Homily For Seventh Sunday of Easter, Year A, 21st May, 2023

Readings: Acts 1:12-14; Ps.27; 1 Pet. 4:13-16;  John 17:1-11

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia.

 

A CALL TO WAIT PRAYERFULLY FOR THE COMING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

 

One of the difficult things we don’t like to hear when we are expecting something great to come our way is the word “wait”. The word wait can be very unpleasant to the ears of anyone who is desperately in need of something. Often times, we have little or no option not to wait, and in life we have a lot of waiting to do.

 

We wait for the day to break, we wait for the month to end, we wait for the traffic, we wait for our admission, interviews, jobs, husband, wife, children, we wait and wait and wait. In fact, waiting on God is a regular message of faith which we hear everyday. Waiting can really be difficult and uncomfortable, it can be suicidal for those who lack the virtue of patience.

 

However, good and great things are worth waiting for, just like the disciples who today are called to wait prayerfully for the coming of the Holy Spirit, the  promised Paraclete. For we read from the scriptures how the world pass through centuries of waiting for the Messiah, thinking that the waiting would be over once Jesus had come, but  the waiting have to continue till the coming of the promised Paraclete and even to the return of our Lord Jesus in his glory. Hence, today the Church waits prayerfully for the promised Paraclete.

 

Little wonder today, the seventh Sunday of the season of Easter, after the Solemnity of the Ascension last Thursday, we heard how the disciples went to the upper room waiting prayerfully for the promised Paraclete, as we have it in our first reading, “and when they reached the city they went to the upper room where they were staying... All these joined in continuous prayer, together with several women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.”

 

In our second reading, we heard St. Peter encouraging the faithful people of God to remain steadfast in their faith amidst the persecution and challenges that they are facing. He said to them: “If you can have some share in the sufferings of Christ, be glad, because you will enjoy a much greater gladness when his glory is revealed. He said, it is a blessing for you when they insult you for bearing the name of Christ, because it means that you have the Spirit of glory, the Spirit of God resting on you.”

 

This means that they have to learn how to wait patiently and remain strong in their struggle and sufferings for the glory of the Lord. While in the Gospel passage, we heard how Jesus knowing what the disciples are going to pass through on account of waiting and struggling with the faith they have found in him, prayed dearly for them and commit them to God His Father.

 

This prayer is called the High Priestly Prayer of Jesus, because in it Jesus consecrates himself to the sacrificial death which he offers to the Father for the salvation of humanity. Here Jesus prayed for his disciples that the Father should take care of them in the midst of the evils in the world, that they should be one as he and the Father are one.

 

In this prayer, Jesus shows us that prayer is a form of communication between us and God, Whom we should love dearly and wait patiently for His will to be done in our lives. This simply means, that we have to learn how to communicate regularly with God and wait patiently for His will to be done. And in like manner, we must learn how to wait patiently with our loved ones, our friends, our family members and relatives, our spouses and others who are dear to us. We must learn how to wait patiently with life activities and the challenges and struggles that comes with it.

 

Dear friends, today the disciples are waiting prayerfully at the upper room for the promised Paraclete. We too are also called to prepare ourselves for the coming of the Holy Spirit this coming Pentecost Sunday, we are called to go to the upper room of our hearts and conscience and wait patiently for the out pouring of the Holy Spirit.

 

We are called to prepare and wait on the Holy Spirit through the ongoing novena to the Holy Spirit. We are called to wait patiently for the fulfillment of God’s plan for each and every one of us. We are called to wait for God's time to come. We are called to learn how to wait for one another. We must learn to wait patiently for things to get matured before we use them.

 

Though waiting may be difficult, but good and great things are worth waiting and prepared for. But what are you really waiting for in this life? How prepared and ready are you for that which you are waiting for in this life? How is my way of life showing that I am waiting for the Holy Spirit? If the Holy Spirit comes today will he find a dwelling place in my life, that is filled with bitterness, anger, corruption,  unforgiveness and immoral thoughts and actions? As we are waiting, let us prepare our hearts for the Holy Spirit to dwell whenever he comes.

 

LET US PRAY: Graciously hear our supplications, O Lord, as we wait patiently for the fulfillment of your promise, grant that when the Paraclete comes, may we be disposed to receive him as our Advocate and let him teach us what to do, how to do it, when to do it and give us the grace to do it properly through Christ our Lord. Amen.  Do have a grace-filled Sunday.

Homily For Saturday Sixth Week of Eastertide Year A, 20th May, 2023

Readings: Acts 18:23-28; Ps.47;  John 16:23-28

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyi

 

WHY CONCLUDING OUR PRAYERS WITH "THROUGH CHRIST OUR LORD”

 

People often asked why most of our liturgical prayers ends with the phrase ‘through Christ our Lord'. Is this necessary since God can here us directly? Anyway, the answer to this question is found in our Gospel passage today, when Jesus said to his disciples: ‘I tell you most solemnly, anything you ask for from the Father he will grant in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and so your joy will be complete... because the Father himself loves you for loving me.’

 

Here Jesus makes a solemn promise to his disciples that whatever they ask the Father in his name will be given to them. This is because in Jesus the disciples will experience a direct contact with the Father. His name becomes the link that will usher them into the divine relationship between the Son and the Father. For it is through this relationship that the disciples will come to experience the divine privilege that will give access to their request from God.   

 

Therefore the Greek word ‘dia’ which can be translated as both ‘by’ and ‘through’ can be linked to the words of Jesus when he said in John 14:6  ‘I am the way. No one can come to the Father except “through“ me’. Thus, Jesus is the way through which we can come to God. For through Jesus, we have obtained access to the grace of being God’s children.

 

This does not mean that God is inaccessible. Rather as we know God is spirit Whose nature is beyond our apprehension and different from our nature that are material and sinful. So to make himself known to us He sent His son to take our flesh upon him and to become human like us, in order to free us from the power of sin and death, so that, we can be more closer to Him through Christ His Son.

 

Hence, asking God for something through Christ ushers us into the divine grace that gives us access to divine relationship with God the Father and this has become the normal way for the Church to pray to the Father as we do in all our liturgical prayers. This is what see playing out in our first reading today when Apollos arrived Achaia and by God’s grace, he was able in energetic way refuted the Jews in public and demonstrated from the scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.

 

Dear friends, God makes himself known to us through Jesus and we come to Him through Jesus. Thus, Christ Jesus has become the divine grace through which we obtain the divine access into the divine life of the Trinity. And this is the source of our joy as Christians. For this give us the divine access to include Jesus  in our daily decision making. And try to see things the way he does and when this happens we transcend ourselves into the divine relationship that will make us to be open to the will of God and so obtain from him whatever we need. This is why we conclude most of our prayer in the name of Christ Jesus.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, as we learn to present our needs to you through your Son Jesus, grant we pray that we may obtain through him the divine access to your will and so grant all our petitions according to your Holy will through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a grace-filled weekend.

Homily For Friday Sixth Week of Eastertide Year A, 19th May, 2023

Readings: Acts 18:9-18; Ps.47;  John 16:20-23

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

 

BE PATIENT FOR YOUR SORROWS WILL SOON TURN TO JOY

 

Often times when we reflect on the ugly events that happens around us which have caused us deep sorrows, we wonder why God who is so good and all powerful permits such event to happen to us. Sometimes we felt we should have avoided such sorrowful event, hence, we complain and even doubt  the power of God whom we thought will have helped us overcome the evil.

 

Thus, Jesus knowing that his disciples will surely find themselves in this kind of situation said to them in our Gospel passage today,  ‘I tell you most solemnly, you will be weeping and wailing while the world will rejoice; you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn to joy…and that joy no one shall take from you. When that day comes, you will not ask me any questions.’

 

Here Jesus is talking about the sorrows the disciples will experience when he goes away after his passion and death, and the joy they will experience his at his resurrection. This does not simply means that they shall pass from sorrow to joy, rather the sorrow itself shall become joy because it was the necessary cause of their joy.

 

Jesus illustrates this with the necessary pain and sorrow of child birth and the joy of motherhood. An analogy that better explains the pains and sorrows of the disciples, where their pains and sorrows lead directly to a joy that no one could take away from them. A perfect way of explaining what will happen when they see him again and their deepest pains and sorrows will be transformed into purest joys which no one can take away.

 

These are word of encouragement for the disciples who were afraid of what becomes of them when Jesus is no more physically with them. These same words of encouragement is what St. Paul received from the Lord at Corinth when he was scared of what becomes of him and his mission as we have it in our first reading, when at night the Lord spoke to him in a vision, ‘Do not be afraid to speak out, nor allow yourself to be silenced: I am with you. I have so many people on my side in this city that no one will even attempt to hurt you.’ 

 

Therefore, we are to learn from Jesus, whose path to joy went through the awful agony of the cross, knowing that our own path to eternal joy may first go through the pains of sorrows for our sins. Because for us to find permanent joy in Jesus, we have to die to self which may lead us through a necessary sorrowful moment that will give birth to a permanent joy that is found in the risen Christ.

 

Dear friends, today we are encouraged to be patient in times of sorrows for God knows how to turn our sorrows of the moment into a thing of great joy in the future. The sorrow of contrite hearts today, becomes the gladness of pardoned tomorrow; the sorrow of hardships, intimidation, abandonment, sickness, poverty and even death will become the great joy of success, victory, healing, freedom and eternal life which no one can take away from us.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, who restore us to eternal life in the Resurrection of Christ, grant we pray that our present sorrows will be turned into great joy and lead us to eternal victory through Christ our Lord. Amen.

As we begin the novena to the Holy Spirit today, may the Holy Spirit fill our hearts with the joy of His presence.

Homily For Sixth Week of Easter, Year A, 18th May, 2023. The Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord

Readings: Acts.1:1-11; Ps.47; Eph. 1:17-23;  Matt. 28:16-20

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia.

 

WHAT DOES THE ASCENSION OF THE LORD MEANS FOR HUMANITY?

 

Most  people no doubt, have all kinds of questions and reservations about the following words: ‘death, resurrection, Ascension, heaven and hell', they often wonder what and how these realities will be like. I find the answer to these questions in today's solemnity of Ascension. The event which shows the triumph of life over death and good over evil. For the Joy of the risen Lord has filled the hearts of his disciples as they had experienced the physical presence of Jesus for the past forty days after his death and resurrection.

 

So on the occasion of today's solemnity, the Lord Jesus in the present of his disciples was physically ascended into heaven as they watch him taken away in the cloud, to return to his heavenly Throne, triumphant and victoriously. It was a moment of great hope for them as they wished to be with him for eternity. However, they have a mission to accomplish, they are to bear witness to the events and testified about it on their missions and pass it down as a true hope for humanity.

 

Thus, the solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord, reminds us, that great moment of hope when the Lord triumph victoriously and no longer physically present among his disciples and followers, as they can no longer directly see him or touch him as they had been during all the while he was physically present with them. But this does not mean that the Lord has abandoned or left his disciples, rather he has gone to fulfill his promise of preparing a place for his faithful disciples, and will also send a great Helper to assist them.

 

Therefore, the feast of the Ascension of the Lord does not mean that Jesus has departed to some place far from people and from the world. Rather it means that he no longer belongs to the world conditioned by the life of corruption and death. For he now belongs entirely to God as the eternal Son, who has purified the filthiness of humanity. He has raised and introduce us once again into the presence and life of God.

 

This he did by ascending into heaven with our flesh and blood in its transfigured form and this is a thing of great hope and joy for all who believe in him. It is these great joy and hope that we celebrate today. An event that shows that humanity has been introduced once again into the very presence and life of God. This is the meaning and symbolic effect of the solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord for humanity.

 

Hence, from the readings of today, we have the details of this great event and the last instructions of Jesus to his disciples. In the first reading, before the Ascension, Jesus said to his disciples: ‘you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and then you will be my witnesses not only in Jerusalem but throughout Judaea and Samaria, and indeed to the ends of the earth. As he said this he was lifted up while they looked on, and a cloud took him from their sight.’

 

While in today's Gospel passage, Jesus instruct his disciples saying; All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, make disciples of all the nations; baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe all the commands I gave you. And know that I am with you always; yes, to the end of time.’

 

In addition, St Paul in the second reading, made us to know that the Holy Spirit will enlighten the eyes of our mind so that we can see what hope his call holds for you, what rich glories he has promised the saints will inherit and how infinitely great is the power that he has exercised for us believers.

 

Dear friends, the occasion of the Ascension of the Lord means that humanity have been introduced once again in to the presence and life of God. It is an event that shows an ultimate demonstration of the power of Jesus over death, the inauguration of his reign over heaven and earth as the universal King.

 

Also, the occasion of the Ascension of the Lord is a confirmation of the reality of heaven, which reminds us that God has always been faithful and loving as he fulfills his covenants and promises to humanity. It reminds us of our mission to evangelize the world, to give hope to humanity by letting them know that human hope and life are beyond the boundaries of this passing world.   

 

It reminds us that God will always be with us no matter what we are passing through in this world for he will always provide for us and care for us at all times. Hence, we must have faith in him no matter how challenging and difficult the situation in our lives may be, we must have hope and trust in God that at the end everything will be fine.

 

Let us hold on to the Lord for this occasion is indeed a great time for us to recall the hope that we found in Jesus' triumphant victory over evil, sin and condemnation. Let us celebrate the greatest hope that God has given to humanity by letting us to share in the very Life of the Trinity. The hope that humanity will one day be united body and soul with our Lord and Saviour Jesus. A confirmation of the reality of heaven, for this is the central message of the event of the Ascension that gives great joy and hope to all who believes, which as disciples, we are called to bear witness to the world.

 

Therefore, let us share this great hope to the people of the world by letting the light of Christ in us illuminate the darkness and ignorance in the world. Let us share this hope through our words, actions and deeds. Let our presence bring hope and encouragement, not hatred and division. Let our actions bring healing and succour in hopeless situations. Let our deeds inspire humanity to come to know God and embrace the victory Jesus has won for us.

 

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, let this solemnity of the Lord’s Ascension, enkindle in us the passion to love you more dearly and to spread in the world the Joy and hope we have found in Jesus. Let these Joy and hope bring healing, succour, strength and courage that will help us to overcome the ugly and hopeless situations in our lives, families, societies and the world at large. This we ask through Christ our Lord. Amen. Peace be with you.

Homily For Wednesday Sixth Week of Eastertide Year A, 17th May, 2023

Readings: Acts 17:15.22-18:1; Ps.148;  John 16:12-15

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

 

LET THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH CLEAR OUR IGNORANCE

 

One of the Spiritual works of Mercy is instructing the ignorant, and this is one of the difficult tasks to do as Christian, especially when it comes to dealing with people who are presumed to be learned. This kind of difficulty is what St. Paul has to face with the people of Athens in our first reading today. So Paul finding himself in the most learned city in the world of his time needed to preach the Good News of God to them.

 

This means that the theme for his message have to be something that will interest his audience. Thus, he started by clearing their ignorance regarding what he knows they are searching for. He said to them: “I have seen for myself how extremely scrupulous you are in all religious matters, because I noticed, as I strolled round admiring your sacred monuments, that you had an altar inscribed: To An Unknown God. Well, the God whom I proclaim is in fact the one whom you already worship without knowing it.”

 

In this passage St. Paul claims that this unknown God is none other than God the Creator. He gave us evidence of the ignorance of pagan worship and made it clear that the object of true worship is the one Creator God. He showed us the proper relationship between humanity and God as he lets us know that the time of ignorance is now over. Also, Paul speaks of God’s creative act in humanity, from a single person Adam, he made every race of people and in Him we live and move and exist.

 

Therefore, we are God’s offspring, His true image in the world. Thus any image made by human skill and creativity will possibly be anything other than a distortion of the image of the one, true God. And so Paul warns us from involving in any form of idol worship as he called for total repentance because God will no longer overlook our ignorance.

 

This is evident in our Gospel passage today, when Jesus said: ‘I still have many things to say to you but they would be too much for you now. But when the Spirit of truth comes he will lead you to the complete truth, since he will not be speaking as from himself but will say only what he has learnt; and he will tell you of the things to come.’

 

Dear friends, let the  Holy Spirit of truth help us to clear our ignorance, for there are many idols that enslaved us in this world and sometimes if we are suddenly deprived of them we end up acting irrational and selfish, even to the point of hurting others just to protect and justify ourselves.

 

But the truth is that, the time of ignorance is over, for today we have before us the Spirit of truth. We can no longer pretend to be ignorant of God’s instructions. Therefore, let us repent of our sinful ways of life and embrace the Spirit of truth who will clear our ignorance.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we are ignorant of so many things about you and the world we live in, grant that the Holy Spirit of truth, will continue to teach us about You and the faith we have found in Your Son Jesus as he unveils the darkness of lies and falsehood in our world. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. God bless you.

Homily For Tuesday Sixth Week of Eastertide Year A, 16th May, 2023

Readings: Acts 16:22-34; Ps.138;  John 16:5-11

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Onyia

 

WHAT WILL THE HOLY SPIRIT PROVE TO THE WORLD?

 

Today as Jesus continues with his teaching on the Person of the Holy Spirit, whom he called the Advocate, Jesus said to his disciples in our Gospel passage, ‘I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgement.’

 

The focal point here is on the works of the Holy Spirit in the world. This is because Jesus knows that with the rejection of his teaching by the people of the world, the disciples need an advocate who will surely proved to the world how wrong they are in rejecting and killing him. Hence, What seemed like abandonment to the disciples, brought about the message of hope assuring them that the Holy Spirit will show the world how wrong it was, about sin and about judgment. That is, the Spirit will convict and persuade the people of the world of their sinful condition which they hold so tight because they were wrong for not believe in Jesus.

 

Thus the Spirit will clearly show to the world the righteousness of Jesus and his claims to come from God in order to bring the Word of God anew to the world. The Spirit will reveal the meaning of Christ’s death as the condemnation of all that is evil in the world, and victory over devil the prince of this world. This is so evidence in our first reading, where we heard about the victory of Paul and Silas who were praying and singing God’s praises in the prison when the prison doors were opened.

 

Dear friends, as we struggle with the ugly situation in our world today, we are reminded that the Holy Spirit dwells in us as our Advocate, all we need to do is to turn towards him with hope and courage, knowing that God has called us to be His people and He will always be faithful to His promises. And if we trust Him, we shall not be disappointed for in Him alone is our sure hope of assistance during the difficult moments of our lives.

 

Therefore, let us open our hearts to the Holy Spirit and let him be the sources of hope, light and inspiration for us especially in this difficult moment of fears of uncertainties in our hearts and minds, which have enslaved and prevented us from realizing what our lives truly mean and what we represent in this world. Let us know that God has not and will not abandon us in this ugly situation for He has given us the gift of the Holy Spirit, whose work is to ensure our victory and prove to this sinful world how wrong they are in rejecting and persecuting Jesus and the work of redemption which he has established.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, the ugly situation in our world is really shaking the faith of your children, grant, we pray, that we may always find delight in the indwelling of your Holy Spirit and so courageously conquer our fears and worries just like Paul and Silas. We ask this through Christ our Lo

Homily For Monday Sixth Week of Eastertide Year A, 15th May, 2023

Readings: Acts 16:11-15; Ps.150; John 15:26:16-4

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia.

 

OBTAINING THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH

 

In our societies, today many false influential powers have e great effect on our lives coming from various sources under the guise of good but are in fact leading us astray. So, there is need for us to examine these influences and today in our Gospel passage, Jesus said to his disciples: when the Advocate comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who issues from the Father, he will be my witness. And you too will be witnesses, because you have been with me from the outset. ‘I have told you all this that your faith may not be shaken.

 

Thus, the Holy Spirit will lead us to learn how to distinguish clearly where and in whom dwells the Spirit of truth from the spirit of falsehood. As long as we are of God and in Christ, we have nothing to fear for we do not belong any more to this present world, full of sin, hatred, greed, corruption, deceit and violence. Everyday many false prophets and teachers are increasing and are deceiving the people. May God guide us against embracing, too readily, any doctrine proposed to us without due consideration from any teacher that may pretend to have a divine inspiration but are not.

 

Dear friends, we must be very wise for there are many false prophets operating under the power of the devil. Today Jesus is promising us the Spirit of truth that will give us a special sign for distinguishing true doctrine and true teachers from the false ones. Therefore, let us constantly ask the Holy Spirit to give us the grace of discernment in order to distinguish between good and false prophets and teachers.

 

Let us also be true Christians in our way of life, words and deeds just like Lydia in our first reading, a devout woman from the town of Thyatira who listened to the word of God, and the Lord opened her heart to accept what Paul was saying. After which she and her household was baptised. Let us learn to put our trust in God who has promised to keep us from falling away from the true faith we have found in His Son Jesus.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, you promised to send us the Spirit of truth, grant we pray that we will always stand and witness to the truth we have found in Jesus against all the false influential prophets and teachers in our society today. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a fruitful week.