HOMILY OF THE TUESDAY OF THE 1ST WEEK OF LENT
Daniel 9:4-10, Luke 6:36-38
THEME: THE LAW OF LOVE
QUOTE: It is better to be concerned about practising goodness than avoiding sin. The temptation to sin lessens as our lives improve.
We might not get used to doing evil if we are driven by love, for the Lord said in the gospel that we should imitate God. His plan for humanity is perfect and good, irrespective of who we are. There’s nothing good about sin and if God repays us for our sins, no one would survive. Despite our shortcomings, there’s an outpouring of his love on us. Therefore, it is left for us to enjoy his bounty to the fullest. The Lord Jesus admonishes us,
“Be compassionate as your Father is compassionate. Do not judge, and you will not be judged yourselves; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned yourselves; grant pardon, and you will be pardoned. Give, and there will be gifts for you: a full measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be poured into your lap; because the amount you measure out is the amount you will be given back.”
We achieve our life’s goals as Christians when we do good because it is God himself who works in us. He is the symbol of goodness (Phil.2:13). He wants us to demonstrate his perfect attributes in our relationship with others. God’s love does not discriminate. The law of love has no boundary.
For those times we have failed by not obeying his words, let us be like Daniel who prayed in today’s first reading, imploring the mercy of God for himself and his people.
Beloved, as we make our journey during this Lenten season, we are called to remember that doing good to others is doing good for ourselves as well.
May God’s characteristics be evident in us all the days of our lives. Amen.
