Homily: January 31, 2023, Tuesday of the fourth week in Ordinary time. (St. John Bosco)

 “Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us.”

Very likely, every person would have felt alone and experienced loneliness at some point in life, especially when going through struggles and challenges. Spiritually too, we may experience the same. When we struggle with temptations and fall into sin, we might feel we are the only one who fail so often and keep confessing the same sins.

The truth is, everyone struggles the same.

We are not alone. As the first reading states, “We are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses”. Who are these witnesses?

They are our early faith fathers like Abraham, Issac, Jacob, the Judges, David, Samuel, the prophets, the apostles, early Christian martyrs, and latter day saints. These are people who had gone through what we are going through, maybe more intensely, more painfully.

They may be holy, but they were also humans, they too struggled to keep away from sin, they too worked hard at being faithful. Do we know what they went through to reach their holiness and sanctity?

If we read their stories, and we should read, we will be inspired and we will be encouraged, because we will know, our spiritual battles are not exceptional, many have gone through the same, if not worse.

And so when we need spiritual help, let us turn to the saints to intercede for us and to learn from their wisdom.

I have not read much about the life of St. John Bosco but he said, “Be good. This will make your angel happy. When sorrows and misfortunes, physical or spiritual, afflict you, turn to your guardian angel with strong trust and he will help you.”

We are never ever alone, our guardian angel walks with us every moment of our lives to help us fight temptations, to get us up from falls, to lead us on towards heaven.

So “let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us.”

Yes, let us get rid of all sins, one at a time, and persevere in this race towards holiness. Our guardian angel runs with us, the saints pray for us, Mary, Joseph and our early church fathers are rooting for us. Jesus is waiting for us. Let us keep going. Amen.


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