Thursday of the 26th week in Ordinary Time Year A, 1st October, 2020. The Solemnity of Our Lady Queen & Patroness of Nigeria

 Readings: Is.11:1-10, Ps.72, Eph. 2:13-22, Matt.2:13-14.19-23

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

WHEN THE POWER OF LOVE AND GOOD WILL SUPERSEDES THE LOVE OF POWER, THEN OUR COUNTRY WILL BE TRANSFORMED POSITIVELY

The root of all the problems in our world today is the love of power.  For people are ready to do anything to be on power and to retain that power. This is what we see in the life of Herod in our Gospel passage today, where the Holy family of Jesus have to flee away to Egypt, because Herod planned to kill an innocent child for the sake of retaining his power. This ugly attitude is not far from us today especially in our country Nigeria which is in the state of distress because of love of power and greediness among the people in power and even the common citizens.

The fact remains that the elements of good and bad seem inherent in human condition, little wonder the world involves both good and bad mixed together. This will help us to understand the reason for the corruption, greediness, immoral and social decadence in our country today. So as we are celebrating our country Nigeria at 60 since our independent, we thank God who has made it possible for us to witness the day. But today’s celebration should plunge us into deep reflection about the ugly condition of this country. We need to ask ourselves, what have we done right? What have we done wrong? How can we do better and what will the future of this country be like?

Dear friends, the rate of corruption and greediness in this country is so appalling. People are never tired of acquiring and embezzling public funds for their own selfish gain. The truth is that, we need a radical transformation. A transformation that will brings about a new out fit that makes one a new person, with a new life, a new mind and a new way of doing things. And this is possible only when we understand the shortness of this life, the emptiness of this passing world and the danger of greediness, then we will be able to do things the right way.  For this country will be transformed only when the power of love and good will supersedes the love of power, when justice and faithfulness becomes the habit of everyone of us in this country.

LET US PRAY:  Lord God, out of selfishness and greediness we have committed a lot of crimes and injustice against one another, grant that through the intercession of Our Lady Queen and Patroness of Nigeria, we may resolve to have genuine love and good will in carrying out our activities in the societies as you guide and direct us to learn how to do the right thing always by letting the power of love to transform the ugly situation in our country. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Happy new month and God bless you.

Wednesday of the 26th week in Ordinary Time Year A, 30th September, 2020. The Memorial of St. Jerome

 Readings:  Job 9:1-12.15-16, Ps. 88, Like 9:57-62

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

LORD, I WILL FOLLOW YOU BUT…

The path to success is so rigorous, strenuous and competitive. The strong pass through it and are celebrated, while the weak will always quit or give up. Hence, a lot of people have not been able to achieve their goal in life because, there are always excuses to give. Oftentimes we hear such people saying I want to do this but.., I could have done it but..., I thought of it but… I was almost there but... 

This kind of attitude is what Jesus is addressing in our Gospel passage today, when he said to someone, ‘Follow me’, the man replied, ‘Let me go and bury my father first.’ But he answered, ‘Leave the dead to bury their dead; your duty is to go and spread the news of the kingdom of God.’ Than another said, ‘I will follow you, sir, but first let me go and say goodbye to my people at home.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Once the hand is laid on the plough, no one who looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.

Here, Jesus is emphasizing that following him requires a life of total self-denial and the man who requested to follow Jesus had not reflect thoroughly what following Jesus would entail. So Jesus made it clear that following him would mean giving up many of the personal comforts that he enjoyed and perhaps took for granted. However, it may seems that the Lord Jesus was very harsh when he said that those who have chosen to follow him and looked back were not fit for the kingdom of God or that those who died ought to be left on their own to be buried. This is not the case here, rather Jesus is emphasizing that to be his follower requires serious commitment and sacrifices at  all times.

And this is what we see in the life of Job in our first reading where we heard how Job, although was suffering and was passing through many troubles, friends who abandoned him and even accused him of wrongdoing, but he remained committed to God in righteousness without blaming neither God nor the people for his misfortunes. Thereby teaching each and every one of us how to respond and react in the moment of trials and difficulties.

And today, as we celebrate the memorial of St. Jerome, which marked the sixteen centuries that he had passed on, we recall his great contributions to the Church and the Christian faithful especially for his compilation of the Latin translation of the Greek Bible. Jerome who involved and experiencing all sorts of worldly pleasures as a young student of philosophy. But later his conscience led him to conversion into the Christian faith as he renounced all of his past sinful ways of life and devoted himself deeply into the study of the Scriptures, from which comes all his great works we still study today.

Dear friends, for us to succeed in life we need to pass through some rigorous steps and stop making excuses. Sometimes the rigorousness of the paths may seem difficult and impossible but at the end they form the experience that will propel us to success and sustain us as well.  So as we journey through the rigorous path of success in our mission and vocations, let us be encouraged by the life of  Job and St Jerome, knowing that none of our sacrifices and contribution in the mission of Christ and his Church will be in vain.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, teach us how to faithfully embrace our vocation and mission in life without making excuses.  And through the intercession of St. Jerome may we be ever more nourished by your word and find in it the fount of grace to journey the path of life, we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a blessed day.

Tuesday of the 26th week in Ordinary Time Year A, 29th September, 2020. The Feast of Saints. Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, Archangels

 Readings:  Daniel 7:9-10.13-15, Ps. 138, John: 47-51

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

ARCHANGELS, THE MANIFESTATION OF GOD’S PRESENCE AND POWER IN HUMAN ACTIVITY

As Christians, for us to be fruitful in our given vocation in life, there is the need for us to build a personal relationship with God and building this relationship is not difficult as some people think, because God desires to have such relationship with us and this he often manifested through the instrument of angels and Archangels. Little wonder we celebrate today the three great Archangels, Michael, Gabriel and Raphael who are God’s most powerful instrument for safeguarding the human soul.

In these Archangels we have powerful link to God especially in our constant struggle and the spiritual battle for the sake of our souls. They are categorized based on their responsibilities. Archangel Michael is known as the Prince and defender of the heavenly hosts. He defends us in battle and helps us to be humble, so that we may not fall into pride, ambition, greed and vanity like the devil who he defeated and sent away from heaven, so that we can remain firm in our commitment to serving the Lord. Archangel Gabriel is known as the Messenger of God. He helps us to have faith in God through his words so that we may always hope in God. While Archangel Raphael is know for the manifestation of the healing and mercy of God, especially for soul corrupted by sin.

This shows us the extent God can go for the sake of humanity. The fact is that, God loves us so much and it is not about our love for him, but his own love for us.  This is manifested in the life of Jesus who  loves us personally and desires to share in our daily struggles through the angels are Archangels. All he demands from us is to acknowledge his presence in our lives and cooperate with his grace, and when such relationship is established our lives will change for good just like Nathaniel in our Gospel passage, who acknowledged that Jesus is the Son of God, of which Jesus commended him for his faith and goes on to tell him that he shall see great things in heaven including the angels ascending and descending in the presence of God.

Dear friends, today we are reminded that God through the Archangels manifest his power and presence in human activities and so we are called to always cooperate with the will of God as directed by his angels and Archangels who minister to us. We are called to build a personal relationship with God through his Archangels, who are there to defend, guide and heal our souls from sin and death.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, you often send your  Archangels to guide and direct our affairs in life. Through their faithful direction and protection, may our life advance boldly along the path of salvation, through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a fruitful day.

Monday of the 26th week in Ordinary Time Year A, 28th September, 2020.

 Readings: Job 1:6-22, Ps.17, Luke 9:46-50

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

THE MISSION OF CHRIST AND HUMAN SELFISH AMBITION

The activities and life of the human person are always competitive and comparative in nature, that is why we are often anxious to recognize or be recognized as the strongest, wisest, cleverest, richest. We will always want to know the most beautiful, handsome, most talented and greatest in virtually everything. Little wonder, the most lucrative business and adventures are found among those activities that are competitive such as sports, entertainment and politics because greatness gives more ego to our status.

This competitive and comparative way of life is what the disciples of Jesus displayed in our Gospel passage today, where we heard how they were arguing about who is the greatest among them. This is quite surprising for them to be arguing for such intention just after Jesus had told them that he was going to be betrayed to hands men. This shows that his disciples had not grasped his teaching thereby exposing the danger between the mission of Christ and human selfish ambition as a result of ignorance.

For Jesus knowing the intentions of his disciples, showed them the way to identify true greatness and one who has such quality using the images of a humble child. Here, Jesus surprised his disciples by linking true greatness to that of humility and simplicity of a little child and also showed how  children can be the subject of a parable that reveals the vanity and deception found in some great persons. Because children are docile, humble, teachable, loving, forgiven and dependent.

Thus, Jesus explains that in the kingdom of heaven, true greatness is found in humility and children serve as a symbol of humility  for they are dependent on adult for everything just as we also are dependent on God. Little children serve as concrete symbol of the simplicity which is a condition for entering the kingdom of heaven. So, in children we see these great virtues of simplicity and humility being placed.

And these act of simplicity and humility are what characterized the life of Job in our first reading today, where Satan said to God that Job’s faith was only strong because he was so blessed and protected by God, but if he should lose them all, then he would surely abandon God and curse him. This is while God allowed Satan to attacked Job and took away everything he had, his great possessions and his  family. But job in simplicity and humility remained faithful to God saying: naked I came from my mother’s womb naked I shall return. The Lord gave, the Lord has taken back. Blessed be the name of the Lord!’

Dear friends, today we see in the lives of the disciples the danger between human selfish ambition and the mission of Christ especially in the midst of ignorance and pride. Therefore we are reminded that true greatness and ambition are found in humble service to others. But this is exactly what many of us are lacking. For we are so proud, greed and selfish, as we are deeply attached to the pleasurable things of this passing world which prevents us from seeking true greatness that leads to heavenly kingdom. 

 LET US PRAY: Lord God, amidst the danger of selfish human ambition in relation to your mission, we have become so much engrossed with the competitive activities of this world, seeking to be great in things that are passing away, grant that, we may embrace true greatness rooted in the humble service of our neighbours, we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a blessed and fruitful week ahead.

Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A, 27th September, 2020.

 Readings:  Ezek.18:25-28, PS. 25, Phil 2:1-11. Matt. 21:28-32

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

REPENTANCE AND OBEDIENCE ARE NECESSARY DISPOSITION TOWARDS ATTAINING ETERNAL LIFE

One of the gifts that God gave to humanity is the gift of freedom. This freedom though comes with great responsibility, since we are responsible for whatever comes out with regards to how we manage our freedom. We are free to chose whatever we like but we are also responsible for the consequences of our choice. However, because of our fragile nature, we often make grievous mistakes in our choices even when God has given us all the necessary guidelines towards making right decision but out of disobedience, we frequently failed to follow this guidelines. Today we are meant to know that repentance and obedience are necessary disposition towards attaining our ultimate goal in life, which is eternal life.

This is exactly what our Gospel passage this Sunday is addressing, when Jesus in the parable of the Two Sons said to the chief priests and elders of the people, ‘What is your opinion? A man had two sons. He went and said to the first, “My Son, you go and work in the vineyard today.” He answered, “I will not go,” but afterwards thought better of it and went. The man then went and said the same thing to the second who answered, “Certainly, sir,” but did not go. Which of the two did the father’s will?’ ‘The first’ they said. Jesus said to them, ‘I tell you solemnly, tax collectors and prostitutes are making their way into the kingdom of God before you. 

Here, we see how repentance and obedience helped this first son to make the right decision about his father’s request while the second son failed because of negligence, irresponsibility  and disobedience. Here, the second son represents those of us Christians who promised to work for God’s kingdom but have failed and so excluding ourselves from the kingdom. While the first son represents those ‘sinners’ who first chose to go their own way but now have repented and begin to follow the way of the Lord, by so doing, they have gained access to God’s kingdom. So in the first son we see someone who reflected on his decision, realized that he was wrong, decided to make it right by taking full responsibility for his decision.

 This very disposition is related to what prophet Ezekiel is addressing in our first reading today, when he said: if the upright man renounces his integrity to commit sin and dies because of this, he dies because of the evil that he himself has committed. But if the sinner renounces sin to become law-abiding and honest, he deserves to live. He has chosen to renounce all his previous sins; he shall certainly live; he shall not die. This is because the righteous would perish for their sins of disobedience, while sinner would be saved by their repentance and obedience. This tells us the important of  repentance and obedience which rooted in humility, for they are necessary disposition towards attaining eternal life.

This disposition also, is exactly what St. Paul tell us to imitate in the person of our Lord Jesus as we have it in our second reading where he said: in your minds, you must be the same as Christ Jesus: who though his 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 obedient yet, even to accepting death, death on a cross. But God raised him high and gave him the name which is above all other names. This shows us the humble obedience and the great love that the Lord Jesus has for humanity. For he willingly humbled himself and bear the most painful and shameful burden of our sins on the Cross. Thereby teaching us the kind of selfless love that we all have been called to show in our daily lives especially in our relationship with others

Dear friends, in our journey of life have we made wrong decisions but finding it difficult to change our minds and put things right? Are we thinking of leaving the right path to follow the sinful paths because of the ugly condition we are passing through now? Are we thinking that our righteous ways of life, have not being fruitful because sinners are gaining more ground than we do? Are we living in sin now thinking that God will not punish us? Or are we thinking that it is not possible to repent now because of the gravity of our sins? 

The truth remains that God is watching and waiting for us to change our minds. He is waiting for us to decide to make things right and take responsibility for our actions. He is watching and waiting for us to repent and make the right decision, but his waiting can not be for eternity. All we need is the right disposition that is rooted in humble obeisance and repentance of our sinful and ugly ways of life.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we have often abused the gift of freedom which you have given us and have strayed from the path you have made from us as a result of our sinfulness. Give us the grace of true repentance and humble obedience as you guide us through the right path of life. We as this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Happy Sunday and God bless.

Saturday of the 25th week in Ordinary Time Year A, 26th September, 2020.

 Readings: Eccl. 11:9-12:8, Ps.90, Luke 9:43-45

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

WHEN THE HUMAN DUST RETURNS TO THE EARTH AND THE SPIRIT TO GOD

As customary in our seminary, every 2nd November some persons are selected to visit the cemetery. On one occasion, I was privileged to be among the people to visit a cemetery at Oke Are in Ibadan. On our way to the cemetery which is located on a hill in the heart of Ibadan, passing through the market and streets all I could see were people struggling, buying and selling, fighting and cursing each other. I saw a lot of beggars, sick and poor people, among this people were the rich, the educated, as well as their leaders both traditional and political. It was indeed an interesting community. 

But getting to the cemetery I saw in a wall names and dates of so many men and women who had passed on from this interesting community. Than I asked myself in my deep reflection, where are all these people whose names are listed in this wall? Where they like us before? Are we going to be like them later? Where will all of us in this beautiful community be in the next hundred years? 

With this in mind I realized that there is time for everything in this world, a time to be born, and a time to die. Then, the dust returns to the earth as it once came from it, and the spirit to God who gave it. For vanity of vanities, the Preacher says. All is vanity. Just the way the Book of Ecclesiastes in our first reading today tells us saying: Rejoice in your youth, you who are young; let your heart give you joy in your young days. Follow the promptings of your heart and the desires of your eyes. But this you must know: for all these things God will bring you to judgement. 

This is not different from what Jesus is reminding his disciples in our Gospel passage today where after his great miracles, when everyone was full of admiration for all he did, Jesus said to his disciples, ‘For your part, you must have these words constantly in your mind: that the Son of Man is going to be handed over into the power of men.’ But they did not understand him.

Dear friends, today we are reminded about the true reality of life, that we all are going to  die one day and the dust of our flesh and bones will return to the earth while the our Spirit retire to God knowing that we will account for how we lived this life. We are going to give back to God the gift of life he has given us, because our life is a temporal assignment. So, why not start living this life according to the present reality since we do not know how and when we are going to account for it. Why not accept joyfully who we are now as we work hard to be better tomorrow. Remember, everything is in the hands of God, we brought nothing in this world and we are taking nothing out of it. 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, our life is meaningless without you. Grant that we may realize the shortness of this life and so prepare to give account on how we have lived our lives in this passing world. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Wishing you a fruitful use of today's graces.

Friday of the 25th week in Ordinary Time Year A, 25th September, 2020.

 Readings: Eccl. 3:1-11, Ps.144, Luke 9:8-22

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

A PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION OF THE LORD JESUS IN OUR LIVES

In life there is always a moment when one will want to examine and know if his or her friends can really be trusted, if they truly know and understand who we are and what we represent? This is because, as social beings, we often make friends who we can confide and entrust with our inner most thoughts and plans. But the friendship does not come automatically, it is developed gradually.

This is the situation between Jesus and his disciples in our Gospel passage today, when Jesus asked them saying: Who do people say I Am?’ And they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ ‘But you,’ he said ‘who do you say I am?’ Peter answered, ‘You are the Christ. But he gave them strict orders not to tell anyone anything about this. For the Son of Man is destined to suffer grievously, to be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes and to be put to death, and to be raised up on the third day.

 

Here, we see how Peter expressed his personal conviction about who Jesus is. He did not have to quote any authority, because his response was a clear and sincere knowledge of who he professed Jesus to be. This is because Peter’s gift of faith comes from his personal identification of the person of Jesus. Thus, our faith requires that we give a personal answer to the question: who is Jesus to me personally? For it is not enough to quote the teachings and Catechism of the Church about our faith or the teachings of other theologians and preachers or to respond only from the head, but from the heart that is convinced of what it believes in. 

Today most people are following Jesus without knowing who Jesus truly represents. Some people find it very difficult to embrace the teaching of Jesus because they lack the faith and conviction about his personality, even when Jesus has revealed himself to us through his great miracles and teachings. The fact is that, Jesus wants us to develop a divine way of looking at things. He wants us to know him deep down our soul, so that we can profess our faith with deeper meaning and conviction. This faith is necessary in order to accommodate and overcome the ugly event of persecutions, condemnation and blackmail that awaits us.

And the Book of Ecclesiastes in our first reading tells us that there is time for everything, for every purpose, and everything will indeed happen as God wills it, and not up to us to decide what will happen to us, as there are indeed many things out there beyond our control and understanding. For what does a man gain for the efforts that he makes? All that he does is apt for its time; but though he has permitted man to consider time in its wholeness, but man on his own cannot comprehend the work of God from beginning to end.

Dear friends, having heard the teachings and great works of Jesus in the scriptures and traditions of the Church, the question remains: who is Jesus to me personally? Have we personally identified our Lord Jesus in our lives? What is our personal experience of Jesus? How has our knowledge of Jesus helped other people to come to faith in Jesus?

Today we are called to really examine our conscience to know where we are with regards to our faith as Christians. We are called today to develop a divine way of understanding the mysteries of God, but not rejecting them because we do not understand them. Therefore, let us turn towards God once again with all our hearts and devote our whole lives in seeking to know Him more and more.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, you revealed to Peter the true identity of Jesus your son, help us to personally identify the person of Jesus in our lives and so profess our faith with deeper meaning and conviction. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. God bless you.