DAILY HOMILIES #teaching

As a worker in any field, pay attention to your spiritual life and do not depend solely on your human efforts and skills. Jesus tells us today: “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me.” Listen to Jesus daily. Obey God’s commandments. Do not worship money.

Be good, not for the sake of attracting the applause of people but for God’s sake. As long as you desire to serve God, be prepared for attacks and tests (Cf. Sirach 2:1). Do not be a mediocre Christian lest you fail when tested, and then you become a laughing stock of those who do not believe that good people are still in existence.

Be good, not for the sake of attracting the applause of people but for God’s sake. As long as you desire to serve God, be prepared for attacks and tests (Cf. Sirach 2:1). Do not be a mediocre Christian lest you fail when tested, and then you become a laughing stock of those who do not believe that good people are still in existence.

Why did Jesus insist we should invite the poor? They cannot repay us. If we invite our friends and relatives to our parties, they will pay us back by either giving us money or inviting us to their parties. Jesus wants us to invite those who cannot pay us back so that our reward will come from God. “Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers, that you do unto me.”

The moment we see ourselves as better than others, we start going down. In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus, having put the Pharisees to shame by healing a man with dropsy, taught us a lesson in humility. Jesus described pride as taking a seat at the high table (when invited for a ceremony) only for the host to politely ask you to step down for a more important guest.

If you really want to know who you are, forget about your titles or what anyone is saying and find out what your actions (especially those you do in secret) are saying about you.

Christian perfection is operating not by the standards of the world but by the standards of God. St. Paul says the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. Again, to remind us of what Jesus taught us two Sundays ago, as Christians, we are the salt and the light of the world. We are meant to show good examples rather than copy that which is popular.

Striving for Christian perfection surely sounds like foolishness to the world. The world we live in today has lost its moral values. Saying the truth at all times, refusing to tell a lie, staying away from sex before marriage, remaining faithful to your spouse even in tough times, keeping one’s heart pure, forgiving others freely and continuously, and staying away from secret sins may not command the respect of people but these are the characteristics of truly wise people.

Know that even if it is only one person you help, it will mean the whole world to them. Search your heart, you can hear God calling you. Just as Jesus appointed the twelve, He wants to do something through you. God does not work in a vacuum; He works through people.

Do you firmly believe that with prayers, we can solve the problem of insecurity bedeviling our nation? If you do, then you are among the very few still following the narrow path of salvation that Jesus spoke about in today’s Gospel passage. Sure, it is not easy to be different in a world like ours. It is not easy to genuinely let your light shine in a world so full of darkness. As Jesus would say: “the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to salvation.” Don’t get tired of the difficulties you are facing in your walk with Jesus. It was never meant to be a smooth ride. Do not give up.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:43-45). That is to say; our unique identity as Christians is that we are a people who love those who hate them. We are a mysterious people. We always forgive those who hurt us. We turn the other cheek when someone slaps us on one side. We let others have their way and we pray for God’s blessings rather than heap curses on our haters. (Cf. Matthew 5:38-39). This is how we melt the hearts of our enemies. This is the principle that has made our religion spread all over the world and continue to grow in leaps and bounds.

In John 4:4 we read: “Little children, you are from God, and have conquered them; for the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”