Homily For Thursday Third Week of Easter Year B, 18th April, 2024

Readings: Acts. 8:26-40; Ps.66; John 6:44-51

Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia.

LORD GIVE US THE GIFT OF UNDERSTANDING 

One of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is understanding. It is the second gift of the Holy Spirit, behind wisdom. Through understanding, we gain a certitude about our beliefs that moves beyond faith. It enables one to see more deeply into the mysteries of the faith and judge with certainty all created things. The essential quality of this gift is penetrating intuition. For this gift does not only assist in penetrating revealed truths but also natural realities that are related to the supernatural end. 

Thus, understanding is not so much the fruit of studies, but the loving desire and penetrating intuition towards understanding all the Father has revealed. This is exactly what happened to Philip while explaining the scriptures to the Ethiopian Eunuch in our first reading today. For when he heard him reading the book of the prophet Isaiah, he asked him, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ the Eunuch replied: ‘How can I understand unless I have someone to guide me?’ 

Here, the Eunuch seeks the gift of understanding which Philip has already received at Pentecost and with the help of this gift he was able to explain the scriptures to him. This is because, the mysteries of God’s revelation have been made known to him and with the Spirit’s prompting, these mysteries can be penetrated and understood by humanity.

 The fact remains, that God created us for friendship and this gift enables us to know of his love, mercy, glory, and power which moves our hearts to love and live as adopted sons and daughters of God. Little wonder, Jesus in our Gospel passage today said: No one can come to me unless he is drawn by the Father who sent me, for it is written in the prophets: They will all be taught by God and will hear the teaching of the Father, and learn from it.

Dear friends, we must desire to have the gift of Understanding, we need to ask God for this gift of understanding, for it helps us to penetrate the truths of faith, and operates in several ways: disclosing the hidden meaning of Sacred Scripture; revealing the significance of symbols and figures. It gives us deeper insight into the meaning of our faith and the moral teachings which serve as standards for human actions. This gift imparts a sense of confidence and certainty in our belief. It helps us grasp the reality of heaven our beatific vision.

It is a gift that is really lacking in our lives not just as Christians but as individuals living in societies full of confusion and lack of sense of direction. But, how can we acquire the gift of understanding? How can the gift of understanding help us to grasp the meaning of the truths of our faith in relation to our struggles with the ugly situations in our world today? The answer is simple, we must learn, just like the Ethiopian Eunuch to cultivate the habit of listening to the Holy Spirit who never ceases to speak to us deep down in our conscience.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, we thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit. As we listen to your words today, give us the gift of understanding so that we can grasp the meaning of the truths of our faith in relation to our struggles with the ugly situations in our world today. This we ask through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a favourable day.

Homily For Wednesday Third Week of Easter Year B, 17th April, 2024

  Readings: Acts. 8:1-8; Ps.66; John 6:35-40

Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia.

JESUS THE BREAD OF LIFE WISHES TO SATISFY OUR THIRSTY AND STAVING SOULS

What can ever satisfy the human hunger and thirst for peace, wholeness righteousness, love and joy? These are the things we search for every day of our lives. But we seem to have little or no answer. This is because we have often failed to listen to God’s words calling us and directing us towards the path of truth which he has revealed through his son our Lord Jesus Christ, who has been speaking to us in our Gospel since his resurrection. 

Thus, today Jesus continues with his teaching on the bread of life, he seeks to draw those who listened to him into a profound relationship with himself. He asks them to believe in his wonderful promises of eternal life. In the same way, he invites us to partake in an indestructible life, to share in the very life of God. Jesus wants us to know that he is the food of our souls. Our souls are really starving due to sins, and indeed thirsty for holiness, love, peace and purity. In Jesus alone can staving and empty souls find their strength and satisfaction. For in him, there is fullness of life. 

The fact remains that Jesus is the bread of life which came down from heaven. And he wants us to commit our souls into his hands. Thus, whenever we experience anything of spiritual hunger and thirst, we must come to Jesus and be satisfied. This is what was lacking in the life of Saul, who in our first reading today worked for the destruction of the Church after he had witnessed and endured the stoning and death of Stephen. So, he went from house to house arresting both men and women and sending them to prison.  But those who had escaped from him went from place to place preaching the Good News of peace, love holiness and salvation.

Dear friends, like Saul, are we weighed down by sorrows in conscience or staving in affections and love, especially in this difficult moment in human history and thereby acting in ignorance? Or are we like the disciples who even in the midst of persecution remained faithful in witnessing the love they have found in Jesus? Whatever the situation may be for us now, we must know that Jesus is always ready to relieve and restore us whenever we come to him in faith, for in him alone shall we find lasting satisfaction, peace and love both now and for eternity.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, oftentimes we are thirsty and hungry down within our souls, through the intercession of St Anselm, may we find in the Words of Jesus that satisfactions which our souls so desired and by so doing find eternal life. This we ask through Christ our Lord. Amen. Wishing you the best of God’s favour and blessings.

Homily For Tuesday Third Week of Easter Year B, i6th April 2024

 

Readings: Acts. 7:51-8:1; Ps.31; John 6:30-35

Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia.

COME TO JESUS THE BREAD OF LIFE AND YOU WILL NEVER BE HUNGRY

The ugly situation in our societies, country and the world at large can make someone completely lose hope in humanity and even in God. Today people are confused, they don’t even know what to believe or who to trust anymore. The questions that come to mind are: To whom shall we run to? What shall we do? Any hope for a better tomorrow? What signs are there for us to see in order to be assured of a better and brighter future for humanity? This present disposition can be likened to the disposition of the people in our Gospel passage today.

Here, the Jews who had witnessed the great miracle of the multiplication of loaves and fishes, when confronted with the hard teaching about the person of Jesus, asked Jesus for a sign to prove that he is the Messiah, a sign like the manna which their forefathers ate in the desert. They said to Jesus that God gave them bread from the heavens to eat. For the Jews, the manna was God’s gift from heaven. So they wanted such a miraculous sign again.

However, Jesus made it clear to the crowd that it was God rather than Moses who provided the manna for the Israelites. Also, he identified himself as the true bread of life that comes from God. That he himself is God’s divine intervention in our world. He is the gift of God to the world. So he told them solemnly: “I AM the bread of life.”  Using the word “I AM”, he strongly identifies himself with God, a statement that recalls the name God revealed to Moses in the burning bush (Exod 3:14). Jesus goes on to say: “Whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.” 

Thus, the true manna, the true bread from heaven is the Word of God, which is Jesus and this Word is what he teaches us to believe in. Today this Word is now addressed to us and we shall do well to pay attention to it because with the events going on in the world today, we too can find ourselves in an ugly situation. A situation where we may no longer have faith in God and start doubting his existence as we are now scared of losing our lives, our health, our wealth or even our loved ones as a result of war, kidnapping, terrorism and inflation. The worst of it is not knowing what to believe anymore, especially in the way our society has been structured, people no longer know their left from their right. 

Dear friends, I don’t know what you are passing through now. Does it seem as if all hope is lost and there is no opportunity again for you? Are you confused about your faith? Jesus says: I AM the bread of life, blessed is the one who does not lose faith in him. For he is waiting for us at the Eucharist, where he feeds us spiritually. Therefore, be courageous, do not be afraid. Be patient, do not lose heart for the Lord will surely come to save us.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, whenever we come to Jesus and bond ourselves closely to him, we are actually identifying ourselves with You, may we constantly embrace Your love for us in the Eucharist as You feed us daily with the bread of life through Your Word. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. God bless you.

Homily For Monday Third Week of Easter Year B, 15th April, 2024

Readings: Acts. 6:8-15; Ps.119; John 6:22-29

Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia.

 

LORD GIVE US THE GRACE TO BEAR AUTHENTIC WITNESS LIKE STEPHEN

 

In every human heart, there is a secret garden which God has made uniquely for himself and that garden is our conscience. However, God is always at the gate of this garden knocking, but we pretend not to hear him. The truth is that every day God gives us the grace to experience him and bear witness, he makes himself present in us but we often ignore him or pretend we do not perceive his presence.

 

This was the attitude of the men who sought to kill Stephen out of jealousy in our first reading today, where we heard the account of St. Stephen, one of the first deacons who full of grace and power bears witness to the risen Lord before the people. He worked many miracles and great signs among the people. But some group of men felt so infuriated and ground their teeth at him since they could not withstand his wisdom. Nevertheless, Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at God’s right hand. This he witnessed before them and they saw his face like that of an angel. 

 

Dear friends, this was possible because Stephen opened completely the door of his heart and found God, he witnessed him with his life. We too have been given the grace to bear authentic witness to the faith we have found in Jesus who tells us in our Gospel passage today, to believe in him and work for the food which endures to eternal life, the kind of food the Son of Man is offering us.  That is the eternal food of love, compassion, mercy, kindness, peace and salvation.

 

These were the food that Stephen had received from the Lord when he opened the door of his heart and these same food he offered to the members of the Sanhedrin but they cannot comprehend or withstand it. Therefore, Jesus is calling us to work for this kind of food that comes from the heart of a person who has personally encountered him, the risen Lord.

 

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, as we open our hearts to embrace the eternal food of love, compassion, mercy, kindness, peace and salvation which You offer to humanity, give us the grace and courage to bear authentic witness of Your goodness in the world, especially at this moment when humanity needs You the most. This we ask through Christ our Lord. Amen. As the week begins, be strong, be hopeful and stay safe for God is still in control.

Homily For Third Sunday of Easter Year B, 14th April, 2024 (HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY)

Readings: Acts.3:13-15.17-19; Ps.4; 1John 2:1-5; 24:35-48

Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia.

 

OUR TASK AND MISSION IS TO PREACH REPENTANCE, FORGIVENESS OF SINS AND THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODY.

 

At the final article of the Apostles’ Creed which we profess every Sunday and solemnities. We do say: “I believe… in the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.”

But the questions that come to mind are: do we truly believe in what we profess? Do we understand what we mean by repentance, forgiveness of sins and resurrection of the body? Have we in any way experienced any of these events in our lives personally? Do we have any evidence to back up this article of faith which we have come to embrace? Can we categorically defend this article of faith before anyone who wishes to know more about it? The answer to these questions is blowing in the wind.

 

But in order to ensure that the answer to these questions is not blowing in the wind for those who have made the fundamental option for God, Jesus demonstrated to his disciples, in their Easter encounter, that he had physically and bodily risen from the dead and reaffirmed all the things he had told them before his crucifixion about repentance, forgiveness and resurrection as we have it in our Gospel passage today, when he said: “Peace be with you!’ In a state of alarm and fright, they thought they were seeing a ghost. But he said, ‘Why are you so troubled, and why are these doubts rising in your hearts? Look at my hands and feet; yes, it is I indeed. Touch me and see for yourselves; a ghost has no flesh and bones as you can see I have.’ And as he said this he showed them his hands and feet.

 

Their joy was so great that they still could not believe it, and they stood there dumbfounded; so he said to them, ‘Have you anything here to eat?’ And they offered him a piece of grilled fish, which he took and ate before their eyes.

He then opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, ‘So you see how it is written that the Christ would suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that in his name, repentance for the forgiveness of sins would be preached to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses to this.

 

This same message of repentance and forgiveness is what St. Peter proclaimed and witnessed in our first reading after he and John were confronted by the chief priests and the elders for curing a crippled bagger at the temple. Here Peter after condemning the people for the part they played in the death of Jesus, has to excuse them on the grounds that they acted in ignorance. Then in their presence, he proclaimed the resurrection and urged them to repent, for if they do their sins will be forgiven. Similarly, we heard St John in our second reading telling us to stop sinning, but if anyone should sin, we have an advocate with the Father, that is Jesus Christ, who is the sacrifice that takes our sins away, for when anyone does obey what his commandments say, God’s love comes to perfection in him.

 

Dear friends, our task and mission is to preach repentance, forgiveness and resurrection. But how can we preach what we have not experienced or believed? So, there is a need for us to repent of our sins so that we can experience forgiveness and there will be no forgiveness of sin if there is no belief in the resurrection of the body. So the questions that come to mind are: do we believe in the grace of repentance, forgiveness and resurrection? How will the dead rise? What form will the rise take? Who will rise? And how?

 

The answer to these questions is clearly stated in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) nos 997-999, which tells us that the Church through revelation has come to know and teaches us that in death,  that is, the separation of the soul from the body, the human body decays and the soul goes to meet God while awaiting its reunion with its glorified body. For God, in his almighty power, will definitively grant incorruptible life to our bodies by reuniting them with our souls, through the power of Jesus’ Resurrection.

 

But, who will rise? All the dead will rise, “those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment. How will this be? Christ is raised with his own body: for he said: “See my hands and my feet, that it is I” After this he did not return to an earthly life. So, in him, “all of us will rise again with our own bodies which we now bear,” but Christ “will change our lowly bodies to be like his glorious body,”

 

Meanwhile, some people will ask, “How will the dead be raised? With what kind of body will they take?” Jesus says: What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. And what you sow is not the body which is to be, but a bare kernel. What is sown is perishable, what is raised is imperishable.  The dead will be raised imperishable. For this perishable nature must put on the imperishable, and this mortal nature must put on immortality. (1Cor15:35-53).

 

Therefore, we have to truly believe and witness this article of faith. But, it is not enough to believe in it, we have to experience it, but experience is not enough, we have to live by it every day of our lives. Living by it is not enough we have to preach it to the whole world. This is the only way it can make an impact in our lives, in our families and societies and so become the principle that guides all our decisions, our actions and choices in life.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, as we journey with you, especially at this difficult moment in human history, may your presence strengthen our faith and constantly renew our hope, give us the grace and courage to dedicate ourselves, our time, and energy in knowing and serving you, as you fill our heart with the Joy of your kingdom.  We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Happy Mother’s Day to all our mother

Homily For Saturday Second Week of Easter, 13th April, 2024

Readings: Acts.6:1-7; Ps.32; John 6:16-22

Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia.

COME INTO THE BOAT OF JESUS AND BE SAVED FROM THE STORMS OF LIFE 

A deep reflection on the Scriptures, we will discover that Jesus often makes use of the boat to teach and instruct the people and his disciples. This is obvious in the occasion of our Gospel passage today, where the disciples of Jesus got into the boat and went before Jesus to the other side. When evening came, they were there alone on the boat which had gone far on the lake and was battling heavy sea storms. So as the waves were breaking over the boat, the disciples were afraid and needed help from anywhere. It was at this point that they saw Jesus walking on the sea and he said to them: “Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid”. And as they got into the boat the wind ceased. 

In this Gospel passage, we can foresee a gesture which signifies the chosen people of God on a transit of faith, frightened by the guilt of sin and wounded by the waves of the sea, the abode of evil forces and monsters of this world. Today Jesus is inviting us to journey on this boat of life with an unwavering faith and a repented heart so that our storms of struggles will cease. Because the world is being tossed around by the waves of evil forces the enemies of humankind, inflicting hardships, sickness and sorrows on us. But Jesus is inviting us to come into his boat so that we can find life, peace and grace to overcome our struggles. 

Dear friends, the world is full of crowds and caves of different storms and so many people are trying to find ways to fix their problems. Today Jesus is inviting us to come into his boat of life with an unwavering faith and a repented heart and we will find peace of mind. For his boat is the safest vessel where all our storms can be subdued. Where humanity can find solace, where all our struggles will cease, where hope for the future is guaranteed. 

Therefore, I don't know the great storms of doubt and fear in your soul today. I don’t know how deep your sorrows of constant failure and disappointment are. I don’t know how long or deep you have been involved in the evil going on in this world. All I know is that if today we come into the boat of Jesus with faith he will calm down the heavy storms in our lives, our families and societies. Then the storms will cease and we will worship God in sincerity and freedom.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we thank you for being with us in all our struggle against the storms of life, as we come into your boat may the violent storms and waves of bondage in our lives end in a wonderful calm that brings peace in our souls. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Wishing you a peaceful weekend.

Homily For Friday Second Week of Easter, 12th April, 2024

Readings: Acts.5:34-42; Ps.26; John 6:1-15

Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia.

 

ARE YOU PREPARED TO FACE PERSECUTION WITH JOY?

 

Today the persecution account of the apostles of Jesus continues as the members of the Sanhedrin call for the council meeting to decide what to do with the apostles.

So at this council, as we have in our first reading, Gamaliel a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin, suggested that the apostles should be left alone based on past experiences of those who claimed to be great but were letter perished when their leader had died, that what is happening now with the apostles might be the same. He advises them to have nothing to do with the apostle, that if their purpose or activity is from human origins it will soon perish. If not, they will not be able to destroy them without fighting God Himself. So they beat them and ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus.

 

However, instead of being depressed, the apostles left the court full of joy that they had been judged worthy of being beaten for the sake of the Name of Jesus. Here, they experienced the blessedness that Jesus had spoken of in the Sermon on the Mount when he said: “Blessed are those who are persecuted in the cause of right: theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people abuse you and speak all kinds of calumny against you on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven” (Matt 5:10-12).

 

Dear friends, are we prepared to face Persecution with joy? In any situation we find ourselves, we are called to bear witness to our faith in Christ, though this mandate may seem difficult in our world at this moment, just like in the time of the apostles the grace of God is sufficient for us. Therefore, let us not be afraid of witnessing our faith in the world, for God will surely protect us as He protected the apostles.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, as we proclaim your name to the world, especially in these difficult times, give us the grace to rejoice even in the midst of persecution, suffering, sickness or death. This we ask through Christ our Lord. Amen. May the blessings, joy and favour of the Lord find their way into our lives and our families.