DAILY HOMILIES #prayer

Only one thing is needed: Faith. Mary has chosen the good portion; to sit at Jesus’ feet in prayer and adoration, to listen carefully to Jesus’ words by meditating on the Bible, to trust deeply that in the midst of the chaos, we can afford to sit still with Jesus.

As we celebrate our independence today as a country, today is also an opportunity to remind ourselves of our dual citizenship; the fact that we are not just Nigerians but Christians as well. And as St. Paul would tell us in our second reading today, because Christ died on the cross, he has broken the dividing wall that separated nations.

There is something that Jesus did after the great session of healing and casting out demons that we must learn. When you are successful in fighting satan and destroying the forces of darkness, do not become puffed up with pride.

It is interesting to note that despite turning down their request, James and John did not resign from the company of the twelve apostles. They went all the way, they drank the cup; they spread the message by their lives and by their blood. Do not live your life only for the sake of rewards. Just do what is right and you will find inner peace and happiness.

We ask from God because we are his children and by asking from Him, we also declare to live according to His instructions. Sin destroys our relationship with God. When we pray, we should have full confidence in God. At the same time, our prayer must affect the kind of life we live. If we beg from God, we must not forget there are others begging from us; others who need our charity; others who need our forgiveness; others who need us to intercede for them like Abraham did for Sodom and Gomorrah.

Are you scared of terrorists hiding in every nook and cranny of our nation? Have you lost all confidence in our security architecture? There is a silent war going on in our land and like Ahaz, we are poorly equipped in terms of weapons and ammunition. While we defend ourselves, let us not forget that we serve a powerful God who knows how to fight for his children. Let us increase our prayers and repent from any sin that may become a hindrance to our prayer or attract God’s wrath.

Jesus shows us that even the very life we live is part of our prayer. After praying the words, we must follow our prayers with actions. If we refuse to forgive those who sin against us, then our pleas for God’s forgiveness are not complete.

In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus tells us: “If you ask anything of the Father, he will give it to you in my name … ask and you will receive, that your joy may be complete.” The problem is, after asking, we refuse to drop our burdens completely with Jesus. We rise to our feet with heavy hearts as though we wasted our time praying. If prayer does not leave you joyful and happy, it means you haven’t prayed. Start all over again!

The same Paul and Barnabas who fled from Iconium went to Lystra to preach the Gospel. There was a cripple there who could not use his feet from birth. Seeing that this man had faith, Paul said to him: “Stand upright on your feet.” The cripple sprang up and walked. Truly speaking, as Jesus taught us, “if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible to you.” (Matthew 17:20)

When we fast, we involve our whole body in prayer. Fasting helps us to silence the noises around us and feel the real hunger of our souls which is the hunger for God. When we fast, we face our fears, we realize we can survive without certain things, and we become aware of the inner power that we possess over food, luxury, or that which we had depended on for so long.

It is not possible for us to understand everything about God. Like the Holy Eucharist, there are still so many things about God that remain mysteries to us. No matter how high the temptation may be for you to walk away from God, let us remember that the best is yet to come. God has not changed and will never change a bit. Just hold on. Don’t quit on God. For his steadfastness to endure when he didn’t understand, Peter would go on to become a great instrument in God’s hands.

Stephen had the right attitude to Christianity. He was prepared to deny himself and carry his cross after Jesus. He was not simply there for material prosperity, he did not set out to work for bread that perishes. He set his gaze on heaven. Stephen had the chance to compromise, he had the chance to deny Jesus or run for his life but he stood his ground to the end. Do not only ask what God is doing for you but also ask what you are doing for God.