DAILY HOMILIES

Although Gamaliel didn’t support the apostles, his words were valid. “If this undertaking is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them because, in that case, you would be found fighting against God.” When you are doing God’s work, there will be a lot of ups and downs, moments when you will feel like throwing in the towel. In such moments, the devil would try to make you doubt God’s power; he may even make you believe that what you are doing is not God’s work. Don’t give up. Don’t listen to the devil’s lies. Jesus never promised a smooth ride. He only said that victory is certain.

I praise the courage of Peter, who spoke on behalf of the apostles: “We must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised Jesus, WHOM YOU KILLED by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Saviour, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.” (Acts 5:29-31).

Today, we celebrate Mary’s intercession for Africa. When Herod sought to kill the baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph took shelter in Africa. At a time when our continent is facing turmoil and suffering under the yoke of neocolonialism, we need Mother Mary’s intercession more than ever.

There is a saying, “When you have more than you need, build a longer table, not a higher fence.” The believers understood this saying and achieved a family united in one heart and soul. Don’t be afraid to share what you have; the more you give, the more it increases. This is how Jesus fed over five thousand people with just five loaves and two fish. If there are needy persons among us, we have failed collectively. Let us not forget that our true wealth lies in the love and care we show others, not material possessions. So, let us be generous, not just with our words, but with our actions.

Anytime we reflect on the earliest Christian communities, as we have them in the Acts of the Apostles, we cannot help but feel sad at the situation in our churches today. The principle at work back then was: “When one member suffers, all suffer with him or her.” Does this principle still operate in our churches today? Do we still gather to pray for ourselves? Or have we become too busy to pray? Do we still have faith in the power of prayer?

When we go for confession, God forgives our sins and washes us so that we can confidently say we become new creatures. God does not remember our sins because the moment we offload them at the confessional, our old self dies, and we leave as newborn babies. Just as you cannot accuse an infant of sin, God no longer accuses us of the sins that we have dropped at the confessional. Never be too shy to go to confession; it is not the priest who forgives us, but Jesus Christ who gave the priest the power to retain or absolve sins in His name.

When the authorities told Peter and John never to speak again in the name of Jesus, Peter said: “Whether it is right in God’s sight to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge; for we cannot keep from speaking about what we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:19-20). Peter and John were aware that they were standing before those who conspired to kill Jesus, but they were not scared of them as much as they were frightened of disobeying God. Peter and John remembered the words of Jesus: “My friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear him!” (Luke 12:4-5).

Peter’s failure that night was God’s way of telling Peter that he is called to be a fisher of men (not of fish). It was also God’s way of teaching him about divine providence. Are you experiencing failure in some aspect of your life? It is time to ask: “Am I doing what God wants of me?” If God has given you an assignment, it will be hard to succeed in something else if you abandon God’s call.

Peter addressed them: “Men of Israel, why do you stare as though we had made him walk by our power or piety?” Never worship God’s ministers; even the devil can heal in the name of Jesus Christ. On the other hand, never assume you are too small (or too sinful) to invoke the name of Jesus Christ. You don’t have to be ordained to be a healer.

By healing the lame man, Peter gave him something beyond silver and gold – healing from paralysis. This man would no longer need to be carried from place to place. He would provide for himself. Value spiritual wealth over financial riches. You may not have all the money you crave, but as long as you have God, you have everything.

After listening to Peter, the crowd asked: “What are we to do?” This crowd remains a model of how we listen to God’s Words. They did not ask Peter about his degrees or qualifications. They were not concerned about where he came from or his profession. Although most of them were Jews who had come from different parts of the world to celebrate Pentecost, they did not ask Peter to work signs. Do not be distracted by the messenger when listening to God’s Word. Instead, allow the message to work in you by asking important questions such as: “What must I do? What needs to change in my life? What can I improve?”

When Jesus told the women to tell his brothers to go to Galilee, Jesus meant that his brothers should move from unbelief to faith. Dear friends, we do not need visas to go on a pilgrimage to this special Galilee. As long as we have hearts ready to welcome Jesus like the Galileans and truly believe, we will see Jesus. And not just that, we would receive our miracles.