CELEBRATING THE SAINTS: A REMINDER OF OUR FUTURE GLORY

 Thirty- first Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A, 1st November, 2020. Solemnity of All Saints.

Readings: Rev. 7:2-4.9-14, Ps.24, 1John 3:1-3, Matt. 5:1-12

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

CELEBRATING THE SAINTS: A REMINDER OF OUR FUTURE GLORY

Today the Church celebrates three special events, first one is the gift of another new month of which I say happy new month to all of us. The second is the thirty-first Sunday in ordinary time year A. The third which is so important is the solemnity of All Saints. The Church as we know is not  just the physical structure we have all over the places. It is much more than that. The Church is the body of Christ which everyone of us are member by the virtue of our baptism. 

This Church is divided into three groups, that is the militant Church, the suffering Church and the triumphant Church. The militant Church are all of us especially the baptized who are still inhabiting and struggling with the human flesh. Immediately after death we belong either to the suffering Church or the triumphant Church. The suffering Church are the souls that belong to the body of Christ but are still in need of purification. While the triumphant Church are the souls of the saints which we are celebrating today.

Thus, every first November, the Church presents to us the solemnity of All Saints. A day we celebrate the triumphant Church that is all the saints known or unknown to us who have triumphed victorious to heavenly glory, which of course reminds us that we are called to grow in holiness and to become saints. That is our primary goal in life. 

This solemnity dates back to 7th century, and the occasion of its introduction was the conversion of the ancient Roman Pantheon into a Christian Church. For emperor Phocas gave the Pantheon to Pope Boniface IV, who converted it into a Church and dedicated it to the blessed Virgin Mary and all the saints about the year 608. But later in the year 731, Pope Gregory III consecrated a chapel in St. Peter’s Church in honour of all the saints and since then the solemnity of All Saints has been celebrated all over the world.

Therefore, in this great in event, we are called to imitate the  heroic virtues of the saints by living a life of beatitudes as peace makers, pure of heart, meek, humble and merciful as Jesus teaches us in our Gospel passage today. And in our first reading St. John in the book of revelation tells that these saints are the people who have been through the great persecution, and they have washed their robes white again in the blood of the Lamb, of which in our second reading he made us to know that we are already the children of God but what we are to be in the future has not yet been revealed; but when it is revealed we shall be like him because we shall see him as he really is. And everyone who entertains this hope must purify himself and try to be as pure as Christ.

Dear friends, this solemnity remind us of our universal vocation to holiness, it strengthens us in our struggles towards our goal which is to attain eternal life.  It helps us to recall our communion with saints. It reminds us that we are pilgrims on this earth and also it strengthens our faith in the teachings of the Church. No doubt all of us wants to become saints and  oftentimes we really want to live a holy life but there are always obstacles on our way to holiness, these obstacles make us become so aware of our sins, our weaknesses and our failures. 

Yes, we are sinners, but so were the saints. They only relied on God’s mercy and grace and so we too. We cannot become holy through our efforts alone we need to cooperation with the grace of God. Remember, anything worth having is worth making sacrifices for, and the more it’s worth, the more significant sacrifices we should be willing to make for it. If holiness is necessary for one to attain heaven. Then it worth all the sacrifices Jesus mentioned in the beatitudes. 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, as militant Church on earth, there are lot of troubles and challenges we are struggling with, help us through the intercession of all the saints, to overcome them and so make it triumphantly to your heavenly kingdom. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Happy new month and a blessed Sunday celebration.

LET US LEARN TO BE HUMBLE AT ANY LEVEL WE FIND OURSELVES

 Saturday of the 30th Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 31st October, 2020.

Readings: Phil. 1:18-26, Ps  42, Luke 14:1.7-11

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

LET US LEARN TO BE HUMBLE AT ANY LEVEL WE FIND OURSELVES

One of the virtues the world needs more is humility, this virtue is really lacking in our society today because pride has become a way of life which most people wishes to embrace. Hence we often hear people saying in a very proud way, do you know who I am? By the time I finish with you then you will fear me. We hear people taking all sorts of honorific titles whether  merited or not, they want to be addressed and recognized so gloriously at every public events.

This should not be our attitudes or disposition for Jesus in our Gospel passage today while addressing the Pharisees told a parable about humility saying: When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take your seat in the place of honour. A more distinguished person than you may have been invited, and the person who invited you both may come and say, “Give up your place to this man.” And then, to your embarrassment, you would have to go and take the lowest place. No; when you are a guest, make your way to the lowest place and sit there, so that, when your host comes, he may say, “My friend, move up higher.” In that way, everyone with you at the table will see you honoured. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the man who humbles himself will be exalted.’

Here, we see the important of humility, we see how humility can help to elevate someone from nothing to something great. While pride can bring down the might into nothing. The truth is that, humility is not a way of glory, but a road of surrender that leads to passion and death of ones self. It is  a way of sacrifice, a service to others at the price of self- sacrifice. That is why many people do not want to be humble. 

Dear friends, it may seem so difficult to embrace the virtue of humility especially in our society today, but this virtue has a lot to offer us both as individuals or as a group. In fact, our world is in need of humble men and women, because a good society is built on all kinds of commendable virtues such as humility. 

Therefore, it is time for us to put off our old self which is led by pride the first capital sin, in order to put on a new person born of humility, love, compassion, contentment, purity, forgiveness etc. So let us work heard to add more virtues in our activities and behaviour for blessed are those who are virtuous for they easily solve their problems. Thus, why not try humility in solving those difficult and challenging moments in your life. Just try to be humble because it works like miracle.

LET US PRAY:  Heavenly Father, we have often failed to follow the example of Christ humility which he has taught us. As we are reminded once again the need to be humble, give us the grace to truly be humble at any level we find ourselves, we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a blessed and peaceful weekend.

JESUS THE COMPASSIONATE LORD CARES ABOUT US NO MATTER THE SITUATION

 Friday of the 30th Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 30th October, 2020.

Readings: Phil. 1:1-11, Ps  111, Luke 14:1-6

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

JESUS THE COMPASSIONATE LORD CARES ABOUT US NO MATTER THE SITUATION

Most times when we reflect on the relationship between Jesus and his audience, we wonder how he was able to manage all the situation placed before him even when it seems as if he has no escape root. Such is the situation in our Gospel passage today when on a Sabbath day Jesus went for a meal in the house of one of the leading Pharisees who had invited him; of which they watched him closely. Because in front of him was a man with dropsy, and Jesus addressed the lawyers and Pharisees saying: ‘Is it against the law to cure a man on the Sabbath, or not?’ But they remained silent, so he took the man and cured him and sent him away.

Here, we see Jesus who always honour all his invitation whether from the poor or the rich, friends or ‘enemies’ including Pharisee and Sadducees whose invitation was a trap to set him up. But Jesus cannot be trapped, rather he used the opportunity to teach us that no Sabbath law, no religious restriction, can ever forbid us from being compassionate and caring for the poor and the sick.

Dear friends, we must learn to be compassionate no matter the situation we may find ourselves, because Jesus has always been compassionate. For St. Paul in our first reading tells us that this kind of attitude  will help us to become pure and blameless, and prepare us for the Day of Christ, when we all will reach the perfect goodness which Jesus Christ produces in us for the glory and praise of God.  But we need to ask ourselves, are we willing to show love, compassion and care especially to those who need our love and care?

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we often wish to be compassionate and caring like you. But we often failed because of fear and lack of proper disposition. As we listened to your words today, may we find the courage to be compassionate and caring, we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Peace be with.

PUT ON THE WHOLE ARMOUR OF GOD SO AS TO QUENCH ALL THE FLAMES OF THE EVIL ONE

 Thursday of the 30th Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 29th October, 2020.

Readings: Eph.6:10-20, Ps  143, Luke 13:31-35

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

PUT ON THE WHOLE ARMOUR OF GOD SO AS TO QUENCH ALL THE FLAMES OF THE EVIL ONE

In this world we struggle with so many things and we often encounter ugly events and challenges that cause us sorrows and ties. And most times we don't know how to manage those moments. This is because there is an active presence of evil in the world which manifest itself in different forms. So everyday is a struggle against the malice of the evil ones, and people are doing everything they can to overcome them. 

Today, St. Paul in our first reading encouraged us to be strong and prepared against the attacks and assaults from the evil one and it’s wicked forces. He said: Put on the whole armour of God so as to be able to resist the devil’s tactics. For it is not against flesh and blood that we have to struggle, but against the principalities and powers originated from the darkness of this world. So stand your ground, with belt of truth buckled round your waist, and put on integrity of life for a breastplate, wearing shoes on your feet with that eagerness to spread the gospel of peace and always carrying the shield of faith so that you can use it to put out the burning arrows of the evil one. And then take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. He told us to be firm in our faith in God and to be ready to resist those who are going to try to harm us and bring us down.

This is exactly what Jesus did in our Gospel passage today when some of the Pharisees warned him to leave the area where he was teaching because Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great was after him. This warning was just a way of trying  to get rid of Jesus by frightening him using external forces and authority under the name of Herod. But Jesus was not moved by all their threats. For he knows that his mission is part of  God’s larger plan which can not be interrupted by any external forces and authority. Hence, he ignored them and continued with his work of healing the people and liberating them from evil ones

 

Dear friends, our lives are in God’s hands for we are part of God’s larger plan and nothing will happen to us which is in conflict with God’s wishes and plans for us. All we need is to embrace the whole armour of God in faith, with belt of truth buckled round our waist, and put on integrity of life for a breastplate, with eagerness to spread the gospel of peace while carrying the shield of faith so that we can use it to put out the burning arrows of the evil ones, using the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. By so doing overcome the ugly situation we face everyday in our societies today.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, everyday is a struggle against the malice of the evil ones, and oftentimes we don’t know what to do. As we embrace your words today, grant that we may find the courage and strength to conquer our fears and struggles against the evil ones, we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Wishing you and fruitful day.

YOU ARE FELLOW CITIZENS OF GOD’S HOUSEHOLD WITH THE APOSTLES OF WHICH CHRIST IS THE CORNERSTONE

 Wednesday of the 30th Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 27th October, 2020. The Feast of Ss Simon and Jude, Apostles

Readings: Eph.2:19-22, Ps  19, Luke 6:12-19

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

YOU ARE FELLOW CITIZENS OF GOD’S HOUSEHOLD WITH THE APOSTLES OF WHICH CHRIST IS THE CORNERSTONE

Will you leave? We you care? Will you risk? Will you let  the Lord to lead you? These are questions of great demands which every true disciple must constantly reflect through in life, in order to be aware of the seriousness of the commitment required of everyone of us as a disciple of Jesus. This great demand is presented to us in our liturgy today as we celebrate the feast day of too great apostles St. Simon and St. Jude and our readings propel us to reflect on our call to discipleship. 

In the Gospel we heard how Jesus after deep prayers called from among his disciples twelve apostles of which Simon and Jude were part of the twelve. Simon also known as the Zealot, was a member of the Zealots, the extremists who fought for the freedom of the Israelites against the Romans at the time of Jesus. While, St. Jude often referred as St. Jude Thaddeus, was a member of the extended family of Jesus.

These  two apostles along with others followed the Lord faithfully throughout his ministry. Simon though a member of the Zealot, abandoned his previous life as a freedom fighter to a great missionary along with St. Jude Thaddeus who was the probable author of the Epistle of St. Jude. These two apostles together served the Lord and reach out to many peoples and evangelized may nations. That is why both of them are celebrated together today, because of their missionary zeal and commitment to God even to the very end of their lives.

 

Tradition has it that Simon spread the Gospel to places like Persia and Armenia, Egypt and Ethiopia and along with Jude, they evangelized throughout Judea, Samaria, Persia, Armenia and other places. Sadly, after many decade of their missionary activities, these two great apostles were martyred in Lebanon. They committed themselves wholeheartedly to the mission of Christ and his Church, they converted many, established firm foundations of the Christian faith in many places. Little wonder St Paul in our first reading tells us that we are fellow citizens of God’s household that has the apostles and prophets for its foundations, and Christ Jesus himself for its main cornerstone.

Dear friends, evangelization is the very nature and essence of the Church. And Jesus gives us the mandate and the commission to evangelize, that is, to announce the Good News to all the nations and to spread the Gospel to every creature. This commission is shared by all those who are baptized both priests and lay faithful. Everyone has a particular responsibility to share in the work of proclamation of the Gospel. Today, we should ask ourselves, how have we proclaimed the Gospel to the world? What efforts are we making to ensure that the mandate Christ entrusted to us is carried out effectively in our generation? 

Therefore, at this moment when the world is confused, because we have removed God out of our daily lives, at this time when we have placed our hope in the activities of the human person who seems to have taken the place of God, at this time when our governments, scientists, doctors, lawyers, professors and even pastors assumed the place of God, which of course have brought about the ugly situation we are facing in our societies today. We and reminded once again about our very mission, for it is time to take this mandate very seriously, because it is our responsibility to fulfil our promises to God and ensure that the Christian faith is preached and sustained in the world and by so doing save humanity once again from sin, death and destruction.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we are lost in this world, we are confused because we have cut ourselves off from You our cornerstone, as we come back to you once again, please give us the grace to preach the Gospel following the examples of saints Simon and Jude, may we learn from their teaching and walk faithfully in the footsteps of Christ and by so doing draw humanity back to You once again.  We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. God bless you.

WATERING THE MUSTARD SEED OF FAITH AND YEAST OF GOD’S WORD IN THE HEARTS OF HUMANITY TO BUILD UP THE KINGDOM OF GOD

 Tuesday of the 30th Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 27th October, 2020. 

Readings: Eph.5:21-33, Ps 128 , Luke 13:18-21

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

WATERING THE MUSTARD SEED  OF FAITH AND YEAST OF GOD’S WORD IN THE HEARTS OF HUMANITY TO BUILD UP THE KINGDOM OF GOD

Oftentimes when addressing the people regarding things that are very important, it has always been one of the characteristics of Jesus to use a simple story to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson. So, by couching his teaching in parables, Jesus made certain points much clearer to his audience. This is evident in our Gospel passage today where he told us two parables: the parable of the mustard seed and the parable of the Yeast, using them to describe the nature of God’s kingdom which he came to establish in the hearts of humanity. 

In these parables, Jesus compared the Kingdom of God to a mustard seed growing from the Word of God spoken to the hearts of his few disciples which will grow and spread to the hearts of all humanity. This analogy focuses on the size of the seed that grows to become a might tree that gives shelter and salvation to all. Here also, Jesus is not just speaking of the size of the mustard seed, but the faith of the people as that of a mustard seed. Telling us that just as the mustard seed responds to the word of God and grows into a might tree, so will the faith of the people grow into great vessel through hearing and doing the word of God. However, God has given humanity the freedom to choose whether to hear his word and embrace the faith so as to bear fruits of the kingdom or to reject it and perish. 

More so, this analogy of the mustard seed symbolizes the humble beginnings of the Christian faith which is well watered by the Holy Spirit to grow and give life and hospitality to all the people of the world. However, we need to know that there are good for nothing seeds present in this world to deceive people from listening to God’s word, seeds such as: fear, regrets, doubt, jealousy, hatred, disrespect, greediness, lying, gossip, impurity, wickedness and all sorts of sinful acts. 

Those who embrace these good for nothing seeds follow the dictates of their own hard hearts and will soon be thrown away as good for nothing, because they have not listened to God’s words. And St. Paul in our first read encouraged us to embrace the good seeds of God’s words in our families by giving us the principles that will guide the relationship between husband and wife using the analogy of the relationship between Christ and his Church. 

Dear friends, in the world today, we have different kinds of seeds. But the question remains, what kind of seeds are we embracing and watering in our lives today? Are we watering valuable mustard seeds of faith and love or weeds of fear, regrets, doubt, jealousy, hatred, disrespect, greediness, lying, gossip, impurity, wickedness and all kinds of sinful deeds that will destroy us? 

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 faith, love, holiness, hospitality, obedience, charity and make them our values of life. For when we feed and water such values, we will grow stronger like the mustard tree where people may find solace and so build up God’s kingdom.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, as you sow the seeds of your word in our hearts, give us the grace to water and grow it into the mustard tree of faith, holiness and hospitality that will usher us into your kingdom, through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a fruitful day.

GOD’S LOVE AND CARE FOR HUMANITY CANNOT BE RESTRICTED BY HUMAN LAWS AND REGULATIONS

 Monday of the 30th Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 26th October, 2020. 

Readings: Eph.4:32-5:8, Ps 1 , Luke 13:10-17

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

GOD’S LOVE AND CARE FOR HUMANITY CANNOT BE RESTRICTED BY HUMAN LAWS AND REGULATIONS

From the scriptures, it seems like every encounter that the Pharisees had with Jesus were always aimed at finding faults with what Jesus is doing. But to their greatness surprise, Jesus will always escape and used that opportunity to communicate an important message to the people. Such was the occasion of our Gospel passage today. When on a Sabbath day Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach, and a woman was there who for eighteen years had been possessed by a spirit that left her enfeebled; she was bent double and quite unable to stand upright. 

When Jesus saw her he called her over and said, ‘Woman, you are rid of your infirmity’ and he laid his hands on her. And at once she straightened up, and she glorified God. But the synagogue official was indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, and he addressed the people present saying: There are six days when work is to be done. Come and be healed on one of those days and not on the Sabbath. Then Jesus said, this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan has held bound these eighteen years was it not right to untie her bonds on the Sabbath day? 

Here the synagogue official affirms that the Sabbath is not an appropriate time for God to manifest his compassion and mercy.  But Jesus on the other hand claims that God’s actions cannot be dictated to or restricted by humans. Because God’s mercy and healing know no limits of time or place, if we but sincerely turn to God.  Hence, we see how Jesus demonstrated his compassionate care for humanity, for the most important thing for God in this world is the human person. That's why he makes all efforts to save humanity from damnation. He desires to see us making effort to becoming faithful and holy. His mercy is so deep that he propose it as the guiding principle for the perfect fulfillment of the laws of life. 

Thus, Jesus in this passage have to teach us that humanity’s welfare should not be neglected because of laws and regulations. That nothing should restrict us from doing good to people not even the laws Sabbath. Therefore, in as much as we desire to honour God’s laws we must seek the good of people as well. This is what the Pharisees have failed to understand, for they are rather fault- finders and self- righteous people, who only wish to mislead the oppress and suppress the truth and the good works of others, just because of their selfish desires to sustain their ego, pride and their worldly ambition. But we should not be like them, rather we should be compassionate and merciful for that is what we are called to do. 

And St. Paul in our first reading, calls us to imitate God as children of his that he loves and follow Christ loving as he loved you, giving himself up in our place as a fragrant offering and a sacrifice to God. He also calls us to examine our lives to see if there is any root of pride and sexual immorality in us a sinful act which even the pagans condemned. 

Dear friends, today we are called to constantly do good to everyone. We are called not to be faults-finders who are blindfolded by pride. We must also renounce all sorts of immoral actions and wickedness that may destroy the purity of our souls. Therefore, let us be compassionate and merciful for that is what we are called to do in this life.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we often failed to listen to your teaching because of our selfish desires and pride, help us to always listen to you and be willing to do good always as we resolve to live a life of purity and humility. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a blessed week ahead.