Homily on Second Sunday of Lent Year B, 28th February, 2021

Homily on Second Sunday of Lent Year B, 28th February, 2021

Readings: Genesis 22:1-2.9-13.15-18, Ps.116, Rom 8:31-34, Mark 9:2-10

Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

COME AND EXPERIENCE THE LORD AT THE MOUNTAIN OF TRANSFIGURATION

Reflecting on the awesome nature of God as manifested in the things he created, the surprising ways he chooses to carry out his plans, the people he chooses, the place, and the things he use in fulfilling his plans, they are just incomprehensible. This is evident in our readings today. 

In the first reading, we heard how God made a difficult demand from Abraham, who after receiving  the fulfilment of  God’s promised of a son, in the person of Isaac, was asked by the Lord to present this same son for a sacrificial offering at Mount Moriah. Here we can imagine what must have been going on in Abraham’s mind the moment he was asked to sacrifice the only son whom he so much desired to have as the hair to the promised God made to him. But despite this, Abraham obeyed God’s instruction unconditionally, for he trusted in the Lord and went ahead to offer Isaac as the Lord required of him. So when Isaac discovered that there was no sacrificial animal, he asked his father about it, who told him, that the Lord shall provide.

Hence it is clear that Abraham had such trust and faith in God that even if he offer Isaac to God, God will surely provide as he promised, because he could do what was impossible, for he will always fulfilled his promises. This was the great faith Abraham had that was rewarded by God when he told him not to harm Isaac, for he had seen how faithful he was. So God rewarded him saying: because you have not refused me your son, your only son, I will shower blessings on you, I will make your descendants as many as the stars of heaven and the grains of sand on the seashore. 

What a great experience at the mountain of encounter and transformation which marked the beginning of a special encounter and a close relationship between God and man. By obeying and trusting God, Abraham demonstrated an extraordinary faith in God’s guidance and providence. Thus, through his faith the whole humanity were blessed because from his descendants comes the saviour of humanity and this saviour is revealed at the mountain of transfiguration in the person of Jesus as we have it in our Gospel reading today.

The remarkable event of transfiguration reveals in a moment that Jesus was not just merely a Man, but also the Son of God and the Saviour of the world. He has two distinct yet inseparable natures of Man and Divine, through which he would seal and make a new Covenant that will last forever with all humanity, which will be made known through his Passion, his death on the Cross and his resurrection. 

Here, we see the Lord Jesus, the Promised Saviour, who just like Isaac, the promised son of Abraham, was tied and brought up to the mountain, bearing the wood of sacrifice, to build up the altar of the sacrifice, but, in the case of Jesus, the Wood of the Cross is his altar, the altar of his sacrificial offering of love, where he, as the high Priest of all, offered himself as the worthy offering for all humanity. And this is the ultimate proof of God’s enduring love for all us. Hence, through this  covenant, all of us are made to be sons and daughters of God, sharers of God’s inheritance and glory which was promised to Abraham and his descendants. 

Therefore, the event of the transfiguration of the Lord reminds us of the revelation of Christ as the beloved Son of the Father, the one we are called to trust and listen to. An event that occur to draw our attention to inevitable event of parousia (the second coming of Jesus at the judgement day), which calls us to a life of faith and radical transformation. A transformation that 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. Thus, this transfiguration account tells us about the great dramatic revelation and encounter of God’s presence among the disciples of Jesus.  A truly spiritual personal experience of God, calling us for a possibility of divine encounter. 

Dear friends, like Abraham and the three disciples: Peter, James and John, we all have been called to journey with the Lord to the mountain of transfiguration in obedience to his will. Though, sometimes when we are called to follow the Lord, the path may seem to be uncertain and unknown to us, it may seem difficult and contrary to our own way of life, we must learn to remain faithful like Abraham, knowing that the devil is always ready to distract us, persuading and tempting us to remain in our old and ugly way of life  and not to respond to the Lord’s calling.

 Therefore, we are called this Holy Season of Lent to reexamine our lives in order to know how we are responding to God’s call to holiness and faith. We are to discern carefully the will of God in our lives? Today God is calling us to change our ugly way of life and follow him, in whatever directions that he wishes to lead us. Hence, St Paul tells us in the second reading that with God on our side who can be against us? Since God did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for our sake.

But, the truth remains that, we can change our friends, residence, car or our physical appearance: hair, cloth, colour even gender as some people do today. But if we do not have a personal transfigurative experience like the three disciples, that will bring about a change of mind and heart towards loving God and neighbours, we will remain the same and the old experience of unfruitful life will perpetuate itself over and over again in our lives. Because, everything absolutely change when we change our mind for good. And that change can only be propelled by a strong personal encounter and experience of God in our lives.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, today you revealed the glory of your Son to humanity at the mountain of transfiguration, calling us to listen to him. As we listen to your words today, may you transform us into the image and likeness of your Son Jesus and fill our heart with the Joy of your kingdom. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Happy Sunday celebration.

Saturday of the First Week of Lent Year B, 27th February, 2021

 Saturday of the First Week of Lent Year B, 27th February, 2021

Readings:  Deut.26:16-19, Ps.119, Matt. 5:43-48

Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

A CALL FOR PERFECTION THROUGH A SACRIFICAL LOVE

Naturally people desires to love and be loved, to relate and be in the company of those whom they love. No body enjoy being among those who detest them and cause them pain and sorrows. That is why people naturally sacrifice for those whom they love in order to keep their friendship and companion. But it takes greater love and sacrifice to do good to people who detest us and caused us sorrows and pain since it is difficult and unnatural to sacrifice for such people. 

This sacrificial life of love is what Jesus calls us to embrace in pursuit of the life of perfection. Little wonder he says in our Gospel passage: ‘if you love those who love you, what right have you to claim any credit? Even the tax collectors do as much, do they not? And if you save your greetings for your brothers, are you doing anything exceptional? Even the pagans do as much, do they not? You must therefore be perfect just as your heavenly Father is perfect.’  

Here Jesus emphasis that though it is natural and universal for human beings to love those who love them. But what makes his disciples different from other people is the ability to love not just everyone, but to love their enemies and not take vengeance or bear grudges against one another. For by so doing we will be imitating the perfection of God our heavenly Father, who shows equal love to all and calling us to a greater life of sacrificial love and deeper virtue towards perfection. Hence, we are called in our first reading today to keep the laws of the Lord, to keep and observe them with all our heart and with all our soul so that we will be a people consecrated to the Lord and by so doing become perfect just as our heavenly Father is perfect . 

Dear friends, we are called today, to a life of deeper virtue in love that leads to perfection. We are called to choose love over hatred and forgiveness over vengeance. For hatred breeds violence and other things that weakens the human soul, but love unites and heals. The fact is that, God desires peace for humanity and this peace is what Jesus came to bring in the world, to restore the peace that God intended for all creation from the first day of creation. So today all of us are called to offer this peace to the world full of hatred, greed and violence. This we  are called to accept and live out day by day in every way we can.

Therefore friends, it’s time for us to stretch out the hands of friendship and peace to everyone both friends and enemies alike, by investing more resources on things that bring about peace and friendship with one another, rather than building nuclear weapon that breeds more violence and hatred in the world. For by so doing the world will become more peaceful and loving.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, today we are called to live a life of perfection through sacrificial love. But the cross of sacrificial life of love is so heavy, give us the grace to truly carry it by forgiving our enemies and strive towards the life of perfection that offers peace, mercy, compassion and love to distressed humanity. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Peace be with you.

Friday of the First Week of Lent Year B, 26th February, 2021

 Friday of the First Week of Lent Year B, 26th February, 2021

Readings:  Ezek. 18:21-28, Ps.130, Matt. 5:20-26

Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

GOD’S MERCY AND JUSTICE

Most of the time, we often find it difficult to understand the way God operates, especially as regards to his relationship with humanity. This is because humanity have failed to understand how God’s mercy and justice are applicable in our relationship with him and with one another. Little wonder, today in our first reading, prophet Ezekiel demonstrate to us how God’s mercy and justice will be a standard for judging humanity. 

Here, he made us to know that those who are righteous, if they fall into sin and wickedness, they will be judged by those same sins they committed, and if found wanting, they will be condemned because of them. On the other hand, those who are wicked, if they repent from their wickedness and act righteously, they will be pardoned and saved because of the righteousness and faith that they have shown through their repentance.

So when 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, for this is God’s justice in action. But when the sinner renounces sin to become law-abiding, honest and holy, he deserves to live. He has chosen to renounce all his previous sins; he shall certainly live; he shall not die, this is God’s mercy in action. For we cannot separate God’s mercy and justice, because they are one and the same. The fact remains that, God is not interested in our past sinful ways, but in our present state of life. 

Hence, Jesus in our Gospel passage today, calls us to a deeper virtue, when he said to his disciples, If your virtue goes no deeper than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven.  That is, we must strive to deepen our virtue towards righteous deeds. We must become agent of peace and reconciliation. We must be a symbol of God’s mercy and justice in a world full of corruption and greed.

Dear friends, we are call today to experience this mercy and justice of God in a unique way. Thus, we have to be vigilant always and strive to be righteous before God and man. Today, we have to make a fundamental choice to live a holy life and never to return to our sinful ways of life. We must struggle everyday to grow in righteousness and never give up no matter the situation we are passing through. We should always reflect on what this justice and Mercy of God really mean in our lives as we strive everyday to remain faithful to God’s commandment of love and peace.  

LET US PRAY, as we struggle everyday towards holiness and perfection, may we be guided by the Holy Spirit and strive to remain towards the path of righteousness and ever to go back to our sinful and ugly ways of life. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. It’s Friday, wishing you God’s grace, mercy and favour.

Thursday of the First Week of Lent Year B, 25th February, 2021

 Thursday of the First Week of Lent Year B, 25th February, 2021

Readings:  Esther 14:1.3-4.11.13-14, Ps.138, Matt. 7:7-12

Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

ASK, AND IT WILL BE GIVEN TO YOU

Reflecting on our daily experience on the events of life, especially the struggles, the challenges, the disappointments, the cries and difficult situation some people are passing through just to earn a living giving the experience of the ugly situation in our country today. I can’t but recall in our first reading today, Esther’s prayer to God, asking him for deliverance for his people Israel, who were about to be annihilated as a nation by their enemies. 

In this passage, Esther prayed just before she was about to present herself before the King. She was ready to do anything for the sake of the Lord and for her people, and she asked God for strength, guidance and courage as she was about to face the greatest challenge of her life, risking her very life and position for what she was about to do. That is, to plead for the safety of her people before the King. She asked for the Lord to guide her and to give her the courage to face her enemies and to soften the heart of the King. And through her prayers, the Lord guided her to triumph against Haman and all those plots he had made against Israel.

This no doubt, shows us the power of prayer and seeking the will of God before doing anything or taking any difficult decision. Hence, Jesus in our Gospel passage today tells us to “ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For the one who asks always receives; the one who searches always finds; the one who knocks will always have the door opened to him”. One may say I have been praying for God’s intervention in some ugly situations but it seems as if no answer has been given. The fact is that God answers all our prayers if we are patient with him. For he may not grant us what we want because as a caring Father, he gives us what we truly need, and not what we wanted.

Dear friends, no doubt we are full of energy, zeal and passion, ready to face the challenges and struggles of yet another day. But the question we need to ask ourselves is, what are we doing concerning the present situation in our lives, our family, societies and country?  It may seem as if all hope is gone, but  the Lord is saying to us today, that we should ask, and it will be given to us; search, and we will find; knock, and the door will be opened to us. For the one who asks always receives; the one who searches always finds; the one who knocks will always have the door opened to him. Let us all not be afraid to seek the Lord and ask him for protection and guidance.

But are we willing to trust the Lord and be patient with him? Are we willing to seek the Lord and to make the effort to find him and to follow him wherever he leads us to? Do we have the courage and the love of God, as well as the faith and dedication like that of Queen Esther? Who today has shown us that if we trust the Lord and ask him for anything, he will surely provide for us, and we will have no cause to fear in our struggles of life. So, like Queen Esther let us ask for God’s strength, guidance and courage to face the daily challenges in our life.  Thus, what are the things we need from the Lord? Its time to present them before him. 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we are struggling with so many ugly situations in our lives, families, societies and the world at large, as we pour out our hearts to you in prayer, may you grant our heart desires and guide our ways today and always. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a fruitful day.

Wednesday of the First Week of Lent Year B, 24th February, 2021

 Wednesday of the First Week of Lent Year B, 24th February, 2021

Readings: Jonah 3:1-10, Ps.51, Luke 11:29-32

Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

DO NOT SEEK FOR SIGNS, RATHER BE PREPARED

Oftentimes, when we reflect on our struggle with the ugly situations in our lives, our families, societies and the world at large, we sincerely wish that God should give you a sign from heaven as a way of showing us some definitive guidance or direction towards addressing the situation.  When this signs are not fourth coming we feel bad and begin to question God or even doubt his presence in our lives.  This was the disposition of the crowd in our Gospel passage today. 

Where we heard how those who were listening to Jesus were anxious to know what signs to look out for when the End Times come. But Jesus said to them: “the only sign that will be given is the sign of Jonah. For just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. Hence, Jesus states that no sign will be given except the sign of Jonah.  The “sign of Jonah” in this passage refers to Jesus’ Crucifixion, death, his three days in the tomb and his Resurrection.  Just the way Jonah was three days in the belly of the whale.  

Thus, Jesus in this Gospel was making reference to our first reading (Jonah 3:1-10), where because of the preaching of prophet Jonah, the whole city of Nineveh went into great mourning and repentance before God. Everyone from the King, who issued the order to the whole city and its people to repent from their sins, right down to the lowest among the people, all humbled themselves, tore their clothes and wore sackcloth as a sign of penance. The point here is that  Jesus’ death and resurrection is the sign that will be given.  We should seek nothing other than this sacred mystery of our faith. This is the sign and actions that the Lord Jesus is talking about when he addressed the people who doubted him and demanded miraculous wonders and signs from him.

So, here Jesus strongly condemns those seeking for signs because he wants us to seek him through the gift of faith rooted in the mystery of his death and resurrection. For every question, problem, struggle and confusion in our lives can be addressed when we enter into the great mystery of our redemption. So, seeking a sign other than this would be wrong, in that, it would be a way of saying that the death and resurrection of Jesus is not enough sign for us.

Dear Friends, as we embrace the activities of this Holy season of Lent, Jesus is calling us to repentance for sins make us blind in such a manner that we will continue to seek for signs even when things are clear and obvious in our lives.  But the questions we need to ask ourselves are: what signs are we seeing around us today? How can we interpret the signs of this times, the signs that tell us that this world is passing away? Do these signs make us to dread the second coming of the Lord or do we joyfully embrace it in anticipation? 

Hence, Jesus is warning us today not to waste our time seeking for signs, rather we should be prepared, we should remain firm in faith. He reminds us that he is the only sign that can be given to humanity. Therefore, we should not join the crowds to look for signs especially in times of trials, rather we should seek for wisdom to make things right by turning your eyes to the central mystery of our faith that is the life, death and resurrection of Christ, where every question can be answered and every grace is obtained.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, you are the sign that we seek,  as we embrace your word today give us the grace to recognize that in Paschal mystery of Christ we find the true sign we desired and so obtain the answer and directions to our daily struggles. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a blessed day.

Tuesday of the First Week of Lent Year B, 23rd February, 2021

 Tuesday of the First Week of Lent Year B, 23rd February, 2021

Readings: Is. 55:10-11, Ps.34, Matt. 16:7-15

Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

FOLLOWING THE PRINCIPLE AND PATTERN OF ALL PRAYERS

One of the three traditional dimensions of Lenten season is prayer. This is important because it is the means by which we communicate with our God. So we are called today to reflect on the meaning and right principles to prayer as we progress through this season of Lent. 

Little wonder, in our Gospel passage today, Jesus knowing how important the act of prayer is to humanity, taught his disciples the principle and pattern of all prayers when he said: “Pray then in this way: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we also have forgiven all who trespassed against us. And do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from evil one”.

Here, Jesus knowing that prayer is an essential part of our faith through which we grow in our relationship with God, gave us seven principles that should guide all our prayers. This prayer contain series of statements and petitions in which we affirm our relationship with God, with the people around us and with the world in general. In it contains a statement of faith, obligations and commitment as the foundation through which these seven principles are fulfilled.

The first principle is to acknowledge God as “Our Father”. This is a call for unity that requires faith, obligation and commitment. Here we acknowledge God not just as my Father, but as Our Father and the ‘Our’ includes every single person who lives or has ever lived on this earth. The second principle calls us to reverence the name of the Lord as we say: “Hallowed be thy name “ yes, God’s name is holy no matter what we say or think him. However, we make this prayer for our sake more than for his sake. Because from the holiness of his name comes the root of our faith and strength, so we are praying that God’s name be held in deepest respect by people everywhere. 

The third principle calls us to have the vision of God’s kingdom, hence we pray saying: “Your kingdom come”, that is, we pray that humanity should consciously and willingly embrace the love and kingship of God which he is offering us. The forth principle invites us to dispose ourselves to embrace the will of God as we pray saying: “Your will be done on earth, as in heaven”. This is very important for it helps us to discern and be disposed to pray and live in accordance with the will of God.

The fifth principle calls us to learn how to be contented with what we have and reject all forms of selfishness and greed as we say: “Give us today our daily bread,” of which God surely provides. The sixth principle calls us to make an examination of conscience and to seek reconciliation knowing how weak we are, hence we pray saying: “And forgive us our trespasses, as we have forgiven those who trespassed against us”. Here we make serious commitment and obligation, asking that the condition for God’s forgiveness of our sins should based on our readiness to forgive those who have offended us. 

Finally the seventh principle calls us to have total confidence in God’s providence, protection and guidance as we pray saying: “And do not put us to the test, but save us from evil”, so here we acknowledge our weaknesses and our total dependence on God’s help against all the evil forces of this world. 

Dear friends, I have no doubt that we know how to say Our Lords Prayer, but knowing it is not enough, we have to pray it devotedly, but praying it is not enough, we have to believe in what we pray for, but believing is not enough, we must put it into practice in our daily lives. This is because, often time we treat prayer wrongly when we consider prayer as a means to only achieve what we desired, without considering what God desires for us. Some of us spend lots of time reciting the prayers and yet we do not often mean what we say because we have wrong disposition born from unforgiving heart which must be redirected before we can get a positive response from God.

  

Therefore, it’s time for us to embrace these seven principles and change our perspective and wrong disposition towards prayers. It is time for us to spend more quality moment in prayer and be connected with God. We must make our prayers to be meaningful and genuine from our hearts. It is time for us to  improve the quality of our prayer life by imitating Jesus, who always prayed to his heavenly Father at every possible opportunities. 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, in prayer we build a strong relationship with you, teach us how to pray more devotedly, for we really do not know how to pray as we ought, we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Wishing you God’s favour and blessings.

Monday of the First week of Lent Year B, 22nd February, 2021 The Feast of the Chair of St. Peter

 Monday of the First week of Lent Year B, 22nd February, 2021

The Feast of the Chair of St. Peter

Readings: 1Pete 5:1-4, Ps.23, Matt. 16:13-19

Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

THE GIFT OF ST. PETER’S FAITH IS THE ROCK ON WHICH JESUS BUILDS HIS CHURCH

The supreme authority belongs only to God, and he alone decides who to endowed his authority and also delegate to exercise it among his people. Such is the occasion in our Gospel passage today where the gift of faith given to Peter by God was the rock on which Jesus built his Church and bestowed his authority on him. Thus, today in a special way the Church celebration the Supreme Chair of Saint Peter. A feast that marks the establishment of an organized Christian community under the leadership of St. Peter and his successors (that’s the Popes throughout the ages).

For in our Gospel, we see how Jesus stresses that Peter's faith is a gift from the Father when he said: “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." 

Here the key represents the authority to open the gate of the Kingdom of Heaven, and to judge whether to admit or to refuse. While the expression “binding and loosing” refers to the doctrinal decisions and disciplinary power of the office of  St. Peter, that is, the faculty to impose and to lift, a guarantees that Peter’s decisions in the exercise of his ecclesial function are valid in the eyes of God because, the faith given to Peter by God is the rock on which Jesus built his Church and that is why in the iconographic tradition we see the keys in the hand of Peter.

This gift of faith comes from a personal response of Peter, when he professed that Jesus is the Christ the Son of the living God. Hence, our faith requires that we give a personal answer to the question: who is Jesus to me personally? It is not enough to quote the scriptures and the teachings of the Church about our faith or the teachings of other theologians and preachers. But to respond not only from the head but from the heart that is convinced of what it believes in. 

Dear friends, today’s feast reminds us of the need to truly profess our faith in God and be united as one family of God and by so doing overcome the ugly events of division, manipulation and multiplication of Churches going on in Christianity today. We are called to really examine our conscience to know where we are as regards our faith as Christians. Today we are called to be convinced of who we are and recognize the authority Christ has bestowed on his Church entrusted to St. Peter of which the get of underworld shall not prevail against it. 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, all authority belong to you alone, as you have bestowed on your Church the authority and delegate her to exercise it among your people, may this gift unite us more closely to your Son Jesus, who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen. As we begin our day, may your blessings and favour be with us always.