Homily for Tuesday Twenty-Fifth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 20tht September, The Memorial of St. Andrew Kim Taegon & Comp.

 Readings: Prov. 21:1-6.10-13, Ps.119, Luke 8:19-21

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

DO YOU BELONG TO THE TRUE FAMILY OF JESUS?

One of the psychological and spiritual needs of the human person is the sense of belonging, this need is just like the need for food, clothes and shelter. The feeling of belonging is fundamental to our sense of happiness and well-being, for it gives value to life and help us in coping with some painful emotions as it improves our motivation. Hence, we often want to belong and identify with one another, to our friends and families, to our culture and from one association and group to another.

However, one of the common and safest place to belong is our families, especially when it is rooted in the family of God. So today in our Gospel passage, Jesus speaks about belonging to his family and his relationship with members of his family. For when he was told that his mother and brothers were standing outside and want to see him’. He said : my mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and put it into practice.’ 

Here, Jesus speaks of two ways the people around him could be identified as members of his family. Firstly he talks about those who belong to the family of his birth that is, his mother, father and relations. Then his other family which is made up of those who do the will of God.

 This family he says, is his true family where doing the will of God is the only way of belonging to this family. This is not to say that Jesus is rejecting his biological family; to do so would be contradicting his own teaching about loving ones parents and loving ones neighbours. However, Jesus is using this opportunity to emphasize that our relationship with God is more important and should be based on our total commitment to doing the will of God through him. Surprisingly, Mary the mother of Jesus belongs to both sides of the family, for she gave birth to Jesus and also was the first to do the will of God when she  said, “let it be done unto me according to your word” (Luke 1:38). For this reason she is the first disciple of Jesus and a model for all Christians.

Thus, to be a Christian or a disciple is to enter into the family of Jesus and embrace a new relationship with God and with one another and this is the most important place to belong. All other bonds, including those of blood should be considered secondary. Because, belonging to God is fundamental to our basic relationships, prior to all human relations. 

For we belong first to God before belonging to our families, after which we all go back to God where we ultimately belong, which will be determined by how we have done the will of God here on earth. And our first reading taking from the book for proverbs tells us that a man’s conduct may strike him as upright, but the Lord, however, weighs the heart.

Dear friends, where do we ultimately and truly belong? Do you belong to the true family of Jesus? As Christians, we claimed to belong to God, do our attitudes and decisions show that we truly belong to God? Do we not often commit ourselves to things contrary to the faith we professed in God? So, today we are called Just like St Andrew Kim Taegon and Companions whose memorial we celebrate today, to  make the ultimate choice to belong to the family of Jesus. For they gave up their lives during the persecution of Christians  in Korea as light of faith for the people aa a good example of how to do the will of God. Therefore, we are called to do the will of God always in order to truly belong to that true family of Jesus where love of God and love of neighbour unites us together.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we truly belong to you, give us the grace through the intercessions of  St Andrew Kim Taegon and Companions  to always do your will and as we carryout your activities today, grant success to the works of our hands, through Christ our Lord. Amen. God bless you.

Homily for Monday Twenty-Fifth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 19th September, 2022

  Reading: Prov. 3:27-34; Ps. 15; Luke 8:16-18

Rev.  Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

DO NOT HIDE IN DARKNESS FOR YOU ARE THE LIGHT THAT HUMANITY DESIRES TO BEHOLD

Light is a very familiar words in the scriptures, light is a symbol that represents awareness, knowledge, and understanding. Light clarifies, illuminates, inspires, defeats darkness, shines fully and freely, it guides, stimulates and motivates, provokes action, it irritates those who like darkness, confirms truth, purifies, exposes sin, warms and assures us of safety and also facilitates progress.

 

Little wonder, Jesus in our Gospel passage today said: No one lights a lamp to cover it with a bowl or to put it under a bed. No, he puts it on a lamp-stand so that people may see the light when they come in. For nothing is hidden but it will be made clear, nothing secret but it will be known and brought to light.

So, as people who have been purified by the light of Christ through our baptism, we are entrusted with the mission of illuminating the darkness around us. For during our baptism, we were given candle light which we are to kept brightly burning as a flame of faith in our hearts as we journey with others towards our heavenly kingdom. This therefore, clearly defines our role in the mission of Christ, which is to illuminates darkness and reflects the glory of God in the darkness of the passing world. 

Hence, every Christian is called by God to influence the world positively through the light of our faith and goodness, as we heard in our first reading, the book of proverbs which says: My son, do not refuse a kindness to anyone who begs it, if it is in your power to perform it. Do not say to your neighbour, ‘Go away! Come another time! I will give it you tomorrow’, if you can do it now. Do not plot harm against your neighbour as he lives unsuspecting next door. This is necessary for it helps us to be true light to our neighbours and those we encounter in life.

Dear friends, the focus of today’s message is that all of us are called to positively influence the lives of humanity by our attitude and character which should be like that of purifying light. Where there is darkness we should let the light of Christ illuminate. Where pride, selfishness, corruption and greed have brought darkness, let the light of our good attitude and character illuminate it once again. Where sin and immorality have made humanity filthy and ugly, let our light of holiness purify. Therefore, we must not let our lights be hidden under the darkness of the passing world, rather we must let it shine anywhere we find ourselves for we are the light that humanity desires to behold.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, as we struggle everyday to truly carryout the mission entrusted to us, give us the grace and courage to dedicate ourselves, our time, our energy and effort to becoming true light  that illuminate our families, society and the world filled with darkness of sin and evil. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Wishing you a fruitful week.

Homily for Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C, 18th September, 2022

  Readings: Amos 8:4-7; Ps.113; 1Tim.2:1-8; Luke 16:1-13

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

THE DISHONEST STEWARD: A LESSON ABOUT WORLDLY CUNNING AND CHRISTIAN CLEVERNESS 

>The elements of good and bad seem inherent in human person, that is why  the world is made up of both good and bad people mixed together. This will help us to understand the reason for corruption, greediness, immoral and social decadence in our world today. For walking through the streets I observed how people are struggling with the things of this passing world, I can feel their passion, their determination and willingness even in the midst of corruption and challenges of life. How I wish we can put such energy in working towards the things that edifice our soul. But the questions we need to ask ourselves are: what is my attitude towards the things of this passing world? Can I be trusted with the things of this passing world no matter how little? As managers of God’s resources, how are we using the things of this passing world, knowing that we are expected to be wise and smart in managing them?

>Little wonder, in the Gospel passage today, Jesus tells us the parable of the dishonest steward who, having acted unjustly and having being exposed by his master, went to great lengths to make friends of his master’s debtors in order to secure his future. In this parable, Jesus is not telling us to be dishonest, but he wants us to learn a lesson about the danger of worldly cunning and the grace of Christian cleverness. For we can learn even from this dishonest servant how to prudently use the things of this  passing world to gain our salvation. Thus, Jesus points out that we too should be smart but not exactly like the dishonest steward, using dishonest wealth to exploit others as most people do today in our society. No, instead we his disciples are to use our wealth to win souls for the kingdom and safe guard our own souls. 

Hence, in this parable, the Lord speaks to us again about the spirit of worldliness: how this worldliness works and how dangerous it can be. And as we know worldliness is an enemy to human souls, and that is why the devil derives great pleasure in seeing us dwell in worldliness just like the dishonest steward. Though some of us may see nothing wrong with the attitude of this dishonest steward because he has only done what most people if not everyone does especially in our country today, where we condole bribery and corruption as a way of survival and success. This ugly attitude is extremely sinful and dehumanizing.

Little wonder Pope Francis,  while addressing this ugly kind of attitudes says that God commands us to live an honest life and bring back home bread for our children through honest means. But most of us like this dishonest steward have chosen to bring back dirty bread of dishonesty for our children and even train and bring them up through dishonest means. Perhaps, today we should pray for many children and adults who receive dirty bread of dishonesty from their parents, especially those who are now hungry for the dignity of honesty.  This is what St. Paul advice us to do in our second reading today when he said: first of all, there should be prayers offered for everyone – petitions, intercessions and thanksgiving – and especially for kings and others in authority, so that we may be able to live religious and reverent lives in peace and quiet. To do this is right, and will please God our saviour: for he wants everyone to be saved and reach full knowledge of the truth

>This is important because bribery and corruption are obvious in our society today and they are serious sins because they are against our human dignity. The dignity by which we are united to God and to one another through our honest labour and not through bribery and corruption. Little wonder God through prophet Amos in our first reading today said: Listen to this, you who trample on the needy and try to suppress the poor people of the country, who can buy up the poor for money, and the needy for a pair of sandal. Never will I forget a single thing you have done. So, we should be careful not to fall into the temptations of money and other worldly pleasures which are trying to lead us away from God and the salvation he has given us.

The fact remains that these corrupt and cunning ways of life dehumanize us, even though it seems to be common in our society today, it doesn’t really make it right. Though, we are not called to be foolish, rather we are meant to know that  there is another road, an alternative route to worldly cunning. It is the path of “Christian cleverness”. This path, Pope Francis says, “allows us to be cunning but not according to the spirit of the world but smartness of God’s wisdom and grace. For Jesus himself said: be wise as serpents, innocent as doves”. Uniting these two realities is the grace that the Lord gives to us when we ask for it.

>Dear friends, today,  we are called to live a life of integrity, to let go of worldly cunning and embrace Christian cleverness. For each and every one of us are called to be good managers and custodians of whatever blessings and resources God has given us. We are all reminded that we have been called to follow the Lord and to devote ourselves to Him wholeheartedly. We must learn to be trusted and ensure that we manage whatever that is entrusted to us. So, we are called to really examine our conscience to know where we are with regards to our vocation as Christians. How can we best harness the things entrusted to us so that they can be sources and means of safeguarding our souls surrounded by corruption and greediness. 

Therefore, we are called today to be wise and smart, for if the worldly minded people can be smart in their dealings, we too should be smarter in our struggles for the salvation of our souls and that of humanity at large. We should utilize the resources available to us and use them to secure our salvation. This is possible if we understand the principle that says that everything we own is a gift from God, then we will realize that God is the owner of everything and that we are His stewards. As such, we are to use the Master’s resources to further the Master’s work and not the contrary. In this contest, we are told to be generous with our resources and use it for the safety of our souls and the growth of God’s kingdom.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, as we listened to your words today, may we not be carried away by the things of this passing world. Rather give us the grace to live a life of integrity and the skills to manage the resources entrusted to us and use them properly for the salvation of humanity and the development of our societies, we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a grace filled Sunday celebration.

Homily for Saturday Twenty-Fourth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 17th September, 2022

 Readings: 1Cor 15: 35-37.42-49, Ps.56, Luke 8:4-15

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

WHY WE MUST HAVE THE RIGHT DISPOSITION AND RESPONSE TOWARDS THE WORD OF GOD?/p>

Experience has shown that people’s disposition varies depending on where their interest lies. And our disposition towards whatever we do in life determines how successful we can be. Therefore, to be fruitful in whatever we do we must have to develop a right disposition towards it. Knowing how important this is needed in understanding his mission, Jesus in our Gospel passage today, used the parable of the sower to describe different kinds of human disposition and response towards the Word of God. 

>He said, a sower went out to sow his seed. As he sowed, some fell on the edge of the path and was trampled on; and the birds of the air ate it up. Some seed fell on rock, and when it came up it withered away, having no moisture. Some seed fell amongst thorns and the thorns grew with it and choked it. And some seed fell into rich soil and grew and produced its crop a hundredfold.’ Saying this he cried, ‘Listen, anyone who has ears to hear!’

In this parable Jesus categorized our different disposition towards the Word of God in relation to our interior life. Thereby giving us the guidelines that will help us to examine our attitudes towards the seed of God’s Word,  whether our soul is like dry rocky ground, whether our soul is full of the thorns of the things of this passage world or do we regularly seek to nourish our soul and prepare it to receive the Holy Word of God? So we are called to create a fertile disposition within our heart in order to do the will of God. 

This is important because today and even in the scriptures, there are many who hear the words of Jesus and do not understand it because of wrong disposition, for instance in the scriptures we have the religious leaders who are against the teachings of Jesus, the crowds that responded positively to Jesus, especially to his miracles of healing, yet turned against him at the end and demanded his crucifixion. Some disciples such as Judas might also be included among those who fell away when trouble or persecution came on account of the Word. While the rich young man who was unable to part with his possessions, provides a clear example of one who hears the word, but the love for the passing things of this world and the lure of wealth choked the word, and it yielded nothing.

 

But what about the good soil? These are those who hear the Word, understand and internalize it, who indeed bear fruit and yield an abundant harvest. Our mother Mary and the apostles excluding Judas are good example of such people. Therefore, the different kinds of ground on which the seed falls represent different ways by which we receive the Word of God. And St. Paul in our first readings today made us to know that whatever we sow in the ground has to die before it is given new life and the thing that we sow is not exactly what is going to come out. For when we sow a bare grain, say of wheat or something like that, it germinates and becomes a great tree. It is the same with the resurrection of the dead: the thing that is sown is perishable but what is raised is imperishable; the thing that is sown is contemptible but what is raised is glorious; the thing that is sown is weak but what is raised is powerful; for when it is sown it embodies the soul, when it is raised it embodies the spirit.

Here, St Paul reminds us of our basic Christian faith which teaches that: in order for us to rise with Christ we must first die to ourselves. That is, those things which hold us to the ways of this world must die and we must be reborn to the life of faith. Then we will rise with Christ and share his glory, just as we read in the parable of the Sower. For the Sower being Christ himself, teaches us how to manage the challenges of life in order to yield a rich harvest of faith and attain eternal joy of heaven.

Here, St Paul reminds us of our basic Christian faith which teaches that, in order for us to rise with Christ we must first die to ourselves. That is, those things which leads us to the ways of this world must die and we must be reborn to the life of faith. Then we will rise with Christ and share his glory, just as we read in the parable of the Sower. For the Sower being Christ himself, teaches us how to manage the challenges of life in order to yield a rich harvest of faith and attain eternal joy of heaven.

Dear friends, today, our hearts are the fields in which the Word of God is scattered, to which do our hearts belong? the path way, the rocky ground, the thorns or the good soil? Whichever one, we are called to pay attention and take some time to appreciate God’s Word in our lives by allowing it to bear solid root in us and germinate to bear great fruits 

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, we are often distracted from hearing and assimilating your Word we hear everyday, give us grace to remain open to receiving your Word, so as to bear fruit abundantly. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a blessed and peaceful weekend.

Homily for Friday Twenty-Fourth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 16th September, 2022. The memorial of St. Cornelius & St. Cyprian

Readings: 1Cor 15:12-20, Ps.17, Luke 8:1-3

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

HOW  ARE YOU CONTRIBUTING TOWARDS THE MISSION OF CHRIST?

Jesus involved a lot of people in his mission to saving humanity, some he called to follow him, some desired to follow him but could not, while some decided to follow him because of their personal experience of him and what they can gain from him. But only few followed him in order to provide for him and contribute towards the success of his mission. This is the dispositions and personality of those involved in the mission of Christ in our Gospel passage today. 

For when Jesus made his way through towns and villages preaching, and proclaiming the Good News of the kingdom of God. He went with his twelve disciples whom he had called, as well as certain women who had experienced him personally through his divine healing and deliverance. Along these groups are several others who provided for them out of their own resources. 

This Gospel passage actually points out the nature of the mission of the Church in proclaiming the word of God and our part in this mission. Thus, we are reminded of how God has called us to follow Christ and contribute to the salvation of humanity. And St. Paul in our first reading tells us that, if our hope in Christ has been for this life only, we are the most unfortunate of all people. But since Christ has in fact been raised from the dead, as the first-fruits of all who have fallen asleep, we have a sure hope in his resurrection.

Thus as children of eternal life, who are judged worthy of a place in the heavenly Kingdom. So, we are to fully involved in the mission of Christ. For there are men and women of our time who give themselves to noble causes. They give themselves to the service of others: they are those who see to the good of others and contribute to the growth of God’s Kingdom just like the women in our Gospel passage today. These are people of noble cause, like parents who teach their children the ways of the Lord by their practical way of life, like people who help the weak and the vulnerable, like friends who speak the truth and stand by it and political and Church leaders, who renounce power rather than compromise principles and uses every opportunity they have to evangelize the people.

Dear friends, are we really part of this mission of Christ? In what ways are we supporting the mission of the Church? Are we ready to contribute towards this mission by our ways of life? Do we desired to be part of this mission but lack the courage and discipline? Or do we think that this mission is not for us? The fact remains that as baptized persons, it is our obligation to carryout this mission and it is not optional. It is an obligation we must carryout irrespective of our status, position, environment and deposition, just like Pope Cornelius and Cyprian whose memorial we celebrate today. For they were holy servants of God who dedicated their lives to the service of God and for the love of God and their neighbour. And for this they died as martyrs under great persecution, of which they stood firm in their faith and hope which is rooted in their love of God and neighbours.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, the women in our Gospel today involved in your mission and contributed towards the success of your evangelization because they have experienced your love and mercy and wished to reciprocate this love, help us through the intercessions of SS. Cyprian and Cornelius to also realized how much of your love and mercy we have enjoyed and so be deposed to embrace and contribute to the mission of our salvation. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a blessed day.

Homily for Thursday Twenty-Fourth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 15th September, 2022. The Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows

 Readings: Heb. 5:7-9, Ps.31, John 19:25-27

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

HOW ARE YOU BEARING YOUR SORROWS OF LIFE?

>In life, we encounter ugly events and challenges that cause us sorrows and tears. And often times we don't know how to manage those moments. For just yesterday we celebrated the exaltation and triumph of the Holy Cross, today we are celebrating the sorrows of our Blessed Mother, who experienced a great sorrow at the suffering and death of her Son who suffered grievously for the sins and faults of others and  for the sake of the redemption of all humanity.

>So as we commemorate our Lady's greatest sorrows: beginning with the prophecy of Simeon in the temple, her flight into Egypt with the infant Jesus, the loss of Jesus at the age of 12 in Jerusalem, Mary's encounter with her son Jesus on his way to Calvary, his crucifixion, death and burial. In fact our Gospel passage today tells us that Jesus seeing his mother and the disciple he loved standing near her, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, this is your son. Then to the disciple he said, ‘This is your mother.’ Thus from that moment the disciple made a place for her in his home. This very action my seem so easy for those who have not experienced the painful torture that comes from witnessing the suffering of your loved ones. But for those who have experienced such torture especially our good mothers, we will understand better that it is harder to watch the pains and suffering of your loved ones then to bear our own pains. 

Hence, we can now understand the situation and condition our Lady was passing through for the sake of obedience to God’s will as she watched Jesus suffered for our redemption. Little wonder in our first reading we are told that Jesus although was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered, and being made perfect he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him. 

Dear friends, I don’t know  what kind of sorrows you are carrying in your heart? Is it the sorrows caused by the ugly situation in your life, your family, your place of work, your in ability to achieve your goals and dreams in like. Or is it sorrows caused by other people or caused by mistakes of your past ugly ways of life? Whatever and however deep the sorrows are, today we are called to learn how to bear our sorrows of life patiently like Mary by linking them to the will of God.

Let us learn how to present our sorrows and problems to God in prayer by raising up our minds and hearts to him and since he promised that he will teach us the way we should go; instruct us and advise us. Let us listen to what he is calling us to do  and ensure we do them just like our Mother Mary, because the Lord Jesus speaks to us from the depths of our heart and he desires that we listen to him whenever we pray and associates our sorrows with his own just like Mary our mother. 

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, there are so many sorrows in our lives and people are doing all they can to overcome it. Through the intercession of Our Lady of Sorrows, may we experience your love and help us to know  the best ways to bear our sorrows patiently. We asked this through Christ our Lord. Amen. God bless you.

Homily for Wednesday Twenty-Fourth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 14th September, 2022. The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

 Readings: Num. 21:4-9, Ps.78, Phil.2:6-11, John 3:13-17

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

WHAT DOES THE CROSS OF CHRIST REPRESENT IN OUR LIVES TODAY?

Today we celebrate the Feast of the exaltation of the Holy Cross, this feast is so important to our Christian faith, because the Holy Cross is a symbol of sacrificial victory of our faith. This Feast began when St. Helena discovered the relic of the true Cross on which Jesus was crucified, which was preserved in Jerusalem. A sacred relic that represents the mystery of the unending love of God for humanity. Though, the cross in the eyes of early Christians had no beauty, it was a sign of sorrow, a symbol of courage, an expression of faith which stood outside the city walls, decorated only with decaying corpses of Christ faithful who died for their faith in Christ. They are left on the cross as a threat to anyone who beliefs in Jesus. 

But today, the cross has become the universal image of Christian belief, an instrument of salvation which often appear in Christian art works and countless generations of artists have turned it into a thing of beauty to be carried in procession or worn as jewelry and other religions activities. Here we can see how this ugly event has turned into a glorious act, which shows the power of God over evil. For God is the source of victory, he has the power to turn ugly situation into a glorious one through the power of love. 

Little wonder our Gospel passage today, talks about the relationship between God and the world. Telling us that God loves the world and the humanity living in it. He loves it so much that he gave his only Son, who died a shameful and terrible death on a cross for the seek of his love. God loves the whole world and his love is total and unconditional for every one of his creatures. For God reveals his love, his greatest glory when his Son was lifted up on the cross for there the victory of our salvation was achieved and at the cross, Jesus tells us everything and solves all our difficult problems.

Just like the Israelites in our first reading who having sinned against God and were punished on account of their sins,  as they asked Moses to intercede for them and God said to Moses, make a fiery serpent and put it on a standard. If anyone is bitten and looks at it, he shall live. This very symbol is a prefiguration of the Cross of Christ. And St. Paul tells us in our second reading that though Jesus was in the form of God, but he humbled himself by accepting death on a Cross and God exalted him and gave him the name which is above all other names, so that all beings in the heavens, on earth and in the underworld, should bend the knee at the name of Jesus to the glory of God the Father.

Dear friends, as we reflect and celebrate the exaltation of the Holy Cross and it's saving power in our Christian life, let us deeply look at the Cross, what do we see? How do we feel about the Cross? What does the Cross of Christ represents in our lives? Do we feel the love of Jesus expressed for us on the Cross? Can we perceive the expensive price of our salvation? We must know that the Cross of Christ represents  the mystery of the unending love of God for humanity. So, we are called today to tell the world how deep God has loved us. We are to demonstrate this love to the world and let this love be felt by those who have lost hope in God especially at this time when humanity is struggling with the ugly situation of global and political crisis.

Therefore, let us extend this love in any form, gestures or manner possible to everywhere that it is lacking. A kind word, a single phone call, a text message, an act of forgiveness, a single prayer, a little sacrifice, an act of patience and any form of generous act shown to anyone around you or as many people you can reach out today, can reflect this love of God for humanity through us, for we are the face of God’s love now, we are the channels of his Mercy and compassion.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, as we celebrate the feast of the exaltation of the Holy Cross, may we experience once again the power of your love for humanity, and give us the grace to reciprocate this love in the world by our way of life, using the gifts, the talents and resources you have given us. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Happy  Feast day to all the Priest and lay faithful of the Archdiocese of Lagos.