DAILY HOMILIES

If the only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing, the question is: “Are there still good men in our country today? What exactly are you doing to end corruption? How zealous are you for righteousness?” The book of Sirach in today’s first reading says: “I resolved to live according to wisdom, and I was zealous for good, and I shall never be disappointed.” (Sirach 51:18).

Unlike the fig tree, Jesus did not curse the temple; instead, he restored its original purpose by driving out those buying, selling, and scattering their tables. If we must bear fruits, we must constantly look inwards and cleanse ourselves of those things within us that God hates. At the end of each day, take some moments to examine your conscience and find out if there are things to be thrown away or built upon.

Prayer is powerful, but it is not magic. When we pray, we do not exercise power and authority over God; we beg from Him. We may not always get a “yes” from God, but our prayers are never wasted. Jesus heard Bartimaeus calling, but to test him, Jesus continued to walk along. Many told Bartimaeus to keep quiet, but he shouted all the more. He would not allow the crowd to discourage him.

Indeed, life is not balanced. No one has it all rosy. Virtually everyone alive today is going through something. However, we can learn from Mary’s visit to look beyond our challenges and difficulties. Let us know to place ourselves in the shoes of others. If you hear something good about others, go and visit them. If you hear something terrible, still visit them; talk to them before you start spreading the news (damaging their names).

The book of Sirach today speaks of the beauty of giving and offering sacrifices to God. It says: “Do not appear before the Lord empty-handed… glorify the Lord generously… with every gift show a cheerful face, and dedicate your tithe with gladness. Please give to the Most High as he has given and as generously as your hand has found. For the Lord is the one who repays and will repay you sevenfold.” (Sirach 35:4-11).

Today, we celebrate the memorial of Mary, the mother of the Church. Having completed the seven weeks of Easter, today is a day for us to pause a while and remember the unique role of Mary in the course of the whole Easter festivities and, in particular, to examine the total weight of the words Jesus spoke at the foot of the cross: “Behold, Your Mother.”

As the children of Israel received the tablet of the Law on Mount Sinai, marking a new dispensation for them – freedom from the captivity of the Egyptians, the coming of the Holy Spirit became the beginning of a new era for God’s children; the birth of the Church and the writing of the Law in our hearts. “A new spirit I will put within you, and I will take out of your flesh the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and carefully observe My ordinances.” (Ezekiel 36:26-27)

Let us by every means avoid having to compare ourselves with others because we do not know the whole story. Stop asking: “Is her/his/their cross heavier than mine?” We are all carrying the crosses that God deems fit for each of us. No one has it all good!

Do I love God? Am I willing to let go of everything else for His sake even when I am to get nothing in return? In truth, if I do not love God above everything else in this life, I would not be able to withstand whatever sacrifices my Christian faith would demand.

All these arguments about the Blessed Virgin Mary, the use of images in the church, the number of books in the Bible, etc. etc., what good has it done? You ask if I have given my life to Christ, and I tell you I am a Catholic, the next thing, you start trying to convince me that I will go to hell. You don’t believe in my doctrines, does that stop you from loving me as your fellow Christian? Why this hatred and animosity in our hearts?

Jesus does not pray that we should be taken out of the world. Jesus prays that we should be protected from the evil one. Even though we wrestle against principalities and powers (Ephesians 6:12), we are rest assured of God’s protection. We do not wrestle as victims but as victors, because Jesus has already overcome the world (John 16:33). Do not fear.

When you live well, you lose the fear of death. Paul was not afraid to die. He said: “you will see my face no more.” At only 33 years old, Jesus prayed: “I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work which you gave me to do… I have manifested your name to the men whom you gave me out of the world…” By every standard, Jesus died at a very young age but he died a fulfilled person. In Jesus, we learn that a fulfilled life is not measured by the number of one’s days but by the quality of those days.