Homily For Third Sunday of Advent Year B (Gaudete Sunday), 17th December, 2023

Readings: Is 61:1-2,10-11; Ps.: Luke 1:46-50,53-54; 1Thess 5:16-24; John 1:6-8,19-28

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

 

THE JOY OF DISCOVERING YOUR TRUE IDENTITY

 

Every third Sunday of Advent the Church celebrates Gaudete Sunday, the Sunday in Advent season when we are called to rejoice for the coming of the Lord is very near. Little wonder the entrance antiphon of today’s Mass begins by saying: Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice. Indeed, the Lord is near. Yes, On this Sunday, we put on rose vestments a colour that is only used twice in the entire liturgical year, first on a day like this when we celebrate the Gaudete Sunday and secondly on the fourth Sunday of Lent when we celebrate the Laetare Sunday. This Gaudete Sunday is named as such because we are called to rejoice in the Lord forever.

 

So, our focus this Sunday is on the theme of Joy. That is the joy of discovering our true identity which is rooted in Christ the Lord.  We can recall that for the past two Sundays of Advent our focus was on the aspects of Hope and Peace. Today’s theme of Joy ushers us into the most important disposition of the season of Advent that calls us to discover our true identity in preparation for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ at Christmas when the true Joy of the Lord will be born in our hearts.

 

As we know, human identity is one of the most important things in every society. We are often quick to identify ourselves with people or disassociate ourselves from people because of the value we hold as our identity. But the surprising thing is that most people do not know their true identity. Many people spend their entire lives without knowing who they are.

 

But this is not the case for John the Baptist in our Gospel passage today, who when approached by the priests and Levites sent by the Jews from Jerusalem to ask him, ‘Who are you? He not only declared his identity as a voice that is crying in the wilderness, he also declared quite openly, ‘I am not the Christ. And he went ahead to tell us about the identity and the personality of Christ saying: “I baptize with water; but there stands among you unknown to you, the one who is coming after me; and I am not fit to undo the strap of his sandal.

 

The most striking thing here is the fundamental question placed before John the Baptist which says: Who are you and what do you say about yourself? This is a fundamental question because it points out the fundamental reality of who we are and what we have identified ourselves with. A lot of people do not know who they are or what they have identified themselves with. A lot of people today are suffering and struggling because they do not know who they are and the identity they bear. Some have misplaced their identity with something else, some are putting on an identity that doesn’t belong to them.

 

Dear friends, Who are you? What is your identity? What is the source of your identity? Whose identity are you putting on now? Why are you putting on someone else identity? Why have you misplaced your identity? John the Baptist was very clear about his identity, he was clear that he was not the Christ. He was clear that he was not Elijah. John was clear that he was not the prophet, he was only the voice of one crying in the wilderness, making straight the way of the Lord.

 

John knew his identity and his role in God’s economy of salvation. He was clear on who he was not and who he was. He was also clear on who Jesus is. So he was able to point others clearly to Jesus as the only Savior whom they desperately needed. Therefore friends, we must truly know who we are and our true identity. For us to effectively point others to Jesus, we need to be clear about who we are. It is only when our sense of who we are before God as a Christian begins to shape how we live and what we do that we begin to play our role effectively and be fruitful. Also, it is only when we are clear on who we are in God’s kingdom, that we can effectively point others to Christ.

 

Today we are called to rejoice for Christ our true identity is close at hand.  And for those who truly desire to know their true identity, St. Paul in our second reading tells us to rejoice always, pray constantly; and for all things give thanks to God, because this is what God expects us to do in Christ Jesus our true identity, who prophet Isaiah in our first reading tells us that the spirit of the Lord has been given to him, for the Lord has anointed him. He has sent him to bring Good News to the poor, to bind up hearts that are broken; to proclaim liberty to captives, freedom to those in prison; and to proclaim a year of favour from the Lord. Dear friends, our true identity is only found in the person of Christ Jesus. All we need is to dispose yourselves for him to reveal his true identity to us and in him, we will find our true identity and our joy will be complete.

LET US PRAY: Almighty God, our true identity is found only in you through Christ your son, as we rejoice and celebrate his coming in glory, may we be filled with the joy of his presence who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen. God bless you. 

Homily For Saturday the Second Week of Advent Year B, 16th December, 2023

Reading: Sir. 48:1-4.9-12; Ps 80; Matt. 17:10-13

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

 

EMBRACING THE MESSAGE OF THE PROPHET

 

In our societies today people often desire to hear the message from the prophet to know what God is saying as regards their situation in life. This is the disposition of the people at the time of Jesus. Little wonder in our Gospel passage today we heard how the disciples of Jesus after their experience of the Lord’s transfiguration, as they were coming down from the mountains, asked Jesus: why do the scribes say then that Elijah has to come first?’ ‘True;’ he replied ‘Elijah is to come to see that everything is once more as it should be; however, I tell you that Elijah has come already and they did not recognise him but treated him as they pleased; and the Son of Man will suffer similarly at their hand.

 

Here a reference is made to John the Baptist, the one who was the Herald of the Messiah, the one who prepared the path for the Lord Jesus as predicted by the prophets. So, Jesus mentioned how John was the fulfilment of those prophecies, and indeed, his works and ministry had prepared the path for his coming into this world. Meanwhile, John the Baptist has often been compared with the prophet Elijah because both of them have some similarities, they lived similarly, travelling in the wilderness, proclaiming repentance and the coming of God’s salvation as we heard about prophet Elijah in our first reading today.

 

Indeed, John the Baptist can be likened to the prophet Elijah sent into the world to finish the works that Elijah had once initiated. Though, John the Baptist had the spirit of the prophet Elijah, which was not the same as being the same person, both by that extension had the same ministry among the people of God, and they used the same approach and efforts to pass the message of God to his people. Both suffered because of their teaching and mission. Jesus also would face the same reality.

 

Dear friends, today we are called to reflect on the lives and mission of these two great prophets especially in this Advent season so that we too may become more faithful by following their examples and faith. We do not need to keep waiting for prophets to come again rather we should embrace the message these great prophets have for us. And their message is quite simple, they are calling us to repentance, they are calling us to love, they are calling us to make the path of our lives straight, they are calling us to embrace the Lord Jesus and the gift of salvation he is offering us this season.

 

LET US PRAY: Heaven Father, as we listen to your words through your prophets calling us to repentance, love and preparation, may we embrace your word and so prepare our hearts for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen. Do have a blessed weekend.

Homily For Friday the Second Week of Advent Year B, 15th December, 2023.

Readings Isaiah 48:17-19; Ps 1:1-6; Matt. 11:16-19

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

 

LEARN TO TAKE THE WORD OF GOD SERIOUSLY

 

Reflecting on the disposition of humanity today towards God, I can not but ask myself questions about our faith in God who we often claim to love and belong to. This is because, despite all the articles of faith and evidence in both scriptures and historical tradition, we still do not have a good grasp of who God really is in our lives. This very disposition is always the case with every generation and this is what Jesus is addressing in our Gospel passage today when he said: to what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to one another, 'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not mourn.' For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon'; the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!

 

Here Jesus made us know that the problem with this generation is that we have failed to listen neither to the message of John the Baptist nor that of Jesus. No doubt that John’s uncommon lifestyle made people accuse him of having a demon, while Jesus’ habit of eating and drinking with sinners affected his reputation among the Jews. But Jesus made us know that his generation finds reason to take offence at both John and himself.

 

So, Jesus compares those who are rejecting his message to children in the marketplace who cannot decide whether they want to play a wedding song or a funeral song but can’t get the people to dance when the tune is piped.  For they played their pipes, and expect others to dance; they beat their breasts in lamentation, and expect others to weep. They complain if others do not comply with their demands. To such a company Jesus refers to as evil generation in which he and John the Baptist found themselves. Just as in our generation today, some people have refused to repent when challenged by the teachings of John the Baptist and some people also refused to join the celebrations of Jesus and do not take his message seriously.

 

Dear friends, why have we failed to take the Word of God seriously? Why have we failed to embrace the article of faith made available for us by the Lord in our scriptures? Why do we take for granted the signs and messages the Lord is giving us this Advent season and always?  Today in our first reading we heard the Lord saying through prophet Isaiah: “I, the Lord, your God, teach you what is good for you, I lead you in the way that you must go. If only you had been alert to my commandments, your happiness would have been like a river, your integrity like the waves of the sea”. So let us not be like market people who pay no attention to the message the Lord has for us.

 

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, enkindle in us once again the fire of your love, so that we may embrace your message and become your great servants dedicating our lives and service to loving you and our neighbours. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.  Do have a lovely day.

Homily For Thursday the Second Week of Advent Year B, 14th December 2023. The Memorial of St. John of The Cross

Readings Isaiah 41:13-20; Ps ,145; Matt. 11:11-15

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

 

HE WHO HAS EARS TO HEAR LET HIM LISTEN

 

The ears as we know are one of the very important organs of the human person. This organ consists of the pinna which aids the human ability to hear. It is a gift from God through which we have the faculty of being able to perceive sounds and recognize something in an auditory way. To exercise the faculty of this organ effectively we must learn to use it to listen attentively to information. The world no doubt is full of noise, echoing different things in our minds through our ears.

 

But how are we using these organs? How has this organ helped us in our spiritual life in this noisy world? How have we managed the noise in our lives,  in our families and in society which distracts us from listening to God? What are the things we hear or listen to? The Word of God we hear every day how has it developed our relationship with God and our neighbour? Hence Jesus ends our Gospel passage today by saying: If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen!’

 

Here, Jesus is referring to our ability to listen to God's Word and act on it even amid this noisy world. Jesus was making this comment while referring to the mission of St. John the Baptist as his herald to proclaim his coming into this world and to prepare the path for him. He revealed to all of us the truth about God’s love for us. So, referring to the role of John the Baptist in the mission of the Lord, Jesus said: I tell you solemnly, of all the children born of women, a greater than John the Baptist has never been seen; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he is.

 

Thus, we can say that the persons who seek to gain some spiritual insight into what Jesus is saying will have that insight increased when they listen, whereas whoever does not listen to Jesus will end up in spiritual ignorance. To avoid this, we are reminded through prophet Isaiah that the faithful people of God would not be forsaken or abandoned, for God still loves us despite all the terrible and sinful things we do if only we could listen to him.

 

Dear friends, by listening, hearing and following Jesus, we grow in familiarity with his voice and hear him more. And by so doing we make Jesus the light of our lives placed on the lampstand to give light and insight to our souls as individuals, family and society, illuminating all the darkness around us. Therefore, we are called to put our ears into positive us and be submissive just like John the Baptist and so cultivate the habit of listening to God and one another. This act of listening to God is one of the virtues of John of the Cross whose memorial we are celebrating today.

 

St. John of the Cross is one of the great doctors and mysticists of the Church who truly listens and embraces the Word of Jesus and has inspired our soul, to continue to be in love with the Lord, he said:  What more do you want my soul and what else do you search for outside, when within yourself you possess all the riches, delights, satisfactions, and fullness of the kingdom of your beloved whom you desire and seek. Therefore, be joyful and glad in your interior recollection with him for you have him so close to you. Desire him deep within your soul, and there adore him. Do not go in pursuit of him outside yourself for he is deep with you.

 

 LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, our ears are gifts from you, help us to use them properly. And as we carry out our activities today, may our ears through the intercession of St. John of the Cross hear the consoling words of Jesus guiding and directing us towards the light of his presence. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Remain blessed.

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.