DAILY HOMILIES #Following Jesus - Be Happy Live Positive

Carry the Yoke (and Burden) that Brings Rest for Your Soul.

When Jesus says we should carry his yoke, he speaks figuratively referring to those things we must do as his followers. Like a farmer ties a yoke on oxen in order to use them to work on the farm, Jesus wants us to carry His Yoke; be controlled by his teaching; to work in promoting God’s kingdom. Moreover, Jesus went further to add that this yoke is easy and the burden (sacrifices, pains, commitments) that come with carrying the yoke is very light.

The Cost of Discipleship

Just as Jesus was hated by so many, anyone who wants to follow Christ’s footsteps should prepare to have a lot of enemies and be hated by so many people.

Will You Also Go Away? Taste and See that the Lord is Good.

One question I often ask myself is: “After walking away from Jesus, did the crowd eventually find the bread they were looking for?” If you consider the commandments of God as too difficult to keep or as a hindrance to your happiness, will you find happiness by worshipping the devil?

Whose Sheep Am I? Whose Voice Do I Listen to? Who Do I Follow?

If we are truly the sheep of Christ, we would be excited whenever we are called to join in prayers or whenever we open our Bibles to read because these are opportunities to hear the voice of our shepherd. Just as we long to hear the voice of one with whom we are in love so we shall long to hear the voice of Christ. If we are truly the sheep of Christ, our role models would not be rich and famous celebrities whose moral lives are nothing to write home about.

What Have You Left Behind?

Following Jesus at all demands a certain level of letting go and breaking off from the world. As Jesus would say: “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 16:24-25).

Andrew Left Everything Else Behind

Andrew was fond of introducing people to Jesus. This characteristic of Andrew is what I call basic evangelisation. Bring people to Jesus and let Him take over from there. Just as Andrew introduced Peter to Jesus, the Feast of St. Andrew introduces the Church to the season of Advent. If you notice, advent is always the closest Sunday to the feast of St. Andrew.