DATE : 24/2/2021
EVENT : Wednesday of the First Week of Lent
COLOUR:Violet
READINGS : Jonah 3:1-10; Resp. Psalm 50:3-4,12-13,18-19; Luke 11:29-32.
THEME: DO NOT DESPISE THE SINFUL PREACHER
Greetings beloved people of God. I welcome you to "My Catholic Homily Digest". On this Twenty Fourth day of February, I wish to reflect with you on the theme: " Do Not Despise The Sinful Preacher". Beloved, do you know that the devil has only one aim in all his undertakings. To steal, to kill, and to destroy (John 10:10)? Do you also know that he has his scale of preference, his master plan, his strategies and his soft and hard targets? Do you also know that the devil is not a coward or a fearless enemy, but a courageous and daring one, willing to go to any length in order to carry out his mission? Thus, unless we have this knowledge and know the tactics of this eternal enemy of ours, we may not stand a chance with him. This is why Scriptures tells us to be alert, watchful and to pray at all times 1Pet. 5:8-9.
Beloved, it is often said that the best way to win a war is to stop it even before it starts. And the devil also uses this tactics to try stopping the spread of the word of God, even before it is been preached. He knows that the word of God is alive, sharp and active (Heb. 4:12), and that it can command repentance once preached. And he does not want that. So, to forestall the preaching of repentance, the devil always goes for the head of the flock. His plan is to strike the shepherd so that the sheep will be scattered. His main targets are the preachers of repentance, the ministers of God, and the struggling Christians. His tactics is this, discredit the priest (Preacher), soil his reputation, rub him with the mud of sexaul immorality, drunkenness or financial embezzlement. Make the preacher stubborn and disobedient, make him lukewarm, make him cold to the things of the spirit and let him lose focus and interest in preaching a well researched and inspiring homily. Put enmity between the preacher and his congregation, make him scorn them and let them despise him or as it were " SEE HIM FINISH". Make both the preacher and the congregation lose the quest for the things of the spirit. Finally, always put stumbling blocks and difficult temptations on the paths of the preacher.
Beloved, this is what God asked me to bring to our consciousness as we reflect on the first and Gospel readings of today. Although for a while the devil barred Jonah from preaching repentance to the Ninevites, but I am happy that at last, through the grace of God, Jonah repented and preached to the Ninevites, and all of them were saved. I pray that these forty days of Lent, we all may learn to truly repent from our sinful ways and experience the divine mercy of God.
Oh that today you would listen to his voice harden not your heart (Ps. 95:7-8).
LET US PRAY: Lord Jesus, it is not your desire to see anyone perish, please help me by your grace to harken to the voice of preaching which I hear everyday.
The Lord be with you.......and with your spirit.
MayAlmighty God bless you in the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit ....Amen
HAPPY MID-WEEK BELOVED FRIENDS
@ Fada Emmanuel Nnamdi Megwara, MSP. ⛪
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