Homily For Friday Seventh Week of Easter Year C, 6th June 2025

 

Readings: Acts 25:13-21; Ps.103; John 21:15-19

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia.

EXPERIENCING THE LOVE AND RESTORATION OF THE LORD JESUS

The ups and downs of life have been a great experience and a challenge to humanity. Hence, every day is a new struggle. Life struggles, struggle for survival, struggle against the manipulation of the evil ones, more challenging is the struggle of our own self,, especially our weakness and sinfulness. These struggles are evident in the life of the disciples of Jesus. 

All the time they were with Jesus, they struggled to be like him, to follow his ways and to understand him, and it wasn’t easy. In the cause of these struggles they failed, denied, forsaken, and sinned against the Lord Jesus despite their love for him. But this was well predicted by Jesus who warned them to remain steadfast even in the midst of these struggles. 

However, after all the struggles and fall during his passion and death, Jesus now needed to strengthen his disciples for the great task ahead before departing from them. So, on the occasion of the Gospel passage today, Jesus said to Peter, the leader of his Apostles, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these others do?’ He answered, ‘Yes Lord, you know I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my lambs.’ 

A second time, he said to him, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me?’ He replied, ‘Yes, Lord, you know I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Look after my sheep.’ Then he said to him a third time, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ Peter was upset that he asked him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ and said, ‘Lord, you know everything; you know I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep.

Here we can imagine the disposition of the disciples when seeing the Lord after going back to their past ways of life. And as they sat together round the fire, eating silently the meal which Jesus had prepared, and gazing silently at the Lord’s silence. It must really be a great moment of tension as to how the oppressive silence was to be broken. 

One would have wondered how Peter’s heart must have been troubled when the great silence was broken with the words: Simon, son of John, do you love me? These three times questions have a special force in the restoration of him who had three times denied his Master, and now three times declares his love for Him, and he is three times restored and entrusted with a great task of feeding his master’s sheep. 

From this gracious act, we see how God through Jesus treats a soul conscious of its sinfulness and fault; and in Peter’s disposition,, we see an illustration of how a soul, conscious of its sinfulness and fault, should behave before God.  This gracious event is very symbolic, not just that the Lord had forgiven Peter for his threefold denial at the moment of his arrest and suffering, but also that the Lord restored him again as the leader of his flocks and the entire Universal Church.

Dear friends, in our struggles in this life, we have done ugly and sinful things that we regret and don’t want to remember or talk about, just like St Peter. Wishing we could have changed or avoided them, but there is nothing we can do about them anymore except to seek restoration. And this restoration is what Jesus is offering us today as he says: My child, do you still love me? Do you really love me? Do you love me more than all the things of this passing world? 

All we have to say in consciousness of our faults and sinfulness is: Lord, you know everything, yes, I truly love you. And just like St Peter, the Lord Jesus will not only forgive us, but he will restore us to a greater glory. So why struggling in silence, it’s time to break open the hidden wounds of sin in our hearts, for the Lord wants to heal and restore us once again so that we can be open and free to receive the Holy Spirit the promised Paraclete, who will restore us afresh to God’s greater glory.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, as we anticipate the coming of the Holy Spirit, we come to you today conscious of our faults and sinfulness. Grant us your healing and restoration through Christ our Lord. Amen. God bless you.

Homily For Thursday Seventh Week of Easter Year C, 5th June, 2025. The Memorial of St Boniface

 

Readings: Acts 22:30.23:6-11; Ps.16; John 17:20-26

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

EMBRACING THE PRAYERS OF JESUS FOR US WHO BELIEVE THROUGH HIS DISCIPLES

Whenever we are passing through a very difficult, ugly situation and feel that all hope is gone as our trusted friends have abandoned us, we actually feel great and relieved when we remember that someone is praying for us.

Actually, it feels right to know that someone is interceding on our behalf, it feels great to hear that someone is communicating with God on our behalf. Yes, for a few days now, we have been listening to the High Priestly Prayer of Jesus for his disciples who were with him at the Last Supper and how he prayed for their sanctification and unity.

However, in this final part of his prayer, Jesus now prays for all those who through the influence of his disciples come to believe in God and in him, of which all of us belong to those whom Jesus is praying for when he said in our Gospel passage today: Holy Father, I pray not only for these but for those also who through their words will believe in me. May they all be one, Father, may they be one in us, as you are in me and I am in you, so that the world may believe it was you who sent me.

Here, as Jesus prays for his disciples, he also extends his prayers to everyone who will come to believe in him, for he knows that we will all need similar grace and be exposed to similar trials. Hence he prays that those who follow him may be drawn into the life of the Holy Trinity. The Father sends the Son to humanity precisely so that the Son may draw all humanity into the relationship that exists between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

So this prayer reminds us that our unity, our “oneness” is to be a sign to the world of God’s love for us in Jesus Christ. Therefore, it is a thing of great joy to know that each Christian, no matter how insignificant, humble, unknown, poor, unlearned, or despised, is remembered in prayer by Jesus, who is now seated at the right hand of God the Father, who will always grant his request.

So if we can value the prayers of our friends. How much more should we value the prayer of the Son of God. Because of this single prayer of Jesus, we Christians are infinitely more privileged than any other people in the world. Thus, in the midst of all difficulties, trials, and struggles, we should be more confident once we remember that the Son of God prays for us, and his prayers will surely be heard by God.

It is this confidence that St. Paul had when he testified before the tribunal of the chief priests and the entire Sanhedrin as we have it in our first reading, and the next night, the Lord appeared to him and said, ‘Courage! You have borne witness for me in Jerusalem, now you must do the same in Rome.’

This is the same with St. Boniface whose memorial we celebrate today. We can recall the humble way in which he spread the Good News as a renowned Bishop and Martyr of the Church. He is remembered for his many works of mission among the pagan peoples living in Germania, what is now known as modern-day Germany, where in the early days of the Church, he established the foundation of the Christian faith, and there he suffered martyrdom in the hands of the pagans.

Dear friends, I don’t know what you are going through now, especially as regards your faith in Jesus. I don’t know what you are asking God to do for you? I don’t know how ugly the situation in your life has been? I don’t know whatever sickness you are passing through or how abandoned and rejected you feel right now.

All I have to let you know is that Jesus has not stopped thinking and praying for you. All you have to do is to be confident and remain faithful like St. Paul, and you will hear the Lord say to you, ‘Courage, my child! You have borne witness for me today through your struggles; now, I must do the same for you by restoring you to a greater glory.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, as we place our hope in You, grant that through the prayers of Jesus, we may always come out victorious in all our trials and tribulations and so obtain the joy of your help through Christ our Lord. Amen. Wishing you the best of God’s favour and blessings.

Homily For Wednesday Seventh Week of Easter Year C, 4th June, 2024

Readings: Acts 20:28-38; Ps.68; John 17:11-19

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia.

A CALL FOR SANCTITY, TRUTH AND ONENESS OF LIFE

Sanctity, truth and oneness are very vital concepts that any meaningful family, society, group, community or religion will always need in order to achieve their mission and goals. These are very fundamental because of the role they play in ensuring that things are properly done in any environment they exist. Sanctity, which is the quality of being holy,, comes from the Greek word Hagiaso,n, which is related to hagios, which means holy, that, is, to set apart for God’s service. 

So the concept of Sanctity, sets one apart for the particular service he/she has to render. Truth, on the other hand, comes from the Latin word veritas, which means a representation of things as they are. This concept makes one open to the real situation of the realities around him/her. And where these concepts are present, openness and tolerance become possible; hence, oneness and unity can be achieved. 

Therefore, knowing the importance of sanctity, truth and oneness in achieving any mission and goal, Jesus in his High Priestly Prayer asks the Father to sanctify his disciples in truth and oneness as we have it in our Gospel passage today when he prayed ‘Holy Father, keep those you have given me true to your name, so that they may be one just as we are one… 

He continues, I am not asking you to remove them from the world but to protect them from the evil one. They do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world, and for their sake, I consecrate myself so that they too may be consecrated in truth.  

Similarly, in our first reading, St. Paul prayed to the elders of the Church in Ephesus to be on their guard for themselves and for all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made them overseers, to feed the Church of God which he bought with his own blood and guide them against fierce wolves who will invade them and will have no mercy on the flock. For there will be men coming forward with a travesty of the truth on their lips to induce the disciples to follow them. 

So, from this passage truth becomes the midst by which the sanctification of the disciples will take place. But the evil in the world is a serious hindrance to achieving this. However, their likeness to Jesus is the great ground of hope for they have been consecrated to the truth. 

This is the real hope and holiness of all true Christians, for through this, the gift of the Holy Spirit is made available to the Church in order to be sanctified in the truth and so share in the oneness of which Christ prayed. 

This oneness is what the whole Christian community has to achieve and sustain both in nature, will, affection and understanding; not only in their union with Christ, but to one another; abiding together, cleaving to each other, standing fast in one Spirit, having the same designs, and the interest of the mission of the salvation of humanity at heart.

Dear friends, today therefore, we are called to embrace the divine truth by which we have been sanctified in order to achieve the goal of unity and oneness of which Christ prayed. This oneness is very important not only as Christians but also as families, communities, co-workers, friends and couples. Let us allow the Holy Spirit to sanctify us once more to the truth and so achieve the oneness of which Christ prayed.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, sanctify us once again in the truth of which Your Son Jesus has given us, so, that we may once again achieve oneness in our family, society, in the Church and in the world at large through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a blessed day.

Homily For Tuesday Seventh Week of Eastertide Year C, 3rd June, 2025. The Memorial of St. Charles Lwanga and Companions

 

Readings: Acts 20:17-27; Ps.68; John 17:1-11

Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

UNDERSTANDING THE REALITY OF ETERNAL LIFE

The notion of eternal life is one of the things in the consciousness of most religious people and more especially Christians. Oftentimes, we hear people talking about eternal life as if it is like a movie that will soon begin. But the questions we need to ask ourselves are: what is eternal life? What does it really mean to have eternal life? How can we obtain it?

The answer to these questions is found in the High Priestly Prayer of Jesus which we have in our Gospel passage today. At the beginning of this prayer, Jesus said: ‘Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”

From this prayer, we come to know that knowledge is very important to understanding the meaning of eternal life, and knowledge, as we are told, is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. So here, Jesus is saying that eternal life, which traditionally refers to the continued life after death, is only possible by the knowledge of the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom He has sent.

The point here is that eternal life consists in the knowledge of the Father as the only Being answering to the ideal thought of God; and this knowledge is manifested in him, whom God anointed and sent into the world to declare his attributes and character for the sake of redeeming humanity which was possible through the incarnation, passion, death and resurrection of Jesus.

Thus, eternal life, which has been achieved for humanity, has been given to believers who have been redeemed from sin and death. This is the sinful humanity's journey and process to eternal life, and when this knowledge has been made perfect, holiness and happiness will be fully achieved.

These holiness and happiness of the redeemed are exactly what the glory of Christ and of his Father signifies. Jesus endured the pain of the cross and death and so ended humanity's sorrows of sin and death, thereby obtaining the victory and glory of eternal life for humanity.

Thus, our glorifying God and his Son Jesus is needed as evidence of our interest in Christ, through whom eternal life is given to us as an act of mercy, forgiveness and love so that we become living souls with unspeakable joy. For his is the meaning of eternal life and the source and manner in which we can obtain it.

Dear friends, every day of our life, we struggle to know God through different means and in the Apostles' Creed, we often say: I believe in God and his Son Jesus; I believe in the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. But the question is, do we really know God and his Son Jesus?

Do our attitudes, behaviour and decisions an evidence of us knowing Christ, through whom eternal life is given to us as an act of mercy, forgiveness and love? Therefore we are called today to sincerely seek to know God personally through his Son Jesus and so attain the eternal life which he has won for us.

This is what we have in the lives of St. Charles Lwanga and Companions, the Holy Martyrs of Uganda whose memorial we celebrate today, for they understood what it truly means to love God and have eternal life. For out of their deep love for God, hold on to their faith even in the midst of brutal persecutions and death. We also are called to remain faithful in our faith, even in the midst of all the difficulties and challenges of life.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, let us seek to know you more personally and so work hard to do Your will in order to attain eternal life which you have given us through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a blessed day.

Homily For Monday Seventh Week of Easter Year C, 2 June 2025

 

Readings: Acts 19:1-8; Ps.68;  John 16:29-33

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia.

DON’T GIVE UP FOR JESUS HAS CONQUERED THE TROUBLES OF THIS PASSING WORLD

Tribulations and suffering have been the hallmark of most people’s experiences in the world; sometimes, we feel overwhelmed by the level of suffering we are passing through every day, the sad news we hear and see in our streets, the television and social media. These often make us feel hopeless and fearful because the situation is beyond our control. 

This kind of fearful situation is what Jesus is addressing in our Gospel passage today, knowing that very soon his disciples are going to face worse situations, so he said to them “Listen; the time will come, in fact, it has come already, when you will be scattered, each going his own way and leaving me alone. 

And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. I have told you all this so that you may find peace in me. In the world, you will have trouble, but be brave: I have conquered the world.”

Here, Jesus is telling his disciples these, not to discourage them but to prepare them for many troubles and tribulations they are going to face in the future so that when the time comes, they will find peace and confidence in him.  

He told them not to worry because he has conquered the world, not in any political or economic sense, but in overcoming the evil in the world, and so, all the tribulations, sorrow, and suffering have been conquered in Jesus through his passion, death and resurrection. Therefore, his disciples can share in this victory, as long as they remain faithful and united in peace.

Dear friends, this same promise is available for us his disciples, who today are passing through great tribulations and sufferings in the world. We have to be courageous and find strength in the words of Jesus, who has conquered the world, and all its evil and tribulations. For today, Jesus is reassuring us that no matter what is happening in our world, he is still in control and will always ensure that we come out victoriously. 

Thus, as we prepare and wait patiently for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, let us take our fears, sufferings, tribulations, sickness and disappointments to Jesus and ask him to give us the courage and strong faith so that through the power of the Holy Spirit we will overcome all the ugly situations in our lives, families, societies and the world at large and so enjoy once again the peace of knowing that he is with us always till the end of time.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, may the power of the Holy Spirit come upon us; we pray so that following your instructions, we may overcome the world and all the trials and tribulations we face every day through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a fruitful week.

Homily For Seventh Sunday in Easter Year C, The World Communications Sunday, 1st June, 2025. HAPPY NEW MONTH

Readings: Act. 7:55-60; Ps. 97; Rev. 22:12-14.16-17.20; John 17: 20-26

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia.

THE HIGH PRIESTLY PRAYER OF JESUS AND A CALL TO WAIT ON THE HOLY SPIRIT 

As we gather today, the seventh Sunday of the Holy season of Easter, the Church celebrates World Communication Sunday, which was established by Pope Paul VI in 1967 as an annual celebration. Communication, as we know, is a very important aspect of our faith. Because our mission is to communicate to humanity what God has done for us through Christ our Lord. 

Prior to this event is Solemnity of the Ascension which we celebrated last Thursday, of which the Church waits prayerfully for the promised Paraclete. So the Church in this waiting disposition anticipates the promised Paraclete who will help her to communicate the message of Christ to all humanity.

However, one of the difficult statements we don’t like to hear when we are expecting something great to come our way is the word “wait”. The word wait can be very unpleasant to the ears of anyone who is desperately in need of something. But oftentimes, we have little or no option not to wait, and in life, we have a lot of waiting to do. 

We wait for the day to break, we wait for the month to end, we wait for the traffic, we wait for our admission, interviews, jobs, husband, wife, children, we wait and wait and wait, in fact, waiting on God is a regular message of faith which we hear every day. Waiting can really be difficult and uncomfortable, it can be suicidal for those who lack the virtue of patience. 

Nonetheless, good and great things are worth waiting for. Little wonder, we are called to wait for the fulfilment of the promise paraclete of which  Jesus prayed for in his High Priestly Prayer at the Last Supper. This High Priestly prayer of Jesus is divided into three sections. First, Jesus prayed for himself; in the second section, he prayed for his disciples. 

The third section is what we have in our Gospel passage today where he prayed for all those who through the influence of his disciples come to believe in God and in him, of which each one of us belongs to those whom Jesus is praying for when he said in our Gospel passage today: “Holy Father, I pray not only for these, but for those also who through their words will believe in me. May they all be one. Father, may they be one in us, as you are in me and I am in you, so that the world may believe it was you who sent me.”

 

In this High Priestly prayer of Jesus, we heard the Lord Jesus asking the Father to sanctify his disciples in truth and oneness, knowing the importance of sanctity, truth and oneness in achieving their mission and goal. We can see the efficacy of this prayer of Jesus in the life and death of St Stephen in our first reading today. 

For Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, gazed in prayer into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at God’s right hand. This he witnessed before the members of the council saying: ‘I can see heaven thrown open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.’ Because of this witness, they all rushed at him, sent him out of the city and stoned him to death. 

This event shows the sacrificial nature of our mission of bearing witness to our faith in the Lord. It can also be seen as an example of how communication in prayer is such an important aspect and part of our faith. We cannot be true Christians unless we open ourselves to the Lord and communicate with him regularly to know his will for us and for others and, by so doing,g, dwell in his love and bear authentic witness of him to humanity. 

To understand this sacrificial nature of our mission, Jesus, in our second reading today, said in his revelation to St. John: “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. Happy are those who will have washed their robes clean, so that they will have the right to feed on the tree of life and can come through the gates into the city of God”.

Little wonder, in this High Priestly Prayer, Jesus prayed for his disciples that the Father should take care of them in the midst of the evils in the world, that they should be one as he and the Father are one. He prayed that those who follow him may be drawn into the life of the Holy Trinity. For the Father sends the Son to humanity precisely so that the Son may draw all humanity into the relationship that exists between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 

So this prayer reminds us that our unity, our “oneness” is to be a sign to the world of God’s love for us in Jesus Christ. This shows us that prayer is a form of communication between us and God, whom we should love dearly and wait patiently for His will to be done in our lives.

This simply means that we have to learn how to communicate regularly with God and wait patiently for his will to be done. We must learn to build the unity of which Christ prayed and this we do when we learn how to love and wait patiently with one another, especially with our loved ones, our friends, our family members and relatives, our spouses and others who are dear to us. We must learn how to wait patiently with life activities and the challenges and struggles that come with it.

Dear friends, as the disciples are waiting prayerfully for the promised Paraclete, we too are also called to prepare ourselves for the coming of the Holy Spirit especially in this coming Pentecost Sunday. We are called to go to the upper room of our hearts and conscience and wait patiently for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit that will help us to be well united as one family of God. 

We are called to prepare and wait on the Holy Spirit through the ongoing novena to the Holy Spirit. We are called to wait patiently for the fulfilment of God’s plan for each and every one of us. Though waiting may be difficult, good and great things are worth waiting and being prepared for.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, graciously hear our supplications,  as we wait patiently for the fulfilment of your promise, grant that when the Paraclete comes, may we be disposed to receive him as our Advocate and let him teach us what to do, how to do it, when to do it and give us the grace to do it properly through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a grace-filled Sunday celebration.

Homily For Saturday Sixth Week of Easter Year C, 31st May, 2025. The Feast of Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

 

Reading: Zeph.3:14-18; Ps. Isaiah 12; Luke 1:39-56

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

EXPERIENCING THE JOY OF VISITATION

Today being the last day of the month of May, we celebrate the great Marian feast of the Visitation as we normally conclude our May devotion in a grand style in procession, with hymns and candlelight, singing along with our mother Mary in thanksgiving to God for the good work of our salvation.

So, today’s feast, as we have it in our Gospel passage, reminds us of the moment when Mary, after the event of Annunciation, having received the message from Angel Gabriel, came to visit her cousin Elizabeth, who was now pregnant with a child.

For at that time, Mary was just having the Child Jesus in her not long after he was conceived in her womb by the power of the Holy Spirit, while Elizabeth, who had become pregnant earlier, was having John the Baptist in her womb, even in her old age.

Here, Mary sang the Magnificat in honour to God for the great thing he has done not just for her but for all humanity. For having heard that her cousin Elizabeth, who at that time had been long barren, had now conceived a child, she came and found out that what the Lord had revealed to her through the Angel Gabriel was indeed true.

For she was told that her cousin Elizabeth had miraculously conceived in her old age. And herself, about to have a child without any human relations but by the power of the Holy Spirit. These made Mary rejoice greatly, for it was truly a great and joyful moment which God had shown to all his people.

Hence, this grace-filled event reveals the special role that Mary played in God’s plan for human salvation. So, as she brings the Word of life dwelling in her womb to Elizabeth, Mary becomes the image of the Church’s missionary activity, for she is filled with the spirit, ready to visit and bring Christ to all humanity.

This also presents to us the joyful moment when Mary, bearing the Word Made Flesh, visited barren and lonely humanity well represented by the person of Elizabeth. Thus, in this act of kindness, we recall the faith and the wonderful commitment shown by Mary as an example and inspiration to all of us. For she totally obeyed the Lord and entrusted herself completely to the divine will of God.

Dear friends, visitation is part and parcel of our mission, just that we are so busy with everything except the very essence of our mission, which is, the salvation of our souls. The fact remains that there is joy and power in visiting one another just like Mary.

There is grace and a sense of belonging in visiting one another; there is healing and restoration in visiting one another. So today, who do you wish to visit or who will you like to visit you today? How will you feel if any of your loved ones should pay you a surprise visit today? How will you feel if your presence brings joy and happiness to someone today?

Why not try to visit someone today? Why not try to visit your friends, colleagues, classmates, workers, family members and neighbours whom you have abandoned for a long time? Why not try to learn from Mary, for in her we have found a great role model? So, following her example, we also embark on our own journey of faith, learning from her obedience and dedication to the mission that has been entrusted to her throughout her life, just as we are entrusted with the task of spreading the Gospel passage to all humanity.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, only the soul for whom you have done great things can truly proclaim with fitting praise the joy of your presence. As we embrace your words today through the visitation of our Mother Mary, we joyfully surrender unto you, our whole life, our senses, our barrenness and loneliness, for our spirit rejoices at the coming of Christ Jesus our Saviour, and may this joy always remain in our hearts through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a grace-filled weekend.