DAILY HOMILIES #Jesus

The ruler knew his daughter was dead, but firmly believed that Jesus had a solution for death. He invited Jesus to heal his daughter’s condition, much as one would ask an electrician to replace a faulty switch. Faith does not begin with the occurrence of a miracle. Faith makes it happen. Believe that no matter what you face, it is not beyond what God can handle.

When they were going out, it was like an adventure to them; they must have asked themselves, “How am I going to survive? No purse, no bag, no sandals, nothing! But they obeyed. And they came back shocked that even the demons obeyed them. Their power was in their ability to detach themselves. When we focus on storing up treasures for ourselves in heaven, it is then that we experience true happiness.

Just as new wine can only be stored in new wineskins, we can only call ourselves Christians when we are born again. To be a Christian is to live a new life. As St. Paul says, “If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation, everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). You cannot be new wine in an old wineskin. You cannot continue the practices and lifestyle of persons who do not believe in God’s existence while claiming to be a Christian. You cannot serve both God and mammon. If you assume you can pretend, one day your “skin” will burst, and the whole world will know the truth. Be a genuine Christian, a new wine in a new wineskin.

From Jesus’ action in today’s Gospel passage, we learn that there are several methods of bringing people to repentance. With the scribes and Pharisees, Jesus was harsh and direct, but with Matthew and his friends, Jesus employed a different method – He won their hearts by eating and drinking with them. To his critics, Jesus said: “I have not come to call the righteous but sinners.”

In Thomas, we see that God does not necessarily need perfect people; He perfects those who make themselves available for His service. In today’s first reading, St. Paul tells us that we are no longer strangers but fellow citizens with the saints in the Household of God (Ephesians 2:19). We are all called to sainthood regardless of our limitations and imperfections. If Thomas made it to heaven, who says you cannot?

When the villagers saw what had happened, they were not grateful for the healing of the demoniac; instead, they were concerned about their economic loss. They begged Jesus to leave their neighbourhood, fearing there were more demoniacs within the community. They valued material riches more than spiritual wholeness. Like these villagers, we also beg Jesus to leave our spaces (family, work, school, business, etc.) directly and indirectly when we do not pray, do not keep God’s commandments, pursue sensual (indecent) entertainment, or even deny God’s existence.

Abraham did all he could to negotiate for Sodom and Gomorrah, and it was interesting to note that the Lord was willing to spare the entire city if up to ten righteous persons could be found in the town. This reminds us of salt. Only a small amount of salt is required to cook a whole pot of food. If the amount of salt is too small, the food will be tasteless. An entire city can be destroyed because there are not enough genuine worshippers of God.

Today’s Solemnity also challenges us to be the best version of ourselves as we strive to follow Christ’s footsteps on earth. Peter and Paul have long since passed away, but their legacies continue to shine. If they had approached their calling with the same lackadaisical attitude displayed by many Christians today, we would not be celebrating them today. Our time on earth is relatively short, but our impact can last for eternity. Live in a manner that the world would feel obliged to celebrate you long after you have gone.

“I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered... And I will bring them out from the peoples, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their land; and I will feed them on the mountains… I will feed them with good pasture, … they shall lie down in good grazing land, and on fat pasture, they shall feed” (Ezekiel 34:12-14).

Jesus said, “By their fruits, we shall know them.” This does not only apply to persons in religious circles. One does not need to write “engineer” on their forehead to be known as one; they only need to produce engineering works. What do we make of an “author” who has never written a single page? How do we say one is an accountant if they cannot handle financial records? You do not need to announce yourself to anyone; let your actions speak for themselves.

In the Gospel passage, we come across another type of call. This one comes from Jesus himself. It is a call to EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE. A call to constantly look inwards to take out the logs in our eyes before attempting to remove the specks in our neighbour’s eyes. Both calls require movement and sacrifice. While Abram had to let go of his father’s land, we are called to let go of our pride by examining our own lives rather than judging.

In the feeding of the five thousand, one obvious lesson we learn is that we serve a God who is interested in our physical as well as spiritual well-being. Jesus would not allow the crowds to go away hungry. He felt their plight and worked a miracle to feed them. This same feeling of love and concern is what inspired our Lord Jesus to sacrifice His flesh and blood for us on our behalf.