Homily For Tuesday, Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time, Year C, 26th August, 2025

Readings: 1Thes 2:1-8; Ps.139; Matt.23:23-26

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

THE DANGER OF BEING A BLIND AND HYPOCRITICAL LEADER

God created humanity to be managers of all that He created. To carry out this responsibility, He gave us the mantle of leadership as one of the characteristics of the human person, that which makes us unique from every other creature. Thus leadership is a gift from God by which we serve Him and our neighbour responsibly in this world.

But this great gift has often been abused by humanity because of greed, love of power, fame and selfishness. This was the attitude of most of the Scribes and the Pharisees in the Gospel today. For they had the responsibility to lead the people to the Kingdom of heaven, but they neither entered nor allowed those who wanted to enter to go in.

Hence, Jesus called them hypocrites, blind guides because they misuse the gift of leadership entrusted to them. Many of them multiply the laws to suit their agenda by enforcing a very strict interpretation and application of the law to the smallest details while neglecting the true purpose and meaning of the law. They only focus on the letter while neglecting the spirit of the Law, thereby making the law a mere formality that gives room for people to take God’s law for granted.

And such attitudes towards the Law are meaningless if not accompanied properly with the desire and understanding from the heart and soul that truly love God. Thus, he called us to embrace love, justice, mercy, and good faith as good qualities of a leader.

Little wonder St. Paul in our first reading today says: It was our God who gave us the courage to proclaim his Good News to you in the face of great opposition. We have not taken to preaching because we are deluded, immoral, or trying to deceive anyone; it was God who decided that we were fit to be entrusted with the Good News, and when we are speaking, we are not trying to please men but God, who can read our inmost thoughts

Dear friends, What type of a leader are you? Are you a blind and hypocritical leader or a committed and responsible leader? This is important because the major problems in our societies are caused by bad leadership. So today we are called not to be hypocrites or blind guides but good leaders who are committed and responsible with whatever we are entrusted with.

As leaders we are called to serve God and humanity in any capacity we find ourselves. Remember, the first person to lead is your very self from which we can extend it to others in our families, societies and the world at large.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, you have given to all humanity the grace of leadership, but we have often misused it because of greed and selfishness. As we embrace the gift of leadership today, may we never be tired of doing what is good. And as we struggle it out the remaining days of this month and the rest of the year, may You be the sole fount of true wisdom and knowledge guide all our decisions in life, through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a fruitful day.

Homily For Monday, Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time, Year C, 25th August 2025

Readings: 1Thess.1:1-5.8-10, Ps. 149, Matt.23:13-22

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

DON'T BE A HYPOCRITIC LEADER

Leadership is one of the characteristics of a human person; it is what makes us unique from every other thing. It is a gift from God by which we serve Him and our neighbour responsibly. However, the Scribes and the Pharisees in the Gospel today, who had the responsibility to lead people to the Kingdom of heaven, have become an obstacle, for they neither enter nor allow those who want to enter to go in.

Thus, Jesus called them hypocrites, blind guides because they misuse the gift of leadership entrusted to them. For they say, “If a man swears by the Temple, it has no force; but if a man swears by the gold of the Temple, he is bound.” But Jesus said to them You fools and blind! For which is of greater worth, the gold or the Temple that makes the gold sacred? 

Therefore, when a man swears by the altar he is swearing by that and by everything on it. And when a man swears by the Temple he is swearing by that and by the One who dwells in it. And when a man swears by heaven he is swearing by the throne of God and by the One who is seated there.’

Here, Jesus is referring to the ceremonious way in which the Pharisees took oaths. It was one of the things in the culture of their time. That is, people swearing oaths with impressive-sounding words before the congregations without fulfilling them, like our politicians today. But what were the words of these oaths anyway?

They were forms of words designed to impress people. There were no indications that the person swearing the oath had any power over the things that the oath mentioned. 

It was just using words to impress and so produce acceptance of things in relation to the oath, when in fact this is completely fraudulent because the persons taking the oath, do not intend to keep the promises or commitments that they were apparently confirming by taking that oath. They were just fooling the people. 

And Jesus is saying in essence, that we should not let this foolery ever be part of us because it is hypocrisy, and Jesus is against hypocrisy in all its forms, especially when it has to do with taking the name of God in vain.

To take the name of God in vain means to invoke His name unnecessarily or profanely, to use it without humbly acknowledging the holy character of the One whose name we are invoking. To invoke the name of God in an oath or vow when our statement is false, inconsequential or when we do not intend to honour our words is a direct violation of the third commandment of God. 

Therefore, the issue Jesus is addressing here goes to the very core of our character as Christians, to the heart of what it means to live as a child of God, especially in a society like ours, where deception and falsehood are the order of the day.

Dear friends, Jesus calls us today to be sincere in everything we do or say. That is why he commanded us not to swear an oath; rather, we should say yes when we mean yes, and no when we mean no, so as not to become hypocrites and liars. 

So, today we are called not to be hypocrites or blind guides but good leaders who are committed and responsible with whatever we are entrusted with. Little wonder St Paul in our first reading tells us to observe the sort of life that they lived when they were with us, which was for our instruction, since it was from them that the word of the Lord started to spread.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, oftentimes we have been hypocrites, blind guides of the things you entrusted to us. May we never take your name in vain or be tired of doing what is good. As we struggle through the remaining days of this month of August and the rest of the year, may the sole fount of true wisdom and knowledge guide us in all our decisions in life. Amen. Do have a fruitful week ahead.

Homily For Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C, 24th August, 2025.

Readings: Is. 66:18-21; Ps.117; Heb. 12:5-7.11-13; Luke 13:22-30

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

STRUGGLE TO PASS THROUGH THE NARROW GATE  OF ETERNAL LIFE 

Life is nothing but a temporal assignment, a journey which begins in the morning so beautiful, full of expectations and hope, but the sojourner has no knowledge of his/her destination, purpose and end. The only guide is his/ her willingness to constantly follow the directives of the Sender who communicates his plans and purposes to those who care and are willing to listen. 

Thus, the emptiness and shortness of life makes me to reflect on my future as a human person and the question that comes to my mind is: "where will you and I, and the beautiful things of this world be in the next one, ten, twenty, forty, eighty and hundred years for those who are strong? 

The deep silence in my soul could not offer me any answer to this question; rather, it exposed before me the teachings of Jesus in our Gospel passage today when he said: Try your best to enter by the narrow door, because, I tell you, many will try to enter and will not succeed. For once, the master of the house has got up and locked the door, you may find yourself knocking on the door, saying, “Lord, open to us”, but he will answer, “I do not know where you come from.

Here, Jesus calls our attention to the reality of life which we must not take for granted, that is the need for us to follow the teachings of the Lord, for humanity have failed to embrace the life of truth, holiness and love for God and for one another that seems difficult and narrow to them, but prefers to follow the destructive ways of life that is born out of pride, greed and uncontrollable desire for worldly things. 

No doubt that the things of this passing world are so captivating and many people have been captured by its seductive power and are greatly following it.  We must not be victims of this ugly situation. Rather, we must learn to submit ourselves to the directives of the Holy Spirit for he is always ready to guide us along the narrow ways of life.

Little wonder we heard the Lord in our second reading today saying: My son, when the Lord corrects you, do not treat it lightly; but do not get discouraged when he reprimands you. For the Lord trains the ones that he loves and he punishes all those that he acknowledges as his sons. 

And he continues: suffering is part of your training; God is treating you as his sons. Has there ever been any son whose father did not train him? Of course, any punishment is most painful at the time, and far from pleasant; but later, in those on whom it has been used, it bears fruit in peace and goodness. 

So hold up your limp arms and steady your trembling knees and smooth out the path you tread; then the injured limb will grow strong again. And also God, through the prophet Isaiah, in our first reading today, says: I am coming to gather the nations of every language. They shall come to witness my glory. I will give them a sign and send some of their survivors to the nations

Dear friends, we must learn to depart from the wide road of sin and death, and strive to enter by the narrow gate of love, holiness, peace and goodness that leads to eternal life. The worst thing that can happen to us at the last moment of our life is to hear the Lord say: I do not know where you come from. 

The fact remains that life is indeed very short and the road that leads to death and destruction is truly wide and very captivating, of which many are captives of its seductive power. But the road to life is becoming narrower and narrower because humanity is working so hard to expand the seductive roads and gates of destruction against the narrow gate of life. 

Therefore, we are called to embrace the narrow gate of love and the road of holiness and peace that leads to eternal life.  There may be some of us who presumed and thought they could enter the kingdom of God because they feel that they are a special candidate of heaven. We must be careful about such presumption, because salvation depends on the favour of God and one’s honest struggle to follow Christ, the narrow gate of eternal life. 

Hence, we must work harder by resisting all the temptations and sinful things of this passing world and embrace the life of love and sacrifice which Jesus has offered us. So, let us turn towards God with all our hearts by removing from our hearts all forms of presumption, pride, greed and unhealthy desires that lead us astray down the path of destruction.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, our journey of life depends on you and today you have called us to follow the narrow gate of love and sacrifice. But the seductive road of this passing world is really captivating, and many are victims of its power. Grant us the grace to resist it, but journey through the path and gate that leads to eternal life. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. May God bless your little efforts in life and guide you always. Happy Sunday.

Homily For Saturday Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 23rd August, 2025

Readings: Ruth 2:1-3.8-11.4:13-17; Ps. 128; Matt. 23:1-12

Rev. Fr.  Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

LET THE WORD OF GOD TOUCH AND SHAPE OUR LIVES

The difference between the early Christian community and the present-day Christianity is the mode of witnessing. The early Christian community practically preached the word of God by witnessing with their life, while present-day Christianity witnesses by preaching the word of God aloud with megaphones and all media channels and platforms, without sufficient practice of what we preach. 

This unhealthy attitude towards our mission is what Jesus is addressing in our Gospel passage today, when he said to the people: “The scribes and the Pharisees occupy the chair of Moses. You must therefore do what they tell you and listen to what they say, but do not be guided by what they do, since they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men’s shoulders, but will not lift a finger to move them”.

Here, Jesus made it clear that we should listen to what the authorities are saying to us. However, we should not be such people who do not put into practice what we teach. So, as Christians, we need to start practising what we preach, we need to do more of witnessing than preaching. 

It is not enough to recall principles, state intentions, point to blatant injustice and utter prophetic denunciation; these kinds of words lack the real meaning of our faith unless they are accompanied by effective action manifested in our way of life. 

This is what we see in the person of Boaz in our first reading today, who said to Ruth, ‘Listen, my daughter, and understand this. You are not to glean in any other field, do not leave here but stay with my servants. Keep your eyes on whatever part of the field they are reaping and follow behind. I have ordered my servants not to molest you.

Also, from our Gospel, we need to acknowledge that our authority as Christians comes from God, for we are not to pride ourselves as rabbis, teachers, priests, pastors and prophets in our own name. Rather, our actions should reflect the paternity of God in the way we live and serve others. Therefore, let us imitate our Lord Jesus by loving God and neighbours in simplicity of heart. 

Dear friends, preaching the Word of God is not enough, we must learn to practice what we preach. We must strive to follow the examples of our Lord Jesus in his dedication and total commitment to God the Father, for he put into practice all of the words he spoke to us. Teaching us that, it is not sufficient to speak, we must put into practice what we spoke about. 

So, we are called not merely to hear God’s word but to daily put it into action. Let our actions reflect what we preach. Though hearing or reading the Word is important, that is not enough. We must let the Word of God touch and shape our lives. For it is empty and useless if our lives do not reflect the Gospel, if we hear the words of Jesus and do not act on them.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, as Jesus admonished us today, grant us the grace to strive to imitate his virtues, as we resolve to practice what your word teaches us and so merit to share in your heavenly banquet. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a peaceful weekend.

Homily For Friday Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 22nd August, 2025. The Queenship Of The Blessed Virgin

Readings: Ruth 1:1.3-6.14-16.22; Ps.146; Matt. 22:34-40

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

LOVING GOD AND OUR NEIGHBOURS IS WHAT GOD REQUIRE FROM US

Oftentimes, when we are faced with the realities of life, we want to know the things that should be our first priority. What should be the most important thing to focus our energy on? What should become the foundation of all the things we need to do? In fact, we always desire to know what is required of us in this life.

This is the deposition of the Pharisees and the Sadducees in our Gospel passage today, who came together and asked Jesus a question concerning which commandment is the greatest. In response, Jesus reminded them of the 'Shema Israel' - שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל, the prayer that they knew and recited from their earliest years.

Here they learned that the most important thing in life is to love God with all their heart, and with all their soul, and with all their mind; that is, with all the powers and the more noble faculties of the soul, the mind, the understanding, judgment, and will. Jesus then added that, to love one’s neighbour is the second priority.

In other words, loving God with all our heart, with all our understanding and strength, and to love our neighbour as ourselves is what is required of us and it is the foundation of all the things we have to do. And Jesus set as the standard of love not just by the love he was able to show, but the depth of love which he shows by dying and rising for our salvation

This is what we see in Mary whose memorial of her Queenship we celebrate today. This event follows the solemnity of the Assumption, which we celebrated eight days ago. For without the Assumption, there can be no Queenship of Mary. This is so because, we believe that Mary, who was assumed or taken up body and soul into Heavenly glory, is now seated in Heaven at the right hand of her Son Jesus, as the Queen of Heaven.

By virtue of our Lord Jesus being the King of heaven, it follows that his mother is honoured as the Queen. And this Queenship of our Lady was established by Pope Pius XII in 1954, at the end of the Marian Year. Therefore, let us strive to follow Mary’s examples of faith, dedication, detachment and total commitment to God.

Dear friends, love is the centre of all the teachings of Jesus, for love is a gift from God to humanity. It is like the stream water, so innocent and pure. True love is not hidden; it radiates from the innermost being of a person who experiences it. If we love God, then, we will see him in others and treat them justly and honourably.

We will not hurt our neighbours but do our utmost best to live in peace with them. Just like Ruth in our first reading today, who, because of love, said to Naomi: ‘Do not press me to leave you and to turn back from your company, for wherever you go, I will go, wherever you live, I will live. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God.’

The truth is that the absence of love is the cause of all the problems in our world today, as most families exist by grace and not by love. Imagine how wonderful the world would be if we all loved one another. How I wish we could invest our time and resources in ensuring love, justice and unity in our dealings with one another. Believe me, we will not only be fulfilling the first and greatest commandments of God, but we will be building a happy society.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, in you we found the fullness of love, may we truly love you and our neighbours and so conquer the world full of hatred, self-centeredness, greed and corruption, we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a fruitful Friday.

Homily For Thursday, Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time, Year C, 21st August, 2025. The Memorial of St. Pius X

Readings: Judges 11:29-39; Ps.40; Matt. 22:1-14

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

DO NOT BE TOO BUSY TO HONOUR GOD’S INVITATION TO HIS BANQUET 

In this life, we are so busy with so many things that if care is not taken, we will miss out on the essence of our existence. Today, the streets are full of people struggling and bobbling, the markets are full of people buying and selling and people rising very early in the morning and coming back late at night. 

This shows us how much effort people put in every day just to earn their daily bread. I thought that if we could sincerely put in such an amount of effort in order to catch up with the train of eternal life which God is inviting us to in today’s Gospel passage.

For today, from the parable of the marriage feast, the Lord offers us again an invitation to the banquet of heaven. An invitation which is God's free act of kindness, as He wishes to dine with us. No one deserves it anyway, and He is not obliged to invite us, nor are we obliged to honour his invitation. 

Hence in the parable, those who think that they deserve to be invited are too busy to enter the banquet hall. But the poor in spirit and the humble who know that the love God has for them is completely gratuitous, accepted his invitation with joy. 

Dear friends, we are called today not to be too busy to come to our heavenly banquet. For God’s banquet is his Church, good and bad, saints and sinners are invited, for the Church is made up of saints and sinners. The bad are expected to become good while sinners are expected to repent and put on a new garment of holiness and love. As Christians, today we are reminded of our wedding garment, the new suit we put on on the day of baptism. 

Therefore, we cannot go on wearing the old garments of sins, of pride, greed, adultery, fornication, theft, drunkenness, selfishness and unforgivingness which will throw us into the dark, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth, for many are called, but few are chosen. 

Thus, we should put on the garment of love, holiness and open the doors of our hearts to the poor, the marginalized and those rejected by the society. Also, we should not make unnecessary promises to God to prove our loyalty like Jephthah in our first reading today, for we may find it difficult to fulfil. 

Rather, let us be like St. Pope Pius X, whose memorial we celebrate today, for he is known for his love for God and his neighbours in simplicity of heart. So, let us strive to honour God’s invitation and follow St. Pius’s examples of faith, dedication and total commitment to God, for he put into practice the word of God he heard.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, every day you invite us to your heavenly banquet. As we honour your invitation today, may we never be distracted by the vain glory of this passing world. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a successful day.

Homily For Wednesday Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 20th August, 2025

 

Readings: Judges 9:6-15; PS.21; Matt. 20:1-16

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

DON’T GIVE UP EVEN AT THE LAST HOUR

Oftentimes, when we are passing through the dark moments of life, it seems as if all hope is gone. We put up all our energy and enthusiasm struggling and hoping for a better and brighter moment. Sometimes it seems as if that brighter moment won’t come especially with the present situation in our country today.

The truth is that our time of favour and success is not determined by how long or strenuously we have struggled, but by our disposition towards God's time of grace and generosity, for God alone decides how to reward us for our efforts. All we need is to be disposed to do his will at all times.

This is what the parable of the vineyard labourers in our Gospel passage today is teaching us, especially as regards our disposition towards embracing the kingdom of God. So from the Gospel, the landowner went beyond justice, for, motivated by compassion, he employed labourers at different times and at the end, he decided to pay them the same wages as agreed with those who were hired first, which they felt was bad for the landowner’s generosity towards those hired last.

Here the human mind suspects injustice, while the heart of God sees only an opportunity to be generous. This generosity of God calls us to be generous too; but out of envy we often selfishly consider ourselves more deserving than others.

However, we can identify three kinds of persons from this parable: First, those who are like the landowner who hires people to get a job done, but with sympathies for those to be employed. Secondly, the unemployed wait desperately in the marketplace, and thirdly, the labourers who consider themselves more deserving than others.

Now, we all need to ask ourselves, among these three groups where do I belong? This is important because the way workers and labourers are being treated in our societies these days is really appalling. Those who are meant to lead and shepherd the people are taking advantage of the people they are called to shepherd. Thus, we heard Jotham in our first reading today saying: Hear me, leaders of Shechem, that God may also hear you. For we must learn to do the right thing always.

Dear friends, today, the duties neglected by our leaders are going to be taken over by God himself, who is the Good Shepherd. He assures us that even though we are the least, the nobodies and most neglected in the eyes of the world, He will not forget us, for He has time and a plan for everyone and will continue to provide for our daily needs.

But warns the leaders that they should change their greedy and sinful ways, because when the Lord’s time comes, the last will be the first and the first, last. For in his kingdom, there is time and a plan for everyone with equal grace and equal status. So we must learn to wait on God’s time even at the last hour.

LET US PRAY: Almighty God, today you promised to take good care of your sheep yourself as you warn us to change from our sinful, greedy and corrupt ways of life. Help us to change and be more caring, loving and to always be disposed to doing your will. As we wait on your time Lord, may your favour follow us even to the last hour, through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a fruitful day.