DAILY HOMILIES #trials

Jesus, who could see from a distance what the disciples were facing at sea and walked towards them (Cf. Matthew 14:23-26), was fully aware of the storm even though he appeared to be sleeping. When it seems as if God is sleeping, that is precisely when we need to trust Him more because, at such moments, we are just being tested.

The Jews were determined to kill Jesus (just as Nebuchadnezzar wanted to kill the boys), not knowing that death was not the end but only the beginning of a greater life. The three Hebrew boys entered the fire as slaves of the King, but when they came out of the fiery burning furnace, they became gods to the King. Jesus willingly embraced death on the cross, but when He came out of the fire of death, He shone brightly.

Every time you face trials, know you are on the verge of a breakthrough. Something great is coming your way; you only need to pass this test. Trials are like promotion examinations we write before moving higher. St. James says: “Count it all joy when you meet various trials.”

Just as darkness hates the light, so do the people of the world hate the children of God but we cannot afford to be quiet or compromise. We must always remember the fact that we do not belong to this world, that is, we must be prepared to die for the sake of God.

Life is hard. Nothing good comes easy. Bad things happen without warning. Life will always give you reasons to complain. Problems are never exhausted. But how are we to stay alive and win? Faith! Believe and keep believing. Prayer works. God cares.

How can we possibly accept the many tribulations that are part of the road to heaven? The only solution is for us to have this inner peace. Peace of mind is such a vital ingredient for us to move successfully on this road to heaven. When we have this peace, nothing is difficult for us.

As far as serving God in this world is concerned, we are always going to face trials; there would be moments we would become so discouraged with regards to doing good

Where Jesus is present, nothing spoils but when we are not on the same boat with Jesus, when we are walking in sin and disobeying His commands, then we are just on our own! The couple at Cana needed not be afraid because they were wise enough to invite Jesus and his mother to their wedding. (Cf. John 2:1-11).

In today’s First Reading, we are presented with the story of Abraham our Father in faith. Interestingly, just as Noah offered a sacrifice to God that pleased God so much, we find Abraham offering a very huge sacrifice; the sacrifice of his only begotten son, Isaac – the same Isaac that was born to him after twenty-five long years of waiting.

The truth is that we cannot avoid having to write exams and very difficult exams at that. God often allows us to go through the valley of the shadow of darkness to show us that even in thick darkness, even amid all the commotion and turbulence, He remains Lord and Ruler of the World. By walking on water, Jesus was saying: “no matter how tough your situation may be, it is not difficult for me because I am on top of it.”