Homily For Saturday Twenty-Third Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 14th September, 2024. The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

Readings: Num. 21:4-9, Ps.78, Phil.2:6-11, John 3:13-17

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

 

WHAT DOES THE HOLY CROSS REPRESENT IN YOUR LIFE?

 

A lot of people in our societies today put on the cross without knowing the true meaning of the cross and what it represent. They just feel that the cross is a fashionable object that makes them look good and feel important, but this is not the case because the cross is more than that. Today we celebrate the Feast of the exaltation of the Holy Cross, this feast is so important to our Christian faith, because the Holy Cross is a symbol of sacrificial victory of our faith.

 

This Feast began when St. Helena discovered the relic of the true Cross on which Jesus was crucified, which was preserved in Jerusalem. A sacred relic that represents the mystery of the unending love of God for humanity. Though, the cross in the eyes of early Christians had no beauty, it was a sign of sorrow, a symbol of courage, an expression of faith which stood outside the city walls, decorated only with decaying corpses of Christ faithful who died for their faith in Christ. They are left on the cross as a threat to anyone who believes in Jesus.

 

But today, the cross has become the universal image of Christian belief, an instrument of salvation which often appear in Christian art works and countless generations of artists have turned it into a thing of beauty to be carried in procession or worn as jewelry and other religions activities. Here we can see how this ugly event has turned into a glorious act, which shows the power of God over evil. For God is the source of victory, he has the power to turn ugly situation into a glorious one through the power of love.

 

Little wonder our Gospel passage today, talks about the relationship between God and the world. Telling us that God loves the world and the humanity living in it. He loves it so much that he gave his only Son, who died a shameful and terrible death on a cross for the seek of his love. God loves the whole world and his love is total and unconditional for every one of his creatures. For God reveals his love, his greatest glory when his Son was lifted up on the cross for there the victory of our salvation was achieved and at the , Jesus tells us everything and solves all our difficult problems.

 

Just like the Israelites in our first reading who having sinned against God and were punished on account of their sins, complained as they asked Moses to intercede for them and God said to Moses, make a fiery serpent and put it on a standard. If anyone is bitten and looks at it, he shall live. This very symbol is a prefiguration of the Cross of Christ.

 

And St. Paul in our second reading tells us that though Jesus  in the form of God, but he humbled himself by accepting death on a Cross and God exalted him and gave him the name which is above all other names, so that all beings in the heavens, on earth and in the underworld, should bend the knee at the name of Jesus to the glory of God the Father.

 

Dear friends, as we reflect and celebrate the exaltation of the Holy Cross and it's saving power in our Christian life, let us deeply look at the Cross, what do we see? How do we feel about the Cross? What does the Cross represents in our life? Do we feel the love of Jesus expressed for us on the Cross? Can we perceive the expensive price of our salvation? We are called today to tell the world how deep God has loved us. We are to demonstrate this love to the world and let this love be felt by those who have lost hope in God especially at this time when humanity is struggling with the ugly situation of inflation and political crisis.

 

Therefore, let us extend this love in any form, gestures or manner possible to everywhere that it is lacking. A kind word, a single phone call, a text message, an act of forgiveness, a single prayer, sacrifice, patience and any form of generous act shown to anyone around you or as many people you can reach out today, can reflect this love of God for humanity through us, for we are the face of God’s love now, we are the channels of his Mercy and compassion.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, as we celebrate the feast of the exaltation of the Holy Cross, may we experience once again the power of your love for humanity, and give us the grace to reciprocate this love in the world by our way of life, using the gifts, the talents and resources you have given us. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Happy  Feast day to all the Priest and lay faithful of the Archdiocese of Lagos.

Homily For Friday Twenty-Third Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 13th September, 2024. The Memorial of St. John Chrysostom

 

Readings: 1Cor 9:16-19.22-27, Ps.84, Luke: 6: 39-42

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

 

THE LOG OF PRIDE MAKES A LEADER BLIND

 

As humans, we are quick to always criticize and condemn other people. We are good at seeing people's faults and mistakes. But has it ever occurred to us that, while we are condemning other persons for their faults, we suddenly realise that our own faults are just as many as theirs?

 

It is this ugly attitude that Jesus is addressing today in the Gospel passage when he said: Can one blind man guide another? Surely both will fall into a pit? Why do you observe the speck in your brother’s eye and never notice the log in your own? Hypocrite! Take the log out of your own eye first, and then you will see clearly enough to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye.

 

Here Jesus is referring to the blindness from the truth that the Pharisees and the Scribes and indeed most of us and our so-called leaders today have decided to embrace as we have neglected the spirituality behind the natural human traditions and laws, to follow the may ritual and routing traditions and laws we have created out of our own selfish desires. Leaders who have the responsibility to lead, guide and teach the people have decided to embrace darkness and falsehood. And the greed, jealousy and wickedness in our hearts have blindfolded us and made us become blind leaders of the blind.

 

Hence, Jesus told us how we who are leaders have failed to see the log in our eyes while seeking to remove the speck in other's. But what is this log in our eyes? It is the log of pride. Pride makes us forget who we are and claim who we are not. Pride makes us look down on people. Pride makes us blind. It makes us not look into our own lives. Little wonder pride is the first capital sin.

 

Therefore, we are called to humbly look into our lives and identify all those ugly attitudes of pride in us and get rid of them, so that we can humbly correct and accommodate other people’s speck of faults and weakness. Then we can say, like St. Paul in our first reading, who, though not a slave of any man, made himself the slave of everyone to win as many as he could. For the weak, he made himself weak. He made himself all things to all men in order to save some at any cost for the sake of the Gospel and to share in its blessings.

 

This is what we see in the life of John Chrysostom, whose memorial we celebrate today. He is known for his excellent preaching skills and was given the name Chrysostom, which means “golden mouth”, as he is usually called “John of the golden mouth” because he utilized the gift God gave him.

 

Dear friends, do we know people who behave like blind leaders of the blind? Are we one of such leaders? We are called today to constantly examine our conscience to know what kind of leader we are in any capacity we find ourselves. We are made to know that leadership requires taking away our log of pride in order to humbly remove or accommodate the speck of faults and weaknesses in others. So let us cultivate the right disposition of heart that will make us visionary leaders, leading those entrusted to us safely towards the path of truth and eternal life.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, there are so many blind leaders in our world today who out of pride lead humanity into destruction and death, help us to realize that we need to take away the log of pride that makes us blind in order to humbly remove and accommodate the faults and weakness of others thereby leading them to the path of truth and eternal life. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a favourable day.

Homily For Thursday Twenty-Third Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 12th September, 2024

 

Readings: 1Cor 8:1-7.11-13, Ps.139, Luke: 6: 27-38

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

 

LOVING YOUR ENEMIES: THE DIFFICULT AND SACRIFICIAL NATURE OF CHRISTIAN FAITH

 

A critical look at what is happening in our world today, it is obvious that the world has lost the true meaning of love. For we have abandoned God, who is the source and power of love and created for ourselves a mirage in the name of love. Today love has become a tool for selfishness, deception, greed and emotional satisfaction. Thus, it is extremely difficult to practice the genuine love of neighbours and talk more of the sacrificial love of our enemies.

 

But that is the demand Jesus makes of all his disciples in our Gospel passage today when he said: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who treat you badly. To the man who slaps you on one cheek, present the other cheek too; to the man who takes your cloak from you, do not refuse your tunic.

 

Give to everyone who asks you, and do not ask for your property back from the man who robs you. Treat others as you would like them to treat you. If you love those who love you, what thanks can you expect? Even sinners love those who love them. And St Paul, in our first reading, warns us not to do anything that will lead our neighbours into sin, for sinning in this way, we will be injuring their weak consciences, thereby causing their downfall.

 

Here, Jesus emphasises that it is natural and universal for human beings to love those who love them. But what makes his disciples different from other people is the ability to love not just everyone but to love their enemies and not take vengeance or bear grudges against one another. By so doing, they will be imitating God, their heavenly Father, who in his compassionate heart shows equal love to both the good and the bad, not because he is indifferent to morality, but because his love knows no bounds. 

 

Dear friends, today we are called for a life of deeper virtue of sacrificial love; we are called to perfection; we are called to choose love over hatred and forgiveness over vengeance. But when Jesus talks about loving our enemies, he is not telling us to be passive in the face of physical danger or abuse. Rather he wants us to realize that hatred is a dangerous thing and must be handled with great care. Because hatred breeds violence and other things that weaken the human soul.

 

The truth is that our enemies are not necessarily those who we are at war with, those making life difficult for us or those who hate us but those whom we hate. And the best way to destroy our enemies is to discover how best we can make them become our friends, not by hating or carrying out vengeance.

 

How I wish the world would embrace this principle of loving and stretching the hands of friendship and peace to our presumed enemies by investing more resources in things that bring about peace and friendship with one another rather than building a nuclear weapon that breeds more violence and hatred in the world. When this is done, then the world will become more peaceful and loving.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, it is difficult and demanding for us to love our enemies, but this is what you are commanding us to do, give us the grace to bear the sacrificial nature of this demand and so become a true sign of your loving presence to those we encounter in life. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. God bless you.

Homily For Wednesday Twenty-Third Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 11th September, 2024

 

Readings: 1Cor 7:25-31, Ps.45, Luke 6:20-26

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

 

ARE YOU AMONG THE BLESSED OR THE WOE?

 

Oftentimes, when we reflect on the ups and downs of life, the struggles, the tears and the disappointments that people are passing through every day. We wonder and feel that Life is not fair to some people. But is there anybody who has it all in this world? The truth is that we all struggle every day to make a significant impact in our society. And this significant impact often brings division and separation based on class, social and political affiliation. Hence, we talk about the poor and the rich in relation to what people have and possess.

 

But this is not the same with Jesus, for today in our Gospel passage Jesus talks about the blessings of the poor and the lots of the rich in relation to the virtue of humility and pride towards the things of this passing world and the things of heaven. For he said, blessed are you who are poor: yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who are hungry now: you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now: you shall laugh. But woe to you who are rich: you are having your consolation now. Woe to you who have your fill now: you shall go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now: you shall mourn and weep.

 

Here Jesus is referring to our disposition towards the things of this passing world and the things of heaven. He wants us to realize that we are not living simply to be happy in this life, but we should be conscious of our heavenly home by constantly examining ourselves on the deeper value of life in the light of what we can bring with us to eternal life.

 

In this teaching commonly known as the Beatitudes, Jesus gave us the qualities that make for a happy and blessed life. To be blessed means to have inner joy and happiness because of God’s favour upon us. While to be called woe is to have sorrow and pain because we have turned away from God.

 

However, the poor, the hungry and those weeping in this Gospel passage are not just referring to the regular poor and hungry people around us rather, Jesus is referring to the fundamental character of the virtue of humility that is rooted in the poverty of the spirit, that consciousness of one’s weakness and dependent on God, which can be found in the lives of both regular poor or rich people and can also be lacking in neither depending on one’s disposition. Now we can understand why the woe to the rich and blessings for the poor

 

Dear friends, our world needs more virtuous people than rich people. However, blessed are those who are virtuous and rich, but woe to those who are rich and lack virtue, for they shall soon mourn and weep. And St. Paul, in our first reading, tells us that our time is growing short. Those who have wives should live as though they had none, and those who mourn should live as though they had nothing to mourn for; those who are enjoying life should live as though there were nothing to laugh about; those whose life is buying things should live as though they had nothing of their own; and those who have to deal with the world should not become engrossed in it. The world as we know it is passing away.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we are always engrossed with the pride of life, an ugly attitude that often separates us from you. Grant us the grace of humility so that in our poverty, hunger, mourning and hatred in this world, our lives may aim towards our heavenly kingdom and make us a shining splendour in our family, society and the world at large. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. Peace be with you.

Homily For Tuesday Twenty-Third Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 10th September, 2024

 

Readings: 1Cor. 6:1-11; Ps. 149; Luke 6:12-19

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

 

WHY WE MUST LEARN  TO PRAY  ALWAYS LIKE JESUS

 

This year, on the 21st of January, the Holy Father Pope Francis declared the Year of Prayer in preparation for the 2025 jubilee Year to draw our attention to the importance of prayer. We often say prayer is a master key; Jesus started with prayers and ended with prayer. He does nothing without praying. This is evident in our Gospel passage today where we heard how Jesus, after deep prayers, called from among his disciples twelve apostles, whom he called and chosen to continue his work of evangelization and mission towards the salvation of humanity, for he needed to have people who will be entrusted with this mission.

 

So, each one of us, like the apostles, is called by name into a deep, personal and intimate relationship with Jesus in order to be sent to bear witness of him in the world. Prayers and absolute commitment are necessary qualities for this mission. That is why Jesus did not choose people because of what they were. Rather, he chose them for what they could become under his direction through prayers.

 

But one of the greatest problems is that we don’t often surrender our plan and mission to God’s will through prayers. So the question that comes to mind is, Will I pray? Will I stop praying? Will I care? Will I risk it? Will I let the Lord to lead me in prayer? These are questions of great demands which every true disciple must constantly reflect throughout his life in order to be aware of the seriousness of the commitment required of every one of us as disciples of Jesus. Little wonder St. Paul, in our first reading today, while referring to commitment and discernment in prayer, said: it is the saints who are to ‘judge the world’; and if the world is to be judged by you, how can you be unfit to judge trifling cases?

 

Dear friends,  we must learn to begin all our important events with prayers, especially as regards our mission as Christians. Prayers are the key to evangelization, and evangelization is the very nature and essence of the Church. And 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?

 

Therefore, prayer is essential, especially at this moment when the world is confused because we have removed God from our daily lives. Prayer is the key 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. Prayer is the key at this time when our governments, scientists, doctors, lawyers, professors and even pastors have assumed the place of God, which, of course, has brought about the ugly situation we are facing in our societies today.

 

Hence, we are reminded once again about our very mission which is rooted in prayers, for it is time to take this mandate very seriously because 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, death and destruction.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God,  without prayers in our lives we are lost in this world, for a lot of us are confused because we have cut ourselves off from You our cornerstone, as we come back to You once again in prayers, may we learn from the prayer life of Jesus and his teaching and by so doing draw humanity back to You once again. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a favourable day.

Homily For Monday Twenty-Third Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 9th September 2024

 

Readings: 1Cor 5:1-8, Ps.5, Luke 6:6-11

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

 

THE LORD CARES FOR THE WELL-BEING OF HUMANITY

From the scriptures, it seems like every encounter that the Pharisees had with Jesus was always aimed at finding faults with what Jesus was doing. But to their great surprise, Jesus will always escape and use that opportunity to communicate an important message to the people. Such was the occasion in our Gospel passage today.

When on a Sabbath day Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach, and a man was there whose right hand was withered. The scribes and the Pharisees were watching him to see if he would cure the man on the Sabbath, hoping to find something to use against him. But knowing their thoughts he said to the man with the withered hand, ‘Stand up! Come out into the middle.’ 

Then Jesus said to them, is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good, or to do evil; to save life, or to destroy it? And said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ He did so, and his hand was better. But they were furious and began to discuss the best way of dealing with him.

 

Here we see how Jesus demonstrated his compassionate care for humanity, for the most important thing for God in this world is the human person. That's why he makes all efforts to save humanity from damnation. He desires to see us making an effort to become faithful and holy. His mercy is so deep that he proposes it as the guiding principle for the perfect fulfilment and interpretation of the laws of life. Thus, Jesus, in this passage, has to teach us that humanity’s welfare should not be neglected because of laws and regulations. Nothing should restrict us from doing good to people, not even the laws of the Sabbath.

 

Therefore, in as much as we desire to honour God’s laws we must seek the good of people as well. This is what the Pharisees have failed to understand, for they are rather fault-finders and self-righteous people who only wish to mislead the oppressed and suppress the truth and the good works of others just because of their selfish desires to sustain their ego, pride and their worldly ambition. But we should not be like them; rather, we should be compassionate and merciful, for that is what we are called to do.

 

And St. Paul in our first reading, calls us to examine our lives to see if there is any root of pride and sexual immorality in us. He rebuked the people of Corinthians for their immorality and corrupt behaviour, a sinful act which even the pagans condemned. Hence, to overcome this sinful attitude, St. Paul said that we should be handed over to Satan so that our sensual body may be destroyed and our spirit saved on the day of the Lord.

 

Dear friends, today we are called to constantly do good to everyone and nothing should stop us from ensuring the well-being being of any human being. We are called not to be fault-finders who are blindfolded by pride. We must also renounce all sorts of sinful actions and wickedness that may destroy the purity of our souls. Therefore, let us be compassionate and merciful, for that is what we are called to do in this life, especially in this moment when our societies and families are really in difficult situations.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we often fail to listen to your teaching because of our selfish desires and pride. Help us to always listen to you and be willing to do good, especially in applying and interpreting laws and regulations. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a blessed week.

Homily For Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B, 8th September, 2024

 

Readings:  Is.35:4-7; Ps.146; James 2:1-5; Mark 7:31-37

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

 

WHY HAVE WE BECOME DEAF AND DUMB AGAIN?
 

Hearing and Speaking are some of the great gifts of God to his creatures, especially the human person. Failure to put these gifts into positive use attracts heavy consequences to human existence.

 

 So, reflecting on the ugly situations of human life in our societies today, especially how people pay attention to the things of this passing world at the expense of the things of God who has given us the gifts of hearing and speaking, how the world has engaged our attention to herself that we have now become deaf and dump to things that concern our spiritual lives and positive coexistence of humanity is quite disturbing.

 

Yes, we claim to be hearing and speaking up about God and the ugly situations around us. Yes, we go to Church as often as possible to hear and speak with God about our situations; we engage in one spiritual activity or another.

 

But the questions that come to mind are: 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 really convinced of what we are doing in the house of God? Are we not confused about our faith as a result of the ugly events and scandals we experience and hear every day? 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 daily activities where humanity often pays deaf ears to the instructions of God by allowing herself to be deceived by the excess desires and attachment to things of this passing world. As a result of this ugly attitude we have separated ourselves from the presence of God out of pride and selfishness and these have made us deaf and dumb again.

 

Thus, today in our Gospel passage, we hear how Jesus dramatically and figuratively wishes to heal us of our deafness and dumbness caused by our constant embracing of the sinful things of this passing world which is well demonstrated in the healing of the deaf and dumb man. A man who represents the deafness and dumbness of humanity towards the word of God.

 

Hence, when this 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, saying, " Ephphatha! Be opened". Immediately, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue loosed, and he was able to 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 and will. For our hearts are often deaf to God’s words, because of our excess attachment to things of this world. And our mouths are also sealed by corruption, greed and sinful habits we have embraced. But in our baptism, we are brought to Christ just like this deaf and dumb man for healing and restoration, so that we can hear the words of God and apply them in our lives and also express them to all humanity by our words and actions.

 

Dear friends, why have we become deaf and dumb again after our ears and lips were opened during our baptism? Why have we chosen to remain deaf and dumb in situations where we ought to listen or speak up? Why have we chosen to remain deaf and dumb towards our spiritual life? Why have we chosen to remain deaf and dumb to those ugly situations in our families, our offices, our societies and our country today? I know God has opened our ears and our lips. Let us put them to positive use for our spiritual growth and the well-being of our family, societies and our country, Nigeria.

 

Today, out of pride and greediness, we have often separated ourselves from the presence of God, and as a result, we have become deaf and dumb to his teachings and instructions. Hence, we all need to have our ears opened once again 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 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. Just as we heard the prophet Isaiah in our first reading saying: Say to all faint hearts, ‘Courage! Do not be afraid. Behold, your God is coming, vengeance is coming, the retribution of God; he is coming to save you. Then, the eyes of the blind shall be opened, the ears of the deaf unsealed, then the lame shall leap like a deer and the tongues of the dumb sing for joy; for water gushes in the desert, streams in the wasteland, the scorched earth becomes a lake, the parched land springs of water.

 

Also, St James, in our second reading, tells us not to compromise our faith in Jesus Christ by making distinctions between classes of people, for God has chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of his Kingdom. So do not be afraid to put into positive use God’s gifts of listening and speaking the truth to humanity. Let us not be dumb when we need to speak. Let us not be deaf when we need to hear. Let us not be silenced by the selfish and greedy attitude that is destroying humanity today. God has given us these wonderful gifts of hearing and speaking; let us put them to positive use and so change our lives, families, societies and countries.

 

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, our strong desire for the things of this passing world has made us 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 through our actions. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Happy Birthday to Mother Mary.