COLLECT: “GRANT US, O LORD, WE PRAY, THAT THE COURSE OF THE WORLD MAY BE DIRECTED BY YOUR PEACEFUL RULE AND THAT YOUR CHURCH MAY REJOICE, UNTROBLED IN HER DEVOTION. 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.”
Jude 17:20-25; Ps 62:2-6 and Mark 11:27-33.
God’s word and his promise of eternal life entrusted to his faithful followers have infinite value and if we hold on to it, we will never regret it. However, every generation down to ours has witnessed and continues to witness some people who attempt to twist God’s words, seeking to deceive and destroy the unwary. But God’s truth must go forth, be carried out and be defended by those who have committed their lives to it.
The Letter of St. Jude is a motivation to believers who are committed to carrying forth and defending God’s revealed truths in his word. Jude wrote to let believers recognise the dangers of false teachers and their false teachings, so that believers could protect themselves as well as protect other believers. The false teaching at the time of Jude was that Christians could do as they pleased without fear of God’s punishment. This letter was also aimed at winning back believers who had already been deceived.
Such false teachers and their false teachings are not absent in our generation. There are some Christians who sometimes teach that some of the Christian values or standards are hard or difficult to follow and therefore people could alter or twist them to suit their purposes. Sometimes some people also teach others that it is no longer a taboo to combine both Christian and traditional or worldly values and practice them. Sorry and sad to say, some pastors even do that and sometimes they tell their followers that there is nothing wrong with that. They sometimes tell people that there is room for all the religions as well as religious denominations and therefore everyone can come and practice his/her religion with them. You are a pastor of which of the religions then? Sometimes Christians are deceived into occultism with the false notion that it is no longer taboo. No wonder, such believers are not able to defend their faith when they are confronted.
As believers, we have the task to defend our faith especially when we encounter people who give false and erroneous teachings of the Christian faith. We are also to reject falsehood and immorality. We are to build up our own faith in God, keeping ourselves closer to Jesus Christ through prayer. As believers, we are to help others and hate and avoid sin. These are pieces of advice Jude gave to his listeners and they are still relevant for present-day believers. Let us pray for the wisdom of the Kingdom of God and to acknowledge and recognise the authority of Jesus in our lives as believers. This will help us have deeper faith in him. Stay blessed.
WE MEDITATE TODAY, SATURDAY, 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 at the hour of our death, Amen”.
PRAYER: “NOURISHED BY YOUR SAVING GIFTS, WE BESEECH YOUR MERCY, LORD, THAT BY THIS SAME SACRAMENT WITH WHICH YOU FEED US IN THE PRESENT AGE, YOU MAY MAKE US PARTAKERS OF LIFE ETERNAL. 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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