Do not Fear, only Believe.

Homily for July 1, 2018.

“’Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further?’ But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the leader of the synagogue, ‘Do not fear, only believe.’” Mark 5:35-36. 

Just yesterday, we read about a centurion who came to Jesus to plead for the life of his servant who was on the verge of dying. Today, we are presented with the story of how Jarius, a synagogue official came to Jesus to plead for his daughter whose life was also at the point of death. And in between, we find the story of a woman who had suffered from a haemorrhage for twelve years.

Dear friends, if there is one lesson we must learn from today’s readings, it is the fact that God respects not only the contents of our prayers but the contents of our hearts; the mindset, the attitude with which we approach God to request for anything.

Indeed, words are not so necessary for prayer. As Jesus told the Centurion, “it will be done to you as you believe.” Do you notice that in the healing of the woman with the issue of blood, she didn’t speak a single word to Jesus? All that was needed for her healing was her faith. She believed completely that even without prayer, a single touch would bring about her total healing.

We may use words in prayer, but it is not what we say to God that matters but the faith we apply to the words. We may shout and jump, we may speak in tongues or even cut ourselves like the prophets of Baal but so long as we are not expecting anything from God, so long as we do not believe God is capable of doing anything, so long as we assume the situation is beyond the power of God, our words are powerless.

Jarius went to call Jesus when his daughter was on the verge of dying. He believed Jesus could do something to prevent her from dying. Like Jarius, most of us believe God can prevent death from happening. Most of us believe God can act before our worst fears come to pass, but then, how many of us believe that even after death, God can still do something? How many of us believe that even after that our situation is long gone and buried like that of Lazarus, God can still change things?

Before Jesus got to Jarius’ house, some persons came to him to say there is no need to trouble the Master anymore. They asked: “Why bother Jesus since your daughter is now dead?” This question is like saying: “What can Jesus do after death?” Dear friends, am I one of such persons? Do I believe God has power over death? I may sing it all day, but deep down within me, do I truly believe that there is no situation beyond the power of God?

Do I have the kind of faith that is not discouraged by the worsening of my circumstances? Even if Medical doctors were to bring a damaging report, will I continue to trust God? Will I continue to expect the best possible outcome? If I don’t believe God has power over death, it means I have put a limit to what God is capable of doing and indeed, it follows that I am not even worthy of being in God’s presence. No wonder, as soon as Jesus got to the house, he drove all the faithless sympathizers away.

Doubting God is dangerous. It is disrespect of the highest order. As the book of Hebrews says: “Without faith, it is impossible to please God.” Hebrews 11:6. Even Jesus did not work miracles in his own town because of the people’s doubt. As Matthew puts it: “And they took offence at him…And he did not do many deeds of power there, because of their unbelief.” Matthew 13:57-58.

When the report of his faithless friends got to Jarius, he was obviously shaken. But just before he could open his mouth to say anything, Jesus spoke first. Jesus did not want Jarius to use his mouth to declare negativity. It was like shutting him up like Zechariah whose mouth was closed. Jesus quickly said to him: DO NOT FEAR, ONLY BELIEVE.

Dear friends, let these words of Jesus ring a bell in your heart today. The same Jesus who spoke those words to Jarius is right here with us today in the Blessed Sacrament. Listen to him once again saying these words to you right now: “Do not fear, only believe.” As the Psalmist would sing: “Be still, and know that I am God!” Psalm 46:10. Be still, let go of your fears, relax, just believe. Believe that there is no situation beyond the power of God. Believe that not even death is beyond God.

Let us Pray: Lord Jesus, increase my faith, save me from faithlessness and negativity. Strengthen my prayer life that my words may not contradict my heart. Amen.

*Happy Sunday. Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year B. Bible Study: Wisdom 1:13-24, Psalm 30:2-13, 2^nd Corinthians 8:7-15, Mark 5:21-43).*

Fr. Abu

The Reward of Faith is to See What You Believe.

Homily for June 30, 2018.

“Truly I tell you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith”…. And to the centurion, Jesus said, “Go; let it be done for you according to your faith.” And the servant was healed in that hour. Matthew 8:10-13. 

As this week draws to a close, we recall the many lessons we have learnt in the course of our readings during the week.

The life of St. John the Baptist teaches us humility, silence to allow God’s plans prevail and the constant need to prepare our environment for God to dwell in. We should not be too quick to judge others without first judging ourselves.

Do to others exactly what you wish done to you. Aim at holiness and not for popularity. Be careful of falling into the hands of false prophets because not all those who use the name of God belong to God. Practising God’s word makes it fruitful in our lives.

Saints Peter and Paul teach us that the Christian life is difficult, a fight, a race and a challenge to hear from the Holy Spirit rather than depending on flesh and blood.

Today, Jesus sums everything up with his statement to the Centurion who pleaded for his servant’s healing. “Let it be done for you according to your faith.” These words of Jesus might have been addressed directly to the Centurion but in reality, they apply to us.

We can never cheat God. We only get that which we believe is possible. So long as we don’t expect it to happen, sweating, panting and praying for long hours is futile. Even before we engage God in prayer, we must first expect to receive what we are asking for.

The centurion was so sure of the power of Jesus’ words. He believed wholeheartedly that Jesus had the power to heal his son even from a distance. He felt so unworthy to have Jesus come under his roof despite the fact that he was a highly respected man in the area (a whole centurion at that.)

Am I a proud person? Do I show the utmost respect for the things of God treating them as sacred items? Do I really examine my conscience properly before stepping forward to receive Jesus under my roof in Holy Communion?

It is not easy to believe something you have not seen, yet the truth is that the only way to see it is to believe it. How strong is my faith?

That the centurion came to Jesus because of his servant (not even his own child) is another point worthy of praise. How much care to I show to my employees, my domestic staff, my servants? Have I ever prayed for them? Do I bring them to Jesus for transformation and healing?

Let us Pray: Lord Jesus, you healed the sick, heal my faith and devotion to you. Amen.

*Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Saturday of the 12^th Week in ordinary time. Bible Study: Lamentations 2:2-19, Psalm 74:1-7, 20-21, Matthew 8:5-17).

Fighting the Good Fight; Listening to the Holy Spirit.

Homily for June 29, 2018.

 

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. From now on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness.” 2 Timothy 4:7-8. 

As we celebrate two of the greatest pillars of the early church today; Saints Peter and Paul, our readings today are basically set on a tone of encouragement. The life of Saints Peter and Paul teach us that the Christian life is tough, full of challenges and hardships, yet, it contains a lot of great rewards if we do not give up.

In his second letter to Timothy, Paul describes the Christian life as a fight and a race. That is, being a Christian entails contending against certain powerful forces such as the self, temptations from the world and the devil who simply comes to steal, kill and destroy. Being a Christian at all entails fighting against sin and evil, a fight that requires wearing the armour of God; the belt of truth, the shield of righteousness, shoes or the Gospel, the helmet of salvation, the sword of the Spirit, prayer and spiritual alertness. Cf. Ephesians 6:13-18.

The Christian life is a race, a race that requires special training and self-control so as to reach the end. As Paul himself would say: “Athletes exercise self-control in all things; they do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we, an imperishable one. So I do not run aimlessly… but I punish my body and enslave it so that after proclaiming to others I myself should not be disqualified.” 1 Corinthians 9:25-27. Running this race entails that we do not live simply according to the flesh but are willing to die to the desires of the flesh and allow the spirit to control us.

From the experience of Peter, we also see that Christian life involves being able to listen to the Holy Spirit. Jesus said to Peter, “Flesh and blood as not revealed this to you but my Father who is in heaven.” Mathew 16:17. Being a Christian requires developing a sixth sense – a spiritual dimension of being able to hear things that are beyond the realm of flesh and blood. This worked out for Peter when he was arrested and put in prison. He saw an Angel who escorted out of the cell into safety and it wasn’t until he got out that he realized it wasn’t a dream.

Truly, Christianity is about following the narrow path, it is making the least popular choices, it is carrying the cross, it is fighting (wrestling) against the flesh and its cravings, it is running from sin and towards God; it is living a life of deep connection with the Holy Spirit. Does this describe my life as a Christian? Am I still fighting the good fight? Has my faith grown cold? Do I still allow God reveal things beyond flesh and blood to me? How often do I read God’s words and meditate on them?

No wonder, not many of us today are committed to spreading the Gospel with the same zeal and power with which Saint Peter and Saint Paul went about it. Peter and Paul had it very tough and rough yet they were determined to push through all their difficulties. They did not give up on themselves or decide to abandon God when things were not so convenient. They fought to the very end and they both shed their blood for the faith. They never became rich with the world’s goods. They never had mansions, a fleet of cars or private jets to move about yet they were extremely successful in planting the faith in the early church.

It is sad that Christianity today has become a thing of convenience. We go to church not strictly because we have heaven in mind but because we hope to get our double share of material prosperity. And when it seems as though things are not coming as we expect them to, we move from church to church looking for what we describe as breakthroughs. The idea of martyrdom today is almost non-existent; no one wants to die for God.

Let us Pray: Lord Jesus, may Saints Peter and Paul renew my eagerness to serve you truly despite whatever challenges that may come my way even if it means having to die for your sake. Amen.

*Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul. Bible Study: Acts 12:1-11, Psalm 34:2-9, 2^nd Timothy 4:6-18, Matthew 16:13-19).

The Speck and the Log.

Homily for June 25, 2018.

“Why do you see the speck in your neighbour’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye?” Matthew 7:3 

In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus asks a very fundamental question, one which I must point to myself. Why do I notice the speck in my neighbour’s eye but do not notice the log in my own eye? The answer is simple: I can’t see the log. Ordinary, you might assume the log is easier to notice than the speck but in reality, the reverse is the case.

Recently, I came across the concept of the Paul Harris Window which says that there are things about me that I do not know and I will never know but others know. I need to be someone else to know these things about me. I may deny them as hard as I can because I can’t see them yet, they are very true.

A man who is addicted to drinking never calls himself a drunkard. If anyone calls him that, he would laugh at the person saying he or she is clearly mistaken because he does not believe it. And this is so true of human nature. A prostitute believes he or she is just a businessman or woman. A con-man may call himself a pastor, a saviour. An unmarried youth who commits fornication believes it is just love. And so on and so on.

Until we are able to tell ourselves the ugly truth, until we get to see the log as it is, we would never move an inch to remove it. We only repent of our sinfulness when we come to admit the truth about our darkness. The day the drunkard calls himself a drunkard, he would stop drinking. But so long as he believes he is okay, the bottle will never depart from his lips.

I guess you may have heard the saying that “if you want to catch a thief, employ a thief.” Only a very good thief knows the mindset of a fellow thief. In the unconscious realm, that which you are trying to fight in someone is only a reflection of your own dark side.

Jesus is not saying we shouldn’t help others take out the speck in their eyes. Jesus is not saying we should make efforts to correct people. He is only saying: “first things first, remove your log so that YOU CAN SEE CLEARLY to help someone remove his speck.” This is very instructive. If we do not see clearly, we run into the danger of passing pre-mature judgement on others.

It is easy to judge people when we are not in their shoes (when you do not understand or have never experienced their situation). So easy to condemn a footballer when you are not the one wearing the jersey and handling the ball before a crowd of 45,000 persons plus millions watching all over the world. So easy to condemn a politician for stealing public funds when you are not the one in a position with such easy access to a lot of money.

When next you feel a strong urge to correct someone, to post a condemnatory video on social media, to cry out an act of injustice, or even to gossip someone to a friend, please examine your conscience thoroughly. Examine your heart, correct yourself, point the torchlight inwards so you can see the log, then remove the log first before you go ahead to judge or criticize.

Maybe, while removing your log, you will discover why it has been so difficult for others to remove their specks. Maybe, the lessons you learn will help to refine how you condemn. Maybe in the end, you will realize there is just no need to condemn anyone at all but to simply begin to do that which you desire to see in others.

Let us Pray: Lord Jesus, open my eyes to see my logs, to admit the truth about myself so that I can change for the better. Amen.

*Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Monday of the 12^th Week in Ordinary Time. Bible Study: 2 kings 17:5-18, Psalm 60:3-13, Matthew 7:1-5).

The Birth of John the Baptist: A Story of God’s Providence.

Homily for June 24, 2018.

“You created my inmost self, knit me together in my mother's womb. For so many marvels I thank you; a wonder am I, and all your works are wonders. You knew me through and through.” Psalm 139:13-14. 

Not too long ago, I saw this beautiful post on social media. A man took his cloth to the tailor and asked him to fix the little opening near the pocket. To his surprise, the tailor turned the cloth inside out and began to tear the pocket with his hands. In protest, this man shouted: “I said you should sew, not tear… you are tearing my cloth oh.” But the tailor replied: “I know!” This two-word reply of the tailor sank into him like a heavy stone sinks in water. He had to keep quiet and allow the tailor work.

When Zechariah and Elizabeth got married, they had hoped that by the next year or at most within a few years they would be carrying their kids. Fast forward many years after and they still weren’t blessed with a single child. Zechariah himself was a Priest and from time to time, the lot fell on him to enter the “holy of holies” to offer sacrifices on behalf of the entire nation of Israel. I can imagine him saying to God many times: “Lord, I need a child, I am not getting younger, even my wife has a new name in our neighbourhood; people call her ‘the barren woman’.” But what did God say? “I know.”

Dear friends, the first lesson we learn today is that WE SHOULD NEVER LOSE HOPE IN GOD. God deserves our absolute trust and confidence even when it seems as if our prayers are falling on deaf ears and our situation is becoming worse. Like this tailor, God may just be increasing the tear so He can mend it completely. While Zechariah and Elizabeth were crying and worrying why God refused to answer them, God was busy making plans, doing calculations on how He would give them the greatest gift ever.

The truth is that Zechariah like most of us actually lost all hope and confidence in God. He felt there was a limit to God’s providence. He underestimated God and for this, God removed his power of speech. This is another big lesson for us today. WHEN YOU ARE DOWN IN FAITH, PLEASE BE SILENT. In moments of anger, desperation, or anxiety, the words we use can affect our destiny.

Remember the Israelites during their journey in the wilderness? The twelve spies had just come from the Land flowing with milk and honey only for ten of them to bring a damaging report. In response, the people cried out: “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! Why does the LORD bring us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become a prey; would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?” Numbers 14:2-3.

The remaining two spies, Joshua and Caleb, tried to persuade the people but they picked up stones to stone them. God was disappointed with what the Israelites were using their mouths to say. And God said to Moses: “How long shall this wicked congregation murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the people of Israel, which they murmur against me. Say to them, ‘As I live,’ says the LORD, ‘what you have said in my hearing I will do to you:  your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness…” Numbers 14:27-29.

Like Zechariah who was just on the verge of being blessed with a son, the Israelites were so close to entering the Promised Land, but they spoke themselves out of this favour. That rebellious generation did not enter the Promised Land. Be careful of the words you say to God in the midst of frustration and anger. Zechariah may have wanted to vent his anger, to ask God why he waited so long to answer, to tell God how he wouldn’t live long enough to carry his children’s children, blah blah blah… but God sealed his lips. *Sometimes, we just have to shut up and let God do His work.*

Finally, the third lesson for us today comes from the fact that we are celebrating the birthday of a Saint on a Sunday which is really unusual. We are we giving John the Baptist so much honour? Recall the words of Jesus Christ in Matthew 11:11 “Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has risen no one greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”

Again we may ask, why did Jesus give John this award? It is because John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus. John the Baptist knew his purpose on earth, he knew God called him from his mother’s womb (as Isaiah says in today’s first reading) and he did live out his purpose. Even at the height of his popularity, John the Baptist did not assume the place of the Messiah, he said he wasn’t even worthy to untie Jesus’ sandals (as Paul explains in today’s second reading). We need to ask ourselves: “Have I discovered my purpose?” “Am I willing to make God a priority in my life?” “Do I draw attention to myself for what I do or do I allow God to receive the glory that truly belongs to Him?”

Like John the Baptist, we must all do our part in preparing the way for God in any capacity we can. At home, in your office, in your shop, in the market, wherever you find yourself, create an atmosphere for God to shine. Do not allow or support immorality and sin in the name of entertainment, fashion or modernity. Do you make efforts to select the kind of movies your children watch? Do you keep pictures of naked persons in your room? When people enter your office, is there something that makes them want to talk about God? Dear friends, prepare a way for God!

Let us Pray: Lord Jesus, deepen my trust in your providence and give me the grace of silence and patience when nothing seems to work. Amen.

*Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Birthday of St. John the Baptist. Bible Study: Isaiah 49:1-6, Psalm 139:1-15, Acts 13:22-26, Luke 1:57-66, 80).*

Fr. Abu

Serving God Demands Absolute Trust.

Homily for June 23, 2018.

“Although the army of Aram had come with few men, the LORD delivered into their hand a very great army, because they had abandoned the LORD, the God of their ancestors.” 2 Chronicles 24:24.

Today’s Gospel passage is a natural follow-up to that of yesterday. Jesus told us yesterday to store up treasures for ourselves in heaven, a place where neither moth nor rust nor thieves can break in or destroy. Jesus could read the minds of the people listening to him, he knew how they were struggling to accept this teaching. He knew the question in their hearts: “If we direct our focus to heavenly treasures, how then are we going to feed, pay school fees for the kids, and take care of electricity bills, house rent, medicals and so on and so on?”

In response, Jesus tells us today “seek first God’s kingdom and his righteousness and all these other things shall be yours as well.” Matthew 6:33. In other words, Jesus is saying: “Relax, pursue God’s business and God will make you his business.” Serve God with your whole heart, don’t worry, God is not so irresponsible that he doesn’t know your needs. Trust God, make him your priority, concentrate on storing treasures in heaven (doing good deeds, helping the poor and needy etc.) and God will NEVER let you suffer.

How worried are you regarding your next meal, what you shall wear or where the money will come from? Do you believe deep down within you that having prayed, having told God your needs, God is actually capable of providing them? Do you rise from prayers feeling very relaxed or more agitated and afraid? Can you afford to stop doing that which you believe provides your daily bread because it involves sin? As a businessman for instance, can you afford to stop telling lies to your customers? How big is your trust in God’s divine providence? Your honest answer to these questions should tell who your real master is.  

Our first reading today gives us an insight into the way God works. When God is involved, it becomes so clear that so and so could not have been possible without a hand from above.

Joash was the young king whose life was spared from the wicked Athaliah. His rise to power was made possible by a couple of brave men and women including a priest Jehoiada who risked their lives and succeeded in hiding him for seven whole years. Having risen to power, Joash became something else. He gave the command for the killing of Jehoiada’s son Zechariah who was simply trying to call the people to return back to God. with only a few men, the Syrian army massacred down the great army of Judah.

The Bible is filled with stories upon stories of God’s providence. From the miraculous birth of a children to barren women, to the miraculous crossing of the Red Sea by the Nation of Israel when the Egyptians were chasing after them, to the miracles of Jesus in the New Testament such as the feeding of five thousand with just five loaves and two fish, God continues to teach us a lesson in PROVIDENCE. The problem with us humans is that we don’t want to learn, we don’t trust God.

There is really no need serving a God we cannot place all our hopes in. There is no need calling Him our master when we are prepared to do anything for money. There is no need calling Him a friend when we cannot just relax after telling Him our worries. There is no need claiming to be God’s children when we cannot make him Number One in our lives when the things of God only take a secondary place in our daily schedule.

Let us Pray: Lord Jesus, teach me to seek you first, to do your work before I think of mine, teach me to trust you with all my heart and mind. Amen.

*Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Saturday of the 11^th week in Ordinary Time. Bible Study: 2 Chronicles 24:17-25, Psalm 89:4-34, Matthew 6:24-34).*

Fr. Abu

The Eye is the Lamp of the Body.

Homily for June 22, 2018.

 

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light; but if your eye is unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness.” Matthew 6:21-23. 

Growing up as a child, my usual after-school chore was to ensure there was enough water in the house. After lunch, I would get the wheelbarrow, place some 20-25 litre cans in it and go in search of any nearby house where they had a bore-hole and the gateman was willing to allow me “steal” some water. I remember been chased by dogs at times only to find myself going back again with my innocent face, knocking hard on the gate and saying: “I want to fetch water.”

Back then, I used to day-dream a lot. I imagined myself becoming very rich, living in one of these big mansions that had water wasting away and an array of exotic cars decorating the carport. That was my dream and as I grew older, I realized this wasn’t just my dream but the dream of virtually everyone around me. It is the American Dream, the Nigerian Dream and indeed the World Dream.

However, as Jesus points out in today’s Gospel passage, this dream is in every sense a WORLD-LY dream; a dream that does not go beyond this world; a dream that leads us to gather treasures which lose value, get stolen, expire or become destroyed. This explains why you labour so hard to acquire something, and you are so overjoyed that day, a few days after or at most, a month. You wake up one day and realize that which you thought was the key to your joy has become the centre of your worries, irritation and unhappiness.

This happens because as Jesus says, this world is not the best place to lay up treasures. We are not meant for this world. We came from another world and we are destined to return there. What is the point of building a house I will never live in? What is the point of laying up treasures in a place that is not my permanent home? What is the point of pursuing a dream that never fully materializes? Jesus says to us today, “Store up treasures for yourselves in heaven instead.”

The truth is that we can never deceive ourselves when it comes to where our treasures lie. Those who do not have accounts in a particular bank will not lose sleep if they hear that bank has crashed. Those whose treasures are not in heaven find it difficult to contemplate the things of God or even imagine the existence of heaven.

The story of Athaliah as contained in today’s first reading is one that confirms the word of Jesus to Peter on the night of his arrest: “those who kill by the sword will die by the sword.” Matthew 26:52. Athaliah’s life speaks volumes to those who kill to acquire power placing themselves in positions they do not merit. Like any other treasure in this world, power got through ill-means never lasts.

Dear friends, where is your eye? In other words, where are your treasures? What are your priorities? If your eye is on what this world has to offer, then as Jesus says, your eye is unhealthy and your body is full of darkness. This explains why people get involved in all kinds of evil and are prepared to do anything just to “make it big” in this world. If your only goal in life is to “have a lot of cars and houses that you wouldn’t know which one is which” then watch out for darkness in your thoughts, words and deeds.

Let us Pray: Lord Jesus, teach me to love you with all my heart, mind and soul and to build my treasures only in heaven. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Friday of the 11^th week in Ordinary Time. Bible Study: 2 Kings 11:1-20, Psalm 132:11-18, Matthew 6:19-23).

The Importance of Structure in Prayer.

Homily for June 21, 2018.

“When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them.” Matthew 6:7-8. 

Yesterday, Jesus warned us against using prayer as a public display of piety. Prayer is not some kind of dress we wear but a relationship we enter into. Prayer should never be used to attract the attention of people neither should it be addressed to human beings. Prayer is not a sermon. Prayer is engaging God in a one-on-one conversation as such Jesus recommends that we do it in secret.

Remember the two men who went to pray? Jesus said the Pharisee, prayed to himself because even if he was talking to God, he was trying to humiliate the tax collector besides him. Perhaps if the tax collector was not there, he would have prayed differently. Most of the time, we don’t pray to God, we actually pray to people. No wonder, some persons find it extremely difficult to pray when alone; it’s either they sleep off within minutes or they skip prayer entirely.

Some raise their voice so that even passers-by can hear the content of their prayer. Some only pray when given the microphone or when asked to open their mouths in the church to pray (i.e. the popular rowdy prayer session). The truth I must admit is that such prayers are people-centred and not God-centred. Hence, the shouting involved! Each person tries to be louder than the other as though it’s a competition.

When we understand that prayer is always a one-on-one affair with God (an exchange between two lovers), we immediately see the reason why Jesus would often go alone to a quiet place to pray. We then understand that prayer is not so much about the number of words we use, (continuous repetition) but the way and manner in which these words are said. Have you seen two persons in love talking to each other? Do you hear them shouting at the top of their voices with neither of them making effort to listen to the other? Do you hear any of them issuing angry commands?

In teaching us to pray, Jesus achieved three feats at once:

One: Jesus makes us understand that prayer requires a structure; a formula; a plan. When I first got an opportunity to speak with my state Governor a few years ago, I remember taking my time to prepare my speech, I was so scared of not saying it right, I took a piece of paper to write it down. How sad, when I want to talk to God, I just bump on him, no structure, no pre-meditation, to silent moment to recollect before prayer, I just open my mouth and begin to babble! I say things as they come to my mind not as I planned as such my mind begins to wander around the world during prayer like a hunter running around the bush looking for rabbits. No wonder such prayer leaves me distracted and more worried than anything else.

Two: Jesus makes us realize that when we pray, we are addressing God as Father. In other words, there should be some amount of respect on our part. Prayer requires adoration, veneration, worship. Apart from the words we say, our gestures are important. The act of kneeling beside our bed with our heads almost resting on the bed has become the most popular posture for prayer but you and I will agree that this is an invitation to sleep rather than a serious business with God.

Three: Prayer, no matter the words we use must involve thanksgiving and a strong commitment to forgive others. Jesus says: “Do not babble… for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” In other words, Jesus seeks to remove emphasis from supplications which are indeed Ninety-Nine per cent (99%) of all our prayers. Do you notice that only one line of the Lord’s Prayer asks for our needs: “Give us this day our daily bread.”? Dear friends, asking for our needs is not even as important as forgiving those who hurt us, not even as important as praising and thanking God.

Finally, the Lord’s Prayer may be a very short prayer but it is packed full with meaning. It really doesn’t matter how short or long our prayers are, we must bear in mind that if at all we must pray, we must use meaningful words, we must apply structure and our minds must focus on God and not on our needs per say. Remember forgiveness is part of prayer.

Let us Pray: Lord Jesus, I realize I have not often prayed well. Transform my prayer life today. Amen. St. Alphonsus Gonzaga, pray for us.

*Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Thursday of the 11^th week in Ordinary Time. Bible Study: Sirach 48:1-14, Psalm 97:1-7, Matthew 6:7-15).*

Pure Religion is Spirit and Truth.

Homily for June 20, 2018.

“Beware of practising your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven.” Matthew 6:1. 

In his conversation with the woman at the well, Jesus said: “the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 4:23-24.

A vast majority of Christians today who claim to be worshipping God are not sincere. Our worship is essentially eye-service. Such worship of God, Jesus teaches us, attracts no reward from God. It is essentially useless. When Jesus said “God is spirit” he meant to emphasize the fact that God is not a human being who can be deceived with appearances or carried away by an external show of holiness.

If we humans get put off by persons who simply pretend to be our friends when we get to discover their hidden agenda, how much more God who sees everything; who knows what we do in secret? As the Psalmist puts it: “O LORD, you have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from far away… Even before a word is on my tongue, O LORD, you know it completely.” Psalm 139:1-4. 

The painful truth is that most of the time, it is not God we worship but our own ego. We do not really care about what God thinks of us but what people think. Our actions are done to attract the good opinions of people, to massage our ego; our sense of pride and accomplishments. The moment we notice no one is watching, we become demons.

Jesus is basically asking us today to replace our people-centred worship with a God-centred worship; to replace our eye-service with God-service; to become secretive with good deeds rather than evil deeds. We don’t have to announce goodness before people to be rated highly by them but we must ensure that the things we do in our secret places attract the loudest applause of God.

Let us Pray: Lord Jesus, free me from inferiority complex; the desire to please people and create in me a consciousness of your presence always. Amen.

*Happy new week. Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Wednesday of the 11^th week in Ordinary Time. Bible Study: 2nd Kings 2:1-14, Psalm 31:20-24, Matthew 6:1-18).*