Homily For Fifth Monday of Easter Year B, 29th, 2024. The Memorial of St. Catherine of Siena

Readings: Acts.14:5-18; Ps115; John 14:21-26

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia.

 

LORD LET THE HOLY SPIRIT TEACH AND REMIND US EVERYTHING

 

As the time for Jesus to accomplish his mission drew near, he taught his disciples a lot of things which they had not yet fully understood and there was more to teach them. So, as Jesus continued to teach the disciples about knowing and observing the commandments as a sign of love for him and his Father, as we have it in our Gospel passage today, one of his disciples who could not understand this teaching said to him, ‘Lord, what is all this about? Do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world? And Jesus replied ‘If anyone loves me he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we shall come to him and make our home with him'. But as this becomes more difficult for them to comprehend, Jesus said to them: ‘The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all I have said to you.’

Here Jesus who has been the only teacher of his disciples promised them the indwelling of the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, who will take up the task to inspire them and deepen their understanding of the words and actions of Jesus. However, Jesus emphasized that the condition for obtaining all that he has promised is the love expressed in our faith in the Father through him.

 

Thus today, we are called to renew our faith and devotion to God, to renew our love and focus once again on Him with all our hearts, so as to be faithful in all things and at all times. Let us be inspired by the courage and faith of the Apostles, and strive to dedicate ourselves ever more to God. Just like Paul and Barnabas in our first reading, who had the right focus and emphasis in their minds and hearts with unwavering faith and commitment to God as they resisted the temptation of being treated like gods.

 

Hence, they shouted at the people who wanted to offer sacrifice to them, they said to them: ‘Friends, what do you think you are doing? We are only human beings like you. We have come with good news to make you turn from these empty idols to the living God who made heaven and earth. Here we see how they faithfully kept the commandments of God, and remained faithful to Him, as Jesus mentioned in our Gospel passage today.

 

Dear friends, let us resist the temptations of pride, greed, selfishness and corruption present in this world, and do our very best to follow Jesus with all our hearts and with all our strength. Let us make him the very centre of our existence and lives knowing that the holy Spirit, the Advocate will surely teach and reveal to us the deep mysteries of our faith and also help us to overcome the temptations of this world and lead us to God our loving Father.

 

Let us also learn from St. Catherine of Siena whose memorial we celebrate today. Catherine was a lay member of the Dominican Order. She was a mystic and one of the female doctors of the Church known for her holiness, asceticism, and spiritual visions and she was influential in religious and political affairs of the Church.

 

LET US PRAY: Almighty ever-living God, there are lots of things we need to know and understand about the faith we have found in you, grant we pray that the Holy Spirit through the intercession of the St. Catherine of Siena may guide our ways, teach us what we need to know and what to do, how to do it, when to do it and grace do it properly. Amen. It's a new week, may the Holy Spirit guide and bless all your efforts.

Homily For Fifth Sunday of Easter Year B, 28th April, 2024

 

Readings: Acts.9:26-31; Ps.22; 1 John 3:18-24;  John 15:1-8

Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia.

 

ARE YOU STILL CONNECTED WITH JESUS THE TRUE VINE?

 

As we gather today to celebrate the Fifth Sunday of Easter, we are called to renew our commitment and relationship with God. So Jesus used the imagery of Vine and branches as a metaphorical expression to describe the relationship between him and his disciples which is vital in describing our relationship with God. The root of the vine as we know is the source of life for the branches. It provides the water and nutrients by which the grapes are produced. Without the root of the vine, no fruit could ever be produced. And branches are utterly dependent upon the vine.

 

Thus, after Jesus and his disciples had concluded the meeting in the upper room in Jerusalem where they celebrated the Passover, as they were going, they passed through the vineyards that surrounded the city. This was shortly after the mysterious teaching of Jesus, the disciples were exceedingly anxious and perplexed as to what came next. It was in this disposition and background that Jesus told them the parable of the Vine and the branches as we have it in our Gospel passage today saying: ‘I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me, with me in him, bears fruit in plenty; for cut off from me you can do nothing.’

 

Here, Jesus is saying to them you know how Israel is pictured as a vine which ought to produce good fruit but failed. I am the true, genuine and authentic Vine. By this comment, Jesus was not introducing a new idea by using the metaphor of a vine and branches. Rather he was referring to the Old Testament, where God's vine was Israel. He used them to accomplish his purpose in the world as a branch that is truly connected to the vine which is secured and will never be removed.

 

So, with this parable of the vine, Jesus illustrated the most fundamental secret of a fruitful Christian life. Hence, the major purpose of this parable is for us to be fruitful in our Christian faith. Because, as God’s chosen people, we are expected to produce great, sweet, beautiful, rich fruit of righteousness, holiness, justice, peace and joy to the world. But most of us, just like the Israelites have failed as we produced sour, rotten, stinking, tasteless fruit of sin, corruption, greed, cruelty, exploitation and hatred in the world. This is not the fruit we are supposed to bear.

 

However, there is always room for change just like St Paul in our first reading today, who after he encountered the Lord, turned away from his past and erroneous path, and began to follow the right path which the Lord Jesus has entrusted to him. For he went out preaching with all boldness on the need for repentance from sin and the need to embrace the love of God for humanity. For Paul will not let the ugly situations of his past life separate him from Jesus the true Vine who has shown him such great love.

 

Thus, in our second reading today, we heard of the commandments that God has entrusted to us, the commandments of love that He has revealed before us and which as Christians, we are all expected and obliged to express with one another, by loving God with all of our hearts and at the same time, loving our neighbours in such a way that people will know that truly we are Christians, God’s chosen people, who are rooted in Christ Jesus the true Vine.

 

Dear friends, the questions we need to ask ourselves today are: Am I still connected with the true Vine? What kind of fruit am I producing in this world? What is stopping me from producing good fruit? Do I need to be pruned of my ugly habitual sins? Remember, God prunes a branch so that it may bear more fruit and this pruning is not done only once for it is a constant process.

 

Hence, as branches of Vine which is Christ, our fruit should be the natural outflow of the life of the Vine. For when we are united and identified with Jesus we produce from his Vine the fruit of the Holy Spirit, that sweet and rich wine of love, joy, peace, gentleness, goodness, self-control, holiness, courage and faith which is lacking in our life, family, society and the world today. Therefore, no matter the ugly situations we may find ourselves in in this passing world, we must not separate ourselves from Jesus the true and the only Vine which is the source of human life.

 

LET US PRAY: Grant, we pray, O God, that we may always find delight in Jesus our true Vine, prune us where we need to be pruned, so that we may faithful bear good fruit, and through the power of the Holy Spirit produce the great wine of your love and peace in our families, societies and the world at large. This we ask through Christ our Lord. Amen. Peace be with you.

Homily For Saturday Fourth Week of Easter Year B, 27th April, 2024

Readings: Acts. 13:44-52; Ps.98; John 14:7-14

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

 

JESUS THE TRUE IMAGE OF GOD THE FATHER

 

The use of the imagery of Father and Son by Jesus is one of the means, Jesus used to explain his relationship with God. But oftentimes, the people and even his disciples find it difficult to understand the systematic fashion of this relationship. So in our Gospel passage today, Jesus tried to explain this relationship to his disciples when he said to them: If you know me, you know my Father too. From this moment you know him and have seen him.

 

Curiously, Philip said, ‘Lord, let us see the Father and then we shall be satisfied'. But Jesus said: you must believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; I tell you most solemnly, whoever believes in me will perform even greater works because I am going to the Father and whatever you ask for in my name I will do it.

 

Here Jesus is saying that if we want to know God and understand his ways in relation to humanity, all we need to do is to look at him (Jesus) as the Son of the Father who has come to reveal the true image of God to humanity. We are to observe what he does, listen to what he teaches, watch how he behaves, what and who he loves, and what he rejects or defends. For by so do we will discover God in him because as the Son, he is the true human image of God. He is one with the Father in unity of existence and life and this is evidenced in the Words he spoke and the works he performed.

 

Consequently,  those who believe in him are endowed with the power of the Holy Spirit and will do greater works than he has done. For he has gone to the Father and whatever they ask in his name he will do it because they will be asked by the Holy Spirit in union with the name of the very person of Jesus whose request the Father will always grant.

 

Dear friends, the questions we need to ask ourselves today are: what is my relationship with Jesus and God the Father? Do we believe in God as our Father? Do we personally and truly know and believe in Jesus? Have we any personal experience of the power of the Holy Spirit? The truth is that we can only do great work in his name when we have a personal experience and encounter with the risen Lord, just like the disciples who were filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit and spoke out boldly to the people about the good news of Jesus and when they where rejected out of jealousy by the Jews as we have it in our first reading, they turned to the gentiles who embraced the good news with joy.

 

Therefore, I don’t know what you want God to do for you, I don’t know what prayer points you recite every day, I don’t know how deep your requests are. All I know is that if we truly have a personal relationship with Jesus and believe in him, we are going to be endowed with the power of the Holy Spirit and will do greater works than he has done for he has gone to the Father. And whatever we ask in his name he will do it, because we will be asked by the Holy Spirit in union with the name of the very person of Jesus, whose request the Father will always grant.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, in the celebration of Easter you graciously give to the world the gift of heavenly remedies, grant that we your children may have a personal experience of your presence in our lives so that presenting our needs before you, we may find favour in your presence. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. Wishing you a fruitful and peaceful weekend.

Homily For Friday Fourth Week of Easter Year B, 26th April 2024

Readings: Acts. 13:26-33; Ps.2; John 14:1-6

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

ARE YOU TROUBLED? DO NOT LET YOUR HEART BE TROUBLED, TRUST IN GOD STILL.

With the ugly situation of things in our country and the world at large, there are different grades of suffering and problems in our societies today, of which both the poor and the rich are testifying. Hence, we can feel the struggles, the tears, and the disappointments that people are passing through every day. 

In fact, some people have lost hope in themselves and even in everything they do as they run up and down seeking solutions. The poor are seeking daily bread, upliftment and favour, the rich are seeking protection and good health, while the evil ones are taking advantage of the situation to destroy the little faith of the people. The evil in the world is putting our faith to the test and most people are giving in to their scheme as they are unable to overcome them. 

So today, Jesus in our Gospel passage said ‘Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God still, and trust in me.’ And he concludes by saying: ‘I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one can come to the Father except through me.’ Here, we have one of the most consoling words of Jesus to his disciples who were afraid after he had told them about his passion and what would happen to them as well. He reassured them that he would always be with them as he went to prepare a place for them in his Father’s house.

 

In a similar way we heard in our first reading, the story of St Paul’s encouragement to the Jewish community in Antioch in Pisidia, telling them how the people in Jerusalem had treated Jesus so badly, rejecting him and condemning him to death, a most painful and humiliating death on the Cross, but God has turned all of that into joy and salvation, as everything had indeed been part of God’s plan of saving humanity. Therefore, Jesus is reminding us again of the Covenant which God has made with us for He will not abandon us to destruction.

Dear friends, Jesus is indeed the Way, the Truth and the Life. He is the only way for us to pass through and overcome the ugly situation we find ourselves in, he is the Truth that all of us should be following to unveil the lies, deceptions and evil that is going on in our world, he is the Life that we have all been seeking to have and protect. Thus, Jesus is saying to us do not let your heart be troubled, trust in God and trust in me. 

Therefore, all we need is to have total faith and trust in God through Jesus who has assured us that he will not abandon us in this ugly situation. Let us from now on, put our complete trust in God, knowing that in Him alone can we find the truth and a way out of the predicaments and trials we are facing in our world today. Let us be patient no matter how difficult our lives and conditions may have been at this moment, for God knows how best to handle the situation. Let us encourage one another for it is our duty as Christians to bring hope to humanity, especially in this most difficult moment in human history.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, You are the author of our lives, freedom and salvation, all we have are yours, thank you for being with us in our daily troubles, struggles, fears, tears, hope and joy, may you provide for the poor, console the troubled, heal the sick, protect and put simile on the faces of your children today and always. Amen. Do have a blessed day.

Homily For Thursday Fourth Week of Easter Year B, 25th April, 2024. Feast of St. Mark the Evangelist

Readings: 1 Peter 5:5-14; Ps.89; Mark 16:15-20

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia.

 

OUR MISSIONARY MANDATE IS TO PROCLAIM THE GOOD NEWS TO ALL CREATION

 

Every 25^th of April, we Celebrate the Feast of Saint Mark the Evangelist. In this feast the Church calls our attention to the mission and mandate of Christ to his disciples. It is truly a feast which is meant for all of us who are followers of Christ to recount our commitment to Jesus which we made at our baptism.

 

This is the commitment to bear authentic witness to the faith we profess just as St. Mark recounts in his Gospel passage we read today, which tells us the stories of how Jesus called his disciples and commissioned them to go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News to all creation. We are also called by Jesus, not only as disciples, but also as evangelists.

 

Therefore evangelization is the very nature and essence of the life of the Church. Jesus gives us the mandate and the commission to evangelize, that is, to announce the Good News to all the nations and to spread the Gospel to every creature. This commission is shared by all those who are baptized both priests and lay faithful. Everyone has a particular responsibility to share in the work of proclamation of the Gospel.

 

Today, we should ask ourselves, how have we proclaimed the Gospel to the world? What efforts are we making to ensure that the mandate Christ entrusted to us is carried out effectively in our generation. This Easter season, how have we proclaimed the Risen Lord to the world?

 

Are we shy, ashamed or humiliated because of the Gospel? St Peter in our second reading said: Be calm but vigilant, because your enemy the devil is prowling round like a roaring lion, looking for someone to eat. Stand up to him, strong in faith and in the knowledge that your brothers all over the world are suffering the same things

 

Dear friends, at this moment when the world is confused, because we have removed God out of our daily lives, at this time when we have placed our hope in the activities of the human person who seems to have taken the place of God, at this time when our governments, scientists, doctors, lawyers, professors and even pastors assumed the place of God which is the cause of the ugly situation we are passing through in our societies today. It's time to come back to God and follow his directions.

 

Thus, it’s time to recall what Jesus says in the Gospel of John (15:1-8), l am the true Vine you are the branches, anyone who remains with me will bear fruit in plenty, but cut off from me you can do nothing but to perish. We have cut ourselves off from the true Vine and now we can do little or nothing about the situations we find ourselves in our families, society and the world at large.

 

Therefore, let us come back to God our true Vine, for our help comes from Him alone. He has commanded us to go into the whole world and preach this Gospel. Like St. Mark whose memorial we celebrate today, let us learn to take this mandate very seriously for it is our responsibility to fulfil our promises to God and ensure that the Christian faith is preached and sustained in the world and by so doing save humanity once again from sin and death.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we are lost in this world, we are confused because we have cut ourselves off from You our true Vine, as we come back to you once again, please give us the grace to preach the Gospel following the example of St Mark the Evangelist, grant that we may learn from his teaching and walk faithfully in the footsteps of Christ and by so doing draw humanity once again back to You. Amen. Do have a grace filled week.

Homily For Wednesday Fourth Week of Easter Year B, 24th April, 2024

Readings: Acts. 12: 24-13:5 ; Ps.67; John 1244-50

Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

 

ARE YOU IN THE DARKNESS OF SIN? COME TO JESUS THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD

 

The theme of light is a common terminology in the Gospel of John, as the struggle between the powers of light and darkness is so evident in his Gospel. In most discourse on the theme of light, Jesus refers to himself as the light of the world as we have it in our Gospel passage today when he said: “I, the light, have come into the world so that whoever believes in me need not stay in the dark any more. For if anyone hears my words and does not keep them faithfully, it is not I who shall judge him, since I have come not to judge the world, but to save the world. He who rejects me and refuses my words has his judge already: the word itself that I have spoken will be his judge on the last day.”

 

Here Jesus presents himself as the image of God and the light of the world as he declares his mission in the world. And his mission is not to judge the world but to save it. But this may seem contradictory as we know that, the presence of light brings judgment to darkness and Jesus said, he who rejects me and refuses my words has his judge already also in John 9:39 he said: “For judgment, I came into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind.”

 

The fact is that there is no contradiction in these statements, for Jesus had come from the Father, bearing the light of his love, revealed by his word and deed. Those who receive him walk in this light. Those who reject him stumble around in the darkness. However, the primary purpose of his first coming was not to judge the world but to provide salvation to the world through his passion and death. But referring to the concept of judgment on the last day, this is implicit in the second coming of Jesus, because the light of the risen Lord will divide people into those who come to it and those who hide from it. Therefore the first coming is not to judge but to save, while the second coming will be for judgment, for light will surely separate from darkness all that is not of light.

 

Dear friends, every day is an opportunity for us to examine ourselves to know if there are areas in our lives that remain in the darkness of this corrupt world. It’s time for us to get rid of them, it’s time to let the light of Christ's presence illuminate the darkness of sin and shame in our lives. It’s time to embrace the salvation which Jesus has won for us for tomorrow may be too late.  It’s time to let the light of Christ in us illuminate the world through our ways of life. Let us like the disciples in our first reading today, discern carefully through the power of the Holy Spirit on how best we can spread the Good News of Jesus the light of the world, who has won salvation for all the people who embrace the light of his word.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, as we have come to know Jesus as the true light of the world, make us instruments of your light in the darkness of our families, societies and the world at large, so that by our worthy way of life, we may bring others to the fullness of life in you. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Remain safe and blessed.

Homily For Tuesday Fourth Week of Easter Year B, 23rd April, 2024

Readings: Acts. 11:19-26; Ps.87; John 10:22-30

Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

 

CAN WE STILL BE CALLED CHRISTIANS?

 

Giving a name to things is one of the habits and traditions of the human person. Little wonder Adam’s first assignment was to give names to what God has created. And throughout human history and even today a name is a powerful thing with great significance that can not be neglected. Names of things have deep meaning drawn from experiences that help define the reality surrounding such things.

 

So today in our first reading, the disciples of Jesus were for the first time given the name “Christian” in Antioch. But why a new name with a new word for these disciples of Christ in Antioch? Why was the name given by outsiders and why is the name different from other groups of the Jewish sect? From the reading, we heard that persecution forced many believers from Jerusalem to be scattered to various areas, as some from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to the Greeks, telling them the Good News about the Lord Jesus. The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.

 

Thus, seeing that their devotion, passion, love, behaviour, activity, and speech were like that of Christ Jesus, they called them Christians. This is because it was common for the Greeks to give nicknames to particular groups based on their way of life in relation to their leader. So since this new group were characterized by behaviour and speech centred on Christ, they called them “Christians,” or “those of the party of Christ.” And in Antioch, the disciples were first called Christians” because their behaviour, activity, and speech were like Christ.

 

Today, we are called Christians, followers of Christ, but are we really behaving like Christ?, Are we still having that devotion, passion, love, behaviour, activity, and speech like that of Christ and the early disciples? The disciples were scattered to various places due to persecution but everywhere they went they proclaimed the Good News of Jesus with their lives, are we doing the same today?

 

Dear friends, today we have the personal responsibility to ask ourselves, “What does the name Christian mean to me? Am I living out the responsibility of the name Christian which I claim to bear? Does the name Christian speak of my deep personal relationship with Jesus Christ? Do I perceive the name Christian from the world’s perspective today or for what it really means Christ-like people?

 

Remember, the people of Antioch gave the name to the disciples of Christ based on the experience of the reality they represent, but today what name will the people of our society give to us based on how we have represented the reality of the name Christians? In fact, do you still belong and believe in the true meaning of the name Christians? Hence, Jesus says in our Gospel passage today, you do not believe, because you are no sheep of mine. The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me. I give them eternal life; they will never be lost and no one will ever steal them from me.

 

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, grant we pray, that we may always find delight in bearing the name of Christians even in the midst of persecutions and difficulties, give us grace like the early disciples to bear authentic witness of the Good News of Jesus by our way of life, he who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen. God bless you.