PRAYER: “PARDON THE OFFENSES OF YOUR PEOPLE, WE PRAY, O LORD, AND IN YOUR GOODNESS SET US FREE FROM THE BONDS OF SINS WE HAVE COMMITTED IN OUR WEAKNESS. 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”.
Jer 20:10-13; Ps 17:2-7 and Jn 10:31-42.
The inability to understand someone’s good intentions behind his behaviour, words and actions could be worse than any poisonous thing in the world. This could destroy the person’s good deeds. It could also result in schemes and attempts to eliminate or destroy the person. It could equally result in violence, unrest, low development, and the like. In most cases, the inability to understand people’s good intentions behind their actions and words is caused by prejudice, envy, jealousy, hearsay, familiarity, discriminative tendencies, and ignorance, among other factors.
Both Jeremiah and Jesus had their share from their own people. The people during the time of Jeremiah did not understand that he was playing a prophetic role among them, faithfully proclaiming God’s word to them to help them return to God and be saved. All he received in return from his people were revilement, insults, persecution and scheming to kill him. Jeremiah however knew the God he was faithfully proclaiming would deliver him from the hands of his persecutors (Cf. Jer 20:10-13). Very positive and worthy of emulation especially when we encounter unbearable challenges in life.
Jesus equally had very good intentions for coming into this world to live among his people. He came to save us. All his words, deeds and behaviour aimed at our salvation. However, like Jeremiah, what he received in return were revilement, insults, lies, ‘nicknames’, persecution and eventually crucifixion on the cross (Cf. Jn 10:31-42). Jesus also trusted in his Father that he would not abandon him. Indeed, the Father raised him from the dead, exalted him and seated him at his right hand side in heaven. Do we understand the Jesus we are following? Do we understand his good intentions for us? If we understand him and his good intentions for us, then we will avoid reviling, insulting, persecuting and crucifying him through our everyday disobedience and sinful deeds. Let us come back to him during this season of Lent to learn more from him, know him better and be saved.
Do you have people you cannot understand even though their words, deeds and behaviours are not malicious? What could be the cause(s) of the inability to understand them? Look critically into that. The person may not have evil intentions behind his behaviour, actions and words. Even if you think the person, out of human weakness, has an evil intention behind what he is doing, revilement, insults, ‘nicknames’, resentment, persecution and eliminating him will not be the best. Help that person to change and convert. You can also pray for him because prayer can perform wonders in people’s lives. Stay blessed by the Lord.
Today is the last Friday in Lent before GOOD FRIDAY. 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 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: “MAY THE UNFAILING PROTECTION OF THE SACRIFICE WE HAVE RECEIVED NEVER LEAVE US, O LORD, AND MAY IT ALWAYS DRIVE FAR FROM US ALL THAT WOULD DO US HARM. THROUGH CHRIST OUR LORD. AMEN”.
Rev. Fr. Aloysius Kpiebaya, Catholic Diocese of Wa, UW/R, Ghana. (00233) 0207867239/0545462863.
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