DAILY HOMILIES #Love

Why did this woman refuse to give up? What made her pass Jesus’ test? This is a woman who has suffered in the past. She knew that pride wouldn’t get you anything. Learn to be humble. Don’t interpret everything as an insult; you never can tell if the so-called insult is just a test. Maturity begins when you start seeing insult as education. No matter how highly placed you think we are, there will always be someone with something you lack. Never look down on anyone.

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?

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.

If we understand the importance of loving God in our neighbours, we will not be far from eternal life. On the Last Day, we shall be judged based on how we treated others, not on how big our tithes (and burnt offerings) were.

In the Beatitudes, Jesus said, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5). Jesus did not say, “Blessed are the timid.” There is a difference between meekness (humility) and timidity (being frightened). It is one thing to be humble, but a different thing to become afraid of the devil or ashamed of God.

Do not envy anyone because of the position they occupy because, in the end, all flesh is grass. The king and the servant have the same fate. On the other hand, do not base your worth on your position; you don’t have to lord it over anybody to feel respected.

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.

Without love for God, the cross is a punishment, but when there is love in our hearts, the cross is worth carrying.

Jesus prays to God to protect us because He knows that as long as we let our light shine as his followers, we cannot escape the hatred of the world. Wouldn’t it be better if God removed us from a world that was hostile to Jesus and continued its hostility against His followers? Here is the twist – even though the world hates us, the world needs us to survive.

You cannot be a true Christian without bearing fruits. You cannot be light, yet fail to shine on at least one person – bringing them out of the darkness of sin and ignorance. You cannot be salt without anyone ever getting to taste your sweetness. As Christians, we are influencers – we always attract people by our words and lifestyle, not to ourselves but to Jesus Christ.

We are used to hearing: “Love your neighbour as yourself” or “Do to others what you want done to you”, but in this case, Jesus wants us to love others as He loved us; he wants us to offer our lives for one another as He did on the Cross of Calvary. This is the basis of abiding by Jesus – sacrificial love.

Life is all about connection. No human being can survive entirely on their own. No one is an island. Just as we need to remain connected to Jesus to stay alive spiritually, we also need to be connected to our fellow human beings to remain alive.