Saturday 14 October
Saturday of week 27 in Ordinary Time Saint Callistus, Pope, Martyr Saturday memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary First reading - Joel 4:12-21 The whole message is that when we are with God, we have stability and progress. When we are moving away from God, we lose everything. When we are with God, new possibilities will rise, and the existing possibilities will flourish. “When that day comes, the mountains will run with new wine and the hills flow with milk, and all the riverbeds of Judah will run with water. A fountain will spring from the house of the Lord to water the wadi of Acacias”. This truth is again and again repeated in the words of the prophets. Our closeness to God activates the whole energy of God around us. The more we built our life around the Lord, the more flourishing our life becomes. This is the truth of the presence of God in our life. When we put the Lord as the centre of our life, our life becomes different. “But the Lord will be a shelter for his people, a stronghold for the sons of Israel”. The Lord becomes our shelter all the time and a stronghold against all our enemies. Let’s reflect: Am I organizing my life around the Lord?
Friday 13 October
Friday of week 27 in Ordinary Time First reading - Joel 1:13-15,2:1-2 The Prophet is proposing a day of repentance. The day to welcome the Lord. The day of purification to receive the Lord well. The most underlining factor in this appeal is that the whole community is called together for repentance. The priests, ministers, elders, and the whole community prepare to receive the Lord. Our preparation to be with the Lord must be together with the whole community. I cannot prepare alone to be close to God. I can prepare with all those around me to the presence of the Lord. We cannot prepare ourselves to receive the Lord, without including others. We must take our community together in our preparation to be close to God. We must take those around us in our being with the Lord. We must walk together toward the Lord. We cannot walk alone to God. Let’s reflect: Am I taking all those around me to the Lord together with me?
Thursday 12 October
Thursday of week 27 in Ordinary Time First reading - Malachi 3:13-20 “Then once again you will see the difference between an upright man and a wicked one, between the one who serves God and the one who does not serve him”. The Word of God is instructing us today with a very important aspect of our life. There is a difference between those who are close to God and those who are away from God. This difference is something created by God. But created by us with our freedom. What happens is that when we choose to be close to God with our freedom, we grow in the light of God’s love. “But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness will shine out with healing in its rays”. But for those who choose with their freedom to be away from God, they will lack this light. It is like closing the eyes and say that it's darkness. One who keeps the eyes open see the light of the sun and walk correctly. But one who keeps the eyes closed will not see the sun and will be in danger. Choice is ours with our freedom. Let’s reflect: Am I keeping my eyes open always to see the light of God’s love?
Wednesday 11 October
Wednesday of week 27 in Ordinary Time Saint John XXIII, Pope First reading - Jonah 4:1-11 In this episode of the book of Jonah there is a big lesson to learn. A lesson which we must learn and to be part of our daily life. May be God has given me to learn this opportunity. When we enter into a real relationship with God, we change, we adapt, and we transform. This is what is more important. The change that is brought in our daily life. The most visible change happens in our relationship with others. We accept with joy every good thing that happens to others. The joy of others becomes our joy. This transformation happens in our relationship with God. Jonah was sad when God changed His decision to destroy Nineveh which is a good thing. But God makes a conversation with Jonah to make him understand the divine reality. This is the beauty of relationship with God. In a real relationship with God there is always this dialogue to understand the reality. Let’s reflect: Do I become part of dialogue with God in my relationship with God?