DAILY HOMILIES

The story of Noah teaches us one lesson: “If you cannot beat them, do not join them!” In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus basically told us that as Christians, we are called to be Noahs of the world. He said: “You are the salt of the earth… (and) You are the light of the world.” (Matthew 5:13-14). Salt preserves. Noah, by his goodness, preserved the entire world from going extinct. Be good! Be different!

Are you angry? Know that you have power over your anger. Just as God advised Cain, we have all it takes to control and master our anger. Be a Master of your emotions. Do not be pushed into action by what you feel, think of the consequences.

Striving for Christian perfection surely sounds like foolishness to the world. The world we live in today has lost its moral values. Saying the truth at all times, refusing to tell a lie, staying away from sex before marriage, remaining faithful to your spouse even in tough times, keeping one’s heart pure, forgiving others freely and continuously, and staying away from secret sins may not command the respect of people but these are the characteristics of truly wise people.

Every sin carries a mark of rebellion, a mark of mistrust in God as the one on whom our life depends. That is why for every sin, there is a direct and immediate punishment both for direct offenders as well as those who aid and abet the sin. This is the message behind our first reading today.

Having realized what they had done, Adam and Eve became ashamed and hid away from God. Their eyes had become open and they suddenly felt unworthy of God’s presence, they died to innocence. They could no longer approach God freely as before. God can never lie; He wasn’t joking when He said they would die if they ate of the forbidden tree.

An example of the love that sustains family is what we see in the Gospel passage when a woman was willing to swallow what seemed like an insult just for the sake of the healing of her daughter. She so loved her daughter that she was just not ready to take “No” for an answer. If this kind of love exists in our families, the world would be a much better place.

Food is good but not every food is good for you. No matter how hungry you are, ensure that what you are about to eat will not lead to your destruction. Learn to exercise self-discipline and caution. If you want to live a good life, start by selecting your thoughts just as you would select your food. As there are poisonous foods, so there are poisonous thoughts.

One of the ways we resemble God is our capacity to will something into existence, that is, to create out of nothing. Just as God imagined the world before creation and then spoke it into existence, we have the power to imagine things and speak them into existence.

Just as many made efforts to get to Jesus for healing, we need to make every effort to get to God, obey his word, and live according to the original purpose of our creation in other to find wholeness and life. The more we try to touch Jesus, the more we allow the light of Christ to shine through us, the closer we get to healing and the closer we get to our original goodness.

Never think your problems are the biggest. We all are carrying various crosses. We need each other. No one is too poor that he has nothing to give and no one is so rich that he has no need for help. Look beyond your challenges, and listen to the cries all around you. Be a good Samaritan, don’t just pass by. Don’t just point fingers. Help someone.

As we pray for our leaders who are not compassionate, let us also be willing to prepare ourselves to take up such leadership positions. Prayer is essential but we cannot afford to stop only at prayer. We must take action. If you think those at the helm of affairs today have failed, then you who still fear God and love the people must take an active part in replacing them. Begin by ensuring you vote your conscience, let your voice be heard, and even after the elections, do not just fold your hands.

Whether we like it or not, sin robs us of our peace of mind. It is always more profitable to avoid sin than to live with guilt. The pain of avoiding sin is brief but the pain of a guilty conscience lasts an entire lifetime. The book of Hebrews this morning mentions certain sins that we could regret forever; unkindness to strangers, indifference to prisoners, defiling the marriage bed, love of money and lack of contentment. As the book of Hebrews tells us: It is only when we avoid sin that we can confidently say: “The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid; what can man do to me?”