DAILY HOMILIES #sin

The prodigal son represents that desire in us to grab and grab the material pleasures of the world. That he squandered all he had within a short time shows that all that the world has to offer only lasts for a short time; money reduces in value, beauty fades, things get broken, fame diminishes, love soon turns to hate and so on… In fact, nothing lasts forever on earth! We must never lose sight of our true home; heaven.

Like the children of Israel who called out to God in prayer when they were suffering in the hands of the Egyptians, the key to fighting sin is prayer. Jesus said: “Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” (Matthew 7:7-8). If asking has to do with praying, seeking has to do with making efforts. Yes, God is interested in the efforts you are making

Wash the inside of your cup. Believe that you can do without sin. Make efforts like the men who brought their paralytic friend to Jesus through the roof. Let Jesus see your faith and He would reward you with grace to overcome temptation. Don’t look down on yourself.

Each time you become enraged at the offenses of others or partake in jungle justice, ask yourself: “Am I also guilty? If I was in this person’s shoes, would I have acted differently?

Let us resolve this week to be new in thoughts, new in words, and new in actions. Let us strive to put sin aside, trust God more by obeying his voice to the latter and rise above human pressure. Let us move away from being people-pleasers to God-pleasers.

Before stepping out of your house, ask yourself: “Is my dressing a source of temptation to others?” Before beginning a conversation with a friend or colleague, ask yourself: “Are my choice of words a source of temptation?” As a parent or an adult, before telling a lie, ask yourself: “What would be the fate of this child when he or she gets to know the truth?”

When your mind is set on things of the flesh, you become hostile to the things of God and you cannot please God but if the Holy Spirit dwells in you, you begin to live a resurrected life even while in your flesh.

As soon as you find yourself in any temptations, do as little children do when they see a wolf or a bear in the country; for straightway they run to the arms of their father or of their mother,

Until we begin to tell ourselves the truth about sin, that its only reward is death, that sin ultimately deprives us of the true pleasures of life, it would remain a great challenge to us.

You can always determine who will be your Master and you can only have one Master. If you desire to be free from slavery to sin, you must subject yourself completely to God.

For Jesus, it is better for a stone to be tied to your neck and you be thrown into the river than to lead one of these little ones astray. A single sin, a single bad example can affect thousands of people around you and even the next generation.

Every sin is both a suicide and a murder. It kills us by weakening our desire to be saints and kills others through bad example. By saying we should cut off our hands and foot and pluck our eyes, Jesus wants us to realise that we have power over sin and that right within us are the causes of sin