When the Student is Ready, the Teacher Appears.

Homily for May 4, 2017.

Do you believe in luck? Do you suppose things just happen in this life out of mere coincidence? Dear friends, the story of the Ethiopian Eunuch in Acts, chapter 8 reveals to us that there is more to reality than mere luck or coincidence.

To put it simply, nothing happens by chance! When you wake up each day and go about your activities, it is not by chance that you meet the people you do that day or visit the places you do. There is a Divine Plan in progress, there is a master planner who sets things in place, a powerful hand who arranges events, people and time.

The fact that we cannot see this hand does not mean it doesn’t exist. As the saying goes, what is behind ‘six’ is more than ‘seven’. To the Ethiopian Eunuch, it must have seemed like a mere coincidence that as he was reading the Bible, Philip just happened to be passing that road. But it wasn’t.

An angel of the Lord had appeared to Philip beforehand, ordering him to go to that particular place at that particular time. Philip himself did not even know what to expect. All he needed to do was to obey. And when he got there, behold the chariot, and this time the Holy Spirit was now the one who told Philip, “Go and join this chariot.”

Now you see, nothing happens by chance. God is truly in control of our world. There is nothing that can ever escape the knowledge of God; He knows everything, sees everything and causes things to happen according to his will.

Provided like Philip, we are ready always to obey the promptings of the Holy Spirit, we would begin to come to the realization that indeed there is no such thing as mere chance. God is a super arranger. He allows things happen to us and sends people our way for different reasons.

Yes, it was not out of luck that the Ethiopian Eunuch got to meet Philip. No, God sent Philip to him because God seeing his heart, knew that this man had developed a burning desire to understand the Scriptures and know God better. This is what Jesus confirms in our Gospel passage when he said: “No one can come to me unless the Father draws him.” In this case, the Ethiopian Eunuch came to know Jesus because God the father drew him through Philip.

God saw this innate desire in the Eunuch and decided to consolidate his faith through Philip. Dear friends, when the student is ready, the teacher appears. When we are ready for God, God becomes ready for us. Even the Bible says: “Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.” James 4:8. 

Not only did the Eunuch develop his inquiry into God’s word, he was open enough to receive baptism. He became a new person immediately and his spiritual journey with God was set on a smooth flow.

Truly, when our desire to know God increases in our hearts, when we are open to his word and make efforts to read the Bible, we must bear in mind that such actions do not go unnoticed in heaven. God takes note of every firm resolution we make and he acts accordingly.

It is one thing to be alive; that is, being able to breathe in and out but a different thing altogether to have a great life. We all may be breathing, but some persons are actually walking dead, some persons have no joy, no hope in their lives, some are living in hell.

What can make our life great? It is having a life within a life or to put in in Jesus’ terms, to live in such a way that death is no longer a problem. When we have Jesus in us, our life transforms into eternal life – we begin to live forever; we are no longer held down by the limitations of earthly life because God lives right inside us.

And how do we tap into this great life? By worthily receiving Holy Communion; the body and blood of Jesus, the new manna which truly comes from heaven and our ticket to eternal bliss. Deepen your relationship with God today and never abstain from Communion.

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, send good people my way daily that I may grow in Spirit. Amen

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Feast of Saints Philip and James. Bible Study: Acts 8:26-40 and John 6:44-51).

Fr. Abu.