Reflections on the Readings of the Day - 6th April 2020
(Holy Week/Last Week of Lent)
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First Reading: Isaiah 42: 1-7
Res. Psalm: Psalm 27: 1. 2. 3. 13-14 (R.1a)
The verse before the Gospel: Hail our King! You alone have had mercy on our failings.
Gospel: John 12: 1-11
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Hello Readers!
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First Reading: Isaiah 42: 1-7
Res. Psalm: Psalm 27: 1. 2. 3. 13-14 (R.1a)
The verse before the Gospel: Hail our King! You alone have had mercy on our failings.
Gospel: John 12: 1-11
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Hello Readers!
Today's reflection is built around the theme as seen in the responsorial psalm:
One is reminded again, when going through the readings, of the fact that Salvation is gotten, only through Jesus Christ.
Isaiah prophesied about the Saviour, whom God uses, to bring Liberation and Freedom to His people. Below are some of the beautiful traits of this Saviour of ours:
These few traits, call to mind the first letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians (13), where he explained what Love is, and how important it is, in every action of a true believer of Christ.
We should all endeavour to adopt these traits, as followers of Christ, living day in day out, according to the Will of God Almighty.
Funny how these were the same words I referenced just yesterday while speaking with an old friend of mine, about one of the secrets to how I am able to stay sane in the midst of all this panic around us.
It is week 2 of the imposed lockdown here, and the media, as always, is flooded with all sorts of gloom and conspiracies of how certain persons in power are trying to assume the role of Thanos in the Avengers movies😕.
We should use this period of isolation & compulsory restrictions, to set our priorities right - Seek first the Kingdom of God.
With Jesus as our focus, we are given the Light (that darkness can never overcome), to illuminate our path as we journey through this world that has become so dark and uncertain.
With Christ, we do not need to fear the hidden intentions of Man. As evident in the Gospel reading, Judas complained about waste and it seemed good, but he just wanted to steal the money to satisfy himself. The chief priests joined the jews in their gathering, as though they wanted to see Jesus and believe in Him, yet, they just wanted to see, so they might conclude with their plans to silence both Jesus and His miracle - Lazarus.
Regardless of whatever conspiracies may surround us about the intentions of those seeking to help our country, in the battle against the virus, with Christ Jesus in our lives, we really do not need to fear, for our lives are in His Able Hands and like He said, "Do not be afraid.".
Jesus Christ brings Sight to those who are blind (ignorant), Freedom to those in bondage (slaves to sin), and Light to those in darkness (lost souls) - I'm not talking about light aka Electric Power😋, that is the duty of the Discos & government😅.
Let us acknowledge our need for Him, daily, in our lives and also, in turn, bring Him to others as we are called to be bearers of Christ (as the donkey bore Him into Jerusalem in yesterday's reading of His Passion), to all those permitted by God to cross our paths.
May Christ's Peace reign in our hearts as we receive Him and may the souls of all the faithful departed, rest in perfect peace, Amen.
#Shalom 💙
The Lord is my Light & my Salvation, whom shall I fear?
One is reminded again, when going through the readings, of the fact that Salvation is gotten, only through Jesus Christ.
Isaiah prophesied about the Saviour, whom God uses, to bring Liberation and Freedom to His people. Below are some of the beautiful traits of this Saviour of ours:
- Bearing wrongs patiently - He did not complain despite being wrongly treated.
- Perseverance - He did not give up!
- Commitment - He finished what He started.
These few traits, call to mind the first letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians (13), where he explained what Love is, and how important it is, in every action of a true believer of Christ.
Love gives meaning to the life of a Christian, for Christ Jesus is the true definition of Love and without Him, there is no Christianity.
We should all endeavour to adopt these traits, as followers of Christ, living day in day out, according to the Will of God Almighty.
Could this be a Coincidence?
Just before I decided to go through the readings of today, I opened my bible randomly and the verse that captured my sight immediately were the words of Jesus, in Matthew 10:28 - "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but have no power to kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of Him who can destroy both body & soul in hell."
Funny how these were the same words I referenced just yesterday while speaking with an old friend of mine, about one of the secrets to how I am able to stay sane in the midst of all this panic around us.
It is week 2 of the imposed lockdown here, and the media, as always, is flooded with all sorts of gloom and conspiracies of how certain persons in power are trying to assume the role of Thanos in the Avengers movies😕.
Do not give in to the fear of this world...
The beautiful psalm of today reminds us of what our attitude should be like, always, especially in the face of uncertainty - hope and trust in God. This agrees with the verse (Matthew 10:28) quoted earlier - Do Not be afraid.We should use this period of isolation & compulsory restrictions, to set our priorities right - Seek first the Kingdom of God.
With Jesus as our focus, we are given the Light (that darkness can never overcome), to illuminate our path as we journey through this world that has become so dark and uncertain.
With Christ, we do not need to fear the hidden intentions of Man. As evident in the Gospel reading, Judas complained about waste and it seemed good, but he just wanted to steal the money to satisfy himself. The chief priests joined the jews in their gathering, as though they wanted to see Jesus and believe in Him, yet, they just wanted to see, so they might conclude with their plans to silence both Jesus and His miracle - Lazarus.
Regardless of whatever conspiracies may surround us about the intentions of those seeking to help our country, in the battle against the virus, with Christ Jesus in our lives, we really do not need to fear, for our lives are in His Able Hands and like He said, "Do not be afraid.".
Jesus Christ brings Sight to those who are blind (ignorant), Freedom to those in bondage (slaves to sin), and Light to those in darkness (lost souls) - I'm not talking about light aka Electric Power😋, that is the duty of the Discos & government😅.
Let us acknowledge our need for Him, daily, in our lives and also, in turn, bring Him to others as we are called to be bearers of Christ (as the donkey bore Him into Jerusalem in yesterday's reading of His Passion), to all those permitted by God to cross our paths.
May Christ's Peace reign in our hearts as we receive Him and may the souls of all the faithful departed, rest in perfect peace, Amen.
#Shalom 💙
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