No Matter What, What You Believe is True

Monday 1^st April 2019. Read Isaiah 65:17-21, Psalm 30 and John 4:43-54

_“Jesus said to him, ‘Go; your son will live.’ The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went his way. As he was going down, his servants met him and told him that his son was living.” (John 4:50-51)*_ 

“No matter what they tell you, no matter what they do, no matter what they teach you, what you believe is true, and that would keep you safe and strong and sheltered from the storm.” These lines from one of my favorite songs of all time suddenly came alive to me as I reflected on today’s Gospel passage.

There was an official whose son was ill. He went to Jesus to beg him to come down and heal his son because he was at the point of death. Surprisingly, the same Jesus who was willing to go to the Centurion’s house whose servant was ill was not willing to with the official to his house. Jesus seemed to even test this man’s faith by saying: “Unless you see signs and wonders, you will not believe.”

The official simply said: “Sir come down before my child dies.” Jesus said to him: “Go, your son will live.” At this point, the man did not push further. Why? He believed Jesus completely. And because of his Faith, his Son actually received healing.

I once read somewhere, “Faith is the evidence of things not seen and the reward of faith is to see those things you believe.”

Your life is a summary of your beliefs. Whatever you believe becomes your reality. As the song puts it, no matter what they say, your beliefs are always true. In other words, no matter how ridiculous your beliefs are, so long as you hold on to them, they come to pass; they happen! They may seem like dreams in your head right now but they soon become your history.

Maybe it is time to re-examine your beliefs. Positive beliefs are called “hopes, dreams, goals, visions.” While our negative beliefs are called “fears, anxieties or worries.” You need to identify your negative beliefs (fears) one after the other and start replacing them with more powerful positive beliefs.

At some point, this official was really scared of losing his son, his fear was written all over his face when he said to Jesus: “Sir, come down before my child dies.” He was afraid that his Son would die if Jesus did not come with him.

This was a negative belief but when Jesus told him “Go, your son will live” this man literally expelled his fear of his son’s death. He threw out his negative beliefs and replaced them with clean ones.

He stopped imagining the tears, the pains, the condolences and all that would have followed his son’s death, he started to expect life for the boy. As he walked home, he imagined his boy running towards him completely rejuvenated. And this became his reality.

Don’t die before your time! Drop your fears, forget what anyone has to say, no matter what your situation may be right now, have a positive look at it again. Stop complaining and look out for the silver lining in your cloud. Start thanking God instead, start expecting better; create a new reality altogether and just watch and see how things would begin to change.

Let us Pray: Lord Jesus, help me understand I can change my reality by changing my mindset. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Monday of the 4^th week of Lent. Bible Study: Isaiah 65:17-21, Psalm 30 and John 4:43-54).

Home Sweet Home: Truly, There is No Place Like Home.

Sunday 31^st March 2019. Read Joshua 5:9-12, Psalm 34, 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 and Luke 15:1-3, 11-32

 

_“How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father.” *(Luke 15:17-18)*._

On this fourth Sunday of Lent, we are called to return home. This call is echoed deeply in the voice of the prodigal son who upon coming to his senses, said to himself: “I will arise and go to my father.” Luke 15:18. The hunger of the prodigal son reflects that deep longing in us which no earthly food can satisfy, that hunger for which St. Augustine writes: “Our hearts are restless until they rest in God.”

The call to return home is foreshadowed in our first reading, wherein we see the people of Israel under the leadership of Joshua finally settling down in Gilgal. For the first time after four hundred years, they were no longer to feed on manna but on the fruit of the land of Canaan; the land flowing with Milk and Honey. Manna was a symbol of their rebellion in the desert, a symbol of sojourning across the desert.

Once again, there are so many lessons for us to take home today:

*We are simply Pilgrims on Earth.*

Being heavenly-bound, we too are on a journey through a desert. Think of all the problems the world is facing today, listen to the news and you cannot but realize we are in a desert. All the world has to offer us is manna at its very best and this is why Jesus was not carried away by Satan’s offer of earthly kingdoms. Jesus knew that all the kingdoms of the world are simply desert compared to the glory of heaven and so refused to bow.

The prodigal son represents that desire in us to grab and grab the material pleasures of the world. That he was able to squander all he had within a short time shows that all the world has to offer only lasts for a short time; money reduces in value, beauty fades, things get broken, fame diminishes, love soon turns to hate and so on… In fact, nothing lasts forever on earth! We must never lose sight of our true home; heaven.

*Every Sin is a Prodigal Act.*

Every time, we value the things of this world over and above God, we are acting very much like the prodigal son. Sin always looks very attractive and beneficial at the beginning and God respects our freedom if we choose to go to that direction. But no sooner had we fallen, do we realise the pain and sorrow of our foolishness.

In the end, that which promised us lasting enjoyment away from the father’s presence soon turns into starvation and misery and it dawns on us that we would have been better off in the father’s house; that is, within the comfort zone of obeying God’s commandments. Quite often, like children standing in front of their father’s compound, the grass always greener in their neighbour’s compound. We tend to believe that there is something to be gained from sin and instead of appreciating where we are in God, we begin to see God’s house as burdensome.

*Sin Reduces Us to the Level of Slaves.*

Sin not only destroys the life of God inside us, but it also takes away our dignity by making us think less of ourselves. Like the prodigal son who forgot he was a Son and hired himself out as a farm-worker, sin gives us a low image of ourselves. Any person who says he or she cannot do without sin is a type of prodigal son who is just refusing to return home. The more we sin, the less we think we can overcome temptations.

Dear friends, no matter how deep we may have engrossed ourselves in sin, no matter how much pig food we may have consumed, we still have the capacity to return home. Hence St. Paul encourages us in today’s second reading: “if any man is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old has passed away; the new has come… For our sake, (God) made him be sin who knew no sin, that that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2^nd Corinthians 5:17&21)

*Pretence is a Silent Killer.*

Both the younger son and the older one had the same problem; they were no longer satisfied with what they had. While the younger son decided to explore what was out there, the elder son kept to himself. He too longed to go out but he wanted his father to give him a go ahead, his obedience was not genuine. This was why he felt cheated when the younger son returned.

He felt the boy only went out there to “enjoy.” Many of us are like the older brother, we strive to avoid sin, yet deep down within us, we believe there is something to gain by committing sin. Our obedience becomes a matter of pretence rather than a matter of conviction. It is not enough that we avoid sin, we must serve God with a sense of joy and happiness knowing that by walking in the light, we are living the best possible life. Do you lack a sense of joy keeping God’s commandments? Then it is time to repent and return home.

*God Eagerly Awaits Our Return.*

Just as the Father gave a great banquet for the prodigal son, so is God going to give a great banquet for all sinners who change their ways and return to Him. There is more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine who have no need of repentance. Jesus says: “But while he (the prodigal son) was yet at a distance, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.” (Luke 15:20).

Imagine someone told you that your only child who had been sick for a while is dead only for you to rush to the hospital and meet that child alive again. Imagine the joy that would fill your heart seeing that child alive, this is the joy that fills God’s heart when we repent. Twice Jesus quoted the Father as saying: “for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found… for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.” (Luke 15:24&32)  To sin is to die and be lost.

Let us Pray: Lord Jesus, I shall leave this place and return to you. Grant me the grace of true repentance. Amen.

*Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Saturday of the 3^rd week of Lent. Bible Study: Hosea 6:1-6, Psalm 51 and Luke 18:9-14).*

Fr. Abu. (Thank God with me and pray for me as I add one year to my life on earth today.)

Love is the Essence of Worship.

Homily for Friday 28^th March 2019. 

Read Hosea 14:2-10, Psalm 81 and Mark 12:28-34

_“And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, ‘You are not far from the kingdom of God.’ And after that no one dared to ask him any question.” *(Mark 12:34.)*_

Reading through the Gospels, we are not used to seeing Jesus commend the scribes and Pharisees but today we hear Jesus say to a Scribe that he is not far from the kingdom of God. So what is that thing that can make us close to heaven? It is our ability to make love a priority in our lives.

As Jesus told the Scribe, the first and most important of all the commandments is: “To love God with all your heart, soul and mind” and “to love your neighbour as yourself.” The truth is that once we are committed to loving God and our neighbours as ourselves, we cannot possibly sin.

How? Loving God demands that we keep the first three commandments and loving our neighbour entails keeping the remaining seven. If we love our neighbours as ourselves, we would obey our parents, we not kill or steal or commit adultery, we would not lie or covert our neighbour’s goods or spouse. Whereas loving God demands that we do not serve other gods; that we keep His name holy and we honour the Sabbath day.

The prophet Hosea speaks to us today in our first reading: “Return to the Lord your God” that is to say, leave your idols, stop worshipping false gods and come back to God. Has the love of God died in your heart? Are you finding it very difficult to pray? Do you consider time spent in church as wasted? These are clear signs that your heart has found another love and if you check very well, you have started bowing to other gods such as money, position, prestige, pleasure, achievement and the likes.

As one great author said: “You can never cheat on a spouse you truly love.” if the Love of God is strong in your heart, you will never make these other gods (material goods and pleasures) your object of worship.

Love is not a feeling, it is a decision. Feelings are volatile, they come and go too easily. Love is a choice we make even when the feelings disappear. Love, simply put, is a sacrifice. What made Jesus to really praise the Scribe is because the Scribe said: “to love our neighbour as ourselves is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” The Scribe showed that he correctly understood love not as a feeling but as a sacrifice.

No wonder Jesus said if you are offering a gift at the altar and remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift at the altar and go first be reconciled before offering your gifts. Loving our neighbours is not easy (especially when it comes to loving those who hate us) yet by forgiving them and loving them nevertheless, we are rendering worship to God.

Let us Pray: Lord Jesus, break my heart of stone so that I can love you and my neighbours better. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Friday of the 3^rd week of Lent. Bible Study: Hosea 14:2-10, Psalm 81 and Mark 12:28-34).

Be Truthful Always.

Homily for Thursday 27^th March 2019. Bible Study: Jeremiah 7:23-28, Psalm 95 and Luke 11:14-23

_“This is the nation that did not obey the voice of the LORD their God, and did not accept discipline; truth has perished; it is cut off from their lips.” *(Jeremiah 7:28)*_

Do you want to succeed in life? Then be a truthful person. Be courageous to face the truth no matter how painful it may be. Don’t rush to believe everything you hear no matter how reasonable it sounds.

The healing of the man in today’s Gospel passage was a clear confirmation that God has come in the midst of men and that the words of Jesus regarding His identity are true. However, some persons tried to twist the truth and started spreading a rumour that Jesus was casting out demons by the prince of demons.

One would wonder what these liars and rumour mongers were hoping to gain in castigating Jesus. Don’t we see this same evil happening in our world today especially with the introduction of social media?

It is very sad how we who claim to be children of God, (we who say we are Christians; followers of Christ who is the Way, the Truth and the Life), would be aware of the truth yet would still turn around to lie or spread false unverifiable rumours.

Growing up I was told: “Say the truth and shame the devil.” Do not generate falsehood and do not rush spread gossips especially when they damage other people’s character. Even if these rumours were true, you do not make the world a better place by announcing evil. Lies are bad. Lies can destroy.

Upon hearing the rumour about him, Jesus was amazed at their reasoning and asked how can a kingdom be divided against itself and still hope to succeed? Light and darkness cannot exist in the same place at the same time. When the light comes, darkness must go because the light is stronger than darkness.

Jesus the explains his ability to cast our demons saying: “When a strong man (referring to satan), fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace; but when one stronger than he (that is, Jesus) assails him and overcomes him, he takes away his armour in which he trusted, and divides his spoil.” (Luke 11:21-22). In other words, there are two separate kingdoms here. Satan may appear strong but Jesus is stronger! Power pass power.

Just as there are two separate kingdoms, we cannot belong to both at the same time. Just as satan cannot cast out satan, we cannot claim to belong to Jesus and still be involved in falsehood. We are either children of God or agents of darkness. Hence, Jesus concluded today saying: “He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters.” (Luke 11:23)

We may claim to be Christians, we may even hold high positions in the Church but with falsehood still reigning in our lives, we are actually acting against Christ and scattering the flock of God’s kingdom.

Let us Pray: Lord Jesus, help me remain committed to the truth. Amen.

*Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Thursday of the 3^rd week of Lent. Bible Study: Jeremiah 7:23-28, Psalm 95 and Luke 11:14-23).

Just Trust and Obey God’s Words.

Homily for Wednesday 27^th March 2019

_“Give heed to the statutes and the ordinances which I teach you, and do them; that you may live, and go in and take possession of the land which the LORD, the God of your fathers, gives you.” *(Deuteronomy 4:1)*_

We live in a digital age, a world of limitless possibilities; a world where knowledge about any subject is so readily available at the snap of one’s finger. The classroom has been completely revolutionized by the smartphone.

Youtube has become a university of some sorts. Google will not only take you around the world in 3D, but it will also provide virtually all the pictures, articles and videos related to any person, town or issue you want to know about. Then comes WikiHow, the Do-It-Yourself headquarters of the internet. From how to fly a plane, to how to start a business, to how to prepare your favourite meal… everything is right there at your fingertips.

Dear friends, long before the internet, long before the smartphone, long before life became so complicated, God has already given us the greatest and simplest do-it-yourself manual, a complete guide on how to achieve the very best life possible. This is exactly what Moses relates to the people of Isreal in today’s first reading.

The most unfortunate reality is that we tend to see God’s laws as burdensome or difficult to keep. Why is it so easy for us to trust a do-it-yourself-video on the internet believing we would build that machine it says but we do not trust God enough to follow His instructions step by step?

The key to achieving the life that God so desires for us is simply to TRUST God enough that he means well for us by giving us these instructions and OBEY them with all our mind, with all our heart and with all our soul. It is in our obedience to God’s instructions that we begin to enjoy the fullness of life.

Let us Pray: Lord Jesus, increase my trust in you and help me to obey. Amen.

*Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Wednesday of the 3^rd week of Lent. Bible Study: Deuteronomy 4:1-9, Psalm 147 and Matthew 5:17-19)

Be Merciful! Be Merciful!! Be Merciful!!!

Homily for Tuesday 26^th March 2019

_“You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you besought me; and should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?” *(Matthew 18:32-33)*_ 

From the time of Cain and Abel to this day, people have always been wicked to each other. If given the chance, we would destroy all life on earth just to fight others. A servant who owed his master a lot of money was forgiven of his debt but he could not forgive his fellow servant who owed him much less. This parable of Jesus is indeed an everyday reality in our world.

Last Saturday, I went with some youths in my parish to fix the Church’s signboard by the Main Road. As soon as we left the scene, a man who was operating a car wash beside the road pulled out the signboard and removed it completely. Upon interrogation, he claimed that it was the owners of the land who asked him to do so.

By the time I got talking with the owners, I discovered this man was never authorized by them to touch any signboard. Someone had been so gracious to allow this man use a piece of land and also provide water completely free of charge for his business but he could not afford to be gracious enough to allow a piece of Signboard stand by the road which did not even interfere with his car-wash business. Why are we humans like this?

If God could be so gracious to forgive me whenever I cry for mercy, how come I cannot extend a hand of mercy to my fellow brothers and sisters when they ask? The servant in today’s Gospel passage threw his fellow servant into prison forgetting that just as his fellow servant lacked the capacity to pay back 100 denarii, he too also lacked the capacity to pay back the huge sum which he owed his master.

Why are we wicked to others who are not as powerful as we are yet every day, we go down on our knees to pray to the All-Powerful God? Why do we often forget the log in our eye and start chasing after the speck in other people’s eyes? How come we readily hunt people down for the wrongs they did to us not minding that we ourselves have done greater wrongs to God?

The next time you feel tempted to deal with someone, think about your life and how much God could have dealt with you for your wrongdoings and sins. Cool down, forgive someone today. Offer that pain or that hurt in atonement for your own offences to God. Let not anger drive you to do something to your neighbour that God himself would not do to you.

See how the story ends. The Master of the Servant upon hearing what he did to his fellow servant ordered that he delivered to the jailers till he should pay his debt. By the time I spoke with the owners of the land, they started considering the option of asking the man to leave that place and operate his business elsewhere. I had to now plead on his behalf after they told me to go ahead and replace the signboard. Being wicked, uncaring and unsympathetic to others may seem like the normal thing to do but the simple truth is that it always backfires.

Let us Pray: Lord Jesus, help me conquer my pride and learn to forgive others. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Tuesday of the 3^rd week of Lent. Bible Study: Daniel 3:34-43, Psalm 25 and Matthew 18:21-35).

Powerful Things Happen when we Say “YES” to God.

Homily for Monday 25^th March 2019

_“And Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.” *(Luke 1:38)*_ 

Today is March 25. It is exactly 9 months before Christmas. On this day, Mary gave her consent, her fiat, her “I do” to God’s Divine Proposal. On this day, that great miracle happened; through the powerful overshadowing of the Holy Spirit, the baby Jesus, the word of God, became flesh right inside Mary’s womb.

Today’s feast is a reminder that God does not force his way in our lives. He works in us only with our consent. As one Saint said, God created us without our consent but He will not save us without our consent. We always have a choice either to say “Yes” or “No” to God’s plans for our lives.

It takes a great deal of will power to inconvenience ourselves, to drop our plans, to forgo our personal desires and say “Yes” just like Mary did. Our “Yes” is our offering; our sacrifice to God but the result we get is always greater than we can imagine. Look what happens when Mary said “Yes”.

Great things happen when we allow God have His way in our lives. The book of Hebrews says: “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, burnt offerings and sin offerings you take no pleasure but Behold, I have come to do your will.” Nothing makes God more pleased as seeing His children doing His will.

“You shall conceive in your womb and bear a Son and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High.” How happy God must have been when Mary said “Let it be done!” Mary’s acceptance became the beginning of the fulfilment of God’s promises to the people of Israel which the prophets all spoke about.

As Isaiah prophesied, when a virgin conceives, then you shall know that your Redeemer has come. Mary is that Virgin Isaiah spoke of as a sign to the people of Israel that God has finally sent them the Saviour they have been expecting.

Dear Friends, as we celebrate the Annunciation of the Lord today, we are called to reflect once again on our respect for life especially that of the unborn. Children are not merely products of chance or natural biology but living beings carefully and wonderfully made by God possessing all the rights and privileges any human being should have. Long before any of us received life in the womb, God already knew us and made plans for us.

Above all, let us always learn from Mary to say ‘Yes’ to God so that his plans for our lives will be manifested. Each time we commit a sin, we are saying ‘No’ to God and further pulling ourselves away from the life God planned out for us. Powerful things always happen when we say yes to God by obeying His Word and letting His Will be done in our lives.

Let us Pray: Lord Jesus, use me like Mary to bring your word to life. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord. Bible Study: Isaiah 7:10-14,8:10, Psalm 40, Hebrews 10:4-10 and Luke 1:26-38).

Every Sin is a Disaster.

Homily for Sunday 24^th March 2019

_“Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered thus? I tell you, No; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.” *(Luke 13:2-3)*_ 

Slavery can be described as an act of man’s inhumanity to man. To be enslaved is to be reduced from to the level of an object lacking the rights and privileges proper to every human being. To be enslaved is to be oppressed and afflicted.

God himself felt for the people of Israel who were slaves to the Egyptians when he said: “I have seen the AFFLICTION of my people and have heard their CRY. I know their SUFFERINGS.” (Exodus 3:7). Our lessons today are simple and straightforward.

*One: Sin is Slavery.*

As much as we detest slavery, St. Paul teaches us today that sin by its very nature can be likened to a form of slavery. Just as the Israelites were afflicted and agonized by the Egyptian taskmasters, we are all afflicted as long as we allow sin to dominate our lives.

According to St. Paul: “These things are WARNINGS for us, not to desire evil as they did nor grumble as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer.”(1Cor. 10:10).

*Two: Never Underestimate Sin*

Sin is an affliction, a suffering, a detestable condition, something that makes us live lower than the dignity God desires for us. In fact, in our Gospel passage, we see that not only is Sin a form of slavery, but it is also a calamity and a disaster.

Some persons told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. They wanted to know if this disaster was as a result of their sins, assuming that they must have been the worst sinners on earth to deserve such a cruel death.

To their surprise, Jesus said, these victims were not any worse than any one of them (meaning no matter how little our sins are, we too deserve such calamity). Jesus also added a similar instance of the eighteen upon whom the tower of Siloam fell and crushed saying: but UNLESS WE REPENT, WE WILL ALL LIKEWISE PERISH. In this way, Jesus paints a vicious picture of sin as something we must avoid at all costs.

*Three: Is Calamity a Punishment for sin?*

Does God allow bad things to happen to us as a result of our sinfulness? If this is the case, how do we explain the case of Job who was a righteous man yet faced a series of affliction? How do we explain the unfortunate things that happen to us even when we are walking in righteousness? How do we explain the brutal death of Jesus even when He was completely sinless?

The truth is that God does not treat us according to our faults. As the Psalmist says: “He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor requite us according to our iniquities.” (Psalm 103:10). Also in Matthew 5:45, Jesus told us that God “makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”

This means that good things and bad things happen to both good and bad people not necessarily as a direct punishment for sins. The point Jesus wants us to take to heart is that Sin itself is a calamity just as bad as any other calamity we may experience in life.

*Four: There is Good News*

The Good News is that we serve a God who CARES for us, a God who FEELS our plight, a God who UNDERSTANDS our struggles and is ever ready to help us. The Good news is that God did not abandon the Israelites but sent Moses to free them from the hands of captivity. This is really Good News because it means that no matter the extent of our present grip under the captivity of sin, God will not abandon us when we cry to Him.

Just as the Israelites could not save themselves, we cannot do it on our own. Nevertheless, Moses did not force them out of Egypt, their exit came as a result of their own cooperation with Moses. This is exactly what Jesus means when he demands repentance from us.

To repent is to make efforts. Yes, God is interested in the efforts you are making. This is why Jesus gave the parable of the fig tree. For three years, the man who planted the fig tree did not see any fruits and he decided to cut it down. The vinedresser pleaded for more time to dig around it and manure it saying if by the next year, it still doesn’t produce fruit, it could be cut down.

What efforts are you making? Have you given up on yourself? Why not dig around your lukewarm heart and apply more manure to your spirituality? The truth is that you really do not have all the time. You do not know when you will take your last breath. Act Now.

*Conclusion: Hate Sin Enough to Flee From it.*

The first key to repentance is to see sin for what it really is. Develop a strong hatred for sin and never take any sin for granted. The worst thing that can ever happen to you is to trivialize sin, painting it as “normal” or just one of those things. Remember, the choice is yours to make: Repent or Perish!

Let us Pray: Lord Jesus, grant me the grace of freedom from the captivity of sinfulness. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Third Sunday of Lent, Year C. Bible Study: Exodus 3:1-15, Psalm 103, 1^st Corinthians 10:1-12 and Luke 13:1-9).

The Return of the Prodigal Son.*

Homily for Saturday 23^rd March 2019

_“Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to make merry and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost and is found.” *(Luke 15:31-32)*_ 

The key to understanding the story of the Prodigal Son is to bear in mind that Jesus gave the story in defence of his association with those whom the Pharisees and Scribes labelled as “sinners.”

It is true that birds of the same feather flock together but in the case of Jesus, it was a different ball game altogether. People flocked around Jesus not to make Him like one of them but because they wanted to return to God as the Prodigal Son did.

By giving us the story of the Prodigal Son, Jesus teaches us that God is compassionate. God is the Father who takes more joy in seeing the sinner repent than in seeing the sinner perish. God is the Father who waits patiently for the return of his lost Son and eagerly rushes to welcome him when he returns.

As Micah tells us in today’s first reading: “God does not retain His anger forever because He delights in mercy. He will again have compassion on us, he will tread our iniquities under foot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.” (Micah 7:18-20)

Heaven is often described using the analogy of a banquet, a wedding feast, a place of joy and happiness. Just as the Father gave a great banquet for the prodigal son, so is God going to give a great banquet for all sinners who change their ways and return to Him. Whenever we realize we can no longer depend on sin (pig-food) for survival, God is ever ready to welcome us.

In truth, to live in sin, to live outside of God’s commandments is to live in death. The father said to the elder brother, “this your brother was dead.” We sometimes think like the Prodigal Son, we feel that God’s commandments are such a terrible burden on us; too difficult to obey. We assume we would be happier elsewhere; outside the scope of God’s instructions but like the Prodigal Son, all we get in the end is sorrow, tears and regret. The only reward for sin is death.

The attitude of the Prodigal son upon coming to his senses is also worthy of note. Like the tax collector who went to the temple to pray, the Prodigal Son could not look at his father in the face but said: “I have sinned against heaven and before you, I no longer deserve to be called your son, treat me as one of your servants.” As the Psalmist says, God will never reject a humble heart and a contrite spirit. This was why one the thieves crucified with Jesus got a ticket to heaven right on the spot.

The refusal of the Elder brother to enter the great banquet also teaches us something about our human nature. There are some people who will be kicked out of heaven not because they don’t deserve to be there but because they could not imagine themselves being treated equally with persons whom they had judged and condemned here on earth.

The Pharisees and Scribes by their attitude acted just like the elder brother. Not only did they condemn others, they questioned Jesus’ rationale for attempting to welcome them back by eating and drinking with them freely. Moreover, they were hypocrites because, in secret, they did worse than those they openly condemned.

The anger of the elder brother was that His Father never gave him even a kid to celebrate with his friends. This means he was only obedient for the sake of getting a reward. Is my worship of God reward-oriented? If for instance, heaven does not exist, will I stop being a Christian?

Let us Pray: Lord Jesus, give me a very large heart, purge away from me all bitterness, all past pains, all hatred and all forms of evil intentions against others. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Saturday of the 2^nd Week of Lent. Bible Study: Micah 7:14-20, Psalm 103 and Luke 15:1-3,11-32).