Homily For Saturday Thirty-Second Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 15th November, 2025

 

Readings: Wis. 18:14-16.19:6-9; Ps.105; Luke:18:1-8

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

THE POWER OF FAITH AND PERSISTENCE IN DIFFICULT SITUATIONS

Have you been truly in need of something from a friend who is capable of giving you what you need but will not? Or have you been in a situation where you needed something from a friend, but could not get it because you could not reach him easily? Such a situation can put one under serious pressure.

Then the question that comes to mind is, are we going to give up or persevere in our struggles of waiting or reaching out to him? This kind of disposition is what we experience sometimes when we pray and our requests are yet to be granted.

Little wonder Jesus, in our Gospel passage today, using the parable of the widow and the unjust judge, addresses the issues of faith in difficult times and the need to persevere in prayer. Here Jesus reassures us that God hears our prayers. He tells us that we need to pray continually and never lose heart.

In this parable, Jesus is not comparing God to an unjust judge, but he is saying that if, through perseverance, one obtains justice from an unjust judge, how much more will we receive from a good and loving Father? Persevering in prayer teaches us that God does not need to be informed of our needs.

The parable also serves to encourage those suffering injustice to continue with their struggles and the call for justice. We should persist in our complaints, and prayerfully confront unjust authorities to effect the change needed for justice to reign.

Thus, Jesus is encouraging us never to lose heart, rather, we should approach God with confidence, persisting until we obtain what we need. We should keep on asking, seeking, and knocking in prayer until we obtain the answer we need. For we are told in our first reading that God keeps his children from all harm, for the whole creation in obedience to his commands was once more newly fashioned in its nature.

Dear friends, there are times when we ask and we receive, seek and find, knock and it is opened to us. But there were also times when we asked but did not receive, sought but did not find, and knocked but the door remained shut. In such moments, never give up, for prayer drives and directs us to the will of God.

So, persistence and perseverance in prayer are what we are called to embrace. For they will help us to understand how to trust God knowing that he does not need to be informed of our needs, thereby encouraging us never to lose heart. This is certainly one of the biggest challenges of our faith today.

People are not just patient with God. We want to have everything right now as it is hot. The fact remains that patience, persistence and perseverance help us to conform our will to God’s will, but these are very difficult virtues for most people today.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, oftentimes we are not patient with you in our prayers. Give us the grace to persevere and be persistent in our prayer life and in every other thing we do in life, especially relationships with others. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Wishing you a delightful weekend.

Homily For Friday Thirty-Second Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 14th November 2025

Readings: Wis. 13:1-9; Ps.19; Luke:17:26-37

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

HOW PREPARED ARE YOU FOR ONE WILL BE TAKEN, THE OTHER LEFT?

Every day of our lives we are so busy preparing, acquiring and safeguarding the things of this passing world. Every day the streets are full of people struggling and bobbling, the markets are full of people buying, selling, cheating and chatting, the Churches are full of people praying, singing and celebrating.

Noise everywhere, no one wants to be patient with the other, no one wants to give way to the other. We are so busy with everything except the very essence of our existence that is, the salvation of our souls.

Little wonder, Jesus speaking of the 'end times event' in our Gospel passage today, wants his listeners to notice how life was going on normally in the days of Noah and Lot when flood and fire consumed them. The people were engaged in their everyday activities when the disaster struck. No extraordinary warning, no premonition, no time to plan an escape.

So too the Son of Man will come suddenly and unexpectedly. Our times certainly sound very much like Noah’s days, where everyone seems so busy and distracted, unable to concentrate on what is really important.

But Jesus is warning us today that the time for a decision can catch us unawares. He insists that with a real sense of urgency, we need to take our lives seriously, especially those who do not pay attention to the Word of God. Thus in our first reading, we heard that naturally stupid are all men who have not known God and who, from the good things that are seen, have not been able to discover Him-who-is, or, by studying the works, have failed to recognize the Artificer.

Dear friends, if we have not yet trusted in Christ Jesus as our Saviour, we should do so now, for tomorrow may be too late. If there are ugly behaviours and sins we are yet to give up, the time to do that is now.

Jesus tells us that we will not have any warning signs of the coming day of judgment any more than the preaching of the Gospel. For there will be no time to repent when that day comes.

Therefore, if we believe and obey, if we acknowledge our sins and trust in the mercy of God, we have to do it right now for the day of judgment draws very near. Let us not be unaware or apathetic about its coming. Let us not be too busy with the things of this passing world. Know that the only way to be prepared is to live a good and holy life, a life that is based on true love.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, we have become so busy with the things of this passing world while neglecting to prepare our souls for your coming. As we listened to your words today, may we realise the need to prepare our souls for your coming more than any other thing in the world. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. God bless you.

Homily For Thursday Thirty-Second Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 13th November, 2025.

 

Readings: Wis. 7:22-8:1; Ps.119; Luke:17:20-25

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

WHAT IS YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD?

Oftentimes, whenever we hear about the kingdom of God, two questions come to mind: the first question is When is it coming? And the second question is what will it look like? This disposition is not different from the disposition of the Pharisees in our Gospel passage today, who, after hearing Jesus talking about the kingdom of God, asked him when the kingdom would come.

This is because they presume that the kingdom of God is yet to come, and will be visible like an earthly kingdom. But, Jesus replied that the kingdom is already present though invisible, for the kingdom of God is within us.

The kingdom is essentially God's reign in the soul of humanity through his Son Jesus. For with the presence of Jesus, the kingdom of God is already here among us. And within our hearts, God’s reign has already begun. So through our union with Jesus, we already have a foretaste of eternal life.

However, Jesus said to his disciples, a time will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man and will not see it. They will say to you, “Look there!” or, “Look here!” Make no move; do not set off in pursuit; for as the lightning flashing from one part of heaven lights up the other, so will be the Son of Man when his day comes.

Dear friends, today Jesus encourages his disciples not to get worked up, or even overly curious, about the end times and the second coming of the Son of Man. Instead, let us concentrate on the here and now, especially on our relationship with him, as we constantly ponder his teaching.

Jesus also warns us not to be distracted by fake prophets and preachers who claim private revelations about the end of the world. Rather, wisdom demands that we focus on how to shape our lives to attain the demands of God’s kingdom.

Little wonder in our first reading we are called to choose wisdom for she is a breath of the power of God, pure emanation of the glory of the Almighty; nothing impure can find a way into her. She is a reflection of the eternal light, an untarnished mirror of God’s active power, an image of his goodness. For in each generation she passes into holy souls, she makes them friends of God and prophets; for God loves only the man who lives with Wisdom.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, as we await your Kingdom, help us to be well prepared for it whenever it comes. And give us the grace to be faithful and dedicated servants, we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a faithful day.

Homily For Wednesday Thirty-Second Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 12th November, 2025. The Memorial of St Josaphat

 

Readings: Wis. 6:1-11; Ps.82; Luke:17:11-19

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

THE DANGER OF INGRATITUDE AND THE BENEFIT OF GRATITUDE

In the scriptures, we have great events that illustrate the compassionate concern of Jesus in the struggles of humanity and how he wishes to set us free from the shackles of all our troubles. But how often do we show gratitude for such great love?

 This is evident in the occasion of our Gospel passage today, where we heard the story of Jesus’ encounter with the ten lepers. Ten of them were cured, but only one, who was a foreigner among them, came back to thank Jesus. From this man’s gratitude, Jesus made a comment on human ingratitude when he asked “Was there no one to return and give thanks to God except this foreigner?”

The problem is that we don’t always remember that the ultimate source of our graces and gifts is God. That is what makes the Samaritan leper special, and distinguishes him from the other nine because he realized that God is the source of his healing. Unfortunately, God’s greatest gifts, which are our life and health, and our ability to think and achieve great things are often taken for granted by most of us. 

More so, the story of these lepers is a good example of how we sinners can and should appeal to Jesus for cleansing, especially from our sins. We should come in faith knowing that God is always willing to cleanse every sinner who comes to Him. 

So, let us sincerely turn to God once again with all of our hearts and with all of our strength, just like the lepers who came to Jesus with faith, knowing that he could heal them and make them better. This is what all of us must have as well, a strong and genuine faith. 

Today may be our great opportunity to be restored and what is needed is to put our faith into action and say, Jesus! Master! Have mercy on us. This is what we see in the life of St. Josaphat whose memorial we celebrate today. He was a monk who eventually rose to the position of leadership within the Church as an Archbishop. He fought for the unification of the Church despite the rising tensions and clashes between those who were supportive of the union and those who opposed it. 

Dear friends, I don’t know what type of leprosy problems you are going through. Are you weighed down by sin or sickness? Are you feeling helpless and rejected?  Or do I know people who are helpless and need some help? Do I feel the need for Jesus’s help in some part of my life? Let us pause for a moment and imagine Jesus looking at us. How does he see us? What are you saying to him and what is he saying to you? 

Jesus wishes to set us free from sickness, troubles challenges and manipulations of the evil ones. He desires to be with us as we struggle every day to overcome the challenges in our families, society and the world at large. Therefore, we should not be afraid to approach Jesus for healing and restoration, all we need is an active faith and a heart of gratitude like the leper in our Gospel passage today.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, you know our innermost being and the challenges we are struggling with, come to our aid we pray and cleanse us from all our physical, emotional and spiritual leprosy as we thank you for all you have done for us, we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Peace be with you.

Homily For Tuesday Thirty-Second Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 11th November, 2025. The Memorial of St Martin of Tours

 

Readings: Wis. 2:23-3:9; Ps.34; Luke:17:7-10

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

EMBRACING THE HUMILITY OF A  FAITHFUL SERVANT OF GOD

 

In our society today, the rate people seek rewards for what they have done and some even for what they have not done is quite disturbing. Today it is difficult for people to do things without looking for what they will gain from it. 

In fact, it takes courage to trust people even when they extend their hands of generosity to others because we often think that they have some ulterior motives behind the generosity. But this should not be our attitude as disciples of Christ.

 

Little wonder in our Gospel passage today, Jesus, in the parable of a dutiful servant, corrects some of the wrong thinking and notions about being a disciple and teaches us what our true place and disposition should be. 

In the parable, Jesus compared our relationship with God to that of a master and his servant. Where the servant had a duty to serve his master well and to do what he had been told to do without seeking any compliments. Because the master has no obligation to congratulate or please the servant.

 

Therefore, this tells us that we are “unworthy servants” before our Worthy and righteous God who loves us even in our unworthiness. So disciples should not seek reward for their good deeds. For our obedience to God is required by the very nature of who God is and not something to boast about or seek a reward for, since our obedience to him is that of a son or daughter to a loving Father. 

Little wonder St. Paul in our first reading made us know that God made man imperishable, he made him in the image of his nature; it was the devil’s envy that brought death into the world, as those who are his partners will discover. But the souls of the virtuous are in the hands of God, no torment shall ever touch them.

This is what we see in St. Martin of Tours whose memorial we celebrate today.  He was one of the early bishops of Tours in what is now southern France. He was truly dedicated to his service as the shepherd of his flock, dedicating his time and efforts to take care of the needs of his flock, in particular their spiritual needs. 

He was a champion of true faith amidst several heresies that were rampant at that time, protecting his flock from false teachings and helping to guide them down the right path, leading by example through his own virtuous life. We too can do the same.

Dear friends, today we are reminded that following Jesus requires being a humble and faithful servant of God. Hence, we should do all our good works in humility without any strange attachment. We should do what we can to help others we meet on our way for no reason other than to help for the sake of helping. 

Therefore, as faithful servants, all that is required is for us to act justly, love tenderly and walk humbly before God, without seeking any reward, for that is what we are called to do. Remember that everything that happens to us, whether prosperous or adverse, comes from God so that you neither become puffed up in prosperity nor discouraged in adversity. Thus, in anything you do avoid evil, do good, and seek peace.

 

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, teach us how to be humble and faithful servants, even when it is difficult. Grant us the grace to be faithful and humble servants at any level we find ourselves without seeking rewards. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a faithful day.

Homily For Monday Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 10th November, 2025. The Memorial of St. Leo the Great.

 

Readings: Wis. 1:1-7; Ps.139; Luke 17:1-6

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

THE SACRIFICIAL NATURE OF FORGIVENESS AND FRATERNAL CORRECTION

The fragile nature of the human person has made it clear that we are not perfect, as we are likely to offend one another in any relationship we find ourselves in. As a result of this, there is a need for us to learn how to accommodate one another’s imperfections.

But one of the major challenges we face in most relationships today is the ability to properly accommodate and correct one another especially when one is straying from the norms set up for the good of the relationship.

This is what Jesus is addressing in our Gospel passage today, for he gave us the practical steps we need to follow in order to correct and reconcile with one another so as to build a stronger relationship when he said, Be on your guard for when your brother does something wrong, reprove him and, if he is sorry, forgive him. And if he wrongs you seven times a day and seven times comes back to you and says, “I am sorry,” you must forgive him.’

Here, Jesus made us know that in fraternal correction, we need to forgive in any relationship we find ourselves in, for we are responsible for one another’s welfare, and these steps and stages give room for reconciliation and accommodation.

So, fraternal correction must always be inspired by real charity which is one of the spiritual works of mercy. Though this is never an easy task, especially when one has to bear the sacrifice of forgiveness, because forgiving a very grievous offence is one of the most difficult things to do.

However, forgiving a grievous offence is like recovering a lost treasure that contains: joy, peace, freedom, a healthy mind and healing. But how often do we seek to recover this lost treasure in our lives caused by unforgiveness?

Hence Jesus today calls us to persistently seek reconciliation until we gain our brothers and sisters back whenever they have offended and separated from us. But if they refused to be reconciled, we should pray for their conversion. For in all our proceedings, we should seek direction in prayer, knowing that God manifests his mercy when he transforms people and leads them to conversion.

This helps us to perceive forgiveness as a fraternal correction as Jesus teaches us and turns us from selfish and rebellious individuals into truly loving persons. For we are meant to watch over our neighbours.

This is what Pope St. Leo the Great, whose memorial we celebrate today, is telling us. For he showed us what it means to be a true and dedicated disciple of the Lord, telling all Christians to recognise our dignity and remain faithful and committed to the mission entrusted to them by Christ Jesus.

Dear friends, it is our duty, obligation and responsibility to ensure, in a fraternal charity, that our fellow brothers and sisters, friends and neighbours, colleagues and collaborators are corrected and guided whenever they go astray. For every one of us has the responsibility to strengthen our relationship and be a good example for one another as we work the path towards our salvation.

Therefore, mutual love and fraternal charity are the only ways and processes of fulfilling this obligation. Little wonder today we are told in our first reading to love virtue, you who are judges on earth, let honesty prompt your thinking about the Lord, let us seek him in the simplicity of heart. For wisdom will never make its way into a crafty soul nor stay in a body that is in debt to sin; since the Holy Spirit of instruction shuns deceit.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, we are rebellious and proud people; we lack the courage and disposition to correct and accept corrections. Give us the grace and courage to correct one another in fraternal charity as we also learn to accept corrections when corrected. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a blessed week.

Homily For Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C, 9th November, 2025. The Feast of the Dedication of the St. John Lateran Basilica

 

Readings: Ez.47:1-2.8-9.12, Ps.46, 1Cor3:9-11.16-17, John 2:13-22

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

UNDERSTANDING THE NATURE OF THE CHURCH AS THE TEMPLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

 

Today, in a special way, the Holy Mother Church celebrates the Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, which falls on the 9th day of November, and we also celebrate the feast of the dedication of St. John Lateran Basilica in Rome. It is the Mother and head of all the Churches and a symbol of unity for all the Churches in the world with the Roman Church. 

This feast reminds us of our need to live in deep communion with the Pope, the successor of St. Peter, the rock on which Jesus built his Church on which our faith as Christians depends.   However, we should never lose sight of the fact that it is the symbol of the true meeting point between man and God, and Jesus Christ who is the actual temple.

 

Little wonder Jesus in the Gospel passage today points to himself as the temple of God in the world, the one through whom God is present in the world.  Here, he is speaking of the Temple that was his body when he said to the Jews: Destroy this Temple, and in three days I will raise it up. 

Thus, prophet Ezekiel in our first reading today prophesying about this Temple said: ‘Along the river, on either bank, will grow every kind of fruit tree with leaves that never wither and fruit that never fails; they will bear new fruit every month, because this water comes from the sanctuary. And their fruit will be good to eat and the leaves medicinal.’

 

While St. Paul in our second reading, emphasises that the Christian community, the body of Christ, is the place where God is to be truly present in the world. The Church is a spiritual temple and each member of the Church is a temple of the Holy Spirit, a living expression of God’s loving presence in our world today. 

He said: ‘Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anybody should destroy the temple of God, God will destroy him, because the temple of God is sacred; and you are that temple'.

 

So today’s feast of dedication reminds us about our dedication to God by showing us the theological understanding of what Church dedication represents. It reminds us that the Church building is a sign of God’s worshipping community, pointing out that the people should be aware that the holiness of the building depends not on the “blessed stones”, but on the saving words proclaimed in it, the holy sacrifice offered there, the sacraments of salvation celebrate there and the presence of the Holy Spirit who dwells in the hearts of the faithful gathered in the Holy Assembly for worship. 

 

As a temple of God, we are nourished in the Church with the Word of God, calling us to repentance and encouraging us in our daily struggles in life. In the Church, we receive the sacraments of initiation: baptism, and confirmation and are nourished by the Holy Eucharist. In the Church, we come to God with our burden of sin and sickness, and he heals us through the sacraments of reconciliation and anointing of the sick.

 

Also, in the Church, we receive God’s grace and blessings to serve him in different vocations and ministries through the sacraments of matrimony and Holy Orders. In the Church, our Lord Jesus Christ remains present with us in the Holy Eucharist, present in the Tabernacle, in the company of Our Blessed Mother Mary and all the Saints. 

And when we pass away from this world, especially as the temple of God, the Church accompanies us through prayers to our heavenly temple, where we will be united with the triumphant Church in the presence of God, our Loving Father. 

 

Dear friends, now we can understand the nature of the Church Temple of the Holy Spirit and why St Paul says that our bodies are sacred temples of the Lord. This, in fact, is the heart of our own baptismal character, to become temples of God through whom God’s loving presence touches the lives of others. So, today we are reminded that we are a sacred reality, where God dwells, which should not be profaned or used as a material object. 

Therefore, we must preserve our bodies from stains of sin and corruption. We must not let the pleasurable things of this passing world defile our bodies, which by the virtue of our baptism have become a sacred dwelling of the Holy Spirit. For this reason, we must unite together to build up the body of Christ, which is His Church.

 

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, as we celebrate the feast of the dedication of your Church, help us to realize that our bodies are the sacred temple of your dwelling presence and so preserve it always from the stains of sin and corruption. We ask this through Christ our Lord.  Have a fruitful Sunday celebration.