DAILY HOMILIES #Life

No one became successful overnight; even those from wealthy families were not always successful. There were moments of sorrow, tears and sweat. It gets very dark just before dawn. If God allows suffering in your life, do not say: “God, why me?” Instead, say: “God, help me to discover the hidden blessings behind this suffering.” Don’t think about your problems too much; some are lessons. Remember, God “has made everything beautiful in its time.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

Ezekiel’s prophecy of the dry bones shows us that it is not possible for there can be dead cases as far as our lives are concerned. We can always change; there is always room for repentance. We can never be too old to start learning again. Why is it that it can never be too late for God? His steadfast love never ceases; His mercies endure forever. God’s mercies are new every morning. As we often sing: “Great is thy faithfulness, O Lord. Great is thy faithfulness.”

One important lesson we learned in today’s liturgy is that we serve a God who knows how to reward His faithful servants. We do not worship God in vain, and we do not make sacrifices for God in vain. Like Mary, if we remain steadfast, God will grant us glory.

While Martha’s life inspires us to have deep faith in God, Mary shows us the importance of listening to the Word of God, and from Lazarus, we learn the importance of developing friendships with God. The Gospels do not provide us with much information about Lazarus’ life, except that he was a friend of Jesus. What kind of friends do you have? Can you boast of any of your friends raising you from the dead? If not, make Jesus your best friend today. On the other hand, if your friends are drawing you away from God, they do not deserve to remain your friends.

Rather than praying for a long life, let us pray for a life that has a significant impact. Rather than wish death away, let us pray for the grace to accomplish our purpose on earth. Rather than fear death, let us fear sin, whatever would make us unworthy of being with the saints in heaven.

Consider it your duty to be good. The world needs you; it needs Christians. We are the light of the world and the salt of the earth. You do not thank your bulb for shining when you turn on the switch; it is simply doing its duty. Do not expect anyone to thank or praise you for shining. Just continue living a virtuous life. Be more concerned with having conquered death than with receiving praise from others.

The best way to stay vigilant is to keep busy. Just as a good security officer never sleeps while on duty, being watchful requires keeping our hearts engaged. If we are not busy, we will soon find ourselves sleeping, allowing the enemy to sow bad seeds in us (Cf. Matthew 13:25ff). The consequence of being unprepared for the end in Jesus’ words is this: “The Master will… punish him, and put him with the hypocrites; there men will weep and gnash their teeth.”

The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin is a singular participation in her Son’s Resurrection and an anticipation of the resurrection of other Christians. Unlike the case of Elijah, Mary’s move into heaven is not directly documented in the Bible, but our readings at Mass today give us helpful clues as to what happened.

Joseph could see that God was using these experiences for his good, writing straight on very crooked lines, that even though his brothers never meant well for him, God sent him ahead of them to preserve life. Who knows? If Joseph were not the Prime Minister of Egypt during that great famine, the Israelite Nation would have ended. Joseph understood this, and without waiting for his brothers to apologise, he forgave them.

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.

Do you believe you can do greater things than what Jesus did on earth? Do you trust God will do whatever you ask in Jesus’ Name? Praying without faith is like running on the spot; you exert much energy but no movement. Let us strengthen our belief in the power of prayer, for it is through faith that we truly connect with God.

Peter’s experience also reminds us of Jesus’ warning to the Jews: “Do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father’; for I tell you, God is able, from these stones, to raise children to Abraham.” (Matthew 3:9). Let us avoid pride. The fact that someone is not a church member does not mean they don’t have access to God. To successfully convert a person, you must respect and recognise their previous beliefs.