DAILY HOMILIES

Brothers and sisters, there is no easy ticket to heaven. Being circumcised will not guarantee salvation. If there is anything that assures us of eternal life, it is the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the Cross of Calvary. “When I am lifted up, I will draw all men to myself,” says Jesus. Nevertheless, faith in the sacrifice of Jesus without corresponding works on our part is useless. St. James would say, faith without works is dead.

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.

The same Paul and Barnabas who fled from Iconium went to Lystra to preach the Gospel. There was a cripple there who could not use his feet from birth. Seeing that this man had faith, Paul said to him: “Stand upright on your feet.” The cripple sprang up and walked. Truly speaking, as Jesus taught us, “if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible to you.” (Matthew 17:20)

When Jesus was asked to summarize the ten commandments, He said: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbour as yourself.” (Luke 10:27, Cf. Matthew 22:37-40 & Mark 12:29-31). Take note, Jesus said, ‘love your neighbour as yourself’ but now Jesus is saying, ‘love one another as I have loved you.’ While the previous commandment depends on yourself, this new commandment is based on the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross for us. The newness of this commandment is that even if you don’t love yourself, you should try to love others by sacrificing for them.

The election of Saint Mathias whose feast we celebrate today teaches us that no matter how good we are, there would always be someone who can take our place. We have been chosen by God but our election does not mean we have become indispensable. The will of God must be done and the work of God has to continue. If you serve in any capacity in God’s house, avoid pride; be good to people, never think that without you, everything will end.

Pray, do what you can, and leave the let God do the rest. Having committed a problem in God’s hands, you are not permitted to take it back. Worrying about something you have prayed for already is a sign of doubting what God can do.

Doing God’s work without a sense of humility, that is, without an awareness that you are just an instrument in God’s toolbox is dangerous (you can easily be replaced). Never take the complements or testimonies personally, learn to direct glory to God. In the same way, do not take it personally when you encounter those who express their anger against God through you. You are just a servant, the work is not yours.

When we fast, we involve our whole body in prayer. Fasting helps us to silence the noises around us and feel the real hunger of our souls which is the hunger for God. When we fast, we face our fears, we realize we can survive without certain things, and we become aware of the inner power that we possess over food, luxury, or that which we had depended on for so long.

Have you ever tried to tell someone what you believe only to realize you are pouring water on a stone? This was the situation Jesus found himself in with the Jews. There was just nothing that Jesus would say to them that would make them believe He is the Christ. Even when they saw all the works He did. “The works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness to me; but you do not believe.”

Leading others is indeed the most difficult assignment on earth. Without cultivating the habit of personal prayer, no one can ever succeed at it. This is the lesson we learn in today’s first reading. In his prayer, Peter was given a vision wherein he was told not to call anything unclean that God has made clean. He would later understand the meaning of this vision when some men came from Caesarea to fetch him. In the end, a Roman official of high standing, Cornelius along with his entire family was baptized and received the Holy Spirit. This paved the way for the spread of the faith to Rome.

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.

It is not possible for us to understand everything about God. Like the Holy Eucharist, there are still so many things about God that remain mysteries to us. No matter how high the temptation may be for you to walk away from God, let us remember that the best is yet to come. God has not changed and will never change a bit. Just hold on. Don’t quit on God. For his steadfastness to endure when he didn’t understand, Peter would go on to become a great instrument in God’s hands.