hope must purify himself and try to be as pure as Christ.

Dear friends, this solemnity remind us of our universal vocation to holiness, it strengthens us in our struggles towards our goal which is to attain eternal life.  It helps us to recall our communion with saints. It reminds us that we are pilgrims on this earth and also it strengthens our faith in the teachings of the Church. No doubt all of us wants to become saints and  oftentimes we really want to live a holy life but there are always obstacles on our way to holiness, these obstacles make us become so aware of our sins, our weaknesses and our failures. 

Yes, we are sinners, but so were the saints. They only relied on God’s mercy and grace and so we too. We cannot become holy through our efforts alone we need to cooperation with the grace of God. Remember, anything worth having is worth making sacrifices for, and the more it’s worth, the more significant sacrifices we should be willing to make for it. If holiness is necessary for one to attain heaven. Then it worth all the sacrifices Jesus mentioned in the beatitudes. 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, as militant Church on earth, there are lot of troubles and challenges we are struggling with, help us through the intercession of all the saints, to overcome them and so make it triumphantly to your heavenly kingdom. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Happy new month and a blessed Sunday celebration.

LET US LEARN TO BE HUMBLE AT ANY LEVEL WE FIND OURSELVES

 Saturday of the 30th Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 31st October, 2020.

Readings: Phil. 1:18-26, Ps  42, Luke 14:1.7-11

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

LET US LEARN TO BE HUMBLE AT ANY LEVEL WE FIND OURSELVES

One of the virtues the world needs more is humility, this virtue is really lacking in our society today because pride has become a way of life which most people wishes to embrace. Hence we often hear people saying in a very proud way, do you know who I am? By the time I finish with you then you will fear me. We hear people taking all sorts of honorific titles whether  merited or not, they want to be addressed and recognized so gloriously at every public events.

This should not be our attitudes or disposition for Jesus in our Gospel passage today while addressing the Pharisees told a parable about humility saying: When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take your seat in the place of honour. A more distinguished person than you may have been invited, and the person who invited you both may come and say, “Give up your place to this man.” And then, to your embarrassment, you would have to go and take the lowest place. No; when you are a guest, make your way to the lowest place and sit there, so that, when your host comes, he may say, “My friend, move up higher.” In that way, everyone with you at the table will see you honoured. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the man who humbles himself will be exalted.’

Here, we see the important of humility, we see how humility can help to elevate someone from nothing to something great. While pride can bring down the might into nothing. The truth is that, humility is not a way of glory, but a road of surrender that leads to passion and death of ones self. It is  a way of sacrifice, a service to others at the price of self- sacrifice. That is why many people do not want to be humble. 

Dear friends, it may seem so difficult to embrace the virtue of humility especially in our society today, but this virtue has a lot to offer us both as individuals or as a group. In fact, our world is in need of humble men and women, because a good society is built on all kinds of commendable virtues such as humility. 

Therefore, it is time for us to put off our old self which is led by pride the first capital sin, in order to put on a new person born of humility, love, compassion, contentment, purity, forgiveness etc. So let us work heard to add more virtues in our activities and behaviour for blessed are those who are virtuous for they easily solve their problems. Thus, why not try humility in solving those difficult and challenging moments in your life. Just try to be humble because it works like miracle.

LET US PRAY:  Heavenly Father, we have often failed to follow the example of Christ humility which he has taught us. As we are reminded once again the need to be humble, give us the grace to truly be humble at any level we find ourselves, we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a blessed and peaceful weekend.

JESUS THE COMPASSIONATE LORD CARES ABOUT US NO MATTER THE SITUATION

 Friday of the 30th Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 30th October, 2020.

Readings: Phil. 1:1-11, Ps  111, Luke 14:1-6

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

JESUS THE COMPASSIONATE LORD CARES ABOUT US NO MATTER THE SITUATION

Most times when we reflect on the relationship between Jesus and his audience, we wonder how he was able to manage all the situation placed before him even when it seems as if he has no escape root. Such is the situation in our Gospel passage today when on a Sabbath day Jesus went for a meal in the house of one of the leading Pharisees who had invited him; of which they watched him closely. Because in front of him was a man with dropsy, and Jesus addressed the lawyers and Pharisees saying: ‘Is it against the law to cure a man on the Sabbath, or not?’ But they remained silent, so he took the man and cured him and sent him away.

Here, we see Jesus who always honour all his invitation whether from the poor or the rich, friends or ‘enemies’ including Pharisee and Sadducees whose invitation was a trap to set him up. But Jesus cannot be trapped, rather he used the opportunity to teach us that no Sabbath law, no religious restriction, can ever forbid us from being compassionate and caring for the poor and the sick.

Dear friends, we must learn to be compassionate no matter the situation we may find ourselves, because Jesus has always been compassionate. For St. Paul in our first reading tells us that this kind of attitude  will help us to become pure and blameless, and prepare us for the Day of Christ, when we all will reach the perfect goodness which Jesus Christ produces in us for the glory and praise of God.  But we need to ask ourselves, are we willing to show love, compassion and care especially to those who need our love and care?

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we often wish to be compassionate and caring like you. But we often failed because of fear and lack of proper disposition. As we listened to your words today, may we find the courage to be compassionate and caring, we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Peace be with.

PUT ON THE WHOLE ARMOUR OF GOD SO AS TO QUENCH ALL THE FLAMES OF THE EVIL ONE

 Thursday of the 30th Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 29th October, 2020.

Readings: Eph.6:10-20, Ps  143, Luke 13:31-35

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

PUT ON THE WHOLE ARMOUR OF GOD SO AS TO QUENCH ALL THE FLAMES OF THE EVIL ONE

In this world we struggle with so many things and we often encounter ugly events and challenges that cause us sorrows and ties. And most times we don't know how to manage those moments. This is because there is an active presence of evil in the world which manifest itself in different forms. So everyday is a struggle against the malice of the evil ones, and people are doing everything they can to overcome them. 

Today, St. Paul in our first reading encouraged us to be strong and prepared against the attacks and assaults from the evil one and it’s wicked forces. He said: Put on the whole armour of God so as to be able to resist the devil’s tactics. For it is not against flesh and blood that we have to struggle, but against the principalities and powers originated from the darkness of this world. So stand your ground, with belt of truth buckled round your waist, and put on integrity of life for a breastplate, wearing shoes on your feet with that eagerness to spread the gospel of peace and always carrying the shield of faith so that you can use it to put out the burning arrows of the evil one. And then take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. He told us to be firm in our faith in God and to be ready to resist those who are going to try to harm us and bring us down.

This is exactly what Jesus did in our Gospel passage today when some of the Pharisees warned him to leave the area where he was teaching because Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great was after him. This warning was just a way of trying  to get rid of Jesus by frightening him using external forces and authority under the name of Herod. But Jesus was not moved by all their threats. For he knows that his mission is part of  God’s larger plan which can not be interrupted by any external forces and authority. Hence, he ignored them and continued with his work of healing the people and liberating them from evil ones

 

Dear friends, our lives are in God’s hands for we are part of God’s larger plan and nothing will happen to us which is in conflict with God’s wishes and plans for us. All we need is to embrace the whole armour of God in faith, with belt of truth buckled round our waist, and put on integrity of life for a breastplate, with eagerness to spread the gospel of peace while carrying the shield of faith so that we can use it to put out the burning arrows of the evil ones, using the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. By so doing overcome the ugly situation we face everyday in our societies today.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, everyday is a struggle against the malice of the evil ones, and oftentimes we don’t know what to do. As we embrace your words today, grant that we may find the courage and strength to conquer our fears and struggles against the evil ones, we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Wishing you and fruitful day.