Valentine’s Day With Epe Deanary Youths

 Valentine’s Day With Epe Deanary Youths

Valentine , A Day We Remember and Celebrate Love In A Sacrificial Way. 

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned. (Song of Solomon 8:6-7) 

But what is love? Love is that nature of God which we share, for God is love and love is God.

So, today, we are celebrating love, today we are celebrating not just love, but the power and victory of love over human selfishness. The seed of this celebration comes as a result of the ugly event that happened on February 14, around the year 270 A.D.,  when Valentine, a holy Roman Catholic priest, who lived in Rome in the days of Emperor Claudius II, was executed. 

But the question that comes to mind is: why was he executed and how does this ugly event related to what we are celebrating today? According to history, what happened was that under the rule of  Emperor Claudius II, Rome was involved in many unpopular and bloody campaigns and the emperor had to maintain a strong army, but was having a difficult time getting soldiers to join his military leagues. So the emperor discovered that men of Rome were unwilling to join the army because of their strong attachment to their wives and families.

Thus, to deal with this problem, Claudius banned all marriages and engagements in Rome. But Valentine a priest of Rome, realizing the injustice of this declaration by the emperor, defied this order and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine’s actions were discovered, the emperor ordered that he be put to death. Valentine was arrested and dragged before the Prefect of Rome, who condemned him to be beaten to death with clubs and to have his head cut off. This ugly event was carried out on February 14, around the year 270.

However, in 496 A.D., Pope Gelasius, in honour of this St. decided to put an end to the Feast of Lupercalia, which was a pagan celebrate of the god of fertility in the name of love, though in an immoral way that is not acceptable to Christian faith. So in order to replace this feast with something more acceptable, the Pope declared that February 14 be celebrated as St. Valentine's Day in memory of his sacrificial passion for love among the people. And gradually, February 14 became a date for the celebration of love which is often expressed in different ways such as  exchanging love messages, poems and simple gifts such as flowers to our loved ones.

Thus, Valentine celebration reminds us of the gift of God's love to humanity. For God loves unconditionally and sacrificially, he loves us till the very end. Thus we have to also love one another the way God loves us. So Valentine is not an carnal celebration of love. But more of sacrificial and spiritual celebration. That is why as Christians we do not celebrate Valentine in a carnal or selfish manner or the sinful way the world celebrates it in the name of boyfriend and girlfriend, committing immorality, fornication and adultery in the name of love, which of course is not love, but lust.

Therefore, Valentine’s day for us should be a day we protect and promote true love for one another. It is a day we remember how much we care for one another and what we are to one another. It is a day  we  build up and nurture long-lasting love, friendships and good relationships with one another.

Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B, 14th February, 2021

 Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B, 14th February, 2021

Readings: Lev.13:1-2.44-46, Ps 32, 1Cor.10:31-11:1, Mark 1:40:45

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

THE HEALING TOUCH OF JESUS

There is no doubt that the compassionate love of Jesus in relation to human sufferings is evident in the scriptures and even in our daily lives.  Little wonder, we have great events in the scriptures that illustrates the compassionate concern of Jesus in the struggles of humanity and how he wishes to set us free from the shackles of our troubles. This is evident in the occasion of our Gospel passage today, where a leper, came up and bowed low in front of Jesus and said to him, if you will, you can make me clean. Feeling sorry for him, Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him and said, ‘Of course I will! Be clean!’ And immediately his leprosy was cured at once and he asked him to go and show himself to the priest. 

For this was a man who was despised, feared, shunned and rejected in the society as a result of the regulations about leprosy as we have it in our first reading today, where the Lord said to Moses and Aaron concerning leprosy, that the priest must declare a man infected with leprosy as unclean. He must wear his clothing torn and his hair disordered; he must shield his upper lip and cry, “Unclean, unclean.” As long as the disease lasts he must be unclean; and he must live apart from the people. 

The cause of leprosy in those days was not known, but today is actually known to be caused by bacterial infections that can be contagious through direct contact, either with the other person or with the items that the infected person had used. Now we can understand why Jesus asked the man to go and show himself to the priest and make the offering for his healing as prescribed by Moses as an evidence for his healing and recovery. 

Here, the healing touching of Jesus is very significant since no ordinary person would dare to touch a leper. Thus, we can think of the inner healing that must have occurred as a result of the touch of Jesus, that moment of physical contact which the leper had not experienced for a long time due to rejection. Touch is something we all need, but are so often lacking in our relationship with God and one another, and it is even becoming worst with the ugly situation of corona virus and the need for social and physical distancing. 

But this cannot stop Jesus from reaching out to his children who approached and call on him for healing and restoration. For when this man approached Jesus in humility, he became the object of divine attention. We too just like this leper, are in need of healing, including the healing that comes from the touch of Jesus down to our souls darkened by sins, all we need is to approach Jesus in humility and we will become a person of divine attention.

 

The truth is that, this leprosy is a deadly and contagious disease and in this context it can be referred not only to physical leprosy, but another ‘leprosy’ which is far more dangerous than the physical leprosy. That is, the leprosy of the soul, which is caused by sin. Of course, sin is like that of leprosy, a deadly disease that affects both the physical, emotional and spiritual aspect of the human person and separate us from God and his people. And it is only God who can heal us of this sin through forgiveness which he had demonstrated in the case of this leper. 

Therefore the story of this leper is a good example of how we sinners can and should appeal to Jesus for cleansing especially from our sins of pride, greediness, unforgiveness, hatred and all forms of immoral acts that corrupt the human souls. We should come in faith knowing that God is always willing to cleanse every sinner who comes to Him. So, let us sincerely turn to God once again with all our hearts and with all our strength, just like the leper who came to Jesus with faith, knowing that he could heal him and make him better. Thus, whatever we do at all in our relationship with God and with one another, St. Paul tells us in our second reading, to do it for the glory of God and never do anything offensive to anyone. Rather we should try to be helpful to everyone at all times, taking Christ as our model.

Dear friends, I don’t know what type of leprocious problems you are passing through? Are you weigh down by sin or sickness? Are you feeling helpless and rejected? Or do we know people who are helpless and need some help? Do we feel the need of Jesus’s help in some part of our life? Let us pause for a moment and imagine Jesus looking at us. How does he sees us? What are you saying to him and what is he saying to you? 

Brethren, Jesus understands what we are passing through and he wishes to set us free from sickness, troubles, challenges and manipulations from the evil ones. He desires to be with us as we struggle everyday to overcome the challenges in our lives, in our families, society and the world at large. Therefore, we should not be afraid to approach Jesus for healing, forgiveness and restoration, all we need is an active faith to receive the healing touch of Jesus like the leper in our Gospel passage today.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, humanity is in deep darkness caused by different forms of leprosies and only your healing touch can restore us. For you know our inner most being and the challenges we are facing today, come to our aid we pray and cleanse us from all our physical, emotional, economical and spiritual leprosies, we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Peace be with you and happy Valentine’s day

Saturday of The 5th Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 13th February, 2021.

 Saturday of The 5th Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 13th February, 2021.

Readings: Gen 3: 9-24, Ps.89, Mark 8:1-10

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

THE DOWNFALL OF MAN AND GOD’S COMPASSION TOWARDS HIM

When God created man, he entrusted all his creation to him and gave him regulations to follow in order to ensure successful fulfilment of this responsibility. But out of pride and selfishness man disobeyed God’s instructions and regulations as we heard in our first reading today and this brought about the downfall of man, who have chosen to listen to the lies of the serpent, and as a result, committed sin against God. 

Thus, when the Lord God called man. ‘Where are you?’ he replied ‘I heard the sound of you in the garden;’ ‘I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.’ Hence, he was banished from God’s garden, where he should have remained and enjoying the bliss of God’s presence.

 Nonetheless, God has not abandoned man in his downfall. He is still compassionate, caring and loves us even with our imperfections and our disobedience. His compassion for the sufferings of humanity is so great. This is more evident in our Gospel reading today, where Jesus reveals his compassion towards humanity. This compassionate love of Jesus in it’s historical and physical solidarity with human suffering, springs from the love of God the Father.

Here, Jesus had compassion on the people who had been with him for days listening to his words. He then says to his disciples that there is need for him to give them something to eat before sending them away less they may faint on the way since some of them have come a long distance. This compassion of Jesus is meant for us to spread it throughout the world in a practical way by our ways of life.

Dear friends, God has not abandoned us even in our imperfections, he still cares about us. All he wants from us is to be faithful to him and be compassionate to one another. But how strong is our compassion towards others? Do we know people who are helpless and need some help? Let us look at them for a moment and imagine Jesus looking at them. How does he sees them? Have I ever felt helpless? Do I feel the need of Jesus’ help in some part of my life? 

Today, like Jesus, each one of us are called to reach out to people around us who are really in need of our assistance. This includes our family members, our neighbours, our colleagues and others who we encounter in life. The truth is that, you may be the only person who can brings the healing and compassion of Jesus into their lives. 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, our fragile and contingent nature propelled by pride and sins have always bring about our downfall, but you have never abandoned us. As we embrace your compassion, give us the grace to look at people around us with the compassionate eyes of Jesus and be of help to them the best we could. Do have a peaceful weekend.

Friday of The 5th Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 12th February, 2021.

 Friday of The 5th Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 12th February, 2021.

Readings: Gen 3:1-8, Ps.32, Mark 7:31-37

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

LORD LET THE EARS AND TONGUES OF HUMANITY BE OPENED TO HEAR AND PROCLAIM YOUR WORDS.

Reflecting on the events in this world, especially how people pay attention to the things of this world at the expense of the things of God, how the world has engaged our attention to herself that we have now become deaf and dump to things that concerns our spiritual life. Yes we go to Church as often as possible, we engaged in one spiritual activity or another. 

But the questions are, do we really listen and hear God speaking to us through those activities? Do we still see the hands of God in what we do? Are we really convinced of what we do in the house of God? Are we confused about our faith as a result of ugly events and scandals? The world really want us to be deaf to the word of God and mute to speak the great things God is doing for us. This is evident in our first reading today, where humanity paid deaf hears to the instructions of God by allowing herself to be deceived by the serpent and as a result of this ugly attitude separate herself from the presence of God out of pride and selfish desires for deceptive things of this passing world.

Thus, today in our Gospel passage, we hear how Jesus dramatically and figuratively heals us of our deafness and dumbass caused by our constant embracing of the sinful things of this passing world. Hence, when the deaf and dumb man was brought to Jesus for healing. He took the man aside, puts his fingers in his ears, touches his tongue with spittle, looks up to heaven and prays, " Ephphatha! Be opened". Immediately the man’s ears were opened, his tongue loosed and he is able to speak plainly. This same words are use during baptism while touching the ears and lips of the baptized, a gesture that signifies the spiritual openness of one’s heart to God’s words.

Dear friends, out of pride and greediness we have often separated ourselves from the presence of God and as a result have become deaf and dumb to his teachings and instructions. Hence, we all need to have our ears opened so that we can hear and understand fully the message of Jesus and share it to the world. I don’t know how far we have separated ourselves from God as a result of sin, I don’t know how deep our deafness and dumbness are, all I know is that today God is saying to us, fear not, have courage for the eyes of the blind shall be opened, ears of the deaf unstopped and the tongue of the mute shall sing for joy. All we need is to trust God no matter the affliction we are passing through in this world, for he is able to save us from them all. 

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, our strong desire for the things of this passing world has made us so deaf and dumb towards your words. Let us hear your voice once more saying to us “Ephphatha, be opened”, so that we can hear your words deep down our hearts and joyfully proclaim it to all humanity. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. It's Friday, as you  go about your activities, may the joy of the Lord be your strength.

Thursday of The 5th Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 11th February, 2021.

 Thursday of The 5th Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 11th February, 2021.

Readings: Gen 2:18-25, Ps.128, Mark 7:24-30

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

THE POWER OF HUMILITY AND PERSISTENCY

In our society today, most people hardly accept who they are. For these days people spent all their resources and energy trying to convince others of what they are not by seeking their approval. What happens is that, at the end they will lose their nerves and other people will convince them that what they are doing doesn't have any value and because of that they give up their dream. This is not the same with the syrophoenician woman in our Gospel passage today, who when approached Jesus pleading for the restoration of her daughter did not give up even when her request was not granted immediately. 

For we are told that Jesus entered a house in Tyre and Sidon and did not want to be recognized. It is then that this Gentile Syrophoenician  woman came to him and prostrated herself before Jesus and begged him to exorcise the evil spirit in her daughter. But Jesus’ answer seems somewhat strange when he said:  “Let the children be fed first. For it is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.”  However, the woman responded, “Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s scraps. Her humble and powerful faith were immediately rewarded and her daughter was healed.

 

This story portrays the anticipation of the future faith of the Gentiles who will later become Christians. However, the irony of this passage is that, in Israel Jesus was trying to convince people that he was the Messiah, as he was being challenged to prove it with a sign. But here in Gentile territory he met a woman who was convinced he was the Messiah and he could not discourage her efforts. Nonetheless, his apparent attempt to put her off was just a test, of which her great faith was proven by accepting her humble background and persistency in her request. 

She accepted the place of a “dog” as a Gentile in relation to Israelites been the chosen children of God to whom the message and grace of the Messiah came first. Though she accepted that she may not be able to sit down at the Messiah’s table and eat with the “children,” but she should be allowed to pick up some of the crumbs of unmerited mercy and grace of God for the sake of her daughter.

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

Therefore, tell yourself today that you can get that which you desire, when you plan for it, work everyday for it, then you will begin to see a different face in the things you do. The truth is that people are rewarded in public for things they do for years in private. So, let us learn from this syrophoenician woman who accepted who she was and was determined with faith to achieve her dream through humility and persistency. 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, the syrophoenician woman accepted her humble background with great faith in your Son Jesus, as we humbly make a leap of faith today, with determination and sacrifice towards our dreams in life, may you grant our hearts desires through the intercession of Our Lady of Lourdes. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a blessed day.

Wednesday of The 5th Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 10th February, 2021. The Memorial of St. Scholastica

 Wednesday of The 5th Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 10th February, 2021.

The Memorial of St. Scholastica

Readings: Gen 2:4-9.15-17, Ps.104, Mark 7:14:23

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

THE UGLY FRUITS OF A CORRUPT HEART  

Listening to our first reading today, we heard how God has entrusted to humanity his wonderful creation with the following instructions: ‘You may eat indeed of all the trees in the garden. Nevertheless of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you are not to eat, for on the day you eat of it you shall most surely die. But we  have often failed to keep this instruction out of pride and greediness which have corrupted our hearts and as a result most of our ugly attitudes are the fruit of this corrupt heart and these often separate us from God.

Little wonder in our Gospel passage today, Jesus makes it clear that we are not defiled or separated from God, by external things, such as the kinds of food we eat, but by the sins of the heart, evil intentions and sinful actions  which we entertain in our hearts. Telling us that physical activity of the human person does not defile a person because the physical is being controlled by the inner interior being of the person. For when the interior life of a person is corrupted by sin, then the fruit of this corruption is manifested in the physical activity of the person.

For just as a corrupt fountain sends forth corrupt streams, so will a corrupt heart bring forth corrupt fruits, corrupt appetites, passions and covetousness and immoderate desires of more of the wealth of the world from which comes wickedness; malice, hatred, and a delight in mischievous actions, deceit; Lasciviousness; that filthiness and foolish talk which darkened the soul. 

Hence, Jesus teaches us also, that from a corrupt heart comes the desire for fornication and adultery. And all these comes from within our hearts, especially it the corrupt nature that brings about the carnal mind, the evil treasure in the heart which defile the human person and render one unfit to communion with God. Because they stain the conscience; and, if not mortified and rooted out, will send us out of our heavenly kingdom. 

Thus,  the defilement we ought to avoid is not from what entered our mouths as food, but from what comes out of our mouths, which shows the goodness or wickedness deep down in our hearts. For the human heart is the source of every good and evil deeds. Hence, the pollution of the human heart is very dangerous, for in it comes all the powers and faculties of the soul. So there is need for us to know that lustful and sinful thoughts of the heart defiles the human person and makes one abominable in the sight of God. 

Dear friends, we must ensure that our hearts are constantly purge of all these corruptions in other to bear good fruits of love, forgiveness, compassion and holiness. For it is only when this occurs that there will be need for a new hearts and right spirit to be formed and created within us for having repented and received the pardoning grace of God. Because nothing will last in the soul more than the regenerating graces of the Holy Spirit which gives sight to the heart darkened by sin in order to effectively lead others to the truth that illuminates their hearts from the darkness of sin and death.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, the human hearts have been corrupted and darkened by sins. As we struggle to constantly purge our hearts from sin and corruption, may you through the intercessions of St Scholastica, create a pure heart within us so that we can bear good fruits of love and holiness. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen Wishing you a fruitful day.

Tuesday of The 5th Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 9th February, 2021,

 Tuesday of The 5th Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 9th February, 2021,

Readings: Gen.1:20-2:4, Ps.8, Mark 7:1-13

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD IN RELATION TO HUMAN TRADITIONS

Oftentimes, we find it difficult to separate the commandments of God from human traditions. This no doubt plays out in our making and interpreting of laws and it has great consequences in our relationship with God and our neighbours just as we have it in our Gospel reading today, where we heard how the Pharisees multiplied religious laws and rituals to such an extent that it was impossible to know them all, talk more of observing them. So Jesus accuses them of  neglecting the true commandment of God over their petty regulations. 

These petty laws and traditions were some body of highly detailed but unwritten human laws which the Scribes and Pharisees regarded as having the same binding force as the Law of Moses. However, Jesus was not totally against these laws and regulations. What he was against was the legalism by which the mere observance of some external actions were equated with being a devout lover of God. Hence he reminds them of the quotes from the prophet Isaiah saying: “this people honours me only with lip service, while their hearts are far from me. The worship they offer me is worthless; the doctrines they teach are only human regulations.” (Is 29:13). 

So, he made it clear that the real commandments of God is the unconditional love of God and neighbour which is evident in our first reading where we heard God saying, ‘Let us make man in our own image, in the likeness of ourselves, and let them be masters of the fish of the sea, the birds of heaven, the cattle, all the wild beasts and all the reptiles that crawl upon the earth.’ Thus, God created man in the image of himself with laws and regulations to guide us. But we have neglected these laws in favour of what are purely human traditions. 

Hence, Jesus goes ahead to illustrates the hypocrisy involved in this ugly attitudes by showing how some supposedly devout people neglected the basic responsibility of respect and care for parents by claiming that they had consecrated all that they owned to God and the temple, while in fact they are keeping it for their own personal use. So for one to declare something to be “Corban,” an offering devoted to God, when his parents are in need, is in direct conflict with the commandment of God that says: honour your father and mother.

Dear friends, there can be some elements of the Pharisee in us and these happen whenever, we focus our attention on laws while neglecting the spirit of the law which is the real focus of today’s Gospel. Sometimes we neglect the essential service of God because of some religious regulations. We often judge people based on our human standard. And sometimes we piously go through all kinds of devotional exercises but deep down our hearts is gossip and destructive criticism of others. 

Therefore, we are called today not to be like the Pharisees by holding unto unnecessary human traditions, rather, we should focus our attention more on the teaching of Jesus about the love of God and neighour and this should guide our implementation of every other laws and regulations. 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, out of pride and greediness, we have often neglected the true meaning of your commandment of love but hold on to unnecessary human traditions which lead us into destructive criticism of others. Help us to change this ugly attitudes in order to embrace your teaching on love and humility. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a fruitful day.