BETWEEN GOD AND MEN
My name is Sr. Bride. I woke up this morning extremely exhausted and feeling too fatigued to attend Mass. Of course! I knew it was because I had over worked myself cleaning out my room yesterday. I felt relieved when I remembered that the Mass would be in our Oratory. There are two priests who take it in turn to come and celebrate the Holy Eucharist with us. My spirit, soul and body however sank when I sighted Fr. Oropo in the sacristy vesting for Mass. I stood for a while on the balcony leading to the Oratory wondering if I shouldn’t return to my room instead of getting even more bushed listening to Fr. Oropo’s long and uninspiring sermon. Having reluctantly chosen to stay on, I sat in my corner in the chapel well positioned to take a good nap throughout the homily.
However, God’s ways are not our ways. Fr. Oropo’s sermon was not only concise; it was also quite apt as my Congregation was in need of some spiritual shake up. Below is the gist of the sermon:
Between GOD and men
In the first reading of today, my Sisters in CHRIST, Joshua exhorts us to choose today whom we would serve. Maybe for you, dear Sisters, it would be, ‘Choose today whom you would have possess your heart, GOD or men’. The word, ‘men’ here, refers to any category of male irrespective of their ethno-religious, socio- political or philosophical affiliation, age, race, colour or economic status. Some men are good, but many, I tell you, have ulterior motives when they offer you a hand of fellowship.
My dear sisters you know very well that some of your Sisters prefer men to GOD? How you may ask? Well, some are ‘married’ celibates. You know it yourselves! You know that some of you even exchange your final profession bands with the ones given to you by men on whom the wrath of GOD is coming? What of those who have bank accounts opened for them by their male friends? I am certain that you are aware that some of your Sisters when they are students in tertiary institutions have apartments rented and furnished for them by their male financers.
Beloved Sisters in CHRIST, I have not come to point accusing fingers but to remind you that you have to beware of godless men out there waiting to use you and dump you? Many are, according to St. Peter, like roaring lions seeking whom to devour. Their consciences are warped. Flee from them! Resist them!
Dear Sisters, GOD is waiting patiently outside, knocking at the door of your hearts. He is imploring you to open the door of your hearts so that He may come in and get rid of those foolish, lust-filled, greedy and hardened perverts who parade themselves as men but who in fact lack the courage of real men. Cheats, who cannot look you in the eyes and challenge you to be faithful to your vows, cost what it may. GOD is waiting for your invitation to ‘cast’ out the devil incarnates who, after pulling you down, will ‘repent’ on bended knees before their Bishops or wives or fiancées; shed a few crocodile tears; and thereafter, go in peace, happy to have received absolution in the name of the same ever compassionate GOD Whose bride they had been tripping over the parapet and bamboozling with transitory worldly goods and flattery.
Beloved Brides of CHRIST, remember that in our world of today, the woman is still the one being ‘caught in the very act of committing adultery’ as the men are always too smart to be nabbed.
You know better than I do that when the deed is done, the dust has settled, the dawn has broken, and the scales have fallen off your eyes, you would wake up to the humble realisation that once more you have been desperately fooled by who? Men!
Making a choice between GOD and men, my Sisters, goes beyond an individual’s personal conviction; it is a corporate stance that will ultimately determine the future of your Congregation.
May GOD bless His Word in our hearts, amen.
Straight after Mass, I went to my room knowing I now had the real cleaning out to do.