Friday of the Nineteenth Week in OT ✝️ St. Cecelia Church

Empowerment (Homily 8/16/24) We have discussed in the series of this week, the need to set or reset our priority table (God, family, and work.) In this way, we experience the three dimensions of salvation: forgiveness of sins, participation in divinity, and dominance over circumstances of affliction. As long as we are in union with God, our lives will be vested with an authority that crushes the malevolence of elemental forces, and we see the chains of anxiety, addictions, restlessness, curses, ailments, etc. tearing asunder and losing their control over us or our families. In this homily today, we are going to see the effects of being united with God. If the man possessed by a fallen spirit could not be bound by chains, how much more is the one who is united with God meant to live in higher freedom and peace. A. Union with God…Justice “19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” (I Cor.6:19) Your Body belongs to the Holy Spirit B. What does it imply? “13“ Food for the stomach and the stomach for food,” but God will destroy them both. The body is not intended for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.” (I Cor.6:13.) C. Effects Nothing could hold anyone united with God, absolutely nothing (disease, stress, isolation, drugs, etc.) if the man who was possessed by evil spirit could not be bound by chains, how much more anyone united with God, the Holy Spirit. “2 When He got out of the boat, immediately a man from the tombs with an unclean spirit met Him. 3 He lived among the tombs; and no one was able to bind him anymore, not even with a chain, 4 because he had often been bound with shackles and chains, and the chains had been torn apart by him and the shackles broken in pieces; and no one was strong enough to subdue him” (Mark 5.) D. How does He come in to manifest His Power? Desire… you become and receive what you desire… “Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy” (I Cor.14:1) Parish News & Events 📰 Bulletin: https://stcecelia.com/bulletins Our Celebrants: Father Deniskingsley Nwagwu, SDV Father Ignatius Mary Okoroji, SDV Support the Parish of St. Cecelia 📦 Like & Subscribe 💌 Online Giving: https://bit.ly/45JPJwQ 📦 Volunteer https://stcecelia.com/parish-organiza... Thank you for watching. May God bless you!