Homily for Tuesday Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 22nd June, 2021

 Homily for Tuesday Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time  Year B,  22nd June, 2021

Reading: Gen. 13:2.5-18; Ps.14; Matt. 7:6.12-14

Rev.  Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

ARE WE FOLLOWING THE NARROW GATE THAT LEADS TO ETERNAL LIFE?

Life is a temporal assignment, a journey which begins in the morning so beautiful, full of expectations and hope, but the sojourner have no knowledge of his/her destination, purpose and end. The only guide is his/ her willingness to constantly following the directives of the Sender who communicates his plans and purposes to those who care and willing to listen. 

Thus, the emptiness and shortness of life makes me to reflect on my future as a human person and the question that comes to my mind is: "where will you and I, and the beautiful things of this world be in the next one, ten, twenty, forty, eighty and hundred years for those who are strong? The deep silence in my soul could not offer me any answer to this question rather, it exposed me to the foolishness of human greediness, corruption and selfishness. Hence, I asked myself what does God really requires from us in this world? And how can we really identify the path we are called to follow? 

I found a consoling answer to this question in our Gospel passage today, where Jesus said “always treat others as you would like them to treat you; that is the meaning of the Law and the Prophets.” And he added “Enter by the narrow gate, since the road that leads to destruction is wide and spacious, and many are following it; but narrow is the gate and hard is the road that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” 

Here, Jesus described how humanity have failed to embrace the life of truth, holiness and love for God and for one another because it seems difficult and narrow to them, but prefers to follow the destructive ways of life that is born out of pride, greed and uncontrollable desire for worldly things, for things of this passing world are so captivating and many people are captured by its seductive power and are greatly following it. 

This is exactly what was causing problem between Abram and Lot in our first reading today. For we heard how dispute broke out between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and those of Lot’s.  Accordingly Abram said to Lot, ‘Let there be no dispute between me and you, nor between my herdsmen and yours, for we are brothers. Is not the whole land open before you? Part company with me: if you take the left, I will go right; if you take the right, I will go left. This shows us how pride, greed and sins leads to division and our downfall.

Dear friends, life is indeed very short and the road that leads to death and destruction is truly wide and very captivating, of which many are captives of its seductive power. But the road to life are becoming narrow more and more because humanity are working so hard to expand the seductive road and gates of destruction against the narrow gate of life. 

Therefore, to embrace the narrow gate and road that leads to eternal life, we must work harder by resisting all the temptations and sinful things of this passing world and embrace the life of love and sacrifice which Jesus has offered us. Let us turn towards God with all our hearts by removing from our hearts all forms of pride, greed and unhealthy desires that lead us astray down the path of destruction.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, our journey of life depends on you and today you have called us to follow the narrow gate of love and sacrifice. But the seductive road of this passing world is really captivating and many are victim of its power. Grant us the grace to resist it and journey through the path and gate that leads to eternal life, we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. May God bless your little efforts in life and guide you always.

Homily for Monday Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 21st June, 2021. The Memorial of St. Aloysius Gonzaga

 Homily for Monday Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time  Year B,  21st June, 2021. The Memorial of St. Aloysius Gonzaga

Reading: Gen. 12:1-9; Ps.33; Matt. 7:1-5

Rev.  Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

TAKE AWAY THE LOG OF PRIDE IN YOU, SO AS TO ACCOMMODATE THE SPECK OF WEAKNESS IN OTHERS

One of the ugly attitudes of the human person is the urge to often criticize, judge and condemn others without looking into our own faults. Have we ever experienced a situation where it happened that, while we are condemning other people for their faults and suddenly we realized that our own faults are just as many as theirs, for this do happen often in our relationship with one another. This ugly attitude is what Jesus is addressing today in the Gospel passage, when he said “ Do not judge, and you will not be judged; because the judgements you give are the judgements you will get, and the amount you measure out is the amount you will be given. Why do you observe the speck in your brother’s eye and never notice the log in your own?

Here, Jesus is referring to the improper and prideful attitudes of many of the Pharisees, the scribes and teachers of the Law and many others like them who self acclaimed righteousness has led to criticism and condemnation of other people, as they have failed to see the log in their eye while seeking to remove the speck in other's. But what is this log in our eyes? It is the log of pride, greed and self-righteousness. These log of pride, greed and self-righteousness make us to forget who we are and claim who we are not. Pride as we know is the first capital sin, it makes us to look down on people, pride makes us blind. It makes us not to look into our own lives to see and accept how wrong we can be, because we are people often controlled by our ego and pride, our human ambitions and desires, as we like to always be in control and superior to others. 

But this is not the same with Abram in our first reading today, who because of his humility was called by the Lord for a special mission. For the Lord said to him, ‘Leave your country, your family and your father’s house, for the land I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name so famous that it will be used as a blessing. Such is God’s grace for those who are humble and accommodative of other peoples weakness. This is exactly what we see in the life of St. Aloysius Gonzaga whose memorial we celebrate today. Though born into a wealthy family, he renounced the world’s riches and honour in order to live a life of service, simplicity, holiness and piety.

Therefore, today we are called to humbly look into our lives and identify all those ugly attitudes of pride in us and get rid of them, so that we can humbly correct and accommodate other peoples weakness. So instead of pointing out what is lacking in others, we must look into ourselves, and find ways or how we can make good use of the opportunities that God has given us to show good examples to others. We are to discard all our prideful, wicked and sinful ways of life and replace them with genuine love for one another, with new zeal and sincere commitment to telling one another the truth in all humility.

Dear friends, we are called not to judge, because, often that which we judge in others, we ourselves are doing worst.  Hence, Jesus is challenging us today to think differently about how we live our lives. Calling us to look into our inner being, our interior life, that part of us that we hide from one another. Let us purify them in humility, so that we can be pure and free to help others in the struggles with their weakness. Therefore, it’s time to look into ourselves and take away our prideful ways of life, so as to humbly accommodate the weakness and faults of others especially in our families, societies and the world at large, knowing that no one is perfect without the other.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, give us the grace of humility and capacity to always look within us in other to be more aware of our inadequacies, and through the intercessions of St. Aloysius of Gonzaga may we become more gentle in dealing with others, we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a blessed and graceful week.

Homily for Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B, 20th June, 2021

 Homily for Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time  Year B, 20th June, 2021.

Reading: Job 38:1.8-11; Ps.107; 2Cor 5:14-17; Mark 4:35-41

Rev.  Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

LORD, DO NOT LET THE BOAT OF OUR FAITH SINK IN THE HEAVY STORMS OF LIFE 

In the scriptures, we often hear stories of how people struggles with heavy storms as they assailed through the sea. And even our fisherman and the Marine men who are into sea business can tell us better what it means to be on the sea with heavy storms, a situation where the need to look for a Saviour is highly expected. Such was the case with the disciples of Jesus in our Gospel passage today. It is a story about the disciples' panic and fear of perishing as a result of the heavy storm that is affecting their boat. 

As this heavy storm is about breaking their boat, the disciples cannot believe that Jesus was asleep while they were afraid and needed help from anywhere. So they went to him and woke him saying, ‘Teacher, do you not care if we perish? And Jesus said: “Peace! Be still!!” And the Storm ceased and there was a great calm. And he said to them, ‘Why are you afraid, how is it that you have no faith. The men were astounded and said, ‘What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the sea obey him.’

Here, this story signifies God's chosen people on a transit of faith, frightened by the guilt of sin and wounded by the waves of the sea, the abode of evil forces and monsters of this world. The boat can be taken as a symbol of the faith of the Church and the people of God struggling with the world’s principalities and powers, while the storms are symbols of heavy persecutions and sufferings by the people of God. These great waves and the wind facing the boat, which threatened to sink it also represent the difficulties and challenges that we are facing in this world on account of our faith, which seems as if Jesus is no more with us. The fact remains that Jesus is still with us more than we can ever imagine. And he is saying: why are you so afraid, you men of little faith. 

Little wonder we heard St. Paul saying in our second reading that the love of Christ should overwhelm us when we reflect that if one man has died for all, and the reason he died for all was so that living men should live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised to life for them. Thus, anyone who is in Christ, there is a new creation; the old creation has gone, and now the new one has come. This is well affirmed In our first reading today, where we are made to reflect on the life of Job, who in heavy storms of life, remained firm in his faith despite the efforts of the devil to sink the boat of his faith through misfortunes and sufferings in order to make him abandon the Lord. But Job remained firm, he did not blame God, though he did blamed himself and wonder why the Lord had to let him suffer such great misfortune just like most of us who often worry and wonder about our own daily storms and struggles. 

Dear friends, there is no doubt that there is an active presence of evil in the world which manifest itself in different forms. So everyday is a struggle against the malice of the evil ones, and we are doing everything we can to overcome them. Today Jesus is inviting us into his boat of life, thereby calling us to journey on this boat with an unwavering faith and a repented heart, because the world is being tossed around by the waves of the evil forces, the enemies of humanity. And it is only God who can subdue it, for he has promised to restore us back to himself. 

Therefore, I don't know the great storms of doubt and fear in your soul? I don’t know if you are under the power of the evil forces of this world. I don’t know how fragile the boat of your faith are or how deep the storms of life have tried to sink your faith?  All I will say is that we should let the words of Jesus sound once again in our hearts saying “Peace! Be still!” For with great faith in God, the heavy storms in our lives will become calm, for Jesus will surely rebuke the violent storms in our hearts so that we can experience once again the calmness of his peace and joy.

LET US PRAY: Lord God. As we struggle everyday to overcome the ugly situation around us, do not let the boat of our faith sink in the heavy storms of life. Grant that the violent storms and waves of bondage in our lives, our families and the world, will end in a wonderful calm that brings peace in our souls. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Happy Sunday to you all.

Homily for Saturday Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 19th June, 2021

 Homily for Saturday Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time  Year B,  19th June, 2021. 

Reading: 2Cor 12:1-10; Ps.34; Matt. 6:24-34

Rev.  Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

DO NOT BE ANXIOUS ABOUT TOMORROW FOR TOMORROW WILL TAKE CARE OF ITSELF

The activities and life of the human person are always competitive and comparative in nature, that is why we are often anxious to recognize or be recognized as the strongest, wisest, cleverest, richest. We will always want to know the most beautiful, handsome, most talented and greatest in virtually everything. Little wonder, the most lucrative business and adventures are found among those activities that are competitive such as sports, entertainment and politics because greatness gives more ego to our status and people are so anxious to about them. This anxiousness sometimes can lead to anxiety when people failed to achieve their plans because they have chosen to separate themselves from God.

Thus, this anxiousness that brings about competitive and comparative way of life is what Jesus is addressing in our Gospel passage today when he said: “You men of little faith? Do not be anxious; do not say, “What are we to eat? What are we to drink? How are we to be clothed?” It is the pagans who set their hearts on all these things. Your heavenly Father knows you need them all. Set your hearts on his kingdom first, and on his righteousness, and all these other things will be given you as well. So do not be anxious about tomorrow: tomorrow will take care of itself. For each day has enough trouble of its own.

Here, Jesus is calling us to reflect on our lives and our attitudes towards the material things of this passing world. For we often stray from the right path because we are too distracted by our personal ambitions and desires for worldly pleasures and achievements which are serious obstacles that can prevent us from attaining our salvation, as we end up falling deeper and further into the path of sin which separate us from God. Thus, we have to take a stand and choose firmly between serving God or that of material things, because we cannot serve both God and money, for sooner or later we will love one more than the other an the anxiousness to acquire more of it may lead us to anxiety. Hence the Lord tells us not to worry about our lives or other worldly desires for he shall provide all that we need.

Dear friends, today we are reminded that God cares about us despite all that we are passing through. But we have to make sure that we are not distracted by our ambitious desires for worldly things. We must let our focus be on God’s providence. Little wonder, St. Paul in our first reading tells us not to allow ourselves to be carried away by our pride and ambitions, lest we fall into sin. He also reminded us that the flesh is weak, so we should not yield to it’s desires and temptations.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we live a life of comparative and competitive, and these have often lead us to be anxious about tomorrow and our future, and when we cannot meet up with these desires we fall into anxiety. This is because we have chosen to separate ourselves from you. As we listen to your words today, may we not be too anxious about the things of this passing world. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a peaceful weekend.

Homily for Friday Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 18th June, 2021

 Homily for Friday Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time  Year B,  18th June, 2021. 

Reading: 2Cor 11:18.21-30; Ps.34; Matt. 6:19-23

Rev.  Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

WHAT AND WHERE ARE YOUR ULTIMATE TREASURES OF LIFE

Everyday under terrible scourges of the sun and noisy street, people struggle to acquire things that they value as treasures of life. The quarreling and fighting, the early morning rush, the traffic jam, the aggressive words all just to acquire things of this life and people are never tired of acquiring properties for themselves and their generation yet to come, forgetting that all these things sooner or later passes away as we ourselves expire from this world. Thus, in our Gospel passage today we are called to reflect on what should be our ultimate treasure and how we can acquire it. For Jesus said: Do not store up treasures for yourselves on earth, where moths and woodworms destroy them and thieves can break in and steal. But store up treasures for yourselves in heaven, where neither moth nor woodworms destroy them and thieves cannot break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Here, Jesus knowing how humanity are so attached to the things of this passing world, calls how attention to what should be our ultimate treasure. He made us to know that the kingdom of God is the greatest and ultimate treasure anyone can and should acquire. For it will be a waste of time trying to store up our treasures in this world, because the world as we know is passing away likewise the things in it. The world is not a safe place to store one’s ultimate treasures. The safest place to store up our treasures is in heaven. For heaven itself is the ultimate treasure that cannot be compared to anything whatsoever we have in this world and it is so precious and great, that it is worth more than our entire life and our worldly possessions and treasures.

Little wonder, St Paul in our first reading tells us that it is a waste of time boasting about our worldly possessions and achievement. For there is nothing to boast about in this passing world. And if there is anything to boast at all, it should be the things that show our weakness. Therefore, we must do all that it takes to ensure that our focus is on things of heaven  and how to acquire it. Because losing it over the temporal pleasure, joy, glory, fame, power and influential things of this passing world will be complete foolishness. For none of them last forever and what good is it for us to gain the whole world but loses our soul out of God’s kingdom.

Dear friends, the questions we need to ask ourselves today are: where and what is our ultimate treasure in this life? if the Lord should give us opportunity to make request of what our heart desires, what would you request for? How many of us are paying attention to  ultimate heavenly treasures? How many thinks and search for the ultimate treasure of our souls? How many desires to personally discover God in their life knowing that he is the ultimate treasure anyone can acquire in this world? How I wish we will understand the shortness of this life, the emptiness of this passing world and the danger of losing our soul out of greediness for the things of this passing world. Then, we will sincerely desire to experience God personally, because in him lies the ultimate treasure of life. And discovering God personally is the greatest treasure one can ever have.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, the world is full of distractions coming from false treasures of this passing world, give us a wise and discerning hearts in order to give up all our attachment to worldly possessions in pursue of the heavenly and ultimate treasure of your kingdom. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Peace be with you.

Homily for Thursday Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 17th June, 2021

 Homily for Thursday Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time  Year B,  17th June, 2021. 

Reading: 2Cor 11:1-11 ; Ps. 111; Matt. 6:7-15

Rev.  Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

FOLLOWING THE PRINCIPLES AND PATTERN OF ALL PRAYERS

The key to success is rooted in the understanding of the principles that guides any project or things that one embraces in life. Without a good understanding of the principle guiding any project one will struggle more with little or no success. Hence, it is important to struggle to understand the principle guiding any thing we do in order to be successful. 

Little wonder, Jesus knowing how important the act of prayer is to humanity, taught his disciples the principle and pattern of all prayers as we have it in our Gospel passage today, when he said: “Pray then in this way: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we also have forgiven all who trespassed against us. And do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from evil one”.

Here, Jesus knowing that prayer is an essential part of our faith through which we grow in our relationship with God, and become more connected to Him, gave us seven principles that should guide all our prayers. This prayer contain series of statements and petitions in which we affirm our relationship with God, with the people around us and with the world in general. In it contains a statement of faith, obligations and commitment as the foundation through which these seven principles are fulfilled.

The first principle is to acknowledge God as “Our Father”. A call for unity that requires faith, obligation and commitment. Here we acknowledge God not just as my Father, but as Our Father and the ‘our’ includes every single person who lives or has ever lived on this earth. The second principle calls us to reverence the name of the Lord as we say: “Hallowed be thy name “ yes, God’s name is holy no matter what we say or think. However, we make this prayer for our sake more than for His. Because from the holiness of His name comes the root of our faith and strength, so we are praying that God’s name be held in  deepest respect by people everywhere. 

The third principle calls us to have the vision of God’s kingdom, hence we pray saying: “Your kingdom come”, that is, we pray that humanity should consciously and willingly embrace the love and kingship of God which He is offering us. The forth principle invites us to dispose ourselves to embrace the will of God as we pray saying: “Your will be done on earth, as in heaven”. This is very important for it helps us to discern and be disposed to pray and live in accordance with the will of God.

The fifth principle calls us to learn how to be contented with what we have against all forms of selfishness and greed as we say: “Give us today our daily bread,” of which God surely provides. The sixth principle calls us to make an examination of conscience and to seek reconciliation knowing how weak we are, hence we pray saying: “And forgive us our trespasses, as we have forgiven those who trespassed against us”. 

Here we make serious commitment and obligation, asking that the condition for God’s forgiveness of our sins should be based on our readiness to forgive those who have offended us. Finally the seventh principle calls us to have total confidence in God’s providence, protection and guidance as we pray saying: “And do not put us to the test, but save us from evil”, here we acknowledge our weaknesses and our total dependence on God’s help against all the evil forces of this world. 

Dear friends, I have no doubt that we know our Lords prayer, but knowing it is not enough, we have to pray it devotedly, but praying it is not enough, we have to believe in what we pray for, but believing is not enough, we must put it into practice in our daily lives. This is because, often time we treat prayer wrongly when we consider prayer as a means to only achieve what we desired, without considering what God desires for us. Some of us spend lots of time reciting the prayers and yet we did not mean what we say because we have wrong disposition born from unforgiving heart which must be redirected before we can get a positive response from God.  

Therefore, it’s time for us to embrace these seven principles and change our perspective and wrong disposition towards prayers. It is time for us to spend more quality moment in prayer and be connected with God. We must let our prayers to be meaningful and genuine from our hearts. It is time for us to  improve the quality of our prayer life by imitating Jesus, who always prayed to his heavenly Father at every possible opportunities. 

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, in prayer we communicate more closely with you, please teach us how to pray for we really do not know how to pray as we ought, we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a favourable day.

Homily for Wednesday Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 16th June, 2021

 Homily for Wednesday Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time  Year B,  16th June, 2021. 

Reading: 2Cor 9:6-11 ; Ps. 112; Matt. 6:1-6.16-18

Rev.  Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

HAVING THE RIGHT ATTITUDE TOWARDS RELIGIOUS PIETY AND HUMANITARIAN SERVICES

There are three principle disciplines that guide all our religious pieties, this disciplines include: almsgiving, prayer and fasting. They can be rightly extended to every act of righteousness and services rendered to humanity. These disciplines have not been properly understood or implemented by people, for most people see this disciplines as an opportunity to display their piety in order to gain cheep human popularity and admiration. 

The negative attitude towards these religious discipline has been greatly adopted by many people including religious leaders who should know better. Therefore, it is this ugly and negative attitude that Jesus is addressing in our Gospel passage today, when he warns his disciples not to indulge in any form of outward display of their religious pieties so as to attract the admiration of others. Here Jesus presents how we should properly carryout our religious pieties and obligations, and any service we render for the sake of humanity. 

Using each of these three spiritual disciplines, he gave us the basic formula saying: That we should not blow trumpets in the streets to draw the attention of everyone when we give alms to the poor. We should not say our prayers in the most conspicuous places so that people will marvel at our holiness and when fasting, we should not put on gloomy and drawn looks so that everyone will know that we are fasting. Then he calls us not to be like the hypocrites who displays their charitable deeds, for they have received their reward. After which he instruct us regarding the secret practice of piety and promise us that God will reward us for any piety practiced in secret.

Thus, Jesus calls us to carryout our religious pieties and obligations to humanity secretly, for when it is done in the secret we will receive great reward from God and as recipients of these rewards, we will be surprised, because we have no idea that we did anything remarkable or that anyone noticed our charitable acts. For we certainly did not perform the charity to gain rewards. Rather, it is the combination of our selfless, sacrificial and unassuming attitudes that opens the channel by which God dispenses His blessings upon us. Little wonder St. Paul tells us in our first reading today saying: “Do not forget: thin sowing means thin reaping; the more you sow, the more you reap. Each one should give what he has decided in his own mind, not grudgingly or because he is made to, for God loves a cheerful giver”.

Dear friends, we are called to cultivate the right attitude towards our religious pieties and carry them out with the right intention and purpose, and not just for any selfish purpose.  Therefore, it is important that we have the right disposition and direction towards our religious pieties and shun all forms of worldly interest or rewards, so as not to be distracted by the vanity of the things of this passing world. Let humility, faithfulness, sacrificial love be the driving force towards all our religious pieties and every other things we do for the good will of humanity. 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, strength of those who hope in you, graciously grant us the gift of humility and sacrificial attitude towards our family, religious and societal obligation and responsibilities. May we carry them out faithfully and selflessly with right attitude and good intentions. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a blessed day.