Homily for Saturday Tenth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 12th June, 2021. The Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary

 Homily for Saturday Tenth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 12th June, 2021. The Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Reading: 2Cor. 5:14-21; Ps. 102; Luke 2:41-51

Rev.  Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

MARY PONDERED ALL THE  EVENTS IN HER IMMACULATE HEART 

Biologically, the heart is the main organ in the circulatory system, the structure primarily responsible for delivering the circulation of blood and transportation of nutrients in all parts of the body. This continuous task uplifts the role of the heart as a vital organ whose normal operation is constantly required. In biblical language, “heart” indicates the centre of the person where his sentiments and intentions dwell. Yesterday we celebrated the solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Heart where we embrace God’s infinite love and mercy for humanity and His will for universal salvation. Following the Sacred Heart of Jesus is the Immaculate Heart of his Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary. 

Hence today, the liturgy invites us to venerate the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The Immaculate Heart of Mary is a devotional name used to refer to the interior life of the Blessed Virgin Mary, her joys and sorrows, her virtues and hidden perfections, and, above all, her virginal love for God the Father, her maternal love for her son Jesus, and her compassionate love for all people. Here we recall Mary’s great love for God, her faith and piety, her commitment to serve the Lord wholeheartedly, and how she loved her Son dearly from the moment before he was born, his finding in the Temple and even up to the way of the Cross, when Mary followed her Son faithfully as he picked up his Cross and bore that burden of the Cross to Calvary, she bears and pondered all this sorrows deep within her Immaculate Heart. 

This is the event we celebrate today, of which our Gospel passage tells us how Mary having struggled to understand the mysterious events in the life of her Son Jesus, stored up all these events in her heart. A heart that is propelled by love and filled with genuine faith in God, a heart so pure and contemplative. For such is the immaculate heart of Mary, having been conceived without sin, and pure from any taints of evil and wickedness. 

Yet, this loving and caring Immaculate Heart has to endure great sorrows and in the midst of these sorrows she did not stop being loving, compassion and caring to her Son and also to all of us, as she fulfills the mandate entrusted to her by Jesus at the Cross of Calvary saying: Mother behold your son and son behold your mother. By this mandate all of us are blessed to have been placed under the maternal care of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, a great saint and our role model.

Dear friends, today we are called to imitate and embrace the Immaculate Heart of Mary, whose maternal care we have been commended by Jesus at the Cross of Calvary. We are truly fortunate to have received such abundant love and compassion from the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary his mother, who is also our loving mother. Let us therefore cultivate a heart that mirrors that of our mother, let us imitate the purity of her heart, let us be caring, loving, contemplative and compassion in our relationship with one another. 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, as we imitate the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary, graciously grant that through her intercession we may be a worthy temple of your glory and make our hearts a loving, caring and compassionate vessel for all through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a fruitful weekend.

Homily for Friday Tenth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 11th June, 2021. The Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

 Homily for Friday Tenth Week in Ordinary Time  Year B, 11th June, 2021. The Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus 

Reading: Hosea 11:1.3-4.8-9; Eph. 3:8-12.14-19; Ps. Is. 12:2-6; John 19:31-37

Rev.  Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

TRUE LOVE IS OPEN FOR ALL HUMANITY BY THE PIERCING OF THE MOST SECRED HEART OF JESUS

Every Friday after the Sunday of the solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, the Church celebrate the great Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. An occasion where we are invited to contemplate and celebrate the love of God pouring forth from the Most Loving Heart of Jesus pierced for the salvation of humanity. A great act of love which God revealed through influences on mystic saints such as St. Gertrude the Great which was made more obvious through St. Margaret Mary Alacoque in the revelation she had around 17th century.

In this revelation the Lord appeared to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque and showed her his heart and the anguish and sorrow which he had for the sins and disobedience of humanity, despite the incomprehensible act of love, compassion and mercy that he has lavished upon us. Then the Lord said to her: “Behold the Heart that has loved so many men, and yet, instead of gratitude, all I received were ingratitude…” and asking in particular that the Friday after the week in which the Solemnity of Corpus Christi is celebrated should be dedicated to him as the Feast of reparation to the Most Sacred Heart. The Lord also promised St. Margaret Mary that all those who devoted themselves to His Most Sacred Heart with faith will be protected and receive the graces of God.

So, the long development of this revelations led to the devotion to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus as we have it today. Though it was Pope Pius IX that extended and placed this great Feast and Solemnity in its current form and honour. This great feast also mark the occasion of the World Day of Prayer for the Sanctity of Priestly Life, keeping in mind that the priesthood is the product of Christ sacrificial heart of love for humanity. 

Hence, we remember all those who have been called to model themselves after the life of Christ’s love by giving themselves to the ministerial priesthood, that we may truly model ourselves and our hearts after that of the Most Sacred Heart of Christ. Let us be filled with love for all humanity while recognizing that the priestly life is a very difficult undertaking especially in our world today. Let us be supported by all, knowing that priests, though humans just like everyone, have their flaws and imperfections, but we are at the same time held up to a much higher expectation to care and guide the people of God. 

Meanwhile, in the midst of all our difficulties, challenges, daily temptations and pressures of life, we are called to abide in the loving heart of Christ for he who abides in love, abides in God and God abides in him.(1 John 4:7-16). So, like St Paul in our second reading, we can say: may God give us the power through his Spirit to grow strong, so that Christ may live in our hearts through faith planted in love and built on love, and so with all the saints, we may be filled with the utter fullness of God as we fulfill our duty following the footsteps of our Lord. For in our first reading today we heard the Lord saying: when Israel was a child I loved him, and I called my son out of Egypt. I myself taught Ephraim to walk, I took them in my arms; yet they have not understood that I was the one looking after them. For I led them with cord of compassion, with bands of love.

Thus, in this solemn feast our devotion is rooted in the mystery of God’s love; for it is precisely through the Sacred Heart of Jesus that the Love of God for humanity is sublimely manifested in all its effect and power especially for souls thirsting for God’s mercy, for in it we find the inexhaustible source from which we draw the water of life that refresh and revives the thirsty souls of sinful humanity and make us new and alive again. Hence we are called today to abide in this love of Christ which flows from the pierced heart of Jesus through which the door of true love is opened for all humanity as we heard it in our Gospel passage today.

Dear friends, every Christian is called to embrace the love of God which he poured out from the Sacred Heart of Jesus, so as to become a wellspring which gives life of love to others. For we ought to be offering life-giving water to a parched and thirsty world. We are called to embrace that love which propelled Jesus to lay down his life for his friends and also forgives his enemies, for that is what this solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus represents. We are called to contemplate the mystery of love in the heart of a God who full of compassion, bestows his love upon humanity through his Son. 

Though humanity has rejected his love, but God does not lose heart in the face of ingratitude or rejection by the people he loved and chosen; rather, with infinite mercy he sends his only-begotten Son into the world to take upon himself the fate of a shattered love, so that by defeating the power of evil and death he could restore humanity once again from our slavery of sin and death back into a life of grace and open up his Sacred Heart of love once again for all who wishes to embrace it.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, grant that we, who glory in the loving Heart of your beloved Son and recall the wonders of his love for us, may be made worthy to receive an overflowing measure of grace from that fount of heavenly gift of love which he offers to humanity. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do pray for me and for the sanctity of all the Priests.

Homily for Thursday Tenth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 10th June, 2021.

 Homily for Thursday Tenth Week in Ordinary Time  Year B, 10th June, 2021.

Reading: 2 Cor3:15-4:1.3-6.; Ps. 84; Matt.5:20-26

Rev.  Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

A CALL FOR DEEPER VIRTUE

Most of the time, we often find it difficult to understand the way God operates, especially as regards to his relationship with humanity. This is because humanity have failed to understand how God’s mercy and justice are applicable in our relationship with him and with one another. Hence, Jesus in our Gospel passage today, calls us to a deeper virtue, when he said to his disciples, If your virtue goes no deeper than that of the Scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven.

This because the Scribes and the Pharisees always enforced a strict interpretation and obedience to the Law, its rules and regulations, and yet, failed to truly practice nor understand and appreciate that the Law of God is meant to lead God’s people to him and to teach them to practice love in their lives. Thus, we ought to be faithful and to follow the Lord more faithfully than the Scribes and Pharisees for their religious piety are mainly superficial, because their practicing of the laws does not truly come from their heart. Their actions and obedience to the Law is motivated by what they want to gain in order to sustain their pride and desire for worldly glory and praise. 

So, we should not be like them, we should rather get rid of our pride and excess desires for honorific positions. We should strive to deepen our virtue towards righteous deeds. We must become agent of peace and reconciliation. We must be symbol of God’s mercy and justice in a world full of corruption and greed. Hence, St Paul in our first reading today said: If our gospel does not penetrate the veil, then the veil is on those who are not on the way to salvation; the unbelievers whose minds the god of this world has blinded, to stop them seeing the light shed by the Good News of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For it is not ourselves that we are preaching, but Christ Jesus as the Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 

Dear friends, we are call today to embrace the virtue of humility and readiness to reconcile with those who have offered us, knowing that the mercy and justice of God regulates all things. We have to be vigilant always and strive to be righteous before God and man. Today, we must be ready to make a fundamental choice to live a holy life and never to return to our sinful ways of life. We must struggle everyday to grow in righteousness and never give up no matter the situation we are passing through now. We should strive everyday to remain faithful to God’s commandment of love and peace.  

LET US PRAY: Lord God, as we struggle everyday towards holiness and perfection, may we be guided by the Holy Spirit and strive to remain towards the path of righteousness and ever to go back to our sinful and ugly ways of life. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a blessed day.

Homily for Wednesday Tenth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 9th June, 2021

Homily for Wednesday Tenth Week in Ordinary Time  Year B, 9th June, 2021.

Reading: 2 Cor. 3:4-11; Ps. 98; Matt.5:17-19

Rev.  Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

 KEEPING AND TEACHING THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD IS THE PATH TO TRUE GREATNESS

Talking about the laws and commandments, Jesus today reminds us that he did not come on earth to abolish what had already been revealed, rather he has come to fulfill them. He came into the world in order to reveal to humanity what true Law really means and to purify the Law to its original meaning and purpose, which has been corrupted through human manipulations. He came to fulfil the entire Law and not to destroy it, contrary to what the scribes and Pharisees accused and think about him. 

This same notion was critical for Jewish converts in the early Church and also to some people in our own time. And the response of Jesus is still much relevant for us today, especially when he speaks of "fulfilling" rather than "abolishing" the law the prophets as we have it in our Gospel passage today, and he added that: “the man who infringes even one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be considered the least in the kingdom of heaven; but the man who keeps them and teaches them will be considered great in the kingdom of heaven. Here, Jesus points out that keeping and teaching the commandments of God is the sure way to achieving greatness not just here on earth but also in heaven.

 

Thus, St. Paul in our first reading tells us that God is the one who has given us the qualifications to be the administrators of the new covenant, which is not a covenant of written letters but of the Spirit: the written letters bring death, but the Spirit gives life. For if there was any splendour in administering condemnation, there must be very much greater splendour in administering justification.

Dear friends, today we are reminded that true greatness is found in keep and teaching the commandments of God, of which Jesus tells us  that the greatest of these commandments is to love God and love our neighbour. Therefore, true greatness is rooted in our love for God and our neighbours and Jesus emphasis that it is too bad to break one of these commandments, but to teach someone else to do the same is a terrible evil thing to do. 

Thus, we should ask ourselves today, am I breaking these commandments and teaching others to do the same through my attitude and way of life? Do I following my own opinions contrary to the commandments and laws of love which Jesus has taught us by his way of life? Or am I keeping and teaching these commandments through my attitude and by my way of life?  

LET US PRAY: Lord God, from whom all good things come, grant us the grace to keep and teach your commandments by our way of life and so obtain the Joy of true greatness in this world and in your heavenly kingdom through Christ our Lord. Amen. Peace be with you.

Homily for Tuesday Tenth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 8th June, 2021.

 Homily for Tuesday Tenth Week in Ordinary Time  Year B, 8th June, 2021.

Reading: 2 Cor. 1:18-22; Ps. 118; Matt.5:13-16

Rev.  Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

BECOMING AND REMAINING THE SALT AND LIGHT TO TASTELESS AND DARKENED HEARTS OF HUMANITY

Salt and light are very familiar words in the scriptures. Often times salt is used metaphorically to signify permanence, loyalty, durability, fidelity, usefulness, value, and purification. Salt as we know is used to enhance flavour, it preserves and purifies things. Salt distinguishes Identity and adds values to things. it’s inexpensive but valuable, necessary for life and stands as a basic identity for believers, of which we either we use it or lose its effects. 

In a similar way, light is a symbol used to mean awareness, knowledge, and understanding. Light clarifies, Illuminates, Inspires, defeats darkness, shines fully and freely, it guides, stimulates and motivates, provokes action, it irritates those who like darkness, confirms truth, purifies, exposes sin, warms and assures us of safety and also facilitates progress.

 

Little wonder, Jesus in our Gospel passage today, told us the famous parable of the salt of the earth and the light of the world. In this parable Jesus made it clear that to be salt and light means to be a witness to others concerning the truth of God's Word to humanity and this is the mission he entrusted to the Church through his disciples.

Thus, we are entrusted with this mission during our baptism, when we were given salt as a sign of God’s life in us and are commanded never to lose the taste or forget the life and joy that God has given us to share with others. In a similar way, we were given candle light which we are to kept brightly burning as a flame of faith in our hearts as we journey with others towards our heavenly kingdom. Therefore, Jesus clearly defines the role of the Church in the world as that of salt and light. Salt to preserves the faith and give flavour to the life of humanity. While light to illuminates darkness and reflects the glory of God in the darkness of the passing world. 

So, every Christian is called by God to influence the world positively, by saying yes to God as we heard in our first reading when St Paul said: it is always Yes, and however many the promises God made, the Yes to them all is in him. For it is God himself who assures us all of our standing in Christ, and has anointed us, marking us with his seal and giving us the pledge, the Spirit, that we carry in our hearts. However, most of us Christians have failed to appropriate the benefits, privileges and responsibilities of being salt and light to humanity. As a result, many people suffer because we have continued to embrace the darkness of the things of this passing world and are spoiled by its destructive ways.

Dear friends, the core message today is that all of us are called to positively influence the lives of humanity by our attitude and character which should be like that of salt and light. Where there is darkness we should let the light of Christ illuminate. Where pride, selfishness, corruption and greed have made life tasteless, let the salt of our good attitude and character make it tasty. Where sin and immorality have made humanity filthy and ugly, let our light of holiness purify. Remember, if we lose the value and taste of who we are as Christians, the world will trample upon us because we will be good for nothing.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, as we struggle everyday to truly carryout the mission entrusted to us, give us the grace and courage to dedicate ourselves, our time, our energy and effort to becoming true light and salt in our dark and tasteless families, society and the world at large. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Wishing you a fruitful day.

Homily for Monday Tenth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 7th June, 2021.

 Homily for Monday Tenth Week in Ordinary Time  Year B, 7th June, 2021.

Reading: 2 Cor. 1:1-7; Ps. 33; Matt.5:1-12

Rev.  Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

IN THE BEATITUDES WE HAVE THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF CHRISTIAN LIFE

Each day of our lives is a struggle for perfection, we grow from one level of understanding our faith to another. But what really gives value to this growth is the fundamental principles we follow. Because the fundamental principles of life helps us to be focused and determined to achieve our goals. Therefore, Jesus knowing the value and important of the faith he has come to offer humanity, lay down the fundamental principles that will guide his disciples in the new way of life which he is offering to humanity.

These fundamental principles is what we have in our Gospel passage today in the famous Sermon on the Mount by the Lord Jesus, which is also known as the Beatitudes. This famous Sermon opens to us the interior life Jesus is offering to humanity which includes: being poor in spirit, gentle, merciful, hungry for justice, pure in heart, peacemaker and being prepared to grieve and suffer persecution for the cause of right. These becomes  guiding principle to a new life he has called us to live. Here Jesus gives eight characters of blessed people, which are graces to the fundamental principles of the Christian life. Each of these Beatitudes is a statement of an ideal way we ought to live and be in close contact with God.

These fundamental principles, talk about the poor in spirit which brings to mind the humble condition of mankind that looks up to a Redeemer and the glory to come. Those who mourn are blessed, for their true repentance, watchfulness, humble mind, and continual dependence on the mercy of God through Christ Jesus they shall be comforted. The meek are blessed, for being patient, silent and submissive to the will of God and so are comfort even in this world. Those who hunger and thirst after righteousness are blessed, for their desire of spiritual blessings shall be satisfied. 

The merciful are blessed, for their compassion, help and pity on the souls of humanity who are in sin and needs mercy. The pure in heart are blessed; for they shall see God, since their hearts are made pure in holiness and are capable of seeing God. The peace-makers are blessed, for they love and delight in peace which Christ is offering to humanity. Those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake are blessed, for victory is theirs since they understand that, there is nothing in our sufferings that can be compared to the victory of eternal life.  

This is exactly what St Paul is addressing in our first reading today when he said: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, a gentle Father and the God of all consolation, who comforts us in all our sorrows, so that we can offer others, in their sorrows, the consolation that we have received from God ourselves. Indeed, as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so, through Christ, does our consolation overflow.  

Dear friends, today we are called to embrace these fundamental principles of Christian life. For we are truly blessed when we are poor in spirit, when we mourn for our sinfulness, gentle, hunger and thirst for holiness. We are blessed when we are, merciful and peacemakers in a world that is full of wickedness, greed and corruption. Today, we are called to live our lives in this virtues and when we encounter challenges, difficulties, persecutions and troubles, we should remain faithful to the end for none of these tribulations shall be compared to the victory of eternal life.

 LET US PRAY: Almighty God, from whom all good things come, grant us the grace to live out these fundamental principles of our Christian life and so overcome this sinful world, so as to enjoy the beatific vision of eternal life. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. As you begin your task this week, may the glory of God inspire you and elevate you to greater heights.

Homily for Sunday of the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi) Year B, 6th June, 2021

 Homily for Sunday of the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi) Year B, 6th June, 2021

Reading: Exo. 24:3-8;Ps. 116; Heb. 9:11-15; Mark 14:12-16.22-26

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

CHRIST’S LOVE FOR HUMANITY IS MADE KNOWN IN THE EUCHARIST

On Thursday or Sunday after the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, the Church celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ also called the Corpus Christi celebration. It is a solemn celebration were we reaffirm with great joy our faith in the Eucharistic Mystery of Christ love for humanity. Reminding us of God’s infinite gift of love for humanity which was made present in the Person of Christ Jesus under the appearance of Bread and Wine.

The mystery of the solemnity of Corpus Christi, constitutes a very important aspect of our Christian faith, which is rooted in the historical and cultural context of the Jewish people's experience with God, of which Jesus is the fullest of this experience and revelation. Hence, in the occasion of our Gospel passage today, we heard how Jesus sent his disciples to go and prepare a place for their Passover celebration, which they did. And as they were eating Jesus took some bread, and when he had said the blessing he broke it and gave it to them. ‘Take it,’ he said ‘this is my body.’ Then he took a cup, and when he had returned thanks he gave it to them, and all drank from it, and he said to them, ‘This is my blood, the blood of the covenant, which is to be poured out for many. I tell you solemnly, I shall not drink any more wine until the day I drink the new wine in the kingdom of God.’ 

With this statement Jesus instituted the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist and gave his Apostles power and authority to do this in memory of him. This is a very important mission, which the Apostles had faithfully carried out and have passed on to all of their successors, the bishops and the priests of the Church, who have been ordained and have received the same power and authority from the Lord to celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. 

So, at the Last Supper, Jesus presented the Bread and Wine as his Body and Blood which he offered on the cross as a sacrificial love for humanity and ask his disciples to do the same in memory of him. This very mandate of Christ is what the Church is doing at every celebration of the Holy sacrifice of the Mass, where Christ through the priest who act ‘in persona Christi’ by the power of consecration, transubstantiate the Bread and Wine into his Real Body and Blood and offer it to God His Father as an unbloodied sacrificial love for humanity. 

This means that the substance and essence of the bread and wine the priest blessed and offered to God at the celebration of the Holy Mass, have truly become the very Body and Blood of Christ Himself, under the appearance of bread and wine through the mystery of Transubstantiation. Thus, the word ‘transubstantiation’ from the two words ‘Trans’ which means ‘change’ and ‘Substantiate’ meaning ‘substance or essence’, we can explain the mystery of the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, as the change of the whole substance of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ through the prayer of consecration by Christ through the priest in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Therefore, at every Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, through the power of the Holy Spirit the substance of bread and wine become the real and most precious Body and Blood of Christ Jesus, just in the same way he spoke at the Last Supper saying ‘This is My Body, which shall be given up for you’, ‘This is the Chalice of My Blood, the Blood of the New and Eternal Covenant, which shall be poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins’ of which he fulfilled at the Cross in Calvary, where he offered himself Body, Soul and Divinity for the salvation of humanity. Hence, we share in this grace of salvation when we participate fully in this sacrificial offering of God’s love for humanity. 

Little wonder in our second reading we heard that: Christ has come, as the high priest of all the blessings which were to come. He has passed through the greater, the more perfect tent, which is better than the one made by men’s hands because it is not of this created order; and he has entered the sanctuary once and for all, taking with him not the blood of goats and bull calves, as we heard in our first reading how Moses took the blood and cast it towards the people saying: This is the blood of the Covenant that the Lord has made with you, containing all his rules you are to observe. But here, Jesus offers his own blood, having won an eternal redemption for us, purifies our inner self from dead actions so that we can offer our service to the living God. 

The fact remains that in the Eucharist, we are physically and spiritually fed much more than the Israelites in the wilderness, who were fed with manna as we have it in Deut. 8:2-3,14-16, they were given the manna to survive in the wilderness, but Christ gave us the Eucharist not just for us to survive in the wilderness of this passing world but for us to gain eternal life and come to share in his love, for the Eucharist is the real presence of Christ love for humanity.

Dear friends, today we are called to embrace the love of God present in the Holy Eucharist, the power of God’s mercy for sinful humanity. We are called to deepened our understanding of this rich mystery of our faith in the Eucharist and come to change the way we relate with Jesus in the Eucharist. We are called to strive to worthily receive the Holy Eucharist. We are called to be grateful for this Sacrificial love of Christ in the Holy Eucharist and form the habit of adoring Christ our Lord present in the Holy Eucharist, as we let the love of his presence to transform our souls into that purest love that will renew our families, societies and the world at large.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, through the sacrificial love of your Son Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist, grant us the grace to constantly experience your presence within us especially in the midst of doubt, ignorance, persecution, trials and uncertainties of life. May the Eucharistic Power of love fill our hearts once again and so renew the hatred, greed and corruption in the hearts of sinful humanity. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Happy Sunday to you all.