DAILY HOMILIES #Jerusalem

No matter how good we are, we all need people like Barnabas who coach (encourage) us into the stars we are meant to be. While others were scared of Paul because they judged him as a bad person who had later become a Christian, Barnabas saw in Paul a good man with a bad past. Let us learn from Barnabas to be less judgmental of people while encouraging them to let their light shine. Even the worst sinners have some degree of light in them. Barnabas mentored Paul and later became his partner when the Holy Spirit set them apart on a mission to evangelise the world.

If neither you nor anyone listening to you understands what you are saying, you are not “speaking in tongues”, you are not manifesting the presence of the Holy Spirit, you are simply speaking gibberish. St. Paul would say: “If, therefore, the whole church assembles and all speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are mad?... If any speak in a tongue, let there be only two or at most three, and each in turn; and let one interpret. But if there is no one to interpret, let each of them keep silence in church and speak to himself and to God.” (1 Corinthians 14:23-28).

The lamb Abraham said God would provide, the lamb sacrificed in Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, that Samuel offered, and the prophets spoke about is Jesus Christ.

These were the last words of Jesus before His Ascension - “Go into all the world and preach the gospel.” (Mark 16:15). This is an all-important task. If we fail to preach the gospel, we have failed God

In their frustration, the two disciples met Jesus on the way but could not recognise him. They complained: “We had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel.” (Luke 24:21). In other words, they were hoping that Jesus would overthrow the Roman authorities (their colonial masters) and become King of Israel. Jesus said to them: “O foolish men…” Why did Jesus call them foolish?

To succeed, you must be connected to a Divine Source of energy. Our first reading today concludes with this statement: “And David became greater and greater, for the Lord, the God of hosts, was with him.”

As we celebrate the feast of St. Bartholomew, let us take some moments to recall our conversion experience. How did you come to know Jesus? What convinced you that Jesus is God? Have you had a one-on-one encounter with Jesus? Are you holding on to your confession of faith in Jesus like Bartholomew, who described Jesus as the Son of God and the King of Israel?

If the only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing, the question is: “Are there still good men in our country today? What exactly are you doing to end corruption? How zealous are you for righteousness?” The book of Sirach in today’s first reading says: “I resolved to live according to wisdom, and I was zealous for good, and I shall never be disappointed.” (Sirach 51:18).

Today should be a day of joy for us, a day to celebrate the final victory of life over death, a day to celebrate our firm assurance that heaven exists, that just as Christ ascended to heaven, we too shall one day depart this earth and be united with God in heaven. Luke concludes by saying: “The disciples returned to Jerusalem with great joy and were continually in the temple blessing God.” The disciples entered a mood of prayer in preparation for the descent of the Holy Spirit. This is exactly what we must now do as we await the Comforter, the Paraclete, the Holy Ghost from heaven.