DAILY HOMILIES

Are you a leader in any capacity? Do you have people looking up to you as their mentor? Reflect on Eleazer’s words, “Such pretence is not worthy of our time of life lest… I defile and disgrace my old age.” Do you know how upsetting it can be when you discover that your role model is not as holy as he has presented himself? Temptations to sin must surely come. Please do not become the last straw that breaks the camel’s back.

In our Gospel passage, Jesus heals a man who, though physically blind, refused to settle for less. This man was not the only person in Israel with this impairment, but he received his healing because he stood out from the crowd. When Jesus initially ignored him, he refused to be silenced by the crowd; he refused to accept the status quo. He did not keep quiet even when the crowd made him appear small and unimportant. He called out to Jesus as loudly as he could until Jesus noticed him.

Whether we face persecution or not, we cannot escape death and God’s judgment. Malachi reminds us that while evildoers will stumble, those who fear God will rise to eternal life. Our Psalmist declares, “God judges with fairness.” Surely, God cannot be bribed or threatened into delivering false judgment, a phenomenon we are used to in this country.

Nevertheless, prayer does not replace work. Prayer will not put food on your table; instead, it will give you the confidence to leave your house to search for food. You are not afraid to leave your house because you know God will bless the work of your hands. However, when you remain at home hoping that someone will bring the food to your doorstep or that the food will suddenly appear in your kitchen, you are now attempting to do magic. Prayer does not replace work; it blesses the work we do.

Today’s first reading also addresses persons who worship idols. They supposed that either fire, or wind, or swift air, or the circle of the stars, or turbulent water, or the luminaries of heaven were the gods that rule the world. If, through delight in the beauty of these things, men assumed them to be gods, let them know how much better than these is their Lord, for the author of beauty created them.

The wise person is not worried about when the world will end because they are ready at any time to give an account of their life to God. Jesus says, “The kingdom of God is in your midst.” In other words, the best time to prepare for God’s kingdom is now. It is here already. There is no point in procrastinating goodness. Be the best version of yourself today. Practice wisdom; do not be carried away by the foolishness of those who practice worldly wisdom.

Many Christians today resemble the remaining nine lepers; God has answered their prayers, but their ingratitude prevents them from being made whole. They often complain about unanswered prayers, not because God has failed to do more than what they request, but because they have yet to notice God’s blessings. Ingratitude — taking the small things of life for granted — is a sickness only you can cure. It is like a man being confined in a prison cell, crying day and night to be fed, while the key to the cell lies right beside him.

Consider it your duty to be good. The world needs you; it needs Christians. We are the light of the world and the salt of the earth. You do not thank your bulb for shining when you turn on the switch; it is simply doing its duty. Do not expect anyone to thank or praise you for shining. Just continue living a virtuous life. Be more concerned with having conquered death than with receiving praise from others.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus describes us as salt and light. We are supposed to lead the way, not lead others into darkness. Our lives should inspire goodness, not confusion. Do not tell a child one thing while doing the very opposite. If our behaviour encourages others to remain in (or even increase) their sinful lifestyles, we will share in the punishment. Ours might even be worse.

In today’s Gospel, we hear Jesus say, “You shall not make my Father’s house a house of trade.” We must avoid turning the house of God into a place of commerce. Let us ask ourselves some pertinent questions. Have I come to God’s house to worship God or to transact business? As a priest, pastor, evangelist or clergyman, am I repeating the errors of the Jews by turning the church into a business empire? Do I make it impossible or difficult for the poor to worship God through the imposition of unnecessary levies, taxes and other forms of exploitation?

Jesus teaches us to avoid telling lies and other dishonest practices for the sake of money: “He who is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much… And if you have not been faithful with that which is another’s, you will not be entrusted with what is your own.” (Luke 16:10-12) Someone once said, “If you lose money, you lose nothing. If you lose friends, you lose something, but if you lose your character (perhaps, in a bid to make money), you have lost everything.” If people cannot trust you with money, what else is left?

Today is the best time to start preparing for death. Please do not wait until it is too late. The steward did not wait until he was dismissed before calling his master’s debtors. Fifth, the best preparation for death is storing treasures in heaven and showing kindness to the needy. The steward made friends by reducing the debts of his master’s debtors. We are to make friends by giving away whatever we have. After all, nothing belongs to us in the first place. We came empty, and we shall return empty.