BE CAREFUL OF FAKE PASTORS

 *TUESDAY 28 November 2023* 

Weekday (34)   

First Reading. Daniel 2:31-45

Psalm. Daniel 3: 35-39 (R. 35b)

Gospel. Luke 21: 5-11

TOPIC FOR REFLECTION

 *BE CAREFUL OF FAKE PASTORS* 

Let me start with some questions.

---Is it possible for an architect who did not go to a medical school, but picks a medical textbook, reads it and automatically becomes a medical practitioner to treat a sick patient?

---Is it possible for an accountant who never studied building technology but suddenly become a civil engineer?

---Is it possible for a professor of linguistics who never studied mechanical engineering to suddenly start to diagnose and repair a faulty car in place of an auto mechanic?

---Is it possible for a computer scientist to read and interpret an Arabic book as a specialist?

Hmmm, I guess your answers to the above questions may be as good as mine.

On the contrary, why does every individual think he or she can just become a pastor overnight without going into a seminary school of formation for at least 9 years to study about God and His Church, together with the Scripture?

My dear, if no other profession can interpret a medical book's signs and symbols except a medical practitioner, how then do you think it is possible for someone who is not a priest to give a good interpretation of the Bible (Scripture)?

We should not forget that the interpretation of the Scripture should not be based on the literary works that are written in the language one can read and understand. Remember, all other professions are also written in the language one can read and understand.

However, why can't someone claim to be a professor of physics, while he or she might have studied Business Administration? At least physics is also written in the language one can read and understand.

Why is it difficult to claim to be a scientist when one is a chartered accountant?

I guess, because God is patient, and we take His patience for granted, hence we can call ourselves and lie to people that God calls us, hmmm.

In my thinking, I guess some people go into becoming self-acclaimed pastors because of some people who live with religious sentiments without much sense of reasoning. Hence, they can easily be manipulated since they are religious bigotry, and the self-acclaimed pastor exploits them to the fullest.

So, a pastor who claims to see vision without a television does so to attract people to himself as a foundation for exploitation through deceptive words. It becomes worse that some people who are religious sentimental gullible are easily deceived. We should be careful not to be manipulated with words of the scriptures, rather we should seek an expert for the interpretation of the scripture to us.

Those who forcefully go about using flowery sweet seductive words to deceive others do so for their selfish interest.

My dear, deception is becoming the order of the day. Some people have taken deception as their profession. They wine and dine with deception. Instead of seeing a lie as a sin, they now see it as a newly baptized name.

Some of us are extremely gullible to the level that our gullibility made us deactivate our sense of reasoning. We now believe often what people tell us more than what we even see.

Some of us now build on what people say without verification; such an attitude destroys rather than builds. 

Jesus in today's Gospel warns us not to be deceived by what men say, rather believe in what He tells us. Still, His words are contained in the scripture. We should read it always.

Please, read today's Gospel very well.

My dear, this prophecy of Jesus is already happening in our world today, yet He did not specify when the end will be.

No one knows when exactly the end will be, but I assure you that the day a person dies, his or her end has already come. Let us be prepared always.

Be good, and do good always.

 *Peace ✌️ be with you.* 

 *Rev. Fr. Segun Oladeji, CRS.*