“And when Jesus saw her, he called her and said to her, "Woman, you are freed from your infirmity.” (Luke 13:12)
Today, St. Paul reveals to us the essence of letting our light shine as Children of God.
1. Be kind to one another and tender-hearted.
2. Forgive one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.
3. Be imitators of God, as beloved children.
4. Shun fornication and impurity of any kind such as obscene, silly, and vulgar talk.
5. Live a life of thanksgiving; be grateful always.
And the key to walking as a child of light is first realizing who you are. You are not just anybody. The fact that you are reading or listening to this message right now already marks you out from the rest of the world. You are special; you are a child of Abraham. Satan has no right to hold you in captivity or in the bondage of sin.
In the Gospel passage, Jesus was in a synagogue on a Sabbath day and there was this woman who was completely bent over and she could not stand or walk upright. She had been under this bondage for eighteen years. As soon as Jesus saw her, Jesus did not wait for her to ask for healing, He immediately reached out to her, laid his hands on her and cured her. Jesus cured this woman not minding that it was a Sabbath day because according to Him, she was a daughter of Abraham and did not deserve such a condition.
Are you bent over spiritually because of your sins? As a child of Abraham, is Satan still holding you captive preventing you from letting your light shine? Does immorality reign in your life? It is time to get close to Jesus today to free you from bondage.
This woman was in this condition for 18years even though she was always going to the Synagogue. Some of us have been Christians for more than 18years yet we are still bent over. It doesn’t matter how many times you go to Church, what matters is that you are free from the captivity of sinfulness and your light actually shines!
The Pharisees represent a category of people who will never see anything good in anything that happens to you. Their minds are so filled with darkness that they always point out errors in everything. If you are failing, they say you lack sense, and if you finally succeed, they say you cheated. Negative minded persons are never grateful nor truly happy in life. Note that one of the criteria St. Paul mentions in our first reading this morning is that our lives must be pervaded by Thanksgiving.
Let us pray: Lord Jesus, release me from the captivity of any sort preventing my light from shining. Amen.
Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Homily for Monday of the 30th Week in Ordinary Time. Bible Study: Ephesians 4:32-5:8, Psalm 1:1-6 and Luke 13:10-17).