DAILY HOMILIES #Blessed Sacrament

Prayer is never a one-way traffic. When we pray, we pour out our hearts completely to God, but we must also be attentive to His inspirations. The centurion listened to Jesus. He heard him saying, “I will come and heal him.” Most times, we don’t listen when we pray; our troubles weigh us down so much that we never hear God’s gentle voice, assuring us of His understanding and commitment to solving our problems. God has not stopped speaking today; we only need to be more watchful and attentive.

Belshazzar knew what those vessels were meant for, but he attempted to challenge God’s existence. This experience teaches us to avoid taking God for granted. The fact that God is silent does not mean He is weak. God is a merciful father; He is also a consuming fire. Hebrews 12:29 reads, “For our God is a consuming fire.” Deuteronomy 4:24 says, “For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.” Psalm 18:8 says, “Smoke rose from his nostrils, and consuming fire came from his mouth, burning coals blazed out of it.”

Amid the killings we are experiencing in our country today, someone asked me, “Where was Christ when some armed men went into a church in Kwara State during worship, killed three persons and kidnapped others? If Christ is king of the universe, can He not stop this violence in the country?” I answered, quoting the words of Christ, “My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.” (John 18:36)