Homily For Thursday The Octave of Christmas. Happy New Year 1st January, 2026

The Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God. And World Day Of Peace

Readings : Num 6:22-27, Ps 67, Gal. 4:4-7, Luke 2:16-21

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

“DO WHATEVER HE TELLS YOU”: THE SECRET TO UNDERSTANDING GOD’S PLAN AND PURPOSES OF YOU THIS YEAR

In a special way this morning, the whole human race celebrates the goodness of God who has made it possible for us to witness another New Year. So, every first day of January the Holy Mother Church celebrates three great events. First, the Church joins the whole human race to celebrate the New Year, another gift of God to humanity.

Secondly, since this great gift comes as we are celebrating the birthday of our Lord Jesus, the Church reflecting on the role of Mary in the whole event of this season, dedicated today as the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God. And thirdly, following the ugly situation of war and crises which humanity has found herself, Pope Paul VI chose and encouraged us to celebrate every 1st day of January as the World Day of Peace.

So we are called to pray for peace in our world and also commit our plans and purposes to God this year knowing that every year is a gift of God to humanity. We journey through it in hope, full of expectations, favour, grace and blessing just like Mary whom God in time endowed with the great responsibility of becoming the Mother of his Son Jesus Christ, thereby sharing greatly in the universal plan of God for humanity.

Therefore, following the role of Mary in God’s plan for our salvation, the Church ascribes some special prerogatives or privileges to her. These prerogatives concern what the Faith of the Church affirms in connection with the blessed Virgin Mary. They include her immaculate conception, her perpetual virginity, the assumption of Mary and the title Mary, the Holy Mother of God (Theotokos), which is the foundation of other prerogatives.

The solemnity of this prerogative is what we are celebrating today which shows Mary’s special role in the universal plan of God, of which our Gospel passage today gave us some details of how she cooperated with the will of God and treasured all the things that happened to her and pondered them in her heart.

This tells us that our success in life is determined by our disposition towards doing the will God. Hence, we have to identify our plans and purposes this year with the universal plan of God for humanity. But how can we identify the plan of God? Very simple, we were told in Gospel of John 2:1-11, how the wedding couple invited Jesus and his disciples in the most important day of their lives.

Unfortunately, when an embarrassing moment came up during the course of the celebration, Mary in her usual way of helping people asked Jesus to save the couple from social embarrassment and even when her request was not granted by her son, she had strong faith that he will not refuse her request. So she said to the servants: “ Do whatever he tells you”

By this request Mary who represents the Church reveals to us the key to a successful and happy life especially as a Christian. That is to say that, the secret key that opens the treasure of a successful and happy Christian life is to do whatever he (Jesus) tells us. But what did Jesus say we should do? He told the servants: Empty, Fill, Draw and Serve.

Telling us to Empty ourselves from distractions of this passing world and Fill our life with the water of salvation which he offers us every day through his Words and Eucharist and when we have filled our lives with the fountain of his presence, then we should Draw from the joy it offers and Serve humanity who are really in need and thirsty for the word of God especially at this moment in our world when humanity really hope and seek for God’s intervention.

Dear friends, let this principle guide all our activities this year for that is how to identify our plans and purposes with the will of God. So, we must learn to fill our minds with positive things so that we can draw from the abundance of our hearts and serve humanity. Therefore, we must know that whatever healthy seed you water grows and the seed you quit watering will eventually die and go away.

But the question is, what kind of seed are you going to be watering in your life this year? Are you going to be watering valuable seeds or weeds? Because nature has made it clear that not all the seeds are good for us and so any unwanted seed is a potential weed. Then, the question you need to ask yourself is: are you watering weeds that you do not need? There are so many weeds in our lives, such as: weeds of fear, regrets, doubt, jealousy, hatred, disrespect, greediness, lying, gossip, impurity, wickedness, procrastination etc they are good for nothing.

Today we are called to quit watering these weeds because that's what the enemies want and we must not fall into their traps. Rather we are called to water those valuable mustard seeds of goodness, honestly, faithfulness, love, holiness, obedience, charity and make them our values of life. For when you feed and water your value, your value will grow stronger like the mustard tree that all the people of the world may find solace on it.

However, we must know that true greatness is found in service and not in domination or subjection of others. Good leaders serve the community, they subdue arguments and divisions, they maintain unity in times of distress and act as role models for the young. This year, we all are called to identify our plans and purposes with the universal plan of God.

We are called to serve in any capacity we find ourselves, bearing in mind that one should not strive to be a leader but a servant because leadership is a gift given to one by God. Remember, you don't have to be great to get started but you have to get started in order to be great this year. All we need is to ask God to fill us with wisdom and show us what we can offer to humanity this New Year in accordance with his plan, for by so doing we will be successful in all we do this year.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, we thank you for the gift of another New Year, grant that through the intercession of our Mother Mary, may we find strength to do your will always especially in all our daily struggles. May your grace and favour be with us even to the last hour of this new year. This we ask through Christ our Lord. Amen. Happy New Year.

Homily For Wednesday Within The Octave of Christmas, 31st December, 2025

 

Readings : 1 John 2:18-21, Ps 96, John 1:1-18

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

LET US END THE YEAR WITH PRAISE AND THANKSGIVING TO GOD

Today marks the end of the year 2025, as we look forward to the beginning of the new year, we have to keep our focus steadily towards the goal of knowing Christ and his mission and purpose for us. Hence, our Gospel passage today presents to us the unchanging truth about our salvation in the Word of God, Who was with God since the beginning, and Who was God.

And this same Word of God has become the Son of God, begotten not created. The Word which came down into the world and became Flesh. Through Him we have seen the love of God for the salvation of humanity. This is what we celebrate this Christmas season, the manifestation of God’s love in the Flesh, in person of Jesus Christ.

However, many of us despite what God has done in our lives, we have not appreciated this love and this care that he has shown us. Instead, we chose to follow the falsehood of this world, and dwell in sin and shame. To call our minds out of this ugly ways of life, St. John in our first reading today spoke of the antichrists present all around us.

For these antichrists are those who seek to cover up the truth of God with falsehoods and lies by committing all forms of evil against God and humanity. We are called today to be careful in order not to fall into their traps of lies and falsehoods. Thus, we must hold firmly to our faith in God with thanksgiving in our hearts no matter the situation we may find ourselves in this world.

Dear friends, we must learn to end this year with thanksgiving to God in our hearts, for it is not easy to pass through the challenges and overcome the obstacles of the year. This is important if we reflect deeply through the activities of the year. For it will help us to understand better the ugly situation we faced this year, so that we can be well prepared to conquer and manage the situations of the coming year.

So today being the last day of this year, it is a good time for us to take stock and evaluate carefully how our activities this year had been. We have to spent time to evaluate what our relationship with God has been. We must resolve and make effort to be faithful to God and dedicate more time for his works and mission.

Hence, as we prepare to welcome the new year, we should look back and see in what way we can do better especially as Christians so as to live our lives ever more sincerely and genuinely in faith. Therefore, let us remain focused and determined in our faith by making firm resolutions that will guide us through the struggle of the coming year.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, we thank you for being with us in all the struggles of this year, as we step into the New year, may the light of your presence drive away all darkness of falsehood and confusion in our world, let your peace, favour and blessings remain always with us, we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. As the year comes to an end, may the joy, favour and grace of God lead us into the new year.

Homily For Tuesday The Sixth Day Within The Octave of Christmas, 30th December, 2025

 

Readings : 1 John 2:12-17, Ps 96, Luke:2:36-40

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

AN ENCOUNTER THAT LEADS TO MISSION AND EVANGELISATION

It’s always the desire of humanity to have the experience of God especially when we are passing through difficult situation. This had always been the desire and disposition of the people of Israel as they await the coming of the Messiah as prophesied by the prophets. Hence, our Gospel passage today presents to us the experience of Anna with Jesus at the temple. 

Anna was a deep spiritual person who spent her waking hours in the Temple, praying and fasting. She came on the scene just as Jesus and his parents were in the Temple. She, too, must have realized the true identity of the Child and gave thanks to God. She then began to speak about Jesus to everyone, especially those awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem. An action that portray an encounter that leads to mission and evangelisation 

This passage says much about our experience with the divine, showing that our social status is of no consequence in our relationship with God. If we want to be close to God, we have to make prayer a very important part of our lives. In prayer we come to know Jesus and to love God the more and once we truly come to know Jesus, we cannot keep it to ourselves but must share the experience with the people around us, especially those who are looking for some meaning in their lives, just like Anna in the Gospel.

 Little wonder St. John in our first reading admonished us to embrace the love God is offering us through his Son Jesus and not give in to the love of this passing world, because, the love of God cannot be in any man who loves the world. For the world has nothing to offer us except pleasure of the sensual body, the lustful eye, pride of sin and greed which finally lead us to destruction.

Dear friends, what is our relationship with God  as regards to the things of this passing world? How have we personally experienced the Lord Jesus who has been born for us? How have we been able to share our experience of God with others? If we have not experienced the Lord personally in our lives, the right time to do that is now. But we need to ask ourselves what is our disposition towards prayers and pleasurable things of this passing world? To experience the Lord, we must love him above all other things and truly desire to encounter him just like Anna. 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we are living in a world where materialism and pleasurable things are seriously distracting us from experiencing your presence in our midst, help us to conquer our inordinate desire for the things of this world in order to embrace the heavenly things. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Peace be with you. 

Homily For Monday The Fifth Day Within The Octave of Christmas, 29th December, 2025

Readings : 1 John 2:3-11, Ps 96, Luke:2:22-35

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

BEHOLD, THIS CHILD IS SET FOR THE FALL AND RISING OF MANY

Following the tradition of purification as laid down by the law of Moses, the parents of Jesus came to the temple to present him to the Lord. This is what we have in our Gospel passage today. Where St Luke explained that Mary and Joseph wished to fulfil all the prescriptions of the law in order to emphasize that Jesus was born into a family of simple people, lowly but steadfast in faith: a family that belonged to the poor once of Israel the true People of God. It is important to note that the purpose of this event among the Jews is for the purification of the mother and the redemption of the son, which shows the act of offering the Son of the Most High to the Father who sent him.

This same child Jesus, who is immediately presented in the Temple, is the same person who, as an adult, would purify the Temple (cf. Jn 2:13-22). Above all, he would make himself the sacrifice and the High Priest of the new Covenant. For which he will suffer greatly as prophecy by Simeon in our Gospel concerning both the Child Jesus and Mary the Mother saying: “Behold, this Child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against, a sword will pierce through your own soul also that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

Thus, this prophecy is pointing out the salvation which Jesus will bring to his people, that which he embodies in himself, as he passed through the Cross, the violent death by which he was to vanquish death and transform humanity with the sacrifice of his life through love. Hence, he has become the true Light of the world of which Simeon proclaimed as a revelation, that Jesus was to be the High Priest of all, who is to redeem all mankind from their sins.

By so doing he becomes the true light that enlightens every man who is born into this world. Thus, St. John in our first reading tells us that the night is over and the real light is already shining. And anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the dark. But anyone who loves his brother is living in the light and need not be afraid of stumbling.

Dear friends, today, as we encounter Christ the true Light of the world presented at the temple, let us of course, allow ourselves to be enlightened and made radiant by this light. Let us share in its splendour, and so be filled with it’s radiant, so that no one remains in the darkness. Let us bring him into our families and homes, so that sharing in his light we may be brought out of the darkness of hatred, envy greed and jealousy that covers our lives as individuals, families, Homily For Monday The Fifth Day Within The Octave of Christmas, 29th December, 2025

Readings : 1 John 2:3-11, Ps 96, Luke:2:22-35

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

BEHOLD, THIS CHILD IS SET FOR THE FALL AND RISING OF MANY

Following the tradition of purification as laid down by the law of Moses, the parents of Jesus came to the temple to present him to the Lord. This is what we have in our Gospel passage today. Where St Luke explained that Mary and Joseph wished to fulfil all the prescriptions of the law in order to emphasize that Jesus was born into a family of simple people, lowly but steadfast in faith: a family that belonged to the poor once of Israel the true People of God. It is important to note that the purpose of this event among the Jews is for the purification of the mother and the redemption of the son, which shows the act of offering the Son of the Most High to the Father who sent him.

This same child Jesus, who is immediately presented in the Temple, is the same person who, as an adult, would purify the Temple (cf. Jn 2:13-22). Above all, he would make himself the sacrifice and the High Priest of the new Covenant. For which he will suffer greatly as prophecy by Simeon in our Gospel concerning both the Child Jesus and Mary the Mother saying: “Behold, this Child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against, a sword will pierce through your own soul also that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

Thus, this prophecy is pointing out the salvation which Jesus will bring to his people, that which he embodies in himself, as he passed through the Cross, the violent death by which he was to vanquish death and transform humanity with the sacrifice of his life through love. Hence, he has become the true Light of the world of which Simeon proclaimed as a revelation, that Jesus was to be the High Priest of all, who is to redeem all mankind from their sins.

By so doing he becomes the true light that enlightens every man who is born into this world. Thus, St. John in our first reading tells us that the night is over and the real light is already shining. And anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the dark. But anyone who loves his brother is living in the light and need not be afraid of stumbling.

Dear friends, today, as we encounter Christ the true Light of the world presented at the temple, let us of course, allow ourselves to be enlightened and made radiant by this light. Let us share in its splendour, and so be filled with it’s radiant, so that no one remains in the darkness. Let us bring him into our families and homes, so that sharing in his light we may be brought out of the darkness of hatred, envy greed and jealousy that covers our lives as individuals, families, communities, societies, country and the world at large.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, the world is seriously in darkness of deep confusion and and we really need the light of your presence. As we celebrate the birth of your Son and his presentation at the temple, may we be enlightened and so over come the darkness of this sinful world. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Have a fruitful day.

Homily For Sunday Within The Octave of Christmas Year A, 28th December, 2025. The Feast of the Holy Family of Nazareth

 

Readings: Sir. 3:2-6.12-14; Ps 128; Col. 3:12-21; Matt. 2:13-15.19-23

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

UNDERSTANDING THE PLACE OF FAMILY IN THE SOCIETY 

Family, as we know, is always seen as the nucleus of life and the seed of every human society. It is a domestic church, a place of faith, a place of prayer and a place of loving concern for the good of one another. Little wonder every last Sunday of the year that falls within the octave of Christmas or 30th of December if the last Sunday is new year, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Holy Family of Nazareth as a way of addressing with joy some of the issues within the families of the world, wishing them the peace and love that Jesus brought among us this Christmas.

The Lord Jesus was born and he grew up in a human family. In this way, he consecrated the family as the first and ordinary means of his encounter with humanity. Jesus was born in a stable and had a manger as his first home, but the love of Mary and Joseph made him feel the tenderness and beauty of being loved. Children need this kind of love from their father and mother. It is this that gives them security and, as they grow, enables them to discover the meaning of life.

The Holy Family of Nazareth went through many trials, beginning from the events of the annunciation, the birth of Jesus, the presentation at the temple, the massacre of the innocents, the finding of Jesus at the temple and the flight to Egypt, just as we have it in the Gospel passage today. Telling us that whatever we are passing through as a family, we can draw strength and grace from the Holy Family, who, trusting in divine providence, found their stability and guaranteed Jesus a serene childhood and a sound upbringing.

Thus, our first reading talks about the relationships in the family when it says: The Lord honours the father in his children, and upholds the rights of a mother over her sons. Whoever respects his father is atoning for his sins, he who honours his mother is like someone amassing a fortune. My son, support your father in his old age, do not grieve him during his life.

And our second reading reminds us that love is the source of harmony in the family. Little wonder St. Paul said: As God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

He continues: Wives he said, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged. So today, demand is made of our family and us to do the will of God at different stages of our lives and so ensure the peaceful existence of our families.

Dear friends, let us learn to make the Holy Family of Jesus a model of our family, for in our societies today, family life and values are no longer guaranteed, as the powerful influence of secularism and materialism is fast destroying all the great values and virtues that sustain the family and society. Today, the only hope we have is the family and our religious practice, which are under serious threat as they stand against the agenda of the secular world. Thus, we must uphold our family values and practices, with fraternal love as the hallmark of sustaining our Christian virtues and values in the family and community.

Also, we must hold on to the virtues and practices of our faith and not give in to the pressure of secularism and materialism. Let the Holy Family of Jesus be a model for us to follow. And as we struggle to build a holy and lovely family, let us entrust all families to Our Lady and to St Joseph, so that we do not lose heart in the face of trials and difficulties but always cultivate a conjugal love and devote ourselves with trust to the service and protection of life which is a product of the family.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, a lot of families in our world today are struggling to survive as a result of secularism and materialism, which have taken away the sacrificial love that sustains the family. As we celebrate the feast of the Holy Family, may you restore all the families of the world with your love and peace. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Wishing you a joyful and glorious day.

Homily For Saturday in The Octave of Christmas, 27th December, 2025. The Feast of St John the Apostle and Evangelist.

 

Readings : 1 John 1:1-4; Ps 97; John 20:2-8

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

FINDING YOUR PLACE IN THE MISSION OF CHRIST

Every 27th of December within the octave of Christmas, the Church celebrates the Feast of St John the Apostle and Evangelist. St. John, as we know, is one of the Twelve Apostles and one of the three inner circle of Jesus Christ, and no doubt one of the four great Evangelists of the Church. As one of the three inner circle of our Lord, John, together with St. Peter and St. James, his brother, were often brought to the most important events in the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ.

St. John, as we know, was present in great events such as the resurrection of the synagogue official’s dead daughter, the Transfiguration of the Lord at Mount Tabor, and also at the agony of the Lord at the Gardens of Gethsemane before the time of the Lord’s Passion. He witnessed great works and miracles of Jesus.

We will recall that St. John was one of those who remained and followed the Lord at the moments of his Passion, suffering and death on the Cross. He also remained with Mary at the foot of the cross, and it was to St. John that the Lord Jesus entrusted Mary, his Mother, and also John to Mary as well. This no doubt shows the place of St. John in the mission of Christ and the important role he played in the life and mission of the Lord Jesus.

The fruit of this great privilege is evident in the missionary activities of St. John. For he spent all his life spreading the truth of God all over the world. He also wrote several letters and Epistles, and the fourth Gospel is attributed to him. He also received the great vision of the end-time event when he was in exile as a result of the persecution of Christians, this vision he recorded in the book of Revelation as we have it today.

So today as we celebrate the Feast of this great Apostle, we heard the readings of his first letter and his Gospel passage. In this letter, as we have it in our first reading today, St John wrote about Christ the Word of Life that has come into this world. Concerning this Word, he said: This is what we have heard from him, and the message that we are announcing to you: that God is light; there is no darkness in him at all. If we say that we are in union with God while we are living in darkness, we are lying because we are not living the truth. It is this Word of truth that we are celebrating this Christmas.

However, this Christmas celebration will not be complete if we do not let the Lord be born in our hearts or if we do not have a personal experience of the Lord Jesus in our lives that will make us find our place in the mission of Christ such as the one we heard in our Gospel passage today. Here, we were told about the personal experience of John and Peter, who having heard about the resurrection of the Lord, ran towards the empty tomb with open hearts to encounter Christ, who had died and is risen to renew us, to remove from our hearts the guilt of sin and death, so that we can embrace his divine and eternal life.

Dear friends, this is the fundamental core of our Christian faith; this is the victory that transforms us and unites us with our Lord. Hence, if Jesus, who was born for us, was crucified, died, buried and is risen, and is alive, who will ever be able to separate us from him? Who will ever be able to deprive us of the love of him who has conquered hatred and overcomes death?

Therefore, I don't know what your experience has been in this world, especially this Christmas season. I don't know how you woke up today. I don't know what troubles your mind. But all I know is that today is another gift of God to humanity, a day of joy, a day of victory. I am excited, hopeful and am going to live it with all joy, not trying to change things that I cannot change or try to fix things that I do not want to be fixed.

I will not let the ugly situation in our world today, or any ugly event of the past, distract me today or steal my joy. I will focus on the blessings that come with the joy of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. I will follow the directives of the Lord, for his ways are right and the upright walk in them, but the transgressors stumble in them. Thus, let us proclaim the message of this season and spread it throughout the world with the joyful song of this Holy Season.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, as we celebrate the great event of Christmas, may your joy fill our hearts and through the intercessions of St John, may we spread this joy all over the world especially to people and places where this joy is lacking. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a blessed day.

Homily For Friday in The Octave of Christmas, 26th December, 2025 The Feast of Stephen, the First Martyr

 

Readings : Act 6:8-10;7:54-59; Ps 31; Matt.10:17-22

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

WHY STONE THE INNOCENT FOR BEARING WITNESS TO THE GOOD NEWS OF CHRIST?

Every day God makes himself present to us, but we often ignore him or pretend we do not perceive his presence. The truth is that in each heart, there is a secret garden which God has made uniquely for himself and that garden is our conscience.

This garden is like a safe deposit vault which has two keys. God has one key; hence, the soul cannot let in anyone else but God. The human heart has the other key, which no one can get in without his/her consent. However, God is always at the gate of this garden with his key but we often pretend to be looking for ours.

This is the ugly attitude of humanity, which is well illustrated by the people who seek to kill Stephen as we have it in our first reading today. Stephen was filled with grace and power and began to work miracles and great signs among the people. But certain people came forward to debate with him.

As they could not get the better of him because of his wisdom. They were infuriated and planned to kill him. Nevertheless, Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at God’s right hand. This he witnessed before them, but they stoned him to death.

Dear friends, today we celebrate the feast of St. Stephen, the first martyr, who opened the door of his heart completely and, finding God, he witnessed with his life and went up triumphantly to heaven. We are called today to open up our minds and hearts for God to fill us with the grace and power of witnessing to the good news of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We are called not to be afraid to bear witness. For we may be dragged before governors and kings for the sake of the Gospel, we should not worry about how to speak or what to say; for what we are to say will be given to us when the time comes, as Jesus promised us in our Gospel passage today.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, as we open up our minds and hearts for your words to reign in us. Grant us the grace and courage to bear witness to the Gospel and, through the intercession of St Stephen, may we find you in the daily events of our lives. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a fruitful day.