DAILY HOMILIES #Love

Jesus taught us to “be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.” The essence of this perfection is loving our enemies.

In asking us to be perfect, Jesus wants us to be like God who takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked but rejoices at their repentance. Jesus wants us to pray for our enemies, that God would touch their hearts and bring about their conversion.

If in the course of this week or sometime in the future, God gives you an opportunity to revenge on what your enemy did (or is still doing) to you, what would you do? Crush them with delight or show to them the kindness that they refused to show to you when they had the chance?

“If a brother or sister is ill-clad and in lack of daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled,’ without giving them the things needed for the body, what does it profit? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.” (James 2:15-17)

Don’t tell people how much you love God, just make sure there is no hatred in your heart. Your life itself would testify to your love for God.

Love is kindness to others – a kindness that gives them the freedom to accept or reject; to reciprocate or to hate in return and more importantly, this kindness continues even when the other party responds with hatred.

As much as these things deliver a great deal of happiness, they remain fleeting. We are never satisfied. Our hearts are always restless because only God can bring us true satisfaction. It is pure wisdom to remind yourself constantly that you came to this world empty and you shall return empty; that you are just a sojourner on earth.

As part of our Christmas celebrations, the story of John the beloved draws us to open our hearts to love Jesus as a friend and brother. It is not enough that we eat rice and chicken to celebrate Jesus’ birth, we must also enter into personal relationships with Jesus just as John did.

We learn from the centurion to have the attitude of humility bearing in mind that we are indeed not worthy to have Jesus come to us. Humility is not just a matter of thinking less of myself, it is thinking big of the God I serve

Jesus did not simply say: “you shall love your neighbour,” He carefully added, “as yourself.” Without love for self, there is no love for neighbour. One who cannot love himself or herself cannot also love his neighbour.

Growing up demands that we are no longer content with keeping the law as it is stated in black and white but that we now aim to love God above all things and our neighbour as ourselves.

his Good Samaritan is the direct opposite of Jonah, he teaches us how to live by caring for our neighbours. They say, “if you want to walk fast, walk alone but if you must walk far, walk with someone.” Do not be a loner. It is dangerous to be alone; to live in a world of “I, my and myself.”