WEDNESDAY 16TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B. By Tobe Eze

WEDNESDAY 16^TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B.

1^ST READING: JEREMIAH 1:1. 4-10

GOSPEL: MATTHEW 13:1-9

THEME: THOSE WHO WILL ACCEPT IT WILL BEAR MORE FRUIT.

Jeremiah the prophet was called by God to preach and prophesy to his people Israel. He wanted to run away from that by giving excuses for he knew what result prophets get. God promised to be with him. Now the problem is no more from Jeremiah but now on those whom he will preach and prophesy to. Will they accept it? It is this question that the gospel came to answer.

Some fell on the road, among thorns, on stones or rocks and on a good soil. Many that are messengers of God are now everywhere preaching and prophesying to us. How do we make our hearts ready for the message? Do we prepare it to be a road or thorns or rock or the good and fertile soil? The onus lies on us to make our hearts ready to accept and work with the word of the Lord which has been given to us by God.

A story circulated on social media one time ago about a Barber who said that God does not exist. His customer tried to argue with him but could not fine enough reason to back his argument up. The Barber talked about the moral decadence in the world as a proof that God does not exist. He said that, there are many priests, pastors and other preachers everywhere but evil still has upper hand in the world which shows that God does not exist. The customer left the shop after his barbing, outside he saw a man with bushy and dirty hair. He went back and told the Barber that Barbers do not exist. He said to him, I am a Barber who just barbed you now, and I exist how can you say that? He went out and brought that man with bushy and dirty hair and showed him to the Barber. He said, if barbers exist, why is it that people like this still exist? He told him that they have refused to come to them barbers to barb them, then the man told him also that those who commit all those sins have refused to accept the preaching of those men and women of God outside their. And that made the Barber to be humble and accept that God exists.

It is not that preachers are no more doing their works but it is our disposition that is very important and not long and rich homilies, reflections and every other things. Igbos do say, ma onye agwalu kwe. If the one addressed accepts it. Let us accept the word of God with faith today and work with it so that we shall bear more fruit and our fruit will last and salvation will be ours. Thanks.