DAILY HOMILIES #Saints

Today, we particularly remember the saints we know: fellow Nigerians, relatives, heroes and heroines. They may not have been officially declared saints, but we believe they are in heaven, given how they lived. That is why a day like this is set aside to celebrate not just the Europeans whose faces appear each time we type “saints” on Google but also the many Africans who may have been forgotten due to our poor record-keeping culture.

Forgiveness is only sweet when you are the one in need of it. It never ceases to amaze me how I expect others to tolerate, understand, and forgive me when I sin, yet I am mad at people who tolerate, put up with, and forgive others. Why am I angry with someone for forgiving, yet if I were the one being forgiven, I would not be angry?

Very often, we tend to think of the Saints as extraordinary human beings or larger-than-life figures. We see them as the people who did the impossible or attained the unattainable. Saints are imperfect creatures who refuse to allow their weaknesses to prevent them from pressing forward on the journey to heaven.

when it comes to witnessing Jesus Christ, there is no need for anyone to look down on himself. None of the twelve apostles was a perfect human being. For instance, in today’s Gospel passage, Jesus asked Philip: “Have I been with you so long, and yet you do not know me?”

It is not in our place to wonder whether others would remember us, all we must do is to ensure that we follow the path Jesus has traced for us; that we live according to the beatitudes contained in today’s Gospel passage; that we wash our robes clean – clean of sin, clean of pride, clean of selfishness; that we love our neighbor as ourselves.

What does it mean to be like God or to see God as He is? Jesus answers this question in today’s Gospel passage with the beatitudes. Jesus lists out the qualities to be found in those who will enjoy the glory of heaven.

This action of Jesus teaches us the importance of prayer especially before taking major decisions in life. Don’t just guess, ask God to reveal things to you while you pray, quieten your hearts and you will hear Him speak.

Thomas was steadfast to the end even to the point of accepting martyrdom for the sake of the Gospel. St. Thomas was speared to death at a place called Calamine. His feast day is July 3rd and he is the patron of architects.

One thing that marks out the life of Peter and Paul was their unstoppable zeal for evangelization. They were ready to sacrifice everything including their own lives for the sake of God. They suffered a lot but God never abandoned them. On many occasions, they received Angelic visitations and even miraculous deliverance from the hands of their enemies

St. Joseph too is a kind of Abraham in that he believed the message of the Angel and agreed to be the earthly father of Jesus Christ, this way giving credence to the prophecy of Nathan which we read about in today’s first reading. An offspring from the house of David whose house shall be established forever.