Homily For Monday Twenty-Seventh Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 7th October, 2024. The Memorial of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary

 

Readings: Gal 1:6-12, Ps. 111, Luke 10:25-37

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

WHAT THE LORD REQUIRES OF US

As humans we are always desiring to know what life requires of us, especially when we are faced with the realities of life. We often want to know the things that should be our first priority. So we always ask questions that will help us in addressing most of the challenges we encounter. These questions are sometimes meant to test our ability towards understanding the realities of life.

This is the deposition of the lawyer in our Gospel passage today, who came to Jesus to test him by asked him question concerning the requirements for inheriting eternal life. This lawyer made reference to the 'Shema Israel' - שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל, the prayer that the people of Israel knew and recite from their earliest years, from which they learned that the most important thing in life is to love God with all their heart, and with all thy soul, and with all their mind and to love their neigbhour as well. In other words, loving God with all our heart, with all our understanding and strength, and to love our neighbour as ourselves. These are what the Lord requires of us and it is the foundation of all the things we have to do.

But this lawyer needed more clarification concerning these requirements, then he asked Jesus a second important question when he said: who is my neighbour? At this point Jesus did not just explained, he illustrated who a true neighbour should be with the famous story of the good Samaritan. In fact, from the story Jesus did not just answer the question: ‘who is my neighbor?’ He also demonstrate what a true and righteous neighbour should be like, thereby showing us that our neighbours are often those we least expect to be a neighbours. For our neighbour can be anyone even the ones we most despised or feared just like the good Samaritan and this tells us that a true neighbour shows compassion, love, care and makes sacrifice for others.

And St. Paul in our first reading addressing the people of Galatia concerning what it means to be a good neighbour spoke clearly against all those who misinterpreted the Scriptures and twist the truth for their own selfish purposes and by so doing sowed seed of divisions and confusions among the Christian communities. Thereby, warning us that if anyone should preached a version of the Good News different from the one they have already preached to us, whether it an angel from heaven, he is to be condemned for committing such sin against God and against his neighbours.

This is what the memorial of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary we are celebrating today represents. An event where we recall the famous victory of the Christian faithful against the enemies of the Church in the battle of Lepanto, where through the prayers and intercessions of Our Blessed Mother Mary the Church became victorious when the situation of the Christian faith were in extreme danger and were bitterly divided by the various heresies and splinter groups appearing at the time due to the reformation movement.

Then, Pope Pius V called all of Christendom to pray the rosary fervently, sorting the intercession of Mary the Mother of God that her Son Jesus should be with the faithful fighting for the survival of the Christian faith which was under persecution and trials. And through the power of their love and dedication to praying the Rosary, God granted victory to his faithful people, and this is root of our October devotion.

Dear friends, love is the center of all the teachings of Jesus, for love is a gift from God to humanity. It is like the stream water, so innocent and pure. A true love is not hidden, it radiates from the innermost being of a person who experienced it. If we love God, then, we will see him in others and treat them justly and honourably. We will not hurt our neighbours but do our utmost best to live in peace with them.

The truth is that, the absence of love is the cause of all the problems in our world today as most families exist by grace and not by love. Imagine how wonderful the world would be if we all love one another. How I wish we can invest our time and resources in ensuring love and unity in our dealings with one another. Believe me we will not only be fulfilling the first and greatest commandments of God, but we will be building a happy community.

LET US PRAY: Almighty God, in you resides the fullness of love, grant that through the intercessions of Our Lady of the Rosary we may truly love you and our neighbours and so conquer the world full of hatred, self-centeredness, greed and corruption, we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a fruitful week ahead.

Homily For Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B, 6th October, 2024

 

Readings: Gen. 2:18-24; Ps. 128; Heb. 2:9-11; Matt. 10:2-16

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

GOD’S REAL INTENSION CONCERNING MARRIAGE AND FAMILY LIFE

The fragile nature of our society today has placed in the minds of the youths a distorted image of what marriage and family life truly represent in the society. This is because many young people today find themselves in a condition of radical instability and look for people to help them answer the fundamental questions of life. Today there are different notion and understanding of marriage especially among the youths. Marriage is seen as a business which anybody can engage or disengage at anytime.

Marriage among the youths of today is a thing of choice and contract which is suitable only when it serves their personal interest. But commitment, sacrifice and partnerships of a whole life are far from their understanding of what marriage truly represent. The fact remains that Marriage is the basis of every human family and indeed the basic cell of every community.

Little wonder in our first reading today, we heard the Lord God saying, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone. I will make a helpmate for him and in our Gospel passage today we heard how the Pharisees engaged Jesus on the notion of divorce in marriage and it’s controversy. Jesus refer them to the fundamental principle of marriage when he said, ‘It was because you were so unteachable that Moses wrote this commandment for you.

But from the beginning of creation God made them male and female. This is why a man must leave father and mother, and the two become one body. They are no longer two, therefore, but one body. So then, what God has united, man must not divide. And he said to them, ‘The man who divorces his wife and marries another is guilty of adultery against her. And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another she is guilty of adultery too.

Here, Jesus emphasized on the real intention of God about marriage. Though, there are two forms of life that help us to value human sexuality as a gift from God. This forms includes marriage and Celibate life. So, Jesus ruled out divorce by placing men and women on the same level; no longer could a man opt to divorce his wife. But today there are lots of problems in family due to lack of understanding of what marriage truly means.

It is quite interesting to realize that social, economic and political factors were major determinants that shapes the youth’s present understand of marriage, as we see the youths giving importance to changing trends in marriage such as: single parent, inter-caste marriage, living in relationship or cohabitation, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender marriages, etc. Hence, marriage for them is more of a social phenomenon than spiritual union and physical companionship.

This ugly behaviour must be corrected because marriage is much more than a social phenomenon. To understand what marriage truly means, we need to understand how the Church define marriage in Canon 1055 of code of Canon Law which states that: marriage is the matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole life and which is ordered by its nature to the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring, has been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a sacrament between the baptized.

Here, marriage is defined as a covenant between a man an a woman, that means marriage is sacrificial love not a social events between people or things with a particular selfish interest or ambition. It also talks about the partnership of the whole life which is made for the good of the spouses not for one person, not just for contract that you can abandoned at anytime you feel like. It tells us that marriage must be opened for procreation and education of offspring because most people today are not interested in the procreation and those who are open to procreation are not ready to educate their offspring. Finally since marriage between the baptized is raised to the dignity of sacrament, it must be sacred, enduring for the whole life time and uncontaminated.

Dear friends, we are having issues in marital life because we have chosen to abandoned God in our lives, we feel that God is so rigid, so we want to eliminate him from our activities. Thus, we have abandoned God and divorced him, by trusting on our own power and ability which he has given us. Yet God still remembers the covenant he made with us, he is not ashamed to identify with us.

All he wants is for us to come back to him now that we are still alive for he is a merciful and faithful husband who loves us as his bride. So, today we are called to embrace the will of God and his teaching concerning family life and the issue of divorce. We should not let the trending ideas of disordered personalities in our world mislead us. Rather, we should value and respect the sanctity marriage.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we have always failed to listen and follow you teaching, as a result, there are lots of problems in our families due to lack of understanding of what marriage truly means. As we listen to your teaching today, help us to value our vocation whether marriage or celibate life and to constantly struggle to fix the problems in our families, we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Happy Sunday

Homily For Saturday Twenty-Sixth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 5th October, 2024

 

Readings: Job 42:1-3.5-6.12-17, Ps.119, Luke 10:17-24

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

DO NOT REJOICE BECAUSE THE DEVIL SUBMITS TO YOU; REJOICE RATHER THAT YOUR NAMES ARE WRITTEN IN HEAVEN

In the mission of Christ, there are so many things that can make us happy and oftentimes we hope to have more of them. But there is one goal that should be the bases for all our desires. And this is what Jesus is telling us in our Gospel passage today, for when his disciples came back rejoicing with the report of how they were victorious on the mission he sent them.

Jesus said to them: ‘I watched Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Yes, I have given you power to tread underfoot serpents and scorpions and the whole strength of the enemy; nothing shall ever hurt you. Yet do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you; rejoice rather that your names are written in heaven.

Here, Jesus made it clear that the true joy of our mission is to make heaven and he warns us to be careful, and make sure our priorities and motivations are found around this one goal of making it to heaven. Little wonder Jesus, filled with joy by the Holy Spirit, said, ‘I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and of earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to mere children. Thus, if we are ready to open our heart in humility and simplicity, God himself will reveal many things to us about himself.

Dear friends, this is exactly what happened in the life of Job in our first reading, for when he opened his heart to God, Job realize his faults and he repented from his mistakes, and embraced the will of God for him as he remained faithful even in the most difficult times in his life. And God, blessed and restored him even much more than before, thereby telling us that those who hold onto God till the end despite the trials and persecutions of life, God will bless and restore us to his glory.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, today we are made to know that the true Joy of our mission is to make heaven, may we experience this true Joy of your heavenly kingdom. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a fruitful weekend.

Homily For Friday Twenty-Sixth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 4th October, 2024. The Memorial of St. Francis of Assisi

Readings:  Job 38: 1.12-21.40:3-5; Ps. 139, Luke 10:13-16

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

WOE! TO HUMANITY AND THE CITIES THAT HAVE FAILED TO EMBRACE THE WORD OF GOD

Reflecting on the ugly and fragile nature of our societies and the world as a whole, especially how the streets are full of people struggling and suffering, the markets are full of people buying, selling, cheating and manipulating others. Our leaders are so busy with acquiring, manipulating and embezzling the common resources, not minding the struggles, the tears, the disappointments that people are passing through everyday. 

Today some people have lost hope in themselves and even in everything they do. We are  blessed with every good thing you can talk about but we have misused them and use them to abuse one another. We are just so busy with everything except the very essence of our existence, that is, the salvation of our souls. 

This ugly and fragile kind of condition is what Jesus is addressing in our Gospel passage today as he continues with his reproaches, this time to cities where he had done great miracles, yet the people failed to embrace the life of the Gospel he preached. Hence he reproached them saying: woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. And still, I tell you that it will not go as hard on Judgement day with Tyre and Sidon as with you’. 

No doubt, Jesus has taught us about the kingdom of God and proclaimed a message of healing and conversion but his teaching and powerful deeds have not yet been embraced by humanity. Hence, Jesus in this Gospel is not just rebuking the cities of Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum, but all humanity for not being open to the fruits of his Gospel. 

Today he is calling us to reflect on how we are losing out on what God is offering us. Because God will always have plans to correct us if we are ready to listen to him just like Job in our first reading today, who surrendered to the will of God after he realized the awesome power of God for he was ignorant of it before this encounter.

The same with St. Francis of Assisi, whose memorial we celebrate today. He was known for his deep spirituality towards listening to the Word of God and his humble act of charity to the poor and needy. He once said we must not be wise and prudent according to the flesh. Rather we must be simple, humble and pure. We should never desire to be over others.

Dear friends, we must not let Jesus say woe to us for failing to embrace the Word of God. Though, we might not feel very comfortable with the idea of Jesus rebuking and uttering terrible words of threats on these big and powerful cities that represents all of us and humanity at large. But the questions we need to ask ourselves are: have we really embraced the Word of God we hear everyday? Is the Word bearing fruits in our lives? 

Can we recognize in this fragile condition the great work that Jesus is doing to save humanity and the need to turn back to God? Do we think that repentance is for others and not for us? Jesus is saying woe to us for failing to embrace and live out the Gospel teachings, because he seem to expect some sort of changes in us when we hear his Words or when we encounter him in prayers. 

Therefore, God is calling us to repentance, He wants to come into our souls and dwells. Today He is rebuking all humanity, He wants us to come to Him for He comes to us more than we go to Him. Hence, if we believe in God, and put our trust in Him, we will have the assurance and guarantee of restoration, for God does not want us to suffer the consequences of our sins, that is why He kept reminding us about the up coming danger. But, if humanity constantly refuse to believe in God, we may end up in self destruction. 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, as we embrace your words today, may we experience your love, joy and healing both physically, materially and more importantly spiritually, as we wait patiently for the restoration of all humanity from the ugly and fragile condition of this passing world. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. God bless you.

Homily For Thursday Twenty-Sixth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 3th October, 2024. The Memorial of St Therese of the Child Jesus

 

Readings: Jobs 19:21-27; Ps. 27;  Luke 10:1-12

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

THE HARVEST IS RICH BUT THE LABOURERS ARE FEW

Oftentimes, we find it difficult to actively participate in the mission of Christ, This is because the rebellious nature of humanity has always keep us away from responding to God's invitation to serve, for we have always failed to understand God’s ways of doing things. However, God has not stopped caring and stretching his hands of love towards us. In every generation, God always sends messengers to remind us of his love and plan for humanity.

 

Thus, in our Gospel passage today, we heard how the Lord appointed seventy-two persons and sent them out ahead of him, in pairs, to all the towns and places he was to visit. He said to them, ‘The harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to his harvest. Start now, but remember, I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. Carry no purse, no haversack, no sandals. Salute no one on the road. Whatever house you go into, let your first words be, “Peace to this house!

 

Here, Jesus gave us the nature and requirements for carrying out his missionary mandate successfully. So, to continue this great mission he invites his disciples and sends them out, commanding them to see themselves as someone who gives freely of the good they have received from God. Hence, we should offer to others what we have received from God, knowing that it has cost us nothing.

 

We must live a life of detachment that is, in this mission, we are to depend totally on God's providence. Unfortunately, many of the disciples have to face rejection and persecution from people, who through their rebellious attitude have refused to believe in God and are hostile to his message and mission. God has always been so patient, loving, caring and forgiving us. This is what we see in the life of Job in our first reading today when he said: This I know: that my Avenger lives, and he, the Last, will take his stand on earth. After my awaking, he will set me close to him,  and from my flesh I shall look on God.

 This is also what we see in the life of St. Therese of the Child Jesus whose memorial we celebrate today. For when a priest told her that her falling asleep during prayer was due to a want of fervour and fidelity and she should be desolate over it, she wrote “I am not desolate. I remember that little children are just as pleasing to their parents when they are asleep as when they are awake.”

Dear friends, the Lord is sending us as sheep among the wolves of this world. How are we responding to this mission? What is our attitude towards the missionary mandate of Christ? How has the Word of God shaped our lives? Have you ever shed tears after listening to the word of God? As disciples of Christ, we have received a lot from God without payment; we should learn to give without expecting a reward.

 

Today, God is calling us to acknowledge with gratitude all that we have received from God and give freely to others that which we have received. For this act of charity will purify us from pride and self-righteousness, because we are all recipients of God's love, mercy, forgiveness, favour, protection, healing and deliverance. So, we must offer to others these same gifts which we have received.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, today you gave us the requirements and nature of our missionary mandate. Help us to effectively follow these requirements, we ask this through Christ our Lord Amen. God bless you.

Homily For Wednesday Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B, 2nd October, 2024. The Memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels

 

 Readings:  Job 9:1-12.15-16, Ps. 88, Matt.18:1-5.10

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

WHAT IS THE FUNCTION OF OUR GUARDIAN ANGELS

As humans we often experience some level of favour, providence and protection which we do not expect. Sometime we wonder how we managed to escape some dangerous actions on our way or what has inspired and sustained us in doing great works. 

The answer to this question is found in the memorial we are celebrating today, that is, our Holy Guardian Angels whom God had set before us. Their function is to be our guide and protector in our constant struggle against war that rages in our souls. In this angels we celebrate God’s loving care for each and everyone of us, for God sends them to guide and to protect us. They are higher being then us but God put them at our service. 

The angels have one goal in mind that is the glorification of God, which for our sake consist in our salvation and sanctification. They are prepared to do anything in order to procure our salvation and increase our sanctification. So, angels do protect us physically but more than that, they protect us more spiritually especially guiding and protecting our souls from the danger of sin and condemnation. 

The Angels do this by putting in us a holy fear, or contempt for those evil we know we should avoid. They enlighten our minds in order to help us to know the good we ought to do and the evil we are to avoid, this they do by acting upon the sensible part of our souls, our emotions and sentiments and so inspire us with joy, peace and favour of God. For God communicate his message to us through their mediation.

This is what we see in the life of Job in our first reading where we heard how Job, who although was suffering and passing through many troubles, including his friends who abandoned him and even accused him of wrongdoing remained committed to God in righteousness without blaming neither God nor the people for his misfortunes. 

Thereby teaching each and every one of us how to cooperate with our guardian Angels to respond and react in the moment of trials and difficulties. Thus, in our Gospel passage today Jesus, tell us to be humble like little children in following the directives of our Guardian Angels. As he also warned us from misleading the little children in their faith or in harming them, for their Angels in heaven are constantly interceding for them.

Dear friends, God has always provided for us and protected us. He often send his Angels before us. All we have to do is to trust in the Lord and follow the directives that our Guardian Angels had proposed for us. Because, they are always before God interceding and praying constantly for us. They often speak to us and communicate the message of God to us, but we are often too busy and distracted by the noisy thing of this passing world, which the devil has been using to lead us astray. We can not give-in to his schemes if we remain faithful and attentive to our Holy Guardian Angels.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, we thank you for the gift of our Guardian Angels, today we ask that through their intercession may we always find favour in your sight and before men. Let us always be defended by their protection and rejoice eternally in their company as we say: Angel of God, our guardian dear, to whom God’s love commits us here. Ever this day be at our side, to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen. Do have a fruitful day.

Homily For Tuesday Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B, 1st October, 2024. The Solemnity of Our Lady Queen & Patroness of NIGERIA. (HAPPY NEW MONTH)

 

Readings: Is.11:1-10, Ps.72, Eph. 2:13-22, Matt.2:13-14.19-23

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

A NATION IN NEED OF RADICAL TRANSFORMATION 

Today we are celebrating our country’s independent, we thank God who has made it possible for us to witness this day. But today’s celebration should plunge us into deep reflection about the ugly condition of this country. We need to ask ourselves, what have we done right? What have we done wrong? How can we do better and what will the future of this country be like?

There is no doubt that the root of all the problems in our world today is the love of power.  For people are ready to do anything to be on power and to retain that power. This is what we see in the life of Herod in our Gospel passage today, where the Holy family of Jesus have to flee away to Egypt, because Herod planned to kill an innocent child for the sake of retaining his power. 

This ugly attitude is not far from us today especially in our country Nigeria which is in the state of distress because of love of power and greediness among the people in power and even the common citizens. This is because the elements of good and bad seem inherent in human condition, little wonder the world involves both good and bad mixed together. This will help us to understand the reason for the corruption, greediness, immoral and social decadence in our country today. 

Dear friends, the rate of corruption and greediness in this country is so appalling. People are never tired of acquiring and embezzling public funds for their own selfish gain. The truth is that, we need a radical transformation. A transformation that will brings about a new out fit that makes one a new person, with a new life, a new mind and a new way of doing things. 

This is possible only when we understand the shortness of this life, the emptiness of this passing world and the danger of greediness, then we will be able to do things the right way.  For this country will be transformed only when the power of love and good will supersedes the love of power, when justice and faithfulness becomes the habit of everyone of us in this country.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, out of selfishness and greediness we have committed a lot of crimes and injustice against one another, grant that through the intercession of Our Lady Queen and Patroness of Nigeria, we may resolve to have genuine love and good will in carrying out our activities in the societies as you guide and direct us to learn how to do the right thing always by letting the power of love to transform the ugly situation in our country. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Happy new month and God bless you.