Fr. Emmanuel Megwara, MSP - Homily for Saturday Week 1 of Lent - February 27, 2021

DATE : 27/2/2021

 EVENT : Saturday of the first week of Lent

 COLOUR:Violet

 READINGS : Deuteronomy 26:16-19; Resp. Psalm 118:1-2,4-5,7-8; Matthew 5:43-48.

  THEME:  OBEDIENCE TO GOD BRINGS JOY

         Greetings beloved people of God. I welcome you to "My Catholic Homily Digest". On this Twenty Seventh day of February, I wish to reflect with you on the theme: " Obedience To God Brings Joy". Beloved, how do you feel whenever you go against your conscience to do things that are morally unacceptable? How do you feel each time you consciously falter or go against the laws of God? How do you feel each time you commit a sin? Do you feel bad? Do you feel some level of regret or remorse? Do you quickly acknowledge your sin and rush back to God? Or do you just seat back without feeling a pinch of pain in your conscience? Dearest, God cannot compel us to obedience, but he expects us to comply with his laws and decrees. He expects us to flee from sin and all forms of wrongdoings. Not just because it is fitting and just to do so, but because obedience brings some level of contentment, joy and a sense of fulfillment in our hearts. Our hearts are meant for love, for peace, for obedience, for forgiveness and for trust. Hence, whatever goes against this, defeats the makeup of the heart and brings sadness.

     In the first reading of today, we are told that God's intention is for all of us to follow and keep his commandments. He wants all us who are his promised children, to enjoy his favours and blessings. But, as a holy and a just God, he only ask that we obey and keep his laws and to feel remorse for sins committed. Beloved, there is joy in obeying God. You will notice that whenever you followed the directions of your conscience, and do not fall into any temptations, You always felt some level of joy within yourself. You will also notice that each time you go out of your way to reconcile and make peace with your adversary, you always felt proud of your actions. It pays to live in peace, it pays to obey God, and it brings internal joy to avoid sin and wrongdoings.

     Child of God, if you want to experience peace of mind. If you want to have joy unending, if you desire to have the promises of God, then, keep his laws and ordinances. If you want to be a true Christian, love your enemies, pray for those who hate you and show good examples. To be a true Christian means that you must strive to become like Christ. To go against the popular and conventional way of thinking and acting.

 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 always find pleasure and joy in keeping your promise... 

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 WEEKEND BELOVED FRIENDS

  @ Fada Emmanuel Nnamdi Megwara, MSP. ⛪

Fr. Emmanuel Megwara, MSP - Homily for Friday Week 1 of Lent - February 26, 2021

DATE : 26/2/2021

 EVENT : Friday of the first week of Lent

 COLOUR:Violet

 READINGS : Ezekiel 18:21-28; Resp. Psalm 129:1-8; Matthew 5:20-26.

  THEME:  GOD OPERATES WITH THE PRESENT

         Greetings beloved people of God. I welcome you to "My Catholic Homily Digest". On this Twenty Sixth day of February, I wish to reflect with you on the theme: " God Operates With The Present". Beloved, although it is often said that God is the same yesterday, today and always, he does not dwell with past events, but considers the present. God does not pass premature judgment, neither does he appraise a man before the end of his life. Because he knows that man is a bundle of limitless possibilities. Hence, the Psalmist exclaims: 'woe to him who has placed too much trust and confidence in man'. We are also told in the book of Ecclesiastes that the day a man dies is better than the day he was born, and the ending of a man is more important than his beginning. This is because many people often start off well, but their ending us usual not wonderful. So, it is more profitable to see how a person's journey ends.

   This is the central message of today's readings. Through the wordings of the Prophet Ezekiel we are told that God is not always delighted in the death of a sinner, but glories in a repented sinner. And on the contrary, God is aggrieved at the Saint who renounces the path of righteousness and opt for iniquity. God is not pleased when a good child grows up to become a bad boy or girl. God is not happy when a faithful Catholic grows to leave the Catholic church. God is not comfortable when a devoted member of a Pious group (charismatic, legion of Mary, Sacred Heart, Divine Mercy, etc), grows cold and no longer comes to spiritual programs. God is ashamed when a serious minded Christian abandons the faith for worldly connection and flexing. God is disappointed when a good man becomes a bad husband or boss. God is angered when a good preacher stops to devote his time to preaching well. God is pained when a righteous promising fellow turns to evil ways and suddenly dies. Beware beloved, evil does not pay.

       Child of God, if you are already making attempts to be good, please continue on that path. Do not allow the allures of the world to deceive you. Do not give in to peer pressures or to satanic distractions. If you are struggling with a sinful habit, change your ways now and receive God's mercy this season of grace. God will not always remember your past sins or good deeds, but at the end of the day, what will count against you or in your favour would be your present state of life. So, always live in the moment with God and for God.

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 dedicate my life completely to you. May I never be found wanting in the day of Reckoning....

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 WEEKEND BELOVED FRIENDS

 

@ Fada Emmanuel Nnamdi Megwara, MSP. ⛪

Fr. Emmanuel Megwara, MSP - Homily for Thursday Week 1 of Lent - February 25, 2021

DATE : 25/2/2021

 EVENT : Thursday of the first week of Lent

 COLOUR:Violet

 READINGS : Esther 4:17; Resp. Psalm 137:1-3,7-8; Matt. 7:7-12.

 THEME:  THE LORD LISTENS TO THE PRAYERS OF A SORROWING HEART

        Greetings beloved people of God. I welcome you to "My Catholic Homily Digest". On this Twenty Fifth day of February, I wish to reflect with you on the theme: " The Lord Listens To The Prayers Of A Sorrowing Heart". Beloved in Christ, do you know that there are certain prayers and pleas which never go unanswered. Do you also know that there are certain persons, whose prayers receive express and emergency treatment from God. It does not mean that God is partial in his dealings or mode of answering prayers. What this simply means is that as a merciful and compassionate Being, God always has soft spot for the downtrodden, the weak, the orphan, the widow, the infant and the extremely poor. He is quick to rescue or avenge the misdeeds done to these categories of persons, especially when they call upon him from their heart, over an injustice meted at them.

      Beloved, the first reading of today presents us with the sorrowful prayers of Queen Esther. The people of Israel were under the threat of extinction by the evil decree of king Artaxerxes the great, which Haman, the king's trusted general had planned. But because the people of Israel were not only precious and dear to the Lord, they were also vulnerable and defenceless against the threats of the king. So, God listened earnestly to the pleas of Queen Esther when she called upon him to salvage her people, the Jews from the clutches of the hungry lions of Haman, waiting to prowl.

   Child of God, just like the Gospel of today reads, God knows and is interested in giving us the good things of life. He always respects his words. Just like He told us in the Gospel this morning, we are sure to receive whatever good we ask in his name. Especially when that which we are asking is exactly what we need; is according to his will and justly belongs to us by right. So my beloved friends, whenever you feel unjustly treated or feel that what is rightly your due is not coming to you, do not hesitate to cry to God like Esther and He will most certainly come to your rescue.

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

 LET US PRAY : Lord Jesus, thank you for keeping to your promises in my life. May you continue to provide for me all that I need. ..

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. Emmanuel Megwara, MSP - Homily for Wednesday Week 1 of Lent - February 24, 2021

DATE : 24/2/2021

 EVENT : Wednesday of the First Week of Lent

 COLOUR:Violet

 READINGS : Jonah 3:1-10; Resp. Psalm 50:3-4,12-13,18-19; Luke 11:29-32.

 THEME:  DO NOT DESPISE THE SINFUL PREACHER

         Greetings beloved people of God. I welcome you to "My Catholic Homily Digest". On this Twenty Fourth day of February, I wish to reflect with you on the theme: " Do Not Despise The Sinful Preacher". Beloved, do you know that the devil has only one aim in all his undertakings. To steal, to kill, and to destroy (John 10:10)? Do you also know that he has his scale of preference, his master plan, his strategies and his soft and hard targets? Do you also know that the devil is not a coward or a fearless enemy, but a courageous and daring one, willing to go to any length in order to carry out his mission? Thus, unless we have this knowledge and know the tactics of this eternal enemy of ours, we may not stand a chance with him. This is why Scriptures tells us to be alert, watchful and to pray at all times 1Pet. 5:8-9.

        Beloved, it is often said that the best way to win a war is to stop it even before it starts. And the devil also uses this tactics to try stopping the spread of the word of God, even before it is been preached. He knows that the word of God is alive, sharp and active (Heb. 4:12), and that it can command repentance once preached. And he does not want that. So, to forestall the preaching of repentance, the devil always goes for the head of the flock. His plan is to strike the shepherd so that the sheep will be scattered. His main targets are the preachers of repentance, the ministers of God, and the struggling Christians. His tactics is this, discredit the priest (Preacher), soil his reputation, rub him with the mud of sexaul immorality, drunkenness or financial embezzlement. Make the preacher stubborn and disobedient, make him lukewarm, make him cold to the things of the spirit and let him lose focus and interest in preaching a well researched and inspiring homily. Put enmity between the preacher and his congregation, make him scorn them and let them despise him or as it were " SEE HIM FINISH". Make both the preacher and the congregation lose the quest for the things of the spirit. Finally, always put stumbling blocks and difficult temptations on the paths of the preacher.

      Beloved, this is what God asked me to bring to our consciousness as we reflect on the first and Gospel readings of today. Although for a while the devil barred Jonah from preaching repentance to the Ninevites, but I am happy that at last, through the grace of God, Jonah repented and preached to the Ninevites, and all of them were saved. I pray that these forty days of Lent, we all may learn to truly repent from our sinful ways and experience the divine mercy of God.

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

 LET US PRAY: Lord Jesus, it is not your desire to see anyone perish, please help me by your grace to harken to the voice of preaching which I hear everyday.

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

 MayAlmighty 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 1 of Lent - February 23, 2021

DATE : 23/2/2021

 EVENT : Tuesday of the First Week of Lent

 COLOUR:Violet

 READINGS : Isaiah  55:10-11; Resp. Psalm 33:4-7.16-19; Matt. 6:7-15.

 THEME:  PERSIST BUT DO NOT INSIST

         Greetings beloved people of God. I welcome you to "My Catholic Homily Digest". On this Twenty Third day of February, I wish to reflect with you on the theme: " Persist But Do Not Insist". Beloved, do you know that many of us pray to God with the wrong attitude and mindset. Do you also know that many of us fail to obtain that which we are seeking from God because we lack the virtue of perseverance. We give up too easily, we are too rigid, and we sometimes use our own hands to block our blessings. The only way we can obtain what we ask from God through prayers, is not by an irrational insistence on exactly that which we have in mind. But by persevering in presenting our petition to the divine will of God.

      I once went to visit and pray for a sick patients in the hospital. While the prayer session was going on, I made use of indirect words such as: "if it is the will of God, let our sister be healed but if not, let his will prevail". Immediately I concluded the prayers, the elder sister of the patient retorted with an angry voice and said to me: "Father don't you have faith, while would you be praying as if you are doubting what God can do". Then I noticed that she was not comfortable with my method of praying. She wanted a prayer that will force the hand of God to heal her sister instantly. The mindset of this lady is not different from that of many of us. Listen to me dearest, God is not impressed by your use of high sounding words in prayer. He is not forced to move by your stubborn insistence. He is not coaxed by the use of many emotive and flattery words. And it is not a sign of strong faith, when you blindly Insist on an intention without alighning it with the will of God. This is the crux of today's Gospel reading, Matt 6:7-15. In the Lord's prayers, we are given the template of an ideal prayer. Let everything we say or commit to prayer, be done prudently and subjected to the crucibles of the divine will.

    So beloved in Christ, when next you pray, do not say, Oh Lord bless me, grant me this or that, provide for me, heal me, give me this or that one. Instead, pray like this, using the Scriptures: oh Lord, if it is your will, bless me, if it is your will heal me, according to merciful kindness provide for me. In other words, just like Christ warned his disciples, let us be weary about the use of repetitive and high words. Rather, let us keep persisting and surrendering to the will of God so that at the appointed, God will rain the favours we have been asking for as he promised in the first reading of today Isaiah 55:10-11.

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 persevere in my love for you and may my fervent prayers be pleased to find favour with 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. Emmanuel Megwara, MSP - Homily for Monday Week 1 of Lent - February 22, 2021

DATE : 22/2/2021 Monday of the first week of Lent

 EVENT :  The Chair of St. Peter (Feast)

 COLOUR: White

 READINGS : 1Pet. 5:1-4: Resp. Psalm 22:1-6; Matt. 16:13-19.

 THEME:  ONE LOVE AND ONE SPIRIT BIND US TOGETHER

         Greetings beloved people of God. I welcome you to "My Catholic Homily Digest". On this Twenty Second day of February, on which the Church celebrates the chair of St. Peter's in Rome, day, I wish to reflect with you on the theme: " One Love And One Spirit Bind Us Together". Beloved in Christ, according to the teaching of the Catholic Church, the Church has four marks. She is Holy, Apostolic, Catholic and One. Speaking about the Oneness of the Church means that, there is always unity, communion and sameness within the Church, because she has one head, Christ. Whose visible vicar on earth is the Pope. And she has one Spirit, who directs and leads all her affairs, the Holy Spirit of God. Thus, as long as Christ remains the head of the Church with the Holy Spirit as it's invisible and binding force, the Catholic Church will forever remain united and One. Hence, this feast of the chair of St. Peter's which we celebrate today, is meant to remind us and to celebrate the unity of the church of Christ on earth. Therefore, The feast of the Chair of St. Peter in general is about the formation of the Church when Christ said, “You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church.” (Matt. 16:18).

     This feast has been celebrated at Rome, Italy from the early days of the Christian era on 18 January, in commemoration of the day when Saint Peter held his first service in Rome. Now, Rome and not Jerusalem was chosen as the seat of the Catholic Church for several reasons. In 70 A.D, Jerusalem was destroyed and the disciples dispersed as the Jews continued to make Jerusalem unfavourable to the nascent faith. Also, most of the early Christians migrated to Rome, and many of them were martyred there including St. Peter and St. Paul. Furthermore, at that time, Rome was the seat of the world's political powers, so the Church wanted to be close to the corridors of powers, where decisions affecting all were made. Lastly and most preferably,  in honour of St. Peter whom Christ made the head of his church, a basilica was erected at his graveside in Rome where he was martyred, with a seat of power over his head. So, for easy and physical connection with him who was made the head, the succeeding vicars, used the basilica and sat at the chair which is over the head of Peter. And in the spirit of communion, all the Catholic churches around the world are connected with the Church of Rome and is administratively accountable to her.

       Beloved, we know that God has no visible hands or mouth or legs. Rather, he makes us of human instruments even with their limitations to carry out his divine purposes. So, just like God made us of Moses and the other prophets of old to direct his people, in this our days, God also makes us of the Pope, bishops and his priests to direct and lead the affairs of his church. Thus, no bishop or priest owns any Church. Rather, they are mere administrative shepherds, called and chosen to direct the affairs of God's Church. Hence, in the first reading of today, 1Per. 5:1-4, St. Peter, as the first leader of the Church, admonishes bishops and priests on how to lead the church placed under their watch and care in these words:

 "Be the shepherds of the flock of God that is entrusted to you: watch over it, not simply as a duty but gladly, because God wants it; not for sordid money, but because you are eager to do it. Never be a dictator over any group that is put in your charge, but be an example that the whole flock can follow".

     So, basically, bishops and priests are not just meant to preach, but like Pope St. JohnPaul II, says, 'they must first be witnesses, if their preaching would have binding force'.  Thus, although they are leaders of the church, their salvation is also at stake if they fail to discharge their responsibilities with honour and diligence. Therefore, as the flock and lay faithfuls, we owe it as a moral responsibility to always pray for, support and encourage our priests and bishops, and never to talk ill or gossip them, even when out of human weakness they fail in certain aspects of our expectations.

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

 LET US PRAY : Lord Jesus, may your Holy Spirit continue to guide the Church and may no selfish human element disparage her......

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 NEW WEEK BELOVED FRIENDS

  @ Fada Emmanuel Nnamdi Megwara, MSP. ⛪