Dearly Beloved of the Eucharistic Lord, I pray for God’s grace and blessings upon you and your families. May the ever Truthful God bless our land and heal it from all the malice, mischief, slander, gossip and perjury as they have slaughtered many people than the combined efforts of weapons and drugs. I strongly recommend Sirach 28 for you to meditate on today besides the readings for our liturgy.
Can you imagine the people telling Jesus, the Saviour, that He is Possessed – that He is out of His senses? Are you surprised? I am not surprised because of His own teaching about the woes of the apostles. He said to his disciples that He was sending them like sheep among wolves. Wolves, we know, are wild beasts who are ruthless in devouring preys. Sheep are not the only prey for wolves, just that unlike other animals which may struggle with the beast, it is far easier for them to make a meal out of sheep due to their relatively calm nature.
So, remember that Jesus started his debate with the leaders of Judaism when he healed on the Sabbath according to John’s Gospel chapter 5. Then He saved the adulterous woman in chapter 8 when He was already on the most wanted banner. So, the debate is still on as we read in today’s Gospel (John 8:51-59).
Now, what was it again that the young carpenter had said to trigger such mean comments from His adversaries? Jesus said to the Jews: AMEN, AMEN, I SAY TO YOU, WHOEVER KEEPS MY WORDS WILL NEVER SEE DEATH. This is what the Lord said which aroused such a venom from the hearers. Of course, they were ignorant of who Jesus really was. Now, keep the word IGNORANCE in mind because Jesus will use it to justify why His Father should forgive them on the Cross.
Mad for Christ:
I must state CATEGORICALLY THAT EVERY TRUE DISCIPLE OF JESUS IS MAD OR POSSESSED IN THE MINDS OF THE “WOLVES” WHO SERVE AS THE CUSTODIANS OF THE LAW. I shall state my proof as I take you through Church history. But you know that the Church is rooted in Judaism as we all have Abraham as our Father in faith. Jesus Himself was a TRUE Jew, taught as a Jew and died a Jew: JESUS THE NAZARENE, KING OF THE. JEWS (INRI). It was the Roman soldiers who pasted it on top of his head on the Cross.
Joseph, the son of Jacob was mad to have rejected that juicy sexual offer to warm his master’s wife’s bed at her passionate request; Moses was possessed to have stayed on the mountain 40days and nights without food and water; Elijah was mad to have dared the 400 Baal prophets; Judith suffered bi polar and manic Disorders when she used her beauty to conquer Israel’s enemy while the corrupt leaders were rid of courage; the 7 sons in 2 Maccabees were possessed to have courageously embraced the sword instead of eating a prohibited food; Joseph, husband of Mary was hallucinating when he obeyed Archangel Gabriel on three occasions against his will; St. Kizito was disrespectful for standing up to his gay prime minister; YOU MAY ADD YOUR OWN EXAMPLES.
This is the bane of the Church in every era when moral decadence ssproutslike Spring’ flowers and fruits like the evergreen coconut tree. ARE YOU AWARE THAT THE BISHOP OF ST. PADRE PIO WAS A GAY? THAT SHOULD PARTLY EXPLAIN WHY HE HAD TO SUFFER TO THAT A EXTEND. ARE YOU AWARE THAT ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI’S CLERGY WERE MORALLY BANKRUPT? ARE YOU AWARE THAT AT THE TIME OF STS. TERESA OF AVILA AND JOHN OF THE CROSS, MONASTERIES WERE BREWING IMMORALITY, HENCE, THE TWO POSSED SAINTS WERE INSPIRED TO REFORM THEM? ARE YOU AWARE THAT MARTIN LUTHER’S 99 PETITIONS WERE WORKED ON TO REFORM THE CHURCH AT THE COUNCIL OF TRENT, THANKS TO THE LIKES OF ST. CHARLES BORROMEO.
At this juncture, permit me to acknowledge two giants of our era who suffered public persecutions for preaching and living out the TRUTH (please note that I am canonizing them as saints before their death). I am referring to Frs. Andrews Obeng, SVD and Ezekiel, a diocesan from Navrongo Bolgatanga diocese. These two have been good friends of mine since seminary days. While Fr. Obeng was publicly persecuted for evangelizing in the streets of Mallam, Waija and Kasoa in view of new evangelization, Fr. Ezekiel was persecuted with perjury for speaking and insisting on the Truth to leaders of the cathedral where he worked. Eventually, they all ended up in Rome (I believe in the wise judgement of their respective bishops) and here they are working in Ghana again. Ironically, Fr. Andy Obeng is at Tuba off the Waija to Kasoa tollbooth, the same area he used to evangelize radically.
Unfortunately, I think our culture is also a factor. A child was not trained to be assertive as Jesus was at age 12 in the temple. I thank God though that the modern trends are affirming children to assert the TRUTH even to their own parents.
When a seminarian speaks the TRUTH, he is advised to wait till he is a priest. When a young priest speaks the TRUTH, HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO US THIS WAY?. Very Fr. John Louis was once confronted by an old chorister for dissolving the choir due to moral decadence thus: … WHEN WE WERE WE, WHERE WERE YOU?
All Shall Pass to Glorify God:
Let us take note that all the instances mentioned above, ended up bringing glory to God and Reformation or salvation to the Church and people. What it means is that such instruments of torture were saintly, hence, they never fought back nor did they mobilize a “Chooboiii” mob action. No, they endured such trials in imitation of Christ. Rather, they prayed for the conversion of their persecutors.
Read what St. Basil the Great said in reply to the evil Arian Prefect of Cappadocia, Modestus, after the latter threatened him for excommunicating him; THINK OF SOME OTHER THREAT. THEY HAVE NO INFLUENCE UPON ME. HE RUNS NO RISK OF CONFISCATION WHO HAS NOTHING TO LOSE EXCEPT THESE MEAN GARMENTS AND A FEW BOOKS. NOR DOES HE CARE ABOUT EXILE WHO IS NOT CIRCUMSCRIBED BY PLACE, WHO MAKES NOT A HOME WHERE HE NOW DWELLS… NOR CAN TORTURES HARM A FRAME SO FRAIL AS TO BREAK UNDER THE FIRST BLOW. YOU WOULD BUT STRIKE ONCE, AND DEATH WILL BE GAIN. IT WILL BUT SEND ME SOONER TO HIM FOR WHOM I LIVE AND LABOUR, … When the Prefect objected the Bishop’s words by saying that no one had ever challenged him, the saintly Bishop said; PERHAPS MODESTUS NEVER YET FELL IN WITH A BISHOP …
To conclude, it is my earnest desire in prayer to see bishops of our era especially in Africa banished and exiled like the Church Fathers simply because they stood up strongly against state policies that fight against human life, for example, abortion and contraception and LGBT rights. The meaning of Easter for the clergy is this, by this time, if a priest preaches the TRUTH in his parish, he should prepare to suffer passion with Jesus even if a silent and white martyrdom – bearing witness to the TRUTH. Otherwise, the priest WILL BE IN A HURRY TO END LENT AND MEET EASTER SUNDAY TO START FUN FAIRING WITH THE LAY INTO EASTER MONDAY. ANY PRIEST OR BISHOP WHO IS LOVED BY MAJORITY OF HIS FLOCK ESPECIALLY THE CIVIL AND POLITICAL LEADERS IS ALREADY RUNNING AHEAD OF JESUS NOT AS A DISCIPLE. A VIRTUOUS MAN HAS FEW OR NO FRIENDS.
Let us pray for our seminarians and clergy for the zeal and courage of St. Kizito and the Church Fathers, so that our Church in Ghana will have many great Saints to celebrate. As at yet, Ghanaian Church has not offered the universal Church a Holy man or woman for a feast or memorial.
Peace and Joy!!!
Source: Rev. Fr. Ebenezer Kofi Hanson, Accra
