DAILY HOMILIES #Nazareth

A Roman Court official whose son was sick met Jesus, pleading that Jesus would go with him to heal his son. Jesus told him, "Unless you see signs and wonders, you will not believe.” The official did not understand what Jesus meant by “unless you see signs.” He prayed even louder: “Sir, please come down before my child dies.” Jesus assured him: “Go; your son will live.” Without further questions, “the official believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went his way.” When the priest says, “Go forth, the Mass is ended”, consider these words as coming from Jesus’ lips. Go home joyful, hopeful and happy. Go with positive expectations.

Remember that song: “When Jesus is in the family, happy home, happy home…” When Mary and Joseph noticed that Jesus was not with them, they didn’t even sit down to rest till the next day. They immediately began a very tedious journey back to Jerusalem. Dear friends, it is not too late if Jesus is not in your family. Thank God you are now in Jerusalem. Please, as you leave today, take Jesus with you.

Instead of allowing the truth to cure their pride, they turned against Jesus, intending to throw Him off the cliff. Their action did not nullify the bitter truth. Salvation is not hereditary, nor is it automatic. Indeed, the fact that I am a Catholic does not qualify me for heaven; it is the way I live that counts.

The way and manner in which we become converted vary. Some people’s conversions were rather dramatic, some not so. The “how” is not so important. What matters is that at some point in our lives, we become true Christians, true followers of Jesus, and fully convinced about Jesus. And one way we know we are converted is when we stop being shy about spreading the Good News.

The Galileans received miracles not because of their location but because of their deep-seated faith. Jesus said to the woman at the well: “The hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him.” (John 4:23). It is not about your location. Are you worshipping God in spirit and truth?

Do I look down on my priest because I knew him as a seminarian? Do I find it difficult to ask my priest to pray for me because I don’t believe God can work through him? Like those who looked down on Jesus, you may assume you know everything about your priest, but you might be wrong. Don’t forget that God is not like us. God chooses the weak to shame the strong.

As we celebrate the feast of St. Bartholomew, let us take some moments to recall our conversion experience. How did you come to know Jesus? What convinced you that Jesus is God? Have you had a one-on-one encounter with Jesus? Are you holding on to your confession of faith in Jesus like Bartholomew, who described Jesus as the Son of God and the King of Israel?