Sunday, the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, 3rd January, 2021

 Sunday, the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, 3rd January, 2021

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

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

IN FAITH LET US JOURNEY TO ENCOUNTER JESUS THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD

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

 In our Gospel passage we see how the Wise Men being led by a star journeyed a long distance in search of the new born king. They were probably sages in search of something more about life, in search of the true light that could point out the path to true meaning of life. This journey of the Wise Men was bold, courageous and imaginative. For some persons, they may appeared to be foolish even a little crazy. No doubt they encountered many difficulties and experienced some moments of doubt and danger. Yet in spite of the difficulties, doubt and dangers they preserved in their search and were joyful when they finally found the baby Jesus.

Thus, today the Wise Men find, crying in a manger, the one they have followed as he shone in the sky. They see clearly, in swaddling clothes, the one they have long awaited as he lay hidden among the stars. Today, the Wise Men gaze in deep wonder at what they see: heaven on earth, earth in heaven, man in God, God in man, one whom the whole universe cannot contain now enclosed in a tiny body. As they look, they believe and do not question, as their symbolic gifts bear witness: incense for God, gold for a king, myrrh for one who is to die.

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

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

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

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

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

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

WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT IS YOUR ROLE IN THE MASTER PLAN OF GOD?

 Saturday in Christmas time, 2nd January, 2021. 

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

Readings : 1 John 2:22-28 , Ps 97, John 1:19-28

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT IS YOUR ROLE IN THE MASTER PLAN OF GOD?

Oftentimes, things happen in our lives that we can not explain how and why they happened. This is to tell us that we are unique and special, because, in our uniqueness we come to realize that God has a special plan for everyone. Today, in our Gospel passage, we heard about the role and the personality of John the Baptist's in redemptive plan of God. This is obvious when John was questioned by the Pharisees. They asked him, who are you? This is a fundamental question we need to ask ourselves everyday. John explained to them that he is just a voice and his role and purpose is to cry in the wilderness in order to make a straight way for the Lord.

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

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

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

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

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

IT IS ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL YEAR, FILL, DRAW AND SERVE

 The Octave of Christmas, Friday 1st January, 2021. 

The Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God.

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

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

IT IS ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL YEAR, FILL, DRAW AND SERVE

Every first of January the Church begins the year with the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God. This is to remind us that every year is a gift of God to humanity, we journey through it in hope, full of expectations, favour, grace and blessing just like Mary whom God in time endowed with the great responsibility of becoming the Mother of his Son Jesus Christ, thereby sharing in greatly in the universal plan of God for humanity. 

Following the role of Mary in God’s plan for our salvation, the Church ascribes some special prerogatives or privileges to her. These prerogatives concern what the Faith of the Church affirms in connection with the blessed Virgin Mary. They include her immaculate conception, her perpetual virginity, the assumption of Mary and the title Mary, the Holy Mother of God (Theotokos), which is the foundation of other prerogatives. The solemnity of this prerogative is what we are celebrating today which shows her special role in the universal plan of God, of which our Gospel passage today gave us some details of how she cooperated with the will of God and treasured all the things that happened to her and pondered them in her heart.

This tells us that our success in life is determined by our disposition towards doing the will God. Hence, we have to identify our plans and purposes this year with the universal plan of God for humanity. But how can we identify the plan of God? Very simple, we were told in Gospel of John 2:1-11, how the wedding couple invited Jesus and his disciples in the most important day of their lives. And when an embarrassing moment came up during the course of the celebration, Mary in her usual way of helping people asked Jesus to save the couple from social embarrassment and even when her request was not granted by her son, she had strong faith that he will not refuse her request. So she said to the servants: “ Do whatever he tells you”

By this request Mary who represents the Church reveals to us the key to a successful and happy Christian Life. That is to say that, the secret key that opens the treasure of a successful and happy Christian life is to do whatever he (Jesus) tells us. But what did Jesus say we should do? He told the servants: Fill, Draw and Serve. Telling us to fill our life with the water of salvation which he offers us every day through his Words and Eucharist and when we have filled our lives with the fountain of his presence, then we should draw from the joy it offers and serve humanity who are really in need and thirsty for the word of God especially at this moment in our world when humanity really hope and seek for God’s intervention. 

Dear friends, let this principle guide all our activities this year. We must learn to fill our minds with positive things so that we can draw from the abundance of our hearts and serve humanity. All we need is to ask God to fill us with wisdom and show us what we can offer to humanity this New Year in accordance with his plan, for by so doing we will be successful in all we do this year.

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

MAY THE WORD, THE TRUE LIGHT THAT ENLIGHTENS ALL MEN REIGN IN OUR HEARTS

 Thursday, The Seventh Day Within The Octave of Christmas, 31st December, 2020. 

Readings : 1 John 2:18-21, Ps 95, John 1:1-18

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

MAY THE WORD, THE TRUE LIGHT THAT ENLIGHTENS ALL MEN REIGN IN OUR HEARTS

As the year comes to an end our Gospel passage today presents to us the unchanging truth about our salvation in the Word of God, Who was with God since the beginning, and Who was God. And this same Word of God has become the Son of God, begotten not created. The Word which came down into the world and became Flesh. Through Him we have seen the love of God for the salvation of humanity. This is what we celebrate this Christmas season, the manifestation of God’s love in the Flesh, in person of Jesus Christ.  

However, many of us despite what God has done in our lives, we have not appreciated this love and this care that he has shown us. Instead, we chose to follow the falsehood of this world, and dwell in sin and shame. To call our minds out of this ugly ways of life, St. John in our first reading today spoke of the antichrists present all around us. For these antichrists are those who seek to cover up the truth of God with falsehoods and lies by committing all forms of evil against God and humanity. We are called today to be careful in order not to fall into their traps of lies and falsehoods. Thus, we must hold firmly to our faith in God no matter the situation we may find ourselves in this world.

Dear friends, this massage is important for us today, in order to help us to understand better the ugly situation we faced this year, so that we can be well prepared to conquer and manage the situations of the coming year. Therefore, let us remain focused and determined in our faith by making firm resolutions that will guide us through the struggle of the coming year.

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

Wednesday, The Sixth Day Within The Octave of Christmas, 30th December, 2020

 Wednesday, The Sixth Day Within The Octave of Christmas, 30th December, 2020. 

Readings : 1 John 2:12-17, Ps 95, Luke:2:36-40

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

ANNA’S EXPERIENCE OF JESUS

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

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

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

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

Dear friends, what is our relationship with God like in relation to the things of this passing world? How have we personally experienced the Lord Jesus who has been born for us? How have we been able to share our experience of God with others? If we have not experienced the Lord personally in our lives, what then is our disposition towards prayers and pleasurable things of this passing world? To experience the Lord, we must love him above all other things and truly desire to encounter him just like Annan. 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we are living in a world where materialism and pleasurable things are seriously distracting us from experiencing your presence in our midst, help us to conquer our inordinate desire for the things of world in order to embrace the heavenly things. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. As the year comes to an end, may the joy, favour and grace of God lead us into the new year.

JESUS THE TRUE LIGHT OF THE WORLD IS PRESENTED INTO THE TEMPLE

 Tuesday, The Fifth Day Within The Octave of Christmas, 29th December, 2020. 

Readings : 1 John 2:3-11, Ps 95, Luke:2:22-35

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

JESUS THE TRUE LIGHT OF THE WORLD IS PRESENTED INTO THE TEMPLE

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

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

Thus, this prophecy is pointing out the salvation which Jesus will bring to his people, that which he embodies in himself, as he passed through the Cross, the violent death by which he was to vanquish death and transform humanity with the sacrifice of his life through love. Hence, he becomes the true Light of the world of which Simeon proclaimed as a revelation, that Jesus was to be the High Priest of all, who is to redeem all mankind from their sins. By so doing he becomes the true light that enlightens every man who is born into this world. Thus, St. John in our first reading tells us that the night is over and the real light is already shining. And anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the dark. But anyone who loves his brother is living in the light and need not be afraid of stumbling.

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

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

THE LOVE OF POWER AND THE DEATHS OF THE HOLY INNOCENTS

 Monday in The Octave of Christmas, 28th December, 2020. 

The Feast of The Holy Innocents

Readings : 1 John 1:5-2:2, Ps 124, Matt.2:13-18

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

THE LOVE OF POWER AND THE DEATHS OF THE HOLY INNOCENTS

As we continue the celebration of the birth of Christ,  the Church today, calls our attention to the ugly event of death that occurred in Bethlehem as a result of King Herod's love of power and fear of losing his power to another person. So out of envy, pride and greed, he ordered the killing of all the male children from two years down. The Greek Liturgy states that Herod killed 14,000 boys, the Syrians speak of 64,000, many medieval authors also suggested 144,000, according to book of Revelation 14:3. However, modern writers reduce the number, since Bethlehem was a rather small town.

 Nevertheless, this ugly event illustrate our ugly attitude towards human life, showing us that every human life begins with birth and ends with death.  See how the presence of the baby Jesus made the King of this world to tremble, frenzy, mad with rage that he ordered the killing of innocent children. No pity for sorrowing mothers, no sympathy for weeping fathers, no compassion for the crying voice of the little innocent. Just as we heard in our Gospel reading, a  voice crying in Ramah, sobbing and loudly lamenting: it was Rachel weeping for her children, because they were no more. They were slaughtered out of fear for the Prince of Life. 

Dear friends, this outrageous event is still happening in our societies today, when we see and hear what people do for the sake of obtaining powers and retaining them. When we engaged in all forms of atrocities just for the sake of our political and other ambitions. We are not far from Herod when we kill people because of position and power. We are the same as Herod when we prevent others from living out their potentials. We are not far from Herod when we kill the young fetus through abortion and every other means of terminating pregnancy. We are like Herod when we refused to submit to the will of God out of pride. We are like Herod when we let envy, jealousy and greed get hold of us and blindfold us into doing evil against other people.

Therefore, we are called today to reflect on our ugly attitude towards people especially children, we are called not to be like Herod who out of fear, envy and love of power seeks to murder Life itself, rather we are called to clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness and patience in following the will of God. 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, as we reflect on the life and death of the Holy Innocents, grant us the grace to embrace your will over our worldly ambitions. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. It’s Monday, as the year comes to an end, hope in the Lord, be faithful, be steadfast for you are so special to the Lord. Do have a fruitful day.