Homily For Friday Twenty-Second Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 8th September, 2023. The Feast of. The Nativity of The Blessed Virgin Mary

Readings: Rom.8:28-30, Ps.13, Matt. 1:1-16.18-23

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

 

CELEBRATING THE BIRTHDAY OF MARY THE MOTHER OF JESUS

 

God in his eternal design made it possible for every human person to  have a special role to play in the mystery of this life. Though some seem to have more significant role than others. However, whether significant or not, the truth still remains that we all have a role to play. But the question is, how are we playing this role? Are we playing according to God’s  master plan or against it?

 

Mother Mary, whose birthday we celebrate today is a good example of those who played their role according to the God’s master plan. For she was chosen in a special way to be the handmaid of the Lord and to play an important part in the history of human salvation and redemption. A role she played according to God's master plan. As handmaid of God she was privileged to be the mother of Jesus our Redeemer. Little wonder our Gospel passage today tells us the history of the genealogy of  Jesus from Abraham to Joseph and Mary the parents of Jesus.

 

From this genealogy, we heard how generations came, generations goes, great men and women came and passed on, new generations continue to spring up. This is our own generation, but the questions remain: our genealogy to what extent can it be traced to that of Christ? The things we are doing now to what extent have they been influenced by the events of the passed generations and to what extent are they going to influence the future generations.

 

Today, we are reminded that we are playing our own role in the salvation of mankind, our existence means a lot to future generation. And St. Paul in our first reading tells us that God co-operates with all those who love him, with all those he has called according to his purpose. They are the ones he chose specially long ago and intended to become true images of his Son, so that his Son might be the eldest of many brothers. For he called those he intended for this; those he called he justified, and with those he justified he shared his glory.

 

Dear friends, Mary’s birthday reminds us of our own birth and our role in the master plan of God. For God has plans for everyone of us. Our existence is not by chance or providence, rather it is by the special will of God who made it possible for us to participate in his mystery at this present age. He could have will for us to exist in the past or in the future or not to exist at all.

 

Hence, never take your existence for granted, because in every moment of our existence, there is a role we are playing. Therefore, let us like Mary learn to cooperation with the grace of God and live in accordance to God's plan, for we are all created for a purpose and that purpose is the role we have to play in this world.

 

LET US PRAY:  Heavenly Father, you created us for a purpose and the birthday of our Mother Mary reminds us of this purpose. Grant that through her intercession we may obtain the grace to live out our purpose in this life. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a blessed day.

Homily For Thursday Twenty-Second Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 7th September, 2023

 Readings: Col. 1:9-14; Ps. 98; Luke 5:1-11

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

 

HAVING AN ENCOUNTER THAT REVEALS YOUR PURPOSE IN LIFE

 

There is something deep and unique about every person, sometimes it takes personal experience to discover this uniqueness. I don't know if you have ever had an experience that made you realize the emptiness of this life, a kind of experience that turns your pride into humility, sinfulness into righteousness. This is the kind of experience that Simon had with Jesus in our Gospel passage today, that made him realize his emptiness and fall at the knees of Jesus confessing his unworthiness.

 

This is because Jesus had said to Simon, ‘Put out into deep water and pay out your nets for a catch.’ ‘Master,’ Simon replied, ‘we worked hard all night long and caught nothing, but if you say so, I will pay out the nets.’ And when they had done this they netted such a huge number of fish that their nets began to tear, so they signaled to their companions in the other boat to come and help them. When Simon Peter saw this he fell at the knees of Jesus saying, ‘Leave me, Lord; I am a sinful man.’ But Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid; from now on it is men you will catch.’

 

This very experience brought true conversion in the lives of Simon and his companion, for this encounter changed their destiny from fishermen to fishers of men. They obeyed the Lord who told them to put out into the deep waters, and as soon as they followed His instructions, they netted so much fish that the whole boat could not take it.

 

This glorious event manifested the power and grace of God at work in us especially when we humble ourselves. Little wonder St. Paul in our first reading made us to know that what we should ask God is that through perfect wisdom and spiritual understanding that will help us to reach the fullest knowledge of his will. So that we will be able to lead the kind of life which the Lord expects of us, a life acceptable to him in all its aspects; showing the results in all the good actions that we do.

 

Dear friends, like Simon and his brothers, we are called to reflect on our personal experience and encounter with God. An encounter that reveals our purpose in life. But how have we personally experienced God? When was our spiritual turning point? Do we have a personal conviction about God that is not based on what people have told us of him? In case we have not personally encountered him, all we need to do is to sincerely seek God in those common events in our lives. Then, we will realize how much God is willing to reveal himself to us through Jesus Christ his Son.

 

LET US PRAY: Almighty God, every day is an opportunity to encounter you through different events that occur in our lives. Grant that we may have a personal experience of you just like Simon and his companion. May we uniquely experience you in our daily activities and through this experience discover our purpose in life. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a blessed day.

Homily For Wednesday Twenty-Second Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 6th September, 2023

Readings: Col 1:1-8; Ps. 52; Luke 4:38-44

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

 

THE LORD CARES FOR OUR WELL-BEING

 

The whole of scriptures reveals the compassionate love of God in it’s historical and physical solidarity with human suffering. This is more evident in the compassionate way Jesus carried out his activities which springs up from the love of God the Father and constitutes the basis of the Church’s liberating activity. Little wonder in our Gospel passage today, as Jesus continued to carryout his mission of preaching he also showed compassion and care for those who are passing through difficulties.

 

Thus, when he returned from preaching in the synagogue to Simon Peter's house, behold Peter's mother-in-law was sick with fever. This is not a minor sickness in the ancient world. A fever was not a kind of sickness that last for a short while, but was often a symptom of a condition that would lead to death. So Jesus went to her, took her by the hand and helped her up. And the fever left her and she began to serve them. That evening, after sunset, they brought to him all who were sick and possessed by devils and he cured them.

 

This clearly described how and why Jesus’ coming down to dwell with us and by taking up our human nature made it possible for him to identified himself with the struggles of humanity as he embraced us with his love, compassion and care. For he came to heal us from our sins and from all the afflictions we encountered and struggle with in this passing world.

 

So, when Jesus cured Peter’s mother-in-law, she immediately begins to serve them, something she was unable to do because of her illness. Thus, she was able to render her service to the first Christian community. She was healed and restored with new strength so that she may again rise and take up her proper place in the community of God’s people.

 

Dear friends, God really cares for our well-being, his always ready to help us in our struggles so that we can be well-disposed to serve him. So whenever we are passing through a difficult moment, we must not allow despair, fear or doubt to cloud our hearts. We need to have faith in God and wholeheartedly believe in him. We need to have more faith and trust in God and be more hopeful no matter how difficult things may be for us and whenever he restores us, it may be tempting to sit back and accept people’s good wishes and congratulations.

 

These should not be our attitudes, we should rather learn from Peter’s mother-in-law, that healing is not just to make us well but to enable us to become active again in rendering serving to God and humanity. For it is another opportunity to serve God and humanity St Paul in our first reading says: “The Good News which has reached you is spreading all over the world and producing the same results among us”.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we are really sick and in need of your healing and compassion. As we struggle every day to serve you and humanity, heal all our illnesses and give us the grace to get up and become more active again in order to render more quality services to you and our communities. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Wishing you God’s favour and blessings.

Homily For Tuesday Twenty-Second Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 5th September, 2023

Readings: 1 These. 5:1-6.9-11, Ps. 27, Luke 4:31-37

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

 

EXPERIENCING THE DIVINE AUTHORITY OF JESUS OVER EVIL FORCES

 

From the scriptures, Jesus seems to have lived in a world of hostility and conflict between good and evil, as well as political witch-hunting, family divisions and demonic possession, just like we have it in our world today. For there is no doubt that there is an active presence of evil in the world which manifest itself in different forms.

 

So everyday we struggle against the malice of the evil ones, and people are doing everything they can to overcome them. But often time, when children of God are confronted with evil, they don't know what to do and out of fear they fall victim and helpless because they are ignorance of the power and authority of God in them.

 

Thus, in our Gospel passage today, we heard how the people of Capernaum and even the demoniac recognized that, the Divine Authority of Jesus in the world brings about victory over the evil ones. For his teaching made a deep impression on them because he spoke with authority. And the man who was possessed by the devil shouted at the top of his voice, ‘Ah! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are: the Holy One of God.’

 

But Jesus said sharply, ‘Be quiet! Come out of him!’ And the devil, throwing the man down in front of everyone, went out of him without hurting him at all. Astonished, they said to one another, ‘What teaching!  For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits and they come out.’

 

Here the demons recognize Jesus as the power of God. And his power over the demons is a direct defeat of the evil one while the restoration of the possessed man signifies the inauguration of God's kingdom in the world. Now, Jesus has given us the gift of his presence in the person of the Holy Spirit, which God has bestowed on us in our baptism. In this gift resides the power and authority to confront evil and overcome it.

 

Little wonder St. Paul in our first reading tell us that it is not as if we live in the dark, for that Day to overtake us like a thief. No, we are all sons of light and sons of the day: we do not belong to the night or to darkness, so we should not go on sleeping, as everyone else does, but stay awake and sober. For God never meant us to experience the Retribution, but to win salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that, alive or dead, we should still live united to him.

 

Dear friends, we are meant to experience the Divine Authority of Jesus over evil. For the presence of Jesus drives away every evil forces. But as children of God, what is our notion about the authority and power of Jesus? Do we still have any doubt about the authority of Jesus? How much of this authority dwells in you? How united are we in Christ. Today the demoniac identified the source of Jesus’ authority as divine, have we personally identified the divine authority of Jesus in our life? If we have not, why not ask him to manifest his power and authority once more in our life.

 

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, we are often ignorance of the power and authority of the Holy Spirit which you gave us at our baptism, may we recognize this divine power and authority once again in our daily struggles with the evil forces in our world. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. God bless you.

Homily For Monday Twenty-Second Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 4th September, 2023

Readings: 1 These. 4:13-18, Ps. 96, Luke 4:16-30

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

 

DO NOT LOOK DOWN ON PEOPLE BECAUSE YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH THEM

 

Oftentimes we treat and respect people based on our knowledge of their background and status, so we fail to look at the image of God found in them or what God is doing through them. This is because our judgment is the product of human wisdom and when our faith is based on this kind of wisdom we are bound to neglect and treat others with contempt.

 

This is the situation in our Gospel passage today. For when Jesus came to Nazareth, his own town, where he had been brought up, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day as he usually did. He taught the people about his mission as prophesied by the prophet Isaiah and at the end he said to them, This text is being fulfilled today even as you listen.’

 

He won the approval of all, and they were astonished by the gracious words that came from his lips. But in contempt, they said, ‘This is Joseph’s son, surely? As they ridiculed him, Jesus said ‘I tell you solemnly, no prophet is ever accepted in his own country. For this reason, they tried to kill him.

 

Here, we see Jesus who preached about inclusion, found himself excluded. His listeners were frightened at his message and because of familiarity, he was rejected by his own people who glory in their wisdom which is based on their knowledge of his humble background. This is because they lack true faith as they depend on their human knowledge and philosophy.

 

Dear friends, our relationship with Jesus should not be based on this kind of philosophy, rather it should based on our personal experience of the power and love of God in our lives. For it is this personal experience that will help us to embrace his words convincingly and never look down on anyone, but see in all the light of God's presence.

 

Therefore, we are called today to be accommodating and never try to treat anyone with contempt, because anyone can be a potential vessel of God’s blessings to us. And St. Paul why letting us know how equal we are before the Lord said in our first reading: that any of us who are left alive until the Lord’s coming will not have any advantage over those who have died. So with such thoughts as these, we should comfort one another.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, out of pride and ignorance, we have often treated people with contempt because of their humbled background, help us today to realize that everyone is a potential instrument of your blessings and so learn to accommodate people, we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a blessed week ahead.

Homily For Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A, 3rd September, 2023

Readings: Jer. 20:7-9, Ps.63, Rom.12-1-2, Matt 16:21-27

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

 

WHY DO YOU WANT TO GAIN THE WHOLE WORLD AND RUIN YOUR LIFE?

 

The material things of this world are so captivating and attractive as well. And we are so much engrossed with acquiring them at the detriment of things that edify the soul. People are ready to do anything just to acquire material things of this world. People are ready to kill, blackmail, kidnap and even sacrifice parts of their bodies just to gain power, acquire properties and belong to a particular class or level that they feel is influential in the society, thereby causing more hostility, persecutions and evil in the society.

 

This really makes me to wonder if we are actually learning anything from the lives of those who have passed away from this world. Have we really taken time to reflect on where all of us and the beautiful things of this world will be in the nearest future. In fact, I think is time for us to really think twice about our faith as Christians, whether we are actually ready to live out our faith in the midst of these ugly situations in our societies, which are not stopping soon, for it is getting tougher everyday.

 

Little wonder Jesus after telling his disciples about his passion and the coming persecution says in our Gospel passage today:  ‘If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross and follow me. For anyone who wants to save his life will lose it; but anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it. What, then, will a man gain if he wins the whole world and ruins his life? Or what has a man to offer in exchange for his life?”

 

Here Jesus knowing what awaits us in this world, takes his discourse on discipleship to a radical and difficult level, especially in a situation where our faith and Christian values have been thrown out of caution as a result of secularism, individualism and excess desires for worldly pleasures, thereby neglecting the things that lead us to God. Hence, if we are really willing to live out our Christian faith and obligations, then we need to make a radical decision towards our call for discipleship in a personal and radical way.

 

These hard words of Jesus can only be understood in the light of our experience in life. For here comes the moment when we have to make radical and difficult choice as disciples of Jesus. It’s time for us to take up our cross in a sacrificial way and follow the Lord. But what is this cross we are called to take up. Taking up our cross could mean to faithfully face our daily challenges with all its difficulties. It could mean accepting who we are and what we have and using them to the glory of God.

 

The way of the cross is a way of sacrifice, commitment, love, forgiveness, mercy and compassion, which aims towards the good of the other person. It can be a costly service to a loved one who is ill; it can be embracing illness, even terminal illness or other personal weaknesses, but these make no sense except when we relate it with the sufferings of Christ through faith in God.

 

We must let our struggles of life lead us to God’s purpose for us. We must not let the captivating and influential power of things of this passing world make us loose focus of our heavenly kingdom. Let us not be like a foolish traveler who after encountering and admiring a pleasant farm failed to continue on his journey.

 

Thus, St. Paul in our second reading tells us to present our bodies as a living sacrifice that is truly pleasing to God. And never to conform ourselves to the pattern of this present world. But let our behaviour be modelled by our new mind in Christ, so as to discover the will of God and know what is good, acceptable and perfect.

 

This is possible when we surrender our lives to God just like the prophet Jeremiah in our first reading, who surrendering to the will of God said: “You have seduced me, Lord, and I have let myself be seduced; you have overpowered me: you were stronger. For I am a daily laughing-stock. Each time I speak the word, I cry out, I short and proclaim: ‘Violence and ruin!’ The word of the Lord has meant for me insult, and derision, all day long. But the effort to restrain it wearied me, I could not bear it”.

 

Dear friends, why do you want to gain the whole world and ruin your life? Do you not know that nothing belongs to you in this world? Do you not know that you are only manager of whatever you have including your life? Why will you let your excess desire for material things in this world ruin your soul? Today we are meant to know that for us to share in the glory of Christ, we have to share his suffering because it is impossible to follow Jesus without accepting the cross and acknowledging and embracing all that life has to offer us.

 

The truth is that God knows what we are going through in this world. He has promised that he will stand by us during persecution and suffering. For a while, we might suffer, but in the end, those who remained faithful to him will be victorious while the oppressors will be rejected, crushed and destroyed.

Therefore, we are called today to deny ourselves the pleasurable things of this passing world in order to take up our Cross and follow the Lord. Yes, the material things of this world are captivating and pleasurable, but it is complete foolishness for us to gain the whole world and ruin our lives.

 

Hence, it’s time to make a radical decision to sincerely and faithfully follow Jesus. But how much are we willing to let go for the sake of following him? Why are we finding it difficult to let go of our excess attachment to worldly things? What are those habitual desires and possessions that are holding us from making this radical decision today? It is time to come to God with all our hearts, for tomorrow may be too late.

 

LET US PRAY: Gracious God, it is indeed foolishness trying to gain the pleasurable things of this passing world and ruin our lives, give us courage and grace to let go of our excess worldly desires so as to embrace the Cross of Christ. And as we do this, may the Cross of Christ be for us a shining example in our daily struggles, to hold firm in our faith despite all the sufferings and persecutions we may encounter. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a lovely Sunday celebration.

Homily For Saturday Twenty-First Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 2nd September, 2023

Readings: 1Thess.4:9-11; Ps.98; Matt.25:14-30

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

 

WHAT IS YOUR GOD-GIVEN TALENT AND HOW ARE YOU USING IT?

 

There is no doubt in my mind that God has a plan for every one of us, for each person has been given a special talent according to his/her ability. God made it so in order to fulfil that plan, just as we heard in the parable in our Gospel passage today since everyone is special, unique and a masterpiece.

 

In this parable, a man who was going on a journey summoned his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to a third one; each in proportion to his ability to utilize it until he comes back. Here, Jesus is telling us that we have all been given gifts by God which we must account for. If we use these gifts wisely for our own benefit and the benefit of others, we will grow and blossom. If on the other hand, we fail to use them just like the third servant, we remain dormant and unsuccessful.

 

But what is this talent all about? The talent may represent different physical and spiritual gifts of God, but its basic foundation is the love of God towards us, the love that God has shown to us which needs to be reciprocated through an active love for our neighbours. So, this parable teaches us that our gifts are meant to be put to use, in service of God and humanity especially the poor. Our service to God should not be done grudgingly or fearfully but generously and with the willingness to take risks in responding to God's mandate.

 

We must be ready to lose our life in order to find it. God wants us to use the individual talents given to us to make a difference in the world, not to relax in our comfort zones doing nothing with them. God wants the best from us and when we have given our best, we receive more from him. However, we often find it difficult to discover our talents or to accept the one God has given to us because we have failed to embrace love. Little wonder St. Paul in our first reading says: “As for loving our brothers, there is no need for anyone to write to us about that, since we have learnt from God how to love one another”.

 

Dear friends, what is your God-given talent? How are you using it? Have you put it to full use? Or have you buried it out of fear, ignorance and shame? For we are called today to search and discover our talent, to discover love and invest in it in order to achieve the purpose by which we are created just like the first two servants in the parable of the talents who utilized the talents given to them.

 

We too must utilize our talents when we realise that the greatest talent is the love of God and our neighbours. Then we will devote all our lives to talking about love and letting people know that true happiness is found in interior living and not in material things we possess. So, we must learn to embrace love in order to become great instruments in preparing humanity towards the kingdom of God. Therefore, we are reminded that we are going to give an account before God and the real tragedy of life is not in being limited to one talent but in failure to use that one talent properly.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, you have given us a special talent according to our ability to fulfil your plans for us. Help us to discover our talents and utilize them in such a way that it will lead us to love you and our neighbours, especially the poor and so attain eternal life. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a fruitful weekend.