Homily For Thursday after Ash Wednesday, 15 February, 2024

Readings: Deut. 30:15-20; Ps. 1;  Luke 9:22-25

Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

 

LEARN TO CHOOSE LIFE OVER DEATH BY DAILY CARRYING YOUR CROSS

 

Reflecting on the continuous hostility, persecution and influential powers of the things of this world, I think is time for us to think twice about our faith as Christians, and whether we are 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 every day. Thus, if we are willing to live up to our Christian faith and obligations, then we need to make a radical decision towards our discipleship in a personal and radical way.

 

Concerning this radical decision, we are called in our first reading today, to make choices between life and death, blessing or curse. And we are encouraged to choose life, so that we may live in the love of the Lord our God, obeying his voice and following him; for in him consists the true meaning of life. Therefore, we are to choose that one path that leads to life, while rejecting those that lead to evil and death.

 

Similarly, this same choice was presented by the Lord Jesus to his disciples in our Gospel passage today, as he revealed to them what he would have to endure for the salvation of humanity, how he is to be betrayed and made to suffer, crucified and die on the Cross, a most painful and humiliating death. In the end, he said that those who believe in him should take up their crosses daily and follow him. That though they may lose their lives physically in the eyes of the world, they will gain it in the eternal glory that is to come.

 

Dear friends, as we journey through this Lenten season, Jesus is presenting the same choice to us, for we have to choose between enjoying all that this world has to offer us, all the materialistic pursuits and excess desire for the pleasurable things around us, all the pursuits for excess money, possessions and wealth, the accumulation of vain fame and glory which in reality are separating us from God and Jesus is calling us to turn away from these worldly things and embrace the way of the Cross that teaches us to love, to sacrifice, to forgive, to embrace peace, to share with one another for in it we attain holiness of life.

 

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

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, as we decide to journey with Jesus today, help us to make the right choice by embracing the way that leads to life while rejecting our excess desire for the pleasurable things of this passing world which have weakened our hearts towards you. May the cross of Christ be for us a shining example in our daily struggles, so as 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 fruitful day.

Homily For Ash Wednesday, 14 February, 2024

Readings: Joel  2:12-18; Ps. 51; 2Cor 5:20-6:2; Matt. 6:1-6.16-18

Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

 

COME LET US RETURN TO THE LORD

 

There is no doubt that the situation of things in our world today has made us so busy. We are so busy that sometimes we do not remember to examine our conscience to know how far we have separated ourselves from God.  We have forgotten that every day is an opportunity to return and come close to God.  So, today being Ash Wednesday we are called to return to God as we begin a new journey towards our God.

 

It is the day we begin our forty-day Lenten journey that leads us to the joy of Easter. And as tradition may have it, the beginning of Lent is marked with the blessing and imposition of Ash on our forehead. This act of putting on Ashes symbolizes our human fragility, filth and mortality which is in dear need of God’s mercy and redemption. Calling us to remember that we are dust, and unto dust, we shall return but will raise us again.

 

So, being a season of sober reflection on the journey towards our God, we are called for a change of attitude and behaviours during this Lenten season. In fact, in our first reading, prophet Joel calls us to return to the Lord with all our heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning. Here, he emphasises the phrase “with all my heart”. This means turning to God from the depths of our thoughts and feelings, from the roots of our decisions, choices and actions.

 

The prophet further tells us to return to the Lord our God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, rich in faithful love, ready to relent of evil. More so, in our Gospel passage today Jesus gave us the regulations we need to follow in order to faithfully return to God as he calls us to be careful not to parade our good deeds before men to attract their notice; by doing this we will lose all reward from our Father in heaven.

 

But the question that comes to mind is, with the pleasurable things of this passing world, is it possible for us to truly return to God with all our hearts? I believe so because there is a force say Benedict XVI, that does not reside in our hearts, but that emanates from the heart of God to us. It is the power of God’s mercy and grace. Therefore a return to the Lord is possible with God’s grace which is a reality in our lives only when we let his grace penetrate our inmost being.

 

Hence St. Paul tells us in the second reading, that we cannot let this holy season pass us by, because it is offered to us as a unique opportunity that reminds us about the high cost of the reconciliation offered to us at the cross on which Jesus was hung. Hence, the call to return to God with all our heart in this Lenten journey leads us through the cross, following Christ on the road to Calvary, which demands the total gift of ourselves.

 

This call is a way in which we learn every day to come out more and more from our selfishness and our closures, to make room for God who opens and transforms the heart through constant listening to His Word and making it the light that illuminates our paths. This we do following the three fundamental practices of almsgiving, prayer and fasting as a sign towards the Lenten journey of returning to God with all our heart. 

 

Dear friends, knowing that we are dust and unto dust we shall return, what is keeping us from returning to the Lord who has the power to raise us again? What is That ugly attitude that often separates us from our God and one another? Oftentimes we promise to return to God but lack the courage and discipline to fulfil that promise. So, this season is another wonderful opportunity to decide to return to the Lord. I don’t know what sin you are struggling to overcome. I don’t know how grievous our sins are. I don’t know how far we have separated ourselves from God. All I know is that God’s mercies are greater than whatever sin we may have committed. All we have to do is to make that bold decision to return to him who loves us so much and always willing to welcome us whenever we come back to him.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, as we make up our minds to journey towards you these forty days, may your grace be with us to help us utilize the opportunities you are offering us, especially to repent and strive to live a holy life. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Wishing you a grace-filled Ash Wednesday.

Homily For Tuesday Sixth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 13 February, 2024

Readings: James 1:12-18; Ps. 94; Mark: 8:14-21

Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

 

LORD GIVE US AN UNDERSTANDING HEART

 

One of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is understanding, which is the ability to perceive an idea or situation mentally and to know and comprehend the nature or meaning of things. Hence, understanding is seen as a gift of God and it is to be prayed and desired by all. Understanding has a moral character which one has to seek and learn. Understanding, then, involves the cognitive, the spiritual, and the moral. While human efforts are required, the ability to understand comes from God and the true test of understanding is obedience to God.

 

However, Jesus in our Gospel passage today was disappointed at his disciples’ inability to grasp what he was saying to them or who he is. They failed to understand what he was capable of doing in their midst. Hence he asked them over nine questions which they failed to understand. We can imagine them asking what is it that we do not yet understand.

 

But they had been witnesses to two extraordinary events done by Jesus: the feeding of five thousand people with five loaves and four thousand with seven Loaves. Yet they do not seem to have grasped the implication of the miracle they had witnessed nor the divine identity of Jesus who had made it possible.

 

Thus, Jesus said to them, “Do you not understand?” This question, reveals that the disciples are really in need of the gift of understanding, which is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit that is given to us to make sense of what is happening around us all the time.

 

Dear friends, the fact remains that we all need the gift of understanding just like the disciples in our Gospel today. We need to ask the Lord to give us an understanding heart. Often, we are confused about so many things going on in our lives even concerning our faith, our families, our work, our vocation and every other thing around us.

 

Little wonder St. James in our first reading today says: make no mistake about this, my dear brothers: all that is good, everything that is perfect, which is given us from above; it comes down from the Father of all light; with him there is no such thing as alteration, no shadow of a change. By his own choice, he made us his children by the message of the truth so that we should be a sort of first fruits of all that he had created. Therefore, let us ask God the Father to send the Holy Spirit for an increase in the gift of understanding.

 

LET US PRAY:  Lord God, you are the source of all understanding, help us to understand you better and as we struggle with our daily activities endow us with an understanding heart, so as to break down the walls of confusion that press on in our heart. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Do have a blessed day.

Homily For Monday Sixth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 12 February, 2024

Readings: James 1:1-11; Ps. 119; Mark: 8:11-13

Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

 

WHY LOOKING FOR SIGH?

 

Oftentimes people want to see signs before they can accept or believe whatever we have to present to them. And sometimes people ask for signs just to discredit someone’s efforts. This is the case with the Pharisees in our Gospel passage today, who asked Jesus for a sign in order to test him. But Jesus with a sigh that came straight from the heart said, ‘Why does this generation demand a sign? I tell you solemnly, no sign shall be given to this generation.’

 

This response was as a result of pride which has blindfolded the Pharisees who refused to accept Jesus as the Messiah that very sign that they seek.  Jesus presents to us the final recommendations of the end time, pointing out that he is the greatest sign of all time. But this is what the Pharisees want to discredit out of pride and ego. This kind of character is what is destroying humanity today causing problems and troubles.

 

Little wonder, St. James in our first reading today teaches us to be hopeful and joyful in times of trouble. He advises us to take care in times of trial, and let patience guide all that we do.  That we should not pray so much for the removal of affliction, rather we should as for wisdom to make the right use of it. We need faith to understand how this works.

 

This is what the Pharisees lack in our Gospel reading today when some of them demanded that Jesus should display some mighty work of God as a sign that God's reign has arrived. They refused to accept the miracles that Jesus had accomplished, missing the significance of these works as a manifestation of God's presence. Hence, Jesus left this faithless people, without satisfying their desire for any sign from heaven. Because of their lack of faith, they did not recognize Jesus as that “heavenly sign.”.

 

Dear friends, pride can make us blind in such a manner that we will continue to seek signs even when things are clear in our lives. And Jesus is saying that amid proud people, no sign will be given. But, what signs are we seeing around us today? How can we interpret the signs of this time, the signs that tell us that this world is passing away? Do these signs make us dread the second coming of the Lord or do we joyfully embrace it in anticipation?

 

Hence, Jesus warns us not to waste our time seeking for signs, rather we should be prepared, and we should remain firm in the faith. He reminds us that he is the only sign that can be given to humanity. Therefore, we are not to be like the Pharisees who are looking for signs, especially in times of trials, rather we should seek wisdom to make things right.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord Jesus, you are the sign that we seek,  as we embrace your word today give us the grace to be humble in order to follow you our Lord and Saviour. And as we carry out our task this week, may your favour be with us now and always. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a blessed week ahead.

Homily For Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B, 11th February, 2024

Readings: Lev.13:1-2.44-46, Ps 32, 1Cor.10:31-11:1, Mark 1:40:45

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

 

LORD HEAL US FROM PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL LEPROSY OF SIN

 

The ugly situation around us today is a great sign that humanity is very sick, we are very sick, sick from different ugly situations and in need of serious help. Though it may seem as if God has abandoned us. This may not be true because the compassionate love of Jesus in relation to human suffering is evident in the scriptures and even in our daily lives.  Little wonder, we have great events in the scriptures that illustrate the compassionate concern of Jesus in the struggles of humanity and how he wishes to set us free from the shackles of our troubles.

 

This is evident in the occasion of our Gospel passage today, where a leper, came up and bowed low in front of Jesus and said to him, if you will, you can make me clean. Feeling sorry for him, Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him and said, ‘Of course I will! Be clean!’ And immediately his leprosy was cured at once and he asked him to go and show himself to the priest.

 

For this was a man who was despised, feared, shunned and rejected in the society as a result of the regulations about leprosy as we have it in our first reading today, where the Lord said to Moses and Aaron concerning leprosy, that the priest must declare a man infected with leprosy as unclean. He must wear his clothing torn and his hair disordered; he must shield his upper lip and cry, “Unclean, unclean.” As long as the disease lasts he must be unclean, and he must live apart from the people.

 

The cause of leprosy in those days was not known, but today is known to be caused by bacterial infections that can be contagious through direct contact, either with the other person or with the items that the infected person had used. Now we can understand why Jesus asked the man to go and show himself to the priest and make the offering for his healing as prescribed by Moses as evidence for his healing and recovery.

 

Here, the healing touching of Jesus is very significant since no ordinary person would dare to touch a leper. Thus, we can think of the inner healing that must have occurred as a result of the touch of Jesus, that moment of physical contact that the leper had not experienced for a long time due to rejection. Touch is something we all need, but is so often lacking in our relationship with God and one another, and it is even becoming worse with the ugly situation in our today.

 

But this cannot stop Jesus from reaching out to his children who approached and called on him for healing and restoration. For when this man approached Jesus in humility, he became the object of divine attention. We too just like this leper, need healing, including the healing that comes from the touch of Jesus down to our souls darkened by sins, all we need is to approach Jesus in humility and we will become a person of divine attention.

 

The truth is that this leprosy is a deadly and contagious disease and in this context, it can be referred not only to physical leprosy, but another ‘leprosy’ which is far more dangerous than physical leprosy. That is the leprosy of the soul, which is caused by sin, especially deadly sins. Of course, sin is like that of leprosy, a deadly disease that affects both the physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of the human person and separates us from God and his people.

 

But what is sin? According to CCC no.1849, Sin is an offence against reason, truth, and right conscience; it is a failure in genuine love for God and neighbour caused by a perverse attachment to certain goods. It wounds the nature of man and injures human solidarity. It has been defined as "an utterance, a deed, or a desire contrary to the eternal law.  Sin is grouped into two deadly and venial Sins. pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, anger, and laziness are examples of deadly sins. While gossip, impatience, or a failure to pray, lying, overeating, pride, and indulging in sensual pleasures

 

These deadly sins have virtues that are supposed to defeat or at least neutralize: 1) pride/humility, 2) greed/generosity, 3) lust/chastity, 4) anger/patience, 5) gluttony /self-control, 6) envy/charity or love and 7) laziness/diligence or commitment.

 

These deadly sins make our soul sick with leprosy and it is only God who can heal us of this sin through forgiveness which he had demonstrated in the case of this leper. Therefore the story of this leper is a good example of how we sinners can and should appeal to Jesus for cleansing, especially from our sins of pride, greediness, unforgiveness, hatred and all forms of immoral acts that corrupt the human souls. We should come in faith knowing that God is always willing to cleanse every sinner who comes to Him.

 

So, let us sincerely turn to God once again with all our hearts and with all our strength, just like the leper who came to Jesus with faith, knowing that he could heal him and make him better. Thus, whatever we do at all in our relationship with God and with one another, St. Paul tells us in our second reading, to do it for the glory of God and never do anything offensive to anyone. Rather we should try to be helpful to everyone at all times, taking Christ as our model.

 

Dear friends, I don’t know what type of leprocious problems you are passing through. Are you weighed down by sin or sickness? Are you feeling helpless and rejected? Or do we know people who are helpless and need some help? Do we feel the need for Jesus’s help in some part of our life? Let us pause for a moment and imagine Jesus looking at us. How does he see us? What are you saying to him and what is he saying to you?

 

Brethren, Jesus understands what we are passing through and he wishes to set us free from sickness, troubles, challenges and manipulations from the evil ones. He desires to be with us as we struggle every day to overcome the challenges in our lives, in our families, society and the world at large. Therefore, we should not be afraid to approach Jesus for healing, forgiveness and restoration, all we need is an active faith to receive the healing touch of Jesus like the leper in our Gospel passage today.

 

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, humanity is in deep darkness caused by different forms of leprosies and only your healing touch can restore us. For you know our innermost being and the challenges we are facing today, come to our aid we pray and cleanse us from all our physical, emotional, economic and spiritual leprosies affecting our soul, we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Peace be with you.

Homily For Saturday Fifth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 10th February, 2024. The Memorial of St. Scholastica

Readings: 1Kings 12:26-32.13:33-34; Ps.106; Mark 8:1-10

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

 

EXPERIENCING THE COMPASSIONATE CARE OF JESUS TOWARDS HUMAN SUFFERING

 

When God created humanity, he entrusted all his creation to us and gave us regulations to follow in order to ensure the successful fulfilment of this responsibility. But out of pride and selfishness, we disobeyed God’s instructions and regulations. Hence, we separated ourselves from God, where we should have remained and enjoyed the bliss of God’s presence, just as we heard in our first reading today.

 

For we heard how Jeroboam out of greed and selfishness separated himself and the people entrusted to him from God by creating for himself a golden image in replacement of the living God.  Such conduct made the House of Jeroboam a sinful House and caused its ruin and extinction from the face of the earth.

 

This is how we often behave and separate ourselves from God and are heading towards destruction and suffering. Nonetheless, God has not abandoned us in our downfall. He is still compassionate, and caring and loves us even in our imperfections and our disobedience, for his compassion for the sufferings of humanity is so great. This is evident in our Gospel reading today, where Jesus reveals his compassion towards humanity. This compassionate love of Jesus in its historical and physical solidarity with human suffering, springs from the love of God the Father for his creatures.

 

Here, Jesus had compassion for the people who had been with him for days listening to his words. He then says to his disciples that there is a need for him to give them something to eat before sending them away lest they faint on the way since some of them have come a long distance. This compassion of Jesus is meant for us to spread it throughout the world in a practical way by our ways of life.

 

Dear friends, God has not abandoned us even in our imperfections, he still cares about us. All he wants from us is to be faithful to him and be compassionate to one another. But how strong is our compassion towards others? Do we know people who are helpless and need some help? Let us look at them for a moment and imagine Jesus looking at them.

 

Today, like Jesus, each one of us is called to reach out to people around us who are really in need of our assistance. This includes our family members, our neighbours, our colleagues and others who we encounter in life. The truth is that you may be the only person who can bring the healing and compassion of Jesus into their lives, just like St. Scholastica whose memorial we celebrate today. For she was deeply prayerful, caring and faithful to God. She was the twin sister of St. Benedict.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, our fragile and contingent nature propelled by pride and sins have always brought about our downfall, but you have never abandoned us. As we embrace your compassion, through the intercession of St. Scholastica give us the grace to look at people around us with the compassionate eyes of Jesus and be of help to them the best we could. Amen. Do have a peaceful weekend.

Homily For Friday Fifth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 9th February, 2024

Readings: 1Kings 11:29-33.12:19; Ps.81; Mark 7:31-37

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

 

LORD, OPEN THE EARS AND TONGUES OF HUMANITY ONCE AGAIN

 

Reflecting on the ugly events in this world, especially how people pay attention to the things of this world at the expense of the things of God. How the world has engaged our attention to herself that we have now become deaf and dump to things that concern our spiritual life. Yes, we go to Church as often as possible, we engage in one spiritual activity or another.

 

But the question is, do we really listen and hear God speaking to us through those activities? Do we still see the hands of God in what we do? Are we convinced of what we do in the house of God? Are we confused about our faith as a result of ugly events and scandals? The world really wants us to be deaf to the word of God and mute to speak the great things God is doing for us.

 

This is evident in our first reading today, where we heard the consequences of paying deaf ears to God’s instructions. For Solomon in his old age lets his heart be separated from God because of the loss of the ugly thing of this passing world. So today we heard how his kingdom was divided and separated from him because of his sin. Similarly, humanity is constantly paying deaf ears to the instructions of God by allowing herself to be deceived by the serpents of this passing world and as a result of this ugly attitude, we are separating ourselves from the presence of God out of pride and selfish desires.

 

Thus, today in our Gospel passage, we heard how Jesus dramatically and figuratively heals us of our deafness and dumbass caused by our constant embracing of the sinful things of this passing world. For when the deaf and dumb man was brought to Jesus for healing. He took the man aside, put his fingers in his ears, touched his tongue with spittle, looked up to heaven and prayed, " Ephphatha! Be opened". Immediately the man’s ears were opened, his tongue loosed and he could speak plainly. These same words are used during baptism while touching the ears and lips of the baptized, a gesture that signifies the spiritual openness of one’s heart to God’s words.

 

Dear friends, out of pride and greediness we have often separated ourselves from the presence of God and as a result, have become deaf and dumb to his teachings and instructions. Hence, we all need to have our ears opened so that we can hear and understand fully the message of Jesus and share it with the world. I don’t know how far we have separated ourselves from God as a result of sin, I don’t know how deep our deafness and dumbness are, all I know is that today God is saying to us, fear not, have the courage for the eyes of the blind shall be opened, ears of the deaf unstopped and the tongue of the mute shall sing for joy. All we need is to trust God no matter the affliction we are passing through in this world, for he can save us from them all.

 

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, our strong desire for the things of this passing world has made us so deaf and dumb towards your words. Let us hear your voice once more saying to us “Ephphatha, be opened” so that we can hear your words deep down our hearts and joyfully proclaim it to all humanity. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. It's Friday, as you go about your activities, may the joy of the Lord be your strength.