DAILY HOMILIES #obedience

Family is blood. When it comes down to nothing for us, the family still remains all we’ve got. You may choose your lovers; you pick your friends but not the family you are in. Yes, friends walk away from your life, and even your closest allies fail you but the family remains to the very end. Even when others betray and deny you, somehow you feel at peace because you know your family got your back. Now imagine what it feels like knowing that Jesus Christ is one of your own family.

A priest is first and foremost a man like every other human being but with a special calling. Like Samuel, a priest is a human being who sleeps very close to the tabernacle and thereby hears God’s voice daily; a human being who listens and counsels like Eli, a human being who points out important things to people like John the Baptist in yesterday’s Gospel passage who said: “Behold the Lamb of God.”

Due to Elisha’s refusal to accept the gifts, Naaman received two miracles; the miracle of the skin and the miracle of the soul (conversion, wholeness). This is what God desires of us, that we worship in spirit and truth. Even if you have nothing to offer, no money to put in an envelope, know that the thanksgiving God is interested in is your repentance from sin.

Obeying God’s commandments should never be seen as a burden or a cross. It is a privilege. We are not doing God a favor by keeping his commandments. We are even lucky that God has revealed to us in his word how we ought to live and find happiness in life.

Do you feel like abandoning your faith because it has become too difficult for you to continue practicing Christian virtues (keeping the commandments of God)? Reflect on St. Paul’s words in today’s second reading. Jesus obeyed even to the point of accepting death but today, the name of Jesus is above every name in heaven and on earth and under the earth and every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess and Jesus Christ is God. Obedience to God might be difficult but the reward is worth more than all the sacrifices.

We find it difficult to obey God’s words because we do not trust God. Deep within us, we do not believe there is any value in keeping God’s commandments. Somehow, we have come to believe the lie of the devil, that by “eating of the fruit” we would not die but our eyes would be open, we would be like God.

Keep the charge of the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself.” (1 Kings 2:3)

God expects more from us than the rest of the world. God expects us to shine like bright stars in a world so full of darkness. God wants you to make a difference.

Let us resolve this week to be new in thoughts, new in words, and new in actions. Let us strive to put sin aside, trust God more by obeying his voice to the latter and rise above human pressure. Let us move away from being people-pleasers to God-pleasers.

he role of Joseph in the life of Jesus proves that every child needs a father; one who is there to provide, protect and train. Today is another day to say a big thank you to our Fathers; the men who were there for us from cradle, the men who bore the harsh heat of the sun and worked all day just to put food on our tables, the men who were our first teachers in the faith, the men who disciplined us when we went astray.

Jesus asked Peter to get a shekel from a fish in the sea. Jesus, not minding his double citizenship (being God and Man) still obeyed the law. Is it not a great contradiction that while we Christians obey the civil authorities just to maintain our status as double citizens in foreign nations, we complain about keeping God’s commands?

Today we celebrate the fact that Mary intercedes for Africa. When Herod sought to kill the baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph took shelter in Africa. At a time when our continent is faced with the turmoil, suffering under the yoke of neo-colonialism, we need Mother Mary’s intercession more than ever.