HOMILY OF THE 3RD THURSDAY IN LENT — YEAR A
HOMILY OF THE 3RD THURSDAY IN LENT — YEAR A
HOMILY THEME: DON’T LISTEN TO THEM
BY: Fr. Paul Karabari
‘Some of the people said, He casts out demons by Beelzebul the prince of demons.”
How you respond to criticism is one of the most important decisions you will ever make. There will always be people who won’t like or understand you. Get over it! ‘Fear of human opinion disables’ (Proverbs 29:25). In the Gospel passage of today (Luke 11:14-23), Jesus is accused of using the power of Beelzebul in His ministry of healing.
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Beelzebul was the chief god of the Philistines, ancient enemies of the Israelites. By the time of Jesus, he had the title of the Prince of Devils. This derogatory term is used for Jesus. But Jesus is not discouraged.
Change, improvement, growth, success, and victory don’t happen because they are admirable concepts or desirable options. No, they happen because you are totally committed and willing to pay the price, including accepting negative criticism targeted at you.
You can’t control what people think about you or keep them from saying it, but you can determine your response. There are three important things we must learn:
1) Refuse to give more attention to a critic than you would to a friend. What matters is that you have God, and He is more than those against you. So, instead of trying to change minds, change gears and move forward.
2) Realise that with opportunity comes opposition. Paul wrote, ‘There is a wide-open door for a great work here, although many oppose me’ (1 Corinthians 16:9). Criticism is a sign that something is happening; if you weren’t succeeding, they wouldn’t even notice you. Don’t be discouraged.
3) Remember that it’s the big battles that produce the big victories. Satan won’t send you a congratulatory telegram because you have decided to do God’s will; he will fight you every step of the way. But ‘greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world’ (1 John 4:4). Today, God is on your side, so your victory is assured.
Some of the people we try so hard to impress will never be impressed, and we need to accept this. From God’s perspective, it doesn’t matter who we impress or how many we impress. Knowing that enables us to work alongside people without allowing ourselves to be controlled by their moods and opinions. In order to feel secure in life and fulfilled in what we are doing, we need to reach the place where we can say, ‘I’m loved and approved by God, and that is what matters!’ GOD IS STILL ON THE THRONE. May God bless you and your household always through Christ, our Lord Amen. Good morning.
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