DAILY HOMILIES #sacrifice

If being a Christian does not inconvenience you, you are not behaving like Christ. If it does, carry your cross in silence. St. Paul tells us in today’s first reading: “Do all things without grumbling or questioning that you may be blameless and innocent children of God without blemish amid a crooked and perverse generation among whom you shine as lights in the world.” (Phil. 2:14-15).

Today’s Gospel passage shows us that Jesus was truly human, implying that God understands the meaning of hunger. God knows how it feels to be so hungry that you begin to chew paper (or anything that meets your eye). Whether we like it or not, there is hunger in our country today; people are ready to do anything to survive. We may want to judge them like the Pharisees who condemned Jesus and his disciples. However, before pointing fingers at anybody, ask yourself: “What have I done to help?” The story is about a boy who is brought to court for stealing bread. After listening critically to the case, the judge fined all who had arrested the boy. God desires mercy and not sacrifice

Jesus also speaks of a prophet’s reward, a righteous man’s reward and a little child’s reward. This takes us to our first reading. In appreciation for the house she built, Elisha thought of how to say “thank you”, and when Gehazi told him she had no child, Elisha assured the woman that she would embrace a son. Dear friends, the reward we get for serving God is always greater than whatever sacrifices we make.

As simple as it sounds, loving our neighbours as ourselves is a sacrifice. When we love others, they respond with hatred. They take advantage of us when we are kind, sincere and open. If you expect people to appreciate you for living a righteous life, love you for loving them, or even reciprocate your kindness, you are wasting time. Whatever good you do for others, know that you do it for God.

There is a saying, “What is beyond six is more than seven.” Regardless of your profession, pay attention to your spiritual life and do not depend solely on your human efforts and skills. Jesus tells us today: “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me.”

It was out of love that Jesus opted to feed the multitude. Again, by asking them to sit down in small groups, Jesus taught us the power of small groups as places where we find love. After blessing the bread and fish, Jesus taught another powerful lesson on love by asking them to share. To love is to share; when we share what we have, it multiplies. As the crowd shared the pieces of the five loaves and two fish with love, it multiplied until all ate and were satisfied.

Love is empty if it doesn’t require anything from you. True love requires sacrificing for others, especially for the old. Just as loving God demands our wholehearted worship, loving our neighbours also demands sacrifice on our part.

There is an extent to which our worship of God becomes reduced to the mere observation of rules. This occurs when we adhere to regulations to the detriment of our connection with God. This is what happens when religious rules become nothing more than an avenue to oppress the poor and weak in society. This was the problem of the Pharisees.

“I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered... And I will bring them out from the peoples, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their land; and I will feed them on the mountains… I will feed them with good pasture, … they shall lie down in good grazing land, and on fat pasture, they shall feed” (Ezekiel 34:12-14).

In the Gospel passage, we come across another type of call. This one comes from Jesus himself. It is a call to EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE. A call to constantly look inwards to take out the logs in our eyes before attempting to remove the specks in our neighbour’s eyes. Both calls require movement and sacrifice. While Abram had to let go of his father’s land, we are called to let go of our pride by examining our own lives rather than judging.

For all those times, Peter would have to suffer; the only thing that would keep him going is the memory of his triple “yes” to Jesus’ question. Love is patient and kind; love takes no record of records; love never ends; love never gives up.

In a world of growing injustices, violence unleashed on innocent citizens, leaders refusing to rise to their responsibilities, and in a world where Christians are victims of unprovoked attacks, one is tempted to wonder if Jesus was right when he preached love in place of hate. If hating others (revenge) could make us joyful, Jesus would have recommended it. The fullness of joy we desire will not come from hating (destroying) others but from loving our neighbours and enemies as ourselves.