DAILY HOMILIES #God

History is filled with examples of people who boasted of their strength and the power of their inventions, only to regret it later. The fact that you have been successful in the past does not give you the right to challenge God. You may not believe in the power of prayers or the possibility of divine intervention but do not insult those who still believe in God.

In John the Baptist, we learn that no human life comes into existence randomly. God does the selection, arrangement, and planning. We existed in God’s mind even before we were formed in our mother’s womb. Psalm 139:13 says: “For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother's womb.”

Why tell a lie to make money? Why do you deceive your customers in your business place? Don’t you trust that God can provide for you? “Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Consider the lilies of the field and how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon was not arrayed like one of these in all his glory. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you?

God is merciful, but we must first acknowledge our faults and beg for His forgiveness to access His mercy. If Ahab tried to justify his actions or cast blame like Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, he would have died that day. There is no short supply of mercy in God’s reservoir; the problem is our refusal to ask for it – the problem is our pride.

God is truth; since no one can fight God, no one can fight, hide, or suppress the truth. Somehow and someday, the truth must come out. There is no need to swear at all. Truth is capable of testifying to itself. Let what you say be ‘yes’ or ‘no.’

The heart of Jesus is like that of a mother towards her child; she is ready to do whatever it takes to protect the child. Speaking through the prophet Isaiah, God says: “Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you.” (Isaiah 49:15).

To say God is Father, Son, and Spirit simultaneously is to say that 1. God understands perfectly what it means to be a Father to us, his children, 2. God understands what it means to be a brother to us. 3. God understands the depth of our spirits.

To have faith is to be assured of God’s protection even when all you see with your eyes is danger. To believe in God is to be convinced that God sees and knows what to do regardless of your present circumstances. A good athlete exercises faith to win a race by visualising themselves holding the medal even before the race starts. To have faith is to pray and work, trusting that God will bless your work and make it fruitful.

The Holy Eucharist is the best protection any human can ever have. As Jesus protected the Christians in Damascus from Saul’s raid, Jesus would surely protect you from the plans of your enemies, whether known or unknown. As a communicant, no one can cut short your life or kill you before your time.

Today’s first reading narrates the great persecution that arose against the church following the death of Stephen. This persecution, though distant in time, echoes the challenges we face in our own lives. During his stoning, the witnesses laid their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul, who became determined to wipe out the entire church. However, this reading concludes on a positive note: “So there was much joy in that city.” (Acts 8:8).

Not everyone who argues with you on matters of doctrine is interested in knowing the truth. Over the years, I have engaged in arguments regarding church teachings such as the doctrine of the Blessed Virgin Mary, life after death, devotion to the saints, the number of books in the Bible and so on. I have never won any of these arguments.

When the devil fights you from outside and cannot bring you down, he tries to fight from within. Nevertheless, as Jesus said to the apostles in today’s Gospel passage, when you face such attacks, “Do not be afraid.”(John 6:20). Even in chaos, God is never far from you.