DAILY HOMILIES #faith

Have I denied God’s existence by displaying holiness in public only to fall back to evil in secret? Have I denied God’s existence by engaging in immoral behaviours such as those St. Paul describes in our first reading?

The Centurion wanted Jesus to simply utter a word. He knew that distance was not a barrier. Indeed, the centurion knew that Jesus is the commander in charge of the universe.

When we read in Jeremiah 29:11 that God has plans for us, we must bear in mind that part of that plan is that at some point, we would undergo some amount of suffering.

Each time we attend the Sacraments, do we hear Jesus asking us the question he asked the two blind men who were following him in Matthew 9:27-30; “Do you believe that I am able to do this?”

Don’t just be an average Christian, be a wise one; carry some extra oil along with your lamp. Be an authentic Christian.

Like the workers who were recruited for work in the vineyard at different times of the day, we are not all gifted the same way, we were not all born the same day, and we did not come to know God the same day. However, in the end, we all shall be rewarded not according to how much work we have done but according to what is rightfully our due.

The fact that you prayed and did not get what you asked for does not mean that God does not care for you; it does not mean that God is powerless. Keep speaking faith-laden words. Trust God.

It is when you encounter a serious problem that you are able to know whether or not you have faith; whether you will move forward like Caleb and Joshua or whether you will sit down to cry your brains out like the Israelites.

When you do something continuously for a while, you soon begin to take it for granted. It is not surprising to see many Christians today who do not believe in the power of prayers anymore; Christians who look down on God and on His ability to intervene in their lives. Even though most of us pray, we do not even expect the things we pray for.

Faith does not begin with the miracle, rather it attracts the miracle. Keep believing that things would get better, that something great is coming ahead of you, that no matter what you are facing right now, it will soon pass away.

Today, our readings present other obstacles to faith which we must avoid such as hostility towards God, familiarity, falsehood and pride. Whether we like it or not, these are factors responsible for the scarcity of miracles in our churches today.

Abraham went to the extent of tying Isaac on the pile of wood because he believed that God was capable of giving him more sons. Four men opened the roof of the house where Jesus was to bring in their paralytic friend because they believed that an audience with Jesus was all he needed to be healed. The question is: “What do your actions say about your faith?”