DAILY HOMILIES

The point in today’s messages is simple: Jesus is God in the midst of people. We have no reason to doubt that Jesus is the Promised Messiah. Every prophecy about Jesus came to pass, even those made thousands of years before he was born. We do not need any further proof. Jesus is Truly God.

In today’s first reading, God says: “O that you had paid attention to my commandments! Then your prosperity would have been like a river.” In other words, if only we would trust God enough to keep His commandments, we would find the desired prosperity. Jesus would later throw more light on this point when He said: “Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you” (Matthew 6:33).

Christmas reminds us that amid everything that frightens us, God is still with us. This is the meaning of the name “Emmanuel.” God knows how difficult it is to live a good life or to speak truth to others. Hence, He came to be with us. When your life is threatened, read today’s first reading and try to feel God holding your right hand and leading you on.

In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus says to us: “Come to me all you who labour and heavily laden, and I will give you rest… for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Are you restless? Bring the matter to Jesus. There is no problem that He cannot handle.

Christmas is a reminder that God has not yet given up on humanity. If God could choose to take our flesh despite our collective sinfulness, it means that regardless of your past, God can still work great and mighty works through you. Do not despair. Do not assume your sins are too much. Return to God today; He will fill your heart with supernatural peace.

Ordinarily, you should assume that when something good happens to you, people should be happy for you. Isn’t it? The bitter truth is that there will always be scribes and Pharisees around us - people who take offence knowing we are happy. They pretend to be our friends, but the moment our status changes (when things improve for us), they show their true colours.

The valleys to be lifted represent the good things we ought to do that we have failed to do. The mountains and hills to be made low are our bad habits, sinful inclinations and evil deeds that must be removed to allow the baby Jesus to enter our lives.

Do not let anything bother you or weigh you down. Jesus did not ask: “How am I going to attend to the whole world?” instead, Jesus started with the little that was available. Start with the little you have. God will do the rest.

Having been conceived without sin, was there a need for God to seek Mary’s consent regarding the role she was to play in the life of Christ? Why was the Angel Gabriel sent to her? The fact that God has showered certain gifts and blessings on us does not remove our free will. God may have called you before birth, but He would not force you to say “Yes” to this call. God, who made you without your cooperation, will not save you without your cooperation.

While Isaiah uses the word “rock” to describe the unshakable nature of God, Jesus uses the word “rock” to illustrate how unshakable we become when we obey His word. There is a correlation between trusting in God (the everlasting Rock) and having peace of mind (becoming like a Rock).

As in Isaiah's time, the people who listened to him could only imagine what he was talking about. Nonetheless, as we see in the Gospel passage, Isaiah's prophecy became a reality in the feeding of the multitude. Dear friends, the message for us today is very simple: Everything God has revealed in the Bible must surely come to pass. God never fails.

Pride makes us think we know everything. It prevents us from learning anything new. Like a cup full of water, we can’t take any more water. As a result of pride, we find ourselves arguing with everyone and challenging them in every instance. What makes pride dangerous is that it is an invisible vice. I can never see my pride. In other words, I need others to tell me whether or not I am proud and when they do, I consider it an insult.