God’s Word from My Heart to My Lips: Homilies for Sundays and Solemnities, Year a (Revised Edition - 2022)

By Canice Chukwuemeka Njoku, C.S.Sp

This book is a collection of homilies on the Churches’ Sundays and Solemnities liturgical readings, year A. In order not to make it just “a mere weekly homily” but a complete book for all time, the thematical approach was employed for each homily. However, these themes are not exhaustive. Instead, they are meant to help us have an idea of what could be the central message of each celebration.
Brief stories, biblical passages, quotes, popular sayings, and personal life experiences were employed to make the message clearer and more understandable. Above all, I have tried to keep it short and simple. However, great care was taken in doing this by keeping in mind the rules of sound biblical interpretation without downplaying the meaning and message of the individual readings. Hence, this book follows both deductive and other inductive sermonic methods.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Canice Chukwuemeka Njoku, C.S.Sp
• Release date: Nov 15, 2022
• ISBN: 9781005857288

Canice Chukwuemeka Njoku, C.S.Sp

Fr. Canice Chukwuemeka Njoku, C.S.Sp is a Catholic priest and member of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Spiritans), Circumscription of Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic. He has been a missionary in Puerto Rico since 2014.Initially, he studied and practiced Food Science and Technology (FST) before responding to the call to religious life. He has a BA in Religion and Cultural studies; MA in Divinity; MA in Biblical Theology; Diploma in Philosophy; Diploma in Computer Studies. He is a doctoral student at the Aquinas Institute of Theology, St. Louis, Missouri, USA.Fr Canice is the Major Superior of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit, Circumscription of Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, the Pastor of Parroquia la Resurrección del Señor, Canovanas, and was the Chancellor of the Diocese of Fajardo-Humacao, Puerto Rico. Fr. Canice is a member of the Academy of Homiletics, USA. He is the author of the following books:i.God’s Word from my Heart to my Lips Homilies for Sundays and Solemnities, Year Aii.La Palabra de Dios desde mi Corazón a mis Labios - Homilias para los Domingos y Solemnidades, Año Aiii.God’s Word from my Heart to my Lips – Homilies for Sundays and Solemnities, Year B;iv.La Palabra de Dios desde mi Corazón a mis Labios - Homilias para los Domingos y Solemnidades, Año B.v.The Divine Sonship of Christ and the Totus Christi (The whole body of Christ).vi.Important Themes in Biblical Theology.vii.Peace Upon Our World; and Peace Upon Our Troubled World.

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Part Six: Solemnities and Commemorations

Imm. Conception (S): Prepared from Heaven (8 Dec.)

Mother of God (S): Holy Mary, Mother of God, Intercede for Us this Year (1 Jan.)

The Epiphany (S) Beloved, Arise & Shine! (6 Jan)

Saint Joseph (S): The Faithful Spouse (19 March)

Annunciation (S): Hail O Mary! Let the whole World Rejoice (25 March)

Ascension (S): Christ goes up in Glory (BW: 30 April to 3 June)

Holy Trinity Sunday: Glory be to the Father, to the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen!

Corpus Christi: God Abides with Us, Through the Holy Eucharist

Sacred Heart (S) Heart of Love and Compassion (BW: 29 May to 2 July)

Birth of J. Baptist (S): Celebrating the Great Heralder (24 June)

Saints Peter and Paul (S): The Pillars and Princes of the Church (29 June)

Transfiguration: We Saw His Glory and His Majesty! (6 August)

Assumption of BVM (S): Conceived without sin and incorruptible (15 August)

All Saints (S): They came, they struggled, and they conquered (1 November)

All Souls (Comm): May Their Souls Rest in Peace (2 November)

About the Author

About the book

Preface

This book is the product of my reflections on the readings of Sundays and Solemnities of the Churches' liturgical calendar, year A. This project has kept me busy for some years now. The myriads of reactions, commentaries, appreciations, fraternal correction, and imputes from my readers, colleagues, and confreres keep me reflecting and writing.

The thematical approach was employed to make this project not just a mere weekly homily but a complete book. In other words, each homily has a theme. However, these themes are not exhaustive. Instead, they are to help one have an idea of the central message of each celebration. Where it was deemed necessary, an effort was made to harmonize the readings of the day. Also, the author employs brief stories, biblical passages, quotes, famous sayings, and even personal life experiences to make the messages more precise and understandable.

Above all, an effort was made to keep it short and simple. However, great care was taken in doing this by keeping in mind the rules of sound biblical interpretation without diminishing the meaning and message of the readings. Hence, this book follows both the catechetical and exegetical approaches to biblical interpretation.

This book consists of six parts following the usual liturgical calendar for Year A. Part I is the Advent Season. Part II is the Christmas Season. Part III is the Lenten Season. Part IV is the Easter Season. Part VI is the most extended cycle, the Ordinary Time of the year. The final Part VI is the Solemnities and Commemorations. It suffices to note that the homilies for all the solemnities usually celebrated on Sundays (e.g., Holy Trinity and Corpus Christi) are in this section. The beauty of this is that there is a continuous flow. So one would not have to search for them elsewhere.

Peace be with you all!

Forward

The Christian proclamation, by its vigor, tends to heal, strengthen and promote man, to constitute a fraternal community, renewing humanity itself and giving it its full human dignity, with the novelty of baptism and life according to the Gospel. (Santo Domingo #13).

The Word of God must cause each person a restless search. When the Word is read or heard, the human heart moves after the voice of God and finds a way to respond to God’s mission. When we allow God to dialogue with us, He opens our minds and souls to an inner gaze and transformation that leads creatures who seek God’s will.

Often the human being in this dialogue with the Word needs a better understanding of the Gospel message. The Church, in its liturgy, provides for this space through the homily. Pope Francis says at Evangelii Gaudium 139:

The Spirit, who inspired the Gospels and acts in the People of God, also inspires us to listen to the people’s faith and preach in each Eucharist. Therefore, Christian preaching finds in the cultural heart of the people a source of living water. It helps them to know what it has to say and find a way to put it. Just as we like to be spoken in our mother tongue, so too in faith we like to be spoken in the code of mother culture, in the code of maternal dialect (cf. 2 Mk 7:21.27) and sets the heart to listen better. This tongue is a tone that conveys encouragement, strength, and impulse.

This is why Fr. Canice shares his experience of God, born from his relationship with the Word and the communities with whom he has shared his life. Through each preaching, Fr. Canice seeks to make sense of God’s message to everyone who has heard the Eucharist and wants to reach out to each of you who has this homily book. This is in other that, together with the Bible, you can deepen the meditation of the Word and discover God’s invitation to answer his call.

The introduction to the lectionary says, In the homily, the mysteries of faith and the norms of the Christian life are exposed throughout the liturgical year. As part of the Liturgy of the Word, it has been highly recommended and prescribed in some cases. In the celebration of Mass, the homily, together with the Liturgy of the Eucharistic, aims to make the Word of God a proclamation of the wonders of God in the history of salvation or mystery of Christ (SC 35:2). Indeed, the Paschal Mystery of Christ proclaimed in readings and homily is carried out through the sacrifice of Mass. Christ is always present and active in the preaching of his Church. The homily, therefore, whether it explains the words of Sacred Scripture that have just been read or explains another liturgical text, must lead the community of faithful and active participation in the Eucharist so that they may always live according to the faith they professed" (SC 10).

For this reason, I invite you to share this faith experience with Fr. Canice. Do not read this book in one sitting but look for the homily readings you want to reflect upon so that by pondering the Word, you can then read the preaching. With this, you will be able to enrich yourself from the experience that arises from what you discovered in your relationship with God and his messenger through Fr. Canice.

May the Holy Spirit accompany and fill you with wisdom and intelligence so that upon encountering the Word, you may live and share the joy of the gospel with your family and community.

Fr. Floyd Mercado Vidro

Pastoral Vicar

Diocese of Fajardo Humacao, PR.

Acknowledgment

I am highly indebted to the Catholic Community of Our Lady of Fatima Parish Woliwo, Onitsha, which allowed me to write and publish brief reflections in the weekly parish bulletin. I consider this the genesis of what we have today as a book of homilies.

I appreciate the overwhelming support of Fr. Cornelius McQuillan, C.S.Sp (Neil), who encouraged and inspired me to publish these homilies during my 2018 brief vacation at the Spiritan Community, Hemet, California.

I am enormously indebted to all my readers across the globe, especially the following, who encouraged me to continue writing through their frequent comments and observation. Special thanks to Fr. Michael Onwuemelie, C.S.Sp., Fr. Peter I. Osuji, C.S.Sp., Fr. James Okoye, C.S.Sp., Fr. Innocent Madu, C.S.Sp., Okih Peter Francis, C.S.Sp., Fr. Elias Udeh, C.S.Sp., Fr. Alex Ekechukwu, C.S.Sp., Mrs. Marisol Ocasio, my parishioners at la Parroquia la Resurrección del Señor, Canóvanas Puerto Rico, The Bishop of the dioceses of Fajardo Humacao, Mons. Luis Francisco Miranda O.Carm., all the priests of Misión Loiza, Diocese of Fajardo Humacao, Puerto Rico, and my confreres of the Spiritan Group of Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.

Thanks to my professors and fellow DMin 2020 classmates at Aquinas Institute of Theology, St Louis, Missouri, USA. Special thanks to Fr. Gregory Heille, OP., and Sr. Sara Fairbanks, OP., the DMin program coordinators, and Fr. Jay Harrington, OP., for including the Year B homily text as part of the bibliography for his course on Biblical Hermeneutics and Preaching in 2021.

Finally, I am grateful to Padre Floyd Mercado, who was generous enough to edit the Spanish version. Thanks to my brother, Mr. Lawrence Njoku, and good friend Mr. Feliz-Maria Odiaka for their encouragement to publish this work.

Peace be with you all!

Maranatha!

Glossary of Terms

BVM Blessed Virgin Mary

S Solemnity

Adv. Advent

Comm. Commemoration

CCC Catechism of the Catholic Church

ST. Summa Theologiae

C.S.Sp Congregation of the Holy Spirit

JB John the Baptist

OT Old Testament

NT New Testament

NIV New International Version

BW Between

Jan. January

Gos. Gospel

Ps. Psalm

PART ONE: ADVENT SEASON

What is Advent Season?

Beginning the Church's liturgical year, Advent (from, ad-venire in Latin or to come to) is the season encompassing the four Sundays leading up to the celebration of Christmas.

The Advent season is a time of preparation that directs our hearts and minds to Christ’s second coming at the end of time and to the anniversary of Our Lord’s birth on Christmas. From the earliest days of the Church, people have been fascinated by Jesus’ promise to come back. But the scripture readings during Advent tell us not to waste our time with predictions. Advent is not about speculation. Our Advent readings call us to be alert and ready, not weighted down and distracted by the cares of this world (Lk 21:34-36). Like Lent, the liturgical color for Advent is purple since both are seasons that prepare us for great feast days. Advent also includes an element of penance in the sense of preparing, quieting, and disciplining our hearts for the full joy of Christmas.

As we prepare for Christmas, the General Instruction of the Roman Missal notes some differences to the Mass that should be observed during the season. For instance, the priest wears violet or purple during Advent, except for the Third Sunday of Advent (Gaudete Sunday) when rose may be worn (GIRM, no. 346). Aside from what the priest wears, other aesthetic changes in the Church can include a more modestly decorated altar.

The final days of Advent, from December 17 to December 24, we focus on our preparation for the celebrations of the Nativity of our Lord at Christmas. In particular, the O Antiphons are sung during this period and have been by the Church since at least the eighth century. They are a magnificent theology that uses ancient biblical imagery drawn from the messianic hopes of the Old Testament to proclaim the coming of Christ as the fulfillment not only of Old Testament hopes, but of present ones as well.

Advent devotions including the Advent wreath, remind us of the meaning of the season. Our Advent calendar above can help you fully enter into the season with daily activity and prayer suggestions to prepare you spiritually for the birth of Jesus Christ. More Advent resources are listed below. (https://www.usccb.org/prayer-worship/liturgical-year/advent).

The First Sunday Of Advent

The Prince of Peace Comes in Glory and Majesty

Readings: 1st: Is 2:1-5; Ps: 122; 2nd: Rom 13:11-14; Gos: Mt 24:37-44

Today is the first Sunday of Advent, year A. We all desire peace because it is necessary for our spiritual and material progress. We pray for this peace and expect Jesus, the prince of peace, to bring it to our hearts, families, and world at the end of this season.

Advent comes from two Latin words Ad-Ventus, which means to arrive, or Ad-venire, meaning to come. For Christians, particularly Catholics, it means expecting the Lord’s coming. Advent marks the beginning of the Church’s new liturgical calendar. It is a four-week preparation period leading up to Christmas.

So, on this first Sunday of Advent, the church urges us to rejoice because that night of long pilgrimage to God’s eternal city of peace will soon be fruitful. The reign of peace is close at hand. Therefore, we must wake up and be ready to receive Christ in our lives, families, and nation. In the first reading, prophet Isaiah says: We see the mountain of the temple of the Lord, already etched against the Eastern sky. The prophet uplifts our spirits with his vision of the imminent reign of peace which the Messiah will initiate

The Messiah whom we expect this season comes to us with peace. Though he will wield authority, he will not oppress or exploit us. Instead, He shall transform our culture of war into that of peace: "…They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.

Unfortunately, this verse decorates the wall of the United Nations building in New York, yet peace has eluded our world under its leadership. Instead of living together in harmony, we see more divisions and breakups of unions and friendships. The reason is quite simple, international morality, which is the basis of secularism and humanism, alone without spirituality does not work. Only the reign of Christ in every heart and nation can bring lasting peace.

To usher in this reign of peace successfully, the second reading and the gospel call us to be ready and awake. Paul announces the closeness of our Saviour, the Prince of peace: Our salvation is even nearer than it was when we were converted. He also reminds us that: The time has come.

The time he means here is not earthly (Chronos) but God’s time (kairos). God’s appointed time is to save his people and restore peace to all troubled hearts, families, businesses, and nations. Hence, Paul advises: Let us live decently, as people do in the daytime, with no warning or jealousy. Let your amour be the Lord Jesus Christ.

Finally, the gospel is a wake-up call to all of us Christians. The evangelist admonishes us to: Stay awake! It is crucial because this is a season of great awakening, preparation, and expectation of the birth of the Messiah. It is a season that will culminate in an outburst of great joy. It is a season of prayer when all Christians must turn