Homily for Monday Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 3rd October, 2022. The Memorial of St. Theresa of the Child Jesus

 Readings: Gal 1:6-12, Ps. 111, Luke 10:25-37 

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

LOVING GOD AND NEIGHBOURS ARE WHAT THE LORD REQUIRES OF US?

As humans we are always desiring to know what life requires of us, especially when we are faced with the realities of life. We often want to know the things that should be our first priority. So we always ask questions that will help us in addressing most of the challenges we encounter. These questions are sometimes meant to test our ability towards understanding the realities of life.   

This is the deposition of the lawyer in our Gospel passage today, who came to Jesus to test him by asked him question concerning the requirements for inheriting eternal life. This lawyer backing up his question with his knowledge of the ten commandment, made reference to the 'Shema Israel' - שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל, the prayer that the people of Israel knew and recite from their earliest years, from which they learned that the most important thing in life is to love God with all their heart, and with all thy soul, and with all their mind and to love their neigbhour as well. In other words, loving God with all our heart, with all our understanding and strength, and to love our neighbour as ourselves is what is required of us and it is the foundation of all the things we have to do. 

But this lawyer needed more clarification concerning this requirements, then he asked Jesus a second important question when he said: who is my neighbour? At this point Jesus did not just explained, he illustrated who a true neighbour should be with the famous story of the good Samaritan. In fact, from the story Jesus did not just answer the question: ‘who is my neighbor?’ He also demonstrate what a true and righteous neighbour should be like, thereby showing us that our neighbours are often those we least expect to be a neighbours. For our neighbour can be anyone even the ones we most despised or feared just like the good Samaritan and this tells us that a true neighbour shows compassion, love, care and makes sacrifice for others.

And St. Paul in our first reading addressing the people of Galatia concerning what it means to be a good neighbour spoke clearly against all those who misinterpreted the Scriptures and twist the truth for their own selfish purposes and by so doing sowed seed of divisions and confusions among the Christian communities. Thereby,  warning us that if anyone should preached a version of the Good News different from the one they have already preached to us, whether it an angel from heaven, he is to be condemned for committing such sin against God and against his neighbours. 

Dear friends, love is the center of all the teachings of Jesus, for love is a gift from God to humanity. It is like the stream water, so innocent and pure. A true love is not hidden, it radiates from the innermost being of a person who experienced it. If we love God, then, we will see him in others and treat them justly and honourably. We will not hurt our neighbours but do our utmost best to live in peace with them. 

The truth is that, the absence of love is the cause of all the problems in our world today as most families exist by grace and not by love. Imagine how wonderful the world would be if we all love one another. How I wish we can invest our time and resources in ensuring love and unity in our dealings with one another. Believe me we will not only be fulfilling the first and greatest commandments of God, but we will be building a happy community just like St. Theresa of the child Jesus whose memorial we celebrate today.

LET US PRAY: Almighty God, in you resides the fullness of love, grant that through the intercessions of St. Theresa of the child Jesus, we may truly love you and our neighbours and so conquer the world full of hatred, self-centeredness, greed and corruption, we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a fruitful week ahead.

Homily for Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C, 2nd October, 2022

  Readings: Habak.1:2-3;2:2-4; Ps.95; 2Tim.1:6-8.13-14; Luke 17:5-10

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia 

HAVING THE FAITH THAT MOVES MOUNTAIN REQUIRES PUTTING INTO POSITIVE USE THE GIFT GOD HAS GIVEN US

Using a simple story to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson has always been one of the characteristics of Jesus when addressing the people regarding things that are very important. By couching his teaching in parables, Jesus made certain points much clearer to his audience. This is evident in our Gospel passage today where he  used an analogy of mustard seed to illustrate the important of faith. This is very important for oftentimes, we think 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  situations that overwhelm our physical, mental and spiritual abilities. Then we will realize that what we think we have as faith is nothing but a shadow of the reality. That is why Jesus exposed the sacrificial nature of discipleship as regards to forgiveness, when he let them know that they must learn to forgive as often as some offered them. Realizing our difficult this may be his apostles said to him Lord increase our faith and Jesus using the analogy of the mustard seed said: “ if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this sycamore tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea’, and it would obey you”

Here, Jesus decided to use the analogy of a mustard seeds to give us lecture about having a perfect and complete faith that moves mountain. And 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 emphasized that If we have the smallest faith that is genuine, we can do all things. Just like the mustard seed, so small but produces the largest of all trees. 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 situations that at first would appear impossible. So faith moving mountains, implies that spiritual ability to make all difficult and stumbling situations to vanish. 

Little wonder prophet Habakkuk encouraging us in our first reading today says: that God will never abandon his people, for everything will happen in due time for those who have faith, if it comes slowly, wait, for come it will, without delay. For behold, he whose soul is not upright in God shall fail, but the righteous shall live by his faith. That is why we are told that faith is a supernatural gift of God, which enables us to believe without doubting whatever God has revealed. But  when a precious gift is given to us and we failed to put it into use, whose fault is it? They fault of the person that gave us the gift? No. The fault of the gift itself? No. Or the fault of the receiver who has failed to put the gift into positive use? Yes.

So, this gift must be nurtured and put into use if we want to gain from it. Hence, St. Paul in our second reading today said: Beloved, I am reminding you to fan into a flame the gift that God gave you when I laid my hands on you. God’s gift was not a spirit of timidity, but the Spirit of power, and love, and self-control. He continues: Keep as your pattern the sound teaching you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. For you have been trusted to look after something precious; guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in you. 

Dear friends, we must learn to put into positive use the gift of faith God has given us before it can move mountains . And 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 comes our victory over every situation we encounter.

Therefore, we are called to let every moment of difficulties and trials lead us to grow in faith and knowledgment of God’s power and authority. So, I don’t know what you are passing through now especially as regards your faith in Jesus, I don’t know what you are asking God to do for you. I don’t know how ugly the situation in your life has been, I don’t know whatever sickness your are passing through or how abandoned and rejected you feel right now. I don’t know how stubborn and impossible your situation have been. All I have to let you know is that Jesus has not stopped thinking and caring about you. All you have to do is to be confident and put into positive use the gift of faith God has given you the day you were baptized. Do not let that precious gift waste while you suffer for nothing. 

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. Happy Sunday, wishing you a blessed Month.

Homily for Saturday Twenty-Sixth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 1st October, 2022. The Solemnity of Our Lady Queen & Patroness of Nigeria

 Readings: Is.11:1-10, Ps.72, Eph. 2:13-22, Matt.2:13-14.19-23

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

OUR COUNTRY NIGERIA NEEDS A RADICAL TRANSFORMATION FROM GREED AND SELFISHNESS 

The root of all the problems in our world today is the love of power. For people are ready to do anything to be on power and to retain that power. This is what we see in the life of Herod in our Gospel passage today, where the Holy family of Jesus have to flee away to Egypt, because Herod planned to kill an innocent child for the sake of retaining his power. This ugly attitude is not far from us today especially in our country Nigeria which is in the state of distress because of love of power and greediness among the people in power and even the common citizens.

The fact remains that the elements of good and bad seem inherent in human condition, little wonder the world involves both good and bad mixed together. This will help us to understand the reason for the corruption, greediness, immoral and social decadence in our country today. So as we are celebrating our country Nigeria at 62 since our independent, we thank God who has made it possible for us to witness the day. But today’s celebration should plunge us into deep reflection about the ugly condition of this country. We need to ask ourselves, what have we done right? What have we done wrong? How can we do better and what will the future of this country be like? This is because our country Nigeria needs a radical transformation from greed selfishness.

Dear friends, the rate of corruption and greediness in this country is so appalling. People are never tired of acquiring and embezzling public funds for their own selfish gain. The truth is that, we need a radical transformation. A transformation that will 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. And this is possible only when we understand the shortness of this life, the emptiness of this passing world and the danger of greediness, then we will be able to do things the right way and then our country Nigeria will be great again.

For this country will be transformed only when the power of love and goodwill supersedes the love of power, when justice and faithfulness becomes the habit of everyone of us in this country. Then, we can begin to experience that peaceful coexistence and blessings that prophet Isaiah mentioned in our first reading and so bring the hostility going on in our country to the end just like St Paul said in our second reading that we shall no longer be strangers in our own country but true citizens with the saints not just here in our country Nigeria but also in the kingdom of God. 

LET US PRAY:  Lord God, out of selfishness and greediness we have committed a lot of crimes and injustice against one another, grant that through the intercession of Our Lady Queen and Patroness of Nigeria, we may resolve to have genuine love and good will in carrying out our activities in the societies as you guide and direct us to learn how to do the right thing always by letting the power of love to transform the ugly situation in our country. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Happy New Month, wishing you a blessed Independence Day celebration.

Homily for Friday Twenty-Sixth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 30th September, 2022. The Memorial of St. Jerome

 Readings:  Job 38: 1.12-21.40:3-5; Ps. 139, Luke 10:13-16

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

DO NOT LET JESUS SAY WOE! TO YOU FOR FAILING TO EMBRACE THE WORD OF GOD

Reflecting on the ugly and fragile nature of our societies and the world as a whole, especially how the streets are full of people struggling and suffering, the markets are full of people buying, selling, cheating and manipulating others. Our leaders are so busy with acquiring, manipulating and embezzling the common resources, not minding the struggles, the tears, the disappointments that people are passing through everyday, as some people have lost hope in themselves and even in everything they do. We are  blessed with every good thing you can talk about but we have misused them and use them to abuse one another. We are just so busy with everything except the very essence of our existence, that is, the salvation of our souls. 

This ugly and fragile kind of condition is what Jesus is addressing in our Gospel passage today as he continues with his reproaches, this time to cities where he had done great miracles, yet the people failed to embrace the life of the Gospel he preached. Hence he reproached them saying: woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. And still, I tell you that it will not go as hard on Judgement day with Tyre and Sidon as with you’. 

No doubt, Jesus has taught us about the kingdom of God and proclaimed a message of healing and conversion but his teaching and powerful deeds have not yet been embraced by humanity. Hence, Jesus in this Gospel is not just rebuking the cities of Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum, but all humanity for not being open to the fruits of his Gospel, calling us to reflect on how we are losing out on what God is offering us. Because God will always have plans to correct us if we are ready to listen to him just like Job in our first reading today, who surrendered to the will of God after he realized the awesome power of God for he was ignorant of it before this encounter.

Little wonder, St. Jerome whose memorial we celebrate today says: that ignorance of the scripture is ignorant of Christ. Hence today, we can recall his great contributions to the Church and the Christian faithful especially for his compilation of the Latin translation of the Greek Bible. Jerome who experienced all sorts of worldly pleasures as a young student of philosophy. But later his conscience led him to conversion into the Christian faith as he renounced all of his past sinful ways of life and devoted himself deeply into the study of the Scriptures, from which comes all his great works we still study today.

Dear friends, we must not let Jesus say woe to us for failing to embrace the Word of God. Though, we might not feel very comfortable with the idea of Jesus rebuking and uttering terrible words of threats on these big and powerful cities that represents all of us and humanity at large. But the questions we need to ask ourselves are: have we really embraced the Word of God we hear everyday? Is the Word bearing fruits in our lives? Can we recognize in this fragile condition the great work that Jesus is doing to save humanity and the need to turn back to God? Do we think that repentance is for others and not for us? Jesus is saying woe to us for failing to embrace and live out the Gospel teachings, because he seem to expect some sort of changes in us when we hear his Words or when we encounter him in prayers. 

Therefore, God is calling us to repentance, He wants to come into our souls and dwells. Today He is rebuking all humanity, He wants us to come to Him for He comes to us more than we go to Him. Hence, if we believe in God, and put our trust in Him, we will have the assurance and guarantee of restoration, for God does not want us to suffer the consequences our sins, that is why He kept reminding us about the up coming danger. But, if humanity constantly refuse to believe in God, we may end up in self destruction. 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, as we embrace your words today, may we experience your love, joy and healing both physically, materially and more importantly spiritually, as we wait patiently for the restoration of all humanity from the ugly and fragile condition of this passing world. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. God bless you.

Homily for Thursday Twenty-Sixth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 29th September, 2022. The Feast of Saints. Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, Archangels

 Readings:  Rev. 12:7-12; Ps. 103, John 1: 47-51

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

WHAT IS YOUR EXPERIENCE OF ANGELS AND ARCHANGELS?

As Christians, for us to be fruitful in our given vocation in life, there is the need for us to build a personal relationship with God and building this relationship is not difficult as some people think, because God desires to have such relationship with us and this he often manifested through the instrument of angels and Archangels. Little wonder we celebrate today the three great Archangels, Michael, Gabriel and Raphael who are God’s most powerful instrument for safeguarding the human soul.

In these Archangels we have powerful link to God especially in our constant struggle and the spiritual battle for the sake of our souls. They are categorized based on their responsibilities. Archangel Michael is known as the Prince and defender of the heavenly hosts. He defends us in battle and helps us to be humble, so that we may not fall into pride,  over ambition, greed and vanity like the devil who he defeated and sent away from heaven, so that we can remain firm in our commitment to serving the Lord as we have it in our first reading today (Rev.12:7-12). Archangel Gabriel is known as the Messenger of God. He helps us to have faith in God through his words so that we may always hope in God. While Archangel Raphael is know for the manifestation of the healing and mercy of God, especially for soul corrupted by sin.

This shows us the extent God can go for the sake of saving humanity. The fact is that, God loves us so much and it is not about our love for him, but his own love for us. This is manifested in the life of Jesus who loves us personally and desires to share in our daily struggles through the angels and Archangels. All he demands from us is to acknowledge his presence in our lives and cooperate with his grace, and when such relationship is established our lives will change for good just like Nathaniel in our Gospel passage, who acknowledged that Jesus is the Son of God, of which Jesus commended him for his faith and goes on to tell him that he shall see great things in heaven including the angels ascending and descending in the presence of God.

Dear friends, what is our experience of angels and Archangels? Is there any occasion were we can say that we have personally encounter or experience the presence of an angel? What is our relationship with our guardian angels? If none we should desire to have one through our daily activities. For today we are reminded that God through the Archangels manifest his power and presence in human activities and so we are called to always cooperate with the will of God as directed by his angels and Archangels who minister to us. We are called to build a personal relationship with God through his Archangels, who are there to defend, guide and heal our souls from sin and death.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, you often send your Archangels to guide and direct our affairs in life. Through their faithful direction and protection, may our life advance boldly along the path of salvation, through Christ our Lord. Amen. Peace be with you

Homily for Wednesday Twenty-Sixth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 28th September, 2022

Readings:  Job 9:1-12.15-16, Ps. 88, Like 9:57-62                                                                      

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

WHAT EXCUSES DO YOU STILL HAVE FOR REFUSING TO FOLLOW THE LORD TODAY?

The path to success is so rigorous, strenuous and competitive. The strong pass through it and are celebrated, while the weak will always quit or give up. Hence, a lot of people have not been able to achieve their goal in life because, always they have excuses to give. Oftentimes we hear such people saying I want to do this but.., I could have done it but..., I thought of it but… I was almost there but... 

This kind of attitude is what Jesus is addressing in our Gospel passage today, when he said to someone, ‘Follow me’, the man replied, ‘Let me go and bury my father first.’ But he answered, ‘Leave the dead to bury their dead; your duty is to go and spread the news of the kingdom of God.’ Than another said, ‘I will follow you, sir, but first let me go and say goodbye to my people at home.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Once the hand is laid on the plough, no one who looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.

Here, Jesus is emphasizing that following him requires a life of total self-denial and the man who requested to follow Jesus had not reflect thoroughly what following Jesus would entail. So Jesus made it clear that following him would mean giving up many of the personal comforts that he enjoyed and perhaps took for granted. However, it may seems that the Lord Jesus was very harsh when he said that those who have chosen to follow him and looked back were not fit for the kingdom of God or that those who died ought to be left on their own to be buried. This is not the case here, rather Jesus is emphasizing that to be his follower requires serious commitment and sacrifices at  all times.

And this is what we see in the life of Job in our first reading where we heard how Job, although was suffering and was passing through many troubles, even friends who abandoned him and even accused him of wrongdoing, but he remained committed to God in righteousness without blaming neither God nor the people for his misfortunes. Thereby teaching each and every one of us how to respond and react in the moment of trials and difficulties.

Dear friends, what excuses are you giving for refusing to follow the call of the Lord? Do you not know that for us to succeed in life and also make it to heaven, we need to pass through some rigorous steps and stop making excuses? Sometimes the rigorousness of the paths may seem difficult and impossible but at the end they form the experience that will propel us to success and sustain us as well.  So as we journey through the rigorous path of success in our mission and vocations, let us be encouraged by the life of  Job, knowing that none of our sacrifices and contribution in the mission of Christ and his Church will be in vain.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, teach us how to faithfully embrace our vocation and mission in life without making excuses. May we be ever more nourished by your word and find in it the fount of grace to journey the path of life, we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a blessed day.

Homily for Tuesday Twenty-Sixth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 27th September, 2022. The Memorial of St. Vincent De Paul

 Readings: Job 3:1-3.11-17.20-23; Ps.88; Luke 9:51-56

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

HOW TO PATIENTLY DEAL WITH STRONG OPPOSITIONS OF LIFE 

Oftentimes when we find ourselves in difficult situations caused by our opponent, the first instinct that comes to our minds is to do away with the opponent and ensure that he or she does not exist anymore. Sometimes we feel like crushing anything that stands on the way towards our goal, especially when we think that we have the power and authority do so. 

This is the disposition of James and John in our Gospel passage today, when they said to Jesus: ‘Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to burn them up?’ This is because the people of Samaritan village will not let Jesus and his disciples past through their town to Jerusalem. For opposing them the two disciples felt that they should be consumed by fire. But Jesus turned and rebuked his disciples, and then went off to another village.

Here, Jesus is showing us how to deal with opposition of life. For in life we must surely encounter oppositions, but what makes a difference is how we deal with it. In the Gospel the two disciples of Jesus feels that the best way to deal with such opposition is by calling down fire on the opponent, just like most of us will have done if we have the power and authority to do so. However, this is not the same with Jesus, who though had the absolute power and authority to command fire to consume anything he wishes, but in this case, he chooses to flee from the problem not because he was a coward, no, rather because he hoped to experiencing peace and teach us that sometimes the best way to deal with oppositions is to walk away.

This does not mean that he was weak, rather he wants us to understand that a change of location does  not make us weak or remove our enemies, it only changes where the battle takes place. And for Jesus the battlefield is not the Samaritan territory, but the heart of the human person who occupied the territory. Perhaps, Jesus did not come to destroy the people, if he had come for that purpose, he would have destroyed these Samaritans; but he came to save. And so he bears patiently the ignorance of the opposers and we too must learn to do the same, just like Job in  our first reading today who when faced with the oppositions of life remained silent and never give in to the pressures of life. Rather when he broke his silence, he only cursed the day of his birth saying: may the day perish when I was born, and the night that told of a boy conceived. Why did I not die new-born, not perish as I left the womb? 

Dear friends, we must learn from Jesus how to walk away from oppositions of life for the sake of peace. We  should not be like James and John wanting to destroy those that opposed us. Rather we must learn to acquire the spirit of the Lord Jesus; temper our zeal like his; seek to bear patiently with those who stands on our way. Let us seek peace, let us be patient, and forgiving. Let us not allow the feeling of revenge to consume us into hurting those with whom we feel cannot resolve our differences. Let us learn from St. Vincent De Paul whose memorial we celebrate today for he sacrifice his life to help the poor and through the virtue of charity conquered most of his oppositions and those of the poor around him.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, everyday we encounter oppositions that we feel like crushing and eliminating. Help us to learn from Jesus how to deal with opposition patiently for the sake of peace and harmony in our societies. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a fruitful day.