DAILY HOMILIES #sin

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

Jesus performed countless miracles, He even raised the dead to life many times but one miracle Jesus would not work is to force you to repent. This requires your active cooperation.

As the saying goes: “all lizards have their bellies on the ground, no one knows which has a running stomach.” We come to church but the truth is that some of us have become like try branches; our relationship with Jesus is long dead. Today, is another day, God is giving you a second chance to reconnect again. If Paul could become a preacher, who says you, despite your past cannot do the same?

In the midst of so much darkness, we Christians are called to become like this Paschal Candle; to shine goodness, love, compassion, truth, justice and everything Christ would do.

Judas betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. Every time we fail to let our light shine as God’s children for the sake of money, we are literally betraying Jesus. We don’t have to disobey God’s commandments, lie, steal, kill etc. for the sake of money. Jesus said, whatever you want, just ask, seek and knock and it would be provided. (Matthew 7:7).

If God so loved us that for our sake He allowed His only Son, Jesus to die as an atonement for our reconciliation and renewal of the covenant with Him, it means we would be totally ungrateful if we continue to walk in darkness rather than embrace the light.