DAILY HOMILIES #Jesus

Despite her brother’s death, Martha still had faith in Jesus. She ran to welcome Him when she heard He was coming to her house. “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.” (John 11:21-22). Inspired by such great faith, Jesus raised Lazarus to life. Do not give up on God when the going becomes tough. You do not know what God is planning for you.

The miracle of the loaves keeps happening each time the little is broken. It was a miracle in motion. The more they broke apart, the more the loaves increased. Until we break that little, we will never know how much it is. Never assume you are too small or that you can’t do much. Help one person today. Break a little from your little and watch what happens.

Another way of understanding this parable is to think of the various soils as symbols of the time we devote to studying God’s Word daily. While the seed that fell on the path represents those who do not spend up to five minutes daily meditating on God’s Word, the seed that fell on good soil represents those who spend hours on God’s Word daily.

Jesus’ behaviour shows us that listening to God’s word supersedes family responsibility. In other words, if your parents (family members) are calling you and God is also calling you, answer God first before answering your parents. Jesus is not against family members, but He recognises that sometimes, those we love may act as obstacles to God’s will. On occasions when we have to choose between God and family, Jesus says: “God first.”

Today’s first reading comes from the Song of Solomon, a book about married love. This reading depicts Mary Magdalene’s love for Jesus. When the others deserted Jesus at his arrest and crucifixion, Mary Magdalene was one of those who stood beside the cross. Do I stick to my faith (remain with Jesus) even in moments of suffering and pain?

When Jesus saw the great crowd that followed, he did not send them away but “had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd and he began to teach them many things.” (Mark 6:34). This spirit of self-sacrifice is one shining characteristic that only good shepherds possess. In John 10:11, Jesus says: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” What sacrifice am I making for those under my leadership? Do I care more about what I am gaining from my people?

Regardless of the magnitude of our sins, God never stops loving us; He never stops believing in our inherent goodness. Like the Father in the story of the Prodigal Son, God never gets tired of waiting for our return. If God were to treat us according to our wickedness, none of us would still be alive. (cf. Psalm 103:10). It is easy to point fingers at others for wickedness. However, the truth is that we would do worse things if we were in their shoes. Before you ask God to kill anyone you consider wicked, why not ask: “Have I killed my wickedness?”

God knows how it feels to be so hungry that you begin to chew paper (or anything that meets your eye). Whether we like it or not, there is hunger in our country today; people are ready to do anything to survive. We may want to judge them like the Pharisees who condemned Jesus and his disciples. However, before pointing fingers at anybody, ask yourself: “What have I done to help?”

Are you troubled? Is your heart restless? You can’t find sleep at night? Get down on your knees and talk to Jesus. Go to the Blessed Sacrament and sit before Jesus. Carry His Yoke – Keep doing what is right. However tough as this yoke may seem, it is lighter than the yoke of running to the devil for a solution or abandoning your faith out of annoyance.

As a child, I never doubted God. It was very easy to believe everything I was told. The biblical stories made sense to me because I could see their lessons. Even though I had no evidence, I never asked: “Did that really happen?” The stories were real to me as long as I could imagine them. We must have this attitude about God’s kingdom: a deep sense of humility, the willingness to learn, never claiming to know more than one’s teacher, and a readiness to follow instructions to the letter with a sense of trust in God.

If the people who lived in Chorazin in the time of Jesus were to visit the world today, what would they say about our latest technology? We are living in an age of miracles. We have too many signs and wonders to show that God truly loves us, but we take them for granted. How do we show appreciation to God for His uncountable blessings? Disbelief, ingratitude, greed and disobedience to God’s commands.

Do you want your prayers to be heard? God says: “Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your doings from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; defend the fatherless, plead for the widow.” (Isaiah 1:16-17). There is no point moving from Church to Church or subjecting yourself to abuse in the hands of so-called powerful miracle workers; repent from the evil around you, and God will grant your prayers.