DAILY HOMILIES #Judah

Does it mean we become Mary by obeying God’s words? Yes. After all, how did Mary qualify to be God’s mother? She heard and obeyed God’s words; she agreed to do what God requested. If we follow God’s instructions, we also become carriers of God, and the happiness of Mary comes to us as well. There is nothing wrong with singing the praises of Mary, but remember that if we obey God’s words, we are just as blessed as Mary.

Wish your children well even when they offend you or fail to meet your expectations. Pray for them like Saint Monica, who prayed relentlessly for her son Augustine. Pray for them as Jacob did over his twelve sons, as seen in today’s first reading.

Why tell a lie to make money? Why do you deceive your customers in your business place? Don’t you trust that God can provide for you? “Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Consider the lilies of the field and how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon was not arrayed like one of these in all his glory. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you?

In all of these, one can see that there is a need for parents to impart blessings into the life of their children. Do not use nasty words on your children no matter how bad they hurt your feelings by their childish ways. Keep blessing them, keep calling them good names.

The state of the temple was a direct reflection of the state of the temples of their own heart. They had driven God out and replaced Him with money. What efforts do I make on a daily basis to cleanse my heart and ensure that God remains at the centre of my life?

Do not use nasty words on your children no matter how bad they hurt your feelings by their childish behaviours. Keep blessing them, keep calling them good names.