Homily For Pentecost Sunday Year C, 8th June, 2025

 

Readings: Acts.2:1-11; Ps.104; Rom. 8:8-17; John 14:15-16.23-26

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

RECEIVE THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of our great Pentecost, where we receive the fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Today the promised Paraclete has come, the Comforter has come, the purifying fire has come. Today all children of God are empowered once more to conquer the world with the Good News of Christ's salvation.

Today the fears, the shame, the weakness of sins, the lukewarmness, the lockdown and all the barriers that hold us captive in the upper room of fear and shame have now been consumed by the power of the Holy Ghost, which we receive afresh today. For we have been set free and empowered to transform the world once again with the truth of the Gospel of Christ.

This is the fulfilment of the promise Jesus made to his disciples in our Gospel passage today, when he said to his disciples: ‘‘If you love me, you will keep my commandments. I shall ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you forever. He will teach you everything and remind you of all I have said to you

This promise was made when, after the Last Supper and the ugly event of his passion, death and resurrection, a sense of loss and fear had saddened the hearts of the Apostles. But their sadness will not be long, for Jesus will not abandon them, he will not leave them orphans.

He will send the Counsellor, the power of Love, the Spirit of the Father. And this Spirit will enable them to understand that his work is a work of love: love of the One who gave himself, love of the Father who has given him and love for humanity whom he has come to save.

Thus, this is the mystery of the Pentecost we are celebrating today as we have it in our first reading, when on the Pentecost day the disciples were in a room of lockdown and fearfulness, and suddenly they heard what sounded like a powerful wind from heaven, the noise of which filled the entire house in which they were sitting; and something appeared to them that seemed like tongues of fire; these separated and came to rest on the head of each of them. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak foreign languages as the Spirit gave them the gift of speech.

Such is the work of the Holy Spirit, who illuminates the human spirit and reveals in it, the image of Christ Crucified and Risen, in order to become more like him, bearing the image and instrument of the love which flows from Christ. It is in this image of love, that the greatness of the Pentecost event is perceived.

There are seven gifts and twelve fruits of the Holy Spirit; the seven gifts include: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. While the fruits which are perfections that the Holy Spirit forms in us as the first fruits of eternal glory are as follows: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, chastity.

Among all these gifts and fruits, love is the most important of the fruits of the Holy Spirit, just as it is also the most important of all the Christian virtues. Without love, all the good things we have accomplished mean nothing. Love helps us to share in the image of God, which Jesus is offering us, so that we can live the life of the spirit.

Hence, St Paul advised us in our second reading, saying: Unless you possess the Spirit of Christ, you would not belong to him. Though your body may be dead it is because of sin, but if Christ is in you then your spirit is life itself because you have been justified; and if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, then he who raised Jesus from the dead will give life to your own mortal bodies through his Spirit living in you.

However, Paul continued saying: If you live according to the flesh, you are doomed to die; but if by the Spirit you put an end to the misdeeds of the body you will live. But what does he mean by living according to the flesh?

This means giving in to self-indulgence and the results are obvious: gross indecency and sexual irresponsibility; such as fornication and adultery, idolatry and sorcery; enmity and strife, jealousy and unforgiveness, bad temper and selfishness; disagreements and factions, envy and drunkenness, carousing and similar other ugly things we often do.

Meanwhile, living according to the Spirit brings something different, such as: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, trustworthiness, gentleness and self-control.

Dear friends, today the power of the Holy Spirit of love has been poured upon us, so we are called and empowered to go into the whole world and proclaim the Good News of God’s love to humanity. For there are many people in our world today who have not experienced the true love of God in their hearts, because they are distracted by various worldly concerns and their selfishness, as they keep hurting each other and causing troubles and suffering to one another. These should not be our attitude.

Let our actions and deeds bear the fruit of this love of God not only to such people, but to our fellow brethren by showing genuine care and concern for each other. Let us not close our doors of love because we continually want to feel secure and do not want to be disturbed by others or by God.

Rather let us like the apostles break open the doors of our hearts, for Christ overcomes our enclosure to bring us love and peace and build a bridge between heaven and earth, so that we can climb up on this bridge of love to reach him and together with him, we too can reach all humanity, beginning with our families, societies and to the ends of the Earth.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, as we lift up our hearts together with Mary our mother in the Spirit of Pentecost, singing the Veni Sancte Spiritus, may the Holy Spirit of love come down upon all your children wherever we may be and fill our hearts with the fire of his love. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Wishing you a Spirit-filled Pentecost celebration.

Homily For Saturday Seventh Week of Easter Year C, 7th June 2025

Readings: Acts 28:16-20.30-31; Ps.11; John 21:20-25

Rev Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

HAVE YOU PERSONALLY FELT LOVED BY THE LORD?

One of the greatest mysticists and doctors of the Church, St. John of the Cross, says in the first stanza of his poem entitled: The Living Flame of Love, “O living flame of love that tenderly wounds my soul in its deepest centre! Since now you are not oppressive, consummate now! If it be Your will: tear through the veil of this sweet encounter!”

This flame of love is the Holy Spirit that bathes the soul that encounters it in glory and refreshes it with divine life of love in which the will of the soul is united in the most sublime flame of love for God in Jesus.

This may be the situation in the life of John the beloved, one of the disciples of Jesus in our Gospel passage today, which made the scriptures describe him as ‘the disciple whom Jesus loved’. What a great description of anyone’s personality.

This disciple had a peculiar share in the love of Christ and was admitted to great nearness and freedom with him that gives him the liberty which no one has among the disciples. This is evident by his leaning on the breast of Jesus at the suggestion of Peter, to ask him at the Last supper, who was to be the traitor.

The fact is that it is a great thing to love Jesus and be loved by Jesus. Yes, Jesus loved all his disciples, yet within that circle of love, there was an innermost place in which the beloved John was favoured to dwell. For those who display an extraordinary love for one are all the more capable of great affection for many; therefore, because Jesus loved John most, he has a greater estimate of his love than the other disciples. Though John was raised, others were not lowered; rather, they were raised with him.

John was of more intimate communion with Jesus than others. He was always wherever Jesus was. When all the disciples sit at the table, even Peter is not nearest to the Lord like John, for John will lean his head upon the bosom of Jesus with earnest, eager, intense affection.

Jesus loved him not just as a disciple but as a dear friend whose personality as a young individual has the most profitable opportunity of becoming eminent piety. He was the only disciple who was closest to Jesus and his mother at his passion and death.

Hence, Jesus entrusted his mother to him, saying Son, behold your mother, mother, behold your son, because in John, Jesus has found a soul that truly loves. And the more a soul loves God, the more it desires that God be loved and honoured by all, and the greater this desire becomes, the more the soul labours toward that end in all possible means, and this is evident in all the works of John the beloved.

Dear friends, have you ever felt loved by God personally? Have you ever been identified as one whom God loves? Have you personally desired to be an instrument of God’s love for humanity? Have you ever paid the price of sacrificial love? Has your love ever been rejected by those you loved most, or have you rejected those who loved you?

Today we are called to examine our conscience to know if there is any sign of true love of God and neighbours in us. We are called to make ourselves available for God’s love to abide in us. We are called to build a personality that gives room for love to flow in us and through us.

As we anticipate the solemnity of Pentecost tomorrow, we are called to open our hearts for the Holy Spirit to enkindle in us the fire of his love so that our souls will be transformed in love. And may this fire of love be extended to our families, societies, country and the world at large.

LET US PRAY: Loving Father, inflame our hearts once again with the fire of your love. Grant that we may personally and collectively experience your divine love for us and for all humanity through Christ our Lord. Amen. Wishing you a lovely weekend.

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.