Msgr. Roger J. Landry
St. Francis Xavier Parish, Owo, Nigeria
Site of the Massacre of 41 Christians on June 5, 2022
Thursday of the First Week of Lent
February 26, 2026
Esther 12.14-16, 23-25, Ps 138, Mt 7:7-12
To listen to an audio recording of today’s homily, please click below:
The outline of the homily was:
- Few churches are known around the world, but St. Francis Xavier in Owo, Nigeria, is one, not just because of the tragedy of the massacre on Pentecost 2022, but because of the faith that brought parishioners to Church that day, because of the resilience and the courage of the faithful after the tragedy. It is a great honor to be able to be here with you, to give God thanks for the gift of our Christian faith.
- We come to Church to pray, to adore God, to love him, to receive what he wants to give us. Prayer is the most important thing we do. We see the importance of prayer throughout Lent: Jesus’ words on Ash Wednesday about how to pray pleasing to God the Father; His words two days ago about the Our Father, in which he taught us to pray with confidence to our Dad in heaven and to what to ask for; and his words today about confidence in prayer, knowing that God always responds, even if occasionally he doesn’t give us what we’re asking for because he wants to give us something far better.
- St. Francis Xavier’s missionary life was given to teaching people how to pray, beginning with children, to whom he would teach the Our Father, Hail Mary, Creed, Acts of Faith, Hope, Love and Contrition by putting them to melodies and then have them sing them throughout the village as missionary troubadours. Eventually everyone would learn the truths of faith and come to grow in them, before and after baptism. He teaches us the importance of transmitting our faith, which is helping people to learn how to pray.
- The greatest prayer of all time is Jesus’ from the Upper Room and Calvary into which we enter at every Mass. The Mass is the great school of prayer, in which we learn to unite all our prayers’ to Jesus’ prayer. We do so tonight entrusting the Holy Innocents of Owo, one day we pray the declared Martyrs of Owo, with Jesus’ sacrifice to God the Father, for our good and the good of the whole Church.
The readings for today’s Mass were:
Reading I
Queen Esther, seized with mortal anguish,
had recourse to the LORD.
She lay prostrate upon the ground, together with her handmaids,
from morning until evening, and said:
“God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob, blessed are you.
Help me, who am alone and have no help but you,
for I am taking my life in my hand.
As a child I used to hear from the books of my forefathers
that you, O LORD, always free those who are pleasing to you.
Now help me, who am alone and have no one but you,
O LORD, my God.
“And now, come to help me, an orphan.
Put in my mouth persuasive words in the presence of the lion
and turn his heart to hatred for our enemy,
so that he and those who are in league with him may perish.
Save us from the hand of our enemies;
turn our mourning into gladness
and our sorrows into wholeness.”
Responsorial Psalm
R. (3a) Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.
I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart,
for you have heard the words of my mouth;
in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise;
I will worship at your holy temple
and give thanks to your name.
R. Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.
Because of your kindness and your truth;
for you have made great above all things
your name and your promise.
When I called, you answered me;
you built up strength within me.
R. Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.
Your right hand saves me.
The LORD will complete what he has done for me;
your kindness, O LORD, endures forever;
forsake not the work of your hands.
R. Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.
Verse Before the Gospel
A clean heart create for me, O God;
give me back the joy of your salvation.
Gospel
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Ask and it will be given to you;
seek and you will find;
knock and the door will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds;
and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
Which one of you would hand his son a stone
when he asked for a loaf of bread,
or a snake when he asked for a fish?
If you then, who are wicked,
know how to give good gifts to your children,
how much more will your heavenly Father give good things
to those who ask him.
“Do to others whatever you would have them do to you.
This is the law and the prophets.”
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