Fr. Emmanuel Megwara, MSP - Homily for Thirsday Week 5 of Lent - March 25, 2021 - Announciation

DATE : 25/3/2021

 EVENT : Thursday of the Fifth Week of Lent/Annunciation of the Lord

 COLOUR: White

 READINGS : Isaiah 7:10-14,8:10;  Resp. Psalm 39:7-11; Hebrews 10:4-10; Luke 1:26-38.

 THEME: LET IT BE DONE TO ME AS YOU WILL

     Greetings beloved people of God. I welcome you to "My Catholic Homily Digest". On this Twenty Fifth day of March, in which the Church celebrates the Annunciation of the Lord, I wish to reflect with you on the theme: " Let It Be Done To Me As You Will ". Beloved in Christ, today we celebrate the annunciation of the Lord. This means that following the biological period of gestation, Jesus Christ, whose birth we often celebrate on the 25th of December, was conceived today, following the medical mathematics of calculating pregnancy. However, we know from experience that things don't just happen, people make things to happen. And so the annunciation of Jesus, his birth and his vicarious sacrifice on the cross won't have successfully taken place, if his Mother, Mary had not consistently consented to the will of God all through her life. So, inasmuch as Christ is the focus of today's celebrations, we have lots of lessons to learn and imitate from the personality of the Blessed Virgin Mary, most especially her FIAT (let it be done to me according to thine word).

   Beloved, the various readings of today tell us of God's divine plan to bring about the salvation of the world through the birth of a son. But more concretely, the Gospel reading of today, Luke 1:26-38, tells us of the presentation of this divine will to a young virgin whose name was Mary by the angel Gabriel. Now, this plan of God was subject to the acceptance of Mary, who was completely free to either accept or decline it. But, true to her name, Mary, "the exalted one", she willingly chose to cooperate with the will of God. She immediately let go of her womanly aspiration of raising her own family. She immediately paid deaf ears to what the world would say. She immediately made herself a veritable tool in the hand of God the potter. Thus, she understood that our freewill is charred when we fail to align it with the divine will. She knew that God would not force His will on anybody, but wishes that we cooperate with Him to accomplish His purposes for our lives.

  Child of God, as we quietly rejoice at the Annunciation of the Lord this Lenten period, let us remember that this solemnity was made possible because of the Fiat of the Blessed Virgin Mary. She sacrificed her own choice, her own will, her preference, her goal and aspiration and consented to the will of God. So dearest, as you live your life, as you make your future plans, as you nurture your goals, ambition and aspiration, remember to subject it to the divine will of God. Do not be steep necked in to doing your will. Be flexible, know when God is telling you to abandon that ambition and to take up another one. Know when God wants you to abandon the ways of pleasure and take the path of suffering and shame. Know when God is calling you to be a veritable tools that He wants to use to change lives and to draw people closer to Himself. The question for each of us is: Are you willing to always say to yourself: let your will oh Lord, and not my will be done at all times, even when it hurts?  

 

Oh that today you would listen to his voice harden not your hearts (Ps.95:7-8).

 

 LET US PRAY : Lord Jesus, help me to be like Mary, who sacrificed herself entirely to carry out the will of God.

The Lord be with you....... and with your Spirit.

 May Almighty God bless you in the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit .....Amen

  @ Fada Emmanuel Nnamdi Megwara, MSP. ⛪

Fr. Michael Osatofoh Eninlejie, MSP - Homily for Thursday Week 5 of Lent - March 25, 2021

THURSDAY 25TH MARCH 2021

SOLEMNITY OF THE ANNUNCIATION OF THE LORD

Isaiah 7:10-14,8:10

Psalm 39:7-11

Hebrew 10:4-10

Luke 1:26-38

A VIRGIN IS WITH CHILD

The solemnity of the Annunciation celebrates the beginning of our salvation. St Paul  tells us in Gal 4:4, that at the fullness of time, God sent his son, born of a woman under the law, to take away our sins. The first reading of today recounts the moment  of crisis in Israel, when God promised to send his son to save them from oppression and sin. King Ahaz was about to go to war against their enemies, and he was tempted to go and seek alliance with other nations to defeat their enemy, but the prophet Isaiah told him to depend on God, for he is the only one who can save them.

As a sign that God is ready to save us, the prophet Isaiah told them that a virgin is with child and will give birth and name him Emmanuel, which means God is with us. God is truly with us in moments of fear and uncertainty.

This prophecy of Isaiah comes to pass in the gospel reading of today. It is exactly 9 months to Christmas, and the Angel Gabriel announces the plan of God to the virgin Mary that she is the virgin spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, who is to be the mother of the saviour of the world. Mary expresses her willingness to carry God in her womb and give birth on Christmas day.

As St Paul tells us in the second reading, God had prepared a body (the blessed virgin Mary) for his son to accomplish this mission of saving us. Since our mother Mary said yes and accepted to be the mother of our saviour, we are assured of our salvation, and God who is always with us will save us from whatever threatens us. Let us therefore continue to hope and trust in God, because he alone is our salvation.

Lord, save us from all that threatens us. Help us to look up to you, for in you is our help and salvation. Amen

Fr Michael Osatofoh Eninlejie MSP

Fr. Michael Osatofoh Eninlejie, MSP - Homily for Wednesday Week 5 of Lent - March 24, 2021

WEDNESDAY 24TH MARCH 2021

FIFTH WEEK OF LENT

Daniel 3:14-20,24-25,28

John 8:31-42

LET YOUR WILL BE DONE

Many of us profess faith in God, we profess to be ready to die with him. Peter for example had told Jesus that he was ready to die with him. When peter was eventually faced with death, he quickly denied Jesus.

The story of Shedrach, Meshack and Abednego is a very popular one among Christians. They did not only profess their faith in God, but they were ready to die. They said that they believe that God is very close to them, and he will save them; nevertheless, even if God does not save them, they would still remain faithful. This goes a long way to show that they were ready to accept the will of God for their lives.

Many of us have lost our faith in God because we did not get what we prayed for,  we think that God has abandoned us. Like these three Jewish men, we should believe in God whether our expected miracle happens or not. When we have prayed and fasted, let us tell God to let his will be done in our lives. Let us be open to the possibility of things not happening exactly as we plan.

Lord, help me to accept your will in my life, may I remain faithful to you, even in the midst of death. Amen.

Fr Michael Osatofoh Eninlejie, MSP.

Fr. Emmanuel Megwara, MSP - Homily for Wednesday Week 5 of Lent - March 24, 2021

DATE : 24/3/2021

 EVENT : Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Lent

 COLOUR: Violet

 READINGS : Daniel 3:14-20,24-25,28;  Resp. Daniel 3:52-56;  John 8:31-42.

 THEME: FIDELITY TO CHRIST REQUIRES UNCOMMON COURAGE

         Greetings beloved people of God. I welcome you to "My Catholic Homily Digest". On this Twenty Fourth day of March, I wish to reflect with you on the theme: " Fidelity To Christ Requires Uncommon Courage". Beloved, have you ever been in a situation whereby your next step or word will determine what will happen to your life? I can still recall what happened to me on a Saturday morning of October 16th, 2003, when I tried to follow a shortcut to Church (since our house was far from the Church), in order to attend my Altar Servers practice in a remote parish somewhere in Kano State. It was about 5:30am, and the day was still dark, when I was rushing to meet up with the morning Mass, and I was attacked by some Muslim hoodlums. They came at me with knives and sticks, demanding where I was headed. After I had told them, they demanded that I remove the Rosary bead I wore on my neck and that I should turn back home. In my infantile zeal and courage, especially as I had read about several Christian martyrs, I refused to do their biddings and tried to struggle with them. Thank God, am alive to tell this story today as a priest.

    Dearest, the first reading of today, Dan. 3:14-28, tells of the courage of the three Hebrew youths, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego who refused to worship the idol carved by the King. They preferred to die, believing and remaining faithful to the one true God, rather than apostatised and spare their mortal life. Often times, many of us truly promise fidelity to God and have no intention of defaulting. But, we lack the courage to keep to our fidelity in the face of deep trial and difficulty. The fidelity of these three Hebrew youths was not based on anything material. It was not dependent on what they can or cannot derive from being faithful. They were not afraid to hurt their mortal flesh as long as their spirits remain unhurt. They were not intimidated by the physical appearance of their enemy. They had a courage which nothing can quench.

          Child of God, from my experience in spiritual direction, accompaniment and counselling, I have come to discover that many of us have a sincere desire to be holy, to avoid temptations and sins. Many of us have the intention of remaining faithful to God even in the face of the most fierce trial. Many of us can even take the vow of maintaining our Christian faith whenever we are confronted by the dreaded Islamic Jihadist (Boko Haram). But whether we have the courage to keep to our promises, our intentions and our sincere desires is a different thing entirely. The sad reality of life is that many us easily fall away to trials and temptations because we are afraid of hurting our flesh or emotions. Some of us are so scared of bodily pains that we can lie, simulate, apostatised or even deny Christ completely just to evade any threat at us. Some of us are afraid to hurt our emotions such that we easily feed our inordinate cravings. We lack the courage to remain faithful to Christ when it matters the most.

    Oh that today you would listen to his voice harden not your hearts (Ps.95:7-8).

 LET US PRAY : Lord Jesus, grant me the courage to be a true disciple of yours and to die at my post.

The Lord be with you....... and with your Spirit.

 May Almighty God bless you in the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit ....Amen

 

 HAPPY MID-WEEK BELOVED FRIENDS

  @ Fada Emmanuel Nnamdi Megwara, MSP. ⛪

Fr. Emmanuel Megwara, MSP - Homily for Tuesday Week 5 of Lent - March 23, 2021

DATE : 23/3/2021

 EVENT : Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Lent

 COLOUR: Violet

 READINGS : Numbers 21:4-9;  Resp. Psalm 101:2-3,16-21; John 8:21-30.

 THEME: PREPARE FOR DISCOURAGEMENTS

         Greetings beloved people of God. I welcome you to "My Catholic Homily Digest". On this Twenty Third day of March, I wish to reflect with you on the theme: " Prepare For Discouragement". Beloved, have you noticed how couples, especially the brides are always extremely happy on their wedding days? They seem to be on top of the world, and the world seems to revolve around them at that particular day. They are very optimistic of a happy married life in a peaceful home. But, soon afterwards, when the aura and glamour of the wedding is over, the reality of marriage sets in. And for some, they soon get discouraged because they had expected it to be all rosy. This same feeling of initial excitement before the discouraging reality of life sets in is also true for the newly graduated students in Nigeria. This is also true for the new converts to Christianity, those who just received any of the seven sacraments, and those who newly gave their life to Christ. For such people, optimism is in top gear, the kingdom of God is imminent. They are full of zeal, they are willing to convert the entire universe to Christ, they have a disdain for wrongdoings, they are so confident that God is solidly behind them, that God will always rush to them whenever they call on him. They expect the Devil to be afraid of them. They expect that success and the favours of God should accompany them in all their undertakings. They have a feeling that they are now immuned to temptations. In fact, they often have a fanciful idea of God and religion, until the reality of the Christian life hits them.

     Beloved, in the first reading of today, Num. 21:4-9, we are told that fiery serpents scourged the people of Israel because they murmured against God. But, I want us to understand why they murmured against God in the first place. Now, you will recall that in several passages of Scripture (Exo. 6:6-8; 19:4-6; 23:25-31; Num. 14:27-32),  God had made them a promise, that they are his people, that He will always be with them, and that they shall suffer no want. Now, while in the wilderness, they became hungry and thirsty, they became weary, exhausted and tired. They began to die one after the other; Miriam died, Aaron died and other prominent personalities among them. Even Moses had lost face with God. So, the people became disillusioned, discouraged, and hence, they began to murmur: Is this what it means to serve God? Is God really in control? Why is God allowing calamity to befall them? Why is God not able to provide food and water again for them? And so many other grumblings like these. Thus, due to these grumblings, their faith and confidence in God began to decline.

        Child of God the situation of the Israelites is not different from what some of us have experienced or still experiencing in our faith journey today. For many Christians, they are still religious because they don't want people to taunt them. But in reality their Christian zeal and motivation have dropped. What they expected from God is different from the reality they face daily. They are easily swayed by temptations. They pray and it appears like God is not moved by their pleas. And so, they murmur silently. Listen to me, the Christian like is not an easy bread and butter life. It is a wilderness journey, where you have to brave the odds and create a path in the thicket bush, wrestle with principalities and powers. Put up with afflictions, trials and temptations. It is a life that makes you to swim against the waves of the world. And you must be ready to accept 'No', as an answer sometimes from God. So, to be a true Christian, you must prepare and be ready to receive discouragements and faith shattering experiences. However, let your consolation be in Christ Jesus, who conquered the world and is reserving a place for you in paradise. May God help us not to ever murmur against Him.   

Oh that today you would listen to his voice harden not your hearts (Ps.95:7-8).

 LET US PRAY : Lord Jesus, help me by your grace to build my faith on you the solid foundation, so that nothing can separate me from you.

The Lord be with you....... and with your Spirit.

 May Almighty God bless you in the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit ....Amen

  @ Fada Emmanuel Nnamdi Megwara, MSP. ⛪

Fr. Michael Osatofoh Eninlejie, MSP - Homily for Tuesday Week 5 of Lent - March 23, 2021

TUESDAY 23RD MARCH 2021

FIFTH WEEK OF LENT

Numbers 21:4-9

John 8:21-30

LOOK UP TO JESUS FOR YOUR SALVATION

It is often said that we do not know the value of what we have until we lose it. In the first reading, we see how the Jews never knew how much God had done for them until they tasted the other side of life. Sometimes we complain about a lot of things and think that we deserve more, it is only when the things we have are taken away from us that we discover that we were merely privileged. The Jews did not count their complain as a rebellion and a sin until God decided to allow them taste what life is like without him. As we see, life without God, means misery and death.

Jesus in the gospel reading tried to make the Jews to also understand that he is the source of our salvation, all that he said and did, are for our own good. Just as it was in the case of Moses when the Jews never appreciated God until they were being beaten by snakes, the Jews never regarded Jesus even after his death. Jesus tells us today that just as the bronze serpent made by Moses and raised up brought salvation to the people of Israel in the desert, he is also about to go away to the father; but if we look up to him who will be hanged on the cross as we will see on good Friday next week, we shall be saved.

Lord, help us to appreciate all that you have done for us. Do not allow us to experience misery and death before we acknowledge your graciousness in our lives. Amen.

Fr Michael Osatofoh Eninlejie, MSP

Fr. Michael Osatofoh Eninlejie, MSP - Homily for Monday Week 5 of Lent - March 22, 2021

MONDAY 22ND MARCH 2021

FIFTH WEEK OF LENT

Daniel 13:1-9,15-17,19-30,33-62

John 8:1-11

NEITHER WILL I CONDEMN YOU

Some cultures and traditions as we know and may have experienced, do not really work in favour of women. A young lady worked up to me recently, saying that she was tired of the way her parents were monitoring and restricting her movements, whereas her brothers could be away from home for a long time and no one would bother.

Women are indeed very vulnerable, and could bear a lot of things in silence so as to keep their good names.

In the first reading of today, Sussana was convicted of adultery, whereas she was innocent. The question I ask myself is whether her husband Joakim would have been treated the same way if he was the one accused of the crime. In the gospel reading, we see a woman who was caught in the act of adultery, brought to Jesus. The same question again is, where is the man he committed adultery with? Some people even speculate that the scribes and pharisees who brought the woman to Jesus, may have done so out of hatred just like the case of the first reading.

The scenario in both readings show vividly that God is very alert in the midst if injustice and unjust judgements. God sent Daniel to rescue the situation in the first reading, and Jesus himself had mercy on the woman  and acquainted her in the gospel reading. Though the woman was spared, she may live with the shame and disgrace for a long time. Many people who have heard that Sussana had committed adultery, may not hear the correct version that she is innocent.

Let us  therefore be conscious of what we say about people, let us not allow the need for human gratification lead us to sin.

Lord, help me not to commit slander out of jealousy. Amen.

Fr Michael Osatofoh Eninlejie, MSP