Homily For Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B, 27th October, 2024

Readings: Jer. 31:7-9; Ps. 126; Heb.5:1-6; Mark 10:46-52

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

LORD, THAT I MAY SEE!

Nature has made us know that one of the most important organs of the human body is the eyes. The Eye is the organ of sight, it is the most important organ for locating and observing the world around us because the eyes help us to see and observe things. It’s a complex organ that takes in information and sends it to the brain to process and create a command for the whole body.

To understand the importance and safety of this organ, the eye has three layers: the outer layer is fibrous and protective, the middle layer is vascular, and the eyeball is surrounded by a layer of orbital fat for its safety. This is because any eye-related symptoms can be a clue to issues affecting the whole body. Now we can understand the difficult situation of Bartimaeus and the intervention of Jesus in our Gospel passage today

There is no doubt that Jesus has deep compassion for human difficulty and suffering, which springs from the love of God the Father and constitutes the basis of the Church’s liberating activities. This, of course, manifests in different ways in the scriptures and the life of the Church.

Hence, we can see how Jesus manifested his compassion for human suffering in the story of Bartimaeus, the blind beggar who gave us a complete lesson about faith, expressed with total simplicity in front of Christ Jesus. He had faith enough to cry out to Jesus as he passed by, even when he was scolded by the people close to him. His need for Jesus was so great that he cried all the louder: Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!

Then Jesus asked him a very important question: “What do you want me to do for you?” So even though his need was obvious, Jesus wanted him to mention it. In the same way today, Jesus is asking us: my child what do you want me to do for you? Why not like this blind beggar and tell Jesus what you need? Even though he knows your needs, you still need to present them before him. This blind man needed his eyesight restored, so he said aloud to Jesus, “Lord, that I may see!” And Jesus said: ‘Go your way; your faith has saved you.’

Here, we will understand the importance of our physical and spiritual sight. Here we understand the need to ask the Lord to open our eyes so that we can see. Most of us are physically and spiritually blind we need to say: Lord, that I may see! Many ugly situations in our lives, family, society and country require us to ask the Lord to open our eyes so that we can see.

Are you struggling with difficult situations? Are you confused? Are jobless? Are you looking for a life partner? Are you about to start up something? Are you sick? Are you under bondage or addicted to drugs and sinful attitudes? Is your life falling apart because of your old age or past mistakes? Tell the Lord to open your eyes so that you can see the foresight and insight of life like Bartimaeus.

Today, we see in Bartimaeus, a man whose faith led him to put off his former identity as a blind beggar and cry in hope for restoration. Bartimaeus’s faith involves knowing, believing, proclamation, prayer, personal encounter, liberation and following Jesus. More so, Jesus, in this healing, reveals his compassion towards human sufferings and wants us to imitate Bartimaeus’s faith in our struggles and challenges of life.

Little wonder we heard the Lord through prophet Jeremiah in our first reading today saying: Shout with joy for Jacob! Hail the chief of nations! Proclaim! Praise! Shout: ‘The Lord has saved his people, the remnant of Israel!’ See, I will bring them back from the land of the North and gather them from the far ends of the earth; all of them: the blind and the lame, women with children, women in labour: a great company returning home.

They had left in tears; I will comfort them as I lead them back; I will guide them to streams of water by a smooth path where they will not stumble. Yes, the Lord cares and loves his people. He wishes to gather us together from where we are scattered, humiliated and lost in the world in order to share in his heavenly kingdom which our Lord Jesus came to establish in the hearts of humanity.

Thus, in our second reading, we heard that our Lord Jesus Christ is the saviour of all humanity and the High Priest of all, appointed to act for men in their relations with God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins, and so he can sympathize with those who are ignorant or uncertain.

Here, we see the power and mandate of Christ to all towards the missionary activities of the redemption of humanity. So, from the Priestly function of Christ, we all share in the Priestly missionary mandate of Christ which requires sacrifice of all we have: our time, talents, resources and even our lives. Therefore, what obstacles are stopping us from being part of these missionary activities and achieving our goals in life?

Dear friends, what is that obstacle in your life that distracts and limits you from achieving your goals and passion? What is the one thing you need in your life? Have we ever felt helpless? Do we feel the need for Jesus’ help in some part of our lives? Do we know people who are helpless and in need of some help? How strong is our compassion towards them? Let us look at them for a moment and imagine Jesus looking at them. How does he see them? Why not, in faith, present our needs before Jesus, who is willing and ready to help us?

Friends, our country is going through a difficult time due to bad leaders who have put us in a helpless situation. Like Bartimaeus, we need to cry out to God for help. But, what do you really want the Lord to do for you? What is that one thing we need in this country? Let us present it before the Lord today just like Bartimaeus.

So, like Jesus, each one of us is called today to reach out to people around us who are really in need of our assistance. This includes our family members, our neighbours, our colleagues and others who we encounter in life. The truth is that you may be the only person who can bring the healing and compassion of Jesus into their lives today.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, as we celebrate the Eucharist today, help us to overcome the obstacles in our lives. May we experience once again your compassionate love and grant our hearts desire according to your Holy will, we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Happy Sunday to you all.

Homily For Saturday Twenty-Ninth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 26th October, 2024

Readings: Eph.4:7-16, Ps 122 , Luke 13:1-9
Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

NOW IS THE RIGHT TIME TO REPENT LESS WE PERISH

With the ugly situation in our country today, there is no doubt that both the poor and the rich are testifying to it suffering in our society. Hence, we can feel the struggles, the scarcity of food and resources, the kidnappings, the killings, the flooding, the tears, and the disappointments that people are passing through every day. Some people are losing 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 hope and faith of the people. All these are signs from God who gives us the opportunity to repent from our sinful ways of life.
 
This is what Jesus is telling us in our Gospel passage today when he said: “Do you suppose the Galileans who suffered like this were greater sinners than any other Galileans? They were not, I tell you. No, but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did. Then with a parable of the barren fig tree, Jesus demonstrated how God has made every moment of our lives an opportunity for us to repent and be fruitful.
 
This is clear when he said in the parable, “Look, for three years now I have been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and finding none. Cut it down: why should it be taking up the ground?” “Sir,” the man replied, “leave it one more year and give me time to dig round it and manure it: it may bear fruit next year; if not, then you can cut it down.” 
 
Such is God’s patience with us for he gives us the opportunity to turn away from our sinful and ugly ways of life. Repentance is the key message of this Gospel, for Jesus makes it clear that those who suffered and were killed were not worse offenders than others; rather, he uses the opportunity to call us to repentance. Note that the purpose of this message is not for condemnation but for redemption.
 
This is what St. Paul is emphasizing in our first reading saying: we shall not be children any longer, or be tossed one way or another and carried along by every wind of doctrine, at the mercy of all the tricks men play and their cleverness in practising deceit. But if we live by the truth and in love, we shall grow in all ways into Christ, who is the head by whom the whole body is fitted and joined together.
 
Dear friends, this call for repentance shows us that it is not too late for us to repent, for this may be the last opportunity. Because we can never tell what will happen in the next moment. We can never tell who is the next to die, and we can never know the form it will take, or where it will occur. All that matters is for us to repent now that we still have the opportunity.
 
Therefore, let us repent now, for repentance helps us to be well-disposed in life and for death. It helps us to live right and at peace with God and with one another. It gives us the courage and confidence to face any situation without fear of death.
 
LET US PRAY: Almighty, ever-living 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. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a blessed and safe weekend.

Homily For Friday Twenty-Ninth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 25th October 2024

Readings: Eph.4:1-6, Ps 24, Luke 12: 54-59

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

WHY HAVE WE FAILED TO INTERPRET THE TRUE SIGNS OF THIS PASSING WORLD?

As a human person, we often try to discern the events happening around us in order to predict what can be the outcome of such events in the future. We often read the signs of nature in order to predict what will happen in the future.

Little wonder Jesus, while rebuking the crowd in our Gospel reading today, said: when you see a cloud looming up in the west, you say at once that rain is coming, and so it does. And when the wind is from the south you say it will be hot, and it is. Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the face of the earth and the sky. How is it you do not know how to interpret these times?

Here, Jesus condemned the ugly attitudes of the crowds for they can read the signs of nature and so predict the future, but now out of jealousy and selfishness, they have failed to recognize the truth by refusing to acknowledge in Jesus one who comes from God, one who speaks God’s word and acts in the power of God. So Jesus rebuked them for such a hypocritical attitude. In the second aspect of the Gospel, Jesus is asking us to put things right while there is still time.

Thus, St. Paul, in our first reading, implores us to lead a life worthy of our vocation. To bear with one another charitably, in complete selflessness, gentleness and patience by preserving the unity of the Spirit, knowing that we are one Body, one Spirit, sharing the same hope in one Lord, one faith, one baptism in one God who is Father of all.

Dear friends, there are so many signs around us today. How are you interpreting the signs of this passing world, the signs that tell us that this world is passing by? What is our disposition towards these signs? Can we identify the signs of our time? How can we understand and interpret them? Are we reading the hand of God in what is going on around us, especially in our country, societies and our families? How are we responding to these signs? What do we think Jesus would do if he was living with us now? Today, Jesus is calling us to discernment. We have to discern our actions towards the signs we see in our world today.

Though it is very easy to condemn the ugly situation going on in our country, societies and families, are we learning anything from it? Are we having any sense of guilt and repentance? Why allow this evil to linger in us by getting into endless arguments and deception when we already know what is right?

Why waste so much time arguing about unnecessary things while missing out on the main points that are more basic and challenging? I think it is time we come back to the real issues, which are justice, honesty, transparency, equity, love and respect for human life and property. These are the things we all need to put right at all levels and sectors we find ourselves.

LET US PRAY: Almighty God, in every event that happens to us, you said, has your mark on it. Help us to discern the signs of our time, in order to embrace your will for us and to follow you wherever you may lead us as we struggle to overcome the ugly situation in our country, societies and families. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. May God protect and keep us safe always.

Homily For Thursday Twenty-Ninth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 24th October 2024

Readings: Eph.3:14-21; Ps 33; Luke 12: 49-53

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

WHY WILL HE BRING DIVISION INSTEAD OF PEACE?

The way things are going in our societies today, we need to think twice about our faith as Christians and whether we are ready to live out our faith in the midst of the ugly situation in our country today. The hostility, brutality, persecution and influential power of the things of this world, which have eaten deep into the minds of our leaders, are quite disturbing, for things are getting tougher, and we need to do something about it.

Therefore, if we are willing to live out our Christian faith and obligations, then we need to make a radical decision towards our discipleship in a personal and radical way, for these days, it is not enough to say am a Christian, we must convincingly and radically practice our faith by following the example of our Lord Jesus.

Little wonder Jesus in our Gospel passage today, takes his discourse on discipleship to a radical and difficult level when he said: 'Do you suppose that I am here to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. From now on, a household of five will be divided: three against two and two against three; the father divided against the son, son against father, mother against daughter, a daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law, a daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.

Here, Jesus does not directly intend to cause tensions and divisions in family life, but he wants us to accept the consequences that come with the truth of the Gospel teaching, more importantly, when it comes to living out the Gospel message radically, especially in a situation where our family values have been thrown out of caution as a result of secularism, individualism and excess desires for worldly pleasures and possessions, thereby neglecting the things that lead us to God.

So, these hard words of Jesus can only be understood in the light of our life experience because there are moments when we have to make radical and difficult choices as disciples of Jesus. These moments may wield the sword of division or separation among those people and things which are so dear to us.

However, Jesus does not endorse us engaging in armed conflict, but he warns that we have to struggle to put him first before family ties, knowing that divisions will surely occur as people have to decide to be for or against God. Hence, he states that the cost of discipleship extends to one even losing his life. Because following Jesus demands the sacrifice of all that one has.

None of us can become his true disciple if we do not give up our excess desire for worldly pleasures and possessions and pay our unreserved loyalty and allegiance to God over all other competing loyalties in our lives, including family, self-interest, and possessions. Little wonder St. Paul in our first reading prayed for us to grow strong in faith and love of God our Father whom every family, whether spiritual or natural, takes its name

Dear friends, we are called today to make a radical decision to sincerely and faithfully live out our Christian faith and morals. But how much are we willing to let go for the sake of our faith in God? Why are we finding it difficult to follow Jesus? What are habitual desires and possessions that are holding us from making this radical decision today? It is time to come to God with all our hearts, for tomorrow may be too late.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, the excess desire for the pleasurable things of this passing world have weakened our hearts towards you, give us courage and grace to let go of our ugly desires and attitudes, so as to hold firm in our faith despite losing people and things that are dear to us, as we ask you to heal and transform our nation once again. This we ask through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a fruitful day.

Homily For Wednesday Twenty-Ninth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 23rd October 2024

 

Readings: Eph.3:2-12, Isaiah 12, Luke 12: 39-48

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

WHY MUST WE STAND READY?

Oftentimes when I observed how people devote time and energy to rigorous preparation towards achieving their goals. I realized that adequate preparation is the secret and foundation of every successful event. Then I said to myself, if we can go to this length of rigorous periods of preparation just for things of this passing world, it will be even more demanding when it has to do with preparing for eternal life.

Therefore, if we can devote such time and energy towards our spiritual life, which we often neglect, we will be more awake and prepared for the day of the Lord. This is what Jesus is telling us in our Gospel passage today when he said to his disciples: “Be quite sure of this, that if the householder had known at what hour the burglar would come, he would not have let anyone break through the wall of his house. You too must stand ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.’

Then he used the parable of faithful and wise steward to make this point clearer. He concluded by saying: when a man has had a great deal given him, a great deal will be demanded of him; when a man has had a great deal given him on trust, even more will be expected of him.’

In this passage, we have two commands at the beginning and the end, which are not quite the same. The first command is based on God’s coming at a “day” when you do not know, and the second has to do with managing the responsibility entrusted to us. For, just like the householder’s ignorance of the time when the thief would come is the reason why he does not watch.

Thus, our ignorance of the day and time should be the reason for our watchfulness in order to prevent being robbed. So, the image of the thief is chosen to illustrate the unexpected approach of the second coming of Christ, which will be a great surprise to those who are asleep as they will be robbed of Heaven and even their earthly treasures.

Hence, Jesus commanded us to stay awake, because we do not know either the day or the hour when the Lord will come. And St. Paul, in our first reading, says: I, who am less than the least of all the saints, have been entrusted with this special grace, not only of proclaiming to the pagans the infinite treasure of Christ but also of explaining how the mystery is to be dispensed. So, how are we managing the responsibility entrusted to us, especially the responsibility of managing our lives and also the lives and properties entrusted to us on a great deal of which great deal is expected from us?

Dear friends, as managers of God’s resources, we must stand ready to avoid being robbed of our earthly and heavenly treasures. We must be courageous, wise, patient and prudent, knowing that our lives as Christians demand that we should be alert. We should be prepared at all times and be ready to make sacrifices like faithful and wise stewards.

We should be watchful for we know neither the day nor the hour when the Lord will call us. Hence, we are reminded today that this world is passing away, so we need to stay awake and be ready as we look into our inner being and our interior life to embrace the life of holiness and self-control that will help us to be more prepared.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we often fail to listen to your warnings concerning the things of this passing world and the need for us to stay awake and be ready for your coming; give us the grace and wisdom to be well prepared to stand before you whenever you call us. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Peace be with you.

Homily For Tuesday Twenty-Ninth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 22nd October 2024

Readings: Eph.2:12-22, Ps.84:9-14, Luke 12:36-38

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

WILL YOU BE READY WHEN THE LORD SHALL COME?

There are two most important events in our life as a human person. One is well known, prepared and constantly celebrated, that is, our birthday. The other, which is the ultimate, is not known and less attention and preparation is being made for it, that is, the day of our departure from this world.

So, Jesus, knowing how important this day is, instructed his disciples in our Gospel passage today, saying: “Be like men waiting for their master to return from the wedding feast, ready to open the door as soon as he comes and knocks. It may be in the second watch he comes, or in the third, wait for him, for happy are those servants if he finds them ready when he comes.”

Here, we have a scenario which illustrates the unexpected approach of the coming of Christ, which will be a great surprise to those who are asleep as they will be missing out on the heavenly joy and also be deprived of their earthly treasures. But for those that shall be found awake and ready, the Lord's coming will be a happy day, while for those that are not prepared, it will be very dreadful. Thus our ignorance of the day and time of his coming is the reason for our watchfulness, so we must be awake and ready at all times.

And St. Paul, in our first reading, made us know that we are no longer aliens or foreign visitors: we are citizens like all the saints and part of God’s household. We are part of a building that has the apostles and prophets as its foundations and Christ Jesus himself as its main cornerstone. For this reason, we should be more prepared and ready for that glorious day of the Lord.

Dear friends, will you be ready when the Lord shall come? For we are called today to be ready. We are called to repentance. We are called to embrace the new life the Lord is offering us. We are called to a life of constant struggle towards perfection in order to embrace the Lord whenever he comes. Therefore, preparation is the key word. Let us not be deceived when the world suggests to us that the day of death is not coming soon so forget who we are, and then, the day and time will take us by surprise.

Rather, let us be like those wise servants who are prepared at all times for the coming of the master. Thus, we must change our disposition, especially as regards our attitude towards the things of this passing world, in order to embrace more of the things that will lead us to our heavenly kingdom, for we are nothing but travellers in this world.

LET US PRAY, Lord God; today, you ask us to be ready for your coming; increase in us the desire to be prepared and ready for that inevitable event of death so that whenever it comes, it will not be a shock to us, we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. It's a lovely day, may God bless your efforts and grant success to the works of your hands.

Homily For Monday Twenty-Ninth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 21st October, 2024

 

Readings: Eph 2:1:10, Ps.100, Luke 12:13-21

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

IF THE LORD SHOULD MAKE DEMANDS OF YOUR SOUL TODAY, YOUR WORLDLY POSSESSIONS, WHOSE WILL THEY BE?

There is no doubt that the material things of this passing world are very necessary for our well-being. They are gifts from God and he alone gives us the right to them. But what we possess is meant to help us grow in our relationship with God and our neighbours, not to separate us from them, because if we are not careful, too much love for material possessions can be an obstacle on our way towards God’s Kingdom. Little wonder Jesus, in our Gospel passage today, warns us against covetousness and excessive attachment to worldly possessions. This he greatly emphasized with the story of the Rich Man’s Harvest.

In this story a rich man who, having had a good harvest from his farm, thought to himself, “What am I to do? I do not have enough room to store my crops.” Then he said, “This is what I will do: I will pull down my barns and build bigger ones, and store all my grain and my goods in them, and I will say to my soul: My soul, you have plenty of good things laid by for many years to come; take things easy, eat, drink, have a good time.” But God said to him, “Fool! This very night, the demand will be made for your soul and this hoard of yours, whose will it be then?

Here, Jesus tells his disciples about the need to live a life of detachment. He used this story to teach his disciples and all of us about the futility of worldly desires and their pursuits. Thereby showing us the foolishness of human greed, as well as pride and ego. For in this man, we see the uselessness of human selfishness, covetousness and excess desire for worldly possession.

He constantly focused only on himself, saying I will do this, I will do that, ‘my goods, my fruits, my barns, my soul, etc, without any interest or room for his neighbours or the poor. He has no thought of God, nor his servants. If he had looked a little beyond himself, he would have seen many places where he could have bestowed his crops. Thus, there is a need for us to constantly prune ourselves from excess love for material possessions of this passing world.

The fact remains that material possessions in themselves are good, for we would not survive for long without them, but excess attachment to them at the expense of eternal life is grade-one suicide. No doubt, it is difficult to give out or share our possessions, but the ones who give up everything are the ones who receive more in this life as well as in heaven.

For St. Paul tells us in our first reading that we all, like those in the past, are living sensual lives, ruled entirely by our physical desires and our ideas; so we that by nature we were as much under God’s anger as the rest of the world. But God loved us with so much love that he was generous with his mercy: when we were dead through our sins, he brought us to life with Christ.

Dear friends, if the Lord Should call us today, what becomes of our souls and our worldly possessions? Today, detaching and sharing what we possess with others, especially the poor, is a sure way to find life, peace, and happiness. And Jesus is telling us that it will be difficult for us to enter his kingdom when we choose to attach ourselves to the riches of this passing world. Though material possessions are gifts from God, and he alone gives us the right to have them, what we possess is not meant to separate us from God; rather, they should help us to grow in our relationship with God and our neighbours.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we are living in a world where materialism is the order of the day; help us to learn how to live a life of detachment and prune us always from the sin of covetousness and pride; we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a blessed week.