Homily for Thursday Tenth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 9th June, 2022

 Homily for Thursday Tenth Week in Ordinary Time  Year C, 9th June, 2022.

Reading: 1 Kings 18:41-46; Ps. 65; Matt.5:20-26

Rev.  Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

OUR VIRTUE MUST GO BEYOND THAT OF THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES OF THE PASSING WORLD 

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. 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.

This because the Scribes and the Pharisees always enforced a strict interpretation and obedience to the Law, its rules and regulations, and yet, failed to truly practice nor understand and appreciate that the Law of God is meant to lead God’s people to him and to teach them to practice love in their lives. Thus, we ought to be faithful and to follow the Lord more faithfully than the Scribes and Pharisees for their religious piety are mainly superficial, because their practicing of the laws does not truly come from their heart. Their actions and obedience to the Law is motivated by what they want to gain in order to sustain their pride and desire for worldly glory and praise. 

So, we should not be like them, we should rather get rid of our pride and excess desires for honorific positions. We should strive to deepen our virtue towards righteous deeds. We must become agent of peace and reconciliation. We must be symbol of God’s mercy and justice in a world full of corruption and greed, Just like Elijah showed to Ahab in our first reading today when he said: Go and say to Ahab, “Harness the chariot and go down before the rain stops you. This because Elijah had said to Ahab that their will be no rain for years until he say so.

Dear friends, we are call today to embrace the virtue of humility and readiness to reconcile with those who have offered us, knowing that the mercy and justice of God regulates all things. We have to be vigilant always and strive to be righteous before God and man. Today, we must be ready 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 now. We should strive everyday to remain faithful to God’s commandment of love and peace.  

LET US PRAY: Lord God, 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. Do have a blessed day.

Homily for Wednesday Tenth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 8th June, 2022

 Homily for Wednesday Tenth Week in Ordinary Time  Year C, 8th  June, 2022

Reading: 1kings17:20-39; Ps. 1; Matt.5:17-19

Rev.  Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  

IF YOU WISH TO BE GREAT, KEEP AND TEACH THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD

Talking about the laws and commandments, Jesus today reminds us that he did not come on earth to abolish what had already been revealed rather to fulfill them. He came into the world in order to reveal to humanity what true Law really means and to purify the Law to its original meaning and purpose, which has been corrupted through human manipulations. He came to fulfil the entire Law and not to destroy it, contrary to what the scribes and Pharisees accused and think about him. 

This same notion was critical for Jewish converts in the early Church and also to some people in our own time. And the response of Jesus is still much relevant for us today, especially when he speaks of "fulfilling" rather than "abolishing" the law and the prophets as we have it in our Gospel passage today and he added that: “the man who infringes even one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be considered the least in the kingdom of heaven; but the man who keeps them and teaches them will be considered great in the kingdom of heaven. Here, Jesus points out that keeping and teaching the commandments of God is the sure way to achieving greatness not just here on earth but also in heaven. 

This is exactly what we see in the life of Elijah in our first reading today, who decided not just to keep the laws and commandments of God, but to teach the people who have abandoned the true God over idols, as he challenged four hundred and fifty priests of Baal at the Mount Carmel. It was a great moment of reckoning, as he confronted king Ahab for his continued worshipping of Baal the pagan idol.  

Consequently, the victory of prophet Elijah in this battle was essentially to reminded the king and the people of the need for them to obey the Law of God, for it is the obligation of all the faithful to worship and serve only the One and True God of all. The king and the people had not obeyed these laws, instead they chose to follow the false ways of the foreign pagan gods and idols, committing great sin before God. So by keeping and teaching these commandments Elijah was made great before God and the people through his victory.  

Dear friends, today we are reminded that true greatness is found in keep and teaching the commandments of God, of which Jesus tell us  that the greatest of these commandments is to love God and love our neighbour. Therefore, true greatness is rooted in our love for God and our neighbours and Jesus emphasis that it is too bad to break one of these commandments, but to teach someone else to do the same is a terrible evil thing to do. 

Thus, we should ask ourselves today, am I breaking these commandments and teaching others to do the same through my attitude and way of life? Do I following my own opinions contrary to the commandments and laws of love which Jesus has taught us by his way of life? Or am I keeping and teaching these commandments through my attitude and by way of life?  

LET US PRAY: Lord God, from whom all good things come, grant us the grace to keep and teach your commandments by our way of life and so obtain the Joy of true greatness in this world and in your heavenly kingdom through Christ our Lord. Amen. Peace be with you.

Homily for Tuesday Tenth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, 7th June, 2022

 Homily for Tuesday Tenth Week in Ordinary Time  Year C, 7th June, 2022.

Reading: 1Kings 17:7-16; Ps. 4; Matt.5:13-16

Rev.  Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

 WE ARE CALLED TO BE 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, as salt and light every Christian is called by God to influence the world positively just  Elijah in our first reading whose encounter with the widow of Zarephath brought about hope, joy and favours to her household. In the same way we are to influence the world positively. 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 be salt and light to humanity whose hearts are tasteless and darkened by sin. We 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 it. 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 of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, The Memorial of Mary, Mother of the Church (Mater Ecclesiae), 6th June, 2022.

 Homily For Monday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time Year C, The Memorial of Mary, Mother of the Church (Mater Ecclesiae), 6th June, 2022.

Readings: Gen. 3:9-15.20, Ps.87; John 19:25-34

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

WHY MARY IS GIVEN THE TITLE “MOTHER OF THE CHURCH” 

As the Holy season of Eastertide comes to an end with the celebration of Pentecost yesterday, the Church continues with the second face of the Ordinary Time of the liturgical calendar. This begins with the memorial of Mary, Mother of the Church 

 Although today’s Memorial of Mary, Mother of the Church is new, but the devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, under the title of Mother of the Church, is very ancient. It was Pope Francis, who established the celebration of this Memorial in 2018, which is to be celebrated annually on the day following the Solemnity of Pentecost. Pope Francis said he wished to establish this Memorial in order to encourage the growth of the maternal sense of the Church in the pastors, religious and faithful, as well as a growth of genuine Marian piety.

Hence, the Memorial of Mary Mother of the Church is established in order to remind us that Mary is indeed the Mother of all of us. For as God’s chosen people, Mary has been entrusted to us to be our own loving Mother, and to whom we have also been entrusted as her own beloved adopted sons and daughters, through Christ, her Son, who shares his divinity with us as he elevates our humanity, as we have it in our Gospel passage today, when Jesus entrusted his mother to John saying: Woman, behold your Son, then to the disciple he said, Behold your mother.

Here, Mary assumes the role of the Mother of the Church, while the disciple represents all of us Christians, who are members of God’s Church and therefore have become children of Mary, God’s own beloved Mother, and she is indeed, the Mother of the Church, the Mother of all Christians. Thus, Mary had always been with the Church as she has always been with the Apostles and the other leaders of the Church, for she is full of grace and had borne Christ who is the Head of the Church. So it worth honouring her with the title Mater Ecclesiae, the Mother of the Church. For she was the New Eve would resisted the temptations of Satan and remained completely faithful to the Lord as she followed her Son, the New Adam, to the foot of the Cross. Thereby fulfilling the Lord’s prophecy at the very beginning, as we heard in our first reading today.

Dear friends, as we celebrate Mary our Mother as the Mother of the Church, we entrust all our struggles, suffering, persecutions, challenges, trials and difficulties into her maternal care, in order to remain faithful and survive through the turbulent times and challenges of our time. Let us learn to remain faithful like Mary and never take our faith for granted. Let us remain steadfast knowing that Mary, the Help of all Christians is our Mother and Consoler. 

LET US PRAY, Lord God, as we celebrate the Memorial of Mary Mother of the Church, grant through her intercessions, the graces and courage we need in order to conquer all our fears and challenge of life and so look forward to the coming of Christ our Lord and Saviour. This we ask through Christ our Lord. Amen. God bless you

The Homily for Pentecost Sunday Year C, 5th June, 2022

 The Homily for Pentecost Sunday Year C, 5th June, 2022

Readings: Acts.2:1-11; Ps.104; ROM. 8:8-17;  John 14:15-16.23-26

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia.

MAY THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT FALL FRESH ON US

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of our great Pentecost, today we receive the fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Today the promised Paraclete has come, the Comforter has come, the purifying fire has come. Today all children of God are empowered once more to conquer the world with the Good News of Christ's salvation. 

Today the fears, the shame, the weakness of sins, the lukewarmness, the lockdown and all the barriers that hold us captive in the upper room of fear and shame have now been consumed by the power of the Holy Ghost, which we receive afresh today. For we have been set free and empowered to transform the world once again with the truth of the Gospel of Christ. 

This is the fulfillment of the promise Jesus made to his disciples in our Gospel passage today, when he said to his disciples: ‘‘If you love me you will keep my commandments. I shall ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you for ever. He will teach you everything and remind you of all I have said to you

This promised was made when, after the Last Supper and the ugly event of his passion, death and resurrection, a sense of loss and fear had saddened the hearts of the Apostles. But their sadness will not be long, for Jesus will not abandon them, he will not leave them orphans. He will send the Counsellor, the power of Love, the Spirit of the Father. And this Spirit will enable them to understand that his work is a work of love:  love of the One who gave himself, love of the Father who has given him and love for humanity whom he has come to save.

Thus, this is the mystery of the Pentecost we are celebrating today as we have it in our first reading, when on the Pentecost day the disciples were in a room of lockdown and fearfulness, and suddenly they heard what sounded like a powerful wind from heaven, the noise of which filled the entire house in which they were sitting; and something appeared to them that seemed like tongues of fire; these separated and came to rest on the head of each of them. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak foreign languages as the Spirit gave them the gift of speech.

Such is the work of the Holy Spirit, who illuminates the human spirit and reveals in it, the image of Christ Crucified and Risen, in order to become more like him, bearing the image and instrument of the love which flows from Christ. It is in this image of love, that the greatness of the Pentecost event is perceived. There are seven gifts and twelve fruits of the Holy Spirit, the seven gifts includes: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. While the fruits which are perfections that the Holy Spirit forms in us as the first fruits of eternal glory are as follows: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, chastity.

Among all these gifs and fruits, love is the most important of  the fruits of the Holy Spirit, just as it is also the most important of all the Christian virtues. Without love, all the good things we have accomplished mean nothing. Love helps us to share in the image of God which Jesus is offering us so that we can live the life of the spirit. Hence, St Paul advised us in our second reading saying: unless you possessed the Spirit of Christ you would not belong to him. Though your body may be dead it is because of sin, but if Christ is in you then your spirit is life itself because you have been justified; and if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, then he who raised Jesus from the dead will give life to your own mortal bodies through his Spirit living in you.

However, Paul continued saying: If you live according to the flesh, you are doomed to die; but if by the Spirit you put an end to the misdeeds of the body you will live. But what does he mean by living according to the flesh? This means giving in to self-indulgence and the results are obvious: gross indecency and sexual irresponsibility; such as fornication and adultery, idolatry and sorcery; enmity and strife, jealousy and unforgiveness, bad temper and selfishness; disagreements and factions, envy and drunkenness, carousing and similar other ugly things we often do.

Meanwhile, living according to the Spirit brings something different, such as: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, trustfulness, gentleness and self-control. 

Dear friends, today the power of the Holy Spirit of love has been poured upon us, so we are called and empowered to go into the whole world and proclaim the Good News of God’s love to humanity. For there are many people in our world today who have not experienced the true love of God in their hearts, because they are distracted by various worldly concerns and their selfishness, as they keep hurting each other and causing troubles and suffering to one another. These should not be our attitude.

Let our actions and deeds bear the fruit of this love of God not only to such people, but to our fellow brethren by showing genuine care and concern for each other. Let us not close our doors of love because, we continually want to feel secure and do not want to be disturbed by others or by God. Rather let us like the apostles break open the doors of our hearts, for Christ overcomes our enclosure to bring us love and peace and build a bridge between heaven and earth, so that we can climb up on this bridge of love to reach him and together with him, we too can reach all humanity, beginning with our families, societies and to the ends of the Earth.

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, as we lift up our hearts together with Mary our mother in the Spirit of Pentecost, singing the Veni Sancte Spiritus, may the Holy Spirit of love come down upon all your children wherever we may be and fill our hearts with the fire of his love. Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in us the fire of your love. Amen. Wishing you a Spirit filled Pentecost celebration.

The Homily for Saturday in Seventh Week of Easter Year C, 4th June 2022

 The Homily for Saturday in Seventh Week of Easter Year C, 4th June 2022

Readings: Acts 28:16-20.30-31; Ps.11; John 21:20-25

Rev  Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia.

IT IS A GREAT THING TO LOVE JESUS AND BE LOVED BY JESUS 

One of the greatest mysticists and doctors of the Church,  St. John of the Cross says in the first stanza of his poem entitled: The Living Flame of Love, “O living flame of love that tenderly wounds my soul in it’s deepest center! Since now You are not oppressive, now consummate! if it be Your will: tear through the veil of this sweet encounter!” This flame of love is the Holy Spirit that bathes the soul that encounters it in glory and refreshes it with divine life of love in which the will of the soul is united in the most sublime flame of love for God in Jesus. 

This may be the situation in the life of John the beloved, one of the disciples of Jesus in our Gospel passage today, which made the scriptures described him as ‘the disciple whom Jesus loved’. What a great description of any one’s personality. This disciple had a peculiar share in the love of Christ and was admitted to great nearness and freedom with him that gives him the liberty which no one has among the disciples. This is evident by his leaning on the breast of Jesus at the suggestion of Peter, to asked him at Last supper, who was to be the traitor.

The fact is that, it is a great thing to love Jesus and be loved by Jesus. Yes, Jesus loved all his disciples, yet within that circle of love there was an innermost place in which the beloved John was favoured to dwell.  For those who display an extraordinary love to one, are all the more capable of great affection to many; therefore, because Jesus loved John most, he has an enhanced estimate of his love than the other disciples. Though John was raised, but others were not lowered, rather they were raised with him. 

John was of more intimate communion with Jesus than others. He was always wherever Jesus was. When all the disciples sit at the table, even Peter is not nearest to the Lord like John, for John will lean his head upon the bosom of Jesus with earnest, eager, intense affection. Jesus loves him not just as a disciple but as a dear friend whose personality as young individual has the most profitable opportunity of becoming eminent piety. He was the only disciple who was most nearer to Jesus and his mother at his passion and death. 

Hence, Jesus entrusted his mother to him saying son behold your mother, mother behold your son, because in John, Jesus has found a soul that truly loves. And the more a soul loves God, the more it desires that God be loved and honored by all and the greater this desire becomes, the more the soul labours toward that end in all possible means and this is evidence in all the works of John the beloved.

Dear friends, have you ever feel loved by God personally? Have you ever been identified as one whom God loves? Have you personally desired to be an instrument of God’s love for humanity? Have you ever paid the price of sacrificial love? Have your love ever been rejected by those you loved most or have rejected those who loved you? 

Today we are called to examine our conscience to know if there is any sign of true love of God and neighbours in us. We are called to make ourselves available for God’s love to abide in us. We are called to build a personality that gives room for love to flow in us and through us. As we anticipate the solemnity of Pentecost tomorrow, we are called to open up for the Holy Spirit to enkindle in us the fire of his love so that our soul will be transformed in love. And may this fire of love be  extended to our families, societies, country and the world at large.

LET US PRAY: Loving Father, inflame our hearts once again with the fire of your love. Grant that we may personally and collectively experience you divine love for us and for all humanity through Christ our Lord. Amen. Wishing you a lovely weekend.

The Homily for Friday in Seventh Week of Easter Year C, June 2022. The Memorial of St. Charles Lwanga and Companions

 The Homily for Friday in Seventh Week of Easter Year C, June 2022. The Memorial of St. Charles Lwanga and Companions

Readings: Acts 25:13-21; Ps.103; John 21:15-19

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia.

DO WE REALLY LOVE THE LORD MORE THAN ANYTHING IN THIS PASSING WORLD

The ups and downs of life have been a great experience and challenge to humanity. Hence, everyday is a new struggle. Struggles for life, struggle for survival, struggle against the manipulation of the evil ones, more challenging is the struggles of our own self especially our weakness and sinfulness. These struggles are evidence in the life of the disciples of Jesus. All the time they were with Jesus they struggled to be like him, to follow his ways and to understand him and it wasn’t easy. In the cause of these struggles they failed, denied, forsaken, and sinned against the Lord Jesus despite their love for him. But this was well predicted by Jesus who warned them to remain steadfast even in the midst of these struggles. 

However, after all the struggles and fall during his passion and death, Jesus now needed to strengthen his disciples for the great task ahead before departing from them. So in the occasion of Gospel passage today, Jesus said to Peter the leader of his Apostles: ‘Simon son of John, do you love me more than these others do?’ He answered, ‘Yes Lord, you know I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my lambs.’ A second time he said to him, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ He replied, ‘Yes, Lord, you know I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Look after my sheep.’ Then he said to him a third time, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ Peter was upset that he asked him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ and said, ‘Lord, you know everything; you know I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep.

Here  we can imagine the disposition of the disciples when seeing the Lord after going back to their past ways of life. And as they sat together round the fire eating silently the meal which Jesus had prepared, and gazing silently at the Lord’s silent. It must really be a great moment of tension as to how the oppressive silence was to be broken and how Peter’s heart must have been troubled when the great silence was broken with the words: Simon, son of John, do you love me? These three times questions have a special force in the restoration of him who had three times denied his Master, and now three times declares his love for Him, and he is three times restored and entrusted with a great task of feeding his master’s sheep. 

From this gracious act we see how God through Jesus treats a soul conscious of its sinfulness and fault; and in Peter’s disposition we see an illustration of how a soul, conscious of its sinfulness and fault, should behave before God.  This gracious event is very symbolic not just that the Lord had forgiven Peter for his threefold denial at the moment of his arrest and suffering, but also that, the Lord restored him again as the leader of his flocks and the entire Universal Church.

Dear friends, in our struggles in this life we have done ugly and sinful things that we are really regretting and don’t what to remember or talk about them just like St Peter. Wishing we could have changed or avoided them, but there is nothing we can do about them anymore except to seek for restoration. And this restoration is what Jesus is offering us today as he says: my child do you still love me? Do you really love me? Do you love me more than all the things of this passing world? 

All we have to say in consciousness of our faults and sinfulness is: Lord you know everything, yes I truly love you. And just like St Peter, the Lord Jesus will not only forgive us, he will restore us to a greater glory. So why struggling in silence, it’s time to break open the hidden wounds of sin in our hearts, for the Lord wants to heal and restore us once again so that we can be open and free to receive the Holy Spirit the promised Paraclete, who will restore us afresh to God’s greater glory.

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.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, as we anticipate the coming of the Holy Spirit, we come to you today conscious of our faults and sinfulness. And through the intercessions of St. Charles Lwanga grant us your healing and restoration through Christ our Lord. Amen. God bless all our youth