The Homily for Wednesday in Seventh Week of Eastertide Year B, 19th May, 2021

 The Homily for Wednesday in Seventh Week of Eastertide Year B, 19th May, 2021

Readings: Acts 20:28-38; Ps.68; John 17:11-19

Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia.

LETTING OURSELVES BE SANCTIED IN TRUTH OF CHRIST IN ORDER TO BE ONE WITH HIM

Sanctity, truth and oneness are very vital concepts that any meaningful family, society, groups, community or religion will always need in order to achieve their mission and goals. These are very fundamental because of the role they play in ensuring that things are properly done in any environment they exist. Sanctity which is the quality of being holy comes from the Greek word Hagiason which is related to hagios, which means holy, that is to set apart for God’s service. 

So the concept of Sanctity, sets one apart for the particular service he/she has to render. Truth on the other hand comes from the Latin word veritas which means a representation of things as they are. This concept make one open to the really situation of the realities around him/her. And where these concepts are present openness and tolerance becomes possible, hence oneness and unity can be achieved. 

Therefore, knowing the important of sanctity, truth and oneness in achieving any mission and goal, Jesus in his High Priestly Prayer ask the Father to sanctify his disciples in truth and oneness as we have it in our Gospel passage today, when he prayed ‘Holy Father, keep those you have given me true to your name, so that they may be one just as we are one… I am not asking you to remove them from the world, but to protect them from the evil one. They do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world, and for their sake I consecrate myself so that they too may be consecrated in truth'.  

In a similar way in our first reading, St. Paul prayed to the elders of the Church in Ephesus to be on their guard for themselves and for all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made them overseers, to feed the Church of God which he bought with his own blood and guide them against fierce wolves who will invade them and will have no mercy on the flock. For there will be men coming forward with a travesty of the truth on their lips to induce the disciples to follow them. 

So, from this passage truth becomes the midst by which the sanctification of the disciples will take place. But the evil in the world is a great hindrance to achieving this. However, their likeness to Jesus is the great ground of hope for they have been consecrated to the truth. And this is the real hope and holiness of all true Christians, for through this, the gift of the Holy Spirit is made available to the Church in order to be sanctified in the truth and so share in the oneness of which Christ prayed. This oneness is what the whole Christian community has to achieve and sustain both in nature, will, affection and understanding; not only in their union with Christ, but to one another; abiding together, cleaving to each other, standing fast in one Spirit, having the same designs, and the interest of the mission of the salvation of humanity at heart.

Dear friends, today we are called to embrace the divine truth by which we have been sanctified in order to achieve the goal of unity and oneness of which Christ prayed. This oneness is very important not only as Christians, but also as families, communities, co- workers, friends and couples. Let us allow the Holy Spirit to sanctify us once more to the truth and so achieve the oneness of which Christ prayed.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, sanctify us once again in the truth of which Your Son Jesus has given us, so, that we may once again achieve oneness in our family, society, in the Church and in the world at large through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a blessed day. 

The Homily for Tuesday in Seventh Week of Eastertide Year B, 18th May, 2021

 The Homily for Tuesday in Seventh Week of Eastertide Year B, 18th May, 2021

Readings: Acts 20:17-27; Ps.68;  John 17:1-11

Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia.

WHAT IS ETERNAL LIFE  AND HOW CAN WE OBTAIN IT?

The notion of eternal life is one of the things in the consciousness of most religious people and more especially Christians. Oftentimes, we hear people talking about eternal life as if it is like a movie that will soon begin. But the questions we need to ask ourselves are: what is eternal life? What does it really means to have eternal life? How can we obtain it? 

The answer to these questions is found in the High Priestly Prayer of Jesus which we have in our Gospel passage today. In the beginning of this prayer Jesus said: ‘Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”

From this prayer we come to know that knowledge is very important to understanding the meaning of eternal life and knowledge as we are told is one of the gifts for the Holy Spirit. So here, Jesus is saying that eternal life which traditionally refers to the continued life after death, is only possible by the knowledge of the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom He have sent.

The point here is that eternal life consists in the knowledge of the Father as the only Being answering to the ideal thought of God; and this knowledge is manifested in him, whom God anointed and sent into the world to declare his attributes and character for the sake of redeeming humanity which was possible through the incarnation, passion, death and resurrection of Jesus. Thus, eternal life which has been achieved for humanity has been given to believers who have been redeemed from sin and death. This is the sinful humanity's journey and process to eternal life, and when this knowledge has been made perfect, holiness and happiness will be fully achieved. 

These holiness and happiness of the redeemed, are exactly what the glory of Christ, and of his Father signifies. For Jesus endured the cross and death and so ends humanity's sorrows of sin and death, thereby obtaining the victory and glory of eternal life for humanity. Thus our glorifying God and is Son Jesus is needed as an evidence of our interest in Christ, through whom eternal life is given to us as an act of mercy, forgiveness and love, so that we become living souls with unspeakable joy. For his is the meaning of eternal life and the source and manner in which we can obtain it. 

Dear friends, everyday of our life we struggle to know God, through different means and in the Apostles' Creed we often say: I believe in God and his Son Jesus, I believe in the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. But the question is, do we really know God and his Son Jesus? Do our attitudes, behaviour and decisions an evidence of us knowing Christ, through whom eternal life is given to us as an act of mercy, forgiveness and love? Therefore we are called today to sincerely seek  to know God personally through his Son Jesus and so attain the eternal life which he has won for us.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, let us seek to know you more personally and so work hard to do Your will in order to attain eternal life of which you have given us through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a blessed day.

The Homily for Monday in Seventh Week of Eastertide Year B, 17th May, 2021

 The Homily for Monday in Seventh Week of Eastertide Year B, 17th May, 2021

Readings: Acts 19:1-8; Ps.68;  John 16:29-33

Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia.

FEAR NOT FOR JESUS HAS OVERCOME THE TRIBULATIONS OF THIS PASSING WORLD

Tribulations and sufferings have been the hallmark of most people’s experience in the world, sometimes we feel overwhelmed by the level of sufferings we are passing through everyday, the sad news we hear and see in our streets, the television and in the social media. These often make us feel hopeless and fearful because the situation is beyond our control. 

This kind of fearful situation is what Jesus is addressing in our Gospel passage today, knowing that very soon his disciples are going to face a worse situation, so he said to them “Listen; the time will come, in fact it has come already, when you will be scattered, each going his own way and leaving me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. I have told you all this so that you may find peace in me. In the world you will have trouble, but be brave: I have conquered the world.”

Here Jesus is telling his disciples these, not to discourage them but to prepare them for many troubles and tribulations they are going to face in the future, so that when the time comes they will find peace and confidence in him.  He told them not to worry because he has conquered the world, not in any political or economic sense but in overcoming the evil in the world and so, all the tribulations, sorrow, suffering have been conquered in Jesus through his passion death and resurrection. Therefore, his disciples can share in this victory, as long as they remain faithful and united in peace.

Dear friends, this same promise is available for us his disciples, who today are passing through great tribulations and sufferings in the world. We have to be courageous and find strength in words of Jesus who has conquered the world and all it’s evil and tribulations. For today, Jesus is reassuring us that no matter what is happening in our world, he is still in control and will always ensure that we come out victoriously. 

Thus, as we prepare and wait patiently for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, let us take our fears, sufferings, tribulations, sickness and disappointments to Jesus and ask him to give us the courage and strong faith, so that through the power of the Holy Spirit we will overcome all the ugly situations in our lives, families, societies and the world at large and so enjoy once again the peace of knowing that he is with us always till the end of time.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, may the power of the Holy Spirit come upon us, we pray, so that following your instructions, we may overcome the world and all the trials and tribulations we face everyday through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a fruitful week.

The Homily for Seventh Sunday in Eastertide Year B, The World Communications Sunday, 16th May, 2021

 The Homily for Seventh Sunday in Eastertide Year B, The World Communications Sunday, 16th May, 2021

Readings: Acts.1:15-17.20-26; Ps.103; 1 John 4:11-16;  John 17:11-19

Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia.

THE PRAYERS OF JESUS AS WE WAIT FOR THE PROMISED  PARACLETE 

Today the seventh Sunday of the Holy season of Eastertide, the Church celebrates the world communication Sunday which was established by Pope Paul VI in 1967 an annual celebration , for communication as we know is a very important aspect of our faith. Prior to this event is Solemnity of the Ascension which we celebrated last Thursday, of which the Church waits prayerfully for the promised Paraclete. So the Church in this waiting disposition anticipate the promised Paraclete who will help her to communicate the message  of Christ to all humanity.

However, one of the difficult things we don’t like to hear when we are expecting something great to come our way is the word “wait”. The word wait can be very unpleasant to the ears of anyone who is desperately in need of something. But often times, we have little or no option not to wait, and in life we have a lot of waiting to do. We wait for the day to break, we wait for the month to end, we wait for the traffic, we wait for our admission, interviews, jobs, husband, wife, children, we wait and wait and wait, in fact, waiting on God is a regular message of faith which we hear everyday. Waiting can really be difficult and uncomfortable, it can be suicidal for those who lack the virtue of patience. 

Nonetheless, good and great things are worth waiting for. Little wonder, Jesus knowing how difficult it can be for his disciples to wait for the promised Paraclete, have to pray for them as we have it in our Gospel passage today when he said: Holy Father, keep those you have given me true to your name, so that they may be one like us. They do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world. Consecrate them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world I have sent them into the world, and for their sake I consecrate myself so that they too may be consecrated in truth.

 

In this High Priestly prayer of Jesus, we heard the Lord Jesus asking the Father to sanctify his disciples in truth and oneness knowing the important of sanctity, truth and oneness in achieving their mission and goal. We can see the efficacy of this prayer of Jesus in the election of Matthias to the rank of the Twelve Apostles as we have it in our first reading, which can be seen as an example of how communication in prayer is such an important aspect and part of our faith. We cannot be a true Christian unless we open ourselves to the Lord and communicate with him regularly in order to know his will for us and for others and by so doing dwell in his love. Hence, we heard St John in our second reading saying: My dear people, since God has loved us so much, we too should love one another. No one has ever seen God; but as long as we love one another God will live in us and his love will be complete in us. 

Also, in this High Priestly Prayer, Jesus prayed for his disciples that the Father should take care of them in the midst of the evils in the world, that they should be one as he and the Father are one. In this prayer, Jesus shows us that prayer is a form of communication between us and God, whom we should love dearly and waiting patiently for His will to be done in our lives. This simply means, that we have to learn how to communicate regularly with God and wait patiently for his will be done. And in like manner, we must learn how to wait patiently with our loved ones, our friends, our family members and relatives, our spouses and others who are dear to us, we must learn how to wait patiently with life activities and the challenges and struggles that come with it.

Dear friends, as the disciples are waiting prayerfully for the promised Paraclete, we too are also called to prepare ourselves for the coming of the Holy Spirit this coming Pentecost Sunday, we are called to go to the upper room of our hearts and conscience and wait patiently for the out pouring of the Holy Spirit. We are called to prepare and wait on the Holy Spirit through the ongoing novena to the Holy Spirit. We are called to wait patiently for the fulfillment of God’s plan for each and every one of us just like Matthias. Though waiting may be difficult, but good and great things are worth waiting and prepared for.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, graciously hear our supplications,  as we wait patiently for the fulfillment of your promise, grant that when the Paraclete comes, may we be disposed to receive him as our Advocate and let him teach us what to do, how to do it, when to do it and give us the grace to do it properly through Christ our Lord. Amen.  Do have a grace filled Sunday.

The Homily for Saturday in Sixth Week of Eastertide Year B, 15th May, 2021

 The Homily for Saturday in Sixth Week of Eastertide Year B, 15th May, 2021

Readings: Acts 18:23-28; Ps.47;  John 16:23-28

Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia.

WHY DO WE OFTEN CONCLUDE OUR PRAYERS BY SAYING: “THROUGH CHRIST OUR LORD”

People often asked why most of our liturgical prayers ends with the phrase ‘through Christ our Lord'. Is this necessary since God can here us directly? Anyway, the answer to this question is found in our Gospel passage today, when Jesus said to his disciples: ‘I tell you most solemnly, anything you ask from the Father he will grant in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and so your joy will be complete... because the Father himself loves you for loving me.’

Here Jesus makes a solemn promise to his disciples that whatever they ask the Father in his name will be granted to them. This is because, in Jesus the disciples will experience a direct contact with the Father. Thus, his name becomes the link that will usher them into the divine relationship between the Son and the Father. For it is through this relationship that the disciples will come to experience the divine privilege that will give access to their request from God.  

Therefore the Greek word ‘dia’ which can be translated as both ‘by’ or ‘through’ can be linked to the words of Jesus when he said in John 14:6  ‘I am the way. No one can come to the Father except “through“ me’. Thus, Jesus is the way through which we can come to God the Father. For through Jesus, we have obtained access to the grace of being God’s children. 

This does not mean that God is inaccessible. Rather as we know God is spirit Whose nature is beyond our apprehension and different from our nature that are material and sinful. So to make himself known to us he sent his son to take our flesh upon him and to become human like us in order to free us from the power of sin and death so that we can be more closer to him through Christ his Son. Hence, asking God for something through Christ ushers us into the divine grace that gives us access to divine relationship with God the Father and this has become the normal way for the Church to pray to the Father as we do in all our liturgical prayers

Dear friends, God makes himself known to us through Jesus and we come to him through Jesus. Hence, Christ Jesus has become the divine grace through which we obtain the divine access into the divine life of the Trinity. And this is the source of our joy as Christians. For this give us the divine access to include Jesus  in our daily decision making, and try to see things the way he does and when this happens we transcend ourselves into the divine relationship that will make us to be open to the will of God and so obtain from him whatever we need since we will be inspired to pray according to his will.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, as we learn to present our needs to you through your Son Jesus, grant that we may obtain through him the divine access to your will and so obtain favour for all our petitions according to your Holy will through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a grace filled weekend.

The Homily for Friday in Sixth Week of Eastertide Year B, The Feast of St. Matthias, 14th May, 2021

 The Homily for Friday in Sixth Week of Eastertide Year B, The Feast of St. Matthias, 14th May, 2021

Readings: Acts 1: 15-17.20-26; Ps.112;  John 15:9-17

Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia.

AS THE FATHER HAS LOVED ME, SO I HAVE LOVED YOU

One of the greatest gifts of God to humanity is love. A gift that shows how much he loves us by sending his Son whose life giving sacrifice means salvation for the world. So, the love that Jesus has for us is nothing less than the Divine love that unites the Persons of the Trinity and Jesus presented this love as life that must continue among his disciples.

 That’s while love is beyond human nature and when we love, we are actually acting out that very nature of God in us and this can be overwhelming and mysterious because love is the nature of God that we share. That is why in our Gospel passage today Jesus said to his disciples: ‘As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. 

Hence, today as we celebrate the feast of St. Matthias, we see how the apostles worked so hard to keep the Lord’s commandments and remain in his love as they chose Matthias to replace the traitor, Judas Iscariot, who betrayed the Lord and then killed himself in regret and grief. Thus, Matthias, one of the earliest followers of Jesus, was chosen in order to complete the number of the Twelve Apostles as we have it in our first reading. History has it that, St. Matthias out of love, went on to serve the Lord and his Church faithfully, for he went on many missions and travelled as far as Ethiopia. He laboured hard to establish the Church and the faith in different places and preached the Good News of the Lord, calling many to conversion and the true faith. 

Tradition has it, that Matthias suffered martyrdom in Colchis in Asia Minor. No doubt that St. Matthias together with the other Apostles gave their lives, their works, their dedication and their whole heart to serve God and his Church, practicing and doing what Jesus had commanded them to do, which is to keep the commandments of God so as to remain in his love. 

Dear friends, let us keep the Lord’s commandments, let us embrace Jesus and the love he is offering us. Let us like St. Matthias serve the Lord and His Church faithfully by spreading his love everywhere we find ourselves. The truth is that, it actually feels right and awesome to experience and share the love of God. I don’t know if you have ever loved someone and you show it, or someone loves you and shows it? Or somebody loves you and you know it, it is something great and awesome, because love bring life, healing and wholeness into people’s lives. Thus, it is by loving God in our neighbours that we can share and experience this nature of God in us and by so doing, we will conquer the world full of hatred, self-centeredness, greed and sin.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, You chose St Matthias to become one of the Apostles, grant that through his intercession, we may keep your commandments and remain in your love. And help us to spread this love to the world and by so doing conquer the hatred, self-centeredness, greed and sin rooted in our families, societies and the world at large. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen  Do have a lovely day.

The Homily for Thursday in Sixth Week of Eastertide Year B, The Solemnity of Ascension,13th May, 2021

 The Homily for Thursday in Sixth Week of Eastertide Year B,  The Solemnity of Ascension,13th May, 2021

Readings: Acts1:1-11; Ps. 47; Eph. 4:1-13; Mark 16:15-20

Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia.

 THE HOPE OF HUMANITY ARE NOT LIMITED TO THE BOUNDARIES OF THIS PASSING WORLD

The Joy of the risen Lord has filled the hearts of his disciples as they experience his physical presence for the past forty days after his death and resurrection. So on the occasion of today the Lord Jesus in the present of his disciples was physically ascended into heaven as they watched him taken away in the cloud, to return to his heavenly Throne, triumphant and victorious. It was a moment of great hope for them as they wished to be with him for eternity. However, they have a mission to accomplish, they are to bear witness to the events and testified about it on their missions and pass it down as a true hope for humanity.

Thus, the solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord, reminds us that great moment of hope when the Lord triumph victoriously and no longer physically present among his disciples and followers, as they can no longer directly see him or touch him as they had been during all the while he was physically present with them. But this does not mean that the Lord has abandoned or left his disciples, rather he has gone to fulfill his promise of preparing a place for his faithful disciples, and will also send a great Helper to assist them.

Therefore, the feast of the Ascension of the Lord does not mean that Jesus has departed to some place far from people and from the world. Rather it means that he no longer belongs to the world conditioned by the life of corruption and death, as he now belongs entirely to God as the eternal Son, who has purified the filthiness of humanity and raised us into God’s presence by taking with him our flesh and blood in its transfigured form and this is a thing of great hope and joy for all who believe in him. It is these great joy and hope that we celebrate today. An event that shows that humanity has been introduced into the very life of God. 

Hence, from the readings of today, we have the details of this great event and the last instructions of Jesus to his disciples. In the first reading, before the Ascension, Jesus said to his disciples: ‘you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and then you will be my witnesses not only in Jerusalem but throughout Judaea and Samaria, and indeed to the ends of the earth. As he said this he was lifted up while they looked on, and a cloud took him from their sight.’ 

While in the Gospel passage , Jesus instruct his disciples saying; Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News to all creation. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; he who does not believe will be condemned. As they preached everywhere, the Lord worked with them and confirming their words with great signs that accompanied it. In addition, St Paul in the second reading says: ‘he ascended’, what can it mean if not that he descended right down to the lower regions of the earth? The one who rose higher than all the heavens to fill all things is none other than the one who descended. And to some, his gift was that they should be apostles; to some, prophets; to some, evangelists; to some, pastors and teachers; so that the saints together make a unity in the work of service, building up the body of Christ. And so come to unity in our faith and in our knowledge of the Son of God, until we become the perfect Man, fully mature with the fullness of Christ himself. 

Dear friends, the occasion of the Ascension of the Lord is a confirmation of the reality of heaven, which reminds us that God has always been faithful and loving as he fulfills his covenants and promises to humanity. It reminds us of our mission to evangelize the world, to give hope to humanity by letting them know that human hope and life are beyond the boundaries of this passing world.  It reminds us that God will always be with us no matter what we are passing through in this world for he will always provide for us and care for us at all times. Hence, we must have faith in him no matter how challenging and difficult the situation in our lives may be, we must have hope and trust in God that at the end everything will be fine. 

Let us hold on to the Lord for this occasion is indeed a great time for us to recall the hope that we found in Jesus' triumphant victory over evil, sin and condemnation. Let us celebrate the greatest hope that God has given to humanity by letting us to share in the very Life of the Trinity. The hope that humanity will one day be united body and soul with our Lord and Saviour Jesus. A confirmation of the reality of heaven, for this is the central message of the event of the Ascension that gives great joy and hope to all who believes, which as disciples, we are called to bear witness to the world. 

Therefore, let us share this great hope to the people of the world by letting the light of Christ in us illuminate the darkness and ignorance in the world. Let us share this hope through our words, actions and deeds. Let our presence bring hope and encouragement, not hatred and division. Let our actions bring healing and succour in hopeless situations. Let our deeds inspire humanity to come to know God and embrace the victory Jesus has won for us. 

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, let this solemnity of the Lord’s Ascension, enkindle in us the passion to love you more dearly and to spread in the world the Joy and hope we have found in Jesus. Let these Joy and hope bring healing, succour, strength and courage that will help us to overcome the ugly and hopeless situations in our lives, families, societies and the world at large. This we ask through Christ our Lord. Amen. Peace be with you.