HOMILY FOR THURSDAY OF THE 3RD WEEK OF LENT

Homily for Thursday of the 3rd week of Lent 

Jeremiah 7:23-28. Psalm 95:1-2,6-7abc,7d-9. Luke 11:14-23.

"O that today you would listen to his voice! Harden not your hearts" is our Responsorial Psalm today. The people of Israel did not listen and obey God's commandments in the first reading, and for this reason, they retrogressed instead of making progress in life.

If we want to make progress in life, we must listen and obey God's word and not be like those who accused Jesus of casting out a demon by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, knowing fully well that Jesus' miracle was by God's power.

Despite this negative accusation, Jesus never reacted negatively. Rather than being angry, Jesus seizes the opportunity to teach about God.

Attributing God's work to the devil speaks a lot about where we stand in our relationship with God. Our God is a good God, and all He does is good. It takes the grace of God to see God's hand at work in our lives and the lives of others.

As Christians, we can not be neutral when it comes to the things of God. It is either we are for God or we are against God. "He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters" (Luke 11:23).

May God's word bear fruits in our lives that will endure through Christ our Lord. Amen.