In all things, Put God First

Sirach 5:1-8
Do not set your heart on your wealth, nor say, "I have enough." 
Do not follow your inclination and strength, walking according to the desires of your heart. 
Do not say, "Who will have power over me?" for the Lord will surely punish you. 
Do not say, "I sinned, and what happened to me?" for the Lord is slow to anger. 
Do not be so confident of atonement that you add sin to sin. 
Do not say, "His mercy is great, he will forgive the multitude of my sins," for both mercy and wrath are with him, and his anger rests on sinners. 
Do not delay to turn to the Lord, nor postpone it from day to day; for suddenly the wrath of the Lord will go forth, and at the time of punishment you will perish. 
Do not depend on dishonest wealth, for it will not benefit you in the day of calamity.

Homily:
It is easy to take God for granted and ascribe victories to self. Especially when His love, mercy, grace and favor abounds.

It is easy for the flesh to weaken the spirit with endless insatiable desires.

It is easy to forget how fleeting life is, when we think we hold all the aces.

It is easy to undermine God's role in our lives, and be blinded by hubris to the consequences of ingratitude.

It is easy to forgive and forget ourselves. Always justifying our actions and rationalizing its effects, without asking God for forgiveness and changing our ways. Our memory fails us, because of the lag between cause and effect.

It is easy to take offense and punish others, but our stiff judgment of others becomes the yardstick for God's judgment of our own actions and the punishment that follows.

In all things, Put God First.

You will come to see that even though the choices can be hard (staying humble in spite of great victories, fasting in spite of great wealth, praying in spite of great winning streaks, commitment in spite of alternatives, gentleness in spite of great strength, forgiveness in spite of great authority), your life will have more meaning.

Leave judgment to God

Mark 9:38-40
John said to him, "Teacher, we saw a man casting out demons in your name, and we forbade him, because he was not following us." 
But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him; for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon after to speak evil of me. 
For he that is not against us is for us. 

Homily:
Denominational christianity did not start today. Somehow, humans have always and will continue to seek exclusivity from a catholic God.

Instead of spending time deciding who is with us or against us based on our doctrines, let us focus more on our journey. The purifying of thoughts, words and deeds is lifelong and the best signal to our belief.

Salvation will not be dependent on the crowd we are in. Each of us will answer for our intentions and actions.

Leave judgment to God. None of us are worthy in our thoughts, words or deeds to pass judgment.

Show mercy to others, just as you are continually shown mercy.

Avoid comparison. If we were created to compare, we would not have been created uniquely.

Temptation

Sirach 2:1-6
My son, if you come forward to serve the Lord, prepare yourself for temptation. 
Set your heart right and be steadfast, and do not be hasty in time of calamity. 
Cleave to him and do not depart, that you may be honored at the end of your life. 
Accept whatever is brought upon you, and in changes that humble you be patient. 
For gold is tested in the fire, and acceptable men in the furnace of humiliation. 
Trust in him, and he will help you; make your ways straight, and hope in him. 

Homily:
Are you ready to serve the Lord? Yes? Prepare yourself for temptation.

Temptations are not reserved for sinners, they come to us all. What distinguishes the righteous from the sinner is the choice they submit to - the choice of the flesh or the choice of the spirit.

The flesh is in a race against time. Time wears it out.
The spirit is in no race. It defines the times.

The more you give to the flesh, the more it takes.
The more you give to the spirit, the more it gives.

Be patient in all things and let His spirit lead you.

Temptations come to make us better, use them to reinforce your faith.

Wisdom

Sirach 1:1-8
All wisdom comes from the Lord and is with him for ever. 
The sand of the sea, the drops of rain, and the days of eternity -- who can count them? 
The height of heaven, the breadth of the earth, the abyss, and wisdom -- who can search them out? 
Wisdom was created before all things, and prudent understanding from eternity. 
The root of wisdom -- to whom has it been revealed? Her clever devices -- who knows them? 
There is One who is wise, greatly to be feared, sitting upon his throne. 
The Lord himself created wisdom; he saw her and apportioned her, he poured her out upon all his works. 
She dwells with all flesh according to his gift, and he supplied her to those who love him. 

Homily:
Wisdom dwells within all of us, because of God's love.
To those that love God, there is an extra supply.

We neither need years nor experience to love God, we just need to weigh our choices against His will and make sacrifices for His will.

A clarifying question in moments of truth:
If I was to die and stand before God now, what will be a worthy choice?

The acts of love confirm our love.

Remember, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." - John 3:16

Even as God, His actions confirm His love.

In life, narrow margins make a difference.
An extra supply of wisdom makes the difference.

Love God.

Love your enemies

Luke 6:27-38
But I say to you that hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. 
To him who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from him who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. 
Give to every one 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. 
"If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 
And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 
And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. 
But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the selfish. 
Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. 
"Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For the measure you give will be the measure you get back."

Homily:
Enough said.

Lord, help me to continuously feed my soul with the actions of life - loving, giving, sacrificing, forgiving.

An impossibility

Hebrews 11:1-7
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
For by it the men of old received divine approval.
By faith we understand that the world was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was made out of things which do not appear.
By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he received approval as righteous, God bearing witness by accepting his gifts; he died, but through his faith he is still speaking.
By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death; and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was attested as having pleased God.
And without faith it is impossible to please him. For whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, took heed and constructed an ark for the saving of his household; by this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness which comes by faith.

Homily:
By faith, we set our alartms for tomorrow morning, with a firm belief that we will be alive and ready to wake up.
By faith, we tell a friend that we should have drinks at a bar in the next 3 hrs, ignoring all other possible outcomes of our trip to the bar.
By faith, we save today, with a firm conviction we will be here tomorrow.

We demonstrate faith when we are not asked, and we doubt when we are asked.

"And without faith it is impossible to please him. For whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him."

How do you demonstrate your faith? Obedience.

Obedience to what?

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” - Matthew 22:37-40

Elders

1 Peter 5:1-4
So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ as well as a partaker in the glory that is to be revealed. 
Tend the flock of God that is your charge, not by constraint but willingly, not for shameful gain but eagerly, not as domineering over those in your charge but being examples to the flock. 
And when the chief Shepherd is manifested you will obtain the unfading crown of glory. 

Homily:
Care for those in your care.
Give without expecting. Give thanks for all you get.
Wake up first. Sleep last.
Prepare the table. Eat last.
Speak only that which you practice. Lead by example.