DAILY HOMILIES #Life

Jesus teaches us that God is not so much offended by our failure to wash our hands before eating as He is by the thoughts we carry in our hearts. If we eat with dirty hands, we might fall sick (or even die because of germs), but this is not as bad as suffering eternal damnation in hellfire as a result of the dirt we have inside our hearts.

We cannot but agree with St. Paul that all things work unto good for those who love God. (Romans 8:28). Never get angry with God for allowing painful things to happen to you. Like the boy who did not understand why his father told him to kill the couple’s only cow, there are so many things we do not understand about God. We have to trust Him.

Life is a classroom, and your fears are the examination scripts. Naturally, we humans love the place of comfort; we would rather skip the exam and remain where we are, but the truth is that if we truly desire to move to the next level, we have to write our exams; that is, we have to face our fears; we must attempt to see what becomes of us when that which we fear happens.

The Book of Revelations may appear difficult to understand, but the message is clear—God will judge the world, and only those whose names are found in the Book of Life will eventually merit heaven.

Do not be afraid to embrace hard times. These are moments of planting. “Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him.” (Psalm 126:5-6). It takes self-discipline (tears) to sow holiness and good habits but the harvest is always pleasant.

There is nothing in this life worth killing another person for. Nothing. Today’s first reading is worth pondering to anyone involved in Yahoo Plus (ritual killing) and those considering it. What will you gain by taking another person’s life? Everything in this world is just a mere breath. You will get tired of everything one day. You may even become irritated with money. Meanwhile, you can never replace the life you have taken.

Dear friends, if all that Jesus came to do for us was to provide for our material needs, why did Jesus allow the crowds to leave Him? If all that Jesus came to do was to remove poverty from our lives, why did He say we would always have the poor among us? (Cf. Matthew 26:11). Do not make the mistake of this crowd. Let it never be that you only worship God for the passing things of this Life. As St. Paul says: “If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.” (1 Corinthians 15:19).

Jesus is inviting us to invest in eternity and live in such a manner as to be worthy of heaven after our death. If you do not attain heaven, everything else is useless. Regardless of one’s length of days or riches attained, without heaven, one has only lived a wasted life. Go to the graveyard; you will observe that you cannot tell the difference between those who lived in affluence and those who barely survived. What truly matters is where we spend eternity; it is neither how much we gather nor how much we leave for our children. To die in a state of disconnect with God is the worst kind of death.

Jesus asked: “Who touched me?” The disciples did not understand the question because there were hundreds of people around Jesus. Anyone could have touched Him, but not everyone had the faith to draw a miracle from Him. The church is packed full. Everyone is touching Jesus, but only those who touch with faith will go home with miracles.

Accept people the way they are. Stop trying to change your spouse, your children or anyone at all. Everybody is unique; no two persons (not even identical twins) can think or behave alike. There will always be something you don’t like about someone, and you can do nothing to change that.

Today, Jesus distinguishes the shepherd from the thief. The thief does not enter by the door but climbs another way (jumps the fence). Did I get into power through legitimate channels or “snatching, grabbing and running away with the ballot box”? Secondly, another quality of the thief is their intention. Am I in power to help the sheep (give them life) or steal from them? Is my continued stay in power destroying my sheep?

Lent is finally over. Am I also in haste to move on with my life? No more Stations of the Cross, no more fasting and abstinence. Am I going to return to my old habits and vices? Mary Magdalene refused to move on. Her actions proved she was a true friend of Jesus. She was among the Women of Jerusalem who wept for Jesus while the crowd cheered and mocked, but when others moved on, she went to the tomb early in the morning