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 Wednesday of 9th Week in Ordinary Time, Yr. II: reflection

THEME: DO NOT BE ASHAMED OF TESTIFYING TO OUR LORD. (2Tim 1:8)

Reading: 2Tim 1: 1-3,6-12; Mk 12:18-27

One of the newly discovered hobbies of many ravenous bloggers is disparaging the Christian faith and the Church. Some of them, who will consistently take bribes and vote for corrupt politicians will always turn around and accuse Christ and religion for hardships in their countries. While many of those who criticize Christian faith do so as an extension of the work started by the devil and his agents long ago, some others do so to attract heavy traffic to their posts and possibly earn money, without realizing the damage they are doing to the faith of many people.

In today’s first reading, St. Paul exhorts us to be prepared to defend our faith in God and to remain steadfast in the face of challenges to our Christian faith. In today’s gospel, Jesus showed us one of the ways to treat those who challenge our faith. It narrated how Jesus floored the Sadducees that came to him to ridicule his teaching about resurrection with their supposedly well-thought-out argument. We are challenged to do same to those who mock our faith online and offline.

St Paul is reminding us that the spirit we received is not that of timidity but a spirit of power. Thus, he charged us to fan into flame the gift of God within us. He told us that he was never ashamed of his faith because he knew the One he believed. We too should not be ashamed of our faith in Christ and of the many wonderful ways through which this faith is manifested. Let no one discourage you, dear friends, in your faith and services to God.

To sell their demonic campaign of a return to paganism, many people have been alleging online and offline that those who brought Christianity to us have returned to paganism. However, pictures that emerged after the Champions League final last week showed Real Madrid players and their managers in the Cathedral of Our Lady of Almudena, the Patroness of the Spanish capital, on Sunday, 2 June, presenting their 15^th Champions League trophy to God in thanksgiving. Dear friends, let no one deceive you.

May the grace of God strengthen you in your faith in Christ. Amen

Fr Isaac Chima