Homily For Wednesday Thirty-Fourth Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 29th November, 2023.

Readings: Dan. 5:1-6.13-14.16-17.23-28; Ps. Dan. 3:40-45; Luke:21:12-19

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

 

YOUR ENDURANCE WILL WIN YOU YOUR LIVES

 

Everywhere in the world we see and hear of human wickedness, intimidation, manipulations, kidnapping, killing and different other immoral activities for the sake of power, fame, money and lustful desires. And anyone who tries to resist, challenge, correct, change or stop these ugly attitudes, becomes an object of elimination. Yet in the midst of all these ugly situations, we are required to continue to speak about God’s goodness, love, compassion and forgiveness. A very difficult task to do, especially when we are suffering as victims of this ugly situation.

 

Thus, Jesus in our Gospel passage today declares that his followers are going to be persecuted on account of bearing witness to his name, a reality that will put even our most cherished relationships to the test: we will be betrayed and persecuted by our closest relations and friends. However, we should not prepare any defense, because God myself shall give us an eloquence and a wisdom that none of our opponents will be able to resist or contradict.

 

Here, Jesus not only describes what his followers will have to endure but offers assurance that he will support them and make them strong. So he recommends that there comes a time in the spiritual life of his followers when they will have to choose to endure, rather than despair. By their endurance, they will gain their lives. Hence, a period of persecution is a time to bear witness through our endurance, courage and tenacity. Just like Daniel in our first reading today, who courageously bears great witness before the king by interpreting the mystery of the message God sent to the King who has defiled the sacred vessels.

 

Dear friends, the circumstances in which Jesus invites us to share the Good News are quite challenging and difficult, especially now that the world is passing through difficult times, as families, societies, countries, and churches are badly affected by the economic, social, security and political situations around us of which it’s troubles and conflicts are affecting the whole world. But just as Jesus was not abandoned by his Father in his hour of need, we too will not be abandoned in this time of difficulties. For God knows what we are passing through now and in due time he will give us victory for Jesus says that our endurance will win us our lives.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, as we struggle with the ugly situation in our world today, grant us the courage and strength to persevere in witnessing to the Gospel, especially in these difficult times, through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a fruitful day.

Homily For Tuesday Thirty-Fourth Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 28th November, 2023

Readings Dan.2: 31-45; Ps. Dan. 3:35-39; Luke:21:5-11

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

 

BE PREPARED FOR THE END-TIME EVENT, DO NOT BE DECEIVED

 

As we approach the season of Advent, we are reminded of the need to be well-prepared for the coming of God’s kingdom. This is evident in our readings these days and more so in our Gospel passage today which presents to us warnings about the end times. Here we see how those who were listening to Jesus were anxious to know what signs to look out for concerning the End Times event. But the timing of such an event is God’s secret.

 

So, today Jesus warns us not to waste our time seeking for signs, rather we should be prepared, and we should remain firm in faith. He also warns us about following those who claim to know when the end is coming. We may see many of the signs written in Scripture happening already in our time and people are terrified looking for someone to show them the way. Jesus is the only Way, the Truth and the Life. For without him in our lives, we may be lost, because the future lies in his hands and nothing can destroy or hurt us as long as we remain faithful to his commands.

 

Dear friends, we must be prepared for the end-time event, let us not be deceived by the things of this world. So, our lives as Christians demand that we should be alert and ready. We should be prepared at all times for this world is passing away. Hence, we are called to abstain from things that will separate us from our God. We are called to look into our inner being, our interior life, in order to embrace the life of holiness and self-control that will help us to be more prepared to do the will of God just like Daniel in our first reading today, who courageously told the vision of King Nebuchadnezzar and interpreted it in order to help the King be more prepared to embrace the will and plan of God.

 

LET US PRAY: Almighty God, we often failed to listen to your warnings concerning our excess desire for the things of this passing world and the need for us to prepare and be ready for your coming, give us the grace and wisdom to be well prepared to stand before you whenever you call us. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a blessed day.

Homily For Monday Thirty-Fourth Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 27th November, 2023

Readings: Dan.1:1-6.8-20; Ps. Dan. 3:29-34; Luke:21:1-4

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

 

OUR GRATITUDE TO GOD MUST BE SACRIFICIAL

 

Thanksgiving is one of the best ways of showing gratitude to God for the good things we have received from him. This great act of charity should be done with a grateful heart. Our attitude and intention towards this act is what God desires to see. Little wonder in our Gospel passage today, Jesus observes the attitude of people towards their thanksgiving offertory. He commented on the attitude of people who give out of their abundance, while commending the attitude of the poor widow who from her heart gave sincerely everything that she had, expressing her faith and love for God through this wonderful gesture.

 

Here, Jesus tells us that what matters is not the amount we give, but what lies in our heart, the strength of our generosity comes from the heart. Today Jesus invites us to open our hearts and be ready to give in a sacrificial way like this poor widow in our Gospel. For God, who knows our heart, looks at our efforts. The truth is that the greatest gift we can give to anyone is the gift of love, for it is only in true love that one can truly give all that he has without reservations.

 

So, as Christians, it is our obligation to follow the Lord’s teaching and dedicate ourselves and all that we have to him wholeheartedly, in faith and love at all times just like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah in our first reading who remain faithful to God. And God favoured them with knowledge and intelligence in everything connected with literature, and in wisdom; while Daniel had the gift of interpreting every kind of vision and dream.

 

Dear friends, let our thanksgiving to the Lord not only come from the abundance of what we have but from true and sacrificial love that comes from our heart expressing our gratitude, faith and love for God and our neighbour. Only such offertory and thanksgiving are pleasing to God and acceptable to him.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, all we have is giving to us out of your abundant good. May we learn to show gratitude sacrificially for such a great gift and so gain more favour from you. We ask this through Christ our Lord.  Do have a fruitful week ahead.

Homily For Thirty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A, 26th November, 2023. The Solemnity of Christ the Universal King

Readings: Ezek 34:11-12.15-17, Ps.23, 1Cor15:20-26.28, Matt. 25:31-46

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

 

CELEBRATING CHRIST THE UNIVERSAL KING

 

In 1925, the period when the world was still recovering from the ugly event of the First World War that ended in 1918, the period when humanity began to turn away from the teachings of the Gospel, in search of worldly power and dominion apart from God, Pope Pius XI promulgated this Feast of Christ the King. This is because the Pope believed that the celebration of the Feast of Christ the Universal King would be appropriate at that period in order to call humanity to conversion and renewal of their loyalty to Jesus the True Universal King.

 

Little Wonder every last Sunday of the liturgical year, the Church invites us to celebrate the Lord Jesus as King of the Universe. In this event, we are called to look to the future with more insight into the ultimate goal of history, towards the definitive and eternal kingdom of Christ. He was with the Father in the beginning when the world was created, and he will fully manifest his Lordships at the end of time when he will judge humanity.

 

In fact, this is evident in our first reading and Gospel passage today where we heard of the account of the event of the 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 them.

 

Then, 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 the universal King, especially in his sacrificial love, care and compassion towards one another. But had chosen to remain selfish, greedy, corrupt and wicked. Hence, St Paul in our second reading tells us to look towards the parousia, when all those who embraced Christ the universal King will be raised, having overcome all the hostile forces of this passing world, including death.

 

Dear friends, today we too can look around us,  our families, our cities, societies, country and the world at large, and feel sorrow at so much greediness, corruption, suffering and disregard for the truth, justice and what is right and discover that peace is nowhere to be found. And if humanity is not careful with the grave danger around us despite the great works of science and technology, the only place we can find peace will be in the grave at the dread peace of death. Those in Gaza, Ukraine and some parts of our country will have a better understanding of the seriousness of this reality around us.

 

Therefore as we celebrate this great event, let us turn toward Christ for peace knowing that he is our true King of Peace. Following him means carrying our cross, detaching ourselves from the things of this passing world and faithfully obeying his commandment of sacrificial love, justice and peace. For it is by the blood of his cross, that Jesus reveals his Kingship, not in saving his life, but in offering it as a ransom for our peace and salvation. Thus, trying to do away with the cross in our lives deprives our souls of these true love and loyalty to Christ our King of Peace who today wants to reign supreme in our hearts and soul.

 

So, let us join in the triumphant procession following Christ the Universal King of Peace, singing Hosanna in the Highest, recalling the inscription above the cross: Jesus the King of the Jews. Let us show him honour, not just with palm branches but with the splendour of a heart full of love and merciful deeds. Let us in joy express and spread before his presence the garments of our heavy hearts weighed down by sins along with the inner desires of our souls so that he can pass through our souls and purify our whole being so as to rule in our hearts as the King of Peace, for that is the nature of his Kingship.

 

LET US PRAY: Heavenly King, as we celebrate the universal Kingship of Christ your Son, amidst the hostile forces and evil of this passing world, may we be victorious as you feel us with the joy of your kingdom. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Wishing you a happy Christ the King celebration.

Homily For Saturday Thirty-Third Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 25th November, 2023

Readings:1Macc.6:1-13; Ps.9; Luke:20:27-40

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

 

WHAT IS YOUR DISPOSITION TOWARDS RESURRECTION

 

Oftentimes when we talk about the teaching on resurrection people always want to know what and how is going to be like. We often get this teaching wrong because we are using our little knowledge of the things of this passing world to judge the heavenly things. This is the disposition of the Sadducees in our Gospel passage today, since they do not believe in the resurrection, they decided to challenge Jesus concerning the notion of resurrection using the analogy of marital union in relation to the afterlife in order to discredit the teachings of Jesus.

 

As usual, Jesus goes on to explain how people will relate to each other in the afterlife. Those who are judged worthy of a place in the other world and the resurrection from the dead do not marry because they can no longer die, for they are the same as the angels, and being children of the resurrection they are sons of God. He then challenged the Sadducees’ unbelief about life after death.

 

He reminded them of the scene where the voice from the burning bush identifies itself to Moses. “I AM the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob” (Exodus 3:6). For He is the God of the living and not of the dead. After this reply of Jesus to both the Pharisees and the Sadducees, they no longer dared to ask him any questions.

 

Dear friends, we believe in the resurrection not so much because of Jesus’ arguments here, but because of his own resurrection of which he promised to share his life and joy with us forever. Jesus tells us that we are children of the resurrection and children of God who are neither married nor given in marriage in the heavenly kingdom. Thus, it is natural for us to ask questions about the resurrection of life, but we should not expect to understand it fully while we are still alive. All that matters is our relationship with our God and neighbour for what we shall be after death is known by God alone.

 

So, we must not be like the Pharisees and Scribes who doubt the teaching on resurrection, rather we should have faith in the teachings of Jesus for he has not only taught us about the event of resurrection he practically demonstrated it so that we may know that truly our lives does not begin in this passing world and will definitely not end in this world.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, as we look forward to the resurrection of mankind. May we be inspired by the great example of our Lord Jesus and so obtain the joy of his resurrection. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a fruitful weekend.

Homily for Friday Thirty-Third Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 24th November, 2023. The Memorial of St Andrew Dung Lac and Companions

Readings: 1 Macc. 4:36-37.52-59;  Ps. 1Chron. 29:10-12; Luke:19:45-48

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

 

WE ARE THE SACRED SPACE OF GOD'S TEMPLE IN NEED OF CLEANSING

 

The Temple as we know is described as the sacred dwelling place of God. That’s sacred space where humanity encounter the Divine presence of God. It is a symbolic space where God desires to live together with humanity and rule the world through them. Therefore it is very important to ensure that such Sacred Space (Temple) is kept sacred at all times.

 

Little wonder in our Gospel passage today, we heard a very brief story of how Jesus entered the temple in Jerusalem and drove away the traders from the courts of the Temple saying: “My house must be a house of prayer. But you have turned it into a den of thieves.” So he chased out all the dishonest, selfish and greedy merchants who were making profits by cheating the faithful pilgrims who came to the Temple to worship God.

 

Here Jesus was not just concerned with cleansing the temple of Jerusalem, but also the temple of the human heart, that is, our souls. He is objecting to the corruption of the sacred. Our body and soul are the temple of the Lord and belong to him alone. It is a sacred space, a house of prayer which must not be given over to the false gods of money, greed and sin. Just as we heard in our first reading today Judas and his brothers after defeating their enemies who wished to force them to defile the temple of God said:  Now that our enemies have been defeated, let us go up to purify the sanctuary and dedicate it. So, the whole people fell prostrate in adoration, praising God who had made them so successful. For eight days they celebrated the dedication of the altar, joyfully offering holocausts, communion sacrifices and thanksgivings to God.

 

Dear friends, by clearing the Temple, the Lord has also urged us all to clear our spiritual temples, that is our body, mind, heart and soul, in which God dwells. For our souls are sacred dwellings of God’s Temple. Thus, it must be made sacred at all times by ensuring that we get rid of all corruptions, wickedness, pride, ego, greed, wrath, unforgiveness and all other sorts of evils within us. We must resist them and strive to inspire and help one another to keep our Temple sacred. For Jesus wishes to cleanse the temple of our soul by removing what has corrupted it, in order to purify it for worship and make it a dwelling place for prayer.

 

But are we willing to let him cleanse us just like St Andrew Dung Lac and Companions whose memorial we celebrate today? For when they heard the Gospel they accepted it despite persecutions and even death. They realize that true happiness is found in the interior living of the Gospel and not in the material things of this passing world. They embraced martyrdom and became great instruments in preparing humanity towards the kingdom of God. We too can be another great instrument of preparation in God’s hands, if we make ourselves available

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we are your temple, yet we have let the selfish desires for the things of this passing world corrupt us so deeply. As we embrace your Words today, may we through the intercession of St Andrew Dung Lac and Companions experience the joy of the purification of our body and soul. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a fruitful day.

Homily For Thursday Thirty-Third Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 23rd November, 2023

Readings: 1Macc. 2:15-29; Ps. 50; Luke:19:41-44

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

 

JESUS WILLS THAT HUMANITY SHOULD KNOW THE THINGS THAT MAKE FOR PEACE

 

Peace is what every human person desires to have. It is a necessary commodity in human societies. A city that has peace is surely to have great success. It is the dream of everyone. But a city that lacks peace is disastrous. Little wonder today in our Gospel passage, Jesus wept over the city of Jerusalem. For Jesus who is the King of peace came to Jerusalem a city whose name stands for peace but found no peace in it.

He looked at the city and its coming disaster which would indeed happen in a few decades after his death and then comes its destruction by the hand of the Romans. So he wept and prayed for its people. Since they have rejected the peace that God is offering them, they have no option but to face the consequences. Jesus felt deep sorrow at the city’s resistance to God’s word, wishing that they might receive what God was offering them. He said: “Would that even today you knew the things that make for peace”.

 

Today we too can look around us,  our families, our cities, societies, country and the world at large, and feel sorrow at so much greed, corruption, suffering and disregard for truth, justice and what is right and discover that peace is nowhere to be found. And if humanity is not careful with the grave danger around us despite the great works of science and technology, the only place we can find peace will be in the grave at the dread peace of death. Those in Gaza, Ukraine and some parts of our country will have a better understanding of the seriousness of this reality around us.

 

But we should not be afraid. Rather, we should draw strength from Mattathias in our first reading today who courageously resisted the order of the king who requested that the people of Israel should turn away from the Law and ordinances of God. Raising his voice, Mattathias retorted, ‘Even if every nation living in the king’s dominions obeys him, each forsaking its ancestral religion to conform to his decrees, I, my sons and my brothers will still follow the covenant of our ancestors. So nothing should make us for the sake of the teachings of our Lord, for Jesus the Lamb of God has triumphed over all evil. He has been glorified and as such has purchased for us our eternal peace and salvation.

 

Dear friends, we must be courageous because, despite the challenges and trials that we have to face in this passing world, we have the Lamb of God, triumphant and victorious by our side. He tells us that even though tribulations will come our way in form of the doom and destruction like that of Jerusalem, we should be steadfast for in God we shall be triumphant since Jesus wills that humanity should know the things that make for peace. So, if we can consider the words of Jesus and embrace the peace and love he is offering us, we will realize that he longs for our good and growth.

 

Remember, there are many temptations and distractions in this world trying to mislead us and separate us from our God. Let us not be misled by these things. Let us remain firm in our faith and let our lives shine with the light of Christ so that his light will illuminate all the darkest moments in our lives, in our families, societies, country and the world at large. For the Lord wishes to lead us to the final victory that he has won for us. But are we willing to commit our lives to Christ? All we need to do is embrace all the possibilities of peace and love that God is offering to us every day. Then it shall be well with us.

 

LET US PRAY, Heavenly Father, you are the King of peace and in Christ your son you have offered humanity peace. But we have failed to embrace it. As we struggle with the ugly situation in our families and the world today, may the peace of Christ reign in our hearts, homes, societies, country and the world at large. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Remain blessed.