WELCOME TO FAMILY. (Homily for January 24, 2017. Tuesday of the 3rd Week in Ordinary Time).

Bible Study: Hebrews 10, 1 to 10 and Mark 3, 31 to 35.


Someone sent me a music video recently titled: Family. It was a song by Dolly Patton. It was quite inspirational. Family are people in your life that you did not select and yet you can’t say ‘no’ to them. They are a mirror of the worst and best in of you. They will always put you to the test and you will for their sake do your best. No matter what they do, you will always find a way to forgive them because you have no choice and then, you never stop trusting them. When its family, you will tolerate what you’d kill others for, you find yourself even justifying their mistakes, defending their errors and finding solutions rather than throwing stones.

Family is blood. Family is life. When it comes down to nothing for us, family still remains all we’ve got. You may choose your lovers, you pick your friends but not the family you are in. Yes, friends walk away from your life, even your closest allies fail you but family remains to the very end. Even when others betray and deny you, somehow you feel at peace because you know family got your back.

Now imagine what it feels knowing that Jesus Christ is one of your own family. However, this is not something for mere imagination, it is just reality. Jesus is family. But you may ask, how come I don’t feel it? How come Jesus seems so far away from me? The answer is simple: Being a member of this family depend on how much we do the will of God. When we decide to start keeping God’s commandments diligently, only then would we begin to feel Jesus in our hearts. Sin is what makes Jesus seem far away.

Even the book of Hebrews this morning speaks of how Jesus came to do the will of God in other to abolish the old and bring about the new order of things. God does not desire sacrifices and burnt offerings of rams and bulls, all wants from us is a heart that is ready at all times to obey, a heart that wants to do God’s will. This reading reminds me of Saul. God told him to destroy the Amalekites completely but he decided to take the best things as loot and even spared the king. When Samuel met him, Saul tried to justify himself saying he took those loot to offer them as sacrifice to God. Samuel said to him:

“Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has also rejected you from being king.” 1 Samuel 15:22-23.

In essence, that was the end of Saul. Dear friends, Obedience is better than sacrifice. Doing God’s will should be our number one guiding principle in life.

Today we celebrate the memorial of St. Francis de Sales. He was born to a noble family at Chateau de Sales in the Kingdom of Savoy near Geneva, Switzerland on August 21, 1567. He was a Bishop and Doctor of the Church. Francis was both intelligent and gentle. From a very early age, he desired to serve God. In 1580, Francis attended the University of Paris, and at 24-years-old, he received his doctorate in law at the University of Padua.

All the time, he never lost his passion for God. He studied theology and practiced mental prayers, but kept quiet about his devotion. To please his father, he also studied fencing and riding. After much discussion and disagreement from his father, Francis was ordained to the priesthood and elected provost of the Diocese of Geneva, in 1593, by the Bishop of Geneva. In 1602, Bishop Granier died and Francis was consecrated Bishop of Geneva, although he continued to reside in Annecy. He only set foot in the city of Geneva twice -- once when the Pope sent him to try to convert Calvin's successor, Beza, and another when he traveled through it.

In 1604, Francis took one of the most important steps in his life -- the step toward extraordinary holiness and mystical union with God. He gave spiritual direction to most people through letters. Francis gave spiritual direction to lay people who were living real lives in the real world. He had proven with his own life that people could grow in holiness while involved in a very active occupation. He also recognized that Christian marriage and family life is itself a call to holiness.

His most famous book, INTRODUCTION TO THE DEVOUT LIFE, was written for ordinary lay people in 1608, not just the clergy and religious. In 1923, Pope Pius XI named St. Francis de Sales the patron saint of Catholic writers and the Catholic press because of the tracts and books he wrote. He is also the patron saint of the deaf, journalists, adult education, and the Sisters of St. Joseph. His feast day is celebrated on January 24.

Let us Pray: Lord Jesus, my brother, help me to do your will. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you.


Fr. Abu.

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