Homily For Saturday Fifth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 10th February, 2024. The Memorial of St. Scholastica

Readings: 1Kings 12:26-32.13:33-34; Ps.106; Mark 8:1-10

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

 

EXPERIENCING THE COMPASSIONATE CARE OF JESUS TOWARDS HUMAN SUFFERING

 

When God created humanity, he entrusted all his creation to us and gave us regulations to follow in order to ensure the successful fulfilment of this responsibility. But out of pride and selfishness, we disobeyed God’s instructions and regulations. Hence, we separated ourselves from God, where we should have remained and enjoyed the bliss of God’s presence, just as we heard in our first reading today.

 

For we heard how Jeroboam out of greed and selfishness separated himself and the people entrusted to him from God by creating for himself a golden image in replacement of the living God.  Such conduct made the House of Jeroboam a sinful House and caused its ruin and extinction from the face of the earth.

 

This is how we often behave and separate ourselves from God and are heading towards destruction and suffering. Nonetheless, God has not abandoned us in our downfall. He is still compassionate, and caring and loves us even in our imperfections and our disobedience, for his compassion for the sufferings of humanity is so great. This is evident in our Gospel reading today, where Jesus reveals his compassion towards humanity. This compassionate love of Jesus in its historical and physical solidarity with human suffering, springs from the love of God the Father for his creatures.

 

Here, Jesus had compassion for the people who had been with him for days listening to his words. He then says to his disciples that there is a need for him to give them something to eat before sending them away lest they faint on the way since some of them have come a long distance. This compassion of Jesus is meant for us to spread it throughout the world in a practical way by our ways of life.

 

Dear friends, God has not abandoned us even in our imperfections, he still cares about us. All he wants from us is to be faithful to him and be compassionate to one another. But how strong is our compassion towards others? Do we know people who are helpless and need some help? Let us look at them for a moment and imagine Jesus looking at them.

 

Today, like Jesus, each one of us is called to reach out to people around us who are really in need of our assistance. This includes our family members, our neighbours, our colleagues and others who we encounter in life. The truth is that you may be the only person who can bring the healing and compassion of Jesus into their lives, just like St. Scholastica whose memorial we celebrate today. For she was deeply prayerful, caring and faithful to God. She was the twin sister of St. Benedict.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, our fragile and contingent nature propelled by pride and sins have always brought about our downfall, but you have never abandoned us. As we embrace your compassion, through the intercession of St. Scholastica give us the grace to look at people around us with the compassionate eyes of Jesus and be of help to them the best we could. Amen. Do have a peaceful weekend.

Homily For Friday Fifth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 9th February, 2024

Readings: 1Kings 11:29-33.12:19; Ps.81; Mark 7:31-37

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

 

LORD, OPEN THE EARS AND TONGUES OF HUMANITY ONCE AGAIN

 

Reflecting on the ugly events in this world, especially how people pay attention to the things of this world at the expense of the things of God. How the world has engaged our attention to herself that we have now become deaf and dump to things that concern our spiritual life. Yes, we go to Church as often as possible, we engage in one spiritual activity or another.

 

But the question is, do we really listen and hear God speaking to us through those activities? Do we still see the hands of God in what we do? Are we convinced of what we do in the house of God? Are we confused about our faith as a result of ugly events and scandals? The world really wants us to be deaf to the word of God and mute to speak the great things God is doing for us.

 

This is evident in our first reading today, where we heard the consequences of paying deaf ears to God’s instructions. For Solomon in his old age lets his heart be separated from God because of the loss of the ugly thing of this passing world. So today we heard how his kingdom was divided and separated from him because of his sin. Similarly, humanity is constantly paying deaf ears to the instructions of God by allowing herself to be deceived by the serpents of this passing world and as a result of this ugly attitude, we are separating ourselves from the presence of God out of pride and selfish desires.

 

Thus, today in our Gospel passage, we heard how Jesus dramatically and figuratively heals us of our deafness and dumbass caused by our constant embracing of the sinful things of this passing world. For when the deaf and dumb man was brought to Jesus for healing. He took the man aside, put his fingers in his ears, touched his tongue with spittle, looked up to heaven and prayed, " Ephphatha! Be opened". Immediately the man’s ears were opened, his tongue loosed and he could speak plainly. These same words are used during baptism while touching the ears and lips of the baptized, a gesture that signifies the spiritual openness of one’s heart to God’s words.

 

Dear friends, out of pride and greediness we have often separated ourselves from the presence of God and as a result, have become deaf and dumb to his teachings and instructions. Hence, we all need to have our ears opened so that we can hear and understand fully the message of Jesus and share it with the world. I don’t know how far we have separated ourselves from God as a result of sin, I don’t know how deep our deafness and dumbness are, all I know is that today God is saying to us, fear not, have the courage for the eyes of the blind shall be opened, ears of the deaf unstopped and the tongue of the mute shall sing for joy. All we need is to trust God no matter the affliction we are passing through in this world, for he can save us from them all.

 

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, our strong desire for the things of this passing world has made us so deaf and dumb towards your words. Let us hear your voice once more saying to us “Ephphatha, be opened” so that we can hear your words deep down our hearts and joyfully proclaim it to all humanity. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. It's Friday, as you go about your activities, may the joy of the Lord be your strength.

Homily For Thursday Fifth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 8th February, 2024. The Optional Memorial of Saints Josephine Bakhita. The International Day of Prayer and Awareness against Human Trafficking

Readings: 1Kings 11:4-13; Ps.106; Mark 7:24-30

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

 

LEARN TO ACCEPT WHO YOU ARE, THEN WORK HARD TO ACHIEVE WHO YOU DESIRE TO BE

In our society today, most people hardly accept who they are. These days people spend all their resources and energy trying to convince others of what they are not by seeking their approval. What happens is that, in the end, they will lose their nerves and other people will convince them that what they are doing doesn't have any value and because of that they give up their dreams. This is not the same with the Syrophoenician woman in our Gospel passage today, who when approached Jesus pleading for the restoration of her daughter did not give up even when her request was not granted immediately.

 

For we are told that Jesus entered a house in Tyre and Sidon and did not want to be recognized. It is then that this Gentile Syrophoenician woman came to him and prostrated herself before Jesus and begged him to exorcise the evil spirit in her daughter. But Jesus’ answer seems somewhat strange when he said:  “Let the children be fed first. For it is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.”  However, the woman responded, “Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s scraps. Her humble and powerful faith was immediately rewarded and her daughter was healed.

 

This story portrays the anticipation of the future faith of the Gentiles who will later become Christians. However, the irony of this passage is that, in Israel, Jesus was trying to convince people that he was the Messiah, as he was being challenged to prove it with a sign. But here in Gentile territory, he met a woman who was convinced he was the Messiah and he could not discourage her efforts. Nonetheless, his apparent attempt to put her off was just a test, of which her great faith was proven by accepting her humble background and persistence in her request.

 

She accepted the place of a “dog” as a Gentile in relation to Israelites being the chosen children of God to whom the message and grace of the Messiah came first. Though she accepted that she may not be able to sit down at the Messiah’s table and eat with the “children,” she should be allowed to pick up some of the crumbs of unmerited mercy and grace of God for the sake of her daughter.

 

Dear friends,  we must learn how to humbly accept who are and be more persistent in our quest and desire for something. We must stop wasting valuable time trying to prove who we are not, let us first accept who we are in faith, then, work hard to improve who we want to be in relation to our faith in God. Let our faith in God help us to accept who we are. Whatever we want to do, let us have faith in God and ourselves, and be determined because, faith, determination and sacrifice are the secrets of any success in life.

 

Therefore, tell yourself today that you can get that which you desire, when you plan for it, and work every day for it, then you will begin to see a different face in the things you do. The truth is that people are rewarded in public for things they have done for years in private. So, let us learn from this Syrophoenician woman who accepted who she was and was determined with faith to achieve her dream through humility and persistence. Let us not be like King Solomon in our first reading who failed to remain faithful to God in his old age.

 

In the light, the Church today calls our attention to some ugly activities of human trafficking. This is important as we celebrate the memorial of St. Josephine Bakhita. She was a former slave from Sudan who was a victim of human trafficking. As a child, she had already suffered much, being captured by slavers and treated horribly as a slave passing on from master to master.

 

Bakhita had the fortunate chance to escape slavery through her former master, who was touched and converted by her virtuous life. So she eventually found her way to freedom and later joined the religious community in which she spent the rest of her life. So today, we are called to pray for victims of human trafficking and we should never engage ourselves in such ugly activities.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, the Syrophoenician woman accepted her humble background with great faith in your Son Jesus, as we humbly make a leap of faith today, with determination and sacrifice towards our dreams in life, may you grant our hearts desires through the intercession of St. Bakhita. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a blessed day.

Homily For Wednesday Fifth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 7th February, 2024

Readings: 1kings 10:1-10; Ps.37; Mark 7:14:23

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

OUR PHYSICAL AND INTERIOR LIFE  IS KNOWN BY THE FRUITS OF OUR HEARTS

 

From the scriptures, we heard how God has entrusted to humanity his wonderful creation with the following instructions: ‘You may eat indeed of all the trees in the garden. Nevertheless of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you are not to eat, for on the day you eat of it you shall most surely die (Gen. 3:3). But we have often failed to keep this instruction out of pride and greediness which have corrupted our hearts and as a result most of our ugly attitudes are the fruit of this corrupt heart and these often separate us from God.

 

Little wonder in our Gospel passage today, Jesus makes it clear that we are not defiled or separated from God, by external things, such as the kinds of food we eat, but by the sins of the heart, evil intentions and sinful actions which we entertain in our hearts. Telling us that the physical activity of the human person does not defile a person because the physical is being controlled by the inner interior being of the person. When the interior life of a person is corrupted by sin, then the fruit of this corruption is manifested in the physical activity of the person.

 

For just as a corrupt fountain sends forth corrupt streams, so will a corrupt heart bring forth corrupt fruits, corrupt appetites, passions covetousness and immoderate desires for the passing things of this passing world from which comes wickedness; malice, fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, indecency, envy, slander, pride, folly, hatred, deceit; Lasciviousness and a delight in mischievous actions those filthiness and foolish talk which darkened the soul.

 

Hence, Jesus teaches us also, that from a corrupt heart comes the desire for fornication and adultery. And all these come from within our hearts, especially it’s the corrupt nature that brings about the carnal mind, the evil treasure in the heart which defiles the human person and renders one unfit for communion with God. Because they stain the conscience; and, if not mortified and rooted out, will send us out of our heavenly kingdom.

 

Thus,  the defilement we ought to avoid is not from what entered our mouths as food, but from what comes out of our mouths, which shows the goodness or wickedness deep down in our hearts. The human heart is the source of every good and evil deed. Hence, the pollution of the human heart is very dangerous, for in it comes all the powers and faculties of the soul. So there is a need for us to know that lustful and sinful thoughts of the heart defile the human person and make one abominable in the sight of God.

 

Dear friends, our physical and interior life is known by the fruits of our hearts. So we must ensure that our hearts are constantly purged of all these corruptions in other to bear good fruits of love, forgiveness, compassion and holiness. This is what the Queen of Sheba in the life of Solomon in our first reading said: How happy are these servants of yours who wait on you always and hear your wisdom! Blessed be the Lord your God who has granted you his favour, setting you on the throne of Israel!

 

This tells us that it is only when we have the right disposition towards God that we can begin to talk about new hearts and the right spirit to be formed and created within us for having repented and received the pardoning grace of God. Because nothing will last in the soul more than the regenerating graces of the Holy Spirit which gives sight to the heart darkened by sin in order to effectively lead others to the truth that illuminates their hearts from the darkness of sin and death.

 

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, the human hearts have been corrupted and darkened by sins. As we struggle to constantly purge our hearts from sin and corruption, may you, create a pure heart within us so that we can bear good fruits of love and holiness. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a fruitful day.

Homily For Tuesday Fifth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 6th February, 2024. The Memorial of St. Paul Miki And Companions

Readings: 1 King. 8: 22-23.27-30; Ps.84, Mark 7:1-13

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

 

UNDERSTANDING GOD'S COMMANDMENTS IN RELATION TO HUMAN TRADITIONS AND REGULATIONS

 

Oftentimes, we find it difficult to separate the commandments of God from human traditions. This no doubt plays out in our making and interpreting of laws and it has great consequences in our relationship with God and our neighbours just as we have it in our Gospel reading today, where we heard how the Pharisees multiplied religious laws and rituals to such an extent that it was impossible to know them all, talk more of observing them. So Jesus accuses them of neglecting the true commandment of God over their petty regulations.

 

These petty laws and traditions were highly detailed but unwritten human laws which the Scribes and Pharisees regarded as having the same binding force as the Law of Moses. However, Jesus was not totally against these laws and regulations. What he was against was the legalism by which the mere observance of some external actions was equated with being a devout lover of God. Hence he reminds them of the quotes from the prophet Isaiah saying: “This people honours me only with lip service, while their hearts are far from me. The worship they offer me is worthless; the doctrines they teach are only human regulations.” (Is 29:13).

 

Hence, Jesus goes ahead to illustrates the hypocrisy involved in these ugly attitudes by showing how some supposedly devout people neglected the basic responsibility of respect and care for parents by claiming that they had consecrated all that they owned to God and the temple, while in fact, they are keeping it for their personal use. They have forgotten that for one to declare something to be “Corban,” an offering devoted to God when his parents are in need, is in direct conflict with the commandment of God that says: honour your father and mother.

 

Dear friends in this Gospel, Jesus made it clear that the real commandment of God is the unconditional love of God and neighbour. Therefore, we should examine ourselves to see if there are elements of the Pharisee in us. These often happen whenever we focus our attention on laws while neglecting the spirit of the law. This is why we should learn from Solomon in our first reading who after building a house for the Lord expressed his reverence and love for God and his chosen people saying: hear the entreaty of your servant and Israel your people as they pray in this place, hear; and, as you hear, forgive.

 

This will help us understand and value the sacrifice of St. Paul Miki and Companions whose memorial we are celebrating today. They are the Holy Martyrs of Nagasaki in Japan. These twenty-six Martyrs of Japan were crucified on a hill, now known as the Holy Mountain, overlooking Nagasaki.

 

Among them were priests, brothers and laymen, Franciscans, Jesuits and members of the Secular Franciscan Order; there were catechists, doctors, simple artisans and servants, old men and innocent children, all united in common faith and love for Jesus their good Shepard. They remained faithful to the very end and faced martyrdom with courage and so received from Jesus the crown of true and everlasting glory.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, out of pride and greediness, we have often neglected the true meaning of your commandment of love but hold on to unnecessary human traditions which lead us into destructive criticism of others. Help us through the intercessions of  St. Paul Miki and Companions to change these ugly attitudes in order to embrace your teaching on love and humility. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a fruitful day.

Homily For Monday Fifth Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 5th February, 2024. The Memorial of St. Agatha

Readings: 1kings 8:1-7.9-13; Ps.132; Mark 6:53-56

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

 

EXPERIENCING THE HEALING TOUCH OF JESUS

 

From the beginning, we were told that God created everything so good and perfect. But out of pride and greediness, humanity has destroyed and kept on destroying the good things that God has entrusted to us. As a result of this humanity is suffering the consequences of our destructive actions which manifest in different from such as natural disasters,  illnesses, diseases, afflictions, slavery and other troubles.

 

But time and time again, God though not pleased with this destructive nature of humanity, has not stopped to restore humanity to its glorious state. This gracious act of restoration is made more evident in the life and mission of our Lord Jesus Christ, who came to redeem us through the path of humility and love.

 

Little wonder in our Gospel passage today, we heard of the great works of Jesus who was then at Galilee, ministering to the people who came to him seeking to be healed from their various illnesses, diseases, afflictions, slavery and troubles. People kept on bringing their sick ones to him and many people who had faith in him were healed by merely touching his cloak. This passage summarizes what Jesus was doing for the people. It indicates the tremendous desire of the people to be healed and made whole by Jesus. Thus, the presence of Jesus brought Joy and relief to them.

 

Dear friends, God really cares about us, for no matter the situation we may find ourselves in, we must know that the touch of Jesus heals and restores everything. Therefore, we all are called to embrace the loving touch of Jesus and cooperate with him in his work and mission of healing and restoration of humanity. Hence, let us discern what we all can do in order to contribute even in little ways, to ensure the restoration of humanity and all God’s creation which we are destroying by our lives and actions. Let us learn from Solomon in our first reading today whose goal was to build a house for the Lord and ensure peace among the chosen people of God.

 

So, let us seek to renew our faith in God and grow stronger in our love and devotion towards him. The people in our Gospel today rushed to Jesus with their needs and their hopes because they recognized him. Maybe we need to follow their example by bringing to him those things in us that are still in need of healing and restoration.

 

This is what we see in the life of St Agatha of Sicily whose memorial we celebrate today, for Agatha, who from her very early years was notably beautiful. And because of her love for Jesus, she dedicated her life to God as a consecrated virgin. But this did not stop men from desiring her. One of the men who desired Agatha was Quintianus, and because he was of a high diplomatic ranking, thought he could force her to turn away from her vow and so force her to get married. His persistent proposals were consistently turned down by Agatha.

 

So Quintianus, knowing she was a Christian during the persecution of Christians by Decius, had her arrested and brought before the judge. Too bad for Agatha, because, Quintianus was also the Judge. Hence, he sentenced Agatha to prison in a brothel to see if she would change her mind. But noticing that Agatha was enduring all the torture with a sense of cheer, he commanded she be subjected to a worse form of torture, he ordered that her breasts be cut off. 

 

Amid this torture, Agatha prayed to Jesus and committed her suffering soul to his care. And with tears falling from her eyes she died a virgin and martyr. Today she is the patron saint of Sicily, breast cancer patients, rape victims, wet nurses and a powerful intercessor for people who suffer from fire outbreaks.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we submit our lives into your care, let your healing touch through the intercession of St. Agatha may we experience your restoration in our lives. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a blessed week.

Homily For Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B, 4th February 2024

Readings: Job 7:1-4.6-7, Ps 147, 1Cor.9:16-19.22-23, Mark 1:29-39

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

 

THE LORD CARES FOR OUR WELL-BEING

 

A critical study of the scriptures we will understand that it reveals the compassionate love of God in its historical and physical solidarity with human suffering. This is more evident in the compassionate way Jesus carried out his activities which springs from the love of God the Father and constitutes the basis of the Church’s liberating activity. Little wonder in our Gospel passage today, as Jesus continued to carry out his mission of preaching he also showed compassion and care for those who are passing through difficulties.

 

Thus, when he returned from preaching in the synagogue to Simon Peter's house, behold Peter's mother-in-law was sick with fever. This is not a minor sickness in the ancient world. A fever was not a kind of sickness that lasted for a short while but was often a symptom of a condition that would lead to death. So Jesus went to her, took her by the hand and helped her up. And the fever left her and she began to serve them. That evening, after sunset, they brought to him all who were sick and possessed by devils and he cured them.

 

This clearly described how and why Jesus came down to dwell with us and by taking up our human nature made it possible for him to identify himself with the struggles of humanity as he embraced us with his love, compassion and care. For he came to heal us from our sins and from all the afflictions we encounter and struggle in this passing world.

 

So, when Jesus cured Peter’s mother-in-law, she immediately began to serve them, something she was unable to do because of her illness. Thus, she was able to render her service to the first Christian community. She was healed and restored with new strength so that she may again rise and take up her proper place in the community of God’s people.

 

Dear friends, God really cares for our well-being, his always ready to help us in our struggles so that we can be well disposed to serve him. So whenever we are passing through difficult moments, we must not allow despair, fear or doubt to cloud our hearts. We need to have faith in God and wholeheartedly believe in him just like Job in our first reading who even at the darkest moments of his life remained faithful to God and did not blame God for all of his misfortunes. Instead, he blamed himself and the circumstances for having placed him in such a condition. For he still kept the faith and held fast to the assurance in God’s promises.

 

Therefore, we need to have more faith and trust in God and be more hopeful no matter how difficult things may be for us. Also, whenever the Lord restores us, it may be tempting to sit back and accept people’s good wishes and congratulations. These should not be our attitudes, we should rather learn from Peter’s mother-in-law, that healing is not just to make us well but to enable us to become active again in rendering serving to God and humanity.

 

For it is another opportunity to serve God and humanity and so become all things to all people just like St. Paul said in our second reading. For in becoming the slave of everyone else, we are imitating Jesus who has made himself all things to all of us. He has given up everything for us through his life, suffering, death and resurrection.

 

Friends, what are you passing through in your life? What is that situation that made you inefficient? What are those problems and obstacles that make you cry and sad? What are those past mistakes in your life that weaken your spirit whenever you remember them? I want you to know that God knows about them. He wants us to learn to surrender those situations to him just like Job and St Paul in our readings today. Very soon we will feel the hands of Jesus lifting you above those situations just like Peter’s mother-in-law and then you will find peace and joy to begin afresh and fulfil those wonderful plans and goals that seemed impossible in your life.

 

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, we are sick in need of your healing and compassion. As we struggle every day to serve you and humanity, heal all our illnesses and give us the grace to get up and become more active again in order to render more quality services to you and our communities. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a joyful Sunday celebration.