Homily For Saturday Fifth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 15th February 2025

Readings: Gen 3: 9-24; Ps.90; Mark 8:1-10

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

MAN WHERE ARE YOU? WHAT HAS BECOME OF YOU IN THIS PASSING WORLD?

When God created man, he entrusted all his creation to him and gave him regulations to follow in order to ensure the successful fulfilment of this responsibility. But out of pride and selfishness, man disobeyed God’s instructions and regulations, as we heard in our first reading today, and this brought about the downfall of man, who chose to listen to the lies of the serpent and, as a result, committed sin against God.

Thus, when the Lord God called man. ‘Where are you?’ he replied ‘I heard the sound of you in the garden;’ ‘I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.’ Hence, he was banished from God’s garden, where he should have remained and enjoyed the bliss of God’s presence.

 Nonetheless, God has not abandoned man in this downfall. He is still compassionate and caring and loves us even with our imperfections and our disobedience. His compassion for the sufferings of humanity is so great. This is more evident in our Gospel reading today, where Jesus reveals his compassion towards humanity. This compassionate love of Jesus, in its historical and physical solidarity with human suffering, springs from the love of God the Father.

Here, Jesus had compassion for the people who had been with him for days listening to his words. He then says to his disciples that there is a need for him to give them something to eat before sending them away, lest they may faint on the way since some of them have come a long distance. This compassion of Jesus is meant for us to spread throughout the world in a practical way through our ways of life, especially during these difficult moments in our country.

Dear friends, where are you in your relationship with God? What has become of you in this passing world? God is searching for us. He has not abandoned us even in our imperfections, he still cares about us. All he wants from us is to come back to him and be faithful to him and compassionate to one another. But what is keeping us away from God? How strong is our compassion towards others? Do we know people who are helpless and need some help? Let us look at them for a moment and imagine Jesus looking at them. How does he see them through us? Have I ever felt helpless? Do I feel the need for Jesus’ help in some part of my life?

Today, like Jesus, each one of us is called 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, especially now that people are really going through financial difficulties.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, our fragile and contingent nature propelled by pride and sins have always brought about our downfall, but you have never abandoned us. As we embrace your compassion, give us the grace to look at people around us with the compassionate eyes of Jesus and be of help to them the best we can. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a peaceful weekend.

Homily For Friday Fifth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 14th February 2025. The Memorial of SS. Cyril and Methodius, and St. Valentine’s Day

 

Readings: Gen 3:1-8, Ps.32, Mark 7:31-37

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

WHY DO WE CELEBRATE VALENTINE’S DAY? 

Today all over the world, people are celebrating, especially young people; we are celebrating what they call Valentine’s Day. A day we celebrate love. But today, we are celebrating not just love but the power and victory of love over human selfishness. The seed of this celebration comes as a result of the ugly event that happened on February 14, around the year 270 A.D.,  when Valentine, a holy Roman Catholic priest, who lived in Rome in the days of Emperor Claudius II, was executed. 

But the questions that come to mind are: why was he executed, and how does this ugly event relate to what we are celebrating today? According to history, what happened was that under the rule of  Emperor Claudius II, Rome was involved in many unpopular and bloody campaigns, and the emperor had to maintain a strong army but was having a difficult time getting soldiers to join his military leagues. So, the emperor discovered that the men of Rome were unwilling to join the army because of their strong attachment to their wives and families.

Thus, to deal with this problem, Claudius banned all marriages and engagements in Rome. But Valentine a priest of Rome, realizing the injustice of this declaration by the emperor, defied this order and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine’s actions were discovered, the emperor ordered that he be put to death. Valentine was arrested and dragged before the Prefect of Rome, who condemned him to be beaten to death with clubs and to have his head cut off. This ugly event was carried out on February 14, around the year 270.

However, in 496 A.D., Pope Gelasius, in honour of this St., decided to put an end to the Feast of Lupercalia, which was a pagan celebration of the god of fertility in the name of love, though in an immoral way that is not acceptable to the Christian faith. So in order to replace this feast with something more acceptable, the Pope declared that February 14 be celebrated as St. Valentine's Day in memory of his sacrificial passion for love among the people. Gradually, February 14 became a date for the celebration of love, which is often expressed in different ways, such as exchanging love messages, poems and simple gifts such as flowers to our loved ones.

Thus, Valentine's celebration reminds us of the gift of God's love to humanity. For God loves unconditionally and sacrificially, he loves us till the very end. So, we have to also love one another the way God loves us. We must know that Valentine's Day is not a carnal celebration of love. But more of a sacrificial and spiritual celebration. That is why, as Christians, we do not celebrate Valentine's in a carnal or selfish manner or the sinful way the world celebrates it in the name of boyfriend and girlfriend, committing immorality, fornication and adultery in the name of love, which, of course, is not love, but lust.

Therefore, Valentine’s day for us should be a day we protect and promote true love for one another. It is a day we remember how much we care for one another and what we are to one another. It is a day we build up and nurture long-lasting love, friendships and good relationships with one another.

This is what was lacking in our lives because we have failed to listen to the word of God.  Yes, we go to Church as often as possible; we engage in one spiritual activity or another. But the question is, do we really listen and hear God speaking to us through those activities? Do we still see the hands of God in what we do? Are we really convinced of what we do in the house of God? Are we confused about our faith as a result of ugly events and scandals? The world really wants us to be deaf to the word of God and mute to speak the great things God is doing for us. 

This is evident in our first reading today, where humanity paid deaf hears to the instructions of God by allowing herself to be deceived by the serpent and, as a result of this ugly attitude, separate herself from the presence of God out of pride and selfish desires for deceptive things of this passing world.

Thus, today in our Gospel passage, we hear how Jesus dramatically and figuratively heals us of our deafness and dumbass caused by our constant embracing of the sinful things of this passing world. Hence, when the deaf and dumb man was brought to Jesus for healing. He took the man aside, put his fingers in his ears, touched his tongue with spittle, looked up to heaven and prayed, " Ephphatha! Be opened". Immediately, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue loosed, and he was able to speak plainly. These same words are used during baptism while touching the ears and lips of the baptized, a gesture that signifies the spiritual openness of one’s heart to God’s words.

Dear friends, out of pride and greediness, we have often separated ourselves from the presence of God and, as a result, have become deaf and dumb to his teachings and instructions. Hence, we all need to have our ears opened so that we can hear and understand fully the message of Jesus and share it with the world. I don’t know how far we have separated ourselves from God as a result of sin, I don’t know how deep our deafness and dumbness are, all I know is that today God is saying to us, fear not, have the courage for the eyes of the blind shall be opened, ears of the deaf unstopped and the tongue of the mute shall sing for joy. 

So, let us learn to embrace true love for that is the only way we can conquer the ugly attitude of pride in us. Let us learn from SS. Cyril and Methodius and also St. Valentine whose memorials we celebrate today. For they are good examples of what it means to hear the word of God calling us to embrace love sacrificially.

LET US PRAY: Lord Jesus, we have become deaf and dumb towards your words as we embrace your word today, calling us to embrace love sacrificially. Through the intercessions of SS. Cyril, Methodius and Valentine give us the grace to be humble and to love in order to follow you, our Lord and Saviour, who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen. Love you all.

Homily For Thursday Fifth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 13th February, 2025

Readings: Gen 2:18-25, Ps.128, Mark 7:24-30

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

WHEN YOU ACCEPT WHO YOU ARE NOW, GOD ELEVATE YOU TO WHOM HE WANTS YOU TO BE

In our society today, most people hardly accept who they are. These days, people spend all their resources and energy trying to convince others of what they are not by seeking their approval. What happens is that, in the end, they will lose their nerve,s, and other people will convince them that what they are doing doesn't have any value, and because of t, that, they give up their dreams. This is not the same with the Syrophoenician woman in our Gospel passage today, who, when she approached Jesus pleading for the restoration of her daughter, did not give up even when her request was not granted immediately.

For we are told that Jesus entered a house in Tyre and Sidon and did not want to be recognized. It is then that this Gentile Syrophoenician woman came to him and prostrated herself before Jesus and begged him to exorcise the evil spirit in her daughter. But Jesus’ answer seems somewhat strange when he said: “Let the children be fed first. For it is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.” However, the woman responded, “Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s scraps. Her humble and powerful faith was immediately rewarded, and her daughter was healed.

This story portrays the anticipation of the future faith of the Gentiles who will later become Christians. However, the irony of this passage is that, in Israel, Jesus was trying to convince people that he was the Messiah, as he was being challenged to prove it with a sign. But here in Gentile territory, he met a woman who was convinced he was the Messiah, and he could not discourage her efforts. Nonetheless, his apparent attempt to put her off was just a test, of which her great faith was proven by accepting her humble background and persistence in her request.

She accepted the place of a “dog” as a Gentile in relation to Israelites being the chosen children of God to whom the message and grace of the Messiah came first. Though she accepted that she may not be able to sit down at the Messiah’s table and eat with the “children,” she should be allowed to pick up some of the crumbs of unmerited mercy and grace of God for the sake of her daughter.

Dear friends, we must learn how to humbly accept who are and be more persistent in our quest and desire for something we desire. We must stop wasting valuable time trying to prove who we are not; let us first accept who we are in faith, then work hard to improve who we want to be in relation to our faith in God. Let our faith in God help us to accept who we are. Whatever we want to do, let us have faith in God and in ourselves, and be determined because, faith, determination and sacrifice are the secrets of any success in life.

Therefore, tell yourself today that you can get that which you desire when you plan for it and work every day for it; then, you will begin to see a different face in the things you do. The truth is that people are rewarded in public for things they have done for years in private. So, let us learn from this Syrophoenician woman who accepted who she was and was determined with faith to achieve her dream through humility and persistence.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, the Syrophoenician woman accepted her humble background with great faith in your Son Jesus, as we humbly make a leap of faith today, with determination and sacrifice towards our dreams in life. May you grant our heart's desires. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a favourable day.

Homily For Wednesday Fifth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 12th February, 2025

 

Readings: Gen 2:4-9.15-17, Ps.104, Mark 7:14:23

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

THE NATURE OF YOUR INTERIOR LIFE IS KNOWN BY THE FRUITS OF YOUR PHYSICAL LIFE

Listening to our first reading today, we heard how God has entrusted to humanity his wonderful creation with the following instructions: ‘You may eat indeed of all the trees in the garden. Nevertheless, of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you are not to eat, for on the day you eat of it, you shall most surely die. But we have often failed to keep this instruction out of pride and greediness, which have corrupted our hearts, and as a result,t, most of our ugly attitudes are the fruit of this corrupt hea, rt, and these often separate us from God.

Little wonder, in our Gospel passage today, Jesus makes it clear that we are not defiled or separated from God by external things, such as the kinds of food we eat, but by the sins of the heart, evil intentions and sinful actions which we entertain in our hearts. Telling us that the physical activity of the human person does not defile a person because the physical is being controlled by the inner interior being of the person. When the interior life of a person is corrupted by sin, then the fruit of this corruption is manifested in the physical activity of the person.

For just as a corrupt fountain sends forth corrupt streams, so will a corrupt heart bring forth corrupt fruits, corrupt appetites, passions, covetousness and immoderate desires for more wealth of the nation from which comes wickedness; malice, hatred, and a delight in mischievous actions, deceit; Lasciviousness; that filthiness and foolish talk which darkened the soul.

Hence, Jesus teaches us also, that from a corrupt heart comes the desire for fornication and adultery. All these come from within our hearts, especially the corrupt nature that brings about the carnal mind, the evil treasure in the heart which defiles the human person and renders one unfit to be in communion with God. Because they stain the conscience; and, if not mortified and rooted out, will send us out of our heavenly kingdom.

Thus, the defilement we ought to avoid is not from what entered our mouths as food, but from what comes out of our mouths, which shows the goodness or wickedness deep down in our hearts. The human heart is the source of every good and evil deed. Hence, the pollution of the human heart is very dangerous, for in it comes all the powers and faculties of the soul. So there is a need for us to know that lustful and sinful thoughts of the heart defile the human person and make one abominable in the sight of God.

Dear friends, the nature of your interior life is known by the fruits of your physical life. For when our interior life is defiled by sins, our hearts bear the ugly fruit of corruption. So, we must ensure that our interior life and our hearts are constantly purged of all these corruptions to bear good fruits of love, forgiveness, compassion and holiness. It is only when this occurs that there will be a need for a new heart and right spirit to be formed and created within us for having repented and received the pardoning grace of God. Nothing will last in the soul more than the regenerating graces of the Holy Spirit, which gives sight to the heart darkened by sin to effectively lead others to the truth that illuminates their hearts from the darkness of sin and death.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, the human hearts have been corrupted and darkened by sins. As we struggle to constantly purge our hearts from sin and corruption, may you create a pure heart within us so that we can bear good fruits of love and holiness? We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen Wishing you a fruitful day.

Homily For Tuesday, Fifth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 11th February 2025

 

Readings: Gen.1:20-2:4, Ps.8, Mark 7:1-13

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

THESE PEOPLE HONOUR ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEARTS ARE FAR FROM ME

Oftentimes, we find it difficult to separate the commandments of God from human traditions. This no doubt plays out in our making and interpreting of laws, and it has great consequences in our relationship with God and our neighbours, just as we have it in our Gospel reading today, where we heard how the Pharisees multiplied religious laws and rituals to such an extent that it was impossible to know them all, talk more of observing them. So Jesus accuses them of neglecting the true commandment of God over their petty regulations. 

These petty laws and traditions were some highly detailed but unwritten human laws which the Scribes and Pharisees regarded as having the same binding force as the Law God gave to Moses. However, Jesus was not totally against these laws and regulations. What he was against was the legalism by which the mere observance of some external actions was equated with being a devout lover of God. Hence, he reminded them of the quotes from the prophet Isaiah, saying: “This people honours me only with lip service, while their hearts are far from me. The worship they offer me is worthless; the doctrines they teach are only human regulations.” (Is 29:13). 

So, he made it clear that the real commandment of God is the unconditional love of God and neighbour, which is evident in our first reading where we heard God saying, ‘Let us make man in our own image, in the likeness of ourselves, and let them be masters of the fish of the sea, the birds of heaven, the cattle, all the wild beasts and all the reptiles that crawl upon the earth.’ Thus, God created man in the image of himself with laws and regulations to guide us. But we have neglected these laws in favour of what are purely human traditions. 

Hence, Jesus goes ahead to illustrates the hypocrisy involved in these ugly attitudes by showing how some supposedly devout people neglected the basic responsibility of respect and care for parents by claiming that they had consecrated all that they owned to God and the temple while, in fact, they are keeping it for their own personal use. So, for one to declare something to be “Corban,” an offering devoted to God when his parents are in need, is in direct conflict with the commandment of God that says: honour your father and mother.

Dear friends, let love and goodwill be the foundation for making and implementing our laws. There can be some elements of Pharisee in us, and these happen whenever we focus our attention on laws while neglecting the spirit of the law, which is the real focus of today’s Gospel. Sometimes, we neglect the essential service of God because of some religious regulations. We often judge people based on our human standards. Sometimes, we piously go through all kinds of devotional exercises, but deep down in our hearts is gossip and destructive criticism of others. 

Therefore, we are called today not to be like the Pharisees by holding onto unnecessary human traditions; rather, we should focus our attention more on the teaching of Jesus about the love of God and neighbour, and this should guide our implementation of every other law and regulations. 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, out of pride and greediness, we have often neglected the true meaning of your commandment of love but hold on to unnecessary human traditions which lead us into destructive criticism of others. Help to change these ugly attitudes to embrace your teaching of love and humility. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a fruitful day.

Homily For Monday Fifth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 10th February, 2025

 

The Memorial of Saint Scholastica

Readings: Gen.1:1-19, Ps.104, Mark 6:53-56

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

EXPERIENCING THE HEALING TOUCH OF JESUS

In the creation story, we were told that God created everything so good and perfect, just as we have it in our first reading today. But out of pride and greediness, humanity has destroyed and keeps on destroying the good things that God has entrusted to us. As a result of this, humanity is suffering the consequences of our destructive actions, which manifest in different forms such as natural disasters, illnesses, diseases, afflictions, slavery and troubles.

But time and time again, God, though not pleased with this destructive nature of humanity, has not stopped to restore humanity back to its glorious state. This gracious act of restoration is made more evident in the life and mission of our Lord Jesus Christ, who came to redeem us through the path of humility and love.

Little wonder, in our Gospel passage today, we heard of the great works of Jesus, who was then at Galilee, ministering to the people who came to him seeking to be healed from their various illnesses, diseases, afflictions, slavery and troubles. People kept on bringing their sick ones to him and many people who had faith in him were healed by merely touching his cloak. This passage summarizes what Jesus was doing for the people. It indicates the tremendous desire of the people to be healed and made whole by Jesus. Thus, the presence of Jesus brought Joy and relief to them.

Dear friends, God really cares about us, for no matter the situation we may find ourselves in, we must know that the touch of Jesus heals and restores everything. Therefore, we all are called to embrace the loving touch of Jesus and cooperate with him in his work and mission of healing and restoration of humanity, just like St. Scholastica whose memorial we celebrate today. Despite the challenges of the time, she lived a virtuous and prayerful life, dedicated wholly to God and committed herself to live an upright life of piety and charity, inspiring others in her community to be more dedicated and faithful to God. St. Scholastica showed us all what it truly means to be Christians.

Hence, let us discern what we can do to contribute, in our little ways, towards ensuring the restoration of humanity and all God’s creation, which we are destroying by our lives and actions. Let us seek to renew our faith in God and grow stronger in our love and devotion towards him. The people in our Gospel today rushed towards Jesus with their needs and their hopes because they recognized him. Maybe we need to follow their example by bringing to him those things in us that are still in need of healing and restoration.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we submit our lives into your care, let your healing touch restore us once again. And through the intercessions of St. Scholastica, may the victims of human persecutions and slavery experience restoration and the healing touch of Jesus in their lives. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a blessed week.

Homiy For Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C, 9th February, 2025

Readings: Is. 6:1-2.3-8; Ps.138; 1Cor.15:1-11; Luke 5:1-11

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

WHOM SHALL I SEND? WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSE TO GOD’S DIVINE CALL FOR Evangelization? 

There is something deep and unique about every person, sometimes it takes personal experience to discover this uniqueness. And in the process of discovering this uniqueness, we encounter so many challenges that have become part of our experience in life. So, I don't know if you have ever had an experience that made you realize the emptiness of this life, a kind of experience that turns your pride into humility, sinfulness into righteousness? This is the kind of experience that prophet Isaiah and Simon and his companions had in our first reading and in the Gospel passage today.

In the first reading, we heard how the prophet Isaiah saw all the great glory and majesty of God and was terrified at what he had seen. He was struck with great fear because he considered himself a great sinner unworthy to stand before God, but God sent his Seraphim to touch his lips, saying: your sin is taken away, your iniquity is purged.’ Then he heard the voice of the Lord saying: ‘Whom shall I send? Who will be our messenger?’ in response to this invitation Isaiah said, ‘Here I am, send me. And he was chosen to be the bearer of God’s message to his chosen people.

This same experience is what Simon and his companions had with Jesus in our Gospel passage, which made Simon realize his emptiness and fall to the knees of Jesus, confessing his unworthiness. This is because Jesus had said to Simon after preaching on his boat, ‘Put out into deep water and pay out your nets for a catch.’ ‘Master,’ Simon replied, ‘we worked hard all night long and caught nothing, but if you say so, I will pay out the nets.’ And when they had done this they netted such a huge number of fish that their nets began to tear, so they signaled to their companions in the other boat to come and help them. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus, saying, ‘Leave me, Lord; I am a sinful man.’ But Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid; from now on it is men you will catch.’

This very experience brought true conversion in the lives of Simon and his companions, for this encounter changed their destiny from fishermen to fishers of men. For they obeyed the Lord who told them to put out into the deep waters, and as soon as they followed his instructions, they netted so much fish that the whole boat could not take it. This glorious event manifested the power and grace of God at work in us, especially when we humble ourselves in obedience to God’s instructions and acknowledge our unworthiness before him.

Little wonder St. Paul, in our second reading, made us know how he received the Christian faith through the Holy Spirit and through the hands of the Apostles. Paul, who, as Saul, was once the greatest enemy of all Christians, gained great insight into the faith and became one of the greatest evangelizers of the faith he once wished to destroy.

Dear friends, like prophet Isaiah, like Simon and his companions and also like St. Paul, we are called to reflect on our personal experience and encounter with God. How have we personally experienced God? When was our spiritual turning point? Do we have a personal conviction about God that is not based on what people have told us of him? In case we have not personally encountered him, all we need to do is to sincerely seek God in those common events in our lives. Then, we will realize how much God is willing to reveal himself to us through Jesus Christ his Son.

Therefore, today, we are called to look into our lives. Is there any sign of God’s divine presence in our hearts? Are there signs of God’s intervention in some situations around us, calling us to repentance? Are there signs of unworthiness in our hearts that make us feel inferior to carry out some of our responsibilities? Are there voices calling us to embrace a particular apostolate, and we feel unworthy to accept it or take it for granted? Have we ever heard a voice calling us to stop indulging in immortality and wickedness? Have we ever heard the voice calling us to change our ugly attitudes of hatred, corruption, impurity, greediness and unforgiveness?

How often have we rejected the voice calling us to holiness, purity, mercy, kindness, patience and love for God and for one another? How often have we turned down the request to be a special instrument of God’s message of truth and love? How often do we make resolutions and promises to God but have failed to honour and keep them? Today, the Lord is calling us once again; what is he saying to you, and what is your response to his request? O that today you will listen to his voice harden not your hearts.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, every day is an opportunity to encounter you through different events that occur in our lives. Grant that we may have a personal experience of you just like Simon and his companion. May we uniquely experience you in our daily activities and, through this experience, discover our purpose in life. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a blessed Sunday celebration.