DAILY HOMILIES #Corinthians

It is easy to help those who help us, but Jesus wants us to go the extra mile to help those who can never (or will never) repay you. Cultivate the habit of putting smiles on the faces of everyone you encounter, no matter who that person is. When you give, Jesus says, “Never expect repayment, but your reward will be great.” (Luke 6:35). Humans are naturally ungrateful, so don’t expect people to thank you. However, nothing escapes God’s watchful eyes; He will reward you in due time.

Sometimes, in our hot pursuit of justice, we forget the law of love. We forget that as much as God would be pleased with our strict obedience to his laws, there is no law greater than loving our neighbour as ourselves. Like these Pharisees, sometimes we become interested in certain persons not because we like them but to find something we can use against them. Have you become an accuser of the brethren who accuses others day and night before God? (Cf. Revelation 12:10). Rather than point fingers, learn to look inwards.

Trust God. He will not instruct you unless He knows you will benefit from that act of obedience. Even if you don’t trust God, just obey; your miracle doesn’t depend on your trust; it depends on your obedience. After the great fish catch, Peter knelt before Jesus, saying: “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man.” Do you know how many great and wonderful miracles you have missed just because you followed worldly wisdom?

The key to overcoming the temptation of jealousy and quarrelling is seeking the Holy Spirit through constant prayer. Did you notice that in today’s Gospel passage, immediately after the healing and casting-out-of-demons session, Jesus retreated to a quiet place to pray? This is an important lesson. Jesus did not “need” prayer, yet He never took prayer for granted. If you value prayer, you will always make time for it. Even if it means rising early or staying up all night, you will never let a day pass without spending time in communion with God.

Instead of allowing the truth to cure their pride, they turned against Jesus, intending to throw Him off the cliff. Their action did not nullify the bitter truth. Salvation is not hereditary, nor is it automatic. Indeed, the fact that I am a Catholic does not qualify me for heaven; it is the way I live that counts.

Always remember the end; always remember that even the air you breathe is borrowed and you will have to relinquish it someday. Thinking of our death often helps us to be less materialistic; it also helps us to forgive easily. Reminding ourselves that we shall die helps us to take life lightly and refrain from complaining when we don’t seem to have all we need.

What did Jesus tell us to do when a brother sins against us? Did he say we should write an article on social media or make a video post condemning the brother? Jesus said: “Meet him alone. If he refuses to listen, take one or two others with you. “If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.” (Matthew 18:17).

For the Corinthians, their problem was taking sides between Paul and Apollos, similar to when we began to form camps around our spiritual leaders. Paul was unhappy with them because they failed to see that Paul and Apollos were mere instruments while God was the real Chief Shepherd who made the growth happen.

To be wise spiritually is to trust little in your wealth, current status, education, connections, and devotional practices. To be wise is to have a backup, something extra, to hold on to should everything else fail. To be wise, you have to have some extra oil.