Homily For Wednesday the Second Week of Advent Year B, 13th December, 2023. The Memorial of St. Lucy

Readings Isaiah 40:25-31; Ps 103; Matt. 11:28-30

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

 

WHY CARRY YOUR BURDENS OF LIFE ALONE?

 

The ugly situation in our country today places a heavy burden and stress on us and often these burdens are so heavy that we don’t know how to carry them. The worst of these burdens is the sorrow we bear in our hearts: sorrows caused by our sins, unhealthy relationships, unforgiveness and family problems. These burdens sometimes are so heavy that we don’t know how to carry them, we don’t know who can help us understand how to carry them or overcome them.

 

Today in our Gospel reading, Jesus invites us to come to him with our burdens. For he recognizes the sorrows in our lives, how we labour and are overburdened. This invitation opens a refreshing space in our soul, by inspiring hope and drawing us into his loving and gentle presence who is always with us. Little wonder we heard the prophet Isaiah in our first reading today saying: how can you say My destiny is hidden from the Lord, my rights are ignored by my God? Did you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is an everlasting God, he created the boundaries of the earth. He does not grow tired or weary, his understanding is beyond fathoming. He gives strength to the weary, he strengthens the powerless. Young men may grow tired and weary, and youths may stumble, but those who hope in the Lord renew their strength, they put out wings like eagles. They run and do not grow weary, walk and never tire. So, we should learn to present our burdens to God in faith.

 

Dear friends, Jesus, wants to listen to all of our troubles and assures us that his yoke is easy and his burden is light. When we spend time with Jesus we find rest for our souls. He speaks to us in the silence of our hearts and gives us inner peace. Therefore, why carry your burdens alone? Jesus is willing to help you, for he promised that when we are troubled and turn to him, he will help us.

 

So let us trust in his word, just like St. Lucy whose memorial we celebrate today, for she is known for her humble obedience and trust in God. She knows how to present her burdens to God and since the name Lucy means light, she is known as the patron saint of those with eye problems. This light reminds us also about the Light of Christ whose Advent of his birth we are celebrating.

 

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, we are carrying heavy burdens of this passing world, as we present these burdens before you, may we through the intercession of St. Lucy find rest for our souls. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Remain blessed.

Homily For Tuesday the Second Week of Advent Year B, 12th December, 2023

Readings Isaiah 40:1-11; Ps 96; Matt. 18:12-14

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

 

THE GOD WHO SEARCHES FOR HIS SINFUL CREATURES AND REJOICES TO SEE THEM BACK 

 

It is natural and common for any human person to desire to seek and find any valuable thing he/she has lost. Some people even have sleepless nights over their lost items. Some can go to any length hoping to recover any of their valuable commodity that is lost. If we can do this just for perishable things of this passing world, don’t we think that God will do even much more to save every single soul he created in his image and likeness? Little wonder in our Gospel passage today, Jesus while addressing his disciples, tells us the parables of the lost sheep which illustrate the unrelenting love of God for each of us, especially sinners.

 

In this parable, we see an example of someone searching for what is precious to him. And when he found it his joy was so great. So, Jesus uses this example to explain to us how God seeks us when we are lost in sin and his joy when our friendship with him is renewed. His searching for us cost him the sacrifice of his Son Jesus Christ. This can help us to realize how precious we are to him, and that he never gives up on anyone except those who choose to be lost. All we need is for us to return to God who is patiently waiting for us. Just like the prophet Isaiah in our first reading today said:  Console my people, console them’ says your God. ‘Speak to the heart of Jerusalem and call to her that her time of service is ended, that her sin is atoned for.

 

Dear friends, are we lost in sin? Have we given up in our struggle with sin? Do you think that our sins are so great that God cannot forgive us? Do we feel lost now? Jesus is searching for us for he is a God that searches for his sinful creatures and rejoices to see them back again. He is searching and waiting for us at the confessional. When was the last time we visited him at the confessional? Just know that he loves us and we are too precious to be lost in this sinful world.  Therefore, let us embrace the opportunity God is offering us today. Let us ensure that we are not lost in the sinful things of this passing world, but join the Lord to search for his lost sheep.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we are lost in this passing world due to our sinfulness. Seek out humanity once again from the wilderness of sins, so that we may return to you, just like the lost sheep and so rejoice and praise you once again with the angels. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a fruitful day.

Homily For Monday the Second Week of Advent Year B, 11th December, 2023

Readings Isaiah 35:1-10; Ps 85; Luke 5:17-26

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

 

WITH FAITH THE LORD CAN HEAL AND MAKE US WHOLE AGAIN

 

The sin and evil going on in the world are putting our faith to the test and most people are giving in to the scheme of the devil because they lack the strong will to withstand the suffering, sickness and problems that befall us as a result of this evil. People are running up and down seeking solutions. while the evil ones are taking advantage of the situation to destroy the faith of the people. In fact, one may begin to wonder if there is still hope for the restoration of humanity from this ugly situation. But the fact remains that God can heal and restore humanity once again.

 

This is evident in our Gospel passage today when some people brought to him a paralytic stretched out on a bed. And seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, ‘Courage, my child, your sins are forgiven.’ But some scribes doubted his authority to forgive sins, and Jesus knowing what was in their minds said: ‘Why do you have such wicked thoughts in your hearts? Now, which of these is easier to say, “Your sins are forgiven,” or to say, “Get up and walk”? But to prove to you that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,’ he said to the paralytic, ‘get up, and pick up your bed and go off home.’ And the man got up and went home.

 

Here, we see that great faith is not hidden, it radiates from the innermost being of those who exercise it. Because of love, the friends of the paralytic man were moved with faith to bring their friend to Christ, they firmly believed that Jesus Christ could and would heal him. A strong faith regards no obstacles in pressing after Christ. It was with humble and active faith that they brought him to Christ. Thus, we can see the power and authority of Jesus towards the restoration of the paralytic man carried by his friends. A gesture that signifies the restoration of humanity paralyzed by sin.

 

So, Jesus began by forgiving our sins. Though sin seems to be the root of the sickness. But sin may be pardoned, yet the sickness not be removed; the sickness may be removed, yet the sin not pardoned. But for Jesus, healing is holistic for those who have faith in God. And this is what the scribes and the Pharisees failed to understand as they doubted and opposed the power and authority of Jesus. They forgot the words of the prophet Isaiah in our first reading today which says:  Courage! Do not be afraid. ‘Look, your God is coming, he is coming to save you.’ Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, the ears of the deaf unsealed, then the lame shall leap like a deer and the tongues of the dumb sing for joy.

 

Dear friends, today we are called to have faith in God just like the friends of the paralytic and not to be like the scribes and Pharisees who were enslaved by their pride and desire to maintain their prestige in society. They doubted the power and authority of Jesus and rejected the message of truth, of which Jesus rebuked them, showing us that truly he has power and authority not just to heal and forgive us but to restore us and all humanity to our formal glory.

 

We are also called to imitate the great faith and love of the friends of the paralytic, the love and faith that radiate from the innermost being of those who exercise it. Let us like them, learn to love and help one another. Because the absence of love is the cause of all the problems in our world today. For most families exist only by grace because of the absence of love. How I wish we could invest our time and resources in ensuring love and goodwill in our dealings with one another, believe me, the world will be a temporal home for everyone.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we are paralyzed by the sins and evil we are committing against you and the world you created, as we come to you in faith this season of Advent, forgive us our sins, heal and restore us once again. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Peace be with you.

Homily For Second Sunday of Advent Year B, 10th December, 2023

Readings: Is 40:1-5.9-11, Ps.85, 2Peter 3:8-14, Mark. 1:1-8

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

 

PREPARING A WAY FOR THE PEACE OF GOD TO REIGN IN YOUR HEART

 

In this world we are so busy preparing, acquiring and safeguarding the things of this passing world thinking that they will guarantee us the peace we desire, only to find out that true peace is far away from us. Meanwhile, we are called to prepare for the future reality of human life, that is, our eternal life in God’s Kingdom where true peace reigns. Little wonder, the Church for the past seven days now, has been schooling us in the liturgical Season of Advent, calling our attention to the need for us to be prepared and be opened to embrace the coming king, our Lord Jesus, who is coming to dwell among the fallen humanity, in order to offer us true peace and save us from sin and damnation.

 

Thus, today, the Second Sunday of Advent, we are presented with the theme of peace through intensive preparation, following the cry of John the Baptist who preached in the wilderness of Judea as he proclaimed a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins saying: Prepare a way for the Lord, make his paths straight, as we have it in our Gospel passage and also in our first reading through prophet Isaiah. His mission was to prepare and clear the way for the Lord, calling the people of Israel to repent of their sins and to correct every injustice. John the Baptist, with these demanding words, announced the imminent coming of the Lord when he said: Someone is following me, someone who is more powerful than I am, and I am not fit to kneel and undo the strap of his sandals. For I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.’

 

With this message, John put us on guard against the hypocrisy of those who felt safe merely because they belonged to the Chosen People. In God’s eyes, he says, no one has reason to boast but must bear good fruit that befits repentance. John the Baptist’s appeal for conversion rings out in our communities today. It is a pressing invitation to open up our hearts to receive Jesus the Son of God, who comes among us to make manifest the divine judgement of God. We too are called to listen to God’s voice, which cries out in the desert of our hearts through the Sacred Scriptures.

 

Hence, in this Season of Advent, we should let ourselves be guided by the word of God in preparation for his coming in glory. For St. Paul in our second reading tells us that with the Lord, ‘a day’ can mean a thousand years, and a thousand years is like a day. Thus, the Day of the Lord may come like a thief, and since everything is coming to an end, we should be living holy and saintly lives. We should do our best to live lives without spots or stains so that he will find us at peace when he comes in glory. So, it is time to make peace with God and with one another. It is time to repent and reconcile with one another. It is time to make restoration for our ugly actions in other to let peace reign in our hearts, in our homes, in our society and country. It is time to embrace the peace God is offering us. It is time to share this peace and enjoy the fruit of this season.

 

Dear friends, it is time to prepare a way for the peace of God to reign in our hearts. But what are the things that can deny us peace and the fruit of this season? The major things that can deny us of this gracious moment are sinful actions such as unforgivingness, hatred, greed, immoral actions and pride. What is keeping us from turning away from this ugly way of life? We made resolutions at the beginning of this year but we have not kept them. We said we would keep away from ugly actions but we have not fulfilled that. We say we will never be involved in corrupt actions, we say we will not lie or cheat people, you said you will not continue to cheat on your wife or husband, we said we will not continue to be involved in fornication, adultery, masturbation, pornographic content but we have failed to keep our promises and resolutions to God and now peace is far away from us.

 

 So, while not make this season a moment to fulfil those promises before the year comes to an end. While not repent from these sins so as to embrace the new life of peace and holiness Jesus is offering us? Are we finding it difficult to let go of our ugly sinful ways of life? It’s time to come to God and ask for his grace. let us embrace the word of God we hear this season and truthfully share it with those we encounter, just like John the Baptist who stood for the truth of his mission and offered it to everyone, whoever, whenever and however it will best bring conversion to sinner and peace to troubled hearts.

 

LET US PRAY: Almighty God, as we prepare the way for Christ coming into our souls. Give us the grace to turn away from sin and embrace the new life of peace and holiness which Christ is offering us this season of Advent. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Peace be with you.

Homily For Saturday First Week of Advent Year B, 9th December, 2023

Readings Isaiah 30:19-21,23-26; Ps 147; Matt. 9:35-10:1,5,6-8

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

 

YOU ARE THAT LABOURER THE LORD NEEDS TO SAVE HELPLESS AND SINFUL HUMANITY

 

Walking through the streets I observed how people are struggling to survive in this passing world. I saw their passion, their determination and their willingness to achieve great things in life at the expense of things that prepare us for eternal life. Then my mind turned towards the words of Jesus in our Gospel passage today, when he saw the crowds and had compassion on them because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to his harvest’.

 

Here, Jesus reveals God’s compassion towards humanity who were harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd. He then says to his disciples that there is a huge harvest waiting to be reaped. Calling on us to pray for God to send labourers into his harvest. Just as we heard the prophet Isaiah in our first reading today reminding us of God’s promises saying: Thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: People of Zion, who dwell at Jerusalem, you shall weep no more. He will be gracious to you when he hears your cry; when he hears he will answer.

 

Thus, we can see that this compassionate love of Jesus in its historical and physical solidarity with human suffering, springs from the love of God the Father and constitutes the basis of the Church’s liberating missionary activity, which is meant to spread throughout the world, hereby calling us into action. Hence, more labourers are needed, for Jesus sees how humanity is harassed and dejected, wandering like sheep without a guiding shepherd. And because the souls of everyone in the world are so precious to Jesus, he needs many more labourers.

 

Therefore, the harvest is as big as ever and people are getting lost and clueless as never before. But who are these labourers? They are not just bishops, priests, or religious men and women. But every baptized person is called in a different capacity to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with those around him/her. So each of us has a vocation, a call to save souls and build the Kingdom of God together.

 

Dear friends, you are that labourer the Lord needs to save helpless and sinful humanity. But how are we carrying out this mission and mandate of Christ? How strong is our compassion towards others? Do we know people who are harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd? Let us look at them for a moment and imagine Jesus looking at them and saying something to them. Do we feel harassed and helpless as a result of what we are going through in life? Do we feel the need for Jesus’ help in some part of our life? Then turn to him and be restored.

 

So, today, each one of us is called to reach out to people at any particular corner of the field of harvest where we find ourselves now, for we may be the last and only person who may have access to evangelize the people. Starting from our families, neighbours, colleagues in the office and others who we encounter in life. The truth is that we may be the only people who can bring the healing and compassion of Jesus into their lives.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, give us the grace and courage to be faithful labourers in your vineyard, who will labour to bring your compassionate love to suffering souls who need to hear the Good News of Jesus. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a blessed weekend.

Homily For Friday First Week of Advent Year B, 8th December, 2023. The Solemnity of Immaculate Conception of The Blessed Virgin Mary

Readings 1 Gen. 3:9-15.20; Ps 98; Eph. 1:3-6.11-12; Luke.1:26-38

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

 

THE REWARDS OF SAYING YES TO GOD'S PLAN

 

Today we contemplate the role of Mary in God’s plan for our salvation. Following this role, the Church ascribes some special prerogatives or privileges to her. These prerogatives concern what the Faith of the Church affirms in connection with the Blessed Virgin Mary. They include her Immaculate Conception, her perpetual virginity, her assumption into heaven and the title Mary, the Holy Mother of God (Theotokos), which is the foundation of other prerogatives. So, today the Church celebrates the Solemnity of Immaculate Conception one of these prerogatives which shows her special role in the universal plan of God.

 

The Solemnity of Immaculate Conception refers to the moment when Mary was conceived in the womb of her mother, St. Anne. That very moment when she came into existence as willed by God. She was immaculately conceived because of the role she will play as the bearer of our Lord Jesus Christ. Immaculate, means pure without fault, free from the taint of the original sin.

 

And Mary by this privilege full of grace and remained free from sin throughout her life by the will of God, for  God chose to make her worthy of his Presence. Since, our God who is pure, perfect and sinless could not have dwelled in a womb tainted by sin. Hence, in today’s Solemnity of Immaculate Conception, we celebrate one of the four great Marian Dogmas, as defined by the Church in the state of Mary, being the Mother of God, the bearer of our Lord Jesus Christ,

 

Thus, our Gospel passage today presents to us the story of the annunciation by the angel to Mary. An event which immediately precedes the story of the annunciation to Zechariah (1:5-25). These two stories are unique and special. The condition of the women in these stories reveals the unique plan of God for each one of them because, neither Elizabeth (Zechariah’s wife) nor Mary at that moment was a likely candidate for motherhood.

 

This is so because, Elizabeth was too old, so John’s birth will require a miracle. Mary was a virgin, so Jesus’ birth will require even a greater miracle. But in all, God planned and designed it to be so and both Mary and Elizabeth saying yes, cooperated with the plan of God. This tells us that our success in life is determined by our disposition towards doing the will of God. Hence, we have to identify our plans and purposes with the universal plan of God for humanity.

 

This is what Adam and Eve failed to do in our first reading today, they did not follow the plan of God for them for out of pride and disobedience they separated themselves from God. That is why after Adam had eaten of the tree the Lord God called to him. ‘Where are you?’ he asked. ‘I heard the sound of you in the garden;’ ‘I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid. By this very action, humanity has fallen and separated from God his creator. Nevertheless, God has never given up on humanity. He has a plan to save us as we heard in our second reading today of which May in preparation for her role in this salvific plan was conceived immaculately and this great privilege is what we are celebrating today.

 

Dear friends, saying yes to God’s plan for us is so important. And I must tell us that God has a special plan for everyone, a unique plan. But sometimes it seems as if God has favoured some persons more than others. Well, in the eyes of men, it seems true, but God has favoured each person in a very unique way just like our Mother Mary, only that we sometimes do not understand what God is doing in our lives. Our understanding of favour is quite different from that of God.

 

Therefore, all we need is to say yes and trust in God for he has plans which are meant uniquely for each person. We do not need to know the plans God has for us, all we need is to trust and cooperate with his plan. For God alone knows the plans he has for us and in due time he will reveal them to us just as he revealed to Mary the plan he has for her through the angel.

 

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, as we celebrate the great privilege of Mary regarding your plan for humanity, give us the grace to constantly embrace your will and plans for us by saying yes to your words. Help us cultivate the inner attitude of silence and recollection in order to welcome Christ joyfully when he comes, who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen. Do have a grace-filled celebration.

Homily For Thursday First Week of Advent Year B, 7th December, 2023. The Memorial of St. Ambrose

Readings Isaiah 26:1-6, Ps 118, Matt. 7: 21.24-27

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

 

BUILD YOUR LIFE ON A ROCKY FOUNDATION THROUGH THE WORD OF GOD

 

One of my favourite hymns in our hymn book says:

In Christ alone my hope is found, He is my light, my strength, my song! This cornerstone, this solid ground, firm through the fiercest drought and storm. What heights of love, what depths of peace, when fears are stilled when striving cease! My Comforter, my All in All, here in the love of Christ I stand.

 

This hymn draws my attention to our Gospel passage today, where Jesus says:  ‘It is not those who say to me, “Lord, Lord,” who will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the person who does the will of my Father in heaven. And everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on rock. Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and hurled themselves against that house, and it did not fall: for it was founded on rock.

 

Here Jesus calls our attention to something very important. He reminds us that it is not enough to hear the word of God; we must put it into practice. It is not sufficient to speak about God, but we must practice what we speak. We are called not merely to hear God’s word but to daily put it into action. Hearing or reading the Word is important, but that is not enough. We must let the Word of God touch and shape our lives. For it is a waste of time and energy if our lives do not reflect the Gospel we preach if we do not hear the words of Jesus and act on them.

 

The truth is that the houses built by wise and foolish people may probably look alike. But the difference is the foundations, which can only be revealed when tested by the storms of life. And prophet Isaiah in our first reading tells us to trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord is the everlasting Rock; he has brought low those who lived high up in the steep citadel; he brings it down, brings it down to the ground, flings it down in the dust, but the humble he raises on high.

 

Dear friends, what have we been doing with the Word of God we hear every day? What kind of fruit are we bearing? How has the Word of God changed our lives and the lives of those around us? How has the Word of God challenged and propelled us to love God and our neighbours? Is our attitude towards the word of God like that of the foolish builder who takes shortcuts for quick results? Or that of a wise builder who spends time digging a secured foundation through constant meditation and practice of the word of God, just like St. Ambrose whose memorial we celebrate today?

 

For St. Ambrose was a native Roman genius who shines out with surpassing distinctness; he is clear, sober, and practical, and aims always to persuade his hearers to act with prudence and present their burdens to God in faith. Through constant hearing the word of God he embraced the faith and mission of our Lord Jesus to the point that he was made a bishop even when he was still a catechumen.

 

The fact remains that, hearing and doing the Word of God is building our faith on a rocky foundation, that cornerstone, that solid ground, through the fiercest drought and storms of life, for the fruit of the Word of God in us is seen when tested in the storms of life. Therefore, when we hear the Word we must apply it to our daily lives because that's the only way we can feed our soul. Our society today has enough preachers and hearers of the Word, what we need now is doers of the Word of God. We need men and women who will feed their lives with the Word of God and from the abundance of their hearts live a life that will influence society positively.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, through your Word we find life and hope in Christ who is our all in all, grant that through the intercessions of St. Ambrose, we may be doers of your Words and not just hearers, in order to build our faith on a rocky foundation through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a blessed day.