Today’s Readings:
Philemon 7-20
Psalm 146:7-10
Luke 17:20-25
Today’s Rosary: The Luminous Mysteries
Today’s Saint Quote:“PEACE is the mark of the children of God. The faith of those who LIVE their faith is a serene faith. What you long for will be given you; what you love will be yours for ever. The obedience of the star calls us to imitate its humble service: to be servants, as best we can, of the grace that invites all men to find Christ.”- St. Leo the Great
TRANSFORMING OUR RELATIONSHIPS
Today, we are all presented with the matter of the coming of the kingdom of God into this world, and how it is actually already happening to us all even as we have experienced it all these time, all these while. We must not see God’s kingdom as something that is disconnected from the present life we have today, as it is definitely very tempting for us to think of that God’s kingdom has yet to come to us, while the truth is that the kingdom of God has actually been amongst us all these times. Yes, brothers and sisters, the fact is that we are already part of this blessed kingdom of God, in the Church and our Christian communities.
In the First reading, St. Paul telling Philemon that he was sending him one of his godsons, Onesimus, to accompany him and the other faithful, in the ministry and mission entrusted to them all in the Church of God. The Psalm declares how God takes care of the outcasts, rejected, and lowly. God freely chooses to love those whom humans consider less important. In the Gospel, Jesus answers not only those who questioned Him during His lifetime, but also people who through the ages have asked the question, “When will the Reign of God happen?”
The Kingdom of Heaven is already present in the here and now. We are each called to “make” the Kingdom of God more fully present to others through our witnessing of the Gospel values. However, we seem to be clouded and blinded by the secular values of the world and thus tend to neglect the Gospel values of God’s Kingdom. Each of us has been called by God for a specific purpose. God has a plan for us to fulfill. We can joyfully and enthusiastically accept the challenge presented to us, or we can begrudgingly do what is asked of us, or we can freely choose to refuse to do that which God desires of us.
The Kingdom of God is the reign of God’s love, justice and joy in our lives. Christianity transforms all levels of inter-personal relationships simply because of our relationship with Christ. Those who subscribe to faith in Christ and the gospel, they are transformed in the way they see the world and people. Christianity transforms all levels of inter-personal relationships simply because of our relationship with Christ. What is the basis of this transformation? It is based on the fact that Christ is the image of God and the first born among many brothers.
We who are baptized in Christ are all members of the household of God. When we put on Christ, we are a new creation. The way of Christianity was a slow and gradual process of changing and transforming minds. If we live the life of the Spirit, the life of Christ, then the Kingdom of God is already here in us and in our midst.
In every age, including our own time, there are people who got anxious about the “final coming of Christ/” Where there is justice, no matter how small, there is God’s kingdom, where there is beauty, there is God’s kingdom. Jesus longs to reign in our hearts and rule our lives. The key question is this, *Do I allow Him take control of my life?
Evangelization is primarily a matter of deep love, and cross-cultural evangelization is a matter of even deeper love. God has given us the gift of free will (Catechism, 1730). The Lord wants us to love Him out of our free will. The gift of free will sets up the possibility that mankind might choose evil instead of love.
Today, we celebrate the feast of Pope St. Leo the Great, one of the great saints of the Church, whose life, works and inspirations can be sources of good inspiration for ourselves in how we ought to live up to our faith in our daily living, to be truly worthy parts of God’s everlasting and glorious kingdom. Pope St. Leo the Great was well-known for his stand-off with the powerful Attila the Hun, king of the rampaging Huns who were then invading the Roman Empire and was about to come to Rome. Pope St. Leo the Great stood at the gates of Rome and managed to convince the Hunnic king to turn away and return to his homeland, sparing his flock much destructions and death.
Sisters and Brothers, let us also follow St Paul and Philemon in putting new hearts in those who are hopeless, the poor, the depressed, the forlorn, the troubled, the sick and the hopeless. Let us all embody this faith and belief which we have in God, in our own actions and deeds throughout life. And let us all turn wholeheartedly towards the Lord from now on, being role models for one another in faith, and in how we show our love to our fellow brethren, especially those who have need of our love.
Today, let each and every one of us, pray for the graces we need to be more attuned to living more fully and faithfully in God’s ways. If we are sincere, God will never fail to accompany us on our faith’s journey.
PRAY FOR THE CANONIZATION OF BLESSED MICHAEL TANSI, MICHAEL J. MCGIVNEY & NNADI MICHAEL
PRAY THE ROSARY & LITANY- THIS IS THE MOST POWERFUL SPIRITUAL WEAPON AGAINST EVIL FORCES.
PRAYER
-Lord Jesus Christ, may your kingdom come and may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Be the Ruler of my heart and the Master of my life that I may always live in the freedom of your love and truth.
GROW AS A DISCIPLE Of JESUS; EVANGELIZE; LET THE POWER & GRACE THAT ACCOMPANY THE SHARING & PROPAGATION OF GOOD NEWS TOUCH & TRANSFORM ME THROUGH JESUS OUR LORD. AMEN.
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