Homily For Monday Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 4th August, 2025. The Memorial of St John Mary Vianney

 

Readings: Num. 11:4-15, Ps 81, Matt. 14:13-21

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

THE LORD CARES FOR OUR SPIRITUAL AND PHYSICAL WELLBEING

Humanity is constantly in need of one thing or the other; we are never tired of searching for things that will satisfy our desire for physical and spiritual well-being. This is the situation and condition of the people in our readings today.

In the first reading, we heard how the people of Israel lamented against God and Moses for giving them only manna without any meat, fish, cucumber and garlic, as they were used to in Egypt. And in our Gospel passage, we heard how the people were in search of Jesus for more bread. So as Jesus stepped ashore he saw a large crowd; and he took pity on them and healed their sickness and also miraculously fed them.

Here, Jesus fulfils his role as the expected messiah who is to liberate his people from all kinds of diseases. The healing touch of Jesus reveals to all those who are in need that God is faithful to his promises. This healing and wholeness are offered as a sign of the presence of God’s kingdom among his people. But Jesus did not just heal the sick, he also fed the crowd.

This feeding of the crowd refers back to the journey of the people of God in the desert from Mount Sinai to the promised land, which especially signifies the event of our Eucharistic celebration. The Eucharist has the same characteristics of this miracle: the community gathered together, the transformation of humble elements into a glorified body of Christ to satisfy our spiritual hunger, which is an abundant gift of God to humanity. In fact, because of the link to the Eucharist, this is the only miracle that is reported by all four gospels.

However, we can interpret this miracle of feeding the crowd in two ways. First, we can simply interpret it as a miraculous event, pointing to the divine origin and mission of Jesus. Secondly, we can interpret the 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 actually brought some food with them started sharing what they have and indeed grace multiplied what they have to the point of having left over.

How I wish humanity could learn to share our resources with one another, believe me, the world will witness another miracle of multiplication of resources that will be enough for everyone with leftovers for future generations. So, as Jesus heals and feeds the physical aspect of humanity, he also knows that we need the food of the Eucharist to sustain us spiritually for our journey to heaven which is our promised land.

Here, Jesus did not bring the loaves and fish out of nowhere. Rather, he took what was offered to him and multiplied it greatly. This bread is the gift of the Eucharist, which we receive back from Jesus, whose heart is always moved with pity and compassion towards us.

Dear friends, God loves us so much, that he is willing and ready to satisfy our unquenchable hunger for physical and spiritual things. Therefore, come to Jesus and embrace his love and you will be satisfied. Let us learn from St. John Mary Vianney, whose memorial we celebrate today. The beloved patron of Parish priests.

Like John Mary Vianney, let us cultivate the right disposition of heart that will enable us to be visionary leaders, leading those entrusted to us safely towards the path of truth and life. Through his life of holiness, preaching, prayer and penance, he was able to transform the lives of the people of his time.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, we are really hungry, in need of your love and satisfaction both physically and spiritually, through the intercession of St. John Mary Vianney 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. Have a blessed week.

Homily For Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C, 3rd August, 2025

 

Reading: Eccl.1:2.2:21-23; Ps. 90; Col. 3:1-5.9-11; Luke 12:13-21

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

FOOL! THIS NIGHT DEMAND WILL BE MADE FOR YOUR SOUL. LIFE IS VANITY VANISHING WITHOUT GOD

There is no doubt that the material things of this passing world are so beautiful and captivating. Of course, they are gifts from God and he alone gives us the right to them. Hence, what we possess is meant to help us grow in our relationship with God and neighbours, not to separate us from them.

But if we are not careful, too much love for material possessions can be an obstacle on our way to God’s Kingdom. Little wonder Jesus, in our Gospel passage today, warns us against covetousness and excessive attachment to worldly possessions, which he greatly emphasised with the story of the rich man's Harvest.

In this story a rich man who, having had a good harvest from his farm, thought to himself, “What am I to do? I do not have enough room to store my crops.” Then he said, “This is what I will do: I will pull down my barns and build bigger ones, and store all my grain and my goods in them, and I will say to my soul: My soul, you have plenty of good things laid by for many years to come; take things easy, eat, drink, have a good time.” But God said to him, “Fool! This very night, the demand will be made for your soul; and this hoard of yours, whose will it be then?

Here, Jesus tells his disciples about the need to live a life of detachment. He used this story to teach his disciples and all of us about the futility of excessive worldly desires and it’s pursuits. Thereby showing us the foolishness of human greed, as well as pride and ego. For in this man we see the uselessness of human selfishness, covetousness and excess desire for worldly possessions.

This is because he constantly focused only on himself saying I will do this, I will do that, ‘my goods, my fruits, my barns, my soul, etc, without any interest or room for his neighbours or the poor. He has no thought of God, nor of his own servants. If he had looked a little beyond himself, he would have seen many places where he could have bestowed his crops. Thus, there is a need for us to constantly prune ourselves from excess love for material possessions of this passing world.

For we heard in our first reading that things of this passing world are vanity without God. That vanity of vanities. All is vanity! Since a man who has laboured wisely, skillfully and successfully must leave what is his own to someone who has not toiled for it at all.

This, of course, is vanity and great injustice; for what does he gain for all the toil and strain that he has undergone under the sun? What of all his laborious days, his cares of office, his restless nights? This, too, is vanity.

The fact remains that material possessions in themselves are good, for we would not survive for long without them, but excess attachment to them at the expense of eternal life is grade one suicide. No doubt, it is difficult to give out or share our possessions, but the ones who give up everything are the ones who receive more in this life as well as in heaven.

For we heard St. Paul in our second reading saying: Let your thoughts be on heavenly things, not on the things that are on the earth, because you have died, and now the life you have is hidden with Christ in God.

That is why we must kill everything in us that belongs only to earthly life: fornication, impurity, guilty passion, evil desires and especially greed, which is the same thing as worshipping a false god; and never tell each other lies. You have stripped off your old behaviour with your old self, and you have put on a new self which will progress towards true knowledge of the image of God.

Dear friends, what is the essence of our existence in this world? What does God really require from us in this life? Do you know that without God everything in life is vanity vanishing? So today Jesus addressed the very thing that most people are not ready to give up. Those things such as: money, houses, credentials, love of power, pride and wealth.

But, if we are honest enough, we will admit that we all have some things we would be very slow to let go if Jesus should make the demand of them. Those things we are so much attached to and would not like God to ask us to give them up for the sake of following him.

In fact, it might be a good thing today for us to ask ourselves what would be the most difficult thing for us to give up if Jesus should ask us to do so. It might be something we own, like our properties, treasures, fame, beauty, influence and power or our wealth; it may be a relationship, or our job, or our habits and attitudes.

So, whatever we possess that will separate us from our mission of following Jesus and loving our neighbours, today we are called to give them up and come follow the Lord, because in leaving them for the sake of Jesus, we actually gain all in abundance.

Therefore, detaching and sharing what we possess with others, especially the poor, is a sure way to find life, peace and happiness. And Jesus is telling us that it will be difficult for us to enter his kingdom when we choose to attach ourselves to the riches of this passing world. Though material possessions are gifts from God and he alone gives us the right to have them, what we possess is not meant to separate us from God; rather, they should help us to grow in our relationship with God and neighbours.

Hence, let us not be carried away by the beauty of the things of this passing world, for nothing lasts forever. Rather, we should remain steadfast in our faith in God, who has called us to love him and to love one another, for that is all that the Lord requires from us in this life.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we are living in a world where materialism is the order of the day. Help us to learn how to live a life of detachment and keep us always from the sin of covetousness and pride. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a blessed Sunday celebration.

Homily For Saturday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 2nd August, 2025.

 

Readings: Lev. 25:1.8-17; Ps. 67; Matt. 14:1-12

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia 

WHY DO WE FIND IT DIFFICULT TO ACCEPT THE TRUTH

One thing that the world hates to hear is the sound of the word "truth". Why! Because it makes the world tremble, as most things in the world are built on falsehood and deceit, and people are becoming comfortable with falsehood as a way of life. This is obvious, especially with the ugly situation of society today, where humanity is placed in perpetual darkness and confusion as the voices that speak the truth are silenced by all means.

Today, people want to be "free" to do whatever they like; they don't want anybody to remind them of the hard truth about the realities of life. Hence, they can do anything just to silence the truth. Thus, the cost of speaking the truth has become so expensive that sometimes it costs the life of an individual or even a whole community. It is even more demanding when the truth to be told has to do with the conversion of one in authority.

This is the case with John the Baptist in our Gospel passage today, whose head was the prize he paid for the truth he told to Herod and Herodias. For Herod had arrested John and put him in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife. For John had told him, ‘It is against the Law for you to have her.’ Herod had wanted to kill him but was afraid of the people, who regarded John as a prophet.

But, on the occasion of Herod’s birthday, the daughter of Herodias danced before the company, and so delighted Herod that he promised on oath to give her anything she asked. She conspired with the mother and demanded the head of John the Baptist. The king was distressed but, thinking of the oaths he had sworn and of his guests, he ordered John to be beheaded and the head be given to the girl, who took it to her mother.

These ugly attitudes towards John the Baptist point to what is done to Jesus in his Passion, demonstrating how good people, especially when they struggle for truth and justice, are often condemned to suffer in the hands of greed and powerful people, as we have it in our country today. But should we stop speaking the truth because of fear of losing our lives?

I don't think so, because truth saves life, it brings freedom, it releases tension, it brings peace, it settles quarrels and disputes. Truth is freedom which must be offered to everyone, whoever, whenever and however it will best bring conversion to its enemies, just like John the Baptist did to Herod and Herodias even at the expense of his life.

Herod made a bad decision, which, out of pride, he found it difficult to change his mind and admit that he was wrong. He did not plan to execute John that night. He was persuaded by Herodias to do so, because he was a weak man. He is a slave to the opinion of others; he fears the people who revered John; he also fears the reaction of his guests if he should retract his oath.

Dear friends, like Herod, how often do we make decisions out of pride? When we make bad decisions, how quickly are we able to change our minds, to admit that we are wrong? Are we like Herodias, who is waiting for an opportunity to silence the innocents who confront us with the truth?  If today we happen to be one of the guests of Herod, what would have been our reaction? Will I have protested or stayed silent?

Thus, what do we do when we see others suffering injustice? Do we have the courage to protest, even at the cost of losing our jobs and lives? Today we called to speak the truth no matter the cost, for the world needs to hear the truth at all costs. This is the evidence in our first reading today, where the Lord gave the people instructions on how to coordinate themselves in their promised land, for he said Let none of you wrong his neighbour, but fear your God.

LET US PRAY:  Lord God, it is difficult to speak and stand for truth in our world today, give us the grace and courage to become instruments of your word in truth and in deeds, just like St. John the Baptist. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Wishing you God’s favour.  

Homily For Friday Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 1st August, 2025. The Memorial of St. Alphonsus Liguori. HAPPY NEW MONTH

 

Readings: Lev. 23:1.4-11.15-16.27.34-37; Ps. 81; Matt. 13:54-58

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

DO NOT GIVE UP WHEN PEOPLE LOOK DOWN ON YOU  

In life, people are quick to neglect and look down on others, who they believe cannot offer them anything good at the moment. They are quick to forget that everyone, no matter the present condition is a potential instrument for God's blessings. This is the ugly attitude of the people of Nazareth in our Gospel passage today. 

For when Jesus came to his home town and taught the people in the synagogue in such a way that they were astonished, but instead of embracing the message of Jesus, they treated him with contempt and in their pride they said: ‘Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers? 

This is the carpenter’s son, surely? Is not his mother the woman called Mary, and his brothers and sisters here with us? Where did he get all these?’ And they would not accept him. But Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is only despised in his own country and in his own house’, and he did not work many miracles there because of their lack of faith.

Thus, out of pride and contempt, the people rejected the blessings God had for them. Today, this kind of ugly attitude is what stops people from doing good, because they don’t want to be treated with contempt, and as a result, a lot of people have been deprived of their blessings out of human pride and contempt.

This is what the Lord is addressing through Moses in our first reading today. For he said when you enter the land that I give you, and gather in the harvest there, you must bring the first sheaf of your harvest to the priest, and he is to present it to the Lord with the gesture of offering, so that you may be acceptable.

This is what we see in the life of St. Alphonsus Liguori, whose memorial we celebrate today. He was the founder of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, also known as the Redemptorists. He was truly a holy man and a role model that we can emulate in our own lives. St. Alphonsus Liguori was remembered for his great piety and dedication to serving the people of God, just like Moses. He was known for his simple and yet effective homilies, his courageous and loving outreach to those under his care and in touch with the plight and troubles of the people in his community.

Dear friends, do not treat anyone with contempt, for everyone is a potential instrument of God’s blessings and favour. And if you want to make a difference in life, be ready to ignore what people are saying about you now, forget your past failures and your humble beginning. People may not appreciate you now, they may even say all kinds of things about you, just to humiliate and discourage you.

Put all of them behind you, work hard for your dreams, give your time to it, sacrifice your sleep and comfort, sweat for it, plan for it, overcome all your terrors of opposition, enduring pains and obstacles, with the help of God you will succeed and become a source of God's blessings. 

Then you will sing joyfully to God, your strength, and all the people will gather about you in praise of your God. And they will say: Is not this the Carpenter's son or daughter? Where then did he get all this? Yes, that's who we are, for Jesus is the Carpenter of our success and salvation. 

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, oftentimes in our pride, we treat people with contempt because of their humble background, give us the grace to realise that everyone is a potential instrument of your blessings and favour to humanity. And as we struggle towards our goals, may you, through the intercession of Alphonsus, crown all our efforts and sacrifices with success this new month. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.  Happy New Month. 

Homily For Thursday Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 31st July, 2025. The Memorial of St. Ignatius of Loyola

 

Readings: Ex. 40:16-21.34-38; Ps. 84; Matt 13:47-53

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

THE LORD IS OUR POTTER WE ARE RAW CLAY IN HIS HAND 

A story was told of a beautiful clay pot used to decorate a garden. The clay pot was the point of attraction to all, including its fellow ordinary clay. So one day the ordinary clay approached the beautiful clay pot and said, We have no doubt that you are clay just like us. But how come you have become so beautiful and special that everyone admires you? 

The clay pot smiled and said: There was a time when I was nothing but a dumb lump of red clay. Then one day a Potter came with a digger and a hoe, dug me out of the dumb lump, and painfully separated me from my fellow clay and brought me to his house. I cried out, but he ignored me. 

He rolled and pounded me on a wooden table several times without mercy. I cried out, Don’t do that! Leave me alone!’ But the Potter suddenly placed me on a spinning wheel and spun around and around and around until I lost all consciousness. Just when I thought it was over, he placed me carefully into an oven which is hotter than hellfire. 

Why me! I cried out in anguish! But the potter only smiled and gently said: Because you are special! I struggled, I yelled, knocked and broke several times, but the Potter was patient and meticulous in ensuring that I adjusted to his will. Realising that I cannot win, I surrender completely to the will of the Potter, and he only nodded in understanding and quietly said: “It's not over yet! 

Then he pulled me out of the oven, when the heat had cooled, he carefully picked me up, dusted away some dirt, and behold, I was totally transformed, looking so beautiful and special. And the potter smiled and said: This is what you are meant to be. For God has made you into a special vessel for a special purpose. 

This story reflects our relationship with God, who is our Potter. For God has created humanity as beautiful clay in his hands to be moulded into a beautiful and special vessel for the heavenly kingdom. But humanity has sinned and rebelled against God and his plan for us, just like the people of Israel in our first reading today. 

For knowing how stiff-necked they were, God sent Moses to build a tabernacle of his presence from where he guided and moulded his people along their journey according to his plan after they had repented and turned away from their sinful ways of life.

Hence, we are called to repentance and cooperate with God's grace,  for there will be a day of judgement, of which Jesus,s, in our Gospel passage, used a parable to describe that the kingdom of heaven will be like a dragnet cast into the sea that brings in fish of all kinds. 

When it is full, the fishermen haul it ashore; then, sitting down, they collect the good ones in a basket and throw away those that are no use. Here Jesus is telling us that the kingdom is open for all but not all can be suitable to dwell in it, only those who on the judgement day are found suitable can be admitted into the kingdom, just like St. Ignatius of Loyola, whose memorial we celebrate today. 

Dear friends, God is our potter; we are nothing but raw clay, hoping to be moulded into heavenly vessels. So, all God requires from us is for us to let him mould us to become his heavenly vessels. No doubt that sin has destroyed our original nature, but just like when a potter was shaping spoils in his hands and he formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him. So will God re-mould us into a new vessel for his heavenly kingdom if we repent from our pride and sinful ways of life. 

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, sin and pride have separated humanity from your plans for us. Today, we come to you like a lump of clay in a dump, be our Potter once again and remould us into the heavenly vessels which you planned for us. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. God bless you.

Homily For Wednesday Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 30th July, 2025

 

Readings: Ex. 34:29-35; Ps. 99; Matt 13:44-46

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

SEARCHING FOR THE ULTIMATE TREASURE OF LIFE

From the day we were born till the day we die, our lives can be likened to one who is searching for something so precious, like a treasure. And at the point of death, it appears as if one has found all he or she has been searching and looking for, and then sells all he or she has in order to abandon all they have in this world in order to buy that which they have found. Thus, today we are called to reflect on what should be that precious and ultimate treasure. 

So, in the Gospel passage today, Jesus used two parables to describe to the people that the kingdom of God is the greatest and ultimate treasure anyone can and should acquire. He said to them: the kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field which someone has found; he hides it again, goes off happy, sells everything he owns and buys the field. Again, he said, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls; when he finds one of great value, he goes and sells everything he owns and buys it.

Here, the parables describe the kingdom of God as the ultimate treasure that cannot be compared to anything whatsoever we have in this world. Though the kingdom is open for all, not all can be suitable to dwell in it; only those who on the judgement day are found suitable can be admitted into the kingdom. 

Using these parables Jesus explains what the kingdom of heaven is like and what we need to do in order to acquire it. The essence of these parables is to remind us that the kingdom of heaven is so precious and great, that it is worth more than our entire life and our worldly possessions and treasures. 

Therefore, we must do all that it takes to ensure that we acquire it, losing it over the temporal worldly pleasure, fame, power and influence of the things of this passing world will be complete foolishness. For none of them last forever, and what good is it for us to gain the whole world but lose our souls out of God’s kingdom. For it is the glory of this kingdom that made the skin on the face of Moses in our first reading shine so much that the people of Israel would not dare to come near him.

Dear friends, what are you searching for in this passing world? What is your ultimate treasure in this life? How many of us are paying attention to this ultimate heavenly treasure? How many of us think and search for this ultimate treasure of our souls? 

One thing brought us into this world, and there is only one thing we can leave in this world, and there is only one thing we can take away from this world as our ultimate treasure, that is Love. Yes, Love is our ultimate treasure and as we know God is Love.

So,  how many of us desire to personally discover God in our lives? How I wish we would understand the shortness of this life, the emptiness of this passing world and the danger of losing our souls out of greed for the things of this passing world. 

Then, we will sincerely desire to experience God personally, because in him lies the greatest and ultimate treasure of life. And discovering God personally in our lives is the greatest treasure anyone can ever have. Remember, God is Love, have you discovered Love? Then you have discovered God and His Kingdom.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, the world is full of distractions from false treasures, give us a wise and discerning heart in order to give up all our attachments to worldly possessions in pursuit of True Love, the heavenly and ultimate treasure of your kingdom. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Peace be with you.

Homily For Tuesday, Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time, Year C, 29th July, 2025. The Memorial of SS. Martha, Mary and Lazarus

Readings: Ex. 33:7-11.34:5-9.28; Ps. 103, Luke 10:38-42

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

DON’T BE TOO BUSY AND ANXIOUS ABOUT THE THINGS OF THIS PASSING WORLD. LEARN TO LISTEN TO GOD 

Today we celebrate the memorial of Saints, Martha, Mary and Lazarus very close family friends of Jesus. In this family, we see what should be a good example of our attitude towards Jesus in our families. In our relationship with Jesus, we often do not know what Jesus requires from us.  Oftentimes, we worry about so many things in life, and this often distracts us from relating to Jesus properly. But Jesus will always have a way of teaching us how to relate to him despite our different charisms and dispositions. 

This is what is playing out in our Gospel passage today, where we heard the story of how Martha was so busy trying to make Jesus comfortable as he visited them at their house in Bethany. But when Martha observed that her sister Mary was not helping out in the preparation, rather was busy listening to Jesus, she said to Jesus: “Lord, do you not care that my sister is leaving me to do the serving all by myself? Please tell her to help me.’ But the Lord answered: ‘Martha, Martha,’ ‘you worry and fret about so many things, and yet few are needed, indeed only one. It is Mary who has chosen the better part; it is not to be taken from her”.

 

Here, Jesus is not condemning this great sacrificial virtue nor condoning laziness. Rather, he is saying that being busy without listening and listening without doing is completely worthless. Because in our relationship with him, Jesus wants us to learn how to listen to him even in our busy schedules. 

Hence, he gently corrected the impression of Martha who was too busy and distracted with so many things that she risks losing sight of what is really important, that is, listening to Jesus. This is because Martha gives the impression that Mary is just sitting there doing nothing. But, in fact, she was listening to Jesus. 

However, Jesus is not telling us to be content with sitting down to listen to his word, for he always insists that the best way of listening to his word is by putting it into practice. His objection to Martha is that she was too anxious and distracted by many things, so she was not able to really listen to him, and for Jesus, listening is the best option. 

This act of listening to God is what the people in the first reading today failed to do. That is why in our first reading, Moses, while praying for the people of Israel who have failed to listen to God, said: ‘If I have indeed won your favour, Lord,’ I beg. True, they are stiff-necked people, but forgive us our faults and our sins, and adopt us as your heritage. 

Dear friends, in our relationship with Jesus, are we more of a listener or more of an accommodating and caring person? Are we more like Martha, Mary or Lazarus for they were all close family friends of Jesus? Today, many of us are so busy and anxious about so many things that we have no time to listen to God speaking to us and addressing the situation we are actually busy trying to solve. 

Today we are called like Martha to pause and listen, so that we can hear God speaking to us and directing us towards the right path. Remember, Martha who was known as a friend of Jesus, loved to welcome him into her home, let us also learn from her, for it is a great virtue to be hospitable and caring especially when we spend quality time to listen to God and letting him direct and guide us towards carrying out our daily tasks without being distracted by the things of this passing world. 

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we are anxious and worried about so many things, but indeed only one thing is needed, give us the grace to truly listen to your word and so have a caring and hospitable family just like St. Martha, Mary and Lazarus. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a fruitful weekend.