NEVER FORGET TO SHOW GRATITUDE TO GOD WHO IS ALWAYS WILLING AND READY TO MAKE US WHOLE AGAIN

 Wednesday 32nd week in Ordinary Time Year A, 11th November, 2020. The Memorial of St. Martin of Tours

Readings: Titus 3:1-7, Ps.23, Luke:17:11-19

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

NEVER FORGET TO SHOW GRATITUDE TO GOD WHO IS ALWAYS WILLING AND READY TO MAKE US WHOLE AGAIN

The compassionate love of Jesus in solidarity with human suffering is evident in the scriptures and even in our daily lives.  Little wonder, we have great events in the scriptures that illustrates the compassionate concern of Jesus in the struggles of humanity and wishes to set us free from the shackles of all our troubles. But how often do we show gratitude for such great love.

 This is evident in the occasion of our Gospel passage today, where we heard the story of Jesus’ encounter with the ten lepers. Ten of them were cured, but only one who is a foreigner among them came back to thank Jesus.  From this man’s gratitude, Jesus made a comment on human ingratitude when he asked “Was there no one to return and give thanks to God except this foreigner?”

 The problem is that we don’t always remember that the ultimate source of our graces and gifts is God. That is what makes the Samaritan leper special, and distinguishes him from the other nine. Unfortunately, God’s greatest gifts, our life and health, our ability to think and achieve great things, are often taken for granted. More so, the story of these lepers is a good example of how we sinners can and should appeal to Jesus for cleansing especially from our sins. We should come in faith knowing that God is always willing to cleanse every sinner who comes to Him. 

So, let us sincerely turn to God once again with all of our hearts and with all of our strength, just like the lepers who came to Jesus with faith, knowing that he could heal them and make them better. This is what all of us must have as well, a strong and genuine faith. Today may be our great opportunity to be restored and what is needed is to put our faith to action and say Jesus! Master! Have mercy on us.

Dear friends, I don’t know what type of leprocious problems you are passing through? Are you weigh down by sin or sickness? Are you feeling helpless and rejected?  Or do I know people who are helpless and need some help? Do I feel the need of Jesus’s help in some part of my life? Let us pause for a moment and imagine Jesus looking at us. How does he sees us? What are you saying to him and what is he saying to you. Jesus wishes to set us free from sickness, troubles challenges and manipulations of the evil ones. He desires to be with us as we struggle everyday to overcome the challenges in our families, society and the world at large. 

Therefore, we should not be afraid to approach Jesus for healing and restoration, all we need is an active faith and heart of gratitude like the leper in our Gospel passage today. Let us also be inspired by St. Martin of Tours whose memorial we celebrate today, his life was truly exemplary before God. He was a champion of the true faith amidst several challenges and heresies that were rampant in his time, protecting his flock from the false teachings and helped to guide them down the right path, leading by example through his own virtuous life. In gratitude to God, we too can do the same.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, you know our inner most being and the challenges we are struggling with, come to our aid we pray and through the intercession of St. Martin of Tours, cleanse us from all our physical, emotional and spiritual leprosy as we thank you for all you have done for us, we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Peace be with you.

A HUMBLE SERVANT SEEKS NO REWARD FOR DOING THE WILL OF THE MASTER

 Tuesday 32nd week in Ordinary Time Year A, 10th November, 2020. The Memorial of St. Leo The Great

Readings: Titus 2:1-8.11-14, Ps.37, Luke:17:7-10

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

A HUMBLE SERVANT SEEKS NO REWARD FOR DOING THE WILL OF THE MASTER

These days the rate people seek for rewards for what they have done and some even for what they have not done is quite disturbing. Today it is difficult for people to do things without looking for what they will gain from it. In fact, it takes courage to trust people even when they extend their hands of generosity to others because we often think that they have some interior motives behind the generosity. But this should not be our attitudes as disciples of Christ. 

Little wonder in our Gospel passage today, Jesus  in the parable of a dutiful servant corrects some of the wrong thinking and notion about being a disciple and teaches us what our true place and disposition should be. In the parable Jesus compared our relationship with God to that of a master and his servant. Where the servant had a duty to serve his master well and to do what he had been told to do without seeking for any compliments. Because the master has no obligation to congratulate or please the servant. 

Therefore, telling us that we are “unworthy servants” before our Worthy and righteous God. So disciples should not seek reward for their good deeds. For our obedience to God is required by the very nature of who God is and not something to boast about or seek a reward for since our obedience is that of a son or daughter to a loving Father.

Dear friends, today we are reminded that in following Jesus, we should do all our good works in humility without any strange attachment. We should do what we can to help others we meet on our way for no reason other than to help for the seek of helping. And St. Paul in our first reading tells us how each and every one of us ought to behave in the respective positions we found ourselves, just like Pope St. Leo the Great whose memorial we celebrate today for he showed us what it means to be a true and dedicated disciple of the Lord. As the Pope he dedicated himself wholeheartedly to the well-being of his flock. He led the Church and the faithful through the most difficult moment, and was instrumental in strengthening the Church against the various heresies of his time, telling all Christians to recognize our dignity.

Therefore, as a faithful servant, all that is required is for us to act justly, love tenderly and walk humbly before God without seeking any reward for that is what we are called to do. Remember that everything that happens to us, whether prosperous or adverse, comes from God, so that you neither become puffed up in prosperity nor discouraged in adversity. Thus, in anything you do avoid evil, do good, and seek peace.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, teach us how to be a humble and faithful servant, even when it is difficult. Grant that through the intercession of St Leo the Great, we may obtain the grace to be faithful and humble servants at any level we find ourselves without seeking for rewards. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen  Do have a faithful day.

YOU ARE GOD’S TEMPLE, A LIVING SIGN OF HIS PRESENCE IN THE WORLD

 Monday 32nd week in Ordinary Time Year A, 9th November, 2020. The Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica

Readings: Ez.47:1-2.8-9.12, Ps.46, 1Cor3:9-11.16-17, John 2:13-22

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

YOU ARE GOD’S TEMPLE, A LIVING SIGN OF HIS PRESENCE IN THE WORLD

Today in a special way the Church celebrate the feast of the dedication of St. John Lateran Basilica Rome. It is the Mother and head of all the Churches in the world. It is the symbol of unity for all the Churches in the world with the Roman Church. However, we should never lose sight of the fact that it is the symbol of the true meeting point between man and God, and Jesus Christ who is the actual temple. 

Little wonder Jesus in the Gospel passage today points to himself as the temple of God in the world, the one through whom God is present in the world.  Here, he is speaking of the sanctuary that was his body when he said to the Jews: destroy this sanctuary, and in three days I will raise it up. Thus, prophet Ezekiel in our first reading prophesying about this sanctuary said: ‘along the river, on either bank, will grow every kind of fruit tree with leaves that never wither and fruit that never fails; they will bear new fruit every month, because this water comes from the sanctuary. And their fruit will be good to eat and the leaves medicinal.’ 

While St. Paul in our second reading, emphasis that the Christian community, the body of Christ, is the place where God is to be truly present in the world. That the Church is a spiritual temple and each individual member of the Church is a temple of the Holy Spirit, a living expressions of God’s loving presence in our world today. He said: ‘didn’t  you realised that you were God’s temple and that the Spirit of God was living among you? If anybody should destroy the temple of God, God will destroy him, because the temple of God is sacred; and you are that temple'.

Dear friends, our bodies are sacred temple of the Lord, this in fact is the heart of our own baptismal character, to become temples of God through whom God’s loving presence touches the lives of others. So, today we are reminded that we are sacred reality, where God dwells, which should not be profaned or used as may material object. Therefore, we must preserve our bodies from stains of sin, we must unite together to build up the body of Christ which is his Church. 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, as we celebrate the feast of the dedication of your Church, help us to realize that our bodies are sacred temple of your dwelling presence and so preserve it always from the stains of sin and corruption. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Do have a fruitful week.

BE PREPARED, KEEP YOUR LIGHT BURNING AND ALWAYS MAKE READY YOUR OIL OF PURITY AND RIGHTEOUSNESS.

 Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A, 8th November, 2020.

Readings: Wis 6:12-16, Ps.63, 1Thess 4:13-18, Matt. 24:1-13

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

BE PREPARED, KEEP YOUR LIGHT BURNING AND ALWAYS MAKE READY YOUR OIL OF PURITY AND RIGHTEOUSNESS.

Preparation they said, is the secret and foundation of every successful event. This is obvious when we observe how footballers, boxers, athletes, also engineers, doctors and farmers, business men and women devote time and energy in rigorous preparation towards achieving their goals. Then I realized that adequate is truly the heart of any successful event. But if we can go to this length of rigorous periods of preparation just for things of this passing world, it will be even more demanding when it has to do with preparing for eternal life. 

Thus, if we can devote such time and energy towards our spiritual life which we often neglected, we will be more awake and prepared more than the ten maidens in our Gospel passage today, who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were sensible: the foolish ones did take their lamps, but they brought no oil, whereas the sensible ones took flasks of oil as well as their lamps. When the bridegroom delayed in coming their lamps burned out and as they went out to get more oil, they missed out since the door was shut after the bridegroom had passed.

In this parable, Jesus emphasized on the need for us to be well prepared for the coming of God’s kingdom, warning us not to be like the foolish five maidens who were not well prepared and missed out when the bridegroom came because they run short of oil. The oil here is so symbolic, as we know in the scriptures, oil is made from the seed of the olive tree, which symbolizes goodness, fruitfulness, purity and righteousness, these great viruses like oil sustain and fuels the light of our souls which  shines in the world to enlighten the darkness around us. 

Hence, these great virtues are what the wise maidens took as extra oil. While the foolish ones abandoned them. So as the coming was delayed, they all drowsed off, and when the time actually came, the foolish ones realized that they were not good enough. There oil of goodness, purity, and righteousness had burned out, and their light had stopped burning, so they had nothing with which to replenish it. Thus, their contribution to the light of the world was no more, for they were fruitless.  They had become lazy and begin to do things that they are not supposed to be doing. So now that the time is ripped, they had nothing to keep their lamp burning for the bridegroom that was coming. 

Dear friends, our life as Christians demands that we should be alert, we should be prepared at all times and be ready to make sacrifices like the five wise maidens. Because so many people will be caught unprepared when they realize that the day of the Lord has finally come, and they have nothing to show to God for all the gifts he has given us. Little wonder we are told in our first reading to be wise for wisdom is found by those who seek her. And St. Paul in our second reading tells us about the need to be vigilant and prepared, we should not claim to be ignorant. 

Therefore, we should be watchful for we know neither the day nor the hour when the Lord will call us. We are reminded today that this world is passing away, so we need to stay awake and be ready. We are called to abstain from things that will separate us from our God, as we look into our inner being, our interior life in order to embrace the life of holiness, goodness, purity and self-control for they are the extra oil that will help us to be more prepared. 

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

LIVING A LIFE OF INTEGRITY IN THE MIDST OF CORRUPT AND SINFUL WORLD

 Saturday 31st week in Ordinary Time Year A, 7th November, 2020.

Readings: Phil 4:10-19 , Ps.111 , Luke 16: 9-15

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

LIVING A LIFE OF INTEGRITY IN THE MIDST OF CORRUPT AND SINFUL WORLD

Walking through the streets I observed how people are struggling with the things of this life, I can feel their passion, their determination and willingness even in the midst of corruption and challenges of life. How I wish we can put such energy in working towards the things that edifice our soul. 

This is what Jesus is telling us in our Gospel passage today when he said; use money, tainted as it is, to win you friends, and thus make sure that when it fails you, they will welcome you into the tents of eternity. For the man who can be trusted in little things can be trusted in great; the man who is dishonest in little things will be dishonest in great. If then you cannot be trusted with money, that tainted thing, who will trust you with genuine riches? And if you cannot be trusted with what is not yours, who will give you what is your very own?

Here, we have the continuation of yesterday’s parable of the dishonest steward, in which today Jesus explained its meaning and how it can be related to the lives of the people, telling us that we should careful not to fall into the temptations of money and other worldly pleasures which are trying to lead us away from God and the salvation he has given us. 

Dear friends, today we are called to live a life of integrity. Each and every one of us are called to be good manager of and custodians of whatever blessings and resources God has given us, for we are all reminded that we have been called to follow the Lord and to devote ourselves to Him wholeheartedly. And St. Paul in our first reading tell us that there is nothing we cannot master with the help of the One who gives us strength.

 

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, as we listened to your words today, may we not be carried away by the things of this passing world. Rather give us the grace to a life of integrity and to develop our societies positively, we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a grace filled weekend.

PRUDENTLY USE THE THINGS OF THIS WORLD TO WIN YOUR SALVATION

 Friday 31st week in Ordinary Time Year A, 6th November, 2020.

Readings: Phil 3:17-4:1 , Ps.121 , Luke 16: 1-8

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

PRUDENTLY USE THE THINGS OF THIS WORLD TO WIN YOUR SALVATION

The elements of good and bad seem inherent in human person, little wonder the world involves both good and bad mixed together. This will help us to understand the reason for corruption, greediness, immoral and social decadence in our world today. But even in the midst of all these ugly situation, we are expected to be wise and smart in our deals with the thing of this passing world.

Little wonder, in the Gospel passage today, Jesus tells the parable of this dishonest steward who, having acted unjustly and having being exposed by his master, went to great lengths to make friends of his master’s debtors in order to secure his future. In this parable, Jesus is not telling us to be dishonest, but he wants us to know that we can learn even from this dishonest servant how to prudently use the things of this  passing world to gain our salvation. Thus, Jesus points out that we too should be smart but not exactly like the dishonest steward, using dishonest wealth to exploit others as most rich people do today. No, instead we his disciples are to use our wealth to win souls for the kingdom and safe guard our own soul. 

But more importantly, if we understand the principle that says that everything we own is a gift from God, then we will realize that God is the owner of everything and that we are His stewards. As such, we are to use the Master’s resources to further the Master’s work and not the contrary. In this contest, we are told to be generous with our resources and use it for the safety of our souls and the growth of God’s kingdom. 

Dear friends, today, we are called to really examine our conscience to know where we are with regards to our vocation as Christians. How can we best harness the things entrusted to us so that they can be source and midst of safeguarding our souls surrounded by corruption and greediness. We are called today to be wise and smart, for if the worldly minded people can be smart in their dealing, we too should be smarter in our struggles for the salvation of humanity. We should utilize the resources available to us and use them to secure our salvation.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, in our struggles with the ugly situation in our societies today, give us the grace and skills to manage the resources entrusted to us and use them properly for the salvation of humanity, we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. It’s Friday, wishing you a fruitful day.

GOD WILL NOT LET US TO BE LOST IN THIS SINFUL WORLD

 Thursday 31st week in Ordinary Time Year A, 5th November, 2020.

Readings: Phil 3:3-8 , Ps.104 , Luke 15:1-10

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

GOD WILL NOT LET US TO BE LOST IN THIS SINFUL WORLD

It is natural and common for any human person to desire to seek and find any valuable thing he/she have lost. Some people even have sleepless nights over their lost items. Some can go to any length hoping to recover any of their valuable commodity that is lost. If we can do this just for perishable things of this passing world, don’t we think that God will do even much more to save every single soul he created in his own image and likeness. 

Little wonder in our Gospel passage today, Jesus  while addressing the Pharisee who accused him of welcoming sinners, tells us the parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin which illustrate the unrelenting love of God for each of us, especially sinners. 

In these parables, we see two examples of people searching for what is precious to them. And when they found it their joy was so great. So, Jesus uses these examples to explain to us how God seeks us when we are lost in sin and his joy when our friendship with him is renewed. His searching for us cost him the sacrifice of his Son Jesus Christ. 

This can help us to realize how precious we are to him, that he never gives up on anyone except those who chose to be lost. All we need is for us to return to God who is patiently waiting for us. Just like St. Paul in our first reading who told us that because of Christ, he has come to consider all he has as nothing. For nothing can happen that will outweigh the supreme advantage of knowing Christ Jesus our Lord.

Dear friends, are we lost in sin? Have we given up in our struggle with sin? Do you think that our sins are so great that God cannot forgive us? Do we feel lost now? Jesus is searching for us, he is waiting for us at the confessional. When was the last time we visited him at the confessional? Just know that he loves us and we are too precious to be lost in this sinful world.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we are lost in this passing world due to our sinfulness, Seek out humanity once again from the wilderness of sins, so that we may return back to you, just like the lost sheep and the lost coin and so rejoice and praise you once again with the angels. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Peace be with you.