Homily For Thursday After the Epiphany of the Lord, 9th January, 2025

Readings: 1 John 4:19-5:4, Ps.72, Luke 4:14-22

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

LOVING GOD MEANS KEEPING HIS COMMANDMENTS 

For the past few days now, we have been hearing about love from the first letter of St John. As we know, John is one of the inner circle of the disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is known as the beloved disciple of Jesus as his character and personality portray this, and all his teachings are centred on love.

Thus, our first reading today, centers on the summary of God’s commandments, that is, the love of God and the love of neighbour. Here, John was just very practical because anyone who loves God will naturally love all God’s children, who are, of course, in a very real sense,e, our neighbours. 

We must love every single person because we are all created in the image and likeness of God. It is not possible to separate the love of God from the love of neighbour, for it is one commandment with two parts which will be the criterion for the final judgement of God.

John tells us that these commandments are not burdensome. Not because they are always easy to carry out fully but because we live in the strength of the Holy Spirit and also because they are in total conformity with our nature made in the likeness of God; there is nothing artificial or arbitrary about them. 

To observe them is to become more and more what we are meant to be, that is, living in that image of our Creator, which we share with him. This is the teaching and mission of Jesus Christ as we have it in our Gospel passage today, where we heard Jesus proclaimed his mission and goals as the fulfilment of all the wonderful promises of God’s salvation for humanity.

Dear friends, our Lord Jesus has taught and revealed to us what it means for us to love. He often reached out to us, even to the worst and the most wicked sinners. He always touches us with his love and also calls us to follow his example. But are we willing and able to commit ourselves to follow his example? I don’t know if you have ever loved someone and you show it, or someone loves you and shows it. 

The truth is that it feels right and awesome because love brings healing and wholeness into people’s lives. Thus, it is by loving God in our neighbours that we can share and experience this nature of God in us and by so doing we will conquer the world full of hatred, self-centeredness, greed and sin. 

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, love is your gift to humanity, help us to embrace this gift of love and learn to share it with one another, just as Jesus has taught us who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen. Have a lovely day.

Homily For Wednesday After the Epiphany of the Lord, 8th January, 2025

Readings: 1 John 4:11-18, Ps.72, Mark 6:45-52

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

LORD HELP US TO NAVIGATE THROUGH THE STORMS OF LIFE

Recalling my first time sailing through the sea on a boat for forty minutes with a group of friends. It was fun, we were all putting on our life jackets with all the safety measures and cation.

But I must confess that it was not too pleasant when we had to navigate through the waves of the sea. Then I realized what it means to be on the sea with heavy storms. A condition where the need to look for a Saviour is highly expected.

Such was the case with the disciples of Jesus in the Gospel passage today. It is a story about panic, for after the miracle of the multiplication of loaves, Jesus asked his disciples to get into the boat and sail to the other side while he went to pray. With the waves breaking over the boat, the disciples were afraid.

Hence, they needed help from anywhere. It was at this point that they saw Jesus walking on the sea, and he said to them: “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid”.

This story signifies God's chosen people on a transit of faith, frightened by the guilt of sin and wounded by the waves of the sea, the abode of evil forces and monsters of this world. The boat can be taken as a symbol of the young Christian Church struggling with the world’s principalities and powers, while the storm is a symbol of persecution suffered by this young Christian community.

However, John, in our first reading, tells us that God abides in us and his love is perfected in us, for there is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. Thus, Jesus says: "Do not be afraid" as we struggle with the storms of this passing world for he abides with us.

Dear friends, today Jesus is calling us to journey on his boat of life with an unwavering faith and a repented heart because, the world is being tossed around by the waves of the evil forces, the enemies of humankind. And it is only God who can subdue it, for he has promised to restore us to himself.

Therefore, I don't know the great storms of doubt and fear in your soul as a result of the power of the evil forces of this world. All I know is that with great faith in God, the words of Jesus: “Take courage, it is I,” will surely resound in the hearts of all of us, especially those victims around us and all Christians who live in a hostile community.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we thank you for constantly intervening in our daily storms of life. As we go about our duties today may you guide us through the storms of life. We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Homily For Tuesday After the Epiphany of the Lord, 7th January 2025

Readings: 1 John 4:7-10, Ps.72, Mark 6:34-44

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

GOD LOVES US SO MUCH BUT DO WE LOVE HIM?

One of the common words we use to express our feelings is the word “love” and this word means a lot of things to different people. But what is love? For me, love is God’s nature which he shares with us. That is why love is beyond human nature.

When we love, we are acting out that very nature of God in us. Love is greater than human nature because it is the nature of God that we share. Therefore, to understand the depth of God's love for us, there is a principle that we need to abide by, that is, the principle that says that every day is a gift from God to us.

A gift that shows how much He loves us by sending His Son, whose life-giving sacrifice means salvation for all humanity. But the world prefers darkness to light, life, and death, and these have made the world a difficult place to live in.

Today, in our first reading, we are told that God loves us so much that he sent his Son Jesus to be the expiation for our sins. And the event of feeding of the five thousand as we have in our Gospel passage today, speaks of the generosity of God and his kindness towards us.

Telling us that when God gives, he gives abundantly. He gives us more than we need for ourselves so that we can share with those who lack. In fact, we can interpret this miracle as the fruit of sharing with one another, for it is possible that once the disciples began to share the little food they had with those around, others also who had brought some food with them started sharing what they have and indeed grace multiplied what they have to the point of having left over.

Dear friends, God loves us so much, that he is willing and ready to satisfy our unquenchable hunger for physical and spiritual things. How I wish humanity could give up greed, selfishness, hatred, and embezzlement of our common resources in order to embrace true love for one another.

Let us learn to share our resources with one another for the purpose for which they are meant; believe me, the world will witness another miracle of the multiplication of resources that will be enough for everyone with left over for future generations.

But we have failed to embrace this love, we have failed to share this love with one another or give up greed and our other ugly attitudes. Therefore, let us embrace Jesus and the love he is offering us. Let us, like Jesus, have compassion and love for everyone, for that is the very nature of God which he shares with us.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, we are really hungry and in need of your love and satisfaction both physically and spiritually; feed us once again with your heavenly grace and multiply the little bread and fish we share with others and provide for us the basic needs of life. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a lovely day.

Homily For Monday After the Epiphany of the Lord, 6th January, 2025

 

Readings: 1 John 3:22-4:6, Ps.2, Matt. 4:12-17.23-25

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

DO NOT BE DECEIVED LEARN TO DISCERN THE TRUE SPIRIT OF GOD

In our societies today, many influential powers have deep effects on our lives, coming from various sources under the guise of good, but some are, in fact, evil, leading us astray. So, there is a need for us to examine this false and deceptive spirit.

For the Holy Spirit will lead us to learn how to distinguish clearly where and in whom is the Spirit of truth from the Spirit of Falsehood and darkness. Little wonder we are told in our Gospel passage that the people that lived in darkness have seen a great light; on those who dwell in the land and shadow of death, a light has dawned.’

As long as we are of God and in Christ, we have nothing to fear. We do not belong any more to this present world, full of sin, hate and greed, corruption, deceit and violence. Thus, we must let ourselves be guided by the Lord against embracing, too readily, any doctrine proposed to us.

We must guide ourselves against attaching ourselves, without due consideration, to any teacher that may pretend to have a divine inspiration; because many false teachers are increasing every day to deceive the people.

Dear friends, we must not let ourselves be deceived by the evil power of this world. John, in our first reading, gives us a special sign for distinguishing true doctrine or true teachers from false ones. For him, any spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ had come in the flesh is of God.

Therefore, we must be very wise for many false prophets are operating under the power of the devil who are deceiving humanity and turning our attention from God.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we thank you for the gift of Your Holy Spirit, who guides us against the deception of this world. Give us the grace of discernment in order to distinguish between good and false Spirit. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a fruitful week ahead.

Homily For Sunday, the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, 5th January, 2025

Readings: Isaiah 60:1-6, Ps. 72, Eph 3:2-3.5-6, Matt.2:1-12

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

LET THE STARLIGHT OF OUR FAITH GUIDE US IN OUR JOURNEY TO ENCOUNTER THE LORD

Today the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Epiphany of our Lord, an occasion where we continue to contemplate and celebrate the mystery of the birth of Jesus. Epiphany was first celebrated in Africa, Egypt precisely, where it was used to replace a pagan feast, where the people celebrate the victory of light over darkness.

However, the word “Epiphany” means manifestation or revelation. So it is the solemnity of the manifestation of the Lord the Light of our faith. Thus in our first reading, we heard the prophet Isaiah saying: Arise, shine out, Jerusalem, for your light has come, the glory of the Lord is rising on you, all are assembling and coming towards you. Your sons from far away and your daughters being tenderly carried in the arms.

 In our Gospel passage, we see how the Wise Men, being led by a star, journeyed a long distance in search of the newborn king. They were probably sages in search of something more about life, in search of the true light that could point out the path to the true meaning of life.

This journey of the Wise Men was bold, courageous and imaginative. For some persons, they may appear to be foolish, even a little crazy. No doubt that they encountered many difficulties and experienced some moments of doubt and danger. Yet despite the difficulties, doubt and dangers they preserved in their search and were joyful when they finally found the baby Jesus.

Thus, today the Wise Men find, crying in a manger, the one they have followed as he shone in the sky. They saw, in swaddling clothes, the one they had long awaited as he lay hidden among the stars. Today, the Wise Men gaze in deep wonder at what they see: heaven on earth, earth in heaven, man in God, God in man, one whom the whole universe cannot contain now enclosed in a tiny body.

As they look, they believe and do not question anymore, as their symbolic gifts bear witness: incense for God, gold for a king, myrrh for one who is to die. In this journey, the light of a star guided them; they did not know where the star was leading them. Hence, their journey was very much a journey of faith, knowing that the star was a means by which a great mystery was to be revealed.

The journey of these Wise Men symbolizes our journey of faith and it can serve as a model for us as we struggle on our journey of faith. For the faith of the Wise Men is the first fruit of the belief of the Gentiles, so the Gentiles, who were the last, became the first. The same is our journey, for just as they were guided by the light of a star so we are guided by the light of faith.

Little wonder in our second reading we heard St Paul saying: This mystery that has now been revealed through the Spirit to his holy apostles and prophets was unknown to any men in past generations; it means that pagans now share the same inheritance, that they are parts of the same body, and that the same promise has been made to all, in Jesus Christ, through the Gospel.

Dear friends, we can learn something great from these Wise Men. First, their journey was one of searching and questioning, of fear and hope, of pain and joy. It is not an easy journey. Our journey of faith contains all of these elements. Like the Wise Men, we can expect to encounter difficulties and experience doubts. But, we can draw inspiration from their courage and perseverance.

Also, we can learn something about Herod. As the Wise Men journeyed through the great city of Bethlehem, the star disappeared; they could no longer see it. For them, it was logical to seek the new king in the royal palace, where they believed that wise men were to be found. But to their amazement, the newborn child was not found in the places of power and culture. Hence, King Herod, in anger, seeks to kill the child.

Here, perhaps, we should ask ourselves: is there something of Herod in us? Have we in any way seen God as a sort of rival? Have we been blind to the signs God is offering us or pay deaf ears to his words because we think he is setting limits on our lives and does not allow us to live as we wish?

Another thing we can learn from the Wise Men is that they did not travel alone; they travelled in a little community of three believers. We, then, must not try to make the journey of our faith alone; we need to journey with our brothers and sisters in our community. We need to support one another. However, we have one great advantage over these Wise Men. At the start of their journey, they knew nothing about Christ. We already know Christ and have encountered him in faith.

Nevertheless, the fact that we have not seen him face-to-face means we have not yet arrived at our final destination. So we are still searching, still journeying to encounter Jesus the light of the world. Thus the journey of faith is the journey of a lifetime. The goal of this journey is to arrive at the heavenly Bethlehem where we can see Jesus and experience his glory.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, as we celebrate the manifestation of your Son Jesus today, let the light of his presence dispel the darkness in our lives, in our families, societies and so illumine our paths as we struggle and journey in faith towards achieving our goals and purposes in life. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. God bless you.

Homily For Saturday Before Epiphany, 4th January, 2025

 

Readings : 1 John 3:7-10 , Ps 98, John 1:35-42

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

AN ENCOUNTER WITH JESUS THE LAMB OF GOD

Every day is an opportunity to encounter God through different events that occur in our lives. Sometimes, we have memorable and remarkable events in our lives, but often, we have insignificant ones. I don’t know if you have ever had an experience that made you realize the emptiness of the things of this passing world, a kind of experience that turns pride into humility, sinfulness into righteousness. Weaknesses into strength.

This is the kind of experience the two disciples of John had when he showed them Jesus the Lamb of God. They followed him and remained with him. They encountered Jesus and their lives never remained the same again. This very encounter brought about their true vocation and destiny from John’s disciples to disciples of Christ.

We heard that one of these two who became followers of Jesus after hearing what John had said was Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter. Early next morning, Andrew met his brother Simon and brought him to Jesus, who looked hard at him and said, ‘You are Simon son of John; you are to be called Cephas’ meaning Rock

Dear friends, like these two disciples of John the Baptist, we are called to reflect on our personal experience with God. How have we experienced God? When was your spiritual turning point? Have you experienced God personally? Can we share confidently our convictions about God with others? In case we don’t even know if we have any personal experience of God, all we need to do is to sincerely seek God in those common events in our lives and we will realize how much God is willing to reveal himself to us.

The problem with why it often seems as if we are far away from God is because we are so attached to things of this world, such as greed, guilty passion, evil desires, fornication, and impurity, which is the same thing as worshipping a false god. It is these kinds of behaviour that make us stay far away from God, and it gets worse when one is surrounded by people who are doing the same thing.

Little wonder St John, in our first reading today, said: my children, do not let anyone lead you astray: to live a holy life is to be holy just as he is holy; to lead a sinful life is to belong to the devil since the devil was a sinner from the beginning.

Therefore this new year, we must give up all our ugly attitudes of getting unnecessarily angry, being bad-tempered, spitefulness, the use of abusive language and dirty talk and telling of lies. Thus, we must put off our old behaviour and put on a new self which looks up towards encountering Jesus the Lamb of God.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, you often wish that we should know you. As we go about our daily activities, may we experience You in a unique way and, through this experience, discover our true vocation in life? We ask this through Christ our Lord. Peace be with you.

Homily For Friday Before Epiphany, 3rd January, 2025

 

Readings : 1 John 2:29-3:6 , Ps 98, John 1:29-34

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

A CALL TO BEAR AUTHENTIC WITNESS OF CHRIST THE LAMB OF GOD

As Christians, our duty is to teach and bear sincere witness to God’s commandments by our ways of life. This, of course, points out the mission of the Church in proclaiming the word of God and our part in this mission.

Little wonder the Gospel passage today reminds us of how God has called us all to follow Christ, the Lamb of God and Saviour of the world. For when John the Baptist saw Jesus passing by he declared: ‘this is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world... Yes, I have seen and I am the witness that he is the Chosen One of God.’

Here John is pointing out the essence of Jesus’ mission, whose coming was foretold by the prophet Isaiah (49:3.5-6), telling us about that great Servant of God, whose mission was to bring sinners back to God. Considering this great task of Jesus, John introduced him as a Lamb of God and not a Lion and also described the Holy Spirit as a dove, not a hawk which is more powerful.

Why? Because the Lamb is one of the most gentle, harmless and loving creatures of God, while the dove is a gentle bird, a symbol of peace and goodwill. So these images tell us about the person of Jesus and the approach by which he will carry out his mission.

Consequently, Jesus, the gentle Lamb of God, gently died for our sins, so that we could live in joy and freedom of God’s children, teaching us to bear authentic witness of this great event in our relationship with one another.

This is our vocation and mission, for John said in our first reading: You know that God is righteous, then you must recognize that everyone whose life is righteous has been begotten by him.

So, to all of us Christians, who have been called to follow Christ and have been sanctified and blessed to be God’s people, who are reunited and brought together from the world to bear the fruit of love and holiness of life. So that we can be true and living witnesses of our faith in God, to proclaim His salvation among the nations and the peoples of the earth.

Dear friends, like John, we can say: I have seen, and I am a witness. For we have been entrusted with the great task of witnessing. We are commissioned as Christ's disciples to go forth and make disciples of all the nations, making all peoples God’s children through His Church by the power of the Holy Spirit. We are called to bear authentic witness of our experience of God.

 But how can we achieve this task? The approach is given to us by John the Baptist, who tells us to follow the way of the Lamb and the dove. That is, we are to be the most gentle, harmless and loving children of God, we must be a symbol of peace, compassion and goodwill. We are not to force people to believe in God by the use of intimidation or force, and neither should we use any forms of tricks or false persuasions.

All these methods do not usually lead to true faith and love for God. They may cause people to turn away from God and the Christian faith. Instead, we should love people and do our best to live our lives with faith and holiness each moment of our lives.

Because, if our actions and way of life do not match what we profess to believe in, how can we then expect people to believe in us or the Lord? Instead of bringing others closer to God, we will only end up sending them further away from God.

Therefore, as the year unfolds, we are all challenged to live our lives as the Lord has taught us. We should put our trust in the Lord and make him the centre of our lives in every action. We should show love, care, compassion and concern for our fellow brothers and sisters just as the Lord has loved us.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, give us the grace and courage to bear authentic witness of your Gospel in a world where people are confused and no longer pay attention to your word. This we ask through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a peaceful day.