DAILY HOMILIES #sin

Surely, there are consequences for our sinful choices but God does not hate us because of our sins. He continues to love us, providing several opportunities for us to repent. We can learn to be more sympathetic towards sinners (those who hurt us) treating them as sick patients in need of recovery than as less-than-human creatures deserving only of our hatred.

John the Baptist speaks in the present tense: “Even now, the axe is laid to the root of the trees… his winnowing fork is in his hand…” Meaning “now is the time; the harvest has begun already.” Live your life like someone who knows that death is just around the corner.

The book of Revelations may appear very difficult to understand but the message is very clear – God will judge the world and it is only those whose names are found in the book of life that will eventually merit heaven.

Today, we are called to do a cleansing of our minds and hearts. We are called to make a whip of cords and search through our lives for any sinful inclination or vice that pollutes the temple of our bodies.

A good leader inspires the best in people but a bad one destroys every atom of morality in them. This is why leaders; especially spiritual leaders will suffer a greater punishment than others if they are bad shepherds. A lot of young people in our society today aspire for leadership but the painful truth is that having been scandalized, they dream of taking up leadership positions not to serve the people, but to amass as much of the commonwealth as possible.

Is it the case that this very flesh will be given to us again? Yes. Does it mean that at the resurrection, we would be able to recognize each other’s faces? Yes. So, our hands, our eyes, our tongue, etc. would be restored to us again? Yes. Does it then mean we shall be capable of falling in love, getting married, and so on? Jesus says: “Those who are accounted worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage, for they cannot die anymore

The truth is that what matters is not how many times we fall, but how willing we are to pick ourselves back up. Like a baby learning how to walk, there is this sense of accomplishment when he recovers from a fall and staggers on again. The more we pick ourselves up, the more strength we gain to overcome that particular sin.

God wants us to win in the game of life; to bear fruits, and to fulfill our calling. A football player who doesn’t play well, who continues to pass the ball to the opponent, who even scores his own side will soon be removed and replaced. A cook who consistently misses the mark in the kitchen will produce food that he cannot even eat.

Surely, there are so many good things we get to enjoy for being Christians but our worship of God should not be predicated on these things. We are Christians not because of what we stand to gain from God but because we Love God. As such, even when we don’t receive anything or when misfortunes come our way, we must remain faithful.

Today, all our readings point to the danger of living in sin, the suffering it brings to us, and the desire of God to win us back as His beloved sons and daughters.

Let us ask ourselves: “Am I one of Jesus’ brothers and sisters? Or am I a devil-worshipper who just happens to go to church?” The prophet Micah describes God as an ever-merciful father who does not retain His anger but delights in steadfast love. He treads our iniquities under foot and casts our sins into the depths of the sea. This is what happens to us when we repent. If today, you hear God’s word, know that there is no sin that He cannot forgive. Take advantage of the fact that you are still alive at this moment and return to God. Don’t wait till tomorrow.

Jesus’ question to the Scribes and Pharisees is one that deserves some pondering. Jesus did not ask, “Why are you thinking I can’t forgive sins?” Instead, he asked: “Why do you think evil in your hearts?” Lack of Faith in God is itself a great evil we must tackle in our lives. To underestimate God or to belittle God’s power and authority is just as bad as any sin we can think of.