Thursday of the 19th Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 12th August, 2021

 Thursday of the 19th Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 12th August, 2021.

Readings: Jos. 3:7-10.11 .13-17; Ps.114; Matt. 18:21-19:1

Fr. Emmanuel Onyia.

LEARN TO FORGIVE OTHERS FROM YOUR HEART

In the prayer our Lord Jesus gave us as a pattern of all prayers and as a fundamental principle of Christian life, there is a portion that point out something so important. This portion says “forgive us our trespasses as we for give those who trespassed against us” (Matt.6:12). By this pray we are making a covenant and commitment that will be a standard by which we are going to be judged as regards our relationship with others and with God. But often times we are not conscious of this principles especially when we have to face the difficult moment of forgiving a grievous offense.

Thus, Peter one of the disciples of Jesus being conscious of this fact, asked Jesus in our Gospel passage today saying: ‘Lord, how often must I forgive my brother if he wrongs me? As often as seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘Not seven, I tell you, but seventy times seven. And he practicalized his answer with an example of a servant who owed his master a great debt that he and his generation cannot pay. But when he pleads for mercy, the master forgave him all the debts. However, this same servant found a fellow servant who owed him as little as one hundred denarii, he seized him by the throat and began to throttle him and even when he pleaded for mercy, instead of forgiving him, he puts him in prison according to the norms of the law until he had paid his debt. 

This unforgiven servant did to his fellow servant what the master could have done to him, but did not. When the master heard how he treated his fellow servant, he said to him: “You wicked servant! I have forgiven you all your debt because you appealed to me. Were you not bound then to have pity on your fellow-servant just as I had pity on you? And, angry, the master handed him over to the torturers till he should pay all his debts.” Jesus then said, this is how my heavenly Father will deal with you unless you each forgive your brother from your heart.’ For God will apply the principle he has given us in our Lord’s Prayer, which will automatically put us where we properly belongs based on how we have related with other.

In this story, we see the extreme estimate of the debt the servant owed his master, ten thousand talents, even if him and his family had to work their whole life, they would never have been able to pay that debt. Because a denarius is a day's wage for a common workingman. While a talent is 6,000 denarii, or 20 years of daily wages. That means he would need to work 6,000 days to earn one talent and we are talking about ten thousand talents. So, that’s a huge amount compared to hundred denarii his fellow servant owed him, in fact, there was no comparison between the two debtors at all. However, this will exposed to us the ugly attitude of unforgiveness and also help us to understand that our debt before God is so huge and countless for we cannot be able to pay them. 

Dear friends, Are there people we have vowed not to forgive? Have people hurt us so much that we can’t forgive them? Have we offended people and cannot be humble enough to ask for their forgiveness? Do we think that our sins are so huge for God to forgive? Are we finding it difficult to forgive those who have offended us? 

There is no doubt that forgiven a grievous offense can be very difficult, but when this is done, it is like recovery a lost treasure that contains: joy, peace, freedom and healing. And today Jesus is asking us to learn how to forgive others always and unconditionally from our hearts, so that God will also forgive us always and unconditionally. Therefore, we must never refuse to forgive or reject an offer of reconciliation in our relationship with God and with our fellow human beings and if this becomes difficult, bring it to Jesus in prayer as you contemplate his patience and humility and mercy on the cross.

LET US PRAY: Almighty God, today you have made us to realize how unlimited you mercy is, as you exposed how huge our debts are in comparison with the little debts of forgiveness others owe us. As we make it a habit to forgive from the debt of our hearts all those who have offended us, may we discover and experience the hidden treasures that forgiveness brings. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a grace filled day.

Homily for Wednesday Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 11th August, 2021. The Memorial of St. Clare

 Homily for Wednesday Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 11th August, 2021. The Memorial of St. Clare

Readings: Deut. 34:1-12; Ps.66; Matt. 18:15-20

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

FRATERNAL CORRECTION IS NECESSARY IN HUMAN RELATIONSHIP

As human, we are not perfect because of our contingent nature, so we are likely to offend one another in any relationship we find ourselves. As a result of this, one of the major challenges we face in most relationship today is the ability to properly correct one another especially when one is straying from the norms set up for the good of the relationship.

In our Gospel passage today Jesus gave us the practical steps we need to follow in order to correct and reconcile with one another so as to build a stronger relationship when he said, ‘If your brother does something wrong, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won back your brother. If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you: the evidence of two or three witnesses is required to sustain any charge. But if he refuses to listen to these, report it to the Church as a community; and if he refuses to listen to the Church, treat him like a pagan or a tax collector.

Here, Jesus calls for fraternal correction in any relationship we find ourselves, for we are responsible for one another and these steps and stages give room for reconciliation. This fraternal correction must always be inspired by real charity which is one of the spiritual works of mercy. Though, this is never an easy task especially when one has to bear the sacrifice of forgiveness, because forgiving a very grievous offense is one of the most difficult things to do.

However, forgiven a grievous offense is like recovery a lost treasure that contains: joy, peace, freedom, healthy mind and healing. But how often do we seek to recover this lost treasure in our lives caused by unforgivingness? Hence Jesus today calls us to persistently seek for reconciliation until we gain our brothers and sisters back whenever they have offended us. And if they refused to be reconciled we should pray for their conversion for that is how Jesus taught us to treat the pagans, the task collectors and sinners. For in all our proceedings we should seek direction in prayer, knowing that God manifests his mercy when he transforms people and lead them to conversion, as he changes us and turns us from selfish and rebellious individuals into humble and loving persons. 

Dear friends, it is our duty, obligation and responsibility to ensure in a fraternal charity that our fellow brothers and sisters, friends and neighbours, colleagues and collaborators are corrected and guided whenever they go astray. For each and every one of us have the responsibility to strengthen our relationship and be a good examples for one another as we work the path towards our salvation, just like St. Clare of Assisi, whose memorial we celebrate today. She was a woman of great faith and humility, who was known for her great piety, love for God and humble service to the poor.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we are rebellious and proud people, we lack the courage and disposition to accept corrections, help us through the intercessions of St. Clare to correct one another in fraternal charity as we also learn to accept corrections when corrected. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a favourable day.

Homily for Tuesday Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 10th August, 2021. Feast of St. Lawrence

Homily for Tuesday Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 10th August, 2021. Feast of St. Lawrence

Readings: 2 Cor 9:6-10, Ps.112, John 12:24-26

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

LET THE SEED OF THIS MORTAL LIFE DIE TO THE FLESH IN ORDER TO YIELD RICH HEAVENLY HARVEST

The way people are so much engrossed with acquiring the things of this passing world at the detriment of things that edifice the soul, makes me to wonder if we are actually learning anything from the lives of those who have passed away from this world. Have we really taken time to reflect on where all of us and the beautiful things of this world will be in the next ten, twenty, forty, eighty and hundred years for those who are strong? I believe the answer to this question will leave a deep silence in our soul as it exposed the foolishness of human greed and selfishness.

Little wonder Jesus in our Gospel passage today tells us that unless a wheat grain falls on the ground and dies, it remains only a single grain; but if it dies, it yields a rich harvest. For anyone who loves his life loses it; anyone who hates his life in this world will keep it for the eternal life.

Here, Jesus is telling us that the only way to save our lives is by total detachment from the things of this passing world. That we must sacrifice the pleasurable things of this world for the sake of the heavenly kingdom, because they are not going to follow us when the time comes for us to leave this world. For attachment to things of this world is nothing but a distraction from the things of heaven. Therefore, what are the things I value so much that needs to die in order for me to live more fully in Christ? Because like a wheat grain we must sacrifice by dying to the things of this world in order to yield fruit that will sustain us for eternity. Hence, we need to ask ourselves today, what does God requires from us in this world? Why are we in this world and where are we going for this world?  

Dear friends, all that the Lord wants from us is to serve him, to love him and to love our neighbours as well. And Jesus says in our Gospel, If a man serves me, he must follow me, wherever I am, my servant will be there too. For if anyone serves me, my Father will honour him. This is exactly what St. Lawrence whose memorial we celebrate today did. For Lawrence was one of the deacons of Rome and as such was greatly involved in the many important decisions and works in the very heart of the Church in Rome. During persecution, St. Lawrence was confronted by the Roman prefect through Emperor Valerian, who demanded that he surrender all the properties and material wealth of the Church. 

Lawrence rather distributed all the properties of the Church to the poor, and then, assembling before the Emperor, all the poor the infirm, the sick and the destitute, and presented all of them before the Roman prefect as the true property and wealth of the Church. Then, the Emperor was filled with anger, he ordered that Lawrence should be arrested, imprisoned, and eventually was martyred by being roasted alive on a gridiron, which was made even hotter by the anger of the prefects. As they where burning him, he joked and asked his torturers to turn him over since he was "done" enough on that side. The deacon cheerfully offered himself to the Lord Jesus. Tradition has it that all of Rome became Christian as a result of the faithful life, and the death, of this one humble deacon, who let the seed of his life to die in order to yield rich Heavenly harvest.

Today the life of St. Lawrence is a great encouragement to us, calling us to the sacrificial life of love for God, the poor and the Church. And St. Paul in our first reading today tells us about the great rewards awaiting all those who had been generous in giving and loving the poor and the needy. For the one who provides seed for the sower and bread for food will provide us with all the seed we need and make the harvest of our good deeds a larger one, just like St. Lawrence  who showed us great example by his great generosity, love, genuine concern for the poor and the Church.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, Today, we saw in St. Lawrence a great example of how to live, and how to die faithfully to the Gospel. As we reflect on his life, may we come to love you the more and strive to detach ourselves from the negative influence of pleasurable things of this passing world. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a blessed day.

Homily for Monday Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 9th August, 2021

 Homily for Monday Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 9th August, 2021

Readings: Deut. 10:12-22; Ps. 147; Matt. 17:22-27

Rev. Fr.  Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

JESUS PAID HIS CIVIL DUES, WE ALSO MUST DO THE SAME 

Oftentimes, people feel that is not necessary to pay taxes to civil authority especially when they are not utilizing the proceeds of the taxes they collected from the people. But in our Gospel passage today, Jesus made us to know that we are expected to contribute to the growth of our civil society. 

For when the tax collectors of the Temple came to the disciples and asked them on the matter of paying the Temple taxes, Jesus said, ‘Simon, what is your opinion? From whom do the kings of the earth take toll or tribute? From their sons or from foreigners?’ And when he replied, ‘From foreigners’, Jesus said, ‘Well then, the sons are exempt. However, so as not to offend these people, go to the lake and cast a hook; take the first fish that bites, open its mouth and there you will find a shekel; take it and give it to them for me and for you.

Here, Jesus respects those in authority both civil and religious, even when he did not agree with them. He paid his dues calling his disciples to do the same while providing for them. Today, we all are called to do the same, let us have deep respect for authorities both civil and religious and pay our dues and ensure that they are well utilized, so that, like Jesus we may contribute to the growth of our society. Thus in our first reading today Moses tells us that the only thing the Lord our God ask of us is to fear the Lord our God, to follow all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord our God with all our heart and all our souls, to keep the commandments and laws of the Lord which he laid down for our good.

Dear friends, let us start our day by first taking our time to figure out our priority and get to work on them. Let us make our task more interesting and attractive and ensure that we contribute to the growth of our civil society. When our tasks seem difficult, just start with the minor once and from there we will be motivated to continue and by so doing we will remain faithful with the commandments of our Lord. 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we thank you for gift of your word. As we begin our task this week, may your glory inspire us and elevate us to greater height. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a fruitful day.

Homily for Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B, 8th August, 2021

 Homily for Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time  Year B, 8th August, 2021.

Reading: 1Kings19:4-8; Ps. 34; Eph.4:30-5:2; John 6:41-51

Rev.  Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

EMBRACE JESUS THE BREAD OF LIFE AND YOUR SOUL WILL BE SATISFIED

What can ever satisfy the human hunger and thirst for peace, wholeness righteousness, love and joy? These are the things we search everyday of our lives. But we seem to have little or no answer. This is because we have often failed to listen to God’s words calling us and directing us towards the path of truth which he has revealed through his son our Lord Jesus Christ, who has been speaking to us in our Gospel since his resurrection. 

Thus, today Jesus continues with his teaching on the bread of life, he seeks to draw those who listened to him into a profound relationship with himself. He asks them to believe in his wonderful promises about eternal life. In the same way he invites us to partake in a life that is indestructible, to share in the very life of God. Jesus wants us to know that he is the food of our souls. Our souls are really starving due to sins, and indeed thirsty for holiness, love, peace and purity. In Jesus alone can staving and empty souls find their strength and satisfaction. For in him, there is fullness of life.

 

The fact remains that Jesus is the bread of life which came down from heaven. And he wants us to commit our souls into his hands, just like Elijah in our first reading, who when he almost gave up, the Lord sent his angel who came and touched him saying, ‘Get up and eat or the journey will be too long for you. So Elijah got up and ate and drank, and strengthened by that food he walked for forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. Thus, we must know that  whenever we experience anything of spiritual hunger and thirstiness, we must come to Jesus and be satisfied. 

Little wonder St. Paul in our second reading tells us to imitate God as children of his that he loves and follow Christ loving as he loved you, giving himself up in our place as a fragrant offering and a sacrifice to God. Therefore, we should never have grudges against others, or lose our temper, or raise our voice to anybody, or call each other names, or allow any sort of spitefulness. Rather, we should be friends with one another, and kind, forgiving each other as readily as God forgave us in Christ.

Dear friends, because of the ugly situation in our society today, we are weighed down by sorrows in conscience, staving in affections and love especially in this difficult moment in human history. But we are not to give up no matter the situation we are  facing right now, we must know that Jesus is always ready to relieve and restore us whenever we come to him in faith, for in him alone shall we find lasting satisfaction, peace and love both now and for eternity. For he is the Bread of Life and anyone who eats this bread will live for ever;

LET US PRAY: Lord God, often times we are thirsty and hungry down within our souls, as we listen to your words today, may we find that satisfactions which our souls so desired and by so doing fine eternal life. This we ask through Christ our Lord. Amen. Happy Sunday and remain blessed.

Homily for Saturday Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 7th August, 2021

 Homily for Saturday Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 7th August, 2021

Readings: Deut. 6:4-13; Ps. 18; Matt 17:14-20

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel  Emenike Onyia.

THE FAITH THAT MOVES MOUNTAIN

Oftentimes, we think and wish that we have faith enough to face whatever challenges that come our way. But the fact remains that we can only know the level and capacity of our faith when we are truly faced with a situation that overwhelms our physical and mental abilities. Then we will realize that what we think we have as faith is nothing but a shadow of the reality. Such was the situation with the disciples of Jesus in our Gospel passage today.  

For a man came up to Jesus begging him to deliver his son who he bought to the disciples but they where unable to cure him. But Jesus said to them ‘faithless and perverse generation!’ ‘How much longer must I be with you? How much longer must I put up with you? Bring him here to me.’ And he rebuked the devil, who immediately came out of the boy and he was cured from that moment. Then the disciples came privately to Jesus. ‘Why were we unable to cast it out? they asked. He answered, ‘Because you have little faith. I tell you solemnly, if your faith were the size of a mustard seed you could say to this mountain, “Move from here to there,” and it would move; nothing would be impossible for you.

Here, Jesus gives two reasons why the disciples failed to cure the boy. The first is connected with their own moral condition and disposition as they are only depending on their own personal abilities. Secondly and more importantly is their lack of faith. Though they had, indeed, shown some faith by making even the attempt at the expulsion of the devil, but they had acted in a half-hearted manner, and had not displayed that perfect confidence and trust which alone can bring success and make all things possible. Thus, Jesus decided to use the analogy of a mustard seeds to give them lecture about having a perfect and complete faith that moves mountain.  

The mustard seed as we know is the smallest of all seeds which grows to produce the largest of all shrubs. So with the analogy of the mustard seed in relation to faith, Jesus supposed that, if we have the smallest faith that is genuine, we can do all things. Just like the mustard seed produced the largest of all herbs. Therefore, If we begin to nurture our faith to grow and strengthened from small humble beginning, it will grow to the point that it can help us to perform and achieve greater things and conquer most difficult situation that, at first would appear impossible. 

So faith moving mountains, implies that spiritual and divine ability to make difficult and stumbling situations to vanish. And this is obtained when we are rooted in God through sincere love. Little wonder we heard Moses in our first reading todays instructing the Israelites on the need to love God sincerely with all their hearts and soul as  they have it in their common daily prayer called the shema Israel.

Dear friends, if we want to grow in faith, we must cultivate the humble habit of a mustard seed, which though small but has the potential of becoming great when exposed to a fertile environment. For us to have the faith that moves mountain, we must be well deposed to embrace the power of God in our lives, we must desire to have a personal experience of the power of God at work in the world and acknowledge that in him come our victory over every situation with encounter.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, faith is your supernatural gift to humanity, grant that we may embrace this gift even as little as that of a mustard seed, in order to move out of our lives the tough mountains that are crushing us on our daily lives. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a joyful weekend.

Homily for Friday Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 6th August, 2021, The Feast of Transfiguration of the Lord

 Homily for Friday Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 6th August, 2021, The Feast of Transfiguration of the Lord

Readings: Dan. 7:9-10.13-14, Ps.97. 2 Peter.1:16-19. Mark 9:2-10

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

HAVING A TRANSFIGURATION EXPERIENCE IS NECESSARY FOR OUR CHRISTIAN FAITH

To know the true identity of Jesus has always been the desire and quest of most people of his time and even in our time. Most people today still do not really have a grand knowledge of the personality and identify of who Jesus really is and his mission towards the salvation of humanity. So to make known his identity to humanity, Jesus in our Gospel passage today chose three of his disciples Peter, James and John and led them up a high mountain where they could be alone. 

There in their presence he was transfigured: his face shone like the sun and his clothes became as white as the light. Suddenly Moses and Elijah appeared to them; they were talking with him. Then Peter spoke to Jesus. ‘Lord,’ he said ‘it is wonderful for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.’ He was still speaking when suddenly a bright cloud covered them with shadow, and from the cloud there came a voice which said, ‘This is my Beloved Son listen to him.

Today we celebrate the event of this mystery and revelation as the Feast of Transfiguration of the Lord. The word “Transfiguration” is the combination of two words ‘trans’ meaning change, and ‘figure’ meaning appearance or the outlook of a body. That is, the change in appearance of Jesus that reveals his true nature as the Divine Son of God, shining forth from his human nature, unveiling that he was not just a Man, but also the great Son of God incarnate in the human flesh. Hence, in this Feast we remember the revelation of Christ as the beloved Son of the Father, the one we are called to trust and listen to in prayer. An event that occur to undermine objections to inevitable event of parousia which calls us to a life of faith and radical transformation. A transformation that brings about a new out fit that makes one a new person with a new life, a new mind and a new way of doing things. 

In this revelation we recall the presence of the two greatest and most renowned figures from the Old Testament, namely Moses and the prophet Elijah. They represent the law and the prophets which bear witness to the personality and identity of Jesus and to crow all, the voice from the cloud which has also been the symbol of God’s presence with His people bearing witness that Jesus is the Beloved Son of God, calling us to listen to him. Little wonder St. Peter in our second reading today tells us that, it was not any cleverly invented myths that we were repeating when we brought you the knowledge of the power and the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ; we had seen his majesty for ourselves. 

Peter made us to know that Jesus was honoured and glorified by God the Father, when the Sublime Glory itself spoke to him and said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; he enjoys my favour.’ He said they heard this themselves, spoken from heaven, when they were with him on the holy mountain. This event also fulfills the vision of Daniel in our first reading, where he said: I saw, coming on the clouds of heaven, one like a son of man. He came to the one of great age and was led into his presence. On him was conferred sovereignty, glory and kingship, and men of all peoples, nations and languages became his servants. His sovereignty is an eternal sovereignty which shall never pass away, nor will his empire ever be destroyed. And the preface of this feast says that Jesus revealed his glory in the presence of chosen witnesses and filled with the greatest splendour that bodily form which he shares with all humanity, that the scandal of the Cross might be removed from the hearts of his disciples.

Dear friends, are we in anyway ignorant of the personality, identity and mission of our Lord Jesus Christ? Have we personally experienced the presence of Jesus in our lives? Have we ever encountered Jesus in such a transformative way that changes our sinful ways of life and build our faith stronger in the Lord? The truth is, we can change our religion, churches, even our pastors, friends, residence, car or our physical appearance: hear, cloth, colour even gender as some people do today. But if we don't have a transfigurative experience that will bring about a change of mind and heart towards loving God and our neighours, we will remain the same and the old experience of unfruitful life will perpetuate itself over and over again. Because, everything absolutely change when we change our mind for good. 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, you never ceases to make known to your children the mysteries of your Love for humanity, grant that by listening to the voice of your beloved Son, we may personally experience his love in our lives and merit to become coheirs with him, who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen. As you begin the day, may God bless you with a sound mind and unwavering faith in him.