THE DANGER OF THE ENEMIES WITHIN (HOMILY FOR WEDNESDAY OF THE SEVENTH WEEK OF EASTER JUNE 2022

 THE DANGER OF THE ENEMIES WITHIN (HOMILY FOR WEDNESDAY OF THE SEVENTH WEEK OF EASTER) 

Acts 20:28-38; Jn 17:11-19

Today, we hear of Paul's farewell discourse to the elders of Ephesus. Paul told them “keep watch over yourselves and over all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God that he obtained with the blood of his own Son. I know that after I have gone, savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock (Acts 20:28-29). Paul, while instructing the elders was cautious of the reality that the wolves that lurk within the church to destroy it are far more dangerous than the wolves that operate from outside of the church. This is similar to the warning Jesus gave to his disciples “beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves” (Matt 7:15). The history of the Church seems to have substantiated this stern warning so much so that the heresies that erupted in the church came from within the Church, even from among the hierarchy of the Church e.g Arianism, Pelagianism, Nestorianism, Donatism, Eutychianism, Montanism etc these were false teachings and dissension that distorted the truth of the faith of the flock of Christ. This was why Paul strongly admonished the Elders of the church of Ephesus to firmly keep guard over the truth of Christ, the faith and the moral teachings of the church. 

Dearest brothers and sisters in Christ, notwithstanding the primal office of the Magisterium of the church, we cannot be sightless of the fact these ravenous wolves are still operational in the church today, propagating erroneous teachings within the Church and contradicting the truth of Christ. We find them in our parishes, parish societies and organizations etc. Sometimes they do it willfully and knowingly, sometimes innocently and unconsciously, whatever the case is, they are alive and active. Consequently, the warning of Paul to the Elders of Ephesus should be a wake-up call to every one of us whether as superiors, pastors, priests,  teachers, catechists, parents, guardians etc to consciously and cautiously keep guard over the flock of Christ, most especially the young and the feeble-hearted Christians, holding tenaciously to the truth of Christ and moral teachings of the church.  

In the gospel reading, Jesus substantiated the effort that must be made by the disciples and every one of us, when he prayed to the Father declaring, “I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one.” (Jn 17:15). The evil one dearest friends in Christ is the devil, who incessantly prowls around like a roaring lion seeking souls to devour and lure away from God. He ferments the erroneous teachings and obstructs the truth of Christ in other to sow the seed of confusion in the church, to divide God's children from among themselves and away from God. Beloved in Christ, in the words of Peter I encourage us to stand up to him strong in Faith (1Peter5:8). 

We pray today that amid ravenous wolves seeking to plunder the church, may our loving saviour, Jesus Christ continue to sanctify (consecrate) us in the truth and grant us the sufficient graces to be firm in faith and missionaries of the truth of the kingdom of God to the utmost bounds of the world. May his protective love be upon us, keep us away from evil, now and always. Amen

Have a glorious day

Fr Remi osj