Great homilies to improve the faith and understanding of Christians
In prayer, we ask what God Himself requested. Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
Every Christian stands as a mediator between God and the world, offering supplications, prayers and petitions for everyone.
God is our Father and will not give us everything we want. Just like any good parent will do. God will, however, give us what we need. Tertullian, a North African theologian, explained that prayer does not eliminate suffering but rather it supplies the suffering and the feeling and the grieving with endurance. It amplifies grace with virtue.
Every Christian should have a goal to imitate Christ. The disciples know the prayers required of Jews through Moses. But they notice something different about how Jesus was praying.
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Do you view God as distant, demanding and not easily impressed? Likewise, do you feel you need to get your act together to warrant his love and attention? This is getting our spiritual life backwards. In fact, whatever enthusiasm I muster for the quest for God, there is an infinitely greater enthusiasm on God’s part to find me. Jesus has already been knocking at your door! The implications of this fact are important for your spiritual life.
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Our Faith is very much a gift from God. In many respects, Faith is like learning a musical instrument. The gift of an instrument is one thing. But your ability to play is based on going for lessons. It is based on regular practice. And if the instrument is in need of repairs, then we have to actively seek these out. It takes effort.
Jesus says you must strive for heaven. This does not entail a life of comfort. Nor should we expect heaven if our life is full of distractions and abstractions. We need to be seeking a relationship with God. We need to be agonizing for heaven.
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If God loves me and has a plan for my life, then should I not expect to always win in life? And yet – I end up in horrible situations. For example, think of sin or think of addictions.
How can this be God’s plan for me? Using inspirational examples, Fr Mike describes that God may not give us victory but he gives us what we need to finish. We need to recognize our deeper identity as a child of God as opposed to what is ailing us in the moment.
And we are not alone either. A cloud of witnesses follow in support of us! From saints to Jesus himself, all witness and encourage us to finish our race.
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While Moses had gone to meet with God and he received the 10 Commandments, some Israelites started to worship a bull made of gold. I always found that kind of foolish because what really could they expect of this idol?
However, Fr Mike outlines that the idols that trap us are rarely bad things. Your family, your job, your reputation … all have the opportunity to become idols. Today, we learn how worship is the remedy when we put other things before God
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From ancient times, Christians have been called to reflect on their impending death. First to bring an appreciation of the gift of life. But also to put our actions in proper perspective. When we die, we need to be able to answer for our lives.
Do we strive every day to achieve happiness based on worldly items. Whether it be education, wealth, pleasures – they are all unsatisfying. Actor Jim Carrey once said, “I wish everyone could get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so that they can realize it will not make them happy.”
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If you have found yourself in conflict with your spouse, parents, kids, co-workers – this is a great homily. Fr Mike discusses 3 daily practices to be more deliberate about the words that we use.
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