DAILY HOMILIES

Today is Palm Sunday, otherwise known as Passion Sunday. Unlike the usual liturgy where the priest alone reads the Gospel passage, we have not only listened but also taken part in reading the Passion narrative. We have been able to relive the experience of Jesus’ Last supper, His arrest in the garden of Gethsemane, His trial by Pilate and Herod, His scourging at the pillar and the harsh treatment of the soldiers, His sentencing and carrying of the cross, His crucifixion on the Cross alongside two criminals and His death on the cross.

Like Herod, who killed all the male children born at the time for fear of a rival king, the Chief priests and Pharisees were shaken with fear. Speaking prophetically as High Priest, Caiaphas noted: “It is expedient for one man to die than for a whole nation to perish.” Little did Caiaphas know that he had just summarised the mission of Jesus Christ on earth – “The Son of man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28).

If God allows you to experience such difficult times, know that it is because God knows that something good can come from it. We learn more in moments of adversity. We discover our true friends, and we get to tap into our true inner strength. Adversity toughens and shapes us into God’s plans for us. Cherish your moment of adversity; know there can be no crown without a cross first.

To hope in God is to believe He can bring life out of what is already dead. Our hope is never based on our visible circumstances; instead, it is built solely on what God can do. This hope operates through the eyes of faith. Like Abraham, you may consider your body as good as dead, but let your focus be on what God is capable of doing. Don’t be distracted by your situation; look at God instead.

No matter how bad your situation seems, always have a positive attitude. Trust that God is giving you the best for now and that He is leading you somewhere. Good days bring memories, bad days teach lessons, worst days bring endurance. No matter how painful your experiences are, learn to look at the bright side.

When all hope was lost for Susanna, God sent Daniel and endowed him with such wisdom and eloquence that no one could withstand him. The same judges who confessed to seeing this woman with a man gave conflicting answers when asked the name of the tree under which they saw the woman, proving they were telling lies.

Last Sunday, Jesus told the story of the Prodigal Son whose repentance, though motivated by hunger, was celebrated by his father. His Prodigal Son’s elder brother refused to attend the feast because he felt cheated. We act like the elder brother when we think God should not be merciful to sinners. Today, Jesus shows us how failing to examine our conscience leads us to believe we are better than others.

Righteousness is a reproach to the ungodly. Seeing the light in you, they try to win you over to the darkness or make your life challenging. This was Jeremiah’s experience in today’s First reading. It was also Jesus’s situation in today’s Gospel passage, and as Jesus warned us, we cannot follow in his steps unless we are prepared to face such difficult moments.

Why Does Goodness Attract Enemies? The Book of Wisdom says: “Ungodly men reasoned unsoundly: ‘Let us lie in wait for the righteous man, because he is inconvenient to us and opposes our actions. Let us test him with insult and torture.” (Cf. Wisdom 2:12-21). Evil doers, having made themselves God’s enemies, are constantly at war with God’s children.

We may point fingers at the Israelites, but we only need to look carefully to see the golden calves we have erected around us. Those things you don’t need and you cannot give them out (use them to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, clothe the naked, etc.) are your idols. Seeing these things may give you joy, but they cannot save you.

Speaking through the Prophet Isaiah, God says: “In a time of favour I have answered you, on a day of salvation I have helped you; I have kept you and given you as a covenant to the people, to establish the land, to apportion the desolate heritages.” (Isaiah 49:8) Your time of favour is coming, and it is never late. It was not late for Lazarus; it will not be late for you.