Fr. Ebido: Between sin, blood of goats and bulls - ITREALMS

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Thursday, Fifth Week of Lent B (March 25, 2021) 

Your Daily Blessing: May God grant you this day the grace of true repentance, and to surrender your life to Jesus. Amen!

Read Isaiah 7:10-14, 8:10; Heb 10:4-10; Luke 1:26-38; pray Psalm 40[39].

NARRATION:  I watched recently a social media video where a young witchdoctor (Dibia, Babalawo) was advertising his powers and threatening someone he calls by name, and finished off with some incantations and the shooting of dane gun announcing the ‘gods he serves have gone to do his bidding’. 

What nauseated me was the sight of so much blood! The blood of chicken, goats, and bulls – these are the main sacrificial items at this realm of life. He sacrificed chicken at this ritual, spilling the blood over specific items. It does remind me of the Old testament rituals, which the psalmist (in Psalm 39 [40]):6-8a says, “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but an open ear; burnt offering and sin offerings you did not require. Then I said, ‘Here I am Lord, I have come to do your will.’”

 

Many of my people are still caught up in this practice of sacrifice of chicken, goat, and bulls that neither takes sin away, nor gives salvation. Instead it not only enslaves one to the devil, but enkindles God’s wrath in time.  Why? Because he has given us his son’s blood as the only acceptable sacrifice for our atonement and salvation. 

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Today’s reading says, “it is impossible for the blood of bull and goats to take away sins” (Heb 10:4). And Peter explains, “There is no other name under heaven by which we can be saved [except the name of Jesus]” (Acts 4:12). John confirms: “whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people prefer darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil” (John 3:18-19). Perhaps this feast of Annunciation now makes more sense? 

 

PRAYER: Merciful Father, you have given me your only Son as atonement for my sins; grant me the grace to show my faith in him by following his teachings. May I follow him with an undivided heart. Amen

🙏🏽©️Fr Augustine Ebido, O.P.