Fr. Michael Osatofoh Eninlejie, MSP - Homily for Wednesday Week 28 Ordinary time - October 14, 2020

DATE : 14/10/2020, Wednesday of the 28th Week in Ordinary Time (A) EVENT :Pope St. Callistus, Martyr (Optional Memorial) COLOUR : GREEN READINGS : Gal. 5:18-25; Resp. Psalm 1:1-4.6; Luke 11:42-46. THEME: LOVE GOD FIRST THEN YOU CAN DO WHATEVER YOU WANT Greetings beloved people of God. I welcome you to "My Catholic Homily Digest". Today, I want to reflect with us on the theme, "Love God first then you can do whatever you want". When the Scribes, who were experts in the law of God tried to snare Jesus by asking him which is the greatest commandment of all; Jesus answered: to love the lord your God with all your heart and all your strength and all your soul, and to love your neighbour as yourself. Beloved, our Christian faith teaches us that the spirit behind every law of God is love. Thus, just like how a good mother would try her best to prevent and keep her little baby from hurting himself, so God tries His best to keep us from harm's way through the various laws he gives us. The Church's law are also motivated by love, to keep us firm on the path of righteousness. However, it was St. Augustine who first said: Love God first and then you are free to do whatever you like". He came to this realisation, when he noticed that one who truly loves God will keep all His commands because he would not want to cause God pain and sorrow. Equally, since love only seeks the good of others, one who loves his neighbour would not also want to hurt or harm him. But there is a new dimension which we often neglect namely.... As I love myself Beloved, there are some offences and sins which if we love ourselves we would not indulge in them. These offences do not directly hurt God nor our neighbour but ourselves, namely: masturbation, tattooing, gender transplant, artificial organ developments and enlargement, piercing the body etc. Often times we may argue and wonder why these acts above are categorised as sins. The answer is simple. It is either they make a mockery of the ends and purpose for which they are created like masturbation and gender transplanr, or they cause damage to the glorified human body. This us why St. Paul would tell us in the first reading of today that, "you cannot belong to Christ Jesus unless you crucify all self indulgent passions and desires where to self or to others. I pray God to help us to love him more faithfully. God bless you. Oh that today you would listen to his voice harden not your hearts (Ps.95:7-8) LET US PRAY : Lord Jesus, inflame my heart with your love that I may always pursue what matters most - love of you, my Lord and my God, free my heart from selfish desires that I may only have room for kindness, mercy, and goodness toward every person I know and meet....Amen @ Fada Emmanuel Nnamdi Megwara, MSP. ⛪