Homily For Saturday of the First Week of Lent Year A, 4th March, 2023

Readings:  Deut.26:16-19, Ps.119, Matt. 5:43-48

Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

 

CHRISTIAN LIFE REQUIRES CARRYING THE HEAVY BURDEN OF SACRIFICAL LOVE

 

Naturally people desires to love and be loved, to relate and be in the company of those whom they love. No body enjoy being among those who detest them and cause them pain and sorrows. That is why people naturally sacrifice for those whom they love in order to keep their friendship and companion. But it takes greater love and sacrifice to do good to people who detest us and caused us sorrows and pain since it is difficult and unnatural to sacrifice for such people.

 

This sacrificial life of love is what Jesus calls us to embrace in pursuit of the life of perfection. Little wonder he says in our Gospel passage: ‘if you love those who love you, what right have you to claim any credit? Even the tax collectors do as much, do they not? And if you save your greetings for your brothers, are you doing anything exceptional? Even the pagans do as much, do they not? You must therefore be perfect just as your heavenly Father is perfect.’ 

 

Here Jesus emphasis that though it is natural and universal for human beings to love those who love them. But what makes his disciples different from other people is the ability to love not just everyone, but to love their enemies and not take vengeance or bear grudges against one another.

 

For by so doing we will be imitating the perfection of God our heavenly Father, who shows equal love to all and calling us to a greater life of sacrificial love and deeper virtue towards perfection. Hence, we are called in our first reading today to keep the laws of the Lord, to keep and observe them with all our heart and with all our soul, so that we will be a people consecrated to the Lord and by so doing become perfect just as our heavenly Father is perfect .

 

Dear friends, Christian life requires daily carrying of the burden of sacrificial love. That is why today we are called to a life of deeper virtue in love that leads to perfection. We are called to choose love over hatred and forgiveness over vengeance. For hatred breeds violence and other things that weakens the human soul, but love unites and heals.

 

The fact is that, God desires peace for humanity and this peace is what Jesus came to bring in the world, to restore the peace that God intended for all creation from the first day of creation. So today all of us are called to offer this peace to the world full of hatred, greed and violence. This we  are called to accept and live out day by day in every way we can.

 

Therefore friends, it’s time for us to stretch out the hands of friendship and peace to everyone both friends and enemies alike, by investing more resources on things that bring about peace and friendship with one another, rather than causing chaos and divisions by building nuclear weapon that breeds more violence and hatred in the world. For by so doing the world will become more peaceful and loving.

 

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, today we are called to live a life of perfection through sacrificial love. But the cross of sacrificial life of love is so heavy, give us the grace to truly carry it by forgiving our enemies and strive towards the life of perfection that offers peace, mercy, compassion and love to distressed humanity. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Peace be with you

Homily For Friday of the First Week of Lent Year A, 3rd March, 2023

Readings:  Ezek. 18:21-28, Ps.130, Matt. 5:20-26

Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

 

UNDERSTANDING GOD’S JUSTICE AND MERCY

 

Most of the time, we often find it difficult to understand the way God operates, especially as regards to his relationship with humanity. This is because humanity have failed to understand how God’s mercy and justice are applicable in our relationship with him and with one another. Little wonder, today in our first reading, prophet Ezekiel demonstrate to us how God’s mercy and justice will be a standard for judging humanity.

 

Here, he made us to know that those who are righteous, if they fall into sin and wickedness, they will be judged by those same sins they committed, and if found wanting, they will be condemned because of them. On the other hand, those who are wicked, if they repent from their wickedness and act righteously, they will be pardoned and saved because of the righteousness and faith that they have shown through their repentance.

 

So when the upright man renounces his integrity to commit sin and dies because of this, he dies because of the evil that he himself has committed, for this is God’s justice in action. But when the sinner renounces sin to become law-abiding, honest and holy, he deserves to live. He has chosen to renounce all his previous sins; he shall certainly live; he shall not die, this is God’s mercy in action. For we cannot separate God’s mercy and justice, because they are one and the same. The fact remains that, God is not interested in our past sinful ways, but in our present state of life.

 

Hence, Jesus in our Gospel passage today, calls us to a deeper virtue, when he said to his disciples, If your virtue goes no deeper than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven.  That is, we must strive to deepen our virtue towards righteous deeds. We must become agent of peace and reconciliation. We must be a symbol of God’s mercy and justice in a world full of corruption and greed.

 

Dear friends, we are call today to experience this mercy and justice of God in a unique way. Thus, we have to be vigilant always and strive to be righteous before God and man. Today, we have to make a fundamental choice to live a holy life and never to return to our sinful ways of life. We must struggle everyday to grow in righteousness and never give up no matter the situation we are passing through. We should always reflect on what this justice and Mercy of God really mean in our lives as we strive everyday to remain faithful to God’s commandment of love and peace. 

 

LET US PRAY, as we struggle everyday towards holiness and perfection, may we be guided by the Holy Spirit and strive to remain on the path of righteousness and never to go back to our sinful and ugly ways of life. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. It’s Friday, wishing you God’s grace, mercy and favour.

Homily For Thursday of the First Week of Lent Year A, 2nd March, 2023

Readings: Esther 14:1.3-4.11.13-14, Ps.138, Matt. 7:7-12

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

 

HOW TO PRESENT OUR STRUGGLES AND CHALLENGES TO THE LORD IN PRAYERS

 

Reflecting on our daily experience on the events of life, especially the struggles, the challenges, the disappointments, the cries and difficult situation people are passing through just to earn a living giving the experience of the ugly situation in our country today. I can’t but recall in our first reading today, Esther’s prayer to God, asking him for deliverance for his people Israel, who were about to be annihilated as a nation by their enemies.

 

In this passage, Esther prayed just before she was about to present herself before the King. She was ready to do anything for the sake of her people, and she asked God for strength, guidance and courage as she was about to face the greatest challenge of her life, risking her very life and position for what she was about to do. That is, to plead for the safety of her people before the King. She asked for the Lord to guide her and to give her the courage to face her enemies and to soften the heart of the King. And through her prayers, the Lord guided her to triumph against Haman and all those plots he had made against Israel.

 

This no doubt, shows us the power of prayer and seeking the will of God before doing anything or taking any difficult decision. Hence, Jesus in our Gospel passage today tells us to “ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For the one who asks always receives; the one who searches always finds; the one who knocks will always have the door opened to him”. One may say I have been praying for God’s intervention in some ugly situations but it seems as if no answer has been given. The fact is that God answers all our prayers if we are patient with him. For he may not grant us what we want because as a caring Father, he gives us what we truly need, and not what we want.

 

Dear friends, do not carry your burdens alone bring them to God in prayer. Yes, we are full of energy, zeal and passion, ready to face the challenges and struggles of yet another day. But the questions we need to ask ourselves are, what are we doing concerning the present situation in our lives, our family, societies and country?  It may seem as if all hope is gone, but  the Lord is saying to us today, that we should ask, and it will be given to us; search, and we will find; knock, and the door will be opened to us. For the one who asks always receives; the one who searches always finds; the one who knocks will always have the door opened to him. Let us all not be afraid to seek the Lord and ask him for protection and guidance.

 

But are we willing to trust the Lord and be patient with him? Are we willing to seek the Lord and to make the effort to find him and to follow him wherever he leads us to? Do we have the courage and the love of God, as well as the faith and dedication like that of Queen Esther? Who today has shown us that if we trust the Lord and ask him for anything, he will surely provide for us, and we will have no cause to fear in our struggles of life. So, like Queen Esther let us ask for God’s strength, guidance and courage to face the daily challenges in our life, in our families and in our country.  Thus, what are the things we need from the Lord? Its time to present them before him.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we are struggling with so many ugly situations in our lives, families, societies and in our country, as we pour out our hearts to you in prayer, may you grant our heart desires and guide our ways today and always. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a fruitful day.

Homily For Wednesday of the First Week of Lent Year A, 1st March, 2023 (HAPPY NEW MONTH)

Readings: Jonah 3:1-10, Ps.51, Luke 11:29-32

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

 

INTERPRETING THE SIGNS OF OUR TIME

 

Oftentimes, when we reflect on our struggle with the ugly situations in our lives, our families, societies and the world at large, we sincerely wish that God should give you a sign from heaven as a way of showing us some definitive guidance or direction towards addressing the situation. When this signs are not fourth coming we feel bad and begin to question God or even doubt his presence in our lives just the way must people in our country feels today because of the results of the election.  This was also the disposition of the crowd in our Gospel passage today.

 

Where we heard how those who were listening to Jesus were anxious to know what signs to look out for when the End Times come. But Jesus said to them: “the only sign that will be given is the sign of Jonah. For just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. Hence, Jesus states that no sign will be given except the sign of Jonah. The “sign of Jonah” in this passage refers to Jesus’ Crucifixion, his death, his three days in the tomb and his Resurrection.  Just the way Jonah was three days in the belly of the whale. 

 

Thus, Jesus in this Gospel was making reference to our first reading, where because of the preaching of prophet Jonah, the whole city of Nineveh went into great mourning and repentance before God. Everyone from the King, who issued the order to the whole city and its people to repent from their sins, right down to the lowest among the people, all humbled themselves, tore their clothes and wore sackcloth as a sign of penance.

 

The point here is that  Jesus’ death and resurrection is the sign that will be given.  We should seek nothing other than this sacred mystery of our faith. This is the sign and actions that the Lord Jesus is talking about when he addressed the people who doubted him and demanded miraculous wonders and signs from him.

 

So, here Jesus strongly condemns those seeking for signs because he wants us to seek him through the gift of faith rooted in the mystery of his death and resurrection. For every question, problem, struggle and confusion in our lives can be addressed when we enter into the great mystery of our redemption. So, seeking a sign other than this would be wrong, in that, it would be a way of saying that the death and resurrection of Jesus is not enough sign for us.

 

Dear Friends, the paschal mystery of Christ is the only sign we need. Therefore, as we embrace the activities of this Holy season of Lent, Jesus is calling us to repentance for sins make us blind in such a manner that we will continue to seek for signs even when things are clear and obvious in our lives.  But the questions we need to ask ourselves are: what signs are we seeing around us today? How can we interpret the signs of this times, the signs that tell us that this world is passing away? Do these signs make us to dread the second coming of the Lord or do we joyfully embrace it in anticipation?

 

Hence, Jesus is warning us today not to waste our time seeking for signs, rather we should be prepared, we should remain firm in faith. He reminds us that he is the only sign that can be given to humanity. Therefore, we should not join the crowds to look for signs especially this times of trial in our country, rather we should seek for wisdom to make things right by turning your eyes to the central mystery of our faith, that is the life, death and resurrection of Christ, where every question can be answered and every grace is obtained. Let us not give up,  we must surly be victorious.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, you are the sign that we seek,  as we embrace your word today give us the grace to recognize that in Paschal mystery of Christ we find the true sign we desired and so obtain the answer and directions to our daily struggles. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a blessed month.

Homily For Tuesday of the First Week of Lent Year A, 28th February, 2023

Readings: Is. 55:10-11, Ps.34, Matt. 6:7-15

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

 

LEARN TO FOLLOW THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF PRAYER

 

One of the three traditional dimensions of Lenten season is prayer. This is important because it is the means by which we communicate with our God. So we are called today to reflect on the meaning and right principles to prayer as we progress through this season of Lent.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

The fifth principle calls us to learn how to be contented with what we have and reject all forms of selfishness and greed as we say: “Give us today our daily bread,” of which God surely provides. The sixth principle calls us to make an examination of conscience and to seek reconciliation knowing how weak we are, hence we pray saying: “And forgive us our trespasses, as we have forgiven those who trespassed against us”. Here we make serious commitment and obligation, asking that the condition for God’s forgiveness of our sins should based on our readiness to forgive those who have offended us.

 

Finally the seventh principle calls us to have total confidence in God’s providence, protection and guidance as we pray saying: “And do not put us to the test, but save us from evil”. So here we acknowledge our weaknesses and our total dependence on God’s help against all the evil forces of this world.

 

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

 

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

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, in prayer we build a strong relationship with you, teach us how to pray more devotedly, for we really do not know how to pray as we ought, as we present our country Nigeria before you. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Wishing you God’s favour and blessings.

Homily For Monday of the First Week of Lent Year A, 27th February, 2023

Readings: Lev. 19:1-2.11-18; Ps.19; Matt. 25:31-46

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

 

THE JUDGEMENT DAY, THE TIME FOR GREAT SEPARATION

 

As we continued with our Lenten journey, we are called today to look to the future with more insight into the ultimate goal of humanity, which is eternal life. In fact, this is evident in our Gospel passage today in which we heard of the account of the events of Last Judgment, when all of creation shall be judged by the Lord Jesus himself, as he returns to the world as a triumphant King and judge humanity based on our actions, deeds and faith. Then will be time for great separation, when the good will be separated from the bad, holy from sinful, righteous from evil, sheep from goats of which their deeds will reveal our true identity.

 

Thus, the Lord will say to the righteous and those who have extended their love, care and affection for the needy, the poor and the afflicted, “well done, Come you whom my Father has blessed, take for your heritage the kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you made me welcome; naked and you clothed me, sick and you visited me, in prison and you came to see me.”

 

But the wicked and the sinful he will say “go away from me, with your curse upon you, to the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you never gave me food; I was thirsty and you never gave me anything to drink; I was a stranger and you never made me welcome, naked and you never clothed me, sick and in prison and you never visited me.”

 

For they were judged by their refusal to follow the example of Christ our Lord, especially in his love, care and compassion towards one another. But had chosen to remained selfish, greedy, corrupt and wicked. Hence we are called to look towards the parousia, when all those who embraced Christ will be raised, having overcome all the hostile forces of this passing world and that will be a judgement day, the time for great separation.

 

Dear friends, no doubt that we are living in a world full of greed and selfish people, who are swallowed in values of egoism and materialism, with uncontrollable desires for pleasure. We are called today to embrace the teachings of Christ who has called us to live a life of love, care and compassion for one another. We are called to look into the future with an eye of hope and faith. Little wonder we are reminded in our first reading about the commandments of God, which calls us to live a life of holiness, integrity, honesty and love.

 

Therefore, as we journey through this Lenten season, let us turn toward our Lord Jesus following his teaching. Remember, following him means carrying our own cross, forgetting our self, and faithfully obeying his commandment of sacrificial love. For it is by the blood of his cross, that Jesus reveals his sacrificial love, not in saving his life, but in offering it as a ransom for our salvation. Thus, trying to do away with the cross in our lives deprives our souls of these true love and loyalty to Christ our Lord who today wants to reign supreme in our hearts and souls.

 

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, as we journey through this Lenten season, amidst the hostile forces and evil of this passing world, may we be victorious in all our struggles and endeavours. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Wishing you a fruitful week.

HOMILY FOR FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT YEAR A

Readings: Gen. 2:7-9; 3:1-7; Ps. 51; Rom. 5:12-19; Matt. 4:1-11.

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia  

                                                                                               

COME LET US RETURN TO GOD AND OBTAIN THE GRACE TO OVERCOME THE SINFUL THINGS OF THIS PASSING WORLD

 

Today is a special day because it is the first Sunday of the Holy Season of Lent. Lenten season is a period set aside by the Church for the renewal and rediscovery of oneself, given the daily struggle against sin and temptations which darkens our spiritual life. So Lenten season is another chance for us to reconnect to God, to be reconciled with Him and to find our place once again in God’s  loving grace. It is a time for us to turn away from the excesses of worldly desires and greed, from so many temptations we find in the world, and focus our attention instead on God.

 

Hence the Church is offering us the opportunity during this Holy season to reflect on who we are, our mission and our purpose in this world.  The Holy season of Lent is a moment of deep reflection, a season that prepares us for that great event of Easter. It is a season when listening to the Word of God leads us to develop some inner attitude that helps us becoming more aware of our Christian obligations. It is a period when the Church invites us to enter into a journey of repentance and penance that will lead us to reconciliation, forgiveness and restoration.

 

This Lenten journey is marked in a special way by three traditional dimensions that is: prayer, fasting and almsgiving. These three traditional dimensions were demonstrated by Jesus in our Gospel reading today. Where Jesus filled with the Holy Spirit, was led to pray and fast for forty days in the wilderness and there he was tempted by the devil, just the way Adam and Eve where tempted by the devil.

 

We can recall that in the beginning of time, God created everything all good and perfect, and He made the first man, Adam and his companion, Eve, to live in the wonderful Garden of Eden. This means that mankind, all of us were actually meant to live with God in the fullness of God’s grace and love, to enjoy the wonders of God’s providence and blessings forever. However, this was not to be because we fell into sin as we were unable to resist the temptations to sin, which the devil, disguised as a snake, brought upon Adam and Eve as we heard in our first reading.

 

Here we see how Satan first approached Eve and tempted her with the temptation of desire, the desire for the forbidden knowledge that God has expressly forbidden for man to have. That is, eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. And Satan being very cunny, convinced them that the fruit of the tree did not seem to be harmful, and how eating from the tree would bestow great knowledge upon them and made them to be like God. Through this temptation, Satan planted the seeds of pride and greed in the hearts of humanity.

 

So Jesus, who has come to redirect the hearts of humanity back to God, was also tempted by the devil during his forty days prayer and fasting in order to distract him from his mission. Here Jesus was tempted to doubt God's care and providence like the Israelites deed, to gain power through false worship and test God's protection. These forty days recall Israel's forty years ugly experience in the wilderness because of disobedience.

 

Hence, these forty days of Lent, the Church calls us to spend gracious time with God through prayers and fasting, so that, we can obtain the grace to overcome the sins and temptations we encounter everyday of our lives. Observing how Jesus responded to these temptations, can help us in our own spiritual battles against the human endless desire for power, fame, money and pleasure. This story also shows how the devil can use the Scriptures for his evil purposes. Telling us to be careful because the Scriptures can be wrongly interpreted and used for selfish motives.

 

Therefore, we are called to imitate Jesus in prayer. For through prayer we make room for God in our lives and express our desire to enter into a deep friendship with the Lord. So, it is important for us to spend more time with God just like Jesus, bearing in mind that we cannot live by bread alone, we need the spiritual food of God's Word. Thus, we are called to withdraw from the world in order to encounter God and truly profess our faith in him. 

 

This is what St. Paul in our second reading today calls us to do. We are to imitate Christ who resisted all the efforts of Satan to tempt him and prevent him from fulfilling his mission. Christ is indeed the New Adam who has come to show us that it is indeed possible for us to overcome sin and the temptations to sin, as he himself resisted the three temptations of the devil. But many of us continued to sin because, we do not have enough faith in God, and the devil knows this very well.

 

Dear friends, God is calling us in this Holy season of Lent, to come back to him. The world has taken us far away from him; it's time to come back. Sin has separated us from God; it's time to reconcile with him. Greediness, slot, unforgiveness, love of power and money, over ambition, unhealthy friendship have separated us from God; it’s time to come back to him. It is time to say am sorry Lord, am sorry for having deviated from you. It’s time to let go of hurtful feelings, malice and the bitterness in our hearts. It’s time to say yes to God and no to all the distracting things of this world.

 

It’s time to love, it’s time to share with one another, it’s time to bear with one another's failings. What is stopping us from embracing this opportunity? Is it fear of the future? Or fear of failure or death?

Fear not, for the Psalmist tells us that God will create a pure heart in us and put a steadfast spirit within us. Thus, God is calling us to repentance; he is offering us a new life. He is offering us the opportunity to gain our life back and obtain the grace to overcome sin and temptations. Don't miss this opportunity; don't let it pass you by.

 

LET US PRAY: Almighty God, as we return to you and embrace the events of this Holy season, give us the right disposition to embrace grace of this season and fill our hearts with joy, peace and love. And for those who find it difficult to live the Christian life, may they learn to draw strength and grace from Jesus so to resist the devil and all of his empty shows. We ask this through Christ our Lord. wishing you a fruitful Lenten season.