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Thursday, March 18, 2004

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St. Cyril of Jerusalem


Jeremiah 7:23-28
Psalm 95
Luke 11:14-23

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"against" jesus?

"He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters."  —Luke 11:23

We can be "against" Jesus by:

  • attributing His works to the devil (see Lk 11:15), which is a blatant lie,
  • becoming an enemy of the cross through being "set upon the things of this world" (Phil 3:19; see also Jas 4:4), and
  • having the spirit of the antichrist and refusing to acknowledge "Jesus Christ come in the flesh" (1 Jn 4:2-3).

These three ways of being "against" Jesus go together. When we deny the identity of Jesus, we deny the truth, for Jesus is the Truth (Jn 14:6). Denying the truth, we align ourselves with Satan, "the father of lies" (Jn 8:44), deny our true selves, and fit in quite well with the world, which denies Jesus' lordship.

When we renew our baptismal promises on the first day of the Easter season, we will either reject Satan and profess our faith in the Trinity, or we will do the opposite — believe in Satan and reject the Trinity. There is no in-between. We are with Jesus or against Him (see Mt 6:24), gathered to Him or scattered. Be with, for, and in Jesus.

Prayer:  Father, may I never let myself be manipulated into opposing You.

Promise:  "I have sent you untiringly all My servants the prophets." —Jer 7:25

Praise:  St. Cyril showed he was "with Jesus" by suffering persecution, exile, heresy, and death threats while serving as bishop of Jerusalem.

Reference:  (For a related teaching, order our leaflet on Accepting Jesus as Lord, Savior, and God or on audio AV 43-1 or video V-43.)

Nihil Obstat:  Reverend Richard Walling, July 18, 2003


Imprimatur:  †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, July 24, 2003