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Homily For The 2nd Sunday In Ordinary Time, Year A.

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    Isaiah 49:3.5-6; Psalm 39:2.4.7-10 R/ v.8.9; 1Corinthians 1:1-3; John 1:29-34 “THE NEW ISRAEL AND THE NEW MISSION!” By: Rev. Fr. Charles Onyeka Ezejide. ·         Today the church celebrates the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A. In the context of today’s liturgy, the Lord calls us to mission. He calls the New Israel and, by extension, a New Mission. ·         Today, the Lord calls us to himself, to be by him and imitate him so that through us and our way of life, and through our living testimonies in the world, he might be glorified. We must remember that it is only a life that is Holy that glorifies God. If we must glorify God, then we are called to holiness of life. ·         In the first reading (Isaiah 49:3.5-6), God calls us the New Israel; he calls each of us by his name because “before we were formed in the womb he knew us” (Isaiah 49:5). In cal...
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Homily For The 4th Sunday Of Advent, Year A.

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  Isaiah 7:10-14; Psalm 24:1-6; Romans 1:1-7; Matthew 1:18-24. “EMMANUEL: GOD-IS-WITH-US!” By: Rev. Fr. Charles Onyeka Ezejide ·        Today is the fourth and last Sunday of Advent. If you like, you can call it ‘rush hour Sunday.’ We cannot help but notice the mad rush to engage in the last minutes of shopping and preparation for Christmas, both physical and spiritual. ·        Christmas is barely a week from today, the countdown has started, and this last Sunday of Advent still gives us yet another opportunity to put our hearts and house in order. ·        Dearly beloved in Christ, it is painful to observe that the Advent season, rather than a time of preparation for the birth of the Saviour of the world, has become an ADVERT season, where we sell all kinds of goods at exorbitant prices to make surplus gains. We buy and buy, even things we don't need, to ensure our houses are ful...
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Homily For The 3rd Sunday Of Advent, Year A.

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  Isaiah 35:1-6, 10; Psalm 145:6-10; James 5:7-10; Matthew 11:2-11. “THE JOY OF WAITING ON GOD!” By: Rev. Fr. Charles Onyeka Ezejide ·        Today we celebrate the 3 rd Sunday of Advent. Today, more than ever before, the coming of the Son of God at Christmas is closer to us than ever. And the Advent season affords us that opportunity to make adequate preparation to receive the Lord at Christmas. ·        Today, the church celebrates “Gaudete Sunday”, which means Joy or happiness. We are happy because the coming of the Son of God is closer to us than ever. The word “joy” is used with happiness and rejoicing ·        For the four Sundays of Advent, the Lord continues to write us a personal letter through the readings on the best way to make preparations for his coming, what we should do and what we should not do, and most importantly, how to occupy ourselves while waiting for his c...
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Homily For The 2nd Sunday Of Advent, Year A.

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  Isaiah 1:1-10; Psalm 71:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17; Romans 15:4-9; Matthew 3:1-12. “BE PREPARED!” By: Rev. Fr. Charles Onyeka Ezejide ·        Today, the church continues in her journey of waiting in joyful hope for the second coming of the Son of God in the flesh at Christmas. This journey is not expected to be idle, but one filled with activities that please God, so that when the Son of God is revealed, we will be found worthy to behold him. ·        Today, being the second Sunday of Advent, the Lord is issuing us a second letter, a personal letter asking us to be prepared and make ourselves and our hearts ready to receive him. He will repeat this letter in various forms throughout the season of Advent; will you rather not respond positively to it? ·        Today’s personal letter to us from God is asking us to be prepared, just like the motto of the Boy Scouts, since we do not know t...
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Homily For The 1st Sunday Of Advent, Year A.

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  Isaiah 2:1-5; Psalm 121:1-2, 4-5, 6-9; Romans 13:11-14; Matthew 24:37-44. THE JOY OF BEHOLDING THE HOUSE OF GOD By: Rev. Fr. Charles Onyeka Ezejide ·        Happy New Year to you all! ·        A lot of you may be surprised or confused, and probably wondering if Fr. Charles has gone mad. Why is he greeting “Happy New Year” in November and not the usual 1 st January? I am not mistaken nor confused. Today, the church begins a new liturgical year; hence, it is proper to start the year by wishing you all a “Happy New Year”. ·        Today, we move from the liturgical year C to year A while preparing ourselves for the imminent coming of the Son of God at Christmas, which is what the season of Advent reminds us of. ·        Today, being the first Sunday of Advent, the Psalmist reminds us that we should be joyful in having the privilege to dwell in the ho...
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The Solemnity Of Christ The King Of The Universe, Year C.

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  Daniel 7:13-14; Psalm 93:1-2. 5. R/1; Apocalypse 1:5-8; John 18:33-37. “CHRIST THE ONE TRUE KING OF KINGS” By: Rev. Fr. Charles Onyeka Ezejide. ·        The history of the world is replete with the rising and falling of kings and kingdoms, and the rising and falling of empires and emperors. The entire gamut of world history presents us with tales of the enthronements and dethronements of individuals and groups, accompanied by their transient powers. We are conversant with the Pharaohs of Egypt and Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon during the exilic experience of Daniel’s time. Throughout history, we are familiar with notable figures such as Alexander the Great, whose reign was felt across the known world of his time, as well as Alfred the Great, Darius the Great, Charlemagne, Louis XIV, and others. Many empires rose and fell: The Roman Empire, the Spanish Empire, and the Empires of France and Britain. ·        In moder...
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Homily For The 33rd Sunday In Ordinary Time, Year C.

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  Malachi 3:19-20; Psalm 97:5-9; 2 Thessalonians 3:7-12; Luke 21 :5-19.   “WORKING FOR SALVATION ! ”   By: Rev. Fr. Charles Onyeka Ezejide. ·        There is this common joke shared among Nigerians that “Christianity is free, but we must buy the bible”. It simply means that Christ has come to offer salvation to all, but this salvation must be appropriated by our free choice and decision to embrace it. Hence, we must work for it. ·        The church’s liturgical year and even the civil calendar are gradually coming to an end, so it is not surprising that the readings are eschatological and remind us of the imminent end of time and the need to be conscious of it and prepare adequately. ·        I am tempted to think that if the energy, resources, and time used to prepare for Christmas and New Year (end of the year) is used to prepare for the coming of Christ (end of time),...
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