Homily for Tuesday Tenth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 8th June, 2021.

 Homily for Tuesday Tenth Week in Ordinary Time  Year B, 8th June, 2021.

Reading: 2 Cor. 1:18-22; Ps. 118; Matt.5:13-16

Rev.  Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

BECOMING AND REMAINING THE SALT AND LIGHT TO TASTELESS AND DARKENED HEARTS OF HUMANITY

Salt and light are very familiar words in the scriptures. Often times salt is used metaphorically to signify permanence, loyalty, durability, fidelity, usefulness, value, and purification. Salt as we know is used to enhance flavour, it preserves and purifies things. Salt distinguishes Identity and adds values to things. it’s inexpensive but valuable, necessary for life and stands as a basic identity for believers, of which we either we use it or lose its effects. 

In a similar way, light is a symbol used to mean awareness, knowledge, and understanding. Light clarifies, Illuminates, Inspires, defeats darkness, shines fully and freely, it guides, stimulates and motivates, provokes action, it irritates those who like darkness, confirms truth, purifies, exposes sin, warms and assures us of safety and also facilitates progress.

 

Little wonder, Jesus in our Gospel passage today, told us the famous parable of the salt of the earth and the light of the world. In this parable Jesus made it clear that to be salt and light means to be a witness to others concerning the truth of God's Word to humanity and this is the mission he entrusted to the Church through his disciples.

Thus, we are entrusted with this mission during our baptism, when we were given salt as a sign of God’s life in us and are commanded never to lose the taste or forget the life and joy that God has given us to share with others. In a similar way, we were given candle light which we are to kept brightly burning as a flame of faith in our hearts as we journey with others towards our heavenly kingdom. Therefore, Jesus clearly defines the role of the Church in the world as that of salt and light. Salt to preserves the faith and give flavour to the life of humanity. While light to illuminates darkness and reflects the glory of God in the darkness of the passing world. 

So, every Christian is called by God to influence the world positively, by saying yes to God as we heard in our first reading when St Paul said: it is always Yes, and however many the promises God made, the Yes to them all is in him. For it is God himself who assures us all of our standing in Christ, and has anointed us, marking us with his seal and giving us the pledge, the Spirit, that we carry in our hearts. However, most of us Christians have failed to appropriate the benefits, privileges and responsibilities of being salt and light to humanity. As a result, many people suffer because we have continued to embrace the darkness of the things of this passing world and are spoiled by its destructive ways.

Dear friends, the core message today is that all of us are called to positively influence the lives of humanity by our attitude and character which should be like that of salt and light. Where there is darkness we should let the light of Christ illuminate. Where pride, selfishness, corruption and greed have made life tasteless, let the salt of our good attitude and character make it tasty. Where sin and immorality have made humanity filthy and ugly, let our light of holiness purify. Remember, if we lose the value and taste of who we are as Christians, the world will trample upon us because we will be good for nothing.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, as we struggle everyday to truly carryout the mission entrusted to us, give us the grace and courage to dedicate ourselves, our time, our energy and effort to becoming true light and salt in our dark and tasteless families, society and the world at large. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Wishing you a fruitful day.

Homily for Monday Tenth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 7th June, 2021.

 Homily for Monday Tenth Week in Ordinary Time  Year B, 7th June, 2021.

Reading: 2 Cor. 1:1-7; Ps. 33; Matt.5:1-12

Rev.  Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

IN THE BEATITUDES WE HAVE THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF CHRISTIAN LIFE

Each day of our lives is a struggle for perfection, we grow from one level of understanding our faith to another. But what really gives value to this growth is the fundamental principles we follow. Because the fundamental principles of life helps us to be focused and determined to achieve our goals. Therefore, Jesus knowing the value and important of the faith he has come to offer humanity, lay down the fundamental principles that will guide his disciples in the new way of life which he is offering to humanity.

These fundamental principles is what we have in our Gospel passage today in the famous Sermon on the Mount by the Lord Jesus, which is also known as the Beatitudes. This famous Sermon opens to us the interior life Jesus is offering to humanity which includes: being poor in spirit, gentle, merciful, hungry for justice, pure in heart, peacemaker and being prepared to grieve and suffer persecution for the cause of right. These becomes  guiding principle to a new life he has called us to live. Here Jesus gives eight characters of blessed people, which are graces to the fundamental principles of the Christian life. Each of these Beatitudes is a statement of an ideal way we ought to live and be in close contact with God.

These fundamental principles, talk about the poor in spirit which brings to mind the humble condition of mankind that looks up to a Redeemer and the glory to come. Those who mourn are blessed, for their true repentance, watchfulness, humble mind, and continual dependence on the mercy of God through Christ Jesus they shall be comforted. The meek are blessed, for being patient, silent and submissive to the will of God and so are comfort even in this world. Those who hunger and thirst after righteousness are blessed, for their desire of spiritual blessings shall be satisfied. 

The merciful are blessed, for their compassion, help and pity on the souls of humanity who are in sin and needs mercy. The pure in heart are blessed; for they shall see God, since their hearts are made pure in holiness and are capable of seeing God. The peace-makers are blessed, for they love and delight in peace which Christ is offering to humanity. Those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake are blessed, for victory is theirs since they understand that, there is nothing in our sufferings that can be compared to the victory of eternal life.  

This is exactly what St Paul is addressing in our first reading today when he said: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, a gentle Father and the God of all consolation, who comforts us in all our sorrows, so that we can offer others, in their sorrows, the consolation that we have received from God ourselves. Indeed, as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so, through Christ, does our consolation overflow.  

Dear friends, today we are called to embrace these fundamental principles of Christian life. For we are truly blessed when we are poor in spirit, when we mourn for our sinfulness, gentle, hunger and thirst for holiness. We are blessed when we are, merciful and peacemakers in a world that is full of wickedness, greed and corruption. Today, we are called to live our lives in this virtues and when we encounter challenges, difficulties, persecutions and troubles, we should remain faithful to the end for none of these tribulations shall be compared to the victory of eternal life.

 LET US PRAY: Almighty God, from whom all good things come, grant us the grace to live out these fundamental principles of our Christian life and so overcome this sinful world, so as to enjoy the beatific vision of eternal life. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. As you begin your task this week, may the glory of God inspire you and elevate you to greater heights.

Homily for Sunday of the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi) Year B, 6th June, 2021

 Homily for Sunday of the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi) Year B, 6th June, 2021

Reading: Exo. 24:3-8;Ps. 116; Heb. 9:11-15; Mark 14:12-16.22-26

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

CHRIST’S LOVE FOR HUMANITY IS MADE KNOWN IN THE EUCHARIST

On Thursday or Sunday after the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, the Church celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ also called the Corpus Christi celebration. It is a solemn celebration were we reaffirm with great joy our faith in the Eucharistic Mystery of Christ love for humanity. Reminding us of God’s infinite gift of love for humanity which was made present in the Person of Christ Jesus under the appearance of Bread and Wine.

The mystery of the solemnity of Corpus Christi, constitutes a very important aspect of our Christian faith, which is rooted in the historical and cultural context of the Jewish people's experience with God, of which Jesus is the fullest of this experience and revelation. Hence, in the occasion of our Gospel passage today, we heard how Jesus sent his disciples to go and prepare a place for their Passover celebration, which they did. And as they were eating Jesus took some bread, and when he had said the blessing he broke it and gave it to them. ‘Take it,’ he said ‘this is my body.’ Then he took a cup, and when he had returned thanks he gave it to them, and all drank from it, and he said to them, ‘This is my blood, the blood of the covenant, which is to be poured out for many. I tell you solemnly, I shall not drink any more wine until the day I drink the new wine in the kingdom of God.’ 

With this statement Jesus instituted the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist and gave his Apostles power and authority to do this in memory of him. This is a very important mission, which the Apostles had faithfully carried out and have passed on to all of their successors, the bishops and the priests of the Church, who have been ordained and have received the same power and authority from the Lord to celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. 

So, at the Last Supper, Jesus presented the Bread and Wine as his Body and Blood which he offered on the cross as a sacrificial love for humanity and ask his disciples to do the same in memory of him. This very mandate of Christ is what the Church is doing at every celebration of the Holy sacrifice of the Mass, where Christ through the priest who act ‘in persona Christi’ by the power of consecration, transubstantiate the Bread and Wine into his Real Body and Blood and offer it to God His Father as an unbloodied sacrificial love for humanity. 

This means that the substance and essence of the bread and wine the priest blessed and offered to God at the celebration of the Holy Mass, have truly become the very Body and Blood of Christ Himself, under the appearance of bread and wine through the mystery of Transubstantiation. Thus, the word ‘transubstantiation’ from the two words ‘Trans’ which means ‘change’ and ‘Substantiate’ meaning ‘substance or essence’, we can explain the mystery of the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, as the change of the whole substance of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ through the prayer of consecration by Christ through the priest in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Therefore, at every Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, through the power of the Holy Spirit the substance of bread and wine become the real and most precious Body and Blood of Christ Jesus, just in the same way he spoke at the Last Supper saying ‘This is My Body, which shall be given up for you’, ‘This is the Chalice of My Blood, the Blood of the New and Eternal Covenant, which shall be poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins’ of which he fulfilled at the Cross in Calvary, where he offered himself Body, Soul and Divinity for the salvation of humanity. Hence, we share in this grace of salvation when we participate fully in this sacrificial offering of God’s love for humanity. 

Little wonder in our second reading we heard that: Christ has come, as the high priest of all the blessings which were to come. He has passed through the greater, the more perfect tent, which is better than the one made by men’s hands because it is not of this created order; and he has entered the sanctuary once and for all, taking with him not the blood of goats and bull calves, as we heard in our first reading how Moses took the blood and cast it towards the people saying: This is the blood of the Covenant that the Lord has made with you, containing all his rules you are to observe. But here, Jesus offers his own blood, having won an eternal redemption for us, purifies our inner self from dead actions so that we can offer our service to the living God. 

The fact remains that in the Eucharist, we are physically and spiritually fed much more than the Israelites in the wilderness, who were fed with manna as we have it in Deut. 8:2-3,14-16, they were given the manna to survive in the wilderness, but Christ gave us the Eucharist not just for us to survive in the wilderness of this passing world but for us to gain eternal life and come to share in his love, for the Eucharist is the real presence of Christ love for humanity.

Dear friends, today we are called to embrace the love of God present in the Holy Eucharist, the power of God’s mercy for sinful humanity. We are called to deepened our understanding of this rich mystery of our faith in the Eucharist and come to change the way we relate with Jesus in the Eucharist. We are called to strive to worthily receive the Holy Eucharist. We are called to be grateful for this Sacrificial love of Christ in the Holy Eucharist and form the habit of adoring Christ our Lord present in the Holy Eucharist, as we let the love of his presence to transform our souls into that purest love that will renew our families, societies and the world at large.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, through the sacrificial love of your Son Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist, grant us the grace to constantly experience your presence within us especially in the midst of doubt, ignorance, persecution, trials and uncertainties of life. May the Eucharistic Power of love fill our hearts once again and so renew the hatred, greed and corruption in the hearts of sinful humanity. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Happy Sunday to you all.

Homily for Saturday Ninth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 5th June, 2021. The Memorial of St. Boniface

 Homily for Saturday Ninth Week in Ordinary Time  Year B, 5th June, 2021. The Memorial of St. Boniface

Reading: Tobit 12:1.5-15.20; Ps Tobit 13:2.6 -8; Mark12:38-44

Rev.  Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

BEWARE OF THE PRIDE AND EGO OF THE HUMAN LIFE

Beginning from the time of Adam and Eve in the Gardens of Eden, Devil has been tempting mankind with the capital sin of pride and ego, knowing how vulnerable and weak we can be in resisting our desires for knowledge and power. These are temptations for every age, however, it is more obvious in our society today, as we all want and like red carpet treatment. We all enjoy wearing a well tailored clothes and be addressed by honorific titles in different occasions and events even in the Church. 

These of course can be done innocently without any harm depending on how they affect our relationships with God and our neighbours. When it is done out of pride and ego then, it becomes harmful to others and this can lead to idolatry, where man will seek to be like God or assume the honor and glory due to God. 

This ugly attitude is what Jesus is addressing in our Gospel passage today, when he said “Beware of the scribes who like to walk about in long robes, to be greeted obsequiously in the market squares, to take the front seats in the synagogues and the places of honour at banquets; these are the men who swallow the property of widows, while making a show of lengthy prayers. The more severe will be the sentence they receive”.

Here, Jesus points to men entrusted with religious leadership who have turned their positions of trust into selfish interest as they focus on what they can get, rather than what they can give. So Jesus warning his disciples against such kind of behaviour, especially how they exercised and practiced their faith. The Pharisees and the teachers of the Law often prided themselves in their privileged and highly respected position in the community, and showed off their faith, seeking important and privileged positions. What Jesus is telling us all is to be careful and vigilant against the temptations of ego and pride in our lives. We must focus our attention on God and put Him first and foremost in all we do.

Dear friends, the warning of Jesus concerning our pride and ego is not only for religious leaders and ministers, but for everyone of us: fathers, mothers, teachers, lecturers, government officials, military leaders, business men and women, celebrities, doctors, mechanics and leaders of all works of life. We are to be on the watch in order to avoid being carried away by the titles of honour and dignity that comes with the pride of life, like some of the scribes in our Gospel passage today. Rather, we should humble ourselves in the midst of external respect and honour, for noble souls despise these kind of honour, as they offer it to God, to whom all respect and honour belongs. 

Therefore, let us learn an act of humility by ensuring that we give all honour  and glory to God just as Tobit and Tobias were advice by archangel Raphael as we heard him in our first reading saying ‘Bless God, utter his praise before all the living for all the favours he has given you. Bless and extol his name. Proclaim before all men the deeds of God as they deserve, and never tire of giving him thanks. 

So, as we celebrate the memorial of St. Boniface today, we recall the humble way in which he spread the Good News as a renowned Bshop and Martyr of the Church, who is being remembered for his many works of mission among the pagan peoples living in Germania, what is now known as the modern day Germany, where in early days of the Church, he established the foundation of Christian faith and there he suffered martyrdom in the hands of the pagans.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, as you warn us today to beware of the pride and ego of the human life, grant us through the intercessions of St. Boniface, the grace of humility in the midst of all prideful events in our lives, through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a grace filled weekend.

Homily for Friday Ninth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 4th June, 2021.

 Homily for Friday Ninth Week in Ordinary Time  Year B, 4th June, 2021. 

Reading: Tobit 611:5-15; Ps. 146; Mark12:35-37

Rev.  Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

DO NOT BE DISCOURAGED BY THE SUFFERING, PERSECUTION AND TRAILS OF THIS PASSING WORLD

A critical study of the history of Christianity, one will discover that  persecution, sufferings, trails and martyrdom have been a reoccurring event. Jesus, his apostles and their successors met painful sufferings and martyrdoms, and yet, they still continued to give their best to serve the Lord and humanity with their faith. But I wondered why it should be so, given that the teaching and doctrines of Christian faith offers nothing but love, peace and truth to humanity. 

So what is it about the Christian faith that frightens the world so deep that it seems as if Christianity should be extinguished from the world? The simple reason is because, Christian faith offers truth and light to the darkness, ignorance and sinful humanity who have grown rotten in the darkness of this sinful world. The scourge of truth is so painful and difficult to bear, hence, humanity prefers to avoid or resist it and the only way to escape this, is by persecuting the bearers of truth and this gives birth to unending ugly act of persecution, sufferings and trials we are passing through today especially as Christians.  

Thus, in the Gospel passage, we heard how the personality of Jesus was challenged by the people in the temple. Here Jesus taught them that the Messiah, though from the lineage of David was not a mere man, as they supposed, but that he was both God and man, therefore they ought not to wonder or to be offended because he called himself the Son of God. This they heard with great attention and pleasure; for the clear and solid answers with which he responded, gave them a high opinion of his wisdom, and showed them how far he was superior to their most renowned rabbis who still dwell in the darkness of ignorance as they seek means to extinguish the truth by persecuting him the more.

But, the fact remains that God will always be with his people no matter how much they may have to suffer or persecuted. This is well illustrated in our first reading today with the strong of the restoration of the sights of Tobit and the reunion of his family. Therefore, we must remain faithful in our faith for we are not alone in the sufferings and persecution we encounter as a result of our faith and the mission entrusted to us by Jesus, knowing that through our perseverance many people will be touched by the truth, and come to know more about the truth and with open hearts and minds embrace it.

Dear friends, as we struggle with our faith and mission, we are encouraged to persevere in the midst of all our fears, sufferings, trials and persecutions. Though it may seem as if our condition is now hopeless and irredeemable, but for those who put their trust in God, all things work out for our good just like that of Tobit and Tobias.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, as we struggle with the sufferings and persecution of this passing world because of our faith in you, grant that our lives may bear great witness to the truth we have found in Jesus, we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Remain blessed

Homily for Thursday Ninth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 3rd June, 2021. The Memorial of SS. Charles Lwanga & Companions

 Homily for Thursday Ninth Week in Ordinary Time  Year B, 3rd June, 2021. The Memorial of SS. Charles Lwanga & Companions

Reading: Tobit 6:9-12.7:1.9-12.16.8:1.4-9; Ps. 128; Mark12:28-34

Rev.  Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

LOVING GOD AND OUR NEIGHBOURS IS ALL THAT THE LORD REQUIRES FROM US

In our journey of faith we struggle with so many commitments and responsibilities. Oftentimes, we want to know which one should be our first priority. What should be the most important thing to focus our energy? What should become the foundation of all the things we need to do? In fact, we just want to know what is really required of us? 

This is the deposition of the Scribe in our Gospel passage today, who came to Jesus and asked the same question. In response to his question which is about the greatest commandment? Jesus reminds him of the 'Shema Israel' - שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל, the prayer that they knew and recite from their earliest years from which they learned that the most important thing in life is to love God with all their heart, and with all thy soul, and with all their mind. That is, with all the powers and faculties of the soul; as under the influence and guidance of the more noble faculties of the soul, the mind, the understanding, judgment, and will. Jesus then added: to love one’s neigbhour as the second priority. 

In other words, loving God with all your heart, with all your understanding and strength, and to love your neighbour as yourself is what is required of us and it is the foundation of all the things we have to do. And Jesus set as the standard of love not just by the love he was able to show, but by the depth of love which he shows by dying for us thereby calling us to do to do the same. This is possible only when we understand the true meaning of love and sacrifice and this is what is really lacking in our relationship with God and neighbours. 

Thus, let us be encouraged by the lives of St. Charles Lwanga and Companions, the Holy Martyrs of Uganda whose memorial we celebrate today, for they understood what it truly means to love God and neighbours. For out of their deep love for God, hold on to their faith even in the midst of brutal persecutions and death. We also are called to remain faithful in our faith, even in the midst of all the difficulties and challenges of life.

In fact, a critical look at what is happening in our world today, it is obvious that the world has lost the true meaning of love and sacrifice. This present generation has failed to understand the true meaning and source of love and this can be seen in the kind of fruit we bear. The fruit of love in this generation is so complicated: love has become a tool for selfishness, deception, greed, emotional and sexual satisfaction. This is because we have abandoned God who is the source and power of love and create for ourselves a mirage in the name love. 

Dear friends, today, we are called to come back to the source of love, God himself, who teaches us that love is an attitude that seeks the good of others despite how we feel about them, he teaches us to be merciful, just as he is merciful. That love is an attitude that is sacrificial, an attitude that forgives, an attitude that accommodates, preserves, heals and builds up when every other things fails, just as we have it in the lives of Tobias and Sarah in our first reading, who through prayers chose to invite God first in their relationship. This is the kind of attitude the world needs now, the attitude that comes from the pure love of God and neighbours. 

But how can humanity recover this power of love and harness it to bear more fruit in our societies where it seems as if true love exist no more? This is possible when we realize that we are products of love and are called to live out our essence, which is to love. Therefore, we can make our choice today to renew our commitment to keeping these two commandments and to reflect on how best we can put them together for our own good and the good of humanity. Remember, in you resides that love that is lacking in others.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, in you is the fullness of love, grant that through the intercession of St. Charles Lwanga and companions, we may remain steadfast in faith by truly loving you and our neighbours and so conquer the world full of hatred, self-centeredness, greed and corruption, we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a fruitful day.

Homily for Wednesday Ninth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 2nd June, 2021

 Homily for Wednesday Ninth Week in Ordinary Time  Year B, 2nd June, 2021

Reading: Tobit3:1-11.16-17; Ps. 24; Mark12:18-27

Rev.  Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

ADDRESSING THE QUESTIONS ABOUT RESURRECTION

The question about what becomes of the human person after death has been a contextual topic in every human generation and this has not totally changed in our own generation. However, the answer to this question has been given to us by Jesus in the occasion of our Gospel passage today, when the Sadducees, one of the most powerful and influential group within the Jewish community at time of Jesus, that are made up of secular and powerful societal elites who were mostly irreligious and worldly in their attitudes. They rejected the spiritual aspects of the Jewish customs and teachings, refusing to believe in the presence of Angels and the Spirit, as well as the concept of the afterlife. They rejected the notion of resurrection and life after death. 

To them, this life on earth is the only life they have and are living through, for no other things matter more than to enjoy the world as it is, and thus, they tend to live an extravagant lifestyle and selfish attitudes. So they came up to Jesus with a trick question concerning the notion about resurrection using example of seven brothers who shared a woman as their wife and died without a child, for according to the Jewish laws and customs, when a man died without having any descendant to continue his name and lineage, it was his brother’s responsibility and obligation to take the widow of the deceased man to be his own wife, and the firstborn child of the union would be considered as the child of the deceased brother. 

Thus they asked Jesus, who’s wife will she be at the resurrection? Here, Jesus rebuked them for their ignorant of the scriptures and the power of God. Then he goes on to explain how people will relate to each other in the afterlife. For after death and resurrection, men and women do not marry, for they will be like the angels in heaven. He reminds them of the scene where the voice from the burning bush identifies itself to Moses. “I AM the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob” (Exodus 3:6). He is the God of the living and not of the dead. After this reply of Jesus, they no longer dared to ask him any questions, because, he has given them a mind blowing answer to their ignorance and unbelief.

Dear friends, it is natural for us to ask questions about the resurrection of life, but we should not expect to understand it fully while we are still alive. But we have to believe in the resurrection not so much because of Jesus’ arguments with the Sadducees, but because of his own resurrection and his promise to share his life with us forever. 

Jesus tells and showed us that we are children of the resurrection and children of God who neither marries nor given in marriage in the heavenly kingdom. For all that matters is our relationship with our God and neighbour, as for what we shall be after death is known by God alone. Therefore, as Christians we are challenged to overcome our excessive attachments to the things of this passing world and to be more closer to God and allow him to guide us in our path of life. We also are called to remain faithful in our faith, even in the midst of all the difficulties, challenges and doubt.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, there are may things that challenge our faith everyday, as we listen to your words today addressing the questions about the resurrection, may we remain steadfast in faith even in the midst of all false teachings that bring about doubt in our minds. This we ask through Christ our Lord. Amen. God bless you.