DAILY HOMILIES #grace

One word that perfectly describes unmerited favour is GRACE. It is God answering the prayers we never said, connecting us with people we never dreamt of, taking us to heights we never knew, and filling us with riches we never worked for. Your life can change in just one day.

As much as asking for God’s grace in fighting temptations is important, we must never forget that grace builds on nature. God wants you to make an effort; that is, try to avoid danger and be wise. Your accuser is the devil; to conquer him, you must be “wise as serpents and innocent as doves” (Matthew 10:16).

In today’s first reading, God instructs the people of Israel to consecrate themselves and wash their garments to prepare to behold His face. This experience sends a strong message: To meet God, one must prepare by cleansing oneself internally (of sins) and externally (of dirt). In other words, meeting God demands being in a State of Grace.

As soon as you find yourself in any temptations, do as little children do when they see a wolf or a bear in the country; for straightway they run to the arms of their father or of their mother,

St. Paul is not saying we should glory in our sinfulness. His point of emphasis is that we must avoid boasting, we must avoid feeling superior to others, we must avoid looking down on others.