DAILY HOMILIES #repentance

God is patient, but we must not take His patience for granted. Jesus wasn’t speaking in parables when he spoke about the furnace of fire where men will weep and gnash their teeth. Jesus mentioned this “furnace of fire” while explaining the wheat and weeds parable. There comes a time when the reapers will enter the farm and gather the weeds; then, it will be too late. Repent now while it is possible.

Just as God expected more from the towns of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum, He expects much more from us. If the people who lived in Chorazin in Jesus’ time were to visit the world today, what would they say about our latest technology? We are living in an age of miracles. We have too many signs and wonders to show that God truly loves us, but we take them for granted. How do we show appreciation to God for His uncountable blessings?

The fact that the high priest and his council dared to face the men who miraculously vanished from prison and even threatened them teaches me that no matter how many battles we fight and win, our enemies will not rest. Satan knows how powerful God is, but he never stops waging battles with God’s children. Temptations never really end.

Jonah did not try to paint or sugarcoat the truth; he was not interested in gathering followers but in obeying the voice of God. Despite the moral decadence in our society, many preachers avoid the truth. In many places, church services are organised to entertain and encourage donations. We live in the age St. Paul was referring to when he said: “For the time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their desires, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths.” (2 Timothy 4:3-4).

Are you a leader in any capacity? Do you have people looking up to you as their mentor? Reflect on Eleazer’s words, “Such pretence is not worthy of our time of life lest… I defile and disgrace my old age.” Do you know how upsetting it can be when you discover that your role model is not as holy as he has presented himself? Temptations to sin must surely come. Please do not become the last straw that breaks the camel’s back.

To kill a rat, you must think like a rat; to win a sinner to repentance, you must come to their level. This is precisely what Jesus did. He risked his reputation (to the extent that he was nicknamed a glutton) to save the lost souls. If we are genuinely interested in winning souls, we will never condemn or write off anyone. No matter how much evil a person has done, they still have something good in them.

Today’s first reading warns against the “Jonah complex”—the reluctance, prejudice, or anger that can make us unwilling to share the Good News with certain groups or “enemies.” We must have God’s heart for the whole world. Similarly, Today’s responsorial psalm provides the ultimate goal of the mission, which is to ensure that the entire earth sees and praises God for His saving work.

“When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil ways, God changed his mind about the calamity that he had said he would bring upon them, and he did not do it.” (Jonah 3:10). Repentance moves God. Just as God changed His mind towards the Ninevites, repentance from sin saves us from the calamities our sins attract.

In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus is unhappy with Bethsaida and Chorazin because, despite the miracles in those towns, the people remained stiff-necked and refused to repent. Jesus was expecting a change of heart and a change of life to follow from the miracles, but the reverse was the case.

The simple truth is that even though many of us are frequent at Holy Communion, we have no real connection with God. At the gate of heaven, God will deny knowing us because we refused to take our hands off evil. We tried eating our cake and having it; we thought we could serve two masters. We pretended to be good externally, but we soaked ourselves in sin in secret. On the last day, it is those things we did secretly that will count.

After her conversion, Mary Magdalene gave her life to Christ and became an apostle to the apostles. She represents the truth that for God, it is not your past but your potential that matters. Like St. Paul, who was once Saul, Mary Magdalene’s life shows us that God can work through anybody. It doesn’t matter what your past has been; you can become a saint if you give God a chance.

Miracles are of great value, but to repent from sin is the ultimate miracle. Every miracle is a sign pointing to God. Please do not get stuck on the sign and forget its meaning. Miracles must lead to repentance; otherwise, they become reduced to mere entertainment. God is disappointed with us when we return to our sinful ways after experiencing His miraculous intervention. Jesus expressed utter disappointment with the towns where most of His miracles had happened because, contrary to His expectations, the people remained stiff-necked in their sinful ways.