COLLECT: “O GOD, WHO HAVE PREPARED FITTING HELPS FOR US IN OUR WEAKNESS, GRANT, WE PRAY, THAT WE MAY RECEIVE THEIR HEALING EFFECTS WITH JOY AND REFLECT THEM IN A HOLY WAY OF LIFE. 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”.
Wis 2:1a,12-22; Ps 33:17-21,23 and Jn 7:1-2,10,25-30.
The sins of envy and jealousy are twin brothers/sisters, and are like two sides of the same coin. They are also like very tiny or the smallest seeds and when they are allowed to germinate, they grow into a huge or mighty tree known as ‘acute hatred’. This is one of the deadly sins in the world. The earlier we avoid or eradicate these sins in our lives the better.
Envious people, leading to resentful and hateful feelings are crooked, evil and sinful. Such people are never balanced or correct. They always have distorted reasoning and they wrongly judge issues. Envy and jealousy often lead to the denial of one’s true self or being, and eventually, they result in other disastrous things in life.
The scripture passages we are reflecting on today shed more light on the above. The portion of the Book of Wisdom (2:1a,12-22) describes the misguided reasoning of those who condemned the prophet(s) all because the prophet pointed out their wrong and sinful ways to them. The prophets tried to let them know themselves and then avoid their evil ways and come back to God and be saved.
However, because the people had misguided reasoning that also affected their sense of judgment, they hated the prophets and therefore they were planning to eliminate or kill him: “Let us condemn him to a shameful death” because “he is obnoxious to us”. This same fate awaited Jesus (Cf. Jn 7:1-2,10,25-30). The religious leaders of the Jews were envious and jealous of Jesus and this eventually developed into an acute hatred for Jesus. They also, like the accusers of the prophets had misguided reasoning and a wrong sense of judgment. Also because of pride and arrogance they were not ready to accept corrections from Jesus to come to terms with themselves and therefore be saved.
It is true even in our generation that at times when someone wrongly acts out of envy, jealousy and hatred and you want to correct the person, he/she sometimes thinks that you are accusing him/her or that you are against him/her. This is one major cause of the disharmony and violence in our world. One manifestation of envy, jealousy and acute hatred is non-cooperation with people. If you are one, please avoid it.
Let us pray for people the world over who are suffering and are being hated for the cause of right as well as those who are suffering because they want to put others right and help them know themselves and be saved, that the Lord, who himself went through this may be their source of encouragement and strength. May He grant them patience to endure till the end, for the Lord has prepared a crown which he is waiting to give to them. May God also touch the hearts of all envious and jealous people to convert and be saved.
Today is Friday in Lent. It is a day of fasting and abstinence. Do something good for someone in your family, workplace, Church, or political party. Also, present or drop what you have not spent today in the Lenten Box for the poor and the needy. Remember to go the Way of the Cross, prayerfully meditating on the 14 Stations of it. Stay blessed and may you have a blissful weekend. God bless you and may your weekend be restful and blissful.
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, 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: “GRANT, WE PRAY, O LORD, THAT, AS WE PASS FROM OLD TO NEW, SO WITH FORMER WAYS LEFT BEHIND, WE MAY BE RENEWED IN HOLINESS OF MIND. THROUGH CHRIST OUR LORD. AMEN”.
Rev. Fr. Aloysius Kpiebaya, Catholic Diocese of Wa, UW/R, Ghana. (00233) 0207867239/0545462863. Email: aloybaya20@yahoo.
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