This Sunday’s refresh is based on the following readings: Jeremiah 11:18-20; Psalm 7; John 7:40-52.
In the First Reading of today, Jeremiah narrates how he was in the midst of serious danger and he knew nothing. He was naive and unsuspecting until the Lord opened his eyes and revealed to him the danger and malicious conspiracy around him. Jeremiah couldn’t believe it.
The Jewish people had prayed, hoped and longed for the Messiah. In today’s Gospel, the Messiah was right in front of them, the answer to their prayers, the fulfillment of God’s greatest promise to them but they couldn’t recognise Him. They were confused, they could not see and their religious leaders chose to be blind.
Today, let us pray that the Lord will rid us of spiritual blindness and that He may open our eyes and hearts to see and understand better. Let us pray to see and understand these three things:
- The dangers around us:
Let us pray that we may not be so naive, undiscerning and ignorant of the dangers around us, the schemes against us, the evil disguised as a blessing. May we be spiritually alert and wise.
- The danger of sin:
Let us pray that the Lord may open our eyes and minds to realise the danger of sin, the damage it does to our souls and the eternal consequences of it, so that we may avoid it with all our strength and with the graces that we have received. Let us may ask for mercy and do penance for sins committed.
Let us also pray that God may open our eyes to any sin we are committing or anything we are doing wrong and that we are oblivious of.
- The presence of the Lord in our midst and our lives:
Unlike the crowd and the religious leaders, let us pray that we may be able to recognise Jesus in our midst, in any way He chooses to be with us. No matter the simplicity or ordinariness, may we also be able to identify His signature in the circumstances of our lives.
Sermon was preached by Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Baraka-Gukena Okami on April 2, 2022.