HOMILY FOR SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT YEAR A, 5TH MARCH, 2023

Readings: Gen. 12:1-4; Ps. 33; 2 Tim. 1:8-10; Matt. 17:1-9

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

 

THE CALL AND SEPARATION THAT LEADS TO PERSONAL ENCOUNTER WITH GOD

 

Reflecting on the awesome nature of God as manifested in the things He created, the surprising ways He chooses to carry out His plans, the people He chooses, the place, and the things He use in fulfilling His plans, they are just incomprehensible. This is evident in our readings today.

 

In the first reading, we heard how God called Abraham to leave his country, his family and his father’s house, for the land  He will show him. Here God promised to  bless him and make him a great nation. Such were the promises that God had given to Abraham, and he believed in God fully and completely, leaving his ancestral family and lands behind, and journeyed with God to the promised land. As the scriptures made us to know, Abraham had a lot of properties, amazing connections and things he definitely enjoyed in his ancestral homeland. But he chose to trust in God and abandoned all these things, and journeyed with God in faith and commitment towards attaining the promised made to him.

 

Thus, this call of Abraham marks the beginning of a special encounter and a close relationship between God and man. By following and trusting God, Abraham demonstrates extraordinary faith in God’s guidance and providence. Through his faith the whole humanity were blessed because from his descendants comes the saviour of humanity and this saviour is revealed at the mountain of transfiguration in the person of Jesus as we have it in our Gospel passage today.

 

The remarkable event of transfiguration reveals in a moment that Jesus was not just merely a Man, but also the Son of God and the Saviour of the world. He has two distinct yet inseparable natures of Man and Divine, through which he would seal and make a new Covenant that will last forever with all humanity, which will be made through his Passion, his death on the Cross and his resurrection. Through this  Covenant, all of us are made to be sons and daughters of God, sharers of God’s inheritance and glory which was promised to Abraham and his descendants.

 

Therefore, the event of the transfiguration of the Lord reminds us of the revelation of Christ as the beloved Son of the Father, the one we are called to trust and listen to. An event that occur to draw our attention to inevitable event of parousia (the second coming of Jesus at the judgement day), which calls us to a life of faith and radical transformation. A transformation that brings about a new out fit that makes one a new person with a new life, a new mind and a new way of doing things. The transfiguration account tells us about a dramatic encounter of God’s presence.  A truly spiritual personal experience of God calling us for a possibility of divine encounter.

 

Dear friends, today God is calling and separating us from the things of this passing world in order to have a personal encounter with him just like Abraham and the three disciples Peter, James and John. For we all have been called to journey with the Lord and to obey His will. Often time when we are called to follow the Lord, the path may seem to be uncertain and unknown to us, it may seem difficult and contrary to our own way of life.  And the devil is always ready to distract us, persuading and tempting us to remain in our old and ugly way of life  and not to respond to the Lord’s calling.

 

Therefore, we are called this Holy Season of Lent  to reexamine our lives, how are we responding to God’s call?  How are we able to discern carefully the will of God in our lives? God has called us to change our ugly ways of life and follow Him, in whatever directions that He wishes to lead us through. Are we ready to follow him? Are we ready to let go of the excess desire for sinful things of this passing world? Are we ready to sacrifice all for the sake of following the Lord and  experience his glory and presence in our lives?

 

The truth remains that, we can change our friends, our residence, our cars or our physical appearance: hear, cloth and colour of our skin. We can change our gender as some people do today, we can change even our church denomination, the Masses we attend,  our pious societies, even our pastors or priests. But if we do not have a personal transfigurative experience like the three disciples, that will bring about a change of mind and heart towards loving God and neighbours, we will remain the same and the old experience of unfruitful life will perpetuate itself over and over again. Because, everything absolutely changes when we encounter and  experience God personally in our lives and change our mind and heart for good. For that change can only be propelled by a strong personal experience of God in our lives just like Peter, James and John.

 

Hence, St Paul calls us in our second reading to embrace the Gospel in the power of God, who saved and called us with a holy calling in order to personally experience the transfigurative power of His presence, not in virtue of our work but in virtue of His own purpose and grace which He gave us through Jesus Christ.

 As we worship God today, may He transform us into the image and likeness of his Son Jesus and fill our heart with the Joy of His kingdom.

 

LET US PRAY: Almighty God,  as you have called us to the mountain of encounter and transfiguration, may we truly encounter you personally in your Words and Sacraments which we celebrate this Holy season of Lent. We ask this through Christ our Lord.  Amen.  Happy Sunday.

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.