Homily For Saturday, Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A, 8th August, 2026. The Memorial of St. Dominic

Readings: Habakkuk 1:12-2:4; Ps. 9; Matt 17: 14-20

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

WHY WE HAVE FAILED TO EXPRESS THE FAITH PROPERLY AND OBTAIN POSITIVE RESULTS

Oftentimes, we think and wish that we have enough faith to face whatever challenges come our way. However, the fact remains that we can only truly understand the level and capacity of our faith when we are faced with a situation that overwhelms our physical and mental abilities. Then we will realise that what we think we have as faith is nothing but a shadow of reality. Such was the situation with the disciples of Jesus in our Gospel passage today.

A man came up to Jesus begging him to deliver his son, whom he had brought to the disciples, but they were unable to cure him. But Jesus said to them ‘Faithless and perverse generation!’ ‘How much longer must I be with you? How much longer must I endure you? Bring him here to me.’ And he rebuked the devil, who immediately came out of the boy and he was cured from that moment.

Then the disciples came privately to Jesus. ‘Why were we unable to cast it out? They asked. He answered, ‘Because you have little faith. I tell you solemnly, if your faith were the size of a mustard seed you could say to this mountain, “Move from here to there,” and it would move; nothing would be impossible for you.

Here, Jesus gives two reasons why the disciples failed to cure the boy. The first is connected with their own moral condition and disposition, as they were only depending on their own personal abilities. Secondly, and more importantly, is their lack of faith. Though they had, indeed, shown some faith by making even the attempt at the expulsion of the devil.

But they had acted half-heartedly and had not displayed that perfect confidence and trust which alone can bring success and make all things possible. Thus, Jesus decided to use the analogy of a mustard seed to give them a lecture about having a perfect and complete faith that moves mountains.

The mustard seed, as we know, is the smallest of all seeds, which grows to produce the largest of all shrubs. So with the analogy of the mustard seed in relation to faith, Jesus supposed that, if we have the smallest faith that is genuine, we can do all things. Just like the mustard seed produced the largest of all herbs.

Therefore, if we begin to nurture our faith to grow and strengthen from a small, humble beginning, it will grow to the point that it can help us to perform and achieve greater things and conquer the most difficult situations that, at first, would appear impossible.

So faith moving mountains implies the spiritual and divine ability to make difficult and stumbling situations vanish. And this is obtained when we are rooted in God through sincere love. This is what we see in St. Dominic whose memorial we celebrate today. Through his personal experience of God, he has helped the faithful to renew their faith and commitment in God and their society through the deepening of their spiritual lives, especially through the use of the rosary as a prayer, which eventually became one of the most popular of all devotions in the Church, through which countless souls have been converted to the Lord, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Dear friends, if we want to grow in faith, we must cultivate the humble habit of a mustard seed, which, though small, has the potential of becoming great when exposed to a fertile environment. For us to have the faith that moves mountains, we must be well-disposed to embrace the power of God in our lives; we must desire to have a personal experience of the power of God at work in the world and acknowledge that in him comes our victory over every situation we encounter.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, faith is your supernatural gift to humanity, grant that we may embrace this gift even as little as that of a mustard seed, to move out of our lives the tough mountains that are crushing us in our daily lives. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a joyful weekend.

Homily For Friday, Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A, 7th August, 2026

Readings: Nahum 1:15.2:2.3:1.6-7, Ps. Deut. 32:35-41, Matt 16:24-28

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

UNDERSTANDING THE SACRIFICIAL NATURE OF FOLLOWING THE LORD

Reflecting on the continuous hostility, persecution and influential powers of the things of this world, I think it is time for us to really think twice about our faith as Christians, whether we are ready to live out our faith in the midst of these ugly situations in our societies, which is getting tougher every day. If we are willing to live out our Christian faith and obligations, then we need to make a radical decision towards our discipleship in a personal and radical way.

Little wonder Jesus, in our Gospel passage today, says: ‘If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross and follow me. Anyone who wants to save his life will lose it, but anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it. What, then, will a man gain if he wins the whole world and ruins his life? Or what has a man to offer in exchange for his life?

Here Jesus knowing what awaits us in this world, takes his discourse on discipleship to a radical and difficult level, especially in a situation where our faith and Christian values have been thrown out of caution as a result of secularism, individualism and excess desires for worldly pleasures, thereby neglecting the things that lead us to God.

Thus, these hard words of Jesus can only be understood in the light of our life experience. Here comes the moment when we have to make radical and difficult choices as disciples of Jesus. It’s time for us to take up our Cross in a sacrificial way and follow the Lord.

But what is the cross we are called to take up? Taking up our cross could mean faithfully facing our daily challenges with all their difficulties. It is accepting who we are and what we have and using them to the glory of God.

The way of the cross is a way of sacrifice, a way of commitment, a way of love, forgiveness, mercy and compassion, which aim towards the good of the other person. It can be a costly service to a loved one who is ill; it can be embracing illness, even terminal illness or other personal weaknesses; this makes no sense except when we relate it to the suffering of Christ through faith in God.

Dear friends, don’t ever think that it is easy to follow the Lord. Little wonder God, through the prophet Nahum in our first reading today, promised us that he will not abandon his faithful people in the darkness of this passing world. For he shall crush the wicked and all those who have oppressed his people.

He has promised to stand by us in the midst of persecution and suffering. For a while, we might suffer, but in the end, those who remained faithful to him will be victorious while the oppressors will be rejected, crushed and destroyed.

Thus, to share the glory of Christ, we must share His suffering, because it is impossible to follow Jesus without accepting the cross and acknowledging and embracing all that life has to offer us. So it’s time to make a radical decision to sincerely and faithfully follow Jesus.

But how much are we willing to let go for the sake of following him? Why are we finding it difficult to follow Jesus? What are those habitual desires and possessions that are holding us back from making this radical decision today? It is time to come to God with all our hearts, for tomorrow may be too late.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, the excess desire for the pleasurable things of this passing world have weakened our hearts towards you, give us courage and grace to let go of our ugly desires and as we do this, may the cross of Christ be a shining example in our daily struggles, to hold firm in our faith despite all the sufferings and persecutions we may encounter. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a fruitful day. 

Homily For Thursday, Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A, 6th August, 2026. The Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord

 

Readings: Dan. 7:9-10, 13-14, Ps.97, 2 Peter 1:16-19. Matt. 17:1-9

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

HAVING A TRANSFIGURATIVE EXPERIENCE THAT LEADS TO KNOWING AND LISTENING TO THE LORD

To know the true identity of Jesus has always been the desire and quest of most people of his time and even in our time. So, today we celebrate the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, the mystery and revelation of the true identity of Jesus.

The word “Transfiguration” is the combination of two words: ‘trans ’, meaning change, and ‘figure ’, meaning appearance or the outlook of a body. That is, the change in appearance of Jesus reveals his true nature as the Divine Son of God, shining forth from his human nature, unveiling that he was not just a Man but also the great Son of God incarnate in the human flesh. This will help us to understand the true identity of Jesus.

This is important because most people today still do not have a grand knowledge of the personality and identity of Jesus and his mission towards the salvation of humanity. So, to make known his identity to humanity, Jesus, in our Gospel passage today, chose three of his disciples, Peter, James and John and led them up a high mountain where they could be alone.

There in their presence, he was transfigured: his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Suddenly Moses and Elijah appeared to them; they were talking with him. Then Peter spoke to Jesus. ‘Lord,’ he said ‘it is wonderful for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.’ He was still speaking when suddenly a bright cloud covered them with shadow, and from the cloud, there came a voice which said, ‘This is my Beloved Son. Listen to him.

So, in this Feast, we remember the revelation of Christ as the beloved Son of the Father, the one we are called to trust and listen to in prayer. An event that occurs to undermine objections to the inevitable event of Parousia, which calls us to a life of faith and radical transformation. A transformation that brings about a new outfit that makes one a new person with a new life, a new mind and a new way of doing things.

In this revelation, we recall the presence of the two greatest and most renowned figures from the Old Testament, namely Moses and the prophet Elijah. They represent the law and the prophets which bear witness to the personality and identity of Jesus. To crown all, the voice from the cloud, which has also been the symbol of God’s presence with His people, bearing witness that Jesus is the Beloved Son of God, calling us to listen to him.

Little wonder St. Peter, in our second reading today, tells us that it was not any cleverly invented myths that they were repeating when they brought us the knowledge of the power and the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, for they had seen his majesty for themselves.

Peter made us know that Jesus was honoured and glorified by God the Father when the Sublime Glory itself spoke to him and said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; Listen to him.’ He said they heard this themselves, spoken from heaven when they were with him on the holy mountain.

This event also fulfils the vision of Daniel in our first reading, where he said: I saw, coming on the clouds of heaven, one like a son of man. He came to the one of great age and was led into his presence. His sovereignty is an eternal sovereignty which shall never pass away, nor will his empire ever be destroyed.

The preface of this feast says that Jesus revealed his glory in the presence of chosen witnesses and filled with the greatest splendour that bodily form which he shares with all humanity, that the scandal of the Cross might be removed from the hearts of his disciples.

Dear friends, are we in any way ignorant of the personality, identity and mission of our Lord Jesus Christ? Have we personally experienced the presence of Jesus in our lives? Have we ever encountered Jesus in such a transformative way that changes our sinful ways of life and builds our faith stronger in the Lord? This is the type of encounter we need to have. An encounter that reveals the true identity of Jesus.

The truth is, we can change our religion, churches, even our pastors, friends, residence, car or our physical appearance: hair, clothes, colour, even gender, as some people do today. But if we don’t have a transfigurative experience that will bring about a change of mind and heart towards loving God and our neighbours, we will remain the same, and the old experience of unfruitful life will perpetuate itself over and over again. Because everything absolutely changes when we change our minds for good, and that is the essence of today’s feast.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, you never cease to make known to your children the mysteries of your Love for humanity, grant that by listening to the voice of your beloved Son, we may personally experience his love in our lives and merit to become coheirs with him, who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen. As you begin the day, may God bless you with a sound mind and unwavering faith in him.

Homily for Wednesday, the Eighteenth week in Ordinary Time Year A, 5th August 2026

 

Readings: Jer. 31:1-7; Ps. Jer. 31: 10-13; Matt. 15:21-28

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

HOW TO MAKE A HUMBLE REQUEST FROM THE LORD

Most people in our societies today hardly accept who they are. Today, people spend all their resources and energy trying to convince others of what they are not by seeking their approval. This is not the case with the Canaanite woman in our Gospel passage today, who, when she approached Jesus pleading for the restoration of her daughter, was not discouraged because her request was not granted immediately due to her humble background.

For Jesus said to her ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of the House of Israel.’ But the woman persisted, kneeling at his feet saying. ‘Lord help me.’ Jesus replied, ‘It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the house-dogs.’ She retorted, ‘Ah yes, sir; but even house-dogs can eat the scraps that fall from their master’s table.’ Then Jesus answered her, ‘Woman, you have great faith. Let your wish be granted.’ And from that moment her daughter was well again.

From this little story, it is clear that the woman was not going to give up, but kept pleading, even from her Canaanite background, to the point of Jesus recognising her great faith. The irony of this passage is that, in Israel, Jesus was trying to convince people that he was the Messiah, as he was being challenged to prove it with a sign. But here in Gentile territory, he met a woman who was convinced he was the Messiah, so he could not discourage her efforts.

But his apparent attempt to put her off was just a test, of which her great faith was proven by the acceptance of her humble background. She accepted the place of a “dog” as a Gentile in relation to Israelites being the chosen children of God to whom the message and grace of the Messiah came first.

 Hence she accepted that she may not be able to sit down at the Messiah’s table and eat with the “children,” but she should be allowed to pick up some of the crumbs of unmerited mercy and grace of God for the sake of her daughter.

Dear friends, we must stop wasting valuable time trying to prove who we are not; let us first in faith, accept who we are and then work hard to improve who we want to be in relation to our faith in God. Let our faith in God help us to accept who we are. Whatever we want to do, let us have faith in God and ourselves and be determined because faith, determination and sacrifice are the secrets of any success in life.

Therefore, tell yourself today that you can get that which you desire, plan for it, and work every day for it; you will begin to see a different face in the things you do. The truth is that people are rewarded in public for things they have done for years in private.

So, let us learn from the Canaanite woman who accepted who she was and was determined with faith to achieve her dream through humility and persistence. For the Lord will always intervene in our humble situations in order to elevate us as we heard in our first reading today.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we are often very slow to accept who we are and sometimes, because of our humble background, we fail to obtain what we desire. As we come to you today in humility and faith like the Canaanite woman, may we obtain your grace and favours. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. God bless you.

Homily for Tuesday, Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time, Year A, 4th August, 2026. The Memorial of St. John Mary Vianney

 

Readings: Jer. 30:1-2.12-15.18-22; Ps 102; Matt. 14:22-36

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

NAVIGATING THROUGH THE STORMS OF LIFE

In life, we often encounter difficult situations that are very frightening. A situation where the need for a Saviour is highly anticipated. Such was the case with the disciples of Jesus in our Gospel passage today. When Jesus received the news of John the Baptist’s death, he instructed the disciples to get into the boat and go ahead to the other side, while he would send the crowds away. When evening came, he was there alone, while the boat, by now far out on the lake, was battling with a heavy sea storm.

This story signifies God's chosen people on a transit of faith, frightened by the guilt of sin and wounded by the waves of the sea the abode of evil forces and monsters of this world. The boat can be taken as a symbol of the young Christian Church struggling with the world’s principalities and powers, while the storm is a symbol of persecution suffered by this young Christian community. And Jesus says: "Do not be afraid".

This, no doubt, is what humanity is passing through today in the hands of a few selfish, evil men and women who have decided to destroy humanity by trying to recreate human beings into an artificial machine against the natural way God has created us for a few of them to control the lives and activities of all.

Dear Friends, today, humanity needs to humbly cry out like Peter: Lord, save us, for we are sinking into the destructive hands of the evil powers of this sinful world. Hence we are called to trust in the Lord and hope in his promises and providence. For it is time for us to listen to God and hold onto him more closely.

Let us not be like Aaron and Miriam in our first reading, who spoke against God and Moses and were punished for their sins. Rather, let us learn to be humble like Moses, who was known as the most humble man on earth.

So, what are the terrible storms of doubt and fear in your soul? Are you under the power of the evil forces of this world? I don’t know how long or deep you have been involved in this evil. All I know is that with great faith in God, we will be triumphant.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, we are really passing through the storms of life in need of your love and satisfaction both physically and spiritually. Through the intercession of St. John Mary Vianney, guide us once again with your heavenly grace. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a blessed week. 

Homily for Monday Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 3rd August, 2026

 

Readings: Jer.28: 1-17; Ps 119; Matt. 14:22-36

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

"TAKE COURAGE, IT IS I, DO NOT BE AFRAID" SAYS THE LORD

When Jesus, in our Gospel passage today, received the news of John the Baptist’s death, he instructed the disciples to get into the boat and proceed ahead to the other side, while he sent the crowds away. When evening came, he was there alone, while the boat, by now far out on the lake, was battling with a heavy sea storm.

As the waves broke over the boat, the disciples could not believe that Jesus had seen them and was approaching. Hence, they were afraid and needed help from anywhere. It was at this point that they saw Jesus walking on the sea, and he said to them: “Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid”.

But Peter said, ‘If it is you, Lord, tell me to come to you across the water.’ ‘Come’ said Jesus. Then Peter got out of the boat and started walking towards Jesus across the water, but as soon as he felt the force of the wind, he became afraid and began to sink. So he cried out ‘Lord! Save me!’ Jesus put out his hand at once and held him.

This story signifies God's chosen people on a transit of faith, frightened by the guilt of sin and wounded by the waves of the sea the abode of evil forces and monsters of this world. The boat can be taken as a symbol of the young Christian Church struggling with the world’s principalities and powers, while the storm is a symbol of persecution suffered by this young Christian community. And Jesus says: "Do not be afraid".

This, no doubt, is what humanity is passing through today in the hands of a few selfish, evil men and women who have decided to destroy humanity by trying to recreate human beings into an artificial machine against the natural way God has created us for a few of them to control the lives and activities of all.

Today, humanity needs to humbly cry out like Peter, Lord, save us, for we are sinking into the destructive hands of the evil powers of this sinful world. Hence we are called to trust in the Lord and hope in his promises and providence. For it is time for us to listen to God and hold onto him more closely.

This is what prophet Hananiah, in our first reading, failed to understand, they spoke to please the king and his listeners, saying before everyone that the Lord would help Judah crush the Babylonians and help reverse all the losses and humiliations that they had suffered under them.

But this was not the truth; he only said something that everyone wanted to hear by reassuring false hope. Thus, prophet Jeremiah rebuked him, making it known that God was going to throw him and all the evil agents that were destroying humanity off the face of the earth.

Dear friends, Jesus is calling us today to journey on this boat of life with an unwavering faith and a repentant heart because the world is being tossed around by the waves of evil forces, the enemies of humankind. And it is only God that can subdue it, for he has promised to restore us back to Himself, if only we can trust in him completely.

So, I don't know the terrible storms of doubt and fear in your soul? Are you under the power of the evil forces of this world? I don’t know how long or deep you have been involved in this evil. All I know is that with great faith in God, the words of Jesus: “Do not be afraid, take courage, it is I,” will surely resound in the hearts of all his children who live in a hostile environment and are victims of the evils in this world.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, save humanity once again, grant that the violent storms and waves of bondage in our lives will end in a wonderful calm that brings peace in our souls. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Wishing you the best of God’s favour and blessings. 

Homily for the Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A, 2nd August, 2026

Readings: Isaiah 55:1-3, Ps 145, Rom. 8:35.37-39, Matt. 14:13-21

Fr. Emmanuel Onyia

COME TO JESUS THE BREAD OF LIFE AND HE WILL SATISFY YOUR SPIRITUAL AND PHYSICAL HUNGER

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

When they heard about Jesus, they followed him on foot. 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 as 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 who had actually brought some food with them also started sharing what they had,e and indeed grace multiplied what they had to the point of having leftovers.

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 them greatly. This bread is the gift of the Eucharist,t which we receive back from Jesus,s whose heart is always moved with pity and compassion towards us.

Little wonder Go, through the prophet Isaiah in our first reading,g invites us to come to the water,r all you who are thirsty; though you have no money, come! Buy corn without money, and eat, and, at no cost, wine and milk. For why spend money on what does not satisfy?. He says, listen, and your soul will live, for he has made an everlasting covenant with us out of the favours promised to David.

Dear friends, God loves us so much, that he is willing and ready to satisfy our unquenchable hunger for physical and spiritual things. And St. Paul in our second reading encouraged us to make sure that nothing comes between us and the love of Christ, even if we are troubled or worried, or being persecuted, or lacking food or clothes, or being threatened or even attacked. These are the trials through which we triumph, by the power of him who loved us so much.

For neither death nor life, no angel, no princes of this world, nothing that exists, nothing still to come, not any power, or height or depth, nor any created thing, can ever come between us and the love of God made visible in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore, come to Jesus and embrace his love and you will be satisfied.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, we are really hungry, in need of your love and satisfaction both physically and spiritually. Feed us once again with your heavenly grace, multiply the little bread and fish we share with others,s and provide for us the basic needs of life. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a blessed Sunday.