COLLECT: “O GOD, WHOSE ETERNAL WORD ADORNS THE FACE OF THE HEAVENS AND ACCEPTED FROM THE VIRGIN MARY THE FRAILTY OF OUR FLESH, GRANT, WE PRAY, THAT HE WHO APPEARED AMONG US AS THE SPLENDOR OF TRUTH MAY GO FORTH IN THE FULLNESS OF POWER FOR THE REDEMPTION OF THE WORLD. WHO LIVES AND REIGNS WITH YOU IN THE UNITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, GOD, FOREVER AND EVER. AMEN”.
1Jn 3:22-4:6; Ps 2:7-8,10-11; Mt 4:12-17,23-25.
The passage we are meditating on today has a powerful message for us in our generation, a generation that is characterised by ‘religious exploitation and extortion’. Some people view religion as a business venture, believing that if one wants to become very rich overnight, they should start a church or religious movement, claim to perform wonders and miracles, and be paid by people who are already poor or suffering.
Indeed, this world is not all a comfortable place. There are pains, suffering and disappointments from time to time and those who go through these when they are not careful, they think that their world is crushing on them. Therefore, in their vulnerability, they are easily gullible and so they are ready to ‘take in’ and ‘swallow’ whatever so-called salvation messages they hear from anyone, especially from false preachers and false pastors.
This scripture passage tells us today that even in our dire needs, in our pain, disappointments and poverty, we should not believe or trust everything we hear just because someone says it is a salvation message from God. There are ways we can test such preachers and teachers and their so-called salvation message to see if they are truly from the Lord. One test is to check to see if their words match what God says in the Bible. For instance, does the word of God teach us to charge people (the poor and needy) for spiritual services we render to them? Are we not told that ‘freely we receive and freely we shall give”? Where can we place the idea of ‘Consultation Fee’, ‘Gate Fee’, ‘Appreciation Fee’, etc. that some preachers and pastors charge their people?
Secondly, check if such preachers and teachers are committed to the body of believers (the Church). We understand the implications of commitment. If I break away from the body of believers what does it mean? I am saying that the whole Church is wrong and I am right? Indeed, when people live and work together, sometimes they can misunderstand and disagree, but that does not mean they should dissolve and disintegrate. If the members are committed they will immediately find ways to solve the misunderstandings and disagreements.
A third test to know the genuine and true preachers and teachers of the Word of God is their lifestyles. How is the preacher’s lifestyle? Does he/she practice what he/she preaches? Does he/she walk his/her talk? Fourthly, what and how are the fruits of their ministries? What they claim they can do, the wonders and miracles, are they actually forthcoming? Even if they perform them, what are the conditions attached and do their wonders and miracles last?
The greatest test is to ask oneself what such a preacher or teacher believes about Jesus Christ. Do they teach and preach that Jesus is truly and fully God and truly and fully man? While some preachers and pastors deny the humanity of Jesus, others deny his divinity. Any of these ways is false preaching and false teaching. Jesus is truly and fully God as well as truly and fully man.
We pray for God’s grace to always identify such false prophets, teachers, preachers and pastors who deceive and use us for their selfish and personal gains and self-images. As we are in God’s Year of Mercy, we pray that God may forgive false pastors as well as those of us who have failed in these tests to know who is actually a true and genuine preacher or pastor. May God also forgive those of us who trust and believe in such false pastors instead of trusting and believing in God. Lord, forgive us all. Stay blessed.
WE MEDITATE TODAY, MONDAY, ON THE JOYFUL MYSTERIES: ‘THE ANNUNCIATION, THE VISITATION, THE BIRTH OF JESUS, THE PRESENTATION IN THE TEMPLE AND THE FINDING OF THE CHILD JESUS IN THE TEMPLE’. (LET US PRAY FOR HUMILITY, LOVE OF NEIGHBOUR, POVERTY IN SPIRIT, OBEDIENCE AND JOY IN FINDING JESUS) “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: “GRANT, WE PRAY, ALMIGHTY GOD, THAT, BY THE POWER OF THESE HOLY MYSTERIES, OUR LIVE MAY BE CONSTANTLY SUSTAINED. THROUGHT XHRIST OUR GOD.
Rev. Fr. Aloysius Kpiebaya. (00233-0207867239/0545462863. Email: aloybaya20@yahoo.com.
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