Sainthood is For You Also

Sunday 1st November 2020. Read Revelation 7:2-4,9-14, Psalm 24, 1st John 3:1-3 and Matthew 5:1-12 

“I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no man could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands.” (Revelation 7:9)

On this first day of the month of November, the Church calls to mind millions of men and women who have lived exemplary lives on earth - fulfilled the demands of the Gospel, walked the narrow path, shunned the world (and its pleasures) and are now enjoying the bliss of eternal life. Some of them were married, some virgins, some religious, some were clerics, doctors, nurses, accountants, engineers, farmers, school teachers, professors, some even traditional rulers, great warriors and so on. The list is endless.  

The truth is that there are more saints in heaven than we know of. As John says in our first reading today, the Saints are a “great multitude which no man can number.” Today’s feast is particularly interesting because it affords us the opportunity to celebrate thousands of unknown saints and those we never imagined are in heaven. As we celebrate all the saints in heaven today, there are some questions we need to reflect on:

1. Who is a Saint?

In very simple terms, a saint is a person who once lived on earth and is now in heaven. As John describes in our first reading: “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” (Revelation 7:14). This vision must have inspired John who happens to be the same author of our Second Reading as he notes: “Everyone who thus hopes in [God], purifies himself as he is pure.” (1 John 3:3).

During the Sacrament of baptism, when the priest or deacon takes the white cloth, he says the following words: “See in this white garment the outward sign of your Christian dignity. With your family and friends to help you by word and example, bring that dignity unstained into the everlasting life of heaven.” Now you see that in his description of the multitude John saw, the white cloth which they were wearing was a symbol of their purity; their freedom from sin and cleansing from every attachment to evil.

During His transfiguration, the Gospels report that Jesus’ “garments became glistening, intensely white, as no fuller on earth could bleach them.” (Mark 9:3, Luke 9:29). Again, when the women went to the tomb of Jesus very early on Easter Sunday to anoint the body of Jesus with the spices, Luke tells us that they found the stone had been rolled away and instead of the body of Jesus, they saw “two men [who] stood by them in dazzling apparel.” (Luke 24:2-5). The Saints are always shining because they are pure, sinless and stainless.

2. Why Do We Honour the Saints? Aren’t We Reducing the Honour Deserving Only to God?

Now, it is important to bear in mind that the greatest and most popular of all the Saints is Jesus Christ. This is because He lived among us, He ate our food, He drank our water etc. and today, we cannot deny the fact that He is in Heaven. We believe that just as Jesus Christ lived as a man on earth is now in heaven, our many brothers and sisters who have faithfully followed the footsteps of Christ are also wearing their golden crowns in heaven. Is it possible that Jesus was lying when He said in today’s Gospel passage, “rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven”? No way.

By the statement, “your reward is great in heaven”, Jesus was describing the honour that would come to those who have served faithfully. If they are honoured in heaven, isn’t it wise that we also honour them on earth? Come to think of it, even in the social sphere, certain persons are revered because of their eminent contributions to that particular field. Go around any ancient city in the world, you will find statues, plaques, memorial buildings etc. of persons who are no more but continue to enjoy great honour and respect.

By honouring the Saints, we keep their memory alive so that their legacies and good deeds would continue to inspire us to live good and upright lives. Now, there is a whole world of difference between the word “honour” and “worship” We honour the Saints but we only worship God. This might be difficult for many to grasp especially those who are very quick at pointing accusing fingers at the Catholic Church. I may visit Abraham Lincoln’s memorial site, spend time there and even buy some Lincoln souvenirs, does it mean that I have become a worshipper of Abraham Lincoln?

The Saints are not in any competition with God. In fact, as John describes in our first reading, the only job the saints are doing in heaven is standing before God with their faces all bowed to the ground worshipping God and singing: “Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honour and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.” (Revelations 7:10-12). Knowing that the saints are constantly in prayers worshipping God, we ask them to pray for us. In heaven, there is no relaxation or sleeping time, there is no party time and as Jesus would say, there is no marriage or raising families in heaven (Cf. Matthew 22:30, Mark 12:25 & Luke 20:35).

3. Why do we ask the Saints (“Dead People”) to pray for us?

When we say, “St. Agatha, pray for us,” isn’t it the same thing that Saul tried to do when he consulted a witch to invoke the spirit of Samuel? (Read 1 Samuel 28:7-20). No, asking the saints to pray for us is not the same thing as invoking their spirits. Note that Saul could not even do it on his own, he had to disguise himself and travel to Endor to consult a witch for this. Right from your room, you can simply ask St. Anthony to intercede for you when looking for your lost key and be sure you will soon find it. You don’t need any witch or wizard for that. You are not invoking any spirit.

Are the Saints dead people? Physically, they have died but Jesus Himself taught us that there is life beyond the grave. When the Sadducees who did not believe in the resurrection came to Jesus with a tricky question, Jesus said: “Is not this why you are wrong, that you know neither the scriptures nor the power of God? For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. And as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God said to him, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? He is not God of the dead, but of the living; you are quite wrong.” (Mark 12:24-27)

Of course, can we describe the multitude John saw as dead people? Dead people, who stood before God with faces to the ground worshipping Him? The saints are not dead people, they are alive with God in heaven and that is why they can influence things in our world. Jesus told us “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he dies, yet shall he live, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die.” (John 11:25-26)

4. Can I Become a Saint?

Dear friends, the only reason why Jesus came to be born among us was so that we too might all become saints. Everything Jesus taught us was geared at making us Saints. Consider our Gospel passage today. Jesus gave us the simple steps to attain eternal bliss with the saints in heaven. So, yes. You can become a Saint.

Attaining sainthood is not an impossible thing but your desire for sainthood must be stronger than any worldly aspiration you may be having. You must be longing for it even more than the way you long for food or sleep. One of the beatitudes is: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” The meaning of this is: “Blessed are those longing for sainthood, they shall never be disappointed.”

The journey may be tough but the destination is worth all the struggle. Jesus said: “Blessed are you who are persecuted… blessed are you when men revile you and utter all kinds of evil against you.” Sainthood is not easy, it is not for the faint-hearted; it is for those who will never look back having placed their hands on the plough. (Luke 9:62). It is for those who are willing to deny themselves, take up their cross every day and follow Jesus (Matthew 16:24, Mark 8:34, Luke 9:23). Sure, relying on our own strength, this is impossible but with God, all things are possible. (Cf. Mark 9:23 – All things are possible to him who believes.”

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, I resolve from this day to begin my journey towards sainthood. I resolve to make this my only priority for as long as I live. Help me never to give up or get discouraged when the going seems tough.

Happy New Month. Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Homily for Solemnity of All Saints. Bible Study Revelation 7:2-4,9-14, Psalm 24, 1st John 3:1-3 and Matthew 5:1-12).

The Blindness of Pride

Saturday 31st October 2020. Read Philippians 1:18-26, Psalm 42:2-5 and Luke 14:1,7-11

"For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 14:11)

Pride is one of the seven capital vices (the seven deadly sins). Pride is a serious sin. The Bible teaches that pride was the sin of the angel of light, Lucifer (Satan) which made him attempt to challenge God and for that, he was thrown down to hell. (Cf. Revelations 12:7-9)

The danger of pride is its unsusceptible nature. I could be guilty of pride without even knowing it. The easiest way to detect pride is when you begin to assume that no one is as good, holy, wealthy, knowledgeable or important as you are. When you assume you are the best, it means you have become blind to the existence of anyone better than you.

Jesus was invited to dine at the house of a ruler who belonged to the Pharisees. On this occasion, Jesus noticed how the invited guests chose the places of honour and he picked on this to teach us a very important lesson about pride.

Like these guests who went straight to occupy places of honour, pride closes your eye to the fact that there could be people more qualified for those seats. As Jesus puts it, “lest a more eminent man than you be invited and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give place to this man,’ and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place.” (Luke 14:8-9).

Unfortunately, we only become conscious of our pride after we have suffered a fall; after we are asked to return to a lower position in shame. A true test of our humility is how we react to humiliation by others. Do I flare-up? Do I throw back an insult? Do I try to prove I am something? Or do I calmly accept my imperfection, laugh over it and forgive the other person immediately?

Humility is actually a very rare virtue. As we can see, not many people are able to handle humiliation calmly and this explains why no one likes to admit he or she is proud. St. Paul in today’s first reading says: “to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” This is what should be our motto as Christians; to allow Christ to live in us in such a way that we become His living incarnation?

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, you are humble and meek in heart. Make me just like you. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Homily for Saturday of the 30th Week in Ordinary Time. Bible Study: Philippians 1:18-26, Psalm 42:2-5 and Luke 14:1,7-11).

Love of Neighbour is the First Law

Friday 30th October 2020. Read Philippians 1:1-11, Ps. 111 and Luke 14:1-6

“Which of you, having a son or an ox that has fallen into a well, will not immediately pull him out on a Sabbath day?” (Luke 14:5)

Our Gospel passage today is quite short but loaded with a lot of messages. Jesus knew the Pharisees were not all in good terms with Him. He knew they sought ways to trap him. He knew their deep-seated hatred yet He went to eat in their homes. Jesus called them hypocrites (white-washed tombs) but He never distanced Himself from them. As a Good Shepherd, Jesus did not mind walking into the “lion’s den” to rescue the lost sheep. He attended their dinners so as to speak to their hearts and save them.

This is what love really means; going out of your way, risking everything to help even those who hate you. Love is kindness to your enemies. Note, love is not about keeping quiet in the face of evil, it is not being diplomatic. Jesus loved the Pharisees but He would always tell them the truth to save their souls.

On this particular occasion, there was a man in the home of the Pharisee who had dropsy and because it was a Sabbath day, they were watching Jesus to see what He would do. Jesus knew they were watching Him; He could have decided to play to the gallery by pretending not to have seen the man but Jesus did not mind doing what is right even when such was very unpopular.

Luke tells us that the Pharisees were watching Jesus. They knew Jesus wouldn’t see a man in that condition and do nothing. It was like a trap for Jesus. Child of God, there are many who do not like you yet they never stop watching you hoping that you would make a mistake or something bad would happen to you (so they can have a reason to laugh at you or put you down). Unlike Jesus who could read people’s minds, we cannot tell who our true friends are, that is why we have to be prayerful; that is why we need the weapons of our warfare (Cf. Ephesians 6:10-20).

After healing the man, Jesus showed the Pharisees that in their bid to keep the law (thinking they were trying to please God), they were hurting a lot of people. They did not realize that if we do not love our neighbours, we can never love God. Jesus reminded them how they would untie their donkey that fell into a well even on a Sabbath day (without seeing it as work) but would not even be concerned about a human being that is bound by illness for a long time.

Love is the ability to see God in others especially in those suffering, the hungry, the thirsty, the homeless, the sick etc. There is no law that is more superior to the law of love. On the last day, we shall be judged based on how we kept this law of love; how we helped others or how we behaved like the Pharisees. Hence St. Paul prayed in today’s first reading for the Philippian church that “love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight to help you to determine what is best, so that in the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless…” (Philippians 1:9-11).

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, help me to make love my propelling principle in life.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Homily for Friday of the 30th Week in Ordinary Time. Bible Study: Philippians 1:1-11, Ps. 111 and Luke 14:1-6).

We Are Soldiers!

Thursday 29th October 2020. Read Ephesians 6:10-20, Psalm 144 and Luke 13:31-35

“You are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.” (Ephesians 2:19) 

Dear friends, do you still remember that song: “We are soldiers, soldiers of the Lord, we are soldiers, fighting for the Lord, in the name of Jesus, we shall conquer…” Yes, we are soldiers. And the war we fight is not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers. Just as the war is not a physical one, the weapons of this particular war are not also physical. 

To succeed in this war, we must first REALIZE THAT WE ARE ON A BATTLEGROUND. Jesus tells us in John 10:10, “The thief comes only to steal, to kill and to destroy.” In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus refers to Herod as a fox. Woe betides the soldier who goes about eating and drinking freely not knowing that he is in the midst of a battle.

Secondly, we must realize that LIFE IS BEYOND THE NATURAL REALM. There are invisible forces and powers capable of affecting our world. Thirdly, we must KNOW WHO OUR ENEMIES ARE. Our struggle is not against people, but against principalities and evil spirits. Fourthly, we must be FULLY DRESSED UP FOR BATTLE ALWAYS using:

1. THE BELT OF TRUTH- Never tell a lie. Speak the truth at all times. Being truthful is itself a weapon 

2. THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS- To be righteous is to have a ready disposition to do the right thing at all times even when it entails sacrifice on our part. 

3. SHOES OF EVANGELISM. Put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace.

4. THE SHIELD OF FAITH, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  Faith is a shield. Trials are bullets from the devil, but with unshakable faith, trials cannot affect your spirit. 

5. TAKE THE HELMET OF SALVATION. Just as a helmet protects the head, we must fight knowing that this battle is a won battle; we must renew our confidence in God every day. 

6. The SWORD OF THE SPIRIT, which is the WORD OF GOD. Pray with the Bible every day.

7. PRAY IN THE SPIRIT AT ALL TIMES in every prayer and supplication. Prayer is the key. Imagine a soldier on the battlefield fully armed for war standing face to face with the enemy yet he refuses to pull the trigger. That is how many of us Christians are when we refuse to pray.

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, by your blood on the cross, grant us victory over the enemy. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Homily for Thursday of the 30th Week in Ordinary Time. Bible Study: Ephesians 6:10-20, Psalm 144 and Luke 13:31-35).

Sons of the Soil in God’s House

Wednesday 28th October 2020. Read Ephesians 2:19-22, Psalm 19 and Luke 6:12-16

“You are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.” (Ephesians 2:19) 

Baptism is such a powerful sacrament; it takes me away from my natural family, my tribal affiliation and re-births me into a new family; the family of God; the family where I can confidently refer to Jesus as my elder brother.

It will be completely unfair, unjust and insensitive on my part to treat a fellow Christian like a stranger all because he or she does not speak my language or is not related to me by blood. When tribalism affects the selection of persons for certain positions in the House of God, it really calls to question the extent of our conversion to the Christian Faith.

To be a Christian is to be born again; it is dying to something old and taking up a new identity and this new identity entails that we see ourselves as St. Paul describes; fellow citizens with the saints in heaven, pillars of God’s house where the Apostles and Prophets are part of the foundation.

As a Christian, you are not just anybody, you are part of a long history of men and women who have walked closely with God. You are not simply a number, you are a person of value. As God used the Apostles to accomplish great things, God wants to use you in a way that you will be remembered in years to come.

Our Gospel passage today tells us how Jesus spent a whole night in prayer before choosing the Twelve Apostles. This action of Jesus teaches us the importance of prayer especially before taking major decisions in life. Don’t just guess, ask God to reveal things to you while you pray, quieten your hearts and you will hear Him speak.

Today, we celebrate two of these twelve apostles chosen by Jesus after a whole night of prayer; Saints Simon and Jude. We remember them not because of the language they spoke or the tribe they belonged to, but their contribution to the spread of Christianity.

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, use me as your instrument just like the Apostles. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Homily for Feast of Saints Simon and Jude. Bible Study: Ephesians 2:19-22, Psalm 19 and Luke 6:12-16).

The Power of Love and Respect

Tuesday 27th October 2020. Read Ephesians 5:21-33, Psalm 128:1-5 and Luke 13:18-21

“It is like a grain of mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his garden; and it grew and became a tree.” (Luke 13:19) 

In St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians today, we get to see two vital ingredients in marriage; Love and Respect. The truth is that love and respect are not two separate entities entirely; just as love is not complete without respect, respect is nothing without love.

The beauty of love and respect is that not only are they relevant for the sustenance of marriage, but they are also the two elements capable of sustaining any friendship. A friend who does not see anything of value in you, who constantly criticises, insults and condemns you is more likely to bring out the worst in you. The kind of words we use on our spouses determines the direction of their lives.

There is no need trying to win every argument. There is great wisdom in being the first to apologize even if you are right. Do not think of the present moment only; think of what that little misunderstanding could amount to when allowed to fester on. In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to a grain of mustard seed which starts very small but soon grows to become a thousand times bigger than the seed.

Quarrels and fights in marriage are like grains of mustard seed. When these fights are not forgiven, they pile up in our memories little by little and before you know it, they affect the quality of our love for our spouse. Marital love is a fire, if it is not properly fed with fuel, it soon quenches. Over-familiarity (looking down on your spouse) kills marital love. This is why respect is all-important. I have never seen any human being who does not like to be treated like a god or a king. Treat your spouse with all the respect he or she deserves; know that respect begets respect.

Every time you deliberately do something to hurt your spouse, it always backfires. Remember you are no longer two people but one person. Just as you will not be happy to walk if one half of your body is paralysed, you cannot be happy is your other half (your spouse) is not happy. Whenever there is a fight or quarrel, there is never a winner but two losers. Love your spouse as you love your own body and respect him or her.

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, we commit our marriages and families to you. Restore love and respect to those who now lack these qualities. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Homily for Tuesday of the 30 Week in Ordinary Time. Bible Study: Ephesians 5:21-33, Psalm 128:1-5 and Luke 13:18-21)

You Too Are a Child of Light.

Monday 26th October 2020. Read Ephesians 4:32-5:8, Psalm 1:1-6 and Luke 13:10-17 

“And when Jesus saw her, he called her and said to her, "Woman, you are freed from your infirmity.” (Luke 13:12)

Today, St. Paul reveals to us the essence of letting our light shine as Children of God.

1. Be kind to one another and tender-hearted.

2. Forgive one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.

3. Be imitators of God, as beloved children.

4. Shun fornication and impurity of any kind such as obscene, silly, and vulgar talk.

5. Live a life of thanksgiving; be grateful always.

And the key to walking as a child of light is first realizing who you are. You are not just anybody. The fact that you are reading or listening to this message right now already marks you out from the rest of the world. You are special; you are a child of Abraham. Satan has no right to hold you in captivity or in the bondage of sin.

In the Gospel passage, Jesus was in a synagogue on a Sabbath day and there was this woman who was completely bent over and she could not stand or walk upright. She had been under this bondage for eighteen years. As soon as Jesus saw her, Jesus did not wait for her to ask for healing, He immediately reached out to her, laid his hands on her and cured her. Jesus cured this woman not minding that it was a Sabbath day because according to Him, she was a daughter of Abraham and did not deserve such a condition.

Are you bent over spiritually because of your sins? As a child of Abraham, is Satan still holding you captive preventing you from letting your light shine? Does immorality reign in your life? It is time to get close to Jesus today to free you from bondage.

This woman was in this condition for 18years even though she was always going to the Synagogue. Some of us have been Christians for more than 18years yet we are still bent over. It doesn’t matter how many times you go to Church, what matters is that you are free from the captivity of sinfulness and your light actually shines!

The Pharisees represent a category of people who will never see anything good in anything that happens to you. Their minds are so filled with darkness that they always point out errors in everything. If you are failing, they say you lack sense, and if you finally succeed, they say you cheated. Negative minded persons are never grateful nor truly happy in life. Note that one of the criteria St. Paul mentions in our first reading this morning is that our lives must be pervaded by Thanksgiving.

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, release me from captivity of any sort preventing my light from shining. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Homily for Monday of the 30th Week in Ordinary Time. Bible Study: Ephesians 4:32-5:8, Psalm 1:1-6 and Luke 13:10-17).

Listen to the Cry of the Poor.

Sunday 25th October 2020. Read Exodus 22:21-27, Psalm 18, 1st Thessalonians 1:5-10 and Matthew 22:34-40 

“If you do afflict them, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry; and my wrath will burn.” (Exodus 22:23-24) 

This last week has been quite historic in our country not just for the protests, the uprising, the burning and looting of properties and business but in particular for the invasion and subsequent plundering of warehouses where Covid-19 Palliatives were stored. While we must condemn stealing in very strong terms, the fact is that there is a lot of hunger in our land occasioned by a lack of sensitivity to the plights of the poor, the youths, the widows, orphans and the needy. And this is precisely the message contained in today’s readings. 

Last Sunday, we saw how Jesus silenced the disciples of the Pharisees who came in the company of the Herodians to test Jesus and catch him in his words. The Sadducees also came to try their luck and Jesus showed them how wrong they were in their understanding of the resurrection. It was at this point that a lawyer approached Jesus to ask him which was the greatest of all the commandments of God. In other words, the lawyer wanted to find out what is the basic requirement of God for our lives.

1. The Great Commandment is Love Your Neighbour.

In response to the lawyer’s question, Jesus said: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37-39). Notice that while the lawyer asked for the one great commandment, Jesus seems to have provided two. So one may wonder, which of these two is the greatest and most important commandment? 

St. John beautifully answers this question when he said: “Those who say, ‘I love God,’ and hate their brothers or sisters are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen.” (1 John 4:20). In other words, to love God is to love our neighbours and it is only in loving our neighbours that we love God. If we say we know God, we should be able to see God in our neighbours. By the way “who is our neighbour?”

2. Your Neighbour is anyone who is Suffering.

From the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37, Jesus makes it very clear that “neighbour” is not the people who live close to us, neither is it those who speak our language nor attend the same Church with us. In fact, “neighbour” here is not even someone you have feelings for, it is not someone you are attracted to. This is not the kind of love Jesus is talking about.

By “neighbour” Jesus is referring those who are suffering; those who have no food, no water, no clothes, no place to lay their head; those who are sick, poor, oppressed, brutalized or directly affected by the injustices and grave inequalities in our land. These are the people that Jesus is talking about when He says we should love our neighbours as ourselves. To love our neighbours as ourselves is to imagine that we are the ones suffering; it is putting ourselves in their shoes so that we are able to help them just as we would wish to be helped. Jesus says: “Give to everyone who begs from you; and of him who takes away your goods do not ask them again. And as you wish that men would do to you, do so to them.” (Luke 6:30-31).

The rich man never imagined himself in the shoes of Lazarus. He saw Lazarus every day but he pretended that Lazarus did not exist. The sad part is that the rich man had more than enough to waste; he was accustomed to throwing parties every day in his house but remained blind to Lazarus. There are many Christians today who secretly wish that all the poor people in our society can be bundled up and thrown away like debris; Christians who have more than enough to waste but are blind to the plight of the others. We live in a country of very sharp contrasts; we are the poverty capital of the world but we have amongst us the top hundred richest people in the world.

3. Failure to Love Your Neighbour is Hatred towards God

Having seen that our neighbours are those whose condition in life is worse than ours, we must bear in mind that our failure to show concern or to alleviate their pains incurs the wrath of God. As Jesus teaches us, on the day of judgement, God will say: “Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me…. Truly, I say to you, as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me.” (Matthew 25:41-45). 

On the day of judgement, we shall not only be punished for the sins we have committed, but we shall also be punished for our refusal to help the poor and suffering. This is where our first reading today comes in. God warns us in severe terms of the gravity of being unjust and oppressive to those who are disadvantaged, those who have no one to care for them. “If you do afflict them, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry; and my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless.” (Exodus 22:23-24)

The book of Proverbs further drives home the point when it says: “He who closes his ear to the cry of the poor will himself cry out and not be heard.” (Proverbs 21:13). Meanwhile, the Psalmist declares: “Blessed is he who considers the poor! The Lord delivers him in the day of trouble; the Lord protects him and keeps him alive; he is called blessed in the land; thou dost not give him up to the will of his enemies. The Lord sustains him on his sickbed; in his illness thou healest all his infirmities.” (Psalm 41:1-3)

Conclusion: Who have You Helped?

We dare not claim that we love God if we do not love our neighbours and by neighbours, we mean those who are going through hell. We may assume we have problems but if we open our eyes, we would discover there are millions dying around us. As long as there are people suffering, (people who can afford to be paid just N500 to go and vandalize and burn properties), our peace and security remain a mirage. Wastefulness is a terrible sin. Once you have gotten what you need to survive, anything else does not belong to you but to someone who is struggling to survive. 

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, teach me to love you by loving my neighbours. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Homily for 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A. Bible Study: Exodus 22:21-27, Psalm 18, 1st Thessalonians 1:5-10 and Matthew 22:34-40).

Every Sin is a Disaster

Friday 23rd October 2020. Read Ephesians 4:7-16, Psalm 122:1-5 and Luke 13:1-9

“Unless you repent you will all likewise perish.” (Luke 13:5) 

Every sin is a disaster. There is just nothing we gain from doing what God hates. We may deny God’s existence but we can never deny the effects of sin. In today’s Gospel passage, it was reported to Jesus that Pilate slaughtered some Galileans and mixed their blood with the sacrifices offered to the idols. They were probably expecting Jesus to get angry at Pilate or even pronounce a curse on him but to their surprise, Jesus used the occasion to draw their attention to the horror of sin itself.

There is always a tendency for us to assume that nature of one’s death is proportional to the extent of the person’s sinfulness but as Jesus explains, those who suffered such painful deaths were not even worse sinners than anyone else. With these words, Jesus wants us to perceive the odour of sin. If those who suffered thus were not worse sinners, then what would be my fate if I remain in sin?

On several occasions, Jesus made reference to hell as a place of weeping and grinding of teeth; a place of suffering and pain, a place “where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.” (Mark 9:48) Following what Jesus is saying in today’s Gospel passage, we can simply say that the gruesome pain of the Galileans whose blood were mixed with sacrifices or those upon whom the Tower of Siloam fell is just a tiny fraction in comparison to the pain of hell.

Note that Jesus is not supporting what Pilate did instead Jesus seizes the occasion to teach us that sin is bad and when you really consider what Jesus’ statement, you would notice that it also includes the sin of Pilate as well. Like He did on the occasion of the woman caught in the act of adultery, Jesus has a way of bringing us all to terms with our sins rather than simply pointing fingers or casting stones at particular individuals.

In our country today, we may all be pointing fingers at a certain individual or certain individuals, labelling them as worst sinners, evil people or demons for roles in the events that have played out recently but we all need to remind ourselves that “unless we repent, we will all perish.” The fact that my own sins may not be known publicly does not make them less than anyone else’s. Avoid pointing fingers, “Let him who has not sinned be the first to cast a stone.”

After drawing the attention of His audience to the smell of sin, Jesus goes on to give a parable to show us how God in His mercy keeps giving us chance after chance to repent and bear the right fruits He is expecting of us. Like the case of the vinedresser who pleaded for one more year to dig around the barren tree and apply manure, we must know that there must surely come a time when all we would have left is “the last chance.” Stop, think of the consequences of sin before you act. Every sin is a disaster. The book of Sirach would say: “Flee from sin as from a snake; for if you approach sin, it will bite you. Its teeth are lion's teeth, and destroy the souls of men.” (Sirach 21:2)

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, touch my heart and free me from all my hidden sins. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Homily for Saturday of the 29th Week in Ordinary Time. Bible Study: Ephesians 4:7-16, Psalm 122:1-5 and Luke 13:1-9). 

Lead a Life Worthy of Your Call

Friday 23rd October 2020. Read Ephesians 4:1-6, Psalm 24:1-6 and Luke 12:54-59

“I, therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called.” (Ephesians 4:1) 

Dear friends, whatever vocation we find ourselves in life comes with its expectations, guidelines and mode of operation. As Christians, we must constantly ask ourselves: “Am I the person God expects me to be?” St. Paul, writing from prison, begs us today to lead a life worthy of our calling. And this entails that certain qualities are found in us – meekness, patience, forbearance, eagerness to maintain unity in one God. 

Following the events that have happened in the last few days here in our country, one would be tempted to gloss over these qualities St. Paul mentions but you see, this is a time for us to remind ourselves that we are Christians and that we do not belong to this world. We are sojourners heading for our true homeland.

As much we desire a better world right now and are angry over the situation of things, let us not take our gaze away from heaven. With these qualities, we can still achieve our aim of contributing to a better country without violence. In fact, coming down to our Gospel passage, we can hear Jesus telling us to make peace even with our accusers.

“As you go with your accuser before the magistrate, make an effort to settle with him on the way, lest he drags you to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer put you in prison.” (Luke 12:58) Once again the qualities St. Paul mentions in our first reading are required to do this. It takes a great deal of meekness, patience and forbearance to settle things with your accuser when you know that you are right and he/she is wrong.

Jesus says: “make efforts to settle with him on the way…” This is how we lead lives worthy of our calling. A quarrelsome Christian (an unforgiving Christian) is a very bad advertisement of Christ who himself forgave those that nailed Him to the cross.

Seen from another perspective, Jesus is saying that we don’t have to wait to the last moment of our lives before we seek to reconcile with God. Now is the best time to repent. Now is all we have. Yesterday is gone and tomorrow will never come; now is all we have. Let your light shine, child of God. 

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, give me the grace to be who I ought to be as your child. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Homily for Friday of the 29th Week in Ordinary Time. Bible Study: Ephesians 4:1-6, Psalm 24:1-6 and Luke 12:54-59).

The Fire that Burns, yet does not Consume

Thursday 22nd October 2020. Read Ephesians 3:14-21, Psalm 33:1-19 and Luke 12:49-53 

“I came to cast fire upon the earth; and would that it were already kindled! … Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.” (Luke 12:49-51)

Today, we hear Jesus saying that He has not come to bring peace but division and that He has come to cast fire upon the earth. What type of fire is Jesus talking about? As Moses witnessed in Burning Bush, this fire is one that burns but does not consume. It is a fire of the love for God in our hearts which makes us prioritize God over everything and everyone else. This is a fire that purifies us of our attachment to people as well as the things of this world. 

In an attempt to praise a certain person who was being introduced at a ceremony, the master of ceremonies described him as “one who has no enemies; a friend of everybody.” As everyone clapped in excitement for this person, someone sitting beside me noted: “If he really has no enemies, then the devil is his friend.” The truth is that if the fire of God’s love burns in our heart, we cannot avoid enemies.

If we love God genuinely, the world (those who are not on the side of God) would hate us fiercely; they would do everything to win us over and when this does not work, they would fight against us. This is what Jesus means when He says He has come to bring division. He told us in John 15:19 “If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”

Jesus is not campaigning for division and quarrelling in our homes rather He is stating the reality that we are to expect. No matter how peace-loving you are, at some point, your desire for peace becomes a compromise of your core Christian values. This is when you have to choose between God and your family. In another passage, we hear Jesus saying: “He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and he who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.” (Matthew 10:37-38).

Could it be that your own family members become an obstacle in your path in your quest to serve God? Remember the words of Jesus: “If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.” (Matthew 5:29-30) There are several cases of persons who were disowned by their own parents for converting to the Christian faith, cases of persons whose relationship ended because they refused to give in to fornication, cases of martyrs who were killed by their own relatives for accepting Christ. The list is endless.

The truth is that our hearts are not designed to “serve two masters”; we cannot love God and still love the things that God hates. A lot of Christians today are sitting on the fence; they claim to love God with their lips but their actions tell a different story. This is why St. Paul prays in today’s first reading that we may “know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that [we] may be filled with all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:19).

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, teach me to love you above everything else and to love my neighbours even when they become hostile to me on account of my love for you. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Homily for Thursday of the 29th Week in Ordinary Time. Bible Study: Ephesians 3:14-21, Psalm 33:1-19 and Luke 12:49-53).