Homily For Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C, 23rd January, 2022.

 Homily For Third Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C, 23rd January, 2022.

The Sunday of the Enthronement of the Word of God And Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

Readings: Neh. 8:2-4.5-6.8-10; Ps. 19; 1Cor.12:12-30; Luke 1:1-4;4:14-21

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

LET THE WORD OF GOD MAKE GREAT IMPACT IN OUR LIVES

On 30th September, 2019, our Holy Father Pope Francis in his Apostolic Letter Aperuit Illis declared and instituted “A Sunday for the Word of God”, which is to be celebrated every third Sunday in Ordinary Time of the Church’s Liturgical Year. The purpose of this declaration is to remind all Christ faithful that the Word of God as contained in the Scriptures are very vital and integral in the development of our faith in God. The Word of God in this case does not just refer to the Scriptures as we know it, but is also refers to Christ himself as our Lord and Saviour, the Divine Word made Incarnate. 

So today being the third Sunday in Ordinary Time year C,  we are called to celebrate the Word of God. This is very important and significant in our liturgical celebration and our readings today, as they emphasis on the important and significant of the Word of God in the lives of his people. In the first reading, we heard how the rebellious attitude of the people towards the Word of God brought about the capture and exile of the people of Israel. But having gain their freedom, they decided to hear and mediate on the word and law’s of God, which when the word was read and interpreted they wept for their ignorance and negligence of God’s Word, but Ezra said to all the people, ‘This day is sacred to the Lord your God. Do not be mournful, do not weep.’ For the people were all in tears as they listened to the words of the Law.

This gracious event ushers us into our Gospel passage today, where we heard how  Jesus  The Word made Flesh came to his hometown and entered the synagogue, they handed over to him the Word of God as proclaimed by prophet Isaiah, and unrolling the scroll, he read a potion of the scripture that declared what he referred to as his mission and goals in regards to the fulfilment of all the wonderful promises of God’s salvation for humanity. Here, we heard the manifestation and fulfilment of the missionary mandate of our Lord Jesus. For the Word made Flesh is now dwelling among his people. Of course, the people in the synagogue must have been astonished when they heard how he spoke with such great wisdom and authority, as he revealed the truth of God’s Word to all, and how everything that the prophets had spoken would be fulfilled through him.

Thus, Jesus the Word made Flesh and dwell among us, has become the center of our lives. Because our faith is founded upon this very Word of God made Flesh, the Divine Word Made Incarnate. For the Church is founded on the base of the Word of God that is: the Scriptures, the Sacred Tradition and the Magisterium of the Church as the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. And this Word is what unite us together. Little wonder today we also celebrate the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Hence this week, we have to spend some time to reflect  on the Word of God and see how we can foster unity within the  Church through the Word of the scriptures. 

But this will be very difficult if we are ignorant of the truth of God’s Word as contained in the Sacred Scriptures. We need to first deepen our knowledge of God and build a sold relationship with him. And this is what St. Paul is telling us in our second reading today, as he uses the analogy of the human body though with different parts made up of one body, to explain what ought to be our relationship with God and one another. Because the body of Christ ought to be truly one united and indivisible Body of all the faithful people of God.

However, this has not really been achieved because we have neglected the very center of  our faith and unity. We have failed to embrace the Word of God and make it the guiding principles of our lives. We do not have time to study the bible or create time to listen to God speaking to us and addressing some of our challenges. We are either too busy with our work and career, or are distracted by all the ugly activities the world is selling to us through the internet that often captured our thoughts and imaginations, that there is no room for God and his words in our lives. So, from this Sunday till Ash Wednesday, we are reminded that it is time for us to reflect on the Word of God and reaffirm our relationship with God before it is too late.

But dear friends, the question we need to ask ourselves are: what is our response towards the Word of God we hear everyday? How much of this Word dwells in us? What is my relationship with Jesus the Living Word of God made flesh and dwells among us? Has the Word of  God ever strike me in anyway to the point of shading tears? Today we must let the Word of God make great impact in our lives. That is why, the emphasis on the Word of God today is very important to all of us the faithful people of God who have been called to follow the Lord. 

Therefore, if we are to follow Christ faithfully, we must cultivate the habit of listening to God and studying the scriptures because the Word of God is our daily sustenance and the source of our strength and faith. Hence, we are called to make the Word of God the guiding principle in our lives. For in the scriptures we find the strength and courage to conquer the darkness of sin around us. By the Word of God, we acquire grace and courage to conquer evil and sin, promote good over evil, order over chaos, security over danger, joy over sorrow, truth over falsehood, salvation over condemnation and life over death.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, as we enthrone your Word in our lives, our families and in your Church today, grant we pray, that through the power of the Holy Spirit, we may come to discover the power and the efficacy of the scriptures in our lives as individuals, families and community of God’s people. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a blessed and lovely Sunday.

WHY THE DEDICATION? A HISTORICAL AND THEOLOGICAL UNDERSTANDING OF CHURCH DEDICATION

WHY THE DEDICATION? A HISTORICAL AND THEOLOGICAL UNDERSTANDING OF CHURCH DEDICATION 

REV. FR. EMMANUEL EMENIKE ONYIA

INTRODUCTION 

The Church is understood as the Assembly of God’s people gathered to celebrate the divine mysteries, usually within a specific community that provides a specific place and space for this celebration. With time this specific place and space becomes a habitual place of meeting and there a building is being erected for worship. So, through the deep relationship between the building and this Assembly of God’s people, the building takes the name of the assembly which is the Church and so the building is often referred to as the Church. As the assembly gives its name to the building, they accord it the reverence necessary and if they feel the necessity and the joy of reserving it exclusively for worship of God by means of an action that expresses this decision and more importantly to call down the favour of God upon it. The liturgical process of obtaining this statue is called the Rite of Dedication of a Church. 

So, reflecting on the Rite of the Dedication of a Church according to the Handbook for Liturgical Studies volume v pages 333-376, which presents to us the historical progression of the rite of dedication of a Church, starting from the Pre-Constantinian period, the period between fourth to seventh centuries, the rituals of the eighth century, the rite of dedication from tenth to the fifteenth centuries down to Vatican II, we will understand the important value of a dedicated Church. 

HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT 

Prior to the first three centuries of Christianity, there was no need for any ritual for the dedication of Church because, there were no churches as the historical condition of Christians at this period do not permit the construction of buildings for worship do to recurring persecutions which made them lack juridical personality. So, the communities were reluctant to providing a building for worship. However, towards the end of the first century and the beginning of the second century the disciples had adopted the Pauline idea of “spiritual worship” where they talk about the human person as the temple of the Holy Spirit where true worship occurs. Hence, the notion brought about a profound change in the attitude of the disciples towards the temple of Jerusalem and the Levitical worship. This made them to regard the temple to be not just the physical structure like the temple of Jerusalem but spiritual phenomena that reside in the soul of the human person. For them, it is better to dedicate to God a sanctuary in our souls by practice of virtues, having right spirit, a pure heart and a sincere soul where true sacrifices are offered to God through the practice of justice, love and charity just as apostle Peter instructed them in 1Peter 2:5, that they should build themselves into a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. And also following St. Paul admonition in 1Corth. 3:16 saying: “do you not know that you are God’s temple, God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple God will destroy that person. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple”.

 However, the Christian community following the event of Pentecost do gather together to celebrate the memorial according to the command of the Lord. Every day as the spent time together in the temple they also broke bread at homes and ate their meal with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people (Acts 2:46-47). With time, they turned their homes into special place of Christian worship. Example of some of these houses were clearly mentioned in Acts of the Apostles, starting from Acts 1:13, talking about the “Upper Room” where the disciples met, together with certain women including Mary the mother of Jesus, the house of Mary the mother of John whose other name is Mark (Acts 12:12), the house of Aquila and Priscilla in Ephesus, the house of Philemon in which the community at Colossae gathered (Phlm. 2).

So with constant meeting and celebration of the Eucharist in these same houses in an atmosphere of faith and fellowship, they turned into a fixed place of Christian worship which was consequently adopted as a place of worship with an architectural works. Nevertheless, since the supreme celebration of Christian worship which is the Eucharist begins in a house at the upper room the Christian communities have to continue to celebrate it in a house.           

However, between the periods of 3th to 7th centuries religious freedom was granted by the edict of Licinius and Constantine in 313 when the Christian communities enjoyed the right to own places of public worship. This brings us to another stage, the stage of securing and building a place of worship and the need to consecrate these newly built places of worship. At this point, the Christian communities have to face a very important challenge, which is the challenge of the choice of an architectural model for place of worship that is different from Jerusalem temple, synagogues, and pagan temples rather they chose as a model the basilica forense and a civic building that had plenty of rooms for meetings as these were essential requirement of the Christian liturgy. So within the second half of the fifth century to seventh century there were already some ritual sequences that would be more like elements that makes up the dedication of the Church given the rise to the spacious rite of the dedication of a Church. These elements include: the celebration of the Eucharist, deposition of martyrs’ relics, anointing with chrism, wishing with water, the sign of the cross and the first sign of regression.

 The Celebration of Eucharist: At this period, given the important of Eucharistic liturgy as associated with the idea of a ‘sacrifice’, Eucharistic celebration becomes the essential act in the dedication of a Church. 

Depositing of Martyrs’ Relics: Another element necessary for the rite of dedication of a Church is the placing of martyrs’ relics beneath the altar of the sanctuary, this began around second half of the fourth century in certain places of the northern Italy and the East as well. So many factors brought about the introduction of this element in the rite of dedication of a church such factors include: first is the fact of the history of worship which is found in the very ancient act of veneration of martyrs which brought about the adorning of their tombs with decorative components, building of monument or small sacred shrines over their tombs, celebration of the Eucharist on the anniversary of their martyrdom, pilgrimages to their tombs in order to obtain protection and help. 

So it is the desire of each community to posses the relics of the great heroes of faith which is a thing of great joy for them. Also the idea of placing the relics of the martyrs in altar comes from the relationship between the ‘martyrs and the altar’ which is attested in the book of revelation 6:9 where, at the opening of the “fifth seal,” the seer discovers under the alter the souls of those who had been slaughtered for the word of God and for the testimony they had given. Following this is the consideration that the greatest honor that can be given to witnesses of Christ is to bury them beneath the altar where the sacrificial offering of their Lord is perpetuated. So the altar and the relics of martyr symbolizes the present of Christ with his most outstanding witnesses which brings the complete meaning of regarding the building as Church. 

Anointing with Chrism: The rite of anointing of the alter which originated in the East as early as the patristic age has it theological value from the church’s reflection on Christ where they reached the identification between Christ and the altar as atlare Christus est following Pauline allegory where the “rock was Christ” and Christ means “ Anointed ”. Therefore, the altar which symbolizes Christ needs to be anointed in order to be a complete symbol of the “Lord’s Anointed”.

The Washing with Water: Between fourth to Seventh centuries the rite of washing is another element used in the dedication of a Church. This rite of washing and anointing with chrism are two ritual elements that liken the dedication of the Church to Christian rite of initiation. 

The Opening of the Door: Another element in dedication of a Church is the rite of opening the door. This rite is simple and solemn, showing Christ the King of glory represented by the book of Gospel enters the sanctuary of the new people of God, thereby fulfilling symbolically the ancient liturgy of entrance into the temple.   

The Sign of the Cross: This rite is traceable to seventh century where bishops, on entering a new Church traces a large cross in the form of X on the floor, which was later expanded by adding the writing of the alphabet, in Greek and Latin, on a double layer of ashes strewn on the ground a rite signifying taking of possession.

Nevertheless, the rite of dedication continues to develop from tenth to fifteenth century and later Pontificals down to Vatican II. At this Period the rite of the dedication of a church that is found in the Roman Pontifical is very fine and rich but it no longer meets modern needs and situations because it is too long and the fatigue caused by such long and complex rites becomes excessive for consecrating bishops. So there was a liturgical reform just before the opening of Vatican II. However, the ritual in Ponitificale Romanum 1961 which was promulgated on April 13, 1961 contained the rite of the dedication of a Church titled Ordo ad ecclesiam dedicandam et conserandam was divided into four parts: the washing and dedication of the Church, the deposition of relics and the Holy Mass. However, from the day of promulgation of the constitution sacrosanctum Concilium in 1963 to 1977, the Roman liturgy had been a subject of a far-reaching enthusiastic and radical renewal. So there was redaction of the Ordo didicationis. The ordo contains now seven chapters starting from the placing of the first stone of the Church; the dedication of a Church, the rite which is in four parts: first the introductory rite which includes the assembly of the community at another Church, the procession to the new Church, the station at the threshold of the Church, the opening of the door, the blessing and sprinkling of water. The second part contains the liturgy of the word which includes the showing of the book and opening of the book. The third part is prayer of dedication and anointing which include singing of the litany of the saints, the deposition of the relics, prayer of dedication, the anointing of altar and walls, illumination of the altar and the Church. The fourth part is the Eucharistic Liturgy. 

CONCLUSION 

The main reason why we dedicate a Church to God is to show the theological understanding of what a Church represent, that the Church building is a sign of God’s worshipping community, pointing out that the people should be aware that the holiness of the building depends not on the “blessed stones”, but on the saving words proclaimed in it, the holy sacrifice offered there, the sacraments of salvation celebrate there and the presence of the Holy Spirit who dwells in the hearts of the faithful gathered in the Holy Assembly for worship. It reflects the Church’s idea of itself and its fidelity to Christ. Also, it reflects the ups and downs of the Church’s own history with its cultural changes, its political and social situations and the theological emphases that have succeeded one another through the centuries.  

Therefore, as we gathered today to dedicate our Church, St. Pater Catholic Church Odoragushin, we are also rededicating ourselves once more to God. This is because we are not just dedicating the structures but also the souls of all who gathered here for worship, for we are made to know through St Paul that our bodies are temple of God, the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. So, today is a special day for all who have gathered here. It is a day we renew our commitment to God. It is a day we obtain special grace to be more prepared to embrace our heavenly temple where we will behold the face of our Loving God. 

Hence, I say congratulations to all who have gathered here today for this dedication, especially the parishioners of St Peter Catholic Church Odoragushin and our dearest Mama, Christiana Otedola Doja who celebrates her 90th birthday today and dedicating this Church to God in thanksgiving to God for the awesome gift of life.

Homily For Saturday of The Second Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 22nd January, 2022

 Homily For Saturday of The Second Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 22nd January, 2022

Readings: 2 Samuel 1:1-4,11-12,17,19,23-27; Ps.80; Mark 3:20-21

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

FOLLOWING THE LORD REQUIRES THE SACRIFICE OF OUR TIME, OUR COMPASSION AND OUR RESOURCES

Oftentimes, people think that being a successful Christian mean living a comfortable life style. They think that once we embrace the Christian faith we are no longer going to encounter challenges and difficulties in life. But this is not true, because Christian faith requires the sacrifice of all our time, energy, compassion and resources. 

This is evident in our Gospel passage today, where we heard how the Lord Jesus and his disciples were so much engaged in the redemptive works among the people. The work was so great to the extent that they were so busy in doing their work that they had no time to rest at all and even to eat, even when they were hungry. They were so engrossed in the work to the extent that the relatives of Jesus could not believe it and they thought he was out of his mind. This was because they feel he spent so much time in his ministry, since he did not spend much time with his family people.

This is to remind us that following the Lord is not always an easy and comfortable journey, and more often than not, we may be required to make great sacrifices. However, those sacrifices were not without rewards, for those who had committed themselves to the service of the Lord, shall receive the grace of eternal life and shall never be disappointed in their  endeavour in life. Just like the disciples of the Lord, who out of compassion sacrifice all their time and resources to the service of the Lord and were not disappointed or abandoned in their struggles and challenges because they understood what it means to acquire the heart of their master Jesus.

This is exactly what we see in the life of David in our first reading today, where we heard how David full of compassion and love reacted upon hearing the tragic story of the death of King Saul and his son Jonathan at battle of Mount Gilboa against the Philistines where the Israelites were grossly defeated. Then David made this lament over Saul and his son Jonathan saying: How did the heroes fall? Saul and Jonathan, loved and lovely, neither in life, nor in death, were divided. O Jonathan, in your death I am stricken, I am desolate for you, Jonathan my brother. This shows how deep David’s love and compassion for his people were despite how Saul treated him.

Dear friends, we are reminded that following the Lord requires the sacrifice of our time, our compassion and our resources. For in Christ Jesus, God has accomplished his redemptive work. What is needed is for us to identify ourselves with this covenantal sacrifice through our active participation in the missionary activities and mandate that the Lord has entrusted to us as his disciples. Therefore, we are called to embrace this missionary activities with the sacrificial love of Christ and his people by coming out of our comfort zones of ugly and sinful ways of life, in order to embrace the love and  mercy the Lord is offering us and be ever more grateful to God for such an act of kindness and compassion. 

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, we thank you for such great act of love which you have shown to us through Christ your Son who is full of love and compassion. Grant that we may be ever more faithful in following and doing your will, who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen. Do have a blessed and favourable weekend.

Homily For Friday of The Second Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 21st January, 2022. The Memorial of St. Agnes of Rome

 

Homily For Friday of The Second Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 21st January, 2022. The Memorial of St. Agnes of Rome

Readings: 1Sam.24:2-20; Ps.57; Mark 3:13-19

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

HAVING A MISSIONARY ZEAL AND PASSION IS NECESSARY FOR AUTHENTIC WITNESSING 

As Jesus continues his work of evangelization and mission towards the salvation of humanity, he needed to have people who will be entrusted with this mission. Thus, in our Gospel passage today, Jesus chose twelve apostles out of his disciples. He called and separated them from the crowd so that they will be with him. And he gave them power to preach the gospel, to heal the sick, and to cast out devils. 

Here Jesus clarifies the extreme nature of his mission which he will entrust to his apostles, so that those who would follow him must first count the cost, because they will definitely share in his sufferings in order to share in his glory. Thus, Jesus who has earlier given the disciples explicit instructions about his mission makes know to the apostles their specific mission.

Consequently, each one of us like the apostles are called by name into a deep personal and intimate relationship with Jesus in order to be sent to bear witness of him in the world. Absolute commitment is a necessary quality for this mission. Because, Jesus did not choose people because of what they were. Rather, he chose them for what they could become under his direction and power.

This is what we see in the life of David in our first reading today, where we see the magnanimity of David’s heart, for he refused to kill Saul when he had a perfect opportunity to strike Saul and claim the Kingship of Israel for himself. Although he has been chosen as the new King of Israel, but that should not have given him the justification to murder a person in the time of his weakness, and less still to do so for the pursuit of power and personal glory as most people do today. This is because David was truly filled with love for God. He did everything to serve the Lord according to his will and mission for him.

This genuine obedience and commitment to God’s mission is what we also see in the life of St. Agnes whose memorial we celebrate today. For as a noble young Roman woman, St. Agnes had many suitors and those who were interested in her, but she rejected them all for she had dedicated and consecrated her purity and virginity to God, and will not allowing any of those men to desecrate her virginity and sanctity. So out of pride and jealousy suitors became very angry at her, and reported her to the authorities as a suspected Christian, since to be a Christian was a crime punishable by death. 

On account of this, the Roman prefect, named Sempronius condemned her to death and attempted to kill her by various methods. First the attempts by several men to defile her virginity by force failed because they were immediately struck blind before they died. The attempts also to hurt her by other means such as burning on a stake also failed for the flames refused to burn the wood. But eventually she was beheaded by being stabbed in the throat and that’s how Agnes met her end through martyrdom and brought glory to God and his mission.

Dear friends, how are we responding to God's call and mission? How best are we carrying out this mission of preaching the Gospel, healing the sick and casting out devil? How are we relating with those we judge to be sinners and those we see as our enemies? What efforts are we making to convert them. Remember, as followers of Christ we are called to journey with Jesus in love and compassion towards other people even in the midst of sufferings, rejection and persecution.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, you called and chose us to be with you in order to bear witness of our salvation to humanity, through the intercessions of St. Agnes, help us to have the missionary zeal that will enable us to live with integrity, purity and detachment from the thing of this passing world. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a favourable day.

Homily For Thursday of The Second Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 20th January, 2022

 Homily For Thursday of The Second Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 20th January, 2022.

The Feast of Blessed Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi

Readings: Phil 2:1-11, Ps. Is.12:2-6, Matt.13:44-46

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

OBTAINING THE ULTIMATE TREASURE OF HEAVEN REQUIRES THE SACRIFICE OF ALL OUR WORLDLY POSSESSIONS

 

Today we celebrate the feast of Blessed Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi, he was born in Aguleri, Anambra State on September,1903, but died in Leicester, England on 20th January, 1964. He was ordained a Roman Catholic priest for the Archdiocese of Onitsha. He was known for love of neighbour, healing and reconciliation of the people with God, with oneself, with one another and with the created reality.

Tansi dedicated himself not only to daily contemplative prayer but also to active ministry. He evangelized the youth, prepared couples for marriage, visited the sick, was a very good confessor, promoted vocations to priesthood and religious life, and provided for the needs of the poor. Hence, in Tanis We see man who understood that the kingdom of heaven is so precious and great, that it is worth more than our entire life and our worldly possessions and treasures. And this is what we have in our Gospel passage today, were Jesus used two parables to describe to the people that the kingdom of God is the greatest and ultimate treasure anyone can and should acquire. 

Here, he describe the kingdom of God as the ultimate treasure that cannot be compared to anything whatsoever we have in this world. However, the kingdom is open for all, but not all can be suitable to dwell in it, only those who on the judgement day are found suitable can be admitted into the kingdom. Using these parables Jesus explains what the kingdom of heaven is like and what we need to do in order to acquire it. 

Thus, in the life of Tansi, we see one who discovered the great treasure of heaven, sold everything and acquired it. In Tansi we see how the light of faith sowed in him like the mustard seed grows to give hope to many people. So, the humble beginning of the Christian faith sown in him was well watered by the Holy Spirit to grow and give life and hospitality to people of the world. 

Dear friends, obtaining the ultimate treasure of heaven requires the sacrifice of all our worldly possessions. Though in the world we have different kinds of treasures. But the questions are: what is your ultimate  treasure? How are we searching for it? Are we really ready to sacrifice all for this treasure? For St. Paul in our first reading says: that though Jesus was in the form of God,  but he did not count equality with God a thing to be grapes. For he rather emptied himself in humble obedient to God his Father. Therefore, today we are called to empty ourselves of the passing things of this world in order to humbly acquire the heavenly treasure just like Tansi, who humbly sacrificed the treasures of this passing world in order to embraced the treasures of heaven.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, the world is full of distractions from false treasures, through the intercession of Blessed Tansi, give us grace to discover the treasures of your kingdom and nurture the treasures of faith, holiness and hospitality implemented in us during our baptism 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 Wednesday of The Second Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 19th January, 2022

 Homily For Wednesday of The Second Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 19th January, 2022

Readings: 1Sam. 16:17:32-33.37.40-51; Ps. 144; Mark 3:1-6

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

NOTHING SHOULD RESTRICT US FROM DOING GOOD TO PEOPLE NOT EVEN THE SABBATH LAW

From the scriptures, it seems like every encounter that the Pharisees had with Jesus were always aimed at finding faults with what Jesus is doing. But to their greatness surprise, Jesus will always escape and used that opportunity to communicate an important message to the people. Such was the occasion in our Gospel passage today. 

When on a Sabbath day Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach, and a man was there whose right hand was withered. The scribes and the Pharisees were watching him to see if he would cure the man on the Sabbath, hoping to find something to use against him. But knowing their thoughts he said to the man with the withered hand, ‘Stand up! Come out into the middle.’ Then Jesus said to them, is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good, or to do evil; to save life, or to destroy it? And said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ He did so, and his hand was better. But they were furious, and began to discuss the best way of dealing with him.

Here we see how Jesus demonstrated his compassionate care for humanity, for the most important thing for God in this world is the human person. That's why he makes all efforts to save humanity from damnation. He desires to see us making effort to becoming faithful and holy. His mercy is so deep that he propose it as the guiding principle for the perfect fulfillment and interpretation of the laws of life. Thus, Jesus in this passage have to teach us that humanity’s welfare should not be neglected because of laws and regulations. That nothing should restrict us from doing good to people not even the laws of Sabbath. 

Therefore, in as much as we desire to honour God’s laws we must seek the good of people as well. This is what the Pharisees have failed to understand, for they are rather fault- finders and self- righteous people, who only wish to mislead the people and suppress the truth and the good works of others, just because of their selfish desires to sustain their ego, pride and their worldly ambition. But we should not be like them, rather we should be compassionate and merciful for that is what we are called to do. We should learn to be courageous and resist any law or people who uses laws or their physical position to oppress others. We should learn from David in our first reading today who courageously confronted Goliath and defeated him despite his intimidating physical appearance and so brought victory to God’s people who were intimidated by Goliath.

Dear friends, today we are called to know that no law should restrict us from constantly do good to everyone. We are called not to be faults-finders who are blindfolded by pride. We must also renounce all sorts of prideful actions and wickedness that may destroy our relationship with others and purity of our souls. Therefore, let us be compassionate and merciful for that is what we are called to do in this life especially in this moment when our societies and families are really in chaotic situation.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we often failed to listen to your teaching because of our selfish desires and pride, help us to always listen to you and be willing to do good always especially in interpretation and application of laws and regulations. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a blessed day.

Homily For Tuesday of The Second Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 18th January, 2022

 Homily For Tuesday of The Second Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 18th January, 2022

Readings: 1Sam. 16:1-13; Ps. 89; Mark 2:23-28

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

LAWS AND ITS INTERPRETATION AND APPLICATION MUST AIM TOWARDS THE WELL BEING OF THE PEOPLE

There is no doubt that human life is guided by laws and principles, for in there absence we cannot survive or enjoy peace and harmony in our society. But it is so sad to say that we have lost the essence and spirit that governs the making of law, it’s interpretation and application. Little wonder Jesus in our Gospel passage today teaches us about the essence of making laws. 

This is clear from the response of Jesus when the Pharisees criticized the attitude of his disciples who on the Sabbath were seen plucking ears of corn to eat because they were very hungry. This is so because the Pharisees emphasized on strict keeping of the law of Sabbath while neglecting the spirit of the law which has to do with God’s love  and mercy.

Thus, for the Pharisees this would be a transgression of the law of the Sabbath which prohibits one form doing any work. Jesus responded by quoting the scriptures to indicate that their arguments have no bases. He recalls that David himself did something which was prohibited, because he took the sacred bread of the temple and gave it to the soldiers to eat because they were hungry. Jesus ends his response with two important phrases: first, the Sabbath is made for man and not man for the Sabbath. Secondly,  the Son of Man is the Lord of the Sabbath. 

The truth is that, Sabbath was meant to be a day of rest when people would be  free from work so as to think of God, to give thanks for God’s gifts, and to take care of their health and well-being. But some religious authorities gradually encroached the Sabbath with so many regulations that it is no longer serving its true purpose. This is because they have failed to look at the true meaning of human life and the things that round us. But God will always remind us of the true meaning of life. And this he demonstrated in our first reading today, where we heard how Samuel seeing the awesome appearance of Eliab and intended to anoint him but the Lord said: take no notice of his appearance or his height for I have rejected him; God does not see as man sees; man looks at appearances but the Lord looks at the heart. Thus, David was chosen and was anointed.

Dear friends, the Lord does not look at the outward appearance of our lives, rather he looks at the purity of our hearts. For the Lord made laws for the good of the people, but often times we find ourselves seeking more recognition by exercising too much control over other people’s lives under the disguise of laws. This should not be the case, rather, we should always consider the essence and purpose of making laws, bearing in mind that  human basic needs which supersedes all other human interest should be the guiding principle of any law both social and religious. In fact, the ritual demands of the Sabbath encourages mercy, forgiveness and compassion which are at the heart of any true religion. Therefore, as we make laws and implement them, let these principles be our guide. 

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, you often show the light of your truth to those who go astray, grant that we may always embrace your laws, interpret them properly and apply them with mercy and compassion. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a blessed day