PRAYER: “GRANT, WE PRAY, O LORD, THAT, AS WE CELEBRATE IN MYSTERY THE SOLEMNITIES OF YOUR SON’S RESURRECTION, SO, TOO, WE MAY BE WORTHY TO REJOICE AT HIS COMING WITH ALL THE SAINTS. 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”.
Acts 17:15,22-18:1; Ps 148:1-2, 11-14 and Jn 16:12-15.
The passage from the Acts of the Apostles is about Paul and his companions in Athens. Paul preached a very powerful sermon there. He touched on their shrines which they dedicated to an unknown god and using that as his point of contact and entry for his witness to the One True God, he preached about God the Creator and eventually settled on the person of Jesus Christ and his resurrection. Paul’s message received mixed reactions. Some people laughed, some wanted more information and a few of them believed. In the portion of the gospel of John, Jesus tells his Apostles about the coming of the Holy Spirit. He is the Spirit of Truth and he will guide the disciples to the truth. In a way, this portion of John’s gospel offers a clear picture of the Trinity as three divine Persons who exist in a relationship. Their concern is for the disciples and all of us for that matter, that we may also live together in a relationship of love.
One time a friend of mine told me that, one of the major reasons why some people build idols and dedicate them to unknown gods and worship them is that, they are afraid of missing blessings or afraid of receiving punishment from these so-called gods they do not even know but have made for themselves. Could this be the reason why the Athenians built an idol to an unknown god? Those of us living the life of fetishism and occultism should reflect seriously on this. Also, Psalm 115 has more to teach on fetishism and occultism. “The idols we make of silver and gold by our hands. These have mouths but say nothing…eyes but see nothing,…ears but hear nothing, nose but smell nothing…Their makers will end up like them, everyone who relies on them” (Ps 115:4-7).
There are times when some people appear to be very religious but deep within them, they do not know God. To show that we know the God we are worshipping, we need to proclaim who he is, the Creator, and make clear what he did as Creator for everyone through his Son, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. The God we worship through his Son, is in his creation, and he is close to every one of us. He is not however trapped in his creation or in any of his created things. He is transcendent. What should be clear to us is that God is the Creator and not the creation. Therefore, it is and will be wrong and misleading for anyone to use God’s creation or any of God’s created things as the Creator. God is sovereign and he has control over all creation. He shares His sovereignty and control over the rest of creation with us, who are created in his own image and likeness.
We can understand all the above and come to know and understand the God we worship as Creator, whose Son became our Saviour, only through the inspiration and enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, whom the Son promised that the Father will send to us to reveal the rest of the things that Jesus could not let us know. May the Holy Spirit guide us all to have true knowledge of the Triune God we worship. Stay blessed and have a very fruitful day.
NB. TOMORROW, THURSDAY, 14/05/26, IS THE SOLEMNITY OF ASCENSION. IT IS A FEAST DAY OF OBLIGATION FOR ALL CATHOLICS. THEREFORE, DO WELL TO ATTEND MASS TO FULFILL YOUR OBLIGATION. GOD BLESS YOU.
WE MEDITATE TODAY, WEDNESDAY, ON THE GLORIOUS MYSTERIES: ‘THE RESURRECTION, THE ASCENSION, THE DESCENT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE ASSUMPTION, AND THE CORONATION’. (WE PRAY FOR FAITH, HOPE, LOVE OF GOD, GRACE OF A HAPPY DEATH AND TRUST IN MARY’S INTERCESSION) “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 at the hour of our death, Amen”.
PRAYER: “GRACIOUSLY BE PRESENT TO YOUR PEOPLE, WE PRAY, O LORD, AND LEAD THOSE YOU HAVE INBUED WITH HEAVENLY MYSTERIES TO PASS FROM FORMER WAYS TO NEWNESS OF LIFE. THROUGH CHRIST OUR LORD. AMEN”.
Rev. Fr. Aloysius Kpiebaya, Catholic Diocese of Wa, UW/R, Ghana. (00233) 0207867239/0545462863. Email: aloybaya20@yahoo.com
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