DAILY HOMILIES

Jesus taught us a short prayer in our Gospel passage. This prayer does not use repeated/empty phrases. It gives God His due praise and glory. It begs God; it does not issue commands. It is a prayer of commitment in that it asks of God and tells God what you will give to Him. When you pray the Lord’s Prayer, you ask for your daily bread; you also promise to forgive those who sin against you. Do not be too focused on taking from God when you pray that you forget to give back to God.

Jesus warned against giving that is loud, that is, giving to attract attention, not from the heart, but to make a statement to others. Jesus teaches us that this kind of giving is not to God, but to people. Instead of receiving our reward from God, we often receive only the praise of others.

What do serpents do when they are under attack? What about doves? Do they remain in one position or try to defend themselves? Jesus is not saying we should be suicidal; instead, He is teaching us to avoid hatred for others. In the face of unprovoked attacks, we must do everything possible to defend ourselves, fight back or flee for safety. We must use every power we have to disarm, overpower or bring down our enemies, but we must never harbour hatred towards them.

In our Gospel passage, Jesus admonishes us not to engage in physical battles: “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, do not resist one who is evil. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also….” (Matthew 5:38-39).

No one is an island. Even God is a community of three persons. Always consult with others before making any decisions. As a Christian community, we can only remain united when we regularly communicate with one another and discuss our plans. Staying away from zonal meetings or societal gatherings out of malice is detrimental to our progress as a people.

Indeed, to be a Christian is to have Christ living in you. It is the presence of Christ within a person that makes them a new creation. When Christ is in you, your approach to life, your behaviour, thoughts, likes, desires, indeed, everything about you should reflect Christ. There should be nothing in you that is contrary to Christ.

Jesus says, “If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away.” In convenient terms, Jesus is saying that all sexual sins have root causes; they do not happen in a vacuum. Something always leads to something before that big something happens. Your right eye is something you often take for granted or consider as usual, but then, it has the potential of landing you in sin.

Today, Jesus wants us to know He is more pleased with our reconciliation with others than our offerings. Just as our gifts to God are expensive, forgiveness is also costly. Forgiving others can be painful if the person refuses to acknowledge their fault. However, this pain is worth it because it is pleasing to God and it purifies our hearts from unnecessary burdens.

No matter how good we are, we all need people like Barnabas who coach (encourage) us into the stars we are meant to be. While others were scared of Paul because they judged him as a bad person who had later become a Christian, Barnabas saw in Paul a good man with a bad past. Let us learn from Barnabas to be less judgmental of people while encouraging them to let their light shine. Even the worst sinners have some degree of light in them. Barnabas mentored Paul and later became his partner when the Holy Spirit set them apart on a mission to evangelise the world.

Today, many have lost their “taste” as salt and their “brightness” as a light. We claim to be Christians, but we make life difficult for others. We are a source of scandal to those who look up to us as role models. We have given bad examples and corrupted the minds of the young. Never assume that it is okay to do evil since no one is looking. Jesus describes us as cities built on a hill, meaning there can be no hiding place for us, even in the most secret places. What we do in the cover of darkness comes out openly to bring us to our knees. “For there is nothing hidden, except to be disclosed; nor is anything secret, except to come to light.” (Mark 4:22).

When we say Mary is the Mother of the Church, we mean that she is the Mother of all who profess faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and God. The church goes beyond a building (made of bricks and stone); it is a collection of human beings (believers). Mary, as the mother of the church, refers to her role as the mother of all who believe in the divinity of Jesus, not just those who are devoted to her.

If neither you nor anyone listening to you understands what you are saying, you are not “speaking in tongues”, you are not manifesting the presence of the Holy Spirit, you are simply speaking gibberish. St. Paul would say: “If, therefore, the whole church assembles and all speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are mad?... If any speak in a tongue, let there be only two or at most three, and each in turn; and let one interpret. But if there is no one to interpret, let each of them keep silence in church and speak to himself and to God.” (1 Corinthians 14:23-28).