DAILY HOMILIES #St. Paul

By ‘hate’, Jesus is referring to ‘detachment.’ To better understand what Jesus means, recall what He taught in the Sermon on the Mount: “If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away; you should lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; you should lose one of your members rather than that your whole body goes into hell” (Matthew 5:29-30). Whatever could lead us to sin, including our own family members, must be cut off from us.

So long as the Jews failed to recognise Jesus as God in human flesh, Jesus seemed to them as a law-breaker. To this day, the world continues to grapple with this truth. Did God really take our human flesh? How could Jesus be fully human and fully God at the same time? Surprisingly, even amongst Christians today, many seem more comfortable addressing Jesus as the Son of God but not as God Himself.

Jesus rose very early the next morning and went to a quiet place to pray. When the Holy Spirit leads us, we are stirred to pray. Jesus went to a quiet place to pray, teaching us that prayer is intimacy with God: “And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites… go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” (Matthew 6:5-6).

Humility is giving God reverence; it is coming to terms with our nothingness before God, our creator. Humility is channelling the praises we often receive from others to God as the source of our talents, our riches, and, in fact, everything good in our lives. It is ensuring that we do not take the glory that rightfully belongs to God. Humility is being able to give God thanks from the very depths of our hearts, not grudgingly, as though we are being forced.

Let us learn to practice self-control. Herod was not thinking straight when he promised even half his kingdom to a little girl. What if she had asked for his head? Think before you speak. Be a master of your emotions. In moments of anger, hold it. In moments of excitement, keep it also. Develop the habit of speaking to God and listening to Him before speaking. Avoid making promises. Remember, seeking God’s guidance in all our actions can bring us peace and clarity.

The best way to stay vigilant is to keep busy. Just as a good security officer never sleeps while on duty, being watchful requires keeping our hearts engaged. If we are not busy, we will soon find ourselves sleeping, allowing the enemy to sow bad seeds in us (Cf. Matthew 13:25ff). The consequence of being unprepared for the end in Jesus’ words is this: “The Master will… punish him, and put him with the hypocrites; there men will weep and gnash their teeth.”

In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus likened the scribes and Pharisees to whitewashed tombs, beautiful from the outside but full of dead men’s bones inside. Jesus also condemned the fact that the Scribes and Pharisees had a practice of adorning the tombs of the prophets (who were killed for speaking the truth) to exonerate themselves from the crimes of their ancestors.

Paying one’s tithe is not a sin, but it should never be done out of fear. God’s blessings are not reserved for tithers only. Jesus mentioned the washing of the outside of cups and dishes, while inside their hearts were full of extortion and rapacity (the violent seizure and carrying off of another’s property; plunder). When the preacher is only interested in what he can get from the people (the inside), his words (the outside) cannot be clean.

In Thomas, we see that God does not necessarily need perfect people; He perfects those who make themselves available for His service. In today’s first reading, St. Paul tells us that we are no longer strangers but fellow citizens with the saints in the Household of God (Ephesians 2:19). We are all called to sainthood regardless of our limitations and imperfections. If Thomas made it to heaven, who says you cannot?

This principle of seeking God's kingdom first guided St. Paul in His missionary journeys. While advancing God’s kingdom on earth, God provided for his needs. Even though he also worked with his hands (he was a tent maker), he was always content with what came to him. His passion was evangelisation. He wasn’t competing to be known as the wealthiest man in the world. In today’s first reading, St. Paul writes: “I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions and calamities; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:10).

Jesus warned against giving that is loud, that is, giving to attract attention, not from the heart, but to make a statement to others. Jesus teaches us that this kind of giving is not to God, but to people. Instead of receiving our reward from God, we often receive only the praise of others.

What do serpents do when they are under attack? What about doves? Do they remain in one position or try to defend themselves? Jesus is not saying we should be suicidal; instead, He is teaching us to avoid hatred for others. In the face of unprovoked attacks, we must do everything possible to defend ourselves, fight back or flee for safety. We must use every power we have to disarm, overpower or bring down our enemies, but we must never harbour hatred towards them.