CATHOLIC HOMILY DIGEST
DATE : 22/3/2021
EVENT : Monday of the Fifth Week of Lent
COLOUR: Violet
READINGS : Daniel 13:1-9,15-17,19-30,33-62; Resp. Psalm 22:1-6; John 8:1-11.
THEME: AVOID THE AVOIDABLE SINS
Greetings beloved people of God. I welcome you to "My Catholic Homily Digest". On this Twenty Second day of March, I wish to reflect with you on the theme: " Avoid The Avoidable Sins". Beloved, do you know that many of the sins we fall into can actually be avoided if only we had been more careful, if we had exercised a little more caution, and if we had been more courageous enough to say No, to our bodily gratification. A friend of mine once said, "while the lips of some believers are saying, 'lead us not into temptations', during the Lord's prayers, their hearts are in reality, yearning and searching for temptations, so that they can fall into it". Many of us Christians have lost the shame of sin and the moral stamina to say no to temptations. Thus, we fall for every sin that comes our way. There is almost no sin that we can boast that we can overcome any time and anyday. Talk of lying, we are experts, talk of stealing, unless the opportunity does not avail itself. Talk of insultive words, we can exhaust the ones found in the dictionary, talk of sexual immorality and lustful feelings we are veterans, talk of spiritual sloth, we are included, talk of disrespect, we can be. I can go on listing. For some of us, we are sinless as long as we have not got the opportunity. But, once an opportunity shows itself, many of us can hardly overcome it, especially lustful feelings. I could remember conversing with a friend and he said to me, "I strongly believe that you Rev. Fathers are not fully healthy men". Guess you know why he made such comments.
Beloved in Christ, in the first reading of today, Daniel 13:1-62, we heard how the two corrupt judges allowed their lustful feelings over the beautiful body of Susanna to lead them to their disgraceful and untimely death. Scriptures recorded that, they could not resist the lustful desires for Susanna within them and so they planned on how to execute their sinful desires. Child of God, as a person, I refuse to believe that the body of a man and especially that of a woman is crafted to lead us into sin. Remember that God created the world and everything in it beautiful. So, do not blame your lustful desires on a woman's curves or on a man's body build, rather, blame it on your depraved conscience and immoral character. If you can get hold of your thoughts, if you can checkmate your desires, if you can delay whatever form of gratification, then you stand a chance of avoiding some avoidable sins. God knows when we are making efforts, and he knows when are are not, when everything goes for us. If you make effort and fall in the process, God understands, but not if you wantonly delve in sin recklessly.
Dearest, hear me, there is a difference between admiration and lust. While admiration is a positive emotion regarding the appreciation of a thing as being wonderful made, lust on the other hand is a negative emotion which looks at or watches a thing with strong desires, especially of a sexual nature,intending to have a feel of it. So, while admiration ends at mere appreciation, lust goes ahead to desire such a thing for inordinate purposes. Beloved, know the difference between admiration and lust. Lusting after anything weakens your moral strength to resist temptations. It makes you vulnerable to a multitude of wrongdoings, lust and greed are from the same family, they are never satisfied, they are the spring board to all other sins, they make it difficult for you to avoid the Avoidable sins. So, as you pray this week, pray against the evil spirits of lust and greed. May God help us.
Oh that today you would listen to his voice harden not your hearts (Ps.95:7-8).
LET US PRAY : Lord Jesus, you are full of mercy and cannot condemn a repentant sinner, help me to be truly sorry for my sins as I ask for thy pardon.. ..
The Lord be with you....... and with your Spirit.
May Almighty God bless you in the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit ....Amen
HAPPY NEW WEEK BELOVED FRIENDS
@ Fada Emmanuel Nnamdi Megwara, MSP. ⛪
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