Lenten Sermon@ITREALMS ... making leadership SENSE with digital news!
Saturday after Ash Wednesday (February 20/2021)
Your Daily Blessing: May God grant you the grace to triumph over all your moral and spiritual maladies. Amen
Narration: My readers from across the Atlantic should know that what I was addressing yesterday is a problem peculiar to Nigeria. However, some aspects of it is universal as vividly captured in Psalm 78.
Today, Isaiah will help us see how we could make this Lenten season one that delights God. The three pillars of religion are: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Like the three legs of a triangular table, they are integrally connected.
We shall address each accordingly in the course of this Lenten season.
Firstly, remember that what we call ‘problems of life’ are but “tools” in God’s hands. He uses them to bring out the best in us, depending on our cooperation. While most moral and spiritual problems can be overcome with prayer, there are some that require we pray (+fast +/- alms) to accomplish.
While we “pray, fast, or give alms” as a way to solve our problems, it ‘disposes’ us properly for God to ‘re-create’ us and make us more beautiful inside. It is even better if these three become a way of life, for while acting as preventive medicine, against all our spiritual and moral maladies, it makes it much easier for God to finish his master piece.
Fasting from food and drink is known among the fathers of the desert and spiritual masters as a the strongest remedy for carnal lust – to be combined with prayer. So the deeper target for fasting is to cure moral diseases. You can therefore target these maladies as what you can “fast” from. For example, you may decide this lent to fast from gossiping, complaining, quarrelling, and the like. Isaiah adds: don’t oppress the poor, or cheat your workers; to “undo the tongs of the yoke” means to resist all forms of wickedness.
Some have destroyed their brothers/friends business, work, or livelihood using diabolic means. Some have broken people’s heart/home through infidelity. Repent and ‘fast from’ these evil actions this lent.
PRAYER: Merciful Lord, you said in the Gospel today that you have come “to save the sinners…” I admit I am a sinner, but I want to turn a new page in my life. Help me to change O Lord. Amen!
ACTIVE LOVE: Pray Psalms 78 and 51. Fast from any of the items above that affects you.
No comments:
Post a Comment