DAILY HOMILIES

Like these women who were not expecting to see Jesus alive, many of us are not expecting to rise with Jesus from a life of sin. Many of us here are not expecting we would shine like this Pascal Candle. That notwithstanding, we must go to the tomb in faith not to anoint the dead body of Christ but to become witnesses to the resurrection of Jesus.

Because Jesus once took our flesh, Jesus knows exactly what it means to be betrayed, insulted, made to suffer injustice, seriously grieved, lied to, treated with ingratitude, and so on. Through his suffering and death, Jesus has gone through every possible emotion that we go through. This makes Jesus the perfect High Priest as the Book of Hebrews explains

Jesus not only humbled himself, but he also taught us the importance of humility by washing the feet of His disciples; a task allotted to slaves in the Jewish culture. “For I have given you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.” (John 13:15). Let us examine our conscience today. Do I take joy in serving others? Do I feel that I deserve to be worshipped as a result of the position I hold in the church or in civil society?

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.