Miraculous versus Fidelity (Wednesday, 10th Week, Year II)

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Today's readings ask very important questions as far as our relationship with God is concerned: Do we need to see or experience miracles and spectacular events before we can believe in God and keep His commandments? Or do we just have to believe in God, and consequently obey and teach His commandments in response to our belief?

It seems we, humans, have been made to believe that God can only be found in spectacular, extraordinary events. And that's why we are strongly drawn to places where "miracles" happen and to persons who supposedly "perform" such miracles. Possibly, it was such a tendency in humans that made the people of Israel to drift away from the True God and embrace Baal worship, as it reflects in the first reading (1 Kings 18:20-39).

It will not be out of place to believe that eerie events and weird religious practices must have characterised the worship of Baal. And those activities and rituals must have strongly appealed to the curiosity and sensibilities of the people of Israel who dwelt in the midst of people who were worshippers of different gods.

Elijah, the prophet just as any serious minded man of God, was anxious to bring the people back to their God. But he had to strongly appeal to their curiosity, and he needed nothing less than miraculous in order to achieve this, in order to bring theppeople back to true faith.

In our own time, many of us have drifted away from true faith because of what we may regard as "spectacular, miraculous and great" that are going on at certain places. And that is why many people, including men and women of God, now seek "power" from anywhere and perform the "extraordinary" in order to satisfy people's curiosity and draw attention to themselves. 

Let us know that God is not only found in the miraculous, spectacular events. And He doesn't need to perform miracles and do weird things for us to believe in Him and keep His words. In fact, Jesus tells us today that "the greatest of all is one who obeys and keeps the commandments" (cf. Matt. 5:19b)

Our major preoccupation must be: keeping, teaching and obeying His commandments. 
St Theresa of Calcutta tells us that "God is not just calling us to be
SUCCESSFUL. First and foremost, He is calling us to FAITHFUL". And St Theresa of Lisieux adds that "we are not called to do extraordinary things but to do ordinary things with an extraordinary love". 

Let these words help us rethink our relationship with God, Amen.

Comments

  1. Unknown10 June 2020 at 09:26

    Thank you Father for the inspiring message👍

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Chukwudiaso Chibuike Constantine10 June 2020 at 12:19

      To God be the glory! Thanks so much for your encouraging words.

      Delete
  2. Unknown10 June 2020 at 09:27

    Thank you Father for the Inspiring Word👍

    ReplyDelete
  3. Unknown10 June 2020 at 11:51

    Very true,all we need is obey his commandments n believe in him.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Chukwudiaso Chibuike Constantine10 June 2020 at 12:20

      You've nailed it. Thanks so much for reading. Blessings upon blessings!

      Delete
  4. Unknown10 June 2020 at 12:32

    Thank you Padre.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Afy Mieseigha10 June 2020 at 13:50

    Nice one father. Very incisive

    ReplyDelete
  6. Unknown10 June 2020 at 16:08

    Wow wonderful message which has inspired me thank you father.

    ReplyDelete

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