DAILY HOMILIES #faith

Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son; if you ask anything in my name, I will do it.” (John 14:12-14). These words of Jesus underscore the importance of faith in our prayers. Before you start praying, read these verses again and again. If possible, memorise them and repeat them in your heart daily

To have faith is to be assured of God’s protection even when all you see with your eyes is danger. To believe in God is to be convinced that God sees and knows what to do regardless of your present circumstances. A good athlete exercises faith to win a race by visualising themselves holding the medal even before the race starts. To have faith is to pray and work, trusting that God will bless your work and make it fruitful.

Jesus did not explain himself to those asking. He said: “You are not my sheep.” Child of God, are you the sheep of Christ? Why do you still doubt? Why are you still scared of the future? Why are you worried about your enemies? Jesus says: “They shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand.”

Today’s first reading narrates the great persecution that arose against the church following the death of Stephen. This persecution, though distant in time, echoes the challenges we face in our own lives. During his stoning, the witnesses laid their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul, who became determined to wipe out the entire church. However, this reading concludes on a positive note: “So there was much joy in that city.” (Acts 8:8).

The message for you today is: “Rise.” Don’t stay down. Rise! Your sufferings are not a sign of weakness on the part of God. Keep trusting in God. Very soon, your eyes will see, and your mouth will testify that God never sleeps nor slumbers and never turns His back on His children.

When the devil fights you from outside and cannot bring you down, he tries to fight from within. Nevertheless, as Jesus said to the apostles in today’s Gospel passage, when you face such attacks, “Do not be afraid.”(John 6:20). Even in chaos, God is never far from you.

God allowed the jailers to secure the prison doors because He wanted to prove to them that there was no chain, padlock, piece of metal, wood, bronze or any created object that could lock up the Gospel. Even those who never heard the Gospel heard that the apostles were imprisoned but found in the temple preaching. In other words, throwing the apostles in prison further helped to spread the Gospel.

Peter prayed in the name of Jesus Christ because he believed in the resurrection. Peter knew that Jesus Christ was fully alive and that Jesus was right there with him. When Peter saw the lame man begging at the beautiful gate, he remembered Jesus healed the sick, raised the dead and freed many of their predicament. Peter knew what Jesus would have done upon seeing the lame man at the beautiful gate.

The Jews were determined to kill Jesus (just as Nebuchadnezzar wanted to kill the boys), not knowing that death was not the end but only the beginning of a greater life. The three Hebrew boys entered the fire as slaves of the King, but when they came out of the fiery burning furnace, they became gods to the King. Jesus willingly embraced death on the cross, but when He came out of the fire of death, He shone brightly.

The Galileans received miracles not because of their location but because of their deep-seated faith. Jesus said to the woman at the well: “The hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him.” (John 4:23). It is not about your location. Are you worshipping God in spirit and truth?

Prayer is not a recital. There is nothing wrong with using structured (already-made) prayer. Jesus gave us one in today’s Gospel passage. However, in using a prayer book, our job is not merely to read out the words but to communicate with the words.

Every time you face trials, know you are on the verge of a breakthrough. Something great is coming your way; you only need to pass this test. Trials are like promotion examinations we write before moving higher. St. James says: “Count it all joy when you meet various trials.”