COLLECT: “GRANT YOUR PEOPLE, O LORD, WE PRAY, UNSHAKEN STRENGTH OF FAITH, SO THAT ALL SHALL PROFESS THAT YOUR ONLY BEGOTTEN SON IS WITH YOU FOR EVER IN YOUR GLORY AND WAS BORN OF THE VIRGIN MARY IN A BODY TRULY LIKE OUR OWN MAY BE FREED FROM PRESENT TRIALS AND GIVEN A PLACE IN ABIDING GLADNESS. THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOUR SON, WHO LIVES AND REIGNS WITH YOU IN THE UNITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, GOD, FOR EVER AND EVER. AMEN”.
1Jn 2:22-28; Ps 97:1-4 and Jn 1:19-28. `
Being honest with ourselves makes us honest with God. John the Baptist demonstrated this in his life. The people mistakenly thought he was the long-expected Messiah they had been waiting for. However, for some time now, they had not seen clear signs to confirm that John was actually the Messiah. Therefore, from Today’s gospel, we are reflecting on the Jews from Jerusalem who sent some priests and Levites to inquire to be sure of John’s identity.
In response to their series of questions regarding his identity, John, being aware of himself and a humble person, informed those sent to him that he was not God, nor the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor any of the ancient prophets. He said he was only a voice and a very humble one crying in the desert for people to prepare themselves for the Messiah (Cf. Jn 1:19ff). This is one of the things that made John a great and outstanding person, a saint. Many of us could be great persons and saints, or could be on the way to becoming saints, if we could emulate and imitate John’s examples or virtues of humility, honesty and truthfulness.
The two great Saints (Basil and Gregory) we are celebrating today knew themselves. They were not hypocrites. Both were friends, they studied together in Athens, Greece, and both became Bishops and important theologians. As a man of deep faith and as an organiser, Basil fought against Arianism ("a teaching or doctrine denying the divinity of Christ, originating with the Alexandrian priest Arius. This doctrine maintained that the Son of God was created by the Father and was therefore neither coeternal with the Father nor consubstantial.
This doctrine was condemned at the first Council of Nicaea in 324 AD"). As a contemplative and a poet, Gregory who was appointed Bishop of the See of Constantinople, soon resigned and ended his days devoutly at Nazianzen. He knew the bishopric was not his place. Hmmmmmm. If it were probably you and me considering ourselves, maybe, weak, old, not too healthy or not capable of being there, we could have been hanging there, struggling to lead, but only to produce no results.
Pretence and hypocrisy are great sins. They make us deceive ourselves and deceive God and fellow human beings as well. This makes us become liars to ourselves, to God and to fellow human beings (Cf. 1Jn 2:22-28). Religiously there are lots of people in the world who pretend to be who and what they are not. People pretend to be very pious and very religious before others while in actual fact, they are not; they are being ruled and controlled by the evil one, Satan. There are so many believers, as well as pastors in our midst who pretend to be spiritually powerful and present themselves as people who can perform mighty deeds, miracles and wonders, while in fact, they are either not, or they are using other satanic powers.
We have hypocrisy and pretence in married life, partners not being true to themselves and to others. One will never allow the other to know who she/he truly are. This is sometimes worse at the time of courtship. Most young men and ladies will pretend and hide their true selves or their true identities simply because they want the relationship to go on. Only to realise later, at the time that the relationship has gone far, that the other partner is, or both are pretending, in the relationship.
Pretence and hypocrisy are sometimes also manifested in the world of jobs, professionalism and politics. People pretend to be who they are not. They pretend to have qualities and talents they do not have. A lot of people have been placed in/at wrong places, offices and positions all because they can bribe or influence those who can secure the position, office or job for them with money, material things or even with their ‘bodies’.
We could develop ourselves and our people, as well as our areas, spiritually if we could be ourselves without pretence and hypocrisy. This will also help us to be found worthy and righteous in the sight of God one day. Our world, or communities, our families, as well as ourselves, could develop greatly if we could avoid all tendencies and attempts of pretence and hypocrisy. May the Lord forgive us and help us know ourselves. May Saint Basil and Gregory of Nazianzen intercede for us. Stay blessed and happy feast to all who bear the names Basil and Gregory.
WE MEDITATE TODAY, FRIDAY, ON THE SORROWFUL MYSTERIES: ‘THE AGONY IN THE GARDEN, THE SCOURGING AT THE PILLAR, THE CROWNING WITH THORNS, THE CARRYING OF THE CROSS AND THE CRUCIFIXION’ (WE PRAY FOR SORROW FOR SIN, PURITY, COURAGE, PATIENCE, AND PERSEVERANCE) “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you, blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb Jesus: Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us, sinners, now and the hour of our death, Amen”.
PRAYER: “GRAND, WE PRAY, ALMIGHTY GOD, THAT, BY THE POWER OF THESE HOLY MYSTERIES, OUR LIFE MAY BE CONSTANTLY SUSTAINED. THROUGH CHRIST OUR LORD. AMEN”.
Rev. Fr. Aloysius Kpiebaya, Catholic Diocese of Wa, UW/R, Ghana. (00233) 0207867239/0545462863. Email: aloybaya20@yahoo.
No comments yet. Be the first to comment!