DAILY HOMILIES

Am I a Christian for the sake of money? Do I pretend to be a member of the Church just because I am looking for a way to gather information about my fellow church members and sell it to kidnappers, cultists, and so on? Dear friends, if someone has to die or lose their reputation so that I make money, such money is blood money and I would never enjoy it. Don’t put a price on your faith.

Nothing is hidden from the eyes of God. If you hide your sin, it will eventually expose you. That which you don’t want people to know will be used to remember you after you have gone. Think about this, today is your last chance; repent, reconsider your evil plans, and retrace your steps.

Never forget that God sees everything. Nothing is hidden from him, not even the secret thoughts and intentions of our hearts. It is better to be good than to pretend to be good. People may be clapping for you thinking you are good but when the time comes, your evil deeds will be exposed.

In fact, it was only after the death of Jesus that it dawned on people that “Truly, this was the Son of God.” Nothing last forever. Don’t worry, the time is coming that those who are laughing at you now will come and kneel before you. Just don’t give up; keep doing what is right.

Child of God, let us examine our conscience: Do I feel threatened by anyone who is doing well in life? In all sincerity, are there certain persons I secretly envy and pray for their downfall because they have become successful or are now far ahead of me? Do I kill through character assassination – bearing false tales about others just to bring them down? Perhaps, I am guilty of the fear of the Jews.

Just as Jesus suffered in the hands of his persecutors, there are moments we find ourselves suffering in the hands of the very persons who have been beneficiaries of our help in times past.

In John 6, Jesus told us: “I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever.” (John 6:51). In this same light, Jesus is saying to us today: “If anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.” (John 8:51).

ven if we have to suffer, let us be assured that heaven waits for us. There is a better life ahead. Do not fear those who can only kill the body, fear Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. We gain nothing if we sell our souls to the devil out of fear. Trust God to show up for you as the fourth man in the fire.

When we start complaining, we soon fall into the temptation of speaking against God like these Israelites. The inability to count our blessings and believe God is leading us somewhere makes us talk about our situation as if God is some irresponsible father who doesn’t care. This was the attitude that merited the appearance of fiery serpents in the Israelite camp.

Dear friends, it is always better to die for God’s sake than to live in sin. Nevertheless, when we stand for God, God never turns a blind eye at us. Our Psalmist today sings: “The Lord is my shepherd, there is nothing I shall want…

Like Lazarus who was bound all over, sin ties us down and keeps us stagnated spiritually. That is why we need Jesus in our lives. And it really doesn’t matter how deep sin may have crushed us. It is not too late today to repent and begin to live a new life in Christ.

Today’s feast is a reminder that God does not force his way into our lives. He works in us only with our consent. As one Saint said, God created us without our consent but He will not save us without our consent. We always have a choice either to say “Yes” or “No” to God’s plans for our lives. Great things happen when we allow God to have His way in our lives.