EVERY EVIL PROJECT HAS AN EXPIRY DATE!

TWELFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR A.

Jer 20:10-13, Ps 69, Rom 5:12-15, Mt 10:28-33.

There is a common saying that every beginning has an end. Every journey has a begining and
an end, every project too, morning to night, Sunday to Saturday, January to December, and
from conception to death.

Every beginning has an end and too every evil project has an end or expiry date.
So often in life many people embark on a human project of destroying others either physically,
emotionally, reputational damage or psychologically. At times, the reasons for doing these evil
projects can be so stupid and aimless.

Jealousy, anger, revenge or entitlement or just mere wickedness are often at the centre of such
evil projects.
Very often the crime of those being targeted by the evil doers in the above projects could just
simply be because they are successful in life, because they are happy in life or because they
are gifted in a particular aspect of life or simply because the good they do brings sadness to
others.

Our first reading taken from the prophet Jeremiah gives a same picture of persons with evil
plans seeking to execute them on Jeremiah as soon as they have their opportunity.

Jeremiah says, 'I hear the whisperings of many: terror on every side! Let us denounce him.
Those who were my friends are on the watch for any mistake of mine, so as to destroy me'

It is the same story in the gospel today from Mathew as Jesus tells his apostles to fear no one.
He prepares their minds about those who shall be out to persecute and kill them. He tells them
not to fear those who kill just the body and not the soul.

Happy is the apostle who acknowledges and stands for Christ before men because their reward
shall be great in heaven and for those who fail to do so shall be denied heaven.

Jeremiah in the first reading draws his strength from the fact that God shall shame the evil doers
and expose them in punishment at the end while Christ tells His apostles that everything hidden
shall be made known.

'Every evil project has an expiry date and end'.

The crime of Jeremiah in the first reading and of Jesus and his followers in the gospels and
even for many today is simply because they preach the good news about God and heaven.
The desire to destroy others often comes with no foreseeing of the after effects, it possesses
like one addicted to drugs or alcohol, without any self control.

The caution which comes clearly to us is that each time we embark on an evil project, either to
kill, to lie against others, to blackmail, to manipulate people for gain, to slander or to cause
disorder and pain amongst people, we should always remember that it will always end and be
exposed and what a shame it will be. If not exposed before men, then it will be before God.

We may fool some of people for some of the times and we may fool all of the people for some of
the times but we can never fool all the peoples all of the time. Because one day there will
always be an end to all the evil, an end to all the bad will, an end to all the character and
reputation assassination, and this particular end often comes with lots of regret and frustration.

Therefore, the call to repentance is clear to each and everyone of us against the evil projects
that we maybe planning or have been carrying against others.

At times we have heard people confess in public or in private for the things they have done, it is
because the reward of evil is a very heavy burden of guilt. We cannot be at peace when our
hearts are not at peace with God and our neighbour.

Let us therefore fervently pray during this mass for God's grace to truly be reflections of his will
for us, as People created in His image and likeness to love, to serve and to be happy always.
May the words of St Paul to the Romans, strengthen us since Jesus is the gracious gift from
God for the salvation of man.

Hermann Lawong SD
Visiedo, 25/6/2023