Homily For Thursday First Week of Lent Year B, 22nd February, 2024

The Feast of the Chair of St. Peter

Readings: 1Pete 5:1-4, Ps.23, Matt. 16:13-19

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

 

YOU ARE PETER, AND ON THIS ROCK I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH

 

Today in a special way the Church celebrates the Supreme Chair of Saint Peter. A feast that marks the establishment of an organized Christian community under the leadership of St. Peter and his successors (that’s the Popes throughout the ages). There is no doubt that the supreme authority belongs only to God, and he alone decides who to endow his authority and also delegates to exercise it among his people. Such is the occasion in our Gospel passage today where the gift of faith given to Peter by God was the rock on which Jesus built his Church and bestowed his authority on him.

 

In our Gospel, we heard how Jesus stresses that Peter's faith is a gift from the Father when he said: “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my Church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

 

Here the key represents the authority to open the gate of the Kingdom of Heaven, and to judge whether to admit or to refuse. While the expression “binding and loosing” refers to the doctrinal decisions and disciplinary power of the office of  St. Peter, that is, the faculty to impose and to lift, a guarantee that Peter’s decisions in the exercise of his ecclesial function are valid in the eyes of God because the faith given to Peter by God is the rock on which Jesus built his Church and that is why in the iconographic tradition we see the keys in the hand of Peter.

 

This gift of faith comes from a personal response of Peter, when he professed that Jesus is Christ the Son of the living God. Hence, our faith requires that we give a personal answer to the question: who is Jesus to me personally? It is not enough to quote the scriptures and the teachings of the Church about our faith or the teachings of other theologians and preachers. Or to respond not only from the head but from the heart that is convinced of what it believes in.

 

Dear friends, today’s feast reminds us of the need to truly profess our faith in God and be united as one family of God and by so doing overcome the ugly events of division, manipulation and multiplication of Churches going on in Christianity today. We are called to really examine our conscience to know where we are as regards our faith as Christians. Today we are called to be convinced of who we are and recognize the authority Christ has bestowed on his Church entrusted to St. Peter of which the get of underworld shall not prevail against it. To exercise this authority St. Peter in our first reading tells us to be the shepherds of the flock of God which has been entrusted to us: we should watch over it, not simply as a duty but gladly, because God wants it; not for sordid money, but because we are eager to do it.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, all authority belongs to you alone, as you have bestowed on your Church the authority and delegated her to exercise it among your people, may this gift unite us more closely to your Son Jesus, who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen. Do have a fruitful day.

Homily For Wednesday of the First Week of Lent Year B, 21st February, 2024

Readings: Jonah 3:1-10, Ps.51, Luke 11:29-32

Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

 

WHAT SIGNS ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? THE SIGN OF JONAH IS ALL WE HAVE

 

Oftentimes, when we reflect on our struggle with the ugly situations in our lives, our families, societies and the world at large, we sincerely wish that God should give us a sign from heaven as a way of showing us some definitive guidance or direction towards addressing the situation. When these signs are not forthcoming we feel bad and begin to question God or even doubt his presence in our lives.  This was the disposition of the crowd in our Gospel passage today.

 

Where we heard how those who were listening to Jesus were anxious to know what signs to look out for when the End Times came. But Jesus said to them: “The only sign that will be given is the sign of Jonah. For just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. Hence, Jesus states that no sign will be given except the sign of Jonah.  The “sign of Jonah” in this passage refers to Jesus’ Crucifixion, death, his three days in the tomb and his Resurrection.  Just the way Jonah was three days in the belly of the whale. 

 

Thus, Jesus in this Gospel was referring to our first reading (Jonah 3:1-10), where because of the preaching of the prophet Jonah, the whole city of Nineveh went into great mourning and repentance before God. Everyone from the King, who issued the order to the whole city and its people to repent from their sins, right down to the lowest among the people, all humbled themselves, tore their clothes and wore sackcloth as a sign of penance. The point here is that  Jesus’ death and resurrection are the signs that will be given.  We should seek nothing other than this sacred mystery of our faith. This is the sign and actions that the Lord Jesus is talking about when he addressed the people who doubted him and demanded miraculous wonders and signs from him.

 

So, here Jesus strongly condemns those seeking signs because he wants us to seek him through the gift of faith rooted in the mystery of his death and resurrection. Every question, problem, struggle and confusion in our lives can be addressed when we enter into the great mystery of our redemption. So, seeking a sign other than this would be wrong, in that, it would be a way of saying that the death and resurrection of Jesus is not enough sign for us.

 

Dear Friends, as we embrace the activities of this Holy season of Lent, Jesus is calling us to repent for sins that make us blind in such a manner that we will continue to seek signs even when things are clear and obvious in our lives.  But the questions we need to ask ourselves are: 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 is warning us today 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 should not join the crowds to look for signs, especially in times of trials, rather we should seek wisdom to make things right by turning our eyes to the central mystery of our faith which is the life, death and resurrection of Christ, where every question can be answered and every grace is obtained.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, you are the sign that we seek,  as we embrace your word today give us the grace to recognize that in the Paschal mystery of Christ, we find the true sign we desire and so obtain the answer and directions to our daily struggles. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a blessed day.

Homily For Tuesday of the First Week of Lent Year B, 20th February, 2024

Readings: Is. 55:10-11, Ps.34, Matt. 6:7-15

Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

 

PRAYER AS A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD

 

One of the three traditional dimensions of the Lenten season is prayer. This is important because it is how we communicate with our God. So we are called today to reflect on the meaning and right principles of prayer as we progress through this season of Lent.

 

Little wonder, in our Gospel passage today, Jesus knowing how important the act of prayer is to humanity, taught his disciples the principle and pattern of all prayers when he said: “Pray then in this way: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we also have forgiven all who trespassed against us. And do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from evil one”.

 

Here, Jesus knowing that prayer is an essential part of our faith through which we grow in our relationship with God, gave us seven principles that should guide all our prayers. This prayer contains a series of statements and petitions in which we affirm our relationship with God, with the people around us and with the world in general. It contains a statement of faith, obligations and commitment as the foundation through which these seven principles are fulfilled.

 

The first principle is to acknowledge God as “Our Father”. This is a call for unity that requires faith, obligation and commitment. Here we acknowledge God not just as my Father, but as Our Father and the ‘Our’ includes every single person who lives or has ever lived on this earth. The second principle calls us to reverence the name of the Lord as we say: “Hallowed be thy name “Yes, God’s name is holy no matter what we say or think of him. However, we make this prayer for our sake more than for his sake. Because from the holiness of his name comes the root of our faith and strength, we are praying that God’s name be held in deepest respect by people everywhere.

 

The third principle calls us to have the vision of God’s kingdom, hence we pray to say: “Your kingdom come”, that is, we pray that humanity should consciously and willingly embrace the love and kingship of God that he is offering us. The fourth principle invites us to dispose ourselves to embrace the will of God as we pray saying: “Your will be done on earth, as in heaven”. This is very important because it helps us to discern and be disposed to pray and live by the will of God.

 

The fifth principle calls us to learn how to be contented with what we have and reject all forms of selfishness and greed as we say: “Give us today our daily bread,” which God surely provides. The sixth principle calls us to make an examination of conscience and to seek reconciliation knowing how weak we are, hence we pray saying: “And forgive us our trespasses, as we have forgiven those who trespassed against us”. Here we make serious commitment and obligation, asking that the condition for God’s forgiveness of our sins should based on our readiness to forgive those who have offended us.

 

Finally, the seventh principle calls us to have total confidence in God’s providence, protection and guidance as we pray saying: “And do not put us to the test, but save us from evil”, so here we acknowledge our weaknesses and our total dependence on God’s help against all the evil forces of this world.

 

Dear friends, I have no doubt that we know how to say Our Lord’s Prayer, but knowing it is not enough, we have to pray it devotedly, but praying it is not, we have to believe in what we pray for, but believing is not enough, we must put it into practice in our daily lives because prayer is a form of relationship with God. This is why Jesus is always praying with God the Father a sign of the importance of this relationship. But oftentimes time we treat prayer wrongly when we consider prayer as a means to only achieve what we desire, without considering what God desires for us. Some of us spend lots of time reciting the prayers and yet we do not often mean what we say because we have wrong dispositions born from unforgiving hearts which must be redirected before we can get a positive response from God.

 

Therefore, it’s time for us to embrace these seven principles and change our perspective and wrong disposition towards prayers. It is time for us to spend more quality moments in prayer and be connected with God. We must make our prayers to be meaningful and genuine from our hearts. It is time for us to improve the quality of our prayer life by imitating Jesus, who always prayed to his heavenly Father at every possible opportunity.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, in prayer we build a strong relationship with you, teach us how to pray more devotedly, for we do not know how to pray as we ought, we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Wishing you God’s favour and blessings.

Homily For Monday of the First week of Lent Year B, 19th February, 2024

Readings: Lev. 19:1-2.11-18; Ps.19; Matt. 25:31-46

Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

 

WHERE DO YOU BELONG, ETERNAL PUNISHMENT OR ETERNAL LIFE?

 

As we continue with our Lenten journey, we are called today to look to the future with more insight into the ultimate goal of humanity, which is eternal life. This is evident in our Gospel passage today in which 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 judges 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 our true identity.

 

Thus, 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 our Lord, especially in his love, care and compassion towards one another. But had chosen to remain selfish, greedy, corrupt and wicked. Hence we are called to look towards the parousia, when all those who embraced Christ will be raised, having overcome all the hostile forces of this passing world.

 

Dear friends, we must know that in our daily lives, we are making choices between eternal punishment and eternal life, for our actions show where we truly belong.  This is important because we are living in a world full of greed and selfish people, who are swallowed in values of egoism and materialism, with uncontrollable desires for pleasure. We are called today to embrace the teachings of Christ who has called us to live a life of love, care and compassion for one another. We are called to look into the future we an eye of hope and faith. Little wonder we are reminded in our first reading about the commandments of God, which call us to live a life of holiness, integrity, honesty and love.

 

Therefore as we journey through this Lenten season, let us turn toward our Lord  Jesus following his teaching. Remember, following him means carrying our cross, forgetting ourselves, and faithfully obeying his commandment of sacrificial love. For it is by the blood of his cross, that Jesus reveals his sacrificial love, not in saving his life, but in offering it as a ransom for our salvation. Thus, trying to do away with the cross in our lives deprives our souls of these true love and loyalty to Christ our Lord who today wants to reign supreme in our hearts and souls.

 

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, as we journey through this Lenten season, amidst the hostile forces and evil of this passing world, may we be victorious in all our struggles and endeavours. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Wishing you a fruitful week.

Homily For First Sunday of Lent Year B, 18th February, 2024

Readings: Genesis 9:8-15, Ps.25, 1Peter 3:18-22, Mark 1:12-15

Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

                                                                                                  

ARE YOU ENSLAVED BY SIN? IT IS TIME TO COME BACK TO GOD

The sinful and ugly situation in our society today has turned humanity into slaves, we have become slaves to so many things that sometimes we don’t know how to break out of them. We have become slaves to so many sinful situations that we don’t know how we get into them or how to get out of them. Some of us have given up struggles with them. Some of us are at the point of giving up. Some of us are now becoming masters of this sinful and ugly situation. Some of us are searching for help because we find ourselves drowning in these sinful and ugly behaviours. So what should we do? How can we come out of this situation?

 

To break out of this ugly and sinful situation the Holy Mother Church calls us to make a forty-day journey with the Lord. So today being the first Sunday in this Holy Season of Lent, we are reminded that it is forty days set aside by the Church for us to come back to God for the renewal and rediscovery of ourselves in God, for we are in need God's help to overcome our daily struggle against sin and temptations which darkens our spiritual life.

 

So, the Lenten season is another opportunity for us to reconnect to God, to be reconciled with Him and to find our place once again in God’s loving grace. It is a time for us to turn away from excessive desires for worldly things so as to overcome many temptations we encounter in this world and focus our attention more closely on God. 

 

Hence the Church is offering us the opportunity during this Holy season to reflect on who we are, our mission and our purpose in this world.  The Holy season of Lent is a moment of deep reflection, a season that prepares us for that great event of Easter. It is a season when listening to God’s words leads us to develop some inner attitude that helps us become more aware of our Christian obligations and dignity. It is a period when the Church invites us to enter into a journey of repentance and penance that will lead us to an encounter, conversion, reconciliation, forgiveness and restoration.

 

This Lenten journey is marked especially by three traditional dimensions that are: prayer, fasting and almsgiving. These three traditional dimensions were demonstrated by Jesus in our Gospel reading today. Where Jesus filled with the Holy Spirit, was led to pray and fast for forty days in the wilderness and there he was tempted by the devil, just the way Adam and Eve were tempted by the devil, who planted the seeds of pride and greed in the hearts of humanity.

 

We can recall that in the beginning of time, God created everything all good and perfect, and He made the first man, Adam and his companion, Eve, to live in the wonderful Garden of Eden. This means that mankind, all of us were meant to live with God by his grace and love, to enjoy the wonders of God’s providence and blessings forever. However, we fell into sin as we were unable to resist the temptations to sin because of pride and greed and so separate ourselves from God’s presence.

 

But time and time again God has always extended his hands of mercies towards humanity, he always wants to bring us back to himself just as we heard in our first reading today. For when humanity’s sinfulness was so deep God wished to wipe away humanity. However, Noah having found favour with God was saved along with his family and other creatures who obeyed the command of God through Noah. So, having wiped away the rest of creation along with sinful humanity, God spoke to Noah and his sons saying, ‘See, I establish my Covenant with you: never again shall all flesh be swept away again by the waters of the flood. There shall be no flood to destroy the earth again.’

 

Referring to this great and sad event, St. Peter in our second reading tells us that, when Noah was still building that ark which saved only a small group of eight people ‘by water’, God was still waiting patiently, that those who refused to believe may repent. He tells us that the water is a type of baptism which saves us now, and which is not just the washing off our physical dirt but a pledge made to God from a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has entered heaven and is at God’s right hand, now that he has made the angels and authorities and Powers his subjects.

 

So Jesus, who has come to redirect the hearts of humanity back to God, calls us to repent from our sins and believe in the Gospel he has brought for us, which we promised to uphold in our baptism. When we promised to reject sin and Satan with all his empty promises and shows, while embracing God and his son Jesus who has come to save us from sin and death. Therefore, we are called to imitate Jesus in prayer. Through prayer, we make room for God in our lives and express our desire to enter into a deep friendship with the Lord. Hence, we need to spend more time with God just like Jesus, bearing in mind that we cannot live by bread alone, we need the spiritual food of God's Word. Thus, we are called to withdraw from the world in order to encounter God and truly profess our faith in him. 

 

Dear friends, God is calling us in this Holy season of Lent, to come back to him. The world has taken us far away from him; it's time to come back. Sin has made us its slaves, it is time to come back. Sin has separated us from God; it's time to reconcile with him. Greediness, slots, unforgiveness, love of power and money, ambition, and unhealthy friendships have separated us from God; it’s time to come back to him. It is time to say am sorry Lord, am sorry for having deviated from you. It’s time to let go of hurtful feelings, malice and bitterness in our hearts. It’s time to say yes to God and no to all the distracting things of this world.

 

It’s time to love, to share, to bear with one another's failings. What is stopping us from embracing this opportunity? Is it fear of the future? Or fear of failure or death? Fear not, for the Psalmist tells us that God’s ways are faithfulness and love for those who keep his covenant. Thus, God is calling us to repentance; he is offering us a new life. He is offering us the opportunity to gain our life back and obtain the grace to overcome sin and temptations. For he will create a pure heart in us and put a steadfast spirit within us. Don't miss this opportunity; don't let it pass you by.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, as we embrace the events of this Holy season, may you give us the right disposition and fill our hearts with joy, peace and love. For those who find it difficult to live the Christian life, may they learn to draw strength and grace from Jesus to resist the devil and all of his empty shows. Happy Sunday, wishing you a fruitful Lenten season.

Homily For Saturday after Ash Wednesday, 17th February, 2024

Readings: Is. 58:9-14; Ps. 86;  Luke 5:27-32

Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

 

THE LORD HAS COME NOT FOR THE VIRTUOUS BUT FOR SINNERS TO REPENT

 

Jesus who on account of his mission to save humanity had to make choices of people who would be his instruments of evangelization in the world. No doubt Jesus had been calling people from different works of life to be part of his mission, but today’s call and choice of Levi, also known as Matthew, a man identified with sinners because of his work as a tax collector, was quite strange to some people.

 

Little wonder in in our Gospel passage today, Jesus called a tax collector named Levi to follow him, and he obeyed, leaving everything behind and following him. The call of Levi differs from the call of the other apostles because Levi was a tax collector a profession that is labelled to be sinful since the collectors extort excess taxes from the people for personal profit and enrich themselves at the expense of their fellow citizens. They are thus held in great contempt.

 

However, to follow Jesus, Levi must abandon his ugly but lucrative job. By so doing, he needs to also cut himself off from his old network of friends. So, it seems likely that, in a spirit of joy, Levi invited Jesus and his disciples to a great feast in his house and his fellow task collectors were present. But the Pharisees felt bad and offended about Jesus sharing a meal with such kind of people regarded as "sinners". So, they complained to his disciples, but Jesus had to correct this notion when he said: "It is not those who are well who need the doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the virtuous, but sinners to repentance. 

 

Here we heard the innermost desire of Jesus for sinful humanity in need of salvation. The call of Levi is like the call of each of us, a choice that demonstrates Jesus' desire for sinners to repent. For all he desires is mercy and not sacrifices, repentance and not pride. Jesus is calling us to repentance, he is inviting us to make a fundamental choice for God just like Levi, who though sinner, rose and followed Jesus at his call for repentance, we too are to respond to this invitation without delay. Let Levi be an inspiration and hope for all sinners.

 

Dear friends, the task collectors were seen as dirty, unworthy, wicked, corrupt and evil people who were generally shunned by the rest of the society. The Pharisees looked down on them and they severely criticized Jesus for eating in the house of Levi. But they failed to realize that just like the tax collectors, they were sinners in need of God’s mercy.

 

The truth is that all of us are sinners who have been privileged to have such a loving, caring, compassionate and merciful God, who is always willing to embrace us and heal us from our afflictions of sin. For we are sinners who have been called to a new existence with God, to embrace a new life filled with God’s grace and free from the corruption of sin. Because God despises our sins, but not we sinners. Hence, we are called to let go of our sinful occupation in order to embrace a more glorious one. For God has promised us through prophet Isaiah in our first reading, that if we do away with the yoke of sin, the clenched fist, the wicked word, if we give our bread to the hungry, and relief to the oppressed, then our light will rise in the darkness, and our shadows become like noon.

 

Therefore, as Christians during this season of Lent, we should draw ourselves closer to God by asking ourselves how are we responding to God's call for repentance. How are we relating with those we judge to be sinners, what efforts are we making to convert sinners? Remember, we are all invited to follow Jesus along the way of salvation and not to condemn or judge anyone.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, despite our sinfulness, you called and chose us to be instrument of your salvation to all humanity. Through the intercession of St Matthew, give us the grace to make good choices that will help us to respond positively to your call for repentance and evangelization. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a fruitful weekend.

Homily on Friday after Ash Wednesday, 16 February, 2024

Readings: Is. 58:1-9; Ps. 51;  Matt. 9:14-15

Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

LEARN TO FAST WITH RIGHT INTENTION AND PURPOSE

 

Fasting is one of the spiritual exercises we do during this season of Lent. Fasting as we know is the willful refrainment from eating for some time as a means of getting our minds focused on God our creator while realizing the reality that our lives are not self-sufficient. Fasting helps us realize just how fragile we are and how much we depend on things beyond ourselves. Fasting is not just about putting on sackcloth and ashes on oneself as were customary in the past to show repentance and regret, but more importantly, fasting must be accompanied by a change of heart from within and not just the outside.

 

Hence, today prophet Isaiah in our first reading tells us to fast with the right intention and purpose. This is not just fasting but also all other sorts of observances and practices during this Lenten season. We must have the right disposition and direction as we move along through this time of purification and repentance. This Lenten season is a good time for us to reorientate ourselves and our lives, as we seek to redress our sins and our past wicked ways of life and embrace once again God’s love and mercy.  For that is the kind of fasting that pleases God and yields positive results.

 

 Thus, in our Gospel passage today, the disciples of John the Baptist criticized Jesus and his disciples for not fasting as the Law of Moses has prescribed fasting on certain days as a custom which they observed with great passion and zeal. The Pharisees fasted and did all that because they wanted to be praised for what they had done and they liked it when others looked up to them for their piety and commitment. But Jesus tells his disciples that they should not fast with such intention, rather fasting must be for a purpose and should be done at the proper time. He said to them: Surely the bridegroom’s attendants would never think of mourning as long as the bridegroom is still with them. But the time will come for the bridegroom to be taken away from them, and then they will fast.

 

This is because, Jesus is the groom and as long as he is around, it would be inappropriate for his disciples to fast. However, a time will come when the groom will no longer be with them, then they will surely fast, telling us that fasting should be done at the right time for the right reasons. Moreover, being in a relationship with Jesus is more important, because, what the bridegroom is to the bride, that what Jesus is to the souls of all who believe in him. So Jesus is teaching us that the Kingdom of Heaven is not a matter of ritual or ceremonious fasting or feasting. But is about building a personal relationship with God who loves us personally and unconditionally.

 

Dear friends, we can make the best use of this Lenten season by turning ourselves and our whole being towards God through fasting. We should not let ourselves be distracted by the vanity of the things of this passing world. This is a time we are called to humble ourselves before God and refrain from all the corrupt ways of life, pride, greed and ambition which lead us to sin and death. This type of fasting is what pleases God and yields positive results. Therefore, through our fasting let us sincerely repent from our sins and make the best use of this opportunity that God has given to us.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, as we deny ourselves the pleasurable things of this world through fasting, may we open up our hearts to you and sincerely reject all our sinful habits and so embrace the life of holiness. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. God bless you.