DAILY HOMILIES

The sad part was that while the scribes and Pharisees were busy multiplying the commandments, they never practised them, but they made the people believe they were holier-than-thou. Jesus could see through their hypocrisy. He knew that beyond the wearing of broad phylacteries, standing to pray in public places, and salutations in the market were empty hearts – far from God and lacking in love, which is the most important commandment of all. There are so many lessons contained in today’s readings.

The moment we see ourselves as better than others, we start going down. In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus, having put the Pharisees to shame by healing a man with dropsy, taught us a lesson in humility. Jesus described pride as taking a seat at the high table (when invited for a ceremony) only for the host to politely ask you to step down for a more important guest.

Growing up demands that we are no longer content with keeping the law as stated in black and white but that we now aim to love God above all things and our neighbour as ourselves. Growing up demands that we feed the hungry, clothe the naked and perform acts of kindness to people we do not even know or expect in return. It demands that we go all the way, even to offer our very blood for the benefit of others.

Today is not a day of tears. Rather, it is a day for prayers. Try to attend Mass or at least pray the rosary, no matter how busy you are. Visit the Blessed Sacrament and say the Lord’s Prayer, even for just one minute. Just take time to pray; pray for the dead. Pray for the souls in purgatory. This is why many masses are celebrated in every Catholic Church today.

Today, we particularly remember the saints we know: fellow Nigerians, relatives, heroes and heroines. They may not have been officially declared saints, but we believe they are in heaven, given how they lived. That is why a day like this is set aside to celebrate not just the Europeans whose faces appear each time we type “saints” on Google but also the many Africans who may have been forgotten due to our poor record-keeping culture.

One does not become a saint or a sinner overnight. The journey of a thousand miles begins with just one tiny and often unnoticed step. It is not the size of the first step that matters but the direction in which it points. Jesus tells us today that the Kingdom of God begins like a grain of mustard seed that is planted.

St. Paul says, “If you live according to the flesh, you will die.” This was the same warning God gave to Adam and Eve, but the devil convinced them that they would not die. Many Christians still do not believe they would die if they gratify the desires of their flesh at the expense of obeying God.

We dare not claim that we love God if we do not love our neighbours. Visit the hospitals around you, visit the prisons, visit the orphanage homes – open your eyes – and you will agree that even if you don’t have all you wish for, there are many praying to be in your position. Wastefulness is a sin. Be a wounded healer. You have suffered, but ask yourself, “If I could turn back the hand of the clock, what would I have done better?” Some people are easy to love, but we must love even those who hate us – this is what it means to love God.

In today’s Gospel passage, Luke narrates how Jesus spent an entire night in prayer before selecting the twelve apostles. This teaches us the importance of prayer as a consultation with God before making any major decision. Prayer is the master key. Jesus started with prayer and ended with prayer. A Christian who does not spend time in prayer will hardly hear from God. Prayer is consultation; we talk to God and listen to Him.

As much as asking for God’s grace in fighting temptations is important, we must never forget that grace builds on nature. God wants you to make an effort; that is, try to avoid danger and be wise. Your accuser is the devil; to conquer him, you must be “wise as serpents and innocent as doves” (Matthew 10:16).

Sin is not just an offence against God; it is an offence against myself. As long as I do not live by God’s instructions, I can never become all that God desires for me. When a doctor tells you to choose between your favourite meal and death, I bet you will start hating that meal. To live above sin, we must hate sin. If our hatred for sin is not strong, we may abstain for a while only to return.

St. Paul tells us today: “Do not yield your members to sin as an instrument, but yield yourselves to God.” There is an extent to which a slave would give trouble that the master will have no choice but to let the slave go. You only become a slave when you stop resisting and give up the struggle.