DAILY HOMILIES #John the Baptist

Christianity as we practice it today needs to die and become born again. This death is concretized in the baptismal promises to which we respond “I do.” I reject Satan. I reject everything that Satan has to offer. I refuse to listen to Satan’s promises. I reject the glamour of evil. I reject any sinful habit. I walk in the light.

The problem with many Christians today is that they assume there can somehow be a middle way. So long as we know the difference between what is right and what is wrong and we still choose to do what is wrong, we are acting as children of the devil.

If you truly desire to rid yourself of your sins, you need to improve your relationship with Jesus, that is, spend more time with Jesus – deepen your prayer life. Occupy your mind with the things of God; read books, and seek to know God better. Pray for an increase in faith that God may open your eyes to see why sin is evil, and that God may strengthen your desire to live above sin.

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” We all are called to be like John the Baptist this advent. Our lives should become lights pointing the whole world toward the child Jesus

As great as John the Baptist was, we hear Jesus saying today: “He who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than John the Baptist.” What does this mean? That heaven is so different from this world and the standards of judgment or ranking are not like what we see here on earth. Let’s face the fact, heaven is not an easy place to get to. No wonder Jesus asserted in Luke 13:24 “Strive to enter by the narrow door...

Have I been praying for something for so long that I now fail to realize that God has already answered my prayer? What is it that I am looking down upon now that I ought to be grateful for?

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)

Jesus is God in the midst of people. We have no reason to doubt that Jesus is the Promised Messiah. Every single prophecy about Jesus came to pass; even those that were made thousands of years before he was born. We do not need any further proof. Jesus is Truly God.

The feeling of regret or better put, emptiness is what comes to us when we realize our past actions were mere acts of foolishness, especially those spurred by vain ambitions.

Herod was obviously not thinking straight when he promised even half his kingdom to a little girl. What if she had asked for his own head? Think before you speak. Be a master of your emotions. In moments of anger, hold it. In moments of excitement, hold it also.

In our society today, there are too many Herods who believe they can do anything, take any woman or man they want, tell any lie; steal any amount they so wish; and nobody, not even the Supreme Court can stop them. No matter the level of persecution we may have to face, let us remember that a greater judgment awaits us if we keep quiet and fail to speak the truth that God has put in our hearts.

Names are not merely means of identification; names are spiritual. A person’s name can affect his or her life. Our Gospel passage today is a record of the naming ceremony of John the Baptist. The people were planning to call him Zechariah after his father or “Junior” because they felt he would re-live his father’s life. But Elizabeth and Zechariah knew that this child had a destiny different from that of his father so they both opted for “John” instead.