Readings: Apocalypse 10:8-11, Ps. 119:14,24,72,103,111,131, Luke 19:45-48
“I took the little scroll from the hand of the angel and ate it; it was sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach was bitter. Then they said to me, ‘You must prophesy again about many peoples and nations and languages and kings.’” (Revelation 10:10-11)
As we continue reading from the Book of Revelations today, we come across the part when John was given the scroll to eat. The scroll was sweet as honey on his lips but very bitter inside his stomach. What kind of scroll is this? It is the word of God. It is the truth. Truth is bitter, but its bitterness, like medicine, brings healing, life, and eternal happiness.
- As John ate the scroll, we feed on God’s word daily. Jesus himself said: “Man shall not live on bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Cf. Matthew 4:4, Luke 4:4, and Deuteronomy 8:3). The book of Hebrews also adds: “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).
- God’s word is food, but it is also a sharp sword. This explains why it tasted sweet in John’s mouth and bitter in his stomach. The word of God is sweet when it condemns our enemies and mentions God’s assurance of abundance, protection, answered prayers, and so on. However, it is bitter when it speaks of the consequences of our sinful habits and behaviors. It is bitter when we realize we are guilty of the truth it contains.
- The Gospel of Prosperity is satanic because it selects only aspects of God’s word that are soothing to the ears (just as Satan quoted passages of God’s protection and assurance while tempting Jesus). This Gospel thrives in a society with an abysmal government (like Nigeria). Karl Marx was speaking about Prosperity Gospel when he described religion as “the opium of the masses.”
- Like a person who has lost everything he has but takes cocaine to feel good, Prosperity Gospel (together with the entertainment we call worship in our churches today) numbs us from reality. If Jesus were to visit our churches today as he did in today’s Gospel passage, I bet there would be so much to throw away, so many buttocks to be flogged, and so many money-changers to be driven out. While we wait for the coming of Jesus, let us take advantage of the opportunity of being alive right now. Let us look into our hearts and flush out our secret deeds (those things we are ashamed of) and everything contrary to God’s Words.
- It is time to stop telling lies, collecting bribes, cutting corners in business, etc. It is time to return what you have been stealing. It is time to stop killing others by selling fake products or through abortion. It is time to stop viewing immoral pictures and videos online. End that adulterous relationship. Stop fornicating in the name of dating; get married. Stop hating or bearing grudges. Stop deceiving others in the name of religion; preach the truth. Repent; become the living example of the Gospel you proclaim.
- Today, we remember St. Cecilia. She is revered as the patroness of music, a noble Roman virgin who embraced a life of consecrated virginity. Married to a man named Valerian, she disclosed her vow to him, promising that an angel would protect her purity. Moved by her conviction, Valerian was baptized and, upon his return, witnessed an angel with Cecilia. His brother, Tiberius, also converted and was baptized. The brothers dedicated their efforts to burying martyred saints, a mission that eventually led to their execution.
- Cecilia spent her time evangelizing, successfully converting over four hundred people. Her preaching continued even after her arrest. Sentenced to die by suffocation in heated baths, she miraculously survived without harm. An executioner then attempted to behead her but failed, leaving her to live for three more days, during which she continued to preach and pray. Upon her death, Pope Urban buried Cecilia. Centuries later, in 1599, her body was exhumed, found to be incorrupt, and emitting a sweet fragrance. Her remains were placed beneath the high altar of her titular church in Trastevere, Rome.
- St. Cecilia's legacy as the patroness of music comes from the heavenly music she experienced in her heart during her wedding, often depicted in art with organ pipes. Her story continues to inspire faith and devotion to this day.
Let us pray: Almighty, ever-living God, may truth, despite its bitterness, never leave our lips. We ask this through Our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever. Amen.
Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. May God’s abundant blessings be upon us all. (Saint Cecilia, Virgin, Martyr, Liturgical Colour: Red. Bible Study: Apocalypse 10:8-11, Ps. 119:14,24,72,103,111,131, Luke 19:45-48).
@Rev. Fr. Evaristus E. Abu