Homily for Friday 11th January 2019
_“And he charged him to tell no one; but "go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as Moses commanded, for a proof to the people.” *(Luke 5:14)*_
In the healing of the leper in today’s Gospel reading, Jesus told the leper; “Go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as Moses commanded….” By asking this man to go and show himself to the priest, Jesus was endorsing the Mosaic rite. Jesus had his own personal devotions. As our Gospel passage concludes, whenever he was done attending to the great crowds pressing round him, he would withdraw to the wilderness to pray!
To be devoted to God is one precious gift we can offer to him, one that requires sacrifice on our part. We cannot afford to serve God according to our own convenience. There are people who wait till when they feel like to pray, go to church or do anything pertaining to their spiritual growth. By so doing, they declare that God is not so important to them.
To be devoted to God, one must first believe. Without faith, there is no way one can subject himself or herself to a rhythm of devotions. St. John address this kind of disbelief in the first reading. Some people were finding it very difficult to accept that Jesus is the son of God. John calls such persons antichrists.
“Who is it that overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? … He who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself… And this is the testimony; that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 1st John 5:5-11.
To believe in Jesus is to have Jesus in you and this is important for devotion. Without this faith in Jesus, the world overcomes us and our acts of devotion become lifeless.
Let us Pray: Lord Jesus, I pledge my total loyalty and devotion to you. Amen.
Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Friday after the Epiphany of Jesus. Bible Study: 1st John 5:5-13, Psalm 72 and Luke 5:12-16).
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