Homily For Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B, 10th November, 2024

 

Readings: 1 Kings  17:10-16; Ps: 146; Heb.9:24-28; Mark 12:38-44

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

LEARN TO OVERCOME THE UGLY ATTITUDE OF PRIDE AND THE HUMAN EGO

Beginning from the time of Adam and Eve in the Gardens of Eden, the Devil has been tempting mankind with the first capital sin of pride and ego, knowing how vulnerable and weak we can be in resisting our desires for knowledge and power. 

These are temptations for every age, however, it is more obvious in our society today, as we all desire to have red carpet treatment. We all enjoy wearing well-tailored clothes and being addressed with honorific titles on different occasions and events, even in the Church. 

These, of course, can be done innocently without any harm, depending on how they affect our relationships with God and our neighbours. When it is done out of pride and ego, then it becomes harmful to others, and this can lead to idolatry, where man will seek to be like God or assume honour and glory due to God. 

This ugly attitude is what Jesus is addressing in our Gospel passage today, when he said “Beware of the scribes who like to walk about in long robes, to be greeted obsequiously in the market squares, to take the front seats in the synagogues and the places of honour at banquets; these are the men who swallow the property of widows, while making a show of lengthy prayers. The more severe will be the sentence they receive”.

Here, Jesus points to those entrusted with religious leadership who have turned their positions of trust into selfish interests as they focus on what they can get rather than what they can give. So Jesus warned his disciples against such kind of behaviour, especially how they exercised and practised their faith. The Pharisees and the teachers of the Law often prided themselves in their privileged and highly respected position in the community, and showed off their faith, seeking important and privileged positions. 

What Jesus is telling us all is to be careful and vigilant against the temptations of ego and pride in our lives. We must focus our attention on God and put Him first and foremost in all we do. This no doubt requires sacrifice just like the poor widow in our Gospel passage and the widow in our first reading, for they sacrifice all that they had in thanksgiving to God. 

In reward for such great sacrifice, prophet Elijah made us know that our Jar of meal shall not be spent and our jug of oil shall not be emptied before the day when the Lord shall send rain of blessings in our lives. For our Lord Jesus Christ has made his appearance once and for all, now at the end of the last age, to do away with sin by sacrificing himself as we heard in our second reading today.

Dear friends, living a life of sacrifice helps us to overcome the ugly attitude of pride and human ego. Because the warning of Jesus concerning our pride and ego is not only for religious leaders and ministers but for every one of us: fathers, mothers, teachers, lecturers, students, government officials, military leaders, businessmen and women, celebrities, doctors, mechanics and leaders of all works of life. 

We are to be on the watch in order to avoid being carried away by the titles of honour and dignity that come with the pride of life, like some of the scribes in our Gospel passage today. Rather, we should humble ourselves in the midst of external respect and honour, for noble souls despise this kind of honour, as they offer it to God, to whom all respect and honour belongs. 

Therefore, we have to be careful with St Paul in 2Tim 4:1-8, which tells us that out of pride, time is sure to come when far from being content with sound teaching, people will be avid for the latest novelty and collect themselves a whole series of teachers according to their tastes; and then, instead of listening to the truth, they will turn to myths. 

Friends, let us always be careful to choose the right course; be brave under trials, and make the preaching of the Good News our life’s work in thoroughgoing service. So that we can join him in saying: “I have fought the good fight to the end; I have run the race to the finish; I have kept the faith; all there is to come now is the crown of righteousness reserved for me, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on the last Day”.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, as you warn us today to beware of the pride and ego of the human life in order to embrace the life of humble sacrifice, grant us we pray, the grace of humility in the midst of all prideful events in our lives. We as this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a grace-filled Sunday celebration.

Homily For Saturday Thirty- First Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 9th November 2024. The Feast of the Dedication of the 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

REMEMBER YOU ARE A LIVING TEMPLE DEDICATED TO GOD

Today, in a special way, the Church celebrate the feast of the dedication of St. John Lateran Basilica 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 sanctuary that was his body when he said to the Jews: Destroy this sanctuary, and in three days, I will raise it up.

Thus, prophet Ezekiel, in our first reading, prophesying about this sanctuary, 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. That the Church is a spiritual temple and each member of the Church is a temple of the Holy Spirit, a living expressions of God’s loving presence in our world today.

He said: ‘Didn’t you realise that you were God’s temple and that the Spirit of God was living among 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.

Dear friends, our bodies are sacred temples of the Lord; this is the heart of our 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 body which by virtue of our baptism has become a scared 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 week.

Homily For Friday Thirty- First Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 8th November 2024

 

Readings: Phil 3:17-4:1, Ps.121, Luke 16: 1-8

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

LEARN TO PRUDENTLY USE THE RESOURCES ENTRUSTED TO YOU TO WIN YOUR SALVATION

The elements of good and bad seem inherent in every human person, little wonder the world involves both good and bad mixed together. This will help us to understand the reason for corruption, greediness, immoral and social decadence in our world today. But even in the midst of all these ugly situations, we are expected to be wise and smart in our deals with the things of this passing world.

Little wonder, in the Gospel passage today, Jesus tells the parable of this dishonest steward who, having acted unjustly and having been exposed by his master, went to great lengths to make friends of his master’s debtors in order to secure his future. In this parable, Jesus is not telling us to be dishonest, but he wants us to know that we can learn, even from this dishonest servant, how to prudently use the things of this passing world to gain our salvation.

Thus, Jesus points out that we, too, should be smart but not exactly like the dishonest steward, using dishonest wealth to exploit others as most rich people do today. No, instead, we, his disciples, are to use our wealth to win souls for the kingdom and safeguard our souls.

But more importantly, if we understand the principle that says that everything we own is a gift from God, then we will realize that God is the owner of everything and that we are His stewards. As such, we are to use the Master’s resources to further the Master’s work and not the contrary. In this context, we are told to be generous with our resources and use them for the safety of our souls and the growth of God’s kingdom.

For we heard St. Paul in our first reading saying: I have told you often, and I repeat it today with tears, many are behaving as the enemies of the cross of Christ. They are destined to be lost. They make foods into their god and they are proudest of something they ought to think shameful; the things they think important are earthly things. For us, our homeland is in heaven, and from heaven comes the saviour we are waiting for.

Dear friends, today, we are called to really examine our conscience to know where we are with regard to our vocation as Christians. How can we best harness the things entrusted to us so that they can be a source and midst of safeguarding our souls surrounded by corruption and greediness? We are called today to be wise and smart, for if worldly-minded people can be smart in their dealings, we, too, should be smarter in our struggles for the salvation of humanity. We should utilize the resources available to us and use them to secure our salvation.

Homily For Thursday Thirty- First Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 7th November 2024

 

Readings: Phil 3:3-8 , Ps.105 , Luke 15:1-10

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

DO YOU KNOW THAT GOD IS SEARCHING FOR YOU? HE WANTS YOU TO TURN AWAY FROM SIN AND COME BACK

It is natural and common for any human person to desire to search find any valuable thing he/she has lost. Some people even have sleepless nights over their lost items. Some can go to any length hoping to recover any of their valuable commodity that is lost. If we can do this just for perishable things of this passing world, don’t we think that God will do even much more to save every single soul he created in his image and likeness?

Little wonder in our Gospel passage today, Jesus, while addressing the Pharisee who accused him of welcoming sinners, with the parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin, Jesus illustrates the unrelenting love of God for each of us, especially sinners. For there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one repentant sinner than over ninety-nine virtuous men who do not need repentance.

In these parables, we see two examples of people searching for what is precious to them. And when they found it their joy was so great. So, Jesus uses these examples to explain to us how God seeks us when we are lost in sin and his joy when our friendship with him is renewed and restored. His searching for us cost him the sacrifice of his Son Jesus Christ.

This can help us to realize how precious we are to him and that he never gives up on anyone except those who choose to be lost. All we need is for us to return to God who is patiently waiting for us. Just like St. Paul in our first reading who told us that because of Christ, he has come to consider all he has as nothing. For nothing can happen that will outweigh the supreme advantage of knowing Christ Jesus our Lord.

Dear friends, are we lost in sin? Have we given up in our struggle with sin? Do you think that our sins are so great that God cannot forgive us? Do we feel lost now? Jesus is searching for us, he is waiting for us at the confessional. When was the last time we visited him at the confessional? Just know that he loves us and we are too precious to be lost in this sinful world. So we must know that God is searching and waiting for you to come back to him.

We may have been lost in sin, it’s time to come back to God. We may have abandoned our good virtues, but it’s time to come back to God for restoration. We may have separated ourselves from God and his family, it’s time to come back. We may have been lost in the ugly things of this passing world; it’s time to come back, for God is searching and waiting for you. No matter how bad or ugly we may have been as a result of our sinful behaviours, don’t remain in that condition for that is what the enemy wants, but is waiting for you to come back and be restored and purified.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we are lost in this passing world due to our sinfulness; seek out humanity once again from the wilderness of sins so that we may return to you, just like the lost sheep and the lost coin and so rejoice and praise you once again with the angels. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Peace be with you.

Homily For Wednesday Thirty-First Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 6th November 2024

Readings: Phil 2: 12-18; Ps.27; Luke 14:25-33

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

DISCIPLESHIP REQUIRES SACRIFICE, COMMITMENT AND DISCIPLINE

A true disciple must constantly reflect through life in order to be aware of the seriousness of the commitment required of him/her. Little wonder Jesus in our Gospel passage today, takes his discourse on discipleship to a radical and difficult level when he said: ‘If any man comes to me without hating his father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, yes and his own life too, he cannot be my disciple. 

Anyone who does not carry his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. So in the same way, none of you can be my disciple unless he gives up all his possessions.’

Here, Jesus teaches about the cost of discipleship. That there is a price to be paid. However, Jesus does not directly intend to cause tensions and divisions in family life, but he wants us to accept the consequences that come with the truth of the Gospel teaching, more importantly, when it comes to living out the Gospel message radically, especially in a situation where our family 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.

So, these hard words of Jesus can only be understood in the light of our life experience because there are moments when we have to make radical and difficult choices as disciples of Jesus. These moments may wield the sword of division or separation among those people and things which are so dear to us. Thus, he warns that we have to struggle to put him first, before family ties, knowing that divisions will surely occur as people have to decide to be for or against God.

Hence, he states that the cost of discipleship extends to one even losing his life. None of us can become his disciple if we do not give up our excess desire for worldly pleasures and possessions and pay our unreserved loyalty and allegiance to God over all other competing loyalties in our lives, including family, self-interest, and possessions.

Dear friends, how much are we willing to let go for the sake of discipleship? Do we find it too demanding? In what ways? Is giving up ‘all my possessions’ realistic, and if not, what does this passage mean to me? Whatever my response may be, may God give us the grace to grow in freedom, to be ready to follow and to serve him in a new way and also be able to speak to the Lord about the points of difficulty in paying this cost. St. Paul, in our first reading, tells us to work out our salvation in fear and trembling.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, the excess desire for the pleasurable things of this passing world have weakened our hearts from becoming a good disciple; give us courage and grace to let go of our ugly desires so as to hold firm in our faith despite losing people and things that are dear to us. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a fruitful day.

Homily For Tuesday Thirty-First week in Ordinary Time Year B, 5th November 2024

 

Readings: Phil 2:5-11 , Ps.22 , Luke 14:15-24

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSE TO THE INVITATION TO GOD'S HEAVENLY BANQUET

Invitations to events and social gatherings are part of humanity's social ways of life. As usual, Jesus often uses the things we are very familiar with to teach us a very important lesson. So, on the occasion of our Gospel passage today, Jesus tells us the parable of the great banquet, how a man planned a large banquet and sent out invitations, but those invited turned it down, so he opened the invitation to all who cared to come. Jesus ends the parable by saying that “not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet”

Here, their excuses for not coming to the banquet are not realistic. Because no one buys land without seeing it first, and the same can be said for buying oxen. And what, exactly, would keep a newly married couple from attending a social event? All the excuses in the parable show insincerity on the part of those invited. Hence the invitation is opened up to society’s maimed and downtrodden. The fact is that those who ignored the invitation to the banquet chose their path. They missed out and the master respects their choice by making it permanent: they would not “taste of my banquet”, he said.

So it will be with God’s judgment on those who choose to reject Christ or are too busy to respond to his invitation. They will have their choice confirmed, and they will never taste the joys of heaven. Therefore, let us learn to honour the invitation of God in humility, just like Christ Jesus whose state was divine, yet he did not cling to his equality with God but emptied himself to assume the condition of a slave, and became as men are; and being as all men are, he was humbler yet, even to accepting death, death on a cross as we heard in our second reading today.

Dear friends, the Lord offers us again an invitation to the banquet of heaven. An invitation 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 compared 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.

Thus, today we are called 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 like the saints. Let us not be too proud or busy to embrace it for the blessings of the kingdom are available to all who will come to Christ by faith.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we are too busy with the things of this passing world; as we hear about the invitation to your Heavenly Kingdom today, may we embrace it with all humility through Christ, your Son who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen. Have a blessed day.

Homily For Monday Thirty-First Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 4th November 2024. The Memorial of St Charles Borromeo

 

Readings: Phil.2:1-4; Ps. 131; Luke 14:12-14

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

TRUE CHARITY IS DONE WHEN IT IS OFFERED TO THOSE WHO CAN NOT REPAY US

A critical look at what is happening in our world today, it is obvious that the world is in a big crisis. This is because humanity has lost the true meaning of love. For we have abandoned God who is the source and power of love. Today people find it very difficult to love and do things for others for free. We want to know what we will gain from whatever we do for people because of selfishness and greed. So we are called to be more charitable to people especially the poor who can not pay us back.

Little wonder Jesus in our Gospel passage today says: when you give a lunch or a dinner, do not ask your friends, brothers, relations or rich neighbours, for fear they repay your courtesy by inviting you in return. No; when you have a party, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; that they cannot pay you back means that you are fortunate because repayment will be made to you when the virtuous rise again.’

Here, Jesus gave us reasons why we should not be seeking gain and rewards for everything we do; rather, we must learn to help others, especially the poor. He made us know that it is natural and universal for human beings to seek rewards for whatever they have done. But what makes his disciples different from other people is the ability to do good without seeking rewards in this passing world. By so doing we will be imitating God our heavenly Father, who in his compassionate heart shows equal love to both the rich and the poor, for true charity is done when it is offered to those who can not repay us.

Hence, we are called to always consider the poor and those who are less privileged. We cannot be true Christians unless we are willing to love sacrificially in our actions and interactions, in all situations and to everyone without exception. We must learn to bear with one another, for St. Paul, in our first reading today, says: there must be no competition among you, no conceit, but everybody is to be self-effacing. Always consider the other person to be better than yourself, So that nobody thinks of his interests first but everybody thinks of other people’s interests instead.

Dear friends, how many of us Christians are willing and able to follow these instructions of the Lord? How many of us are ready to invite the poor and less privileged into our events of life? The truth is that the poor are not necessarily those who do not have money, but anyone who desires to benefit from God’s goodness in us.

How I wish we would embrace this principle of loving and stretching the hands of friendship and peace to the poor and the less privileged by investing more resources in things that bring about peace and friendship with one another rather than separating us and depriving the poor of their rights. When this is done, then the world will become more peaceful and loving.

More so, let us learn from St. Charles Borromeo, whose memorial we celebrate today, for he said in one of his sermons: I admit that we are all weak, but if we want help, the Lord God has given us the means to find it easily. So, Are you in charge of a parish? If so, do not neglect the parish of your soul, do not give yourself to others so completely that you have nothing left for yourself. You have to be mindful of your people without becoming forgetful of yourself.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, help us to learn how to invite the poor, knowing that they are not able to pay us back, but our rewards will be in heaven. Through the intercession of St. Charles Borromeo give us the grace to bear the sacrificial nature of this demand and so become a true sign of your loving presence to the poor and less privileged. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a fruitful week.