HOMILY FOR PALM SUNDAY OF THE LORD’S PASSION YEAR B, 24TH MARCH, 2024

Readings: Is. 50:4-7; Ps. 22; Phil 2:6-11; Mark 4:1-15:47

Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia

 

MAKING A JOURNEY THAT LEADS TO ENCOUNTER, CONVERSION AND RESTORATION

 

One of the most beautiful Sundays during this holy season of Lent is Palm Sunday, a very special Sunday that ushers us into the holy week. This begins with a journey, in which Jesus the King of peace invites us to journey with him. Though, we have many journeys to make in life, but this journey is a special journey with the Lord. A journey of encounter, conversion and restoration. A journey with the procession that reflects an image of something deep about our salvation. Telling us that, together with Jesus, we are setting out on a pilgrimage along the high way that leads to our salvation.

 

Thus, in our Gospel passages today, we have a comprehensive account of the Lord’s passion from the time of his triumphant entry into the city of Jerusalem, as well as the time he was anointed in Simon the leper’s house, his Passover with his disciples, when he was betrayed by Judas Iscariot, arrested, put on trial, handed over to the Romans, condemned to death and was crucified like a criminal, as prophesied in our first reading by prophet Isaiah, which was also emphasized in our second reading telling us how, though he was divine but humbled himself to accepting death on the Cross for the salvation of Humanity.

 

These of course, represent two very distinct extremes between the glory and triumphant nature of his entrance procession into Jerusalem, and the humiliating and painful nature of his passion and crucifixion at Calvary.  Reminding us that we are on a pilgrimage with the Lord, the king of peace, who calls us to strive for purity of hearts and clean of hands, calling us to embrace the truth we found in him as we Journey with him through the activities of this Holy Week.

 

As the King of peace, there are three things about the kingship of Jesus. First, he is the king of the poor, though rich he humbled himself and became poor. The poverty of Jesus comes from the inner freedom which sprang from a pure heart that is above the human greed for possession and power. The inner freedom that overcomes the corruption and greediness in the hearts of men and women of our world today. Secondly, the kingship of Jesus will be that of peace. For he will do away with wars, crisis, hatred, corruption, greediness in order to proclaim peace on earth. Thirdly, his kingship will be universal. For his kingdom will extend peace from sea to sea and those seeking the face of God will truly find peace.

 

Dear friends, there is no doubt that every year we celebrate our Palm Sunday, but how has this sacred celebration changed our lives? How have we encountered the Lord through this sacred celebration? How has this solemn event lead us to conversion? To what extent can we say that we have experienced restoration through the sacred celebration? All this can happen to us when we open our hearts to journey with God. So, this Holy Week, we are not to lose hope or miss out from the spiritual aspect of this celebration. Rather, let us open our hearts and embrace the spirit of the season by spending more time with God in prayer, deepening our devotion through works of charity and through reading of the Scriptures, develop a personal relationship with God as we journey towards him following our Lord Jesus Christ in his passion.

 

In fact, this a moment when we have to be more close to God despite the ugly situation in our society. This should probably be a reminder for us, of the spiritual and social value of what Palm Sunday really represents, so that, in spite of all these darkness and uncertainties, all the despairs and terrible things all around us, we still have that very one hope and one faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, our King and Saviour. Thus, let us enter into the Holy Week with an open heart and mind, by letting the Lord to enter spiritually into our hearts and into our beings as gloriously and joyously as the people of Jerusalem had welcomed him with branches of palms and with great rejoicing and reverence.

 

But not just the physical branches of palms, garments or soulless olive branches, which delight the eye for a few hours and then withers, rather, with a pure soul, clothed in God's grace, love, mercy and holiness. Therefore, let our souls take the place of the palm branches as we embrace the Lord Jesus in his journey towards our salvation, and by so doing experience the presence of God personally and collectively in our lives.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, as we proclaim the kingship of your Son our Lord Jesus Christ, let us embrace your kingship with all our hearts and so journey with him this period of holy week, desiring to be righteous and holy as we embrace your mercy and love. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Wishing you a spirit filled Palm Sunday celebrate.

Homily For Saturday Fifth Week of Lent Year B, 23rd March, 2024

Readings: Ezek.37:21-28; Ps.31; John 11:45-57

Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia.

 

DO NOT FIGHT ONE WHOM GOD HAS SENT ON A DIVINE MISSION

 

Oftentimes, we do things without knowing or understanding the full meaning of what we are doing. Sometimes, we feel or think that we can change God’s plan by frustrating the effects of others, but later to discover that we are unknowingly fulfilling the plan of God. This is evident in our Gospel passage today, where we heard how the Jewish authorities were filled with rage on account of the news of the resurrection of Lazarus which increased the popularity of Jesus. So they convoked a council to discern how to get rid of him.

 

For them, this man works many signs and people are now believing in him, if we let him go on this way everybody will believe in him and the Romans will come and suppress the Holy Place and their nation. They were jealous and afraid not just of the Romans but also for possibly losing the temple and even the privileged position of the priests. Thus, Caiaphas being the high priest, decided that it is better that one man should die for the people, than the whole nation should perish. Though being the high priest, he did not just speak, but unknowingly, was prophesying that Jesus have to die to save humanity from sin and death.

 

Dear friends, do not fight one whom God has sent on a divine mission because you will fail. This is the attitude of the people in our Gospel passage and often times our actions and attitudes are like that of the Jewish authorities, we condemn people out of jealousy and unnecessary fear we feel because of what God is doing through them. Sometimes we feel threatened and intimidated by people’s good deeds and blessings, because we don’t see the need to appreciate them or see the hands of God in what they do.

 

This is very bad and should not be see among us. The truth is that, God has a plan for everyone. God’s plan for Jesus is to save humanity, which he had promised through prophet Ezekiel as we heard him in our first reading today saying: “I shall rescue them from all the betrayals they have been guilty of; I shall cleanse them; they shall be my people and I will be their God”.

 

This no doubt is what this season of Lent is all about, calling us to prepare ourselves well to celebrate the upcoming mysteries of the Holy Week, by embracing it with openness to God’s mercy and a renewed faith and obedience to God’s will. Let us all spend some time to reflect on how we can enter into the most sacred time of this season, so that we may truly have a personal experience of God’s presence so as to grow more spiritually and be ever closer to God our Father.

 

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, you promised to guard us as a shepherd guards his flock, to turn our mourning into joy and to give gladness for grief. May this Holy Season of Lent remind us again of your loving mercy for humanity especially on the ugly situations of sickness, poverty, greed, corruption and sins that are  ravaging our families, societies and the world at large. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a grace filled weekend.

Homily For Friday Fifth Week of Lent Year B, 22nd March, 2024

Readings: Jer.20:10-13; Ps.18; John 10:31-42

Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia.

 

WHAT KIND OF IMAGE OF GOD RESIDES IN YOUR HEART?

 

As we come closer to the peak of our Lenten season, when we recall the great price Jesus paid for our redemption, the Gospel passage today, reminds us of the trouble Jesus has to bear from the Jewish authorities on account of his personality. This is the same with prophet Jeremiah who was also persecuted terribly and suffered in the hands of those who used to be his friends as we have it in our first reading today, where we heard of his lamentations and words for all those who have persecuted and plotted against him.

 

So, in the same way Jesus was being misunderstood and persecuted by the people who should understand him better. Hence, he challenged them to accept his personality as the Son of God who reveals the love of the Father and gives eternal life. But because of the unclear image of God they have in their minds they could not accept the teachings of Jesus in relation to God the Father. Thus, they tried to stone him.

 

Dear friends, often times we behave the same way, where in the name of God, some persons are ready to kill others. In fact throughout history, Jews, Christians and Muslims, have fought in the name God. Today the same thing is still happening in our societies and countries. These ugly attitudes will continue to happen because we do not have the right image of the God we claim to be serving.

 

The Jews condemned Jesus because of the particular image they have about God which prevented them from accepting the teachings of Jesus and since they were also deeply biased and prejudiced against Jesus, it was difficult for any words of truth or reason to change their minds. So, they persecuted the Lord just as their ancestors had persecuted Jeremiah and the other prophets.

 

In a similar way, through our disobedience, pride and ignorance, we may have behaved just like those who have persecuted the prophets and also refused to listen to the truth of what Jesus has told us about his personality. Therefore, What kind of image of God resides in our hearts? Is it the image of a God who is Pure, Loving and Merciful? Or an image of one who dominates others and condemn them?.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, may this season of Lent guide us to have a true image of you in our minds and may this image reflect in our relationship with others. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a blessed day.

Homily For Thursday Fifth Week of Lent Year B, 21st March, 2024

Readings: Gen. 17:3-9; Ps.: 105; John:8:51-59

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia.

 

 THE DIVINE IDENTITY OF JESUS

 

A critical reflection of the scriptures it is obvious that Jewish authorities find it very difficult to believe in the teachings of Jesus, but ordinary people who experience his miracles and teachings accepted them as coming from God. Hence, in our Gospel passage, the Jews continue to challenge the identity and personality of Jesus. They could not understand his words and actions. So, they continue to misinterpret the real meaning of what he says because they took it literally.

 

Here, Jesus made a very strange claims on his identity, and insists he would be lying if he were to say he does not know the Father, to emphasized on this Jesus said: truly truly, I tell you, before Abraham was, I am. This brought more argument with the people who wished to stone him. But, John in this Gospel goes to great length to help us believe that Jesus not only came from God, but is God.

 

This shows us the difference between the way Jesus chooses to reveal himself and the way the Jewish authorities perceived him. Jesus wants us to develop a divine way of looking at things with deeper meaning especially as he brings things to life, just as we heard in our first reading how the promised made to Abraham looks impossible when looked at it literally but divinely came through and well fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ.

 

Dear friends, having heard the teachings and works of Jesus in the scriptures and traditions of the Church, the question remains: what is your personal disposition and understanding of the personality and identity of Jesus? Who is Jesus to you? As we can see the Jewish authorities do not believe in Jesus, because they could not understand the divine life of Jesus and they could not understand his relationship with God the Father.

 

Because they failed to understand that the Father gives glory to Jesus, since it is His divinity that he manifests and by so doing glorifies the Father. We are called today to develop a divine way of understanding the mysteries of God but not rejecting them because we do not understand them. Thus, during this season of Lent, let us turn towards God once again with all our hearts and devote our whole lives in seeking to know Him more.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord Jesus, as we meditate on your passion this season of Lent, may we experience the power of your presence in order to embrace more deeply your sacred mysteries. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Peace be with you.

Homily For Wednesday Fifth Week of Lent Year B, 20th March, 2024

Readings: Dan. 3:14-20,24-25,28; Ps.: Dan. 3:52-56; John:8:31-42

Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia.

 

WHY HAVE WE REFUSED TO LEARN THE TRUTH AND BE FREE FROM THE SINFUL THINGS OF THIS PASSING WORLD?

 

As our Lenten season draws closer to the events of Holy Week, the Gospel reading continues with the contentious dialogue between Jesus and the Jews. Here Jesus told the Jews who believed in him that if they continue to know his word, they will learn the truth and the truth will set them free. But the Pharisees take offense at this statement. That as descendants of Abraham they were free and never slaves to anyone. But this is not the case. In fact, the Jews were continuously enslaved to foreign powers.

 

Nevertheless, Jesus is talking about a different kind of freedom, that is freedom from the slavery of sin. Sin makes us salves to devil. To be free from sin is the desire of every disciple of Christ and this freedom comes from knowing the truth found in the word of God. This is the truth that kept  Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego from succumbing to the request of  King Nebuchadnezzar to worship the status he has made as we heard in our first reading today. So, they answered: if our God, the one we serve, is able to save us from the burning fiery furnace and from your power, O king, he will save us; and even if he does not, then you must know, O king, that we will not serve your god or worship the statue you have erected.’

 

Dear friends, these men stood for what they belief. Because they have learnt the truth and are free from the sinful things of this passing world. We too are called today to embrace the truth found in the word of God and be free from sin. We are called to stand for the truth we have found in Christ. We are called to defend the faith we profess in Christ. But how many of us who want to be disciples of Christ have truly made his word our home? How much of his word resides in us? Have we not  personally experienced the Lord’s mercy and love through the scriptures? Therefore, we are called to be more devoted and pay heed to the instructions of Jesus who tells us to be truly faithful to God.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord Jesus, help us to have a personal experience of you through the scriptures and so develop deeper love and interest in your word and find in it true freedom, happiness and peace especially in this challenging moment in our world. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Wishing you the best of God’s favour and blessings.

Homily For Tuesday Fifth Week of Lent Year B, 19th March, 2024

The Solemnity of St. Joseph, husband of Mary

Readings: 2 Sam. 7:4-5.12-14.16; Ps. 89; Rom. 4:13.16-18.22; Matt. 1:16.18-21.24

Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia.

 

IMITATING THE SILENCE VIRTUES OF ST. JOSEPH

 

Today, we celebrate the solemnity of St Joseph Husband of Mary a man of great virtues. Thus, the liturgy presents to us the events preceding the birth of Jesus and invites us to contemplate in a special way the roles of St Joseph in the life of Jesus and Mary.

 

In the Gospel, Mary was presented as a virgin betrothed to Joseph. That means, they were not yet living together, because they were not yet married. Meanwhile, Mary, after the annunciation, came to be with a child by the power of the Holy Spirit. When Joseph realized this, he was heartbroken. What will he do? How is he going to handle this? The Gospel tells us that Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put Mary to shame, resolved to send her away quietly.

 

Joseph seeks to do his will quietly before the angel spoke to him about his mission and role. We could imagine the great trauma Joseph was passing through when we think about the love he has for Mary. But even in these circumstances, he intends to do the will of God and decides, surely with great sorrow, to send Mary away quietly. We need to meditate on these words in order to understand the great trial that Joseph had to endure.

 

Hence, we can see how this Gospel passage reveals to us the magnanimity of Joseph’s heart and soul. How he wished to follow his own plan, but God was reserving another plan for him, a greater mission. Joseph was a man who always listened to the voice of God, he was deeply sensitive to his secret will, he was a man attentive to the messages that came to him from the depths of his heart. He did not persist in following his own plan, he did not allow bitterness to poison his soul; rather, silently he was ready to make himself available to the event of the new mission entrusted to him, what a great virtue.

 

Little wonder, Pope John Paul II, who was very devoted to St Joseph, emphasis in his Apostolic Exhortation Redemptoris Custos, “The Guardian of the Redeemer”, that the silence of St Joseph is a model for contemplating the mystery of God in an attitude of total availability to the divine desires. Showing us that Joseph’s silence does not express an inner emptiness but, on the contrary, the fullness of the faith he bears in his heart and which guides all his thoughts and actions. It is this great virtues and personality that made him stand out in the fulfilment of God’s promise in our first reading, which St. Paul affirms in our second reading and is well portrayed in the psalmist of today.

 

Dear friends, we really need to embrace these great virtues of St Joseph, especially the virtue of silence. Therefore, let us imitate this virtue of silence and allow ourselves to be filled and guided by silence, especially in a world full of noise and distractions. A world  that encourages neither recollection nor listening to God nor one another. The truth is that, our world is in dear need of people with St Joseph’s kind of virtues, we all are in need of such silence if we really want to make a difference in our society today.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, as  we embrace this Holy season of Lent, let us through the intercessions of St. Joseph, cultivate the inner attitude of silence and recollection, in order to fully embrace the spirit of the season so as to joyfully experience the glory of Easter. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a grace filled day.

Homily For Monday Fifth Week of Lent Year B, 18th March, 2024

Readings: Dan. 13:1-9.15-17.19-30.33-62; Ps. 23; John:8:1-11

Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia.

 

HAS ANYONE CONDEMNED YOU? NEITHER HAVE I CONDEMNED YOU, GO AND SIN NO MORE

 

One of the things that separate us from God and one another is sin. It is that which is opposed to God. Sin no doubt has left an ugly legacy on human history. This is evident in our readings today. In the first reading we heard the popular story of Susanna, an innocent and faithful woman, who was blackmailed by two respected elders who lusted over her and wanted to commit sin with her.

 

Susanna stood her ground and refused to submit to those men’s desires, and she almost lost her life to false accusation as the two elders abused their authority of their office by falsely accused Susanna of adultery and promiscuity while it was their own sins that led them to condemning her. But through God’s Spirit and Wisdom Daniel rose up and defended Susanna, forcing the two elders to reopen the investigation when they had almost succeeded in silencing her by condemning her to death. At this point, Daniel trapped the two elders in their own words and false testimonies, and they were convicted by their own words.

 

Also a similar situation occurred in our Gospel passage today, where we heard how the Pharisees led a woman caught in the act of adultery to Jesus, condemning her to death by stoning in accordance to the Jewish customs and laws, and they attempted to use her as a test for Jesus, hoping that through his response they would trapped him. This is because they know that  if Jesus had condemned the woman, then the people could then say that Jesus was following the example of the Pharisee and therefore discredit his teaching authority. And if Jesus said that the woman should be set free, the Pharisees then could condemn Jesus for siding with a sinner.

 

Here again the wisdom and mercy of God vindicated the woman, when Jesus asked for those who had no sin to cast the first stone on the woman. This is perfectly wise set of words to say in that occasion as it is a reality that every one has sinned before, and the longer that one has lived, the more sins naturally he or she had committed. So they went away one by one, beginning with the eldest, until Jesus was left alone with the woman, who remained standing there. He looked up and said, ‘Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?’ ‘No one, sir’ she replied. ‘Neither do I condemn you,’ said Jesus ‘go away, and do not sin any more'.

 

Dear friends such is the love and mercy of God for each one of us. This shows the fact that God loves us all, and his love for us is even greater than the hatred he has on our sins. And for all those who have faith in him and put their trust in him, God will provide for them and protect them, just as he did to Susanna and this adulterous woman. So, God wants us all to repent and be cleansed from our sins, our wickedness, immorality, corruption and selfishness. He is repeating the same words he told the adulterous woman, that she had been forgiven and yet, she must not sin again. Telling us that sin is something that we must struggle to overcome daily, knowing that God is ever loving and merciful towards us, but we must not take his love and mercy for granted and continue to live in the state of sin.

 

Therefore, as we approach the Holy week, Jesus uses these examples to explain to us how God searches for us when we are lost in sin and his joy when our friendship with him is restored. His searching for us cost him his life. This can help us realize how precious we are to him. He never gives up on anyone.

So, are we lost in sin? Have we given up in our struggle against sin? Do you think that your sins are so great that God cannot forgive you? Do you feel lost now? Jesus is waiting for us to come back to him. When was the last time you sincerely fill sorry for your habitual sins and go to confession and obtain mercy?  I just want you to know that God loves you and his mercy will not let you be condemned by sin for you are too precious to be lost in sin.

 

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, you never stopped saving those who come to you for mercy, especially when we have separated ourselves from you because of sin. As we embrace your words today. May we experience your mercy once again in our lives. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a fruitful week ahead.