DAILY HOMILIES

Albert Einstein said: “If the bee disappeared off the face of the earth, man would only have four years left to live.” This is just an example of how roles could be different yet complementary. We are not going to ask some human beings to turn into bees in order to keep other humans alive nor are we going to ask bees to change into human beings. Everyone’s role is different but we all need each other.

If you agree that Mary carried Jesus in her womb for nine months and went through labor pains to have him, I do not know of any mother that would not feel a thing while watching her innocent son go through all of these. Whatever our present sorrows in this life may be, let us be consoled that we have a mother who was no stranger to sorrow and reach out for our rosary in asking for her intercession.

If we are being persecuted, insulted, and denied our rights because we are Christians, one day, our very sufferings shall become our badges of honor in heaven. As we celebrate the exaltation of the cross today, so also shall we be exalted for our faithfulness in carrying our cross.

When we quarrel with each other, there is a tendency for us to assume we can just be on our own, that we can survive without this person or that person. The truth is that what unites us is greater than what pulls us apart. The person you refuse to help today may be your last resort tomorrow. Not even death can separate us from each other. This world is a small place; smaller than we think. We are all one body!

If only we can just have the Centurion’s Faith and learn to approach Holy Communion as the Centurion approached Jesus, we would be amazed at the number of miracles we would experience. Let the words we recite at every mass remind us of how the Centurion’s slave got cured and assure us of our own healing.

Today, all our readings point to the danger of living in sin, the suffering it brings to us, and the desire of God to win us back as His beloved sons and daughters.

By practicing the word of God, we hear on a daily basis, we become like a house built on a firm foundation, impossible to shake. Refusal to practice God’s words amounts to a refusal to feed the good dragon and this leads to a cycle of perpetual sinfulness. Of course, we cannot serve two masters. We cannot afford to feed both dragons at the same time. St. Paul in today’s first reading tells us: “I do not want you to be partners with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy?”

A blind man cannot lead a blind man. They would both fall into a ditch. Before attempting to correct a person, make sure you are not guilty of the same sin.

We are not celebrating Mary’s birthday because she was chosen by God. We are celebrating her birthday today because she accepted God’s plan for her life. She said “Yes” to God. Like Mary, God will do great things in you and for you if only you would say “Yes” to Him; if only you would walk according to His Commands and obey His Words.

Jesus is not saying riches are sinful, rather, he wants us to consider riches as the lowest of all our priorities. This is the point St. Paul seeks to drive home when he said: “let those who have wives live as though they had none, and those who mourn as though they were not mourning.

It is better for us to suffer injustice than to suffer the disrespect of people who admire us for being Christians. If the unbeliever doesn’t see any difference in your character, why would he or she be motivated to embrace Christ? If you must seek redress, then go before the Saints; that is, take your issues before your fellow Christians. Jesus even said this: “If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.” (Matthew 18:17).

Jesus was well aware of the law and he knew the implication of healing this man on the Sabbath day. Jesus also realized there was one law that the Pharisees were not aware of; the law of doing good or better put, the Law of Love. So, Jesus asked them, “Is it lawful to do good or to do harm, to save life or to destroy it on Sabbath day?”