Homily For Wednesday Seventh Week of Eastertide Year A, 24th May, 2023

Readings: Acts 20:28-38; Ps.68;  John 17:11-19

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

 

SANCTITY, TRUTH AND ONENESS IS THE HALLMARK OF CHRISTIAN LIFE

 

Sanctity, truth and oneness are very vital concepts that any meaningful family, society, groups, community or religion will always need in order to achieve their mission and goals. These are very fundamental because of the role they play in ensuring that things are properly done in any environment they exist.

 

Sanctity which is the quality of being holy comes from the Greek word Hagiason which is related to hagios, which means holy, that is to set apart for God’s service. So the concept of Sanctity, sets one apart for the particular service he/she has to render. Truth on the other hand comes from the Latin word veritas which means a representation of things as they are.

 

This concept make one open to the really situation of the realities around him/her. And where these concepts are present openness and tolerance becomes possible, hence oneness and unity can be achieved. Therefore, knowing the important of sanctity, truth and oneness in achieving any mission and goal, Jesus in his High Priestly Prayer ask the Father to sanctify his disciples in truth and oneness.

 

This is what we have in our Gospel passage today, when Jesus prayed saying: ‘Holy Father, keep those you have given me true to your name, so that they may be one just as we are one… I am not asking you to remove them from the world, but to protect them from the evil one. They do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world, and for their sake I consecrate myself so that they too may be consecrated in truth'.

 

In a similar way in our first reading today, St. Paul prayed to the elders of the Church in Ephesus to be on their guard for themselves and for all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made them overseers. He asked them to feed the Church of God which he bought with his own blood and guide them against fierce wolves who will invade them and will have no mercy on the flock. For there will be men coming forward with a travesty of the truth on their lips to induce the disciples to follow them.

 

So, from this passage truth becomes the midst by which the sanctification of the disciples will take place. But the evil in the world is a great hindrance to achieving this. However, their likeness to Jesus is the great ground of hope for they have been consecrated to the truth. And this is the real hope and holiness of all true Christians, for through this, the gift of the Holy Spirit is made available to the Church in order to be sanctified in the truth and so share in the oneness of which Christ prayed.

 

Dear friends, we are made to know that sanctity, truth and oneness is the hallmark of Christian life.  For these are what the whole Christian community has to achieve and sustain both in nature, will, affection and understanding. This is not only in their union with Christ, but to one another; abiding together, cleaving to each other, standing fast in one Spirit, having the same designs, and the interest of the mission of the salvation of humanity at heart.

 

Therefore, today we are called to embrace the divine truth by which we have been sanctified in order to achieve the goal of unity and oneness of which Christ prayed. This oneness is very important not only as Christians, but also as couples, families, communities, co-workers and friends. Hence, let us allow the Holy Spirit to sanctify us once more to the truth and so achieve the oneness of which Christ prayed.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, sanctify us once again in the truth of which Your Son Jesus has given us, so, that we may once again achieve oneness in our family, society, in the Church and in the world at large. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a blessed day.

Homily For Tuesday Seventh Week of Eastertide Year A, 23rd May, 2023

Readings: Acts 20:17-27; Ps.68;  John 17:1-11

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

 

WHAT IS ETERNAL LIFE?

 

The notion of eternal life is one of the things in the consciousness of most religious people and more especially Christians. Oftentimes, we hear people talking about eternal life as if it is like a movie that will soon begin. But the questions we need to ask ourselves are: what is eternal life? What does it really mean to have eternal life? How can we obtain it?

 

The answer to these questions is found in the High Priestly Prayer of Jesus which we have in our Gospel passage today. In the beginning of this prayer Jesus said: ‘Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.’

 

From this prayer we come to know that knowledge is very important to understanding the meaning of eternal life and knowledge as we are told is one of the gifts for the Holy Spirit. So here, Jesus is saying that eternal life which traditionally refers to continued life after death is only possible by the knowledge of the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom He have sent.

 

The point here is that eternal life consists in the knowledge of the Father as the only Being answering to the ideal thought of God; and this knowledge is manifested in Him, whom God anointed and sent into the world to declare His attributes and character for the sake of redeeming humanity which was possible through the incarnation, passion, death and resurrection of Jesus.

 

Thus, eternal life which has been achieved for humanity has been given to believers who have been redeemed from sin and death. Their task is to communicate this to ignorant and sinful humanity. Little wonder we heard St. Paul in our first reading saying: I have preached to you, and instructed you both in public and in your homes, urging both Jews and Greeks to turn to God and to believe in our Lord Jesus.

 

This is humanity's journey and process to eternal life, and when this knowledge has been made perfect, holiness and happiness will be fully achieved. These holiness and happiness of the redeemed, are exactly what the glory of Christ, and of his Father signifies. For Jesus endured the cross and death and so ends humanity's sorrows of sin and death, thereby obtaining the victory and glory of eternal life for humanity.

 

Therefore, our glorifying God and His Son Jesus is needed as an evidence of our interest in Christ, through whom eternal life is given to us as an act of mercy, forgiveness, love, so that we become living souls with unspeakable joy. For his is the meaning of eternal life and the source and manner in which we can obtain it.

 

Dear friends, everyday of our life we struggle to know God, through different means and in the Apostles' Creed we often say: I believe in God and his Son Jesus, I believe in the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. But the questions are, do we really know God and His Son Jesus? Do we truly believe in Him? Do our attitudes, behaviours and decisions evidence of us knowing Christ, through whom eternal life is given to us as an act of mercy, forgiveness, love? Therefore we are called today to sincerely seek  to know God personally through His Son Jesus and so attain the eternal life which he has won for us.

 

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, let us seek to know you more personally and so work hard to do Your will in order to attain eternal life, which You have given us through Christ our Lord. Amen. God bless you.

Homily For Monday Seventh Week of Eastertide Year A, 22nd May, 2023

Readings: Acts 19:1-8; Ps.68;  John 16:29-33

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

 

OBTAINING THE COURAGE TO  CONQUERED THE TRIBULATIONS OF THIS PASSING WORLD

 

Tribulations and sufferings have been the hallmark of most people’s experience in the world, sometimes we feel overwhelmed by the level of sufferings we are passing through everyday, the sad news we hear and see in our streets, the television and in the social media. These often make us feel hopeless and fearful because the situation is beyond our control.

 

This kind of fearful situation is what Jesus is addressing in our Gospel passage today, knowing that very soon his disciples are going to face a worse situation, so he said to them “Listen; the time will come, in fact it has come already, when you will be scattered, each going his own way and leaving me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. I have told you all this so that you may find peace in me. In the world you will have trouble, but be brave: I have conquered the world.”

 

Here Jesus is telling his disciples these not to discourage them but to prepare them for many troubles and tribulations they are going to face in the future, so that when the time comes they will find peace in him.  He told them not to worry because he has conquered the world, not in any political or economic sense but in overcoming the evil in the world and so, all the tribulations, sorrow, suffering have been conquered in Jesus through his passion death and resurrection. Therefore, his disciples can share in this victory, as long as they remain faithful and united in peace.

 

Dear friends, this same promise is available for us his disciples, who today are passing through great tribulations and sufferings in the world. We have to be courageous and find strength in words of Jesus who has conquered the world and all it’s evil and tribulations. For today, Jesus is reassuring us that no matter what is happening in our world, he is still in control and will always ensure that we come out victoriously.

 

Thus, as we prepare and wait patiently for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, let us take our fears, sufferings, tribulations, sickness and disappointments to Jesus and ask him to give us the courage and strong faith. This is what St. Paul remained the  people in our first reading today. For through the power of the Holy Spirit we will overcome all the ugly situations in our lives, families, societies and the world at large and so enjoy once again the peace of knowing that he is with us always till the end of time.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, may the power of the Holy Spirit come upon us, we pray, so that following your instructions, we may overcome the world and all the trials and tribulations we face everyday through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a fruitful week.

Homily For Seventh Sunday of Easter, Year A, 21st May, 2023

Readings: Acts 1:12-14; Ps.27; 1 Pet. 4:13-16;  John 17:1-11

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia.

 

A CALL TO WAIT PRAYERFULLY FOR THE COMING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

 

One of the difficult things we don’t like to hear when we are expecting something great to come our way is the word “wait”. The word wait can be very unpleasant to the ears of anyone who is desperately in need of something. Often times, we have little or no option not to wait, and in life we have a lot of waiting to do.

 

We wait for the day to break, we wait for the month to end, we wait for the traffic, we wait for our admission, interviews, jobs, husband, wife, children, we wait and wait and wait. In fact, waiting on God is a regular message of faith which we hear everyday. Waiting can really be difficult and uncomfortable, it can be suicidal for those who lack the virtue of patience.

 

However, good and great things are worth waiting for, just like the disciples who today are called to wait prayerfully for the coming of the Holy Spirit, the  promised Paraclete. For we read from the scriptures how the world pass through centuries of waiting for the Messiah, thinking that the waiting would be over once Jesus had come, but  the waiting have to continue till the coming of the promised Paraclete and even to the return of our Lord Jesus in his glory. Hence, today the Church waits prayerfully for the promised Paraclete.

 

Little wonder today, the seventh Sunday of the season of Easter, after the Solemnity of the Ascension last Thursday, we heard how the disciples went to the upper room waiting prayerfully for the promised Paraclete, as we have it in our first reading, “and when they reached the city they went to the upper room where they were staying... All these joined in continuous prayer, together with several women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.”

 

In our second reading, we heard St. Peter encouraging the faithful people of God to remain steadfast in their faith amidst the persecution and challenges that they are facing. He said to them: “If you can have some share in the sufferings of Christ, be glad, because you will enjoy a much greater gladness when his glory is revealed. He said, it is a blessing for you when they insult you for bearing the name of Christ, because it means that you have the Spirit of glory, the Spirit of God resting on you.”

 

This means that they have to learn how to wait patiently and remain strong in their struggle and sufferings for the glory of the Lord. While in the Gospel passage, we heard how Jesus knowing what the disciples are going to pass through on account of waiting and struggling with the faith they have found in him, prayed dearly for them and commit them to God His Father.

 

This prayer is called the High Priestly Prayer of Jesus, because in it Jesus consecrates himself to the sacrificial death which he offers to the Father for the salvation of humanity. Here Jesus prayed for his disciples that the Father should take care of them in the midst of the evils in the world, that they should be one as he and the Father are one.

 

In this prayer, Jesus shows us that prayer is a form of communication between us and God, Whom we should love dearly and wait patiently for His will to be done in our lives. This simply means, that we have to learn how to communicate regularly with God and wait patiently for His will to be done. And in like manner, we must learn how to wait patiently with our loved ones, our friends, our family members and relatives, our spouses and others who are dear to us. We must learn how to wait patiently with life activities and the challenges and struggles that comes with it.

 

Dear friends, today the disciples are waiting prayerfully at the upper room for the promised Paraclete. We too are also called to prepare ourselves for the coming of the Holy Spirit this coming Pentecost Sunday, we are called to go to the upper room of our hearts and conscience and wait patiently for the out pouring of the Holy Spirit.

 

We are called to prepare and wait on the Holy Spirit through the ongoing novena to the Holy Spirit. We are called to wait patiently for the fulfillment of God’s plan for each and every one of us. We are called to wait for God's time to come. We are called to learn how to wait for one another. We must learn to wait patiently for things to get matured before we use them.

 

Though waiting may be difficult, but good and great things are worth waiting and prepared for. But what are you really waiting for in this life? How prepared and ready are you for that which you are waiting for in this life? How is my way of life showing that I am waiting for the Holy Spirit? If the Holy Spirit comes today will he find a dwelling place in my life, that is filled with bitterness, anger, corruption,  unforgiveness and immoral thoughts and actions? As we are waiting, let us prepare our hearts for the Holy Spirit to dwell whenever he comes.

 

LET US PRAY: Graciously hear our supplications, O Lord, as we wait patiently for the fulfillment of your promise, grant that when the Paraclete comes, may we be disposed to receive him as our Advocate and let him teach us what to do, how to do it, when to do it and give us the grace to do it properly through Christ our Lord. Amen.  Do have a grace-filled Sunday.

Homily For Saturday Sixth Week of Eastertide Year A, 20th May, 2023

Readings: Acts 18:23-28; Ps.47;  John 16:23-28

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyi

 

WHY CONCLUDING OUR PRAYERS WITH "THROUGH CHRIST OUR LORD”

 

People often asked why most of our liturgical prayers ends with the phrase ‘through Christ our Lord'. Is this necessary since God can here us directly? Anyway, the answer to this question is found in our Gospel passage today, when Jesus said to his disciples: ‘I tell you most solemnly, anything you ask for from the Father he will grant in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and so your joy will be complete... because the Father himself loves you for loving me.’

 

Here Jesus makes a solemn promise to his disciples that whatever they ask the Father in his name will be given to them. This is because in Jesus the disciples will experience a direct contact with the Father. His name becomes the link that will usher them into the divine relationship between the Son and the Father. For it is through this relationship that the disciples will come to experience the divine privilege that will give access to their request from God.   

 

Therefore the Greek word ‘dia’ which can be translated as both ‘by’ and ‘through’ can be linked to the words of Jesus when he said in John 14:6  ‘I am the way. No one can come to the Father except “through“ me’. Thus, Jesus is the way through which we can come to God. For through Jesus, we have obtained access to the grace of being God’s children.

 

This does not mean that God is inaccessible. Rather as we know God is spirit Whose nature is beyond our apprehension and different from our nature that are material and sinful. So to make himself known to us He sent His son to take our flesh upon him and to become human like us, in order to free us from the power of sin and death, so that, we can be more closer to Him through Christ His Son.

 

Hence, asking God for something through Christ ushers us into the divine grace that gives us access to divine relationship with God the Father and this has become the normal way for the Church to pray to the Father as we do in all our liturgical prayers. This is what see playing out in our first reading today when Apollos arrived Achaia and by God’s grace, he was able in energetic way refuted the Jews in public and demonstrated from the scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.

 

Dear friends, God makes himself known to us through Jesus and we come to Him through Jesus. Thus, Christ Jesus has become the divine grace through which we obtain the divine access into the divine life of the Trinity. And this is the source of our joy as Christians. For this give us the divine access to include Jesus  in our daily decision making. And try to see things the way he does and when this happens we transcend ourselves into the divine relationship that will make us to be open to the will of God and so obtain from him whatever we need. This is why we conclude most of our prayer in the name of Christ Jesus.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, as we learn to present our needs to you through your Son Jesus, grant we pray that we may obtain through him the divine access to your will and so grant all our petitions according to your Holy will through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a grace-filled weekend.

Homily For Friday Sixth Week of Eastertide Year A, 19th May, 2023

Readings: Acts 18:9-18; Ps.47;  John 16:20-23

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

 

BE PATIENT FOR YOUR SORROWS WILL SOON TURN TO JOY

 

Often times when we reflect on the ugly events that happens around us which have caused us deep sorrows, we wonder why God who is so good and all powerful permits such event to happen to us. Sometimes we felt we should have avoided such sorrowful event, hence, we complain and even doubt  the power of God whom we thought will have helped us overcome the evil.

 

Thus, Jesus knowing that his disciples will surely find themselves in this kind of situation said to them in our Gospel passage today,  ‘I tell you most solemnly, you will be weeping and wailing while the world will rejoice; you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn to joy…and that joy no one shall take from you. When that day comes, you will not ask me any questions.’

 

Here Jesus is talking about the sorrows the disciples will experience when he goes away after his passion and death, and the joy they will experience his at his resurrection. This does not simply means that they shall pass from sorrow to joy, rather the sorrow itself shall become joy because it was the necessary cause of their joy.

 

Jesus illustrates this with the necessary pain and sorrow of child birth and the joy of motherhood. An analogy that better explains the pains and sorrows of the disciples, where their pains and sorrows lead directly to a joy that no one could take away from them. A perfect way of explaining what will happen when they see him again and their deepest pains and sorrows will be transformed into purest joys which no one can take away.

 

These are word of encouragement for the disciples who were afraid of what becomes of them when Jesus is no more physically with them. These same words of encouragement is what St. Paul received from the Lord at Corinth when he was scared of what becomes of him and his mission as we have it in our first reading, when at night the Lord spoke to him in a vision, ‘Do not be afraid to speak out, nor allow yourself to be silenced: I am with you. I have so many people on my side in this city that no one will even attempt to hurt you.’ 

 

Therefore, we are to learn from Jesus, whose path to joy went through the awful agony of the cross, knowing that our own path to eternal joy may first go through the pains of sorrows for our sins. Because for us to find permanent joy in Jesus, we have to die to self which may lead us through a necessary sorrowful moment that will give birth to a permanent joy that is found in the risen Christ.

 

Dear friends, today we are encouraged to be patient in times of sorrows for God knows how to turn our sorrows of the moment into a thing of great joy in the future. The sorrow of contrite hearts today, becomes the gladness of pardoned tomorrow; the sorrow of hardships, intimidation, abandonment, sickness, poverty and even death will become the great joy of success, victory, healing, freedom and eternal life which no one can take away from us.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, who restore us to eternal life in the Resurrection of Christ, grant we pray that our present sorrows will be turned into great joy and lead us to eternal victory through Christ our Lord. Amen.

As we begin the novena to the Holy Spirit today, may the Holy Spirit fill our hearts with the joy of His presence.

Homily For Sixth Week of Easter, Year A, 18th May, 2023. The Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord

Readings: Acts.1:1-11; Ps.47; Eph. 1:17-23;  Matt. 28:16-20

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia.

 

WHAT DOES THE ASCENSION OF THE LORD MEANS FOR HUMANITY?

 

Most  people no doubt, have all kinds of questions and reservations about the following words: ‘death, resurrection, Ascension, heaven and hell', they often wonder what and how these realities will be like. I find the answer to these questions in today's solemnity of Ascension. The event which shows the triumph of life over death and good over evil. For the Joy of the risen Lord has filled the hearts of his disciples as they had experienced the physical presence of Jesus for the past forty days after his death and resurrection.

 

So on the occasion of today's solemnity, the Lord Jesus in the present of his disciples was physically ascended into heaven as they watch him taken away in the cloud, to return to his heavenly Throne, triumphant and victoriously. It was a moment of great hope for them as they wished to be with him for eternity. However, they have a mission to accomplish, they are to bear witness to the events and testified about it on their missions and pass it down as a true hope for humanity.

 

Thus, the solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord, reminds us, that great moment of hope when the Lord triumph victoriously and no longer physically present among his disciples and followers, as they can no longer directly see him or touch him as they had been during all the while he was physically present with them. But this does not mean that the Lord has abandoned or left his disciples, rather he has gone to fulfill his promise of preparing a place for his faithful disciples, and will also send a great Helper to assist them.

 

Therefore, the feast of the Ascension of the Lord does not mean that Jesus has departed to some place far from people and from the world. Rather it means that he no longer belongs to the world conditioned by the life of corruption and death. For he now belongs entirely to God as the eternal Son, who has purified the filthiness of humanity. He has raised and introduce us once again into the presence and life of God.

 

This he did by ascending into heaven with our flesh and blood in its transfigured form and this is a thing of great hope and joy for all who believe in him. It is these great joy and hope that we celebrate today. An event that shows that humanity has been introduced once again into the very presence and life of God. This is the meaning and symbolic effect of the solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord for humanity.

 

Hence, from the readings of today, we have the details of this great event and the last instructions of Jesus to his disciples. In the first reading, before the Ascension, Jesus said to his disciples: ‘you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and then you will be my witnesses not only in Jerusalem but throughout Judaea and Samaria, and indeed to the ends of the earth. As he said this he was lifted up while they looked on, and a cloud took him from their sight.’

 

While in today's Gospel passage, Jesus instruct his disciples saying; All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, make disciples of all the nations; baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe all the commands I gave you. And know that I am with you always; yes, to the end of time.’

 

In addition, St Paul in the second reading, made us to know that the Holy Spirit will enlighten the eyes of our mind so that we can see what hope his call holds for you, what rich glories he has promised the saints will inherit and how infinitely great is the power that he has exercised for us believers.

 

Dear friends, the occasion of the Ascension of the Lord means that humanity have been introduced once again in to the presence and life of God. It is an event that shows an ultimate demonstration of the power of Jesus over death, the inauguration of his reign over heaven and earth as the universal King.

 

Also, the occasion of the Ascension of the Lord is a confirmation of the reality of heaven, which reminds us that God has always been faithful and loving as he fulfills his covenants and promises to humanity. It reminds us of our mission to evangelize the world, to give hope to humanity by letting them know that human hope and life are beyond the boundaries of this passing world.   

 

It reminds us that God will always be with us no matter what we are passing through in this world for he will always provide for us and care for us at all times. Hence, we must have faith in him no matter how challenging and difficult the situation in our lives may be, we must have hope and trust in God that at the end everything will be fine.

 

Let us hold on to the Lord for this occasion is indeed a great time for us to recall the hope that we found in Jesus' triumphant victory over evil, sin and condemnation. Let us celebrate the greatest hope that God has given to humanity by letting us to share in the very Life of the Trinity. The hope that humanity will one day be united body and soul with our Lord and Saviour Jesus. A confirmation of the reality of heaven, for this is the central message of the event of the Ascension that gives great joy and hope to all who believes, which as disciples, we are called to bear witness to the world.

 

Therefore, let us share this great hope to the people of the world by letting the light of Christ in us illuminate the darkness and ignorance in the world. Let us share this hope through our words, actions and deeds. Let our presence bring hope and encouragement, not hatred and division. Let our actions bring healing and succour in hopeless situations. Let our deeds inspire humanity to come to know God and embrace the victory Jesus has won for us.

 

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, let this solemnity of the Lord’s Ascension, enkindle in us the passion to love you more dearly and to spread in the world the Joy and hope we have found in Jesus. Let these Joy and hope bring healing, succour, strength and courage that will help us to overcome the ugly and hopeless situations in our lives, families, societies and the world at large. This we ask through Christ our Lord. Amen. Peace be with you.