WE ALL HAVE BEEN GIVEN SPECIAL GIFTS AND OPPORTUNITIES, DO NOT LET YOURS WASTE AWAY

 Wednesday 33rd week in Ordinary Time Year A, 18th November, 2020. 

Readings: Rev. 4:1-11 , Ps.150, Luke:19:11-28

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

WE ALL HAVE BEEN GIVEN SPECIAL GIFTS AND OPPORTUNITIES, DO NOT LET YOURS WASTE AWAY

In this life God has given special and unique gifts and opportunities for everyone. If we use these gifts and the opportunities wisely for our own benefit and the benefit of others, we will grow and blossom. But on the other hand if we fail to use them, we will remain dormant  and unsuccessful.

This is what the parable in our Gospel passage today is addressing. In this parable we heard how a king summoned ten of his servants and gave them ten pounds to do business until he comes back. Some of them utilized these gifts and opportunity and so became successful and for that they were entrusted with more gifts. While some decided to neglect and abandoned their gifts and so remained dormant and unsuccessful. 

This parable teaches us that we all have been given gifts by God which we must give account of. Because our gifts are meant to be put to use in the service of God and humanity. And our service to God should not be done grudgingly or fearfully but generously with the willingness to take risks in responding to God's mandate. We must be ready to lose our life in order to find it. God wants us to use the individual gifts and opportunities given to us to make a difference in the world. We are not to relax into a comfort zone doing nothing with them. God wants the best from us and when we have given our best, we receive more from him. 

Dear friends, we all are special, unique and a masterpiece and God has given us a very unique gift. These gifts may represent different physical and spiritual gifts of God, but it's  basic foundation is the love of God towards us.  This love is what God has given to us which needs to be reciprocated through an active love for our neighbours. 

However, we often fine it difficult to discover our other gifts or to accept the one God has given to us because we have failed to embrace love. So, we are called today to search and discover our gifts. Love is the greatest gift God has given to humanity, let us discover love and invest on it for in it comes other gifts that will help us to achieve the purpose by which we are created.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, you have endowed us with special and unique gifts and opportunities. Help us to discover these gifts and utilize them for the purpose of which they were given to us. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a fruitful day.

DO NOT CRITICIZE SINNERS, RATHER BE COMPASSIONATE

 Tuesday 33rd week in Ordinary Time Year A, 17th November, 2020. The Memorial of Elizabeth of Hungary

Readings: Rev. 3: 1-6.14-22, Ps.15, Luke:19:1-10

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

DO NOT CRITICIZE SINNERS, RATHER BE COMPASSIONATE

Oftentimes we are quick to criticize, condemn and label people as sinners, outcast and good for nothing. But this is not the attitude of Jesus who is always compassionate especially to sinners and those rejected in the society and wants us to do the same. This is evident in our Gospel passage today, where we were told the story of Zacchaeus. A man who was regarded as a public sinner.  Wanting to see Jesus, but being small in size, he ran ahead and climbed up a sycamore tree and waited for Jesus to come by. He really had a great desire to see Jesus. 

Thus, the attitude of Jesus upon seeing Zacchaeus on the tree was very touching. Jesus does not ask, nor does he demanded anything. He only responded to the inner desire of a sinful man who seeks to see him and he said to him, “Zacchaeus come down. Hurry, because I am to stay at your home today” Zacchaeus gets down and received Jesus, in his house, with great joy. People complained and criticized him saying “He has gone to stay at a sinner’s house”.

But Jesus does not care about the criticism. He went to the house of Zacchaeus and defended him from the criticism. And rather than calling him a sinner, he called him “son of Abraham”. Here we see how Jesus accepts those who were not accepted. He offers a place to those who do not have. He receives as brothers and sisters people whom the society and religion rejected. 

And we heard him reveals in our first readings saying: If one of you hears me calling and opens the door, I will come in to share his meal, side by side with him. He also warns us not to be lukewarm neither cold nor hot. But repent. If we do not wake up, he shall come to us like a thief, without telling us at what hour to expect him.

Dear friends, how do we accept people who are despised and marginalized in our society? Can we, like Jesus, perceive people’s inner desire for compassion and give them attention? Remember, the compassion and tenderness of Jesus brought about a total change in the life of Zacchaeus. Why not show some compassion to those we meet today, for it may be the only opportunity to embrace the salvation they will ever have in their life. 

Let us learn from St. Elizabeth whose memorial we celebrate today for she was known for her constant visit to the sick and those who were particularly repulsive; to some she gave food, to others clothing; some she carried on her own shoulders, and performed many other kindly services.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we are sinners in need of your mercy. As we climb the sycamore tree of grace with contrite hearts, may you find in us the inner desire for mercies and in your compassion purify us and welcome us back to your kingdom. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a blessed day.

MY CHILD WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO FOR YOU

 Monday 33rd week in Ordinary Time Year A, 16th November, 2020.

Readings: Rev. 1: 1-4.2:1-5, Ps.1:1-4.6, Luke:18:35-43

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

MY CHILD WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO FOR YOU 

The compassionate love of Jesus in it’s historical and physical solidarity with human suffering, springs from the love of God the Father and constitutes the basis of the Church’s liberating activity which is rooted in our faith in God. Little wonder in today’s Gospel passage, the blind beggar gives us a complete lesson about faith, expressed with total simplicity in front of Christ Jesus. He had faith enough to call out to Jesus as he passed by, even when he was scolded by the people close to him, his need for Jesus was so great that he cried all the louder, Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me! 

Then Jesus asks an unusual question “what do you want me to do for you?” So even though his need was obvious, Jesus wanted him to ask. In the same way today, Jesus is asking us: my child what do you want me to do for you? Why not like this blind beggar tell Jesus you need. Even though he knows your needs, you still need to present them before him. This blind man needed his eyesight restored, so he asked Jesus aloud, “Lord, that I may see!” And Jesus said receive your sight. Your faith has saved you.’ 

Here Jesus reveals his compassion towards human sufferings and wants us to imitate him, just as we heard the revelation in our first reading saying: “I know all about you: how hard you work and how much you put up with. But I have this complaint to make; you have less love now than you used to. Think where you were before you fell; repent, and do as you used to at first, or else, if you will not repent, I shall come to you and take your lamp-stand from its place.”

Dear friends, what is that one thing you need in your life? Have we ever felt helpless? Do we feel the need of Jesus’s help in some part of our lives? Why not in faith present it before him who is willing to help us. Also, do we know people who are helpless and need some help? How strong is our compassion towards them? Let us look at them for a moment and imagine Jesus looking at them. How does he sees them? 

Therefore, like Jesus, each one of us are called to reach out to people around us who are really in need of our assistance. This includes our families members, our neighbours, our colleagues and others who we encounter in life. The truth is that, you may be the only person who can brings the healing and compassion of Jesus into their lives. 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, as we present our needs before you today, may we experience once again your compassionate love and grant our hearts desire according to your Holy will, we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. It’s another week, wishing you God’s favour and blessings.

WHAT IS YOUR GOD GIVEN TALENT AND HOW ARE YOU UTILIZING IT?

 Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A, 15th November, 2020.

Readings: Prov.31:10-13.19-20.30-31, Ps.128, 1Thess 5:1-6, Matt. 25:14-30

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

WHAT IS YOUR GOD GIVEN TALENT AND HOW ARE YOU UTILIZING IT?

Pope Francis since 2017 the year of Our Lord, dedicated every last Sundays before the Solemnity of Christ the King, as the World Day of the Poor. An occasion where we are all reminded of the poor, those people in our community who are  lacking basic needs of life as they depend on others to survive. Therefore we are called to be of help the best we could knowing that God has a plan for everyone of us, each person has been given a special talent according to his/her ability in order to fulfill that plan. So everyone no matter you present condition is special, unique and a masterpiece. This is evident in our Gospel passage today, where Jesus told us the parable of the talents. 

In this parable a man who was going for a journey summoned his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to a third one; each in proportion to his ability to utilize it until he comes back. Thus, Jesus is telling us that we have all been given gifts by God which we must account for. If we use these gifts wisely for our own benefit and the benefit of others, we will grow and blossom. If on the other hand we fail to use them just like the third servant, we remain dormant  and unsuccessful. 

But what is this talent all about? The talent may represent different physical and spiritual gifts of God, but it's  basic foundation is the love of God towards us, the love that God has shown to us which needs to be reciprocated through an active love for our neighbours. So, this parable teaches us that our gifts are meant to be put to use, in service of God and humanity especially the poor. Our service to God should not be done grudgingly or fearfully but generously and the willingness to take risks in responding to God's mandate. 

We must be ready to lose our life in order to find it. God wants us to use the individual talents given to us to make a difference in the world, not to relax into our comfort zone doing nothing with them. God wants the best from us and when we have given our best, we receive more from him. However, we often fine it difficult to discover our talents or to accept the one God has given to us because we have failed to embrace love.

Dear friends, what is your talent? Have you put it in full use? Or have you buried it out of fear, ignorance and shame? For we are called today to search and discover our talent, to discover love and invest on it in order to achieve the purpose by which we are created just like the first two servants in the parable of the talents who utilized the talents given to them.

Little wonder our first reading today gives us an example of a very industrious and virtuous woman who utilized her talent in helping her husband and the poor knowing that the day of the Lord is coming like a thief in the night, just as we heard in our second reading today. Therefore, we are reminded that we are going to give an account before God and the real tragedy of life is not in being limited to one talent but in failure to use that one talent properly.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, you have given us a special talent according to our ability in order to fulfill your plans for us. Help us to discover our talents and utilize them in such a way that it will lead us to love you and our neighbours, especially the poor and so attain eternal life. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a glorious Sunday celebration.

PERSISTENCE IN PRAYER

 Saturday 32nd week in Ordinary Time Year A, 14th November, 2020.

Readings: 3 John 1:5-8, Ps.111, Luke:18:1-8

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

PERSISTENCE IN PRAYER

Have you been truly in need of something from a friend who is capable of give you what you need but will not? Or have you been in a situation where you needed something from a friend but cannot get it because you can not reach him easily. Such a situation can make one to be 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. 

Little wonder Jesus in our Gospel passage today, using the parable of the widow and the unjust judge addresses the issues of faith in difficult times and the need to persevere in prayer. Here Jesus reassures us that God hears our prayers. He tells us that we need to pray continually and never lose heart. In this parable Jesus is not comparing God to an unjust judge, but saying that if through perseverance one obtains justice from an unjust judge, how much more will we receive from a good and loving father? For persevering in prayer teaches us that God does not need to be informed of our needs. 

The parable also serves to encourage those suffering injustice to continue their struggles and call for justice. We should persist in our complaints, and prayerfully confront unjust authorities in order to effect the change needed for justice to reign. Thus, Jesus is encouraging us never to lose heart, rather, we should approach God with confidence, persisting until we obtain what we need. We should keep on asking, seeking, and knocking in prayer until we obtain the answer we need.

Dear friends, there are times when we asked and we received, sought and found, knocked and it was opened to us. But there were also times when we asked but did not receive, seek but did not find, knocked but the door remained shut. In such moments persistency 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. That is why, patient, persistency and perseverance are very difficult virtue for most people today.

LET US PRAY: Almighty God, oftentimes we are not patient with you in our prayers, give us the grace to persevere and be persistent in our prayer life and in every other things we do in life, especially in our relationship with others. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Wishing you a fruitful weekend.

BE PREPARED NOW, DO NOT LET THE DAY OF THE LORD TAKE YOU BY SURPRISE

 Friday 32nd week in Ordinary Time Year A, 13th November, 2020.

Readings: 2 John 4-9, Ps.119, Luke:17:26-37

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

BE PREPARED NOW, DO NOT LET THE DAY OF THE LORD TAKE YOU BY SURPRISE

In this world we are so busy preparing, acquiring and  safeguarding the things of this passing world. The streets are full of people struggling and bobbling, the markets are full of people buying, selling, cheating and chatting, the Churches are full of people praying, singing and celebrating. Noise everywhere, no one wants to be patient with the other, no one wants to give way to the other. We are so busy with everything except the very essence of our existence that is, the salvation of our souls. 

Little wonder, Jesus speaks of the 'end times' in our Gospel passage today, wants his listeners to notice how life was going on normally in the days of Noah and Lot when flood and fire consumed them. The people were engaged in their everyday activities, when the disaster struck. No extraordinary warning, no premonition, no time to plan an escape. So too the Son of Man will come suddenly and unexpectedly. 

Our times certainly sound very much like Noah’s days, where everyone seems so busy and distracted, unable to concentrate on what is really important. But Jesus is warning us today that the time for decision can catch us unawares. He insists that with a real sense of urgency, we need to take our life seriously. And St. John in our first reading tells us that there are many deceivers about in the world, refusing to admit that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. They are the Deceiver; they are the Antichrist. Watch yourselves, or all our work will be lost and not get the reward it deserves. 

Dear friends, If we have not yet trusted in Christ Jesus as our Saviour, we should do so now for tomorrow may be too late. If there are ugly behaviours and sins we are yet to give up, the  time to do that is now. Jesus tells us that we will not have any warning signs of the coming day of judgment any more than the preaching of the Gospel. There will be no time to repent when that day comes. 

Therefore, if we will believe and obey, if we would acknowledge our sins and trust in the mercy of God, we have to do it right now for the day of judgment draws very near. Let us not be unaware or apathetic about its coming. Let us not be too busy with the things of this passing world. Know that the only way to be prepared is to live a good and holy life, a life that is based on love. For when we live this way, then the coming of the Son of Man will not be a disaster but a day of our final salvation. 

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, we have become so busy with the things of this passing world while neglecting to prepare our souls for your coming. As we listened to your words today, may we realized the need to prepare our souls for your coming more than any other thing in the world. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. God bless you.

THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS WITHIN YOU

 Thursday 32nd week in Ordinary Time Year A, 12th November, 2020. The Memorial of St. Josaphat

Readings: Philemon 1:7-20, Ps.146, Luke:17:20-25

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS WITHIN YOU

Oftentimes whenever we hear about the kingdom of God, two questions comes to mind, the first question is when is it coming? And the second question is how will it looks like? This is not different from the Pharisees in our Gospel passage today who after hearing Jesus talking about the kingdom of God, asked him when the kingdom will come. This is because they presume that the kingdom of God is yet to come, and will be visible like an earthly kingdom. 

But, Jesus replies that the kingdom is already present though invisible, for the kingdom of God is within us. The kingdom is essentially God's reign in the soul of humanity through his Son Jesus. For with the presence of Jesus, the kingdom of God is already here among us. And within our hearts, God’s reign has already begun. So through our union with Jesus, we already have a foretaste of eternal life. 

However, Jesus said to his disciples, 'a time will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man and will not see it. They will say to you, “Look there!” or, “Look here!” Make no move; do not set off in pursuit; for as the lightning flashing from one part of heaven lights up the other, so will be the Son of Man when his day comes. 

Here, Jesus encourages his disciples not to get worked up, or even overly curious, about the end times and the second coming of the Son of Man. Instead let us concentrate on the here and now, especially on our relationship with him as we ponder constantly on his teaching. Jesus also warns us not to be distracted by fake prophets and preachers who claim private revelations about the end of the world. Rather, we should focus on how to shape our life to attain the demands of God’s kingdom, Just like St. Josaphat Kuntsevych whose memorial we celebrate today.

St. Josaphat was a monk who eventually rose to the position of leadership within the Church as an Archbishop. He fought for the unification of the Church despite the rising tensions and clashes between those who were supportive of the union and those who opposed it. As the leader and shepherd of his flock, he struggled to resolve the tensions and differences. However, this tensions and violence eventually led to his martyrdom. For he dedicated himself fully in ensuring that he leads and steers the faithful to the right path through his personal holiness and exemplary life style, he is known for constantly mortifying his flesh and resisting the temptations to sin.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, as we await your Kingdom, help us to be well prepared for it whenever it comes. And through the intercession of St Josaphat, give us the grace to be faithful and dedicated servants, we ask this through Christ our Lord.  Amen. Do have a faithful day.