Homily For Friday Tenth Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 16th June, 2023. The Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus (The World Day of Prayer for the Sanctity of Priestly Life)

Reading: Deut.7:6-11; Ps. 103; 1 John 4:7-16; Matt. 11:25:30

Rev.  Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

 

CELEBRATING THE MOST SECRED HEART OF LOVE WOUNDED BY OUR DAILY SINS AND WICKEDNESS

 

Biologically, the heart is the main organ in the circulatory system, the structure primarily responsible for delivering and circulation of blood and transportation of nutrients in all parts of the body. This continuous task uplifts the role of the heart as a vital organ whose normal operation is constantly required. In biblical language, “heart” indicates the centre of the person where his sentiments and intentions dwell. So the Church understanding the role the heart plays in the salvific history of humanity, invites us to contemplate on the sacred heart of Jesus.

 

Little wonder every Friday after the Sunday of the solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, the Church celebrate the great Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. An event that invites us to contemplate and celebrate the love of God pouring forth from the Most Loving Heart of Jesus pierced for the salvation of humanity. A great act of love which God revealed through his influences on mystic saints such as St. Gertrude the Great which was made more obvious through St. Margaret Mary Alacoque in the revelation she had around 17th century.

 

In this revelation the Lord appeared to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque and showed her his heart and the anguish and sorrow which he had for the sins and disobedience of humanity, despite the incomprehensible act of love, compassion and mercy that he has lavished upon us. Then the Lord said to her: “Behold the Heart that has loved so many men, and yet, instead of gratitude, all I received were ingratitude…” and asking in particular that the Friday after the week in which the Solemnity of Corpus Christi is celebrated should be dedicated to him as the Feast of reparation to his Most Sacred Heart. The Lord also promised St. Margaret Mary that all those who devoted themselves to His Most Sacred Heart with faith will be protected and receive the graces of God.

 

So, the long development of this revelations led to the devotion to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus as we have it today. Though it was Pope Pius IX that extended and placed this great Feast and Solemnity in its current form and honour. This great feast also mark the occasion of the World Day of Prayer for the Sanctity of Priestly Life, keeping in mind that the priesthood is the product of Christ sacrificial heart of love for humanity.

 

Hence, we remember all those who have been called to model themselves after the life of Christ’s love by giving themselves to the ministerial priesthood, that we may truly model ourselves and our hearts after that of the Most Sacred Heart of Christ. Let us be filled with love for all humanity while recognizing that the priestly life is a very difficult undertaking especially in our world today. Let us be supported by all, knowing that priests, though humans just like everyone, have their flaws and imperfections, but we are at the same time held up to a much higher expectation to care and guide the people of God.

 

Meanwhile, in the midst of all our difficulties, challenges, daily temptations and pressures of life, we are called to abide in the loving heart of Jesus for he who abides in love, abides in God and God abides in him as St. John tells us in our second reading today by making us to know that God’s love for us was revealed when God sent into the world his only Son so that we could have life through him. So, let us love one another since love comes from God and everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God. Anyone who fails to love can never have known God, because God is love.

Thus, in this solemn feast our devotion is rooted in the mystery of God’s love; for it is precisely through the Sacred Heart of Jesus that the Love of God for humanity is manifested in all its effect and power especially for souls thirsting for God’s mercy. For in it we find the inexhaustible source from which we draw the water of life that refresh and revives the thirsty souls of sinful humanity and make us new and alive again. Hence we are called today to abide in this love of Christ.

 

And to abide in his love entails constantly striving for holiness and a life of sacrifice, though it is not easy, but Jesus invites us in our Gospel passage today, to come to him, all who labour and are overburdened, and he will give us rest. He says: “Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light”. For these grace have been hidden from the learned and the clever, but have been revealed to mere children. More so, in our first reading we are told that we are a people consecrated to the Lord our God; for the Lord our God has chosen us to be his very own people out of all the peoples on the earth because of his love for us.

 

Dear friends, every Christian is called to embrace the love of God which he poured out from the Sacred Heart of Jesus, so as to become a wellspring which gives life of love to others. For we ought to be offering life-giving water to a parched and thirsty world. We are called to embrace that love which propelled Jesus to lay down his life for his friends and also forgives his enemies, for that is what this solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus represents. We are called to contemplate the mystery of love in the heart of a God who full of compassion, bestows his love upon humanity through his Son.

 

Though humanity has rejected his love, but God does not lose heart in the face of ingratitude or rejection by the people he loved and chosen; rather, with infinite mercy he sends his only-begotten Son into the world to take upon himself the fate of a shattered love, so that by defeating the power of evil and death he could restore humanity once again from our slavery of sin and death back into a life of grace and open up his Sacred Heart of love once again for all who wishes to embrace it.

 

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, grant that we, who glory in the loving Heart of your beloved Son and recall the wonders of his love for us, may be made worthy to receive an overflowing measure of grace from that fount of heavenly gift of love which he offers to humanity. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do pray for me and for the sanctity of all the Priests.

Homily For Thursday Tenth Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 15th June, 2023

Reading: 2 Cor3:15-4:1.3-6.; Ps. 85; Matt.5:20-26

Rev.  Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

 

LET OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS EXCEED THE ATTITUDES OF SCRIBES AND PHARISEES OF OUR TIME

 

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. 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. Exceed

 

This because the Scribes and the Pharisees always enforced a strict interpretation and obedience to the Law, its rules and regulations, and yet, failed to truly practice nor understand and appreciate that the Law of God is meant to lead God’s people to him and to teach them to practice love in their lives. Thus, we ought to be faithful and to follow the Lord more faithfully than the Scribes and Pharisees for their religious piety are mainly eye-service and superficial, because their practicing of the laws does not truly come from their heart. Their actions and obedience to the Law is motivated by what they want to gain in order to sustain their pride and desire for worldly glory and praise.

 

So, we should not be like them, we should rather get rid of our pride and excess desires for honorific positions. We should strive to deepen our virtue towards righteous deeds. We must become agent of peace and reconciliation. We must be symbol of God’s mercy and justice in a world full of corruption and greed. Hence, St Paul in our first reading today said: If our gospel does not penetrate the veil, then the veil is on those who are not on the way to salvation; the unbelievers whose minds the god of this world has blinded, to stop them seeing the light shed by the Good News of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For it is not ourselves that we are preaching, but Christ Jesus as the Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.

 

Dear friends, let our righteousness exceed the attitudes of Scribes and Pharisees of our time. For we are call today to embrace the virtue of humility and readiness to reconcile with those who have offended us, knowing that the mercy and justice of God regulates all things. We have to be vigilant always and strive to be righteous before God and man. Today, we must be ready 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 now. We should strive everyday to remain faithful to God’s commandment of love and peace. 

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, as we struggle everyday towards holiness and perfection, may we be guided by the Holy Spirit and strive to remain towards the path of righteousness and ever to go back to our sinful and ugly ways of life. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a blessed day.

Homily For Wednesday Tenth Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 14th June, 2023

Reading: 2 Cor. 3:4-11; Ps. 99; Matt.5:17-19

Rev.  Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

 

 WHAT IS THE PATH TO TRUE GREATNESS?

 

Talking about the laws and commandments, Jesus today reminds us that he did not come on earth to abolish what had already been revealed, rather he has come to fulfill them. He came into the world in order to reveal to humanity what true Law really means and to purify the Law to its original meaning and purpose, which has been corrupted through human manipulations. He came to fulfil the entire Law and not to destroy it, contrary to what the scribes and Pharisees accused and think about him.

 

This same notion was critical for Jewish converts in the early Church and also to some people in our own time. And the response of Jesus is still much relevant for us today, especially when he speaks of "fulfilling" rather than "abolishing" the law and the prophets as we have it in our Gospel passage today, and he added that: “the man who infringes even one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be considered the least in the kingdom of heaven; but the man who keeps them and teaches them will be considered great in the kingdom of heaven. Here, Jesus points out that keeping and teaching the commandments of God is the sure way to achieving greatness not just here on earth but also in heaven.

 

Thus, St. Paul in our first reading tells us that God is the one who has given us the qualifications to be the administrators of the new covenant, which is not a covenant of written letters but of the Spirit: the written letters bring death, but the Spirit gives life. For if there was any splendour in administering condemnation, there must be very much greater splendour in administering justification.

 

Dear friends, today we are reminded that true greatness is found in keep and teaching the commandments of God, of which Jesus tells us that the greatest of these commandments is to love God and love our neighbour. Therefore, true greatness is rooted in our love for God and our neighbours and Jesus emphasis that it is too bad to break one of these commandments, but to teach someone else to do the same is a terrible evil thing to do.

 

Thus, we should ask ourselves today, am I breaking these commandments and teaching others to do the same through my attitude and way of life? Do I following my own opinions contrary to the commandments and laws of love which Jesus has taught us by his way of life? Or am I keeping and teaching these commandments through my attitude and by my way of life? 

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, from whom all good things come, grant us the grace to keep and teach your commandments by our way of life and so obtain the Joy of true greatness in this world and in your heavenly kingdom through Christ our Lord. Amen. Peace be with you.

Homily For Tuesday Tenth Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 13th June, 2023. The Memorial of St. Antony of Padua

Reading: 2 Cor. 1:18-22; Ps. 119; Matt.5:13-16

Rev.  Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

 

ARE WE STILL THE SALT AND LIGHT TO TASTELESS AND DARKENED HEARTS OF HUMANITY?

 

Salt and light are very familiar words in the scriptures. Often times salt is used metaphorically to signify permanence, loyalty, durability, fidelity, usefulness, value, and purification. Salt as we know is used to enhance flavour, it preserves and purifies things. Salt distinguishes Identity and adds values to things. it’s inexpensive but valuable, necessary for life and stands as a basic identity for believers, of which we either use it or lose its effects.

 

In a similar way, light is a symbol used to mean awareness, knowledge, and understanding. Light clarifies, Illuminates, Inspires, defeats darkness, shines fully and freely, it guides, stimulates and motivates, provokes action, it irritates those who like darkness, confirms truth, purifies, exposes sin, warms and assures us of safety and also facilitates progress.

 

Little wonder, Jesus in our Gospel passage today, told us the famous parable of the salt of the earth and the light of the world. In this parable Jesus made it clear that to be salt and light means to be a witness to others concerning the truth of God's Word to humanity and this is the mission he entrusted to the Church through his disciples.

 

Thus, we are entrusted with this mission during our baptism, when we were given salt as a sign of God’s life in us and are commanded never to lose the taste or forget the life and joy that God has given us to share with others. In a similar way, we were given candle light which we are to kept brightly burning as a flame of faith in our hearts as we journey with others towards our heavenly kingdom. Therefore, Jesus clearly defines the role of the Church in the world as that of salt and light. Salt to preserves the faith and give flavour to the life of humanity. While light to illuminates darkness and reflects the glory of God in the darkness of the passing world.

 

So, every Christian is called by God to influence the world positively, by saying yes to God as we heard in our first reading when St Paul said: it is always Yes, and however many the promises God made, the Yes to them all is in him. For it is God himself who assures us all of our standing in Christ, and has anointed us, marking us with his seal and giving us the pledge, the Spirit, that we carry in our hearts. However, most of us Christians have failed to appropriate the benefits, privileges and responsibilities of being salt and light to humanity. As a result, many people suffer because we have continued to embrace the darkness of the things of this passing world and are spoiled by its destructive ways.

 

Dear friends, as Christians are we still the salt and light to tasteless and darkened hearts of humanity? For the core message today is that all of us are called to positively influence the lives of humanity by our attitude and character which should be like that of salt and light. Where there is darkness we should let the light of Christ illuminate. Where pride, selfishness, corruption and greed have made life tasteless, let the salt of our good attitude and character make it tasty. Where sin and immorality have made humanity filthy and ugly, let our light of holiness purify. For this is the attitude and disposition of St. Anthony of Padua whose memorial we celebrate today, for he was a great theologian and preacher of the Gospel.

 

St. Anthony of Padua made us to know that we can prove we are God’s servants by our courage, patience, holiness and kindness. Though, looking most miserable and poor, yet we make others rich, and even when it appears we are having nothing, yet we have everything in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore, we are to reject all forms of violence, retaliation and vengeance. And as salt and light of the world, we should focus all our attention on forgiveness, mercy and peace in a sacrificial way so that through our sacrificial love the world will become more peaceful and loving. Remember, if we lose the value and taste of who we are as Christians, the world will trample upon us because we will be good for nothing.

 

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, as we struggle everyday to truly carryout the mission entrusted to us, give us through the intercession of St. Anthony of Padua the grace and courage to dedicate ourselves, our time, our energy and effort to becoming true light and salt in our dark and tasteless families, society and the world at large. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Wishing you a fruitful day.

Homily For Monday Tenth Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 12th June, 2023

Reading: 2 Cor. 1:1-7; Ps. 34; Matt.5:1-12

Rev.  Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

 

EMBRACING THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF CHRISTIAN LIFE

 

Each day of our lives is a struggle for perfection, we grow from one level of understanding our faith to another. But what really gives value to this growth is the fundamental principles we follow. Because the fundamental principles of life helps us to be focused and determined to achieve our goals. Therefore, Jesus knowing the value and important of the faith he has come to offer humanity, lay down the fundamental principles that will guide his disciples in the new way of life which he is offering to humanity.

 

These fundamental principles is what we have in our Gospel passage today in the famous Sermon on the Mount by the Lord Jesus, which is also known as the Beatitudes. This famous Sermon opens to us the interior life Jesus is offering to humanity which includes: being poor in spirit, gentle, merciful, hungry for justice, pure in heart, peacemaker and being prepared to grieve and suffer persecution for the cause of right. These becomes  guiding principle to a new life he has called us to live. Here Jesus gives eight characters of blessed people, which are graces to the fundamental principles of the Christian life. Each of these Beatitudes is a statement of an ideal way we ought to live and be in close contact with God.

 

These fundamental principles, talk about the poor in spirit which brings to mind the humble condition of mankind that looks up to a Redeemer and the glory to come. Those who mourn are blessed, for their true repentance, watchfulness, humble mind, and continual dependence on the mercy of God through Christ Jesus they shall be comforted. The meek are blessed, for being patient, silent and submissive to the will of God and so are comfort even in this world. Those who hunger and thirst after righteousness are blessed, for their desire of spiritual blessings shall be satisfied.

 

The merciful are blessed, for their compassion, help and pity on the souls of humanity who are in sin and needs mercy. The pure in heart are blessed; for they shall see God, since their hearts are made pure in holiness and are capable of seeing God. The peace-makers are blessed, for they love and delight in peace which Christ is offering to humanity. Those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake are blessed, for victory is theirs since they understand that, there is nothing in our sufferings that can be compared to the victory of eternal life. 

 

This is exactly what St Paul is addressing in our first reading today when he said: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, a gentle Father and the God of all consolation, who comforts us in all our sorrows, so that we can offer others, in their sorrows, the consolation that we have received from God ourselves. Indeed, as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so, through Christ, does our consolation overflow. 

 

Dear friends, today we are called to embrace these fundamental principles of Christian life. For we are truly blessed when we are poor in spirit, when we mourn for our sinfulness, gentle, hunger and thirst for holiness. We are blessed when we are, merciful and peacemakers in a world that is full of wickedness, greed and corruption. Today, we are called to live our lives in these virtues and when we encounter challenges, difficulties, persecutions and troubles, we should remain faithful to the end for none of these tribulations shall be compared to the victory of eternal life.

 

 LET US PRAY: Almighty God, from whom all good things come, grant us the grace to live out these fundamental principles of our Christian life and so overcome this sinful world, so as to enjoy the beatific vision of eternal life. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. As you begin your task this week, may the glory of God inspire you and elevate you to greater heights.

Homily For Sunday the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi) Year A, 11th June, 2023

Reading: Deut. 8:2-3.14-16; Ps. 147; 1Cor. 10:16-17; John 6:51-58

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

 

CELEBRATING CHRIST'S LOVING PRESENCE FOR HUMANITY IN THE EUCHARIST.

 

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ also called the Corpus Christi celebration. This solemnity usually takes place on Thursday or Sunday after the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. It is a solemn celebration were we reaffirm with great joy our faith in the Eucharistic Mystery of Christ's loving presence for humanity. An event that reminds us of God’s infinite gift of love for humanity which was made present in the Person of Christ Jesus under the appearance of Bread and Wine.

 

The mystery of the solemnity of Corpus Christi, constitutes a very important aspect of our Christian faith, which is rooted in the historical and cultural context of the Jewish people's experience with God, of which Jesus is the fullest of this experience and revelation. Therefore, in the occasion of our Gospel passage today, we heard how Jesus engaged the people in a very important discussion about the reality of his sacrificial love for humanity that is not so familiar with the people.

 

 He said to them “I am the living bread which has come down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever; and the bread that I shall give is my flesh, for the life of the world… I tell you most solemnly, if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you will not have life in you. Anyone who does eat my flesh and drink my blood has eternal life, and I shall raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me and I live in him.

 

This teaching seemed so hard and difficult to understand as many disciples of Jesus withdrew from him and abandoned him just like some of our brethren in faith chose to abandon this same truth of our faith concerning the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. However, their abandoning Jesus does not made him to change his statement. But for those Apostles who stayed, he made known this mystery at the Last Supper when he instituted the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist and gave them power and authority to do this in memory of him.

 

This is a very important mission, which the Apostles had faithfully carried out and have passed on to all of their successors, the bishops and the priests of the Church, who have been ordained and received the same power and authority of the Lord to celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. For at Last Supper, Jesus presented the Bread and Wine as his Body and Blood which he offered as a sacrificial love for humanity and ask his disciples to do the same in memory of him.

 

This very mandate of Christ is what the Church is doing at every celebration of the Holy sacrifice of the Mass, where Christ through the priest who act  ‘in persona Christi’ by the power of consecration, transubstantiate the Bread and Wine into his Real Body and Blood and offer it to God His Father as an unbloodied sacrificial love for humanity.

 

This means that the substance and essence of the bread and wine the priest blessed and offered to God at the celebration of the Holy Mass, has truly become the very Body and Blood of Christ Himself, under the appearance of bread and wine through the mystery of Transubstantiation. Thus, through the word ‘transubstantiation’ from the two words ‘Trans’ which means ‘change’ and ‘Substantiate’ meaning ‘substance or essence’, we can explain the mystery of the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Here, we have the change of the whole substance of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ through the prayer of consecration by Christ Himself through the priest in the power of the Holy Spirit.

 

Therefore, at every Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, through the power of the Holy Spirit the substance of bread and wine become the Real and Most Precious Body and Blood of Christ Jesus, just in the same way he spoke at the Last Supper saying ‘This is My Body, which shall be given up for you’, ‘This is the Chalice of My Blood, the Blood of the New and Eternal Covenant, which shall be poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins’.

 

This he fulfilled at the Cross in Calvary, where he offered himself; Body, Soul and Divinity for the salvation of humanity. Hence, we share in this grace of salvation when we participate fully in this sacrificial offering of God’s love for humanity. That is why the Church defined the Eucharist as the sacrament of the true body and blood of Jesus Christ, together with his Soul and Divinity, under the appearance of bread and wine. Though, the appearances of bread and wine remain in the Holy Eucharist, for we cannot see Christ with our bodily eyes in this sacrament. But we do see him with the eyes of faith

 

Little wonder St Paul says in our second reading today that: The cup of blessing that we bless is a participation in the blood of Christ, and the bread that we break is a participation in the body of Christ. For there is only one bread in a form of a single body and we all have a share in this one bread of which we aspire to become what we receive. This is because Jesus offers his own blood, having won an eternal redemption for us. He has purified our inner self from dead actions so that we can offer our service to the living God.

 

The fact remains that in the Eucharist, we are physically and spiritually fed much more than the Israelites in the wilderness, who were fed with manna as we have it in our first reading. For  they were given the manna to survive in the wilderness, but Christ gave us the Eucharist not just for us to survive in this world, but, for us to gain eternal life and come to share in his love. This will help us to understand that the Eucharist is the presence of Christ's love for humanity.

 

Dear friends, what is our relationship with Jesus in the Eucharist? What is our attitude towards the Holy Eucharist? What is our experience of Jesus in the Eucharist? How has the Eucharist we receive almost everyday change our lives positively? How has the Eucharist influence our lives to sacrifice for the good of humanity? Do we still have that strong desire to receive Christ in the Eucharist? Do we still believe in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist? Do we still feel the love of Jesus in the Eucharist?

 

 How often have we abuse the Eucharist and treat the body of Christ without due reverence? How often have we received the Eucharist unworthily? The answer to these questions is blowing in the wind because we have forgotten that anyone who received the Eucharist in an unworthy state, received judgment unto his or herself (1Cor. 11:27-29). For anyone who is aware of having committed a mortal sin must not receive Holy Communion, even if he experiences deep contrition, without having first received sacramental absolution, unless he has a grave reason for receiving Communion and there is no possibility of going to confession ( CCC. 1457).

 

Therefore,  it is important that we receive the Eucharist worthily and reverently. And these are benefits we gain when we receive Eucharist worthily: first we gain eternal Life and renew the life of grace we received at Baptism. We also gain forgiveness of Venial Sins, we receive spiritual joy, Supernatural Protection and closeness to the Trinity. Yes, the Eucharist fills our hearts with love and thanksgiving. It gives us hope that God is with us in our daily struggles. In the Eucharist we have a personal communion with Christ. For it keeps us in one communion with God, the church and with one another. It reminds us of God's constant presence with humanity and his love for us.

 

So, today we are called to embrace the love of God present in the Holy Eucharist, the power of God’s mercy for sinful humanity. We are called to deepened our understanding of the rich mystery of our faith in the Eucharist. Today we are called to change the way we relate with Jesus in the Eucharist. We are called to strive to worthily receive the Holy Eucharist. We are called to be grateful for this Sacrificial love of Christ in the Holy Eucharist and form the habit of adoring Christ our Lord present in the Holy Eucharist. We are called to let the love of his presence to transform our souls into that purest love that will renew our families, our societies, our country and the world at large.

 

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, through the sacrificial love of your Son Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist, grant us the grace to constantly experience your presence within us especially in the midst of doubt, ignorance, persecution, trials and uncertainties of life. May the Eucharistic Power of Christ's love fill our hearts once again and so renew the hatred, greed and corruption in the hearts of sinful humanity. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Happy Sunday to you all.

Homily For Saturday Ninth Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 10th June, 2023

Reading: Tobit 12:1.5-15.20; Ps Tobit 13:2.6 -8; Mark12:38-44

Rev.  Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

 

DEALING WITH HUMAN PRIDE AND EGO

 

Beginning from the time of Adam and Eve in the Gardens of Eden, Devil has been tempting mankind with the capital sin of pride and ego, knowing how vulnerable and weak we can be in resisting our desires for knowledge and power. These are temptations for every age, however, it is more obvious in our society today, as we all want and like red carpet treatment. We all enjoy wearing a well tailored clothes and be addressed by honorific titles in different occasions and events even in the Church.

 

These of course can be done innocently without any harm depending on how they affect our relationships with God and our neighbours. When it is done out of pride and ego then, it becomes harmful to others and this can lead to idolatry, where man will seek to be like God or assume the honor and glory due to God.

 

This ugly attitude is what Jesus is addressing in our Gospel passage today, when he said “Beware of the scribes who like to walk about in long robes, to be greeted obsequiously in the market squares, to take the front seats in the synagogues and the places of honour at banquets; these are the men who swallow the property of widows, while making a show of lengthy prayers. The more severe will be the sentence they receive”.

 

Here, Jesus points to men entrusted with religious leadership who have turned their positions of trust into selfish interest as they focus on what they can get, rather than what they can give. So Jesus warning his disciples against such kind of behaviour, especially how they exercised and practiced their faith.

 

The Pharisees and the teachers of the Law often prided themselves in their privileged and highly respected position in the community, and showed off their faith, seeking important and privileged positions. What Jesus is telling us all is to be careful and vigilant against the temptations of ego and pride in our lives. We must focus our attention on God and put Him first and foremost in all we do.

 

Dear friends, the warning of Jesus concerning our pride and ego is not only for religious leaders and ministers, but for everyone of us: fathers, mothers, teachers, lecturers, government officials, military leaders, businessmen and women, celebrities, doctors, mechanics and leaders of all works of life.

 

We are to be on the watch in order to avoid being carried away by the titles of honour and dignity that comes with the pride of life, like some of the scribes in our Gospel passage today. Rather, we should humble ourselves in the midst of external respect and honour, for noble souls despise these kind of honour, as they offer it to God, to whom all respect and honour belongs.

 

Therefore, let us learn an act of humility by ensuring that we give all honour  and glory to God just as Tobit and Tobias were advice by archangel Raphael as we heard him in our first reading saying ‘Bless God, utter his praise before all the living for all the favours he has given you. Bless and extol his name. Proclaim before all men the deeds of God as they deserve, and never tire of giving him thanks.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, as you warn us today to beware of the pride and ego of the human life, grant us the grace of humility in the midst of all prideful events in our lives, through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a grace-filled weekend.