“DO NOT BE AFRAID…THE BATTLE IS NOT YOURS BUT GOD’S” (2 Chron 20:15)
⏰Saturday of the Seventeenth Week of Ordinary Time 2 (04 August 2018 – Memorial of St. John Mary Vianney)
đź“–Jer 26:11-16, 24; Ps 69:15-16, 30-31, 33-34 (R.v.14); Matt 14:1-12
Can you see how the spirit of John the Baptist was hunting Herod even in death?
Trust God when he said, “vengeance is mine” (Deut 32:35) as St Paul reechoed in Rom 12:10. If it is God’s will, your enemy will not harm you. Even if he allows it, still trust him with all your heart just like the three young Jews who refused to worship the golden statue of Nebuchadnezzar (Dan 3:16-18) because he means well for you.
In Psalm 91, the word of God says that because God is your shield, no evil shall ever triumph over you. Consider that promise in relation to Jer 26:11-24. God would not allow any evil to befall Jeremiah because Jeremiah was serving the cause of God.
I know you might want to ask whether those who were killed, like the two priests and parishioners who were murdered few months ago in Benue, were not serving the cause of God. I have this to tell you: such would not be seen as a victory of evil. Rather, as it was the case with the death of Jesus on the cross, the enemy was simply aiding the cause of God. God can use any means to achieve his salvific plans for us, just as the fierce persecution of Christians after death of Stephen helped to spread the Gospel to foreign nations (Acts 8:1ff).
So do not be afraid of the threat of the enemy. The Lord who put confusion among the people who were constructing the tower of babel (Gen 11) would not allow your enemies succeed in their evil plans about you.
St. John Mary Vianney was born a peasant and to add to that, he was academically very poor. Yet, he went on to become a priest because he was exceptionally good. He was sent to a very local village to work as a Parish Priest. His sanctity and devotion drew people to search for him there. Today, he is regarded as the patron saint of all Parish Priests.
With God by your side, you will shine out even from a dungeon.
Have a stress-free and peaceful weekend. Peace be with you.
