Homily
for November 29, 2017.
“Then they
brought in the golden and silver vessels which had been taken out of the
temple, the house of God in Jerusalem; and the king and his lords, his wives,
and his concubines drank from them. They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold
and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.” Daniel 5:3-4.
Imagine coming
home one day only to meet your children scrubbing the floor diligently and
happily only for you to check and discover that what they are using to scrub
the floor is your most priced piece of clothing. Chaiiii! Abomination! Isn’t it?
But it is just a piece of cloth now.... No. No. NO. Someone will receive
spanking this night. What nonsense! The dress I wear only once a year…. No way!
If that is
how we treat what is our own, do we take out time to consider how we treat the
things that belong to God?
The very
first commandment states “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land
of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before me.
You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness of anything that
is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water
under the earth; you shall not bow down to them or serve them. (Exodus 20, 2 to
5). Furthermore, Jesus himself reminds us in Matthew 4, 10. “It is written: You
shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.”
The sin of
King Belshazzar, son of Nebuchadnezzar in today’s first reading is the sin of
SACRILEGE. According to Catechism of the Catholic Church, Number 2120,
“Sacrilege is profaning or treating unworthily the sacraments and other
liturgical actions, as well as persons, things, or places consecrated to God.”
This
includes the church building itself, sacred vessels, linens, liturgical books, the
crucifix, rosaries (and other sacramentals), as well as items such as the
pulpit, the chairs, and so on. Added to this list are persons dedicated to God
as priests, religious, those who enter sacred vows or have embraced the consecrated
life. These persons and items are God’s own. It is an insult to God for us to
profane them or use them for purposes other than the worship of God.
From the
way God dealt with Belshazzar, we can clearly see that God does not joke with
his own. Do I respect the church, do I revere holy items dedicated and blessed?
Am I one of those who bring their phones to church for charging? Do I get up
during the mass to answer a call even after its loud ringtone has caused
distraction in the church? Do I even realize that I am just like Belshazzar
when I do not give the things of God the respect they deserve?
Dear
friends, on no account is it permissible to dishonour the things set apart for
God. Even if we have to face the scorching fire of persecution. Jesus
encourages us in today’s Gospel passage not to give up or bend when the hard
times show up. There would be moments of trials but our endurance will win us
victory in the end.
Let us pray:
Lord Jesus, increase my respect for what is yours. Amen.
Be Happy.
Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Wednesday of
the 34th Week in Ordinary Time. Bible Study: Daniel 5:1-28 and Luke 21:12-19).
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