Homily For Wednesday Second Week of Lent Year A, 8th March, 2023

Readings: Jer. 18:18-20; Ps.31; Matt. 20:17-28

Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia.

 

WHY DO YOU WANT TO FORCEFULLY GRAB POWER?

 

One of the ugly attitude of most of our leaders today is the love of power, people are ready to do anything just to grab power. People kill, kidnap, blackmail and condemn others because of their ambition to grab power and sustain it. This ugly attitude of mankind is well displayed in the readings of today. In the Gospel passage, this ugly attitude was displayed when the mother of the sons of Zebedee came with her sons to make a request from Jesus that he should promise that her two sons may sit one at his right hand and the other at his left in his kingdom.

 

This unfortunate request was made while Jesus was telling his disciples about his passion and death. But instead of reflecting on the seriousness of the words of Jesus, they were busy quarrelling over who grabs power as most people do today. For  when the other ten heard about the request made by the mother of the sons of Zebedee, they were indignant with the two brothers. perhaps because they had misinterpreted Jesus’ teachings about the Kingdom and presumed that it would be a kingdom in which they would have honour and prestige like most people think today.

 

But Jesus called them and said, ‘You know that among the pagans the rulers lord it over them, and their great men make their authority felt. This is not to happen among you. No; anyone who wants to be great among you must be your servant, and anyone who wants to be first among you must be your slave, just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many'.

 

Dear friends, why do you want to forcefully grab power when it is for humble service? Since true greatness is found in sincere service to others and not in over ambition for power or plotting against others as we have in our first reading, where we see people plotting the downfall of a virtuous man. They intend to deal cruelly with him because he has commented on their evil ways of life. They intend to test him and see if he will break under pressure and become like them. This ugly attitude is what we often experienced in our families, societies and in our country today. Where people do all kinds of evil in order to grab power and sustain it.

 

I don’t know what your experience have been? I don’t know which of the characters in our readings can best describe our attitude towards power. Are we like the mother of the sons of Zebedee? Is our attitude like that of the ten disciples. Is our attitude like that of the pagan rulers who lord it over others. Is our attitude like that of those potting the down fall of the prophet of God? Or that of prophet Jeremiah the  victim of human wickedness .

 

Which ever category we fall in, today we are called to be humble like Jesus who came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. Therefore, as leaders, we should see ourselves as servants and not seek after status beyond our reach or plot the down fall of others. Remember, ambition can be a good thing but only if it is kept in check and if pursued for the right reason, that is, to serve others.

 

 LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, we are often consumed by excess love for power, which we have often misused and abused.  As we listen to your teaching today, may we earn to use the power and authority entrusted to us in humble service for the common good of all. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a blessed day.

The Homily For Tuesday Second Week of Lent Year A, 7th March, 2023

Readings: Is. 1:10.16-20; Ps.50; Matt. 23:1-12

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

 

ARE YOU A GOOD LEADER OR A HYPOCRITE?

 

Leadership is one of the characteristics of the human person, it is that which makes us unique from every other creatures. It is a gift from God by which we serve him and our neighbour responsibly. But this gift often has been abused and misused by people who were entrusted with the responsibility of leading others, just like the Scribes and the Pharisees in the Gospel passage today, who had the responsibility to lead people to the Kingdom of heaven, but with their ugly ways of life,  they neither enter nor allow those who want to enter to go in.

 

Hence, Jesus told his disciples that since the scribes and the Pharisees occupy the chair of Moses. They must therefore do what they tell them and listen to what they say; but do not be guided by what they do: since they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they will not lift a finger to move any. Everything they do is done to attract attention.

 

Here, Jesus made it clear that we should listen to what the authorities are saying to us. However, we should not be such people who do not put into practice what we teach. So, as Christians we need to start practicing what we preach, we need to do more of witnessing then preaching. It is not enough to recall principles, state intentions, point to blatant injustice going in our country today and utter prophetic denunciation; these kind of words lack the real meaning of our faith unless they are accompanied by effective actions manifested in our way of life.

 

Thus, Jesus called the Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites, blind guide because, they misused the gift of leadership entrusted to them. So, today we are called not to be like them, rather, we should be humble, committed and responsible with whatever we are entrusted with. Jesus made us to know that the greatest among us must be the servant of all. Because anyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and anyone who humbles himself will be exalted.

 

Hence, prophet Isaiah tells us in our first reading to hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of world; listen to the command of our God, you people of corruption. ‘Wash, make yourselves clean. Take your wrong-doing out of God’s sight. Cease to do evil. Learn to do good, search for justice, help the oppressed, be just to the orphan, plead for the widow.

 

Dear friends, the world especially our country Nigeria is full of leaders with Pharisaic spirit of greed, selfishness, pride and corruption. Today, we need good leaders who are not hypocrites. Leaders who will be truly servants of the people at all levels of leadership beginning from the self to the family, to societies, country and any other level we may find ourselves. But what does it take to be a good leader? Jesus says is humility that comes from a humble heart that wishes to serve and not to be served. A heart that understands that leadership is sacrificial. Can I be such a leader in my family, in my society and in our country?

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, humanity are suffering because of corrupt, greed and selfish leaders who occupied virtually every important position of leadership. As we embrace your words today, may we become good leaders in our families, societies, country and the world at large. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.  Do have a fruitful day.

The Homily of Monday in Second Week of Lent Year A, 6th March, 2023

Readings:  Dan. 9:4b-10, Ps.79, Luke 6:36-38

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

 

ARE YOU COMPASSIONATE?

 

The word compassionate is an adjective that expresses an attribute of the noun “compassion” which has to do with having a deep awareness and sympathy for another's suffering. It is the humane quality of understanding the suffering of others and wanting to do something about it.

 

Hence Jesus in our Gospel reading today, calls his disciples to be compassionate as our heavenly Father is compassionate. He told them not to judge, so that they will not be judged. He said to them do not condemn, and you will not be condemned yourselves; grant pardon, and you will be pardoned. In the light of been compassionate, Jesus encouraged his disciples to be generous to people by giving, and they will receive gifts in return, a full measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be poured into their lap; because the amount they measure out is the amount they will be given back.

 

Here, Jesus emphasis that our generosity should come from a heart that is truly compassionate, a heart that understands the sufferings of others and wishes to do something about it, knowing that truly there is a reward for every single act of generosity and compassion shown to others. Thus, prophet Daniel in our first reading reminded us that mercy and pardon belong to our God, because we have betrayed him, and have not listened to his voice nor followed the laws he has given us through his servants the prophets. So is time to come back to him as he calls us to be compassionate.

 

Dear friends, are you compassionate? Are you generous? For today we are called to be compassionate and generous just like our heavenly Father who is great and loving, showing compassion and kindness to those who love and keep His commandments. We are also called not to judge, because, often that which we judge in others, we ourselves are doing worst.  Hence, Jesus is challenging us today to think differently about how we live our lives.

 

He is calling us to look into our inner being, our interior life, that part of us that we hide from one another, in order to purify it in humility. And by so doing we can be pure and free to help others in the struggles with their weakness. Therefore, it’s time to look into ourselves and take away our prideful ways of life, so as to humbly accommodate the weakness and faults of others especially in our families, societies and the world at large, knowing that no one is perfect without the other.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, as we embrace the call to be compassionate and generous, may your blessings come down upon us in a full measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over so that we can share with those in need of our help. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a fruitful week.

HOMILY FOR SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT YEAR A, 5TH MARCH, 2023

Readings: Gen. 12:1-4; Ps. 33; 2 Tim. 1:8-10; Matt. 17:1-9

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

 

THE CALL AND SEPARATION THAT LEADS TO PERSONAL ENCOUNTER WITH GOD

 

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 called Abraham to leave his country, his family and his father’s house, for the land  He will show him. Here God promised to  bless him and make him a great nation. Such were the promises that God had given to Abraham, and he believed in God fully and completely, leaving his ancestral family and lands behind, and journeyed with God to the promised land. As the scriptures made us to know, Abraham had a lot of properties, amazing connections and things he definitely enjoyed in his ancestral homeland. But he chose to trust in God and abandoned all these things, and journeyed with God in faith and commitment towards attaining the promised made to him.

 

Thus, this call of Abraham marks the beginning of a special encounter and a close relationship between God and man. By following and trusting God, Abraham demonstrates extraordinary faith in God’s guidance and providence. 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 passage 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 through his Passion, his death on the Cross and his resurrection. 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. The transfiguration account tells us about a dramatic encounter of God’s presence.  A truly spiritual personal experience of God calling us for a possibility of divine encounter.

 

Dear friends, today God is calling and separating us from the things of this passing world in order to have a personal encounter with him just like Abraham and the three disciples Peter, James and John. For we all have been called to journey with the Lord and to obey His will. Often time 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.  And 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, how are we responding to God’s call?  How are we able to discern carefully the will of God in our lives? God has called us to change our ugly ways of life and follow Him, in whatever directions that He wishes to lead us through. Are we ready to follow him? Are we ready to let go of the excess desire for sinful things of this passing world? Are we ready to sacrifice all for the sake of following the Lord and  experience his glory and presence in our lives?

 

The truth remains that, we can change our friends, our residence, our cars or our physical appearance: hear, cloth and colour of our skin. We can change our gender as some people do today, we can change even our church denomination, the Masses we attend,  our pious societies, even our pastors or priests. 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. Because, everything absolutely changes when we encounter and  experience God personally in our lives and change our mind and heart for good. For that change can only be propelled by a strong personal experience of God in our lives just like Peter, James and John.

 

Hence, St Paul calls us in our second reading to embrace the Gospel in the power of God, who saved and called us with a holy calling in order to personally experience the transfigurative power of His presence, not in virtue of our work but in virtue of His own purpose and grace which He gave us through Jesus Christ.

 As we worship God today, may He transform us into the image and likeness of his Son Jesus and fill our heart with the Joy of His kingdom.

 

LET US PRAY: Almighty God,  as you have called us to the mountain of encounter and transfiguration, may we truly encounter you personally in your Words and Sacraments which we celebrate this Holy season of Lent. We ask this through Christ our Lord.  Amen.  Happy Sunday.

Homily For Saturday of the First Week of Lent Year A, 4th March, 2023

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

Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

 

CHRISTIAN LIFE REQUIRES CARRYING THE HEAVY BURDEN OF 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, Christian life requires daily carrying of the burden of sacrificial love. That is why today we are called 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 causing chaos and divisions by 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

Homily For Friday of the First Week of Lent Year A, 3rd March, 2023

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

Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

 

UNDERSTANDING GOD’S JUSTICE AND MERCY

 

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 on the path of righteousness and never 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.

Homily For Thursday of the First Week of Lent Year A, 2nd March, 2023

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

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

 

HOW TO PRESENT OUR STRUGGLES AND CHALLENGES TO THE LORD IN PRAYERS

 

Reflecting on our daily experience on the events of life, especially the struggles, the challenges, the disappointments, the cries and difficult situation 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 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 want.

 

Dear friends, do not carry your burdens alone bring them to God in prayer. Yes, we are full of energy, zeal and passion, ready to face the challenges and struggles of yet another day. But the questions we need to ask ourselves are, 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, in our families and in our country.  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 in our country, 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.