DAILY HOMILIES #healing

As we struggle to make progress in our spiritual lives every day, let us realize that every step we make in the right direction pisses off the devil more and more. This is a truth clearly hidden from the worldly-minded; a truth which St. Paul says in our first reading, always sounds like mere gibberish to the unspiritual man.

Since there are no perfect humans, and Jesus is saying that divorce is not an option, how are couples to find joy in marriage? The answer is forgiveness. Forgive quickly. St. Paul would say: “Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.” (Ephesians 4:26-27). If couples learn to forgive each other seventy times seven times, marriages would be blissful. Forgiveness sustains marriage.

Unforgiveness is like holding hot coals in your bare hands hoping to throw them at your offenders. Once a snake brushed a saw in the farmer’s tool shed and in anger the snake rolled itself around the saw hoping to crush it but the snake ended up committing suicide. Unforgiveness is suicidal. On the other hand, forgiveness is self-healing. It is releasing a prisoner only to discover you are the prisoner.

Jesus’ question to the Scribes and Pharisees is one that deserves some pondering. Jesus did not ask, “Why are you thinking I can’t forgive sins?” Instead, he asked: “Why do you think evil in your hearts?” Lack of Faith in God is itself a great evil we must tackle in our lives. To underestimate God or to belittle God’s power and authority is just as bad as any sin we can think of.

The same Paul and Barnabas who fled from Iconium went to Lystra to preach the Gospel. There was a cripple there who could not use his feet from birth. Seeing that this man had faith, Paul said to him: “Stand upright on your feet.” The cripple sprang up and walked. Truly speaking, as Jesus taught us, “if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible to you.” (Matthew 17:20)

According to scripture scholars, Mark was the first person to have written a Gospel as early as 64 A.D. while Matthew and Luke copied from him thereby accounting for the deep similarities in the three Gospels. Saint Mark’s journey with Saint Peter and Saint Barnabas is recorded in Acts as they traveled through Cyprus and Rome carrying the Word. Church writings accredit Saint Mark as founding the Church in Alexandria and consequently, serving as bishop there.

When we go for confession, God so forgives our sins and washes us that we can confidently say we become new creatures. God does not remember our sins because the moment we offload them at the confessional, our old self dies and we leave as newborn babies. Just as you cannot accuse a newborn baby of sin, God no longer accuses us of the sins that we have dropped at the confessional. Never be too shy to go to confession; it is not the priest who forgives us but Jesus Christ himself who gave the priest the power to retain or absolve sins in His name.

When we are only concerned about money, the things of God do not make sense to us. Jesus Christ met these two disciples on the way but they failed to recognize Him because their hearts were clouded by material pursuits. Jesus took his time to explain the Scriptures to them, and their hearts burned within them.

For thirty-eight years the man remained there “hoping against hope” that one day, he would enter the pool before anyone else. You may have been trying unsuccessfully to overcome the same sin. Don’t give up. You may have failed countless times but let your answer to Jesus’ question remain: “Yes, I want to be healed.”

No matter how angry you are, there is always a way to communicate your pain without regretting later. This skill is called emotional intelligence. It begins by learning to listen deeply to others.

How often do I use my ears to listen to God’s word and my mouth to proclaim that word of God? Could it be that I am spiritually deaf and dumb? Do I find it difficult to defend my faith when the occasion arises?

God dwells in a special way in the temple. That is why Jesus would go to the temple to drive out the money changers saying: “My House (that is, God’s dwelling place) shall be a house of prayer…” (Matthew 21:13).