There is nobility in compassion, a beauty in empathy, a grace in forgiveness. Grace is the undeserved love, forgiveness, kindness, and acceptance from God to His people. Vindication is not due to our actions or deeds or desires. Vindication is the action or work of God. ”
Reflection for Wednesday 24h Week of Ordinary Time. Year A. Cycle I. September 20, 2023
Today’s Readings:
1 Timothy 3:14-16
Psalm 111:1-6
Luke 7:31-35
Today’s Rosary: The Glorious Mysteries
Today’s Saint Quote:“To be able to dry tears, to heal the wounds of souls from the heights of Heaven, this is my ardent wish.” – Blessed Marie T. of Saint Joseph
THE PILLAR OF TRUTH
Today, we are rem…
[05:54, 9/21/2023] Phil Ezeogu: Today’s Inspirational Snippet:“The universe is but one vast symbol of God. To gather with God’s people in united adoration of the Father is as necessary to the Christian life as prayer. God calls his people to live in unity with one another, so it is important to make every effort to live together in harmony with everyone. An essential part of unity is loyalty. Christians of every era are called to be Christ’s ambassadors. Perfection consists in one thing alone which is doing the will of God.”
Reflection for Thursday 24th Week of Ordinary Time. Year A, Cycle I. September 21, 2023
Today is the Feast of St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist
Today’s Readings:
Ephesians 4:1-7, 11-13
Psalm 19:2-5
Matthew 9:9-13
Today’s Rosary – The Luminous Mysteries
Today’s Saint Quote:You must never desist from doing good works for fear you won’t be able to meet expenses, just as long as you use prudence and frugality.” – Blessed Mark Scalabrini
BUILDING UNITY IS THE ESSENTIAL GOAL OF THE CHURCH OF CHRIST
Today, the Church celebrates the great Feast of one of the Twelve Apostles of the Lord, and who happens to be also one of the Four Evangelists, that is St. Matthew the Apostle, also once known as Levi, the tax collector. As Levi, St. Matthew was a tax collector likely collecting the taxes on behalf of the Roman overlords of the region, and perhaps also the local rulers like the Herodians. Regardless of the details, the tax collectors living and working at the time of the Lord Jesus were really reviled and hated by almost everyone, and the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law in particular despised them and portrayed them as evil and wicked, unworthy of God’s grace, unclean and sinful in their lives and actions.
In the First reading from Epistle of St. Paul to Ephesians, St. Paul summarizes the different ministries in the church including two of the callings which Matthew had: Apostle and Evangelist. We are reminded that the purpose of all ministries within the Church is: the Edification (building up) the Body of Christ – the Church. The Responsorial Psalm reminds us that the Good News is not something which can be kept to ourselves. Today’s Gospel gives us our best glimpse of the man named Matthew.
Jesus calls us regardless of our background. Jesus came not to call the righteous but the sinners. Jesus’ attitude towards Mathew was compassion, when the world considered him as a tac collector and a sinner. St. Bede the Venerable, while commenting on Matthew’s conversion, writes, “This conversion of one tax collector gave many men, those from his own profession and other sinners, an example of repentance and pardon… No sooner was he converted than Matthew drew after him a whole crowd of sinners along the same road to salvation.” Today, Mathew challenges us to remember the call we have received from jesus.
All of us are called to be apostles of Christ, that is, to be His ambassadors to the world. We are called to be apostles of mercy. This is the Good News that the world most need to hear and experience. We are living in a world without morality and values, yet the world is most judgmental towards those whom they disagree with and condemn without mercy the mistakes and weaknesses of those who have broken the laws or infringed the norms of society. It is to such a world that we are called to live out our Christian vocation. This is because God has called us out of mercy. It is not because of our merits that we are what we are today.
Preserving the unity of the Church is what St Paul urges us in the first reading when he wrote, “There is one Body, one Spirit, just as you were all called into one and the same hope when you were called. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God who is Father of all, over all, through all and within all.” The unity of the Church is critical since we are called to be the sign and sacrament of unity for the whole human race. The failure of unity is the cause of the ineffectiveness of the mission of the Church to the world today. Because of disunity among Christians and within the Church itself, we have become a counter sign.
Indeed, a true mark that the Church is not just a human church is when the Church is both Catholic and united. Catholicity means that the Church is constituted of peoples from all over the world, different in culture, language and race. We must also extend this unity beyond the confines of the Church. The key to unity among Christians is our common unity with Christ. Communion with the Lord is the principle for communion among Christians. The second principle that holds us together is the remembrance that we are one Body in Christ. The third principle that unites us is that we are “all called into one and the same hope.” The fourth principle in building unity is that all are called to build up the body of Christ according to the charisms entrusted to us.
We must exercise patience and perseverance in the process of dialogue and working together as one Church. Unity is not something that can be achieved overnight. St Paul exhorts us all to make appropriate use of the charisms and talents that the Spirit has given to us for the building, formation, growth and ministering of the community. We cannot keep the gifts for ourselves. We must seek to bring the gospel to everyone, beginning with the poor and ordinary people, we must not just remain there. We must be courageous to bring the gospel to those in higher society so that they can be our apostles to bring in their friends. God has made us worthy, we must now make ourselves worthy by responding to the Lord’s call.
Sisters & Brothers, let us begin wherever we are, in our homes, offices and parish community to strive for the vision and mission to grow in holiness, build up each other through love. Let us all devote ourselves anew to the Lord, with a renewed zeal, knowing that in Him alone that we will be able to find true satisfaction and joy in life. Let us embrace what God has called us to be, in our own capacities, as the lay members of the Church, as married couples and family members, and also as those who have given themselves to consecrated and religious life, as well as the holy priesthood.
Today, let each one of us, contribute in whatever way we can, trusting that God will show us the way forward.
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.
Have you ever considered Total Consecration of yourself to Blessed Virgin Mary, grow your Spirituality?
PRAYER
-Lord God, ever loving and always gracious. Help us to be honest enough to admit our sinfulness and also our need for salvation, so that we can be healed, made whole, and saved. Lord Jesus, your grace is sufficient for me. Fill my heart with love and gratitude for the mercy you have shown to me and give me joy and freedom to love and serve others with kindness and respect.
Dear Readers, Good and credible news reportage is tedious task and requires huge finances.
We are soliciting your Noble support for as low as N1,000 your support would go a long way in assisting us to continue to guarantee our readers quality news.
Bank transfers can be made to:
Account Name: Harvest and Commercial
Bank: Sterling Bank
Account Number: 0078627735