Not Rules but Wisdom! |26th O T | Fr Hamilton

Part of the homily:

The need for making sacrifices is similar to what I mentioned last week about John Wooden not allowing his players to think about winning but requiring them to show up at practice and at their games with a “10” attitude.
This requires many sacrifices! It forms character!

Well, sacrifices help us bring a “10”attitude” to our relationship with Jesus and others, and they form character in the process!

These needed sacrifices in your life could about the media you consume, the people you spend time with, or the environments you find yourself, making time to pray, going to bed at the right time.

We are made for friendship but if a human friend is leading us away from Jesus then we need to correct it or make the sacrifice to cut it away from our life.

Whatever it is, Jesus is inviting you to make wise choices that help you avoid sin and stay close to Him.



Imagine what it would look like if we, as a community, made these kinds of wise sacrifices—not because we’re weighed down by rules, but because we’re committed to following Jesus wholeheartedly.

We wouldn’t be a community burdened by rules, but a community freed by wisdom—a group of people who understand that following Jesus means being intentional about the decisions we make.

We’d be a people who choose sacrifice, not because we have to, but because we see the value in walking closely with God.


Practical Takeaway:

This week, I encourage you to take some time to evaluate your life. Where might God be calling you to make a sacrifice—not as a burden, but as a wise choice to avoid temptation – which will help you stay close to him?

Maybe it’s in the area of your entertainment choices, or the way you spend your time or a friendship that is not healthy for you.

Whatever it is, remember that these sacrifices are not about limiting your freedom—they’re about walking in wisdom and staying close to Jesus.