Memorial
of St. Martin of Tours.
Bible
Study: Wisdom 6, 1 to 11. And Luke 17, 11 to 19.
The healing
of the ten lepers is a very popular story and I am sure you may have heard at
least one person preach about this story especially with regards to the
importance of giving thanks. But I think there is more to it.
The concluding
statement of Jesus to the man who had returned to give thanks leaves room for
deep reflection. He said: “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”
Luke 17, 19. Note that this was not the only time Jesus made this statement.
Matthew 9,
20 to 22. And behold, a woman who had
suffered from a hemorrhage for twelve years came up behind him and touched the
fringe of his garment; for she said to herself, "If I only touch his garment,
I shall be made well." Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, "TAKE
HEART, DAUGHTER; YOUR FAITH HAS MADE YOU WELL." And instantly the woman
was made well.
Mark 10, 50 to 52. The healing of Blind Bartimaeus… And throwing off his
mantle he sprang up and came to Jesus. And Jesus said to him, "What do you
want me to do for you?" And the blind man said to him, "Master, let
me receive my sight." And Jesus said to him, "Go your way; YOUR FAITH
HAS MADE YOU WELL." And immediately he received his sight and followed him
on the way.
Whether you like it or not, whatever you believe affects the outcome of
your life. Your beliefs can determine your future. If you believe you are a
champion, your very faith will push you forward into championship. If you
believe you can’t make it in this country or you believe there is nothing good
in Nigeria for instance, you will never see anything good coming your way.
Are you sick? Is there something bothering you? Whatever you may be
going through, if you can gather enough faith about your situation and bring it
to God, your faith itself can powerfully and miraculously turn things around
for you. Even medical doctors confirm that drugs and drips are not as effective
in fighting illnesses as much as the person’s determination to fight and get
out of the hospital. This is to tell you the importance of Faith as a powerful
curative agent.
We all need to take out time today to examine our beliefs. There are a
lot of lies we tell ourselves and continue to repeat to ourselves everyday to
the extent that we start looking out for these lies and interpreting everything
that happens to us in the context of such lies. Lies such as: “I know I would
always amount to failure.” “My problem is the witches and wizards in my
village.” “Someone placed a curse on me; that is why things are not working
out.” “Each time I try, I never make it.” “Its like my destiny in life is to be
small.” “I am always been thrown out.” Etc. etc. etc. These are all lies of the
devil. Once present in your system, they reveal a total lack of faith in the
power of God who is able to do all things.
Today, we celebrate the memorial of a Saint who began his working career
as a military officer as early as 15. His father was also a military officer.
One day, he saw a beggar on the street shivering with cold. He felt pity for
this poor beggar so he decided to divide his coat into two and gave one half to
the beggar to save him from dying. That same night, Jesus Christ appeared to
him wearing that same half coat which he had given to the poor beggar. This was
the experience that totally transformed the life of St. Martins. Not long after
that, he became baptized and converted his mum to the faith. He soon left home
and became a monk. And as time went on, he was appointed Bishop of the city of
Tours in France, an apostolate he carried out with all diligence and exemplary excellence.
Each time I meet somebody in need of help, I always remember this story
of St. Martin of Tours and I do whatever I can to help. Sing: Whatsoever you do
to the least of my brothers, that, you do onto me.
Let us
Pray:
Lord
Jesus, deepen my faith and help me to discover its power to change and
transform me. Amen.
Good morning.
Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you.
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