Homily for January 10, 2018.
“And he
healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and
he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.” Mark 1:34.
Sing:
Anywhere he went, he was doing good, almighty healer, he is our helper, when
the cripple saw him, they started walking; anywhere he went, my Lord was doing good,
he was doing good.
In Luke 4:18-19,
Jesus gave his manifesto for humanity in the following words: “The Spirit of
the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the
poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of
sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the
acceptable year of the Lord.”
Jesus did
not simply come to die for us, he also came that we may have life fully even while
on our pilgrimage to heaven. In John 10:10, Jesus sums up the devil’s intention
for mankind by juxtaposing it with his mission for humanity: “The thief comes
only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it
abundantly.”
It is not
the will of God that we should live “half-lives,” it is God’s will that we should
live in health both physically and spiritually. This is the message in all the
healing miracles of Jesus in the Gospels. This should boost our faith when we
approach God in prayer for healing.
Bear in
mind that even as Jesus was going about healing people and casting out demons,
he would not even permit the demons to speak. Jesus would not allow them tell
the world that God is in their midst. Jesus was clearly against cheap
popularity and pride which has virtually become the hallmark of today’s healing
ministers.
We may
have the gift of healing but we must be careful to avoid our followers from
turning us into gods as they did with Paul and Barnabas in Acts 14:8-12. Now at
Lystra there was … a cripple from birth, who had never walked. He listened to
Paul speaking; and Paul, looking intently at him and seeing that he had faith to
be made well, said in a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet.” And he sprang
up and walked. And when the crowds saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their
voices, saying in Lycaonian, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of
men!” Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, because he was the chief speaker,
they called Hermes.
It is
unfortunate how many ministers have been made gods by Christians today and they
seem to enjoy it and even capitalize on it. Check the necks of many Christians
today, they are wearing the pictures of these popular ministers. It seems as
though wearing the picture of Jesus and Mary by Catholics is idolatry while
wearing the picture of the general overseer is considered as a means of
attracting blessings to oneself. What a pity!
Another lesson
we learn from Jesus today is the act of spending time alone with God. “And in
the morning, a great while before day, he rose and went out to a lonely place,
and there he prayed…” We must create time to be alone with God in other to hear
his voice just like Samuel in our first reading today. God speaks to us when we
make ourselves available to him body, mind and soul.
The next
time you visit the Blessed Sacrament or find yourself in a quiet place for
prayer, recall this story of Samuel, free your mind from all forms of
distractions (thoughts, worries, fears, anxieties etc.), try to be fully
present and let your whole being just focus on God. You will surely hear from
God. The more we spend time alone with God everyday like Jesus, the richer our
spiritual life becomes and the more powerful we become.
Let us
Pray: Lord Jesus, strengthen my prayer life. Amen.
*Be Happy.
Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. (Wednesday of the 1st Week in Ordinary Time. Bible
Study: 1 Samuel 3:1-20 and Mark 1:29-39).*
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