DAILY HOMILIES #faith

Dear friends, do not make the mistake of the people of Nazareth. Be content with what is yours. Value your own. Value the Church, understand its sacraments. Deepen your faith.

In today’s First Reading, we are presented with the story of Abraham our Father in faith. Interestingly, just as Noah offered a sacrifice to God that pleased God so much, we find Abraham offering a very huge sacrifice; the sacrifice of his only begotten son, Isaac – the same Isaac that was born to him after twenty-five long years of waiting.

Jesus cured a demoniac but in the process, the villagers lost their entire herd of swine. The size of their economic loss was so huge that they failed to notice that a man had been set free from demon-possession.

Faith makes us relax even when others are panicking. Mind you, being relaxed is not the same thing as spiritual laxity. That Jesus was asleep during a storm did not mean he was asleep all through the day. He was such a prayerful person that he would wake very early in the morning to pray and at times pray all through the night.

Faith goes beyond expecting all the positive things hoped for and being assured of things not yet seen. Faith is not only what you declare with your lips, but it is also what you do. There is a modern-day crisis of faith among Christians. We claim to believe in God yet we live as if God does not exist. Our actions betray our creed.

Joseph’s faith should inspire us to believe that with God all things are possible. If Joseph had followed public opinion, he would have abandoned the Angel’s words, but he believed against all odds and in the end, his faith did not deceive him.

Dear friends, if actions speak louder than words, we are called to examine ourselves today. What sort of things are our actions proclaiming about us? What are my actions in preparing for Christmas saying about my understanding of Jesus Christ?

Rather than arguing about re-incarnation, we should consider the fact that our readings today have presented us with two role models, John the Baptist and Elijah. By emulating their virtues and living by the principles they represent, we become John the Baptists and Elijahs of our time. By directing people to repent from their sins and turn away from false gods, we literally prepare the way for the celebration of Christmas

Dear friends, your tomorrow is according to your faith. You cannot cheat reality. If you believe something will happen, it has already happened in your heart and because it has happened within you, it will soon happen to you. Like an artist who does not begin a painting without a clear image of the desired outcome, we all need to have a clear image of what we want when we approach God in prayer and faith to believe that as we have seen it in our minds so shall we see it in reality.