DAILY HOMILIES #Jesus

Without forgiveness, there cannot be a holy family. If your love is to last, you must forgive one another repeatedly; seventy-seven times seven times. As St. Paul says: “Forbearing one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you.” (Colossians 3:13)

The death of the Holy innocents casts a dark shadow on our Christmas celebration. It gives us a glimpse of the darkness that so filled the earth before Christ’s birth brought light to the world. It also gives us a glimpse of what life on earth would have been if Jesus had not brought salvation. If Jesus wasn’t born, I guess none of us would have been alive today.

At Christmas, God is saying to us: “Come to me as you would come to a baby, I will not hurt you.” Perhaps, you cannot remember the last time you prayed. Start today. Start to talk to God again. Don’t be scared. Carry this child in your arms and talk to Him.

If actions speak louder than words, we are called to examine ourselves today. What sort of things are our actions proclaiming about us? What are my actions in preparing for Christmas saying about my understanding of Jesus Christ?

There would be moments of pain we cannot escape, tears we must cry, losses we must make, and deaths we must die. These are planting seasons. They must come and they must go. If the farmer eats all his seed and fails to “sacrifice” some for planting, there would be nothing to eat in the next season. Thank God for your adversity. Whatever it is that you are going through right now is working for your good. (Cf. Romans 8:28)

Jesus is God in the midst of people. We have no reason to doubt that Jesus is the Promised Messiah. Every single prophecy about Jesus came to pass; even those that were made thousands of years before he was born. We do not need any further proof. Jesus is Truly God.

One symptom of this disease is the speed with which its victims detect errors and flaws here and there. Another symptom is that people sick with this disease are never happy! In fact, they grow old quickly because of too much squeezing of faces.

Life is hard. Nothing good comes easy. Bad things happen without warning. Life will always give you reasons to complain. Problems are never exhausted. But how are we to stay alive and win? Faith! Believe and keep believing. Prayer works. God cares.

ust as Andrew introduced Peter to Jesus, the Feast of St. Andrew stands at such a strategic point in the Church’s calendar as he continues to be the one introducing the Church as a whole to the Advent Season; his feast is like the Calendar Marker that reminds us of the need to start preparing for the Baby Jesus.

It is not enough that we hang decorations, lights and pictures of Jesus this season, let us hang the virtues of Christ, chief among which are forgiveness and mercy. Putting up fancy lights is very expensive, not many can afford these beautiful lights but there is another light that cost nothing and is available for all; it is the light of good deeds.

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

The good news is that the same Jesus who became a guest in the home of Zacchaeus is standing at your door right now. St. John, in today’s first reading, quotes Jesus: “Behold I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, then I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me…”