Homily For Third Sunday of Advent Year C (Gaudete Sunday), 15th December 2024

 

Readings: Zep. 3:14-18; Ps. Is. 12:2-6; Phil. 4:4-7; Luke 3:10-18

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

REJOICE! REJOICE! BUT HOW CAN WE REJOICE IN THE WORLD OF CRISIS, WICKEDNESS AND SIN?

The entrance antiphon of today’s Mass begins by saying: Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice. Indeed, the Lord is near. Yes, every third Sunday of Advent the Church celebrates Gaudete Sunday, the Sunday in Advent season when we are called to rejoice for the coming of the Lord is very near.

On this Sunday, we put on rose vestments a colour that is only used twice in the entire liturgical year, first on a day like this when we celebrate the Gaudete Sunday and secondly on the fourth Sunday of Lent when we celebrate the Laetare Sunday. This Gaudete Sunday is named as such because we are called to rejoice in the Lord forever.

So, our focus this Sunday is on the theme of Joy, and we can recall that for the past two Sundays of Advent, our focus was on the aspects of Hope and Peace. Today, this theme of Joy ushers us into the most important disposition of the season of Advent that calls us to prepare for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ at Christmas, when the true Joy of the Lord will be born in our hearts.

Little wonder prophet Zephaniah, in our first reading today, said: Shout for joy, daughter of Zion, Israel, shout aloud! Rejoice, exult with all your heart, daughter of Jerusalem! The Lord has repealed your sentence; he has driven your enemies away. The Lord, the king of Israel, is in your midst; you have no more evil to fear.

This message of hope and joy came at a time when the people of Israel had just returned from their long exile in Babylon, for they had faced great humiliation and suffering due to their infidelities and stubbornness, their abandonment of God, His laws and commandments. Because of these grievous sins, they were sent to exile in Babylon where they were brought low and defeated, but as the Lord remembered them and saved them once again, prophet Zephaniah called them once again to rejoice.

Dear friends, the ugly situation humanity has found herself today is quite similar to the situation of the people of Israel in Babylon and this can prevent us from rejoicing. Today, humanity has found herself in Babylon of different degrees, and it seems as if there is no hope for her restoration, and this has taken our joy away. Today, we have found ourselves in deep Babylon of sin, corruption, impurity, immorality and evil of the highest order; hence to rejoice becomes difficult.

We have found ourselves in Babylon of iniquities of the highest degree, we have found ourselves in Babylon of wars and killing of each other. We have found ourselves in Babylon of hatred as never before. People hate each other at different levels, colours, and religions, even within our families and shamelessly among married couples.

Oh humanity, we have chosen to dwell in Babylon of greediness, where one will choose to kill, blackmail and tarnish the good image of people just to have it all, I, I, I, me, me, me, is the slogan of the day, if I can’t have it no one will have it. Oh, poor humanity, why have we chosen to dwell in Babylon of immorality at the highest level in the history of mankind?

No single respect for the sanctity of the human body and soul. We dine in sexual immoralities of different degrees and we package them with beautiful names to make them even more captivating. Everything we do now must be sexy in order to gain recognition.

What is going on with us? When will this Babylon be over? When are we going to say no to these ugly ways of life? When will we say no to oppression and criminal activities? When will we say no to killing, blackmail and tarnishing of the good image of one another?

When will we say no to corruption, impurity and greediness? When will we say no to hatred and unforgiveness? When will we say yes to the life of integrity, holiness, and purity of heart? When will we say yes to goodwill and care for one another? When will we say yes to peace, love, kindness and respect for one another?

Today in our Gospel passage, we heard the people, after embracing the message of John the Baptist, asked him, saying: what then should we do? How can we begin anew? How can we say no to these ugly ways of life? John said to them: If anyone has two tunics he must share, that is charity, we must be charitable. He said ‘Exact no more than your rate, that is, a call to quit corruption, impurity, greediness and immortality. ’No intimidation! No extortion! Be content with your pay.

My dear friends, we can truly rejoice when we embrace this message of John the Baptist. We can only rejoice when we say yes to God and no to evil. We can only rejoice when we become agents of peace. And when this happens, we can now embrace the words of St Paul in our first-second reading where he said: Rejoice, always rejoice in the Lord; I repeat, what I want is your happiness. Let your tolerance be evident to everyone: the Lord is very near. Fear not, but let the peace of the Lord reign in your heart. Remember, the birth of Jesus is the reason why we are rejoicing.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we thank you for the gift of your love and joy as you call us to rejoice today in preparation for the coming of your Son, our Lord Jesus; help us to do away with our ugly ways of life that prevent us from obtaining your true Joy. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Happy Sunday.

Homily For Saturday, the Second Week of Advent Year C, 14th December 2024. The Memorial of St. John of the Cross

Reading: Sir. 48:1-4.9-12; Ps 80; Matt. 17:10-13

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

THE LIFE AND WORK OF PROPHETS

In our societies today people often desire to hear the message from the prophet to know what God is saying as regards their situation in life. This is the disposition of the people at the time of Jesus. Little wonder, in our Gospel passage today, we heard how the disciples of Jesus, after their experience of the Lord’s transfiguration, as they were coming down from the mountains, asked Jesus, saying: why do the scribes say then that Elijah has to come first?’ ‘True,’ he replied ‘Elijah is to come to see that everything is once more as it should be; however, I tell you that Elijah has come already, and they did not recognise him but treated him as they pleased, and the Son of Man will suffer similarly at their hand.

Here a reference Is made to John the Baptist, the one who was the Herald of the Messiah, the one who prepared the path for the Lord Jesus as predicted by the prophets. So, Jesus mentioned how John was the fulfilment of those prophecies, and indeed, his works and ministry had prepared the path for his coming into this world. Meanwhile, John the Baptist has often been compared with the prophet Elijah because both of them have some similarities; they lived similarly, travelling in the wilderness, proclaiming repentance and the coming of God’s salvation, as we heard about prophet Elijah in our first reading today.

Indeed, John the Baptist can be likened to the prophet Elijah, who was sent into the world to finish the works that Elijah had once initiated. Though John the Baptist had the spirit of the prophet Elijah, which was not the same as being the same person, both, by that extension, had the same ministry among the people of God, and they used the same approach and efforts to pass the message of God to his people. Both suffered because of their teaching and mission. Jesus also would face the same reality.

Dear friends, today we are called to reflect on the lives and mission of these two great prophets, especially in this Advent season, so that we too may become more faithful by following their examples and faith. We do not need to keep waiting for prophets to come again. Rather, we should embrace the message these great prophets have for us. And their message is quite simple. They are calling us to repentance, they are calling us to love, they are calling us to make the path of our lives straight, they are calling us to embrace the Lord Jesus and the gift of salvation he is offering us this season. This is what we see in the life of St. John of the Cross whose memorial we celebrate today.

He is one of the great doctors and mysticists of the Church who truly understands and embraced the authority of Jesus and so inspires in our soul, how to continue to be in love with the Lord, he said: What more do you want my soul and what else do you search for outside, when within yourself you possess all the riches, delights, satisfactions, and fullness of the kingdom of your beloved whom you desire and seek. Therefore, be joyful and glad in your interior recollection with him for you have him so close to you. Desire him deep within your soul, and there adore him. Do not go in pursuit of him outside yourself for he is deep with you.

LET US PRAY: Heaven Father, as we listen to your words through your prophets calling us to repentance, love and preparation, may we embrace your word and so prepare our hearts for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen. Have a blessed weekend.

Homily For Friday, the Second Week of Advent Year C, 13th December 2024. The Memorial of St. Lucy

Readings Isaiah 48:17-19; Ps 1:1-6; Matt. 11:16-19

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

WHY HAVE WE FAILED TO TAKE THE WORD OF GOD SERIOUSLY? 

Reflecting on the disposition of humanity today, I can not but ask myself questions about our faith in God, who we often claim to love and serve. This is because, despite all the articles of faith and evidence in both scriptures and historical tradition, we still do not have a good grasp of who God is in our lives. 

This very disposition is always the case with every generation and this is what Jesus is addressing in our Gospel passage today when he said: to what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to one another, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not mourn.’ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon’; the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners! 

Here, Jesus made us know that the problem with this generation is that we have failed to listen neither to the message of John the Baptist nor that of Jesus. There is no doubt that John’s uncommon lifestyle made people accuse him of having a demon, while Jesus’ habit of eating and drinking with sinners affected his reputation among the Jews. But Jesus made us know that his generation finds reason to take offence at both John and Jesus himself. 

So, Jesus compares those who are rejecting his message to that of children in the marketplace who cannot decide whether they want to play a wedding song or a funeral song but can’t get the people to dance when the tune is piped.  For they played their pipes and expected others to dance; they beat their breasts in lamentation and expected others to weep, but they did not. They complain if others do not comply with their demands. 

To such a company, Jesus refers to an evil generation in which he and John the Baptist found themselves. Just as in our generation today, some people have refused to repent when challenged by the teachings of John the Baptist, and some people also refused to join the celebrations of Jesus and do not take his message seriously.

Dear friends, why have we failed to take the Word of God seriously? Why have we failed to embrace the article of faith made available for us by the Lord in our scriptures? Why do we take for granted the signs and messages the Lord is giving us this Advent season and always?

  Today in our first reading, we heard the Lord saying through prophet Isaiah: “I, the Lord, your God, teach you what is good for you; I lead you in the way that you must go. If only you had been alert to my commandments, your happiness would have been like a river, your integrity like the waves of the sea”. So let us not be like market people who pay no attention to the message the Lord has for us.

Rather, let us be like St. Lucy whose memorial we celebrate today, for she is known for her humble obedience and trust in God’s words. She knows how to present her burdens to God and since the name Lucy means light, she is known as the patron saint of those with eye problems. This light reminds us also about the Light of Christ whose Advent of his birth we are celebrating.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, enkindle in us once again the fire of your love so that we may embrace your message, and through the intercession of St. Lucy, we may become your great servants dedicating our lives and service to loving you and our neighbours. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.  Have a lovely day.

Homily For Thursday the Second Week of Advent Year C, 12th December, 2024

 

Readings Isaiah 41:13-20;; Ps ,145; Matt. 11:11-15

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

IN A WORLD OF NOISE, LEARN TO LISTEN TO GOD’S DIRECTIONS

The ears, as we know, are one of the very important organs of the human person. This organ consists of the pinna, which aids the human ability to hear. It is a gift from God through which we have the faculty of being able to perceive sounds and recognize something in an auditory way. To exercise the faculty of this organ effectively we must learn to use it to listen attentively to information. The world, no doubt, is full of noise, echoing different things in our minds through our ears.

But how do we use these organs? How has this organ helped us in our spiritual life in this noisy world? How have we managed the noise in our lives, in our families and in society which distracts us from listening to God? What are the things we hear or listen to? The Word of God we hear every day. How has it developed our relationship with God and our neighbour?

Hence, Jesus ends our Gospel passage today by saying: If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen!’ Here, Jesus is referring to our ability to listen to God’s Word and act on it even in the midst of this noisy world. Jesus was making this comment while referring to the mission of St. John the Baptist as his herald to proclaim his coming into this world and to prepare the path for him. He revealed to all of us the truth about God’s love for us. So, referring to the role of John the Baptist in the mission of the Lord, Jesus said: I tell you solemnly, of all the children born of women, a greater than John the Baptist has never been seen; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he is.

Thus, we have been made to know that the persons who seek to gain some spiritual insight into what Jesus is saying will have that insight increased when they listen. Whereas whoever does not listen to Jesus will end up in spiritual ignorance. To avoid this, we are reminded through prophet Isaiah that the faithful people of God would not be forsaken or abandoned, for God still loved us despite all the terrible and sinful things we do if only we could listen to him.

Dear friends, by listening, hearing and following Jesus, we grow in familiarity with his voice and hear him more. And by so doing we make Jesus the light of our lives placed on the lampstand to give light and insight to our souls as individuals, family and society, illuminating all the darkness around us. Therefore, we are called to put our ears into positive us and be submissive just like John the Baptist and so cultivate the habit of listening to God and one another.

 LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, our ears are gifts from you; help us to use them properly. And as we carry out our activities today, may our ears hear the consoling words of Jesus guiding and directing us towards the light of his presence. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Remain blessed.

Homily For Wednesday Second Week of Advent Year C, 11th December, 2024

 

Readings Isaiah 40:25-31; Ps 103; Matt. 11:28-30

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

COME TO THE LORD WITH YOUR BURDENS OF LIFE FOR HE WANTS TO HELP US

The ugly situation in our country today places a heavy burden and stress on us, and often, these burdens are so heavy that we don’t know how to carry them. The worst of these burdens is the sorrow we bear in our hearts: sorrows caused by our sins, unhealthy relationships, unforgiveness and family problems. These burdens sometimes are so heavy that we don’t know how to carry them, we don’t know who can help us understand how to carry them or overcome them.

Today in our Gospel reading, Jesus invites us to come to him with our burdens. For he recognizes the sorrows in our lives, how we labour and are overburdened. This invitation opens a refreshing space in our soul, by inspiring hope and drawing us into his loving and gentle presence who is always with us.

Little wonder we heard the prophet Isaiah in our first reading today saying: how can you say My destiny is hidden from the Lord, my rights are ignored by my God? Did you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is an everlasting God, he created the boundaries of the earth. He does not grow tired or weary, his understanding is beyond fathoming. He gives strength to the weary, he strengthens the powerless. Young men may grow tired and weary, and youths may stumble, but those who hope in the Lord renew their strength, they put out wings like eagles. They run and do not grow weary, walk and never tire. So, we should learn to present our burdens to God in faith.

Dear friends, Jesus, wants to listen to all of our troubles and assures us that his yoke is easy and his burden is light. When we spend time with Jesus we find rest for our souls. He speaks to us in the silence of our hearts and gives us inner peace. Therefore, why carry your burdens alone? Jesus is willing to help you, for he promised that when we are troubled and turn to him, he will help us. So let us trust in his word,

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, we are carrying heavy burdens of the things of this passing world, as we present these burdens before you, may we find rest for our souls. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Remain blessed.

Homily For Tuesday, the Second Week of Advent Year C, 10th December 2024

Readings Isaiah 40:1-11; Ps 96; Matt. 18:12-14

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

ARE YOU LOST IN THE SINFUL THINGS OF THIS PASSING WORLD? GOD IS SEARCHING FOR US

It is natural and common for any human person to desire to seek and find any valuable thing he/she has lost. Some people even have sleepless nights over their lost items. Some can go to any length hoping to recover any of their valuable commodity that is lost. If we can do this just for perishable things of this passing world, don’t we think that God will do even much more to save every single soul he created in his image and likeness?

 Little wonder in our Gospel passage today, Jesus, while addressing his disciples, tells us the parables of the lost sheep, which illustrate the unrelenting love of God for each of us, especially sinners. In this parable, we see examples of someone searching for what is precious to him. And when he found it his joy was so great. So, Jesus uses this example to explain to us how God seeks us when we are lost in sin and his joy when our friendship with him is renewed. His searching for us cost him the sacrifice of his Son Jesus Christ.

This can help us to realize how precious we are to him and that he never gives up on anyone except those who choose to be lost. All we need is for us to return to God who is patiently waiting for us. Just like the prophet Isaiah in our first reading today said: Console my people, console them’ says your God. ‘Speak to the heart of Jerusalem and call to her that her time of service is ended, that her sin is atoned for.

Dear friends, are we lost in sin? Have we given up in our struggle with sin? Do you think that our sins are so great that God cannot forgive us? Do we feel lost now? Jesus is searching for us, he is waiting for us at the confessional. When was the last time we visited him at the confessional? Just know that he loves us and we are too precious to be lost in this sinful world. Therefore, let us embrace the faith and mission our Lord entrusted to us. Let us refuse to be lost in the sinful things of this passing world but rather join the Lord to search for his lost sheep.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we are lost in this passing world due to our sinfulness; seek out humanity once again from the wilderness of sins so that we may return to you, just like the lost sheep, and so rejoice and praise you once again with the angels. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a fruitful day.

Homily For Monday, the Second Week of Advent Year C, 9th December 2024. The Solemnity of Immaculate Conception of The Blessed Virgin Mary

 

Readings 1 Gen. 3:9-15.20; Ps 98; Eph. 1:3-6.11-12; Luke.1:26-38

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

WHY DO WE CELEBRATE THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION OF MARY 

Today, the Holy Mother Church celebrates the Solemnity of Immaculate Conception, one of the prerogatives of Mary, which shows her special role in the universal plan of God. So, reflecting on the role of Mary in God’s plan for our salvation, the Holy Mother Church ascribes some special prerogatives or privileges to her. These prerogatives concern what the Faith of the Church affirms in connection with the Blessed Virgin Mary. They include her Immaculate Conception, her perpetual virginity, her assumption into heaven and the title Mary, the Holy Mother of God (Theotokos), which is the foundation of other prerogatives.

Hence, the Solemnity of Immaculate Conception refers to the moment when Mary was conceived in the womb of her mother, St. Anne. That very moment when she came into existence as willed by God. She was immaculately conceived because of the role she was to play as the bearer of our Lord Jesus Christ. Immaculate means pure without fault, free from the taint of the original sin. 

Mary, by this privilege, is full of grace and remained free from sin throughout her life by the will of God, for  God chose to make her worthy of his Presence. Since our God, who is pure, perfect and sinless, could not have dwelled in a womb tainted by sin. Hence, in today’s Solemnity of Immaculate Conception, we celebrate one of the four great Marian Dogmas, as defined by the Church in the state of Mary, being the Mother of God, the bearer of our Lord Jesus Christ, 

Thus, our Gospel passage today presents to us the story of the annunciation by the angel to Mary. An event which immediately precedes the story of the annunciation to Zechariah (1:5-25). These two stories are unique and special. The condition of the women in these stories reveals the unique plan of God for each one of them because neither Elizabeth (Zechariah’s wife) nor Mary at that moment was a likely candidate for motherhood. 

This is so because, Elizabeth was too old, so John’s birth will require a miracle. Mary was a virgin, so Jesus’ birth will require even a greater miracle. But in all, God planned and designed it to be so, and both Mary and Elizabeth, saying yes, cooperated with the plan of God. This tells us that our success in life is determined by our disposition towards doing the will of God. Hence, we have to identify our plans and purposes with the universal plan of God for humanity.

This is what Adam and Eve failed to do in our first reading today; they did not follow the plan of God for them, for out of pride and disobedience,e, they separated themselves from God. That is why after Adam had eaten of the tree the Lord God called to him. ‘Where are you?’ he asked. ‘I heard the sound of you in the garden;’ ‘I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid. By this very action, humanity has fallen and separated from God, his creator. Nevertheless, God has never given up on humanity. He has a plan to save us, as we heard in our second reading today, of which Mar,y, in preparation for her role in this salvific pl, was conceived immaculately,ely, and this great privilege is what we are celebrating today.

Dear friends, saying yes to God’s plan for us is so important. And I must tell us that God has a special plan for everyone, a unique plan. But sometimes it seems as if God has favoured some persons more than others. Well, in the eyes of men, it seems true, but God has favoured each person in a very unique way, just like our Mother Mary, only that we sometimes do not understand what God is doing in our lives. Our understanding of favour is quite different from that of God. 

Therefore, all we need is to say yes and trust in God for he has plans which are meant uniquely for each person. We do not need to know the plans God has for us, all we need is to trust and cooperate with his plan. For God alone knows the plans he has for us, and in due time, he will reveal them to us just as he revealed to Mary the plan he has for her through the angel.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, as we celebrate the great privilege of Mary regarding your plan for humanity, give us the grace to constantly embrace your will and plans for us by saying yes to your words. Help us cultivate the inner attitude of silence and recollection in order to welcome Christ joyfully when he comes, who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen. Have a grace-filled celebration.