DAILY HOMILIES #parable

There are different hearts: the stony heart, the rootless heart, the distracted heart, and the rich heart. There are different ways people respond when they hear the word of God, but the beauty of it all is that the word of God is so powerful that in whatever heart it enters, it does not remain stale. Something must happen. The seed must grow. Whether it bears fruit eventually depends on us and the kind of reception we give to God’s words.

St. Paul did not stop at merely asking us to love; he clarifies the kind of love when he says, “Love is patient, kind, not jealous, not boastful, not arrogant, not rude, not irritable, not resentful, not rejoicing in wrong, bears all things, believes, hopes and endures all things and above all, love never ends.

“There is a lot of good in the worst of us, and there is also so much evil in the best of us.” Jesus told us to be perfect like God, but the truth is that perfection is never achieved in a day; it is a lifelong journey. As the fishermen took time to sort the fish, we must develop the habit of daily examining our conscience. This would help us throw away what is bad and improve what is good within ourselves.

The question we must ask ourselves today is, “Am I a weed in God’s kingdom?” Let us join Jeremiah in today’s first reading to ask for God’s mercy, the powerful force that can transform us from weeds to good seeds so that we may no longer be weeds but good seeds.

The distance between you and sainthood is just one little step in the right direction. A good act done today is like a tiny mustard seed that is sown upon the ground, or like a teaspoon of leaven capable of mixing a large quantity of flour.

The seed that fell on rocky ground describes persons who receive God’s Word with joy but cannot endure persecution because of God. These are Christians by convenience. When the going is smooth, they give God His due, but when it becomes tough, they quickly toss God aside. They are like fair-weather friends; they come to eat with you, but when you need their help, they behave as if you are a stranger to them.

Jesus is teaching us first to think carefully like this steward of what shall become of us after our death (when we are relieved of our stewardship) and secondly, to use “what does not belong to us now” to be charitable to others so that, like this steward, we would be welcomed into Paradise.

When Jesus mentioned the rewards, the disciples felt relief. However, Jesus narrated the Parable of the Landowner to teach them a fundamental lesson: when receiving rewards, avoid comparing yourself with others. Like the workers recruited for work in the vineyard at different times, we are not all gifted the same way; we were not all born on the same day, and we did not come to know God on the same day. However, after our labour, we shall all receive exactly what we deserve.

Forgiveness is hard, but it is possible. It is like crossing a river on foot. In today’s First Reading, God instructs Joshua on how the Israelites were to cross the River Jordan. Joshua told the people: “…this is how you will know that there is a living God in your midst…” Let us go on our knees daily to ask God for the grace to do the impossible – that is, to forgive others (to free them from the prisons of hate within our hearts). This is our way of crossing the River Jordan to the land flowing with milk and honey (that is, peace of mind)

My brothers and sisters, have you written your will? If God were to demand your soul this very night, would He call you a fool or a wise person? According to St. Ambrose, “The things that we cannot carry with us are not our own. Virtue alone is the companion of the dead. Mercy alone follows us—and mercy alone gains abodes for the departed.”

If only God could open our eyes to see his glory, ascending and descending upon the Tabernacle, we would not be able to contain ourselves as the Psalmist sings. “My soul longs and yearns to be in God’s presence. A day in God’s house is better than a thousand elsewhere!” I would rather dwell in the foot mats of God’s house than have a three-bedroom suite in the devil’s mansion.

There is a saying: “Do not spend your health trying to make money because all the money in the world cannot buy back your health.” Similarly, we can say: “Do not spend your soul trying to gain the world because all that the world contains cannot buy back your soul.” Never get so busy that you do not have time for personal prayer and daily examination of conscience (which is the act of checking up on your soul)