Why do You Think Evil in Your Hearts?

Thursday, 4 July 2024. Readings: Amos 7:10-17, Ps. 19:8-11, Matthew 9:1-8

“When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men.” (Matthew 9:8)

After showing Thomas his hands and his side, Jesus said, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.” (John 20:29). To have faith in God is a blessing. Believing that God can solve your problem already gives you an advantage over others. Our readings today present us with examples of believers and non-believers. Where do you belong? Are there benefits to holding on to our faith amid life’s challenges today?

- Inspired by their faith, some persons brought a paralysed man to Jesus. Matthew reports that Jesus ‘saw’ their faith. This means faith in God is visible in our actions before or after praying. A certain village experienced drought for some years. The elders met and decided the entire village would gather in the market square on a certain day to pray for rain. As they were about to begin the prayer, they noticed that only one little girl came with an umbrella. They had all come to pray for rain, but only this girl was expecting rain. God sees our hearts. It doesn’t matter how many hours you spend in prayer; you can only get what you expect.

- Upon seeing the paralytic, Jesus said: “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.” Why did Jesus absolve him of his sins first? Can we say the paralytic’s condition was a punishment for his sins? Perhaps he needed forgiveness before he could be free of his physical condition. Or was Jesus only trying to prove to those present that He had the power to forgive sins? Whatever the case, the message in this statement is that healing begins with reconciliation with God. Repent, allow God to take possession of your heart, and you will feel His power in your body.

- While the friends of the paralytic made their faith visible, the scribes at that gathering felt that Jesus was blaspheming. For them, Jesus was a man trying to make himself equal to God. These scribes dared not voice their thoughts, but Jesus could hear them. We may pretend about our faith, but we cannot fool God; He knows when our presence in the Church is a formality. This underscores the importance of genuine faith, validating your true beliefs and actions.

- Since these scribes did not believe in Jesus, what were they doing there? Not everyone who comes to Church intends to worship God. Like these scribes, many come to find what they can use against us. Many come to cause disaffection, spread false rumours and ultimately destroy God’s work. This is why Jesus said that on the last day, many would come saying, “Lord, Lord, open to us, we did this and that in your name, and He would say, ‘I do not know you.’” (Cf. Luke 13:25-27).

- If these scribes were doubting Jesus, the fact that He could tell the contents of their minds should have been enough proof of His divinity. Jesus asked the scribes a simple question which we must address to ourselves: “Why do you think evil in your hearts?” Why do I prefer accommodating negative thoughts in my head? Why do I assume that God cannot (or is not interested in) solving my problems? Why do I feel that my situation can only get worse? To underestimate God or to belittle God’s power is to think evil in your heart. Do not be a pessimistic Christian. God is all-powerful and all-loving even when you don’t feel it. He has not stopped being God.

- Another dimension of thinking evil in our hearts is what we find in today’s First Reading. In the time of Amos, there was a man called Amaziah who claimed to be a priest, but because he fed from the king’s table, he lacked the courage to speak truth to power. Instead of facing the truth, he turned to attack Amos. Do I attack my colleagues because they are better than I am? Do I wish evil on others because their righteousness exposes my darkness? Like the scribes who followed Jesus, hoping to pull Him down, Amaziah knew the truth but preferred darkness; he had sold his soul in exchange for material comfort. Ultimately, Amaziah, the priest, received curses for being a source of scandal to those who still believed in God. (Cf. Matthew 18:6)

Let us pray: Almighty, ever-living God, free us from faithlessness regardless of our circumstances. We ask this through Our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. May God’s abundant blessings be upon us all. (Thursday of week 13 in Ordinary Time. Bible Study: Amos 7:10-17, Ps. 19:8-11, Matthew 9:1-8).

@Rev. Fr. Evaristus E. Abu

Celebrating Saint Thomas, the Apostle

Wednesday, 3 July 2024. Readings: Ephesians 2:19-22, Ps. 117:1-2, John 20:24-29

“Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe.” (John 20:25)

We tend to think of the Saints as extraordinary human beings or larger-than-life figures. We see them as the people who did the impossible or attained the unattainable. However, the story of St. Thomas the Apostle teaches us that saints are imperfect creatures who refuse to allow their weaknesses to prevent them from pressing forward on the journey to heaven.

- The life of St. Thomas, whom we celebrate today, is a typical example of a saint who was everything like you and me. He had every reason to doubt the resurrection of Christ because nothing like that had ever happened before. However, when Jesus showed Himself to Thomas, he fell and worshipped Jesus, saying: “My Lord and My God!”

- Like Thomas, there are moments when we feel like asking God to prove Himself, to show us something, to answer our prayers in a particular way, or to work some dramatic miracle to make us believe again in His power. In such moments, we must listen again to Jesus’ statement to Thomas: “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.” (John 20:29). God doesn’t need to prove Himself repeatedly to gain our trust or make us believe in him. There is a blessing for believing in God without any corresponding evidence. What is this blessing? It is the blessing of bringing what we believe into existence.

- Today, we celebrate St. Thomas not because he doubted but because he never went back to doubting after he became convinced about Jesus. St. Thomas is the patron of those who continue to doubt God today. Like Thomas, such persons consider themselves very smart; they may know the entire bible but still have reasons for their doubt. Persuasive arguments are often not enough to convince them, but a visit from Jesus himself (a divine encounter like Thomas's) is the only thing that can bring them back. We ask Thomas to intercede so they may not remain in the darkness of doubt.

- In Thomas, we see that God does not necessarily need perfect people; He perfects those who make themselves available for His service. In today's first reading, St. Paul tells us that we are no longer strangers but fellow citizens with the saints in the Household of God (Ephesians 2:19). We are all called to sainthood regardless of our limitations and imperfections. If Thomas could do it, who says you cannot?

- History tells us that after the Apostles dispersed after Pentecost, Thomas evangelised the Parthians, Medes, and Persians. He ultimately reached India, carrying the Faith to the Malabar coast, which still boasts a large native population calling themselves “Christians of St. Thomas.” Thomas was steadfast to the end, even to the point of accepting martyrdom for the sake of the Gospel. St. Thomas was speared to death at a place called Calamine. His feast day is July 3rd, and he is the patron of architects.

Let us pray: Almighty, ever-living God, give us the grace to remain steadfast on our journey to sainthood. We ask this through Our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. May God’s abundant blessings be upon us all. (Saint Thomas, Apostle - Feast. Bible Study: Ephesians 2:19-22, Ps. 117:1-2, John 20:24-29).

@Rev. Fr. Evaristus E. Abu

Little Faith; Large Fears

Tuesday, 2 July 2024. Readings: Amos 3:1-8,4:11-12, Ps. 5:5-8, Matthew 8:23-27

“Why are you afraid, O men of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.” (Matthew 8:26)

Behold, there arose a great storm at sea. The waves swamped the boat, but Jesus was asleep. Just as the disciples were shocked to find Jesus sleeping while facing a great storm, many of us today cannot understand where God is amid various crises threatening our lives. Is it possible that Jesus was not aware of the storm and that the boat was at the point of sinking?

- Jesus, who could see from a distance what the disciples were facing at sea and walked towards them (Cf. Matthew 14:23-26), was fully aware of the storm even though he appeared to be sleeping. When it seems as if God is sleeping, that is precisely when we need to trust Him more because, at such moments, we are just being tested. Jesus wanted to see the disciples' reaction, to know if they had learnt anything thus far.

- As St. James puts it: “Count it all joy, my brethren, when you meet various trials, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:2-4). From the early days of Christianity till now, Christians have always been the subject of attack, persecution, and all sorts of injustice. Jesus even said that a time is coming when whoever kills us will think he is offering a service to God. (Cf. John 16:2)

- The question is not whether or not we will face trials—this is certain—but how do we respond in such moments? Faced with the storms, the disciples expected the worst; they cried out, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” Jesus was disappointed with them not because they prayed but because they prayed with fear; that is, they were not expecting their prayers to be answered.

- Jesus asked them: “Why are you afraid, O men of little faith?” God is not happy with us when we go down on our knees praying from morning till night, yet deep inside us, we are still full of fear and worry. This is why Jesus warned us against using many words in prayer (Cf. Matthew 6:7). God has rescued his children from worse things than we are facing today. It may seem God is sleeping, but we know He cannot. Let us pray until something happens. Let us pray until Jesus gets up to say to the storms around us: “Be Still.” Let us pray like that woman who kept returning to the judge demanding justice until she got an answer. (Cf. Luke 18:1-8). Let our faith be large enough to swallow our fears.

Let us pray: Almighty, ever-living God, teach us to be calm and expect the best possible outcome when we fear. We ask this through Our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. May God’s abundant blessings be upon us all. (Tuesday of week 13 in Ordinary Time. Bible Study: Amos 3:1-8,4:11-12, Ps. 5:5-8, Matthew 8:23-27).

@Rev. Fr. Evaristus E. Abu