DAILY HOMILIES #voice

Hannah was willing to give something to God in exchange for what she was asking for. Her prayer was her vow. When we pray, we should not simply concern ourselves with what we are to gain from God; we should also be willing to give back something to God. Even in the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus told us that we should not expect forgiveness of our sins when we refuse to forgive others.

If you learn to listen to your spirit (your guardian angel), you will not go to certain places or be involved in certain deals. You will feel something trying to stop you from what would have brought you great danger. The more you converse with your guardian angel, the less fearful you become.

God has truly visited his people. This is the meaning of the name “Emmanuel.” God is with us. There is no problem or difficulty worth taking your life. Present the matter to God in prayer and be sure that Jesus, who raised the dead, will make a way where there seems to be no way.

From the vision of Peter, we learn to avoid judging people simply based on where they come from. Whereas the bad shepherd, the thief thrives by creating division and sowing seeds of hatred and ethnic rivalry among the sheep, the good shepherd unites all, mends conflicts, and teaches love above anything else.

In our Gospel acclamation today, we hear Jesus say: “I know my own and my own know me.” (John 10:14) Jesus goes further to describe Himself as the Door of the Sheep meaning that it is only through Him that we can find our hearts’ desires and needs. “If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out of pasture.”

In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus did not say “all those who come to gather around me are my sheep.” Instead, He says: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them and they follow me.” These three qualities distinguish the sheep of Christ; First, the sheep must hear the voice of Christ. How often do you read the Bible and meditate on it? Secondly, when Christ says “I know them” it means no one can pretend to be his sheep; you are either with Christ or with another shepherd. Thirdly, Jesus says: “they follow me,” which means, they behave like me. The sheep of Christ incarnate Christ in the world.