DAILY HOMILIES #obedience

“If you close your ear to the cry of the poor, you will cry out and not be heard.” (Proverbs 21:13). This is a stark reminder of the consequences of indifference. It echoes the Golden Rule: “So whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them; for this is the law and the prophets.” (Matthew 7:12). No one has it all; no one is absolutely rich. We are all poor in one way or another. This is why we need each other.

Spiritual creativity is not a luxury; it is the essence of our faith. Either I am winning for Jesus or betraying (denying) him. I can only imagine Jesus's pain, knowing that those who shared the same plate with him would betray him. Nevertheless, Jesus said: “Woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.”

One mistake we often make is thinking we can disobey God without suffering the consequences of our misdeeds. The truth is that God’s commandments are a covenant. If we want God to do his part, we, too, must do our part.

Obedience is difficult. It involves doing the will of another rather than yours. Sometimes, God’s instructions may not make sense yet; it is at such moments that our faith is tested. It didn’t make sense to Saul to destroy all those beautiful things he saw in the land of Amalek. Saul did not know it was a test.

In today’s first reading, God says: “O that you had paid attention to my commandments! Then your prosperity would have been like a river.” In other words, if only we would trust God enough to keep His commandments, we would find the desired prosperity. Jesus would later throw more light on this point when He said: “Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you” (Matthew 6:33).

St. Paul says, “If you live according to the flesh, you will die.” This was the same warning God gave to Adam and Eve, but the devil convinced them that they would not die. Many Christians still do not believe they would die if they gratify the desires of their flesh at the expense of obeying God.

St. Paul tells us today: “Do not yield your members to sin as an instrument, but yield yourselves to God.” There is an extent to which a slave would give trouble that the master will have no choice but to let the slave go. You only become a slave when you stop resisting and give up the struggle.

If we want our children to grow strong and wise, we must, like Mary and Joseph constantly present them to God. Never neglect to bring your children to church. Let them attend catechism classes. Let them be at Sunday School. It is very important. Do not assume that your children will get to know God or make the right choices in life on their own. Bring them to God. As the book of Proverbs says: “Train children in the right way, and when old, they will not stray.” (Proverbs 22:6)

Family is blood. When it comes down to nothing for us, the family still remains all we’ve got. You may choose your lovers; you pick your friends but not the family you are in. Yes, friends walk away from your life, and even your closest allies fail you but the family remains to the very end. Even when others betray and deny you, somehow you feel at peace because you know your family got your back. Now imagine what it feels like knowing that Jesus Christ is one of your own family.

A priest is first and foremost a man like every other human being but with a special calling. Like Samuel, a priest is a human being who sleeps very close to the tabernacle and thereby hears God’s voice daily; a human being who listens and counsels like Eli, a human being who points out important things to people like John the Baptist in yesterday’s Gospel passage who said: “Behold the Lamb of God.”

Due to Elisha’s refusal to accept the gifts, Naaman received two miracles; the miracle of the skin and the miracle of the soul (conversion, wholeness). This is what God desires of us, that we worship in spirit and truth. Even if you have nothing to offer, no money to put in an envelope, know that the thanksgiving God is interested in is your repentance from sin.

Obeying God’s commandments should never be seen as a burden or a cross. It is a privilege. We are not doing God a favor by keeping his commandments. We are even lucky that God has revealed to us in his word how we ought to live and find happiness in life.