PROCLAIM YOUR FAITH BOLDLY; NEVER BE TIMID WITH TRUTH. (Homily for June 1, 2016. Wednesday of the 9th Week in Ordinary Time.)

Bible Study:  2^nd Timothy 1, 1 to 3 and 6 to 12. Mark 12, 18 to 27.

There is something striking about the life of Saint Justin whose memorial we celebrate today. He was neither a priest nor a bishop. He wasn’t even a Christian from birth. He was still a fresh convert to the Christian faith when he became an outstanding apologist going about explaining to people the truth about the Christian faith. And guess what, this was an age and time when the mere mention of being a Christian warranted a death sentence.

In the life of Saint Justin, we see how being a Christian does not give room for any form of timidity as Paul advises Timothy in today’s first reading. “For this reason, I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands; for God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power and love and self-control. Do not be ashamed of testifying to our Lord.”

The problem with most of us Christians today is that we are too ashamed of proclaiming our faith before non-believers. We just keep quiet and blend in with others even when our faith is mocked openly. At times, we assume that since we are neither priests nor reverend sisters, we lack what it takes to explain the faith to others. Hence St. Justin becomes for us today a model of an ideal layman.

As the Catholic-Online-Website describes Justin, “this layman became the first great apologist for Christianity and opened the gates of light for so many others. He explained baptism and Eucharist. He explained to the pagans why Christians didn't worship idols and why that didn't make them atheists. He explained to the Jews how Christians could worship the same God but not follow Jewish laws. He explained to the Greeks and the philosophers how philosophy did not take into account the dignity of humankind. He wrote long arguments known as apologies and travelled to other lands in order to debate publicly….

“It is not surprising that Justin was arrested during the persecution under Marcus Aurelius. Along with four others (Chariton, Charites, Paeon, and Liberianus) he was brought before the Roman prefect, Rusticus, to be accused under the law that required sacrificing to idols. When Rusticus demanded that they "Obey the gods at once, and submit to the kings," Justin responded, "To obey the commandments of our Saviour Jesus Christ is worthy neither of blame nor of condemnation."

“When Rusticus asked what doctrines he believed, Justin told him that he had learned all the doctrines available during his quest but finally submitted to the true doctrines of the Christians… Just before Rusticus sentenced them he asked Justin, "If you are killed do you suppose you will go to heaven?" Justin said, "I do not suppose it, but I know and am fully persuaded of it." Justin and his fellow martyrs were beheaded in the year 165. He is often known as Justin Martyr and his writings are still available.”

In our Gospel passage this morning, we see that sometimes defending the faith may just be a matter of simply providing clear answers to persons who formulate difficult questions in other to cajole us into assuming that what we believe does not make sense. The Sadducees came to Jesus with an impossible story about a woman who was married to seven brothers. They were not seeking clarification about the resurrection, instead, they were hoping to throw Jesus off-balance because they did not believe in the possibility of people rising from the dead.

This question reminds me of some difficult questions our separated brethren sometimes bring to us, for instance concerning our devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Saints. They are questions that do not require a “Yes” or “No” answer. Note that Jesus did not tell them which of the seven brothers would be the woman’s husband in heaven instead he gave them a much deeper insight into what resurrection is all about. The worst thing that can happen to you is providing a shallow answer to a question that was well thought out by a person who intends to make a mockery of you.

The rule of thumb in defending your faith at any time is prayer. Always seek the help of the Holy Spirit to enlighten you on what to say, how to say it, when to say it and what not to say. This is exactly what St. Paul meant by “fanning into flames” or “rekindling” the Spirit you have received. Call on the Holy Spirit constantly for help. Pray for the gifts of the Holy Spirit at all times; wisdom, understanding, knowledge, counsel, fortitude, piety and fear of God.

Above all, even if you have to suffer for your faith, never be ashamed of God. The fact that God did not prevent Justin and his companions from death before the hands of the Roman Prefect Rusticus, does not mean that God is powerless. As St. Paul noted: “For this gospel I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, and therefore I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am sure that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me.” 2 Timothy 1, 11 to 12.

Let us pray:

Lord Jesus, empower me with your Spirit that I may never be overcome by timidity in the defence of my faith in you. Amen.

St. Justin, pray for us.

Good morning. Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. Happy new month.

CELEBRATING MARY, MOTHER OF GOD AND OUR MOTHER. (Homily for May 31, 2016. Feast of the Visitation of Blessed Virgin Mary.)

Bible Study:  Zephaniah 3, 14 to 18 and Luke 1, 39 to 56.

As we finally come the end of the Month of May, our attention is drawn once again to the greatest woman that ever lived as we celebrate the feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. When the Angel Gabriel told Mary that her kinswoman, Elizabeth, the one who people called barren was now in her sixth month, Mary went with haste in the hill country to visit and stay with Elizabeth for three months. This visit is what we celebrate today.

There are many reasons why this visit is so significant:

One, it tells us the kind of woman Mary is. As soon as she heard that Elizabeth was heavy with child, she quickly ran to help her out. How often have you heard that people are sick and refused to visit them? How often have you heard about your close relatives and even your friends who are in trouble and just sat down to laugh about their condition?

Two, this visit explains why we are devoted to Mary. Mary forgot about herself, she forgot about her own needs, she put herself in the shoes of an old woman having to go through the pains of pregnancy and she went to help. She would again display her thoughtfulness and ability to put herself in the shoes of people in need of help at the wedding feast at Cana. There she had to practically force Jesus to work his first miracle.

Now, if Mary is an expert in putting herself in the shoes of others and helping them when in need, we believe that if we ask for her intercession, she would gladly pray to God on our behalf. If she could forget herself to help Elizabeth, we know that even today, Mary is not sitting idle in heaven. She has never stopped coming to help us. There are countless miracles that have occurred due to Mary’s intervention.

Thirdly, from this visit we get to see the words of the Rosary. Anyone who want to know why we pray, “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you, blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb,” should read today’s Gospel passage from Luke 1, 39 to 56.

Fourthly, from this visit, we learn that life begins from the womb and not on the day of birth. “For behold, when the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the babe in my womb leaped for Joy.” In the visitation, what really happens is John the Baptist in the womb of Elizabeth giving a salute to Jesus Christ who is at this time already made flesh in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary. From the moment Mary said yes to God’s plan, she instantly become the mother of God. Under no circumstance is abortion justified, it is murder.

Fifthly, from this visit, we get to see the humility of Mary. While exchanging greetings with Elizabeth, Mary sang the Magnificat. “My soul glorifies the Lord… for he has regarded the LOW ESTATE OF HIS HANDMAIDEN. For behold all generations shall call be blessed, for he who is mighty has done great things for me and holy is his name.” C. S. Lewis would say: “Humility is not a matter of thinking less of yourself, it is thinking of yourself less.” In Mary’s Magnificat, we see a truly humble woman. She sang praises to God fully acknowledging what God has done in her.

When we honour Mary, when we venerate her statutes, when we ask for her intercession, it is God that we worship. God alone receives the glory for whatever honour we give to Mary. We respect Mary because God himself gave her that honour of taking human flesh from her womb. We call her blessed because she herself prophesied about it and the bible recorded it. She never stopped seeing herself as a lowly handmaid but at the same time, she knew who she had become to God.

Finally, in the visitation, we see how God works. To shame the strong, God always chooses the weak. Again from the Magnificat, we hear Mary say: “He has brought down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted those of low degree; he has filled the hungry with good things and the rich he has sent away empty.”

Dear friends, as we conclude our May Devotion today, let this day not pass you by without saying the rosary and I pray that just as Mary visited Elizabeth who was in need of a helper, Mary would visit you and become your helper today.

Let us pray:

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb; Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Good morning. Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. Happy End of the Month.

EMPTY WE CAME AND EMPTY WE SHALL RETURN. (Homily for May 30, 2016. Monday of the 9th Week in Ordinary time.)

Bible Study:  2^nd Peter 1, 2 to 7 and Mark 12, 1 to 12.

In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus told a parable to his accusers, the chief priests and scribes who would eventually ensure his arrest and death. Jesus used this parable to reveal his true identity to them as the Son of God and the stone rejected by the builders which has now become the corner stone.

The moment the chief priests got the message behind the parable, they were caught to conscience because they realised they were the ungrateful tenants who deserved to be destroyed for killing the servants who were sent to collect the fruits of the vineyard.

Going further, we can also see that the parable of the tenants applies also to every one of us as well. A man planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, and dug a pit for the wine press, and built a tower, and leased it to tenants. What does this mean? God created the earth and filled it with rich mineral and natural resources. God put in everything into the earth to make it capable of sustaining our human life.

Out of his own graciousness, God made us and put us as tenants into the earth he created. We did not bring anything with us while we came to possess the earth and it wasn’t even the case that we were the ones who told him to create us.

But then, the moment we take possession, we forget that we are mere tenants! We forget that we came to this world empty and we can never own anything! We start defining ourselves according to what we think belongs to us, I am a banker, I am an engineer, I am the owner of this or that!

We become so attached to material things that we are ready to kill, wound, maim, destroy either by words, actions or thoughts anyone who tries to take what we think belongs to us. Take for example, how many have died or killed themselves while struggling for land ownership.

We even define our happiness according to how much of these material things we have. We forget completely that we will have to die one day and leave everything behind. We forget that nothing truly belongs to us if it is impossible for us to take it with us while leaving this world.

Like a patient land owner, God keeps sending us his messengers to remind us that we are merely tenants in this world, that we are just caretakers of our money, our talents, our intelligence, our children and even our time! God keeps reminding us that we are only to use what we have and not become possessed by them, but what do we do? We completely neglect his message. We deafen our ears to his words and completely ignore him. We fail to give him the fruits of the land that rightfully belongs to him.

As tenants that we are, how are to pay rents to God who is the rightful owner of all that we see around us? By helping the poor and needy, by giving food and water to the hungry and thirsty, by helping to alleviate the plights of others, by being merciful to others not as privileged as we are, by not being selfish but thinking in terms of others.

We pay rents to God by living according to the commandments he has given to us, by living a life of virtue as St. Peter admonishes us in the first reading. We pay rents to God by adding knowledge to virtue, self-control to knowledge, steadfastness to self-control, godliness to steadfastness, brotherly affection to godliness and above all love.

One way we behave like these ungrateful servants today is in the area of sexual immorality. People now live as if there is no God or rather as if they are gods unto themselves. We dishonour God by our immoral thoughts, words, jokes, music, actions and even dressing. Nakedness in fashion has become the order of the day. If it is not transparent, it is open at the back or made so tight fitting that it reveals all the curves and edges in one’s body.

Self-control is lacking not only among non-Christians but even among those of us who pride ourselves as holy-holy-holy externally. We are not giving God the fruits he deserves as the owner of our bodies and for this we shall be destroyed if we fail to repent.

Let us pray:

Lord Jesus, may I never forget who I am as a tenant in this life that I may always give you the fruits of my stewardship. Amen.

Good morning. Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. Happy new week.

THE FOOD OF THAT SUSTAINS OUR TRUE LIFE. (Homily for May 29, 2016. Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ.)

Bible Study:  Genesis 14, 18 to 20. 1^st Corinthians 11, 23 to 26 and Luke 9, 11 to 17.

How many of us still remember what we learnt in secondary school about the characteristics of all living organisms? Do you remember Mr. Niger D? Movement, reproduction, nutrition, irritability, growth, excretion, respiration and finally death. Today, our liturgy focuses on one essential element; Nutrition.

If you doubt the importance of Nutrition, then don’t eat or drink anything for the next 100days. I bet you might not be around to tell the story. The moment our body stays for long without food, we start losing energy and even motivation to do things we would normally do.

Even in that dire state of hunger, you will agree with me that it is not everything that meets your eye that you would be glad to throw into your mouth. Why? Because as much as we love to eat, we know fully well that nothing kills human beings as much as food; eating the wrong kind of food. We select our food very well because we know our life depends on the food that we eat. As the saying goes, “You are what you eat.”

Because Jesus knows how important food is to us, as we see in today’s Gospel passage, he displayed the height of his love for us by giving us a special kind of food to eat. The food of his own flesh and blood. This is what we celebrate today; that Jesus gave us his body and blood to eat so that our spiritual life would be sustained. When we receive Holy Communion, we become what we eat; that is to say, we become part of the body and blood of Christ ourselves.

As Christians, the body and blood of Jesus Christ is what sustains our life on earth and secures our eternal life in heaven. As Jesus tells us: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you; he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him… he who eats this bread will live for ever.” John 6, 53 to 58.

If you are yet to begin the reception of Holy Communion, you are really missing out of the food that you need to secure your ticket to heaven.

If you are already receiving Holy Communion, strive to be in a state of grace as St. Paul would tell us in 1^st Corinthians 11, 28 to 30, “Let every man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died.”

Holy Communion constantly reminds us of the fact that Christ died for us. Just as you cannot eat meat without killing the animal, in Holy Communion, Christ slaughters himself for us on the altar. Every mass is a re-enactment of the sacrifice of Calvary, the sacrifice of life that secured our redemption. As we prayed in our opening prayer: “…Grant us, we pray so to revere the sacred mysteries of your Body and Blood that we may always experience in ourselves the fruits of your redemption.”

Holy Communion does not become the body and blood of Christ until a validly ordained priest has said the words of consecration over the species of bread and wine. In our first reading, we saw how the priest Melchizedek blessed Abraham. Just as the blessing of Melchizedek made Abraham become the richest man of his generation, the blessing of a priest (the words of consecration) literally brings about the greatest miracle at every mass. Those words call God down to earth to take the form of bread and wine.

There is so much to say but knowing that we are celebrating our children today, I will have to stop here with the following conclusion:

Whenever you attend mass, ensure you prepare yourself from home, free yourself from the defilement of sin, purify your heart by regular confession, pay full attention at mass and then proceed to receive Jesus Christ, fully trusting that it is not just ordinary bread you eat but the real body and blood of Jesus, the food of your soul.

Let us pray:

Lord Jesus, may the receiving of your body and blood not bring me judgement and condemnation but through your loving mercy be for me protection and health in mind and body. Amen.

Good morning. Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. Happy Sunday.

SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY. (Homily for May 28, 2016. Saturday of the 8th Week in Ordinary Time.)

Bible Study:  Jude 1, 20 to 25 and Mark 11, 27 to 33.

One way the devil tries to prevent us from realizing our maximum potentials as Christians is by making us belief we are not good enough or that we do not have the authority to let our light shine. This is what I call spiritual intimidation. In a world where people are not afraid of referring to themselves as “baddest guy”, in a world where people take pride in displaying their indecency and evil tendency, you find Christians hiding their goodness or simply trying to blend in at all costs.

In our Gospel passage this morning, some people in an attempt to stop Jesus from his ministry of salvation came to ask him who gave him the authority to do what he was doing. In other words, they wanted to know where he got the audacity to be a light to the world. We need to really understand what is going on here. By asking for the authority behind the actions of Jesus, they were indirectly saying, they do not believe that Jesus is God.

If only they knew that Jesus is God, they would know that God does not authority from anyone else. Very often, when God puts an idea in us, we act like these chief priests and scribes, we begin to question whether or not we have the authority to put it into action and too often we end up talking to people who will just kill the idea completely in us.

Dear friends, we do not need people’s approval to allow God act through us. We virtue of our baptism, we are priests, that is, we are kings, prophets and teachers. We already have all the authority we need to spread the word of God both by our words and by our good deeds.

According to St. Jude in our first reading, any attempt to get every single person on our side is useless. Whether we like it or not, some persons will never believe in our spiritual authority and they will do everything possible to stop us. So St. Jude says, “try to convince some from their doubts, save some from the path leading to hell, but for some others, just have mercy on them with fear, run away from them, don’t even touch the cloth they are wearing.” Yes, even Jesus selected the men whom he kept company with. There are some persons who do not deserve to be close friends with you lest they succeed in putting out the light of God in you.

Let us pray:

Lord Jesus, help me to live and move in my authority as a child of God and give me wisdom to know what to say to my accusers and those who try to intimidate me. Amen.

Good morning. Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. 

FAITH AND MERCY; TWO POWERFUL INGREDIENTS FOR PRAYER. (Homily for May 27, 2016. Friday of the 8th Week in Ordinary Time.)

Bible Study:  1 Peter 4, 7 to 13 and Mark 11, 11 to 25.

Have you ever prayed before and did not see the results of your prayer? I guess you did not feel very happy about it and you must have wondered what went wrong. I am also sure that you must have at least prayed once in your entire lifetime and saw the result of your prayer. There is nobody who can say since he or she was born, his or her prayer has never for once been answered.

So why is it that sometimes, prayers are answered, and some other times, we don’t get results? Today, Jesus gives us two reasons why prayers are often not granted and at the same time he gives us two powerful ingredients that must be present if our prayers are to be effective at all.

The first is FAITH. He says: “Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you receive it, and you will.”

If we were to be really honest with ourselves, we would admit that too often, when we pray, we ask for things and which we do not expect to happen. We just pray because we want to pray but we do not believe that what we ask for would eventually come to us. Search your heart thoroughly and you will find doubt sitting like a monster questioning every single word you utter at prayer. It keeps asking you, “Are you sure that can happen?” “Has anything like that ever happened?” etc.

Prayer is like being given a cheque with your name written on it, faith says: “Rejoice, the money is yours already.” Doubt says: “Destroy the cheque, it is not the same thing as money.”

The second key ingredient for effective prayer is MERCY. Jesus continues: “And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”

Dear friends, the act of prayer is not all about commanding or dictating to God because no one is senior to God neither is there anyone who can say, “God is owing me.” Whenever we pray, we are always at the mercy of God. He alone decides whether or not to grant our requests. All he demands is that as much as we expect to benefit from his mercy, we should be merciful to others as well.

Deep seated hatred and inability to forgive others of the hurts they have done to us hinders our prayers. In our first reading, St. Peter tells us: “Above all hold unfailing your love for one another, since love covers a multitude of sins. Practice hospitality (mercy) ungrudgingly to one another.” Never ask for what you cannot give! Do not seek God’s love and mercy when you close your heart completely to your fellow brothers and sisters in need.

Therefore, my dear friends, the next time you are set to pray, ask yourself two questions: “Do I believe that I already have what I am about to ask for?” and “Are there persons who I am yet to forgive and free from the prison of my heart?” If your answers to these questions are affirmative, then go ahead and pray!

Let us pray:

Lord Jesus, as you deepen my understanding of your word every day, help me to always apply faith and mercy whenever I pray. Amen.

Good morning. Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. 

THE CHRISTIAN IDENTITY. (Homily for May 26, 2016. Thursday of the 8th Week in Ordinary Time.)

Bible Study:  1 Peter 2, 2 to 12 and Mark 10, 46 to 52.

There is a great quote from Joan Borysenko which goes thus: “This is not a telephone-answering machine, but a questioning machine. Who are you, and what do you want? If you think these are trivial questions, be aware that most people come into this world and leave it without answering either one!”

Have you ever been asked; “Who are you?” I guess you must have probably responded with a wrong answer such as your name, your job title, the language you speak or where you were born. The truth, my dear friends is that providing an honest answer to this question requires a deep reflection about your true identity and not just the names attached to your life. And until you truly come to terms with who you really are, your life would just be devoid of meaning.

Today, St. Peter offers us some clues about our true identity in our first reading.

NEWBORN INFANTS. St. Peter says we are like newborn infants. This points to exactly what Jesus says that unless we become like little children, we cannot enter the kingdom of God. As infants, St. Peter says, we should long for pure spiritual milk which is the word of God of which Jesus says, man shall not live on bread alone but on everything that comes from the mouth of God.

LIVING STONES. We are living stones built into a spiritual house. Just as the stones of a building are connected, we Christians must realise we are one body, one house.

A CHOSEN RACE. We are different, we make up a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people set apart, called out of darkness to proclaim God’s marvellous light. Jesus himself said: “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.” Matthew 5, 14 to 15.

What makes us light? St. Peter answers: “Abstain from the passions of the flesh that wage war against your soul. Maintain good conduct so that the Gentiles may see your good deeds and glorify God.” However there is difference between being a light and being an actor. A light never stops shining no matter where it is kept. An actor only shines on stage or before a camera.

Once we know who we are, once the question of our identity is settled, we are then able to know what we want. A lot of people today do not know what they truly want in life because they don’t know who they are. They live a television life; that is, whatever they see advertised on television, they want it and go for it, whatever becomes popular, be it the latest gadgets, the latest hairstyle, even if it is indecent fashion, they develop a desire for it and want it at all costs. They end up acquiring too many things that they do not need only to begin to feel buyer’s remorse.

Until you know who you are, you will never know what you want. If a light bulb does not know what it is, it will ask you for water but the moment you are able to make the light bulb understand its true identity, it’s only want would be electricity.

In the Gospel passage, we come across a man who knew who he was and so knew clearly what he wanted. Even though he was a beggar, he knew it was not money he wanted but his sight. He knew that without his sight he wasn’t complete as a person so when he heard about Jesus, he would stop at nothing to get what he wanted. He shouted so loud that people even took offence and wanted him to keep quiet but he refused. And eventually, he got his audience with Jesus.

“What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked. “Master, let me receive my sight.” What a simple prayer. Dear friend, Jesus is asking you that same question at this mass right now. It is up to you to answer with a simple prayer and ensure that what you are asking for is in line with who you are, who you were created to be.

Today we celebrate St. Philip Neri. He contributed greatly to the Council of Trent which saw the reformation of the Church in the middle ages. As priest, he practiced such an outstanding spirituality.

Let us pray:

Lord Jesus, may I never lose consciousness of my true identity and may my firm be firm when I pray. Amen.

Good morning. Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. 

THE SECRET KEY TO GREATNESS. (Homily for May 25, 2016. Wednesday of the 8th Week in Ordinary Time.)

Bible Study:  1 Peter 1, 18 to 25 and Mark 10, 32 to 45.

The desire for greatness is something that is in-built in every single human being. Having being created in the image and likeness of a great God, we have in our DNA a longing for self-actualization. We all want to realize our full potentials and achieve our maximum abilities. We all look forward to attaining the peak or the best position in any endeavour we find ourselves.

Even the least paid gateman in a company dreams of becoming the CEO someday and there is no normal person who would turn down an opportunity for greatness. Even in Christianity, the aspiration of every Christian is to get to the highest possible level of the faith which is heaven of course and it is a longing and aspiration that pushes us on every day. We not only desire to be in heaven, we long to be occupy positions of authority when we get there.

In today’s Gospel passage, we see two brothers who were not ashamed to tell Jesus of their aspiration for greatness. “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” And he said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” And they said to him, “We are able.”

Note that Jesus did not rebuke them, he only asked if they were willing to pay the price for greatness. Dear friends, as much as we are all bundles of potentials, we would never achieve our true worth unless we are ready to pay the price. It is indeed true that nothing good comes easy. A student who desires straight A’s for instance will not get one if he or she refuses to pay the price of burning the midnight candles.

Even getting to heaven involves having to drink the cup of pain and sacrifice. On the night of his arrest at the garden of Gethesemane, when Jesus was face to face with this same chalice he begged God: “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt.” Matthew 26, 39.

After Jesus had inquired of James and John if they were willing to pay the price, the next thing he says is rather troubling. “The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.”

This means that paying the price for greatness itself does not guarantee us anything. Of course, we must do our part, the student for instance must burn the midnight candle, we must be disciplined enough to work hard but success is something that only God can give! In other words, in the end, it is not our efforts that will get us to greatness, instead it is God himself who makes us great by rewarding our sacrifices. Just as it is possible to read very well as a student and still fail an exam, it is possible to suffer so much and still not make it in life.

We are always at the mercy of God but that does not mean we shouldn’t make the effort. There are a lot of people who believe solely in themselves or in their own abilities, they do not see any reason why they should pray to God or go to church. They believe that if they do what is right, they must get there. But as Jesus says, we may drink the cup and receive the baptism but as to seats, they belong to those to whom they have been assigned. Who knows if those seats were actually assigned for James and John? But Jesus would not tell them because he wanted them to actually drink the cup that was coming to them.

The other disciples became jealous of James and John because they were bold enough to ask for greatness. They too desired to be great but like most of us, kept it to themselves. They did not want Jesus to look at them like ambitious persons so they were quiet. After all, the other day, they were arguing among them, who was the greatest.

Note again that Jesus did not find any fault in their aspiration instead he told them the secret of achieving greatness. WHOEVER WOULD BE GREAT AMONG YOU MUST BE YOUR SERVANT, AND WHOEVER WOULD BE FIRST AMONG YOU MUST BE SLAVE OF ALL. In the real sense, our gatemen, our house helps, our gardeners, those we consider as good-for-nothing have already achieved greatness. Do you notice that despite the fact that they don’t have much, they are always happy and content? Do you notice how we can’t do anything without them? How they seem to laugh at us for having more worries than they do?

The key to greatness is to serve others.

Let us pray:

Lord Jesus, give the grace I need to humble myself so as to achieve my deepest aspiration for greatness. Amen.

Good morning. Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. 

BE HOLY FOR GOD IS HOLY. (Homily for May 24, 2016. Tuesday of the 8th Week in Ordinary Time.)

Bible Study:  1 Peter 1, 10 to 16 and Mark 10, 28 to 31.

The word holiness simply means “set apart” or “different.” To be holy is to understand that I do not define myself according to the standards of the world and I do not depend on others for my self-esteem. To be holy means I do not operate according to the world’s definition of success. It means I have Jesus Christ himself as my role model and my biggest dream is to be in heaven.

Holiness does not mean having to fold your hands and close your eyes while walking down the street. Holiness is not having to give others the impression that you just dropped down from heaven when in fact, you do the very opposite when no one is watching you.

Today, St. Peter admonishes us to be holy in these words: “As obedient Children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct…” What does it mean to be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance? It means living as though you are yet to receive the Holy Spirit; as if your body is not a temple that houses God.

Whether we like it or not, it is not easy to be holy. It is not easy to be different. As humans we are social animals, we like to do what others are doing and our definition of right and wrong is always in proportion to what we consider popular. We believe if everybody is doing it, then it must be good for us as well.

Hence, to be holy, there has to be a level of detachment from the world. We just have to break ties with people and sometimes, even our family members. We just have to leave them so that they do not become obstacles in our way to serving God with all our hearts. This is what Jesus is talking about in the Gospel passage. If for instance, our riches and material possessions are the obstacles, we must sell them off and give them to the poor so that we can completely follow Jesus.

Yesterday, we saw how the rich young man walked away from Jesus sorrowful. He lacked detachment. He defined his life according to his wealth and couldn’t afford to let go in other to grow in his spirituality by being a disciple of Jesus. We must be prepared to leave father and mother, houses and cars, children and lands, positions and titles for the sake of following Jesus wholeheartedly.

The reward for holiness is eternal life. However as Jesus says, many who are first will be last and the last first. The journey to heaven is not like Olympic race, it is not by who started first, neither is it according to who runs faster. Everyone has his or her own unique calling. Don’t imitate anyone. Serve God and be different.

Let us pray:

Lord Jesus, may I learn to look up to you and not the world for self-affirmation. Help me to be different and to put you first in all I do. Amen.

Good morning. Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you.