DAILY HOMILIES #Hope

Good Friday shows God understands our pains. He knows what it feels like to love and be rejected, to be betrayed, angry, hungry, insulted, dissatisfied, sick, weak, or sorrowful. Good Friday teaches us that Jesus once felt whatever you were going through today.

Don’t get discouraged when things are not so good for you. There is always going to be light at the end of the tunnel. There will always be sunshine at daybreak. As the earth rotates about its axis and revolves around the sun, movement is always going on, things just keep changing, and nothing lasts forever, one day it will be your turn. Since the earth has not stopped moving, one day it will move in your favour, and things will turn for your good. Have Hope!

There would be moments of pain we cannot escape, tears we must cry, losses we must make, and deaths we must die. These are planting seasons. They must come and they must go. If the farmer eats all his seed and fails to “sacrifice” some for planting, there would be nothing to eat in the next season. Thank God for your adversity. Whatever it is that you are going through right now is working for your good. (Cf. Romans 8:28)

Prayer is a dialogue, it is only complete when we can listen and hear from God after we have spoken to Him. Prayer teaches us obedience. God says: “This is my Son, my Chosen, listen to Him.” The more prayerful we become, the more we are most likely enabled to obey the commandments of God.

Aspire for sainthood. Place your trust in God. Be detached from worldly goods. God surely knows how to take care of his own.

Nothing can be more painful than knowing that a time will come when no living person will remember you anymore. Thanks be to God, the church sets aside this day for us to remember the dead.

Fear is often caused by a lack of faith coupled with our ignorance of the truth. The bad news is that fear paralyses us leading us to very bad decisions. The good news however is that ninety-nine per cent of our fears would never happen

We all have such Pharisees in our lives but the best attitude towards such persons is the attitude of Jesus. Jesus did not harbour hatred towards them. Every encounter with His enemies became an opportunity for Jesus to teach and reveal His Divine identity. “The Sabbath was made for man. Man was not made for the Sabbath.” What a profound revelation! All of God’s laws are made for our wellbeing and growth not merely to punish us.

Things may appear very tough for you right now; you may have felt disappointed in God, the Church or its ministers in the past for not meeting your expectations. Nevertheless, know this that God has not changed, He is still a Faithful God and He has not failed you yet. Christmas is a reminder that God is yet to give up on humankind.

Everything seems dull and bleak. No one knows where our nation’s economy is going. Faced with another economic depression and stagflation (prices of food and essential commodities jumping above the roof) and a government of that seems unconcerned, we are left with no choice but to harken the words of Jesus: “Look up and raise your heads.” Yes, let us look up. Look up at God, not to social media. Look up, take your minds away from what is troubling you. Look up and surrender everything to God.

Are you being persecuted? Never return hatred for hatred; do not let hatred so fill your mind that you become like the devil you are fighting againts. Jesus says: “turn the other cheek, love your enemies, wish good to those who wish you evil, pray God’s blessings over those who hurt you.” Remember what the book of Proverbs says: “If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; for you will heap coals of fire on his head, and the LORD will reward you.” (Proverbs 25:21-22).

Are you being persecuted for your good works? Does it seem as if your enemies are succeeding? Just relax. God knows how to fight for His own and if it is His will, be assured of a better life awaiting you in heaven. Dream of heaven, imagine how life would be over there. Take your gaze off this world with all its crazy ups and downs; look forward to heaven.