DAILY HOMILIES #sacrifice

Jesus adds: “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you.” (John 15:4-7). There are so many advantages of going the extra mile every day to connect with Jesus. Do not let your religion end with just signs and symbols. Jesus told the Samaritan woman that a time is coming when true believers will worship neither on this mountain nor on that, but they would worship in spirit and in truth.

Jesus not only humbled himself, but he also taught us the importance of humility by washing the feet of His disciples; a task allotted to slaves in the Jewish culture. “For I have given you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.” (John 13:15). Let us examine our conscience today. Do I take joy in serving others? Do I feel that I deserve to be worshipped as a result of the position I hold in the church or in civil society?

Be grateful for life, for small victories, for little progress, for little miracles, for being able to sleep and wake up, and even for the air you breathe. Be grateful for the small things because these “little drops of water” you take for granted are the stuff of the mighty oceans you see.

Are you angry? Know that you have power over your anger. Just as God advised Cain, we have all it takes to control and master our anger. Be a Master of your emotions. Do not be pushed into action by what you feel, think of the consequences.

Consider yourself blest when you suffer injustice for God’s sake, when people insult you and maltreat you for choosing to stand by what is right, God is on your side. Do you remember Joseph? When he was tempted by Potiphar’s wife and refused to give in to her sexual advances, it seemed as though his world had ended. There is always a bitter price to pay for goodness. However, in the midst of all that may come your way, bear in mind that God never sleeps. The same Joseph that was so unfairly treated would eventually become Prime Minister of Egypt.

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.

At times, giving to God seems like madness. It felt like madness for Jesus to be attending to the people when he had not eaten. Surely, it would be pure madness for a girl to refuse marriage to the Governor’s son and prefer to die instead of gladly entering a life of unquantifiable riches and earthly glory. But let us not forget that: “We proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger than human strength.” (1st Corinthians 1:23-25)

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.”

If God so loved us even when we were His enemies due to our sinfulness, we too must love our enemies; we must love those who persecute us, we must pray for them and ask God to forgive them even when we keep receiving their stones.

The lamb Abraham said God would provide, the lamb that was sacrificed in Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, the lamb Samuel offered and the prophets spoke about is Jesus Christ.

Our attachment to wealth and material possession very often acts as an obstacle to the practice of our Christian virtues. Jesus told us that we cannot serve two masters, neither can we serve both God and mammon (Matthew 6:24).

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.